1302 The Alpha (The 13th Floor) (4 page)

“And now they’re chasing you down to kill you?” James moved to the edge of the chair.

“No. They want to force me to come back and be the new Alpha’s mate. He thinks only another Alpha is good enough for him.” She rolled her eyes. “You, on the other hand, they’ll kill on the spot.”

“I know pack wolves aren’t friendly to loners. I was taught that at least.” James shook his head. “As for your pack, that’s just wrong. That would be kidnapping, coercion, and a whole lot of other major crimes.”

“Of which they’re guilty of already.” Stefanie’s jaw tightened. She hadn’t been Wyatt’s only victim, but she was the only one who escaped. “I was raised by my parents, born into the pack. The Nicolet pack up in Wisconsin if you’re curious as to where I got my accent. My father was the Alpha, and I was next in line. Life was good. He passed away of cancer, and my mom followed not long after. Mates can’t live without each other. That left only my little sister, Starr, and me. I took over and life went on.” She swallowed. She and Starr had never been close. They were too different personality-wise, but she was still her sister.

“Not long after a few new wolves showed up. They claimed their pack had been whittled down and it was only the three of them. Colin, June, and Matt. I didn’t much like Colin and June. Big and dumb as fence posts. Both of them. Yet Matt was smart and nice. Starr fell for him, and he was really good to her.” Stefanie pressed her hands together hard. “She had a hard time losing our folks. Matt made her smile again. Plus, he was a Beta. I needed one. I only had three other males left in my pack, and one was an Omega. Scott. And he was your typical trouble-making teen. Well, a little more than typical.”

“Typical? I stayed up late playing video games and reading.” James interjected.

“Yeah, you were such a rebel.” Stefanie huffed. “Scott got into fights, destroyed property, drank, started doing drugs. Except he did it with the hunger of a wolf.” And those things could be curbed with a strong Alpha. If the Alpha had a mind to do so.

“Half a year went by and it was good. What I didn’t know was that Matt and the others had been sent to infiltrate the pack for their Alpha. For Matt’s brother Wyatt.” Her upper lip curled. “Wyatt came in and immediately started to take over. For Matt and Starr’s sake, I tried to accommodate him, but he was bigger and meaner than Colin and June. One day when I was gone to get supplies in town, Axel and Ben, the other two male wolves, tried to drive him away. He and the others killed them. Scott rolled over for them. Wyatt let him have the drugs that I had forbid him.” She shook her head and shifted on the couch again.

“When I found out, I told them to leave, but Wyatt challenged me. So we fought and I lost. He almost killed me. Sometimes I wish he did because what he wanted was far worse.” Stefanie wet her lips, holding back the raging emotions. She didn’t go into detail. James would be able to guess what happened. “When I was well enough, I made my plan to escape. I begged Starr to come with me, but she loves Matt. Bastard. She wanted to get married and have a family. Maybe they already did. I don’t know. It’s been just over a year since I ran.”

Stefanie had left her sister. Her only family. And Scott, he was like family too, no matter if he betrayed them. He was only a kid really. She should’ve forced them to come with her. Surely they wouldn’t hate her forever for it.

She sat back, leaning against the cushioned back of the couch, hoping her trembling wasn’t noticeable. “So, there you have it. That’s why they’re hunting me. No superhero story. Just me running away.”

James was silent for a few minutes. Stefanie gripped one of the couch pillows, pulling it against her body. He’d certainly think she was a coward now. Would he leave because he was disgusted by her? Would he laugh? Maybe either way he’d leave and then he’d be safe. Perhaps that was for the better.

Then he was moving. He came to sit beside her on the couch, not too close and using a healthy dose of caution. His right hand clenched and unclenched a few times. He placed it over hers.

“Running was the only thing you could do. The smart thing to do. I couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if you stayed. I’m sure you don’t want to either.” He squeezed her hand, holding on.

Not at all. Stefanie still had nightmares about what Wyatt did to her. Her chin quivered.

“I’m sorry you lost your pack. More so, your sister. I have three little brothers, and it was just hard leaving them to come to the university here. Never mind leaving them to the mercy of people like that. No, not people. Animals. Beasts.” He spat out the last word. “Whatever I can do to help you, I’ll do it. I won’t let them take you back.”

He was suddenly hugging her. Grateful was not a strong enough word for what she felt. She wouldn’t let him put himself in any more danger, but just the offer alone was enough.

It had been so long since she had an ally, a friend. Sure, she and Marc kicked back, had a few beers, and watched football. He felt like her father in a way, but that was probably only her heart trying to fill up the hole left by her parents’ death. Harriet was sweet, but they didn’t have much in common. Meira was too much of a priss, and Xan was hardly around. He didn’t say much anyway. As for the vampire at the end of the hall, she refused to have anything to do with him.

Maybe she should push James away. Part of her wanted to do just that as much as another part needed to be held. He was too good for her. She needed to focus.

James held her, rubbing her back. He was a wolf, and another thing she hadn’t had in a long time was a pack. She missed the camaraderie, the bonding, the feeling of belonging to one another. She wanted that back again. Wanted it badly.

His cheek rubbed against hers like a warm caress. Stefanie’s stomach flipped. Feeling something more than just gratefulness rising, she pushed back. Reluctantly.

“Let’s get to work then.”

CHAPTER 5

“I’m trying. Don’t rush me.” Stefanie growled, trying to focus on her body and her environment. Matching scents. What kind of nonsense was he teaching her? Well, nonsense that worked for him, obviously.

“Don’t overthink it. Just let it happen.” James stood beside her in the stairwell. Two of the light bulbs had burnt out and a third was flickering.

“How can I not overthink it? It’s not like I usually smell like the inside of a building.” It was supposedly an easy trick. Masking your scent by blending it in with the environment. James really didn’t turn off his scent, but let it smell more like what was around him than himself. He did it instinctively now that he’d been doing it for so long.

“It’s not like I do either. But you can’t smell me now, can you?” He didn’t smirk or brag, but she glared at him anyway.

“No.” She snapped, hating that something so easy for him was so hard for her. “Maybe it would be easier if we went somewhere else. I was starting to get the hang of it upstairs.”

“That’s because your apartment smells like you. It’s easy for you, but you aren’t always going to be in your apartment. This is a city. Lots of concrete and pollution. Breathe in your surroundings, smell everything, let yourself meld with it.”

Stefanie grunted and took in a deep breath. Concrete. Cigarettes. A hint of blood. That made her frown.

“Concentrate,” James said.

She could smell it all, but that didn’t mean she could make herself smell like it. It was all unnatural. She wasn’t a city gal even after living here a year.

“Let’s go to the woods. I feel more comfortable there.” Stefanie started down the stairs before he had a chance to reply.

“Wait! Are you crazy? Your pack is looking for you. And it’s more difficult to do this out in the woods. Too many other scents. Really, it’s best if we try it here where we’re safe.” James hurried after her.

He had a point. A big point. It wasn’t that she wanted to put herself in a spot to get caught, but it made more sense to her to learn to do this in the woods. That’s where she felt at ease. The pack couldn’t be everywhere at once.

“Were you raised in the city?”

“What?” He caught up to her. “Well, yes. Why?”

“I was raised in the woods. The city doesn’t smell right to me. I know all the smells of the wild. I’ll be able to do better there.” Stefanie nodded more to convince herself than him. She could stay holed up in the building, send him out for food, but she hated to be pent up. She needed to learn to do this even if it meant taking her chances.

“I think it’s too risky. You need more practice.”

“And I need to get out into the woods.” She reached the bottom and pushed open the door to the lobby. Outside, the city was in chaos. She stopped and James bumped into her from behind. “What the hell?”

“It’s like World War Three out there.” James slipped around her and walked to the lobby windows. “Or the zombie apocalypse.”

“Smell that.” Stefanie ran out the front door. Her stomach clenched. “Flesh, fire, and death.” Was this the pack’s work? A wave of fear washed through her. Would they do this to draw her out? It was horrific.

Sirens blared from a few blocks over and the sound of gunshots echoed from the opposite direction. There were buckets of fire attached to some lamp posts. James jogged over to one and peered in. His body jerked and hand flew up to cover his mouth.

“What?” Stefanie tensed.

“It’s a head. A human head.” He’d paled and looked like he was barely holding in the contents of his stomach.

“A head.” Not for a second did she think he was lying no matter how it sounded. Did Wyatt send her a message? Did he track her to the building and couldn’t find her? Was it her sister’s? Her heart hammered, and she grabbed James’ forearm to steady herself.

No. Looking up and down the street, she saw buckets all over. From the sounds of it, the whole city was going crazy. The pack couldn’t do this on their own. No matter how gruesome it was, it wasn’t Wyatt’s style. He’d just toss the head into the building lobby and wait outside for her to show.

“Maybe we should go back inside.” James broke her train of thought.

“No. Something else is happening in Carmine. I don’t know what, but it doesn’t matter.” Okay, it did matter. It mattered if the city burned to the ground. A city she’d grown to love. How many plumes of smoke did she see? Too many to count. “The woods will be safer.”

She started to run. Normally, she would go around the block a few times, step on other stoops, and zigzag through the streets to confuse anyone who might scent her trail, but she wasn’t going to waste any time tonight. Something big was happening, and she couldn’t afford to get caught up in it.

Offering no more protest, James kept up with her. The horror had silenced them. And it didn’t get any prettier as they ran toward the edge of town.

Vandalized property, blazing houses, people huddled in cars and on the streets. Gunfire from all directions and screeching that didn’t sound like a cat’s. Then there were bodies. Charred and arranged in sickening scenes. Tears burned her eyes, but she held them back.

The forest was in sight when Stefanie stopped, panting as she stared at the Motel 8 nestled between the trees. Parked in front of it was her Jeep. Her sister’s Jeep now. She gritted her teeth. Wyatt and Colin’s Harleys were a few spots away.

“What is it?” James puffed, resting his hands on his knees. There were black smudges on his cheeks, and she supposed her own face was marked with the same bits of ash. She wiped at her cheeks.

“The pack. This is where they’re staying.”

“Then let’s keep going. Faster now, away from here.” He positioned himself ready to run again.

They needed to get away from there. Stefanie wasn’t stupid, but she had to see her sister. Had to see if she was there and okay. Starr didn’t usually hunt with the pack, but it was also likely Wyatt didn’t want her in on it for obvious reasons.

“No.” James shook his head. “Don’t you think about it. If they’re smart, they’re hiding out here from what’s happening. It’s like walking into the dragon’s cave and expecting not to get burned to a crisp.”

“They’re probably out hunting, enjoying the chaos.” Stefanie wasn’t certain of it, but she didn’t care. She had to see Starr. “My sister might be in there. I just want to see her. I need to know if she’s okay.”

Stefanie started to walk toward the hotel, but James grabbed her arm. She turned and growled at him. He immediately let go, but stepped in front of her.

“And if you know she’s okay, then what? They’ll either see you and catch you or they’ll know you’ve been here and follow your scent. Either way, the ending isn’t good.”

She was ready to grab him by the neck and toss him to the ground. No one stood in her way. Her sister was the only family she had left. Different as they were, Stefanie still loved her. As much as she hated to admit it, though, James was right. What was going to happen if she found out her sister okay or not okay? Starr wouldn’t leave Matt, and they wouldn’t let her go even if she wanted to.

Ripping her gaze from the hotel, she ran. All her losses and failures dogged her every step. A few tears escaped. It was the wind. Yes, the wind.

Once she deemed the distance far enough from the hotel, Stefanie darted into the woods and found an evergreen with a thick overhang. She kicked off her shoes and yanked off her shirt. Pushing off her jeans and underwear, she stashed everything in the dry spot by the trunk.

James stripped too. Neither of them saying a word. Nakedness for her was natural. He was very obviously staring at the ground and not her. It made her smirk a little.

Stretching her arms up, she then crouched down. The moment her palms touched the forest floor, she transformed. It was fast, a few seconds. Her wolf wanted out, and even after the run, she was full of energy.

Stefanie turned to face him with a little hop. The black wolf wagged his tail a few times. Part of her wanted to play, to lead him on a chase and maybe hunt down a rabbit together. The last time she had hunted for anything was on her own, and there was something lacking in that. Had James ever stalked the woods and caught a squirrel or some other critter?

It was time for practice, though. She breathed in the cool night air and all the wonderful forest scents. She could name every one. Letting herself relax was easier here. Hopefully that translated to making it simple to blend her scent as well.