by A. D. Ryan
“No,” she admitted quietly, her voice shaking slightly. I could smell her stress in the air as she likely relived what happened. “Like I said, I was in the woods changing. I’d only just started to shift when something hit me from behind. I was so preoccupied with my change that I didn’t even smell whoever it was.”
“We tried tracking it,” Nick supplied. “But the trail ended at the mountains. Again.”
I continued to listen in as Nick recounted the events of the night before, and just as he got to the part where we decided to head back and let the rest of the Pack know, a tickle filled my nose. I tried to sniffle quietly in hopes of making it go away, but there was no stopping it; I sneezed. It wasn’t a quiet one either.
Floorboards creaked, and soon, Nick’s head was poking out of Roxanne’s bedroom. “Brooke?”
I stood up straight and tried to make it look like I had just come out of the bedroom instead of having been listening to their conversation. “Hey,” I replied casually—or, I attempted casual, anyway.
He didn’t buy it, but he also didn’t rat me out. “I was just checking in on Roxy. She’s awake.”
I smiled, genuinely relieved that she seemed to be on the mend. “That’s great.” I paused awkwardly. “I’ll, uh, head downstairs and give you two a little longer.”
I laid a hand on Nick’s chest, offering him a reassuring smile as I passed, but before I could get too far, Roxanne spoke up.
“Actually, Brooke, I’d like to have a word with you.” I glanced past Nick to find Roxanne sitting up in her bed. Her complexion was pale and ashen and her hair looked dull and lifeless around her face. “Privately.”
Chapter 24 | accord
“I don’t like you,” Roxanne said after a long, awkward silence.
Nick had left the room, but Roxanne didn’t say anything until we heard him hit the bottom stair. Now I knew why. I forced a smile, but didn’t try to make it appear the slightest bit friendly. What would be the point?
“Yeah. You haven’t been overly discreet, so you’ll forgive me if your confession doesn’t take me by surprise,” I responded dryly.
“Nick says we can trust you.”
My eyebrows rose with the assumption that she was referring to her and Nick as a unit. “We?”
Roxanne sighed, exasperated, and rolled her eyes. “The Pack,” she clarified.
“And you don’t agree,” I interjected. “You don’t feel I’m trustworthy?”
“Your brother kidnapped and killed our Alpha’s youngest child and took sick pleasure in torturing and taunting this pack. He and Gianna were building an army, and now that they’re out of the way, this army is still storming our gates. Without a leader. How can I believe that your family loyalties aren’t stronger than Pack blood?”
I stared at her, incredulous. “Are you saying you think I’m somehow involved with what’s going on?” Silence, but her eyes spoke volumes. “I haven’t seen my brother in seven years. I thought he was dead and buried.”
“How do I know that’s not just some kind of cover story? Maybe this was the plan all along.”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, frustrated. “Oh, yeah. I’ve totally been in league with a coven of vampires. You got me. In fact, I orchestrated that night in the park and got myself bitten just to infiltrate your fortress of solitude and destroy it from the inside out.” I whipped back around to find her staring at me. “God, I was so dedicated to this master plan that I allowed one of them to break into my home and kill the man I loved.”
Roxanne’s eyes widened, and I realized my mistake the instant the words left my mouth. I tried to think fast; I needed to backpedal and try to explain why I just admitted that my relationship with Nick wasn’t exactly what we’d been portraying. Sure, it was closer, but now Roxanne knew a portion of the truth. Would she use it to her advantage and try to worm her way between us?
I took a deep breath, admitting defeat. “Look, I get that it’s not easy to accept given my familial ties,” I began. “But I didn’t ask for any of this, and I sure as hell am not the Trojan Horse in some grand scheme to destroy the Pack from the inside out.”
Roxanne stood slowly, wincing as though her mid-section was in pain. I smelled fresh blood as one of her wounds opened slightly. “I didn’t realize.”
I shrugged. “You couldn’t have. We—Nick and I—chose not to advertise it in order to pass off our own relationship.”
“Which is?” she asked, sounding almost hopeful.
“Complicated,” I replied before realizing that if I was going to try and forge some sort of accord with Roxanne, then honesty was the best policy. “At first, nothing more than a farce. Though, I’d be lying if I told you that things were still that way.” I took a slow step toward her, watching her to be sure she wasn’t going to attack me. “Roxanne, he was my first love, and even though we’ve been apart for seven years, our connection hasn’t been weakened in any way. We grow closer by the day, and I do still love him.”
A whisper of a smile played at the corner of Roxanne’s mouth, but she cleared her throat and shook it off. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was so quiet, I almost didn’t hear her.
I bit back a laugh, but my smirk couldn’t be contained. “Did that hurt?” I quipped.
Roxanne rolled her eyes. “I still don’t know if I trust you, but I’m willing to give you a chance. Don’t expect me to go around singing your praises or anything—”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“I’m still pissed about how everything went down between us, but I realize that’s not your fault.” Her apology continued to surprise me.
“Nick’s always been shitty at communicating,” I interjected, and Roxanne gave me a genuine smile.
“He says you found me and stayed on the trail of my attacker.” I nodded. “Thank you.”
The detective in me stepped forward in that moment. “I know Nick already asked, but do you remember anything about the guy who attacked you?”
Roxanne shook her head. “Just his smell—which is no different than the rest of them, really—and that he was male.”
“So you didn’t see him.”
She shook her head again, closing her eyes tightly as though she was trying to force the memory. “I’ve been trying to remember something that could be useful, but I can’t. I’ve never been caught off guard like that before.”
My heart clenched with empathy; I knew how it felt to be caught in a vulnerable state and be taken advantage of. Just like I vowed to never let it happen to me again, I would also do whatever I could to keep it from happening to the rest of my Pack. This was our territory those parasites kept trespassing on. It was supposed to be our safe haven, and every time they stopped by, they left nothing but blood and destruction in their wake. They were poison, and they needed to be stopped.
A light knock on the door caught our attention, and when I turned around, I saw Nick standing there.
“I don’t mean to interrupt,” he said softly, “but Marcus won’t let anyone eat until everyone’s there, so you can imagine that the guys are getting a little impatient.”
I looked back at Roxanne. “Will you be joining us?” I asked.
“No. I’m still pretty wiped out.”
I understood all too well, and I nodded. “Can I bring you anything then?”
Roxanne smiled appreciatively as she crawled back into bed. “That would be great. Thank you.”
Nick and I headed for the stairs, leaving Roxanne to rest. Before we even started to descend them, Nick took my hand and turned me to face him. “What was that all about? I thought you hated each other.”
I smiled. “We realized that neither of us is going anywhere, and we came to an understanding.”
Smiling proudly, Nick raised a hand and pushed a strand of hair away from my face. His fingers brushed my cheek before tilting my face up to his. “You’re amazing, you know that? You completely turned that situation around.”
Having found my second wind, I was
feeling reenergized and a bit playful. “Well, there were compromises to be made.” It was difficult, but I kept my smile concealed.
“Such as?”
“We discussed the importance of sharing. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and every other weekend, you’ll stay with Roxanne.” Nick’s eyes widened and my laughter started to bubble inside me. My lips started to curl up into a devilish grin. He caught on instantly, his eyes narrowing. “It’s important when you make friends that you share your toys.”
His arms wrapped around me tightly, lifting me off my feet and bringing me level with his height. “Is that all I am to you? A toy?”
Being this close to him—wrapped securely in his arms—dulled my playful nature and reignited the flames of my desire. “No,” I said to him. “You’re so much more. You always have been, and I’m glad we’ve been given a second chance.” His lips touched mine, softly at first, and then a little harder. It was a chaste kiss, and when I pulled back, we were both grinning like Cheshire cats. “Besides, you know I don’t share my things.”
Nick laughed, setting me back on my feet and taking me by the hand. “Come on, we shouldn’t make the Pack wait any longer. They get cranky when they’re hungry.”
Once Nick and I joined the table, Marcus gave the order. It didn’t take long for the conversation to shift to the hunt Nick and I had been on the night before. Nick had already filled Marcus in, but the rest of the Pack needed to be kept in the loop as well. Nick told them how we made it to the mountains before the trail disappeared. This triggered my memory, reminding me of the journals I’d read recently.
“What if you guys aren’t looking deep enough?” I asked, drawing the attention of the entire Pack. I suddenly felt nervous with so many sets of eyes on me.
“Go on,” Marcus allowed, taking a bite of his eggs.
I shifted nervously in my seat and told myself that this was no different than standing in front of a room full of cops and briefing them about a case…though, that had a tendency to make me anxious, too.
“I was reading through the…um…case files?”
“Dossiers,” Nick amended. “But same idea.”
“Well, what if you guys aren’t looking deep enough? Literally.”
Marcus regarded me with genuine intrigue while the rest of the Pack looked on with confusion. “What do you mean? We’ve combed those mountains for years. We’ve followed them out there and then they just vanish without a trace.”
“Exactly,” I interjected. “Where did they go? Or are they capable of flight and I just haven’t gotten that far in my research?”
Everyone at the table laughed at my attempt at humor, but a part of me wondered if that might be a possibility. It happened in the movies. I pushed the thought aside for a moment, committing myself to the issue at hand. “If becoming what I am now has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is impossible and to trust my instincts.” All eyes were on me as I spoke. “What if they’ve got some sort of hidden fortress deep inside—or under—the mountains? I mean, think about it, they don’t like sunlight, so what better place for a coven of vampires than inside a mountain? No windows, no chance for natural light, it’s cold and dank and probably smells better than them.” Beside me, Nick chuckled.
“Problem is,” Jackson piped up, “we’ve combed every surface of those mountains. We’ve checked cave entrances and have found nothing that alludes to what you’re suggesting.”
I furrowed my brow and thought about it a little more. “They have to be there.” I took myself back to the night before when we were searching the mountain. True, we found nothing and it was frustrating, but I knew I was on the right track. I could feel it in my gut, and if I learned one thing over the years, it was to follow my gut instincts. “Maybe they have some high-tech hidden entrance somewhere.”
“Makes sense,” Miranda spoke up. “It could explain why the trail just ends.”
Layla nodded her agreement also. “Maybe you guys should take stock in what she has to say. This could be a means to an end.”
Next to Layla, Vince spoke up. “Brooke was the one to take out Gianna, so I’d say she’s more than proven herself to be a valuable asset to the mission.”
Nick placed a hand on my thigh and gave it a supportive squeeze. My smile widened as I met his proud gaze. My ego inflated significantly, and my confidence soared. Even though I couldn’t locate an entrance the night before, I started to think that, with the rest of the Pack behind me, maybe we actually stood a chance.
After breakfast, I stood to help clear the table when Marcus stopped me. “Brooke, I’d like to see you and Nick in the study. Maybe discuss last night a little more in detail.”
“It’s fine,” Miranda said when I glanced toward her. “We’ll handle this. You go talk strategy with the big kids.”
Beaming, I followed Nick and Marcus from the dining room. Vince and Jackson tagged along, likely because they were integral to the hunt. The books I’d been looking at were still out on the tables as we stepped into the room. Marcus stood in front of them and looked down at the pages.
“Before we get started,” Marcus began, “I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you how impressed I am by you, Brooke.”
Like before, my confidence grew. Having the Pack behind me earlier was incredible, but there was something truly empowering about your Alpha praising you. It helped to squash any lingering insecurities from the past few days.
“Last night, you knew before any of us whose blood was on that rock. You pushed your animosity aside and acted selflessly, putting a pack member’s welfare above your own.”
I thought back to the moment I knew it was Roxanne’s blood on that rock and realized that, even with all the crap she’d given me since I’d arrived here, I did feel a loyalty to her. I didn’t understand it at first, but, after listening to Marcus, I understood just how much of it was instinctual. The Pack connected us by default. Maybe that was what made it easier for us to work through our issues after what happened between us the night before.
A blush crept into my cheeks, but I maintained my composure, hoping to appear humble and not arrogant. “Thank you.”
“No. Thank you.” Marcus smiled. “I knew your instincts were sharp, but I truly believe we can utilize them further.”
“How so?” I inquired, intrigued by his suggestion. This could have been just what I needed to keep myself busy and feel like an active contributor to the Pack.
“Well, not only are your investigative strengths something I’ve always coveted,” Marcus explained, “but your uncanny sense of smell and your ability to act rationally while following your instincts are what I need in this Pack.”
Marcus looked down at the open texts before him. “You said you’d been doing some reading.”
“Yeah,” I confessed. “I was here alone and decided to come and check out some of the history. Learn a little more about what it is we do. I meant to clean it up before—”
Marcus held up a hand to cut me off. “You have no need to apologize. You have every right to be in here. This is your home now, and I admire your willingness to help us find the nest.”
“Of course. I’d do anything to help,” I said, and I meant it.
This pleased Marcus, and I caught the look of adulation he shot my way before turning to Nick. “I know we said we’d figure all this out, but you two should get some rest. You’ve been up almost twenty-four hours, and I need the two of you at a hundred percent before tonight.”
“I boarded up the window in your room last night until we can get someone out here to fix it,” Jackson said as we passed him. “Maybe start a fire if you still find it to be a bit drafty.”
“We’ll get started on the preparations,” Vince interjected before glancing my way. “Maybe you could take a look when you get back, tell us what you think or offer any professional advice you may have.”
I smiled. “Sounds great.”
Before Nick and I retired to our room, I stopped by the kitchen to make a p
late for Roxanne and we took it to her. Her door was closed, but she responded to my gentle knock immediately.
“Hey,” I said softly. “I brought you something to eat before I went to lay down for a bit.”
Roxanne took the plate and smiled, her eyes moving past me and briefly landing on Nick. “How did it go?”
“We’re going to map out a strategy,” Nick replied. “We’ll probably head out tonight.”
“You think you might be up to it?” I asked. “You might be able to track him better than any of us.”
Roxanne nodded in a very non-committal way. “Maybe. I’ll let you know.”
Happy to hear this, I smiled. It was still a little forced, the threads of our alliance still new and fragile. “Okay, well you rest, and we’ll come check on you a little later.”
In our room, I sat on the edge of the bed, my exhaustion returning ten-fold and weighing down on me like a wet blanket. Sunlight filled the room through the windows that were still intact, so Nick pulled the heavy curtains closed before sitting behind me on the bed. The mattress dipped as he crawled closer, and soon his hands were on my shoulders, massaging some of the tension from them.
“I’m proud of you,” he whispered before kissing the side of my neck. His breath tickled, and a shiver rolled down my spine.
“For what?” I sighed.
“Well, for starters, last night,” he replied, his hands moving down my back until he gripped my hips. “How you acted, putting Roxanne’s welfare before your own—despite how the two of you felt about one another. How you overcame your fear and shifted so we could track. This morning, when you and Roxanne put aside your differences for the Pack. And let’s not forget how you’ve completely won over Marcus.”
“I wouldn’t say I’ve completely won him over,” I said, groaning when his thumbs crept under the hem of my shirt and pressed into the groove of my lower back. I hadn’t realized how much tension was still in my body until he put his hands on me.
“Believe me, you’ve impressed him. Keep that up, and he may name you his successor.”