Discovered, p.7
Discovered, page 7
Ray agreed Henry and I could go to headquarters after school. Pretending to include us. But he didn’t fool me. I knew what that really meant, and it was that we could learn the bits that were acceptable to our underage ears once all the serious discussions were over. Neither of us expected to be told about the entire situation, but we would take what we could get.
As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the day, I tossed my books and stationery into my bag and hurried to the classroom door. I made it just to the bottom of the corridor before someone called my name.
I hesitated, body turned towards the door as I considered whether to keep going, to pretend I hadn’t heard. Like a magnet, though, the voice pulled at me, and I bit my lip as I glanced over my shoulder, turning to see Carter waving at me from his locker.
“Hey Carter, sorry I’m actually in a bit of a rush.” I said, peering back towards the door as he approached me.
“Oh okay, no worries. I brought my truck today. You need a ride somewhere?” He asked.
I opened my mouth to respond, but then my eyes were drawn to the hulking figure approaching. Seconds later Henry stood, arms folded, behind Carter and shot me a look that said, ‘hurry up’. He was just as anxious as me to get back to headquarters and find out what was happening.
“You ready?” He asked abruptly.
Carter turned around at Henry’s voice and then glanced back at me. A look that I couldn’t quite decipher passed over his face briefly, before his usual polite smile replaced it. But that look stuck in my mind, and my stomach tightened slightly, even though I wasn’t sure I understood what it meant.
Carter barely missed a beat though, raising his hand to Henry for a high-five. “Yo Barton. Well, I guess I’ll see you around, Madison.” He gave me a quick wave before heading off in the direction of the exit.
Henry turned to watch him walk away, his lips pursed in confusion. “Did I interrupt something?”
I hitched my bag up higher on my shoulder and shook my head as I watched Carter’s retreating form. “Um, no, not really. He was just offering me a ride.” I shrugged. “He probably just had somewhere to be. Come on, let’s go find out what’s going on at home.”
* * *
Driving up the dirt road, nervousness settled heavily on my stomach. I still hadn’t told Henry what I’d overheard at the weekend and now, as he tapped the steering wheel with agitation, I felt even more guilty.
He was pretending to be indifferent to it all. Pretending it was just drama, something interesting to shake up the long Maine winters. I knew better, though. The tapping on the steering wheel was just a sign of his anxiety. It worried him, Ray’s reaction, and his secretiveness. The entire situation had him on edge.
I tried not to think about the fact that I could’ve forewarned him about what was coming. Deep down, I knew it wouldn’t have helped, anyway. I really didn’t know much, and he would have wanted – no – needed, to know more. He wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet, and then my dad would have found out I was eavesdropping. Staying quiet had been for the best. Maybe Ray would tell us more than we were expecting, and I would never have to admit to Henry that I knew for two entire days before him and said nothing.
And if that wasn’t the case? Well… honestly, I didn’t know. I’d figure that out later.
The cabin came into view as the car rumbled along the dirt track, the dips in the road surface bouncing me out of my seat. Before long, we were pulling to a stop in front of the wooden building.
There was a blue Toyota RAV4 parked behind Dad’s car; it didn’t belong to any of the pack, and I crossed to it as soon as I clambered out of Henry’s Ford Focus. The unmistakable scent of wolf surrounded it. Or wolves, actually. Unfamiliar ones.
Henry gave it only a cursory glance as he strode passed, while I hung back to investigate further. I got as close as I could without actually touching it, and inhaled deeply. Three scents, all male.
“Three of them.” I informed Henry, who was waiting at the bottom of the steps leading up to the door.
“Skilled detective work, Sherlock. We’d have found that out as soon as we went inside.” He mumbled, and I could see from the way his back stiffened that he was making a conscious effort not to roll his eyes. My jaw set. For someone who was always so eager to be involved in pack business, he didn’t use his werewolf senses nearly as much as he should. I was the better tracker because I took moments like this and studied my surroundings. Henry would barge straight in and deal with the consequences later. He’d probably argue that I relied on mine too much, but I didn’t see how that was possible.
It was Ryan who’d taught me about tracking. He was the best tracker in the pack and offered to give us both lessons in the forest. Henry did a few, but gave up when he wasn’t immediately good at it.
I made a mental note to speak to him about giving it another try once Ryan came home from London, and then I sighed.
“Yes, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.” My voice was more curt than I intended, but I didn’t apologise. Instead, I just stepped past him and shoved open the front door. He followed me in without responding, letting the door slam shut behind him.
There went any hope for the element of surprise.
We could hear the murmur of voices in tense conversation, but without stopping to listen in properly, I couldn’t make out what was being said. Down the hall, the door to the den was closed. We might’ve been able to eavesdrop, if not for the door slam, and our shoes scuffing against the wooden floor and announcing our approach. The voices fell quiet, but I couldn’t see a reason to mask our footsteps anymore. They all knew we were there. They probably knew even as we turned onto the dirt road from the highway.
Henry lifted his arm and rapped on the door before stepping back to await permission to enter. That was a sign of respect when at headquarters. Ray rarely closed the doors so, when he did, it was for a reason. You shouldn’t enter without being invited.
We didn’t have to wait long before Ray’s voice called out that we could come in, and Henry pushed the door open and stepped through. I followed quickly behind him.
The room was dark, which was a little jarring, given the circumstances, but not unusual. The wood panelling of the cabin walls already made the entire place naturally dark, and it was lit only by an incandescent floor lamp in the corner, casting a yellow glow across the space. The curtains were open but, since it was after four o’clock, night had already started to fall.
My eyes quickly surveyed the room, my wolf senses automatically identifying where the potential threats were. Two guys sat on the sofa underneath the window, with the third standing behind, facing into the room and directly across from where Henry and I now hesitated in the doorway.
“Henry, Madison.” Ray addressed us in greeting. “Please, come on in.”
We stepped further into the room. It wasn’t huge, and each wall had a sofa or armchair pressed up against it; a seat for every member of the pack, not that we spent much time inside. That might seem strange, given the weather was usually on the cold side in the rural part of Maine we called home. But, as wolves, our body temperature ran higher than humans and, honestly? Being part wild animal meant we were ultimately just more comfortable in an outdoor setting. It could feel claustrophobic being locked inside too often. But tonight they were all there, squished together like sardines, and I had to fight the urge to turn tail and head right back outside where I could breathe properly.
We headed over to the last remaining empty sofa and sat down. Henry hunched forward, his elbows on his knees. An attempt to look more threatening. I glanced at Ray, who had a twinkle of amusement in his eyes at the display, and I stifled a laugh.
“Right, now that we are all here.” Ray said. “As you are aware, there is a bit of a situation over the border. This is Aiden, the Alpha of the pack in Canada.” He gestured towards a man who appeared to be roughly in his early fifties. He had short brown hair, and a thick beard and moustache. He nodded in our direction in greeting, but added nothing further to the introduction, so Ray continued. “Mason.” He gestured to the man sitting beside Aiden, who looked about the same age. “And Lincoln.”
The last guy was much younger. He couldn’t have been older than twenty-five, and he stood behind Aiden, a scowl on his face that could give Henry a run for his money. He was tall, and the t-shirt he was wearing was so tight that you could practically see the muscles rippling underneath it. And, to complete the stereotypical ‘straight from the cover of a magazine’ model look, he was blonde and had the most piercing blue eyes. They were quite mesmerising, and I found it hard to tear my eyes away from the bright pools of them.
I cleared my throat as I felt a nudge in my side and turned just as Henry stood up from his seat on the sofa. He stalked across the room to flank Ray in the same way the young guy, Lincoln, was doing to his Alpha. I bit back a sigh.
Ray didn’t react to Henry suddenly deciding to be his loyal guard dog. He acted like it was completely normal. This may have been a meeting to discuss an alliance, but it was also an opportunity to learn more about each other, which included any weaknesses. Henry was tall, like his dad, and all the years of playing basketball had already awarded him a powerful physique, even before his first Change. He looked years older than seventeen, and the scowl that spread across his face as he crossed his arms over his chest made him look every inch the deadly bodyguard I knew he could be.
“Hey.” The guy Ray had introduced as Mason said, offering a small, polite smile. Neither of the other two spoke, so I directed my small wave and a smile at Mason. Henry didn’t react at all, instead continuing to stare down the visitors.
The tension between Henry and Lincoln was palpable, and I could almost smell the testosterone pulsating through them both.
“Jackson, Joe, Michael. We’re about finished here. Can you please take our guests outside?” Ray said, before looking at Aiden. “You must be tired of being indoors now, we’ve been in here all day.”
We waited a few minutes for the room to clear out, and the back door to bang shut behind them as they stepped out onto the porch. Then Ray stood up and walked into the centre of the room, pacing up and down the now empty space.
I looked over at Dad, who gave me a tight smile, sensing my anxiety.
Ray cleared his throat then, and I turned my attention to him instead.
“The situation is more dire than we originally expected. I do not wish to be dishonest with either of you, but I must ask that you remain calm.” He paused, taking a deep, calming breath as he looked between me and Henry. “We have agreed to align with the Canadian pack to deal with an issue that could become… problematic. For all werewolves. Not only here in Maine, but internationally.” He paused again, as if giving us time to digest the information. I gulped, panic surging through me with the anticipation of what Ray was about to say, but I tried to keep my face impassive.
Henry lost his patience. “Ray, just tell us what’s going on.” His voice was tight as he attempted to keep his irritation at bay. “Please.” He added as an afterthought.
Ray sighed. “There has been a string of killings across the country. The authorities suspect animal attacks. But when the numbers kept rising… Aiden’s pack began tracking them when it appeared less likely to be random attacks. There have been four more since they started investigating, and the scent around each body was the same. Werewolf.” He started pacing again, and Henry turned to look at me. I didn’t meet his eyes, instead focusing on Ray. “None of the scents have been recognisable so far, even by the eldest members of the pack. It seems likely this is a group intent on shining a spotlight on our kind. For what purpose, we don’t know, but we simply cannot let that be.”
Henry made a noise in the back of his throat, and all eyes turned to face him.
The look on his face made my heart ache for not telling him. He was trying to hide it, but I knew him well enough, and the expression he held was panic. It wasn’t panic for himself though… it never was. He would run head first into danger without even a fleeting thought for his own safety. No, his eyes were flicking between his dad and Ray, and I knew he was worrying about what his dad was going to have to do.
“So, what does that have to do with us? Can’t they handle it on their own?” He asked.
Dan looked at his son as he walked across and placed a hand soothingly on his arm. “Ray and Travis have more experience in this sort of thing, after helping track down the rogue that was biting folk in New York. Whoever’s doing this, they seem experienced. They’ve been evading capture for a month, and the pack up north just don’t have the manpower to cover the amount of territory they hold.”
“I want to help.” Henry blurted.
“No.” Ray’s voice was low and yet, somehow, it still boomed. “You know the rules, Henry. You are not at your full strength until you reach twenty-one, and I will not risk anything happening to you or Madison.”
“But you just said they need more men!”
“And they will have them. With us. But not you. My decision is final.”
Henry’s jaw set at that, but he shut up, although not without fixing Ray with a hard stare. Dan was the one to break the tense silence that had fallen.
“Henry, son, I need you to be here to watch over your mom and Cady, and Robbie trusts you to look out for Maddie.” I bit my tongue from exclaiming that I could take care of myself. They all knew that, but Henry needed to think he was doing something important. That he wasn’t just sitting at home in hiding while his dad risked his life.
“Between us and Aiden’s pack, we’ll find them and take them down in no time. This will all be over by Cady’s birthday, I promise.” Dan continued.
“I know this is difficult.” Ray said, his voice softening now. “But if we don’t help? And this spreads down over the border?” He shook his head. “We need to eliminate this threat before it comes anywhere near our people. Before long, the authorities are going to realise that this is not a bunch of random animal attacks and start looking for other explanations. It’s an exposure risk.”
Dad spoke then, “Maddie? You haven’t said much. How’re you feeling about it?”
I shrugged. “I… I understand why you have to help.” I said weakly. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow.” Ray announced. “We can’t risk waiting.”
I nodded, defeated, and glanced at Henry. That look was still on his face, but it was also mixed with anger. He said nothing else. Instead, he just stalked out of the room with a growl. Dan rushed after him. I looked up at Ray, expecting him to be angry at Henry’s act of disrespect, turning his back on his Alpha before being dismissed. I saw nothing there other than understanding, though. It frightened Henry, and he was worried about his family. That wasn’t a crime, even in pack law. I was worried about my dad, too.
As if reading my mind, Dad chose that moment to announce that we should head home so he could pack a bag.
Once in the privacy of the car, he turned to me, a solemn look on his face. “So, now that we’re alone, what are you really thinking, cub?” He asked.
I sighed. “Honestly, Dad? I’m terrified. If anything happens to you…”
“I want to say nothing will happen to me, Maddie. But you and I both know what our world is like, and things happen. I wish they didn’t, but they do. One thing I can tell you with absolute certainty, though? As long as, if I go down, it’s while taking out this asshole before he can do anything to endanger my little girl? Then that’s fine with me.” He smiled at me then, and I knew it was genuine. “You know I have to do this. Ryan is in London and can’t get home right now, and Jackson has never really dealt with anything like this yet, so he needs guidance. Canada is a big place, and we need as many guys on the ground out there as we can muster.”
“I know. I just wish I could help.”
Dad squeezed my shoulder. “You’ll help me by going to school, being a teenager, and staying alive, Maddie. That’s all that matters to me.”
“Do you think Henry will be okay?”
He sighed then and paused for a moment. “I think it was just a shock. Nothing like this has happened in years. Not when you two have been old enough to understand it, at least. You’ve had it easy. When I was young… Well, let’s just say it was a lot different then. But he’ll calm down once he’s had some time.”
I nodded, and then leaned back against the headrest, closing my eyes against the headache I could feel forming.
I could’ve warned him. I could’ve told him two days ago what I knew, and he would’ve had time to process it before he found out his dad was going to be leaving on potentially life-threatening pack business. He’d held it together in the meeting as best he could, but…
I was a terrible friend. And if he ever found out I’d kept it from him? Even if I did it for his own good? He’d never forgive me.
Seven
Four days had passed since the pack had left for their expedition in Canada. I’d taken to calling it that – the ‘expedition’ – because it sounded less terrifying, less life-threatening, than the ‘hunt for a group of crazed man-eating werewolves’.
Dad had checked in twice a day, as promised. They hadn’t found anything yet. Mostly, the phone calls were a continued attempt to convince me to move in with the Bartons while he was away, while I continued to refuse. I couldn’t think of anything worse than living with Henry. Sharing a bathroom, and a bedroom just down the hall from him, where he would hear my snoring…
Getting nowhere with his relentless barrage, Dad had recruited Sierra. She kept calling and texting to invite me to stay with them, and I’d finally agreed to go for dinner, at least. I hoped it would appease them both enough to leave me in peace, although I wouldn’t count on it. If there was one thing that the Maine pack was universally good at it, it was their unwavering, and often infuriating, persistence.
Speaking of infuriating persistence… I’d also been keeping up with the news on the killings, despite everyone’s insistence that I leave it alone. In the supernatural world, knowledge was power. I might be under orders to stay in Havencrest, but that didn’t mean I needed to be oblivious to what was happening outside of it.
