SHADOW
My eyebrow arched. Califf’s phone rang, and I didn’t know it was a call from Grady, who took over the pack after Keane lost his chance.
Well, he deserved it. Keane was nothing but a dirtbag and took advantage of his power, killed werewolves, conquered packs, and slept with women because he was the alpha.
“Alpha Grady, it’s good to hear from you. How have you been?” He put it on speaker before putting his phone on the nightstand.
“I’m good. Thank you. The pack has been great. We managed to salvage what was left, and now we’re starting to get there.”
I lay back in bed as I listened to their conversation. I was already dressed in my hiking gear while Califf was still in his towel. Water drops rolled down his shoulders to his bare chest.
“Good to hear that. By the way, you didn’t call just to say hello. Is there anything I can help you with?” His eyes glimmered as he caught me ogling him.
I let my eyes wander down his abs. Damn, those eight packs made me drool, and the deep V below his belly button was prominent. I had to grip my thighs together as the anticipation sizzled in the blood of loosening and dropping the towel around his hips.
“Yeah, about that. There’s a ceremony, a party on Saturday. I wish you and Luna Shadow could come. Take anyone you want with.”
“You found your mate?” he asked Grady. His eyes squinted slightly, but I bit my bottom lip and put a wall in my thoughts so he couldn’t read mine.
“I wish, but no. This is a Thanksgiving party, and my beta and I want to welcome our members formally. I know it takes too long to get there, but I will make everything right around here.”
“You did a good job, Grady. Take the credit. Your pack is now in good hands.”
“Thank you. Appreciate it. Everlee and I have been planning this for days. Please, your presence will make a good impression on our new members that we don’t have bad blood.”
My brows reached my hairline as Grady mentioned Everlee’s name.
“Everlee? She’s your beta?” He sounded surprised, too, and instantly saw my reaction. He leaned on the bed and dipped his head to press a kiss on my lips.
I let my fingers run on his abs down to the towel around his narrow waist. I received a soft groan from him and a smile against his lips.
“Don’t tease me.” He mouthed, gesturing to the phone call.
“You’re no fun.” I mouthed back, causing him to smile. I was relieved, and I could finally breathe again that he was fully recovered. He could be dead by now if he were human, and I would be a young widow. I ignored the ache in my chest and listened back to their conversation.
“Yes. Her father is alive, by the way. He surrendered, and since he was an Alpha, I took him as one of our elders. My previous beta wanted to focus on handling and training our enforcers, and Everlee has been great.”
“That’s great,” he said with a nod. “Everlee has been honed to be a leader. Beta is good for her. I had a fallout with Mason, but I appreciate your informing me beforehand. We will be there.”
“Thank you, Alpha Califf. As always, I’m grateful. And I owe you my life.”
“I’ve been meaning to call a meeting, but I’m still caught up with our current problem.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I want you and your pack to be careful. There’s a group of humans who call themselves Obsidian Society. I don’t have enough information, but I got help from my mate’s father and Zarah. We still don’t know the leader, but they’re a group of hunters, hunting, killing werewolves, and targeting the high ranks official of the packs to cripple them.”
There was a long pause before he spoke, “Hunters? You can’t be serious.”
“I wish I was, Grady.”
“So what about the animal attack I saw on the news? Is this related?”
“That’s our current problem. The first dead man found near my territory was also attacked by an animal. We have a theory that it was done by a rogue or an infected werewolf. I’ll give you more updates, but in the meantime, be careful, okay?”
“Thanks for the heads up.”
“I was sick for a few days. I was poisoned. I ingested mercury during our honeymoon. One of the hunters’ ways of killing our kind is mercury poisoning since it is odorless. If any of you manifest such symptoms, call me right away. I’ll do my best to help.”
“I will. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Yeah. Thankfully, our pack doctor and the witch quickly figured out what was wrong with me.”
“I’ll make sure to spread your message.”
“But keep it in the pack. We can’t let the message out to the hunters.”
“Good idea.”
“I have to go. Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do. Take care, Alpha. Extend my regards to your mate.”
“I will. Bye.”
***
“Goddess, I hate it.”
“Hate what?” Califf kissed the side of my head before he stuffed me into the passenger seat of the black SUV. “Yesterday, no one could stop you from going camping. What changed?”
“I was not talking about our fake camping, Alpha.” I buckled my seatbelt and shut the door close.
The guys just joined us, and the testosterone level in the vehicle was suffocating.
Califf got in the driver’s seat, his eyes pinned on me. “What’s wrong? We can stay back if you want.”
“No. I’m not upset about that. I just hate attending parties.”
“Baby.” He started the car and squeezed my knees. “It’s part of the job we signed up for, to extend our good relation with other packs and maintain diplomacy between them.”
“It’s called politics.”
He paused for a beat. “However you want to call it, baby, but I gave my words, and you, as my mate, my wife, expected to be by my side in any events I attend.”
“Be the trophy wife and mate, yes. That’s pretty clear.”
He chuckled as we drove off the compound. “A trophy mate? That’s not fucking true. You handled and solved difficult situations without me. You can convince someone without effort. You have a natural mother’s touch in you and the longest patience than any of us here. You are the epitome of a good leader and a perfect Luna, not to mention a force to be reckoned with.”
“You’re just saying that to make me agree to go to Grady’s party with you.”
“He’s telling the truth, Luna,” Tor agreed with his Alpha. Of course.
“Agreed.” Kairo raised his hand while Lyon and Zack remained silent.
“I’m surprised you two have no opinion over this.”
“Because you already know what we’re gonna say, Luna,” Lyon punctuated.
After almost one hour, we arrived. The car was parked at the dining parking lot, a kilometer from the site. We started hiking toward the wood, following the narrow path.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Lyon remarked.
I completely agree. It could be perfect camping without predators waiting for us and humans to get mauled. The weather was also good, with a clear blue sky.
“Yeah, without that ripper out there.”
“Hey. He’s a werewolf, one of us. A lost werewolf. It’s in our nature to hunt, look for food, and go feral if we see threats but have little sympathy. Maybe he has no choice because he’s sick.”
Kairo shrugged at Lyon. “I feel bad, man, but so do the men he killed. They could have families, kids.”
“I don’t give a shit about the second victim,” Zack said unapologetically. “He was about to kill Shadow. I’m sorry, but he kinda deserved it before he killed more of our kind.”
As we walked through the trail, I halted. I smelled dead. Blood.