Chapter 35

Chapter 35

1 sat on my bed in the hotel, looking at my hands. They were still shaking.

“Kora…” Kate said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I jumped.

Kate took her hand away “I mean you always knew, didn’t you? Your father would never have done what he did without something truly compelling happening. Now you know. He was under a spell.”

“He’s still alive.” I murmured. “He’s alive… and still under some witch’s influence.”

Kate took a deep breath. “Yes. And now that we know that, well.. have you considered going home?”

“Home” looked up at her in confusion. “Why would I go

home?”

“There’s just the two of us, Kora. If we go home and tell Alpha Mason…. Listen, I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m just not sure it’s a good idea for the two of us to try to get your father out on our own. We’ll get caught for sure. Then…. who knows what?” Kate sighed.

They have Shawn, too, I pointed out.

Kate bowed her head. She wiped a tear from her eye. I could tell she was frustrated, and also, that she cared for Shawn very much. “How will it help him when we are captured?”

No. I couldn’t let Kate get captured. Neither could I leave, knowing what I knew. I made a decision and summoned a lie.

“You’re right,” I said, keeping my voice even, almost defeated. “We can’t face them.

on our own.

“Exactly.” Kate said. “So, we’ll go get Alpha Mason and a decent number of reinforcements and take care of this. I guess… I guess they’ll just have to wait a little longer.”

I nodded sagely, though my plans were different. “Absolutely.”

Kate sat down on the edge of the bed we were going to share next to me and put an arm around me. “I want so badly to stay and ride in and set their world ablaze, but… after that wears off, Kora, we just look like idiots. And I want Shawn out for real.”

“And I want my father out for real. My father and Shawn,” I agreed. “No, you’re absolutely right. We need to go back and get reinforcements.”

Kate smiled sadly and curled up on the bed. “We’ll set out in the morning. Like Jim said.”

“Absolutely, I replied. “Just like Jim said.

With a heavy sigh, Kate closed her eyes.

I turned off the light, then allowed my eyes to shift to see better in the dark. I took my belt-and hers-and ever so stealthily belted her wrists to the headboard.

Despite my efforts, Kate woke up when I had her second wrist in hand. “Kora! What are you doing?!”

“I’m sorry, Kate. But you can’t come with me.” I said, straddling her so she couldn’t fight me. “And I know if I leave you loose, you’ll try, no matter what you said tonight.”

“You’re d’mn right I will!” Kate shouted. “Untie me right now, Kora, or I swear…”

I put a hand on her cheek. “You’re one of the most loyal friends I have. But as you said, this is a suicide mission. I can’t take you with me.”

“You’ve lost your mind. Kora, you can’t do this!” Kate said, pulling on the

restraints.

I k*ssed her forehead and got off her. “I’m sure Jim will find you in the morning and let you go. Me, well, you know where I’m going.”

“Kora, no!” Kate protested.

I smiled sadly and slid out the door into the night, heading straight for Shadowmoon territory.

I carried a pack on my back this time, after I left the cache, as I couldn’t remember us having another cache closer to Shadowmoon territory. My breath. clouded the air. It was a cold night. It had been a warm day. But neither had kept me from running after Kora.

Eddie was handling the battle plans now. After I’d been entirely unable to focus, we’d both decided-or rather, I’d decided, and he’d reluctantly agreed-there was no point in my going back to lead the troops.

Kate and Kora had done a rather marvelous job of evasion after Jessup Town, but after a while, they’d just pressed forward, which eased my frustration somewhat. I was an Alpha, so I could follow their path. But it hadn’t been easy,

I swore to the Goddess, when I got Kora home, I was tying her to my bed and keeping her there until she started seeing sense.

Once I realized they’d gone into Caswald, I stopped, panting, just inside the treeline. It wouldn’t exactly do good to wander into a border town so close to Shadowmoon territory as Alpha of the Fullbright Pack.

I shifted and dropped my bag off my shoulder, then pulled out some nondescript clothing and a hat. I pulled the brim down over my eyes and walked into town.

Luckily, most p p whic Bequented border towns had no desire to be recognized and no interest in recognizing others. I didn’t stand out at all.

It didn’t take me long to find the motel where the two of them had gone. I decided I didn’t care what kind of “monster” Kora thought I was, I was going to shake some sense into her.

A bald, older man sat behind the counter, working on a crossword puzzle.

“She ain’t here,” he said before I could even ask a question. “Left last night.”

“You don’t even know who I’m looking for.” I replied, though I suspected he did. He had a kind of knowing aura about him.

“Foolish thing think she’s goin’ on some kinda rescue mission.” the bald man sighed, setting his crossword aside. He blinked owlishly up at me. “Didn’t think the Alpha of Fullbright would come this far for a lost wolf.”

I drew up my shoulders and growled. “Listen here-”

The bald man lifted a shoulder. “Makes no never mind to me. Must be your mate er something. Anyway, she ain’t here. But there’s one upstairs that could probably use a pee break.”

“One upstairs?” I echoed.

“Yeah. Kora left her friend here,” the bald man said. “Strapped to the bed.

It took three beats of my heart to process that information. Then my heart sped

double time. “Kora went off ALONE?!”

up

“Straight into Shadowmoon territory, unless I miss my guess,” the bald man confirmed.

“F*CK!” I slammed my fist on the counter. It splintered a bit.

“Hey now. Don’t go damaging the motel,” the bald man grunted.

I sighed and pressed my forehead to the thick glass between us. “Upstairs, you say? Which room?”

“Six.” The bald man gave me a key. “She was right ornery this mornin’, but I figured I’d let her think on it a bit before lettin’ her go. Otherwise, she would’ve gone racing right after her, and there’d be two idiots boltin’ into Shadowmoon. land.”

“Why didn’t you stop Kora?” I asked, breathing out an angry breath.

The bald man gestured to himself. “Really think I could have stopped her?”

He had a point. “I’ll just go to room six, then. We’ll probably be back out sooner rather than later.”

“Long as you pay for the room,” the bald man said.

I dropped some money, more than the room could possibly be worth, on the

counter.

The bald man sn atched it through the slot in the window. “Want me to hold the room for ya?”

“No. But your silence would be much appreciated.” I said.

“My silence is always guaranteed,” the bald man responded. “Now if you wouldn’t mind goin’ to get that other one before she breaks the bed frame, that’d be much appreciated.”

I nodded and trotted down the hall to room six.