Chapter 130
Tempest hadn’t felt this excited in days.
For the first time since Dron left, she had something to focus on besides waiting. There was a plan now. A dangerous one, possibly even a foolish one, but a plan all the same. She moved around the kitchen gathering anything she thought they might need, placing containers of food, extra clothing, blankets, and whatever small tools she could find across the table. Most of it probably wouldn’t be useful, but she didn’t care. Doing something felt better than sitting still. Even the simple act of folding one of Dron’s thick outer garments made her feel as if she was moving closer to him.
"I don’t know how cold it gets in Skoq," Tempest said as she lifted the garment and inspected it. "Do you think we should bring more of these? We don’t know how long we’re going to be gone."
Mexyn sat across from her at the table with her hands folded in her lap. "It gets colder the farther you travel from the border."
"Then we should definitely pack more."
Tempest hurried toward the hallway before Mexyn could answer. She returned moments later with another bundle of clothing pressed against her chest. There were things that belonged to her and things that belonged to Dron. Tempest had no idea whether anything made for his large body would be useful to anyone else, but she wasn’t willing to leave it behind. There was comfort in having something of his near her. Maybe when they finally found him, he would laugh at how much she had overpacked.
The thought made her smile.
"I still can’t believe we’re actually doing this," Tempest said as she placed everything on the table. "Yesterday I thought I was going to spend the next several weeks trapped in this house, losing my mind every time a transport passed by. Now we’re going to Skoq."
Mexyn didn’t respond.
Tempest continued moving around the room. She found a small storage container and began filling it with dried food from the cabinets. Gerax would probably tell her she was packing incorrectly. He would want everything weighed, measured, and organized according to whatever strange system he used in his laboratory. Tempest wasn’t worried about that. They could fix the details later. For now, she was simply happy that there were details to fix.
"I wonder how long it’ll take us to reach the border," she continued. "You said you knew some of the routes. Are we going to take a transport the entire way, or will we have to walk part of it? I don’t mind walking. I mean, I’ll probably complain after the first hour, but I won’t actually mind."
Mexyn remained quiet.
Tempest finally stopped what she was doing.
At first, she had assumed Mexyn was concentrating. The journey required more knowledge than Tempest had, and Mexyn had been the one to suggest it. Tempest thought she might be remembering roads, villages, or places where they could stop. Now that she was paying closer attention, she realized Mexyn wasn’t studying the supplies at all. She was staring down at her hands.
There was no excitement in her expression.
Tempest slowly set the container on the table.
"What’s wrong?"
Mexyn looked up. "Nothing."
"That isn’t true."
"I’m simply thinking."
"About what?"
Mexyn’s gaze moved toward the pile of supplies Tempest had already gathered. For a moment, she looked as if she might avoid answering entirely. Tempest pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. She didn’t want to push too hard, but Mexyn had spent days trying to make sure Tempest didn’t bury her own feelings. It seemed only fair that Tempest do the same for her.
"You’re the one who suggested we go," Tempest reminded her. "I thought you’d be as excited as I am."
"I am excited."
"You don’t look excited."
Mexyn let out a quiet breath. "There are complications."
Tempest waited.
Mexyn looked toward the window before finally speaking. "I haven’t seen him in a very long time."
Tempest frowned. "Seen who?"
Mexyn’s mouth tightened. "The male I told you about. The one in Skoq."
It took Tempest a moment to understand what she meant. Mexyn had mentioned knowing Skoq and having a connection there, but she hadn’t explained the full story. Tempest leaned forward slightly.
Tempest’s excitement faded enough for concern to take its place. "How long has it been?"
"Several cycles."
"That long?"
Mexyn nodded. "The last time I saw him, I believed I would be able to return. Then the restrictions changed. The border became more dangerous, my family stopped trading in the area, and eventually I was expected to move on with my life."
Tempest studied her carefully. There was a sadness in Mexyn’s voice that she had never heard before. Mexyn was usually warm, even when she was angry. She filled rooms with conversation and rarely allowed silence to last long. Now she seemed smaller somehow, as if speaking about the male had pulled her back into a part of her life she had tried to bury.
"Did you love him?" Tempest asked.
Mexyn looked down again. "I still do."
Tempest’s chest tightened.
"What about your mate?"
"That is the complication."
Mexyn’s present mate had never been a large part of their conversations. Tempest knew he existed, but she didn’t know much about their relationship. She had assumed they were content, if not deeply in love. On Thraqe, that seemed common. Mating wasn’t always about romance. Sometimes it was about status, biology, or what was expected.
"How are you going to tell him?" Tempest asked.
"I don’t know."
"You could tell him the truth."
Mexyn gave her a weary look. "The truth is that I intend to enter forbidden territory where a male I once loved may still live. There is no version of that conversation that will sound reasonable."
Tempest couldn’t argue with that.
Mexyn leaned back in her chair. "My mate isn’t cruel. He doesn’t control every decision I make, but he is still my mate. He has a right to be concerned. He will want to know why I am willing to risk my life for this journey, and I don’t know what answer I can give him that won’t cause pain."
"You’re not only going because of the male."
"No, but he is part of it."
Tempest reached across the table and stopped before touching Mexyn’s hand. She remembered how careful everyone on Thraqe was about touching omegas. Instead, she rested her hand on the table near hers.
"You don’t have to pretend that part doesn’t matter."
Mexyn looked at her.
"Maybe you need to see him," Tempest continued. "Even if nothing comes from it. Even if he’s moved on. Maybe you need answers."
"That is what frightens me."
"Finding out he moved on?"
"Finding out he didn’t."
Tempest sat back.
Mexyn’s eyes glistened, though no tears fell. "If he still feels the same way, then I will have to decide what that means for the life I’ve built here. If he no longer cares, then I will have to accept that everything I’ve held onto all this time existed only in my memory. Neither outcome is simple."
Tempest didn’t know what to say. She wanted to comfort Mexyn, but empty reassurance wouldn’t help. Love had made Tempest feel brave, terrified, hopeful, and broken all at once. She understood how the possibility of an answer could be more frightening than uncertainty.
"You don’t have to decide everything before we leave," Tempest said. "You only have to decide whether you’re going."
Mexyn was quiet for a moment. "I’m going."
"Then we’ll deal with the rest when it happens."
A faint smile touched Mexyn’s face, but it disappeared quickly.
"There are other things you should know."
Tempest’s excitement stirred again, though this time it was tempered by caution. "About Skoq?"
"Yes."
Mexyn turned her attention toward the table, moving several of the containers aside so she could clear a space between them. She traced an invisible line across the surface with one finger.
"The easiest routes are also the ones most likely to be watched. The Thraqen military guards the official border crossings, but there are smaller passages through the mountains. Some are used by traders. Others are used by people who don’t wish to be found."
"Smugglers?"
"Among other things."
Tempest swallowed. "What other things?"
"Raiders. Exiled alphas. Groups that refuse to recognize the authority of the High Royals."
Tempest tried not to let her nerves show. "So we avoid them."
"If we can."
Mexyn traced another route across the table. "The terrain changes quickly. One moment you may be traveling through open fields, and the next you are surrounded by rock formations so high that transport signals can’t pass through them. If we lose communication, no one will know where we are."
Tempest looked toward her wrist device.
"That’s not terrifying at all."
Mexyn ignored the weak attempt at humor. "There are storms as well. They appear without warning. The wind can overturn smaller transports, and the rain causes the ground to shift. Entire paths can disappear within moments."
Tempest’s stomach tightened.
She had imagined danger. Guards, perhaps. Wild creatures. Maybe even hostile people. She hadn’t considered the land itself trying to kill them.
"What about animals?"
"There are many."
"Dangerous ones?"
"Most of them."
Tempest stared at her.
Mexyn finally smiled slightly. "Some will avoid us if we leave them alone. Others are territorial. There are creatures that travel beneath the ground and hunt by feeling movement. There are winged predators that can lift a full-grown alpha from the earth if they catch him unaware."
Tempest slowly pushed the food container away from the edge of the table.
"Anything else?"
"Yes."
"Of course there is."
"The people of Skoq don’t trust outsiders, especially anyone connected to the High Royals or the military. Dron may already be in danger simply because of the uniform he wears."
The excitement Tempest had felt earlier twisted into fear.
"He can handle himself."
"I’m sure he can," Mexyn said gently. "But you need to understand that finding him may not be as simple as reaching Skoq and asking where the military is stationed. We may have to hide who we are. We may have to lie. We may have to travel without official identification."
Tempest looked down at the supplies covering the table. A short time ago, she had been packing as if they were going on a long trip. Now she understood that this wasn’t an adventure in the way she had imagined. There would be moments of wonder, perhaps, but there would also be real danger. They could be arrested before they crossed the border. They could become lost. They could find Dron too late.
The thought nearly stole her breath.
"I still want to go," Tempest said.
"I know."
"Does that make me reckless?"
"Yes."
Tempest gave Mexyn a look.
Mexyn’s smile returned, this time lasting slightly longer. "It also makes you determined."
"I can live with that."
Tempest stood and moved around the table again, though her movements were slower now. She began separating the supplies into smaller groups. Food. Clothing. Medical items. Tools. She was still excited, but the feeling had changed. It was no longer wild happiness. It had become something steadier. Something with fear woven through it.
"We’ll be careful," Tempest said. "We’ll listen to you. We won’t rush into anything."
"That promise will last until you believe Dron is nearby."
Tempest opened her mouth to argue but stopped.
Mexyn raised an eyebrow.
"Fine," Tempest admitted. "Then you and Gerax will stop me from doing anything stupid."
"That has already proven difficult."
Tempest laughed, and to her relief, Mexyn did too. The sound eased some of the heaviness in the room. For several minutes, they continued sorting supplies together. Mexyn explained which foods would last longest and which clothing would be useless in the colder regions. Tempest listened carefully, asking questions whenever she didn’t understand. She wanted to be prepared. If she was going to ask everyone else to risk their lives, then she couldn’t treat the journey like a game.
The front door opened before either of them heard the transport arrive.
Gerax stepped inside carrying two large bags and wearing an expression that immediately made Tempest nervous.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I gathered what medical supplies I could without raising suspicion." Gerax set the bags near the door and looked at the table. "I also reviewed the border records and confirmed that the routes Mexyn described still exist."
Mexyn straightened. "That’s good."
"It is useful," Gerax corrected. "I wouldn’t call any part of this good."
Tempest moved closer. "So what do we do now?"
Gerax looked between the two of them. For a moment, he said nothing, and Tempest knew she wasn’t going to like the answer.
"We do the most important part."
Mexyn’s expression tightened.
Gerax let out a long breath. "It will also probably be the hardest."
Tempest already knew what he meant.
"We have to convince Rynax," Gerax said.