by Lori Drake
The others went back out the way they’d entered, with Adam hauling Jack by the arm. He went along without issue, eyes forward in a vacant stare, as if something about seeing his sister turn into the very thing he hated so much had broken him on a fundamental level.
Joey approached Maria slowly with her hands up. She cringed away with a whine, but Chris nosed Maria’s uninjured shoulder while Joey made soothing noises. Maria let her come close.
Joey knelt on the floor in front of her and Chris flopped at her side with his head on her leg as if to say, “Don’t worry, she’s cool.”
Joey ruffled Chris’s ears absently, but her focus was on Maria. “Look, I know we had a pretty shitty introduction but… Hi, I’m Joey. We need to talk, and that’ll be easier if you shift back. See that handsome man over there?” She pointed at Ben, who stood off to the side with his medical bag still slung across his shoulder. “That’s my brother, Ben. He’s an EMT, and he can take the bullet out of your shoulder so you can heal.” She leaned down and stage-whispered, “Don’t worry about the naked thing. He’s gay.”
It took the better part of an hour for Joey to coax Maria back into human form. Joey’s feelings about her were complicated. On one hand, she was a hunter, had spent who knew how many years tracking and killing wolves. On the other hand, she was a wolf, and an obviously conflicted one. Joey had to know her story. There was no way that Maria and Jack could be siblings, much less twins. The wolf gene bred true. No full human child had ever been born to wolf parents, or vice versa.
When Maria did finally shift back to human form, she huddled in on herself, clutching her legs against her chest in an effort to conceal her nudity. Joey fetched the sleeping bags from the hunters’ nest and let her cover up with one of them. She held the other one out to Chris, whose furry brows lifted. He gave a little snort, then shifted and took the sleeping bag from her, wrapping it around his waist.
Joey settled across from Maria. She tried waiting for Maria to say something, but the woman just sat there, staring at the floor.
“Do you want Ben to get that bullet out while we chat?” Joey asked.
Maria looked at the shoulder in question, then reached under the sleeping bag. Her features contorted in pain, but when her hand emerged again, she had a bullet gripped between bloodied fingers.
Joey blinked. “Holy shit, girl. You don’t have to prove what a badass you are to us, you know.”
“It wasn’t deep.” Maria shrugged her good shoulder and rolled the bullet between her fingers.
“Right,” Joey said. “So, what’s your story, Maria? How did a wolf become a hunter?”
“Our mother was attacked by one of your kind,” Maria began, her eyes glittering darkly. “While she was pregnant with me and my brother. We survived. She did not. We aren’t sure why Jack wasn’t infected, but he’s been bitten a few times over the years and hasn’t turned. So perhaps he has a natural immunity to your venom.”
Joey exchanged a puzzled glance with Chris, then returned her attention to Maria. “Yeah, that’s not how lycanthropy works. Who told you that?”
Maria’s forehead wrinkled, and she shook her head. “My uncle. God rest his sainted soul. He told us all about your kind, and when the change came over me… he convinced me that this curse I bear could be used for good. That by destroying the monsters and stopping the curse’s spread, I could find redemption and join my mother in heaven one day.”
All Joey could do was stare. It was difficult to render her completely speechless, but the young woman sitting across from her had done just that.
Chris shook his head. “First off, you aren’t cursed. I know that’s hard to believe, because it’s obvious that this uncle of yours did a number on you. But lycanthropy… it’s genetic. There’s no way you got it from a wolf attacking your mother, if that even happened.”
Maria’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying my uncle lied to me?” She snorted.
“Yeah,” Joey said, rubbing her suddenly chilly arms. The poor girl. “That’s exactly what we’re saying.”
“Well, not necessarily…” Chris said.
Joey blinked, wondering if he knew something she didn’t. “What do you mean?”
“Her uncle might have believed what he was telling her,” Chris said.
“Believing it doesn’t make it true.” Joey studied Maria. “And just like there’s no way you caught lycanthropy from a wolf attack, there’s no way your brother can be your twin. One of you must’ve been adopted.”
“They do look a lot alike,” Chris said.
Joey swallowed a growl. “You are not helping.”
“All I’m saying is we have no idea what’s going on here, and we’re not going to get to the bottom of it tonight. Maria, do you love your brother?”
Maria scowled. “Of course I do.”
“Then let’s talk about the sword dangling over his head.” Chris scratched his shoulder idly, glancing toward the front of the warehouse. “I don’t know how many wolves you two have killed, but I can tell you it’s about nine too many. As far as we’re concerned, one is too many. There just aren’t enough of us left to let that shit go.”
“The fewer the better,” Maria whispered.
“Knock it off,” Joey said. “You’re not doing yourself any favors. The punishment for killing a wolf is death, so it’s in your best interests to cooperate.”
“Why?” Maria asked. “I would welcome death, as would Jack.”
Joey leaned forward quickly and tapped a finger against Maria’s forehead before she could jerk away. “Pay attention. There aren’t enough wolves left for us to put you down if there’s an alternative.”
Maria eyed them, warier than ever. “What alternative?”
Joey fell silent, tapping her chin with her fingertip. If only there were a way they could get Maria on their side. But how did you undo decades of brainwashing and self-hatred? An idea started to form, but she wasn’t sure if it would work. If it did, it would be the answer to all of their problems. Well, not all of their problems. But all of their Jack and Maria problems.
“What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?” Chris asked, putting a hand on her leg.
Joey met his eyes and smiled, feeling hopeful for a change. “I have an idea.”
23
The caravan pulled up outside the Grants’—or rather, Lucas’s—house well after midnight. Chris considered them fortunate that Lucas hadn’t changed the security code yet. The porch light was on, but the rest of the house was dark. Aside from the catnap earlier that night, Chris had been on the go since before sunrise. His body was weary and longed for his bed, but his mind buzzed with nervous energy.
Standing on the porch with Joey, Chris glanced over his shoulder and drummed his fingers against his leg. Their packs and Abby’s were arrayed behind them, with the two hunters standing somewhere in the middle. Maria hadn’t made any complaint about having her hands bound behind her back, though it couldn’t feel good with her injured shoulder and forearm. Both had bags over their heads, mostly for show. The pair were subdued. Jack was still reeling from the revelation about his sister, and Maria… well, she’d agreed to their plan, though it wasn’t impossible that she could change her mind at the last minute and embrace execution.
Chris hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He leaned on the doorbell, and they waited. They had to ring again, but eventually a shirtless Lucas answered the door. He eyed them, then looked past them at the big group of wolves on his doorstep.
“Couldn’t this wait until morning?” he asked, yawning—probably for effect.
“No.” Joey pushed past him and into the house.
Chris followed, meeting the other Alpha’s eyes as he went. Lucas smirked, stepping aside and holding the door open like it was his idea in the first place. “Come on in.”
It took the better part of an hour for all the guests to be roused from their beds and assembled in the great room. There was a fair bit of grumbling, as one might expect. Chris hung
back and let Lucas take the heat. Joey was with the hunters in another room, waiting for the signal to enter.
“What’s the meaning of all this?” Elijah groused as he stomped into the room, among the last to arrive.
“Have a seat, uncle. All will be explained,” Lucas said, gesturing to a chair.
Elijah blew out a blustery sigh, but sat. As he did, he spotted Chris leaning against the wall by the door and frowned. Chris inclined his head politely. When it looked like everyone was there, Chris caught Lucy’s eye and motioned with his head. She slipped out to fetch Joey.
Their timing was perfect. Right as Lucas raised his hands to get everyone’s attention, Joey strode in with Ben and Sam escorting the prisoners at her back like a conquering hero. Lucy slipped in discreetly behind them and resumed her spot near her brother.
Joey flashed Lucas a smile as she approached him. He’d turned away from the crowd, and the glare he shot her was murderous. By putting in an appearance before he could speak, she’d made absolutely certain that everyone present knew who had bagged the hunters, denying him the opportunity to spin it in his favor. Chris was happy to hang back and let her shine.
Joey lifted a hand to halt the renewed hum of conversation amongst the guests, and the room went silent. “Sorry to disturb your sleep, folks. But I didn’t think this should wait until morning. You deserve a peaceful night’s rest, knowing that the hunter threat is over.”
Ben and Sam removed the hoods from the prisoners on cue. The room remained deathly silent as those present studied the pair on display. Jack, of course, was still black and blue in the face, but the swelling had receded enough that he was more easily recognizable. Joey held up one of the stills from the hotel security footage for good measure. While Maria kept her eyes on the floor after an initial glance around the room, Jack scrutinized the assembled wolves with open hostility and edged away from his sister.
“Who’s the girl?” someone called out.
“I’ll get to that,” Joey replied. “But the short story is that she’s an accomplice.” The revelation sparked a bit of murmuring among the guests. Joey waited for it to die down before continuing, “Now we know how they were able to ambush the motorcade heading to the airport. One was watching the house, while the other set up the sniping position.”
“How did they know which road we’d take?” someone asked.
“There’s really only one logical route from here to Seattle, unless you want to go the really long way,” Joey explained. “It was a waiting game. They knew we’d leave eventually. Chris and I decided to take a play from their playbook. We set up an ambush of our own, and they walked right into it.”
“Great,” Lucas said. “Let’s kill them and get back to bed.”
Chris pushed off the wall and joined Joey in facing the crowd. “It’s not that simple. The female is a wolf.”
A ripple of surprise passed through the room, and voices lifted again in conversation. Joey whistled to get their attention.
“Their story is a long and sad one,” Joey said. “But the short version of it is that they were tricked into believing we are monsters, and it’s time we prove to them that we aren’t.”
Abby stepped forward, her eyes narrowed into slits. “What exactly are you suggesting?” She’d barely been on board with bringing the hunters here. Joey and Chris didn’t expect their plan to go over well with her.
“I’m glad you asked.” Joey moved to stand beside Maria, who shrank away and kept her eyes on the floor. “This is Maria. She grew up believing wolves were evil, vicious monsters. After her first change, she was told her wolf nature is a curse. She hid it from her brother for many years, hunting alongside him on an ignorant quest for redemption and revenge.”
As she spoke, Chris kept an eye on Jack. He stared straight ahead, jaw tight, hands clenched into fists beneath his wrist bindings. The truth was a difficult thing to hear.
Joey continued, “I put it to you, family and friends, that this woman is the real victim here. Yes, she took lycanthrope lives. But she grew up without the benefit of a pack to show her what it really means to be a wolf. Instead, she was brought up by a religious zealot driven by ignorance and hatred. This doesn’t have to be the end of the road for her.”
Lucas scoffed. “You propose leniency, for a hunter?”
“No,” Chris said, steeling himself for the backlash to come. “I’m prepared to offer something even more valuable: sanctuary.”
A low buzz of whispered conversation rose around the room.
Lucas laughed, a scornful sound if ever there was. “You want to take this viper into your den? You’re a fool to expect loyalty from her after we kill her brother.”
“I never thought I’d say this,” Abby said, glaring daggers at Joey. “But I agree with the pissant.”
Joey met Abby’s eyes, and something passed between them. What, Chris couldn’t say. “It’s a lot to ask of someone, granted,” Joey said. “Which is why I think we should turn him over to the police.”
Protests erupted around the room, and Chris drummed his fingers on his leg. This was the sticky part, for sure. However, as he scanned the crowd, Chris noticed that Elijah wasn’t among the dissenters for once. The portly wolf remained in his seat, stroking his chin.
“Hear me out!” Joey raised her voice to be heard over the much noisier hum of conversation.
“I’ve heard enough,” Abby said. “These are hunters we’re talking about. Hunters. Whether the girl is a wolf or not, ignorant or not, that doesn’t change what she’s done. You promised me justice.”
“Justice is exactly what we’re proposing.” Chris chose his words carefully. “Human justice for one, and rehabilitation for the other. We’re not savages. This isn’t an eye-for-an-eye world anymore, and this situation is far from black and white. We have a chance here to put right a wrong.”
Joey nodded. “The hotel security footage ties Jack to Wesley’s death, and there’ll be enough evidence to ensure he goes down for it. I know that’s just one of his many crimes, but it’s enough to put him in prison. Even if he starts going on about so-called ‘werewolves,’ no one is going to take him seriously.”
Lucas shook his head. “That’s a big risk. What if he pleads insanity?”
“Then he ends up in a mental institution,” Joey said, shrugging. “Either way, he’s off the streets. We can monitor him, and if he’s ever up for parole… well, we can reassess at that time.”
“What’s this ‘we’ you keep talking about?” Lucas said. “You aren’t an Alpha anymore. Technically, you don’t get a say in any of this. This is my territory, and I say no way.”
“It’s mine too,” Chris said, lest Lucas forget. “And I say yes.”
Lucas threw up his hands. “And where does that get us? Nowhere.”
“Do I get a vote?” The question came from an unexpected direction: Sam’s.
“Why would you get a vote?” Lucas asked.
Sam glanced at Joey, who looked like she’d just swallowed a particularly bitter pill, then cleared his throat. “I’m the Alpha of the other Grant pack of Seattle. This is my territory too.”
Chris wasn’t sure how he could feel elated and devastated all at once. Sam’s vote would surely swing this in the direction he wanted, but it had much more personal implications as well. He wished he weren’t standing so far away from Joey. His arms itched with the urge to hold her.
Lucas seemed to be at a loss for words. His mouth opened and closed like a floundering fish.
Elijah finally stood, drawing eyes his way. “What is your vote, Samuel?”
Sam didn’t hesitate. “Every wolf is precious, even the ones who don’t understand how lucky they are. Yet. I support the Granite Falls Alpha’s offer of sanctuary, on the condition that his ward behave herself. If she harms another wolf, even while under his protection, she will not escape lycanthrope law.”
“Intentionally harms another wolf,” Chris added. “Accidental shit doesn’t count.”
Sam nodded. Abby folded her arms and pressed her lips together. Anger glinted in her eyes, but since she had no claim to the Seattle territory, she didn’t get a vote.
“And you, girl… do you agree to these conditions?” Elijah asked, his eyes on Maria.
It took a moment, and a nudge from Joey, for Maria to realize she was the target of the question. She nodded, licked her lips, and whispered, “Please let my brother live.”
“Then I suppose the matter is settled,” Elijah said.
And, just like that, it was.
Joey leaned against Chris and let loose another jaw-cracking yawn. He groaned amidst an answering yawn and tightened his arms around her. The sun was barely cresting the horizon, but the sky was pleasantly clear as they stood beside Colt’s SUV, parked on the roof of a downtown parking garage.
“Remind me, again, why we decided to do this at the crack of dawn?” Joey murmured, watching the stars fade as the sky lightened. She’d barely gotten a few hours of sleep, and all she wanted to do was go back to bed and sleep forever. Well, maybe not forever. They did have the funeral to deal with that evening, but compared to the trial that had been the last few days, it’d be a relief to get it over with.
“Because when you’re conducting a clandestine prisoner exchange, it’s best to do it when no one else is around,” Chris murmured into her hair.
“Oh, right.” Joey swallowed another yawn and straightened as she saw Detective Harding’s gold sedan drive up the ramp and approach them.
Harding parked and climbed out of the car, eyeing them suspiciously as he approached. “Okay, what was so important you had to get me out here before I could even get a decent cup of coffee?”
“Good morning to you too, Mr. Grumpypants,” Joey teased, but pulled away from Chris and produced a flash drive from her pocket.
Harding took the drive from her. “What’s this?”
“Surveillance footage from the hotel were Wesley Grant was killed,” Joey said.
“Okay… I’m going to skip right past ‘how did you get this’ and move on to ‘why are you giving it to me?’”
