“I have to admit, I never expected to be in this position. I never wanted to be Alpha. My father knew that, but he kept going with me, trying with me. He kept teaching me the ways of the pack, how I should lead, what I should do. Tito Nakamura, my father, your Alpha and the protector of Evervale, died this morning. I can’t tell you how. I wish I could. I just know that his death is devastating, not just to me but to all of you. To Evervale. He was a good, compassionate Alpha, never judging. He let me bring a vampire into the heart of the pack, trusted my judgement and never once questioned it. He cared about every being in Evervale; wolf, witch, vampire and human. He didn’t care what you were as long as you agreed to live in peace in Evervale. I want you all to know that I plan to keep that peace, and I swear I won’t rest until I find out who did this to my father, and who killed Luke,” I told them.
“Do you think it was Chase?”
My eyes scanned the crowd falling on the wolf that had just spoken. It was Asher, a wolf just a little older than me. He was trouble. I should have expected him to have something to say about what was going on.
“I don’t know, Asher. My brother doesn’t have the power to do what has been done. Ollie, our best hunter, was taken out and his mind wiped. Chase could not do that. Right now, I refuse to speak anymore on the subject. Today was to bring you all together to tell you of my father’s passing. Not to discuss my brother. My father’s funeral will be held in three days. I expect you all to be there to say goodbye and give him the send-off that he deserves,” I answered.
I could tell Asher wanted to say something more, but he was silenced by his mate Yuki. I didn’t feel threatened by Asher, the wolf was all mouth. Asher would never challenge me for Alpha, and even if he did, I was certain I would win.
“If noone else has anything else to say I would appreciate it if me and my sister could have some time to grieve the loss of our father,” I said.
There was a mutual rumble of acceptance that the meeting was over as the wolves started to depart the grounds. There was a sense of pain running through the pack, and I was certain that they would all seek their own comfort and mourn the loss of our Alpha that night.
Once I was certain all the wolves had gone, I turned and made my way back into the house. I didn’t say a word to Luna, Drax or Archer. Instead I pushed past them, making my way to my room. I was done with the day. Later that night I would keep to my word and go into the forest to find my brother. For now, I just wanted to shut the door on reality and grieve for the loss of my father.
Chapter Ten
Archer
Later that night I left the warmth of the mansion and made my way onto the grounds. If it hadn’t been for the promise I had made to Luna, I wouldn’t be bothering with Chase. It was highly likely my brother already knew about our father’s death anyway. I just needed to speak with him and see if I could find out what Chase knew about what was going on. Seeing as though I was having to meet with Chase, I figured I would get as much information out of him as I could. I had ways of making him talk.
Easily shifting into my wolf, taking flight over the grounds I made quick work of reaching the woods. With a long, black fur coat in my mouth I trotted into the eerie shadows, my senses alert as I sought out the scent of my brother.
“Looking for me little brother?”
I spun at the sound of Chase’s voice. How had I not smelt him coming up behind me?
“How about you shift back, and then we can talk,” Chase suggested.
I let out a low growl, but shifted back to my human form, pulling on the heavy coat to cover myself from the harsh Autumn air.
“I didn’t think you would take an order from me. You are now Alpha, after all. It should be me taking orders from you. I’m correct, aren’t I? Our father is dead?” Chase said.
“You know damn well he is, Chase,” I snapped.
“Let me guess. You’re out here because you think I murdered him. Just like I supposedly murdered Luke.”
I wanted nothing more than to wipe the cocky smirk off my brother’s face. Chase didn’t seem to care that our father was dead. That he had been murdered. Even if Chase had nothing to do with our father’s death, he should show remorse. It was like he was pleased he was dead.
“I came because Luna asked me to. She thinks you have a right to be at the funeral. I don’t agree, but you know how tenacious our little sister can be,” I told him.
Chase let out a laugh as he took a seat on the ground, leaning against a tree, eyeing me. I held my brother’s gaze steadily, challenging him to mock me further. Chase was right, I was the Alpha now, and my brother needed to remember that. I wouldn’t hesitate in attacking him should I feel threatened. Despite losing my father, I had no love for my brother, I hadn’t for a long time.
“Another thing. Why couldn’t I smell you coming up behind me?” I questioned.
“Now, that’s a secret I can’t ever share with you, brother,” Chase smirked.
I narrowed my eyes, stalking up to where Chase sat idly and towering over him.
“As your Alpha, I demand you to tell-“
“But you aren’t my Alpha, are you? I was banished from the pack. Have you forgotten that? Banished for a crime I never committed, and I know deep down you know that I say is true,” Chase interrupted me.
I snarled, grabbing my brother by the arm and pulling him to his feet. Slamming his body hard against the tree, I felt my wolf stir within me, wanting to attack.
“You will tell me how you managed to mask your scent.”
“Or what?” Chase hissed.
“You will never be allowed near Evervale again. I will banish you far beyond this forest, and should you step back on the land, you will be killed. Tell me how you did it and I will let you stay where you are,” I told him.
“Fine, but let me go. I’m not talking to you while you have me pinned against a tree.”
I held my brother for a moment longer, before letting him go, stepping back slightly. I kept a cold gaze fixed on Chase, a warning that if he were to try and bolt, he would regret it. Chase rubbed his neck where a red mark was forming from my grip around it.
“The witches helped me,” Chase said.
I let out a low growl. The witches could never be trusted, they had no loyalty to anyone. They would do anything for a large prize. I wondered what Chase had offered them. He was a lone wolf, he had nothing.
“How did you manage that? You have nothing, Chase. What could you have possibly offered for them to have helped you?” I demanded.
Chase’s smirk sent a shiver of unease through me. My brother was up to something, and if he had the witches on his side then he was more powerful than I had first feared.
“That is between me and the witches. No matter how hard you push me, little brother, I have a promise to keep. And I hate to tell you this; they are far more powerful than you,” Chase replied.
“What did they do to you?” I snarled.
“Put a permanent scent blocker on me-“
“Why would you want them to do that? So that you can sneak up on a wolf hunting and kill them? Both father and Luke suffered injuries that looked like a wolf attack, but there was no scent of a wolf. And now you tell me you have a scent block on you.” I interrupted.
“You really aren’t letting that one go, are you? I didn’t kill father, and I didn’t kill his Beta. I asked to have it put on me to protect myself from whatever is out here killing wolves.”
I found myself pacing as I listened to my brother speak. I had to keep reminding myself that I was only here for the sake of my sister, to try and give Chase the chance to say goodbye to our father. Luna owed me for this.
“Let’s say for a moment I believe you. Did you happen to see who did? It was in the forest, you must have heard something at least,” I asked.
Chase shook his head, a genuine look of remorse held in his eyes. I was taken aback for a moment. Did my brother actually mourn the loss of our father?
“I honestly di
dn’t see anything, Riley. The first time I heard of this was when I overheard the vampires talking as they hunted last night. I have been waiting for you to come and find me. I knew it would only be a matter of time.”
I sighed deeply, running a hand through my hair, closing my eyes briefly as I took in a deep breath. I believed Chase, which meant I also believed that he didn’t kill Luke.
“You believe me now, don’t you?” Chase asked.
“Just because I do, doesn’t mean anyone else will. I can’t let you back into the pack, brother. Not yet, not until we find out who the real murderer is,” I apologised.
Chase nodded his head slightly in understanding.
“Luna wanted me to ask you to Father’s funeral. I didn’t want you to be there, but you have the right to. He was your family, too. It will be held in two days on the full moon. You can’t be seen, but you know the best place to watch on the grounds,” I said.
I wanted to ask Chase to watch out for anything suspicious, but I knew in my heart that wasn’t worth the breath. My brother had no intention of helping us. Despite the brief moment of remorse Chase had shared, I knew he didn’t care enough to be a watchdog. Especially if he was working with the witches. That was something else I needed to dig deeper into. I had to find a way to draw information from the Coven. I wondered if Laura would help us, she was an outcast, not an original coven member. I wondered how loyal she was to them when it came to protecting the residents of Evervale.
“Was there anything else, brother?”
Chase brought me crashing back to the current situation, reminding me I was stood in a forest, alone, with my unhinged brother.
“No. I better be getting back. The invitation to the funeral is there, just don’t cause any trouble if you do come, or I will banish you. And that is a very real threat, brother,” I warned him.
Chase held his hand up in mock surrender. I bit back a snarl. One day I would knock the smirk off my brother’s face, and I would enjoy every moment of it, but now wasn’t the time.
Not wanting to be in his presence any longer, I shifted, taking the coat I had been wearing in my mouth, I turned to make my way back towards home.
“I will see you in two nights, brother. I can’t wait to see the old dog off.”
My hackles rose at my brother’s words. It took all the willpower I had to not spin round and attack him. Instead, I ignored him, taking off through the trees heading back towards the grounds.
Drax and Archer would tell me I had been a fool to let Chase go again, but I was sure for now we were better off keeping him close. That way we could watch over him and whatever he was planning, because my brother was certainly up to something.
Reaching the mansion in no time, shifting back to human form making quick work to get into the house, into my room and into the shower. As I let the hot water spill over my body, I allowed my mind to unwind. I needed to get my two best friends over and have a few drinks. For the rest of the night I wanted to forget I was Alpha, and just be me, a normal young wolf, because I had no idea when I would have the chance to feel like this again.
Chapter Eleven
Riley
“Come in,” I called out.
The door to the study opened and my sister appeared from the other side. I flashed Luna a slight smile, indicating the seat on the other side of the desk for her to take. Luna didn’t return my smile as she sat, fixing her sapphire blue eyes on me. I knew why she was here. I hadn’t had a chance to speak with her since I had returned from talking to our brother. I knew she wasn’t happy about that.
I had spent the rest of the night I had visited Chase drinking the night away with my two friends. After that, I had been swept up in the running of the pack, meeting with officials and organising the funeral. I hadn’t had a moment to spare for my sister, and I felt a wave of guilt rush through me. I had left Luna alone to grieve for our father. I knew I should have done more for her over the last few days.
“Don’t worry, Riley. I haven’t been alone all this time. Willow has been amazing and Ace has taken on the caring role that my brother failed to do,” Luna said bitterly.
“I had no choice, Luna. It’s my job now,” I bristled.
“No, Riley. Your job is to give a damn about your family. I needed you. We have just lost our father, and not once have you asked me how I’m doing. You have spoken more to our brother than you have me over the last few days,” Luna snapped.
“I went to see Chase because you asked me to. I told him about the funeral because you asked me to. I couldn’t care less if we never see him again. You are the one who wants to keep our murdering brother part of the family,” I fired back.
I wasn’t about to tell Luna that I was starting to believe that Chase was innocent. That was a bit of information I didn’t want to share, not until I had proof and the actual murderer in my sights.
Leaning back in the chair, I took a deep breath to calm my anger. We were saying goodbye to our father that night, I had to stop arguing with my sister.
“We shouldn’t be arguing, Luna. We’re burying our father in just a few hours. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. But someone had to arrange the funeral and deal with the pack.”
“Isn’t that what Archer’s job is? You had every right to step back and spend time with me. You’re all I have left, Riley. I just needed my big brother,” Luna said.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I’m here now.”
I stood, opening my arms as Luna got up and went into them, hugging me tightly.
“I’m not ready to say goodbye to him, Riley. He shouldn’t be dead. Luke shouldn’t be dead. You have to make Chase pay for this. He needs to be held accountable for destroying this pack. I still think he had something to do with it, and he needs to be punished,” Luna sobbed.
“Let’s not worry about him now, Luna. Why don’t you go and get ready for the funeral? I know Willow will be over later with Drax and Archer. Let’s celebrate father’s life tonight,” I suggested.
Luna nodded as she pulled away from me. I flashed her a sad smile, walking her to the study door, holding it open for her.
“I love you, Riley.”
“I love you, too, little sister. I will see you later.”
I let her go, noticing Drax stepping aside to let her past. My friend made his way into the study and I shut the door behind him. The hope of having some alone time before my father’s funeral vanished.
“Can I help you with something, Drax?”
“I just came to see how you were doing. I haven’t seen much of you since your father died. Or had a chance to ask you about your visit with your brother. We were a little too drunk the other night to talk about it.”
I rolled my eyes, making my way back to my chair and dropping down onto it. I watched as Drax pulled out a silver flask, holding it out for me to take. I took it gratefully, taking sip of the amber liquid. Whiskey always seemed to make things a little easier. It was certainly becoming my drink of choice lately.
“My brother wasn’t very helpful. He didn’t see anything and he claims he had nothing to do with it,” I told him.
“You believe him, don’t you?” Drax asked.
I shrugged in response, handing the flask back to Drax. There was no point lying to the vampire, he could feed off emotions. He always knew when I wasn’t telling the truth. It was a trait I hated about Drax, only because it meant I couldn’t keep anything from him. Drax could see right into my soul, and it unnerved me at times.
“As I said to Luna, this is not something I am willing to talk about today. Now if you don’t mind can you please leave me. I want a bit of time alone before I have to say goodbye to my father,” I replied.
Drax nodded, placing the flask on the table in front of him.
“I understand. I’ll see you at the funeral.”
I didn’t say anything as Drax stood and let himself out of the room. As the door shut behind him, I took a large swig out of the flask. I let the tears that had been threatening fall. I let m
y pain wash through me and engulf me. For the next few hours I sat alone, surrounded by memories of my father allowing myself to grieve before I had to face the rest of the pack.
The light of the full moon danced across the grounds, casting a melancholy, eerie glow over the wrapped body that lay on a canopy of wood. I stood at my father’s side with Luna stood next me. The rest of the pack fanned out around us as they waited for me to speak. Archer and Ollie held torches ready to light my father’s body when I gave the word. I felt the weight of every wolf’s gaze on me, waiting for their new Alpha to speak. Yet, I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? My father was dead way before his time, and I wasn’t ready to take on the role that had been left to me.
I felt Luna nudge me gently and I glanced down at her, as she looked up at me with huge eyes. I felt her silent encouragement and was grateful that she was at my side. I let my gaze scan the crowd, falling on Drax who flashed me a reassuring smile. I could sense my brother. Chase had chosen to not have his scent blockers on; a nod to me and Luna to let us know he was there. He had made sure his scent was strong enough for the two of us to pick up on. I knew the rest of the pack wouldn’t be able to sense him. He had been smart about it, and for that I was grateful.
“Thank you for coming tonight. This full moon we say goodbye to one of the most compassionate leaders. He cared for all in this town, fought for equality, and punished those who would not accept all that live in Evervale. I am not him, but I hope I do him proud, do you all proud. I will find out who did this, and I will punish them for it,” I spoke to the pack.
Placing a hand on my father’s chest, dropping my voice so that only Luna would hear me, I said, “I promise, Father, whoever took you from us too early will pay for it with their life, and I won’t give up until I find them. No matter how long it takes me.”
Turning my back to my father’s body, I addressed the rest of the pack.
Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection Page 108