The Alphas Wonder Land Phoenix Mountain Book 9

“You want to do what, now?” I ask Damica in the living room of my pack house.

She twists her fingers. “Well, I want to go to my old home and call Rex.”

I wrap my arm around my waist and rub my stubble. “Let me get this straight. You want to call the guys that tried to kidnap you. Am I getting that right?” I’m not liking this plan.

She paces around. “Rex…He’s not bad. He’s desperate. From when I saw him last, they’re in real trouble, Sawyer.”

I toss a hand to her. “They’re criminals, Damica.”

She shakes her head. “Sawyer, they saved my life. Rex saved my life. That place…Sawyer, it plays on your mind. The longer you’re there, the worse it gets. I can’t blame Rex for coming at me like he did. Behind that mirror is poison. I promised to help him and I’m doing just that.”

She holds herself.

“How?” I stand in front of her. “How are you going to help? Unless you have a magic cure to get them out.”

“I don’t know.” She flops her hands to the side. “I don’t know, Sawyer, but I have to do something! You don’t know what it’s like on the other side.”

“Because you won’t tell me, Damica! I’ve been asking for you to tell and you won’t! You think I can’t handle it? You think I won’t understand? Try me, alright! Just try!” I was irritated that she wants me to help, but she wants me going in blind. I can’t do that. “I can’t just trust that this Rex guy isn’t going to hurt you if you don’t tell me everything.”

I watch as she puts her hand on her hip and rubs her forehead. “Ok. Alright.”

She sits down. I sit down on the coffee table.

She leans on her thighs. “When I went over the first time. Rex, he protected me the best he could. He was injured getting me back home. I was so worried about him. Then I crossed over again…”

****

DAMICA

I look at Sawyer and relive my memory of the last time I saw Rex.

“Go ahead, Damica. He’s waiting.” I nervously glance at Dr. Williams. I turn and stand at the full sized floor mirror in her lab.

I suck in a breath and close my eyes. My foot steps through the mirror then the other. The glass ripples around my body like water.

I step into a darker version of the lab. My eyes hit his dark ones. He has a bit more stubble on his jaw and seems to be more muscular. His dark hair is all messy. He needs a hair cut. I look him over and a lump grows in my throat. Tears start to form.

“Hey, kid. You got big.” Rex smiles.

I give a little laugh and a tear falls. “Yeah, I did.”

“Sweet 16 now, huh?” He leans to me.

I nod and sniff. “Yep. You…you don’t look as big this time.”

Dr. Williams steps through with her med kit. “Rex. Is everyone ready?”

“Yes. They’re right outside.” He says removing his arm from the glass.

He looks at me. “Come here, little girl.” He grabs me and pulls me into a big bear hug. He puts his chin in neck. “Not a day went by where I didn’t think you. I missed you so much.” He whispers

“I missed you, too.” I choke.

“We should get to work. Damica.” She gestures to another area of the lab.

Rex grabs my wrist and laces his fingers in mine. “I’m with you the whole way.”

I suck in my top lip and nod.

Dr. Williams sits me down in a chair. “What’s your numbers?”

“250.” Rex says squatting down beside me. He tucked my hair behind my ear. “Brave fighter?”

“Brave fighter.” I hitch with a smile.

“Ok. A pint should do you. I’ll administer the blood, give it about four hours then send the test through. I’ll let you know if it was successful.” She says as she sticks a needle in my arm. I wince and squeeze Rex’s hand.

“It’ll work. She should be old enough now.” He says as he smiles at me.

Dr. Williams starts to draw my blood into a small bag. I watch the red fill the clear bag.

“You really grew into a beautiful girl, kid.” He holds my hand in both of his.

I blush. “You’re bias.” I chuckle.

He leans to me. “Maybe a little, but I’m serious. You’re probably breaking hearts all over Washington.” He smirks.

I laugh. “Whatever. Not like I have many options.”

“You should have lots of options.” He smiles.

I scoff. “Not when you spend a good portion of it locked up for believing this is real.”

“Shit! They locked you up?!” His brow furrowed.

I nod and look down. “Right up until Dr. Williams found me.”

“Damn it, kid. I told you it was our secret.” He ran the back of his fingers down my cheek.

“I know, but you were hurt and the Falcons were after us, I was just so worried. Rex, I didn’t want to leave you. I needed help, but no one would believe me.” I tilt my head to him.

“Well, of course they wouldn’t, little girl. I don’t even believe it half the time and I’ve been here for 16 years.” He shakes his head at me.

“I was 5, Rex. I didn’t know. All I knew was that my best friend was in trouble and needed help." I mumble.

He grabs the back of my neck and puts his forehead on mine. “Don’t you ever worry about me, little girl. I’m a survivor. I’ll be last one standing. You trust that, you got me?”

I give a tiny smile and nod.

“Ok. When you go back, you don’t give me a second thought. You go live your best life. You go to school and you get the best damn grades. You go be great at what ever you do. You promise me. Promise me, from this day forward, you will be happy.” He gives me tiny shakes as he talks.

I nod. “I promise.”

“Ok.” He leans back. “How’s she doing?”

“All done." Dr. Williams removed the needle. “Send them in. 10 at a time.”

“Ok. Time to save us. You ready?” He smiles.

“Yes.” I smile.

“Fingers crossed.” He crosses his fingers.

I cross mine and he kisses my forehead.

Group after group came in and Dr. Williams injected my blood into the arms of all of Rex’s pack members.

After it was over, we waited the four hours for my blood to circulate through their systems.

“Where’s your volunteer?” She asks.

Rex steps to the door. “Stu.” He calls his Delta.

“Ok. If this works, it should at least break the connection to the mirrors, you’ll still have passage, but you can stay on our side without dying.” Dr. Williams informs.

“Stu?” I look up at him as he walks in.

He smiles. “Hey, peanut. Look at you.”

I look at Rex. “No. You can’t.”

“It’s OK, Dami. I know what I signed up for.”

“No, Stu, you can’t. You can’t die.” I run to him and wrap my arms around his waist. He hugs me back.

“Hey. Positive thoughts. It could work. If it doesn’t, at least I’m free.” He lifts my chin.

My face fills with sadness.

“Don’t waste tears on me, peanut. The only thing I ever did right in my life was helping you. I don’t deserve any of your tears. Now, let’s get this over with.” He pulls back from me and walks to the mirror.

“No.” I shake my head and cry. Rex wraps an arm around my shoulder.

Stu side claps him. “Good luck, brother.”

“You’re the best damn Delta an Alpha could have.” Rex says.

Stu pulls him into a bro hug. He claps his back.

He stands back and salutes. “See you on the other side.” He smiles.

He turns to the mirror. I put my head into Rex’s chest.

Stu heaves a big breath and walks through the mirror with Dr. Williams.

Rex squeezes my shoulder. “It will work. Don’t worry. It’s going to work. I can feel it.” He’s talking mostly to himself. I can’t imagine the guilt he harbored.

After about 30 minutes, Dr. Williams knocked on the mirror. Rex went over and stuck his fingers in the glass and the doctor walked through.

“Well?” Rex says.

She presses her lips together and shakes her head.

Rex throws his hand on his hips and tilts head back.

I hold myself and start to softly cry.

He lowers his head and walks to a small medical table.

With a loud growl he grabs the table and everything on it. “WHY DIDN’T IT FUCKING WORK?!” He threw the table and it crashed to the wall on the other side of the room.

I jumped out of my skin. His rage could be felt in my chest.

He walked up to Dr. Williams. “YOU SAID IT WOULD FUCKING WORK! YOU SAID THE KID WAS OLD ENOUGH NOW!”

She puts her hands up. “Rex, we don’t know what the Shaman did. We’re working blind here. All the tests show that it should have worked.”

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE SUPPISED TO DO NOW, HUH? WE’RE DYING OUT THERE! IF THE FALCONS DON’T KILL US, WE'RE OFFING OURSELVES FOR BEING STUCK HERE!! THIS KID WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP US!!” He got right up in her space.

“Rex! I will come up with something. If I can track down the Shaman then I can figure out how the potion worked, but it’s going to take some time.” She says.

He stares her down then turns to walk out.

I run up behind him. “Rex, wait.”

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” He yelled as he waved his arm back behind him.

I stood at the door and held myself tighter. I swallowed my grief as his words hit me hard. He’s never talked to me like that before.

Dr. Williams came up behind me. “I’ll get someone to open the mirror.”

I wipe my cheek and nod.

A few minutes later, we crossed back through.

“I’m sorry.” I squeak.

“It’s not your fault, darling. We have no idea why it won’t work. We just have to…try another way.” She rubs my arms and smiles. “Why don’t you go to your room?”

I nod and leave the lab. I walk through the halls and I have to bite my lip.

Lab workers were taking pictures and samples from a pile of ash on the floor. The pile that used to be one of my good friends.

I won’t do it. I won’t do this again. That’s it. I won’t kill any more of them. They can’t make me do it.

I went to my room in the science building of a government compound in Augusta.

****

SAWYER

She rubbed her face and then her thighs. “It was then I refused to be their lab rat. This drove Rex to madness. He kept trying and trying. I stopped talking to him altogether. He stayed away for years. Then he found me a few months ago. That’s when the harassment started. I had convinced myself it was all in my head because of the guilt of leaving him there, but then he made it real when you showed up.”

I nod. “That’s how he treated you?”

“It’s not his fault, Sawyer. He really was expecting my blood to work. He was upset. He just lost his best friend.” She grabs my hands.

“Fine. I get it. Ok. So now they want to try again?” I ask.

She nods. “They think it will work, but I know it won’t and I won’t kill anymore people.”

I pull out my phone and start dialing.

“Who are you calling?” She asks.

“Someone who has answers.” I stand up. “Ricky…you done those blood tests yet?”