Outliers

Thirty Two

"She wasn't looking for a knight, she was looking for a sword."

Atticus

It rained for nearly our entire journey home - heavy torrential rain that saturated the earth so much so that when we finally made it onto Colorado territory, it made it nearly impossible to drive along the narrow dirt paths that lead to the main house. We had barely stopped to rest during the night and hadn't bothered to set up a tent to camp. It would have been impossible to stay dry. So instead, Thane and I had slept uncomfortably in the small car for only a couple of hours before he insisted we continued driving. The sooner we arrived home the better.

It was as we had crossed into the inner territory and were approaching the field where the main house, training grounds and cabins were that we caught up with the returning trainees. The rain had begun to ease by now, and I could see their blurry forms through the wind-shield. Human forms, not wolves, greeted us. They had all shifted back and were stood still as I noticed Sandra and Lorcan greeting them.

Except Sandra's expression was twisted into a scowl while Lorcan next to her stood stiffly, arms crossed. Zahra and Taron looked tense as they listened intently to whatever Lorcan was saying but it was hard to hear above the sound of the rain hitting the car.

"What's happening?" I asked Thane.

The car continued onwards, tires struggling in the mud, until we had a clear view of the field and the sight of a large gathering of enforcers outside the main house could be seen. Thane abruptly stopped the car and stepped out into the rain without a word, the care still running and the drivers side door left wide open. I could only stare after him with wide as I struggled to unbuckle my seatbelt and follow him.

Within seconds Thane was thoroughly soaked from the rain, his clothes drenched with strands of his hair sticking to his forehead and the sides of his face. When he reached his Head Hunter and Head Trainer, the wolves only gestured towards the main house and Thane was off once again, leaving me behind.

The rain was like ice against my skin, enough to have goosebumps break out across my limbs. Numb fingers pushed back wet, red hair from my face as I approached Sandra, Lorcan and the others. All looking as tense as each other and talking furtively amongst themselves. I spotted Nero easily amongst our training group, but noticed immediately that Daniel and the other two Nevada wolves were absent.

Nero caught my eye, and noticing my quizzical expression only shook his head and mouthed the words, 'Ask Adriel', pointing over in the direction Thane had gone.

Indeed, squinting through the rain I could see Nero's uncle waiting impatiently for his Alpha to reach him, the scowl marring his expression foreign on a man usually full of smiles and mischief. The wolf I knew didn't seem to be present at all, and in his place stood the sombre Beta I had first met at the Alpha meetings.

So I stalked towards them, feet sinking into the sodden dirt, legs caked in mud and rain. Even my black shorts were not spared from the grime, my fast pace splashing muddy water up to my hips. When I reached them, Thane didn't so much as turn towards me as Adriel explained the situation, but muttered quickly and quietly, "Benjamin Russo has escaped."

The crowd of enforcers stood just a step away, listening intently to ever word from their beta, waiting for their next command.

Russo and his mate —who had been locked away in a cabin and guarded by two enforcers at all times —had escape their holding. Apparently they had managed to overpower their guards, killing one and injuring the other. The surviving enforcer had been found only ten minutes ago when others were sent to rotate shifts, but the attack had happened almost an hour ago before the enforcer was knocked unconscious.