The human settlement next to Raelyn's birth territory is nothing but a hick town. After Andrenior has been nagging for a full hour that he's thirsty, I decide to pull into a parking bay next to a small corner shop. Turning on my heel to get into the store, I almost collide with a pretty, dark haired girl in the doorway.

A squeal is next. "Oh my god, Raelyn. Is that really you?" The girl tosses her arms around Raelyn's neck, shrieking like a maniac. "I can't believe it."

When she finally lets go, Raelyn's face is flushed. "Hi, Megan." Awkward doesn't even begin to describe the tentative smile she gives the girl.

Megan doesn't seem to notice, her gaze roaming over me. "Is this your husband?"

My brow arches. That escalated quickly.

"No." Raelyn clears her throat. Her face is so blushed that the red reaches the roots of her hair. "My husband and I, we—we separated."

"Oh, good for you." Megan's overly shrill voice drops but not enough to muffle her next words. "Eric thought he was abusive."

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Of course." Megan's quizzical eyes drill into me. "Then who is this?"

Talk about nosy.

"That's—that's my boss, Kendrick Raynes. And these are some of the people I work with. Andrenior, and Rikka."

Megan's forehead wrinkles. "You working? As what?"

"We run a magic show," Andrenior intervenes.

I snort.

"A magic show?" Megan looks at a loss.

"I know, isn't that cool?" Andrenior beams at her. "Here, let me show you a trick." He reaches behind her ear, pulling out a coin. Man, that's just lame. Even my sister Kenna knows how to do that.

"Wow, that's exciting. Where do you perform?"

For a breath, Raelyn's gaze flicks to me. "Unfortunately, it's still exclusive to Canada, but we're thinking of a US tour next year."

"Well, if you do, let me know. I'll make sure to buy tickets. Eric will, too." Megan lowers her gaze. "Uhm, I'm not sure how to tell you this but he and I—we're together now."

Raelyn looks absolutely thunderstruck. What's this all about?

A couple of blinks and she has herself back under control. "I'm happy for you, I mean, for both of you. When did it happen?"

"A few weeks after you saw Eric last. He had hoped that you guys would hook up again, but after you refused to leave your husband, he realized it wasn't going to happen." Megan bites her lip. "Please, don't be mad."

Hook up again? This is getting better by the minute.

"Of course I'm not mad." Despite her reassurance, Raelyn's smile could freeze over an erupting volcano.

Meagan glosses over the sudden hostile tension with the fakest grin. "How long are you in town for? Maybe we could meet later. I'd love to catch up."

"We're only here for a quick visit to my parents and are heading out this afternoon."

Megan's eyes don't hide her relief. "That's too bad. Maybe the next time."

"Sure. And say hi to Eric." Without a further goodbye, Raelyn pushes past me into the store, almost knocking me off balance when her shoulder slams into my chest. Why is she so rattled? Rikka follows her with a shrug.

I feel obliged to say something. "Well, bye then."

Megan spins around and storms across the street. I guess that's that. With a glance at Andrenior, I follow the females into the store. Raelyn is standing by the cooler, staring at the assortment of drinks. When I step next to her, she hugs her arms around her chest.

"Who's Eric?"

"A friend."

"Well, hooking up again sounds as if you were more than friends." Despite my best efforts to keep my voice nonchalant, the words tremble. A sudden surge of anger stabs at my heart. I hate that there's so much about her I don't know.

"So what if we were more than friends?" The twitch on her lips is borderline mocking.

My wolf rumbles in displeasure. He feels challenged and doesn't like her attitude. "I'm not sure I'm okay with it."

"It? What exactly is that, Kendrick?"

I wish I knew. From the sound of it, they were in some type of relationship, but that's unthinkable between a she-wolf and a human.

"I want to know what was going on with him."

This time, her smile is positively mocking. "You aren't my mate, so it's none of your business."

I want to remind her badly that there's enough history between us that entitles me to the truth, but before I get the chance, Andrenior reaches for a bottle of juice from the cooler. I'm forced to take a step back.

"Would you mind keeping your voice down? The cashier is staring." His frown is directed at me, as if I'm the one who did something wrong.

"Let's just go, alright?" Turning away is the only way to keep my wolf from rising. He doesn't approve of all the disrespect. Maybe I was wrong about Raelyn. A true mate would never challenge me the way she did.

Back in the car, my wolf stirs in uproar. Raelyn's gloating smile is pissing him off. I can't deal with her when she's like that.

Rikka leans in from the backseat. "It's called jealousy," she whispers in my ear.

What the fuck is she talking about? I'm not jealous of some human male I can kill with a good blow to the head. Those boys are fragile and weak—inferior beings in all respects—who can never be my competition. And the little fucker isn't really the issue. It's Raelyn's refusal to tell me what the hell was going on between them.

Turning the key in the ignition, I rev the engine. I pull out of the parking spot, honking when a small girl tries to make a dash across the street.

"Slow down," Andrenior says.

My grip around the steering wheel tightens. "Stop telling me what to do."

"Gladly, if you stop acting irrationally. Over there is a cop. He'll stop you if you continue to drive like a reckless psycho."

I exhale slowly, focusing on keeping the speedometer needle within the legal limits. We roll down the road in pressing silence. As soon as we pass the sign announcing we've reached the town line of Calina Falls, Raelyn points at a wooden fence that frames the left side of the road.

"Here is where my father's territory starts. The turn off is just a mile up the road."

"You lived that close to a human settlement?"

"Why else do you think we'd mix with them? We'd raise suspicion otherwise."

That still doesn't make it okay that she hooked up with a human male. I glance at her. The question if she and that boy had been intimate already rests on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it down. What's the point? If she wanted me to know, she would've said it.

For the rest of the drive, I focus on the road. The driveway winds through a heavily wooded area for at least another mile before we arrive at their packhouse. About a dozen smaller houses are built in a circle around it. What a tiny pack.

I get out of the car just as the door to the packhouse opens. The female on the threshold stares at Raelyn, her face one stunned mask. "Raelyn? Is this really you?"

A younger adolescent squeezes out from behind her and rushes down the steps. "Raelyn!" Tears roll down her cheeks.

Raelyn wraps her arms around her for a tight hug. "Hi, Chloe."

She sobs. "Alpha McNamara said you were dead."

Well, then. . .

"What happened?" A male pushes the female out of the way as he emerges from the house.

I straighten. He stands tall and measures me up with a certain authority; he must be Raelyn's father, the Alpha. Even in his full height, he only reaches to my shoulders. Years of limited hunting grounds have left him soft. Even though he's still in his prime, he's no more of a threat than a well-trained pup. My sister Everest could probably kill him in a challenge.

Raelyn glares at him. "The Scopan Lake pack beat me badly and left me for dead in the woods. Alpha Raynes found me and saved my life."

As she rests her hand on my forearm, the sweet smile is back on her lips. Gratitude jumps from her eyes. Even though I'm still mad about earlier, her touch is soothing my wolf. He grumbles to tell my skins that I might've been too hard on her. Whatever happened with the human boy was before my time.

"Alpha Raynes?" When he sizes me up this time, I find respect. And a certain fear. He's too weak to be a good leader. "We heard the rumors that his sister took over the Scopan Lake pack. Is that true?"

He talks about me in the third person as if I weren't standing right here, next to his daughter.

Raelyn nods. "Alpha McNamara and Dante are dead."

His gaze is fleeting. With a desperate sigh, he runs his fingers through his hair. The worry of the world seems to rest on his shoulders. "Will she honor the peace agreement?"

I decide to intervene to cut to the chase. "That's not why we are here. We need to talk to your mate."

The Luna stands in the doorway as if her feet were glued to the wood.

"About what?"

I pull Raelyn's necklace from the front pocket of my shirt. "About this."

The Alpha's eyes go wide and he turns to look at his mate. "You gave it to her after we agreed you would destroy it?"

The Luna can't hold his gaze. "I had to. It was given to her as a token of protection, and after you already forced her to leave her home, I wanted her to have something to remember us by. Plus I was hoping it might bring out her special gifts to help her adjust to her new life."

So they knew all along that something was different about her. When I turn around to get guidance from Andrenior on what to ask next, I notice that quite a few pack members stand on their porches. Airing out Raelyn's secrets in front of them will only hurt her more. "It's freezing out here. Can we come inside?"

For a moment, the Alpha looks torn. Then he nods. "Sure."

We follow him into the packhouse. A fire is crackling in the fireplace. The whole downstairs is cramped, and the kitchen and dining area aren't suited for more than a dozen wolves. It's maybe the smallest setup I've ever come across.

The Alpha turns to the young pup who's still holding on to Raelyn's hand. "Chloe, go upstairs and make sure that neither you nor your brothers disturb us."

"Yes, father." With a feeble smile, she lets go of Raelyn's hand. Trampling up the stairs, she turns around a couple of times, curiosity edged on her face. If this were Kenna, I'm sure she'd eavesdrop.

The Alpha points at a sofa that doesn't look sturdy enough to support my weight. "Have a seat."

Tentatively, I sit down and wiggle to find a more comfortable position. After a few tries, I give up. The muscles in my neck are too tense to relax. The space left next to me is small, but Raelyn manages to squeeze in. Our thighs touch.

The Alpha takes a seat on a second couch across from us with the Luna by his side. That leaves Andrenior and Rikka, with no more chairs or other seats. He plops down on the floor by the fireplace with his legs crossed underneath him, and she follows suit after a brief moment of hesitation. All eyes are on me.

I clear my throat. "Where did you get the necklace?"

"A family heirloom. That's all you need to know." The Alpha's smile is smug. Does he seriously think he can fob me of with such a weak explanation?

Before my wolf can rumble to warn him that I won't tolerate another lie, Rikka pipes in. "Look, this is how this will go down. You'll tell us the truth, and leave nothing out, or I'll invade your thoughts and get the full story that way. I have to warn you, though, the latter option will involve a lot of pain. Inferior beings like yourself sometimes don't even survive."

"Mind invasion?" Raelyn's father snorts. "Pup, I'm an Alpha. Don't threaten me, especially not with something that stupid."

Rikka holds his glare. "Sorry, did I fail to mention that I'm a warlock?" With one wave of her hand, the vase on the table shatters into a thousand pieces. "Next time, this will be your skull."

The Luna clutches her hand over her mouth. She reaches for her mate. "Please, Greg, you have to tell them."

The Alpha's gaze flicks to me. I shake my head; help won't be coming from me. Even if the ancient pact dictates that werewolves will always stand united against the warlocks, he's on his own here.

"When Raelyn was born, the necklace was gifted to her. By her real father."

Raelyn straightens; her thigh vibrates against mine. "What do you mean by my real father?"

"We are not your parents." Tears sparkle in the Luna's eyes. "At least not biologically, but I've always loved you as if you were my own."

"Then who are my parents?" Raelyn's body trembles so hard that I have to hold down her leg to keep her in her seat.

"Your mother was my twin sister Nadja. She mated with what we thought was a rogue wolf, but after you were born, he revealed himself as a warlock. He disappeared the night he gave Nadja the necklace."

"What was his name?" Andrenior asks.

"He called himself Gideon."

Rikka gulps. "Are you sure it was Gideon?"

"That's what he said."

"You know who he is?" Raelyn's eyes shine with hope. Her body is still shivering but not as much as before.

"Gideon died right around the time you were born. He was a Sentinel and a Caomhnóir, a guardian of the spirits. That combination is extremely rare."

"How did he die?"

"Officially, he was killed by an upcoming Sentinel, the way tradition prescribes, but there are rumors that hint otherwise. Those who know are very tight lipped about it." Rikka wrinkles her nose. "Personally, I never concerned myself with him. I'm not in line to be a Sentinel, so I don't really care what they do to each other."

"What happened to my mother?" Raelyn's lip quivers as she gazes at the female who had raised her without ever telling her the truth.

"My mate had to kill her. It was the will of the elders."

I ball my hands to fists. What a cowardly excuse. No respectable Alpha has ever listened to the demands of his pack's elders unless he agreed with them.

"And then you pretended that I was your daughter?"

"In our eyes, you were."

Raelyn jumps to her feet. "That's a bunch of crap. I had dreams about my early childhood. Dad called me an abomination, and the elders wanted him to get rid of me."

The Alpha can't hold her gaze.

"Why did you keep me?" Tears stream down Raelyn's cheeks, her face one twisted grimace of pain.

Fur ripples along my spine. My wolf wants to console her, but my skin side holds him back. Once my nature unleashes in such a small space, he will tear everything apart.

"We were hoping that one day, you'd develop powers that could benefit the pack. At least in case we were ever attacked by the warlocks."

"And when I didn't, you handed me off to the McNamaras." Raelyn's shout is so shrill, it hurts my eardrums. The glasses in the cabinet vibrate on their shelves.

"Please, you have to understand the pressure I was under. We were facing war, and our pack would've been annihilated if the Scopan Lake pack had attacked us. I couldn't take that risk. And for you, it was a fresh start. It was for the best."

"Everyone here knew, didn't they? The whole time I was growing up, they kept their distance."

"They were leery. You can't blame them."

"And that's why no male of this pack ever showed any interest in me, isn't it? You practically drove me into Eric's arms. Do you have any idea how lonely I was?"

With a loud ping, the glasses explode. I'm to my feet, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Her body shakes so violently as if forces inside her are ripping her apart. "Shh, it's okay."

"And I'm sure the few female friends I had were ordered to talk to me."

Raelyn's tears drop on my hands. They are scorching hot and sizzle on my skin. Hissing, I drop my arms and rub the sore spots.

"We're—sorry—Raelyn." The Luna stumbles on her words.

The flames in the fireplace shoot up in a sudden surge. Rikka has to scoot away for the spitting blaze not to catch her long hair.

"Sorry?" Raelyn's laugh is as shrill as her words. "I think we are way beyond apologies."

Another surge has flames shoot up the chimney.

"We should go." Andrenior jumps to his feet; as he reaches for Raelyn, his fingers stretch apart. The tips brush along her arm. A few sparkles blast. Raelyn's body goes limp. When she drops to the floor, I barely manage to catch her.

"Why the hell did you knock her out?"

"She was losing control of her powers. At this point, we don't even know what they are. Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"So that's it? We are done here?" Somehow, it's not the type of closure I expected for Raelyn.

"We got our answers. What more do you want?"

I can't argue with that. Cradling Raelyn against my chest, I follow him. At the bottom of the stairs, I meet Cloe's fearful eyes. Raelyn's shoulder brushes against her arm and she flinches back.

Reaching the door, I turn around to face the Alpha. "As soon as my sister has settled in, we'll come for you and your pack."

All color leaves his face. Even the dumbest wolf knows that this was a declaration of war.

~~~~

A few hours later, we cross into Canada. Being back on my home turf is a relief, and getting the chance to visit my little brother is an extra bonus. Yet, when I hop out of the car, I'm not up for much smiling. Raelyn is still out cold, and no matter how many times Andrenior assures me that this is perfectly normal for the magic he used, I'm still worried that she's hurting.

Cedar is waiting in front of a large log cabin, his temporary home while he defends the Eastern border as my tribune.

I knock fists with him. "How is it going, bro?"

"The fighters and I have been celebrating Cassum's victory. The first female Alpha, who happens to be my sister. It's pretty cool."

"Yes, it is."

"You hungry? A few of the females have prepared a meal for you."

My stomach is tight and I'm a bit nauseous, but I don't want to show him any type of disrespect in front of his fighters. "I could use a bite, though I'm mostly tired." The lack of sleep is catching up to me. I raise my hand to hide a yawn.

"Then come on in."

I'm about to turn toward the cabin when snapping branches draw my focus to the forest. A wolf jumps out, shifting. As he walks toward me, I recognize him as one of the fighters I left with Cassum. Blood oozes from a big slash on his chest and he's limping.

A sudden bout of pain stabs my gut. This can't be good. "What happened?"

He drops down on one knee. "We got into an ambush. There were at least fifty warriors, led by the former Beta of the Scopan Lake pack. We didn't stand a chance."

All warmth leaves my face, my chest constricting to a point where I can't breathe. "What about Cassum? Did she get away?"

The fighter's gaze is directed at the ground. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but your sister is dead."

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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