Entwined (Vukodlak Brew Book 1)

by Christine M. Butler

  “Do you need me to wait on you so you can get back to your car?” I asked him as he pulled a key from under a rock in the yard.

  “Nah, sweetheart, I got it covered. You and your sister go enjoy the rest of your day.” I nodded to him and got ready to pull out before he called out once more. “Hey Iz?”

  “Yeah?”

  “If you have questions, and you’re not comfortable finding the answers somewhere else, I’ll be here. I don’t want you to think no one is on your side. And the two of you had a lot dropped on you all at once. You shouldn’t have to run around being confused by the mistakes everyone else managed to make. I mean it, I’m here to answer your questions, listen to your concerns, or whatever else you need.” He turned to head to his door then, but looked back once more to add, “and whatever we talk about can stay between us. No need for it to go any further.”

  Tears welled in my eyes as he said that. No matter what else came of my trip to the mountains, I knew I would always have a friend in Garrett, and I honestly grew sad all over again that he wasn’t my sister’s Kindred Mate, because I really wanted him to be.

  “I’m ready to throw this whole kindred thing in the garbage for a chance at that,” my sister admitted after we pulled a safe distance away from Garrett’s place. “He’s seriously too perfect.”

  I smiled at her. “Yeah, I thought of you the minute we met. It’s a damn shame it didn’t work out that way.”

  “Well, I have the rest of the summer to decide if I even want to go along with this crap everyone’s been spewing.” She took note of my stunned expression. “I believe it, don’t get me wrong. I believe every last word they said to us, especially about the way your Kindred Mate calls to you. How could I not? I’ve been there for the past three years of you being all kinds of tore up over something you didn’t even understand. I’m just not sure if it’s worth me getting all worked up over, you know?”

  “Yeah, I get that. I’d probably feel the same way in your shoes. Unfortunately, I already know what it feels like, and it sucks denying that feeling.”

  “So, why are you still doing it?”

  I shrugged my shoulders, not exactly sure anymore. “I guess partly because it’s scary and partly because of the whole Lana thing.”

  “Pfft,” the unattractive sound left my sister’s lips as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t let that drama queen stop you from finding your own happiness, Iz. Lana knew what the deal was with Dre, and whether she wants to admit to it or not, there was never anything there beyond stress relief wrapped up in a booty call.”

  “Yeah, well, it doesn’t change anything that happened though.”

  “No, it doesn’t. It also shouldn’t change the three years you spent wishing for the man in the picture, because you couldn’t get him out of your head. Why don’t you just give it a chance and see what happens?”

  “Yeah,” I offered quietly. “Maybe.” Then I stopped the car on the side of the road. “Hey, sis, I don’t want to stay at Lana’s anymore. Think we can afford a hotel room if we put our resources together?”

  “Well, duh. Let’s do that and see if we can find somewhere to work for now too. Maybe we can find a temporary apartment for the rest of the summer, and then depending on how things go, either we head back to our apartment while I finish college, or you know… whatever happens.” I smiled over at her then. Liz was always the one to fly by the seat of her pants where I had always been a planner. This was as close to a compromise between our two personalities as we had come to in a while.

  “Sounds good. Let’s see what we can find in town.”

  ~*~ DRE ~*~

  “Hey man, how did everything go?” Garrett probably hadn’t been expecting me to be waiting at his place when he got back, but I was too nervous about what the girls had talked about to wait.

  “Dre, nice to see you’ve made yourself at home,” Garrett chuckled as he tossed his towel aside and picked up a pair of shorts that had been on his floor.

  “Some reason why the girls dropped you off, in a towel?”

  “Yeah, your woman called me out, even though she couldn’t see me, she figured someone was out there babysitting them.” Garrett laughed again. “That’s one smart cookie you have there. I don’t think you’ll be getting anything by her in the future.”

  Just hearing him mention a future where Izzy might be by my side had my stomach churning mush. “Does it sound like a future might be something I need to think about, or…” I couldn’t even bring myself to voice the other alternative. The possibility where she wasn’t a part of my life any longer made my chest ache. For me, that wasn’t going to be an option. I wouldn’t roll over and try to forget the way Jackson had done. I planned on fighting for my mate.

  “I think she’s beyond tempted. The only thing holding her back is her confusion and misplaced loyalty. Lana really fucked this up with the little hissy fits she’s been throwing.”

  I shook my head, allowing myself to wallow for a moment in the disappointment I felt for my own actions. “Biggest regret of my life.”

  “I know. I think she knows it too. Izzy, that is. I’m pretty sure Lana’s hoping you’ll forget about her niece and come to your senses. As a matter of fact, I fully believe that’s why she keeps giving Iz such a hard time.” I eyed Garrett curiously as he spoke. “Think about it. If Iz suddenly leaves the picture and dismisses you, Lana probably thinks you’ll be looking for a consultation prize. You came to her once before because she reminded you of Iz. I’m betting she’s hoping the same shit will happen again.”

  “Fuck!” I ran my hands through my hair again as I thought about what Garrett was saying. He was probably right. Lana was completely enthralled with me, and it was my own damn fault for going there so many times. Damn it, I should have known better. This was why my pack never really dallied with the same women for long, and we almost never messed around with the women from our town, because they almost always got the wrong idea. Tourists were better options because they were there and gone before anyone could start building crazy fantasies. Now, I was the one with a fantasy, and the sole person responsible for fucking it up.

  “By the way, I heard the girls talking about finding a place to stay for the summer as they were pulling out of here.” Garrett smiled up at me as he bent to tie a pair of running shoes that he’d slipped on his feet. “I’m thinking Lana’s shit is getting to everyone. Which, in this case, may work out for you. Lana’s giving Izzy a hard time for something she had absolutely no control over, and worse, she’s still giving her a hard time about it even after Iz let you know that she wasn’t the type of person to go where her family had been.”

  “How is all that good for me?”

  “Well, Lana’s bitchiness isn’t exactly endearing the family loyalty line. She’s ready to toss her niece aside to keep you in her life, and she’s made that pretty obvious. Izzy and Liz have both said as much. Why should Izzy remain loyal to Lana if their relationship is already destroyed by something that she didn’t even have a hand in?” Garret huffed out a sigh. “The sad thing is, if Lana had been sweet and understanding to her niece you never would have stood a chance, but behaving the way she is, it may just push Izzy to you.”

  “Good. In that case, I’m sorry she lost that relationship with her aunt, but I hope Lana continues to be a bitch.”

  Garrett laughed again then. “Yeah, me too, buddy. Now, tell me how the meeting went. Did you send Granger on the scouting mission?”

  “Wrong family member.” When Garrett eyed me with a questioning look I elaborated. “Gage volunteered to go. He gave bullshit excuses for why he wanted it, but I think it’s pretty obvious he wasn’t thrilled about distracting Lana for me.”

  “Understandable. It’s probably for the best anyway. Is he going to wait until introductions with Liz are over before he heads out?”

  “Nope, said he didn’t give a fuck about that, and already took off.”

  “What the hell?” Garrett was truly puzzled then. “I’ve ne
ver known a wolf to turn down introductions to a Kindred female before. What if…”

  “I think your cousin isn’t ready for what ifs just yet.” I told him. “We need to keep tabs and find out where the girls end up, and make sure that Jackson has the funds to ensure they’re staying in a decent place. If he doesn’t step up and take care of them then set something up. I’d rather them not stay with Lana anyway. Seems to me she’ll take any opportunity to try to poison the girls against me.”

  “Will do. When are you going to approach Liz about a meet and greet?” Garrett was running his fingers through his hair now, a nervous gesture we both shared. “I’m thinking she won’t have as big a problem with this whole thing as her sister did. Hell, I’m kind of ticked that I didn’t feel anything with her. She’s spunky as hell, and just my type.”

  “Yeah, that would have been great to have her mated to someone in the pack, you specifically. It would have helped secure the transition with her sister, and you know, keep them together.”

  “Yeah, they are pretty tight. I wonder what will happen if they end up separated because of packs?”

  “Let’s hope that’s never an issue.”

  The more I thought about it, the more I hoped that introducing Liz around to the pack would lead to a mated pairing, because I wasn’t sure if Izzy would want to stick around if her sister couldn’t. Eventually word would get out about Liz being Kindred. When it did, other packs would come calling for her. I would definitely have to step up my game and make her sister fall head over heels for me before that could happen.

  I made sure to keep my distance for the next couple days, although I did make sure to let the cottage owner, where the girls found a place to stay, that it would be on my tab and not theirs. They’d find out as soon as the rent came do for the month, but not before. I took the first month’s rent that they had already paid and put it away in an envelope to get back to them. Jackson insisted that they should pay their own way, because they had their own funds, but I’d be damned if I let them do that after his outburst and ultimatum that Izzy mate with me or be cut off. Obviously, I wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of that happening. I did have to go drop the bomb to them about a meet and greet with Liz and the rest of the pack. The guys were getting antsy. They’d given me a couple days to let the truth of our world settle in with the girls, but werewolves weren’t really known for being a patient lot.

  “You heading out soon to talk to the girls?” Garrett had found me again. He always seemed to know when I could use his council, even if it was just to provide comic relief and lighten up a tough situation.

  “Yeah, I was just thinking how I needed a plan of action first. You know? So that I get them to agree and also come across as a good guy for Izzy, and not the guy dropping another bomb on them.”

  Garrett laughed, as per usual. “I think you’re overthinking this. Let’s put the planning on hold and just show up and wing it. That way, whatever happens comes across as genuine. Besides, I don’t really think you’ll get a whole lot of resistance from the girls. After everything Izzy has been through with you already, I think her sister is anxious to meet as many werewolves as you can put in front of her.” He tossed up air quotes around his next words, “you know, just in case.” His chuckles died off then. “And damn if I won’t envy the man who feels that pull. Shit, I’ve been tempted to fake it myself. She’s a cool ass chick.”

  “I get that. Well, if we’re going to do it, let’s get moving.”

  We both climbed into my truck and took off toward the city to see the woman that brought me to my knees and the one Garrett wished would bring him to his. “Stop overthinking it,” Garrett spouted off as we travelled down the road. I didn’t even try to deny that was why I was quiet. My nerves were on overload with everything going on. I wasn’t really sure how well this was going to go over, and despite my best friend’s confidence level mine just wasn’t there.

  I hadn’t actually laid eyes on Izzy for days. When I saw her in the woods that day, before I left Garrett to babysit so I could go conduct pack business, I had kept my distance. That pretty much meant I was a damn shut-in for the past couple days, because I was afraid if I left my house I would catch her scent, see her somewhere, and I would be done for. The only way to give her space was to not be anywhere near her. That didn’t mean I wasn’t aware of what she was up to. I got plenty of texts, calls, and messages from the rest of my pack keeping me well apprised of her movements. They also pushed to be able to get closer to her sister. None of them were willing to listen to good sense. Even if they had only seen her from a distance, if they hadn’t felt the pull for her, it wasn’t meant to be.

  I guess it was kind of like squashing someone’s hope. They all wanted it to be them, so no one was willing to give up until they could meet her face to face, shake hands with her, look her in the eye, or whatever else it would take to convince them there was no pull. We had all heard of, or lived vicariously through, other pack members’ histories. The stories of what it was like to meet your Kindred Mate were revered. Everyone wanted to experience that kind of bond. Even the guys who wanted to sow their wild oats for far longer than a normal man ever would think to do it, our kind would fall at the first scent, sight, and taste of a true mate. I understood, after seeing the mess I was going through with my own Kindred, that most of the guys were weary now. What if they met theirs and something went wrong. What if I made them wait too long to meet Liz and it turned out she was their Kindred, but she had fallen for someone else. They were all worried. I understood. That didn’t mean I was going to hit the sisters with the demands of my pack before they were ready. I wouldn’t screw up any further with Izzy than I already had. I couldn’t.

  Chapter Ten

  ~*~ IZZY~*~

  “I haven’t seen or heard from Dre in days. I haven’t even felt his presence near me.” Worry was beginning to set in that I had really messed things up by being so aloof and wanting time to figure things out. Maybe he had finally decided I wasn’t worth the chase now, no matter what some silly old folk tale about Kindred Mates said.

  “Are you worried he’s no longer interested, or are you happy that you don’t have to worry about it anymore?” My sister asked me. I don’t know why she bothered asking the stupid question. She already knew the answer.

  “Maybe he doesn’t want me anymore. I’m probably too much trouble, and with the Lana thing, and you know all the drama…” I shrugged my shoulders trying to play it off like I didn’t care one way or another, but that was a big fat lie I tried to tell myself. I did care. I just didn’t know what to do about it. There didn’t seem to be a right answer where anything was concerned. “No matter what I choose I hurt someone,” I finally voiced the point for my indecision.

  “So you’re going to just do nothing and take the decision out of your own hands?” My sister looked at me with contempt in her eyes. “Iz, you’ve never been a coward. Don’t start acting like one now.”

  “I’m not trying to, Liz. I just don’t know…”

  “How about, instead of worrying about everyone else, you try taking the selfish route instead. What do you want? What will make you happy? It’s time to think about you in this equation, because from what I can see you haven’t thought about yourself at all. You’ve given credence to Dre, Lana, hell you’ve thought about me, mom, and dad’s feelings too. What about you?”

  “It hurts to think he’s given up on me, on us. It hurt when I found out he was with Lana, but at least I could kind of understand him losing hope that he’d even find some random girl that could have been from anywhere in the world. Knowing that he hasn’t been around has had me equal parts worried for his safety and worried that he just doesn’t care anymore. I don’t know. I feel half crazy all the time.”

  My sister had the nerve to laugh at me as we heard the loud mufflers of a big truck pulling into the parking area outside of the cottage house we were renting. My sister took a quick glance out the window and her face lit up lik
e fireworks on the Fourth of July. “Well, I guess you’re about to get your answer.”

  “What do you…” I didn’t have to finish the question I was about to ask, because I felt him. Dre was close by. It was probably his truck parking outside. Of course he would know where I was. Now, I just had to prepare myself for whatever decision he’d come to, and figure out what I wanted for myself. I wasn’t sure it could be that easy, because if it were up to me I would just run into his arms and beg him not to leave me alone ever again. That sentiment alone had me ready to run scared too, because I never thought I would feel that way about any man. I always felt my mom had an unhealthy attachment to my dad. She never let him out of her sight unless he was at work, and even then, she kept tabs on him. It was always strange in my eyes. Liz thought they were just that in love, and now that I knew the truth about my dad and his supposed Kindred Mate who was still out there, I was even more sure that my mother’s actions smacked of desperation. She reminded me more of her sister, Lana, then than I had ever thought before.

  There was a knock on the door and my sister swung it open without a moment’s hesitation, inviting both Dre and Garrett in to join us. “Hey guys, what’s going on?”

  “Liz, Izzy,” Garrett called out to each of us. “We’ve come to offer a formal invitation to be introduced to the pack.” His eyes were on my sister, not me. It was obvious why that was. I was already confirmed as someone’s Kindred Mate. I didn’t really need to be introduced, but this could be something good for Liz. She may yet have a mate in the pack that we hadn’t run into on our own. We were both sure by some of the strange looks men in town had given my sister that they had all been approaching her carefully, and from a distance, hoping to feel the pull. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred for my sister.