Silver Claws

15. Know the soldiers

I gasped for air. A new horror discovered, past and present melding together to make a new nightmare.

The Viper Nest. Deep beneath the earth and concealed by a powerful river pouring into the great gulf, the doorstep of the ocean. There were other entrances surely, not all could come through the waterway. But I didn't know of them, only the way through the boat. It was concealed so well, meant only for those who already knew where it was. No one could simply stumble across it.

I shuddered, still wrapped in fear. The dream reminded me so much of when I'd first found Ryan. I think he was even in those same clothes.

Judging by the light in the room I had slept away the rest of the day, pinkish twilight filtered in from the gauzy curtains. I was still tired, but pining for peaceful sleep was useless. The sting of the bond had woken me, a searing iron on the back of my neck. Even worse was the loneliness consuming my insides.

I stood and went to the window, the bars on the outside make me feel caged. I walk downstairs to hear the clangs of pots and the aroma of a tomato sauce filling the air. The smell is welcoming, and I think I may be able to eat some of it. Reed is playing a game on the tv in the living room, I sit in the loveseat in a place I have since claimed as mine. Reed acknowledges me with a grunt, he is absorbed in a military style game. I watch him play as we wait for dinner, listening to his explictives. I am not sure why he plays, it only seems to irritate him.

Adrean calls for dinner and the hungry mass sits at the table. I don't partake in the conversation, Reed talks about training with the male wolves. He leaves out his defeat and Submission, he glances at me carefully. I will not reveal anything that he doesn't want heard. I don't bother with most of the meal in front of me, I ignore the meatballs, the creamy shrimp and flat long noodles. Instead I eat the tomato sauce on my plate with a spoon. I think only Reed and Adrean take real notice, and I can't manage much more.

When dinner is finished I go back upstairs without ever speaking. Before I go to bed I walk through an empty guest room next to mine, and go straight to the window, taking care to shut the door behind me. I don't even glance around the dark room.

I unlock and lift the heavy pane, thankfully there is no screen to remove. I put my feet on the sill sideways, and carefully pull myself outside and turn so I face the house. The roof is steeped with enough of the slanted edge for me to lean forward and side step my way to my barred window.

Getting there is easy, its bars that are the problem. I stand in front of them and hold on to two of the iron bars that glow dully back at me. I feel like I am breaking into a prison. I tilt my head back and look upwards at the yellow half-moon hanging large and low like a sleepy eye.

I look back at the bars and note where its screwed in on the sides. I can't rip the bars off, I have nothing to unscrew the bars with, and I'm not strong enough to rip off the bars. The enormity of my stupid actions rests on my chest.

That's when the first of anger starts. I'm so frustrated, tears prick in my eyes. A choked sob leaves my mouth as I take a ragged breath. The frustration builds higher, until my blood starts to boil.

My father left me. I betrayed my kind. Dag never came for me. Logan hates me. I am alone.

I'm shaking the bars in a frenzy, my face warped in a craze. It's so much, it's too much for me.

Someone is screaming, I think it may be me. At last, my true call erupts from my chest. I'm ripping at the bars, I hear the metal whine. Suddenly I'm falling backwards the floating sensation fluttering in my gut, the bars still cold in my hands. The floating doesn't last long.