The two men exchange another look, but it’s the older one who answers. “His coven killed our packmate.”
I let out a sharp breath. “I’m sorry to hear that. I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. Foxx and his men are…” I shake my head, words failing me. “They’re assholes, is what they are. I’ve been running from them for months.”
“Then it sounds to me as if we have a common enemy,” the alpha says. His energy relaxes in an offering of peace.
I nod. “Seems so, but like I said, we have to get going.”
Another massive wolf emerges from behind the trees, gray-white ears fading into a rich brown coat and dark tail. How many more are hiding?
The alpha scratches at his bent arm, thinking. His pack watches him, assessing his every movement, waiting for their orders. After a moment, he breaks a smile and extends a hand. “My name is Forest Wayturn. That wolf there is my second in command, Jameson Grant, and those two are Rowen and Ivy. If you would be up for it, I’d like to invite you back to our homestead for breakfast.”
Rowen whips his head around in surprise, but Forest just smiles at him and holds a hand up.
“If what you are saying is true, maybe we found each other for a reason. Foxx’s coven is proving to be quite difficult to take down. You say he’s been on your tail for months, and he’s been a menace to our pack for just as long. It’s clear we have mutual interests.”
Evan and I look at one another, our uncertainty thick in the air. His gaze drops to the dried blood on my throat, then to the wound on my arm, before drifting back up. His gorgeous blue eyes widen a fraction and he arches an eyebrow, as if to say,Can we trust them?
I clench my jaw. I’m not sure we have a choice.
Clearing my throat, I ask, “How do we know you won’t try to attack us again?”
Forest gives a reassuring smile. “We apologize,” he says. “But I promise you, under alpha command, no one will harm you during your stay with us. Please. We’d just like to talk.”
Evan presses his lips together, like he doesn’t like this any more than I do. Honestly, the last thing I want to do is walk into a house full of shifters, but if they have information about Foxx that I don’t, it might just be the key to my freedom.
“Breakfast it is.”
6
JERICHO
It takes less than five minutes to get to the pack’s house, via a narrow road through the trees. Evan and I lag behind as the pack heads up the driveway.
At first glance, their massive property looks like something out of a landscaping magazine, with a generous two-story house nestled in the heart of a vast lawn. Even at the start of winter, when the vegetation is sparse, I can tell the property is well maintained. Each bush trimmed perfectly, each flower bed well groomed. Someone has taken very good care of this place. I imagine it would be spectacular in the summer.
The exterior of the home is a mix of dark stone and light siding, giving it a modern feel despite its age. A large stained-glass window hangs above the entrance, marked by a wooden sign over the door with jagged, carved letters: CLEARWATER PACK. Two swings rest on the wrap around porch, overlooking the lawn where two bare poles stand erect. They must have tucked a volleyball net away for the season.
“My mom would love this,” Evan murmurs. “God, look at that balcony. It’s incredible.”
Though beautiful, the house also reveals something else: this pack is clearly established, and possibly quite large in size. And we already know they don’t trust vampires.
“We need to be careful,” I say to him quietly.
Evan lets out a cold laugh. “They nearly killed you, Jer. I’m not exactly putting them on my Christmas list.”
Forest and his second in command wait for us by the porch as the others go inside.
“Just stay close to me, okay?”
He reaches for the handle. “I will if you will.”
As we walk toward a den full of wolves, I can hear Evan’s heart beating a mile a minute. He’s nervous, despite how confident he seems.
That makes two of us.
Forest leads us up a set of stairs and through a heavy wooden door. The other shifters immediately turn left, disappearing into a small room. Forest grabs clothes from a chair by the door and slips them on.
My jaw drops as we enter the foyer. Their home is just as beautiful on the inside as it is outside. Dark stone covers the entry floor, turning into a deep maple-colored hardwood covering the entire house which is set up in a lovely open floor plan. Three red couches and a matching loveseat are set up by a stone fireplace, draped in ivory or black blankets. To our right is the kitchen and dining room. A platter of fresh waffles rests on top of a long, oak table, where a man and woman are talking to a toddler in the woman’s lap. The toddler stretches his arms out toward us, and it makes the couple look up. The moment the woman sees me, her smile disappears and she tucks the child close to her chest. The man next to her stands so abruptly it knocks his chair over.
