It's been three days since Jess, Jaxon, and Jayson set out on the journey to the borderlands to save Kyle.
They've spent a whole day learning the layout of the place.
And Despite the persistent discomfort Jess feels in his abdomen, his stomach aching, like it's being stretched against his will, he doesn't slow down.
After sneaking around the area in their wolf forms, Jess begins to understand the dark truth: the place looks like a human trafficking market.
For a fleeting moment, he's gripped with a desire to tear the whole operation apart and free every suffering soul here.
But the reality stings, he's not strong enough. Not yet. He can only hold onto the hope that Kyle hasn't already been taken.
They move in and out of rooms in their wolf forms, skirting danger at every turn. Jess's mind begins to wear thin, and they almost give up.
Transforming back into their human forms, Jaxon's voice is low but urgent. "This place is huge, and we've searched everywhere. I'm sure you remember his voice. How about using your wolf hearing and try to track him?"
Jess feels the sting of his own oversight. He almost slaps himself. Why hadn't he thought of that sooner?
Closing his eyes, Jess concentrates, the stillness of the night pressing on him.
For a moment, he hears nothing, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum of hopelessness, until suddenly, it clicks.
His eyes snap open. "He's still here," he murmurs, the relief washing over him, bitter and sweet.
Without wasting a second, he follows the voice... tired, angry, but laced with a fragile thread of hope.
It leads him to rooms filled with chains. His heart stops when at a hidden angle, he sees Kyle... chained, defeated.
A woman stands over him, yelling about how he'll face the consequences for his rebellion and stubbornness.
A rush of guilt slams into Jess like a tidal wave. He can barely breathe under the weight of it.
He wonders if Kyle will ever forgive him for running, for leaving him behind. His eyes linger on the beaten figure of Kyle, wishing he could take all the pain away.
When the woman and the others leave, Jayson stays behind to keep watch.
Jess and Jaxon quickly break the padlocks, using their claws with precision. They free Kyle with practiced speed, but the sight of him unconscious, the limp body that once held so much life... leaves a hollow ache in Jess's chest.
They carry him, knowing how hard it will be to move through the place in human form, but they make it.
~
After taking a bus, they travel as far as they can go safely. They stop at the next town, renting hotel rooms. Jaxon and Jayson take one room while Jess stays in another with Kyle.
As Jess settles beside him, he watches Kyle.
And finally, Kyle stirs.
Jess holds his breath. What will his reaction be? The thought spirals in his mind, a knot of anxiety twisting deep in his gut.
Kyle's eyelids flutter, then he opens them, those familiar grey eyes.
For a long moment, Kyle doesn't move, his gaze flickering around, confused. His eyes land on Jess, and in that instant, they widen immediately, full of disbelief.
"Je... Jess...?" Kyle murmurs, the name slipping from his lips like a prayer. His voice cracks under the weight of shock, and Jess feels it pierce his own chest.
Kyle blinks, rubbing his eyes as if trying to erase the hallucination. His voice is full of wonder, disbelief clinging to every syllable. "Jess...?" He blinks again, as if trying to make sure his eyes are not playing tricks on him.
Then with a sudden, desperate surge of motion, Kyle pulls himself from the bed.
He staggers a few steps but, with a burst of strength, collapses into Jess, throwing his arms around him. The force of the embrace almost knocks the breath out of Jess.
For a split second, Jess is frozen, but then his arms rise, wrapping around Kyle, pulling him close.
His eyes burn with unshed tears. It's a relief, a painful kind of relief, but the tears never fall. Jess never lets them unless he's really on the edge.
Kyle pulls back just far enough to look at Jess, his hands trembling as they trace the outline of Jess's face, like he's still not sure if this is real. His voice is barely a whisper. "Jess...?"
"Yeah," Jess finally answers, his voice low, thick with the emotions he's been holding inside.
Without warning, Kyle leans in, his lips crashing into Jess's. The kiss is raw, desperate, Kyle's heart beating against Jess's in a frantic rhythm.
Jess is caught off guard, but he doesn't push him away.
Kyle pulls away, only to wrap his arms around Jess again, his head resting in the crook of Jess's neck.
Jess feels the warmth of Kyle's breath, the thrum of his pulse. Everything feels like it could fall apart in an instant.
Time passes. Kyle eventually pulls back, his eyes locked on the side of Jess's neck, a strange intensity in them.
Jess feels his body stiffen. "What?" he asks, his voice quiet.
Kyle's gaze is transfixed, his voice trembling. "What's that?" He doesn't move, eyes still glued to the mark.
Jess's stomach drops when it finally hits him. The mark. Tanner's mark.
"What the hell is that?!" Kyle's voice rises, shaking with a mix of sudden fury.
He takes a step back, and his fist slams into the wall, the force of it making the entire room almost tremble.
"Who the fVck marked you!" He yells.
He paces, his voice growing more frantic. "It's that bastard, isn't it?! That fVcking bastard! That Hale Alpha bastard! How could you let him?!"
The words hit Jess like a physical blow. His breath catches in his throat, and he can't stop the rush of panic rising in his chest.
"How do you know it's him?" Jess blurts, his mind spinning. How could Kyle know? He was locked up. How could he possibly know it was Tanner?
Am I missing something?!