Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series) (9 page)

The hair raised on the back of Rebecca’s neck as her wolf warned,
'vampire'. 
The vampire took a few more steps towards her.  Instinct screamed to back away but stubborn pride held her feet steady.  This one was different than the last one she met.  She was cold, calculating.  It felt like the vampire sucked up all the oxygen around her.  The ironic thing was that she didn’t need it because vampires barely breathed at all. 
Panic rose in Rebecca’s blood and overtook the anger she was feeling towards the woman; self-preservation took over.  This woman was not hurt or fighting for her life.  On the contrary, she looked like a cat playing with a mouse, and the mouse at the moment was Rebecca.  The rest of the crowd seemed to drop away as the majority of her focus zeroed in on the vampire. 

The man with hair spun of gold, her savior, her angry companion stepped in front of her providing a shield
 against the vampire.  The wolf inside her snarled its disapproval of the motion, but Rebecca was not in a position to do anything about it.

“I’m sure you know nothing about that do you
, Celestia?”  The nephilim’s voice was smooth like satin but Rebecca heard the warning bells that were under the surface. 

“Me?  I’m innocent, at least of that attack.”
  Celestia tossed her hair behind her shoulders and Rebecca found herself wondering how the hair on a walking dead person could look so shiny and perfect.  “But I cannot speak for my queen.”  Celestia added.

“Of course not.  You’re simply a worker bee.”  The nephilim replied, sarcasm thick in each word.

Celestia snapped her fangs at the man.  “Lucky, you may be a protector, but that does not keep you safe from attack.  Mind your tongue or else!”

“Alright, that’s enough Celestia” The African American bouncer stated as he moved to separate her from Lucky and Rebecca.  “We made it clear, until we discover who attacked the wolves you’re not allowed inside the sanctuary, and you better hope it wasn’t you or your hive.”
     

“You are fools; I can help you in this.”
  Celestia snapped.  She looked Rebecca up and down, “Wolves may disgust me, but they are not worth upsetting the gods by killing off an entire pack.” 

The bouncer was not listening; he continued to move her towards a waiting cab.
  Something told Rebecca she could have taken the bouncer easily, but Celestia allowed him to herd her towards the car. 

"Killing off an entire pack?"
  Rebecca asked.  Suddenly, she felt like she needed to catch up on some news that she had somehow missed.  Blood began to race through her veins, panic started setting in.  She wasn't sure if it was her or her companion wolf that had the anxious reaction.  But in this moment she didn’t care, she needed to understand what Celestia was referring too.

‘
What does she mean killing off an entire pack?
’

‘
I tried to tell you earlier but you told me to leave
.’  The wolf sounded defiant. 

The bouncer started to push her into the car, “Besides, we knew Tomas and his pack.  With Tomas gone, a new alpha will rise.  A new alpha is dangerous because he is an unknown enemy.  Logically, it makes no sense for the vampires to kill off Tomas.”
  Celestia offered as an excuse.

“Take her home.”
  The bouncer growled as he slammed the door in her face. 

Lucky, turned to Rebecca, determination written on his face.  “You, young wolf, I’ve been looking for.”
  He seemed a little more cool-headed than he was a few minutes ago.  "I’m the protector, Lucian La Mont, but you can call me Lucky
."

“Why have you been looking for me?  Is there something illegal about being a wolf, protector?”  Everything was falling apart around her.  She needed time to process.  Rebecca took a step backwards.  The vampire she would not budge for, but this nephilim was unknown to her; he could be foe or friend.
  "That woman said,” she took a breath and swallowed hard against a lump growing in her throat.  “Did she imply that my pack was dead?" Fear gripped her.  It was plain on her face.  Her breathing turned shallow.  .   

"Here, sit down."
  He directed her to a bench outside the roadhouse-style restaurant/nightclub/sanctuary.  His touch was surprisingly gentle for such a large man. 

Rebecca followed him as her mind raced.
  All those messages she left, the fear she did something wrong, the vampire she had helped earlier that day.  The pieces were starting to come together, filling in the empty spaces like a jigsaw puzzle, one by one locking into place.

As each piece fell into place her anger at her alter ego grew.  ‘
How dare you not tell me something so important?
’

‘
I tried but…
’

‘
Right.  You tried.  You didn’t try hard enough.
’  Rebecca told her.  She felt the wolf retreat into the darker shadows of her mind.  Places Rebecca wouldn’t go.

"I see this news is a surprise for you."  Lucky’s voice was gentle.

Rebecca laughed.  It was a strange time to laugh, but his observation was ridiculous.  "No not at all.  It’s everyday that I hear my pack is dead."  Sarcasm dripped from her words.  After a moment’s pause, she shook her head.  "Sorry, I know it’s not your fault.  Father always said
'don't shoot the messenger, they are just doing a job'
."  She placed her head in her hands, covering her face as she tried to center herself.  ‘
Focus on your breathing, Becca.’
  She repeated in her mind over and over again.  Death was not new to her, but it was still upsetting.  "I need to find the surviving members of the pack."

"You’re the surviving member as far as we can tell."  Again his voice was gentle, she hated that voice.  It was a voice that reminded her of her parents’ death.  It was a voice she had heard from many other people, many times before.  She wasn’t interested in hearing it from him.

Rebecca looked at him with anger.  She wanted to call him a liar, but the sincerity in those magnetic gold eyes, made her anger simmer, not boil. 

“I’m sorry to be the one who had to break this news to you.  But there is some business that we need to discuss now that you’re the only surviving wolf on file from the
Arizona pack.”  His lips spread into a shaky smile as he tried to move from consoling stranger to policeman.

"Wow."
  She laughed at him again, it wasn’t a nice laugh.  "Your eyes, your smell, your body language tell me you’re compassionate and kind, but your words tell me you’re the opposite."  Rebecca shook her head, trying to contain the anger simmering under the surface.  "Don't you think you could give a gal a chance to get caught up before you start questioning her as your prime suspect?"

"You’re not the prime suspect.  In fact, our records show you weren’t even fully a wolf until last night.
  But there’s something you need to know.  There’s work to be done because under the law of the Authority, you’re now the new pack leader.  

~”The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.”

~
Max DePree

Rebecca
 

Rebecca felt like the wind was knocked out of her a second time.  There was no way, in all the world, she was a pack alpha.  To make matters worse she was a pack leader of an apparently non-existent pack.  The very notion sounded ridiculous and terrifying.  “I was never a member of the Arizona pack.”  She began her refusal with logic.  Clear, precise, and simple.  School, or more specifically debate, obviously paid off in this case.  She didn't want to sound ungrateful, but this wasn’t something she could do.  She knew this for a fact.  Savannah was the family's born leader, not her.  Rebecca was the rebellious child; rebels don’t make good leaders, they make good martyrs which wasn’t something she wanted to sign up for. 

'I hate to break it to you, but you really don't have a choice in the matter.
'  The wolf stated coldly. 

'So you’re an alpha wolf, not a regular wolf?
'

'Yes.
  As I tried to tell you earlier.  But you didn't want to listen so I decided you could figure it out for yourself.
'

'You aren't a very pleasant wolf are you?
'

'You wouldn't be
 pleasant either if you had seen the things I have.  We develop our belief systems and our reactions from past experiences and I have many years of terrible memories to pull from
.' 

Rebecca shivered.
  She wasn't happy about this strange turn of events but she also had a decent understanding of what she was getting into thanks to Dianna. 
'The Authority... I think I remember Dianna mentioning something about them.  They are like the rule makers of the supernatural, right?
'

'One of them.
'  The wolf answered, her tone was still cold, but Rebecca could tell the communication between them was getting a little better.

Lucky
pulled out a smart phone and began tapping on the screen.  Rebecca briefly wondered how his phone survived the roll across the asphalt.  She decided to check hers as well. 

Once she knew hers was okay she said, “You know
, it’s rather rude to start texting someone while you’re in the middle of a conversation.”  Rebecca felt the overwhelming need to point that rule of etiquette out to him. 

This time Lucky’s grin was real and it lit up his entire face, the dimple in his left cheek mesmerized her for a brief moment.  The man was very good looking with his
 gold spun hair, skin kissed by the sun and his golden amber eyes that had little brown and red specks.  His body reminded her of Jackson’s only Lucky was bigger.

“Oh, I’m not texting.
  I’m recording that I found you.  I’m also pulling up proof that you are the last known survivor of the Arizona pack.”  He flipped the phone towards her.  The top of the screen was titled
Arizona Pack Charter
.  There were many names with lines drawn through them and pictures next to the word ‘deceased’, line after line.  Most of the names she didn’t recognize.  Rebecca searched for Dianna and found her picture.  The word ‘deceased’ felt like a gavel slamming down on her heart.  On the very bottom line in bold letters was her name; Rebecca Elizabeth Winters, her photo, and the word ‘unknown’ next to it
.
  “That’s me.”  It was barely a whisper; the words were caught in the lump building in her throat.  Rebecca quickly cleared it.  “How many are dead?”  She grabbed the phone like a life line, scrolling up and down, reading name after name.  It was a heartbreaking record of senseless, countless loss. 

He looked down at the screen and took the phone from her shaking hands.
  “At last count, two-hundred and thirty-seven people.”

Rebecca suddenly felt a strange sense of loss.
  It flooded over her like a torrential rain storm.  “Who killed them?”  She managed to ask, thinking how callous he was with the way he said it with such ease.  He may look like an angel, but his disregard to the dead made him seem more like the devil.   

“We don’t know yet, but we’re working on finding out.
  The Authority doesn’t take genocide lightly.  Whoever is responsible will pay dearly for what they have done.”  At least he made this ‘Authority’ sound like it had a heart. 
Rebecca had to admit Dianna wasn't too thrilled about the Authority rule and she was beginning to think her wolf felt the same way.  Every time Lucky mentioned it she felt a wave of apprehension. 

'Are you going to tell me why you don't like this 'Authority'
?'

'It serves its purpose
' was all the wolf said.  She was so cryptic.

Before this moment Rebecca felt like they’d left her alone in the cold.
  She’d felt abandoned and forgotten, tossed aside like day old garbage.  But now that the truth was revealed and her entire pack was dead, she knew she was alone but never abandoned.  It was a small glimmer of hope.  Grief filled her at the loss of a family she barely knew.  The feeling vibrated through her in pulses, intensifying the reality of the situation. 
 

It wasn’t the same as when her parents died; it didn't run as deep as that loss, but it didn’t make the grief and loss any less powerful.
  Rebecca had known Dianna for only a few months, but she’d fast become a friend and mentor.  Rebecca met Dianna’s family and extended family and really enjoyed their company.  They would’ve made great friends.  The loss pulled her into a familiar abyss; the place that makes a person ask the question, ‘
what if?
’ 

The only one Rebecca hadn’t cared too much for was Tomas, the pack leader.
  He seemed cold, harsh, and soulless.  His approval was necessary to become a pack member.  It was in that moment realization hit her. 

'
Oh. My. God.  I really was a member of the pack
.'  He gave approval for the change which meant she belonged to his family.  Rebecca was theirs and they were hers, for better or worse.  As quickly as she had found another family, she was orphaned once again. 

As her mind ran through the stages of grief quickly it was anger that kept Rebecca strong.
  A new vengeance filled her.  She knew that feeling well.  It was like an old friend.  “And what have you done to find out who did this?”  She asked him, keeping her fists tight at her side for fear she would reveal her emotions to him. 

“We have a task force looking into the evidence now.”
  His smart phone beeped and Lucky was silent while he read the message.  “The Authority requests a meeting with the new leader of the Arizona pack.” 

“When?”
  Rebecca rubbed her head, fooling herself into thinking that would ease the throbbing pain.  The only solution to the pain was revenge.  

“Now.”
  He grabbed her hand and led her to his Harley motorcycle parked a few spaces down the road.  Without another word he tossed Rebecca a helmet and waited for her to get on the back of the bike. 

This was all happening too fast.  Her mind was unable to process the situation and react accordingly; logic, her old friend, had completely left her.  She was beginning to feel herself spin out of control.
  She fought off the urge to run, despite the fact that she had no idea who or what this ‘Authority’ was.  Instinct told her she was outmatched.  But there had to be a way to get out of the situation.  She looked around and gauged how close she was to the
'Refuge'
entrance.  Dianna had told her that she would be safe from harm in there.  She had made it clear that if Rebecca was ever in danger and she was unable to reach the pack she would need to come here.  Rebecca wondered if it was possible for her to make it to the doorway and ask for sanctuary. 

Lucky turned and looked her in the eyes.
  He must have seen her desire to run.  She felt trapped like a rat in a maze and he was the cat chasing her.  She bit her lower lip and considered her options.  His look was one of sincerity.  He held out his hand.  “You can trust me.  I won’t let anyone hurt you.”  

His promise was the best one Rebecca had all day.
  She just hoped her instincts were right to believe him.  She put on the helmet and hopped on the back of the bike.  It wasn’t until he yelled “hold on” over the roar of the bike’s motor, and they were moving that she realized how dangerously sexy riding a bike with a man like him was.  Their bodies melded together as the wind circled around them like a cocoon, leaving a path in their wake.  The gentle breeze was cool, a reprise from the heat of the day.
   

They zipped through the evening traffic like the other cars were standing still and as they zigzagged she was forced to hold on tighter to the man in front of her.
  His body was a chiseled mass of lean muscle.  His scent of Chai weaved an intoxicating spell around her senses. 
She felt the urge to investigate the rest of his body further; but even as the thought crossed her mind and a blush spread across her cheek the wolf in her mind snapped out in irritation.  '
You need to focus on keeping your foolish human urges under control.
'

'You’re right, I need to pull it together.
  But it is odd, don't you think?  The serious level of attraction I feel towards him
.'

'He is a nephilim.
  It is hard to fight off the attraction of an angel half breed.  Most of them have high charisma.
'

              They pulled to a stop at what looked like a run down vacuum repair shop. 

              “Here?  Really?”  She couldn’t help but ask as she got off the bike and took the black helmet off.  Rebecca ran her fingers through her blonde curls to make sure they were not too windblown.  Mother always said they should try to look their best whenever they could.  It was something that always stuck with Savannah, Hunter, and her
.

“Looks can be deceiving Rebecca.
  Very few things in our world are what they seem.”  Lucky laced his fingers in hers and pulled her toward the door.  The feeling sent a tiny electrical current up her hand and forearm.  She shivered and allowed him to lead the way.
 

"Okay, but this place looks like it’s one inspection away from being condemned."
  The windows were dark; one looked to be boarded up with wooden planks from the inside.  Even the sidewalk outside was falling apart.  There was nothing inviting about the tiny shop.  It was definitely not what she expected a supernatural ‘Authority’ meeting location would be.  

“Think of it this way, who takes their vacuum in to be repaired anymore?
  And for the few that do, they call to set up an appointment."  He stood behind her, his voice warm on her wind kissed neck.  “The entire cover is run with proficiency.  There is a man at the counter during business hours.  If appointments are needed to repair a vacuum, they have someone on call to make the necessary adjustments.”  He flipped a dirty metallic wall cover up revealing a keypad.  “And for added safety the meetings never take place during the day.”

Rebecca turned her head to give him an irritated
 glare and found herself inches from his lips.  The level of attraction she felt for him at that moment couldn’t even begin to be put into words.  But it was what a good girl feels for a bad boy, intrigue, mystery, and even a little bit of lust.  Being the logical sister she knew it was important to put some space between the two of them.  She took a few steps back.  “In a strange way that makes a lot of sense
.”

He took a step forward and Rebecca countered with one backwards.
  It was like a dance only the leader was a dangerous stranger that made her feel as uneasy as a piece of meat being eyed for dinner.

“You have no reason to be frightened, little wolf.”  He smiled sincerely. 

She stepped back.  “What makes you think I’m frightened? I just like having my own space.”  Another lie.

“I promised you I would not let anyone hurt you.”
  He took another step forward.

Step forward, “Your alpha
. 
She has a vested interest in your survival.  It really is an amazing symbiotic relationship you have entered into with your wolf.”
 
He answered with a strange level of appreciation in his eyes.
 

'Yeah, because she has been doing an amazing job of protecting me
so far
.'  Rebecca thought with irritation.

'You are the one who has shut me out.
'  The wolf answered with ice cold tones.  ‘
I had to show you how important it is to listen to me
.’

Lucky's raspy voice broke into her thoughts again.
  "Besides, I’m a protector, it’s my job to serve and protect.  You need to have faith in people."

Backwards another step.
  A Protector only got a quick mention during her orientation with Dianna.  If Rebecca remembered right they were like police only they strictly served the 'Authority'.  Serve and protect only mattered when it was in the best interest of the council.  “Faith and trust are not things I give blindly
.”