Page 38 of Wulf's Pack
Terrance grinds his jaw and continues to glare at the dragon. Gorgeous stands there, cool as a cucumber, letting Terrance work through his anger until he relents. Eventually, the troll accepts the truth and thrusts a frustrated finger my direction. “Donotget yourself killed.”
He’s barking at me, but it’s because he cares. His concern is touching. I give him a smile that I don’t feel. “I won’t. You’d miss me too much.”
He doesn’t appreciate my attempt at humor. He glares at me so hard that I’d be terrified if he hadn’t been my best friend for the last fifty years. I grasp his arm and wipe the smile from my face. “I know, brother. I’ll be careful.”
“Be smart,” he counters, and I nod.
We share another long moment, silently conveying all the feelings we’re too proud to say out loud. It’s comforting. Even if he can’t help me get out of the mess I’ve found myself in, I know he’s behind me. I know they all will be.
While Gorgeous gets my pack’s statements, Enzo and Oliver show up. Enzo heals what’s left of our wounds, and Oliver takes care of Skylar’s collar. “Déjà vu, huh?” he says when he removes the damn thing.
I relax once it’s off, and I can feel Skylar’s wolf again. I pull her into my arms, needing her close. She must sense how anxious I am, or she’s just as unsettled as me, because she wraps her arms around my waist and nuzzles her face into my chest.
“Why did they put another collar on you this time?” Oliver asks, holding out the choker.
Skylar steps out of my arms and shakes her head, refusing to take the necklace from Oliver. I can’t blame her for not wanting to touch it. Oliver hands it to me instead. It’s nothing more thana useless ribbon now that the magic is gone, but I still rip it to shreds.
“You weren’t hurt,” Oliver says. “He didn’t need to prevent you from healing.”
I growl at the thought, and Skylar sighs. “It’s so they can control me. I can’t use my gifts when my wolf is suppressed. If I could drown them in my omega pheromones, they’d be too lethargic to keep me contained. I can’t fight them, but I can incapacitate them and run. Victor learned very quickly he couldn’t beat me the way he wanted to unless my wolf was suppressed, and after several escape attempts, he found a solution.”
“But he had you using your powers. He trained you.”
“I was locked in a cell any time the collar was off, and I had a shock collar. If I used my power against him, or didn’t do as he asked, I was electrocuted. He may have been lethargic, but I could never put him all the way to sleep. It doesn’t take much thought or energy to press a button. I used to fight it at first, but once he turned the setting up so high it stopped my heart. They brought me back and beat me so badly it took more than six weeks to heal. After that, I fell in line. I didn’t see any way out, and obeying meant less pain.”
White-hot rage surges through me. Skylar takes my hand and calms me just enough that I can think. “I am going to kill that son of a bitch,” I growl.
“I’m going to help you,” Carl says darkly.
I look at him and then at Bree. Their grim faces say everything I need to know. They’re with me.
Chapter
Twelve
As soon as we’re finished at the club, I call my first official pack meeting. Bree and Carl follow me to my place, and the Kellers meet us there. After brief introductions, we pull the dining chairs into the living room with the couches and barely have enough seating room for all of us. I look around the crowded room and sigh. “We’re going to need more space.”
Matthew perks up. “I was looking at the rooms you use for storage when we were moving a few things in. It would be easy to knock down the wall between two of them and create a large conference room. I could do it in less than a week’s time.”
We need something more like a war room at this point, but it’s a good idea. “We’ll add it to the list of things to do, but we’ve got a more pressing issue.”
I explain what happened at the club to catch the Kellers up. I don’t think they’ve ever been faced with a real threat before. They all look scared, but they’re determined to help however they can. Strength isn’t always about dominance. The Kellers face problems head-on, and they do it together. Their courage is admirable.
Skylar has been quiet this whole time, but she’s sitting with her chin up and her shoulders back. That same grim determination the Kellers have runs through her veins too. She was terrified when she showed up at Underworld and afraid of her own shadow, but even then she was fighting for her safety and freedom. Now, with a pack behind her, it’s as if she’s got a purpose—to protect her pack. She’s still afraid, but she’s gained a little confidence. I’m relieved to see it. As luna, she needs that conviction.
We’re sitting next to each other on the dining chairs, and I’ve got my arm around the back of her chair. She’s leaning into my side and holding my hand as if she’s been my mate for years. It’s hard to be awkward with her when our wolves are so connected with one another. Our bond may not be complete, our souls may not be fused together yet, but we are connected. It’s amazing how quickly I’ve adjusted to having that connection. She’s a stranger to me, but I already depend on her strength.
I kiss her temple, knowing she’s going to need the comfort for what she has to say next. “I hate to dredge up bad memories,” I say. “But we need you to tell us everything you can about your old pack. We need to know who and what we’re up against.”
Skylar pulls a deep breath in through her nose and gulps, but she lifts her chin just a little bit higher and speaks in a clear voice. “I come from the Vail, Colorado, Pack. The alpha’s name is Victor Santos, and he’s evil to his core. He’s a kingpin for a small organized crime circuit. He deals in drugs—specializing in shifter drugs like silver and wolfsbane—weapons, and trafficking, both underworlder and human. He’s ruthless, powerful, and rich, and he’s been building an army. When I came to him eight years ago, he had twelve members in his pack. Now they are one hundred strong with every member being a very dominant alpha male.”
“Every single member?” Matthew asks, shocked.
Skylar nods grimly. “It was only possible because they had my omega influence. Otherwise, they’d have all killed each other years ago.”
Carl and Bree are sitting in chairs also, having given the couches to the Kellers. It made me happy to see it. It was a sign of respect for the weaker members of the pack. They were taking care of them, as a good pack should.
Carl leans forward in his chair, smoothing a hand over his beard and thinking very hard. “That’s good. It means his pack must be a little unstable since you left. We can use that to our advantage.”
