The Light at the End of the Tunnel - 21. Chapter 21

“No fucking way!” Asa asserted. “I won’t risk you.”

Caleb gently pressed his fingers against Asa’s lips and shushed his mate. “I’m not asking you to—I’m telling you. I won’t let you go back without me. We have no idea what these creatures are capable of. We don’t even know how to contain them. Have you considered that?”

Asa shook his head vehemently. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll think of something.”

“Hold on, Asa,” Sebastian said. “Caleb has a good point. How is Huntington keeping these creatures in check? Calm down and think. Close your eyes and tell me what you saw.”

Asa took a deep breath and followed the Alpha’s command. Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind and allowed the images to scroll through his head. Scrutinizing every detail, he suddenly latched onto a vital piece of information he missed earlier. His eyes flew open.

“Electricity!” he exclaimed. “The building was fortified with electricity—like cattle within an electric fence, only it was the entire structure.”

Sebastian smiled. “Excellent. That’s a start. Now, the question is—can one of these things travel with you when you’re in light form?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Caleb stated. “We go get one.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Reilly commented.

Sebastian leaned forward, folded his hands, steepled his index fingers, and rested his elbows on his knees as he contemplated their next move. It was a few minutes before he spoke. “Okay. Caleb and Asa, as much as I hate the idea, I think it’s necessary. But first, we need to find out if you can transport something much larger than a cat and prepare somewhere to house one of these things, preferably away from my territory. I don’t want it anywhere near the lodge or house. Any ideas?”

The group was silent as they struggled to come up with somewhere Huntington’s monstrosity could be safely contained.

Asa looked up. “It’s too bad Corbin’s barn burned down. It would’ve been perfect.”

From the corner of his eye, Caleb saw Elijah, Tyler, and the twins, Ashton and Austin, with their heads together, whispering in what seemed to be a heated debate. Elijah’s hands waved about like an Italian mama on a verbal rampage.

Finally, Elijah cleared his throat. “What about the house Reilly grew up in?”

All heads swung towards Sebastian’s mate. His eyes widened in surprise.

“The one near Bonner’s Ferry?” Caleb asked. He knew the house and the rest of the territory that once belonged to Peter Nichols and now belonged to Reilly were abandoned after the confrontation ended Harold Alberts and his scheme to create more hybrids. In the fallout, Reilly’s old pack was disbanded. The remaining shifters moved away, joining other packs willing to take them in.

Elijah nodded. “It’s isolated. It has access to the county’s electric grid, and I doubt Huntington would think to look there.”

“You’re right!” Reilly gasped. “The cellar! My father and brothers fortified and insulated all the walls. They had a ‘doomsday prepper’ mentality. I’m surprised they didn’t hide there during the assault, but then again, they weren’t the brightest stars in the galaxy. It wouldn’t take much to convert it into a holding cell.”

Sebastian nodded. “I think it will work. Hunter, I’ll need you and Kellan to get over there and see what needs to be done. Reilly, arrange a plane to get them as close to Bonner’s Ferry as possible. Wayne, I need you to prepare a small crew—whoever you think can do the electrical work and create a stronghold cell.”

Hunter and Kellan readily agreed to scout out the house and territory, while Reilly jumped up to call the FBO in Great Falls and arrange a Cessna for departure as soon as possible.

Caleb couldn’t help but marvel at how well-oiled a machine Sebastian’s pack was. He knew leaving was the best thing he could have done for the well-being of his old pack. Instead of feeling regret and shame over the circumstances leading to his downfall, he felt relieved and hopeful for its future. There was no way he could have ever handled their current situation with the confidence Sebastian showed.

There was nothing else anyone could do now, and the meeting broke up. It was close enough to dinner time that most of the group headed to the dining room.

“Are you hungry?” Asa asked.

“I guess,” Caleb answered, watching Elijah and Tyler escort Silas and Rosalie. It pained him to see his former pack elder move with a stiffness that hadn’t been present the last time he’d seen him. Even Rosalie moved at a much slower pace these days.

“Uh-uh,” Donovan chastised as they tried to slip away. “Asa, I’m looking you over before you do anything else today. Huntington may have slipped something into your food. Let’s go.”

Caleb couldn’t help smiling at the consternation that furrowed his mate’s brow. He knew damn well Asa hoped the good doctor had forgotten about him—no such luck. Asa took Caleb’s hand and reluctantly followed Donovan to his clinic.

Donovan led them into an exam room, then pointed at the table covered with crinkly paper. “Hop on up. This won’t take long. I promise.”

“If I’m good, do I get a lollipop on my way out?” his mate snarked.

Chuckling, Donovan pressed the cold end of his stethoscope inside Asa’s shirt, making him hiss. “We’ll see.”

“Sadist.”

Caleb laughed. Asa’s hackles were up, and it was cute. He leaned against the wall, crossing one ankle over the other, and admired his mate’s tenacity. The way he pouted was sure to land him in hot water with the doctor, but it pushed all the right buttons on his switchboard. There was something sexy about an indignant light shifter. His groin tightened as he watched Asa’s muscles flex when Donovan asked him to lean forward so he could listen to his lungs. His mate’s bicep bulged as the doctor drew blood to check for anomalies.

The past twelve days had been the most difficult of his entire life. Not even in the deepest depths of his depression following his banishment from his pack had he felt such despair and helplessness. No amount of consolation from Sebastian or anyone else could dispel the abject terror that gripped him those first few days. Gradually, his sense of logic prevailed as he realized their mate connection was intact.

He discovered that if he concentrated, he could feel Asa’s presence despite the vast distance between them. His wolf pined for its mate, leaving Caleb to deal with the void created by Asa’s capture. Now, the beast wanted to stake his claim and mark his mate in the most intimate and visceral way possible. Too many days had passed without his touch.

Asa jerked when he caught Caleb staring. The heat between them became palpable, and Donovan didn’t protest when Asa slid off the exam table.

“We’re done,” his mate growled, pushing past the doctor unapologetically.

To his credit, Donovan merely nodded and stepped aside. He muttered, “That didn’t take long.”

Caleb grabbed Asa’s hand again and quickly led him outside, stripping off his clothes, knowing his mate would follow suit. The two white wolves took off at a sprint into the surrounding woods. Their destination was a clearing next to a broad creek a few miles into the thick forest.

The moment they were back in their human forms, Caleb pulled Asa to him, allowing their bodies to touch from head to toe. He stroked his mate’s silky white hair and breathed in his delicious scent. In addition to the sharp ozone and crisp wintergreen smell surrounding Asa, his nose didn’t miss the potent odor of arousal.

Between them, their cocks filled, and Caleb felt a sudden, desperate need to be inside Asa. He lowered them onto the soft summer grass and sealed their lips together. There was no better taste than the natural spiciness of his lover. He would crave the man’s kisses until his last breath.

Asa let out a needy, wanton gasp as Caleb crawled between his legs, pushing his knees up and out, exposing the intended target. The Alpha lowered himself until he was close enough to ghost his lips over the sensitive skin. He flexed his tongue against Asa’s rim and inhaled the muskiness he lusted after. It wasn’t long before the tight opening relaxed, and he could drive his tongue in and out, fucking the hole mercilessly.

“Fuck me, Caleb!” Asa cried, grinding his ass against Caleb’s mouth.

It was impossible to resist his mate’s demand. Caleb spat into his hand and coated his leaking cock, then pushed the head into Asa’s ass. Steadily, he thrust, eyes glued to where his dick disappeared into his lover. Bottoming out, he stilled for a moment to allow Asa to adjust. Asa responded by bucking beneath him in a quest to increase friction.

“Christ almighty, you’re fucking tight,” he growled.

“Shut up and pound my ass,” Asa demanded. “I need you to mark me!”

Caleb bent down, planted his lips over his mate’s bonding scar, and sucked hard. Asa screamed and raked his nails down Caleb’s back. The coppery scent of blood filled the air. It disappeared quickly as Caleb’s body healed the shallow wounds. Unlatching himself, he admired the dark purple mark on Asa’s pale skin before it disappeared.

Asa’s ass squeezed his cock almost painfully, urging him to move. His pace was brutal, slamming forward, then jerking back, repeating the maneuver over and over until his balls drew up tight and the base of his spine tingled with his imminent orgasm.

“Goddammit! Come with me!” Caleb pounded into Asa, nailing his sweet spot dead center, triggering them both instantly. He roared as he came, unloading his cum deep into his mate. Asa’s back bowed as he shot jets of pearly jizz onto their skin. He threw his head back and allowed his wolf to howl its satisfaction.

For a brief second, the earth stood still. Silence encompassed them, and then all Caleb could hear was the thundering of his heart as it pumped blood through his veins. Asa’s breath was ragged in the aftermath of one seriously intense orgasm.

He was still rock-hard when he withdrew. A triumphant smile graced his face as he watched his cum leak out of Asa’s hole. Caleb scooped up the dripping whiteness and pushed it back inside. He was momentarily startled when Asa’s body contorted, and he shifted into his wolf. What didn’t surprise him was the sight of the beast twisting itself to lick the cum from his ass.

Caleb chuckled before allowing his wolf to take over again. The animal stuck its snout in and added his tongue, lapping at the remnants. When Asa was as clean as he could get, they shook themselves before taking off at an easy lope.

The warm summer air gave way to cooler breezes as they climbed higher up the mountain. It turned cold as they broke out of the tree line, where patches of snow still clung to the rocky surface. The two wolves stopped and rested on a small, flat plateau overlooking the valley below. Far below them, the immense lodge was merely a speck in a grassy clearing.

Asa’s wolf pressed his body against Caleb’s. He turned his head to nuzzle and lick his mate’s face. They stayed for a while, not moving, merely taking comfort in each other’s presence. As the sun traveled further to the west, by unspoken agreement, they trotted down the mountain toward the main house.

The home which Caleb once called his was empty when they returned. In human form, their bellies rumbled hungrily. After raiding the fridge and sating their other appetite, they retreated to their suite, where the rest of the night was spent rediscovering the gentler side of lovemaking.

It took two days before Hunter and Kellan returned with good news. Reilly’s childhood house would be perfect for their needs. Sebastian set about putting plans in motion and getting a team and the necessary materials to the location. In a rapid turnaround, by working in teams around the clock, renovations were completed in less than a week. The teams built an electrified steel cage surrounded by walls fortified with enough volts to rival a lightning bolt.

They had a surprise visitor a few days before the holding cell was ready. Cassiel informed Sebastian he had important information. Only the Alpha, Reilly, Caleb, and Asa were present for the meeting.

“Hello, Cassiel,” Sebastian greeted the Fae prince. “Thank you for coming.”

“You may not be thanking me when you hear what I have to say.”

Caleb glanced at his mate before returning his attention to the stunning Fae. That didn’t sound promising.

“I’ve learned not to be surprised when it comes to anything pertaining to Kasar Huntington,” replied Sebastian.

Cassiel gave a brief nod of agreement. “I do not begrudge your line of thinking. I wanted you to know the lion shifter tried contacting my brother. His attempt was intercepted; however, my father allowed him to believe he was successful. I am afraid the news I bring is not good.”

“If this is about Huntington’s latest creations, then we are already aware,” Sebastian informed the man.

“I know. This goes a little deeper. Huntington requested Brioc’s support when he launches his attack. My father instructed my brother to tell Huntington he would consider the request. When Brioc pressed the issue and demanded a timeline, the shifter refused, other than to say it would not be long. We feel he is planning his assault within the next ten days.”

“Shit!” Asa exclaimed. “That doesn’t give us much time.”

“Time for what?” Cassiel inquired.

Sebastian laid out their plan to steal one of the altered shifters in order to determine a means of defeating them.

The Fae prince frowned. “I do not think it is wise to go back there. Huntington will have increased his traps now that he does not have Asa. Going back is suicidal.”

Caleb deflated in his seat. There had to be something they could do to ensure their success. “Can you suggest anything that might give us the advantage?”

Cassiel’s eyes narrowed as he pondered the question. “I will send you one of the pixies. They are experts at creating mischief and havoc.” He winked. “I will withhold that information from my father. He was upset that I allowed the dryads to inhabit your territory and promised a contingency of pixies for battle, but I convinced him it was to protect our realm.”

“Will the pixies listen to us?” Caleb asked. He knew from the old legends they loved to play pranks. The last thing they needed was babysitting a fae creature who wouldn’t behave.

“I will guarantee it.” The promise came with a hard stare. Cassiel didn’t appreciate being questioned, so Caleb bowed his head in a show of respect.

“Thank you,” said Sebastian.

The Fae prince nodded once. “You will need to gather your troops and be ready. I will speak with Mór-ríoghain and ask if she is willing to assist but remember—I cannot violate my father’s order and interfere. Our world has strict protocols prohibiting intervention, which could alter the balance between our realms.”

“I understand,” Sebastian promised. “We are grateful and honored for whatever help you can provide.”

“Good luck.” Cassiel disappeared with a loud pop! He was gone as abruptly as he arrived. The only proof of his existence was the air that crackled in his wake.

Asa let out a sigh. “Great, our success depends on Tinkerbell.”

Reilly snickered. “Be careful, or she’ll sprinkle glittery pixie dust on you.”

Caleb flapped his arms. “I can fly! I can fly!”

They cracked up. It was a much-needed light-hearted moment.

When they stopped laughing, Sebastian said, “Let’s hope this pixie can help get you in and out of Huntington’s complex unscathed.”

The realization of how many things could potentially go wrong sobered the group.

“We’re going to succeed,” Caleb avowed.

Two days after Cassiel’s visit, the house in Idaho was done. It was time for Asa and Caleb to set the next part of their plan into motion. Sebastian gathered the key players for a final meeting before Caleb and Asa set their plan into motion.

Reilly released the grip his teeth had on his bottom lip. “Are you sure this is the only way?”

Reluctantly, Caleb nodded. “We’re fucked if we can’t find a chink in their armor.”

“Chink in their armor?” Asa countered. “We better find something bigger than that.”

Sebastian settled everyone down and gave his final order before they reached the point of no return. “The plane is standing by. We’ll need three hours to get there and make sure everything is in place. Cassiel promised his pixie would be waiting for you in the woods on the north side of the complex. Wait for my text. Be careful, and good luck.”

Caleb nodded. He thought it was going to be a long three hours, but surprisingly, they went by quickly. The moment Sebastian texted they were ready in Idaho, he and Asa lighted out and streaked across the sky to the west. They timed it so they could travel west across the Pacific. Mid-afternoon in Montana was mid-morning the next day in the area they needed to go.

They shifted into human form near the spot Caleb had hunkered down in when he realized Asa was taken. The pixie joined them as soon as they materialized. She did resemble Tinkerbell, only her teeth were like razor blades. Unlike the Disney version, this pixie could speak, although her voice was soft, and her human vocabulary was limited. Caleb needed his wolf’s sharp hearing to understand her.

It took a moment to decipher that she wanted to scout the area for them. Reluctantly, he and Asa agreed. She wasn’t afraid of being seen, as she would look like a hummingbird if anyone spotted her.

Asa pointed out the building he’d seen the mutated creatures in. Their sensitive hearing picked up the steady, unmistakable hum of electricity buzzing through the walls.

“Be careful,” Caleb told the pixie. Tinkerbell gave them a toothy grin and fluttered her wings. Then, in a blur, she was gone.

Asa watched the building, scanning for a place to breach their defense. Suddenly, he gasped. “I know how Huntington captured me! It was electricity. He must have used it to disrupt my energy enough to allow some sort of vacuum to suck me into the holding cell.”

Looking at their intended target, Caleb swallowed hard, realizing they nearly made a grave mistake. Again.

Their pixie friend reappeared, chittering rapidly. After a few frustrating minutes of trying to interpret what she was saying, they finally figured out she had found a way for them to access the building’s breaker switch to shut off the power. Once they understood, she disappeared, her job completed.

The front door was not electrified, and the gap between the bottom frame and floor would be enough for one of them to get through in light form. The main service box was on the wall straight down the front hallway.

“New plan,” Caleb said. “We’re not fucking up again. I’ll get to the breaker and cut the juice to the building. You find the closest creature. We’ll grab it and then high-tail it out of here.”

Asa grinned. “Got it.”

After planting a kiss on Asa’s lips, they lighted out and Caleb zipped through the front door’s gap and used his energy to short out the main power. He didn’t touch the breaker that powered the lights. No sense in shooting themselves in the foot by plunging the entire building into darkness.

Back in Montana, they had practiced transporting other living things, gradually working their way up to large animals. By positioning themselves on each side of the animal, they could easily manipulate their energy and draw it in for transport. Once Asa was confident in their ability to get a draft horse from one end of the state to the other, he knew they were ready.

Without the hum and vibrations of electricity coursing through the building, it was easy to locate Asa. He was one level down, hovering in front of a door to a cell. The soldiers guarding the cells were distracted by the loss of power. Before the grunts could reach them, the beast was absorbed into their energy.

The creature Huntington created was heavier than a draft horse. Still, as long as they didn’t touch each other, they could easily move their intended target. The guards wouldn’t be aware of the missing hybrid until they were long gone.

Caleb was grateful Asa took the lead. His navigation skills in light form still weren’t entirely reliable, so when they deposited the startled monster into the holding cell in Idaho, they were exactly where they planned to be.

The creature hissed at its new environment. Caleb got his first look when he and Asa reverted back to human form on the other side of the cell wall. He was shocked. Asa wasn’t kidding when he described the thing.

Upon closer inspection, it was more reptilian than human. Even though it stood upright on two legs, its webbed feet with honed claws reminded Caleb of the pictures he’d seen of dinosaurs in the museum in Bozeman a long time ago. Instead of skin, alligator-like hide covered its entire body. Its muscular arms ended with sharp talons instead of fingernails, which looked like they could shred a human in less than a heartbeat. There was even a crested tail that whipped back and forth as it searched for an escape route. Repeatedly, the beast bellowed as it came in contact with the electrified cell bars.

Its head was human, although the skull was broader and thicker. The most startling feature was the thing's eyes. Hooded and protruding outward, they nearly bulged out of their sockets. Picture a lizard’s slitted orbs with vertical pupils. Rather than the yellow-green irises most reptiles had, the creature glared at them with a fiery crimson stare.

Sebastian, Reilly, Hunter, and Kellan joined Caleb and Asa as they assessed the situation.

“Do you think you can cure it?” Sebastian asked his mate.

Asa shook his head. “No. I tried to diagnose it. I can’t. It’s unlike anything I’ve come across.”

Caleb scrutinized the monster. He rubbed the back of his neck and blew out his breath, puffing out his cheeks as he did so. “Is it just me, or is that thing more animal than human?”

The group stared as they considered his question.

“Maybe that’s it,” pondered Reilly. “Asa, can you heal animals the same way you heal humans?”

“Not exactly. I normally don’t interfere other than to ease an animal’s pain or discomfort—most of the time, I let nature take its course. For instance, I don’t heal a horse’s broken leg because it would out my ability to humans. I will ease the animal’s discomfort if I can. Most often, though, I do simple things that wouldn’t give me away, like heal a hoof abscess or a muscle strain. Why would it matter?”

Reilly tilted his head to the side as he further scrutinized the thing in the cell. “Our hybrids were shifters who were genetically altered in their natural form. What if these things are animals that were modified with foreign DNA? Look at them. They’re crossbred. If one wanted to play God and create something brand-new, isn’t mixing two or more species logical? This thing is a reptile, either an alligator or crocodile, a human, and a vampire. Three worlds colliding. It’s too much for your healing ability.”

Caleb was gobsmacked. It made sense, though. Huntington was insane enough to go through with such experiments. The result was terrifying. Now that they knew what this was, they needed to find a way to defeat it.

“So how do we destroy it?” he asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Sebastian replied. “Let’s throw whatever we can at it and see what works.”

Two days later, they were exhausted and out of ideas. Bullets, poison, sharp objects, and at least two dozen other ideas had proven fruitless. They were no closer to an answer than before, not to mention they needed more time. Time they didn’t have.

Sebastian and Reilly returned to Montana. The Alpha couldn’t leave the pack without his protection any longer. He sent Enya to see if she could help them with ideas. She suggested turning the temperature down below zero, which made the creature sluggish, but otherwise didn’t affect it. Besides, they couldn’t control the weather outside, and the chances of a sub-zero cold snap at this time of year were nonexistent.

Caleb found Enya studying close-up photos they’d taken from all different angles. The one she was currently scrutinizing was the creature’s breastplate. Overlapping scales created a natural coat of armor that was nearly impenetrable.

He watched as the girl’s brows knit together in concentration. She looked up abruptly. “I need to see something.”

Caleb and Asa followed her down cellar and stood silently as she watched the thing for several minutes. Without warning, she opened the cell door and let herself in. The creature swung its head around, and an eerie rumbling sound vibrated through the air as it turned toward her and advanced.

He and Asa shouted, “Get out of there!”

Enya raised her hands, and when the thing was only a few feet away, she blasted it in the middle of the chest with a concentrated bolt of fire. The flame shot straight out and hit directly in the seam between two of the scales protecting its heart.

A deafening bellow filled the air and abruptly ended when the monster combusted in a conflagration. Flames filled the small space and threatened to spread. Caleb grabbed a fire extinguisher from where it was mounted on the wall and rushed to the door. Intense heat blasted him as he pointed the nozzle and depressed the trigger, releasing the canister’s flame retardant onto the writhing form until the fire was out. The creature lurched, then fell back and remained motionless.

Enya grinned and kicked the thing’s head.

“What the hell?” Caleb panted and coughed from the lingering acrid smoke and extinguisher chemicals.

The fire shifter shrugged. “I had a hunch.”

Asa gaped. “Well, could you warn us next time before you act on one of your hunches?”

She tilted her head and shot them a lopsided grin. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Caleb dropped the empty canister and bent forward, putting his hands on his knees. “Damned if I know. C’mon, let’s go upstairs and call Sebastian to let him know we found the Achilles heel. Looks like we’ve found our own secret weapon.”

Sebastian wasn’t happy to hear how Enya discovered the means to bring down the mutant, while at the same time, they could hear the relief in his voice at the news that these things could be neutralized.

“Get your asses back here,” the Alpha ordered. “The plane is standing by. We have work to do. I don’t think Huntington is going to wait much longer. I feel it in my gut.”

If there was one thing Caleb had learned in his time on Earth so far, that was to trust your instincts. If Sebastian had a feeling Huntington was ready to attack, they needed to get back pronto.

Several hours later, they landed at the small airfield near Sebastian’s territory. The Alpha had them go directly to the lodge, where every shifter capable of fighting was gathered in what had been the original ballroom. It was the only place large enough to accommodate over five hundred shifters at once.

While Asa was captive, the most vulnerable shifters were sent to Texas as a precaution. Giles readily offered his pack’s protection. He sent as many shifters as he could spare, with Jorge and Luke in charge. Caleb was relieved to have his best friend at his and Asa’s side. The addition of the Texas pack members increased the number of fighters by thirty. They would need every single person they could get.

Caleb discovered Elijah and Tyler had been busy recruiting for Sebastian, too. They convinced the Alphas of the Crater Lake, Coronado Forest, Black Hills, and a few others to spare as many fighters as they could, further increasing the numbers. Altogether, Sebastian had an army of over five hundred at his disposal, not to mention the dryads guarding the borders and a small contingency of vicious pixies at their disposal.

Hopefully, it would be enough.