Wolven Rising: Untold Stories

GR-17: Radio Silent

Alana

I watched my brother, his mate, and Shasta disappear through the crowd. I can't believe I had the courage to say what was on my mind. Especially since I didn't have it all figured out yet. Did I still like him? I'd be lying to myself if I said that I didn't. But the perfect bubble that I had been happily living in had popped, and I was left to deal with the imperfections and difficulties that reality presented.

But, because of whatever was happening right now, our conversation didn't result in any kind of closure. I had no idea what Shasta's reaction was to my words. He might think I was just being a big baby. He could be done with me altogether. But whatever he thought, I knew I wouldn't regret telling him how I felt.

Alana, I need you to make sure nobody notices we're missing, Mason's voice invaded my mind.

What are you doing? What's going on? I asked, desperate for any news.

I don't know everything. But Rowan and Kendria might be in trouble. We have to shift, Mason explained hurriedly. It's crucial that nobody knows we're gone, because if they do, they might discover other things that will get us in big trouble.

I immediately scanned the crowd at the gala. Everyone was talking and laughing, mingling in groups or out on the dance floor. Our parents were still seated at their table, my dad's arm around my mom's shoulders and her head resting on him. Alpha Rhys and Luna Dianne were slow dancing. They, along with everyone else, seemed none the wiser to the absence of the five of them.

I can cover for you. But don't come back to the event building, at least not where you'll be seen, I instructed, walking towards my parents. The way I saw it, I could keep watch and try to make up an excuse that would crumble under scrutiny, or I could head it off at the front with a different approach.

Got it. Thanks.

"Hey dad," I said, sidling up to him. "The guys, their mates, and I are going to go watch a movie at the packhouse before the ceremonies tonight, is that okay?"

"Really, Rowan and Kendria decided not to stick around?" My dad asked inquisitively, craning his neck to look around.

"Well, it's been a long week, and Kendria's not used to all the commotion," I said quickly, feeling guilty for lying about something like that, but knowing how essential it was that my parents bought my story. "So they decided to take a bit of a break before tonight, since it's such a big night, after all."

"That it is," my dad said, a faraway look in his eyes. I felt even more guilty, knowing he was thinking about how tonight was his last night as Beta of Harvest Moon, because he was passing down the title to his son. His son who was currently missing in action.

"So, is it okay? We'll be ready in plenty of time for tonight," I said. "It works out better, since us girls can change into our other dresses." This part was actually true. We were wearing fancy dresses for the gala, but since they were made for humans that didn't have to worry about shifting into wolves, they weren't exactly convenient when it came to having to strip down to make way for our wolf forms. Most of us would don dresses that were easy to get on and off, so we didn't have to deal with complicated and hard-to-reach zippers and buttons.

"Okay, sweetie," my dad said, hugging my mom closer. "Just tell your brother not to be late, please. Your old man won't tolerate it."

"Right, I will," I said, edging back. "See you guys later!" With that, I rushed away before my dad got any more suspicious or my mom could start her tried and true inquisition strategy. Hopefully, I'd just bought the others enough time to do whatever it was they needed to do.

Mom and dad think we're all back at the packhouse, I informed Mason as I stepped out of the event building.

Kay, came Mason's quick response.

I wanted so badly to ask him more questions, but I knew it would have to wait. Tell me if you need help.

Kay.

"What're you doing here all by your lonesome?" A disembodied voice spoke in the dark shadow of the building, making me jump a mile.

"Who's there?" I asked, Zusa growling protectively in our mind.

A body pushed off of the side of the building and its details materialized into Fletcher as he approached. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said, coming to a stop in front of me and blocking my path. His words sounded slightly slurred.

"Um, that's okay, I was just a little startled, I'm fine now," I said, hoping to finish here quickly so I could continue on my way and help keep up the cover. If Fletcher delayed me for too long, my parents could find me and figure out I had lied to them.

"Well, I'm sh-sorry just the same," he said, leaning in a little closer. "Listen, the other day I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"Do you?" I said distractedly, glancing over his shoulder to the path leading east. A path I should be on right now. The whole time, Zusa kept up a low growl.

"Yes. I sh-poke out of turn, and things got heated," he said, shaking his head and taking a small step forward. "But I don't want you thinking badly of me."

"Oh?" I said faintly, glancing over my shoulder at the deck to see if my parents had come out.

Too late, I realized he was too close. "I meant what I said before, Alana," he breathed, the tang of some fake tropical gum he was chewing assaulting my nostrils, combined sickeningly with the stench of raw spirits. He had obviously drunk a huge amount in a short time, if he was showing visible signs of intoxication. Wolves had to work hard to get a buzz, let alone get drunk, since our bodies processed alcohol so fast. "You are a beautiful sssshhhe-wolf."

I took a step back, but he followed, and soon had me cornered against the side of the event building. "I thought you said you just wanted to be friends?" I asked, trying not to panic.

"Friends, yesh," he said, bracing his hands against the exterior wall on either side of my head, creating a cage. "But there can be certain...benefits to being friendssss, can there not?"

I wanted to scream, but I knew I couldn't draw attention to myself, not now. Shasta's protectiveness made so much sense now, Harlie's words of warning that I was too distracted to heed. Zusa, help me, I called on my wolf in desperation.

Zusa came forward, fierce and ready to defend us. We could not shift, but we could get ourselves out of this. Taking control of our human form, Zusa clapped a hand over Fletcher's mouth, catching him completely off guard. She followed it up with fast, hard knee to his groin, his initial cry of pain muffled against our fingers.

He dropped like a rock and I fled down the path, thankful that I had chosen to wear flats instead of heels. I felt my heart pounding in my ears. I couldn't believe I did that.

Technically, I did that, Zusa grumbled. You were too busy to notice he was being a creep until it was almost too late.

Sorry, I was a little distracted trying to cover for everyone else. I continued bickering with my wolf for the rest of the trip, making it to the packhouse in record time. Indeed, now that I had made it out of the situation, I had a hard time devoting much of my brain power to the fact that I was quite possibly very nearly sexually assaulted, instead still consumed with anxiety over how the others were doing. In the back of my mind, I knew I would have to process that at some point, and figure out what exactly I should do about it. But first, I had to know what was happening, somewhere out there, without me.

I tried to reach out to Mason via mindlink, but he had put his blocks up. I even tried to reach out to Rowan.

Everything was radio silent.

---

Shasta

Mason quickly led Harlie and me through the south wing of the building, until we reached a large office with huge windows. "Rowan linked me," he said, loosening his tie. "He and Kendria are out in the north woods, being pursued by about half a dozen rogues."

Harlie gasped. "Why in the hell are they all the way out there?" I asked.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me," he said, balling the tie up. "All I know is that no one can know that they're out there—in wolf form no less, or what they're doing. Same goes with us."

"If that's the case, we need to shift in the woods, we can't just strip and leave our clothes in this room," Harlie pointed out. "People might easily find out that they belong to us."

"Right." Mason said, scratching his short beard.

"Let's not stand around, then," Harlie hissed, striding purposefully toward the door. "Let's go!"

"We'll leave from here," Mason said, entering a code on a small box mounted to the window trim. The window swung open a few inches on silent hinges.

He helped Harlie down to the ground, leaving me to hop down by myself. Ever since our confrontation in the hall outside my room, he'd been avoiding me, too. I had no idea if he'd spoken to Harlie about it, and it seemed that Alana didn't know about it. She hadn't brought it up, anyway. Regardless, the apathetic attitude was clear. He was most definitely not a fan of me, not anymore. I found that I missed the ease with which I had connected with him and Rowan earlier in the week. I hoped I could get it back someday.

We crept out into the woods and hid behind different trees to shift. I bundled my clothes up in my suit jacket and tried to avoid setting them on any sappy pine needles. Then I closed my eyes, withdrew and let Hunter take over. My body grew and contorted, chocolate brown fur sprouting all over. We trotted over to Harlie's creamy-furred wolf, Mara, and bumped noses with her, instituting a growl from Mason, off to the side.

Hunter turned to look at Mason's wolf, but we both stopped in surprise. Instead of a brown or auburn color, as would be typical for a wolf of Mason's human hair-color to have, he was almost completely grayish-silver in color, with reddish tints to his back and tail.

Mara nuzzled Mason's wolf and nipped at him, then went nose to the ground to pick up the scent of our Alphas. I followed suit, and soon we picked it up and started racing down the trail they left behind.

It was ten minutes later when I noticed it. It came in a whisper of wind, a slightly fresher scent of Kendria, coming from off to the right, not straight ahead on our current path. Remembering what Mason said about them being in the north woods, Hunter let out a gruff yip and changed direction, Mara hot on our heels. Mason's wolf took a little longer to change his route and catch up to us, probably because he wasn't used to our methods of communication without mindlink.

Within seconds, I picked up the scent of other rogues, barking quietly a few times to indicate that I counted about a half-dozen. Mara gave a huff of a reply. Mason just kept running with us. I guess we should have told him what some of our wolf signals were, since we couldn't communicate.

Before much longer I caught sight of Kendria's black wolf, Daria, holding something in her mouth, along with several others. She and Rowan, the sandy-furred wolf next to her, were surrounded. A small, scraggly wolf I didn't know was cowering with them. Was that wolf why they were out here in the middle of the night on the full moon? It didn't make sense.

But what did make sense was the fact that they were outnumbered, and needed backup. Fast.

Mara, who was just a hair faster than me—not that I'd ever admit it out loud—arrived first, launching herself at a dark gray wolf that was about to attack Daria. I followed close behind, choosing my own target to take out. Mason's wolf went to his Alpha's side, helping him rip apart a particularly large opponent. Daria, keeping a bag carefully clenched between her teeth, went over to stand guard over the small wolf, ready to defend him and herself if need be, but refusing to drop the package she held.

I took out one more rogue, only to find that it was the last one, the others having been either killed, injured, or run off. With the current threat neutralized for now, I shifted back into human form, along with Mason and Harlie.

"Okay, what's going on?" Harlie said with her hands on her hips. Mason tried to shield her body, but she told him off, too impatient to deal with the natural male possessiveness that most mates had. "Now, whatever this just was, it better be worth my abandoning the first big party I've been to in my entire adult life, not to mention having to ditch my awesome dress in the dirt."

But Kendria was too singularly focused to offer any decent explanations, at least at the moment. She did introduce the small wolf as Wade, her fresh Silas rescue. I didn't recognize or remember him from before, so he must have been brought there sometime after the m******e. I stood watchfully near him while Kendria interrogated the single wolf we'd left alive, one she'd already blinded and, by the look of him, fatally wounded. She kept coming back to the question, "who are you working for?" I thought it was strange. Weren't they obviously Silas's rogues? This whole thing was becoming irritatingly opaque.

Finally, Kendria put the wolf out of his misery and said we should all go back to Harvest Moon. Eager for answers, Hunter and I raced back quickly, only stopping to shift and throw on my pants and undershirt. I balled up the rest and crept cautiously out of the woods, across the narrow lawn and back through the hidden window-door in the large office.

The dark room lit up as Rowan turned on a lamp, all the drapes closed against any potential prying eyes.

"Kendria, I demand to know what's going on right now," Harlie snarled. She looked pissed, probably partially due to the fact that she got blood on her dress. I looked down at my own shirtfront and noticed several smears of my own. Oops.

At first, Kendria didn't answer, instead reaching down to untie the bag that she had been carrying since we encountered them in the woods. "The Wolf Stone was stolen," she announced. There were sharp intakes of breath around the room, from me included. The Wolf Stone was one of the few relics that existed in werewolf culture, and by far the most important. In fact, it was the stone that would empower Kendria as our official Alpha later tonight.

"Elder Kara charged Rowand and I with getting it back without alerting everyone else that it was missing," Kendra continued. "Thank you for calling in backup," she addressed Rowan. "We wouldn't have made it otherwise."

"I knew we were cutting it too close, so I linked Mason, since I trust him with my life," Rowan said. "He can keep a secret. Except from his mate, I guess," he made a face at Mason.

"Hey, don't look at me, Harlie could get anything out of anybody," Mason said in his own defense. It was true, Harlie really was unstoppable. "And the extra numbers worked in our favor, didn't it? We won! A couple of them ran off, they were so scared."

"Plus, I trust Shasta and Harlie with my life," Kendria said fervently. The small swelling of pride I felt at her words was instantly quashed by Mason's withering, incredulous glance in my direction.

The conversation went on awhile longer, and arrangements were made to quietly get the Wolf Stone back to Elder Kara. Wade, who had come back with us, was taken to find a shower and fresh clothes by Mason. Finally, there was nothing left to do.

Except change. "We'll go get cleaned up for tonight then, before anyone sees us," I said, noticing I'd also gotten some blood on the dress shirt in my hands.

"Ugh, yes, I have to pick out something entirely new to wear," Harlie groaned.

We said our goodbyes to Rowan and Kendria and slipped out the hidden door, disappearing into the welcoming night. Despite the full moon, it hid us well, until we could wash away any evidence that we were somewhere other than we should have been, doing something other than what we should have been doing.