Grave Legacy

by Lori Drake

  Chris finished dressing and stood in front of the full-length mirror in the corner of the room, checking to make sure he looked presentable for their hypercritical guests. He hoped no one expected him to wear a tie, because Jessica hadn’t packed him one. Hell, the fact that she’d packed slacks and a button-down shirt was a pleasant surprise. He’d have to thank her for that too when he saw her next.

  If not for his sharp hearing, he might’ve missed the tentative rap on the door. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure if he’d actually heard it, but he went to the door anyway and found the youngest, most timid member of his pack standing in the hall.

  “Hey, Jenny. I was just about to head downstairs. What’s up?”

  She bit her lip, eyes shifting down the hall as if she was reconsidering whatever it was that brought her to the door. “I was just, um— Could I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Sure, can we walk and talk?”

  Her eyes widened, and for a moment she looked like she might flee. “Um…”

  Chris tamped down a chuckle and opened the door wider. “Come on in.”

  Jenny scurried across the threshold, no doubt before she could change her mind, but lingered by the door with her hands shoved in her jeans pockets.

  “What can I do for you?” Chris asked, closing the door.

  The young wolf nibbled her lower lip, her eyes roaming the room, looking at anything but him.

  “Hey.” Chris walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She so rarely came to him about anything. Between that and her anxious demeanor, he knew it had to be serious. “What’s on your mind?”

  She looked up at him, but didn’t meet his eyes. “I wanted to tell you— I mean, I don’t want to tell you. I really wish I didn’t have to. But I do. I just don’t, um… god, this is awkward.”

  Chris smiled gently. “Take a breath and just tell me. Whatever it is, I can take it.”

  Jenny took an obedient breath, held it, then let it—and her words—out in a rush. “IsawJoeykissingLucas.”

  Chris couldn’t keep a straight face, so he reeled Jenny in for a hug. “I know. Well, I know that it happened. I didn’t know you saw it.”

  Jenny was stiff as a board, but she put her arms around his waist tentatively and hugged him back. “You’re not mad?”

  He leaned back enough to look down at her. “Well, I’m a little mad. At him, anyway. Joey said he caught her off guard, that she didn’t want it or return it.”

  “You believe her?”

  “Of course I do. She’d never lie to me.” The thought that what Jenny might have seen could contradict Joey’s recounting of the events didn’t even cross his mind. “Thank you for telling me about it. I know it took a lot of courage, even if I wish it were otherwise. I know you’re not going to be with us much longer, since the spring semester is ending soon, but I want you to know you can always talk to me. I’m not going to bite your head off, ever.”

  “I know, I know. You’re not Eric.” Her cheeks reddened.

  “No, I’m not. But also, I’m pretty sure your grandpa would kick my ass.” That got a laugh out of her, and Chris smiled even though he was only half joking. Itsuo was a force to be reckoned with, and Chris had no doubt that the older wolf could put him in his place in a heartbeat if he stepped out of line. Fortunately, it’d never been required. “Anything else you want to get off your chest?”

  “Yeah, actually.” She pulled away and rubbed the back of her neck. “Speaking of the semester ending, I was wondering if I could stay a little longer.”

  Chris blinked. What with everything that’d happened and a hunter rolling through town like the icing on a shit cake, he figured she’d be even more ready to go back to Portland as soon as humanly—or lycanthropely—possible. “Uh… yeah, that’s okay. I mean, it’s fine with me, but that’s really between you and your parents.”

  “I’m an adult. I can do what I want.” Jenny crossed her arms, as if that was that. But her resolute expression wavered and she added softly, “That’s what Lucy says.”

  That explained it. Chris bit down on his lip to keep from laughing. “Yeah, yeah, you are. Just make sure sticking around is what you really want and not just what Lucy—or anyone—says you should do.” She nodded, and he hooked an arm around her shoulders, towing her toward the door. “Come on, I’ve got to get downstairs. Knowing this crowd, no one will lift a fork until both of the Alphas arrive.”

  The mood in the library, where most of the temporary dining tables had been set up, was tense. Joey had opted to eat standing, but, in truth, she’d been so busy fielding questions and listening to complaints that the food on her plate had gone cold about forty minutes ago. Chris was across the room, dealing with his own share of disgruntled guests, but somehow he’d managed to clean his plate and go back for seconds. She was going to have to ask him his secret.

  “What I really want to know,” the woman currently complaining to Joey said, “is how the shooter knew they’d be driving down that road at that time, much less which cars they’d be in.”

  “We’d all like to know that, ma’am,” Joey said, with flagging patience. She’d said something similar over and over and over in the last ninety minutes.

  “You brought us out here because it was supposedly safe, and now we’re trapped! What are you even doing to resolve this situation?”

  “Everything, ma’am. We are doing everything in our power to resolve this, and we’ll go into specifics at the meeting. Excuse me, but I need to use the ladies’ room.”

  The guest huffed, but let her go. Joey breathed a sigh of relief as she moved off. The stresses of the day were really starting to wear on her, and her stomach had moved on from rumbles of hunger to rolling nausea. She dumped her plate in the plastic bin by the door and escaped into the hall for a little fresh air. Chris followed her out a minute or so later.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  Joey wobbled her head and shrugged. “Is it too late to let Sam take over?”

  He chuckled and opened his arms. “Probably not, but you might have to pay him at this point.”

  She walked into his embrace and leaned against him, closing her eyes and beseeching the powers that be for strength. They lingered there in silence until Ben poked his head out of the room a few moments later.

  “You want me to get everyone moving in the direction of the great room?” Ben asked.

  “That’d be great—thanks, Ben,” Chris said, then gave Joey a squeeze. “Come on, let’s go make sure there are enough chairs so no one’s ego is left standing.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in front of their assembled guests. Their packs stuck mostly to the fringes of the room, though Joey’s father sat in the front row with Sara, and Lucy sat near the back at the center of a cluster of admirers—many of whom, Joey noted, had made overtures toward getting to know her better before they discovered her relationship with Chris. As far as she was concerned, Lucy could have them, and she’d had more than enough practice fending off unwelcome advances at the strip club where she worked. Still, Joey kept an eye on them when she could, ready to step in if anything went too far.

  The hum of conversation in the room died down when Chris lifted a hand and cleared his throat. “Everyone grab a seat and we’ll get started.”

  Joey waited for the last few guests to sit or find something to lean against before she got started. “I know you all have questions and concerns, but I’m going to ask that you hold them until we’re finished. As many of you know, there was another attack this afternoon while the departing guests were on their way to the airport. I’m pleased to report that no one missed their flight, and we suffered only one minor injury. I’d like you all to give a hearty thank you to Colt Jackson, who was shot as he was aiding passengers safely from one car to another.”

  A round of applause filled the room, and Colt, who stood at the back of the room with his left arm in a sling, sketched a shallow bow of acknowledgement. Joey blew him a kiss, not caring
if it was undignified for an Alpha. She would’ve preferred that no one had gotten injured, but if someone had to… better one of theirs than one of the visitors.

  As the applause died down, Joey continued, “Chris and I have been fielding a lot of questions about how the attack was made possible, and the simple truth is that we don’t know. It seems clear that we’re still being watched. Adam, our security expert, is—as we speak—bug-hunting. It’s possible one or more vehicles may have been tagged with a tracer. We’ll get to the bottom of it.” She looked to Chris, passing the next segment to him, as they’d discussed.

  Chris stepped forward with a file folder in hand, from which he removed a small stack of photos to pass around. “We already have a lot to thank Adam for. He was able to obtain this image of who we believe is the man that killed Wesley. I’d like everyone to take a good look at this picture, and if you recognize him or spot him anywhere, please let us know immediately.”

  “He doesn’t look like much, does he?” someone said.

  “It’s important not to underestimate him,” Chris said. “After all, if this is the hunter in question, he’s got quite a few kills racked up.”

  “What about that cop that brought you home earlier?” another guest asked.

  “It was awfully convenient he was able to pick you up,” someone else said.

  “Hey!” Joey called, making a time-out motion with her hands. “Remember, we asked for questions to be held, please.”

  A discontented murmur passed through the crowd, but other than that, they quieted.

  “But since you asked… Detective Harding is a friend, and hopefully he’ll be able to help us smooth things over with the police before they start asking too many questions.” That didn’t, of course, answer the question of how he’d come to be on hand to pick Chris up, but she really didn’t want to get into that if she could avoid it. “Right now, our plan is this: continue to gather evidence and follow it to the killer. End the threat. End of story.” She looked over the assembled wolves, noting who regarded her most disdainfully. Her eyes lingered on Lucas, whose calculating expression gave her pause. Enough pause that she forgot what else she was going to say. “So, ah, questions?”

  A clamor immediately arose as everyone spoke over one another. Joey grimaced and held up both hands. “All right, all right, hold on! One at a time, please!” She had to raise her voice to be heard, but fortunately didn’t have to resort to whistling to get everyone’s attention. Her eyes were drawn to a raised hand in the back. It was Eleanor, Wesley’s mother. “Yes, Eleanor?”

  “What about the funeral? Will it be postponed?” Eleanor asked.

  “Good question,” Joey said. “We don’t want to postpone the funeral if we don’t have to, so for now, things are proceeding on schedule. We’ll reassess tomorrow evening and see where things stand. Our first priority is the safety of the living.”

  The Q&A went on for half an hour. Some of the guests had questions about the investigation, but most of the questions centered around the accommodations at the house. Joey’s eyes kept returning to Elijah over the course of the proceedings. He was being uncharacteristically quiet, though the scowl on his face told her everything she needed to know about what was going on in his head. When he did finally get to his feet, she knew she was in for it.

  “Yes, Elijah?” she said.

  He looked around the room, features twisted in distaste. “Two wolves are dead, and you’re more concerned about sharing rooms and running out of hot water than you are about the ham-fisted way this investigation is being handled!”

  Joey’s hackles rose, but she held her tongue as she watched the assembly react. Some with outrage, others with guiltily lowered eyes, and yet others with furrowed brows and thoughtful looks.

  “They’re doing the best they can,” someone called out.

  “Their best isn’t good enough,” someone else said, sparking an uproar as the guests started arguing amongst themselves. Again.

  This time, Joey did whistle to get everyone’s attention. “I said it once, and I’ll say it again. If you aren’t happy with our handling of the situation, and you have suggestions for how we can do better, you’re welcome to come talk to us. If all you’ve got are complaints, you can—”

  Chris cleared his throat, stopping Joey short of telling everyone where they could shove their complaints. “I’d like to remind everyone that this is a stressful time for all of us, and—”

  “I’d like to remind everyone,” Elijah said with a sneer, “that we’re wolves, not sheep.”

  Joey pinched the bridge of her nose as the room erupted in chaos again. When she opened her eyes, she found that more than a few guests were on their feet, gesticulating angrily as they exchanged words. She didn’t know what to do. Chris seemed to be at a loss too. Her eyes sought her father, but he remained in his seat, staring off at nothing. Beside him, Sara shot Joey a worried look. All around the edges of the room, the wolves of Seattle stood watching and waiting to see what their Alphas would do. The mantle of leadership had never felt so heavy. Joey had never felt so small, and that… made her angry.

  Before she could do anything about it, her eyes caught upon Lucas, who had stood and was making his way to the front of the room. The crowd parted around him, and by the time he stopped a few feet in front of Joey and Chris, a hush had fallen over the room. Chairs creaked in the silence as guests returned to them, and Joey’s heart felt like it was trying to break its way out of her ribcage. She didn’t know what was about to happen, but judging from the smirk on Lucas’s face… she knew it wasn’t going to be good.

  “Yes, Lucas?” Chris said, his voice carefully controlled. Joey was pretty sure he hadn’t had a chance to confront her cousin, yet, about his unwanted advances. She hadn’t bothered asking him not to; it wouldn’t have done any good.

  Lucas flicked a glance in Chris’s direction, but dismissed him in favor of returning his gaze to Joey. Chris growled softly, and Joey laced her fingers with his as she met Lucas’s eyes, arching a brow expectantly.

  “I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt,” Lucas said, “but it’s clear now that you’re in over your head. I’m not willing to stand idly by while more wolves die as a result of your incompetence.”

  Despite her overall annoyance with him, his words stung. Joey held his eyes, even as it became increasingly difficult on account of the sheer dominance of the wolf behind his eyes. “Well, I guess you’ll have to get in line,” she said, barely suppressing a growl as she motioned in Elijah’s general direction.

  Lucas’s gaze didn’t waver. “I don’t think so. Josephine Grant, I challenge you.”

  14

  In the wake of Lucas’s audacious words, Chris stared at him in shock. Anger rose behind it like a flood-swollen river threatening to overtop its banks. A chair creaked as someone shifted their weight, breaking the tense silence.

  Joey had gone still beside him, but her voice was steady when she said, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right.”

  “I challenge you,” Lucas said, repeating his words as clearly as they’d been the first time.

  This couldn’t be happening. There was no way Joey could win a challenge when she couldn’t shift without risking serious internal injury, but declining the challenge would mean forfeiting her position, her pack. There was no way in hell she was going to do that.

  Joey released Chris’s hand and took a step closer to Lucas, getting in his face. At least, as much as she could, given the considerable height difference between them. “You son of a bitch,” she whispered, too low for her words to travel far. “You know full well I can’t shift.”

  “You could always have your second fight in your stead,” Lucas replied with a smirk. He also knew, clearly, that she didn’t have one.

  Chris groaned inwardly. Yeah. They were well and truly fucked.

  Joey narrowed her eyes, stepped back, and lifted her chin. “I accept your challenge.”

  Lucas pulled off his
shirt. “Shall we take this outside? I’d rather not get your blood all over my new rug.”

  Cocky bastard.

  “Let’s not be hasty.” All eyes turned toward the speaker. It was Reginald, apparently more aware of his surroundings than Chris would’ve thought. He set Sara’s hand aside and patted it, then stood. “The Alpha has twenty-four hours to answer the challenge, by lycanthrope law.” He turned to sweep his eyes over the assembled wolves. “Unless we’re throwing out the rule of law along with civility today?”

  Chris hadn’t been aware of that rule. Judging from her relieved expression, neither had Joey. Lucas’s scowl told another story. He had, but he’d wanted to force Joey’s hand before she had a chance to prepare herself, much less name a second.

  “Twenty-four hours,” Lucas said, then strode from the room with shirt still in hand.

  The most vocal opponents, including Elijah, rose and followed him out. Conversation broke out again in their wake. Chris turned to Joey, but before he could get a word out, she met his eyes and shook her head.

  “Not now,” she said, low and firm. “Not here.”

  He nodded, but every muscle in his neck was stiff. It took every ounce of restraint he possessed to not go after Lucas and beat him bloody. But that wouldn’t have made the situation better. This was one fight he couldn’t fight for her. It would be a serious loss of face for Joey, no matter how satisfying he’d find it.

  Their packs crowded around them while the room emptied of guests, as if by some unspoken agreement. Jessica nudged Joey into a chair. Ben put a glass of scotch in her hand. Itsuo and Justin took up positions at the room’s entrance, making sure no guests were lurking within earshot. Chris was thinking about adjourning to somewhere with more privacy when a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to find his father regarding him gravely.