Chapter 9

Nico

 We've been here for a little over a day, no two, and I think I slept for about three hours or so this whole time. This room, no, this whole damn building has taken quite a while to get used to. 

 The first few hours here I spent with Lecia, Dylan, and those three guys who I was still holding out judgment on. It was odd being around wolves from another pack, and this was the first time I had ever even encountered a fae.

 Amongst the three of them, it was the hybrid that was making the most uneasy. Micah definitely gave off the dangerous and mysterious vibes, and Tristan was a mix between a lost little puppy and an overbearing lion, but he seemed pretty manageable. Well, at least Dylan will be able to manage him.

The hybrid was different. There was something about him that kept bothering me. Maybe it was the fact that he had not come out and said that he was human, wolf, or hybrid to begin with. For some reason, when we were all sitting there talking in Dylan's room, he hadn't said anything about it.

Maybe he didn't even know he was a hybrid. I wasn't actually even a hundred percent sure if that is what they were called, since I've never met one before, but I have heard others call them that.

When we were all talking about who we were and listening to, well, essentially Tristan's back story, I couldn't help but remember what he had said to me when we had first met, and what he hadn't said.

At first, it seemed that he was almost bragging and trying to rub it in my face that this was HIS building and what not, but when we were all together, he hadn't spoken much at all. 

They had said that they were all friends and that he was related to the alphas of the Silver Moon pack, which I had heard of, but not much else. It was obvious that they were friends and were very close, but as I sat there and observed them, it seemed that Tristan and Micah were much closer.

Gage was just as anxious as I was and even though I had left Dylan's room yesterday feeling secure about her safety, I couldn't get him to fully relax. Lecia was having a very fitful sleep in the bed on the other side of the room and while I didn't want to wake her, the soft cries coming from her were breaking my heart.

I had been lying in this bed listening to her for a few hours now and, while I didn't want to wake her because I knew that not only her mind, but her body needed rest, my control was running thin.

Trying to recall everything that we had gone over yesterday helped a bit, but her soft, incoherent sobs were still piercing what little of my armor I had left. Even Gage was beginning to push me to get up and get out of this room.

Dealing with the pain of our loss was not something I was ready for, and while I would make sure that I would be there for her and Dylan when the time came, now was definitely not that time. 

Tristan had stayed with Dylan when we had all left and I knew that they would probably be spending quite a bit of time together as they shared the stories that made them who they were and what each had missed out on in each other's lives. 

A piece of me still didn't know how to feel about that. I mean, it was clear that Tristan was practically beside himself due to the fact that his sister was here with him, but it was more than that. There were reasons behind everything that had happened to them and that is what I wanted, no, what I needed to know.

Rogan Bluera was one of the youngest and strongest alphas on this continent and while we all knew that he had not gotten there on brains and skills alone, there were pieces that I needed to complete the puzzle of what he truly wanted.

Maybe I was just grasping at straws or trying to make something out of nothing. Maybe my brain just couldn't wrap itself around the idea that my brother had lost his life for nothing. No, I corrected myself just as Gage began growling at me.

It hadn't been for nothing. He had jumped in to save Dylan when that f*cking beast had been heading straight for her, but it just didn't make sense. If Rogan had taken Dylan when she was an infant and kept her this whole time, had he ever really meant to harm her that day?

Stop!

 Gage was strong, stronger than me for damn sure, but not even he was able to let those "what if" thoughts in. Those should have, could have, what if thoughts that would bring nothing except more pain. 

"F*ck," I grumbled under my breath. I knew that exhaustion was starting to wear on me, and I would need to get some sleep soon, but I just couldn't let my mind keep torturing me with memories of Cruz and me.

 I didn't' know what was worse, knowing that he wasn't here any longer, or replaying the best memories of us together each time my eyes closed. I was lying on my back and even though all I had on was these black sleeping pants that were way too soft and silky, I was sweating.

When have I ever worn clothes like this? I mean who actually wears this kind of sh*t? I had a feeling that I knew exactly who wore this kind of cr*p, but if I was planning on staying here for any length of time, I would need to put in a request or something for some normal clothes.

Lecia and I had talked for a bit when we first came back to this room together. According to Tristan, this floor was vacant and the two of us could share it until they picked private rooms for each of us, but I preferred to have her near me. 

Neither Lecia nor I had wanted to reach out to our parents, but after a short game of rock paper scissors, she had to be the one to call them. Tristan had given us an untraceable burner phone and Lecia had called them before she went to shower. 

I knew that she had gone in there to cry. I heard her through the walls, but I couldn't comfort her. I was a coward. I should have been the one to call our parents. Even though it had been a quick phone call and I had heard the whole thing. 

Dad was worried, and mom had cried, but neither asked us anything that might have given away where we were. They begged us to be careful, to keep in touch, and to stay together. 

I did notice that while she hadn't mentioned anything about Cruz. I didn't blame her; I couldn't have done it either. Hell, I couldn't even speak on the phone when she had tried to offer it to me. 

Being bold and brave were just a few of the things that I had thought of myself up until that moment. Even Gage had felt shame at what I had done. Just then Lecia squeaked out a soft whimper and it was the last straw on myself control. 

Sliding out of bed, which was made easier by these ugly pants, I didn't bother looking for any other clothes since I was planning on getting out of this building and going for a run.

Gage was completely on board with this. He had wanted to check out not only the rest of this building, but the grounds and the security set-ups that they had here. I recalled coming through a fifteen-foot steel gate that was guarded by armed men, but I knew better than anyone that nothing was impenetrable.

Walking out of the room and into the small suite was easy, there were dim lights encased on the tops of the walls and I easily made my way through the interior room and out the door in less than a minute.

Unfortunately, the second I was out the door, I picked up the scent of wolves nearby. Unsure of how far from me they were, I decided to take the stairwell down to the lobby instead of the elevator. 

Figuring that it would be easier to get out unseen this way, I headed to the stairwell and to my surprise, the door opened with no noise whatsoever. With no floor number listed, I counted the landings as I went down so that I made sure to come back to the right floor when I returned.

Getting to the lobby had been easier than I expected. While some of the floors had guards, many of them were not only silent, but they gave off the scent of stale air, as if no one ever walked through them.

"Nine," I murmured as I hit the bottom of the steps of the stairwell. The door was thick and looked like some type of reinforced steel. There was a window towards the top that I quickly peered through to see if there was anyone around.

To my surprise, I only saw two guards sitting behind a large wooden desk at the opposite end of the large lobby. The more I looked around, the more that this building gave off the vibes of a fancy hotel. 

Slowly, I slipped out the door and walked in the opposite direction to the massive wooden desk. I heard voices coming from what sounded like a radio or intercom system, and as I sniffed the air, I could tell that the two guards were human, so I didn't fear them scenting me.

I hadn't paid too much attention to the lobby or building when we had come in the first time, but now as I strode through it, I was able to take in how artfully decorated it was. It was obvious that someone really liked glass. The whole back wall was glass, and I could see that the moon was still high up in the sky.

A garden full of flowers the kind I had never seen was outside the wall and it looked like a scene out of one of those romance movies that Lecia and my mom liked to watch. I have to admit though, that it was really pretty, but it became obvious that there was no door that led out of the building that way.

Realizing that there was only one entrance filled me with a sense of safety for my sister and Dylan, but also pissed me off because now I was going to have to get by that desk to be able to go outside.

We had been made to believe that we were guests here, but a part of me and Gage were sure that they were not going to let us pass. For the second time in less than a handful of minutes, I was surprised. As I approached the desk and the door, both men looked at me.

The older of the two stood up quickly and I was about to make a run for the door when he spoke and bowed in my direction. "Good evening, or morning, Mr. Silvera. Is there anything that you may need?"

Gage had been preparing to give me a boost to run towards the door, but now I just stood there, awkwardly looking at the man. Deciding that I needed to look more adult-like, I stood to my full height, ran a hand through my hair quickly, and slowly placed my hands on my hips, "I'm going for a stroll outside."

It was then that I remembered what I was wearing and looked down to see my bare chest, naked feet, and the long silky black sleeping pants. Heat filled my cheeks, and I got ready for a snarky remark or even questioning glances, but the man just nodded his head towards me and wished me a good walk.

Heading for the door, I felt Gage's excitement at the thought of running free, but as soon as I had taken a few steps out the massive sliding glass doors, I saw how hard that was going to be.

Guards were everywhere. There were some standing posts around the building, some patrolling on near silent ATVs, and others that I couldn't see, but could scent. While many were humans, most were wolves and being around so many wolves and being unable to link with them was extremely unnerving.

Hesitantly, Gage agreed to stay put for now, so I went ahead and headed around the perimeter of the building to try to find that nice garden. The building was much, much larger than I had anticipated and by the time I got to the back of the building I had passed no less than five armed guards.

Each guard had wireless mics and earpieces in and all either waved or nodded as they walked past me. Whoever did the interior design of the building also played a part in the design of this place as well, because there was a four-foot glass fence that surrounded the entire area. 

Greenery and all sorts of trees and bushes were planted around the fence, but the feel of the area gave it a sense of privacy and peace.

Jumping over the fence, I immediately felt the difference under my feet. The grass felt as soft as a carpet and sweet and floral fragrances seemed to fill the air. There were stone benches around the area and even a small pond that the closer I got to, I could see had orange and white fish swimming inside.

Taken aback at how quickly the atmosphere had changed and morphed into a place of such tranquility was beyond me, but it was oddly enjoyable. It felt like I had walked right out of my world and stepped into an entirely different one.

Sweet and spicy scents mixed in the air with the musk of wet grass and the scent of the pond water. The moon was still high in the sky and there were absolutely no clouds to block out the multitude of stars that were shining tonight.

Reality seemed to not be able to permeate through to this small little ecosystem that thrived within the confines of the real world. Being here made me unable to think of anything but the trees and blooms around me.

As I walked towards the small pond to get a closer look at the fish, I noticed that there were four of them swimming inside. Crouching down beside the edge of the pond, I noticed that while two of the fish were small and colorful, there were two larger ones that seemed to look almost identical.

Squatting there, I watched the four fish swimming around each other, but couldn't help but get drawn back to the two larger fish. They swam a bit slower but seemed to constantly come back to each other in each passing lap.

I watched as either their fins or tails grazed against each other on each pass as if they were reassuring each other that they were still there. I was transfixed, just watching those two fish swim with each other.

It wasn't until I felt a hand touch my shoulder that I realized that someone had not only snuck up on me, but that I was no longer alone. Gage, the bastard, hadn't even noticed the stranger's approach either.

Quickly, I tried to scent who it was, and prepare myself for what might come, but the moment I picked up the scent of berries and almonds I couldn't even get my brain to form a single thought.

Long slender fingers slid along my shoulder, and I felt her fingertips softly squeeze as she spoke, "Nico, are you okay?" When I looked up, I saw the concern in her bright golden eyes, but that wasn't why I couldn't form any words in response.

Somehow, I found myself staring up at Dylan, but I couldn't understand why she had come out here. Stumbling over my thoughts and words, I got out, "Yes, I'm okay, I was just watching the fish."

Dylan cocked her head slightly and reached down with her other hand. I stilled, not knowing what she was going to do with it as she brought it to my face, but then she softly wiped her thumb across my cheek.

"So do you always cry when you watch fish swim, or are these just so captivating that it brings tears to your eyes?" When she brought her hand up, I saw that her fingers were indeed wet. 

How the hell had I been crying here like this? And how did she know that I was even here? Even though I thought the questions in my head, Gage didn't bother to answer them. I could feel how focused he was on Dylan's every breath.

We stayed like that for a few more seconds before she started to laugh. "Come on Nico, you're making me cold just standing here looking at you. Let's go inside and get some food. And maybe get you some clothes, yeah," she said as she reached her hand out for me to take.

I hesitated only for a second before taking it. Standing up, I gave one last glance back towards the fish before turning to follow her. 

Dylan still held my hand in her own and I couldn't help but notice not only how warm it was, but how that warmth seemed to be sinking into me. Had I been cold, I thought as I followed her to the opposite side of the garden.

We seemed to be walking straight towards the glass window wall and I was about to tell her that we were going to have to go around to the front when she walked to the very last windowpane, and I saw that it was in fact a door.

The moment we were back inside, we headed towards the elevators, and I noticed that while there were more guards in the lobby, not a single one of them was looking our way.

Sleek metal doors slid open quickly and Dylan walked into the elevator ahead of me. I noticed that she was wearing hot pink sleeping pants that stuck out under a black sleeping robe that looked just as silky as the pants I was wearing. 

Dylan punched the buttons on the panel on the wall inside the elevator and we started moving up quickly. I noticed that she had hit button ten. "So, what made you go for a walk in the middle of the night," I asked, still standing beside her while she held my hand.

Dylan swung around quickly to look at me and I swear that her eyes were brighter than they had been a moment ago, but her words are what had me and Gage stunned. 

"What do you mean, Nico? I went out there to get you because you called for me. I'm just glad that I wasn't asleep."