Chapter Twenty-One
Gage
Watching her all dressed up with Hunter made my stomach hurt. What was he doing parading her around like that? She wasn’t an object to show off and weren’t we supposed to be keeping a low profile? What part of going out to eat in the city meshed with that?
And the hair? She didn't look like the same Mary Anne any more. She was still beautiful of course and that dress fit her far too well, but she looked different. It’s like she was dressing up with someone else’s clothes and hair. She didn’t look comfortable with the change. I didn’t blame her. At least her change was temporary. Her hair color would come back. I wished I could say the same thing about turning into a Dire. Although part of me didn’t. I knew I could never go back to being just a human. The speed, the strength, and the connection to nature were things I didn’t want to let go of. Now the pack and watching Hunter paw at Mary Anne? Those were things I wouldn’t miss.
“You know why he's taking her out tonight, right?” Marni pulled me out of my thoughts.
“He's still trying to impress her. Maybe he thinks wining and dining her is the way to go.”
“No.” She shook her head. “She must have agreed. He’s making tonight romantic so the mating and sex happen more naturally.”
“No way. Hunter isn’t pushing her yet. She wouldn’t have given in.” I refused to believe it.
“Of course he’s pushing her.”
“Why? Can someone finally explain to me what her mating with him does?”
“It means she’s his.”
“Got that… but how is that any different than forcing her to stay here anyway.”
“It connects them. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been through it.”
“And you haven’t…”
“No, and I won’t. Not that way. Alphas are different. With us, we can technically leave a mate. An Alpha can’t leave his. It’s for the protection of the pack and our kind.”
“So once they mate…”
“They’re together for life.” She looked off into the distance. “Hence why I keep telling you to get over her.”
“Unless they don’t mate.” I was done. I was done sitting around and pretending to behave. I thought we had time. I thought I had time to learn from Hunter, but I didn’t. I refused to let Mary Anne get stuck in a life like that.
“Gage, what are you thinking about doing?”
“Making sure she doesn’t do something stupid.”
“No, whatever you’re planning is what would be stupid.”
“Then I’ll be stupid. I don’t care.” I pulled off my shirt.
“What are you doing?” Marni stood right in front of me. “What are you going to do?”
“I already told you.”
“Let me talk to him.” Denny called from the edge of the woods.
“There’s nothing that any of you can say that will make me change my mind.”
“Wait for them to get back. They’re not going to mate in the middle of a restaurant.” Marni touched my arm, but I stepped back. “You can do whatever you want when they get back.”
“You mean when someone can stop me. You want them to mate.”
“Of course I do!”
“Why? So you can mate with Chet?”
“Because that way we can stop hiding. Hunter needs her help.”
“How do you know? Hunter’s had some sex dreams. What does that prove? They’re sex dreams. If men made decisions based on those things the world would have blown up twenty times already.”
“How are you going to find them anyway? New Orleans is a big place.”
“I’ll figure that out.” I didn’t care. I had to do something. I was done sitting around and expecting her to hold him at bay herself.
“I’ll go with you.” Denny walked over. “But put your shirt on. We’ll take a truck. I’m the best tracker in the pack.”
“No way.” Marni shook her head. “Why help him?”
“Because he’s going to be a mess otherwise.”
“You’re both idiots.” Marni stormed off.
***
Denny insisted on driving. I didn’t argue because I had no idea where we were going.
“Where do you think we should start first?”
“For what?” He turned onto the highway.
“To find them.”
“We’re not going to find them.”
“Then where are we going?” I readied myself to jump from the car. I figured one benefit of being a Dire is I wouldn’t hurt myself doing something like that.
“We’re doing something you need to do.”
“Which is?” I was losing my patience. I needed to find Mary Anne.
“We’re getting a drink.”
“You have liquor. Why drive into the city?”
“Let’s rephrase that. You need to go out for a drink.”
“No. I need to find Mary Anne.”
“You’re not going to find her right now.”
“Then what’s all that about you being good at tracking?”
“I had to tell you something.” He smiled.
“I’m not in the mood to go out for a drink.”
“What are you in the mood for then? To sulk around all night waiting?”
“They’re not going to be gone all night.”
“How do you know?”
“You’re supposed to be helping me here.”
“I am. Misery is easier with a drink. I know from experience.” There was something in Denny’s words that stopped me from pushing further. I got the sense that he’d known some pretty dark places in his life.
“Where are we going?” I wasn’t going to change his mind, and he was right. We weren’t going to find Mary Anne in the city. At least not without some unbelievably good luck, and I didn’t seem to have any of that anymore.
“Just a little place I stopped at the last time we were down this way. It’s pretty low key, and we shouldn’t run into any other paranormals there. It’s only a few miles away.”
“Good.” I had no interest in dealing with anyone, especially more paranormal creatures.
Then a thought hit me. “I have no money.”
“I’ve got you covered.”
“Why?”
“I can handle buying a few rounds.”
“I mean you’re going above and beyond here.”
“You’ll pay me back eventually.”
Denny turned on some talk radio show as we drove. I had no idea what anyone was talking about because I was too busy thinking about Mary Anne. I needed to talk to her before she did something she could never come back from. My life as I knew it might have been over, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t be together. I needed to know we’d be together again. It was the only thing keeping me sane.
***
I was four drinks in. This was the point when a buzz usually kicked in, but it didn’t. I was completely sober and just as angry and worried. The bar Denny had taken us to was a nondescript dive. In that way it was perfect. The beer was cheap, and the service was fast.
“Those parents are delusional. Like it was some other random truck they found? They need to accept their kids are dead.”
The blunt words had me turning around. Two middle aged men were drinking beer and watching a news broadcast on one of the large screen TVs behind the bar. From the number of empty bottles in front of them, they’d been drinking for a while.
“The guy is lucky he’s dead. If I were the girl’s dad I’d have killed him for doing that.”
“She wasn’t innocent either. She went because she wanted to.” The bartender joined the conversation. “Everyone’s making the girl out to be a saint, but it’s stupid. People die all the time. They need to stop making it a focus of the media.”
“But these are rich kids from EU.” The first man laughed. “That makes them special.”
“Spoiled brats deserved it anyway.”
EU? They were talking about us.
“
The girl was cute though. I bet she was a nice piece of ass.”
“What was her name? Mary Anne? It’s like a country girl fantasy.”
I didn’t think. I stormed over to their table and tossed it over.
“What the fuck?” Both men jumped into my face. I easily picked them up by their shirts and hurled them across the room. No one was talking about Mary Anne like that.
That should have been it. We should have left, but then something hard hit me over the head, and several other men approached me. My body gave me no warning as I shifted and lunged for the bartender who was wielding a baseball bat. I ripped his chest with my claws before shoving him over the bar counter shattering the glasses and liquor bottles stacked against the back wall.
I was aware of someone tugging on me, and I slowly pulled myself back from the edge. I growled at the surrounding patrons that starred in fear and amazement.
“Shift back, Gage.” Denny hissed. “Shift back now!”
I looked around at the mangled bodies of the men. They were breathing, so I hadn’t killed them, but that didn’t change the fact that I was in trouble—the kind of trouble you may never come back from.
I shifted and was only partially aware of Denny pulling me out of the bar and into an alleyway across the street. “What the hell, Gage?” Denny snapped.
“I’d like an answer to that too.” A large man strode toward us. He was shirtless, and his eyes were black.
Denny turned. “I assure you we have this under control.”
“Under control? My partner is calling in witches right now to clean up that mess. Those wounds only come from one animal.”
“No. That’s not true many animals can cause—” Denny started to explain.
“Shut up, Were.”
“Were?” I finally spoke.
“Yes. We know who you are. And you’re coming with us.”
“Why?” I stepped closer. “Why should I come with you?”
Denny held his hand out to stop me. “Those men were making sexual comments about his mate. His response was extreme, but also understandable.” How was Denny staying so calm? I felt anything but.
“That doesn’t excuse revealing himself to a room full of people. How any of us feel doesn’t matter though. It’s all in the hands of the king.”
“I’ll take him home and keep him in line until the king is ready to see him.”
“Not a chance.” He wrote something down on a black sheet of paper. “Be here if you want to see him again.”
The man turned to me. “Hold out your hands. If you fight this your entire pack will become enemies of The Society.”
We already were, but I kept that to myself. What would happen if they got Mary Anne? I couldn’t let anything else happen to her.
“We’ll take care of this. Stay calm, Gage.” Denny watched as I was led away.
I’d been right. This was the kind of trouble I might never come back from.
Chapter Twenty-two
Hunter
The tension didn’t get any better as we sat in the truck on the way back home. Mary Anne stared out the window, and I didn’t try to get her attention. I needed time to cool down first. My Dire side was angry, and I was biding my time before I could transform.
The vibration of my phone ringing in my pocket came as a relief a few miles from the homestead. I glanced at the screen before putting it to my ear. “Denny?”
“Yeah, it’s me. We have a problem.”
“What kind of problem? Where are you?”
“I’m seven miles out from the homestead. I’m on my way back from the Bayou Bar.”
“Out with it Denny. What the hell is going on?”
“Gage transformed in a bar full of humans, and he’s in Society custody right now.”
“Don’t say another word.” I slowed down and pulled off onto the shoulder. “Find me. I’m a few miles ahead of you.”
“Got it.”
I didn’t need to say anything else. You never could be sure who was listening to your phone conversations.
“What’s going on?” Mary Anne asked after I pocketed my phone. “Is everything okay?”
“No. It’s not.” Normally I wouldn’t have been that short with her, but I was at my wit’s end.
Thankfully Denny pulled up behind us a few minutes later. “Stay here,” I instructed Mary Anne.
“Not a chance.” She jumped out. I could have stopped her, but that would have made her angrier. I was too stressed to deal with the argument so I let her follow me over to where Denny now waited.
I didn’t wait a second more than necessary. “Tell me what happened. I want all the details.”
Mary Anne stood stock still as Denny related the events of the evening. That is until he got to the part about Gage being taken into custody.
“What do you mean The Society has him?” Mary Anne shivered. The night was cool, but I knew her body’s response had nothing to do with the cold. “How is that possible?”
“He messed up.” Denny didn’t mince any words. “Luckily the Pteron who took him thought Gage was a Were.” He held out the black piece of paper I knew was a summons. How could Gage have made such a monumental mistake? Transforming in a room full of humans and nearly killing some? New Dire or not, his behavior was unacceptable and had put the entire pack at risk.
The only saving grace was that they believed he was a Were. “If they think he’s a Were, they’ll let him off with a minor punishment. I guess that’s the good part about The Society arriving so fast. They hopefully had time to let a witch clear the memory from all the witnesses before any police interrogations.”
“You really think it’s going to be minor?” Denny looked between Mary Anne and me. “Isn’t that optimistic?”
“What cover story did you feed them? What excuse?”
“I told them the guys were talking about having sex with his mate. I figured that was the most forgivable reason.”
“And where are we going to find this mate? They’ll require her appearance at the trial.” I already knew which way Denny was going. He’d thought quick and done the right thing, but that didn’t mean I liked it.
Denny nodded toward Mary Anne. “She can pull it off.”
“Fuck.” I let the curse word escape from my lips.
If Mary Anne was surprised by the coarse language she didn’t show it. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to get him out.”
“I’m only doing this so they don’t discover he’s a Dire.” I’d saved Gage once, that didn’t mean I was going to make a pattern of it. Considering he was starring in Mary Anne’s sexual fantasies, I wouldn’t have minded having him out of the picture.
“I don’t care about your reasons. I’m glad you’re doing it.”
“After this you’re becoming my mate. I’m done waiting.” I knew what I sounded like, but I didn’t care. She hadn’t said a word to me since dinner, and the only thing she seemed to care about was helping Gage. Meeting Mary Anne was supposed to help me end the hunt—not get us caught before we had a plan.
“I don’t care. I have no choice, I’ll do whatever. Just let me testify at his trial.” She looked up at me through tear soaked lashes. I hated how sad she was. I hated that she seemed to be drifting farther away from me. She wasn’t the same Mary Anne anymore, and I was beginning to worry that it was all my fault.
“Let’s go home.” I held open the door to the truck. “It’s late, and the last thing we need is to attract any more attention.” I’d gotten word to Chet to make sure no one shifted. If The Society came sniffing around this way, they needed to believe we were just wolves.
Mary Anne nodded and got in. I didn’t wait for her to buckle before going around. If she didn’t want me to be a gentleman, I wouldn’t be. She seemed to like arrogant and reckless men more.
She dashed out of the truck as soon as I parked back at the homestead. I started to follow, but Denny held up his hand to stop me. Normally I’d have been annoyed at a pack member for telling me
to stop, but Denny had likely saved all of us with his quick thinking, albeit he only had to do it because he had taken Gage out.
“What is it?”
“What good are you going to do by chasing after her?”
“She’s upset.”
“And you think you are going to help her?”
“She needs me.”
“She needs space right now. Trust me on this.”
“And you’re such an expert on what Mary Anne needs? You just met her.”
“How much longer have you know her?” He asked after a slight hesitation. “I know you’ve been dreaming of her, but she hasn’t been with you in the flesh for long.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It does to her.”
“What do you suggest I do?”
“I’d tell you to run, but that’s out of the question. We all need to stay close for the next few days.”
“It’s going to be a long couple of days.”
“What’s your guess, are Jocelyn and Isaac packing already?”
“My guess is they’re long gone.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Jocelyn could talk the talk, but when the possibility of trouble appeared she’d hit the road. I guess something positive could come from Gage’s stupid actions. I definitely didn’t need her adding any drama to the mix.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mary Anne
I waited nervously outside the large New Orleans courthouse. I was a little confused at first about why we were at a human courthouse. There was no way a paranormal king could be presiding there, but Denny explained we’d be going to the basement.
“There are no basements in New Orleans.” The city was built below sea level after all.
He smiled. “Is that so?”
Hunter had gone in ahead. As the Alpha he was responsible for checking us in. Marni, Chet, and Semi were following a few minutes behind us to avoid attracting too much attention. Denny was waiting for a call from Hunter to tell us we were good to go.
Denny pulled out his phone, glanced at the screen, and leaned in. “It’s time.”
I nodded, and followed him up the court steps.
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