by Jayme Morse
Samara felt her face flush red with embarrassment. She had just scared Josh away from his own girlfriend’s funeral.
What did I do? Samara asked, turning to Luke. It was moments like this – moments when things around them were silent and it would be awkward or rude to talk about personal things – that she felt appreciative of their ability to communicate with each other mentally.
I tried to warn you, but you didn’t want to listen to me. You spoke to him, Luke replied, a look of sympathy on his face. He’s not allowed to speak to you.
But I haven’t even officially become an Ima yet, Samara replied.
It doesn’t matter. Like you told Declan, you already are one. You should probably get used to this. You’re not going to be able to speak to any of them after you go through initiation tonight.
Samara sighed out loud. She knew that Luke was right – that she should get used to this because it was probably only going to get harder as time went on. She was still having a hard time accepting the idea that she was going to need to treat Josh, Declan, and her brother like enemies, when really they were the people who she cared about most in life.
Samara didn’t know much about being a werewolf yet, but one thing was for sure. She hated that they couldn’t all just get along with each other.
Chapter 3
****
“Samara? Where are you going?” Mrs. McKinley asked from her place on the sofa.
As Samara pulled a fleece sweatshirt over her head, she said, “I’m just going for a walk. I’ll be back later.”
“Be careful, please? I don’t feel comfortable with you going outside when there’s a murderer on the loose. Why don’t you call Luke and ask him to go for a walk with you?”
Samara smiled. Her mom obviously was warming up to the idea of the two of them dating if she was insisting that he take walks alone with her at night. “Luke’s actually already waiting for me. I’ll see you later.”
As she snuck out the back door, Samara breathed in deeply. She was really nervous about initiation, but she wasn’t sure why. If the Ima’s initiation ceremony was anything like the Vyka’s ceremony – in which one had to cut off a piece of their hair and throw into the fire – it wasn’t going to be that bad.
Samara realized that it wasn’t that she was nervous about the initiation ritual. That would probably be over really quick, and there probably wouldn’t be much pain, if any, involved. She was nervous about what was going to happen to her after the initiation ritual was over. Jason had made it clear that they would be enemies if she chose to become an Ima – and that she was going to be the first on his hit list, so to speak, because she would make another pack too strong. Since Jason wanted to be the Alpha to the most powerful pack in the area, this was a problem for him.
Samara could only hope that everyone was right, that she would be that powerful. She needed as much help as she could get. Samara knew that joining the Ima was the only way to keep Colby, Luke, and her cousin, Kyle, safe. Jason’s plan to take over the Ima was part of what had made Samara’s decision to join the Ima that much easier. In order to take over a pack, one must kill the Alpha and the person that’s next in line to become Alpha. Jason had been plotting to not only take over the Ima, but to take over other packs in the area so that he could be the Alpha of a pack with many members. The idea of Jason killing Colby still made Samara sick to her stomach.
Colby was doomed whether Samara was on his pack or if she chose to be a Vyka, but at least this way, Samara could help protect him. Even though Jason had probably already turned Declan and Seth into cold-hearted monsters, Samara knew that they were at least somewhat safe in his pack. Jason wouldn’t hurt them – as long as they obeyed him, which Samara knew they would – but Samara didn’t have a doubt in her mind that Jason would try to hurt her.
She was afraid to die. Every night since Lilly had died, Samara’s sleep had been consumed with nightmares. In them, Jason was always standing above her, locking her body on the ground so that she couldn’t move. He’d pushed on her lungs so she couldn’t breathe; once she felt her heart stop in her dreams, she’d wake up panting, waking Luke up through mind-speak because she was terrified and his voice was the only thing that calmed her. Even when she was awake, though, the nightmares haunted her.
Trying not to think about death right now, she continued walking through the woods until she reached the area right next to Starlight Lake where she had agreed to meet her pack. Colby, and the other guys on the pack – Chris Priestley, Steve Bryan, and her cousin, Kyle – were all sitting around a blazing fire as they waited for her.
As Samara approached them, she realized that one pack member was missing. She knew from her pretend initiation with the Vyka that the initiation ceremony could not take place unless all members of the pack were present. “Where’s Luke?”
“He just went to get something,” Colby replied. “He’ll be back soon. Are you excited?”
Samara shrugged.
“You’re not going to back out on us, are you?” Kyle asked from his place across the fire. His tone sounded like he was joking, but for some reason, it made her feel a little annoyed. Did they really think that she would give up her best friend and her brother if she really didn’t want to be an Ima?
“Of course I’m not going to back out,” Samara replied. Realizing that her nervousness was probably why Kyle had asked, she added, “I’m just afraid of what’s going to happen after this. That’s all.”
“Don’t worry,” Kyle said. “No matter what happens, we got your back. Right, guys?”
Colby, Chris, and Steve all nodded their heads in agreement.
“We’re in this together,” Colby said. “And don’t worry. I think you’ll begin to feel more confident in yourself after tonight. I have a feeling that once you are initiated, you’ll begin to realize how strong you really are. You’ll start to see your true powers.”
“Let’s hope so.” Samara sighed. Everyone had been telling her that she was going to be a strong werewolf like her Grandpa Joe, and she couldn’t help but feel pressured from it. What if Seth was the one who had gotten the super werewolf powers? Then the Ima would be disappointed; she would be useless to them. They would wish that they had bitten Seth and changed his fate instead of hers.
“I hope you know that we’re happy to have you, no matter what the outcome may be,” Colby said, as though he were reading her mind. “It’s a known fact that the next in line to be a strong werewolf like Joe McKinley was going to be a girl.” Heck, he was her Alpha, so he probably was listening to her thoughts. Even though Colby had once told Samara that he could only hear her thoughts if she wanted him to, Samara didn’t really know how to block him out like the others could. Maybe a small part of her had even wanted him to know what she had been thinking.
“Why is it a known fact?” Samara asked, putting her hands on her hips. She felt a little left out because no one had ever mentioned this to her before.
“It’s a known fact because Joe McKinley left all of his belongings to the next female werewolf in his family line,” Colby said matter-of-factly. “Why would he leave it to a girl when our culture is sort of male dominated? He probably would have wanted to leave it for a boy. But he didn’t, because he must have known that you were going to be really strong.”
“Okay, but there’s a problem. My aunt Rae is the next female werewolf descendent since Grandpa Joe. That means that the belongings are actually hers, not mine.”
“Nope,” Kyle said, ruffling his copper hair. “My mom’s not a werewolf.”
“But I thought you said she knew,” Samara insisted. Kyle had said that, hadn’t he? She hadn’t just imagined that her Aunt Rae was in on all of this?
“Yes, she does know. She knew that werewolf blood ran in her family. She’s not a wolf herself, though. You’re the first female werewolf to be born in our family since Grandpa Joe was alive.”
As Samara registered this new information, she heard footsteps coming towards them. Whir
ling around, she saw Luke walking down the path. “Okay, we’re ready!”
“Awesome,” Colby said. The big smile on his face was illuminated by the light of the fire. He looked happier than Samara had ever seen him – which made her think of the time Jason had told her that the only reason Colby wanted her on his pack was for his own selfish reasons. Samara didn’t believe it for a minute; Colby was genuinely happy to have her on his pack.
Samara ran a hand through her hair. Was she going to have to cut off a piece like she would have had to do if she wanted to become a Vyka? How was she going to explain that to her mother?
“No, you don’t have to cut your hair,” Luke said, chuckling. He handed Colby a bag.
“Our initiation is way cooler,” Colby chimed in.
“What is it?” Samara asked.
“We do a blood ritual.”
“Blood?” Samara managed to squeak. Even though she was a tomboy at heart, blood was the one thing that sort of freaked her out. She hated getting her blood work done at the doctor’s office. Though, she wasn’t sure what bothered her more: the sight of blood or needles.
“Yes, you’ll see how it works,” Colby said. “Luke went to get thumbtacks.”
“Thumbtacks?”
“We used to use the Ima ceremonial dagger on everyone until someone,” Colby said, glancing at Kyle, “nearly hit a vein. It wouldn’t kill you, but it wouldn’t be pretty either.” He began walking around the circle, handing each of them a thumbtack. “Thumbtacks are better because we won’t have to worry about anyone hurting themselves.”
Samara gulped. “Umm, no offense, but I like the Vyka initiation ritual better.”
Colby laughed. “You’re such a girl.” He took a thumbtack from the bag for himself before picking up the next bag. This one was black velvet with a blue drawstring closure. With careful hands, Colby pulled a silver dagger from the bag and handed it to Samara before taking his place across the fire from her.
“Cut yourself with the dagger, Samara,” Colby instructed.
Samara glanced at the dagger in awe at how beautiful it was. The blade seemed to sparkle as she tilted it in her hands, which complemented the blue sapphire gemstones that decorated the handle. Normally, she would have been too afraid to make herself bleed, but she didn’t want to seem like a wimp in front of her pack. Shakily, she pressed the point of the blade against her skin, watching as a trail of blood ran down her forearm. “Okay,” she said, looking up at Colby, unsure of what to do next.
Steve, who was standing closest to her, pricked his own skin with his thumbtack. He took a step closer to her and reached for her arm. Hesitantly, she allowed him to smear his own blood into her open wound, mixing their blood together.
When he was finished, Kyle did the same thing. And then Chris, followed by Luke.
Finally, Colby walked over to her and allowed a tiny blood drop to fall into her wound. “It will happen now,” he whispered, but even before he finished his sentence, Samara felt the change taking place in her.
The pain shot quickly from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Hunching over, Samara gripped her stomach before falling to her knees. The pain that flowed through her veins was more intense than anything she had ever felt before.
Samara felt a sudden pain shoot down her back. It felt like a thousand needles were tearing through her skin, like cat claws scraping down her back.
The pain subsided and, standing up, Samara watched as a blue smoky cloud enveloped her, blowing a strong gust of wind against her body, sending her chocolate brown hair swirling through the air.
Samara felt her body being lifted by the wind, spinning in the air, high above the rest of her pack.
Holy shit, she heard Luke think.
“What’s going on?!” Samara screamed, even though she meant to ask Luke privately.
Before anyone could answer her question, her vision became blocked by the cloud of blue smoke and she came crashing to the ground.
*
When Samara woke up and stretched her legs, her foot kicked against something hard. Cracking open one eye, she realized that she was laying on a comfortable couch, but not in her own living room. She panicked. Where was she?
Taking in her surroundings, Samara realized that the white carpet and sand-colored walls belonged to the Jackson family. She was in Colby’s house. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered, she was at the lake.
Samara tried to sit up, but she felt a dizzy spell wash over her. She pressed her palm against her temple. There was a small bump. She had hit the ground hard, but what had happened after that?
I can’t even believe this happened, a voice said. The voice didn’t belong to Luke or Colby. Someone else was inside her head, but why?
This shit is crazy, another, more hyper, voice chimed in. This time she recognized the voice. It belonged to Kyle.
Samara was confused. Was she hearing these voices in her head, or were they trying to communicate with each other – or her?
Planting her feet on the ground, she went into the kitchen. Sure enough, the guys were all sitting around the table, looks of shock and dumbfounded stares on all of their faces.
Samara plopped into a chair and grabbed a piece of pepperoni from a platter. “Why can I hear everyone?”
Colby stared back at her. “You’re kidding me, right? You don’t already know why?”
Samara shook her head. “No. Is that supposed to happen when we go through initiation?” From what Colby had explained to her in the past about mind-speak, she knew that only certain people – your mate and your Alpha, to be specific – could be communicated with mentally when you were in human form. So, why was she hearing everything now? Was it some unique power that only she possessed?
Colby shook his head. “No, it’s not supposed to happen . . . only in special cases. Samara, you’re our new Alpha.”
Samara nearly choked on the pepperoni that she had been chewing. “What? What are you talking about? You’re Alpha.” Sure that Colby was joking, she found herself laughing at even the idea that she could be Alpha.
“He was Alpha,” Steve corrected her, shaking his head. “He’s not no more.”
“Can that even happen?” Samara asked. “I thought that once someone was named Alpha, it was a done deal.”
“It usually is a done deal. It’s very rare for someone to be a placeholder for the pack’s real Alpha,” Luke replied matter-of-factly. “I’ve only ever heard of it happening a few times in the past.”
“Then, I don’t think it can be happening now,” Samara replied, shaking her head. “I’m sure you guys are just confused. I’m not Alpha.”
“Trust me, you’re Alpha. To be completely honest, I always wondered if I was the real Alpha,” Colby said, rolling up his sleeve. “Do you see my tattoo?”
Samara looked at his arm, remembering that someone had once explained to her that Colby’s tattoo was more elaborate than the other pack members’ because he was Alpha. The rest of the pack members each had a tattoo of the same wolf paw print in a color that matched the smoky blue cloud that surrounded them when they changed from human to wolf form. Colby’s tattoo was of the same paw print, but there was a blue halo around his, which made it slightly more intricate than the tattoo that the rest of the Ima had. “Yeah, I see it,” she replied, looking up at Colby. “What about it?”
“It’s not as big or as complex as an Alpha’s tattoo is supposed to be,” Colby began. “My family thought I’d be the Ima Alpha because it runs in our blood. My dad is an Alpha, as you know, and my grandfather is also Alpha of one of our other adult packs. Then I went through initiation and I got my tattoo – and it wasn’t what we expected it to be. It is different from all of the others, but it should be a lot bigger than this. All Alphas’ tattoos are. We thought that maybe my tattoo would get bigger in time, as I got more powerful. It doesn’t usually happen that way, but it can. It’s rare, but it’s not unheard of.” Colby paused, running a hand through his curly mes
s of blonde hair. “I guess I was just always meant to be a temporary Alpha. It’s weird because I did get Alpha abilities . . . but they’ve all completely disappeared now that you’re the new Alpha.”
Samara opened her mouth to say something, but she found herself speechless. “I—I’m sorry Colby,” she whispered. She had a feeling that this was probably bothering him more than he was letting on; being Alpha was the only way he had ever shown any real confidence in life. As a wolf, he was confident, but as a human, he was just a class nerd who no one ever took seriously. Samara felt guilty that she had taken this away from him.
Colby shrugged. “It’s okay. I knew I was never fit to be Alpha, anyway.”
There was a big smile on Colby’s face. He was probably relieved that he no longer had to worry about the other pack members disobeying him. Even so, Samara still couldn’t help but feel bad. It’s not like she had asked to take away his place as Alpha. “I don’t know how this happened . . . or why,” she said.
“I do,” Luke chimed in. “It happened because Colby changed everything. He probably would have been our Alpha if you didn’t choose our pack.”
That made a lot of sense. Luke was probably right. This had happened because it was destined to happen. It made Samara wonder what would have happened if she had decided to become a Vyka. Would she have been an Alpha on that pack, too? Considering her grandfather had been a Vyka, it would make sense that she would have been. Then again, Seth had already gone through the Vyka initiation ceremony, and he wasn’t Alpha.
Curious to see what her own tattoo looked like, Samara rolled up her sleeve. There was nothing there. Rolling up her other sleeve, she found that there wasn’t a tattoo on that arm either. Questioningly, she glanced up at Luke. “Why don’t I have a tattoo?”