Wolf Marked by Alexis Calder

22

“Lola, it’s time to go.”

My eyes fluttered open to see Alec standing over me. My heart started racing and I was excited to see him. Then I remembered why he was here and all of yesterday came crashing in around me.

“Shh, Sheila’s still sleeping,” he warned.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d slept or what time it was, but this trip down memory lane wasn’t going to be any easier no matter when I went or how rested I was.

Tossing the sleeping bag aside, I sat and tugged on my boots. Then I followed Alec to the front of the tent. I paused at the door, glancing behind me at Sheila. My stomach tightened and I suddenly wished I’d said goodbye last night, just in case.

For some reason, I had a sinking feeling I might not be returning here. I wasn’t as set on running anymore, but I knew I couldn’t put Sheila, Mario, Megan, and all the others I’d met at risk. If it was too dangerous for me to return, I’d find somewhere else to go.

With lingering sadness, I exited the tent. Hopefully, we’d cross paths again if I wasn’t able to return. I tried not to focus on the what-ifs, or even the aftermath of my actions. To do this, I needed a clear head and focus. As Greta pointed out, I had to try to live in the present and follow my feelings and intentions.

The wolf part of me was pure instinct. She’d saved me when I was on death’s door. I was going to need her today more than ever.

“You ready?” Alec asked.

He was wearing jeans, a black tee, and black combat boots. He’d fit right in with the Wolf Creek crowd.

“I thought you might want this.” He held out a baseball cap. “Your hair is pretty distinctive.”

“Thanks.” I accepted the hat and pulled it on. It didn’t cover the long hair that hung down my back, but I could tuck it into the cap when we arrived.

“Mario is lending us his car,” he said. “I think you made quite the impression on him. He never lets anyone borrow it.”

“Well, not to brag, I did help rebuild the transmission.”

“If we break down, you’re going to have to fix it. You definitely know more about cars than I do,” he said.

“How about we plan not to break down?” I suggested.

“Even better.” He started walking toward Mario’s tent and I followed him.

Mario and Paula weren’t around. In fact, we were the only people walking around the camp. It was a little after sunrise, early, but not early enough that I thought we’d be alone. It didn’t matter. It was probably easier this way. Saying goodbye would make it harder for me to stay away if things went south.

Soon, we were on a dirt road, driving through the trees. “I didn’t know this was here.”

“The road isn’t on any maps,” Alec said. “It’s also the only way in or out of our camp.”

“So, is this officially feral land? Or are you all a bunch of squatters?” I asked.

“Greta actually owns it all. Five-hundred acres. We’re bordered by the High Key Pack and the National Forest. Then, it’s the Wolf Creek Pack on the other side.”

“Wait, so this is Greta’s land but she gave you the cabin?” I was surprised she wouldn’t take it for herself.

“She likes her tent. I tried to object, but it sat empty for a few years so I finally caved and moved in.”

“Where exactly are we?” I felt foolish asking. Especially because I should have been more concerned sooner. “Geographically, I mean.”

“We’re on the border between Washington and Oregon. Where our tents are set up is technically Oregon, I think. But I’ve never cared much about human borders. The shifter borders are more relevant to us.”

“So this whole time, Wolf Creek has been a short drive away.” I knew I couldn’t have gotten far after I fled, but it made my skin crawl thinking about how close they’d been this whole time.

“About a hundred miles. Easy enough by car, not as easy by foot, wolf or human,” he said.

“Lots of pack members in Wolf Creek have cars. They came and went as they pleased. But not me. Not anyone under nineteen. We were trapped.” As I said the words, I realized there was already a major flaw in our plan.

“You can’t get in,” I said. “The border keeps outsiders out. You’re not pack. You can’t cross.”

“I can with you,” he said.

“You sure?” I asked.

“You’ll have to hold my hand as we pass through, but your connection will get me in fine.”

I’d never thought about returning here, let alone bringing a visitor so I honestly never asked. It made sense that there was a work around.

We drove in silence for a while and Alec turned from the dirt road onto a narrow, paved road. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the trees around us were bright green and the sky was a brilliant blue. Under different circumstances, this would be a fun way to pass the time. If only we were headed somewhere else. Fuck. Anywhere else would be better.

I watched out the window as Alec took us onto larger roads, and through a few smaller twisty roads. I had no idea where we were going and I stopped trying to pay attention to the route. With my terrible sense of direction, I’d need to take this exact trip several times before it sunk in.

When we stopped, panic gripped me. How could we already be at Wolf Creek’s border?

“You know what to do, right?” Alec asked as he killed the engine.

It seemed impossible now that I was facing it. “What if I really can’t find anything for you?”

“I trust you,” he said. “If there’s nothing there, I’ll still help you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Is this because we had sex?”

“It’s because you’re my friend,” he said.

My breath hitched. An actual friend wasn’t a big deal to most people, but I’d never had anyone who would claim to be my friend. Not one person my entire life. “I’ll do my best.”

He opened his door and took a final deep breath before exiting the car. I walked around to where he was standing at the edge of the road. I could feel something in the air. It was unnatural, like a current. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or if the air in front of me was shimmering.

“The border,” I said, without thinking.

“That’s it.” He held out his hand. “Should we test this theory out, then?”

I reached for him and he clasped his hand around mine, making me feel small. It was warm and comforting. “You’ll be there when I’m done, waiting for me?”

“I’ll find the barn, and then I’m not going anywhere until you’re with me,” he said.

“Let’s do this.” I took a step forward and he walked with me. My shoes crunched over pinecones and I dodged branches as we went deeper into the woods that surrounded my old home.

A rush of something cold seeped through me, all the way to my bones. It made me gasp, then it was gone as quickly as it came.

“We’re through.” Alec released my hand.

“Can you find your way around or do you get lost at home too?” he asked with a grin.

“Once I see something familiar, I’ll be fine. Right now, I have no idea where we are.”

We continued forward and I caught glimpses of grass through the trees. We were nearing the end of the woods and emerged right into the field by the barn. “Well, well. Looks like step one for you is easy,” I said.

“I take it this is the barn?” Alec asked. “It’s not much. I expected a structure that was still in one piece.”

The barn had never been in great shape, but in the short time I’d been away, it had fallen into more disrepair. The entire roof had collapsed and only two of the four walls were standing. “Something must have happened.”

“Or it was built poorly,” Alec offered.

“Maybe,” I said.

My hands were shaking. I forced myself to calm down. There was nothing to be concerned about. I could get through town like a ghost. Nobody expected I’d return here and nobody was looking for me.

I shoved my long red hair under the ball cap, then turned to Alec. “You can wait near the barn. If anyone comes by, you could always duck inside.”

“Oh, I see, you’re hoping I die while you’re away,” he teased.

“You’ll be fine,” I said. “I doubt that cabin of yours is a whole lot more stable.”

“Don’t tell Greta that. She helped build that place,” he said.

Somehow, that didn’t surprise me.

“How long do you think you need?” he asked. “So I know when to come looking for you.”

“Don’t come looking for me. I’ll be fine. Give me two hours. Three tops,” I said.

“Good luck,” he said.