Page 1 of Dawn of the Pack

Chapter One

Lilliana

“We can’t make a move until we know exactly what’s going on over in Montrose.” Uncle Dom’s voice is deep and decisive. “We have no idea why Nielsen suddenly decided to claim him, for starters.”

Roxanne’s tone is more measured. “I have a hunch it’s Derrek suddenly coming into his abilities, and using them to help our alpha. That could mean he’s in very real danger, and we should act sooner rather than later.”

I’ve long since grown tired of this conversation, and instead my eyes have glazed over while I stare at the fire from my favorite seat in the library. I should be making all the decisions, calling all the shots; but I’m more than a little terrified of making the wrong choice, and incredibly distracted by my own thoughts.

Besides, I’m lacking my support system. Jared and Landon had to help one of their dads with… something. I didn’t really pay attention to their exhaustive explanation, to be honest. Milo’s in the house, but he went to change and fetch something from the kitchen.

“The alpha won’t do anything to his only heir. Especially not one who can cast spells.” Sarcasm heavily laces Dom’s dismissive reply.

“You can’t know that. He already has a witch. He doesn’t need Derrek for his magic. In fact, he has a vested interest in making sure we don’t have access to a similarly powerful person.” Roxanne is beginning to sound exasperated. “Lily already told us Derrek didn’t know who his father was, even being part of the pack for all those years. Is it so hard to believe that Nielsen didn’t know, either?”

“So what?” He counters.

Milo slips into the room and hands me a steaming mug—a latte, from the scent of it—then sits beside me and nudges me with his elbow. “Sure you don’t want to get in on this?” He thrusts his chin in their direction. “It sounds like they’re trying to make plans without you, and you’re supposed to be the one telling them what to do.”

He’s freshly cleaned up—his cedar scent sweet and mingling nicely with the steaming mug of coffee in his long fingers—and sporting a black button-down shirt rolled to the elbows with faded jeans. The warm, familiar vibration of physical contact with my fated washes over my skin.

His arrival jolts me out of my haze, and I turn to smile at him ruefully. “They haven’t gotten anywhere in the last two hours, and I really don’t feel up to arguing anymore.” No need to explain how distraught I am that Derrek is being held captive; he already knows. Even if he didn’t like him before, Milo appreciates Derrek is important to me, and the warlock’s dramatic rescue last night tipped all of my fated to a more favorable opinion of their former rival.

I shift my weight away from the arm of the couch and press myself against his body, taking comfort in the solid warmth of him.

“You could always give them an alpha command to stop,” he suggests with a very subtle note of teasing.

My belly contracts and pushes out a hint of a snort. “It’s an entertaining idea, but I think it would be disrespectful to the former alpha, not to mention the beta who’s literally taught me everything I know about being a wolf. Besides, their hearts are in the right place. They want all the same things I want. And it’s a terrible leader who doesn’t listen to the people around her.”

Milo considers for a moment. “Weeeeell, you could just command them to take a break and go find another way to work out all that sexual tension,” he lowers his voice suggestively.

This time, my snort is more of a giggle than a sarcastic dismissal. “This is hardly the time, Milo.”

He shrugs. “Hey, I’m just saying, I think they have some stuff to work out and maybe it’ll take the edge off.”

Roxanne’s tone rises an octave. “You can’t be afraid to make a move, Dom.”

Milo and I exchange a glance; he raises an eyebrow and I pinch my lip between my teeth.

Dom’s voice rises. “There’s absolutely no excuse to go in half-cocked.”

“I didn’t say anything about half-cocked, but if we wait too long, it may never happen.”

A steady gurgle of noise rumbles in Milo’s chest, and his cheeks turn pink with the effort to hold in his laughter. I can appreciate the humor, but I’m hardly in the mood for dirty jokes.

Heaving a sigh, I push to my feet and feel Milo rise behind me in solidarity while I reenter the conversation. “We need to get Derrek, and soon. There’s plenty of reasons that Nielsen might hurt him, and plenty of reasons we need him on our side, on our territory.”

Dom waves a hand dismissively. “Your teenage impulses are getting the better of you. As someone who had decades of experience as alpha, you need to remember I have the perspective here.”

Roxanne glances my way with worried eyes.

Fury bubbles up in my stomach, my skin heating all over with rage as my wolf tries and fails to claw her way out. “That’s a bold statement from the man who disappeared the second I became alpha and left me to take over this curse at eighteen. The man who kept all of this,” I wave my hand around, indicating far more than the lush library, “a secret from me for over a year. A year I could have been preparing, could have used to learn and maybe even tried to work on finding the cure. We haven’t even addressed that deception — obviously you wanted to wait until I was trapped before you told me the truth.

“But now you’re back and just think you’re running the show again? Have you forgotten who I am?” Even though I’m not giving a command, the double-timbre of the alpha voice reverberates in my chest.

Now that it’s unleashed, my anger swells to fill me from top to bottom. “I’ve listened to you two bicker for the last two hours about what you think you should do with my pack. Every time Roxanne speaks, you dismiss her as if she reports to you. She’s my beta, and you have apparently failed to realize that you fall below her now.

“When I tried to inject a word into the conversation, it was like the two of you didn’t even hear me. I thought I’d wait out your little argument and then we could start doing something actually useful, but I’m tired of it. You both need to sort out your issues so you can actually contribute something useful.”

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