CHAPTER 25

I gave Aiden all the relevant information. Everything about the vampire, the secret shipping company, their new wolf killing bullets and the surgery robot heading for Thostchild, whatever that was. In return he promised to help once Darius found a way to get us into Defence Medical.

We parted shortly after but not before I saw a face I recognized across the square. Tanner was one of the higher level wolves in the organization, and the one Leanne had sent looks to earlier that day. I didn't think he'd tailed me, my evening had been too erratic for that, but there was definitely fury on his face as he strode toward me.

"I don't think your friend is very happy with you," Aiden commented, straightening his jacket, his posture deceivingly relaxed. I could see the way he was standing though, braced, as if he expected a fight.

"He'll get over it," I told him. "You should go, no need for both of us to get a lecture."

Aiden glanced at me a light in his eye.

"You are not what I expected," he told me.

"Err...thanks?"

"Until next time," he nodded and then slipped away and disappeared into the crowd.

I very much wanted to do the same, but I was actually starting to feel guilty about making Anthony worry. I shouldn't, but there it was.

"Raven!" Tanner called. His voice was surprisingly high, for a man. It was hard to take him seriously. "What are you doing with him?" he glared the direction Aiden had gone. "Anthony is looking for you."

"So I've heard," I waited until he came to a stop in front of me.

"Well?" he demanded.

"I think this is between me and Anthony."

"He's spending pack resources searching for you, while you're out hear flirting with the Sentinel alpha, this is a pack matter."

I sighed, because he was right. Partially.

"Listen, I didn't ask for him to put the pack out for me."

"You won't have to. Leanne was right, Raven, you need to decide if you're part of this pack or not, because your selfish behavior won't be tolerated..."

And that was about enough of that line of lecturing. I could admit to worrying Anthony, I could even take responsibility for putting the pack out, I'd never been restrained in my decisions outside of work, even with Rob. It was going to take some compromising between Anthony and I. But I wasn't going to stand around and be threatened. I held up a hand.

"I'm going to stop you right there," I told him, meeting his eyes directly, challenging. "I will text Anthony and we will talk about this between him and I like the adults we are. If we work things out..." because I truly did want to give this thing with Anthony a try, "...then I'll do better at keeping the pack needs in mind."

He wanted to argue, I could see it in his face, but I kept up the stare I was giving him. It was a struggle for him but eventually he nodded, deflating a little.

"Good," was all he said before turning away from me.

I sighed and texted for a cab, giving the driver the same address as I had two nights ago, then I crawled into the back seat, rubbing the ache from my hip and opened my phone and texted Anthony.

*I'm fine, I just needed to do a few things, you can call off your goonies.*

*My GOONIES,* he capitalized the word, *are trying to protect you.*

*That protection comes with too many strings for me.* There, I couldn't make it much clearer. It took him a long moment to text back.

*So where does that leave us? You're determined to run headlong into danger and I can't protect you if you wont let me.*

I thought about it.

*I'm willing to compromise, are you?*

*Compromise how?*

*I won't be grounded like a child, for one. I'm a grown woman, and I'm used to being on my own. But I'm willing to let you know where I am, and I'm willing to ask if I think I will need help.*

*Like you asked the other day when you nearly got yourself killed?*

*I'm sorry for that, I didn't know how big this thing was. It took me by surprise.*

I could see that he was typing and then not. It wavered back and forth a few times.

*Where are you?*

*I want to go back to where the facility was. I'm not going in. If it's safe I just want to see if I can pick up any scents.* I hesitated before typing some more. *Do you want to come with me?*

*Wait for me, my meeting is nearly done. Send a pin of your location so I can find you.*

Relief poured through me. I thought it would be more of a fight.

*Thank you.*

I had the cab pull over well away from where the little electric shed had been and stepped out, putting our stealth mode into full gear. When the driver was gone and around the corner I let my wolf loose, stretching her senses.

I was a little shocked to find our range expanded so much. We were three miles from the facility and yet I could tell that construction had taken place, the scent of fresh dirt and wet concrete was clear as if I were standing right next to a build site.

*When did this happen?* I asked my wolf.

*When I lost control of our power surge in the facility. I've mostly been blocking it out since then, the city stinks.*

*Any other new surprises you want to let me know about?*

*Not yet.*

I could tell now, too, that there was a large facility buried beneath ground, it changed the way the soil smelled. That would have been useful information two days ago.

I wanted to see if I could sense the tunnel, or any personnel going in and out but the other side of the facility was a little beyond our reach, and I had promised I would wait for Anthony.

It was well past midnight when the BMW pulled up the road stopping when I stepped out from where I was sitting in the trees.

Anthony got out, along with Martha and Jacob. His gaze travelled over me, taking note that I was whole and uninjured, and filling with relief.

"What are we doing in the middle of nowhere?" Martha wanted to know.

"The shipping facility is below ground, about three miles from here," I explained. At her shocked look I expanded. "I don't want to go in, just snoop around a little out here, see if I can catch the scent of my parent's murderer."

I hadn't told them much about my life before the organization, but they seemed to accept my desire with understanding.

"It's been more than forty eight hours," Anthony told me softly, "there won't be any scent left."

"Probably, but I feel driven to check. We can approach this direction," I told them, "there is no one around that I can sense, but I couldn't sense that werejaguar either, so be alert."

Anthony frowned at the forest and then back at me.

"Where, exactly is this facility?"

I started walking stretching my senses both forward and back, just in case. It was like opening my mind and letting in a beehive. The scents and sounds of everything for miles all jumbled together pressing for attention. I could feel my wolf working at dulling the non-relevant information with only a little success.

"It's about three miles. Sorry about the hike, but I didn't want to get farther in and find ourselves surrounded before I had a chance to case it out."

"Three...Raven, you can't sense that far, no one can, it's impossible," it was Jacob who spoke.

Yeah, tell that to my wolf. I glanced at him and his face paled, he took a step back from me.

"Your eyes," was all he said making the sign of the cross on his chest. Funny, I didn't know Jacob was religious.

We crossed the forest and the gravel road several times before coming to the site. A few times the suburbs had wound their fingers into the green space and a cul de sac of houses had stretched into range. Still, there wasn't a hint of personnel, wolf or otherwise, crossed my senses. When crested the last hill before the site it became apparent why. The entire area had been bulldozed. A sign for a new Wallmart supercenter stood at the side of the road. The scent of diesel and tires, tar and fresh earth covered everything else.

If I thought I'd find a clue tonight I was wrong, because it had all been wiped out.