by Jody Morse
Chapter 21
****
The next night, Samara walked, in wolf form, to the area where she knew the Vyka usually hung out. She hoped that they would be out tonight. More than anything, she wanted to get this over with.
When she reached the grassy circle, they all looked up at her from the circle they were sitting in. Her brother, whose fur was the same shade of white as hers, stood out to her the most. Samara hoped that he wouldn’t be able to tell she was lying about why she was there.
She also hoped that Declan wouldn’t know she was lying.
Samara had blocked Declan from her thoughts before she left. It was difficult to keep her best friend out of her mind, when really she just wanted to tell him everything. But she couldn’t. She would never be able to tell him anything again.
What brings you here? Jason asked.
I’m thinking about becoming a Vyka, Samara replied, trying to keep the tone of her voice under control.
What’s brought you to this decision? Jason pressed.
Samara thought she was going to have to fish her head for a reason, but one came to her right away. I don’t want to lose my best friend. I don’t want to have to live in a constant war with my brother. I think that being a Vyka is probably the best thing for me.
I’m glad that you’re coming to your senses, Jason replied.
Samara scanned the area for Declan. She could tell it was him right away: he looked bigger and more handsome to her than the other wolves.
Are you happy? Samara asked, making a mental exchange between only the two of them. If Luke was listening, she hoped that he knew that the only reason she was asking was to make the whole situation seem more realistic.
Ecstatic, Declan replied sarcastically before getting up and walking away. Samara immediately felt a twinge of guilt. She hated when Declan was mad at her, even if it wasn’t really a situation that she had any control over.
So, when do you think you’ll be ready to go through initiation? Jason asked.
Samara shrugged her broad wolf shoulders. I don’t know yet. I’m not one hundred percent sure that being a Vyka is what I want. It’s just what I think I want.
Jason growled loudly at her. You need to make up your mind. Is this what you want or isn’t it?
I’m pretty sure it is, Samara lied. She sat down on the cold ground, tucking her tail underneath her. I just need to get to know you better.
Jason chuckled. Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll be completely honest.
If I decide I want to be a Vyka, will you ever let me go if I eventually decide I want to be on another pack?
Jason’s black eyes flashed. No. Once you are a Vyka, you’ll be a Vyka until the day you die. As long as I’m Alpha, at least. If something were to happen to me, I couldn’t tell you what the next moronic Alpha might do.
Samara had already suspected that Jason would tell her that, but she had just wanted to confirm her suspicions. It wasn’t like she was really considering becoming a Vyka anyway . . . was she?
What makes you the most powerful werewolf pack around? Samara asked, deciding to just be blunt. She didn’t really think she was going to get an answer by asking, but she figured that she would never know unless she tried. And besides, it seemed like a question she might really ask if she was considering becoming a Vyka.
I’ll tell you on the night of your initiation, Jason replied thoughtfully. It’s far too risky for me to tell you when there’s a chance that you might become an Ima. He said the word Ima with obvious disapproval, his hatred for the pack that Samara wanted to be on was completely obvious.
Fine. Then, let’s do my initiation tomorrow night, Samara said. Be here at nine. The whole entire pack.
We will be.
As Samara walked away from the Vyka, she wondered how she was going to be able to pull this one off.
*
Samara searched the forest for Colby. She followed his scent, but it didn’t lead her to him. Eventually, she realized that Colby wasn’t in wolf form. He must be at his house, Samara thought to herself. Samara wasn’t sure where that was, but she was going to have to go there. Colby had to know about the pickle that she had just gotten herself in.
As she walked up the path that led to her house, Samara heard a growl. Turning around, she saw a wolf. Its fur was much lighter than most of the other gray wolves she had encountered, but it was definitely a gray wolf.
Terrified that the wolf was someone from the Seku pack, Samara growled back. What do you want? she barked.
Oh, Samara, it’s just you, a female voice said with a hint of relief. The wolf sat down. You’re very pretty in wolf form. It’s me – Lilly.
Lilly, Samara responded, unsure of what else to say. Somehow, she had nearly forgotten that Lilly Phillips was a werewolf. I need to know something. Why don’t you want to be a Vyka?
I don’t want to be a werewolf, Lilly replied. I don’t want any of this. I didn’t ask for this. It’s not even in my genes.
You don’t have a family member who was a werewolf? Samara asked, surprised. She had never heard of anyone in the Vyka or Ima packs not having a werewolf relative, and she could have sworn that Seth had told her that Lilly’s mom had been a werewolf.
Nope. I got this because I was bitten, Lilly replied. Josh bit me.
Samara gasped. Why would Josh do that to you? She had never known her cousin’s best friend to be vicious. If he had really bitten Lilly, it had to have been an accident.
He wanted me to be a werewolf, so that we could be together, Lilly whimpered. It was too dark to see, but Samara knew that Lilly was crying. He claims that I was his mate. He says that he could hear my thoughts when I was a human. That’s how he knew. I didn’t even believe him until I started hearing his thoughts, too. Ever since he bit me, things have been different between us, though.
Different, how? Samara asked.
He just started to get really angry all of the time. I know it’s not his fault. He’s just defensive over me, Lilly replied. But I’ve also pulled away. I don’t want any part of the Vyka. I would rather have no pack than be a part of that pack.
Why don’t you want to be a Vyka? Samara asked, glad that the answers were finally beginning to spill out of Lilly. She hadn’t expected Lilly to give her any details.
Jason. He’s just . . . he’s not a good guy, Lilly said.
Samara nodded her head. No one had to tell her that. She hadn’t liked Jason for a long time, even before what he had done to Emma.
Are you going to become a Vyka? Lilly asked.
I’m considering it, Samara lied. She didn’t think that Lilly would go back and tell anyone what she had said, but she couldn’t be too careful. Josh apparently could hear Lilly’s thoughts. Samara recalled that Colby said that an Alpha could hear his pack members’ thoughts, so there was a possibility that Jason might be lurking around in Lilly’s mind to find out information.
Don’t. Jason has plans for you. Bad ones. You have to stay away. I can’t say anything else about this right now, Lilly said before running away from where they were standing.
Lilly, wait! Samara called, but Lilly kept running. Before Samara could ask her anything else, she had disappeared into the forest.
Samara groaned in her head. She didn’t have time to chase after Lilly right now. Luke, she thought. I need you.
What’s up? he quickly answered. Is everything okay?
Samara was pretty sure that Declan was already blocked from her thoughts, but she blocked him again just to make sure. I’m okay. Everything’s not okay, though. I need you to come pick me up, right now.
I’ll be at your house in five, Luke replied. Seconds later, she heard him think to himself, Man, I hope she’s all right. Samara smiled. It was the first time she had ever heard his thoughts when he wasn’t trying to communicate with her. She already believed he was her mate (or a possible mate), but this confirmed it for her.
Samara switched back to her human form and pulled on the gray sweat p
ants and white hoodie that she had left laying behind the shed for her to change into. She also pulled her boots over her feet.
Glancing at the windows to make sure that no one was watching, Samara darted alongside the house. She crouched on the ground below her parents’ bedroom window until she heard Luke’s car idling in the driveway.
“Hey,” Samara said, climbing into the car. “We need to go to Colby’s now.”
“Why?” Luke asked, a surprised look on his face.
“I need to talk to him. I don’t know where he lives.”
“So, that’s the only reason you called me. To take you to Colby’s house.”
Samara raised her eyebrows at him. “Well, wouldn’t you rather be there to hear about how my night pretending that I’m going to become a Vyka went, or would you rather find out about it later?”
“Of course,” Luke said, reaching over and grabbing her hand. His fingers were warm in comparison to own cold hands. “I always want to be there with you.”
“Good. Now drive before my parents see that I’m in the car with you,” Samara replied.
Luke sped out of the driveway. He drove a few blocks over until they reached a white three-story house with columns that Samara thought resembled the White House.
“Wow,” she managed to utter before climbing out of the car. “Are you going to call him or something?”
“No,” she heard Colby say as he opened the front door. “I already knew you were coming.”
“How did you know?” Samara asked, shocked.
“I can hear your thoughts, remember? I heard the urgency in your thoughts. I was going to come meet you behind your house. By that time, I already heard you calling for Luke, though. So, what’s going on? I was kind of sleeping when whatever happened.”
“Wow, you actually sleep at night?” Samara asked surprised.
“Not usually,” Colby admitted. “This was the first time in a long time. I usually try to sleep in between the time school gets out until night.”
“I have a lot to tell you,” Samara said. “Do you think we can come in or will your parents mind?”
“Come in.” Colby gestured them inside. “My parents aren’t home, but even if they were, they would understand. They’re werewolves too, remember. Anyone from the pack is allowed to come in and out of our house as they please.”
“Oh, good. It’s so cold.”
“Your body hasn’t adjusted yet?” Luke asked. “That’s kind of strange, isn’t it, Colby?”
Colby shook his head. “No. I’ve heard of this happening to other werewolves before. She probably won’t get used to it until she goes through initiation.”
“I won’t be cold anymore?” Samara asked. She hadn’t realized that being a werewolf would help keep her warm when it was cold out.
“Oh, yeah,” Luke replied. “If anything, the problem is going to be during summer. You’re going to feel so hot from all of your fur as a wolf that you won’t be able to cool off even as a human.”
That might explain why Grandpa Joe’s father had wanted to live in Alaska. Samara couldn’t imagine living in such a cold climate, but then she had always wished she lived in Florida or California or someplace warm. That would probably never be able to happen now.
“Okay, so here’s what happened,” Samara said, sitting down on one of the plush couches. Luke sat down next to her. “Jason started to get a little . . . suspicious, I think. Even though we didn’t think he would. He wanted me to make a final decision about whether or not I wanted to be a Vyka. So, I told him that we could do initiation tomorrow night. Well, technically tonight, I guess.”
“You did what?” Luke exclaimed. “Why would you say that?”
“Luke, calm down,” Colby snapped. “But, seriously, Sam, why did you do that?”
“I don’t know,” Samara admitted. “He put me on the spot and I didn’t know what else to say. It was just the first thing that came to mind. Oh, and he said that he would tell me their secret of why they’re the strongest pack on the night of my initiation.”
Colby tapped his hand against the glass coffee table, deep in thought. “Well, I guess that we can keep faking it. You can pretend like you’re going to go through with initiation and then somehow back out or we’ll divert the attention.”
“But how? How are we going to do that if they’re going to take a piece of her hair? Once they have it, there’s no turning back. She’ll be a Vyka,” Luke said.
“My hair? Isn’t that a little lame?” Samara hadn’t been told what initiation would be like, but she had pictured it a little differently in her mind.
Colby scowled at her. “Samara, this is an ancient tradition of the Vyka that you’re making fun of,” he scolded. “That being said, our initiation is so much cooler.”
“What’s the initiation?” Samara asked, become more interested.
“It’s a secret.”
“Why is everything in the werewolf world a secret?” Samara asked, frustrated. “I know what the Vyka’s initiation is, why can’t I know yours?”
“Well, you only know part of their initiation. None of our pack knows exactly what they do with the hair. Each pack’s initiation is supposed to be a secret, but someone from their pack let it slip – and let’s just say he’s no longer a part of their pack.”
“You mean they . . . killed him?”
“Yup,” Luke answered. “So how are we going to divert their attention?” He looked at both of them expectantly.
“Oh, my God!” Samara exclaimed. “That’s it! I figured a way out of it.”
Colby and Luke both looked at her with eager expressions. “Are you going to share?” Luke asked impatiently.
“I’ll wear a wig! We have to find one that’s the same color and texture of my natural hair, but it could work. When they cut off a piece of my hair, it won’t be mine. Then, I won’t become a Vyka.”
“Huh, that’s an interesting idea,” Colby said. As he considered it, he put a hand to his chin. “Yeah, I think that will work. We just have to hope that they don’t notice that it’s a wig. It’s our only option, though, if we’re really going to do this.”
“So, it works. Yay!” Samara squealed, for the first time in her life feeling truly proud of something that she had thought of.
“When your tattoo doesn’t appear and you don’t develop your scent, Jason will know something’s up. We don’t know what he will do, but we’ll be waiting in the woods, prepared to attack if anything should go wrong. This will start our war with him sooner than the Vyka intended, so you need to be absolutely sure, Sam. Do you want to be a part of our pack? Because if we go through with this plan and it fails, the Vyka will no longer be an option for you. They won’t accept you as one of their own. They’ll be out for blood.”
Samara realized the seriousness of the situation as she listened to Colby as he spoke. She thought of her brother and Declan. She didn’t want to lose them, but she didn’t want to be miserable for the rest of her life – which she knew she would be if Jason was her Alpha.
Samara closed her eyes, and made the hardest decision she ever had to make so far in her life: “I’m sure.”
Chapter 22
****
“Does this one look natural?” Samara asked Luke. She glanced in the mirror at Wigs ‘n Stuff. The wig, which was a shade of dark chocolate brown, was only a little bit longer than her own hair.
Luke shook his head. “Only if we cut it. Plus, you never wear your hair straight. Try on the curly one,” he said, handing her the next wig in their pile to try on. Normally, Samara would have asked Emma to help her with something like this, but there was no way she could trust her to not tell Jason about it, so instead she had asked Luke to come along.
He handed her the next wig, the only curly one they had found in the shop that matched her hair color. Samara slid it over her head and glanced into the mirror. It looked like a perfect fit. She turned to Luke.
“I can’t even tell you’re wearing a wig,” Lu
ke said, shrugging. “I think this one will work.”
“Good,” Samara replied. She walked over to the cashier and handed the wig to her.
The cashier raised an eyebrow as she rang it up. Samara realized that it probably looked strange that she was purchasing a wig in the same color and texture as her natural hair.
Once she had paid for the wig, Samara and Luke stepped outside. Luke grabbed her hand as they began walking back towards his car.
A red Mustang sped past them.
“Oh, shit,” Luke said. “That was Jason’s car.”
Samara was about to ask why Luke cared, but then she realized why it mattered that she and Luke were seen together. If she was really going to become a Vyka tonight, there was no way she would be hanging out with an Ima. Luke would be her enemy.
“Maybe he didn’t see us,” Samara said. “It didn’t seem like he slowed down or anything. And Jason is definitely the type who would have caused a scene over this.”
“You’re probably right,” Luke shrugged. “I bet he didn’t.”
Feeling somewhat relieved, Samara climbed into Luke’s car. Luke got in and drove them back to Colby’s house.
When they arrived, the whole pack was sitting at the Jackson’s kitchen table. They was a wide array of burgers, hot dogs, chicken breasts, bacon, and deli meats on the table. It looked like enough to feed an army.
“We gotta bulk up,” Steve said, his mouth full of hamburger. “We might need it tonight if things turn ugly.”
“Which isn’t going to happen,” Colby pointed out, as he picked up a piece of bacon and stuffed it in his mouth. “Just tell it like it is – a wolf’s gotta eat.” He glanced up at Samara. “We eat like this all of the time.”
“Where do you get the money to eat like this all of the time?” Samara asked, amazed at the amount of food on the table.
“My parents run a really successful online business. They make enough money to keep both of our packs’ stomachs full. Here, sit down and have some.”