by Raven Steele
I gripped his hand, clinging to the hope that he’d brought into my life. “Mine’s Reese’s Chocolate Puffs. What’s yours?”
He grinned. “Captain Crunch, All Berries.”
“Hmm…” I considered his choice. “But chocolate always trumps berries, so I’ll stick with mine.”
“Nah, berries are better. They make the sunrise that much sweeter.”
“You’re up that early?”
He glanced at me. “Sometimes.”
“Why?”
He paused for a minute to think before he answered. “It’s quiet then. The day hasn’t started. There’s still potential for anything to happen.”
“Like checking out the new shifter in town?” I leaned over, smirking, and gave him a kiss.
“Maybe.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled, glancing back and forth between me and the road.
For the rest of the drive, we talked a lot. And made out a lot, when we could. Like every stoplight.
But mostly, we got to know each other. I learned Luke’s favorite color was silver. He watched reruns of The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine on TV. He lived in an apartment in the middle of Rouen, but he had a cabin his family owned about an hour outside of town. He would go there occasionally when his life with Dominic became too challenging.
Luke talked about Jake and all about growing up with him. They were more than brothers. They were best friends who got into a lot of mischief. But Luke, the bigger brother, always managed to get them out of it. By everything they had been through and had experienced, they were my kind of people. I couldn’t wait to meet Jake.
Time flew and soon we passed the sign saying we’d entered Mandeville. It was a smaller town than I’d expected. Main Street consisted of a little grocery store, a post office, a hardware store, and a couple of gas stations. We stopped at one of them. I filled up the tank while Luke walked inside to ask questions. With a town this small, someone was bound to know of a club where “people” met to occasionally drink and shoot guns. Classic pack activity.
Luke returned a moment later, smiling big. “We’re close! The clerk said there’s a group that meets down Decatur Road. He also warned me to be careful. They have tempers.”
“Perfect!” I finished pumping gas and jumped in the car. Luke couldn’t stop smiling. I loved this side of him. So carefree. So happy.
I rubbed the back of his neck as he sped down the road.
“Ten minutes,” he said. “Ten minutes and I could have a solid clue about where my brother is. I might even see him! It’s been so long. I can hardly believe this day has come!”
“I’m happy for you. Truly I am.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet him. You’re going to love him.”
“If he’s anything like you, I’m sure I will.” I raised my eyebrow. “Would you say he’s more or less good-looking than you?”
He lightly hit my shoulder, then turned onto a road that cut through a thick forest. The road wasn’t paved, and he had to slow down to keep the car from bouncing off the road. At one point, the road became so narrow, tree branches scraped the sides of the car.
“You sure this is the right place?” I asked.
“I think so. He said the drive there was pretty rough.”
We had about a mile left when Luke slammed on the brakes. My hands shot out to brace myself against the dashboard. “What’s wrong?”
He motioned forward. I followed his gaze through the bright headlights. Three strong and burly men and one equally as strong woman blocked the path, two of them holding rifles.
“I think we found the pack.” I swallowed through my tightening throat, a bad feeling settling in my gut.
Luke stopped the car and opened his door. “Wait here.”
“Like hell I will.” I followed him out.
We both stepped in front of the car, partially blocking the headlights. I called upon my wolf, letting her power fill me. If the others blocking the road were in tune, they would be able to feel her strength.
The four shifters stepped forward. Only the female glanced at me warily.
“State your business,” the one in a red plaid shirt said.
“We’re here to see your Alpha,” Luke said, wanting them to know right away we were shifters. “We just have a question for him, then we’ll be on our way.”
“Brutus doesn’t have time to meet with strangers,” the plaid-shirted man said.
Luke tried again. “It will only take five minutes.”
“Maybe send a postcard.”
“Enough of this shit.” I stepped forward. “Let’s make a deal, shall we? If we beat all four of you in a fight, then you’ll take us to Brutus. Deal?”
Fighting really was the only way to get shifters to listen. I’m surprised Luke even tried diplomacy.
They laughed out loud.
“You might as well go home, because no one beats Marge here.” Plaid-Shirt motioned his head toward the large woman. Admittedly, she did look like she ate Bigfoots for breakfast and crapped their fur an hour later. I bet she could knock me out with one punch. She pointed and grinned at me. Half her teeth were missing.
I cringed. “Don’t do that.”
“I’m going to smash that pretty face of yours.” Marge’s voice was deep and gravely.
“You think I’m pretty?”
She stuttered. “Pretty like your friend’s ass.”
I motioned to Luke with my thumb. “Are you hitting on my boyfriend?”
Luke turned to me. “Am I your boyfriend?”
Oops.
“Are we going to fight, or what?” Plaid-Shirt was getting impatient.
Luke and I grinned at each other, then turned and rushed the four shifters. Luke tackled Plaid-Shirt, while I aimed for Marge. Just as she swung at me, I leapt into the air in a sideways motion. Grabbing onto her neck, I twisted, but she moved with the motion. She was surprisingly limber and quick for her size. I took advantage of my legs swinging through the air and managed to hit one of the other shifters in the face. He spun, dropping to the ground, out cold.
Wimp.
Marge reached up and took hold of my arm. She squeezed tight with sharp nails, sending shooting pain into my bones. I growled and twisted out of her grip. “You’re going to pay for that, Goliath bitch!”
I kicked at her stomach. She stumbled back, but she should’ve flown. Strong arms came around me from behind.
“Hold her tight, T-bone,” Marge cried.
“T-bone?” I grunted. “What’s with the horrible names?”
Marge punched me in the gut. Air exploded from my lungs.
“It’s an inbreeding thing, right?” I coughed. “Your dad bang his sister, Marge?”
“Quit screwing around,” Luke snapped as he rammed his shoulder into Plaid-Shirt’s back. The man dropped to the ground, howling.
“Fun’s over.” I lurched forward, easily throwing the guy over my shoulder. He landed on the ground with a huff.
Marge stepped back, surprised, but her dismay didn’t last long. She snarled and rushed me. I ducked and came up hard with two of my own punches to her gut. She doubled over, and her face turned a pale shade of purple.
“Breathe, Marge,” I said. “I want you hurt, not dead.”
While she struggled for breath, I let my wolf take over just enough to debilitate the shifter on the ground. It took a single punch to his temple to knock him out cold. I hurried over to Luke, wanting another chance to fight someone, but Luke finished him off before I could get there. I returned to Marge who was still sucking in tiny gulps of air.
“We could still fight if you’d like, but I think it’s pretty obvious who the stronger shifters are. How about you just take us to your Alpha?”
She nodded her head quickly and turned, still hunched over, and walked along the road. Luke jogged to the car to turn off the headlights and we followed after. I switched over to night vision, giving me a greater view of the forest.
The trees were tall and skinny, and the smell o
f the pines made my wolf restless. She wanted to go for a run after that fight. Slowly, Marge began to straighten. She found her deep voice again and said over her shoulder, “What pack are y’all from?”
Luke hesitated, glancing at me. “We’re Silver Claws from Rouen.”
She stopped and a grin split her large head. “Why the hell didn’t you say so? You guys know you are always welcome up here!”
“Do we?” I flashed Luke a questioning look. He shrugged his shoulders.
“We heard about Dominic a couple of days ago.” She shook her head. “A real shame. Not many Alphas like him left. We had a real good party in his name.” She chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that shit-faced before.”
“How well did you know him?” Luke asked.
“Oh, he’d come up here every other week or so. He didn’t tell you?” She seemed surprised.
“He liked to keep his secrets.” I glanced ahead to see how much further, but all I saw were more trees.
She chuckled seductively, a sound that could’ve burned the hair off my arms. “I know all about his dirty secrets.”
I shivered uncomfortably. Ew. “How much further?”
“Just around the bend.”
Marge was right. As soon as we turned a corner in the road, the forest opened, revealing a large cabin big enough to house several shifters. It was at least three stories high, with wrap around porches and a stone base. There were at least a dozen shifters outside surrounding a large bonfire. They lowered the drinks in their hands and eyed us dangerously as we passed.
Marge marched up the front porch steps and swung the door open wide. “Brutus! There are people here to see you.” She walked towards the hallway and glanced back at us. “You can come in. Sit anywhere.”
I followed Luke inside. The cabin might’ve been spacious, but it was filled with all kinds of junk. Sofas and recliners lay scattered throughout with no thought given to their placement. Boxes were stacked high along the walls, and blankets and crumpled wrappers lay everywhere else. It was pretty disgusting.
Luke brushed crumbs from off a nearby couch and made a grand gesture for me to sit first. “After you, my lady.”
“What? So I can get the STD first?”
He raised his eyebrow, grinning. “You will always come first with me.”
I laughed as he shoved me playfully onto the worn cushions. I pulled him down with me.
Marge walked into the kitchen behind us. “You two want anything to drink or eat? We’ve got beer, pizza, the usual junk.”
“We’ll both have a beer,” Luke said, his eyes lit with joy.
Marge returned a moment later and handed us each a cold drink. “Brutus will be out in a second. I think he’s with his lady in the back room, assaulting her with a friendly weapon if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I kept my expression even.
Luke followed my lead, his face somber. “Tell us.”
Marge began to thrust her hips in the air. “He’s burping the worm in the mole hole, dipping the stinger in the honey, launching the meat missile…”
“We get it!” I cried, laughing out loud. She laughed with us, a deep throaty sound.
“I think we could be great friends, Marge. Just get those teeth fixed.” I winked at her.
“Who is this?” a deep and commanding voice said from behind us.
The mood in the room instantly darkened. The smile dropped from Marge’s face, and she stepped back. Luke and I rose to our feet and turned around.
A man just as tall as Luke was walking toward us, latching the belt looped through his jeans. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Every inch of his chest was covered in hard muscles. His dark hair was long, but tied up in a ponytail behind him. His eyes were light blue, so light they were almost white. Everything about him screamed Alpha, except for his smile. It was a sharp contrast to his domineering stance and the intense look in his eyes. Why was he smiling like that?
Luke came around the couch and extended his hand. “My name is Luke, and this is Briar. We’re from the Silver Claws pack down in Rouen. I was hoping you could answer some questions for me.”
I came next and also offered my hand. After he was finished shaking Luke’s, he took hold of mine tightly and pulled me so close I nearly ran into his massive chest.
“Welcome to the Linchen Pack. Silver Claws are always welcome here, especially you.” He stared down at my ample chest and growled low in his throat.
I gently pushed away from him. “Err, thanks.”
His grin spread, but he finally looked away from my boobs. “I was sorry to hear about your Alpha. He was a good friend of mine.”
“How good?” I tilted my head to the side.
He scratched the back of his neck. “Dominic and I were on pretty good terms. We’d have ourselves a beer at least every month. He was good to us. Always sending us business. If it weren’t for him, we’d probably be pillaging the local towns.”
“Or you could get jobs,” I said.
His eyes darkened, and yet, he still smiled. “You said you had some questions?”
“One actually.” Luke removed the photo of his brother from his pocket. “I’m looking for someone. His name is Jake DuPont. I heard he came this way about four and a half years ago, and I’m hoping someone remembers him.”
Luke handed the photo to Brutus. Brutus eyed it, turned it over in his hand, then studied it again. “Yeah, I know this guy.”
Luke’s face lit up. “Where can I find him?”
Brutus lowered the photo. “He’s out back.”
My heart leapt in my chest. Luke was going to finally see his brother after all these years!
“But you’re not going to get much out of him.” Brutus’ hand lowered to scratch at his chest.
“What do you mean?” Luke’s voice lowered, his eyes serious. The playful Luke was gone.
Brutus lifted the picture again and pointed at it. “This guy here? Dominic sent him to us to kill him. He’s dead.”
Chapter 7
I reached for Luke’s hand, but he pulled away.
“That can’t be right,” Luke said, a sharp edge to his voice. “We were told he was here.”
“He is.” Brutus still had that stupid smile that I really wanted to punch right now. “He’s buried in back. What’s this about?”
Luke was shaking his head. “But he was working off a debt to Dominic. He wasn’t supposed to be killed.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. Heather and Leroy brought him here years ago. Said that the kid was a snitch so Dominic wanted us to eliminate him. We followed orders.”
“Show me.” Luke folded his arms across his chest. He was clenching his jaw so tight I thought he might break all the teeth in his mouth.
Brutus opened the screen door to outside. “This way.”
I placed my hand and Luke’s arm, but he shrugged me away. “Luke, I—”
“They’re lying.” Luke followed after Brutus.
Outside, Brutus called to the group of men at the fire. “Hey Tom! Get me a shovel!”
We walked through the woods, maybe a hundred yards out back from the cabin. Every one of my steps felt heavy, but not as bad as the anchor weighing my chest. I forced myself to breathe.
Brutus stopped in a small clearing where several posts had been dug into the earth. Moonlight spilled in from the gaps in the canopy above us, illuminating the eerie space. Death was here. I could smell it. Lots of it.
Brutus walked among the posts, eyeing each one closely. He finally stopped at one on the end. “He’s buried here.”
“How do you know?”
“Dates written on the post. I remember that day because Dominic sent us his biggest payment ever. A hundred grand. Easy work.”
Luke’s body tightened, and his hands clenched at his side.
“Give me the shovel.” I reached for it but Luke snatched the shovel before I could.
“I’ll do it.”
“How
will you know it’s him?” Brutus asked. Still with that stupid smile. “He’s got to be all dirt and bones by now.”
“I’ll know,” Luke growled.
Luke rammed the shovel into the earth, every ounce of his strength pouring into the dirt at his feet as if it were his greatest enemy. A storm raged in his blue eyes, and his face became a mask of cold that chilled my bones.
Please don’t let the body in this grave be Jake.
After a while Brutus spoke, breaking the silence. “I don’t get it. Dominic ordered this man dead. Why are you coming for him now?”
“He wasn’t supposed to be dead,” I said. “Dominic kept secrets from the pack.”
“I wondered about that.” Brutus leaned against a tree despite not wearing a shirt. “He did a lot of things I didn’t think his pack would approve of, but who was I to go against him?”
I snorted. “You’re an Alpha. You could’ve done whatever the hell you wanted.”
“Nah. Not when we were going to be Silver Claws, too.”
“What?” Shock coursed through me. Even Luke stopped shoveling for a second.
Brutus looked from me to Luke, noting our surprised expression. “You mean to tell me that Dominic didn’t tell you guys he was taking in our pack?”
“He didn’t say a word.”
Brutus cursed. “It was supposed to happen by the end of the year. I was just waiting for your new Alpha to pay us an invite and finalize plans.”
“Why would he make you all Silver Claws?” I asked. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“All part of Trianus’s return.”
A violent chill jerked my spine. “What did you say?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know about this either!”
“Just clarify,” I said slowly.
“Trianus. He’s supposed to return soon. And when he does, all packs are to be united under his rule. That’s when we begin to take over the human world. Sounds amazing, right?”
I met Luke’s steel gaze. This is why Dominic was sending out letters to other packs. He wanted to raise Trianus, and use the packs as his foot soldiers. My throat constricted preventing me from swallowing.
Luke removed his shirt and continued to dig. His silence scared me.
