Page 14 of Rogue Wolf

“Got it, boss,” said Channing, typing on the keyboard.

“Good.” He paused. “Don’t actually break his neck. Talk it out, find a way.”

“I know what you meant.”

Kodiak left Channing to work his computer magic and went to find Onai. The carpets they’d ripped out would be burned later with the wrecked furniture behind the clubhouse. That stuff was too ruined even to begin to try and save. He’d never realized how much carpet existed in the building until they’d been forced to rip most of it out and clean the floors beneath.

Kodiak ran his hand through his hair, striding down the hallway. He felt Onai through their pack connection. The shifter worked on the side room, a space no larger than a small study. An easy room to forget about, which annoyed Kodiak. For every step they’d taken forward in cleaning up the house, it felt like they’d taken two steps backwards.

“How bad?” asked Kodiak, stepping into the room.

“See for yourself.”

He investigated the space and shook his head. “Let’s get this done. Then you can start the fire so we can destroy the carpets and broken furniture.”

“Consider it done,” said Onai.

Together they made light work of rolling up the bloodied and torn carpet and carrying it out to the pile behind the clubhouse.

Kodiak’s fists tightened. This should never have happened. It was all because of some power within the Blood Opal…and Tamaska.

He made the connection, a realization that hit him as hard as a sucker punch.

There was something special about her blood.

She had to be more than human. He just needed to find proof, and then he could work out exactly what the vampires were up to.

What powers could the vampires gain from combining the Blood Opal with Tamaska’s blood?

Whatever it was, it was beyond bad.

CHAPTER 4

Kodiak

Hollow pain followed by bubbling anger filled Kodiak at the sight of the discarded, ruined carpets. The loss of life that pile represented was deep and jagged. He clenched his fist, wishing for a vampire that he could make pay right now for the destruction of his pack.

No. Not destructed. Attempted destruction. They were stronger than that, they had to be. And he could never let the vampires win.

“Yeah.” Onai looked at the pile, picking up Kodiak’s thoughts. ‘It’s a lot, but you’re right. We are stronger.”

“I worry about the upheavals on top of the attack,” he said softly. “But we’ll get through this.

“We always do. I’ll start the fire,” said Onai.

“Thanks.” Kodiak put his hand on the other shifter’s shoulder. “Loyal members will keep the pack alive.”

Onai patted his hand and nodded. “We’re packmates, in life and in death.”

“You’re a good second,” he said, right as his phone beeped, and his stress spiked, like he was being torn in a hundred different directions.

He glanced at the screen. “Pain delivery is here, at the gate. Bubblegum pick okay with you?”

Onai laughed. “Always.”

“A fresh coat of paint’s going to go a long way,” said Kodiak, slipping his phone into his pocket.

Neither of them mentioned it was nothing more than a Band Aid. But sometimes, they needed a sticking plaster in metaphor to push off in the right direction. Dig down and find that extra fuel to get to the other side.

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