The Vow (Black Arrowhead Series Book 1)

by Dannika Dark

  “I had to move the Jeep and grab a few things.”

  “Why do you have my key?”

  “Can I turn around?”

  I rested my chin on the top of the pillow. “Yes.”

  He set the bag on the table and held up the card. “I didn’t want you sneaking out while I was gone.” He flicked it next to his phone and strode toward me.

  Each step he took made my heart fall to the same rhythm. “Wh-What are you doing?” I sputtered. “I’m not dressed.”

  As he rounded the bed, he slowly peeled off his white T-shirt with a black arrowhead printed on the front and held it between his fingers. “Put this on.”

  When Lakota turned around, I slipped into his tight shirt, which hung loose on my body. It smelled like him, and I resisted pulling the fabric up to my nose and drawing in a deep breath. Staring at his muscular back wasn’t helping my self-control either.

  “How did you get in the first time?” I asked.

  “It’s an old motel. When you close the door, you need to lift the handle all the way back into place, or it doesn’t shut. That’s why a lot of shady stuff goes down in this place and why Shikoba sent me here to protect you.”

  I flipped my hair out from beneath the collar.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  When he turned, I casually tucked my hands in my pockets.

  He cocked his head to the side and studied me closely. “Little Melody’s all grown-up.”

  “I’ve been grown-up.”

  “Tall, yes. Grown-up? No. When did you go through your first change?”

  “What makes you think I have?”

  He leaned in slowly and drew in a deep breath. When he spoke, his voice was smoky and quiet. “Because my wolf can smell it.”

  I shivered and stepped back. “Is that why you were sniffing me back at the bar?”

  Lakota chuckled and arched an eyebrow. “You haven’t changed.”

  Jerking my head toward the table, I asked, “What’s in the bag?”

  “That depends.” Lakota reached out unexpectedly and tucked my hair behind my ears. It wasn’t a gesture meant to be affectionate; he was trying to get a better look at my eyes. “How are you feeling?”

  I pulled my hands from my pockets and shrugged. “Better, I guess.”

  He ensnared my wrist and led me toward the table by the door. “Good. I want you to eat something before you go to bed. You have a long drive home in the morning.”

  I twisted my arm out of his grasp. “I’m not leaving in the morning.”

  “Yes, you are,” he said, his response annoyingly succinct. When he unrolled the top of the sack, he pulled out a loaf of bread, smooth peanut butter, grape jelly, and a bag of chips.

  My eyes widened as I watched in stunned silence. Lakota hadn’t left my motel room because he didn’t want me to be his problem anymore—he’d just gone to bring me food, and the fact that he was providing for me made my wolf stir just a little bit.

  “Sour cream and onion,” I said, nodding at the chips. “That should make my breath smell nice.”

  He gave me a sideways glance. “Are you planning on kissing someone?” Lakota sighed and looked down at his offering. “Your wolf is probably craving meat.”

  I splayed my fingers across my stomach and sat on the edge of the bed. “She’s going to have to wait. Thanks to the local cuisine, my stomach has trust issues at the moment.” While he twisted open the bag of bread and began making a sandwich, I decided to address the elephant in the room. “Are you working undercover?”

  “Yes.”

  Relief washed over me. He still wasn’t being his usual self, but at least I had a definitive answer for why he’d ignored me. Deciding not to reveal that Hope had confided his secret to me, I said, “I haven’t seen you in a long time, so I kind of figured as much. Is there a reason I shouldn’t trust Shikoba? I’m down here trying to close a deal with him, but if he’s under investigation for a crime, then maybe that’s something I should know.”

  He gave me a cross look while pouring the potato chips onto my paper plate. “You don’t belong here.”

  “So I gathered from the friendly welcome wagon. If you can’t tell me why you’re here, can you at least tell me if Shikoba is a man your sister can trust doing business with?”

  He pulled out a chair. “Sit down, and we’ll talk.”

  The lamp by the bed was on the low setting, and it somehow made our conversation more intimate. When I drifted over to take a seat, he pushed my chair in like a gentleman—a far cry from the man who, in front of all his buddies, had hopped into my Jeep without opening my door.

  Lakota sat across from me and put the sack on the floor. He reached into the potato chip bag, grabbed a handful of chips, and dropped them onto a paper plate in front of him. “You can trust Shikoba. He’s a good man with integrity and honor. I respect him.”

  I pushed his phone aside. “He turned me away because I’m not native. Their behavior isn’t normal. I’ve never experienced this kind of animosity between people just because of their skin color or heritage. Usually it’s packs not trusting cougars or something along those lines.”

  “The tribe doesn’t hate nontribes. They just don’t understand them. They’ve been wronged in the past, and since they’ve lived here all their lives, what else can they do but draw from their own experience? That’s how it is in small towns, and it’s hard to weed out the prejudices when your life span is centuries. People hang on to the past. Shikoba barely trusts me, and it took a long time to earn his acceptance. He would never have let me in if I didn’t have the same blood running in my veins. My blue eyes remind him to stay guarded.”

  “You should have worn contacts.”

  Lakota pursed his lips for a moment and rubbed his neck. “I thought about it, but if one of them fell out, it would look like I’m hiding something. If any good comes from this, maybe he’ll learn that he can trust someone who isn’t like him. Small changes start with ripples.”

  “You’re starting to sound like your mother.” When I bit into my sandwich, I heaved a sigh and relaxed.

  “Nobody eats the food at that bar,” Lakota said with a chuckle. “I knew you were in trouble when I saw you scarfing down those fries.”

  “Now you warn me.”

  He reached into the sack and produced a can of root beer. I tamped down the urge to smile because I was still a little mad at him. Lakota hadn’t just selected random food out of the store—he’d specifically chosen foods that I liked. Root beer had always been a favorite of mine.

  He crossed his arms on the table and gave me a pointed stare. “Now that you’re old enough to be traveling on your own, I should warn you about Breed bars. What goes down in Austin isn’t the same as the rest of the world, especially not in the backwoods. You don’t have a pack to protect you, and an unfamiliar face only titillates Shifters who’ve been staring at the same people day in and day out. Don’t invite anyone into your space. Wolves can scent a fresh bitch. Not everyone out here plays by the rules, and you need to know that. I’m surprised Lennon and Hendrix let you come.”

  “They miss you,” I said. “They were asking about their fishing buddy just the other day.”

  Lakota laughed heartily and showed off his megawatt smile. “We’re too old for fishing in the river. If you put all three of us in a canoe, we would sink to the bottom.”

  I laughed at the mental image. My brothers had grown into strong men, and it seemed like just yesterday they were playing games and climbing trees.

  Lakota’s laughter faded, and he stared at his chips. “Have they thought about starting a pack?”

  I cracked open the can of root beer and washed down the sandwich. After a small burp, I wiped my mouth and set the can between us. “It’s too soon for them to become Packmasters. Plus… it’s hard for them. It means they’ll have to split up, and they’ve never been apart.”

  “They’ll make a strong alliance if they choose the right men for their packs.” Lakota crunc
hed loudly on a potato chip and then licked his finger. “Have you thought about joining with one of them?”

  I lowered my eyes. Lennon and Hendrix meant the world to me, and while neither of them had brought up the topic, it was one I felt strongly about. “I would have to choose,” I said. “How can I choose between two brothers I love equally and not expect one of them to take it personally?”

  “Your old pack is growing,” he pointed out. “More children will come. Do you think they won’t want to join? Packs are stronger when family members are a part of them. The trust is already there. It’s not a matter of choosing sides. Family forges a stronger loyalty.”

  “I know, but still. It’s not the same with their cousins. I’m their sister, and it feels like I’m choosing who’s the better brother.”

  “Admit it,” he pressed. “You’d join one of their packs in a heartbeat if they asked. There’s a sense of security you’ll have with your brother being the Packmaster. He’ll look out for you and protect you like no one else will.”

  “True. But the perks wouldn’t be worth hurting someone who loves me. They have another destiny to follow, and I have a feeling I’m not going to be a part of it. I wouldn’t hesitate if I just had one alpha brother, but instead I have two. Something I’ve learned over the years is how alpha twins are especially sensitive to favoritism. My family tries to stop them from small competitions. No matter how much they love each other, they have an innate desire to stand apart. People might try to make me feel guilty over not choosing, but no one has walked in my shoes.”

  “True,” he agreed, steepling his fingers in front of his face. His gaze drifted to the side. “But choosing neither is also making a statement.”

  A question sat on the tip of my tongue. I pondered whether I should ask it or let the silence build between us. Lakota was speaking from a position of inexperience, having not grown up in a pack. I wouldn’t be able to understand his remarks without learning how his upbringing had shaped his point of view. His adoptive parents weren’t even Shifters, let alone the same Breed, and even though he’d often traveled down to visit with his birth mother, he didn’t have a clue what it was like to live in a pack. Yet he so freely gave advice on it.

  I mustered a little courage to speak honestly with him. “What was it like not growing up in a pack?”

  Lakota fooled around with a small radio sitting on the table. He rolled the dial until the static cleared. “Time After Time” came on and dissolved the tension between us.

  “I had a fortunate life,” he began. “Two fathers, two mothers, and more family than I could hope for. If my chosen parents hadn’t saved me from the black market, who knows where I’d be now. A slave—of that I have no doubt. They couldn’t legally adopt, and yeah, some frown upon what they did, but black marketeers sell to high-paying criminals, and nothing can stop them. There are men out there who want kids they can groom as killers or brainwashed lackeys. I can’t judge my parents for the love they gave me, even if it came at a price. I grew up in a stable home with different Breeds. I grew up with love and acceptance.” Lakota folded his arms on the table. “No, I wasn’t born and bred in a pack, but I have a better perspective on the world than most people.”

  I stared at my empty plate. I’d never asked Lakota why his birth mother had given him away. Since even Hope hadn’t brought it up with me, I knew it was none of my business. In fact, I never really questioned why Hope had a brother who lived in another state. It was so normal that it wasn’t until I was older that I began to look at their family structure and realize there was more to the story. My pack seemed to know the history, but it wasn’t a detail they ever shared with me.

  “Your mother put you on the black market?”

  His lip curled. “She would have never done that. It wasn’t her choice.”

  Sensing his agitation, I decided his past was too heavy a subject to discuss over a sandwich. “I bet your parents miss you.”

  Lakota smiled, tilting his head to the side. “Which ones?”

  “All.”

  He leaned back in his chair, arms hooked over the back corners. “And what about yours? I thought your father would have hired bodyguards by now for his little girl.”

  I snorted. “Don’t put the idea in his head. Did Hope ever tell you that the first week we moved out, he was sleeping in the alley across the street from our apartment? He lied to my mother and said he was out of town, recording an album with his band. True story.”

  Lakota threw back his head and laughed, and it was warm and full-bodied. “How did you find out?”

  “One night I ran out to pick up Mexican food and took a shortcut. Tripped right over him.” I started laughing on the last word, and Lakota joined in.

  It felt good to fall back into our old relationship.

  Familiar.

  Easy.

  He leaned forward and threaded his fingers through his hair. “Mind if I call my sis?”

  “Just don’t tell her you’re with me. That’ll raise all kinds of questions.”

  When Lakota reached for his phone, his finger brushed against mine. After a few swipes on the screen, he held the phone to his ear and turned away. “How’s my baby sister?” Then he laughed. “I miss you too. Everything’s fine. Where are you?”

  I touched the spot where his finger had grazed, curious about my reaction. I subtly searched his body for tattoos or scars, but unless his hair was covering one or he liked tramp stamps, his torso wasn’t marked with ink. Perhaps that was a smart move for a bounty hunter since a tattoo would make him easy to identify.

  “Of course I am,” he said, his voice sweeter than before. “Now tell me why you’re in Waco.”

  When his eyes slanted toward mine, I quickly studied a crack in the ceiling.

  “You haven’t told Father?” he chided.

  Poor Hope. I had my hands full with twin brothers, but they were younger than I was. Only in recent years had they finally grown into men, so I couldn’t imagine having grown up with an older brother who constantly stuck his nose in my business. Lakota had always been her protector, even from miles away. It made me wonder if Shikoba had it all wrong about how a man treats a stranger. Lakota had always looked out for Hope, and he wasn’t doing it to impress anyone. No one had ever expected him to be so involved in her life since he lived across the country and didn’t share the same father with her, but he was. I couldn’t even recall a single instance when she needed him and he wasn’t there. Not when he was ten and especially not now that he was thirty.

  While they caught up, I bent over and peered into the paper bag to see if there was another drink.

  “What the heck?” I hooked my finger on the edge and dragged the sack toward me. Magazines, a toothbrush, toothpaste, antacids, a giant bottle of water…

  Lakota reached out and snatched the bag away, the phone still to his ear. “If you have an emergency, call me. Go straight home after the meeting. If it’s close to dark, then I want you to find a nice hotel. … Don’t worry—I’ll reimburse you. Do you know anything about this male you’re meeting up with?” Lakota gave me another scolding glance while Hope must have been talking his ear off to pacify him. “Uh-huh. And if she doesn’t?”

  I hooked my arms on the back of the chair and coolly tilted my head to the side. Does he really think this was all my doing?

  He fished his hand in his pocket and pulled out a black band. “You do that. And carry the pepper spray I gave you. Okay, love you too.” He set the phone on the bedside table and raised his arms to tie his hair in a bun.

  I’d never found man buns attractive until the moment he turned to look at me. His face was no longer obscured by all that hair, and I could really take in how much he had changed. High cheekbones drew all the attention to his lustrous blue eyes, and his complexion was warmer than usual, amplified by the summer sun. Lakota had a pensive brow and a broad mouth with soft lips. At least, they looked soft. I could definitely see where his Native American features warred with some
thing else.

  He stood up and reached in the sack, eyes still on mine. When he pulled his arm free, he was holding a bottle of mustard.

  I grinned. “You remembered.”

  “How could I forget? You’re the only person I’ve ever known who eats it straight out of the bottle.” Lakota set it in front of me and stood so close that I could feel his wolf’s power vibrating against my skin.

  He wanted my approval.

  When I reached for the bottle, our hands touched briefly. Before I could register that my stomach was getting that fluttery feeling, I twisted the top off, peeled back the lid, screwed the cap back on, shook the bottle, and squirted the mustard straight into my mouth.

  Lakota shook his head with a tight grin. “Disgusting.”

  After swallowing, I set the bottle on the table. “If you think that’s gross, you should see my Shifter craving.” Suddenly embarrassed, I licked the corner of my mouth and looked down, only to find myself staring at his abs. Deciding that was even more awkward, I dragged my gaze back up to his eyes. “Thanks for bringing me all this stuff. I’ll pay you back.”

  He reached out and swiped mustard from my lips. “No worries. Get some rest. I’ll swing by in the morning and see you off.”

  But I had no plans to leave right away, and I wasn’t certain whether it had more to do with Shikoba or the wolf standing before me.

  “Good night, Sky Hunter.”

  Lakota walked past me and opened the door. “Good night, Freckles,” he murmured quietly.

  Chapter 6

  My wolf was bounding through the dark woods, her paws sinking into wet earth and leaving behind muddy footprints. Her throat was parched, legs aching, heart beating at a wicked pace. It wasn’t the scent of pine or soil in her nose—it was fear. When she turned to look over her shoulder, I glimpsed a dark shadow gaining on us. The clouds blackened as a vortex spun in a slow circle, the ominous storm threatening to destroy everything.

  Gasping, I shot up in bed. My heart raced out of control as I glanced around at unfamiliar surroundings. It wasn’t my bed or my home, and I didn’t recognize the smell. Dim light filtered through a gap in the heavy drapes on my right. I glanced down at my hands, expecting to see paws caked in mud. But I wasn’t in the forest or in wolf form. It took a minute or two for the dream to shake off, but remembering I was in a human motel didn’t calm me in the least. If I shifted, someone might take it upon themselves to shoot me and use my pelt for decorating their cabin floor. I shuddered at the thought.