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Rill strides into the clearing, pausing next to the fire with an obnoxious smirk on his face.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite buzzkill, Noah Sage.”
I clench my fists at my side as he laughs at his own stupid joke, a few of his alphas chuckling along darkly. Someone thrusts a tall metal cup toward him, a frothy yellow liquid sloshing over the edge.
“Where is she?” I ask again as he steps toward me. “Where’s Hetty?”
He holds out the cup, dismissing my question with a wave of his free hand. “Sit and drink,” he orders roughly. “Someone will go find her.”
Reluctantly, I take the cup as a hand lands on my shoulder, and one of Rill’s alphas pushes me down on one of the logs circled around the fire. Nick, Stella’s mate, is sitting on the other side, grinning at me like an idiot.
I scowl before Stella and Wyatt sit down between us, my gaze moving over the space, taking in my surroundings.
I can’t see much in the evening light, but there are a couple of houses nestled in the trees. The wind from the nearby water blows forward all sorts of scents—the ash from the fire, the sharp, yeasty drink in my hand, and the tang of the summer forest.
I sip from the cup tentatively, and something strong and sour explodes on my tongue, causing me to grimace. But then, I can’t help but relax as warmth settles in my body, and I realize that the drink’s not unpleasant at all. So, I sip again.
“What is this place?” I ask, looking around at all the alphas’ sullen faces watching me. Some of them appear nervous, but most of them are on edge, obviously ready to come at me if I make a wrong move.
“Our current home,” Rill answers, falling onto a log opposite me next to a vaguely familiar alpha who hands him a cup of sun water.
“Since when?”
“Since the blackout.”
“How did you find it?”
“We looked.” He sips from his drink and looks me dead in the eye. “And here it was.”
“Who else knows about it?”
“Until now, not you, obviously.” He breathes out an ironic laugh. “But I guess that’s to be expected since you live with your head up your ass. And I’m sure that the toady little alpha who runs the council doesn’t know anything.” He shrugs obstinately. “Not sure about anyone else.”
“I’m surprised you’re out here.” I harden my gaze. “It’s not safe.”
Rill barks out an ironic laugh. “Safe? Anyone know what that means?”
I swallow as the other alphas snicker. “Isn’t that what you’re always saying?” I look around at the faces surrounding the fire. “There are men and guns and trucks out here, ready and willing to kill us all, right?”
Rill sneers, leaning forward. “At this point, it’s a helluva lot safer out here than it is in Goldenrod, brother. That place is doomed.”
I put my drink down in the dirt beside me, shifting with unease. I don’t want to talk to Rill anymore, I think moodily. He’s an asshole. All I’m going to get from him are more mind games. Not answers.
He turns his attention away from me anyway, muttering something to the alpha sitting next to him while I turn toward my brother and sister.
Wyatt’s watching Stella, who’s turned uncharacteristically quiet as she stares into the fire. It looks like her mind is going a mile a minute. Kind of like she’s doing her best to keep her mouth shut.
Wyatt senses my gaze, though, and turns to me, a sadness behind his green eyes, so similar to mine.
“What’s going on here, Wyatt?” I ask, my voice low and rough. This is my brother—my closest friend. My only friend other than Orion, really. If anyone will tell me what this is, it’s him. “What are you doing out here?”
He shifts in his seat, hesitating. “We’re going to get everyone else, too,” he whispers huskily, shaking his head. “Soon. We’re just figuring out the right way to go about it.” He pauses, releasing a deep breath. “There’s stuff you don’t know, Noah. A lot’s changed.”
“Like what?” I hiss, my eyes probing. “Tell me.”
His breath falters before he looks back at Stella, who’s placidly watching us.
She nods. “He needs to know.”
