Broken Wolf

by Stacy Claflin

  “Wonderful,” I muttered.

  “The king and queen are on our side. Any vampire would be stupid to act on their impulses here. Murderous stares are the worst we should run into.”

  “Still, I’d feel better taking the scenic route.”

  Toby pulled me close and kissed me. Then he led me down a quiet hallway. We wandered down a maze of halls and corridors, always turning away from the sounds of conversation. I distracted myself by rubbing the stone and admiring the artwork along the way. I couldn’t imagine living somewhere that had so much rare and exquisite pieces displayed almost as it if were ordinary.

  At last, we made it back to the hallway leading to Ziamara’s room. Toby turned to me. “Let me see if the Fyrsturae are still in their meeting.” He let go of my hand and walked over to a door, pressing his ear against it. Then he came back over to me. “They are.”

  “What are they talking about?”

  “They’re arguing about something—talking over each other to the point that I couldn’t understand a word. It’s going to be a while. It could literally be days. Old vampires like that sleep less than once a month.”

  “So, should we head back to Moonhaven?” I asked.

  “I think so.”

  When we got to Ziamara’s room, she was walking around with the baby. Jet, Tap, and Soleil were nowhere to be seen. She turned to us. “Is everything okay?”

  Toby put his arm around me. “Couldn’t be better. How are you?”

  “Anxious to get home.”

  “Is it okay if you leave now?” I asked.

  “This isn’t a hospital. I don’t need anyone’s permission. Sebastian and I are both doing great, and there’s nothing keeping us here.”

  “Where are Jet, Tap, and Soleil?” Toby asked.

  “Trying to hunt down a car seat.”

  I bit back a joke about how many supernaturals it would take to get a baby into a car.

  “You think there’ll be baby supplies here?” Toby asked.

  “They have everything. Trust me.” She rocked the little bundle back and forth.

  “Wait,” I said. “Do you have anything you need for him? Diapers? Formula? Blankets? What else?” I searched my mind for anything else a baby would need.

  “We’re all set. He doesn’t need formula. My milk is all he’ll need for a while. I called Moonhaven. Your mom and Stella are putting together a crib as we speak.”

  “That’s good. We—”

  The door opened. Jet, Tap, and Soleil entered, speaking a mile a minute. Jet carried a tiny car seat and Soleil’s arms were full with blankets, sheets, and other baby items.

  I watched in awe as they changed Sebastian’s diaper and tucked him into the little seat. It was so weird to think of Jet and Ziamara as parents—especially since the pregnancy had been so short. A quick vampire pregnancy was about three months, and hers had been less than even that!

  Before long, we were running through the enchanted woods on unicorns’ backs, except for Zia, who ran alongside us as fast as any vampire who hadn’t just had a baby. Though we wolves healed quickly, it never failed to amaze me how fast our vampire healed from everything.

  Finally, we made it out of the woods and hurried to the parking garage. It took us a while to figure out how to buckle the car seat into the car, but once we did, we were finally on our way home. Toby insisted on driving my car, and with as tired as I was, I didn’t complain. I squished into the back with Tap, Zia, and Sebastian.

  “How’s the wedding planning coming along?” Ziamara asked.

  I rubbed the stone. “Nothing new yet, other than the fact that we might push the date up a little.”

  “My sisters will be excited about that,” Tap said. “I can pass along anything you want me to tell them.”

  We all discussed weddings and babies the whole way to Moonhaven.

  Once we got home, everyone else in the pack was gathered in the living room, pale and quiet.

  “What’s the matter?” Toby exclaimed.

  Chapter 23

  Toby

  Sal stepped toward me with a somber expression. “We just got word of another two packs that have been annihilated.”

  My stomach twisted in knots. We had to do something—especially since our pack was responsible for awakening that monster. There was no other word to describe Fenrisúlfr. Not with all the news of his murderous reign of terror.

  Bobby turned to me. “Other packs keep calling us.”

  My stomach lurched. Did they know we were to blame? I took a deep breath. “What do they want?”

  “They’re looking for guidance. They want to know what we should do.”

  I paced, my mind racing. “Those of us here in the states are okay for the time being. All the reports I’ve heard have been in Europe and Asia. He’s moving around, but staying on that side of the Atlantic.”

  Sal frowned. “But if he crosses the Pacific, he’ll wind up here on the west coast.”

  I nodded, all too aware of that danger. “I’m going to have to call a meeting of the alphas. We need to talk.”

  “You think they’ll be willing to leave their packs, sir?” Sal asked.

  “If they’re not, I can bring them in on a video call. Actually, that might not be a bad idea. I can use one of those programs that allows for a large group to have an online conference call. It’ll be quicker and no one needs to travel.” I gave everyone instructions on what to do and then I headed into my office for some quiet.

  I sat next to the window and watched snow fall as I weighed all the options. The other alphas were just as concerned as they should be. With Fenrisúlfr running wild, killing pack after pack, it was only a matter of time before he showed up on our continent.

  Once I had my bearings, I set up a conference call and sent a group text to all the alphas with the information. People joined the call immediately, nearly filling the virtual conference room. Everyone spoke at once, making it impossible to hear anyone.

  “Okay, okay,” I said. “We need order. This program allows me to mute people as needed. I’d prefer not to do that as we’re all responsible leaders.”

  The conversation settled, quieting until all was finally silent.

  “Let me catch everyone up with what I know, then you can update me on anything I’ve missed.” I took a deep breath and explained Fen’s awakening with as little detail as possible, not even mentioning that anyone from my pack had been in Iceland at the time. I also didn’t tell them anything about the stone. We needed to face one thing at a time, and though we had the stone, it wasn’t going to help us—not to shift apart from the moon or to capture the first wolf again. We would need a powerful witch for both tasks.

  Once I finished, everyone started speaking over each other again. I held my hand out, hoping they would quiet themselves. I didn’t want to disrespect a few dozen alphas by muting them, but I would if it came down to it. They stopped speaking.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I want to hear from everyone, but we need to do this in an organized manner. I’ll call on you in the order you show up on my screen. Rick, why don’t you start?”

  The blond Canadian with a thick, bushy beard nodded. “Do we know why this Fenrisúlfr character is on a killing spree?”

  “I don’t know exactly. He has some old rivalries, but everyone he would’ve known should be dead by now. The only thing I can surmise is that he’s making his enemy’s descendants pay. But that’s only a guess. Does anyone else have any other thoughts? Raise your hand.”

  Nobody did.

  “Do you have anything else to say, Rick?” I asked.

  “Only that we need to stop the wolf as soon as possible.”

  “That’s our goal.” I called on the next alpha and then the next. Nobody knew anything, but each seemed relieved at the chance to air their concerns to the group. Once they were all done, I spoke up again. “We need to stay in constant communication. We’ve got the texting conversation and email. I’d prefer texting. If anyone hears anythi
ng, he needs to let us all know immediately. That goes for me, as well. If I hear any news, you’ll be the first to know. In the meantime, we need to protect our packs. Be prepared with weapons—but we don’t kill Fenrisúlfr. Not until we have solid proof that his death won’t kill us all.”

  “What are we going to do with him if we catch him?” Rick exclaimed.

  “Keep him contained. Lock him up, knock him out—whatever it takes to subdue him without taking his life. As soon as we’re done with this call, I’m going to contact the high witch and let her know what’s going on. If anyone can help us with this, it’s her. One more thing before I end this call.” Everyone’s attention turned to the screen. “If you know any alphas who missed this call, get ahold of them and fill them in. We need everyone on the same page. I have a feeling this is going to take the strength and effort of werewolves everywhere.”

  Everybody spoke at once. I raised a hand, and they grew quiet again.

  “Let’s discuss anything else over email and texts. If anything vital comes up, I’ll call another of these conferences.”

  We all said our goodbyes, and I ended the call. My body ached—everything from my head to feet. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. Would we ever catch a break?

  I walked to the window and leaned against the wall. Rain poured down, melting the snow from the ground. I noticed a few buds on one of the trees outside. A tiny spark of hope flickered in me. Could that be a sign of newer, better things to come?

  My phone vibrated, indicating a text. I sighed. Hopefully, the coming spring would bring new beginnings in life as well as nature. Unfortunately, the winter wasn’t over yet. I pulled out my still-buzzing phone and read through the texting conversation. It was mostly alphas who hadn’t made the call asking questions, and thankfully, the other alphas were filling them in.

  While they did that, I decided to check on the pack. Everything was quiet, which could either be good or bad. I prepared myself for the worst and headed for the living room. Jet and Ziamara sat on the couch with our youngest pack member.

  “How’s everything going?” I sat next to them.

  Ziamara put a finger to her mouth and whispered, “We just got him to sleep.”

  I nodded. Having a baby in Moonhaven was going to be an adjustment for everyone. “Where’d everyone else go?” I whispered.

  Jet pointed around toward the kitchen and made gestures, pretending to eat.

  “Thanks.” I got up and headed that way. Most everyone sat, eating. Laura had her back to everyone, taking care of three pots on the stove. Victoria and Tap were both missing. I sat next to Soleil. “Did Tap head back to the Faeble?”

  She nodded and wiped her mouth, chewing.

  “Where did Victoria go?”

  Soleil swallowed. “She’s up in her room, admiring the necklace.”

  Stella shook her head. “She’s admiring the dress Laura and I have been working on. It’s almost done—so don’t go up there yet.”

  I grabbed a plate and piled some roast beef, potatoes, and creamy vegetables on it. “You’d better warn her that I’m headed that way after I eat.”

  Stella’s eyes widened. “You can’t see her in the dress—it’s bad luck.”

  “Then you’d better tell her I’m headed up there.” I took a bite of the meat.

  She stuffed some carrots in her mouth, took her plate to the sink, and rushed out of the room.

  Soleil finished the food on her plate and turned to me. “I hope you don’t need me for anything, because I’m exhausted from all the teleporting and traveling today. It doesn’t seem possible that I woke up in Egypt.”

  I yawned. “I feel for you. It’s like we crammed a month’s worth of activities into a single day.”

  “A year’s worth.” She rose. “Goodnight.”

  “‘Night.”

  In my pocket, my phone kept buzzing nonstop. I reached down and checked the text conversation to make sure I hadn’t missed anything urgent. It was still more of the same, with more alphas joining the conversation.

  Several of the guys around the table got up, all saying goodnight.

  “Rest up,” I warned them. “We have no idea what tomorrow will bring.”

  “We can always count on you for a good pep talk.” Bobby laughed.

  “I wish that was all we needed.” I dug back into my food, eager to get upstairs for some rest myself.

  Laura brought some more food to the table. “Is anyone going to want more food than this?”

  We all shook our heads and continued eating. My stomach rumbled, despite having just received a plateful of food.

  She smiled. “Good. I’ll get to the dishes in the sink.”

  I swallowed. “Nonsense. You’ve been taking care of us all day plus making the wedding dress.”

  “I’m happy to do it all. You don’t know what it means to me being part of such a wonderful pack.”

  My heart broke for my fiancée’s mom. She’d been married to an alpha-hole for centuries. “I couldn’t be happier to have you here. Seriously, get some sleep.”

  Her mouth dropped. “But you’ve been busier than me, what with traveling all over the world today.”

  I shook my head. “Go. Alpha’s orders.”

  “You’d better listen,” Sal said. “He doesn’t invoke those often. When he does, he means business.”

  Laura wrapped her arms around me. “More alphas should be like you.”

  I returned the embrace. “Maybe they would be if they had a pack mom like you.”

  She ruffled my hair, hung up her apron, and headed out of the kitchen.

  “You okay, sir?” Sal scooted to a chair closer to me.

  I nearly told him to stop calling me sir, but having been a pack member since the beginning, he insisted. He reminded me of Brick in a lot of ways like that. My chest constricted, thinking of my best friend.

  “Sir?”

  My head snapped toward him. “Just tired. Thanks.”

  “I know you miss Brick. If you ever want to talk, I’m here. I don’t say much, but I do listen good.”

  “I appreciate that, Sal.” I gave him a weak smile. “It’s just been one hell of a year, you know?”

  “That it has, but at least you got Victoria back. I never thought I’d see the day. Now you guys are planning your wedding.”

  “So much for not talking, huh?” I teased and placed my hand on his shoulder. “You’re right, though. That’s what I need to focus on. This time last year, I wasn’t sure I’d ever see her again. I had no idea if she’d actually crossed over from the other side.”

  I piled some more food on my plate, and the two of us ate in silence. Once I’d had my fill—and my exhaustion had lessened—I rose and gathered some of the dishes. Sal helped me, and without a word, we got everything cleaned. I washed, he dried.

  As we headed upstairs, he stopped and turned to me. “I considered Brick my best friend, too.”

  “We were both really lucky.”

  “That we were.” He turned and headed upstairs. “Goodnight, sir.”

  “‘Night, Sal.” I trudged up the rest of the way and stared at Victoria’s door. It was open a crack. I knocked.

  No answer.

  Knock, knock.

  Silence.

  I pushed open the door, keeping my gaze down. “Victoria?”

  Nothing.

  Glancing up, I saw her sleeping on top of the bed. Stella would be happy to know the wedding dress was nowhere in sight. Victoria wore sweats and a hoodie. Her hands both rested on her chest, probably holding the stone.

  I crept toward her, swept some hair from her face, and kissed her lips. She didn’t even flinch. I pulled the blankets from under her and covered her before giving her another quick kiss and adjusting her covers. Her hands still clung to the necklace. I pulled one away, but she only grasped it all the tighter.

  Victoria mumbled something I couldn’t understand, and then she said something crystal clear. “Fen.”

  My stomach dro
pped. I’d been planning on calling Gessilyn after I got some sleep, but I pulled out my phone and found her number.

  Chapter 24

  Toby

  I sat on my bed, a range of emotions pumping through me—anger for what the stone had done to Victoria, disgust at my father for bringing it into our lives, and guilt for my part in it. If I hadn’t mentioned it, Victoria never would have gotten the fever and gone in search of it.

  None of these thoughts were helping. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. Then twenty. Thirty. All the way to one hundred fifty. I took a deep breath and finally called Gessilyn. Likely she would be busy, but I would have to insist. Dealing with Fen would require the high witch, and I wouldn’t back down on that point.

  “Hi, Toby,” Gessilyn answered. “How are things with the stone?”

  “Funny you should ask.” I filled her in, being as brief as possible.

  She groaned. “I’ve just acquired the library of the last high witch. Maybe there’s something in one of the books about the stone or the wolf. What was his name again? Fenrickrin?”

  “Fenrisúlfr.”

  “Can you spell that for me?”

  I heard the scratching of a pencil on paper as I spelled the ancient Icelandic name.

  “Get some rest, and I’ll look into this. I agree with you—a high witch had to have been the one to imprison him in the stone. If he’s to be trapped again, it’s probably on my shoulders.”

  “You don’t know how much I appreciate this, Gess.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Someday, I’m going to need something from you.”

  “I already owe you about fifty favors.”

  “Well, then, I can’t let anything happen to you, can I?”

  “That’s one way to look at it.”

  “I’ll touch base in the morning. Get some rest.” The call ended.

  I tossed the phone onto my bed and dragged myself into the bathroom. Sand from Egypt spilled onto the floor when I took my shoes off. Yawning, I considered skipping a shower, but after such a busy day, I needed it.

  When I finally fell onto the mattress, my phone buzzed again. Without getting up, I reached it with my foot and kicked it over to my hands. The text conversation with the alphas was more of the same until I got near the end.