Page 7 of The Secret Mate Society

“It’s the twenty-first century,” Elias grinned, pulling out a thin silver flip phone.“Text me.My number is on the back of the envelope.”

I flipped it over.Sure enough, there it was along with his name and his position with the council.Above it was the seal of the Elder Council.Even though it was just paper and ink, I could feel the slight tingle of magic running through it.The magic made my nose crinkle, but I could tell somehow that it was meant for me, as if the sealing spell on the letter recognized me.At least this Elias guy wasn’t fucking with me or trying to stir up trouble.Still, being contacted by the Elder Council wasn’t really agoodthing.They had a tendency to always be the bearers of bad news.Most wolves tried to avoid them completely.

“I should be on my way,” Elias said, bowing his head slightly.“But before I go, can you tell me where I can get a good lobster in this town?Preferably raw.I don’t get out this way much.”

Was this guy for real?“Uh… there’s a fish market down near the docks, maybe five miles east of here?They usually have a good selection.”

“Perfect,” he grinned, licking his lips.“They have such anexquisitecrunch when they’re still wriggling.”

I couldn’t help but gag slightly as the man walked off.His scent was unlike anything I’d ever smelled before.It was a mixture of stone, mineral, and a hint of sulfur.I could tell by looking at him that he wasn’t in his natural form, but the fact that he consumed meat raw gave me another clue.He had to be a demon of some sort, that’s the only thing that made sense.They weren’t common visitors by any means.

I watched Elias disappear around the corner, then looked down at the sealed letter in my hand.The Elder Council rarely reached out to small packs like ours, especially through demon messengers.Whatever this was about, it couldn't be good.

Back inside, Patrick and Trevor were waiting for me.

“Everything okay, boss?”Trevor asked, his hackles up despite his human form.“No issues?”

“Nah,” I huffed.“Just a demon messenger from the Elder Council.”

“The Elder Council?”Patrick asked, his eyes going wide.“What do they want?Something happen?”

I held up the letter.“I’m not sure.But the demon seemed to think we weren’t in trouble.”

The bell at the front door rang and I heard a familiar, annoying voice call out.“Hello?Anyone here?I need my car!”

It was Mr.Sullivan.“Let’s get things taken care of and we’ll worry about the letter later.”I turned back toward the front of the shop.“Coming!”

The day seemed to fly by in a whirlwind of customers and phone calls.All the while the letter sat on my desk, unopened and taunting me.I tried to focus on some clerical work when things calmed down, but the damn thing seemed to pulse with energy that kept drawing my attention.Eventually I couldn’t ignore it any longer.I tore it open, breaking the magical seal with a small snap of power that tickled my fingertips.

The letter looked like it had been produced on a typewriter, the blocky letters looking deeply old fashioned against the modern logo of the Elder Council and the light textured parchment.

Unfolding it completely, I began to read.

Letter fom The Elder Council

Alpha Calder Thorne,

It is the duty of the Elder Council to inform you that suspicious activity has been taking place in your pack’s territory.While we do not currently believe your members are to blame, we strongly urge caution in the coming weeks.

It is our belief that a rogue werewolf has entered the city of Portland, unbeknownst to the rest of shifter society.We do not know his name or his description, only that survivors of his attacks, mostly human, attribute him as tall, dark, and terrifying.While we understand this isn't much to go off of, we do ask that you and your pack keep a look out and report any suspicious activity to the local authorities.

As you are well aware, this rogue is threatening the exposure of our world.We have evidence to suggest that he has been attacking humans and livestock for at least the past decade and possibly longer.Most humans have survived his attacks, but there have been a handful of deaths.Thanks to the work of pack leaders like yourself, we have successfully staved off the discovery of the supernatural world.However, should these events continue, trouble could be coming.We have reason to believe this rogue is the son or grandson of another, cast out by his pack in 1967 for the slaughter of an entire human family.If he is anything like his predecessor, we have no doubt he will attack to kill anyone that stands in his way.

If you are able, we would request your help with the investigation.All Alpha's in the area have been asked to participate due to the highly delicate nature of this situation.You will be compensated for your time should you agree.And, should you find the rogue, you are granted permission to kill him on sight.

Thank you for your cooperation,

The Elder Council

P.S.The council asks that any shifter with information about this rogue to come forward.Failure to report pertinent information will result in disciplinary action.

Chapter4

Calder

The wrench I’d been leaning on suddenly snapped to the side, smashing my finger between it and the engine.“Motherfucker!”I cried, pulling my hand away and shaking it like I’d been bitten by a snake.

A bruise had already started to form under my fingernail from where I’d struck it.However, the moment I glanced down at it, the pain started to fade.I watched as the bruise grew, stopped, then shrank until there was nothing left.The only thing that remained was the small scuff on my nail.Thank the gods for werewolf healing.