Howled Promises (Cider Falls Shifters Book Two)

by R. E. Butler

Plant food forgotten, she wondered, as she made her way to her car and headed home, if her whole world was about to change.

  Chapter Three

  Weylyn’s heart hammered in her chest when there was a knock at the front door later that afternoon. After she’d told her mom what she’d witnessed, she’d been unable to shake the feeling that something bad was coming her way.

  “It’ll be fine, honey,” her mom said as she went to answer the door.

  Weylyn, unable to move from where she stood stirring the chili she’d made for dinner, tried to hear the conversation at the door but couldn’t make out anything.

  The front door shut and her mom returned to the kitchen, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

  “Mom?” Weylyn dropped the spoon into the chili and hurried to her. “What’s wrong? Who was that?”

  “You’ve been summoned to Alpha Vano’s home in an hour.”

  Weylyn swallowed. “That’s not everything, is it?”

  “No. I’m sorry, honey, but you’re supposed to pack. They said that you’re going to be exiled and should prepare accordingly.”

  Weylyn’s heart clenched and her eyes stung with tears. This was what she’d been dreading: that she’d be kicked out of St. Paul because of the change in leadership. But she hadn’t actually wanted to put that fear into words.

  Her voice cracked as she tried to speak, so she cleared it and then said, “You can stay, though? You don’t have to come with me?”

  “No. I…you’re to leave, but not me.”

  Weylyn hugged her mom and tried to stave off the wave of sorrow that threatened to drown her. Being exiled meant she’d be killed if she ever set foot in St. Paul, which meant she’d never see her mom again.

  “I’m so sorry, honey,” her mom said, her voice thick with emotion.

  “Me too. I had a good run here, though. I mean, I’m twenty-four. They could’ve exiled me when I first shifted, and I wouldn’t have gotten all these wonderful years with you.”

  “I’ll help you pack.”

  Weylyn nodded and went with her mom to her bedroom, where they spent the next fifty minutes packing up her life. By the time they were on their way to the alpha’s house, Weylyn was mostly numb, unsure of what her future would hold. Her mom had given her an envelope of cash and a credit card loaded with a few hundred dollars.

  They got out of the car in front of the alpha’s home. There were a few vehicles in the driveway, but an exile wasn’t a full-blown clan gathering, so she didn’t expect to see a whole lot of people there. She wouldn’t get to say goodbye to anyone, but then again she only really cared about her mom, and at least she’d be able to say goodbye to her.

  “I wish things were different,” her mom said.

  “Me too.”

  Together, they headed into the alpha’s house, where they were met by several of the alpha’s personal guards, males that Weylyn had known her whole life. They didn’t look at her with anything but disgust now, as if the sudden news of her impending exile had tainted the way they saw her. Like she wasn’t even a person to them anymore.

  Vano sat on the couch, his new right-hand standing behind him. There was a female that Weylyn had never seen before, but it took only a discreet sniff of the air to pick up the scent of lavender, telling her the female was a witch.

  “Weylyn,” Vano said. “You know why you’re here.”

  “You’re exiling me,” she said, her gaze on the witch. She looked young, maybe even close to Weylyn’s own age. She was really pretty, with gray eyes and a waterfall of blonde hair over her shoulders.

  Weylyn dragged her gaze from the witch to Vano.

  “Yes. I won’t have abominations like you in my clan any longer. I told my father when you shifted the first time that he should’ve killed you on the spot, but he wasn’t alpha enough to do that.”

  Her mom let out a soft gasp, and Weylyn glanced at her. There was a lot of venom in the alpha’s voice, but she wasn’t surprised. He’d never made a secret of his dislike of her, but her mother had never really heard the things he’d said to her when they were growing up.

  Weylyn wanted to say something to defend herself, but she knew that pointing out that her biology wasn’t her fault was foolish. He looked angry and it was bad enough she was getting exiled; she didn’t want to make things worse.

  He motioned for the witch, who then pulled a branding iron from the folds of her skirt. Weylyn had never seen anyone with the brand nor seen it done to someone before. She knew it would hurt and was going to try her hardest not to cry in front of the males who thought she’d have been better off dead as a teenager than allowed to live.

  The witch drew close and stopped a foot from Weylyn. She whispered a few words and swirled her fingers over the branding iron—a complicated mass of swirls around the ancient word for exile, “noneswel.” As the iron turned bright red, Weylyn could smell the heated metal mixed with sulfur that spoke of its magic. The brand couldn’t be cut away from the skin or covered up, and it couldn’t be removed. This would be her permanent reminder that she wasn’t welcome in the place of her birth, and because she was a hybrid, she wouldn’t be welcome in any other red fox clan.

  Weylyn held out her left wrist and took in a steadying breath.

  Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

  “I mark you, Weylyn,” the witch said, holding her wrist with one cold hand and hovering the iron over her skin, “as an exile of this red fox clan, under orders from Alpha Vano for the crime of having mixed blood.”

  The witch, eyes full of regret, met Weylyn’s gaze, and then lowered the branding iron swiftly to the top of her wrist. There was a brief moment where Weylyn didn’t feel anything, and then pain shot through her wrist and up her arm, making her clench her teeth as her eyes filled with tears.

  The witch lifted the iron off her skin and nodded at Weylyn before turning and walking away.

  “You will be escorted to the town border,” Alpha Vano said. He gave Weylyn a long, hard look. “Without your mother’s car.”

  Weylyn opened her mouth to protest but her mom elbowed her in her side, and she snapped her teeth together.

  The alpha waved his hand dismissively, and Weylyn and her mom walked out of the house. Her knees were weak, and she wanted to fall into a sobbing ball on the porch and cradle her aching wrist, but she didn’t have time to do that.

  “Get your things,” one of the guards said. “We have a long walk.”

  Weylyn nodded numbly. She and her mom went to the car, and Weylyn realized she couldn’t carry everything she’d packed when she thought she’d be taking the car. She grabbed her purse and crossed it over her chest, and then she took out the large rolling suitcase. There was a travel bag and a backpack, along with two more suitcases, but the ones without wheels couldn’t come with her.

  They worked fast while the guards watched over them with disapproval, stuffing as much as they could from the other cases into the rolling suitcase. They affixed the travel bag to the rolling case, and then Weylyn put on the backpack.

  “I don’t know where to go,” Weylyn whispered, fighting tears as she hugged her mom. She’d been planning to sleep in the car while she figured things out. Now she didn’t even have that. And it was going to be dark soon.

  “There’s a town in Kentucky for exiled shifters,” her mom whispered in her ear. “It’s called Cider Falls. As soon as you reach the edge of St. Paul, call a car service to pick you up and take you to a rental car place, and then get a car and find directions to Cider Falls. You’ll be safe there.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Weylyn said. She hugged her tightly. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  She gritted her teeth against the wave of sorrow that filled her and turned, grasping the handle of the suitcase and looking at the guards. “I’m ready.”

  They nodded and began to walk, and she followed, her suitcase bumping along behind her.

  This wasn’t how she pictured the day going, but she couldn’t go back in tim
e and change anything. All she could do was keep her head up and not let anyone know they’d gotten to her. She might be a branded, exiled hybrid, but she was a tough chick and she’d make it through this. The alpha thought this would break her, that he was sentencing her to a terrible fate alone...separated from the clan. But she’d show him.

  This was a horrible chapter of her life, but someday she’d look back on it as the moment that defined her.

  She was going to be fine.

  She had no choice.

  Chapter Four

  Weylyn reached the edge of town with the guards. The old-fashioned wooden sign had the town’s name in big, carved letters bordered by whimsical fox paws.

  “Alpha Vano wants us to remind you that if you step foot in St. Paul again, you’ll be killed on sight,” one of the guards said.

  “I know,” she said.

  She tugged the case behind her and continued to walk alongside the road as she left the guards behind. She didn’t want to get her phone out of her purse until she was out of sight of the guards. A gut feeling told her they’d try to interfere if they knew she was calling a car service, or maybe even take her phone.

  She didn’t look back.

  St. Paul wasn’t her home anymore.

  She walked for twenty minutes along the deserted road until her feet were aching and her whole body felt like one raw nerve thanks to carrying the heavy backpack and pulling the case. She laid the case on the ground and sat on it, letting out a gusty sigh. Digging for her phone, she pulled it out and opened the web browser to locate the closest car rental. The nearest car service was thirty minutes away, so she ordered the car and then put her head on her knees and finally let her tears fall.

  By the time the car arrived to pick her up, she was all cried out, left feeling dehydrated and exhausted.

  “Lemme help ya with the bags,” the cheerful female driver said as she got out of the car.

  “That would be great,” Weylyn said.

  The female put the suitcase and travel bag on the seat of the second row of her small SUV. Weylyn climbed in and sat on the empty space in the second row.

  The woman got behind the wheel and said, “There’s cold bottled water in the cooler on the floor if you’re thirsty.”

  “Oh, thank you,” Weylyn said. She found the small cooler and cracked open a bottle, draining half before she took a breath.

  “Wow, have a second bottle, hon,” the woman said. “I’m Mindy.”

  “Weylyn. And thank you so much.”

  “What were you doing at the side of the road, anyway? Car break down or something?”

  “I…yes, my car broke down.”

  “Ah, okay. And the tow truck driver probably was skeevy-looking, so you didn’t want to take a ride with him. That happened to my sister. She said the guy was a letch and she didn’t want to be stuck in the truck with him. It’s smart to look after yourself, trust your gut. So we’re heading to the car rental agency, it’ll take about twenty-five minutes to get there.”

  “Sounds perfect,” Weylyn said.

  After Mindy asked if she wanted music and Weylyn replied she didn’t care, country music set on a low volume filled the vehicle. Weylyn opened her text messages and sent one to her mom.

  “On the way to a rental car. Thank you. Love you. Miss you already.”

  She pressed send, but the message didn’t go through. It showed an error, with a red exclamation point.

  Frowning, Weylyn tried again, only to get the same message.

  It quickly hit her that the alpha had probably ordered her mom to block Weylyn’s number. He was probably monitoring Weylyn’s messages and calls so she wouldn’t be able to reach out to her mom. Exile was a fucking terrible thing to do to someone, but it was a lot better than being dead.

  When they reached the rental car agency, Weylyn thanked Mindy for the quick and safe drive, and wished her well. She headed into the small building to pick up a rental car.

  While she waited for the paperwork to be finalized, she opened the map program and typed in the town name of Cider Falls. When the route was calculated, it turned out to be a four-hour drive, which meant she wouldn’t get into the town until well after dark. She had no clue what the town was like, or if she’d even be welcome. Just because her mom thought she would be didn’t mean anything. She’d never even heard of a town that opened its proverbial arms to hybrids and exiles, but she was really hopeful it was a place where she’d be welcomed. The question was, how would she find the alpha in charge?

  She accepted the keys and paperwork and headed to the compact car she’d rented. She didn’t know what she’d do about a vehicle once she got to Cider Falls, but from the looks of the town on the map, it was fairly small. She might be able to find a job and a place to stay and could walk to work until she saved enough for a car. After putting her bags in the trunk, she sat behind the wheel and turned the engine on, then wrapped her hands around the steering wheel and rested her head on the cool leather.

  This was so not how she’d pictured her day going. Or her life. She was homeless and jobless. Thanks to the alpha, she couldn’t even call her mom to say hello or tell her she loved her. But there was no time to cry or pout. She had no choice but to get settled quickly somewhere and register with the Federal Shifter Alliance. She could only hope that the alpha of Cider Falls would let her stay there. If not, she’d have to find somewhere else and fast.

  This had to work, though.

  If Cider Falls wasn’t going to be her home, then she had no clue what she’d do, and that thought—more than anything else—scared the hell out of her.

  * * *

  Rehlik had the night off, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t busy. Just because he wasn’t working at the bar didn’t mean he didn’t have a shit ton to do related to the town and people under his care. He leaned back on the couch and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms and sighed.

  He’d rather be at the bar than doing paperwork, particularly since he was reading resumes for the security position he needed to fill.

  Cider Falls wasn’t the only hybrid-welcoming town in the States, but it was the only one in the Midwest. When he’d reached out to the alphas in surrounding states and asked if anyone was looking for work and would be willing to come to Kentucky, he’d received a few resumes in response. He’d also posted on shifter work boards online but had to state in the job description that the person applying was required to have a good attitude about exiled shifters and hybrids.

  He didn’t really expect to get much response from the online ads.

  The screen was blurry when he looked at it again, and he blinked rapidly to clear it. The resume was for a young grizzly shifter who’d just finished college and wanted to get out from under the thumb of his oppressive den. Rehlik marked his resume as a potential recruit and forwarded it to Trace for his input, then closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table.

  He couldn’t shake the antsy feeling he had, like he should be doing something or going somewhere.

  He probably just had cabin fever from working inside all day.

  Deciding he couldn’t look at another resume without throwing something, he got up. He’d go to the bar and have a drink, maybe shoot some pool, and then he’d feel better. Just getting out of the house and getting some fresh air would be what he needed and would solve why his wolf felt like it was trying to scratch through his skin.

  After putting on a clean shirt, he grabbed his keys and wallet and left the house. His house was what one of the females in the pack called “quaint,” a brick ranch with three bedrooms and a big back porch. He was a few hundred yards from the bar, far enough away for privacy but close enough to get there if something was up. They didn’t get a lot of problems at the bar because it was generally all locals, but sometimes humans or shifters from out of town would make their way inside and could stir up trouble. He didn’t tolerate any nonsense from anyone, local or not, and had a strict no-fighting policy. Shifters could destroy a place i
n a heartbeat, between their increased speed and strength, and add in alcohol to dull the part of the brain that said something was a bad idea, and a business could be a shambles fast.

  Stopping on the front porch, he rolled his neck and took in a deep breath, sorting through the scents in the summer air. He picked up the faint wind-born scents of his people—humans and shifters and supernatural creatures all mixed up.

  But then his wolf let out a sharp bark in his mind and he took a step off the porch. He inhaled again, searching for the scent that had piqued his beast’s interest.

  It was wild and sweet, like a flower in the forest.

  He snorted, thinking he was turning into a damn poet.

  But then he caught the scent again, and it was stronger in the direction of the bar. He let out his wolf a little to enhance his senses and walked toward the bar. The sweet and wild scent grew thicker and his whole body responded, his fangs throbbing in his gums, his claws tingling in his fingers, and his cock pressing against his fly.

  What the hell was he smelling? Or—more likely—who the hell was it?

  And why was he positive he’d never smelled anything so amazing—or important—in his entire life?

  Chapter Five

  Weylyn drove slowly past the metal sign with “Cider Falls” in white block letters. She’d looked the town up on the internet but hadn’t found anything except the basics. It had been established as a haven for shifters, supernaturals, and humans five years earlier and was helmed by Rehlik, the alpha. There was a list of businesses but no contact information for the alpha or anyone else.

  She had no idea where to go to find the alpha, but considering it was after nine p.m., she was certain all the businesses in town were closed. Except for the bar. Figuring she could ask about the alpha in the bar, she drove to Brewz and parked in the lot.

  She left the car idling and rested her head on the steering wheel. It had been a hell of a day. She couldn’t believe how low she felt. That morning, everything had been fine and she’d had few complaints. Now she practically had nothing and was about to rely on the kindness of strangers to help her start her life over.