“Ever heard of theAspens?”
“Of course. They were a pacific pack. Dad used to call themhippies.”
He twirled his phone between his fingers. “Sort of. They lived in a compound—more of a small town than a compound—and barely interacted with humans. Anyway ’bout ten years back, there was a pack summit, the first in almost a century. Boulders, Pines, Aspens, and a few of the Eastern packs signed a truce of non-invasion. No Creeks came. The Aspens who were geographically closest to the Creeks reported they hadn’t heard from their neighbors in years, thus we marked them asextinct.”
Boulders didn’t go around sticking daisies into each other’s hair. And although Pines were on the civilized side, some—Justin’s face flashed through my mind—were brutish andegotistical.
“How do packs become extinct?” Iinquired.
“Too many of the young renege on our way of life. They move to big cities and lose touch with their true nature, and then they die sooner, because not shifting is unnatural for ourbodies.”
I wondered how many years of life I’d lost by being away fromBoulder.
He scratched his chin. “The worst part, though, is when those who leavereproduce.”
“Why is that the worstpart?”
“Because, if their offspring isn’t born close to the pack, the gene becomes defective and results in kids who can’t fully shift. We call themhalfwolves.” His expression turned so bleak that it made me wonder if he’d ever witnessed a shiftinghalfwolf. “Creatures of nightmares.” Lucas flexed his knuckles. “Anyway, turns out the Creeks weren’t extinct . . . just in hiding. One winter night, the Creek Alpha walked right onto the Aspen compound with her handful of wolves and challenged the Aspen Alpha to a duel. The fight was gory as hell apparently, and the Aspens—Creeks now—mentioned foul-play, although no one was able toprove—”
“Her?The Creek Alpha isfemale?”
Lucas snorted. “Of course that’s the part that sticks withyou.”
I crossed my arms. “Just because she won a fight doesn’t mean there was foul-play, Lucas. Why would anyone jump to that conclusion? Because she was female, and females are supposed to be inferior tomales?”
Lucas sandwiched his lips together. I’d obviously hit a sore nerve. “How do you explain that each high-ranking Aspen, who challenged her after the duel, lost their lives too,huh?”
I shrugged. “She’s exceptionallystrong.”
Lucas shot me a withering look. He didn’t even think this was a possibility! Sexistpig.
I squeezed my arms harder. “Have you mether?”
“No. And I never intend to meet the crazybitch.”
“You aresosexist.”
“Sexist? I’d keep the judginess in check. You know nothing aboutme.”
“Judginess isn’t even aword.”
Anger and something else flashed across his face. “Do you think you’re superior to everyone or justme?”
I halted. “I don’t think I’m superior toanyone.”
“You certainly act likeit.”
My breastbone prickled from his comment. “I just want to be considered anequal.”
He stared at the rug with such intensity I expected to see flames curl from the longfibers.
“There are forty of you. One of me, Lucas.” My eyelids stung. “You try being the odd one out.” I hated how my voicebroke.
I spun around and left, attempting to rein in my emotions. As I tidied rooms, I thought about the Creek Alpha. Lucas might not want to meet her, but I did. Did my curiosity make me disloyal? It wasn’t as though I could pledge myself to her pack—Boulder blood ran through my veins, and unless she beat our Alpha in a duel and stole his connection to us, I’d remain aBoulder.
Besides, I didn’t want a new Alpha. I trusted Liam, and I didn’t trust many people. But how was I supposed to prove I was their equal when he’d stuck me with a freaking guarddog?
Maybe if I found Everestfirst. . .
