“What a lovely surprise,” my mother said. “It’s early. Is everything okay? Britney? Is she sick? Are you sick?” My mother always worried. She’d been that way most of my life.

  Well, since I’d gotten lost in the woods and told my fabulous tale about creatures assisting me. “Mom. Just because I’m calling you doesn’t mean something is wrong. I just wanted to… say hi.”

  “At seven in the morning? You never do that.”

  “Getting an early start.” My lies were thin even to me.

  “If you say so.”

  “Early bird catches the worm. Right?”

  “Well, how are you? Liking your job?”

  She always asked the question early in the conversation with hopes I’d say how much I hated it, which could mean I was returning home. That wasn’t going to happen. “I love it, Mom. It’s exactly what I wanted. You’d love Cartersville. There’s an ancient history about the small town. The people are very close.” Yes, I was leading her on, in a way. She hadn’t wanted to hear a thing about the city. That had always bothered me. Why?

  Maybe now I knew why.

  I glanced into the rearview mirror as I’d been instructed to do, ensuring I wasn’t being followed. As if dead people returning to life as man-eating beasts drove vehicles. I knew he hadn’t told me everything about all his meetings with his wolf brothers and sisters.

  But then again, I’d told him I wasn’t ready to hear anything else.

  I was on toxic overload at the moment.

  “Well, good to hear. Your dad and I sent Britney a birthday gift. Did she get it?”

  “She loves her Barbie dollhouse, Mom. Thank you so much. She had a great birthday.”

  “I hope you took pictures.”

  Sighing, I could barely stand lying to her. My stomach was in knots. Go for it, chicken shit. You need to know the truth. My inner voice was going to get flogged later. “I’ll send you some. Mom, I need to ask you a question and it’s serious.”

  “O-kay. I know something is wrong.”

  “Not wrong. Well, I’m not certain at this point.” I cleared my throat, kicking myself mentally and emotionally. “Mom. Are one of you part or all Wolfen, which would make me a hybrid? Part wolf, maybe capable of shifting, and part human?” I spit it out as if I was asking something with no bite to it.

  Needless to say, I was hoping she’d burst into laughter, asking if I had a fever.

  She didn’t.

  She was very, very quiet. And for anyone who knew my mother, that wasn’t her. She was a Chatty Cathy.

  “Where did you hear that?” she asked in a tiny voice, one so small I had to strain to hear her.

  “Does it matter? I’m living in Cartersville, the beginning of the Wolfen pack, subsequent packs forming and moving to every other part of the world.”

  Now she tried to laugh it off, but it was too late. “That’s nonsense. Your father and I love you very much.”

  “This isn’t about love, Mother. I know you both do. Was there a chance I was adopted? Or maybe Daddy isn’t my biological father?”

  “How dare you! We are your parents. Period.”

  Her indignation was as much an answer as anything else could be. “I know you’re my parents. But did you give birth to me using my father’s sperm?” That was just about the worst way I could design the question. I bit my lower lip to keep from screaming. I gathered this was going to be tough, but it was like pulling teeth.

  “You don’t understand.”

  “I think I’m beginning to. I’ve seen them, Mother. I’ve been in a room full of Wolfen. I watched a dead man come back to life, another turning into a gargantuan beast who wanted to rip out my throat. I’m a scientist. I’ve processed. There are thousands of species in the world. The Wolfen just decided to remain a secret society because humans tried to annihilate them generations ago. I get it’s not a death sentence, at least from what I’ve learned. But you need to help me with this. I am supposedly some king poo-bah wolf’s mate. Since they aren’t allowed to mate with full humans any longer, some Wolfen law put into place to keep their numbers growing, that means I am part wolf. Right?”

  I sounded entirely nutso. If anyone overheard our conversation, they would call for an ambulance to cart me away in a straitjacket with a police escort.

  She offered nothing but silence.

  Again.

  I was now becoming agitated. “I need the goddamn truth, Mother. It’s important to me. I deserve to know who and what I am.”

  Raising my voice wasn’t something I usually did with either my mother or my father. But… With everything I’d been through over the last week or so, I believed I was owed the single opportunity.

  She cleared her throat. “You are part Wolfen.”

  There it was.

  Right out in the open.

  I couldn’t deny it any longer, no matter how many scientific aspects I attached to it.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because we weren’t allowed to do so until you were ready.”

  “Ready? For what?” I almost missed my turn, my mind so damn foggy I could be living in London.

  “For when you took the throne.”

  Now I was heading straight to hell. “Throne? As in some kind of kingdom?”

  “In a manner of speaking.” Her tone was contrite or full of fear. I wasn’t certain which.

  “Okay, I’m a wolf and I’m a queen. Awesome start to my day. Don’t you think?”

  “Honey, you must understand, your father was given a great opportunity, a true honor amongst the Wolfen community. He was allowed to select the perfect human mate to bring forth the next queen. You will be the king of the Wolfen’s strong right hand and exactly what he needs to lead the thousands of packs back to being family. Back to being the strongest creatures on the earth. Back to the place where we cannot be denied what we are owed.”

  Well, at least I knew my father was a wolf. Maybe that explained who had led me to safety since he hadn’t been in the house the day I’d been led back. Well, groovy.

  Plus, she’d been filled with the Kool-Aid, believing in every aspect of the Wolfen lore. I had to give her credit. She’d hidden her love of the world extremely well during my lifetime.

  “A great honor. To lie to me. To keep my true heritage from me. When were you going to spring on me that I had to get married to someone I didn’t know?”

  “But you do know him. You were led to him. Weren’t you?”

  I’ll be damned. She knew more about my life than I think I did.

  “You mean Jax Wolf.”

  “Yes. He is your true mate.”

  “You knew he was meant to be my… My significant other?”

  “Of course. We were so thrilled to have you. I wasn’t capable of conceiving. Then I met your father. Magic happened.”

  I longed to ask her what they’d received in return for selling me off, but it was the bitterness talking. “Are you aware the Wolfen are being challenged by fucking werewolves?” She hated when I cursed and I heard the glitch in her voice, but I had good reason to be angry. Lots of reasons why.

  “We are on the communication system, Sedona. We do keep tabs on Wolfen politics.”

  I pulled into the parking lot of the lab, maybe angrier than I’d ever been. Was it fair? Hell, yes. “So what now? I marry and have pups, living the dream life?”

  “Is it so bad thinking about mating with a man you already care about?”

  What? Had there been a camera on our passion? I jerked to a stop just before it was too late to avoid slamming into the building. “I don’t know Jax very well and I don’t want to be a wolf. I am a human, Mother. You raised me that way.”

  “You are the queen. You are a significant reason the Wolfen will survive. But you must mate with Jax.”

  This was getting more insane than before. I was overflowing with thoughts I couldn’t handle. “Well, I need to get to work determining scientifically what the fuck is making dead people return to life, Mother. Thank you for the talk.” I hung up on her. No, it wasn’t my finest hour, but my God, what kind of world had I been living in?

  I jerked my bag into my hands, throwing open the door with as much force as possible. Daphne was already here, Marla likely on her way. It would be a full day of testing. Maybe I could ask Jax to bring the dead creature here to dissect. That would make it an even better day.

  Before I walked inside, I dialed Jax’s number. He’d insisted I contact him if there was any weirdness.

  Weirdness?

  My entire life had just entered the twilight zone. What else weird could occur?

  His voicemail popped on and I paced the sidewalk.

  “Jax. This is your sweetie, your mate. Well, good news. My mother just confirmed I was born and bred for one thing. Becoming your mate. I guess my father is one of you. He was given a special honor in creating a hybrid. My scientific mind has to wonder why. Oh, yes. I guess so my identity could be a secret? Maybe your great council was told or had premonitions of the fact werewolves would try and destroy the world.” Now I was laughing.

  But nothing about this was funny.

  “So, I guess I have my answer although I don’t like it at all. I guess I’ll see you later.”

  I ended the call and huffed. I’ll see you later? Right now, I was ready to move to another country.

  As I stormed into the building, I resisted throwing a tantrum, but just barely.

  Hearing metal music, I stopped short. No, Daphne wasn’t to blame for any of this, but she was a wolf. Right? She’d been holding back from me.

  I headed to her office, remaining quiet at first as I stood in the doorway.

  It didn’t take her long to lift her head, studying me as if I was one of the creatures.

  “Doctor Willis.”

  “Daphne,” I answered and walked further inside. “Let me ask you a question.”

  She must have gathered the bitter, sarcastic nature of my tone and stood. “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

  “Did you know I was a wolf?”

  I wasn’t certain what to expect, but it wasn’t surprise. Not by a long shot.

  “I suspected. I had a feeling.”

  “A feeling,” I repeated. “Uh-huh. And you didn’t say anything?”

  “It wasn’t my place. I’m glad you know.”

  Now what was I supposed to say to that? “I’m not happy. Not happy at all.” I started to walk out of her office.

  “But my uncle loves you.”

  Love?

  That caught me completely off guard. “Is there such a thing in your world?”

  “My world isn’t so different from yours. You make him happy. He’s come alive. You are the soulmate he’s been waiting for. Is that so different than any human wishing to find the right one? He loves you. That’s all you should be thinking about. I think it’s very romantic the way he talks about you when you’re not around.”

  A part of me wanted to be that girl who rushed to her, begging her for details, but the other wasn’t certain what to think any longer. “How do mates choose each other?”

  Her big smile faded quickly. “How?”

  “Yes, how? I mean, is it the pheromones that attract Wolfen from a distance? Like a mile away? Five? Ten? Does the male typically hunt the family, stalking her after finding her? Is this some game where the entire pack gets involved? What?”

  She laughed, but not in a chastising manner. “You’re making it sound much more complicated than it is. Yes, pheromones are the scientific reason and yes, full wolves can detect each other from a significant distance. While they can enjoy being with one another, they can never offer their heart to anyone but their mates. It’s not so different than finding that perfect one, staring at each other across the bar and knowing he’s your soulmate. Is it?”

  As with so many things, I wasn’t certain how to answer the question. Nothing had confused me more than learning I was his mate. It was strange. Bloody murders and violence were my norm, but I was hung up on the thought of attachment. “I don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do. You feel it here.” She pressed her palm against her heart. “Just think about how you feel and what it was like the very first moment you laid eyes on him.”

  I took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out. “Right now, all the two of us should be thinking about is stopping a massacre from flesh-eating werewolves. All hands on deck.”

  Business.

  Work.

  That was all I could concentrate on at this point. Love was the furthest thing from my mind.

  Maybe…

  CHAPTER 31

  Jax

  “Jax. This is your sweetie, your mate. Well, good news. My mother just confirmed I was born and bred for one thing. Becoming your mate. I guess my father is one of you. He was given a special honor in creating a hybrid. My scientific mind has to wonder why. Oh, yes. I guess so my identity could be a secret? Maybe your great council was told or had premonitions of the fact werewolves would try and destroy the world.”

  Sedona’s voice was filled with a half dozen emotions as well as anger.

  I tossed the phone onto my desk and closed my eyes. Had my mother known a mate had been pre-selected for me? Had the council members? I knew the answer.

  Yes, to both.

  Should I be angry? Likely.

  Did the situation make more sense?

  Yes.

  But I didn’t like it in the least.

  I moved to the window in my office staring out at the landscaping. I was still having as much difficulty processing the events as my stunning mate was.

  Maybe it was tough for me to think of her that way. Part wolf or not, she was set in her ways. She’d never be able to tolerate the old Wolfen ways.

  Neither could I.

  They were archaic.

  But perhaps a portion of them were necessary.

  I wasn’t interested in being at the office, but I’d needed to sign several contracts. At least my brothers and Parker were expected at any time. At this point, all four of us were concerned about how to handle the future for the corporation as well as personally.

  When I heard a knock, I sighed, still thinking about Sedona. I wanted to be with her instead of here. Sadly, I doubted she wanted comfort or anything else from me at this point.

  It was another situation where I couldn’t blame her.

  “Come in.” I no longer recognized my own voice, the gruffness from carrying such a significant weight on my shoulders.

  Both Riker and Parker walked in, each man as pensive as I was.

  “You’ve heard something?” I asked my brother.

  “The communication boards are going wild as you might imagine. The council meeting has gone viral, wolves in every pack threatening to boycott.”

  “How the hell can you boycott being a member of the Wolfen?” Parker asked. I understood his amusement. For those who didn’t understand Wolfen politics, the entire drama that was unfolding must seem ridiculous.

  “Any referendum can be revoked if enough people vote against it,” I told him. “Plus, the pack members can simply refuse to follow any orders.”

  “What about joining in the fight against the werewolves?”

  I studied my friend and half laughed. “They can ignore that mandate as well.”

  “Well, I guess you guys are fucked just like our stocks will be if we ever conduct regular business again. I don’t know who leaked the lore to the press, but they are having a field day with it from Los Angeles to the Big Apple. They’re making fun of your name and everything else.” Parker tossed an actual physical copy of the New York Times across my desk. “It will affect business. My guess is my phone will be ringing off the hook with current clients and those prepared to go under contract. Any guesses how many cancellations there will be?”

  A part of me wanted to laugh, even though it wasn’t a laughing matter. “We’ll work through them.”

  Riker grabbed it. “This is dangerous,” he huffed after reading just the headlines.

  I barely glanced down. “We’ve gone through this before.”

  Parker lifted his eyebrows. “Not before the invention of social media, I bet. Have you seen the memes on Instagram? The crap on TikTok? It’s hilarious, but not funny at all.”

  “No,” I agreed. “Not funny at all.”

  Riker knew me too well. He narrowed his eyes before addressing me. “What happened? Did you not reconnect with Sedona?”

  “We had a good night. She went to the lab and talked to her mother, confronting her about being a wolf.”

  I sensed the two men looking at each other.

  “And?” Riker asked.

  “And it would appear there was a plan set in motion over two decades before to create my one and true fated mate.”

  “By whom?”

  “By the council. Our mother. I don’t know.” I shook my head, still trying to process her message. Yes, it had been filled with comical animosity, but she’d been telling the truth about what she’d been told.

  Riker breathed out, making a face as he did. “Wow. This shit is getting deep.”

  Another knock on my door was followed with Chase coming inside immediately.

  “How are the great FBI?” I asked him.

  “Silent. I don’t like it. After the reports hit the news, it seems they are not owning up to having anything to do with an investigation. And they’ve been asked by numerous sources. They’re up to something.”

  “Yes, I believe you, brother,” I told him.

  “However, I did glean from a source of mine it’s entirely possible at least one agent is keeping an eye on what’s going on in Cartersville.”

  Riker snarled as he walked closer. “We need to lock down all information, including coming from the company.”

  “True,” Parker agreed. “The last thing we need is to have the corporation threatened.”

  “Chase. Keep a closer eye on the FBI. I don’t care how you do it. Find out what they are up to. Riker, one thing we must do is find Jeremiah’s lair. Until we do, we won’t have a chance in hell of ending this nightmare.”