“It is a big deal.” My dad’s eyes were locked onto Chase’s and he didn’t look away even to address me. He glared daggers at Chase as he spoke. “When he went rogue, Chase’s wolf went into town and attacked several innocent humans. People died.”
I raised a hand to my mouth. “Oh, my god.”
“As I said, monster. Rogue wolves are the genesis of the myths about werewolves. They’re dangerous, not only to humans, but to shifters alike. The animals are bloodthirsty and uninhibited. They kill without thinking. Strangers, friends, no one is immune, not even the people they love.” My father shot me a pointed look.
Chase looked miserable, like he was going to wretch. I didn’t want to add to his distress, but I was too curious to stay silent.
“So that’s why your pack was killed off?” I asked him. “Because you’re a rogue wolf?”
“That’s what your father told me.”
“Dad, is that true?”
“Well, I can’t say the Blood Fang Pack was after Chase specifically. But, the rumor was they wanted to wipe out the Stone Mountain Pack because they had some sort of information assuring them that the pack contained rogue blood. Now, I never agreed with what they did to those poor shifters, annihilating their entire pack like that. Especially since there had never been a lick of solid proof that anyone in the Stone Mountain Pack was rogue. At least, not until thee night Chase went on a rampage.”
“That was all the proof I needed to convince me that they were after me,” Chase said.
“But how would they have known you were rogue?” I asked. “You said it only manifested itself one time, and that was way later.”
“I don’t know how they knew. But, since your father revealed to me what he knew about why my people were killed, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what happened. To put two and two together. I had to have done something to alert them. The one and only time I know of that it happened, I truly have no recollection at all of the events that took place. Who’s to say it didn’t happen when I was too young to have understood what was going on? Maybe I went rogue as a very young child and no one told me. What if that’s what happened and word got out?”
“I kept that secret from Chase for a long time,” Mason said. “His life was hard enough. He was just a young pup with no parents and no pack. And all I knew was the rumors about rogue blood, none of the rumors mentioned anyone specifically. I didn’t want him thinking he came from a bad pack. But, after he attacked all those people, he needed to know the truth and, as the Alpha, I had an obligation to act.”
“And then you threatened to kill him?” I asked.
“It wasn’t like that. When we find a rogue wolf, we put him down. That’s shifter law. They’re too big a threat. But shit, Chase was like a son to me and, I admit, I was weak. So, I gave him a choice. Get gone and stay gone. Or remain and face execution.”
“That’s why I went to live by myself, far from anyone,” Chase said. “That way if it happened again, no one would be around to get hurt.”
“Has it happened again?” I asked.
“Never. At least, not that I know of. It was just that once. But, it was awful. I don’t remember attacking anyone, but I remember waking up in an alley afterward, covered in blood. I couldn’t risk it ever happening again. I couldn’t risk hurting you, Holly.”
“And yet, here you are,” my dad waved his arms around. “Surrounded by people. Hanging around my daughter. What the hell are you doing here? What happens if you go rogue now?”
Chase shook his head. “I won’t. It’s only happened once. I wouldn’t risk your daughter if I believed there was any chance of it ever happening again.”
“Once a rogue, always a rogue,” Mason said. “Did you ever stop to think that the reason it hasn’t happened again is because you’ve been secluded—far away from people? That maybe your wolf takes control when there’s prey around?”
“No, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Well, think about this. What if your wolf goes rogue because of Holly? What if she’s the trigger?”
“Dad, how can you say that?”
He shrugged. “Well, I don’t know how it works. But he went rogue not too long after you two started sneaking off into the woods together.”
“You knew about that?” I asked.
“I wasn’t always an old man. I know what kids get up to.”
“Are you sure you’re not just saying this to keep me and Chase apart, Dad? You never approved of us being together, even before he supposedly went rogue.”
Mason’s face contorted with disgust. “Yes, I disapproved. The two of you grew up almost as brother and sister, or at the very least cousins. It was a lot for me to stomach. I saw you both as my children. I suppose I’d forgotten what it was to find one’s mate, and how that trumped everything else.”
“That’s why you didn’t want us to be together?” Chase asked incredulously. “I thought you didn’t like me. That you felt I wasn’t good enough.”
“Well, no one is good enough for my Holly. But look, I was right to worry about you, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Now I expect you to stick to our agreement. You need to get out of here before you hurt someone else because, if you do, I promise that this time you will be put down. It might not be by me, but there are plenty of other wolves here in charge of protecting their packs and who take their duties very seriously.”
“Dad, stop. I need to talk to Chase about all this. Alone.”
“Absolutely not!”
Chase raised his hands in surrender. “Just give us a few minutes. I swear to you that I won’t shift. I’ll stay in human form the entire time.”
My dad seemed to debate it a moment, then looked as though he was ready to argue, but at the last second, his shoulders sagged. “Alright. I’ll be back at the house with Zoe. But, don’t be too long, Holly, or I’m coming to look for you and I won’t be coming alone.” He said it to me but, again, his eyes remained on Chase as he spoke. He hesitated a few seconds, then turned back the way he came, leaving Chase and me alone.
“Now you know everything,” Chase said. “You know what I am. And why I left to protect you. Why I thought we could never be together. Why, now that your dad has put things back into perspective for me, I’m having second thoughts about running away. My number one concern is you and your safety.”
I waved away his statements. “You damn fool. Did you really think something like this would keep me away from you?”
“Well, yeah.”
“It won’t! I’m still pissed as hell that you left ten years ago without talking to me first, but I’ll get over it in time.”
“That’s what bothers you? Out of everything you just learned, that’s what bothers you? Not the fact that I harbor a dangerous monster?”
I snorted. “Monster? You’re not dangerous. Supposedly, your wolf took control of you one time. And even that doesn’t feel right to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean all this rogue talk. Chase, I know you so well. I knew you, anyway. We grew up together. We shifted and ran through the woods as cubs. I know that wolf and he isn’t dangerous—not unless fully provoked. I don’t believe it for a second. Besides, if your wolf could take control of you, it wouldn’t have just happened one time. It would happen all the time. Any time your wolf wanted to, he’d be in control. So, either you’re not a rogue or you’ve figured out how to control your wolf. It doesn’t worry me in the least.”
Chase shook his head. “It worries me. What if I hurt you?”
I laughed. “Go ahead and try it. I’ll whoop your rogue wolf ass so hard that doggy will never come out and play again.”
“You’re taking this way better than I thought you would.”
“Yeah, no shit. That’s why you should have told me about this ten years ago. We could have had this conversation back then. But no. You had to assume you knew how I would react. Like you know me better than I know myself.”
“I did know how
you would react. I was trying to protect you,” he said.
“But I don’t need to be protected. I just need you to talk to me. If things are going to work out with us, from here on out, you have to communicate with me about everything. And I mean everything!”
“Work out? Wait, does this mean you want to be with me?”
“Well, don’t go planning the honeymoon just yet, but now that I see the big picture, yeah, I want to give us a chance. Now that I know the whole truth about what happened, I think I can finally come to terms with everything.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?” he asked, his voice hopeful.
“Absolutely not. I grudgingly admire what you did in trying to protect me, but you did it in a really stupid way by not talking to me. In the process, you wasted ten years of my life—our lives. So, you know, you’re gonna have to give me some time.”
“I can do that,” he said, grinning. “What about your father? He’ll never be okay with this.”
“Oh, I’m pissed at him, too. Keeping secrets from me like I’m some fragile porcelain doll. He can shove his opinion for all I care. If he doesn’t like my choices, tough.”
Chase looked at me like he was seeing me in a new light. “I have to say, Holly, you seem so much more confident in yourself right now. Like, you’re stepping up and taking charge.”
I nodded. “Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you’re honest with me. For the past ten years, I felt like I was walking through a maze in the dark. But now that I know the truth about everything that happened, the puzzle pieces have finally fallen into place in spots that make sense. Now, I can face life head on.”
“I like the new, confident, assertive Holly,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “It’s kind of a turn on.”
I stood up on my toes to kiss him. It was just a quick kiss. I didn’t want things to get hot and heavy.
“Save that energy for the competition tonight. We need to kick Persephone’s ass. Then, after that, we can discuss how much you like the new me.”
13
Chase
Holly and I gathered near the fountain with the rest of the wedding party competitors. A renewed sense of vigor filled my veins. All of the pressure that had been weighing me down since I’d arrived at the estate was gone. Hell, the weight I’d been carrying on my shoulders for the last ten years suddenly felt inconsequential.
I had no more secrets from Holly and, even though everything was out in the open, she hadn’t run away screaming. She’d embraced me. I was feeling something I hadn’t felt for a really long time. Hope. Instead of dwelling on the past, I was finally looking towards the future.
I wasn’t the only one feeling excited tonight. A large crowd had gathered in the gardens. With the wedding less than twenty-four hours away, even more guests had arrived. They stood around us, filling the air with a cacophony of eager voices.
The discussion was, of course, centered around the final competition. An obstacle course of sorts had been set up in the gardens. Someone had put a lot of work into the construction of the wooden structures lined up before us.
I couldn’t see them all from where I stood, but the first was a towering wall, almost perpendicular to the ground, that looked impossible to climb, even with our shifter strength. I could only imagine what difficulties lay beyond that.
Colton’s booming voice cut through the night, silencing everyone. “Friends and family, tonight, we gather for the last of the games commemorating the union between Zoe and myself. I’d like you all to know how honored we both feel by the efforts you’ve made so far and for being here to make this a truly monumental event for our pack. The Sky Valley Pack will be talking about these games for years to come—at least until we have a son of our own and he comes of age and takes his own mate.”
Cheering and applause erupted from the crowd. I found myself clapping, too. No matter how I felt about this competition when it started, my feelings about it had turned to gratitude. It had given me a chance to reconnect with Holly, something I never thought possible.
Colton gestured for the crowd to quiet. “As this is the final event, it is tradition for the competitors to raise a glass together. Persephone has volunteered to do the honors. Thank you, Sefi.”
Persephone waltzed through us, handing out goblets. She came over to me and Holly last and passed our cups to us.
“No hard feelings,” she said.
I glanced at Holly. She attempted to grin, but it looked more like a pained grimace. “Whatever,” Holly grumbled.
I took the last cup from Persephone. “Good luck tonight, Chase.”
She flashed me a smile and flitted away to stand next to Tyler.
Colton raised his glass high. We all followed suit. “Tonight, we are competitors, but tomorrow we shall be friends. Let’s raise a glass to these games bringing us all together!”
We cheered and Colton drained his cup. I threw back the drink, a cool spiced wine that made my mouth tingle. A servant came around to take our goblets.
Colton continued, “Now, the final competition is simple. Both of you in your team must make it over each obstacle. The first couple to cross the finish line wins.”
It seemed simple enough. I assumed Holly and I would have to work together for some of the obstacles. That wouldn’t be a problem as we were more in sync than ever. I felt confident that together she and I could face whatever blocked our path both in the games, and in life.
“Go!” Colton shouted.
We surged forward to the wooden wall. It had to be twenty feet high, if not more. People were already jumping up, trying to grab a hold of the top. Without a word, Holly braced herself at the foot of the wall and cupped her hands together. I took a short running start and planted my foot on her clasped hands. She launched me up into the air and I caught the lip of the wall easily. Then, when I was sure had a good grip, I nodded to Holly and she climbed my body to the top. As she sat astride the top of the wall, swung my leg up and over. Maneuvering my body so that I hung from the other side was easy enough. Then, it was just a matter of dropping the rest of the way to the ground. As soon as I smiled and opened my arms, Holly jumped and I caught her effortlessly.
We were the first couple over.
Next, was a long pool of water with posts sticking up at varying intervals.
“Shift,” Holly said, before following her own advice. Her wolf hopped nimbly from post to post, keeping her balance easily on each precarious perch.
I shifted, too, and leapt for the closest post. My paws landed on the wooden surface. I prepared to jump to the next one when a wave of dizziness swept over me. My feet slipped on the post, and it took all my strength to keep my footing.
The dizziness was gone as quickly as it had appeared and we continued to make our way from post to post across the pool.
Others were gaining on us now, following our lead and shifting to get across. Persephone and Tyler were hot on our heels as Holly and I attacked the next obstacle.
We made good time as we progressed through the course, but the effort took its toll on me. Fatigue gripped my limbs, slowing me down until I felt like I was running through quicksand. More than once, Holly had to stop and help me get past a difficult section.
The stress of the competition and everything with Holly was getting to me in a big way. Or, maybe I was in worse shape than I thought. Either way, I pushed through the lethargy. I would rest after. In fact, I would take a nice long nap. At that moment, I needed to keep going. Not for myself, but for Holly. She wanted to win; she deserved to win after all she’d been through, and I needed to make that happen for her.
We made it to the last obstacle, a towering ramp of logs. Holly and I shifted back to wolf form to make the final, grueling climb to the top.
Persephone and Tyler were right on our tails, of course. No one else was even close.
The ramp was steep. My paws kept slipping on the surface. I scrambled with my claws, looking for purchase, but the effort slowed me down and
Persephone was catching up fast. As I neared the top, she was right beside me.
My head buzzed and I felt like I might pass out. I squashed those feelings, blocking everything out but the ramp in front of me, forcing myself to focus and to keep climbing. Holly was already at the top. She’d shifted back to human form.
She called out words of encouragement to me, urging me on. I focused on the sound of her voice, letting it give me strength. I was so close. Almost there. Almost done with this exhausting race. A few more feet and I’d be there. She reached out her hand. I was so close, the sweet scent of her filled my nose.
I was about to shift back and grab her hand when I lost my footing. I felt myself slide down the ramp, unable to stop my descent. I lashed out with my jaws and managed to grab hold of a knot protruding from a log. I planted all four feet to regain my balance, making sure I wouldn’t fall again.
Fortunately, I’d only fallen ten feet or so, but it might as well have been a hundred. I watched helplessly as Persephone and Tyler topped the ramp ahead of me and on to victory.
They had beaten us. Beaten me, really. Holly had done just fine.
I scrambled the rest of the way to the top and shifted. My breath came in ragged gasps and my body was covered in sweat.
“I’m so sorry, Holly.”
She looked up at me, her eyes unreadable. She had to be disappointed in me. Id failed her. But, my Holly was too kind a person to show it.
“It doesn’t matter.” She smiled sweetly. “Let Sefi and Tyler win the competition. I have the best prize of all.”
I reached out for her and pulled her against my chest, planting a kiss on her forehead. Having her wrapped in my arms was the best prize of all to me as well.
The walk down the other side of the ramp was much easier. Hired help met us at the bottom with robes so we could cover ourselves and a veritable feast was spread out before us beside the obstacle course. The crowd of wedding guests who had not competed in the games had shown up and was cheering each of the couples as they descended from the course.
Rogue Wolf Page 8
