Chapter 70

[ 1,022 words ]

The safe house

70: 70.

The safe house Aria

Pain, white and hot, hits me out of nowhere.

My shoulder and back throb with a phantom ache close enough to feel real but distant enough to let my mind know it’s not mine.

I freeze mid-step, fingers tightening around the strap of my pack as something twists deep in my chest.

Theo.

I don’t know how I know, but I do.

The certainty of his presence is clearer than the throbbing feeling lighting up my nerves.

My wolf surges forward instantly, restless and agitated.

He’s hurt.

Just as quickly as it came, the feeling dulls.

It’s far away.

Blurred.

Like trying to see through thick fog.

I can still sense the pain, the distress, but I can’t tell how bad the wounds are.

That makes it worse.

I know he’s limiting what I can feel somehow.

A shadow moves over me.

“He’ll be okay,” Kade assures, his voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts.

I shake my head, trying to steady myself.

But when I look in his eyes, I see the same worry tightening my chest.

“But he’s hurt,” I say.

“And he’s hiding it.

How can he hide it?”

“Mating bonds allow us to feel each other and get a sense of the emotions going on in our heads, but it doesn’t mean that we are an open book.

With practice, you can learn to block the connection to some degree so we won’t sense what you’re feeling.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“To have a moment to yourself, or in Theo’s case to make sure we don’t worry and get distracted.”

I look at Ronan, and his expression hardens.

“The second group must have been attacked.

Which means we need to stay on high alert as we travel.”

“What about the first group?” I ask, worried for the pups and the elders well past their fighting days.

“No confirmation yet,” he says, already pulling his phone from his pocket as it starts to chime.

Barrica’s name flashes on the screen.

Ronan answers immediately.

“Report.” A pause.

“They made it,” Ronan says, tension easing just slightly.

“The first group is at the safe house.”

Relief crashes through me so fast my knees nearly give out.

The pups are okay.

My wolf exhales, the tight coil inside her loosening just a fraction.

Good.

Now we can focus on our mate.

The knot twisting in my chest doesn’t unwrap itself.

Theo is still hurt and hiding the extent of the wound from us.

But Kiara is in that group, so he has to be okay, right?

“Everyone, gear up,” Ronan calls out, already shifting back into command mode.

“We move in pairs.”

I adjust my pack with unsteady hands, trying to focus, trying to breathe through the lingering echo of Theo’s pain and the pressing urge to see with my own two eyes that he’s safe.

“Hey.”

I look up.

Quinley stands in front of me, her expression softer than I’ve ever seen it.

“Your anxiety is spiking,” she says gently.

“Do you want some help calming it down?”

My first instinct is to deny that it’s happening.

The initial discomfort with letting anyone see my weakness is hard to overcome.

Quin doesn’t push.

She just waits patiently; we have all the time in the world.

Something about her steady presence gives me the space I need to make that first step.

“Yeah. That would be great,” I admit.

Her lips curve into a small, reassuring smile.

“Okay. I’m going to put my hand on your shoulder.” I nod, and she steps closer and places a light hand on me.

At first, nothing happens.

Then a pull, like putting your hand on a low-power vacuum hose, tingles through our entire body.

When it moves up to my chest, that suction-like pull shuts off.

Like fog rolling in over my skin, cool and weightless, all the anxiety leaves me.

It seeps outward, brushing against my nerves, as it retreats from my body.

My heart beats steadily and sure as I look at Quin, unable to hide my surprise.

“Better?” Quinley asks softly.

I blink, grounding myself in the sudden calm.

“Much better,” I say, honestly, a little in awe.

“That was… fast.”

She shrugs lightly.

“Comes in handy in a pinch.”

“No kidding.” I think for a moment.

“Is that what you mean when you said you will be okay in our group if we’re attacked?”

“Yup,” she pops the P.

“It’s both defensive and offensive when you know how to use it right.”

“And how do you do that?” I pull on my backpack straps, making sure it’s secure enough not to jostle if I run.

Quin does the same, running her hand down her long blonde braid.

“Submissives will never be as strong as dominants, and if that dominant is also a grimm, there is very little chance of beating them unless you’re smart.

Lucky for me, I have an edge.

My empathic ability makes me the perfect wolf in sheep’s clothes.

Think about it, how much is strength worth if you’re never allowed to use it?”

“That is diabolical.

I’m so jealous.”

Kade steps up beside us, eyes scanning both of us quickly.“You ladies ready?”

Quinley nods.

“Always.”

I tighten the strap of my pack one more time.

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

It feels strange to say it.

Stranger still to step out into a pack territory that suddenly feels abandoned.

The usual hum of life is gone.

No laughter.

No movement.

No sense of home.

Just silence.

My wolf presses close to the surface.

An emotion I can’t place, making her alert.

Kade leads us forward to the waiting group.

Ronan stands at the front, Dex at his side, a handful of enforcers forming a protective ring around the remaining non-warrior pack members.

Quinley slips into the group effortlessly, her energy shifting there, bringing a sense of calm and focus with just her presence alone.

Ronan’s decision to have her in the first group is starting to become clear.

During our training, Barric always reinforces control over my emotions so that my defense and offense can be effective.

With all the unknowns, Quin provides an invaluable service and will help to keep us calm and collected.

“Hey,” she says quietly to a nervous-looking girl.

“You doing okay?”

The girl nods, though her scent says otherwise.

Quinley doesn’t call her out.

She just stays close.

Ronan’s voice cuts through the quiet.

“Alright, everyone, stay alert,” he says.

“Trust your instincts. If something feels off, you speak up immediately. No hesitation. When we’re out there, we are all responsible for each other.”

A murmur of agreement ripples through the group.

Ronan gives us one last nod and leads us away from our territory.

I don’t look back.

I can’t.

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