by C. R. Jane
Having them on my side was heart-warming and made me want to cry.
But it didn’t stop the darkness of the man’s words from striking me as he shouted over the others. They hit me like a hot branding iron to my skin. His hatred sliced me apart. Doubt filled me again. Maybe he was correct. What right did I have to put them all in danger?
Daxon stepped forward, shoulders broad. The man reared back, well aware that he shouldn’t piss off Daxon. But it also scared me because I didn’t want Daxon to force people to fight for me, to risk everything.
I wouldn’t allow it, and when I stepped after him, Wilder placed an arm across my stomach. He gave me a small nod that held me back. This wasn’t just about me after all, was it? It was them showing the authority over their pack and not being challenged.
“Sit your asses back down,” Daxon growled. “You fearful cowards would demand one of your own be thrown to the hybrids? That’s an insult to our packs, a disgrace. Is that the treatment you want next time you’re in trouble? For that matter, why are we living as a pack if we aren’t here to protect each other?”
“She’s not one of us,” the man spat. “We all know she’s an outsider and this is why we rarely let others join us.”
When the man with bushy eyebrows glared at me, instead of fear, the instinctual urge to snarl at him came instantly, rolling past my throat. My wolf was trying to rear up inside of me, to show everyone she wasn’t weak.
Wilder had said he was going to make me a warrior. I was petite and slimmer than many, but the fire burning inside me roared. My jaw clenched and I held his stare, until he looked away first. I needed to keep reminding myself of this. I am a warrior.
It was only then that I glanced over to the corner where movement caught my attention, and I did a double take. Two young girls, dressed in white dresses and kerchief head coverings. My first thought was why their mother had dressed them that way, but the longer I watched them whispering and playing a game where they held each other's hands and spun in a circle, the more I was convinced they were actually ghosts. Just like Lillian had been back at the bar.
They didn’t notice me. And no one saw them… except me.
Daxon had been talking to the crowd who hadn’t backed down, and I missed most of his conversation. Wilder was talking too. When I glanced back at the ghost girls, they were gone. I blinked and scanned the room to find they’d completely vanished.
Refocusing, I turned to the grumbling that grew louder from the small portion of the crowd.
Jim climbed to his feet. “I’m with Wilder and Daxon. Rune is one of us and we fight for each other. Otherwise, are we any better than the hybrids?”
“Sit the fuck down, old man,” a younger guy across the aisle shouted. “We’ll be the ones fighting, not you.”
“The hunters won’t discriminate, and they’ll come for all of us equally,” Jim said. And then, gradually, the others stood up and voiced the same. “We’re with Rune.”
My heart sang, and my gaze darted around, cataloguing that more people had joined me than the haters.
Miyu was smiling crazily at me, waving even.
“It’s good to see most of us have our morals in the right place,” Wilder stated. “Rune is staying with us, and we will fight to protect her. There’s nothing to argue with here.”
“Bullshit,” the bushy-eyebrow man called, pushing past others to head to the doors. He wrenched them open, but Daxon had moved like lightning, grabbing his arm.
“Let me go.”
I hated the thickness of the air, hated that I’d brought out tensions between my men and their packs.
Dread twisted in my stomach as I watched Daxon pull open the door and shove the man outside. He stood by the door like a guard.
“Daxon,” Wilder said. One word and it carried enough warning for Daxon to tread carefully. Then he continued addressing the room. “We didn’t pull you together to start pointing fingers. We’re in this together. Of course our last resort is fighting, and we’re working on solutions to help avoid this. You need to trust us, but also do your due diligence and be cautious around town. Report anything suspicious to us immediately.”
Several townsfolk huffed and groaned under their breaths. The small mob of angry haters marched right out of the town hall. The ones who remained left me smiling.
“We’re with you,” Marcus added, followed by more people.
I wanted to hug them all. But I remained at the front of the room near Wilder.
“Thank you,” I said, my eyes pricking with tears. “You don’t know how much it means to receive your support.”
“Thank you. You’re all free to leave,” Wilder said.
As everyone moved about, Wilder and Daxon helped funnel the crowd quickly out the door. Out of the masses, Daniel appeared, coming right toward me. I was convinced he’d vanished with the haters.
I straightened and felt for the Wilder’s blade hidden under my shirt, wondering if I’d have to draw it.
He paused two feet from me, his eyes dark, his expression hard. He set off an explosion of emotions inside my chest. Mostly anger and wanting to shove him out of my face.
“What do you want?” I demanded, holding my ground.
“Bitch, you brought death to our homes.” He scoffed at me like I was worth nothing. “How will you live with yourself with all the deaths that will be on your hands once the hunters arrive?”
His accusation felt like someone had just lit me on fire. It engulfed me with terror, regret, and guilt.
A horrible sorrow cut through me, and I hated that he was right. Everyone who died at a hunter’s hands would be my fault.
He stepped back into the crowd, vanishing with them outside into the night.
I hugged my middle, feeling like the worst person in the world.
When I finally looked up, Wilder, Daxon, and I were left standing alone in the enormous room with a lot of empty chairs. And a huge black hole in my heart. I hated that I could be leading all these people to their deaths.
“Some of them hate me so much,” I murmured.
Wilder was shaking his head. “They’re fucking scared cowards. We’ll unite and fight as one if it comes to hunters finding our town. That’s what pack life is. No one is alone.” His expression darkened despite his words. He knew as well as I did the danger I could have brought to the packs. But I still adored the hell out of him and Daxon for standing by me, for loving me unconditionally.
Daxon took my hand. “Let’s go home. It’s been a hard night and we’ll talk about this more once you’ve rested.”
And yet, I couldn’t help but feel the heavy cloud looming over the town. All because of me.
The three of us walked out in silence when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
I glanced back over my shoulder and found the two young girls standing in the middle of the room, staring right at me with a heavy intensity like they knew something I didn’t.
12
Rune
“Two cinnamon buns, three coffees, and a chocolate muffin,” Mr. Jones said as he distributed the plates of food between Wilder, Daxon, and myself. The owner of the cafe smirked at me, his white hair tucked under his bowler hat. His huge blue eyes held only warmth. From the first time I’d met Mr. Jones, he’d been nothing but amazing to me. He was dressed in a pristine pinstripe suit, and all he was missing from his 1920s appearance was a gun at his belt to fit into a gangster movie. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a toy one at home to finish the look. He was quirky enough to be into that.
“Thank you,” I replied, greedily sliding the plate with a cinnamon roll in front of me, my mouth already salivating. I’ve been starving since waking up this morning.
Last night, Wilder and Daxon couldn’t decide who’d stay with me during the night to watch over me, so they both ended up staying, more out of stubbornness than anything else. They took the floor with spare blankets, but in the morning I found myself cocooned between both of them in bed.
They snored like bears, so I slipped out and headed into the shower. When I heard their growls and a large thunk from the bedroom, I laughed to myself, picturing them waking up to find it was only them sleeping and sharing the same bed.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” Mr. Jones said, bringing me out of my thoughts. His smile grew wide for his alpha, Wilder. Then he swung around and strolled back to the front counter where I kept eying the cakes and pastries in the glass cabinet. Did I mention I was hungry this morning?
The guys were already digging into their breakfast, and I smiled as I tore apart my cinnamon roll, then stuffed a big piece into my mouth. Despite all the ugliness with Alistair, there was a positiveness that came out of all that darkness. Wilder and Daxon weren’t trying to murder one another for a change.
The sunlight pouring in from the window glistened in Daxon’s eyes. He licked the crumb from the corner of his mouth, and I instantly grew jealous of that tiny morsel, wishing it was me he licked.
His smile melted me from across the table, his legs tangled with mine, while Wilder on my left was close enough for our elbows to constantly rub. Here I thought I was the only one who loved to be touchy-feely. I was practically desperate for it, but they seemed to love it as much as me.
“I’m ordering more, Rune?” Wilder states, already getting to his feet.
“Pancakes,” Daxon said. “More coffee too.”
“I’ll get right on that,” Wilder replied sarcastically.
“What about you, baby?” Wilder placed a hand on my shoulder as he shifted behind me, and I leaned back against him, staring up at him, batting my eyes. “Maybe a Danish pastry.”
“You got it.” He blew me a kiss and strolled over to the counter across the room. My gaze fell to his strong legs and that perfect ass hugged by his jeans. Everything about him made me swoon. Apparently I was a sucker for overprotective men who were drop-dead-gorgeous in anything they wore.
“You really like him, don’t you?” Daxon asked, then gulped down the rest of his coffee like this was a marathon to finish breakfast.
“And I really like you too.”
He wiped his mouth with a paper serviette. “I know you do. But sharing a mate with another wolf goes against everything I’ve always been taught...everything I feel.”
I straightened in my seat, surprised by his words. Though I shouldn’t be. “And what if these feelings I have for you and Wilder are unlike anything I’ve experienced before? What if I can’t change what my heart wants? You two are the perfect combination of the man I desire.”
He paused for a moment, studying me, and I was expecting a growly response, something caveman-like, but he surprised me. “Things between Wilder and I have been complicated for a long while. I don’t think we can ever get to a stage where we’ll be close enough to share. Too much bad shit has passed between us. And I won’t lie, it destroys me seeing the way you look at him.”
“Even when you know I look at you the same way?”
“To me, you’re all mine, and only mine. I’ll do anything for you, sweetheart. But I’m really struggling with this trio thing we’ve got going on here.”
I swallowed hard, worry simmering beneath my skin. I loved his honesty, but I hated where this was going. And I refused to choose between them.
He leaned back in his seat, brushing the crumbs off his black button-up shirt. My heart drummed fast, and I couldn’t ignore the fact that Daxon wouldn’t back down on this point. And I doubted Wilder would either. But this was a sticking point for me too because I’d choose neither before selecting just one. And he had no idea how stubborn I could be.
I opened my mouth to respond when I spotted the man with bushy eyebrows from last night’s town hall meeting entering the cafe with a buddy. I stiffened.
The man paused in the doorway, his attention locked on me, then shifted over to Daxon. Wilder turned to both the men on the way back to our table, muttering something, and the duo retreated instantly and stormed out.
“What’d you say to scare them?” I asked Wilder when he returned to his seat, his arm around my back, drawing me closer to him. He kissed the side of my head.
“Not a damn thing.”
“I’ll talk to Dean and Paul,” Daxon growled under his breath, which I took to mean those men were Bitten and under his wolf pack.
That familiar tension ripened the air once more, stealing the most calming morning I’d experienced in too long. And I wasn’t ready to lose it when I craved some peace and quiet for a change. So I brought up a new topic. “I just realized, this is our first joint breakfast together. We should do it more often.” I reached for my cup of coffee, noting Wilder grinned at me like he was well prepared to go along with the distraction.
Daxon, on the other hand, was too busy staring at the doorway into the cafe. “I’m fucking pissed at Dean,” he finally announced, not hearing a thing I said. “He knows better. I saved his wife from hunters many years ago.”
“He’s scared,” I suggested. “If he almost lost his wife once, this might have brought back old memories.”
“It’s been irritating me all damn night.” Daxon didn’t wait for our response, he stood up, and stormed right out of the cafe just as Mr. Jones arrived with our orders.
“Someone’s in a rush,” he joked and set the plates down, then turned to a customer calling him from across the room.
I glanced over to Wilder who slid Daxon’s pancakes across the table and started eating them.
“Aren’t you worried what Daxon will do to Dean?”
He shrugged. “Dean’s a Bitten, and I have no say over his pack members. They can sort out their own shit. As long as it doesn’t impact you and me, then it’s not my problem.”
As tempting as it was to argue, I understood it would lead nowhere. He placed a hand on my thigh and shuffled even closer if that was possible, and I bathed in the way he held me tight while eating his pancakes with one hand.
Into my second bite of my Danish pastry, a loud thumping of footsteps drew my attention to the sidewalk outside the cafe. People were running like mad down the street. At least a dozen. Several others from within the cafe rushed outside.
“Fuck!” Wilder jumped to his feet. “Stay here,” he told me, then sprinted outside.
What the hell just happened?
I was on my feet just as quickly and hurried outside, half expecting to find Daxon and Dean in a brawl, rolling across the middle of the road. That wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest, except I found no such thing.
People were rushing past me. My head spun with confusion, with a rising panic.
I grabbed someone’s arm to stop them, needing to know. “What’s going on?”
The woman looked at me, panic stricken, and pulled free from my grasp, still hurrying down the road. “Someone’s been killed,” she said over her shoulder. “Goddess, it better not be Arcadia. I haven’t seen her in days.”
Arcadia was missing?
But as more people brushed past me, the realization that someone had been found dead plunged through me like a searing knife. The ache was deep, and before I could think straight, I was running with everyone else.
What if it was the hunters who’d done it?
Please don’t let it be them. Please. Please. Please.
Although, if not the hunters, that meant it was most likely the monster who’d murdered Eve. And that wasn’t any better.
By the time I reached the end of the street and sprinted across the bridge with everyone else, sweat had gathered across my nape. Like others, I just followed, needing to see this for myself, to understand what we were dealing with. Desperation drove me. Each step grew heavy, my heart pounding against my ribcage.
Don’t let them find me.
I crossed the field and trembled as I curved around a small single-story brick home. Frantically, I scanned the crowd of people converging in one spot, trying to see what was going on.
Daxon’s voice boomed from within the chaos. “
Back the fuck up, everyone, now.”
When I spotted the top of Wilder’s head bopping in the center too, and he was silent, I could only think the worst.
I shoved myself into the crowd, madly squeezing in between the gaps, having to see who died. I prayed with everything it wasn’t someone I knew.
An older man I didn’t recognize wailed and collapsed to his knees, his head cupped in his hands as he cried. Others gathered around to hold him up, to console him.
The bursts of terrified whispers in the crowd grew, and I felt their fear like a noose around my neck.
I pushed forward, breaking free from the masses, and stepped into the open circle.
My breaths see-sawed out my chest rapidly, my heartbeat thumping in my ears.
I saw the woman at once, laying in a ditch in the ground, her legs and arms twisted like she’d been dumped into the crevice of the earth. No one would naturally fall that way.
Blood pooled around her from the open gash on her neck. My arms shook as I hugged myself. Half her throat was gone, and my breakfast hit the back of my throat.
I drove back the gagging reflex, and instead stared incredulously at the pale face splashed with blood.
“What are you doing here?” Wilder hissed, his shadow falling over me, his hand grabbing hold of my arm. He glanced down at me, his gaze fierce and protective. Warmth spread through me at the way he looked at me, but it was overshadowed by the horrific incident. “You shouldn’t see this,” he continued.
I laughed faintly, the laugh not humorous at all. “I’ve seen far worse,” I murmured. I shook my head and pulled free from his grip. “I have to be here.” I stumbled forward and fell to my knees beside the poor woman who’d lost her life.