Rule of Claw
Wolves of Worsham #1
Valerie Evans
Copyright © 2021 by Valerie Evans
All rights reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author
No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.
For more information, address: [email protected]
ISBN:
Cover design by: Magical Book Covers
FIRST EDITION
Also by Valerie Evans
Kindred Spirit (The Anberlin Chronicles #1)
Ties That Bind (The Anberlin Chronicles #2)
Price of Magic (The Anberlin Chronicles #3)
Of Spells and Fur (stand-alone within the Anberlin world)
Chapter One
A knot twisted in Landon’s stomach with each curve of the road that brought him closer to his destination and the people he’d abandoned. His hands involuntarily tightened on the worn handlebars as he guided his motorcycle down the dirt road overshadowed by trees on either side.
The early breeze tousled his unkempt, auburn hair while the wind bit through his thin sweatshirt since he’d abandoned his club vest to a Goodwill box before leaving Anberlin. The club no longer existed, and even before its end, he’d chosen to walk away. Only one of his brothers would have been worth remembering at all, but Nathan was no longer an option.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he followed the last curve around then pulled into the parking lot of the remodeled barn with the familiar Bordertown sign featuring a wolf and eagle set near a mountain range and the bar’s name. He brought his bike to a stop and stared up at it, noting the place looked to have seen some renovations to look less shabby; however, no one looking at it would ever forget it had once been a barn, though that did nothing to drive away the crowd.
The parking lot was at least three-quarters full with several cars pulling in behind him, but he just stood there for a few minutes and stared up at it. Was this a mistake? He only had his older brother’s words from the early days that he’d sooner die than give up Bordertown to know he was likely here since he hadn’t spoken to anyone in his family for nearly twelve years or anyone in Worsham for that matter. Maybe this wasn’t the best way to start a reunion, but it felt somehow safer than just turning up at the house. More neutral, too.
“You can do this,” he told himself as he finally got his feet into motion. Voices and older country music, his brother’s preference, met him as he moved closer to the door.
His hand reached out to pull open the door, and he immediately got hit with music, lights, and the kind of homey atmosphere he hadn’t realized was missing from his life. His senses were almost immediately assaulted by beer, liquor, and the lingering aroma of fried food and bar grease.
The exterior might have seen some overhauls, but the interior still resembled a barn despite the massive bar and stage his brother, Charlie, had put in years earlier. The crowd on the dance floor remained active while a live band played and small groups were packed around tables or booths scattered throughout the barn.
“Find a seat anywhere,” one of the waitresses passing the doorway called. “There’s a couple open at the bar, too.”
Instead of accepting the offer, Landon let his eyes skim the space then did a double take at a platnium blonde head passing out beers. His eyes widened as he took in the short, pale-skinned woman with the bob and black lipstick while trying to align her to the teenager she’d been when he left town. However, the short stature and smile with a hint of smirk she offered the guy in the cowboy hat trying to flirt looked exactly like the Alexis who’d always been underfoot.
Forcing his feet into action, he started toward the bar and glanced around for a sign of one of his brothers. He caught a glimpse of a seemingly familiar auburn head, though he stopped the double-take, telling himself that it wasn’t possible for his sister, Riley, to remain that young with the changes to Alexis, just his tired mind playing tricks on him. Or his guilty conscience reminding him of everything he’d left behind.
Desperate to avoid any other reminders of the past, including a familiar head of brown curls and small, silver rimmed glasses that had accompanied him to Bordertown more than once, he navigated his way through the crowd to an empty seat at the bar surrounded by unfamiliar faces. While getting drunk wasn’t an option, he felt more in need of liquid courage than before because what if she was here? And what if he had to see her with someone else?
Only catching a glimpse of Charlie’s dark head and broad shoulders broke him away from the melancholy thoughts as he slid onto a stool and called, “Can I get a snakebite?”
The moment his older brother heard his voice, his shoulders tensed and the pair of bartenders glanced to him, obviously trying to pick out the joke. It appeared the drink menu at Bordertown hadn’t changed too much, though he kept his gaze focused on his brother’s back and waited. More than a few hints of gray were now visible in his dark hair near the temples under the bar’s harsh lighting and his close-cut beard was streaked, too.
Charlie’s face had obviously aged with lines at the corner of his hazel eyes and mouth when he turned back yet the strides across the bar to him said not one bit of power had been lost with age. Neither had muscle content based on the broadness of his chest and arms. Landon’s mouth opened to speak except the words never came out as a large fist knocked him from the stool, landing on the ground with a swear and attracting a lot of eyes to their position.
“Welcome home, asshole,” Charlie greeted before coming around the bar. His brother’s hand reached out to him, and he accepted it after checking his nose wasn’t broken. “You deserved that, and you can drink a beer like a normal person instead of whatever shit you just ordered. Mom know you’re back?”
Landon allowed himself to be pulled up then dusted himself off before replying, “Nah, I thought I’d try a little liquid courage first because I can’t imagine age has mellowed her.”
Charlie laughed. “You have met our mom, right? You’re gonna need more than liquid courage, especially if you plan to talk your way back into the pack . . .”
“It’s been awhile, but I can’t imagine she’s changed,” he said even as his stomach twisted into a tighter knot at the idea of facing his mother and the pack. “I’m back for good this time, Charlie.”
A skeptical look met his words followed by, “We’ll see,” before a beer was placed in front of him along with a shot of whiskey. “I’m guessing your whole rebel on a bike thing fell through?”
Before he could stop the sound, a harsh bark of laughter escaped so he admitted, “I still got the bike, but let’s just say I realized that I missed my real family. Even your grumpy ass.”
One of the bartenders with a question distracted Charlie before he asked, “So how long are you planning to avoid Mom? I got at least four people here who are probably going to report you by the end of the night.”
“Four? I only saw Alexis,” Landon replied as he picked up the beer. He took a long swig from the bottle. “I mean, I thought I saw Riley for a minute, but the kid’s too young so figured it my guilt talking to me”
“Probably Eliana. She’s practically Riley’s mini-me these days.” His brother’s nonchalant words about his niece had his brows raising then Charlie informed him, “You do know time didn’t stand still just because you left, right? My twins are going on seventeen now so Eliana works here a couple nights a week, and Elliot’s band does fill-ins. They’re playing later tonight.”
Whatever else was going to be said halted at the arrival of Alexis at his elbow as she gave him a once-over then remarked, “So you didn’t catch something on the road and die in a ditch somewhere. I guess I owe Riley fifty bucks.”
“And you still haven’t grown into a real adult.” Landon shifted position to see her at the smack to his arm, having known she wouldn’t appreciate the joke about her lack of height. “Also you two bet on if I was dead or not?”
Alexis’ shoulders lifted in a disinterested shrug before she pulled out a notepad from the black apron and began to request drinks. One of the bartenders who wore a white t-shirt bearing the Bordertown logo, like his brother and Alexis, gave a nod then went to fill them while Alexis propped her arms on the counter and sent him a look that bordered on malicious.
“Does Mama Mel know you’ve come crawling home?” she questioned, glancing over to Charlie who gave a shake of his head. “I really feel like it’s my duty as favorite child to let her know.”
Rolling his eyes, Landon tossed back his shot of whiskey while he tried to determine the odds Alexis would tell on him. She and her brother, Matthew, had been unofficially adopted into their family at a young age following the death of their own parents; however, the calculating look pointed toward him matched Charlie despite them sharing no blood. That look never boded well which meant he’d be reporting to the big house sooner than he’d planned.
“Or I can head up there when I finish this,” he said, gesturing toward the beer bottle. “Besides, don’t you have better things to do than hang out here? Where’s your usual partners in crime?”
He spotted a quick flash of yellow in her eyes that briefly shifted to those of a wolf before the bartender slid the newly filled tray across to her and her eyes faded back to their natural blue. She caught the tray with a scowl at him then headed away as he focused back on his brother, brows raised again.
“What the hell? When did Alexis turn?”
Charlie sighed. “That is a long and complicated story, but the short answer is about eight years ago. Word of advice? Don’t mention Tyler to her. And vice versa when you see him.”
Hearing the name of his final sibling, Landon frowned and tried to guess what could have separated Alexis from being the unofficial extra twin. He had few memories of childhood that didn’t feature Riley, Tyler, and Alexis as co-conspirators on one mission or another, though he also remembered how adamant Matthew had been about them staying human even with their close proximity to the pack.
Charlie’s voice interrupted, “Also, there’s Elliot.”
Despite his confusion, Landon took another long drink from his bottle then turned his head toward where his brother’s pointed. It took a minute to align the tall kid with the messy, dark hair and lip ring twirling a pair of drumsticks as his young nephew. The fact he wore head-to-toe black would have made him blend into the shadows without the stage’s bright lighting. Guilt sliced through him that the last time he’d seen or spoken to either Elliot or Eliana had been sometime around their fifth birthday. Had they officially been five at the time?
As if to drive further home how much he’d missed, the auburn-haired girl from earlier suddenly appeared beside him at the bar with a request of, “Dad, can you make me a couple Cinderellas? Alice and I decided we’re going to stay for a bit, support Elliot and the guys.”
Her ragged jean shorts, combat boots, and the plaid shirt draped over a t-shirt were completely at odds with the little girl he remembered who’d loved pink. So was the black lipstick that he knew had to be Alexis’ influence.
“Sure, El. You remember your Uncle Landon, right?” Charlie’s thumb jerked toward him before he went to make what was likely a mocktail of some kind.
“Do you get to keep the uncle title when you’ve voluntarily missed out on over half my life?” Eliana’s blunt question tempted him to laugh despite finding no her humor in the situation and her annoyed look. Her gum created and popped a large bubble before she stated, “As soon as I get back to my seat, I’m messaging Grandma that you’re in town.”
“Don’t do it.” Charlie’s order came as he set two drinks in front of her. “Landon’s going to the house after he finishes that bottle, right?”
“Yep,” he replied, glancing down at the liquid that remained. “Got any tips for me?”
Eliana picked up both drinks then gave a shrug. “Go back wherever you came from. No one here needs you.”
Unable to stop a cringe at those words, he picked up the bottle and drained the remaining contents while she stalked away. He removed a bill from his wallet and tossed it onto the bar that included a generous tip before he said, “She might look like Riley, but holy shit, Mom doesn’t seem so bad anymore. If she does kill me, will you at least make sure I’m buried and not made into bbq for the pack?”
Charlie snorted. “I”ll try. Good luck.”
Chapter Two
The glow of the porch light greeted Landon long before he’d made it up the driveway to the massive log cabin house built not even a half mile off the lake, though he wasn’t surprised to find his mother sitting patiently in one of the spacious porch’s antique rocking chairs. It felt like stepping back in time to see the massive, wooden cabin with its multitude of bedrooms to accommodate their large family plus big living spaces to host the pack. A handful of the smaller cabins down the winding path around the lake were lit up, but his eyes were fixated on the lone figure rocking on the porch, eyes trained on him.
Cutting the bike’s ignition, he forced himself to dismount, grabbed his bag from the back, and shoved the keys into his pocket while making his way up the wooden stairs that creaked under his weight. He caught an occasional glimpse of a lightning bug or the chirp of a cricket yet his focus zeroed in on a single point, particularly the woman sitting on the porch.
“The prodigal son returns.”
The familiar rasp to his mother’s voice said her smoking habits hadn’t changed in his absence, though there were a few more streaks of gray visible in her dark hair. Extra lines stood out against her make-upless mouth and brown eyes, but she hadn’t aged nearly as much as a human with teenage grandchildren would in the past twelve years thanks to her werewolf genes.
“You don’t seem surprised so who ratted me out?” he questioned, pausing at the halfway point. “Alexis or Eliana?”
His mother gave him a look then replied, “Neither. Did you forget about the guard? A couple of them saw the motorcycle then it just took a call to Bordertown for confirmation before they reached out to me.”
At the mention of the guard, wolves who were trained to act as scouts and watch the barrier between their territory and the more human parts of town for trouble or threats, Landon felt the familiar knot of guilt cement itself deeper in his stomach. Their rules made it obligatory for second-born wolves in the alpha families to join the guard, which he’d done, except they’d been abandoned just like his own family.
And like Imogene.
"Do I want to know why you finally deemed it worth coming home?"
He felt ten years old again with his mother's severe look leveled on him and resisted glancing down at the faded, scuffed wood of the porch; however, he'd known this moment was coming so he offered up, "Would you buy that I had a near death experience and realized all I'd been missing?"
Only a derisive sound met his words. "No."
"Fine, there's only so much bloodshed that I can tolerate in the name of brotherhood before having second thoughts," he said, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. "If you want the nitty gritty details, I can give them, but the simple version is I realized that I have people I care about here so I decided to come home. Am I still welcome?"
The lengthy silence stretched while he kept waitng for ehr to say no, though just as he prepared to head down the steps again, she pushed herself up from the chair.
"That isn't just a decision for me anything," she said before grabbing the empty glass beside her. "Have you eaten? There's leftovers th
en we're talking."
A grumble from his stomach made him realize he couldn’t recall the last time he’d eaten, much less what he’d actually eaten, even as his suspicion of her offer grew. It sounded too close to motherly for Melanie Miller, but he decided to avoid the old pattern of fighting and keep all comments to himself for now.
Giving a nod with her words, he followed her inside and was again struck by how little had changed during his absence. Same colors, same pictures with a few new additions, same constricting walls. Even the wooden furniture looked virtually the same, though his experiences at Bordertown said the people had changed more than enough to make up for the lack of it here.
He hesitated in the living room then set his bag on a nearby chair spread with an afghan he remembered from his youth and moved toward the kitchen where his mother’s movement could be heard.
Her back stayed toward him as she pulled containers from the fridge then took down a plate, lining them up on the island. “Fix a plate,” she ordered as she stepped back and began filling her glass again from the bottle on the counter. “Also you might want to move the bike unless you want Riley to run it over in the morning.”
Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Landon moved to the island and began filling a plate. He barely glanced at the contents of each container as he added to the plate, though once it was in the microwave, he questioned, “Isn’t Riley the one who said Saturday only exists so she can sleep off Friday?”
An unexpected sound like a laugh came from his mother. “Teenage Riley did say that, yes,” she agreed, pausing for a sip from her refilled drink. “However, like most people, she grew up and got a real job which made that motto null and void. I don’t expect you to understand things like responsibility or employment or commitment.”
Rule of Claw: Wolves of Worsham #1 Page 1