Rivers of blood and sand

Over an hour later, we met Aidan outside Alpha Raine’s cabin. The log cabin was multiple stories, built out of deep brown wood that gave off a smoky scent. This beautiful structure was over three times the size of Aidan’s and even had a wraparound porch. A couple of summoners were already up, sitting in chairs on the side of the porch, chatting as they watched the sun appear over the tops of the trees. It was a peaceful and serene sight, the forest sprawling out in front of us, with the quiet and relaxing sounds of nature as the background music.

Tension between us weighed down the air as we neared the house, neither of us saying a word.

I’d spent the past hour “reading” one of Aidan’s books, ignoring Ander as he came back into the room almost ten minutes later. It was far from a reasonable or mature thing to do, but I didn’t know how to try and have a normal conversation with him. Whatever was going on between us put me way out of my comfort zone when it came to him.

I may have been reading a book the entire time we waited, but I couldn’t even recall a single word I’d read, much less the subject. Was it a historical read, or was it fictional? Instead, all my attention was on Ander and his every movement. I kept peeking up at him from under my lashes or using my peripheral vision. Ander had given off an air of calm as he lounged on the sofa and even took a nap. How? How was he not as wound up as I was?

Aidan was waiting for us, leaning against the wall next to the front door, a smirk lifting his mouth as we approached. I raised my eyebrows at him, daring him to say something since I recognized the expression on his face. It was one Jade sometimes wore when she discovered something that entertained her. It wasn’t hard to figure out what had Aidan so amused. He tried to hide his amusement, although I don’t think he tried very hard, because his smirk was still fully in place.

He led us into a beautiful and spacious home. The ceiling was high with exposed wood beams, and hanging lights. Rugs covered the wooden floors in the rich colors of the forest, giving the elegant space a more homey vibe. The furniture followed the same themes. In the living room, a massive stone fireplace sat with a roaring fire that warmed the room. The warm, lived-in, homey vibe was far from what most expected from an Alpha’s home. For some Alphas that was true. Their homes were not open to the clan and had a cold feel to it or so I’ve heard. But all the ones I’ve been to were like this.

Three screaming children ran down the stairs, nearly making me jump at the sudden loud noise. The little girl was maybe three years old, while the two older boys appeared to be a few years older. Both of the boys had brunette hair, while the girl was blonde. She ran to Aidan as soon as she hit the first floor and held her arms out toward him. He chuckled as he tossed her in the air and she squealed in delight.

A woman with hair the same shade as the boys came rushing down the stairs. Water covered the front of her loose shirt as well as splattered on her comfortable-looking pants. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, with a few stray strands hanging out and plastered to her neck.

“Lose something?” Aidan asked with a laugh as he continued swinging the little girl around in a circle.

The woman—who I was pretty sure was Ivy, Raine’s mate—let out a strained laugh. “They love to keep me on my toes,” she said with a sigh. A smile lit up her face as she scooped up the younger of the two boys, holding him on her hip. She shot a glance at Ander and me, but she didn’t comment on the two strangers in her house so early in the morning. Other than giving a pleasant smile, she didn’t focus on us for too long.

“They don’t want to take their baths?” Aidan asked with a warm smile as he handed over the little girl.

Ivy sighed as she adjusted the kids so they both sat comfortably on either hip. “They never do.”

After a few more words spoken between them, we went further into the house, past the spacious kitchen that had enough seating to feed thirty. The furniture kept in theme with the rest of the house. Past the kitchen was a hallway, full of artwork that one would expect in a summoner’s home, that led to Raine’s office.

The door was already open, allowing us to see Raine before entering. He was leaning back against the desk with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His short hair was the same shade of blond as the little girl's. He was dressed casually in a way one could only do in their own home. It didn’t take away from his power, he still exuded strength as his shrewd green eyes watched us as we entered the office.

It was designed similarly to the rest of the house, with the same forest color scheme. In the right corner of the room were multiple sets of comfortable chairs that Aidan immediately headed towards. We followed his lead and took a seat in the chairs situated in a circle, good for having a group conversation. Whoever designed this room, picked out some insanely comfortable chairs. After sitting in an uncomfortable one for a long time yesterday, I no longer took chairs like this for granted.

Raine soon joined us over here, giving this meeting a more informal and comfortable feeling. Some Alphas weren’t like this. They loved wielding and lording their power over others. You couldn’t get through a conversation without them trying to assert their dominance in an annoying fashion. I’d already figured out Raine wasn’t like that, based on the meeting we had over three months ago, but it was still nice to have it confirmed.

We didn’t say a word as Raine leaned back in his seat, crossing his leg over the other as he considered Ander and me. “I’ve been told what you’ve found in the Wilds. Now, while I haven’t heard anything about rituals or sacrifices, the black substance is familiar.”

Ander and I shared a look, and for once, I could read his emotions clearly as they mirrored my own shock and worry. “Nobody has touched it right?” I asked, remembering the sound Ander made as he collapsed and how his heart stuttered to a stop.

I just barely concealed my shudder as my stomach pitched at the memory.

“No, we didn’t touch it. The energy felt off so we collected a sample. I was planning on setting up a meeting with Estella to see if she could tell me what it is. The damn stuff was hard to collect,” Raine said as he stood from his chair and went to the dark wooden cabinet on the other side of the room. He pressed his palm to one of the doors and a moment later, they both swung open, revealing various trinkets he thought important enough to have locked away. My focus didn’t linger on the trinkets and immediately landed on the large jar Raine was holding, filled halfway up with black sludge.

“May I?” Ander held out a hand as Raine approached. Raine handed it over without complaint or asking any questions and retook his seat. We all stared at Ander as he removed the lid and held his hand over the opening, careful to not touch it. He narrowed his eyes at the blood as his forehead creased in confusion. After resealing the lid, he handed it back to Raine.

“It’s similar to the blood we found in the Wilds, but it’s not an exact match.”

“Similar?” Aidan’s focus remained on the jar as Raine set it on the table between the chairs, almost like he was afraid it would explode or something like that. With the way the blood barely budged when the jar was being moved around, I couldn’t blame him for being wary.

“There are properties in this blood that are different from the one we found in the Wilds, but its similarities tell me it’s most likely from the same species.” Ander paused and squinted at the blood as he contemplated his words. “It’s sort of like how family members’ blood are both similar and different.”

“You’re saying there are two of these things out there, somehow spreading their blood around our realm?” Aidan asked.

“Can you show us where you found the blood?” Ander asked instead of answering Aidan’s question.

It was strange that we found blood in different territories. Add in the differences between the scenes and we had a real mystery on our hands. Why did we find dismembered animals at ours, but Raine hadn’t seen any when he found the blood?

“Aidan will show you where it is.” Rain headed toward his desk and shuffled through the papers littering the surface. Aidan joined him, resting his hands on the desk as he leaned down to look at a piece of paper. Raine pointed at something I couldn’t see, talking about trees being torn down. Would you look at that; another similarity.

“Keep me apprised of what you find,” Raine said as he sat at his desk.

I gave him a small nod and a smile before following Ander and Aidan out of the office. I had no idea what we’d discover out in the forest, but hopefully, it was less horrifying. I’d also be okay if it was less eventful than the Wilds.