Or was that just an excuse to see him again? Oh, why did he make her feel this way? He was the type of man she swore she would never get involved with but he had this power, this hold over her that she just could not explain.
“So, I take it your boss will be happy,” Rachel said. “You got the coveted story that all of your peers are so jealous to get.”
“Yeah, I hope he likes it. I still have to write the thing though; I’ll spend most of the day doing that and hopefully have it done by tomorrow morning.”
“So, when are you seeing Rob again?” Nancy asked.
“Um, I don’t know; I hadn’t really planned to.”
“What? You are really going to let him get away?”
“You know who he is; he is a total player. He isn’t the kind of guy that wants to stay with the same woman, especially if she isn’t giving it up right away.”
“Yeah, that must be why there are all those rumors about how he turns down willing women left and right. But then again he is seen with a lot of women too…,” Nancy said. “God, that guy is such an enigma. It makes him so much hotter.”
Rachel laughed. “You need help. You sound like an eighth grade girl crushing on the new guy or something.”
“You are one to talk,” Nancy said.
“I admit the guy is a major league hottie and I would love to go out with him, but I know too much about the way he is to really ever feel secure dating a guy like him. I mean he obviously doesn’t want commitment; he seems to prefer living the bachelor life.”
“Well, that’s too bad; I guess I’ll have to do him. If you would just give me his contact info…”Rachel joked.
“Over my dead body,” Doria said.
“Oh! So you do like him!” Rachel declared.
Doria laughed. She was caught. “You guys suck.”
“Hey!”
A voice came from behind them. Doria glanced back to see a familiar face walking towards them. It was Dan Richards. It was very strange to see him there at her gym so early in the morning. She was pretty sure he lived in a wealthy area of town on the other side of the city. What was he doing there?
“Wow, small world,” Doria said.
“It really is,” Dan said stepping up on the treadmill beside her.
“I didn’t know you went to this gym? I’ve never seen you here before,” Doria said.
Rachel and Nancy looked as if they were going to burst out of their skins. They knew who Dan was, of course. Doria decided to torture them just a bit longer…
“I don’t most of the time; I use my own home gym, but I had some business I had to take care of in this area of town and I have a bunch of other stuff to do later on, so I won’t be home for a while. Luckily I have a little bit of time so I thought I’d get some cardio in while I could.”
“Oh, ok,” Doria said.
Rachel cleared her throat. Doria smiled and introduced her friends to Dan. They both pretended to act cool, but were really about to go insane with envy that Doria actually knew Dan. It was hilarious.
As Doria finished up her workout she and Dan started to talk a bit. It dawned on her that talking to him might give her some more background information about Rob and she could possibly include a side bar or a short article about Dan that might explode into his own feature; after all he was still a legend in the game and was still a great player even though he was getting up into his mid-thirties (which sounded strange to think of as old, but in the world of professional sports it was bordering on ancient).
Dan was surprisingly laid back and charming; gone was the aggressive manner that he displayed at the bar around Rob. Maybe he was a bit drunk or maybe he was just really fed up with this hotshot kid coming in and taking all the glory that used to be his. Both lines of thinking were childish, but she tried to sympathize a bit with Dan. Rob could be a bit much to take; he was rather full of himself sometimes.
Rachel and Nancy kept trying to interject themselves into the conversation. Dan seemed to be pleasantly ignoring them while he focused on the great conversation he and Doria were having.
“Well, it was great talking with you,” Doria said. “And are you sure you don’t mind if I put some of that in the article I’m writing? I might be able to get a sideline or even a possible feature for you.”
Dan seemed interested. “No, I don’t mind at all. I’ve enjoyed the talk. In fact would you like to continue this over dinner tonight?”
Doria was put a bit off guard by his invitation. She found Dan attractive and she was mildly interested, but she did have a lot of work to do to finish that piece.
“I’m actually busy tonight, but later in the week I’m free,” Doria said. She typed her number into his phone quickly. “Call me; we will set something up.”
As she and her friends walked into the locker room Rachel and Nancy practically exploded on her with envy.
“Oh, my God! You have like two major league ball players after you,” Rachel said.
Doria smiled. It was flattering and fun to think about. “Well, Rob isn’t really after me. I mean, we just kissed once.”
“What? Hold on—you kissed him? You never told us that!” Nancy said.
“Well, it wasn’t much to tell.”
“That’s crazy. How was it? Oh, I bet it was awesome!” Rachel replied.
“It was, but he might not want to kiss me again after I slapped his face…” Doria said.
“What? Why did you do that?” Rachel asked.
“Because I wasn’t expecting it and I don’t really like the guy. He is a total jerk. I’ve told you this. But suddenly he grabbed me and laid it on me. I was so angry that I belted him one. But afterwards… I can’t deny it was pretty much a perfect kiss.”
“You are the coolest person that I know,” Nancy said.
“This is true,” Doria agreed.
Chapter Four
Rob stepped out of the shower feeling more refreshed than he had since he woke up that morning. It was an intense day starting with some conditioning drills with his trainer and then some batting practice, and then of course this was followed up with his drug test and a couple of quick interviews at the club house that he hadn’t planned on, but the Skipper told him to go answer a few questions so they could get the reporters out of there. He was happy to oblige.
But now he was tired and it was time for a quiet evening of relaxing at home. He toyed with the idea of going out and having some fun, but decided that a couple of beers and a movie in his custom made home theatre was going to be the perfect way to relax this evening.
He did not want to spread himself too thin with the first playoff game coming up in five days. He was a bit nervous, he had to admit; but he was also very excited and he knew that he was ready for anything they would throw at him.
He was just grabbing a beer out of the fridge when his phone rang. He did not recognize the number. He figured it was telemarketers or if it was important someone would leave a message or call back another time. As he finished putting together some snacks he heard his phone beep, letting him know he had a voice mail.
He played the voice mail and his blood ran cold.
“Hello Rob,” the voice said. It was low and deep. “You might not recognize me, but if you don’t want Doria dead then you are going to want to call me back in the next five minutes.”
What? Doria? What the hell?
Rob dialed the number back and the same voice answered after the first ring.
“Who are you? What is going on?” Rob demanded.
“I’ll ask the questions here,” the voice said. “My name is Kade. You don’t know me, but you know the people I am descended from. I am the last of the Ganno tribe.”
“The Ganno—?” The Ganno Tribe had been eliminated a hundred years ago. This could not be happening.
“I assure you that I am who I say.”
“What do you want?”
“Well, it just so happens I have found a lady friend of yours and I have her in my possession.”
“She isn’t my lady friend; I hardly know her,” Rob said realizing quickly that this was not the point. Besides he was afraid the truth was evident in his voice; it was true he hardly knew Doria but he had not been able to go a minute without thinking about her. He wanted her. He needed her. He ached for her. She was his one true mate and he knew his life would never be complete until they were mated.
“Oh, so she isn’t your true mate?” Kade asked.
Rob was silent. How did he know? What game was this man playing?
“Yes, I know all about it,” Kade continued. “You see, I’ve been watching you for a while. Being a world famous athlete hasn’t really done much to put you in a low profile. I know what you are; I’ve been searching for you for so long.”
“Why? What do you want?” Rob asked.
“Now, you still haven’t figured it out? Frankly I’m disappointed. Did your tribe not tell you about who you really are?”
“They told me,” Rob replied. The anger was rising inside of him; he had to stay calm.
“Then they told you about how your family slaughtered every member of my tribe? They told you how they killed off all of the Ganno?”
“They told me. You were trying to destroy my tribe; my family are all that survived. And they told me that every member of the Ganno was dead. That war is over.”
“Oh, that battle maybe; but not the war. And yes they did kill most of the Ganno. But you see, not before Amika bit me and made me what I am. I had only started my journey to become a wolf. I didn’t even know what was happening to me. But just as I was on the cusp of figuring everything out and learning what I had become your people destroyed the last of the Ganno in what I understand was an epic battle. I would have loved to be a part of it.”
“You still haven’t told me what you want. I’m a little bored with the bed time story.”
Kade laughed. It was a hideous cackle that sent chills down Rob’s spine.
“Very well; I’m a hybrid. I’m sure you know all about hybrids and look down on them.”
“Not really, I look down on the scum who forced a curse on an innocent person.”
“Oh, didn’t your parents do that by having children?”
“No. Being a pure blood is different. We are born into it; we have a family bloodline, a pack. A hybrid has no real ties to anyone. They are forced to be lone wolfs. They have no pack, they do not have the power that pure blood has and they are slaves to the cycle of the moon. And unless they have iron will power they are slaves to an unquenchable bloodlust. And they can transmit the curse to others through the bite; pure bloods can only do that by birth.”
“Oh, I see. You are well-informed on the subject; so am I.”
“Let the girl go; she is innocent in all of this.”
“You know when I first discovered that one of the tribe I was looking for was you, I couldn’t believe it. But then I saw you for myself and I knew. I saw the anger and the rage smoldering beneath your human disguise in that bar. And I saw the way you kissed this woman. I saw the way the two of you responded to each other. I knew, even if she didn’t. But then again, she is a young wolf.”
“Let her go, now. This is between us.”
“Well, actually this is between all of us. I know what she means to you. And I know what will happen if the two of you become mated. You see, I’ll let the girl go, but you have to play along.”
Rob was getting flustered. “Play along at what?”
“You are the leader, the alpha of your tribe. You are the youngest, yes but your own powers have far surpassed even those of your father.”
“How do you know that? I am not—“Rob began.
“Don’t play games with me. You are the alpha. Alphas are born and they are made. You were born into it; I took the power by killing humans and by making others into more of my kind. You see I’ve been developing a great little pack. They are all young and inexperienced, but they are wolves all the same. I would have started sooner, but it took me so long to discover the path to greatness.”
“You have a tribe?” Rob asked. This was the worst thing he ever could have heard. A wolf with a tribe was so much stronger; their energies fed off each other. And a good bit of that power went to the alpha.
“That is right. Is the picture coming together for you now? I need you to sacrifice yourself to my tribe. Then we will be unstoppable. And your pack will be history. But if you don’t do what you are told, I will kill this girl. And your chances of becoming mated, gaining immortality, and of strengthening your pack will all be lost. It’s your choice. Meet me tomorrow night at seven. I’ll text you the address. By the way. Come alone or the girl will be dead before you can blink.”
With that the line went dead.
Rob knew what he had to do.
Chapter Five
“I need your help. I would never ask you to do this, but all of our lives are on the line,” Rob said.
He had just finished explaining the situation to his family, his tribe—his world. They consisted of his father Roger, his mother Grace, his brother Alex, and his sister Steph. The moment the phone call ended with Kade, Rob had hopped on his motorcycle and drove as fast as he could through the desert making the typically three hour drive in an hour and a half. With his heightened hearing he could pick up any presence of the law close to him. The last thing he needed slowing him down was some cop who was trying to make a quota.
“You did the right thing coming to us,” Roger said.
“I’m sorry; I should have listened to you. Chasing my dream has put us all in danger.”
Roger put his arm around Rob’s shoulders. “Son, it’s not that simple. You had every right to live your life and fulfill your dream; you don’t have to apologize for that. We all thought that the Ganno were dead and gone. We thought we covered every track and looked under every stone; but we were wrong. That isn’t your fault.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Rob said.
“So, what is the plan?” Alex asked.
“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to do this. I mean Kade has to suspect that I’m not going to come alone, so we really have to convince him that I did. Besides he most likely isn’t holding Doria anywhere near this place. It’s an abandoned warehouse the best I can figure.”
“Ok, so we pick up his scent and surprise him by getting to his hideout early. He won’t see we are coming,” Steph said.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Rob said.
“Great. Now any clue where he might be?” Steph asked.
“Well, I was thinking about that on the ride up here. When I was talking to Kade I could hear something in the background. I didn’t even realize it at first because I was concentrating on what he was saying and it was freaking me out a bit, but afterward I could hear music playing and people cheering. It was a rock concert. I recognized the band too as a band called Shill; one of my favorites. They were playing at the Marquee, in Tempe.”
“Alpha ears,” Steph said. “He didn’t think you would pick up on that because he couldn’t, being a hybrid. How far away do you think he was?”
“I’d say a mile. But if I’m close I can pick up on his scent and track him down,” Rob said.
“Ok. That’s where we go then.”
“I can’t thank you guys enough for doing this,” Rob said.
“Hey, that’s what family is for. Besides, it’s not every day you meet the woman you are mated with,” Roger said.
“You’re sure she is the one?” Alex asked.
Rob looked him dead in the eye.
“I’m sure.”
***
Rob could smell Kade. He knew that this was the place. It had taken him and the tribe about two hours after arriving in the area to track down the scent. It had led them to a neighborhood that was still under construction. The area was growing rapidly and real estate companies were having neighborhoods upon neighborhoods built at a record pace.
Kade and his tribe were holed up in one of the first houses
in the development. All of the houses were of the same design; two stories with a patio upstairs, a fenced in back yard, and a small stoop with a roof at the front door. It was nice, he noticed.
Rob motioned to his family to halt behind him. He wanted to find the easiest way into the place. It was imperative that they catch Kade by surprise; it was their best plan for getting Doria back. And, of course, they were going to have to kill every member of Kade’s tribe. They had been corrupted by his evil and they would never stop coming. As long as his family stood, then their place in this world was not secure; they all knew that. They were a tribe of hybrids; the only way for hybrids to gain the power that full bloods had was if they killed a tribe of pure bloods. And they would not stop trying.
Rob moved around the house and hopped over the fence. Then he leapt high up in the air until he was hanging on the bottom of the upper patio. He held himself in place allowing just enough of his head to look over the patio into the sliding glass doors. He could see that it was a bedroom, and it appeared to be the master bedroom. It was dark, he didn’t see any movement. That might be the best place to enter.
He looked down and motioned to his family. This was the plan.
Rob hopped up on the patio and tried the sliding glass door; it was locked, of course. No problem for him as he applied just a little bit more pressure and slid the door open breaking the flimsy lock.
The door was new and it slid back and forth silently. He was thankful for that as he stepped inside. A few moments later the rest of his family was inside with him. Roger was the last to enter and he closed the door ever so gently to block out any outside noise that might have alerted the hybrids that something was going on. They had to be quiet now; the hybrids had acute senses. Not as acute as the pure bloods, but good enough.
Rob motioned for the rest of the group to stay still. He was going to check it out and when he needed them he would signal.
He carefully stepped out of the bedroom and walked into the hallway. Looking left and then right he stepped forward slowly, silently until he was peering over the bannister looking downstairs. He saw it all clearly now.
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