THE FALTERED BOND

Chapter 12 | Stand off

AVA R.

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A tingle crawls through my limbs. A hefty weight presses against my chest, sinking me into the ground. Slowly, I feel my senses return; fabric meets my fingertips, soft and warm, my ears ring to a high pitched whistle and my mouth feels dry, scorching my throat with thirst. A musty stench invades my nostrils and when my eyes open, my vision blurs from the striking headache pressed against my temples. Seconds pass before my vision finally clears. I realize I'm laying onto an old mattress, staring up to the underside of a wooden bed propped above me.

When did we get a bunk bed?

I hiss at the sudden wave of pain jabbing my side and my vision blurs, rooting me to the mattress. A white blob peers from above, a wide grin forming beneath ocean eyes as my vision clears once again.

A man leans inches away from my face. ''Morning sunshine!''

My throat rips with a hoarse scream and my fist connects to his lower jaw. The stranger- a man with hair as white as snow- stumbles back, one hand pressing against his cheek. His eyes are wide with shock.

''Woah, there, calm down love, I'm not gonna hurt you!'' Mischief glints behind his pupils. My heart catches in my throat and I push myself back until my back meets the cold wall. Panic takes hold of my body and the familiar tingle of my wolf's fur crawls under my skin, ready to shift and run. As more eyes begin to pry in my direction, my breathing quickens.

''Ava...?'' The voice came from the left corner of the bed. I snap my gaze and start when I see Cade standing with his hand outstretched to me. My body stills, but my mind whirls with panic. Did he bring me here...? Am I safe with him? He leans further, his fingertips now gently touching my arm. My lip quivers as I try to speak, the words knotting in my throat, refuse to come out.

''You're safe.'' He gingerly adds, scooting a little closer to me. ''You were shot, remember? You lost consciousness so I brought you here so you may be treated. No one is going to hurt you.'' Dread washes over me, his words snapping everything back into place. At that, my hand presses my side, thoughtfully grazing the bristly bandage tightened around my waist.

I swallow thickly. Although every fibre in me screams to run, I knew any attempt would be futile. Gazing towards the massive, silver door I know it can't be opened alone. No point deluding myself into believing they'd willingly let me leave either.

I meet Cade's eyes and read into them. Compassion and concern shimmer from the icy blue, encouraging me to move towards him.

I breathe. ''Where am I?'' The coarseness of my voice takes me aback, leaving my mouth dry like sand.

Cade shuffles to sit more comfortably, lips parted to speak when a girl's voice rises behind him. ''Weston Pack bunkers.'' We both turn towards the raven haired girl who'd spoken, her blue eyes trailing the floor in thought as she leans into the bed facing mine. She turns to meet my gaze, her face void of emotion. ''It's meant to keep us safe in case of emergencies, but, seems there isn't much left to save.''

I still, her words striking like a blade to the chest. Desperation rears its ugly head. I sweep my gaze across the room, landing onto every face when I freeze onto man's dark red mane, the sight disrupting my initial train of thought. Our eyes lock and icy panic shoots through my veins.

''You...!?'' The word shouts from my mouth louder than I wished, pulling everyone's attention to him.

A grin pulls the corner of his lips. ''Hello sweetheart.''

Memories of our encounter ensnares my body with chills. Cade seems to notice my discomfort and turns to Ryder. His voice turns threatingly somber. ''No one will harm you.'' He turns back to me, his tone shifter to soft and comforting. ''You have my word."

Although Cade's face turned away from me, I catch the veil of fear that suddenly shrouded Ryder's features when he met the honey blond's gaze. The red head shifts his stance and mumbles, too far for me to hear.

Breathing in, I allow myself to believe Cade's words- if only to give myself a sliver of hope. It's all I can manage to do through the waves of fears and emotion which plagued my mind. At that, my hand reaches to my chest, clutches against my necklace.

Is mother okay...? My eyes lift to Cade, full of hope, a dreadful know rising in my throat. "I have to go back. I need to know if my mother is okay.''

His cheeks lift with a gentle smile, lips parting to speak.

''You're not going anywhere, Omega.'' The voice came from afar, cold and guttural.

Forest green pools peer from the dark corner of the room, hooking my gaze with their intensity as they assess me like a hawk. I swallow and lower my gaze.

Cade answers in my place. He sounds as shocked as I am. ''Jace... We can't keep her locked up here, or anyone for that matter. There may be survivors out there-

- No one is leaving.'' Jace's tone shifts to a growl, shaking my core. He steps forward, sparks of fury glinting behind his pupils. ''You asked for a decision to be made, this is my verdict." His tone rises an octave as he addresses the rest of the patch, his green eyes still burning into my skin. "No one leaves, and no one will enter. Not until I day otherwise. We risk blowing our cover if we allow too much traffic.''

Ryder's chuckles hoarsely. ''Oh! My apologies, Jace.'' Stalking forward, a glint of mockery shines behind his eyes. ''Want me to kiss your ass too?''

Jace drawls. ''Get back in line, Ryder. That's an order.

- I only take orders from my Alpha.

- Ryder!'' Cade stands, his voice booming with authority. ''Stand down!''

Lips crowned with a mocking smile, Ryder peers to Cade- ''Fuck off, half-breed.'' And turns back to Jace. ''This isn't your fight-

- That is enough!'' Jace and Ryder step back as an old lady shoves them aside with surprising force, her long cloak lifting in her wake. The room falls deathly quiet. The woman gazes up to Ryder, her sunken eyes lit with fury under her hood. ''Stand. Down. Title or not, Jace is still your superior, you must obey his command and behave.'' Although his face is turned away, Ryder's still body betrays his uneasy state.

He bows his head, a hint of resentment coloring his otherwise courtly tone. ''Yes, Kyra.''

Kyra turns to Jace, nods and steps away, inviting him to speak. He thanks her with a subtle nod before he addresses the pack with a steady voice, stepping forward. The whole pack seems to lean in as he speaks, eyes wide like hawks amongst prey.

His voice rang throughout the room, strong and steady. "I am aware I cannot claim the title by sheer blood, it must be bestowed upon me." He pauses. My gaze draws to his wrists, noticing his joints had turned white from how tightly they curled into his palms. Whether he was angered or terrified, I could not tell, but the sight alone taped into my sympathetic side. He sighs. "We will travel to Patton Pack. Only Alpha Miguel can accomplish this task."

Weary eyes seem to dart from every corner of the room. Uncertainty plagues the air.

The Raven haired girl from is the first who dares step forward, her gate as confident as her tone. "Jace, with all due respect, the Patton Pack is thousands of miles away- it'll take weeks to get there.

- Have any better ideas?" He snaps defensively, catching her off guard by the astounded look on her face. "The pack demanded a plan of action, this is my verdict. But please, I insist; if you have a better plan, feel free to share it with the pack, Gamma Angel."

The girl lowers her gaze, but I don't miss the flash of hurt which flickers in her oceanic eyes. She curtly dips her head, and backs off.

At that, Jace's green orbs dart from one person to another before his lips part to speak. "Get some rest. We leave at first light tomorrow."

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Hey readers! Sorry for the long wait, work has had me busy and amidst writing this chapter, I ended up separating everything in two parts. Otherwise the whole chapter would be way too long! 😂

This should also allow me to release chapter 13 sooner :p

Enjoy!