Web of Lies

by Sara Dailey

  “Dude, are you going to let me in? It’s freezing out here,” Gage asked, trying to push his way passed me.

  “No. What I’m going to do is kick your ass for leaving like that,” I said, blocking his way and making him stand out in the cold.

  “Luke! Let him pass. You’re letting the cold air in,” my dad shouted from his easy chair. Reluctantly, I moved aside and let my supposed best friend come in.

  “Hey Mr. Stanton, thanks,” Gage said casually, as if he hadn’t been missing for the last several weeks.

  Gage went over and shook my father’s hand before throwing himself into his usual spot on our couch. I stood there completely dumbfounded. Gage just walked in here like he’d never left. Like it was just another day.

  Deciding to ignore Gage’s unexpected return, I went back to what I had been doing before Gage came over, getting ready to watch the game from the beginning. I should have known my dad would DVR it for me. He rarely lets me down when it comes to football.

  I went to the kitchen and returned with my dad’s famous homemade salsa, a bowl of tortilla chips, and three Coronas. Finally it was feeling more like a normal holiday around here.

  I tried not to be pissed off at Gage, but come on. Who does that? He was here one day and gone the next. He left the pack without any kind of notice, which just didn’t happen around here. We weren’t raised like that. Pack was pack and you didn’t walk out on them no matter what. He had all of us worried, especially his parents, who’d interrogated me for days before they finally decided that I either really didn’t know where he went or I wasn’t going to tell them.

  It wasn’t until the game was over and an empty twelve-pack littered the coffee table and my dad had left the room that Gage began to explain. “I just needed to get away, Luke. I wasn’t trying to be an ass, but after Cade found his ring in my car…I don’t know. I felt guilty for trusting Dylan and pissed that Cade could actually believe that I would kidnap his girl. I mean Cade’s known me his entire life, but that didn’t stop him from practically trying to kill me because he thought I would hurt Alli. It didn’t help that Dylan was my friend. I had let him on the estate, and he almost destroyed everything. I just couldn’t look Cade in the eyes after that. So I ran. I know it was a chicken-shit thing to do, but I just needed some time.”

  I had never even thought about it like that. It never crossed my mind that Gage would have felt guilty for what had happened to Alli, or that he had felt betrayed by his pack. Still, he should have told someone where he was going. What happened with Dylan and Kendall was fucked up, but it wasn’t Gage’s fault and nobody blamed him. I could have told him that if he would have picked up his damn phone.

  “I ran into Cami on my way here. So you hooked up with her and she dumped your sorry ass? Say it isn’t so. Did the player get played?” he teased.

  “I’m afraid it’s true,” I admitted with a smile.

  “Well what else did I miss?” Gage asked.

  “You missed a hell of a lot.”

  “Grab us some more beer and tell me about it. I’m all ears.”

  Just as I reached the kitchen, I got a text:

  On the way can’t wait to see you

  Smiling, I thought to myself, maybe getting dumped won’t be so bad after all…

  Walking back into the living room, I handed Gage a beer and said, “Well, I hope you’re comfortable because it has been a crazy few weeks.” Gage sat wide-eyed as I explained that Marcus was Aiden’s biological father, and now I was stuck in the middle of Cade and Aiden’s fight for alpha. Then I told him about Aiden’s true mate, Teagan, being a human and how she accidentally led Peter, an insane werewolf hunter, straight to our front door. Luke laughed at first when I told him about Peter but realized just how serious it was when I told him that Peter killed Teagan’s father right here in front of all of us when he tried to protect Teagan, and then Peter was killed as well.

  Gage sat back on the couch and dropped the back of his head against the wall behind him. I figured he was trying to process all that had gone down while he was gone. After a few minutes, he finally said, “Hey man, I’m sorry I wasn’t here…you know, to help.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re back. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you the best part, for me anyway. We have a visitor coming from another pack. Her name is Scarlett, and she is hot as hell. But keep your paws to yourself. I plan on keeping her entertained.”

  Gage chuckled to himself and then leaned back up, resting his elbows on his knees. “Seriously? Are you actually calling dibs?”

  “Yeah, I guess I am.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Scarlett

  Turning down the familiar dirt road, I actually began to get butterflies. And I don’t get butterflies. Ever. What the hell? Was I nervous? No, I couldn’t be nervous. This was going to be a piece of cake. Luke would be eating out of my hand by tonight. What did I have to be worried about?

  Absolutely nothing. Except, oh I don’t know, failing miserably, disappointing my father, having Drew, Mr. My-shit-don’t-stink, rub it in my face if I couldn’t manage to lure Luke under my spell!

  No, I can do this. I’m Scarlett Reed. Hottest werewolf this side of the Mississippi. This may be my first official pack assignment, but I am ready, and I will not disappoint.

  My little pep-talk was rudely interrupted by Drew’s own words of encouragement. “We are almost there, Scarlett. Smile and don’t screw this up.”

  I bit my tongue—a special talent I’d acquired after years and years of being berated by my father for doing things I didn’t even do half the time. It might have taken me longer than it should have, but I finally realized that sometimes it was best to just keep my mouth shut. Now would be one of those times. I needed Drew on my side, which he sort of was, but his cockiness was obnoxious. If I could have Gavin here by my side instead, I wouldn’t be so damn nervous.

  Shit! Maybe I am nervous.

  But there was no time to be nervous because Marcus, Noel, and my father came into view, and I needed to slap a sweet little smile on my face pronto. I could do this. Without a second thought, I pushed aside the butterflies fluttering inside of me, lifted my hand, and waved at the Red Ridge alpha and his scary-beautiful wife. They smiled warmly, and as we pulled up behind my dad’s car, they strolled over to greet us.

  My father opened my car door and kissed my cheek, apparently already playing the world’s-best-father role. He turned to Marcus and Noel and said, “Marcus, Noel, you remember my daughter Scarlett.”

  The alpha shook my hand, but Noel greeted me with a hug. As she pulled away, she took my hands into hers and said, “Scarlett, we are so pleased to have you here. I think you will be really happy here. Some time away is probably just what you need. If you need anything, you just let me know.”

  It wasn’t until that moment that I remembered our excuse for being here. The story was that I had been depressed and withdrawn ever since my mother passed away, and my father just didn’t know what to do with me anymore. He thought a change of scenery might do me some good, and apparently when he divulged his little sob story to the Walkers, Noel jumped at the chance to help him out.

  Without missing a beat, my father walked around the car, threw his arm around Drew’s shoulder, and continued his introductions. “And this is my son, Gavin. Gavin, this is Mr. and Mrs. Walker.”

  Marcus gave Drew a solid, two-handed shake and said, “No need for formalities, Brian. Gavin, please call me Marcus.”

  Drew played his part perfectly, of course. He greeted Marcus with, “Nice to finally meet you, sir,” and then turned to Noel, took her hand in his, and added, “And you too, Mrs. Walker. Thank you so much for having us. I’m sure we will have a lovely time while we are here. And please let me know if I can help out around the estate. I’ll be glad to be of assistance.”

  Noel practically melted. Gross!

  Noel gushed, “Oh, thank you, Gavin. How kind of you. Please make yourself at home. We are so glad to have y
our family here. And none of that ‘Mrs. Walker’ stuff.” Then Noel turned her attention to the rest of us and continued, “We have set up the guest house for you all while you’re here. You are more than welcome to stay as long as you’d like. Marcus and I will show you inside if you’d like.”

  Noel motioned toward the house next door, and Marcus led the way to its front door. He unlocked it, opened it, and then handed the keys to my father.

  Pleasantries were exchanged as Marcus and Noel led us around, pointing out the living room, dining room, family room, and kitchen. This was one mother of a guest house. The quick tour didn’t even include the master suite or the three other bedrooms, which we were told were all upstairs. It wasn’t as if our house at home was any less lovely, but it was still kind of shocking that they reserved this massive house just for guests. I found myself trying to recall if our pack even had a guest house.

  Finally, after reminding my father about a pack meeting that would take place in a couple of hours, Marcus and Noel decided to let us get settled in. Just as they were heading out, my phone vibrated in my back pocket. I waited for the front door to close before I pulled it out to see who had texted me. I had a feeling it was Luke, and I was right.

  Look who’s here. We are all meeting down by the lake tonight. See u there?

  Before I could respond, my father asked, “Who’s that? Better be the Stanton kid. Time to get to work on that one, Scarlett. No time to waste.”

  Then Drew had to add his two cents. “Yep, you have your work cut out for you. I hear he’s quite the ladies’ man. You sure you’re up to the task?”

  How the hell was I supposed to respond to that? Having my own father tell me to “get to work” when referring to a guy just felt all kinds of wrong. Maybe Gavin was right after all. But I wasn’t about to turn down the one chance to prove my worth. Thank God Luke is hot.

  With my phone in hand, I turned on my heels, headed toward the stairs, and said, “Someone want to grab my luggage? And no worries, I got this under control. In fact, we are meeting down by the lake tonight.”

  Surprisingly, my father and Drew each grabbed a suitcase and followed me up the stairs. Honestly I had figured I’d be lugging my own bags up to my room. Interesting.

  But from behind me, I heard my father say quietly to Drew, “Perfect time for her to cozy up to Luke. Keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t screw anything up.”

  I wanted to say thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad, but as usual, I kept my mouth shut and pretended not to hear. They dropped my luggage off at my bedroom door and headed back downstairs. I ignored the urge to tell them both to screw off and texted Luke instead.

  Absolutely! Can’t wait to see u.

  I’d just have to prove to them both that I could handle this. And I planned to start tonight.

  CHAPTER 6

  Drew

  “The lodge, huh? It’s nice, I suppose,” I said to Scar as we walked in for our first official meeting of the Red Ridge Pack. Immediately, we were greeted by Marcus and Noel and ushered to the front of the room. We were their special guests, and they wanted to ensure that we were treated as such. Their hospitality was truly annoying, but I slapped a pleasant smile on my face and followed their lead—but not before leaning over and whispering in Scar’s ear, “This is going to be devastatingly boring, you know.” With furrowed eyebrows, she shushed me and then turned her attention to Marcus as he began to speak to the three of us.

  “I’m so glad you’ve decided to come for a visit, Brian. You and the kids are going to love it here. I’m sure of it. If any of you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask,” Marcus said. He politely excused himself and walked up to the podium to begin the meeting.

  I have to be honest; Marcus has the alpha thing down perfectly. He managed to switch from friendly host to master of the universe in no time flat. As soon as he stood in front of the pack there was silence, like whatever he had to say was the most important thing in the world. There was no need to bang his gavel. He only had to stand at the microphone and look out over the crowd for a few moments before he began to speak.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. We need to get started so you can return home and enjoy the rest of the holidays with your families,” he said.

  I had to restrain myself from chuckling as there was really no need to ask them to sit. They were already scattering to find their seats when he was on his way up to the podium. Obviously he had no issue with control in his pack, though I couldn’t help but notice a few of the elders still whispering among themselves.

  Scanning the room, I saw two guys who had to be Cade and Aiden sitting on opposite sides of the lodge. They looked a lot like each other and even more like Marcus. One was sitting between Noel and an extraordinarily beautiful blonde. That must be Cade. I tried not to hate him immediately, but hell, it was impossible. His arrogance and entitlement practically oozed from his pores, and I wanted more than anything to remind him that he was no longer entitled to be alpha, and he would never be if I had anything to do about it. I couldn’t help but hate him and the blonde bitch with him, who had to be none other than Allison Wright. The half-breed…enough said.

  That meant that the other guy had to be Aiden. He was sitting on the other side of the room with his mother, his very obviously human father, and even more noticeably human girlfriend. She stood out even more than the other two blondes in the room. I couldn’t deny her beauty, but she looked way too human for my taste. But then again, I would never dream of dating a domestic regardless of what they looked like. Screw them? Yes, but certainly nothing more.

  My attention was refocused as Marcus began his speech. “I would like to start tonight’s meeting by welcoming back my friend Brian Reed. I’m sure you all remember how helpful he was regarding the situation with the werewolf hunter. He and his beautiful children will be joining us for as long as they would like, and I know you will all make them feel welcome.” My pretend father stood and walked up to shake Marcus’s hand. As the pack applauded, Marcus requested that Scarlett and I join them at the podium.

  “I would like you to all meet Brian’s son, Gavin, and his daughter, Scarlett,” Marcus continued. I smiled and looked over at Scar who was actually blushing and gazing at a guy nearby, who I could only assume was Luke. Man, she’s good. Luke looked as if he was ready to pounce on her right then and there. I had to resist the urge to shout, “Down boy, down.”

  As soon as we were seated, the questions began to fly.

  “Marcus, have you given any more thought to officially naming Cade as your predecessor as the pack wishes?” one of the older members asked, and every head in the room turned to stare at him incredulously.

  Maybe control was an issue after all. My father would have that guy’s tongue cut out for less than that. The tension in the room was instant and intense.

  Marcus’s face reddened, and his stance and demeanor stiffened. “Edward, this is not something I plan to discuss at this time,” Marcus said through gritted teeth.

  Edward, the man with steel balls, stood up and announced, “I, for one, would like to vote on the issue…now.” Immediately, the room erupted into a frenzied and heated discussion.

  I had to struggle to keep the wicked grin off my face. It was clear this was a serious point of contention, and now everyone seemed to have something to say about it. Not that anyone else was brave enough to speak directly to Marcus. If this pack’s meetings were this chaotic, this mission of ours was going to be a walk in the park. We hadn’t even begun to stir up trouble, and already the pack was ready to crumble. My father will be thrilled.

  Marcus banged a gavel against the podium a few times before the room fell silent once more. “Let me be clear. This is not open for discussion at this time. As long as I am the alpha of this pack, my heir is my choice. End of story. Meeting adjourned. Go home,” Marcus shouted. His voiced practically shook the room. With eyes like daggers, he didn’t bother to hide his anger or frustration, and I ha
d a feeling that the pack member who misspoke would be punished.

  As the room began to clear, Marcus turned his attention to both of his sons. His angry eyes swept back and forth between the two of them. I didn’t get it. Marcus and his council of elders, and apparently most of the pack, were at odds. So why not just let Cade and Aiden fight it out? I would. If someone—I don’t care who—was trying to take my place. I would beg for the chance to show my entire pack why I should be the next alpha.

  We stayed behind a while, waiting for the lodge to clear out. Standing there with Brian and Scarlett, I tried to appear approachable, knowing in my real life I was anything but. Apparently it was working. Aiden and his mate were headed our way.

  Aiden reached out his hand as he approached and said, “Gavin, I’m Aiden and this is my girlfriend, Teagan. It’s nice to meet you, man.”

  Teagan reached out to shake my hand as well, and while I’m not a fan of befriending domestics, I shook her hand and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I hope we can find some time to get to know each other better very soon.”

  Aiden nodded his head and responded, “Of course.” Then he turned his attention to my faux-sister and added, “Welcome back, Scarlett. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “We’re all going down to the lake later. Y’all should come so you can meet everyone.” Teagan invited us as if it was her place to do so. I smiled warmly and nodded my head, but the whole human-mate thing boggled my mind. She acted as if she belonged, but no human should be allowed to be in this room during a pack meeting. Surely, they didn’t consider her as part of the pack. It’s just wrong.