Spared (Shadowed Heirs #7)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

the assignment

MATTY

“Come in!” I call out in response to the knock at my door, swiping a hand over my chin while continuing to stare at the brightly colored poster affixed to the wall above my desk.

I’m just not one of those people who ‘gets’ art. I know it’s subjective and is supposed to make you feel something, but all I feel when I look at this poster is the urge to take it down. The overlapping shapes are messy, the contrasting colors far too bold.

Chaotic. That’s how it makes me feel, and I don’t like it.

The door swings open, the soles of Cam’s boots clomping against the floor as he enters the room and strides in my direction. I’ve been expecting him, but even if I hadn’t been, it was a safe bet that he’d be the one knocking. He’s the only one who ever comes by my dorm room at the squad complex.

I’ve been living here amongst the werewolves for a few weeks now, and suffice to say that it hasn’t been easy fitting in.

For one, I’m human, and for two, I used to be part of an organization that’s sole objective was eradicating their species.

I was never fully committed to The Guild’s cause, but that doesn’t excuse my involvement.

I can’t blame the people who still look at me like I’m the enemy.

Just means I’ll have to work harder to change their minds.

Cam steps up beside me, brow furrowing as he joins me in staring at the new addition to my wall. “What the hell is that?” he scoffs, his upper lip curling back from his teeth.

“A poster,” I answer simply. “Luna… er, Avery said I should get one, remember?”

“Well yeah, but why that one?”

I shrug a shoulder. “It was listed as a top five bestseller on the website.”

Cam narrows his eyes scrupulously. “What is it?”

“No idea,” I murmur, shrugging again. “It’s supposed to be abstract, so I guess it’s up for interpretation?”

“Hm,” he grunts, shaking his head as he takes one last look at the poster, then swivels to face me. “Well, if you like it, that’s all that matters,” he declares, clapping a hand down on my shoulder. “You ready to head over?”

“For sure,” I breathe, stabbing my fingers through my hair as I tear my gaze from my new ‘art’.

Maybe it’ll grow on me after a while. As sad as it sounds, I’ve lived by a set of rules for so long that I don’t even know what I like versus what’s been ingrained in me.

It’s about time I started to figure it out.

Cam leads the way out of my room, the two of us trekking the hallways from the dorms to the opposite wing of the squad complex.

Today’s the first of my new job assignment.

I’ll be working IT for the newly minted hunter taskforce, and I’m eager to hit the ground running.

As nice as it is for the six-pack to provide me with room and board, I feel compelled to contribute in some way and earn my keep.

I need some sense of purpose to latch onto now that my entire future is a blank slate.

Between my strict military upbringing and the ultimatum I was given after graduating high school– follow in my father’s footsteps and join the miliary, or join my uncle in The Guild– I’ve never had any control over my own destiny.

Then The Guild’s safehouse was bombed, and with the death notices sent out to the families of the soldiers, I was presented with a rare opportunity to start fresh.

I chose to ‘die’ so I could have the freedom to truly live.

For the first time, there isn’t a plan laid out for me to follow. There’s no rules or expectations; nobody dictating what I can or can’t do with my life. It’s truly mine, and though I haven’t decided exactly what I’m going to do yet, I plan to make the most of it.

“Cam, Matty,” a pretty brunette greets as she passes us in the hall, wiggling her fingers in a little wave.

“Hey, Gia,” I reply cheerfully, beaming her a smile.

Before actually living amongst them, I was aware of the differences between werewolves and humans from my time with The Guild.

They’ve got heightened senses, rapid healing, increased strength, and, most importantly, the ability to transform from human to animal– all attributes that make them genetically superior.

What I never realized before, though, is how that also extends to the way they look.

Every girl here is fucking beautiful, and Gia is no exception.

Cam elbows me in the ribs, smirking when he sees the dopey grin on my face. “Friend of yours?”

“We’ve sat at the same table in the dining hall a few times,” I reply, shrugging.

“Mmhmm,” he hums as his smirk deepens.

I wave him off with a chuckle.

Truthfully, other than Cam and his girlfriend, I’m not sure I’d classify anyone I’ve met here as a ‘friend’ just yet.

Lots of people have been friendly, but less of them talk to me now that the novelty of having a human in their ranks has worn off.

Some still haven’t talked to me at all since I’m former Guild.

Regardless of which camp they’re in, I’d rather it be based on who I am rather than what I am.

And yeah, considering how I used to hunt werewolves because of what they are, the irony of that isn’t lost on me.

“Here it is,” Cam announces, nodding toward the open door on the left and gesturing for me to enter ahead of him.

I step through, glancing around the space and taking it all in.

There are several desks and tables inside– some furnished with computers, others set up as open workspaces– as well as a lounge area in the back, complete with cushy looking sofas and a mounted flatscreen TV.

Stepping up to the pair of desks at the front of the room, I drum my fingers against the surface, glancing back at Cam over my shoulder.

“Assuming this is where I’ll be?”

He nods. “Yep, you and your partner will be up here,” he confirms, then points toward the only other desks with computers toward the back of the room.

“That’s my desk there, and the other is Avery’s.

The rest of the taskforce are squad fighters, so they’ll only be here for meetings from time to time. ”

“Cool,” I say, glancing around the room once more before turning to face Cam. “Thanks again for this. I won’t let you down.”

“You’re the best man for the job, simple as that,” he replies curtly, dipping his chin.

I’m not sure if that’s true, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Cam’s still finding his own place here. He fits in better than I do since he’s a half-blooded werewolf and mated to one of their own, but his former Guild affiliation still follows him.

He didn’t have to stick his neck out for me and get me the job with this taskforce, but I’m glad he did.

I’m looking forward to working with him again.

“Hey, guys,” a female voice sing-songs, accompanied by the gentle rap of knuckles against the doorframe.

Cam and I simultaneously pivot toward the door as Lo Anderson steps in, her blonde hair in twin French braids and a friendly smile stretching her lips.

Lo’s the head of IT for the security squad, and she’s just as brilliant as she is beautiful.

We’ve worked together several times over the past couple weeks to reconcile The Guild’s accounts and scrub their servers.

I’m not sure if we’re friends, but we’re friendly.

“This is Blair,” Lo says, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “She’ll be the other half of your IT team.”

She steps aside, and my heart skips a damn beat when I see the raven-haired smoke show that enters behind her. After living with only dudes for the past year, I swear every pretty girl I see is a shock to my system.

Pretty doesn’t seem like the right word to describe this one, though. Blair is stunning– so much so that I forget how to even speak for a moment, just staring at her like a dumb mute as she advances into the room and surveys the interior.

She definitely doesn’t look the part of an IT geek.

She’s dressed like a punk rock princess in a short plaid skirt, ripped fishnets, and a skintight cropped tee, all in black.

Dark eyeliner lines her espresso eyes, her full lips painted a deep maroon.

Though her stature is petite, she’s got dangerous curves, and there’s a sharp edge to her that only adds to the appeal.

“Blair, this is Matty,” Lo says by way of introduction, nodding toward me. “He’s the other half of the IT team for the hunter taskforce.”

“Hi,” I greet, extending a hand as I take a step toward her.

Fuck, she’s even prettier up close.

Blair wrinkles her nose, lip curling in distaste as her gaze drops to my hand. “Him?” she scoffs, dark eyes pinging back up and locking with mine.

“Were you expecting someone else?” I ask with an uncomfortable chuckle.

“I wasn’t expecting a hunter,” she scowls.

“Former hunter,” I clarify, winking.

She snorts a wry laugh. “Is that supposed to make it better somehow?”

I retract my hand since she’s obviously not going to shake it, my smile dissolving as I shift my weight awkwardly.

“Uh, is this gonna be a problem?” Lo murmurs, flickering a nervous glance between the two of us.

“What, him working here?” Blair asks, snapping her head toward Lo. “Probably a conflict of interest, dontcha think?”

“Our former Guild affiliation is the reason we’re doing this,” Cam cuts in, stepping up beside me. “Not only do Matty and I have insider knowledge that’ll help us track down any Guild affiliates, but we’ve got amends to make. Wrongs to right.”

Blair turns her gaze on him, chewing on the inside of her cheek as a tense silence falls over the room.

“So, I’ll leave you to it, then?” Lo asks tentatively as she slowly starts backing toward the door. As soon as Cam nods back at her, she dips out, fleeing the command center for the IT hub across the hall.

Cam clears his throat as he glances between Blair and I, pointing out the pair of desks at the front of the room again. “You two can go ahead and get logged in. Once you do, you’ll find a folder with a task list you can dig into, and I’ll be over there at my desk if you have any questions.”

As displeased as she seems with the situation, Blair follows his orders, stepping over to the nearest desk and dropping into the chair with an annoyed sigh. She focuses her gaze on the computer monitor, clicking the mouse to wake the computer up.

Guess I should get to work, too.

I glance toward Cam and the two of us share a look before going our separate ways, him to his desk at the back of the room and me to the one opposite Blair’s. I sink into the wheeled computer chair, grabbing for the mouse and going through the motions of getting logged in.

The silence in the room is deafening. Every click of the mouse sets my teeth on edge, the tension in the air thickening even further. It doesn’t help that mine and Blair’s desks face one another. Every time I lift my gaze, I see her over the top of my monitor, staring at her own screen.

“So, which pack are you from?” I ask in an attempt at idle conversation.

“Why, you plan on setting up another attack?” she snaps back, eyes darting up to mine.

“I think we might have got off on the wrong foot,” I sigh. “We’re on the same side here.”

She cocks a dark brow. “Are we?”

“Yeah,” I reply, head bobbing up and down in an emphatic nod. “I mean, I’ve made mistakes, but I’m on the right side of things now, and I…”

Blair slaps her palms against the desk, pushing up to her feet with an angry huff.

“So you think you can be forgiven, just like that?” she spits, lips twisting in a scowl.

“People may forgive, but they don’t forget.

You hunters took everything from some of us.

” Her dark hair whips behind her as she spins around, storming out of the command center.

My mouth falls open as I stare after her, realization slowly dawning on me.

I’ve seen grief before. The Guild lost a lot of men the night of the full moon massacre, and many of those left behind didn’t take it well. Cam lost his best friend that night. He turned into a shell of his former self after, angry at the world.

“Who did she lose?” I ask hesitantly, glancing back at Cam over my shoulder.

He looks up at me from behind the screen of his computer, wincing as he replies, “Her mate.”