by Laura Hysell
Jed reached toward her, his hand brushing a strand of hair from her face. She turned her face away, and he let his hand drop. His voice was quiet, but firm, when he spoke again. “Quit pining after a man you can’t have, and don’t really love, and move on.” It was harsh, even for Jed.
He turned and walked back toward the house without a backwards glance. Beth stood rooted to the spot, staring after him with her mouth hanging open. Vanessa tapped me on the shoulder, and we slunk back quietly until we were out of sight. Then we raced back to the place we’d left our clothes. Vanessa quickly shifted back into human form and got dressed. I wasn’t as fast, or as controlled, but I managed to shift moderately quickly back into human form. My stomach was immediately growling after such quick changes, but that was normal. We didn’t say anything as we walked back toward the house, and I wondered if Vanessa felt as guilty as I did for our stunt with Beth.
Jed was leaning against the side of the house casually as we walked up. He pushed himself away from the wall and motioned for us to follow him as he turned toward the barn. My stomach churned with dread. We were in big trouble this time.
He didn’t say a word as we entered the barn. I wasn’t sure what I expected to happen, but my mind was conjuring up all sorts of punishments. Being a new wolf, I had thus far been exempt from punishment. Vanessa, on the other hand, was usually in trouble of some kind, but Jed always kept his punishments quiet. Whatever you did, and whatever punishment you received, was always just between you and the Alpha. This time, though, there were two of us.
Jed stopped in the middle of the barn and turned toward us. “So, what was the training today, Vanessa?” he asked.
I tried to stifle my smile, but didn’t succeed. Jed shot me a warning glance, and I studiously kept my head down. Vanessa cleared her throat and said, “I was teaching Jared how to shift in a hurry.”
“By having him jump out of a tree?”
“Well, you never know when you’ll need a skill. I aim to impart as much knowledge as possible,” Vanessa replied seriously.
“And Beth just happened to walk by during this training exercise?”
“Naturally. Pure bad luck.”
“Go take a run. Human form,” Jed said. Vanessa turned, flashed me a smile, and ran from the barn. I watched her leave, anxious to face Jed alone.
“You really shouldn’t let Vanessa talk you into these things,” Jed began, and I nodded my head. “But, since you did, I hope you learned something in the process.”
I nodded my head and stared at the ground, waiting for Jed to say more. After several minutes of silence, I looked up and realized Jed was waiting for me to speak. “Oh, uh, well, I learned that I can shift to wolf form in mid-air. It wasn’t easy, and it hurt, but it’s doable.”
“Good, what else did you learn?”
What else? Was I supposed to have learned something more? I shrugged helplessly, and Jed sighed in response. “Jared, you’re the newest member of the Pack, so you get a free pass on a lot of things. I know Vanessa likes to pick on Beth, but there’s no maliciousness behind it. Vanessa actually likes Beth, but Beth won’t let her in.” He stopped and ran a hand across his jaw. “We don’t have the luxury of fighting amongst ourselves. Vanessa can teach you a lot, but let’s keep the pranks on certain sensitive Pack members to a minimum, shall we?”
I nodded and mumbled an apology. “We didn’t set out to jump Beth,” I said.
“You didn’t know that Beth would be walking by at that time?” he asked.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “How would I?”
Jed nodded and looked at me, his eyes assessing. “Every day, Beth walks to the graveyard to see her brother’s grave. Same time, like clockwork.”
And there it was, Jed’s punishment. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The man knew how to get to me, and I felt the guilt suck me down. I knew what it was to lose someone. My time in the military hadn’t been pleasant, and I’d lost many friends and brothers in arms. I knew what it was like to be the survivor, trying to move on but failing. Knowing I’d lived while others had died. Beth felt that, every day. She felt the weight of her brother’s death, like a burden across her shoulders. The entire Pack knew what she’d gone through, but Jed was the only one who put the pieces together. Jed was the only one who took the time to understand her, instead of just dismissing her. That was why he was Alpha.
“What do I do?” I asked meekly.
“Learn to be the best wolf you can. Under normal circumstances, I’d devise some sort of elaborate punishment for you and your fellow prankster. But these are not normal circumstances. We have other Packs coming here, and their views won’t necessarily be the same as ours, but their goal is the same. You are a young pup, surrounded by the big dogs, and your disobedience would get you killed in other Packs. Be thankful I am an understanding Alpha.”
“Yes, Jed,” I replied.
“Good, now go catch up with Vanessa. You two are on dinner duty tonight.”
I did as my Alpha bid, and raced after Vanessa. As soon as I caught up, we found an easy rhythm and jogged one of our usual paths that took us to the single access road onto Jed’s property. After an hour, we reached the road and turned back toward the main house. Vanessa slowed to a walk and I stopped to wait for her.
“So, are we in big trouble?” she finally asked.
I laughed and shook my head. “We have to make dinner after our run, but that’s about it.”
“Hmm,” she said, looking off toward the house, even though it wasn’t visible at this distance. “You haven’t been a wolf very long, but already you can shift with ease and keep your thoughts to yourself, for the most part.”
“I suppose,” I responded, shrugging.
She smiled, but still didn’t look at me. “Have you ever wondered why Beth can’t keep her thoughts to herself? She’s been a wolf for a pretty long time now. This shouldn’t be a problem for her.”
“I’ve never thought about it.” Truth was, unless Beth was being extra vocal with her thoughts, I didn’t pay attention to her. “She’s not always blabbing her thoughts.”
Vanessa grinned wider and glanced at me. “Exactly!”
I frowned and shook my head. “Exactly what?”
“She’s playing a game, Jared. She has no problem keeping her thoughts controlled, she just chooses not to. Just like she has no problem controlling her shifting. I’ve seen her. She’s a sneaky one, but she’s playing a dangerous game. She keeps toying with people’s emotions, and it’s going to get her burned.”
“With who? Mark? I know she has some big hang-up about him, but he’s not even here right now.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes at me and shook her head. “You did pay attention back there in the woods, right?”
“Uh…” I trailed off, trying to think about what I’d seen.
“When was the last time you actually heard her swooning over Mark?” she asked, but she didn’t give me a chance to respond. “She hasn’t been. Sure, she’s thought about him a few times, but it’s been when we’ve been talking about him. Before he came back, she never thought about him. It wasn’t until he showed up here with Izzy that she went into a jealous frenzy. She doesn’t actually want Mark, she wants what they used to have. I love Mark like a brother, but it was better for her when he wasn’t a part of the Pack any more. She was getting better. I think she’d finally started to move on.”
“Are we talking about the same person?” I asked. Beth had been annoying since the first time I’d met her. I didn’t know how anyone could stand the woman.
“Love sucks, Jared. Sometimes, we love the wrong person, or someone who is in love with someone else. Sometimes the timing is just wrong.”
“If you feel so sorry for Beth, why do you pick on her so much?”
She sighed loudly. “We used to be friends. She confided in me. I probably know her heart better than she does, and it pisses me off because she keeps screwing shit up!”
“Screwing what up?”
“You really didn’t pay attention back in the woods, did you?”
“She cried about being picked on. Jed told her to suck it up. What did I miss?”
“Jared, we’re friends, right?” she asked. I nodded, wondering what she was getting at. “So, as your friend, I feel like I can tell you shit without you getting pissy. Quit being such a guy! Man, you are oblivious sometimes! Open your eyes and pay attention! There was a whole hell of a lot more going on than just Jed telling Beth to suck it up!”
“Why don’t you just tell me what I missed, since I’m obviously just being a guy.”
“I can’t! I promised! Ugh!” She flung her hands in the air and marched away from me.
Obviously, I had missed whatever Vanessa was trying to tell me. I let her calm down before I finally caught up to her. “Sorry,” I said, although I wasn’t sure why I was apologizing.
“It’d just be nice to have someone else to talk to. Someone who can keep their thoughts controlled. I could always talk to Mark, but he’s not here. You are currently my only friend,” she added softly.
“What about friends outside the Pack?” I asked.
She shook her head. “They got the vaccine. All of them. I didn’t know in time to warn them. We were a pretty tight group, despite the fact that they’re human.”
I could feel her sadness through that weird wolf sense, but she quickly shut it down. “I haven’t spoken to any of my human friends since, well, since I got taken. I don’t have anyone else either. My only friends are you, Izzy and Mark. I wouldn’t consider any of the other Pack members friends. They’re family, but not friends.”
“Well aren’t we just a sorry pair? Damn, I need to get laid.”
“Woah, uh, Vanessa, really, um…”
She laughed and shook her head at me. “Seriously, I did not mean you! No! I mean, you’re easy on the eyes, but you’re not my type. I like my men a little more rough and rugged, I guess. And I thought we established that we were just friends.”
“We are! Just friends. You just scared me for a second.”
“Oh, man, I thought you were going to screw things up. I was talking about all the new wolves coming around.”
“I’m sure you’ll find someone rough and rugged enough for you,” I replied.
She laughed as we jogged back to the house. There were three new vehicles parked outside the house when we arrived. I sniffed the air, picking out several new wolf scents before going into the house through the back door. Jed was sitting in the large living room with nine new werewolves, two of whom were women. Hugo stood beside Jed, looking large and intimidating. John stood on Jed’s other side, with several guns visible and a knife in his hands.
“Parker sends his greetings and regret that he couldn’t come meet you in person,” a man seated on the long couch was saying. The man was dressed in shorts and a Bob Marley t-shirt, with sandals on his feet. The woman beside him had her arms wrapped around his. Her hair was cut short, and she was also dressed casually in jeans and a tank top. They apparently hadn’t gotten the memo that it was still winter.
“Walt, Naomi, it’s a pleasure to have you join us. I hadn’t heard a response from Parker, so it was something of a surprise to see you both here,” Jed said.
“He didn’t trust sending a message. Too many of our communications have gone astray lately. This was easier. Plus, Naomi’s never been on the west coast. We were more than happy to volunteer,” the man, Walt, said.
Jed smiled and nodded his head. “Well, it’s great having you here.” He turned to the next group. Four men and one woman stood clustered together, standing near the doorway. “Greg Greentree, it’s good to see you. Who did you bring with you?”
Greg, an older man with a smattering of gray in his brown hair, bowed before Jed. “The Nevada Pack sends greetings and offers formal alliance,” Greg replied. “As second in command, I speak on behalf of my Alpha, the great Chief Ironpaw. Please allow me to introduce Matthew Stonefist, Jeremiah Moonstrike, Skip, and Penelope.”
Vanessa leaned her mouth close to my ear and whispered. “The Nevada Pack is extremely old, and very formal. Pack members are given additional names after completing a series of tasks, the last of which involves killing a vampire. The name has a meaning, but it’s not always obvious to outsiders.”
I nodded, focusing my attention on the newcomers. Jed exchanged formal greetings with the Nevada group, but the tall man at the back of the group, Matthew Stonefist, held my attention. There was something about him that rubbed me wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He was far too attentive, for starters. He watched everyone and everything, seeming to memorize everything. I didn’t like it.
The other two newcomers were the two from Texas. They sat casually, chatting with Lucas, until Jed had finished formally greeting the others. Finally, Jed stood up and dismissed everyone to mingle with the new guests. Since we were on dinner duty, Vanessa and I retreated to cook whatever food had been taken out. I wasn’t much of a cook, so I let Vanessa boss me around the kitchen.
Dinner was informal, since there were too many guests and not enough chairs. I ate my food hurriedly, keeping to myself. Afterward, I made quick work of the dishes, all while keeping my ears open. The visitors had taken up the remaining rooms in the house, but the Nevada Pack members refused all accommodations. They preferred to sleep outside in wolf form. Jed allowed it, but he didn’t seem happy about it.
After cleaning up, I made my way to the barn. Jed has silently asked for extra patrols, and I had quickly volunteered. John, Logan, and Beth were already in the barn when I arrived. John, as head of security, oversaw the organization of patrols. Logan’s job had taken a turn for the worse in the past few months, so he spent more time at Jed’s home volunteering for anything to keep himself occupied.
“Logan, I want you to take the eastern route. Lucas is already making a circuit. Beth, since you run the house, that’s where I want you to stay. Let them get used to you. Let them get comfortable,” John said.
“I want to do more,” Beth responded, and I looked at her in surprise. “I’m not good at shifting, we all know that. But, I’m part of this Pack too. I need to help.”
John raised an eyebrow at her. “You are helping. You’re with our Alpha more than anyone. I need you to guard his back when Hugo and I can’t be there. We know some, but not all the wolves here. And while we all have a common goal, and a common enemy, things are just too unpredictable right now. We’re not the only Pack to have members go missing.”
“So, you want me to guard Jed?” she asked, blushing.
John nodded and turned toward me. Beth shuffled off, her cheeks still red. “Jared, I want you to make some random patrols throughout the property. Make sure you cover as much ground as possible, but don’t. That’s what the others will do. You’re my wild card. Keep your eyes and ears open. This situation makes me nervous, and I don’t like being nervous.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied, pulling off my shirt. Logan had already shifted into wolf form and started his circuit around the property.
John stopped me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You sense it too, don’t you?”
“What?”
“There’s something off with our visitors.”
If anyone was more suspicious than I was, it was John. The man was on high alert at all times, and he seemed to have a sixth sense for danger. I nodded in response. “I thought meeting members from other Packs would be great. We all hate vampires, we all want to destroy them, so we should be on the same side, and we are. But something feels wrong.”
“Things have never been more dangerous,” John replied. “Don’t let your guard down, and don’t trust anyone.” With those words, John turned and walked back toward the house to relieve Hugo of his guard duty.
I stripped and shifted into wolf form, letting the wolf become a part of me. Each time it was easier and more natural, like slipping on a new pair of shoes. The shift still hurt, but the pain subsided q
uickly. I started my patrol by circling the house, then making my way past the graveyard and the cottage. After that, I made a few random excursions before making a loop near the makeshift camp the Nevada wolves had set up. It was past midnight, and the Nevada Pack were all in wolf form, sleeping close together under a copse of trees. One wolf, however, sat apart, his yellow eyes watching me as I loped past. Matthew.
Chapter 8- Isabella
Day after day, week after week, everything was Henri. He consumed me. Time didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, except being with my vampire lover. When he wasn’t with me, I slept. When he was with me, we made love and drank frequently of each other’s blood. His desires became my desires. I wanted nothing, except to please him. Every night was the same, until Henri came to me one evening dressed in a fine suit. I had been waiting for him eagerly, and the sight of him in the suit drove me wild. I jumped off the bed and raced to him, eagerly pulling at the suit he wore.
He grinned, but held my reaching hands still. “I have work to do, my Queen,” he said.
“I can come with you,” I replied, pressing my naked body against his.
“Hmm, do you think you’re ready to come with me?”
“Yes,” I responded immediately, although I had no idea what I needed to be ready for. I reached a hand into his pants, but he stopped me short, pushing me back gently.
He laughed and nipped at my breast lightly. I angled my naked body against his, and once more reached for his pants. “That must wait, my dear,” he said, stopping my hand again.
Henri turned toward the closet and pulled out a sparkling silver dress, setting it on the bed. I pouted as I watched him set a matching pair of strappy heels on the bed beside the dress. Next, he tossed a knife and small gun onto the bed, along with holsters. “Get dressed. Make sure you wear the weapons.”
I nodded my head, but Henri had already turned and left me alone. The dress was long, with slits up both sides to reveal ample amounts of leg. I pulled the dress on and looked down my body. The fabric was thin and clung to my body, accentuating my breasts, and leaving little to the imagination. I turned toward the gun, and strapped it to my ankle with the tiny holster before putting my heels on. I picked up the knife and began buckling it to my right thigh, but stopped and moved it to my left instead. The dress wouldn’t hide the gun or knife, but I got the feeling Henri had planned it that way.
