by Casey Morgan
“I don't know,” I shrug, “You just made it sound all smart and stuff.”
He smirks and nods like he got the answer he wanted.
“Looks like we're almost there.” He pulls into the start of a long driveway. I'm not sure how long because everything is hidden by trees.
“This is the orchard?”
“Yeah, you've never been?”
“No, not really,” I shake my head. I’ve never been this deep into it. It looks like a place someone could easily get lost in. “My Momma always told me the orchard people don't like strangers very much. Have you spoken to them before?”
“No, I’ve been to the edges of the land just from all the traveling I’ve done, but this will be my first time actually going in.”
“Oh.”
I thought he knew these people. This completely changes the dynamic of this visit. If we’re both strangers, then these weird apple people could just go crazy on our intruding dumbasses.
Oh, this isn’t going to go well. We've been driving up this long, winding driveway for only a couple of minutes, and I am already feeling weirded out. It's almost like someone is watching us. But that's crazy. Clearly, there is no one out there, and, if they were, it's not like they're going to hurt us. Those were just bedtime stories our parents would tell us, so we would shut up and go to sleep.
I think.
I mean, I know.
I'm just being paranoid.
But there's something in the trees, I swear. Whatever it is, it is moving quickly, so I can't get a good handle on what the hell it actually is. I mean, these are some thick woods, so maybe there are a couple of curious animals.
But what if it's far worse than that?
“How long do you think this business deal will take?” Even if this all is just my paranoia, I'd rather not be here any longer than is absolutely necessary. If there’s something in the woods, I’d rather it not attack me.
“I'm just trying to make a quick introduction and let whoever owns the land know how serious I am about making a purchase. It really shouldn't take longer than an hour.”
Okay, an hour. That's not too bad. I mean, that's a whole sixty minutes, but I'm sure I can keep my shit together for a whole sixty minutes.
Flint gets another mischievous grin on his face. “We'll have more than enough time to have made our own personal connection. Don't worry.”
I smile because that's what I do, hide my emotions. Of course, he's going to make this all about his weird little price. How can he not feel the absolute creepiness that this place is emitting? That’s all I can think about.
I go back to looking out the window because I just need to double-check what I thought I saw before. I still can't shake the feeling that we're being watched feeling. This is a long stretch of road that is basically shrouded in trees. I'm sure anyone would see shadows.
I narrow my eyes, trying to focus more to see if I can catch a glimpse of whatever it is that's running in between the trees. A shock of gray hair catches my eye, and it looks like… It looks like a wolf!
But that's impossible! There are no wolves in Renton or the surrounding areas. I mean, they aren’t native to the area. That's what I learned in school. I fully paid attention in class, despite what people say or think, and I know that wolves should not be roaming freely.
Unless someone randomly introduced them by accident, but something like that was never mentioned. I’m sure our teachers would have told us if wolves were strolling around the forest.
If it wasn’t a wolf, then what did I see? It was probably a squirrel, and I'm just losing my damn mind. Being in this car with Flint has got me on all kinds of alerts. The alarm bells are going off, and it’s creating all kinds of anxieties. I seriously need to calm down. In a little over an hour, I'll hopefully be on a bus out of here, no looking back. I just need to stay calm.
Stay calm, Mini. Everything is going to be fine.
Sixty minutes.
Chapter Five
Pax
So many of the pack members have come out to see who is about to emerge from the blue convertible. This is some of the most excitement I've had in years, and it's probably just a couple of turned around travelers.
That’s what it always is. A whole lot of build-up for barely any reward.
What I really need to do is focus on is finding a way to convince Anson to let me do more before I lose every last inch of my mind. I’m only hanging on by a few threads. I really don’t want them to snap.
I stay at the back of the pack, preferring to keep myself a little hidden. My older brother, Tamir, is right by me. Once the alarm was raised, most of the higher racking members decided to see what was going on. Even some lower-rung like myself have turned a curious nose to this developing situation.
Maybe I’m not the only one starved for a little entertainment around here.
The car stops a little bit away from the group. It idles there for a second. I wonder what they're doing. The windows are tinted, and the roof is up, so we can't see inside. They're probably staring at all of us because we’re gathered around like a bunch of weirdos. It’s not hard for me to know that as a werewolf community, people find us strange.
And there are some things we do that are strange. Like, live on an orchard and harvest apples.
Or collectively stare at strangers like, at any moment, we are going to attack.
Everyone standing around is on guard. The unknown is always the scariest thing there is. Even I’m a little anxious.
The passenger’s side door opens, and I hold my breath. This is it. The big moment.
A young woman steps out, and the air goes out of my lungs the moment I see her. She’s – She’s practically indescribable. My mere words could never do her justice. She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. She has long blonde hair that glistens in the sunlight, the strands looking as sweet as honey tastes. Her blue eyes sparkle with curiosity and apprehension. Her body is so curvy; I just want to wrap my arms around it.
I wonder what possessed her to come here. She keeps looking around, checking out the woods as if she is looking for something. Maybe she saw one of the guards running back to the house. They would have been in their wolf form, so it could be disarming.
I am truly disarmed by her beauty. She’s left me speechless without saying a word. I want to understand her body and soul. I need to.
Anson has been talking my ear off lately about thinking about a mate. A few of the girls I grew up with have been showing an interest, and I humor them for my alpha's sake, but my heart is never in it. I just like not having him on my back.
But this girl, whoever she is, there's something about her that's struck me down to my core.
She turns towards the pack after looking at the surrounding woods, and her eyes somehow fall on me. I've been intensely looking at her since she stepped out of the car, so maybe she felt my presence. I smile, hoping to assuage any potential fears she might have. I can smell her anxiousness from here.
Since I’m not in wolf form, I’m not getting her scent too strongly, but I can smell hints of her in the air. I can tell she’s never been here before. The Stayman Orchard can be intimidating for a first-timer.
Her eyes dart away just as quickly, a nervousness overtaking her. It feels like something isn't right, which means I have to protect her. Maybe this feeling is irrational or dumb, but I don’t care. To me, it’s right. I feel like I just need to know her, and, maybe even for the rest of my life, keep any harm from being done to her.
The driver's side opens next. The werewolf she is with steps out of the car. He has this salesmen smile, all toothy and conniving. I wonder what he wants from us. I wonder why she’s traveling with him. My biggest concern is whether or not the human is his mate. If she is, there's really nothing I can do about it. Once a werewolf chooses a mate, all others are required to stay away from them. It is something even an alpha cannot interfere with – which is why Anson can't push me too hard on finding one.
<
br /> But if they are merely traveling companions, nothing is stopping me. I know he wouldn't treat her right. He hasn't even looked her way to make sure she's okay. From all the way at the back of the pack, I can tell that she is anxious. He must sense it too, but I guess he doesn't care.
Or maybe he is the one that makes her that way.
Anson walks forward to introduce himself. “Welcome strangers. I am Anson, head of this family, and the one in charge of this land. I make sure things run smoothly here at Stayman Orchards. What brings you to our out-of-the-way home?”
I know he is choosing his words carefully, not only to size up this unknown werewolf but also because the girl could very well be in the dark as to what we all are. There's no way for us to know unless one of them says something.
This new wolf walks up to Anson and holds up his hand. “Hi, Anson. My name is Flint. It's so nice to meet you.” His voice sounds like it's lying, and he's only said his name and a little more. Maybe I'm biased because I want the woman who may or may not be his mate, but I think my feelings go beyond that. Something isn't right with this Flint fellow.
“Flint? No family name?”
His toothy smile widens. “I do have one, but it's something I haven't thrown out in years. I feel less connected to it nowadays.”
Could he be the lone wolf who is maybe prowling our borders? I haven't been close enough to that area, so I can't match smells, but the reports are all muddled, so it's possible whoever is out there has been covering their tracks.
“That's unfortunate, some would say, but to each their own. What brings you to us today?”
“I was hoping to talk to you about buying some of the rough acreage at the edge of your property.”
Buy? We've never sold any of our land. Years ago, before any of our close ancestors even roamed this Earth, our pack fought hard to establish our claim here. Since then, we've only grown in size. I'm sure Anson will say no. Especially since this man is so shady.
“At the edge of the property?”
“Yes. I was going through maps of this area and the ones that surround it. I could see a relatively small parcel off of the orchard that was undeveloped and saw an opportunity. If you're willing to sell, I wouldn't mind paying above market value in order to secure this transaction. I could even leave a good faith deposit to show you how serious I am about my intentions.”
I'm surprised Anson hasn't said no by now. I thought it would have been immediate, but it looks like he might be considering it. But why? We've had our privacy since the beginning. We don't even know what Flint wants to do with the land.
What if he builds homes, and, soon, we're overrun with his pack?
And we don't need the money. Our vault is literally overflowing. What would be the benefit to us?
My brother is a few steps over, so I move over to him. He probably has a better idea of what's going on.
“Tamir,” I whisper. My older brother looks down at me, his face telling me to continue with whatever question I have. “Do you know why Anson is entertaining this man? It makes no sense to me that he would sell him any piece of our land. How would the pack benefit from something like this?”
“I'm sure,” Tamir whispers back, “that Anson wants to find out this Flint's intentions. Our alpha is cunning. He will foster a comfortable, welcoming environment, so that he may learn as much as possible from this stranger who may very well be our enemy. If he is too hasty, he might miss important details. Anson always looks out for our future.”
That does make a lot more sense. I should have realized that that is what Anson is doing. Of course, he is going to try and get as much information as possible from Flint. There is a reason he is the alpha. Even though we butt heads consistently, I can admit that he is wise and capable.
“What about Flint’s companion?” I ask.
“What about her?”
“Well, I feel like he's hiding something for sure, and this girl might be in danger. I mean, I'm not just saying this because she's the most beautiful –”
“No,” Tamir interrupts me.
“What do you mean, no?”
“You're going to stay far away from that girl, Pax. You know shifter law. It is very clear about messing with another shifter's mate. Even an alpha is not immune.”
“She might not be his mate.”
“You will not talk to that girl, Pax. Leave her be,” Tamir says through gritted teeth.
I hear my brother, but I don't. I've already thought about that, and, admittedly, I barely care. All I can see is how beautiful she is. I don't even know her name, and I'm already fully drawn in. I can already see myself risking it all for her.
“I think we need more time to talk about this. Why don't the two of you stay the night, and we can get to know each other?” Anson suggests.
The night? That's a great way to keep an eye on them. It would give me a chance to talk to the woman. Maybe I'll get her name.
“Yeah, we can stay. There’s nowhere for us to be, and I am fully committed to working out this deal with you.”
Flint seems super excited to be doing whatever it is he’s doing, but the girl behind him has been getting more and more uncomfortable. She’s nervously running her hand up and down her arm, her nails scratching the skin. She must be pressing hard against her surface because there’s a faint smell of blood in the air that wasn’t always there. How can Flint not see how much she doesn’t want to be here? It's obvious.
Not that I’m complaining because it gives me the chance to talk to her. If they’re spending the entire night, I might even be able to get her away from this horrible man.
After Flint agrees to spend the night with us, the girl grabs on to his arm. I can’t tell what she’s saying, but it looks like she’s worried about being here. Her lips move quickly as her eyes frantically search her companion’s.
“It’ll be fine, don’t worry.” He wrestles his arm out of her hold and goes over to talk to Anson more. She kind of folds into herself, wrapping her arms around her frail frame. She just looks so lost and scared. I’m sure if I spoke to her, I could calm any fears she has. I’m well aware that to outsiders, my family comes off as weird, but we’re not bad people.
I think I’m going to go talk to her, make her feel better about this whole thing. I start to approach her but feel hands grabbing me. I look behind me and see my brother pulling me away.
“I told you to stay away from her,” Tamir growls. He pulls me all the way back into the main building, essentially dragging me the entire way.
“Tamir!” I whisper yell. There’s no reason to draw unnecessary attention to us, but Tamir is definitely overreacting.
“We’re going inside.” The way he answers me lets me know that this isn’t up for debate. He’s not going to let me go until these strangers are out of sight.
I keep my eyes trained on the girl, deciding to patiently wait until the perfect moment to approach her. Tamir can’t watch me twenty-four hours a day, and she’s going to be here for the whole night. When everyone is distracted with their own affairs, that will be the time I can approach her. I’ll get my moment.
Chapter Six
Mini
Flint agreed to the two of us spending the night here, something I am in no way on board with. How did an hour turn into an overnight trip? This was not part of the deal. I’m already having a few too many panic attacks. I find this whole orchard and the people who own it totally freaky. They’ve all been staring at me like I’m some kind of curiosity or something. Like I’m the freaky one. I don’t get it.
I’m worried when night hits, they’ll all murder me or something. Maybe Flint is even in on it. Did I just get driven to my death? It is supposed to be a full moon tonight. I could be the sacrifice for whatever ritual they might be planning.
I stick by Flint throughout the afternoon; even if he is the instrument of my demise, he’s the only person I kind of know here. I get taken on this tour with him. Anson, the ‘head of the family’ or whatev
er, is showing Flint the stuff they do here. It’s an orchard, just like I already knew. They grow and harvest apples. It seems boring, but Flint acts like he’s having the greatest time and fully ignores me.
It’s just wherever we go, there’s someone there who looks at me like they’re going to tear me apart. Maybe my Momma wasn’t off about the whole shredding up kids thing.
When Anson walks off for a little bit, and Flint and I have some privacy, I pull him aside. “Hey, do you think it would be possible for you to just run me to the bus station now? I’m sure I’ll just get in the way of whatever business dealings you guys have here. It looks like it’ll take a little while.” I don’t even know why I’m here. I don’t add anything to this whole operation except anxiety and fear.
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Mini, but I can’t do that. I need to make this deal as quickly as possible, which means staying with Anson no matter how long it takes. I don’t have time to be running back and forth. Not right now.”
How long it takes? What does that mean? I don’t want to be here for days.
“But you said one hour. There was nothing about an overnight or possibly longer. I’m just a little freaked out by all of this. I don’t – I don’t think they like me.”
“You’re being paranoid. They’re barely paying attention to you, and, even if they are, you can deal with it. I thought you were a big girl.”
My shoulders start to shake with the combination of fear and anger I am feeling. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.
Flint puts his hands on my shoulders and looks me square in my eyes. “What we’re going to be doing is staying, and you need to accept that. Because there’s going to be a lot of things happening, so rolling with the punches is what needs to happen. Okay?” I nod. I hate being talked down to, but I nod. “Also, we’ll be in the same room, so you have to act like you belong to me.”
“Belong to you?”
I don’t know what he means by that. Does he want me to act like we’re dating or married? Are these people like fundamentalist Christians or something? I mean, I wouldn’t mind not staying in a room with Flint, but the alternative is also unattractive: Being alone all night in this creepy place.
