by Meg Ripley
As if on command, my mother called for me. I sighed and stuffed the contents back in the envelope before setting it on my bedside table, knowing I could never leave my family.
Or escape to a place where Javier wouldn’t find me.
13
Valentina
It had been weeks since my period was due, and with each passing day, I was more sure that I was, in fact, pregnant. I still hadn’t taken a test to prove it, though.
“Those papas aren’t going to peel themselves, hija.” My mother looked pointedly at me and then at the half-peeled pile of potatoes in front of me.
“Sorry, Mama.” Their scent had been getting to me. I’d never found potato to have an offensive smell before, but now it felt too earthy in my nose. I focused on peeling and getting dinner prep finished.
“Carrots are done,” Rosa said, almost bragging.
“And the onions are cut,” Isabella said, wiping her eyes.
“Perfect, perfect,” my mother said.
“Oh no,” Rosa said.
I glanced at her, thinking she’d dropped a carrot or something. She looked out the kitchen window with a worried face. When I moved my gaze out the window, my stomach dropped. In the distance, great clouds of dust flew into the air, created by the group of motorcycles barreling down the road.
“Maybe they’re not coming here,” I said. I stood beside her, watching to see where those five members of Los Aulladores were headed.
“What did you do now?!” Isabella asked, shoving my shoulder.
“Nothing!”
“¡Cállate! Both of you!” Mama warned. She stood watching, too.
We breathed a collective gasp when the first bike stopped in front of our ranch.
“Everyone stay calm,” Mama said. “Miguel!”
He walked right to the front door. “Stay inside.”
From where we stood in the kitchen, we could hear them carrying on, shouting and laughing, revving their bikes and having a good time. Crouching down, we quickly moved to the living room, and I sat on the couch with my mother while Rosa watched from an inconspicuous spot beside the window. Isabella stood behind us, fidgeting with her fingers.
“Can’t I just hide?” she asked. “They won’t know I’m here.”
“Hopefully, they’ll just leave,” my mother whispered.
When the door slammed open, we all jumped.
“Look at the little ladies, waiting on their men. Just like they should be.”
I recognized Angel, Javier’s second in command. He wore a leather jacket with a large patch of a coyote showing its bloody teeth, and his black ponytail hung greasy and long.
“We don’t want any trouble,” my mother said.
“Well, good. Neither do we.” Angel stepped inside and the other four followed him.
They made themselves right at home, picking up objects and sitting on the couch beside us. A few headed into the kitchen and dug through the refrigerator.
“¡Mira! Looky here!” Angel exclaimed from the kitchen. “What a feast!”
He walked into the living room carrying the pan of beef roast Mama had started to prepare and held it out to her. “This looks delicious,” Angel said. “How long until we can eat it?”
My mother stiffened and set her jaw. “It takes quite a while. You’d be waiting a long time; an hour or two, at least.”
He smiled and shoved the pan at her. “Then I guess you’d better get it started.”
I grabbed the pan and stared him in the eye. “We’d better get to work then. We’ll need you all to wait outside so we can prepare a proper meal.”
Angel looked taken aback that I’d spoken up to him at all, nevermind the fact that I’d told him what to do. He nodded. “I know about you. You’re the one that gives Javier all the trouble.” He looked me over and whistled. “Worth the trouble, too, I’d say. You have one fine ass. Too bad Javier’s already claimed you for himself, or I’d love to sink my teeth into it.”
I almost told him I didn’t belong to anyone, but being claimed by Javier would make me off limits to all of them, and that was a good thing.
“Right,” I said, “so I suggest you let us get to work and wait outside, or I’ll have to tell Javier that you were checking out my ass.”
Angel narrowed his eyes slightly. “Okay, muchacha. But this better be one fantastic meal.”
I smiled and watched him walk out of the house with his men behind him.
“You’d better be careful,” Rosa hissed at me. “You’re going to get yourself hurt or killed talking like that.”
I wanted to tell her the truth: that it didn’t much matter to me anymore. If living meant being without Elijah and dealing with the pain of it all the time, then what was the point? My hand moved to my belly in answer. I had a baby to think about now. A baby who should have two parents.
“If Javier doesn’t like it, then I’m sure he’ll let me know,” I said. “Are you going to help me cook this food or what?”
My mother hurried into the kitchen, muttering about Los Aulladores as she went.
“This is bullshit,” Isabella said as she reached the kitchen. “Why should we make food for them? We have to give them our dinner?”
“Because they might kill us if we don’t,” I said.
She rolled her eyes at me. “You know what I mean.”
“Yup. And we don’t have a choice, so let’s just get it done, and maybe we’ll still have time to make something for ourselves.”
“If they don’t eat everything we have,” Mama added.
“If they do, we’ll get more,” I said.
Rosa raised an eyebrow at me. “When did you get so cheerful?”
“I just know what has to be done, how my life is now, and I accept it.”
Silence fell over the room. That was the simplest way I could have put it. I had to do whatever I could for my baby.
For our baby.
I’d never give up hope that Elijah and I would end up together. Not until one of us was dead would I let that hope die. And if I was going to get to that point, I had to stay alive and safe, and do whatever it took to make Javier happy. I didn’t need him threatening my baby on top of my family.
Rosa stood back and narrowed her eyes at me again.
“What?” I snapped.
“Something’s up. What are you up to?” she asked.
My mother spun and looked me over. “What? What is it?”
“Nada.” I peeled the potato in my hand furiously.
“Wait a minute.” Rosa marched over to me. “Stand up.”
“I’m busy.”
She yanked me up by the arm. I stood for her, wondering if she could actually tell by sight. Isabella and my mother looked, too.
Then my mother gasped and threw her hands in the air. “Ei ei ei! No, hija, no.”
“What?” I sat back down and resumed my peeling.
“Are you pregnant?” Rosa hissed.
“What makes you think that?” I laughed it off, but felt the heat rush up my neck.
“Your boobs.” She put her hands to her own breasts and jiggled them. “They’re bigger than mine. For once.”
“I thought you’d been acting strange,” my mother added.
“You do have that glowy thing happening,” Isabella agreed.
I didn’t respond. I set the potato down and grabbed another.
“Well?” Rosa asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“How don’t you know?” my mother asked.
“I didn’t take a test.”
“Pfft.” My mother waved her hand at me. “You don’t need a test. A woman knows these things. You think I took tests to find out I was pregnant with any of you?”
I swallowed hard.
“And a mother knows these things. Oh my, Valentina, why? You barely know the man, and now you’re having his baby? You can’t even see him; how will you raise his child?”
“With your help.” I looked at each of them.
Rosa hugged my shoulders. “Oh, Val. My little sister, a mother.”
“Congratulations,” Isabella said. “Didn’t think you’d beat me to it, but whatever.”
I rolled my eyes at her, but she hugged me, too.
My mother pursed her lips and turned back to the roast. “You’re going to raise some gringo baby on your own?”
“Mama! It’s not ‘some gringo baby,’ it’s my baby, and I don’t appreciate you saying that.” My words came out harsher than I intended.
“Well,” my mother said. “At least your protective instincts are in place. I guess I should praise the Lord for that.”
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically, moving onto to the next potato.
“Does he know?” Isabella asked.
My chin started to wobble. “No,” I managed to croak out before bursting into tears. “No one knows except you.”
Isabella came to hug me. “It’s terrible what Javier is doing to you. You have to tell Elijah, though.”
“How can I? I can’t contact him without Javier knowing, and if Elijah knew, do you really think he’d stay out of the village? Or let me stay here?”
“And what about Javier?” Rosa asked. “What will he do when he finds out?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”
After more than an hour, the food was ready. It had taken a long time, and, miraculously, Los Aulladores had stayed outside the whole time. Miguel was the one to thank for that, keeping them busy with whatever he was doing out there.
We set the table, my mother still grumbling, and then I went outside and found Angel.
“Dinner’s ready,” I announced.
“Fantástico.” He grinned. “Boys, let’s eat!”
Each of them filed into the house, then sat loudly and carelessly at our small table. We stood back, watching as they passed the food around, serving themselves huge dollops of potatoes and hefty portions of roast while making a mess of Mama’s tablecloth below. Not one of them cared enough to even try to take care of their spills. Pigs.
“Oops,” one of them said. “I dropped my roll.” He shoved the roll off the table with his elbow, then grinned at Rosa.
Rosa sucked in a breath, bent to retrieve the roll, and set it back on the table.
“Hey,” Angel said to me, “be a good girl and get me a beer.”
I went to the kitchen and found Miguel standing in there, looking in the fridge.
“I hope you have at least one beer in there,” I told him, “because Angel wants one.”
He shook his head. “Of course he does. Cabrón.”
I grabbed the remaining can of beer and took it to Angel, who shook it up, then opened it. The spray went all over the table, all over the wall of the dining room, and all over me. Angel laughed and the rest of them joined in.
I seethed. Up until that point, I had kept cool, reminding myself that I had to do this to keep Javier happy and to keep my family safe. But the mess they were making and the way they were treating us was pushing me very close to the line.
I wiped my face and glared at Angel. “Do you think Javier would like that?”
He jumped to his feet and was in my face faster than I could blink. “You think you can get away with your threats? Keep it up, muchacha.” He raised a hand and shoved me back.
I heard my mother gasp, and then all I could hear was my ears ringing. He sat down and resumed eating and laughing. The room tinted red, and I struggled to hold back my bear, so I turned and rushed out of the house. If I was going to shift, I had better not do it inside.
I barely made it through the door before shredding my clothing and roaring into bear form. I bounded around the perimeter of the house, trying to burn off energy, but then I made the biggest mistake of all: I ran a bit too close to one of the bikes.
I thought I brushed against it gently, but the bike fell over. Not only that, it crashed into another bike and knocked it over, too. The clatter was loud; there was no way they didn’t hear it.
Moments later, the five men ran out of the house, right at me.
“What did you do?” Angel shouted. He stormed over to me, fearless even in front of a bear, and spit in my face. “You talk back and now you damage our bikes? I’ve had it with you!”
I shook my head and roared.
“You think you’re a tough bear now?”
He brought his foot back, then swiftly slammed it into my stomach. That was my final push.
I reared up on my hind legs, the rage that had been churning inside rushing to the surface. I couldn’t think of anything except tearing him apart and I came down hard, slashing my paws at him.
Angel jumped back and shifted into coyote form, and the others followed suit. I was still much bigger than them, though there were so many more of them and they were used to attacking together as a pack.
I leapt forward and my massive paw came down again. That time, my claws connected with his soft torso, tearing easily through the coyote’s fur and flesh. He howled, a desperate sound cut off by a gurgle as blood ran out of his mouth and pooled on the ground around him.
I heard the screaming next; my mother, shouting at me in Spanish, “¿Qué has hecho? ¿Qué has hecho?” She sobbed and Rosa clutched her, holding her up. “What have you done, hija?”
What had I just done? As I heard the growls and saw the coyotes move in, reality crashed over me. I’d just killed the second in command of Javier’s gang.
And they were coming for me next.
14
Elijah
The urge grew stronger the closer I got to Boquillas. I was panicked now, wondering why. I’d hoped it was just the fact that I was getting closer to Valentina, but something in my gut told me it was more. She needed me.
I ran fast and carelessly. Had I been cautious, I would’ve taken my time and made sure no one was watching, but I didn’t have that kind of time to spare.
Crossing the border, I sped up even more. Several of my clan mates tried to talk to me, but I ignored them all. They might have figured out what I was up to by tuning in to my thoughts and feelings, but I couldn’t take the time or concentration needed to explain my actions to them.
One question broke through, loud and clear. Only the voice of an Alpha could do that.
Do you need us? Sawyer asked.
I saw the outer edge of Boquillas and caught Valentina’s scent a moment later, picking up my pace yet again. I thought it was impossible to run faster than I had been, but when I smelled her fear, my muscles pumped even harder. I heard the howling and yipping of coyotes, and her terror pulsed in my veins.
Sawyer, having felt what I felt, told me, We’re on our way.
Her scent grew stronger and I forced myself to slow down, because I had no idea what I was running into. I didn’t want to announce my presence; I wanted to see what was going on before I was right there in the middle of it.
I followed her scent to a small ranch. A horse barn could be seen in the distance, and a small house was off to the right. I slowed to a walking pace as I neared the property—and caught a whiff of the coyotes, too. On the other side of the house, my ears picked up on some sort of a commotion.
I crept around the perimeter, peeking my head out just enough to assess the situation, but what I saw shocked me: Valentina and her family were surrounded by more coyotes that you could shake a stick at. I wasn’t certain, but I reckoned it was her mother, two sisters, and brother that were standing beside her.
Valentina was the only one in bear form—also the only one covered in blood. My heart stopped until I saw the body on the ground. She’d apparently killed a coyote, and now the rest of the pack was fixin’ to get their revenge.
I suddenly picked up Javier’s scent and recognized him as the coyote who’d just joined the pack, now standing behind Valentina’s mother on his hind legs, his paws on the woman’s shoulders. She whimpered and shook as tears ran down her face.
There were far too many coyotes—at least fourteen, by that poi
nt—for me to take on alone. I’d probably have Valentina’s help, but I wanted her out of the fight and in a safe spot. If I tried to leap out and grab Valentina, Javier would surely kill her mother. If I tried to rescue her mother, he’d go after Valentina directly. Sawyer had said they were on their way, and I had no choice but to wait for them.
Where are you guys?
Close, Sawyer answered.
Got a major situation here. I sent them a mental picture of what I’d seen.
The tenor of the group grew more serious, and they picked up their speed.
I looked back to the scene and, to my horror, Javier’s open jaws now hovered around Valentina’s mother’s neck. I needed some way to distract them until my clan got there. All I could think to do was let out a loud, long roar. If nothing else, I reckoned it would’ve given me a few seconds.
After I’d finished my call, I dared another look. That time, Javier saw me.
The coyote jumped away from Valentina’s mother, knocking the woman to the ground as he came for me. Well, at least I’d accomplished that much.
Hearing footfalls behind me moments later, I knew my clan had arrived. I was relieved they were there to help me, but there were a lot of coyotes. What were the chances we’d come out unscathed?
My guys were closing in behind me, and with the house between them, Javier didn’t know he was about to face a pack of eight bears. When the coyote neared, I jumped back behind the house. Javier ran around the corner and saw the bears but stopped short, turning to run in the other direction.
I led my clan around the corner to where the rest of the coyotes and Valentina’s family waited. Valentina let out a strangled bark that I recognized as the sound of a bear sobbing. Javier ran past her as she watched me.
When they saw their Alpha running, many of the coyotes took off as well. But not all.
Jaws snapped and claws swiped as bears clashed with the remaining members of Los Aulladores. I grabbed a coyote by his neck with my teeth as he pounced at me, shook my head until he went limp, then tossed him aside.
Looking behind me, I saw my clan easily taking out the others. But I needed to make sure one coyote in particular didn’t escape. Valentina must’ve had the same thought.