‘chapter 2’
Ben was sitting on the back porch of his home when Fay stumbled out of the bush, wearing little more than a baggy t-shirt that stopped at her knees. Her hair was a wild tangle, matted with twigs and leaves, and there was dirt smudged all over her. What froze him for a moment was the wild look in her eyes, like a newly turned wolf. Only, Fay was human. He jumped to his feet.
“Fay!”
She looked up at him, surprised to see him, surprised really where she was, like she had no idea how she’d ended up there. Fear took over and she stepped back.
“I didn’t know, Ben! I swear I didn’t know!” She kept saying it over and over again, panic choked in her voice, twisting her face into a look of utter terror. “I’m human…I’m human…I’m…”
He reached for her again but she moved out of his reach, half-turning away from him, like she was about to bolt. Then, behind him, the sound of howling wolves, of wheels screeching up the driveway. Fay froze, the fear growing in her eyes.
“Oh, god, they’re coming for me!”
“Fay, what happened? What-“
Behind him, the back door was thrown open. Ryan rushed out, his esteemed Alpha, barely an adult. Ben took one look at the hatred in Ryan’s eyes and the fear in Fay’s, feeling his world implode. He moved to step between them but Ryan was fast, standing in front of him, eyes blazing.
“Stand aside,” Ryan ordered with a low voice, the command of an Alpha.
Ben tried to fight it, straining against the bond with every inch of strength he had. It was no use as his limbs carried him aside, leaving him screaming in his mind. He couldn’t do anything as Ryan took a step to Fay…and Fay shifted, right before his eyes. Only, she wasn’t a wolf. She was twice the size with fur like the night and eyes that were a chilling icy blue. She snarled at Ryan, shifting on her paws, glancing at Ben. Ryan looked at him with cold eyes.
“Tell this monster to leave, Ben – it’s time for the pack to hunt,” he snarled.
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them – and he saw the look in Fay’s eyes.
The betrayal.
Ben sat up with a gasp, his skin slick with sweat, heart hammering against his chest. He didn’t move for some time, letting his body calm and, even then, he moved slowly off the bed. It was soaked with sweat, so he stripped the bed and put it in the washing machine. As he stood there, watching it tumble around and around, the doorbell rang. In several strides he was at the door of his apartment, wearing only his tracksuit pants, barefoot and with a week-old stubble. If he’d been in the pack he might’ve cared; as it was, he didn’t.
He opened the door without any preamble. Mia Carson stood there, beautifully made up, striking in jeans, singlet and leather jacket. She breezed past him before he even said anything, went into the kitchen and looked around, her nose wrinkling.
“Geez, Ben, you need to clean,” she said with a sniff.
“I wasn’t expecting guests. No one visits me, normally,” he said slowly.
“Well, you did say you were leaving town after you ditched the pack and you’re still here. I don’t think anyone knows what to do,” she said slowly, glancing at him, as if he’d explain.
Like hell. He didn’t owe the pack anything.
“Mia?”
“Going to offer me coffee or something?” She asked, then glanced at the several dirty cups in the sink. “Scratch that, I’ll be dine. Can we talk? It’s important.”
“Not here to visit me because we’re old friends?” He replied with a wry smile.
She stared at him restlessly for a moment, so he ushered her into his tiny living room. It wasn’t anything like his parents on pack land but it was enough for him. That, and it hadn’t meant to be a long-term thing. Temporary. He bit back a smile as he sat down, waiting till Mia finally did the same. She folded her hands in her lap, fighting the urge to fidget. He might’ve enjoyed her discomfort, were it not for the fact that only something major would ruffle the calmest person he knew.
“Amanda’s missing.”
“I know.”
She nodded, her head bobbing. “Yes, we thought you might but it’s bigger than that now. Ryan will kill me if he knew I was here but you need to know. With the recent string of deaths related to what we suspect is poltergeist activity in town Ryan had to make the call. The council is sending two agents, their best they say. An immortal mage and a hellhound.”
A hellhound... like…Awareness dawned in Ben and he looked at her, pale with shock.
“Fay became an agent? How? I thought…”
“They’d kill her? I only know what my friend, Lee from the agency, said. He told me that the council had sent someone after her but she bonded to him instead. Guess it was enough for the council to spare her and she became one of their finest. Anyway, she’s coming here-“
“When?”
Mia pressed her lips into a thin line. “Any day now. The thing is I got the feeling from Lee that the council hasn’t any idea of Fay’s ties to the pack. I don’t think he made the connection when we spoke either.” She stood again. “I’ve been away too long. I should go back.”
He followed her to the door, mute. When she was gone, he closed the door softly and slumped against the door, his mind full of thoughts of Fay. His heart was slamming against his chest again. Hell, how was he meant to look her in the eye again?
Let alone beg her forgiveness?
He went for a walk to try and clear his head, likely a futile effort. Down the main street of town, then by the bar he turned right, following a narrow strip of shops towards the park. Cars rumbled past in random intervals, a few glances his way. Wolves, on their way to pack lands, their cars full of shopping or kids from school. They never looked at him scornfully, though; more like, a kind of pity. If you chose to be a lone wolf then you had to be broken, in their eyes anyway. Some days he felt something was broken, like a piece of him had been cleaved away, which at times felt strange. He felt guilty over how things had ended with Fay but a little niggling voice said ‘oh well, it’s just puppy love!’. In truth, he knew it was more than that.
There were a few families at the park, parents watching their young kids scrambling over the play equipment. In the afternoon sun it was a warm, almost cosy setting and he considered walking on. Unfortunately, the park butted onto no man’s land that divided the town and pack territory. He wasn’t so much forbidden there but wolves would be mustered and he’d be watched. It was standard protocol, especially for someone whom had an epic fallout with the alpha.
That had been describing it mildly.
So, he sat down beneath one of the trees, far away from everyone, and with his face tipped up to the sun, eyes shut. A cold breeze occasionally stirred, taking the brunt of the warmth. Had he been human he might’ve worn a few more layers. A quick glance of the families again told him they were human.
As he went to turn his face up again, to lose himself to an afternoon nap, he froze. At the far end of the park was a man. That might’ve been just strange were it not for his strange clothes; a tunic, cinched loosely at the hips, a sword at the waist and sandals. He looked like something out of a Roman or Greek movie. The man watched him, not the families, then turned suddenly, like someone had called his name. As he did, the wind whipped through the park and the man dissolved into thin air, as though he’d never been there at all.
ns 15.158.61.55da2
