by L. P. Dover
“There were many factors, Reed. I know you don’t know my past and what I’ve been through, but let’s just say I promised myself never to be a victim again. I’ve been training to fight for the past few years.”
“Jiu-jitsu?” he asks.
I smile. “Something like that.”
“Well, we’d love to see what you got, so here’s my proposal to you. You have two options, and let me just say, whichever path you choose, there is no wrong one.”
“Okay,” I reply, slowly releasing my breath.
“The first option, you can accept your spot with the FBI Academy. The training is twenty weeks long, and if you make it through, you’ll be placed in a position best to your abilities.”
My eyes shift over to Colin, and I hate myself for even looking. He meets my gaze and smiles at me. Rolling my eyes, I turn my back on him. “And the second option?” I ask.
“This is where things might get a little strange for you. I can’t discuss all of the details right now, but I’m hoping you’ll consider it. I’m part of a special branch of the FBI. What we do is top secret and can’t be talked about with just anyone. We do things a little differently. Our training program is eight weeks, and by the end of that first day, we know who’s going to make it. That’s how tough it is. We take the best of the best.”
It sounds interesting. “What happens if I pass? Will I become an agent?”
“Yes, but you’ll also be part of something bigger. This isn’t for the faint of heart, Kami. I’ve recruited several women over the past year, and only one has succeeded. I think you have what it takes. You said it yourself, you want to make the world a safer place. I’m offering you the chance to do that. If you need time to think about it, I understand.”
I look over at Tate, who disappears inside of the house. “What do I tell my family if I choose option two?”
“Say you’re going to the FBI Academy, and you’ll be gone for eight weeks. You’ll be able to call them like normal, only you’ll be limited to what you can tell them. The training facility is in Jackson, Wyoming.”
I gasp. “Seriously? I have friends there.”
He chuckles. “I know. We have some of those friends in common. They put in a good word for you.”
My curiosity gets the best of me. “Who?”
“Ryker Whitemore and Tyla Rand. They’re friends with a fellow FBI agent, Blake Evans. I believe Tyla works at his ranch.” Well, I’ll be damned. It’s a small world. I’ll have to thank them when I get to Wyoming. “My brother, Ian, and his wife, Grace, own a hotel near the facility, and that’s usually where our recruits stay.”
“That’s great, but would it be okay if I stayed somewhere close by? I have a lot of friends in Wyoming.”
“As long as you make it to training on time. I’ll be the one picking you up from the hotel along with three others. It’s our meeting spot.”
A part of me is ecstatic about this new adventure in my life, but I’m also nervous. I don’t know what the training entails, but I know I’ll have to be extra careful. I can’t let anyone know what I am.
“When does all of this start?”
“That’s the thing. We’ll need you in Wyoming tomorrow. Is that something you can do?”
I don’t even think twice about it. “Yes. I’m ready.”
“Good. I’ll email you all the details and my contact information. When you get into town, I want you to call me. That way, we can get started.”
My heart starts to race. I can’t wait to tell everyone. “Sounds perfect. I’ll be in touch.” We hang up, and I run straight to the house. “Tate!” I shout, barging straight through the door.
My brother drops his hammer and rushes over with Orin while Faith and Colin burst through the door behind me. I clutch my chest, and tears of happiness fall from my cheeks. Tate grabs my arms, his face full of worry. “Kami, what’s wrong?”
Laughing, I shake my head and fling my arms around his neck. “Nothing’s wrong. I just got accepted into the FBI Academy.”
Faith squeals from behind. “Oh my God, this is awesome.”
Tate lets me go, and the look of pride on his face makes my heart melt. “I knew you could do it, Kami.”
Faith pulls me away from him and hugs me. “What happens now?”
When she lets me go, I breathe a sigh of relief, even though I’m not too sure what’s going to happen when I get to Wyoming. There are so many unanswered questions. “I leave tomorrow for Jackson, Wyoming. That’s where the training facility is at. Apparently, Ryker and Tyla put in a good word for me.” Faith grins as if she knows something I don’t. “Did you know about that?” I ask her.
She grins sheepishly. “Maybe. I knew Tyla worked at an FBI agent’s ranch, so I told her to mention your name. Guess they liked what they saw.”
I hug her again. “Thank you for that. I have eight weeks of rigorous training ahead of me. I was hoping you’d call Amelie and see if I can stay with her? Maybe even Tia could come as well?”
She gasps and lets me go. “Amelie would love that. She’s all alone right now with me and Laila gone.” Pulling out her phone, she heads for the door. “I’m going to call her.”
Tate brings out his phone. “And I’m going to call Mom and Dad and everyone else if that’s okay with you. They’ll all want to hear the good news.” I nod, and he walks out to the front yard, pacing back and forth as he makes his calls with a huge grin on his face.
Colin comes up next to me and leans against the railing, so his body faces toward me. “Congratulations, Kamille.”
“Thanks,” I say, cutting him a side glance. I focus on my Jeep to keep myself from looking at him. “And didn’t I tell you not to call me that?”
He chuckles. “You did, but I like giving you a hard time. It looks like you’re going to be close to me for the next eight weeks.”
I groan. “Don’t remind me.”
He moves closer to me, but I stand my ground. “You know, I was heading home tomorrow. Chase was going to send his jet, but if you’re driving, I thought I could ride with you.”
The words hell no are on the tip of my tongue, and before I can say them, Tate joins us on the front porch. “That’s a great idea. Now you don’t have to make the drive alone.”
Clenching my teeth, I glare at Colin and his smart-ass smirk. He loves that he gets under my skin, and every time I end up giving him what he wants by being snarky back. He brings out that side in me. “Okay, you can ride with me,” I say to him. Tate and Faith walk back inside, and I move closer to Colin so only he can hear me. I look up into his crystal blue eyes, and I can feel mine flash to my wolf’s. “If you so much as get on my nerves one tiny bit tomorrow, I’ll kick your ass out of my Jeep and not think twice about it. I don’t care if we’re in the middle of nowhere. Got it?” His eyes shift to his wolf’s, and it makes my breath hitch as his power flows over my body. He’s stronger than me, but my sheer and utter determination to not back down is stronger. I stare right into his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re a big bad wolf, and you probably don’t think I can toss you out of my Jeep. All I can say is try me and find out.”
His gaze slides down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. “I’ll behave, Kamille. Honestly, I’m looking forward to this time together.” He winks and goes inside the house, leaving me alone on the porch.
How the hell am I going to deal with being alone with him for hours tomorrow? I can barely handle a single minute with him.
The door opens, and Faith giggles. “Please don’t kill my brother tomorrow.”
“I’ll try not to.” I turn to her, and my attention shifts to the window where I can see Colin inside, helping Tate. “But I can’t promise anything.”
She smiles. “Something tells me Colin’s going to enjoy every minute of it.”
Exactly. That’s what I hate.
6
Kami
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? I’d be more than grateful to have you use you
r magic to keep Colin quiet the whole time.”
Tia bursts out laughing and waits by the front door with one of my bags. “Sorry, my friend. I just got the job at the flower shop. I’ll come and visit you when I have a few days off.”
Groaning, I grab my suitcase handle and wheel the luggage across the floor. “Fine. You’re literally throwing me to the wolves right now.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s just one wolf, and he’s not going to hurt you.” Her attention shifts to the window where I know Colin is waiting with Tate and Faith, along with my parents. “On the contrary, I get the feeling he has other things in mind for you. I’ve noticed the way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s watching.”
“Stop,” I snap, holding up a hand. “I don’t want to hear that mess. The man is insufferable.”
Tia shrugs, and her expression turns serious. “He’s different here than he was in Canada. Up there, he was quite scary. The same goes for your brother. I like seeing them the way they are here. They’re more at peace.”
I guess that could be said for us all. Some might say I was scary that day in the rundown cabin with Michael before I snapped his neck. Then again, we’re wolves. I look around at my living room, already missing it, and I haven’t even left yet. But I’m also happy about the FBI training. I feel like a new chapter of my life is about to begin.
Joining her at the door, I take a deep breath and peek outside. My dad claps Colin on the shoulder and laughs at whatever ridiculousness he said. “Here we go. Let’s hope I survive the four-and-a-half-hour trip to Wyoming.”
Tia giggles. “You will. Who knows, you might like talking to him once it’s over.”
I scoff. “Doubt it.” I open the door, and Tia follows me out.
Colin walks over and reaches for my luggage. “I’ll take that.”
It’s heavy as hell, so I smile and wave him on. “Go for it.” Of course, he picks it up with ease, and when his shirt sleeves rise, I can see part of the tattoo on his left arm. Tattoos on men are sexy, and I hate that I like them on him. I begin to think it’ll be better if I don’t look at him at all. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done. I can’t seem not to look at him.
Tate takes my other bag from Tia and puts it in the back of my Jeep. My mother rushes over and hugs me so hard I can barely breathe. “You be safe now, you hear me?”
Smiling, I wrap my arms around her. “I will.”
She passes me over to my dad, and he kisses my cheek. “Show them what you got, but don’t draw too much attention to your strengths.”
I kiss him back. “I won’t.” But I’m sure as hell going to make sure I’m the best there.
He goes to stand by my mother, and she waves. “We love you, sweetheart. Make sure to call us as much as you can.” I nod and head over to my Jeep, where Tate and Faith say their goodbyes to Colin. He hops into the passenger’s side and smiles at me, but I ignore it.
Faith opens her arms, and I hug her. “You might want to check on your brother later. I don’t know if he’ll make it back home.”
She giggles. “Don’t be so hard on Colin.” She lets me go and gasps. “Oh, and Amelie says she has everything ready for you. You’ll be staying in my old room. It has the best view of the mountains. And also, since it’s the full moon tonight, she’s hoping you’ll go for a run with her.”
It feels like forever since I’ve shifted. “That will be great. I need it.”
Tate waves me over and hugs me. “Good luck, sis. I know you’ll do great.”
Once he lets me go, Tia walks down from the porch and opens my door with an amused expression on her face. “I’ll come to visit you soon.”
“You better.” Taking a deep breath, I climb into the driver’s seat, and Tia shuts the door. Here we go. I wave at everyone. “I’ll call you when we get there.”
Putting the Jeep into gear, I back out of the driveway, and we’re on our way. I grab my sunglasses out of the center dash and slip them on before turning on the radio. Since it hasn’t rained in days, I decided to keep the top off of the Jeep. If I’m not going to enjoy the company, I can at least soak in the sunshine and listen to my favorite music.
Once we get onto the highway, I sneak a glance over at Colin, and his body is relaxed as he rests his arm on the door. The wind blows through his whitish-blond hair, and the sun makes his eyes look even bluer. It feels strange being alone with him, especially since he hasn’t opened his mouth to speak to me. Turning my attention back to the road, I focus on the task at hand. I’m excited about going to Wyoming, even if it does mean I’ll be in the same city as Colin. Out of all the places I’ve visited, the Grand Teton National park is one of my favorite spots. The mountains are breathtaking, and I look forward to running through the forest. The lake I’ve been dreaming about is there. I want to visit it tonight when Amelie and I take our run.
As we ride through the mountains in silence, I’m surprised at how much time has passed without either one of us saying a word. It’s been an hour and nothing. It’s driving me insane. Every time I peek over at Colin through my sunglasses, his eyes are focused on the surroundings. Another minute passes, and another. I tap my fingers on the steering wheel and concentrate on the radio, but it doesn’t help. Finally, I can’t take the silence anymore.
“What’s wrong with you?” I blurt out.
He looks over at me, and I rest my sunglasses on the top of my head so he can see my eyes. His lips pull up slightly, and he shrugs. I turn my attention back to the road to keep from looking into the depths of his gaze. The last thing I need is to get sucked into his charms. “What do you mean what’s wrong with me?” he asks, chuckling mischievously.
I huff. “Usually, you’re a pain in the ass when I’m around you.”
He laughs. “That’s before you threatened me. I’m not too keen on being left stranded on the side of the road. I know your threat was real; I could see it in your eyes.”
What shocks me is that he did stay quiet for a complete hour. That has to be a world record for him. It makes me wonder if he would’ve stayed silent the entire time if I didn’t spark up the conversation first.
“Maybe if you weren’t such a conceited jackass all the time, I wouldn’t have had to threaten you.”
Colin shakes his head and smiles. “Wow. I didn’t realize I was that bad.”
“Please,” I snort. “You know exactly how you are, Colin. You love that women beg for your attention and that other males cower when you’re around. It’s a power play.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I glance over at him, and his eyes bore into mine. “Do you really find me that shallow?”
I shrug. “You haven’t given me a reason to think otherwise.”
His whole demeanor changes, and I can feel his anger. “Then you obviously don’t know me, Kami. You and I have a lot in common; we’ve both been put through hell by the same people.”
Swallowing hard, I wish I never said anything. We do have a lot in common; we both suffered at the hands of the Yukon pack. They killed his parents when he was young, and they violated me. Both are two different extremes, but painful, nonetheless.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Sometimes it’s hard to take you seriously when you parade around like the bad boy alpha.”
The air around me turns electric, and his eyes blaze. I’ve never seen him look so serious before. “I’m an alpha without my own pack. When I came of age, my father was going to step down so I could lead the Royal pack. My family and my birthright were taken from me in one night. Am I angry about it? Fuck yeah, I am. I lost everything and never got the vengeance I deserve.” He looks away and blows out a heavy sigh. “Others fear my power, and they should. I refuse to hide who I am.”
I never thought about it that way. We all have our way of dealing with things. After what happened to me, I changed. I’m not as sweet and trusting as I used to be. A part of me misses the simplicity of living in a bubble. Then again, it’s not the real world. One way or another, I was going
to realize it.
“I’m sorry you think I’m a dick, Kami. Honestly, it’s not how I want you to see me. You’re the only female I can be around who doesn’t want me because of what I am.” With him being a royal, whoever he mates with will get his power and become a royal as well. I’m not one, so I don’t have to worry about males wanting me because of my power. When I look over at him, his lips pull back into a sly grin, all seriousness gone. “I’m not gonna lie though. I enjoy giving you a hard time. You’re cute when you’re pissed.”
Rolling my eyes, I try not to smile and fail. Still, I wouldn’t say I like Colin, but I understand him a little better now. “You’re not going to think I’m cute when I shove my foot up your ass.”
Tilting his head back, he bursts out laughing. “That’s what I like about you.” The tension between us eases, and I relax. “Tell me about your training,” he says. “Do you know what all you have to do?”
Keeping my eyes on the road, I shake my head. The email Reed sent me didn’t go into detail about any of that. All I know is where I’m supposed to be and at what time. There will be another email sent to me tomorrow morning with more instructions. “Not yet. I’m supposed to meet the other three recruits at the Meadow Creek Lodge. From there, we’ll ride together to the training facility with the agent I spoke to on the phone. His name’s Reed Chandler. Apparently, the training is going to be tough.”
It just so happens the internet can tell you a lot about a person. Reed Chandler comes from a famous and wealthy family. His father started up Chandler Enterprises, which is one of the biggest companies in the world. They’re worth a ton of money.
“Are you able to talk about the training, or will you have to keep it secret?” Colin asks.
I shrug. “Not sure. I’ll find out tomorrow. We meet first thing in the morning.”
He nods and focuses on the road, but I can tell there’s something on his mind. I want to ask him what it is, but I don’t want to get too personal with him. We already skimmed the line today, and I don’t think we should cross it.
