He gaze dropped to the ground and the chatter in the group exploded, and she eventually looked up to see tFhe confusion on Dru’s face, his eyes rounded as he looked down at her.
‘Is that the stuff in your bag?’ he asked, his eyebrow raising.
‘You knew about it?’
A flush of scarlet crossed his cheeks. ‘I found it when you were busy the other day,’ he admitted. ‘I thought it was weird to have such expensive jewellery sitting in your bag, but I never thought you had stolen it.’
She dropped her eyes to the ground again. The shame was burning through her like an ember lighting a fire, the heat of it radiating off. ‘Well, now you understand why I can’t stay here. Not only would I be putting the pack at risk from the Knutes trying to find me, but I might even have the cops after me.’
‘Quieten down everyone,’ Mark instructed, standing up and raising his hand. The simmering discussions lowered. ‘Look, it seems like we have a couple of things going on here, the least of which is mystery man. He, at least, seems like he’s going to recover.’
He looked at Dru. ‘So what pack do you think Nicci comes from?’
‘I believe she is a Knute. And that would make her the only living heir to the Knute pack.’
Gasps erupted around the fire, the women shrinking back from her like she was a plague carrier, while some of the men puffed out their chests and licked their lips in anticipation of a fight.
‘The man who turned up today is American. Corey and I believe that they sent him here to find her. Beyond that, we don’t know much. But it was thanks toCorey’s intervention, that Nicci is still alive and with us this afternoon after she was chased by the man.’
Corey spoke out. ‘I think he was going to kill her.’
Another gasp escaped the lips of the group, and the soft murmuring turned into a dull roar.
‘We have to get rid of her!’ someone called out. ‘She’s going to get us all killed,’ yelled another.
‘We don’t know that!’ Dru bellowed, the anger of his voice causing everyone to stop and go quiet. ‘We don’t know what we planned to do with her. The point is, she is in danger. And whether or not we like it, we are all involved now.’
‘She’s not part of my pack!’ someone from the back spat out. ‘Let her fend for herself.’
Corey and Dru both growled, their teeth flashing in the firelight. The speaker went silent.
‘No.’ Corey corrected. ‘But she will be a part of the pack. I will marry her and bring her into our current pack, if that’s what it takes to secure her safety.’
Dru swung to look at him, his face drawn tight, and his teeth still showing.
‘What the fuck?’ he said, his eyes darkening. ‘And when exactly did you decide this?’
The two men eyeballed each other, neither backing down.
Nicci knew what was coming, and she knew what she had to do. ‘Wait! Stop!’ She stood up, the crowd parting for her. ‘I won’t be marrying Corey. Or anybody, for that matter. I need to leave!’
There were mutterings of agreement, and a few in the crowd even gave her a nod.
Corey and Dru in unison replied, ‘No, you don’t.’
‘Come on guys,’ Mark stepped in between both the men. ‘This is getting out of hand. How about we decide what to do. Together,’ He emphasised.Both men continued to stare darkly at each other, but remained silent.Mark rubbed his hand through his beard a couple of times and looked at Nicci.
‘I’ll be honest, Nicci, this is a tough call,’ he admitted. ‘And it’s not that you don’t seem like a nice enough person, but you have done a dishonest thing and honesty is important in a pack. You would have faced significant punishment if we were back home.’
Around her, the group nodded in agreement. Tears welled in her eyes, and she stared hard at a rock on the ground, waiting for the inevitable request to leave. ‘But this pack is supposed to be something better than our old pack and a chance to make a new home without the prejudice of the past. You told us all the truth, even though you knew it would potentially make people think poorly of you. You also have shown that you are a survivor, and your resilience in living in state care for as long as you did, as a shifter, is something we can all agree is remarkable. I think the only fair and reasonable thing to do is to vote.’
There was chattering between the members and Dru and Corey looked at each other and gave a nod.
‘Yes, let’s have a vote,’ Dru added, crossing his arms across his chest.
‘I’ll go grab some tent pegs and a couple of bags.’ Corey replied. ‘You can put your peg on the left if you want her to stay and on the right if you want her to go.’
The group seemed in agreement, and Corey disappeared. ‘Nicci,’ Dru leaned down and whispered into her ear, sending a convulsion of ripples along her spine. ‘You should go see to the patient. You don’t need to know what people voted if you don’t want to.’
She nodded and started walking towards Gloria’s house, the crowd parting ahead of her as she went, their eyes watching her cautiously. Whilst she appreciated the fact that the private vote gave her a chance to stay at least, she knew what the outcome would be. And a tingle tear trickled down her cheek as she rounded the corner and stepped into the old house.
#
CHapTEr TwenTy FivE
Dru watched the crowd and felt the tension radiating off them. It seeped into his chest and sat firm and hard on his stomach. He could feel their fear about the situation and he knew that if he didn’t say something, they would probably reject her. But in offering his support, it might be taken as an order or command. They knew his father, and they knew that as his son he might expect to be obeyed.
He didn’t want to give commands. His father had spent his whole life barking them at him and his brother, and he vowed never to be like him. They didn’t even know about his breakup with Ashley yet, which he knew was going to not be a popular one. But this had given him no option. If they shunned her, he would never get her back and their relationship would die before it began. The whole dream of revitalising Nowhere meant nothing without her.
As he watched her disappear in the distance, and before Corey could return, he raised his hand.
‘Sorry everyone, I have one more thing to tell you before you decide, please.’
The group hushed, and their faces looked at him expectantly. He swallowed.
‘I think you should know, before you vote, that I...’ his throat caught on the words, ‘am in love with Nicci.’
There was a collective gasp, before Caitlin, who had been seated near him, stood up and hissed. ‘I fucking knew it!’
‘Shut up Caitlin,’ someone called from the back. ‘Let the guy speak.’
He sighed, the relief of telling them fuelling his need for honesty. ‘As many of you know Ashley and I have been together for several years now, and things haven’t been great.’
Several of the men nodded in agreement, while the women crossed their arms. ‘And before I met Nicci, I had already asked for a separation.’
Nobody spoke until Mark did, ‘So what’s going to happen to your Dad’s pack? Will she still get to be Alpha?’
‘I don’t know,’ Dru admitted. ‘I’ve been unhappy for a really long time trying to live up to Dad’s expectations, but his goals are not my own. Surviving under his rule, isn’t the same as being able to live under his rules. Many of you will remember that time that he made my brother and I fight each other when we were just kids, pretending that it was to the death, just so he could show how strong I was going to be as leader.’ He felt a shudder roll across his shoulders as the pained and scared expression of his baby brother flashed in his memory, the sweet metallic tang of blood radiating in his mouth. ‘He is brutal and without mercy. Had my mother not intervened…. That is not something any child should have to endure. I came here, to Nowhere, purely by chance,
while I was running from who I didn’t want to become. And I want to start this place afresh, and so I’m going to be honest with all of you. I didn’t intend on falling in love with Nicci, and I don’t know what that means from now on. But I know that if you banish her, I don’t know that I can stay here.’
A grumble radiated from the crowd. ‘Sounds to me like she’s a little hussy,’ one person hissed. ‘Are we getting blackmailed already?’ another sniped.
Mark put his hands up again, ‘Calm down everyone, calm down. The guy’s just telling you how he feels. He’s allowed to do that, you know. Give him a chance.’
‘But we need to know that this pack is safe!’ Brad growled at him. ‘We would be giving up our jobs, our homes and the safety of our current pack for what exactly? His new girlfriend? Because she seems to be the biggest problem around here.’
Dru felt the itch of his claws and teeth and pulled them back in. ‘She’s not my girlfriend. Look, I don’t know what she is, but I know what I have never felt for anyone what I feel for Nicci, and I would be a shitty pack member if I wasn’t honest with you about that.’
Caitlin hissed from the sidelines. ‘So what was I then Dru? Some plaything to keep you entertained? You just wait until I tell Ashley about this little drama. She will rip her pretty little throat out!’ Her voice grew louder with each word, and the surrounding people stepped back. With a roar she transformed, her sleek black figure giving a swipe in his direction before she turned and raced off towards the trees.
‘Should I follow her and bring her back?’ Mark asked.
‘No, let her go,’ Dru sighed. ‘I’ve already spoken to Ashley. Honestly, I don’t care anymore.’
‘Shit mate,’ Mark rubbed his beard again. ‘You sure get yourself into some situations.’
He nodded. Corey returned, huffing from his jog to collect the gear. ‘Was that Caitlin?’ he said, motioning in the direction she left.
‘Yeah.’ Dru sighed.
‘What happened?’
‘I’ll tell you about it later.’ He took the bags and pegs from Corey’s hand and placed the bags beside each other on the ground. Walking around the group, he handed them each a peg, catching a mixture of pitiful and angry looks as he went. The outcome was definitely going to be a close one.
#
CHapTEr TwenTy SiX
Nicci looked down at the face of the stranger who said he was her cousin and tried to think of what she should say. A thousand questions whirled around her brain, but none of them seemed relevant now that she was facing banishment. Why should a group of complete strangers want her, if her own family didn’t?
His eyes flickered and opened slowly. She held her breath, very aware that they were alone in the room, and the nearest help for her was outside discussing her future. They might not even try to help her if she screamed. His gaze was long and assessing.
‘You must be my cousin,’ his voice was thick and slow, the words rounded and unclear.
‘I don’t know,’ Nicci admitted, her breath short and her pulse raised. Fear and anger were bubbling in her chest. ‘I don’t have any family. Not that I know of, anyway, and certainly not any that bothered to care about me up until now.’
He licked his lips and tried to sit up, flinching. His hand went to his throat and a small groan escaped his lips. She put a hand on his shoulder and felt the heat radiating off him and she pushed him back down in place.
‘You need to rest,’ she said. Touching him, she wondered how many of his genes were like her own. Did he like ice-cream or sunny days? Did they like the same music or hold their pens in the same hand when they wrote? Maybe he could tell her about her father. Something was making her heart thump, and she wasn’t sure if it was anger or happiness anymore. Could she possibly, finally, be talking to someone who would understand her?
He fell silent, his dark pupils watching her, observing her every feature.
‘So,’ she tried to fill the void, to keep her brain from overloading with her emotions. ‘You’re from America?’
‘Yes,’ his voice was low and guttural. ‘I’m Jakob Knute. And you must be Nicola.’
Nobody had called her that name for such a long time. It took her a moment to realise he was using her birth name.
‘Yes, well. I prefer Nicci.’ She could feel the tingle in her legs again, that same familiar feeling she got when she was scared.
‘You look like your mother,’ he adjusted his position groaning in the process, and the words were hard to hear, but her ears pricked up.
‘You knew my mother?’ she squeaked.
‘Yes, I know your mother, as much as anyone can know her I guess. She’s pack-less.’ he replied. The tingles had become a shudder which rolled through her like a storm.
‘My mother is still alive?’ Something uncurled in her stomach, gnawing at her insides and clawing to get its way out.
‘Sure, she lives in north Queensland with a guy called Derek. He’s a plumber or something ridiculous. Just a regular human who has no idea what, or who, she is. Poor bastard.’ Jakob ran his hand through his hair. ‘Your friend there is stronger than he looks.’
Her mind was racing. Her mother was alive? She hadn’t been an orphan; she had been, what, abandoned? Left to fend for herself? What kind of person did that to a kid?
‘I can see that you didn’t know this about your Mum,’ he reached out and gave her a pat on the knee. ‘Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. Good news is that you have us now.’
‘Who is us?’ her voice sounded strange to her. Like a high-pitched doll that was being wound up by a piece of string.
‘You’re part of our pack. In fact, one day, you’ll be a leader. When your Dad retires,’ he added hastily.
Silence fell again, the second shock-wave hitting her. She could feel the tingle becoming a torrent and she started towards the door, but Gloria walked in, concern passing her features as her gaze went from Nicci to Jakob and back again.
‘You okay love?’ she asked, walking over to place a hand on Nicci’s shoulder. She shuddered. Her head felt like it was going to explode and she was struggling to catch her breath.
‘Just take your time,’ her hand moved in small circles towards Nicci’s back, her eyes soft as she gave her a smile. ‘You’re doing great, under the circumstances.’
It didn’t feel like it. Her legs were now feeling weak, as if they had given up on running and were considering just going to bed instead.
With a gulp, Nicci looked down at Jakob again. ‘Is he like me?’
‘Yeah sure I am.’ Jakob tried to move and flinched. ‘Here, can you give me a hand up?’
She reached down and helped lift him to a seated position. His face went pale and then righted itself.
‘Thanks,’ he gave her a small smile which seemed fragile given the bulk and size of the man. ‘Your Dad is Preston Knute, eldest son of Atherton Knute. I can keep going back if you want me to?’
She had a family. Lots of them. Living, breathing, actual people who were related to her. She couldn’t fully comprehend it. All her life she had assumed that she was the only one. The single entity that was her world. Now, there were all these names and people that she wanted, no, needed to know about. Family. The word felt strange, like a shirt that didn’t fit right.
‘So who’s your Dad?’ she asked, the questions in her brain overriding each other until she grabbed one out.
‘My Dad is Whitman Knute. And his sister is Ethol Knute.’
‘I have an aunt as well?’ she squeaked. Nothing felt real.
‘You used to have two Aunts until one of them...’ his voice trailed off and his eyes darkened. ‘Well, we can talk about that later. But yes, you have an aunt and an uncle.’
‘And you’re my cousin?’ It was like finding out that she was a moving part of an enormous machine that she had never known existed. Emotion
s flooded her again. Happiness. Anger. Sadness. Fear. What did all this mean for her life? Who was she now?
‘Yes, and you have four other cousins in my family and two in Ethol’s.’
Her brain hurt, and her hands shook. So many family members. She was not alone anymore. Tears sprung to her eyes. All those years she had dreamt of this moment, but right at that moment the sheer scale of it was terrifying. She felt a hand rubbing her back again, making her startle. She had forgotten that Gloria had even been there. The older woman smiled again at her.
‘It sounds like you have a lot of questions,’ Gloria encouraged her. ‘What would you like to know next?’
‘Why didn’t I find out earlier?’ She was talking as much to herself as her new cousin and Gloria. ‘How could I have not known about these people?’
‘We heard you in our heads,’ Jakob admitted. ‘And your Dad found you one time when you were little but they moved you before we could get you out of the foster system. He spent years trying to track you down, but your mother had friends in high places. She was pretty determined to keep you away from us.’
‘My mother did this to me?’ Her voice sounded hollow, as if echoing in a cave. ‘Did she not want me?’
All those years of hurt, rejection, suffering and the repeated moving rose up in her mind’s eye. The loneliness that ached inside her rose and she felt the room darken. Her mother did this to her. She didn’t want her. She stopped her from being in a pack. Sadness filled her brain and constricted her chest, smashing against its walls.
A Town Called Nowhere Page 14
