The Rise-Book II

Chapter 42: Cave of Wonder

"Ethan they are fine. Honestly, you look like you're trying to take a painful shit," Jaxon snickered out.

"Dick," I grumbled.

He nodded as we walked on the trail leading up the first pack, the pack where one of Billy's cousins were. I hadn't been able to link Charlotte since we climbed higher in the mountains and I hated it.

My beast wanted me to go back but we couldn't. I had to do this, I had to do this for my pack–for her. We had to know more about these rogues and where they were coming from; it was a job that I had to see through myself. A circle that I needed to complete.

An alpha walked out to meet us with some warriors. Scars littering their faces as they eyed us. Billy and Deryl stepped forward with polite nods.

"Enoch," Deryl said. "Been a while."

"It has," the silvering male replied. The warriors walked past him and to us. Jaxon and I immediately stiffened as they enclosed us. I looked around then over at Ajax and Ryder whose beasts were starting to slowly come forward.

Enoch eyed the twin vampires, the runners Baily and Becker. They were good men, fast as hell and bullshitting back and forth with Ryder on racing.

"What's this? Vampires?"

"We mentioned it before," Deryl replied calmly.

"That you did," Enoch said before he nodded to his warriors.

"What is this Enoch?" Billy asked.

"Quick search, nothing more–nothing less."

Billy nodded to us as the warriors approached with hungry eyes. I bit back a snarl as one of them patted me down while the other looked through my saddlebags. Jaxon eyed me, vexation brewing in his eyes. I tried to link him when I remembered that we couldn't. Damn mountains.

We hadn't been able to link for most of the day–to damn long; and the silver seemed to dim everything the closer we got to where it was stronger in the mountains. I could feel my bond with he, but between the headache the silver was giving me and the lack of linking, it felt strange. It was there, but also like it was not as alive as it usually was. A notion that made me want to hurry this trip the hell up.

Jaxon grumbled some curses under his breath until Billy gave him a hard scowl. They had been going at each other since we left; I knew it had something to do with Andrea, but Jaxon wouldn't tell me everything.

The warriors finished searching us then filed in behind their Alpha. He nodded to Billy then waved his hand. "We'll show you where you're staying."

"Thank you," Deryl replied diplomatically, he was definitely the most diplomatic out of all of us.

Ryder jogged to me with his bags slung over his shoulders. "I don't like it, Ethan."

I nodded. "They've always been different. It will be fine," I whispered back as we walked into their pack that was really more like a camp.

Cabins and tents were scarcely scattered about up here where the wind was bitter like winter. Wolves stop and eyed us, eyes us in the damn eyes. My beast flickered his ears forward, that was more than unusual–it was hella ballsy.

I looked up and grabbed Jaxon's arm before he snarled; there were five poles with multiple females collared up to them. They looked like they had been there for days; blood staining the ground and their eyes tired.

Ryder's mouth drop while my beast growled inwardly; no female–no wolf, should have to endure that hell.

The females showed us their teeth with hungry eyes as we walked passed them. They must have not been really feeding them, which pissed Jaxon off more.