“I’ve never seen him like this.” He shook his head, still staring at the door where Mason had exited. “He’s usually a voice of reason.”
“He’s just being protective of Holly,” I sighed. “I can’t blame the old man for that.”
“Back to my question. Did anything happen that day? Anything at all that might be linked to your rogue episode?”
“There was something. I mean, it’s probably nothing, but I got into another argument that day.”
Colton nodded eagerly. “That’s good. We’re starting to see a pattern. What happened?”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t a huge deal. Persephone came sniffing around, trying to convince me that she was the woman for me and not Holly. That wasn’t too unusual, though. She was always trying to steal me away back then, not that it ever worked. We argued and she stomped away pissed off. But, I was fine with that. It didn’t really bother me.”
“So, then it’s not like arguments trigger your wolf. And it’s not getting angry.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’ve been pissed off plenty of times in my life. Nothing ever happened then. Mason thinks it has something to do with Holly. Like being around her brings my wolf out.”
Colton bobbed his head back and forth, unconvinced. “Maybe, but you grew up around Holly. And you loved her for as long as you’ve known her. So that doesn’t feel right.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Colton sighed. “Well, whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. We’ll find a way to keep you from turning again.”
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do here, Colton, but Mason was right. There’s only one way this ends for me.”
“Absolutely not. Whatever is going on here, it isn’t your fault. And I’ll be damned if I let Mason or anybody else lay down the law in my territory. I’m Alpha here, and what I say goes.”
“But, what if there’s no way to control it? What happens then? What if I hurt someone else?”
“I don’t know, Chase. But I know that I’m getting married tomorrow. It’s a happy day—the best day. A celebration of life. I won’t taint things by having your blood on my hands. For now, however, I think it’s best if you stay in here. I’ll have guards posted at the exits.”
“You’re locking me up?”
“Yes. For your safety and everyone else’s. I trust that won’t be a problem?”
“Of course not. It’s better than I deserve. Thank you, Colton.”
I paced the room restlessly after Colton left, not because I wanted to get out, but because I couldn’t live with what I’d done. Colton had been way more understanding than he should have been. I’d wrecked his reception. I’d cast a dark shadow over an otherwise joyous occasion. He might be able to forgive me, but I could never forgive myself.
I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life coming here. It was foolish to think I could be around people again. As Mason said over and over, “Once a rogue, always a rogue.” There was no escaping what I was. And despite what Colton said, there was no way to fix me.
My wolf was a part of me. The bond was for life. I just had the unfortunate luck to be bonded to an evil spirit. It made me the worst of our kind. A savage killer lived inside me. That meant I wasn’t just dangerous to the people around me, but to shifter kind in general.
A rogue wolf could shift at any time. It didn’t matter if I was alone or if I was in the middle of a shopping mall. Rogues didn’t worry about protecting the secret of our existence. If a human saw me shift, it would threaten all of my kind. Humans would hunt us down just like they did in the middle ages and before.
Shifters had barely survived those witch hunts. There was no guarantee we could survive another mass extermination like that. Could I risk the life of every shifter just so I could live?
I knew what I had to do.
I opened the door to my makeshift prison. Two men lounged in the hall outside. They tensed up when they saw me.
“You’re not supposed to leave the room,” one of them said.
“I know. I’m not. Can you do me a favor and find Mason Winters for me? Tell him I need to speak to him.”
The man nodded and I closed the door. Not ten minutes later, Mason walked in. He looked at me warily, like I might attack him at any moment.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said. That rogue shifters have to be executed for the safety of our people.”
“That’s right,” Mason said. “It’s not personal. It has to be done.”
“Colton thinks there’s a way to help me. Like I can be cured somehow. But, that’s just him trying to help a friend. He’s too close to me. He can’t do what has to be done.”
Mason eyed me. “What are you saying, Chase?”
“I’m saying that as soon as the wedding is over, I want you to put me down.”
16
Holly
In the morning, the entire Sky Valley Estate buzzed with excitement. Conflicting rumors swirled throughout the guests about the unpleasantness of the previous night, but they all seemed to agree on one thing. The issue had been taken care of, and it was a good day for a wedding. Everyone was in a festive mood.
Everyone except me.
Zoe had updated me on Colton’s conversation with Chase and how they’d agreed that Chase should stay locked up. He was a willing prisoner, but a prisoner nonetheless.
I imagined him sitting alone, trapped with his self-loathing and facing an unknown future. It was impossible for me to distract my mind from the fact that the man I loved was suffering. I had to see him.
The men guarding the door let me in without too much trouble after I pressed the point that they had orders to keep Chase inside, not to keep anyone out. Chase sat in a corner with his knees drawn up and his head hanging low.
He glanced up when he heard the door close. Our eyes met for an instant. A spark of pain flared in his green eyes. Then, he lowered his head again.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said quietly.
“I had to see you.”
“No, Holly. I’m dangerous. Everybody knows that now.”
I moved closer to him. “I don’t know that.”
“Then you’re a bigger fool than I am,” he said. “I should have stayed away for good.”
I sat beside him and reached out to comfort him. Chase shied away from me, like he didn’t want to be touched.
“What if I shift again?” he asked.
“I’m not afraid of you, goddammit. You’ve never gone rogue around me before. I doubt you’re going to start now.” I laid my hand on his shoulder. He winced at my touch.
“You should be getting ready for the wedding.”
“I’m right where I need to be.” I slid my hand behind his neck and pulled him down gently, laying his head in my lap. I stroked his hair soothingly. “Do you remember the first night you came to live with us?”
“Of course,” he said. “How could I forget?”
“Dad put you in the room next to mine. I woke up in the middle of the night and heard you crying.”
“You came in and sat on the bed next to me, and you laid my head in your lap, just like this. That was the moment I fell in love with you.”
“And what did I tell you then?”
“You told me everything was going to be all right,” he said.
“Yes, and I’m going to say it again. Everything is going to be all right.”
I felt him shake his head. “I believed you then, but I can’t believe it now.”
“You don’t have to believe it,” I said. “I believe it. We’re going to find a way to fix this somehow. I promise.”
“You can’t promise me that. No one can. There’s no fixing the thing inside me. It’ll take control of me again, and you can’t be around me when it does. I’d rather die than let it hurt you.”
“I know. That’s why I’m not afraid of you.”
He turned his head so he could look at me. “You were afraid of me
last night.”
“I wasn’t afraid of you. I was surprised—shocked—by the situation. I needed time to think. To wrap my head around all this. I should have stayed with you. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t ever have to apologize to me,” he said. “I’m the one who’s sorry. And you were right to run. In fact, you should get as far away from me as possible.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Please, Holly. I’m not strong enough to push you away. You have to be strong enough for the both of us. You have to leave.”
“Like you did?” I asked.
“Turns out it was the right thing to do. My only mistake was coming back.”
“No, leaving is easy. Staying is what takes strength.”
He said nothing.
“Tell me the truth, Chase. Was this really the second time you’ve gone rogue?”
“Yes. It’s only happened twice.”
“And you really don’t remember anything that happened?”
“I don’t. It’s not hazy or blurry. There are no snippets of memory that peek through. My memory is just blank.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’m gonna ask you something, and I want you to just answer me. Don’t think about it. Just answer from your gut. Do you feel as though your wolf has gained control?”
“No,” he said immediately.
“Me neither. Something else is happening here and I want to know what.”
“There’s no way to know what really happened. I mean, just because I don’t feel different—” He sat up and looked at me. “But, thank you for believing in me.” He leaned over and kissed me, soft and sweet. Then he pulled away and looked into my eyes with raw desire. “If the camera wasn’t watching us, I’d thank you properly.”
“Wait, what?” I asked. “What camera?”
He pointed to the ceiling in the corner of the room. A black half-sphere dipped from the ceiling. It was the kind of security camera they had in stores or elevators. An unflinching eye that saw everything.
“Did they put that in here after they locked you up?” I asked.
“No, it was already here.”
“Son of a bitch. We don’t need to guess what happened last night. I bet it’s all on video.”
I left Chase in his makeshift prison and raced to find Colton. He was in the master suite on the top floor of the house, putting on his tuxedo.
“What’s going on, Holly? Is everything all right?”
“No,” I said, still trying to catch my breath. “I mean, yes…er, I don’t know.”
“Is it Zoe? Is she getting cold feet?”
I shook my head. “Puhleeze. She can’t wait to make it official. Zoe’s fine. It’s Chase.”
Colton frowned. “Holly, I know this is a difficult situation, but I can’t deal with it right now. I’m getting married in an hour.”
“Now is the perfect time to deal with it. So you can settle this mess before the wedding. Are there cameras in the reception hall?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve already watched the feed from last night. Holly, it isn’t good.”
“Please, Colton. I need to see it. I need to know what happened.”
He sighed. “We already know what happened, unfortunately.”
“Please. Consider it a favor for your new sister-in-law.”
“Alright, fine, but you’re not going to like what you see.”
He took me down to the security room on the second floor. Several rows of flat screen monitors hung from the wall, each showing different locations on the estate’s grounds. Colton pulled up the video feed from the previous night. It started playing on the central monitor.
At first, it looked like nothing was happening. The screen showed a static image of the reception hall, looking perfect and beautiful. The way it was supposed to look today.
Colton shook his head as he looked at the screen. “Zoe worked so hard to get that right. She wanted it perfect. Now the reception has to be held in the gardens.”
“Zoe isn’t upset, if you’re wondering,” I said. “All she cares about is marrying you.”
“That’s comforting, but still—”
Movement flashed on the screen. “Okay, shut up. I want to see this.”
The video was in high definition color. There was no mistaking the identity of the wolf tearing up the room. The wolf was jet black, just like Chase. My heart sank as I watched the creature wreak havoc.
“I told you,” Colton said sadly. “It isn’t pretty.”
The wolf tore through the hall with a purpose, methodically moving through the room to destroy everything in its path. Only when everything was in ruins, did the wolf disappear off screen.
“Doesn’t that seem weird to you?” I asked.
“This whole situation is weird, Holly.”
“No, I mean look at how this wolf is working its way through the room.”
He shook his head. “So, what?”
“So, aren’t rogue wolves supposed to be savage, mindless animals? Does this look mindless to you?”
“I don’t know, Holly,” he said, sounding exasperated. “Who knows what the hell a rogue wolf is thinking? Now, can I get back to my wedding, please?”
“Hold on, I want to see it again,” I said. The video looped back and the destruction began all over again. “How the hell do I pause this and zoom in?”
Colton sighed and clicked some buttons on the mouse. The image froze and the wolf grew in size on the screen. It looked grainier, but Colton’s security cameras were top of the line. The video still showed a lot of detail, even when zoomed in.
Something was off about the wolf. I’d run with Chase so many times, and I knew his wolf as well as I knew my own.
“That’s not Chase,” I said.
“Come on, Holly. I want to believe that as much as anyone, but he’s the only jet-black wolf I know. And I know quite a few wolves.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not him. There’s something off here.”
“I’m sorry, but all I see is Chase in this video. This isn’t going to help his case. It only confirms what we already know happened.”
“Is there a way to move through this frame by frame?”
He showed me which button to push. The image on the screen moved in tiny increments. The black wolf moved through the hall in slow motion.
“Holly, I have to go. You’re welcome to keep looking but—”
“Boom,” I said, pointing to the wolf’s foot. “Gotcha bitch.”
17
Chase
One of the guards entered my room. “Chase, I need you to come with me.”
“Where are we going? I’m pretty sure I’ve been uninvited from the wedding.”
“Colton asked me to bring you to the reception hall.”
It was the last place I wanted to go. Walking back into the scene of the crime brought a mountain of guilt crashing down on me. The place was still in shambles. Whatever madness had taken hold of me was evident in every inch of the room. Nothing had been spared in my rampage.
To make things worse, a huge crowd of people were gathered around the large room. It looked like every wedding guest was there. I had no clue what was happening, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t good. Why the hell did we need an audience?
I wondered if Colton had chosen to have some sort of tribunal. I hoped not. I’d plead guilty. There was no need to prolong the inevitable. I was obviously out of control. Destroying a wedding, smashing tables and tearing down decorations was one thing, but I agreed with Mason. I needed to be ended before I did serious damage to another shifter, or worse, a human.
Persephone stood at the front of the crowd looking smug with her arms crossed over her bulbous chest. She smirked at me as I walked by. I tried to ignore the anger and shame burning inside me, but it was difficult. I already despised myself for what I’d done. What was a little more pain and humiliation?
Colton, Zoe, and Holly were standing at the front of the room beside a large, pull-down screen.
The kind used for presentations. I assumed Holly found the security cam footage of me. Why she’d show it in front of everyone was a mystery. But, if that was what she needed to get her revenge, I understood. I’d gladly suffer further humiliation if it eased her burden somewhat.
My guard stopped me near the screen. Holly’s face was a mask of determination. I wanted to tell her again how sorry I was. She was everything to me, and again I’d let her down.
“Everyone, your attention, please.” Colton waved his hands quieting the crowd. “I’m sure you’re all wondering why I gathered you here. Especially since I’m scheduled to marry the most amazing woman in the world right now.”
He looked at Zoe, who blushed at the compliment.
“By now, you’ve all heard of the incident last night. For those of you who haven’t heard, well, just look around. Someone broke in here and trashed the place. We had reason to believe Chase Stone was to blame.” An angry murmur erupted in the crowd. “And what’s more, we were led to believe Chase was a rogue wolf.”
The quiet murmurs turned into a clamorous sea of shouting and condemnation. Outraged faces turned in my direction. I stared straight ahead, trying to ignore them. They had every right to be angry. I would have been, if I was in their shoes. I deserved it.
Colton raised his hands again. “Everyone, please. There’s more. We have recovered videotape of the incident.”
He gestured at the screen and the video started playing. A smaller version of the reception hall appeared looking quite a bit nicer than it did right now. I cringed at the sight of it, knowing I had caused the devastation.
Then, a wolf appeared on screen. My wolf. I didn’t want to see this, but I forced myself to watch. It was part of the punishment. The least I could do was own up to it and allow my accusers to witness the devil that lived inside me.
I winced as the wolf tore up the room relentlessly, leaving nothing intact. The crowd was getting loud again, making disapproving sounds as they watched. They were turning into a mob, ready to mete out justice.
Colton stepped over to me and threw his arm around my shoulder. Confusion swept through the crowd, dulling their roar to a whisper.
Rogue Wolf Page 10
