Reluctantly Lycan (Dakota Wolves Book 1)(18)

Slowly, after placing his back against the wall, Taylor slid down to  sitting and closed his eyes. "Sounds like how it is with humans, too."                       
       
           



       

"It is, but magnified because of the animal inside us."

"Well, I hope they work on finding us and forget about mating for a while."

~*~

Marala rushed into the house and locked the door behind her.  Immediately, she went to Kaden's bedroom, fell to hands and knees, and  grabbed the shotgun. She stood up, made sure it was loaded, and yelled  for Jak.

He walked into the bedroom, freezing mid-yawn when he saw his mud  covered mother wielding a gun. "This is a weird dream, right? Why are  you so dirty?"

She ignored the questions. "Taylor is missing. The wolves are going to try to find him. I have to keep you safe."

"That sucks. I like that guy. He's a better cook than you." Jak frowned. "What do you think happened?"

Marala headed for the living room and Jak followed. "I hope he ran far  away from here. If they find him … ." She sat down on the couch, leaned  the shotgun up against it, and put her hands over her face.

"You don't think Dad would …  kill him?"

"I don't know." She stole a glance toward the stuffed and mounted black  wolf in the corner. "If he thinks Taylor took the boy. Yeah. They'll  torture him first."

Jak gestured toward the long deceased wolf. "Who is that?"

"Your grandfather's brother. Your uncle." Marala had sheltered Jak his  entire life, but being back home, she knew sharing the truth about the  workings of the wolf would keep him safer.

"So …  he died of like …  rabies or something, right?"

"He challenged your grandfather for pack leadership. It was his right,  but it's a fight to the death. Out of respect for a worthy adversary, he  was preserved." Mara sighed. "I'm sorry about what you are, Jak. What  you will become."

"I'm not challenging anyone, so don't worry. That is some morbid and creepy family history."

"It's not that simple. You won't have to challenge anyone. Someone may challenge you when you're leader someday."

Jak rested his elbow on the armrest and propped himself up by it. "I don't want to ever be pack leader."

Marala crossed the room, picking up her purse from the table in the  corner. She fumbled around for a few minutes before finding her  cigarettes. With a shaky hand, she flicked the ninety-nine cent lighter  and lit the tip of the menthol. "You'll change. Being alpha is in your  blood. That's a long way off unless … ." She exhaled a puff of smoke.  "Unless something happens to Kaden." The thought alone of losing him  nearly ripped her heart out.

How did I ever live without him?

"Mom, you need to chill. Nothing is going to happen to Dad and they'll find Taylor. The Mason kid, too."

"I wish I was a wolf already so I could search. I'm useless at night as a human."

"A wolf already?" he repeated.

"Nothing," Marala said.

"Are you going to become a wolf, Mom?"

She cleared her throat. There was a half full bottle of whiskey on the  table next to the recliner. It wasn't her wine, but it would do. She  poured a small amount into a short glass. "Maybe."

Jak went a little slack-jawed. "Did you make up?"

"Your father and I have come to an understanding and forgiven each other the trespasses of our youth."

"Wow. That's awesome."

"Yes, it is." She slung back the shot of whiskey.

Awesome? Only if he doesn't do something stupid and ruin it, she thought as she poured another drink.

~*~

Kaden let out a howl, signaling for the high pack. His nose was to the  floor, sniffing around every inch of Nashoba's home when the others  showed up. Nashoba explained the situation, unable to effectively shift  while still reeling from the effects of the drug that had knocked him  unconscious.

"We should have killed him in the street earlier today," Levi said, more  hostile than usual. Kaden listened quietly to the conversation of his  pack outside.

"I dunno. A human is not going to get the jump on Nash," Blake said. His brother agreed in a hushed mumble.

The sound of Levi's boots splattering the mud under his feet told Kade  the beta was pacing. Levi said, "He could be a warlock or a different  type of shifter."

Nashoba snorted. "I would have noticed. His scent was one hundred  percent human. Don't get me wrong, I don't approve of Kaden backing down  to Marala in front of the pack, but Taylor seemed alright for a human."

"What do we do if our world keeps crumbling around us?" Levi asked quietly.

"Make a move for a change in leadership," Nashoba said, not keeping his  voice low, obviously unconcerned if Kaden heard the threat.                       
       
           



       

The Dakota line had led the pack since it spanned north into Kentucky,  east into North Carolina, and south into Georgia, Alabama, and  Mississippi. Now, only a handful of wolves remained. Fading rituals,  pack members refusing to acknowledge the shift and living as humans, and  low birth rates all attributed to the decline. Kaden couldn't blame the  wolves for their lack of faith in him. He was failing on all grounds.

Kaden lifted up onto his hind legs and returned to his human form in one  motion. He dressed, but sat down in a chair to think about his next  course of action. There was almost no trace of the human. His scent  started at the doorway, circled the couch, and went to the bathroom and  back. Nothing out of the ordinary lingered. If a trail had been outside,  the rain had washed it away.

He thought about his high pack. Kaden knew he could defeat any wolf out  there one on one. Even Nashoba. But if they ganged up on him, as  dishonorable as it was, he was in trouble. Then the new leader would  claim Marala as his trophy mate. The thought had him growling out loud.

Not happening.

He knocked the chair over as he stood and walked to the front door,  jerking it open. "There's no evidence of where he might have gone."

Luke cussed. Blake frowned. Levi and Nashoba exchanged glances. "Due to  recent events and the lack of brotherhood among the high pack, I'm  revoking everyone's status."

"You can't do that," Levi said.

"I just did."

Kaden pointed at them all, starting at the right and moving left. "This  does not work without trust. I am Dakota. I am this pack. On the full  moon, all of age males, civilian and former high pack, will fight for  their ranks. Including me."

"As you wish," Luke said and Blake bowed his head in obedience.

"Sounds fair to me," Nashoba said.

Levi's face was bright red. "I'm your second-in- command. The position was given to me by your father."

"Not anymore." Kaden eyed the wolf firmly, waiting for a challenge. It didn't come. "You can earn your title back."

"You're making a mistake, Kaden," he said, unusually unrestrained.

"It wouldn't be the first time. The full moon is soon. Until then, find  yourselves, remember what it means to be brothers and pack, and keep an  eye out for the town."

Levi paced around, his boots making a clomp clomp on the ground again.  "What will I tell Elle? I can't give her children, now I disappoint her  by losing my position within the high pack."

Kaden reached out to give his longtime friend a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, but he jerked away.

"I'm going out to hunt for the kid again. Maybe if I bring him home I'll get some respect." Levi walked off into the night.

Blake, the sensitive young one, spoke up. "I think he's having a hard  time because he feels responsible. He was in charge at the time of  Mason's disappearance."

Nashoba crossed his arms, glaring in Levi's direction.

"We're all responsible," Kaden said. "I don't know what the hell we've been doing, but it's our job to protect our people."

"We'll keep you posted if we see anything suspicious," Luke said,  reaching out to shake Kaden's hand before walking off with his brother.

Nashoba brushed by Kaden, letting out a gruff grumble as he entered the house and slammed the door behind him.

Kaden sighed, staring up at the sliver of moon. "Help me." He bowed his  head and headed home. For once, he would have a warm body he loved  against him after a shitty night.

The spare key to Kaden's house was hidden in a secret square nook in one  of the logs of his cabin. He ran his hand over the seemingly perfect  wood until his fingers touched a slight indentation. With one fingernail  transformed into a claw, he tugged the block of wood out to reveal a  secret compartment big enough for a set of keys.