Chapter 410 Who You Were

“Where are we going?” Ashleigh demanded.

They had driven more than an hour outside of Summer territory and then abandoned the car along the trees, just off a dirt road. Then they hiked another mile through the forest.

“We’re almost there,” Alice replied.

“Where is there?” Ashleigh asked.

She looked around but saw no structures, camps, or settlements. Everywhere she looked was just more forest.

‘This is a trap.’

‘She wants to kill you.’

Ashleigh closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. The voices were getting stronger. Her father had pushed them away for a short time, but now they were almost shouting in her mind.

“What is it?”

Ashleigh opened her eyes and looked up. Alice stood staring back at her, with a curious look on her face.

“What?”

“What is it that you’re hearing?”

“What?!” Ashleigh shouted in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“Does Axel know? Or Caleb?”

“Know what?” Ashleigh growled.

“Voices,” Alice replied. “Dark whispers in your mind tearing away at all that you are and have been.”

Ashleigh’s eyes widened. Had Axel told her?

“What is it? Fear? Anger?” Alice asked, tilting her head as she seemed to be observing Ashleigh. “From what I remember in my observations of you, you seemed to have been struggling with some self-doubt in the past. Has it become a serious issue?”

‘She means my own internal voice… my darker thoughts and emotions…’ Ashleigh sighed to herself.

“I’ve seen that look before,” Alice said. “Many times, in the mirror.”

Ashleigh listened but said nothing.

“My situation is very different from yours,” Alice said, her voice faltering. “The voice inside my head was my own, trapped behind a wall, screaming to get out. But I saw the look on the doll’s face.

“She could hear the screaming, the scratching, the pleading. She didn’t know what it was or what to do with it. She couldn’t recognize it. She was reset whenever she got close or did something to bring me out.”

Alice lowered her eyes, and Ashleigh looked away.

Clearing her throat, Alice continued.

“I observed you for a long time, Ashleigh,” Alice began, her voice more robust than a moment before. “Well, at least before our meeting in Summer.”

“It’s always fun to hear that someone has been stalking you….” Ashleigh sighed, trying to push away the feelings of guilt and shame that seemed to be crowding into her mind.

Alice chuckled.

“I won’t point out that I’m not the only scout, you know. Spying on each other is what all wolves do to ensure their pack is safe from any other threat.”

“Is that what you were doing? Monitoring a threat?”

“Sort of,” Alice shrugged. “You piqued the interest of the Alpha of Spring, so I reported on you.”

The Alpha of Spring? Gorn? Alice had worked for him directly? Perhaps she would know something about the research he did with Cain. But, now that she thought about it, wasn’t that the information that Alice’s bug intended to steal?

When they returned to Summer, Ashleigh intended to have a serious conversation with her about Alpha Gorn and how exactly Ashleigh had drawn his attention.

“My point is, you have always struggled with self-doubt, but you also held strength in your convictions. You knew who you were.”

Ashleigh swallowed.

“I’m quite jealous of that,” Alice smiled.

Ashleigh looked at Alice, and while the other woman did not meet her eyes, Ashleigh could see that her expression was raw and genuine. She meant what she said.

Alice took a deep breath.

“It’s just my opinion,” she said. “Whatever dark whispers you hear, your voice is the only one you need to recognize. The only one that is telling you the truth.”

Before Ashleigh could respond, Alice continued walking through the trees.

Somewhere deep down, Ashleigh could hear the howl of a wolf.

***

Alice and Ashleigh broke through the tree line an hour later, finding themselves atop a large, rocky hill. Ashleigh looked around; she could see for quite a distance. As she glanced over the hillside, she saw something strange. A door.

“Is that where we are going?” she asked.

“Not yet,” Alice replied. “But that is where we will be leaving.”

“Where does it go?” Ashleigh asked.

“That door leads directly into the security office where, if memory serves, there should be at least four-armed security personnel at all times.”

“Well, that’s good….” Ashleigh sighed.

Alice chuckled.

“Once we are ready to leave, we will come out that door and then down the lower hill,” Alice said, pointing out the location. “You can’t see it from this angle, but about a mile straight is where we left the van.”

Ashleigh looked out into the trees.

“Alright,” she sighed. “So… are you finally going to tell me exactly what we are doing?”

“I told you, saving innocent lives.”

“Yes,” Ashleigh replied. “But you didn’t tell me from what or who or anything else.”

Alice took a deep breath and chewed the inside of her lip as she considered her next words.

“Ok,” she said. “We are standing on a hill that houses an underground lab. It belongs to Spring.”

“A Spring lab?” Ashleigh asked. “We’re not that far from Summer, they really set up a lab this close?”

“Of course, no one thinks that the enemy is stupid enough to be within reach,” Alice replied.

“Ok, well, what kind of lab? Is it weapons?” Ashleigh asked.

Alice looked away.

“You could say that,” she replied, walking toward a tree.

“That’s not exactly an answer,” Ashleigh sighed. “Look, I need to know what we are doing here. Otherwise, I’m leaving.”

Alice stopped, and she swallowed.

“This lab is officially designated as ST-NBR 134. But it has another name,” she said. “The scientists that work here thought it was fun. In fact, they placed a sign in honor of that name in the deepest part of the lab, where the darkest secrets are held.”

Ashleigh furrowed her brows.

“A sign that reads ‘Welcome to Wonderland’,” Alice continued.

She paused, and Ashleigh could see that she was clenching her jaw. She took another deep breath and finally spoke as she turned to lock her eyes with Ashleigh.

“This lab is where I grew up.”