Pretty Little Werewolf, #1, page 17
He flopped into his seat and opened up his notebook to the wolf picture he’d been working on. It had taken up the entire notebook page now, with intricately patterned trees and hidden images of other wolves looking down on the central one baying at the full moon. “We agreed to get everyone in the same place to bring out the truth.” He yawned again – more like roared by the sound of it. Was he a lion or a wolf?
“Did you wake up in another time zone or something? When better than a full moon to get the groups together?”
“Not tonight, okay? Wait until next month.”
She stifled her own frustrated growl. “Why?”
“Last night’s meeting didn’t go too well.”
“Yeah, your dad’s a dick!”
His head snapped in her direction. “He’s my father.”
“I’m sorry... for that.”
His lip twitched, and she could have sworn she saw his teeth sharpening beneath.
That didn’t stop her, though, from continuing. “Being old and an Alpha does not give anyone the right to act like he did. If you’re defending his actions, you’re no better.”
Asher’s breath slowed, deliberately taking in long pulls of air and audibly letting them out. “I do not have control over his actions, but if you wish this idea to have any chance, you need to let me smooth the way. He’s not going to listen to anything right now, agitated as he is.”
“And what does the great Alpha have to be agitated about?” She should have let it drop, but couldn’t hold her tongue.
“Some hot head young lone wolf sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.”
If she hadn’t been in class with other normal people nearby and a teacher who was already out to get her, she might have risen to his challenge and snapped at him. But she forced herself to take the high road, and after a moment of silence to calm her inner wolf, she said, “I’ll be there, whether you are or not.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
“But the old loner?”
“Will kill trespassers... yes, I heard the threat.”
“You won’t go. You won’t subject your pack to possible slaughter.”
“First of all, they’re not my pack... yet. And second, who says they’d get slaughtered? He’s only one wolf.”
“Your pack has two feeble adults and three pups...need I say more?”
They might not have been her pack officially, and she might not have known them for very long, but loyalty had already taken root with her, and his insult would not stand. Whatever forgiveness for his attitude she’d given him before no longer applied. He was just as much a dick as his father. How dare he! “You know what? We’re done here...”
“I didn’t mean...”
“No. Stop. We’re done.”
“Giselle...”
She raised her hand and got the attention of Mr. Harper. “I’m going to need a new lab partner.”
“Having another lover’s quarrel, Ms. Richards?” Mr. Harper must have enjoyed embarrassing her. The smile on his face was proof enough of that.
“Sure. Whatever. I can’t work with him.”
“Ms. Richards, in life and in this classroom, we all have to work with people we don’t like. Suck it up.” He turned his back on her and began scrawling out instructions for the day’s experiment on the board.
So much for her grand exit.
“You’re stuck with me, so let’s forget I said that. I’m sorry.” Asher was trying, but Giselle wasn’t taking it.
“I said, we’re done. And you can do whatever the hell you want with the full moon. I don’t need you.” All she really needed was to show Martina that her sister was alive, and as long as Damien was still on her side and could get his people there, it should still work out.
CHAPTER 31
After lunch she met Damien in class, hoping he had better news for her than Asher had. That jerkoff of a wolf’s attitude had left a sour taste in her mouth.
“Ready for tonight?” she asked, sliding into her chair.
Damien smiled as usual, but something was missing. “‘Ready’ is not the word.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, I’m not a coven elder or even a leader, so no one really listens to me when I ask for things.”
“So that means...” All the air left her chest. This plan had been doomed to fail from the start, and now both Ash and Damien were confirming the futility. Why bother, right?
“Don’t look so sad... We’re not dead in the water yet.”
“Yet... Ash doesn’t care. He won’t be there. And now you...”
“Wait, Ash backed out? Why?”
“Blames his father’s grumpiness on me.”
“That’s a lie.”
“And how do you know?”
“A little lone wolf wouldn’t cause so much trouble. Something else has to be going on.”
“Whatever it is, Ash wouldn’t say. He wanted us to postpone.”
“Maybe he’s right.”
“Now you’re on his side too? What the hell!”
“No... just being cautious, that’s all. If something is bothering the Alpha, I mean seriously bothering him, then it might be best to wait for cooler heads.”
“Other than the missing cousin, I don’t know what else could be going on, but I’ll bet the old loner in the desert is responsible for that death.”
“Look, I’m not saying no. I’m saying proceed with caution.”
“And you? Can you guarantee the witches will be there?”
“I want to say yes. I’m like seventy-five percent sure I can make something happen.”
Those were crap odds given the importance of the situation.
“But...”
“But this whole evening could blow up on us.” Giselle put her head down a little too hard and banged the desk.
Damien cringed as if waiting to be struck. “Yeah.”
Giselle let out an exasperated sigh. “Wonderful. Just wonderful.”
Mrs. Freeman called the class to order and instructed them to take out their books.
“Text me before you head out, okay?” Damien said.
“If I even bother.” Everything was telling her to abandon this futile plan. If things were truly meant to work out, life wouldn’t be throwing so many curve balls at her. Giselle spent the rest of class wondering if she shouldn’t just give up. Spend the next two years living with the Hernandez pack and when she was of age, taking off on her own. Gavin had even said being part of a pack was something you felt deep inside. It felt like home. She just couldn’t call a warzone her home, no matter how much she liked the combatants.
CHAPTER 32
Eight pm rolled around. Dinner was finished; homework too. The family were all deeply entrenched in their nightly routines, having been grounded from the moonlight run thanks to Giselle’s earlier escape. She sat in her room, debating what to do, when her cellphone bleated.
Damien: Tonight’s a no go. Family won’t come. Abort! Abort.
That was a bit melodramatic, she thought. But for some reason, seeing that message tipped her over the edge. If things that were meant to just naturally fell into place, nothing would ever happen. No. It took people willing to go the distance to make thing work that effected real change. And she should take a chance, even if no one showed. Even if it was just her out there, forcing her pack to find the truth, things could be different. All she needed to do was show Martina where her sister was. And the old loner – he could provide the truth about what happened. She didn’t need Asher or Damien at all. She could make things happen herself.
She texted Damien back.
Elle: Nope. Not taking no for an answer. Be there.
He responded in seconds.
Damien: No. Seriously. No.
This had to happen tonight, regardless of other people’s agendas.
Elle: Going by myself then... to the lone wolf. See ya.
She sent the same message to Asher as well, and then left her phone on the bed. It was up to them if they wanted to come and help clear the air, but she was going to, at the very least, show Martina that her sister was alive... sort of.
Remembering Gavin’s warning, she texted one last message to Taylor, who was in the shower.
Elle: Come to the cave, bring the pack. I’m going alone.
That would buy her at least five minutes’ head start so no one could stop her, and hopefully ensure someone was close behind, in case Jeffrey was not too happy to see her.
She hopped out the window and scurried through the back gate, shifting as she hit the alleyway, and headed straight for the desert.
Not sure of the reception she would get, or if the lone wolf would give her a chance to explain what she was there for, she ran cautiously toward the creek. In the distance, she heard wolves baying under the moonlight. Her family, possibly, trying to call her back – but she couldn’t stop, not when she knew this was right. The statue was Christina. And at the very least, Martina needed to know the truth.
On she pushed herself, through nerves threatening to lock her joints and stop her from going deeper into the desert. She remembered the pain of the lone wolf’s teeth in her neck and how that had been his last warning to her to leave. What if he didn’t let her explain? No...She couldn’t consider those odds at the moment. The need to reveal the truth was all that mattered.
Another wolf cry carried on the wind, but she didn’t stop. Giselle pressed onward as the small trickling creek came into view. But she hadn’t caught wind of the lone wolf. He had to be around; it was full moon. All wolves would feel the pull and do all they could to change. So, where was he?
The wind shifted, and she caught a strange scent. It might have been the old loner, Jeffery, or it might have just been a dust devil kicking up the musky dirt from the creek. Either way, she needed to press on to the cave. No point in standing still; her fate was sealed.
She picked up her pace again, heading down the creek to where it met the rocky face of the mountain. Ahead she saw the small cave; only this time, there was light coming from within.
That piqued her interest and she quickened her steps. She was almost to the mouth of the cave when she was struck down. Tumbling down into the dirt, she tried to use the momentum and roll back to her paws, but her attacker was on her quicker than she could maneuver. Teeth found flesh beneath her thick fur and sliced like sharpened knives. Pain amplified by the speeding of her heart and fear of death made her cry louder than ever. She squirmed, trying to find her footing and avoid another bite.
It was Jeffrey, that was for sure, but she had no voice to call off his attack. In wolf form, all she could manage was a few yips and barks, mostly in panic. She needed a moment of peace to send the wolf back and transform. Only then would words be of any use. Surely once he knew her purpose he’d relax. In his human form he’d been a grump, but a more reasonable one than the wolf. But finding a way to shift now seemed impossible. Jeffrey attacked with the ferocity of rabid dog, snarling and swiping with his paws, gnashing his teeth when he couldn’t find more of her flesh to bite into. Try as she might, she couldn’t maneuver quickly enough. At every twist and turn he was there. Every dodge, every duck, each time she narrowly avoided his teeth, he was there again with impossible speed. Jaws snapping and a bite like a bear trap, he was deadly. And he meant business.
He caught her by the neck, and jerking his head side to side, tore out a chunk of fur and some skin as the force of his fury and her own jerky motions sent her off balance, crashing into the creek.
Muddy water was the worst thing she could have landed in. Bleeding from fresh open wounds, every inch of her battered and bruised, the added sting of slime and algae was just the icing on her misery cake. She’d have retched if she weren’t sloshing around in the slippery water to find her footing. Jeffrey was already making his move. The moment she got a foothold in the water he pounced on her again, this time hunting for the soft underside of her neck to deliver a killing bite.
Her heart raced. This was not how things were supposed to happen. She didn’t even have a moment to howl for her pack – he was too fast and his teeth were too sharp.
He had her pinned on her back, only her snout above water, ready to make the killing blow. Eyes cold as the night, he looked down on her. His mouth opened and Giselle winced, knowing she’d found her end.
But just before he struck, Martina’s voice boomed loud as thunder above them. “Let. Her. Go!”
Giselle was too afraid to open her eyes, still expecting to be struck down and have her throat ripped out. But after a few moments of silence, rather than deliver her end, the wolf above her stepped back.
The pressure lifted and she took in a deep breath as the relief washed over her. Tentatively, still wondering how safe she was, Giselle rolled from her back to her paws. A little unsteady from blood loss and adrenaline running through her body, she eased upwards.
Martina was at her side in a moment, wrapping a blanket around her soaking wet fur. “It’s okay. Don’t move. Just breathe and relax while I take care of this.”
She expected a little anger, after taking off like she did and putting herself into danger, but Martina’s words were calm and understanding, with a slight undertone to warn that danger was still present.
Martina turned on the old wolf, stood her ground, and stared him down radiating all the power of an Alpha. “How dare you attack one of my own, on my land? Shift and show yourself to me.”
There was no hesitation, no tremble of worry in her voice. She was all Alpha. No. Questions. Asked. And to Giselle’s surprise, the old wolf shifted immediately, and lowered his head in submission.
“Jeffrey?” Martina gasped. Her proud stance softened a bit, but she made no move towards him.
“Surprised you recognized me after all these years.” The old wolf, now a man, let out a heavy breath and wiped the blood from his mouth.
“How could I forget? Christina...” Martina’s voice failed her for a moment. “But that’s beside the point. How could you attack a pup?”
“I warned her to stay away. Stupid pup.”
She snarled at his condescension.
“Well, she was warned. Twice now.”
Martina cast a sidelong glance at Giselle, and Giselle nodded, confirming the truth. A smarter wolf probably would have listened to the warnings. Giselle understood that now more than ever as her wounds stung like fire. But she’d had to come.
“We’ll discuss that later.” The warning of future punishment was there in Martina’s voice, and Giselle would take her lumps later; for now she was so grateful that her life had been spared. Martina turned back on Jeffrey. “What are you doing here?”
The old wolf turned his head away, glancing over at the cave. “I’ve always been here. This is my home.”
“No one lives here. This is open desert.”
“I’ve lived here since everything went down.”
Martina’s jaw nearly dropped. “Why?” The shock on her face was horrifying.
“Because I said I’d never leave her no matter what.” The old wolf sighed. “And I meant it.”
Tears formed in the corner of Martina’s eyes, but she made no effort to wipe them as they spilled over and ran free down her cheeks. The love she had for her sister, even now, after all the years, made Giselle’s heart ache too.
Even crying, Martina still had a stoic look about her face. There was more there under the surface, but the Alpha was holding back as she faced Jeffrey and heard his truth.
In the distance a caravan of headlights came rumbling towards them. Too little too late, Giselle thought. If not for Martina’s quick response, Giselle would have been a corpse. She assumed it was Damien’s family, the witches, as wolves would have arrived on all fours. And then, a moment later, a chorus of howls confirmed her suspicion. That had to be the Thrace pack. She smiled inwardly, proud to have forced both sides to show up. Even if they were late. Her text message had worked better than she’d hoped.
That left only her own small group missing in action. Where were they, and why so late to the party? Questions better left asked later when the air had been cleared. Giselle refocused on Martina and Jeffrey. Martina still stood her ground while the old wolf looked very much the feeble old man, shivering in the cold without his fur coat. He seemed far less intimidating now.
“Sounds like the cavalry is here,” the old wolf said. “Mind if I dress for company?”
“Please do,” Martina said, and allowed the old wolf to retreat into his cave. She relaxed her defensive stance and picked up a pile of clothes she must have brought with her in haste to get here.
Giselle found the strength to shift back to her human form, and for the first time ever, it hurt. Her skin pulled tight against her bones, and wounds that should have knitted together during the shift seemed to re-open and trickle fresh blood. Giselle whimpered silently as she attempted and failed to stand.
Martina kneeled down and pulled her into a hug, wrapping the blanket even tighter around Giselle’s shivering body. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t,” was all Giselle could manage to say at the moment. A mix of pain and the inability to explain weeks of confusion, planning, and uncertainty kept the words stuck in the back of her throat.
“These wounds will need herbs to heal, but we’ll get you taken care of.” She put a hand under Giselle’s chin, tipping her head up so their eyes could meet. Where there should have been anger, Martina’s eyes were filled with pain and worry. The guilt that swam in Giselle’s stomach at that moment made the pain she was feeling all that much worse. Martina’s words too, spoken in the calmest of voices, only added to it. “If you’d just come to me with this... Oh, it doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you are safe. Pack or not, I am here for you. You have to trust me. Okay? ”
“I just wanted to help...” It was work for Giselle to get even those simple words out. And she knew Martina couldn’t possibly understand her true meaning yet.
