by Jody Morse
The wolf later died. As you may or may not know, werewolves can only be killed if they are shot with a sterling silver bullet while they’re in their human form. This means that many of us live hundreds or even thousands of years, unless we are found out or get into an attack. It is possible to kill another werewolf during an attack. Anyway, this particular wolf was not killed during an attack by another wolf and did not come in contact with any type of silver, so his death was what you would call unusual. Some of the elderly wolves in the pack thought that he had a rare birth defect, but we’ll never really know because there was no one who practiced medicine for werewolves back then. Either way, we believe that the wolf died because he was so strong and his strength was just too much for him to handle. Are you following me?
For the first time since he had been telling his story, Samara met the black wolf’s golden eyes, which were illuminated by the blazing flames of the fire. She nodded her head.
That wolf’s name was Joe McKinley.
Chapter 14
****
Samara froze as the mention of her grandfather’s name. Are you trying to tell me that my Grandpa Joe was a werewolf?
That is exactly what I am telling you, the Alpha replied.
Samara thought about it for a moment. She wanted to believe that the Alpha was lying, but how else would he know her grandpa’s name? Besides, it would explain a lot about how she had become a werewolf herself. Samara remembered that when her mom had first caught her outside without her clothes, she had mentioned that Grandpa Joe used to sleepwalk, too. Maybe that wasn’t true at all, though. Maybe sleepwalking was the same excuse that he had used with his kids when he went out at night as she had used with her mom and was planning to use with anyone else if they ever caught her outside in the middle of the night without her clothes.
Samara wondered if her dad knew the truth about her grandfather. Did it mean that he could be a werewolf himself? Just the idea that one of her own parents might also be a wolf or may have known that she was going to become a wolf made her feel angry inside. It made her glad that she was already in werewolf form when she had found out.
And my grandpa was a part of this pack? Samara asked hesitantly, trying to figure out why the Alpha had even told her the story.
The Alpha nodded his head, one of his silky black ears flopping down.
If my grandpa was a part of this pack, doesn’t that mean that I should also be a part of this pack?
Ah, you’re catching on rather quickly, the Alpha replied, a note of amusement in his voice. He stood up and began pacing in the center of the circle that the wolves were sitting in, separating his pack from Samara. When the Alpha was closer to her, he said: That is exactly what it means. You were meant to be a member of our pack, which is why your existence is unnatural. You were supposed to naturally change into a werewolf sometime between your sixteenth and seventeenth birthday, the same way the rest of us have.
Other werewolves in the area decided that they had other intentions for you, though. An Alpha from another pack bit you, which means that you are now a member of his pack. Do you know why he did this, Samara?
Samara thought for a moment before slowly shaking her head. Her Alpha hadn’t told her why she was in demand, and she really wasn’t sure why he wanted her on his pack. She assumed that it must have something to do with the story that this Alpha, the Vyka Alpha, had just told her.
He did it because he knows that you have some of the most powerful blood in our region, the black wolf replied. He wanted you on his pack for his own selfish purposes. Without you, he cannot defeat the other packs in this area. It’s not that he wants you to be on his pack . . . he just wants your power so that his pack can become one of the most powerful.
Samara thought about what the black wolf was telling her. She was really becoming fond of her Alpha. In an odd way, he was becoming one of her closest friends throughout all of this, especially now that she no longer had Emma as someone who she could rely on. Even if they were still friends, she couldn’t tell her what was going on. Emma would never understand that she was a werewolf. Sure, her Alpha had been keeping secrets from her, but he had said that he was going to tell her eventually.
Was the black wolf right, though? Was her Alpha really that selfish? Did he only want her to be on his pack because he was greedy?
It may have been greedy for her Alpha to bite her, but Samara had a feeling that he wasn’t a greedy person – err, werewolf. She knew she didn’t know him well yet, but he seemed far from greedy. If he was greedy, he would already be trying to make her use the power that she did have to offer his pack instead of giving her time to accept the changes in her life right now before he told her everything.
Samara decided that she was going to give her Alpha a chance to explain everything before deciding if the black wolf could be right, but at this point, she was pretty sure he was wrong.
Meeting the black wolf’s gaze, she asked: What do you want from me?
I want you to be on this pack. I cannot force you to be on this pack, so it is a decision that you will need to make on your own. I can tell you one thing, though. If Joe McKinley was still alive, he would be really disappointed to find out that his own granddaughter chose to be one of his pack’s rivals. Choosing to become an Ima would be dishonoring your family.
Samara’s heart panged at the mention of her grandfather not being alive. I need to think about it, she replied. That’s the most that I can give you right now. I’m very confused.
The black wolf nodded. Just know that if you do choose to be an Ima, you will be our first target. Our mission will be to take you down because you are far too powerful to keep in this area unless you are one of us.
*
When Samara reached her backyard, she swiftly changed back into a human. She felt relieved that she was finally able to control her own inner wolf. Being found in the yard naked right now was the last thing she needed; her emotions were vulnerable enough as it was.
Ima or Vyka? Which pack did she want to belong to?
Ima. You want to be an Ima.
She nearly jumped when she heard Luke’s voice inside her head. How do you know what I want? Samara snapped back at him.
You want to be an Ima because you want me, Luke replied.
Samara hadn’t even considered what would happen to her and Luke if she chose to be a Vyka. You can’t have a mate from another pack, can you?
No, you can’t, Luke answered. Your mate is always someone on your own pack.
So, what if I choose to be a Vyka then? I won’t have a mate?
She heard Luke sigh loudly. No, you will still have a mate. It will just be someone from the Vyka pack.
Samara gulped. You’ve known about this all along, haven’t you? That’s why you said that you only thought I was your mate. You couldn’t be sure because if I choose to be a Vyka, you won’t be my mate. My mate will be someone else.
Yeah, I have known the whole time, Luke answered. I’m sorry, Samara. I wasn’t allowed to tell you about this. Our Alpha wouldn’t allow me to. He wanted to be the one to tell you – not just about this, but about everything that you just found out. He made us all promise to not say anything until you were ready.
It’s okay, Samara replied. She knew that it wasn’t Luke’s fault. Their Alpha was technically his boss. It’s not like he could go against his wishes. He also probably didn’t want to. Samara imagined that, if she stayed on this pack, she wouldn’t want to let her Alpha down either.
Can you do something for me? Luke asked.
What?
Can you meet me tomorrow morning before school? I want to talk to you in person. Communicating through our minds just isn’t the same as talking like a normal human being.
Samara laughed. I agree. It’s kind of like talking on the phone, except you don’t have to worry about holding it to your ear for so long.
I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. Okay, cool. Umm, how I about I pick you up at the ge
neral store?
That’s fine, Samara replied.
*
The parking lot at the general store was completely empty. As Samara tugged on the door to go inside, she realized that it was locked. Edda Williams never closed her general store; it was always open from six o’clock in the morning until eleven o’clock at night. Something had to be wrong, but Samara didn’t want to imagine what it was.
She stood outside, shivering in the cold November air, as she waited for Luke to come. Samara made air puffs just to see her cloudy breath. She shoved her hands in her pockets to keep them warm, realizing that it must be just a myth that werewolves are hot all of the time. Samara certainly didn’t feel like she had a fever today. The whole heat thing must only apply to werewolves when they were in their wolf form.
Finally, Luke pulled his smoky blue Honda Civic into the parking lot. As he started to climb out of the car, Samara shook her head. “It’s closed,” she said and walked around to the other side of his car.
When she was sitting in the passenger’s seat, Luke reached for her hand. “Your fingers are cold.”
“It’s cold out,” Samara replied, smiling.
“I’ll keep you warm. I want to always keep you warm . . . if you’ll let me.”
“Luke,” Samara began sympathetically.
“No, don’t say anything. I just want you to know that I will always protect you. You’re my mate, through thick and thin.”
“Luke, that’s nice of you, but we don’t really know each other that well yet,” Samara replied.
“You still liked me before you knew that I was your mate,” Luke pointed out, pulling out of the parking lot. “I liked you before I knew you were my mate.”
“You didn’t know that all along?” Samara asked, confused. For some reason, she had assumed that Luke had only asked her out because he knew that she would be his mate. After all, he had been a werewolf the whole time he had known her.
Luke shook his head. “No. I didn’t know until the first time I heard your voice after you got bit by our Alpha. Anyone on our pack could have been your mate. I didn’t know that it was going to be me.”
Samara gulped. “Who else is on our pack? I’ve been wondering this the whole time. I feel like I need to meet everyone on both packs before I can decide which one I want to belong to. It only seems fair.”
“That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about,” Luke replied as he turned into the student parking lot. “Our pack has decided that since you know everything else that there is for you to know, it’s time for you to meet all of us. We’re meeting tonight by Starlight Lake at ten o’clock. Will you be there?”
Samara nodded. “Yes.”
As she was about to climb out of the car, Luke lowered his window. “Hey, Colby!” he called.
Colby walked over to the car. He was wearing a red and blue flannel shirt and brown corduroy pants that Samara couldn’t help but smile at. His long, blonde hair bounced in curls around his shoulders. The boy really needed a haircut. Didn’t he know that shoulder-length hair on guys just wasn’t sexy unless you looked like Johnny Depp? But still, he was adorable in a clueless type of way.
Luke glanced over at her and chuckled. Samara realized that he had heard her thoughts. She was going to have to remember that she needed to start blocking him out, or she was going to embarrass herself far more often than she wanted to.
“Do you want to come to the mall with me later?” Luke asked Colby. “I need to pick up the authentic football jersey that I ordered for my dad for his birthday. I thought that maybe we could go to the movies or grab some food while we’re there.”
“Sure, man,” Colby replied, his voice cracking. “I’ll see you then.” He glanced into the car. “Hey, Samara.”
“Hi,” she smiled back.
There was a long awkward silence. After a few minutes, Colby said, “Alright, I’m gonna get to class. I’ll see you in first period.”
When he walked away and Luke rolled the window up, Samara asked, “What made you two become friends? You’re just so . . . different. How did you even meet?”
Luke laughed. “Let’s just say that our families have known each other for a very long time. Sure, we’re different, but cut him some slack. He’s a really good guy. He has always had my back.”
Samara sighed. “I do. I actually feel bad for him. I see how everyone else in this school treats him, and it isn’t right.” She got out of the car and walked alongside Luke as they headed into the building.
“You know, you’re the only person that’s ever said something nice about him to me.” Luke grinned at her. “Have a good day.”
“Thanks, you, too,” Samara replied. Just as she was about to begin walking towards her locker, Luke grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to him. He lightly brushed his lips against hers, encircling her lip and wrapping his arms around her waist. For a moment, it felt like it was only the two of them standing there in the hallway, until she heard all of the other kids hooting and whistling at them and the hall monitor, a quirky science teacher, shouted at them to get to their homerooms.
When she pulled away from Luke, she heard his voice in her head as he said, You’re amazing, Samara.
She blushed and smiled. So are you, Luke.
Once she was in her homeroom class, she sat down in her seat at the back of the classroom and laid her head down and thought about Luke, making sure that he didn’t have access to her thoughts. She wasn’t lying. He really was amazing, and she found herself falling for him more and more every day. It was funny how similar werewolf mating was to human dating.
A few minutes later, Emma came into the classroom and plopped down beside her. “So, are you going to be nicer to me now?”
Samara looked up at her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you were being a bitch because you were jealous that I’m with Jason because things with Luke didn’t work out and you were all by yourself. But, a few little birdies in the hallway told me that you and Luke are okay. So, what I’m asking is, are we cool now? We can even double-date now,” Emma said excitedly.
Samara tried to ignore the fact that Emma seemed to think that she was jealous of her relationship with Jason, when the reality was that she was trying to be a concerned friend. Now that Samara thought about it, it seemed like Emma had started dating Jason and bragging about the ring because she was the jealous one, not Samara.
“Well?” Emma asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Samara sighed. “Yeah, we’re fine. I don’t know about double-dating, though. Don’t you remember what happened that night at your house?”
Emma wrinkled her brow, staring back at her confusedly. She obviously had no idea what Samara was talking about.
“Oh, that’s right. You were already wasted,” Samara remembered. “Well, basically, Jason and Luke got into this huge fight. I don’t know what it was over, but Luke ended up leaving almost as soon as he got there because of it.”
“But they were fine at that one party we had at my house!” Emma protested. “The night that you and Luke kissed. It seemed like they were getting along okay then.”
Samara thought back to that night and frowned. Emma was right. “Well, they didn’t fight or anything like that, but they didn’t seem like they were the best of friends either.” It seemed like whatever had happened between Luke and Jason was a new argument, though, since they had always seemed civil with each other in the past.
“Hmm. I’ll talk to Jason about it,” Emma replied. “It’s probably nothing major. I’m sure that whatever it is, I can convince him to kiss Luke’s ass and make up to make me happy. That boy is totally wrapped,” she said, making a swirling movement with her finger.
“Yeah, hopefully,” Samara agreed hesitantly. Luke didn’t seem like the type of person who went looking for confrontation. Samara had a feeling that whatever had happened between them was major.
Chapter 15
****
When ten o’clock r
olled around, Samara climbed out of her bedroom window and quickly shifted into her wolf form. She was at the point where she seemed to have complete control over when she changed, which made her life a lot easier. Glancing down as she fluffed up her fur, she smiled. Samara enjoyed the idea of having an alter-ego. During the day, she could be boring old Sam. But at night, in her wolf form, she felt like she could be anything she wanted to be. She felt invincible.
Realizing that she was probably going to end up changing back into her human body before she came back home, Samara picked up her clothes with her teeth and carried them with her.
Racing through the grass, Samara leapt down the path that led to Starlight Lake. She couldn’t wait to find out who was on her pack. She was even more excited to find out who her Alpha was.
When she reached the sandy shore that lined the lake, she saw them right away. There were five of them, and they were all staring in her direction as they waited for her.
Let’s all welcome Samara, she heard her Alpha tell the pack.
The wolf that was standing closest to her stood up. Hi, Samara. Samara’s jaw dropped, as she watched a glittery blue cloud of smoke form around him, as his body changed from a wolf to a human. She had never seen a cloud like that form around her when she’d made the change from wolf to human. To prove it to herself, she took a step back towards the forest behind a tree so that none of them would see her body and changed into her human form. There was no blue cloud of smoke surrounding her.
Pouting, Samara pulled her clothes back on and turned back to the group. She realized that the dark hair and mocha-colored skin of the wolf that had just shifted belonged to Steve Bryan. Samara didn’t know Steve very well, even though they had been in each other’s classes since they were in kindergarten, but she always thought that he seemed like a nice guy.