And they were standing in front of it.
My skin prickled with unease at being in the territory of an unknown Alpha without permission.
An older black man stood in front of the others. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched us through the windshield. His expression was blank, but his eyes were bright orange. Even over the rumble of the engine, I could hear the low growl in his throat.
Two younger men stood behind him. Fraternal twins, a rarity in born wolves. Both were pale, their hair black and curly. One was thinner than the other, and he looked nervous, eyes darting to his brother before going back to us.
His brother had a scowl on his face. His arms and chest were thick with muscle. I had years on both of them. If the file was correct, they were barely seventeen.
The older man turned his head slightly. He looked like he was about to speak, but instead he stepped to the side, revealing the Alpha.
She looked tired and as pale as the twins. Dark circles blotched the skin under her eyes, and she was thinner than she’d been in the photograph, though it had only been taken a few months before. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and her eyes were dull until they filled with red. It rolled over me, foreign and immediate.
She was pissed.
Resigned, but pissed.
They were expecting us.
Ezra was frowning, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.
“Turn off the car,” I said quietly. “And stay inside. Be prepared to move if I say.”
“But—”
“Please.”
He sighed. “Would you hear me for a moment before going out there half-cocked?”
“Yes. Always.” My fangs were itching in my gums. “But they’re listening to us right now.”
His smile was faint. “I know. They’re scared, though they shouldn’t be. We aren’t here to hurt them. Keep a level head. We are all part of the greater good. Sometimes we have to be reminded of that. You’re a good boy, Robbie. I have faith in you. They don’t yet. But they will.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slow.
I reached for the door handle. I was about to pull it when Ezra gunned the engine. It was loud in the quiet, drowning out all other sound. The wolves in front of us winced. He leaned over quickly, his breath hot against my ear. He whispered, “Say little, but listen well.”
He took his foot off the gas, and the engine idled.
I stared at him before shaking my head.
He turned off the car as I opened the door, pushing my glasses back up on my face.
The Beta wolves growled in unison, but they fell silent when the Alpha held up her hand.
The gravel crunched under my feet as I moved in front of the car, maintaining a distance between us. I wasn’t stupid enough to believe I could get any closer without invitation. We were already encroaching.
My palms were sweating as I curled my hands into fists. My claws hadn’t popped through, but it was close. I hadn’t lost control of my shift since I was a cub. I didn’t know why it felt so close now. I opened my mouth, popping my jaw, keeping my fangs at bay by sheer force of will. A show of aggression would be the worst thing right now.
So I did what I was taught.
I tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck. I flashed my eyes at the Alpha.
“We mean you no harm,” I said in a low voice. “I come on behalf of the Alpha of all, who sends her regards. Alpha Hughes is worried about you. She hasn’t heard from you in a while.”
“We’re fine,” the bigger brother growled. “We don’t need you. Go away.”
“John,” the Alpha snapped. She turned her head to the side, though she never took her gaze away from me. “Not another word.”
John looked like he was going to argue, but he snapped his mouth closed instead, glaring at me.
The Alpha said, “If I asked you to leave and tell Alpha Hughes that we appreciate her concern, would you?”
“Probably not,” I said honestly. “And even if we did, we would have to come back, and possibly in greater numbers.”
The brothers didn’t like that. Their fangs dropped.
“But I don’t want that to happen,” I added quickly. “I’d rather it stay just between us.”
The Alpha laughed, though there was no humor in it. “Just between us. And whoever else you tell upon your return.”
She was smart. I would do well to remember that. “Only those who need to know. I’m not one to spread the business of packs to those it doesn’t concern.”
She was quiet, always watching. Then, “Who are you?” She glanced over at the car and then back at me. “And who’s the witch?”
“He’s Ezra. The witch to the Alpha of all.”
She looked confused. “I thought—what happened to her previous witch?”
I didn’t know what she was talking about. Ezra had been Michelle’s witch for a long time. “I think you might be mistaken. I’ve only ever known Ezra. But I haven’t been there long. Perhaps there was someone else, but it’s him now.”
She nodded slowly. “And you are?”
“Robbie. Robbie Fontaine.”
The brothers continued to scowl at me.
The Alpha’s expression never changed.
But the older man…. It was fleeting, the barest of expressions. There and gone.
As if he knew my name.
My reputation must have preceded me. I didn’t know if that was good or not.
“Robbie,” the Alpha said. “Robbie Fontaine.”
“Yes.”
And she asked, “Who are you?” like it was more than just a question, more than what the words seemed to indicate.
Little wolf, little wolf, can’t you see?
It tugged.
It pulled.
“I am the second to Alpha Hughes,” I said, and the urge to shift was harsh and grating.
She shook her head. “I know that. I can see that. That’s not what I’m asking.”
I opened my mouth—to say what, I didn’t know—when the car creaked behind me.
The wolves looked away from me toward Ezra as he climbed out of the car. I cursed silently as he grunted. He shuffled over to my side, wincing at the pains of his old body. He muttered about the idiots standing before him.
“I told you to stay in the car,” I said under my breath, though everyone could hear me.
“You looked as if you could use some backup,” he said, sounding far more cheerful than the tense situation called for. He bumped his shoulder into mine before bowing as low as he could. He barely grimaced at the pain in his back. “Alpha. Thank you for hearing us out. As my young friend said, we mean you no harm. All that we ask is for an exchange of information. Nothing else.”
“An exchange?” the Alpha asked dangerously. “An exchange implies you have something I want.”
“Oh, I imagine we can come up with something,” Ezra said. “All we ask is that you listen to us, and we promise to listen to you. You have my word.”
The Alpha appeared to relax slightly. She nodded at both of us before glancing back at her pack. I don’t know what they saw on her face, but they didn’t seem pleased. She turned toward us again and said, “One night. You can sleep in the barn. In the morning, you leave, no matter what’s been discussed.”