Crossed Fates by Lexi C. Foss

Makayla

I woke with a jolt,my head hitting whatever I was propped up against hard.

Ouch! Son of a bitch!

Another bump jolted me across the cold metal bed beneath me, my fur replaced by bare skin. What the hell? Where am I? Wind teased my flesh, leaving a cold kiss behind that elicited a shiver to my very soul. I tried to open my eyes but couldn’t, my head still fogged by whatever the fuck had happened.

I recognized the sound of a truck rumbling around me. Felt each and every rock as the tires rolled over the rough terrain.

But I had no idea where or how I’d ended up here. My wolf felt just as sluggish inside me, her disorientation leaving me confused.

Mak? The deep voice pierced my mind, the familiarity a calming caress to my senses. An incredibly different reaction from the first time I’d heard him in my thoughts. Now all I felt was eternally grateful. My wolf even perked up her ears a little upon sensing him in my head.

Mak?he repeated.

I’m… I’m here… somewhere.I grimaced. Where am I? What happened?

You were taken.A growl underlined his tone, his frustration palpable.

Taken?I repeated, frowning. What? When?

Except the memory slithered into focus as I uttered that last word. Oh. Oh, hell.

The three men in the forest.

Bendy. Vex Junior. The unknown third blob.

The dart.

They drugged me, I realized, a fresh wave of annoyance slapping my senses. Those jackholes drugged me. Goddamn it! I hadn’t properly evaluated my surroundings, giving them the upper hand.

Aches spasmed through my limbs as my immortality fought the substance inside me. How long have I been out? I asked.

About an hour,Alaric said.

I groaned under my breath. As a shifter, I possessed an accelerated metabolism that burned through alcohol and drugs at a much faster rate than a human. And probably quicker than the shifters in this realm, too. But an hour was still a long time.

Normally, when I allowed myself to be taken, I was awake within twenty to thirty minutes.

So whatever they’d hit me with had been a more impactful dose than my usual.

I frowned. Wouldn’t that make this amount almost lethal for a mortal? Or was this their typical means for subduing a supernatural?

Hmm, but Vex hadn’t hit me with this strong a dose. Perhaps because he hadn’t had enough on hand at the time?

Makayla?Alaric prompted.

Sorry, still trying to wake up,I said, meaning it. Want me to portal back to you? I asked. Or let them take me to their lair?

Portal back, he replied without missing a beat. We have some leads to follow. We can find these assholes via another way that doesn’t require putting you in jeopardy.

I’m never really in jeopardy,I started, my snarky side coming out to play.

Except that snarkiness came to an abrupt halt as I went to stroke my ring. It’s gone, I thought, my eyes flying open as a zing of alarm shot down my spine. Fuck! Fuckity fuck! I tried to pull my hands around to search them, but they were cuffed behind me.

However, a few cursory strokes of my fingers confirmed my greatest fear.

My ring is gone!I shouted in my head, panic rising in my throat. It’s spelled to transition with me, Alaric. Which means they took it. That couldn’t be good. That meant… that implied… that they knew about the ring. It also explained my heavy drug dose.

I relayed all that to Alaric, goose bumps riddling my limbs and tightening the skin across my chest. Deep breaths, I coached myself, missing whatever Alaric said back to me. Because I was too busy trying to rein in my mounting panic. I’ve been in worse situations. I can handle this. I’ve got this. I’m okay.

Tell me what you see,Alaric demanded. Tell me what you feel. What’s around you. Focus and help me find you, Makayla.

His words grounded me, gave me something useful to do.

Backup,I thought. I have backup.

You have more than just backup. You have me,he snapped. Now help me find you. The repeated demand helped me steal another deep breath.

Okay, I whispered, allowing him to pull me into a sense of calm that I desperately needed.

Losing my shit helped no one except for my captors.

I wasn’t some damn damsel. I knew how to take charge and fix situations like this. So they had my ring. I’d just find a way to get it back.

Taking a deep breath, I surveyed everything around me.

I’m in a truck bed. It’s rough terrain, I said as another bump rattled me against the metal floor. It’s dark and I’m lying down in the back, so I can’t see much. There are tall trees all around me. Exceptionally green, so there’s a water source.

I paused to engage my other senses.

I can hear the frogs and flipping fish.

I sniffed the air.

It smells mossy. Like a swamp… or wetlands, maybe? There are a lot of songbirds, too, and I think…

I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes to allow my senses to formulate a scene in my mind.

Balsam fir trees, I sighed, reveling in the woodsy fragrance. They only grow a few places at home, but I don’t know the area in this realm.

Passing the details on to Hardt. He’s monitoring a bunch of trucks all over the Northeast.

Good.Although, the whole thing made me feel a bit useless.

I knew every acre for miles and miles in my home realm. However, while this Silver Lake was very much like where I’d grown up, not all of the surrounding areas were the same. There were developments that were grasslands in my world. Different town names. And other small things that made it nearly impossible for me to pinpoint my exact location.

We’ve been on the same straight path since I woke up, I added, realizing we hadn’t deviated much.

That’s helpful, too. Keep talking to me.

I agreed and relayed the rest of our movements to him. At one point, the truck slowed and made a sharp right turn, then drove for another five minutes before coming to stop.

Be careful, Mak,Alaric whispered as if he were right next to me.

Always.My ears perked as the doors up front opened. I think they’re coming.

Not wanting to lose my advantage, I forced every muscle to relax and evened out my breathing to feign sleep.

The back of the truck bed dropped open with a clang.

I began to count between inhales and exhales, needing to remain absolutely calm and quiet. These weren’t humans but supernaturals with enhanced senses.

Thankfully, they seemed rather confident in the dosage they’d given me. Because they didn’t bother checking me for signs of consciousness.

Rough hands threw me over a bulky shoulder as though I were a rag doll. From the stench, it appeared to be Vex Junior. I really wanted to know what made the hybrid types smell like the inside of a cigar.

The muscular giant grunted and stomped over the ground. I swiftly changed his name to Hulk Junior in my head as he kicked something hard, bouncing me on his shoulder without a care. His actions very much embodied the phrase, Hulk smash!

Yeah, well, Makayla stab!I thought darkly back at him. There is definitely a stake headed your way, dude.

Focus, Makayla, Alaric said softly. Is that bent-snout wolf with you?

I can’t look around to confirm that, but I hear two sets of footsteps ahead of me,I replied. One of them is probably Bendy.

I think his real name is Robert Gamington. He’s Kristen’s brother.

My heart skipped a beat. Her brother?

Yeah. Alpha Landon from McKenzie Pack called. He said he’s missing an enforcer, Robert, and he suspects that’s the reason Neo was killed.

Because Robert would have had access to the information.

Yeah.

Shit.

Yeah, he repeated.

HJ—Hulk Junior abbreviated—pivoted beneath me, knocking me back into my surroundings with a flourish. My eyes fluttered open on instinct, and I caught the edge of my scenery. Just trees and plants. I relayed that to Alaric, then closed my eyes again as a door opened up ahead.

“Take her down,” a cultured voice said. “I’ll call the boss man with the good news.”

HJ grunted, stepping through the threshold.

It’s a cabin, I clarified, trying to see as much as I could before he turned. Doesn’t appear to be all that… I trailed off as HJ stomped down a set of stairs. Didn’t look big upstairs, but we’re heading down toward a basement now. At least two stories down.

Searching all known properties matching your area description now.That statement held an ounce of frustration, one I understood because I’d be flipping the fuck out if it were him who’d been taken. He wanted to be able to help, and I hadn’t given him much to act on. But there wasn’t much I could do about that given the circumstances.

When we reached the bottom of the steep staircase, and I peeked around again.

Concrete walls, floor, and ceiling, all with water stains. We’re in a big room, but there are hallways to the left and right.

“Put her in the first cell,” the cultured voice called down the stairs. “It’s empty.”

Emptycell?What are the others filled with?

What about cells? Alaric asked.

They’re putting me in the first one because it’s empty, I explained. I’m guessing that means there are other girls here.

Savannah? he asked, hopeful.

I don’t know yet.

Hulk Junior turned to the left.

I shut my eyes, uncertain of where the third captor had gone.

It took years of training to keep myself from crying out in pain and cursing a blue streak when HJ tossed me onto the cold, hard floor. My shoulder took the brunt of it, my arms twisting at an awkward angle behind me because of the cuffs.

Makayla?

I’m fine,I gritted out. Just becoming acquainted with my new cell.

HJ shuffled away, and the cell door slammed shut with a haunting squeak before the lock clicked into place. Then the giant’s stomps faded down the hall.

I waited a beat, listening intently.

Chains clinked nearby, suggesting the presence of other captives.

A wheeze in the distance tickled my ear.

And the soft thuds of feet heading upward.

Nothing else. No one breathing nearby. No whirring sounds of technology. Just me and my own heartbeat.

I slitted my eyes to confirm what my ears had already told me. I’m alone.

Alaric’s relief was palpable. Can you free yourself?

Yeah, but it’s going to take me a minute to handle my cuffs.Because they were behind my back and my arm still smarted from the rough treatment. Not to mention the residual effects of the drugs.

Whatever they’d dosed me with was seriously potent.

But I had this.

Just needed to squirm a little.

I bit my lip to keep from crying out as I righted my arms behind me. It hurt like a son of bitch, shooting pain up my limbs as I situated myself into a position I could work with.

A countdown started naturally in my head. By the seventy-two-second marker, I found the release on my shackles. Traffickers always invested in cheap shit, especially when handling girls. It certainly came in useful in these types of situations.

With a little twist, I slipped the metal from my wrists and set them quietly on the floor before stretching out my abused body. Then I slowly rose to my feet and tested my balance. A little sore, but I’m okay, I told Alaric, sensing his concern.

I cleared my throat and focused on my surroundings once more, feeling more at home with every cataloged detail.

Same stunning décor in my cell. Water-stained concrete, more water-stained concrete. Except there are chains screwed into the walls. Silver, from the looks of them. Same with the bars. As far as dungeons go, this certainly ranks higher than the one you found me in back at the bar. It’s more like... I trailed off as memories tumbled through my thoughts.

Sapphire.

The dusky dungeon we’d been trapped in.

The cold concrete.

The wet air.

I shivered. Could this be the same place? No, that’d been closer to New York City. It would have taken us longer to reach that point.

What’s outside the bars? Alaric prompted, pulling me back to him once more.

I slowly tiptoed to the cell door, uncertain about what—or who—waited in the corridor.

It’s a long hallway lined with bars. There are windows at the very top, way over my head, like, two stories up. And they’re too high for me to climb up there to look around. They look blacked out, too. At least from here.I studied the lock on my door. Give me a minute and I’ll look in the cells.

I snatched the silver bracelets from the ground, braced for the pain this time, and broke off the single strand of one cuff.

It wasn’t an ideal tool, but it would do the trick.

Silver bars took me a few seconds longer than regular bars because I preferred not to let my skin touch the metal—a skill that had to be perfected when the lock was on the outside of the door. Fortunately, I had a lot of experience with similar challenges.

I haven’t heard anything since Hulk Junior left me in my cage,I said while I fussed with the lock. Other than some clanking of metal, which I assume is coming from the other captives.

Don’t take risks.Alaric’s low warning wrapped around me in a commanding caress, the alpha in him attempting to protect his mate from afar. It made me shiver, something that nearly caused me to touch the silver bars, but I corrected myself in the last second and heard the subtle pop of the lock.

I pulled the door toward me as slowly as possible, hoping to avoid any noise, but the hinges protested just before I had the opening wide enough for me to slip through. I winced and paused, holding my position and listening for any indication that someone had heard. I made a mental note to start carrying a tiny bottle of metal lubricant.

Glancing down at my nude body, I sighed. Yeah, never mind. I couldn’t even keep my damn ring, let alone a bag of supplies.

Fortunately, no one came running. I also didn’t hear the sound of voices, so I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and slipped out of the cell.

I’m in the corridor now, I said, taking a step toward the exit, when the rattling sound echoed behind me. I winced. Part of me wanted to dart up the stairs and take my chances with the bad guys up there. Or slip into the night. Escape. Find Alaric. Return.

But a stronger part of me refused to leave anyone behind. Savannah might be down here, too.

Biting the side of my cheek, I started exploring, searching my surroundings to determine who else was here and also to potentially find another way out.

The cells were filthy. Some of them were bloody and holding the stench of death. Others had girls chained up in a drugged state, their eyes vacant to the world.

My heart broke upon seeing them, but I’d spent years hardening myself to the morbid scene. Feeling bad for them didn’t help them. They needed to be freed, and to do that, I had to keep going.

So I did, peeking in each cell while looking for anything that could be useful. I think there are only one set of stairs, I said, almost to the end of the first corridor. And all that’s left in these cells are battered women. Mostly human.

I shivered as I reached the last cell and found the source of the wheezing I’d heard from my cell. My stomach churned at the sight of a small girl curled into another female’s lap, her breathing labored as she fought off the chill of the cement beneath her.

Dying, I thought, my heart clenching. She’s dying.

Who?Alaric asked.

A girl, I whispered, turning away from the sight. The girls hadn’t noticed me. None of them had. They were too drugged to even care.

I crept back down the hallway toward the main area, my heart pounding each step of the way. Those assholes are going to pay, Alaric, I seethed.

He huffed in agreement.

I started toward the stairs, only to be distracted by the clanging of metal echoing down the other corridor. My instincts warred again, curiosity battling with my need to run.

But a soft cry pierced my ears, followed by a scent that had my nose twitching with familiarity. Savannah, I thought, following that thread to the corridor. It was lined with larger cells and medical equipment. I searched for any tools I could use, like a scalpel or a saw, only to be caught off guard by a whisper.

“How could you?”

The words were so soft, almost nonexistent.

“How could you?”

A feminine voice. Agonized. Heartbroken.

“How could you?”

I followed the sound, drawn to it, needing to know more.

“How could you?”

A soft cry followed, the delirious tone breaking on a scream.

I ran toward her, all the way down the hall, and found Savannah at the end, strapped to a table as a machine pumped something into her veins. What the fuck? I thought, looking around, confused by the scene unfolding before me. I have to help her!

She continued to mumble those three words, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she trembled violently.

What’s happening?Alaric demanded.

I tried to tell him, my thoughts coming in rapid succession, the words flying through my mind in uncharacteristic chaos. But I felt the silver in the air. The wrongness. The pain!

“Savannah,” I whispered, trying to figure out where to begin in helping her escape. The clamps were solid silver without a key in sight.

“Looking for these?” a deep voice drawled from behind me.

I swung around, my body perking up for a fight.

Only to be slammed in the face with a boulder-sized fist. Fuck! Stars blinded my vision, setting me back a few paces. Then another hit to my stomach sent me to my knees.

Makayla!Alaric roared in my head.

But I was too dizzy to reply.

The world faded.

Blinked in and out.

Then the familiar burn of silver pierced my senses, and suddenly, I jolted back to life on a chair. I had no recollection of how I’d landed in one, or who had put me there, but my ankles and wrists were bound in a similar way to Savannah’s.

And when I looked up, it was into a pair of muddy brown eyes set in a mutilated face that would haunt my nightmares for years to come.

“Hello, Makayla,” he greeted, his voice underlined with an eagerness that made my blood run cold. “Welcome to hell.”