Page 37

Miranda

Part of me feels bad. Not for how I yelled at my father, but for running past all the people working so hard to clean up the battle. Using their curses to pile bodies, make them vanish to who knows where, and remove the blood and sinew from the ground.

I sit by the line of forest that’s walled into the campus grounds, right where Colt and I had our first kiss. All of the floodlights are on across the grounds, chasing the darkness into shadowy corners. Some scouts use flashlights or their powers to light the corners in search of more spots to clean.

When Nyx and Arlowe join me, they sit in silence on either side of me on the ground.

Nyx’s voice offers softly, “Maybe he had a reason to lie.”

Arlowe huffs on my right. “I’d be just as pissed as you, Mi. Probably more pissed.”

“Lowe!”

“What?” she leans forward to look around me at Nyx, incredulous. “I’d want to kick him in the nuts!”

The laugh that erupts from my body is a surprise, but a welcome one. “I love you guys.”

My head swivels back and forth to find them grinning at me.

Nyx leans back on her hands and looks up at the moon. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“We’re free.” Arlowe’s voice is distant, her head shakes. “But how do we help the rest of the world?”

“Like Willow said, the road isn’t going to be easy. Are you two going to fight with us?”

Arlowe lets out a pfft as Nyx says, “Do you even need to ask?”

The longer I think about it, in light of all that’s happened, my father’s betrayal starts to feel meaningless. Our battle to end this tyranny and liberate our people worldwide is far more important.

But I won’t forgive him quickly or easily.

“Excuse me, ladies.” I turn to find Jory approaching us from the academy, something in his arms. When he’s a few feet away, he squats down and extends his hands to me, a small white ball of fluff in his grasp. “He missed you.” Jory smiles. “He was frightened, so I helped him hide during the fight.”

Joy. Pure and utter joy is all I feel as I take the little snow hare and lightly embrace him against my chest. My friends coo and aww at him, and although I can’t communicate with him like Jory, I get the feeling he’s basking in their attention.

“Mi gets all the good stuff,” Arlowe jokes, poking me with her elbow.

Jory winks at me, stands, and goes back in the direction he came.

“I’m so sorry, Bunny.”

When I return to the academy, my mates are all waiting for me. Colt nervously pets my fuzzy friend’s head—I still haven’t chosen a name for him and decide to ask Jory if he already has one—as he peers into my eyes like he’s willing me to understand. But it’s not necessary.

“I know,” I say. I’m not angry with him, and he can feel it. “It wasn’t up to you to tell me. But I appreciate you pushing the person who needed to.” I send a sideways glare to my father across the foyer, who’s standing with Willow, Caius, Jory, and Laurant. They’re in a deep discussion.

My Alphas take that moment to gently embrace me as one, careful not to squash my friend.

“Let’s go to Colt and my room,” Aubrey suggests. “We can push the beds together for now.”

“For now?” I ask, peering up at him.

“They’re discussing pack rooming,” Rai tells me, gesturing toward the group with Willow. “The plan is to clear out faculty bedrooms so all packs can be comfortable and stay together in larger, private quarters.”

There’s a surge of happiness in me as I look around to find various groupings of Cursed all around us, making me wonder just how many packs there are here.

“A lot more than I ever would have guessed,” Colt supplies. “I never picked up their thoughts, which leaves me with a lot of questions.”

“Maybe their bonds protected them,” Rai offers. He looks at us all. “Our connection is new. We’re still discovering its effects.”

It’s strange to think that our bond is new. The sense of belonging with my Alphas is so strong, it’s like we’ve been together forever. And looking at each of my Alphas, I know they feel the same way.

“Excuse me…”

The familiar female voice is hesitant, and I back out of our group embrace to look at Willow’s remorseful face.

“We’ll give you two a minute,” Aubrey declares before ushering Rai and Colt to one of the stairways.

“I’m so sorry,” she says in a rush. “I should have told you, but I knew your father would be angry with me if I did, and you might have been angry with him, too, and the mission—”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I throw one of my arms around her in an embrace, cradling the rabbit in my left as I hold Willow tight. Her body shakes, and I realize mine does, too, as her hand smooths the back of my hair and her lips press to my forehead.

When I look at her this time, tears are streaming down her face, and I wipe my thumb under her eye with a watery smile. “I understand. I understand why you didn’t tell me and why Colt didn’t, either. This isn’t on either of you.” I gesture to my father with my head. “He did things, made decisions that hurt me, hurt us all. I…” my voice trails, brows drawing together. “I idolized him,” I whisper. “The sun rose and set with my father. And now that I know he’s lied to me my whole life, I don’t know what to do with that.”

Willow’s hands rest on either side of my face, her smile small and sympathetic. “I would never tell you how to feel, Miranda,” she says. “I know your father loves you. He didn’t want to force you to live a life on the run if it wasn’t necessary. That may have been misguided, given what’s happened, but I know he had the best intentions in mind.”

I frown, part of me knowing she’s right, the rest of me wanting to stay angry.

She nudges me on the shoulder. “You’re entitled to take the time you need.” Her smile grows large then. “And maybe you’d be inclined to help me with something?”

I bite my lower lip, trying something I never thought I’d be able to say. “Sure...Aunt Willow.”

She clutches her chest, fresh tears springing from her blue eyes. “Ah,” she says on a sob, “you’ve got me going again.”

When we laugh, our Alphas all rejoin us, obviously feeling the emotional shift.

“Most the people here want to stay and fight,” Caius relays. “Some of them want to wait until they reunite with their siblings to decide.”

“Those who want to leave, we’ve guaranteed safe passage to the nearest rebellion outpost,” Jory adds. “The people there will help them figure out where they want to go and get them there.”

“We’ll be putting together a training plan for anyone who stays,” Willows says. “We’re going to help everyone hone their power as best we can, group them with like-abilities and instructors. Some of those without power are staying to help, too, like the doctor and Lieutenant Yarr.”

I nod at them and purse my lips. “I was surprised when you said that the leader of the rebellion was at the juvenile facility,” I tell Willow. “I thought you were the leader.”

She smiles at me. “I’m one of Rodrigo’s advisors, as are Jory, Vera, and a few others.”

“Rodrigo leads us, but everything is a joint effort. We all have a say.” Jory reaches out to pet the rabbit.

“Oh! Does this little guy have a name? And will he be safe outside?”

Jory smiles, something I’m starting to get used to. “He has a name, but it’s nothing we could ever pronounce.” His grin grows. “You should give him a name. And, as for his safety, why don’t you keep him inside with you tonight? Everything should be cleaned up tomorrow morning, and he can go back to his den. You can visit him any time.”

I look down at the fuzzy bundle in my arms, rub my finger gently between his black-tipped ears.

“Yuki,” Rai says, staring at him. “You should call him Yuki.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

“Snow,” Rai replies. “Or happiness. It depends on how it’s written.”

“Fitting either way,” Jory chimes, his head tilting.

“Willow! Jory!”

A young man I don’t recognize rushes toward us, out of breath.

“Easy, son,” Jory tells him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Breathe.”

He catches his breath, barely, then says, “We just got word from Rodrigo. They interrogated some soldiers and found out that there’s a facility in the UNA where they’re holding prisoners. More experiments.”

Willow and Jory look at each other, and Caius lets out a low growl.

“Brief us,” Willow says, looking back at us apologetically before leaving for another room.

“That doesn’t sound good at all,” Colt says with a sigh.

We all agree, but there’s something different now. Something that wasn’t true before.

“We’re going to fight back,” I say. “I bet we’re going to take down that facility, too.”

“And any others we find,” Rai adds.

Aubrey puts his arm around my shoulders. “And then, we’ll take the fight straight to the GBE.”