Girl Gone Rogue (The Shadow Hunters #2)

20. The Secret Beneath The Mountains

Jamison and Aella joined us on the lounge seat. I purposely wedged myself between Aella and the edge of the couch. I knew if I was closer to Alexei, it would only tempt me to reach over and distract him with my hands...or lips.

From my peripheral, he took one of the cushions on the couch and draped it over his lap, attempting to be discreet.

Jamison gave him a knowing look.

"Did you guys find anything?" I asked, fixing my hair. I was conscious of Aella's scrutiny burning holes into the side of my face. I was just grateful both Alexei and I still had our clothes on. I didn't think I would hear the end of it, if they barged in on us with glimpses of naked flesh hanging everywhere.

The thought alone was mortifying.

"We found the changeling alright." Alexei began, his voice still shaky with remnants of arousal. Aella and Jamison either pointedly ignored the edge of his voice or just didn't care because their expressions remained perfectly unfazed when he spoke.

"What happened?" I asked, clearing my throat. I was not going to think of Alexei's dextrous hands or lips on me.

Nope. Nah uh.

"It was dead. Well, eaten to put into better words." Jamison explained, "A mountain lion ate it, hence the tracking chip ended up in its body. So, we ended up tracking a mountain lion for hours as it went around, scavenging for food. We're not sure how long the chip had been in the lion but it seems like the wolf had been alive for a good portion of time until it RIP-ed."

"In other words, we almost became lion food." Aella shared. "Jamison here almost got eaten himself."

"No, I didn't. I would never die by the hand of a mere mountain lion." He retorted, evidently offended.

"Yeah, but you sure got scratched up by its kitty paws." Aella chuckled.

I shared her humour. "So, the whole tracing thing didn't work in the end." My shoulders slumped. I was disappointed. It had sounded like a good idea at the time I formulated the plan but clearly, it hadn't been.

"It would've worked if we had known the changeling would get eaten by a mountain lion." Alexei spoke up, aiming a small but encouraging smile my way. My heart fluttered as I tried to settle its rapid pace and remain professional.

"Wait, you said the changeling was eaten by a mountain lion." I pointed out, baffled.

Jamison read my expression, "Yes, so it should've died considering the changelings are poisonous, but it didn't for some odd reason. The tracker will still be in its body until it shits it out or it somehow gets wrecked in its guts." Jamison pulled out my phone, firing up the app. "It looks like it's still in the lion since the red dot is still moving. We may have minutes or even hours until it shits it out or something else happens that we haven't yet accounted for."

"We will need to head back out." Alexei said. "It'll be too late to wait. We came back because I thought something happened to you. I don't know how but I just had to come back to see."

"Thank goodness for that. We came to this place ransacked and you missing." Aella turned her eyes to me, going for a bug-eyed look.

I ducked my head. "Sorry guys."

"Don't be. Alexei was right to follow his instincts." Jamison spoke.

"There's also something else that needs our attention." I piped up as they a began to stand one by one, preparing to leave.

Eyes riveted to me.

"The mess you saw when you first walked in was left by a Rogue named Mila. She was trying to take some of our food, but I walked in. She ran towards the cliff where there's an entry point to the caverns that are below us. She led me straight to the members of your old Pack Aella. Alpha Bennett, his sons and the rest of your Pack are down there."