Page 1 of Sigma
Prologue
Cicely Oakes
It’s dusk and I’m stretching, getting ready to shift and go for a run. I’m feeling the need to stretch my legs. I’m also feeling the need to examine the woods for a certain silver camper we talked about at lunch today. Because I had no idea there was a shifter living on our land that’s not in our pack, who’s alpha, that Lincoln was kind of cagey about when asked.
The owner ofsaidcamper has apparently been living here for a while, which is shocking. This detail was revealed by Stacy Blackwood, who recapped the details of what happened in Silver Hills to us at Roxy’s.
Bailey and I were both a little shocked because with her having a brother on the council and being the town librarian and with me being the manager of the general store and the default postmaster for the town along with being someone who sometimes hooks up with one of our council members – we typically know what’s going on. But we didn’t know about this. We don’t know much about him – other than the fact he lives in a camper on our land. And… according to Grey’s new mate he’s an alpha with no scent. An alpha with no scent who lives alone, here on our land?
Bizarre.
Bailey knows this guy, just barely. Says he works with Linc sometimes and she saw him twice at Roxy’s for bonfires. I was visiting my sister at school out of town once. She doesn’t recall where I was the other time. Probably off on one of myadventures. When I’m home, I do my best not to miss bonfires. They’re extraordinarily entertaining. All those alphas with their shirts off, wrestling? I try hard not to miss the bonfires.
But this whole thing is also kind of irksome. Because why was Linc being cagey about this camper when he told me it was going to be parked at the store for a day or two? I asked whose it was and why it was here. He just said it belonged to a friend and that he’d get it out of the way soon. But he wouldn’t look at me. He also made an excuse to go straight away. And when I invited him back over later for a drink… something we haven’t done in a while… he made a bullshit excuse. In fact, it feels like he’s avoiding me. Because after Jase mates it’ll be his turn? Because of something else? I have no idea, but I intend to dig into it.
Not that I have all sorts of extra time on my hands. Things have been busy at the store what with how eventful things have been around here the last little while. The day this camper pulled in two days ago was probably the busiest day we’ve had since the day Tyson got shot. Because that was pretty eventful on its own, but that wasn’t all that happened that day. Riley’s long-lost mate showed up, and Grey claimed the female shifter that shot Tyson. All in the same day.
The day before yesterday had been almost equally as eventful and I had to practically shove the nosy pack members out of the store so I could close it. Because the rumors were flying. Not only was Brody home with a new mate that he identified a few days ago but hasn’t claimed yet, and not only are there sixty or so guests staying in the town hall which was quickly patched up by a few council members and other pack members that morning, but also… the night before last we had a public execution via mauling in the parking lot of the town hall. More than a dozen of the guests executed their alpha, that same Silver Hills alpha thathad been causing trouble repeatedly through Rye’s and Grey’s claiming periods.
Though the beginning of this period of successive excitements probably started weeks back when we caught the scent of Tyson Savage once again and knew he’s taken a mate. Four down, three to go.
There are three main places to go to dish on the latest gossip around here. The town library, (which is currently closed to the pack while the Silver Hills people get temporarily settled), the store at the village’s four corners, which I run five days a week, and at Roxy’s Bar.
I suspect now that it’s dusk, Roxy’s Bar will be packed once again wall to wall with nosy shifters who want to dish about all of it. Who want to speculate about how it might go with council alpha number five, Jason Creed.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that it’s Bailey. She’s convinced it won’t happen, despite it being all she’s wanted since puberty.
I’m not too shabby at tracking, so I think I’ll take an extra-long run in the woods and see if I can find where this mystery alpha is and see what he’s about. But first, I think I’ll check out this camper.
1
CICELY
Twenty minutes before the store is due to close, Lincoln pulls in and fills his gas tank.
He comes in with a gruffheythat doesn’t include eye contact as he fishes money from his wallet. Instead of putting it in my outstretched hand, he sets it on the counter. I make change and extend my hand to give it back.
Linc flexes his jaw muscles looking irritated as he takes the change.
“Later,” he tries.
“Nuh uh. Not so fast. You’re gonna get that camper out of here?”
“Yup,” Linc replies, putting his change into his wallet and moving like he’s about to leave. He’s also not looking at me.
“When?” I call out.
“Huh?” He blinks off what seems like a distracted daze and stops.
“You’re gonna get that camper out of here when, Linc?”
“Uh… tonight, tomorrow, latest.”
Still no eye contact.
This is not Lincoln Fowler’s norm. He’s an eye contact guy. He’s also warm, not distracted. Linc gives you his attention when he’s talking to you. With what he does for a living, he’s always uber-observant.
“Something goin’ on?” I ask while rearranging the gum and breath mints on the counter.
