by Sarah Makela
“I love you too.” Just as I put my phone away, there was a knock at my window. I nearly jumped out of my seat, but it was just Chad. I hadn’t heard him approach, but then again, the wolves were a lot stealthier than I was.
Chad opened my car door then stepped out of reach. “You were talking to your girl, huh? Make sure the phone is off. Disruptions during the meeting are punishabled.”
He’d told me this before, so I fished my phone out again and turned it off. I didn’t know what punishment for his people meant, but being in the military, I didn’t have any rose-colored delusions.
“It’s off.” I looked up at him and slid the phone in my jeans pocket. “Let’s get this done.”
Chad slapped me on the back. “That’s the attitude. You’re already starting to fit in. I can only imagine how you’ll be when you’re an actual wolf.”
That’s exactly what I was afraid of.
We walked into the majestic mansion. I’d never been in someplace like this before. Men and a few women lingered in the corridor, watching me...sizing me up. They were dressed in all manners of clothes from jeans and t-shirts to suits.
Thankfully, Chad was dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a snarky t-shirt, so I didn’t feel underdressed. “Now that we’re all here, let’s head into the meeting hall,” he called out, raising his voice over the low hum of conversation.
Regardless of the fact I’d been early, I was still the last one to arrive. This was off to a great start. I had no idea what Chad or any of these werewolves expected from me.
When we headed into the hall, there were seats set up like an auditorium. I grabbed a spot in the back, while Chad strode up front and took a seat in one of the chairs facing the audience beside another younger man about our age—that was, if werewolves aged at the same rate as humans. However, from what I’d learned so far, I wasn’t exactly sure that was true.
Once everyone was settled in their seats, a gentleman I recognized as the Alpha stood in front of the group. He didn’t need a microphone. For one thing, werewolves had sensitive enough hearing, so unless he was whispering very, very softly, everyone in the room would hear him. Plus, he had a booming authoritative voice that reminded me of a drill sergeant I knew.
For the first time in a while, I didn’t feel quite as awkward around these people. I could relate to the hierarchy and an authoritative leader. The supernatural was the only element that made me uncomfortable.
“Good evening. Most of you should know why I’ve called everyone out here on such short notice.” The Alpha glanced back at the young male sitting next to Chad, both of whom lowered their gazes. “One of our young members named Jacob Armstrong is missing. I strongly suspect there’s something amiss. Jacob is not one to run. Plus he left a voicemail for his brother, Shane,” the Alpha said, waving a hand at the guy next to Chad, “which proves our reason for concern. Not only is his life in jeopardy, but I think there’s something else going on here. The whole Pack and our race could be in danger.”
Chad handed his father a digital recorder, then returned to his seat.
I couldn’t believe that when I was close to becoming a werewolf, the Pack was having problems of this magnitude. My concerns about my career and my relationship with Mia seemed less worrisome and intense.
“Shane, I need your help,” a young man’s deep voice came through the recorder. “They’re after us. These men... they’re studying us—” A soft thud made me think he’d dropped his phone. “Shit!” Tires squealed and an engine revved, as another set of tires screeched. There was someone after him, but what did he mean about people studying them?
The loud crunch of metal as two cars impacted nearly had me reaching to plug my ears, but I kept my hands fisted in my lap.
“Damn it! It’ll be okay, baby. I’ll get us out of this. We still have hope.” A low murmuring stared in the room, but the Alpha cut it off with a wave of his hand. There was the sound of a car door being squeaked open, and a couple of tranquilizer guns firing off a few darts.
“Let’s get them back to the facility.” This guy sounded like a mercenary, or maybe a high-dollar security guard. “The doctor is pissed that two of his best specimens are on the loose. If they had escaped, I’m not sure we would still have jobs.”
“I don’t know what to think about what we’re doing. Look at them. They’re kids. I don’t see what’s so wrong with them that they’d have to be locked in a place like this.” His partner had a conscience, and he questioned the cause, which meant he hadn’t been there for long. Maybe he’d give enough information to figure out where they were.
“Don’t talk that way. I’d hate to have to report your behavior. You have plenty of potential. Now do something with the car. Maybe drive it into the woods and burn it.”
“Ugh,” the softer of the two men said, then the recording cut off.
I leaned back in the chair, wishing I had more background on all involved. Jacob had said ‘us’, which meant there was someone with him. Still, I couldn’t figure out why these werewolves wanted me to help them.
“Your brother is apparently with a woman at this research facility. Has he said anything about having any relationships?” the Alpha asked.
Shane’s gaze shifted between Chad and his leader, looking as if the Pope had just spoken to him. “No, sir, he didn’t. He spent full moons with Alayna on occasion, but that’s all I know about his love life.”
The Alpha looked into the crowd of people, and several people sitting around a certain tall, blond female stared straight at her. “Alayna?”
She shook her head. “Alpha, I don’t know anything about Jacob having relationships outside of ours. He doesn’t seem exactly thrilled to stick around or come by unless there’s a full moon, but he didn’t call me last month. I figured he was with someone else in the Pack.”
The Alpha turned his attention back to Shane. “Do you know who he was with at the full moon? I’m assuming that’s the last time anyone saw him. That was a couple nights before the voicemail, wasn’t it?”
Shane cleared his throat and squirmed a little under the Alpha’s scrutiny. “That was exam week, so he was off studying with one of his college friends. I didn’t really ask for details. I figured he’d come by later, but when he didn’t, I just assumed he was busy, sir.”
“You didn’t think to get in touch with him?” The Alpha crossed his arms over his impressive chest.
“We’re brothers, but that doesn’t mean we’re joined at the hip.” Chad subtly elbowed Shane in the side, making Shane wince and cough a little. “Sir,” he added.
“You’re his older brother. It’s your responsibility to look out for him. If anything happens to Jacob, you’ll pay for it dearly.” The Alpha nodded to Chad, who grabbed the other man by the upper arm.
The fact Shane hadn’t gotten in touch with his brother, or seemingly even tried to, boggled my mind. It reinforced the fact that my relationship with Nolan needed to be patched up, and soon. While we weren’t blood, I couldn’t even imagine something like this happening between us. We looked out for one another as if we were related. Shane had a brother that was blood, yet he hadn’t. My anger increased on Jacob’s behalf.
Quiet chatter arose from the crowd again. The Alpha looked back at the audience. Once again, the talking simmered down. His gaze scanned faces and he jerked his head in my direction. I sat up straighter, feeling the full force of his gaze like a physical weight.
“As some of you might know, we have a new person with us. Ethan Parker will be joining the Pack when the next full moon rises. My former second in command bit him without my permission, but my son convinced me to look beyond Jared’s insubordination and give Ethan a chance.” He waved a hand to me. I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to stand or if he was just trying to make me feel more uncomfortable, so I stood straight, keeping my hands at my sides.
The Alpha nodded, looking impressed.
All eyes in the room landed on me. I kept my attention toward the front, not want
ing to see the expressions on their faces. It was better if I just focused on the Alpha. Right now, he was my biggest obstacle and the one who would determine my fate. I would follow what Chad said, and hopefully, all would be okay.
However, I couldn’t help but see a few of the girls in the group, especially Alayna, casting smug glances my way. What did they know that I didn’t? While they were pretty, I only had eyes for Mia. There was no other girl for me.
“That will be all. I’ll update everyone with more information when I’m able to. For now, if you notice anything suspicious about your fellow wolves, let me know.” The Alpha turned away from the audience and I started for the door. Since the meeting was over, I could finally have that conversation with Mia. “I’ll speak with you in private, Ethan.”
The hair on the back of my neck rose, and I froze at the commanding voice requesting my presence. Other wolves walked by me, watching me with fascination. That set me on edge even more.
“Welcome,” Alayna said as she slunk by, running a hand over my arm. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Something about her smile drew me in, but that’s what she was going for. She had that seductive edge to her, and I could see why Jacob had spent some of his full moons with her. However, I could also see how a smart guy would see past her façade.
I refused to fall for her whims. I had my own girl waiting for me.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Mia
The cell phone played its upbeat, catchy ringtone, and I stretched my arms and legs, immediately regretting the last part. My aching foot was propped up on the arm of the couch. I shut off the television, unable to believe I’d fallen asleep while waiting for Ethan. How long had it been since he’d called the first time?
“Hello?” My voice rasped a little, and I cleared my throat trying not to sound as sleepy as I felt.
“Hey, babe.” If I was tired, then Ethan sounded exhausted. “Sorry, I should’ve texted first to see if you were awake. I can call back in the morning. It’d have to be pretty early since I’m working tomorrow, or I won’t be in touch until afterwards. It’ll be a long day.”
“What happened at the meeting? Is everything okay?” From the way he sounded, I guessed it wasn’t. However, I wanted to hear it from him. Besides, I wondered what exactly the Pack meeting had been about, especially if they had Ethan there. Was it just a welcoming meeting? Then again, that didn’t make sense, because wouldn’t that have been planned? Could it be about Jared?
“It’s fine. They just wanted to talk with me about what’s going on with one of their members. That’s all.” He gave a sleepy chuckle. “No need to worry.”
I opened my mouth to dispute that last comment, cite all the things I should be worrying about, namely justice for Jessa and for him. But he was right; if I broke out into all of that now, there wouldn’t be any resolution. All I would do is stress the both of us. That wouldn’t help anything.
However, he was blocking our lines of communication again, bringing me right back to my previous concerns. Did I need to worry about what he was hiding from me? Could Jessa be right that I needed to just back away from Ethan?
“Babe? You’re kind of quiet.” Apprehension spread through Ethan’s voice, and I immediately regretted my long silence.
“I’m okay. Guess I’m just tired.” Normally, this would be the part of the conversation where I’d ask if he’d be coming over tomorrow, but I didn’t know if that was such a good idea. My heart demanded I say something, but my head told me to give him distance.
When he was ready to talk, he’d talk. Until then, I was better off focusing on my magic, taking care of Jessa’s shop, and keeping a low profile with Nolan, especially after how things had been earlier at the poker night. Things had seemed too tense as it was, without me further agitating the situation. I wished I hadn’t even gone over to get the stupid brush.
“Right. I’ll let you get back to sleep. Good night. Love you.”
“Love you too. Good night, Ethan.” I set the phone down, but part of me felt so hollow. The bulletproof connection we shared seemed broken and I wasn’t sure how to fix it.
Pain shot through my leg as I readjusted my position. If I had someone to talk to maybe I’d feel better. Jessa was in the hospital, I wasn’t comfortable talking to Ethan and Nolan couldn’t know about any of this, especially the supernatural part. Although the part about me and Ethan sneaking behind his back and having a relationship wasn’t good to mention to him, either.
I still had Chad’s number from when he’d left me the nasty note on my door, but he wasn’t exactly the person I most wanted to reach out to. Perhaps when I gave Ethan enough time, he’d realize what was important and open up a line of dialogue with me.
Until then, I had to go on, business as usual.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ethan
The first day back after the holiday break had gone by slowly and was tiring. The checkpoint security had doubled, and it took a while to be cleared to enter the base. Inside there was tension in the air. Something was going on. The anxiety coming from both officers and enlisted was like pins and needles to my sensitive nerves.
The wolf in me didn’t like this kind of commotion. Maybe the fact that I’d been up until the wee hours didn’t help either. Things were different from when I’d last been on base. Now my superiors spoke in lowered voices behind closed doors.
Here and there, I had seen signs of a third party presence. Small changes in where certain vehicles were parked, equipment placement, and backpacks left where any drill sergeant would have thrown a fit and lectured on safety regulations.
The changes made a clear statement. Whoever was here didn’t need to follow our rules. A growl built in my throat, nearly slipping from my lips. I managed to get into the barracks and say hi to some of the familiar faces before the routine kicked in.
One moment everyone was relaxed from leave, the next we were a unit. It was more than changing into the uniform, more than a job; it was becoming part of something greater than us.
Being around this many people, I had a hard time concentrating. New scents that didn’t belong to the barracks still lingered in the air: tobacco, alcohol and a female’s perfume.
My tasks took me near the officers’ area, mostly running over documentation and rosters my lieutenant was too busy to take himself. The task was monotonous, but it confirmed my suspicions. Something was going on. Everyone seemed on edge. However, I’d heard a name thrown around a couple times: Dr. Zeaman.
I might be fishing for answers to the werewolves’ problem, but perhaps this could be a clue. It would solve some of my problems to wrap it all up and find the missing wolf, but I doubted things would work out this easily for me.
That wasn’t the only thing upsetting me. I couldn’t help but feel like my relationship with Mia was tanking. She wanted to talk, but I didn’t want to hurt her.
It had been stupid to call her in the first place. But I’d wanted to hear her voice so badly, especially after the aggravating news. Not only did the Pack want me to don a cape and save the day, but regardless of what Chad had told me, no—promised—the Alpha had pulled me aside to tell me I would be hooking up with a female werewolf.
I couldn’t tell Mia. She wouldn’t take well to that news, and I didn’t want to break her heart. Besides, I was determined to find a way out of this mess.
After work, I sat in my car outside of Mia’s house. She was home, but I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d hold up under the scrutiny of her asking more questions. Besides, she’d been quiet last night, and while I believed she was tired, I also got the feeling the problem went deeper.
Pulling away from the curb, I headed home. I needed a nap before I figured out how to mend all that was either broken or on the verge of breaking, then I’d talk with Chad and hold his ass accountable for some of the shit going on. He needed to help me out here.
When I pulled into the driveway, Nolan was sitting on the porch with a beer in hand and another sit
ting beside him. He held the second beer up to signal he was waiting for me. Forget the nap, it looked like I’d be mending my friendship with Nolan first.
I got out of the car and headed up the sidewalk slowly, not exactly sure what to expect. He handed me the beer, and I sat beside him on the steps. “Thanks. Sorry I had to bail on poker night so early.”
“I waited up for you after everyone else left. Where were you?” Nolan didn’t sound angry. He spoke just like we were having a normal conversation between friends. I didn’t know what made me more nervous, this or if he’d shown anger.
I hated lying, but I couldn’t tell him I’d been meeting a bunch of werewolves. “It ended up taking a lot more time than I’d anticipated.” I took a swig of beer, doing anything to keep from having to talk further.
“Don’t bullshit me, dude. I know you’re not being honest. I’ve known you forever. Did you spend the night at my sister’s?” He didn’t look at me, but he radiated with held back emotions.
I hadn’t realized how it might look for me leaving so soon after Mia. Damn it. “No, I didn’t. What I did had nothing to do with her.” I stared into my beer can, wishing it would tell me some magic answer to make all of this stop. I wanted my life back to how it was before this disaster had rained on my head. If Nolan had picked me up from the airport instead of Mia, none of this would have happened. However, I wouldn’t have been there to help Mia fight the werewolf.
“What did it have to do with then? We’re having major trust issues. I try to not think about them, but they are there.” Nolan sighed, setting down his beer.
I couldn’t talk with him about being a werewolf. Mia fought so hard to keep her life normal, and she was just a witch. Albeit one with actual magical powers, but the fact I would soon be sprouting fur and claws once a month outdid her. She could keep her witchyness under wraps a lot easier than I’d be able to keep my abilities secret.