Forbidden Hope: A Werewolf Wars Prequel Novella (7 page)

“I needed to see you, Em. And now that I have, I’m even more worried. What is going on?” Marcus gripped her fingers as she tried to pull away. “No secrets. Remember?”

Emily averted her gaze, unable to stand his searing look.

His hand reached up, cupping her chin. Emily’s eyes slipped shut of their own accord as she melted into his touch and enjoyed the warmth of his hand.

“I love you, Em. We can get through this.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to anyone. My dad...he insists I go. If I don’t...” she shook her head, unable to finish. A lump formed in her throat and unshed tears burned her eyes. She couldn’t keep doing this. It hurt too much, every time she saw him her heart fractured a little more. She was in an impossible situation. No matter the choice she made someone would end up hurt.

“You don’t have to,” he assured. “Devon, Vincent, and I will figure this out.”

Emily swallowed as her head began to spin.
Oh god! Not only is Marcus in danger, but so are Devon and Vincent.

Her twin brother might escape the full fury of their father’s wrath but it was no secret that Emmett and Devon weren’t close. Both Devon and Marcus could end up dead. She would have her freedom, but at what cost?

Her heart skipped a beat at the realization. If she didn’t follow her father’s orders, she could lose two of the people she loved most.

“Marcus-”

He cut her off with a kiss, his lips melting against hers. Emily grasped his forearms, meaning to push him away, but pulled him closer instead.

Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to glide against hers. She shivered as his fingers traced up her shoulders and neck before pushing her hair back.

“Gosh, I’d hate to interrupt something,” Vincent called as he approached, a lopsided grin on his face.

Emily jumped away from Marcus. Her eyes widened as she scrutinized their surroundings. Her breath quickened.
Did someone see us?

“Relax, Em,” Vincent soothed, plucking a leaf from a tree and twirling the stem with his fingers.

Emily sucked in a deep gulp of air, willing her frazzled nerves to calm down.

“Em, what’s going on? It isn’t like you to be so on edge,” Marcus said, taking her hand again.

“Tears pricked her eyes.
What should she say? At this point, the situation was only getting worse.

“I have to go,” she murmured.

“You don’t have to do anything,” Marcus insisted.

Vincent stepped forward, confidently. “I’ll talk to dad-”

“No!” she interrupted. Heat scorched her cheeks as she remembered the altercation with her father the other night. “Just leave it alone. Both of you.” 

“How can we?” Marcus asked. “If you wanted this, it would be one thing-”

Emily lifted her hand up to stop him.

“We all know there is a crisis amongst our kind. There aren’t very many fertile female wolves. It’s causing unrest amongst some of the packs in the area. The lone and pack wolves are going to continue to attack until they capture me, Maddie, and Amelia. This alliance with the Gulf Packs will keep us safe. As a species, we all need to do our part,” she recited.

“You and I will have kids someday, Em,” Marcus objected.

Emily looked down at her sandals as she wiggled her toes. “My dad won’t let that happen and I can’t lose you.”

Marcus cupped her face. “I would rather fight for you than see you off someplace you don’t want to be. You’re my life, Emily McKinley, and nothing will change that.”

Emily nodded, knowing his words were true.

“He threatened to kill you,” she sighed, closing her eyes. “Yesterday, there were wolves watching us talk, if I hadn’t...” she shook her head.

“Dad isn’t going to kill anyone, Em,” Vincent replied.

“What are we going to do?” Emily asked, looking from her brother back to Marcus. “The leader of the Gulf Packs will be here tomorrow.”

“We’ll come up with a plan,” Marcus assured.

Emily nodded. “The two of us should keep our distance while the alpha is here. If something goes wrong, all of us will pay.”

“Someone’s coming,” Vincent whispered. “Go, Em! Get back to the house and showered before anyone can pick up Marcus’ scent on you. Marcus and I will shift and go for a long swim. Hurry.”

Emily didn’t need to be told twice. “Be safe,” she warned before sprinting toward the house.

***

M
arcus picked up the payphone and inserted his change. Devon nodded at him from across the bar. They’d both agreed that they needed to know more about the Gulf Pack and the tension between the other packs in their area. And, if it came to it, they needed a place to stay where Emmett wouldn’t think to look.

The phone clicked and the dial tone bleated loudly in his ear. Emmett screened all of the calls they made on their pack cell phones, which is why they had come out to call Quinn. His ex-pack mate, and one of the only survivors of his original pack, had left shortly after the attack on Emily three years ago. He’d opted to join a pack in Louisiana because he didn’t approve of Emmett’s rules.

The phone rang three times. “Hello?”

“Quinn, it’s Marcus,” he greeted.

“Marcus,” Quinn said slowly. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better,” he admitted.

“It's been a while.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I wish I were calling for better reasons, but I need to ask you a few things. We are having a bit of a situation with some packs up here in Oklahoma,” Marcus started.

“You too?”

“Yeah. There’s a lot of anarchy. There have been more attacks from both packs and lone wolves lately. I was just curious how things were going where you are?”

Quinn sighed heavily into the phone, causing it to crackle in Marcus’ ear. “I wish I could tell you things were good. But we’ve been having a lot of trouble with one pack in particular. It sounds like it’s the same pack from what you’re describing.”

“Which pack?” Marcus frowned.

“The Gulf Packs. They send in what you’re supposed to think is a lone wolf or a group pretending to be a pack. In reality, they are Juarez’s own men. Their job is to abduct any females, if possible, and to stir up trouble with your pack—make you uneasy. Then their leader Juarez shows up or calls and offers protection in exchange for fertile females. It’s all a ploy. If you refuse him, then he’ll attack your pack relentlessly until you fold—or die. You don’t have much of a choice when it comes down to it. You either fold and he takes your women, or you fight it out and he won’t stop coming until he takes your females. It’s all to get the female wolves. They are breeding them in New Mexico. It’s their solution to the lady problems we have,” Quinn explained.

Marcus gritted his teeth as anger surged through him. “I see.”

“Try to resist him if you can. The way he treats his females is horrendous. I know you were kind of sweet on the alpha’s daughter. What was her name again?”

“Emily,” Marcus breathed. All this was a gimmick and Emmett was walking them right into it. Knowingly or not.

E
mily gnawed on her fingernails as she peeked out the window. Lighting flashed in the distance, and a large splat of water landed on the windowpane. The weather matched her mood. Any second now, the car carrying Fernando Juarez would be making its way down the drive. Her life was going to change, whether she wanted it to or not.

Marcus isn’t going to let that happen! He’ll figure something out—we’ll figure this out.

She stiffened, hearing the crunch of tires of the gravel drive before the car came into view. Emily closed her eyes and sighed, willing this all to be some horrible nightmare. She opened her eyes praying for sunny skies, but was met with rain.

Thunder rolled overhead as a bright burst of light flickered. A silver car emerged from the trees and she leaned forward, trying to get a better look at the occupants. The hairs on her arm raised and a chill shot down her spine.

Emily jumped as a light knock sounded on her door. She spun around and met Daniel’s eyes as he shoved the door open.

“Dad wants you downstairs now.”

Emily huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and marched forward.

“Remember to behave, Em,” he warned. “This is important.”

“So is my life,” she mumbled under her breath.

“So is our pack. It’s not just your hide on the line. You don’t know what is going on out there. The Gulf Packs aren’t to be trifled with. If you speak out of turn, Marcus will die and you’ll wish for death. Please, Em.”

“How can you be okay with all this?” Emily demanded, studying her older brother. They’d never been close, but he’d always helped her when she needed it.

Something flickered over Daniel’s face and he looked away. “Dad’s waiting for us.”

Her heart clenched painfully; he wasn’t going to help her. At least there was still her mother—hopefully.

Emily gulped as her father’s gaze fell on her. Refusing to meet his eyes, she turned her attention to her mother and instantly felt her body begin to relax.

Claire McKinley gave her a warm smile, her hazel eyes expressing several emotions as she reached her hand out and took Emily’s in her own. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks,” she replied, looking down at her floral sundress.

Claire pushed the hair out of Emily’s face and tucked a lock behind her ear. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she whispered, pulling Emily firmly against her side.

Emily rested her head in the crook of her mother’s neck.

Three loud, crisp rasps on the door caused her to jolt upright. She gritted her teeth and took in a shaky breath. Her mother rubbed her hand up and down Emily’s arm as Emmett strode forward and opened the door.

“Emmett McKinley?” a man said, his bronzed arm reaching in to take her father’s. “I’m Fernando Juarez and this is my son Luis. It’s nice to meet you in person.”

Fernando Juarez instantly gave her the creeps. He looked smugly around the room at them as he entered. An air of power radiated off him and Emily could tell by the predatory glint in his eyes, he wasn’t a man who took objections well.

“Likewise. Welcome to our home, please come in,” Emmett greeted.

Emily held her breath and swallowed down the thick lump in her throat as the two men entered her home.

“Please allow me to introduce my darling wife, Claire, and our eldest son, Daniel, and of course our lovely daughter, Emily,” Emmett said smoothly.

“It is a pleasure to meet all of you,” Fernando said, his eyes bounding to each person as Emmett introduced them. When his gaze stopped on Emily, her breath caught in her throat. “I must say, the pictures your father sent of you do not do you justice. I can see you must get your looks from your mother.” At this he snapped his scrutinizing gaze to Claire.

Emily shuddered as goose flesh rose up on her arms. The voices around her became muted and her head swam. Blackness tugged at her consciousness and she blinked her eyes rapidly in an attempt to focus. She snapped out of her haze when Daniel tugged on her arm.

“Come on,” he hissed. “Dad’s office.”

Emily nodded, heat creeping across her face as all eyes fell on her again.

Their footsteps thudded against the hardwood and Emily inhaled a deep breath, trying to control her breathing. Her hands shook, and Daniel placed a firm hand on her back in an effort to support her.

“Calm down, Em. It’s going to be okay,” he whispered.

Emily shot him a glare as she ground her teeth. She closed her eyes and forced her body to relax. He was right, the other wolves could smell her fear, and that was not the image of herself she wanted to project.

Her father held the door open for them as they entered his office. Fernando and Luis took the two chairs positioned in front of Emmett’s desk while Emily sat on the couch between her brother and mother.

“I do appreciate you meeting with me so quickly,” Fernando began. “We have been having trouble with another pack in the Louisiana Bayous for some time, and I must make my way up there to oversee proceedings. It should only take me a week or two, and then I will be back here to collect Emily and deliver my granddaughter, Natalia.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Emmett questioned, taking a seat in his chair.

Fernando smiled. “I have the men and the resources; this pack is just being a particularly large thorn in my side. I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind setting up a training camp here for younger wolves. I have heard great things about the training you give to your pack.”

“Of course, I would love to help train your men,” Emmett nodded.

“We will be allowed to visit her in New Mexico, won’t we?” Claire spoke up.

“I would never keep a family away from their daughter. You may visit anytime you wish,” Fernando assured.

“And which of your grandsons will my Emily be mating with?” Claire asked, squeezing Emily’s hand.

Emily flinched.
She doesn’t know!

Fernando folded his hands and placed them in his lap before staring directly at Claire. “As you know, our species is in a dire situation. Only a decade ago, one girl was born out of every five pregnancies. Now, one girl is born with every ten pregnancies. Not to mention, it seems to be taking a long time for women to conceive. I don’t have the exact numbers, but I believe it takes anywhere between eighteen months and two years to conceive.”

“I’m well aware of the statistics. My son, Devon, has looked into them. What does this have to do with Emily?” Claire asked.

“She won’t be with just one of my grandsons she will be with several of them until she conceives,” Fernando replied.

Emily winced as her mother’s grip tightened painfully around her wrist. Claire opened her mouth to speak up, but Emmett spoke first.

“Times are different now, my love. I have seen projections for the outlook of our species. At this rate, werewolves will be extinct within the next century—possibly sooner.”

“I understand that,” Claire started. “But it has always been my thought that a man and woman in love would conceive faster and raise healthier, happier children.”

“I understand your reservations completely,” Fernando said quietly. “If it helps, two of my granddaughters are doing the same thing. I understand that love is important. However, the survival of our species cannot be left up to love alone.”