Page 18 of Eclipsed Legacy

“That’s right,” I respond.

“They were so shocked we not only had more than a dozen members, but nearly three times that, so our numbers aren’t common, Tala.”

“They were also shocked we hadn’t named our pack. We don’t operate the same way, and there’s so much we don’t know about other wolves. And this pack...I don’t know. The effort they are putting in to intimidate us, what they did to Grandma. It’s too much to not be personal, which means they know something we don’t, and that terrifies the shit out of me.” I usually don’t talk to Ricky like this. We haven’t been as close to each other as we are to the other cousins, not in years. But this is nice. It feels like we are picking back up where we left off as kids.

“‘Ave ya’ talked to Norman?” Ricky asks.

I shake my head. “I hadn’t thought of that. He did run with quite a few packs before joining ours.”

Ricky nods. “If you get a few drinks in ‘im, he can tell some wild stories! The cool— or scary— part is, they seem real. He could give some good information ‘bout other wolves.”

“Okay, I’ll look into that…and Ricky?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for being here…I appreciate everything that you’ve done these last couple of days.”

“Anytime, cuz!” he smiles warmly, before leaning in for a hug which is so tight I am sure that he’ll snap my back in half. When he lets go, I do my best to hide that I need more air.

“Could you do me another favor?”

“Sure! What is it?”

“Could you look out for Michael tonight? I think there’s a good likelihood that he’ll turn, and if we do run in to the other pack, I don’t want him to get hurt. You know new wolves are vulnerable…and he’s so young.”

“I gotchu. Don’t sweat it!”

“Thanks,” I say, collecting our dishes. “We should probably get going. I’ve got to prepare for tonight.”

Ricky nods. “Just watch your back. You were Grandma’s second, which means you’ll have a target on you until all this is sorted out. The last thing you want is your insides being torn out, too.”

My breathing stops. I nod carefully. “Yeah. Thank you.” I force a friendly smile, but inside I am suddenly on fire. How could he possibly know that? I never shared any of those details with anyone. Unless…I don’t want to think about it.

I swallow before taking the dishes to the sink. I lock up, and then Ricky and I make our way to my car. The drive is quiet. My heart pounds as I try to keep my system under enough control that Ricky doesn’t suspect I am on to him. From the corner of my eye, I can see him staring at me, sizing me up, and I can’t help the questions that race through my mind. Will he attack me tonight? How is he connected to the other pack? Or is the other pack even relevant? Did he kill our grandmother?

As we approach his house, Ricky interrupts my inner turmoil. “I’m sorry, cuz. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sure you’ll be fine. No one’ll come after you, not while I’ve got your back.”

I smile up at him, as he gets out of the car, “Thanks, Ricky. That really helps. I guess it’s just been rough.”

He nods. “Yes, it has,” he says. “Yes, it has.” As he closes the door, he leaves me to wonder if he’s the reason I need to watch my back.

Chapter 7

Once Ricky is inside, I put my car in reverse and sharply pull out of his driveway, wanting to get as far away from this place as possible. The dirt stirs up into the air as I speed away on the dirt road. What the actual fuck, Ricky? Now of all times, I should not have to worry about whether I can trust my family not to literally stab me in the back. But would he really? Sure, Ricky has been great during the last two days that we have reconnected, but we haven’t been close since we were little kids. And there is no way he could’ve known those intimate details about our Grandmother’s death. I never said a word about her wounds. To anyone. Was he there? Could he be in league with her killer? I can’t really trust how well I know him. I honestly don’t anymore.

I almost turn off onto Grandma’s road just out of habit, but once I realize what I’m about to do, I continue forward. I can’t bring myself to go there, not yet, anyway. The image of her body, of her eyes, still haunt me. Going back there would likely sear images into my mind that I couldn’t erase. I know I’ll have to go back eventually to investigate because her killer is still out there, but not today. Today, I have to focus on the pack and on Michael.

I am on autopilot for the rest of the ride home. My mind blank, either out of sheer exhaustion or in response to the stress from the last few days. When I get home, I go to one of the top cabinets in my kitchen and pull out my box of herbs and some seasoning. I’m not into the whole wiccan thing like my Grandma was, but there are a few herbs that all wolves need to have on hand: lavender, chamomile, and, surprise, cayenne pepper. The three are great for relaxing the muscles, which is pivotal in avoiding or reducing the pain that comes with the forced change. Tensing up only makes it worse.

Remembering that I still don’t have blueberries or other healthy goodies, I inwardly cringe. Berries are also helpful, but most importantly, they help with the taste. I gather my handy little discount blender and the apple juice— no orange juice here because OJ will kill you. I pour the four ingredients into the blender and turn it on. The concoction takes on a brownish-red color. Just thinking about drinking it makes me want to gag, but I know it’ll come in handy later. I pour the mixture into a thermos before carrying on with my day.

While I have the time, I pull out my phone and call Mason, my boss. He quickly answers after two rings. The guy has had the hots for me since my interview, but he’s too awkward and professional to do anything that would make me uncomfortable.

“Tala?” he says a little too quickly and a little too excitedly.

“Yes, it’s me,” I say, holding back a chuckle.

“W-what can I do for you?”