Dawn (The Dire Wolves Chronicles Book 3) (15 page)

E
ither I'd made
the smartest decision of my life or the dumbest. If I managed to find Fielding and bring him in, I'd be given a promotion without question, but if I failed I'd be brought up on charges as a traitor to The Society. Hunter had tried to make it look like I'd been innocent, but no one was going to believe that. Especially not Levi. He'd never paid much attention to what happened in the prison before, but he was now. The outcome with the Dires would speak volumes about his time as king, and if he successfully came to an alliance with the second most powerful paranormal creatures in the world, he’d once and for all step outside his father’s shadow. I completely understood that motivation.

Using my SUV may not have been the most secure choice, but it beat breaking into someone else's or trying to fly Hunter. In addition to being twice my size, he was a Dire, and Dires did not like to leave the earth.

Hunter reluctantly got into the front seat, doing little to hide his distaste for having to ride instead of drive. It only got worse when I pulled onto the interstate.

I pretended not to notice until his heavy breathing got to me. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes. We'd be there already if I were driving."

“That’s impossible.”

"Not literally maybe, but a heck of a lot closer." He crossed his arms.

"I don't want to get pulled over. We can’t afford to be slowed down by that right now.”

“You’re a Pteron.”

“So?” I accelerated slightly. I wanted to get to his contact just as much as he did. “You think that's going to help at all with a state trooper?” Society connections could only get me so far.

“You are so hard to understand." He stretched out his legs as much as he could.

"Oh am I?” I sped up again. He was annoying me. “As compared to you?

"I'm not comparing us. I'm merely stating that you are hard to understand. You are a paradox, both brave and nervous, strong and meek.”

"Meek?" I raised an eyebrow. “Are you really calling me meek?” I pressed down on the accelerator going up to eighty. I moved over into the left lane to pass a car.

“I didn't mean you should be reckless."

“Nope just that I'm meek. I got it." I cut back into the right lane.

“Let’s call a truce.”

“There’s no truce to call. I’m being nice, and you’re being obnoxious.” I scooted over slightly away from him.

He laughed. “I’ve never been called obnoxious before.”

“There is a first time for everything.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to be insulting.” He looked over at me.

“Whatever.”

“So how about it. A truce?”

“Sure.” I relented. “Fill me in on these friends of yours.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call them friends.”

“What would you call them?” This was getting better and better.

“Associates that I have a long history with.”

“How can the history be that long? You’re twenty-three.” I still found it hard to believe we were the same age. He seemed years older than me. Experience can age a person.

“I’ve known them my whole life.”

“Gotcha.” I knew all about those kinds of associates. “What are they?” I was positive they weren’t human, but if they’d been Dires he would have told me.

“Sabers.”

“Sabers?” I laughed. “Sabers and Dires hang out? I guess it’s an endangered species thing.”

He scowled. “Watch it. We are only endangered because of you.”

“We don’t hunt Sabers.”

“Not in the same way, but they still have to hide from you.”

I sighed. “Yes, we can be dumb sometimes.”

“Interesting.”

“What?” I leaned my left elbow against the door frame. I was getting tired of driving.

“Even though you are willing to defy The Society, you still consider yourself to be part of it. You said we.”

“It’s habit, and I am part of it. It’s all I’ve ever known.”

“I’m surprised.”

“Surprised about what?”

“That you never bucked the system and left. No teenage rebellion years for you?” His lips quirked into a smile.

“My rebellion was dating my ex.”

“Ah, I see.”

“You don’t see anything.”

“And you claim to be the nice one?”

“I am nice, but you can’t pretend to understand me.” I looked straight ahead, determined to avoid meeting his gaze. “You don’t.”

“Fine, what else do you need to know about the Sabers?”

“Everything.”

“That could take some time.”

“Fine. Let’s start easy. Why are we driving all the way to Tennessee to see them?”

“Because Jocelyn always knows where Fielding is.”

“Why? Or should I ask how?” I thought Fielding was supposed to be incredibly hard to find.

“She likes to be knowledgeable and involved in any and everything.”

“And you think she’ll tell you where he is?”

“It’s not the first question I’m asking.”

“The first is whether Mary Anne was there.” I used the girl’s name and glanced over to watch his expression. I still couldn’t get a read about what he actually felt about the girl.

“Stop analyzing me and watch the road.” His voice was sharp and curt.

“Why would you think I was analyzing you?”

“You’re watching me that way.”

“Can’t I just want to observe?”

“Do I get to use that excuse? Stare at you and say it’s observation?” He smirked.

“You did that at the prison.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

I ignored the small satisfaction I got from knowing he found me attractive. That didn’t matter. “All right. So you’re going to ask about Mary Anne stopping by. What happens if your associate doesn’t talk?”

“I’ll worry about that.”

“And you wonder why we don’t trust you.” I rolled my eyes.

“I’m not going to hurt her.”

“But you’re going to make sure she talks.”

“Don’t worry about it. She’ll probably be very forthcoming.”

“Why would you say that?” I passed another car.

“Because she likes drama. Having me confront Fielding would provide plenty of that.”

“Great. One of those women.”

He laughed. “I take it you’re not a fan?”

“Of course not. They are the worse. That’s why I’m not friends with many women.”

“You’re friends with lots of men?”

I didn’t have too many friends, and I liked it better that way. “Enough talking, let’s just get there.”

I
pulled up to a large
, yet rundown house. The overgrown yard matched the vinyl siding that was falling off the house in several places. “Are you sure this is the right house?”

“Positive.”

“I guess I imagined Sabers would be more glamorous.” Saber-tooth tigers were one of my favorite animals from childhood. I liked modern day tigers, but the saber-tooth variety were even cooler.

“They are.”

I opened my door and met Hunter around the front.

He held up a hand to stop me. “Let me do the talking.” He led the way up to the front porch.

Normally I would have argued with him, but he knew these people, and I didn’t. If he could get the necessary information, I was perfectly happy to sit back and let him.

The front door was wrenched open before Hunter even knocked.

“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” A blonde with eye makeup dripping down her face waited in the doorway. She was wearing a deep purple cocktail dress with a low neckline.

“Wonderful to see you too, Jocelyn.” To his credit, Hunter looked at her eyes and not her chest.

“Don’t bother using the lines, Hunter. I’m not in the mood for it.” She sighed dramatically.

“What’s wrong?” he asked impatiently.

“Isaac and I had a fight.” She sighed again.

“You fight all the time.”

“But not like this.” She shook her head. “He left. He’s gone and left me.”

“What was the argument about?”

“Your friends.” She walked back inside.

Hunter nodded at me to follow. I did with him right behind me.

Jocelyn walked over to a door, and she started down a steep set of stairs. I caught Hunter’s eye, and he nodded. Despite my apprehension I descended the basement stairs.

We emerged in a bright and open room. Half of it was set up as a living area, while the other had a full bar and kitchen. There were doorways all over that I assumed led to other rooms. The basement was as different as night and day from the upstairs and exterior of the house. It was elegant and inviting instead of dated and worn.

Jocelyn walked right over to the large bar with a granite countertop and poured herself a drink. “Help yourself to anything.”

Neither Hunter nor I moved. I didn’t drink on the job.

“What kind of fight did you have because of my friends?”

She swirled around the brown liquid in her glass. “Isaac didn’t think I should have told them how to find your brother.”

“I find it hard to believe he’d leave over a difference in opinion like that.”

I kept quiet. I had no idea whether this was normal behavior for the Saber couple.

She took a swig from her drink. “You know his views on your Dire politics.”

“Yes. We’ve never seen eye to eye on that. Neither have you and me.”

“But I like you.”

“And Isaac doesn’t.”

She shrugged. “We can’t make everyone a fan.”

“But he does like Fielding.” Hunter clenched his jaw.

“More than you.” She held up her glass.

“He’s going to warn Fielding.” Hunter froze. “Where is he?”

“I might as well tell you. I already lost Isaac.”

“You didn’t lose Isaac.”

“He’s in a small town outside Boston called Baymill. It’s right off the Mass Pike. I think he’s running a service station there now.” She twirled a few strands of her blond hair.

“Got it.” Hunter turned to walk back upstairs.

“But, Hunter?”

“Yes?” He nodded.

“Where’s Chet?”

“Why?”

“I heard Isaac talking to him right before we split ways. It wasn’t the kind of talk they should have been having without you.”

Hunter paled. “Sorry to run like this, but we have to.” He took my hand and tugged me back toward the stairs.

“So that was weird.” I unlocked the SUV as we stepped outside.

“It was more than weird.” He grabbed the keys from my hand. “Excuse me, but I’ll be driving.”

I decided not to argue. “Fine.” I slipped into the passenger seat. “But you are going to have to fill in the blanks for me.”

“I’ll tell you everything I can.”

“Good thing we’ve got a long drive ahead of us.” I leaned back against the seat.

“
W
e’ve been here before
.” I stared out the window as Denny pulled off the turnpike after what felt like endless hours of driving.

“Yes. We have.” Gage sounded far away, and I assumed he was having the same flashback I was.

The night of the storm the snow had picked up, and we’d pulled off the turnpike so Gage could put on the chains. He’d stopped at the gas station while I’d gone into the diner.

“That’s where I knew her from.” My whole body froze as chills covered every inch of me.

“The old lady at the gas station?” Gage stared at me.

“You saw her too?” That only validated my realization. We both couldn’t have imagined it.

“Wait what?” Genevieve asked. “Are you talking about the woman by the restrooms back in Tennessee?”

“Yes. I told you I knew her from somewhere.” In one sense I had been validated, but it wasn’t a good thing. The connection couldn’t have been random.

“And you really think you saw her the night of the storm? You remembered her that well?” Skepticism filled Genevieve’s voice.

“We talked for a while at a diner. First while Gage was getting the gas. And then after he arrived.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Genevieve crossed her arms. “Can’t be random if it’s so far separated in time.”

“Which means it’s important.” Denny slowed down. “Where was the diner?”

“Further down this road.”

“Do you remember the name of the gas station?”

“No. Wait.” Another round of chills covered me. “Do you think it’s the same place where we’re going now?”

“I’d guess it.” Denny sighed.

Gage took my hand. “This is crazy.”

“What isn’t crazy?” I took several deep breaths. I had absolutely no idea what was happening, but I felt like I’d been dumped in the middle of the Twilight Zone.

“Has she been following us?” Genevieve stared out the window.

“I don’t know.” Denny gripped the wheel tightly. “We don’t know who or what she is.”

“Meaning she might not be human?” I asked.

Denny nodded. “Meaning she probably isn’t. What did she say to you that night? What happened? Was she alone?”

“She was with her husband.” Gage stared out the window. We were both looking at this road with new eyes now.

“Or at least a man who she was involved with. I didn’t look for a ring.”

“They seemed really interested in us, but in that old couple kind of way.” Gage tore his eyes from the window. “When Mary Anne left for the bathroom the guy told me she was a keeper. It was weird, but also kind of normal coming from an older couple.”

“What happened after that?” Denny pulled into a strip mall. He unbuckled and turned toward the back. Genevieve unbuckled as well and kneeled on the seat.

“We got back in the car. Someone told me the interstate was closed up ahead. I planned to get off right at that point, but then we almost got in an accident with a parked car and got off.”

“You got off onto back roads because the main roads were so bad?” Genevieve raised an eyebrow.

“This isn’t the time for a lecture.” I narrowed my eyes. We didn’t have time for that.

“Sorry.”

“Did you see anyone in the parked car?” Denny asked.

“Nope, but we didn’t look closely or anything.” Gage held my hand. “I was more worried about how much worse the roads would get.”

“Ok.” Denny nodded. “So you got off onto the side roads?”

“Yes, and not long after Chet jumped in front of our truck, and you know the rest.”

“It never made sense why Chet was out there.” Denny seemed to be talking to himself. “And he normally picked the humans carefully. Hunter wasn’t happy that he picked a random truck—well until he saw it was Mary Anne.”

“Wait. What are you saying?” Gage startled. “Was this planned?”

“I have no idea, but there is only way we are going to find out.”

“We have to face him?” I was even more freaked out about it now that we were doubting everything from that night. Things seemed even more messed up than I thought, and I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

“You don’t have to do this. You can stay back.”

“She isn’t safe anywhere, Gage. Don’t be stupid.”

“She’s definitely not safe near Fielding.”

“We’re already near him. If you saw that woman all the way back when we stopped, do you doubt that he knows we’re coming?” He tapped on the center console. “Did you say anything to her?”

“No. She just apologized for taking too long in the bathroom.”

“We can’t put this off any longer.” Denny turned back around.

Genevieve got back in her seat. “I’m going to be honest. This is getting freaky.”

“It is, but it isn’t going to get better. Denny is right. We’re already here. For all we know Fielding is watching us right this second.”

“Way to freak me out more.” Genevieve slumped down further in her seat.

Denny continued down the road, and I was hit with even more déjà vu as he pulled into the gas station parking lot. Gage still held onto my hand tightly. I held on just as tight. I was afraid of what would happen if he let go.

Denny parked in the deserted parking lot.

“Why do we always have to do these kinds of things at night?” I knew we’d be in just as much danger during the day, but the darkness made it all the more ominous.

“Because it’s our luck.” Denny got out and closed his door loudly. It was as though he were trying to get attention. I guess he was.

Tall lights reflected off the packed piles of snow all around the periphery of the parking lot. I wrapped my arms around myself. It was much colder up north, but more than the cold, I was terrified.

Gage noticed me shiver and added his arms, but for once that didn’t help either. Something bad was coming, and we couldn’t outrun it. Instead we had to face it head on.

“Do you think anyone’s here?” Genevieve stood right next to me.

“I don’t know.”

“Yes.” Denny stuffed his hands in his pockets. “My guess is Fielding is watching us right now deciding exactly how long to wait before he shows himself. He wants to intimidate us, and making us wait is part of that process.”

“That’s pretty intense.” Genevieve watched the building.

“And that’s Fielding.”

The sound of a door creaking open made me jump. I looked toward the silent station as a lone figured walked out onto the pavement.

“Well, well, well.” Hunter’s nearly exact look a-like strode toward us. Despite Jocelyn’s warning that he looked just like him, I still hadn’t expected them to appear so identical.

“Fielding.” Denny nodded formally.

“Look what the cat dragged in. What are you doing here?” Fielding’s lips twisted into a smile. “My brother finally kick you out?”

“You know why we are here.” Denny glared at him.

“Do I?” His eyes raked over me and then Genevieve. He may have been talking to the guys, but he was looking at us.

Gage growled beside me.

“Oh my. What has my dear little brother been up to?” Fielding finally looked at Gage. “And he turned a new one? And to think he sent you running to me.” He laughed.

“You’re not going to kill him.” The words slipped out of my mouth.

“Who said I was?” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “I heard my dear brother has gotten himself in trouble.”

“Yes.” I nodded, determined to keep my composure despite his intense state.

“And it’s all your fault, isn’t it?” He stepped toward me.

Gage growled again. “It’s not her fault.”

“But you exist for her, don’t you?” His smile grew more twisted. “It’s also her fault that my brother is locked in a cage.”

“You’ve been following us? Or is there someone on the inside?” Denny stepped in front of me in a surprisingly protective way.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

I mustered every ounce of courage I had. “Your brother is locked up because of you, not me.”

“How do you figure?” He leaned down to my height. Gage pulled me back against him. Fielding laughed. “Calm down cub, I’m not touching her.”

“How is any of this her fault?” Genevieve crossed her arms. “The hunt has been going on for far longer than she’s even been alive.”

Fielding smiled at her. “And how did you get into this mess?”

“I stick with my friends.” She linked her arm with mine.

“Even when your friends are on the wrong side?” He narrowed his eyes. “Come on, you don’t do that.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Sure I do. Genevieve Wester.”

“How?” Genevieve stepped away. “How did you know my name?”

“It pays to do some research.”

“On me?” She put her hand to her chest. “Why do I warrant research?”

“You are with them. There had to be a reason. I needed to know what I was up against.”

“And what did you discover?”

“You’re more interesting than I expected.” He moved back to his full height.

“I am?” She lifted up her chin.

“You can stop shaking.” He turned back to me. “No one’s getting hurt. We’re actually going to work together.”

“Why would we work with you?”

“Because we both want the same thing.”

“And what is that?” I highly doubted he wanted to be captured, and that’s exactly what we planned to have happen to him.

“To get Hunter and the pack out.” He put a hand on the back of his neck. “Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“You don’t want that.”

“Sure I do. He’s my brother. My twin brother, surely that means I care about him as much as the girl who spurned him for another.”

Blood didn’t always mean love. “You hate your brother. You scarred him.”

“Oh, that little thing.” He touched his face in the spot where Hunter had his long scar. “That was simply a misunderstanding.”

“You don’t care about him.” I balled a hand into a fist. “Don’t pretend.”

“I do, but that’s beside the point. The Society has him. It’s time to break him out and bring him home.”

“You want to take down The Society.” Denny’s eyes darted around, and I assumed he was checking our surroundings for more people.

“Surely after they kidnapped your sister your views on the organization have changed. You understand that they must be stopped at any cost.”

Denny shook his head. “I believe the hunt has to end. We need to show that we will not be pushed around.”

“And we will. We’ll all make Hunter proud.” Fielding grinned.

“Hunter doesn’t want a war.” Gage kept his arm firmly around me.

“How would you know?” He glared at Gage.

“He’s right. He doesn’t want that.” I echoed Gage’s sentiment.

Fielding laughed. “You can’t talk about his wants either. You haven’t taken the time to get to know him.”

“I’m not his family. It wasn’t my job to get to know him.” Maybe antagonizing him wasn’t the best idea, but playing nice wasn’t going to help either.

“Oh? You’re the ideal member of your family then?” Fielding shifted his weight from foot to foot.

I shivered again, as the cold night and Fielding’s words set in. “I try to be.”

“Is that why you’re running around with Dires instead of returning to your parents now that you have the chance?”

“I can’t leave Gage to his fate.” I was tired of people expecting me to just leave.

“Why not? Because it’s your fault he’s no longer human?”

“No. Because I love him.” Why not get the truth said out loud?

“It’s the guilt propelling you, not love.”

“How would you know?” It was my turn to question him.

“It’s easy to read someone who is a lot like you.”

“We have nothing in common.” It was bad enough when Hunter tried to make us sound similar, but now Fielding?

“We’re both calculated in our decisions, passionate about the wrong things, and reckless at the worst times.” He counted off each point with his fingers.

“You don’t know me.”

“Of course I do. As I said, I’ve done my research.”

“That’s not like knowing Genevieve’s name. That takes knowing me.”

“Or watching you.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.

“When were you watching me?” I shivered again. I was already aware that he knew about me, but there was something about the way he said it made it worse.

Gage growled.

Fielding laughed. “That’s for me to know. I can’t reveal all my secrets. What would be the fun in that?”

“Will you help us get Hunter out? That’s all we want to know.” Denny’s jaw clenched.

Fielding shook his head. “No.”

“Great. We’re done here.” Denny turned his back on him.

“I haven’t finished.” Fielding smirked.

“What is it?”

“I will allow you to watch while I get him out myself. I merely meant I wouldn’t go along with whatever plan you had.”

“Your plan is going to get us all killed.” Denny’s face was completely serious.

“How do you know? I haven’t even told you about it yet.” Fielding tossed a coin in the air and caught it. Who even carried coins anymore?

“I just know,” Denny grumbled.

“You’ve never trusted me.” Fielding caught the coin and closed his fist around it. “Never.”

“You’ve never given me a reason to trust you.”

“Wait. How old are you?” Genevieve asked.

“Why?” Fielding asked with an amused smile.

“You two sound like old men, but you look like you’re in your mid-twenties.”

“Early twenties.” Fielding corrected. “I guess I’m not aging well. How does Hunter look?”

“You’ve seen him.” I answered even though he wasn’t asking me. “You already admitted to stalking me.”

“It’s not stalking, and I have seen him, but I also never thought I looked older than my years.”

“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet.” Genevieve put a hand on her hip. “But I hear he’s looking fine.”

“Mary Anne is attracted to him.” Fielding challenged me with a wicked smile.

As if my ill will against the guy needed to get worse. “My attraction to anyone isn’t the issue.”

“She doesn’t want to admit it, but she is. She wants her college boy more, but if he wasn’t in the picture.” Fielding shrugged. “It’s beyond me why Hunter kept you.” He pointed at Gage. “I’d have gotten rid of you so I could keep the girl myself.”

Gage growled and his body shook.