by Bethany Shaw
“Don’t make me change my mind,” Daniel growled.
***
Abilene, Texas
Gene ran a tired hand through his hair as he hung up the phone. It was always one thing or another. He was thankful he had someone to share his frustrations and opinions with. Speaking of his other half, Gene could hear her footsteps padding down the hall toward the bedroom. He smiled, quickly typing in one last text as the door opened. The Alpha looked up from his cell as Natalia walked into the room.
“Adrian is finally down,” she said as she went to the dresser to pull out her nightclothes. “Poor baby must be cutting teeth. He’s never had this hard of a time going to sleep.” She turned to him and met his gaze, pausing when she saw his weary face. “Everything okay?”
“For the moment. Just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t know how my dad did it.” It was the truth; his father had been so calm and collected every second of the day. The Gulf Pack situation and the stress of not telling Lark and Devon about Vincent and Sarah were taking a toll on him. He did understand the logic, but wasn’t sure it was the best choice.
“I’m sure he was stressed out at first, too. It is a lot to get used to,” Natalia assured as she sat down next to him. “It may not seem like it, but you do have everything under control.”
“I just wish this incident with the Lunas and Gulf Packs was over,” Gene admitted. He supposed Natalia was right, but his dad had never had to deal with anything quite like this.
“Did Daniel check in?”
“Yeah,” he said glumly.
Natalia gripped his shoulder. “Why do you say it like that? Did something happen?”
“Everything is fine so far,” he assured. “There is a new development and it has me thinking.” Natalia rested her head on his shoulder and he continued, glad to have someone he could talk to. “They were going through emails and discovered Lark and Sarah may be descendants of werewolves.”
“How’d they find that out?” Natalia questioned, peering up to meet his gaze.
“We have a rare blood type—AB negative. This theory they stumbled upon makes it sound like only werewolves, or those who are a part of the werewolf line, have this blood type. They believe if they mate with a wolf, they will produce a wolf. I just wonder if this knowledge could put them at greater risk. Juarez jumped through hoops to get Lark and Luna is doing even more to retrieve Sarah.”
“They are already in danger. They have been for some time now. From the sounds of it, Juarez and Luna have been privy to this information for a while,” Natalia stated.
“I suppose not. We just know why now. If this theory is correct, Devon and Lark could have Alpha children,” Gene replied. “It’s almost guaranteed.”
“But there is only one way to test the theory. I’ve researched a lot of your father’s old books to find out if Adrian will be a wolf or human and everything I’ve read states the werewolf gene does not manifest until adolescence. One way or another, the theory will have to wait many years to be tested,” Natalia explained.
“I figured as much,” Gene sighed.
“What is really bothering you?” Natalia asked, pulling away so she could look him in the eyes.
“A few things,” he admitted with a murmur. “If this theory is correct and Malakai is aware of it, he isn’t going to just let Sarah go. He may even go after Nora, just because he can. But more importantly, if other packs are aware of this, it makes us a target to them as well. We could always be facing down enemies. We have four fertile wolves, two women who can have wolves, and another woman who is already aware of our existence. It puts us in a precarious situation. Not to mention, at some point Emily and Lark will have children and I hope we do, too. If any of us have girls, that will just complicate the situation further.”
Natalia clasped her hands together and looked down at her lap, contemplating her next words. “I think we need to look at what is in front of us right now and deal with things as they come along. Our world is scary and violent, but we have to hope that the future is good. I know you have lost a lot the past few months, but think of all the accomplishments we’ve made together. We have to have hope it will get better from here on out.”
“You’re right.” Gene kissed her gently. And she was right.
As he tangled his hands in her thick hair, he thanked the Lord he had her in his life. She was perfect and as long as he had her, everything would be all right.
***
Dallas, Texas
Vincent flipped through the channels, bored. How could there be so many stations and nothing to watch? If he hadn’t heard the water shut off a minute ago, he would’ve joined Sarah in the shower. He gritted his teeth at the thought of watching the water cascade down her taut body. There was nothing stopping him from joining her in the bathroom. Maybe they could turn the water back on.
He stood up at the same time the bathroom door creaked open. His jaw dropped and cock tightened as Sarah stepped into view. Her hair was wrapped in a white towel and one of his shirts clung to her body. How could wearing one of his shirts make her so sexy?
Sarah pulled the towel off her head and rubbed at her wet locks. “Thanks for today,” she said, meeting his gaze. "It was nice to get out and do something normal. I had fun.”
Vincent swallowed. Focus on her, not what she’s wearing. “Me, too. We’ll have to plan a trip back when we can ride more rides.”
Sarah’s eyes widened and he realized that he’d implied there was some sort of future for them. She smiled. “We should,” she agreed. “I think the park in San Antonio is closer. Besides, depending on how tomorrow goes, I might be too scared to come back here to the Dallas one.”
Vincent walked toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she looked away. He pulled her against him, hoping he was comforting her. “Everything is going to work out tomorrow, you’ll see.”
“I hope you’re right. I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach,” she whispered, her arms snaking around him.
“We’ve come this far without anything too serious. We won’t have any incidents tomorrow either,” he assured. Whatever he had to do, he would keep her safe.
“I hope you’re right,” she burrowed into his neck and sighed heavily. “Do you think my dad knew about werewolves because someone in our family was one?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Or your mom,” he added.
Sarah pulled back and shook her head. “She didn’t know about the werewolves. It was one of the few secrets my dad kept from her. It had to have been him. And I think he had the same blood type. I remember something about one of our bags of blood going to him.”
“I suppose anything is possible. It could explain why he and Rick were such good friends,” Vincent acknowledged. “Humans knowing about our existence is one of the rules we don’t break. You, Lark, and Nora are rare exceptions. Most people freak out.”
“Well, I admit it was a shock, but I’d known Rick, Preston, Gene, and Beatrice my entire life. Once I got over it, I didn’t think anything of it. They were still the same people. If anything, it made us closer because they didn’t have to hide part of themselves from us.”
“So, you, Gene, and Preston grew up together?” Vincent asked. He wasn’t sure talking about Preston in particular was a good idea, but he wanted to know more about their relationship. More importantly, was he any different than Preston or was he just a friend she cared about and slept with? Go figure, the one woman he actually falls for probably doesn’t feel the same about him.
Sarah sighed. “We did.” She pulled back from him and walked to the bed. Sitting down on the end, she stared absently at the floor. “Lark and Gene were similar in age and went to school together. Preston and I were the same age and were in classes together several times throughout the years.” She ran her feet over the carpet and let out a breath. “He liked me for a while—it was pretty obvious. And all my other friends had boyfriends. I was fifteen and
stupidly cared what everyone else thought when we got together. It was just, the more time we spent together, the more he fell in love with me and I just didn’t have the heart to end things. And I was too selfish. I couldn’t stand the idea of losing my best friend. He was a great guy. Preston deserved someone better than me—someone who could’ve loved him back the right way. I know I didn’t kill him, but if I had just said yes to his proposal...” she trailed off and shook her head.
“You can’t live a lie forever,” he replied. “He still thought the world of you, you know—couldn’t shut up about you,” Vincent blurted. It had been true; at first he’d found it nauseating, but now, he could see how easy it was to fall for Sarah.
“He was my best friend. If I needed to talk to someone or needed anything, I called him. None of my female friends could ever compete. I wish things would have ended differently,” she murmured. “I always feared losing him by telling him the truth, but in the end I lost him anyway.”
“We can only control our own fates.”
Sarah nodded. “Which is why we have to end this for him. For Rick and Natalia—her family. For everyone who’s been hurt by the Gulf Packs,” she said determinedly.
“We will,” he promised, clasping her hand in his. And they would—they would end this by turning Malakai against the Lunas. Then they would take out whoever was left. Starting tomorrow, this war was going to change tides in their favor. He was certain of it.
Chapter Seventeen
Sarah picked at her eggs. She knew she should eat, but the way her stomach kept twisting, she wasn’t sure she would keep anything down. Her mind kept drifting to the upcoming meeting. In just one hour they would be face-to-face with Malakai.
“Hey,” Vincent bumped her arm gently. “Try to eat something,” he encouraged, making a point to shove a large piece of toast in his mouth.
The corners of her mouth turned up as she lifted the cold eggs to her lips. She forced the food into her mouth and chewed, swallowing them down. Her stomach lurched and she closed her eyes, willing herself not to vomit. She needed to calm down. Everything was going to be okay.
Nora pushed her plate away and gave Sarah a knowing look. “I don’t think I can eat, either.”
“Well I, for one, am famished,” Vincent joked, jabbing his fork into Sarah’s sausage and taking a bite.
“Help yourself,” Sarah said, motioning for him to eat off her plate.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Vincent said, helping himself.
“Aren’t you worried about today at all?” Sarah asked, looking to Vincent, then to Daniel, who seemed equally at peace as he shoveled food into his mouth.
Vincent shrugged, his face serious for a moment before he grinned. “Sure I am, but everything is going to be okay,” he promised.
“We should go over the plan one last time,” Daniel commented as he sipped his juice.
“Yes, because that will help make them feel better,” Vincent mumbled.
“Knowing the details of the plan will ensure nothing bad happens,” Daniel explained.
“It’s a pretty simple plan,” Sarah shrugged. “You and Vincent will talk to Malakai while Nora and I wait in the distance.” It was easy enough—and the park would be very crowded—but she couldn’t help worrying something could happen.
“I want you both carrying weapons,” Daniel insisted, glancing at Nora before turning back to Sarah.
“Okay,” Nora agreed.
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Sarah said, sipping her water. The liquid slid down her parched throat and she took another drink, glad it seemed to be calming her belly.
“I’m leaving my keys with Nora,” Daniel started. “At the first sign of trouble, I want you to take the car and get home. Don’t stop, just go,” he instructed.
Vincent shook his head. “I don’t know why you’re even wasting your breath. I don’t know Nora that well, but I know Sarah isn’t leaving. I can’t imagine Nora fleeing either.”
Vincent was right; she wouldn’t leave without him. They were in this together and were seeing it through to the end. She smiled, taken aback by how well he knew her. A part of her found it endearing how Daniel, Devon, and Gene tried to protect the women they loved. She also loved that Vincent wanted to protect her, but knew she would do what she pleased one way or another. If it bothered him, she couldn’t tell, judging by the grimace on Daniel’s face, it did upset him.
“I’m still leaving the keys,” Daniel grumbled. “If something does happen, please use common sense.”
Nora shook her head and smiled, kissing Daniel’s cheek then whispering something into his ear. Sarah could tell from the simple action how much they loved each other. Nora wouldn’t leave Daniel behind either.
At least if something did happen, Sarah and Nora could work together. She prayed it wouldn’t come to that. The four of them would leave the park together and their plan would be set into motion.
***
Vincent drew Sarah closer to him, inhaling her sweet scent. He wanted to enjoy this moment before they went into the park. Daniel and Nora were in line purchasing tickets while he stood to the side with Sarah.
He wanted to comfort her, knowing she had been on edge earlier. “How are you feeling?” he asked, resting his head on hers.
Sarah sighed and burrowed closer to him. “I’m a little worried.”
“Nothing is going to happen,” he promised. He knew he couldn’t necessarily keep the promise, but he was going to do everything he could to keep his word.
“I’m just ready for this all to be over. If this works...” she trailed off.
Vincent held her tighter, wondering what she was going to say. What does our future hold? Would they be together...apart? He knew what he wanted, but did she want the same? Those were all questions he would have to answer, but now was not the time.
“Me, too,” he replied. Sarah pulled back from him, her sapphire eyes full of concern. He should do something to help her relax. “Hey,” he started, “maybe we could ride another coaster today. There are a couple more I’d like to try.”
Sarah laughed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Be careful, you might be turning into a rollercoaster junky.”
Vincent shrugged and gave her a crooked smile. “Would that be a bad thing?”
Sarah narrowed her eyes and appraised him, as if considering her answer. “No.”
“Good. I’m thinking it might be fun to join a coaster group,” Vincent grinned.
Sarah frowned in confusion. “A what?”
“One of those groups that visits parks all over the world and rides coasters and then reviews them,” he explained, watching as her eyes widened. It would be fun to do that, but only if he had a certain blonde companion.
She laughed and shook her head. “That could be fun.”
Vincent beamed. His plan had worked—her smile gleamed brightly and the unease fled her petite frame. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as he saw Daniel and Nora approaching out of the corner of his eye.
Sarah twisted, following his line of sight. “Guess it’s show time, huh?”
Vincent cupped her chin, encouraging Sarah to meet his gaze. “Don’t worry about me.” He leaned in and placed a tender kiss to her lips. “I’ll see you in a few.” He kissed her again, caressing her tongue with his. Sarah melted against him, her fingers curling into his shirt, tugging him closer.
The moment was interrupted when Daniel cleared his throat. Sarah pulled back quickly and wrapped her arms around herself, a flush of crimson tingeing her cheeks almost as if she were embarrassed. Is she embarrassed?
Daniel interrupted the silence encompassing them as he shoved two tickets at his younger brother. “We should get inside so Nora and Sarah can get situated and we can get to the meeting spot.”
“Lead the way,” Vincent said, clapping his brother on the back.
***
Sarah squinted at Vincent and Daniel from their spot on the Oil Derrick, the large tower Daniel ha
d insisted they visit during the meeting. She could understand why he suggested the spot; they were high up in the air and it would be impossible for someone to sneak up and grab them without causing a scene considering people were constantly coming and going. On the bright side, as long as they kept feeding quarters into the machine, they had a fantastic view with the viewfinder. They could see everything from a safe distance, except there still wasn’t anything for them to see yet.
“They still aren’t there,” she explained as she stepped back from the viewfinders.
“I’ll take a turn,” Nora offered, switching places with her.
Sarah sighed as she looked over the railing. It would be nice to know what was going on and if Malakai was even coming. Maybe she’d gotten all worked up for nothing. She’d be perturbed if nothing happened after all the effort they’d put into this meeting. If this fell apart, they would be back to square one. They would have to come up with another way to defeat Luna and Malakai. No, that is not going to happen. This is going to work. She had to stay positive.
“Do you want to take another turn?” Nora asked, pulling back from the machine.
“Yeah. All this anticipation is killing me,” she mumbled.
“Me, too. I just want to get this over with and get Daniel and Vincent home safely,” Nora replied, exasperated. She ran a hand through her coppery hair and looked wistfully down at the spot where Vincent and Daniel were before changing the subject. “I didn’t realize you and Vincent were so close,” she said carefully.
Sarah bit her lip as she took over the viewfinder. “It just kind of happened,” she explained.
“That’s how it started with Daniel and me. It was a happy surprise. Are you two...serious?”
Sarah hesitated. Are we serious? “We haven’t really talked about our relationship. Vincent doesn’t exactly do that type of thing.” She pulled back from the machine and stared down at the red wrought iron grates beneath her. “It’s complicated.”
Nora nodded as she leaned against the railing. “Daniel said he’s never seen Vincent so in-tune with someone before.” Nora chuckled. “He’s actually afraid you’ll break his heart.”