24 - A Roadtrip To Hell

Darius and Imogen stare at us from the sofa across the lounge, their features strained with grief, exhaustion, and shock. They've only just returned from patrolling the borders of their territory all night — and coming to terms with the fate of their daughter and loss of Milo, too — but I don't want to waste any more time than necessary before leaving. If I wait, I'll lose my nerve and change my mind, or the lycans will attack. Neither of those can happen.

So Rowan and I have told them our plan and await their permission. This is their land, after all, and if they decide not to let a bunch of Ferreus hunters stay, we can't change their mind. Lachlan, Matteo and Kay are silent as death on the sofa. Rowan is perched on the armrest, arms crossed, and I'm stood like a sentry at his side.

The room is an abyss of tension broken only by the ticking of distant clocks.

At last, Darius clears his throat, takes his fated's hand, and says, "I must admit, River, I didn't trust you at first. I'd heard rumours of your kind. The idea that someone like you would offer his aid, would align with werewolves against his very nature— I thought you were tricking us all. I wondered if your loyalty to Rowan was genuine or just another hunter tactic. And then you saved my pack from hunters, and you're helping us with these lycanthropes even though you owe us nothing. I trust you, but I... I cannot trust them. My pack won't survive if those hunters turn on us. Can you guarantee they won't?"

The intensity behind his gaze is blinding, but I hold it regardless. "No," I tell him honestly. "I... didn't exactly leave on good terms. They could just as easily kill me as hear me out, but I need to try. This is a gamble for both of us. If I don't ask for their help, these lycanthropes are going to take more lives. I can't stop them. If I manage to get the Ferreus hunters to help, they could snap. I'll do what I can to convince them to stick to the lycans, but in the heat of a fight, I can't make any promises that they won't turn. I need you to understand that."

Darius sighs softly, melting a little into his seat. "That's what I thought."

With a sharp breath, I add, "I also need you to know I didn't come here simply to help your pack. Not at first. I came here because I want the other Ferreus hunters dead, and I thought you'd offer your numbers to help. But now... well, now I need them alive more than ever."

He frowns at me, but his expression is surprisingly soft and understanding flickers in his eyes— as though, at long last, he has finally figured me out. "So the lycanthropes have ruined both our chances."

At his side, Imogen squares her shoulders and says firmly, "This is our only hope. I think you should go. If you don't ask, those lycans will try and kill us all, anyway. At least this way, we stand a chance. Besides, if a few of them fall instead of us, you get your wish, too. Whatever it takes to kill those monsters." Determination flickers like sparking embers in her eyes.

"One of them is our daughter," Darius tells her, his voice timid.

She glares at him; a snap of angry fire. "Not anymore."

Darius swallows thickly but doesn't answer her. Instead, his gaze retreats out the window towards the swaying woods. My brows pinch, but the luna forges on, capturing my attention once more.

"You need to come back to us, River," Imogen says. "With or without them. If they're not on board, do whatever you must to get out of there. We need you."

I nod, though my chances are abysmally low— to say nothing of Rowan and Lachlan's chances if I fail. "I'll do my best."

– ➶ –

The walk through the woods towards Matteo's car feels like a march towards my execution. With every step, I become more subdued, more uncertain, more hesitant. It reminds me of leading Rowan through the woods back in Crescent Valley towards Orion, Liliana and my mother— but this time, I know there's no pack lurking in the bushes to help should anything go wrong. If I mess up, I'll lose him and Lachlan. Our pack will lose their alpha and gamma and the lycanthropes will be free to rain terror on werewolves everywhere.

But I have no other choice. If I face those lycans on my own, with only my family and a broken pack at my side, they'll destroy us. Better to play with fire than tie an anchor to my shoes and sink towards certain death.

Besides, it's my duty to kill these lycanthropes— which means it's the duty of the other Ferreus hunters, too. Will they feel that recognition stirring in their veins like I did? Will they see past their hatred and face the true threat?

I'm stoic and silent at Rowan's side as he assures Matteo and Kay that we will do our best to make it back to them. He pours honey all over his tone to hide the cracks in his words, but neither of them look convinced. Sombre and dutiful at his free side, Lachlan carries a few of Imogen's books full of her research notes. If we survive long enough to show them, I'm hoping the other Ferreus hunters will feel the recognition stirring in their souls.

The golden eyes of dutiful wolves on patrol watch us as we emerge onto the wide trail where Matteo's car is parked.

Kay throws their arms around Rowan, golden eyes shimmering with tears. "You need to come back. All of you," they tell him, their voice thick and wavering with emotion.

Rowan returns their embrace tightly, but he doesn't say a word.

When Kay pulls back, Matteo takes their place and hugs Rowan, his shoulders shuddering a little.

"Look after each other, alright?" Rowan says.

Matteo nods and pulls back with a forced, weak smile. "You, too."

Then, they each hug Lachlan with just as much fierce devotion. Rowan catches my gaze, his brows furrowing with a silent question, but I swallow thickly and let my eyes retreat to the woodland.

By the time I glance back at them, Kay and Teo have pulled away from Lachlan and stare at me; brows pinched, features wound tight with lingering fear.

I just about have time to wonder what they're seeing on my face, and whether their features mirror my own, when Kay shoves past the wall of my stoic exterior, closes the distance between us in three certain strides, and hugs me tightly.

"I know you don't like these things," they tell me as I feel another pair of arms join courtesy of Matteo, though his embrace is a little more gentle. "But you look like you need one."

I thought I'd feel trapped, or on edge, or uneasy— but instead, as I wrap my arms around them both as best I can beneath their shared devotion, all I feel is a blanket of security smothering my fear.

"You're gonna be alright, Riv," Matteo says, a tremor to his voice.

My eyes burn against the sting of tears but I force them back. I won't let them see me upset; I need them to believe I'm confident this plan will work, because if it doesn't, I've doomed us all.

But they pull away and I can tell from their expressions that neither of them are convinced by my attempt at indifference.

I know I can't put this off any longer, so I stalk for the car. Rowan takes the driver's side, correctly assuming that I need to think and, besides, I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop myself from turning the car around. Lachlan gets in the back with one last warning to Teo and Kay to leave if we don't come back.

The click of the doors closing after us feel as resounding as coffin lids slamming shut, choking all light and hope.

Lachlan hands his phone over and, going against every instinct within me, I set the directions for a place I'd hoped never to return to. My old home. Once I've secured the phone to the dash, Rowan starts the car and pulls out into uncharted waters. I need his anchor now more than ever.

I don't say a word as the woods shooting past begin to blur. Instead, I hug my arms around my chest and let the tears fall. Rowan and Lachlan are quiet, too. Even when I can't quite stifle the sobs.

After what feels like an age, when the tears dry up, I sniff and wipe at my cheeks and stare out at the blur of emerald woodland. Not too long ago, I'd seen a similar view as I ran from the only home I'd ever known— one that wasn't much of a home at all. Back then, I'd been entirely alone without a clue where I was going or what I was doing. I only knew I'd lost Esme to a nightmare and I couldn't lose myself. Somehow, in that chaotic tempest, I landed in Crescent Valley. And then I met Rowan and his family, and against all odds, I found my home. My family. A love like nothing I've ever known. I can't lose that— not even to destroy the Ferreus hunters.

I startle a little when I feel Rowan's hand against mine, but I let him take it and savour the sparks of bliss and peace flying up my wrist. His thumb grazes against my skin like a tether holding me to sanity. To keep me close, he guides my hand onto the gearshift and continues his idle caress.

Movement in the back draws my focus away from the woods and into the car. I watch as Lachlan reaches between us to take his phone from the dashboard.

Just as I wonder what he's up to, I hear the buzz of an outgoing call, a click, and a familiar voice like the first wash of daybreak after a long, harrowing night.

"Well, if it isn't my favourite gamma," Beau greets warmly, his tone lightly taunting as always. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Do me a favour and distract us, would you?" Lachlan returns.

"Gladly. How come?"

"Because we're going to meet up with the Ferreus hunters, and if they don't kill us on sight, we're going to ask for their help."

The pause that follows stretches on and on. Silence gathers like a coming storm. There is nothing but the hum of the car's engine.

At last, Beau breaks it. "Fuck. It's that bad?"

"You could say that."

"I, uh... Fuck, I don't know what to say."

"Now isn't that a first?"

"...Is Riv okay?"

Lachlan takes a deep breath and admits, "No. Hence the distraction. You're doing a pretty poor job of it, though."

"Alright, alright, let me think," the beta says. He hums to himself, then gasps, "Oh! I've done a bit of research on lycanthropes this morning after Ro enlightened me. I mean, I never thought I'd be reading children's stories for more information, but here we are. Most of what I found is just legends, but two phrases kept cropping up. 'Shadows of silver are the only weapons piercing enough to face the lycan' and 'it takes a curse to fight a curse'. Now, I'm no expert, but I think our stray fits both of those criteria— or, his Haze does, at least."

"So Imogen's right— we need Ferreus hunters to kill them," Lachlan muses, sighing deeply. "Did you find anything else?"

"Not much. Everything I found hints at the lycans being nearly wiped out by silver shadows. It was supposed to be the end of them."

"Maybe it still can be," Lachlan says.

Rowan softly cuts in, "Listen, Beau... If something happens today and we don't come back—"

"Nope. Don't finish that sentence," Beau retorts sharply. "You're coming back. Our stray and Lach aren't going to let anything happen to you, and you're not going to let anything happen to either of them. And if something does happen — which it won't — so help me, I'm going to come down there, shift outside their door, and give them the Beau speciality. I'm talking puppy eyes, sad ears, whines— the whole nine yards. They'll be so moved that they'll never hunt again."

Despite the fog of tension pressing in around me, I can't help a little smile at the thought, and at Beau's unshakeable optimism.

Rowan rolls his eyes fondly, an echo of a smile twitching his lips.

"We'd better go," Lachlan says. "Take care of yourself, Beau."

After a slight pause, Beau answers softly, "You, too."

The line goes dead.

With a sigh, Lachlan leans forwards to return the phone to the dash. "So we're doing this, then? Get the Ferreus hunters as allies or die trying."

His distraction has worked; I sit up and turn to face them both. It wasn't Beau's optimism that has plans galvanising in my mind, it was the hesitance to his voice as he said goodbye to his family for what might be the final time. I won't let that happen. I'll do what I can to make sure they get out of this.

Enough of legacies and curses and duties— this is just another hunt. If there's one thing I can do, it is this.

"When we get there, I need you to stay quiet," I tell them, my voice gaining strength with every word. "Let me do the talking. Don't let your eyes turn golden— they'll know what you are and they won't hesitate to try and kill you. If we're going to survive long enough for me to explain why I'm there, I need you to be as non-threatening as you can. I don't know what Orion told them about you all. I only know he kept them up-to-date with what I was up to. They know I hid with a pack, and they think you died with me. If they find out what we did to Orion, Liliana and my mother, I don't know what they'll do."

As Rowan nods, relief flickering in his eyes as he recognises me settling into my comfort zone, Lachlan asks, "How many will there be?"

"Difficult to say," I return. "Some of them could be off on hunts, or they could all be there in between hunts. There's eleven left in total."

"Fuck," Lachlan says pleasantly.

"My grandfather, Ivar, who's my father's and Orion's father, is still alive. He had a brother named Benedict," I begin. Despite my best wishes, the knowledge of my relatives is far from gone. "He's dead, now, but he had two children, Elias and Vera, who each have families of their own. Elias has a wife named Constance and they have two daughters, Blanche and Iris— my second cousins. Iris had a husband — Malakai — but he died. She's got a son— Max. Vera has a husband called Louis, and they've got a son— Cassian. He's my second cousin, too. Cassian lost his wife, Annabelle, in a hunt, and he's got twins; Leo and Hazel."

"How old are the little ones?" Rowan asks.

"The twins are seven. Max is eleven," I tell him.

His brows pinch. "Will they try and kill us, too?"

I hum, uncertain. They've done nothing wrong and I'm not at all keen on hurting them, but I don't know if they'll extend that same liberty to us. "They've been taught to fight and to see you as enemies, but none of them have been involved in a hunt just yet. They'll be taken on their first hunt on their sixteenth birthday."

"That's a brutal present," Lachlan comments.

"They'll get their own knife set, too."

"The rest of them— they've all got a Haze? Even the ones who married into the family?" he forges on, determined to figure my strange relatives out.

I nod. "They've only ever widened their circle to other hunters— no outsiders. The ritual that brings out the Haze of those born into the Ferreus legacy is the same ritual that ties others into the family. They get a Haze and the markings start showing up. Believe me, they'll all be just as deadly as Orion, Liliana and my mother."

A sombre silence settles between us as we each consider exactly what we're heading towards. As the minutes slide away, despite my best intentions, anxiety churns in my gut and steals the breath from my lungs. I stare hard out the window as trees flit past in a blur of emerald.

"Everything will be alright," Rowan tells me, drawing my focus. He offers me an assuring, soft smile that I can't quite return.

I take a sharp breath and say, "If you die, it'll be because of me."

The words drop between us like stones in a still lake, casting ripples of unease and uncertainty.

Rowan's gaze lingers on me for a long moment before he looks out the windshield. "There's nowhere I would rather be than by your side, love, even if it means my end," he admits, his voice soft. Then, in a noticeably brighter tone, he continues, "Besides, you're underestimating my ability to charm hunters."

I roll my eyes. "You can't speak— not at first," I remind him.

"I know," he returns. "But I've got a killer puppy-dog impression. See?" He looks at me and I'm met with a wave of chocolate brown, of peace and serenity and home. He looks at me like I am his anchor in a storm-ridden sea.

I scowl lightly and break his gaze. "Did Beau teach you that?"

He laughs. "No, that's all me. I mean it, though. We're not going to do anything to ruin our chances. We trust you, Riv. We'll give it our best shot, and if they do end up fighting us, I need you to know it's all on them. Not us. The least we can do is try."

His words are a beacon in smothering darkness. I return the little smile he offers and cling to his light. We need the hunters to face the lycans, but no matter what it takes, I won't let them take him from me.