Chapter 3 - Shawn
When we enter the town, the place is quiet, almost to the point of being spooky. There is a heavy atmosphere to the place that is setting off every single one of my highly tuned instincts.
“Rex,” I mutter as we shift into our human forms. “What the fuck?”
“I know,” he says. “The place is reeking with bad vibes. I felt it when I helped the others bring the bodies back, and I thought it was just the preparation for the funeral.”
“Could it have something to do with the spirit?” Scarlett asks, emerging from the woods behind us.
“I don’t think so,” Rex answers. “But we can’t be sure.”
The three of us wait for the rest of the party to catch up—Alisha riding on Brad’s back because she can’t shift, Grace following close behind riding Cody, and Gen bringing up the rear.
Gen’s a tough she-wolf, and I’m more than happy to have her watching our backs.
“Okay, that’s us,” Rex says, taking some clothes out of a pack Alisha was carrying. “No one else following behind?”
“No,” Gen answers. “The other council members didn’t show much interest in coming.”
“I’m sure Eccles would rather annihilate this pack than help them,” Scarlett mutters.
Gen just nods.
“Well, Rose Hollow wants to see them prosper,” Rex says. “And that starts with getting rid of this creepy vibe. Let’s get moving.”
“It’s eerie,” Alisha remarks, holding Brad’s hand as we walk down the dirt track. “I can’t hear a single sound. I mean, I don’t have ears as good as the rest of you, but I’d expect to hear something.”
“You’re not wrong,” I say, following Rex with my head tilted to pick up any sound on the wind. “There’s just a hint from the center of town—low voices, a few basic household sounds. But no kids shouting or people laughing.”
“Maybe they don’t laugh much,” Alisha speculates.
No one answers her, and as we follow the wide dirt track into the center of town, the silence only deepens. There are a few narrow tracks leading from the main street towards little clusters of houses, but no paved roads.
The center of town is completely deserted. The sun has set, and the dim twilight rises around us, a light, hanging mist making the area murky. Rex leads us towards a steepled building at the end of the dirt road.
“This is where they held the funeral,” he says. “I assume this is where they’ll have the wedding, too.”
“Whoa, wait,” I say. “I thought we were here for some kind of meeting before we go full-on into the wedding?”
“It’s been decided, Shawn,” Rex says. “If the pack is in agreement, then they’ll be choosing a bride for you. Anything less could be seen as resistance to us and, therefore, an act of war.”
“Maybe that’s why it’s dead quiet,” Gen says. “What if they’re going to jump us?”
“We’d hear it,” Brad says. “Trust me, we black ops boys are all over this shit. If they were planning an attack, they wouldn’t be able to hide it from us.”
“It really is spooky,” Scarlett says, turning around in a little circle. “I feel like we’re being watched.”
“We probably are,” Grace says. “If they’ve been isolated, they might have no idea how to react to new people, so they’re scoping us out from a distance.”
Even though Grace meant to be reassuring, it just makes everyone look over their shoulders even more as we imagine unknown wolves stalking us through the mist.
Suddenly, a yellow light above the door of the hall lights up, and everyone jumps. Lights come on up and down the rough little street, and Alisha breathes a sigh of relief.
“Okay, so they have timed streetlights,” she says. “They aren’t total savages.”
“I don’t see what one has to do with the other,” I mutter.
The lights coming on have only made the surrounding shadows seem deeper, and I’m now searching the surroundings even harder than I was before.
It’s weird that there is no one to greet us, but even weirder that there’s no everyday, ordinary noise.
A scuffle of footsteps up the path makes the entire party swing around as one and look up the street. I can see a tall, thin man walking awkwardly as if he’s pulling something behind him, and a small group of men behind him.
Tension seems to run through all of us at the same time, and I know all of us are ready to fight.
“Jackson?” Rex calls, stepping forward away from the group. “Is that you?”
“Alpha Rex!” the man calls, jogging towards us with a smile on his face. Behind him, a small group of men and what looks like two women follow closely.
“Glad you could make it,” Jackson says, shaking Rex’s hand. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to greet you. We just had a bit of excitement at home.”
“No trouble at all,” Rex says, smiling the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. “Good to see you!”
I sometimes forget Rex was the best double agent in WS history. Jackson is eating this shit up, but I know Rex—he’s ready to rip this guy’s throat out at the slightest provocation.
“Even better to see you,” Jackson replies, buttering up his tone. “I am sorry, truly. I wanted to have a meal prepared for you and a proper welcoming party, but we are so low on resources, and our people have been so disheartened since the loss of Talon.”
“For that, we are eternally sorry,” Alisha says, stepping forward and offering him her hand. “I am Alisha, the luna of Eccles, and I was involved in the attack and personally responsible for some of those deaths.”
Jackson’s face goes through an interesting change of emotions as she speaks, and when he reaches out to take her hand, I don’t like the look in his eyes at all.
“A luna who is involved in diplomatic matters and in battle,” Jackson says. “A great honor to meet you, dear lady, and the fault is ours for attacking instead of initiating contact in a more peaceful way.”
“It might not have mattered,” Alisha says.
“Eccles have been grounded in some pretty rough ways themselves, and there is a good chance any overture from you would have been met with slaughter. I am here to assure you, though, we aim to mend the old ways and bring all the surrounding packs together in peace and prosperity.”
“Long may you reign,” Jackson says, bowing his head a little. “I am beyond honored to be striking an alliance with such fine people.”
The longer Jackson speaks, the less I like him. I also find it strange that his group is hanging back like they don’t want to introduce themselves.
“We had a long day of travel,” Brad says. “Do you have a place for us to stay, and something to eat?”
“You’ll find all that we can spare waiting for you in the hall with some bedding and bunks,” Jackson says. “Although the new alpha may immediately move into Talon’s residence, if you would like to introduce him?”
Jackson’s eyes sweep around the group, and even though part of me wants to sink into the shadows, a bigger part of me wants to pound this guy into jerky.
“That would be Shawn,” Rex says, gesturing to me as I step forward.
Jackson focuses his eyes on me, and I see a flash of something cold in his blue eyes before his smile wipes it away.
That’s it. I was already committed here, but now I have to know what this bastard’s up to. He’s rotten to the core, and I can fucking smell it!
“Alpha Shawn,” Jackson says, nodding and shaking my hand. “Long may you prosper. It is so wonderful to have a strong alpha in position here!”
“Your last was not strong?” I ask softly.
“Oh, he was,” Jackson almost gushes. “But we live rough out here—we don’t have access to supply chains or trade. We begged Talon to give us contact with the outside world, but he refused. Convincing him to take some more territory, just to increase our resources, was extremely difficult.”
“I see,” I answer, nodding.
Interrogation tactic 101—let the enemy talk, and he’ll give himself away.
“We were desperate at the time of the attack,” Jackson says earnestly. “It’s the only reason we resorted to such tactics. Talon was a good man.”
“And you served him well?” I ask.
“Faithfully, good sir,” Jackson says with heavy sincerity. “But I must admit, I have no stomach for the role of command. I was relieved when Alpha Rex told us he was taking control and appointing an alpha from his own alliance.”
I bet you were.
“Good to hear,” I answer. “Every alpha needs a good beta, and you seem experienced for the role.”
“I am,” he says, smiling. “Let me be your right hand. I can get you anything you need!”
“Excellent—”
“Even your bride.”
“Excuse me?”
Jackson keeps smiling like he didn’t just drop a bomb on me. Without any greeting party or ceremony, I’d assumed the wedding was on hold for now, and I definitely wasn’t expecting Jackson to bring it up immediately.
“I said, we have your bride.”
“Respectfully,” I say, “we’d like to rest, and then see if the pack has any ideas—”
“No, no,” Jackson replies, waving his hands a little. “There’s no need for any of that. We have chosen, and she’s right here. This is the most suitable female we have.”
Before I can even think of a response, Jackson reaches behind him and grabs one of the women. He yanks on her arm and thrusts her forward into the light.
The eerie silence around us takes on an even greater hush. It’s as if the world itself drew a breath and is now holding it. All I can see is wild tresses of unbelievably bright, golden hair, and a curved, plump figure wrapped in a loose, faded gown.
Slowly, she raises her head, and the light falls across her face. I can barely hold in my low gasp of shock when I see how beautiful she is.
The entire world around me is forgotten as I take in her high cheekbones, flushed with pink, her glowing, porcelain complexion, and incredibly lush, red lips. Her eyes appear dark, but when she tilts her head and the light catches in the iris, they glint with depths of topaz and garnet.
Silence stretches out between us, and I see her face harden a little, and I can’t look away from the sweet pout her mouth makes. I raise my hand, almost stepping forward to trace her lip with my finger.
“I’m sorry,” Jackson’s voice blasts through my trance. “I truly am, but she’s the best we have. I can see you don’t like her—”
“I didn’t—”
“I know, you didn’t expect us to have such a poor selection,” Jackson gushes, pushing the girl back behind him. “But this really is the best we have. I understand this will be a burden to you, so please, allow me to pay you.”
“What?” I blurt.
“Here!” Jackson pulls a stack of cash out of his pocket and thrusts it towards me. “Not much of a dowry for my daughter, I know, but I’m sure I can find some more gifts to compensate you as well—”
“Your daughter?” I echo.
“Yes!” Jackson answers. “I know, I’m probably biased, I admit it. But even my associates agree, she’s the best choice for luna—”
“Yes!” one of his cronies speaks up, and suddenly all of them, as well as a skinny, shrill woman, are supporting Jackson’s choice with almost sickening platitudes.
Through the haze of noise and awkwardness, my eyes find hers again. She looks tired, maybe even defeated. The smears of dirt on her hands and cheek and her threadbare gown only seem to enhance her beauty. She shines like a princess who’s been dragged through the dirt and retained her regal bearing.
“Please!” Jackson says, grabbing my hands and forcing the money between my fingers.
“Please take this money and accept my poor offering to be your bride. I know, she’s a disappointment.
I’m sure you were hoping for someone far more beautiful.
But she can work like a horse, and she is very obedient…
useful around the house, cooks, and cleans.
She will also satisfy any desire you have, and I do mean anything! ”
The girl’s eyes widen a little, and I see fear in the amber light of her gaze.
Did he just say that…about his own daughter?
The shock pulls me out of my trance a little, and I look around at the others. Rex and Brad are clearly uncomfortable on both my behalf and that of this poor young woman, and the girls in our party look ready to separate Jackson from his head.
“Okay,” I say, taking the money and stuffing it into my pockets.
“I accept your…generosity. I completely understand the situation, and I’m more than happy to take your daughter as my luna.
I would like to rest now so I am well-prepared for the ceremony tomorrow, and I’m sure my bride wants to do the same. ”
“Of course!” Jackson says, forcefully grabbing the girl’s hand and shoving it in mine. “Talon’s house is behind the hall. Sara will show you the way, and she’ll attend to all your needs—won’t you, Sara?”
“Yes, Father,” she mutters, walking past me to lead me around the hall. Her meek voice doesn’t match the fury buried deep in her gaze, and my attraction for her is stoked by curiosity.
Who is this woman? Beauty and fire all in one—and yet she plays the role of a slave?
I can hear the others talking behind me as Rex makes arrangements with Jackson, but my attention is all on Sara as she leads me away from the group and into the darkness.