“Do you think his sister could be goddess-blessed, as well?” Audrey asked curiously.
Mitchell stiffened at the mention of Dawn but tried to downplay it. “We won’t know until it happens. Only the Alpha seems to be showing up right now.”
“Odd,” Audrey said. “However, it’s not like we’ve ever witnessed something like this before.”
“Exactly,” Gideon said. “This means we can’t stand back and let them falter. While I trust this Cole to a certain extent, if they are left to fend for themselves and fail, it could lead to something far worse.”
“So you’re saying you want to control them?” Blade asked.
The other two Alphas shook their heads in unison. “No,” Kade answered. “We want to let them know they aren’t alone.”
“Being alone led to war and the Unveiling,” Gideon said softly.
“Many things led to the Unveiling,” Mitchell put in. It wasn’t the Talons’ fault for what happened, even though they had been the ones to first appear in public. With the way technology was, it was bound to happen eventually.
But from the look on Blade’s face, the other man didn’t agree.
“We’ll help,” Audrey put in quickly.
Blade glared at her, and Mitchell knew there was something else going on, something that he couldn’t place. His own wolf was on edge, and he didn’t know why. Blade rubbed him the wrong way, and he would have to mention to Kameron that they needed to keep an eye on this Alpha.
Because with everyone’s attention on the Centrals and making sure their peace with the humans stayed civil, Mitchell had a feeling they were missing something even bigger. And an oversight like that could be deadly.
CHANGE
Blade wasn’t a fan of change. He’d spent the past century watching the humans as they created one thing after another, becoming more and more in tune with technology and forgetting the environment that sustained everything around them. Not that Blade considered himself an environmentalist, but when his people lived in the woods, hidden under magical wards, he tended to care if a tree was around or not to hide what he needed concealing.
His Pack was more insular than most, and that was for a good reason. The Redwoods and Talons thought they had more secrets, but they didn’t know the Aspens. Blade had been Alpha long enough to know that in order to ensure the secrets he wanted buried were kept, change had to come when he wanted it.
Not when the damned Talons decided.
He’d had enough of listening to those two upstart Alphas who weren’t even born when he became Alpha telling him what to do. He’d listened to their damn representative, Parker, for as long as he could manage before he practically threw the over-confident pup out of his wards.
The Talons might think they were the ones responsible for the new strengthened wards and the fact that the humans were no longer looking to war with his people, but Blade wasn’t so sure about that. He didn’t have proof. All he had were bragging pups who thought they knew better than he did.
And now, they wanted to allow the Centrals back into the mix? The Aspens weren’t so sure about that.
He’d never hungered for more power than he currently had, but maybe it was time to step out and set the others straight. They’d been the ones to begin this change. Now, Blade would be the one to end it.
One way or another.
Chapter Four
“I’m sorry. I know I’m a flake these days, but my family needs me.” Dawn sighed into the phone, but Aimee didn’t sigh back. Thankfully. Dawn paced her small living room, worried she was messing everything up. She’d called Aimee instead of Dhani or Cheyenne because while she might be a strong wolf, she was a wuss when it came to backing out of plans with her best friends. Though she’d told herself she wouldn’t back out of this one, she hadn’t had a choice when Cole came to her with dinner plans over at the Talon den.
One didn’t say no to the Talons when they invited you over for dinner as a peace offering. Sam had already been by to make sure she was okay and ready to go, but she wasn’t a hundred percent calm.
“I totally understand,” Aimee said softly. Her friend coughed, and Dawn frowned. Aimee had apparently caught another cold—her fourth of this year already. Dawn knew humans were far more fragile than wolves, but Aimee seemed more delicate than most. “Family comes first,” her friend continued.
Family. Pack. They always came first…though she couldn’t say that. Dawn hated keeping secrets and knew that once the Centrals became a Pack in truth, she’d have to tell her friends everything.
“Thanks for understanding. I want to promise that I’ll be at the next one, too…”
“But you hate lying,” Aimee finished for her. “I get it, and Dhani and Cheyenne will too. It’s not like we all don’t have other responsibilities outside of watching a movie together when we can.”
“Yeah, but mine have been taking up more time lately.”
“True, but we love you anyway. Now, get what you need to do, done. We’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too.” She and Aimee talked for a few more minutes before letting each other go. If it weren’t for the fact that this was the first time the Alpha couple of the Talons had invited her family over, Dawn might have made her excuses, but this was a big deal for her den.
It was just one step closer to them being recognized as a true Pack. They needed the moon goddess’s touch, of course, but without the local wolves’ acknowledgment and treaties, her small, pretty much defenseless Pack wouldn’t last too long.
They were wolves, after all, not humans. Only the strong survived, no matter how civilized they pretended to be.
“You ready to go? Mom and Dad are going to stay here since we need soldiers in the den and they’re still the strongest wolves we have other than us.”
Dawn turned at her brother’s words and nodded. When her small faction of the Centrals had left the old Pack years ago, her parents were the youngest pair. Most of the wolves in the prior den hadn’t been able to sever ties since their Alpha’s word was law and betraying that bond was physically impossible for some. Somehow, her parents had found the strength to leave with the elders who were able to hide away with some of the children, but it had almost killed them in the process.
“So, it’s just the two of us?” she asked, wiping her hands down her pants. She’d gone with black pants and a billowy top so she’d be able to move quickly if needed, but something that still looked decent enough for a dinner with such high-ranking wolves.
Now, she was just being silly. These were normal people. Sure, they were all much stronger and put-together than she or her brother, but they wouldn’t eat them and pick their teeth with their bones like some of the old stories of her former Pack. Right?
“Yep.” Cole grinned at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. Her brother looked like her, but with a slightly darker shade of blond hair. He had the same eyes and smile when he dared to show the softer side of himself. His wolf was far more dominant than hers, however, and she was just fine with that. Her wolf needed a dominant around. That’s how shifter Packs worked. She knew her brother had to be scared to death of becoming the true leader and Alpha of her small Pack, but she also knew he had the capability to be great at it. He cared for everyone in his sights and did his best to soak up any knowledge he could. He, like she, was only in his twenties, however, and had never lived under an Alpha’s rule. She could only hope that working with Gideon and Mitchell like he was would help him gain confidence in what he was doing. She knew he was also talking with the Redwood Heir and Beta, but she hadn’t been part of those meetings. The fact that it was the Redwoods who the Centrals attacked made things a little tricky in her opinion, but the Redwoods seemed to have forgiven those Centrals who were left.
It was all just so confusing, and some days, she just wanted to be a barista instead of the wolf she was.
Cole’s hand went to the back of her neck, and he frowned down at her. She leaned into his touch, her wolf
curling into a comfortable ball at the feeling of her brother’s wolf. They were Pack creatures without a Pack, and sometimes, the effects of the lack of bond were greater than others.
“What’s wrong, Dawny?”
She scrunched her face at the nickname. “I’m just nervous since it’s our first dinner like this. And could you not call me Dawny in front of the entire Talon Pack? I’m going as your second here, and that name doesn’t really invoke strength and stability.”
He rolled his eyes even as his smile widened. Well, at least she’d gotten him to smile again since he didn’t do much of that lately. “I’ll do my best. And, Dawn? Try not to be too nervous, okay? I know this is a big deal tonight, but we need to act casual.”
She met his eyes, and they both broke out into laughter. “Yeah, casual isn’t happening.” Especially not if Mitchell was around tonight, but that wasn’t something she was prepared to talk to her brother about just then. Or ever.
“Well, as long as we don’t ignite a war, we should end up ahead.”
Dawn winced. “Yeah, let’s not do that. That means no insulting the food.”
Cole stepped back and placed his hand over his heart. “Cruel woman. I never insult food…unless it’s yours.”
“Brat.” She punched him in the side, and he mock shuddered since she knew there was no way her slight hit even registered to him. Her brother was damn strong and only getting stronger.
“You’re younger than I am, you know. You’re the brat. I’m the big brother.”
“Whatever you say. Now, come on, Alpha-to-be, let’s show the Talons we Centrals aren’t heathens.”
He sighed and took her hand as they made their way out of their house and toward Cole’s truck. “Don’t call me Alpha yet, okay? I know everyone knows it and is thinking it, but I don’t want to have the title said aloud around me until I’ve earned it.”
“That makes sense,” Dawn said as she climbed into the cab of the truck.
“And, hell, I don’t know if I ever want you calling me Alpha. That would be too weird, you know?”
“You’ll always be my annoying big brother, who once puked on my homework.”
Cole’s ears reddened, and he scowled over at her. “Let’s not mention that to the Talons. Or anyone. Ever. Got me?”
She grinned widely, showing teeth. “Sure, honey. Whatever you say.”
“You’re going to lord that over me for the rest of our lives, aren’t you?”
“It’s my job as your little sister.”
“Hmph.” They drove the hour or so to the Talon den in easy conversation, and she leaned back in her seat. All of their territories might back up to one another, but the actual dens were far enough away to give them some privacy. She knew the dens hadn’t always been this close, but as the humans spread out, the wolves had been forced to condense.
“So, what do you think you’ll end up being when we become a Pack?”
She turned at her brother’s question, surprised he’d voiced it at all. “I haven’t thought about it. There aren’t really any maternal females in the hierarchy.”
“You could end up the Heir,” he said softly. “I don’t have a mate or children yet, and the Heir is usually a direct blood relative.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I mean, we might end up on our own path as our Pack grows. I know the Redwoods didn’t have a Healer for years since she was mated in later, so we probably won’t end up with everyone right away. You know? We aren’t that big yet.”
Cole nodded, his hand tightening on the steering wheel. “I don’t know what will happen, but hopefully, some of our generation will finally mate and bring more people in. We need the stability. As for you being a maternal female…well, hell, I don’t know why you couldn’t be something else in addition to that. Just because the Packs we know don’t have one now in a place with a title, doesn’t mean it can’t happen. You never know. And, Dawn? I want you by my side in this. I trust you, and I know you can handle anything.”
She wiped a tear from her cheek at his words and shook her head. “Anything you need from me, I’m here.”
He reached over with his free hand and squeezed her knee. “Same, Dawny. Same.”
She pinched his arm, and he laughed. “We’re outside the gates. Stop it with the name, Cole.”
“I said I’d try.”
“Not hard enough,” she mumbled, and he laughed again.
The sentries at the gate waved Cole and her in after taking a look at them, and her wolf relaxed somewhat until they slid through the wards and she found herself within the Talon den. The wards no longer protected wolves from being seen by humans since they were out in the open now, but it didn’t allow outsiders in without permission. Now that she and Cole were near a fully functioning and much larger Pack, Dawn couldn’t help but be intimidated.
“This could be us one day,” Cole whispered.
“That’s daunting.”
“Well, from what I hear, the Talons weren’t always this healthy and whole. They had to work for this. We can, too.” There was a determination in his voice that made her wolf stand up at attention. Her brother would be a great Alpha. He’d make mistakes, but he’d learn from them, that was just the kind of man he was. And while the idea of what was to come also made her nervous, she couldn’t wait to see him become the man she’d known he could be all her life.
They pulled up in front of a decent-sized house tucked near the center of the den, surrounded by large trees. It made sense that the Alpha’s family would be in a place where they’d be near the most people. And their home was one of the largest she’d seen, but since she knew they probably had meetings in their home rather than another building more often than not, that too made sense to her.
The mated pair stood on the front porch, waiting for her and Cole as she and her brother got out of the truck. While Dawn’s brother was a large man, he had nothing on Gideon Brentwood. The man screamed dominant Alpha. His wide shoulders seemed to take up almost too much room, and the air around him practically sizzled with energy. He had a big beard and fierce eyes, but when he looked down at his wife for a brief moment, she saw the kindness there. That was what made an Alpha. Her wolf leaned forward, even as it bowed its head at his dominance.
And as dominant as Gideon was, Brie was his exact opposite. She was clearly a submissive wolf, but one that was protected and honored like she should be. She smiled widely at her and Cole, and this time, Dawn’s wolf bowed its head in respect and with the desire to be petted.
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes, and she wanted to cry. Dawn needed this. Her people needed this. They needed to become a true Pack. Finally.
“Welcome,” Brie said, her smile widening. “I’m so glad you’re here for dinner and to just talk for a bit. I’m Brie, and this is Gideon.”
Gideon wrapped his arm around his mate’s shoulders and squeezed. That action softened him again, and made Dawn like him even more. She might be intimidated by the man, but she was finding herself actually liking him, too. She had met most of the Brentwoods over the past year or so when they had come to visit her small den, but Gideon had never come. There was a difference between a visiting wolf and a visiting Alpha in a shifter’s den.
“It’s good to have you here,” Gideon rumbled, his voice deep and growly. She figured his voice was always like that rather than him being angry or annoyed. “Some of the family is inside. Others are either out on patrol or watching the children. We figured since it’s your first time over here, we’d keep the babies with their caretakers for the evening, that way, there’s not too much noise all at once.”
Dawn heard the truth of his statement, but knew that wasn’t all of it. She held back any look of disappointment at the fact that she wouldn’t be meeting any of the Talon children tonight. She knew it was for the safety of the young ones, so she shouldn’t have felt as if it was a blow to her heart. These people didn’t know her or Cole that well, and while it might be safe to bring them over for din
ner, there were still some boundaries when it came to the safety of children. That just meant she would have to do her best tonight to earn everyone’s trust. Because, darn it, it was a slight against her to not be trusted enough to be near the Pack’s youngest members. She was a maternal wolf with no children to care for, and while unintentional, this was just another hit to her system.
Cole squeezed her hand as if knowing where her thoughts had gone, and she gave him a small smile. The logic of everyone’s decisions might make sense, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
“Anyway, come on in. Dinner should be ready soon, but we have a few appetizers out.” Brie gestured toward the open front door and held out her hand. Somehow instinctively knowing the protocol, Dawn moved forward and gripped the other woman’s hand. Brie’s smile brightened, and she squeezed Dawn’s hand before leading her inside. Cole followed them with Gideon coming in last. As he was the most dominant wolf among them, it made sense that he would be the one to protect from outside forces while there were other wolves inside to look after his mate. It was all so odd sometimes how their wolves were the ones that led the way rather than the human side, but that’s what made them shifters. There was a balance between the two, and what made a wolf more stable and in control was how they took to that balance.
Gideon and Brie’s family milled around the large and spacious living room that connected to the open-concept kitchen and dining room. Dawn didn’t need to be told that so many of them were Brentwoods as they all looked so much alike it was a little startling. But despite the fact that there were many others in the room, the first person her gaze clashed with was the one man who made her wolf stand at attention and made her want to duck at the same time.
Mitchell leaned against a wall while he talked to the Talon Healer, his cousin, Walker. Dawn had met the Healer a couple of times in the past when he came to give them checkups since he was also a medical doctor. Yet her attention was still only on Mitchell. And from the way he froze with his beer halfway to his lips, she knew his attention was on her, as well. Walker looked between them, brow raised, and Dawn wanted to curse herself for being so obvious when it came to her irrational crush on the growly and brooding Mitchell.
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