Page 6 of Shadow of Fury

She knew that her little sister had a point. Wren wasn’t rational or reasonable when it came to her suspicions about Lark’s death. It had been more than six years but she was still angry. She wanted to make the people responsible for taking Lark from her hurt as much as they’d hurt their family. She also knew Raven well enough to know that if she didn’t agree, her sister would worry herself into an ulcer.

“Yeah. Okay.” She bumped her shoulder against Raven’s as they walked. “I’ll bring whatever I find to you first. Promise.”

“Thank you.” Raven’s entire demeanor seemed to relax at her agreement and Wren smiled to herself as they turned towards the little house they’d shared since moving out of the family home.

Wren liked having Raven close. It reassured her own urge to worry. Plus, getting Raven out of their parents’ house as a teenager had been the best thing for all of them. Even two years after Lark’s death when Wren had turned eighteen, their parents had been in no shape to adequately parent another teenager. Wren’s little house had become a sanctuary for Raven to run to and eventually she’d simply moved all her things in and never left which had been fine by all of them.

Wren missed Lark every day but even she could admit that she and Raven looked out for each other far more than Lark had ever bothered as the eldest sister.

Sure they’d been close all their lives but Lark had always been headstrong and independent. Near the end of her life, she’d also turned secretive and suspicious. She’d been downright mean when Wren tried to pry information out of her and all she knew for sure was that the changes in her sister had started when she began dating Logan Kemp.

Everything circled back to him.

Lark had been dating Logan. She’d snuck out to go see him. She’d died at his house. And then Logan had left town immediately after the funeral, taking his younger sister Vivian with him, and neither of them had ever been seen again.

Whatever had happened that night, Logan Kemp was responsible. She knew it. Just like she knew that his father being Pack Alpha meant that he’d had the means and opportunity to cover it all up. And then he’d gotten to ride out of town and start a new life for himself while her sister rotted in the ground.

The Kemp family had ruined the Culvert family. They’d taken the person that Wren loved most in the world and so she’d made it her mission to take what they loved most from them. Power. Authority. The prestige that came with leading the pack and their very last name.

She would be careful, just like she’d promised Raven, but she wouldn’t stop digging, not until she finally uncovered the truth and ruined Logan Kemp’s life in return for the one he had taken.

CHAPTER THREE

It took exactly one text message for Logan to track down his childhood best friend.

Dominic McMurtry was sitting on a barstool inside The Den, the local bar tucked just off of Main Street. He glanced up when Logan stepped inside and when their eyes met a lead weight filled his chest. It was the weight of years being lost, of phone calls and text messages and an understanding that they may never see each other again and yet here they were.

In those six years, Dominic had changed. His hair, which had always grown a bit wild and curly, was shaved down on the sides and just a bit longer on top. The same dark color hair shadowed his jawline now too. Plus, he was bigger than Logan remembered. His broad shoulders had filled out at 26 in a way no 19-year-old’s could. His eyes were the same lake blue but the guilt and pity that looked back at Logan was new and painful to see on his oldest friend's face. Dominic broke eye contact first and reached for the glass of amber colored liquid in front of him.

Logan would have much preferred to have this meeting somewhere private, somewhere without witnesses so that the news of his return might not spread like a wildfire, but it was clear from the way Dominic swayed slightly on his barstool that his friend had been there a while and was in no shape to drive to meet elsewhere.

When Dominic had texted his location Logan had been imagining a crowded bar with a bunch of rowdy wolves celebrating the end of a workday. Instead, the place was almost eerily empty. There was a haggard looking old man behind the bar who caught Logan’s eye and dipped his chin in a show of respect, clearly recognizing him, before going back to polishing glasses. At a booth near the back a couple was cuddled together on one side of the table, oblivious to the rest of the world going on around them. There were two men at the pool table in the back who looked vaguely familiar but since neither had glanced up from their game at Logan’s entrance he ducked his head a little and quickly moved to take a stool next to Dominic where his back would be to them.

“You’re really here.” Dominic finished his drink and then held the glass of remaining ice between his big hands.

“I’m really here.” Logan confirmed.

“I wasn’t sure you’d actually come. He was. I wasn’t.” Dominic stared at the bar, not looking up, “I’m so sorry, man.”

“Hey.” Logan reached out and put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. “Nothing to be sorry for. I know he must’ve forced you to make that call.”

“I tried like hell to fight it.” Dominic glanced up to snap his fingers at the bartender, “Another. And one for my friend here.”

“No, thanks. I’m driving.” Logan waved the offer away.

“Suit yourself. I figured if you’d seen your old man, you’d want a drink, or five. I know I did.”

“Six.” The bartender corrected as he refilled Dominic’s glass.

“Ah, fuck off, Carl.” Dominic lifted the newly topped off glass to his lips and the old bartender smirked before walking away.

“He used his Alpha voice to force you to call and lie to me about his death, knowing it would get me here. There’s no way you could’ve fought it. I already figured that out so please, don’t feel guilty.”

“He called me again earlier. Told me I did good, that I got you here, like I’d been on his side.” Dominic scowled into his drink, “Your dad is a fucking prick.”

“I’d drink to that if I was drinking.” Logan nodded his agreement.

“I’ll drink fors both.” Dominic lifted his glass again and Logan frowned when his friend slurred.

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