24. Twenty-Four

twenty-four

I longed for the safety of Penn’s farmhouse. Unfortunately, Finneus wasn’t ready to dismiss us quite yet. He wanted the pack to spend the evening toasting to his new fiancée, as though we hadn’t just gone through all these same ceremonies and rituals for another woman.

Malia and Finneus opened the dance floor, which Paula did not appreciate. Once she remembered all eyes were on her, she plastered on a fake smile and pretended the slight didn’t bother her. When Finneus finally did invite his future mate to dance, she beamed with pride. I felt a little ill.

Finneus beckoned Penn to the dance floor. I thought he’d insist I accompany him, but Penn seemed to prefer I stay as far away from his brother as possible. It was for the best, for everyone involved.

“She’s in good hands, dear,” Grace promised. “Nothing will happen to Drake on my watch. Go on. You don’t want to keep the alpha waiting.” Her tone, shockingly, lacked sarcasm.

I offered an encouraging smile, though a part of me didn’t want him to leave me. Maybe it was being inside the Temple of the Alpha, but I suddenly felt queasy and experienced the same sense of foreboding I had the night Dad died.

“Will you be okay for a few minutes?” Penn asked, clearly sensing my near-desperate desire for him to stay.

“Of course,” I replied without missing a beat.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised.

The strays watched Penn leave, their hungry eyes returning to me once he reached the spot where Finneus stood with Paula clinging to his shoulders as they swayed back and forth.

“That smug smile makes it really hard to feel bad for her,” Evera muttered, drawing my gaze from the perimeter of the room.

I shrugged. “Maybe they are true mates. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised.”

Evera glanced around the ballroom as though searching for someone. “Have you seen Anders tonight?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No. I’m not sure the last time I saw him, actually.”

Grace’s gaze narrowed. “He was the boy dating Belinda, yes?” she asked in a soft voice.

Evera gave a curt nod. “I’m worried about him.” Her eyes lit up. “There’s Stacey. Maybe Oscar’s talked to him.”

Grace waited until her daughter had hurried away before turning to me. “The attack must have been very upsetting for you.” Her jaw hardened. “Disgusting.”

Her tone drew several stares from those nearby.

“I’m fine,” I said too quickly. “It was a lot last night, but I’m doing better today.”

We both knew this was a lie. I was not okay. Donnelle and those strays had attacked me in my own home. They had destroyed my downstairs. I honestly didn’t know whether I would ever be able to go back inside without remembering what happened.

“Is there something else bothering you, then?” Grace asked.

The question popped out before I gave it much thought. “Can I ask you something—about the color of my wolf?”

Understanding passed through her expression, as if she’d predicted I would one day initiate this conversation.

“Some believe white wolves are bad luck,” she admitted, sounding a lot like her daughter.

“Why, though?” I pressed. “Just because we’re rare?”

A wheezing laugh filled my ear. I jumped, surprised I didn’t hear the other woman approach—the one who’d sat beside me at the true mates ceremony.

“Hello, Drake. Nice to see you again.” Her eyes twinkled as they turned from me to Grace. “And you too, Gracie.”

“Ethel, how are you?” Evera’s mother greeted the other woman with a warm smile.

“Why did you laugh?” I asked before Ethel could answer. “What is it about white wolves that breeds so much superstition?”

She glanced from Grace to me and back to Mrs. Matthews, a look of utter astonishment lighting up her expression. “What do they teach you in school, child? I would have thought Basil would at least tell his daughter the legends surrounding her kind.”

Grace shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “Ethel, I hardly think this is the time or the place—”

“Have you heard the story of the first white Ophiuchus wolf?” Ethel asked, ignoring Evera’s mother. “She was the alpha’s true mate—one half of the original alpha couple.”

A shiver ran down my spine for reasons I didn’t understand.

“Do you know how she died?” Ethel gazed up at me expectantly.

I shook my head, a sour taste filled my mouth. “No, ma’am.”

We had learned of the original alpha couple in school, and my father had spoken of them on holidays and during rituals, but I couldn’t recall a single mention of their deaths.

The older woman leaned closer as if to tell a secret. “She got herself turned.”

It took me a minute to appreciate her words. “T-t-turned? Like, into a vampire?” I stammered. I shook my head defiantly. “No. Surely, that can’t be right. I would remember learning that.”

My eyes shifted to Grace for backup. Her pursed lips spoke volumes.

“It’s true?”

She nodded. “I’m afraid it is one of those dirty little secrets our pack ensures is forgotten with time.”

“Along with the fact we used to kill little girls if their wolf emerged white?” I asked, a sharp edge to my voice.

“That hasn’t happened in a very long time, Drake,” Grace said.

A part of me had expected—or at least hoped—she’d deny it. That she would say that was never a practice among our pack. And yet, she hadn’t. I didn’t know how to feel. What did it mean? That my dreams were truly glimpses of the past?

Oracles dreamt of the future, but I didn’t know any stories about people who visited old memories.

Penn returned in a foul mood, effectively ending the conversation. “The alpha would like a word, Drake.”

I closed my eyes and steeled my nerves. This was a test. Finneus wanted me to behave, to play nice with him in front of the pack. I just needed to hold my tongue and get through the next few minutes.

Penn’s expression softened. “Can you do this—for me?”

I pretended to consider, as though I had a choice in the matter. “If I say yes, can we leave afterward?”

Penn’s lips twitched. “No promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Finneus and Paula sat together, just the two of them with Malia on the dais. Penn escorted me the entire way and remained by my side, though he kept his eyes on his brother instead of me.

“Drake, we are so glad you could join the celebration this evening,” Finneus said in a booming voice meant to be heard throughout the room.

Couples on the dance floor turned to look.

“Thank you for inviting me,” I said in the politest tone I could muster.

“Isn’t it customary to curtsy before your betters?” Paula asked with a raised eyebrow as she covered Finneus’s hand with her own.

He shook her off, nostrils flaring as though her touch irritated him. That didn’t bode well for their future together.

“I’m sure Drake meant no disrespect.” His dark gaze never left my face.

“Of course not.” Heart pounding, I dipped into a shallow curtsy. “Congratulations to you both on your upcoming union. May your match be true and prosperous.”

A slow, unnerving smile spread across Finneus’s thin lips. Penn inched closer to me.

“My apologies for the incident last night. It was a misunderstanding. Of course,” Finneus leaned back in the chair, “now would be the perfect time to pledge obedience to me and alleviate any lingering doubt about your loyalty to our pack.” His grin widened. “To avoid future misunderstandings.”

I knew it was only a matter of time before he demanded fealty, so none of this came as a surprise. Especially after all the division Belinda’s death had caused. Finneus wasn’t stupid. If I accepted him as alpha, it would mend some of the broken links in his chain of command.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Penn tense. He either hadn’t known Finneus intended to do this here and now or he was worried about my reaction. He was right to be concerned when it came to this. Nothing inspired more fury than the thought of calling his brother alpha. It sickened me to my core, and yet obstinance had gotten me nowhere.

What had Malia said to me the first time we met—something about stubbornness being my downfall? Could I change that ominous fate? If I gave Finneus what he wanted, would that buy me some goodwill?

As long as I lived, it would probably be the greatest test of my strength. Expression carefully schooled to neutral, I sank into a low bow and said the words Finneus longed to hear.

“Ophiuchus above all, my alpha.”

When we returned to Penn’s farmhouse, I locked myself in the bathroom and scrubbed my skin raw in the shower to wash away the grimy feeling of betrayal. Could I ever forgive myself for bending to Finneus’s will? Should I?

Penn had been characteristically silent on the drive back to the farmhouse, which I’d appreciated at the time. In hindsight, I was surprised he hadn’t at least commented on the exchange with his brother.

Does that make me needy? I wondered.

Just like the previous night, I slept in Penn’s old bedroom while he slept downstairs. I thought he might come check on me, and I found myself disappointed when he didn’t. I let my mind wander to the conversation about the original white Ophiuchus wolf and wondered if there was any possibility Grace and Ethel were mistaken—at least about the vampire part.

I just couldn’t believe our history had been so heavily edited. Maybe I simply wanted something they said to prove false, so I could continue to blissfully doubt my dreams were anything more than nighttime amusement.

At some point, I got up to use the bathroom and noticed the lamp beside the sofa was still on. Penn’s soft snores filled the downstairs. I tiptoed down the steps and turned off the light. My shifter eyesight was good enough to see his features clearly in the dark.

Penn seemed so peaceful in sleep, like he didn’t carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. His full lips were parted as if waiting for my kiss. Blond hair fell over his smooth forehead. My fingers itched to smooth back the silky strands.

Then, I noticed the book laying open on his bare chest like he’d fallen asleep while reading it. My book. Well, Dad’s book of fairytales. What the hell was Penn doing with it?

I reached for it to take it upstairs with me. Long fingers closed around my wrist. I stiffened and stared down at Penn’s closed eyes. For a minute, I was certain they would be crimson when they opened.

Get it together , I lectured myself.

Gold irises stared up at me an instant later. “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

I swallowed over the lump in my throat and shook my head. “Nothing. I just…” I trailed off, suddenly too tired to explain why I’d come downstairs or ask about the book.

Penn set the fairytale collection on the back of the sofa and tugged my wrist gently, voice husky when he said, “Come here.”

He scooted over to make room for me. I curled up with my back pressed against his chest. Penn’s breath was warm on my neck. Laying there in his embrace, I realized how much I hadn’t wanted to be alone. I craved the comfort of his steady heartbeat, which seemed to calm my own.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, breath fanning my cheek.

Did I? I honestly didn’t know. Words couldn’t express my conflicting emotions and thoughts.

I sighed. “Not really.”

Penn played with my hair, brushing the strands from my shoulder and running his fingertips over my collarbone. His stubble tickled my skin and sent warmth flooding my insides as he leaned forward and whispered in my ear.

“So, you came down here to watch me sleep?” he teased. His palm slid down my arm and he threaded his fingers with mine. “I didn’t take you for that type of girl, Drake.”

I laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

A comfortable silence fell between us. Penn traced shapes on my palm with his thumb, an oddly familiar gesture that lulled me into a sense of peace. His skin was so warm, even through my clothes, I didn’t need a blanket.

For most wolves, cuddling wasn’t sexual. We were pack creatures with an innate need to be physically near other shifters. But I wasn’t like most wolves in our pack. Aside from Evera, I’d never been affectionate toward my friends the way they were to each other. I’d never let my hormones get the better of me, and I’d never ended up in bed with one of my classmates.

Until my dream about Penn, I’d never experienced sexy time with another supernatural.

So, for me, snuggling up against his naked chest brought to mind all sorts of naughty thoughts. I wanted to play out the dream and finally get my happy ending.

“Either tell me what’s got you so worked up or I’ll suggest alternative ways to clear your mind,” Penn mumbled, scraping his canines along my earlobe. “Then we can both get some sleep.”

My skin heated at all the ways we could spend the rest of the night that involved neither talking nor sleeping. Was I really ready to go down that road with Penn? In moments like these, when pheromones charged the air and our bodies pressed together, it was easy to imagine sex with Penn. It was anything that came after I found hard to envision.

“It was something Ethel said,” I admitted. “Did you know the first alpha’s mate was turned into a vampire?”

Penn stiffened and his thumb stilled. “She told you that?”

I nodded. “She said that’s why people say white wolves are bad luck. Is that true?”

He was quiet so long I wanted to roll over and face him, but I didn’t dare. The atmosphere in the room had changed. Not drastically, though there was a darker energy than before.

“It is,” Penn said at last. “They used to call it the Curse of Diana.”

I bolted upright and nearly fell off the couch, and I would have if Penn hadn’t grabbed me. His eyes were gold and alert and full of concern.

“What’s wrong, Drake?” he demanded.

“Diana? The original Ophiuchus alpha—his mate was named Diana?” My voice shook with the question. “You’re positive?”

“Yes, why?” Penn’s gaze captured mine. “What’s going on, Drake?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I think I’ve been dreaming about her…maybe. Does that sound ridiculous?”

To my surprise, Penn didn’t look surprised. “Not ridiculous at all.”

“What happened to her? Is she still around?”

“I don’t know,” Penn admitted. “But tomorrow, I know some people we can talk to who might.”