Aden’s voice woke me. Michelle was snuggled close to my side, still sound asleep, as I listened to Aden and Jim quietly converse in the living room.
“Where are we?”
“This is where I grew up,” Jim said.
“Here?”
“Not these rooms. This is just one of the apartments here.”
“What’s an apartment?”
“It’s a house within a house, like the place you, Liam, and Michelle have back home with us.”
“Oh.” There was a slight pause. “Are we going back there?”
“Yes. Eventually. Maybe we can hang out here for a while, though, so you can play with Paul and Henry some more.”
“They live here?”
“Yep.”
“I’m hungry.”
Jim laughed softly. “Of course you are.”
I heard the rustle of sheets and knew both boys were now awake.
“I’m hungry too,” Liam said softly.
“How about you two wake up your sister?”
Damn. I glanced at Michelle, then the door. I couldn’t sneak out with Liam in the hall. Without any other choice, I hid under the covers.
The bang of the door opening followed by the pattering of feet woke Michelle. Then, everything went quiet.
Michelle lifted herself up on one elbow, moving the covers enough that I could see her face. She looked like she was playing it cool, but I could hear her rapid pulse.
“Good morning, you two. Is Jim awake? Tell him we’ll be up in just a little bit.”
They didn’t move.
“Who is that?” Liam asked.
She glanced down at me then back at her brothers.
“It’s Emmitt. Jim had the couch. You two had the other bed. So, I let him sleep here after he promised not to steal the covers.”
The boys were quiet for a minute before Liam spoke.
“If you married Emmitt, we could live with Nana and Jim forever.”
Panic washed over Michelle. I couldn’t tell if it was because her brothers were willing to marry her off for a safe place to stay or because they were suggesting me.
“If you don’t want to marry Emmitt, we would be okay with Jim, too,” Liam said.
I laughed silently, and she nudged me.
“We’ll talk about who I’ll marry some other time, but I’ll keep what you said in mind. Now, go get dressed and wait with Jim.”
They ran from the room, and Michelle threw back the covers to get out of bed. She didn’t look amused. In fact, she looked a little worried. I tried not to speculate why. There were plenty of reasons that didn’t have anything to do with marriage or me.
She grabbed clothes and left the room. A moment later, I heard the bathroom door close. The boys were already back in the living room, wrestling Jim in an effort to pry him off the couch. I made the bed then grabbed a fresh set of clothes. It would have made sense to change in the bedroom and go straight to breakfast. The kids were hungry and more than ready to go. But, I wanted to have a reason to wait for Michelle in the hallway.
She didn’t seem surprised to see me leaning against the wall when she opened the door. Her skin was still damp and smelled like the honey and oatmeal soap Mom kept in all the bathrooms. It was a good smell. A wolf smell.
Michelle blushed as I continued to look her over, and her scent sweetened. Her gaze dipped briefly to my bare chest then back up. The skip in her pulse was hard to miss, and I winked at her.
“It’s all yours,” she said, indicating the bathroom as she fled.
I grinned and stepped inside. The shower felt good. In fact, everything felt good. Sleeping next to Michelle did that to me. Made everything seem right.
Showered and changed, I went to join everyone in the living room, catching Aden’s repeated comment about being hungry. That kid was a wolf at heart.
“I’m starving, too,” I said. “Let’s go eat. If I get there first, I’m eating all the food.”
Aden made a dash for the door, and I used an unfair amount of speed to beat him to it. He giggled as I pretended to get stuck in the door with him. Once clear, we took off running at his pace. Liam was only a few steps behind us.
I heard Jim say, “Come on, little sister, or you’ll be left crumbs.”
My family. I breathed deeply, enjoying the moment.
The smell of bacon led us to the common area and the adjoining kitchen. Aden, Liam, and I had our plates loaded by the time Jim and Michelle appeared.
“Tell me Mom made biscuits,” Jim said, going to the ovens. I’d forgotten to check them. Jim found a pan with a few biscuits left and split one between the boys.
“You’re going to like that,” I said, ruffling Aden’s hair. “And if you’re smart, you’ll steal Jim’s from his plate before he can steal yours.”
Aden grinned and followed Jim to a table.
Meeting in the commons in ten minutes, Winifred sent.
The feel of her message was different, a pack-wide communication. I glanced at Michelle as she sat beside me and decided to wait until after we’d eaten. It didn’t take us long to finish; and, when we did, Paul and Henry came and asked to take Liam and Aden on a tour. Michelle hesitated, and Jim immediately offered to go, also.
Michelle and I took the plates to the kitchen and set them in the large tub of soapy water.
“Are you ready?” I asked, turning toward her.
She looked at me blankly.
“The pack meeting.”
Behind her people were already filing into the room. She glanced over her shoulder, tension washing over her features. But, she didn’t let it rule her. She wrinkled her nose at me. I smiled and took her hand.
Her steps were a little slow as we made our way into the crowded room. People moved to let us through. They already knew why she was here. News of humans in the Compound had spread quickly. Michelle’s hold on my hand tightened just before we got to my parents. I gave a light squeeze back and turned us to face the crowd. Michelle’s pulse was racing, and I smoothed my thumb over the skin of her hand in an attempt to calm her. I would have been willing to hold her closer but didn’t think she’d appreciate the public display of affection.
Dad stepped forward.
“There was a challenge last night, which Elder Winifred declined. Michelle has acknowledged Emmitt in front of Elder Winifred.”
Public acknowledgement of my suit felt really good. Next step, Claiming.
Michelle fidgeted next to me, less enthused about the announcement than I was.
“All challenges will end now,” Dad said, implanting the command in the members of our pack. “Not only is this a command from me—”
“It’s from me as well,” Winifred said from the back of the room.
The compulsion filled me and settled over my mind. It would have relieved me if I wasn’t aware there were wolves out there who could ignore her commands. I looked around the room, wondering if there were any present.
“Just as we count Charlene as one of our own, we now count Michelle.” Dad smiled at Michelle. “Michelle has brought two cubs with her. They are under pack protection, but I am looking for a Mated pair to protect them as their own, to put the safety of the cubs above the safety of the pack.”
There was a slight murmur at this. It wasn’t done often, and I was glad Dad had thought of it. Asking for another layer of protection for Liam and Aden would be like giving the boys a second set of parents. People who would die to protect them.
“I’ll keep them as my own,” Mary said from beside us.
“We will,” Gregory agreed.
I should have known it would be Mary and Gregory. They’d quietly done the same for Jim and me when we were younger.
Thomas nodded to Gregory. As if it were a sign, people started to leave. Many of them looked back to study Michelle before they quit the room. They were probably asking themselves the same thing I had. How many more gifted women like Michelle, Gabby, and Mom were out there?
After the room emptied, Mom turned to Michelle.
“I’m sorry about that. We needed to lay down the law right away so you wouldn’t run into any trouble.”
“And my brothers?”
“That’s what Mary and Gregory are for. While you’re here, they will be an extra layer of protection. Mary and Gregory will always be close by; if you need to leave your brothers for any reason, they will step in while you are gone, protecting Liam and Aden even more ferociously than you could. They were guardians for Jim and Emmitt while they were growing up.”
Michelle’s hesitancy to accept their help wasn’t just in her scent but in her expression, too, making it easy for Mom to read.
“Nana Wini also spoke a command to the room. No one will harm them.”
Michelle gave a slight nod.
“Now that that’s settled, we are hoping you will discuss your past with us. We want to help you,” Mom said, motioning for Dad to lead the way.
Just what are we going to discuss? I sent to Winifred.
We need to know where Blake is. His men found her. There’s no hiding anymore.
Michelle wouldn’t like it. I smoothed my thumb over the side of her hand as we followed everyone to the conference room. It was the only place we could talk without fear of being overheard. Well insulated, even werewolf ears wouldn’t pick up on normal conversation within the room once the door was shut.
Winifred and Sam were already inside waiting for us when Dad opened the door.
Michelle glanced at Sam as we entered.
“Michelle, this is Elder Sam,” I said as I held out a chair for her.
“Hello,” she said quietly, before glancing questioningly at me.
“This room has been soundproofed, so we won’t be overheard.” I sat beside Michelle and Mom and Dad sat across from us.
“Nana Wini told us the Forlorn ignored her command to leave,” Mom said, cutting right to the point. “That is cause for concern. But, I’m more concerned about the things you said on the way here.”
Michelle gave me a sidelong glance. In turn, I gave Winifred a meaningful look.
“You shouldn’t need to live in fear,” Mom said. “I’ve seen these people do amazing things. Let’s face this together. But in order to do that, we need to know everything you know about those men. Do you have any idea why they could ignore an Elder?”
“How could I possibly know anything like that? I’ve known about werewolves less than a month.”
“Emmitt mentioned you thought Blake was one of us. You were near him for more than four years. Tell us about him,” Mom said gently.
Michelle looked down at the table.
“I don’t know what you’re looking for,” she said after a minute. “I thought Blake was just like everyone else. Human. But, he was mean. He’d come over and ask me about my premonitions. He sometimes asked if I saw anything other than market tips. I always wished I did see something more. But it wasn’t until…”
She glanced at me then looked back down at the table. Her scent changed subtly, and her pulse quickened. She’d realized something.
When she looked up, her expression was fierce.
“No. You’re wrong,” she said, looking at Winifred.
“About what, dear?”
“Pack leaders control the pack. Elders keep the peace between the packs through the pack leaders,” Michelle said slowly. “Yet, there are some of your kind you have trouble communicating with. Before the night he shifted, I thought Blake’s control over the men he brought with him was just a businessman’s hold over his lackeys. But that night, it was more. I think he’s their leader. A pack leader. Those were his men. I think Blake is different. You can’t communicate with him, and because of that, you can’t communicate with his men. They are their own pack. A large pack.
“Many of his men commented on my smell. No, not smell. Scent. I never understood what they meant.” She met my gaze. “I believe Blake brought those men over because he knew my premonitions would change when I met the right werewolf. They changed after I met you.”
The right wolf. I almost smiled at what she was admitting. She must have realized it, too, because she blushed and looked away.
“Now, I’ve seen actual people in my premonitions, not just stock tips. I think Blake meant to unlock that new piece of my gift. He knows more than we think, not only about my gift but about why Elders can’t communicate with everyone like they should.”
The room remained quiet.
“I think you’re right,” Dad said finally. “He does sound like he knows more.” He looked at Sam and Nana. “But, is it worth the risk to find out what he knows when we have no way of controlling him?”
Sam and Winifred shared a glance.
“These gifted women are rare,” Sam said. “And we have yet to determine why these human women are compatible with us. Are they gifted because they are compatible or are they compatible because they are gifted? Are there other human women out there who are compatible but not gifted? There’s so much we don’t know. Charlene, your gift has never been clear to you; with Gabby less than a month away from leaving for college, I think we need to find out what Blake knows.”
“Gifted?” Michelle said to Mom, then swiveled to look at Sam. “Who’s Gabby?”
Sam reached into his pocket and removed his wallet as Mom answered Michelle’s first question.
“So far, the humans who are compatible with werewolves are gifted.” Michelle eyed Mom, obviously wondering what her gift was.
“Yeah, I can manipulate people’s minds, plant thoughts in there, and make them do what I want. I learned at an early age what I could do wasn’t a good thing and started to fear people would come take me away because of it. So I ran and ended up here.”
“Did anything happen to your ability when you met Thomas?” Michelle asked, absently accepting the picture Sam had plucked from his wallet.
“No,” Mom said. “But when I Claimed him, he changed.” She looked at Dad, and he nodded as if encouraging her to continue. “A pack leader can only hold together a pack size equal to his mental strength. His command needs to encompass the entire group. When it can’t, the members see weakness and leave. So by nature, the pack size remains equal to the power of the alpha. Once I Claimed Thomas, his capacity to control more members grew. Even now, we could welcome more members if they wanted to join us.”
Michelle looked down at the picture in her hand. “This is the girl from my first vision. She was studying. College texts, I think. One of you was lying beside her. A huge dog with a long, shaggy brown coat. I saw her petting him.”
Sam was surprised by that bit of news, and Michelle saw it.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No, no. It’s just…she tolerates coming here but doesn’t really have a fondness for any of us.”
“I guess we just have to see what comes to pass. Maybe it was just a picture of a possibility.” She handed the photo back.
Sam stared down at the picture, a slight smile on his lips. Gabby had been in his care for the past two years. They’d grown close, and, based on the conversations I’d overheard between him and Winifred, he thought of her as his own child. He loved her. Her decision to leave for school hurt him.
“Do you know of a way to reach Blake?” Dad asked.
Michelle started to shake her head but then paused. “There’s a lawyer who seems to be in contact with him.”
“A lawyer?” Dad said.
“Before I ran, my stepfather left me an envelope filled with documents and stuff, including a number for a lawyer. I looked the lawyer up online and sent him an email. He replied right away, asking for a meeting to read Richard’s will. But he mentioned Blake, too, so I never responded.”
“Perhaps we could work through the lawyer,” Mom said hopefully.
“If the Elders can’t communicate with Blake, the only chance we have to get the answers we want is face to face,” Dad said. “Not through a lawyer.”
Sam nodded in agreement but looked troubled. We’d talked ourselves into a circle. We needed to find Blake. The lawyer probably wouldn’t give us his address. And even if he did, we couldn’t face Blake without knowing what we were up against. Michelle thought he was a leader of a large pack. Just how large? Large enough to become a threat to our pack? Up until now, he’d carefully hid his existence from us. If we sent people to try to find out more about him, he’d just as likely evade them. His men had made it obvious back home that they’d only shown themselves because they were after Michelle. That meant the only way to lure Blake out so we could learn more about him was through—
“I need to go back,” she said softly, coming to the same conclusion I had.
Mom and Winifred shared a worried look.
“No, honey,” Mom said. “We’ll think of something else. Now that you’re here, and Nana put out a call about your protection, there’s a possibility he’ll come to you.”
The surge of Michelle’s fear filled the room.
“No. I don’t want Blake here.”
“Michelle, it would be better for you to stay,” Mom said.
“For me, but not for Liam and Aden. They are how he controlled me before. Emmitt said Elders are stronger, more powerful than any other pack member. Maybe one could come with me, and one could stay here,” she said hopefully.
I itched to flatly refuse. But I kept quiet, knowing the Elders wouldn’t endanger a female like this. Better to let them look like the bad guys.
“Neither you nor your brothers will be put at risk if we lure Blake here,” Dad said.
“I understand that you don’t believe so, but you don’t know Blake.”
Michelle’s panic was coating the air, making all of us uncomfortable.
Sam cleared his throat. “Let’s think on this for a while.”
“Not too long,” Michelle said.
“We’ll meet again tonight,” Mom said.
Michelle reluctantly nodded, and I reached over to set a comforting hand on her shoulder. I knew she was worried about her brothers. But no one would get to them here. And no one would get to her. Hopefully she would realize that.
* * * *
We spent the day together. I showed Michelle around the Compound and told her stories from my childhood. We crossed paths with her brothers, Jim, and Paul and Henry several times throughout the morning. Her brothers were always quick to excuse themselves so they could keep playing.
Occasionally people would say hello, and I would introduce her. As the day wore on, Michelle seemed to relax as she continued to meet the people I’d known most my life. I wasn’t naive enough to think she trusted them. But, she didn’t outright fear them, and that was good enough for now.
Gregory and Mary found us while we were on our way to dinner with her brothers. We’d managed to convince the boys to allow us to tag along. However, Michelle was quick to send the cubs ahead when she realized why Gregory and Mary were there.
We didn’t talk as we headed to the soundproofed room. I hated that Michelle was so nervous and afraid and hoped that, after the Elders told her we would stay here, she’d calm a bit. I understood her fears. I really did. But she kept forgetting she had us on her side now. She wasn’t facing Blake on her own.
When we entered, Mom was whispering at Dad, which of course I could hear.
“—have is bad ideas.”
She didn’t say more so I wasn’t sure what she’d meant by that.
Sam and Winifred stood just inside the door with Uncle Grey and Carlos. Uncle Grey closed the door behind us and grinned at Michelle. Carlos nodded to me. It had been years since I’d seen him. He seemed just as serious now as he had back then. Jim and I had done our best to pull him into some of our fun. But he never joined in. We didn’t hold it against him. His past was dark and deep and would take a lifetime to overcome.
I led Michelle to the table. Everyone else took our cue and found their chairs, too.
Both Michelle and I saw the airline tickets on the table at the same time. She was relieved. I was livid. My mom met my gaze, her concern plain. That’s what she’d meant then about bad ideas. Dad and the Elders wanted to send Michelle back into the viper’s nest.
“We spoke at length,” Dad said. “We think an information-gathering trip to your old home, with the protection of an Elder, is a good idea. Those tickets are only if you agree to our plans.”
“Jim and Nana Wini will stay with the boys at all times, as will Mary and Gregory,” he said. “Paul and Henry will be with them, as well, but no other werewolves will be permitted near them as a precaution.”
Michelle nodded slightly. How could she be okay with this?
“While keeping Liam and Aden safe, we will not let them feel isolated. We’ll keep them busy, just like today. In the event something does happen, Mary and Gregory will be their first line of defense, followed by Jim and Nana Wini. At that point, Nana Wini would put a call out. I promise you, the entire pack will answer.”
A jump in Michelle’s pulse reassured me. She wasn’t as okay with this as she seemed. I reached over and took her cold hand in mine. Then, she nodded again, agreeing to the trip.
“Good,” Dad said. “Next, let me introduce you to the men who will be protecting you. This is Carlos and Grey.
“Both Nana Wini and Sam have examined their intentions. In addition to that, I personally vouch for them. Grey is my older brother. He has been with me through many challenges and has never let me down. Carlos has been with the pack since the day he was born. Even as a youth, he displayed tremendous courage and loyalty at the risk of personal harm.
“We don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Either Grey or Emmitt will be with you at all times, and you will not be going to your old home, yourself. The closest we agree you should go is to the city. From there, Carlos will act on your behalf.”
Winifred, this isn’t wise. Sending three of us with her against an unknown number? Why is it suddenly okay to risk a female like this?
Emmitt, I don’t like this decision. Yes, we are risking Michelle. However, continuing as we are without attempting to gain a better understanding of what we face risks us all. We did not reach this decision lightly or without great consideration for the consequences.
“Will Sam be coming with us?” Michelle asked.
Sam smiled slightly. “Grey is an Elder and can communicate with us as needed.”
“Oh. I thought there were just two Elders,” she said.
Michelle is at least thinking sensibly. A second Elder should accompany us. Here, pack numbers will keep everyone safe. When we leave, we won’t have that. She won’t have that.
Winifred frowned slightly as she answered Michelle.
“No. Although, our numbers do concern me.”
Sam heaved a sigh but didn’t speak.
“I think we need to give it consideration,” Winifred said, looking at Sam then Grey.
“Give what consideration?” Michelle asked.
“There is a candidate waiting to become an Elder,” she said with reservation.
“Waiting?” I said, almost laughing. Waiting seemed the wrong word to describe the hold the Elders had put on initiating Jim and Carlos.
You know both Jim and Carlos would take the oath now, I sent Winifred. Both are more than ready.
You’re not an Elder to make that decision. And, they are not the only candidates.
“We can’t communicate with this candidate like we should and hesitate to allow him to take the oath,” Grey said, speaking for the first time.
“He might be the key,” Sam said. “What Winifred experienced when those two came to challenge has been noticed before.” He sighed. “But, never to the degree she experienced. We don’t give commands very often. We believe in free will, so we’ve never tested the completeness of our communication with each individual. We just send out information when it’s needed.”
He looked at Winifred. “What you discovered is a bigger issue. We need to think of the possibilities. The candidate with this communication limitation might be able to communicate with the others like him.”
Who is he talking about?
Winfred gave me an annoyed look before silently answering.
Joshua.
Joshua was relatively new to the pack. I’d met him. He was older and quiet. Seemed nice enough. But Michelle was more likely to trust someone she knew.
Jim would be a better—
We are not sending a second Elder. And I will not allow either Jim or Carlos to become an Elder until they’ve aged past the point of looking for a Mate.
Winifred turned to Michelle.
“An Elder has vast power and a huge responsibility to that power,” she said. “When a candidate approaches us, we inspect their mind thoroughly. If we allowed a candidate to take the oath without making sure their intentions were honest and true, they could die. When we take our oath, we are bound to serve the pack’s best interest. Always. Our decisions may not be right all of the time, but they must be made with the right intentions. If we ever did anything knowing it would cause the pack harm, or wasn’t in the pack’s best interest, we would die instantly. It’s the tie to all of our kind that controls us as much as we control them.”
“So, because you can’t inspect his mind, you don’t know his intentions?”
“He’s been waiting for three years. He has studied with each of us. We’ve tested him in many ways, but we haven’t been able to inspect his mind. We can touch areas of it, just like I was able to with the two who appeared last night, but not all of it. And, just like the two who appeared, he can choose to ignore a direct command.”
“So, if he’s an Elder, he might be able to control them?” Michelle speculated.
“He might. Or, he may die taking the oath,” Sam said.
“We can decide this later,” Mom said. “Right now, we need to finalize the trip. I still think it’s too dangerous for Michelle, even with an Elder along. No offense intended, Grey.”
Grey winked at Mom but remained quiet.
“I think it’s worth the risk,” Michelle said quietly.
“All right,” Dad said, standing. “The flight leaves at ten a.m. We’ll see you at breakfast.”
Michelle shook as she stood. Mom saw it and quickly hugged her.
I couldn’t see Michelle’s face, but I saw my mom’s. Her eyes widened and she paled. Her breathing grew shallow, and she met my gaze.
“Mom?”
She opened her mouth but only managed a gasp.
“Michelle?” I said, reaching to pull her away from Mom. Michelle wasn’t holding Mom tightly so it was easy to pry them apart. But as soon as I did, Mom’s legs gave out. Dad caught her on her way down.
Michelle came to herself and made a distressed sound when she saw Mom on the floor. As Michelle moved to kneel down by Mom, I caught her by the arm and tugged her away.
“No,” I said, gently. Something happened when the two of them touched. That much was obvious.
Dad tapped Mom’s cheek. “Charlene,” he said. “Come on, honey. Open those pretty eyes.”
“What happened?” Michelle asked, turning back to me.
“One minute she was hugging you, the next she started breathing funny and fainted. Did you have another vision?”
“Yes. No.” She glanced back at Mom. “It was different. I think my ability is changing again, but I don’t know how or why. I think I did that to her.”
She looked so worried and afraid that I didn’t have the heart to agree with her.
Mom made a small sound of denial as she came to.
“No, it’s just part of my gift,” Mom lied while Dad helped her up. “I’ll tell you about it some other time. You need to go spend time with your brothers. I’m fine.”
She didn’t look fine. She looked pale and shaky as she moved to sit on a chair.
But, it was obvious she didn’t want Michelle to worry. I gave Michelle’s hand a quiet squeeze of reassurance.
“She’s stronger than she looks,” Dad said to both of us.
“She’s still here and listening,” Mom said with a roll of her eyes. I winked at her before nudging Michelle toward the door. Dad would probably want to have a private word with Mom.
“Michelle, could I have a moment with you? Privately?” Dad asked.
I stopped and looked at Dad. He was entirely serious. What did he have to say to her that he couldn’t say in front of me? What was so important he had to say it now when Mom was still recovering from whatever had happened?
Dad glanced meaningfully at the door. I scowled and, without much choice, left the room.
I paced in the hallway and wondered what was being said behind the closed door. If I were lucky, Dad was trying to talk Michelle out of going on this trip. Somehow, I doubted that.
When the handle moved, I stopped my pacing and faced the door. Mom and Dad walked out first. Then I saw Michelle. Her face was flushed, and embarrassment oozed from her. What the hell?
She didn’t look at me but gave a small wave to Mom. Mom gave a small smile in return and walked away, letting Dad support her.
Alone, I took Michelle’s hand in mine and tipped her chin so she would face me. She gave me a half-smile and nodded toward the end of the hall where my parents had disappeared.
“Let’s go eat.”
Although I knew something important had been discussed, I didn’t ask. She would tell me when she was ready.
Together, we walked to the commons. Her brothers were waiting for us. As we ate, they talked excitedly about everything they’d discovered during their day. It didn’t take them long to finish their meals. To their disappointment, Michelle insisted they come back to the apartment with us. We played a few games of Go Fish before getting ready for bed.
She went to bed with them, snuggling them tightly. I tried not to let my disappointment show as I went to our room alone.
