Leaning her head back against the back of the swing she let her eyes slip shut. Maybe there was time for a short nap. Of course, that was when she heard a car turn down the driveway.
She peeked her eye open and saw it was the same suburban he’d driven to pick her up for the Trials. She stood and hurried back inside to dump her coffee mug in the sink, then walked back out to the porch.
Shane hadn’t bothered to get out to greet her; he just flashed his headlights impatiently. He had some nerve.
She yanked the car door open and glared at him. ”You’re late.”
“I know, get in,” he said, motioning for her to hurry.
She hopped up into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. “Is something wrong?”
“Not really, it was just a late night last night. Since Donovan was ousted from the council, and you haven’t filled his spot yet, Jameson has been handling all his duties. Which means I’ve been dealing with a lot of petty crap as his beta,” Shane said tiredly.
“Great,” Amber said with a sigh.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let them throw you to the wolves. Jameson is going to let me assist you for a while. He knows you’re clueless,” Shane said with a smirk.
“Gee, thanks.”
“Oh, come on, you know it’s true.”
“I’m not completely clueless, just slightly under-educated,” she retorted. He was right though. She’d be lost without help. “Thanks for the help though. I’d prefer to not screw everything up my first week on the job.”
He chuckled. “Maybe you can take me out for coffee to pay me back.”
“I don’t know if it’s appropriate to date my coworkers,” she said, looking out the window to hide the slight blush on her cheeks. She really needed to date more if this was how she reacted to a little light flirting. This was just embarrassing.
“Think of us more as allies,” Shane said, nodding to himself. “No rules against allies dating.”
Shane had a lot of things going for him. He was attractive, confident, and best of all, he was straightforward about what he wanted.
“Fine, let’s do coffee in a few days. I need to make sure you earn it before I take you out,” she said, crossing her arms.
“That won’t be a problem.”
It turned out that Jameson only lived twenty minutes away. The drive passed quickly and Amber had to fight down the nervous energy that was about to make her sweat through her shirt. She hated not knowing what to expect, and this was all brand new. The wolf was pacing in her mind too, which didn’t help calm her down at all.
They turned down a street that led into a small subdivision.
“Do these homes all belong to pack members?” she asked, looking at the rows of houses. The lawns were neat, and no cars were parked in the street clogging up traffic. It looked like any other human subdivision.
“Pack and their families,” Shane confirmed with a nod. “There’s another community about a mile north of here that’s bigger. I live out there since Alpha Jameson wanted a high-ranking pack member in the neighborhood to keep the peace, and protect the pack.”
“How big is Jameson’s pack?” she asked in surprise. She’d always thought of packs as small, with ten to twelve members. Maybe that’s just how it was in the South.
“He has fifty registered members. It’s a big pack, which is part of why he’s the head of the council. Not many people could keep a pack this big together.”
“That’s a lot of people to keep track of,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. She couldn’t fathom what it would be like to be connected so intimately to so many people. How did he not go crazy feeling them all the time? And the strength she got from the pack bond was already crazy. Being able to draw on fifty people would make you insanely powerful.
Shane pulled into a driveway in front of a two-story house. It wasn’t the biggest, or grandest house on the block. There was nothing to make it stand out at all other than the cars in the driveway and parked along the street.
“Before we go in, just remember, you’re their equal. You don’t have to be submissive to them,” Shane said in a whisper.
She nodded. “Got it.”
They climbed out and headed toward the door. She could smell the other alphas now, and recognized their scents from the Trials. It was odd to have some of her senses enhanced so dramatically, but she was getting used to it. Slowly.
Jameson greeted them at the door, waving them inside. There was none of the formality of the Trials this time. He was barefoot in a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt.
“Alpha Lawrence is running late, but we’re getting started without him,” Jameson said as he let them through the house. “Need coffee?”
“I already had some, thanks though,” Amber said as she looked around curiously. There wasn’t anything unusual about the place. He had family pictures on the wall. The living room was a mix of new furniture and a bookshelf that looked like an old, family antique.
She could smell that dozens of weres had passed through, but it seemed like only his immediate family actually lived here. She was glad her pack could all live together, for now at least. It still made her skin crawl to think about being separated. Maybe that was something that lessened in time.
“We have these meetings bi-weekly unless something is going on,” Jameson explained as they walked. “We get them done early so everyone can be to work on time.”
“What do you do outside of being an alpha?” she asked, curious.
“My wife owns a hair salon, and I’m mostly in real estate. I own a strip center in Portland, and a couple of apartment complexes.”
“You don’t own Rosewood Lake Apartments, do you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“No. Why?” he asked, pausing to turn and look at her.
She shrugged. “I got evicted for being bitten. Just making sure it wasn’t you.”
“Ah,” he said, looking annoyed. “The laws make it harder on bitten weres than it needs to be. They tend to have less control at first, generally speaking. You certainly proved that wrong. Humans worry too much, and have to regulate damn near everything.”
They walked out the back door and she was hit with the scent of other alphas, and a sense of something other. Of magic. She hadn’t noticed at the Trials. Maybe the ritual changed her somehow, or maybe she could just sense more as the wolf settled into her mind.
She could feel her eyes shifting to red as she surveyed the other alphas. Currently present were a man and a woman she recognized from the Trials.
“This is Alpha Salazar,” he said, pointing at the woman, who nodded in her direction.
She was Hispanic with short, black hair. She wore a pantsuit with a bright teal shirt underneath the jacket. To be honest, she kind of looked like your average real estate agent.
“And this is Alpha Bennett,” Jameson said, finishing the introductions.
This guy looked like he worked with his hands. He was a textbook burly, mountain man with a plaid shirt, worn jeans, and a bushy black beard that stretched halfway down his chest. A knit cap hid his hair. He inclined his head slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.
They didn’t seem particularly welcoming, but no one was trying to bite her head off. She’d call that a win.
“Nice to meet you,” she said, nodding at them in return. It was difficult, but she pulled the wolf back, and willed her eyes to return to normal. There was no need to piss off anyone with some kind of inadvertent werewolf challenge the day she met them.
Jameson plopped down on the porch swing and gestured at the chair next to Salazar. “Grab a seat, this is going to take a while.”
Shane chuckled as he moved to stand behind her. She noticed he didn’t sit, and Jameson didn’t ask him to. There were several places he could have sat, so it must have been intentional. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, unsure of how she felt about that. All this posturing didn’t come naturally to her. Born wolves did have that advantage over the bit
ten wolves like her.
Jameson leaned back and pushed the swing with his foot. “As you all already know, Alpha Donovan Lockhart is dead. However, about a half hour before you two arrived,” he nodded at Salazar and Bennett, “I found out some more information. The police found his body.” He paused, as though collecting himself to deliver bad news. “His heart was gone.”
“Shit,” Bennett said immediately, running his hand down his face. “How was it removed?”
“Obsidian blade. He was bound with silver. And he was definitely alive when it was cut out,” Jameson said, shaking his head in disgust.
“Wait, someone cut out his heart?” Amber interjected, both horrified and confused.
“A sorcerer,” Salazar said, speaking for the first time. “Witches sacrifice animals all the time; cut them up into little pieces to fuel their magic. Sacrificing a werewolf or human? That’s sorcery. It’s as dark as magic gets.”
“We have to assume that every alpha in the area may be a target next,” Jameson said.
“I hope the bastard tries to take me,” Bennett grunted.
Salazar scoffed at his comment. “You’ve obviously never fought a sorcerer then.”
The door opened and a reedy man with thick, black-framed glasses hurried over to join the group. “Sorry I’m late.”
He must be Alpha Lawrence. Despite his nerdy appearance, his rolled-up sleeves revealed wiry muscles. His eyes flicked to her and he nodded briefly, returning his attention to Jameson.
“You say that every meeting,” Jameson said, raising a brow.
Lawrence shrugged and smirked at the older man. “Maybe we should have them in the evenings instead.”
Jameson shook his head in annoyance, then continued the meeting, “With Donovan dead, his pack is in turmoil. Over the past two days, there have been five challenge fights.” He turned to look at Amber. “This will be a good situation for you to learn what this council does. We are not here to try to tell the other packs what to do, but we are here to make sure they don’t get out of control in these sorts of situations.”
She forced herself not to fidget as the eyes of every alpha landed on her. “Alright. What do I need to do?”
“Go meet the current alpha, and register the names and positions of all the pack members. With every challenge, record the name of the winner, loser, and any other changes in rank. Someone has to be the alpha for one cycle of the moon, or they can’t go through the Trials. Anything that can be done to calm down the situation would be better for everyone involved. I’ve seen packs completely unravel after losing their alpha if there wasn’t a clear successor. If that happens, we’ll have dozens of omegas in the region that we’ll either have to take into our packs, or risk starting this whole process over again,” Jameson said with a sigh.
Amber felt a headache forming behind her eyes. “So, babysit their pack while they fight over who becomes the new alpha?”
A smile tugged at the corner of Jameson’s mouth. “Yes.”
“They won’t try to challenge her, will they?” Lawrence asked, pointing at her.
Jameson frowned. “We’ve never had that issue before.”
“Never had a bitten wolf on the council before either,” Lawrence said with a shrug.
“I beat their alpha, why would they bother trying to challenge me?” Amber asked, irritated at the implications. Shane had warned her not to let them treat her like she wasn’t their equal. If this guy had a problem with her, she was going to settle it right now.
“You beat him in a test of control, not a fight. Some idiot might want to see if they can take your pack instead,” Lawrence replied.
“If I’m going to be a part of this council, they’ll all have to learn to respect me eventually,” Amber said, relaxing slightly. It sounded more like genuine concern than him trying to put her down. She turned back to Jameson. “If I hide behind the council it’ll make me look weak. I never wanted Donovan’s place here, hell, I never wanted to be a werewolf, but I’m not going to shirk my duties out of fear. If this is what I need to do, then I’ll do it.”
“No one else wants to do it, that’s for sure,” Salazar said under her breath.
Bennett didn’t comment, but he did look like he thought she’d fail.
“I agree,” Jameson said with a nod. “Shane will be there to back you up. I don’t foresee any problems coming up that you can’t handle. Honestly, if you can’t deal with them, you aren’t fit to be on the council.”
Bennet snorted at that and muttered something that sounded like ‘natural selection’. She ignored him and did her best to take in all the information Jameson shared during the meeting.
It turned out babysitting Donovan’s pack was only part of what she’d have to deal with now. Who knew being a werewolf would come with so much paperwork?
Chapter 11
TOMMY
Tommy scooped the cheesy omelet out onto a plate and inspected it. It wasn’t burned, hadn’t broken when he flipped it, and it had just the right amount of gooey cheese. It was perfect.
Derek was sitting at the table oblivious, but perked up when he set the omelet down in front of him. He looked at the omelet, then looked at Tommy. “Why do I feel like this is a bribe?”
“Because it is,” Tommy said, crossing his arms.
Derek picked up his fork and took a big bite. His eyes widened as he chewed. Swallowing, he said, “Okay, it worked. What do you want?”
“Could you teach me how to fight?”
“Shouldn’t you ask Amber for that kinda help?” Derek asked, scratching the back of his head.
“Yeah, probably,” Tommy said shoving his hands in his pockets. “But I don’t want her to think I’m completely incompetent. I’d like to learn a few things first. Even Genevieve can hold her own. I’ve lost every fight I’ve been in.”
Derek shrugged like that made perfect sense to him. A mischievous grin spread across his face. “Alright, I can show you how to punch and I’ll show you a few wrestling moves that always used to work on Amber.”
“That would be awesome,” Tommy said with a huge smile.
“But you’re not allowed to use your werewolf strength while I’m showing you things. I don’t need my arm getting accidentally broken or anything stupid like that,” Derek said, pointing his finger at him.
“No werewolf strength,” Tommy said, lifting his hands in surrender.
Derek nodded, then scarfed down the rest of the omelet. “Dude, where did you learn to cook like this?”
“My mom I guess, but most of the time I just follow the recipes,” Tommy said. He hadn’t enjoyed cooking so much when he’d been a kid. Now, it was one of the few things that could relax him when he started feeling anxious. He didn’t have to go hungry anymore. He had a place to call home, and a makeshift family.
“Do you know when Amber is supposed to be back?” Derek asked, glancing at his watch.
“No clue, but I’ll hear her coming before they even reach the driveway,” Tommy said, tapping his ear. “Shane’s suburban makes a weird noise.”
“Oh, that’s right, you can hear super well. That’s going to come in handy when I start teaching you how to work on cars,” Derek said as he stood, walking the plate over to the sink and quickly washing it. “Let’s do what we can today before Amber gets back. There’s no telling when else we’ll have time.”
“Sounds great,” Tommy said, practically bouncing with nervous energy. He needed this, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t still worried. Like he’d told Derek, he’d lost every fight he’d been in. Before he was bitten, he was scrawny and weak. He had muscles coming in now, but he didn’t know what to do with them.
“Let’s go out back,” Derek said.
They headed out the back door and behind the house. It was shady and grassy with plenty of room to move around.
Derek nodded in approval, then turned to him. “Okay, throw a punch.”
Tommy curled his hand into a fist and swung his arm as hard and fast as he c
ould. The momentum of the punch drug him forward and he stumbled slightly as his feet twisted in the grass. When he looked up at Derek to see how he’d done, the man had one hand covering his face.
“Okay, so…that was…completely wrong in every way,” he said, taking a deep breath before looking up. “Come here. Let’s start with how to make a proper fist. Never, ever stick your thumb out like that. You’re just asking for it to get broken.”
Tommy sighed. He knew he sucked, but he’d hoped he wasn’t that bad.
Chapter 12
CERI
Ceri flipped through her old spellbook, filled with notes from her grandmother’s lessons, until she found it. She hadn’t remembered her grandmother had even talked about it until Amber had said “animal whisperer”. Her old notes were there, written in glittery pink ink and uneven letters.
“A witch belongs in a coven, lassie. There should be at least three, but a coven of seven or thirteen will be stronger. The number of witches must always be a prime number, so the coven cannot be divided. Always an odd number for luck,” her grandmother said as she dissected the remains of the pixie.
Ceri kept her eyes on her notes so she didn’t have to see. “Can’t a witch be alone?”
“Pah, she could, but then she’d be vulnerable. Limited. This family is meant for powerful magic, not tricks a human could do.”
She kicked her legs, trying to think of another question. She only got the knowledge she asked for, that was the rule. Sometimes it was risky to ask, because the lessons were…unpleasant. But her grandmother said not to let fear rule her.
“Has a witch ever been part of a pack?” she asked tentatively.
Her grandmother stopped cutting and glared at her. “Why would ya want ta consort with a bunch of flea-ridden weres?”
She lifted her chin stubbornly. “Never said I did, I just wondered if it had ever happened. Werewolves can’t even control their magic. I’d never want to be one of them.”
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