by Sarah Beth
Ignoring the way her heart pounded a bit quicker and her palms starting to sweat, Abby returned the smile. “It’s nice to meet you too, Ira. I hope everything you’ve heard has been good.”
The wolf chuckled, his hands relaxing at his sides. “Oh, my dear. You don’t ever need to worry about Alex talking badly about anyone.”
At the mention of Alex, she turned back to her future-father-in-law and smiled warmly. “That’s true.”
As Alex took a few steps towards her, bridging the space between them, he chuckled. “Well, except maybe a few choice people.” He winked before his arms wrapped around her, warm and comforting. She’d missed his hugs, not to mention his smile. She’d seen him smile more in the last few minutes than she had in weeks.
As his arms left her, Ira inclined his head towards the table behind him. “I’m sorry your reunion must be short, but I think it’s time we caught you all up on what’s been going on.”
Wesley caught her eye over Alex’s shoulder. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by either of them that Ira seemed unconcerned about the Faye at Abby’s back. Alex gave her arm a squeeze. She looked up at his face and his brows pulled together slightly, his lips no longer smiling. He then looked behind her, presumably at Soryn, and nodded briefly. As he turned to follow Ira, Kyle close behind him, Abby sighed before following. Soryn and Wesley falling into step beside her, one at each of her shoulders.
Wesley
Looking at the model city before them, Wesley had to admit he was impressed. So this was how one of the most powerful Alphas in the States conducted his business. There were a dozen wolves in the room, each one with a clear job to do to. It was only his own pack that didn’t seem to be focused on a task. They were all standing around the table in the center of the room, Abby at his right with her fingers inches from his on the tabletop. Only the seriousness of the conversation made him keep his hand where it was on the surface.
“In the last twenty-four hours things have escalated. My wolves have found four separate killings in the last few hours. We’re trying to covering them up best we can, but none of these victims were homeless. They’ll have family searching for them soon.” He paused, looking around the table. “And one victim was a witch.”
As Ira spoke, Wesley could feel the energy in the room darken. He glanced at Abby, but her face was an expressionless mask. She had learned more than just a few new spells while staying with the Faye. Her expression was mirrored by Soryn, whose eyes were steel as they scanned the map.
“We were able to capture another vampire last night. I’ve been keeping him here, locked in the basement. He hasn’t spoken much yet, but he will.” The coldness that crept into Ira’s voice gave Wesley the shivers. One didn’t become the Head Alpha of New York and live a few hundred years by being soft.
Looking across the table, Wesley couldn’t help but wonder about his own Alpha’s past. It wasn’t anything new on his part, wondering about what Alex had done or seen throughout his life, but Wesley had stopped asking years ago. If there was one way to shut his father down, it was by bringing up the past. The last time Wesley had dared ask, it was when Kyle had become a part of the pack. Alex had seemed to understand the angry and scared wolf better than even Warren. When Wesley asked about it, all Alex had said was that bringing up the past never healed wounds, only moving into the future did that.
Chapter Thirty
Wesley
Ira’s voice commanded the room. “Tonight is going to be different. With the full moon, I can’t allow anyone out of the compound.” Ira shook his head once, “Hopefully the vampires take a night off, too.” The tone of his voice didn’t give anyone confidence in that idea.
At the mention of the full moon, Wesley glanced at Abby. “Is there somewhere Abby and Soryn can stay, while the rest of us are here?” He didn’t like the idea of being separated from Abby, but he didn’t see a choice. This wasn’t Buern; he couldn’t just run wherever he wanted to. He had to have faith that Soryn would keep her safe.
“There is a room here, secure, I assure you, where they will be able to stay. My wife will be here as well, along with a couple other humans.” Ira smiled, causing wrinkles to appear beside his eyes. “Don’t worry, my boy. They’ll be far safer here than they would be out there.”
Wesley wasn’t so sure, but one look across the table at Alex and he knew that he didn’t have a choice. Squeezing Abby’s hand, he tried to calm the wolf that was so close to the surface. Maybe it was the full moon but Wesley guessed it had far more to do with the anxiety of keeping Abby safe. He met Soryn’s eyes over her head, trying to convey exactly what he expected of the Faye while he himself would be distracted. Without missing a beat, Soryn nodded his head. Wesley was going to have to be okay with that.
~~~
“Relax little brother, she’s safe where she is.”
Wesley turned at the sound of Kyle’s voice, a scowl still etched into his face. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” Of course, he knew that his Mate was fine. It wasn’t like anyone was going to put her in any danger on purpose. That didn’t mean he had to like the fact that she was in the same building as a couple dozen werewolves getting ready to shift under the full moon.
By the look on Kyle’s face, the wolf knew exactly what Wesley was thinking. Coming to stand beside him, Kyle put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “She’s okay, Wesley. That Faye is with her, remember? Do you think she’d like it that you’re pacing about worrying? She can take of herself.”
Snorting, Wesley shrugged out from under his brother’s hand. “Oh, I’m sure she’s very aware of what I’m feeling right now.” Even though Abby was situated in the top floor of the warehouse, behind a steel door three feet thick, he knew she would be feeling his emotions clear as day. His eyes caught the blink of one of the security cameras mounted on the wall. He hoped she could see him. Despite the fact that she was safe in a room with two other human mates and Soryn, watching the wolves through cameras, he still felt uneasy. Trying to tune it out, he turned back to Kyle, “What about you? How are you so chill without Warren here? This is the first full moon he’s been a way from the pack in — well, ever.”
Nodding, Kyle shrugged one shoulder. “I’m concerned, of course, but I have to let it go. There’s nothing I can do here and I know Warren will be fine. He has Ephram, and they’re keeping Claire safe. We all have jobs to do right now, Wes. Even if we’d rather be somewhere else.”
Forcing a deep breath out of his nose, Wesley couldn’t help but chuckle. “You sure took over the older brother role without Warren here, ya know?”
Giving him a smirk, Kyle turned to make sure Tori was still doing okay. She put on a brave face, but they all knew she was feeling anxious. Wesley didn’t exactly blame her.
“Are you ready?” Alex’s voice broke Wesley’s train of thought. His father came towards them, a tight smile on his face. Oh, so Wesley wasn’t the only one worried. “We’ll be getting started soon. I hope you two were listening to Ira go over the rules.” Alex raised an eyebrow, the tight smile softening into something more genuine. Wesley hadn’t been listening to the rules. But his father already knew that. With a wink, Alex gestured for them to follow him towards the group. “No unnecessary violence, we’re hunting the grounds for stashed prizes. You enter the tunnels from this building, and they’ll lead you back here. Don’t go outside for any reason.”
Why did Wesley feel like that last bit was directed at him?
“Security cameras are set up throughout the course, so Abby will be able to keep an eye on things.” Alex paused mid-step so quickly, Wesley almost walked into him. His father caught his eye, “You stay close to Tori, I don’t want her going off on her own.”
Looking across the room, Wesley found Tori and Kyle talking to Briggs. She appeared fine, smiling and chatting with Briggs. But then Wesley caught her fingers picking at the edge of her shirt — she was nervous. And an anxious wolf made others aggressive. Giving his father a single nod, they continued until they were with t
heir pack mates again. Wesley sidled up next to Tori, taking her hand in his and squeezing. She offered a small smile.
Wesley felt the pull of the moon like a physical yank at his core. He had been feeling it all day — they all had been — but it was easy to ignore as long as the sun was up. Besides that, there had been so many other things on his mind. But as the sun dipped below the horizon of the city, the need to shift got stronger. It wasn’t like the stories, where a werewolf had no say in if he changed or not during the full moon, but it was painful to ignore it for too long. His wolf half wanted a chance to come out and play. It had been too long since he had been allowed out for a run. Wesley’s body vibrated with the intense need to give in.
Ira’s voice echoed in the room, “Remember, no unnecessary violence. If my mate sees anything she doesn’t like, you’ll be banned from the rest of the run. Clear?” A chorus of murmured answers filled the room. Nodding once, Ira gestured to the entrance of the tunnels. “Then let the game begin.”
Dozens of werewolves striped at the same time, depositing their clothes into piles so they’d be easy to find when the race was over. As Wesley pulled his shirt over his head, he absentmindedly hoped Abby wasn’t watching the cameras right then. He wasn’t turned off by naked bodies. One had to get used to such things, and Wesley had been around it his entire life. But that didn’t mean his Mate would be okay with it. As his change started to rip through his body, he grit his teeth. He really hoped she wasn’t watching.
Bursting into the tunnel with Tori on his flank, Wesley let his senses reach out. At first, all he smelled were other wolves, the scent overpowering anything else that may have been in the air. Darting around one corner and then another, he was crashed into by another wolf. Growling and snapping his jaws at the idiot who ran into him, his ears flicked back and forth, listening. Tori touched his side — good, she was still there. Getting back to his feet, they took off down another hallway. It was nearly pitch black, the only light coming from the security cameras placed at the end of every hall. It sure wasn’t the same as running free in the woods back home, where the light of the full moon bathed his fur, but it would do. His body was already filled with adrenaline just by being able to run.
Tori bumped his shoulder, making him lose this footing for a brief moment. With a playful bark, she took off in front of him. Chasing his sister was so fun, Wesley had forgotten all about the stashes they were supposed to be looking for. He didn’t care what was in the big burlap bags anyway — he just wanted to run free with his pack. That is until a bag appeared out of nowhere down a side hall. Skidding to a stop, Wesley barked for Tori to stop. Walking slowly down the narrow hall, Wesley eyed the bag. It hung a good twenty feet above their heads. There was no way either of them could jump that high. How the heck were they supposed to get to that? He got his answer when a blur of gray snagged the bag right out of the air. There was another tunnel up there! Whoever had grabbed the bag had been on the same level.
Snorting in annoyance, Wesley turned on his heels and ran down the next hall. Tori, sick of playing follow the leader, ran a few feet in front of him. As long as he had his eyes on her, he really didn’t mind. He and Tori used to race all the time before Abby came into the picture and through their lives into a drier’s tumble cycle. It had been so long, Wesley didn’t mind letting his little sister win for once. But just once. And not by much, either. He made sure to stay right on her tail, nipping at it every time it flew into his face.
Something smelled different in the tunnel. It came about so abruptly that he skidded to a stop to get a better sniff. In his periphery, he noted that Tori didn’t stop. She disappeared around the next corner before he could stop her. But his brain was too busy trying to determine what that smell was.
Everything in the tunnel was overwhelming his senses — the scent of werewolf and that musty basement smell; the sounds of other wolves running, fighting, and having a good time. His brain couldn’t sort it all out. Damn it! Why did that scent smell so familiar and yet he couldn’t figure out what it was?
A loud bang filled the tunnel, his ears ringing from the force of it. The vibration from the explosion reached his paws next, sending a tickling sensation up his legs. The scent that he couldn’t figure out before became stronger then, and he cursed himself for being so stupid. Turning on a dime, he ran back the way he had come. There were vampires in the tunnels.
Chapter Thirty-One
Abby
She knew that Wesley wasn’t happy, that he was worried about her. But she was so excited to be able to watch them run that she couldn’t really bring herself to focus on the emotions swirling in her head. He was just being his worry-wart self. She was fine. This was much more exciting than being stuck in some penthouse in the city. And Ira’s mate, Natalie, was really sweet. Tough as nails, but really sweet, too.
The woman acted as a referee during the full moon when Ira couldn’t do it himself. She had barely taken her eyes off the computer screens in the room, but she had been chatting to Abby the whole time. The woman sure knew how to multitask.
Abby was about to grab another cup of coffee — it would be a long night — when an explosion rocked the building. Gripping the table for support, she looked at the computer screens frantically, trying to determine what had happened. But by the controlled panic on Natalie’s face, she didn’t know what had happened either.
Maya, another wolf’s mate, came to her side. Pointing to one of the screens, where a cloud of dust was began to clear, they could make out what had happened. Vampires; they had broken into the compound.
The sounds of tapping keys filled Abby’s ears for the briefest moment before a siren pierced the air. Natalie was signaling to the wolves that something was wrong. Soryn, who had been standing silently in a corner the entire time, was suddenly at her side. His hand sat on the pommel of the sword he had strapped to his hip before the race had begun. As their eyes met, she knew that Soryn understood what she wasn’t saying out loud. With a quick nod, she turned for the door and began to unlock it.
“What are you doing? You can’t go out there!” Natalie’s voice was strong, determined. But Abby could just make out the slight tremor in her words.
With Soryn’s help, the door’s automatic locking mechanism switched. The loud metal on metal sound making her ears ring in the small room. As it swung open and Soryn squeezed through first, his sword not yet drawn, Abby turned back to the two women. “Lock this door back up behind us. Don’t let anyone in until this is over.” She was out of the door before either woman could say another word. She was only a few paces down the hall when she heard it lock up again. Good, two less people to worry about.
“What’s the plan, Keeper?”
Giving Soryn the side eye for his choice in words, she shrugged. “I don’t really have one but I wasn’t about to stay in that room while vampires hunt down the pack, Were you?” The look Soryn gave her told her all she needed to know about that. Nodding, she reached for the dagger he had insisted she put in her boot. “That’s what I thought.”
Reaching the stairs, Abby went down as quickly as she dared without tripping. Soryn was right beside her, the sound of his sword leaving its scabbard sending a chill down her spine. As they rounded the last corner, the door just one flight below, it burst open. A vampire rushed through so quickly she could barely see it. But, thankfully, Soryn could see it perfectly. The poor thing was sliced in half by Soryn’s sword before it ever had a chance. As if that first spilling of blood was a signal of some kind, more vampires came running through the doorway. With no other option but to fight their way through, Abby gripped the dagger tighter.
Going back to what Soryn had been teaching her, her body acted on instinct. Magic flooded her, making it easier to see where the vampires were even when they ran at full speed. With her magic making everything come into hyper focus, she was barely aware of the blood covering her hand as she sliced her way through vampires towards the door.
Soryn began to clear a
path in front of her, taking down twice as many vampires as she was. But any that got by the Faye weren’t so lucky when they came at her. Where were they all coming from? How many were there? As they finally broke through the doorway, she could see just how many there actually were. It appeared that whoever sent them wasn’t messing around this time.
Some wolves had made it back to the central room and were engaged with the dozens of vampires who had climbed through the giant hole in the wall. Without evening looking around, Abby knew that Wesley wasn’t among them. He still felt too far away. She would know if he was in the same room. Sticking close to Soryn’s side, she really wished that she had her bow with her. It would’ve been easy to pick off vampires one by one as they were too preoccupied with the werewolves to notice her.
“Abby! Look out!” Soryn grabbed her arm, yanking her out of the way just in time. A vampire met its end on Soryn’s blade before it could get near her. He didn’t look at her when he spoke, never taking his eyes off the enemies in the room. “You need to pay attention, stop daydreaming.”
Glaring at the back of his head, she sent a vampire flying backwards with a push of her magic. It crashed into the wall on the far side of the room. “I am paying attention, thank you very much.”
Two more vampires fell in front of Soryn. He made a very un-Faye like noise in his throat. “Yes, I can see that. No wonder that vampire almost had his fangs in your throat.”
Choosing to ignore any further comments from the Faye, Abby lost track of everything else around her as she fought off the vampires. More and more wolves entered through the tunnels, giving them the upper hand quickly. She felt Wesley the moment he entered the room and buried her hand in his thick fur for a moment when he bumped her gently. Together, along with the rest of the pack, the vampires quickly realized they weren’t going to win the fight.
