Ch. 112: Early Warning

CHAPTER 112
Ally~
When Nick told me something had happened to Rachel I immediately wanted to go after her. But the thought made my amulet cold. Usually a sign not to do anything. What? Why? Wouldn’t I be of help?
Not this time, my grandma’s voice lifted from the amulet.
Not happy about it, I told Lana things were off, making some excuse about Rachel’s boyfriend surprising her and that she would meet up with us later. Lana looked at me strangely for a moment but eventually accepted it and took off back home in her car.
The gods have agreed, it’s time for the alpha to rise, the voice added.
I immediately relayed the information to Nick through a text, crossing my fingers for them all.
I called my mom next, asking her for a ride. All powerful witchling needs rides to get around, it was comical really. Although I didn’t mind the way Nick had been transporting me. The image comes to my mind of the first time he explained to me how to grab on in the sturdiest way. I protested but he asked me to trust him and after some time he shifted and when his wolf form nuzzled against me, I couldn’t help it. He just looked so cute. Couldn’t say that to him though, he got all pink-faced and embarrassed the one time I did. And so I followed his instructions and he walked around with me on his back for a while, until I seemed to get more confident. These days I could hold on while he was at full running speed. It was actually pretty cool to think about.

At home, Kyle and I sat together meditating when my amulet burned up. I put my hand to it. I could hear my grandma speak to me again.
It’s time, she says in such a low volume I almost miss it.
I had a bad feeling about this. Somehow they must know that the Alpha left the area. That the defenses are weak.
“We have to go,” I say to Kyle and stand up quickly. I pop my head into the hallway and yell, “Mom, we need to borrow the car!”

“Can you not kill us on the way?!” Kyle yells, white-knuckle-grabbing the handle bar above the passenger seat.
I swerve past a car in the lane next to ours, pushing down on the gas pedal. The driver lays down on the horn.
“Goddess! Please don’t let me die like this today!” he yells out.
“Kyle, stop being such a-” I start to say. “Crap!” I veer to the lane on the right to take my exit. I almost missed it!
I follow the roads up into the mountains, edging closer to the packhouse. The sun is shining. But I know what’s about to happen.
I pull the car over and twist back before jumping out.
“Kyle - you know - you can take this car and head out of here if you want to. You don’t have to do this,” I tell him seriously.
He meets my gaze and just nods. We get out of the car and head towards the forest line, the fastest way to the front door of the packhouse. I just hope I can find Evan’s father in time. Maybe my warning can buy them some time.
We jog towards the big wooden doors but are stopped by a human and a wolf. Well they’re probably all werewolves. But this was how they presented themselves.
“Identify yourselves!” the human woman barks out.
“Ally and Kyle - friends of the Alpha,” I say.
The wolf growls and comes closer. I see Kyle’s bored look out of the corner of my eye and almost laugh. I hold on to my serious face, probably letting a little smile through by accident.
The man waits a moment, probably linking someone, then he says, “You need to leave.”
“Please, uh - sir, I must speak to the Beta. It’s a matter of security. Lives are at stake,” I step closer, ignoring the growling wolf.
“We have orders. Total lockdown. Come back later,” he says in a dismissive tone.
My amulet gets a little warmer. I know what it’s trying to tell me. It’s a ticking clock.
“Sir, I’m very serious. If you don’t let us through-” I start to say.
“Are you THREATENING me?” the guard cuts in.
I visibly roll my eyes. “We don’t have time for this!” I exclaim and pull on my hair.
“GO,” the guard insists again.
I look at Kyle and he’s already staring right at me. He nods.
“Let us through,” I say firmly, my power coming up and out, making everything around me radiate warmth and light.
I seem to at least surprise the guards. Then Kyle makes a move. He lightning-quick puts his hand on the guard in wolf form and sends a huge charge of sleep into him. The wolf falls over. His partner watches this and must be communicating through the link as he charges at us. I’m ready. I push confusion into him. He stops and looks around, forgetting what he was doing here.
“Witch!” I hear from closer to the packhouse. And as they get closer I see… Nick’s mom.
I give a little wave. “Uh, hi Mrs. Roberts.”
Her dead serious gaze on us doesn’t shake. She looks pissed.
“We need to speak to the Beta, please, ma’am. Something’s coming. The pack is at risk,” Kyle says for me as I try not to totally shrink away under her gaze.
“Oh, you’ll speak to him alright,” she says, crossing her arms. “Stay right where you are and come no closer.”
Great.

Kyle~
I knew we should’ve gone with my plan. Ally really wanted to do things ‘the right way.’ And this is what you get.
We’re being led to the dungeons by long armed shock collars. Like the loops at the ends of poles used by dog catchers. Considering that the guards walking us by these dog catcher poles are closer to dogs than we are, it should be funny. There’s a joke in here somewhere, but it dies in my mind before making its way out.
Then we’re being tossed into cells. Separate ones. And they’re locking the doors.
“Well, we tried, I guess,” I exhale. Ally doesn’t say anything so I babble on. “This is the part I go all glass-half-empty, and you try to perk us up with some rallying speech in a half-glass-full perspective, right?” I comment while sinking to the thin mattress on the floor of the cell.
Of my cell, I guess.
Ally just squints her eyes at me in irritation. “Just wait.”
A minute later there’s some stomping around above us. A door slamming, then another. Big stomping footsteps are heading down the stairs to us. And then there’s this huge guy who looks a lot like Evan in the distance by the cells on the other side of the hallway - if I can call it a hallway.
“You wanted to see me?” his deep voice asks.
My mouth goes dry.
Ally straightens up. “Well, it’s about time. Took you long enough. We’re wasting time.”
I almost laughed. Her entitled attitude, bravery. The know-it-all in the statement. I choke on my spit.
Evan’s dad charges up to our cell doors with visible anger.
“Look at me,” Ally says to him. “They’re coming. Those witchcraft cult crazies. They’re coming. You need to double the guard, pull in kids. Lock this place down. Call some packs for aid.”
“And you know this because? You’re one of them? What game are you two playing at?” he asks her, his face close to the bars.
But she doesn’t move. “I’ve said what I’ve come here to say. To warn you. You don’t have much time.”
“And why do you care about this pack, witch? Why come here and risk telling me? Risk this?” he gestures to the cells.
She waits a moment. “The Alpha is a friend.”
He raises a brow. “A friend?”
“Yes,” she says assuredly.
“And it has nothing to do with my Nicky?” Nick’s mom’s voice rises from the stairwell as she heads down our way.
“I can’t say that,” Ally says. Then she slaps her hand over her mouth.
Nick’s mom smiles. “These bars are special, you know. Taken from a witch’s dungeon decades ago. These two block abilities and make lying… painful. Most people just start letting the truth slip out.
Crap.
Ally moves to look her in the eyes. “Then you know my warning is real. Please! Start moving people! You don’t know how strong they are! How awful it-”
“Continue,” the Beta presses.
Ally tries to hold in words but they come rushing out. “I’ve seen what they do here in a vision of the future. It’s horrible.” She shivers then goes on. “Please, we need to take action, I can’t lose-.” She takes another breath before letting it spill. “I can’t lose Nick.”
The Beta and lady Gamma stay silent. Their eyes lose focus. They’re linking someone, each other perhaps? I can’t help playing with my thumbs, twiddling them. These seconds, we’re wasting time…
I start to worry we might be stuck in here when the fighting starts. Maybe they’ll let us out, maybe they’ll kill us. Maybe The Collective will corner us in here and we’ll be helpless to do whatever they want. Heck, they could kill us too. Probably will.
Then without a word the Beta and lady Gamma leave. I throw my head back and rest it on the cold stone. Ally sighs and falls gently to the floor. She seems exhausted. It must be hard to hold back truths. Not great news for me either. I hope people don’t ask me any direct questions. Not sure what I can handle right now. The thought alone is enough to make a guy suffer.