The Pack: Truth: The Pack Series, #3

By Dawn Gray

*Book 3

 

The Summerford siblings' lives had been turned upside down by the disappearance of their mother, but even more so with the secrets and lies that followed in the wake of it. However, those small twists and turns in their lives over the hours since had drawn them closer, giving each of them time to reflect on what they had been missing. Each other. But that didn't stop what was coming next.
Noel still had no clue as to what was happening to him, even with the cryptic clue left in a book in his father's office, but his focus needs to stay on finding Juli, and keeping his siblings safe
Ellie's own impending presentation hung in the air as she struggled through her day with the strange headaches, and what about the book she'd found? Did she tell her brothers, or did she keep quiet until she could discover its secrets.
Part of Keegan's life had been exposed now that Noel knew of Daniel, but he isn't sure what to do with that let alone the fact that his skin was healing faster than humanly possible. And what exactly did he see in the woods?
Gus needs answers to Luca's origins, but he first has to find out if the rumors of Rollins' kidnapping holds any weight, and the lives of some of the pack were about to turn upside down as a decades-old mystery comes to light.
Will they all survive what comes next, or will the inevitable shift become too much to bear?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dawn Gray
• Release date: Mar 3, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224515318

Dawn Gray

I grew up in Vermont and for years have been occupied with my own worlds and creating my own characters. The entire seven book Vampire Legacy series is published and available here, based largely in New London/Waterford, CT these books follow a clan of vampires through their history with mortals. S.P.I.R.I.T has evolved to a three book series so far, and Raven and Before the Moon Rise are also stand-alone novels. The Arcane follows the adventure of a traveler on a road trip from hell and The Pack trilogy is just the beginning of a wild new ride for the Summerford children, members of the largest Pack in Massachusetts.

Book preview

Prologue

Standing in the middle of an empty field, Keegan’s heart raced as he scanned the edge of the woods. His blood rushed up to whoosh in his ear, blocking out nearly everything else as he kept looking, alone except for the moonlight, but he knew something was out there. The alpha that had been at his home, that he’d been scenting all day, was out there.

It wasn’t until the crack of a shotgun blast broke the silence of the night. echoing as if it had come from everywhere but loud enough to the west for him to pinpoint it. Keegan ducked down, tips of his fingers barely touching the frozen ground, heart pounding dangerously hard against his ribs.

But its aftermath gave him direction.

He knew where it came from now, could pinpoint it within a few yards, and his eyes were locked right there as the brush violently separated and a large black mass cleared the line. Keegan’s eyes were wide, his body fighting against him as he desperately tried to push away the white spots that threatened to fill his vision.

That thing, whatever it was, was headed straight for him, and he couldn’t move.

His sympathetic nervous system couldn’t decide on whether it wanted him to fight or flee, so he kept crouching, skin barely feeling the chill that settled in the mid-December night air. He’d never seen anything like it before outside of the fictional characters depicted on screen, but there it was.

Loping, like a giant wolf, it raced through the field, larger than life and absolutely awe inspiring but it came to a skidding halt not four feet from him.

Keegan almost forgot to breathe, looking directly into the bright, crimson eyes of what he swore to God was an actual werewolf. The strange coloring did nothing but bring out Keegan’s own, and his emotions shined gold against the night.

The creature’s massive head was shaped just like the gray wolves he’d seen at the sanctuary, and when it rolled its lips back, he thought for sure he was dead. Fangs dripped with saliva, and even in what light the moon gave him, he could see the blood mixed in with it as well. He could smell the copper scent of it hanging in the air. That gaze though, there was something in it, something almost human. Almost as if it recognized him.

The beta should have been completely terrified, at the very least somewhat afraid, but it leaned in, closing the space, narrowing its gaze as if it were human asking why he was there. Why hadn't he fled yet?

There was no conscious thought, no real reason for his actions except that the beta has a death wish but as Keegan reached out, his hand coming within a foot of the creature’s muzzle, the sound of running footsteps drew both of their attention.

Keegan took a step back as it whipped around, his gaze boring into its profile, memorizing it, as it stood to full height, nearly seven-feet tall. A low rumble filled the space around him, loud enough for the beta to hear. It was a warning, a threat to the people stalking it, but Keegan still stood unmoving.

Run! He swore he heard it clear as day whispered in his ear, but Keegan couldn’t tear his eyes away from it, not until that whisper became a howl, and those crimson eyes were locked on his golden ones. RUN!

Keegan took two steps back, toe to heel before he spun and sprinted towards the opposite line of trees, ducking into the darkness of the forest. Keegan skidded in the wet leaves, trying his best to keep on his feet before he ducked behind a thick maple. He peeked out, knowing he hadn’t gotten far enough away because he could see the moment the beast turned away from his direction and fully to the approaching hunter.

The sound it let out, a growl that was deep and full of rage, shook him to the core.

Keegan squeezed his eyes shut, letting the light flash behind them as the pain hit him and tears fell, racing down his cheeks as he held his breath—

And then it howled.

He covered his ears, shaking his head, doing anything to keep away the need that pulled at every fiber of his being. It was as if something in him wanted to rise to the surface, take over, and help defend the alpha, but Keegan knew an order when he heard one. Pushing away from the rough bark to do exactly what it had told him to do.

"Run." And run, he did.

He was never going to beat Noel’s time for track but he sure as hell was trying. He didn’t stop, though his lungs were screaming for air and his legs were burning, wanting nothing more than to give out from underneath him.

He was supposed to meet Daniel, supposed to fix what was wrong between them but Keegan’s subconscious was the one in charge, leaving his rational one to remember to breathe, to tell him he was almost safe.

The park was definitely out of the question. Daniel’s house wasn’t close enough. Home. Home had already been invaded once, and Ellie could be there by now. He had to protect his sister. He had no idea where he was going, just that he had to get there.

When the shack came into view, that was the moment he let out the first real sign of trauma. A painful sob escaped him, nearly seizing up his lungs as he slowed his racing legs, and reached the door before they gave out from underneath him.

He pushed it open, slipped in, slammed it shut and locked it just as fast as he could before moving to the mat. He huddled into the corner, pulling his legs up to his chest to make himself as small as possible and wrapped his arms tightly around them as he ducked his head low. The only thing visible were his eyes, the ones that hadn’t shifted back at any point since meeting the alpha.

Slowing his heart, getting control of his breathing, Keegan did everything in his power to disappear. He tucked his emotions away, concentrated on listening to the outside world beyond those four walls and waited—just waited—for any sign of trouble.

It never came.

Chapter 1

"The Meetinghouse - Thursday Night"

Noel closed his eyes, letting his head lean back on the doorsill, hiding somewhere deep in the bowels of the meetinghouse. Truthfully, he was hiding in the back hallway, and the doorsill was an old entryway to a small storage room, but it helped with the need to get away while not leaving his siblings.

Ellie had gone back to that book once they were done eating and even though he wanted to know what was so fascinating about it, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb her. He knew she had a lot on her mind and being distracted helped, but he needed to check in, needed to hear her say it. That was another reason he was down there. To give her that space.

The other reason—Gus.

The Pack Second had stared at him all through dinner, to an uncomfortable level, as if he could see the way Noel twitched in his own skin, but he didn’t bother to speak, just stared. There was a moment where the younger alpha had actually thought about punching him, anything to get him to look away, but he kept it locked down, especially with Keegan so close.

Noel had felt the heat in his blood growing as he slowly took bites of the pizza in front of him. The prickle on his skin from just knowing Gus’s hazel eyes were locked on him had him shifting in his chair. At least until he’d had enough, dropped the slice, and met those orbs with his own glare. It seemed like Gus picked that exact second to decide Noel wasn’t about to go off on some kind of murder spree and drew in a breath, moving on to the next Summerford sibling.

Keegan.

That move alone didn’t deaden whatever emotions were stretching inside him, instead the anger spiked as Gus focused on the younger of the two. Keegan was his to protect and while he knew in his heart that Gus wasn’t a threat, watching the alpha take in the beta had his protective side flaring. He did the only thing he could think of to keep the attention off his brother and on him again.

He cleared his throat.

Gus straightened at the sound of it, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat back in the chair and turned his sights solely on Noel once more.

What’s wrong with you? Gus’s deep voice was barely above a growl, a command to answer, and while Noel knew it wasn’t an absurd question to ask, it was one he didn’t have the answer to. Giving in, Noel simply shook his head. Without letting him off the hook, Gus addressed the younger two. When you’re done, please go back to the office and finish whatever it was you were working on, your brother and I need to have a chat.

Oooh, Ellie teased, a small smile lifting her cheeks as she leaned in, inches away from the slice she was holding, having paused to flick her gaze back and forth between the Pack Second and her older brother.

Keegan’s response was completely different. In that case— He snagged his plate and shifted his chair back. I’m out.

Ellie giggled as she followed suit, grabbing her plate and not only her soda, but Keegan’s as well and chased after him back to the office.

Noel curled his fingers, letting the sides of his fists rest against the table as he watched his siblings disappear into the safety of the office before turning to Gus. What?

Answer my question. The older alpha’s voice was low, and while it was full of authority, it was gentle as well and Noel felt his whole body start to relax at the sound. What is going on with you?

Keegan—

No. That one word had him tensing right back up. I don’t care what your brother and sister are doing at this moment. I don’t even care what you think is going on with them. I want to know about you, Noel. You’re like the string on a bow that’s ready to snap.

He had sighed, shook his head, and forced his fingers to relax. It’s just— He breathed in, expanded his chest, and slowly let it out, counting down from ten internally. It’s Mom missing. It’s school. It’s feeling like I’m fighting but I’m not doing enough. It’s this constant itch under my skin and the way sounds get so loud.

Sounds?

Noel pushed the plate away and crossed his forearms on the table. Sometimes… sometimes it’s like my ears forget how to filter things out and everything comes in at once. Music that’s across the quad is now right in my ear. Car horns sound like I’m laying with my head on them, and then it all just—

Stops?

Yeah, like it suddenly goes back to normal. Noel let his chin drop, resting it the best he could on his arms and sighed. Lights are too bright lately, and sometimes I just get so pissed off… He huffed twice before flicking his gaze to Gus. It’s like a migraine times a thousand.

Maybe that’s just what it is, a migraine?

He knew the alpha wasn’t brushing him off but trying to give him a valid excuse to let it go, and Noel appreciated it, but he was certain Gus didn’t understand the extent of it. He was almost positive he wouldn’t believe Noel had fangs and claws during any of these episodes, so he just nodded, agreeing with the man in hopes that he’d drop it.

Surprisingly, it worked.

He needed to move his thoughts in a different direction, to focus on something else and he knew Gus had left earlier to do some sort of pack business, but he hadn’t heard the outcome.

And neither had Keegan.

How did it go with the Payne’s?

Gus let out a slow exhale, as if he were getting ready to go into a Broadway play length explanation, but what he got was something much simpler. It didn’t.

Well, that’s…a little shocking. You didn’t tell Doug’s parents?

Something came up. Gus pushed the plate away and crossed his forearms on the table, gently setting his sights on Noel. I got a call from a coffee shop down on Main—

Oh, no, he whispered, slumping back in the chair, but Gus raised his hand and let the hint of a smile grace his lips.

Hang on, he chuckled. I should say I got a call about a coffee shop on Main from one Mrs. Sarah Barnes.

I have no idea who that is, he shrugged, and honestly if it was getting that adorable smile from Gus, he’d definitely like to meet her.

She said she was in there picking up a coffee order when two young men were accosted by a few football players.

Noel closed his eyes, sighed, and then pinched his nose. The woman behind us in line. I can ex—

No need, she already did. The reason I’m bringing it up was why there? You usually go to Cafe West?

Dmitri Fold. To say he was a little surprised Gus had forgotten already was an understatement. You told me he was a loyal man, that’s why Keegan and I were in town.

I didn’t know you stopped at the cafe, and I didn’t actually know that was when you paid him a visit. Dmitri called me earlier as well to let me know that you had stopped by, curious about your parents’ wedding rings. And I stick by my thoughts, whatever he told you about them, whatever he said about your parents… he would have said more if he knew more. So, his brow went up. Anything else about your day that you need to let out of the bag? You have me here, might as well do it now before I find out anything else that might have happened while I was doing pack business.

What were you doing downtown? Noel countered, now curious. He’d seen him drive by, nodded in acknowledgement, but never brought it up again.

Paying a visit to Wells, seeing if we had anything new on Alesha, or your mom, but nothing more than that.

Noel sat back, gave a little nod, and sighed, there’s nothing else.

Are you certain?

Well, Keegan heard a wolf howl. Ellie’s got some weird headaches going on. Keira probably wants to ring my neck for not checking in. Adin Michaels’ is a complete douche and—

Wait, Michaels?

Yeah, Noel snarked, giving Gus a bit of a questioning glance but he continued. Again, complete douche.

How well do you know him?

I don’t, really. We were rivals in high school. He kind of kicked my ass once for being drunk after Dad died this one time, but otherwise he’s just a kid from another pack trying to make it through school. And that was all Noel was going to say on that subject. The fact that he wanted to rip his face off was definitely not the point.

Hmm, Gus’s nonchalant noise had Noel curious, as if he was trying to pass off what Noel said as something that didn’t really matter, but the blue-eyed alpha could see that Gus was off in his own world. Then I’ll let you get back to whatever it was the three of you are getting up to.

Gus reached out, patted him gently on the shoulder, and stood from his chair. Noel wanted to lash out, to tell him he wasn’t a kid anymore that needed to be coddled, but he also didn’t want to lose the touch of the man’s hand. The contact brought a strange sort of calmness and Noel took in as much as he could before Gus stepped away.

That was when Noel had to get away and found himself against a dusty doorsill in an abandoned hallway.

The feeling of his phone vibrating against his back shook Noel from the strange sense of stillness that the space created and he reached around to snag it before it vibrated again. On screen, in a banner that flashed then slowly faded, was Keira’s name and a simple three letters that made his heart slam against his chest.

Keira: I love you!

He let his head fall back, feeling the pain of the way it thumped against the hardwood, and the well of emotions that had been gathering inside him sprung free. He blinked away the tears, feeling the hot slide of them down the side of his face as he cleared his vision and decided he’d had enough of the self-pity.

He pushed away from the wall and headed back toward the main hall, towards his sister.

The Meetinghouse - Office

Ellie hadn’t really needed to know Keegan was leaving, she was sitting in the same room and saw him grab his jacket. She also didn’t need to hear the conversation he and Noel had to figure out where he was going, so she hadn’t bothered to turn down the music.

But she could feel it.

She knew he was going to Daniel, could sense the strange distress he had, the uncomfortable feeling of some emotion under his skin when he was close. It had taken him longer than she imagined for him to actually get up and leave but she knew why he stayed.

He would always stay if it meant she would be safe.

She’d never understand it, but she got it. It was just him, just the way he thought and felt and whatever process he went through with his diagnosis. That was why she let him do it, why she didn’t make a scene when he stalked her or got nosy on what she was doing. He was stealthy about it, most times, but others were blatant.

Like at school when he checked on her at the same time nearly every day.

She didn’t know who he thought he was fooling because she was positive even the monitor who sat at the door knew exactly what he was up to. Still, no one said anything because it wasn’t harming anyone.

So, she texted him. It was the least she could do without calling him out. She typed it out the moment he’d slipped by Noel, and the instant he was out the door, she hit send. It wasn’t a big deal, just a way for her to tell him she would be all right, that he would be okay leaving her.

Brothers were strange creatures.

She let her head rest on the cushion behind her as she stared up at the trinkets and photos that graced the high shelves in front of the rows of old volumes behind it. With a sigh, she narrowed her eyes to a family photo on the second self from the top. It was an old one, a summer she barely remembered when she was little, but the picture itself had her pulled back to the season before her father died.

It was July, two months before he passed, and a week into their summer vacation. Her birthday was in three days, and she was turning fifteen. That year it had been rescheduled for a reason she didn’t remember but she was annoyed, mainly because it cut into her time at summer camp.

It was her last year before she aged out of that particular program, and it was supposed to be one for the record books… or so they said.

High in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, tucked away in the mountains, was a small camp that she’d affectionately named Camp Half Blood and the reason behind it was that most of the campers were members of different packs, most were siblings and not only children, and most didn’t know their designation yet. Just like her. They were stuck halfway between a child and part of the pack, at least in their eyes.

It was supposed to be the grand exit of her time there, a celebration of six years of attending and getting to know the people she’d grown to call friends. But that summer, that one rescheduled trip would be the beginning of the world upending.

Keegan’s shift in attitude had begun the year before, but like the terrible twos of a toddler, his continued longer than they expected. He was more than angry, more than hyper, and nothing but annoying Noel had caught or kept his interest. Paige was a constant force against his ADHD, holding him together at times when Ellie was certain he’d fall apart. Their friendship had shifted long before any of them knew it, but that was the summer at Emerald Lake it came out to the world.

Ellie spent most of the time sitting on the beach under an umbrella, eyes on one or the other brother as they met with friends, badgered each other, or spent time alone. She spent it reading or enjoying the muffled sounds of people around her. She wasn’t a people person but she enjoyed people-watching.

That was until he showed up.

Ellie should forget him, would love to forget him, but Liam Alpine would forever be part of her summer memories.

She was in the middle of reading a new indie author, sunglasses on as she enjoyed the warmth, when a football landed squarely in the dirt beside her, kicking up the rough beach sand, coating her book with it.

With a huff, she held it out and shook the dirt from the pages, trying to keep control of her already thinning patience with interruptions. Keegan had bothered her three times already. It was the shadow that loomed above her, just to the left of the umbrella, that had her looking up.

"I am so sorry," and it was so authentic, Ellie found it hard to stay mad, especially when it was said with a posh British accent.

She placed the book down after slipping in a photograph of her and Mitch that served as a page marker, and looked up with every ounce of judgment she could muster. Watching Keegan’s expressions and his dismissive ways on how to get rid of people was her go-to look when she wasn’t sure she wanted to engage or not, but that was when she really got a look at him.

His eyes were almost sea green, something pale and almost reflective. His hair was dark and curly, nearly as wavy as her brothers’, but it was the olive tone of his skin that completed the look. He was handsome, and for this fifteen-year-old girl to find him so was saying something.

Ellie shrugged, ready to let in on him, but what came out of her own mouth was totally unexpected. That’s okay.

You sure? He smirked, squatting down in front of her as his hand reached out for the football. I didn’t mean to disturb your reading.

It’s fine, but you know there’s rules about playing ball on the sand. She wasn’t trying to be the stern one, but she had no idea what else to say to him.

My friend over there— He glanced back at a bigger kid who glowered at the two of them with his hands on his hips before settling on Ellie again. He thinks he plays for the Celtics.

You mean the Patriots? Ellie smiled.

Ah, right. Celtics are…basketball? His feigned confusion was cute. I can never keep them straight, there’s so many.

I’m sure. She laughed at his adorable smile, almost melted at his flirtatious nature, but there was just something about him that had her hackles up. Not so much in defense but more of uncertainty.

Ell, Keegan’s rough voice broke through the way she stared, noting everything about him, and she shifted to look back at the hazel-eyed sibling behind her. While Keegan would never be as tall as Noel, he wasn’t small either, and in a strange way came off as more intimidating than the older one. Everything okay?

We’re good, Key. She gave him the best smile she could, anything to disarm the way he was glaring at the new arrival. With a moment more of Keegan’s gaze resting on her new friend, her brother turned and disappeared once more.

He’s a bit much, isn’t he? The cool way he described her brother was almost comical, and she turned back to him just as he sat down in the sand, having snagged the ball up to twirl it in his hands. I’m Liam, by the way.

Ellie.

Nice to meet you. He’s your boy—

Brother.

Ah, that explains the glaring. For a moment more, they just took each other in, internally noting things about one another, before Liam pushed to his feet. I’ll see you around, Ellie.

And with a slight bow, she watched him walk away.

To say the whole thing was strange would be an understatement but she shook it off, moved back to face forward towards the water, and snatched up her book, but it was Noel that plunked down to her right shortly after.

He leaned back on his hands, legs stretched out, and sighed as if he were fully relaxed, but she knew under the surface that he wasn’t calm at all.

I don’t know who he is. He was just making small talk, she whispered without looking up from the pages of her book.

Want me to find out?

She swore her brothers would do anything to embarrass her, but Ellie stole a glance in Liam’s direction as he tossed the ball back to his friend. I admit, I’m kind of curious.

Good, so is Keegan, and you know how his curiosity goes, depending on the level of threat and who it’s aimed at. He laughed, sitting up more as she turned to catch Noel’s gaze. Summer romance?

No, eww. Hard pass. The sour lemon look on her face had Noel cracking up as he rested his arms on his knees.

You can’t wait on Mitch forever, you know. Sometimes seeing what else is out there isn’t a bad thing.

"Pfft, like you’re one to talk. Haven’t you and Keira been going out forever?"

Yeah, but we haven’t been the only ones for each other. His nonchalant shrug had her curious. We are now, don’t get me wrong, but it took us a bit to figure out there was an us. Look, all I’m saying is unless you or Mitch are going to make a move, maybe getting to know a new friend isn’t a bad thing.

She mulled it over, let the idea of someone new intrigue her before she finally agreed. Okay, but don’t tell Keegan.

You’re on your own with keeping his nose out of it. Noel grinned, shifted so he was squatting and reached for the cooler behind her. Wanna go for a swim?

No. And that answer was absolute. The thought of being in anything that had live things swimming around in it was just too much for her to handle. A pool—she was good with those, but a lake… Again, hard pass.

You can’t use that saying for everything. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist, something waterproof that Alex had given him for his birthday when the coach insisted that aquatics were mandatory in the off-season and sighed. Okay, we have about an hour before we have to head back up for lunch. I’ll come back and help you clean up.

Okay. She didn’t need to see him swallow down the bottle of water to know the moment he’d finished it, the annoying crinkling of the bottle signaled that, but the fact that he took it with him to throw it away was a relief. They had a habit of leaving their trash.

She debated a moment before she turned her attention back to Liam. She bit down on her lip, and decided right then that she could use a new friend just as those green eyes flickered to her and his smile seemed to light up the world.

Ellie stood from the chair in the office, shaking her head from the memories of Liam and how the summer ended with them being close friends. They’d remained in contact, though there was an absolute line neither would cross. It was the sudden pull into those memories of that summer that had her curious about something she’d seen.

She made her way toward the furthest side of the room away from the chair, a spot closest to the door where her father had stored ledgers and scrapbooks. Sometimes, she’d noted, there were letters among the volumes.

She let her fingers skim over the spines, narrowing in on the embossed lettering before she found what she was looking for, a small black journal hidden amongst the thicker books. With a gentle tug, she moved it from its place and flipped it open.

Alex had a strange need to keep things, everything, and also keep it orderly. This particular book had pictures and letters taped to the pages, and while she would have thought it was something new, the dates on the top of the first pages went back before Noel was born.

It seemed to chronicle communications with a specific group of people—the Alpine family—but while the name struck a chord, given that it was Liam’s last name, the correspondence in the letters seemed…off.

The first few were simple letters of inquiry. The next seemed to delve into conspiracies. The closer they got to the year Ellie was born, the more in-depth they became about the Lupinus Marker and the start of disappearances.

She flipped faster through the pages, hoping to figure out just what was going on, until she paused on that summer, and the random letters it contained, but they stopped at the beginning of July that year with a confirmation that the Alpine’s were coming to Emerald Lake for the month, and that they were bringing their son.

Ellie almost dropped the book, fought the urge to clap it closed as she stared down at the handwritten notes on the lined pages, notes that matched ones written on Post-Its in the book sitting across the room.

She held a hand to her chest, hoping to ease the way her heart raced, but nothing seemed to work as she stared down at the small pictures that filled the next two pages. They’d been four-by-six prints cut down to just show the subjects and for whatever reason, the main ones happened to her and Liam.

What the hell? She glanced up when she realized she’d said it out loud as if she were afraid someone would hear before remembering she was alone.

With a deep breath, she went back to the pictures. The two of them walking up the path, sitting at a picnic table, their heads together talking quietly with Keegan right beside them. Liam and the three of them around the campfire. There were more, so many more, but there was one problem with the whole thing.

She didn’t remember his parents.

Flipping to the next page, it turned back into more notes. This time they were the original passage in Romanian, then transcribed to English. Back and forth, back and forth, before she landed on one word.

"Vârcolac," she whispered, testing it on her lips, doing her best to sound it out, but that didn’t tell her what it meant.

There was a light knock on the door and Ellie quickly closed the book, tucking it back on the shelf before she turned to face Noel, who cautiously entered the room. His gaze took in her empty seat before scanning the room to find her almost directly beside him. She could see the worry in his expression and the way he relaxed as he took her in, knowing she was unharmed.

Hey, ah— He scratched at the back of his neck. You wanna head home? Keegan’s probably going to be out again tonight and, honestly, I’m fucking exhausted.

I totally get that. She smiled and made her way back to her books. Think Gus would be okay with us stealing the rest of the pizza?

I’ll go see. He cleared his throat, and she saw his eyes take in the bookshelf she was just standing at before he nodded and left the room.

Ellie waited a moment, listened to the retreating sounds of his footsteps, and quickly rushed to the shelf, snagging the journal once more before she headed to the chair and stuffed it down in her bag. She shuffled around her homework and Chromebook before she stopped at the old tome that rested on the seat.

Rubbing her fingers together to stem off the sudden chill of her skin, she gently traced the page it had landed open on. The depiction of the full moon, a monstrous werewolf, and a small village in the distance was accentuated by the multicolored sticky notes that lined the page, all copies of the same notes in the journal, and all written by the same hand, except for one.

She reached down to the bottom left, closest to the spine and pulled the thin blue strip of paper from where it had been safely tucked. The writing flowed differently than her father’s, more chicken scratch than what she’d call his, but it was still legible.

Onset of accelerated healing may be caused by an uptick in serotonin levels after high adrenaline. L.A.

Ellie glanced from the book to the desk, to Keegan’s laptop, and the thought of his recent injuries, and sudden lack thereof. She tucked the paper back in its spot, shook her head, and closed the book.

It was a secondary thought, a question that suddenly needed answers as she held the tome close before snatching up her backpack.

"Who the hell is L.A.?"

Ellie! Noel hollered down the hallway.

She shook her head, hooked the strap over her arm and grabbed her coat and paused at the desk. Keegan’s laptop was still sitting there, and after a moment of weakness, she snatched it up, pressed it between her and the book, and darted out of the room, leaving the auto light to click off when movement stopped.

Cafe West Parking Lot - Thursday Night

Daniel tapped the cold steering wheel with his thumb in time with some random song that played over the local rock station. He barely recognized the beat but remembered hearing it clearly coming from the speakers in Keegan’s headphones, he just couldn’t place the name of it, or the band. The beta’s music wasn’t his thing, wasn’t something he’d listen to on a normal basis, but he had a certain appreciation for it when it caused the hazel-eyed boy to dance wildly.

It was early September, only a few short weeks after school had started when Daniel got his first real taste of Keegan outside of their summer romance.

He’d never seen walls go up so fast as it did when he’d stepped into school that morning. Keegan glared at him as if they were still mortal enemies, gave him a bit of a smirk and went the opposite way. Denial from him wasn’t something that went over well with the alpha and it only got worse.

School had been pure chaos for days that second week, like everyone was still finding their places amongst the crowd. Seniors were asserting their dominance and regular season football games had started. It was more than hectic. It was hell!

Daniel snuck away to see Keegan any chance he could, knowing where the beta would be at any given time because of short check-ins through text messages. However, most times he just followed the intoxicating scent of his new partner. The sneaking around, while fun and familiar, didn’t give them the same kind of quality time they had the months prior.

And it was wreaking havoc on Daniel’s ability to focus.

The frustration seemed to build to a breaking point that Friday, not entirely unusual with the weekend game schedules coming and the fact that they were facing one of their big rivals that night didn’t help.

The Amherst-Pelham Regional High School Hurricanes.

Daniel had never met a more pretentious bunch, especially with a name like that, but they were good. Damn good. They’d gone nearly unbeaten the last season until they squared off against Collins in a match to end all matches. Daniel wasn't the lead quarterback last season, but he was second and he’d been tossed in against Davies, the highest scoring QB in the region, in the last quarter of the game.

Collins won.

Not by a lot, not even because of him, but it cranked that rivalry up so high that the Rays were handed their asses in the playoffs by none other than that same starting quarterback. Daniel never took rivalries to heart, but it wasn’t just a game to him, it was his future and in spring training, he’d met up with Davies again.

It was less than friendly.

So, he took it upon himself to make