Chapter 12
Sloane
The next night, after a long day degreasing the last of the garage floor, I ventured into the Fortitude common room.
I didn’t know if it was stupidity that drove my curiosity, but I wanted to know more about what happened during the full moon. Where did the pack go? How did they handle turning?
My own wolf was restless, and it made me fidgety in the worst possible way. As the sun set and night took hold, it only got worse. Was this how the others felt, or was it because this was my first proper full moon since I’d first turned?
Great. I was going through werewolf puberty.
As I waked into the room, I hesitated. It was busier than I had expected. A group of wolves were playing poker at the table in the corner, empty beer bottles piling up around them. They didn’t seem in a hurry to clear off, and I frowned.
“Hey, Sloane.”
I turned at the sound of Sam’s voice and went to sit with her on the couch. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be around a bunch of wolves on the precipice of turning. What if they could smell what I was? I wouldn’t reek of vampire forever. Damn my curiosity.
“It’s a full moon tonight,” I murmured. “Why are they so…”
“Whatever about it?” She smiled and shook her head. “They’ve been turning since they were teenagers, Sloane. They know when it’s time.”
“Where do they go?” I asked, glancing across the room to where Spike and Rhodes were arguing loudly over the rules of a royal flush versus a full house.
“Downstairs,” she whispered.
“Downstairs? Like in the basement?” I asked. “I have so many questions.”
Sam’s smile faded. “I wouldn’t ask any.”
“Why not?”
“They may be used to turning, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt.” Her gaze lowered. “Harley says… I asked once…”
My expression softened. I knew what answer she’d gotten. “Forget I asked, then.”
As Sam’s alarm subsided and her smile widened, I felt a twinge in my chest and grimaced. Something felt off as I curled my hands into fists.
The moon…
Chairs scraped back from the table as the wolves began to move, and I understood. My wolf side was waking up.
“Hey, Sloane,” Spike said, looking down at us with narrowed eyes, “you girls staying up tonight?”
“Nope.” I shook my head, pushing away the twinge in my chest. “I’m having an early night. All that scrubbing in the garage has got me beat.”
Rhodes slapped Spike on the shoulder. “We better get going.”
The young wolf gave us one last glance before leaving, his warning clear. Tonight was not a night to go looking for cheap thrills, and for once, I was on the same page.
“I think I’m going to take a shower,” I said to Sam. “My back aches like a bitch. All that hunching over and scrubbing has wrecked me.”
“Oh…”
I hesitated, even as my wolf raised its head to howl at me. “What is it?”
“I thought you might’ve wanted to watch a movie or something,” Sam said sheepishly. “Harley’s gone with the others, and…”
My stomach twisted and I was glad she wasn’t big on direct eye contact. “Maybe another night,” I told her. “I’d just fall asleep anyway.”
“Oh. Yeah, of course…”
I stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Sam nodded, but I didn’t stick around to hear her answer.
I couldn’t get back to the safety of my own room fast enough. Closing the door behind me, I breathed deeply.
The sliver light of the moon filtered through the window and I tensed, the fluttering in my chest turning into a full on ache. I pressed the heel of my palm against my sternum and rubbed.
“I know you want out,” I whispered, “but it’s a bad time. I can’t reveal you yet.”
Pain arced through my body as my inner wolf struggled for control. My bones bent with an unnatural pressure, each one on the verge of snapping, and I fell to the floor, swallowing a surprised gasp.
Chaser said I wasn’t tied to the curse of the moon, but what if he and everyone else who believed in my powers were wrong? I could turn any time I wanted, but what if the moon still ruled me?
It’s a wolf’s nature to answer the call of the moon, I thought as my cheek pressed against the carpet. I dreamed of it constantly—my true nature bound to it, despite being free of the curse. It was my natural instinct to want to change with the pack. That’s all this was, right?
I pulled my knees against my chest and breathed deeply. Don’t change, don’t change, don’t change… That’s what Marini wants. He’s testing me.
I shuddered, wanting nothing more than to run free. To feel the wind against my fur, my paws on the ground, with nothing but the sky above and the night around to comfort me. If I turned, I’d have the pack to run with.
No! The pack didn’t know me. They were all locked up. The city was swarming with vampires and humans—it was no place for wolves. I wasn’t a Fortitude wolf. Not yet.
I focused on my breathing, remembering when Chaser and I had sat under the stars, watching those vampires burn. It was a twisted memory, but it was the first time I felt close to him, felt his humanity. We had a plan, and if I turned now, it would implode.
Please, I called to the wolf within. Please don’t make me change. We can be together soon… Soon…
A long, agonising minute passed and finally, the pressure in my bones subsided. The wolf submitted and backed away, disappearing with the light of the moon.
I didn’t know how long I’d been laying there, but as my senses returned, I dragged myself into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
All this time, I thought I’d been in control, but the truth was a cruel slap in the face. I was barely holding on—to my plan, to my courage, and to the wolf within. I was arrogant, falling into the same trap that the Hollow Men had laid out for me on that train. Thinking I had all the power when I scarcely had any at all.
Cool water soaked through my clothes, clearing my mind, but not the pull of the full moon.
That was a close call, I thought as I shivered. Too close.
Get it together, Sloane.
Chapter 13
Chaser
“It’s done.”
I slammed the revolver onto the table, spinning the butt towards Marini. The mother-of-pearl shone in the light, the beauty of the thing marred by all the lives it’d taken. Instead of a headsman’s axe, Fortitude had a gun.
The executioner.
It was late when I’d arrived back at the compound, past one a.m., but Marini wanted an immediate report the moment I got in, whatever hour it was. Revenge, messages, shows of power. Blood never waited, and neither did he.
This time I’d been sent after a wolf who’d fled from the pack only days before. I couldn’t blame the guy, but with the Hollow Men watching, the pack couldn’t afford any loose ends. One misstep and they’d descend like locusts, kill everyone, and take Sloane. For the first time, Marini and I were on the same page…despite our differing motives.
The dining table in the alpha’s room was empty, save for the revolver. Marini sat at the head like he was the king of the world and regarded me smugly. He leaned forwards, his fingers brushing the barrel like a father caressing his newborn child. “And?”
“The vampires hadn’t got to him,” I replied. “He won’t inform on the pack.”
“Did you make him squeal?”
I nodded. I’d made it quick and painless, but he didn’t need to know that. My tastes had changed in light of certain…events.
“Good. What took you so long?”
“I had to make sure there was no heat on him,” I said, resting my hand on the back of a chair. “Last thing the pack needs right now is attention.”
Marini picked up the gun and turned his gaze on me. “What do you think of Betty?”
“I don’t think anything,” I replie
d, unsettled by his abrupt change of subject.
“Yeah, you do think something, Chaser. You think a great deal. It’s ingrained in that baby-faced head of yours. You’ve had over a hundred years to figure out how to hide things from me. I know you do.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You ordered me to get her back. I got her back.”
“Took you long enough.”
“The—”
Marini slammed his fist down on the table, and I was suddenly grateful I’d left the revolver unloaded.
“I don’t want your excuses,” he snarled. “Tell me. What do you think of Betty?”
He was baiting me, which meant he suspected. Whatever I said next, I had to choose my words carefully.
“She may be fighting the wrong battles, but she can fight.”
Marini snorted and leaned back in his chair. “And what makes you say that?”
“The Hollow Men,” I replied, deadpanning him. “She killed one without blinking. You and I both know how difficult it is…and she thinks she’s human.”
“Hollow Men…” the alpha scoffed and flipped open the revolver barrel. Seeing the chambers were all empty, he scowled then reached into his shirt pocket.
I stared in confusion as he tossed a broken shard of human bone onto the table. It clattered and slid towards me, a strange shiver rolling down my spine. It had magic in it, I could feel it in the air.
I couldn’t take my eyes off it. At five inches long, it had intricate symbols etched into the length to bind whatever spell clung to it. It’d weathered and darkened over the years, the grime of a dozen alpha’s settling into the marks. Witches’ runes and sigils sealed with blood—a talisman.
“Take it,” Marini said, waving absently towards the bone. “Go on.”
My gaze lifted to the alpha’s.
“What are you so afraid of?” he asked. “Don’t you remember?”
I scowled. “Remember what?”
“It’s a shard of bone from your own arm,” he told me. “I wasn’t there, of course, but I heard it grew back…eventually.”
I stared at him in shock, my mind working overtime trying to find the memory…but it wasn’t there.
Witches. Had to be. They’d wiped the knowledge from my mind as another layer of protection for the pack. I thought the brand on my thumb was the thing binding me—and no amount of cutting, severing, and scraping had ever removed it. It was as brilliant as it was twisted. If I didn’t know the true nature of the spell, then I’d never be able to escape.
“Pick up the bone, Chaser,” Marini barked when I didn’t move. “Pick. It. Up.”
The order sank into me, the magic binding the alpha’s will to action. I reached out and grabbed the talisman, but the moment it came in contact with my skin, my flesh burned.
Marini smirked, his eyes glinting maliciously as he watched the magic melt my hand.
I grimaced as the pain became unbearable, but I couldn’t shut it out. The magic forced me to feel the hold the alpha had over me, to let me know that even though I now knew what bound me, there was no hope. The spell was unbreakable.
I grunted and stumbled against the table, the smell of my cooking flesh filling the room.
“Put it down,” Marini said after he was sure I’d gotten the message.
I dropped the bone onto the table and pulled my hand away, hissing as the blistered wound began to heal, but Marini grasped the shard in his hand and squeezed. The pressure bore down on me and my breath caught.
“Don’t play me for a fool, Chaser,” Marini snarled. “I own you. I own your life. I own your immortality. And I own your pain. If you’re lying to me, the pain I will cause you will be unbearable, and it will go on for days…weeks…months… It will go on for as long as it amuses me.” He rounded the table and tightened his hold on the talisman, forcing me to my knees. “Do you understand?”
I gasped for air that didn’t come. The blood in my veins began to dry and my vision blurred.
Marini loosened his grasp. “Do. You. Understand?”
I nodded, coughing as air filled my lungs. “I understand.”
The alpha glared down at me, his lip curling, and he slid the talisman into his pocket. “Get up,” he snarled. “You’re pathetic. A pathetic disappointment. Get out of my sight.”
I didn’t wait around. I pushed to my feet and stumbled out of the room and into the hallway.
Marini suspected. What, exactly, remained to be seen, but doubt was dangerous enough. I had to warn Sloane to cool off and lay low. Breaking point was never as close as it was right now.
Stopping by the door to the roof, I sighed. The heat, the bloodshed, and Marini’s threats were getting to me. My returning humanity wasn’t helping, neither was being apart from Sloane.
This shouldn’t be hard. Subterfuge was second nature, but the talisman changed everything. It was a part of me, sealed with pack blood. Unbreakable. If I couldn’t pick it up, maybe Sloane could. Maybe she could be the one to command me.
But only if she is alpha, a small voice taunted. Only…
Chapter 14
Sloane
After I’d finished degreasing the garage floor, I was promoted to repairing punctured tires. It was a step up, and my bruised knees thanked me for it.
Two things that hadn’t changed though, were the weather and Chaser’s absence. He still wasn’t back from whatever awful job Marini had sent him on. I didn’t like it, and I’d been dwelling on all the worst outcomes because of it. What if the Hollow Men got him?
I became increasingly irritated with each passing day, and the heat didn’t help. The bikers in the garage had started calling me Sulky Sloane until I superglued Ram’s arse to a chair.
My fate was still up in the air, and I was still confined to the compound, so all I could do was keep on keeping on. Making friends, skirting around the edges of danger, and avoiding one of my many nemeses—Harley. Sam had started talking to me again, though it was only in one-syllable words, the fear in her voice unmistakable. In the beginning, she’d been ordered to shadow me to glean information, but when I’d taken matters into my own hands, that’d all gone by the wayside. I was now too unpredictable to be around, especially when it came to threatening Harley’s domination of her.
Turning over in bed for the hundredth time, I was failing to find a comfortable position. The mattress was lumpy, the air was stifling, and my brain was working overtime.
It was so damn hot in here, sleep was impossible. Sweat stuck to my body as I tossed and turned, the open window doing nothing to ease the heat in the tiny bedroom.
Sitting up, I groaned and rubbed my eyes. This is impossible.
Flinging my legs out from underneath the covers, I found my denim shorts and pulled them on, shoved my feet into my boots, and dragged on another T-shirt. Shuffling over to the door, I flipped the lock and peered out into the hallway. No one was standing guard—and they hadn’t since I’d arrived—but I wouldn’t put it past my enigmatic father to implement it without warning.
Sliding out into the hall, I walked towards the common room, tingling all over like I was doing something naughty. It wasn’t against the rules to explore the compound, though I don’t know why anyone in my position would want to.
Being the middle of the night, there weren’t many people around. I could hear the sounds of men coming and going as I walked the halls, but I saw no one. I found the door to the roof and opened it. No one stopped me. It seemed no one was concerned that I would fling myself off the edge. Glancing once more over my shoulder, I climbed the stairs.
Pushing open the door, a cool breeze wafted into my face, and I sighed. It wasn’t much, but it was better than inside. The air was clear, albeit tinged with pollution, and I filled my lungs to the brim before letting it all whoosh out. Total cleanse.
Walking to the edge of the building, I peered over the edge to the concrete below. The roller door was open, and I could hear the sounds of wolves working inside. My enhanced ears picked up on the music bla
ring from the stereo and the clatter of tools, but the sound covered their conversation.
Edging back from the edge, I looked towards the skyline. Lights stretched as far as I could see, tangerine and white twinkling on a landscape I would never be a part of. All those people with their families, their fame, their mundane jobs, morning commutes, and petty squabbles. What kind of life did I want? Hell if I knew. All I’d wanted was to be somewhere else. Free to figure out who Sloane was in the wake of becoming the world’s most wanted wolf.
After the things I’d seen, all I wanted was a future where I was safe. Where Chaser and I were free. That’s all I wanted.
I felt Chaser’s absence more keenly up here. I wasn’t sure why, but it felt like a place he would like. It was away from the chaos downstairs and more in tune with the solitude we’d had on the road. Our world was small then, more manageable. Here, it was too big to keep up with. Whatever happened next, I knew I wasn’t made for great things. Small, simple, and quiet, that was where I belonged. Though it kind of went against the whole alpha thing I had going on.
Angling my head towards the sky, I was disappointed I couldn’t see any stars. The moon was waning, its presence tugging at the primal instincts inside me, but it was all that was up there. Humanity’s mark had invaded the skies.
A hand fisted into the back of my hair and twisted, the abrupt movement taking my breath away. Gasping for air, I cried out as my scalp burned. That was when my fight mode was activated. My body had sensed a threat and lashed out.
I kicked backwards at my assailant, and a male grunt signalled I’d gotten him in the shin. His grip loosened on my hair, and I turned.
Harley.
I knew this moment was coming, but I was hoping it would be later. Much later.
The one second it took for me to shake off my shock was all it took for him to grab me again. He pushed me backwards towards the edge of the roof, and I stumbled and fell. Letting out a scream, the wind was forced out of my lungs as I landed hard, my head hanging over the edge of the building—a hair’s breadth away from a three-story drop onto the concrete below
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