First Beginnings (2 page)

Chapter Five

Seth pulled the van into the
abandoned parking area.

‘Jesus, Brandon. Really! You said
this wasn’t a big job. Just something to get our teeth into.’ Seth looked over
the rundown spa hotel. He knew this was going to be a big job and wasn’t sure
he wanted to take it on.

‘Stop whining like a girl and
help me get the stuff out the back,’ replied Brandon. ‘We’re meeting the owner
here in an hour and she wanted us to give her a quote for the job.’ He opened
his door and slipped out.

Seth looked at his brother and
smiled. There may have been 80 years between them, but they were still the
closest of all their brothers and sister. He and his two brothers owned a construction
company, with him mostly taking care of the payroll and admin side, whilst
Logan and Brandon were the muscle and did the grunt work. Logan, however, was
busy helping their dad to rearrange the house, ready for the new pack member.
Seth finished securing his tool belt and joined Brandon at the front of the
truck.

‘Ready as I’ll ever be,’ he said.
‘Lead the way, Brandon.’

Seth smirked, knowing this was
going to be one of their biggest jobs to date. Although they didn’t need the
money, it would do them all good to have something to focus on besides the
packing business. Seth had become alpha of the pack some fifty years ago, when
their father had decided he wanted to stand down and spend more time with their
mum. Although he loved being the alpha, it was a lot of work and effort to
oversee the day-to-day running of the pack and to make sure they kept exposure
to a minimum. It wasn’t that they didn’t like the humans, but over the years
they’d either wanted to experiment on them to find answers, or panic and want
them out of their society. Therefore, they kept themselves to themselves, with
just a few close human friends they had made along the way.

Brandon was making notes on his
iPad, causing Seth to snort in derision. ‘Man, you are such a geek.’ Brandon
smiled, but didn’t look up from the screen.

‘No, you’re just stuck in the
dark ages,’ he replied. ‘Two hundred and twenty years old and I bet you still
don’t even carry your mobile with you. You know they call them mobile phones
for a reason, don’t you? You can carry them
anywhere
.’ Brandon was still
smiling, remembering when Seth had been given a new phone; he’d handed it
straight to Brandon, asking him to keep it until it was set up and working like
the old one. Brandon loved technology and, over the years, he enjoyed training
himself in all the latest software and hardware available.

Seth started up the steps towards
the main entrance, expecting it to be locked. When it swung open, he checked
the lock to see if it had been broken into. As he suspected, the lock was bent
out of shape, as if someone had pulled hard on the door. Scenting the lock, he
noticed the faint odour of a female wolf.

‘How long has this place been
closed?’ he shouted over his shoulder to Brandon.

‘Maybe a year. Not that long,’
Brandon replied, putting the iPad away in his shoulder bag and joining Seth by
the front door.

‘Well, I think it’s been used for
overnight guests,’ said Seth. ‘A female wolf, at that, but I can’t tell if
she’s still here.’ He walked into the reception area and hotel lobby, followed
closely by Brandon.

‘Wow,’ said Brandon. ‘I’ve got
such great plans for this place, but not sure it’s in their budget.’ He was
excited about this project, as he had found the contact and run with the
initial ideas himself.

‘Ok, let’s take a look...’ Before
Seth could finish, they heard a noise from above them. If he’d had human
hearing, he may not have heard it; however, his wolf senses picked up
shuffling. Brandon must have heard it as well, as they were both looking
towards the ceiling.

‘After you, mighty alpha,’ said
Brandon, motioning for Seth to go first.

‘So brave, my little brother. Are
you not supposed to be making sure nothing happens to me? You should go first –
they never attack guys in glasses.’ However, Seth knew, without a doubt, he
would never, ever put Brandon in harm’s way and that he would be the one going
ahead before his brother.

‘It’s girls in glasses, you arse,
not men,’ replied Brandon. ‘And I’m pretty sure they’ll hit just about anyone
if they need to.’ He followed behind Seth to the stairs leading to the upper
floors.

‘Think our little she-wolf is
friendly?’ Brandon asked. ‘Or do I need to call for backup?’ 

‘This isn’t some undercover Bond
film,’ retorted Seth. ‘It’s one female wolf and I’m pretty sure I can handle
her!’

Brandon smiled. ‘You know, one
day you’re going to find your mate and I’m going to enjoy watching you being
brought to heel.’ Seth shoved him, making Brandon stumble. Laughing and shaking
his head, Brandon watched his brother, the mighty alpha, ascend the stairs, not
knowing what they would find.

Chapter Six

‘Shit! Shit! Shit…! Fuck! ‘Callie
was pacing the room.

‘Nice. You kiss your mother with
that mouth?’ Sarah looked at her. Her earlier panic had been upgraded to anger
in anticipation of what or who the hell would be walking in the front doors of
their supposed safe house. ‘Callie...’

Callie interrupted Sarah’s
question by putting a finger to her mouth.

‘Shhh... I’m pretty sure they are
wolves, too. If they are, they will hear you. Give me a second – I need to
think.’ Looking out the window, she saw the men right below them.

‘Do you think they’re with that
man last night, looking for us?’ whispered Sarah.

Callie looked at Sarah and
shrugged. She had royally fucked up big time by bringing her friend here,
thinking they could rest before moving on. Her bad luck had struck again – the
one day she needed time to think, a construction crew turned up at the hotel.
She glanced at the men’s truck, noting the name ‘Penn Construction’ printed on
the side. Watching the younger man strap a tool belt around his waist, it was
possible they were genuinely here to work, but the way her luck was going they
were here for them.

‘I don't think so,’ she replied,
‘but it’s better to be safe. Sarah, I'm so sorry, but I need you with me on
this. I can get us out, but you will have to stay close and try not to make any
sound. We’re going to move away from the room and try and make it to the back
staircase and head out the back door. They will be able to scent me, but
hopefully it will be too late and they’ll think I just crashed for the night
with a human.’ 

Callie knew she was a weak wolf;
she had not listened or become one with her wolf for a long time. The less she
phased, the weaker she became, and it was difficult to phase around a town full
of humans. Last night was the first time in three months she had turned into
her wolf, and that was purely instinctual because Sarah needed her. Even the
thought of losing Sarah made her feel sad, but she knew she wouldn’t give up on
their friendship; she would make Sarah realise nothing had changed, that she
was still the same person she was before the attack.

She could hear the men moving
around downstairs, chatting about general things, before she heard them
question the sound above them.

‘Shit,’ she said quietly. ‘Sarah,
up and out! They know we’re here. You ok to move?’ Callie made to reach for
her, but Sarah flinched and pulled back. ‘Sarah, please, I love you like a
sister,’ begged Callie. ‘When we get home safe, I’ll explain everything to you.
But we have to go.’ 

Sarah felt bad for Callie, but
she couldn’t forgive her for the big hurt she had caused. She knew she would
have to if she still wanted Callie in her life, but for now all she wanted to
do was go home, sleep for a month and forget what happened last night.

‘Just get me the hell out of
here,’ she replied. ‘Home! Then we’ll see what happens.’ Callie looked at Sarah
and knew now wasn’t the right time to mention the fact they were not going
home, and probably never would.

Opening the door to sneak out,
Callie walked straight into the brick wall of a strong male. Hands grabbed her
upper arms to steady her before she realised they had argued for too long and
the men were now at her door. Struggling from his grip, she wrenched herself
from his hold and backed into the room, standing defensively in front of Sarah.

Holding his hand up in front of
him, Seth spoke to the two women, who appeared to have had a rough night. ‘Hey,
we’re not here to hurt you,’ he said. ‘I'm Seth and this is my brother,
Brandon. We’re here to meet with the owner for a quote to fix this place up.’
He motioned between him and his brother. Two pairs of frightened eyes stared
back at him in silence. ‘I know what you are. Do you know what I am?’ He looked
at Callie for recognition. She nodded her head.

‘Yes, you’re both wolves,’ she
replied quietly. ‘Sarah is human, but she knows about me.’ Callie felt the fear
coming off Sarah in waves; she was pretty sure the men could scent it, too. She
looked over to Brandon, who was smiling at her, probably trying to make her
feel that they were no threat. It wasn’t working. She was exhausted from the
night before, but knew she had to try and get out of the room they were trapped
in.

‘Look,’ continued Seth. ‘I can
tell you’re scared, but we’re good guys and...’ Seth sniffed the air and his
eyes moved to Sarah. Before he could stop himself, he walked forward towards
the human woman. His eyes had turned amber and he let out a deep, throaty
growl.
‘Mate…’
His wolf was close to the surface and he could literally
feel its pull to take the woman named Sarah; to mount her, there and then in the
room, before his brother and her friend and make her his.

Callie spoke, breaking him out of
his daze. ‘Sarah, get behind me. If you get a chance, run. I can’t hold them
off for long, but just run, okay?’

Sarah gripped her friend’s hand
tightly. ‘Callie, I'm not leaving you...’

‘Wait just a minute,’ said
Brandon. ‘Fuck, Seth, what’s the matter with you?’ He had rushed in front of
Seth and turned to face him. Looking at his brother’s still amber eyes, he knew
something was wrong, for Seth would never hurt a woman. Shaking his head, Seth
cleared the fog that seemed to have formed in his brain.

‘Sorry, she’s...’ he began. ‘I
mean, I think... I’m pretty sure... she’s my mate!’ He pointed to Sarah, who
stood shaking with fear behind Callie.

‘Like hell you’re going to mate
her!’ Callie gripped Sarah's hand tighter and was slowly edging around the
room, getting closer to the door.

‘Wait, stop.’ Seth put his hands
up in front of him. ‘Please, I'm sorry. I meant no harm. It’s just that I’ve
never…’ He ran his hands through his
dark brown
hair, his eyes having returned to the pale blue they were before. Sarah was
watching him closely. Even though she was frightened, she had a feeling that
they could trust them. She looked into his eyes as he stared into hers, and a
hint of a smile formed at his lips.

‘We were attacked last night by
another wolf,’ she said at last. ‘Callie fought him off. I'm still a little
hazy as to how we ended up here.’ She squeezed Callie’s hand. ‘And we’re not
sure if you’re friend or foe. Please, just let us leave and I promise I won’t
tell anyone what I saw.’ Callie turned to Sarah, but not quite turning her back
on the men.

‘Sarah, we can’t go home,’ she
said. ‘He might be waiting for us. He could probably scent us and may be
waiting. I'm sorry, Sarah, but we need a plan B...’

Sarah instantly dropped Callie’s
hand.

‘A plan B?’ she cried. ‘Is that
right? You come into my life – my simple, boring, all-planned-out life – and
turn into a fucking werewolf, and then tell me I need to find a
plan B
?
How do I know this isn’t some sick, twisted, serial killer, snuff movie thing?
That you’re not going to turn into a wolf and chase me through this hotel and
eat me so some freak can pay millions to watch?’ Sarah placed her hands on her
hips and tried to make herself look stronger than she felt.

Callie simply looked at her with
hurt in her eyes. But, before she could say anything, Seth burst into fits of
laughter. He was bent over, holding his stomach, his hand held up to motion to
Brandon not to say anything.

‘I'm glad I amuse you,’ said
Sarah bitterly. ‘I’ve had the worst night of my life and you find this funny.’
She felt the tears burning her eyes. ‘I just want to go home. I need to get out
of here.’

‘Wait.’ Seth had managed to stop
laughing and spoke to her directly. ‘Listen, I'm not going to stop you if you
want to leave the hotel, but if your friend’s right about this wolf following
you home, then I can’t just let you go. We are friends here, I promise, and we
mean you no harm. I'm alpha of my pack and my brother, Brandon, is the omega.
We can help you find out what happened last night –whether it’s just a random
attack, or if he is waiting for you to get home.’ He turned to Callie. ‘I
promise... no, I
pledge
to you, that we mean you no harm and can take
you to a safe location, where my family live. Give you food and drink and a
safe place to rest for a while. If you still want to leave, then you can do
so.’ He turned to Sarah. ‘And I promise, I won’t eat you... unless you ask me
nicely.’ He smiled at her and she felt the beat of her heart speed up.
Great,
she thought,
I'm in a room with three werewolves and I'm getting hot for the
idiot in front of me.

Callie turned to Sarah. ‘Sarah, I
think it’ll be a good idea...’

Sarah threw her hands in the air
and began pacing the room. ‘I don't believe you, Callie! All this, and now
you’re asking me to follow these idiots, who are probably a brain-washing cult
of werewolves, to their home, where we only have their word that it’s safe.’
She heard Brandon stifle a laugh and she sent him her best ‘screw you’ glare.

‘Mate of mine,’ said Seth, ‘I
promise I would never hurt you. My family, along with other families, live on
the island with us. They will make you feel welcome. But if you ever want to
leave, I will find a safe place for you and me to stay.’ Seth took both her
hands in his.

She snatched them out of his
grip. ‘Don't you call me that,’ she said coldly. ‘I'm not your mate, buddy,
friend or next cult member!’ Brandon looked at his brother.

‘Are you sure, Seth?’ he asked.

Seth answered him, but kept his
eyes on Sarah. ‘Yes, she is my mate.’ 

‘Well, Mum’s going to be beside
herself knowing golden boy has finally found his true mate!’ Brandon slapped
Seth on the back and motioned for them to get going.

Callie just stared between Seth
and Sarah. ‘Seth, Sarah only found out about me last night. She knows nothing
of our ways or traditions. I'm happy to accept your invite to your home, but if
Sarah doesn’t want to go, then I’ll stand by her decision.’

Sarah wiped her hands down her
face, not caring that she was smearing the previous night’s make-up over her
face. She needed to think. She knew it was stupid to follow them home, but
really what choice did she have? If that big wolf was waiting for her at home,
then she would rather be eaten by the big lump of gorgeousness in front of her
than the creepy old man from last night.

‘If they eat me, I'm going to
haunt you for the rest of your long life!’ She looked at Callie and then turned
to Brandon. ‘Keep him away from me,’ she said, indicating to Seth. ‘I don't
want to be his mate and I don't want to join your cult. I'm hungry, tired and
still slightly hung-over. My arm hurts like a bitch and I just want some
painkillers and a warm bath.’ She pushed past Seth and walked straight out the
door towards the large staircase. She knew they would follow her, but didn’t
turn around to see if they were.

Brandon looked at his brother and
smiled. ‘Think your mate likes me more than you, buddy.’

‘Fuck off, Brandon,’ replied
Seth. ‘You go follow her, make sure she’s ok. I’ll meet you outside.’ He
watched Brandon go after his mate. It took a lot of effort not to run after
her, but he knew he had to give her the time and space she needed so she could
trust him. He turned his attention to Callie.

‘How old are you, darlin’?’ He
motioned for her to walk out the door first.

‘I'll follow you, thanks,’ she
replied. ‘I'm ninety years old. My name’s Callie, by the way. My friend’s name
is Sarah. We’ve been sharing a place together for over six years. She’s the
most important person in my life and if you so much as look at her wrong I’ll
challenge you!’ She puffed up her large chest, hoping it made her look braver
than she felt. Of course, it was a moot point since he could hear her heart
racing.

‘Listen,’ replied Seth. ‘I don't
know what happened, but if and when you’re ready I’ll call a meeting and you
can tell us all about it. She is my mate. I would protect her with my life,
whether she wants me to or not. Come with us and I promise that you will find a
safe haven.’

They made it to the main
entrance, just as Brandon was walking back in.

‘She’s in the truck, arms folded,’
he said, ‘and looking like she’ll kick the crap out of me if I so much as look
at her. Your mate scares the shit out of me, Seth.’ He patted Seth on the back.
‘Good luck. Think you’re going to be brought to heel sooner than you think,
brother.’ Laughing, he walked back to the truck.

Seth remained silent as he
watched his brother walk away.

‘I’ll wait here for the owner and
I’ll meet you back at home,’ continued Brandon. He threw his cell at Seth,
guessing right that he had not brought his own. ‘Call Dad or Logan if you need
us.’ He watched Callie climb in next to Sarah. ‘I’ll send Greg back for you.
Later, dude.’ 

Seth stood watching his brother
drive off with his mate. He reminded himself that, once they were home, he
would work his charm on her and get her to trust him and his family.