She nodded. “My father was a genetic scientist. She went to him for help.”
“What do you mean?”
“My mother didn’t want to become a Lycan, so before she went through the ascension, she sought him out.”
“Why?”
“The whole idea of becoming a Lycan terrified her.” Megan sighed. “Especially watching the way her own mother was treated by the alphas. She ended up killing herself when Meredith was only twelve.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine how horrible that had to have been for your mother,” he said solemnly.
“It was bad,” she agreed, remembering the time her mother had told her the story. The sorrow in her eyes. She’d loved her mother dearly and couldn’t understand why she’d chosen to kill herself instead of trying to run away. “Very. But, there was something good that came out of it, too. She went to go live with her Aunt Patty, who was a doctor. That’s how my mother ended up meeting my father. Through Patty’s connections.”
“Obviously, he couldn’t help her.”
“Actually, he did. To a point. My father created a serum that made the Lycan part of a person dormant.”
Torin’s eyes widened. “What? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“That’s because he was the only person in the world who knew about the serum or how to create it.”
“And he didn’t keep records?” he asked, finding it hard to believe.
“If he did, she never found them.”
“So, when he was alive, she took the serum?”
She nodded. “Yes. She also gave it to me, as well. But then Blake murdered him and I guess that you could say that the formula died when he died.”
“And you both went through the ascension?”
“Yes. In fact, we both shifted together for the first time,” answered Megan, remembering the experience.
“What was that like?”
“Frightening,” she said and then smiled slowly. “But, also… exhilarating.”
Torin remembered the first time he’d shifted and could relate. “What about for your mother?”
“She adapted to it pretty easily, actually. But only because she wanted to use the abilities to try and kill Blake. I felt the same way, so it made it easier for both of us. Unfortunately, Blake isn’t an easy Lycan to put down.”
“Did you try to kill him?”
“We were going to. We had a plan all mapped out, but then something happened,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“What?”
“I got pregnant,” she said softly. “And had to leave Pine River.”
“With Caitlyn.”
She nodded.
“Who’s the father?”
Megan didn’t reply, she just stared blindly into the darkness, remembering.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he said, feeling stupid for asking. What business was it of his?
“Caitlyn doesn’t even know who the father is,” she answered, folding her arms under her chest.
“Is it Blake?” he asked. It all made sense, now. She left Pine River to keep her daughter away from a mad man. He’d have done the same.
She took a while before answering. “No. Not Blake. I would have never slept with him. Mitch Falcon is Caitlyn’s father.”
15
“That girl is supposed to be Megan Fontaine’s daughter?” asked Bentley Hawkins as they sat outside of the bedroom that contained Caitlyn and Meredith. Lucah had stationed them there, and after playing cards for the past two hours, they’d since gotten antsy.
“Yeah, I guess so. Who is Megan Fontaine anyway?” asked Chuck Mayer, throwing his cards down.
“Not really sure. All I know is that Blake is obsessed with her,” he said in a low voice. He smirked. “I think it’s because she’s a Lycan.”
“Huh.”
“You ever get close to a mature female?” asked Bentley, shuffling the cards.
“Just my mother. I haven’t seen her in years, though. I don’t remember there being anything special about it.”
“Oh, but there is. Especially if they’re attracted to you. They give off this certain scent.”
“I heard something about that. It’s supposed to draw you in or something.”
“Exactly. You know, Meredith is a Lycan.”
“I figured since she’s Megan’s mother.”
“We should go in and check on them,” said Bentley, a sparkle in his eyes.
Chuck looked at the doorway. “Might be a good idea. They’ve been pretty quiet in there.”
“Maybe we should wake them up. Find out what all of the fuss is about.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he replied, standing up. “I’m bored out of my mind anyway.”
***
It was almost eight o’clock when the door opened and two young men entered the bedroom. Meredith recognized one of them as Lucah’s friend, Bentley, a tall twenty-year-old with long blonde hair and a goatee. From what she’d heard, he was a cruel and arrogant bully who enjoyed pushing people’s buttons. As a Lycan, he was a cold-blooded killer and enjoyed the taste of blood more than any other of Blake’s pack.
“What’s going on?” she asked, standing up.
“Just making sure you two are behaving yourselves,” replied Bentley, a smug smile on his face.
Meredith glanced at Caitlyn, who was staring at the men in terror. Don’t worry, she wanted to say. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’d rather die. “We’re fine,” she answered, turning back to them. “Following Blake’s orders. Where is he?”
“Outside somewhere,” he answered, looking at his friend who was staring at them with a small smile on his face. “Chuck, was I right?”
“Yes you were,” he answered, biting his lower lip.
“Right about what?” asked Meredith, moving closer to Caitlyn. From the looks in their eyes, she knew what this was about.
“Female Lycan,” said Bentley. “Haven’t seen one in a while. Not up close, at least.”
“And not in a bedroom,” added Chuck.
“Now that you’ve gotten a good look, leave us be,” said Meredith, alarmed.
“How about a little kiss first?” asked Chuck, taking a step toward her. “I’ve never kissed a Lycan female. Have you, Bentley?”
“Never.”
“Come on, Meredith. Just one little kiss and we’ll leave you alone.”
“You’d better leave us alone now. In fact, if Blake finds out you’re in here, I’m sure he’ll be angry,” she said.
“Why? Because we asked for a kiss?” said Chuck, smirking. “That’s all we want.” He looked at Caitlyn. “Either from you or the girl.”
“She isn’t a Lycan,” said Meredith.
“From what I heard, she soon will be,” said Bentley. “Maybe we can bring it out of her earlier.”
“Leave us alone!” Meredith shouted, hoping that Blake was somewhere in the house and would hear the commotion.
Bentley quickly grabbed her and covered her mouth. “Enough with the screams. We just want a little kiss,” he hissed into her ear.
Chuck rushed over to Caitlyn and pulled her into his arms. “She doesn’t smell Lycan but she sure smells delicious.”
Caitlyn began to cry.
Chuck dragged his tongue over Caitlyn’s cheek as she tried to pull away.
Furious, Meredith shifted, tore away from Bentley, and charged after Chuck.
Releasing Caitlyn, Chuck shifted right as Meredith knocked him down. He roared as she viscously sunk her teeth into his fur, drawing blood.
Bentley swore and changed into a Lycan. As he launched toward the other two, Caitlyn turned around and ran out the bedroom door.
16
Mitch bent down and picked up the piece of fabric he’d spotted in the leaves with a tweezers. It was light blue denim, four inches long, and splattered with what appeared to be dried blood. Sighing, he slipped it inside a plastic baggie and aimed the flashlight back do
wn into the leaves. As he continued his search, a howl in the distance startled him, and his hand went to his gun. Just as Lucah had mentioned, wolves were definitely beginning to be a problem in Pine River and he’d had his own share of run-ins in the past few months. Usually, he hollered or fired his gun in the air and they took off running, but it was dark and he knew that one could easily sneak up on a person if they weren’t paying attention.
The sound of twigs snapping behind him made Mitch spin around.
“You’re still here,” said Blake, stepping toward him in a black trench coat.
He relaxed. “Yes. I’m still here.”
“Having any luck?”
“Maybe,” he replied, not telling him about the bloody strip of fabric.
Blake motioned toward the sky. “Why don’t you come back when it’s light out? It must be difficult searching in the dark.”
Mitch shrugged. “It is but we have some missing teens out there. The first seventy-two hours are critical in cases like this.”
“I understand but why aren’t you out searching the streets or other towns? Or better yet, Vegas? Maybe they ran off and got hitched?”
“No. That’s highly unlikely,” said Mitch. “From what Rachel’s mother said, they’d only dated a couple of times.”
“So. I think was can both agree that love can make people do stupid things.”
“Right,” answered Mitch.
A scream near the cabin made both of the men jump.
“What the hell…” muttered Blake as Mitch took off running, his gun drawn.
***
Caitlyn, screamed again at the top of her lungs as the Lycan took another step in her direction.
“Shut up,” snarled Bentley. “And get back into the cabin before I rip out your damn throat.”
Frightened and hysterical, she turned and began running into the woods. It was then that she noticed a man barreling through the trees toward her, wearing a brown uniform.
“Thank God,” she choked, rushing toward him.
“Get down!” he hollered, raising the gun.
Realizing what he was about to do, she threw herself down onto the grass.
Mitch fired the gun several times as the wolf-like creature leaped over the girl and came at him. When it landed on top of him, he cried out in terror as they fell backward. Fortunately, he still had bullets and pulled the trigger before the beast could do him any real harm. It cried out in pain and then went still, its weight taking Mitch’s breath away. Pushing it away, he rolled away and stood up.
“It’s not dead,” cried the girl, rushing to his side. “The thing is still breathing.”
Adrenaline still going, Mitch pushed her behind him as they both stared in fear at the Lycan as it began to move.
“Idiot,” said Bentley, laughing coldly as it raised itself onto its hind legs. “It takes more than that to kill me, Sheriff.”
“Bentley?” gasped Mitch, recognizing the voice.
“In the flesh,” he said, standing proudly.
“Bentley, you moron, what have you done?” snapped Blake, coming up behind them.
Bentley’s smile fell. “It was an accident.”
“You were an accident,” he replied, glaring at him. “Where’s my son? I’m holding you three accountable for this mishap.”
“I don’t know. He left.”
“What in God’s name is going on here and what happened to you, Bentley?” asked Mitch, staring at them in disbelief.
Blake looked at him but didn’t respond.
“They’re both Lycan,” said the girl, shaking. “They… they kidnapped me and Meredith.”
“Meredith Fontaine?” he asked, grabbing her elbow.
“Yes. She’s a Lycan, too,” she replied.
“Lycan,” he repeated, staring at Bentley in disbelief. “As in a werewolf?”
“We are far more superior than those creatures,” scoffed Blake. He gave Bentley a dirty look. “Well, some of us.”
“There’s a difference?” said Mitch, amazed that he was even having such a conversation.
“They change only at a full moon whereas we can do it at will,” he said. “They also have no control over themselves. Kind of like you, Bentley.”
Bentley growled. “It was an accident. I told you.”
“One that could have been avoided, I’m quite sure,” he said, still furious.
“Where’s Meredith?” asked Mitch.
“Yes, where is she?” said Blake.
Before he could answer, a pair of headlights caught all of their attention.
“Dammit,” said Blake, his face turning red with rage. He turned to the Lycan. “They’re here, already. Take care of the sheriff, Bentley. Now.”
“What about the girl?”
“I’ll take care of her,” said Blake, moving toward Caitlyn. “We can’t afford to have her hurt. Megan would have a fit.”
“Stay back,” warned Mitch. “Don’t you dare touch her.”
He stopped moving. “Bentley,” said Blake irritably. “Snap to it.”
The Lycan leaped toward Mitch, who tried firing his gun again. Unfortunately, he was out of ammunition.
17
“Stop the car!” ordered Megan, seeing her daughter struggling with Blake in the darkness. Before he could shift the vehicle into ‘Park’, she was out the door and running toward them.
“Shit,” muttered Torin, getting out. Grabbing the gun, he ran after her.
“Leave her alone, Blake!” Megan screamed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another Lycan disappearing into the woods and wondered who it was.
Blake, furious that everything had gotten so far out of hand, gritted his teeth and released her.
“Mom!” cried Caitlyn. Meeting Megan halfway, she flung herself into her arms, sobbing. “Thank God.”
Megan’s eyes went to the still body in the shadows. When she noticed that it was a man, she breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t Meredith.
“I wasn’t going to hurt her. She was hysterical and I was actually trying to get her back into the house so she wouldn’t have to see that,” said Blake, referring to the body.
“What’s going on here?” asked Torin, still holding the gun.
“Torin, do me a favor and go inside of the house,” said Blake. “Check on Meredith.”
“If you harmed my mother I will kill you,” snapped Megan.
“I haven’t touched your mother,” he replied, drinking her in. “My, you look beautiful. Even more beautiful than I remember.”
“Save it,” she answered, staring at him with loathing. “And tell me where my mother is. Now!”
“Inside. Didn’t I just say that?” he asked, looking at Torin with amusement. “Women. I tell you. They only hear what they want to hear.”
“You really are a piece of work,” said Megan, shaking her head in disgust. “And just as chauvinistic as ever.”
“Oh, come now. Don’t let all of this ruin our night. We’ll get rid of the body and have ourselves a nice dinner.”
Megan snorted.
“I’ll go and check on Meredith,” said Torin. He turned and ran toward the cabin.
“Are you okay?” whispered Megan, staring at Caitlyn. She studied her face, looking for signs of bruising or teeth marks.
“I’m fine but that man… the sheriff,” she said, trembling. “The Lycan killed him.”
“He had to,” said Blake. “He knew too much.”
“You know about the Lycan?” asked Megan, feeling her stomach knot up. It was inevitable but she hadn’t wanted her find out this way.
Nodding, she wiped at her tears. “I know. Meredith explained everything.”
Megan sighed. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you everything myself. What a mess.”
“Mom, I don’t want to be like that,” said Caitlyn. “A monster.”
“Being a Lycan is a gift,” said Blake, staring at her in disbelief. “One that you’ll someday cherish.”
“I doubt it
,” she replied, glaring at him.
The man lying on the ground groaned and began to move.
“He’s alive!” cried Caitlyn, gripping her mother’s arm.
“Not for long,” said Blake, taking a step toward him.
“No!” hollered Megan, releasing Caitlyn. Rushing to get between the two men, she gasped when she saw who it was, lying in the leaves. “Mitch!”
“Megan,” he said, hoarsely, trying to get up. The effort proved to be too much, however and he slumped back down, groaning in pain.
She crouched down next to him and cried out when she noticed the shredded shirt, teeth marks, and the bloody gashes. It was a miracle he was alive. “We need to call an ambulance!”
“He can’t live,” said Blake, now staring down at them. “He’ll ‘out’ all of us. He’s the law, for God’s sake!”
“Not us, you,” cried Megan, determined to help Mitch. “You and your brethren are ruthless killers. All of you. You deserve to be locked away.”
“We are living the way our lives were meant to be lived,” he said coldly. “Yes, we hunt and kill, but it’s in our blood. It’s also in yours.”
“That is bullshit. Murder isn’t in my blood. It isn’t in my mother’s and it certainly won’t be in my daughter’s.”
Blake waved his hand in disgust. “That’s your father’s blood talking. If you were a full-blooded Lycan, you’d think differently. You’d feel differently.”
Before she could respond, the cabin door opened and Torin walked out. The expression on his face was grim.
“Where is she?” called Megan, panicking.
He walked over and stopped next to Blake. “Inside. She’s hurt pretty badly, but it looks like she’ll heal. She killed the other Lycan.”
Blake sighed. “Bumbling fool. He probably deserved it.”
“She’s going to be okay?” asked Caitlyn, looking relieved.
He nodded. “Yes. She took quite a beating, though.”
“Oh God,” said Megan, looking up at him. “I need to go to her. Help Mitch, will you, Torin? He needs a hospital.”
“He’ll do no such thing. Kill him and get rid of the body,” ordered Blake. “Then get rid of Chuck’s body, too.”
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