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“Do you?” he questions.
Swallowing hard, I search his gaze. “I told you about my nightmares. I was all alone in the darkness, and I begged you to never leave me because I was scared of being alone.” His lips turn down as I sigh. “I’m not that kid anymore, and being alone doesn’t scare me now. What does is tethering myself to someone who would make me unhappy or never help me with my dreams for the rest of my life.”
“One day, you will find someone who will support you in every way. You will find your equal, I’m sure of it, and I hope I’m around to see it,” is all he says.
“Why morbid talk about you not being here all of a sudden?” I ask, leaning forward, my heart squeezing in panic. “You don’t have wolf sickness, do you?”
He stands, draining his mug. “I’m perfectly healthy, you cheeky pup. Now get some rest and come to the meeting in a few hours.”
“Yes, Alpha.” I incline my head as he tousles my hair.
“Sleep well, kiddo.” He pauses at the door. “I’m proud of you, no matter the path you take, Quinn. You have nothing to prove to us. We will always love you.”
He departs, heading back to the pack to complete his day-to-day duties, which I know better than my own thanks to followinghim since I was young. “Night, Dad,” I whisper, knowing the wind takes it to him.
Setting my mug down, I climb the ladder and collapse into my bed, staring at the wooden ceiling. Sighing, I roll over, my hand sneaking under my pillow to tug out the worn and slightly torn picture. I stand in front, young and smiling. David is on my left with his hand on my shoulder, grinning widely at the camera, and to the right is a man with a kind smile. Curving my hand around the picture, I close my eyes and succumb to my exhaustion.
He's wrong. I do have something to prove.
CHAPTER FOUR
The trap was too easy to assemble. Hunting used to be exciting and fun, but now it’s almost too simple and boring. Wolves are the hardest challenge, and this is personal, so I focus on the metal hidden in the brush.
Lucien is in the trees, keeping watch, his scent and body obscured by stolen pixie magic, and Vale is on the opposite side of the trap. We are all waiting. We know there are ferals in this area. They must be outside of the pack’s reach, and they are desperate to hunt and run in peace. The woods here are perfect for that, which makes it a perfect place for us to capture one.
Now all we have to do is wait.
Luckily for us, we don’t have to wait long. Although I enjoy hunting, I don’t enjoy downtime. Unless my hands are covered in blood and my heart is pumping, it just isn’t worth it. I need to move and outrun this... this thing inside me that’s baying for blood and death. The others say I’m crazy and that it makes me a good hunter. If only they knew the truth.
I hunt because I have no choice. It’s the only thing that stops me from becoming a monster and preying on innocents.
The wolf appears in the shadows of the trees, no doubt scenting Lucien’s blood in the trap. It’s skinny and big, butall bones and fangs. The shaggy hair and unkempt appearance indicate it is indeed a feral, and the intelligence in its eyes as it ambles across the clearing to the trap tells us it’s a shifter and not a wild animal. Its natural instinct to survive is overtaken by its hunger, and within seconds, it leaps at the trap, expecting an injured animal—the idiot.
The huge claws snap up, piercing its legs, and the trap closes around it as it howls in pain. Sprinting from our hiding spots, we descend on the animal. I quickly check the locks and secure them, ignoring the snapping jaws aiming for me. Once I’m finished, I step back as Lucien walks the length of the cage, while Vale eyes the beast.
“This one is nearly dead anyway,” he grumbles in annoyance. “I hate ferals even more than pack wolves.”
Ferals are the worst of the wolves, but I don’t argue about who I hate more. Most of what we know is from knowledge that’s been passed down, but I have my own experiences with wolves, and ferals are definitely the worst. Unlike pack wolves who have laws, family, and expectations, ferals are rejected wolves who break the rules and are kicked out. They live like wild animals, uncaring about being exposed or killing innocents. They have no laws, and they are nothing but beasts.
They feel no loyalty or guilt. They feel nothing but hunger.
Even now, this one foams at the mouth, trying to get to us, unbothered by the danger it’s in. Snarling, he laps at the blood on the ground, making my lips curl in disgust. While it turns, I capture its tail and close the teeth around it. It spins, only tightening the trap on its tail, causing it to whimper and lunge as we watch it.
“It might be too far gone,” I comment as I kick the cage. “Turn back.”
It lunges at me again despite the agony that movement sends through its body. Sighing, Lucien reaches into his pocket for the vial and syringe, drawing the dose as we watch the wolf.
“Change back or we will force you,” I command. I don’t tell it that the drug that forces the change can also kill them if they aren’t strong enough. It will give us the time we need to question it, though, and that’s all we need.
I give it a moment, but when it just howls, I dive at the cage and stab the needle in hard to pierce the skin, depressing the plunger. I step back to avoid its claws, grinning as it spins, trying to dislodge the needle, but it’s too late. The drug is already in its system, working through its blood, and within moments, the fur melts away to reveal a naked, filthy man.
Long, greasy hair hangs unkempt across the scarred, dirty face of the wolf. He’s middle-aged, skinny, and starving, and when he lunges at the bar, snarling, I realise he’s truly feral, more monster than man. Can he even speak?
“Ask.” I nod at Vale.
He frowns at me but turns to the beast. “Answer our questions and we will end your suffering. If you don’t, we will make this hurt. Jai craves your pain, so if I were you, I would play nice.” Vale clears his throat. “We know there is a pack around here. Where is it?”
The man sinks back onto his haunches. He’s covered in scars and dried blood, and who knows when he was last in human form. It’s easier for ferals to stay as a wolf to keep themselves alive. Grinning, I grab my metal cattle prod and shove it through the bars, watching as he writhes and howls as electricity courses through him. I don’t stop, not even when he pisses himself. Lucien drags me back before I finally release the beast.
