by Fel Fern
Most of them were, in a way, strays without families or came from broken families. Ray gave every one of them a place to call home. The humans took that slice of heaven away, but Logan would make sure they’d pay for their sins. Logan would lead his tiny pack to a safe place, and once that was over, he’d live for revenge. Everyone knew werewolves mated for life, and Logan had his one chance with Ray. Soon, he’d join his mate.
Logan let out a hollow laugh. As if it were that easy. Grief ate at him. Could Logan really end the life of the only man he loved? His hands began to tremble in his lap. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes. Knowing Ray wouldn’t want to see him cry, Logan wiped them away, but they kept coming. He felt so empty inside, as if nothing could make the world seem right again.
Part of Logan screamed at him to stop, to think about this further. The other half of him knew this was the right thing, that it was best not to let Ray suffer any more.
Logan buried his face into Ray’s blanket. For those couple of moments, he let himself go. He began sobbing uncontrollably, knowing soon he wouldn’t be able show the others any weakness. Eventually, the tears dried. Logan still felt empty, numbed. Hope fluttered inside him though.
He gave Ray’s hand a squeeze. “Baby, I’ll swear to make things right. Please wait for me on the other side, and don’t worry. I won’t fail. Until my dying breath, I’m going to make sure everyone will be safe.”
Logan dragged himself back on his feet. His limbs felt like lead. Tears obstructed his vision. With no one aside from the nurse there, he was free to show weakness. Logan silently swore this would be the last time he’d cry. From now on, he had to be strong. Or act like it at least, even though he’d never really felt strong. One way or another, he’d stop pretending someday, and being a leader would come naturally. Logan smiled. He could almost imagine Ray snorting at that.
He took a step back, nodding to the nurse.
Logan stayed long enough to hear the machines stop beeping and see Ray’s heartbeat flatline. Swallowing, unable to stay in that space any longer, Logan got out. He’d already made arrangements with one of the pack’s human allies who’d promised to make funeral arrangements.
With hurried footsteps, Logan exited the corridor and headed for the lift. Sensing his cell phone vibrating in his pocket, Logan fished it out. Seeing the unknown number there, his heart raced.
“Hello, um.” Logan wasn’t sure how to begin.
“Who is this?” asked the woman on the other line.
“Is this Michella Esteban?”
“Depends on who’s asking.”
Logan could hear male voices in the background, demanding to know who was on the line. Why was he hesitating? Heartbroken the night before when he’d gotten voice mail instead, he decided to try again several times, but no luck.
“My name’s Logan. I’m Ray Bowen’s mate. I’m not sure if you remember Ray, but he used to be a member of your pack?” Logan cradled the phone in his hand, biting his lip. “I know I’m calling out of the blue, but…”
Logan couldn’t continue suddenly. Tears filled his eyes again. The truth only sunk in then. Ray was dead, leaving him behind to clean this mess and with a shitload of responsibility. It was too much, and Logan didn’t think he could handle the Darkfall Mountain pack’s rejection this soon. That had been their only ticket out. Where else would they go?
“Calm down. Breathe. I remember Ray, of course. I gave him the bite. You said your name was Logan?” Her voice unexpectedly shifted tides from suspicious to soothing.
“Yes.” Logan was at a loss for words.
“All right, Logan. Can you tell me what happened?” she asked gently.
For some reason, Logan felt at ease unloading all his burdens on this mystery woman he’d never met. Logan imagined an older woman in her forties or fifties, a grandmotherly kind, on the other line. Did she say she changed Ray into a shifter?
He distinctively remembered Ray saying a female werewolf saved him when he’d been on the verge of death. Born on the wrong side of the tracks, Ray had joined a gang in his youth. When things went south and his gang members left him to die, Ray was given a second chance at life as a werewolf.
Logan’s background was similar. As a kid who grew up in the foster system, he hung out with the wrong crowd. Ray saved him and Logan never looked back after that. His real life started when he met Ray. Ray collected strays and gave them homes. That had been Ray’s dream, and it would be Logan’s, too, for now at least.
Michella occasionally interrupted to ask questions, but they were never intrusive or aggressive. It was strange, like Logan made a friend with one call. He didn’t leave any details out, including his recent decision to pull the plug, and finally, his request.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the power to approve a request like that. The other pack leaders and members have a say in regards to letting new members in.”
Logan’s heart sunk. She tried to put the words gently, but he knew a large pack would have a tough selection process.
“It’s no use, then?” Logan asked, trying for a lighthearted tone but miserably failing.
“By all means, come. The humans are after you, right?”
Logan frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ll tell my brothers you’re my guests and the pack will treat you accordingly. They won’t boot you out of town at least.”
“Who are your brothers?” Logan asked, feeling foolish. He wished he’d done a little more research.
“Sergio and Alessio, they’re the Alpha and Beta respectively.”
Jesus. Logan wanted to cry again, but he held the grief back this time. Strangers weren’t this generous for no reason. “I’m not ungrateful, but can I ask why you’re helping us? I mean, I’m practically a stranger.”
“I can tell from one phone call you mean well and you sound like you really need the help. Ray might have not parted on good terms with the pack, but he was a decent guy. Anyway, if there’s anything else, contact me at this number. Oh, I’ll give you the number of one of my enforcers.”
Having memorized the number, Logan ended the call. He was walking out of the hospital doors now. Their little pack gathered in the parking lot. As discussed the night before, they decided to bring two cars with them. A day wouldn’t be sufficient to tidy up their affairs, but for now, they made do.
“Hey, Logan, you look…” Martin hesitated. “Better than expected.”
“I managed to contact Ray’s Darkfall contact. She’s apparently the werewolf who turned him. We can stay in Darkfall as her guests. The pack would decide about us being members though.”
Davis let out a breath. “Fuck, man. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
“Is everyone ready?” Logan asked, looking at the anxious faces there.
“Yeah, let’s ride. Kian noticed a stranger in a black, unmarked van in our neighborhood,” Nathan murmured. “They’re following us.”
“You think they work for Alpine Industries?” Davis asked.
“Sounds exactly like how they operate,” Martin murmured. “Black vans driven by hired mercenaries, should we be worried?”
“They could have taken us, but for now, it appears they’re content watching us,” Nathan said.
“It will be harder to bag us in a group. Remember? Jack’s information told us they only take individuals one-by-one,” Logan said.
“That doesn’t really sound reassuring,” Bran muttered.
“Are you going to contribute anything useful?” Davis snapped. “Stop whining.”
They were already sniping at each other? Logan sighed and interrupted before a useless debate started. “Look, every one of us is terrified, but we’re in this together. We’ll face down anything they throw at us.”
Bran nodded and seemed to look at Logan a little differently now.
“Let’s not waste any more time,” Martin suggested.
Logan rode with Martin and Davis in Martin’s old Toyota, while Nathan, Kian
, and Bran took Kian’s red Sedan.
“You sounded really overconfident, dude. I nearly believed you, too,” Martin said by the wheel.
Logan buckled his seat belt on. “I had to. We can’t get off on a rocky start.”
“How did things go with Ray?” Davis asked from the back.
“Hard, but it’s over. Our human allies, the Carters, will take care of everything else.”
Martin reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “We know this has been tough on you. Lean on us for support.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Martin got off the parking lot and Logan looked back, reassured to see Kian following them.
“The Darkfall contact, you think they’ll really be okay with us taking refuge there?” Davis asked.
“I can trust Michella. We have no other choice but to see what happens once we get to Darkfall.”
Logan’s voice sounded confident to his ears, but he couldn’t fool his longest friends for long. They seemed to take his leadership well, though, and didn’t question him.
During the long drive, Martin and Davis occasionally talked about everyday and ordinary topics, and Logan was grateful for the mindless chatter. Talking about something else helped take his mind off the huge weight of Ray’s death.
Seeing Ray in the hospital dead, some part of him knew his mate was gone, but he clung on, hoping over the span of a night a miracle would happen. It was all wishful thinking of course.
Logan began fiddling with the wedding band on his finger again. It would take a week to reach Darkfall. Who knew what could happen along the way? Remembering the van that followed Kian and Nathan, Logan’s stomach churned. They packed light and practical, but they didn’t discount taking weapons.
How would they fare if it came to a fight though? These humans had no trouble dealing with their strongest shifters. They were the weak link in the pack. Could they really make it to Darkfall alive?
Chapter Three
“Logan, two black vans have been following us since our last stop,” said Nathan’s voice on the other line.
Logan rolled down his windows and peered out. Kian tailed their car. With his supernatural vision, Logan could spot one van a couple of miles away from Kian’s ride. The second one must be farther behind. Three days ago, the van followed them discreetly at a distance. Now there were two?
It didn’t help this stretch of road was seldom used. They must have only passed a couple of cars and one eighteen wheeler along the way. Now though, the road lay empty, making it a perfect opportunity for an attack.
“Logan, what are we going to do? We’re only about two hours away from Darkfall territory,” Nathan asked.
Logan’s heart thumped in his chest. He knew after Alpine Industries’ recent clash with the Darkfall wolves the humans would be afraid to enter Darkfall land. At the very least, they’d hesitate before making impulsive decisions.
After Michella’s call, Logan had reached out to all of Ray’s sources for extra research on the pack. According to spies, the Darkfall pack had close to a hundred members, and the pack made sure every member knew how to fight.
After the attack from the humans, they’d been doing nothing but bolstering their alliances and defenses. Logan wished their pack had done the same instead of being overconfident they could take these humans on their own. The Darkfall wolves were clearly the kind of allies Logan and the rest needed.
“Keep close to our car. I’ll call you again.” Logan ended the call and brought up his GPS.
“They’re getting scared,” Martin said. He’d probably overheard Nathan.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Davis asked.
Logan craned his neck to see Davis with a shotgun in hand. If it came to a physical fight, would they win?
They might be shifters, but Ray taught Logan the basics of shooting, and he knew Martin and Davis knew how to use a gun, but against professionals who hunted supernaturals for a living?
“If they catch us before we enter Darkfall, we’re dead,” Martin pointed out unhelpfully.
Logan chewed on his bottom lip, staring at his map. “Keep on driving, Martin.”
“Did you think of something?” Davis asked.
“Woods surround Darkfall, plenty of trees. If we can’t outrun these vans, we’ll create a diversion and lose them in the forest.”
“That’s a risky move, Logan. We aren’t familiar with the lay of the land,” Davis murmured.
“It might pay off though. Logan’s right. None of us have combat experience, but if we’re in wolf form, we can outrun them.”
Logan phoned Nathan again. “Speed up, we’re going to try and lose them. Follow Martin close. There’s a bend in the road soon. We’ll cut through there and ditch our cars.”
The moment Martin picked up speed, gunfire thundered from behind them.
“Shit,” Davis muttered. “Logan, they’re firing at the others.”
“Nathan, keep following us,” Logan said.
He could hear Bran’s panicking voice on the other end and Kian yelling at him to shut up. Turning off his phone, he squinted at the fork in the road ahead of them. “Martin, take the left.”
“That would lead us to the town of Northfield,” Davis commented.
“Diversion, remember? The men in black will have to stop firing at us once they sight more humans and cars,” Logan explained.
They passed what looked like a gas station. More cars went past here, like Logan predicated. The men in the vans stopped firing.
“What next?” Martin asked.
Sighting the roadside diner and motel up ahead, Logan suddenly had an idea. He checked the time. Seeing it was close to lunchtime, he grinned. “Make a stop there. We’re having lunch.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Davis demanded. “These humans clearly want us, dead or alive.”
“No, Logan’s right. They won’t do anything if we’re in a crowd of people.” Martin pulled the car to the diner’s parking lot while Logan phoned Nathan and explained his plan. Once parked, they got out.
“Everyone get whatever you need from your bags. Don’t take anything heavy, just what your wolf can carry,” Logan said. He pulled out the small day backpack for himself while the others did the same.
Bran looked frightened, Logan observed, like he was about to bolt. Nathan and Kian fared better, although Kian looked a little pale.
“Davis, watch out for Bran,” Logan whispered in Davis’ ear. They entered the diner, and Logan told the waitress a table for six. Spotting the empty booth far from the windows, Logan gestured toward it. “Can we take that?”
“Are you sure? That seats four. We can get you an extra chair though,” she said.
“We’ll be fine.” Logan led the way. The six of them squeezed into the booth, and the waitress took their orders. Martin excused himself for a bathroom break.
“I’m too nervous to eat,” Kian confessed, rubbing at his hands.
“Who wants to eat at a time like this?” Bran whispered, not looking at any of them. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“No one asked you to,” Nathan snapped. “We should have left your sorry ass back in Blue River, where the humans could easily stuff you in a cage.”
“You,” Bran hissed. “I’ve had enough of you.”
“Guys, chill. We don’t want to get attention, remember?” Logan interrupted. Good. His voice sounded even. In reality, he was a bundle of nerves. He knew little about Northfield, except it was a mixed town of humans and supernaturals.
“Don’t be alarmed, but one of the vans just parked outside,” Martin reported, coming back from the restroom. Bran let out a squeak. Nathan rolled his eyes.
“Do they look like they’re coming inside?” Logan asked. Martin shook his head. “Good. Act normal everyone. We’ll fill our bellies, but slowly. We’ll be heading out in twos.”
“Heading out to where? They’re watching from outside,” Davis pointed out unhelpfully.
“We’ll take the bac
k door through the kitchen.”
Kian nodded. “I saw nothing but woods. We’ll meet there and shift.”
“Everyone take this opportunity to look at the area map using your phone GPS. That will give us a basic idea of the lay of the land.” Logan excused himself from his seat. “I’m going to try and contact Michella again.”
“You’re asking them for help? Is that wise? They’ll think of us as weak or won’t help us at all,” Martin observed.
“It doesn’t matter, and it won’t hurt to ask.”
Logan knew they were being watched.
What did it matter if they saw him making a call? Standing by the windows near the entrance, Logan looked outside to see two huge men in all black smoking. One man with a huge tattoo on his face gave him an appraising look that made his spine crawl.
It felt like a game of cat and mouse, but in this case, Logan and the others were prey. He gripped his cell phone to his ear. Anger surged through him. The humans should be the ones afraid. They took his mate and half the pack, his family, and Logan wouldn’t stand for it any longer.
“Michella’s phone,” answered a man’s gruff and unfamiliar voice. “This is Raul speaking.”
Logan bit his lip. “This is Logan, um.”
“Yeah, she was expecting your call.”
“Is she busy?”
“She’s in an important meeting, but you can talk to me. What do you need?”
Raul. That name was familiar. Right, Michella mentioned it was one of her enforcers. She’d assured Logan he could trust this Raul. For the second time, Logan decided to put his trust in a stranger. It was risky doing this. If Ray were here, he wouldn’t approve, but then, Logan had no other choice.
Avoiding capture was his number one priority. Logan explained the situation, not surprised Raul didn’t waste time. He sounded dependable at least and asked the right questions about the state of their party and their pursuers.
“Make it within a mile of our territory and I’ll have a welcoming party waiting.”