Aqueous Transmission

Oliver

We had cells here. They were probably my least favorite place to be. But here I sat, for the third day in a row, trying to get information out of a hostage. Cody and Trevor had both offered to take over for me, but I had refused. It was my responsibility, as both the alpha and Lya’s mate. I’d get her safely back to this territory if it was the last thing I did. Besides, I had dropped the responsibility my alpha title demanded too much. It was time to reclaim it.

We had never had a human in these cells before, but my warriors that had been sent to the hunters’ Oklahoma outpost had brought back a hostage. The usual tactics - silver and wolfsbane - weren’t working, and as I sat staring at my bloody and bruised hands, I had to wonder if this guy even knew anything at all.

A wicked smile crossed my face as I came up with one last idea before handing this project off to someone else.

“Let’s try this one last time,” I said, staring him down. His eyes were swollen nearly shut, but he was still trying to maintain eye contact. “You hate werewolves, right?”

He spat a mouthful of blood at my feet. “Scum of the earth,” he choked out.

“So I imagine you’d do anything to avoid being turned?” I mused.

A look of abject horror crossed his face. “Y-you can do that?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “How do you think we keep our numbers up so successfully, especially with the likes of you guys running around?” He didn’t need to know it was impossible to turn someone into a werewolf - it was all in the DNA.

“You’re lying.”

“Fine, then,” I shrugged. “Keep withholding information and you’ll find out.” For a little extra flare, I let my canines descend and slowly approached. How exactly was it that all the stories said you could be turned? I gripped onto his hair, exposing his neck.

“Wait!” he cried. “What do you want to know?”

“That’s better,” I said with a smile, backing away from him. “Now how many of you are in the Marsan ranks?”

“Couple hundred,” he declared proudly.

I nodded, thinking through how many we had targeted the past week. There would be no way he would have known about all our hits recently - we had timed things too well. Still, the number was higher than we wanted to deal with.

“The Cheyenne location you have,” I began, choosing my words carefully. “How many are stationed there?”

“Dunno,” he coughed. “We got a new recruit who was gonna be based there and we were all supposed to report for orders.” He looked up at me, blood oozing out of his cracked lips. “Can ya believe it - a wolf girl that wants to get rid of you guys.”

I let out a low snarl. There was no way Lya would have betrayed us. “What makes you so sure?”

“Her daddy’s been working with us. No way you’ll beat us when we have wolves on the inside,” he said triumphantly.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that,” I chuckled. “We have people on the inside, too.”

His expression sank at the realization we were prepared. I placed a hand on either side of his face and twisted violently, snapping his neck. His downcast expression frozen forever.

I turned and walked out of the room, not exactly wanting to take the extra time to study my handiwork. I made it only a few steps out of the building before being hit by a freight train, bringing me to my knees and leaving me gasping. I braced myself against the ground as I struggled for breath, tears pricking my eyes while trying to place what the hell this feeling was.

Lya.

The mate bond had been completely cut off for so long, and when every ounce of it returned, it was like being hit by a ton of bricks. It was damn near painful. Was this how it felt to die a slow death from a mate bond?

As the feeling of drowning subsided and the missing piece of me clicked back into place, I could finally place what was happening. She was alive. She was hurt and weak, but she was alive. I let out a strangled sob and fought back as Adair tried to take over. He wanted to run to her right this second, and as much as I wanted to endorse that, it would only risk her life if I showed up without an army.

Fear took hold. Why did she let down the wall?

I struggled to my feet, opening up the link to the pack. Adair found the words I couldn’t.

All warriors heading to Cheyenne, be ready within the hour. It’s time to bring our Luna home.

My mind was reeling faster than my legs were moving toward the packhouse. Our strategy was well rehearsed, but there were so many places things could go wrong.

I was met at the door by Gregory, guiding me to the living room and into a chair. Someone put a glass of water in my hand and encouraged me to drink.

“Man, are you okay?” Trevor asked, grasping my face and peering into my eyes. I was sure he could see my wolf and I’s struggle for control.

Anna shoved him aside, examining me. “Adair, back off,” she snapped. I felt him begrudgingly pull back, allowing me to focus and regain a bit more control of myself. “Okay, now follow my finger. The mate bond just hit you so hard you’re all fucked up.”

I nodded absently as I followed the instructions she gave to - what? Check for a concussion?

“Liam linked us right before she slammed you with the bond. I don’t think anyone warned her what that would do,” Cody supplied.

“Whose Liam?” I rasped.

“Her brother,” Cody said. “Half brother whom she’s never met. He has been her guard.”

I nodded again, barely processing what I was hearing. I sat back, the shock now practically immobilizing me. Somehow, someway, I was going to have to find a way up off this chair and get my ass in gear. It was funny how the mate bond could be your greatest strength and ultimate weakness, all rolled into one. I scanned the room, trying to find something to ground me. I glanced to Gregory, who was studying me carefully.

“This is normal,” he reassured me. “It’s like eating too much after being starved.”

I closed my eyes and sat back, claws digging into the arms of the chair. I fought my way down the bond, digging into Lya’s mind. I refuted the flashes of what she had experienced there, seeking out her smile, her eyes, the way she set her jaw when there was no changing her mind, every piece of her I needed to bring back home intact. Anything to provide a small stepping stone back to the light.

My eyes snapped open, and Adair’s voice rumbled out of me. “Patrols here confirmed?”

“You solidified them the day before yesterday,” Cody said.

“Vehicles loaded?”

“You loaded them yourself four days ago,” he reminded me.

“Backup wave knows to roll out two hours after us?”

Trevor let out a chuckle. “You know we won’t need them, but yes. You also have a third and fourth wave scheduled.”

“What about a medic team?”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Just get in the damn car which has a restocked, expanded, and tripled first aid kit.”

I stood up abruptly, storming toward the door. “We’ll review the strategy on the way.”

“We all know the plan, and the backup plan, and the back up plan to the backup plan,” Trevor sighed, following me out the door.

I glanced to the back seat of the Land Cruiser, taking in the blood stains that were too set to be scrubbed out by the time I remembered the car needed to be detailed after Pierre. I vowed to not let another drop of Lya’s blood grace this vehicle.

Cody, Brandon, and Trevor were barely in the vehicle as I was pulling out of the packhouse.

“Where’s Thom?” Brandon asked.

“Taking a separate car,” I mumbled. “It makes more sense with him going north to meet up with the Rogues.”

Brandon nodded slowly. “And the pack closing in from the west is…?”

“Beaver Moon. Smaller pack that sends all their warriors to us for training.” I glanced in the rearview mirror back at him. “Do you not actually know these things or are you trying to get my mind off of something?”

Brandon scrubbed his hand across his face, avoiding eye contact. I didn’t get a response, but I didn’t expect one.