Chapter Sixteen

Rett

 

Laia let out an angry hiss like a wet cat. “Let me go, and say that again.”

“Nah, I’m good,” I said and adjusted my arms so they were lower on her waist, and she was higher in the air. “Maybe it was a good thing I couldn’t shift back last night, huh?”

“You couldn’t?” Laia asked, and then went rigid. “Not that I care.”

“No, I couldn’t. I’d spent too much time as a bear, and I was too exhausted. You know, ‘heavy shifting,’ and all that. You gotta recuperate before you can shift back. Doesn’t happen often, but since I was roaming all through the Farthing Mountains trying to find your annoying runaway ass…”

Laia growled under her breath but said nothing.  Slowly, I put her down, and she went to twist away, but I caught her wrists.

“Laia.”

“Let me go. I don’t want to live in Winfyre as your prisoner.”

“What?” I let her go, baffled and horrified. “What are you talking about?”

Laia’s fists balled up, and she glared at me. “You know what I’m talking about. The punishment claim.”

“The punishment claim isn’t—it’s temporary,” I said. “And meaningless, to a certain extent. Didn’t I explain how we only enacted it to calm down those stupid rookies? They’re idiots. Black and white thinkers.” I paused. “Sorry, I thought you understood that.”

She hugged herself and refused to look at me. “I’m not going back.”

My fists started to curl, but I forced myself to remain calm and asked in a neutral, off-handed voice, "Oh yeah, where were you going to go, then?”

“None of your business, Rett,” Laia said. “You can forfeit me.”

“That’s not a thing,” I said and rubbed my forehead. “Laia, if you had a problem, why didn’t you just say something instead of taking off?”

Laia didn’t respond. Instead, she hunched her shoulders, and her face screwed into tight misery. The anger lashing inside of me fizzled into my real emotion, fear. She’d been stumbling around in the dark, so exhausted she didn’t even recognize me. Then she’d slept for nearly twelve hours straight. Now we were standing here, on the side of a damn mountain.

And even still, the green scenery had nothing on her.

I wasn’t mad at Laia. I was mad at myself.

“We can go home and end the punishment claim today,” I said. “And it will be your choice whether or not to go to Veda. I’ll take the weapon and make sure the Coven destroys it. I mean, I can’t lie and say I hope you won’t come with me, though.”

Laia looked up at me, her body posture still rigid, and her smile edged with skepticism.

“I mean it, Laia, whatever it will take to get you back,” I said. “Uh, to Winfyre.”

Finding that note, realizing she’d run—all I could think about was her.

Not me, not Tristan or her family—although the latter would come later. I couldn’t imagine what Tristan would have done if I’d lost his cousin after she showed up.

“Laia.” My voice was a soft plea. “I mean it, name your price. Anything.”

“I don’t…I couldn’t…” Laia’s lips trembled, and she went to turn away, but I caught her arm.

“You can’t run forever,” I said in a low voice. “You might have told yourself yesterday that you were running because of Winfyre and the punishment claim, but it’s because everything is catching up with you,” I said. “First the physical, then the emotional. It’s gonna drag you further under, the more you fight it, kid. And, unlike a sickness, Rogda can’t give you something to sleep it off.”

“What the hell do you know?” Laia rasped and tried to pull away again.

“I know when someone’s on the run,” I said. “Take it from someone who’s come up with all kinds of creative ways to dodge his demons.” Laia stopped trying to pull away, and I let her go, then clumsily patted her shoulder. “Listen, I know someone you can talk—”

My words were cut off as Laia wrapped her arms around my torso and rested her head on my chest, her body sagging into mine. I held her, surprised and gratified at the same time.

With a soft laugh, I said, “Worth the chase for this.”

“Shut up.”

“I meant it,” I said and ran a hand over her hair.

“I’m sorry,” Laia mumbled. Then she turned her head to the side, speaking more clearly. “You’re right. I…I wanted a way out just in case, and I thought the punishment meant I didn’t…”

“A way out of Winfyre?” I asked, and she nodded. “Why would you need that?” She shrugged, and I sighed. “Laia, we don’t keep people against their wills.”

“If they show up, looking for me—”

“The Bloodfang will learn why the Northbane shifters are not ones to piss off. Especially me.” I set my jaw as Laia let out a weak laugh. “What, you don’t agree?”

“You act tough, Rett, but you’re just a big teddy bear,” Laia said.

I made a face at the sky and patted her head. “Yeah, yeah. Listen, kid, you are safe here. You think I’d let anything happen to you?”

“No,” Laia reluctantly admitted.

“Exactly,” I said, and my grip tightened. “Jasper or Orion comes around, I’ll destroy them.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want you getting involved, Rett. It’s my mess.”

“I am involved,” I said. “Why can’t you accept that?”

Laia sighed and went to pull away, but I stopped her. “I can’t believe you came after me.”

“Of course I did,” I said. “I needed to apologize and find you before you got into some kind of a Llary-pickle specialty.” I hesitated, then blurted out, “Laia, I shouldn’t have said that about you being scared. I’m the one who’s scared. For you. I’m worried about you.”

She tipped her head back and stared up at me with those gold-hazel eyes.

“Why?”

Her question made me frown, and she made a face right back at me. A sliver of relief went through me, seeing her acting so normally for a moment.

Then she continued, “You’re an Alpha, Rett. Isn’t this below you?”

“What the hell is it with you and Alphas?” I growled before I could stop myself, and her eyes fell. “I’m sorry, I…I know that’s—” I inhaled sharply and stepped back. “Holy shit.”

“What?”

“An Alpha is the reason you can’t shift.”

Laia pressed her hands together at the base of her throat, eyes huge.

“It is, isn’t it?” Fury swelled inside of me, my ears pounding and muscles locking. “If I’d known that, I would have never made you…” I backed up and held up my hands. “Laia, I overstepped.”

“No, I wasn’t being fair. Assuming all Alphas are the same,” she said in a stilted way.

My gut twisted. Laia hadn’t denied it.

“I’m so sorry. Laia, I’m here,” I said softly. “If you need anything at all.”

She laid a hand on her stomach. “I wouldn’t say no to breakfast.”

“All right. Come on, let’s find a dry spot to set up a fire,” I said, walking over to retrieve the fallen pack and raincoat. “I have to say, you are damn resourceful.”

After I’d gotten everything from the cave, I slung on the two packs and began to walk, looking for a spot to have breakfast. Laia trailed along, the air clearer and more fragile between us. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand, but I stopped myself. I wanted her to trust me completely first.

“When did you realize I was gone?” Laia asked and bit her lip, glancing at the packs.

“Woman, I could carry you and four more of these packs,” I said, and she flinched, giving me a small smile. “Yeah, I saw that guilty look. Stop worrying. And I realized you were gone probably three hours after you took off. Nice of you to leave a note.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered. “Pain in my ass.”

“Did the shirt work to throw you off my trail?” she asked.

“At first,” I admitted, both annoyed and impressed. “But I know your scent now.”

“I can’t believe you caught up with me.”

“I would’ve caught up with you sooner if not for the rain washing away your trail back in the hills,” I growled. “Here. Sit.”

We’d come across a wide, flat rock, low to the ground and dry in the sun. Around us, the forest was starting to steam, mist curling up from the greenery. Once Laia was settled, I gathered up some slabs of wood, bringing them back and splitting them apart to find the dry parts. Twenty minutes later, I had a fire going and pulled out my personal provision pack.

Laia hadn’t said anything in a while, and I lifted my eyes to hers as I stoked the fire. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was so stupid. Panicking and running like that,” she said. “I didn’t even have a plan. I think that’s why I followed the first friendly bear I found.”

“You really didn’t know it was me?” I asked with a grin, remembering the struggle to shift back and the amusement that Laia had been so oblivious.

“I wasn’t sure,” she said. “I thought if it was you, you wouldn’t stay a bear. But I was also exhausted and barely thinking straight. I got like no sleep the night before.”

“So, you were basically drunk in the woods,” I said and sighed. “Remember how I said you owed me?” Laia raised her eyebrows and nodded. “Now, I owe you.”

“Rett,” she protested.

“No, you should have felt comfortable enough to come to me with these concerns.”

“I’m not sure I trusted you fully until this morning.” Laia’s eyes met mine. “I know I’m a broken record, but I never thought you’d come after me, Rett. I thought you’d send someone.”

“Chasing after you isn’t a job for amateurs,” I said with a grin, then I sat back on a stone across from her and poked the fire. “So, you trust me—what, eighty percent?”

“One hundred.” I dropped the stick and looked up at her. Laia smiled. “I mean, you didn’t have much more trust to earn. Like fifteen percent.”

“A solid B up until today. Okay, not bad,” I said, and Laia smiled.

The fire crackled, and I held out a hand, testing the warmth on my palm. Warm enough to heat up some coffee. The packets weren’t so great, but they were better than nothing. I worked in silence, but it was comfortable.

Laia was gazing up at the forest canopy, and I kept sneaking looks at her. I made her the first mug and handed it over. “Here.”

“Thanks,” she said and looked down. “You know, you’re nothing like the other Alphas I’ve met.”

“Bloodfang Alphas?” I asked, and my lip curled. “I can imagine.”

“Yeah. Granted, it’s a small pool, maybe ten in all, but they were not…nice. Everything was about what they wanted, and people rushed around to meet their demands. It was sickening.” She hunched up. “I’ve never been good with authority.”

“Really,” I commented wryly, and she made a face. I pulled out a small packet of jerky and held it up, but she shook her head. “Thought as much. Here.”

I tossed over her favorite pastry, a bear claw. A little squashed and worse for wear, but still edible. Laia’s face went soft, and she smiled at me. “I did you a disservice even thinking you were anything like those other Alphas, Rett. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “We’ve heard stories, but you’re the first person who’s had, well, first-hand experience.” I blew out a long breath. “I gotta admit, it makes me nervous—these guys out there abusing their powers.”

“It caused a lot of problems, too,” Laia said. “That’s why the Bloodfang probably weren’t much of a threat, with everyone throwing their weight around. Orion was starting to change that, though. And…” She sighed. “I think I resented them because it was personal, with Jasper.”

“Jasper is an Alpha?” I asked and gripped my knees. “What kind?”

“A white lion,” she said.

“Well, no one has seen any border activity, strange shifters, Skrors, or Bloodfang within a hundred miles of Winfyre, Laia. Or a white lion. We’d know. Maybe they don’t know where you are.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But it always feels like the minute I let my guard down, that’s when everything goes to hell.” She pulled up her knees and pressed her face to them. “That’s the other reason why I ran—I was getting too comfortable.”

I rose silently to my feet and came around, sitting next to her. When she didn’t move, I bumped my shoulder with hers. “Laia, that’s the whole point of Winfyre Ridge. We don’t call it a sanctuary for the street cred; we call it that because it’s a home for shifters, Riftborn, and stasis."

“It sounds too good to be true,” she muttered.

I wanted to put my arm around her, but instead, I leaned into her a little, hoping she'd let me hold her up again. "Winfyre is your home, Llary. It’s already in your blood.”

“I didn’t expect to find this,” she said and slid closer, her head on my shoulder.

Earlier, I’d been too preoccupied with ensuring that Laia didn’t bolt, and that she understood that I had her back. Everything had been about comfort, and I’d pushed those wayward feelings down.

Now they rose up and had my arm reaching around her, settling against her back. She’s here. My arm tightened, and my eyes closed. She’s safe.

When I’d found Laia missing, I hadn’t reported it or let anyone know where I was going. I’d taken off and broken all kinds of protocols. There were probably people looking for both of us now.

But I didn’t care about any of that.

“I know why you really ran off,” I said solemnly, and Laia lifted her head, looking up at me. “It was too much work being my partner, wasn’t it? All that paperwork.”

Laia laughed, letting her head fall back onto my chest as she shook it. “You’re not funny.”

“You’re laughing.”

“At how not funny you are.”

“See, this is why I need you around,” I said and tilted my head up to the blue sky. “Otherwise, I go around thinking I’m funny and starving myself.”

“Let’s go back.” Laia stood up, and I blinked at our suddenly equal eye level. Her lower lip jutted out. “Damn, you’re that tall?”

I grinned. “I’m that tall, firecracker. You want to sit on my shoulders back to Cobalt?”

“I’ll pass,” Laia said. “I’d get vertigo.”

“See, I think you secretly want to say yes,” I said, hopping up and kicking dirt onto the fire.

“I think you want me to want to say yes,” Laia retorted.

I shook my head. “See, denying again. You always go with that same excuse.”

And we continued to bicker and banter all the way back.