by Jana Leigh
She sat in the chair and looked out over the city she had come to love. Denver had been her solace when her mother had kicked her out of the house. When she was on the streets of other cities, she had been so scared and alone. When she arrived in Denver on a chance bus ride, she had spent her first night at the bus stop. A man had come through, sat, and talked with her about living in Colorado. His face had lit up when he spoke about the mountains. Curious, she hitchhiked to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Walking the trails and looking at the terrain, she had made the most important decision of her life, to stay somewhere. She found a job as a housekeeper at a hotel. It had been the height of tourist season, so she’d been given lodging, and food, as well as a solid paycheck. For the first time, she did not feel like things were hopeless.
The owner of the hotel had taken a liking to her and kept her on even in the off months. She saved her money and applied for college, never really thinking she would get in. When the acceptance letter arrived from the community college, she’d cried. Cami worked hard to keep up with her studies, and make something of her life. She had been a good student while growing up, surprisingly enough. It was the one place she could escape her reality. It was the same with books. They were her solace. Being able to lose herself in the world of books was the only reason she hadn’t gone crazy.
When her stepfather first started to pay attention to her, she had tried to stay away from him. Night after night, her mom would pass out on the couch and he would seek her out to talk. It would weird her out when he would lean in and breathe his disgusting beer breath in her face. Then he would find reasons to touch her. Soon, it became very obvious the man was going to be a problem. She tried to avoid him, but it never worked. On her sixteenth birthday, he came to her room to give her a present. At least that was his excuse. He wanted to give her a gift all right; the problem was Cami didn’t feel that sex was really a gift she wanted to have. He had pushed her on her bed and lain on top of her, groping and pinching her body, all the while telling her she was a woman now and needed to be ‘broken in’. Cami had screamed, and pushed him, but to no avail. When he had to rise up to try to pull her clothes off, she kicked him in the balls. She could still hear the screams of frustration and pain as she ran down the hallway. When she woke her drunken mother to tell her what happened, she had been even more degraded.
Her mother yelled at her for trying to lure her boyfriend into her bedroom. She blamed her for it all; wearing slutty clothes had been her reason. When she slapped her across the face, and told her to get out, Cami thought she had reached her low point. Her second night on the streets had proved her wrong.
Not knowing where to go, she had climbed to the roof of her apartment building and stayed up there. She went to school the next morning, hoping to find a friend who would be willing to let her stay with them. Not being able to find anyone, she had gone to the homeless shelter and checked in for the night. The counselor promised to help her gain her GED and get her a job. Thinking she had finally caught a break, she agreed to stay. When the male counselor told her if she gave him a blowjob, he would make sure she was at the top of the waiting list for testing. She realized she had no clue how she was going to survive.
Cami found one friend who was willing to hide her; unfortunately, Jo had been in a worse situation than she had been. Jo’s father found her living in the closet and kicked her out. Cami had been worried about her friend, her father had obviously been abusing her, but she had no other choice. Jo was the only person from her childhood she kept in touch with.
Cami moved from city to city, hitchhiking, trying to find someplace or someone that would give her a break. When she found the Rockies, she had found a home. It felt right to be here, surrounded by the wilderness. She’d studied local folklore in college, and knew many cultures believed in shape shifters. For many different reasons, they fascinated her. Thinking someone would have the ability to change form, and hunt or protect themselves, had been amazing. The more that she thought about it, she was starting to believe what Quin had told her. There were werewolves, and he was one of them. Holy crap, she was actually thinking it was the truth.
She knew that wolves traveled in Packs and mated for life. The males would only take one mate. The Alpha was always the strongest of the Pack, the one that makes the rules the Pack follows. She thought about all she knew about wolves and decided she was going to have to research a little more. If all of this was true, she really wanted to understand it. Finding out fantasy was reality was a little hard to grasp, but it was also extremely cool.
Cami sat, and thought, as the sun began rising. She was shocked to realize she had sat in the same chair all night thinking. Feeling a little more comfortable now that she had thought about what she saw, Cami rose and went to the bathroom. After cleaning up and brushing her teeth, she decided it was time to get some more information.
She opened the door slowly, and looked out into the hallway. No one was waiting for her, or guarding the door like she had feared. She thought when Quin had told her she had to stay, that she was virtually a prisoner. Obviously, she had over reacted again. She smelled breakfast being cooked, and followed her nose until she ended up in the kitchen. A small woman stood at the stove, cooking what looked like bacon and eggs.
“Excuse me?” Cami said softly.
“Oh dear!” the older woman exclaimed and turned around quickly. “I was trying to be quiet and get your breakfast ready before you woke.”
“Uh, I haven’t been to sleep yet, but thank you for that. Do you know where Quin is?” she said blushing at the look the woman was giving her. She certainly hoped the woman did not think she was a slut. She looked like the grandma she never had, and for some reason, she didn’t want the woman to think badly of her.
“He is in the office a floor below. He slept there last night after he called me to come and stay in the spare bedroom. Don’t worry; he explained the situation to me. I understand you may have some questions?” she said and began putting food on the table that was set for two. “Come on then, we can’t discuss this on an empty stomach. My name is Grace; I am the unofficial grandma of the Pack. I am cousin to Quin's mama. She asked me to come and help take care of these helpless men ten years ago. Trust me, if the big oaf screwed up the explanation, I will set it right.”
Cami smiled and sat down at the table and watched as the woman served her a huge helping of eggs, potatoes, and bacon. It was more food than she usually ate in the morning, but she didn’t complain; it looked wonderful. Cami waited as the woman filled a cup with coffee, and a glass of juice, and then set them before her. Finally, she settled into the chair across from her, and started eating and talking.
“First of all, this Pack was started by a much larger Pack in France. The Gevaudan Pack, originated in southern France when there was rumored to be a monster living in the woods eating people of a small town. Of course, it was not true, but it was a good cover for a small Pack that lived in the woods. They used the people’s fears to keep them out of the woods. The Pack grew steadily when people heard there was a place Weres could roam freely in the woods and not worry about being killed. The Alpha at the time was an excellent financier, and the Pack flourished. When my cousin and her mate took over, they were one of the most successful Packs in Europe. Aris and Thon are Quin's parents. They are very well respected in the shifter community, first for their amazing strength, and second for their compassion. When visitors from the United States would come to Europe to be changed, or their own wolves would rise, it became a concern that there were so few Packs in the States to help them. Aris and Thon went to the Council in Europe and asked them to set up a Council in the United States. It was not a popular stance to take because the wolves in Europe tend to be a little snobby. Once there was word that Rogues were attacking small Packs, they decided the time had come to send someone over to help set up the hierarchy. Quin was set to be the next Alpha of the Gevaudan Pack. He was the strongest and the oldest of their children. Quin has f
our brothers, all Alphas, and all pains in the ass, but that is another story. His parents asked him to come over to the States and establish a smaller Gevaudan Pack. Always up for a challenge, he accepted knowing that his mate was probably in Europe, and he would have to wait for years, if not decades, in order to find her. You see, when an Alpha is unclaimed, he does not have the same strength as one that has his mate. Together they lead the Pack, and Quin has had to deal with everything on his own for the last ten years. It has been hard on him to be alone. He told me you are his mate. I’m sure you have a lot of questions you want answered, but let us get the most important out of the way first. No, you will not become a wolf.” The woman smiled at her. Cami blushed again because that is what she had been thinking.
“What did you mean when you said some people would come over to Europe to discover their inner wolf?” Cami said.
“Well, that is a little more difficult to explain. Most Weres are born and raised in a Pack. Some of the others who refuse to accept their wolf ignore the call and never change. They make a life, and never speak about what they are. Those people have children and never tell them their true heritage. When a wolf comes in close contact with other wolves, they tend to try to push to the surface. That is why in the United States, there are a lot of wolves who do not even know they are wolves. Their families immigrated in order to get away from a Pack, and they didn’t tell their children. There are many people who are wolves, but don’t know it yet. They have buried their wolves, or don’t know how to call to them. They will feel it though,” the old lady said.
Cami nodded and thought for a minute before speaking. “So, since I’m not a wolf, what does that mean for Quin? I mean, I can never be what he is, how will I ever help him if I can’t change?”
“Dear, just being by his side will give him what he needs. You don’t have to be a wolf to share with one. You will be just as important, if not more so. You will be his calm in the storm. He could change you if you decided to. Of course, that would be a little harder on Quin, since newly changed wolves are unpredictable. You are the Alpha mate, one of the leaders; it would not be good to have you running willy-nilly all over the place. If you want my opinion, stay a human. You can decide later if you feel the need to change,” Grace said, stood, and cleared the table.
Cami jumped up to help. “How does all this work? If I am the leader, is that all there is? I mean, I have dreams too. I wanted to open a bookstore and travel.”
“First, you will have to get used to being the Alpha female. You don’t clean up your stuff, you have others do that for you. You can own a bookstore too. I’m sure some of the Pack would be willing to help you set it up, and work in the store. You will be like a manager, work, Pack, and Quin,” she explained. “It takes some getting used to, but I think you are just the woman for the job. So do the spirits or they never would’ve chosen you for Quin.”
Cami nodded and looked out the window again. How was she ever going to understand all of this? Did she even want to?
“What happens if I say no?” Cami whispered.
“A wolf will have only one mate, one person that is their true compliment. Once they meet, that is it. Quin will never tell you, but the madness from rejection will take over and he will end up feral. Most times then, the Beta kills them, and takes over the Pack,” Grace said gently. “You do have a choice. Make sure you truly understand what you are accepting if you say yes. If you’re claimed, and then change your mind, Quin will not only lose his mind, but also his Pack. He can be banished for having his mate reject him after claiming. If you reject him before claiming, it will take years for him to go feral, at least he could get his stuff in order.”
Grace said it all so nonchalantly that Cami almost believed she had a choice. A few hours later, back in the bedroom, she realized she really didn’t have a choice. She could no longer send Quin away, any more than she could deny what was between them. She just needed time to see how things were going to work out. She couldn’t just jump into bed with a man and then be married to him. When she was younger, having a one-night stand had been her way of not getting close to anyone who could hurt her. She could not just fuck this man and leave him. He was going to be the only one she had sex with for the rest of her life. What if he really sucked?
She fretted, and worried, until once again, the sun had set and she was alone looking out the window again. A soft knock on the door came, and she was actually scared to answer it. What if it was Quin and he wanted an answer? Cami took a deep breath, opened the door, and let out her breath when she saw it was Grace, who was knocking.
“Quin wanted me to tell you that he wouldn’t be here for dinner. There has been another attack, he had to go and deal with it,” the older woman said and smiled at her.
“Another attack?” Cami asked.
“The Rogues have been getting more and more aggressive over the last few years. They have an Alpha leading them, who, for some reason, seems to have a personal problem with Quin. So far, he cannot find out who it is and why he has such a grudge for us. The one attacked today was a young female. They roughed her up pretty good outside her parent’s restaurant,” Grace said and pulled Cami out of the room towards the kitchen.
“Restaurant, you mean Margie’s place?” Cami said and frowned. She remembered Quin telling her last night, the woman ran the place with her family.
“Yes, her youngest. Ruby just turned eighteen last week, we had a party for her, and she was so happy and alive,” Grace replied and Cami saw tears form in the woman’s eyes.
“Oh no, we were there last night,” Cami said and then thought for a few moments, how much had changed since she was in the restaurant eating with what she thought was her new landlord.
“Yes, Ruby came in the morning to open as usual and there were five Rogues waiting in the alley for her. I don’t know the whole story, Quin would never tell me, but he was extremely upset when he left,” Grace commented, and pushed a plate of food in front of her.
“Shouldn’t they call the authorities?” Cami said and picked at her plate.
“We have to handle it within the Pack. We have our own doctor and laws. Quin will take care of it,” Grace said confidently. “I suspect he and his Beta will be planning on what to do, well into the night. Quin will never let this go unanswered.”
“Do? What will he do?” Cami asked.
“Hunt,” Grace said calmly and Cami's eyes went wide.
“Wait, I thought you said that Quin was the leader, surely he would have others hunt,” Cami said feeling very protective all the sudden. “The leader should never go where he can be hurt.”
“Dear, he is an Alpha Pack leader. He is the strongest of the group, and someone has challenged the fact that he takes care of the Pack. He will never send someone to do his dirty work. He will hunt with his Enforcers, and find the wolves that dare touch one of his. It is the way of the Pack,” Grace said gently.
Cami didn’t want Quin to go anywhere near some rabid dog, she pushed her plate back, and stood up. “I need to go,” she said firmly.
“Go? Home?” Grace said innocently.
“No, I need to be with Quin, to help. I have no clue what the hell I will do, but for some reason it feels like that is where I need to be,” Cami said, and walked to the bedroom to change her clothes. She wore the same thing she had worn yesterday. Sometime during the day, a duffel bag of her clothes had been brought to the bedroom, and she needed to change into her jeans.
Cami ignored the older woman who tried to get her to wait until she called down and found out where Quin was. Cami finally gave in and nodded, then waited in the hallway dressed in her comfortable jeans, a heavy sweater and hiking boots. She had the feeling she was going to need to be comfortable tonight. It could prove to be a long night.
“He is next door, on the third floor, which is the doctor’s office. Margie and her daughter are there. They made Rodger leave because he was getting angry and upsetting the girl. Quin is there with his Beta, Devon.
I let them know you were on the way. One of the Enforcers will be here soon to take you over,” Grace said.
“Enforcer? Why do I need an escort? Surely I can walk across the street,” Cami said stubbornly.
“With the way things have been going, Quin has left orders for all females to be escorted when on the street,” Grace said.
“Oh, well then, I guess I can understand that,” she said grudgingly. She hated to feel as though her independence was being taken away. She may be little but she could protect herself.
Grace smiled a little when she lowered her head. Cami was going to make an excellent Alpha. Once she felt a little more comfortable in the Pack, Cami was going to be a spitfire.
Excerpt from Cat’s Choice
The Chosen’s War Book One
By Jana Leigh
Prologue
Lightning crashed, and thunder boomed as the wind pelted large spears of rain against her already sensitive and broken skin; but she couldn’t stop running if she wanted to stay alive. Day was quickly turning to night and she knew he would be after her soon.
Her tears were washed away by the harsh rain, and her sobs could barely be heard over the loud thunder. She thought this would at least be one blessing because the storm would make it harder for him to hear her and to catch her scent. Perhaps, there was a god after all.
But she quickly pushed that thought away when images of her parents and her little sister flashed before her eyes. Their horrific screams as he tortured them and broke their bones. Then the ill silence as they lay lifeless in a pool of their own blood, while he stood over them with their blood dripping from his mouth. His eyes had a bright-red glow to them and oh god, those teeth, no; they weren’t teeth, they were fangs! The man was a Vampire.
