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Reluctantly, Luca explained that once a year, unmated wolves meet up for one month in hopes of finding their mates. They all belonged to different packs, and he offered up his land for the gathering and let them temporarily join his or Alpha Rhodes pack. It was the best way for someone to find their fated mate.
“By the way,” Luca said. “Friday is the full moon, and everyone goes for a pack run. Even the visiting shifters, along with Alpha Rhodes and his pack.”
Trying to fit in a little, I admitted, “I’ve never been on a pack run.”
The silence was deafening, and I knew I had surprised the three of them by admitting something so personal. Finally, Luca took my hand and squeezed it as he said, “No. I suppose you haven’t since you were raised by a puma.”
“What do you do on a pack run?”
Devon turned around from the front passenger’s seat and grinned. “We give in to our wolves. We run and play. We hunt. For one night, the moon grants our wolves a night of freedom.”
I absorbed Devon’s words, playing them over and over inside my head until I asked, “Because of the full moon, do you have to shift whether you want to or not?”
Devon’s smile faltered. “Do you not want to run with the pack?”
I waved his question away. “That’s not why I’m asking. You said the moon grants our wolves a night of freedom. Do you have to shift? Does the moon force you too?”
Devon’s eyebrows pulled low in concentration. “No, but it’s very uncomfortable to remain in human form.”
“Huh,” I scoffed and stared out the window. Remaining human never bothered me before; and for some reason, it hurt knowing that I didn’t feel the moon’s pull.
An hour later, Rage pulled the Range Rover into a parking spot. The four of us bailed out and headed for my apartment. The closer we got, the more the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something wasn’t right. Before heading up the stairs, I threw my arm out and said, “Wait,” in a low voice. They froze. Three sets of eyes swiveled toward me. “Something’s wrong.”
Luca stepped up behind me. “What it is?”
Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t know but something isn’t right. Normally when I get this feeling, vampires are nearby.”
Rage stepped up beside me. “It could be an ambush.”
Devon stepped up to my other side. “Most likely. If they’re after Ivy, they’re in for a surprise. They’ll think she’s alone.
Luca placed his hands on my shoulders and then stepped around, placing me behind him.
“Oh hell no. I’m not scared. Just cautious and thought I’d warn the three of you. But this is my apartment and someone’s about to get his ass handed to him.”
I sidestepped around and headed for the stairs. The way they treated me as a helpless female pissed me off. Well, fuck that! I led the charge up the steps and hesitated when I got to my door. Not for the reasons they probably thought. Rule number one, listen for movement. Okay, I honestly didn’t know which rule that was. Caroline always said ‘Rule number one’ for everything.
The hair on my arms electrified and I knew a vampire was waiting inside. Call it a sixth sense, intuition, or this strange power, whatever, but I knew I was right. Always prepared, I reached behind a potted plant that sat next to my neighbor’s door, pulled out a handy wooden stake, and grinned over my shoulder. I mouthed, “ready?” and then threw open the door and stepped inside.
Two vampires rushed me. Bending to the side, I kicked one in the stomach and sent him flying backward while I elbowed the other in the gut. Immediately, Devon jumped on the one I sent flying while Rage slipped behind the other one and twisted his head clean off.
“Well, shit! Could you have made a little more of a mess, Rage? I have to clean this up.” His grin sent a shiver down my spine. I shook it off and continued, “That’s why I use a sake. They incinerate and turn to ashes. So now I have two different pieces and black ooze all over my carpet.”
Luca stepped forward, his eyes traveling over every inch of my living room. “Ivy, it’s still daylight outside. They must have been waiting here since last night.”
I had already come to the same conclusions. They tried to take Kelly out last night while these two were waiting here for me. But why? Did they want to kill me or take me to someone else?
“Gather your things so we can go,” Luca said.
After throwing clothes into a garbage bag, I hefted it over my shoulder. When I stepped into the living room, a wave of melancholy washed over me. This apartment, albeit small, was mine. It’s the only place I ever felt at home. Even at Caroline’s, I knew she was only letting me stay there and I had no real say in anything. But this is where I drank coffee with Kelly and watched tv at night while eating popcorn and drinking beer. Laughing together. Talked when one of us felt sad. Carrying my clothes and eyeing the black ooze on the carpet felt like I was leaving a part of my life behind.
“Is that all you have?” Luca asked, eyeing my bag.
“Yes.” Taking one last glance around, I said, “Now let’s go before I change my mind.”
Back at the house, I climbed the steps and found Luca’s room. The others headed for his office to meet with Trace and conference call with Axel. From what little I knew; Axel was at some office in the middle of the city. I honestly didn’t care about the pack’s business or how much money they had. But it had to be a lot if Luca had sway over The Agency.
Instead of dwelling on any of it, I pulled out my phone and dialed Kelly. It shocked me when she answered.
