Fearless Little Werewolf

by Katie Salidas

  Jay leaned in and whispered in her ear, “It was best you backed down.”

  “For who?” Giselle asked suspiciously.

  “You,” Jay responded, wobbling slightly where he stood. “There are some on the Council who did not want you in power. And I believe they would have found a way to kill any champion you brought forward.”

  “How do you know this?” Giselle asked, wondering why he was so forthcoming now when previously he’d been so cryptic with his warnings.

  “It’s easy to hear things when you’re presumed to be an idiot.” Jay slugged back the rest of his drink, and it was then that Giselle realized he was drinking water.

  It made sense now. Jay was the second son. He had no claim to anything, and that allowed him to be privy to other people’s schemes.

  She looked up and winked. “Thanks for having my back. But why, if I’m your brother’s competition?”

  “We’re family,” he said, leaning in close. “And some people in power would do anything to get their way. Even killing innocent little wolves.”

  “Who are you calling innocent?” Giselle feigned insult.

  “Don’t play the game. You will lose.” His words had all the ominousness of a threat, but he wasn’t making one. She was certain of it. Still, the effect was practically the same, and her wolf wanted nothing more than to rise to the challenge.

  “What about your mother?” Giselle asked spitefully.

  “She’s playing the game quite well. For both sides. Ace will be stepping into the arena for our family.” Again his words sounded off. There were strange inflections on certain words, as if he were speaking in a code she should understand but couldn’t.

  “Why make him?” Giselle asked. “Ace doesn’t need to be subjected to this.”

  “He offered. It’s his right to do if our family wishes to hold their seat on the Council.”

  “And what is the Council’s view on his claim?” Giselle asked. She looked around but could not locate her other cousin in the crowd.

  “They know our family. We’ve been in power for a while,” he said, with a quick glance over his shoulder. “But there are others who’ve recently gained favor with other regions. Be wary of the Rufus Reds.”

  Giselle rolled her eyes, almost glad to be avoiding more of the wolfy political process. “I’m keeping out of it all.”

  “Good.” Jay smiled and winked. “I must be off. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know. Just be sure you are nowhere near here during the trials.”

  “I don’t plan on it.”

  “Good girl.” Jay swatted Giselle on the butt and whooped loudly. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

  Giselle growled in response. Her instinct was to smack him, but she realized all too quickly he was still playacting. She could do it too. And with a loud huff, she turned and walked away.

  “What was that all about?” Asher looked ready for a fight. He propped himself on his elbows against the bar, and his narrow eyes looked straight past Giselle, finding their target on the back of Jay’s head.

  “Nothing,” Giselle grumbled, still pretending to be angry.

  “I told you those guys were asses. Bet that Ace or whatever his name is ends up taking the leadership. It’s all rigged anyway.”

  Giselle wondered if she should tell him the truth. She knew Asher was trustworthy, but in a room filled with wolves, all with extra sensitive hearing, she decided otherwise. He could learn the truth later. For now the charade needed to look real.

  “Let it go. He’s drunk,” Giselle said. “And bragging. That’s just what guys do.”

  “That’s no excuse. He’s an Alpha’s son. He should know better.” Asher’s voice was loud enough for the room to hear.

  “And one who will never be an Alpha. So let it go.” Giselle pulled at Asher’s arm, forcing him to turn away from Jay and the potential fight he was starting.

  “What’s got you all riled up?” Di asked, sipping her drink while scanning the room.

  “Boys being boys,” Giselle said. “You see anything interesting?”

  Di giggled, her face turning a few shades darker with embarrassment. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Only slightly. Might want to wipe your chin. You’re drooling a little,” Giselle smirked.

  “Whatever. Some of the contenders look like meatheads, but I think I might have to pay closer attention tomorrow, there are a few pieces of eye candy out there.”

  Asher raised an eyebrow. “And you got mad at me for being a dude?”

  “We girls are allowed to look too,” Di snapped at him. “And I freely admit I will be looking, tonight and tomorrow.”

  Giselle laughed at her sister’s blatant ogling. “Good for you. I’m staying home.”

  Taylor scooted closer to Giselle and passed her a soda. “You sure we can’t convince you?”

  Asher looked hopeful, but didn’t say a word.

  “Nope. I don’t want to be anywhere near here. I was deemed unworthy. I don’t need to have those that are worthy shoved in my faces.” Giselle made sure to speak as loudly as was conversationally appropriate and still allow her voice to carry.

  Across the room she spotted Fallon. Finally another friendly face in the den of soon to be killers. She wanted to get up from her seat and go talk to her new friend, but Fallon looked disappointed. She’d fought the good fight, but Giselle had made up her mind. She would not make a challenge.

  Their eyes connected for a brief moment, and though she looked sad, Fallon raised a glass in acknowledgement.

  Giselle needed to make sure all in attendance would not miss her or question her reasons for not being there, because when tomorrow arrived, there could be no interruptions in her plan. Tomorrow night was for her father. That above all had her focus, though she did hope for Ace to take his place as Alpha. He’d do a good job, and he was the clear favorite for the Silverman family.

  “Whatever. You’re just as good as any of them,” Di said.

  “And the fact you guys think so is affirmation enough. But I’m still a kid, and I’d like to enjoy that for as long as I can.” Giselle laughed boisterously, making sure others could overhear her conversation. “You know – make mistakes. Have fun. Do stupid things and get away with it.”

  Di laughed. “You’re good at it, that’s for sure.”

  “See? I figure I could make a career of being a stupid kid.” Giselle winked.

  “Already formulating your next idiotic scheme? Di asked.

  Giselle shrugged. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “No, I wouldn’t, because if you are...” Di suddenly looked flustered. “You’re bound to get us all in deep shit. Nope. I’d rather be in the dark and continue to enjoy my eye candy.”

  “As you wish.” Giselle bowed.

  A look of pure terror crossed Di’s face. “You do have something up your sleeve?”

  “No. But it’s fun to see you get scared.” Giselle giggled.

  “You better not.”

  “Scout’s honor.” Giselle saluted.

  “Why do I not believe you?” Di said.

  “Because you know her too well,” Asher finally chimed in.

  “I swear. I have nothing planned to disrupt this trial. I couldn’t care less who wins tomorrow or the next day.” Giselle turned to walk away, but Asher caught her by the arm.

  “Promise?” The look on his face made her wonder if he knew something. If he had talked to Damien. If somehow her secret had gotten out.

  “What did I just say?” Giselle pulled away from Asher’s grip and weaved her way into the crowd.

  Not two steps in, she found Richard.

  He stood talking with a drink in his hand. Three wolves she’d never met before surrounded her former mentor, hanging on his words as if he were a prophet. Young wolves by the look of them. Maybe only a few years older than she, but that was enough to give them the right to fight for their chance at the title. And maybe that was what Richard was talking with them about. She didn’t w
ant to stick around to find out.

  Their eyes met, and without a word between them, Giselle made clear her answer was still no.

  Everyone needed to know and understand that. She was here because she had to be here, but she would not fight or call anyone else in to fight her battles.

  There was no point in dragging out the conversation nor interrupting his, so just as quickly as she spotted him, Giselle altered her course and veered deeper into the crowd of wolves. The goal of this evening was to be seen, and she would ensure she was.

  Chapter 33

  “You all did so well last night,” Martina praised her family, as they finished packing first aid kits and bandages in the living room. Twilight had come, and the trials would start shortly after. “Tonight I expect no less. You may not be part of these trials, but you are there to bear witness to them.” She flitted around the room like a hummingbird on speed, packing her purse and checking on each of the kits to make sure there were enough bandages and ointments. “Splints. We’ll need splints.” She disappeared into the kitchen and came back with another box with padded wooden board splints sticking out.

  Taylor jumped up from where she was sitting. “I’ll carry those for you.”

  “Have fun with that.” Giselle rolled her eyes thinking of the real injuries. They were going to need body bags, not bandages.

  “Are you certain you want to stay behind? We can bring Orion with us if we all want to go.” Martina sounded as if she really wanted Giselle to go, while trying her best not to force the issue.

  Under normal circumstances, she’d have gone. Even knowing she’d be seeing unnecessary bloodshed, she’d have done it to show solidarity to her family. But not tonight. “I want nothing to do with this,” Giselle said with finality. “I played my part, and now I’m done. I hope you understand.”

  Martina gritted her teeth and nodded in acceptance. She set the overfilled box on the couch and went to work trying to stuff in all the loose pieces.

  Taylor snatched up a tape gun and hovered over Martina, waiting for her chance to use it.

  Giselle walked over to the side table and retrieved Martina’s purse while the others weren’t paying attention to her. Her mother had been under so much stress with the whole Alpha situation. Her trials had been ongoing since they left Washington, and Giselle had been no help. She had so much to apologize for. She’d been a horrible daughter. And tonight would be no different. Giselle slipped a hand into Martina’s purse and pulled her phone out as she walked the bag to her mother. “Don’t forget this.” She handed the bag over and gave Martina a one-handed hug while pocketing the phone. She’d make this up to her mother soon. She’d make up everything soon.

  When her father awoke and was able to be a functioning member of the pack, they’d both make up for all the problems Giselle had caused.

  But tonight, she still had one more thing to do. And she needed her family gone for it.

  “Thanks, honey. Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Martina asked.

  Her adoptive mother’s concern made what she planned to do all that much worse. Betrayal, disobedience, and carelessness were not her way, though she operated as if they were. Knowing that her mother cared went hand in hand with the understanding that that care would prevent her from doing anything deemed stupid. Which basically made up the majority of things Giselle did. Reckless, maybe, but certainly not stupid. Either way, if Martina knew what she planned, the answer would be no.

  This was the only way.

  She gave her mother one more big squeeze with both hands before letting go. “Of course. How much trouble can I get into at home?” Giselle joked.

  Di stood ready to get going. She alone seemed to have missed the negative side of this event. Dressed to impress rather than to watch blood splatter, her sister looked as if she were hunting for an Alpha to make her mate. Giselle wondered how Di would feel after seeing a guy she’d been drooling over lying dead and bloody on the dry desert ground. Not that curiosity would tempt her to go see Di’s reaction; Giselle would learn that quickly enough when they returned.

  “Please. Just go and say good luck to Ace for me. I’ll be fine,” Giselle said, hoping to push them out of the door faster. All she needed was Martina’s phone to go off in her pocket or some other form of Murphy’s Law to strike, and her evening would be ruined.

  Taylor settled down on the couch. “I might just stay too. I’d hate to see you all alone here.”

  Giselle’s heart skipped a beat. Everything she had planned hinged on the fact that she would be alone in the house with Orion. No one but she and Damien knew what was going to happen, and even he hadn’t been told the entire truth.

  “You’re so thoughtful,” Giselle said giving a hug to Taylor. “I’m not going to be alone, remember? This is Dad and me time.”

  Martina’s jaw tightened at the mention of her spending time with Orion. “Sweetheart, I’m glad you want to be closer to your father, but I feel like you’ve developed a somewhat... unnatural obsession with him lately.”

  Anxiety turned the volume of Giselle’s voice up to eleven as she barked at her adoptive mother. “I spent seventeen years not knowing I had a father. Excuse me for acting like I care when I do find him. So what if he’s not all there? He’s my dad. Let me have this, okay?”

  Martina held her hands up. “I didn’t mean it like that―”

  “How did you mean it, then?” Between the stress of what she was about to do and the fact her family was stalling to leave, Giselle was on the verge of a teenage emotional breakdown.

  Martina too looked one moment from snapping, and the tension in her voice confirmed it. “We are happy to care for him. But that is all we can do. I feel like you want him to wake up and start talking back to you, and maybe the full extent of his condition hasn’t quite settled in yet.”

  “No. It hasn’t. Happy?” Giselle threw the words at her. “But is it so bad that I want to take time and warm up to the idea that this may be all I get out of him?”

  Martina looked as if she’d been slapped in the face. “We need to go.” She stood and headed for the door.

  Taylor looked back. “I’ll stay if you want.”

  “No. You guys go. I need alone time anyway.” Giselle groaned and crossed her arms, making a show of turning away from the door.

  “Call if you need anything,” Martina said.

  “I will.” Giselle nearly rolled her eyes but caught herself before her mother could.

  Starting a fight with her family had not been part of her plan. Martina was hurt and stressed out, and didn’t deserve how Giselle was acting toward her. Nor did she deserve having her phone stolen. Giselle would have so much to atone for when this was done. A small voice in the back of her mind begged her to let it go and end all the secrecy, to call Martina back before it was too late and just attend the trials like the rest of the family.

  But another part of her had been waiting for this opportunity and knew it might not come again. She had to act now.

  Giselle waited for the door to close, listened as the car started, and then backed out of the driveway before digging Martina’s cellphone out of her back pocket.

  Her mother wouldn’t miss it with all the craziness going on at the trials. She set it on the coffee table and pulled her own phone out and sent a text to Damien.

  Giselle: It’s time. We’re ready for you and your mother to come.

  Agonizing minutes went by while she waited for a reply. Damien had said they had to work under the light of a full moon. She’d told him it would probably be tonight. Why wasn’t he answering?

  Finally, right before she sent another message, Damien replied.

  Damien: And Martina knows and is cool with it?

  Giselle: Yeah of course

  Damien: And there is no way to talk you out of this?

  Giselle: Nope. We’re doing this. Tonight. With the other wolves busy at the trials we will have no interruptions.

  Damien: I will tell mother

&nb
sp; Giselle sat and waited in silence, staring down at Martina’s phone on the table in front of her. Damien had stipulated that their help would only come with the approval of her pack. The trials had provided such a distraction that she doubted Damien’s mother Jasmine had any time to sit down and chat with her adoptive mother. She banked on it as she watched like a hawk, waiting to see a message flash across Martina’s phone.

  Damien might have taken her at her word, but Jasmine wouldn’t be that easy to fool. Though she did hope this ruse would be enough.

  As she predicted, a few minutes passed and Martina’s phone rang. Giselle let it go to voice mail and waited another minute more before sending a text back through her mother’s phone.

  Martina: I’m sorry. Can’t talk at the moment. We are beginning the trials.

  Jasmine: Giselle is at home alone then?

  She’d never pretended to be Martina before and thought before sending back replies. How would Martina word this?

  Martina: She is not attending. You will have privacy at my house.

  Jasmine: You know what she means to do then?

  Pretending to be Martina was harder than she thought. Was she sounding too formal? What would her mother say in response?

  Martina: My hands are tied. She’s too stubborn for her own good.

  Jasmine: We witches will not be held accountable

  Martina: Understood

  Giselle prayed she’d played a convincing role, even if only by text message. After a few more minutes of silence, her own phone buzzed again.

  Damien: We will be there shortly.

  Giselle: Thanks!

  She blew out a breath of relief. At least for the moment, things were working in her favor. She’d pay later for stealing Martina’s phone. And she’d definitely pay for lying to Jasmine. But if her father came alive, it would so be worth it.

  Chapter 34

  Watching the clock like a hawk had no effect on time. It moved slowly, tick by tick, as Giselle waited for the witches to arrive.

  Track lines from her pacing revealed the path she’d walked numerous times around the living room as she tried to do something to ease her mind.