by Jenny Tia
Casius sat up too, sitting cross-legged in front of me with his uniform disheveled and half-untucked. “I’m not supposed to say anything. But I don’t want any secrets between us, especially not right now when we’re just starting out.”
“What is it?” I frowned and searched his face for answers. My mind started whirring, and my wolf whined, worried for him. And worried for me. Was he about to put a stop to our relationship?
“This is state secret level shit, okay? If any of this gets out, my ass is on the line—”
“Alright. I get it. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Not just my ass, but the whole state’s. I mean, it would cause serious panic.”
“I understand. I won’t even tell Stefan.”
“You better not tell Stefan. I can tell that guy is a gossip.” Casius tried for a smile, but I thinned my lips and crossed my arms, feeling a little defensive of my friend. But I had nothing to say. Casius was right. Stefan couldn’t keep a secret to save his life.
“Listen. Telling you this means you’ll be carrying a burden. It’s mine right now, and I don’t want you to have to shoulder it. But I also don’t know how I could not tell you.” He lowered his gaze and bit his bottom lip.
I relaxed my arms and reached for his hands. “You can tell me. I’m happy to shoulder the burden. It looks like you could use some help. And damn, I want to know what’s going on.”
Casius sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. “If this gets too shocking, just tell me and I’ll stop…”
I raised my eyebrows and cocked my head to the side. “You think I’d be surprised by anything the government is doing?” Casius scowled for a moment, and I squeezed his hands. “I’m kidding. I’m kidding. Go on.”
But I wasn’t kidding. When he told me about the humans, the alleged wolf pelts, the alleged death of Alpha Charles Hayden, and the alleged plan on what to do next, my mind immediately went to a well-worn place of skepticism and conspiracy.
“And you saw the photos yourself?” I asked.
“Yeah, I did. Why?”
“Were they actual photos? Or projected onto a wall?”
“Both.”
“And they looked real? Were they grainy?”
“Not grainy, they were crisp, like a digital from a drone. Why?” His voice took on a tinge of annoyance and he frowned.
I frowned back and crossed my arms again. “I’m just not sure I buy it.”
“You think I’m lying to you?”
“No!”
“Then what don’t you buy?”
“Humans? Really?”
Casius sighed, obviously frustrated. “Look, I was just as surprised as you are.”
“Mm-hm. Anyone have a theory about how these select few humans managed to survive the disease and remain hidden all that time? For around a hundred years?”
He fell quiet and gave a shrug. “My only guess is that they were somehow immune.”
“And if humans really are alive and planning to kill us off, why would they think we were responsible for the disease?”
Casius sighed and shrugged again. “I don’t know, Julian.”
“Wait… Were we responsible for the disease?” I swallowed dryly and searched Casius for any sign of what he knew. But all I saw was an exhausted man with sadness in his eyes and a pout on his face. My heart ached in compassion and I snapped out of my paranoid mood. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I just get carried away with this when I can’t wrap my head around why the government does the things it does…”
“You really think they’d make up a story like this?” Casius asked quietly.
I sighed. “Personally… I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“I trust Alpha Hughes. I trust him with my life.”
I bit my tongue and nodded. Of course, he did. Hughes was his Alpha. And Casius had been trained to be a part of the Inner Guard, and then Alpha Select since he was fourteen. I wasn’t going to argue with him about it. I knew it was a debate I couldn’t win. Instead, I took Casius’s hand once more and kissed it. He unfurled his fingers and cupped my cheek, so I leaned into his hand and moved closer to him.
“That is really heavy shit.”
“Yeah. It is really heavy shit.” Casius released a sad laugh and ran a hand over his face. “I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
“I think you’re right.” I smoothed my hands over his knees, hoping to comfort him.
“If this gets out—I mean, when this gets out… When it comes to a head… A lot of people are going to be hurt. Not physically, I hope. I pray. But emotionally. Humans are still a hot topic.”
I nodded. “My uncle has severe depression from losing his human lover from the disease. He’d be devastated to hear about this… Like, it could really fuck him up.”
Casius held my waist as I looped my arms over his shoulders, and then he pressed his forehead against mine, breathing slowly, no doubt taking comfort from me the way I was from him. He moved back slowly, then gazed into my eyes.
“This is going to take up a lot of my time,” he said. “I don’t know when I’ll be free to come and see you in Goldleaf.”
I swallowed down the sharp pain of disappointment that shot through my heart. It was a horrible feeling, but it was weak compared to the compassion I felt for Casius. I stayed silent.
“I’ll have to lead a team, and I have to train them in case a war is coming, but in order for me to do that, to focus on my job, I need to know you’re safe. So I’ve put Mikel, on security duty. He’ll trail you back to Goldleaf tomorrow. I’m sorry, I know you hate this, and I’m sorry—”
I stopped him with a firm kiss.
“Hey, it’s okay. None of this is your fault. It’s your job, and jobs get busy sometimes. The timing sucks, but we can handle this.”
“I know, but I still hate the fact it happened now when we were just starting to move forward…” He pressed his full lips together, probably trying not to say something he thought I might not be ready to hear, but I caught his meaning. I kissed him again.
“Casius, this weekend has been so perfect, so beyond my wildest dreams. I’m not going anywhere. I mean, I’m going back to Goldleaf, but I’m going to stay right here.” I pressed my fingers against his chest, right above his heart, and he looked up to meet my gaze. “And you’ll stay right here.” I touched my own chest. I swallowed nervously not sure if I’d said too much, but Casius smiled, as if what I’d told him was exactly what he wanted, needed, to hear. He kissed me gently before peeling away to take a shower.
I waited for him, wondering if I’d been too premature in admitting how much he meant to me, but Casius said he didn’t want secrets between us, and I guess he now knew all of mine. I smiled when he came back, ready to fall into his arms once more. He pulled me in close to his body, and I rested my head on his chest, listening to the gentle thump, thump, thump of his heart.
His last words that night came out as a sleepy, soft whisper. “I can’t wait to claim you…”
The next morning was hell. The first thought I had when I woke up was about how I could possibly find a way to stay for longer. But when I rolled over, I saw Casius by the wardrobe, already in his pressed uniform. His medals shone brightly in the morning sun, but his face seemed shadowed. He had work to do. It really was time for me to go.
I got ready and we shared a quick breakfast at the kitchen table. I made us a pot of mushroom tea from a jar I’d brought with me. We were lingering over our cups and had our fingers laced on the table when a knock at the door broke us out of our love trance.
Casius let go of my hand and gulped down the last of his tea as he stood. “That must be Mikel.”
I leaned my chair back to try and see the door, but the angle was wrong, so I ended up getting a great view of Casius’s butt. As he opened the front door, I heard a cheerful voice flow in from outside. “Morning, boss. You’re looking sharp.”
“Good morning, Mikel,” Casius replied with warmth in
his voice. Yep, that was my security detail. I knew I shouldn’t linger. It was time to go. I had to say goodbye.
I got up from the breakfast table then quickly grabbed my bag from the bedroom. When I got to the hallway, I saw a handsome, well-built alpha practically bursting out of his silver uniform, and a beautiful warm smile practically bursting off his face.
Casius’s expression fell when he saw the duffel over my shoulder. My heart ached so much it felt like it was breaking.
He stood up straight and put on his professional voice. “Mikel, this is Julian. My fated mate.”
My stomach twisted at the sound of it and my wolf whined, wishing to stay close to Casius. But I kept it together on the outside, with a quick smile to Mikel.
He shook my hand and held my gaze with warm, strong eye contact. “A pleasure. Looking forward to, uh, watching you? Well, that sounds sketchy.”
We laughed, and Casius let out a short grunt before holding me by the waist.
“Mikel will follow behind the car you’re in and make sure you get back to Goldleaf safe and sound.”
I nodded in appreciation.
Mikel looked over his shoulder. “I’ll take up my position. Your car is here, by the way—I passed the driver on the way in.”
“Thanks, Mikel. Call me as soon as… Or if…”
This time I couldn’t fill in the gaps Casius left. Call him as soon as I’m home safe? Or if anything bad happens? I swallowed, suddenly nervous as I realized how serious all of this was. Maybe there was a real threat… Or maybe they just wanted us to think that. Either way, I had to leave town and that meant saying goodbye to the man I was falling for. Mikel left us, and we were alone. I put down the duffel and turned to face my fated mate, taking him in one more time, committing his whole frame and face to memory as best I could.
I wet my lips and said softly, “I’m going to miss you—”
He pressed his mouth against mine. The kiss made my heart pound so hard I felt faint.
When we pulled apart, a look of fear passed over his face. “Tell me if anything suspicious happens, won’t you? Be careful. Please, Julian. Be careful.”
Where I’d normally build a big emotional wall and wave off the concern, now all I felt was genuine affection for the way he was looking out for me. Seeing him want to care for me, even if it meant we had to be apart… It was appealing. And it made my decision easy. Last night I’d thought I’d said too much, but in fact, I hadn’t said enough.
I took Casius’s hands and kissed him again. As I stepped back, I held his gaze.
“I accept you as my mate. Whenever you’re ready… I’ll happily take your bite.”
The look on Casius’s face turned from fearful to joyful. “Are you serious?”
I laughed. “Yes, I’m serious. Those are sacred words.”
He pulled me into a big hug and laughed with me, rocking me back and forth. Then he held me at arm’s length as he looked me over.
“You’re incredible. You know that, right? Way to switch my mood around in an instant.”
I grinned and ran a hand over his shoulder. “I’m going to miss you.”
“No more than I’ll miss you.” He sighed, and then took a deep breath. “Stay safe. And we’ll see each other soon, okay?”
“You stay safe too,” I insisted.
“I promise. Of course I will.”
The drive back to Goldleaf felt like it took ten hours instead of two. I hated the way the pine trees gave way to the low grasses of the borderlands. When the Goldleaf oaks came into view, my heart felt a little lighter, but not by much. The weight of being away from Casius was heavy. And there was also something else bothering me…
My skin itched, and I couldn’t relax. I kept glancing out of the window, searching around me for the source of the feeling. Mikel was driving a good distance behind us, and there were rarely any other cars on the highway… But still, I felt like I was being watched. But by who? Or what?
17
Casius
Even after Julian had left, his words remained. They echoed through me all morning as I continued to get ready to meet Alpha Hughes at the Supreme Alpha Mansion.
I accept you as my mate… The statement sent a thrill up my spine and put a permanent smile on my face. By the time I was ready to leave, I’d repeated those words so many times my whole body felt like it was going to explode if I didn’t get the energy out.
I glanced at the clock and decided I just had time for a very quick run before I was due to meet Hughes, so I stripped, shifted, and then bolted through the oversized doggy door at the back of my house.
With my paws in the fallen pine needles and the warm wind in my fur, I felt free. The scent of pine resin woke me up, and my mind became clear. But as I wove through the trees and bounded over fallen branches, Julian’s voice came back into me. This time, with his words of suspicion.
Humans? Really?
I’m just not sure I buy it.
Photos? Were they grainy?
I let out an uncertain whimper and glanced to the west, toward the Supreme Mansion. I’d be late if I stayed in the woods much longer, but I needed to run if I was going to work the paranoia out of my system before I saw Alpha Hughes.
I took off up a steep hill, digging my back paws in to push myself away from the earthy, soft soil of the lower lands and toward the hard, rocky ground of the higher areas. By the time I’d scaled the first rise, my muscles were burning, and I was breathing heavily. I descended with cautious steps, two paws at a time, my forelegs bracing to stop myself from toppling down the hillside until I made it to solid ground again. I shook off the strain, glanced up at the sky, and guessed I was already an hour late, but my mind was fairly clear. I felt peaceful. And most importantly, I felt connected to my instincts, which were almost always right. They would guide me through whatever I faced that day.
I sprinted to the Supreme Mansion then shifted in the private senior bathrooms where I kept a spare uniform. I was doing up the last button of my shirt and watching myself in the mirror when Sloan Hughes came skulking in, looking me over and whistling.
“You’re late.”
I grunted and kept my eyes on my own reflection.
“Daddy’s going to be mad.”
“I doubt it.” I turned to leave, but Sloan skidded sideways to block my path and pressed one of his slimy hands against my chest. I held back a shudder and stared him down.
“I could tell him you were busy with me…” He dragged a finger down the buttons of my shirt and threatened to pop one open with his thumb.
I grabbed his hand and growled.
“Oh, so you don’t want me to tell big Alpha Hughes you were in the bathroom with me all morning, then? Would that be bad of me?”
I snorted and placed his hand onto his own chest. “No, Sloan. It would be boring. I know you can do better than that.”
I gave his hand a pat, and hurried out of the bathroom, smirking as I heard him let out a frustrated groan as I left.
Alpha Hughes wasn’t mad at all. In fact, he barely noticed me when I entered his private office. He finally looked up from his desk when I cleared my throat and closed the door behind me. With a warm smile, he motioned for me to take a seat in a cushy leather chair in front of his desk.
“I just heard from Alpha Truitt of Goldleaf. Julian arrived back safely, and Alpha Truitt has two additional alphas keeping eyes on him. I’m considering keeping Mikel there for a little longer though, and possibly increasing the presence of Everglow protectors in the area just in case the humans are curious about the town, perhaps our presence will act as a deterrent to them.”
Or an attractant. I didn’t voice the paranoid doubt. Instead, I simply nodded.
“Now…” Alpha Hughes sighed and his face fell.
I frowned and leaned forward. “What is it?”
“Some very troubling news, I’m afraid.”
“What’s happening?” I asked quickly, gripping the arms of my chair.
Alp
ha Hughes placed his hands flat on his desk. “I’ve received troubling phone calls this morning, from Supreme Alphas in other states.”
I let out a hoarse groan and sat back in my chair. “You’re kidding. Humans?”
“Humans. Sightings all up and down the middle of the country.”
I swallowed. “Deaths?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“Hard to say for now. Many came in as reports from civilians, but there are also a fair few confirmed by authorities. Same deal—wolf pelts as trophies, and bodies with notes declaring they are preparing for revenge.”
I frowned. I heard Julian’s voice again, and a niggling feeling tugged at my guts.
“Revenge…” I said quietly, frowning and considering everything that had been going on.
Alpha Hughes clamped up and crossed his arms over his chest. I looked at my Alpha dead-on, and channeling every inch of Julian’s energy that was still racing through me, I confronted him.
“You know more than you’re saying.”
Alpha Hughes laughed. “Do I?”
I didn’t let him break the tension. I maintained eye contact and nodded. “Revenge.”
He kept smiling and shaking his head. “Revenge?”
“If there are humans out there, why would they want revenge on us? There must be a reason.”
“If? If there are humans?”
I raised my eyebrows and crossed my arms over my chest, letting him know I wasn’t budging until I had answers.
“How should I know why they’re doing what they’re doing?” Alpha Hughes threw his arms up in defense.
I kept our eyes locked as I shrugged. I stayed silent. He lowered his hands then slumped forward before releasing a deep grumble.
“Shit.”
I waited.
“Alright, Alpha Select. You’re a clever man. Too clever, but I suppose that will be an asset for you once you’re the Supreme Alpha. Let me show you something really troubling.” He tried to keep his words upbeat, but the tremble in his voice gave away the fact he was holding onto something big.
