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There’s a tiny kitchen space in one corner with cream cupboards, a purple countertop and 1950s style fridge and stove. I go into her spacious bathroom with a large lion-footed tub, pedestal sink, and a washer and dryer in the corner and set down my shower gear before I undress. After I’ve pulled the white shower curtain with the happy-looking dolphins all over it around the perimeter of the tub and am safely drowned out by running water, I can’t help myself; I burst into tears.
7
Cicely Oakes
It’s been a crazy half-hour since the village started waking up and word got around. Lots going on around here. In addition to Amie and Ivy coming in, plenty of others have popped in to look around and see what sort of gossip they can catch.
Because Tyson got shot yesterday. Thankfully with no lasting damage. This pack has waited years for his return, so it’s had everyone in an uproar. And while everyone smelled that Greyson mated, it’s not getting around that she’s not only the woman that shot Ty but also that she was the one poisoning our pack members.
And on top of all that, there’s a mysterious camping van parked in the far corner of my parking lot that had a tent popped up on top overnight, so of course people want to know who it is and why they’re here. Those who’ve come close enough can smell the stranger, and I’ve told them not to worry about her, that the council is aware of her presence and haven’t implemented any code alerts. A few of the alphas have made noise about the fact that she’s a witch. They can smell it. I smelled it, too, though didn’t know that was the nuance in her scent until Linc told me the background he knew about the situation.
We don’t deal with many outsiders here. People who stop here for gas, convenience items, or to use the bathroom are generally only here because they took a wrong turn. We’re north of Drowsy Hollow, but our village leads nowhere else; it’s all dead-end streets or circles that take you back to this intersection, the town’s four corners. We have surveillance equipment recording everyone who comes, and the council runs their plates to make sure there are no concerns. And if they don’t use cash to pay for their purchases and instead use our ATM machine, the council uses that transaction to trace them and run a deeper risk analysis check.
Anyone in our village for longer than the time it takes to pump gas or buy something in the store results in an alert going out to everyone to let them know there’s a stranger in town, to be on alert and cautious. No alert went out because of who this stranger is.
I’m sure it won’t take long for word to travel through the pack that this is the woman who fucked Riley Savage up royally.
Two strangers here. One she-wolf. One witch. Both are women who’ve hurt our council alphas.
I saw Riley’s exchange with Linc this morning. And while Linc was spitting nails, that was nothing compared to the look of murder on Riley’s face when he walked up and spoke to Linc, then shifted and took off like his ass was on fire. I’ve known Riley Savage my entire life and have never seen that look on his face.
Amie, Ivy, and me are in conversation, though it’s mostly the two of them talking about what happened with Grey last night, how that girl is now going to be part of our pack after trying to kill Tyson, after poisoning several of our pack members. I’m thinking about the fact that these first two additions to our pack have worked out well, but the following two council alpha matings aren’t looking so good for us.
Then it’ll be Jason Creed and I know Bailey’s hoping it’s her and dreading the notion it isn’t. She’s been mooning after him since we were kids. Before her first training bra. And then Linc before Joel. And Linc’s mating will gut me, because I’ve carried a torch for him for years and I somehow know, deep down, that it won’t be me he identifies as his, even though he’s had me more times than he can probably count. Though I’ve counted. Twenty-seven times. The last dozen times I’ve told myself it’ll be the last.
A lot has happened around here lately. And we’ve got three more matings to go.
We waited six years for Tyson to come back to us after finding out he was alive. We were overjoyed when he did. In fact, I wept uncontrollably with absolute joy the first time I saw the large black wolf and felt his connection to us. And I’m not a crier.
That’s how much it means to us to have him back. And Greyson’s mate tried to take him from us? Poisoned my dad, Cade, and Gus along with who knows who else?
