Prologue
JODY
“Um Nola? Iʼm err... Iʼm gonna have to call you back okay?”
I ended the call and glanced at the letter in my hand. Just his name made my stomach lurch and the wrap I’d had for lunch suddenly wanted to make a very unwanted reappearance.
How could he owe so much money? Why?
“Oh dear God.”
I fell onto the sofa, dizzy with so much anxiety I could feel a panic attack coming on. My hands shook.
For most of my life, I’d learned not to depend on my dear ol' dad for anything. When my mother passed away, I just knew I was on my own.
Throughout my childhood, I’d seen my father as a roommate more than the parental figure he was supposed to be. He’d come and go and never really did much for me. My mom always told me he was just not the type to be tied down. And I had tried to understand. I really had.
But it was hard for a six-year-old. Other kids had a daddy they could do stuff with. I had the name of a father who was never there.
Letter crumpled in my grasp, I clenched my jaw to stop the stream of bad words that wanted to come out. I shouldn’t care that he was in trouble. I should let whoever was going to come after him do whatever they were going to do and forget he’d ever existed.
Not like he cared how I was doing.
No. He only called and texted for money. Nothing else. Not even to say hello.
“That damn bastard!”
My cell phone chose that moment to go off. I ignored it and instead went back to doing my job. Updating websites was not that difficult and I could easily do it from home. Another ringing of my cell phone brought me out of my work mode. I needed to focus and get my job done so my clients would pay me.
Nibbling on my bottom lip, I started to wonder just how bad things were with my father.
Ivan.
I’d never called him Dad. He would have had to try to be a father for that to happen and he never had.
Ivan wanted my help. When he wasn’t in a rush, he’d go as far as coming to my home and attempting civil talk before hitting me with the need for cash. The fact he sent a letter, instead of an email, or instead of calling... that really set off alarms in my head.
A loud pounding on the door sounded.
“Ugh, what now?” I groaned.
Leaving my colorful mouse and laptop mid-design, I got up and opened the door.
Three men, three very big, handsome, and well-dressed men, stood there.
Men in Black.
They had the black suits, the earpiece, and the black shades. Everything.
On a normal day itʼd be a little exciting but with everything going on in this just one day, it was a little daunting.
I frowned and glanced from guy to guy.
“Hello? May I help you?”
“Miss Swinson?”
I wanted to deny who I was. A sick sensation settled at the pit of her stomach. It wouldn’t serve any purpose to deny it.
“Whoʼs asking?”
“We need you to come with us.”
I was already laughing and shaking my head when the men went to grab me.
What the—?
I elbowed one of the big guys, punched one of the others in the nose, kicked the other, and hit him with the door when I tried to close it in his face. Doing a mad dash for the kitchen exit, I tried to leave them behind.
Call the police. Call the police. Call the police!
Then something... no someone... growled. I glanced over my shoulder and time slowed. One of the guys’ faces, the one Iʼd punched in the nose, was doing a strange alteration. Fear and shock stopped me dead in my tracks.
What. The. Hell?
One of the other guys grabbed my arm. I struggled but was too fascinated by the man who had an almost animalistic look to his features to give me all to the fight.
“Who are you people?” I asked the men.
They looked at each other as if my struggles had meant nothing and took their sunglasses off. Air rushed out of my lungs, making it nearly impossible to breathe. And I swear I’d faint at any moment.
Fuck, I’m not that weak.
But this was some serious shit. These were... they were... werewolves.
I mean that wouldnʼt be my first guess because normally werewolves belonged in books and TV series but my best friend was a real-life magic-breathing witch so why not?
The rim of gold around their eyes and the glow in the pupils told me all I needed to know.
I am so fucked.
So I didn’t fight any longer. There was no point.
Getting into the massive SUV, I glanced around to see if any of my neighbors were nosy enough to try and figure out who was at my place. Not like I ever had male visitors. I hadn’t had a boyfriend in over a year. Men didn’t frequent my home.
Nola, my best friend since middle school, was the only other person who came to see her regularly. And if Nola were here, she’d fight these idiots. They wouldnʼt stand a single chance.
Nola without any magic would still try and fight these guys. She could be a lot more reckless than me. I was the logical one. The one who always weighed all options and was way too forgiving for my own good.
“We’ve got her,” one of the men said into his earpiece.
“On our way,” said another guy.
I gulped, my throat suddenly very dry. The drive was quiet and long. I didn’t recognize the area, so I wasn’t sure where they were taking me.
Dammit!
And my cell phone was still on my desk.
They could be driving me to some remote location to kill me and dump my body in the woods.
Fear ran rampant in my veins. I kept eyeing the road. The car was going so fast.
Will I die if I throw myself out?
“You look green,” the guy sitting next to her said in an almost gentle voice. “Do you need us to stop?”
Itʼd been great if you asked that back at my house.
I turned to look at him instead of the quickly moving scenery. My snark remark was stopped when my stomach lurched again.
“Yeah, that might be a good idea.”
“Okay. But don’t even think about running off,” the same handsome guy with black hair said.
I licked my lip and nodded. It was like he’d read my mind. The vehicle stopped and I was let out on a deserted road to get some fresh air. The driver was back to talking to his earpiece.
“Yes. She’s car sick. No, we’re not driving like maniacs.”
I almost laughed at the fact someone wanted to make sure my ride was smooth.
If so, then it can’t be that bad, can it?
Maybe they were looking for Nola. But she was never anyone to start trouble. Finish trouble? Yeah youʼd find her there. But sheʼd never intentionally start trouble.
I was probably just overthinking everything. Because itʼs not like I had any rare magical powers of my own. And I didnʼt have any enemies either.
Plus, there wasnʼt anyone I knew in the werewolf world.
