First Shift (The Wolves of Rock Falls Book 1)

by AJ Skelly

  He patted the seat beside him, so I sat.

  “Sam, I realize last night was entirely an accident, and that this isn’t your fault. It was just one of those unfortunate incidents. You look like you need to hear that.”

  Heat washed over me. It wasn’t an embarrassed heat, or the heat of shame, it was something different, but it made me feel clean. Absolved me of some of my guilt. I still felt guilty, but hearing those words from this man, Megan’s guardian, smoothed over some of my insecurities.

  “Thank you, sir. I don’t suppose you’d mind telling my father that?” My mouth tugged down in a frown, remembering Dad’s rage the night before.

  “I’d be happy to. In fact, if we’re all going to get through this peaceably, I think we all need to realize, Megan included, that this was an accident. It doesn’t change the outcome, but it changes the perception of things.” His gaze met mine. “I’m on your side in this as much as I’m on Megan’s side.”

  “Unless you break Megan’s heart,” Rev put in with a half smile.

  “Unless you break Megan’s heart,” Mr. Carmichael confirmed. “And then your fur and fangs will have nothing on this old man and his cane.”

  I laughed. A genuine laugh. That wasn’t what I was expecting, and I knew I had made an unlikely ally. His face wrinkled up in a smile, his deep-set eyes twinkling.

  We all glanced back when the door opened, and Meg came through.

  “Is it…safe for Rachel to bring some stuff by for me today?”

  Rev answered. “It should be safe enough. We’ll all be here to help you through any shifts today. She’ll want to be sure she comes in daylight though.”

  “I’ll text her the details. Can we eat? I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m starving!”

  “Definitely!” Mr. Carmichael agreed.

  The food was out and ready, buffet style. I handed Megan a paper plate.

  “Wow. The smells kind of hit you right in the face, don’t they?”

  “It doesn’t smell exactly like that to us,” Rev explained. “We can still smell each individual component like you can, but it’s not so, how did you say it? In your face.”

  That wrung a small smile from Megan as she put a scone and a sausage biscuit with a generous helping of fruit on her plate. Mr. Carmichael handed her a steaming coffee.

  “I already put creamer and sugar in it for you,” he told her.

  “Mm. Just the right amount, as always,” she said after a generous drink.

  Chapter 16

  Megan

  An hour and one shift later, Mr. Wolfe was seated at the table. Possibly the most intimidating man I’d ever met. The new personality of the wolf inside quaked in fear and then scurried away into some dark recess when he entered the room. Maybe that meant I wouldn’t shift again for a while. Mary, Sam’s mom, sat beside him, her face serene and hands folded neatly in her lap. I envied her inner calm.

  “There are some legalities that will need to be addressed,” he started, his only preamble a nod and a sip of black coffee. He took out a pair of thin reading glasses from the pocket of his plaid shirt. It was such a contrast—the proper positioning of the glasses perched on the end of his nose, legal documents all drawn up neatly in a folder in front of him, the man himself dressed in rugged, worn outdoor clothes. He pursed his lips. “There are also some wolf customs that will not be ignored.” He gazed over the top of his glasses, first at Sam, who gave an imperceptible shake, his mouth thinning. Mr. Wolfe’s gaze grew agitated and was still black when he glanced at me. I swallowed on a cotton-dry mouth.

  “Wolf law states any human bitten by a wolf belongs to that wolf.”

  My eyes about popped out of my head. “Excuse me?” I stammered.

  “It’s not like it sounds,” Sam offered apologetically.

  “I am not a thing, and I do not belong to anyone,” I cut back, fear working its way back up my spine.

  “Of course not,” Sam agreed.

  “Once a wolf bites someone, that person is tied to them,” Mary offered before shooting her husband a look.

  Rev broke in. “This is the law of the pack, Megan. However, this is a special circumstance which requires a little interpretation of the laws.” He entreated Mr. Wolfe who did not in any way, shape, or form, seem happy about this. Rev continued. “We have discussed this at length, and for at least the next month while your shifts are somewhat irregular, and while we determine whether or not you will remain a wolf, you will need the protection of the pack. Also, our Beta needs to be observed upholding our laws. It needs to appear like you belong to him.”

  Sam snorted, and his father gave him a terse glare.

  Rev continued like nothing had happened. “In order to accomplish this, it would be advisable if you, Megan, appeared to be following this ordinance. If you do not stay a wolf, then at the end of the month this law will not apply to you anymore. If you do stay a wolf, then all this would mean is that you’d remain under Sam’s protection.” He glanced at Sam whose face remained a blank slate.

  I studied Rev, suspicion lacing my gaze.

  Sam held up his hands when I stabbed him with an icy glare. “No hidden agenda, I swear.”

  I wasn’t brave enough to skewer Mr. Wolfe with a look, so my gaze moved to Grandpa instead. He nodded encouragingly like he was totally on board with all of this. I wasn’t sure who was more insane—them or Grandpa.

  “Megan, any wolf within several yards of you is going to know you’re no longer human. We can’t hide that fact. And if Sam isn’t seen upholding werewolf law, it will cause problems in the pack. Big problems. It will cause political issues with other packs—packs whose support we need,” Mary implored. “You don’t have to do this forever, but right now, we need your cooperation as much as you need our pack.”

  My hands twisted in my lap.

  “We need to establish the parameters of what this will look like for the next month. At least while Megan is a wolf—” Rev glanced at me. I cringed and then shivered involuntarily. I so did not want to stay a wolf! “—for this to fully uphold the pack principle, and for Megan’s safety, she needs to live in close proximity to Sam.”

  I immediately shook my head. Rev’s less than plain speaking clued me in to how touchy a subject this was. However, I was not moving out here and being neighbors with Scary Alpha.

  “Megan, it’s not safe for either of us if you come home with me,” Grandpa broke in gently. I felt tears pricking, knowing that if I lashed out in the middle of a shift, and Grandpa was too close, I could kill him. And that would kill me. “Besides, as I understand it, Sam is the only one who can help you control your wolf aside from the direct command from Mr. Wolfe as your Alpha.” Mr. Wolfe’s mouth was a flat line while Rev nodded. Sam’s shoulders twitched uncomfortably. Mary put a hand on Dominic’s arm.

  “What are you suggesting?” I hated that my voice shook.

  Rev cleared his throat. He only did that when he was nervous. Not a good sign for me. “You could move into the spare bedroom at the Wolfe’s residence.”

  “No. I won’t.” Terror struck me at the thought of living under the same roof as Dominic Wolfe. No, thank you!

  Rev’s lips puckered as he chose his next words, “The other option is to stay here. Live at the cabin for the next few weeks. With Sam.”

  My mouth was hanging open like a door with a broken hinge, though I couldn’t force any words out.

  “For the sake of the pack and our laws, it needs to be assumed that you are the Beta’s…charge.” Rev attempted to clarify.

  “Define charge, Rev,” Grandpa broke in.

  The tell-tale throat clearing echoed in the quiet of the room.

  “Can I speak with Megan alone for a minute?” Sam interrupted. Mr. Wolfe raised an eyebrow, his eyes conveying some secret message to his son. Sam nodded once.

  “Of course,” Rev said.

  Sam tipped his head to the door, and I stiffly got up and followed him out into the chilly sunshine of early afternoon. He walked
beside me, leading us to the back of the house and to a huge fire pit with logs and stones set up around the perimeter. He perched on a huge worn log and motioned to the seat beside him.

  He stared at the fire pit, a faraway expression covering his face. I sat, unease curling in my stomach, wrapping tendrils around my breakfast and squeezing uncomfortably.

  “Three years ago, I stood beside this fire pit with my parents and the entire pack. I took the oath and became my pack’s Beta. Second in command. Only my dad outranks me. I have the ability to command any member of the pack using only my words and a mental link. That’s the last time my dad looked at me and I knew for certain he was proud of me.”

  Despite the current situation, Sam’s confession tugged at me. It was plain his relationship with his father wasn’t all rosy, but this just about broke my heart. I lived in a world where I was loved and adored. Grandpa was so proud of me his buttons practically popped off his shirt when he talked about me. It was embarrassing and wonderful all at the same time. To not have that with your own parent? That was awful. Part of me wanted to reach out and take his hand, but I held still, waiting for him to go on.

  He took a deep breath and forged ahead. “I know you didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want any of this for you either. You have to know that.” His eyes pleaded with me.

  “I do know that. I know this was all an accident. I’m trying to work through it all still. It’s a lot to believe and a lot to experience.”

  He nodded then cleared his throat. “Before I go on, are you and Brody Harrington…” He drifted off, and my head jerked at the subject change.

  “No. He’s been flirting with me for a while, but I don’t think I want it to go any farther than that. Why?”

  He exhaled. “Okay. Good. He’s a tool anyway. But that makes what I’m going to say next a little easier.”

  He fidgeted with his shirt sleeve. Anxiety poked me in the ribs.

  “I’m going to ask you for one thing. It’s a big thing and has several parts. But I won’t ask you for anything else these next four weeks until we figure out if you’ll stay human or stay wolf.”

  I nodded encouragement. He had my undivided attention.

  “I’d like us to pretend we’re dating. Pretend for the pack, pretend at school. Essentially this helps my dad save face, which in turn, keeps the pack functioning normally. If you stay human, I’ll deal with the fallout then. I’m more concerned about keeping things running smoothly with the pack the next few weeks until it leaks out what I did. When that happens, I’m not sure what the ultimate verdict will be, but until we figure out the most peaceful way to explain to the pack their Beta screwed the rules, controlling the situation is the best outcome for the pack as a whole.

  “Obviously, everyone is going to know you’re a wolf. Like Mom said, there’s no hiding that. We’re going to have to tell people I bit you. But if it’s perceived that it was mutual, and you are a willing participant, then it makes it easier for Dad to smooth things over, like he gave us permission. He can skirt around the issue without lying about it. The fact your grandpa has known about us for years gives the story some muscle and makes it believable.

  “It’s also true that you’ll need to be in close proximity to me. Your wolf will only react to mine or my dad’s, maybe my mom’s, as far as who can help you control it. I’d like to think you’d prefer me?”

  My eyes were wide. “Yes. Definitely.”

  “That means either you’re going to have to move here, or we’re going to have to figure something else out so we’re in the same house at night when the moon is out, and we’re not around people who might get hurt.”

  I bit my lip and tried to quell the panic threatening to erupt. This was all so preposterous.

  “I will not live in the same house with your dad. He scares the crap out of me.”

  He nodded, blue eyes flashing in understanding.

  “Are you willing to live here at the cabin? With me?” Hope rushed across his face before he tempered it into an unreadable mask.

  “What happens if I don’t?”

  His face fell a little before he recovered. “Your wolf will become more and more wild. Even once you’re more acclimated to her, she may completely take over. Essentially, you’d be feral, human or wolf.”

  I did not like the sound of that. She was wild enough inside me now. But to completely lose myself in the animal? Again, no, thank you.

  “Why just you or your dad? Why does it have to be one of you?”

  He sighed. “It’s a little complicated, but the long and short of it is that every wolf in the pack is assigned a place. Alpha is at the top. Beta is next in line. Omega is the bottom rung. Everyone else filters into a specific spot somewhere in between—some spots are parallel to others, but everyone has a spot. Whenever a wolf shifts for the first time, they need to be in the presence of a more dominant wolf. If the new wolf is only in the presence of lesser wolves, the new wolf will assert its dominance and basically overtake the human, becoming feral. But if there is a more dominant wolf, the new wolf learns the proper boundaries. Because I’m the Beta, essentially, your wolf is a Beta equivalent and will only answer to me or to the Alpha—my dad.”

  I tried to process this information. It sounded like I was fundamentally going to be chained to Sam’s side for the next few weeks until my body decided it was going to play nice and be human again. I rubbed my temples. A stress headache was coming on.

  “So I don’t really have much other choice.”

  “I’m sorry, but no.” He rubbed the crease between his eyebrows. I felt foreboding settle hard in the pit of my stomach. “There is one more thing tied to all this.”

  “Of course, there is.” Why wouldn’t there be? Could this nightmare get any worse?

  “My dad is going to insist we sign a legally binding contract of sorts.”

  “Why?”

  He steepled his hands and studied the ground a minute before his eyes came back up. “If you stay human, there are certain laws that will apply to our situation living together that make my dad uncomfortable from a legal standpoint. He wants us to sign a marriage contract.”

  “He what?” I shrieked. Surely, I heard him wrong? Irrational anger and fear burbled below the surface where my emotions were all distorted and ready to erupt.

  Sam held his hands up in surrender. “Rev said we can get an annulment easily if you claim you signed under duress.”

  I gaped at him like a fish trying to suck air on dry land. “I’d certainly call this duress!” Some of the anger leaked out. “And so help me, Sam Wolfe, if this is some twisted ploy to get in my pants—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” He cut me off, waving his hands in front of him to wield off my wrath and consternation. “I am so not trying to get into your pants!”

  Ouch. That actually hurt a little more than it should have. Was I that much of a troll? Not that I’d let him near my pants anyway.

  “I mean, yes, I’d love to be in your pants—” His face darkened to the color of raspberries and his voice cracked as he tried to backtrack. “—but that’s not what this is about. Not my idea.”

  My face was flushed now, too, although if it was from frustration or embarrassment, I’m not sure.

  “I cannot believe this is happening.” My head sank down to my knees and the anger seeped away, replaced by despair. The creature inside danced around at the prospect of spending so much time with Sam. She was far too chipper. And temperamental. As if she felt my control slipping with my mental distress, she took advantage, and I felt her clawing to get out again. The tingling started in my toes.

  “Sam, it’s happening!” It was too late for him to stop it, too. My paw poked through the house shoes I had on as fur rippled down my arms, slimming the bones down to nothing and then thickening them so that the sleeves of the hoodie burst open.

  The shift only took about three minutes, and as Sam had promised, the pain was lessened. It still hurt. It hurt a lot—but it was more man
ageable. My body was stiff and rusty but slowly remembered the intricate dance of crushing bones and snapping sinews to rearrange itself into this new pattern of the wolf.

  My sides heaved, and my long wolf’s tongue lolled out of my mouth as I plopped in a heap beside the fire ring.

  “You did a great job that time, Meg. Your shifts are getting quicker. You’re learning.” The wolf beamed at the praise, while the rest of me wanted to glare at him. I didn’t like anything about morphing into a giant beast. I’m not sure which emotion showed, if any at all, on my wolf’s face. I did not want to be a wolf, but fortunately it was now less scary when I had to shift.

  “I’ll go grab the robe before you shift back so you’re covered.”

  At least he had the decency to remember I was a prude. He jumped up and ran to the front of the house and was back right as my tail was starting to shrink away.

  He held the robe out in front of him, covering his eyes and glancing away. I groaned when the shift was over, and I was left naked on the cold ground. I was still achy but got up as quick as I could and slipped my arms into the voluminous sleeves Sam held out for me, face still averted.

  My teeth were clacking together, and I was shaking with chills.

  “Come on. It’s a lot warmer inside. And I’m sure Rev can explain all of this to you better than I can. I…I just felt like I should be the one to tell you.”

  While I didn’t like any of what he’d discussed, I could at least appreciate his honesty.

  “Thank you. For telling me yourself.”

  ****

  Grandpa, Rev, and Sam’s parents were still sitting at the table where we’d left them.

  Grandpa did a quick assessment of me, his gaze traveling over me, making sure I was still in one piece. I gave him a weak smile.

  “Did Samuel explain how things are going to work?” Mr. Wolfe asked bluntly.

  “Now, Dominic, I told you. Megan will not be forced into anything,” Grandpa fired back. Mr. Wolfe’s eyes narrowed. Grandpa didn’t back down.