I’m going in the opposite direction of the cabin I once hid inside. It’s a pity because the cabin would be perfect for a storm like this. The wood exterior is strong and durable and I know for a fact the roof doesn’t leak. It’s only a matter of minutes before I’m soaked in spite of my cloak. As it turns out, my red cloak is good for keeping out the cold: not the rain.
I move faster.
Soon I spot what looks like a tiny opening between two large boulders. I don’t know if it’s a cave or just a small space, but I’ll take it. Anything is better than staying out in the rain. Moving quickly, I hike my cloak up so the edges don’t catch on the rocks and I slip into the little opening. To my surprise, it does open into a tiny cave, though I doubt anything has ever lived there. The cave is only about three feet by three feet. It’s not even e
nough room for me to lie down in.
Instead, I sit down with my back against the back of the cave and my feet pointed toward the entrance. I don’t have so much as a knife to protect myself. I was in such a hurry to run away from my life I didn’t even think to bring a weapon.
Just another way the forest life isn’t for me.
I feel like I used to be stronger than this. I used to not let things bother me. I used to be better, more durable. Now I’m weak. Now I let a group of people who hate me tear me away from the one person who loved me more than anything else.
And even though I know Nash is better off without me, I let myself cry in the cave. The sounds of my sobs are drowned out by the rain, and I close my eyes.
Eight
Nash
The rain cuts our adventure short. When it begins to pour, all the wolves head back to the caves. We all shake just inside the entrance. Once we’ve gotten as much water as possible off of ourselves, we shift back, then head further in.
“Quite a storm,” Ryder comments. I know this is his way of respectfully asking why I didn’t cancel the run when I smelled the storm in the air.
“Thought we’d be back in time,” I mutter. The pack is already dispersing and I turn to head toward my sweet, but Allison Martin appears in front of me and looks terrified. Ryder smirks at me and I know exactly what he’s thinking: if Ali wanted to marry me all those years ago, who’s to say she doesn’t want to now?
Maybe she’s the one behind all the trouble we’ve been having. Maybe she resents Red and the relationship I have with her. Something tells me this isn’t Allison’s doing, though. She may have had a crush on me, but she was never vicious. If anything, Allison was always too nice. That’s one of the reasons I suspect she’s still single: she’s not tough enough to handle a relationship with a wolf. She might be one herself, but being a wolf and handling another are two entirely different things.
“Ali,” I say carefully. “What can I do for you?”
“It’s the childcare center,” she says. “Someone destroyed it.”
“What?” I cry out, and several wolves turn to look at me. “Show me.”
Quickly, Ali and I dart out of the main gathering space and head down one of the side halls. At some point, Thorn throws me a t-shirt and shorts, which I manage to pull on as Ali and I make our way down the narrow hallways and around several sharp corners.
We arrive at the childcare room and I’m overwhelmed by the emotions in the room. The scents mingle as I enter and I smell fear, sadness, and frustration. Anger wafts through the room when Ryder enters. He’s almost as mad as I am.
“Who did this?” I growl, taking in the broken toys and damaged furniture. Mrs. Beaver is in the center of the room with tears rolling down her face. She’s surveying the damage and shaking her head.
I’m overwhelmed by the damage to the equipment, but that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is the message sprawled across the wall. It’s a message that is obviously meant for my mate. It’s obviously meant for Red.
“Who the fuck did this?”
“We don’t know,” Mrs. Beaver says quietly.
“Does Red know?” I ask. My mate is going to need me. If she hasn’t seen the message, I wonder if it would be better for her not to know. She doesn’t have to ever find out. I don’t like the idea of lying to her, but these words are harsh, and my little darling is already struggling enough without throwing this onto her pile of worries.
“No,” Mrs. Beaver says. “It’s just me and Ali this morning.”
“Actually,” Ali cringes. “I showed her.”
“What? When? Where is she now?”
“I don’t know,” Ali answers, and I can tell she’s telling the truth. “She went back to the suite.”
“I don’t understand how this could have happened,” I say. Ryder is walking around, picking up equipment and broken pieces of wood. He’s obviously trying to figure out if any of this is salvageable.
“When I came in to open this morning, it was like this.” Ali sounds distraught. “We’ve been having so many problems lately, but I didn’t think this would happen. I didn’t think she’d…I mean they, would come after the kids.”