by Laura Hysell
“Jared!”
“No, Izzy, hear me out first. Please,” he said softly, pleadingly. He looked up at me, his chocolate eyes wide and innocent seeming. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, indicating he could continue. “We’re going to sign that document with the vampires. They’re going to debate and debate, but when it comes down to it, we’ll sign. That document is magically binding. If any of us kills the wrong vamp, it’s adios. You’re too new a wolf. If you get out of control and kill one of the vamps tied to that damn spell, you’re dead. Instantly.”
“Declan said he might be able to alter the spell. Besides, what if we don’t sign?”
“Do we have a choice?”
“Of course we have a choice. We can sign, or not sign. That’s a choice. We can also still join with the vampires without the contract.”
“No one will go for that.”
“Really? You sure about that? You think everyone would rather sign a magically binding contract that could kill us instantly for violating. I say we join with Thomas and his group, take our chances, and fight alongside them. We can always go back to killing them later,” I added.
Jared let out a deep breath as he ran a hand through his short military-style haircut. “You’d rather risk it without the contract?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I hadn’t really thought about it much. But, yeah, I think so. Magic isn’t working out too well for me lately. I think I’ll take my chances.”
“You do realize that means trusting a vampire again, don’t you?”
“Fuck, Jared, I know that! Trusting vampires is what got all of us into this whole mess in the first place. My brother trusted a vampire, who ended up distributing a serum filled with his blood to the population of Earth. I trusted a vampire, and almost got myself killed. Then I trusted another vampire, and another. And the same one over and over. Kirk died, Mark was captured, you almost died and turned into a werewolf, and I became a sex slave for a sadistic blood-sucker. At some point it became less about trusting the vamp, and more about learning how to survive in a world with the vamps. Adapt and change or shrivel and die. I’ve adapted. You’ve adapted. Damn, we’re both werewolves now.” I laughed, although there was really no humor in it. “Jared, this world is fucked, and all I want to do is try and fix it. To fix our lives. We can’t have things back the way they used to be, but we sure as hell can try to make things better. And I’ll be damned if I sit here in a fucking cage while the rest of you run off risking your necks. This is my battle, just as much as it is yours. Maybe more.”
Jared was silent, staring at me as though trying to figure out who I was. I’d been trying to figure out the same thing for the past year. “So, you’ll have to be in wolf form unless that Declan guy figures out his spell,” Jared said suddenly. “Because damn that man can fight. Did you know he killed three vamps with that knife? Three of them, Izzy, in less time than it takes to tie my shoes.”
It wasn’t that fast, Aidan said softly.
I smiled and shook my head, feeling a strange relief that the subject of my fighting had been dropped. “Three vampires, huh?”
“He’s good with a blade.”
You should see me with two.
I chuckled and said, “Aidan says you should see him with two blades.”
Jared laughed, and we continued our trek back toward the house. “You really want to fight?” he asked softly.
“It’s not a matter of wanting to fight. I need to fight.” I closed my eyes, letting my feet guide me. “I need to feel strong. I need to feel powerful. I need to be in control of something in my life. Even if it kills me.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Mark and Jed were gone all day. I used the time to work with Vanessa more, learning the ins and outs of being a werewolf. It seemed my training would never end, but I knew I was taking the crash course. I felt it. We all felt it. We were plummeting toward battle. Everywhere I went around Jed’s property, wolves were preparing. Strange wolf armor was being brought out, along with armor of the human sort, some of which looked like it had been around since the middle ages. I wasn’t sure what it would do against vampires, but it seemed to make people feel better. Safer.
I was curled up in bed reading a book and waiting for night to fall when Mark finally joined me. In just a few hours I’d be back in the cage for the second night of the full moon. He plopped down on the bed with a loud sigh before rolling over and wrapping his arms around me. I snuggled close to him, breathing in his scent. “You were gone all day,” I mumbled against his chest.
“We were around,” he replied. “Spoke with Jared.”
“Okay?”
“He said you don’t want to sign the contract.”
I shrugged and said, “There’s a little more to it than that.”
“You’re not the only one who’s hesitant. We all are.” He sighed loudly and pulled me closer, running his hands up and down my back until he had pushed my shirt up and was touching my bare skin. “We spoke with the gangster again.”
“Thomas?”
“Yeah, he said we either sign the contract or there’s no deal.”
“Figures.”
“Looks like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he said softly. “The decision’s already been made though.”
I leaned back, searching Mark’s face in the dim light. “We’re signing the contract, aren’t we?”
His hand caressed my back as he stared at my face. “Yes, we are. It’s our best chance of survival. There’s more though, and you’re probably not going to like it.”
“Oh, great.”
“Jed is going to be a sort of Alpha of Alphas. Most of the Packs have agreed already. It’s the only way to guarantee the safety of all our new allies.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad.”
“I’m taking over leadership of our Pack for the time being,” he added quickly, his words coming out in a rush. “Jed is still Alpha, but he will be like a general, overseeing everyone. From now on, daily Pack duties fall on me, as well as assignments for the battle.”
“Don’t you dare,” I said, sitting up and pulling away from him. “Don’t you dare leave me behind, Mark.”
“Someone has to stay.”
“Bullshit. I’m your mate!”
“Not completely,” he muttered.
I shook my head and jumped out of bed, grabbing a robe and throwing it on before thrusting my feet in a pair of boots. I probably looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care. My education with Vanessa had encompassed werewolf laws and rules, but this was unfamiliar territory. Mark was following me, I knew, but I did my best to ignore him as I searched for Vanessa. If anyone knew a loophole, it was her. Mark, as acting Alpha, could absolutely order me to stay behind and I’d have to do it.
“Izzy,” Mark called, hurrying after me as I stepped out the back door.
“Fuck you, Mark,” I replied as I caught Vanessa’s scent. I didn’t have to go far. Vanessa was coming toward me, with Jed right behind her. Perfect.
“Vanessa, I need your help,” I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her aside. I’d have to talk fast. “Mark is acting Alpha and he’s going to order me to stay behind when we go after Petrivian. I need a loophole!”
“Has he ordered you yet?”
“No, not yet.”
She nodded, her eyes darting back to Mark and Jed. “Jed can override all of Mark’s decisions. He’s the one you need to convince.”
“Jed, Alpha,” I began, stumbling over my words and my feet in my haste. I straightened before falling on my face, securing the robe around me.
“Mark already asked me to have you stay behind,” Jed interrupted.
Fuck. No, I was not going to stay behind. “Who else is staying behind?” I asked.
“I had planned on you, Beth, and Vanessa all staying,” he replied.
“What?” Vanessa screeched beside me. “Since when?”
“Females are a rare thing. I can’t risk you.”
“That
’s a bunch of bullshit,” Vanessa replied, placing her hands on her hips. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“Vanessa!” Jed yelled, his voice reverberating with power. “You forget your place.”
“You just said you were leaving us behind because we’re women!”
Jed took a deep breath and opened his mouth to respond when Beth stalked into view. Her face was red as she stomped closer. “Did I hear that right?” she asked, stopping before Jed.
“I can’t risk you,” Jed replied softly, his eyes going to Beth.
“That’s not your choice to make,” Beth replied.
“It is, as Alpha.”
She shook her head, her short hair flinging from side to side. “You’re not making this decision as Alpha. If you were, you’d be bringing Vanessa with you. She’s fast, smart, and one of the best shifters around. Plus, she has connections with the other Packs that you need. She’s a pure blood. You have to bring her.”
Jed shifted his stance, and it was the first time I had ever seen the stoic Alpha uneasy. “Fine, Vanessa comes,” he said, biting off each word.
Mark cursed behind him, and I couldn’t help the smile that touched my lips. Beth wasn’t done yet though. “Izzy and I are coming too.”
“Izzy is too young a wolf. I can’t risk it. And you’re too unstable. I’m sorry, Beth, but that’s my decision.”
“Izzy is Mark’s mate, even if they haven’t completed the ceremony. They share healing. You want to send your acting Alpha into battle without his other half? She can heal him, and he can heal her. Plus, she has that Irishman with the knife. Weren’t you just commenting about how much of an asset he could be.”
Jed stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. He looked over at me and shrugged. “You want to come with us when we attack Petrivian?”
“This is my battle too,” I said simply. “None of us should be left behind. I’d be worrying about Mark the whole time, and he’d be worrying about me. It would be a distraction.”
Jed chuckled suddenly, shaking his head and looking over his shoulder at Mark. “It seems I’ve been outmaneuvered.”
Mark closed his eyes and nodded his head. When he opened them, he looked at me sadly. I could see the fear there. I knew how he felt because I felt it too. He took two steps toward me before reaching out and tugging me against his body. He held me tightly, his body shaking, but he didn’t utter a word.
“Well, Jed, what about me?” Beth asked, and I pulled away from Mark to look at Beth and Jed.
“I could still order you to stay,” he replied.
“All alone? What if vamps attacked here while I was all alone?”
“Fuck, woman, do you have a death wish?” he exclaimed.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of not being with you. If something happened…” she trailed off, tears glistening in her eyes. I stared at them in awe, wondering at this new dynamic. “Don’t make me stay.”
“Fuck.” Jed ran a hand through his hair and shifted his feet again.
“Since when did you get squeamish about bringing women to battle?” she asked.
“You’re not a fighter, and this isn’t a little vampire skirmish, Beth. This is war.”
She shrugged her narrow shoulders. “All the more reason to bring every available person along.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Why should I?”
“Fuck,” he said again, but it was resigned. “Fuck.”
“Alpha,” she said softly.
“Oh, hell, woman. You can come. Just don’t get yourself killed.”
“I’ll do my best.”
He kissed her. My mouth dropped open in surprise as Jed grabbed Beth and planted a firm kiss on her lips. Beth melted into him as Jed’s arms wrapped further around her. Mark pulled me back, and together we stepped away from the two as their kiss deepened. Vanessa hurried away in the opposite direction, but I barely noticed. I couldn’t peel my eyes from Jed and Beth, as their kiss intensified. Hands began to move across bodies, clothes were pushed aside, and I figured that was the time to turn away and run, not walk, back to the house.
Mark grabbed my hand and we ran together back to the house, not stopping until we were in our room with the door closed. I was breathing hard, and not just from the run. “Wow,” I said as Mark shut the door. “Did you know about that? About them?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Mark said. I turned to look at him. He still stood facing the door, his hands bracing the frame. The muscles in his back rippled as he tensed and relaxed, tensed and relaxed.
“Mark.” He shook his head, but still didn’t turn around. “Mark, please, look at me.”
He sighed loudly but stayed facing the door as he spoke. “Why did you have to push this, Izzy? You’d be safer here.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” I asked, my voice rising an octave. His head whipped around to look at me, and his eyes were wild and golden. “I know nothing about war or fighting, but that doesn’t change things. This is my fight, just as much as it is yours. Maybe more.”
“It’s dangerous,” he growled.
“It’s dangerous for you, too,” I retorted, placing my hands on my hips. “So, it’s okay for you to go risk your neck fighting vampires, but not me?”
“That’s not what I said.”
I crossed my arms and stared him down, one eyebrow raised. “No, but it’s what you implied. Jed, too. You men go off and battle while us women folk stay here and mind the hearth.”
“You forget that I’ve been around a lot longer than you have. Jed’s been around even longer. In my generation, things were different.”
“I don’t give a fuck how long you’ve been around! I don’t care if that’s how you were raised, or if that’s what you’re used to. That was then; this is now. Quit making excuses!”
“Damn it, Izzy, if anything happened to you I would die,” Mark shouted, turning and flinging his hands into the air. “It would kill me. There would be no going on without you. There wouldn’t be a point. I couldn’t take it.”
“It’s the same for me!” I screamed back at him, my voice cracking. “But you expect me to be okay with it!”
He didn’t respond. His eyes were wide, and his chest rose and fell quickly. We stared at each other, both breathing hard. His eyes slowly receded to normal and he straightened his shoulders, nodding his head as though he had made up his mind about something. A smile formed on his face. My anger diminished in a heartbeat as his smile widened. “Damn, woman, we are completely screwed,” he said softly.
I laughed, shaking my head in response. “Yes, we are.” I stepped toward him, seeking his embrace but he stepped back, holding a hand out toward me. He moved toward the closet, rummaging around before returning a moment later. I eyed him, frowning at the strange smile still plastered on his face.
“Mark,” I began.
“Stop,” he said softly. “I need to say something first, okay?”
“Okay.”
He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. I smiled at the nervous gesture, secretly loving it. “I’m sorry. You make me crazy, and I lose my head. You are such a badass. I’m worrying for nothing. You and I will make a great team. I want you by my side. Will you fight beside me?”
“You’re asking me to fight with you?” I asked, frowning at this sudden turn of events. “Did you say I’m a badass?”
He grinned wider and nodded his head. “Well, you are,” he said. “More than that, you are my other half. You and I are one.”
“We shared pain.”
“You’re my mate,” he said softly.
“You have to trust me, though,” I said. “No ordering me around. No playing Alpha with me.”
“You’re right. I’m being an ass.”
I smiled and chuckled. “Yes, you are.”
“I do know more about fighting than you. And I certainly know more about being a werewolf,” he continued. I nodded, not seeing the need t
o argue with the obvious. “If we’re in battle and I tell you to do something, you need to do it. I won’t order you unless it’s for your safety, or the safety of the Pack. As the acting Alpha, I must trust that those under me will do what I say when I say it. This includes you. Can you agree to this? When it comes to Pack rules, or battle, you defer to me. I promise to treat you always as my equal, though. I will train you and guide you. You will be one with me.”
I took in his words, really thinking through what he was saying. He was so serious, despite the smile still on his face. “You’ll never pull this kind of stunt on me again?”
He shook his head. “I promise I will always give you an option.”
“Then, yes, in battle and the rules of the Pack, I will defer to you.”
“If I screw up, I expect you’ll tell me.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, chuckling.
“And when we go out in battle,” he began, but I cut him off.
“You’re the leader of the Pack,” I said.
He chuckled, as I knew he would. “In matters of home, you’re the leader,” he said.
“Oh, am I?”
He laughed again, louder this time. “Oh, you know you are. Actually, in pretty much everything except battle, you’re in charge. If anyone else asks, I will deny it though.”
I laughed then, shaking my head. “Do you think anyone will believe you?”
“Not anyone who knows you,” he said.
“So, we’re done fighting?”
“There’s no fight, Iz. I was wrong.”
I smiled widely, nodding my head. “Yes, that’s right. You were wrong, and I was right.”
“Don’t rub it in.”
“Where’s a calendar?” I said, looking around the room. “I might want to write this down as the day Mark admitted he was wrong.”
“We should write this date down,” he agreed.
I raised my eyebrows and looked back at him. “You agree with me?” I asked, smiling.
“Not for the same reason,” he said, shaking his head. “But I do want to remember this date forever.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.