Boundless

Carsickness.
That was only half of the reason why my insides felt like they were sloshing against the walls of my stomach. I was expecting everything to climb up my throat and splatter all over my bare thighs at any second. I leaned my forehead against the sweatiness of the glass window, closing my eyes against the nausea. The car had been bumping along the road for what seemed like hours and my only constant motion was rubbing my moist hands against the seats.
Blurred images of the chaotic afternoon flew through my mind.
^^^^
“You’re being summoned.”
Bay had said those words with such fear that I couldn’t help but flinch at her tone.
I drew my eyebrows together. “Summoned?”
Bay nodded. “Before the Council.”
Vince stood at this, his eyes blazing and his jaw tight. “What for?” he growled.
Bay’s shoulders rose minimally at the same time that she shook her head hopelessly. “Doctor Ross wasn’t alone. Brother Samuel has arrived. He’s…” she trailed off, looking toward the door leading out of the kitchen.
“They can’t just take her.” Vince bit out. “Does Blue know?”
“He’s on his way.” Bay assured. “He, Paxton, Jael and Wyatt are coming back from scouting the trail.”
Vince nodded. “They don’t take her until we talk to Blue.”
I looked between Bay and Vince, my heart accelerating slightly as they conversed. Bay’s whole aura was giving off waves of sudden ‘panic’ and Vince’s body vibrated with swift ‘fury’. A need to ‘protect’ rippled off his skin. But who was in danger?
My own confusion awakened a cold caress of unease lying in my heart. There was a time when tears may have welled up behind my lids at the taste of fear, but I’d long ago learned to suppress them. Though bewilderment lounged at the base of my stomach I stilled my emotions and alerted my senses, focusing in on Bay and Vince. I had a right to know what was going on.
“I need some answers. Now.” I rose from my seat, crossing my injured arm over the other in annoyance.
My voice must’ve pierced the concentrated bubble that surrounded them because they both turned to me, their eyes lighting up in recognition.
Bay spoke, “There’s nothing to be worried about—”
Vince placed his hand on Bay’s shoulder, shaking his head.
My right eyebrow rose in question. “What?”
Vince inhaled and moved around the table towards me. I hurriedly backed up until the base of the counter dug into my lower back. I didn’t want to feel what I’d felt earlier. Emotion was something I purposefully choose not to expose myself to.
Vince stopped a few inches in front of me, his frame nearly equal to mine. “When the Council has Summoned someone they usually want answers. When they don’t get those answers they result to extreme measures.”
My heart thumped at the words “extreme measures”. “Such as?”
Vince ran his hand over his face, his eyes taking on a exhausting shine. “Imprisonment and…death.”
I couldn’t stop the dryness that claimed the whole of my mouth nor the colossal plunge that my stomach took at the word. “Death,” I breathed out. “But I don’t understand, I have nothing to hide—”
“Oh, I beg to differ pup.”
All three of our heads swiveled towards the door, our eyes widening at the sudden intrusion.
There, at the kitchen threshold, stood a lofty man with bottomless grey eyes and graying hair. His skin had lost its youthfulness a long time ago yet the aloofness of his face remained. His lips were set in a firm grimace emancipating a sliver of nervousness across my shoulders. My eyes grazed across the slacks that peeked from under his dark, leather trench coat. “I wish we could’ve met on better terms Stray, but you must come with me.”
Bay cleared her throat. “Clover,” she gestured towards the man. “This is Brother Samuel—”
“I have no time nor preference for pleasantries Wolfe,” the man said, his eyes still holding their spot on my face. “She needs to come with me.”
I shook my head in confusion, my chest puffing up in irritation. “Go? I was told that I would be documented and released from this hell hole! Now you’re standing here asking me to come with you.”
The man’s grimace deepened. “I’m not asking you.”
I clenched my hands at my sides, quickly making my decision. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Vince and Bay seemed to still at my defiance. A sense of ‘foreboding’ fell across Bay’s shoulders. Her eyes met mine and she shook her head, a small warning.
“You cannot refuse the Council.” the man said, his eyes set in the same firm boredom that they’d been in when he’d entered.
I ignored Bay’s scolding and tightened my arms across my chest. “I just did.”
The man stepped into the kitchen. “Then I must forcibly detain you.”
I didn’t try and restrain the boulder of anger that came rolling through me. “You can damn well try.” I snarled.
The man’s bored gaze became lit with readiness. A sense of ‘eagerness’ bounced off him. “I’m going to give you one more chance to freely come with me pup.”
Tension volleyed between us as we both held eye contact. I could feel that he was going to go through with his promise but I didn’t care. I owed this Council nothing.
I squared my feet. “No.”
“Blue!” Bay gasped, a modest load of relief coating her voice. “You’re back.”
All of our eyes shifted towards the large double doors leading out to the porch. There stood Blue, Paxton, Wyatt and Jael, the three men he had called into the woods with him yesterday.
Blue pulled open the doors and pushed his large frame into the kitchen. His dark orbs looked around the room seeming to soak up all the tension flooding the air. His body stiffed in response to the pressure while his gaze lingered on me for merely a second before they landed on the Council guy. “Brother Samuel, you have arrived.”
“Indeed I have Blue Wolfe,” Samuel’s emotionless gaze fell on me. “I’ve come for the pup. She has been Summoned and must stand before the Council.”
Blue stepped forward, pushing Vince behind him so that he was right in front of Samuel. “She has been Summoned? On what grounds?”
A small tsk sound came from the Council man’s lips. “You know I cannot disclose that information to you Blue. Council matters are to stay within the Council.”
Blue’s shoulder’s tensed. “You told me one thing and came to do another Samuel. I told her,” he gestured over to me, “that she was free to go after you documented her—”
“Things have changed,” Samuel bit out. “She must come with me.”
He and Blue locked eyes. A silent battle of authority whipped between them. The apprehension in the room was at an all time high and I was tempted to run. I’d have to blindly trust that my human legs would get me far enough away from all this.
“Bay, take the pup back to the basement and stay there with her. I would like to talk with Samuel,” Blue cast a stern look over his shoulder at Vince and the rest of the boys, “Alone, please.”
The men turned to leave, Vince catching my eye as he left with them. He gave me a sham of a smile, something deeper lingering under his gaze.
Samuel’s mouth tightened in anger. “There is nothing to discuss. The girl comes with me.”
“Respect my home, Samuel. Let us talk first and then you may take the girl.”
My mouth parted to protest but Blue held up his hand, silencing me with a look. This time the look was not menacing, in his eyes gleamed a light of assurance. It was only the smallest amount of assurance, but I found comfort in it.
^^^^^
It seemed like Bay and I had been down there for hours.
Bay fiddled with her jacket and scratched at the dry food on her pants from the preparation of breakfast earlier. Every so often she’d glance over at the door, her eyes wandering about the wooden frame.
After what felt like an insufferable amount of silence, I spoke, “What’s Blue going to do?
Bay stopped fidgeting and looked up at me. For some time her eyes bored into mine until she answered, “Honestly, I don’t know Clover.”
“Can he do anything?” I asked.
Bay crossed her arms and paced the floor instead of answering.
I shook my head, letting out a humorless chuckle as my eyes traced my bandaged arm. “I should have searched for food farther west that night.”
“No one knows their destiny.” Bay said, glancing up between her pacing.
“What is it with this shit about destiny?” I growled. “I don’t see anything destined about me getting caught in a rinky dink trap, being tossed into this…this weird wolf cult where by the way, no one wants me,” Bay stopped her pacing and watched my episode, "and now I’m being Summoned by the weird wolf cult to die!” I ran my good hand roughly through my hair. “Screw destiny, I’d rather chance life on my own.”
The door propped open just as the last syllable touched my lips. Both of our heads swiveled towards Keeley as she poked her pixie head through, a small smile cast across her lips. She stepped into the room, gently closing the door behind her. “I just came from upstairs with Dominick,"
"How is he?" Bay asked.
Keeley gave a small smile. "He's doing well, Dr. Ross is excellent. I just thought I’d keep you two company,” she shrugged, her fingers fiddling with her flowing sundress. “There’s too much male wolf aura tainting the air upstairs.”
I hopped down off the bed. “I thought you left.”
Keeley gave me a perplexed look. “Why would I leave?”
I ran my fingers across the wall of the room until I ended up on the other side near the vanity. I let my hand fall on my lap as I sank down onto the vanity’s stool. “Because everyone else did.”
Keeley’s eyes darted towards the vanity and a flash of something soared across her eyes before she shrugged at me. “I’m not like everyone else.”
I watched as her dress waved behind her as she crossed the room and gently sat on the bed. She ran her fingers over the comforter’s fabric, intensely staring at it. “Dominick says you knew the Rogue from last night.” Keeley looked up from her concentration on the bed.
Bay stopped moving, her attention set between Keeley and I.
I looked up at her, trying to mask how startled I was at her straightforwardness. “Rogue?”
“It’s what we call wolves that aren’t necessarily Strays but once belonged to a den and left on.....bad terms.” Bay interjected. “They’re usually thieves and…”
I raised a questioning eyebrow. “And what?”
“Murderers.” The word was loud in the small space as Keeley and Bay said in unison. My stomach did an enormous plunge at the word.
A ball of doubt thumped on the hardened floors of my thoughts.
I’d purposely blocked that part of my life out. There was no room for the past and Grayson had been just that…until last night. I shivered as I thought of the black wolf poised to kill me.
“So do you?” Keeley asked. “Do you know the Rogue?”
I held her gaze not batting a lash as my lips formed the single worded lie. “No.”
Keeley crossed her legs. “Good, because I like you…Clover.” she smiled, her head cocked to the side.
I didn’t pull my lips into a smile as some did when someone like Keeley smiled at them. I could only stare as I contemplated what knowing Grayson meant.
^^^^
“What?” I cried indignantly.
Blue rubbed his hand down his face. “You’re going.”
I watched as everyone rushed around me in preparation for a departure that I had no desire to take part in.
“Can’t you do something? Can’t you…veto… them or something?”
Blue’s eye’s crinkled as he frowned in confusion. “Veto?”
I threw my good hand up. “I don’t know how this wolf government works!”
Blue shook his head, his eyes losing the small bit of laughter they had. “There is no government. There is only the Council. They uphold the small community of rules we have, otherwise we’d have a bunch of—”
“Rogues?” I offered.
Blue raised his eyebrows in pure surprise. “How do you know about the Rogues?”
I glanced over at Keeley who was standing alongside Paxton near the small, blue car that Paxton and Wyatt had brought in sometime during my transition from the cellar to the large tree I’d sat in front of yesterday. Blue and I were standing a few feet from the house watching the others. Bay, Keeley, Paxton, Wyatt, Jael and Vince all moved about tending to separate tasks. To my amazement, Samuel had left some time ago and everyone had been in nonstop motion since his departure.
Bay had been packing clothes and food while Jael and Wyatt had gone off away from the house, a map tucked under Jael’s arm. The air was filled with a concentrated aura as everyone busily moved about.
I turned my head back to Blue deciding not to rat Keeley out. “Why wasn’t I told about the Rogues?” I countered.
Blue shook his head. “You are a Stray, you have little to fear of Rogues. They tend to attack packs. You weren’t on a need to know basis.”
“Packs like this one.” I surmised, as I gazed around the grounds. Was that why Grayson was here last night? To attack this Den? If that was so, was he really a Rogue?
Blue nodded. “Exactly.”
I leaned against the large tree, tugging irritably on my hair. “I still don’t’ understand what’s going on. What do these people want from me? I know nothing and I’m not apart of this ‘wolf covenant’ thing. You all treat me like I’m some type of disease yet now I’m a hot commodity to this…Council.”
“I don’t know why they want you but know that you have no choice.”
“But—“ I began to protest.
“Vince is going with you, he knows the way.” Blue nodded. "You'll be safe."
I shook my head, “No, no I won’t do it. I don’t know what you told that creepy Council guy but you can count me out.”
Blue gripped my good arm, his gaze stern. “You have no choice in this, pup. You’ll do as I say.”
I attempted to snatch my arm away to no avail. “You don’t own me! And I don’t owe you or this council anything!”
“But you owe me.”
Blue and I swung our heads towards the sound of Dominick’s voice that rang out from his stance on the porch.
He was shirtless under the sun. A large bandage laid across his chest covering the huge gash that I’d seen the night before. Stitching had been applied to the gash on his head which was covered with three small strips of bandages. Behind him stood who I assumed was Dr. Ross. Bay stood on the other side of Dominick, her eyes filled with worry.
Dr. Ross was young with wild red hair that she pulled to the base of her neck. Brown glasses laid on her nose and surprisingly her uniform consisted of jeans and a tank. Aside from the glasses, she didn’t look like the stereotypical doctor to me.
Dr. Ross crossed her arms, a scowl on her lips. “He insisted on getting up out of bed even though I told him that he needed rest—”
“Dominick, please let me help you back to your bed—” Bay tried.
Dominick didn’t even glance at her. His cold eyes rested on me. “You owe me your life pup.”
“I told you I wasn’t one for thank you’s.” I bit out.
Dominick looked off into the sky before looking down at me. “You owe me your life…do this for me.”
I sized him up. “You must’ve bumped your head pretty hard out there in the woods huh?”
Dominick growled heavily, as he clenched his hands at his side. “I’m trying to make it easier on you. Either you do it or they kill you,” Dominick said.
"Not if I run."
"You do it, or I"ll make you do it." Dominick snarled.
I crossed my arms. "Try me."
^^^^
“I have to pee.” I groaned, lifting my head up from the cold window.
Dominick growled from his position in the passenger seat, tossing me an annoyed look. “You just peed at the last rest stop.”
Vince chuckled, scratching his hair with the hand that wasn’t on the wheel. “She’s a girl, they pee a lot.”
I violently kneed his seat, inwardly taking pleasure in him grumbling “Shit”, on the impact of my knee against the seat.
Dominick shook his head, “This is not some vacation! We're not stopping. We’ve got a four day drive ahead of us. We don’t have time to stop.”
I sat back in my seat, crossing my legs against my protestant bladder. “Do you know what you suffer from Mr. ‘Alpha’?” I asked.
When he didn’t respond I answered anyway. “You suffer from a very common disease called ‘I’m-an-asshole-pnemonia.”
Vince snorted.
Dominick growled at my words. “And apparently it's contagious.”