Free White Winter (The Black Year Series Book 2) by D.J. Bodden Page A

warm. But that wasn’t important - short-term memory, the name of a pop singer he’d heard on the radio… he’d worry about it later.
    The wall was gone. He’d buried everything underground, and anyone looking for his memories was going to have to dig through several feet of him brushing his teeth, first. A deep ditch ringed the area he’d decided to reinforce, covered by caponiers placed every 500 yards in a hexagon. At the center was a low, concrete fortress that housed his heavy weapons. He felt a fleeting sense of regret at the ugliness of it, compared to his earlier barriers.
    “It’s not elegant,” Sam said, “but anyone who comes in here is getting a bloody nose.”
    “I know. I just hate being forced into it.”
    “Everyone’s out to get us.”
    Jonas grinned, then realized Sam wasn’t joking. He shook his head and tapped the jetpack activation key on his wrist before stepping off the edge.
    He’d spend three to four hours a day in the Agency library, reading up on advancements in fortifications during the 19th and 20th centuries as well as tearing through their military science fiction section. The more he read, the more his barrier felt real, and the more pieces of himself he could split off. He’d managed to create 1,250 guardians during the fight with Fangston. Now-
    ♘
    “Jonas? We’re here.”
    “Already?”
    “Yes, clan leader. We were five minutes away when you nodded off.”
    Jonas started to say he wasn’t sleeping, but Sam’s paranoia kicked in and he said, “Sorry, I’ve been on Damien’s schedule all week, it’s a bit early for me.”
    Kieran looked at him for a moment, then nodded and got out of the car. Jonas undid his seatbelt and opened his door.
    There were trees everywhere. They were bare, just white trunks and naked branches, but he couldn’t see a building in any direction, just the gate at the end of the private driveway. Several cars were parked nearby, and Kieran waited by a trail of footprints in the snow that led into the woods. “Where are we?”
    “The southern end of Kings Point Park.”
    Kieran started down the trail and Jonas followed. They crossed over a footbridge and continued into the woods. Most of the prints were spaced wider than his, so every two or three steps his foot crunched through the snow, getting the hem of his trousers wet.
    Kieran stopped and looked at the trees to his right.
    “What is it?” Jonas asked.
    Kieran just stood there for a moment, his nostrils flaring, then he shook his head. “I thought I heard something. We get trespassers on the property, sometimes - people who resent my family’s association with the Agency. ”
    They continued to walk.
    “You know, you still haven’t explained what I’m doing here,” Jonas said.
    “I’m not supposed to. It’s a feel thing more than a think thing.”
    “Right, but I don’t even know what the thing is.”
    “You’re meeting the pack as their new clan leader. Either they accept you, or they don’t.”
    “And if they don’t?” Jonas asked.
    “They challenge you, and I fight in your place.”
    Jonas stopped. “Wait, what?”
    Kieran kept walking.
    “Damn it, Kieran, stop!” Jonas grabbed Kieran’s shoulder and his friend turned on him, eyes bright blue and jaw clenched.
    “What?” Kieran shouted, and Jonas flinched. He was suddenly aware of how alone they were, surrounded by trees and silence.
    He spoke softly. “I need you to help me. I don’t know what’s expected of me here. I want to do what’s right by your family-”
    “You can’t,” Kieran said, lowering his eyes.
    Jonas felt a lump in his gut, but he pressed on. “There has to be-”
    “You’re four inches too short, 100 pounds too light, and you have no scent. They’re Agency trained, so if you read their minds they’ll attack you. You can’t do it. If my father was here, the others would stay in line because of him. But he’s not, so they won’t; I’m probably going to have to kill one or more