Pact of the Pack

by Deidre Huesmann

  He could sense their desire to question his methods. Why not go after Nathan? Wasn’t he blood? Wasn’t he family? If the rest of the pack wanted to descend upon the enemy, didn’t that make Aaron’s method wrong?

  When he finally was pushed, it was by Jackson. All Aaron had to say was a frigid, “You are not alpha for this very reason.”

  Jackson scowled at his answer. “We need to do something, Boss. What if he’s already dead?”

  Aaron’s chest tightened. “If they killed him, it was within the first hour they had him,” he stated. “He is alive. And if we rush now, they may very well rip his throat out before we ever reach him.” He fixed Jackson with his hardest stare. “We wait to see what they demand of us. Then we act.”

  Frustrated but unable to argue, Jackson dropped it.

  Though Rachael had her lucid moments, nobody told her Nathan was missing. Having her worry would only hinder her ability to heal, so she was given a variety of good excuses: that Nathan was out in town; that it was nighttime and he was asleep, that he came to see her earlier but she hadn’t recognized him. For the most part, Rachael accepted these answers and didn’t pry too much.

  Good, thought Aaron wearily. She needed to sleep as much as possible. Already she was having difficulty retaining fluids. Typical of a lycan infection, but worrisome and hard to see regardless.

  On the tenth day they received a package. Aaron brought it to the master bedroom in full view of the others. Rachael continued to sleep—if one could call it that since she was barely alive—while Aaron turned over the small article in his hands. It was innocuous enough; small, compact, lightweight. No odd wires or over-usage of tape or stamps, but also no return address.

  “Could be a bomb,” pointed out Seritta shrewdly.

  Jackson shook his head. “If it is, it’s definitely not typical.”

  Nodding in agreement, Aaron slipped one finger inside the flap and tore it open. Seritta flinched backward with the baby crying in her arms, but only silence met them. Aaron raised an eyebrow at her.

  She scowled.

  Deftly, Aaron opened the envelope and pulled out a prepaid cell phone with the battery removed. When he opened the compartment to charge the device, he found a folded piece of paper. Calmly, he smoothed it out and his eyes scanned the brief message:

  Call Sunday @ 1730

  Ana Sofia’s nose scrunched. “What’s one-seven-three-zero mean here?”

  Before Aaron could answer, Eva murmured, “Not one-seven-three-zero. Seventeen-thirty. It’s military time.”

  “Correct,” said Aaron with a faint smile. Of all the lycans he had ever taken in, Eva was by far the best choice, he decided.

  Eva glanced at her watch and cocked her head while Aaron clicked the battery into place. “That’s four hours from now, Boss.”

  Pressing the button to turn on the phone, Aaron scoffed to find the battery was dead. No charger had been sent with it. “Well then, I suggest you take Ana Sofia to the store with you and find a charger that fits this contraption.”

  He tossed it to Eva, who caught it in her slender hands. She held out one of them expectantly, and Aaron also handed over the car key.

  “Back soon,” was all Eva said before she ushered Ana Sofia toward the front of the house. While Ana Sofia might not be much help in the store, Aaron couldn’t send anyone out on their own yet. Always they had to travel in doubles or more, and always one of the younger ones had to be accompanied by an adult.

  Seritta shoved the baby at Jackson, who grimaced. She rolled her eyes up at him and said, “Just take him for two minutes, yeesh.”

  Reluctantly, Jackson did so. Aaron found some small amusement in his uncomfortable expression, as though he wasn’t certain how to feel with a squirming, wailing ball of infant in his arms.

  While Jackson unsuccessfully tried to shush the baby, Seritta sat beside Aaron on the bed and peered at the note.

  Aaron glanced down at her. “Look familiar?” She frowned, and then nodded. “Miss Olivia?”

  “No,” said Seritta. “Definitely not hers. She scribbled.”

  “How are you certain?”

  “When I first joined, they tried to home school us. And until they found Avery, everyone tried and nothin’ stuck. Olivia was one of the worst.”

  With a nod, Aaron said, “Do you know whose it is?”

  Seritta sighed. “No. I’ve seen it b’fore, but I dunno whose it is.” She shifted uneasily. “I have a bad feelin’. This ain’t Olivia’s style. She’d rather blow this whole house up.”

  Yes, thought Aaron darkly. She did seem to have a problem with fire.

  Then Seritta excused herself and retrieved the baby from Jackson. The young man appeared relieved and confused. Once Seritta padded out of the room, sweetly asking Rudy if he wanted a “ba-ba,” Jackson turned to his alpha.

  Before he could say anything, a quiet groan sounded from behind them. Both men turned to see Rachael open her eyes to stare blearily at the ceiling. Her gaze fogged over like a dark London morning.

  After a moment she croaked, “Thirsty.”

  Jackson hurried out of the room to comply. With the sound of glasses clinking and water running in the background, Aaron shifted on the bed so he was sitting beside his fevered girlfriend. He reached out and carefully wiped damp strands of hair from her eyes.

  Rachael finally seemed to focus, and she smiled faintly. “Hey.”

  “Good afternoon,” said Aaron quietly.

  “Always so polite,” she muttered. Her chest heaved. “Such a gentleman.”

  He smiled self-deprecatingly. “No gentlemen here. Just somewhat of a monster.”

  Her dewy brow scrunched and Rachael struggled to prop herself up on her elbows. When Aaron urged her back down, she whispered, “Don’t talk like that. You’re not human, but you’re not a monster. Just a lycan. And if I can’t tell the difference, I have no business being with you.”

  She was paraphrasing a conversation he’d had with her several years ago. Aaron was both surprised and pleased she remembered.

  “And you are a gentleman,” she insisted, her eyes closing again. Her voice became dreamier as she prattled on. “And mean, and kind, and really hot....”

  The sound of a man clearing his throat interrupted them. Aaron looked back to Jackson, who awkwardly offered a glass of water with a straw. Using great care, Aaron helped Rachael sit up so she could slowly sip from the cup. Doing so seemed to exhaust her.

  When she turned her head away to indicate she’d had enough, Jackson mumbled something about checking their surroundings before scampering out. He shut the door behind him.

  Gently, Aaron said, “You may not want to tease him so hard.”

  Rachael snorted in a very unladylike fashion. “S’funny. He’ll get over it.”

  “Perhaps,” agreed Aaron.

  “He will.” She smiled. “He’s my brother.”

  That he could certainly understand. Aaron helped her lie down again, this time pulling the sheets to cover her. He caught a glimpse of raw scratches on her chest, courtesy of another one of her violent fits. Aaron had seen such animosity before—years ago, in Beatrice, his more volatile packmate whom he eventually had to put down. That Rachael seemed to be going down the same path unsettled him.

  Within an hour of Rachael passing out, Eva and Ana Sofia returned. Without a word they plugged a charger into the wall, and the cord into the prepaid phone. Aaron nodded in acknowledgement.

  Then it was just a matter of waiting.

  Ͼ

  When his watch read 5:25, Aaron called the others into the room adjacent to where Rachael rested. He kept the adjoining door closed and looked to his pack, his expression and voice stern.

  “I am going to make the call,” he said. “I expect this to become a negotiation. Do not speak. Do not shout. Do not compromise the deal I am to make. Should anybody have any objections, you may feel free to voice them after the call. Speak during, and I will not hesitate to tear out your vocal cords. Is
that clear?”

  They all nodded. Seritta stood and left the room. Though Rudy was currently in the form of a wolf cub, there was no telling when he may change back. Her decision was a wise one.

  “Eva, with her,” he ordered. Aaron couldn’t bring himself to fully trust the girl. Not yet.

  Eva nodded and followed Seritta out, shutting the door firmly behind her.

  Aaron turned his attention to the phone, waiting for the right time. Once the phone’s clock read 5:30, he found the only number recorded and pressed CALL.

  Immediately a man’s voice answered. “You’re punctual.”

  Aaron wasn’t interested in pleasantries. “You will allow me to hear Nathan or this call ends before negotiations begin, Vahn.”

  Approval lit Vahn’s tone. “He’s chosen to be in wolf form right now, but if that’s enough to satisfy you, then we’re in business.”

  It was.

  The sound of footsteps was all Aaron heard for a couple tense minutes. Vahn seemed to walk through a variety of different areas; on linoleum, on creaky floorboards, in sand, over concrete, down an echoing hall of some sort. Wherever they kept Nathan, it wasn’t immediately near their personal headquarters. That was smart—and worrisome.

  A door opened on the other end, followed the faint sound of a light clicking on. Then Vahn said, “Buck up, kiddo. Your alpha wants to hear you.”

  Silence.

  “C’mon, kiddo, this won’t go any faster with you being stubborn.”

  Aaron said nothing, unwilling to encourage any potential lies. But when a wolf whimpered, he recognized the sound. It was Nathan, no question about it. Aaron knew the noises of his brother like he knew the taste of his own blood. And while Nathan seemed uncomfortable, he didn’t sound grievously injured.

  Vahn returned to the phone. “Well?”

  Leaning against the far wall, Aaron gestured to his remaining pack to indicate he’d heard his brother. Ana Sofia sagged with relief.

  “What are your demands?” asked Aaron flatly.

  “Geez, man, we can negotiate. Don’t call them demands when this is strictly business.”

  Though Vahn couldn’t see him, Aaron reflexively bared his teeth. “So talk.”

  Seeming pleased he possessed the advantage, Vahn said, “Look, we never wanted your brother. Just Rudy. He’s still part of our pack and Seritta had no right to take him.” Aaron grunted. “But since Seritta’s just about the only one that brat will calm down with, we need her, too. Plus, we hear you’re loaded, and Olivia could use some cash to replace some of what she lost.”

  He bristled at the thought. But when he spoke, Aaron used as dismissive a voice as possible. “That was quite literally by her own hand. I am not responsible for her flame fetish.”

  He could practically hear Vahn shrug. “Doesn’t change the fact we need money, and we’re strapped. If you want Paradise, keep it. We’re done. We want out. But we can’t get very far without a way to pay, and there are quite a few of us.”

  By Seritta’s admission, at least a couple others had left the pack. Aaron wondered what else must have changed since Olivia set the house on fire.

  Rather than prod at it, he said, “So name your number.”

  Vahn didn’t hesitate. “Half a mil.”

  Aaron scoffed.

  “Seriously, man, this shit ain’t cheap.”

  “I am aware, hence why I spent numerous decades ensuring my pack’s prosperity in more ways than one,” said Aaron. “But what you ask is not reasonable, particularly depending when you want this swap to happen.”

  Vahn sighed. “One week.”

  “Absolutely not,” said Aaron flatly. “I will not leave Nathan to you, but I will certainly not raise suspicion by withdrawing that much money. Nor am I interested in returning two children to that toxic environment. You may have a quarter million to drop Nathan off unharmed and leave us.”

  “Nothing doing,” retorted Vahn. “Rudy is a part of the deal, period, or we have no deal. Seritta is negotiable, but the baby isn’t.”

  That was to be expected, but the hairs on Aaron’s neck still rose in anger. He caught Jackson moving to leave. Noting the tension coiling the young man’s muscles, Aaron didn’t stop him. Better the pack removed themselves from the room if they couldn’t keep quiet than to run their mouths and ruin everything.

  Instead he said, “Are you saying you will take the infant and $250,000?”

  “No. Rudy, Seritta, and five hundred thousand.”

  “That is extortion, not negotiation.”

  “Fine. Rudy and five.”

  This man was an idiot. Aaron closed his eyes briefly and considered his options. Even if he went to each individual bank to cash that sort of money, red flags would raise within the proposed week he was given.

  “Seritta,” he said quietly, “And two-fifty.”

  “Rudy and four-fifty.”

  Aaron shook his head and hung up.

  As soon as he did, Ana Sofia cried out and leapt to her feet. “No!”

  “Quiet,” said Aaron.

  Her small face crumpled. Ana Sofia would have been a gorgeous woman given the chance to grow—her eyes were small and close together, but very expressive, especially when she was upset. Sometimes it seemed a tragedy she would never grow to her full human potential.

  “You have to save Nathan,” she cried. “You can—cannot leave him. ¡Mal! ¡Sin corazόn!”

  Perhaps another time he might have been able to practice more patience, but Aaron’s fuse seemed to snip shorter with each day since Rachael’s infection and Nathan’s kidnapping. He closed the distance between himself and Ana Sofia and snagged her by the back of her shirt. As though she were a toy, Aaron tossed her to the twin bed. When she howled and tried to come at him, Aaron caught her and snarled, “¡Silencio!”

  Speaking in her native tongue was effective. Ana Sofia shuddered but began drawing deep breaths to calm herself.

  Trying to steady his racing heart as well, Aaron eased his hold on the girl and grabbed her firmly by the chin, forcing her to look up at him. “I am doing what I can, Ana Sofia. Vahn may think this is a game, but I do not. He will call back, and we will continue speaking. ¿Entiende usted?”

  Ana Sofia nodded slowly. Her eyes watered but she didn’t allow the tears to fall.

  “Gracias.”

  Aaron released her, and Ana Sofia curled up on the bed. She hugged her knees to her chest and stared down forlornly.

  She really was lost without Nathan, thought Aaron. That wasn’t good. He thought he’d aided her in finding her own independence before, but it didn’t seem he had done the job well enough.

  That’s not it. She’s just worried. It’s a human emotion.

  Aaron closed his eyes. That Rachael’s voice came unbidden also concerned him. But that could be addressed another time, after her infection passed one way or another.

  As an alpha, he couldn’t have someone else’s opinion sway him based on emotion alone.

  Just then the phone vibrated. Aaron met Ana Sofia’s surprised gaze as he answered with mock cheer. “This is Aaron.”

  “Not cool, man,” grumbled Vahn. “Hanging up on someone is rude.”

  Aaron smirked. “So is treating this as nothing. When you are serious, call me back.”

  “Wait!”

  There it is, he thought in satisfaction. They might think they held all the cards, but Aaron had been playing poker far longer. “I am still here,” he said calmly.

  Vahn blew a frustrated breath into the receiver. “Look, I talked with... Olivia.” The pause didn’t escape Aaron, but he pretended not to notice. “And yeah, maybe we’re being a little unreasonable. And... yeah, maybe this pack isn’t the best for babies, given the mark Etan’s left on us.”

  “A wise assessment,” said Aaron solemnly.

  “So what about two-fifty and Seritta? She’s still ours, and she’s still an asset.”

  A cold smile played on Aaron’s lips. “Seritta is a clever little wolf.�
�

  “Totally,” agreed Vahn. “So?”

  He was still trying to play him, Aaron knew. But he pretended to think about it. Finally, he answered, “That is doable. Where and when?”

  Relief colored Vahn’s voice for a syllable before he got it under control. “One week, so seven days, oh-eight-hundred. I’ll text you the address three hours before so you can scope out the location yourself.”

  He must have been the one who wrote the note, thought Aaron. Vahn’s usage of military time didn’t seem typical amongst Olivia’s wolves.

  Aloud Aaron said, “That seems fair. But should anyone make a move beforehand, the deal is off.” Darkness clouded his mind then. “And by off, I mean that the infant is nothing to me. I will kill him—and you shall carry with you the most unpleasant corpse.”

  His words seemed to affect Vahn. For once the man had nothing to say.

  Then, in a slightly trembling voice, Vahn said, “See you in a week.”

  This time he hung up first. Satisfied, Aaron replaced the phone in his pocket. From the bed Ana Sofia stared at him, her eyes enormous on her tiny head.

  “Kill the baby?” she whispered.

  He’d done as bad, if not worse, in the past. Aaron shrugged. “Hopefully it will not come to that. I dislike the senseless slaughter of children.”

  Her eyes dimmed. Ana Sofia glanced away. His words had disturbed her, but unfortunately Aaron could provide no comfort. Never did he say anything he didn’t mean. If Olivia’s pack tried to jump them, Rudy would have to be the sacrificial lamb to teach them a lesson.

  Aaron strode to the door connected to the master bedroom, deciding to leave Ana Sofia to her thoughts for the time being. Inside Rachael had tossed in the other direction, her golden eyebrows furrowed as though in a nightmare. Her breathing was labored.

  He sat beside her on the bed and then, scolding himself all the while, shifted so he lay beside her instead. Aaron pulled her sweltering body close, smoothing her hair back and kissing her forehead. Rachael murmured and her expression relaxed a touch.

  So softly he doubted she could hear him, Aaron murmured, “Continue fighting, Rachael.” He ran one of his knuckles down the side of her face with whispering ease. “Perhaps I could not be the one to infect you, but I never would have agreed if I did not think you could survive.”