Chapter One Hundred–Fifty–Four
RAINIER
My ears twitch in the soft breeze that floats between the trees. While following the ridgeline and the trail of the intruding wolves, WE scented something even more disturbing. Humans that bear fire from their arms. Our Alpha sent us to investigate and one of us was almost caught. We were just about to converge on the shooters when we heard his Gamma cry of warning. Circling back for him, we found him freed by a human fentale. Her aura was much different than the shooters and so we left her to head away from the danger. Even though our brother didn’t want to leave her, he did. But I was watching him as we ran together, and I could sense his mind wandering back to her. Perhaps he feared for her safety. After all, she did free him. Something humans rarely do when it might mean their own skin.
Now, we are racing through the hills behind the city. Howling as we run toward the beaches where yet another foreign wolf’s scent seemed to permeate. Will will track this wolf as far as we can and then return to the shooters. It is our duty to protect these hills and forests. As well as the creatures that live within. They caught something. We heard it. A lioness cried out into the dark. It sounded like they shot her and although we knew she was probably dead, that didn’t mean the humans could be allowed to leave after such a crime.
No. We would find them and we would tear them apart.
Something in the breeze catches my attention. A smell so sweet I stutter my steps and veer left, away from my pack, I can’t explain what’s just come over me, or why I suddenly have to find the source of the sweetness. Images flash through my mind as I descend the hillside, causing me to growl in frustration at the unwelcome thoughts. There is something down there that I wanted. Something I’d forgotten until that smell found its way into the wind. But now, as I’m remembering, a face flashes before my eyes and I let loose with a how to signal that I’ve changed course. My human is down there somewhere. My… mate.
-FELIX
Oh no! No! Hector?
As inconspicuous as I can, I tiptoe back toward the har entrance. I make it almost the entire way before the crunch of gravel behind me
freezes me on the spot.
“Hello Felix,” a cold voice sounds at my back and my entire body shudders.
I keep walking at first, thinking that he hasn’t seen my face and that if I can just get back inside everything might be okay. I can pretend that I m not Felix and he can fucken leave. I’m close, just a couple feet left to go and I’ll be safely hidden behind that heavy metal door.
“I know it’s you,” he says calmly. Td know that ass anywhere. Turn around.”
Fuck. I have to do it. I have to turn around. If I don’t… who knows what he might do.
“Antman,” I say calmly, not wanting him to see how just the sight of him frightens me.
He’s bigger than the others Hector and his friends. I’ve always tried my best to steer clear of him and it wasn’t too hard to do because he was always busy. Antman isn’t the same kind of threat that Hector is. Both are pretty awful in their own right, but Antman is altogether worse. He’s not a gang leader like Hector, not exactly. Antman is the one they go to, to settle disputes between rival neighborhoods. His word is law in some parts of Southern California and the only people who know about him are the people who run his underground
network. Hector is one of those.
Antman smiles, flashing a full set of pearly white teeth as he saunters toward me. His thick black hair is neatly trimmed as always, his tribal tattoos and muscles on full display beneath a crisp white tank top. Doesn’t he ever get cold? Maybe not, considering he has ice in his blood.
“What are you doing here, babydoll? Where is my boy? Where is Hector
“He’s in jail,” I say matter of factly. “He was arrested for a shooting at this club down
n the street.”
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“Is that right?” he says, his face wrinkling with irritation. “Well, we’ll go and get him out then. Come on.”
I don’t move, racking my brain for an excuse to get back upstairs and call Draven. “How did you find us if Hector didn’t call you?” I ask, slowly taking a step backward while he’s facing the Cadillac
He laughs, then shrugs. “That would fall into the category of my little secret,” he snaps. And while we’re an secrets- why don’t you tell me how it is that you’re holding up in some bar that Hector’s car has been parked behind for three days. Is this where he was arrested?” he asks, stepping closer. “Are you the one who called it in?‘
I shake my head, not liking where his mind is going. “No! Don’t be ridiculous. I wasn’t even here when he was arrested. He ditched me outside of the club after one of his bullets grazed my shoulder. I was taken to the hospital with some other guy.”
“He ditched you,” he repeated, his eyebrows drawing together. “Just left my property in the parking lot of some club. That’s not good. He’ll definitely be answering for that. Now let’s go.”
He turns around and I use the moment to step back toward the bar the whip around to open the door. Suddenly, I’m shoved from behind and I go slamming into the bar door. The air is knocked from my lungs as Antman’s heavy body crashes into mine from behind.
His bot breath fans across my cheeks: “Dumb move, babydoll. I mean, reilly stupid.” He grabs the back of my head and slams it forward into the doog so hard stars sparkle across my vision and my body goes mashing into the ground. Antman leans over the and spits, “You fucking cunt. You think you can just do whatever you want? Did you forget that I own you? That pussy and that ass – they belong to me. And as long as you’re able to fuck, I will sell you. When your tits finally drop, and your sweet little cunt runs dry- that is when I will set you free. The way you behave between now and then will decide whether you leave my shackles with a fat severance check or in a pine box. Now get your fucken ass up and let’s go get my boy.”
I whimper, dragging myself up off the ground slowly, my limbs protesting and my head throbbing. Once on my feet, I sway a bit and Antman snatches me by my hair, dragging me toward Hector’s Cadillac. He throws me against the passenger door and traps me between his arms, his cold black eyes locking on my neck
“It looks like you’ve been earning a few bucks on the side, babydoll. Is that what you’re doing up in that bar? Huh? Have you been fucking the owner of that place? I shake my head no and he snickers. “I’m not rupid bitch. After we get Hector, I’ll bring you back down here and we’ll take what he owes me out of whatever’s inside. Now get in.”
“You don’t own me,” I whisper as he turns around, not really surprised when he doesn’t hear me. I didn’t say it for him. I said it for me.
Glancing up at the apartment window, with its light still on glowing warm against the night, I say goodbye. For a minute there, I had chance to have everything I wanted. In the back of my mind, I wonder if Rainier will look for me when he sees that I am gone. Don’t do that to yourself, Felix. Don’t hope for a rescue that will kely never come
As Antman walks around to the other door a wolf howls again and I catch my breath. This time… the wolf is much closer. Even Antman freezes in his steps, his body turning toward the woods behind the parking lot.
“What the fuck was that?” he snaps, pulling a
pulling a gun from his belt and watching the trees.
“Sounded like a wolf,” I say flatly and he glares.
“Yeah–uh–huh, thank you
you Crocodile Dundee,” he cocks his gun and begins to walk more slowly toward the driver’s side of the car.
I have to fight a laugh because he looks so afraid and I cover my mouth with both hands to suppress a giggle.
“Lets just get the fuck out of here,” he snaps, noticing my amusement.
Lowering his gun, he makes it two more steps before a huge black and brown woll leaps from the trees, growling and snarling as it stalks toward the car. I gasp in shock, the animal is hugel Like… enormous. I always knew wolves were bigger than dogs, but I never know how much bigger. This beast is almost large enough to ride.
“Holy fucking shit,” Antman hisses. “What the fuck was Hector thinking coming out here? Get in the car. Hurry up. He takes a step toward
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the dover side door slowly and the moment he does the wolf
seading
If you tire ever going to put your instincts to the test, Felt Now’s the time at Atman. He’s completely focused on the wolf and so scared I can see the gun trembling in his hand, I take a few silent step back toward the bar and toward the wold
Im not going with you, I say loudly, meeting the yellow and black eye of the wolf as I step past the trunk of the Car
The words from Rainier’s letter ring through my head…I went to find your wolf and suddenly I’m confident the animal won’t hurt me
“Bitch are you crazy?”“” Antman trupi.
The wolf snarls again, growling as he places himself between me and Atman. Now that I am this close to him, I feed it. There is something unexplainable and undeniable between us. A pull so great that I’m tempted to place my hand on its for. It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever experienced and right then I know, I never want to leave this place.
Antman shouts, “First I’ll kill this fucken dog bitch, and then I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!
“No!” I scream as the wolf leaps toward him and the shot from his gun fills the air.
