4. Four

Sloane had lost her mind. What was she doing?

She was going to shift in front of the sheriff and expose us all.

I understood what she was thinking and why she was going to do it. It might be the only way to stop him from involving the FBI, but he’d already had his finger on his gun once. I didn’t want him to get trigger-happy when exposed to the supernatural world. Who knew how he would react?

I put my hand out in front of Sloane. “Let me show him. You can explain it. It will be better coming from you anyway.”

He didn’t know me, and I didn’t want her to have to shift back and be naked in front of the sheriff. That would make for an awkward conversation.

I dragged my waterlogged sweater up over my body and let it fall to the ground with a smack. Then I kicked my shoes off and tugged the socks off my wrinkly toes. My jeans were a lot harder to push down. They stuck to my legs because they were so drenched.

The sheriff held up his hand and took a step back. “Whoa, whoa, what are you doing? Put that back on, son. Sloane, what’s going on?”

Sloane let out a high-pitched laugh. “Sheriff, I think it’s easiest if we show you. You’re more likely to believe us that way. I don’t want you involved, but we can’t have any more people here asking questions, either.”

Sheriff put his hand out farther like that would stop me. I hopped on one foot as I tried to get my leg out of my jeans. The mud squished between my toes, and I nearly slipped. It took all my willpower to make sure that I didn’t fall on my butt in the mud.

Sheriff opened and closed his mouth like a fish. “I don’t know what he’s doing, Sloane, but please make him stop.”

I finally wiggled free of my jeans and let them fall to the ground. Then I put my hand on the band of my boxers but decided against taking them off.

Sloane gave me a small nod as her brows creased together.

She moved to stand right in front of the Sheriff. “We have to show you something. Please, just watch and promise me you won’t shoot Lincoln.”

The sheriff scowled. “Shoot him? Why would I do that?”

I didn’t give him a chance to ask more questions. I leaped forward, triggering my shift. My bones cracked as they realigned. I landed on all four paws as my wolf.

The sheriff reeled back so fast that he ran into his car. He would’ve toppled to the ground if Sloane hadn’t grabbed his arm.

But he didn’t look at her. He only watched me.

I sat on my haunches, not wanting to give him any reason to shoot me. I was finally starting to feel myself again after my injuries, and there was no need to jeopardize that now.

Sloane shook the sheriff, still gripping him by the elbow. “Sheriff Adam, look at me.”

The sheriff stared at me a moment longer before sliding his gaze back to her. “Sloane, what is happening? How is that possible?”

Sloane drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Lincoln is a wolf shifter. He’s like me. Like my entire family.”

The sheriff ducked his head to look at me again. “I’ve never seen any of you do that before. You’re telling me that your whole family does that? Your mom, dad, everyone?”

She patted his bicep. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. My whole family, everyone who lives here… We are all wolf shifters.”

She tucked her chin to her chest, and her shoulders drooped. “We aren’t supposed to tell humans about ourselves. But I thought you needed to know because I don’t want anyone else involved. You can’t tell the FBI. You can’t let anyone else come here.”

Sheriff Adam shook his head. “What does this have to do with what happened to Darrin? Or the house?”

She sniffled, and emotion clogged her throat as she spoke. “It has everything to do with Darrin and the house.”

She picked up a loose strand of hair, twirling it around her finger. “We are in the middle of a pack war with another pack. Their alpha is a tyrant, and he’s the one who killed Darrin and burned down the house.”

The sheriff pulled away from Sloane. His back hit the car, making it jolt as his hands shot up in front of him. “This all sounds crazy.”

He rubbed his eyes, then gawked at me like he expected me not to be a wolf.

He shook his head again and inched along the side of the car. “I don’t understand.”

Sloane fisted her hands at her sides. “I don’t need you to understand, Sheriff. I just need you not to call in the FBI or anyone else. This is a pack problem, and I don’t want to see anyone else get caught up in it.”

The sheriff slid farther along the side of the car. “This is insane.”

Sloane reached out for him, but he jerked back like she’d struck him. She dropped her hands to her sides and wiggled her fingers. “I’m sorry to have to tell you like this. I wish we didn’t have to.”

Sheriff made it to the front of his car and stepped around to the other side. “I just… I can’t just ignore this.”

Sloane put her hands on the car hood as she leaned forward. “Please, Sheriff, I need you to understand why you can’t involve anyone else in this. It’s too dangerous. We have everything under control. We don’t need outside interference.”

The sheriff yanked his car door open so hard that he almost tripped and fell. “I don’t know what you’ve got going on here, Sloane. I don’t know what you’re into, but it’s not right.”

I pushed back up to all fours as Sloane and the sheriff went back and forth. Their voices faded out for a moment as I started my shift.

My bones crackled, snapping and realigning as I took my human form. I grabbed my drenched jeans. Not only were they soaked through, but now they had mud all down the front of them, too. I hopped into them as best I could.

The car door slammed, and the sheriff’s car reversed down the driveway at high speed. He got about twenty feet away from us before turning around altogether.

Sloane stayed put, her chin tucked to her chest and one hand covering her face.

The mushy ground made it hard for me to get traction, and I kept slipping in my bare feet on my way toward her. I enveloped Sloane in my arms and pulled her to me so her back pressed against my chest.

“Do you think your plan worked?” I asked.

Sloane sighed. “I don’t know. He’s scared. I just know it’ll be worse if the FBI or any other law-enforcement agency shows up here. We don’t need to be dealing with them at the same time we’re dealing with Alpha Dane.”

She was right about that. Telling the sheriff about us was dangerous and could have repercussions. He could go bat-shit crazy and try to convince everyone there was a pack of wolves living here. But that would be a hard sell for most people. Shifters did a good job of keeping our kind a secret.

Sloane rested the back of her head on my shoulder. “I just hope we did enough to keep him from telling everybody that some horrible thing is going on here.”

I wrapped her tighter in my embrace. “It was a risky move, showing him. But we didn’t have a choice. He was asking too many questions, and you’re right. Involving other agencies would only make things worse. We don’t need human eyes prying into our pack business.”

Her shoulders fell, and she groaned. “Do you think anyone from the pack saw? I hope I didn’t give anyone else more ammunition to use against me.”

I didn’t see anyone, and I hoped no one was lurking. “No, I don’t think anyone else saw. They’re probably back at the enforcer’s house inside and out of this awful weather. Your mom does make a mean breakfast casserole.”

Sloane laughed and cried at the same time. “We should probably get back there and face them. They’ll be wondering where we are.”

I spun her around so she faced me and cupped her cheeks. “I know it’s difficult. But you’re doing great.”

She mashed her lips together and squinted. “Not so great that people aren’t questioning me.”

I swallowed. My gut told me we hadn’t seen the end of Thomas’s questions. “It’s natural. I’ve heard of it happening many times. Especially now with so many other alphas here. But we’re going to make sure that you are prepared.”

I tucked my hand underneath her chin. “If it comes to a fight, Sawyer and I will make sure that you win.”

Her brows knitted together. “I hope that means that you’re going to train me and not do whatever that mate thing is where you guys are in my mind and fighting for me. I have to win the battle by myself. It’s the only way I can truly call myself alpha.”

I bowed my head. “I’ll keep teaching you how to fight. But being an alpha isn’t just about brute strength.”

Sloane’s face hardened, worry lines forming around her eyes. “I think we need to start training today.”

I wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that we could wait. But we both knew that would be a lie.

I wanted her to have the proper time to grieve and process what had happened to her father. But she wasn’t going to get that.

I rubbed my thumb underneath her eyes, wiping away some of the rain and maybe a few tears, too. “I love you, Sloane.”

Her shoulders fell, and she blew out a long breath. She laid her head on my shoulder. “I don’t know what I would do without you. Without Sawyer. You both have done so much for me.”

I swaddled her in one last tight hug, pressing a couple of kisses to her cheeks. “We should head back. They’re going to be wondering where we are.”

Sloane grunted and nodded. “You’re right. We do need to do that.”

I put my arm around her and pulled her close as we walked back through the trees. I stopped to pick up my shirt but didn’t bother to put it back on. It was so sopping wet that it had to weigh at least five pounds. My shoes weren’t much better.

I pulled her a little closer. Her sweater felt like ice against my skin, and I could only imagine how cold she must’ve been. I needed to get her inside and into a hot shower.

She shivered, and I ran my hand up and down her arm, though I wasn’t sure if it helped. My skin was as frigid as hers.

She peered over her shoulder, and her hand went to my heart. “We need to start rebuilding.”

“Tomorrow. Today you need to rest and pay respects to your father. You haven’t had the chance to grieve properly.”

I could feel her anger and pain simmering beneath the surface, like a giant rock that kept sinking lower in her belly. Her heart was broken, and the sorrow in it made my chest ache.

She let her head fall back to my shoulder. “How long do you think it will take to build the house back up?”

I looked over my shoulder at the remains. The foundation might be salvageable. It would be easier to tell once we could get a closer look.

“I’m not sure. But let’s worry about that tomorrow. Okay?”

She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “Fine. I guess it’s enough for today to hope Sheriff Adam doesn’t come back with the cavalry.”

I mashed my lips together as I exhaled through my nose. “It was a risk telling him. But he’s going to have a hard time getting people to believe him. Plus, he knows you, your family. We have to hope that will count for something.”

“I hope so. Luna knows we need something to go our way.”

She was right. As a new alpha, winning the fight last night wouldn’t be enough. She had to build the pack back up and improve morale. It wouldn’t be an easy task.

And Thomas wasn’t wrong. I was my father’s son. If I was hurting Sloane’s position, I would need to distance myself from her.

My heart thudded painfully at the thought, and my wolf growled.

We keep our mate safe, no matter the cost!

Sloane perked up when the enforcers’ lodging came into view. Her belly grumbled loudly.

I chuckled. “Hungry?”

She nudged me. “For my mom’s breakfast casserole, always.” Her face fell, and her gaze darted toward the cemetery. “Dad loved it too.”

I kissed her temple. “Losing a parent isn’t easy, especially to tragedy. His life was cut short. But we remember him best by honoring what he loved and living up to what he would want us to be.”

Sloane rubbed her eyes and let out a sob. “I miss him.”

I stopped walking and drew her into an embrace. “I know, sweetheart.”

I wished I could tell her it got better with time, but the truth was nothing ever filled that gaping hole in your heart.

Her nails dug into my bare skin, and her warm tears cascaded down my shoulder, mixing with the icy rain and making me shiver.

She pulled back and gave me a soft kiss. “Thank you for having my back. We should get you inside. You’re absolutely frigid.”

I grasped her hand, intertwining our fingers together as we walked in comfortable silence. The front door to the cabin creaked open, and Willa bounded out toward us.

Sloane hurried ahead and grasped the younger girl’s arms. “Willa, you shouldn’t be out here. It’s freezing.”

Willa narrowed her eyes and gave me a determined look. “I had to talk to you where others might not hear.”

Sloane’s face paled, and my heart lurched. All I could think was what now?

Willa shook Sloane. “Thomas isn’t the only one who is questioning things. Ian and Jacob have both been approached by others. Sloane, you have to be careful. I think some of the alphas plan to challenge you.”