by Tl Reeve
“What?”
“Yeah,” she answered. “He’s showboating is all. So, tell me more about this guy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not happening.”
“Fine.”
“So, you landed an interview already?” I changed the subject with ease. It was bad enough once things were settled here, I’d be quitting and I wouldn’t have my friend to talk to.
“Surprised the hell out of me. I stopped by on my way home yesterday, informed H.R. I would like to apply for the position and I got the interview. I still can’t believe it.”
“Then we should celebrate,” I stated.
“Wish we could. I need you to come in for a few hours and help me get this paperwork finished.”
“I can be there in thirty and I’ll bring food.”
“Sounds perfect. You’re a lifesaver.”
“I do what I can.” When I hung up with her, I turned to find Mace watching me. His hooded expression warmed me. “I have to go to work.”
“Yeah, I heard.” His loose-legged gait turned me on. “I could drive you. Pick you up tonight and we could run?”
Yes. I would love to. “Sure. But I might be late depending how quickly we can get through all the evidence and write up the reports.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” He wrapped me in his arms, and a sense of rightness filled me. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“Thank you for getting me out of my head.”
He pulled back to stare down at me. “Can I say something without ruining our afternoon?”
A knot formed in my stomach. “Sure.”
“Don’t be so hard on Scout and Bowie.” He surprised me. Of all the guys to side with them, Mace caught me off guard.
“Why?” I crossed my arms.
“They’re good guys, and despite what you saw, they want you, too. Give them a chance like you did me.” He shrugged. “If they turn out to be assholes, I’ll deal with them for you.”
Well, with an offer like his, what could I say? “Sure. Open mind it is.”
He grunted. “Good. Why don’t you get ready and I’ll make you something to eat?”
“Don’t worry about the food,” I stated as I passed him. “We’ll stop and grab something.”
* * *
Silvi devoured her pollo bowl while mine sat half-full. I’d been distracted by Mace’s words and the photos I’d been staring at. The internal mechanisms of the light weren’t damaged, which we’d been told on the scene. However, the open file on my laptop showed the signature and the hidden message. Come find me.
I grabbed a fork full of food and ate it. “He’s taunting us.”
“He is,” she agreed. “The question is, why?”
Hell, if I knew. It didn’t make sense yet. “We know he’s not here. He’s doing it from a remote location.”
“He had access to all the information he needed to reprogram the signals. What I don’t get is why he isn’t being shut out. Every state DOT can reset their codes, upgrade their security, yet he’s still getting in, how?”
Silvi lifted her shoulder. “Maybe he has an insider?”
“He could. But the DOT would have a record of someone hacking into the mainframe to capture the code and they don’t. Some kind of internal alarm would trigger if they were being attacked.”
“What do you want to do?” She slid her papers to the side and folded her hands on the desk.
“Let’s go to the DOT in Chattanooga and ask them.” I pushed back from the desk and frowned at my half-eaten lunch. “You better drive so I can finish eating.”
Silvi grinned. “Distracted by he-man, huh?”
More than him. Sometimes, I wished I hadn’t come to work outside of the pack. I’d have never met Silvi, and I wouldn’t have to worry about watching what I said in front of her. But I’d never have found my best girl-friend either. The thought of leaving her after everything crushed me.
“Can I ask you question?” We weaved through the deputies and people lingering in the hall.
“Sure. Anything.”
“Say you’re in this situation, an—”
“Oh, my God, you’re pregnant!” Silvi squealed.
“What? No. God, woman. Keep your voice down.” I cleared my throat as we exited the building. “This situation has to do with a guy.”
“Oh. Well, you are with a hunky guy, so I thought.” She shrugged as she got into her car.
“Anyway,” I said sliding in next to her. “The guy is amazing. Awesome. Hot.”
“But?”
“What if I also like someone else?” I frowned.
“Date them both,” she answered like it was nothing.
“What if they find out?”
“You’re not obligated to pick one person over the other unless you set it up that way.” She pulled away from the spot where she’d parked. “Play the field if it’s what you desire. Just do it because you want to, not because you’re forcing yourself to.”
“What if the other guy enjoys the company of both sexes?” I glanced at her to gauge her reaction. Her face was blank. Her posture relaxed. When I thought of Bowie and Scout, I hoped the case would be they were bisexual, not gay, or else what would be the point?
“Make sure you’re being safe.” She sighed. “What’s going on?”
I chuckled. “Nothing. Really. Just something I saw on the internet.”
“You are so strange sometimes.”
Silvi had no idea. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”
* * *
By the time I returned to the station, I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to do. Bowie and Scout weighed heavily on my mind. The way I treated Dax, also disturbed me. I had to make this right. I had to apologize.
“Jupiter?”
I glanced up when I heard my name. Bowie. He stood at the front desk, Scout by his side. Both looked horrible. Scout worse. His face was pale. Tension radiated off him in sickening waves. The humiliation and regret pouring off both left me dizzy and my stomach knotted.
“What are you doing here?” I don’t know how I managed to speak at the moment. The longer they stood there, the sicker I became. “Can you tamp it down a little?”
Both men swallowed hard, and nodded.
“Sorry,” Bowie replied.
“It’s okay. Why are you here?”
“Mace told us you got called away. We thought we’d come here and see if you’d be willing to talk to us.”
“I have a couple of hours of paperwork left to do.” Not a complete lie, but not the truth either. I still didn’t know how to broach this subject with them.
“We’ll grab you some dinner and wait.”
“Who are these two men?” Silvi joined her. “Is this what you were talking about earlier? Where’s the hunk I saw you with the other day?”
I closed my eyes and pleaded for some sanity in an insane situation. “These are some friends of mine. They’re here on vacation.”
She held out her hand. “I’m Jupiter’s partner, Silvi.”
Scout and Bowie shook her hand as they introduced themselves. “Scout and Bowie.”
“Go on ahead, Jupiter. I can finish up here.” Silvi patted me on the shoulder.
Great. Perfect. The one place I could go to get away and she had to take it away from me. “Uh, awesome. Thanks. I owe you.”
“Nah, I’m still paying you back for working all night.” She winked. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
“Doesn’t leave much, does it?” I cocked a brow and smirked.
My friend chuckled, then gave me the middle finger. God, I was going to miss her when everything was said and done.
I didn’t want people in the station to hear a word we said. Hiding this part of me had taken a bit of trial and error. Nothing like walking up on my first scene, the smell of fresh kill permeating the air, and my wolf trying to take over. I thought, naively, that I’d mastered my wolf. Bitch taught me differently. So, I had to relearn how to be out in human public
all over again.
I quickly moved them towards their little sedan, the red one Scout owned. The sooner they were gone, the sooner I could relax. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
“We need to talk about what you saw,” Bowie answered, stopping mid-stride. “And stop hurrying us. We’re not cavemen, Jupiter. We know the rules, we won’t say anything to cause a scene.”
Scout shook his head. “He’s right. What do you take us for?”
Did he really want an answer to what definitely sounded like a rhetorical question? Instead of replying, I stared at him.
“Sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You saw us, together. In the bathroom. You were turned on by me fucking Scout. I scented it the minute you saw us. Confusion, too,” Bowie stated, holding his hand out to her. “What filled us with such sorrow, and anguish, was the smell of your pain from our treachery.”
Shocked, I stood there. What the fuck was I supposed to say? “Um…well.” I picked at a string on my shirt, unable to look at either of them.
“Give us an hour, please. Let us explain,” Scout said. “If you don’t like it, you can send us away.”
And brand them as lone wolves? No pack. No home. How in the world would they survive? Yes, they had each other, but a pack brought more resources. Family. Life.
“Fine. There is a place we can go. Follow me.” I’d take them to the small diner closer to pack lands. The foot traffic was usually light and the people who worked there didn’t ask any questions.
The sincerity in their voices tugged at me. They had more to say than just sorry. I could feel it. What though, I didn’t know. We drove through the winding roads until the last little building on the right appeared like a beacon in the night. I pulled into the driveway and parked. When Scout parked beside me, I pointed towards the diner.
As I hoped, not a soul sat at the counter and only two couples sat within the booths. “We’ll sit over here, there’s more privacy.”
“Have you been here before?” Scout inquired as he scooted in beside Bowie.
“As much as I can when I work late.” The waitress joined us moments later, and after giving our order, I said, “Well, what should we talk about?”
Fear and rejection wafted from them. The hot, pungent smell overwhelmed my wolf. They exchanged glances, carrying on a silent conversation. Something, it would seem they had perfected over time.
“Well, as you’ve figured out, we lied. Scout and I aren’t twins. It was stupid of us to even think it could work. However, I do have a brother—a twin, Brady. He ran from our pack.”
I was confused. I got the first part of his statement, obviously, but Bowie did have a twin? Where was he? Why did they create this grand scheme? Wouldn’t it have been better to come together and somehow, shit, I didn’t know, be honest about everything? What was I missing?
Scout added, “You don’t understand the dynamic of our pack. Our alpha is brutal. He only cares about one thing: procreation. His mates aren’t all his. Each one is used to produce heirs for him. All of us are paired off with people we don’t know and aren’t mated to.”
“Wait, what?” I glanced between the both of them. “I’ve met your alpha. Henric isn’t mean.”
Bowie snorted. “Because he covets your land. He jumped at the chance to send Brady and me here to capture your hand. In exchange, right now, two men from one of the other packs are on his land, getting ready to help fortify his control.”
“Brady took off after the orders were given. He couldn’t do it. He said he would rather die a lone wolf than be forced to mate with someone who didn’t belong to him.” Bowie shuddered. For a big man like him to show vulnerability to me, I had to sit back and think about what they were telling me. This…fucked with my logical senses.
“Who is the lucky woman Henric offered up for my pack’s two men?” I had to know the answer.
“Sarafina,” Scout answered.
“His daughter?” She was quite a few years younger than me, only twenty-one or twenty-two. She had a spine made of steel and a kind soul. “Why?”
“Two of his guards have been forced to procreate with her, neither man produced the next alpha. If Sarafina can’t conceive, she’ll be killed.” Scout bent his head, and a whimpered cry fell from him. “She’s so sweet and pure and kind. I can’t let her down by being sent home. Your men can’t let her down.”
A lump formed in my throat. I could see, now, why my father had set up this little exchange. The bastard had to have known. I wondered what Henric paid him. What resources he might have kept from his pack to help an insane alpha “sell,” his daughter to the highest bidder.
“What else?” I needed the whole story. If I helped Scout and Bowie, I had to know every inch of their lives.
“We’re bisexual. My twin is straight. He’s tenderhearted. Has found himself half in love with Sarafina since they were kids. He’d come back for her. I can feel it. He won’t stay away for long, and it scares the shit out of me.”
“And the scene in the bathroom?”
Both men had the decency to blush.
“Taking advantage of a wild situation. Finding solace in each other’s arms. Taking five minutes to pretend our lives aren’t fucked.” Bowie shrugged. “Take your pick.”
“So, you thought, if I’m understanding you correctly, you could lie to me, fuck around and never tell me the truth?” Things were rough. I fully understood what kind of craptastic situation we’d all been put in, but wasn’t I worth their truth? If we were all going to be mates, because honestly, I didn’t think I could choose one, didn’t I deserve a little of their respect? I’d been honest. I setup a schedule. I told them we’d give this a shot, and I got shit and shoved in it.
“We thought we didn’t stand a chance. Mace, Dax, and Benning are more your type. We’re strong, well built, but we’re not them. A wolf deserves to have their strengths amplified,” Scout whispered. “We don’t feel worthy.”
Fuck. “Guys,” I blew out a breath, “I can’t choose. I’ve said it from the beginning. Each of you bring something new and different to my life. How can I have anything real with you if you lie to me?”
Both men glanced at each other. “We’re sorry, Jupiter. We should have told you from the beginning.” Scout rubbed the back of his neck. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.” What did I have to lose?
“If we would have come forwards in the beginning and told you, what would have happened?”
Gut kicked in. “I’d have called the whole thing off.” Fucking hell. I closed my eyes. Scout and Bowie would have gone back, probably been killed. Brady would have died because his familial link would be cut. Add Sarafina to the death list as well. One pebble landing in a pool of water would cause long, lasting ripples.
“I hate you misled me. I hate I had to walk in on you to find out. However, I understand your reason.” Hope bloomed in both men’s gazes. “But it still doesn’t let you off the hook. I’m angry, right now. I’m scared for my friend and Bowie. I’m worried for your brother. Henric won’t hesitate to kill him given half the chance. He went against the alpha’s orders, and there is only one punishment for doing so.”
He nodded. “Death.”
“What now?” Scout hedged. “How do we fix this?”
“Group meeting when we get home. We have to find out the reasons you were all sent,” she scoffed. “I’m sure I’m not going to like any of it, one bit.”
Chapter Ten
What the fuck? Sitting in the shitty diner with Scout and Bowie, listening to them, brought a whole other mix to my precarious situation. How did we fix this now? Sarafina’s situation scared the shit out of me. My father was a saint compared to Henric.
I had to talk to the others. Find out if their alphas were pulling the same kind of shit. And if they were, we had to lead the way to a change. It also flipped our group dynamic on its head. Mating them would mean unifying the packs. Sending them home could send the whole area into turmoil. Cat
ch-22 anyone?
As I pulled into the driveway, Scout was right behind me. He cut the engine of his car and I stopped him as he got out. “I thought of something just now. Aren’t you a lawyer?”
Scout nodded. “Yes. Why?”
“I might have a plan forming.” I pivoted and headed inside. Mace, Benning, and Dax were waiting for us. All wore curious expressions. Dax, however, frowned. “I owe you an apology later. We have business to attend to. Let’s sit at the kitchen table.”
They trailed behind me as I flipped on the light in the kitchen and went for the fridge first. After grabbing the six pack inside, I closed the door and crossed to the table. “I have found out some interesting things tonight, and I need to hear from you next.” I placed the beer in the middle of the hard surface and took my seat.
“Is there something wrong?” Benning glanced between Bowie and Scout. “Do we need to vote?”
“Depends how we’re going to proceed. You all know my father and the situation he’s placed me in. Scout and Bowie have put me on notice about their pack. I think we should get our collective baggage on the table.”
Dax narrowed his eyes. “I fucking knew it.”
“Dax.” I glared at him. “It’s not what you think at all.”
“I should explain,” Bowie started. “We’re not twins.”
Benning snorted. “No shit.”
Dax frowned. “What?”
I’d have laughed if our situation wasn’t serious already. “They’re telling the truth. They’re not twins.”
“I have a twin, Brady. He’s gone lone wolf because of our alpha.” He recounted the conditions in which they lived in and how poor Sarafina had been treated. He explained why Brady left and how Scout stepped in to fill the spot.
By the time he finished, a stunned silence filled the house.
“I have to have the truth for this to work,” I stated. “No more keeping this shit to yourselves. So, tell me.”
Benning went first. “I have a strong alpha. He sent me because I am an alpha potential, and he understood your set of circumstances. We don’t live like this. Or fight like this, or force matings on wolves.”