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“That’s mine,” she stated firmly.
“And nobody is taking it away from you.” I’d admired her tenacity and strength before. Being able to aim at a moving target, hitting him not once but twice in the chest was more than admirable. It meant she had true skill. Too bad the asshole hadn’t succumbed to his injuries.
She gazed at me curiously, finally nodding once. “All right, I’ll accept that. Now, I’m curious. What does being a Wolfen mean, exactly? That you turn into a creature every night, or forced to transform during the full moon? Do you hunt and eat people?”
“Somehow, I think you already know the answers to your questions.”
She gave me a slight shake of her head, her brow furrowing. “You give me far too much credit. I have no idea if what I believe is the truth or simply a product of my imagination fueled by a child’s fantasies.”
“Then tell me what you do know.”
“I know that a creature accosted me tonight, following me into the basement of that building, hunting me like prey. I was only yards in front of the beast when he burst through a metal door, his body smashing through thick glass before chasing me. I could hear his heavy pants, the growls he emitted as he came closer. Even though my heart was in my throat, his scattered pulse echoing in my ears, I was rational enough to know what I was experiencing. I’ll never forget the moment I finally turned to face the monster.” She pressed her fingers against her lips, taking several deep breaths. “His eyes. God, his eyes burned into mine.”
I took deep breaths, my wolf clawing once again.
“He was a damn wolf, but he wasn’t. I could tell he was a man inside. That sounds nuts, even though you’re right, I’ve been searching for the truth my entire life.”
“That’s why you’re here? To solve a mystery read in a book?”
“That is one of the reasons,” she said more casually. Still, I noticed the quiver in her bottom lip. She wasn’t telling me everything.
“Here is the truth, sweet Vanessa. What you read in the ancient book you found as a child is all true, although I assume the stories surrounding it were highly embellished. The Wolfen were born of disease and it is likely we will die that way. We are strong in numbers, our sister packs located in every part of the world. We fight our natural tendencies, our rules forbidding us to turn unless we are threatened, and I assure you, that’s becoming more of a necessity. There are factions of humans hunting us, attempting to take what rightfully belongs to us. There are different breeds of wolves determined to thwart our power. We will not be exiled, nor will we be executed like animals. We have a place on this earth.” Snarling, I looked away, surprised at my own heightened conviction.
“Why are they hunting you?”
“Because humans fear what they cannot understand.” I leaned over further, allowing my eyes to highlight the beast within.
She didn’t back away even as her breathing became ragged. “You really believe your kind is going to die, succumbing to this disease? That’s not what the book said.”
I snickered. “The great ancient texts are mere stories in my mind, fables told to relieve some of the animosity of humans centuries before. However, I have my beliefs, our elders have theirs. They are certain the onslaught of the disease will be within only a few years.”
“Which will kill humans as it did before.”
I merely nodded my affirmation.
Vanessa sagged against the counter. “My God, this is insane. You mentioned your elders. This house is located in Roselake. Isn’t it?”
“This house is in a village to the west of Roselake, a community of a pack called the Nightwalkers.”
“I… don’t understand.”
I lifted my bottle, chuckling once again. “A long story involving love and trust. However, I am still Wolfen, a leader in the community, alpha of the Nightwalkers.” I could tell the information was difficult for her to process, her lovely eyes highlighting a growing concern.
Vanessa bit her lip. “Roselake, a city that’s not on any map, one built to protect your kind.”
The information she found wasn’t written anywhere. “The city is on indeed on certain maps, although our elders have made certain what information is known to the humans is guarded. After all, Roselake became a fucking tourist attraction. Now, you answer me. Where did you find this information?”
“I have my sources.”
“And you will tell me them.”
“Why should I trust you, Stone? Why? If you were Wolfen all those years ago when we were close, why didn’t you tell me?”
My answer was one that had haunted me for years. “Because I wanted you to live your life without discovering the truth. Because I cared about you enough to let you go, even after you nearly destroyed me.” I hadn’t planned on admitting how much her disappearance had bothered me, but the words needed to be said.
“I’m… sorry, Stone. I didn’t want to leave you. I knew what we had was special. You have no idea how many times I wanted to call you, just to hear your voice. I was a fool, pretending that I didn’t care about you, but I had to in order to protect my heart. I was wrong.” Her eyes misted over before she looked away, reaching for her glass.
I allowed her to sip on her tequila before speaking. Her words tugged at me, the passion we shared second to the way she’d made the man inside feel. I closed my eyes briefly. “We must talk honestly, Vanessa. There is much that I need to learn from you as you need to understand.”
