Chapter 2
ROWEN
It seems impossible that so much has changed in the time I was away. I’d spent the entire day in the woods, hoping to avoid the hassle of setting up Christmas. Mom had insisted on it after the chaos in the city two days ago, saying we all needed the joy after so much violence.
Now, that joy is mocking me as we approach the back patio.
It looks like the North Pole exploded, with white lights wrapped around the banister and a wooden Merry Christmas sign leaning by the stairs.
Mom’s favorite red wreath hangs on the back door, complete with a shiny gold bell.
There even sits that gaudy light-up snowman below the window.
I hate that snowman. The motion sensor scared me when I was a kid.
What’s the point of decorating if no one is going to see it? Our neighbors never come to this side of the house, so why bother?
Something draws my attention to the windows on the second floor, and I pause when I see a slender man standing in the second one on the left. He quickly disappears behind the curtain, as if terrified.
Looks like our guest is awake, I say through our pack link.
Neal’s ears flick as he glances up, then we all quicken our pace to get inside.
We enter through the mudroom on the side of the house, shifting to our human forms before getting dressed. My clothes are warm thanks to the heater in the room, and the fabric provides a soothing touch against my chilled skin.
Footsteps patter against the tile floor a second before little Aster bolts into the room. “Mama!”
Taren smiles as she scoops her three-year-old son into her arms. “Hey, sweetie. Did you help set up the tree?”
The toddler nods enthusiastically, holding a plastic ornament up for her to inspect.
“Did you save this one for me?”
“Uh-huh. It’s a bunny.”
She hugs him. “Thank you. Let’s go hang it.”
I take a deep breath, already dreading the Christmas hell I’m about to walk into, and when I finally exit the hall, the scene is just as bad as I expected.
A twelve-foot pine tree sits in the center of the room, its long branches almost touching both couches, which have been rearranged to allow space for the monstrosity.
Red and white lights flicker between the brightly colored ornaments, each one painted by a member of our pack.
Neal’s holiday paintings replace our framed photographs on the walls, and someone has scattered the annoying tinsel-covered snowmen around the room.
But it’s the wooden figurines displayed across the mantel that make my heart ache. Each of them hand-carved by my dad. A gift to my mom every year.
It pains me that her beloved collection will never grow.
Ignoring the cheerful group, I walk to the kitchen in search of food. Despite having eaten two rabbits while in wolf form, I’m still hungry. Shifting does that to me, especially in the winter.
Red startles when I catch him sneaking a fresh sugar cookie from the cooling rack.
“Don’t let Mom see you,” I tease.
“Oh, I know.” He chuckles, taking a bite. His reddish-brown hair is neatly combed to the side. “Did you see anything out there?”
“No, it was quiet.”
“Good. Grant and Sage are planning a trip into Prodigy to see the club.”
I pause. “Why?”
“We need to inspect the damage.”
“Isn’t it too early? The coven could be watching.”
Red shrugs. “Grant thinks the coven is long gone.”
I hate the idea of returning to the city so soon. It seems dangerous. But I’m not a strategist like Grant or Forest.
“Our guest is awake,” I say, changing the subject.
Crumbs fall from Red’s mouth as he freezes. “He is?”
“I saw him in the window before we came in.”
The shorter man rushes off without another word.
I reach for a cookie just as Mom appears beside me, slapping my hand away. “Don’t you dare. We still need to decorate those.”
I roll my eyes. “Why? They’re better without icing.”
“We’ll leave some plain, but Evelyn wanted to decorate cookies, so we’re doing that tomorrow. If you want something sweet, look in the fridge.”
I turn on my heel and open the fridge, my jaw nearly hitting the floor. “Mom, you’re an angel. I mean, I always knew that, but…”
I want to squeal with delight as I pull out the container of cinnamon apple tarts. They’re the one thing I don’t mind this time of year, because it’s the only time Mom makes them. “You could’ve wrapped these for Christmas morning and I would’ve been happy.”
Mom laughs. "Just don't eat them all at once. You'll make yourself sick."
I kiss her cheek and pop one of the small treats into my mouth. The sweet flavor is exactly what I need. “Mmm!”
"What's that?" my sister says, coming into the kitchen. Ivy’s brown eyes get huge when she sees what’s in the container, and I twist away before she can grab one.
“No! They’re mine. Mom said so.”
“I did not,” Mom chides. “But he’s kind of right. I made everyone’s favorite treat last night.”
Ivy gets a hopeful expression on her face as she goes up on her toes. “Caramel bites?”
“See for yourself.” Mom slides a plastic container across the counter, and Ivy dances when she peels off the lid, her long, dark hair sliding over her shoulders. “Wait. Are those Dad’s minty balls?”
Mom’s smile fades. “It didn’t feel right not to make them when I was making everyone else’s.”
Ivy wraps an arm around Mom’s back. The sadness is too much for me. I quickly load a plate with treats and turn to leave the room.
“I’m going to work for a bit. Call me for dinner.”
As I get closer to the stairs, I hear raised voices coming from the second floor, and increase my pace.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!”
“We’re trying to help you.”
“Liars! Both of you. Let me go!”
“Shit,” Sage mutters.
Just as I reach the landing, the human bolts through the second door, hands out like he’s ready for a fight.
I drop the plate and reach for him, gripping both arms. Intense heat burns my palm on his left arm, making both the human and myself cry out.
Instinctively, I let go, but when he tries to slip by, I wrap an arm around his stomach and pull him to my chest. The slender man kicks furiously, body trembling with rage. He’s definitely stronger than he seems.
“Let me go!” he roars.
“Just listen for a minute. We’re not going to hurt you.”
The man writhes again, trying to break free.
“We want to kill the vampires who did this to you.”
That gets his attention. The man whips his head around, stunning gray-blue eyes piercing me with confusion and rage.
“Foxx killed one of our pack members,” I say, “and he hurt our friends too. We know they’re terrible people, so we want to help you. That’s why you’re here. Please just let us help.”
His dark brows furrow, and he slowly shakes his head. “No. No, you lie. You all lie! I saw you! You were killing them that night. You’re just as bad—”
He kicks me again, making my knee buckle.
I grunt in pain and tighten my hold. “Would you fucking stop! We’re not going to hurt you!”
“Rowen is telling the truth,” Red says. “We know Foxx was holding you captive at the club. We saw you there. We’re only trying to help.”
He snaps his attention to Red. “It was you, then? It was your pack that broke into the club?”
Red and Sage both nod.
“We were there to kill Foxx,” Red says. “Just as Rowen told you. But we failed, and his coven is still very strong. So we need your help to find them.”
The man doesn’t reply, casting angry glares at each of us.
Sage rubs his hand, attention fixated on the man’s left shoulder. He must’ve felt the burn too. “What can you tell us about that mark?”
The human flinches and steps away. I let him go but block the door.
He glances at it, then at me, as if sizing me up, and doesn’t make a move for it.
Without saying a word, he reaches for a blanket.
He must be freezing, dressed as he is in nothing more than a sheer top and silver metallic underwear.
He pulls the blanket around himself before sinking to the floor by the dresser. His shoulders slump. Everything about him is defeated and tired, like he’s giving up. It breaks my heart.
When he doesn’t answer Sage’s question, I crouch before him and speak in a low, soft tone. “How about your name? Can you tell us that?”
His lips tremble. “T-Tobias.”
A flicker of warmth skitters across my chest, a pull I can’t explain, as if his fear reached into me. I tense, even as my wolf stirs, aware of something… different.
I wish I knew what to say to get him to trust us. Clearly, this man has been through hell. “Tobias, I’m Rowen. That’s Sage and Red behind me. You don’t know us, so I get why you’re scared, but I promise you, we’re the good guys. We want to help you.”
Tobias glances at Red before looking away, fear flashing across his features. Slowly, he pulls his hands out, rubbing a thumb over one wrist. My stomach sinks when I see the thick, pink scars around both wrists. They’re as wide as three fingers. Unmistakable.
His burns must’ve been pretty deep. Red would’ve done everything he could to heal Tobias, but some wounds even magic can’t fix.
What did they do to him?
“You’re free to go if that’s what you really want,” Sage says, “but I hope you’ll stay. You’re safe here. We can protect you from the vampires.”
Tobias scoffs coldly, shaking his head. “No. You can’t.”
“We can. We’re a powerful pack, and we know how to fight them.”
“No one wins against them.”
“Well, we’re a good match at least,” I say, determined. “We killed Breckley and about six others that night.”
Tobias can’t hide his surprise.
I say it again, hoping it’ll sink in. “Breck is dead. We thought we were killing Foxx, but it was him.”
The smaller man says nothing for a long time, stormy eyes dancing between mine.
“Can you tell us who branded you?” Sage asks.
Tobias flinches, and he looks at his wrists again.
“Was it Orem?”
“You know about Orem?” Tobias says weakly.
“We know of him, but we don’t know how he got involved with the coven.”
Tobias swallows hard, eyes sliding closed again like he’s struggling not to cry. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. “Rip was the one who branded me, but Orem sealed it. He hasn’t been with the coven very long.”
I look to Red for clarification. Sealed? He shrugs.
“What does it mean? What kind of brand is it?” Sage asks.
Tobias doesn’t answer.
I can tell Red and Sage are thinking the same thing I am.
Whatever it is, it isn’t good.