Damon opens the door allowing him in.
I sit down on the bed as Damon shuts the door and moves to lean against the table in the corner of the room.
“You two are going to have to stay here a few days.” Pops begins. “This whole town is crawling with Redwood wolves.”
He then turns to me. “They are looking for you, Parker, but I’m sure you already knew that. What I need to know is why they are hunting all over for you. The only way I can protect you is if I know exactly what has happened.”
Standing to my feet I sigh out loudly. “This all started with my father brining in young alphas from the high packs around the area. The Redwood pack, the Blackwood pack, and the Shadow pack. I was supposed to pick one of them to be my mate.”
I pause as Damon scoffs.
“When I finally did choose who I wanted to be with things went south fast. I believe the Redwood pack had some sort of control over my father. He forced me into a mating with the young Redwood alpha.” I continue.
“Couldn’t you have just said no?” Damon interrupts.
“She can’t, not when she is ordered by her alpha which in this case was her father.” Pops answers for me.
“I did say no, I tried everything in my power to get out of it but in the end London, the alpha I was to be mated with, took things into his own hands. He controlled me, took away any ability I had to run away or even think for myself.” I explain as I sit down on the edge of the bed once more.
“How could he have controlled you like that?” Damon chimes in again.
“Our claws are for more than just scratching.” I answer as I hold my hand up and allow my claws to come forward.
Pointing towards the tips I explain the alphas secret. “Do you see the clear liquid coming from them?”
Both Damon and Pops move in closer.
They nod so I continue. “It acts as a sort of venom, some alphas use it to control their packs or to use against enemies but it’s never supposed to be used to manipulate a mate.”
“London is after me because he wants the power my family holds, the only way to get that power is through me, especially considering I am a pure Onyx wolf, one of the last females actually.”
Maybe even the last one alive now considering my father may not have won their battle.
“What is this alpha willing to do in order to get to you?” Pops inquires curiously.
I shrug. “I doubt there is anything he wouldn’t do.”
He nods at my answer. “Do you think he would come up against the Hunters?”
I shake my head. “Honestly, I don’t know. He was at my brothers last night but I doubt he would expect me to be hidden by one.”
“Well, let’s hope he decides not to come around here looking for you.” Pops sighs. “I’m going to be gathering other Hunters here until things die down though so I need you to stay hidden no matter what. Some Hunters aren’t as kind to wolves as we are.”
I nod in understanding.
Pops then turns his attentions to Damon. “I’m going to move you two to a larger room but I don’t want you leaving her side either. She is in danger and we must protect her from those people that want to harm her.”
Damon nods but I could tell he wanted to disagree.
I could see it in his eyes how much he hated even being near me let alone being locked in a room with me.
This was going to be a fun few days, I could see it now.
One of us was going to at least try to kill the other.
Pops moves towards the door to leave but I stop him. “Did my brother, Alex, make it?”
With sad eyes he bows his head. “I’m sorry, Parker. They left nothing behind at your brother’s house. We can only hope that they didn’t kill anyone.”
With that bit of sad news he leaves Damon and I alone.
“Well, this just sucks.” Damon mutters as he tosses a plastic cup against the wall. “My best friend and leader are gone, all because you had to show up.”
“You should have just stayed behind with them then.” I growl.
“You shouldn’t have asked for help from a human.” He argues.
“All I have are human friends and I trust them more than any wolf.” I reply crossing my arms over my chest.
His jaw falls slightly. “You have human friends?”
I nod. “I have two best friends actually, Harley and Ariel. I even had a human boyfriend for awhile.”
His eyes widen in shock at this new bit of information from me.
“Why?” He questions curiously.
“I never wanted to be a wolf, it’s not like I had a choice in this.” I motion towards myself. “All I ever wanted to do was fit in and have a normal life like everyone else.” I answer honestly.
“You’re a strange little wolf, aren’t you?” He teases lightly.
“You don’t know the half of it.” I laugh out. “So, how about you, I know you weren’t born a Hunter.”
He runs his hand through his hair as he turns his back to me. “A wolf, like you, killed my entire family in front of me. I watched it tear my sister’s throat out as she screamed for mercy.”
Turning to face me I sense the sadness he held deep inside, and the hatred he held for all wolves whether they were good or not.
He hated us all and I couldn’t say I blamed him.
I would hate whoever would have killed my family like that.
“At first I became a Hunter to get revenge, but now I want to keep what happened to my family from happening to anyone else’s.” He ends fiercely.
“Did you ever get your revenge?” I ask curiously.
He shakes his head. “No, I had the chance to once but I just couldn’t take his life.”
I completely understood that.
“What was his name, do you know?” I inquire next.
“It was Brock. It’s a name I will never forget for as long as I live.” He answers with underlying anger.
“Well, then you don’t have to worry about ever facing him again.” I sigh. “The wolf after me now killed him.”
His eyes widen for a fraction of a moment with what looked like glee. “He did?”
I nod and grin. “Yeah, he did.”
Damon turns his back to me. “Good.”
A comfortable silence closes in on us as we both stare off at nothing in particular until a loud knock makes my heart literally skip a beat.
I hadn’t heard anyone approach, which was odd for me.
Rising to my feet I place my hand on Damon’s arm stopping him from moving towards the door.
With my nose to the air I take in a deep breath quickly cursing as I smell a familiar smell, a wolf.
“Get behind me.” I command Damon.
He does quickly as I move towards the door and swing it open wide.
Dillon stumbles and falls inside covered in blood from head to toe.
“What the hell happened to you?” I ask as I kneel down beside him.
His eyes peer up to mine. “I renounced. He nearly killed me but I got away.” He chokes as blood begins pouring from his mouth.
“How did you even find me?” I ask next.
He coughs. “I didn’t think I’d actually find you. I was looking for a Hunter to kill me.” He answers honestly.
“If it’s death you want, then its death you will have, wolf.” Damon snarls coming around me.
Again, I stop him with my hand and a growl. “No, he can be useful to us.”
“How can he be useful to us, he’s nearly dead.” Damon argues.
“You forget that I am an alpha, Hunter, and that I have more secrets than you’ll ever know.” I reply.
Taking Dillon’s face in my hands I search his eyes. “Will you help me if I heal you?”
He nods as more blood trickles from his mouth.
I wipe his brow before the blood there can flow into his eyes as I continue to search them. “Will you become my second if I allow you to live? Will you obey me as an alpha?”
He
nods again as the light begins leaving his eyes.
His time was running out rapidly, I had to make my choice now.
Closing my eyes I begin the chant that would hopefully bring him back from the brink of death, it wasn’t always a guarantee in extreme cases like his.
The only way he would live is if he fought for it.
I sense others joining us as I continue to speak in a language only a wolf would know.
When nothing seems to happen I open my eyes just as Dillon’s eyes close and he sucks in a shallow breath before becoming lifeless in my hands.
“No, no, you can’t die like this, I won’t allow it.” I bark out.
“You’re going to have to just let him go, Parker.” Pops whispers as he kneels down beside me.
I shake my head as I begin my chant again.
Over and over the words spill from my lips, pleading, and begging, for him to return to us.
And just when I’m about to give up he sucks in a deep breath of air, and then another.
Smiling, I chant until his eyes open and his wounds all but disappear.
“I’m glad you came back.” I laugh softly as I place my hand over his chest just to feel his heartbeat.
He had been the first wolf I had ever healed.
“I’m sorry I left.” He whispers. “I’m sorry about everything, Parker.”
I nod and fight my tears back. “Everything will be fine now.”
He nods. “I do want to be your second, Parker. I hate the feeling of being all alone.”
“Are you sure, you do know that you’ll be leaving the Redwood pack behind for good, all of your family, and friends as well.” I inquire.
He nods sternly. “I am. I didn’t have much worth with the Redwood pack anyway. It wouldn’t have been long before London had me killed.”
“Alright, but we can’t do this in the open like this, we need to get inside.” I reply standing to my feet with my hand held out to him.
He takes it and I pull him to his feet.
“Since you’re out here now, we might as well move you to your new room.” Pops states brining my attention to him.
I had forgotten that he and the others were even there.
I nod in agreement and he motions for us to follow him past the other Hunters that had gathered around.
Dillon holds tight to my hand as I lead him.
I understood his fear well.
Hunters meant death, at least that’s what we had all been taught since we were young pups.
And here we were two wolves stuck in a lion’s den.
Moving to the new room we thankfully walk into what appeared to be a much larger room with two additional rooms attached.
“You’re going to need to make plans on leaving soon, Parker.” Pops mentions.
I nod. “I’ll start planning tonight after I get the information we need from him.” I nod to Dillon.
“Good, just let me know what I can do to help.” He replies. “Before I leave you guys I filled the fridge inside with everything you might need and I also had my daughter bring over some clothes for you to use.”
“Thank you.” I reply gratefully.
In true Pops fashion he nods and then leaves without another word spoken.
Damon shuts the door and turns towards us just as Dillon takes on his wolf form.
He grins goofily as a wolf with his tongue hanging out the side.
“A little warning would have been nice.” Damon spits out.
“Here’s your warning then.” I reply before turning into a wolf myself.
Moving with precise movements I stalk Dillon until he positions himself in a submissive stance.
With quick movements I begin and end the ritual for him to become my second.
Letting go of him I transform back into my human form to set Damon at ease.
“What did you two just do?” Damon questions while pointing towards Dillon.
“I just made him my second.” I answer easily as I make my way over to the refrigerator.
Following me in, he stands just behind the door as I rummage through the food looking for something for both Dillon and I to eat.
“Was that really all that it takes?” He asks abruptly.
I nod pulling out two thawed steaks that were lying on a plate ready to eat. “It doesn’t look like much but it’s huge for our wolves.”
He watches me for a moment deep in thought and I wait for him to speak again as I pull the plate out and grab hold of one of the large pieces of meat.
“Why do you always say that, your wolf?” He then asks.
Tossing the piece of meat in my hand to Dillon we watch as he snatches it out of the air and begins eating it on the floor.
I sigh placing the plate down to the floor. “It’s because we’re not just a human who can turn into a wolf, it’s much more than that. We literally have a wolf living inside of us. They have thoughts of their own, feelings of their own, but we can control them, we’re connected to them on a level that even I don’t understand.” I explain.
“That’s pretty crazy.” He laughs lightly before pointing to the plate on the floor. “Tell me you’re not going to eat that raw like he is.”
I smile sweetly before changing form and chomping down on the tasty meat.
Damon’s face scrunches in disgust. “That’s just wrong. You two are sick.”
“For a hunter he sure is a big baby.” Dillon laughs into my mind.
“I know, but he’s at least helping us right now.” I answer him with a wolf like grunt.
“How long do you think that will last, Parker?” Dillon asks the same question that had been on my mind.
When would our welcome end with these Hunters?
“I don’t know, but I don’t plan on sticking around long enough to find out.” I answer honestly.
“I can’t believe I’m standing here watching you two eat, the very things I was taught to fear and hunt.” Damon interrupts us.
Both Dillon and I look up with worry.
“I really hope he doesn’t decide to kill us.” Dillon states.
I nod my wolf head in agreement.
“Can you even understand what I’m saying when you’re like that?” Damon questions me.
I nod my head enough for him to see clearly that, yes, we could hear him and understand him perfectly.
We could understand both what he was saying and the things that he wasn’t.
Like the fear he had rippling off of him in waves, the longing that showed in his eyes, and the deep seated aggression he held for our kind.
It was an odd mixture of scents and fleeting glimpses, but all ones we couldn’t just let slip by.
Just because he was helping us now didn’t mean he wouldn’t snap somewhere down the line and try to kill us when our guards were down.
We watch silently until Damon turns his back to us and walks away into another room without another word.
“That was intense.” Dillon mutters in my mind.
“Yes, it was.” I answer with a soft sigh.
Even though I wanted to fear the Hunter I was intrigued by him.
I wanted to see what made him tick, what made him want to kill us, and what his entire life story was.
I wanted to know it all.
15-Hide and Seek
Growling in frustration, I pace back and forth in the small apartment type motel room that the three of us had been staying in for the past three days.
“What’s wrong with her?” Damon questions Dillon as he joins him at the tiny metal kitchen table.
Dillon swallows his food before answering. “She’s going a bit stir crazy being cooped up in here, that and she wants to rush out and get herself killed trying to get to the wolf she really wants to be with.”
“I need to get to him before London has him killed.” I snarl in his mind.
“He’s not going to kill him as long as he can use him to get you back, Parker.” Dillon reasons out loud.
Damon motions b
etween us for a moment. “Wait. Can you two communicate like that too? I thought it was something you could only do as wolves.”
“We can do this anytime when we are connected as Parker and I are, but we can’t do this with just any random wolf out there.” Dillon answers.
Damon nods thoughtfully.
“We are giving away a lot of our secrets to this Hunter.” I sigh.
“Yes, we are, but I highly doubt he’s going to be much of a problem for us and if he does become one, then we just take him out of the equation.” Dillon answers in my mind this time so Damon couldn’t hear.
Transforming to my human form I sigh softly. “I hope you’re right and we don’t have to do anything drastic.” I reply out loud.
Damon glances between Dillon, and I, before throwing his hands into the air in surrender. “I don’t even want to know.”
“It’s better that you don’t.” Dillon mutters just under his breath.
Suddenly, the phone that Dillon had brought with him rings out loudly with an almost ear piercing ring.
I rush to cover my ears against the harsh sound.
He looks to me apologetically as he answers it ending the terrible onslaught on my ears.
“Hello?” He answers and then pauses with fear beginning to show in his eyes.
Moving wordlessly he moves to the window, peeking out the side.
“You son of a…” He trails off.
“What is it?” I question moving to his side.
Looking out of the curtain I see a sight that I never wanted to see, ever.
My best friend Harley was being yanked forward by two tall dark dangerous looking Redwood pack members while London stood off to the side wearing a smug grin.
“That son of a…” I mutter the same words as Dillon. “I’m going to kill him if he hurts her.”
Damon moves to our side peeking out of the window before laughing abruptly.
Both Dillon and I look at him with shock.
“Why the hell are you laughing?” I growl. “That’s my best friend down there.”
Damon only shakes his head motioning Dillon to end the call between him and London.
Dillon quickly does and Damon breaks into a fit of laughter. “He has no idea who he caught. Harley is one of our best. She’s a great actor but an even better fighter. She could easily take them on, and since she’s so close to a hug group of other Hunters she will get away without a scratch.” He explains.
Bound (The Onyx Wolves Book 1) Page 9