Far from the main road through town, the rumble of a car engine wouldn’t reach his ears, but he had heard something. He let go of Dani and stepped away from the house, straining to detect any noise. He glanced back at her; she too struggled to listen to the night.
“Something’s wrong.” He returned to her side without taking his gaze off the road in front of them. “It’s too quiet.”
She slipped her finger into the back pocket of his jeans. “It’s late. People are probably settled down in their homes for the rest of the night.”
“No.” He reached behind him and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”
“What about Butch? He should be here any minute.”
He pulled her along the deserted back street and jogged west toward their house. “We’ll have to do this without his help.”
* * *
This couldn’t be happening. Everywhere they turned their plan fell into a million different pieces. Dani pulled her hand from Ethan’s clutch so she could run faster to keep up with his longer strides. “Will we ever find the door to this invisible wall surrounding us? My dad always took care of everything. I never even thought of how the running of the pack was handled. Until now.”
“Don’t worry. You’re not alone anymore, little one.”
“I know.” She wondered if her dad had known how desperate the Drover pack had become before he died. If what Ethan believed was really happening, how many members of the pack were involved? Were they even worth saving? She pushed the thought out of her mind. If Ethan was right, her little brother’s life was being wasted by them all.
She slowed down and fell behind Ethan, letting him lead her through the shadows of Main Street. Although Ethan was the only one in possession of the journal, somehow Greggoire must have figured out on his own that drinking the blood of another werewolf would boost his powers. His strength, hearing, speed, and stamina would exceed those of the werewolves who had followed the rules and stuck to eating the animals of the forest.
“Ethan?”
He slowed down and let her catch up.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think they won’t become desperate enough, and Jordy will be safe for a little longer?” She stopped along the sidewalk. Her breath came in gasps, not from running, but from fear.
“There is no way for me to even guess. I wish I would have remembered this was possible before showing myself to Greggoire.” His usually bright eyes were dull and troubled. “I’m afraid I might have pushed Greggoire to go a step further with his plan by coming back here and threatening his position with the pack. He’ll want to grow as strong as he can before the competition. He’s always been weaker than me, but now I have no idea what kind of shape he is in.” “He could kill Jordan so he’s able to beat you.” She simply had to state that aloud to believe it. It wasn’t normal for either werewolf or human to endanger a baby with no sense of guilt and disgust. It made her physically sick to even think it was possible. She wanted to kill Greggoire, but that was different. He needed to pay, and she’d not feel an ounce of damn guilt about doing the job herself.
Rounding the corner at Main and Alder, Ethan lifted his arm and blocked her way. She stopped and followed his line of vision farther down the row of houses. A dark shadow lay in the driveway to their house. “Oh my God. Is that…what I think it is?”
“Looks like Greggoire left us a warning.” Chapter Twelve
The mysterious package took form the closer they came to the house. Dani gasped. A headless body of a male werewolf sprawled on his stomach lay in her driveway in a broken heap.
Ethan grabbed the back of the man’s trousers and rolled the body over. Dani covered her mouth with both hands. Bile rose in her throat, and she struggled to swallow it down.
“Who is it?” She turned away from the gruesome scene in front of her.
Ethan stepped back and wrapped his arm around Dani. “It’s Butch.”
She buried her head in Ethan’s chest and squeezed her eyes shut. Another death. How many more would there be until it stopped? She groaned. Her vision filled with unshed tears.
“Oh, God, someone needs to tell Mrs.
Danielson.”
Ethan’s body stiffened. He yanked Dani behind him. “Is this your sick joke, Greggoire?” Dani peered around her mate’s broad back.
Mr. Lehman, Stan Jenson who owned the Motel 6, and Keith Pegrow, a guy she’d gone to school with, flanked the alpha’s sides. None of them even took notice of her but kept their gazes trained on Ethan.
“Butch was no longer useful to me.” Greggoire stepped closer and glared at Dani.