by Jayme Morse
Luke glanced over at her knowingly. We all have our family secrets.
What’s yours? Samara asked, sort of surprised that Luke was admitting that his family also wasn’t perfect.
If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. At that, Luke gave her a small kiss on the lips and turned to the rest of the pack. “I gotta go, guys. I’ll see you all soon.”
As goodbyes echoed throughout the room, Samara found herself wondering what was wrong with Luke’s family – and, not only that, but why she hadn’t met them yet.
*
When Samara and Kyle got back to her house, all of the lights had been turned off. She checked in on her parents; they were both snuggled up in bed, snoring softly.
Samara grabbed a sleeping bag from the coat closet and brought it to her room for Kyle to use. “You can sleep on the floor.”
Kyle wrinkled his nose. “Why me?”
“You’re the guy . . . man up,” Samara said, laughing.
“Fine,” Kyle said through gritted teeth. “Next time, we’re flipping a coin to see who gets the bed, though.”
Once Kyle was settled in his sleeping bag, Samara leaned over the side of the bed to look at him. “What was it like growing up knowing that you would be a werewolf eventually?”
Kyle shrugged. “I don’t know . . . it was normal to me. It was hard not being allowed to tell anyone about it, though.”
“Like me?” Samara asked softly.
Kyle nodded. “My mom always made it very clear that I was never to tell you and Seth, of all people. It was kind of hard since we grew up being best friends.”
“How old were you when your mom told you?” Samara asked.
“I think I was ten or eleven,” Kyle replied, counting the years on his fingers. “Yeah, I was eleven . . . I found out in 2006.”
Samara sighed. “It must have been nice knowing it was going to happen. I know I keep dwelling on this, but I can’t help it. On the off-chance that my parents do know, I’m going to feel so betrayed.” She paused. “I don’t know how your mom or Grandpa Joe kept this a secret so easily.”
Kyle shrugged, sleepily. “You gotta do whatever you have to do to protect your family, I guess.”
“Do you remember Grandpa Joe?”
“Yeah, don’t you?” Kyle asked, looking up at her.
“We didn’t get to see him as much as your family did, I don’t think. I do remember a few things, though,” Samara said. When she closed her eyes, Samara could see her grandpa’s smiling face – his dark hair, his wrinkled cheeks, and the leathery, tan skin that Samara had always credited for the olive glow that her own skin took on during the months of summer. Samara could remember her grandfather trying to teach her how to play chess; he would explain what each of the opponents meant, and he told her that she had to choose her moves wisely if she didn’t want to lose the game. “I think there were times when he was subtly trying to hint things about my future.”
“What do you mean?” Kyle asked.
“I mean, one time, when he taught me how to play chess, he was trying to give me advice about how to win the game. At the time, I was just a kid, so I thought he was really talking about chess . . . but now I wonder if he was talking about life.” Samara paused. “It’s almost like he was trying to give me sort of advice . . . like he was trying to warn me about what I had to do when the time came.”
“Hmm, maybe,” Kyle said, his eyes drooping. He yawned and said, “I wouldn’t put it past him.” Seconds later, Kyle began snoring loudly.
Samara rolled onto her side and turned off the lamp. She stared at the moon in the sky and said to Luke through mind-speak: What’s going on with your family?
There was a long pause. Finally, Luke answered her. Nothing . . . don’t worry about it, Sam.
Samara laughed sarcastically aloud. Why shouldn’t I worry? You haven’t introduced me to your mom and stepdad yet. Why? You’ve met my parents already.
She heard Luke sigh in his head. Look, my stepdad drinks a lot, okay? And my mom doesn’t care. She just allows it to happen.
I thought you said you liked your stepdad, Samara pointed out.
I do like him, Luke replied. He’s been really accepting of me. I mean, he was even okay with us moving here, just because we knew I had to be an Ima. I like him, but he has his problems.
Will I ever meet your parents? Samara asked.
Luke hesitated. Eventually you’ll have to. I mean, I know we’re werewolves, but I’m sure that we’ll go through with human relationship stuff, like getting married and having kids that my parents will want to be grandparents to.
Samara smiled at the idea. As she tried to fall asleep, though, she couldn’t seem to ignore the feeling that had entered her mind: Was Luke trying to hide her from his parents? Samara quickly shook the thought away, assuming that she was just being ridiculous.
*
Samara slid her bedroom window open and climbed out. She hoped that Kyle wouldn’t wake up while she was gone, but hopefully, he would try to make some sort of mental exchange with her if he got worried about her so that she could let him know she was fine.
Changing to her wolf form, Samara ran through the woods. She followed her nose to Chris and Steve, who were perched on a few boulders beside Starlight Lake. As Samara approached, Steve climbed off the rock, his gray furry ears standing up alertly.
What’s going on? Steve asked. You’re supposed to be in the house with Kyle.
Everything’s fine, Samara replied, sitting down in front of him. I need to know how to fight.
What do you mean? Chris asked, joining Steve and Samara by the shore of the lake. We’ve all given you lessons already. You did a good job with all of us.
Samara shook her head. That’s not what I mean. I mean I need to learn how to fight . . . really fight. Not just a lesson. So I need to fight one or both of you.
Steve stared back at her with a knowing look in his golden wolf eyes. He got up and ran away, somewhere into the woods.
Samara glanced at Chris. He opened his mouth and flashed her a wide dog tooth smile. This should be fun.
Before Samara could object or ask what Chris was talking about, she felt a paw scrape against her back from behind. Whirling around, Samara clapped her furry white paw against Steve’s neck. He had caught her off guard, even though she probably should have known this was what he had been planning. This wasn’t off to a good start.
Steve growled at her, baring his white teeth which shone in the night sky. Samara tried to remember that this wasn’t a real dog fight, that Steve was only acting ferocious because she had asked him to.
Samara tried to remember the things that her pack members had told her to do. She held her head and shoulders high, trying to exude her confidence. Once she had given herself more of a broad shoulders appearance, Steve backed down a little. She wondered if it was because he was actually afraid of her.
Sinking her teeth into his ankle, Steve yelped. Hey, that shit hurt!
Sorry, Samara replied, stepping away from him. Maybe this was a bad idea. I don’t want to hurt you.
You want my honest opinion? Steve asked, curling his tail under him and sitting down on the sandy ground. You’re gonna do just fine. I can already tell that you’re more powerful than other wolves.
Really? How? Samara asked in disbelief. She didn’t feel any more powerful than any of the other wolves in her pack. In fact, she’d even started to doubt that she would be able to hold her own when it came time to fight Jason – or anyone, for that matter.
Your growl is scary as hell, Steve replied, shaking his head, just like he did in real life. If I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t want to cross your path.
Samara felt her own dark wolf lips twist into a smile. It made her feel good to know that someone believed she would be able to fight. It also felt good to know that Steve was beginning to open up to her a little more. If only she could get Chris to open up soon now that he didn’t completely hate her anymore. Samara knew th
at, in time, she would form long-lasting friendships with all of the guys on her pack, but the sooner it happened, the better.
At that moment, there was a loud rustling sound in the bushes. Samara froze, feeling her tail instinctively stiffen and her ears pin back. She could smell a foreign scent – one that smelled like strawberries and honeysuckle. Unsure how she was even able to determine what the scents were, Samara realized that her sense of scent must be developing.
Samara had never noticed the strawberry-honeysuckle scent in the woods before now, though. She was positive that she had never met whoever was lurking in the forest.
As Samara tiptoed on all fours over to the bushes, Chris stood in front of her. It’s okay, Samara. It’s someone I know.
Someone from another pack? Samara asked.
It doesn’t matter. Don’t worry. It’s just Rain.
Rain? Who’s that?
I’ll explain later, Chris replied. I asked her to hang out with me here tonight so that I’d have something to do while I guarded the woods.
Samara started to object, but how could she? It made her feel guilty that Chris even had to man these woods, let alone not let him hang out with someone while he was doing it. As long as he wasn’t hanging out with a Vyka or a Shomecossee, Samara didn’t care.
She watched as Rain, a reddish-colored wolf, stepped out from behind the bushes, and scampered off in the other direction, with Chris following close behind. Samara got the feeling that this was someone who Chris was romantically involved with. At school, she had always noticed that girls themselves at him, but it seemed like Rain was the one who wore the pants in this relationship.
Once Samara could no longer see Chris and Rain in the woods, she turned to Steve. What’s the deal with them?
They’re wannabe soul mates, Steve replied. When Samara just stared at him in question, he continued. They’ve known each other for years, and they’ve always wanted to be together. But they’re not on the same pack.
Samara understood what that meant. They couldn’t be mates if they weren’t on the same pack. That’s why Samara couldn’t be mated with Declan unless she chose to become a Vyka.
What pack is Rain on?
She’s not on one yet, Steve replied.
What do you mean? Samara asked. I thought a pup was automatically given a pack. How can she just not have one?
It’s a long story, Steve said.
We have all night, Samara insisted.
She was supposed to be a Seku, Steve began. The Seku were one of the area’s smaller packs, and from what Samara understood, they were merging with the Shomecossee pack to create a larger pack. But her grandfather was a Seku, and he was a traitor. The Seku don’t want her. No one wants her because of what her grandfather did.
What did he do? Samara asked.
Steve paused. He killed your grandmother, even after they had called a truce with the Vyka at that time. Once that happened, the Vyka and the Seku became rivals.
Samara gulped, only partly aware of the low growl that escaped her throat. She’d had a feeling that her grandmother had been murdered by a werewolf, but this was the confirmation that she needed to know it was true. Samara wanted to be angry, but how could she be? She didn’t know her grandmother or Rain’s grandfather. It doesn’t seem fair.
I know, Steve agreed. It was a really brutal murder.
Samara shook her head, feeling her white fur shake. That’s not what I meant. I meant that it’s not fair for the other packs to hold what happened in the past against Rain. She’s not the one who killed my grandmother.
Oh, yeah, that, Steve said slowly. A lot of wolves think that being a traitor runs in our blood. If your parent could be a traitor, why can’t you?
Anyone can be a traitor, Samara replied, thinking about her own brother. Even though she knew that it wasn’t his fault that he had been naturally put on the Vyka pack, it still sort of felt like he had been a traitor to her family. Of course, he would say that she was the one who had been a traitor by choosing to be on a pack that Grandpa Joe probably wouldn’t have approved of.
Yeah, I agree, Steve replied. It’s not fair really . . . it’s just the way it is.
It doesn’t have to be, Samara replied. I want Rain to become an Ima. Well, I want to get to know her first.
Why? Steve asked incredulously.
Because she needs a pack to belong to, Samara replied. Why not make it our pack?
I guess, but if you’re just doing this because you feel bad for Chris, you shouldn’t. Letting Rain be an Ima won’t guarantee that they’ll be mates, you know, Steve replied.
Samara chuckled. Why would I feel sorry for Chris? He’s one of the biggest players at Grandview High.
Because this shit is serious, Samara. It’s not just some fling for him. Chris really loves that girl.
Samara sighed. Then she was going to definitely have to find a way to get Rain on their pack. It was a surefire way to win Chris’s friendship for good. And how could she just let the poor girl take blame by other packs for something that wasn’t her fault? It didn’t seem logical.
Samara decided that, after everything went down with Jason, she was going to get to know Rain better.
“I’m hungry,” Colby announced, standing up. “Who wants burgers for lunch?”
Everyone agreed that they were hungry, including Samara. She had been eating less lately because of her nerves, and it was definitely beginning to catch up with her. It was probably a good idea for her to load up on some protein before the Homecoming dance. Samara was going to need all the strength she could muster if their plan was going to work.
“I’ll help cook,” Luke said, following Colby into the kitchen. Kyle and Steve followed, too, leaving Samara and Steve alone in the living room.
“Hey, can you do me a favor?” Samara asked Steve quietly when the others had left the room. “Don’t tell Chris what I told you . . . about how I want to meet Rain and make her an Ima.”
Steve ran his fingers across his lips. “My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks. So, do you have a mate yet?” Samara asked turning to Steve.
Steve laughed. “Nah, not yet. I guess my mate must be a late bloomer.”
“Oh,” Samara said. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. It was hard enough to become a werewolf when you already had a mate. She couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be to not have one yet. “There are less female werewolves then male werewolves. Are there ever times when a werewolf doesn’t find a mate?”
“Oh, yes, definitely,” Steve replied. “It happens pretty often, actually.”
Samara was about to ask Steve how he knew that he actually had a mate, but he answered her question on his own. “Usually, you wait until you’re twenty-one. If you haven’t already found a mate and you still want one, you pick a mate of your choosing and bite them.”
“Is there really a guarantee that you’ll be mates then, though? Colby bit me and I’m not his mate,” Samara pointed out. Her mind drifted to the conversation that she had with Lilly about Josh biting her. Lilly hadn’t been entirely convinced that they were really mates until after she became a werewolf herself and was able to hear Josh’s thoughts herself. Could it have been possibly that they weren’t even really mates, though?
“Well, it’s kind of complicated,” Steve replied. “There’s this whole theory that whoever you bite is who you were really meant to be with. There are rare occasions, though, like yours or where the other person is resistant. This usually happens when they get mad at the wolf who turned them.” He patted the top of his head, pushing down on his braids. “If there’s enough anger, the person can un-mate themselves from that wolf. It doesn’t mean that you’re not mates, though, or that you weren’t meant to be mates all along.”
Samara knew that Lilly didn’t want to be a wolf, and it had definitely seemed like she was resentful towards Josh for changing her. Could it be possible that, although Josh and Lilly had been meant to be mates, there was a chance that h
er anger and resentment had un-mated them?
Sighing, Samara realized that it didn’t even really matter anymore. Lilly was gone, and she knew that Josh felt as guilty as she did for what had happened. There was no reason to stir up things that no longer made a difference.
The aroma of hamburgers filled Samara’s nostrils, and she shot up from the sofa, following it into the kitchen. Once she was there, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Darren Jackson was sitting at the kitchen table, scarfing down one of the hamburgers that Colby had cooked for him. He made eye contact with her, his nearly black eyes penetrating her own. She gulped, trying not to show him that she felt intimidated.
Samara heard Luke’s voice fill her head. It’s okay, he said gently. Just relax. He hasn’t done anything to you.
Not yet, no, but he’s creeping me out, Samara replied.
“How do you want your burger, Samara?” Colby asked.
“Rare,” Samara replied, trying to avoid Darren’s eyes. Maybe if she didn’t look at him, he would just go away . . . or at least stop staring at her. As she sat down at the table, she knew that wasn’t true; his eyes were still studying her face.
“Hello, Samara,” Darren said. “Tell me, how’s the plan going?”
“It’s going good,” Samara replied, knowing that he was talking about the plan to kill Jason. What she wasn’t sure was why he was asking her when he could ask his son any time he wanted to.
“I’m glad to hear that. Because it would be a shame if this plan failed for you,” Darren replied, getting up from the table and throwing his paper plate in the garbage. He strode out of the room, leaving Samara with a weird feeling in the pitch of her stomach and a chill shooting down her spine.
*
As the sun shone through her bedroom window the next morning, Samara stretched and yawned.