Passion Sought

by C Zinnia

  “We, however, acknowledge that they are living, feeling beings. We may not agree with them, but we still see their value. Sadly, it puts us at a disadvantage when it comes to conflicts like this. We see that we would have to potentially kill our brethren while they view us as bugs to be exterminated.”

  “That’s a rough place to be,” Daren said.

  “It is,” Alura said.

  “Instead of trying to fight them, my goal is to show how unworthy Chris is as a leader,” Mason said. “The sooner others realize he is not Alpha material, the better.”

  “Forgive me for asking, but why promote him to beta if you didn’t want him to become alpha?” Daren asked.

  “To keep the peace,” Alura said. “Chris has enough support from the more reckless members of the pack that Pop has been forced to appease him somewhat. Chris is asking Pop to name him the next in line to be Alpha. It’s because of you, Viola, that Pop can refuse his request without causing an uproar. Because you beat him so easily and so effortlessly, it’s hard for him to claim he deserves the alpha position. In fact, your fight with him was shorter than any of your other fights, showing that he’s not even close to as strong as he pretends to be. The whole reason his fanatics support him is because he portrays a false image of what it means to be Alpha. Physically strong and not afraid to use violence. One of their arguments against me is that a woman is never able to best a man.” Alura smirked. “His cronies aren’t very happy to have their strong leader bested by a mere woman, even with all of the supposed magical powers you wield.”

  “If I had magical abilities, I wouldn’t feel as sore as I do after training because I’d use it to heal my muscles,” Viola said with a grin. “I’m glad I could oblige. Did he want the match or did he get coerced into it?”

  “I casually mentioned to Chris in front of his friends the other morning that if he was as strong as he claimed then he would have no problem defeating you,” Alura said.

  “He was not pleased, but he knew if he refused then his buddies would look at him as a coward. Everyone knows you’re the best,” Mason said.

  “Only the best currently fighting,” Viola said, making a point to nudge Alura. “I bet you’d be a worthy opponent.”

  Alura smiled. “I guess we’ll never know. My fighting days are over,” she said. “I don’t want to risk losing anymore sight than I already have.”

  “Hopefully, the fight last night was a good start at convincing Chris’ allies that he’s not worthy to be Alpha,” Susan said.

  “Yeah, it was a great fight last night. And you had great form and technique with your kick. It was nice to see ‘his royal highness’ get knocked off his pedestal,” Alura said.

  Viola smiled at the complement. She had always admired Alura’s fighting abilities. Viola was sad that they never got to fight because Alura would have been a worthy opponent.

  “Do you think you would be up to challenging Chris to a rematch?” Alura said. “Seeing him get beat a second time by you would definitely help. I would ask Daren-” She pointedly looked at him- “but I know he’s not interested in fighting. The more people who are able to defeat Chris, the better.”

  “We don’t even know if I’d be able to beat him,” Daren said with a wide smile. “I’m rusty at fighting.”

  Viola rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding me?” she asked. “You could beat him. Though, I don’t think you could beat my time.”

  His eyes sparkled. “You’re just trying to lure me into a fight by nudging my competitive side,” he said.

  “Maybe,” Viola said.

  “I’d even admit that you’re better than me at fighting if you beat Viola’s time,” Alura said to Daren.

  Alura’s statement piqued Daren’s interest. “Really?” he asked.

  She grinned as she nodded. “What do you think, Viola?” she asked.

  “That’s a big incentive,” Viola said.

  Mason tried to hide a smile at the thought of Daren defeating Chris, but it didn’t work. “Now Alura, no need to keep talking about Chris when Viola has enough on her plate with finding her mate,” he said.

  Alura laughed. “I apologize, but this is very important. We need allies, Pop,” she said. “We’ve been quiet about this for too long and it’s been a bad way to go about it. We need people we can trust and people who are strong enough to go against Chris and his goonies if and when the time comes.”

  “It’s okay, Mason,” Viola said. “We figured Chris was the type who likes to reach the top as fast as possible.”

  “Would you like us to let Bruce know what’s going on?” Daren asked Mason.

  “Yes,” Mason said. “We’ve spoken a little about it, but it’s time to start making concrete plans. I fear when I pass this pack will divide. There are many good, innocent people and I want them to be safe.”

  “Of course,” Viola said.

  “You may want to do your mind trick with Chris about competing at the Mabon tournament,” Daren suggested to Alura. “You could argue that he should be able to win in the male division without issue.”

  Alura grinned. “I like how you think,” she said. “If he loses, that’ll definitely help decrease his credibility more. You should consider competing. If you enter the tournament, he’s guaranteed to lose.”

  “I’ll think about it,” he said.

  “Now that that’s out of the way, let’s see if we can find your mate,” Mason said to Viola.

  Alura led Viola and Daren out of the main house. The village was similar in format to Bruce’s village. The two packs had come together to help each other build the villages.

  It was a beautiful sunny day. The wind was blowing leaves across the grass as children ran around. They laughed as they played.

  The adults kept an eye on their children but they also watched Viola. Some of them were curious and others were hostile.

  Viola, Daren, and Alura went from house to house. Alura and Daren effortlessly made small talk with pack members while Viola would sift through smells, never finding her mate’s scent. They even searched the woods, but Viola never caught even a whiff of her mate’s scent.

  Chris and his cronies made sure to stay out of sight. Viola could sense them from time to time. They were observing Daren and her from the woods. Viola did her best to ignore them.

  It was late afternoon by the time they were done searching the entire village.

  “Let’s get some lunch,” Alura said. They went back to the main house where food was being cooked by Mason and Susan. Alura helped her parents while Viola and Daren sat down.

  “Don’t be so glum,” Susan said. “You’ll find her soon enough.”

  Viola tried to stay positive, but it was nearly impossible. “I hope so,” she said.

  “Maybe she was from another pack and just stopped by to visit someone from your pack,” Alura suggested. “No relatives or friends have come here to visit in the last month, so it wasn’t anyone visiting ours.”

  “She could be a visitor of our pack,” Viola said. “I’ll have to ask Bruce when we get back.”

  “Well, you must eat first,” Mason said. “We can’t have you going home with growling stomachs. Bruce wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.”

  It was a quick meal with a lot of small talk. They all saw Viola fidgeting and knew she was ready to get back home.

  Mason and Alura walked with Viola and Daren to their car. “It was good seeing both of you,” Mason said. “Feel free to come visit anytime.”

  “Thank you, Alpha Mason,” Viola and Daren replied.

  “Good luck with finding your mate,” Mason said.

  “Thanks,” Viola said. “Good luck and be safe. You’ll always have my support and I’m sure Bruce would say the same.”

  Mason and Alura nodded. “We feel the same,” Mason said.

  “Darling,” Susan said from the main house. “You have a phone call from Alpha Bruce.”

  “He’s probably calling to make sure I’m not trying to steal you both away. E
xcuse me,” Mason said. “Both of you have a great day!”

  Viola and Daren left. During the car ride, they were quiet for a long time.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t find her, V,” Daren said.

  “It’s okay. Then again, maybe I imagined it,” Viola said. “Either I made it up or she’s a lone wolf. I should have known. She was in the tree all by herself during the match.”

  Daren slammed the brakes. “What!?”

  Chapter 23

  A car behind them screeched as it rapidly braked. The guy honked. The car swerved and sped around them while the guy yelled obscenities at them.

  Daren was too preoccupied to notice.

  “Jesus Daren! Are you trying to get us killed?” Viola said.

  “No,” Daren said absently. “Sorry about that. What do you mean alone in a tree? What tree?”

  “The tree in the field. Her scent was all over it,” Viola said.

  “Oh crap,” Daren said.

  “What?” Viola asked. Daren didn’t answer. “Daren! If you don’t tell me what the hell is going on, I’m going to whoop your ass! She exists, doesn’t she? And you know who she is, don’t you? Tell me!” Daren was so pale that Viola feared the worst. “You didn’t sleep with her, did you?” She fought with all of her might not to wrap her hands around his neck.

  “No!” Daren said. “God no! I didn’t! It’s not like that! It’s just . . .” He sighed. “That wasn’t a lone wolf.”

  Viola was past the point of losing patience. “Then who is she, Daren?” she asked.

  “Mel. The human from the B&B I mentioned the other day,” Daren said.

  Viola was dumbfounded. “Human?” she repeated. “How is that possible?”

  “Look at Nana and Papa. It obviously happens,” Daren said.

  “Yes, but I didn’t expect my mate to be . . .” Viola trailed off. She didn’t know how she felt about her mate being human. While Viola trained humans at work, she viewed them as delicate and breakable. She needed her mate to be strong, not fragile.

  Daren glanced at Viola. “Mel’s a good person, V. And she’s pretty brave.”

  Viola wasn’t sure she believed him.

  “Maybe it’s not Mel. Maybe the scent is old and you’re just now noticing it,” he said.

  “Maybe,” she agreed. She hoped that was the case.

  “Either way, we should go talk to Bruce about it,” Daren said.

  “Yeah, I guess,” Viola said. She really didn’t want to talk to Bruce. She wanted to go see Mel now. Viola wanted to make sure it was real, but a human mate was a complicated situation. It’s not like she could tell Mel she was a werewolf without permission from her alpha. Viola remembered Nana mentioning in passing the amount of work and time it took before her alpha gave her permission to tell Papa. Viola randomly laughed.

  “What?” Daren asked.

  “Eli’s been telling me to go by the B&B multiple times,” Viola said. “Now I can see why. He probably saw this.”

  Witches, Viola thought. He knew and he didn’t spell it out for me. Eli knew I would have gone to the B&B if he told me my mate was there. So, why didn’t he tell me?

  “It’s a good thing you didn’t,” Daren said. “Mel’s curious enough as it is. If she had met you, she would have had a million questions about your instantaneous attraction to each other.”

  “Do you think Mel will feel an instantaneous attraction towards me like a normal werewolf would to her mate?” Viola asked. Dana’s a werewolf and she was so prejudiced that she didn’t feel an instantaneous attraction towards Lee , she thought. She didn’t know if Papa was instantly attracted to Nana. It was a question Viola never thought to ask.

  Daren was unsure, then he remembered something. He laughed. “Well, I’ll be,” Daren said.

  “What? What?” Viola asked.

  “Oh, she already likes you,” Daren said confidently.

  “How do you know?” Viola asked.

  “Because she was staring at you the whole time she was there,” Daren said. “I made jokes about her liking you and she about had a fit.”

  “Why didn’t you say this sooner?” Viola demanded.

  He flinched. “V, I didn’t know it was that kind of attraction. I wouldn’t have guessed your mate would be a human!” he said. “Remember how many human women liked you while you were staying at the B&B.”

  Viola smiled at the memory of the various women fawning over her and how they would try to subtly watch her train. Viola always made sure to make a big show of her training for them. “Fair enough. What is Mel like?” she asked.

  “She’s nice,” Daren said. “She had brought a keyboard and guitar with her. She wants to write music. She’s the one we took to the Harvester. She really enjoyed the concert.”

  Viola groaned. “I can’t believe how many opportunities I had to meet her,” she said.

  “Yep, she went kayaking with us too and enjoyed being outside,” he said. “You can always take her to another performance at the Harvester. She listens to music like she’s savoring it.”

  Viola liked the sound of that. “That’s a good idea,” she said. “Thanks. What else?”

  “She’s a badass,” Daren said confidently.

  A human badass, Viola thought in disbelief. “How?” she asked.

  Daren told her what Mel did to Bill at the B&B. Viola wasn’t happy to find out that Bill was still there.

  Pride filled Viola’s heart. She liked that her mate was able to handle an unpleasant situation. “It’s sexy to know my mate can handle her own,” she said. Maybe she’s tougher than I’m giving her credit for, she thought.

  Maybe Mel would be okay being around so many werewolves , she thought. Then again, no werewolf would dare cause trouble for my mate to begin with. She didn’t like that a man such as Bill had the audacity to think he could do whatever he wanted to Mel without facing repercussions. He had no right to touch my mate.

  “Maybe we should go over to the B&B first,” Viola said darkly. “I’d like to teach him a thing or two about manners.”

  “No! That’s a hell no!” Daren said. “V, you’re not allowed to touch a human. You know that. Besides, I told Dad that Bill was inappropriate and he’s going to make him leave today. It’s Trixie’s boyfriend. The jerk isn’t worth the trouble.”

  Viola frowned. “Fine,” she said.

  The drive took forever for Viola. It was only because Daren was already speeding that Viola didn’t bark at him to go faster. Better to get there safe than not at all , she thought. And without a speeding ticket to explain to Bruce.

  When they reached the village parking lot, Daren tensed up. “Why is Dad’s car here?” he asked. He hurriedly turned off the car before jumping out and running to the main house. Viola followed him. They entered the living room to find Silvia and Bruce sitting on the couch. They both looked exhausted.

  “Bruce, what’s going on?” Daren asked. “Where are Mom and Dad? Their car is outside.”

  “They’re both upstairs asleep,” Bruce answered. “I guess you haven’t seen Samuel yet. He was waiting for you at the B&B.”

  Daren was even more concerned. “It’s barely evening. Why are my parents sleeping here? What happened?” he asked.

  Silvia sighed. “Sit down, Daren,” she said.

  Daren sat down.

  Viola couldn’t sit. Her heart raced and her palms started sweating. “Is Mel okay?” she asked.

  Bruce and Silvia were surprised at the question. “How do you know about Mel?” he asked.

  “Is Mel okay?” Viola asked again. “Where is she?”

  “Yes, she’s fine. She’s asleep upstairs too,” Silvia answered. “Sit down, Viola.”

  Mel’s here! Viola thought with glee. Then Silvia’s words sunk in. Wait. A human has been allowed to stay in a village of werewolves. Oh my God. She sat down.

  “It’s bad, isn’t it,” Viola said.

  “Yes,” Silvia said. “Your parents are alive and okay.”

  Daren nodded
. “That’s always a good way to start,” he said.

  “It turns out Bill is a hunter. He killed Trixie, but not before she turned into a werewolf in front of Mel,” Bruce said.

  “A hunter,” Daren said. He didn’t appear shocked. “That bastard would have been a hunter. Please tell me he’s dead.”

  “Unfortunately, no,” Bruce said. “He blew up the B&B and escaped before your parents could get him. I had sent Samuel and the others out to track him. We found a scent with Lee’s help, but it disappeared over by Philpot lake. We haven’t been able to pick up his scent again yet. His car was gone from the parking lot. We assume he came back to the B&B when Dana, Lee, and Mel were gone and drove off.”

  Daren was flummoxed. “Blown up,” Daren repeated.

  “Yes,” Bruce said. “With a bomb.”

  “With a bomb?” Daren said dumbly.

  “Yes,” Bruce said.

  “And Bill did it,” Daren said. It took a moment for him to process everything. “Our house is gone!” He buried his face in his hands. “What are we going to do?”

  “You will stay here with us,” Silvia said. “We’ll figure out what to do.”

  “We can have the B&B rebuilt. The insurance money will cover it,” Bruce said. “Or we can use the insurance money to invest in something else your parents would be interested in.” He reached over and squeezed Daren’s shoulder. “It’ll all work out.”

  Daren flew up. “I’ll kill him. I’ll kill Bill!”

  Viola held him so he couldn’t run out the door.

  Daren broke away from Viola. He ran to the front door.

  “No Daren!” Bruce said. His voice altered, becoming the voice of an alpha who will be obeyed.

  Daren stopped. He collapsed to his knees and cried.

  Viola rocked him, trying to pacify him. Her eyes filled with tears. Her heart ached too. The B&B was her first home. Viola learned what true family was there and it was because of Dana, Lee, and Daren. “It’ll all be okay, Daren,” she whispered. “You know it will be. At least your parents are alive.”