Quest

Jaxon

I was at a loss for words.

I didn’t know much about Quinn’s mother, except that she was fiercely protective of her daughter and they didn’t exactly see eye to eye.

That was why Quinn had left home in the first place. So, in a roundabout way, I guess I owed Mrs. Michaels a thank you for leading me to my mate.

But that didn’t mean I was okay with my Luna risking her mental and emotional wellbeing just to get some answers. We could tackle the Vulpes issue together.

Quinn had cut ties with her mother for a reason.

What if her mom tried to confine her again if she went back? This time more securely? What if Quinn walked in—and never walked out?

Fear for my mate gripped my heart. I couldn’t let that happen.

“You’re talking about the mom you haven’t spoken to in months?” I asked, disbelief clear in my voice.

“The one and only,” Quinn replied with a scoff. “Sure, it’ll be awkward, maybe even horrible, but she might be the only one who knows anything about my aunt. My mom didn’t have any sisters, so she and Jodie were really close.”

“She can’t be the ~only~ one who knows something, Quinn.”

“Well, we can’t exactly question my dad, can we?”

That shut me up.

Quinn rarely mentioned her father’s death unless she had to. But with all the recent news about her aunt, she’d been forced to confront it more than she’d like.

Quinn laid her head back down on the pillows, signaling for me to do the same. I reached over to our bedside table, switched off the light, and then lay facing her.

She continued, “At least, it's my only lead until I can find Jodie myself. My mom might even have some tips on that. All I need is the first clue.”

~A clue?~

What was she imagining? A detective story with magnifying glasses and coded messages? A step-by-step trail leading straight to her missing aunt? Unmask the villain, case closed?

“A clue?” I repeated. “A lead? Quinn, this isn’t some detective novel.”

“I know that. It’s more like a quest.”

“A ~quest?~” I echoed, unable to resist repeating her words. She needed to hear how absurd she sounded. Always so idealistic and ambitious.

Rarely logical or practical.

We were only inches apart, but I found myself raising my voice, my insistence growing.

“You think this is Lord of the Rings?” I snapped. “We don’t live in a fantasy world, Quinn! It’s dangerous out there right now. Especially for you. Hell, Quinn, you’re what they want!”

“So they wouldn’t kill me,” she shot back.

“There are things far worse than a quick death. You of all people should know that.”

Quinn fell silent.

Even though I felt a pang of guilt for bringing up her father and touching a raw nerve, I held my ground.

I couldn’t lose my mate. The love of my life.

Not again.

The pain from the last time was still fresh...

Katherine. My former lover who had walked into the woods one day and never returned.

The thought of losing Quinn in the same way reopened old wounds.

“I just can’t let you wander the wilderness alone,” I mumbled, barely aware I had spoken out loud.

Even in the darkness, Quinn saw the fleeting memories cross my face. She could feel the shift in my mood.

~Damn.~

Did she know what I was thinking?

“I’m not Katherine,” she said coldly.

Hearing her name from Quinn’s lips made my stomach drop.

Of course, she knew.

“I didn’t mean—” I began.

But Quinn turned over onto her other side, cutting me off.

Determined, she said, “I’m going.”

“Fine,” I said to her back, “but I’m going with you.”

“Fine.”

“We’ll pack in the morning.”

“Okay.”

“And I’m sorry,” I conceded.

“It’s okay.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

With that, I turned away too. But I knew sleep wouldn’t come.

I lay awake, eyes open, worrying about Vulpes and the campout at Shadow Moon, planning for our unexpected trip, and thinking...

Thinking about Katherine while Quinn lay still beside me.

***

Quinn

The next morning, I woke up with a knot of anxiety in my chest. The nerves about seeing my mother again were battling the fear that Jax was still mourning Katherine more than he loved me. Both fears were strong, and they clashed fiercely.

But with a mission ahead, I managed to push aside my internal conflicts. Jax also stayed focused, ticking off his tasks with quiet efficiency.

We packed enough for two days, promising each other the trip wouldn’t extend beyond that. Clothes, toiletries, and a bit of food.

Leaving like this, with the palace in such a state of flux, was risky. But we trusted Alex and Sky implicitly. And then there were Raphael, Zara, and Harper, who completed our court, and the other Pack Leaders.

We left our unstable kingdom in the hands of our Beta, knowing that if anyone could steady it, they could.

The hardest part was explaining our departure. We said we had business to take care of and would be back in two days at most, but we couldn’t elaborate. I was worried they thought we were going on a vacation.

A getaway. Some alone time at the beach, or in a lake house.

That was probably what Sky imagined.

At the front gate, as we readied a sleek, black SUV for our journey, she and Harper said their reluctant goodbyes.

“Enjoy yourselves,” Sky said, her voice cheerful but her eyes betraying her worry.

“Watch each other’s backs,” Harper warned. “It’s a wild world out there. Outside our territory, anything can happen.”

She handed over one of her homemade weapons, a sort of dagger.

“Here, take this.” She smirked. “Consider it a honeymoon gift.”

~She thinks she’s so funny.~

“Thanks,” I replied, appreciating the gesture but hoping I wouldn’t have to use it.

Even Zara sent me a text of good luck from the nursery, which was in the process of being moved into the palace as planned. I was using Sky’s old phone since I’d destroyed mine the last time I tried to contact my mother.

Zara

Hey Quinn

Zara

Kinda tied up rn

Zara

But wanted to say good luck with whatever you’re doing

Quinn

Thanks Zara

Zara

& please be careful. Make safe choices

Quinn

You’re such a mom 🙄😉

Quinn

No wonder you run the daycare

Zara

I’m serious Quinn

Quinn

I know. We will.

Quinn

Good luck with everything on your end as well. I’ll see you soon

I knew this trip was a painful reminder for her of losing Katherine. I felt guilty for not spending more time with her lately. Or with the other girls, for that matter.

~But we’ve all been so busy lately.~

Vulpes, Jodie, Carl, Matheius… Those were the names that kept running through my mind.

And Jaxon, of course. Always Jaxon.

“We’re ready to go,” he said, closing the trunk with a thud.

“Where are Alex and Raphael?” I asked.

“They’re keeping watch from the towers. We need someone to keep an eye on us as we leave.”

I nodded. This was starting to feel less like an adventure and more like a suicide mission. “Good thinking.”

I climbed into the passenger seat as Jax settled in behind the wheel.

The tinted windows rolled up, allowing us to see out but preventing anyone from seeing in.

From outside, Harper and Sky waved uncertainly. Even though they couldn’t see me, I waved back.

“Are you ready?” Jax asked.

I took a moment to check in with myself:

Was I?

~Am I?~

~Am I ready to confront my mother? To possibly face Vulpes? To possibly face death?~

“Let’s do this,” I said.

He started the car, shifted into drive, and we were off.

Carl

I moved swiftly through the forest, more like a big cat than a wolf.

The green and brown landscape blurred past me.

The leaves and underbrush whipped away as I sped past.

I leapt over every stone, branch, and mud puddle with a sense of joy and precision.

Sometimes I felt like I knew these woods by heart. This path in particular. Other times, I felt like the wilderness itself was guiding me.

Especially as I got closer to my destination.

Whatever the case, I was thrilled to be heading home. Every part of my wolf body, from my nose to my claws, was buzzing with anticipation.

~Home.~

It was quite a journey from Shadow Moon Pack territory. Traveling home on foot—even as a wolf—took two to three days.

I had to find a place to sleep for two nights. I’d scout out a cave or a den, or a spot under a large overhanging rock.

Then I’d hunt for breakfast. Fresh meat. A deer or a mountain goat, some slow-moving creature with wide, frightened eyes.

The thought made my mouth water.

Spending a few days in the wild in my wolf form was a welcome break from human concerns.

I enjoyed the peace. The simplicity.

But this wasn’t a vacation.

Because, when I let go of my human self, I took on a more primal, more predatory mindset.

And that mindset told me:

~I need to get back to her soon.~

That thought drove me to move faster, to push harder.

~I need to…~

~Get back to her.~

~Soon.~