End of Lies

by Sara Dailey

  After a few seconds, she wrapped her arms around me too, but only half-heartedly, and whether she realized it or not, her reaction spoke volumes. It wasn’t like I was offended or anything. It simply reminded me just how fake the little bitch could be.

  I pulled away and asked, “Well, aren’t you going to say anything?”

  She slapped a fake smile on her face and let out a nervous giggle. “Sorry, Kendall. I’m just a little shocked. What are you doing here?”

  Returning her phony grin, I draped one arm around Becca and the other around Shari and then asked, “Well, aren’t you going to invite us in or are you going to make us stand out here in the cold?”

  Cami took a step back and swept her arm to the side. Of course, I took the lead as usual, and my minions followed. It was kind of like déjà vu, and I couldn’t stop a little smirk from forming on my lips.

  Locking the door behind her, Cami asked, “Seriously Kendall. Do you know what the hell is going on here?”

  I just kept walking into the living room and then took a seat on the couch. Crossing one leg over the other, I sat back and watched as my girls took their seats as well, but Cami just stood there in front of us with her hands on her nonexistent hips. Skinny little bitch. Jeez, I forgot how much she irritated me too.

  When I didn’t answer her, she raised her eyebrows again and tilted her head to the side. I suddenly wished I had my phone out so I could snap a pic and show her how ridiculous she looked. Just to wipe the stupid expression off her face, I finally responded. “Come on, Cami. Calm down. Smile for God’s sake. I’m back! Don’t ruin it with your prissy attitude. I’ll tell you all about it, but first, why don’t you go get us all something to drink? I’m totally parched.”

  She huffed and then headed toward the kitchen. Becca leaned over and whispered, “Gah, she’s so annoying. Ever since she hooked up with Luke, she thinks she’s all that. Don’t worry about her, Kendall. Shari and I are thrilled you’re back.”

  I looked over at Shari, and she smiled and nodded. I could hardly believe my ears. Little miss virgin finally gave it up to the biggest player in the pack. What a freakin’ moron! “Cami hooked up with Luke? Seriously? What, did he dump her like yesterday’s trash when Scarlett came to town? She should have known that the next hot piece of ass that came along would catch Luke’s attention. Poor, pitiful Cami. I kinda feel bad for her…well, not really.” We all laughed until Cami came traipsing back in with her hands full of a pitcher of tea and four glasses.

  Placing everything on the table in front of her, she snapped, “There! Now what’s going on?”

  Becca immediately poured me a glass and then one for herself, leaving the other two sitting there for Shari and Cami to serve themselves. Now that’s why I loved Becca. Her actions were bitchier than her words sometimes.

  I watched as Cami finally gave in and sat down, and after taking a drink, I figured it was time to let the girls in on what was about to go down here. “Okay, so obviously you’ve figured out that I am now a member of the Crescent Hills Pack. After I left here, I ditched my bitch of a mother. She was going to get me nowhere fast, so I hooked up with the CH, and they were more than happy to let me join them. Honestly, I had no idea they were planning to invade Red Ridge until just recently.”

  I paused for effect, trying to look as innocent as possible, before I continued. “Anyway, they just need the land and money or something. Apparently, someone screwed up royally and we are losing our land. So, here’s the deal, girls. They’re not looking to hurt anyone. As long as you stick with me and follow orders, you’ll all be just fine. I think they’re going to give everyone the opportunity to join them or leave. In fact, I’m pretty sure they plan on gathering everyone for a meeting soon.”

  Cami sat back and crossed her arms over her chest before she said, “So, what, we are all just supposed to sit back and let Crescent Hills take over everything?”

  “Yeah, pretty much. It doesn’t appear that you guys have much of a choice, does it? But don’t worry. I haven’t gotten to the best part. I’m with Drew Barnes, the alpha’s son, which means I’ll be the alpha female before long and everything will be just the way it should have been before the Wrights weaseled their way into this pack. And we will all be together again. It will be just like old times!”

  CHAPTER 10

  Cami

  After an excruciatingly long forty-five minutes, I was more than ready for Kendall to get the hell out of my house. I could only keep up my oh-I’m-so-glad-you’re-back façade for so long, and Kendall had a special gift for reading people. If she hadn’t seen through me already, she surely would soon enough. It was one of the things that made her the ultimate mean girl. She could sense weakness and fear, and intimidation was her most valuable weapon.

  If the whole situation weren’t so screwed up, I would have found it all quite entertaining. Shari and Becca both looked scared shitless, but I’d have to guess for completely different reasons. Becca spent the last couple of weeks trying to hook up with Drew. She thought she sealed the deal when she made out with him at the New Year’s Eve party, and then when he wasn’t all over her the next day, it only made her try harder. I had no idea how far they went, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was all the way. Becca didn’t give up all that easily.

  Shari, on the other hand, obviously didn’t want to be sitting there with her old BFF. Sure, she wore the smile and followed along just like she used to, but it wasn’t because she was happy Kendall was back. I knew Shari better than that. She had changed a lot since Kendall left, and now she was merely trying to survive the situation, just like me.

  Sensing that Kendall was growing bored of our little get-together, I decided it would be a good time to pull her aside before she left. I wasn’t sure if she’d be willing to part with any more information than she’d already shared, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.

  Once we were out of earshot of the other girls, I asked, “Are you being straight up with us, Kendall? Is your pack really going to let us decide whether we want to stay or leave? Just like that?”

  She cocked her hip to the side and tilted her head. “Would I lie to you, Cami? You know you can count on me to keep you safe. As long as you stick by my side, you’ll be just fine.” Then she tucked my hair behind my ear and whispered, “Just be thankful you’re with me. No one will touch you, and once this is all over with, it will be just like it used to be. You, me, Becca, and Shari. You’ll see.”

  I didn’t reply. I just stood there and looked into her eyes trying to gauge if she actually believed the words that were coming out of her mouth or if she was just as full of shit as she used to be. I couldn’t tell, but it didn’t matter. Either way, I knew that it wouldn’t be as simple as she’d said.

  After a quick hug, Kendall made her grand exit with Becca and Shari following close behind. I almost threw up in my mouth when Kendall turned around, did her signature Betty Boop move, and said, “Kisses!”

  Before the door closed, I caught Shari’s attention. She simply shrugged, but the expression in her eyes confirmed what I already knew. She was just playing along, treading water, trying to figure out what the hell to do.

  I waited a minute or two before I ran upstairs to look out my bedroom window to make sure the coast was clear. Then I hurried back down to the safe room to talk to Gavin. He was staring at the surveillance screens when I entered, but was at my side within seconds as soon as he saw me. “What did they want? What did Kendall say?”

  I took a step back because his nearness always seemed to knock my senses off kilter. “She said to stick with her and everything would be okay. That her pack would give us all the option to stay and join Crescent Hills or leave. And of course, she didn’t fail to mention that she was with Drew and would be the next alpha female once this was all over with.”

  Running his hands through his hair, Gavin shook his head and sighed. “It’s all bullshit. She’s lying. There is no way that is ever going to happen. They may allow a few
to stay, those who somehow manage to prove their allegiance to CH, but other than that, I can’t believe they’d just let you all walk away. It would be too much of a risk. Red Ridge could regroup and try to take back what was theirs.”

  My heart pounded so hard in my chest that I could hear it drumming in my ears. He was right, and I knew it, but the alternative was just too hard to swallow. They only had one option then, not two. “So, are you saying what I think you are? Is your pack going to kill us all?”

  Gavin turned away, unable to look into my eyes. He knew it as well as I did. His pack was ruthless and willing to do whatever it took for the livelihood of their people. Even if it meant the total annihilation of another pack.

  My eyes filled with tears, and I didn’t want to think about it anymore. If I did, I’d break down for sure, and I couldn’t let him see me cry. Instead, I walked past him into the small living room and sat down on the couch. I leaned over, placing my elbows on my knees and blocked my face from Gavin’s view. “So, what were you going to tell me earlier? What happened to your sister and the rest of them?”

  I didn’t look up but heard him walk over and felt him sit down next to me, close but not close enough that we were touching, though his knee was only centimeters away. I may have been imagining it, but it was like I could feel the heat radiating from his body, and that mixed with his masculine scent was a heady combination. Suddenly, I wasn’t thinking of hiding my unshed tears anymore. I kept my head down to conceal the deep blush covering my cheeks.

  After a deep intake of air, Gavin said, “It was my father. My own father. That bastard, he…” His voice trailed off, and I instinctively looked over at him. He too was hunched over with his head in his hands, but he was breathing hard, in and out, as if he was trying to calm himself down. I knew I should keep my distance, but I couldn’t stop myself. No, that wasn’t true; I could have, but I didn’t want to.

  Moving over, I filled the small gap between us and ran my hand up and down his back. After a few seconds he looked up, and the pain in his deep brown eyes caused my stomach to clinch. Only a moment later, he turned away again, but didn’t finish his thought. “Just get it out, Gavin. Whatever it is. Just say it. It’s okay,” I encouraged as I moved my hand back and forth to stroke his broad shoulders.

  His head fell back into his hands as he finished what he had to say. “It was my father. He chased their car and ran them off a bridge. The Tahoe crashed into the water. They all got out unscathed…But, he tried to kill them. He tried to kill my sister. And for now, he thinks he did. He thinks they’re all dead.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Gavin

  “I need to be at that meeting,” I said under my breath, but obviously Cami heard me because she gave me her best oh-no-you-don’t stare. “I’m not stupid. Of course I know I can’t go, but it would be nice to hear what’s going on for a change,” I explained.

  Cami’s eyebrows shot up as she turned the television on and brought the lodge up on the main screen. “Oh my God! I completely forgot. The lodge is the only place on the estate wired for sound. Why didn’t I think of that earlier?” she asked herself, clearly irritated that she failed to remember that very important bit of information.

  “Seriously? How do you forget something like that?” I grumbled, trying my best to sound frustrated, but the effect this girl was having on my body made angry hard to pull off.

  Shooting me an icy glare, she replied, “I know, I know, but I’m not usually the Mission Impossible spy girl here on the estate. We’re lucky I even know any of this is down here. My parents only just showed me right after my sixteenth birthday. Before that, I didn’t even know any of this existed.”

  “Well, I guess should count myself lucky then.”

  Once Cami figured out how to control the sound, she sat back in her chair and stared at the screen. “There, now you will be able to hear everything.”

  When I didn’t reply, she turned my way and asked, “Hey, are you going to be okay here? You have everything you need?”

  “I’ll be fine, Cami,” I assured her. “Promise me something?”

  Cami stood up, and her hand went straight to her hip as her head tilted to the side. Once again, her intoxicating eyes met mine, but she didn’t say anything, and for a moment, I lost all thought. Something serious sizzled between us every single time our eyes locked. Well, I felt it, and I could only hope that she sensed the same crazy chemistry I did. If not, then she probably thought I was a total creeper. Realizing that she was waiting for me to say something, I quickly added, “Be careful. You can’t trust any of them.”

  Cami rolled her beautiful brown eyes at me as she turned to leave, and I swore I heard, “Duh,” pass those luscious lips of hers.

  Once Cami was gone from the safe room the air fell flat, and I needed a cold shower. If I was going to be confined here with Cami for much longer, I had a feeling I would be spending a lot of time standing under the cold water, so I might as well get used to it.

  I settled down in front of the television with some pretzels and prepared myself for the spectacle I was about to watch. Scanning the lodge, I noticed the Red Ridge members were sitting together in a small area off to the left and being eerily quiet for a pack that had just been through hell. I half-expected them to be shouting and making demands for their release. I assumed that they were afraid of what would happen if they spoke up, especially since they were still surrounded by armed guards.

  Finally, I spotted Cami squished between the two girls that had shown up here with Kendall earlier. I figured she’d be sitting with her parents, but they were set apart from the group, along with Phillip, and they were being guarded by Justin Maples, a hothead who wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in someone’s brain for looking at him the wrong way.

  My own pack seemed to have already made themselves at home as they took up most of the space in the lodge, forcing RR to fit in one tiny side area. I cringed when I noticed Drew sitting at the front with one arm draped over Kendall’s shoulder, but his eyes were on Lacey Campbell, a girl who’d be down on her knees in front of him in a second given the opportunity. What a prick.

  It wasn’t long before Nathaniel walked up to the podium to address the crowd with Clayton and my jackass of a father at his side. Nathaniel turned his attention to the members of the Red Ridge Pack, cleared his throat, and began immediately. “First off, let me commend you all for your patience and obedience during this arduous time. I want to be straight with you and gain your trust. Therefore, I’m afraid I have some bad news to deliver. As you know, your alpha has been very ill. Unfortunately, he took a turn for the worse and has passed away.”

  When the members of the Red Ridge Pack instantly exploded into screams and sobs, Nathaniel gave them a moment before he continued. “Believe me when I say you have our deepest sympathies.” Bullshit!

  As I looked around at the faces of the devastated pack, my heart ached for them. There was a time when I would have grieved over the loss of our own alpha, but not anymore. I’d seen and heard too much. And when he opened his mouth to tell his next lie, I nearly fell out of my chair.

  “Without leadership, you are left in a vulnerable position, so vulnerable in fact that we were able to just walk right onto this estate and take over, but that is not why we are here. Members of Red Ridge, let me assure you, we are here to help. We want you to join us…accept us. Accept me as your new alpha, and we can become the biggest and strongest werewolf pack in the country,” he announced.

  One brave pack member stood and said, “We do have leadership. Well, we will. Marcus’s sons, Cade or Aiden, one of them will step up and take command.”

  That one remark started the uproar that led to Nathaniel clearing his throat dramatically once again. When that didn’t work, he roared, “Settle down!” a bit louder than necessary. When the rival pack members calmed themselves, he continued. “That brings me to the second piece of bad news. Cade was driving his father’s Tahoe late last night. It must have been the
bad weather that caused him to lose control of the SUV. Our men witnessed his car drive off Old River Bridge and into the river below. I’m sorry to say that inside the Tahoe were Cade, Aiden, Luke, Allison, and our own Scarlett. It pains me to say, there were no survivors.”

  I saw Phillip drop his head into his hands, and then the woman a few rows over shrieked and covered her mouth with her hands. The younger girl next to her dropped her head and turned into the woman, who wrapped her arms around her. Their pain was real and raw, and as the tears rolled down their cheeks, I realized they must have been Aiden’s mother and mate. The mother had just been told, in front of everyone, that both her children were dead. The man next to her, surely Aiden and Alli’s father, wrapped his arms around the both of them as they wept, and then his shoulders shuddered too as they all sobbed together.

  I was suddenly ashamed to be watching them. There I was, sitting back eating pretzels while they were living through a nightmare that I knew was untrue. I had to turn away from the screen. It was too intimate…too personal. Seeing them suffer, seeing Phillip, who had been nothing but kind to me, tormented by the news broke my heart into pieces.

  Ignoring everyone’s pain, Nathaniel began to explain how joining the Crescent Hills Pack was completely optional. He actually told them that if they refused to join them that they could leave without any repercussions. I knew he was full of shit. There was no way he would ever just let them leave. I really hoped that they didn’t buy any of that crap. Nathaniel even went as far as to promise to appoint a few Red Ridge members to his council of elders.

  From the looks on their faces and the blanket of silence in the room, it was easy to see that no one gave two shits about pack politics. They had just found out that people they loved and respected were dead. No one in that room was worried about anything but that—well, except my pack members of course.