by J. C. Diem
Kala and Flynn exchanged disturbed glances. They sensed the same thing that I did, Reece had changed. I wasn’t sure what was different about him. He was shielding himself from me too strongly for me to delve into his mind.
He returned and took a seat as Flynn was dishing out our food. Tense and dreading the meal ahead, I barely tasted the fish and steamed vegetables.
“What did your Mom have to say?” Kala said when Reece didn’t immediately launch into an explanation of what happened to him after he’d been led away by the pack. “Where was she anyway?”
“Ned told me she had an errand to run, but he wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
“What did he tell you?” Flynn asked. “You were with the pack all day. Surely they told you why they kidnapped you.”
Instead of answering the question, Reece had one of his own. “What did Gareth tell you when you were slicing him open?” The look he sent Kala was very close to hostile.
“Not much,” she replied breezily, as if she wasn’t well aware that he was teetering on the edge of anger already. “He killed a bunch of people and used their deaths to lure you here so your Mother could talk you into becoming their alpha.”
“Plus, he wants to kill you,” I added, just in case he’d forgotten about being sliced open from his stomach to his sternum.
“That’s true,” Kala said then stuffed a huge forkful of fish into her mouth. “He hates your guts.” We all had practice at interpreting what she was saying and we understood her garbled words.
“Why?” Reece was genuinely bewildered.
“Because your mother wants you to be the alpha of their pack,” Flynn said. “If you accept her offer you’ll have everything he wants. He’d rather see you dead than become subordinate to you.” He paused for a second then added an afterthought. “We’re pretty sure he’s completely nuts.”
Reece turned to Mark, who nodded in confirmation. “Gareth was reluctant to talk, but you know how persuasive Kala can be.”
“He barely talked at all until the Mind Sweeper turned up and questioned him,” I reminded everyone. “He was more successful at getting the answers we needed.”
“Nina was aware of what your brother was up to,” Mark explained. “She allowed him to kill those people to lure you here, but I doubt she knew he’d try to kill you.”
“No,” Reece said and toyed with his food. “She doesn’t want me dead.”
“She wants you to take her place,” I said flatly. “It’s what you were born to do, after all.”
“Just because he’s an alpha doesn’t mean he has to stay here and run their pack,” Kala said almost sulkily. “We’re his family. He already leads our pack.”
“It isn’t enough,” I said on Reece’s behalf. “We’re not enough. Not for a pure blood lycan. He could never be happy ruling over misfits and mongrels like us.”
Keeping his eyes on his plate, Reece didn’t deny my words. Mark looked at him sadly. “What are we going to do about your brother?” he asked.
“Nina wants to meet with us tomorrow to discuss it.”
“Where?”
“There’s an abandoned property halfway between our base and theirs. She’ll be there at midday tomorrow.”
“I know the property,” Mark said heavily. “It’s where your pack used to live.”
“What if it’s an ambush?” Flynn asked. “How do we know they’re not just going to gun us all down?”
“She gave me her word that we won’t be harmed,” Reece said.
Kala was incredulous. “And you believe her?”
He nodded decisively. “I do.”
“Why? Because she’s your mother? You haven’t seen her for eighteen years! You don’t know anything about her.” Her words were fierce and at the same time pleading for him to see reason.
“I know she loves me and that she wants us to be a family,” he said stubbornly.
“Boy, that sounds familiar,” I said wryly. “That’s exactly what my mother said to me just before she tried to turn me.”
“Unlike your mother, mine isn’t a psychotic monster.” His tone was nearly disdainful.
“Don’t kid yourself, Reece.” I used the name that Mark had given him deliberately. “She allowed your brother to kill a bunch of people just to get you here. She’s just as bad as he is.” Pushing away from the table, I left my half eaten meal behind and headed for the stairs.
Sensing just how deep my depression was becoming, Zeus mastered his fear of the tight spiral staircase and followed me. Knowing he’d have to descend them again, he cast a frightened look back at the stairs then followed me into my room. He was too well trained to climb up onto my bed. Instead, he sat beside me when I lay down and rested his head on the edge of my mattress. Staring into his chocolate brown eyes, I wished I could become a true wolf and leave my human cares behind. A tiny voice inside me told me to be careful what I wished for.
Come tomorrow we’d have to face Nina Carter and her kin. Reece might believe that she meant us no harm, but I didn’t trust her. How could I when she wanted to steal him away from me?
I eventually fell asleep only to be woken before dawn by Zeus whining softly. He was in dire need to be let outside and his desperation was strong enough that he almost flew down the stairs. He barely realized he’d made it to the ground floor without falling through as he’d feared.
Letting him out through the kitchen door, I decided I might as well have an early breakfast. It was far too quiet as I sat at the dining table to eat alone. Finishing up with a cup of coffee, I washed my dishes by hand out of habit. The house my father had rented in Texas didn’t have a dishwasher. Most of the homes we’d lived in during my childhood had been small and lacking in amenities. We might not have been rich, but I’d never needed for anything and I had no complaints.
Looking back, my life had been far from normal yet I’d been happy. Now I was estranged from my father. Despite his fear and loathing of what I’d become, he’d saved me from my mother’s creator when he, Mark and Beatrice had been trapped in the dilapidated old church. He’d put a bullet in the master vampire’s brain, which hadn’t killed him but had saved my life. He’d distracted the vamp long enough for Flynn and Kala to swoop in and rip him apart.
Unable to come to terms with my new state of being, my father had walked away from me. Reece had promised that he would never leave me, but he’d been drawing away from me ever since we’d learned there were other werewolves in the area. The two men I should have been able to trust implicitly were letting me down. All I needed now was for Mark, Kala and Flynn to turn on me and my misery would be complete.
Realizing I was on the verge of wallowing in self-pity, I headed upstairs and changed into running gear. The air was crisp when I stepped outside, but I wasn’t cold in my shorts and t-shirt. Zeus raced towards me, stopping long enough to scoop up a stick.
“You never quit, do you?” I mock growled. His ears perked up and he stared at me hopefully. My tone might be harsh, but he sensed that I wasn’t truly angry.
Taking the stick, I tossed it then took off at a jog. My furry guardian received a far harder workout than he’d anticipated. Chasing after me, he nudged the stick into my hand then galloped alongside me until I threw it again. I ran a circuit of the entire compound and Zeus grew tired long before I made it back to the beginning. Panting for air, he staggered over to the base to wait for me.
Now that I wasn’t distracted, I put my head down and sprinted for all I was worth. I’d have been an indistinct blur to human eyes as I streaked around the worn path. There were no crosses on the inside of the compound to impede me. Only when I moved to the front of our base and neared the gate did I encounter searing pain.
Performing two full circuits of the property, I was drenched in sweat when Kala joined me. Her shorts were cut-off jeans, but otherwise her outfit was similar to mine. “Slow down,” she complained after barely managing to keep up with me for the first mile. “Felines aren’t long distance runners you k
now.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I wanted to be alone, but that wasn’t true. I’d been alone for most of my teenage years due to my father frequently being sent on overseas missions. I slowed my pace down enough for her to be able to keep up.
“What’s going on inside Reece’s head?” she asked.
“I have no idea. He’s keeping me out.”
“He’s going to stay with his pack, isn’t he?”
It wasn’t couched as a question, but I shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out in a few hours’ time.”
“What will you do if he decides to stay? Will you stay here with him?”
I was silent long enough for her to give me a sideways glance. “He wouldn’t want me to stay with him,” I said at last.
“Why not?” She was shocked by the idea that he might not want me. “You’re bonded. Doesn’t that make you a package deal?”
“I don’t think it’s going to matter what he wants. His family are pure bloods,” I reminded her. “They won’t want a mongrel living with them.” It came out as bitter as it had sounded in my head. “Besides, there’s apparently a way for the bond to be transferred to someone else.”
Startled by that, she almost tripped. “Where did you hear that?”
“Flynn said he read it in the archives. That was apparently Gareth’s plan. He was going to mark me then force me to mark him in return. My bond would automatically shift to him, which I guess means Reece would be free of me.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “There’s still so much I don’t know about our kind that it’s almost scary.”
“Tell me about it.” We shared a rueful smile then concentrated on running.
₪₪₪
Chapter Nine
Finishing our run with plenty of time to spare, Kala and I headed inside. Nervous about meeting Reece’s mother, I knew there was no chance that I’d make a good first impression on her. I was annoyed that I was even concerned about what she would think of me. Her husband had been insane and her youngest son had turned out to be a chip off the old block. She’d tried to kill Mark and had left him scarred for life. Instead of meeting with her to discuss her psycho son, we should have been locking them all up. Better still, we should use our assault rifles to cut them all down.
Dressing in camouflage cargo pants, a black t-shirt and boots, I covered my holster with my new black jacket. Now that winter was beginning to set in, I wouldn’t become overheated. With multiple enemies, I placed a second gun in the small of my back and loaded my pockets with spare ammo.
I wasn’t alone in being armed with more than one weapon. Even Reece was carrying two guns. I sincerely hoped we wouldn’t be forced to do battle with the pack. If we did, I wasn’t sure which side he’d be on.
“We’ll take both vehicles,” Mark said. “Flynn and Lexi, you take the van. I want you to keep your eye on Gareth.”
“Why are we bringing him along?” Kala asked.
“As leverage,” Reece said with an unhappy twist of his lips. “Just in case this meeting turns out to be a trap.”
Mark inclined his head in agreement with his assessment. “Park the van a few miles away from the property. Lexi can watch the meeting through Reece. If anything goes wrong, I trust you two will act accordingly.”
“If anything goes wrong, I’ll hunt them all down one by one and make them regret they ever manipulated us into coming here,” I promised.
“I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Flynn agreed.
Kala grinned at us. “I can just see you two avenging our deaths.”
Mark checked the time then headed for the door. “We need to get moving.”
Unwilling to lay his eyes on his brother just yet, Reece headed to the garage while the rest of us went to retrieve the prisoner. Gareth stood when the door to his cell opened. Thankfully, he was fully dressed now. Flynn had given him one of Reece’s shirts to replace the one that had been shredded.
“I get the feeling Garrett is avoiding me,” Gareth said in a mocking tone. “Or maybe he’s just letting us two get to know each other better.” He directed that at me with a smirk.
My breakfast tried to make a reappearance, but I conquered the urge to heave. “I don’t want to have to listen to his crap during the drive,” I said. “Can we gag him?”
Flynn pulled a strip of cloth out of his pocket along with heavy duty handcuffs. “I’m way ahead of you.”
Kala and I kept our guns trained on the prisoner as Mark and Flynn made him ready for transportation. We marched him out of his cell and upstairs to the long hallway. He allowed us to herd him into the garage and climbed into the back of the van without trying to escape. He even submitted to his hands being chained to the wall without making a fuss.
“Do you want to drive?” Flynn offered as Mark and Kala joined Reece in the SUV.
“Nah. I’ll keep an eye on the captive.” I was a budding alpha but I didn’t feel the need to be in charge all the time.
We followed the SUV outside to see Zeus sitting forlornly by the driveway. “Do you mind if he comes along?” I asked Flynn.
Heaving a mock sigh, he stopped so we could pick up the furry passenger. “Just don’t let him eat all the snacks.” Mark had wisely taken to stocking both vehicles with food for the long journeys that we often embarked on.
Gareth’s eyes widened when I opened the door and Zeus leaped inside. Coming eye to eye with the rogue shifter, the Rottweiler growled menacingly.
“Make one wrong move and Zeus will bite your face off,” I told him. I couldn’t make out his muffled words, but I assumed they were expletives.
The SUV had pulled far enough ahead of us that we could speed out through the gate without pausing. My entire body clenched in pain when we zoomed past the crosses. It faded soon after we left the compound behind us.
Our journey was mainly spent in silence. We were both conscious that we couldn’t speak freely without our prisoner overhearing everything that we said. Zeus watched Gareth with an unrelenting stare. Even werewolves could become nervous beneath the scrutiny of an unfriendly canine. Gareth shifted uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at my guardian.
I caught Flynn’s grin and returned it. The rogue shifter who had caused us so much trouble was now being watched by a guard dog. It seemed fitting for him to be brought so low.
Mark called my cell phone when we were nearing our destination. We’d caught up to them and were visible in their rearview mirror. “There’s a side road just ahead,” he said. “Tell Flynn to take it and to park out of sight.”
“Roger that,” I replied. “Good luck and be careful.”
“Yes, Mom,” Kala called loudly in an exaggeratedly patient tone.
Overhearing Mark’s order, Flynn slowed down and turned off onto the smaller road when we reached it. He drove over a small crest then turned the van around so we were facing the main road again. Neither of us had any intention of sitting idly by if anything went wrong at the coming meeting.
“I’m going to link up with Reece,” I said to Flynn.
“Zeus and I will keep watch on the cargo.” He hiked his thumb over his shoulder to indicate Gareth.
Closing my eyes, I connected with Reece. I met some resistance, but he finally let me see through his eyes just as the SUV was pulling to a stop. He swept his gaze around the property where he’d lived as a child. The house was in a state of disrepair with some of the windows broken and part of the roof missing. The grass was beyond overgrown and had reached jungle status. Fences had fallen and hadn’t been replaced.
He’d been too young to remember it, but the house still seemed familiar to him anyway. Several cars and pickup trucks arrived as the trio climbed out. Nina’s whole pack had come, which put me on edge even if Reece felt no alarm. He’d only spent one day with them yet he trusted them already.
Nina was even thinner and smaller in person than she’d looked in her photo. Her hair was shoulder length and a light, mousy brown. She wore jean
s and a dark blue man’s button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Lines marred her face, yet she was undeniably charismatic as she strode forward to pin Mark with a razor stare.
“If my son wasn’t standing between us, I’d tear your throat out and spit on your corpse,” she said in a low yet vehement tone.
“Try it,” Kala drawled and put her hand on the Colt that was strapped to her right thigh. “I’ll put so many holes in you that you’ll look like swiss cheese.”
I snorted out a laugh and repeated the conversation for Flynn. He chuckled as well, yet I sensed his worry. He didn’t like being separated from the rest of the team even if he knew it was necessary.
Reece wasn’t happy about his mother being threatened by Kala. It was interesting to see inside the mind of a pure born shifter. His loyalty to his estranged family was far stronger than I’d ever imagined even though he barely knew these people.
“If you’ve finished issuing threats,” Mark said pointedly, “perhaps we could discuss why you wanted to meet with us.”
“Where is Gareth?” she demanded.
“He’s safe. Agents Bailey and Levine are watching him. We are in constant contact with them both.” It was a warning that we would take measures if our team members came to any harm.
Nina sniffed in derision. “I was hoping to meet Alexis. I hear she is very pretty, for a lesser wolf.”
“There’s nothing lesser about Lexi,” Kala said in my defense. “She’s as much an alpha as Reece.” Her deliberate usage of her squad mate’s name didn’t go unnoticed.
“That’s impossible,” Nina said flatly. “Only pure borns can become alphas.”
“Lexi is an alpha,” Reece said and drew disbelieving stares. “She is young, but there is no question that she will become a leader of our kind.”
“No one will follow a cur,” Ned said dismissively. “She will be alone and ostracized.”
I heard Flynn shift in his seat as I relayed that to him. His hand came to rest on my shoulder, but I didn’t let the insult affect me. I already felt like an outsider anyway.
