Make A Wish (Dandelion #1)

by Jenna Lynn Hodge

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, no? Didn’t you just say you were going to find her?” Confusion plagued me while I stared at the stiff man—who refused to take a seat or even look me directly in the eye. Wuss.

  “I said, I’m going to find her. Not you. It’s not safe.”

  “Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Not safe? What do I look like to you, a defenseless weak little girl?” As I looked at him, I began to get angry, knowing that he truly believed that to be true. “Don’t you dare answer that and tell me I’m not coming, because you don’t get to decide what I can and cannot do. I’m twenty-three for crying out loud and Juliette is my family. I won’t sit back and let some random guy with whom she had a one-nighter with determine that I’m not capable to help. Plus, I’ve already taken an indefinite leave of absence from the bar. Until Jules is home, I refuse to continue on as if everything is okay when it isn’t.”

  So maybe I’m not completely over the grudge, but I’m getting there.

  I leaned against my kitchen counter, my breathing heavy as I glared at the man who looked at me with mock sympathy. It pissed me off.

  I knew he wasn’t trying to be an ass, but I was so over people looking at my tiny self and assuming because of my size, that I’m weak and small. It happened more often than I liked to admit.

  BEAU

  “Please.” Her word a plea that felt like a stab in my heart. I wanted to protect her, for Juliette. The last thing I wanted was for Jules to come back and for something to have happened to her best friend. I would blame myself and there wasn’t a chance that I’d let that situation come to fruition.

  “Fine, but I’m in charge of the investigation. If I say something is dangerous or unsafe, you need to abide by it. I won’t let anything happen to you in the search for Juliette, so don’t push me or you won’t like what I resort to.” My comments sounded more like a threat with every syllable, almost as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. I sat back on her living room couch and motioned for her to take a seat beside me.

  “I need to explain a little about me, because you’ll kind of be a tad surprised when you meet my family. They’ll be helping run the investigation and it’s important that I have you prepared for what you’ll come across.” With a small nod from her, I went on. “My family isn’t family in the traditional sense. We aren’t all related, but yet we are.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “When I was in high school, my life, for lack of better word, changed. I learned something about who I am, which now runs my entire life.”

  “What is it?”

  “I can’t tell you that part. All I ask is for you to let it go and not go searching for the answers. Can you do that? It’s a family secret that I’m obligated to not share.”

  “Alright. Got it. Don’t ask questions. Done.” She flashed me a smile that made me feel more easy than reassured. Saylor not asking questions, a nearly impossible task.

  “My family has unlimited resources when it comes to dealing with situations like this. We deal heavily in protection, meaning we’re trained in all forms of martial arts and have untapped potential with tracking and hacking.” I paused, giving Saylor an opportunity to interject but when nothing came from her mouth, I continued. “I fully believe that my family will be able to find and track down whoever took her. We’ll bring her home.”

  “Wait. Hold up a minute. If you had all the tracking, jacking, hacking, whatever, then why didn’t you start using this when you found out? You’re saying that she could’ve already been home by now?”

  “Saylor cut me some slack, I just found out about her kidnapping. I’m surprised the police weren’t more help—”

  “Don’t be. Police only do what is convenient for them. If it requires them to do more paperwork or research, they let it go. Probably to go shove their faces with donuts or something.” She shrugged.

  “I hear they do that a lot.” I smiled one of my real, genuine smiles that rarely anyone saw. They were saved for special moments and special people, and I knew Saylor was one of them.

  “So… When do I meet the fam?”

  And so it begins.

  BEAU

  “Hey Griff. I need you to prepare Room Two. Gather the top eight and have them ready and waiting. We have a new assignment and it needs to be top priority. Send Eve to my house; she’ll be needed.”

  “Yes, Alpha. As you say, so shall it be.”

  I smiled at the formality of my pack members words and then hung up. It took no time at all before Saylor began firing questions at me.

  “What’s the top eight? Where’s Room Two? Who’s Eve and why is she needed?”

  “Calm yourself. Has anyone ever told you that you ask way too many questions?” I sighed. Saylor sure knew how to test my patience, though I knew she meant well.

  “Well? I’m waiting.”

  “The top eight are among the strongest and most intelligent of my family.” I continued on before she had a chance to interupt again. “Eve is one of the friendliest and most audacious girls I know, and I figured you two might hit it off since you’ll be hanging with my family a lot. It won’t hurt to have a friend.”

  “What is this? Like a friend version of a blind date? Seriously?” Her eyebrows rose in question, but her voice gave away her usual playfulness. She continued to twirl her light brown hair around her pointer finger while leaning her head against the window, watching the hustle and bustle of the city begin to fade into a rural land of nothingness. I continued driving with the occasional glance in her direction, wondering what exactly my pack would think of her, or worse, what Saylor would think of them. It was more difficult than I would’ve thought to explain them to her and I knew I didn’t do the smoothest job of it.

  My pack was much more than just my family but in the moment, that had seemed like the best description I could muster up on a whim. I couldn’t very well tell her that we’re all shape-shifting werewolves that walked the earth protecting humans from themselves.

  Yeah, that would have gone over well.

  I sighed to myself, once again thinking that I hadn’t truly understood what being an Alpha meant until I was one. Sometimes I felt like I was in over my head and other times, it was like a cake walk. It was hard enough trying to calm the battle that raged within me, but it was my job to sort through the wreckage of all the battles that my pack members carried as well. Everything ranging from territories, training and boundaries, to matings and infertility. The job of an Alpha was never done.

  Sometimes I thought of what my life would be like if I’d never agreed to become the head honcho and then I’d be overcome immediately with guilt. While yes, my job was trying, it was also rewarding. Others looked up to me and aspired to be like me. It was an honor even though a lot of times it brought more pain than anything, a fact I absolutely hated.

  SAYLOR

  “Gahhhh… Are we there yet?” I whined, sounding more like a petulant child who was used to getting their way than an adult.

  “That we are,” Beau replied without elaborating as we finally managed to turn onto a dirt road surrounded with trees.

  I took in the scenery, shifting in my seat to get a better look out the open window, eyes wide with anticipation and excitement. The reservation looked every bit as Juliette had described, almost exact as to what we’d dreamed up as kids. It took my breath away and for a rare moment in my life, I was actually speechless.

  “So yeah, this is home.” Beau motioned to the houses and buildings up ahead.

  “And every house is occupied by your family?” Not only were my eyes wide, but my voice even shook as I spoke. Never in a million years could I imagine having a family so large that they needed their own little community.

  “Well, like I mentioned, we aren’t all blood related, but yeah, they’re all family to me.” Beau shrugged as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He pulled into the driveway of a large castle, or at least that’s what I classified it as.

>   Beau climbed out of the car and went around to the passenger side, opening the door for me to climb out. My eyes scanned every inch of the scenery in front of me and I barely managed to take a step before almost stumbling, the shock taking even longer than anticipated to wear off. Before I realized it, my legs were leading me past a path of stepping stones and climbing the few stairs to the front door.

  The moment Beau unlocked the door with his key chain stocked full of keys, a tall, petite girl bounced up to us, her straight cherry red hair shining under the light of the sun.

  And just when I thought I couldn’t be more surprised, I was wrong. The girl was literally one of the most stunning people I’d ever laid eyes on, which was saying a lot. She had the look of a pixie, with layered red hair that reached past her shoulders. Eyes were a soothing white-ish grey that nearly blended in with the whites of her sclera, with eyelashes like long feathers. When she smiled, it accented two very small dimples in her cheeks, which caused an even more prominent twinkle in her eyes.

  I envied her alternative, rocker-chic style and already found myself ogling the girl’s clothes. White ripped shorts hung low on her hips, a red and black plaid flannel tied firmly around her waist—just past her bum—along with a white cami and a tight black leather jacket. Topping off the ensemble was a gray slouchy beanie and knee high laced up leather boots.

  “Saylor, Eve. Eve, Saylor,” Beau spoke, motioning between me and her. “I have to go help Griff set up Room Two for our meeting. Eve, can you bring Saylor there in about twenty minutes?”

  “Sure thing, Boss.” Eve winked as she ushered Beau off. “So have you known Beau long?” she asked, once he was completely out of earshot.

  “Not really. He has a thing for my best friend.”

  “NO WAY!” She gasped so loud, it caused me to jump. “Beau? You’re talking about the guy that just walked off, that Beau? He has a thing for someone. Really? He never likes anyone. He’s usually all work and no play.” Eve began tugging me in the direction of a small playground that was a few houses away. “You must tell me everything.”

  We sat on the playground swings and chatted as if we were the closest of friends. I felt at peace finally getting to relax and hang out with someone other than Jack and Beau. Though they were great guys, with Juliette gone, I really really missed some girl time. Eve was sweet and had a fiery spirit. She reminded me an awful lot of Juliette. I knew that once Jules met her, she’d like her too.

  With the world that we’d grown up in, experiencing so much heartache and suffering, friendships were rare. I would take it where I could get it, and at that moment, I needed it more than I’d realized.

  BEAU

  I decided to prep the pack beforehand about the fact that Saylor was human and had no prior knowledge of our existence. I forbade anyone from phasing or performing at full wolf capabilities, so as to not attract questions that we couldn’t answer.

  This was the first time that I’d ever brought a human into one of our investigations. We were treading in uncharted waters, so to speak. We all had to watch ourselves, thinking of the move we intended to take before we took it.

  My pack was advised that Saylor would get the simple and easy tasks—so as to ensure she felt like she was helping. They, on the other hand, would get the ones that involved more dangerous situations and scenarios. It was my job to protect her as a human guest in my territory, so I would. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

  SAYLOR

  Eve and I walked in ten minutes late and paid no attention to the frustrated vibes radiating from the men scattered around the meeting table.

  With one look at the group, I suddenly felt lightheaded. Never once had I been in a room with so many gorgeous males. It was one of my deepest fantasies but I never thought it’d actually come to pass. I had to hold onto the table to brace myself from losing my usually stable balance.

  “Guys, this is Saylor. Saylor meet the rest of the team.”

  They went around the room, as each man stood and announced his name.

  “I’m Griffin,” the guy closest to Beau said. He had straight black hair that was slicked up into a faux-hawk, small stubble peaking up from the base of his jaw line. Even with wearing all black, his muscles stood out against his tall, wide frame. He wasn’t as tall as Beau, but he was close, standing at his eye height. His eyes stood out the most against his tan sun-kissed skin, two piercing cerulean blue orbs stared back at me, as if he was looking into my very soul.

  I shivered.

  The rest of the introductions went in a blur, Shane, Jaxon, Alec, Joffrey, Vincent, Leo, and Nick. Each guy as handsome as the one before him, yet so very different from each other.

  It seemed that I’d barely spoken a word since arriving at the reservation. Well, not as much as I usually did. Suprised silence had become a real thing, no longer just an expression. I finally understood it’s meaning.

  They all finally took their place in their seats and got comfortable, after piling plates full of the multitude of snacks that were placed in the middle of the conference table.

  I giggled to myself as I watched each man take three or four plates, every single one of them overflowing like those volcano models that children make out of paper mache.

  To my utter surprise, I was placed in between Eve and Griffin. Just. My. Luck. I’d hoped that I would be able to focus on the words that were now spilling from Beau’s mouth, instead of the guy sitting beside me. But it just wasn’t gonna happen.

  “So I’ve called you all here today because over the past months, there was a situation that the WeHo police were supposed to be dealing with, except they dropped the ball. I can’t in good conscious let it go, so now the unfortunate undertaking falls to us.” He looked into the eyes of every person in the room, trying to convey how dire this mission was. I didn’t disagree.

  While I was still slowly getting used to Beau, I’d never seen this side of him before. I now knew what Eve meant when she’d said that he was ‘all business and no play’. His eyes took on a darkness that I had not yet seen; it was rather intimidating in and of itself. Eve, along with each man in the room, bowed their head in response to his words, making me wiggle and squirm in my seat. What an odd family, I thought, not for the first time since I’d arrived.

  “There’s really no right way to come out and say what we’re dealing with, so please excuse my blunt manor. This case is unlike others we’ve had to deal with. It involves a kidnapping.” Gasps escaped from a few of the guys in the room. Beau continued. “What we know right now is a girl that Saylor and I both know has been kidnapped. There are no suspects and the police lacked proper motivation to get the job done. At the scene of the crime, there was blood, though it wasn’t identified who it belonged to. I’m going to turn over the floor to Say, so she can give you a little bit more information about the victim.”

  Um... What?

  I was getting really tired of getting caught off guard, which had happened continuously since the moment I talked Beau into letting me be apart of the search. My mind was still reeling over the whole professional stick in the mud vibe that I was getting from him and the multitude of gorgeous men surrounding me—I was so not ready to be put on the spot.

  As I stood and stumbled my way to the front of the room, I took a big gulp and allowed the words to flow from my newly chapped lips. Juliette was the one and only person who meant the entire world to me. I could do this.

  “Hey guys. Um… What Beau said is true. My best friend, Juliette Mitchell, was taken. Jules and I grew up together in foster homes and group homes—neither of us had families. So we became the best of friends, sisters so to speak, when we were seven years old. She protected me and I protected her.” As the realization hit me—that I’d actually failed to protect her—tears prickled at my eyes and my breath hitched, though I forced myself to continue. “Jules suffers from anxiety and depression, and about three or so months ago, she hit her lowest point. I’d never seen her like that before.” I glanced in Beau�
�s direction but chose not to mention him. “She was finally getting her life back on track when this happened. She didn’t have enemies; in fact everyone that met her loved her. I really don’t have any possible clue as to who could have taken her. All I know is I need her back.” My voice cracked, the tears that had threatened to spill down my face making their perfectly timed debut. Damn.

  One of the men, whose name I couldn’t recall, spoke. Sincerity laced every word that left his mouth.

  “We’ll get her back for you, Saylor. Can you explain to us what she looks like?”

  “Um. Yeah.” I nodded, half smiling at the guy who seemed to really care. “She’s tall, about five-foot-seven. Thin with pale skin and long curly blond hair with blue streaks. She has bright blue eyes. Oh wait! I have a picture!” I rushed over to my bag and grabbed my iPhone. It took a few seconds to flip it on and scroll through the gallery for a picture. In a second, I’d enlarged the pic and passed it around the table so that the group could get a better look at her.

  BEAU

  When the phone made its way to me, I looked down at the picture, my heart aching. I wholeheartedly hoped that wherever she was, she was being treated well.

  Looking back at me from the screen was a selfie that the two girls had taken together. Juliette’s arm wrapped around Saylor’s shoulder, both of them laughing. Jules had the biggest smile and her eyes sparkled with happiness. Over the past few months, I’d forgotten just how truly beautiful she was. Seeing this picture refreshed her in my mind and made the pain in my heart ache just that much more.

  “Saylor, how recent is this photo?” I asked softly, though everyone in the room had heard thanks to their impeccable wolf hearing.

  “It was taken two days before she was taken, when we were getting coffee and shopping,” she said with a sad smile on her face.