Chapter 123
Elara's POV
The highway stretched endlessly ahead. Nothing but white snow and dark pine trees on both sides.
I pressed my forehead against the cold window of the SUV. My breath fogged the glass.
We'd been driving for hours. The city disappeared behind us mile by mile until there was nothing but wilderness.
Cole's hands were steady on the wheel. He hadn't said much since we started. Just drove.
I pulled out the folder he'd given me at the airport. Intelligence reports. Handwritten notes.
North Creek. Population less than three hundred. Mostly First Nations people and... edge wolves. Rogues who didn't belong to any pack.
My fingers traced the map. The town sat at the edge of nowhere. Surrounded by frozen forest and mountains.
"We need to be extremely low-profile," Cole said without taking his eyes off the road.
I looked up. "I know."
"I mean it." His voice was flat. "These people don't trust outsiders. Especially not in winter. And if Wild Hunt has been through here..."
He didn't finish. Didn't need to.
I nodded and went back to the reports.
The sun was setting when the landscape started to change. The endless forest gave way to cleared land. Then I saw buildings in the distance.
North Creek.
My heart started beating faster.
---
The main street was barely two blocks long. Old wooden buildings lined both sides. Everything looked worn down and weathered.
Cole slowed the SUV to a crawl. I sat up straighter and looked around.
There were people on the street but not many. A few figures in heavy coats walking with their heads down. They all turned to stare at us as we passed.
I felt their eyes. Suspicious. Hostile.
"Friendly place," I muttered.
Cole didn't smile. "Bar on the left. Three men outside."
I glanced over. Three big guys stood near the entrance of what looked like the only bar in town. They weren't moving. Just watching our vehicle.
Wolves. I could tell even from here. The way they stood. The way they tracked our movement.
"Lot of rogues here," Cole said quietly.
I felt it too. That wild energy in the air. Uncontrolled. Dangerous.
We pulled up to a small building with a faded sign: MOTEL.
"Only one in town," Cole said as he parked.
---
The woman at the front desk was maybe fifty. Gray hair pulled back tight. Deep lines around her mouth.
She looked up when we walked in. Her eyes swept over us once. Cold assessment.
"Need a room," Cole said.
She didn't respond right away. Just stared at us for a long moment.
Then she pulled out a registration book. "ID."
Cole handed over our fake documents. I watched her face as she checked them.
Her expression didn't change but something flickered in her eyes. Suspicion? Recognition?
"How long?" she asked.
"Few days," Cole said. "Maybe a week."
She wrote something down. Still hadn't looked at me directly.
I cleared my throat. Tried to sound casual. "Excuse me. Have you seen any new faces around? Someone around my age?"
The woman's hand paused. Just for a second.
Then she looked up at me. Her face was completely blank.
"Don't know," she said. "People come and go."
She turned away and grabbed a key from the board behind her. Handed it to Cole.
"Room 7. Upstairs. End of the hall."
That was it. She went back to whatever she'd been doing before we arrived. Conversation over.
Cole took the key. We headed for the stairs.
---
The room was small. Two beds. One window overlooking the street.
I went straight to the window and looked down.
"Someone's watching," I said.
Cole came to stand beside me. "Where?"
"Across the street. Blue pickup truck. Guy in the driver's seat hasn't moved since we got here."
Cole was quiet for a moment. Then he pulled the curtain closed.
"We arrived and immediately drew attention," he said. "We need to wait until dark to move."
I sat on the edge of the bed. My body was tired from the long drive but my mind was racing.
Lynette was here. Or had been here. I could feel it.
"Get some rest," Cole said. "We move in a few hours."
I nodded but I knew I wouldn't sleep.
---
We slipped out through the kitchen exit at the back.
The town was completely dark. No streetlights. Just the pale glow of the moon on snow.
Cole led the way. We moved quietly through the shadows. Avoided the main street.
"The bar," Cole said quietly. "That's where the sighting was reported. Two weeks ago. Someone matching her description was seen near there."
I nodded. We'd passed the bar earlier when we drove into town. The one with the three men standing outside.
Now it was closed. Dark. Silent.
We circled around to the back. Found ourselves in a narrow alley.
The alley was filthy. Trash piled against the walls. Broken bottles. A few shopping carts tipped on their sides.
One flickering light at the far end barely lit anything.
I moved forward slowly. Looked around. Two weeks in winter. Snow. Wind. Any traces would be faint. Maybe gone completely.
But I had to try.
Cole and I split up. Started searching different sections of the alley.
The dumpster near the wall was old. Rusted metal. One of the hinges was broken and hung at an angle.
I crouched down. Looked closer at the damaged hinge.
There.
Caught in the jagged rust. Protected from the wind by the dumpster's bulk.
Hair. A few strands tangled in the metal.
Long. Dark.
My hands shook as I pulled them free. The strands were stiff. Partially frozen.
"Cole," I whispered.
He came over. Looked at what I'd found.
Could be anyone, I thought. Could be nothing.
But something in my chest told me otherwise.
"You're looking for someone."
I spun around.
A kid stood at the entrance to the alley. Maybe twelve years old. First Nations. Wearing a too-big jacket and old sneakers.
His eyes were sharp. Calculating.
He looked at the dumpster. At Cole examining the claw marks on the wall.
"Outsiders don't come here," the kid said. "And they definitely don't dig through trash in the middle of the night. Unless they're looking for something. Or someone."
I stood up slowly. Didn't answer.
The kid tilted his head. "Two weeks ago. Girl with long dark hair. Fought like hell. That who you're after?"
"Yeah," I said carefully. "We are."
The kid walked closer. Hands in his pockets. No fear at all.
"I saw her," he said.
My heart jumped. "Where is she now? What happened?"
The kid stopped a few feet away. Held out his hand. Palm up.
"Information costs money," he said. "That's the rule."
Cole pulled out his wallet without hesitation. Handed over several bills.
The kid counted them quickly. Nodded. Then he looked at me.
"She was running," he said. "Greyback gang was chasing her. She hid near the bar for a while. Then disappeared."
"Greyback gang?" I asked.
"Rogue wolves," Cole said quietly. "Trafficking. Smuggling. Very dangerous."
The kid nodded. "They run things around here. Nobody messes with them."
"Where did they take her?" I demanded.
The kid shrugged. "Don't know. She disappeared after that night. But if you want to find out more..." He paused. "You should talk to Old Tom."
"Who's Old Tom?"
"Information broker. Lives in a cabin at the edge of the forest. West side of town." The kid pointed. "He knows everything that happens here. Everything."
"Can you take us to him?" Cole asked.
The kid shook his head. "He only sees people during the day. Never at night. Go tomorrow morning. He'll talk to you. For the right price."
He started to turn away. Then stopped. Looked back at me.
His expression had changed. The calculating look was gone. Something else showed through. Something raw.
"You really care about her." he said quietly.
It wasn't a question.
I met his eyes. "She's family."
The kid was quiet for a long moment. His jaw worked like he was chewing on words he didn't want to say.
Then he turned and walked away. Faster this time.
Disappeared into the shadows.
I stood there. Staring at the empty alley where he'd been.