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Chapter 27
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Echoes of the Pack Chapter 28
The GPS instructs me to turn off at Exit Twenty-Six. As I activate my indicator, it adds, "Take a left at the traffic light." My latest investigation into Ariella's background has led me to Bothell, Washington. In her notebook, she describes attending an open mic to listen to a woman named Sashi, a priestess of an alternative religion to whom Ariella seems to be devoted. I am eager at the prospect of finally learning the specifics of Ariella's belief system, as she was notably unclear in her writing about it—the one topic she had not fully addressed. However, Ariella spoke extensively about Sashi Naidoo, who apparently resides in France with her religious order. I realized she is no longer in the United States. Her open mic companion, however, lives nearby, and I had requested a meeting with them. I try not to smile as I drive along the main arterial road leading to the older part of town. I started driving after school last night and drove all night to get to our early meeting. I a
Echoes of the Pack Chapter 29
The coffee cup warms my palms as I sit in the neighborhood Starbucks. Cars pass by, and I observe the Bothell nightlife. Several pubs are present, and people spill out of the doors onto the pavements. Thomas's voice comes through my headphones as I listen to the voice memo capturing our entire chat. My mind is still bursting with the knowledge I have discovered, but I am starting to grasp things a bit better. Ariella was correct, though: I needed to join the Pack. I am already acquainted with a few of the Wolves, but I am stuck until they let me in. Ariella does not seem to have come so far, and the only Wolf she knows is Hendrick. But it does not imply someone from the Palawan Pack did not kill her. If there is one thing I have learned from Thomas's account of Sashi and the Wolf cult, it is that they are fiercely private. The recording concludes, and I finally pocket my mobile. My coffee is almost drained and ice cold. It is time to go home. I chuck away the cup, nearly missing so
Echoes of the Pack Chapter 30
I rub my palm over my face, attempting to soothe the worry that threatens to erupt from my chest. There is so much to take in. I want to meet this pack, but after my meeting with the Wolves last night, I am much more cautious. If their actions are any indication, they do not welcome outsiders. How have they survived in my forest for so long without being discovered? When I glance around, I am surprised by how familiar the surroundings seem. Tall conifers with an absence of streetlights or urbanization. The concrete road is changing into gravel and dirt. I can practically smell the fresh air of the outdoors or feel the dirt beneath my boots as I stride forward. Looking out the window, I realize that the cramping in my gut is not due to fear. It is a want to go outside in the fresh air, to be here in the vast expanse that stretched for kilometers. Freedom. Freedom. "Do not go jumping out of the car just yet, little wolf," Kennedy interrupts my contemplation. I look down at my hand,
Echoes of the Pack Chapter 31
People peer out of their cabin doors or as they wonder past us. I watch in awe as huge wolves like Hendrick pad in and out of the forest and houses undisturbed. I search for the grey wolf, and the graveyard wolf but don't spot any of them. I spot a sandy-colored wolf but she doesn't have blue eyes and she's much bigger than the one I had dreamt about. I desperately search their faces and the wolves for Hendrick. He isn't here -what if they kill me before he can come? I shut my eyes and wish that there was some way I could call to him. Can he feel that I'm in trouble? If he can sense my grief and happiness and I can sense when he was lying, then surely he can feel that I'm terrified. "You'll be okay," Kennedy whispers softly. I turn towards him and he passes me a tissue from his pocket, "Mira is hot-tempered but she's a strong Alpha. No one will harm you." His smile is soft and I find my heart slowing down. Maybe he's right-I could just be jumping to conclusions. It's quite obvious t
Echoes of the Pack Chapter 33
I sit limply in the mud, clawing at my throat, as Mira snarls, "We'll take it from here, Kennedy. You can go. And for your information- Abrego was not responsible for the death of those hikers." "And the case regarding the high schooler?" Mira shoots Claude a glare, but Kennedy only smirks, "Don't look at him, Mira. You know that I'm perfectly capable of finding things out without tattling rats." "We've been looking into her death," She seethes. "Good," No longer is the casual, amused Irishman that stands beside me. Kennedy's face is hard and his tone is cuts through the pack with finality, "Because Solari will not make dealings with a pack that resorts to bloodsport of their human neighbors." "We understand," A tall, blond man wraps his arm around her waist and smiles, "Thank you, Kennedy, for bringing her back. Let our Sentries escort you back." "We know the way back home." A hand is on my shoulder and I look up to see a familiar face. Jayden stares at me with a troubled frown,
Echoes of the Pack Chapter 34
"Jayden told you already," Aiden snips as he shuts the door behind him and Hendrick, "Paws off the furniture." She huffs but jumps down and picks up her clothes in her mouth. As she trots to the back of the house where I assume her bedroom is, she shifted. I'm surprised as her naked form disappears down the house, but I seem to be the only one who's staring. I stand up from the couch, unsure what to do next. Seeing the two of them standing beside one another, it's clear to me that Aiden and Hendrick are father and son. Aiden's an almost replica of Hendrick-just with peppered hair and stubble-and I can't believe that I had missed it initially. Aiden narrows his eyes at Hendrick, who's pointedly looking at the ground. He looks like a boy who's been caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Your name?" Aiden turns to me. I stare at him with wide eyes as his begins towards me, "What's your name?" "A-Alora," I stick my hand out to him. He grasps my forearm firmly like I had seen Skyler and
Echoes of the Pack Chapter 35
He stands up and pulls my head around as he looks for more abrasions. Just a couple bruises, but his eyes darken considerably with every wound he finds. The final straw is when his eyes flick down to the bite mark that the black wolf had left me. It's scarred over now; a row of pink, raised flesh from the jagged canines. A constant reminder of the man who is my real enemy. But I seem to be the only one who can see his Mark. The one he left in my neck. Hendrick shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath, "Are you alright?" I'm still furious with him, but the way he asks in such a shaky voice breaks me. I lean my forehead against his shoulder and shut my eyes. "No," I sniff, "I'm not alright." He wraps his arms around me, and I do the same. He's so infuriating and stubborn, and I hate how he's so temperamental. But, in this moment, I lap up the comfort he gives me. It's been so long since someone has held me like this. I just really need to be hugged. "Hendrick...I'm sorry if I got you
Echoes of the Pack Chapter 36
Jayden cringes as I jam my phone back into my pocket, "Voicemail?" "Yeah," I mumble, leaning against the passenger door and staring out the window. It's been six days since I have been taken to Abrego. They have let me come and go since, but I haven't spoken to Hendrick since. I've tried to give him space, but my patience is running thin today. He's avoiding me, and I don't know why. I thought we had put aside what happened with his pack finding out about me, but apparently not. Or maybe there's another reason-I can't tell. Jayden and Skyler have been hanging out with me during and after school, answering the questions I have about the Wolves. They all worship the three Goddesses that Avianna had told me about, each pack varying in their level of piousness. Apparently, Abrego is considered fairly religious which is why they have a pack healer. My understanding is that some packs are far more religious-namely the packs that are closer to The Order-while others possess a mild awarenes
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