by Bethany Shaw
“I do. I grew up here. Most of the tunnels are safe this time of year, but when it warms, the ice melts and can cause flooding. A few of the tunnels...have gases in them that can be overwhelming as well. I wouldn’t go exploring on your own. You could find yourself in a bad spot if you do,” she cautioned.
“Maybe you could show me around,” Cori invited herself.
Alex raised his brow in warning. Enid was a good person and he knew her, but he didn't want Cori trusting everyone. Not until he had his chance to get a feel for things here first.
Enid smiled, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Sure.”
“When can I expect Darren to give me my chores? It’s been three days since our arrival. Everyone else from my pack has them,” he pointed out, sensing the need to change the subject.
“He’s probably not sure what to do with you,” Enid said answering Alex’s question. Her eyes darted to Cori then back to Alex.
“Or, he’s worried about me outranking him and trying to take control,” Alex pointed out.
Enid shrugged.
“I think he likes you,” Alex grunted as he stirred his soup.
“Darren?” Enid shook her head. “No.” She cast a glance to Cori who looked between the two of them with a smile.
“I saw the way he looked at you last night,” Alex commented. A growl bubbled up his throat at the memory of Darren touching her.
Enid quirked her brow up. “And?” she wondered.
“I get the sense you don’t care for him.” Alex crossed his arms over his chest as he scooted back from the table and stared at her.
“I don’t like or dislike anyone. I prefer to keep to myself,” she told him honestly.
“Then I’m honored you joined Cori and me tonight,” he smirked.
She cocked her brow up and licked her lips. “You? I came for Cori.” Enid took another bite, but he could see a small smile on her lips. “How many came with you?”
“Eighteen. Our pack was raided. We lost twenty-one men and women in the attack. After that, I knew I couldn’t keep them safe where we were.” Alex grimaced and tapped the table with his fingers. “I had hoped when supply trucks started running through the area eight months ago we could continue living as we had, but I should have known better.”
“We’ve all made mistakes, Alex. You did what you thought was best for your pack,” Enid comforted him. “Nobody wants to be uprooted from their home. These caves run through our territory and I frequented them often, but I miss my house.”
Enid went back to sipping her soup for a moment as silence lingered between them.
“Did you at least get to enjoy the luxury of electricity again once people moved back into the area?” Enid mused, lightening the mood.
“No. We ran generators for the first year after the blackout, but no, we never got it back once we ran out of fuel. Poor Cori doesn’t even remember what TV is,” Alex chuckled.
“I remember watching cartoons from when I was younger, but Alice, my friend talks about some of the other shows and I’d love to have the chance to see them,” Cori blurted.
“Everybody needs TV,” Enid agreed. “It is a shame that we don’t have that anymore.”
“You’ve got some modern conveniences here,” Alex pointed out.
“Most of it is old tech. We have a small group of people who spend the better part of their days keeping it working. One of the first groups that came to live with us lived near the National Guard building. During the mass evacuations and chaos they were able to get weapons, radios, and a few other things that have been really helpful to us. No one has left the safety of the mountains for the past three years. That’s when they started rebuilding Seattle, putting it back together and moving people into the walled city. That’s when the raids started here.”
“I wish we could go back to a time when things were simpler and all we had to worry about was keeping the existence of magic and werewolves from the humans,” Alex sighed.
Cori grunted as she finished chewing. “That reminds me, Dad; everyone is supposed to meet after dinner tonight. Darren wants to have a town hall meeting or something.”
“Where?” Enid questioned.
“The main cavern by the entrance,” Cori answered around a mouthful of food.
Enid nodded, accepting the answer.
Alex shook his head. This wasn’t how it should be. It’d be one thing if Enid were running the show. This land belonged to her pack and she had alpha blood. The beast inside him could take orders from her. Darren on the other hand was a wannabe alpha and he’d never quite fill the shoes.
“I’d like to go on ahead if you don’t mind?”
Alex nodded his consent.
Cori stood up, leaned in, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek before smiling down at him. “I’ll see you later, Dad.”
“Stay out of trouble, Cori,” he warned.
“I will,” she promised before skipping out of the room.
Alex met Enid’s eyes as she took a sip of her broth. She set her spoon in the empty bowl and set back.
“What do you suppose the meeting is about?” he questioned.
Enid sighed and ran a hand through her snarled locks. “Whatever it's about, I doubt it is good.”
Alex sighed; that didn’t sound good at all. With Darren at the helm of the pack, nothing sounded promising. It looked like he would have to wait and see. At least it wasn’t a long wait.
Chapter Three
Enid leaned against the cool rock wall, crossing her arms over her chest as everyone filed into the large cavern. Alex had excused himself to look for Cori and she hadn’t seen him since. She needed a break from him anyway.
Alex’s scent intoxicated her and being with him reminded her of her carefree days in Tacoma. Her heart thrummed in her chest, kicking up a notch as a tremor of desire coursed through her. They’d been good together and had fun while their affair lasted. Their fathers had discovered their relationship and forced them to separate or face banishment. Two wolves couldn’t make it alone—wolves needed a pack to survive. As banished outcasts, no other pack would’ve taken them in. There hadn’t been another option.
She licked her lips and blinked, sending the memories of her past where they belonged. The hushed whispers silenced her thoughts and though she couldn’t see Darren, she could sense he was in the middle of the crowd.
“Thanks for coming tonight,” Darren began.
Enid inhaled sharply and closed her eyes. Knots twisted in her belly and she squirmed as an uneasy feeling filled her. Whatever he was going to say wasn’t going to be good.
“As most of you are aware, humans came close to the caves last night. Their intentions are to kill us and they won’t stop until every last one of us has perished,” Darrin began.
Enid tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head.
Here we go again, great way to start a pep talk, Darren. To think, I just told Alex you were competent.
“Our situation is becoming dire. There is no way for us to know if more werewolves live throughout the territories in the United States or anywhere in the world. For all we know, we could be the last of our species.” Darren stopped and cleared his throat. “Our numbers are dwindling, and our young are few. Over the past few years, I have encouraged mating within our group. However, my suggestion seems to be falling on deaf ears. At this time we only have four children under the age of twelve. If we are to survive as a species we must mate. Effective immediately, all women over the age of twenty must mate with one of the males of age in our community. The only way to ensure our survival is to reproduce.”
Enid’s eyes flew open as heat crept over her cheeks. What the hell is he thinking? You can’t force that type of thing.
“I ask that all women choose a mate by the end of the week. For some of you, this is asking a lot, but I assure you this is something we must do to survive. Only one man and woman will be allowed to mate so please choose your partner carefully. This will ensure w
e keep our bloodlines pure and untainted.”
Enid drew in a deep breath and let it out as she stomped forward, shoving her way through the crowd. The rest of Darren’s words were deaf in her ringing ears. By the time she reached the center, Darren had finished his speech and was making his way through the crowd.
The people around her spoke loudly, but she didn’t care about what they were saying; Darren was making a huge error in judgment.
She followed him as she clenched her fists at her sides. Darren made his way into the tunnels that led to his private quarters. Enid blew air out her nostrils as she marched after him. He was going to get a piece of her mind before he retired for the night.
“Darren!” she bellowed as she marched up to him.
Darren slowed and turned to face her. He gritted his teeth, but he didn’t give her a chance to respond before he grasped her arm and tugged her into an abandoned tunnel.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed.
“I’m looking out for our pack, Enid,” he replied as she snatched her arm out of his grasp.
“You can’t force us to choose a mate,” she snarled. “This isn’t the stone ages.”
“It may as well be. We don’t have electricity, food is scarce, and we are being killed—”
“Exactly,” she cut him off. “Listen to yourself! Does this sound like an environment helpless children should be brought into?”
“Enid,” he sighed.
“Don’t,” she snapped, jabbing him with her finger. Angry tears pricked her eyes. “I told you I would never have children again. You don’t know what it's like to hold your baby in your arms as they struggle to breathe and not be able to do a damn thing for them. I’ll never do that again. You can’t make me. Nor can you force anyone else to do the same.”
“Enid, please. I want our pack to survive. To do that we have to procreate. How many couples are here? How many children? Somewhere inside that thick skull of yours you know I’m right,” Darren argued as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“It shouldn’t be mandatory,” she stated. He did have a point—a very small one. Children were needed if the pack were to survive. “But why now, Darren? Why is this so important right now?” What brought on this sudden need to force mating?”
“If I make exceptions for one person, I’d have to do it for everyone,” Darren argued. “If you’re worried about finding a suitable mate I’d be happy to—”
“No!” she barked as she crinkled her nose not wanting to know what his offer was going to be.
“Why not? We would be good together, Enid. Is it because of him?” Darren ground out.
“Who?” Enid scoffed as her heart skipped a beat. Did Darren know about Alex? How could he? No one knew except for the spy her father had sent to follow her. He wouldn’t have told anyone else. Her relationship with Alex was a disgrace to the pack.
“You know who, Enid. I shouldn’t have even let them in this place. It’s a dishonor to your father and our pack to even have them on our land. If we weren’t shorthanded, I would have sent them away,” Darren admitted with a growl. “It’s a disgrace that you ever let that mutt touch you.”
Enid gasped. Her hand whipped up and connected with his face. “You're the one that told my father,” she accused as the realization dawned on her. Her father had never said who had been sent to spy on her and told him about the affair.
She flexed her hand, willing the burn out of it. Red blossomed on Darren’s cheek as his upper lip curled.
“Of course I did,” he admitted with arrogance. “Is that why you won’t have me now? Because of him?” Darren gripped her elbow and yanked her closer to him. “I should have done this before that piece of shit showed up. I might have stood a chance then.”
Enid shoved him back, pinning him to the wall. She might be tiny, but she was strong. “Don’t touch me. Don’t you dare ever touch me.” The compulsion rolled off her tongue with ease. All werewolves born to an alpha had the ability to force their will on their subordinates. She’d never done it until now.
Darren’s hand dropped away from her and she stared into his eyes, daring him to make another move. “Do you feel that?” she whispered with a smile. Judging by the wide-eyed look he was giving her he was just as shocked as she. “I’m an alpha, Darren. Don’t you ever forget that.”
She shoved him against the wall and backed away.
“Enid,” he sighed. “The Wolf Flu is over and we need more wolves or our pack will become extinct. At least consider my offer.”
Like hell!
Enid swallowed as she took a few more steps back. She spun on her heel and darted away. Darren was right. If no more children were born, the pack was doomed. Damn him for being right.
***
Alex trudged down the long tunnel toward Enid’s room. Cori and the rest of his pack were preparing to leave. He wasn’t leaving without her. She’d been outraged by Darren’s decree, the anger on her face was evident, but he hadn’t been able to catch up to her. With the chaos after the announcement, he’d needed to make sure Cori was taken care of too.
Her scent grew stronger as he approached her room and he breathed it in, allowing the aromatic essence to calm him.
“Enid,” he called as he stopped in front of the curtain hanging from the opening.
Footsteps smacked the rock as she stomped to the door. “What?” she growled as she shoved the curtain aside and glared at him.
A thick black robe covered her body and he let his eyes roll over her, wondering if there was anything underneath the bulky garment. Focus, he chastised himself.
“I’m taking my pack and leaving.” He reached out, touching her elbow. “Come with us, Enid.”
“Leaving?” she whispered. “Where will you go, Alex?”
“Anywhere. I don’t know yet,” he admitted, gripping her elbow harder as he drew her closer.
“How many of your pack are there? Do you really think a small, handful of wolves can survive?” she questioned with a shake of her head.
Alex licked his lips. Their numbers were small, dangerously so. “It doesn’t matter.” They couldn’t stay there under those pretenses. He wouldn’t subject his pack to this way of living and there were too many wolves to forcefully take control. His pack would undoubtedly win, but not without casualties on both sides.
Enid closed her eyes. “It’s not safe out there. Think about Cori...about any other children in your pack. The only way we are going to make it is by banding together. Darren has that part right at least.”
“Yeah, well, when he starts preaching about forcing us to mate that’s where I draw the line,” he snarled. “That is not our way.”
“It isn’t,” she agreed. “I’ll never have another child. But I think it is important that people who maybe do want those things get the nudge to do so. There aren’t many kids here. Only two babies have been born since the flu. If we don’t procreate our species dies.”
“But he’s forcing this on people. If you won't leave then help me take this place. We are alphas, Enid. We shouldn’t be taking orders from anyone,” he argued. “We can enforce our will and take the mountain without any fighting. The other wolves won’t have a choice but to follow our orders.”
Enid inhaled a sharp breath and let it out. “The people here respect Darren. If we take him out by force we’ll accomplish nothing and they will resent us. Respect is earned, not forced. Even if they have to follow our orders there will be unrest and that is dangerous.”
“So, what are you saying, Enid?” Alex grunted as he met her gaze.
“We can’t leave...nor can we take this place over,” she muttered.
“Then what are we doing? Mating?” he hissed. Personally, he wouldn’t mind a passionate encounter with Enid, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to have children again.
“No.” Enid closed her eyes as she wrenched her arm free and covered her face. “Everything’s exactly how it was fourteen years ago. We’re trapped. Forced to mak
e decisions we hate.”
“This isn’t the same thing,” he insisted as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “We are older now, wiser. We have other options this time.”
“It is the same thing. The circumstances are a little different, but either way we are screwed,” she mumbled as she turned on her heel and slumped down into an old recliner. The seat creaked under her weight, wobbling slightly.
How old is that thing?
“The only difference is nobody is telling us we can’t be together,” she pointed out. “In fact, Darren practically gave us permission to be intimate.”
“I thought you didn’t want to get close to me?” Alex questioned as he strode toward her and knelt down in front of her. Women can be so confusing at times.
“I was merely referencing the difference,” she huffed, rolling her eyes.
“Enid.” He placed his hands on her knees. Darren might have suggested the appalling need to mate, but it was something entirely different if Enid still had feelings for him. Pregnancy could always be avoided. Werewolves could only conceive when the female wolf was in heat or close to it. Enid wasn’t in heat. He could smell it. “There is still something between us. Tell me you don’t feel it,” he challenged.
Enid ground her teeth together and looked away.
“I know you were hurt, but you can’t shut everyone out forever,” he insisted, lifting his hand and tucking it under her chin.
She met his eyes with a glare.
“Let me in, Enid,” he pleaded, stroking his thumb over her chin.
Enid licked her lips and leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers. Alex sucked in a breath as his brain caught up to what was happening. Her tongue trailed over his upper lip and he moaned at the contact.
She tasted better than he remembered. Her fingers blazed over his chest as they skimmed up his shirt. Alex grunted as she pulled back and lifted his shirt up, and over his head. Enid bit her lip as she met his eyes.
He opened his mouth, but her lips found his again, sucking and nipping at his mouth.
