Page 1 of Midnight Whispers
Chapter One
The pack runs were politically charged these days. Since the new alpha took the reins, the pack was on edge. The alpha liked to make speeches. Last month’s speech lasted forty-five minutes and part of it was the alpha rambling about tradition.
Cass glanced at his watch.
It looked like the alpha wanted to set a record. Alpha Miller was fifty-two minutes deep.
Julia and Greg Simpson’s toddler screamed and then hit his brother. The brother cried to his mom. Julia grabbed the toddler, while Greg grabbed the older boy. The older boy complained about not being able to run.
While this was happening, the alpha droned on endlessly, as if he didn’t sense the restlessness of the pack. Or the tension in most of the people.
“We must uphold our traditions. That’s why we continue to have the pack runs. Tradition means as much to wolf shifters as instinct. Our numbers….”
Cass’s Gran let out a growly sigh beside him and mumbled, “Windbag.”
Cass hid a smile.
He had to be at the station in an hour. He no longer had time for the run. It was a good thing he’d brought his deputy uniform with him, or he would have had to leave already.
“Heard he told Silus to take a mate. Maddie too,” Gran leaned in Cass’s direction. Gran wasn’t the subtlest person. She didn’t have it in her not to say exactly what was on her mind. And she’d claim to be too old for people’s crap. Gran whispering didn’t surprise him. It was practically a shout in a pack full of wolf shifters, especially for those who stood near them in the crowd.
Bethany Walters responding didn’t surprise him either. “Yep. And my daughter too. This isn’t the 1950s when alphas arranged matings.”
Rodney Benson said, “He doesn’t want our numbers to dwindle. The Timeston pack might be smaller, but not by much. Tension is rising between the packs.”
“That’s Miller’s doing. His self-serving attitude will create a war. Just see if it doesn’t,” Bethany whispered.
“How is he self-serving, Beth?”
“Why do you think he wants a bigger pack? Or are you buying into the Timeston pack rivalry?” Bethany huffed and rolled her eyes. “More people means more money in his pocket. He’s already raised the tithe once and never said why.”
“He has no right to tell my grandson who to mate. Wolves find their fated mate all the time. Cass could find his,” Gran patted Cass’s forearm as if consoling him. The alpha hadn’t talked to him yet, although Gran was right. The alpha would have the mate talk with him sooner rather than later.
“Speaking of traditions. It used to be that he would have had to challenge the alpha to a fight to the death to become the Pack alpha.” Vinnie was a firefighter for the Fortune Falls fire department. He was a big wolf shifter with a healthy amount of muscle. When he spoke, people listened. Partly because thecitizens of Fortune Falls respected first responders such as Vinnie. But also, he had a commanding presence. He wasn’t a strong enough alpha to lead the pack. For one, he didn’t have a third form. Not that you needed one to be the alpha but a pack considered an alpha strong enough to protect them if the alpha had one–Miller said he had a third form, but Cass hadn’t seen it yet.
Vinnie would make a good beta. He also was about the same age as Cass. They had gone to high school together, only two grades apart, so he wasn’t a young guy. It added to the way people stopped speaking and even shuffling their feet to pay attention, as if they were waiting for some small bit of wisdom to come their way.
“Are you saying we should go back to the old ways?” Gran asked. She advocated for the voting system and Cass had to agree.
They didn’t live in a world where fighting to the death was possible anymore. As a deputy for the Fortune Falls sheriff’s department, he couldn’t stand by and watch one wolf kill another. Murder was punishable by law, even amongst a pack of wolf shifters. Voting someone in was way better, even if he didn’t like who the pack voted for or the reason they voted for him.
Cass liked the liberalness of the old alpha and had voted for him. He liked having fewer restrictions, living his life amongst other people in a society with fair and rational laws. But the new alpha wanted to control everyone. He wanted to put restrictions on everyone. He talked about tradition and how higher pack numbers help, but his little speeches amounted to the alpha wanting more control over people. A lot of the pack members fell for his bullshit. That’s how he got voted in. Since taking over leadership, they’d since regretted their choice.
“What we need to do is recall him,” Cass whispered. It didn’t have to come down to violence. It could be a civil process.
“The pack has never done that before.”
“Because we never had an alpha as bad as Miller.” Cass would have said more, but the alpha finally wound down his speech.
Everyone was tight-lipped, pretending the conversation had never happened. No one wanted to face the repercussions of talking out of turn. The alpha hadn’t punished anyone yet, but he’d only had the job for three months. And no one knew how the alpha would dole out punishments. They only knew he would because he’d threatened it.
Cass sighed and turned toward his car. He might as well head to work early.
Gran stopped him with a hand on his arm. She nodded to the alpha, who made a beeline straight to Cass. And then she put herself in front of him, as if she were a mother bear protecting her cub.
Cass sighed in exasperation. He was a grown wolf. He turned forty-two last September. The days when he needed his Gran to fight his battles were over and besides, they didn’t know what the alpha wanted to speak to him about. It could be anything. It didn’t have to be about taking a mate.
The alpha smiled at Gran as if they were long-lost friends, which was his first mistake. “Miss Huber. How are you this evening?”
