“I did a check on the numbers of packs after reading the email,” Riker said. He remained in the same stoic position, his posture all about asserting his Alpha authority.

  “Yeah? And?”

  “Even the number of packs is dwindling.”

  I didn’t find that hard to believe.

  The council members began to fill the stage, chatting amongst themselves as they remained standing. Other Alpha pack members had also arrived, the group now approaching two hundred.

  “I heard some bullshit on the Wolfen dark web about fated mates.” Chase’s voice was suddenly filled with amusement.

  “Meaning?” I asked. Fated mates, another ancient rule that had been abandoned for at least fifty years. There wasn’t a single pack member I knew who wanted to go chasing around the world to find their soulmate.

  I no longer believed they existed. It was another fable in the line of ridiculous stories we’d all heard as kids.

  “Meaning we might be forced back into the prehistoric era.” Chase laughed again as other members of the packs began to converge in front of the stage.

  Riker snorted. “Fated mates? Such bullshit. Even if there was such a thing, I’m not ready to settle down.”

  I remained quiet, noticing our mother appeared stressed. She’d had countless arguments with Cane Evans, a man who’d been the Wolfen council president for as long as I’d been alive. Some said his time had passed, that his wisdom was no longer important or needed.

  While I wasn’t certain where I fell on the scale, it had become obvious my mother hated the man. She had different beliefs than most ancient council members, following along with the ninety-two percent of Wolfen who enjoyed their new way of life.

  Only a few human spouses ever learned about our true heritage.

  “Who knew Cartersville would be the center of Wolfen activity?” Riker was still amused while my hackles had been raised.

  “You mean it is,” I told him. Cartersville was supposedly the location where our kind had been born. I took a deep whiff, sensing discord amongst the council members.

  Something was off about the meeting.

  “Don’t you remember a great battle was fought here hundreds of years ago?” Chase offered with his usual dramatic demeanor. “Wolfen against hundreds of humans with spears and tomahawks. The Wolfen won, forever preserving our way of life and making this hallowed ground a mecca of fertility. Therefore, the Cartersville pack is considered royalty, the Wolf family the supreme beings.”

  “Just keep your mouth shut, Chase,” I told him. We weren’t royalty. The truth was that there were dozens of packs who loathed our existence. Our kind had its share of hatred, so much turning political given the Wolfen rules established so long ago. That had led to battles in the past, although killing one of our own kind was punishable by death.

  “You’re not my boss, brother of mine.”

  I was tired of the bantering, moving closer to the crowd while still keeping my distance. All the council members took a seat except for Cane. He was already at the podium, checking some notes he’d brought with him. I’d heard the man had developed health problems over the years and it showed in his sallow features.

  Even his heartbeat was erratic. I could feel that from where I was standing. While our kind hadn’t been prone to human diseases or illnesses for thousands of years, the interbreeding had presented a new host of possibilities leading to our deaths.

  There was no such thing as immortality.

  Cane tapped the microphone and cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming. It has been a long time since we’ve held one of these meetings. Too long. I bring you a new item that must be considered for a vote.”

  “Here we go,” Riker whispered, suddenly flanking my side.

  I couldn’t imagine our diverse group agreeing to anything at this point. We were too scattered, too torn apart.

  And too human.

  “Our numbers are dwindling,” Cane continued.

  “Tell us something we don’t know,” a pack member yelled from the crowd.

  “Who cares!” another burst out.

  The sudden unrest was disturbing.

  “Enough!” A second council member stood up and moved to the front of the stage. Rory was the youngest elected member of the council, only taking his seat in the last election.

  Twenty-five years before.

  I finally removed my sunglasses, shifting my attention to our mother. She was the only woman on the council, which had allowed other female Wolfen to shout to the trees about the mismatched numbers being a violation of women’s rights. Their demands to overhaul the council in its entirety had gone unheeded, even laughed at.

  We were still a bunch of Neanderthals in my mind.

  Cane held up his arms until the crowd settled down.

  “There could be a fight,” Riker said quietly.

  “What fun,” Chase added.

  “We are losing our abilities as well,” Cane continued. “We must remain strong and in order to ensure our younger wolves maintain their abilities, we must return to our practices of training our youth.”

  Chase huffed and threw up his fisted hand like so many others in the crowd. “Stop the ancient ways!”

  They had been stopped two decades before by a majority vote of the Wolfen. No longer did our teenagers begin their training to easily shift and fight an enemy, honing their various abilities as they should. Now, kids spent their free time playing video games and texting their friends.

  I’d never thought it was a good idea. We were weak, incapable of fighting any enemies. Granted, we didn’t have many in the wild. Humans no longer chased us with spears or weapons. The old stories had died, giving way to lore and myth, fables that created nightmares and movies.

  “We must not remain complacent,” Rory shouted.

  “Do you see how uncomfortable our mother is?” Riker asked.

  Her face was pinched and she was antsy. “She’s not happy with the proclamation.”

  “No. Do you have a feeling something is going on here that we likely don’t want to know about?”

  I shot Riker a look, nodding at the same time. The council had never been forthcoming in explaining issues.

  “The council has voted and believes the games and training are necessary. There will be a vote in two weeks. The council will accept a single candidate from every pack to be the new training advisor to the council.” Cane was on a roll, ignoring the chants and words of anger.

  “That is bullshit!”

  “We won’t vote for it.”

  “You need to resign.”

  The insults came fast and furious.

  I’d already grown weary of this, but I had a feeling there was more.

  Cane seemed smug, more so than usual. Meanwhile, I could tell our mother wanted to wrap her hands around his throat, dragging him straight to hell.

  She was that kind of woman, tougher than most and always refusing to accept anyone’s bullshit. I admired that about her, especially since she’d taken our father’s place on the council when he’d suddenly found a new life.

  “The council will also be setting forth a referendum that is not up for vote.”

  “Oh, here goes,” Chase mused. “The big, bad wolf bully.”

  “Why issue a referendum?” Riker asked. The man was tenser than normal.

  So was I.

  Cane took a deep breath, probably because the entire audience had grown silent. I couldn’t remember the last time a new mandate had been proposed. The rules had been in place for centuries.

  “Do not think we don’t have enemies lurking in the shadows. They are fierce and increasing in numbers. As I mentioned, our strength is dwindling along with our numbers. We must persevere. We will not succumb to the treachery of evil ways.”

  Riker’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed as he turned toward me. “Is he going nuts or what? What freaking enemies is he talking about?”

  I had no clue. Although I sensed our mother did.

  “As of this moment, all Wolfen/human breeding is prohibited. All Alphas will be required to find their fated mate.”

  If it hadn’t been for my keen hearing, I wouldn’t have been able to hear what the man was saying. There wasn’t a Wolfen alive who liked to be told what to do.

  “Fated mate?” Chase repeated. “That’s crazy.”

  “I’ll say,” Riker added. “The man better watch his back.”

  Cane continued talking although at this point, all I could hear was a buzzing sound. I found myself walking closer, pushing my way through the crowd toward the front of the stage.

  “Why?” My voice boomed above the others. I had that ability when needed.

  Other Wolfen began to turn in my direction.

  “Why?” Cane repeated, shielding his eyes from the early afternoon sun as he searched the crowd, locking eyes with mine.

  “Yes, what aren’t you telling us? There must be a reason that you’re destroying the precious way of life for so many of your kind. So what is it?”

  I’d made Cane nervous with my question. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my mother cautioning me. I also read her mind, begging me to stop for now.

  “Answer his question!” Chase yelled from the back.

  Cane was very anxious, a true surprise. The council was hiding something and was completely unprepared to provide the information.

  As with all Elders, he was able to mask his thoughts when desired, preventing me from learning what I needed to know.

  “Yours is not to question, Alpha Wolf.”

  Our surname indicated how old my family was, which should mean we were respected, even revered. That wasn’t always the case. We were thought of as high and mighty. It was ridiculous since there was no throne, but the belief lived in the group today.

  “I will ask what is necessary until I obtain the truth, Elder Evans. Now, why must we boost our numbers? An enemy? If so, what are we talking about?”

  He brought down a gavel as others in the group began to shout. “That is enough. The reformation will be signed into law later today. It will remain in place for twenty-five years. If you are already married and with family, you are allowed to maintain your relationship. If engaged, you must break it off. That is all.”

  “What the fuck was that?” Riker huffed from beside me.

  “I don’t know, brother, but I have a very bad feeling.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Sedona

  “I do not belong here.” I had to yell over the bouncing drumbeats.

  “Stop it,” Mattie chastised. “You look fabulous, darling.”

  “Fabulous? I look like I was wrapped in bloody Saran wrap.” The dress was bright red and hugged every curve with such ferocity I could barely breathe.

  “Stop it,” Camille yelled, which was two octaves above her usual whisper.

  I was shocked she’d agreed to come out tonight. She hated dance clubs with a passion. She was the true epitome of an accountant. Yes, I was stereotyping.

  “More drinks, please, bartender!” Shelly was in her element, acting as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

  I only hoped the hot male behind the bar reacted quickly or she’d bite his head off. The woman hated men.

  Huffing, I adjusted my dress for the tenth time, but it wasn’t any more comfortable than two seconds before. The three of them were swaying to the music.

  I was hiding behind my second glass of wine, wishing it was time to go home. Maybe I was a wallflower after all.

  “We need to leave soon. I have a busy day tomorrow.” It was a lie and Mattie knew it.

  “You have no kid tonight, no dead person waiting to be carved up, and no other responsibilities. You are staying a little longer or I’ll erase you from my phone.”

  “Tempting.”

  “Brat.”

  “Bitch.”

  We laughed together, but it didn’t change how uncomfortable I felt.

  Mattie bumped me with her shoulder. “Don’t look now, but there’s a hot guy at the end of the bar staring at you.”

  “He’s likely staring at you since your big tits are hanging out.”

  “Would you stop it!”

  I gave her a funny look, but couldn’t help glancing toward the end of the bar. Yes, the man was hot, even as disco lights pulsed all around him. There were some men you sensed reeked of sensual passion by the way they carried themselves or by the expression they wore. The dark-haired man with penetrating eyes had that in spades.

  “See. He’s staring right at you, girlfriend,” Mattie said, her grin far too mischievous.

  And I wanted to wipe it off her face.

  I shook my head, taking a big sip of wine and almost choking on it. From what I could see, he was dressed impeccably in a dark suit, which went nicely with his ebony-hued wavy hair. When he lifted his glass, a flash of something caught my eye. A ring. I could see the diamonds from here.

  Maybe he was wealthy, a man about town.

  Maybe I was kidding myself that some hot guy like that would be interested in me. When I turned away purposely, Shelly glared at me.

  “Stop being Debbie Downer. It’s your birthday. Live a little.”

  Her words stung, since she was going through such a horrible divorce. Her ex was worse than mine. And that was saying a lot.

  “I’m not Debbie Downer. I’m just… cautious. If I hear that phrase again, I’m going to scream.”

  “At least that would mean you’re alive. Just flirt with him.” Mattie did her best to spin me around.

  I was determined to do that of my own accord. So I waited and counted to ten before doing so.

  He was still staring at me, only this time, he wore an amused look on his face. When he lifted his glass in either appreciation or disgust, I lifted my head higher.

  Maybe I was the object of his affection. But he would remain where he was and so would I. I wasn’t a one-night stand kind of gal.

  “Flirt. Flirt. Flirt.” Camille’s chant would normally piss me off, but it was my birthday. Right?

  I took another gulp of my drink then a second, trying my best not to make a fool of myself when I returned the glass to the bar. At least one of my favorite songs was on. Even I was swaying my hips, which delighted the girls.

  “You go, hot chick.” Mattie joined me in making some moves.

  Suddenly, the four of us were dancing and we weren’t close to the dance floor. At that moment, it didn’t matter. For the first time in months, I was having a good time. Maybe a light had gone off inside my hard head. I deserved to live and enjoy what I could, even if I still felt gutted inside.

  One song turned into three and when I reached for my glass, waving my other hand across my face to try to cool off, I realized I had a fresh drink. At least I wasn’t driving. After taking another sip for courage, I casually glanced in the hot man’s direction.

  Damn it. He’d disappeared. I should have known it was too good to be true.

  “Don’t look now, but Mr. Hottie is coming this way.”

  “What?” I stiffened and my mouth suddenly went dry. Admiring a beautiful man from afar was one thing, but being faced with his advance was something else altogether. I didn’t move, couldn’t breathe, and that truly wasn’t my personality.

  Although I had lost some self-confidence in the last few months. Who wouldn’t question everything about themselves after being insulted dozens if not hundreds of times?

  I gave myself a pep talk, steeling my nerves and turning around to take a better look when he passed. Whew… The man was at least six foot four, his broad shoulders filling out his suit jacket nicely. It was as if he was wearing shoulder pads from a football uniform. I could only imagine what his abs looked like. Lickable.

  I was such a bad girl when I allowed myself to be.

  “Wow,” Camille whispered. She was suddenly very close to me.

  Too close.

  I was suddenly a tigress fending off her prey. Which was ridiculous, of course. He also had a chiseled jaw. In my mind his carved features set him apart from any other male in the room. I wasn’t certain I’d seen anyone so gloriously attractive in my life. He oozed sexual appeal, his long legs carrying him through the crowd with all the self-confidence I was lacking.

  As he came closer, I realized I was holding my breath.

  In the movies, all time seemed to slow with the hero and heroine saw each other from afar, basking in the moment just before they met.

  As he stood in front of me, it was as if the entire world around us had faded.

  Christ. This wasn’t some movie where I ran away with the hero.

  The mysterious stranger gave me a hard onceover and I did the same to him. I could detect that he thought his shit didn’t stink. That was a big turn-off.

  “You need to dance with me,” he stated. I should say he commanded.

  “Why?”

  Mattie was already giving me the side-eye.

  “Because I deem it so.”

  A laugh bubbled to the surface before I could stop it. “You deem it so? I don’t think so, buddy.”

  “And why not?”

  Was that a smirk on his face? Oh, hell, no. I got closer, so much so his aftershave danced across my nose, filling my system. I was lightheaded and thought for certain my body swayed. Not the best look.

  “Because you’re perhaps the most arrogant prick I’ve ever come across. I suggest you get lost.”

  “Sedona,” Mattie hissed.

  “Oh, no. I don’t dance with jerks with tiny cocks.” My other side suddenly appeared, the one that didn’t take shit, especially from a man. It didn’t matter how sexy he was.

  He appeared almost… amused but slightly annoyed. Maybe? It was tough to tell.

  “Go on. Be gone,” I added, flicking my fingers toward the door.

  He didn’t respond and fortunately, I was saved by the shrill ringing of his phone. “Until we meet again.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen. In fact, I know better.”