by T. F. Walsh
“No problem.” On my way out, Blackie made sure to knock his shoulder into mine, hard enough to sting. His face would meet my fist before long.
Outside, two humans in business suits and with slicked hair waited. One hugged a briefcase to his chest. I wondered if the guy had a million euros in there, considering how tightly he gripped the case.
I hurried past them and away from Maxim’s RV. Annoyance stuck to my insides. Then a swarm of voices and hoots caught my attention.
Emerging into the empty lot behind the circus, I found the source of the noise. At least fifteen wulfkin crowded in a tight circle around two in the center. They hooted and snarled.
I should have ignored the commotion, but curiosity got the better of me. A bit of entertainment sounded inviting.
Standing at the edge of the mob, I peered past heads blocking my view with no success. Someone cheered from within the fold. I shifted to the other side for a better vantage point. That’s when I spotted him, and my insides iced over.
Radu, one of my pack members from Transylvania! Why was he here?
Blood trickled down his cheek. He was the only one I had shared my plan of coming to Bulgaria with, and I couldn’t imagine why he would follow me. Had something happened to the pack?
A wulfkin, smaller in stature, laid heavy punches into Radu’s torso while my friend covered his face.
Fire catapulted through my veins. If Radu revealed his true alliance to the Bulgarian pack, we would both be skinned alive. This was a disaster in the making, and I had to get him away from the pack. Radu received another blow to the gut, and I threw myself into the hoard.
Elbows and bodies whacked into me. Forcing myself into the impromptu boxing ring, I tackled the wulfkin who was beating my friend, despite my aching thigh. We fell to the ground with a thud, me on top of him. The crowd cheered.
I climbed to my feet, as did my opponent. Before he lifted a hand, I swung a fist and sent him back onto his ass. This wulfkin might’ve been skinny, but he was damn fast too.
To my side, Radu met my stare with silvery eyes, and a nervous smile inched up his mouth.
A second wulfkin jumped onto my back. My knee buckled, and I reeled forward. The crowd retreated as I landed face-first, eating a mouthful of dirt.
He delivered two punches to my head. My pulse had morphed into a charging bull. I bucked him off, and already my wolf clambered for release. Every part of me yearned to rip into anyone who stood in my way.
Back on my feet, I located my rivals behind me.
Two attackers, ganging up on me. Such babies.
I cracked my neck, rolled my shoulders, and cocked my chin toward them. “You both ready to choke on your own blood?”
A sudden torrent of water splashed my side, drenching me and my opponents. One of them tripped backward, dragging his buddy down with him.
I laughed and wiped my eyes clean of water, the chill extinguishing my rage.
Several paces away, Alena held an empty bucket in her hands. “You’re all a bunch of wild dogs.”
Practically every onlooker booed.
I stuck out a hand to Mr. Skinny to help him up. The other wulfkin had already left.
“We good?”
He made a short guttural sound and accepted my hand.
Facing the crowd, I said, “Nice to know I’m not the only newcomer who’s welcomed with such open arms.”
“What are you talking about?” a wulfkin I recognized as Ivitka asked. He had a square, shaved head, successfully achieving the intimidating look. “He intruded on our territory”—Ivitka pointed his chin toward Radu—“and refused to give us his name. Gives us the right to force the answer out of him. Since when are you against Varlac rules?”
I closed the distance between us, my breathing fast and rough. “When the wulfkin you’re ganging up on is a Varlac.” The lie flew free too easily. I hoped no one asked to verify Radu’s authenticity. He had to leave, and damn quick.
A few in the crowd gasped, and others retreated to the big top.
Radu exhaled, loud. A side effect of nerves getting the better of him.
A semicircle of gazes locked onto me. “If you have an issue with not attacking a Varlac,” I said, cracking my neck, “I’d gladly change your mind.”
“We didn’t realize you were organizing a Varlac convention,” the meathead said. “How many more should we expect of your kind?”
Someone behind him chuckled.
“I’d be very careful with that sharp tongue of yours,” I said.
“Perhaps you should have informed the alpha of your visitor beforehand.” Alena sliced through our staring match.
“This is Radu of the Varlac Clan, and he’s my father’s advisor.”
The whispers flatlined.
“And unless anyone else has an issue with this, we’re out of here.” I waved for Radu to follow me.
Wulfkin parted, creating an easy path for us to exit. The stares burned into my back, and I kept up the act, my spine stiff and chin high.
With Radu on my heels, we hurried inside my trailer.
“Varlac?” Radu asked. “Are you insane? The laws about impersonating one could get us—and your father’s advisor—killed.”
“Quiet.” I turned up the radio, which was playing a random soppy song, and checked the window. All clear.
Radu’s flaxen hair was a mess, and blood was smeared into one of his sideburns. At least he’d shaven off his awful beard.
I retrieved one of my unused bandages from the cupboard, along with a bottle of vodka and a towel, and pushed them into his grasp.
Radu collapsed onto the bed. “I could have died out there.”
“They were playing with you. This is why you should have taken my offer to train. It wouldn’t hurt to learn how to punch and defend yourself.” I dragged a chair closer. “Why are you here?”
Radu’s shoulders hunched, and sweat bubbled across his upper lip. His shaky hands fiddled with the bottle cap and filled the room with the stink of plum vodka. He drenched the fabric.
“Daciana sent me.”
I leaned forward in my seat, my breath caught in my chest. “You told her.”
He shrugged, his gaze low, and patted the wound on his cheek with the soaked cloth. He winced. “She’s very persuasive.”
I rubbed my mouth, knowing firsthand how pushy Daciana could be. At least she had sent Radu, rather than arrive herself, which would spell disaster. I told Radu about my disguise, the situation with the council, the police, dead bodies, Mila, even Nicolai stuck in jail where his turning would show humans that werewolves were real. I left Alena out on purpose; it was not the time to discuss how my wolf desperately claimed her, or how I’d contemplated making her mine when this mess was resolved. Though I doubted she’d open her heart to me if I challenged her father and took his place.
“This pack’s done a spectacular job of digging its own grave. I see why you claiming to be a Varlac wouldn’t be suspicious.” He reclined on the bed, resting on his arms.
My forearms pressed to my thighs. “The alpha, Maxim, isn’t quite fitting the image Sandulf painted.”
Radu’s eyebrows climbed his forehead. “Hard to believe, considering the mess they have at their doorstep.”
“Something else is going on, and I’m not convinced Maxim’s at the center of it,” I said.
“Yeah, but we didn’t suspect Sandulf either, and look how he turned out. Fathered a brutal dracwulf, tried to sacrifice you to it, and attempted to kill Daciana. Everyone hides secrets. The better one can conceal it, the more horrendous the crime.”
I straightened. “Since when did you become such a cynic?”
Radu shrugged. “Must have been when Sandulf beat me up and left me for dead.”
A rock song bellowed from the radio. I stood and glanced out the window, expecting a bunch of busybodies. I spotted no one.
“So what did Daciana say?” I asked, still staring out at the large circus tent in the distance.
&n
bsp; “Levin Ulf … uh, your father … he rang up looking for you.”
I snapped around. “What for?”
“Daciana kept lying about you not being there, but on the third phone call, she finally broke down and admitted you were in Bulgaria. He said he’s coming to Transylvania in a few days, and if you’re not there, he’s coming for you in Ruse.”
Fire slammed inside my chest and crawled up my neck. Was my father turning up to serve his punishment for still not being an alpha? My twenty-fifth birthday was a few days away, and I still had no pack of my own. This couldn't come at a worse time.
“Daciana wants you to return home immediately.”
Pacing to the door and back, I kept my voice low. “And then what?” I spun to face him. “Wait for Maxim to come and kill the pack? My being here will solve all our troubles. Plus, Nic’s still in prison. If he turns wolf inside the jail, our kind will be revealed to humans. We’ll be hunted down and killed. I can’t leave until Nic is out.” Surely, my father would understand the importance of this delicate situation. Then again, maybe not.
Radu patted his bloody cheek with the towel.
I slumped onto the bed next to him, the mattress bouncing beneath my weight. “I want to take over this pack.”
He gasped, making a girly sound. Of course, I wouldn’t call Radu masculine to begin with.
“Don’t you get it?” I asked. “If we unite our packs, we will be the biggest pack in Europe, and the Varlac will be forced to overlook Sandulf’s rule-breaking and spare the pack from punishment. We’ll achieve a level of immunity against the majority of wulfkin rules.” Plus, I’d finally get Father off my back about this alpha bullshit. I shot to my feet, pacing in a small circle.
It was the only way. The more I thought about it, the better it sounded.
Since arriving in Bulgaria, I’d intended to avoid a fight, but I was an idiot for being so naive. With the strength of his large pack, the only approach in our favor was for our two packs to merge. Maxim would never agree to this, and would mean killing him. I’d have to find a way to deal with that.
When I pivoted toward Radu, his cheeks had paled. “Risky move,” he said.
“What other options do we have?”
“Daciana wants to talk to Maxim and negotiate an agreement.”
“Not going to work. Maxim openly admitted he planned to kill the Transylvanian pack because Sandulf killed two of their scouts. They’ll kill us the moment they discover who we are.”
“We should head home then. Come with me. Forget this suicide mission.”
I huffed an exhausted breath, my shoulders sagging. “We’ll die if we do nothing. And I can’t leave before I get Nic out of prison for the sake of every wulfkin.”
Radu fiddled with the corner of the blanket on the bed, and for a long moment, he remained silent. Only the tunes on the radio filled the space between us.
With Maxim in desperation mode, he’d make his move any day, and I wanted to be here when it happened. Better to be within the enemy ranks. I’d have easier access to the alpha.
Thoughts of Alena fluttered in my mind, and I drove the images of her away. Not when so many lives depended on my decision. I’d help the Bulgarian members with their troubles, too. With me in charge, Daciana and I would come to an agreement between our packs. It had to work.
Radu broke the silence. “I guess there’s nothing I can say or do to convince you otherwise?”
“Nope. But I promise to return before my father arrives.”
Radu’s silvery eyes glinted in the sunlight pouring in from the window. “I’ll stay and help you.”
I choked on my next inhale and coughed. “I appreciate it. But your presence will only get us caught. I am a Varlac by blood. You’re not. It’s best you leave before someone comes and demands you prove your heritage.”
His eyes widened, and I hated freaking him out. Instead, I changed the topic.
“Any news on Matias or Lutia?” Yeah, I despised Lutia for turning our old alpha, Sandulf, against our pack, but I hadn’t given up on tracking her down.
He shook his head. “Since they fled, neither have been seen or heard.”
Matias was my friend, but he had left when the difficulties arose with Sandulf. I worried he’d run to Hungary to report the dracwulf incident to my father.
Radu continued to explain how Botolf, the elder in our pack, had officially declared his retirement, and it made me laugh. Botolf had been threatening to give up work for years.
“And Daciana’s human lover, Connell, spends nights at the house now.”
My laughter subsided. If my father visited Transylvania and found a human living with us, he’d explode. Unfortunately, Daciana wasn’t a wulfkin who took anyone’s advice, no matter how sensible. A year ago, I’d thought Daciana was meant to be my mate, but I’d accepted her choice of a human partner, and now it seemed my inner wolf had claimed Alena.
On his feet, Radu brushed bits of loose dirt off his jeans. “I’d better go.”
I stood and gave Radu a quick hug. A selfish part of me wanted him to stay for the simple reason that I missed my family. But he’d be safer at home … for now.
“Tell Daciana to trust me,” I said. “I won’t let her down. And for the moon’s sake, tell her to get her lover to stop visiting the house until this crap is over.” Last thing we needed was my father scenting the human all over Daciana and the pack house.
Radu smirked. “Yeah, right. You know her.”
Holding back the frustration bubbling in my throat, I said, “I know.”
I walked Radu in a wide circle around the outside of the circus to avoid bumping into anyone. At the main road out front, I hailed a passing cab. “Go straight across the bridge to Romania. Take care of Botolf and Daciana until I return.”
Radu’s creased brow screamed worry and naivety. “I’ll see you soon.”
He climbed into the taxi. I shut his door, and the cab drove away.
Time to escalate my plans for the alpha. I started my trek back to the circus but froze.
At the entrance to the main tent, Maxim stood, watching me, arms folded tightly across his chest. I wasn’t sure if relief or dread coursed through my body, but perspiration rolled down my spine. With Radu gone, Maxim couldn’t unravel the lie about my father’s advisor paying me a visit, but my lack of formally introducing Radu to Maxim before entering his territory might prompt a phone call to the Varlac in Hungary, who’d quickly reveal my lies. I was fucked.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ALENA
Enre was a hazard beyond being a nosy Varlac spying on us. His danger burrowed under my skin like a thousand parasites scavenging for blood.
He hadn’t been able to get his father’s advisor away from me fast enough after the fight, and since when did anyone have to stand up for a Varlac? They were notorious for their ruthlessness and their battle accolades, and this applied to their advisors and staff. Their clan was a war machine. So why was that Varlac Radu cowering?
Inside the center ring of the big-top tent, the acrobatic ribbon hung from the ceiling, the ends wound around my wrists. My feet were still on the ground. Concentrating on the practice routine wasn’t working. Behind me, wulfkin bustled around for their stunts and performances.
“If you’re going to just stand there all day, can we have the ring to practice our motorcycle ball of death?” Ivitka’s thick Serbian accent echoed from backstage. Dressed in his leather bodysuit, he stood there with his hands on his hips.
I unraveled my arms. “Sure, go for it.” Not like I was making any progress.
Heading toward backstage to wrap my red performance ribbon up, I spotted Damir entering from the rear of the tent. His frame was solid, every bit resembling the bodyguard. Even on stage when he performed his weight-lifting act, he remained stiff. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen the wulfkin in relaxed mode.
He scanned the area and stopped searching when his sights landed on me. “Your father wants to speak to you.”
Sonia approached from the dressing area. “Go, honey, I’ll roll up your ribbon.”
“Thanks.” I touched Sonia’s arm for a few seconds and offered her a grateful smile.
“Come and see me later,” she said with an arch of her eyebrow.
I nodded and left with Damir by my side, but I was curious what Sonia had seen in her divining sticks this time.
“He’s in his trailer,” Damir said, stepping into the sun.
“You trimmed your beard?”
He shrugged. “Needed it.”
Not a talker. He never was, but still, today felt off. Fire boiled in my stomach, and my muscles tensed, but I couldn’t work it out. The prickles rushing down my spine refused to quit, and the air grew heavier. My wolf sensed it, too, whimpering for no particular reason. I yearned for some alone time, preferably in an open forest with the wind in my hair and lots of rabbits to chase.
Father’s raised voice shot out from my right, at the front of the circus, about ten feet away, not his trailer. Damir sprinted ahead. I hurried after the large wulfkin.
At the front of the main tent, Father was in a heated discussion with Enre. Father’s shoulders were forward in a boxer’s posture, head low, arms by his sides.
Enre was slightly taller, back stiff and arms folded over his broad chest. He threw a glance my way before he spoke. “Like I said, my parents sent their advisor for a quick update. The intention wasn’t to panic your pack.”
“That’s no excuse.” Father’s voice deepened, and a drawn-out growl rumbled from his throat. “When anyone enters my territory”—he thumped a fist against his chest—“I should be the first to be told. I shouldn’t hear it from pack members.” Father circled Enre, his hands tight by his sides. “Why are you really here?”
Enre’s straight stance gave little away, though his darting gaze took in where everyone stood, which emphasized his hunter instincts.