by M H Soars
I turn around, now running toward where I came from, but finding no doors on this side as well. Damn it. Where is the fucking exit? I come to a screeching halt when I hear a low moan in the distance. It’s so low I almost believe I’m imagining things. Then I hear it again, clearer this time, and I recognize the voice. It’s Rochelle’s, begging to be set free.
Pivoting on the spot, I turn my nose up and sniff the air, trying to catch her scent. No sign of it. It’s possible she’s not in this building, but nearby, and now that I’m in wolf form, I can hear her just like I sensed when the unknown black wolf was in danger. Ignoring caution, I howl just in case she can hear me. There’s no reply, no soft whisper in the air. Nor is there any sign of the great wolf apparition that called me the Mother of Wolves. What I do hear is the distinct sound of gears put into motion, right before sunlight streams through the sudden opening at the end of the tunnel. This is my chance at freedom, but I hesitate, scanning the opposite direction. What if Rochelle is here somewhere?
You can’t help her alone. A voice sounds in my head, and I don’t know if it’s my inner thoughts or someone else speaking to me. It’s definitely not the wolf apparition. The great beast has a distinct voice, impossible to forget. No, it sounds like the foreign thoughts that plagued me before I became a wolf. This will be something I’ll have to figure out later. I take heed of the warning, sprinting toward the exit before the door slides shut.
Despite my guilt about Rochelle, my heart rejoices at being out in the open after hours of being kept captive. But it doesn’t last long when my eyes register the pack of wolves waiting for me. Among them is the scarred wolf who attacked Rochelle and Billy.
Fuck. I knew this was a trap.
Chapter 5
Dante
There’s a moment of stunned silence before Sam speaks, “What?”
Mom turns to us. “Valerius can’t know that all three of you imprinted on her. That’s dangerous information, and I don’t want anyone to know yet. But the only way to get Red back and avoid Valerius from rightfully declaring war against us is if one of you is openly mated to her.”
“I don’t see how that’s going to help.” Tristan crosses his arms, glowering.
“There are shifter laws older than the ones we have now. A true mating bond would justify us not leaving Red to die in the woods, even if we knew she had been infected by a Shadow Creek wolf.”
“So you want one of us to claim we imprinted on her on that same evening?” I ask.
“Yes. It doesn’t guarantee Valerius will let Red go free, but if he decides to declare war against us, we can count on support from our allies.”
Tristan scoffs. “Montgomery won’t help. It’s clear she’s on Valerius side.”
“No, she won’t. Her hatred toward our pack runs deep. Now that Anthony is gone, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to get rid of me for good.”
“What happened between you two? You never talk about your time before you became a shifter,” I say.
There’s a moment of silence while Mom’s thoughts seem to turn inward to the past. She finally lets out a heavy sigh, hunching her shoulders as she crosses her arms and stares at the ground.
“Georgina and I never saw eye to eye. Since our initiation in the Midnight Lily Coven, she viewed me as competition. Things didn’t improve when your father and I got together. You see, Georgina and Anthony dated briefly before I came along, and then she became obsessed with him to the point of threatening the relationship between the witches and the wolves. I had to leave the coven to avoid a full-blown interspecies war.”
No one speaks for a moment. No one seems surprised either about Mayor Montgomery’s actions, but hearing Mom talk about Dad a day after his passing rips open my chest. The image of the Grim Reaper sucking Dad’s soul from his body is all I can see. Nausea rolls in as my stomach twists viciously. We’ve been so focused on Red’s disappearance that ignoring the ache of our father’s death was easier.
Mom lifts her face, her eyes now brighter than before. “It doesn’t matter if Georgina doesn’t help. In fact, failing to assist will only work against her in the long run. Day by day, the supernatural community is losing faith in her leadership.”
“But she still has control of the witches and also the sheriff’s department.” Tristan points out.
“True, but the Midnight Lily Coven isn’t the only one in town,” Mom replies.
Frowning, I glance at my brothers. Both seem as confused as I feel. Focusing on Mom once more, I ask, “What do you mean? Mayor Montgomery would never allow an independent coven to form in Crimson Hollow. She craves power too much.”
A spark of mischief shines in Mom’s eyes. “Who says she’s aware?”
“Forget the witches. Who will step forward as Red’s mate?” Sam cuts in, sounding annoyed.
I open my mouth to reply, but Tristan beats me to it. “I will.”
Sam makes a disgruntled sound in the back of his throat. “Why you?”
The hard set of Tristan’s jaw tells me he won’t be dissuaded of the idea, and I know why. As the oldest, he feels it’s his job to risk going to the Shadow Creek territory alone. He has always been like that, putting himself in the line of fire to protect Sam and me.
“Because I’m the one everyone expects to take on the alpha role one day. They think I’m the strongest.”
Scowling, Sam opens his mouth, most likely to tell Tristan off, but he raises his hand and continues. “I know it’s not the case, but false perceptions will help us now. I don’t expect my announcement to go well. Let them believe I’m the biggest threat.”
“I don’t like that idea at all,” I say. “But I can’t fight your logic.”
“What the hell, Dante?” Sam throws his hands up in the air.
“Tristan is right, Sam,” Mom chimes in, her solemn face telling me she dislikes the idea of her oldest son risking his neck as much as we do. “While Tristan is busy distracting Valerius, we’ll gather our allies and wait for him to deny Tristan’s right.”
“You know he will,” Sam replies, sounding a little defeated.
Mom nods. “Yes, and that’s precisely why we need the numbers. If our pack goes alone, the losses will be too great.”
“But if Valerius sees several supernaturals are against him, he won’t risk engaging in battle,” I add, then grind my teeth, thinking Tristan’s risk will be for nothing if Seth is indeed a traitor. I need to find that out before he can feed Valerius more information.
At that precise moment, I catch Billy striding away in the distance. He must have taken the clinic’s side exit. This is my chance to corner the kid without anyone around.
“I’m fine with Tristan going to Shadow Creek,” I say, then begin to move toward the omega.
“Where are you going?” Sam asks.
“I’m going to do a little investigation of my own.”
My vague response earns a string of curses from Sam, but he doesn’t follow me. I don’t want to spook Billy or make him feel like he’s in trouble. Omega or not, Billy is Seth’s brother, and even though he will be compelled to answer my questions truthfully, there’s nothing keeping him from tipping Seth off.
Billy veers toward the cluster of small bungalow-styled apartments where some of the wolves in our pack have taken up residency. There’s no one around the courtyard, which is sheer luck. At this hour, there’s usually always someone roaming about. I pick up my pace, not wanting to be caught paying Billy a visit. The kid enters his apartment, but before he can shut the door, I brace my hand on it, keeping it open.
“What the he—oh, Dante. It’s you.” Billy takes a step back, allowing me to enter his place. “How can I help you?”
Shutting the door, I spend the next few seconds taking in the omega’s measure, reading his body language and facial expression. He doesn’t maintain eye contact. Instead, he keeps his gaze glued to a random spot on my right shoulder. That’s due to the fact I’m exerting my wolf dominance, letting the essence e
bb freely from me.
“What do you know about your brother’s attack?”
Billy whips his face to mine, his eyes a little rounder, as if my question took him by surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“You were acting a little tense when Lyria was explaining how she found Seth.”
“Of course I was. My brother was ambushed.”
There’s a rise to Billy’s voice, and a little tremble at the end. He’s lying. Narrowing my eyes to slits, I take a step forward.
“Billy, have you forgotten who you’re talking to? You can’t hide shit from me.”
The kid’s Adam’s apple bobbles as he swallows hard. It seems to me his face has gone a little paler, too. Everyone knows I have the sight, but only my family is aware I can’t call my gift at will. What the wolves do know is I can read minds, even when I’m not in wolf form. Sam let that bit of information slip on purpose when we were younger—to terrorize the other young wolves.
Running a hand through his hair, Billy looks away. “I heard my brother during the attack. I ran as a wolf to his location as fast as I could. When I got to him, he had already shifted back and was in bad shape. Lyria was helping him.”
Billy pauses to rub his face. He seems torn about what he’s going to say next.
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
The kid glances my way, his expression twisted in anguish. “Seth said three Shadow Creek wolves attacked him and ran away with Red, but there was no scent of any other wolf—or of Red for that matter. Also, I didn’t find him on the path leading to your studio, but in a secluded area deeper in the woods.”
My nostrils flare as I take in the meaning of Billy’s confession. I want to march out of here and throttle Seth with my bare hands until he confesses he’s colluding with the enemy. But I can’t do that without solid proof he’s a traitor. The mood within the pack is too volatile right now; there’s no stability. It won’t take much for the pack to turn against us.
When I don’t say a word, Billy continues. “You don’t think Seth is behind Red’s kidnapping, do you?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, Billy. Do you think your brother would be capable of such betrayal?”
Billy lets out a heavy sigh, staring at a point over my shoulder. “I’d like to think no, but Seth has been different since Red showed up. And I’ve caught him sneaking out of the compound to meet with Lyria. At first, I thought they were hooking up, but now, I don’t know.”
“I hate to put you in this spot, Billy, but we need to discover what your brother is up to. If he sold us out to Valerius, he needs to be dealt with.”
His eyes turn as round as saucers. “Would you kill him?”
“That’s not for me to decide. Only the alpha can make that call. The question is, where does your loyalty lay? With the pack or with your brother?”
Chapter 6
Samuel
Stupid Dante and his secrets. I almost followed him just to piss him off, but I have other urgent matters to attend to since everyone in my family decided to ignore my opinions. While Mom went to patch Seth up, Tristan headed into town to speak with the sheriff. I still have my doubts the woman will be able to do anything since the mayor pays her salary. For that reason, it’s high time I pay Hell’s Hole a visit.
A notorious dive bar, Hell’s Hole is the favorite spot of the most unsavory citizens of Crimson Hollow, humans and supernaturals alike. It’s also the place to gain intel that’s impossible to obtain through legal means.
I’m still sore everywhere and I can’t walk a step without wincing in pain, but arriving at Hell’s Hole driving a damn car won’t do. So I suck up the discomfort, hopping onto my Ducati. It was a gift from my father when I turned eighteen. I remember the day as vividly as if it happened yesterday. My brothers and I were suffering from a major hangover after we spent the night celebrating our birthdays. We never made it back to the house, choosing to sleep in the forest to avoid our parents. Dad found us nonetheless, but he didn’t give us grief. Instead, he took us to the compound’s parking lot where our gifts waited for us. Dante and Tristan got the cars they wanted, and I got the Ducati, even though Mom had been against me owning a motorcycle. She didn’t think I was responsible enough. Like being a wolf shifter was less dangerous than going over a hundred miles an hour on the bike. For a regular wolf, maybe, but not for me.
The memory does something to my chest, and I need a moment to recover from the overwhelming sorrow that takes a hold of me. A rogue tear escapes the corner of my eye, which I promptly dry with the sleeve of my jacket. I can’t have that; there’s no time for it.
I turn on the engine, revving it up before I peel out of the garage. My stomach dips a little as my heartbeat accelerates. Riding my bike is the closest state of freedom I can find when I’m not in my wolf form. The wind on my face, the speed, the sensation that I’m flying, it’s almost the same feeling I get when I’m running on four legs. Today, with my heart as heavy as it is, I don’t get as much joy. Sadness and fear are overriding my ability to enjoy the ride, but at least I’m doing something to keep my mind occupied.
Going as fast as I can, I make it to town in less than ten minutes. It takes me another five to arrive at my destination. Hell’s Hole is in a depressing area of Crimson Hollow where most of the houses and buildings have seen better days. Graffiti everywhere, smashed windows, and most places in those constructions could use more than just a fresh coat of paint. Hell’s Hole is not any different. What once was an off-white façade is now dark grey in spots where street art—and I say that loosely—is not covering the surface. The neon sign is not on during the day, but at night it spells “ell’s ole” since both Hs have gone out and no one cared to replace them. It’s not like the clientele care about the ambience of the place.
The moment I enter the dark space, the stench of cigarettes and cheap beer reaches my nose. There are other smells in the mix as well that I prefer not to think about. I hate coming here for that reason alone. It’s not like I can put a damper on my enhanced senses, and there’s no getting used to the smell.
Baldwin, the beefy bartender, is in his usual spot, doing his usual thing, which is to polish the wooden surface of the bar. It’s the only thing that gleams in this place. Without stopping his routine, he raises his head, acknowledging me with a nod. To humans, Baldwin just appears to be a man who loves his body-building exercises. Completely bald, he kind of resembles Mr. Clean. But that’s his disguise. Baldwin is in fact half troll, half human. In his true form, his skin is silvery gray and decorated with the most intricate tattoos. He’s only shown his true face once in my presence, and that was when a group of intoxicated lowlifes were hitting on Gretchen, Baldwin’s lover. Suffice to say, those punks hadn’t showed up here again. Since they were humans, their memories had probably been erased by either witches or druids, too.
Knowing why I’m here, Baldwin’s dips his chin to his left. I follow the movement. Sitting in the darkest corner is the person I came here for. I don’t acknowledge the other patrons as I head in that direction.
Without bothering to look up, Nina Ogata, the slyest fox shifter that ever was, speaks when I reach the edge of her table. “I heard you had to kill your dad.”
She had to go right for the jugular. I wince as if she physically slapped me, but I couldn’t expect less from Nina. She’s savage, and that’s why she’s the best at what she does. A supernatural spy for hire, she sells information to the highest bidder, not caring in the slightest who is paying. She was born missing a moral compass.
The fox lifts her face, not an ounce of emotion showing in her expression. “That sucks.”
“You have such a way with words, Nina. It’s touching, really.”
She shrugs, then brings the glass she’s holding to her lips, finishing up whatever fuel was in it.
“Leo is pissed at you.”
I raise both eyebrows in surprise. Anger and Leo are two words that don’t usually come together in the sam
e sentence. He’s the most laid-back shifter I know, and that’s why he’s the glue that holds The Howlers together. He’s also a kickass drummer.
“Whatever for?”
“Don’t know. He’s been bitching and moaning for four days. I honestly can’t stand his whining anymore.”
“Then why the fuck don’t you move out?” I pull up a chair because me standing is drawing too much attention.
Nina glowers, and I crack a sardonic smile. She can kiss my ass.
“Because… Well, I don’t like to live on my own, okay? And the only person I can tolerate is Leo. We shared a womb for crying out loud.”
“Right, it has nothing to do with Leo’s excellent housekeeping skills.”
Nina’s glare intensifies as her back hits the padded booth. “You didn’t come all the way here to talk about my brother. What do you want?”
“I need you to do some recon work for me.”
Nina’s expression changes from annoyance to sudden interest. Leaning forward, she rests her elbows on the table. “Are you thinking about robbing a bank, Sammy?”
Ignoring the childish nickname she likes to call me, I continue. “How familiar are you with the Shadow Creek territory?”
She narrows her eyes. “What do you want with them? Their new alpha is dangerous.”
“I know. He took something from me, from the pack. We want it back.”
“Something or someone?” She purses her lips.
Fuck. I forgot for a second who I’m talking to. “Someone. Her name is Amelia—”
“I know who she is. Wendy’s granddaughter.” Nina pauses for a second, peering over my shoulder. Then she leans closer as if she’s about to share a secret. Whispering, she continues. “I’ve heard rumors Valerius is planning to take over your territory.”
A spike of adrenaline rushes through my veins. “Where did you hear that?”
“I won’t disclose my sources, but you guys have to watch your backs.”