Page 80 of Mated By the Pack
“I don’t want to attend a funeral for any of my mates,” I say, looking down at the floor. “Maybe we should forget all about this. Just go back to the den. I’m sure the peace officers will get enough reports with everyone we brought home tonight to look into Clyde, especially if Abigail shares what she learned.”
“Maybe,” he says, turning back to me. “Or maybe they’ll ignore it. Dope everyone up on supplements and pretend it didn’t happen. You don’t think the peace officers have been getting reports about missing women? I’m sure you and your friends weren’t the first.”
“Now it sounds like youwantto do it.” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
“We’ve come all this way. Might as well do what we came to do,” he shrugs. “Besides. Nobody fucks with my mate and gets away with it.”
“Even if that means getting involved in human affairs?” I ask, unable to suppress a light laugh.
“Just this once,” he answers. “But I don’t know if this is going to solve the problem. Human trafficking? From Haven North? That’s been going on a long damn time.”
“What, what?” My heart skips a beat, and my bracelet skips a pulse. “What do you mean?”
“Calla, Calla, Calla,” he sighs, shaking his head. “You’re as brave as some of the soldiers I watched die in the Great War, but you’re so naive. You visit The Aether in your dreams, but you don’t know much about the real world, because you grew up in a breeding colony.”
I swallow hard, not liking his tone. It’s almost condescending. At least there was alittlepraise in there.
“You think there’s a tunnel here by accident?” He gestures to the hatch. “In the middle of a warehouse. That doesn’t seem unusual to you?”
“It does,” I admit, tensing up a little.
“They could have filled it in. Wouldn’t have taken much. You could just throw a grenade in the one outside.” He jerks his thumb. “Pave over this one.”
My eyes get wide and my lip trembles. “This has been going on for a while.”
“Yeah, not long after we were forced out. By the ones who did it,” Caleb sighs. “Fertility issues are widespread across The Tangle. The population is declining. Humans, animals, hybrids. Everything. Except the damn plants. And maybe all this death is why they’re growing.”
“Because of The Aether.” I bite my lip. “But what does this have to do with Haven North?”
“Haven North produces human beings, Calla,” he scoffs. “Women are scarce outside these walls in this part of The Tangle. New Chicago, it’s a different story. Slavery is outlawed. Prostitution is legal. It’s like the Wild West. You have no idea what that is, do you?”
“No.” I shrug slightly.
“Another time. But what I’m saying is that there are buyers with a lot of gold to spend. And a lot of greedy motherfuckers in this world. Everything went to shit, and people just got greedier.” He takes a step closer. “Except you. You might be the purest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Because I’m naive?” I ask, swallowing hard as he gets closer.
“No.” He shakes his head. “Because you care about everything. And everyone. When you don’t talk a lot, you have plenty of time to listen. Observe. Those women you were with. They look at you like I used to look at Silas back when I was stillawestruckby him.”
He brushes some hair out of my face and cups my cheek.
“If what you’ve said to me is true, and we’re supposed to somehow save the world. Our bloodline. Our pack.” Caleb leans closer. “We can’t go running around The Tangle like we’re the fucking Avengers. You don’t know what that means, either. I’m sure you can figure it out from the name.”
A half-smile tugs my lips, then Caleb kisses me. Raw and hungry, but with just enough softness to make me gasp. I melt into his embrace. Everything loses its meaning, like this moment is simply ours. A warmth pulsates to life inside me. A coil in my core.
Caleb’s right. I’ve got something inside of me. Something that can save the world. But I’m already a hero to more than most. The time for heroics is over. Haven North is where I was born, but it’s not where I’ll live the rest of my life.
“Well, we certainly missed something,” Gideon snaps, causing us both to startle.
“First time anyone has slipped up on me in centuries!” Caleb yells, spinning around. “I thought you weren’t coming back until dawn.”
“I already figured out everything we need to know,” Gideon chuckles. “A nurse named Clyde who recently graduated. He’s very proud of the apartment he has in the Middle District. Andeveryone’stalking about the sudden reappearance of the missing women. Heard your name a couple of times, lurking near a bar called the Angry Sparrow.”
“College District?” I tilt my head. “Why were you hanging around there?”
“Seemed like a lot of people were there, so I got a little closer. Glad I did. Seems like your old co-workers and classmates are starting to question a few things. Like a letter, saying you were leaving Haven North.”
“That makes sense,” I say. “Even if Abigail didn’t say anything about me, the timing raises a lot of questions.”
