CHAPTER 7

Tess leapt from the truck and threw her arms around her father as soon as the old yellow truck came to a halt in front of the farmhouse. He wore the thick scar that now streaked down the side of his face with pride.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said.

“It would take a lot more than an army of bears to kill your old man,” Marcus laughed. Connor stepped up to the top of the stairs and shook his hand firmly.

“Thanks for covering while I was away,” he said.

“Oh, it’s only been two days or so, don’t mention it.”

Connor and Tess pushed their way into the farmhouse. The smell of freshly burnt food filled the air and Tess gagged, covering her face as best she could.

“What is that smell?” she demanded.

Her father limped his way inside.

“I probably should have said that I was trying to cook earlier and the time got away from me.”

He laughed and Connor went about the house, prying open every window he could find. The smoke and scent eventually started to billow out and everyone was thankful to be able to breathe again.

“Have you decided anything?” the old wolf asked.

Connor sighed and looked to Tess.

“We’ll talk to her,” Tess said confidently.

Her father nodded and returned outside where he started barking out orders to whoever might be standing around. A few minutes passed.

“Now, let me do the talking,” Tess said, “She’s probably really riled up since you locked her in a cell for the last few days.”

Connor nodded and poked at the overly burnt food that sat on a pan nearby. He plucked a piece out to try it but was met with the taste of char. He immediately spat it back out as Samantha hobbled in.

Tess gestured to the chair nearby at the table. Samantha’s eyes didn’t leave the burnt chicken on the countertop.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t fed her,” Tess asked.

“We fed her!” he replied, “I think.”

Tess grabbed the pan of food while staring angrily at Connor.

“You’re such an idiot sometimes,” she said.

Connor shrugged.

“Leave us alone for a while, will you?” Tess said.

“What if she starts attacking you,” Connor said shaking his head no.

“I think I can handle myself,” she replied sharply.

“Can you?” Connor asked. Tess shot him a look that spelled death and he back down. Alpha or no, Connor had no interest in being on the other side of that gaze for long.

“I’ll just be in the next room then,” he said.

The pair of women watched as he left the room and closed the kitchen door behind him.

As soon as he was out of sight, Samantha tore into the overcooked food. She didn’t care what it tasted like; she just wolfed down any part she could get her hands on.

“I’m sorry about all this,” Tess said, “He’s really nice, usually.”

The girl didn’t acknowledge Tess at all. Her hunger had overcome her sense of modesty. Tess sat silently nearby, waiting for her to finish. The food was gone within minutes and the girl slumped into her chair, satisfied.

“There,” Tess said, “can we chat now?”

“I’m still deciding,” Samantha replied.

“I heard Alex helped you out?” Tess said, “He’s my brother.”

The girl nodded and showed off her leg. The cast that still held it firm was weather beaten but still in good enough condition.

“He did this to me,” she said, “I thought I was going to die. We fell off a cliff and I was lucky to survive. Still, he came back and tied off the wound long enough for one of my pack mates to get me to safety.” She pulled the leather jacket that Alex had given her tighter around her shoulders.

“Alex told us that you knew why the bears were attacking,” Tess said.

“I do,” Samantha replied, “but if I told you would you really care to listen?”

“Of course!” Tess said.

“That’s not the way he saw it,” Samantha nodded her head to the door that Connor exited. “I knew I was coming into enemy territory but the least he could have done is heard me out right away. Instead, I have to deal with starving in a cage for almost four days before he so much as looks at me.”

“Is there anything I can give you to make you more comfortable right now?” Tess asked.

“Water,” she said, crossing her arms.

Tess stood and took a glass from the cabinet and filled it for Samantha. The girl took it quickly and guzzled down. With a satisfied sigh she replaced the glass on the table top.

“Please, help me understand why the bears have started attacking us,” Tess urged.

“You should know, shouldn’t you?” she said, “You’re the ones that started all the fighting.”

“What do you mean?” Tess asked confused.

“It was one of your kind that up and killed his our alpha’s mate. They found her dead by the roadside. Her body covered in wolf bite marks,” she said.

Tess held her hands to her mouth. The thought that any one of the wolves in the pack could have killed someone like that in cold blood made her heart sink.

“There’s no way anyone from this pack did that,” Tess said.

“Doesn’t matter, does it? Our alpha demanded that we wipe them all out. He was such a nice guy before then,” she said.

“It does matter. He wants to kill all the men, women, and children I’ve grown up with. There are lives at stake here.”

“And don’t you think I know that!” Samantha asked in return, “I don’t want to see more of my family fight and die because some wolf can’t keep his mouth shut.”

Tess sat down, stunned and silent. She couldn’t make sense of the situation in her own head no matter how hard she tried. She knew most shifters for a hundred miles and none of them would have killed another shifter unless provoked.

“What can we do to end this?” Tess asked.

Samantha leaned forward at the table.

“There are two ways. Either we keep fighting and dying, or you find the wolf responsible for killing his wife and turn him over,” she said.

Connor walked in.

“I thought I told you to wait outside,” Tess said.

“I was listening through the door,” Connor said nonchalantly as though it were just fine. “How are we supposed to turn over someone when we don’t even know who they are? Surely your leader must see how insane he is to hold us hostage because of one aggressive wolf.”

“Wouldn’t you?” she asked.

She was right, Tess knew it. Connor wasn’t the type to hold a grudge but he would have gone to the ends of the Earth to find the killer if anyone close to him were murdered, especially her.

“I need to speak with him,” Connor said.

Samantha laughed at the notion.

Tess stared at him with her mouth agape. In unison Tess and Samantha spoke.

“Are you kidding? That’s suicide!” Tess said.

“Fat chance,” Samantha added.

Connor held a hand up to silence them both.

“I’m going,” he said, “and you’re going to take me.” He looked Samantha right in the eye and she understood how serious he really was.

“If you’re going, then I’m going too!” Tess said.

“No you’re not,” Connor commanded, “this is too dangerous. I know that you would follow me anywhere but this I can’t allow.”

Tess shot up to her feet; emotion choking her throat and she fought hard to swallow it back down. He was doing something that even he knew to be crazy. But, the fire in his eyes told her that he would see this through to the end.

“Fine,” she gasped.

“I’ll take you back to Cliff Walker den,” he said, “you’ll be much safer there than you would be here.”

Tess fell into Connor’s arms and hugged him close. She didn’t want to see him go. She hadn’t seen this level of determination in him since they first united the packs. She knew he would do everything he could even if it meant giving his own life for the good of the pack, and it worried her.

“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Connor said, and turning to Samantha he added, “You can sleep in Alex’s old room for the night.”

“Thank god,” she exhaled, “another night in that cage and I’d have gone crazy.”

Tess showed Samantha upstairs as Tess’s father entered the room. His walking stick stamped against the ground as he eased into the seat at the table.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” he asked, clearly Connor wasn’t the only one eavesdropping. Tess rolled her eyes as she climbed the stairs.

“I don’t have a choice,” Connor replied.

“You’ve always got a choice,” he said, “but I think you’ve already made up your mind.”

“I think I can talk some sense into him,” Connor sighed.

The old man stood and leaned heavily on his walking stick.

“I’ve been in the same position you’ve been in now and made more mistakes than I care to talk about. Just make sure this is a mistake you can live with,” he said.

Marcus put a large hand on Connor’s shoulder and gripped it tight.

“For Tess’s sake,” he added, “And your child’s”