Chapter 4
1605 Words
Cleo
Two days.
We had been on the road for two days.
Two days of cheap motels, restless sleep, drive-through meals and long stretches of highway where neither of us said much.
And somehow, those two days had changed everything.
Eric and I had talked.
Really talked.
We’d shared pieces of ourselves that neither of us had ever trusted anyone else enough to reveal.
We laughed sometimes.
We argued over stupid things.
We even managed to forget, for brief moments, why we were running.
Somewhere between the first motel and the second, something had shifted between us.
It wasn’t romantic.
Not even close.
It was something deeper.
Something neither of us had a name for.
A bond.
A silent understanding that seemed to say:
It’s you and me now.
Against the world.
Eric had become my entire world.
The thought was both comforting and heartbreaking.
There were billions of people on this planet.
Billions.
And yet, after everything I’d lost, I had exactly one person I could call a friend.
One.
And I was terrified of losing him too.
Less than an hour from our destination, Eric pulled the truck off the main road.
“We should do it now.”
I looked at him.
“You’re sure?”
He nodded.
“We can’t cross into Lightning Ridge territory while we’re still connected to Blue Thunder.”
I knew he was right.
We had deliberately waited until we were almost at our destination.
Being a rogue was dangerous.
Packs didn’t exactly welcome wolves without allegiance.
Rogues were feared.
Hated.
Often blamed for crimes they hadn’t committed.
And once we severed our ties with Blue Thunder, there would be no going back.
My stomach twisted.
Eric reached across and took my hand.
“You ready?”
I stared down at our joined hands.
Then nodded.
“Yes.”
Together, we renounced our ties to the Blue Thunder Pack.
The moment it was done, something strange happened.
I felt lighter.
And more terrified.
I was free.
But I had never felt more vulnerable.
A few minutes later, we crossed onto Lightning Ridge territory.
An invisible boundary.
One that somehow felt as though we’d crossed into an entirely different world.
My stomach knotted.
Eric glanced at me.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“What if it isn’t?”
“My grandparents will help us.”
“What if the Alpha orders us killed?”
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Eric frowned.
“Cleo, breathe.”
I tried.
I really did.
But my lungs wouldn’t cooperate.
“What if he sends us back?”
“He won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No,” he admitted. “I don’t.”
He squeezed my hand.
“But I’m not going to let you face this alone.”
Before I could respond, something enormous appeared through the trees.
I stared.
A massive house stood ahead of us.
The Lightning Ridge packhouse.
It was surrounded by dozens of smaller homes, all spread throughout the surrounding property.
People were everywhere.
Children playing.
Adults working.
Warriors patrolling.
It looked…
Normal.
That should have made me feel better.
Instead, my fear intensified.
As we approached, people began stopping what they were doing.
One by one, heads turned.
Eyes followed us.
My heart began pounding.
“They’re watching us,” I whispered.
Eric smiled faintly.
“They’re checking to see whether we’re a threat.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
He glanced at me.
“This is what a pack is supposed to do. Protect its people.”
He paused.
“It’s nothing like Blue Thunder.”
The truck rolled to a stop outside the main packhouse.
Eric climbed out.
A woman walking nearby caught his attention.
“Excuse me, ma’am?”
She stopped.
“Could you tell me where I might find Sally and Clyde Jones?”
Her expression immediately changed.
She looked at Eric.
Then at me.
Then back at Eric.
“Just a moment.”
She hurried inside.
My heart sank.
“They’re going to get warriors.”
Eric sighed.
“Cleo—”
“She knows we’re rogues.”
“Calm down.”
“She saw how scared I am.”
“Cleo.”
“She’ll tell the Alpha.”
Eric turned toward me.
“Breathe.”
I wrapped my arms around myself.
“I knew this was a mistake.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
He looked toward the packhouse.
“I know my grandparents.”
“And what if they can’t protect us?”
Before Eric could answer, the front door opened.
The woman emerged.
Behind her was a group of people.
My blood ran cold.
Eric’s hand moved toward mine.
Then two people broke away from the group.
They weren’t warriors.
They were running.
Straight toward us.
“Eric!”
The woman threw her arms around him.
“Oh, Eric! What are you doing here?”
Eric froze for a second before hugging her back.
“Grandma.”
The older man beside her clapped a hand against Eric’s shoulder.
“Damn good to see you, boy.”
Something about the warmth in their voices made my throat tighten.
I had forgotten what family affection sounded like.
His grandmother pulled away and immediately noticed me.
Her expression changed.
“Who’s that?”
Eric smiled.
“That’s Cleo.”
She looked between us.
“Your mate?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“My friend.”
Something about the way he said friend made my chest ache.
His grandfather stepped forward.
“Whatever brings you here, we can discuss it inside.”
Eric looked between them.
“We need to speak to the Alpha.”
His grandfather nodded.
“Then that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
He looked toward me.
“Come along, little lady.”
I hesitated.
Eric noticed.
He came around to my side of the truck.
“Easy.”
He opened the door and carefully helped me out.
My back was still painful, and every movement reminded me that I hadn’t escaped my past simply because I’d crossed a border.
Eric locked the truck.
Then we followed his grandparents toward the packhouse.
The moment we stepped onto the property, I felt the eyes.
Dozens of them.
Some curious.
Some suspicious.
Some openly hostile.
I knew what they were thinking.
Rogues.
They didn’t know our story.
They didn’t know why we’d left.
All they knew was that we no longer belonged to a pack.
And in their world, that usually meant one thing.
We had been banished.
That meant we must have done something terrible.
I could almost hear the questions forming in their minds.
What did they do?
Why were they kicked out?
Can they be trusted?
I lowered my eyes.
I had spent years being judged by people who didn’t know me.
I couldn’t face another pack doing the same.
Eric’s grandfather glanced back at me.
“The Alpha has two offices. One in his private residence and one here.”
He smiled.
“Fortunately, he’s working here today.”
Fortunately.
I wasn’t sure anything about today could be described that way.
We entered the packhouse.
The moment the doors closed behind us, the noise of the outside world faded.
We followed Eric’s grandparents down a hallway.
Every step brought us closer to the Alpha.
Every step made my pulse beat faster.
Finally, we stopped outside a large wooden door.
Eric’s grandmother knocked.
A moment later, the door opened.
A man stepped into the hallway.
His eyes landed on Eric.
Recognition flashed across his face.
“Eric?”
Eric smiled.
“Uncle DJ.”
The man immediately embraced him.
“Look at you!”
He pulled back and studied Eric.
“Man, you’ve grown.”
Eric laughed.
“Yeah. Had to happen eventually.”
His uncle chuckled.
Then his attention shifted toward me.
“And who’s this?”
Eric’s expression immediately became guarded.
“This is Cleo.”
His uncle smiled.
“Your mate?”
“No. She’s my friend.”
DJ extended his hand.
“I’m Daniel, but everyone calls me DJ.”
I hesitated.
Before I could respond, Eric stepped slightly in front of me.
“Her name is Cleo.”
DJ raised an eyebrow.
Then laughed.
“Protective. Got it.”
Eric said nothing.
His grandfather cleared his throat.
“Daniel, we need to speak with the Alpha.”
The humour disappeared from DJ’s expression.
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s urgent.”
DJ nodded.
“Give me a minute.”
He stepped back into the office.
The door closed.
I stared at it.
My palms were sweating.
My heart was pounding.
This was it.
Whatever happened next would determine whether I had truly escaped.
Or whether the road we’d travelled for two days had only brought me closer to another nightmare.
Eric moved beside me.
He leaned down.
“You’re okay.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t feel okay.”
“You’re safe.”
“For now.”
“For now,” he agreed quietly.
His honesty surprised me.
Then he added,
“But I’m standing right here.”
I looked at him.
He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“You’re not facing this alone.”
The door opened.
DJ poked his head into the hallway.
His eyes moved between us.
“The Alpha will see you now.”
My stomach dropped.
Eric looked at me.
I looked at the door.
Then I took a breath.
Whatever waited on the other side…
I was about to find out.
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