Legacy Awakened

by Tamar Sloan

  Golden wolf’s eyes meet mine. For the first time, I can’t keep her gaze. I shift, and in the moment where I’m neither wolf nor human, but somehow both, she disappears. Teeth jamming down, I pick up the gun.

  Down the sight I see Sakari jerk upright. Knowing I can’t afford to flinch, I squeeze the trigger, knowing as I do so that these were Sakari’s last moments in the wild.

  Hunter

  18 MONTHS BEFORE

  Dawn’s grainy image on the camera as she tends to unconscious Sakari’s foot isn’t the win it should be. Sakari wouldn’t need medical help if it weren’t for us in the first place.

  KJ’s hand comes to rest on my shoulder. “We’re giving her the best chance we can.”

  I sigh. “I know.”

  “And for her future pups.”

  “I know that too.”

  This time, it’s KJ’s sigh that fills the empty office. “I’m just not sure when the last time I saw you smile was, that’s all.”

  That would’ve been when I was last out with the most amazing, impossible wolf I’ve ever met.

  I hold up my cup full of wakeup juice like I’m toasting him. “Every cell smiled when you brought me this.”

  “Well, we’re screwed if there’s ever a shortage of that stuff.”

  Or if golden wolf turns out to be nothing but a figment of a brain that snapped under too much pressure.

  I go to grab his beanie. “Or if sheep go extinct and there’s no more wool.”

  KJ ducks, his hands holding down his protective head covering, a cheeky grin flashing over his face. “Except I could easily live with a substitute.”

  He’s talking about the times Riley tried to sneak in chicory, chai, and mushroom coffee—what special snowflake came up with that awful idea?—makes me shudder. All those alternatives are like hairless cats, they exist, but that doesn’t make it right. “Man, siblings are overrated.”

  KJ looks away, the grin gone, and I could kick myself for mentioning siblings. One of the side-effects of lack of sleep means I tend to speak before I think. Nor can I take it back, no matter how much I want to. KJ is very clear that we don’t talk about his past.

  He heads over to his desk where his bank of computers now sit. He moved all his tech stuff to Resolve not long after we set it up. It meant he could work more closely with Dawn while still being the digital watchdog he assigned himself as.

  He flicks the mouse and the screens come to life. “Alistair has been quiet.”

  I walk over, knowing going along with the change of topic is my best form of apology. “Which may or may not be a good thing.”

  “Exactly.”

  “You think he’s waiting?”

  KJ nods as he opens a new tab. “He’s looking for ammo. I think Alistair scans for info about as intensively as I do.”

  I draw out a whistle. “Whoa, do you think he has a thing for millinery too?”

  KJ’s arm whips out, aiming for my coffee. “Shut up.”

  But I dodge the familiar move, relieved I can see the grin he’s trying to suppress. “Although that guy would probably spend fifteen minutes using the torch on his cell to look for his darned cell.”

  KJ rolls his eyes, looking at the next screen. “You don’t need brains. You just need passion.”

  Which Alistair has plenty of thanks to his father. Grabbing a chair, I sit next to KJ. “Lucky for us, you have both.”

  KJ looks at me, eyes still and serious. “You know I need to fix this.”

  I nod, meeting him at the place where truth speaks. “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

  We hold our gazes for a long moment. The commitment to saving the wolves brought us closer together far more than our familial bonds ever did.

  The door opens behind us. “Are you two settling the debate about whether tacos or pizza are better with a staring contest again?”

  KJ turns back to his computers, throwing a wry glance back at Riley. “I see what you mean. Totally overrated.”

  I pick up a pen and throw it at my sister. “We were eight.”

  She catches and throws it right back, just like I knew she would. “And macaroni cheese wins, hands down.”

  I’d smile, except I know it will be short-lived. The first thing Riley will do is walk over to the screens lining the wall to see what I’ve been up to during the night.

  I can tell the minute she sees Sakari in the pen because her whole body tenses and stills. She spends long moments watching the screen where the female wolf now lies alone.

  She turns back to me, and her whole face is taut with sadness. “She’s here.”

  I hide the wince the yank on my chest inflicts. “Yeah. She’s here.”

  “I was kinda hoping you’d be unsuccessful.”

  I almost wasn’t successful. “Me too, to be honest.”

  KJ wheels around. “You both know this is their best chance.”

  Now I’d like to kick him for talking before thinking. Those words were just what Riley doesn’t need to hear right now.

  Riley strides forward, the stillness of sadness shattered by the force of anger. “Because it’s no longer safe for them to live in the wild? Because Were and Fae have to protect them from humans?”

  I walk over, understanding her pain. “Some humans have helped fund this program.”

  “But the fact is, we need to have it in the first place because of them.”

  “We all do.”

  “We have to do this because of them!”

  I pull in a deep breath. I figured we’d have to go through this now. “You know it’s not that simple.”

  “They get scared so they kill. It’s pretty simple for them.” Riley glares at me. “I hate them, Hunter. I hate them.”

  I’m already shaking my head. Riley’s personality has always had bite, but she’s never been one to hold a grudge. But that was before humans killed our father. “You don’t mean that.”

  Riley crosses her arms and looks away, her tense jaw stopping any more words from coming. My fists clench because I can’t tell whether that means she agrees with me, or whether this has gone further than I thought.

  There’s a ping from one of the computers and I hear KJ wheel back over. I know it’s a vain hope, but maybe there’s something to the staring thing and if I stand here long enough, she’ll answer.

  “Ah guys,” KJ types rapidly, “Something’s come up.”

  We’re by his side in a second thanks to Were speed. The screen is Evelyn Island’s Facebook page. Last time I looked at that there was a Ski-Doo for sale and someone warning drivers to slow down around the library. “What’s up?”

  “There’s been a wolf sighting.”

  Riley leans over the other shoulder. “Where?”

  KJ pulls in a gasp. “At Mount Hearne.”

  Alarm has me shooting back up. Mount Hearne is the closest peak to the town. It’s the spot the oldies use as a scenic lookout and the teens use as a make-out point.

  He scrolls further down. “Crap. Alistair has commented.”

  KJ was right. He is trolling, looking for any mention of wolves.

  Riley leans forward. “They never come in that close.”

  KJ scrolls back up and we discover another post was just made. This time it’s a photo of a wolf, still in the distance, but close enough to zoom in on. The caption has me frowning; ‘should we be worried?!?’

  Alistair will undoubtedly reply that they should be more than worried.

  Riley gasps, saying out loud what I’ve registered. “It’s Zephyr.”

  KJ curses. “He must be looking for Sakari.”

  Riley narrows her eyes as she studies the image. “He’s probably had enough.”

  I’m pretty sure Riley is talking about herself rather than the lone wolf who’s standing in the snow, but I’m not waiting around to find out. Picking up the vet pack that I only just restocked, I head for the door.

  “He’s not trapped, Hunter.” Her voice is full of worry.

  “I probably never
needed them.”

  Zephyr and Sakari would have let me close enough to shoot them. Maybe I was avoiding the ultimate betrayal—getting close only to shoot them. And at least this way we don’t risk Zephyr being injured like Sakari was.

  “But—”

  I hold my hand up to stop the next sentence. She’s going to point out that shooting him is only going to anger him, and there’s always a gap of time before the sedative starts to work. “You know I can take care of myself. I won’t get hurt.”

  I started this when I called Dawn six months ago. Now I need to see it through.

  Zephyr and Sakari will be reunited by tonight, in the home that will keep them safe.

  Ava

  When I enter the office for our next update meeting I’m surprised to find only KJ in the room. He’s leaning over a microscope, totally absorbed in whatever he’s checking out. I stand in the doorway, wondering if I got the time mixed up or something.

  I’m about to step back, figuring I can go see some of the wolves, when his hand comes up, waving me in. “Just in time.”

  He must’ve heard me. KJ looks up, his face warm and grinning in welcome. “I was just confirming something.”

  “Oh?” I slip my hands into the pockets of my jeans. It’s nice to have a guy happy to see me for a change.

  He pushes his desk chair back and he zooms across the room. “But I should probably wait till everyone else gets here.”

  “Well, I should be glad my Dad is Noah Phelan. Mom says he’s patented patience.”

  KJ’s eyes are still twinkling when he looks at me, but they take a curious tilt. “What’s it like, growing up with them?”

  I shove my hands further in my pockets. “Pretty amazing, actually. They’re practically each other’s air. I got to grow up surrounded by that sort of love.”

  “Sounds…amazing.”

  “Yeah, it is. Everyone’s really close. Both with our pack and the neighboring pack.”

  “The Channons.”

  It doesn’t surprise me that he knows the names. Every Were knows of the Phelans and Channons. Every Were knows of me.

  “They’re all amazing people who’ve achieved amazing things.”

  He tilts his head, the grey wool on his head shifting to the side as he studies me. “All waiting to see what their legacy will be.”

  I swallow, also not surprised that KJ gets it. I sensed a kindred spirit in this guy the moment I saw him. It’s like our threads were already woven before we even met. “Yeah. All waiting.”

  “Well, if you can be nice to Hunter, then someone should consider sainting you.”

  I bite my lip. “He’s very…taciturn.”

  KJ snorts. “Or they can give you an award for using the word taciturn in a sentence. I think Hunter’s spent too much time out on the tundra alone. Somedays he’s more wolf than human.”

  “I thought it wasn’t safe to shift. That you guys don’t spend time as wolves.”

  “That’s the rule.” KJ shrugs. “But Hunter is Alpha, he can do what he wants.”

  I’m not sure that makes sense. “Isn’t it important that he stick to the rules, seeing as he’s the Alpha?”

  KJ’s gaze shifts to the window, becoming introspective. “It’s the fact that Hunter is willing to question the rules that’s made him the Alpha he is, even when it was thrust upon him so young.”

  For some reason, Hunter spending time as a wolf has stolen my attention. “So, he shifts when he’s out with the wolves?”

  “I’m not sure how, but I think it’s kept him sane through all this craziness. His mom and Riley wouldn’t be happy, but if it’s helped him, then I say it was a good thing.” KJ looks back at me like he’s just realized something. He yanks up a smile. “Anyway, less about boring stuff, more about exciting news!”

  That’s the least bored I’ve been since I got here, but I get that KJ feels like he’s said too much. His bond to Hunter is obvious by the thick thread that connects them. “Which you say you can’t tell me.” I pout, willing to take his lead and change the subject.

  KJ glances over his shoulder, as if checking that someone hasn’t snuck up on him. “Well, if you can keep a secret…”

  I thought I had for two years, until my wolf turned out to be the stuff of dreams. “Ask Josh why my parents never found out where the scratch down the side of their truck came from.”

  KJ grins. “Impressive.” He glances over his shoulder again and I almost roll my eyes. He’s a Were, no one can sneak up on him without him hearing or smelling them. “Well…”

  I wait with bated breath. Is this about Resolve? Or the wolves in the wild? Is it something that explains why Hunter has me on the probably-has-leprosy list?

  “Sakari is pregnant.”

  It takes several seconds for the words to sink in, process, and then explode with implications. “No way!”

  “Totally way!”

  My eyes are wide with disbelief. “But her mate, he—”

  “Obviously got in just in time.”

  “KJ, that’s…” I’m lost as to how to finish that sentence. If Sakari is pregnant, then that’s another litter of pups that will increase numbers. Not only that, they will have the genes they’ve so carefully chosen to boost the genetic vigor of the vulnerable population. There won’t be time lost trying to find a mate, waiting for them to bond, then waiting to see if a litter would even happen.

  KJ’s face is alive with joy and excitement. This is a really big moment for them. It’s so monumental, the emotion is so infectious that I throw my arms around him in a great big hug. His arms wrap around me and we give the joy free reign as we pull in tight.

  “I’m so happy for you, KJ.”

  He pulls back to look at me. “It’s a really important step forward.”

  KJ stiffens and then I hear it too. A clearing of a throat from behind me. I release KJ, already sensing who’s there.

  I turn to find Hunter in the doorway. His arms are crossed, his face remote and unreadable as it always seems to be.

  KJ scratches under his beanie. “I have some good news.”

  “Awesome.”

  The word falls flat in the center of the room. Emotions mill about within me that I don’t understand. Anger that doesn’t make sense. Guilt that I shouldn’t be feeling. And attraction that I wish wasn’t there. Dark hair, muscled arms, intense copper gaze, looking at Hunter seems to have a direct connection to my heart rate.

  Hunter stays in the doorway, the lone wolf that KJ says he isn’t. Why would he care if I’m hugging KJ? From the way he’s been treating me, he wouldn’t care if I’d been kissing KJ when he walked in.

  “So, what it is?”

  “Ah, I was waiting till everyone was here.”

  Hunter arches a brow, obviously noting that’s exactly what KJ didn’t do with me.

  I summon a smile—KJ and I have nothing to hide. “You’re going to be really happy with it, Hunter.”

  Hunter turns his copper gaze towards me. For some reason, his name seems to hang in the room longer than it should, then his gaze holding mine does that same thing. Our thread pulses, a swirling mix of glorious color and I feel my chest inexplicably lighten. This sense of connection and lightness doesn’t make sense. The guy has never smiled at me, there’s no indication right now that he feels this.

  But the knowledge remains. It’s what keeps driving me despite the roadblocks.

  KJ clears his throat and we both look away. The Lino floor becomes fascinating. Hunter pushes away from the doorjamb and walks in. “So where is everyone?”

  Is there a huskiness to his voice, or is that more of my wishful thinking?

  KJ shrugs. “Last time I saw Dawn she was in the main lab. She hasn’t surfaced from her microscope for most of the day.”

  Hunter nods. “Probably double checking the last of the Furious blood samples.”

  “As for Riley and Josh—”

  “You rang?” Riley strides into the room, bubbling energy a stark contrast to the
aftermath of whatever just happened, shutting the door behind her.

  “You’re late,” Hunter says.

  Riley flops into a chair, flicking her fringe back. “Ah, hello pot, kettle here.”

  “What were you doing?”

  The door opens again, and Josh peeks his head in. “Sorry I’m late.”

  I have to hold in my smile. Hunter glances between his sister and my cousin, eyebrows ever so slightly raised. He looks to KJ, but he’s already reading something on his screen. When his gaze meets mine, I allow my eyebrows to raise just a little too. What do you make of that, Alpha?

  I don’t know why I expect another frown, but it means I’m even more surprised when I see Hunter’s lips twitch. I’m too shocked to respond, but it doesn’t matter, because with a fast blink, he turns away.

  I’ve really got to stop reading so much into this stuff.

  He walks to the head of the room, beneath the line of camera screens. “It looks like it’s just us then.”

  KJ spins his chair to face him. “Well, now that we’re pretty much all here…”

  Riley leans forward, obviously knowing him well enough to hear the hint of something in his voice. “Yeah?”

  It’s infectious, because Josh straightens. “No more signs of Furious?”

  KJ grins. “Well, as a matter of fact, we haven’t seen any signs of that angry little bastard.”

  Hunter nods. “All the captive wolves have been vaccinated.” He glances at me, the connection brief but there. “And all the wolves in the pack have been vaccinated.”

  Riley reaches out to high-five me and I slap her palm, loving her enthusiasm. I can see why Josh ran late today. She grins. “Good job, guys.”

  “Thanks.” I know I shouldn’t say this next bit, but I can’t help myself. “We work well together.”

  Riley’s eyes widen with surprise as she turns to her brother. “That’s great.” Then I swear her eyes take on a mischievous glint. “You guys should do the northern pack then.”