Chapter 5
TWO CENTURIES LATER...
The compound’s vast expanse called to the distant, constant companion who was also a part of himself.
Mark Garner stamped down on the animal in him as it clawed to be let out.
Its attempts were an exercise in futility as always.
There was no way for him to do the most natural thing for a werewolf: transform into his most powerful self.
The connection was broken, the wires in his psyche crossed, and nothing he did could fix it.
A distant howl reached his ears, and tears he didn’t think he could still shed prickled his eyes.
That wasn’t a werewolf. They were close enough to Yellowstone National Park to hear and sometimes see their distant, smaller animal cousins.
He’d loved running with them as a child before they’d been hunted to near extinction, and as much as he enjoyed the more recent resurgence of wild wolves, he was starting to hate the wonderful call of the animal seeking to connect with him.
The cold air stabbed at his face, and the wolf in him howled its disapproval.
As if sensing the animal trapped in him, Yellowstone’s wolves howled, the perfect synchrony of their chorus speaking to his trapped wolf like never before.
The full moon was high, illuminating the land his family had called home for centuries, long before humans imposed themselves on it.
It was colder now, the snow blanketing the trees to offer additional camouflage.
The leaves were almost all gone, the ground peppered with the white of impending winter.
Mark drew his coat tighter against his body, pushing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
He breathed in the cold air, trying to calm his restless animal self.
He wanted nothing more than to transform, to run with the others, but he’d been robbed of the ability. Now, every time his wolf clawed at the barrier keeping him at bay, Mark endured a sadness, a burden his family tried to, but could never understand.
He shifted his stance when the sound of rustling leaves reached his ears, but he wasn’t alarmed.
It was only Dean, his older brother. The Prime Alpha.
The monstrous white wolf stepped out of cover, its giant paws leaving indelible marks on the snow-covered ground.
It stopped a few paces away from Mark and shook its giant head.
The other wolves, eight in total, followed their Prime Alpha’s lead as he transformed into human form with a grace that should be impossible for the large animal.
Mark’s heart ached at how easy the transformation came for his brother, for all the others. His brother tilted his head, blue eyes studying him and tears threatening, Mark looked away from the intense scrutiny.
The Prime Alpha nodded for the others to go inside their home, but he remained, studying Mark. His nakedness was not unfamiliar to Mark. Losing your clothes every time you transformed meant werewolves were comfortable with nudity.
“Any problems?” Dean was a master at avoiding tense subjects, and Mark thanked his brother for trying to disguise the pity hiding behind intense stares and easy smiles.
He couldn’t trust his voice, so he shook his head.
Dean raised an eyebrow, hands on his lean hips. His brother stood head and shoulders above everyone Mark had ever met. He was big in human form and huge in wolf-form, a bulk he was well known for using as an instrument of intimidation.
His brother’s Alpha influence reached past his brokenness to soothe his restless wolf.
He shook his head again. “Stop it, Dean.”
His brother relented, a bashful smile replacing concern. “Just checking…” He smiled, the kind of smile that hid how powerful and dangerous he was, and charmed everyone who encountered it. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
Mark was engulfed in his brother’s embrace before he could find an excuse to remain outside. Sometimes it was best to give Dean what he wanted. Goddess knew he was well capable of taking it.
Mark allowed his brother to lead him through the front door of their giant house.
The ranch-style twelve-bedroom, ten-bath mansion housed the Prime Alpha, his family, and the Werewolf Council.
Wolves are a social, communal species and are never too far away from each other.
When the world became too crowded thanks to human overpopulation, it became necessary to find ways to remain close without drawing too much attention.
History had taught all non-human species that humans didn’t respond too well to that which is different, and there was no need for bloodshed.
A cloaking spell around the house made it invisible to any human wandering too close.
Only werewolves, vampires, and the witches responsible for the spell could see and enter the home.
The inability of ancient humans to co-exist with the supernatural had necessitated this hide-in-plain-sight strategy.
The familiarity of the house warmed Mark to the core, and as his wolf bowed to the more dominant Prime Alpha and settled down, he felt more like himself, his human self at least.
Unconcerned with his nudity, Dean led them to the main kitchen.
Ava, the young Omega who worked in the kitchen, gasped when she saw them, her stance shifting to submission.
All wolves followed suit, responding to the Prime Alpha’s dominance in a predictable fashion.
Mark had long ago learned to resist the urge, only because he and Dean were close, and as a member of his brother’s governing council, he needed to speak his mind.
Sometimes, the ever-present Prime Alpha’s influence made it difficult to disagree with him.
Mark elbowed his brother’s ribs. “Couldn’t you get dressed first?”
Dean shrugged. “I’m too hungry.”
He pulled the fridge door open and proceeded to rummage through its contents, oblivious to the effect he had on the other wolves.
Sometimes, he did it on purpose to remind everyone of his authority.
Not that it was necessary. It was enough that he could control every wolf in this house, every wolf on the planet, with a single thought.
Mark snorted his laughter when his brother pulled out a raw steak, slapped it onto a plate, and beckoned him to follow. His brother was stalling. They needed to discuss something important, and given the discomfort he could sense in Dean’s casual facade, Mark wasn’t going to like it.
Still, he followed his brother to his bedroom, kept silent as Dean took a large bite of the raw steak and wiped away its juices from his chin with a large hand. Dean placed the now half-steak on the bedside table and grabbed his jeans.
“OK. What is it?” Whatever it was, it was best to deal with it.
Dean shrugged. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”
Mark leaned against the door jamb. He may have lost his wolf’s heightened senses, but he knew his brother, and this was how he acted when he was worried and didn’t want to advertise his fear. “Dean…”
His brother swallowed the latest bite of his steak, grabbed a T-shirt, but neglected to put it on. Instead, the sturdy mattress on his huge bed dipped as he all but crashed onto it.
Mark straightened, worry seeping into his bones. What could be so scary that it had the all-powerful Prime Alpha behaving so unlike his usual self-assured self?
Dean’s sigh reverberated through the room, and he nodded towards the door. “Close the door.”
Mark’s breath caught as he obeyed his Prime Alpha’s command. He’d long learned to respond to both sides of his older brother. Calm, carefree, almost mischievous Dean was gone, replaced by the powerful leader of his kind.
Mark opened his mouth to ask again, but the almost imperceptible shake of his brother’s head stopped him.
Dean stood, the shirt he’d intended to put on still in his hand. “The witch attacked again.”
Four simple words had Mark’s knees threatening to give out.
He pushed his back into the door to keep from crumbling to the floor.
The witch. The nemesis he couldn’t wait to get his hands on.
She’d robbed him of everything, of his hope for happiness, and he’d vowed she would pay for her cruelty with her life.
His brother studied him with undisguised pity, and Mark shook his head to dislodge the self-pity mirroring Dean’s pained expression. “No. Don’t you look at me like that.”
“Mark. I know this is hard…”
“Really? You know?” He couldn’t keep the venom from his words, and he winced when his brother’s frown deepened.
He looked away when Dean’s penetrating gaze threatened to see into his soul.
There was too much pain there. He took a breath, the fresh oxygen doing little to dilute his rage. “What do we do?”
Dean accepted the unspoken apology with a nod. “First, we need to gather the council. I didn’t think you would appreciate finding out about this along with everyone else.”
“Where?” At his brother’s confusion, he rearranged his thoughts to make more sense. “Where was she? Who did she attack?”
Dean ran a hand through his jet-black hair, a sign Mark had long learned to interpret as frustration. Mark wanted nothing more than to shake his brother into finding his voice, but there was too much anger coursing through his veins. It was best to remain braced against the door.
Dean stared at the shirt in his hands. “This is the part you’re not going to like.”
“There’s more?” He was aware of his voice rising with each syllable.
His brother schooled his features, giving him his best Prime Alpha stare. Mark’s wolf retreated to the recesses of his mind. “Hey, watch it. I need you to stay cool, or I’m going to have a riot on my hands, and I really don’t feel like a fight. Not today, Mark.”
He nodded his reply even as he braced himself for an earth-shattering pronouncement. Worry this intense was rare for his all-powerful brother.
“The vampires. She attacked the vampires, and they need our help.”
Dean knew full well how Mark felt about vampires. It was their fault he was without his soul. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dean held up his hand. “Whatever you’re about to say, run it through your head first.”
He’d done that millions of times over the years. “No!” It was simple. Treaty or not, there was no way he was going to do anything to help a vampire.
Dean sighed. “We have no choice.” He closed the distance between them, his voice softer. “Every attack gets us closer to the end of the quiet existence we’ve created. If this is not taken care of right away, our secret’s out. And you know what that means.”
“Do I have to be there?”
Dean reached for him, placing his hands on his shoulders. “Yes. You’re the only one I trust.” Blue eyes bore into his, beseeching his soul to understand. “I can’t do this without you. Any of it.”
Mark closed his eyes. His brother was capable of making him do whatever he wanted. Such was the power the Prime Alpha had over other wolves. But he was going out of his way to ask for Mark’s help. He sighed and opened his eyes to meet Dean’s unwavering stare. “OK.”
His brother smiled, a restrained smile without its usual wow factor. “OK?”
Mark’s own smile belied the overwhelming sadness bubbling from the depths of his soul. “What would you do without me?”
This time, when Dean smiled, his eyes lit up, and Mark’s burden lessened.
At least he’d have Dean this time. He’d hoped never to see or speak to another vampire in his lifetime, but perhaps that had been too much to ask.
Immortality made a lifetime a very long time, but still, he’d hoped.
Now, thanks to the treaty his brother had negotiated, his greatest fear would soon be realized.
If there was ever a time to reconnect with his wolf, it would be now. But Mark had never been that lucky.