21
Ness
“Are you fucking kidding me?”I asked the empty air where Ryder had been.
I clenched my fists at my sides. Of course, Beryl had to use this exact moment to remind me that I’d failed Ryder, too. He still belonged to Beryl. Since he hadn’t fulfilled her request, she would find a new way to torment him.
I wanted to scream again, but I held it back this time. There was no telling where Alvin could have gone. Alone in the woods, I needed to be careful. Alvin could be around any tree. This level of hyperawareness grew exhausting. My feet were already dragging against the ground. My limbs felt like lead by the time I reached Alvin’s yard again.
The pack was still there. Dad held Cerri in his arms. He seemed relieved to see me, but his gaze flicked past me. I startled and spun around, but there was no one behind me. Heart pounding, I gave my father a look only to realize he’d been waiting for Ryder to appear.
I would have to explain that Beryl had taken Ryder again. Guilt sank like a stone in the pit of my stomach. Seeing Cerri again sent another stone plummeting inside me. The pack watched me with different levels of pity that I didn’t need right now.
As if she could sense my discomfort, Vi rushed me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
“Let’s go get you dressed,” she said as she directed me toward her Jeep.
I lowered my gaze because I didn’t want to look any of them in the eye yet. They would blame me for Cerri’s current situation. I couldn’t protect anyone, not even my best friends. They were right to cast me out.
No matter what Ryder said, the pack was right. They didn’t need me making a mess of things. It stung to think of all the ways I’d failed them. I dragged guilt around like a ball and chain, letting it drain everything from me until I had nothing left.
They’d helped me, though. The pack had banded together to help me break into Alvin’s house. I’d been surprised when Catriona stepped forward. She’d been against my behavior from the beginning, but today she must have had a change of heart.
I lifted my head to find her. I owed her my gratitude. Because she spoke up, the others decided to act.
“Where is she?” Catriona’s panicked voice rose above the low din of conversation.
I stopped in my tracks and scanned the pack. Catriona shoved her packmates aside so she could peer past them. Her eyes were wild. Fear made her voice shake and her hands tremble. It took me too long to realize who she was looking for.
“Janessa,” I breathed.
Immediately, I began searching for her. Though there were a dozen scents on the air, I found Janessa’s scent among them all. It was faint, though. As I tracked the scent, it faded into nothing, leaving me standing at the edge of the woods again.
My stomach flipped. I peered into the darkness beneath the foliage. A small talisman hung from a tree above. Reaching up, I plucked it from the branch and peered at it in my palm. A band of sigils wrapped around a tiny wood medallion.
More spells.
Alvin had returned, and he’d grabbed Janessa. I swallowed hard, knowing that this would fall upon my head the moment I turned around. I didn’t have the energy to go after them. Where would I even go? There was no scent trail to follow.
Instead of giving chase, I turned and approached Catriona. I offered up the medallion and explained what could have happened. Catriona crumpled. Her expression fell and her shoulders slumped as she took the medallion with trembling fingers.
I dragged in a shaky breath after Vi put a coat over my shoulders. “I’ll find them. I’ll give Alvin what he wants.”
Ryder wasn’t here to back me up. Beryl had taken him again. Though I yearned for his support, I knew Alvin wouldn’t agree to anything so long as Ryder was nearby. The only reason Alvin was relying on magic this heavily was because of Ryder. Alvin knew he was outmatched. He had to cheat to win.
“It’s probably a trap,” Vi warned.
“But she has to do something. Ryder isn’t here” Haylee said, eyes swimming with tears and confusion as she stepped up to us.
A crack split my heart. I’d hoped that Haylee and Kelsey would be on my side, that they wouldn’t blame me for what was happening. They’d been supportive up until now. I think they’d realized that they could be next.
First, Cerri. Then, Janessa.
If he killed Janessa for what happened today, then there would be no stopping him. The pack would cower in fear, afraid to become the next on his list. I wouldn’t get support from them ever again.
I had no idea what had happened today. They’d come together to help me for once. I looked them over, trying to see what could have changed. Once again, their faces had returned to the familiar masks of fear they’d always worn.
Though I could have asked why they’d had a change of heart for a short while, I doubted I would get a straight answer out of them now. Instead, I clutched the coat tighter around myself and asked Vi to take me back to Ryder’s. I had clothes there. The others could go home. They could wait in the safety of their own abodes for now.