Chapter 37: The secret bunker

Chapter 37: The secret bunker
Vander

It was exactly 9:30 when Freya knocked at the door. Behind her stood my three guests, Luca, Mason and Louis. I invited them in and led them to the Livingroom. Luca promptly took a seat whilst Mason and Louis peered around the place, eagerly assessing their environment in wonder.

“Nice place you got here.” Mason said as he held up a photo frame, “I didn’t know you had brothers. Seems you’re the uglier one of the three.”

I was in no mood for his childish insults and so I snatched the photo frame out of his hand and pointed towards the sofas in the living room, urging him to sit. Once I’d put the photo frame back in its place, I looked at Freya and allowed her to leave. She was far too busy going through the feedback on the inquiries and so we’d agreed earlier that I’d attend this meeting myself.

Luca was the first to speak, saying, “Thank you for allowing us into your home. And thank you for your efforts in finding Calina.”

I could tell behind his eyes that he actually wanted to condemn me for my inability to keep her safe in the first place. After all, she’d been kidnapped twice already. Nonetheless, he continued to be polite and cordial, the way he was expected to be. This elicited scoffs from both Louis and Mason. Luca shot them both glares and they promptly stopped.

“I fear your gratitude is misplaced. I haven’t really done anything in Calina’s favour from the moment she arrived here.”

That was when Luca’s face fell and his composure slipped slightly as a frown made its way onto his face.

“So, she really is a wolf now?” he asked.

I sighed and scratched the back of my head before saying, “I am not sure.”

Luca’s eyebrows furrowed and he gazed at me apprehensively. He wasn’t the only one. Although I’d told them about what had happened to Calina, I hadn’t really gone into much detail about what happened after the bite and why I suspected it had happened. Part of me suspected they wouldn’t believe me. And I was right, because after I’d told them, Louis shook his head and said,  “That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard. I mean… all for some mythical deity? Who the hell would buy that. I think he stole her to rattle you up. I mean he is the Alpha of the most powerful pack and you’re not far behind.”

I didn’t argue with Louis. I could already tell that his mind was made up about all of this and arguing would just lead us nowhere. And so instead, I brought us back to the purpose of this meeting.

“Did you find out who Brutis has been colluding with in the LHS?” I asked.

That was when Mason nodded and tapped Louis to explain. I assumed he’d been the one to find all of this information out.

“Yes. According to my intel, he’s close with Caleb Winston, the man presiding over the Bluewood district. There are others, but I couldn’t find their names.”

That was when a lightbulb went off in my mind. The Bluewood district just so happened to be near the Cape Jade pack. I thought back to my dream, to where Calina had mentioned that she smelled seawater. The Cape Jade pack also bordered the ocean and so it was possible that she was located somewhere around there. There was just one more thing I needed to know in order to confirm my suspicions.

“Do you know if there might be a bunker located anywhere near that area?”

Luca nodded in the affirmative. “Decades ago, after we’d found out the location of the Cape Jade pack, we set up a secret bunker just on the edge of Bluewood, right next to the pack. We used to use it as a storage place for weaponry,” he said.

It was all finally coming together. I had a new sense of urgency within me now. One that transcended whatever I’d felt in the past. I stood up promptly and instructed, “Luca and Louis can travel with Freya! Mason can come with me!”

I was just about to exit the house and phone Freya when Luca stopped me, pulling my shoulder.

“Vander… hold on, what the hell are you doing?” he asked, a look of confusion and caution on his face.

“I can’t really explain how I know this but… I think Calina’s in that bunker! I’m going to need you three there in case we have issues with other hunters, and I’m unfortunately not taking no for an answer sir.”

He looked at me for a moment, studying the expression in my eyes before nodding to himself and letting me go.

“A word of warning, however. Mason and I don’t particularly share a good relationship with Mr Winston.”

I smiled and shrugged, “I don’t particularly have a good relationship with the Cape Jade pack. But if we have to step on a few toes, so be it.”