Briggs chuckled, amusement high. She was trying to fight against the call of the moon. He’d told her it was pointless, obviously she thought she was strong enough. Soon, she’d discover just how wrong she was.
As Briggs followed behind her, he looked around. The neighborhood apparently sat in the rich part of town—large homes, manicured lawns, fancy cars—everything that screamed
I’m living the American dream
. Orion’s house was in fact the only white house on the street. Toby was right, it wasn’t hard to miss.
Rynn waited at the last step for Briggs and pushed him in front of her. He laughed.
She scowled a little but stepped in close to his back. A swing rested beside the front bay window, which swayed slightly in the wind. Dante raised his hand to knock when it suddenly flew open.
A man stood, shock emanated off his kind face. His mate stood behind him. Classic suburban family—casual dress, proper haircuts, and perfect smiles planted on their faces.
Briggs glanced behind him, saw Rynn’s bewildered expression had returned, and those feelings rushed through him.
Valor began with the pleasantries, but Rynn quickly whispered. “I’m just realizing this now—and wondering why it didn’t clue in with Dante and Valor—but why does no one look over thirty?”
Briggs leaned back a bit, but kept his focus on the pair. “We age until thirty, after that our immortality sets in.”
She gave her head a bemused shake, but said nothing more on the matter.
“Cruz and Janiya, we need to talk to you about your son, Orion, is he home?” Valor inquired.
Cruz’s face darkened at the mention of his son. “What has he done?”
Valor waved his hand to dismiss the concern. “Nothing to do anyone harm, but he may have information we need.”
Janiya opened the door wide and waved them in. “Please come in. I will go and get Orion.”
Getting Orion meant screaming at him from the hallway. A moment later, his bedroom door slammed closed and jetted down the stairs. He stopped dead at the sight of the crowd sitting in his living room.
“Sit down,” his father demanded and glanced at Valor. “Ask him what you need. He will do nothing but tell you the truth.”
Valor went through the story in mundane terms, keeping it short and to the point. By the end of it, the uncertainty across Orion’s face was obvious.
It took a minute for Orion to find words. “You want Kali?”
“We need to find her, yes. Do you know where she is?” Valor asked, his voice soft.
“Nope,” Orion answered with a quick shake of his head. “I only met her that day and haven’t seen her since.”
“Where did you meet her?” Dante asked.
“At the Uptown Diner,” Orion replied.
Rynn nudged Briggs’ arm. He looked down at her and she said, “A hotspot for the youth of Plymouth.”
“All right,” Valor said, drawing Briggs’ gaze back to him. “Tell us what happened when you met her?”
“There’s nothin’ to really tell ya,” Orion answered. “I was hangin’ there and saw her eatin’ at a table. She was hot, so I went over to her.” Janiya gave her son a reproving look, which he ignored and continued, “We talked a while, then she came with us to the bush party.”
“What happened after the party?” Briggs asked. “Where did she go?”
He shrugged and looked at his parents, embarrassed.
Cruz glared, pointed a determined finger toward him. “You better speak boy if you know what’s good for you.”
Orion glanced at his fumbling hands, and all but whispered, “We were ahh…makin’
out…”
“Orion!” Janiya gasped, her hand over her mouth.
“And what happened then?” Valor urged him.
He glanced up, his face beat red. “Some guy came, gave her trouble, and then they left.”
“The man that came to get her,” Valor asked. “What did he look like?”
“Big guy, short hair.” Orion’s face turned crimson. “I didn’t really look, I thought he was her dad so I booked it outta there, thinking he was gonna lay into me.”
“And he should have,” Cruz growled.
“This is a peculiar situation.” Valor pointed out, deep in thought.
“I’d say,” Rynn interjected. “She’s not a runaway because someone old enough to be her father was with her, and since she was playing smoochie-smooch with this one,”
Rynn jerked a head in Orion’s direction. “She’s obviously not knocked off her feet in love with the other guy.”
“And if she was abducted, why was she out alone?” Briggs added and was about to reach for Rynn’s hand, but her glare stopped him. He grinned and placed his hand back in his lap. “None of this makes any sense.”
“But there was one thing that was sorta weird,” Orion said. “The guy carried her away, like she couldn’t walk, or something.”
Valor gave Briggs a knowing look, which he understood. It explained why her scent was faint.
Valor stood. “We must get going and see what the others have found.” He looked back at Janiya and Cruz. “Thank you for your help.”
“Not sure how much help it was. Orion will be punished for his bad behavior,”
Janiya glared at her son. Then, with a much softer expression and tone, she looked to Valor. “I do hope you find this young girl.”
“I do as well.” He nodded somberly.
Valor’s phone beeped and glanced down at it, read the details of a text, and looked at Rynn over his shoulder. “Do you know where Orchard Lane is?”
She nodded. This was her hometown, she’d walked these streets countless times and could give directions with her eyes closed if she had to. While they drove, she told Dante the route to take, and within only a few minutes, they arrived at their location.
Once they pulled into the round driveway, Rynn could only laugh.
Briggs arched an eyebrow. “Something funny?”
“Pops sent me to a private school close to here—
Providence Academy
. It’s just over there. We used to drive by this house everyday and I always drooled over it.”
“You went to a private school?” Briggs asked, intrigue heavy in his tone.
“Pops wanted the best for me. Poor man worked for too long to pay those fees, but he never listened when I said I didn’t need to go there.”
On a weekly basis, she reminded him there was such a thing as public schools, which cost nothing except the taxpayers a few bucks. He’d always change the subject and ignore her. Really, where had it gotten her anyway? Working in a bar or coffee shop wasn’t the right place for a private school graduate in her opinion. At least, she’d been well-educated—she guessed that might stand for something.
Briggs’ expression showed he wasn’t surprised to hear that. Either, he thought she was smart or he expected as much from her grandfather. Whatever it was, she liked his response. He smiled heartily. “He’s a good man.”
“As good as they come.” Her words came with a little sadness. How she missed him.
Even when he was sick, she’d still made an effort to see him at least every other day, if she couldn’t get there daily. Not being near him hurt and she hoped he was doing well.
“Soon, love,” Briggs said, his tone hushed. “Soon we can go and see him.”
Dante put the car in park, cut the engine and jumped out. Valor opened his door and looked her way. “This home belongs to one of Sayer’s pack members who is out of town.
He has generously offered his home to us.”
Rynn mused silently that all she needed was the glass slippers and she’d be Cinderella, or maybe an English rose—at least that was the vibe coming from this Victorian Country home.
Just as they exited the car, Briggs brushed against her arm. Again, desire stole her breath and warmth coursed right down to her very toes. She gave him a petulant look and stepped away. “No touching, remember?”
“As you wish.” Briggs grinned with sultry intent and waved his arm out gallantly, bowing in a proper way.
Sure, he did step away, but his touch still affected her. As she made her way toward the house, her thoughts plummeted like a cold shower as Nera appeared in the doorway with Rainer standing in next to her. Rynn rolled her eyes. “And the witch is back.”
Briggs laughed.
“Rainer, glad to see you arrived safe,” Valor said, gave his hand a firm shake.
“It was a quick flight,” Rainer replied, and moved back into the house so they could enter. “Let’s sit, I’ll tell you what I’ve discovered.”
Rynn followed in behind Briggs as they entered into the living room. Everything looked to be imported from either Italy or France, completely Shabby Chic. Expensive.
Valor took a seat on the black Italian leather couch with Briggs, Rynn sitting across from him. Dante leaned up against the wall.
“What have you discovered?” Valor asked.
“Basically it’s this.” Rainer sank down into the loveseat, which sat against the far wall, Nera next to him. “The two wolves from my pack were lookin’ for a little adventure, so they accepted a paid mission from an unknown source.”
“Mission impossible.” Rynn giggled.
Everyone glanced at her, Nera glared of course. Rynn gave a soft ashamed smile.
Right, not appropriate.
Briggs grinned and winked at her.
Valor ignored her. “How were they contacted?”
“Cashton didn’t know. The one who would know that answer was one of the men you killed.”
“Of course,” Valor grumbled.
Rainer continued, “They came here as part of the assignment. They were told there would be a group of wolves coming into the area. They were instructed to wait until they had been contacted when you would be coming into the area.”
Rynn glanced at each of their faces. Even she understood the implication of what this new information. Danika was right, it had to be someone at the gathering. Only they would know what their plans were. Oh Lord, had she met the person responsible?
“Why did Cashton leave and not stay to finish the job?” Briggs questioned.
“It wasn’t until they arrived here that found out that they were going to have to kill,”
Rainer explained.
Rynn barked a loud shout of laughter. Of all the ridiculous things to say. “What else did they think was going to happen?”
Rainer met her gaze, very serious. “He didn’t know, but it wasn’t what he expected.
Furthermore, nothing he’d participated in before.”
Nera glared at Rynn. “It could have been anything—stealing a car, pawning stolen jewelry, anything at all.”
This bitchy wolf was getting on Rynn’s last nerve. “Sorry, you’ve got a better sense of wrongdoing than I do.”
Nera jumped to her feet, looked about a second away from making Rynn doggy dinner, but Rainer grabbed her and forced her back onto the loveseat. “Sit down, woman.”
Valor continued as if no interruption had taken place. “All right, so once he discovered what was going to take place, he came home?”
Rainer nodded. “When you called he had just arrived at my home.” He rubbed his hands together, unhappy. “He has obviously been punished for this.”
“You didn’t kill them, did you?” Rynn gasped.
Rainer gave her a chastised look. “No…”
Before he could finish, Nera cut him off, glowered at Rynn. “And that is your business because?”
Oh, Rynn had enough. Her questions were valid. To date, she’d seen that wolves handled just about everything with violence. What did Nera expect her to say?
It wasn’t so much her words, as the look in Nera’s eyes that made Rynn snap. She jumped to her feet. “What’s your deal?”
Nera stood too, fists clenched at her sides. “My deal is that you should not be here.”
“Rynn,” Briggs said softly.
She turned her glare on him. “Hush.” Then, she focused back on Nera, enough was enough. She’d reached the pinnacle of it the moment she met this nasty woman. “I shouldn’t be here because I was bit and turned, is that why?”
Nera raised her chin, an insinuation that she was somehow better. “Alphas and their mates are pure—you are tainting our bloodline.”
Rynn crossed the room, stood toe-to-toe with the bitch. No woman, no wolf was going to push her around any longer and make her feel less than. “You think I had a choice?”
“Yes, you could have died.”
Briggs lunged to his feet, his growl fierce as he stepped in behind Rynn. “What did you just say?”
Nera didn’t take her eyes off Rynn. “She is filthy and you are all as bad as her for allowing this.”
“Are you implying what I think you are, Nera?” Valor asked. His tone issued a warning.
Rainer was quickly on his feet and grabbed Nera’s arm, gave her a hard tug. “You better sit down and shut it before you say something we are both going to regret.”
Nera trembled, as did Rynn. She could only imagine the shade of the blood heating her body. “You are a real bitch, you know that.”
Nera shrugged it off. “Your words are meaningless to me.”
Rynn pointed her finger in Nera’s face, right at the very tip of her nose. “Imagine this, Nera. Imagine that you are working three jobs to pay for the care of someone you love. Imagine you’re walking home after a long shift and you’re attacked by some psycho. That man takes you into a bush, strips you naked and then rapes you. Imagine the pain of that, of never having sex in your life because you were saving yourself for someone you love. Imagine his big sweaty body thrusting on yours in the most horrifying way.
“Then you’re bitten, and even if you can wrap your head around it, imagine when you wake up you’re a fucking wolf. Imagine being brought into a world that you can’t even visualize and the people you meet are stupid bitches like you who say there’s something wrong with you because of how you were made.”
She lowered her finger, poked Nera’s chest hard. “Don’t you think I would change that night if I could? You think I wanted to be attacked, raped and left for dead?” Nera stared at her wide-eyed, and for a moment, Rynn swore she could read shame on her face.
“Do you think I wouldn’t want to be looked at like I’m some disease?”
“I…I…” Nera stammered.
“If you have nothing nice to say then just shut the hell up,” Rynn spat. “Every time you look at me with that disgust in your eyes or make some bitchy remark, you remind me of that night. And it’s something I’d rather forget.”
“I didn’t know,” Nera whispered.
“That’s right, you didn’t know because it’s none of your goddamn business,” Rynn shouted and gave a firm stomp of her foot. “Now, you’ve gotten me so mad that I’m swearing and I never swear.”
Briggs ran his hand down her arm. “Rynn,” he said softly.
She glanced at him, instantly snapped out of her anger until all that remained was sadness. It was too much to deal with right now. She dealt with the denial and felt the pain of that night constantly. Her lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears.
Briggs spun her around so fast the world twirled, but steadied when he wrapped his arms around her tight. “Shh love, you are all right now.”
“I hate him. I hate him for doing that to me.” Rynn’s voice was nearly swallowed by her deep sobs.
Briggs held her tighter, squeezed tight as if to save her from the pain. “Aye, I as well.” His tone was soft, but beneath it, it held the truth that if he could hunt down the one responsible and slaughter him, he would.
She leaned her head to the side against his chest and glanced around through her watery eyes, suddenly embarrassed by her breakdown, but the room was empty. She sank back into Briggs and gripped his shirt in her hands. “I just hate the way they all look at me as if there’s something wrong with me.”
“They are cruel, this is true, but they mean nothing in our lives.”
“Easy for you to say,” she sniffed, backed away to meet his gaze. “You don’t have them look at you like that.”
Briggs took her chin in his hand, pulled her gaze to his and wiped her tears. “You are beautiful, special, charming, and strong, love.” Then, he winked. “That would make any female a little jealous of you.”
She laughed through the tears. “Sure, that is exactly their problem—jealousy.”
Briggs pulled her down to the couch and knelt in front of her. “Tell me about that night.”
“You don’t want to hear it.” Rynn whispered.
“No, love, I don’t. You’re right about that. I don’t want to hear how you have been mistreated.” His hand brushed along her cheek, so tender. “But you need to talk about it and it is my job to hear you when you are troubled.”
Tears escaped her eyes and she had no ambition to control them. “I don’t know where to start.”
“At the beginning.”
Did she want to go back to that night? Hell no. But she also knew she needed to finally deal with this so she could move on with her life. The hours were just clicking by until she finally broke down.
She took a deep breath. “It was creepy you know, he was there at the bar drinking, but he looked scary. I tried not to look at him, but it was like he followed me with his eyes all night.” Her voice wavered. “I always walked home, my apartment wasn’t far. I was so stupid. I shouldn’t have walked home alone.” A lump formed in her throat and her cries anguished.
Briggs squeezed her hands, his expression empathic and heartbroken at the same time. “You should be able to walk home. The world should be safe enough that you can do that. That was in no way stupid on your part.”
She snorted softly at his attempt to make her feel better. “He must have followed me, but I never knew. Never saw him, you know?” Briggs inclined his head. His eyes were so sad, it only made it harder to get through this. “When he attacked, it just happened so quickly. I should have been stronger, fought harder, I should have done more.”
Briggs’ brows arched up. “What could you have done, darlin’?”
“Fought back! I should have punched him, kicked him, did everything I could to get him off me. But I didn’t, I just laid there helpless. Let him do it to me.”
“You are a little thing, love. What would you have been able to do?”
She met his gaze, shameful. “But I didn’t even try.” Her voice was so broken, it was the first time in her life she let her feelings show. What bothered her most about what happened was that she failed in the one aspect she swore she never would—weakness.
She’d been too weak to stop him.
Briggs studied her silently a moment, then a flash of determination spread across his face. “Right then.” He pulled her up from the couch, kept her hand in his and led her through the living room to the front door.