Page 6 of Eclipse of the Pack

10

JONATHAN

When the fire started, the group scattered. Some of the PEACE agents started looking for ways to put out the fire, but the wolves scattered in every direction. She was right. It was a better plan. By the time Jonathan hit the door, the PEACE agents had given up and were finding the nearest exit.

He rounded the corner just in time to see his... whatever she was punching out one of the werewolves. When he went unconscious, he reverted to human form. Their eyes met, and she jerked her head in the direction of another building. Jon followed, and when he caught up to her, he grabbed the werewolf's feet to help her carry him.

They found some rope and tied the werewolf up. She tied a tight knot around his neck. When Jon raised an eyebrow, she said, "If he tries to shift, he'll cut off his own airway and pass out."

"Smart, um... I don't know your name."

"Ivy."

Ivy. Jon looked her up and down. This close to her, he could see just how blue her eyes were.

"So, you don't work for PEACE?" he asked.

"Like I said, it's complicated. Not something we have the time to get into right now."

Ivy's voice communicated a lot more than her words did. She wasn't in the mood to answer questions. Just ask them. But Jon figured he could ask one without pushing his luck.

"How long do you think he'll be out?"

"Not long. Even if I gave him a good concussion, his regeneration should clear that up pretty soon. He was about to say something when their werewolf captive groaned as if to confirm Ivy's assessment of his healing abilities.

Ivy smacked his face and said, "Wake up. I—we have questions, and you're going to give us answers."

Their prisoner didn't seem too thrown off by the situation. He just laughed.

"I don't take threats of dead meat walking seriously. Agents like you all patsies. It won't be long until your carcass is rotting in the streets."

The guy's tone was almost maniacal and grew more shrill as he spoke. "There's a new order coming. And it will be glorious."

He looked at Ivy and then Jon before saying, "You two should put your affairs in order now. Not that there's going to be anyone left to handle them for you when this is over. We're going to tie up you loose ends and make way for a new dawn."

The man had a fanatic's penchant for sounding completely serious while saying nothing at all. It sounded like rehearsed rhetoric. Not disingenuous, but something he'd heard over and over until the words were rote.

Jon didn't have time for this. He grabbed the man by his hair and jerked his head up, so they were eye-to-eye.

"What have you done with Galen Trent?" he asked, sounding much more confident than he felt. His voice didn't even shake.

The bound werewolf laughed again. "Trent? He's already dead. Just one more corpse for the pyre that will light the way."

11

IVY

It didn’t take a genius to anticipate Jon’s next move. The second the words left the wolf’s mouth, Jon reared back to deal what Ivy knew would be an ineffective blow.

She shot forward to catch his wrist before he could make contact and turned him to face her.

“Take a walk,” Ivy ordered in a low voice. She knew instinctively that he wouldn’t hurt her, even though she could smell the blind rage and hurt rolling off of him in waves.

Jon held her gaze for a moment, the smell of his anguish dulling as his features softened almost imperceptibly before he stalked off to the other side of the factory floor.

After being sure he was out of earshot, Ivy turned her attention to the captured werewolf.

“Cut the shit,” she snarled as she leaned in. “I know you’re one of Brandon’s lackeys.” The wolf grinned, his teeth lengthening as he sensed the challenge dealt by another wolf.

---