by Raven Steele
“Um,” I cleared my throat, “this isn’t Cassandra. My name is Briar. I’m—”
“I know who you are.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Did you make your decision?”
I looked up at Cassandra. She nodded and smiled encouragingly. “Yes. I’d like Cassandra Morgan to take my spot on the Ministry.”
There was a long pause, followed by, “Are you sure? You can’t take it back after we hang up.”
Without any reservations, I answered. “Yes. She would make a great member.”
The man on the other end of the line snorted. “We’ll see.”
“Anything else?” There was something about his deep, smooth voice that put me on edge. I hoped I would never need to speak with him again.
“Not now, but we’ve been watching you, Briar. There are some of us who think you hold great value.”
“I’m a nobody,” I blurted. “And if you don’t mind, I have to go.”
“Have a good day.” The line went dead.
I handed the phone back to her. “It’s done.”
“Thank you very much.” She stuffed the phone into her purse, stood, and left the house with not so much as a backward glance at me.
I stared after her for what seemed like a very long time. I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do, but, right now, nothing mattered. My mind was blank.
The silhouette of a dark figure appeared in the open doorway. The sun behind the shadow looked darker than I remembered.
“Briar?”
I blinked. Then blinked again.
“What are you doing?” the voice asked.
I clutched at my head, at a strange fogginess weaving its way through my mind.
The man appeared, kneeling in front of me. “What’s wrong?”
“Luke?”
He took hold of my chin and drew close to my face, specifically staring into my eyes. “Have you been doing drugs?”
This jolted me awake and cleared the fog from my brain. “What? No.” I swatted his hand away.
“You just look… high. Or not with it.”
I moaned and dropped back into the couch. “That’s because I’m not. Something crazy happened. I’m still trying to process it. What time is it?”
“Just after noon.”
I jumped to my feet. “Are you serious? I’ve been sitting here for four hours?”
I lowered my head and closed my eyes trying to remember what had happened. Cassandra. She was here. She wanted me for something…
“You’re worrying me, Briar.” Luke took hold of my arms. “Tell me what happened.”
“Oh shit.” I shook my head back and forth as my memory returned. “I think I’ve done something terrible.”
“What?”
I looked up at him, feeling the blood drain from my face. “I just gave Cassandra Morgan a spot on the Ministry.”
Chapter 5
“How the hell could you do this?” Samira said, sporting a deep wrinkle between her furrowed brow. I didn’t think such a thing existed on her face.
After my confession to Luke, we had called everyone over so I could admit what I had done. Call it a moment of insanity. That was the only explanation. “For the tenth time—I don’t know! It just happened!”
“I think we all need to calm down,” my uncle said, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. Unlike Samira who was obsessively pacing the room, he hadn’t moved a muscle since I told him I gave Cassandra Morgan my spot on the Ministry. Clearly, he was pissed.
Lynx, on the other hand, was the only one who hadn’t spoken. She sat on a lone chair staring at the floor. Probably because she was embarrassed we were all talking crap about her mom.
Luke was leaning against the wall, deep in thought. He had stayed mostly quiet, like he was trying to process why I had done it without talking to anyone else first. Specifically him.
I sighed and threw up my hands. “Look, guys, I’m sorry! I don’t know why I did it. She just showed up and was being all sweet and nice. She gave me a way out, and I guess I took it.”
Samira stopped pacing and stared at the ground, thinking. “It just doesn’t make sense. Why do something like this without talking to us? I had other people we could’ve considered.”
I didn’t answer her. What more could I say at this point?
Her head snapped up. “Tell me exactly what happened. Everything.”
I recounted the story again, trying to remember every detail. “It was strange because I really wanted to insult her. You know how I insult everyone.”
They nodded in agreement.
“But I didn’t. Not even a sarcastic comment.”
“That’s not like you at all,” Samira said.
“Right? And it just suddenly made sense to put her on the Ministry. Like of course, she would be the perfect person. Why would I think that?”
Samira crossed the room and searched my eyes, oblivious that she was standing in my personal space.
“When I found her,” Luke began, “she was staring off into the distance and had a glazed look in her eye. I thought maybe—” He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “I thought maybe she was high again.”
“Samira,” my uncle said. “Could this be something more? Is it possible?”
She looked back at him knowingly.
“What’s possible?” I asked.
Luke picked up on whatever they were putting out. “You think Cassandra put some sort of spell on Briar?”
“You did say Cassandra touched you,” Samira said to me. “It does make more sense you being spelled than just giving up your seat to her.”
Luke was shaking his head. “Briar is a powerful shifter, maybe the most powerful one in existence right now. Could Cassandra do something like that? If so, then she’s far more dangerous than any of us know.”
At his words, all eyes turned to Lynx. She stared down at her shoes, her skin paler than usual.
“Tell us, Lynx,” Samira said. “Is it possible?”
She bit her lip and slowly looked up, nodding. “If she was especially charged up. I’ve seen her do some crazy things to people.”
“You should’ve warned us,” my uncle said.
She jumped to her feet suddenly angry. “How am I supposed to know what my mother will or won’t do! I’m not her!” She marched towards the stairs.
“No one said you were—” I began, but Lynx had already stormed off towards her room. “Shit. We need to be more careful. This is her mother we are talking about, even if we don’t like her.”
Samira stared after Lynx as if she had never considered that before.
“So I had the whammy put on me,” I stated. “That makes more sense. The way I felt when she touched me, the way I couldn’t come up with an insult. That should’ve been a major sign of magical who-ha going on. And then how I felt after she left. Shit!” I picked up a pillow and tossed it across the room. “Can I take it back?”
All three of them shook their heads.
I groaned. Why wasn’t I stronger? “One more screw-up.”
Luke came to my side. “It’s not your fault. What’s done is done.” His fingers linked through mine, and I leaned into him.
“Luke’s right,” my uncle added, his eyes darkening. “I’m going to have a talk with Cassandra. What she did is unforgivable. Whatever favors she thinks the pack owes her are gone. She’s officially cut off from pack protection.”
“I have to go to work.” Samira abruptly opened the door and disappeared into the night.
I stared at the empty, dark space left in her wake. “I hate when she does that. So how long do you think she’ll be mad at me?”
Luke pulled me so that my back was to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and placed his chin on my head. I relaxed into him.
“Don’t worry about her. She’ll come around.”
“There’s only one good thing to come out of all of this.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
�
��My time is all freed up. Remember that road trip you mentioned? I think it’s time.” I looked back at my uncle. “Do you need me for anything the next few days?”
He shook his head. “Take all the time you need. You deserve it.”
“Great!” My stomach clenched in pleasure at the thought of spending so much alone time with Luke. “I’ll pack a bag, and we can leave right away.”
“I’m ready when you are. I packed a bag last night.”
Of course he would’ve. He wanted to see his brother.
I said goodbye to my uncle and started to go down the hall, but Luke smacked my butt as I passed. I pursed my lips and looked back at him, trying not to smile. His grin matched the twinkle in his eye. I liked this side of him.
Before I headed upstairs, I approached Lynx’s room. She was sitting on her bed, staring towards the window.
I rapped my knuckles on her open door. “Lynx?”
She looked up. “Mmm?”
I took a small step inside. “Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry. That can’t be easy to hear those things about your mother.”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
She sighed. “My mother is horrible.”
I collapsed on her bed. “But we don’t blame you for your mother’s actions. She’s the asshole, not you.”
She shrugged. “Tied by blood.”
I touched the necklace Lynx gave me. “Blood means nothing if your family can’t be there for you. We’re your family, Lynx. We are. Don’t ever forget that.”
She forced a smile. “Thanks.”
“I’m going to be gone for a day or two to try and find Luke’s brother. Do you want to come?”
“No way. You and Luke deserve some time alone together.”
I slid off the bed. “Okay, but we’ll hang out as soon as I get back.”
“Have fun.”
“You bet your ass I’m gonna have fun.”
She gave me a knowing grin, and I skipped out of the room.
After I packed and sent Eddie a text to let him know I’d be out of town for a few days, I returned to the living room. Vincent had left, and Luke was waiting for me on the couch, holding a familiar box in his hands.
“Is that the box from Silas’ place?”
He nodded. “I brought it because I wanted to go through it again. Maybe we’ll notice something different this time.”
I walked towards the sofa, staring down at him. When his eyes moved upward, piercing mine, a red flush moved up my chest to my neck. He was so handsome, so sexy, staring up at me with those baby blues that tempted oh-so-much from me.
I set the box on the floor and straddled him. His hands roamed to my hips, his eyes to my face. I ran my fingers through his ruffled hair and it fell back haphazardly around his face.
“You look sexy tonight.” I wanted to run my lips over his dark, tanned skin, his sharp, chiseled jaw, his luscious lips.
His pupils dilated and his mouth parted. His tongue darted out and he licked his lower lip. He spoke, his voice deep and smooth. “You don’t.”
I frowned, jerking back but he leaned forward, catching my face in his hands.
“You look absolutely fuck-able.” He turned my head to the side, leaning forward to nibble at the soft flesh of my neck. I sucked in a breath, feeling the heat run straight from my chest to between my thighs.
I leaned into him, gripping his shirt, my voice breathless. “Good thing I packed condoms, then.”
“I don’t think they’ll fit.” His rough voice rumbled into my ear.
“Oh, I’m good at fitting big things into tight spaces."
His hands slid under my ass. He hefted me closer and covered my lips with his. Then he twisted to toss me onto the couch. I fell backwards, and he climbed up over me, a glimmer in his eyes. He reached down and when his hand came back up, he had the box in it. “Let’s go.”
I groaned and punched his shoulder.
He laughed; it was deep and rich. “As tempting as it would be, I’m not ready to share you with your roommates yet.” I raised my eyebrow, and he climbed to his feet and yanked me to mine. “Or ever.”
I wasn’t sure how Lynx or Samira felt about voyeurism, but I was curious to find out. “It might be worth it to see Samira blush.”
“That could be funny. But still… not sharing.”
He walked me outside, his hand on the small of my back. His touch warmed my flesh beneath his fingers.
“Where’d the car come from?”
“Vincent told me to take it.” He guided me to it, shrugging. “Figured it would be easier because of the long drive.”
He opened my door and watched me slide into the passenger seat, flashing me a predatory smile. This was going to be an amazing trip. By the hungry look in his eyes, he felt the same.
After placing my bag and the box in the backseat, Luke started the car. As soon as he pulled onto the road, he slid his hand over my thigh. “The Linchen Pack is over in Mandeville just over an hour away. We could push through tonight and get there probably before midnight, then get a hotel, or get a hotel first and go over in the morning. Which do you prefer?”
“Is there a go-to-the-hotel-this-instant option?”
He chuckled. “There could be.”
“Tempting, but let’s go find your brother first. I know how important that is to you.”
His heated expression disappeared. “He may not be there anymore. It was almost four years ago.”
“If he’s not there, then we will go to the next place, and the next, and the next until we find him.”
“That could be a lot of hotels.”
I leaned over to kiss him. “I’m counting on it.”
I turned around to grab the box in the backseat. I placed it on my lap. “Let’s see if we can find anything new.”
I removed the lid. The smell of Silas punched me in the nose, and I winced. After cracking the window, I turned on the car’s interior light and picked up a stack of photos on top. Most of them were of Silas as a child and teenager. Several of them included Dominic. I set them aside and opened a stack of letters held together by a rubber band. I’d already read half of them. I flipped through them quickly, remembering they were from a long lost love. When I got towards the end, I noticed there were some more recent ones. I began to read them, one by one. Most were correspondences between Silas and different shifters across the country.
“I read those. Silas and Dominic were trying to unite packs a couple of years ago.”
“Which packs?
He glanced at me sideways. “All of them. In the country. They wrote dozens of Alphas from what I can tell asking them to join together. Most refused.”
“Did they say anything about the Linchen Pack?”
“I don’t remember.”
“I’ll check.”
It took me about twenty minutes to go through the rest of the letters, but there was nothing useful. I still had no idea what the hell Dominic had been up to. I set the letters aside and dug through the rest of the box. There were some more photos, mostly of people I didn’t know. There were even a few older football trading cards of famous football stars. I bet they were worth some money. Tucked in the corner of the box, I found another photo. I picked it up and turned it over, gasping.
“What is it?” Luke asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road and on the picture in my hand.
A younger version of Dominic and Silas stood with their arms around another man, a much younger version of the man I knew. They all looked happy as if they were best friends. It couldn’t be.
“What is it, Briar?”
I held the picture in front of him. “It’s my uncle.”
Chapter 6
“Don’t jump to conclusions, Briar,” Luke warned. “That photo could mean anything.”
“But look how young he is!” I turned to Luke. “Besides, I thought you didn’t like Vincent.”
“I didn’t say that. I just wasn’t sure about him. But he�
�s proven himself time and time again. He’s done a lot of good for the pack in the short time he’s been Alpha.”
I puffed a breath of air through my lips. “It’s just that Vincent never said he knew them when he was younger. Why would he keep that from me?”
“Did you ever ask? I don’t see you two talk very often. Maybe you should spend more time with him, get to know him better.”
“I should, but it just feels awkward. I’m not used to having family to confide in, and it’s not like there was ever any real bonding with my foster families.” I shivered, thinking of some of the things I saw and heard in my foster homes.
He put his hand over mine and his warmth spread up my arm. “I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.” It really didn’t. I had buried those memories a long time ago.
“Didn’t you say once that Dominic had met with your father when you were younger?” His voice sounded hopeful. “Maybe at one point your families were friends. Just ask Vincent when we get back. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation.”
I set the photo back down. “I guess.”
“Your uncle has done a lot of good. For you and the pack. He’s not one of the bad ones.”
I dropped my head against the headrest. “You’re right. I think I’m getting paranoid.”
“Put the box away,” he ordered. “Let’s do something different.”
“Like what?”
“Like get to know each other. We’ve hardly had the chance to find out each other’s favorite cereal or movies.” He took hold of my hand, stroking the palm of it with his thumb. “I want to know everything about you, Briar.”
I let out a breath, feeling the tension inside me fade. He was right. I was far too suspicious of everyone around me. I needed to let things go if I was going to start having friends. I glanced at Luke from the corner of my eye. The way he spoke to me and looked at me as if he was really seeing me. Some guys wanted to fix me, turn me into the charming little southern gal that made pastries and ran charity events. Nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t me. Luke understood all my dark parts, and he embraced them. He also knew when to put me in my place, something vital for my strong personality.