Gasps erupted around the room and one boy cried out, “The wolf. What happened to the wolf?”
Gregory’s expression grew long. “It was a killing blow. The man fought off the beast with nothing more than a torch, but it was too late for the wolf. His courage had cost him and he lay on the ground, his belly sliced open as his guts spilled out.” Leah’s hand rested on Liam’s stomach where a long gash hinted at his own near death from the same type of wound. “The man fell to his knees by his wounded companion, tears falling from his eyes as he cried out for help, but it was a deep forest, one that had never been explored by man.”
“He feared no one would hear his cries as his friend lay dying, but he wouldn’t leave him. They had been through too much together for him to let his friend die alone. So he laid down next to him.” A single tear slipped down Gregory’s cheek. “The fire burned for three days and nights as the man and wolf laid there, each breath more jagged than the last as the light slowly faded from the wolf’s eyes, but still the man didn’t move, unwilling to let his wolf take his final breath alone.”
More than a few wiped tears from their own eyes, each of us acutely feeling the presence of our wolf. “The fire began to die down as the wolf struggled for breath, his life almost gone, when a cloaked figure entered the small clearing. The man scrambled up, standing protectively over his dying friend as the cloaked figure stopped and drew back the hood covering their face. The man gasped for he’d never seen one such as this, hair white as snow, eyes bluer than the afternoon sky, and his wolf whimpered as the scent of lightning filled the air.”
A chill shivered down my spine at his description and Dom moved restlessly as Gregory continued his story.
The man stared at the woman in shock, positive he’d fallen into a dream for what else could explain a woman here, in this lost forest. She came closer and he fell to his knees at the power that pulsed from her.
He pleaded, asking her, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
She halted in front of him, her eyes glowing unnaturally as she cocked her head. “You called me,” she answered and her hand swept out, gesturing to the dying wolf. “May I?”
Desperation filled him and he nodded, allowing her closer. She kneeled, her hands hovering over the wolf for long minutes before she lowered them, shaking her head sorrowfully. “The wound is too severe. I cannot heal him.”
The man bowed his head, the pain a burden too great to bear. He buried his hands in the fur of the wolf’s neck, meeting the gaze of those intelligent eyes, now cloudy with death. “I’m sorry,” he choked out, despair filling him as the last of his hope faded.
“Your pain does not go unnoticed,” the woman spoke again, her voice echoing oddly in his ears. “I cannot save his life, but I can preserve it.”
The man raised his head slowly, a faint hope stirring in his chest as he met those eerily bright eyes. “What do you mean?”
Her gaze brightened, forcing him to look away. “It will require a sacrifice from you.”
He nodded, his stare going back to the wolf. “Anything,” he agreed without hesitation.
“It will hurt,” she warned and his shook his head dismissively.
“Do it.”
She dipped her head, one hand resting on the wolf and the other going to his head. Heat built inside of him, increasing until it reached a white hot crescendo, and knocking him to the ground. Bone and muscle twisted, arching his back as his mouth opened in a silent scream, and he collapsed back, panting as he detected another presence in his mind – a familiar one. He turned his head, but the wolf was gone, and he forced himself up, panicked until a whisper drifted through his mind. His heart raced as he met the gaze of the woman.
“Man and wolf are now one. You share one body, your lives intertwined,” she explained, gracefully rising as he remained sprawled on the ground. “He is with you,” she commented and he nodded, recognizing the presence inside of him as the wolf.
The man now had the heart and soul of the wolf.
***
It was hard to breath as Gregory finished, knowing the truth now and understanding why my wolf responded to Gran’s command. Dom glanced at me, asking, How powerful are they? I knew who he meant when he said they, but I shook my head, unable to answer without betraying Paige and Dru.
Powerful didn’t begin to describe what they were capable of individually much less together and their Gran? She was lethal.
“Magic created us,” Gregory spoke and my attention jerked back to him. “And it still resides inside of us. We use it every time we shift and when we heal.” His expression turned serious. “Never forget it is a gift.”
Hushed whispers broke out in the room and Anna stepped forward. “Thank you for coming today. We’ve learned a lot and I think it will be good if we take some time to think about it and reconvene later for discussion.” It was a clear dismissal and several stood, slowly shuffling from the room. I waited until the room was almost empty before turning to Gregory.
“Are they….?” I paused, reluctant to say what I was thinking, but Gregory knew.
“Witches,” he answered as Leah and Liam walked up to us. I took Leah’s proffered hand, happy to see her again.
“Congratulations,” I told her, nodding to her belly. “And for becoming a veterinarian. We could use you.”
She smiled excitedly. “I can’t wait for my first patient.” We all looked at her and she hastily explained, “I mean a checkup of course. No emergencies.” Her eyes widened as she assured us, “But I’m prepared if there is an emergency.”
“We’ve all seen you work under pressure, I have no doubt you’re ready,” Jess told her with a warm smile.
“Good to see you home, son,” Hank Navarre declared, dragging me into a bear hug. Bear hug wasn’t an exaggeration since Hank was as big as a bear. I thumped his back as he squeezed hard enough to break bone. “I missed you.”
“I missed you,” I replied truthfully, releasing him reluctantly. Hank had been a second dad to me, the dad I’d wished I’d had, and it wasn’t until this moment I realized how much I’d missed him. “Still sheriff?”
He threw back his head and laughed. “That much hasn’t changed,” he assured me, smiling.
“Dad,” Dom said, shaking his head as he grinned wryly. “I see you found your favorite son.”
“I claim no favorites,” Hank retorted and both of us laughed, and he gave us an offended stare. “What do you mean?”
“I think they mean me, Dad.” Sam came up behind him, her yellow eyes a perfect match to Dom and Hank’s. She smiled at me. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too,” I answered, distracted by her husband, my half-brother, as he walked toward me. “Payne,” I greeted him with a nod and he halted mid-step, standing still for a moment before awkwardly leaning in to give me a hug. I brought my arms up hesitantly, surprised by the warmth of his welcome. He stepped back, swallowing hard, a suspicious red lining his eyes.
“It’s….it’s good to see you, Caleb.” Payne inhaled deeply, glancing down for a second, before meeting my gaze. “I know our relationship hasn’t always been the best. Dad…,” he paused, grimacing. “You know what? Forget Dad. I want us to be brothers.” He very intentionally didn’t look toward Dom as he said, “I know I’m not like you, but we’re still brothers. Family.” He blinked hard. “The only family I have left besides Sam and the boys.” Sam rubbed his shoulder, her expression fiercely protective and I smiled ruefully.
“I feel like your wife is going to beat me up if I don’t accept the olive branch you’re offering,” I mentioned, eyeing her carefully before glancing back at Payne. “But I’d like that. It’s been a long road but they’re not wrong when they say all roads lead home.” I offered him my hand and when he grasped it, I pulled him into a hug, taking him by surprise. “The past is the past,” I whispered and he nodded, gripping my shoulder tightly. We released each other, a new bond tentatively formed, but one I knew had the strength to last.
/> “We need to talk about the Ghost Pack,” Dom stated, his expression apologetic, but I just shook my head, not offended by the interruption. “I only saw one wolf shifter, but there were at least two witches.” I bristled at the way he described Dru and Paige, and Jess noticed.
“Dom,” she said quietly, resting her hand on his arm. “Let’s let Caleb talk,” she suggested and he nodded contritely.
“First off, there is no pack,” I stated baldly, ignoring them as they exchanged surprised glances. “There’s only Dru and she’s not….like us.” I glanced over at Gregory. “Whatever magic protects us when we shift doesn’t work for her. She feels everything.” His forehead wrinkled, but I didn’t wait. “Paige is a witch, a powerful one, but she’s tied to the land. I don’t completely understand it, but she can’t leave.”
“The one who spoke telepathically,” Monster verified and I nodded. “She’s deaf?” He questioned and I nodded again. “There’s something about her,” he admitted and I wasn’t the only one who noticed his interest. Dom closed his eyes and Jess pressed her lips together in an effort to hide a smile.
“Alright, let’s get back to it,” Dom ordered, gesturing to me.
“Gran, or Mildred is their great grandmother and she is insanely powerful,” I warned and Gregory nodded in agreement. “Dru has some ability but there’s a lot of tension because she is a shifter.” I frowned. “They consider her a mutant.” There were a few rumbles of dissent until Gregory stepped forward.
“Wolves and witches don’t mix,” he declared and a mutinous expression crossed Monster’s face. I opened my mouth to protest when Gregory lifted a finger. “Hear me out. I don’t mean they can’t be together. I mean the gifts we each possess don’t mix. I saw your Dru and she is….exceptional and rare. The existence of a witch and wolf in the same body is unheard of to be honest.”
I nodded reluctantly. “They fear her.”
“Probably with good reason.” My jaw locked and he raised his hands. “I’m just saying a creature with two powerful abilities would be feared.”
“She’s not a creature,” I gritted out between clenched teeth. “She suffers with every shift. She risks her life to feed them and they shun her.” I stopped abruptly, hearing the impassioned note in my voice. “She is more wolf than witch. Her ability can’t be compared to her sister or grandmother.”
“It doesn’t mean some won’t try,” Anna murmured astutely. “Either way, now that we know about them, what do we do?”
“We protect them,” I stated quickly, reminding them unnecessarily, “Dru is my mate.” I sucked on my lower lip thoughtfully. “I just have to figure out how to convince her that she wants to be,” I added under my breath.
“Protecting them might be difficult when they don’t want our help.” Dom glanced at me. “And I’m not inclined to help someone who killed you.”
“Killed?” Several voices echoed at once, those who weren’t part of Dom’s Pack.
“Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” I muttered, glaring at Dom. “And Paige saved my life, so yeah, they deserve our protection.”
“Who or what are we protecting them from exactly?” This time it was Trent who spoke and I didn’t want to admit the only person they might need protection from was their Gran.
“Dru mentioned there were hunters. They killed her father,” I told them, feeling a ripple of unease go through everyone. “I doubt they disappeared.” I leaned against the wall. “I’ve heard rumors.”
“What kind of rumors?” Hank asked, his dark eyebrows pulling down.
“Rumors of auctions. It’s not enough to just have a wolf shifter. Now they’re looking for the unique, wolves that are outside the norm,” I explained, disgusted. “Someone like Dru.”
“Or Dylan,” Monster murmured, the deep brown of his eyes turning almost black at the thought. “If there are hunters out there coming after wolves, special wolves, then we need to stop them.”
“Whoa, hold on a minute,” Dom advised, raising his voice slightly. “We don’t know that is what’s happening here. Let’s back it up a second.”
“We need to keep an eye on the situation,” Jess stated, eyeballing Monster when he grunted. “And not go off halfcocked without knowing all the facts,” she stressed when he continued to look rebellious.
“They’re right,” I added, trying to smooth the situation I’d accidentally created. “They’re only rumors.”
“You think it’s more than that,” Monster accused, twisting toward me. “We can’t ignore it. What do you think would happen to someone like Paige if they found out about her?”
My jaw worked. “The same thing that would happen to Dru.”
“It would be difficult for any hunter to hurt a witch,” Gregory said flatly. He eyed me. “You’ve seen first-hand what they can do. But we do have an obligation to protect them.”
All eyes turned to him and he sighed heavily. “Our very existence is in thanks to the first witch. Through the years our lines have multiplied while the witches have died out, partially due to persecution, and also because they were never a fertile line.” A flicker of regret crossed his face. “Mildred was once a friend and I failed her. It’s time I rectified that.”
“You have some scary friends,” Trent mumbled under his breath and someone snorted in agreement. A chuckle rippled through the room, breaking some of the tension.
Gregory smiled widely, transforming his face as white teeth flashed. “You have no idea, pup.” None of us missed the undercurrent of truth in his words and Trent nodded respectfully. Gregory turned serious as he said, “Anna, I need to request your permission to leave the Pack.”
She looked startled at first then shook her head in confusion. “Gregory, you don’t need my permission to go anywhere. You’re our oldest member. You can come and go as you please.” Gregory’s expression softened and Anna’s mouth formed an O. “That’s not what you meant.” She blinked rapidly, her eyes growing glossy. “You mean….leave, as in no longer a member of my Pack.” He dipped his head and Trent came up behind Anna, rubbing her arms as we all stood by silently witnessing the moment. “You’ve been a member….forever. Is it something I did?”
“Anna, no,” Gregory reassured her, taking her hands. “I’m honored to serve under you. It’s been a privilege to have you as my Alpha. I don’t make this decision lightly.”
“Then why?” Anna cleared her throat as she got her emotions under control. “There’s no reason for you to go.”
A gentle smile wreathed his face. “It’s something I need to do, Anna.” She shook her head. “I’m going back to the Ghost Pack.” I jerked reflexively and Dom tensed. “I need to repair the relationship with Mildred and create an alliance we can all trust. It’s necessary for the continued well-being of our Packs.” His gaze strayed to me. “Caleb has claimed a mate without a Pack, one whose unique heritage will require compromise from all of us if she is to join one of our Packs.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you need to leave this Pack,” Hank commented, his expression drawn and glancing around I noticed mine wasn’t the only concerned face. “You can go as an authorized,” he gave me a pointed glance, “representative of our joint Packs.”
“Witches aren’t like wolves,” Gregory explained. “They don’t travel in packs, they’re solitary creatures passing down their power from one generation to the next. Mildred has shown her dislike for wolf shifters. Approaching her as a member of a large, strong Pack will not encourage her to communicate.”
“I would agree.” Several gazes swung toward me. “Mildred took the Pack from her husband who was Alpha, back when there was a Pack and she kept control of it until Dru was born.”
“Then what happened?” Monster asked, his curiosity not going unnoticed by the others.
“She released anyone who couldn’t or wouldn’t accept Dru on the threat of death. Several left,” I said shortly.
“Can we just go back to the part where she assumed control of a w
olf pack?” Liam questioned, sounding disturbed. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“Trust me, it is,” I replied. “She can control the magic of our shift.”
Dom rubbed his forehead, shaking his head. “No, just no. No to all of this.” He looked straight at me. “She killed you. The risk is too great.”
“That’s not your decision to make,” Gregory reminded him and Dom spun around.
“Anna, tell me you’re not going to consider this? Not knowing what they’re capable of?”
“Dom,” she murmured, sounding torn. She glanced at Gregory. “I don’t know. Maybe you should stay part of the Pack so we can monitor the situation.”
“That won’t work,” Gregory and I said in unison.
“Can you give us a minute?” Dom motioned for me to follow him and as we left the room I saw Jess catch Monster by the arm. Once we were out of earshot he bombarded me with questions. “Do you really think this is a good idea? Gregory going in alone? After what happened to you?”
“There’s more to it.”
Dom pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course there is.”
“I did a blood exchange with Mildred.”
His expression froze as he lowered his hand, revealing a yellow eyed glare. “You what?”
“It was spur of the moment. I had no idea if it would work,” I confessed defensively.
“Did it work?”
“Yeah, sort of,” I hedged and he lifted his eyebrow. “I was able to resist her command, but it was only once.”
“So, you don’t know if was a fluke or something to do with the blood exchange,” Dom determined and I nodded. “That was a hell of a risk to take.”
“I would have killed her if I had known it wouldn’t affect Dru. This seemed like a better alternative,” I said flatly.
Dom exhaled, nodding. “You’re thinking Gregory could do the same thing.”
Lone Wolf (The Pack Book 5) Page 14