The Alpha Legacy Boxed Set 1-7

by Holly Hook

  He won't let go of Wyatt for a long time.

  Maybe never.

  I don't know what it's like to have a sibling, or much family, but the pain must be like a nightmare he can't wake up from. And now because of it, he will put himself in danger all over again.

  "Cayden," I mutter. "Stop doing this to yourself. Why did you face down five Wolves in the first place?"

  I arrive at the fork, just past the area where I spotted Cayden as a wolf for the first time. The boulder where he stood looms behind me. One trail heads downhill, and the other up. I take the up trail although I can no longer smell Cayden. He's put some distance between us. Is he heading to the edge of our territory, hoping he can take down more Savage Wolves?

  My stamina lets me climb with ease. Not once do I have to stop and catch my breath, despite the steep incline and the small rocks falling around me. With my backpack on my back, I climb the steeper parts of the trail on all fours, grasping every nook and cranny with skill. My hands and fingers know what to do and my body balances. I straighten at the top of the trail. Through the thinning leaves, I see the clearing in the distance where Wyatt and the Lowe parents fell and got buried.

  But Cayden isn't there, grieving or reflecting. I've come the wrong way. There's nothing up here but trees, rocks, and wild animals. Our territory extends another few miles past this clearing, according to Cayden. After that, the Savage Wolves can attack.

  A sad air hangs over the area. I breathe through my mouth out of fear because I don't want to smell what lies under a dirt and leaf blanket. Crossing the clearing, I run into the trees on the other side, searching.

  A faint piney scent reaches me, and at first I think it's Cayden, but this scent carries a different flavor: a trace of wood smoke. Remo. He's out here instead of off inventing something.

  Until now, I have thought little about where he goes, though I've seen him hanging in the Science wing at school, alone. Remo's more of a mystery than Cayden. Why is he way out here?

  I've already left my house and the Lowe place a few miles behind. Now I continue away from Breck, journeying into the surrounding wilderness. Maybe Remo knows where Cayden's gone. I can at least warn him his brother's returned to his dangerous ways.

  And if I find any Savage Wolves near the border, I can defend myself.

  Trying to tell myself I'm not trying to take this burden on myself, I continue on. The woods out here have fewer trails, and every wildlife trail I find leads to a dead end or vanishes in thick foliage. But Remo's smell strengthens and I follow it towards the border of our territory.

  No Savage Wolf smell rides on the wind, but it could blow the wrong way. Cayden says he's marked the edges of the territory to keep out the Savage Wolves, and as I near it, I pick up his scent. But the smell isn't the same as Cayden himself. There's a stale touch to the flavor he's left as a wolf.

  Remo overtakes it.

  And then I hear his voice, broken by the wind. He's in human form, which makes no sense if he's out here patrolling the border.

  "...tired of running. What was the point..."

  "I don't know..."

  The second voice freezes me.

  It's Leonora. My coworker who gave me the foxglove to try on Cayden, thinking it was wolfsbane. She's way out here and Remo is talking to her.

  I've never been to Leonora's place. I only know her family, the Russels, live off-grid somewhere in the woods and are masters of the frugal lifestyle. Leonora's parents don't venture into town often, but members of their family have worked in Sterling Grocery for generations, providing the veggies and herbs we sell. Why is Remo talking to her?

  I meant to talk to her anyway, to see if she has something that can slow down Olivia. So I can check one thing off my list.

  But not yet.

  Curiosity overtakes me and I stalk towards their voices, which are somewhere straight ahead in the green gloom. Judging from the way they're distorted, Leonora and Remo stand close to the border of our territory.

  The trees are thick here, sheltering the two, but as I near, Remo's voice clears.

  "All we do is defend the area," Remo says. For the first time, his calm's peeled away and his words fill with resentment. "I'm alive, but so much for University."

  "You can find a way," Leonora says. "And you have a family now."

  "The Lowes were never human," Remo says. "None of them know what it's like to turn."

  I grip a tree trunk.

  Crazy Leonora knows about werewolves?

  My mind flashes back to the vial of herbs she gave me without question. More waits for discovery here.

  "My family's been trying to help forever," Leonora says. "But we haven't found a cure yet. Only a preventative."

  "But you worked with the hunters for hundreds of years."

  I almost choke.

  The Russells have worked with werewolf hunters and joined the war against the Savage Wolves?

  "Yes," Leonora says. "The Sterlings and a few other families. All we've figured out how to do is give the infected silver pendants to stop them from turning and that we can give Noble Wolves before they reach puberty. It's still not a cure. I'm sorry, Remo."

  Remo says nothing and then sighs. He'd been hoping Leonora could help him.

  For the first time, I realize the truth: he hates being a werewolf.

  And I'm not sure if I think much different from him. Until now, I thought it was bringing Cayden and me closer than before. But has it improved things between us?

  Keeping my stride graceful and quiet, I miss every twig that could snap and stay on a bed of pine needles. Ahead, a low log cabin comes into view and smoke spirals from a spent fire pit. The Russell residence. When Leonora said her family lives off grid, she meant it.

  I duck to keep Remo from picking up my scent. Smoke rides on the wind. It's blowing towards me, which will stop Remo from detecting me. The two stand by the pit, and on closer inspection, I spot an iron pot hanging above it. Herbal smells follow along with boiled water. Bicycles sit against the house—the Russels don't use cars—and a narrow dirt road snakes into the trees I've never seen. Near the road, a low greenhouse shelters a variety of plants. Solar panels cover the top. Somewhere, a generator hums.

  Leonora and Remo walk around to the other side of the cabin.

  She lives close to the edge of our territory. But at least the road will lead me back to town and Sterling Grocery if Leonora uses it. Thoughts of Cayden return, and I debate leaving to go hunt for him instead. I have the sense Remo won't want me to butt in. But Remo is trying to find a way out of all this. A cure.

  Could one work for Olivia?

  Creeping out of the trees, I enter the small clearing. Gravel rests around the cauldron which is empty but smells of strange herbs I can't recognize. Peeking inside, I find a clean interior, but scuff marks fill the pot as if it's used all the time. What do the Russells do out here?

  And how involved are they with the fight against Savage Wolves?

  Someone shuffles inside the cabin. Leonora's parents.

  "Remo," Leonora says from the other side of the house, her voice just above a whisper. "Without Noble Wolves, the Savage Wolves will invade. We no longer have Hunters to hold them off. My family's talents don't lie in combat. All I can offer is wolfsbane to tip arrows, but archery is a lost art anymore."

  "Maybe you have the cure, and you're not sharing it." He's angry. I catch a growl in his voice.

  "We don't have one, or we'd use it on the Savages and stop the infected from turning."

  "So you can't even help that girl I told you about."

  "All I'm capable of doing is making her sick. And wolfsbane won't weaken her until after she turns. If you know of any hunters who could use wolfsbane, come back."

  I sigh. Leonora's answered my question without my asking. It seems Remo was thinking along my lines.

  "Leonora." Remo lowers his voice. "I know you can help. I told you what happened."

  "I want you to be happy," Leonora says. "I
won't quit. But we need the Noble Wolves. The peace we've had for almost twenty years is over."

  "I think they know what's happening here. And they won't like it. Be careful out here. Please. Their attacks won't stop." Remo's words soften. "You should be safe now, but that could change. And don't tell Cayden. He's doing his best as alpha, and I don't want to give him false hope. And I don't want him to think I'm ungrateful."

  My phone buzzes, the sound broken by the bad reception.

  "What was that?" Remo asks. "I thought your family had no cell plan?"

  "We don't," Leonora says. "The magnetic fields--"

  Heart racing, I dart back into the shelter of the trees, forbidden conversation in tow. Remo and Leonora circle around the house though Remo's footsteps remain quiet and graceful. Leonora's are heavy and human.

  "No one," Leonora says. "You might have heard a bird."

  "It was a buzz."

  I duck behind a tree trunk and dare to peek out. Remo's back comes into view and Leonora joins him in looking at the trees opposite me. Remo knows things his younger siblings don't. Perhaps the Lowe parents let him in on secrets that Cayden doesn't know.

  "I'll be careful," Leonora says.

  Remo faces her.

  Leans over.

  And kisses her on the cheek.

  "Leonora," I whisper, jaw falling.

  With that, Remo removes his jacket, walks to the trees without a sound, and crouches as he pops, groans, and shifts into the form of a large blond wolf as if punctuating his request for a cure. He looks back at Leonora, who flinches, and leaving his jacket on the ground, he bounds into the trees.

  * * * * *

  It's not until I follow the road down the terrain and away from Remo's scent I get back into better reception and check my phone.

  The signal gives me no choice but to wait. My conclusion about the road leading back towards town turns out to be correct. It emerges on the dirt road that leads to Sterling Grocery, and as soon as I leave the woods, my phone buzzes again. I hope Cayden's contacting me and telling me where he's gone, and most of all, that he's all right.

  But when I pull out my phone, the message is from Noah. The green bubbles I've assigned to him fill the screen.

  So, guess what?

  Brie, are you there? Maybe you need more time to cool off? The eruption might still spew lava?

  So, I went to Olivia's. And talked to her.

  A scared emoji face.

  And then nothing.

  "Noah, no," I say.

  Heart racing, I fumble with the touch screen to type a message, but my sweaty fingers refuse to work right. Becoming a werewolf hasn't made me type faster, and for Olivia, I'd rather talk.

  So I call Noah and stand on the side of the road, lifting the phone to my ear.

  Chapter Eleven

  "So," Noah says. "I did it."

  "You did it," I manage.

  "Not like that," Noah says. "I wasn't that lucky. Didn't even get to first base, let alone the home run. It's more like I walked up to the baseball game, and the ticket collector said someone had already taken my seat."

  I force a laugh and study the trees. Though I can smell everything within a few hundred feet, and sometimes more if the wind's blowing the right way, it's a habit I've kept from when the Savage Wolves tried to invade town.

  Do they know about my friendship with Noah, and how much it would hurt me if something happened to him?

  "So, what do you mean?" my brain's not working.

  "Olivia's still going out with Matthew for the dance," Noah said. "But she also told me she didn't want to. I mean, you can tell Olivia doesn't like him."

  "We all know she'll go with him," I say. "Wait until after the dance to try asking her out again." By then, Cayden and I will know how much danger Noah's in. "Do you know what? Stay out of the dance. Watching Matthew and Olivia won't help, and we all know they'll break up the next day. Then you might be free to ask her out again. It's just that you don't want trouble with Matthew."

  "So what if he's a gorilla?" Noah asks. "There's still time for me to change her mind." He's still emboldened.

  "Noah, I know the dance gave you hope," I say. "Don't lose it, but wait. Matt and his buddies are the guys who might end up in prison someday. Or they'll get in trouble for raping girls at college parties, thinking their place on the football team will let them get away with it."

  He goes silent on the other end.

  Instead of deterring Noah, I might have lit a fire.

  "I can't let Matt take advantage of her. Olivia doesn't deserve that. I know you don't like her, but I'm going to the dance, and I'll dance with her at least once and make sure she doesn't get in the car with Matt afterwards. I think she'll appreciate it."

  My chest tightens as I think of the Savage Wolves.

  I can't convince Noah otherwise now. He wants to save Olivia not just from Matthew and her shallow friends, but from her demons.

  "Say, I'll see you in school tomorrow," Noah says.

  "See you." I speak over the dryness in my throat. "Cayden and I will be at the dance with you. We'll make sure nothing's a problem."

  I end the call.

  The pack will have no choice but to fight on Sunday.

  And Breckenridge High School will be the battleground.

  * * * * *

  There's no changing Noah's mind. He makes that clear when I meet him at school the next morning. Instead of waiting at my locker, Noah leans over the water fountain, watching Olivia, Alesha, and Tiffany from a distance. As if he knows I'll try to convince him to back down, Noah won't face me.

  "Hey, Brie," Ellie says, stopping in the hall. "Where's Cayden?"

  My fellow actress lifts an eyebrow, questioning. "I don't know," I say. "He gets his moods sometimes. And no, we didn't fight." Does taking the burden of this all on himself count? I imagine him patrolling the edge of our territory as a wolf, renewing his scent, and maybe even glimpsing the Savage Wolves waiting to get back inside.

  Matthew walks past me, taking weight off an ankle wrapped in an Ace bandage. Football game last night. He must have taken a hard tackle. Good. I glare at him and our gazes meet. Matt's brown eyes sparkle with amusement.

  "It's the drama crew," he says. "What a waste of time."

  "Because football will get you far in life," I say. If he tries to grab my arm again, I can break away. Any fear I had of Matthew has vanished.

  "I ran a forty-five yard touchdown last night and won the game," he boasts.

  "Good for you and your ego."

  "Hey, where's your eunuch boyfriend?"

  "Are you still on that?" I square off, looking up at his stupid, grinning face. "Actors don't do that anymore. And eunuchs were mostly the singers."

  "Plus other things," Matt says.

  "How do you know about that?" I ask, stepping towards him.

  "Whoa!" Ellie says, mouth falling open.

  Matthew grins. "Oh, I can teach you lots."

  Though my vision's not as enhanced as my smell, I pick up a glimmer in Matt's eyes, something predatory that has nothing to do with Wolves. It doesn't take one hunter to recognize another. And this time, Cayden isn't here.

  "No, thanks," I say. "Planning to teach Olivia, then? Mandatory homework?"

  The grin drops off Matthew's face. He pales. Metallic adrenaline fills the air. I've delivered a threat, and he knows. The last thing he wants is to get caught.

  "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

  "You know," I say, suppressing another growl in my throat. "I'm surprised you even get what I'm saying. That takes brains."

  Matthew balls his fists. "You bitch," he says in a low voice before stalking in Olivia's direction.

  Ellie stands there, shocked, watching Matt at first. Then she whirls on me and takes my arm. "Brie, you stood up to that jerk."

  She's in awe.

  And she's terrified. I smell that, too.

  "He needs someone to put him in his place," I say.

  Ellie fr
owns. "Watch out for him, okay? I'll walk with you to your car this afternoon."

  "It's okay. Just stay back. You don't have to get involved."

  "But you're five foot two and what? A hundred and ten pounds? Matt's like, five hundred."

  "Two hundred," I say. "Cayden pushed him down. He's showing me some self-defense techniques."

  Ellie doesn't believe me. She bites her lip and watches Matthew stride past Noah to join Olivia. Olivia cringes as he puts his arm around her.

  "I know those self-defense videos and manuals show petite ladies in high heels throwing guys twice their size, but we have to be realistic," Ellie says. "What are you going to do? Bite him?"

  Her suggestion draws a laugh from me.

  "What's so funny?"

  The warning bell rings. "Nothing," I say.

  I can defend myself against the creep. Even without shifting, strength sings in my muscles and I have to hold back my graceful gait, speed, and lifting power around my friends to make it seem like nothing's changed.

  Cayden walks into class late and takes his seat on the other side of Olivia.

  And she still doesn't wear her silver pendant.

  Until now, I've been trying to keep Noah away, but with Matthew in the picture, blocking the road for him, she has no chance of putting it on until after the dance, and after the full moon.

  By then, it will be too late for her.

  Cayden waves. I return it. He's not angry. Just distant. Careful. Maybe even caring. I want to tell him about Remo and Leonora, and how Leonora's family has helped the Hunters and Noble Wolves in the past. She must be part of whatever Cayden's parents never told him. But Remo doesn't want the secret spilled, and Leonora doesn't have a way to help us yet, anyway.

  And what's Cayden's plan for dealing with the dance? What is he trying to do in the background and why won't he tell me what it is?

  Noah continues to glance at Olivia throughout Mrs. Connor's lessons about supply and demand. He's not showing signs of giving up. But Olivia will only put on the silver pendant back on if Matthew gets out of the picture.