by Kitt Rose
Thankfully, Johnny didn't question me, just set aside his project and climbed the stairs. Once in Libby's room, I made sure the shower was still running before grabbing the stuffed wolf off the bed.
A smile turned up Johnny's lips. “Shit, she kept it?”
I wanted to smile back but kept my focus. “Yes, but not the point. Smell it.”
Frowning, Johnny brought the worn toy to his nose and inhaled. One, two, three seconds passed, then his eyes widened. “Protean wolf.”
“Exactly. And it smells familiar, but I can't place who it is. Why the fuck does one of Libby's things smell like a Protean?”
“Maybe it's a fluke,” Johnny suggested, sniffing the wolf again.
I had thought that too, at first. And then we'd kept unpacking and more and more of that scent had lingered on her things. I strode to the top drawer of Libby's dresser, where she'd hastily dumped the contents of her lingerie drawer and yanked out that same black lacy bra I had in my hand and smelled it.
“What the fuck? You're sniffing my niece's underwear?” Johnny hissed in outrage. “I know you've got a thing for her but—”
I rolled my eyes, cutting him off. “I don't have a thing for her. She's my mate. Make no mistake about that. And I have a point to this. This smells like that wolf.” I grabbed another item from the drawer at random, a pair of pink cotton panties. “This smells like it too.” I threw both items back in the draw and yanked open the next. Smelled the top item, a grey shirt. “So does this. Every piece of clothing, some of her books, the wolf—this Protean's smell is everywhere. Why? How?”
Johnny grabbed a book from the shelf, smelling the pages, then grabbed the next. It struck me as funny then, that we were systematically going through Libby's things, sniffing them. What would she think if she walked in on this? And despite the fear that tightened my stomach into a knot, I laughed softly.
“This would be funny if it wasn't so damned disturbing.” I dropped onto her bed, mind whirling. My nose was good, better than most. And I rarely, if ever, forgot a smell. Especially one tied to a Protean in my pack. Humans covered up their natural scents with chemicals, making it harder to isolate. But we weren't like that. Almost all of us avoided heavily perfumed products, which let our own unique scent come through. It was the one part of a Protean that was the same in any form—human or wolf or whatever—so in some ways, what we smelled like was more important than what we looked like. And this scent was so familiar I could almost, almost put a name to it. There were other scents on Libby's things, too. Justice, and several other humans. None of them bothered me. But another Protean? She shouldn't have had anything to do with others of my kind. Especially a wolf.
Johnny set down the cloth-covered box he had been scenting and grabbed a picture frame that had been face down on the bookcase, setting it upright. In it, Libby, Justice, and an Asian man with glasses stood arm in arm, smiling. I wondered who the man was. Was his one of the scents I'd detected? The glasses guaranteed he wasn't Protean.
“You know,” Johnny began, grabbing a puzzle box off the shelf and fiddling with it. “Libby told me that someone broke into her apartment. I guess they stole everything of value and trashed the place. Could that have been it? That would sure explain why the scent is everywhere. Unless she knew a Protean in Georgia, but I didn't think there were any wolf packs that far south.”
“Not typically. Too warm. December maybe for a vacation, but definitely not in May or June.” As a species, we wolves preferred cool climates and stuck to the snowy states. There were other kinds of Proteans that didn't mind the heat, but this didn't smell like them. This was a wolf, no question.
“Do you think—Fuck.”
I jumped to my feet and strode to Johnny, staring down at something that had fallen out of the puzzle box into his hand. I didn't need to get close to smell the dark magic wafting up from a small, rough leather bag. Gingerly, I took the bag and started to open it, then changed my mind when the shower turned off.
Wordlessly, Johnny set the now empty box back on the shelf and we moved quietly downstairs and into the kitchen. Working quickly, I grabbed a paper towel and spread it out on the counter. Someone had tied the bag with a thread that didn't feel like cotton or silk. Sinew maybe... I fumbled for a moment, then untied the knot. Using care, I emptied the contents of the bag onto the towel, not because I wanted to save what was inside, but because it terrified me. What was this?
The pungent aroma of black magic and blood clung to the bag, and as the items slid out, I fought not to gag. There was a bone, delicate and tiny, wrapped in human hair—Libby's hair if the color was any indication. I hoped the bone wasn't human. Black magic often used some truly detestable ingredients, like the bones of a fetus. There was also a tooth that looked like a human molar. A shiny black stone with a carving in its center. Powder of some kind spilled out last, over the top of the other items. It was brownish-red and smelled of copper. Dried blood perhaps.
“Do you know anything about magic?” Johnny asked, worry plain in his voice.
“No. But I know a few people who do. The problem is, I don't know if this is active. I know that you can neutralize a spell with salt, but I don't want to destroy evidence that might lead us to whoever made this.”
Johnny didn't respond immediately. When he did, his voice was grave. “What's more important, Libby's safety or finding out who did this? I know it's a bad choice, but we don't know what this is meant to do. It reeks of blood and death. Ash, I don't want to take a chance, not with Libby.”
I nodded, blowing out a breath. “You're right. Get me the salt.”
I placed the contents of the bag into a gallon Ziploc with the care one might show a bomb and tossed the bag in after. Then I dumped the entire container of pre-ground sea salt into the bag. The moment the salt hit the contents, the sharp tang of ozone filled the room, seeming to electrify the air. My lungs compressed, the atmosphere growing heavy and oppressive. Pressure equalized and my ears popped. A thin curl of white smoke puffed from the bag. With it, the feel and smell of the room went back to normal.
“Well, I guess it was still active,” Johnny said. “I wonder what it was doing? Should we check on Libby?”
I paused to listen. Upstairs, Libby opened a drawer, then closed it. Footsteps sounded, and I imagined her walking from the dresser to the bed. “She sounds fine. I need to ask a few people about this, and what it might be for. You said she had a string of bad luck after Justice died. I can't help but wonder if this isn't why. On its own, I'd think maybe it was just a coincidence. She met a witch, somehow pissed him or her off, and got cursed. But, with the smell of that Protean—and the fact I know that scent, just can't place it…
“Am I wrong to wonder if this has something to do with me? She's my mate, a fact I've done nothing to hide. What I am and when I was born drove the zealots who still worship Proteus and Oceanus near frantic.”
Johnny blinked hard. “Because of the eclipse? I hadn't heard that.”
“You wouldn't. We—Joshua, Pierre, and I—have worked hard to contain the rumors.”
“Pierre? That's the Marked One in California? The Alpha that Joshua and your father sent you to?”
“Yes, to separate me from Libby.” The anger, the rage at the ignorant action that had cost me years with my mate, roiled just under the surface.
Johnny's eyes widened, and he scratched at his cheek, his fingernails rasping against his beard. “Do these zealots think you're the savior or the apocalypse?”
“Depends who you talk to. I think most of them believe some sort of apocalyptic event will usher in a new world where Proteans rule over humans. Or that Oceanus and Proteus themselves will rise from the depths and take over.”
“Great.”
“Yes, well…” I trailed off, thinking. “I'm going to go to Joshua first. Then, if I have to, I'll take this to the coven outside of Grand Forks. I'd wanted to throw a little welcome home party for Libby, but I guess that will have to wait.”
“Put Izzy on it. It'll give her something to focus on besides setting me up,” Johnny said with a grimace. “I really wish she'd stop handing out my phone number.”
“Shit. She's doing that to you too?” I laughed, the sound somehow breaking the horrible tension that had filled me since Johnny had found the bag. “Sorry. If Elliot or I could control her, trust me, we would. But you know, that's not a bad idea. I'll call her on my way to Joshua's.”
“You're leaving?” Libby's sweet voice proceeded her into the kitchen.
I looked up to find her in a dress. The cotton was the gold of a wheat field and clung to her curves. Her long hair was twisted into a braid over one shoulder, the end leaving a wet spot on her left breast, drawing my eye. I appreciated the way she filled out her clothing, the dip at her waist, and the lush flare of her hips. I shifted, my pants feeling tight as I stared at the swell marked like a bullseye by the darkened fabric.
I sure as fuck liked her curves.
Ripping my eyes up to her face and fighting the heat that climbed my neck at her raised eyebrows, I nodded. “I have some errands to run.” And then the perfect excuse occurred to me. “For work. If I'm going to be able to get Friday off to take you to the cabin for the weekend, I'll need to do some actual work.”
“Cabin?” Johnny asked at the same time Libby said, “What do you do?”
I addressed Libby first. “I'm part of the town management. I work under Joshua Clayton. Do you remember him?”
“You met his son, Greg, last night,” Johnny said.
Libby shook her head. “The name isn't familiar. Is he the mayor or something?”
“City manager.” Except there was no city council. The mayor was a figurehead, a human figurehead, installed strictly for the human government to deal with. A pack wasn't a democracy, though it could be democratic. Joshua didn't run things that way, but I wanted to change that. “And Libby and I are going to the cabin on Friday. To catch up. There's a lot I need to explain.”
Johnny's eyes went wide. “Wow. Uh, cool. We always had fun when we went.”
Libby grinned. “That we did. Do you remember the time Elliot hid your shorts? All of them? And then couldn't remember where he stashed them, so you had to ride home in your tighty-not-so-whities?”
I snickered. “Hell of a time to have skid marks.”
Johnny, who rarely got embarrassed, turned pink. “I'd almost forgotten about that. Thanks so much for reminding me of that humiliation.”
I laughed. “As much as I'd like to stay and reminisce, I really do have to go.” Discreetly pocketing the Ziploc bag, I walked to Libby and leaned down to kiss her temple, lingering to inhale the scent of her. “I'll see you soon.”
Once I was in my truck and back on the road, panic stirred in my veins. I broke a few speed limits on the way to Clayton's house, but I had bigger things on my mind, like why a black witch would be targeting Libby.
I swear to Oceanus himself, Libby, I will keep you safe. No matter what it takes. My mate had already been through so much, lost her mother and her brother. And I'd lost her once. Never again. No witch would take her away from me. I'd snap his or her neck before I let it happen.
6
Ash
On a good day, the drive to Joshua Clayton's cattle ranch took forty minutes. And that was with a heavy foot, no traffic, heavy farm equipment, or unexpected wildlife blocking the narrow county road. The Alpha's family had helped found Homeplace over a hundred and twenty years ago, settling on a large parcel of land outside the town limits. Their cattle supplied the bulk of the town's beef since the beginning. And Protean wolves loved their meat. With the rise of pesticides and growth hormones, having cows clean of the pollutions of modernization had become even more important.
I was grateful for the ranch. And I understood why it was on the outskirts. After all, who wanted a backyard filled with cow manure, especially if you had a wolf's sensitive nose. But I'd never understood why Joshua had stayed at the ranch after his uncle had passed him the Alpha title.
There had been many Clayton Alpha's in their history—predating even the town—but Joshua was the first to buck tradition. His ancestors had all settled in the center of town after ascending. The Pack leader belonged in the heart of his pack, as he was the heart and soul of it. That was what I'd been taught, what I believed.
Obviously, Joshua did not feel the same. It wasn't the only thing we disagreed on.
With a decent drive ahead, and nervous energy filling me, I called my sister. Johnny's suggestion had been a good one. Izzy loved this kind of shit, and she would be more than happy to arrange a surprise party for Libby.
Izzy answered the phone on the first ring, amid the scream of an unhappy toddler. “Help,” she said. “Someone replaced my child with a monster. My sweet, baby girl is gone. She's a purple minion now.”
I fought a laugh, not at all surprised by my sister's dramatics, or the declaration that my niece was a hellion. Little Sarah was her mother's daughter, and she had embraced the terrible twos with gusto. “What did she do?”
“I left her alone in her playroom for ten minutes to get a shower. She was baby gated in, but she got out, into my bedroom, and painted the walls with my favorite nail polish. Which was red, of course, so it looks like a scene out of some sort of slasher movie.” Izzy paused, then sighed loudly. “I yelled at her. I hate yelling at her.”
Crackling filled the line, the rustle of fabric, then Izzy's voice became softer as she spoke to her daughter. “I'm so sorry, baby girl,” she cooed. “Momma's not mad at you. Hush, princess. Do you want a Go-Go?”
The sound of crying quieted immediately. Just two years old and Sarah already had my sister, the queen of manipulation, wrapped around her little finger. Oceanus help them all when Sarah hit her teenage years.
I waited patiently for Izzy to set Sarah up with the squeezable apple sauce she was obsessed with, then asked for my favor. “Did you hear Libby's back?”
Izzy gasped into the phone, then shrieked, “Libby? Oh my gosh! That's awesome. You must be so happy.”
“I am. And I want to make her feel welcome. I know she hasn't seen her family yet. Do you think you might be able to pull together an impromptu welcome home tonight? Call and invite everyone. I know she will want to see her grandparents, her dad, but I doubt she's had a chance to even let them know she's home. I know Johnny said he hadn't told them yet. Doesn't have to be fancy. I'll reimburse you for any expenses, and you can have it catered if it'll make it easier for you. Heck, I'll even pay for a babysitter.”
“Oh, that's unnecessary. Is it okay if I throw it here? It'll just be easier if I have all of Sarah's things. I'll pick up some steaks, and Caleb can man the grill. He'll like that.”
Relief washed through me. “That'd be great. Maybe pick up some flowers. Or some decorative shit. Or is that too much? Do you—”
“Ash,” Izzy said, interrupting. “I've got it. It won't be fancy, but I'll have everything ready to go at, say, seven?”
“That'd be amazing. Have I told you lately that you're my favorite sister?”
She snorted. “I'm your only sister. Mom could bring dessert.”
I wasn't sure I wanted Mom to come, because that would mean Dad would be there too.
Something crashed in the background.
“Shit, I gotta go. I'll call you if I have questions.”
Izzy disconnected as I pulled up to a stop sign. I frowned down at my phone, idling at the intersection. My parents… Well, Dad already knew Libby was back. And Mom would be happy to see her. It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't horrible either. After a moment of contemplation, I decided it wasn't worth a fuss. Dad would behave himself. The man had to have learned not to meddle by now.
I texted the details to Johnny. A moment later, my phone chimed and a thumbs up appeared on the lock screen. At least something was going right. Then I set my phone on the seat and made the turn onto the dusty road that led to the ranch.
Joshua Clayton had three brothers, a
nd they all had houses along the long driveway to the main house. Each brother ran a part of the ranch. It had been widely assumed that the previous Alpha, Joshua's uncle, would pass control of the Pack to his own son. But he hadn't. Everyone thought Joshua would give up the cattle business and move into town. But he had done neither.
He and his mate had stayed on the family land, where Joshua had stayed active in managing the ranch. The Pack he ran from outside. He still held meetings in town, but they were a rare occurrence.
Once, I'd asked Joshua why he had bucked tradition. He said he'd been born to be a rancher. That was who he was. Alpha was just something he did—a job he performed. That discussion had been the first of many that told me we were deeply different individuals.
And I would be a different Alpha.
To me, Joshua's point of view was exactly opposite of how it should be. Leading the Pack was a calling, not a career. You didn't choose it; you were chosen for it. How could I believe any different considering what I was?
I knew at thirteen what I was. When the blue-black light had lit my veins from within with my first shift. I was Marked. And that mark told the world what I was. And that someday I would lead.
Most, like Joshua, didn't learn they would take over the Pack until late twenties, or later depending on the outgoing Alpha. They lived their lives as they wanted, pursued other careers and schooling that matched their interests. I never had that luxury. I was raised to be Alpha.
I had little to nothing to do with the running of my family farm. The Stefan's had grown wheat since the founding of the town. I might be able to fumble my way through some things, but the newest employee could probably perform any task better than me.
Not being a part of what my family had run for over a hundred years made me an outsider. One more division between my siblings and me. I'd always felt outside, somehow other. There had been jealousy there as well. On both sides. Elliot and Izzy had resented the “special treatment” I'd gotten, and all I'd wanted was to be normal. Thankfully, age and maturity had bridged the rift.