Page 36 of Heartless

I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard Liam say more than a handful of words. And all of those had been barked through his teeth, or delivered in a deadly flat tone. I must have looked surprised at the idea of him hand-delivering me a meal, because he said, “You’re the Clan Luna now. You need to know the layout, and how things work. And you also deserve a break. Jasper wouldn’t want you making yourself sick.”

A part of me wanted to tell him to choke on his sudden concern for my wellbeing, but the practical side knew this was the wolf’s way. I was the same omega whose loyalty he’d been questioning only hours before, but this was pack rank at play. By declaring myself Jasper’s mate, I’d elevated myself to a whole new status. Like, up in the stratosphere. I just hoped that when Jasper woke and the truth came out, the fall back to earth didn’t kill me.

I decided to just grab some basic supplies myself – tomato soup from the tin, and a fruit cup and warm soda to go – and then Liam collected my duffel and showed me to the Clan Alpha’s sleeping quarters. I’d been envisaging something like the rock shelf Pearl had taunted me with on the tour, but this was almost as big as Jasper’s room in the rose cottage. Although the similarities ended there. Nothing could disguise the fact this was a bunker-like room in the belly of a cave. The walls were bare rock, the rug on the floor more functional than decorative. There was a dresser and nightstand, but no soft touches or personal mementos. But then, this must have been Jasper’s parents’ room before it was his, and neither of them had struck me as the type to go for knick-knackery.

“The rest of the pack has dorms, a few singles. It’s pretty much a first come, first served basis,” he told me, then added, “except for the omegas. They have their own area a little further in.”

So basically a rustic version of the academy, since I knew no low-ranking wolf was going to get between an alpha and a private room.

“The bathrooms are communal,” he went on. “There are some other rock pools around the place, but we also have basic showers and a septic system for the toilets.” He ran a hand over his chin, like he wasn’t sure how much detail his new Luna wanted on the subject of wastewater treatment. “Anyway, the nearest one is in the next tunnel.” He looked down at the bed. It was a box spring with a king mattress and I tried to envisage the work that went into getting it down all those twisty tunnels. “There are extra linens in the bottom drawer. Need anything else?”

I shook my head, then thanked him for the tour. As soon as he was gone, I put my food on the dresser and went in search of the septic system. It wasn’t any worse than some of the off-grid places on the Horn, and I felt a little better as I went back to Jasper’s sterile room. I ate the fruit cup and chugged the soda, standing in the middle of that silent space and trying not to think about all the rock hovering over my head. When I was finished, I opened my duffel and pulled out some fresh clothes. I traded my jeans for sweats, since they seemed to handle water better, and pulling out the drawing I’d taken from my old bedroom, propped the wolf on the nightstand.

But I couldn’t lie down on that big, empty bed, even if the sheets were still folded in their plastic wrapper.

I managed to find my way back to the healing pool with only a handful of missed turns. Liam was just about to climb into the water to take over from Charlie, but paused on the edge of the pool when I said, “I want to do it.”

“You need to sleep, Luna.”

“I can’t.” My gaze had settled on Jasper’s motionless face. Was he asleep? Was that why he was so still? Without any medical equipment, I couldn’t tell if he was just resting or clinging to the last moments of life. I moved impatiently to the edge of the pool and climbed in. “But if you’re worried, I’ll stop for meals.”

“You’ll swap out with one of us every hour,” Liam told me, hands on his hips and a knot between his eyes. I didn’t care. There was only one guy in this room who could hold my attention. “We’ll have something rigged up by tomorrow, so he can lie properly without one of us supporting him.”

I shrugged, easing down into the water. Its texture was a little gritty, which made it feel heavier than bath water, but it was also more buoyant. I didn’t know if it was the minerals leached from the rock or the proximity to Jasper, but I instantly felt more settled. “If you want, but I’m still staying with him. Besides, it won’t be for much longer, right?”

The way Charlie’s gaze slid away from mine was telling, but I chose to focus on Liam’s stern face. He gave a slow nod. “With you here, seeing to him, I don’t doubt it, Luna.”

Chapter Nineteen – Vail

Jasper didn’t open his eyes for three days.

And I barely closed mine for just as long. If it wasn’t for the fact I was in danger of drowning, I wouldn’t have moved from Jasper’s side. But when I rested my head on the back of the pool for just a moment, then woke to Charlie hauling me out choking and spluttering, I gave in and took a proper nap in the communal room. The Clan Alpha’s quarters with that sterile, empty bed were still a no-go, but I got enough sleep on the couch to wake refreshed. And with a new plan brewing in my mind.

“We need help,” I told Liam as soon as I tracked him down in what they called the war room. It was really just another hole in the rock, with a bunch of desks and some heavy-duty technical equipment. I’d heard them say the biggest problem with running a war from the caves was proximity to the enemy. Which I took to mean a lot of tricky tunnels between them and sinking their teeth into their problems. But in my opinion, the real issue was the dust. It got in everywhere, clogging up their expensive keyboards and making my eyes itch until I was permanently crying. When Liam looked at my red-rimmed eyes with a mix of concern and unease, I flapped a hand at him. “I mean with Jasper. We need to bring more people in.”

He nodded and pointed to the nearest screen, which showed two large guards patrolling the front of the cave. Naturally, when I said help, Liam assumed that meant more big dudes with guns. I handed him a piece of paper. “Great, but I want the people on this list. Tell them whatever you want, and use whatever security measures you need, but I want them here.”

Liam looked at the names, then frowned. “I get the healer, but why the others?”

“Marnie is for me,” I explained, although I shouldn’t have needed to. Shifter sisters, and all that. “Nadia is Jasper’s Head Omega and they’ve been friends for a long time. She might be able to reach him. There’s no point in having the first two if Jasmine doesn’t come along, because she will just track them down, believe me. Plus, she’s a magician at making places homier.” The two men looked around them, like they were just noticing we were living in a cave. “And Theo Grille is my business. I just need him here. And I want you to give him a message.” Liam cocked a brow at me, but didn’t argue. “Tell him to bring everything he has on shifter illnesses, blood claw injuries and difficult shifts. Especially anything on rogues and voids.”

Liam scratched a note on the bottom of the list, which I assumed meant he was taking the message seriously. But I could see the worry under his stoic exterior. “That’s a lot of extra people. You trust them all?”

“I do. And if it makes you feel better, other than Marnie, they’re all omegas.” I gave them both a guileless smile. “Sweet, pliable wolves who won’t give you a lick of bother.”

They exchanged another one of their long, loaded looks, but by lunchtime, the caves rang with the sound of excited chatter, and my heart lifted in response. I had spent a good part of my life in quiet, remote places, often with only my own thoughts for company, but I immediately knew what had been bugging me about the caves. It wasn’t the stark surroundings, or the lack of personal knick-knacks that made it so sterile. It lacked the warmth of people. Their smiling faces. Even the high-pitched squeals when they first saw me in the communal lounge.

They came in like a bubble of fresh air, Liam in the lead and the girls wide-eyed as they peered around him. The school nurse and librarian were a little more reserved, but they were also clearly curious. I didn’t know if they’d been all the way back here before, since I wasn’t sure when the clan had last used the caves as a refuge. Liam tried to lead them over to one of the long tables for what he called a briefing, but Marnie had other ideas, veering towards me and enveloping me in a tight hug. Even though she only came up to my shoulder, she was an alpha female, and her grip was impressive enough to make me wince.

“You never called!” She gave a mock growl that flashed a sliver of teeth. “I was so worried, and then The Clan Enforcer said we needed to come and help you...” She cast him a less than trustful glance. “What’s going on, Vail?”

“I’m sorry. A lot has happened, and I’ll catch you up, but the most important thing is to find a way to help Jasper.” Marnie looked surprised, but I motioned to the table, and everyone took a seat. I expected Liam to launch into his speech, but he just folded his arms and nodded in my direction. The Clan Enforcer wasn’t the kind of guy it was easy to look away from, but every head now swung my way, and I cleared my throat. We’d talked tactics earlier, and I knew what I wanted to say, but it felt a little awkward taking the role of leader without a formal announcement. Liam obviously wasn’t one for fanfare, because he said, “Clan Luna, tell us what we need to do.”

Now every mouth had dropped open too, although the girls looked pretty smug. “I knew it!” Jasmine couldn’t help but crow, before slapping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were dancing as she murmured in an excited whisper, “Sorry, but I’m glad I was right!”

“We’re all happy for you, Vail,” Nadia said quietly, and I didn’t doubt the sincerity in her smile. But there was also a touch of lingering hurt, and I remembered the last time we’d all sat around a table like this. I’d told them I was planning on leaving and Marnie had used her alpha power to keep them quiet.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry my relationship with Jasper got so tangled up, it hurt you guys.” I caught the two older alphas watching from the far end of the table and straightened my spine. They worked in a high school, but that didn’t mean they’d signed up for our teenage drama. “The first thing we have to agree to is complete secrecy. No communication out, unless it goes through Liam.” He gave a short nod, and everyone’s eyes widened another inch but they were too intrigued to interrupt. So I took a deep breath and said, “Jasper and I were in a Denner attack three days ago. He was badly injured.” I gave a moment for their gasps to die down, and for Marnie to grab my hand. “The Denners used a dart, then a blood claw on him. Normally, he would have been able to fight them off and heal himself, but his wolf is out of action at the moment. We stopped the bleeding and immediately brought him here. He’s been in a healing pool ever since, but he hasn’t regained consciousness. I can tell you more, but what really matters is we need your help. We need to reach Jasper, or his wolf, and help them get better.”

---