Thunder (Alpha Love - a Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 3) (21 page)

Ashton takes a step towards his second-in-command, looking like he may be about to take Gus up on that offer, but a look from Sofie stops him. Something passes between them. Sofie remembers Lindsey speaking to her telepathically back at the canyon, and she tries the same thing with Ashton.

Don’t. He made a mistake. He’s a good man; he didn’t want this. You need each other.

Ashton lets out a low breath, getting his control back. Then, he nods, listening to Sofie’s words in his head. He offers Gus his hand, and Gus looks at him as if he’s expecting this all to be a trick. “Now more than ever we need to stand together, and for that I need my strongest hand.” Ashton waits for Gus to take hold of him and then pulls him up to his feet. “We are brothers. Do not fail me again.” The threat in Ashton’s voice is clear as is his love for his friend.

Gus bows his head, showing submission to Ashton. “Yes, Pack Master. I will not let you down.”

The tension in the room settles down a notch, and Sofie takes the opportunity to tend to Lola’s shoulder. She starts cleaning the wound, gesturing for Hector to come and hold Lola down so that she can take the bullet out.

“Bite down on this,” Sofie offers Lola her leather belt. “I’m not going to lie to you; this is going to hurt.”

The belt goes some way to drowning out Lola’s screams, but she eventually faints from the pain, as Sofie pulls the bullet out of her shoulder using a set of pliers and a flashlight.

As she’s sewing her up, Sofie looks around the room at the weres. They look like their world has come to an end. In a way, it has.

“Shouldn’t we think about getting out of here? Luke knows where you live, Ash. This is the first place they’ll come.” Sofie tries to prod them into formulating a plan.

Lindsey smiles at her, tiredness etched across her face. “We’re safe here, for now. The wood protects us. That’s why Ashton’s house is so far out here in the middle of nowhere. It’s a safe house. The rocks, the trees, the earth, the grass, it’s only visible to weres.”

Sofie doesn’t understand. “That doesn’t make any sense. If that’s so then why can I see it all? Why can I be here?”

“Because I want you to.” Ashton’s reply is simple, but there’s beauty in the simplicity. They lock eyes, and he doesn’t need to say anything else. With that, she knows how much it means for him for her to be there with him. “We should check on the others. Hec, Linds, can you help get the barn ready? No one’s going home tonight.” Ashton fires out orders, acting like the Alpha that he is, and they follow them, like the always have, like they always will.

Once the two of them have filed out, Sofie covers Lola with a blanket, having done all she can. “We should see how bad it is out there.” She doesn’t have to expand on that. It’s clear what she means.

Gus turns on the television, obviously still angry with himself, still not wanting to believe what he’s caused.

But it’s there, on the national news, for all of them to see. Ashton, Sofie, and Gus stand together watching the footage that’s being played and replayed. The news crews have caught everything—from the gunshot to Lola changing from a wolf to a human to Hector doing the opposite. There’s no way of hiding it. The news is spreading like wildfire.

Sofie’s cell vibrates with a call from Finn. She heads into Ashton’s room, wanting some privacy. “Sofe, thank fuck for that!” Finn lets out the breath that he’s been holding in. “It’s all over the news, Sofe. The footage is viral; it’s everywhere, global.” He sounds excited, a little like he does when he’s playing video games. “Are you alright?” That’s her Finn, despite the world around them imploding, he still cares enough to ask how she’s doing.

“I’m fine.” She wonders if she at least sounds more fine than she feels. “You and Darwin need to get someplace safe. Luke is going to question you, ask how much of this you knew. Protect Darwin, alright? He needs you.”

“We’ll be alright, Sofe. Darwin and I can plead the fifth, especially as we didn’t know anything anyway! I know it’s all a little fresh at the moment, but dude…this is seriously cool shit!” Sofie can imagine Finn bouncing up and down as he replays the footage over and over again. “I mean werewolves, man. That’s friggin’ awesome!”

“It’ll be less awesome if they start getting shot.” Sofie’s voice is flat, and the directness seems to wake Finn up from his little paranormal fantasy.

“That’s right, sorry.” There’s an awkward pause, neither knowing quite what to say. “When are you coming back?” The way that Finn asks the question makes her think that he already knows the answer.

“I don’t know if I am. I don’t know how I can. I knew about all this; you can see that on the footage. If I come back they’re just going to pump me for information and maybe throw me in jail—” The realization has just come to Sofie, and she wonders how she can sound so calm about it all.

“Jail? For what? Accessory to being a werewolf?” Sofie can imagine Finn, pushing up his glasses as he gets riled up.

“Finn, this is a big deal. Not everyone is going to think it’s the coolest thing that’s happened since the last iPhone came out! People are going to be scared; they’re not going to know how to react. I’m guessing there’s not going to be a big ‘Welcome Back’ banner with my name on it at the motel.” Sofie looks at her feet, wondering how much of this conversation Ashton and Gus are listening in on.

Finn waits for a beat, thinking about what Sofie’s just said. “I hear you, boss.”

“Take care of yourself and Darwin, okay Finn? I’m counting on you.” She fights back the emotions as the realization that it could be a long time before she sees her friends again hits her.

“You too. And, Sofe, by the way, I get why you didn’t tell me. I just want you to know that.” Finn’s voice is low, and she can hear the warmth in his voice.

“Thanks, Finn,” Sofie whispers.

“Oh and Sofe,” Finn interrupts before she ends the call. “Just one more thing. Tell me that you and Ashton have crazy werewolf sex!” The question bursts out of him like it’s got a mind of its own.

“You’re sick, Finn. You know that?” She can’t help but laugh.

She takes a deep breath and walks back into the room. Ashton and Gus are still staring at the television screen. The understanding of what’s happened and what it means is slowly washing over them. The Lycans are no longer a myth. They’re no longer part of fairytale lore; they’re the real thing, which means they can’t hide in plain sight anymore.

Sofie knows that Luke must have orchestrated all of this so that the cameras would catch the weres shifting. He must have known about them all already. But how? The pack was so careful about keeping their secret; it’s not like one of his private investigators could just have stumbled on one of them morphing. No, there was something else, something that she wasn’t seeing.

It wasn’t enough for Luke to have the oil. He had to make a point, showing Ashton that he was more powerful and more connected—that he was better than him. They watch as Luke takes to the podium. To the average observer he would look grave, serious, but Sofie can see the excitement in his eyes. It was the same look that he got when he was taking hold of her, trying to force himself onto her. He was enjoying this; he was getting off on it. Ashton reaches his hand out, finding Sofie’s and holding it as Luke starts to speak.

“My friends, what we have witnessed today is something historic. It’s something that our children and our children’s children and all who come after them will talk about. We have seen history be made!” He looks around at the assembly in front of him, milking his speech as much as he can. “You have all seen the footage, you know what I’m talking about. But in case anyone is in denial or trying to figure out if this is a hoax or not, I want to make it clear. What we have seen are werewolves.” A cry of hysteria goes up from the crowd, and the excitement in Luke’s eyes burns brighter. “These creatures…are monsters. They are not men, and they are not wolves. They have been hiding here for God knows how long. They have been lying to you all. These are the monsters that killed the poor defenseless man whose body is still yet to be identified. That is how awful his injuries were. They were not caused by an animal; they were caused by a beast more savage and bloodthirsty than any that we have ever come across.

“These are dangerous beings. Don’t fool yourself. They have killed once; they will kill again! They must be stopped. These are wild animals that cannot be controlled, and so they must be eradicated. It’s the only way to ensure the safety of this beautiful town of Beaumont and of the world itself! Who knows how many more of these werewolves may be out there? They could be your neighbors, your friends, your teachers! But don’t be tricked into thinking that you know them, because how can anyone ever really know a beast? We, pure humans, must all stand together against the werewolf abomination. It is the only way to ensure the safety of our children, of our race!” Luke throws his fist into the air, and the gesture is copied by the assembled crowd. An ear-splitting roar of support goes up, and the sound seems to seal the fate of the pack.

“No! There’s no way. Why would you even ask me that?” Ashton looks at Sofie like he doesn’t recognize her. They have been shut in his bedroom, arguing with each other since she’d asked him the question.

“Because you told me that you’re the only one that can do it.” Sofie tries to keep her voice down so that the whole pack doesn’t hear them but that ship has already sailed. Between Ashton’s shouting and their super-hearing, there wasn’t a chance that they didn’t know exactly what was going on.

“That’s not what I meant, Sofie. And the answer is still no.” He backs away from her, as if a physical distance will stop her from asking things he doesn’t want to give.

“Why not? If you hadn’t told me that only Alphas can turn a human into a were I would have asked Lindsey or anyone else. But you’re the only one that can. I’m asking you to turn me.” Sofie looks at Ashton, a challenge in her eyes.

“No, Sofie, I’m not going to do that to you. I’m not going to take away your humanity. I won’t.” Ashton’s jaw is set firm, his arms folded. Everything is telling her that she should let it rest, but she can’t, she won’t.

“Ash, there’s nothing left for me now.” She says the words out loud that she’s only been able to admit to herself. “I’m in just as much danger as all of you. In case you missed it, the cameras showed the bullet going through me like I was a ghost. How do you think that’s going to play out? They’re already getting ghost hunters and professional paranormal experts to comment on it.”

“That still isn’t a reason to turn you. Nothing that you say is going to persuade me.” His voice is firm, but he reaches his hand out and strokes her cheek, pleading her with his eyes to put an end to her request.

However, this isn’t the first time she’s thought about it. They were different and they always would be; but, if she became a were, then everything would change. “I’ve just lost everything. Do you think those goons are going to leave me alone now that I’m plastered all over the six o’clock news? Now they know exactly where to find me, and I have no way of defending myself! Is that what you want?” She knows that she’s being unfair, but she doesn’t understand why he doesn’t see this as a good thing.

“After today, it’s clear that I don’t belong out there with the other humans. They would probably cut me open to see what’s inside as soon as look at me after that little display in the forest. Gus and I’m guessing some of the other weres don’t seem to think that I belong here either. So tell me, Ash, what am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go?” Sofie looks at him desperately for an answer, an answer that he doesn’t have.

“You’re supposed to be with me. I can protect you from all of that.” Ashton closes the distance between them, drawing her face close to his and kissing her gently on the lips. It’s a kiss full of longing and full of despair.

“Ash, right now, you have to protect your pack, and that doesn’t include me. I want to be able to protect myself. And I want to have a life with you, a real life.” The words are out of Sofie’s mouth before she can stop them. It’s something that has been festering at the back of her mind, but something she hadn’t given any real thought to—not until now. “You said that we were mates, and you told me that the Pack Mother is the one that the other weres look to for advice, for help, that she gives birth to the next Alpha. How am I supposed to do any of that if I’m not like you? I want to give you everything and, right now, as I am, I can’t do that.” She looks into his blue eyes, hoping that he can understand what she’s trying to say, how important it is for her. She’d never thought about having children before; it was something that had never really interested her and had barely crossed her mind. But now, with Ashton, she knows that’s what she wants, and he’s the only person that she could ever imagining wanting them with. “I love you, Ashton. That’s all that I have left now.”

Ashton’s expression softens, and his eyes are full of so much love for her that she has to look away. “What you’re asking of me isn’t easy. Turning you is complicated, and it hasn’t been done in generations. I’m not even sure that it would work. To start the transformation, you’d have to drink from the spring where it all started, the spring that the white wolf led Lupo to, and we don’t even know where that is anymore.” Ashton pulls her close to him again, her head against his chest as he runs his hands through her hair. “Sofie, you could die. Part of the reason why we don’t turn humans is because so few people can survive it, and there’s no way to know. I love you more than anything in this world, and I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me.” Ashton thinks about the dream that he’s been having, the images of him standing over Sofie’s bloody body, and he squeezes his eyes shut against it. “Besides, it isn’t my decision to make. The pack has to agree, and it has to be unanimous.”

Sofie pulls back to stare at him, frowning. “Does that mean that you don’t get a vote?” Ashton shakes his head. “Then call a meeting.” Sofie looks up at him, her jaw set. She’s not changing her mind.

***

Sofie and Lindsey stand at the top of the circle as the rest of the pack takes a seat on the ground to complete the loop. Ashton stands to the side, as if he’s trying to remove himself from what’s about to happen.

“Gus is never going to vote for me,” Sofie whispers under her breath to her friend. “He hates me.”

“What you did today. Putting your life at risk for Lola and then patching her up, and choosing the pack over the world outside—that’s impressed a lot of people. Gus included.” Lindsey looks at her meaningfully as she says the words, taking a step forward to start the proceedings. “As you know, the reason we have called this pack meeting is to do something that hasn’t happened for centuries. We are voting to turn Sofie Braun and welcome her into the pack.” At this point, Lindsey holds out her hand gesturing for Sofie to approach. Sofie stands upright, under the gaze of the rest of the pack, and she’s surprised to see a few encouraging smiles among the group. Perhaps Lindsey hadn’t been lying about the impression that her actions that day had made. “Sofie has proven herself to be a worthy member of our circle. She has been prepared to sacrifice herself for the sake of one of ours, and she has won the heart of our Pack Master.” At this, Lindsey winks at Ashton, who looks at her stonily. That clearly hadn’t been part of the speech. “She deserves the power of the wolf. All in favor?”

Sofie looks around and, at first, nothing happens. She tries to stop fidgeting as the dread of no one voting for her makes her feel like even more of an outsider than she already does. But slowly, one after the other starts to put their hands up. Lindsey goes first, then Hector, then Lola—wincing as she does—and so on until everyone’s hand is raised. All bar one.

Just as Sofie had expected, everyone votes in favor except for Gus. She sees the look pass between Ashton and Gus. Gus looks submissive, and Ashton looks grateful. Only then does she realizes that he hadn’t voted—not because he didn’t think Sofie deserved to be a were—but because he had to prove his loyalty to Ashton. He has known Ashton for a long time, long enough to know what his friend must think. He was doing what Ash would want him to do by voting against Sofie becoming a wolf.

“We all need to be in agreement,” Lindsey reminds everyone, looking pointedly at Gus.

“We’re not. Vote’s done.” Gus doesn’t wait for a response to his words. He just stands up and walks away.

The meeting dissolves, and Sofie’s surprised when a few of the pack members come up to her, patting her on the shoulder, telling her that Gus doesn’t know what he’s talking about. They accept her. The feeling helps to allay some of the disappointment, but only some of it.

Sofie looks for Ashton, but all she sees is his back as he disappears inside. He knows that she’s not going to give up, that’s just not her style. But he can’t deal with anything else tonight—not after everything that’s happened. Once everyone has headed back to the barn to get some sleep, Sofie sinks down to the dirt floor, wondering what happens next. She thinks about Ashton’s words, about how no one even knows where the spring is that she would have to drink from.

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn’t even hear Lindsey take a seat next to her. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“I have to find it; it’s the only way. There’s nothing left for me out there, Lindsey. My whole life is here now. But he won’t let me become a part of it, not fully.” Sofie sighs deeply, looking up at the stars for an answer.

“He’s afraid for you,” Lindsey says, nudging her in the ribs.

“Yeah, I know. I might not survive the change, blah, blah, blah.” She waves the comment away, not needing the reminder.

“It’s not just that.” Lindsey looks behind her, making sure that no one else is within earshot. “Being were, being like us, it’s not an easy way to live. There are urges that you have to control because if you don’t then someone could end up dead. You have to fight to keep the wolf at bay. It’s not a life that some of us would have chosen.”

Sofie looks at her in surprise. “Are you saying you would rather have been human?”

“I’m saying that having this power isn’t all it’s cracked up to be sometimes.” Lindsey doesn’t offer anything else.

“Sort of like ‘with great power comes great responsibility?’” Sofie arches an eyebrow at her, making Lindsey laugh.

“Yes, in the immortal words of Spiderman, something like that.” Lindsey looks up at the sky, and they both sit in silence for a few moments. “

But Sofie isn’t ready to give up yet. “This rock,” she holds up her necklace, “the woods, the earth, Ashton said that everything in this place has special properties.” She can almost see Lindsey’s ears prick up as she talks. “Well, do those properties extend to the water?”

Lindsey looks at her uncertainly. “What are you asking me, Sofie?”

Sofie sighs in frustration. “Aren’t you supposed to be a mind reader or something? If I drink the water from the stream up in the mountains will the transformation start?”

“I don’t know.” Lindsey shakes her head. “There are some things that I can’t see. What I do know is that if it is the sacred water, then once you drink it you will be close to death, and Ashton is the only one who can then complete the change.”

Sofie bites her lip, almost afraid to ask. “How did you know I’d be able to hear you when you spoke to me in the canyon the way you did?”

Lindsey smiles resignedly. “You really don’t let anything go, do you?” She shakes her head. “It’s hard to explain, but I just knew. I knew that it would work.”

That’s not good enough for Sofie. “Does that mean you know why the necklace works on me when it’s only supposed to work on weres or other supernaturals?” Sofie looks at her friend, desperate for an answer.

“No, Sofie. I don’t know why.” Lindsey looks at her straight in the eyes, proving that she’s not lying. “All I know is that you’re different. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why.”

Sofie frowns, creasing her forehead and running her fingers over her temples, trying to massage away the ache in her brain.

“The headache again?” Lindsey looks at her concerned.

“Yeah, it never really seems to go away.” Sofie shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Nothing a half a ton of Advil won’t solve.”

“How long since they started?” Lindsey peers at her, but even in the dark Sofie can hear the concern in her voice.

“I’m not sure. Why?” Sofie asks.

“Since you’ve been in Beaumont?” Lindsey’s tone is insistent, she’s not letting this go.

“I guess, more or less. Why? What difference? With all the craziness that’s been going on it’s hardly surprising. Is it?” Sofie explains it away with a wave of her hand. She doesn’t add that the headaches are getting worse
. It’s probably nothing after all
, she thinks.

“Sure, you’re probably right.” Lindsey nods a little too enthusiastically. “Does Ashton know about them?” Her question almost sounds breezy, almost but not quite.

“He’s had enough to worry about, don’t you think?” Sofie looks meaningfully at her friend, telling her with her eyes that she better not rat her out to the pack leader. Lindsey holds up her hands in surrender, but she keeps sneaking concerned glances at Sofie. “So what happens now, Linds? Have you seen anything? Has your female intuition been buzzing?”

Lindsey shakes her head. “I wish I had. Everything’s a little fuzzy, like I’m looking through a stained-glass window. I just have this feeling that things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.”

“I was afraid that you might say that,” Sofie sighs. “And if that’s true, that things are downhill from here, then I needs to be able to help the pack and protect myself. I can’t do that as a human; there’s no way.”

“I’ll help you.” Lindsey’s words are little more than a whisper, but there’s no mistaking them.

“What?” Sofie asks although she knows she hasn’t misheard.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but something is telling me that you’re the key to all of this, Sofie. I can’t explain it; but, I know that Ashton is going to need you to do what he needs to. So, I’ll follow your lead. I have to trust that whatever is driving you is what needs to be done. Whatever it is, I’ll be ready.” Lindsey doesn’t add that Ashton would kill her for helping Sofie go against the vote of the pack and against his wishes. She doesn’t need to say it; it’s something they’re both well-aware of.