Page 78 of Fated to the Alpha

Shane let himself relax. Everything was settled and secure. He’d text the green light to the pack after the meeting.

This evening, he could finally rest in Kimberly’s company, and if Gage’s half-scowl was any indication, she’d have some good news for him. She wanted to meet at Larson Caves Park first, at the spot he first found her attempting to shift. He wondered if she had made some sort of breakthrough at her parents’ house and had double good news for him. Even if she didn’t, he’d once more offer help with her inability to shift. He owed it to her after their plans were cut off in Oakfield.

When the meeting was over, and the group dug into the barbecue wings Hank had brought, Shane made for the door. Kimberly didn’t set a time, just to come find her after the meeting, but he couldn’t waste another minute away from her than necessary. So, when Cole called out for him to wait, Shane all but snarled at the interruption.

The sheriff asked if they could speak downstairs in the antique shop, so they descended the steps and they moved toward the back of the store, well out of sight from the front window. The alcove made of tall bookcases and China cabinets loaded down with knickknacks acted like a sound barrier, and even the voices above their heads were significantly muffled and indistinguishable. Their conversation would be fairly private.

Cole folded his thick arms, still in his cop uniform. “I thought I’d let you know that we found Andy. Or, more precisely, he found us.”

Shane copied his posture, unsure where this was going. “Okay?”

“One of my guys ran into him stumbling on the side of the road south of town. He was sick to the gills with silver dust, like he had been breathing it for a couple of days. He’s being taken care of by Dr. Nolan, but the story he told was … concerning.”

Shane’s heart dropped into his churning guts at the mention of silver. “Hunters?”

“We think so. The silver dust compound they use for interrogations is just potent enough to hurt but not enough to kill. Not right away. He swears up and down that he didn’t tell them anything, but the fact that he somehow got away tells us it wasn’t pure luck.”

“Do you think they let him go to see if he could lead them to a pack?”

Cope nodded. “Yep. Or at least, that’s our theory. Andy said that after he left Tolstone, he got another vision of where he could find a detachment of hunters not far outside of Illinois. I guess he thought he’d play the hero and make up for what he did here. He sought them out and was outnumbered before they detained him.”

Shane wouldn’t show the tug of guilt. If he hadn’t kicked Andy out, he wouldn’t have had to go against hunters alone. For that matter, someone could have convinced him not to go at all.

“And you said he’s okay?”

Cole grimaced. “Okay isn’t the word I’d use. He’s scared shitless. He kept begging for asylum from you; some guarantee that you wouldn’t hurt him. Wanna explain that to me?”

Shane rubbed the back of his neck. “We didn’t part on good terms.”

“I promised him protection, given that you’re not his alpha anymore anyway.” Cole’s stare darkened. “Can I trust you two will be civil?”

Shane gave a hearty nod. “Yes, yes. I won’t do anything to Andy.” He steeled himself. “When he’s recovered, I’d like to see him and try to make amends. Maybe bring him back into the pack, if he wants.”

Cole made a face. “The guy’s pretty shaken. I have him staying with my beta, Ronan. He’ll need a lot of time. Don’t hold your breath.”

Shane looked away, shamed and honestly worried for his former packmate. Offering a second chance to Andy was less about erasing a guilty conscience than about truly making up for the wounds he inflicted. If he hadn’t been so harsh with Andy, accusing him of putting them all in danger, would he have done what he did? Being a martyr would have helped no one, but he could understand the logic.

Cole dragged out a breath. “Andy did manage to gather some information for us. Something’s coming. Andy said he doesn’t know exactly what it is, but it’s big and complex. National, even. He got the impression that it wasn’t soon. They’re still in some early planning stage, but we would be remiss not to take it seriously. I’ve told Dominic everything, and he intends to go talk with Andy himself, but I wanted to tell you since you have connections with Andy, and your pack will be at a disadvantage while you’re in transition.”

“Do you think I need to make any changes to my plans? Move faster? Slower?”

“I think, given how little we know, it’d be best for you all to get on your feet and be independent as soon as possible, but don’t rush and make a mistake along the way. Hunters may look for large groups relocating. Maybe see about sending your pack off a few at a time.”

Shane passed a hand over his eyes, wishing everything wasn’t so damn difficult, that life would just slow down so he could catch his breath and deal with one problem at a time.

Cole placed a hand on Shane’s shoulder. “I’ve been in your shoes, and I know it’ll be an ordeal. I’d be glad to give advice. Maybe you, me, and Dominic can sit down over the weekend and work out a solid plan?”

He gave a half-helpless nod. With a new, dangerous playing piece on the board, Shane would need all the help he could get. He didn’t want to make another mistake or put any more lives at risk. Leaders were open to input, willing to take criticism, and adjust as necessary. Shane knew he had to be the leader his pack needed, especially now.

*

The moon hadn’t risen yet, but she could feel its pull the way she used to. Shifters weren’t tied to the lunar cycles the way the movies and books said, but the moon and nature had an undeniable effect on their wolves. They were bound to the woods, the stars, and the seasons like any other animal. It was part of them. It made them.

Kimberly clung to those truths as she tried again and again to shift into her wolf form at her spot by the creek. But no matter how long she stood there, clad in a modest silk robe that reached to her knees, the familiar tingling through her bloodstream that signaled the change never came. She listened to the forest, breathed it in, felt it between her toes and across her skin. Still, her wolf didn’t come forward.

Instead of becoming angry as she had before, she knelt to the edge of the creek and peered at her watery reflection. Her image was dark with shadows and distorted by the current, but she could make out her eyes.

“What’s the matter, girl? I thought we were good. What can I do to make you want to taste life again?”