“It may be a while before the pack accepts a new alpha,” Amber warned. She hated the injustice, but she had no idea if they’d be able to help this bitten wolf anytime soon.
“That’s okay, I just need to talk to someone,” Genevieve said. She grabbed a slice of bread from the bag she was holding, then retied it and tossed it at Tommy. He caught it easily thanks to his werewolf reflexes.
“Alright, when Shane gets here I’ll make sure it’s not against some kind of rule, but it’d be good to have more backup there.” She dragged her hands through her hair. “I think it’s best if no one knows we have guests.”
“I definitely agree,” Ceri said with a gentle smile that took Amber off guard. The witch had been pissed last time she saw her. “I’ll make sure he can’t smell anything out of place. How long do I have?”
Amber glanced at her phone. “Maybe ten minutes, but I wasn’t going to let him inside.”
Tommy started cleaning up the kitchen and Genevieve ran up to her room to grab something.
Ceri walked over and put her hand on Amber’s arm. “After you get back, we need to talk about that whole animal whisperer thing.”
“Okay,” Amber said, her eyebrows drawing together. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. There’s just a lot to explain, and we need to start figuring out how to track down whoever is trying to hurt Evangeline.”
“As soon as we get back, I’m all yours.”
Ceri smiled and squeezed her elbow lightly. “Be safe.”
Amber finished tying off her braid when Angel appeared at her shoulder. Her phone vibrated on the counter and she saw Shane’s message on the screen letting her know he was in the driveway.
“You don’t have time for these sorts of distractions,” he said, blocking her view of the mirror. He had reverted to his little red devil form, but his humor still hadn’t returned.
“If I don’t take care of this, Shane and the council will be suspicious,” she said, grabbing her jacket and hurrying toward the front door. “Just stay out of it and let me get it over with.”
She hurried for the front door, shouting for Genevieve over her shoulder. Angel followed her as well, much to her chagrin.
Amber plastered a smile on her face before yanking the door open. Shane froze, his fist still in the air, ready to knock.
He lowered his hand. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, sorry, running a little late. Also, Genevieve is coming with us,” she said, slightly breathless from scrambling to get ready. “She’s representing one of members of the Lockhart pack. She needs to talk to whoever the alpha might be right now and see if they can help the werewolf. I’m bringing her along if that isn’t against some kind of weird werewolf code of conduct I don’t know about.”
He raised a brow, but didn’t object. “Fine with me. She’ll need to be careful not to challenge anyone and stay by you.”
Amber nodded. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I didn’t realize she was a lawyer.”
“No one ever does,” Genevieve said, popping up behind Amber. “Are we going to leave, or just stand in the doorway all evening?”
Amber threw a glare over her shoulder. Genevieve winked at her.
Shane just laughed and swept his hand to the side. “Ladies first.”
She headed toward the suburban, walking a little fast so she could get shotgun and make Genevieve sit in the back. It was uncomfortable leaving Evangeline with the pack, but she knew Ceri could take care of her and protect the rest of them if needed.
Angel settled on the dashboard as they climbed in the suburban. He glared at Shane and Amber found herself glad she was the only one that could see him, even if it did make her feel a little crazy sometimes.
The drive was uneventful. Shane spent most of it asking Genevieve how she’d ended up a lawyer, and all about the bitten wolf that had been arrested. Amber had trouble focusing on the conversation. Angel kept making snide comments she couldn’t respond to.
That wasn’t what really bothered her though. Her heart was beating faster than normal and her palms were sweaty. She felt a strange disconnect from everything around her. It didn’t seem possible that earlier today she had killed four people. It had been in self defense, but the memories of the violence made her skin crawl. And now she was just going on an errand for the council like nothing had happened. Maybe she was going crazy.
The wolf felt nothing but fierce pride over the kills. She rubbed the hem of her jacket between her fingers to ground herself. She had to calm down before they saw the other pack or she’d end up setting someone off. Or letting someone get to her.
Genevieve’s hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. Some of the tension bled out of her as the pack bond wrapped around her. She forced herself to turn her attention back to the conversation. In just a couple of hours this would be over, and she could go take care of what really mattered. Her pack.
Chapter 27
AMBER
Amber grew tense as they pulled into the driveway of Donovan Lockhart's house. It belonged to the pack now according to his will and would house whoever managed to claim the title of alpha. It was a nice house, though a little gaudy for Amber's taste. It was a mix of five different architectural styles, all mashed together in an attempt to make it look expensive.
Cars and trucks were parked in the driveway, with the overflow spilling into the side yard. Even from inside Shane's suburban, she could hear shouting and growling in the distance.
"They must be in the middle of a challenge," Shane said as he parked next to the car farthest from the house.
"After all these years you'd think they'd move to some kind of election-based system instead of literally fighting for the position," Genevieve muttered from the backseat.
Shane shook his head. "The wolf in us would never respect something like that. We could never follow someone weak."
Amber would never admit it out loud, but a small part of her craved the chance to fight off a challenger and prove her worth to her pack. Being a werewolf didn't change who you were, exactly, but it did give you new instincts. She wasn't alone in her head anymore.
“Wolves are savages. You should know that, Amber,” Angel purred, twisting around her shoulders.
She glared at the demon as they climbed out of the suburban, but couldn’t respond. He seemed pleased to have gotten a reaction.
They headed toward the sounds of fighting. The wolf peered out of her eyes and took it all in. There was a sense of excitement in the air. She could smell it.
"Stay calm, and don't make eye contact for too long," Shane cautioned, for a third time, as they walked toward the crowd gathered in the backyard. "The pack has no clear leadership right now and everyone is keyed up from the fighting."
"Shane, you worry more than Amber, and that is really alarming," Genevieve said, patting him on the shoulder.
Amber snorted in amusement, but tried to hide it behind a cough.
Shane gave them both a dirty look. "See if I try to keep you from getting in a fight ever again."
"You know you will," Amber said with a grin that didn't feel entirely forced. "You want to hand off these crappy duties too bad to let me get hurt or killed."
He sighed dramatically. "That and you are still supposed to buy me dinner."
Genevieve made a gagging noise. "Please don't flirt in front of me. I just ate.”
Amber was about to make a smart remark back when she saw the fight. She stopped in her tracks and just stared.
To say it was violent would be an understatement. The two wolves were huge. One was dark gray, and the other a muddy mix of red and brown. Their lips were curled back revealing long, sharp teeth streaked with blood. Their fur was matted with dirt and grass that had been torn up by their sharp claws.
The wolves collided with a furious snarl. The gray one bit into the thick muscle of the other wolf's shoulder. The brown wolf yelped and twisted, clawing at the gray wolf's gut. The snarls were almost d
rowned out by the jeers of the crowd as they shouted insults and encouragement.
Amber couldn't tell who they wanted to win, or if they even cared. It seemed like they were caught up in the thrill of it. The whole thing made her sick, but the wolf was merely curious. It looked at the two fighting as potential challengers. They were slightly bigger than she was, but they fought recklessly, depending on their size and strength to dominate the other.
The wolves broke apart and circled each other slowly. Genevieve pressed against Amber's side. She was just as tense as Amber felt.
“You can’t tell me this isn’t barbaric,” Angel whispered. “But people fear demons.”
She wished her wolf could banish Angel again, even if it was just for a few days. He needed to shut up. This was awful enough without his commentary.
The gray wolf lunged, jaws open, but this time the brown wolf didn't meet his charge. He skittered backward, then ducked underneath the attack. His jaws clamped around the gray wolf's neck and he dragged him to the ground, managing to twist at the last moment so that he ended up on top.
"That's a common move," Shane said, whispering directly into Amber's ear. Despite the current situation, she felt a shiver go down her spine as his breath tickled the skin of her neck. She glanced back and caught his gaze. He was standing very close. Close enough to touch.
“The gray wolf seems like the better fighter, but not by much,” Amber replied quietly.
Shane nodded. “He’s a little older. Jameson expects him to end up as the alpha. He was one of Donovan’s gammas, but he was dominant enough to be a beta at least.”
Amber looked around at the crowd. There must have been thirty people here. She recognized a couple from the night they’d been changed, but they weren’t paying any attention to her. They were completely focused on the fight.
The former beta whose ass she’d kicked when he’d showed up at her apartment to gloat over her eviction was watching as well, though he had a sullen expression on his face. He must have tried to take the position early on and lost.
A sudden cheer from the crowd brought her attention back to the fight. The gray wolf had the brown wolf’s ear in his mouth. He jerked his head viciously and ripped the ear off, taking a hunk of fur with it. Bile rose in Amber’s throat, but she forced it down and didn’t look away.
He attacked again immediately, forcing the brown wolf onto his back with his jaws clamped firmly around his neck. The other wolf struggled for a moment, but it was clear he couldn’t breathe.
“He’ll forfeit now, don’t worry,” Shane said, touching her back briefly. True to his word, a moment later the brown wolf shifted back to human form. He lay still underneath the gray wolf who tilted his head back and howled in victory. She had hated Donovan, but she hated this more. There had to be a better way. A less violent way.
The gray wolf shifted into human form and glared down at his defeated opponent. His body was streaked with sweat and the wounds from the fight were even more obvious on his bare skin. “Do you submit?” His voice carried over the crowd, silencing every conversation as the pack waited for the response.
The other man kept his eyes on the ground, but his body was shaking with anger, or embarrassment. She wasn’t sure which. “Yes.”
The pack erupted into howls, celebrating their newest alpha. A few of the men and women watching didn’t join in though. Amber looked at each of them in turn. The wolf thought they were potential challengers, and she agreed. At the very least they didn’t like their new alpha.
“You look disgusted, but I can sense your strongest emotions. You wish that was you,” Angel, morphing into a vicious looking wolf with a pointed tail and horns.
She took a deep breath and sent all the hate she could muster at the demon. If he could sense her emotions, then she hoped he suffered.
He wagged his tail at her. “You can do better than that. I know you have a lot of anger and hate in that savage, wolfy heart.”
Shane tapped Amber on the arm and motioned for her to follow him. She turned her back on Angel and tried to put him from her mind. Engaging with him never turned out in her favor.
The winner was exiting the circle and accepted a pair of loose shorts handed to him by another pack member. He paused to pull them on, then continued to a table where he grabbed a pitcher of water and downed it. The water spilled over his jaw and chest, washing away some of the blood.
“Congratulations, Kevin,” Shane said, raising his voice loud enough to be heard at a distance.
The man lowered the pitcher and nodded toward Shane, though he didn’t look excited to see him. “I didn’t expect the council to show up so soon.”
“We waited a few days to show up, but you know how the government gets. They want their paperwork,” Shane said with an easy grin, completely ignoring the tension in the other werewolf. “Alpha Hale is with me. She took Donovan’s position on the council.”
Kevin turned his dark eyes to her and she felt her skin crawl. “I know who she is.” He seemed to bite back something he wanted to add on to that statement.
Amber took her cue from Shane and simply stared at him impassively. The wolf rose up in her mind, hackles raised and red bloomed along the edges of her vision. She would tolerate a certain amount of attitude, but she wasn’t going to cower in front of him.
“We need to record the names and rank of every pack member. Are you going to help, or do you want your beta to do it?” Shane asked. “Assuming you have someone in mind for the position.”
Kevin pointed at the man who’d handed him the shorts. “He’ll do it.”
Shane nodded and headed toward the guy, but Amber walked over to Kevin. Genevieve followed her.
“What do you want?” he asked, looking her over. It wasn’t sexual though, it was fear, which surprised her for a moment. She had defeated his alpha in the Trials though, something no one thought possible.
“Genevieve is representing one of your pack members that has been arrested. She has some questions, and needs your help. Are you willing to talk to her?” Amber asked, holding his gaze. Shane had said no prolonged eye contact, but she wasn’t going to act scared. Kevin could look away first if he didn’t want another fight on his hands.
“Sure, but she needs to make it quick.” Kevin opened up an ice chest and grabbed a beer, cracking it open and chugging half of it immediately.
Amber turned to Genevieve for a moment. “I’m going to go help Shane, and make sure the other guy is alright. If you need help, just let me know.”
Genevieve patted her arm. “I’ll be fine.”
Amber nodded and caught up to Shane, cursing Donovan in her head for being stupid enough to get murdered.
Chapter 28
GENEVIEVE
Genevieve locked gazes with the interim alpha. He hated her. And the feeling was mutual.
“Davie is a little shit and I’m not bailing him out of trouble,” Kevin growled, his eyes flashing red like that could make her cower. This asshole wasn’t more dominant than she was. He had won that fight but he was nothing special. He’d be knocked out of his position by tomorrow, if not sooner.
“You are worthless,” Genevieve said quietly, leaning in slightly and baring her teeth at him.
He sneered at her. “Unless you intend to challenge me, you better keep that pretty little mouth shut. Insult me again and it might start a fight you can’t win.”
She rolled her eyes and grabbed her briefcase. This conversation was going nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. This pack was in shambles, and every single member was going to suffer until someone managed to come out on top.
Genevieve stood and glared down at him. “I won’t have to challenge you, you’ll be ousted by the end of the day.”
He growled and made a move like he was going to lunge at her, but Shane appeared out of nowhere and slammed him back down in his chair.
“Let it go, Kevin,” Shane warned. “You try to challenge her, you’ll have to go through me.”
The were
wolf sneered at them, but didn’t make another move. Genevieve turned and walked away, heading back toward the car. Amber was off to the side talking to the werewolf that had lost the fight. She looked back over her shoulder to make sure Genevieve was alright. She nodded at her alpha and kept going.
This entire pack were idiots. All of them. She tightened her grip on her briefcase and thanked every deity she could think of that Amber had been there the night they were attacked. If it had been someone else…she may have ended up in the System. Or worse, in this pack.
Halfway through the impromptu parking lot she noticed a man with light brown hair underneath a well-worn ball cap leaning against the side of his car. She couldn’t quite pin down his age. He wasn’t young, but she didn’t think he was middle-aged yet either. He was dressed casually in jeans and a white t-shirt. He had a bag of donut holes in one hand but wasn’t eating them.
She paused when she felt his eyes on her. It felt like he was waiting for her to show up. He wasn’t checking her out and he didn’t look nervous. His expression was more…expectant. She changed directions and headed straight for him.
He waited until she was about a foot away to lift the bag in her direction. “Hungry?”
“Always,” she said, extending her hand for a treat.
He picked out three donut holes and placed them in her hand before grabbing one for himself. She wasted no time scarfing down two of them, eyes slipping shut as she enjoyed the melt-in-your-mouth glaze and the soft dough.
“Who are you and why are you handing out donut holes?” she asked, holding her hand in front of her mouth as she continued chewing.
“My name is Paul Greer, and I have a proposition for you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Alright, Paul Greer, let’s hear it.”
“This pack has gone to shit,” he said without preamble. “And it’s going to stay that way until the idiots get done fighting amongst themselves. I intend to claim it; however, I’ve been waiting for the right moment. No matter how good of a fighter I am, I can’t defend three challenges a day for very long.”
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