Page 11 of Bloodbane
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Submit and Obey
{ T H A Y N E }
The front door slams shut behind Arlo with the finality of a boxing bell signaling the end of round one. No, closer to the hundredth round at this point. It takes the last shreds of my willpower to bite back the curses itching up my tongue and let him go.
Arlo’s been a problem since he’d shown up a year ago: teeth bared, four other betas in tow. The alpha-lure had been too much to resist, though I had seen how desperately Arlo wished differently. The lines of contempt and open hostility etched into his face at our initial meeting only deepen as the days tick by.
“Are you sure that was the right move, letting him go? You could have made him sit in a briar patch until company has been and gone.” Ash smirks, curling her legs under her as she settles on the couch. “With great power comes amazing opportunities to abuse said power.”
Even Ash’s lilting laugh doesn’t tempt a smile to my lips. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been fully sure of anything. Still, that hadn’t stopped me from storming into Arlo’s room the minute I returned from the lake, ready to put my fist through his almost-healed nose.
“He swears up and down that they’re dead, and that it was a vampire that did it, even under Command. There’s not much more use he can be here, and it’s probably best he’s out of the way for what comes next.”
“I still don’t…” Ash trails off, shaking her head, sending her unnaturally red curls dancing. “ Vamps ? Here? Why would they settle in town? They’d pick out the pack’s scent a mile away. Unless that’s why they’ve come? But even so, a single vamp? Surely a mated pair would attack together.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a pair.”
“A lone wolf may be uncommon for our lot, but from what I’ve heard, fanged folk are always either mated or in a brood.”
“A nest,” I correct without thinking.
“Come again?”
“A group of vampires is a nest, not a brood. I think it’s—” I snap my mouth shut as Ash’s keen eyes narrow. “Never mind. The point is that there are solo vamps. They’re rare, but…” I shrug and turn from the openly curious gaze, escaping into the kitchen.
The calming scents of cedar and snow whip into the room as I peg the newly fortified front door open. The cold air dances across my face, fighting back the heat in my cheeks. Playing for time, I run my hands over the thick slabs now attached to the door and inspect the makeshift brackets for the heavy wooden drawbar on both sides of the walls. The pack has done an impressive job, especially given the lack of time and resources.
“Tee?”
I turn back at Ash’s prompting. “For whatever reason, there was just one. As for the rest, I can’t get answers from Arlo that he doesn’t know. It’s not like they stopped to have a chat before trying to kill each other.”
I hum thoughtfully, recalling Arlo’s answer as I make my way back to the couch.
“ A bit of experimenting, Smith. Just some pack bonding .”
The words feel somehow both true and not—a kernel of truth wrapped in a lie of omission—and though I had wanted to push, to delve deeper, my gut made me pull back. Arlo had cowered under my fury-filled Commands. His bowed head spoke of submission, but the way the words dragged from his throat screamed resistance, as if he’d been fighting against me.
But that’s not possible.
Alpha Command is unbreakable control, tapping into the undeniable, biological instinct to submit and obey. But the connection had been strained and brittle, every confession hard-won instead of given willingly. In the end, I relented, uncertain of what would happen if the connection broke completely.
My feet find the well-worn path around the room as impossible thoughts jumble and blur together. My call to the station may have been motivated by lingering doubts about Arlo’s story, but now, I’m hoping for more answers than what happened to Rob and Gage.
There’s so much I still don’t know about wolfkind. Things I should know. Things that I would know if I hadn’t rebelled against my place as pack leader. But I’d needed time to process—to learn how to shoulder responsibilities that seemed too heavy to bear. But in doing so, I’ve distanced myself from the one person who holds answers to the questions I didn’t know I had… until now.
“You’re physically incapable of standing still for more than two minutes, aren’t you? You’re like one of those damn wind-up toys. Why the hell are you so nervous?”
I jerk to a stop, rocking forward onto my toes under the momentum. I anchor myself to the carpet with curled toes—my desire to keep moving only narrowly surpassed by the need to prove Ash wrong.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him, and we didn’t exactly leave off on the best of terms.” My gaze drifts back to the open door.
Ash scoffs. “Oh, please. It’ll be fine. You’ll get a stern look, a lecture about taking too long to call, and then one of those manly one-armed hugs. I’m sure you’ll survive it.”
“ If he comes.” My fingers drum a soundless beat against my thigh. “He might send your friendly Deputy Jones instead.”
Ash’s nose twitches as she snorts derisively. “And who the hell is that?”
“New guy, I guess. He’s the one who took the call. Said someone would be out shortly.” I frown at the clock on the wall. “Seems we have different definitions of shortly ,” I mutter.
The tension vibrating through my muscles increases, coiling tight as a spring before finally snapping me back into motion.
I ignore Ash’s quiet laugh of victory.
On my third lap, I task my feet with carrying me closer to the open door, drawn by the sounds of snow crunching under tires, the rumble of an engine turning quiet, and a door snicking open before slamming closed again.
My shoulders sag at the unfamiliar scent. “I think we’re about to meet the friendly deputy.”
Ash rises from the sofa in one graceful movement, tossing the cushion in her arms toward me. I snatch it from the air as she zips the thin black coat she wears for style rather than warmth. Smiling reassuringly, she pulls the hood over her curls.
“It’s probably his day off. I’m sure he’ll be in touch once he hears about your call.”
“Maybe.”
I sigh, plucking at the pillow trim as I walk back to the couch. I drop the cushion into Ash’s recently vacated spot, barely resisting the urge to flop face down and refusing to get up until all my responsibilities have magically disappeared. It’s a selfish desire, but an honest one.
Ash pauses at the back door, her hand on the knob. “You might want to chase those storm clouds from your face before New Guy gets to the house. I doubt he’s psyched about coming out here, the last thing he needs is to be greeted by the big, bad wolf.”
My scowl deepens at Ash’s smirk as much as her choice of words. “Hilarious.”
“I know.” She blows a kiss before slipping out the door.
I turn at the sound of knuckles rapping against wood, all but lost to the howling of the wind. I allow myself one last steadying breath. Disappointment aside, there’s still a job to be done, and I’ll fare better having the deputy on side. My lips tremble with the effort of pushing my cheeks up, but after a moment, the mask holds, and I stride back through the kitchen toward the human waiting at my front door.