To Right a Wrong (10 page)

Werewolves kept their problems within the pack. It was grounds for banishment if any let their secret out, much less report on one of their kind. She couldn’t go to the elders or the alpha, because she suspected they all knew what Greggoire had done and were scared shitless to go against him.

“She lives in the white house with the blue Ford truck parked out front.” Dani pointed ahead to the left. “Do you want me to go by myself again to talk with her?”

“No. The occasion for being nice is over.” He glanced up into the night sky.

That scared Dani. The thought of losing Jordan would mean everything in her life was over. Her parents’ deaths would go unpunished.

Her mating with Ethan would be for naught. On top of all that, she and Ethan wouldn’t be able to stay in Drover with their pack, not with all the bad blood between Greggoire and her. She’d dug herself into her own grave, and the only way to save herself was if she succeeded.

The blare from the evening news playing on the television inside the house muffled her first knock. Dani turned to Ethan, raised her brows, and knocked louder.
Come on, answer the door.

The door swung open, and Butch Danielson filled the doorway. He scowled. His whiskered jaw and big bushy eyebrows made his normal happy-go-lucky expression appear more sinister and dark. “Danielle. Go away, girl.” She stepped back. “But, Mr. Daniel—”

“Go on with you now.” He moved outside, and closed the door behind him. His voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s not safe for you anymore. I’m having my own problems keeping my wife safe, I can’t be looking after you too.

Trust me, if your father was here, he’d tell you to leave.”

The noise filtering past the door to outside suddenly shut off and silence enveloped the three of them. She grabbed Ethan’s hand and tugged. She couldn’t just up and leave. Jordan was still out there somewhere.

“Butch, we’d like to talk with you. It’ll only take a few seconds.” Ethan motioned toward the house. “Can you meet us away from here? Let’s say, behind the gas station where old man Johnson used to live?”

The lines around Butch’s mouth deepened and he seemed to study Ethan. “I wish you wouldn’t have come back. But give me an hour.” He turned and went back into the house.

The door shut firmly, and Dani let go of Ethan. “You knew him before.” It wasn’t a question. It only made sense that he knew the older members of the pack. At one time, before Greggoire ruined his reputation, Ethan was their alpha. He was a legend to everyone who came after, so why would they believe Greggoire over Ethan?

Chapter Eleven

Old man Johnson’s place had been

abandoned for more years than Ethan could remember. The foundation no longer supported the three-bedroom cottage, and instead the whole structure leaned prominently to the left.

Ethan tilted his head. It seemed like yesterday that he sat with Mr. Johnson on the porch and learned the ways of his kind.
You’re a legend,
son,
he had said.

Dani stepped closer and rubbed his lower back. “What’s wrong?”

He frowned, but remained silent.

“Come on, I know something’s bothering you.” She lifted her chin and gazed at his face.

“Just remembering the past.” He bent over at the waist, picked up a baseball-sized piece of concrete. Clenching his hand, he studied the smaller chunks as they broke apart and peppered the ground. “There was a time when I believed everything our ancestors passed down, but times have changed. I’m not sure I recognize anything going on any longer. I mourn for what could have been.”

She crossed her arms and shivered against the nighttime cold. “You can get it back.

Everyone has always known that success of the pack depended on you. I grew up hearing about the great Ethan Tolene… You’ll fight and bring out the truth. I have no doubt that once you’ve earned the alpha position the people will see how wrong they’ve been to trust in Greggoire.” The raw loyalty coming from his mate pushed aside any doubts, and her belief in him helped him draw from the strength inside his heart. He pulled her into his embrace, pressing her against his chest. “You heal me, little one.

Thank you.”

Dani slipped her arms around his waist. “I knew you were the one for me since…forever. I think every little girl’s fantasy mate was you. The stories I heard formed the image of a perfect wolf, the perfect mate, the perfect man. Reality is so much better. You really are perfect. I can’t wait until this is over. Despite the way I forced myself onto you and the reasons why I chose you for my mate, I do love you. I hope you don’t—”

“Shh…” He laid his thumb on her mouth and traced the plump curve of her bottom lip. His balls tightened. He’d like nothing more than to jump right into her. Yet, he knew giving her less than half a man wasn’t fair to either one of them. He needed to gain his position back. Then he’d spend the rest of his life showing her how much he loved her. “Soon, little one. We’ll have our lives back, and spend every day enjoying each other.”

He leaned over and claimed her mouth with a low growl. With Dani, he felt so connected, solid; he almost believed his own words.

She slipped her hands underneath his shirt.

The warmth of her hands branded his skin and fueled the heat only she could bring from his core. Hell, even his wolf sat up and begged whenever she paid him the slightest amount of attention.

He could do this. He’d take down Greggoire and release the hold he had on the pack. Ethan owed them that much.

“Mmm…I can’t wait for this night to be over.

I’ll have you and Jordan home, and—”

“Quiet.”
He covered her mouth with his hand.

Far from the main road through town, the rumble of a car engine wouldn’t reach his ears, but he had heard something. He let go of Dani and stepped away from the house, straining to detect any noise. He glanced back at her; she too struggled to listen to the night.

“Something’s wrong.”
He returned to her side without taking his gaze off the road in front of them.
“It’s too quiet.”

She slipped her finger into the back pocket of his jeans.
“It’s late. People are probably settled
down in their homes for the rest of the night.”

“No.”
He reached behind him and grabbed her hand.
“Let’s go.”

“What about Butch? He should be here any
minute.”

He pulled her along the deserted back street and jogged west toward their house.
“We’ll have
to do this without his help.”

* * *

“Don’t worry. You’re not alone anymore, little
one.”

“I know.”
She wondered if her dad had known how desperate the Drover pack had become before he died. If what Ethan believed was really happening, how many members of the pack were involved? Were they even worth saving? She pushed the thought out of her mind. If Ethan was right, her little brother’s life was being wasted by them all.

She slowed down and fell behind Ethan, letting him lead her through the shadows of Main Street. Although Ethan was the only one in possession of the journal, somehow Greggoire must have figured out on his own that drinking the blood of another werewolf would boost his powers. His strength, hearing, speed, and stamina would exceed those of the werewolves who had followed the rules and stuck to eating the animals of the forest.

“Ethan?”

He slowed down and let her catch up.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think they won’t become desperate
enough, and Jordy will be safe for a little longer?”
She stopped along the sidewalk. Her breath came in gasps, not from running, but from fear.

“There is no way for me to even guess. I wish
I would have remembered this was possible
before showing myself to Greggoire.”
His usually bright eyes were dull and troubled.
“I’m afraid I
might have pushed Greggoire to go a step further
with his plan by coming back here and
threatening his position with the pack. He’ll want
to grow as strong as he can before the
competition. He’s always been weaker than me,
but now I have no idea what kind of shape he is
in.” “He could kill Jordan so he’s able to beat
you.”
She simply had to state that aloud to believe it. It wasn’t normal for either werewolf or human to endanger a baby with no sense of guilt and disgust. It made her physically sick to even think it was possible. She wanted to kill Greggoire, but that was different. He needed to pay, and she’d not feel an ounce of damn guilt about doing the job herself.

Rounding the corner at Main and Alder, Ethan lifted his arm and blocked her way. She stopped and followed his line of vision farther down the row of houses. A dark shadow lay in the driveway to their house.
“Oh my God. Is
that…what I think it is?”

“Looks like Greggoire left us a warning.”
Chapter Twelve

The mysterious package took form the closer they came to the house. Dani gasped. A headless body of a male werewolf sprawled on his stomach lay in her driveway in a broken heap.

Ethan grabbed the back of the man’s trousers and rolled the body over. Dani covered her mouth with both hands. Bile rose in her throat, and she struggled to swallow it down.

“Who is it?”
She turned away from the gruesome scene in front of her.

Ethan stepped back and wrapped his arm around Dani.
“It’s Butch.”

She buried her head in Ethan’s chest and squeezed her eyes shut. Another death. How many more would there be until it stopped? She groaned. Her vision filled with unshed tears.

“Oh, God, someone needs to tell Mrs.

Danielson.”

Ethan’s body stiffened. He yanked Dani behind him. “Is this your sick joke, Greggoire?” Dani peered around her mate’s broad back.

Mr. Lehman, Stan Jenson who owned the Motel 6, and Keith Pegrow, a guy she’d gone to school with, flanked the alpha’s sides. None of them even took notice of her but kept their gazes trained on Ethan.

“Butch was no longer useful to me.” Greggoire stepped closer and glared at Dani.

“Where’s my boy?”

“Your—?” She jumped forward, but Ethan grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back. She stabbed her finger at the alpha.

“Jordan’s
my
brother.”

Greggoire’s lips curled into an ugly smirk. He walked beside Butch’s lifeless body and nudged the body with the toe of his shoe before squatting by the corpse. He brushed off the front of Butch’s shirt and heaved a sigh. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. I would hate for something to happen to the young boy like it did for poor Butch here. He and I have become close. Almost like father and son, you could say.”

She strained to get loose, digging her fingers into Ethan’s arm. She wanted to gouge her nails in the son-of-a-bitch’s eyes and wipe the smug look off his face. “He’s not anything to you. Give him back to me. He’s my family. You’ve taken everyone I love. Please…just let me have Jordy.” The muscles in her legs gave out. Her knees buckled and she sagged against Ethan. He tightened his hold to keep her standing. Then Greggoire’s words came back to her and stole her breath.
He doesn’t know where Jordy is
either.

Greggoire stood and approached her. He stopped three feet away and stared over her shoulder at Ethan. “You’ve got two hours. The challenge will be in the clearing by Shalin Creek.

I’m sure you remember where I’m talking about.”

“I’ll be there.”

Lowering his gaze, Greggoire narrowed his eyes at Dani. “If I find out you have my boy, you’ll pay. After tonight, you won’t have your mate to protect you. Think about wha—” She spat in his face. “You’ll never beat Ethan. He’s a legend among werewolves.” Greggoire swiped his forearm across his face and threw back his head, laughing. “Oh, Danielle, you are going to be so much fun to break. Enjoy her while you can…cousin.” He walked away. Two of the men who had come with Greggoire picked up Butch’s headless body and lugged it away with them.

Dani turned around and faced Ethan. “Did you hear? He doesn’t have Jordy. He has no idea where he is.”

“I heard.” Ethan grabbed her hand and led her into the house. “I’ve got to get ready.”

“Ethan! This means that my brother is still alive. If Greggoire doesn’t know where he is, and he thinks I have him, he hasn’t been able to use his blood. You’ll have no problem kicking his ass and getting the alpha position back.” She closed the front door and followed Ethan into the bedroom. “Once the challenge is over, we can figure out where Jordan is.”

“Should we wait?”

She ran her hands through her hair. “Gah, we’re no closer to finding him than we were before. I have no idea where he would be or with whom. I just hope wherever he is, he’s safer than he was with that bastard.”

Ethan threw his duffle bag on the bed and moved over to the closet. Dani paced the length of the room. If someone took Jordan and Greggoire didn’t know who did, that would mean…

“Does Greggoire have any enemies besides us? Anyone you remember fighting for the alpha position or someone he’s screwed over in the past?”

“I can think about that.”

She sat on the edge of the bed. “Maybe someone took Jordy to hurt Greggoire, or maybe someone saw what Greggoire was doing to gain his higher strength and wanted to…I need to go ask the members of the pack. Someone has got to know something. Greggoire is too stupid to keep what he does to himself.”

A click of a magazine shoved into a pistol drew her attention. She frowned. While she’d been thinking aloud, he’d set out an arsenal of weapons on the other side of the bed. “What are you doing? You can’t use these things in a challenge. The pack won’t allow it, never mind Greggoire. It’ll just give him a reason to kill you if he thinks you are going against the rules. I thought you were saving everything for when we save Jordy.”