Adele

Fun fact about vampire caves: Not only could Zion not track me through all the stone, cell phone signals couldn't penetrate either. Which meant, I had to call Huntsville on the run. Davian led me back into the City Oscura where we hot-wired the first car we found—a tiny, battered hatchback that had all the zip of a snail trying to run against hurricane force winds.

We putt-putted our way out of the underground city. Davian pushed the hatchback to go faster and the engine made a grinding noise in protest. The car ever-so-slowly passed through the City Oscura. I had plenty of time to gaze out the window, certain Zion would pop up without warning.

Lights shone out storefront windows in the business district of City Oscura, highlighting crowds that didn't look at us twice. The residential areas were quiet, the glowing rocks arranged in serene patterns. I didn't see any people, but it was dark enough that anyone could be out there. It made me nervous.

"Zion can probably outrun this tin can." We'd just left the last of the housing area and the corkscrew up the mountain waited for us.

"This is just temporary. We'll switch cars up in the human world." Davian turned the car and we worked our way around the first hairpin curve. I tried not to watch. My stomach bottomed out if I looked at all the empty space around us.

"What about the planes? There's hundreds of them here. Wouldn't flying be faster?"

"Do you know how to fly a plane?" Davian turned into the next curve.

I shook my head and stared at the glove compartment. Coming down had been bad enough, but going up proved to be even more difficult. I knew exactly how far below us the ground lay and could picture the fall. "No."

"Me either and I don't want to kidnap a pilot. Too much trouble. They're all thralls, and I only want one vampire tracking us right now."

"Makes sense." The tunnel spit us out into the desert and I blinked. The full moon hung overhead and wisps of gray cloud streamed across the stars. Rolling down my window, I gulped in fresh air, relieved to be out of the City Oscura.

Davian handed me his phone. "Make the call."

I put the window up and took the phone. My hands shaking, I dialed Jackson's number. I'd scheduled so many prenatal visits with Chloe that it was the one phone number I knew by heart. I just hoped they'd survived the fire. And that they didn't blame me for what Zion did.

This was why werewolves shouldn't do drugs. If the addiction didn't kill you, the pack just might for all the bullshit you put them through. It seemed I'd signed up to learn that lesson the hard way.

While the phone rang, I looked at Davian. "Tell me it's going to be okay."

"Don't worry. I've got this." He reached over and gave my knee a little squeeze, a gesture that made everything instantly better.

"Hello?" Jackson's deep voice filled my ear.

"Jackson? It's me Adele. Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"  The questions tumbled out of me. If they had died that night... My grip on the phone tightened and I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

"Yes. We're fine."

"Oh, thank the moon."

"Where are you?"

"I, um..." I turned to Davian because I had no idea.

"Nevada. We're in Nevada," Davian said.

"Why are you in Nevada?" Jackson asked, having overheard my location.

"It's where Zion took me."

"Zion?"

"The vampire who showed up the night your son was born."

"Is that who you're with now?"

"No. I managed to escape. I'm on my way back to Huntsville."

"How much trouble are you bringing with you?" Jackson's voice was hard.

"Zion's going to follow me and we're going to kill him. I mean, if you want to, that is."

"Ripping his guts out is on my bucket list."

"You know I had nothing to do with what he did, right? I'm not a killer."

"I know, Adele. The pack has mostly figured that out."

"Mostly?"

"It's hard to see straight when someone murders your mate."

"Should I leave?"

"Maybe. It might be safer for you. We'll discuss it once Zion is dead." He sighed. "Tell me who's with you? You said 'we.'"

"A vampire."

"No. Not happening. You are not bringing another blood sucker into Huntsville."

"He's helping me."

"That's what they all say. Ditch him before you walk onto my pack's land or we'll kill him along with Zion. We've lost too much to vampires."

"I trust him with my life, Jackson. He's saved me twice now."

"I don't care. My job is to protect my pack and we're not inviting in any vampires. Ever. That is final. Understood?"

"Just agree with him," Davian whispered to me. "There's no point in arguing. It doesn't change anything."

"Okay. I get it," I said.

"There's an empty warehouse outside of Hudson," Davian said. "Orly Shipping Company. Tell him that's where it will happen."

I relayed what Davian said to me about the warehouse. "That's where Zion's going to be."

"When?" Jackson's voice barked at me.

"Tomorrow," Davian said, still whispering so Jackson wouldn't hear him. "Midnight."

I passed the time on.

"Okay. We'll be ready. Make sure it's just you and Zion. Anyone else is going to die."

"Got it. See you tomorrow."

I hung up and stared out my window with wide eyes. "This is bad."

"No. It's fine. I don't blame him for being cautious. He doesn't know me."

"If you say so, but..." I trailed off.

"What?" He shot me a concerned look.

"I don't know. I'm exhausted and I don't have anywhere to go. I thought maybe we could stay in the area for a few days." Images of how Davian and I could spend that time danced in my head, teasing me with all the possibilities.

Davian shook his head. "We can't. Not unless your alpha changes his mind."

"That's a lot to ask given what Zion did."

"Yeah, it probably is. But you begin to see why I left. There aren't too many packs who will want you and me as a package deal."

I snorted. "Most packs don't want me at all. I'm no shifter saint."

He tilted his head. "True."

I twisted in my seat to face him. "Let me be clear, Davian. I am not looking for a pack. That's not what I need. I've been in two now and I don't fit in. I'm not like other shifters. Even you said that. Remember?"

He nodded, acknowledging that he had.

"The only place I fit is with you. If Huntsville doesn't want me, I can accept that. If you don't want me, that's what I can't take."

Davian grabbed my hand in his. "I'm sorry."

I gave him a wary look. "For what?"

"That I'm what you get. You deserve so much more."

Closing my eyes, I thought of all my failures. "I don't think about what I deserve anymore. I'm more interested in what I can actually have."