Phoenix Rising (Invasion #1)
Page 14
“You seem well,” Enid said, smiling at Cori. “How are you feeling?”
“I slept sixteen hours,” Cori laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever slept that long in my life. Thanks for last night, Enid. Can I call you Enid?”
“Of course and it’s no problem at all,” Enid answered with a laugh.
Her laugh was music to Alex’s ears. It was the first genuine smile he’d seen from her since he’d arrived. Enid used to always smile.
“Where’d you learn how to shoot? I’ve never seen a werewolf with a gun before?” Cori questioned as she set the meal on the table.
Alex opened his mouth to answer as he began to set out the bowls and food, but Enid answered first, “Well, before the world turned upside down, I was a police officer. I trained in Tacoma before returning home and joining the force here. As far as I know, I hold the record for the best long distance shot at the academy.”
“Really?” Cori asked as her eyes widened. She plucked a piece of bread from the table as she sat down and stared at Enid. “Tacoma? That’s close to our home, right, Dad?”
“It is...was,” he sighed as he sunk into his chair. It was going to be hard not to think of Tacoma as home. The human population was coming back and after the attack on his pack a few weeks ago, it simply wasn’t safe for werewolves there anymore.
Cori frowned before turning her attention back to Enid. “That’s a bit far from here.”
“Yes. I had to get permission from your grandfather to come onto your pack’s territory. My time in Tacoma was only temporary. Most of my work was done in the small towns around Mount Rainier. A pack’s territory is sacred and not a place any wolf is allowed to be on for any length of time unless they are a member of the pack.”
“I’ve heard people talking that Dad’s pack and the Rainier pack don’t get along,” Cori said as she took a bite of her stew. “Is that true?”
Alex cleared his throat. This was a chance to start anew. Cori didn’t need to know about the past and the feud between the packs. Plus, the more she meddled the more she stood to discover. He wasn’t sure how his daughter would take the news that he and Enid had been lovers once. Cori didn’t remember much of her mother, but he didn’t want her to think he didn’t care for her either. Melissa would always hold a special place in his heart. She’d given him Cori and Tate. But Enid...she was something so much more. She was his mate—his reason for being. He just needed to make her believe that again, too. They’d separated because of fear and their parents. The less Cori knew about the past, the better—at least for now. “That’s all water under the bridge, sweetie. Don’t you think you should eat?”
Cori nodded as she dug into her soup. “Do you know these caves well, Enid?” Cori continued between bites.
Alex chuckled at his daughter’s persistence. She was always so curious. It was an endearing quality. One that hopefully wouldn’t get her into too much trouble like it had last night.
“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.
Shimmers in the Dark is available on Amazon and you can read it for free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription.
About the Author
Bethany Shaw lives in Ohio with her husband and two kids. Writing has always been her passion and she loves sharing her stories with readers. When she isn't writing, she is spending time with her family enjoying bike rides, bowling, and board games.
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Also by Bethany Shaw
A Hunted Novel
Purrfect Match
Sanctuary
Off Limits
Pursued
A Times Journey Novel
Vanished
Lost
The Invasion Series
Phoenix Rising
Werewolf Wars
Out of the Shadows
Into the Unknown
Finding Our Way
Lost and Found
Forbidden Hope
The Werewolf Wars Complete Series
Standalone
Rescued by the Bear
Watch for more at Bethany Shaw’s site.