Web of Lies

by Sara Dailey

  But… it was working! I could see the change in her eyes, and I knew before she even spoke that I had changed her mind.

  “Okay, I’ll try. If the situation is right, I’ll ask, but if she doesn’t tell me, I am not going to push it.”

  Before I realized what I was doing, my arms flew around her as I babbled, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Teagan’s body tensed for the slightest moment but then relaxed, and she returned the hug. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, it felt good. Like I actually had a real friend. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d hugged a friend—or anyone for that matter.

  *****

  My plan was in play, and I could only hope that Teagan would get up the nerve to ask Cami about Luke, but I didn’t want to hear Teagan’s playback of the conversation. I wanted to hear it for myself. If luck was on my side, I might just be able to get close enough to hear the conversation. It was worth a shot. So once I figured Shari and Cami had arrived at the Wrights’ home, I crept out of my house and took to my wolf form. That way I could eavesdrop discreetly and have a better chance of hearing the girls.

  Under the cover of darkness, I snuck over to the Wrights’ and found the girls huddled around a fire on the covered patio in the backyard. Just as I had hoped, I could get close enough to hear them without being seen. The only thing that could possibly give me away was my scent, but with the fire going, there was a good chance it would go unnoticed. After a few tense minutes, I decided I was in the clear since no one said anything or came looking for me.

  Apparently, Teagan’s birthday was coming up and Alli invited the girls over to plan her birthday party. Since Teagan was the newest member of the pack, Alli wanted it to be a huge bash, but in truth, I bet she just wanted to do something special for Teagan since it would be her first birthday without her father. That and from what I’d gathered, Teagan didn’t have the best home life before she moved here, so I could only assume that big birthday parties were not exactly the norm, and since her birthday was only a couple of weeks away, Alli seemed determined to make it a night to remember.

  I listened as the girls droned on and on about ideas for the party until finally Alli and Shari went inside to make hot chocolate. This was the moment! Teagan was alone with Cami, and if she was going to ask Cami about Luke, this was the perfect time.

  I didn’t have the best view of the two girls, but I could hear them clearly. A few seconds of silence passed before Cami asked, “So how are things with Aiden?”

  “Things couldn’t be better, besides the whole alpha debacle,” Teagan replied, but before Cami could respond, she added, “So, you can tell me it’s none of my business if you want to, but what happened with you and Luke?”

  Score! Teagan actually did it. Listening intently, I readied myself for whatever Cami had to reveal.

  After a brief silence Cami began. “To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I was thinking getting involved with Luke. I know you don’t know him all that well, but I’ve known him all my life and was well aware that he has absolutely no ability to commit. I mean he goes through domestics—oh sorry, Teagan, I mean human girls—like toilet paper, and there is never a shortage when you look like Luke.”

  She paused for a moment, and Teagan didn’t respond. I could barely see the girls and didn’t know what was going on, so all I could do was sit there and silently pray that she wasn’t finished yet. I needed to know more.

  Seconds later, Cami continued, “This is embarrassing to admit. I’ve always had a crush on Luke, but I also knew that the second he might actually feel something for a girl, he runs like hell. But when he kissed me for the first time, I couldn’t help myself. I was in, despite the risks.”

  Teagan finally spoke up. “So why did you dump him?”

  Cami sighed loudly, and I wished I could see her face. With my heart pounding a mile a minute, I nervously awaited her response. After several excruciating seconds, it finally came. “It was stupid of me to ever think for one moment that there could be something real between me and him. I’ve always known he was broken, but I guess I kinda hoped that I could be the girl who would fix him. He’s never messed around with any of the pack girls, so I actually thought for one very brief moment that maybe I could be the one.”

  Cami took a deep breath before she admitted, “But I wasn’t. I’m not sure Luke will ever be emotionally available to anyone. He’s always kept everyone at arm’s length, even his friends. I probably shouldn’t say this, but you know his mom died during childbirth? His dad never got over it, never remarried, never even had a real girlfriend. I’ve kinda always figured that was why Luke is so scared to let anyone in. Maybe he’s scared he’ll end up like his father.”

  “No, I didn’t know about that. How sad. It makes sense though,” Teagan said with a hitch in her voice.

  “Anyway, when I came to my senses and realized that I would never be that person for him, I broke it off before he broke my heart. He kind of chipped away at it, but it’s mostly still intact. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had to let him go so that we could still be friends.”

  Before Teagan could respond, the back door opened and Alli and Shari were back. It was if the conversation hadn’t even taken place. The topic immediately switched to more ideas for the party that Alli and Shari must have discussed inside.

  I remained there for a few more minutes letting all that I had heard sink in. I knew Luke was a serial-dater, kind of a man-whore, but I would have never guessed the reason. My heart ached for him. Would he ever be able to let anyone in?

  I crept away toward the woods knowing there was only one thing that could make me feel better, that could make me feel alive. It was the one thing I’d always turned to. I needed to run. And that was exactly what I did. I sprinted through the brush and the trees until a scent in the air hit me with such force that my legs almost gave out when I came to an abrupt halt. The perfect mixture of sandalwood, leather, and earth filled my senses as my eyes frantically searched the area until they fell upon the most magnificent wolf I’d ever seen. Luke’s wolf eyes were staring back into mine.

  CHAPTER 18

  Drew

  I was just about to take a hot shower and call it a night when my phone rang.

  “Hey baby,” I answered, knowing it was Avery.

  “How come you haven’t called me?” she demanded in her pouty voice that I love so much.

  “Sorry, baby. I’ve been busy infiltrating a pack,” I said sarcastically.

  “Very funny. So, how is it going?”

  “Well, let’s see. I kicked your boy Cade’s ass yesterday at Call of Duty.”

  “What the hell are you doing playing games with him? I’m pretty sure that’s not why your dad sent you there,” she snapped.

  “I have to be friendly, Avery. Besides, I think I got under his skin, so I am doing my job.”

  “I’m sorry. I know you are. I just hate you being so far away from me and with those people,” she whined.

  “I’ll be home soon, babe. This pack is on the verge of imploding without our involvement, so with us helping things along it can’t be too much longer,” I assured her.

  “Okay, just be careful.”

  “I will. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Bye baby,” she said before she hung up.

  Then I went back to what I was doing before Avery called. The same thing I had been doing all day. Absolutely nothing! It was too damn cold to even think about going outside, and I had no idea where Scarlett took off to. I was about to text her when her father came into the room and wanted to chat.

  “How did things go with Cade yesterday?” Brian asked, sitting in the chair by the fireplace.

  “I got him thinking, that’s for sure.”

  “What do you think of those boys? Formed any opinions yet?”

  “It’s obvious right away who’s alpha material and who’s not. Aiden is a decent guy, but he could never run a pack, and he could never ever take us on. Cade is the one to worry a
bout. He’s smart. He’s playing his cards just right, and no one has even noticed that he’s in the game. He’s been able to put himself into the perfect position. If they decide to let the elders vote, Cade’s got it. If they make the guys fight it out, Cade’s got it. Hell, if they fight for it, he will gain even more respect than if his father just handed him the position. This way, as the pack will see it, he will have earned his title,” I said.

  Brian seemed to be absorbing my response. “Then we were right to get Luke to side with Aiden. If anyone can help Aiden learn how to fight it’s that Stanton kid.”

  Brian’s demeanor instantly changed and a pained expression crossed his face as he continued.“I guess I didn’t realize it before, but that Stanton kid is huge, isn’t he? Naturally, as the future enforcer, I knew he was a decent-sized kid, but he looks like a grown-ass man. I have to admit, I’m a little worried about Scarlett.”

  “Scarlett can handle him,” I answered.

  “You think?”

  “Don’t worry. Luke will be putty in her hands,” I told him.

  “Where is she anyway?” he asked.

  “No idea, but listen, Scarlett and I are going to have a hard time ‘making nice’ if it’s this freaking boring around here. We need to figure out a way for us to spend more time with Aiden and Cade,” I suggested. “Maybe even both at the same time. That would be fun, huh?”

  We tossed around a few ideas but nothing sounded feasible until the perfect idea popped into my head. “Hey, what’s today?”

  “It’s the 30th,” Brian answered.

  “Is it too late to put together a little New Year’s Eve party?” I asked.

  Brian actually thought my idea was great. He offered to go into town and buy whatever we would need. All we had to do was get Scarlett on board and the right guests at the party. We sat for a while and talked about what I could do or say at the party to really stir things up.

  Soon the conversation took another turn when Brian let me know that whatever plans he and Dad had for Marcus was well underway. I knew better than to ask questions. If Dad wanted me on the in, he would have told me himself. I’m being kept in the dark, so whatever he has in store for Marcus had to be some pretty serious shit.

  “I need to speak with your father, but I was thinking…in order to really weaken this pack, we should probably do something about the enforcer,” Brian stated out of the blue.

  “Luke’s dad?” I clarified.

  “Yes. Once Marcus is out of the picture, Phillip will most likely serve as interim until a new alpha is chosen. If Phillip isn’t around… Phillip, excuse my language, chaps my ass. Plus, a pack without an enforcer is more vulnerable any way you look at it.”

  Marcus out of the picture? I started to ask what the hell that meant but decided to hold off, at least for the time being. Instead, I nodded my ahead and agreed. “I can see your point. What do you have in mind for him?”

  “Let me worry about that. I’ll get in touch with your dad,” he said as he stood up to leave. He got to the stairs and then turned back to me. “I will keep you informed on what’s going on with Phillip, but let’s agree that Scarlett doesn’t need to know about this.”

  “Without a doubt. Scarlett doesn’t need to know anything,” I agreed.

  CHAPTER 19

  Luke

  My big plan to run until Scarlett was completely off my mind backfired on me within the first five minutes. I had barely made it passed the lake when I first noticed it. Immediately, I slowed to a walk, raising my nose and taking in a deep breath. The scent was faint at first, unrecognizable, but as I continued to follow it, the more and more my heart raced. Then I knew without a doubt who that scent belonged to. It was as fiery and spicy as its owner.

  I should have turned and walked away. I should have known what would happen if I followed it, but there was something about that scent that called to me. With every inhale the blood flowing inside of me surged, and my chest tightened. The closer I came to her luscious scent, the more overwhelming the need to touch her, to taste her, to have her scent on my body became. By the time she came into view, my entire body was alive, and I was fighting to control the animal inside me.

  Scarlett stood there in the woods, the most beautiful wolf I had ever seen. The current of electricity flowing between us was nearly visible. We stood there just looking at each other, a good fifty feet of forest separating us, but I had never felt closer to anyone before in my life. The moment felt intimate on a level I had never experienced. I was so entranced by her that I was only vaguely aware that she was walking my way.

  When she stopped before me, we were so close I could actually feel warmth radiating from her rich, dark fur. The way her eyes were studying me told me that she was as equally intrigued with me as I was with her. She took a hesitant step to the right and continued her examination. As she circled me, I could hear her inhale deeply, taking my scent inside of her. The deep little growl of appreciation that escaped her nearly did me in. It took every ounce of restraint to just stand there and let her be in charge of this. I wanted—no, needed—to dominate, to chase her down and show her exactly who she was playing with.

  Needing to move but not wanting to walk away, I sat back on my haunches and watched her. She finished her circle and sat right in front of me. We were nose-to-nose, eye-to-eye. Our breath mingled together in the cold night air. She was so beautiful, strong and lean, and even in this form her legs were long and sexy.

  I was waiting for a signal, something from her showing me that she was relinquishing control. I knew she felt like she had the upper hand on me in our human forms; with a body like hers, how could she not? But not here. Not like this. Come on Scarlett, let go.

  Then it happened. She lowered her eyes first, then her head. She was submitting. What happened next, I had no control over at all. I moved in closer and nuzzled my face in her neck. I think I surprised her because I felt her heart jump. Maybe it was mine. I didn’t know how long I sat there, but it was long enough for her scent to burn itself into my memory forever.

  It was when I finally did move away from Scarlett that things became real—fast. We were sitting there again simply watching each other when all of a sudden Scarlett leaned in. I thought she was going to nuzzle me back, but she didn’t. She bit me, which shocked the shit out of me. It didn’t hurt, but it was no gentle nip. No, it was definitely a bite. Afterwards, she sat there with this silly, wolfy grin thing going on like she was proud of herself. She was smiling at me one minute, and she took off the next.

  Oh yeah, Scarlett knew exactly what she was doing. She knew that I would not be able to resist the chase. I took off after her as fast as I could. She was fast. With those long legs, she’d have to be, but she wasn’t running at full speed because she wanted me to catch her. That was her game, and I was a willing player.

  We weaved around the pine trees, jumped over a few large boulders, and slid down snow-covered hills. I stayed behind her, but close…very, very close. We ran further than I had ever run on the estate. When we came to the wall of a cliff, I knew I had her cornered. She had run herself right into a wall. She slowed when she realized that she was in trouble. I followed her lead and slowed as well. Scarlett turned so that she was facing me, but she continued to walk backward toward the cliff wall.

  Once again, we were face to face, but this time I had the upper hand. We were no longer running, and I was by far the stronger wolf. She was looking to her left and to her right, trying to find a way around me. Not going to happen. I saw a slight tinge of panic on her face when her hind leg hit the wall, and she knew there was nowhere to run. I continued forward, confident that I had her just where I wanted her. Maybe a little too confident because she tried to cut around me, and she almost succeeded.

  Before I knew what I was doing, I had tackled Scarlett to the ground. She fought like a champ. At one point, she actually had me on my back, but not for long. In one swift motion the tables were turned, and I had her pinned. She was trapped beneath
me, unable to move. I looked down into her eyes and froze.

  What the hell were we doing? Scarlett lifted her head off the snow and licked my face. I might have been confused for a moment before, but her kiss shot me straight back into the land of reality. Shit, I was supposed to be avoiding this girl, not running wild through the woods with her. I gave my head a little shake to try to clear my thoughts, but as I did, Scarlett began to wiggle underneath me. I had to get away. If I stayed here with her, we would end up doing something that neither one of us was ready for.

  I backed away from her as fast as I could. The look in her eyes felt like a swift kick in the nuts. She looked hurt and maybe a little embarrassed by my retreat. I took a few more steps back, and then she was on her feet. I tried to look remorseful and apologetic, but in this form I didn’t know if I was pulling it off. Scarlett took a step toward me and I freaked. I ran. I left Scarlett by the cliff and ran my sorry ass home.

  CHAPTER 20

  Scarlett

  Seriously? Did that shitball actually just take off and leave me standing here like a lovesick cub again?

  Lovesick… I am so not lovesick! I am not falling for the like-ya-one-second-running-like-hell-the-next wolf with commitment issues!

  Oh God! I am! I am totally falling for Luke Stanton, the freakin’ king of commitment issues. Damn it! Damn him! Damn my stupid, stupid heart.

  No, no, no. This was not supposed to be happening. I was sent here to screw with Luke’s head, not to let him screw with mine. Yet here I stood, in the middle of nowhere, alone and wanting nothing more than to take off after him and finish what we’d started, but I kept my paws planted firmly to the ground. I would not chase him. I would not follow.