by Mandi Casey
Blake’s cell phone rang. He growled in frustration, making me hold in a laugh while I absorbed what he had said. Blake admitted his feelings were beyond what was shared from finding his mate. He made me question myself, and whether keeping him at arm’s length was the right decision.
“Yeah?”
Blake sat at the table, listening to the caller while he pointed to the menu for the waiter to see what he wanted.
When the waiter was done writing down Blake’s order, I ordered a bowl of gnocchi with the vodka marinara sauce. My mouth started watering in anticipation of tasting that salty sweet sauce with delicious globs of potato dough melting in my mouth. Mario’s served the freshest gnocchi and had the best sauce in town, and that was quite the compliment as Kenosha was littered with Italian restaurants trying to one-up each other.
A frown creased Blake’s brow while he continued to listen. He hadn’t said a word since he answered the phone. The candlelight flickering from the holder on the table made Blake’s expression appear more stern.
He hung up the phone and said, “Sydney, I’m sorry but I have to go. My father has called an emergency meeting.”
My stomach decided to growl at that moment and it felt hollow.
“Okay, no problem.” I put a fake smile on my face and patted his hand.
Blake stood up and went to find the waiter to let him know we wouldn’t be eating their fine cuisine.
I slipped my black wool coat on over the outfit that I refused to acknowledge how much I had deliberated over before Blake got to my house.
Blake’s stride told me whatever his father said had him on edge.
During the car ride from the restaurant over to the pack’s den, Blake’s knuckles grew white as he gripped the steering wheel.
“Blake, do you want me to drive?” I tried to release some of the tension in the car. Blake hated how I drove, and we both knew he preferred to drive when we went anywhere together.
“What? No, I don’t want you to drive.” His tone was more pointed than he meant it to be, because he added, “Sydney, I’m sorry. I just, well, my mind’s on something else. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”
“It’s fine, but don’t make a habit of it, Mister.” I laughed, but the glare I received told me he wasn’t in any kind of a joking mood. Geez, way to go, Sydney. Great job on lightening the mood.
I turned my head and stared out of the passenger-side window. Most of the snow was melting but there were still piles of the white stuff lining the grass-covered divided areas that separated streets from the sidewalks. Holding my breath, I was determined not to let his caustic attitude make me cry. I was done dealing with cruel people in my life, and I thought Blake was different.
He placed a warm palm on my thigh and caressed the muscles under my jeans. “Sydney, I think it would be best if you stayed with my mother while my father and I meet.”
The way he said those words made me suspicious. He hadn’t spoken in his normal confident tone. No, it was quiet and laced with obscurity.
“What? Why would you want me to do that?” I demanded. There was no good reason Blake or his father would want me, the Selected, to be kept in the dark about anything having to do with the pack.
I’ve played by their rules until that point, and they’d better tread with care if they wanted to keep in my good graces.
Blake took a deep, exasperated breath before answering. He removed his hand from my leg and placed it back on the steering wheel while thumping his fingers against the sewn leather. “Sydney, I don’t always want you in harm’s way, okay? Is that good enough of an answer for you?”
I couldn’t believe the harshness of his words. He spoke to me like a child, and I didn’t like that one bit.
“No, that’s not okay! What are you not telling me?” Suspicion gripped my chest at the realization Blake could be withholding information.
Chapter 2
“Sydney, why can’t you just listen to me when I tell you to do something?” Blake growled at me. He was losing control of his temper, worse than I’d ever seen.
Holding my breath, I was already on the verge of tears. Blake certainly wasn’t helping my ability to remain calm. He made it close to impossible to gather my emotions into a nice, tiny package to be evaluated at a later time. My nerves burned raw. The Audi’s cabin felt small and stifling. Stuck going to his father’s den, where all the werewolves in his pack gathered on a regular basis, I hadn’t felt so alone in a long time.
My mood deteriorated into a gloomy cloud. If Blake was withholding information from me, then it was probably safe to assume all the other wolves were in on it too. Grandma Sky’s words were ringing truer than I thought. She’d said not to place too much trust in anyone from either the wolf pack or the vampire coven. I believed what she said, but sad to say I thought Blake was exempt from that. He had me believing that out of any of the Others, he was the one I could count on to have my back—in all things.
At that moment, my heart sank. I couldn’t believe I had slept with him. I felt like a gigantic idiot who got played. Well, I wouldn’t let it happen again. I’d be a bigger idiot if I repeated such a huge blunder, not learning the first time around.
Keeping the level of my voice as relaxed as I was capable, I said, “Blake, I’m sorry I upset you. You’re obviously disturbed by whatever it is your dad needs to talk to you about, but I’m sure if he wants to speak to you alone he’ll let us know.”
I didn’t want to make the situation worse, so I decided I’d try to keep the peace between us, for now. Before the night was over, though, he was going to have a piece of my mind, whether he wanted to or not.
We climbed the stairs to the front door of the pack’s den without saying a word. Blake lifted the metal lid of a control box next to the door and punched in the security code to unlock it. We remained silent as we made our way through the entry hall leading to Morris’ office.
The wooden, six-paneled door was halfway open when we arrived. The air outside of the room was thick with smoke. Morris, Blake’s father and the leader of the werewolf pack, loved to smoke cigars. Adaira, Blake’s mother, wouldn’t let him do it anywhere else in the house other than his office.
Blake grabbed my arm, stopping me in the hallway. The set of his brow warned me his mood hadn’t improved since we had exited his car.
“Sydney, I don’t want to fight with you. You’re my life-mate. Your senseless denial drives me crazy. The thought of having you always in the line of danger kicks in my wolf instincts and I can’t help it. Sometimes it gets the best of me, okay?” His expression was severe. Now wasn’t the time to argue; that would be later, when we didn’t have an audience.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” No, it was far from being fine, but, again, he’d hear about that later.
The tension in Blake’s shoulder’s relaxed and the tautness in the muscles of his face loosened. “Good, I’m glad you understand. I’m your protector. Sometimes you’re just going to have to do things that I tell you, even if you don’t want to, because it’s best for your safety.” He kept his arm on me and moved in for a hug.
The man had serious issues if he thought I was going to be bullied around. Yes, I was pretty sure I had fallen in love with him the second he walked his sexy, overbearing, gorgeous self into my store, but my feelings for him weren’t a free pass for him mistreating me.
I gave him a friend-like pat on the back, broke the embrace, then entered Morris’ office without checking to make sure Blake followed.
The pack leader sat in his leather reclining office chair behind a large, dark-stained, wooden desk. Morris held a fat cigar between his index and middle fingers while his right ankle rested on his left knee with a round, glass ashtray placed in front of him.
“Welcome, Sydney. Sorry to interrupt your dinner plans with my son.” From h
is tone, he sounded just as agitated as Blake, despite his attempt at civility.
“No problem, Morris. Blake said you wanted to talk to us about something?” I wanted to get right to the point. I didn’t want Blake to dispute the fact Morris didn’t specifically say he wanted me at their meeting.
Morris’ brow went up as he looked at Blake in question. To my relief, Blake didn’t respond.
Blake sat down next to me on the couch against the wall of the office after shutting and locking the door behind us. Morris leaned forward, placing his hand underneath the top of the desk. He flipped the switch, triggering the mechanism that created an electrical current around the entire room of the office, including the floor and ceiling. Morris and Blake used this room when they had issues to discuss not meant to be shared among the entire pack.
The mental link all the pack wolves shared didn’t lend to having much privacy between any two wolves, which came in handy at times during battle, but created a security risk at other times. That’s why Morris had the room decked out with electrical currents strong enough to interfere with the wolves listening in on the link between them, allowing us the freedom to think and say whatever came to mind.
The hum in the room made my scalp tingle. It didn’t hurt, but it left me wanting to rub a fabric softener sheet over my entire body to de-static myself.
I sat quiet, not wanting to press my luck or the fact that Morris seemed to be open to the idea of having me in the same room with them while they spoke pack business.
“Dad, what’s all this about?” Blake tapped his foot while he waited to hear whatever his father had to say.
“I’ve received notice the leader of the Mobile, Alabama, wolf pack is going to send a representative here this week.” Morris’ grave expression said volumes. It was obvious he didn’t take well to that news.
Blake’s back straightened and he repositioned himself where he was barely seated on the couch cushion. I’d bet that if he were in his wolf form the fur along his back would have been sticking straight up at attention.
“What? Why would he do that? And who does he think he is to assume we’d accept such a gesture?” The color of Blake’s eyes blazed an amber-bronze, revealing his fury. They sure hadn’t turned because he was getting aroused, which was the only other reason they turned color.
Morris tapped the edge of his cigar into the ashtray and put it onto the desk then, as if an afterthought, he grabbed the ashtray and brought it closer to him. The nervous move didn’t go unnoticed.
“Blake, calm down. I don’t like intrusion into our home any more than you do, but they’re going to come anyway. We just have to deal with them when they arrive.”
The pack leader pivoted his head my way, nodding, before saying, “As for the why of it, the Mobile pack leader said something to the fact we have too many rogue wolves running amok, causing trouble. They want to see for themselves that we remain competent in our ability to watch over the Selected.”
So, this all had to do with me? My temper rose. I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Why does everyone think they have a say in what goes on in my life? I’m getting rather sick of people telling me what to do.”
I gave Blake a quick glance before turning back to Morris for a more detailed explanation.
Morris shrugged. “I guess we’ll know more when the representative arrives. In the meantime, I ask you, Sydney, as the Selected, to try and keep a low profile. Blake will let you know the details as we learn them.”
Blake nodded in agreement. “Dad, as the pack leader I’m surprised you’re allowing this, but I support whatever you think is the right thing to do.”
“It makes sense, son. If we tell the Mobile pack they’re not welcome to send one wolf, then they’ll send half their pack.” Blake’s father took another puff of his cigar and puckered his lips, making smoke rings in the air.
Blake put his hands through his long auburn mane. “Dealing with one is better than many, so we’ll do what we have to do. I just don’t like it, that’s all.”
Morris smiled with understanding. The wolves of their pack were a prideful bunch. They didn’t like being told what to do any more than I did.
“There’s more to this, Blake. We need to step up our search for the rogues. The less the Mobile wolf has to report back to his pack, the better.”
“Whatever you need me to do I’ll do, just say the word.” Blake was on high alert and readying his body for action. I could tell by the way he slowed his breathing and focused on taking more air into his lungs with each breath. I’d seen him do it when he saved me from being struck by a lightning bolt, compliments of Andras, the lightning demon.
“I want you to take Sydney around town. See if she reacts to anyone. I don’t want you to engage the rogues directly, just call and tell me where they are.” Now it was time for Morris’ eyes to start turning color.
Wolves. They were so reactive to their emotions.
Blake’s face contorted from the need to argue with his father. I watched while thoughts raced through his head.
“Dad, you’re telling me you want to put Sydney, my life-mate, near rogue wolves on purpose?” Blake’s tone was close to being hostile, aimed at his pack leader.
Morris rose from his chair then made his way around the desk to stand in front of us. “Think about what I said. If you did, you wouldn’t get all bent out of shape. I said drive her around town. See if she can sense anything out of the ordinary. I didn’t say to take her for a walk in every dark alley in the city, now did I?”
I didn’t like the way the conversation was quickly turning into a tense verbal sparring match between the alpha wolves. It could easily turn into a jaw-snapping fistfight. Wolves tended to use physical violence to help solve their grievances.
Morris’ chest started expanding. He slowed his breathing, just like Blake had done.
I stood and took a few steps away from both of them. “I don’t mind. Blake, we need to search the city for rogues and do our part to help make Kenosha a safer place for our families. I’ve been given the ability to sense rogue presence, and I’d like to be useful. Plus, the radius of my senses has grown, so I wouldn’t have to get too close to the rogues.”
Blake glared at me for what seemed like the tenth time that night. “Sydney, I told you I don’t want to put you in the line of fire. If we go scouting like he wants us to, that’s just what I’d be doing. I can’t believe you don’t get the danger in that. What if we get ambushed?”
Morris watched our interaction. Retreating to the front of the desk, he leaned his backside against the top of it while folding his arms across his chest.
I sat next to Blake on the couch. As softly as I could, I said, “Blake, there’s no harm in trying. Yes, I’m well aware of the consequences. It’s risky, being anywhere near rogues. But the danger is minimal, when you think about it. If I can give the pack the general vicinity where they can look for the rogues, then that’s what I need to do. I’d feel good about helping out and, besides, I’d have you right there with me.”
Blake stewed in silence on the couch next to me. From the tense expression on his face, including the clenched muscles around his jaw, I could tell he was holding back from telling his father more on how he felt about his father’s plans.
Morris rose from the desk. “Blake, this discussion is over. Keep me updated with what you find. Don’t do anything rash. Call for backup when you find the rogues. Your job is to keep Sydney safe, not take the world on all by your bull-headed self.”
The pack leader leaned over and flipped the switch underneath the desktop. Once Morris declared an end to the meeting, I felt more at ease. The hair on my arms and the back of my neck no longer stood at attention. I hadn’t realized how the humming of electricity buzzing around the room to keep the rest of the pack ignorant of the conversation had put me on edge.
Blake stood from the couch, holding a tense hand out to help me up. I accepted, relishing in the warmth of his palm. Together, we faced Blake’s father. Blake didn’t let me take my hand back despite my trying to pull away from him. The heat he emanated was hotter than usual. His frustration heightened the sensation, making me so warm I felt sweat well at the small of my back.
He nodded at his father while walking to the door with me at his side. Before leaving, Blake said, “Dad, you’re my pack leader. I respect you, even admire you. But I think you’re wrong in this. You said my job was to make sure Sydney’s safe. You’re making it impossible to do so, telling me to put her in the middle of rogue central.”
Remaining silent, we exited the pack’s den, heading to Blake’s car. On the ride home, Blake stayed quiet, giving me time to think about what Morris had said. I agreed with the pack leader. As the Selected, I was willing to do whatever it took to help the wolf pack. Being close to rogues never went well for me, but it would serve two purposes.
I’ve wanted to train and develop my Selected senses to my reaction when rogues were near. Their presence made me incapacitated. Not acceptable. I’d been kidnapped, beaten, even bitten by a rogue vampire because I wasn’t able to defend myself. I was too busy vomiting and suffering from excruciating muscle spasms over my entire body to do anything about it. It felt like a blessing when I finally lost consciousness from the pain when it became too consuming for my mind to bear.
That had to change.
The other reason to find the rogues was to help Blake’s pack when the wolves from Mobile, Alabama, came snooping around to see how Morris was handling rogues in Kenosha. I didn’t always like Morris’ decisions regarding his pack, but I didn’t want the southern wolves coming up to Wisconsin stirring up trouble. My future would be in jeopardy if they came demanding that a new pack leader be chosen. Plus, when a new line of pack leaders was put into power, the old line was extinguished, as in killed by the wolves from the pack in question. There was no way I was going to stand by, letting the current pack fall to archaic rituals of having a single wolf bloodline in an area exist. Blake drove me insane at times, but I cared deeply for the big goof. I wouldn’t let anything bad happened to him.