Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ihadn’t seen Laney in days, which made me feel nervous and on edge. Like a caged lion wanting to break free. I didn’t realize what those little glimpses of her meant to me until she was gone. Until I’d scared her off.
But she’d texted me back Saturday night, and everything changed.
We ended up texting for hours.
I liked texting with her. Since we weren’t in each other’s presence, dealing with our intense physical attraction, we could actually get to know one another. A shocking concept.
She explained that she’d gone home for the weekend because she needed more insulin.
It took everything in me not to comment on that one.
I wondered if she might be testing me to see if I could behave rationally after losing it in the library.
Adan had told me he made some headway with Laney, and she was considering the possibility that her medicine wasn’t insulin.
He suggested that I back off and give her time.
She’d gone her entire life believing one thing, making it difficult for her to come to terms with it being a lie.
Especially since that lie involved her parents, the two people she loved and trusted most in the world.
When Adan revealed her mom made the insulin, I’d almost lost it and shifted right there on the spot.
While it went against my nature, I was forcing myself to let her figure it out.
Laney was on her way back to campus, and I really wanted to see her when she got here.
But I couldn’t. I needed to give her space and time to willingly come to me.
Until she did, I’d keep texting. Or playing online games with her on our phones.
I invited her to play a game of pool, and she accepted.
She was currently kicking my ass. She’d won two rounds. We were on a third.
Danny knocked on my open door. “Got a sec?” he asked.
Waving him in, I took my turn, then texted Laney to hang on a minute.
I stayed lying on my bed, my head propped on a pillow. “What’s up?” I set my phone on my chest and folded my hands behind my head.
“Have you updated your dad about the Laney situation?” He leaned against the doorframe.
“I have.” And I’d begged for more time. He’d only agreed because Adan had backed me up saying that he, too, believed she was innocent and had no idea about our world. “My dad gave me another week to see what we come up with.”
Danny nodded, as if he already knew that. “What’s your plan?”
“Adan said she’s questioning her insulin. I’m hoping she’ll learn it isn’t what she thinks it is, and she’ll come to me.” I still didn’t know what I’d tell her, what I could tell her. But she deserved to hear the truth.
“And then what?” he asked.
“Then I’ll let my dad know she isn’t a threat to us.”
“Is that what you think?”
“It’s what I know,” I said harsher than I’d intended.
“Adan mentioned the mom might be involved. Don’t you think that’s concerning?”
“The mom is human and is not our problem,” I ground out. “All I care about is Laney. She is innocent and not a threat to me or anyone in the pack.”
“All right.” He straightened. “Let me know if you need help with anything.” He turned and headed down the hall to his room.
I knew Danny meant well. As my second, he was right to privately question me without me getting all pissy about it.
I picked up my phone and resumed my game with Laney. I wasn’t going to lose again.
After two more rounds, both of which I won, thank you very much, Laney texted that they’d arrived at campus, and she had to go.
Since I was starving, I headed downstairs for a snack. Jacob, Adan, and Danny were all sitting at the table eating leftover casserole.
“Where’d we get that?” I asked, taking a plate and scooping some onto it.
“Riley’s mom brought it when she visited,” Adan said around a mouthful of food. “Don’t know what it’s called, but it’s good.”
I sat and ate my food in a couple of bites. I was still hungry. Restless. “Anyone up for a run?”
“Hell yeah.” Jacob slapped me on my back. “Count me in.”
Adan and Danny agreed.
After we put our dishes in the sink, we headed out back.
“I need to run run,” Jacob said.
“Let’s hit the northern forest,” Danny suggested. “We haven’t been through there in a few weeks.”
I led them around the house, jogging to warm up our bodies before we shifted. We headed down the street and to the nearby cemetery, which was the easiest way to get to the forest. We couldn’t do anything until we were under the cover of the trees, hidden from view.
Since it was dark, no one was around. As I ran across the grass, dodging headstones, my muscles burned with anticipation. It had been far too long since I’d let loose with my packmates.
I crossed the tree line, entering the forest. After another ten feet, I stopped to remove my clothes. Then I took off and shifted. One minute human, the next wolf. Not missing a step, I kept running, letting out a howl.
My muscles quickly adjusted, now more powerful, picking up the pace. My eyesight and hearing were now a hundred times better than before. I wound between the trees, never stumbling, never hesitating. Since we’d all shifted, we could communicate telepathically.
Danny was right on my hind legs, Jacob behind him, and Adan bringing up the rear.
We ran for miles.
A strange smell bombarded me. I slowed, coming to a halt and sniffing the air.
“What the fuck?” Jacob thought to all of us. “Is that another pack?”
That was exactly what he smelled. The closest pack lived in Virginia.
If they came north for a trip, they would have run it by my dad first. But Dad hadn’t said anything to me about other wolves potentially being in the area.
Even though our pack didn’t permanently reside here, they were within one hundred miles.
No wolf should step foot into New York without speaking to our alpha first. Unease took root.
It was my job to protect those of my pack here at Stonemore.
“There is definitely more than one wolf,” Danny said.
“What do you think they’re doing here?” Adan asked. “Passing through?”
No one answered as the four of us sniffed around. The hair on my back stood on end, sensing danger.
Our pack needed to know about this threat as soon as possible. I didn’t want anyone caught off guard. What scared me was Laney. There was no logical reason they’d be here for her. However, my intuition told me she was involved somehow. An overwhelming need to protect her arose within me.
“Should we head back?” Danny asked, probably worried about Emily. She was the only one of us who didn’t live with a fellow packmate.
We needed to act quickly. “Yes. Danny and Jacob, get back to the school. Gather our pack and make sure they’re accounted for and safe. Adan, you’re with me. We’re going to investigate.”
“What about Caleb?” Danny asked.
“I’ll let him know once I return and have more information.”
“Be careful,” Danny said before he and Jacob took off running back the way we’d come.
“What about Laney?” Adan asked, his voice tight with panic.
While I wanted to run to her dorm to check on her, I couldn’t lead these wolves straight to her. Right now, we needed to know who they were and why they were here. Once the threat was neutralized, I’d check on Laney.
“Let’s hope she has nothing to do with this,” I said. I took off at a slow trot, tracking the scent and trying to figure out how long it had been since they’d passed through here. The scent was strong enough that it must have been within the last two hours.
As I followed the smell through the forest, I was able to determine there were four wolves. All from the same pack. One of them smelled familiar. I sniffed again.
“Fuck.” I realized why the one was familiar. It was the wolf who’d attacked Laney that night. Which meant he’d either returned for her or for me, since I’d attacked him and forced him to leave.
“What is it?” Adan asked, moving closer to me to protect my flank.
“Be prepared for a fight.” If the wolf did anything to hurt Laney, I’d kill him. Fury and fear rose within, making me agitated. I needed to make sure Laney was all right, but I had to protect my pack. Staying on course, I headed directly for the wolves up ahead, about a mile away.
“Are they in human or wolf form?” Adan asked.
“Wolf.” Which meant only I’d be able to communicate with them, since I was an alpha.
“Maybe we should shift to human form so things don’t get out of hand?” Adan suggested.
While that seemed like a reasonable idea, it wouldn’t happen. “Sorry, but I’m not facing them naked.”
“How do you want to handle this?” Adan asked as we neared the wolves. They’d stopped, probably because they heard us approaching.
Out of all my packmates at Stonemore, Adan was the smallest wolf. But he was wicked fast and good at reading situations and people.
“I’m going to play it by ear. Just stay close, keep your eyes open, and be prepared to fight.” Two against four wouldn’t normally be good odds, but since I was an alpha, that probably put us on equal footing.
I released a low growl, letting them know who they were dealing with.
“It’s not often someone is brave enough to pass through our lands without letting us know beforehand,” I thought into the minds of the four wolves spread out ahead of us.
I advanced, wanting to get close enough so they’d know they didn’t intimidate me.
Since I’d spoken in their minds, they knew I was an alpha.
They couldn’t attack me without there being serious consequences.
I stopped about ten feet away, Adan on my right flank.
Letting myself feel them, I breathed in their scents and absorbed it all.
One of them I recognized as the wolf who’d attacked Laney.
The other three I’d never seen before. The one had a strong smell and gave off waves of authority.
He wasn’t an alpha, but there was something about him.
“We are not required to tell you anything,” the one in the middle said into my mind.