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CHAPTER 15

C alla

G ideon and Jace take turns. Claiming. Marking. Leaving me ravaged.

It’s quiet in the bunker when they’re finally spent. Truly spent. To the point they slump against the pelts and sleep.

I’m in Gideon’s arms. Jace’s hand is still on my hip, a light, possessive grip lingering. Their seed is leaking out of me, mixing with the nectar from so many orgasms I lost count before they started taking me from behind.

But even with limbs too numb for me to move, I don’t sleep. I listen to their breathing. Feel the heat radiating from their skin. I’m resting, but still conscious. Still able to feel the pulse of the bracelet in rhythm with mine.

Then the haze comes for me.

I don’t fight it. I’m not sure I would have the strength to fight it, even if I wanted to. I let myself sink into The Aether like it’s an old friend, welcoming me back.

But everything looks different this time. The sun is bright in a clear blue sky. There are no clouds, no storms, just peaceful tranquility. The grass beneath my feet is different from The Tangle. It’s soft and mossy. The trees don’t look scary. Their leaves seem more vibrant, greener than I’ve ever seen before.

There’s no city in the distance. Just a vast emptiness where it will be built. This is before Haven North. Before the bombs, the solar flare, the heat storms. Before New York. This could be a time before the continent was even discovered.

And Silas is already waiting for me, his midnight hair shimmering in the sunlight and blowing in wisps with the gentle breeze. It’s so warm and comforting I forget where I am for a moment.

“Two of my brothers have already claimed you,” Silas rasps. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”

“Yes,” I concede, a soft sigh following my words. “And the others will have me, too. Because I made a deal with them to save my friends. But why am I here? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I want my pack to survive. My brothers to know happiness instead of heartbreak,” Silas answers. “But I didn’t bring you to The Aether. I have no real power here. I’m just a lost soul, like the rest of my brothers who perished before they could claim you as their mate. The Aether allows me to speak with you—shares things it thinks you need to see or hear.”

“Then how am I here?” I question, looking at the vine wrapped around my wrist. “If it’s not you doing it, then what is it? My bracelet? This piece of The Tangle that doesn’t like being thrown away?”

“What matters is that you’re here,” Silas says. “And The Aether wants to share something else with you. Come. You should have enough strength to remain here a little longer this time.”

Silas beckons me to follow him. His heavy footsteps press against the grass as he walks, clearing a path that only lingers long enough for me to pass across it. Behind us, it’s like the grass is completely untouched. Silas leads me up a hill, then perches and points at a valley below.

“This is how The Aether is supposed to work,” he says, his voice haunting. “When a soul perishes, it comes here. Those ready to move on to the Eternal Paradise do so. Those that can’t, linger until they are ready. If they never find peace, they are absorbed back into The Aether—back into the fabric of creation.”

I follow his gaze into the valley, my lips parting with an awestruck gasp.

Massive stones have risen from the earth in a perfect circle. Ancient pillars, weathered by time, but still standing strong. They’re arranged with purpose, towering against the green grass, their shadows stretching over the mossy field as if they’re keeping guard over something sacred.

“Wait, I saw this in a book once,” I whisper. “Stonehenge? But that is on the other side of the world.”

“The last monument of a forgotten time,” Silas says. “But that isn’t what The Aether needs to show you.”

The Aether’s haze shimmers and takes shape below us. Ethereal forms that don’t fully materialize, much like the wolves Silas said were his brothers. It’s a mixture of humans and animals, all congregated around the towering stones. A woman steps forward, turns to a man, and hugs him. Then she walks into the middle of the stones and melts into them. He wipes away tears and follows, sinking into the stones like she did.

“I don’t understand what I’m seeing,” I murmur, almost like I’m afraid of the spirits hearing me. “This is how The Aether is supposed to work? I’m seeing souls… move on to this Eternal Paradise?”

“Yes, Calla,” Silas answers. “Death is meant to be the beginning of something new. A cycle, really. Souls move on to the Eternal Paradise. The Aether creates new ones. Except now there are souls The Aether had no part in creating. Souls brought to life by man, trying to bend nature to their will. Those souls have no place in The Aether, yet this is where they come.”

“The genetic experiments?” I ask. “The hybrids?”

“Exactly,” Silas confirms. “Beings created for purposes nature never intended. Broken monstrosities filled with anguish. Too lost to move on. Too damaged to be absorbed.”

“Like you?” I ask, looking at him.

“The Aether doesn’t create souls that will only know suffering. It seeks harmony. Balance. Free will, with the opportunities needed to find purpose—enough for them to move on to the Eternal Paradise,” Silas continues. “The fabric of creation is a blueprint, but it wasn’t the one mankind was working from when they started down the path that destroyed everything.”

I continue to watch what The Aether is showing me. Souls moving toward the pillars. An entry point for the Eternal Paradise that awaits them. Some wander outside the stones, and I see a few dissipate, then get pulled into the haze.

“I’ve been here much longer than last time,” I remark, looking around nervously. “That’s okay? I’m not going to get stuck here?”

“You are in no danger yet. Each time you cross the plane into The Aether, your soul becomes more attuned to it. I can sense that, just like I can sense my pack’s essence inside you,” he says. “You’ve been claimed and marked, but you already crave more.”

A tingle of arousal shoots through me. I become aware of my nakedness. The dampness between my legs. The heat, vibrating from my core like the bracelet pulses on my wrist.

“If I’m claimed, does that mean you’ll move on?” I ask, motioning to the pillars of stones. “That’s what has kept you here, right? If I’m the one who can save your pack, then it’s already in motion.”

“Life isn’t growing inside of you yet, Calla,” he rasps. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to move on, even when that happens. The Aether is too broken. But you are the key. I can sense that, too. A whisper in the haze, guiding me to show you what you need to see. But nothing is predetermined or certain. It all depends on you.”

I look down, ponder what he said, and try to quell my arousal before turning my attention back to him. “Do you know what I am? A human? Some kind of hybrid, that… doesn’t show, like you and your brothers?”

“There’s only one word for what you are, Calla.” He narrows his eyes, and it sounds like The Aether itself is speaking through him. A haunting whisper lacking the intensity of Silas’s tone. “Hope.”

I sit up with a gasp. I’m no longer in The Aether. I’m back in the bunker. Alone in bed. A mass of pelts that still have the scent of the wolves. A trace of blood is matted into the fur where my innocence was claimed.

“Hope…” I mutter. “What the hell does that even mean? How can helping his pack undo all the damage that’s supposedly been caused?”

I get up from the bed and stumble over to a mirror. It’s the first time I’ve seen my reflection since the oasis. I look like a mess. The door behind me budges with a creak, and I throw my arms across my chest.

Vance pokes his head in and mumbles an apology. “Sorry, Calla. I brought you some water if you’d like to clean up. I also have some clothes that may fit you. Gideon said you would probably need them.”

I glance at the tattered remains on the floor. “Thank you, yes. You can just leave everything out there. I’ll get it.”

Vance nods and I hear his footsteps retreating, but he doesn’t close the door. I walk over to it, peek out, and gather what he’s left for me. I’m not sure why I care about modesty. Vance will have my scent soon, then he’ll tear my clothes off like his brothers did. But I need something to wear, since we’re taking the others to Haven North—even if my only option appears to be military fatigues older than The Tangle. I’m grateful for the collar. They’ll hide the mark on my neck.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” I mutter, dipping my hand into the water.

I drink first, then bathe myself the best I can. I miss the warm tubs I soaked in when I lived in Haven North. The steaming showers that melted away the grime. At least there’s a bar of soap. That’s better than I’ve had since I was kidnapped. I won’t be as clean as I was before I saw patients, but at least I’m not dripping with filth. Not that the wolves seemed to mind.

I emerge from my room feeling sore, but refreshed, which is surprising considering how little rest I got last night. The scent of food fills my nostrils. Meat and something else… eggs? I step into the main part of the bunker, and it is confirmed. There’s a spread across the table and the other women are already seated.

They’re dressed in attire similar to what I’m wearing. Nara’s outfit looks fancier. I’m not sure if that is intentional or if it was the only thing that would fit. Poor Fiona looks like her uniform is going to swallow her whole. Her sleeves are rolled up, and while I can’t see under the table, I assume her pants required a similar adjustment.

There’s no sign of the wolves, except for Vance, who is serving food. Footsteps echo behind me, and I glance back to see which one is it.

“Bags are packed,” Gideon rumbles, rounding the corner and dropping two backpacks on the floor. He stops when he sees me. His eyes light up like the younger children do when I give them a piece of sweet candy after a shot. “Good morning, Calla.”

“Knox and Caleb raided a Gen-Hen nest,” Vance chuckles, motioning to the table. “Been a while since we’ve had eggs. We normally don’t eat them.”

“They’re delicious, Nurse Calla!” Fiona chimes. “Way better than the eggs we can buy at home!”

“Good,” a grumble echoes and a man rounds the corner, carrying two backpacks just like Gideon was. I assume it’s Knox, because his long hair is tinted white, similar to the platinum wolf I saw last night. He’s broader than his brothers. “Eat the eggs so we can conserve the meat,” he says, tossing the backpacks on the floor.

“There’s plenty,” Vance sighs.

Knox doesn’t make eye contact with me. He barely even looks at me. He also doesn’t touch any of the food on the table. He walks into the kitchen and emerges gnawing on a piece of something raw. I grimace, but ignore it, and sit down at the table.

“How did you sleep?” Brenna asks, narrowing her eyes at me. There’s something in them, almost like an accusation that remains unsaid.

I can’t stop the blush from creeping up my neck, so I simply look away. “Fine,” I mutter.

I’m not sure if anyone heard the sounds coming from my room last night or not. I screamed loud enough to wake the dead, but these walls are fairly thick.

“I bet,” Brenna says, taking a bite of her eggs.

“I slept great!” Tansy smiles—she’s so pretty when she’s not crying. “But I still can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again.”

“Soon,” Gideon promises. “After breakfast, we’ll begin our journey to Haven North.”

The smell of food lingers in the air when I sit down. My stomach rumbles in response, and despite last night’s meal offering more than I’ve had since leaving Haven North, I’m famished. There’s a good reason for that. Two of them—and the other just joined his brothers.

“Morning, Calla,” Jace grunts. “Vance made the eggs, so if they’re not edible, blame him.”

I take a tentative bite and smile. “No, they’re fantastic, just like Fiona said.”

Jace pauses by the table, grabs a bite of egg, and pops it in his mouth. He chews and shrugs. “They could use more salt.”

That seems to be all the conversation Jace has in him for breakfast. He goes into the kitchen, and from the sound, he’s having a feast that he doesn’t care to cook. At least he’s not eating raw meat in front of us. Tansy looks a little intimidated by the sight of Knox, blood dripping from his platinum beard with no regard for what anyone else thinks.

If I’m going to be his mate, we’ll have to work on his manners. Even Jace is more considerate than that, and he was practically unhinged last night.

“Are you okay, Nara?” I ask, noticing she hasn’t said anything. “Do I need to check your wounds?”

“No, they’re fine. Almost fully healed now,” she answers. “Just got a lot on my mind. Eager to get home, like everyone else.”

We’ve all got a lot on our minds, I suppose. Nara’s a teacher and based on what the brothers told us last night, the history of the world is a lot crueler than we realized. Most of it is absent from the history books Nara teaches from. A lot of it probably never graced a page, considering what I saw in The Aether. The world—I’m not even sure we understand it.

After we eat, Vance clears the plates and packs some food for our trip. Only for us, it seems, which means the wolves will find their own. Probably not difficult in The Tangle. I’m sure they had full bellies keeping us alive until we got to their den.

“Alright, everyone outside,” Gideon orders, motioning to us. “We’re planning to travel on foot, so we’ll carry the backpacks, but if we’re forced to shift, you’ll have to carry them.”

“Um, I’m not even sure I can lift one of these,” Fiona says cautiously, eyeing the bags.

“Then we’ll strap one to you like a mule,” Vance teases, giving Fiona a playful nudge. “Outside, runt. We got a lot of ground to cover today.”

“I’m not a runt,” Fiona grumbles, then turns to Nara, lowering her voice. “What’s a mule?”

“No clue. Let’s just go,” Nara sighs, ushering Tansy and Fiona toward the door.

Brenna looks around, then picks up her stick and follows them. Knox and Vance trail a few steps behind the girls. I start toward the door, but Gideon catches my arm.

“Not so fast, mate,” he growls, pulling me into a kiss.

Jace is behind me, his lips on my neck before I realize what is happening. Their hands roam my body, igniting the fire that burned out after they finished claiming me. Jace pulls my collar aside, exposing his mark, and nibbles on it.

“I thought we needed to go,” I whimper, pulling away from Gideon’s lips.

“We do, but…” Jace rasps, continuing to nibble my neck. “We just can’t seem to keep our hands off you.”

“Then get my friends home,” I murmur. “Then I’m all yours, just like we agreed.”

Gideon and Jace aren’t so quick to relinquish their moment. They kiss the exposed skin, tug at my clothes, and leave me flustered before pulling away. I steady my breath and let out a sigh. I’m sore from last night, but I already want more.

I wait until Gideon and Jace put on their backpacks, then follow them through the bunker. They close the door we couldn’t budge and secure some kind of locking mechanism I didn’t notice before.

“Come on,” Gideon says, slapping my ass and motioning for me to follow him.

“Hey!” I protest. “That’s still tender!”

“Good,” Jace smirks, slapping the other cheek. “Maybe you’ll remember that the next time you want to be defiant.”

I bite my tongue and follow them outside. I have to put my hand up to shield my eyes from the light. It’s not as bright as it was in The Aether, but it still takes my vision time to adjust. I walk over to where the other women are waiting.

“Caleb isn’t joining us?” I ask, looking around.

“Vance is usually our scout, but Caleb volunteered today,” Gideon says, gesturing into the wilderness. “We’ll catch up with him eventually. If there’s trouble, he’ll let us know.”

Four men are ahead of us. A wolf scouting the way. Four scared women, daring to hope they’ll see home again. And me. Whatever I am. Hope. That’s what Silas said. Or The Aether, speaking through him.

Once we start moving, the brothers shift into formation without a word. It looks like something the peace officers did, when they would come to the school and run through their drills. There is rarely trouble in Haven North. Not in the College District, at least. At worst, a drunk first-year student who hasn’t gotten used to the Green Syrup yet.

Gideon takes the lead. Jace watches the right. Vance holds the left. Knox trails silently at our backs. I don’t notice the trail at first, but it’s there—subtle marks in the soil, a fresh notch in a tree that doesn’t growl. The Tangle is mostly quiet. A vine slips out of our path. Timber creaks. Brush sighs. Like it knows we’re passing through and is choosing to let us.

I fall out of step with my friends, lingering back until I’m closer to Knox. The platinum wolf. My next mate, when he catches my scent. I can’t help being curious about him. He’s the broadest of the brothers. More battle-scarred, too. Both as a wolf, and as a man. He’s got some on his knuckles that suggest he used his fists when he earned them, rather than paws. Hitting something very, very hard.

“Are you getting tired, little girl?” he taunts, chuckling softly under his breath. “Need me to carry you?”

I glance over and our eyes meet. There’s a different flicker in his eyes than his brothers. A platinum scar on the iris, but his gaze seems older . Almost like Gideon is a puppy and he’s the elder. Except Gideon is older. A little bigger, even if he’s not as wide. Maybe what I’m seeing is wisdom.

I lower my voice so the ones in front of us can’t hear what I’m saying.

“No, I’m fine,” I murmur. “But you’re going to be my next mate. I thought it would be nice to know more than your name.”

“Mm.” He nods. “Did you get Gideon’s rap sheet and Jace’s permanent record before they bedded you last night? Or did you just start screaming immediately?”

“Hey!” I whimper, although I’m not exactly sure what a rap sheet is. “Not so loud. I don’t want the others to know… yet. I’ll tell them when we get to Haven North.”

“What a happy occasion that’ll be for them,” he says. “They’re finally home and the one who got them home is leaving with a pack of wolves. To fuck them. I’m sure your friends will understand.”

I feel a tremor inside me. A spark of anger. I do my best not to let it show in my voice. “You don’t have to be so callous about it. I made the deal to save them. What choice did I have?”

“You could have run screaming into The Tangle,” he answers. “That’s what they would have done if you hadn’t made them go back inside, I’m sure.”

“Yes, because we can run away from five hungry wolves,” I laugh, shaking my head.

“Only two,” he replies. “The rest of us wouldn’t have bothered. And they would have only been chasing you. Vance might have tried to follow them, with good intentions, but he wouldn’t wander too far without the rest of the pack. The Tangle would have gotten them. It wouldn’t have been pretty.”

“What a visual,” I mutter, taking a few steps ahead.

“By the way, little girl. It won’t be long,” he growls. “You smell incredible.”

I freeze, swallow hard, then hurry ahead to my friends.

He has my scent.

And I don’t think he’s going to be very gentle with me, either.