A Pack of Vows and Tears

by Olivia Wildenstein

  Jeb slumped forward, complexion as gray as his salt-and-pepper scruff, and forehead as puckered as a raisin. He seemed to have aged years in the space of a couple days.

  “Close the door, Little J,” Liam told one of the youngest members of the pack, a boy with acne and shoulder-length copper hair.

  The boy reminded me of Everest the year I left Boulder. Everest, too, had worn his red hair long, and he, too, had had a bad bout of acne. I remembered wondering how he could stand the chemical smell of the cream he’d rub into his face every day to clear it up.

  “Thank you all for coming.” Liam’s voice rang clearly in the low-ceilinged room, echoing against the clay-colored stone walls. “We have two matters to discuss tonight. Let’s begin with Everest Clark, my father’s killer.”

  Frowns pleated foreheads, and gazes narrowed on me. My pulse spiked as I realized people still saw me as Everest’s willing accomplice.

  “Unless you can live without eyeballs, I urge you all to stop looking at Ness that way,” Liam growled.

  The men averted their gazes.

  “The pack’s custom has always been to avenge a death with a death.”

  I’d been wringing my fingers together in my lap but stopped when Liam spoke of avenging deaths. I crossed my arms and leaned against the springy backrest. Not always, I thought but didn’t say out loud. Everyone around this table knew my father’s death hadn’t been avenged.

  “All those in favor of Everest Clark’s death, please raise your hands.”

  Jeb made this squeaking sound that prompted Nelson to put a hand on my uncle’s slouched shoulder. Although August’s dad didn’t say anything, his pinched expression told me he, too, thought having Jeb sit in on this meeting was cruel.

  Many hands shot up; not mine. I didn’t want Everest dead; I did want him punished, though. I counted hands, looked at the faces of the men who voted for Everest’s execution. Thirty-four hands out of forty. Jeb squinted at the hands too, pallid lips wobbling. Nelson hadn’t raised his hand, but August had.

  Liam didn’t have a gavel, but he banged his fist against the table. “The majority has decided.”

  And just like that—a fist against a table sealed my cousin’s fate. Blood beat against my skin that suddenly felt too tight for my body. I rubbed my bare arms, trying to ease the sudden strain. The dusting of hairs began to thicken underneath my palms. I was shifting! I couldn’t shift here. I closed my eyes, and my nostrils flared as I pushed against my rising wolf.

  I would let her out later.

  Later, I promised her. Please not now.

  I couldn’t lose control in front of all these men.

  I pressed harder against her. Repressed her. Slowly, like thawing ice, her hold melted away. When I felt in command of my body, I raised my lids and glanced around, praying no one had witnessed my struggle.

  Thankfully, the pack was discussing some other matter. Or maybe they were still discussing Everest. Whatever they were talking about, it captivated all of their focus.

  No, that wasn’t true.

  August was watching me, and from the concern smudging his expression, I deduced he’d witnessed my little tussle. I was about to offer him a reassuring smile but remembered his raised hand—his vote. I stared at the revolving ceiling fan, at its blades that blurred as they sliced the tension-filled air.

  Liam tapped his fist against the table again to garner everyone’s attention. “Now onto the second matter at hand.” Liam dug an aluminum-foil tablet out of his jeans pocket and held the thing out between his middle and index fingers. “Is everyone familiar with these?”

  10

  Liam wiggled the tablet, and the aluminum wrapping crinkled in the quiet conference room. “It’s called Sillin. We ingest it when we need to avoid shifting. In other words, if you ever travel out of state, break a bone, or get silver poisoning, this is what we’ll give you.”

  Silver poisoning? I didn’t know Sillin countered that effect.

  “Over the years, we’ve amassed a large stock of these. Last time my father asked Greg to procure some from the hospital, the pack doctor was told the formula had been discontinued.” Liam tossed the tablet to one of the younger boys so he could take a look at it, sniff it.

  Sillin didn’t have an odor, which was why Heath hadn’t detected it in his drink.

  “Those who’ve taken these pills can tell you that the effect wears off fast and causes no lasting harm.”

  “That’s the drug Ness gave Heath, isn’t it?” Little J asked.

  “It is,” Liam said calmly, narrowing his gaze on the boy.

  Little J flinched and concentrated on the tablet again before passing it along. Cheeks the color of rare beef, he leaned forward, grasped a water carafe that almost slipped out of his shaky hold, and poured himself a glass.

  “This morning, the elders and I discovered the pack’s entire stock of Sillin was stolen from HQ.”

  “Did Ness steal them?” someone asked.

  “What?” I whipped toward the interlocutor.

  The man was in his early thirties with a gold hoop speared through his right earlobe, and chest hair spilling out of a purple button-down shirt. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember his name.

  “I didn’t steal anything!” I exclaimed.

  “Rodrigo”—Liam’s clipped tone had the man thumbing his earring—“Everest stole the pills.”

  The man next to Rodrigo placed a soothing hand on the dark shifter’s forearm.

  “We have footage of him cutting the lock off the fridge and taking everything inside.”

  The lock on the fridge . . . “It didn’t look broken on Monday night,” I said.

  Frank sighed. “That’s because he replaced it with an identical one. We realized what had happened when we tried to open it and it didn’t work. When we asked Cole for the feed—”

  “Bastard didn’t even try to avoid the camera.” Shaking his head, Cole slid the cigarette he’d wedged behind his ear and tapped it on the table.

  Rodrigo lowered his fingers from his earring. “What’s he planning on doing with all the Sillin he took?”

  “We think he’ll either try to sell it to other packs,” Liam said, “or use it on us.”

  Rodrigo snorted. “How the hell could he swing that?”

  “He could spike our drinks or mix it into our food,” Liam said. “Sillin is tasteless, so it’s not like any of us would notice.”

  When the hairy-chested wolf ogled the carafes I’d set in the middle of the table, Little J spit out the gulp of water he’d just taken, then stuck his arm in front of his face and watched his limb until the strawberry-blond hairs thickened and turned into tawny fur.

  “I didn’t contaminate the water,” I gritted out.

  “But did you stay next to it all day?” Rodrigo asked.

  “Everest isn’t in Boulder,” I said.

  “Really?” The man linked his fingers together. “And how do you know that? Did he text you?”

  “Enough!” August’s voice detonated like a gunshot in the room. “Ness isn’t Everest’s ally. He used her, made her feel guilty for something she didn’t do, so cut her some fucking slack!”

  Ping. A penny for his mom’s jar.

  Liam’s lips tightened, but he didn’t reprimand August for his outburst. At least not out loud. My stomach clenched from my heightened nerves, or from our bond, I wasn’t sure. I laid my palm over my abdomen, hoping heat and pressure could undo the tension.

  A second later, Liam stole my hand away from my stomach, laced our fingers, and tugged. My chair rolled and bumped into his.

  I frowned at him, but his eyes were fixed on August. August who’d seized one of the glass carafes and poured himself water. Half of the contents sloshed over the rim. He mopped it up with the sleeve of his long-sleeved Henley, then lifted the glass to his mouth and drank long and hard. Realizing Liam was trying to make a statement, I stole my hand out of his.

  The man who’d placed his palm on Rodrigo’s arm e
arlier quirked a dark-blond eyebrow. “Maybe Lucy knows what her son is up to.”

  Jeb made a deep keening sound that was more animal than human.

  Eric leaned his forearms on the table. “I interrogated Lucy again this morning, James. She said she didn’t know.”

  “Then why was she helping him in the first place?” someone asked.

  My uncle’s Adam’s apple jostled repeatedly in his unshaven throat, and his puffy eyes misted over as he shook his head from side to side.

  Eric’s gaze glided over to me. “Everest told her”—he rubbed his bald head—“that Ness killed Heath but was trying to frame him for it.”

  “He did what?” My claws came out so suddenly that I scraped the table, leaving curls of wood. No wonder my aunt hated me.

  Shh. Liam’s voice bounced around in my skull.

  I dragged air that felt like fire into my lungs until my wolf relinquished her hold on me. Once I felt calmer, I said, “Someone had eyes on me at the warehouse.”

  “Lucy was monitoring you remotely,” Eric said. “Everest planted a cell phone on one of the shelves and linked it to hers. We recovered the phone in question.”

  “She claims Everest put it there, and I hope she isn’t lying. I hope no one else was involved in the con.” Liam leaned back into his chair. “I’m feeling merciful tonight, but my mercy will be off the table come morning. So if anyone has something to confess, I strongly suggest you do it now.”

  No one spoke.

  I highly doubted anyone would come forward, but maybe Liam wasn’t seeking verbal responses . . . Maybe he was checking his pack’s body language, looking for tells.

  After scrutinizing his men, Liam said, “Okay then . . . ”

  “Do we have any leads on Everest’s whereabouts?” Little J asked, his voice sounding almost squeaky.

  Liam’s gaze surfed over the heads of his pack members without ever settling, as though still on the lookout for a conspirator. “We do,” he said slowly without offering any further details.

  “Can we join the search party?” Little J asked.

  Frank smoothed a hand over his thick white hair. “Your enthusiasm is commendable, Joseph, but Liam has everything under control.”

  “Oh, come on, Grandpa . . . ”

  So Little J, i.e. Joseph, was Frank’s grandson? I felt a twinge more sympathy toward the boy, because like me, he’d lost his father. And I liked Frank.

  “No, Joseph,” Frank said. “You’re too young.”

  Joseph crossed his freckled arms and pouted.

  “The most important thing right now is that we stay united and alert. Open your own bottles and prepare your own food, and if anyone has trouble shifting, report to me immediately.” Liam squared his broad shoulders, pushed away from the table, and stood. “Thank you all for coming.”

  Chairs rolled back, and men rose, chattering in low tones. I didn’t get up. At least, not right away. Liam hadn’t mentioned the bike, nor his meeting with Aidan Michaels. I wondered if it was because he didn’t want to cause more alarm or because he thought there might be a mole in the pack. I glanced around me. Only August stared back, lips alternatively parting a little and pressing tightly, as though he wanted to say something.

  A hand settled on my shoulder, kneaded it. “Are you ready?” Liam asked.

  I craned my neck. “Ready? To go find Everest?”

  Liam shook his head as he kept massaging my shoulder. “I’m taking you home.” I almost purred from how good his fingers felt against my knotted muscles. “I think you could use a full-body rubdown.”

  I wasn’t a blusher, yet heat scalded my cheeks. I wished he hadn’t said that last bit quite as loud. He could’ve used his Alpha link—

  It hit me then. Like earlier, he was making a statement, because he felt threatened by August. I sighed and let Liam make his statement, let him claim me. When I looked around the room, only Matt and Lucas remained. I rolled my chair back, clasped Liam’s fingers, and rose.

  On the way out of the room, I stopped next to Lucas. Setting my annoyance aside, I asked, “Did they call you back?”

  Liam frowned while Lucas’s eyes turned a stormy blue. I sensed he was pissed I’d brought up the escort agency in front of his friends. What I didn’t understand was why. It wasn’t as though he actually wanted to hire an escort.

  “Did who call him back?” Liam asked.

  “The escort agency,” I said.

  Matt waggled his eyebrows. “Trying to get over Taryn, huh?”

  Pink-cheeked, Lucas slugged him. “No, you douchebag. Ness thought Everest’s last girlfriend might be working for Red Creek Escorts. And yeah, they phoned me back. They don’t know any Megans.”

  My heart contracted with surprise. So Everest hadn’t lied. I toyed with my mother’s wedding band which hung from a leather cord around my neck. Slid it on my finger, then off, then on again.

  “Why were you looking into her?” Liam asked.

  “She thought the chick might be Everest’s link to Denver,” Lucas grumbled.

  Liam and Matt exchanged a look. When Liam nodded toward the door, the blond giant closed it.

  “We found your cousin’s link to Denver,” Liam said, voice low.

  I let go of my ring, and it bounced over my T-shirt a few times before settling. “You did?”

  “Thanks to you.”

  “To me?”

  Liam scrubbed his thumb over my knuckles. “You know that visit we paid Aidan Michaels? It was very . . . edifying.”

  Matt cracked his knuckles. “Don’t know if you’re aware of this, Little Wolf, but Michaels has a hotel in Denver.”

  That’s why Denver sounded familiar! Sandra had sent me information about Aidan before I’d met him. He owned a hotel in Denver, Las Vegas, and . . . what was the third location again? It didn’t much matter, I supposed. Unless Everest fled the Denver hotel. Then it might matter.

  “So Everest traded the Sillin against shelter?” I asked.

  Liam shook his head. “No.”

  “No?” I cocked a dubious eyebrow.

  “Your cousin sold Aidan something else.”

  “His soul?” Lucas quipped.

  Matt snorted. “I doubt he had one to sell.”

  “His land,” Liam said. “Effective upon his death.”

  “His land?” What land did my cousin own?

  Matt gestured to the room.

  “The inn? He sold Aidan Michaels the inn?” I shrilled.

  Liam nodded heavily.

  “Good thing we never set up Headquarters here, huh?” Matt continued.

  Something dawned on me. “That’s why Everest struck the deal . . . Even though the inn’s not Headquarters, this place is central to the pack’s territory.”

  “Maybe that was his reasoning, but it doesn’t change the outcome,” Liam said.

  My throat closed and opened.

  Liam let go of my hand but not of my body. He cupped my cheeks and spoke to me gently. “We don’t need this property, Ness. The pack has a lot of land. I have a lot of land.”

  “But it’s—” I wanted to say my family’s, but my dad had sold his share to buy the plot where he’d built our house. The inn and the rolling hill on which it stood wasn’t my anything. “Can the pack really afford to part with this property?” I swallowed, blinking back the heat building behind my lids. “Your father sold Aidan Michaels so much land . . . Wasn’t it enough?” I whispered. “Did he really need this place too?”

  Every line on Liam’s face seemed to sharpen, and his grip turned almost bruising. After a minute of complete silence, he said, “Aidan Michaels is a greedy son-of-a-bitch.”

  I placed my hands over his and pried his fingers off. I shouldn’t have reminded Liam of the deal his father had struck with the devil.

  “At least the Sillin isn’t in Aidan’s hands,” I mused, mostly to ease Liam’s lingering tension. “Can’t believe that the man who hates werewolves wasn’t interested in buying pills that can make us weaker.” />
  Matt crossed his arms. “My guess is he doesn’t know about them.”

  “He hates us, Matt. Has entire files on us. The man surely knows about Sillin.”

  “What I meant was maybe your cousin didn’t tell him about the stolen ones.”

  I raised my eyebrows. Oh. After a beat, I said, “Can’t believe Aidan Michaels sold Everest out that quick.”

  Lucas grunted. “The man has no fucking scruples.”

  “Everest dying is in Aidan’s best interest.” Liam’s expression had gentled again. “The quicker it happens, the quicker he gets the deed to this place. That’s why he sent you the bike. He wanted to lead you, or one of us, back to him, so he could boast about his clever little deal.”

  “How are we even sure he’s telling the truth? Maybe it’s a trap.”

  Liam stroked a finger along my neck, leaving a trail of heat. “I left the bastard in the hands of Greg and two Boulders. They have orders to slow his healing process if he lied. So again, it’s in Aidan’s best interest that we find your cousin.”

  I sighed. This was so many shades of messed up, but at least I’d gotten answers. “We should set out tonight.”

  Liam frowned.

  So I elaborated, “To recover Everest. We should head to Denver now.”

  “I already told you. You’re not coming with us.”

  I jerked back. “But I want—”

  “No.”

  “Liam—”

  “No.”

  Lucas drew the door open. “I could use a beer right ’bout now. Matty?”

  “Lead the way.” Before trotting up the stairs, Matt glanced at me, then at Liam. Wisely, the blond giant decided to stay out of our discussion.

  I crossed my arms. “He’s my cousin, Liam.”

  “Which is precisely why you’re not coming.”

  “I won’t get in the way.”

  “Ness, unless memory fails me, your hand wasn’t up earlier.”

  “Just because I don’t want him dead doesn’t mean I’d interfere with a pack decision.”

  “I’m still not taking you along. I don’t want you to witness this. Even if the person deserves death, it isn’t a pretty act.”