by A Lonergan
His body sailed a few feet before he was impaled on a tree branch above me. The blur stopped and there was another stranger before me. His auburn hair shone in the light that broke through the thick canopy of trees above us. He whipped his head my way and grinned. His eyes were yellow and his shirt was gone. On his right pectoral muscle, there was the stamp of the Crimson Pack crest. The face of a wolf on a shield with two spears crossed behind it. He held out his hand then chuckled before he pulled it back. In the center of his palm was a thick, red heart. My eyes immediately went up to the man impaled on the tree and I shuddered. The branches that he was hanging on were protruding from his shoulders. Then there was a gaping hole in the center of his chest.
The man that had saved the day made my blood go cold as he took a bite out of the heart in his hand. Blood poured down the sides of his lips as he spit the organ out of his mouth then threw it on the forest floor. I stumbled around the base of the tree as I took off in another run. I didn’t know where I was going or what direction I was headed. All I knew was that I had to run. I couldn’t get away fast enough and then I was being held in someone’s arms that smelled like sunshine and flowers and a sob escaped my throat.
A hand ran down my hair as sobs wracked through my body. “Hey, it’s okay, what happened?”
All I could do was shake my head as Tracey held me. Another scent overtook me and my body went taut. Rafe. I swiped my fingers under my eyes and tried to slow my breathing but the panic was still inside of me. Everything came tumbling from my lips and I had to get back to my parents.
I stumbled away from my friend and went to run back into the woods when she grabbed me on either side of my face to stop me. “Jade, it’s okay, you’re safe. Rafe has a few of our guards going to your parent’s house. Their flight will be leaving soon, you’ll need to say goodbye to them.”
I nodded my head and took a deep breath. Yes, I couldn’t let them know that I was breaking down. I needed ice. I pressed my palms into my eyes and after a few seconds Rafe had some ice cubes and a bottle of water. I wanted to ask him about the night before and how late he had stayed but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Coward, my wolf whispered in my mind. I ignored her.
I took a sip out of the bottle of water and then the man from the woods sauntered out. There was still dried blood on his mouth and his hands were caked in it too. I swallowed hard and took a few steps back. I connected with Rafe’s chest. His hands found my shoulders and steadied me. When had he become a comforting beacon?
When you realized there were worse monsters than him out there. My wolf was on a roll.
Chapter 41
Jade Rivers
“So who was going to tell me that there was a newly changed wolf in the woods?” The bloodied man tilted his head as he looked at me. As he watched me with yellow eyes, another man I didn’t recognize handed him a shirt and my lips pulled down.
Rafe chuckled. “I was going to tell you but you sensed the threat faster than I could.”
The monster’s nostrils flared and for a moment I felt a pull to him. “Who is she?” He tilted his chin up and I was able to get a better look at him. He had thick eyebrows over deep-set golden eyes, his jaw was sharp but covered in a red stubble. His auburn hair was combed away from his face and fell in waves against his thick neck.
I jutted my chin at him. “She is right here.”
He smiled and my blood went cold as he inched toward me. I licked my bottom lip and felt Rafe at my back again. This time I didn’t back down. I wasn’t afraid of this man. I cracked my neck and took a step toward him. He balked at me before he looked over my shoulder at his Alpha. “She’s sigma.”
My eyebrows wrinkled. “She is Jade and she doesn’t like to be spoken about like she’s not here.” My tone dripped condescension.
Rafe let out a snort. Tracey raised her eyebrows as she looked around at everything but us. He took a step forward and grinned at me. I was surprised to find that his teeth were clean despite all the blood covering the rest of him. “I think you owe me a thank you.”
It was my turn to snort. I shoved around him and headed back to the woods. My parents would be expecting me back at any moment and I had to be sure they were safe. Sitting here going head to head with another egotistical male was not what I needed to do. Tracey was quick on my heels. Thankfully she was in workout clothes and I wouldn’t have to deal with questioning from my parents. They would probably be relieved to see Tracey. There was strength in numbers.
“Who is that guy?” I asked when we were far enough away from the pack lands.
Tracey scrubbed her hands down her face. “His name is Knox and he’s a complete sweetheart.”
I sputtered. “Could have fooled me.”
I could smell the blood in the woods and made sure to avoid it the best I could. Tracey wrinkled her nose. “He’s been training with the Pack Law the last year. Him and the rest of the Pack Guardians.”
More terminology I didn’t understand. “Pack Guardians?”
Tracey bit her lip. “I don’t know if we should be discussing this.”
I rolled my eyes as we broke through the other side of the woods. We stared at the back of my fence. We had to get this conversation rolling or it would be cut short as soon as my parents saw us. “Out with it.”
“Rafe is next in line for Pack Law.”
Chills erupted down my arms. “What?”
His father was seated on the Pack Law. They are the most powerful werewolves to ever exist.”
I took a deep breath. This didn’t affect me but then it did if I went to another pack and swore to another Alpha. He would always be there. I would always have to deal with him. But after my shift yesterday, would it be so bad? There had to an explanation, right?
“How was your shift last night?” Tracey changed the subject and I was grateful for it.
“Besides the person that broke the window, the wolves repairing my parent’s home, and Rafe being the one to comfort me?” I shrugged. “Just dandy.”
Tracey giggled and shook her head. “Why am I not surprised that it was eventful? I always miss the action. So how did he do? I really didn’t want to send him but my hands were tied. I had to get Knox, Archer, Duncan, Gabriel, and Mav from the airport.”
“Those are the Guardians?” I lowered my voice as we walked to the front of the house. All the cameras would be on nonstop now.
Tracey nodded. “Some of them, they are to protect our Alpha and the pack. I’m glad that they got back in time to deal with all of this. You think our senses are heightened? They can see farther, hear better, and track like no other.”
My dad opened the door with a grin. “The weirdest thing happened today.” He spotted Tracey and his smile grew. “Oh, hello!”
Tracey gave a little wave. “Hi, Mr. Rivers.” She looked at me. “I’ll be waiting in your room.”
I gave her a nod.
“Those boys that were here before you left, there was something off about them.” He shook his head as he closed to door behind me. “They left to go get the window out of their truck and completely disappeared.”
My shoulders fell. That meant they wouldn’t be leaving any time soon. But it was also a good thing because that meant that Rafe had managed to protect my parents. But when we walked into the kitchen I noticed that the window was as good as new. I frowned.
“That’s where it gets weird. A few men knocked on the door a couple of minutes later and said they had been sent by Rafe Crimson, the Mayor’s son. He said one of the kids on his property got lost last night and was spooked by something. They replaced the window within a few minutes and free of charge!” My dad did like free, but what kind of game was Rafe playing at here? Had it been one of his wolves that had done this? After seeing the rogue wolves in the kitchen and then the one in the woods, I knew that wasn’t the case. Rafe and I would be talking soon. So I plastered on a fake smile and excitement. “Wow, that’s awesome!”
“When we get ba
ck from Morocco, I want to go over to his property and thank him or maybe we can invite him and his family over for dinner.” My heart ached to tell him. I pressed my lips together and continued to smile though.
“I think that would be great!”
Dad waggled his eyebrows at me. “I know you’re nursing a broken heart but, I hear this Rafe fellow is quite the looker.”
I swore the blood drained from my face. I rubbed my eyes to keep myself from bursting. The laughter was on the tip of my tongue. “Ya know, Dad, I’m just going to focus on myself for now. No boys.”
Dad raised his eyebrows. “Girls then?”
The laughter spilled from my lips then. “No girls either.”
He kissed the top of my head and passed me to the stairs. I could hear Mom above my head getting her final touches together. They would be on a long flight and my mom had her rituals for such things. She would need her special neck pillow, tons of snacks, and her blankets. There were probably other things she needed too but I had never stayed in the room long enough to watch her spaz out over it all. She made me anxious. She couldn’t forget a single thing. I was glad Dad was going up there to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything.
Tracey was leaning against the wall when I finally made it to my bedroom. She lifted an eyebrow at me. “So he was on the bed last night?”
My cheeks flamed. “It wasn’t like that.”
Tracey grinned. “Oh, I know. I can smell that too.”
I rolled my eyes.
“What was he doing on the bed?” She shoved away from the wall and shook her shoulders like this was a good thing. This was not a good thing.
I sighed. “It was a rough shift. I don’t know what happened. He wasn’t the Rafe I was used to. I don’t know.” I looked at the ceiling while I scrubbed my hands down my face. “He was taking care of me.”
Her light brows rose up on her forehead. “Rafe took care of you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, I think. I fell asleep and he was still there. But he wasn’t here when I woke up.”
“You fell asleep while he was in your bed?” Her head jutted forward in disbelief while her eyebrows pulled together.
I hid behind my hands. “He forced a shift on me.”
She blinked. “Oh.” She puffed her cheeks out. “Well, that explains why you fell asleep.”
“But it wasn’t even like that, even if I hadn’t been exhausted.” My shoulders slumped.
Tracey nodded as she sat on the edge of my bed. “Rafe is a good guy, even if he is broody and an ass.”
I rolled my eyes. “You heard my dad talking about him and what he did for us.”
Tracey gave me a sheepish grin. “Yes, but I also saw Rafe when he got back this morning. He looked like he was making the walk of shame.”
“Did he look angry?” I bit my lip.
“He looked confused but then Knox tackled him to the ground and nothing else mattered.”
“This Knox character…” I trailed off. He had probably saved my life, even if it was a terrifying way he had done it.
Tracey leaned back and kicked her shoes off. “He’s a bit intense but as a Guardian of the Pack, he is more in tune with his wolf than anyone else.”
“What did he mean when he said I’m a sigma?”
Tracey pressed her lips together. “I don’t know if I’m the one that should tell you this.”
I groaned. “You’re my best friend, why wouldn’t you be the right one to tell me?”
Tracey licked her lips. “Because I won’t know for sure until you shift again. Your first shift was a bit hazy. I was trying to keep you from killing me.” She sat up quickly and her eyes got big. “Oh my gosh, did you try to kill Rafe last night? Please tell me you did.”
I shook my head and she fell back to the bed. Her hair created an arc around her shoulders as she connected with the mattress again. “No, my wolf was super content. It was an overall strange experience.”
“Well, in any case, I won’t be able to know until you shift again, which should be in a few days if your body feels ready again.”
I rolled my shoulders. Most of the soreness had left my body and I sighed. I knew as soon as I took a hot shower or bath, the rest would fade away. “I think I should be ready to shift again on the full moon.”
Tracey grinned. “You won’t just be shifting, you’ll be running with the rest of the pack. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
I pressed my lips together. “As long as Knox stays away from me, I should be okay.”
Tracey laughed and shook her head against my pillow. “Well, Knox is exceptionally unpredictable. I can’t speak for him, but I have a feeling he will be waiting for the prisoner to shift so he can get into his mind. The wolf mind is easier to get into than the human. Knox or Mav should be able to break the barrier on his thoughts. We have to know the witch that did this to him and possibly the wolf.”
I had completely forgotten about Carden. “He doesn’t have to shift?”
Tracey’s eyes left my ceiling fan. “The Guardians do their training in their wolf form for over the course of a year. Think of it as SEAL training but more brutal. The ones that can’t shift back at the end of it are executed.”
My mouth dropped open. “Why?”
“Because their minds are broken and that’s why their human half can’t come back. Only the most powerful survive.”
Chapter 42
Jade Rivers
My parents had been gone two days and I was getting back into the swing of things even though Tracey kept bothering me to move onto the pack lands. Which was something I couldn’t do. I needed to be self-sufficient. Moving in with the pack that wasn’t even mine didn’t scream independence. It screamed desperation. I needed a paying job. I needed responsibility for myself. I couldn’t do that if I was still relying on others. I had all of my resumes typed up and printed out. I could do this. There was part of me that was a wolf but I wasn’t going to harp on that. I could survive in this town and my life without constantly having to worry. I would live my life to the best of my capabilities. The rest be damned.
The doorbell rang and I threw my backpack over my shoulder. I frowned as I rushed down the stairs and peeked through the sheer curtains. I wasn’t expecting anyone unless it was Tracey. But the massive figure on the other side of the door wasn’t Tracey. I swung the door open, grabbed the man’s hand, and yanked him into the house.
I didn’t know who he was but I knew he was one of Rafe’s Guardians. I let out a deep breath before I lit into him. “What are you doing here?”
His deep olive complexion stained pink for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, too. My name is Mav.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Hi, Mav, what are you doing here?”
Thankfully my parents had said service was spotty in Morocco and talking to them would be brief. I doubted they would be able to check the cameras if they could hardly get a call through.
He mocked my pose and crossed his arms over his chest. He was a big dude with tree trunk sized arms, thick neck, and a strong jaw. He didn’t look like any wolves I was used to. He looked like he belonged on a beach doing the Haka somewhere tropical. His eyes were a pastel yellow as he looked me over. His hair was curly and bleached at the ends. He smiled and it was enough to ease some of the tension pumping through me.
“Tracey informed me that you would be going into the city today, I am here to escort you.” I blinked slowly. That hussy ratted me out.
“This is some kind of joke, right?” I readjusted the purse on my shoulder. The last thing I needed was a babysitter, especially one that would be seeing where I was applying to work.
All he did was grin. “I can assure you that this isn’t a joke.”
“What if I say no?” I pinched my lips together as I tried to think of a clever way to get out of this.
Mav leaned back against the wall and crossed one ankle over the other. “I would suggest that you don
’t do that unless you want the rest of the Guardians tailing you today.”
I considered my options. “Fine, but you don’t make any comments about where we go.”
He winked. “Lingerie?”
I let out an exasperated breath. “Job applications.”
Mav cocked his head. “You can’t do that in town?”
I rolled my eyes as I motioned for him to leave my house while I locked up. “The last thing I want is to have a job working for your Alpha.”
“You know he isn’t the boss of everything, right?”
“He sure thinks he is,” I chuckled. I unlocked my little beater of a car and Mav slid into the passenger seat easily, even though he looked like he was being squeezed into a clown car. I looked at his truck parked on the side of the road and shrugged. He could have offered his ride, but a little torture wouldn’t be so bad. It would keep the other Guardians from me… hopefully.
“So why are you here, exactly?” I asked as we were cruising down the interstate. I hadn’t turned on the music and had waited for him to speak but he remained silent. Eventually it wore me down.
Mav raised his thick brows and leaned against the passenger door. “There have been… recent developments with the rogue wolves.”
I tapped my thumbs on the steering wheel. “Recent developments that you want to share?”
He gave me a toothy grin. “Classified.”
I pouted. “I don’t even know you.”
“Exactly why I won’t be telling you classified information.”
“I mean, I don’t know you well enough for you to be protecting me. How do I know you won’t try to hurt me?”
Before I knew it he was pulling his shirt from his body, I was trying to not swerve into oncoming traffic and all the while he was looking awfully smug. “What the hell are you doing?”
He jabbed a meaty finger at his chest. “This will prove to you that I am who I say I am. I took an oath to my Alpha and I will take one to you too.”
