Changed Wolf

by Chloe Peterson

  Zoe wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up, and for everything she'd done over the last month to get magically erased.

  "Zoe," Giselle asked, taking a step toward her. "Are you okay?"

  Zoe raised a shaky hand to wipe the sweat that had broken out over her forehead. "I know why the Red Striking hit us," Zoe swallowed thickly. "Jared had tried to warn me indirectly, but I didn't listen. God, it should have clicked when I found him in his blue truck."

  "What are you talking about?" Giselle asked, her face filled with worry.

  "Remember when we saw the red truck leave the warehouse, and I told you it was one of Jared's cars?"

  "Yeah."

  "Well, Jared was in a blue truck. That wasn't him. I was so shocked it didn't register. Jax also just told me that my father was gone all day yesterday. Now I know why.

  "Giselle, we didn't hit Darksong property. We stole from the Red Striking clan. That's why Jared begged me to leave those women behind. That's why Dad kept going on about executing his revenge in a different way."

  Zoe's eyes watered as she stared at Giselle. "We just stole millions of dollars of cargo from one of the most powerful bear clans, and my father gave us away."

  12

  Giselle led Zoe to the center seat on the long couch and sat down next to her. Ideally, she'd love to have been closer to the woman who she now knew she loved, but she didn't want to overwhelm her.

  It was clear that Zoe had feelings for Giselle too. It was also clear that it was difficult for the older woman to admit to those feelings because she didn't want to drag Giselle into further trouble.

  I'd do anything for her. I can't wait to prove it to her.

  "Okay," Rowan said, her eyes running over her clan members. "We all just found out that Zoe and Giselle mistakenly stole from the Red Striking clan and that Zoe's father pinned it on the Whitehearts. What should we do?"

  Jade spoke first. "I think the first thing we should do is get Tyler and his pride over here. If the Red Striking came for us once, they'll do it again, sooner rather than later."

  "Tyler's having a few problems of his own, but I'll see if we can get him to join us."

  Brooke nodded. "We've helped him a couple of times too. I don't see why we wouldn't join us. What we need is a plan for when the Red Striking gets here. I assume we're going to use this place as our battleground."

  "Wait," Zoe said, shaking her head. "You can't do that."

  Giselle cocked her head, genuinely interested in finding out why her potential mate thought this was a bad idea. The exact plan they were formulating, was based on their history fighting the Darksong. The Red Striking were of comparable size and power. On paper, their strategy should have worked.

  "Why do you think we shouldn't proceed in that direction," Giselle asked. "It worked when the Darksong put contracts out for us."

  "Exactly." Zoe turned to face the rest of the group. "The reason we sent those contracts out was that some of our best fighters were affected by the disease that made them more animal than human. Had we been at full strength, we would have sent an army of our own. That's what I believe the Red Striking will do."

  "Okay," Jade said. "Then we can handle them. We'll have a small army of our own too. Tyler's pride has at least two dozen strong fighters. Lions are formidable opponents."

  Zoe scooted forward in her seat. "That may be so, but the Red Striking's pockets are deep. They won't just send their men. They'll hire a small army to join them."

  Zoe smiled. "You guys may not know this, but for a while, people were talking about a group of women that holed up in the mountain and fought off wave after wave of shifters. It won't be long until the Red Striking find out that's your strategy."

  Mara sighed. "Zoe's right, but we also have a bigger problem we haven't addressed. We haven't been training."

  Brooke snorted. "That's not a problem. We're all born fighters."

  "So are the people that will be coming after us." Mara leveled her gaze on Brooke. "Unlike us, they will have been training daily for battle. Tell me, Brooke, could you still fly in perfect formation, making sure not to collide with Rowan, knocking Jade off her back?"

  Brooke inhaled sharply. "I can fight just as well on the ground."

  "Of course, you can," Rowan piped up. "But you must remember that our greatest strength was power in the sky and the ground. We're not in shape to take to the skies, and getting ground formations right will be an even bigger pain."

  Giselle nodded. "You're right, Rowan, which is why we need to approach this whole thing differently. Perhaps more like we did with Emma's situation."

  Zoe turned to face Giselle, her gaze curious. The way her long eyelashes batted sent a delicious shiver up Giselle's spine. She licked her lips; then her gaze dropped to Zoe's mouth. When they darted back up, Zoe’s eyes were wild with shock.

  Cool it, saucy pants. First, Zoe has to agree that she wants to be with you. Then, the two of you have to decide on when to tell the team.

  "Um." Giselle cleared her throat. "Let's break it down. The Red Strikers are an out of town clan. The warehouse we hit was probably a contingency plan or a way for them to expand their operation."

  "That makes sense," Brooke said. "There's no other reason for them to be so far away from home, spending more money on security."

  Giselle nodded. "Exactly. So, to them, our stealing is nothing more than an issue of recovering money. They've kept a low profile and would believe that we didn't know it was their stash we were hitting."

  "So, what do we do?" Zoe asked. "Tell them it was a mistake? We still lost them millions of dollars."

  "True, but telling them it was a mistake is only the first part. We'll tell them the truth. We'll tell them we had a vendetta against the Darksong and that they got caught up in the crossfire. With our history, it won't take long for them to confirm that story. Then, we'll promise to pay them back for the money lost, as long as they back down."

  Jade snorted. "Really, Giselle? That's your grand plan."

  Emma glared at her mate. "Why don't we let Giselle finish before we judge her idea. Besides, I was told there was nothing like a dumb idea the day I joined this clan for my first meeting. I'd hate for that to start."

  Jade's nostrils flared, and she folded her arms. "Go on," she said, chastised.

  Giselle mentally smiled. It seemed Emma had a hold on her friend and that she was no stranger to dealing with the sometimes-volatile mood swings Jade went through. Emma loved Jade, flaws and all.

  "Okay, so the reality is that we can't fight off the Red Striker or go on the run, forever. We have to pay them back. I suggest we do it in the easiest way possible. We'll steal from the Darksong one last time. We'll make it a big heist, and Tyler and his crew will help. That way, we'll get rid of the Red Striker problem, and we'll only have one clan to face: the Darksong."

  Zoe hissed. "Are you crazy? I told you my father's clan is back to full strength, and thanks to the new club, his pockets are fuller than ever. If we steal from him one more time, it will be an all-out war. One we won't survive."

  "Yeah," Rowan echoed. "I hate to sound so damn conservative, but Zoe's got a great point. Both the Darksong and Red Striking are giants. We can't poke one and expect to survive."

  "Except we can. Hear me out." Giselle scooted forward in her seat and turned to face Zoe. "Zoe, you once told me that Jared had mentioned that he and a few key people had hoped you'd one day be Alpha."

  Zoe's eyes widened, and a slight blush graced her cheeks. Giselle smirked. Zoe had shared that story the night after they'd had sex. They were supposed to be sharing goofy stories.

  Giselle had told the other woman that what Jared had told her didn't qualify as a goofy story. That Zoe would make a great Alpha, and that she deserved to be one.

  God, I'd love to see her look at me the way she looked at me when I said those words. It was like I'd touched her soul.

  "Jared did say that," Zoe stuttered.

  Giselle clapped h
er hands. "Great. So, what we need to do is challenge your father for Alpha. There are quite a few people that would back you up. Once he got ousted, the Darksong wouldn't be a problem, and you'd get your clan back."

  Giselle lowered her voice. "I know how much you love your clan. You gave so many years of your life to it. It's only right that you get to lead it and create the change you want."

  Silence filled the room until Jade groaned. "I hate to say it, but that's actually a pretty great plan. The only one that makes sense, considering we've got two giants coming after us."

  Giselle mock bowed, but her gesture was interrupted by Zoe shooting to her feet. "It may be a good plan, but it won't work. Challenging the Alpha means fighting him directly. I could never beat my father in a fight."

  "Why are you so sure of that?" Mara asked.

  "Because he trained me, and I've seen him fight."

  "When was the last time that you saw him fight?"

  Zoe shrugged. "Maybe five years ago."

  Mara got up and walked toward Zoe. 'You said your father is a violent man; that he loves blood. Isn't it odd that you haven't seen him fight in so long?"

  Zoe cocked her head. "Maybe."

  Mara squeezed Zoe's arm. "I know what it’s like to look at someone that used to be your abuser and see them the same as you did when you were little. My father was a big bad alcoholic growing up. It took me years to realize that he wasn't as big or strong as I once thought he was.

  "Reirder Dagiel may once have been untouchable, but I'd wager he's a former shadow of what he used to be. It's probably why he hasn't fought in years. He doesn't want people's fear of him to diminish."

  Giselle's heart beat faster. She'd made her suggestion based on the idea that Zoe was the best built female shifter she'd ever seen, and Giselle had seen quite a few of them naked.

  Zoe had curves in the right places, but every muscle she had could pack a punch. None of it was built by lifting weights. It was all as a result of fighting.

  Add the fact that she was quick on her feet, and Giselle had bet that Zoe could beat her father. As it turned out, the odds were in their favor.

  "Mara's right," Giselle said. "There's got to be a reason why he hasn't fought. You could take him down."

  Zoe dropped back down onto her seat. "It's not a matter of winning the fight. The Darksong fight to the death. That's why you don't have any former Darksong Alphas walking around. If I won the fight, I'd have to kill my father to become Alpha. I don't know if I'm ready to do that."

  Mara hummed in response, as she took her seat. "I understand where you're coming from. He's still your father. A part of you will always want to protect him."

  Giselle placed a hand on Zoe's lap and smiled when the older woman didn't flinch. "Hey, I get that it's hard to kill someone you know, but you don't have to. Once you win, you could announce that you won't kill him, and banish him."

  Zoe thought about it for a minute. "The Darksong does have a type of prison camp. He could go there. I highly doubt anyone will help him want to escape after being beaten by a woman."

  "It's a huge gamble," Rowan said. "But then again, everything we've done up until this point has had to be a gamble. We're a small clan with a pack of lions at our back."

  "Don't forget our big brains," Brooke added, smiling.

  "Do you really think we can pull this off? All of it?" Zoe asked.

  Giselle knew what the older woman was asking. Do you think I can win? Do you think anyone will back me?"

  Giselle took Zoe's hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. "Absolutely. We're all in this together. Should anything go wrong, we'll all step in, then recalculate."

  "That's right," Eva piped up. "Emma and I aren't fighters, and we're probably at the highest risk if something should go wrong. But I think I speak for both of us when I say that it is the bravery of these five women that got us to where we are. We'd gladly risk our lives for someone to get the second chance that the Whiteheart clan gave us."

  Emma smiled. "You're spot on. If anything should go wrong, we'll be at peace knowing it was for a good cause."

  Giselle watched Zoe look around the room and heard the older woman swallow audibly. "You're one crazy group of women; you know that?"

  The group chuckled. Then Mara spoke. "We had to fight to create this clan. Then we fought to save the innocents that came across our path. It just so happened that two of them became the mates of our clan members. But our mandate still stands. The Whiteheart will fight to create a safe place for all shifters. What was all the bloodshed and hurt for if we can't live up to our mandate?"

  "Whitehearts," Brooke yelled pumping a fist in the air.

  Silence greeted her before Giselle snorted. "Sorry, Brooke. That cheer still sucks."

  The dragon-shifter rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Brooke stormed out of the room, effectively ending the meeting.

  Mara got into the kitchen and started work on brunch. It seemed that all that brainstorming had jumpstarted everyone's appetites.

  Jade and Emma went to get Emma's mother from work to the Whiteheart home, while Rowan and Eva went upstairs to get Jade's old bedroom ready for Emma's mother's stay. That left Giselle alone with Zoe.

  "Wanna get some fresh air?" Giselle asked.

  Zoe nodded, and they made their way outside. After a couple of minutes of strolling, Giselle stopped Zoe.

  "I meant what I said back there. We're all in this together. Especially you and I because it doesn't matter how long it takes for you to be comfortable with the idea of us as a couple, I'm going to wait for you."

  Zoe pulled Giselle into an embrace. "No need to wait. I want to be with you. I was just too scared that we'd spend our lives on the run. But with your plan, it seems we have a shot at a normal life. I want that for you."

  Giselle pulled back and quickly scanned her surroundings. Seeing no one, she pressed her lips against Zoe's. "I never thought I'd say this, but I want nothing more than a boring life with you."

  Giselle wanted so very badly to tell Zoe that she loved her, but the moment didn't seem right. So much was up in the air, and the happy little bubble they were currently sharing served to help lighten some of their anxiety.

  I'm not going to ruin things by getting too heavy, too soon.

  Zoe grinned. "I'd like that. How do you feel about sneaking into my room again tonight? The thought of you out there on that couch doesn't sit well with me."

  Giselle took Zoe's hand and continued their stroll. "I'd love nothing more. Besides, now that we're together, I fully plan on making up for lost time. I hope you can keep quiet because I plan on going all out."

  13

  The next morning, Zoe struggled to pry open the back window to Jax's house. Unlike her, Jax had opted to stay at the Farm. Over the years, the decision had served he and Zoe well because it allowed them to gauge which of her father's lieutenants might back her ideas or not.

  It's ironic that I'm here to try gauge that reaction one last time.

  Once the back window was open, Zoe carefully squeezed through it only to come face to face with a gun cocked in her direction.

  "Jesus," Jax yelled, dropping the gun. "What the hell are you doing here?"

  Zoe straightened once she stepped into her best friend's spare bedroom and willed her heartbeat to slow down. Jax's reaction only served to remind her that she was a Darksong enemy now. Anyone else would have shot first and asked questions later.

  "I needed to talk to you."

  Jax pinched his nose. "Next time, call, okay?"

  "I did, but you weren't answering."

  Jax pulled out his phone and sighed. "Sorry. I passed out early."

  "Drinking?" Zoe asked.

  Jax loved to have a good time, but whenever things were hard for him, he turned to the bottle. There'd been a few close calls, but Jax always stopped drinking once whatever got him down passed.

  Zoe still worried about it though. What if one day he never put the bottle back down? Lots of people that could handle
their alcohol turned into alcoholics down the line.

  "No. I was sparring with Chase all day. Your father made me his training partner of sorts. He thinks Chase isn't where he needs to be, so we've been going at it for hours every day. Yesterday, we focused on groundwork. I was so tired I hit the sack."

  Zoe exhaled. "Good, because I need you well-rested and fully alert for the favor I'm going to ask of you."

  Jax groaned. "Don't tell me you're scheming again."

  "I am."

  "Dammit, Zoe. I thought you were going to skip town and lay low for a while?"

  "I was, but then everything changed yesterday. It turns out that the warehouse Giselle and I hit didn't belong to Dad. It was Red Striking. My father set us up and then told the Red Striking it was the Whitehearts that did it. My friends got attacked yesterday."

  "Fuck." Jax ran a hand through his hair. "It's like my life has become one long nightmare."

  "Tell me about it." Zoe dropped onto the bed and chuckled when Jax settled beside her, his heavier mass tipping her toward him. "Whoa."

  "Sorry." Jax stroked the stubble that had started to gather on his face. "How do you plan to get them off the Whitehearts’ back?"

  "Rowan is speaking with their Second right now. If all goes well, he'll agree to let us pay him back."

  Jax peered at Zoe and stared at her. Then he shook his head. "I hope to God you're not thinking what I think you are."

  "We're going to steal from the Darksong one last time to pay the Red Striking back. It's the only way we can make it up to them. It's also the safest option as far as getting the Red Striking off our backs.

  "I know the storage facilities and what they hold well. I know how many guards are at each post. With the Whitehearts’ help, we'll be in and out in no time. The only problem is that dad will be doubly mad. He'll lose twice. First, because the Red Striking won't do his dirty work and secondly because I'll have hit his stash again."

  Jax inhaled. "You know that going ahead with your plan will force his hand, right? He'll have to send Maddox after you right away."