Through the Woods Read online

  “But what if…I want you too, and I’m afraid that you will choose him over me?” He asked.

  The silence stretched out between them in the small space of the bathroom for a long time, he’d just laid it out for her right on the table, and now he had to deal with the shock that came along with it. Elle had missed a lot while she was healing but, in that time, Marik had grown closer to her, even in her silence, while she slept he learned every freckle on her face, each sigh. He had no right to say that he cared more about her than his brother did. Gaerik had become obsessed with Elle because she knew so much about their kind, more than any human had to right to, unless they were somehow connected to them which wasn’t abnormal. Before the Council, there were many humans who were connected to the packs. It was the hook on the line that was Elle, and she’d drawn him in without ever knowing it, Marik couldn’t say that he wasn't any different, Marik couldn’t justify his actions by saying he knew the woman better because he didn’t. He’d found her chasing a lead on his brother. Neither man had any right to say that she belonged to either one of them but being the creatures that they were, both brothers saw something that they wanted and felt that no matter what they had a claim to it.

  Pushing the shower curtain aside, just enough that she could see his face, he was sitting on the toilet seat with his elbows on his knees, and when he heard the curtain move, he tilted his head to look at her. If she were sitting at her desk trying to write the most challenging scene she could imagine this would be it, Elle didn’t want to be the woman that pushed the brothers further apart, but Elle couldn’t deny that she cared about Marik. They had been through a lot together in a brief amount of time and trying to give him a definitive answer was making her stumble in her thought process. Anything that she thought of just felt cold and uncaring when she decided to form words that might help him face their future, but Elle couldn’t say what it would be. She might have been a so-called gypsy, and in her mind, that equated some form of seeing into the future, but she didn’t think it worked like that. Honestly, if it did wouldn’t she have seen all this coming and already known the minute that Marik showed up at her door? Elle just didn’t know what to tell him, the corner of her lips slightly curling up sadly. There was nothing that she could say to him to help him with this dilemma.

  “I want to answer you, Marik, but right now? I just don’t know how to, if that makes sense.”

  The way that Elle spoke to him, he knew that this wasn’t the last time they would be having this conversation, it wasn’t just an easy way for Elle to get out of giving him a response, hoping that he might forget about it. He genuinely understood every word, every sensation that she felt embedded into every word she said. Elle wasn’t telling him that there was never any chance, but the fact that he had these feelings for her, it touched her. Marik could feel that. While he couldn’t say that he knew in any absolute terms how she felt precisely, he could sense her emotions.

  “I understand.” Marik smiled briefly, taking her hand from the edge of the tub and kissing her knuckles quickly. He didn’t know yet how he would feel if she chose his brother, but Marik realized that he would feel this way if it were any man, it was merely instinct kicking in.

  “I’m going to let you finish your bath in peace.” He told her standing, taking the whiskey bottle with him.

  Downstairs the dishes had all been loaded into the dishwasher, the convenience of southern living and he could hear his father and brother talking, but Marik was all talked out for the night, so he made his way down the hallway into one of the empty bedrooms. Setting the whiskey bottle down on the table next to the bed he looked around the room. He didn’t know who it had belonged to before, but for now, it was his bedroom. It offered a kind of solace away from everything else that was happening. Pealing his shirt off he tossed it into a nearby armchair and stretched out over the mattress, he could smell the fabric softener on the sheets, the whiskey hadn’t dulled anything in his head. Instead, his thoughts still churned as he turned the lamp off and stared into the darkness.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Navigating the Escalade through the guarded gates that surrounded the Levins home, Judea Samuels was reminded more of a church compound than a family home.

  William Levins had done well for himself, and it appeared to Jude that becoming head of the Council was just another link in the chain of power that he sought to possess.

  Once he was past the gates, they closed behind him automatically, the click of the lock held a sense of foreboding.

  Two armed guards waved him on, up the winding road that was paved through the property. Within the confines of the gate, the way appeared beneath the tires of the SUV like a solid black river untouched by the snow-covered roads that threatened the safety of anyone brave enough to drive outside of Levins property. Jude could only imagine how much the upkeep must have cost Levins during the winter. Enough money and power to wipe out an entire bloodline and no one would question it?

  There was a mile and a half drive between the entrance gate and the house, plus another round of security to go through before Judea was allowed into the house. Levins was severe about his protection.

  Following a brutally sizeable male wolf through the foyer, he was shown into Levins private study and told to wait while Mr. Levins was informed of his arrival.

  Distantly he could hear the usual morning routine taking place in the home’s kitchen, knives and forks touching china. Children talking.

  “Stephen’s touching my eggs!” A high-pitched female child was saying over a male snickering. “Snitch.” Was whispered in response to the girl’s proclamation.

  “Stephen stop pestering your sister and eat your breakfast, you only have fifteen minutes until Carlos takes you to school.” It was a woman that spoke then, Jude could only assume this might have been Levins wife.

  “Amelia, have you started your book report yet? It’s due next Tuesday, and I don’t want another note from your teacher saying that you haven’t been handing in your homework on time.” It was Levins voice that spoke then, another soon following, it was the male who showed him inside.

  “Sir, Samuels is here to see you.”

  Once again Jude felt his insides turning into ice, that sense of apprehension resurfaced and made him question what he had gotten himself into. He never foresaw himself coming here with bad news for Levins.

  “Excuse me, early business meeting.” Judea heard him tell his wife and kids, those were things you didn’t ordinarily see a man of his age with, he was playing a young man’s game. Levins was fifty-two with a wife more than twenty years his junior and two young children. It was one of those curve balls that life only dealt out to the incredibly lucky or the wealthy.

  “Judea,” William spoke with a smile as he entered the study. He was still in his robe, and he hadn’t shaved yet, a salt and pepper growth of stubble laid patchy over his cheeks and jawline, he wasn’t a good-looking man and age hadn’t done him any favors either, at least he hadn’t lucked out with money and looks. “You have news for me?” He asked expectantly.

  Jude paused, his lips parting to speak when a woman carrying a tray of coffee came into the room.

  “Will you need anything else, Mr. Levins?”

  Her voice was unusually false and chipper to Jude’s sensitive hearing, and it was plain to see she held no personal regard towards her employer, he was just that, the person who signed her checks.

  “No, thank you, Gina; this is fine.” Levins nodded and drew the doors to the study closed when she left. “Now, tell me everything.” He continued drawing a chair closer and leaning forward to pour himself a cup of coffee, his pendulous testicles visible from the opening in his robe. Jude would have estimated by their size that William Levins could put a Brahma bull to shame.

  “Well, Mr. Levins it brings me no pleasure to bring you bad news, but our informant has gotten word back from the fire marshal, and there were no remains found in the fire, the Chaliceman men and the woman are nowhere t
o be found, but that is the least of our troubles now in my estimation. What’s more, is that an arson investigation is being launched as an accelerant was discovered in the debris, sir.” Jude swallowed hard, taking a deep breath as he looked at Levins, his demeanor completely changing.

  “What do you mean no remains were found?” Williams' voice trailed off in a low rumbled as he placed his coffee cup down.

  Judea was born a wolf, and for all intents and purposes he oversaw recruiting new wolves, but for the last twenty-four hours he managed smoking out the Chaliceman wolves and making sure that their continued existence on this plain was extinguished, but thus far bringing this news to his Alpha was not the highlight of his day. In fact, he’d been dreading it since he spoke with their informant about the fire.

  “That’s what the marshal’s report is stating, sir,” Jude repeated.

  “How is that possible? You assured me that by the first light of dawn I believe your exact words were, that the Chaliceman wolves and the bitch would be dead as doorknobs and now you are coming to me and saying that they are not, is that correct?” William raised his head to look at the broad-shouldered blonde who sat across from him. Judea was a world-class specimen, and it wouldn’t please him by any means to kill the man, but he’d made him a promise, and it was now broken, as the highest-ranking wolf making up the Council he had to make an example of those who failed him.

  “I’ve been to the house myself sir, and it looks like they escaped the fire through a tunneling system beneath the house. We knew nothing about it when we set the fire.”

  “You didn’t know.” William exhaled, shaking his head. “What did I tell you Judea, when you said that you wanted to be the one to take them out of the picture, what did I tell you? I told you not to underestimate them. Isn’t that what I said?” William’s voice rose, canines itching as they elongated with his simmering anger.

  “Yes, sir. You did, but there was no way of knowing,” Jude began, attempting to explain the predicament that he was in.

  “Stop!” William held his hand up for silence. “Do not even try to talk your way out of this complete and utter fuck up by giving me the excuse that you couldn’t have known. Those tunnels lead straight to power and electric, they’ve even added cable lines since those early days, and it never occurred to you to research the Chaliceman property? And then, to add insult to injury, the fire is going to be investigated? You’ve made me very disappointed, Judea.”

  “I’m sorry sir, I have all of my best men out looking for them right now, they have to turn up somewhere, and when they do, we will be there waiting for them,” Jude spoke, pressing his hands together.

  “For your sake, I hope you are right. I want the Chalicemans' dead, and you said you were the man for the job. Don’t prove me wrong for trusting you a second time.” Levins snarled.

  “I won’t sir, I promise.”

  “Alright then,” William said, bringing his coffee cup to his lips. “Well? What are you waiting for? Get out there and lead your search party.”

  “Yes, sir.” Judea stood, leaving the study. He couldn’t have moved any faster if his feet had wings, he barely felt his heels touch the floor. Making his way through the foyer to the door. He wondered, and not for the first time if he was on the wrong side of this war. He knew the Chalicemans’, he’d gone to high school with Marik and Gaerik, they were never especially close, but things needed to change, Jude believed that but at what cost? If he played his cards right here, maybe he could be more. With a Council, they were all equal, with the promise of change maybe Judea could move up the ranks and become someone. The only question, however, as the door shut behind him, and his ears twitched hearing the bullet cutting through the space between the gun and his head, was if he would live long enough to reach those ranks.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Elle wasn’t sure what time it was when she woke up despite the alarm clock next to her, she hadn’t set it. Instead, she just clicked the buttons to make it stop blinking at her in the middle of the night like an angry red eyeball. Elle rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes, it was morning, that much she knew, and she could smell bacon and coffee wafting upstairs from the kitchen. Elle also heard voices.

  Descending the stairs, she was wearing one of the nightshirts that Marik picked up at Wal-Mart the day before. He’d gotten some odds and ends that he thought of, but she knew she was going to need to make another trip there, doing something ordinary would help her thought process immensely.

  Stopping at the bottom of the stairs she looked around the living room, it was so new and so familiar at the same time. Like walking into a room after you rearranged all of the furniture, you notice things more acutely. But Elle didn’t have time to marvel at how different it all looked; instead, Elle walked into the kitchen and found Molly there again, she was helping Gallen prepare breakfast while a blonde headed man sat at the table with his back to her talking to Marik and Gaerik.

  Elle realized that his voice was strangely familiar, but she couldn’t figure out why that was.

  “Well, are you going to say hi, or just stand there?” He heard her footsteps as she came into the doorway of the kitchen. Turning in his seat to face her, the corner of his mouth quirking up expectantly in a half smile.

  Elle stood there, starring and trying to place the man's face, the sandy blonde hair, the lightly tanned skin, but it was the golden-brown eyes that made her gasp.

  “Jesus Christ!” She hadn’t seen Lucas since they graduated high school together, after high school Lucas went to college and Elle had barely seen him afterward, it wasn’t like going away for summer vacation, they weren’t children anymore.

  “Not quite.” Lucas laughed in a very wholesome sort of way as he stood up and embraced her.

  Everyone was taller than she was, it was a fact of life that Elle had long ago come to terms with, but she smiled and stretched her arms out to find his shoulders as they reunited in friendship.

  “Nana called me last night and told me a bit about what ya’ll are up against, so I figured I’d come out and see if I could get a firsthand account.” Lucas leaned in slightly, whispering into Elle’s ear. “And find out if any of it was true. You know Nana is a little bit of a drama queen.” Lucas snickered, they both did before Elle jabbed him in the ribs and moved around the gathering at the table headed straight for the coffee pot.

  “So, if anyone cares to catch me up since it looks like I am the last one to make it out of bed?” Elle asked pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting down at the table. Crossing one leg over the other, she took a sip of her coffee before glancing around the table at the three men sitting and blinked the rest of the sleep from her swollen eyes.

  “We told Lucas and Molly everything,” Gaerik spoke up, his eyes suspiciously staring at Elle for a long time before a plate of bacon was placed down in the middle of the table between the three of them.

  “Great.” And Elle meant it, she honestly didn’t know if she had it in her to tell the whole story. It shouldn’t have felt so tricky considering how she made her living, telling stories, but going over everything that happened? It all just felt like an overwhelming task. Elle would need a lot of time, hell she’d need to write it all down first before she could even begin to try to put everything in order inside her head and she’d been there for most of it from the very beginning.

  “Long story short here, I want to help, and I’ll do whatever I can to convince the others to help as well, which I don’t think will be a problem,” Lucas said, taking a slice of bacon from the plate and biting into it. “I’ll call a meeting tonight so that we can talk it over, then we can all start coming up with a plan, but if everything ya’ll have told me is true, we might need to start reaching out to some contacts.”

  “It is true,” Marik confirmed.

  “I’ve got contacts,” Gaerik said, his eyes switching from Lucas to Elle again.

  “Then I’d suggest you start calling in those favors,” Lucas told him.

/>   Marik slightly leaned into Elle, his shoulder brushing hers gently, though he didn’t speak any further, the two sat quietly and listened to the two men talking while breakfast was laid out in front of them on the table before Molly and Gallen joined them.

  This wasn’t her arena, and she was more than happy to leave it up to the wolves, Elle knew nothing about this kind of thing except for what she made up in her books and that didn’t feel like it should have applied in real life. This wasn’t a fiction novel, although the characters indeed seemed that way and it wasn’t as exciting a thrill when you were living it. When you found yourself sitting there wondering what would come next, who would join them and who would walk away alive when it was all over? It left goosebumps on her skin, and Elle found that she’d eaten far less food from her plate than anyone else. Taking hers, Elle sat it down on the floor for Gregory who’d already eaten most of the food she’d given him from her plate previously. That was another item on her grocery list, dog food.

  “Excuse me.” Elle nodded to the table as she pushed her chair back in and went upstairs to get dressed. She just needed to get away from it. Listening to Gaerik and Lucas going on and on about fights that they had been in, in the past, wolves they knew as children, but they had been children together, and Elle had never seen that side of Lucas before. He seemed to be salivating for a good fight, but this was not the part of the story that she was personally looking forward to. Elle wanted the happy ending already where all of the horror and blood was already behind them, and she knew that this was probably just the beginning.

  “You alright, sweetheart?” Molly’s voice broke the silence of her bedroom from the doorway, and Elle slowly turned around to look at her as she was trying to straighten up the bed instead of leaving it unmade. Her gran would have had her hind end if she knew that Elle didn’t make her bed up half the time in New Haven.