Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series)

by Jami Brumfield

  "Helping people sleep is a specialty of mine." She smiled, mischievously.

  "Without magic..." Rebecca decided to add when she took note of the gleam in Sundae’s eyes.

  "Okay, but you’ll let me know if you need me for anything."

  "Absolutely."

  Gabriel was already pouring himself a scotch and he handed Rebecca one as well. She shook her head and he placed it on the desk anyways. "Appearances."

  She nodded, understanding his meaning. She settled in and pulled out a notepad and pen and said, "Okay, I’m ready."

  He came up behind her, opened the top drawer, both hands on either side of her and pulled out a black portfolio book with notepad and a gold Montblonc pen. He exchanged them for her notepad and dollar store pen. His lips brushed her ear, sending goose bumps down her body, when he whispered, "appearances." He immediately moved to the other side of the desk.

  Rebecca was momentarily thankful for the space between them, his warm breath that smelled of butterscotch sent electricity through her body igniting sparks at random points and causing a blush to burn the back of her neck.

  Sundae gave Rebecca an ‘I told you so look’ and left the room. Savvy was rooting for Lucky and Sundae had made it clear she was team Gabriel. If she could just figure out which team she was on the world would be a lot easier.

  Gabriel looked Rebecca over; his gaze moving from her head to her toes, making her feel uncomfortable and small, and at the same time, desired. He pressed his lips together and moved with inhuman speed behind her again, this time the closeness was all it took to set her insides on fire. He pulled her hair out of the ponytail and twisted it back into a French knot. The action was far more intimate than she thought possible causing her insides to turn into Jell-O. When he was done he took two decorative sticks from the bookshelf behind them and fastened the knot in place. His hands resting longer than needed on her shoulder and the nape of her neck, his thumb was absently caressing the mark he placed on her neck in the dream.

  When Rebecca caught her breathe she shooed him away and glared, which was the opposite of the feelings that were screaming at her to pull him near. "What’s wrong with you?"

  He took a long swig of the drink in his hand then went to fill it back up. "While I think you’re absolutely adorable in a ponytail, the people you are meeting tonight are looking for a leader, not a high school student. First impressions are important." His statement held a matter of fact tone, and the remembered words of her dead parents agreed with his assessment.

  It didn’t mean she had to like it. "Thank you." She spit out between gritted teeth. It tasted horrible to speak the words, but he was right and he was looking out for her so she needed to let him know it was appreciated, deep, deep down. "Are we ready?"

  He looked at her again and nodded his approval. "I’ll get your first guest." And he was gone. One thing she was noticing about Gabriel, he could move fast, insanely fast.

  Rebecca took a deep breath and wondered if a little liquid courage would do her good as she took a long look at the scotch. She wasn’t old enough to drink and really had no desire to do it, up to this point. But she was thrust into a different world. She took a drink. It burned a path down her throat and made her wonder once again why people drank this stuff. She involuntarily coughed to help recover from the pain she felt as the fiery liquid burned all the way to her stomach. She decided to leave what was left on the desk for show; she wouldn’t touch the stuff again. Just as she started getting her breath back, and the burning subsided, Gabriel walked in with the first guest.

  She was a beautiful brunette. Her long curly hair fell past her shoulders and had highlights of red and gold throughout. She wore black and white stripped leggings, a garter belt black, and a red mini skirt with a red corset. Her brown eyes that were lined with black charcoal and shades of red shadow, narrowed on Rebecca.

  "Rebecca this is Persephone Montgomery." Gabriel smiled; his body at ease. Persephone’s was as well which made Rebecca think they were friends.

  Persephone smiled. "You can call me Seph if you like." She offered her hand for Rebecca to shake. She did and sat down, inviting Seph to sit. Gabriel moved to the back of the room, ever present, but not interfering.

  "Hello, Seph. I’m pleased to meet you. Would you like a drink?" Rebecca asked, trying to hide her nerves.

  "No thank you. I never touch the stuff unless I need it to clean a wound." Seph glanced at Rebecca’s drink. "You look a little young for that yourself."

  Rebecca snapped at Gabriel in his mind. ‘I guess you were wrong.’ He simply shrugged in response.

  "Age is irrelevant in our case, don't you think?" Rebecca picked up her new pen, the gold plating smooth in her fingers. She waited for her to nod agreement and then went on. "So why don't you tell me why you want to rejoin the pack?"

  "I was technically never out of the pack." Persephone raised her chin, a slight show of defiance.

  "According to the Authority and the alpha that now resides in me, you were." Rebecca leaned forward, signaling to Gabriel to step back. "So I will ask again, why do you want to rejoin the pack?"

  She leaned forward, glancing dangerously towards Gabriel and back to Rebecca. "Because the pack is where I belong." It was a simple, honest statement, one Rebecca could respect.

  "Okay, convince me that I can trust you."

  She grinned. "You shouldn't, really. You should never really trust a wolf. We can be... unpredictable and cold hearted." Persephone raised her hand in response to Rebecca’s raised eyebrow. It was a peace offering so she let her go on. "I’m just trying to set honest expectations. Those you accept back will be loyal. Those you deny will become enemies." She shrugged. "It’s the nature of the beast." She tossed a glance back towards Gabriel, "and in the interest of open and honest communication, Gabriel's claim on you wins my loyalty... simple as that. I owe him my life, and it’s extended to his mate."

  Rebecca’s hand shot up to the silver mark on her neck. "I’m not..." She shook her head as Persephone’s eyes narrowed on the mark burning on Rebecca’s neck. This wasn't the place to air dirty laundry. This was Seph’s time to convince Rebecca to bring her back into the fold and so far she was doing a fairly good job at it.

  Rebecca didn't know why, but she trusted her and she had a feeling they’d eventually become good friends. The rest of the interview went smoother than expected. It appeared that Seph agreed with Rebecca’s assessment. Rebecca saw a total of eight people before Gabriel gave her a ride down to her car.

  They didn't talk until he walked her to the car. "So what’re your thoughts?"

  "I’m thinking these interviews are just a formality. I plan to admit all the rogues to the pack." Rebecca stated her thoughts out loud.

  He spun her around and moved in close. His eyes wild and dangerous, it was in these moments she saw the predator in him. "You can't do that Rebecca."

  She tried to pull away from him, but he was stronger than she was, even with her enhancements. "Like hell, I can't." Her angry eyes locked on his.

  He shook his head, sadness filling the space in his eyes. "It’s too dangerous, Becca." He released his grip, but did not move away from her, his body so close it was painfully blissful. After all the angry looks and jaded comments she still wanted to melt into his arms, get lost in his scent and find comfort that only he could understand and give.

  "No matter what I do, this is dangerous." She said, sadly.

  He cupped her face in his hands, eyes pleading that she reconsider. "Please, Becca, this... some of these people won’t think twice about killing you. I can only protect you so far."

  She nodded, agreeing with him. "Dear, sweet Gabe, you really do only care for my safety. I get that, I really do." She reached a hand up to his cheek and smiled. The touch was intoxicating and dangerous. Then she changed gears, tapping playfully on his cheek. "Haven't you ever heard of the saying, 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'?"

  'That doesn't apply in this situation, Be
cca!" He turned away from her, running a shaking hand through his dark hair. "You have to trust me on this."

  “So what would you have me do? Go out and make three-hundred new werewolves? I don’t think I can do that.” The truth burned as it left her lips. She didn’t think she could make even one.

  He turned back to her, head tilted, confusion in his eyes. “What do you mean? This is a gift.”

  “A gift that can either kill you or leave you wishing you were dead every full moon.” Rebecca couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. “I don’t think I can do that to someone.”

  “Then choose your pack among the homeless or the sick. Think of the loyalty you will get when a man who lost use of his legs can walk again with your help, or a person with no home or family gets both by swearing allegiance to you.” He shook his head as his eyes watered up. “The bite is not just a curse. For some, it’s a blessing.”

  “The wolf heals?”

  “Of course it does. You know this. Look at how fast you heal after training. Or the cut on your hand.” Gabriel pointed out.

  “Yes, but I assumed that it only healed injuries after the bite.” Rebecca’s voice was soft as her mind tried to grasp the possibilities. She could help people get their lives back. She could make a difference. But the cost was too great. Not everyone survived the bite. She would have to kill some people in the process. “It’s too high a price.”

  “Trust me, Becca. If someone was given the choice of dying in a hospital bed or getting a chance to save their life with a bite that could kill them, they would most likely choose the latter.”

  "And you need to trust me. I’m the alpha now. I have to make tough decisions, and I really believe this is the right choice."

  “So you choose to surround yourself with enemies? And if it isn't the right choice?" His eyes pleaded with her to understand him. 'Please, listen. Your plan will get both of us killed.' His voice rich, raspy in her head.

  "I’ve made up my mind." She turned to get in her car and left before he could make anymore protests.

  ‘You need to think about what he said Rebecca.’ The wolf added quietly in her mind. Now she had protests internally as well as externally.

  ‘I just don’t think I can risk it. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Necessity will change your mind.’ It was the last thing the wolf said to her all night.

  Rebecca was certain nothing would change her mind, but she had to admit, her wolf was rarely wrong.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  ~”Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.”

  ~Denis Waitley

  Rebecca

  School went by painfully slow on Friday. Everyone was involved in the decorations and set up; everyone but Lucky, Gabriel, and Rebecca it seemed. They were the ones that opted to stay in class and get caught up. Despite all the changes in her life, Rebecca knew; deep down she knew, school was necessary and she’d already missed so much this past week.

  It also helped to take her mind off the secret part of her new life; the death of her pack and parents, being an alpha, rebuilding the pack, telling her siblings the truth of their family, the vengeance she needed to deliver to those that killed the people important in her life, her ‘pretend’ boyfriend, and Gabriel who believed he was her mate. Then there was Celestia, the Authority, the Convent, the stalker, the pack interviews... and anything else that she was forgetting which was quite possible since she had so many balls in the air that she couldn’t even count them, let alone juggle them. The only real constant was Gabriel, always watching, protecting. He was the perfect enforcer and nothing like the irritating nuisance she first thought he was.

  "Learning history is about learning strategy. Learning from past mistakes of others is supposed to teach you to take a different route." Rebecca heard Miss Johansen lecture. As her voice droned on, Rebecca tried to listen. She loved history. She enjoyed strategy and the romantic idea of the historical world. “And that is why choosing allies is so important. They can make or break your advantage in wartime.” Johansen’s voice broke through Rebecca’s musings.

  Oddly, what she was saying made sense and while it was about the past, it was very much also about the future. They were talking about war and it appeared Rebecca was in the middle of a war herself. She really hoped she could learn some sort of strategy to help her. Celestia had offered to be an ally and Rebecca had snubbed her offer, which will only have negative consequences, no doubt. Rebecca wanted information, not an ally at the time. If Celestia had shared information about her parents’ demise she may have been more likely to play nice. Miss Johansen called that leverage. Some would call it stupidity. Rebecca called it her only move.

  Still she worried. Vampires were not the nicest supernatural species out there. Many prided themselves on creating mayhem.

  ‘Let’s not forget they’re your enemies.’ The alpha reminded her.

  But Rebecca couldn’t understand why. No one really knew why they were genetically trained to hate each other, but it was expected that they do. Rebecca’s mind went back to the day she found the young vampire in the woods. Even then, seeing the injured girl in front of her, she wanted to finish the job. If it wasn’t for her humanity she would’ve.

  ‘I’d feel better about blindly hurting vampires if I understood why.’ Rebecca responded to the wolf.

  ‘Are you sure you want to know?’ The wolf’s voice held warning.

  ‘Yes.’ No. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Her old friend, logic, had long since abandoned her, leaving her spinning in the Arizona quicksand.

  ‘Very well.’

  The gruesome pictures that played out in her mind like a collage of movie scenes made her sick. The vampires forcing the wolves into slavery. Beating them, killing them for sport.

  ‘The vampires found werewolves a threat. They tried to repress them, but you can’t keep a good wolf down.’ The alpha chuckled at her reference to pop culture. But Rebecca couldn’t laugh; she saw no humor in the terrible pictures that were playing out in her mind. All she saw was sadness. The wolf hurried on. ‘The brutality created the alphas. Then came the evolutionary advantage that made your blood deadly to the undead creatures The alphas brought the wolves together, organized them and created powerful armies They bided their time and when they were ready, the alphas and their packs attacked back.’

  More pictures of bloody battlefields. Wolves and vampires, alike, were massacred. There was no discrimination in the death toll. Rebecca closed her eyes to the vision and pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. ‘Such loss, such pointless loss.’

  ‘There was nothing pointless about it. If we’d rolled over, we would still be held captive by the vampires, forced to do unspeakable things.’

  ‘You were there?’

  ‘Yes. I will never forget the horrific things they did to us.’

  Rebecca swallowed hard. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘I don’t want your pity. I want you to stay alive and rebuild. There will come a time when we need to be at full force and if we aren’t we will lose the battle.’

  Rebecca didn’t know what to say to her veiled threat. The wolf had centuries of experience on her, but those experiences may be more of a negative than a positive. Maybe a truce with vampires wasn’t such a ridiculous notion?

  ‘Foolish girl.’

  ‘What you’ve been doing for centuries hasn’t work so far has it? Perhaps we need to learn from the past tragedies. I have to try.’

  ‘You won’t be able to build an army of wolves that will side with vampires. We made sure that would never happen. You can barely stand to be in the same room.’ Her wolf stated as a matter of fact.

  ‘We’ll see.’

  Rebecca didn't understand all the rules and nuances of this world, which was what Lucky and Gabriel were there for, but even they weren't leaders among their people. She was. She didn’t want it. She was thrown into it. Gi
ven no choice. And while the alpha in her was helpful, it was Rebecca’s life. Her choice. The wolf wasn’t her, simply a part of something else that resided within her body and shared her mind.

  The wolf didn't trust Celestia, and Rebecca couldn’t blame her. Neither did she. But everything in the past was not working. Her very existence was proof of this. The only person in her life that understood what she was facing was Gabriel, but they weren’t talking at the moment. They created a silent stalemate since her announcement last night. He was upset with her decision about the rogues and she was upset with the fact that he did not trust her judgment.

  "So, Miss Winters, if a former enemy of yours offered you an olive branch in the guise of a truce, would you have accepted?" Johansen asked, clearing the thoughts from her mind.

  “I think I would.” The few classmates in her class gasped at her surprising answer. Gabriel and Lucky raised questioning eyebrows, but no one spoke in protest. “I’m not saying I’d trust my new ally completely. There would be a lot of work to do before the dirty water under the bridge was clean. What I’m saying is that if the truce meant lives saved and a chance at peace, I believe I would.” The room was still silent. Johansen waited with a pleasant smile on her face for Rebecca to finish. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Sometimes change, though uncomfortable, is the right choice.” That last part was for her alpha’s sake more than anyone else’s’.

  ‘And do you feel the same about your parents’ deaths? Can you turn away from taking revenge on their demise?’

  Rebecca let the question marinate in her mind for a few breaths. The first response that came to mind was no, no she could not. But the second thought, the thought that immediately sprung to her mind was what if?

  ‘You became a wolf because you believed in the idea of an eye for an eye. Has that mindset changed?’