Wolf's Wager (Northbane Shifters)

by Isabella Hunt

  Her breath drew in. “I thought it was safe.”

  “Oh hell, it’s safe,” I said and gestured at the tables around us. “You see these people? All trained shifters, most of ’em by me, Rett, Kal, and Tristan. Plus, we got the Vixens—they're like our secret weapon. I didn't mean Winfyre was in trouble. I meant I needed someone capable to deal with the logistics, and here you are, walkin’ right in at my hour of need.”

  Reagan rolled her eyes. “How do you know that?”

  “You got your family here from Seattle. That’s what, almost 1000 miles?”

  “No, like only nine hundred,” Reagan said and bit her lip. “And it wasn’t just me—my family worked together. Everyone helped, just as they’ll help in Winfyre.”

  “Mm-hm, yeah, and so that’s why you’re the one that’s ready to keel over.”

  Something flickered in Reagan’s eyes, and her lashes dropped. For a second, I saw her body curl in. She looked deeply weary, about to drop then and there. My fists clenched as I sat up straighter, and the protective urge, the need to claim, deepened.

  Something else, something sweeter and as alluring as her scent, hummed somewhere in the depths of my senses, but I shoved it down. No distractions. More than the itch to claim, I needed her to agree or at least to stick close by so I could figure out what the hell she was.

  “You were the glue, the leader, and the heart of your little pack,” I said, and Reagan stared at me. “Oh, I know. Even without the nose, I’d know.”

  “What if I refuse?” Reagan asked.

  “You don’t even know what it entails yet,” I said. “It’s not like I’m gonna be askin’ you to go down into the mines, sweetheart. You’ll be helpin’ me. Tedious paperwork mixed in with fun.”

  Reagan frowned, and I held up my hands.

  “Okay, okay,” I said and then tossed the dice into the air. “How about a wager?”

  “A wager?” Reagan asked dubiously.

  “Are you always this suspicious?” I drawled. “Damn, you’re makin’ me itchy.”

  “Could be fleas,” Reagan muttered.

  I let out a small laugh. “You better watch that smart mouth, Grace, or you’re gonna be pissin’ off a lotta shifters. None of us asked for these damn abilities, these curses—and blessings." I took a deep breath. "How about this? You win the roll, I get your family the biggest and nicest house to be found. Instead of five days to get acclimated, I’ll get ’em a week. And if you hate working for me, after a month, you’ll be free to leave. I’ll help you find a new job wherever you’d like.”

  Reagan’s eyes went to the dice. “And if you win?”

  “If I win, you find out after the dice roll,” I said, and she scowled. “It’s nothing bad.” I paused and ruminated. “Okay, how about this? I’ll still get your folks the nicest house I can and that week off.” No need to tell her there’s plenty to choose from. “However, as you can imagine, the terms of our contract will be on my terms. Including the length of that contract, plus a surprise.”

  “Win or lose, I’d like for my father to be excused from any duties for a month,” Reagan declared. “If you can do that, Mr. Command, I’ll enter into your wager.”

  I hesitated and rubbed the back of my neck. “Might not be a good idea. Folks don’t take kindly to people not pulling their own weight.”

  “He fell badly ill on the way here and is still recovering,” Reagan said in a soft and pained voice. “He’d be the first to tell you he’s fine, but he needs some rest.”

  “Oh, that’s a horse of a different color,” I said. “Happy to help.”

  “So, if I win…” Reagan trailed off and mulled it over. “Okay.”

  I shook my hands with the dice rattling against my fingers. “What shall we play?”

  “Why are you doing this?” Reagan asked. I smiled at her. “I just mean, it doesn’t seem like you have a particular urgency about finding help. If anything, I’d say you were bored.”

  “You’re not getting out of this,” I said and shook harder. Better for her to think that I was bored, though, than that I was angling to keep her close in order to keep Winfyre safe. And in case Lazu’s warnings came to pass, much as I wasn’t crazy about agreeing with that wolf on anything.

  “Is this the predator’s price?” Reagan asked. “Do you set it?”

  I smiled slowly. “Sure.”

  There was a beat of taut silence.

  “Craps it is,” I said, and Reagan shrugged. “Make your bet. Pick your numbers, three of ’em, doll, since I’m feeling generous.”

  “Four, nine, and eleven,” Reagan said. “Wait, shouldn’t I roll?”

  “Nah, I roll for you, and you roll for me,” I said and let the dice clatter onto the table. Two fours had popped up. “So close.”

  “Damn,” Reagan muttered as I handed her the dice.

  “Five,” I said, and Reagan gave me an expectant look. “Only lucky number I need.”

  She shook her hands harder and let the dice go flying. I laughed as they rolled to a stop.

  Meeting her scowl with a smirk, I drawled, “Looks like I won you, after all, Reagan Grace.”

  Chapter Five

  Reagan

  “Explain this to me again,” Mom said as I helped her make a bed, tucking in the sheets and flopping out the brand new quilts. “You have to live where?”

  It was almost sunset, and I was exhausted, snappish, and sick of repeating myself. “How many times do I have to tell you? One of the Commands of Northbane wants me to be his personal assistant. I need to live at his house, where his office is, and whatever. Working with him.”

  My head throbbed as I ground down on my jaw. That had been the wolf Command’s surprise.

  Living with him.

  “I just don’t…” Mom trailed off. “I don’t know.”

  “I’ll be less than a fifteen-minute walk away.” I pressed a hand to my head. “God, it’s not like I asked for this.” Only the damn shifter knew I’d been won in a dice toss. I shouldn’t have agreed.

  “Oh, honey.” My mother folded me against her, her soft frame sagging on her bones and her eyes more deeply sunken. She was no longer that plump and gentle school teacher, but a warrior in her own right. A burst of remorse went through my chest. “I’m sorry. I know you’re more than capable of handling anything that comes your way. I’m just going to miss you.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t want to go. But…” I trailed off. Being in with one of the Commands couldn’t be a bad thing. Even if the last thing I expected upon entering Winfyre was a bored wolf shifter who needed someone to run his errands. “But I shouldn’t pass this up.”

  “No, you shouldn’t,” Mom said. “He clearly recognizes talent when he sees it.”

  Or maybe the bastard cheated, I thought. Who wins on the first roll?

  An hour later, my family was settled in their new house, and I knew it was time to leave. Set among the trees on a big lake, it was a comfortable and rambling place with plenty of room for all twelve of them. Risa and Jemma were already upstairs, snoozing with Collette. Gabriel, Drue, and Bix had been tucked in with a story. Cassidy was nodding off on the couch.

  Shelby, Linh, and my parents saw me to the front door. It twisted something inside of me to leave them, but at the same time, there was a sense of guilty relief. It wasn’t like they wouldn’t be safe here. The shifters everywhere and Tello’s explanations had assuaged all our fears.

  Whatever was out there, waiting in the wilderness—it couldn’t get in here.

  We’d made it.

  I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed walking down the twisting path alone. It led to a sort of main road, crisscrossed with footprints, paw prints, and hoof prints. To the right was the faint glow of a town and smudges of buildings clustered along the road. If I strained my ears, I could hear music, laughter, and sleepy birdsong in the quiet spring evening.

  Either way, I needed to find the Command’s house.

  Or maybe I can pretend I couldn
’t find it and go back to my family…

  Turning, I yawned, and then nearly choked on it when someone spoke.

  “There you are,” he said. Command was leaning up against a tree with his arms folded. “Tired?”

  “Shut up,” I grumbled and began trudging north, past him. “I’ll be fine.”

  “It was a question,” he called out, and I swallowed another yawn as I continued to walk. “I’d be tired, too. How about a lift?” he asked, and I turned. His strong form loped towards me, and I tried to beat back the dancing of sparks in my veins at his grin. “Free of charge.”

  “You have a car?” I asked stupidly.

  “Better than that,” the wolf said and opened his arms.

  “I’ll walk,” I growled.

  “Knew that wouldn’t work,” he said with a laugh. “But you don’t look so great.”

  I stumbled at those words, my quick momentum causing me to pitch headlong towards the ground. But Command nimbly caught me.

  Immediately, my senses went into overdrive. The moment his hands touched me, the sparks exploded into a shock of heat. A strong, clean scent clung to him, like fresh snow and smoked cedar. And I knew I would never forget this moment.

  Yet as soon as he set me upright, I shook him off and muttered, “Thank you. But I’ll walk.”

  “How long did it take you?” he asked, and I glanced at him, puzzled. “To get here.”

  “About three months,” I said and rubbed my arms. The path got steeper and narrower, leading to a hill, and I realized we were cresting the side of the mountain where this part of Winfyre was tucked away. A salt-laced breeze lifted the trees around us, and I inhaled, taken by the scent of earth, pine, and sea. “Are we close to the sea?”

  Command glanced at me, and amusement shone in his bright eyes. “You mean that sea?”

  I turned and looked across the lake, a fading blue in the dying light, and my eyes tracked its shores until I realized they parted in the distant west. Beyond, the sea heaved. It was a bay.

  “We’re at the coast?” I murmured aloud, and I watched as the waves sparkled against the sinking sun. The sky was a fiery line of amber and rose. “I can’t believe it. Or that view. Wow.”

  “Better at the house,” Command said easily, and I hunched my shoulders. “What?”

  “Why can’t I live with my family?” I asked. “I’ll be here as early as you like.”

  “You lost our bet,” Command said and gestured with his head to keep walking. But I didn’t budge. He sighed and shook his head. “And it’s easier if you’re in my house. My office is there.”

  “So, it’s convenience?” I asked. “That’s it?”

  “Yes, and you needed to get away from your family. I couldn’t have your attention divided.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked. “What the hell gives you the right to make that call?”

  Command smiled at me, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and I knew I’d gone too far.

  “You don’t know much about shifters, do you?” he asked, and I shook my head. “And you forgot for a moment that I’m one of the five predators who oversee this place. Protect it.” His face twitched as though he was holding back a snarl, then he expelled a long breath. “You’re tired. So, I’ll forget that comment. Let’s go.”

  I looked away, a hard knot of worry forming in my stomach.

  “You need to let them learn how to survive and live without you, Reagan,” Command said softly. “A leader cannot be hand-holding and efficient. You’re lucky to have made it this far.”

  “Don’t presume to know everything about me,” I said, and my fists locked against my sides.

  “I don’t,” Command said and put his hands behind his head. “That’s what makes this so fun. But I do know this—deep down, you are relieved to let go of some of that burden. It was eating you alive. A couple more days, and you’d have been nothin’ but smoke. One person can only manage so much—that’s why there’s five Commands. No one has to bear the burden alone.”

  I sucked in a hard breath. “They’re not a burden. They’re family.”

  “So is Winfyre. But this is a new, dangerous world we live in. Winfyre is safe, as safe as any place can be, but you cannot allow them to crouch behind you, cowering in fear. Let them stand and learn to live again.” There was a musicality to his words under the masculine edge. “Otherwise, if you fall or are not there, they won’t know how to fall back on themselves.”

  I caught a shadow crossing his face and wondered if he spoke from experience. His hands fell to his sides, and he looked out across the bay. I knew nothing of this man.

  Not even his name.

  “What should I call you?” I asked.

  He looked at me slowly, the blue of his eyes deepening, and shrugged. “How about Master?” I couldn’t hide the look of horror on my face, and he let out a bellowing laugh. “Ah, Grace, you make it too easy,” he snorted. “You’ll call me by my name, darlin’.”

  “Which is?”

  He blinked and let out another laugh. “Shit. I never introduced myself. Apologies.” To my surprise, he inclined his head and his face became somewhat serious. “Luke Swiftlore, Ms. Reagan Grace. An honor to meet such an intrepid survivor.”

  “Thank you,” I said. He’d almost sounded sincere for a moment.

  “Yeah, so call me Luke.” His eyes twinkled as he looked back up. “Or Master Luke.”

  “Christ,” I muttered, and Luke laughed again.

  The rest of our walk was quiet. Luke seemed at ease, but I was struggling. Thoughts clashed and argued. On the one hand, he was part of Winfyre, and I wanted to trust him. Part of me suspected I already did, or I wouldn’t be walking with him right now. Yet another part of me was planning on sleeping with one eye open.

  I stumbled again, and again Luke steadied me. “Almost there,” he said. “Come on, hop up on my back, Reagan. First ride is free.”

  “No,” I said and straightened, forcing myself to take one step after another. But the path had gotten steep, and my knees felt like jelly. “I’ve got this.”

  “Intrepid,” Luke said, and I forced back a smile.

  Just as the sun went down, we finally crested the hill. His house was dark and imposing, snug in a small wood, with a valley to the northeast and the bay stretching across the west. Turning, I caught my breath at the perfect view of the water and took in my first glimpse of Winfyre.

  Lights bloomed out among the trees, clustered in thicker bands towards the southwest, with stragglers to the east and west. One lone light sparkled on the other side of the bay. Even though we were looking down from above, it felt snug and safe. A sense of home, one I’d been missing for months, rose up in me.

  “How many people live down there?” I asked.

  “Over a thousand or so,” Luke said. “Some live farther east and south, but this is the most populous area. We call it Cobalt. I guess it’s kinda like a town.”

  I nodded and looked north, to the other shore. “No one on the other side?”

  “It’s too thickly wooded,” Luke said. “There’s another big settlement farther north, Veda, with maybe two or three thousand now. Taken all together, about five thousand, I’d say.” He let out a small laugh. “A thousand souls for each of us Commands.”

  “All shifters?” I asked.

  “For the most part,” Luke said. “Never know who’s going to show up, honestly.”

  I nodded, as my stomach twisted with guilt. Should I have admitted to being Riftborn?

  Or was I something else entirely?

  Suddenly, I realized I’d lied to the people who’d promised to protect me. Back at the barracks, it hadn’t seemed like a big deal, but now, standing with Luke, it burned on my tongue.

  What the hell is happening to me? I never lied—before.

  “Your sister and those kids will be safe here,” Luke said. “They’ll be trained.”

  I nodded, even though I knew Cassidy would never allow it to happen. She wouldn’t even speak or ack
nowledge that part of herself. And, in that, I realized with another squirm of guilt, I was no better than she was.

  “Come on in,” Luke said, and I followed him in. There was a hum of a generator as he clicked on a light. “Now, we don’t have too much electricity, but enough to get us through the next few hours. Try not to go past three. There’s flashlights and candles around. You know how it goes.”

  I nodded. Power grids had all but failed in the Rift. Only clean-energy sources, along with batteries, oddly enough, still worked.

  The foyer opened onto a large, comfortable room with worn furnishings and a fireplace that took up nearly the whole wall. There was a door on either side of it, the right leading to the kitchen and the left to Luke’s office, which was now also mine, apparently.

  “Here,” he said and turned to another door on the left. “This is you.”

  Inside was a small but comfortable room with a queen size bed. A kind of choked gasp escaped me at the sight, and Luke choked back a laugh. He’d taken my bags earlier, and there they were, lined up at the foot of the bed. Against the quilts and clean wooden floors, they looked woeful.

  “Bathroom through there,” he said. “Plenty of hot water. And here.” Luke tapped my shoulder, and I dragged my eyes away from the bed. A cold shock plunged over me as I saw him shut the door and gesture to the lock. “You can use it.” He twisted it. “Not that it’s any use. Or necessary.”

  I backed up, and Luke looked at me. Then he undid the lock and pulled open the door.

  “I get it,” he said. “Trust takes time. And all of this probably seems too good to be true.” A large and rough hand went through his hair. “But I promise you’re safe.”

  A laugh escaped me. “Good to know.”

  Luke lingered for a second and then went to step out when I blurted out, “Wait. What did you mean about honor among the Northbane? I-I’ve been feeling bad all day about upsetting you.”

  Even as he nodded, something dark passed over his face. "I know you've probably heard the horror stories about shifters," he said. "How their violence gets exacerbated, and their judgment is skewed. None of that is true.”