Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

Psycho

As I made my way back through the clubhouse, I had to fight a smile as Nera's words echoed in my mind: A good leader always takes care of his guys.

See… even she got it. I glanced up through the skylights and saw the moon getting brighter and the sky getting darker. I left the clubhouse on my bike to my personal home on the compound to grab my go-bag. No wolf lived without having a change of clothes, protein bars, and a bar of soap ready to go.

Shit happens.

I rode back to the clubhouse where my guys were waiting. Six of us piled into the Humvee with Trigger driving, and the rest of the wolves followed behind on their bikes.

That left six humans to hold down the fort. I had cameras inside where I could keep a general eye on everything. I just hoped they left Nera alone. It wouldn't surprise me if she was gone by the time we got back, but I'd locked down all the computers and told the guys she was not to use any of their cell phones. She was free to walk out the front door, but she'd have to do it with the clothes on her back and no money. I was fairly sure she'd stay put. I wanted to let her contact her family, let them know she was all right, but I wasn't granting her that privilege until she talked.

"She's probably traumatized."

I turned around from my spot in the passenger seat to see Chaos rake a hand through his long hair before unwrapping a protein bar.

I furrowed my brow. "What are you talking about?"

"The chick," he replied. "I could see it on her face when Cutter brought her the sandwich. She damn near flinched when he set down her plate."

I hadn't noticed that. In fact, I hadn't even noticed Chaos had been nearby. I needed to pay better attention. "Yeah."

"She'll talk once she trusts us," he went on before taking a bite.

Well, she wasn't going anywhere until she talked. I debated telling them she was a witch so they would be on guard. It would be the responsible thing to do. But a few wolves in this cager I was riding with hated witches. I didn't want to risk it. I'd tell Trigger and Menace, the two I trusted the most, later at the campsite.

Thankfully, our turning spot we jokingly dubbed "Turning Point" was in a bayou only about thirty minutes from the clubhouse. Trigger killed the engine and we poured out with our bags. Two prospects had already been here earlier in the day to set up tents and barbeques. Sometimes if we arrived early enough, we could have a barbeque and beers before the curse hit, but with Nera's disruption, we were lucky to make it here on time at all.

A collective groan broke out as the moon hit its crest in the sky, and the curse hit us all at once. We all quickly disrobed, having zero shame or cares about nudity since it had been our life since we were teens, and I got on all fours.

I panted through the pain, grateful my transformation happened quickly now. I cried out when my bones broke all at once and then reformed themselves quickly, as black hair sprouted from my skin, a tail protruded from my backside, and my nose elongated. I made a strangling sound as my wolf, who lived deep inside of me, took over, his cry of happiness ringing inside my head.

He let out a howl up at the full moon, my bayou brothers joining in the chorus of howls.

"Let's run," I said telepathically to my brothers, and we all took off in a sprint through the bayou.

We ran over felled branches and dodged around trees. We splashed through swamp water and sprinted over small hills and through deep hollows. Not much chatter went on between us while we ran. It was just what we did—what were cursed to do. Become beasts once a month for the rest of our lives.

We hadn't been bitten or scratched—we were born this way. Cursed from a scorned witch centuries ago who spelled her lover for leaving her, forcing him to turn into a wild beast once a month under the power of the full moon.

Or so, that was how the legend went. I hadn't taken much time to look into it because it didn't really matter. I couldn't change it. I could only stop it from cursing others by not procreating. Even if my fated mate was a human, our child would be a werewolf. I was a proud wolf, but I wouldn't put a kid through this. No way.

After hours of running, we met back at camp and quickly blacked out.

I blinked against the light filtering in through the trees and glanced over the campsite. I wasn't sure why they bothered to set up tents up here. Nobody slept in them. We slept where we passed out, usually after a meal. I sat up and looked around to see two dead squirrels lying nearby. I wished my wolf would get rid of the carcasses but of course he was a mindless beast who didn't give a fuck.

I kicked the carcasses into the nearby trees and looked around for my go-bag. I found it and quickly dressed, anxious for a shower. I could only imagine what bits were on my face and in my beard.

The rest of the guys were doing the same, and soon, we were all piled into the SUV and the rest on their bikes.

As Menace drove, I pulled out my cell phone and couldn't resist looking at the cameras from the clubhouse. I scrolled through the time blocks and didn't see Nera once. Either she stayed in her room the whole night or she managed to sneak out. None of my door alarms had gone off, though, which told me not one person even left the clubhouse at all.

It was a quick ride back to the compound, and as soon as Menace parked the Humvee, I hopped on my bike and zoomed off down the compound's winding road toward my house for a much-needed shower and coffee. Once that was done, I anxiously headed to the clubhouse. As soon as I entered, I sought out Nera, but I didn't have to look far. She had apparently made herself right at home, sitting in the loungers, chatting with two prospects. I was honestly surprised she didn't have the tequila bottle with her.

The three young prospects stiffened up when they saw me. Two males, and a female, stood.

"Psycho," Metal greeted me. The guy was a genius with chrome and all things motorcycle and had chosen his own road name.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Hi, Psycho," Nera said. "I stayed."

"Yes, you did. But today, we're going to have church and you're going to give your story to all the Wolves."

She sucked in the side of her bottom lip. "Do I have to?"

The three prospects looked from me to her as if they were watching a ping-pong match.

"Yes," I said as I continued to walk toward the stairs that would take me to my office.

She didn't protest, but I didn't look back. Instead, coffee cup in hand, I headed up the stairs to my attic office. After unlocking the door with a key, I opened the windows to let cool morning air in.

Someone had deposited mail under my door and I bent down to pick it up. Most of it was junk, but one caught my attention because it was addressed to my legal name. Most of the mail at the P.O. box we had in town was addressed to Dualistic, Inc.

Sheppard Madden

LaPlace, LA 70068

No return address.

Huh. I wondered how it got to our P.O. box without an actual address. The post office had my legal name on file, and it was a small office, so they must have done their due diligence and figured it out.

I rifled through my desk drawer for a letter opener, and as I was about to open it, I heard, "Busy?"

I looked up to see Nera standing there, leaning against the doorjamb.

I should have closed my door.

"Come in," I said, gesturing to a chair in front of my desk.

She did and sat, and then just stared at me.

"What did you need?" I asked, feeling grouchy because my coffee hadn't kicked in yet.

"Did you have a nice… turn?" she asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "Turns are never nice." That was sort of a lie. I loved running free as the wolf. It was the painful transformation and waking up with dead rodents around me that I didn't particularly care for, but had grown used to.

"I can imagine. So… why are we going to church on a Thursday?" she asked.

I bit back a smile. "Church is code for meeting. We hold church in the brewery."

"How appropriate," she quipped. "Take communion there as well?"

This girl…

"I can see you are on one today," I replied. "You are nervous about church?"

She lifted a shoulder. "I just don't see why I have to spill my entire story to your whole club."

"Well, I could have Wizard film you and we could broadcast it to their phones if you're… shy."

She narrowed her eyes. "No filming me."

"That's what I thought," I replied. "Did you sleep well?"

Nera shrugged. "Eh, it wasn't bad." She looked down and seemed to be picking at her fingernails. "So if I give my story to the church, then I can go? You'll get me a ticket out of here?"

"I'd prefer if you stayed for your own safety until we catch these fuckers, but if that's what you want, yes."

She stared at me with her purple-blue eyes, not breaking eye contact, and I could appreciate that she wasn't a weak, broken woman. Though after being abducted, I wouldn't blame her if she was.

"I do prefer."

"Listen, today when you tell us your story, don't feel like you have to go into graphic detail if some experiences are too… personal or traumatic. Okay?" I hoped she was picking up what I was putting down.

She nodded once, her brow furrowed. "I appreciate that."

I wanted to grimace at her response, at the look on her face that told me everything I needed to know, but I refrained.

"Nera, go get yourself something to eat and I'll meet you at Rumble later. I have some work to do."

She nodded, stood, and left the office without another word, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.

I'd obviously hit a nerve with my questions, but I was just glad it was out there. Something about the hurt hiding behind the defiance in her eyes made me angry. I would never understand why assholes felt they could exploit and take advantage of people weaker than they were. I was no saint, and my actions in the past had earned me my nickname, but nobody who was ever harmed or killed by my hand didn't deserve it. Legal or illegally, I handled my business, and this shit with Nera and whoever else they had, these bastards were going to feel the full weight of the Bayou Wolves bearing down on their heads very soon.