September Moon (6 page)

“Yeah, that didn’t take all that long, did it?”

The small town pack was made up of soccer moms, lawyers, and other everyday people who sought a normal life in a place where they could safely be both human and wolf. Both Shaz and I had grown into adulthood in that pack. It was a safe place to get comfortable with my wolf. And now it was time to move on.

“You’re right about the city wolves. I’ve known that was coming since Shya demanded I lead the wolves and vampires for him. I told him I would talk to them. I didn’t say what about.” Putting it off wouldn’t do me any good. Connecting with the city wolves was vital. There was no guarantee they would help me, but there was only one way to find out.

“So we should probably go there first. We can head to The Wicked Kiss afterward to talk to Willow,” Shaz said, his casual tone forced.

“You don’t have to go in there. You know, if you’d rather not. I can talk to Willow anytime.” I didn’t want to make this awkward. Shaz’s past junkie behavior had not started with The Wicked Kiss. Though that was where it had spiraled out of control.

“I’m fine, Lex. The Vegas club was intense, and I handled it. Don’t make it something it’s not. Please?”

The sincerity in his gaze silenced my protests. Giving him a hard time would be hypocritical. So I kept my mouth shut. It wasn’t easy.

“Sure,” I managed. “No problem. I’m going to go get ready. I should probably call Kylarai back. She’s left like five voicemails about needing me to find a dress.”

My best friend, Kylarai Kramer, was getting married in less than a week. It was a rush wedding, thrown together very quickly. Kylarai had her heart set on a September wedding so she was furiously planning her ass off while I did my best to keep up.

Shaz snickered. “I can’t wait to see you in that dress. I hope it’s some insanely ridiculous getup with ruffles and sequins.”

“Hey,” I protested. “What did I do to deserve that? Ouch.”

We shared a laugh, and it felt so good. It had been so long it seemed.

“Ky is going to make a beautiful bride,” Shaz said. “A werewolf wedding. This should be interesting.”

“I’m a little nervous,” I admitted. “I hope nothing goes wrong. Nothing involving me at least.”

“Nah, it’ll be a blast. We’ll party. We’ll run. It will be a good time. And you could sure use one.”

He was right about that. I disappeared upstairs to get dressed, needing to escape the sudden awkwardness that had settled over the topic of discussion. I was excited to see one of my dearest friends get married, yet it created this tension between Shaz and I, this strained awareness that wedded bliss would never be our future.

A call to Kylarai perked me right up. As I did my favorite smoky eyeliner and grey eye shadow, she gushed all about the flowers she had selected, the rings they’d picked out, and her inability to decide how to do her hair.

“Coby must be loving this,” I laughed. “I can’t remember the last time I heard you so chipper. It’s nice.”

“It really is. I have never felt this connected to anyone. It’s like we were made for each other. It’s so funny how things work out.” Joy practically poured out of the phone as she spoke.

It certainly was interesting how one event led to another. If I hadn’t attacked Coby on the street in a fit of vampire hunger, he wouldn’t be there with her now. I guess good can come of bad after all. It’s all a matter of patience, watching to see how the pieces fall together.

While I slipped into jeans and a Motley Crüe t-shirt, Kylarai rambled on about the dress fittings.

“I need you and Jez to try on dresses. We need time if any alterations are to be made.”

“We’ll be there, Ky. I promise. In fact, I have to call Jez right away. I’ll remind her.”

When I did call Jez a few minutes later, there was no answer. She would never bother to check her voicemail, so instead I sent her a text telling her to meet me at The Wicked Kiss or to call me back.

I ran a brush quickly through my long hair, pausing to examine the piece Shya had cut. I frowned in the mirror at the short stubby chunk before tucking it under out of sight. Bastard.

After gathering my knee-length leather jacket and the Dragon Claw, I descended the stairs to meet Shaz who had made use of the main floor washroom. He was ready and waiting for me. Freshly shaved and casual in jeans and a t-shirt, his platinum hair was slightly disheveled but stylish.

I paused on the bottom stair and openly gawked. “I never tire of looking at you. Even when we were new wolves back at Raoul’s, I would sneak glances at you, hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

A blush colored his cheeks. “I noticed. When I wasn’t too caught up doing the same.”

He swept me off the stairs and into a warm embrace. With a hand beneath my chin, he brought his lips to mine. It was both tender and firm, reminding me of simpler things in a simpler time.

I was overjoyed that our shared affection had survived the years and the hardship thrown at us. However, I was also saddened by all the things it would never be, the shattered picket-fence dream I hadn’t known I’d harbored until recently.

The kiss ended, and our eyes locked. I opened my mouth as if I might spill everything racing through my mind. Nothing came out. Shaz nodded, needing no words. We left the house before the moment could be ruined. We had no time to waste on what could never be. My focus had to be on what was.

Chapter Five

Unease lurked within me when Shaz and I arrived at the werewolf hangout. It was a warehouse-style nightclub on the south side of town. A weathered sign hung above the front door, bearing the name: Doghead.

Finding the scroll was important. But making connections with the wolves in this city was vital. So here we were.

“How do you feel about this?” Shaz asked. His hand was on the door handle, ready to exit the safety of the car.

“I’m nervous. I hope they listen to what we have to say before they tear our throats out.”

Against my better judgment, I took off the belt that held the Dragon Claw around my waist. Bringing a demon-forged weapon into a den of wolves would be suicide.

Leaving the car filled me with a fresh wave of uncertainty. I would not go in there stinking of fear. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was here as a friend not a foe. Maybe I no longer had a pack to lead, but I’d earned the Alpha title and would not act like anything less than that.

I’d hoped we would slip past the bouncer at the door and blend into the crowd inside. No such luck. We were stopped at the door and searched for weapons.

“We’re here to speak with whoever’s in charge,” I declared when questioned. “We just want to talk. That’s all.”

The wolf manning the door scowled at us. He openly sniffed us, scenting for a lie which he would not find. Big and burly, he was intimidating for sure, but I’d dealt with worse.

“Follow me.” A man of few words. I liked that.

We followed him through the bar, which was smaller on the inside than the exterior made it appear. Concrete floors and basic black tables gave the place a very colorless appearance.

There was not a single human in the place. Everyone we passed was a wolf. There had to be well over a hundred. Each of them bore a tattoo on the side of their neck, marking them as members of a pack. Judging by the different tattoos, I’d guess two or three different packs frequented the place. Envy left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

“Wait here.”

The bouncer gestured to a table covered in empty beer bottles and a plate of chicken bones. With a grimace, I pushed the mess to one side and sat down. Shaz and I exchanged a look. He gave a small shrug and sat back to wait while I perused the vicinity.

The dance floor was littered with women dancing to a fast-paced country song. More than a few heads turned to catch a glimpse of the attractive newcomer, but Shaz was oblivious to them. Most of the men occupied pool tables. Those that didn’t were gathered around a small stage where a pole dancer did her thing, inciting shouts and cheers.

My palms grew sweaty, and I wiped them on my jeans. The fact that I felt more at home in a bar full of vampires did not sit well with me. This should be the place I felt comfortable. This was where I should have belonged.

I was painfully aware of the approach of an Alpha couple. The dominant power oozed from them like a balloon with a slow leak. Subtle but constant. The Alpha male slid onto a seat across from us, glared at the mess on the table, and with a sweep of his hand, shoved the whole thing onto the floor. Bottles shattered and chicken bones flew. I squelched the urge to grimace.

“Somebody clean up this goddamn mess,” he barked. “What the hell am I paying you for?”

He was older than I’d anticipated, in his fifties or sixties I’d guess. His short hair was more silver than brown. Hard blue eyes gleamed with the predatory spark of his beast. Average height with a bulky build, he carried himself with the confidence of one who has learned to fear nobody. It was impressive and intimidating as hell.

My gaze was drawn to the totem moon tattooed on the side of his neck. It was a crescent moon made up of tribal-style curls and twists with one thin line joining each point, making it a full moon as well. It was a perfect match to the one adorning several other wolves.

“Sorry about that,” he said, his gaze lingering on us each in turn. “It’s hard to find good help these days.”

Several waitresses and a bus boy rushed over to clean up the mess. Another placed a fresh beer in front of the Alpha before asking if we’d like anything. I declined while Shaz asked for a beer.

The Alpha female slid onto her seat and immediately offered us her hand. “Please ignore the disruption. I’m Hanna, and this here is Dayne. We’re the Alphas of the Doghead pack. The head pack of the three existing city packs.”

“Alexa,” I said, grateful for her show of hospitality. “Former Alpha of the Stony Plain pack.” Shaz jumped in with his introduction. Hanna laughed and commented on the uniqueness of his name while I sat there awkwardly, unsure of what to say next.

Hanna was close to Dayne’s age from what I could tell. Tall and thin, her athletic build was draped in expensive high-end clothes. Her smile shone in her hazel eyes, but I could see a ruthless glint beneath the surface. The deep auburn red of her hair seemed like it should have come from a bottle, but I was pretty sure it was natural. She too bore her pack tattoo on her neck beneath her left ear.

“We don’t get outside wolves in here very often,” Dayne said, his voice as gruff as his manner. A muscle twitched in his sharply chiseled, square jaw. “This is well protected territory.”

“We’re not here to infringe on your territory. We just want to talk.” Shaz’s demeanor was calm, subdued. Coming across as aggressive would be a big mistake.

“So talk.”

Shaz looked to me, letting me take over. I didn’t know where to begin.

“We were the Alphas of a small town pack. The Stony Plain pack,” I began. “Now it’s just the two of us. It seemed appropriate to reach out to your pack. I was hoping you would consider a friendly alliance.”

Dayne’s frozen stare bore into me. The wolf behind his eyes seemed to surface for a moment, regarding me with a haughty glare. “I know who you are, Alexa. Rumor has it, you’re more vampire than wolf now. So tell me, why would I want to form an alliance with you?”

I could answer that many ways. Having him look at me like I was something he’d found on the bottom of his shoe made me want to tell him he was lucky I didn’t force his hand with a power play. I knew wolves though, and that would only start a war I wasn’t prepared to fight. I currently had bigger problems.

“I am still wolf. If you know that much about me then you must know that a demon has staked his claim on this city and every person of power within it. You included.” I paused, giving them a moment to appreciate the severity of my words.

Dayne pulled a cigar from the inside pocket of his leather jacket. He took his time lighting and puffing on it, all the while never taking his eyes off me. “Is that so?” He finally said. “And what might this demon want from my pack?”

“Servitude. He wants me to lead the vampires and werewolves of the city, to work for his cause, as servants in his empire.”

Dayne moved fast. He was on his feet, cigar in hand, in my face with a menacing sneer. “You think you can take over my pack, bitch? Just fucking try it.”

Shaz was at my side, putting himself between me and the big wolf. “That’s not what she said.” He held his hands up in a sign of surrender. “Please, let her finish.”

Hanna grabbed Dayne’s arm and pulled, but the big man remained rooted to the spot. “Sit your foul-tempered ass down and listen, honey.” To me she said, “Sorry, sweetheart. Men. You know how it is.”

I nodded and faked a smile as an acceptance of her apology. My wolf was tense inside me, feeling out of place and ready to either flee or fight. I’d rather not do either. Somehow I managed to stay seated and calm. Tapping my power was tempting but throwing the Alpha wolf on his ass wasn’t going to convince him that I wasn’t more vampire than wolf.

Dayne glowered at me from his taller frame. His wolf looked out at me, issuing a silent but dangerous challenge. When I didn’t react, his shoulders settled ever so slightly, and he returned to his seat.

“Keep talking,” he growled, taking a large swig of beer.

I swallowed hard, seeking the right words to make him see the truth. Clearly the wolves here lived in their own tidy little world. Couldn’t say I blamed them. I would too if everyone would just leave me the hell alone.

“Shya, the demon, he’s got plans for all of us. We need to come together to resist him. The fact that I’m here telling you this should earn me some credit. If I planned to overthrow your pack, I wouldn’t come for a visit first.” I paused, and when Dayne indicated I should continue, I told him everything I knew about Shya.

Dayne’s expression never changed, though Hanna openly gasped and commented as I spoke. She was much calmer of the two of them. I wasn’t stupid enough to think that made her more reasonable. But one could hope.

“So what then?” Dayne asked in a gruff voice when I’d finished. “We either help you, or you make us your bitches for the demon?”