TALIA
The following day, Madam Coco summoned me to her office. As soon as I entered, I was met with the familiar scent of old lady perfume and cigarettes, the smell now more nauseating than it ever had been in the past. I tried not to breathe it in too much, becoming enraged with each breath. I forced myself to stay calm, digging my nails into my palms, barely able to look at her.
She was a tiny woman, petite and always sporing a tan—her skin taking on a leathery appearance from spending so much time in tanning beds over the years. I wasn't sure of her exact age. If I had to guess—I'd say late fifties or early sixties.
She gestured to a chair in front of her desk, barely looking up at me, flipping her long, platinum blonde hair behind her shoulders as I entered. I took a seat. She casually played with thick rings on her fingers. She loved jewelry and was always draped in it. Bought using my mom’s body and desperation.
After dragging the silence out for far too long, she said, “Talia, ma chérie, you know how much I’ve always cared. I took your mother in when she had nothing. I was practically a mother to her myself, grooming her from nothing to become one of my best employees. That’s why this is so hard for me.” She pushed her bottom lip forward and shook her head. “But if I make an exception for you, I have to make an exception for everyone. I allowed you to live here as I do with all children of our girls. But now that your mother is no longer employed here and paying your rent, we can no longer house you. Of course, I’m not a monster, and I won’t put you on the streets today. You have a week to find housing, and I expect you to be gone by next weekend. We need your room to accommodate others who are bringing in revenue.”
I stared at her openmouthed, not knowing what to say. When I didn’t respond, she began speaking again. “Of course, we do have an opening now, and I can’t deny you’re a beautiful woman. If you chose to work for us, you’d get a much larger room. Plus, you are young, and the pay is quite good for someone your age.” She smiled and looked at me meaningfully.
Madam Coco’s eyes didn’t leave mine, waiting for my response. After turning different options around in my head, none that I knew Madam Coco would ever agree to, I forced myself to reply politely although she didn’t deserve the courtesy. “Thank you for the offer, Madam Coco, but I will be out of my room before next weekend.”
She nodded and turned her attention to something on her desk.
I took a deep breath and continued, “But I do have one favor to ask. Can I please have some wolfsbane?”
She looked back up, meeting my eyes, studying me, and cocking her head to the side. While she was human, Hugo told me that she knew about our kind. He and my mom were not the only werewolves she employed. “What do you need wolfsbane for?”
“It’s personal.” I wasn’t telling her shit.
“What form do you want it in?”
“What forms does it come in?”
“The two most common are dehydrated and a concentrated liquid—usually we sell the liquid form in darts.”
“I’d like the liquid form.”
“I can get it, but it will cost you.”
“How much?”
“It’s twenty dollars for half an ounce. Thirty if you want it preloaded into darts.”
My body tensed and I saw red at her audacity to charge me after she had just stolen my life savings just the day prior. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm as I made the abrupt decision to confront her. “I’ve already paid you.”
Her lip lifted on one side, an evil glint in her eye. “What do you mean, Talia?” she asked, her voice even and clearly calculated.
“There was $3762 in the wall of my mom’s room. That should more than cover a few darts, and I believe I’m owed change.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She rolled her eyes. “And even if I did, your mom died with debts to her name—she owed me rent for both your rooms, and the cleaners I had to hire due to her client’s unfortunate behavior weren’t exactly cheap, eh?”
I gasped and almost projectile vomited, her words bringing bitter bile to my throat.
“Additionally, I fronted her this month, helping her with her little habit.”
Tears threatened to fall again, but I forced myself to stay strong. I took several breaths, resigning myself to the fact that there was no good way for this to end. I needed a week to figure out where I was going. The alternative was a screaming confrontation that ended with me on the streets with barely a penny to my name. I finally choked out, “Okay, let me see how much money I have, and I will get back to you.” I wondered how much I’d be able to scrape together and if half an ounce would be enough to kill.
“Before you go, let me give you this.” Madam Coco pulled a folder off her desk. “They’re your mom’s papers.” I took the folder from her and walked out of the office.
When I was far enough away, and in an area without cameras, I kicked the wall, satisfied with the hole my foot left behind. Madam Coco could use the stolen money to fill it.
I threw open the door to my bedroom and dropped onto my bed, tears forming in my eyes again. While I had grown up in a messed-up place, it never felt so bad when I had my mom in my life. It was the two of us against the world. When the world was dark, my mom would wrap her arms around me and kiss my cheeks over and over again, leaving behind red lipstick stains. “My Tali,” she would whisper as I’d inhale her familiar scent that had brought me so much comfort over the years.
I was about to grab for the folder to go through it when a knock sounded on the door, distracting me from my thoughts. “Yes?” I shouted.
“It’s Hugo. Can I come in?” the voice on the other side of the door replied.
“Come in,” I responded, sniffing back the tears brimming my eyes. He opened the door and sat down on the bed, my thin mattress dipping under his large muscular frame.
“Here, this is for you.” He shoved a bunch of bills into my hand.
“What’s this for?” I asked, my eyes widening.
“It’s not much, but it’s what I had to spare. You know I support my mom and younger brother. But I’m worried about you, Talia. Please let me know how else I can help you.” He grabbed me into a hug, his strong arms and warm body bringing me some much-needed comfort.
“You’ve done enough,” I mumbled, my heart swelling at the kind gesture. Even if Hugo could never be to me what I wanted him to, he was a good man and a good friend. I normally wouldn’t have even accepted the money from him, but I now had a goal overriding any decency and politeness I’d normally show.
“Why don’t you stay with me, eh? I can get you into the pack, at least temporarily, until you get back on your feet. They don’t like rogues, but I can speak with the alpha.”
“What’s a rogue?” I asked.
“It’s a werewolf without a pack. They smell differently, almost unpleasant. I think they smell that way to warn packed werewolves away from them. Most rogues live in their wolf forms and become more and more feral and savage the longer they stay in that form, so they can be dangerous and unpredictable if you come across them.”
“Do I smell like that?” I asked, sitting up and studying him.
“Yes, but I’ve gotten used to your smell now. I almost don’t even notice it anymore.”
“Oh,” I replied, considering this new information. I hadn’t realized that I smelled unpleasant to other werewolves. I wondered if that was part of why Hugo never wanted anything more.
“Come with me. Where else do you have to go?” he asked, wrinkling his brows.
I looked away from him, considering his offer. I was about to decline when an overwhelming warmth spread through my body, and I smiled to myself at how brilliant it would be. He lived in the same pack as him. It would make my plan so much easier. Hugo had told me in the past that they guard the borders. But if I were already in, I wouldn’t have to worry about that, eh? “You’re right,” I replied. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay with you until I can save enough to move out.”
“Of course, Talia. I’ll speak with the alpha as soon as I can.” He gave me a quick pat on my shoulder, then got up and walked out, a pep in his step. In my mind, I was skipping too. The only motivation I had to move forward now was finally seeing his lifeless body, limp on the ground.
My eyes then fell on the folder sitting on my desk. I instantly grabbed it and ripped it open. Inside, I found an American passport that I opened and noted was long expired, with a picture of my mom in her younger years, around the age I was now. She looked almost identical to me in the picture—the main difference being her eyes. She was always impressed that I somehow ended up with blue eyes when hers were brown. I continued flipping to find my birth certificate from a town in Vermont. Behind it was my mom’s birth certificate from a different town in Vermont. Hugo was right. We did come here from over the border.
I quickly looked up both towns on Maps. They were close to each other and not far from the Quebec border. While I didn’t have a passport, I could always just cross over in my wolf form through the woods. Maybe there was a pack in that area, just as Hugo had theorized. I could look for it and maybe I could even find my father, a faceless man I’d always wondered about. I could finally get some answers. What brought my mom to Ontario? How did she end up as a sex worker?
Determination within me, I counted the money Hugo brought me. Between that and what was in my wallet, I had $120—enough for four darts. I didn’t know how much it took to kill, but I hoped it would be enough.
TALIA Upon finally succeeding in taking every last penny from me, Madam Coco came through and handed me a box with four darts inside. I’d deliberated on it for a while but eventually concluded that the darts were a much more efficient tool for infiltration and worth the extra cost. I didn’t even bother thanking her or saying goodbye, relieved that I’d never have to smell the disgusting mix of old lady perfume and cigarettes, or hear her raspy smoker’s voice, again. A few days later, on a warm Thursday in mid-August, Hugo drove me to his pack. We stopped at the entrance and exited the car, then we were brought to a small room. The werewolves who escorted us there wrinkled their noses at the sight of me, and I realized it must be my rogue smell. I let out a deep sigh. When we were waiting alone, I asked Hugo, “Is the smell really that bad?” He rubbed the back of his neck and said, “No, they’re exaggerating. It’s just a little unpleasant.” I nodded and wondered if he was just being po
BLAKE One afternoon, well into September, a mindlink for Luke and me came in while we were in the office together. “I smell a rogue in my patrol area.” Jack’s voice said in our minds. Luke and I both looked up at each other and instantly got to our feet. “Be right there,” I mindlinked Jack back. We both rushed outside, quickly shifted into our wolf forms, and sprinted over. When we got to him, Jack led the group in tracking the scent, inhaling the unpleasant aroma that had clung to the dirt and ferns just outside our territory. Rogues usually weren’t a big problem. It was just a matter of making it clear to them that this was pack land and that they should move away from the area. Every once in a while, we’d encounter a problematic rogue, one that had spent so much time in its wolf form that it became feral and refused to shift, occasionally attacking us. Those rogues were dealt with differently. But hopefully, this would just be the standard, run-of-the-mill, confused rogue. We fo
ALEXANDER Well, that was an interesting way to meet my mate, to say the least. It almost wasn’t surprising when it happened. Okay, it was very unexpected and shocking, but I’m also one of those people who attracts drama and crazy situations. Needless to say, it is never a dull day in my life, and I never run out of stories to tell at parties. So, it was almost expected that I wouldn’t meet my mate the normal way. Most people meet their mates at a party or a café, they lock eyes from across a room, they go to the same park one day. You get the picture—there are hundreds of normal ways to meet a mate. Of course, I’m the one that meets my mate at my father’s murder scene, my mate being the number one and only suspect. If it weren’t so disturbing, I’d laugh about it. The Moon Goddess clearly has a sick sense of humor. Granted, my father was not exactly in the running for father or, heck, person of the year. But I’m not quite sure what crime he committed that deserved murder. Okay, okay,
TALIA After feeling so hot and desperate, I woke up late the next morning and found myself back to normal again. I recalled in agonizing, anxiety-inducing shame to everything that had happened the day prior. What had come over me? Thinking back, I couldn’t lie. The man who approached me on that mountain was very hot. He was even better built than Hugo, and Hugo was very fit. He was the type of man you only ever saw on a fitness magazine cover, and half the time they were probably airbrushed anyway. But ugh, the shame. I’d totally come on to him and he completely rejected me. I’d never experienced something like that before. Most of the men I approached were more than willing to take me up on my offers. Then after he shoved me in the back of the car, I realized that the blond man who drove me here was actually quite attractive as well, being so tall and muscular. He rejected me too. He told me he was gay, so I suppose it made sense. He brought me into a bedroom, and I stayed there the
TALIA Blake looked at Tyler, shook his head, and sighed. “No, I can’t put this on you and Jack. I’ve already asked Jack for too many favors. Talia, why don’t you come stay at the packhouse for now? We have plenty of room. Do you know anything about babies? Maybe you can help my beta’s mate out with her pup. She’s having a hard time. The baby had colic for three months and she’s apparently still not sleeping through the entire night now.” “I don’t know anything about babies, but I can try to help,” I replied, unsure of the idea but also with no place to go. At least it seemed he’d left everything that happened the previous day in the past. I didn’t know if I’d ever stop feeling ashamed of what had happened. “Okay. Do you have anything that you need to take with you?” I shook my head. “Okay, well, let’s go then,” he said, getting up. I followed him out to his SUV. He opened the door for me and helped me into the car. He was very polite. We drove in silence. I looked around as we dr
JASMINE As soon as the bell signaled the end of training for the day, I caught the girls in my group snickering together. I looked up to catch them whispering with their heads turned toward the bleachers, where I spotted Blake sitting, waiting for me. “Daddy’s here,” I overheard one of the girls say. I rolled my eyes at the jab, telling myself how childish they were. But, in reality, it stung—my transition to warrior had not exactly been easy. It felt like high school all over again, maybe even worse. I mean, we all try to pretend we’re past that whole “need to fit in” thing once we become adults, but then when you don’t, it’s like you’re back there all over again. Even my old high school nickname, PJ, that my classmates would use to taunt me for being “Perfect Jasmine” had been resurrected. Salt in the wound. It all started because Blake wanted our training schedules to be identical, making the argument that I was going to be his luna and therefore I should train with the alpha. I
JASMINE When my parents and I finally arrived at the packhouse, everyone else was already there. Blake greeted us at the door, shaking both my parents’ hands and leading them inside. He then turned to me and kissed me on the cheek. “You look stunning tonight, Miss Alpha. I can tell you’ve been working out.” He winked at me. It was true—I had become much more toned than I ever was before from all of the training. He asked my parents what he could get them to drink, leading them over to where a drink station was set up. I grinned to myself at how adorable he looked showcasing all the soft drinks available. I had no idea how he did it, but Blake had completely charmed my parents, and they had actually lightened up a lot since Blake and I started seriously dating. I mean, they weren’t exactly at the same level of relaxed as Lucy’s parents, but they had come a long way from how they’d been a year earlier. “Hey, Jaz.” Tyler came over and pulled me in for a hug. “Nice to see you,” Jack sa
JASMINE When we were well into dinner, Blake’s mom came in wearing her scrubs. She waved hello to everyone and walked over to Blake, kissing him on his head. She then looked up, locking eyes with Talia. Our side of the table went quiet as she began to lose color from her face. “Bianca,” she gasped. “Mom!” Blake got up pushing his chair back. “Shit, I should have told you.” “You didn’t tell your mom?” Beta Alfred, who was normally calm, suddenly stood, puffing his chest and glaring at Blake. The entire table was now quiet, staring at the scene unfolding. He got up and took Luna Sienna’s arm, leading her out of the room. “That was really stupid, Blake,” Robin snapped at him, getting up to follow. Lucy’s baby started crying. This set off Luke’s sister, Lauren’s, baby as well. They both got up, trying to comfort them and walking into the living room. “Fuck,” Blake said and followed Robin. The rest of the table was left in shock, not saying anything. Breaking the silence, Peyton’s mat