She nodded. “It’s not pretty.”
“You can really do that?” Carter appeared impressed.
“I once had to do that with an entire small town.” She frowned. “I was sick for a week. But we’re not here to discuss that. Have you learned anything that’ll help us?”
He leaned closer and made eye contact with me. “Your father and Toby’s are furious about him escaping.”
“That’s hardly news,” Soleil said. “You know, since they planned on killing him.”
His focus remained on me. “It’s probably a good thing she’s watching over you.”
Blood drained from my face. I swallowed, but couldn’t reply.
“Anything about her curse?” Soleil asked. “She needs to be able to shift soon. Preferably before the next full moon.”
Carter shook his head. “No, but you guys have that witch on it, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I said, “but she’d have an easier time fixing me if she knew what she was dealing with.”
“I’ll see what I can do, but if I start asking too many questions, my father’s going to get suspicious. We can’t let him figure out that I’m working with the wolves.”
My breathing grew shallow. “Are Toby and I in real danger?”
He nodded and leaned closer, speaking even softer. “My father wants him dead. It doesn’t get much worse than that.”
Massaro entered the room and slammed his things on the table. “I’m sure you’re all ready for the quiz. Put everything except your pencils away.”
I groaned.
Soleil leaned over and glared at Carter. “Meet us at Moonhaven later. You need to tell us everything.”
“Silence,” Massaro boomed.
We made it through the class without any mishaps, and then I drove Soleil to Moonhaven.
Alex, the wolfborn who only turned human during the full moon, trotted over and sat next to me after I closed the car door. I rubbed the top of his head and sighed.
“Where’s the jaguar?” Soleil asked.
“He has another class, so it’ll probably be an hour.”
“Let’s get inside and eat. I’m starving.”
“You’re worse than a wolf before the full moon.”
She scowled. “It’s either that or I drink the essence from more supernaturals. Want to volunteer?”
“Hardly. Let’s grab a snack.”
We headed inside, with Alex trailing behind us. He sat on the porch once we opened the front door. Inside, Jet and Dillon, two young werewolves who didn’t usually get along, sat in the front room, playing cards.
In the kitchen, Brick, one of the pack bodyguards and every bit as tough as his name indicated, stood at the stove, stirring something in a large pot. It smelled like stew. My mouth watered.
Soleil froze and stood taller, fluffing out her hair. “Is there enough for a hungry valkyrie?”
Brick turned around. His eyes lit up at the sight of her. “You can have as much as you want. And you arrived just in time. I hope you like it.”
She winked. “I’m sure it’s perfect—and that’s not the only perfect thing in the room.”
His cheeks flushed, but he flexed and raised his brows.
I sat at the table in Toby’s spot and pulled out my laptop to get some homework done.
“Are you hungry, Victoria?” Sal, the other enormous pack bodyguard, asked.
“Yes, thanks.” I ignored Soleil’s and Brick’s flirting while I ate and brainstormed ideas for the statistics project. Sure, I was engaged to the professor, but I didn’t want an unfair advantage in class.
Toby’s voice broke my concentration. “That jaguar’s outside the gate, pacing. Want me to get rid of him?”
I jumped up and threw my arms around him. “No. I need to talk to him. Plus, I think I owe him an apology.”
“You go with her,” Toby told Soleil. “I need to talk with the guys.”
“Sure thing.” Soleil threw Brick a smile and headed for the door.
I walked after her, wishing I could just stay with Toby.
Outside, Alex trotted over and followed us to the gate.
“What’s with the wolf?” she asked.
“He’s a wolfborn.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? I thought they were only a myth.”
“Nope. He’s the one who brought me here after my memory spell.”
As we neared the gate, I could see Carter pacing in front of it. He came near and reached for a bar.
“I wouldn’t,” Soleil said. “That’s electric.”
Carter yanked his hand away. “Are you going to let me in?”
“No,” Soleil said quickly.
“Why did you invite me here?” Carter exclaimed.
“Because you kept talking about supernatural stuff in the class,” Soleil said.
He gave me a look, clearly asking if I was going to put up with her.
I sighed. “I have good news and bad news.”
He came closer to the gate, stopping an inch from it. “What?”
“First the good news—you were right. I shouldn’t have doubted you because of your father’s actions. For that, I’m sorry.”
“I can’t hold it against you. It did look pretty bad. What’s the bad news?”
“The true love’s kiss spell worked—”
“Good.” He smiled. “You got all your memories back, right?”
“Mostly. I thought you knew that.”
He shook his head. “We’ve hardly had the chance to talk since that night. You’re always so busy with the pack, and I have to keep up appearances with my father so he doesn’t suspect I want to help you.”
“Speaking of that, can we trust you?” Soleil narrowed her eyes.
“Yes. I’m on your side. My father needs to pay for what he’s done.” His brows came together and fury flashed in his eyes. “I knew he was low, but I had no clue just how screwed up he really was—I can’t wait to give him exactly what he deserves.”
“You’re mad that he abducted Toby?” I asked.
He gave me a double-take. “Wait, you don’t know?”
“What?” I asked.
“I thought you got all your memories back.” He studied me.
“Everything about Toby. He’s my true love. But I can’t remember anything after I died and before I showed up on campus. That’s still a big mystery.”
His expression tightened. “My father is behind your memory loss.”
I stared at him. “What?”
Carter shook his head. “You spent the whole summer in the Jag. Father kept you locked inside the club the entire time. Yurika from the salon was the one to help you adjust to the modern world.”
Dizziness swept over me. I tried to ignore it. “What does that mean for you?”
“It means I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
“Even though she doesn’t love you?” Soleil asked.
“A little tact, please,” I said. I took deep breaths, fighting the growing dizziness.
“Yes,” Carter said. “I still care about you, Victoria. And besides, my father has it coming.”
I paused, doubting that the pack would be willing to let him join us. Then I knew exactly how he could help us. “Are you willing to be a spy?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “My father is going to get what he has coming.”
“What have you found out already?” I asked.
“Not much. He knows I have feelings for you, but if I act mad that you chose Toby, he’ll believe I want revenge. He’ll tell me everything.”
Relief washed through me. Maybe we did stand a chance at figuring out how to get me to shift again. “Thank you, Carter. If I could change things, I would. I never meant to hurt you.”
“But my father did mean to hurt me.” He paused. “I’ll be in touch.”
Carter turned around and walked down the driveway, out of sight. An engine started.
Soleil turned to me. “You think he’s trustworthy?”
<
br /> I thought back to the way he’d taken care of me when I hadn’t been able to turn at the full moon. “Completely.”
“Let’s hope.”
We walked back to the mansion. My steps were unsteady, but Soleil didn’t notice. Alex walked next to me, panting.
I rubbed the fur between his ears before going inside. The guys were all gathered around the kitchen table, deep in discussion.
“What’s up with the jaguar?” Jet asked.
“Carter’s going to find out what his father knows. With any luck, I should be able to shift at the next full moon.”
Jet’s nostrils flared. “How do we know he won’t double cross us?”
“Because I trust him.” I narrowed my eyes.
Toby got up and put an arm around my waist. “If Victoria trusts him, then he’s safe.”
Jet shook his head but didn’t say anything. His mouth formed a straight line and his brows came together.
“Look,” I said. “Carter’s dad kept him in the dark about everything. He’s furious about that and wants to make him pay. The best part is his dad will never suspect him.”
“Except for the fact that Carter has feelings for you.” Jet narrowed his eyes. “That gives him plenty of reasons to suspect him.”
“His dad uses money against him. He’s not afraid to leave Carter high and dry if he disobeys him—he thinks Carter would never go against him. It’s the perfect setup.”
Jet grumbled. “I still don’t trust him.”
“He’ll earn it.”
We stared each other down until Jet finally looked away. “We’ll see,” he mumbled.
Toby tipped my chin toward him. “And now we have each other—all your memories of us intact. What else do we need?” He brushed his soft, sweet mouth across mine and turned back to everyone. “We’ve both escaped the jaguars, and now we know their game. Their power was in secrecy, which has been exposed. Our strength is in this pack.”
“Not to mention a valkyrie and the most powerful witch in the world are on your side,” Soleil added. “Oh, and quite a few other supernaturals from the Faeble.”
Toby pulled me closer. “There are also other packs around the world I can call on if push comes to shove. We’ve got this. Let’s sit and enjoy the meal.”
We took our seats and Brick brought over more food to the table.
My bones ached. I rubbed my arm.
“Are you okay?” Toby asked.
“Everything hurts when I don’t change at the full moon. It’s lingering longer than the other times.”
Concern washed over his face. “I’m calling Gessilyn. She’s working on finding a counter-spell, but I want to find out what progress she and the other witches have made.”
“What about changing at will?” Dillon asked her. “For all of us.”
“Yeah,” Jet agreed. “We don’t call it a curse for nothing.”
I nodded. “And Alex would probably like to be human more.”
Jet’s forehead wrinkled. “Wait. What?”
“The wolf outside. His name is Alex.”
“Are you saying the wolf that adopted us is a wolfborn?” Jet asked, his expression bewildered.
I nodded. “He brought me here after you guys all turned into wolves.”
“I’ll have Gessilyn look into that, too,” Toby said. “If the jaguars can shift when they want, I see no reason wolves can’t. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of finding the right spell.”
White spread around the edges of my vision. I clung to my seat.
His eyes widened. “Victoria, are you okay?”
I opened my mouth, but no words came. My eyes closed on their own and a flood of screams sounded inside my head.
Another memory was returning. I quit fighting to stay awake…
Chapter 3
Victoria
Strange colors loomed ahead. Dark, ominous shades covered the sky. Screams and cries sounded in the distance.
I gasped as I stumbled across the border from death to life along with a throng of others crossing with me. Those behind shoved me into the ones in front. The crowd grew louder by the moment. I could hardly think. Everyone rushed to get to the land of the living before the borders closed—it had to be a mistake. An opening that freed so many deceased back into the land of the living.
I wove my way through the crowd until I finally broke free. The various trees and some mountains in the distance led me to believe I was in the Northwest, likely near the land I’d grown up in.
My heart thundered in my chest—a feeling I hadn’t experienced since my last breath.
Could Toby be nearby? Or Elsie? I had never managed to find my sister on the other side in all my years there. It was especially heartbreaking after having witnessed our father plunging the knife into her stomach after I’d tried to stop him.
I moved farther from the mob of people leaving the other side and studied the landscape. A small town nestled in a valley to the west, seemingly unaware of the pandemonium just out of reach. I headed over there to find a place to think.
All I knew was that I needed to avoid the crowd in case someone wrangled them back to the other side of death’s door. I wasn’t going back without a fight. This was my chance to find Toby. Even if he had moved on with his life and had a family, I needed to at least see him one final time.
Not a day had gone by where I hadn’t stopped to wonder what he was doing with himself. No one had reported seeing him on the other side, so I was certain he still lived. I was glad he had the chance. No one deserved it more than he did.
I thought of my father and Toby’s—two rival alphas who had wanted us dead. I’d have to be careful not to run into them, lest they send me straight back to the other side.
A thick, daunting fog covered the landscape. I darted between homes and finally stopped when I came to a little playground. It seemed like the perfect pit stop. I sat on a swing and swayed back and forth, breathing in the fresh air deeply. It felt so good to have lungs again.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed as I sat there, but the fog lifted and the sun came out. The noise from everyone crossing over had passed and settled into a pleasant quiet. People came out from their homes, leaving in futuristic motorized vehicles. How much time had passed since my death?
Not a single horse and buggy sat in sight. Those had been moving out of style back around the time of my death, but even so, my father insisted on living life following the old ways, so I’d never been allowed in a motorized car.
Eventually, my stomach rumbled. I needed to find something to eat, but I didn’t know where to start. Father had always provided the food for the meals Mother cooked. We’d never been allowed any other food, always bringing our lunches to school.
My stomach growled again, this time bringing with it severe discomfort. I needed to find something soon.
I climbed off the swing and wandered through the neighborhood. Scents of breakfast drifted from some of the homes. I dared not knock and ask for some. Father had instilled a strong fear of humans in all of us kids, insisting they would kill us if they ever found out about our true nature. It was why some in our pack attacked them when in the wolf form.
Maybe it was close to the full moon. That could be why I was so hungry. Not that it mattered—I just needed to eat.
I wandered the streets, staying as far from the opening to the other side as I could. This was my second chance at life, and there was no way I was going to risk being thrown back over.
Delicious scents filled the air. I followed them until I reached a street full of businesses, many of them appearing to be places to eat. That was all well and good, but I had no money.
Or did I? I dug into my pockets.
Nope. Nothing.
My stomach rumbled and I felt light-headed. I had to do something. Maybe I could offer to wash dishes. Father would hate that, but he wasn’t around to help me out.
A group of giggling girls stepped out of one establishment. That was where I would tr
y to get some food. I went inside and looked around. Several people gave me funny expressions—probably because my style was so different from theirs. My long, earth-toned dress stood out from their bright, tight-fitting outfits.
People sat at small tables, either eating or holding small plastic books with images of meals. I took a seat at an empty table and picked up a booklet. It had pictures of food along with descriptions and huge numbers. Those couldn’t be the prices, could they? One meal cost more than a young, healthy horse.
A lady about my mother’s age in a short skirt and low cut top strolled over to me. “What do you want, hon?”
I tried not to stare. “Um…”
“You need another minute?” She snapped something in her mouth.
“Do you have a daily special?”
“Nope. Prices are what you see.”
I rubbed my temples.
“You want to start out with a bacon and egg bagel? It’s our most popular item.”
“Okay.” I prepared to run when she asked for my money.
She wrote something on a pad of paper. “Gimme a few minutes. There’s a batch in the oven.” She walked away.
My mouth nearly dropped. We didn’t have to pay first? At least I could eat. I’d ask to wash dishes later. My stomach rumbled loudly.
The woman brought over the sandwich and I scarfed it down. Anything I asked for, she delivered. It was wonderful. I might have to do chores for a week, but it would be worth it.
When I was finally full, she placed a skinny white paper with numbers on it in front of me. “I’ll be your cashier. The suggested tip is on there.”
I stared at the numbers in disbelief. How had I accrued such a hefty bill?
“Something the matter, hon?”
“Well, um…” I paused. “Do you take other forms of payment?”
Her brows came together. “Cash or card only. No checks.”
“I can do chores.”
“Huh?”
“Or I can—”
“Are you saying you can’t pay?” Her mouth formed a straight line and her nostrils flared.
“Not with money, but I—”
“How dare you?” she shouted. “What kind of a place do you think this is? I have kids to feed! You have got to be kidding me.”
Chosen Wolf Page 2
