Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

Jayla studied the theater's billboard displaying the newest action movie as we ambled by, a nearly undetectable pout tugging at her lips. When she noticed my stare, she quickly hid the disappointment with a smile.

"What are we doing tonight? The twins said something about playing poker at Mac's house." She poked my side. "I bet you'd make a killing. Those guys are always distracted when you're there."

That was why those douchebags wouldn't let me play anymore. And because I cleaned their clocks last time.

A trickle of sweat ran down my nape, and I wiped my forehead, smearing the sweat on my jeans. Summers in Savannah were such a bitch. We really needed to get out of this heat before we fried. The tourists sauntering around downtown were melting in their sandals.

"You want to see that movie?" I jerked my thumb toward Star Cinema's billboard.

Jayla's brown eyes widened as she shook her head, her dark curls bouncing around her shoulders. "Not really. "

I scoffed. "You were just staring at it with your little puppy dog pouty face."

Her jaw dropped. "I was not. And I don't have a puppy dog pouty face."

"I beg to differ."

She stepped over a melting puddle of ice cream that probably fell from some kid's cone. "That's a stupid saying. It doesn't even make sense."

My laughter scared away the stray cat headed in our direction. "Let's see it. I know you want to."

"But we're low on money, and shouldn't we save it for food and necessities?"

We were low on cash because I'd quit fighting after the incident with Griffin.

The incident where I beat him to death.

When I first met Jayla, she would have thrown caution to the wind and chose fun over food, but she really did pay attention to my lectures about survival. Maybe this kid wouldn't be torn apart on the streets. Thanks to me.

Surviving was important, but so was living . I couldn't let her turn into a hardened, no-nonsense street kid.

"Occasionally having a little fun will do us some good." I playfully nudged her shoulder. "Besides, who do you think I am? I have ways of turning a paid experience into a free one."

She puckered her lips. "What do you mean?"

I grabbed her hand and pulled her down an alley outside the theater. "Stay right here." I pointed to the exterior door without a handle that could only be opened from the inside.

She tossed her hands in the air as I jogged backward to ensure she stayed put. "Why can't I go with you, Tate?"

"Because you haven't quite mastered the art of stealth, Jayla bear." I winked and then turned around, hurrying to the theater's front entrance.

Anytime I'd tried tricks like this with Jayla—or usually anyone—it never worked. But when I was alone, the sky was the limit. Well, kind of. I wasn't actually invisible. People simply didn't notice me sneaking around. This little gift had helped me out in many jams.

I loitered by the door until a group purchased tickets at the booth and headed inside. My sneakers were silent on the pavement as I slinked up behind the mix of twenty-something guys and girls, melting into their little party like I belonged.

My pulse spiked as they handed their tickets to the pimply teen at the door who barely looked up as he took each tiny square of paper, ripped it, and passed back half. I remained hidden behind one of the larger guys and slipped right by.

A smile curved my lips as I peeled away from the group, the scent of buttery popcorn wafting in the air. Kids ran around the concession stand, already pumped full of candy and soda. They'd never sit still for an entire movie. I pitied the parents who had to chaperone that wild bunch.

The red and blue decor, bright lights, and chaotic noises from the arcade made my head spin, but I was on a mission to bring some fun to my little protégé. I avoided sticky spots of spilled soda on the carpet, probably from those kids, and searched for an empty popcorn bucket. We couldn't see a movie without popcorn.

An overflowing trash can right outside the women's restroom caught my eye. Tons of refillable buckets were mine for the taking. I grabbed one, dumped the remaining kernels, and sauntered to the concession stand. This wasn't the most sanitary thing, but I lived in an abandoned warehouse and slept on the floor for shit's sake. Besides, it wasn't like the bucket was inside the trash can.

"Can I get a refill?" I tapped the bucket and passed it to the teen behind the counter.

His brows furrowed as he scrutinized me, but he shrugged and grabbed my secondhand bucket. "Sure thing." The red uniform shirt barely hung onto his lanky form, the oversized sleeves making his bony arms appear even thinner. When he wasn't working here, he probably spent his entire summer in someone's basement, playing video games until the sun came up.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a couple of bills. "Can I get a soda too? I'm tired of water." Too bad there wasn't an uncrushed soda cup in the trash can.

"Sure thing." After he tossed a few scoops of popcorn into the bucket, he filled a cup of soda for me and passed it over. "Enjoy the rest of your movie." He flicked frizzy brown curls from his freckled face as he grinned.

I returned the smile and plucked a few napkins from the holder. "Thanks."

My excitement could barely be contained as I marched to the left of the theater where that exterior door was hidden behind a wall of giant cardboard cutouts and promo crap. I set the food and drink down and opened the door, peering out as Jayla paced in the alley.

"Jayla bear! Get over here."

She spun when she heard me and sprinted through the door. "What took so long? I thought you forgot about me."

"I had to get some provisions."

Her eyes lit up when I grabbed the popcorn and soda. "You are the best, Tate!" Her arms wrapped around my waist as she squeezed so tight she threatened to pop my lungs .

My laughter echoed around us. "Don't forget that when I tell you to read those books."

She scowled. "Why do I need a summer reading list? I'm not even in school."

"You have to learn to be street smart and book smart." I tapped her temple as she released me. "Then no one can touch you."

"But you promised to teach me how to fight, too, remember?"

"I remember." Of course I wanted her to be able to physically defend herself when I wasn't around.

Jayla grabbed a handful of popcorn and moaned. "There's just something about theater popcorn."

"It's special." I winked and jerked my chin to the right. "Come on. Let's go see some shit get blown up."

Her beaming smile hit me right in the gut. "Car chases too."

My eyelids popped open, and I groaned at the creak in my neck from falling asleep on the desk in a cramped corner of the archives. Light from the small lamp cast a glow on the book I'd used as a pillow.

Earlier tonight, I couldn't sleep, so I snuck out of the room I shared with Fane and spent the last few hours poring over books and papers. After Jax told me about the archives at Silver Ridge, I started searching for any information on my parents. If one or both were shifters in Georgia, the head alpha might have a record of them. Of course, I told Barric I just wanted to learn shifter history.

At first, the stuffy room, crammed full of bookshelves and file cabinets, triggered my claustrophobia, and I spent hours sweating and trying not to have a complete freakout. Eventually, I got used to the small space and breathed a little easier. This was not the closet in Rena's room, and I wasn't locked in or tied to a pole. I could leave any time.

As the dream of Jayla flooded back, the pain of losing her brutally cut me. Warin crashed into our lives not long after that day and snatched her away. Maybe she could have defended herself if I'd taught her how to fight sooner.

My bitter laugh echoed against the surrounding dusty shelves. A little thirteen-year-old human wouldn't have done shit to a high demon. I barely survived.

I ran my fingers through my snarled pinkish-red hair and closed the book of family trees. How the hell could I find my parents when I literally had nothing to go on except my birth date? Then again, that could also be a lie.

A faint pulse of frustration throbbed in my chest, but it wasn't my own emotion. It came from Fane. He was either dreaming or woke up to find me gone. He claimed he hated being around me and had to curb his murderous urge all the time, but how much effect did Kaspin's spell still have on him besides the memory loss?

Our bond continued to deepen and pull us together like Cirilla warned. It felt like the vines connecting us had grown roots, burrowing into my very soul. Severing this link was impossible.

I stood and grabbed the books scattered around me, replacing them on the old wooden shelves along the walls. The scent of wood, leather, and dust wrinkled my nose, my senses sharper than ever. Maybe living in a house with so many shifters brought my own wolf closer to the surface.

I left the archives and entered a long hallway with dark wainscoting and baroque wallpaper that stretched before me like a never-ending passageway in a dream. The interior of the head alpha's house was huge. Like Corvin Manor, the raven's headquarters, witches had enchanted the Silver Ridge compound to significantly alter its size. On the outside, it appeared to be a typical historic Georgian style mansion in downtown Savannah with a wrought iron gate and a courtyard in the center. On the inside, a few dozen shifters could live comfortably.

Some of the pack members did live here—lots of unmated males—but most had their own homes within Savannah. Silver Ridge was an enormous wolf pack.

Besides the size, witches also created a mystical forest shifters could slip into and run in their animal form. Barric wanted a safe place for them—us—to get in touch with our animal side and run without fear of humans. Citizens and tourists spotting wolves in the city might cause a bit of chaos. We didn't need zookeepers and environmentalists trying to figure out why a bunch of animals were roaming the urban streets.

My toes sank into the soft carpet, and I turned the corner to find a similar hallway. I'd gotten lost a few times, circling the inner corridors for an hour until Fane projected himself to me to lead me out.

He got a laugh out of that.

After a few more turns, I ended up in the heart of the house at the massive balcony wrapping the main living room. Antique paintings and family photos of pack members decorated the walls. Art projects done by kids were even framed and hung on the walls. Comfy leather furniture filled the room below. Unlike Corvin Manor, the compound felt like a home. Warmth radiated from every corner of the historic mansion.

Most were asleep at this hour, but an older female shifter stood at the other end of the balcony, analyzing one of the many paintings. The silver braid running down her back glinted in the soft lights pouring from sconces .

Curious, I padded across the floor toward the other wall, and even though I didn't make a sound, she sensed me. Her head angled in my direction, her tan skin weathered and wrinkled, and she smiled.

"Hello, Tatum."

My brows dipped. "Do you know me?"

"Everyone here knows who you and Fane are." She faced me, her silver irises like molten metal as she chuckled. "You two are all the talk around here."

Heat flooded my cheeks, and I averted my gaze to the painting of Tamara, Barric's deceased mate. "I don't mean to cause so much drama. I'd rather fly under the radar."

"I'm Valeria, by the way." She returned her attention to the beautiful woman. "Do you know who this is?"

"Barric's mate."

Valeria nodded. "Such a shame we lost her. Tamara was a kind, loving soul. There aren't too many of them in this world."

"Did you know her well?"

Her wrinkled hand lifted, toying with the green stone dangling from a necklace. "I helped care for her during her pregnancy, and I delivered the baby." She swallowed hard as moisture collected in her eyes. "But my healer abilities weren't enough to save her. Or the baby."

My heart twisted at the pain and guilt infiltrating her words. I could practically taste the sorrow in the air. "I'm sorry." She not only lost someone she cared about but also the alpha's baby boy.

Valeria gave a watery smile and patted my shoulder. "Thank you."

Even though she was a total stranger, the healer's touch didn't make me cringe.

"You and Tamara would have gotten along perfectly."

My head cocked to the side. "Why? "

"Besides being kind and sweet, Tamara was also a little hellion when she was young." The old shifter chuckled, creating deep wrinkles around her eyes. "She was a sassy thing too. And headstrong. Of course, she had to have a fierce temperament to match Barric's energy."

"Did she give him hell?"

"Absolutely." Valeria studied me for several long moments as if trying to see beyond the thick walls I'd erected over the years. "Just like you give your mate. Fane will never have a dull day in his life."

A forced laugh slipped out as I shoved my hands into my hoodie pockets. Technically, it was Fane's hoodie. "Yeah, I guess." Fane only pretended to be my intended mate to keep all the other males away while he decided if he wanted to kill me or not.

"Be strong, Tatum." Valeria plucked a lock of my long hair, examining the strangely colored strands before tucking it behind my shoulder. "The answers you're looking for are closer than you think."

My lips puckered at her odd words. "What do you mean?"

The healer motioned to a painting of Barric near Tamara, her fingers hovering over a strange symbol in the left corner. "This is such a unique emblem, don't you think? Have you ever seen anything like it before?"

"No, can't say I have." At first, it looked like a bunch of squiggly lines within a circle, but upon closer inspection, it was a tree with twisted branches extending on the top and roots growing on the bottom.

Cold prickles cascaded over my scalp and down my nape. Was she trying to tell me something about this symbol, or was Valeria's mind a little warped from age? Hell, she could be over a hundred for all I knew .

The healer patted my hand, hers frail and bony, and then slipped by, sauntering down the hallway. "Good night, little one. Stay up late enough, and Fane will come searching for you."

Valeria was definitely a little eccentric. She kind of reminded me of Cirilla.

I shook off the strange encounter and descended the winding staircase to the bottom floor, my stomach growling. Since I couldn't sleep, I might as well get a midnight snack.

After finding the gigantic kitchen with white marble counters, rich mahogany cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances, I grabbed a bag of chips and my special seasoning from Dylan. Jax thought he was funny when he stuck a skull and crossbones warning sticker on the shaker, but at least it stopped others from using it. A few of them, like Jax, had regretted that mistake. No one could handle this stuff except me. And Fane. His taste for spice had grown since we'd been linked.

Just as I dumped a few handfuls of chips onto a plate and sprinkled my toxic seasoning, my nape prickled with unease when two young male shifters entered the kitchen.

"What are you doing up, Tate?" Marcel, a guy with dark hair and eyes equally dark, prowled the perimeter of the kitchen.

I pointed to my plate. "Getting a snack. Obviously."

Gray, the other wolf, circled the kitchen in the opposite direction. "Where's your mate?"

"Sleeping." I popped a chip into my mouth, chewing slowly. "Why?"

"He shouldn't leave you all alone for the wolves to descend."