Dad backed out and Logan said, "Should I, uh, shut the door?"
"What?" Dad's face screwed up. "No, no. You aren't in trouble, Logan. I just need to talk to you about something. Before we went to town, your mom, Kate and I took a walk out back, and we smelled something."
Logan clenched his fists, breath jammed in his throat. I'm sorry. That's what he'd lead with. I'm so, so sorry.
"A mutt," Dad said.
"What?"
"Yeah, I know. There hasn't been a mutt near Stonehaven in years."
"R-right. They know better." At first, when Dad said mutt, all Logan could think of was the puppy. It was a mutt: a crossbreed. But that was also their word for non-Pack werewolves, and it showed how distracted Logan was that it took him a moment to remember that.
"I'm 99% sure we're wrong," Dad said. "It was just a whiff, and it passed so fast that all I can say for sure is that we smelled canine and human, and hell, it might have just been some guy walking a dog along the road."
Or a puppy, covered in your son's scent.
"Your mom is sure it's nothing, but"--Dad shrugged--"I'm not taking any chances. We don't need to go for a run until the Pack Meet, so there's no reason to head out back. We'll be on alert, but Jeremy's still leaving later, and no one's changing any plans. The only thing is that I need to ask you and Kate to stay out of the woods."
Logan went still.
Dad peered at him. "Is that a problem? I know your mom said you've been restless. We can go for a drive later, the two of us."
"No, I'm fine."
More peering. Then Dad nodded, not seeming entirely convinced, but only saying, "If you change your mind, day or night, and you need to go out, you just tell me, okay?"
"Sure, Dad."
"Now, if you're still feeling like being extra responsible, you can help me with this fireplace."
The puppy needed to eat. It needed food and fresh water, and he couldn't let it go without either until morning. He had to tell his parents.
He should have talked to Jeremy. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Logan might come by his independent streak honestly, but that was no excuse. Now, Jeremy had left, and he'd told Logan to call if he wanted to talk, but, when Logan worked up the nerve to do it, Jeremy had been in an out-of-service area.
His parents kept going in and out, scouting the perimeter, and Logan couldn't stop thinking about the puppy getting lonely and scared. Would it start howling? Would his parents find it?
After dinner it was time to bake cookies, one of their favorite Christmas traditions. Logan couldn't ruin that by bringing up the puppy.
He had to slip out again after dark. There was no mutt. There hadn't been one on the property in years--it certainly wouldn't happen now. Mom and Dad had smelled the puppy. Logan was safe. He just couldn't get caught, because that would be a serious infraction, worse than anything he'd ever done. Worse than anything Kate had ever done. For this, he'd be punished--not as a boy disobeying his parents--as a Pack wolf disobeying the Alpha.
He couldn't get caught. It was that simple.
Logan watched the clock tick toward midnight. He had his own bedroom now. He and Kate had shared one for as long as they could--up until two years ago, when Mom finally declared they were too old. He stayed in their room, which used to be Malcolm's. Kate moved to Mom's old room, from before she and Dad got together. Or before they got together for good.
Logan was a little confused on the exact timeline. His parents had been together and then broken up, but, because Mom was Pack, she'd stayed at Stonehaven, at least some of the time, and . . . it was confusing. All he knew for sure was that Mom had kept her old bedroom, though she hadn't used it for years.
Deciding to move Kate in there had been something of a family joke. The room was super girly. Mom said that when she joined the Pack as the only female werewolf, it was the kind of room Jeremy figured she needed. Kate was about as girly as Mom was--which was to say, not at all--and now Kate had that room, and, like Mom, she couldn't complain too much for fear of hurting Jeremy's feelings. Logan figured by now Jeremy knew that it wasn't really their style, but it was like he was in on the joke, and everyone played along. Still, Kate was slowly but surely redecorating, piece by piece, poster by poster.
Logan's room was at the back, across the hall from Jeremy's. Kate's was on the other side of Jeremy's, across from Mom and Dad's. This meant that, when Logan snuck out, he'd have to pass Mom and Dad and Kate on his way to the stairs. This was a problem. His parents slept soundly. It was Kate who was overly attuned to his sleeping patterns. He'd be jumping out of the window instead.
Being a werewolf meant window-jumping wasn't nearly as dangerous as it might be. It wasn't now, that is. The first time they'd tried it, they'd been three. Logan twisted his ankle, and Kate sprained her wrist, and Mom totally freaked out. They hadn't hopped out any windows for years after that. But now, at their age, it was as simple--and safe--as jumping out a main floor one.
Logan opened his window, took out the screen and set it inside. Then he poked his head through to check below. He spotted a figure in the yard and jerked back fast. When he peered out, he saw . . .
Kate.
His sister was making her way across the back yard.
What the hell? He almost said that. Almost shouted it out the window. He started to jump out after her. Then he realized he was wearing his jacket and boots, which would take some explaining. He stashed them under his bed, pulled on a hoodie and slippers and jumped out the window.
He hit the ground and tore off after Kate. The fresh-falling snow was too powdery to squeak under his slippers, and she had her hoodie pulled tight, so she didn't hear a thing until she was flat on her face in the snow. She twisted, fists clenching. Then she stopped.
"Logan?"
"What the hell are you doing?" he snarled, and she didn't tell him to watch his language. She heard that tone and her gaze dropped, and she pushed up from the snow carefully, her posture submissive, which meant she knew what she'd done was wrong, because there was no submissive or dominant wolf in their relationship. They were twins. Equals in everything.
Normally, he'd have let it go at that. The wolf in him said that if she submitted, acknowledging her error, he should take the high road. She might deserve a cuff on the ears and another snarl, but that was it. Tonight though, with everything going on, he didn't feel like dropping it quite so fast.
"No, really," he said. "What the hell were you doing, Kate?"
"I . . . I was restless?" Her voice rose, in a question, as if looking for the answer that might appease him.
"So, you took off in the night again? After what happened this summer?"
"I--"
"No, this is worse than last summer, because this time you were expressly told not to come out here at any time. To sneak off in the night--"
"I'm sorry." She stepped toward him, her gaze down. "You're totally right."
He eased back, then, grumbling, his temper fading.
She looked up at him. "Are you okay, Lo?"
"No, I'm not. My sister tried to sneak into the forest when there's a mutt--"
"There isn't a--" She swallowed the rest and dropped her gaze again. "Whether there is or isn't, the point is that I disobeyed a direct order."
"From your Alpha."
She shifted. They both understood the difference, even if Mom might not. If she told them to brush after meals, that was their Mom. If she told them to stay away from a potential mutt, that was their Alpha.
"Are you okay, Lo?" Kate asked again. Then she shook her head. "No, stupid question. I know something's bugging you. It's what happened at school, isn't it?"
It took him a moment to realize what she meant. More than a minute, because he'd honestly forgotten about it. His sister had problems at school with the other girls. Kate was smart and talented and--according to the other boys--pretty. But she hung around with Logan and a few of the other kids who didn't quite fit in, and that drove the popular girls nuts, like she wa
s thumbing her nose at them. They could be mean. The last day of school, one of them had tripped Kate, and his sister had hauled off, whacked her and sent her flying. The girl had been too scared to tattle, but Logan had a talk with Kate after that.
"I know I need to rise above it," she said. "Ignore them. Never hit them, because I can really hurt them. And because Mom will get a call, and she doesn't need that."
"Right."
"It won't happen again. But you're still mad, aren't you? I disappointed you."
"What? No." He gave her a rare hug. "I actually forgot all about it, Kate. If I'm a little off, it's just that: I feel a little off. Like you did this summer. I'm running behind. Boys do mature slower than girls."
She laughed at that and hugged him back. "I don't think anyone would accuse you of maturing slowly. All right then, as long as you aren't mad at me."
"About the school thing? No. About sneaking out tonight? Yes."
"I know. It was dumb. I'm a kid. I'm allowed to do dumb things. Isn't that what you said?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just get inside before Mom or Dad catches us or we'll both learn exactly how dumb it was."
An hour after giving his sister proper hell for disobeying an order, Logan was doing exactly the same thing and painfully aware of the hypocrisy. But the puppy had to be fed.
He gave Kate time to fall asleep. Then he put on his coat and boots and climbed out the window. Snow was still falling, already obscuring their tracks from earlier. He had a ways to go, and he really wanted to get this done quickly, so he circled out to the road, which was easier. Any other time, he'd have enjoyed walking on a crisp and clear night with lightly falling snow. The nip of the cold didn't bother him at all, and he walked with his hood down, moving between a fast walk and a jog, depending on the depth of the snow.
He'd hit a good run at a plowed section, and he was ripping along, hearing nothing but the wind whistling past his ears. The snow started driving his way, and he narrowed his eyes against it. The cold wind numbed his ears and nose, and he was truly running "blind," all senses deadened. Just keep moving. A little farther, and then he'd veer into the woods and--
There was a figure on the road.
It seemed to appear from nowhere, but the truth was, he just hadn't been watching where he was going. Not watching. Not listening. Not smelling. He'd had his eyes on the road, and then he glanced up, and there was a man standing ten feet away.
Logan stopped fast. He rubbed his hands over his face, and, when he pulled them away, he caught the scent. His stomach did a double flip.
No, that wasn't possible. It had been a misunderstanding. His parents had caught a whiff of the puppy and mistaken it for . . .
Logan inhaled deeper and swallowed.
And mistaken it for nothing. There was a mutt, standing on the edge of their property.
A mutt, twice his size, staring right at him.
Logan knew he should run. That's what they'd been taught. But he couldn't, and it wasn't fear--it was something deep in his gut that saw a rogue werewolf on their territory and refused to flee. He planted his feet, and lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. And he waited.
The mutt took three steps toward him. Slow and careful steps. As the mutt drew near, Logan realized he was young. Maybe twenty. Still twice his size. Both twins were small for their age, one of the more unfortunate traits they'd inherited from their father, who'd been the smallest in his class until he hit his growth spurt in high school.
The mutt stared at him and then inhaled deeply, his eyes widening.
"You smell like a werewolf," the young man said.
"Uh, yeah . . ."
"No, I mean, you're a kid. You shouldn't already smell like a werewolf."
"I'm special. Now, since you obviously know who I am--"
"You're the boy," he said.
"Pretty sure I don't look like a girl."
"No, the boy. Their boy."
"Three for three. Not exactly genius, considering where you are. You do know where you are, right? Trespassing? On the Alpha's territory."
"Your dad, you mean."
Logan rolled his eyes. "And there's your first strike. My mother is the Alpha, moron."
The mutt's lips twitched. "Sorry, kid, no one buys that story. The Pack would never make a woman Alpha. It's really your dad--they just don't want to scare people by saying that."
"Fine. You're about to meet both of them. You can pick your challenge. Either way, you'll get your ass kicked. That's why you're here, right? To challenge the Alpha."
"No, I'm not stupid."
"Um, yeah. The fact you're here says you are. Now, should I call them over? Or do you want to rethink this particular course of action?"
The mutt's gaze darted to the forest. "They're out here?"
"Duh. You think they'd let their nine-year-old wander around at two in the morning? Now, I'm giving you a chance to leave. It's Christmas time, don't you have someplace to be?"
"Um . . ."
"Never mind. Just go. Head off that way." He pointed. "Don't step on the property or my parents will track you down and make an example of you. If you leave now, I won't tell them you were here. They thought they smelled a mutt earlier, but they weren't sure. Don't make them sure."
The mutt peered at him. "How old are you again?"
"Nine."
"You don't talk like it."
"I take after my parents--both of them--who are very smart as well as very good fighters. It's a lethal combination, and I wouldn't suggest you stick around long enough to find out for yourself."
"Is it true what they say? About your dad? What he did to the last wolf who trespassed here?"
"Whatever they say, it's true. Now just--"
"Do you know what they say? What he did? You must not. Otherwise, you wouldn't be nearly so proud of him. He's a psycho. You know that, right?"
"He is whatever he needs to be to keep us safe. Now get--"
"No, really. He's crazy. You obviously don't know what he did, so let me give you a little present, kid. An early Christmas gift."
"Not interested."
The mutt smirked. "Oh, but I am. Let me tell you what your daddy did. Him and his buddy, Nick, they found two wolves here, come to issue a challenge. Your daddy was younger than me, and he took those wolves--"
A crash sounded in the undergrowth, and a figure barreled out so fast both Logan and the mutt fell back. Before the mutt could recover, Dad had him by the shirtfront. He threw him onto the road and planted a foot on his stomach.
"Logan?" he said. "Get back to the house."
"I--"
Dad's look stopped the words in his throat. It was the look mutts must get when they crossed him. A look his son never expected to see, and Logan took a slow step back.
"To. The. House." He caught Logan's gaze. "Now."
Logan tried. He really tried. This was an order from his father and the Beta, but it wasn't the same as an order from the Alpha, and all Logan could think was that there might be other mutts, and he really should stay by his father. Watch out for him.
"Logan . . ."
The mutt slammed his fist into the back of Dad's knee, and it caught his father off guard. His leg buckled. Logan shot forward, ready to throw himself at the mutt if his dad went down. He didn't. He just stumbled, and swung around and grabbed for the mutt, but Logan was already diving at him, and when Dad swung around, his fist caught Logan in the shoulder and sent him crashing into the snowbank.
That did distract Dad for real, and he twisted toward Logan as the mutt leapt up. Logan opened his mouth to shout a warning, but Dad backhanded the mutt down again, and Logan scrambled up as fast as he could, saying, "I'm okay. I'm okay," even as pain stabbed through his shoulder. Dad spun back on the mutt, who was staying on the ground now, his hands raised.
"I'm sorry," the mutt said. "I'm really, really, really sorry."
"Not yet you aren't," Dad said, taking a step toward him, his fists clenched.
The mutt staye
d down. Stayed submissive. His gaze was fixed on Dad's chest, not rising even to his face.
"It was stupid, really stupid," the kid said. "They dared me--my cousins--and I don't have a rep, because I lost my first two challenges, and I thought this would help. All I had to do was get a photo of the house to prove I was here. I wasn't even going to go on the property. Well, not far, because you can't see the house from the road. I tried. But I was going to walk as far on this road as I could, and only go--"
"How old are you?"
"N-nineteen."
"Fuck. Name?"
"Davis. I mean, Cain. Davis Cain."
"Of course. A Cain. Do you guys share a single brain among you?" He lifted his hands. "Don't even answer that. Did you set foot on the property?"
"N-no. No, sir, I mean."
Dad winced a little at that, as if the "sir" took it too far, was too submissive, didn't portend well for the kid's future as a werewolf.
"I'm going to check that," Dad said. "In the meantime, you will get into your car, wherever it is, and you will start heading home. You will not stop, even to take a piss, until you are past the state borders."
"Yes, sir."
"And you will tell your cousins that you got as far as Bear Valley and turned around, because you realized just how stupid an idea this was, that you weren't just risking your own life, but, because you're a kid, I'd hold your family responsible for not teaching you better."
"R-right."
"You decided to go home and start training instead of taking on challenges already. Train until you're ready to beat someone. And maybe, if you can manage it, hit the books and get a little smarter, too, because that will help you fight. And help you not make fucking stupid choices."
"Yes, sir."
"Now, start heading to your car. I'm going to retrace your steps, and if I find you even set foot on our property, I'm coming after you."
"I-I didn't. Honest."
"Good, then you won't be in a rush to get to your car. Walk."
The kid did, heading in the direction he'd come from, which meant Dad followed at a short distance, checking his trail. Dad got about twenty feet before he turned and saw Logan still standing there. He barely had time to open his mouth before Logan broke into a run to follow, his teeth gritted as the fast movement jostled his shoulder.
They kept going until the mutt turned down another road, and they saw his car. Dad walked a little farther, still sniffing. Once he was satisfied the kid had walked straight down the road--no side trips into their forest--he stopped and watched as the car's taillights disappeared from sight.