Stolen Fate

Two: The Catch And Release

Arietta flinched, though she knew Gavriel was right. It alarmed her how quick this man knew how much information he could get out of her. Although she didn't ally herself with the wielders—hated them even—she wasn't sure she could tell Gavriel everything and would live to see another day.

But then again, what did it matter? She was good as dead either way.

"Let us be on our way," Gavriel said. He came forward and, without hesitation, scooped up Naya. Although usually distressed around others, Naya appeared to have no problem with Talia and Gavriel. Especially Gavriel. The little cub even purred and burrowed herself deeper into the nook of his arm.

Gavriel glanced down at Naya, his eyes softening. He smoothed a thumb over the top of Naya's head. "There's a good cub."

Talia stood, leaving her case on the forest floor. She tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. "We'll want to monitor the cub for the first day or so," she told Gavriel. "I'm not sure what else she's been exposed to out there." Talia glanced at Arietta, her expression unforgiving, "or what emotional damage has been done."

Arietta took the hit and pulled in shallow breaths of cool air. Talia was right to be worried. Arietta only hoped, prayed, that Naya would be too small to remember. That she'd gotten her out in time to prevent any major damage to the little shifter's emotional well-being.

***

Gavriel passed little Naya off to Talia. "Watch over her in the meantime."

Talia nodded, then gave Naya a small half-smile. "Let's go, little one."

Arietta curled her hands into such tight fists she left thin half-moon indents on her palms. A stabbing pain appeared in her stomach and radiated upward to her chest.

She'd known this moment would arrive. Since the very first moment she and Naya had escaped. And yet, Naya's departure still felt as if she was losing a piece of her.

How could such a small creature have such a large impact on her that quickly?

"Take care of her," Arietta told Talia. "Please."

Naya half-climbed on Talia's shoulder and mewed.

She's too small, Arietta's brain reminded her. She won't remember you when you're gone.

It hurt. Like hot pokers on her skin. And yet, Arietta knew that Naya would grow up big and strong. She would grow to be a beautiful woman and an even more beautiful leopard.

And she wouldn't be a captive any longer.

Gavriel gestured over Arietta's shoulder with his chin. He wouldn't stop looking at her. She could even feel it as she turned around and walked the way he wanted her to.

Other than the sound of Arietta's loud footsteps, the two of them were silent on the way to... wherever Gavriel wanted her to go. He continued to trail behind her. In fact, if it weren't for the occasional murmur of "left" and "turn", she'd have thought Gavriel had left her to wander around the shifter territory on her own.

But of course, she knew they would never let her do that. Just as she knew the hawk soaring above them wasn't a regular hawk. She knew there were others too—animals she couldn't see hidden in the forest. Shifters that served as protectors for the little ones like Naya.

"Are there others here?" Arietta whispered into the gentle breeze. "Like Naya?"

"Yes."

Arietta's shoulders dropped. Her eyes burned, though there were no tears. "Good," she whispered back.

Gavriel led them to a gravel road that twisted through the trees. Further down, a dark, all-terrain vehicle poked out of a break in the forest. Gavriel opened it and had her get into the passenger seat.

There was a black box and a walkie on the dash. Once he started up the car, he grabbed the walkie and clicked a side button. "Status report?"

A female answered not even a moment later. "Wielders are still along the border. We've pushed them back, but they're in no rush to leave."

"They are waiting for orders," Gavriel surmised. His gaze flicked to Arietta. "Or for us to spit our catch back out."

Arietta stared out the window as the vehicle bounced over uneven gravel.

"Is that what we're doing?" The female asked.

"Yes."

Arietta's guard went right back up. She knew it would happen. Knew that the shifters would take Naya and leave her to face the wielders.

Don't be so shocked, Ari. She scolded herself.

It only took them five minutes of driving before Gavriel stopped and parked the car.

He turned, put one elbow on top of the back of the seat, and put the full weight of his attention on her. "It's a three-mile walk that way to the border."

Arietta followed where he pointed with her own gaze, but all that was there were more trees.

"Cael will see you out," Gavriel said.

The moment he finished his sentence, a hawk landed on the hood of the car and stared right through the windshield at her.

Goodness. Where Gavriel's gaze was heavy and intimidating, Cael's gaze was like large steel nails shooting right at her head.

Arietta did her best to ignore it. Instead, she unbuckled her seat belt and put a hand on the door handle. "Promise me you'll take care of her," she said.

And Gavriel, shifter and, most likely one of the most influential people in their chaotic world, said, "We treat all cubs as our own. No matter where they come from."

Arietta bit her lip to hold back the overwhelming relief. This. This right here was why she'd risked everything to bring Naya here.

Because the wielders would never do the same.

Hadn't done the same.

Arietta nodded and stepped from the vehicle. The gravel crunched against the soles of her shoes as she headed in the direction Gavriel pointed her.

Above her, Cael soared, his outline dark as he passed under the sun's rays.

Behind her, just barely, she heard the stutter and smooth thrum of Gavriel's vehicle starting.

Would the wielders be waiting there for her still? Or had Gavriel sent her to another spot? In all the chaos, she'd gotten completely turned around.

What if the wielders weren't waiting for her? She hadn't planned past this moment. She didn't think she'd have this moment.

This life. Just for a little while longer.

Her next steps may not be obvious, but her goals were. She needed to find a place to hold out for some time. Find some food, and find what safety this world, in its cruel misplacement of her, had to offer.

And then, somehow, she had to move on from the tiny black leopard cub that had wrapped her paw around Arietta's heart.

The gravel crunched loudly behind her as Gavriel's truck got closer, then—

Stopped.

Gavriel's window came down. "Get in."

Had he heard something over the walkie? "Is Naya alright?"

Something played across his expression. She'd seen that emotion before. On her mother when she was young and did something her mother didn't expect.

"She is fine," Gavriel said. "Now get in."

If Naya was fine — "I don't understand."

"Me neither," Gavriel said through tight lips. "Are you getting in or not?"

Did she have a choice? Although they wouldn't appreciate her presence, the shifters wouldn't kill her. Maybe.

But out there, past the border...

Arietta got into the vehicle.