by Gray Holborn
As if confirming my worst fears, I watched Jer’s dad shake his head before Cyrus straightened slightly and balled his right hand into a fist. His familiar eyes briefly made contact with mine. What I saw there almost broke me. He looked...resigned.
Cyrus was a fucking force, and I couldn’t think of a time in all my life where he buckled quite like that. What the hell was going on? The hair along my arms stood up and I was getting some serious capital-E-evil vibes from Jer’s dad all of a sudden.
It was just a look, a brief glance really, on Cy’s face. But sometimes there were moments where you just knew something was wrong. And this was one of them.
Blood hummed through my veins until it suddenly felt like a clamp was tightening around my ribs. I looked up to see Ro and Izzy snapping their fingers in front of my face. Something was really wrong. I could feel it in my gut.
“What?” I asked, my voice cracking slightly, like my nerves were trying to fight their way out of my throat.
“What are your plans for tonight?” Izzy rested her chin on her hand, studying me with that all-knowing look of hers. How had she learned to read me so well, so quickly?
I shook my head and mentioned something about my team ditching me for the day. When I turned back behind me, determined to insert myself into the conversation, Cyrus and Jer’s dad were gone. Seamus was alone, absently running a hand through his hair, lost in his thoughts. There was belated frustration there on his face, like he was trying to put together a puzzle but didn’t have all of the pieces he needed or even know how to go about looking for them.
Izzy flashed me a look of pity and set her fork down, temporarily ignoring her omelet. “Sorry, Max, that’s shit.”
“Six is moody, so it’s not really a big shock,” I said, glancing up at her and trying to focus back on the conversation. “What are you guys up to today?”
She looked down, picked up a piece of her toast and started ripping it into small crumbs. “We, uh, have a meeting with Seamus in a bit about a mission later tonight.”
“That’s awesome,” I said. And I meant it. Ten minutes ago I would’ve been excited for her but also a touch envious. Now, I was just worried about Ralph. Something in my bones itched. I needed to do something.
“You should come with us,” Jer said, straightening up, fiddling with his fingers. His ears turned a bit red as he cleared his throat. “Seriously, it should be a fun one and wouldn’t be difficult for you to tag along.”
There was an earnestness on his face that I hadn’t seen before and I was struck by the thought that Jer might actually be developing a bit of crush on me. He’d been showing more and more interest since I’d arrived. And while Wade led me to believe he was just a huge flirt, maybe he wasn’t. Or maybe in this case, he was flirting because he was legitimately interested in me.
I looked back at Seamus, resolve settling in my belly. If Cyrus wouldn’t help me get Ralph out of the lab, then maybe Jer would. He clearly had some disagreements with his dad, but I’m sure he knew more than the rest of us about how to get one of the dungeon cells opened without causing too much of a stir. Thanks to the blueprints I found in the Six office, I had a working knowledge of the layout of the place.
Maybe Jer was the final piece I needed to make a clean escape for my hellhound.
“I’d like that,” I said, lightly touching his hand as a coy grin stretched across my face. Or at least I hoped it looked coy and flirtatious. It wasn’t really an expression I was familiar with. Since I didn’t have a mirror in front of me, I wasn’t sure how convincing I looked.
“Great,” he said, a dimple indenting his cheek and genuine excitement shining in his eyes. “Meet us at our cabin at five. We aren’t going far. We can brief you on the way.”
“Yeah.” Izzy’s brow arched, her eyes narrowing as she studied me. She knew I wasn’t into Jer in the way he seemed to hope. “I’ll help you get ready.”
Ro had been pretty silent since my arrival, but his posture was rod-straight and I could tell that he was focused on me with just as much curiosity.
My cheeks burned with guilt. I felt bad using Jer like this, but something told me Ralph didn’t have any other options. And with the guys and Declan out for most of the night, I wouldn’t have anyone keeping track of me later. It was the best chance I’d get for some freedom.
I looked from Ro to Izzy and nodded, a silent promise I’d fill them in on what was going through my head. We were getting Ralph out.
Tonight.
Chapter Thirteen
Max
“So,” I said, looking down at the outfit Izzy had instructed me to wear. “What kind of mission is this exactly?”
I was in skin-tight dark jeans with a dark green top that had a pretty hefty V carved into the neckline. Call me old fashioned, but I assumed a mission hunting supernatural creatures would involve some athletic wear and camouflage. Maybe even some walkie talkies.
We were packed together in one of the Guild SUVs and I was squashed in between Jer and Ro. Mavis and Sharla were meeting us in town a little later.
“People in town have been reporting wolf sightings,” Jer said, his eyes moving from my chest to my face. Did guys really think that girls didn’t realize when their attention was south of the eyes?
I pulled the top up an inch or two, trying not to get disheartened when it fell back down.
“Werewolves?” I asked, my stomach dropping. “This close to such a huge protector population? Again?” Werewolves were humanoids, so they were supposed to be pretty smart. This seemed like an irrational move. But I couldn’t deny the fact that on some level, a part of me believed it to be true.
Those yellow eyes. I thought back to an earlier conversation with Ten. Hadn’t they mentioned one of the recruits made a claim about a wolf on campus? Directly on our grounds? That meant this was the second reported sighting now. Not even counting whatever illusion I did or didn’t see last night. Was it the same wolf or were there multiple?
Arnell shook his head, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror as he drove our car down the road. “Probably nothing, to be honest. Regular wolves live in the area, and it’s rare for werewolves to be cut off from a pack. Our people have intercepted some intel down at the sheriff station that hikers have reported sightings of a single, very large wolf deep in the woods.” He shrugged, his dark eyes glancing briefly towards Ro on my right. “My best guess is that it’s just that—a very large wolf. Probably won’t see much action tonight, mostly just a Guild-sanctioned excuse for a night on the town. These are the easiest and often the most fun missions we are assigned. Days like tonight, our jobs are a cakewalk.”
I shivered, thinking back to the wolf that attacked Michael a few weeks ago. It felt like it was a lifetime ago—like I was a completely different girl, living in that small cabin with Ro and Cyrus.
I thought about that moment, about the wolf pulling Michael into an alley, about the way that Ralph chased him or her off. There wasn’t another wolf around, I was sure of it. Even in the adrenaline haze of that moment, I knew with a visceral certainty that it was a lone wolf, cut off from a pack. Maybe Guild intel was wrong. Maybe more wolves ran solo than we realized.
“They aren’t always in packs,” Ro said, his voice low. Apparently I wasn’t the only one remembering that night that had set our path with the Guild in motion.
It was the first time he’d spoken since we’d left. I nudged his arm lightly with my shoulder, a silent check in to see if he was okay. He squeezed my hand softly in answer.
Yes, but thanks.
Arnell met my eyes again, tilting his head. I read the silent ask there—can you please figure out why your brother is being so short with me all of a sudden?
It was on my list of things to figure out, so I winked subtly. I was starting to get more and more concerned with Ro’s standoffishness. He was always the more serious of the two of us, but lately, it seemed like he was taking that stoicism to another level entirely.
Did he hat
e it here? Was he missing home and our lives back on the outskirts of town, away from society and protector business? I leaned my head against him, hoping that for now, my presence would soothe whatever turmoil was going on behind his tense blue eyes.
Arnell’s lip twitched in a forced small grin. “Well, it’s a full moon tonight and while werewolves can transition into a wolf whenever they want, their instinct to do so is heightened when the moon is full. And it’s the weekend, so the town will be full of people, a lot of them drunk with lowered inhibitions. Kind of a free for all for any creature that wants to go hunting.”
“Don’t werewolves usually just hunt random critters they find in the forest?” I asked, thinking back to everything I’d read about them.
“Yes,” Jer said, his knee crowding into my space, “but if a werewolf really is this close to people, it’s because it means to be. Even more so if it’s this close to our Headquarters.”
“And if there’s an attack,” Izzy said, finishing his thought, “it’ll be tonight. But in the meantime, we get to have some fun people-watching in town and grabbing some food.”
The rest of the short drive was quiet, all of us lost in our thoughts. I tried to shake my focus away from last night with Eli. If I really had seen a werewolf, it sounded like I’d for sure meet it again tonight.
Arnell found parking pretty quickly for a busy Sunday night. The storefronts and restaurant windows all emanated with a warm glow. Dozens of locals were walking around, shopping and grabbing a bite with their friends. I wondered how many of them were human.
“So,” Izzy said, glancing towards the guys. They were walking ahead of us, debating where they wanted to stop for dinner. “Going to tell me what’s going on or will I have to beat it out of you?”
“It’s Ralph,” I said, trying to keep my voice down low. I liked Ten a lot, but Cy made it clear that I wasn’t to talk about Ralph or that night at Vanish with anyone who didn’t need to know. And so far, outside of Ro and Six, Izzy was the only person I trusted completely with the details of that night. “The hellhound in the lab.”
Izzy arched her perfectly-plucked brow and looked at me like I was completely dense. “Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. There’s literally only one Ralph you’d be talking about.”
“Well,” I looked up at the guys, making sure they were still out of earshot, “I’m breaking him out. Tonight.” I let out a long breath, hoping she wouldn’t judge me too hard for the next part. “And I’m going to see if Jer can help me do it.”
Her gray eyes lit up with a mischievous excitement and she grabbed my arm. “That makes so much sense now. Why didn’t we think of using sex to get to Ralph sooner?”
“Not sex, just flirting,” I corrected as I pulled at the hem of my shirt. “You won’t say anything will you?”
“Hell no!” She stopped walking and crossed her arms. “You know I’m going with, right?”
I grinned. I didn’t want her getting in trouble, but I’d take all the help I could get right now. I had a feeling Ralph wasn’t going to be kept alive in the labs much longer. I couldn’t prove it exactly, but I was certain I was right.
Sharla and the guys turned into a restaurant about a block up from us, and Jer waited at the door, a smile plastered to his face. “Let’s go, we’re starving. Pizza’s on me tonight.”
We jogged to catch up, shivers running down my spine when I recognized the building. They’d walked into an Italian restaurant, but it was next door to Vanish. I tried to temper my fear and deliberately not rush by when we passed the alley. It seemed so unremarkable right now, filled with nothing but some lamps and dumpsters. How could I have almost died just a few feet away from where I now stood?
As if sensing my thoughts, Izzy grabbed my hands and winked before pulling me forward. “Come on, dude. I’ve got your back. Let’s focus on Mission: Hellhound for now.”
After stuffing our faces with pizza and pasta, we were leisurely patrolling the streets. I waited until the rest of Ten was ahead before filling Ro in on the plan. He was more difficult to persuade than Izzy, but I knew he’d help no matter what.
I watched him as he studied Arnell, something he only allowed himself to do when he thought no one was looking.
“So,” I said, tugging softly on his shirt.
“So, what?” Ro nudged my hand away and kicked a stray rock towards the street.
“So,” I said again, frustrated, “want to tell me what the hell is going on with Arnell?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He was avoiding eye contact, which we both knew meant he was lying. Ro was great at many things, but fortunately lying to me was not one of them.
“Well,” Izzy said, coming to my aid, “You guys seemed pretty interested in each other when you first got here.”
“And things got awkward at some point. So spill,” I said, genuinely concerned. I liked Arnell. And I loved Ro. And more than anything in the world, I wanted Ro to be happy.
“It’s nothing, Max, just drop it, okay? I’ll help you with the Ralph thing, let’s focus on that. Arnell doesn’t matter.”
While we needed to stay focused, I wasn’t letting it go that easily. Especially not when it was becoming alarmingly clear that Ro was legitimately distressed by the whole thing.
“Did something happen?” I glanced at Arnell. “Did he do something to you or something? I can fight him if you want? You just say when and where.”
Ro tried to suppress a grin, but I saw the curve forming at the corner of his mouth despite his efforts. “No. He didn’t do anything to me. I just want to stay focused. Arnell is a distraction. I don’t need that right now.”
“Nope, nope, hold up,” Izzy said, stopping cold. “We’re protectors. Our lives are, by definition, dangerous and complicated. That does not mean you don’t get to enjoy your life whenever possible. Arnell is hot as hell. You’re hot as hell.” She held her hands apart before clapping them loudly together. “Be hot as hell together.”
Ro laughed, a soft rumbly sound that I hadn’t heard in far longer than I realized. Then, all at once, the mirth died on his face.
“Tell me,” I said, studying him.
“You can’t just let this go?” he asked, a frown line creasing the normally smooth skin between his brows.
I rubbed the line away, trying to literally erase the tension. “I won’t let this go.”
“The night you were attacked. I was focusing on Arnell, on having fun, on flirting.”
“Yeah, so?” I prompted.
Ro let out a long sigh and it was like I could feel the fear enveloping him. “Jesus, Max. You almost died. You do get that, right?”
“What does that have to do with anything? I didn’t. I’m still here, still alive.”
“Oh,” Izzy said, clearly able to follow something I couldn’t. “You think that Max wouldn’t have been attacked if you were there with her. And so now,” she said, waving her hand as if guiding me through the tangled weave of her thoughts, “you think you’ll be a better protector and brother if you just completely don’t have a life and live for nothing but the hunt and watching her back?”
Ro’s eyes narrowed at the condescension in her voice. “It’s not like that.”
“So what’s it like then?” I asked, guilt streaming through my body in cold waves. Was I really the reason that Ro was letting go of something good? He’d grown up with so little—and now that he had the opportunity for something big, for something more, he was letting it pass by because of me?
He paused for a moment, as we walked, thinking. “Okay, so it is like that. It doesn’t matter though, we’re protectors. I’m allowed to focus on my job. I’m encouraged to, even.”
I stopped, waiting the thirty seconds it took for Ro to follow suit. “Hell no.” I tried to pull the anger from my tone, but hopefully Ro knew it was coming from a place of love. “You don’t get to make that choice. You don’t get to be all puppy-dog-eyed brokenhearted because of me. I won’t be your excuse for that. That�
��s a cruel burden to bear. I want you to be happy. What happened to me was not your fault.” I paused, took a big breath before grabbing his chin and forcing his eyes to meet mine directly. “It. Was. Not. Your. Fault. And I’m alive, you big doofus. I may be smaller than the average protector, but I am also pretty badass, in case you haven’t noticed. Do you understand that? Because I need you to understand.”
I waited, counting the seconds until Ro finally nodded, resolve settling across his features. “I understand.”
“Good,” I said, grinning. “I’m okay Ro, I didn’t die that night.” I pulled him into a hug. Ro wasn’t the most affectionate person, but he breathed out a choked sigh and collapsed his weight into me, his fingers digging into my shoulders as he squeezed. I’d been so concerned about my own shit that I didn’t realize how much that night with the vamp had affected him.
“I think we should split up, newbie and a member of Ten, so we can cover more ground,” Mavis said, glancing back at us. “Izzy, do you want to come with me and Sharla?”
With a wink directed towards me and Ro, she bounced away, brimming with excitement. I think we were both stoked to be on our first real mission, even if Ten didn’t know anything about the mission we were really focusing on. But as far as we were concerned, Mission: Hellhound was officially a go.
I nudged Ro with my elbow, a not-so-gentle encouragement for him to speak up.
He rolled his head from side to side, like he was preparing for a battle and walked up to Arnell. “Cool if I go with you?”
Arnell’s face broke out into that million-dollar smile I’d grown so fond of and my stomach swooped with happiness. I really liked Arnell, and Ro deserved all of the happiness in the world. More, even. And I refused to be an obstacle in the way of him achieving it.
“That leaves you and me then, Max,” Jer said, heading in my direction. There was a shyness about him tonight that I wasn’t used to. He was almost completely silent during our meal.