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“Well, you call Everett, bastard, so is asshole my pet name?” he asks, his expression serious for a moment before a smile finally cracks across his face.
My brows knit together as I look back at him, attempting to figure him out. His name was whispered even around the most dangerous people I know. People that wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet between your eyes—this man scared even them.Zeke Andino, the infamous assassin. I assumed he would be more intimidating, that he would be deadly serious, yet I’ve been more solemn than he has throughout our meeting tonight.
I have to admit, I can already tell there’s much more to this man than meets the eyes. And that’s saying a lot because he’s incredibly handsome. I can barely concentrate when his stormy grey eyes meet mine, glimpsing the light penetrating the clouds. But, damn him, now I want to know him, hear his story, of how he became the man behind the sniper rifle, how he’s able to see the brighter side of things even when surrounded by so much death. The contradiction intrigues me as much as it excites me, sparking an interest that no one has ever been able to do before. Just this small glimpse of insight of this man and now I can’t help but wonder if that’s exactly what I need in my life right now, someone to help me past the loss and death, the sorrow clouding my heart—someone to be the sunlight that breaks through.
“What?” He laughs as we veer off from where my pack is lined, preparing to depart for the Langley compound. He scans my face, the look too raw, too real, like he can see right through me.
“It’s nothing,” I say, clearing my throat. My gaze shifts back into the alley before us, the vulnerability too much to handle right now. But, to my surprise, I don’t scold myself for my earlier thoughts, seeing the truth in them. The barrier that surrounds my heart is like a fortress cracking slightly, the rubble crumbling to the ground as I let him pull me closer.
My mind goes back to the conversation I had with Silas before Zeke interrupted, remembering his warning. I had slipped up in the meeting by showing sympathy for the Langleys, our enemies. He assured me the other female beta wouldn’t say a word, but it was close, too close. That sympathy could not only be seen as a weakness, but as a betrayal to the pack. I need to be more careful with my words next time. I’m still so new to this world, despite growing up in it, my parents believed I would have more than enough time to learn everything to be the best leader for our people.
Glancing over at Zeke, I know I should say something to him. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but he’d helped me back there, had changed the subject quickly enough that Silas assured me the other betas wouldn’t have heard. I could sense he knew what he was doing, too, letting me think him heartless.
“Thank you, for what you did back there,” I grumble out, my pride getting in the way of the sincere words.
“For what?” Zeke asks, the engine purring to life as he pushes the start button.
“You know what,” I huff out, crossing my arms over my chest.
I glance over at him, still seeing his expression pinched in confusion. I’m really acting like a petulant child right now, aren’t I? I exhale a deep sigh, letting myself relax back against the leather seat as he puts the car in drive and takes the bumpy path back out to the main road.
“For stopping me before I said too much about the Langleys,” I admit, idly staring down at my nails, needing something to distract me from the anxiety twisting my stomach. “Silas told me how badly that could have turned. I looked at it as a human would, not wanting to see anyone suffer in those conditions, rather than as an alpha needing to put my pack above anyone else.”
His confusion clears and he nods. “Of course,” he says, flashing me a beaming smile that I can’t help but return, his positivity proving to be contagious at times. “I was raised in the human world too, I didn’t even know I was a wolf until I was a teenager. I’d always felt like there was something else inside of me, but I never knew what.”
I pause at his admission, not wanting to interrupt his story, afraid that if I even move a muscle, he’ll retreat, or I will, cutting off this moment before it can get too deep.
“So though I understand where you’re coming from, you’ll need to adjust and fast because this situation isn’t going away.” My chest deflates at that, hoping he’d tell me more about his past, his life that led him to the Whitlock pack. I can’t help but let my mind wander to a possible alternate reality where he’d found our pack instead, if I’d found my mate before I left for New York. But I know it was for the best that it worked the way it did. My father was still of the old mindset, and he may have killed Zeke for the threat he would have posed to his position before I’d ever found him, since alphas outside of heirs or family are seen as threats.
“But Aldric agreed to speak with us today, doesn’t that mean anything? Do you really think this meeting is for nothing?” I ask, my mind replaying his words after the silence sat between us for too long. Monte had hinted, and I know a bit about the bears, but I have to get a better idea of what we’re about to walk into.
“No, not for nothing. We need to at least try to speak to them, to work out some sort of deal. But trust me, the bears hold more animosity towards wolves in general than our packs hold for one another. So, don’t be surprised if nothing comes of this meeting.”
I let his words sink in. I knew we needed to prepare for everything, but I naively thought that we could come to some sort of agreement at the back of my mind, that they would be willing to listen to reason, just as the Whitlock pack had. If my research is correct, they proved that they could raise their standing among the wolves, using their skills to corner the market on weapons. I hope to get the Draven pack out of the black market altogether, but I’m not sure if that will ever happen, not with all our enemies searching for any sign of weakness.
“Why did you grow up in the human world?” The question leaves my lips before I can hold it back, unable to put a lid on the curiosity that apparently now bubbles over.
He glances over at me, his eyebrows raised in surprise at the abrupt question, but they smooth out after a second as though he doesn’t want the moment to pass either. I bite back the urge to take it back, switch the conversation back to the Langley pack, but I need to know for some reason.
“My mother left wolf society when she was pregnant with me. She was the mistress to the Alpha of the pack, and his Luna threatened to kill her if she didn’t leave.” He focuses on the road, taking a turn down a dirt track while the other cars follow our lead.
I nod in understanding, remembering that much from my childhood. It’s a great disgrace for the Alpha to have an illegitimate child, especially given his alpha status.
“Of course, I didn’t get this information until much later, after Everett told me I was a wolf when he sensed me at school. Now that was a shock for sure.” He chuckles, making light of the situation despite how difficult that would have been for him. To live your life believing you’re human, just to find out there is a whole other world, and you’re part of it, it’s hard to comprehend what that would be like.
My hand twitches in my lap, wanting to reach out to him, to comfort him despite his making light of the experience, but I hold back. How would he even react? We barely know each other, and I’m not sure of the mate bond. Yet, despite my urge to know him, I can’t shake the fear of solidifying that mate bond, of having someone so close that it would obliterate me if I lost them. Especially with the mess our packs are in right now.
“All radios switch to channel five,” Silas’ voice sounds over the receiver, and I jolt in my seat, belatedly realizing I forgot to change over. I was so caught up with my conversation with Zeke that I completely forgot about the rest of our team following behind us.
“Fuck,” I curse my forgetfulness, the sudden outburst causing Zeke to chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?” I ask incredulously, pulling the radio from my hip and switching the channel.
“You curse like a sailor … it’s hot,” he says, his voice trailing off as his eyes rove up my body. Tingles run over my skin at the weight of his gaze, fire blooming beneath my skin every place his stare lingers.
“Alpha Draven, do you copy?” Silas’ voice carries over the radio, jarring me from the fog of lust that had settled over my mind.
“Just switched over Silas, 10-9?” I respond over the radio, needing Silas to repeat his message.
