Envied

by Samantha Britt

  Gregory looked at Paige with disbelief. “I didn’t know you were old enough to be in college.” Last he checked, she was still a talkative, shopping-obsessed, movie-loving teenager.

  Paige laughed. “Uh, yeah. I’m almost twenty.”

  Twenty?

  “I thought you and Darcie were the same age.”

  “We are,” she said patiently. “I’m only six months older.”

  Gregory struggled to accept the information. When he thought about Paige, he pictured the youthful teenager in Florida – the one who had balked at him when he drank the thermos of blood from the fridge.

  The memory made him grin.

  Paige noticed. “What are you smiling about?”

  Gregory shook his head. “Nothing. Tell me about Preston.” He didn’t beat around the bush.

  Her eyes darkened. “He’s no one.”

  “Is he a member of your pack.”

  Paige nearly choked on her own saliva. “No! Absolutely not.”

  Observing his friend and remembering how Preston brushed against her as he left, Gregory knew there was something more. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She leaned back and rested her head against the top of the couch. Biting her lip, she stared at the wall.

  Gregory patiently waited, remaining still as stone, while Paige worked through her thoughts.

  Finally, she lowered her chin and turned back to him. “What do you know about pack politics?”

  The question took him by surprise. “In terms of leadership?”

  She nodded.

  Gregory shared what he knew. “The alpha bloodline is passed from generation to generation. In the past, challengers could try and take the position through a ceremonial battle. If they won, the alpha line moved to them.”

  Paige bobbed her head. “Yeah, but fighting challenges are rare now. Most packs elect their alpha leader based on their strength and overall loyalty to the pack. Once it is decided, the alpha line moves to them instantly.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Really? The line actually transfers even while the other alpha lives?”

  “Yes.”

  Gregory analyzed the information. The magic and power in an alpha’s bloodline was a subject he knew little about. It was complex, and the passing of the power was somewhat mystical and unknown.

  But he found it interesting werebeasts discovered a way to initiate its passing without the need for violence. It certainly made the whole situation less messy.

  He met Paige’s anxious gaze. “Does this topic have something to do with Preston?”

  “Yes and no.” She paused, inhaling a large breath.

  On the exhale, she said, “My father doesn’t have any sons. I am his only heir.”

  Gregory’s lips formed a thin line. Females did not receive the alpha line. At least, he never heard of such a thing. “You are worried about who will take over after your father?”

  She shook her head. “It’s more than that. Even though no one forces us to do it, most female werebeasts begin searching for their mate once they’re eighteen. Guess who’s been over eighteen for nearly two years?

  Gregory frowned. He didn’t understand how the two topics connected. Was Paige implying she searched for a mate?

  Seeing his confusion, Paige elaborated, “I’m the only child of the Northwester Pack Alpha. A female. Apparently, that means I am the most eligible bachelorette in the werebeast community.”

  “Ah.” It came together as Gregory reasoned through Paige’s thought process. Any male who mated with Paige would have an advantage when it came to pack alpha elections. The mate could claim the advantage of her bloodline, securing stability by citing the passage of her heritage to any children. If Gregory knew one thing about werebeasts, it was they valued certainty, in their alphas.

  “Surely, the males must have their own claim to the position,” he said.

  Paige rolled her eyes. “Apparently not. When this situation happened in the past, the pack almost always elected the female heir’s mate as the alpha.”

  “That’s…” He felt at a loss for words. “Interesting.”

  “It’s outdated,” she snipped. “And barbaric. But it doesn’t stop them from swarming my pack’s property, each one vying for a chance to speak with me.”

  “Males from other packs?” he asked for clarification.

  “Yes. All werebeast males are eligible to become a pack’s alpha. Though, the position is usually assigned to males from within.”

  “But that boy, Preston, is taking his chance?” Gregory finally understood Paige’s aversion to the male, as well as Preston’s overly forward move earlier.

  Paige nodded. “It’s awful. His father is the beta of the Great Lakes Pack, and rumors say he is a power-grabbing piece of work. He’d want nothing more than for his son to become an alpha. Since he’s arrived, Preston has done nothing but schmooze our pack leaders.”

  “Why does your father let him stay?” Lucas Green hardly seemed like the father who would let his daughter suffer her problems on her own.

  “Preston is here under the guise of helping us with the vampire problem,” she answered, crossing her arms. “But it’s obvious; he’s only concerned with campaigning to be alpha.”

  “Well, that doesn’t matter. Right?” Gregory donned an encouraging expression. “As long as you don’t accept him as your mate, you will be fine.”

  Paige tilted her head down. “My biggest fear is he, or someone I despise just as much, will turn out to be my mate. Rejecting that kind of bond is… hard. It’s why I’ve been avoiding it for so long.”

  “Wouldn’t you already know if Preston was your mate?”

  She moved her chin from side to side. “Not necessarily. A mating bond could snap into place instantly or take time to evolve. No one really knows why. It could happen any day.”

  “So, whenever it does happen and you mate, that male will most likely become the alpha of your pack?”

  “Exactly.” She released a stuttering breath. “Until then, Preston and others like him will continue to hang around until I’ve mated. Many believe mating is a matter of chance and timing. They all think if they just catch me at the right moment, under the right circumstances, the mate bond will snap in place.” The words caused her eyes to dim, and her shoulders hunched forward. “I don’t think they even care about getting to know me. All that matters is that stupid link to power.”

  Gregory wished he could relieve Paige of her troubles. It seemed a miserable existence – to have ambitious beasts hounding your every step.

  He wondered if he was the first person she was able to share her true feelings with. Gregory suspected the alpha selection was a sensitive subject, and one she probably couldn’t discuss with anyone in her pack. Though, he wished she would press the matter with her father.

  Knowing Paige’s stubbornness and that she wouldn’t take kindly to being told how to handle her situation, Gregory decided to try to alleviate her burden covertly.

  As long as he was a guest of the Northwestern pack, Gregory would make sure no male werebeast came within five feet of Paige.

  Unless she wanted him to, of course.

  4

  For a dinner that was supposed to double as a meeting, Gregory thought the location of the event was misleading. Instead of gathering in a formal dining room, Paige led him to her father’s house, near the back of the property. Lucas had ordered pizza and was opening packages of paper plates and napkins when they arrived.

  “Need some help?” Paige swiftly moved to her father’s side and placed the stack of plates on the large granite counter separating the kitchen from the living room.

  “Thank you.” Lucas followed and positioned the napkins near the edge of the surface. “The others should be arriving in a few minutes.”

  “And the pizza?”

  Lucas grinned at his daughter. “Approximately ten minutes away.”

  “Good.” She returned his smile. “I’m starving.”

  Gregory
watched the lighthearted interaction, noticing for the first time how close the father-daughter pair seemed. In the past, he’d only seen the stoic and business-side of the alpha. It was a marked difference to see him in a casual setting.

  Lucas turned to his guest. “How is the guesthouse? Will it do?”

  “It is more than I deserve,” Gregory stated with sincerity. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

  Lucas waved away his gratitude. “It is the least we can do. King Alexander informed me of your travels this past year. I appreciate you deciding to delay your well-earned rest to help us with our problem.”

  “The rogue vampires are our problem, as well,” Gregory replied, surprised his sovereign shared the detail of his past assignments. “I’m happy to help.”

  A knock interrupted them, and Paige disappeared down the hall to greet the newcomers.

  A familiar face appeared in front of Gregory, surprising him.

  “Sir Gregory,” J.J. Parker, a member of the Mesa pack, greeted. “I heard you were coming. Great to see you again.”

  Gregory smiled and stepped forward to accept the male’s outstretched hand. “Same to you.”

  During the rebellion, Darcie had a vision and saw the Mesa pack’s compound as the place of Adir’s final attack. J.J. and his father, Joseph Parker, had worked closely with Gregory and others to coordinate The Alliance’s forces during the battle. J.J. was a brave and honorable werebeast, as was his alpha father.

  Three unfamiliar faces followed J.J. into the living room, leaving Preston to enter last. Paige was one step ahead of him and, if her face told Gregory anything, she was trying to ignore whatever comments Preston whispered behind her. Gregory wished he could hear, but J.J.’s voice masked the quiet sound.

  “I hear you’ve been busy tracking down all the bad guys,” he continued, admiration and envy covering each word. “Is it true you cleaned out an entire unsanctioned nest in Vegas? I heard you just happened to stumble across them in search of rebels. Talk about luck.”

  Neutralizing a nest of untrained vampires might not seem like a difficult task, but when you considered each nest boasted no less than twenty vampires living and hunting side-by-side, it proved to be a note-worthy accomplishment.

  Still, Gregory did not enjoy being the center of attention. He wasn’t one to bask in praise.

  “Yes,” he confirmed J.J.’s statement. “But I wasn’t alone. I called on the local coven for assistance.” It would have been foolish to take on the entire nest by himself, regardless of his skill.

  J.J. didn’t let the information ruin his admiration. “If you are ever near Mesa territory, feel free to give me a shout. I’d love to get some experience hunting bloodsuckers.”

  Paige shot J.J. an incredulous look, but Gregory just shook his head. J.J. was young and eager to prove himself. He wasn’t talking about hunting all vampires – only those who harmed innocents.

  Per historical agreements among half-breed communities, criminals of any species were dealt with based on whose territory they committed the crimes. Following the rebellion, however, King Alexander actively encouraged half-breed leaders to take responsibility of their own people. No one knew how to neutralize a vampire better than another vampire. Though most criminal vampires held no allegiance to the coven and chose to ignore the laws governing their kind, the king still felt personally responsible for any crimes committed by the evil creatures.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Lucas saved Gregory from J.J.’s fawning.

  “William, Pedro, Jon,” he addressed the three werebeasts before finally acknowledging Preston. “This is Sir Gregory, King Alexander’s second. As you’ve heard, he has come to help us with our problem.”

  In turn, each man nodded. The slender one stepped forward and bowed his head with respect. “Pedro of the Southwestern pack. Thank you for coming.”

  The other two copied his act and stepped forward to introduce themselves. Gregory met Lucas’ beta, William, and the alpha’s trusted childhood friend, Jon. Only J.J, Pedro, and Preston were not members of the Northwestern pack. The information made Gregory observe them all with a hint of distrust.

  Were they there to help, or try their hand at wooing Paige?

  The pizza’s arrival distracted the group momentarily, but once the food was served and everyone gathered in the living room, the discussion began.

  Pedro shared his suspicion that the vampires committing the horrendous crimes were newly-turned vampires, themselves. He cited evidence of multiple vampires based on the different bite marks on the victims, and he highlighted the fact that they seemed sloppy. A mature vampire would know where and how to bite a human to initiate a transformation.

  Gregory agreed the attacks were sloppy, but he disagreed that the information hinted at the criminals’ ages. The transformation process was not easy to initiate, and only very, very old vampires could begin the process with only one dose of venom. Any vampire younger than three centuries would need to inject more of the initiating toxin with multiple bites.

  Jon, Lucas’ friend, countered Pedro’s argument by sharing the same facts.

  The younger werebeast colored slightly, shooting a hesitant glance to Paige. He wanted to see if she noticed his error. The quick action told Gregory all he needed to know about a part of Pedro’s motives.

  The conversation continued, but none of the intelligence was new information. Gregory’s report had been thorough, and he memorized it before his arrival. Still, he sat quietly and listened the different werebeasts share their perspectives and ideas. Paige, too, observed the meeting in silence.

  When their voices finally died down, Gregory asked, “Have the surveillance videos in town revealed anything?” It was the one thing he hadn’t seen mentioned in his report.

  “Two of the discovered victims were frequent visitors of a bar in Silverton. One disappeared right after leaving the location,” Lucas answered.

  “We should check it out.” Paige straightened her back, at last joining the discussion. “We can go tonight.”

  “I agree we should investigate the bar,” Gregory said, “but we must take care. The last thing we want to do is barge in without a plan. We could unknowingly alert the vampires we are on their trail. If that is where they are doing their hunting, we could force them to change locations and lose our lead.”

  Paige’s enthusiasm wasn’t cooled. “Tomorrow, then.”

  “Slow down,” her father advised. “We will make a plan in the morning. Then, if we are all in agreement, we will settle on a time for the mission.”

  Lucas returned his attention to Gregory. “Would you be willing to take the lead on this? You have more experience hunting these creatures.”

  He lowered his head. “Of course. I will draft a plan this evening and have it ready to present in the morning. What time should we meet?”

  The group quickly discussed the matter and settled on nine in the morning. Gregory would have liked to meet earlier, but he held his tongue. He was a guest, after all.

  The combined dinner and meeting disbanded soon after that. Paige offered to walk with Gregory back to the guesthouse, careful to keep her distance from the younger werebeasts in the room. Gregory had to bite back his amusement as he saw her physically skirt around Preston just before he turned to try and talk to her.

  Paige and Gregory left the house when a shadowy figure bounded after them.

  “Hey! Mind if I join you? I’m walking the same way.”

  Gregory had no qualms with accepting J.J.’s presence, and he assumed Paige would not either. But one look at his friend’s face revealed he’d been wrong.

  The walk to the guesthouse was full of tension. For the most part, J.J. kept conversation with Gregory. But every now and then, he would try to draw Paige in.

  It was after his third attempt when she suddenly stopped walking. Gregory halted, as well.

  Concern filled him as he took in her nervous twitching and anxious expression. “Paige?”


  She swallowed. “Sorry. I forgot I promised my dad I’d help him clean,” she offered weakly. “Think you can make it on your own?” Wide brown eyes begged Gregory to relieve her.

  Her discomfort was obvious, and he chastised himself for thoughtlessly putting her in the situation. He should have denied J.J.’s earlier request.

  So, Gregory complied. “I think I can manage.”

  Paige wasted no time in rushing away. She had just disappeared around a large oak tree when J.J. released a disappointed sigh.

  Gregory turned away from watching his friend’s departure and lifted an eyebrow.

  The werebeast saw and gave a self-depreciating laugh. “I don’t think she likes me.”

  “Oh?”

  J.J. shook his head. “I don’t blame her. I can’t imagine how all of this is for her. Being pursued because of who your father is doesn’t seem like any girl’s idea of fun.”

  Gregory blinked, surprised J.J. blatantly revealed his intentions. After all, he had no idea Gregory knew about the alpha-heir issue at all.

  “If you feel that way, why do you pursue her?” Based on their interactions, Gregory would say J.J. seemed an honorable sort of male. Why would he persist when he knew how Paige felt about the matter?

  J.J. had the decency to look away.

  A moment later, he shrugged and said, “I have to at least try. If there is any chance I am her mate, I owe it to my pack to see.”

  Gregory realized he could not begrudge J.J. for his explanation.

  Being the potential future alpha of the strong Northwestern pack would be a prize coveted by many werebeasts. J.J.’s duty to his own pack forced him to at least see if he might be the future alpha. If so, he’d significantly expand the Mesa pack’s power and reach.

  Gregory admitted he would do the exact same if roles were reversed. He would do anything to strengthen his coven, even if that meant making someone like Paige a little uncomfortable.

  Nodding to the werebeast, they continued on their way. The pair chatted amicably, but Gregory’s thoughts remained focused on his friend and her unique situation. Silently, he lifted a plea to The Creator, asking that the right male be sent as her mate – for her sake and the sake of her pack.