The black-eyed wolf, the other half of his soul, regarded him, lips curled away to reveal sharp white teeth, thick gray hackles raised across his shoulders. This is how we should be, always. Strong, protected, invulnerable. The wolf held firm and a ripple of fear struck Ven.
Focusing hard, he looked beyond the reflection as he pictured himself in human form. Long dark hair secured off his face with two braids, dark skin like burnished mahogany, black eyes set deep above a sharp, proud nose. Full lips twisted in a perpetual sneer above his pointed chin. Once he had his face set, the rest of his image snapped into place. He was a big man, maybe an inch or so shorter than Ryker, but thicker through the chest and solid muscle.
With a grunt of effort, he forced his wolf down far enough to transition to his human form. The shift seemed to take forever and sweat soaked his skin by the end of it. Crouching on the ground, lungs sawing with effort, he scooped one hand into the water of the river and splashed his face. The shocking cold chased away the last vestiges of fear, and he became aware of the two men standing close by.
Hating the vulnerability of kneeling before them he shoved hard to his feet, ignoring the ache in his muscles. He staggered. Gee grabbed his arm in a meaty fist, preventing a humiliating tumble onto his naked ass. Naked ass. Where the hell are my clothes? He’d never not manifested his clothing during his shift before. Not all wolves could do it, but he had the ability to shift without stripping down to his skin.
“How long had you been wolf?” Ryker spoke in a mild, deceptive tone. Never one to shout, his calm, measured voice turned Ven’s blood to ice.
Brow furrowed, he tried to remember when he’d last stood on two legs and found he couldn’t place it exactly. There had been the first dusting of snow on the ground. Now the trail edges were a sea of yellow flowers, early spring sunshine bringing the meadow zizia into full glory.
Tugging his arm free from Gee’s grip, he braced his bare feet to make sure he held his stance. Since childhood, his best form of defense had always been attack and he channeled the ever-present well of anger bubbling in his gut. Better to be angry than scared. His lack of awareness of the passing of time seriously spooked him. He twisted his upper lip into a sneer, an expression he’d perfected and wore like a shield.
“What the fuck difference does it make? I run my patrols. I keep this northern section safe. Why do you care whether I do it as wolf or man?” His belligerence was legendary amongst the pack. Whatever else people called him, and they had a few prime choices, Ven would never be called a people-person. Or a wolf’s-wolf.
What-the-fuck-ever.
“It makes a difference when it takes you ten minutes to shift. It makes a difference when I have to put you in a hole in the ground because you forget your humanity and go rogue.” Ryker’s tone never altered throughout his speech. And, for a wolf who rationed the words he used to the point of being monosyllabic, two sentences counted as a speech.
Shock rippled through Ven. Ten minutes to shift? Flicking his horrified gaze to Gee, the sympathy shining brightly in the old bear’s eyes morphed Ven’s horror to anger. He hated pity more than anything else. Disdain, anger, disappointment rolled off his back like water. Pity carried ghosts of the past. Ghosts the pack seemed determined he should never forget.
He’d had a gutful of it when his feckless parents abandoned him, leaving a confused eleven-year-old to cope with the vicious rigors of pack life under Magnum Tao. And the very unwelcome attentions of his Uncle Silas. He had learned too young and too often the one lesson he needed to survive. Keeping the nasty bastards in life from attacking meant becoming the meanest of the lot.
The ghosts rose, the way they always did when he lowered his guard. Foul breath huffed against his neck. Jagged nails scraped against his skin. His stomach heaved in reaction. He clamped his jaw tight, grinding his teeth to hold in the pathetic whimper crawling up his throat. Never again. Never. Again. The litany echoed in his head until the roiling in his gut subsided.
“It’s time to change your mission, and now that I’ve seen you, I’m worried we have left it too long.” Ryker’s deep voice chased the last cobwebs of memory away. He glared in the direction of the Enforcer, although he kept his eyes averted to the left. Ryker raised an eyebrow and Ven lowered his head farther as his wolf strained hard to be free again. The wildness of his other half rode him hard. A sprinkling of hair flashed and receded along his arms as he battled the urge to shift.
Gee spoke, his deep voice a gruff but welcome diversion. “The gas station on the approach into town has been ruined too long. We can’t afford to leave any part of our territory unprotected. Given the recent murders, Drew has ordered all remote members of the pack to be rotated closer to home.”
“Murders?” The word blurted from between his lips. His lack of awareness prompted a long meeting of eyes between the bear and the Enforcer. Embarrassment prickled his neck. The silent disapproval of the two had been a regular feature of his youth. At thirty, he couldn’t keep screwing up this badly. What the fuck had been happening in town? How the fuck did I lose track of an entire season?
He forced the unease down and focused on the rest of Gee’s words. The gas station stood at the opposite end of pack territory. Its position about ten miles out on the only road into town made it the last place Ven wanted to visit. The road meant people, the gas station meant people stopping. And talking. He shuddered at the very idea of it.
“What does the gas station have to do with me?” Ven had a sneaking suspicion about the direction of the conversation, and he didn’t like the sound of it.
“Your new assignment is to refurbish and run the gas station.” Ryker spoke this time. He and Gee were a regular conversational tag team.
“Fuck, no!” He couldn’t suppress the snarled words. Fisting his hands, claws dug and cut into his flesh as his wolf battered against his skin, fighting to be free. The fury and force of its challenge for dominance nearly dropped him to his knees.
“Don’t make me do it.” The Enforcer’s expression remained unreadable, but Ven knew he’d crossed the line. Crossed it hard.
Gee reached out and touched Ryker on the shoulder and the Enforcer swung away, striding toward the tree line. “Explain it, Gee.” His soft voice carried easily. The air shimmered, like heat haze on the horizon and the man departed in a flash of autumn-colored fur as he raced into the shadows beneath the pines.
Ven glanced at Gee, hating the sympathy once again written on his face.
“It’s a good idea, Ven. Whether you realize it or not, you need to reconnect with the pack.” The big man shifted his stance, subtly creating distance between them that gave Ven a chance to leash the wolf tighter. “As the town grows, the traffic into Los Lobos is increasing and we need someone we can trust guarding the road. Rumors are spreading into the local community as the demand for supplies draws attention. We need you there to keep an eye on who is coming into town and to act as a sentry point. Strangers tend to stop there and fill up, check for directions, grab a cold soda. Your job will be to discourage the curious. With your winning personality, you’ll be perfect for the job.”
Hotheaded he might be, but no one had ever called Ven stupid. He read the underlying message in the words the bear didn’t speak. It was a test of loyalty. Something had changed in the pack and there would be no more leeway given to isolated members. Drew had been keen to demonstrate he would be a better Alpha than his father, refusing to impose his will on the pack. No more, apparently.
“How, exactly, am I supposed to afford this?” An embarrassed flush heated his neck even though Gee knew all the nasty details of his dire personal circumstances. His parents had cleaned out what little remained in their bank account and left town in a trail of debts and broken promises. No one had expected Ven to take on the debt burden, but he’d insisted, trading free labor to local businesses left short when the Thornes had fled. He’d spent a summer bussing tables at The Den to settle his father’s tab.
/> “The pack will provide the necessary funding. Drew and Ryker have reviewed all existing security protocols and deemed this a priority requirement. Once the station is up and running, you can use the proceeds to support yourself. The accommodation is basic, but it’ll keep your fur dry.” Gee spoke with real seriousness. Ven realized he’d been well and truly boxed into a corner. The decision had been made and he would either have to go along with it or hit the road.
If they allowed him to leave.
If they decided he was a threat to the pack, then the hole in the ground Ryker had spoken of would become a reality.
“I’ll have to deal with people, talk to them. All. Fucking. Day.” He groaned, knowing he’d agreed to accept the deal. Gee clapped him on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over in the process.
“I can’t wait.” The bear wore a shit-eating grin and Ven sighed deeply, he had no choice.
“I fucking hate you, Gee,” he snarled causing the bear to whoop with laughter as he lumbered off, following the path away from the clearing.
Soul of Flame Page 9