Chapter 1 - Prologue
Ethan
Alpha Elijah’s unclear instructions are driving me to the brink of madness. For two days now, I’ve been desperately searching the unusually small town where we’re stuck because of him for any clues about the supernatural.
But so far my search has been in vain. There are not even any unexplained deaths that would indicate the presence of supernatural beings such as vampires, which normally feel very much at home in dead cities like this one. I can’t even find any traces on the gloomy Darknet.
In the midst of urban chaos, the city almost seems to deny its own existence, and yet its presence is unmistakable. There is an ambivalence between the ageing skyscrapers and streets, which were certainly hectic in the past, and the stores that can now only be found on the streets at night.
This is exactly where the dangerous poison was produced, which affects us wolves particularly quickly when we are transformed. It must be someone with magical powers. Perhaps a witch or a magician who is breaking the unwritten laws.
Even Noah, the best tracker in our pack, who had already experienced it first hand, could not identify the poison or the manufacturer.
So it must be one of these creatures. Witches, magicians and vampires - they all have their devious tricks, but Noah is always on to them - actually.
But this time they exaggerated. This creature has sold this dangerous poison to ignorant people.
Actually, that would be a job for the hunters, but Alpha Elijah insisted that we come here, even in Alpha voice, because he sees it as a personal attack.
Because whoever made this poison gave it to debtors of ours. The Harrington family, and they used it to do great harm to our group when we demanded money from them.
Jayden enters the living room of the small ‘vacation home’ we live in and breaks the silence around me with his question: “Any news from my brother?” Elijah, our Alpha and Jayden’s brother, has promised to get back to us soon with new information, but it’s been a few days now.
Days of being stuck in this miserable town. The only ones having fun here are Danny, Noah’s mate, and Skadi, Jayden’s mate, who go to the beach every day and really act like we’re on a big family vacation.
Skadi and I just shake our heads at Jayden’s question. There’s just nothing there. “But I’ve tracked down two new foxes,” explains Noah, who is lying on the other side of the U-shaped sofa with Danny and tells us what he’s tracked down today.
This place is not only made for creatures that don’t like to move around in daylight, but also for foxes. This suits their species, which is always a little shy. They normally stay away from anything supernatural and therefore also from big cities.
“Nothing happens in this city,” I explain to everyone, annoyed. Danny frowns and gives me an irritated look, as if I’ve made a mistake. “What about the dead man on the bridge? That was in the paper this morning,” she asks curiously.
“That’s right, everyone was talking about it in the café this morning,” Skadi adds and settles down with Jayden in the middle of the U-shaped couch.
Noah, grins at Danny as if she’s just solved the mystery. Danny is new to our team and very keen to find out the details.
She is trying to find her place in the group. She often doubts herself because she is not particularly strong, but she has a charming character and knows how to deal with ignorant people. Her empathy is a strength that helps us. Because neither Jayden, Noah nor I look likeable to most people with our tattoos and motorcycles. Skadi is also very nice and good at negotiating, but she gets on better with supernatural beings than with ignorant humans.
“The dead man was just a guy who borrowed money from the wrong lender. It won’t be long before the police have the culprit,” I explain calmly. Jayden looks at me seriously when he hears my words. He’s been the leader of our little group since we were kids. Maybe it’s because he’s the Alpha’s little brother.
But just because Jayden is our leader doesn’t mean he behaves like one. We’re all equal in our group, but a group always needs someone to step in and make decisions in an emergency, and that’s where he comes in.
“Maybe I just made it easier for them so the guy wouldn’t kill anyone else,” I explain and Jayden nods in agreement. Because really, we shouldn’t interfere in human affairs. It’s none of our business.
But helping from time to time is fine. Sometimes people just overlook signs, and if I stumble across them, why shouldn’t I help?
At the end of the day, this helps everyone.
When my cell phone makes a certain sound, Danny jumps happily onto the couch next to me and Skadi slides right next to him.
Noah eyes the whole scene skeptically and I can see his wolf getting restless in his eyes. He’s already marked them, but his wolf is still constantly scanning the area. Not because he sees a threat in me or Jayden, but because Danny not only disappeared for a few days because of her deceased best friend Felix, no, our former member Roxy, his ex-girlfriend, of all people, wanted to kill her.
Roxy didn’t want to accept that Noah had found his mate because she had killed her mate to stay with him. It was probably wolf madness that had made her do it.
Because her true mate was ‘only’ a human, and she always thought humans were worse than wolves.
Skadi and Danny have become something like best friends, two women who now organize a date for me in every city we stay in for more than one evening.
Since we’ve been here, I’ve been able to prevent that. But this morning Danny was quicker than me. She had scoured the dating app in a matter of seconds. And now they’re checking to see which of the women ‘bit’ on the profile they created for me. I watch them as they both go through the different profiles and comment on them with a smile on their faces. It’s strange, but also somehow refreshing that they are so interested in helping me, even if I don’t want them to.
“It’s cute,” says Danny excitedly, but instead of showing me the photo, she waits anxiously for Skadi to reply.
“No! She wants something more serious. She thinks she can change Ethan,” Skadi replies firmly.
“Maybe it’s time our Ethan had a girlfriend,” Jayden interjects, grinning broadly. I give him an annoyed look.
“No thanks, I can do without things like that with Roxy,” I reply and give Noah a knowing look that deliberately avoids mine.
“She’s cute, I like her hair,” says Danny, pointing to the photo on my phone.
“They’re colorful,” Skadi remarks a little critically.
“But she’s not looking for anything serious! It clearly says here that it should only be once and quote: ‘The next day it’s as if we’d never met’,” Danny reads out.
“I think that’s just what our Ethan needs to get away from his computer,” Noah jokes hilariously.
“Unlike you, I try to get information,” I reply and listen to the discussion about my potential dates.
“That’s good too, but one week is enough, you have a date tonight,” Danny says and hands me back my cell phone.
“Tonight? Wait... In two hours?” I ask in surprise as I read the message she sent to the stranger for me. Danny and Skadi nod in sync.
“She suggested it of her own accord. We can’t make it any easier for you. So you’ll be at her place in two hours and be on time,” Skadi admonishes me.
“If you show up a little earlier, you’ll be in bed with her in two hours,” Noah adds amusedly, earning a small angry look from Danny.
“But what if Elijah is sending data? We can’t let whoever or whatever spreads more of this poison,” I interject apprehensively.
“I promise I’ll call you a hundred times until you answer,” says Skadi firmly. I look at my cell phone and see the smile of a twenty-four-year-old with sky-blue eyes and black hair with blue streaks.
She’s cute and I kind of like the fact that she looks like she doesn’t do this often. She doesn’t have any sexy photos, just ones of her with a friend, even one with a dog.
"Okay, but call me, will you?” I turn to Skadi, who smiles at me confidently.
“We’ll pick you up in an emergency, I promise,” Danny assures me and winks, before she and Skadi lean back with a conspiratorial look.
I’m probably the loser of the game and the winner at the same time.
