by Dannika Dark
By choice.
Chitahs were born into their Breed, couldn’t have children with humans, and certainly couldn’t turn a human into one of them. Her story seemed impossible to believe until he saw the same identical mark on me. According to the old woman, I was a Potential. Born human and would die human, but something in my genetic makeup could alter my DNA if I had sex with someone who was Breed. Supposedly I’d absorb whatever magic it was that made them a Vampire, Mage, or what have you, and I’d become that. Forever. No takebacks. Very few Breeds could turn a human into one of them, but most could not. Somehow this little spade was a trump card and would allow me to play genetic roulette.
Lexi wanted to tell me sooner—afraid I’d accidentally sleep with someone who was Breed—but Austin had assured her he’d scouted the area and discovered I wasn’t living anywhere near Breed and that it wouldn’t pose a threat. He’d gone out of his way to locate the Breed district, and that made Lexi realize she couldn’t put off telling me any longer.
I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to become Breed or not, but I could see she was uncertain. Even now as she looked at me, her eyes were filled with caution. The family didn’t know, and Austin said he’d never heard of a Potential before meeting the old woman.
“Well?” she asked, nudging my hip.
“What do you want me to say?”
She groaned a little. “I don’t know, dammit. Something. You didn’t say anything about it when I told you, so I gave you time to think about it. You know I’d never lie to you, Maze. Not something like this. You had the right to know why we made you hide that mark all your life. I just didn’t think you were ready to handle that kind of news when you were a teenager—especially when we weren’t around. I was afraid you’d make an impulsive choice without thinking it through. But you still need to keep it hidden. You’re older, and it’s too risky to have someone recognize it. It’s a dark world we live in, and I worry about my little sis. I haven’t decided how I feel about it, but what about you?”
I pushed myself up and sat Indian style. “I guess I’m confused about how I’m supposed to react. Is it a lottery ticket or a curse? I’ve given it a lot of thought, but without any hard facts on what it means to be a Potential, I’m not sure how I feel. Does it always work? Are there certain Breeds it won’t work on? Will it last forever? Can I have kids? Has anyone ever died during the transition? Not only that, but I won’t sleep with a man just to become an immortal.”
A half smile curved up her face. “Wait a sec; hit rewind. What have you been keeping from me?”
“I’m twenty-three years old, Lexi. I’m not a nun. I just so happen to like privacy when it comes to my love life. Please don’t tell Mom I’ve misplaced my virginity,” I said with a smile.
Lexi snorted. “I’ll make a note not to bring it up when she serves the cheesecake. Austin might organize a search party to see if they can find it.”
I knitted my brows and looked down at my palms. “There’s just not enough information to go on. Part of me wants to believe it’s not possible, but I was raised by wolves, so I have no room in my life for denial.”
Her face paled. “That’s what scares me. Austin said he doesn’t know anything except what that old woman was babbling on about. But…”
“What?”
Lexi tucked her brown hair behind her ears. “There’s one other person who seems to know what you are. He recognized the mark when he accidentally saw it.”
“Who?”
We simultaneously turned our heads toward the door when a set of toenails clicked across the wood floor in the hall. Something scratched on the door and then we heard a low groan.
Lexi got up and slowly opened the door. A black nose poked through and she suddenly stepped back.
A grey-and-white wolf entered the room, his nose up in the air sniffing heavily. When he approached Lexi, she held out her palm. Then he turned his head toward me.
In a flash, Denver’s wolf launched onto the bed—tail wagging, groaning and whining, his tongue cleaning my neck and face.
“Wow, calm down. Whoa!”
I fell onto my back and the greeting became intense. Denver’s wolf was vicious, the kind that made your stomach twist into nervous knots when he looked at you. But despite his bad reputation, I adored him. He suddenly stilled, and as soon as I kissed his nose, he barked three times and began licking me again.
Naya appeared in the doorway. “Sorry. Denver must have gone out for a run before his date and his wolf smelled you. He kept scratching on the front door to get in and I thought something was wrong. When I opened the door, he tore through the house and up the stairs.”
“It’s okay,” Lexi said.
My fingers slipped through his silky fur and I hugged his neck. I hadn’t seen his wolf in more years than I’d last seen Denver. At least someone was glad to see me.
“I missed you too,” I said. “Your breath still stinks. Phew!”
After a few chuckles, I sat up and tried to calm him down. The second Wheeler peered in, Denver’s wolf positioned his body in front of mine, and a dangerous growl rolled in the back of his throat.
“Be chill,” Wheeler said. “Just seeing what the commotion was all about. No need to get your tail in a wag.”
“Same old Denver,” I said, tugging his ears.
***
I’d spent hours sleeping in my room with Denver’s wolf curled up beside me. Denver the man didn’t know what was going on because his consciousness was submerged, but I had a special bond with his wolf. The pack never let him in the house, and they kept the children away to be on the safe side. I knew Denver would never hurt a child, let alone his pack, but Austin’s decisions always centered on the safety of his family, no matter how tough or unfair his choices might have seemed. I respected him for that.
While covered in wolf hair, I didn’t smell like a dog. Shifters didn’t have the pungent smell of a regular dog or wild animal. In fact, they carried the same smell as in human form—subtle and yet unique to each person.
When I walked into the kitchen, I lingered by the doorway so I could take a mental picture of what I’d missed the most. The sun had gone down, but the room carried a warm glow from the lights near the stove, most especially all the little white lights that outlined the windows behind the table like something you’d see in a bistro.
I looked wistfully at the kids’ table on my right where the two boys were engrossed in a couple of comic books. A long wooden table stretched across the kitchen in front of a row of windows to the backyard. Austin always sat at the far end with Lexi on his immediate left. Then Jericho, Izzy, Naya, Wheeler, and William. There were plenty of open places to sit since it was a large table to accommodate a growing pack. To Austin’s right were Mom, Melody, Trevor, April, Reno, and usually Denver. Sometimes everyone would shift around depending on who was there for mealtime, but most of the time the pack stayed in their usual places.
“Denver went out for a run,” I said.
William patted his hand in the empty spot across from him. “Mustn’t linger by the door or the food will get eaten.”
“You should sit at the other end so we can see you,” Lexi suggested.
I stepped over the bench and smirked. “And have my back to the boys, who will probably toss peas in my hair? No thanks.”
They snickered mischievously and went back to reading.
“So you’re here for good?” Jericho asked, threading his long hair back.
“I loved living abroad, but I missed it here. We had a lot of the same fast-food places, but it’s just not the same. I never really fit in with the culture there. It wasn’t just the States I missed—it was Austin, Texas.”
Reno lined up his fork and knife and flicked his eyes up to mine. “You need to find a job.”
A few chuckles rose around the table.
Austin tore a piece of bread in half. “Slow down, Reno. She just got into town.”
Reno tapped his finger against the rim of his gre
en plate. “Don’t matter. We all went off and did our own thing before coming back home, but you can’t sit around. A person needs to earn their keep, and that’s the deal. What skills did you learn in that school of yours?”
While I loved furthering my education, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I’d taken all the right courses for a career in writing, journalism, or even working for a publisher. The only thing I really loved doing was writing stories, but it didn’t seem as though there was a big market for fairy tales.
“I was thinking one of Naya’s old jobs as an exotic dancer might be open.”
Wheeler choked on his food, which began a fit of coughing.
“Maizy, that’s not funny,” my mom said, giving me a scolding look. “There’s no rush. Maybe after a nice vacation you can come work for me.”
Work for my mother? I loved the woman, but she got impatient when people didn’t obey her. “Maybe I’ll just take the summer off if that’s okay and then figure it out. If you guys don’t want me in the house because I don’t have a job—”
“Bullshit,” Trevor said tersely. “Everyone needs to quit riding the girl. She’s been gone for years. One day back in this house and you’re already scaring her off. Give her a break.”
My plate made it back to me after being passed around the table and everyone adding a little something to it.
“How do the English boys compare to Americans?” Izzy blurted out.
A few of the men glared at her and laughter erupted from Lexi, who then went into her Beaker laugh.
“Um, I haven’t really dated any American boys to compare, but if you want to set me up—”
“Hell no,” Reno cut in.
“Nonsense!” Naya said. “I have all the connections and I’ve started a dating service on the side.”
That came as a surprise. “Seriously?”
She nodded and twirled her finger around a curl of her dark hair. “Absolutely. I have all these clients, many of whom are single, and I have a good sense of matching personalities. Why not? I’ve already had three who went on to mate.”
“Out of how many?” Austin asked in a skeptical tone.
She waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. It’s all in good fun, and it’s not like the Breed have dating services out there. Blind dates have a certain appeal. You never know what you might get.”
“Now that scares me,” Denver said from the doorway.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I glanced over my shoulder. He was leaning against the wall wearing a tight-fitting royal-blue shirt and a pair of jeans.
“Really? That’s what you’re going to wear tonight to make an impression?” April admonished him with a single glance. “At least put on a button-up over it and look like you’re trying.”
He folded his arms. “That’s false advertising.”
“So is makeup,” she said, “but you don’t seem to have any arguments about that.”
Denver twisted his mouth. “Actually I prefer au natural, but whatever. Plus this sorta matches my eyes. Chicks dig the whole matching thing.”
He pushed away from the wall and stepped over the bench to my left. Suddenly it felt awkward sitting beside him. I wasn’t a little girl anymore, and Denver wasn’t my watchdog. My heart thundered in my chest, making it hard to breathe.
When his arm accidentally brushed against mine as he reached for the rolls, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I took a discreet breath and glanced over at him. When had Denver stopped being my best friend and become just a really hot guy?
“I’ve missed those dimples,” William said. “Adorable trait on a woman. Wouldn’t you agree, Denver?”
Denver silently pointed his fork at him, and William continued smiling while he sipped his soda.
“Let Auntie Naya take care of everything,” Naya continued, scrolling through her phone. “I have some nice boys in mind.”
Lynn set down her knife. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
Without looking up, Naya answered. “Don’t worry, mama. Humans only. I have all kinds of contacts.”
Hendrix and Lennon shrieked with laughter and we turned to see what was going on.
“Why is he wet?” April asked in a tone that implied she was afraid to know the answer.
Spartacus walked into the room, periodically stopping to shake his hind legs and spraying water all over the floor.
Austin sighed and leaned back, tossing his fork onto his plate. “All right. Who left the toilet seat open?”
I grimaced. “Sorry. I think that was me.”
Naya quickly got up and opened a drawer.
“Not one of my good dish towels!” Mom said in horror.
When Spartacus disappeared under the table, three of the men shot up from their seats.
“That thing better not rub on me,” Denver said. “I just put on my good jeans.”
When the doorbell rang, Naya straightened her back like an arrow. “That must be Nadia! I’ll get it.”
“Don’t bother,” Denver said, rushing behind her. “We’ll just skip introductions and head out. I don’t need the pack grilling…” Denver’s voice trailed off when they left the room.
Reno pulled the long bench away from the table so he could crawl under it. He emerged with his arms extended and the drippy feline at the end. The cat made a raspy meow and then stuck his tongue out.
“Holy smokes,” April said. “Don’t you dare come back in here, Reno.”
“Don’t worry, princess. As soon as I put him in the dryer, I’m going to take a bath in bleach.”
A few chuckles sounded and Lexi went to get some paper towels. “Welcome back, Maizy. Just another glamorous day in the life of the Weston pack.” She got on her knees and began wiping up the water spots.
William hadn’t moved from his seat and continued cutting his steak into tiny pieces. When he finished, he patted the palm of his hand against a bottle and put a few dollops of steak sauce on the edge of his plate. As he did that, he was looking up at me from beneath those wolfish brows, grinning. William had an unusual way of dressing—as if he’d bought clothes from two centuries ago at a thrift store. His shirt was baggy with strings that tied loosely across the chest. “I thought you’d be coming home from England with a ring on your finger.”
I smiled playfully and softened my voice. “None of them were good enough for me.”
His brows rose. “Indeed.”
“What about you? Anyone special?”
He took a bite of steak and smiled with his eyes. “Say, if you want to go out on the town this evening, I have the night free.”
William had gotten a job years ago as a consultant. He had such an amicable personality and a talent for resolving conflict that Packmasters began hiring him to give advice on interpack relationships where they were struggling. Sometimes disputes could be resolved easily by adjusting rank or changing responsibilities, while other times a packmate would have to leave. After a while, Packmasters wanted advice on how to deal with conflicting personalities within the house, or a difficult second-in-command.
“That sounds like fun, Will. Maybe we can get a group of us to go out.”
“Where would you like to go?” he asked.
Only one place felt like home. “Howlers.”
Chapter 3
The minute we walked into Howlers, Rosie dropped a tray and ran across the bar to give me a hug. “Oh, honey, I haven’t seen you in ages!”
Rosie had been waiting tables at Howlers for years and was like an extended part of the family.
I laughed and stepped back before she squeezed the life out of me. “I’m just glad there was nothing on your tray.”
She jutted her curvy hip to the side and looked me up and down. I was becoming self-conscious about all the appraisals I’d been receiving.
“Ay Dios mio! Look how you’ve grown!” She touched my wavy hair. “You should let me curl this.”
“You think?”
Izz
y lightly slapped her hand. “No makeovers, Rosie. She’s beautiful just the way she is.”
Something I’d heard all my life living with the Weston pack. Even though I had a slightly crooked tooth on one side, even when I went through a growth spurt at age twelve and didn’t quite fill out like all the other girls, and even at fourteen when I got acne and didn’t want to leave my room. No matter what, I was always perfect in their eyes.
“What’ll you have?” Rosie asked. “Lemonade?”
“See if the bartender knows what a Moscow mule is.”
She giggled and pursed her red lips. “I’ll tell Frank. What if he doesn’t know?”
I shrugged since I wasn’t serious, but I knew how Rosie liked to challenge Frank’s knowledge of mixed drinks. “Just a beer is fine. I suppose I need a grown-up drink for my first night back in town.”
Mom and Trevor had offered to stay home and keep an eye on the kids, which was kind of nice. I loved hanging out with my mom, but not so much in a bar. Aside from that, it wasn’t her scene.
I turned around and watched Reno holding April in his arms—her feet dangling off the ground. He planted a kiss on her mouth and smiled with closed lips. She reached up and touched the crinkles around his eyes, kissing him back before he set her down.
April was more reserved than the other girls, a little shy around men, but always friendly and smiling. It seemed as if Reno loved her even more than I remembered growing up. Was that possible?
I sidled up to the barstool and took a seat.
“Game of darts. Who’s up?” Jericho called out, swaggering toward the game room.
Izzy raised her hand. “Ooo, me! I promise I’ll go easy on you this time.” She waggled her eyebrows before zipping ahead of him and looking over her shoulder.
Jericho pinched her behind. “Bring it on, Sexybelle.”
“A Moscow mule, huh?” Frank flashed me a look of irritation. The light caught the silver strips of hair on either side of his head, making him seem older than he actually was.
