by Mia Rose
“Say none of this to anyone else,” Noelle whispered to him. Edmund gritted his teeth and hesitated before nodding.
“How is it going in here?” Garett asked, eyeing the two of them carefully.
“Well,” Edmund said, resuming the familiar doctor voice that Noelle used to know so well, “we did a full work up and it looks like nothing is wrong, she is just fatigued from all of the excitement.”
“Oh, that’s great news, honey!” Abigail smiled at them. “We were so worried.” Noelle could only nod her head.
“Right.” Garett coughed to clear his throat. “Help me out here, Edmund. What are we supposed to do in this situation, exactly? I mean, you kidnapped my daughter on one hand, but on the other hand you may have done it for good reasons, I guess. But I’m her father god-damn it, and there’s a really big part of me that still wants to kill you for what you did to my baby girl.”
Edmund’s face contorted somewhere between laughter and fear. He couldn’t tell if the death threat was in jest or whether it stemmed from a very real place. Edmund looked at Noelle and he hoped that she could see his apology in his eyes. He had said the words so much that they had lost their flavor. He could only rely on their connection now —or what might be left of it.
“Why don’t you come up for dinner?” Noelle asked. The question shocked all three of the people standing in the basement.
Garett and Abigail exchanged a worried look, but Edmund looked the most perturbed of them all. It didn’t take a scientist to know that he was unsure about where the invitation came from. Was Noelle trying to make amends, or was she taking an opportunity to trap him? Edmund’s stomach grumbled as if on cue, and that seemed a sufficient enough answer for everyone standing in the basement.
Declan met up with Maria following his talk with Dustin. She was about to head out to her favorite spot and offered for him to come along as well. They walked along, talking animatedly about their most memorable hunts until the conversation drifted into more defined territory. A place where they discussed the toughest things they’ve had to do as the chosen alphas of their packs.
“This whole problem with the hunters in this area is really getting to me,” Maria said. “I mean, they’ve always been here and we’ve dealt with the one-off situations pretty well. Usually, we just scare the shit out of them so they leave us alone. But it’s like they grew in confidence and size, almost overnight. I can’t explain it.”
Declan listened carefully as Maria spoke, and he made a mental note to discuss all of this with Gabriel when he came for the meeting of the alphas for the following night. This pack was not that far from Declan’s own pack and so this concern could easily spread to them.
Maria pushed aside the lower branches of the trees and Declan saw that they had reached a small river. The water rushed by quickly and you could hear the rhythmic trickling sounds as the water moved carelessly over the stones. Maria smiled at him, pleased with his reaction to the scene. She reached down at the hem of her shirt and swiftly pulled it up and over her head. Declan watched her carefully as she leaned forward to pull her shorts off.
“Are you going to join me?” Maria asked, a devilish look dancing in her eyes.
Declan did not respond. He reached down to his own shirt and took it from his body, followed quickly by his jeans. Maria walked into the water and it covered her all the way to her collar bone. She turned and looked at Declan, daring him to follow her.
He walked in and the chill of the water stopped him in his tracks. Maria let out a melodic laugh and said, “What happened? You don’t like the cold?”
“Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of it.” Declan laughed once he’d recovered himself. He walked further out into the water, determined not to let her down. For some reason, he cared about what Maria thought of him.
“This is the only place I can come to really think,” she said quietly.
“It’s peaceful here,” Declan said in a calm voice. He closed the space between them so that only a few inches of water stood between them.
“Well, it’s hard to think now, with you here,” Maria said. But Declan recognized that look in her eyes.
“Do you wish I didn’t come?” he asked, pressing his body to hers.
Maria shook her head and Declan immediately closed the gap between their lips. He ran his hands through her wavy blonde hair and pressed her face to his. Desperately, he ran his tongue along her lower lip and teased her mouth open. She invited him in and playfully bit at his bottom lip. The bite sent heat throughout his body.
He reached around to her back and unclasped her bra, letting it fall into the water and drift away downstream. Declan ran his thumb over her nipples softly, and before cupping her breasts and bringing his lips to them, sucking softly. Maria threw her head back in pleasure as she lightly ran her fingernails down his back.
Declan felt along her stomach to the curve of her hips until he hit the piece of fabric that separated him from what he desired most. He ripped her panties as he gazed right into her purple eyes. Her eyes widened a little and Declan smiled at her reaction. She reached at his waistband and pulled down his own boxers, allowing his hard cock to spring free. She massaged it gently, stroking it back and forth. Now it was Declan’s turn to close his eyes in pleasure at the rhythmic tugging.
In one swift motion, he picked her up and held her body against his own with one arm. He placed himself inside of her. She wrapped her hands around his neck and rocked herself against him, gently at first. She brought herself up and Declan took the opportunity to suck at her hard nipples. She began picking up the pace and bringing herself up and down with speed.
Declan could tell when she was close because her breathing picked up pace and she shut her eyes tight in concentration. Seconds later, he felt the rush of wetness cover him as her muscles contracted in and out around him. Without removing himself from within her, Declan carried her to the shore.
He laid her down on the makeshift beach of dirt and sand and he started to rock himself into her. Declan pushed her legs back so that her knees were to her chest. He pushed himself in and out as deep as she could stand it, and finally, he could feel the tension released. He let himself go inside of her.
When the throbbing sensation had worn off, he pulled himself out of her and rolled to the side. Perfectly, they both laid there naked, staring up into the sky.
“Yep,” Maria said, “being the alpha is really hard sometimes.”
Declan looked at her sideways and she let loose one of her brilliant smiles. He couldn’t help but laugh, and in the midst of all of this, he didn’t dare to say it out loud, but he was feeling pretty happy.
“So, Edmund,” Abigail said as she filled his plate with fresh salad, “other than kidnapping our daughter, what have you been up to lately?”
“I’m never going to live this down, am I?” Edmund said under his breath.
“Do you think you deserve to?” Abigail asked humorlessly. Edmund shrugged and offered no response to Abigail’s question.
“Tell us more about these council rebels, Edmund,” Garett said as he thoughtfully considered his pasta.
“I have told you everything I really know about them,” Edmund replied. Garett looked over at him and put his fork back on the plate.
“You said they contacted you when you began that research project for your father, is that right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“How did they contact you? Was it by letter or by phone… or by person? By carrier pigeon, perhaps?”
Edmund stood hungrily at his plate of untouched food, but he knew he would not be able to eat until he had told them everything they wanted to know.
“They contacted me by letter.”
“And what did the letter say exactly?” asked Garrett.
“Not much.” Edmund furrowed his brows together as he tried to recall the contents of the letter. “It just asked for me to meet a Mr. Sanders to discuss the project I was working on. Especially if I was in
terested in additional funding. Naturally, I went.”
“And did you meet this Mr. Sanders?”
Edmund shook his head. “No, I went to the address they provided at the time that it specified, but no one was there. Instead, I found an additional letter. This is when I learned of the rebel factions and their desire to create the cure.”
“And just like that, you started working on developing this cure for people you never met?”
“No,” Edmund said thoughtfully. “Honestly, I threw the letter away shortly after reading it and I forgot about it until a few months had passed. I then received another letter requesting a meeting with Mr. Sanders. Out of morbid curiosity, I went. This time I was taken into a large, dark room. There was one bright light which shone on me and then a man started speaking. He apologized for the untoward method of meeting. However, given his line of work, he could never know who he could trust. And that’s why he kept his identity completely hidden.” Garett and Abigail exchanged looks with each other.
“This is all pretty weird,” Noelle blurted out. “I mean, if there really are rebel factions hard at work out there, why haven’t we heard about them, until now?”
“They do not openly advertise themselves, Noelle,” Edmund said beginning to lose his patience. “They only seek those who have a specific specialty that might be able to help them.”
“Edmund, eat,” Abigail said quietly. “You’ve hardly even touched your food.”
Edmund looked cautiously at Noelle who nodded at his plate. He felt unsure at first, and the idea had crossed his mind that the food may be poisoned, but he ate it anyway.
There was a knock at the door and Abigail stood up from her place to answer it. “Who is it?” she called out.
“Megan!” the voice responded.
Abigail pulled open the door and Megan stood there. From the doorway, she wasn’t able to see into the dining room, but Noelle’s heart was racing anyway. She had not even thought about how to explain all of this to her cousin and Gabriel.
“Hey, Meggy, what’s going on?” Abigail asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“Nothing much,” she said. “This was in the mailbox, though. It’s for Noelle. Is she here?”
“She’s resting,” Abigail responded a little too quickly. “I can give it to her when she gets up.” Megan nodded and handed her aunt the small envelope. She walked down the hallway and Abigail offered a final wave before closing and locking the door.
She walked into the dining room where the three others sat frozen in their seats. “That was a close call,” Noelle said quietly.
“Yes, a little too close,” Garett agreed. “We will have to come up with an explanation sooner rather than later.”
“What did she want?” Noelle asked.
Abigail handed Noelle the envelope and said, “She gave this for you.”
“Who is it from?”
“I don’t know. There is no return address on the envelope.”
Noelle ripped open the envelope and took out the small piece of paper from inside. Her mouth gaped as she read the contents of the note.
“What is it, Noelle?” her father asked, worried by her expression. Noelle looked up at them and then back at the letter.
She said aloud, “Dear Miss Noelle. We are requesting a formal meeting this Saturday evening at seven pm. We would like to discuss a potential role for you within our organization. Signed, sincerely yours, Mr. Sanders.” Garett looked at Abigail who looked at Noelle. Then, all at once, they turned to look at Edmund.
“Once again, she found herself face to face with an impossible decision.”
Chapter 9
The Dream
“What were they going to do?”
Declan and Maria headed back to the campsite shortly after their blissful affair in the river. She joked with him and they talked together just like old friends. It was weird because a small piece of Declan wondered if they really did just have sex, or not.
They arrived back at the campsite just as the sun was beginning to set and Declan went to his tent to change into some clothes that Dustin had offered him earlier in the day. He pulled on a light gray, V-neck shirt, and some shorts that were one size too big. They hung low on his waist. Once he had finished changing, he walked back out to the center where everyone had gathered. The group that was on hunting duty was about to head out, but Declan watched as tears were shed and long embraces were held.
“Did someone die?” Declan asked Maria, laughing at his observation of the crowd.
“No,” Maria said somberly. “But someone very well might.”
Declan was struck by the stupidity of his joke and he wanted so badly to stuff those words back into his mouth. He noticed that Maria had changed as well, into a loose-fitting tank top and shorts.
“Are you going out tonight, too?” Declan asked, surprised at how much the thought of her leaving filled him with dread. She nodded and looked up at him and suddenly, he understood. “Is that why you took me to the river?”
“Hey, if I go out, I’d like to do it with a bang. Literally!” Maria smiled, but it was darkened by the looming possibilities out there, in the dark of the woods. Who knew what awaited them tonight?
“I wish I could go with you,” Declan said quietly.
He didn’t say it out of a need to protect Maria, because he knew very well that she was more than capable of handling herself. He said it out of a carnal desire to rejoin the active theory. The theory of the survival of the fittest.
Maria nodded, but said nothing in response. The moment passed, and without a word she left his side and called her group together. They all headed into the woods with a final wave to their loved ones. It did not escape Declan’s notice that Maria did not wave to anyone.
Dustin had stayed behind with the rest of the pack and they all worked feverishly to get the fire started. “Isn’t this a bad idea?” Declan asked Dustin as he helped throw more wood into the flames.
“What?” Dustin asked, not even looking at Declan.
“Building a fire right now? I mean, isn’t it like a beacon just announcing where we are to the hunters?”
“Maybe,” Dustin said thoughtfully. “But then again, they also have to consider their own safety when voluntarily walking into a den of wolves.” This notion made Declan smile. He may not be a violent person, but he couldn’t deny the fact that he quite enjoyed the power that came with causing others fear. The power of being a wolf.
Once the fire was built, the pack gathered around the flames and waited in silence. A chill fell over them that was completely unrelated to the weather. And they stood like that; waiting, listening, watching, and anticipating anything and everything.
Noelle laid in bed motionless. She was painfully aware of Edmund in the room next to hers and she didn’t want to make a sound to let him know that she was still awake. The contents of the letter played over and over in her mind.
What was the likelihood that they reached out now, after Edmund just happened to reveal them? Then again, maybe they found Noelle because of Edmund. There were so many possibilities floating around her mind, it was hard to keep them all straight.
But one thing was certain —Noelle felt threatened. She had no idea if they were reaching out to her because she was a hunter, or if somehow, they had learned that she was the hybrid. Did they want to use her or kill her? Would it even be safe to meet with them at all? She did not know the answers to these questions, but she did know that Edmund would have to help her whether he wanted to or not.
Noelle rolled to her side and closed her eyes. She squeezed them hard against the sudden rush of emotions that were overwhelming her —she longed to return to the days when life was simple and actions were not considered, only taken.
The decision weighed heavily on her as to whether or not she should give into the werewolf in her, or whether she should take the cure. On the one hand, she could just become a wolf and be rejoined with her family. On the other hand, what about Dec
lan? It seemed as though fate had a vendetta against them from the start. Initially they could not be together because he was a werewolf, and she a hunter. And now, how the tables had turned. He was now human, and she a hybrid.
Why was life so unfair? Who made the rules to a game that Noelle was not even sure she wanted to play? She shook the thought from her mind —she was done wasting her time thinking about things which she could not change. From this moment forward, she was determined to focus only on things which were in her control.
She would need to try to find Declan. She would need to meet this mysterious Mr. Sanders. And, she would need to decide which life she wanted to live.
Declan stood by the side of the fire and stared into the flames. The tension within the pack was palpable, and it had infected him thoroughly as though these were his own members. He glanced over at Dustin and saw a small vein in the center of his forehead throbbing rhythmically as he concentrated.
“Why didn’t you go with them?” Declan asked him quietly. Dustin continued to watch the flames that danced with the breeze of the night air, and after a few moments, Declan decided that he hadn’t heard him.
To Declan’s surprise, Dustin responded saying, “Someone has to stay here to protect the majority of the pack. Maria goes out with the hunting group tonight. And tomorrow, I will go out with them. But one of the alphas needs to stay here. The pack needs to see us staying strong during this time.” Declan nodded as he understood the logic behind that. When he and Cassidy had been a team, although they had never faced any issues like this, they always separated in order to protect the pack as best they could.
Declan wondered about Gabriel and how he was adjusting to the role of Alpha. He also wondered whether Romi had stepped in as the alpha female, even though the ritual was incomplete. He had left his pack in such a state of disarray that he realized in the moment. He definitely needed to go back as soon as possible.