Return of the Alpha (6 page)

“Do you have a better plan? The only way I'm going to find Marlow is by asking questions. If I'm right, and I belonged to this pack, then I'll be able to do that. But not if you're with me.”

“The more I hear, the less I like it.”

“If things do go according to plan, I'll be perfectly safe by myself. You can come back here, and I'll return as soon as I've tracked down Marlow.”

Craven sighed. He might not have liked the plan, but he knew it made sense. “We'll take that road.” He pointed. “But if the shit hits the fan, we try to make it back to the border. We only stand and fight if there's no other choice. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

The road led to a quiet suburb—the city centre was still at least two miles away. The streets were relatively quiet, and no one seemed to pay me any mind. If I was wrong about having been a member of the Semron pack, I needed to know while we were still close enough to the border to make our escape. If things went wrong when we were in the city centre, our chances would be much worse. There was a coffee shop on the opposite side of the road. Several shifters—in human form—were sitting at the tables outside. It was now or never.

I glanced behind me. I couldn't see Craven, but I sensed he was close by.  As I approached the coffee shop, two of the shifters looked up. My heart was pounding so hard I felt sure they would hear it. At the very least, they'd be able to sense my fear.

“Hi,” one of the shifters said. Another one nodded in my direction.

“Hi there.” My throat was so dry I could hardly speak.

“Are you lost?” the younger of the two said.

For a moment, I froze.

“You okay?” his companion asked.

“Yeah. I'm just on my way to the city.”

“Won't you join us for a coffee?”

I was within a few feet of them. If they hadn't recognised me as one of their own pack, I'd have known about it by now. The fact they were openly flirting with me was all the confirmation I needed. I hoped Craven had seen enough to be convinced, and that he'd go back to the hillside. If he didn't, and he continued to follow me, we'd be in deep trouble.

*********

What on earth had I been thinking? How had I ever expected this to work? The only thing I had to go on was a name: Marlow. I couldn't even be sure that
was
his name or that he existed outside of my dream. I'd been wandering around the city for almost four hours during which time I'd asked every shifter I'd come across, but no one recognised the name. Craven would be getting impatient and very nervous. I didn't want him to come looking for me, but I was reluctant to throw in the towel just yet. One more hour and then I'd have to call it a day. There was always tomorrow.

As soon as I turned the corner, it hit me. The sense of deja vu was overwhelming. I had to lean against the wall of the apartment block. I felt so light-headed that I was afraid I might faint. It took several minutes to steady my breath and regain my composure. Somehow I knew this was the right place. Even before I reached the main entrance, I could see the double-doors in my mind's eye. Sure enough, there they were.

An elderly female shifter came out of the building. “Hi,” she said, as she held the door open for me.

Had that been recognition I'd seen in her eyes or did she greet everyone in that way? Once inside the building, I glanced at the names listed above the mailboxes. I didn't recognise any of them. The lifts were at the end of the corridor on the left-hand side. How could I know that unless—?

I hesitated—not sure if I should call the lift. Just then, there was a
ping,
and the lift doors opened in front of me.

“Louise?” The female shifter who stepped out of the lift looked as though she'd seen a ghost. Maybe she had.

I took a step back.

“Louise?” she said again. “We thought you were—. Are you okay?”

“Do you know me?” It was a dumb question, but my brain had turned to mush.

“It's me, Jessie.” She looked more than a little confused. “Pirus's mate.”

“Pirus?”

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“I had an accident. I lost my memory. Who's Pirus?”

“Marlow's brother.”

At last. That name. He did exist. He wasn't just someone I'd conjured up in my dreams.

“Do you think I could get a drink of water?” I asked.

“Sure. Let's go up to the apartment. The kids are at school.”

“Thanks.” I took a long drink. “I'm sorry if I gave you a start.”

“Forget it. I'm just pleased you're alive. We thought you must be dead after all of this time. What happened? Sorry, I guess that's a stupid question with your amnesia.”

“I've only just begun to get flashes of memories. That's why I came here today. I remembered Semron and the name Marlow. I had to come and find out who he is.”

Jessie hesitated. I could see it wasn't easy for her.

“Please. I really need to know.”

“You and Marlow lived together for over fifteen years.”

“We were mates?”

“No.”

“But if we were together for all of that time?”

“We thought you were mates. Everyone did. We didn't find out until just before you left that you'd never truly been mates. Marlow loved you dearly—I know that. He'd have done anything for you.”

I was almost afraid to ask. “Where is he now?”

Jessie's head dropped. “We don't know. Dead most likely. But then, we thought you were dead too.” She managed a weak smile. “So maybe there's a chance—”

Jessie insisted on making coffee. I'd thought I wasn't hungry, but changed my mind with my first bite of her chocolate-chip muffin.

“I don't know the full story,” Jessie began. “But from what I can gather, you were the fated mate of the alpha of the Terroun pack.”

“Craven.”

“Yes, that was his name.” She nodded. “From what I understand you were being held prisoner, and were about to be killed when Marlow rescued you, and brought you here to Semron. He thought you'd have more chance of being accepted into the pack if you pretended to be mates. And in the end, you very nearly became just that.”

“What happened?”

“After fifteen years of living a lie, you finally agreed to become Marlow's mate.” Jessie sighed. “I wish to god you had.”

“What happened?”

“Marlow couldn't live with himself because he'd kept something from you. He'd known that Craven was still alive at the time he'd freed you from the enclosure. If he'd kept quiet, you and he would have become mates, and would still be living here today.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was wracked with guilt over what he'd done. I don't think he could live with himself, so he went in search of Craven. He felt he owed it to you to see that you and your fated mate were re-united.”

“Do you know where he went?”

“His note said he was going to Maja—the last known location of Craven. You went after him. That was the last we heard of either of you.”

“So he could still be alive?”

“If someone had asked me that yesterday, I'd have said it was impossible. Now? I don't know.”

“Do you have a photo of him?”

Jessie walked over to the wall unit, and picked up a framed photograph. Even though I tried to brace myself, the impact of what I saw was almost physical. Staring out at me from the photo was Jessie, arm in arm with a man. Next to him stood another man—it was apparent that the two male shifters were brothers. And next to him—there I was. The four of us beaming into the lens.

“Marlow?” I pointed to the man at my side.

Jessie nodded. “You still don't remember him?”

It was hard to explain. I wouldn't have picked his face out of a line-up, but there was a sense of—what? A connection?

“Do you mind if I call Pirus?” Jessie said. She already had the phone in her hand.

“Sure. Go ahead.”

Chapter 8

LOUISE

Pirus came straight home. As soon as he saw me, he pulled me into his arms and gave me a hug. I felt a little awkward and wasn't sure how to respond to this man who felt like a stranger.

“I can't believe it,” he said when he took a step back. “Where have you been?”

“She doesn't want to go through all of that again,” Jessie said. “I'll bring you up to speed later.”

“Do you know where Marlow is?” Pirus asked.

“No, I'm sorry. Like I told Jessie, I have amnesia. I've only just started to remember snippets. I remembered Semron, and Marlow's name—that's why I came here.”

“Did you come alone?”

“No, I'm with my mate.”

“Craven?”

“You know him?”

“Not really. Only what you told me on the day you left to follow Marlow. How did you find him?”

“He actually found me. It took him forty years.”

“Where is he now?”

“I left him on the edge of the territory. He wasn't very happy about it, but I figured I'd be safer coming alone because I'd once been a member of the Semron pack.”

“You must bring him here,” Pirus said. “I'll talk to the alpha to get clearance.”

Pirus's senior status within the pack meant it took him only a matter of minutes to obtain permission for Craven to enter the territory.

“Where exactly is he?” Pirus asked. “I'll go and collect him.”

“I'll take you there,” I said.

“No need. You rest up here. You must be ready for something to eat and drink.”

“Craven may not trust you if you're alone. It'll be safer if I go with you.”

It took us no time at all in Pirus's Jeep.

“Just over there.” I pointed to the hillside where we'd first entered the territory. “You wait in the car while I find him.”

Craven had changed his tee-shirt, and was now wearing a dark blue denim top.

“Why did you get changed? The pink squirrel suited you.”

“Are you okay?” He hugged me. “I was just beginning to worry.”

“Just?”

“All right. I've been on tenterhooks ever since I left you there. Did you find anything?”

“Marlow's brother: Pirus. And his mate: Jessie. Pirus has arranged clearance for you to stay in the territory for a few days. He's waiting for us down there.”

“What about Marlow?”

“They don't know where he is. No one has seen him since he left to search for you. ”

“Why would he search for me?”

“It seems that Marlow and I did live together, but we were never mates. He went in search of you so that you and I could be re-united.”

“I still don't understand why he would do that. Why risk his life in that way?”

I shrugged. I wasn't sure Craven was ready to hear the full story, and particularly not the part where I'd agreed to be Marlow's mate.

We made our way down the hillside. When we were a few feet away from Pirus's Jeep, Craven stopped dead in his tracks.

“What's wrong?”

Craven was staring at Pirus.

“Craven, what is it?”

“Nothing. Come on.” He shrugged off the question.

Craven and Pirus exchanged nods as we climbed into the back seat. Throughout the short journey, Craven's gaze never left the rear-view mirror as he stared at Pirus.

“What's wrong?” I whispered.

Craven shook his head, but I could tell that something was bothering him.

“Have we met before?” Craven asked, as we made our way up in the lift.

Pirus looked almost as surprised as I did at the question. “I don't think so.”

Jessie must have seen the car arrive because she was waiting for us at the door to the apartment. “Craven. Nice to meet you at last. I've heard a lot about you.”

“I need to see a photo of Marlow,” Craven said, without even acknowledging Jessie's greeting.

“There's one over there.” I pointed to the wall unit.

Craven walked across the room, picked up the photo, and stared at it.

“What is it?” I asked. When he didn't reply, I tried again. “Craven?”

“This is the man who came to my rescue in Lawler territory.”

Craven recounted how he'd been taken prisoner in Lawler territory. How he'd been tortured and had been unlikely to last much longer when a male shifter had come to his rescue. It had been Marlow.

“That's why you were staring at me,” Pirus said.

“Sorry about that. When I first saw you, I thought—”

“We do look alike. What happened to Marlow?”

“The guards came after us in numbers. We decided our best chance would be to split up. We agreed to meet in Weardale Grove in the Praja territory. I waited there for several days, but he never showed up. I assumed he must have been killed.”

“But you never actually saw his body?” Pirus asked.

“No.”

“So he could still be alive?”

“I don't know. I guess it's possible.”

“You mustn't get your hopes up.” Jessie put her hand on Pirus's.

“This morning I had no hope at all. Any hope is better than none.”

“I have to find out what happened to him,” I said. “If it hadn't been for Marlow, I'd have died back in that enclosure. While there's still a chance he might be alive, I have to try to find him. I owe him that much.”

“I'm coming with you,” Pirus said.

“You can't,” Jessie told him. “What about the kids? You can't leave them.”

“I've let my brother down once, I can't do it again. I should have gone with Louise when she first followed him.”

“Jessie's right. You have to put the kids first,” Craven said. “If Marlow is still alive, we'll find him and bring him back to you.”

Pirus glanced at Jessie; her face was etched with worry. Then he looked at the photos of the kids. “Okay. I'll stay here, but you have to promise to let us know the moment you find out anything. Good or bad.”

“I promise,” Craven said.

Jessie persuaded us we should spend a couple of days with them. We didn't object because it gave us a chance to rest and to plan our strategy. We had no idea where Marlow might be or even if he was still alive.

The two kids were older than in the photos. They both claimed to remember me, but I wasn't sure if they actually did. Dinner was a little uncomfortable as both Jessie and Pirus told story after story of me and Marlow. If it bothered Craven, he didn't let it show.

“Pirus and Jessie make a great couple,” Craven said, when we turned in for the night.

“They seem very happy. Very normal. Do you think we might have that one day?”

“Happy? I'm happy now, aren't you?”

“I meant normal. So far, our relationship hasn't exactly been what you might call
normal,
has it? We spent one night together and then BAM. I disappear, and you spend the next forty years looking for me.”

“Forty years? It only felt like a few days.” He smiled.

“And as if that wasn't bad enough, now we have another search on our hands.”

“It's different this time.”

“How so?”

“This time we'll be searching together. If we find Marlow—”

“When we find him.”

“Okay. When we find him, can we please settle down and live a normal life?”

“I promise.”

*********

The next day was Saturday. Jessie had organised a babysitter for the kids, so the four of us could go out.

“Jessie and I rarely get to exercise our wolves together these days,” Pirus said. “How about the four of us go for a run—maybe even a little hunting?”

“Sounds good to me,” Craven said. “Louise?”

I was keen to begin our quest to find Marlow, but I could see how much it meant to Jessie and Pirus, so I didn't have the heart to say no. “Sure. Why not?” If I sounded less than enthusiastic, no one appeared to notice.

“I think you'll like Strenlon Downs,” Jessie said.

She and I were in the back seat of Pirus's Jeep. The two males were in the front – typical!

“Do you go to the Down often?”

“Not so much these days. It's not as easy as it used to be before we had the kids. I can sometimes go a whole month without shifting into my wolf. It's almost like I'm a human sometimes.”

I smiled.

“Oh gosh.” Jessie's cheeks flushed red. “Me and my big mouth. You must think I'm an idiot. Here I am complaining about not being able to shift for a month when you had years of it. How ever did you manage?”

“It's okay. It wasn't a problem at the time because I really did think I was human. In fact, I thought shifters were just fantasy. Believe it or not, I used to read paranormal romance books.”

“You're joking?”

“I'm really not. When Craven first told me he was a shifter, I thought he was some kind of lunatic.”

“I reckon they should write a book based on your story.”

“No one would believe it.”

   Strenlon Downs was almost an hour's drive out of the city; the last few miles were along a narrow dirt track. Pirus eventually pulled off the track, and parked behind a copse, where the Jeep would not be visible from the road. Beyond the track was an open stretch of land. In the distance there was a wood-covered hillside.

“Last one to the woods cooks dinner,” Jessie said, as she set off at full pelt.

Craven and Pirus were already in pursuit; I set off after them.

Pirus was a fine wolf. He would have cut an impressive figure when compared to most other wolves. But he wasn't running alongside
most
other wolves—he was running alongside Craven who dwarfed him. As the two males began to catch up with Jessie, I was pretty sure Craven was holding back. If he'd wanted to, he could have easily outpaced Pirus.

By the time we were two-thirds of the way to the woods, Craven and Pirus were some distance ahead—the two of them still neck-and-neck. I'd only just pulled level with Jessie, but I still had plenty in reserve.