The Savage Grace

by Bree Despain

  I started to shake my head, but Charity wouldn’t have it.

  “How would these guns have gotten under the porch if you didn’t hide them there?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe someone else—”

  “You’re lying again.” She nodded at my red-splotched neck. “But I don’t get why. Why would you attack a couple of hunters? Why would you steal their guns and hide them? How, even? And why would you do all that to save some wolf? That’s so not normal. Except you’ve been acting really strange for, like, a year now. Ever since Daniel came back.”

  She glanced at Daniel. He shoved his hands in his pajama pants pockets, trying to look casual—which didn’t exactly make him look innocent, but did make his pecs flex in a very nice way. Charity’s cheeks pinked a bit, and I assumed it was because she’d finally noticed that Daniel was shirtless. I mean, she was a girl, after all; even if she was wigging out, she was bound to notice the perfection of his body.

  Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Daniel. “Is that … a bullet hole?” She used the muzzle of the gun to point at the welt on Daniel’s shoulder, making my stomach feel like I was on a rocking boat. “Or is it a burn? Or both?”

  Daniel glanced at me as if asking how I thought he should answer the question. But I didn’t get a chance to respond.

  “Oh, my heck.” The pink flush in Charity’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red. I could almost see the gears turning in her head as a realization dawned on her. “Silver bullets? That wasn’t a normal wolf those hunters were after, was it? I mean, what the sheriff said about the whole town being able to hear the wolf howling. That shouldn’t be possible. A normal wolf can’t be heard beyond a mile and a half. I studied wolves last year for my science project, so I know.”

  I didn’t like the emphasis she kept putting on the word normal in her sentences. And I especially didn’t like the way she was holding the gun now, pointing it at Daniel in her unsteady hands.

  “Charity, I don’t know what you think is going on, but—”

  Charity rocked the gun in my direction, making me throw my hands up defensively on instinct.

  “Don’t you point that at anyone!” I cried.

  “What I couldn’t figure out was why you’d risk your life to save some wolf.” She tilted the gun back toward Daniel. “But I know why now.…”

  “What do you think know?” Daniel asked, sounding calm, like a therapist, and not like someone who had a gun pointed at his chest.

  “I had to research myths about wolves as part of my project. I know what they say about wolves, or people, who can be burned by silver. And I saw you do a flip from the roof and land on two feet like it was no big deal. Normal people can’t do that.”

  I gave a little gasp. “So being a show-off comes back to bite you in the butt, eh?” I said to Daniel.

  He smirked. “So it does.”

  “This isn’t funny!” Charity rocked the gun back and forth between us. “I’m not stupid, Grace. I know you think just because I’m in middle school that I should be oblivious to everything. I know something’s been going on. Ever since Daniel came back … and people started turning up dead again from wild-dog attacks. And all that stuff the news has been saying about the return of the Markham Street Monster.”

  “I know you’re not stupid. But this isn’t what you think. Daniel didn’t do any of that.”

  Charity shook her head, the gun swaying dangerously back and forth as she did it. She blinked fast, as if fighting the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes. “He’s a monster, isn’t he? A … a … a werewolf?”

  I opened my mouth, ready to tell any lie that would convince her otherwise, but Daniel placed his hand on my shoulder.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “She knows what I am, and it’s time to tell her the rest.”

  “So it is true?” Tears trailed from her eyes now. The gun wavered up and down in her trembling hands. I knew how freaked out she must be—even I hadn’t handled the revelation of Daniel’s true origins all that well when I found out—but if she lost control of herself, that gun was surely going to fire.

  Three different scenarios of how I could spring on her and wrestle the gun from her hands flashed through my mind. Do it! growled my inner wolf. She’s a danger to you. Take her out.

  No. I couldn’t see any of those scenarios ending without someone I loved getting hurt. “Yes, Charity. But what are you going to do about it?” I inched sideways. “Are you going to shoot Daniel?”

  “I don’t know.” She choked on her tears. “Isn’t that what I should do? Shouldn’t I try to protect us all?”

  “If you shoot him for being a werewolf, then you’re going to have to shoot Jude.…” I stepped between Daniel and Charity so the gun was aimed at me now. “And then you’ll have to shoot me.” Because even if I wasn’t a full-blown werewolf now, watching Daniel’s heart get ripped open by a silver bullet would be the tipping point that would force me over the edge. “This is what we are, but we haven’t done what you think we have.”

  “Don’t do this, Grace.” Daniel’s hands clamped over my shoulders, ready to shove me out of harm’s way if needed.

  I didn’t change my stance. “So what’s it going to be?” I asked Charity.

  Except for the bright red tearstains, her face was as white as the clouds in the sky. “You’re a … ? I don’t believe it. You can’t be … You’re just my sister. I don’t understand.…”

  “Give me the gun, and we promise to tell you everything.” I held out my hand.

  “Everything?”

  “Yes,” Daniel said.

  My heart thudded against my chest at least forty times before Charity finally lowered the rifle and handed it to me. I passed it quickly over to Daniel as Charity took a lurching step forward and fell into my arms, crying like the little girl I knew she no longer was.

  AN HOUR LATER

  I held Charity for a good long while before she sank into the fallen leaves that were scattered across the dead lawn. She pulled her knees into her chest and asked us to start from the very beginning. Daniel gave her a brief overview of the history of the Urbat, but he let me tell the story of our lives over the last year—probably because his memory was still a bit spotty. I noticed he listened just as intently as Charity did when I covered the happenings of the last week.

  I told Charity the truth, but I was careful to leave out personal details. Like the way I’d had to hold Daniel last night to keep him from succumbing to the pull to transform back into the white wolf. I didn’t tell her the secrets Daniel and I had shared in the dungeon of Caleb’s warehouse. And I figured this wasn’t the time or place for Daniel to find out about our engagement if he didn’t have any memory of it.

  Charity flinched when I told her about Jude. About the things he’d done. Where he’d been for the last several months. And where he was now. “Can I go see him?” she’d asked.

  “Not yet,” I said, trying to keep my shame from bubbling up in my voice. Here was my not-quite-thirteen-year-old sister, ready to take on the task I’d been dreading for days—and had botched terrifically only yesterday. “I don’t think he’s ready for that.”

  Daniel remained silent as I spoke, but he gave me a knowing glance when I said this about Jude. I wondered, when Daniel and I were psychically connected in our dreams, if he’d been able to channel the fear and the pain I felt toward my brother. When I got to the part about what had really happened to Dad, Daniel put a soothing hand on my shoulder, and I wished again he’d been there with me in the hospital.

  Charity took it all in with a maturity I should have credited her with a long time ago. Her eyes flitted to the rifle that sat next to Daniel in the grass only a couple of times. When I’d caught her up on everything relevant, from the Shadow Kings to the hunting party looking for the wolf that supposedly killed Pete Bradshaw and, lastly, to this morning’s run-in with the sheriff and Deputy Marsh, she sighed heavily and pinched her fingers above her nose like she was trying to keep a
ll this new information from leaking out of her brain.

  “Okay,” she said. “But the thing I still can’t figure out is why everyone keeps saying Pete Bradshaw is dead when he’s not.”

  “I’m sorry, Charity. But he is. I was at the hospital when he passed away two days ago.”

  She shook her head with such denial it surprised me. “That can’t be.”

  “I know it’s hard to hear that someone you know is dead.…”

  “But he’s not,” she insisted. “I saw Pete Bradshaw when we stopped at a gas station in the city early this morning. He was acting kinda wacko, but he looked pretty darn alive to me.”

  It took me a full thirty seconds to respond. Like my brain and my mouth decided not to communicate with each other. “Are you sure it was Pete? It wasn’t, like, someone who looked like him? He might have cousins in town for the funeral.”

  “Pete doesn’t have any cousins. His mom said something about that when they had Thanksgiving dinner with us.”

  “He doesn’t? I thought…” I recalled the fact that Pete’s only uncle was barely older than we were. Even if he had any cousins, they’d be too young to be mistaken for Pete. “This doesn’t make any sense.” I’d been there when the doctor pronounced Pete dead in the hospital, and even the news had reported his death. There couldn’t have been a mistake. There had to be another explanation.…

  Charity bit her lip. “So if Pete died, and now he’s alive again like Daniel, does that mean he’s a werewolf now, too?”

  “I don’t know.” I pushed myself up from the grass. “But I’m going to find out.”

  Even though it meant I was going to have to do something I never wanted to do again.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  TRICKS OF THE TRADE

  WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

  Charity wasn’t too happy that I wouldn’t let her come with us. Truth is, with this new Pete development, I didn’t know what Daniel and I would be heading into, and I didn’t want her to get hurt. Before we left, I swore her to utter secrecy and then tasked her with the more-than-important job of covering for me with Aunt Carol.

  “When Carol gets up from her nap, tell her I went to the hospital,” I instructed Charity before getting into the Corolla with Daniel. “Or that I’m at April’s working on a project or something. But I might not be home until late.”

  Daniel and I headed to his apartment first in order to find him some proper not-pajamas clothes for our mission. I waited on the sofa bed while he changed in the bathroom, and I tried not to dwell on what had almost happened the last time we had been alone in this room together. Because of that, I wasn’t exactly allowed to be in here.

  “Sorry I took so long,” Daniel said as he came into the living area, wearing dark jeans and a white button-up shirt that was open at the collar and clung to his carved chest. “Had to try three different pairs of pants before I found one that didn’t fit like floods.”

  “I told you I wasn’t imagining things. You’re bigger now.” I rose from the bed and walked to him. My hand rested on the hard muscles under his shirtsleeve. “I can’t say I’m bothered by the end result. And I’d thought you couldn’t get any hotter.…” I rocked up on my tiptoes and kissed the curve of his jaw.

  Daniel made an appreciative noise. “You looking to calm your nerves before we go?” He bent his head down so his lips could meet mine. Just as I thought he was about to kiss me, his head snapped up at the sound of the apartment door opening. “We’ve got company.”

  I let go of Daniel’s arm and turned toward the door to find Brent, Ryan, and Zach crowded in the doorway. Slade stood farther behind them on the concrete stairs that led down to the apartment.

  “We heard voices down here,” Ryan said. “Thought we should check it out. Didn’t want anyone breaking into alpha’s place while he’s gone.”

  Brent elbowed Ryan in the chest and then gestured to Daniel, who stood behind me. “Doesn’t look like he’s gone anymore.”

  “Holy crap,” Ryan said. “Is that really you?”

  “Last time I checked,” Daniel said.

  “Holy crap!” Ryan bounded into the apartment and came right up to us like an excited pup. Brent and Zach followed. Slade stood in the doorway, looking so shocked I might say he was actually a bit frightened.

  “I can’t believe it,” Ryan said. “I guess I lost Slade’s betting pool. I didn’t think we’d see you in human form until Thanksgiving, at least.”

  “You bet a year from next March,” Brent said to Ryan.

  Ryan reeled on him. “No. I. Didn’t.”

  “Yes, you did. I’ve got all the bets written down.” Brent stuck his hand in his pocket, and Ryan made a move to pounce on him.

  “Guys,” I said. “Seriously?”

  Ryan and Brent dropped their argument and looked at me.

  “I guess it’s time you officially met the lost boys,” I said to Daniel.

  “Lost boys? You mean like that old Kiefer Sutherland movie?”

  “What? No, I mean like Peter Pan and the lost boys.”

  “Is she calling us fairies?” Slade asked.

  “No,” Brent said. “She means the lost boys who never wanted to grow up, and got into mischief with Peter Pan.”

  “Still sounds like fairies to me.” Slade crossed his tattooed arms in front of his chest.

  “Still sounds like that Kiefer Sutherland movie to me.” Daniel smirked.

  “We were in the play together, like, seven years ago. You were mad because my mom made you wear tights, but you wanted to be a pirate.”

  Daniel held his hand up. “Partial amnesia here, remember? I must have blocked out any and all recollections associated with said tights.”

  Brent, Zach, and Ryan laughed. Slade almost cracked a smile.

  “Well, anyway,” I said, “I was trying to say that it’s about time you met your pack.”

  “In person, that is.” Daniel stretched his hand out toward Zach. “I’m sorry, like I said, my memory is a little messed up. I don’t remember names.”

  “This is Zach,” I said as Daniel shook hands with him. “The youngest is Ryan. The obnoxious one is Brent.”

  “I respect that assessment,” Brent said, and awkwardly bumped knuckles with Daniel instead of a handshake.

  “And this is Slade.” I gestured to him in the doorway.

  Daniel stuck his fist out toward Slade, and I swear the tattooed-covered street racer flinched away from it at first. After what seemed like a second of contemplation, he smacked his fist down on top of Daniel’s. A typical guy greeting.

  “But there were five of you, weren’t there?” Daniel turned back to Ryan and the others. “Where is he?”

  “Marcos.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “He died in the explosion at the warehouse.”

  The boys dropped their heads, as if in a moment of silence for their friend.

  Daniel nodded. “I remember feeling your loss.”

  “We should probably get going. I’ve already sent a text asking for the meet-up.”

  “Right,” Daniel said.

  “What’re you up to?” Ryan asked.

  “We’ve got a matter to take care of.” I picked up the Corolla keys from the sofa bed. “Might get a little dicey.”

  “Bring us,” Ryan said. “For backup.”

  “Yeah,” the others agreed.

  Daniel shifted uncomfortably next to me. I knew it would irritate him to have four shadows, but I was glad to see that the devotion of these reformed SKs hadn’t waned one bit now that Daniel was no longer the white wolf.

  “I don’t mind busting some heads for you.” Brent punched his fist into his palm, looking tough and yet still very sarcastic at the same time.

  “I think this matter may call for a more delicate approach,” I said.

  “Okay,” Daniel said, and propelled Brent out the door with the others. “Let’s go. We’ll fill you in on the way.”

  TWENTY MINUTES LATER

  As part of the delicate a
pproach, we decided it would be best if I arrived at the meet-up alone—didn’t want to spook Talbot before I could get answers.

  The only problem was, the moment I saw him leaning against a tree at the farthest end of the churchyard, where I’d texted him to meet me, any idea of handling him delicately vanished from my mind.

  Talbot stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets when he saw me coming. Stubble painted his face as if it had been over a day since he’d shaved, and he wore the same clothes I’d last seen him in. I must not have been able to stop my emotions from showing on my face, because a strange looked passed over his eyes—kind of like guilt—before he plastered on his warmest “aw shucks” farm-boy, dimpled smile. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from me for long. You have no idea how happy I am you decided—”

  “What the hell did you do?” I asked as I approached.

  A confused look settled in Talbot’s eyes. “Nothing … I was just sitting here.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about.” My hand went flying, and I hit him in the sternum with the flat of my palm, slamming him against the tree trunk. The branches above us shuddered. A flutter of autumn leaves fell to the ground. A bright orange one landed in his brown hair. I had to stand up on my tiptoes to get in his face.

  “Whoa, kid. If you wanted to get me in a compromising position, all you had to do was ask.”

  “Stop it!” I grabbed him by the collar of his flannel shirt. “You need to tell me exactly what happened to Pete Bradshaw.”

  Since the moment it was revealed that Talbot had been working for Caleb, that he was one of the Shadow Kings, I’d suspected that he’d had something to do with the attack on Pete Bradshaw that had put him in a coma. After all, Pete had been found in the dojo, where Talbot and I had trained, with an SK spray painted next to his body. Not to mention that Talbot had witnessed an altercation between Pete and me the night before at the Depot. And I’d seen how angry Talbot had gotten when he’d heard that Pete had been harassing me.

  “You attacked him, didn’t you? After I begged you to leave him be. What did you do to him?”