by Mia Rose
“You heal quickly?” Noelle wanted to smack herself because all she could manage to do was repeat everything he was saying.
“Yes.” Edmund looked down at a stray paper clip on the table and stretched it out so that it made a straight line. He dragged it across the top of his hand, cutting deep enough to draw blood. Noelle watched in amazement as the superficial wound healed itself.
“Oh my god,” she whispered.
Noelle struggled to wrap her mind around all of it, but she couldn’t quite believe any of it. She saw Edmund watching her closely and she wanted to try to pull herself together.
She sat up straighter and flattened out her top with the palms of her hands and asked, “What time is Declan coming?”
The way that Edmund was staring at her made her feel as though she was standing naked on top of a stage. His eyebrows were drawn together and his lips were pulled in a line of disapproval. Noelle felt as though (once again) she had said too much, too soon.
“What?” Noelle asked finally.
“I never told you that his name was Declan.”
“Sometimes, you say too much, too soon.”
Chapter 11
The Lab
“The last female wolf left standing would become the alpha.”
Before Noelle could respond, the door swung open and there stood Declan. She always knew that he was extremely handsome, but for some reason, the way he looked in that moment almost took her breath away. Declan looked at Noelle, and then at Edmund, and then back at Noelle.
“Well,” Edmund said, “this just got way more interesting than I had anticipated.”
“What the hell is this, Noelle?” Declan asked.
“I didn’t call you here,” she said, defensively.
“Declan, please sit. I’m glad you two already know each other —I trust that this will make things easier.”
“Make what easier?” Declan asked, his eyes still on Noelle. She was looking at Edmund now, refusing to glance in Declan’s direction.
“We all have one thing in common,” Edmund explained. “We all need the lab in order to get whatever cure we are looking for —Declan you want your cure for silver and Noelle you want the cure for your family.
Declan’s eyes grew curious. “Cure for your family? What is he talking about, Noelle?”
Noelle was staring at Edmund, but she heard Declan in her ear. She could hear the accusation he carried in his voice and she felt every word stab her in her chest, as if she had something to feel guilty about.
“I just want my family back, Declan,” she whispered, still looking forward.
“I told you, Noelle, they are fine. They are actually more than fine! Tonight, they are going to go out on their first hunt —it would be really great for them, I’m sure, to have you there to support them.”
“I don’t support this,” Noelle said, finally turning toward him. “I don’t support any of this!”
“Noelle, what the hell about last night, then? What happened to all that shit you said about letting go and moving forward? Or was all that just so I would have sex with you? Or better yet, was all of that just so you could set me up and have your little boyfriend here try and take me out?”
Edmund sat back in his chair. He was glad Declan had said that. Now, he knew that Declan saw him in the woods and recognized him. The tidbit about having sex with Noelle —now, that was an interesting twist.
“So,” Edmund said, “I take it that this was not a one-time thing with him?”
“One time?” Declan laughed. “This is too good, right now. You told him we’d been together once?”
“Can we just stay focused on the goal here?” Noelle said, her face turning red. “We are running out of time and we can’t waste it on finding out who slept with who, and when.”
“I’m just curious,” Edmund said. “Did you know you were going to have sex with him before or after you had sex with me?”
Declan looked at Noelle and he was furious. He had felt bad enough about being set up by her, but now he was told that he was straight up being played by her as well?
“Edmund,” Noelle said, reaching for his hand, but he pulled it back.
“Anyways,” Edmund said, “let’s focus on what we need to do. Declan, you said that you have the money?”
“Yes,” Declan said, keeping his eyes on Noelle.
“Good. So now where would we be able to set this up?”
“We can do it in the basement of the apartment complex where I live,” Declan said. “I think you should have more than enough space and privacy to work there. Plus, I’d like to keep a close eye on the progress.”
Edmund nodded. “This should work, then. I’ll take a leave of absence so no one will notice that I’m missing and then we can begin. Oh, and Declan, one more thing…”
“What is it?”
“Actually, Noelle, why don’t you tell him.” Edmund sneered.
Noelle looked at Declan with her eyes pleading him, “Declan, in order for the cure to work for my family, they can’t turn yet. Can you make sure that none of them turn?”
Declan knew that he should tell her that her father had already turned. He knew that he should tell her that tonight they would be going on their first hunt where they would all turn. He knew that he should, but everything in him held him back. When he looked at Noelle, he had to swallow back the bile that rose in his throat.
It made him sick to think about how devoted he had become to her. How special and unique he had thought that she was, only to come to find out that at the end of the day, she was no more special than any other ordinary girl he met on the bridge.
Declan stood up from his place and walked out of the room, leaving Noelle alone with Edmund. She looked at Edmund and tried once again to reach out to him, but he pulled away.
“I think it’s best that you leave now,” Edmund said to Noelle. She steadied her gaze and opened her mouth as if to say something, but decided against it.
She stood up and left the room leaving Edmund by himself. He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. He had let himself slip. He hadn’t found out all the information about her and he hated being surprised —especially by something of this magnitude.
Edmund saw his skin as it began rippling slightly, so he reached into his pocket where he kept a small bottle. He took a sip of the final, remaining drops.
Declan drove home with his hands gripped so tightly around the wheel that his knuckles were white. He couldn’t get the image out of his head of Noelle reaching for Edmund’s hand. He wanted to throw up and yell all at once.
Declan had never felt like this before —he had loved Cassidy, but it was such an easy love. It didn’t take any work and he figured that’s why he had gotten so wrapped up with Noelle so quickly, because everything about her was complicated, like an enigma just begging to be solved.
He parked in his usual spot and headed up the steps, two at a time, nearly running over Avril at the top of the stairs.
“Woah!” she cried out, reaching for the railing to steady herself.
“Sorry, Avril,” Declan said, “I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s okay.” Avril smiled. “I was actually looking for you. I went to find all of those tenants like you asked me to, and two of them gave me these checks for you.” She handed him two white envelopes which held rent checks inside.
“Thanks so much,” Declan said, grabbing the envelopes.
He left her standing at the top of the stairs and made his way over to Gabriel’s apartment. He knocked on the door loudly and Gabriel pulled it open, his face flush.
“Change of plans,” Declan said. “Pack meeting. Right now.”
He left Gabriel standing there staring after Declan. Declan raced down the stairs toward the basement. His body was pulsing and he recognized that feeling of his inner wolf just scratching at the surface. The one he needed desperately to get out.
He paced back and forth trying to get out some of his pent-up e
nergy before the meeting. Pack members slowly started filing in and he could tell by the looks on their faces that no one had any idea what this could be about. It took about fifteen minutes before everyone was seated. Gabriel stood near the front of the room with Declan; he quieted down the room so that Declan could begin speaking.
“Hey everyone, sorry about the last-minute change of plans. I have some exciting news to share with all of you, so let’s go ahead and start.” Declan spoke slowly, trying not to let any emotion find its way into his voice.
“The first thing I’d like to discuss with you all is that I am searching for an assistant. Obviously, this is not the exciting news, but I could definitely use the help from a reliable person. So, if you’re interested in this position, please come and find me after the meeting.” He gave a smile, despite feeling melancholy. “The next thing I want to share with you all is that we have made considerable progress regarding the cure. I was able to find a source for the funds —our very own beta, Gabriel. I think we should all give him some serious thanks, especially considering that you all wanted me to kill him not too long ago.”
The pack erupted into applause and Declan could hear various people shouting out Gabriel’s name. Gabriel nodded his head, slightly embarrassed from all of the attention he was receiving.
“So,” Declan said loudly, trying to quiet down the room again, “I was able to meet with the doctor today and he will begin working on the cure right here in our own basement, starting next week. With that being said, I will need volunteers of people who want to stand guard to make sure no one is let in here, or out of here without our approval. We don’t need any one else involved in this other than us, agreed?” Declan saw most of the pack nodding their heads in agreement or giving him thumbs up.
“Okay,” Declan smiled, “while that was certainly exciting news, it wasn’t the last thing I wanted to talk to you all about. As you all know, Cassidy was my mate and when she was killed, a large part of our pack was taken from us. I’ve decided that it is now time for me to find someone to step up and take her place as my mate, and as the alpha female of the pack.”
The group erupted into cheers and some of the women were smiling at Declan. He could see that some of the guys didn’t necessarily look very happy, but this is how it always happened.
“So, I’m going to give us all a week to prepare for the ritual. By next weekend, we will have ourselves a new alpha female.” Declan could feel Gabriel’s gaze on him.
After the meeting, Declan dismissed everyone after his announcements. He met with Ramona and Avril who both expressed interest in becoming his assistant. He promised that he would let them know by the end of the day who would take the position. They both smiled at him and left the room. Declan was now alone with Gabriel and he just knew that Gabriel would have something to say about his decision.
“So,” Gabriel started, “you’re finding a new mate?”
“Yes, Gabe. It’s time,” Declan said, keeping his eyes locked on Gabriel’s.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit soon to try to replace Cassidy?”
“It’s not about replacing Cass, Gabriel. It’s about trying to reunify our pack as one family. We need something to bond us all again, even stronger than before. We’ve been through too much shit lately, we all need something good to happen.”
Gabriel nodded his head and said reluctantly, “I get it.” He looked up at Declan and asked, “And what about Noelle?”
Declan looked away from Gabriel and answered, “She’s no longer a concern.” The two of them exchanged a silent understanding and Gabriel did not press Declan for any more details.
Declan returned to his apartment, already exhausted from the day. He didn’t want to think about Noelle, but he knew it was futile to try not to. It was almost as if the more he tried not to think about her, the more she traipsed around his mind, wreaking havoc in his head.
He tried to think about the ritual for the next weekend, instead. He remembered the last time he had chosen a mate; they’d foregone the ritual because Declan had true feelings for Cassidy and no one objected because she was the best choice, anyway. But this time, Declan had no idea who might end up his mate. He had been so far removed from the pack that he honestly wasn’t even sure who the viable options were anymore.
Any female wolf in the pack could choose to participate, even if she had already partnered up with another male wolf. The ritual would begin at dusk and they would burn a fire, remembering all the female alphas who came before them. The female wolves would draw strength from the fire in order to prepare them for the battle.
Once the final ember burned out, the entire pack would form a large circle, and one by one, each female would step inside and transform into her true wolf form. They would create an inner circle and once all the female wolves had changed, they would begin to battle one another. Any female wolf who did not wish to participate, would essentially take a step back into the outer circle. The last female wolf left standing would become the alpha. Then Declan would transform into his wolf form, and together, they would commence a celebratory hunt.
Although he had never done this ritual before, Declan was excited by the prospect of finding a mate. He knew his pack would have plenty of beautiful and strong women —he just hoped she would be enough to make him forget about Noelle.
“The last female wolf left standing would become the alpha.”
Chapter 12
The Inspector
“Judging things isn’t for everyone all the time.”
Noelle laid in her bed staring up at the ceiling. She felt numb as though she were sitting in an ice bath and had been pushed past the point. Passed where the cold affected her and then to not feeling anything at all. She had so many things ripped from her in such a short time —her family, her newfound relationship with Edmund, and then, of course, Declan.
As much as she didn’t want to consider him, she knew that it had hurt her just as much, if not more, than everything else that had happened. Part of her wished that she had never met him as a human —if she had met him in the woods in his wolf form, none of this would have been an issue. She never would have fallen for him, her family never would have been in danger, and Edmund wouldn’t hate her for sleeping with the enemy.
But there was still a small voice inside of her head telling her that she was happy with Declan, in those rare, quiet moments when there was nothing and no one in the world other than them. Then she’d been happy. When he came to see her after he’d found out that she had been in an accident, she’d been truly happy.
But then reality came crashing through the front door, once again. It seemed like that was happening too much lately —she would finally feel some semblance of peace for a minute, but then something would drop on her, crushing her underneath the weight of the truth.
After she had left the hospital library, she had tried to call Edmund a few times, but he sent her straight to voicemail. She knew that he needed space, but she also knew that she did not want to be alone right now. Her own thoughts scared her.
Noelle closed her eyes and tried to imagine small white sheep jumping over the moon and counting back from one hundred. Her mother had taught her this trick when she was younger, and when she’d suffered from nightmares every night.
“It’s okay,” her mother would say to her, “just close your eyes and count the sheep. When you wake in the morning, you’ll know that it was just a bad dream.”
Noelle felt a lump form in her throat and she clutched a pillow to her chest, burying her face inside of it. She didn’t want to cry. She felt that if she allowed herself to let go and cry now, she would never be able to stop. There was a knock at her door and Noelle wiped away the rebel tears marking their path down her cheeks.
“Come in,” she said.
Her nana peered in through the crack in the door and said, “What’s wrong, Noelle? I know you’re trying to muffle your crying, but it’s not working. It might be best to try to talk to someone about
it.”
Noelle was still not entirely used to her nana speaking this much. She had spent so much of Noelle’s life being a woman of few words after her husband’s death.
“I’m fine, Nana, you don’t have to worry about me,” Noelle said, trying her best to smile.
“Noelle, I know that you are not fine. You are not supposed to be fine right now. Between your family and getting over your own accident. And I suspect, there is some boy trouble as well. So, I’ll only ask once more, what’s wrong?”
Noelle looked at her nana and the last of her restraint flew from her body and the floodgates opened. She cried into the pillow, unable to speak over the pain in her chest and throat —it felt as though someone had tied a cord around her neck and wouldn’t let go. She felt her nana’s hand on her shoulder and she leaned into her. They sat like that for a while, with her nana rocking her back and forth, cooing softly in Noelle’s ear.
“Do you feel a little bit better?” her nana asked, a serious look on her face. Noelle looked into her nana’s sad blue eyes and nodded, understanding that her nana was in pain as well. “So, tell me, which boy upset you? Declan or this Edmund character?”
Noelle raised her eyebrows, shocked that her nana knew this much information.
“Oh, come on, dear. I’m old, I’m not blind! I saw the way that boy would look at you when he came to visit you during your recovery. He was in love and I would venture to say that, you might also share the same feelings?”
“No, Nana. I could never love him. It was his fault that…” Noelle stopped herself short.
She had nearly admitted to her nana about Declan being a werewolf, but after seeing Edmund’s reaction, she did not want to go through all of that again.
“What?” her nana asked. “What was his fault?”
“Nothing, Nana. I was just —I was going to say that my accident was his fault because we had gotten into a fight, but he’s not to blame. I was still the one behind the wheel, and I drove irresponsibly.”