Wolf Pack Chronicles Box Set

by Amelia Wilson

  "Like?" Danielle's voice broke into his daydream. He blinked out the fantasy of ripping her clothes off and taking her right there.

  "Well, for starters," he cleared his throat, pushing the thought out of his mind. "You'll be stronger than you are now. Your ears will pick up things miles away, but sounds will be so much clearer, that it’ll be like they are happening right beside you." Derek chuckled as Danielle cocked her head.

  "What?" she asked sticking her tongue out to play with the plastic straw sticking out of her drink.

  "You may experience headaches from the noise at first. But over time you will get used to it and be able to tune everything out."

  Danielle nodded her head, pulling another mouthful from her cup. Her mind raced with all the possibilities that stretched out before her. Never in her wildest fantasies had she ever consider the notion of werewolves to be real. Now that she knew they were, she wanted to be one more than ever.

  "Anything else?"

  "Well," Derek dropped his gaze and played with Danielle's fingernails. "You will see things differently."

  "How?"

  "The colors will be brighter, more vivid. You will be able to see further than you ever thought possible."

  "This all sounds amazing." Danielle giggled trying to contain her excitement. The more Derek told her the more she felt compelled by this new life change. Her heart raced as she glanced around the small room.

  "Tell me something," Danielle said staring at the girls in the corner. The three women with long brown shoulder length hair and piercing eyes glared at her. "Will I look different?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Like them?" Danielle nodded to the woman. Derek shifted in his seat and sighed.

  "No. But if you will bring with you a beauty that is uniquely your own. Everyone is different." Derek paused and turned his attention back to Danielle. He rubbed her hands with his, trying to hold her gaze.

  "If you are wondering if you'll be stunning, you will be. No doubt about that. You will also be almost invincible."

  "Really?" Danielle perked up. Her fears and insecurities vanishing at the thought.

  "Only one thing that can kill us," Derek sighed. Danielle flinched and her mind quickly raced to Alice. Her heart beat frantically in her chest as she hung on Derek's words like a lifeline.

  "What?" Danielle nearly shouted. Derek shook his head before dropping it again. He didn't say a word but simply lifted his fingers to his neck and scrapped his nails over his Adam's apple. Danielle's mouth dropped.

  "So that's how you know Alice is alive," Danielle said keeping her eyes on Derek. He nodded with his lips pressed into a tight line.

  "Did she have a choice?" Danielle asked slipping her hands out of Derek's. His eyebrows pressed together studying her.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Did you create Alice?" Derek's laughter filled the room, causing the others around them to take notice. He shook his head.

  "No. Some of us are born this way. That’s why she was able to..." Derek stopped speaking and straightened his shoulders.

  "What?" Danielle moved in closer seeing the distress in his eyes. "Or are you not allowed to say?"

  "There is a lot I am not allowed to tell you."

  "Because I am human." Derek's eyes narrowed sending chills racing down Danielle's back.

  "Can I ask how you know Alice? She must be someone important to you, to go through all this trouble to keep me hostage."

  "Do you still think you are my prisoner?" Derek gasped.

  "I know I am. That would be the only reason for you to keep me close to you. I mean, you haven't let me out of your sight since you brought me here."

  Derek moved closer to Danielle. His hot breath caressed her face as he spoke in hushed tones, "It's not safe for you to be here unaccompanied. The others…" Derek's eyes shifted to the group in the corner. Danielle flashed a quick glance and ice ran through her veins before she pulled away. "…would kill you, but I'm not going to let them."

  "Why would they want to kill me?" Danielle whispered as her eyes jolted to the trio of girls still in the corner booth who were glaring daggers at her.

  "Because of what you know about us. Humans are not allowed to know such things. Yet, here you are in full knowledge of what we are and, even more, you have proof. Your very existence is putting a lot of people on edge. Humans have been in the dark about our kind for eons. If your footage of us went live, what do you think would happen?" Derek paused with his eyebrow raised.

  "They would hunt us to extinction," he finished not allowing Danielle to answer.

  Danielle nodded. "That explains the looks."

  "Don't worry. As soon as you are turned, they won't be so hostile. In fact, they will treat you like family."

  "So everyone is kinda related to everyone else here, huh?"

  Derek nodded, "By birth or by bite, yes. We are essentially a large family and would do anything to keep our secret."

  Danielle pulled back and smiled. "So, when will you change me? If that is all there is to it, change me right here."

  "It doesn't quiet work that way."

  "Well why don't you tell me how it works? Then we can let everyone know our plans so the staring will stop."

  "Maybe if you got rid of any proof that could leak our secret, they might stop."

  Danielle lifted her hand up. Derek stared at it briefly wondering what Danielle was doing.

  "Give me my phone. All my videos, and footage are linked up with my cell phone. All I need to do is delete the last forty-eight hours of footage. We can go to the cameras and smash them for extra insurance." Derek leaned back.

  "What?"

  "We already smashed the cameras around our hunting area."

  Danielle's face turned white. "Oh."

  "But here," Derek pulled out her cell phone and placed it into her open hand.

  "Thank you." Danielle quickly keyed in her password and began fiddling with the phone bringing up the link to the footage. With a small smile playing at the corner of her lips, she deleted her files and then the app.

  "There, all gone," Danielle said handing over her phone once more to Derek. Derek examined the phone and the apps she had uninstalled before nodding once. He kept his eyes locked on her. With a sudden swoosh, Danielle watched as he smashed her phone into several pieces on the concrete floor.

  "You didn't have to do that," Danielle gasped. "I said I deleted everything."

  "It's not that I don't trust you. It's just an added security." Derek shifted in his chair and Danielle's eyes followed his gaze. The girls in the corner booth flashed enchanting smiles before rising. They each nodded once and made their way out of the restaurant.

  "What is with those three?" Danielle asked leaning back in her chair, watching the girls disappear into the crowd.

  "You could say they are enforcers."

  "What is their job? To be total bitches?"

  "Be careful Danielle, they can still hear us," Derek warned.

  "I don't care. It's not like I haven't done everything you have asked me to do. I deleted the evidence, I am planning on joining this tribe of people. What more do they want?"

  "Actually, they don't want you to join."

  Danielle's eyes popped open at the news. She tried to wrap her head around what she could have done to piss them off, but came up empty. "What did I ever do to them?"

  "You are with me," Derek said flatly. "They are kinda territorial and feel like you are over-stepping your boundaries."

  "I don't get it."

  "That's because you are not one of us yet. You are still human and don't understand the hierarchy of the situation."

  "Well maybe if you explained it to me I would."

  Derek sighed and with a weak smile he nodded. "Fine, but not here. We have to go someplace quiet were the walls don't have ears."

  Danielle rose with Derek. He stretched his hand out and led her out of the small diner. As they walked down the street, Danielle noticed the glares had cease
d. The fear and intimation she had once felt was gone. She breathed in deeply, following Derek to his car.

  "Get in, we have to go to the woods."

  "Okay," Danielle's voice quaked. Although she didn't know what Derek was planning, deep in her heart she knew he wouldn't hurt her. She got into the truck and waited for Derek. He climbed in and slipped his key into the ignition. The truck rumbled to life and before Danielle could say another word, they were driving down the street heading out of town.

  "So, are you going to tell me how you know Alice?"

  "I've known her for several years."

  "How many to be exact?"

  "Sixty-five." Derek answered reluctantly. Danielle's eyes widened and she searched for signs of aging on his face.

  "That's not possible."

  "It is when you are a wolf. We don't age the same way as humans. Time doesn't have such a strong hold on us because of our ability to shift."

  "So, will I stop aging?"

  "Not exactly. You will age when you can learn how to stop shifting during the new moon."

  "So how old is Alice then?"

  "In human years, 75."

  "How do you know her?" Danielle pressed again, trying to keep her voice under control. Her nerves rattled as the trees swooshed past the window in a blur. She didn't dare turn her attention to the speedometer for fear of knowing how fast they were traveling.

  Derek licked his dry lips and kept his eyes on the road. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel and he sucked in a deep breath.

  "You see this forest around you?" Derek asked. Danielle tried to look through the window but everything was such a blur all she could do was nod.

  “This place was once ruled by two tribes of wolves. One tribe came from northern Canada. They were gray wolves, powerful and cunning. Humans introduced them to this area hoping to restore the ecosystem that had been destroyed by the eradication of the red wolves that had once lived here. But the red wolves weren't completely gone. There were a few of us that remained.”

  “When the gray wolves came, the two tribes fought over territory for hunting grounds. In order to broker a deal, the gray alpha offered his daughter to the alpha of the red wolves. The idea was to bring the two tribes together to live in peace. But the daughter ran away from her responsibilities and was never seen again.”

  "So Alice was the gray wolf's daughter, and you were the red wolf." Danielle whispered putting the tale together in her mind. Derek nodded.

  "Alice was to be mine, but she ran away leaving me and her family."

  "What happened to her family? I mean if wolves live so long, surely they are still around."

  Derek shook his head and stole a glance at Danielle. "They left these parts in search of her and they never came back."

  "If the gray wolves are gone, then why the hostility? I mean wouldn't they be welcomed back to their lands?"

  "This is not their land," Derek hissed stomping on the brake and causing the truck to come to a skidding stop. "They are not allowed to return after all that they did to my people—my tribe. It was only after they left, that my tribe grew."

  "I'm sorry," Danielle gasped staring into Derek's murderous eyes. He sucked in deep breaths as his hands trembled.

  "No," Derek huffed regaining his senses. "I’m sorry. I told you, you wouldn't understand. But after you change, everything will be made clear to you."

  "Are you planning on killing Alice, if you see her again?"

  "I should have killed her in the forest, but I didn't. If she shows her face again, I will have no choice."

  "You can't do that! She is like a sister to me. Please."

  "You have no say. You are still a human."

  "And when I am like you? Will I have a say in her fate?"

  Derek glared at her, refusing to answer.

  "You can't kill her. You can't. After all, it is your fault she is here. She came for me and you told her to come. Surely there has to be some diplomatic solution, if you invited her."

  "You don't understand," Derek snapped. "You have no say in her fate when yours is still up in the air."

  "What do you mean up in the air? I told you I would become like you. If that means that I will have a say in Alice's future, then I want it more now than ever. I won't just stand by and let you kill my friend."

  "Why are you defending Alice so much? She lied to you. Family doesn't do that. Family sticks by you no matter what."

  "Families lie all the time to protect the ones they love. And I love Alice. She was there for me when no one else was. She found me on the streets and took me in. We are sisters and I won't just sit here listening to all the things you are going to do to her because of what you did."

  "What I did?" Derek seethed. His eyes grew narrow as he bared his teeth.

  "You kidnapped me, you challenged her, you made her come back, and she did come back—to save me. Now, if I can save her—bite me now so that I can make my claim for her life."

  Derek's face dropped. The tension and fierceness vanished from his features as he stared at the human sitting beside him.

  "You would do that for her? You would go to those lengths to save her?"

  "Yes." Danielle squared her shoulders and glared at Derek with complete resolve in her eyes. Derek nodded, plopping back into his seat. He released the steering wheel and stared out the window.

  "Are you willing to take her place by my side?"

  "Yes," Danielle answered quickly. "If you spare her life."

  A small smile played at the corner of Derek's lips. He twisted in his seat to face Danielle. The innocent girl kept her composure, wondering what was happening in this wolf's mind.

  "You will make good on your promise."

  Chapter 10

  The light of the day faded into the soft hues of night. Alice stood on the porch of her family's old home allowing memories to flow through her like water. She brushed away the single tear that had slipped down her cheek the moment the screen door had slammed shut.

  "You okay?" Bash asked. The old wooden boards moaned under his weight as he walked closer towards her. Alice shrugged, turning her attention from the distant trees to him.

  "Been better." She tugged her jacket up over her shoulder and shifted her focus back to the trees before her. Somewhere in the distance the echo of an owl's cry faded.

  "You're thinking of Danielle aren't you?"

  "I just don't understand how all this happened. Last week she was with me in Seattle, arguing over chores, and now here we are. The one place I never wanted to come back to. Out of all the places in this park she had to visit, why did she have to come into his territory?"

  "She'll be fine." Bash wrapped his arms around Alice's waist and settled his chin on her shoulder. She snuggled into his arms letting him hold the pieces of her together.

  "I have to go for a little while," he whispered in her ear. "I won't be gone long."

  "Where are you going?" Alice turned her body around to face him. She stared up at him, her eyes filled with worry. Bash lifted his hand up to brush the back of it against her cheek.

  "To the ranger's station. Apparently some other hikers have gotten lost and they need my help to find them. It won't take me long. I will be back soon."

  Alice nodded trying not to let her emotions get the better of her.

  "Don't worry. Derek won't find you are here and he won't come looking for you."

  "It's not Derek I'm worried about right now."

  "Alice, Danielle will be fine. You have to trust me on this." Alice stared up through the canopy of the trees, keeping her eyes locked on a sliver of moon drifting through the sky.

  "It will be gone tomorrow night."

  "I know. That is why I will help you find her tomorrow. But..." Bash's words trailed off. Alice twisted her head to look at him. His eyes were on the wooden planks at their feet.

  "You will be turning too," Alice finished. "I know. It's the reason I am worried. What if I can't do this without you? What if something happ
ens to me and Danielle is trapped with Derek forever?"

  "Nothing is going to happen to you. You are too stubborn to let anything happen to you." Bash flashed Alice a tender smile trying to fill her with hope. "Besides," he added, "You‘ll find Danielle and you'll be able to make the right decision."

  Alice nodded as he slipped away from her. "Don't worry."

  Alice kept her eyes on Bash as he moved towards his jeep parked in the dirt driveway. He lifted his hand to wave goodbye, before opening the door and getting in. The low rumble of the jeep filled the forest causing the birds to take flight. Alice watched the feathered creatures soar into the sky as the headlights washed the trees with light.

  "I'm sorry, Bash." Alice's voice dropped. She kept her eyes on the clouds drifting past the moon. "I can't wait until tomorrow."

  As soon as he was out of sight, Alice glanced around her. The only way she could find Danielle would be to face her fear and go into town. Before her inner voice could stop her, Alice stripped her clothes off and shimmered. The instant her wolf split through her human self, she took off running through the forest.

  The cool moist dirt sprayed up behind her as she raced through the forest. Darkness fell around her, but she didn't mind. She enjoyed getting lost in the shadows. In her wolf form nothing could stop her. Alice let out a sharp howl of enjoyment letting her animal nature free. With Bash on his way to the ranger's station and the town in front of her, she knew she would have to be fast.

  She pushed her muscles to dig deeper. Her legs moved in harmony as the wolf bobbed and wove through the trees. Each scent came alive in her nose, from the sweet-scented rabbits hiding in their holes to the crisp clean fragrance of water pouring down the stream of the mountain. Everything crashed against her as she moved making her more alive than she had ever felt before.

  A snap of metal and the hint of a rust smell caught her off guard. Before she could come to a full stop, she had let out a howl of pain. Her face crashed into the dirty ground and pain ripped through her hind leg. Alice's heart drummed in her big ears. Her eyes darted to her hind leg and she saw a bear trap was clamped around her leg.