Frayed Ties (Ties, Book 1) | ✓

Chapter 22

They set a much slower pace now with Slone carefully sniffing around the tracks and Yore looking like he was relearning how to walk on two feet.

Simon stepped back next to Danya and took his hand, though Simon's thick gauntlets prevented direct skin contact. "How are you holding up?"

Danya gave him a smile. "I'm fine. You gave me plenty of energy."

"I meant mentally. Emotionally."

"Oh." Danya thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "I think I'll need to wait until the situation is over to process it properly. Right now, I have to be fine."

"Not everyone's fine when they need to be. I've seen recruits with far more training break down in the middle of a fight. Give yourself credit for your strength."

Danya ducked his head, but he was smiling. It was still strange to him to be complimented on things he would have been killed for a month ago, but he was starting to shake the reflexive shame it brought him. This was what he was now, and Simon was right. He was actually quite good at it.

"Hold on," Yore called out. He'd stopped, one shoulder leant against the side of the tunnel. "I just need to rest for a moment."

"You okay?" Hamish asked.

"Yeah." Yore offered him a strained, tired smile. "I just haven't really used my legs for a few months, or had them in this form at all for that matter. I'm sorry I'm slowing things down."

Hamish rubbed his shoulder. "Nobody's going to fault you for that. We can't imagine what you've been through, of course, but from what I do know, from what I can see, I'm impressed you're still standing at all."

"Uh, guys," Lucas said, nodding his head towards Slone. "He's pointing."

Lucas was right. Slone had one paw held out, pointed back the way they'd come down the tunnel.

Danya shut his eyes and reached his senses out, but he couldn't feel anything yet. He looked to Yore for any insight into what his brother was trying to tell him.

Yore shook his head. "I think he just hears something. He doesn't know what it is."

Slone shifted back, the change so quick and fluid that Danya might not have noticed him doing it if he hadn't been looking at him directly. "Yeah, that's about the sum of the situation."

And then Danya felt the very edge of familiar energy and suddenly he knew exactly what was coming their way, but as soon as he opened his mouth to say something two balls of magelight rounded a corner and their friends were revealed.

"What the fuck," Tris called out, his words echoing down the tunnels. Then they got closer and he managed to tear his eyes from Slone's extremely naked body long enough to notice the man standing unobtrusively behind him. "What the fuck? Yore?"

"Hey," Yore said, lifting one hand to wave awkwardly.

Tris had stopped in his tracks in shock, but as soon as Yore spoke he was running towards them with Roope close behind. "Yore! What the fuck, man?"

Gaira approached more uncertainly with Sharn lingering one step behind her. "I feel like we missed some shit."

"I think we all did! What the shit?" Tris asked. "Yore, I thought you were dead. And Slone... Slone, why are you naked?"

Slone scratched the back of his neck. "Ah, yeah, I guess that's a thing. I'm a werewolf. We both are."

For a moment Tris just stared at him. He looked like he wasn't quite sure if Slone was making some sort of joke or not. "Did we die at some point and now we're all just here in this weird fucked up afterlife? It would explain why Yore, who I was sure was fucking dead, is here."