Chapter 4
Josh
I stare at the spot where the potion shattered. Glass shards and dark liquid stain the asphalt, barely visible in the moonlight.
Most of the concoction itself landed on Bane. And what it showed me, it’s just not possible. Magic and my eyes are playing tricks on me. Or the stress of the situation has caused temporary insanity. Maybe it was a stupidity potion?
“Josh?” Bane’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
Whoa, here’s another side of him I’ve never seen before. All arrogance vanished, replaced with someone uncharacteristically pale and uncertain. The fight we had moments ago and the anxiety over the potion have drained him, leaving behind someone who looks as lost as I feel.
“Look,” he starts, rubbing the back of his neck. “We better get this over with.” What’s he talking about? Why does he look like he’s heading off to his own execution? “Come on, keep up. It’s best not to keep the Alpha waiting, especially when delivering bad news.”
“The Alpha—your father?” I ask, swallowing hard. “Elias?”
“Yeah.” He sighs, raking a hand through his dark hair. “We have to explain why you didn’t deliver the potion.”
No wonder Bane looks so unsettled. From rumors I’ve heard about the Iron Pack’s severe Alpha, an execution might be more fun than the wrath awaiting us.
We walk in silence as we make our way deeper into the Iron Pack’s territory.
The buildings are flat squares, no decorations or style, everything functional and precise.
Even though the wall on one side and the mountain on the other keep out unwanted visitors, there are still guard towers and sentry points set up.
The place reminds me more of a military barracks than a pack’s den.
Eventually, we reach a small neighborhood with fairly simple homes. The Alpha’s estate is obvious, a bit bigger and grander than all the rest.
“Enter,” a deep voice bellows when we knock on the office door. “Come in. Sit down.”
Other people might speak those words in a friendly manner. Sounds more like an order coming from this Alpha. All my instincts are telling me to run away, but I step inside with Bane instead.
Elias Blackwood dominates the space behind his mahogany desk, fingers steepled in calculated silence as we enter.
He radiates authority. Despite the graying hair at his temples, those light gold eyes are as keen as a hawk’s.
It’s like being called into the principal’s office at school, except the principal is a lethal Alpha werewolf.
“Explain,” the Alpha commands.
“Um, the potion…” Bane hesitates, glancing at me briefly.
“The potion broke,” I blurt out, trying to rip the Band-Aid off. “See, what happened is—”
“Just happened…”
“It was an accident—”
“No one’s fault—”
Not all of these things are strictly true. But things have changed since we were fighting like grade-schoolers at recess over a cool action figure. Bane and I are on the same side now. The side where we grovel, beg forgiveness, and get the hell out of here as soon as possible.
“My mother can make you another potion tomorrow, first thing,” I promise. And I’ll make sure not to deliver this one.
“Father—”
The Alpha raises a hand, silencing his son. “What happened doesn’t matter. The solution is simple. You broke the potion. You fix it.”
“Yes, sir,” Bane agrees immediately. “I’ll take care of it.”
“No…” Elias’s eyes settle on me. His jaw tightens and the force of his stare steals the breath from my lungs.
Is he a werewolf or some kind of soul-stealing monster whose gaze sucks the life force out of bodies until only a withered husk remains? Has he formed an instant hatred for me? I wonder if he’s about to send me to the brig or something. Oh god, does this pack have a brig?
“Both of you will make this right,” he eventually rumbles out the command. “Together.”
Oh god. Just when I thought no punishment could be worse than this awkward, terrifying meeting.
“Y-yes, sir,” I stammer, my heart racing at the prospect of having to spend more time with Bane, especially after whatever the potion showed me.
“Understood,” Bane adds tightly.
“Good.” Elias doesn’t exactly relax, but he switches focus and gets down to business. “The reason I ordered the potion is because of my nephew Wynn. He doesn’t have the best instincts, always seeing the best in other people.”
Apparently, that’s a bad thing? I glance at Bane but he’s staring down at his hands, his jaw clenched.
“Wynn’s a Blackwood,” Elias continues. “He’s important to our pack and could fill a prominent position one day. Coupled with our family’s substantial assets, there are people who might see him as an easy target and take advantage.”
“What do you need us to do?” I wonder.
“My nephew has been getting close to a vampire named Dante. New to the city, not much known about him. Has con artist written all over him. I don’t trust his intentions and ordered a potion to reveal what’s hidden.”
My stunned expression causes Elias to give me a withering look and explain, “My pack is less free-spirited than what you’re used to and takes security matters seriously. We need to understand this vampire’s motives. Are his feelings real or does he have an agenda?”
Elias says more, I think. Someone is definitely talking. I hear none of it. The potion’s purpose, revealing what’s hidden…
What my mother told the customer in her store wondering about his true mate was right, that trying to use witchcraft to rush an already magical phenomenon almost never works. But when it comes to magical accidents like this, all bets are off.
Bane had looked so gorgeous, inside and out.
The potion revealed his true self, which was hidden under the shallow surface of him.
But did it cause me to Recognize him too?
I never would have guessed this or gone looking for answers in this particular direction, not in a million years.
Maybe that’s why the universe decided to toss me a clue instead.
No. Bane as my true mate is only one possibility, one terrifying, insane possibility. Another possibility is that the potion revealed an attraction to Bane that I hadn’t fully realized or focused on.
“Fielding,” Elias snaps, “are we boring you?”
I jump in my seat when the older wolf barks at me, and the apologies come spilling out. “Sorry, no, of course not! Sorry. I was just thinking, um, thinking about how to do what you’re asking.”
“Good. Because I don’t have to give you a chance to clean up the mess you made. I could skip straight to being upset.”
He sounds so calm but even Bane flinches at that offer.
“No!” I shout. “Uh, sorry. I’m glad we can fix this…” Glad is nowhere close to what I’m feeling.
“We’ll get this done,” Bane finishes for me.
Bane and I broke the potion. Why or whose fault it was doesn’t matter now. Elias is holding us both responsible. We must accomplish what the potion was supposed to before I’m free to run far away and never look back.
After what I saw, the last thing I need is spending more time with Bane. But we’re stuck together until we clean up our mess.