Two Minutes (Seven Series Book 6) (9 page)

“We’re telling the pack when we get home.”

Trevor tossed our stuff in the back of his car. “That’s not happening.”

I pulled open the door to let the hot air out. “It’s happening; like it or not. I’m sorry, Trevor. I love you too much to watch you get hurt. What if he tries that again and I’m not around? I want to make sure that everyone knows who’s after you.”

He sat in the car and turned the engine over. “Well, this should be interesting.”

***

The strange part about my return to Texas was that while initially I’d felt as though I was the only one in crisis mode, I realized the whole pack had their own toolbox full of issues. First Lexi and now Trevor. That’s the reality of growing up. Suddenly it wasn’t just about my problems anymore, and I needed to put others ahead of myself. Someone had to step in and fix the wrong—secrets they’d been keeping that threatened to tear the pack apart from the inside. That meant putting aside all my childish feelings of not belonging and doing some damage control.

“Family meeting,” I called out, kicking off my shoes in the hall by the front door and strolling toward the living room. “Anyone who doesn’t come down will get filled in by the next person who sees them. I want the whole house to hear the news.”

“What’s this about?” Lexi asked nervously.

I shook my head ever so slightly and closed my eyes to let her know it wasn’t about what had happened that morning in the bathroom.

Wheeler plopped down on the leather sofa and gave me a vacant stare.

When Melody entered the room, Izzy shooed her upstairs.

“Wait, I think she should hear this,” I said. “If you’re raising kids in this house, then we need to teach them core values.”

William stood in front of the window to my right. “Agreed.”

Izzy put her arm around Melody, and I noticed my mom and the twins weren’t home. Neither was April.

Austin took a seat in his leather chair and Reno leaned his hip against the side. Trevor looked like a spooked horse the way he hopped from one foot to the other with his hands tucked beneath his armpits. It was as if he wanted to get as close to the front door as possible in case he needed to run. I pulled him nearer to me and gave him a reassuring nod.

“I don’t know about this,” he said under his breath.

I stuffed my fingertips in the pocket of my jean shorts.

“Nice tan,” Denver said, pointing at my legs. “You missed a spot.”

Distracted, I glanced down and noticed a faded square on my right thigh that had come from falling asleep with a bookmark halfway on my leg. God, of all times for a silly distraction.

“Today I went to the lake with Trevor. We had a nice time together until a man showed up and punched him around.”

William moved ever so slightly.

I kept my eyes on Austin because the Packmaster would be the one to determine how his pack should respond to this.

Austin leaned forward. “What was the scuffle about?” He turned a sharp eye toward Trevor.

My stomach knotted when I realized Trevor wasn’t going to speak up. I knew about his past—the abusive pack who had raised him. But I couldn’t have imagined that the abuse was still going on, especially with the men in his life.

“Trevor just got out of an abusive relationship.”

The air left the room.

“Jesus,” Reno murmured.

It was a good thing April wasn’t there or she would have flipped. Trevor was like a brother to her, and I was certain he’d kept it hidden from her most of all.

“I don’t get it,” Austin said reluctantly. “How did this escape my attention?”

“It’s not the first time,” I said. “Trevor told me… he told me it’s been going on for years with other men.”

I could feel the energy rolling off William. Lexi covered her mouth, and Melody looked between everyone as if seeking her own reaction.

“It’s over,” Trevor said, one arm tucked around him and the other holding the back of his neck. “He just doesn’t want it to be over.”

“Who is…
he
?” William asked in thick words.

“A soon to be dead man,” Reno replied. “That’s who he is.”

“His name is Aaron,” I said before Trevor chickened out. “And I want everyone in the pack to know about him because Trevor needs our protection.”

“We have to do something,” Lexi said to Austin. “You know guys like that won’t give up.” They shared a private look, one I knew all about. The whole pack knew about her ex who had tried to take her life in a fit of despair and rage. He hadn’t been abusive, but the breakup triggered something violent in him.

Austin shook his head. “I’ll tell you one thing right now: nobody fucks with my pack. I’ll talk to his Packmaster and—”

“No, don’t,” Trevor quickly said. “That’ll just make it worse.”

“Worse than beating you?” William asked, pointing at Trevor’s bruised eye.

Trevor’s jaw slid forward. “Yeah. Worse. He’ll make it his personal mission to make my life hell. He’s just letting off steam right now. It’ll fizzle out and he’ll go away if I ignore him. They always do. It’s not like I stay in the relationships long when they start to go south, but sometimes it takes time to end it.”

I reached out to touch Trevor’s arm and he stepped out of reach, arms folded as he examined his oxfords. He was the kind of guy who liked to dress neatly—a pair of nice jeans, black leather shoes, and a button-up that conformed to his body. He had a signature style that never went out of fashion.

Denver sat up. “I say what comes around goes around, so how about we go make some of that come back around to him?” He snatched a piece of candy from a bowl by the TV and unwrapped it, popping a green mint into his mouth. “Some assholes need someone bigger to pick on them.”

Jericho snorted. “Well,
you’re
out then.”

“Shut it.”

“I’m the tallest one here,” Jericho said. “Maybe I need to take care of things.”

Reno cracked his knuckles. “I’m the biggest.”

As William walked by us with a scowl on his face, he said, “And I’m the baddest.”

“Will, don’t do anything stupid,” Austin shouted out as William left the house. “That’s an order! Dammit, Reno. Go follow him.”

Wheeler locked his hands behind his head. “And boom goes the dynamite.”

Reno took off, and moments later, we heard his motorcycle roaring down the driveway.

Trevor was trying to crawl back into his turtle shell, so I grabbed his hand and held it, whether he liked it or not. “I’ve been gone a long time, and I guess I’m seeing everything from a new perspective. So many things are starting to make sense, but this pack still needs a lot of work. I don’t mean to offend, Austin, but maybe that old saying about not being able to see the forest for the trees has some validity to it. You’re a family, and you need to pay attention to what’s going on with those around you.”

“Don’t you mean
we
?” Izzy asked.

“What did I say?”

“You said
you’re
a family. Aren’t you part of this family too?”

Before I could answer, Denver raised his voice. “Aaron
what?
William won’t get far without his last name or the pack he belongs to. I’m assuming he’s a wolf.”

Trevor grimaced. “William’s the one who introduced us.”

“Are you shitting me?” Izzy exclaimed. “Melody, go upstairs. Your mother is about to unleash a few words I’d rather you not hear for another decade.”

Melody snickered and looked relieved to escape the drama. The pack didn’t care one way or the other about cussing; they never had. It was just Izzy’s way of excusing her.

Trevor held up his hands. “Will didn’t know. He wouldn’t have set me up with someone like that intentionally. Hell, I didn’t know until the last month when he got pissed off after I went to a concert in Dallas.”

Austin rubbed his hands across his face several times. When he stopped, he touched the cleft on his chin and then steepled his fingers. “If Aaron contacts you again, I want to know about it. That means in person, on the phone, text, billboard… whatever. He’s not allowed to even say hello to you. I’m going to put out a warning to his Packmaster, and don’t worry, I’ll be discreet about your business.”

“Thanks. Sorry about all this,” Trevor said, dragging his gaze to the floor.

He started to shuffle toward the stairs when Wheeler launched off the sofa and followed behind him. He put his hands on Trevor’s shoulders and I heard him say, “Let’s go shoot a few games of pool, brother.”

After the family meeting regarding Trevor’s ex, the pack settled down and returned to their usual routine.
William still hadn’t come back. Reno had tailed him, but William had already put distance between them. Wheeler kept in contact with Reno because when a Packmaster gives his second-in-command orders, that beta wolf doesn’t want to let him down. Reno would stay out for as long as it took to find William, but Will wasn’t answering his phone.

Austin handed me the keys to the blue truck and told me to use it for as long as I wanted. There was someone I needed to pay a visit to, and it was a conversation I couldn’t stall any longer.

Lexi said Prince might know about Potentials. It wasn’t as though I had plans to date a nonhuman, but what scared me was what I
didn’t
know about the mark and what else it could mean. While I mostly kept it hidden, there were moments I didn’t think about it—like earlier at the park with Trevor. It was time to find out if this was something I really needed to be secretive about.

I knew the turnoff where Prince lived, but I’d never actually been to his house. He was one of the wealthiest Packmasters in the territory, and I’d heard plenty of stories about his land and was curious what it looked like. I laughed to myself because when I was a little girl, I used to imagine it looked like a glittering castle made of crystals.

When my truck turned onto a smoothly paved private road in the woods, I ducked beneath the visor with my mouth agape. “Whoa.”

Iron gates that towered fifteen or twenty feet high blocked the road. Columns bordered each side, and there was an intricate design at the top of the gate that looked prestigious, as if royalty lived there.

The guard wasn’t too pleased with my unannounced arrival. He was a stern-looking man with a blunt chin, shaved head, and camo pants. The kind of guy who might leap out of a military truck and crawl through the mud, pulling grenade pins with his teeth. He stood on the other side of the gate, arms folded.

I got out of the truck and approached him.

“That’s far enough,” he said gruffly. “State your business.”

“I’m here to see the General.”

No reaction.
Doesn’t anyone have a sense of humor?

I shifted my gaze toward the lamps affixed to the columns, noticing stone wolves in a howling position atop each one. “I came to see Prince. He’s obviously not expecting me, but he knows who I am. Can you tell him it’s Maizy?”

He sniffed, flaring his nostrils. Then he took a step forward so his nose pushed between the bars on the gate. When he sniffed again, I stepped back.

“Are you a human?”

Shifters couldn’t smell humans—not that I knew of. Maybe some had special gifts I wasn’t aware of, but it’s possible that he’d sensed my energy was weak.

“Could you just relay the message?”

“What makes you think Prince would want to speak to a scrawny human?”

Scrawny?
I glanced down. So maybe my legs were on the slender side, but I wasn’t by any means emaciated. “Call Prince. Tell him Maizy Knight is here to speak with him, and I won’t wait more than five minutes.” After storming back to the truck, I slammed the door and sat there watching the man make a call on his phone. The air inside the cab became stuffy, so I opened the window and fanned myself with a map I found in the glove compartment.

Three minutes later, a silver Audi raced toward the gate. The brakes screeched and the car lurched to a stop. Prince emerged and strode toward the guard, breathing as if he’d been running. I wondered if he ever dressed down in a pair of jeans and T-shirt. He had on a charcoal-grey suit and a black shirt with a wide V-neck beneath his unbuttoned jacket.

Oops
.
Maybe I interrupted a meeting
.

When the gates opened, Prince waved me in. I started the engine and pulled up behind his Audi. As the gates began to close, I stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the keys in the ignition.

“My apologies for the wait.”

I slammed the door and then bumped it with my hip when it didn’t shut all the way. “No problem, but your guard could use some manners.”

Prince inched closer and lowered his voice. “Did he disrespect you?”

“I haven’t decided whether or not ‘scrawny’ properly fits my description. What do you think?” I said, half joking, anchoring my hands firmly to my hips.

A muscle twitched below his eye and he spun on his heel, stalking toward the guard.

Prince didn’t handle him roughly, but smoothed his hands down the lapels of the guard’s jacket. “Did you insult my guest?”

“I only—I—she just came in with an attitude and—”

When Prince drew in an audible breath, the man snapped his mouth shut and took a submissive position. Five seconds ticked by, then twenty. The guard didn’t move—his eyes looking at Prince’s leather shoes.

With a slow turn, Prince returned to my side and lightly touched my arm. His eyes scanned my body and unfortunately noticed the bead of sweat that trickled down my temple. “You can leave your vehicle here. I’ll drive you to the house and we’ll get you something cool to drink.”

“Thanks,” I said, my voice wavering. “I hope I didn’t cause any trouble with the guard. I’m sure he was just doing his job.”

Prince led me to his car and we got in. “If his job is to force you to sit in a hot car, then he’ll soon be unemployed.”

I sighed when the frosty air from the vents blew onto my face. “I’m just not used to the heat like I used to be. I’ve been away a long time and got a little spoiled, although I’m not a fan of rain.”

“Yes, they get far too much of it over there.”

We approached his mansion and I gasped, my eyes soaking in what compared to an English manor. “I heard it was big, but this is
huge!
”

Prince chuckled. “I’ve heard that a time or two.”

“I’m sure you have,” I said over my shoulder, although I wasn’t sure if he had meant the innuendo. I did, and I was a little disappointed when he didn’t return the playful banter. “This isn’t a mansion; it’s a castle in the woods. How is it that humans haven’t found this place?”

“I’m sure flying helicopters overhead might notice, but private property allows a man to build the kind of home that fits his personality.”

Three stories
of personality. Stone archways across a long porch on the first level, a low wall below that since the house was on a hill, and a balcony on the second level. It had the appearance of a castle because of the steepled roof and the rounded columns of windows on either side. I was stunned. I’d seen Lorenzo’s home, and while it was contemporary on the outside, it didn’t equal half the size of Prince’s house.

“I feel like I’m going to a resort,” I said.

He parked the car on the right side of the house, inside a garage. “Should you want to stay the night, you’re more than welcome. There’s underground parking for your car.”

“While I’d be over the moon to stay at a place like this for the night, I’m just here to talk.”

A secretive smile touched his lips. “Come. I’ll show you to my private quarters and order refreshments.”

He guided me through the breezeway toward a side entrance. I hoped that “private quarters” didn’t mean his bedroom, although what that must look like piqued my curiosity. I wondered if he had silk curtains around his canopy bed with gold slippers at the edge.

After a brief chat with a packmate, Prince escorted me to the third level of the house. The sun was beginning to settle below the tree line, and the surrounding woods basked in the golden light flooding through the windows of the third floor.

“This is breathtaking!” I rushed to the open balcony doors and stepped outside. I could feel a delicate breeze that wasn’t blocked by trees or buildings. “You can see everything,” I said in awe. “I bet this looks amazing during meteor showers.”

“Would you like to sit out here?” he asked from the open balcony door.

“No, we need to speak in private. I don’t want anyone to hear our conversation.”

“Very well.” Prince closed the doors and leisurely walked toward two brown leather chairs near a tall bookcase on the right. It had a gold area rug beneath it that I couldn’t stop admiring because of the elaborate patterns. Obviously not something he bought at Home Depot.

As he motioned for me to sit, a knock sounded at the door.

My eyes were eating up the décor. From the antique paintings on the walls to the dark wood floors, no expense had been spared. An array of beautiful flowers was on a table between the bookshelves—
fresh
flowers. I snapped off a piece of material dangling from the end of my jean shorts and suddenly found no place to put the piece of scrap. I peered over the armrest in search of a trash can.

“Here we are.” Prince rolled a cart to my left and handed me a cup of hot tea, complete with a saucer.

I dropped the string of material next to a plate of cookies and accepted the tea with fire stinging my cheeks.

Prince’s face softened, but he pretended as if he hadn’t seen what I’d done. “Would you like something more comfortable to wear?”

“No,” I said, sipping my tea. “I’m just going to unravel right here in your chair.”

He took a seat in front of me and flashed his eyes up to mine. “How did you find England?”

“Wet.”

He traced his finger over his eyebrow and drew my attention back to his eyes. His right one was a medium brown, while his left eye glittered like sapphire. “You have grown into a remarkable woman.”

When my teacup rattled against the saucer from my nerves, I set it down. “Kind words, but the compliments aren’t necessary. I feel like an eyesore in your house. I didn’t mean to show up underdressed, but I’m working on replenishing my wardrobe.”

Prince sipped his tea slowly and set it on the tray. “On the contrary, everything in this room pales against your radiant beauty.”

“If you’re trying to play a game of how many times you can make me blush, then you win. I came here to talk to you about something private—something you might know a little about.”

Prince widened his legs and placed his arms on the armrest of the chair in a casual manner, but I could see his apprehension.

“Can I have your confidence?”

He nodded. “Your secrets are safe with me. As a Packmaster, I give you my word.”

I scratched my collarbone and looked around.

Prince laughed quietly. “You have peculiar habits when nervous. Such a trembling little flower.”

“No, I think I got a mosquito bite at the lake earlier. I’m here to ask you about the mark on my shoulder. Do you know the one I speak of?”

He nodded slowly.

“Can you tell me anything about what it means?”

Prince laced his fingers together and crossed his legs. “I have lived more centuries than most. I age slowly because I come from a pure line of powerful Shifters. You might see a few strands of silver in my hair, but I will live twice as long as the average Shifter. I’ve seen a lot of Breeds; some who have gone extinct—at least to my knowledge—and others who have thrived in our evolving world. Yours is an interesting story that began from nothing but rumors. There’s a reason why witch hunts involved searching for marks on a human. In the early years, humans knew about Breed, but they knew little about what we could do with our gifts. So they made up fables, if not making us the demons within their own religion. Do you know what you’re called?”

“Lexi said a Potential.”

“Yes, that is the name our kind has given to you. Not because you’re one of us, but because you have the
potential
to become one of us. No one I’ve spoken to knows how Potentials began, but it’s speculated that long ago, an extinct Breed possibly mated with your kind.”

“I thought Breed couldn’t have children with humans?”

He smiled. “And you are correct. But we know little of every Breed that’s ever walked the earth, and there might have been some who could at one time. I suspect there are certain Relics who know such details, but they don’t make them public. Perhaps these Breeds passed on just enough of their genes to lay dormant throughout generations until something awakened the magic within them. There could be more of you than is known about, but most have no knowledge of what the mark looks like or what it means. Not everyone has heard the stories. There are many legends among our kind that have been forgotten; they’re no longer stories told by the campfire because modern life has provided many distractions. Packmasters are more likely to recognize your mark, or those who have been in contact with elders and paid attention to their stories.”

“Is it something I must keep hidden?”

He leaned forward, eyes still centered on mine. “Absolutely. It’s not the ninety percent of our kind that don’t know about the mark who matter, it’s the ten percent who do. For some, it might be in a spot easily hidden by clothing, or they never come into contact with Breed to be discovered. But don’t doubt for a moment that what you are is unique. There is magic locked within you.”

I hated where this was going. I glanced down at the small white mark on my leg where I’d had the tanning accident. “And what is the key?”