by Jody Morse
“Probably just playing video games and eating junk food,” Samara replied with a shrug.
“I sort of miss being away from him,” Emma murmured.
“Away from Colby?” Samara raised her eyebrows, surprised that Emma was finally owning up to her feelings for him.
“Oh, did I say ‘him’? I meant to say ‘them’,” Emma mumbled, nervously looking away from her. “I miss being away from the rest of the pack, I mean.”
Samara rolled her eyes at Emma’s excuse and smiled. “I miss the pack, too.” Even as she said the words, though, Samara wasn’t sure if she really meant them. It had actually been really good to get away from Luke—and from Declan, who had agreed to hang out with the pack for the day.
When Samara had been worried about how weird it was going to be on the same pack as both Luke and Declan, she had underestimated just how weird it was going to be. Then again, that was before she found out that she would be mated to both of them—that she would be able to communicate mentally (and privately) with both of them, that she would finally be able to feel Luke’s emotions, and that her feelings for both guys would intensify.
Now, her biggest worry was that Declan was going to open his mouth and tell Luke the truth—that he, too, was mated to Samara. Even though they hadn’t communicated with each other privately since the night of initiation, it seemed like Samara and Declan had an unspoken agreement to keep the truth a secret between themselves. But there was always a chance that Luke would say something about Samara in front of Declan—something that would push his buttons and make him either jealous or infuriated enough to spill his guts.
If Declan told Luke the truth, it would make Samara’s life so much more complicated, but in a weird way . . . she was sort of hoping it would happen. It made her feel guilty to keep this secret from Luke, and even though Samara wanted to tell him the truth, she wasn’t sure how. There was no right way to tell him that he was no longer the only one who she shared that special bond with. And no matter how Samara said it, she was afraid to know what his reaction would be. Chances were, his reaction wouldn’t be a good one.
Samara also couldn’t help but feel like the whole thing was her fault, too. If she had just told Declan that she thought it wasn’t a good idea for him to be a part of the new pack, that he should stay away from all of them, this never would have happened.
It was too late now, though. Their lives were already intertwined.
“I am hungry,” Emma said, as they approached the food court. “I think I want ice cream.”
“Ice cream does sound good,” Samara admitted, trying not to think about Luke and Declan anymore. Part of the reason why she had come shopping with Emma today was so that she could clear her head, but she hadn’t done a good job at it yet.
The thing that boggled Samara’s mind more than anything else was the fact that Luke was no longer in touch with her emotions. She felt more in tune with his emotions, but on the night of initiation, everything had changed. It seemed like Luke could no longer randomly listen in on her thoughts the way he did before, or he would have already known the truth about Declan. He also would know that she had been upset lately.
The only time Luke seemed to be able to hear what Samara was thinking was when she thought directly to him; it was as though there was a barricade that prevented Luke from hearing what she thought.
If Luke could no longer listen in on her thoughts whenever he wanted to, why he had told her on the night of the pack’s initiation that he felt more connected to her? Was it because he was simply mistaken? Or was Luke able to sense that Samara felt more connected to him, which made him feel as though they were more connected to each other, too?
Samara didn’t know all of the answers, but she wished she did. She wished that she didn’t have to ask questions.
“Hmm, I don’t know if I want a vanilla milkshake or a chocolate milkshake,” Emma said, tapping her foot against the tiled floor as they waited in line at Dairy Queen.
The scent of hot fudge and cherries wafted through Samara’s nostrils, and she tried to focus her attention on ordering ice cream.
“May I help you?” the girl behind the counter asked.
“I’ll have an Oreo Blizzard,” Samara said. As she said the words, she got this weird feeling that someone was watching her. Once the girl working the counter began to prepare her ice cream, Samara turned around.
Rocco was staring back at her. Another guy and a girl stood next to him. Samara didn’t recognize either of them, but it didn’t matter; judging from the way they both stared at her, it was obvious that they knew her.
Samara pulled some money out of her wallet and handed it to Emma. “Here, pay for our ice cream. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Emma questioned, but Samara didn’t even bother to answer her. She was focused on one thing and one thing only—putting Rocco in his place, once and for all.
As Samara approached Rocco, a look of panic crossed his face. It was as though he didn’t expect her to actually come over to him, even though he seemed to think it was fine to watch her and whisper about her from afar. The panic quickly left his face, though, and was replaced by a look of amusement.
“Rocco, I need to speak to you,” Samara told him, staring him dead in the eye. She didn’t feel nervous about confronting him, like she had the few times when she’d had confrontations with Jason. Jason had intimidated her. The difference was that Jason had been a real threat. Samara had never been worried about Rocco, though.
Sure, Rocco had threatened to kill her before, and maybe that was what he really wanted to do. Maybe he felt so threatened by her powerfulness—or her potential for becoming powerful—that he was willing to kill her. But Samara thought that if he was serious about killing her, he would have already tried by now.
From what Samara could tell, Rocco was all talk.
“I have nothing to say,” Rocco replied. “I don’t know where the talisman is, if that’s what this is about.”
Samara narrowed her eyes at him. She knew that when someone voluntarily said they didn’t know something, it was because they actually did. “That wasn’t what this was about, but are you sure you don’t know anything?”
Rocco nodded. “Yeah, I mean . . . Troy told me he thought Jason was the one who took the talisman, but I’m not buying it.”
“Why not?” Samara questioned. She had been positive that Jason was the one who had the talisman; now that he was gone, she had been trying to figure out how the Tala pack could find it. She’d wondered if Jason would have hid it somewhere, or if he would have given it to someone else to keep in the event of his death.
“Because Jason was killed,” Rocco replied, “and I don’t think he would have died if he had the talisman.” He eyed Samara. “Your brother killed him.”
“Yeah, he did.” The news about Jason’s death had been on the local news channels. The police hadn’t released any information yet about the ongoing murder investigation, but the news stations seemed to be chalking it up to a drug deal that had gone wrong. Some of the local conspiracy theorists seemed to think it was weird that Josh Masterson’s girlfriend had died, and now his twin brother. Josh had been interviewed once so far; Samara hoped that the police would move onto other cases.
Even so, there hadn’t been any word about how Seth had been the one who had really killed Jason on the news. So, how did Rocco know that Seth was the one who did it?
“Word travels fast in our world,” Rocco said, quietly, as though he were reading Samara’s mind, “Especially when some of the wolves from the deceased’s pack ask to become a part of your pack because they have nowhere else to go.” He grinned. “Really, all you’ve done is help us make the Shomecossee bigger and more powerful now that we’ve taken on the former Vyka members.”
“Well, I’m happy for you,” Samara replied with a fake smile. “Because from what I understand, your pack needs all the power it can get. You are one of the weakest in the area, are you not?�
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Rocco stared at her, his eyes cutting through hers like daggers. “It doesn’t matter what we were before. We have a new vision . . . and you’re a part of it.”
Samara rolled her eyes at him. “Look, Rocco, I know you want me on your pack, but it’s not going to happen. It doesn’t matter how much you try to convince me. I don’t mind making peace with you, but I’m Alpha. I can’t just leave my own pack to be a part of yours. It wouldn’t make very much sense.”
Rocco laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself too much, McKinley. I’ve already moved on from the notion of you ever being a part of my pack. Truth be told, I’d rather have someone who’s more trustworthy.”
Samara narrowed her eyes. “Who says I’m not trustworthy?” She didn’t want to be a part of the Shomecossee, but she didn’t want to feel like their Alpha didn’t think she was good enough to be one of them, either.
“I know you chose to be a part of the Ima when your brother and your best friend were members of the Vyka. That just screams disloyalty to me.”
“Whatever, Rocco. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Samara was tempted to go into the story about why she had chosen to become an Ima rather than a Vyka, but she decided that it didn’t even matter. Rocco’s mind about her was obviously already made up; explaining what had happened to him wasn’t going to change it. Crossing her arms over her chest, Samara added, “Besides, it doesn’t matter now. I’m not an Ima anymore. I’m a Tala now.”
“Tala? That’s the lame ass name you guys are calling yourselves now?” Rocco shook his head in disgust. “The founding fathers of both those packs would be disappointed in your lack of respect. I think it’s pretty damn selfish to destroy two packs just for your own self-absorbed reasons, but that’s just me.”
“You’re the last person to criticize others for being selfish. Now, tell me how I play a role in this new ‘vision’ you have for your pack.”
Rocco glanced around the crowded food court. “I’m not sure that now’s really the time to be talking about this.”
“I think it’s as good a time as any,” Samara replied. Deciding that challenging him was going to be the only way to get answers, she added, “Or are you just too afraid to tell me about it, wimp?”
“Hey, don’t be calling my mate a wimp,” the girl who was standing next to him spoke up for the first time.
“The shoe fits,” Samara replied, ignoring her. She turned back to Rocco. “Are you going to tell me or not?”
Rocco’s face softened. “I . . . I really can’t tell you here. It’s too risky. I don’t want to get myself into any trouble. Why don’t you meet me? We’ll meet tonight on Old Mill Road. Say, ten o’clock?”
“Fine,” Samara muttered under her breath, just as Emma strode across the food court with their ice creams in hand. “Ten o’clock. Don’t be late.” She started to walk away before turning back to Rocco. “I’ll be bringing a few of my pack members with me, just so you’re aware.”
“That’s fine. They’ll probably want to hear what I have to say, too.”
*
“So, am I going to go with you tonight?” Emma asked, as she pulled her car out of the mall parking lot.
Samara shrugged. “I don’t know. If you want to come, you can, I guess. I don’t think it’s going to be that risky. Like I said, Rocco’s all talk. Somehow, I doubt he’s going to try anything.”
Emma’s forehead wrinkled. “Maybe so, but I’m not sure if I want to go.”
“Why?” Samara questioned.
“Because . . . isn’t Troy a Shomecossee, too?”
Samara nodded. “Yeah, he is.”
“I don’t want to see him. It’s not because I think there’s any lingering feelings because, trust me, I am so over it. But something you said recently struck a chord with me. Troy was wrong for doing this to me.” Emma kept her eyes on the road ahead of her, but her voice began to rise with anger. “The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself around him, Sam. I want to kill him.”
“Emma . . .” Samara sighed. How could she tell her best friend that she was wrong for thinking that way? Troy had destroyed Emma’s life. If Emma did do anything to get revenge, it seemed justified. Troy deserved whatever he had coming to him. Turning to Emma, she said, “Maybe you should sit this one out then.”
Emma nodded, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, though. I might not actually be there, but I’m sure I’ll know everything that’s going on. I do hear just about everything Colby thinks.”
Samara laughed. “I bet that’s entertaining sometimes.”
“He does have some really funny thoughts sometimes,” Emma agreed. She glanced over at Samara. “What about Luke?”
Samara raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Does he ever have any amusing thoughts?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only just started being able to hear them,” Samara replied, honestly.
“Really?” Emma glanced over at her. “I thought mates could always hear each other’s thoughts.”
“They’re supposed to be able to. At least, that’s what everyone says. I used to be able to hear Luke’s thoughts occasionally, like if he was angry or scared. But ever since we formed the Tala and went through the pack’s initiation, I’ve been able to hear what he thinks sometimes . . . and I can feel his emotions.” Like at that moment, she could somehow tell that Luke was just relaxing on the couch, probably playing video games still. She could tell from his emotions that he was at peace.
It made Samara wonder why she was only in tune with Luke’s emotions. Since Declan was her mate, too, shouldn’t she be able to feel his pain and anger and happiness and whatever else he felt, too? It didn’t make any sense, but then again, neither did the rest of the situation.
“I swear, this whole thing with mates is just so complicated sometimes,” Emma said, shaking her head. “Ya know what surprises me?”
“What?”
“Declan doesn’t have a mate. I don’t get it. He’s an attractive guy, you know? He could probably be with any girl at school if he actually tried, and for some reason, this sick, twisted werewolf matchmaker—or fate or whoever decides—just decided to leave him out? It doesn’t seem fair.”
Samara felt a knot tighten in her stomach. If she was going to tell Emma that she and Declan were mated, now would be the perfect time. But . . . she couldn’t. Not when she knew there being a risk of Luke finding out through Colby.
Before Samara had a chance to say anything, she noticed a flash of gray fur out of the corner of her eye. When the wolf stared back at her, it had the same exact eyes—which were not quite green, but not quite brown, either—that belonged to Emma’s stepdad.
Samara pointed out the window. “Hey, Em? I think I found your stepdad.”
Chapter 10
Emma parked her car alongside of the road, and she and Samara darted across the narrow street which was lined with trees. It hadn’t taken any convincing at all; Emma had noticed the striking resemblance of her stepdad’s eyes right away, too.
As they approached Emma’s stepdad, Gary, he bared his teeth and let out a low growl.
“Gary, it’s just me, Emma. I know you’re a werewolf now, but don’t you remember me?” Emma asked gently, as she went to stand by his side.
Her stepdad glared at her.
“If you can figure out how to change into a human, now would be a good time,” Samara said, calmly. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what Emma’s stepdad was going through. Becoming a werewolf without even really knowing what exactly was happening to him couldn’t have been the most pleasant experience.
It actually made Samara feel like shit; she was the one who had turned him, and she hadn’t tried to do anything to help make the transition easier for him. So much had happened since that day at the hospital, though. Maybe she would have been able to help out Gary—not to mention tell Emma sooner than she did—if she’d had less on
her mind.
When Gary didn’t do anything in response, Emma turned to Samara. “I think we’re going to have to change into wolves to talk to him.”
Samara nodded. She closed her eyes and swiftly changed to her wolf form, the cloud of purple smoke swirling around her. Once she was lowered to the ground on all fours, she turned to Emma, who had also made the change to her wolf form, too.
Gary stared at Samara and Emma. Confusion filled his hazel eyes. You two are werewolves, too?
Umm, yeah, haven’t you talked to my mom at all? Emma questioned. It’s the whole reason she kicked me out of the house.
Her stepdad shook his head, one ear flopping over into his face. Your mother and I haven’t had a real conversation since before my accident. We talked a few times at the hospital, but I felt different. I think it was because of this. He paused before adding, I just had this overwhelming urge to tear her to pieces.
Emma let out a low growl. You wanted to eat my mom, like a wild animal? You’re supposed to love her!
Gary chuckled. Love? Love is just a word . . . and a lie. Just like all the other lies we’ve been told our whole lives. Like the one about werewolves not really existing. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what we are.
It is, Samara told him. And for what it’s worth, this didn’t just happen to you randomly.
I know it didn’t happen to me randomly. It had something to do with the accident. I don’t know what exactly, but it must have been from the trauma of the collision.
That’s not what happened, Samara replied. She lowered her head to the ground. The words she was about to say next suddenly felt so painful. The reason you’re a werewolf is because I made you one. I bit you.
Gary snarled at her. Why did you do that?
To save you, Samara explained. It was the only way you would have been able to live. You were going to die because of that accident otherwise.
You should have left well enough alone. This isn’t what God intended for me. Gary turned to Emma. Let me guess. This was all your idea, you spoiled brat.