As soon as Leo left his mind merge with Carlton and Milo, he briefly explained to Angel that he had been given information that would protect them. And reassurance as to who they could trust.
He didn't go into detail about the possible fates they could face, just in case it upset his already fragile mate. He didn't want to put added pressure on him. So instead, they got to work.
Leo focused for nearly ten minutes before he and Angel found themselves just outside the cage in their dream walk.
Let us leave this room. I do not like it here. Angel asked, giving the unfamiliar outer aspects of the room a good, critical look over. The corners were dark, hidden in shadow and felt as oppressive as his cage.
Leo took his hand with a gentle smile and led to the way to the door. He tried the handle and nothing happened, so he peeked through the bars in the small window, to get a good view of the corridor beyond the room.
I will have to concentrate to move us, in the dream walk, outside of this room. He explained calmly. He hadn't wanted to try that first time, in case it hadn't worked. He thought getting through the bars was tricky enough, without asking to be outside the door too. Now that they had escaped the bars, he had more confidence that he could move them outside the door.
Just a few minutes later and they were standing, holding hands, on the other side of the door, with their backs to Angel's prison room. Neither of them looked back.
Leo spotted the door to his right, where he recalled Katarina overhearing the two captors talking. He peeked around the open door and saw that the room was empty, so he went on inside, with Angel, to see what he could find.
There was a hook on the wall; it looked like it was the perfect place to hang the keys to his mate's cell, but there were currently no keys on it.
Leo. Angel's inner voice whispered to him and gestured to the door they had used to enter the room.
He crept over and peeked outside. Someone was coming down the corridor, swinging the keys he wanted to get hold of. It was a young girl, whistling to herself. He could only guess that it was the same girl whose body Katarina had once been within.
She is bringing my daily meal. He explained.
What does she usually do? Leo asked, trying not to let his temper rage at the word 'daily'. So his mate was only getting fed one meager meal a day? He would make them suffer for it later.
She will unlock the door and place the plate just outside my cell. Then she will leave and lock the door behind her. I do not know what she does after. Angel confessed, worried and hopeful that she would venture into the room they now occupied to put the keys on the hook.
Leo glanced down at his watch and noted the time.
Yes, my love. She comes at the same time every day. If we are to escape, it must be after my meal. He agreed with Leo's thinking, smiling faintly when his mate met his eyes.
Leo loved that, at times like this, it felt like Angel's thoughts were his own; they flowed like water between them. It was so natural and spine-tingling.
It was entirely the inappropriate moment, but Angel was afraid they were about to get caught. He caught Leo in his arms and kissed him with all the passion he felt for his true mate.
Leo knew he was supposed to be the sensible one, but he couldn't resist him. He kissed back, until they were holding on tightly to one another. If they were going to get caught and captured, then this was how Leo wanted to go out. If he was to die for any reason, it would be for Angel.
***
Leo heard a noise behind him and decided to turn, to face his opponent.
The girl hung the keys on the hook as they presumed, before taking a sweeping glance of the room. She never even noticed him, standing there with Angel. The fact that she hadn't raised an alarm meant that the dream walk had once again helped them. Angel's physical body was still lying in his cell and no one could see their spirit selves wandering around the compound.
So no one can see us? Angel guessed, smiling when Leo turned to look his way.
Doesn't seem like it, does it? He agreed happily. Come on, let's take a closer look at those keys. He decided.
He left his mate standing there, at the other end of the room, as he advanced on the pair of keys that were keeping him bound to this horrid place. They looked old and worn in places. He was pretty sure that he could never have a duplicate pair made that could match them, without taking an impression first.
Perhaps the herbs? Angel suggested, reading his mind.
Leo glanced back at him curiously and watched as his mate put the pieces together for him.
The paste you made to heal my wounds. Angelus continued, thoughtfully. Would that not create an accurate impression? You would then only need a reliable man to make a copy for you. He continued, feeling his mental abilities increase along with his physical. The past two days of mental freedom had really done him a word of good.
Leo crossed over and kissed him deeply. You are incredible. He claimed, before reaching for his bag and rummaging for the items he would need. With the right tools, I can make the copies myself well enough. He explained as he dug out the items he wanted and placed them on the floor at his feet.
Within just a few seconds he had ground the juicy herbs together to create a paste and pulled the keys off the wall hook. He was very careful as he made impressions of them in the paste, coating both sides, in case one side had a groove the other didn't. He didn't want to make any mistakes.
Angel stood at the door, making sure no one was approaching, so no one would spot the keys mysteriously lying on the floor or being used by an invisible entity. I have never been this happy before, little lion. I had lost hope until you appeared to me in my cousin's dream walk. If not for the hope of seeing you one day, I would have allowed myself to die long ago. He confessed, out of nowhere.
Leo wasn't sure if it was the prospect of freedom or the risk of danger that had spurred him into talking, but he appreciated the faith his mate put in him.
I only wish I had come to you sooner. Of age or not would not have mattered to me. I could have helped you heal while we courted. I would have been of age eventually. Leo admitted to the constant sense of failure he felt. He so wished he had known about Angel before.
I am grateful it has happened this way. Angel countered his notion, smiling when they turned to look at each other. Now my dreams are my reality and my reality is my nightmare. With you, I can bask in my dreams and never have nightmares again. He confessed, making Leo wonder if Angel was the one causing the multiple dream walks a day. Just so he didn't have to allow his physical body to wake, except to take in one pitiful meal a day. He had to admit to himself that he wouldn't have cared if it was true.
I too cherish our dreams together. Leo gave his agreement and watched a light spark in Angel's eyes.
He could just imagine how much trouble he could be, when at full strength, with nothing to fear. He felt a flush rise up his neck to his cheeks and turned his attention back to the keys he was copying. He could entertain those other thoughts later, when he was sleeping. With just a little patience, they would be his new reality.
Once the keys were copied and Leo had dried the paste with the fan on the desk , the casts began to harden. Only when he was sure they were flexible, without changing shape, did he place them in his bag, wrapped in moisture soaking paper.
Now let us find a way out of this place. He sighed as he turned to leave the room and found Angel rooted to the spot, in the doorway. What is it?
It will sound silly, but...I am afraid to leave here. Angel confessed suddenly. I wish to be with you, Leo, but the outside world was never my friend. This is the lesser of two evils and I know what I face in here. Finally, he turned to face his mate. You will have to guide me in this world I no longer understand. Show me the good in it and with you, I will believe I will never come to harm again. He smiled, such a handsome, happy smile that Leo's heart melted.
He felt so guilty, keeping the secret of the two heartbreaking alternate futures they faced, if he failed to change them. But especially after hearing his words, he couldn't tell him the truth of their fate. It was better that he didn't know what lay in store. Even if it couldn't be avoided, Milo would now know how to care for Angel properly.
Leo raised a hand and pressed it against his mate's cheek tenderly. I will never let you come to harm and I will never leave you, unless I cannot choose otherwise. He promised, making sure not to promise to live forever. His death seemed inevitable to Angelus, the child who wasn't born yet. If it was, he didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep.
I see your fears, my love. Your mind is but a book to me, to read at my leisure. No other can read the words as I can. Angel smiled a soft smile that eased Leo's troubled mind. So he knew. He knew everything and all he had to do was look. In a way he was glad.
I promise you that this fate will not be so. If you perish, then so shall I. I will not live without you and I will never harm the child who bears my name. Angel vowed.
Leo wanted to cry as he thought about their future, as it stood for Angelus. How bleak to know that he was already dead, more than once, in a future he might never get to live.
Let's get you out of here. He cleared his throat and tried to push back the emotion he felt. Taking Angel's hand, to offer him comfort and support in this new venture, he moved beyond the door and into the corridor.
They walked down a large, straight hallway, with doors on all sides. But now that he had the keys, Leo wasn't worried about what was within those doors. He could explore those later, when Angel wasn't around. He didn't want to tire him out too much.
They got to the end of the corridor and faced a solid, thick metal door. He had to dream walk them to the other side, because there was no way through without the keys he couldn't risk taking with him. He heard frequent mutterings and noises coming from the many doors along the corridor.
Although Angel's captors were gone for two days, there were still people around, who could get in the way of their escape.
He would need to investigate, to see if they were human or shifters. If human, they could lock them up in a room where they couldn't escape, until Angel was free and released from his hellish prison cell.
There is an odd smell. Angel claimed as they appeared in the new corridor beyond the metal door.
Trusting his instincts, he followed Angel, as he transformed into his spirit wolf form and trotted along the short corridor that branched off in three directions just a few feet ahead. He put his nose to the ground and followed the smell, with Leo trailing behind him.
Here. It is...earth. Angel paused, sniffing down one branch of the corridor only to return. Trees? He queried, trying to place it. A forest! He explained what the scent was, that was now so unfamiliar to him.
He said it with such glee that Leo wanted to weep all over again, for the simple things his mate had been deprived of. But before he could even convince himself not to, Angel took off, bounding down the right hand branch of the corridor, until he reached a large wooden door.
This is it! His internal voice shouted back to Leo, as he raised his front paws to push the door. When that didn't work, he turned back into his human form and began pounding on the door.
Leo had to rush over, just to make sure that he didn't cause a riot and bring attention to them. They might only have been invisible if they weren't causing trouble.
He grabbed Angel by the upper arms and gently pulled him away from the door. Breathe, my love. We will get out of here, but I need you to stay calm. He asked, trying to be understanding of his need to escape.
It was raw desperation now, with the outer door in his reach. He hated having to remind him that they weren't going to risk an escape tonight. He would have yet one more day in captivity.
I'm sorry. Angel was breathing heavily now.
Leo knew that he'd used up too much energy. He wrapped his arms around his mate and held him close, gently encouraging him to lay his head on his shoulder. Once he was relaxed, Leo concentrated on the field he had taken his true mate to already. They were there in an instant and when Angel opened his eyes, he gasped.
We are not outside the complex.
No, my love. I will explore the outside alone. I cannot take any risk that you could be harmed. Leo hated doing it, but he was going to have to do this part alone. He held Angel's face in his hands and tried to explain. I cannot guarantee our safety, so we will play a little while and then I need you to wake up from this dream and sink into another. Happy dreams of freedom...of me...of how happy you will be when we are home, together. He asked, near to tears again as Angel started crying silently.
Must I? He asked, terrified of going back to his cell.
Yes. Just for tonight. Tomorrow, you shall be free. And you will need all of your strength. He reminded him that we wasn't going back permanently. It was heartbreaking to ask him to go back to his cell at all, but this was necessary. Angel needed sleep; he needed to calm down and most of all, he needed to conserve his energy. You know where I am, if you need me.
What if I just want you?
Then dream of me. Leo smiled, trying not to feel the emotional pain of their separation that Angel was suffering.
To try to ease the blow a little, he led Angel by the hand, to the brightest spot in the meadow. He lay down and encouraged his mate to join him. Then he didn't give him any time to think; he pulled him into a passionate kiss that he responded to instantly. It was all the comfort he could give.
***
Leo left his dream walk with Angel and returned to the wooden door that had caused such desperation for freedom from his mate. He studied the door for a few minutes, judging its strength and composition.
With the image firmly in his mind, he asked the dream walk to take him to the other side of the door. He had no idea what was on the other side, so as he had done with the metal door, he used the image of the offending barrier to focus himself.
He appeared on the other side a moment later, facing an outside darkness; it must have been night already. As he looked around, he saw a small parking lot ahead. There was no gravel or ground care, just three SUV black cars parked beneath the trees, in the surrounding forest.
The trees were all around the compound, which, from the outside, looked like a bunker. Leo realized that it wouldn't be easy to break in elsewhere. Since he couldn't be seen, he transformed to his wolf form and took a perimeter walk around the building. It was huge, with no other entrance or exit. That was good. It meant that once he had some help in attacking the bunker, there was nowhere for Angel's captors to go.
Leo scouted the local area and found it completely devoid of all life, even animals. He guessed that the humans had frightened them off or the screams from Angel's torture sessions had. Either way, there would be no one on the outside to stop them. If they left scouts outside the entrance, no outside support would be able to come and prevent their escape. The whole thing looked promising.
Leo decided that he needed to explore the outside world before going back and checking what was behind the continuous stream of doors within the building.
He ran as a wolf, in the direction his senses told him was most traveled. Within half an hour of running he came to a cliff top that overlooked a village, marking trees with the letter 'A' for Angel as he went, to guide him on his way back. Thanks to his own explorations as a wolf in previous days, he recognized the tavern he had stayed in and the path that led to his own cabin. He guessed that he was perhaps another half hour from reaching the village and another hour on top of that before he reached his cabin. That would mean that Angel had to suffer nearly two hours of running as a wolf, to get to the cabin, after a fight with humans for his freedom. It was too risky.
Leo took off, towards his cabin, marking the trees and using his sensitive wolf senses to guide him to his temporary home. Halfway, he found himself in another meadow, with a waterfall cascading down another cliff side.
Angel would need that waterfall and meadow to stop and rest, if he was expected to climb the cliff. Just to check, Leo headed up the steep climb and found himself facing the familiar path that led to his cabin. They would definitely need to rest at the waterfall. And if they faced the risk of being caught, they would have to hide behind the waterfall.
Returning down the cliff side, Leo lapped at the cool water and waded inside, past the streaming sheet of water until he was standing behind the waterfall. He found a small hole, only big enough for a man to pass through, so he could be sure that the larger animals, if there were any in the area, wouldn't get access.
Leo followed the small cave system until he felt a gradual incline. When he appeared out the other end, he found himself emerging into the meadow above. He had taken a continual gradual slope, within the cliff, turning various corners and probably doubling back on himself to get to the top of the cliff. It would be a much more accessible route and less tiring for Angel after his escape.
Leo was decided. This was the path they would take.
To make sure he could find his way to the compound and not just out of it, Leo retraced his steps and the tree markings. They led him, unerringly, to the bunker. Now it was time to explore inside.
Using his manipulation of the dream walks, he took himself back into the compound and began searching each room he came to. Some had people inside, as he roamed from room to room, but not one person noticed him. Most of the rooms were offices.
Leo quickly realized that this was some sort of headquarters for an organization It wasn't just a matter of one prisoner being held by a lunatic; this was a well run, well financed operation.
Leo noticed documents and notations within the offices, of newsletters and events, that hoped to spread the word, as soon as they had Angel's compliance and more shifters to show the world. By the time he was back outside Angel's prison door, he had compiled a pretty good picture of what they were dealing with. So he took himself back into Angel's cell and lay down beside his mate.
He gave his mind a gentle push and found that he was within a nightmare of never ending twists and turns and a sense of hopelessness. He didn't mind interrupting that, but he hadn't wanted to ruin a good dream.
My love, wake up, we have to talk. Leo said.
Angel opened his eyes gradually, looking more tired than ever.
I believe I know what is happening here. He explained briefly.
Angel moved until he way lying across Leo's chest and once he was comfortable, he continued talking.
The man who has you contained is Brandon Rios. Leo explained, keeping his voice calm. He is a fanatic who believes that all mythical creatures must be real, as all legends are usually based in truth. He is searching for proof that werewolves exist and has discovered the existence of our people. He began, reciting what he had pieced together on the man.
The man who was hired to torture you, is a notorious human hunter called Roy Klein. He said, giving him the information he knew he needed. He has been convinced by your transformation that Brandon is right. But he also knows that we are too strong to break mentally. He accepts that you will never expose our existence to the world. Leo continued, with a new hope for their efforts. From what he had discovered and what he told Angel, Brandon was the only one who truly believed. Those who worked for him simply liked the good wages and the pain they were allowed to inflict on others, through searching for their prize.
I think that if we can contain this compound, no one shall ever be harmed by these men again. We will submit Rios and Klein to our brand of punishment for an unforgivable crime and those we find here must all be destroyed. Leo revealed the plan he had come up with. He didn't believe in losing life or taking it easily, especially without reason, but these people were abominations. Everyone who worked for Rios had a black soul. Outside of this compound, Rios has been in touch with political organizations around the world. None believe that we exist and the few who saw you, believe you to be a fluke of nature. That no others exist.
So if we may destroy this compound, perhaps the others will forget about us? Angel was catching on quickly. He looked excited to discover that he was alone in being discovered.
Possibly. Or we can send in our most humanly knowledgeable Alpha's to squash any hint of rumor that we exist. Leo smiled and graced the Gods for their luck.
The traveling show would drift into rumor and exaggeration, over the years following Angel's escape and they would be free.
Angel was so soothed by the news that his people hadn't been discovered, that he easily fell asleep against Leo's chest. His true mate was convinced that it was the sound of a strong heartbeat that caused him to sleep so peacefully. But all the same, Leo stayed, until the dream walk faded an hour later.