by Emma Wolfe
“Mind telling me why my house is rattling?” There was a clip to his tone that caused heat to prick at the back of my neck. My frustration grew, but I muscled it down.
I was here to eat and get out. That was all. If Dad wanted to talk, he was going to have to wait until tomorrow.
I finished slathering the bread with mayo, screwed the lid back on the jar, and pulled open the fridge to return it to the shelf in the door. After slamming the door shut, I turned to find that Dad was holding my plate away from me. He had an incredulous look on his face.
“What are you doing?” I asked, leaning forward to grab the sandwich from him.
Dad was too quick, lifting it up as he spun around to block my advance. “Seems to be the only way to get you to talk to me.”
I growled as I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. It felt juvenile, but what else did I have? He’d taken everything that I cared about away from me.
Cora.
Grayson. Even though I didn’t have proof, I knew he was involved somehow.
All I was left with was a grumpy demeanor and a broken heart.
Dad raised his eyebrows, signifying that there was no way he was giving in. I let out the breath I’d been holding and met his gaze.
“What do you want?” I asked, ready to get this interrogation over.
Dad lowered the plate and adjusted his stance. He nodded, as if satisfied that I was going to do what he said, then he motioned toward the table. “Have a seat.”
I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as I watched him settle on his chair after setting the plate with my sandwich next to him. He threaded his fingers and rested his hands in front of him.
He glanced back at me and motioned with his head to sit. I didn’t want to—the itch to run was taking over.
I didn’t have to eat as a human, even though the food tasted better in that form. I could sprint out the door and into the woods. But from the earnest look in Dad’s eyes, I knew that wasn’t an option.
I was going to have to sit here, eating and listening to whatever Dad wanted to tell me.
And from the look on his face, it wasn’t going to be good.
9
Liam
I picked up my sandwich and took a bite as I stared at Dad. For someone who had been so chatty before, he’d suddenly clammed up. It was aggravating to say the least.
I chewed and swallowed before I let out a sigh.
That seemed to draw Dad’s attention, and he raised his eyebrows at me.
“So?” I asked, nodding toward him.
He studied me for a moment before he shifted in his seat, resting his arm on the table. He stilled for a moment before tipping his face in my direction.
“Dirk Pennington and I saw Grayson with his family this morning on our patrol,” he said. His voice was low and very mayoral. Like he was discussing building plans or something.
I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying. “Grayson?” That couldn’t be. Grayson wouldn’t go back to his parents. He hated them. Despised them. He would also never leave Brielle here alone. “You must have been mistaken.”
Dad studied me and then slowly shook his head. “I wasn’t, Liam. He was there with his family. And he didn’t look like he was being tortured or forced to stay there.” Dad leaned back and threaded his fingers together, then he extended out his arms, cracking his knuckles as he went.
I focused down on the crumbs on my plate as I tried to process what Dad was saying. Even though it didn’t make sense, I had to believe Dad, right?
I mean, why would he lie to me about this?
I grabbed my sandwich and took another bite. Even thought my stomach had soured, I knew I was going to be hungry as soon as I got outside. If I was going to spend my night searching for Grayson, I needed to fuel up.
“There’s more,” Dad said.
I glanced over to see that Dad had narrowed his eyes as he folded his arms in front of his chest.
“What?” I asked through a mouthful of bread and meat.
“Remember how I said that there were changes going on with the Mother pack?”
I chewed and nodded as the memory resurfaced.
“Well, there’s more.”
I paused as I tried not to hide my frustration. I didn’t like where this conversation was going. If anything, I felt as if I were moving farther and farther away from what I really wanted. A normal life with my friends and Cora.
But the more Dad spoke, the more I realized that was never going to happen. Happily ever after wasn’t in the cards for me. I was destined to be alone in a big empty house like Dad was.
“Apparently, there are a few in the pack that are rising up, saying there’s a need for change. They don’t want a Bronson to be alpha anymore.”
I took a bite as I just nodded along with what he was saying. I didn’t know a lot about the Mother pack and how things worked there. I was just a baby when we left.
But I did know what Dad was saying spelled trouble for us. No matter who was in charge, I doubted they were going to just sit back and allow us to live the life we wanted in Smoky Hills.
“And?” I asked, meeting Dad’s gaze head-on.
I wanted to know what he was going to do with this information. Was he going to act? Or were we just going to sit back and do nothing?
I hated that idea. I wanted to make a change, and I wanted to make it now. The sooner things calmed down, the sooner I could have Cora to myself.
The chance of her getting harmed because of our relationship would be gone. The weight on my chest would disappear.
Dad studied me for a moment before he shifted in his seat. He blew out his breath and leaned forward on his forearms. “I’m not sure. I haven’t decided yet. From what I can tell, no one seems to be challenging me quite yet, besides Brutus. They seem to be staying in the woods for now.”
Was he serious? He was waiting for the Mother pack to make a move? “Are you kidding?” I asked as I glared at him.
Dad furrowed his brow. “I can’t just go into the woods with guns blazing. I’m not the only one I have to think about. There’s you, the other wolf shifters…” He swallowed. I could see his jaw muscles flinch from the stress he was feeling.
And that made me feel bad…almost.
He was acting weak. Not like the alpha I knew him to be.
“Dad, if we wait and play defense, it could be too late. You said it yourself, there are changes happening. We need to strategize. Come up with a plan. Act.” I slammed my hand down on the table as frustration coursed through me.
I needed to act even if he didn’t want to. I needed to be successful at something. The itch to take charge was raging inside of me. Heat crept up my skin, and I felt as if I was boiling inside.
More so than I’d ever felt before.
I shoved the last bit of sandwich into my mouth and then scooted my chair out and began to pace next to the table. The energy level that surged inside of me was at an all-time high.
I felt stronger than I’d ever felt before. Almost as if a switch had been flipped. I could hear better. Smell better. Sense the world around me better.
And hate better.
And right now, I was raging against Dad.
I hated that he was being so weak when I knew he could be strong. I couldn’t understand why the drive to be in charge wasn’t taking over him.
Right now, that’s how I felt. I wanted to be alpha, and there wasn’t anyone who was going to stop me.
Suddenly, Dad appeared in front of me with his eyes wide. He grabbed my arm, and out of instinct I growled and pulled back.
“Don’t touch me,” I spat as I moved away from him. The last thing I wanted was to be infected with his weakness. If he wasn’t going to take charge, I was.
“Liam, you need to calm down,” Dad said, moving closer to me.
I growled again as I dipped my gaze to the floor. I’d never felt this in control of myself. Of my wolf. It was as if we were one. I could com
mand him like I’d never been able to before.
I flexed my hands as power surged through my muscles.
“I’m serious, Liam,” Dad tried again as he inched closer to me.
I glanced over at him and saw panic in his eyes. Which was ridiculous. What did he have to be afraid of?
“Why?” I asked, turning to face him, rising to my full height. If he wanted a fight, I was willing to fight.
Dad raised his hands and held them there. “I think you’re changing. I thought you were still too young, but now…” He held my gaze for a moment before turning and letting out a sigh. “Why now?” he whispered.
I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to me or himself. But I was confused.
“What are you talking about?” I took a deep breath through my nose, trying to calm my nerves. I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about, but I wanted to hear it from his lips.
“You’re not a teenager anymore. Your wolf…has evolved.” The pained look on his face intensified as he held my gaze.
“What?” My ears were ringing as I tried to process what he’d said.
Dad turned and rested his hands on the table. Then he hung his head as he took another deep breath. “Maybe it was the change in the Mother pack you sensed. Or maybe it was just time.”
I turned to look out the window. Change? I was an adult wolf shifter now? I glanced down at my hands, flipping them over a few times before running them through my hair. “Does that mean…” I almost didn’t want to finish my question. Probably because I knew the answer to it.
“Your pack, it’ll change.” Dad straightened and turned to me, giving me a pained smile. “It won’t be right now. It’ll take time. If you’re the only one evolving, then the others will fall in line. But I’m guessing, since you reached the age, the others aren’t that far behind you.”
My heart pounded in my chest. I felt as if I were being pulled in two different directions. I didn’t want to give up my friends. I didn’t want to be alone. But there was another part of me, one that was stronger and more aware, that was telling me that I had to be alpha. That there was no other option.
I cursed under my breath as I walked over to the sink and grabbed a glass. I filled it with water. Then, after I downed it, I filled it again.
I was basically waterboarding myself as I drank glass after glass.
It wasn’t only because I was thirsty. I was trying to cool myself down, hoping that I could negate this process. That if I held onto the previous version of myself, everything would work out.
Everything would go back to normal.
When it became evident that water wasn’t my solution. I set the glass down next to the sink and turned to Dad. “So what do I do?” I asked, fear creeping up inside of me.
Dad sighed and scrubbed his face. He paused as if he were thinking, and then he turned to me. “You need to stay out of the woods. Things are too uncertain, and I don’t need you going in there half-cocked.” He rubbed his stubble as he stared outside the window. “I’ll go over to Dirk’s to talk to him. Maybe he has an idea.”
I nodded, trying to muscle down the feeling of anger that was rising up inside of me. I knew it was ridiculous—Dad was only watching out for me—but that didn’t seem to squelch the desire I had to run into those woods and solve our problems myself.
When I turned my attention back to Dad, I found him with his phone pressed to his ear. I could hear the dial tone from where I was standing. It was as clear as if I were holding it to my ear.
Weird.
When the dial tone turned into Coach Pennington’s voice mail, Dad pressed the end call button and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Then he ran his hands through his hair as he sighed.
“What are we going to do?”
Dad hesitated and then walked over to the counter and grabbed his keys. He paused before turning to me. “I’m going to go figure out what we should do, but I need you to promise me you won’t leave the house. I won’t be gone long.” He held out his hand that held the keys as he studied me.
I rolled my shoulders and nodded even though that seemed to be the last thing I wanted to do. My whole body itched to shift, and spending the night holed up in my room sounded miserable.
But from the look in Dad’s eyes, he was worried. And I hated that he was worried. So, despite my urge to let loose, I was going to be the obedient son and stay home.
Even if the desire to challenge his authority was coursing through me like lava in my veins.
Dad held my gaze for a moment before he nodded, and then the soft sound of the door engaging filled the air.
Suddenly, I was alone. Very, very, very alone.
I rolled my shoulders and tipped my head from side to side as I tried to hush the voice inside of me that was shouting for me to shift. To run. To take all our problems on by myself.
It was frustrating, this push and pull inside of me. It made me feel more lost and incomplete than before. It was one thing to deny myself Cora. It was a whole other thing to try to deny a part of myself. A thing that lived inside me.
The temperature in my body began to rise, and I knew the only thing that would cool it down was a shower.
When I got to the stairs, I took them two at a time. I made my way through the hallway and into the bathroom, where I shut the door.
After an ice-cold shower, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. The mirror wasn’t even fogged over, the shower was that cold.
I rested my fists down on the countertop and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Even though I looked the same as I had when I woke up this morning, I couldn’t help but feel different.
And the world felt different to me. I could hear things, sense things, that I’d never been able to before.
I closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath, stilling my human mind and allowing my wolf to speak to me. It raged inside of my chest like a caged animal wanting to break loose.
And then a feeling of fear crept up inside of me. It wasn’t fear for myself, but for Cora.
She wasn’t safe. I could feel it in my bones. I needed to go to her.
Without thinking, I pulled open the bathroom door, and in two steps, was in my room. I threw on a t-shirt and some sweatpants. Then I grabbed a hoodie and zipped it up. I was outside before I even knew what I was doing. It was like my wolf took over with one thing to focus on.
Cora.
I needed to find Cora and make sure she was safe. Everything else just faded away into blackness.
As soon as I stepped into the woods, I shifted.
Everything around me seemed brighter and louder. I could hear the animals in the trees around me and the rustle of the wind in the branches above me, even though I was racing along the ground at a speed I’d never before gone.
I was free.
Finally, I was who I was meant to be.
And it felt incredible.
The idea that, perhaps, I could keep Cora safe made my chest swell. I didn’t have to fear for her life. I could protect her—if only she would stay put like I told her to.
Cocking my head to the side, I listened for the only sound I cared about.
Cora’s heartbeat.
And I wasn’t going to stop until I found it.
10
Brielle
I lay there on my bed late that night, listening with all my might for a sound—any sound—that would tell me Matthew was asleep. I needed him to be out before I snuck downstairs and out the back door.
Then I would run to the woods. I was going to find Grayson if it killed me. After all, that’s what he would do. If it were me lost in the woods, he would come find me.
Letting out a sigh, I flipped to my stomach and closed my eyes, straining to hear what was going on in the basement. Why had I insisted that he sleep two floors away? If he was in Grayson’s room, it wouldn’t be too hard to listen for the indications of sleep.
Now it was a guessing game.
Frustrated with myself, I flung my c
overs off and wiggled until my feet were on the floor. I stood and shuffled over to my light and flicked it on. I dressed quickly, not wanting to signal to anyone what I was doing.
Once I was in the woods, I could take off and hopefully avoid tipping anyone off as to what I was doing. But until then, I had my human form to work around.
And that form wasn’t as stealthy as my wolf.
After pulling on a black sweatshirt, I flipped off my light and tiptoed down the stairs. I grabbed my sneakers and opened the back door. I paused, listening for any sound that might signify what Matthew was doing.
Nothing.
Either he slept like the dead, or he was gone.
Banking on the first, I pulled open the back door and slipped out into the darkness. Just as I closed the door and turned around, a figure appeared in front of me.
Not able to control myself, I screamed before pressing my hand to my mouth to stifle the sound. I doubted Mrs. Diggory would hear me, but there was no way I wanted this trip to be over before it even began.
“Geez, Elle,” Matthew said as he stepped into the light.
Realizing that I’d just made a complete fool of myself, I lowered my hand and glowered at him.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked.
I sidestepped him as I began walking toward the woods.
Whatever he wanted, I didn’t care. I was on a mission, and I was going to complete that mission. “None of your business,” I threw over my shoulder, not really caring if he heard or not.
The sound of his pace quickening and then falling into step with me just caused my heartbeat to pound and heat to rush across my skin. I was irritated that I was irritated. There was no reason for me to feel anything for him.
His reason for being in Smoky Hills didn’t concern me. I just wanted him to stay out of my way. To let me do what I needed to do.
Find Grayson.
A hand engulfed my elbow, and suddenly I was stopped. One soft tug and I was turned around, directly facing Matthew as he peered down at me.