Page 25 of Predator (Stope Packs #4)

Her body deliciously sore, Emily sat in the basement of Luna’s cabin, her gaze flicking over the shelves of vials and potions lining the walls. Some glowed faintly, others sat dark and still. The air smelled of herbs and something metallic. “What is all this stuff?”

“Remedies.” Luna walked swiftly from shelf to shelf. Her fingers moved with practiced ease, collecting items and setting them aside on a metal tray. The hum of a machine kicked on, vibrating low beneath the wooden floorboards. The sound blended with the soft click of keys as she adjusted the laptop.

Dr. Gwen’s face popped up on the computer screen, her sharp eyes scanning the camera. “Hey, Emily. How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” Emily replied.

“I bet,” Luna muttered, her back to the screen.

Dr. Gwen leaned closer to the screen. She wore light pink scrubs today, making her appear young and fresh. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Emily said quickly.

Luna stepped closer to the laptop, hands on her hips. “I’ve got all the blood stored and started running basic genetic tests, but my equipment’s limited. I’m using an old centrifuge and an IEC HN-SII, to separate plasma and red cells, but it’s slow and only holds a few samples at a time. I’ve got a manual ABO blood-typing kit with glass slides, anti-A, anti-B, and anti-D serums, but it’s outdated. And my microscope is an old Olympus BH-2. It works, but the resolution isn’t great.”

“I have top-of-the-line equipment,” Gwen interrupted smoothly.

Luna jerked. “You do?”

“Jackson invested in modern equipment. I’ve got a Beckman Coulter Allegra X-30R centrifuge. This little baby can process more samples faster and at higher speeds. And I managed to get an Ortho Vision Analyzer for blood typing.”

“Wow,” Luna breathed. “That lovely thing is automated, precise, and faster than manual methods. What else do you have?”

Dr. Gwen preened a little. “My microscope’s a Nikon Eclipse E400 with phase contrast, which makes spotting abnormalities easier.”

Luna exhaled, rubbing her forehead. “I’m jealous and might hate you a little. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent staring through that old scope or waiting on the centrifuge.”

“Well, pack those samples up,” Gwen said. “Send them my way. We’ll get faster results, and I’ll run advanced genetic sequencing while I’m at it.”

Luna glanced at Emily, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “We are totally going to discover what’s wrong with you.”

Dr. Gwen chuckled. “Jackson’s been investing in upgrades. Convincing wolves to donate DNA is still tough, but I’m getting enough to work with. There are too many illnesses running through the packs that we need to eliminate.”

“Ditto,” Luna said. “I’ve been meaning to loop in Dr. Sharon. She’s the doctor for the Silver Pack, and we correspond often. She’s very sharp. You’ll like her.”

“Good,” Gwen said. “More coordination between packs would help. Medicine shouldn’t be bound by territorial lines.”

Luna adjusted the screen, her gaze flicking to Emily. “Totally agree.”

“Yes.” Emily traced her finger along the table’s edge. “We’re all adding farming to our mining operations. Feels like something that could bring us closer together. We’ll trade crops and resources, which will only strengthen the coalition.”

“Agreed,” Luna said. “Erik talked to his brother about farming the other day, so now even Seth and his Silver pack are thinking about growing crops.”

“How’s Mia?” Emily asked. The other female was pregnant, and from what Emily had heard, she and Seth had likely conceived before they’d mated. The situation wasn’t unheard of, but the risks increased when a human became pregnant by a wolf outside of a mating bond. Legends warned of babies being born feral, their instincts too wild to control.

“She’s wonderful,” Luna replied, sliding a tray of vials into the fridge with a soft click. “Not worried about the baby at all. I mean, the kid is Seth’s, so wild is a given.”

“True.” Emily was so happy for her friends. Hopefully the packs would spend more time together now that everyone seemed to be getting along. “But Mia’s pretty grounded, so who knows? Either way, I can’t wait to meet the little one.”

Luna read over her tablet. “Me neither. I’m going to have a niece or nephew, which is pretty cool. And if I’m pregnant, I mean, if your nose is correct, then our kids can grow up together. Isn’t that fantastic?”

“I believe so.” Surprising happiness flowed through Emily. Her nose was never wrong…Luna was definitely with child. “Hey, I have a sister now, so someday I’ll have a niece or nephew, too.”

Luna laughed. “That’s definitely exciting.” She crossed to the computer and tapped a few keys. “I’m preparing my results and will send these along with the blood samples when you take off.”

Emily leaned closer to the screen, focusing on Gwen’s face. “You mentioned having a couple of thoughts about my illness.”

“Just ideas with nothing to back them up,” Gwen replied, her tone measured. “I’ll know a lot more when I start my tests. No matter what I find, I’ll tell you the full truth.”

“No matter how bad?” Emily asked, her voice quieter.

Gwen’s eyes softened. “No matter how bad,” she confirmed. “But I’m not stopping until I find a solution.”

“And neither am I,” Luna added firmly from beside her. “We’ll figure this out.”

“It has to be genetic,” Emily said. “Or it wouldn’t pass from mother to daughter. Even humans with advanced genetic research haven’t cracked a lot of hereditary diseases.”

“Yeah, but we’re wolves,” Luna shot back with a quick smile. “We adapt faster.”

Gwen chuckled. “True. All right, Emily. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Emily’s stomach dipped. “Actually, we’ll be back today,” she said. “Jackson has a meeting, then he wants to head home to his territory. And, well...he’s got a date tomorrow night.” The growl at the end slipped out before she could swallow it down.

Gwen’s smile flickered but didn’t fade. “Understood. I’ll see you when you get in.”

The screen went dark with a click, leaving Emily staring at her reflection.

Luna coughed. “Give me a break. Are you really going to let him go on a date with another shifter?”

“Jackson and I took one night away from reality. That’s all it was.” Emily’s voice was steady, but something inside her twisted.

“Come on. Isn’t there a solution? I mean, I don’t know your cousin Victor, but he can’t be that bad. Let him be the Alpha if your dad wants a break.”

Emily couldn’t do that to her pack. “He’s beaten the crap out of former girlfriends. And last time, my dad nearly killed him.”

Luna blanched. “Okay, that’s bad.”

“Yeah. My dad should’ve kicked him out of the pack, but Vic’s a good fighter, and we all need those around these days.”

Luna rolled her eyes so hard it looked like they might get stuck. “Seriously, why are the packs always so focused on fighting?”

“Well, if the Ravencall and Ghostwind packs weren’t attacking us, we wouldn’t have to be.”

“Yeah, about that…” Luna’s voice dropped, and she winced. “What do you think the Alphas are planning?”

Emily’s fingers tapped against the edge of the table. “What do I think the four leaders of the Stope Packs Coalition are planning right now?” She exhaled. “I imagine they’re preparing for an attack.” That’s what she’d be doing. She needed to discuss the matter with both her father and Jackson.

Luna paled, her hands tightening on the edge of the counter. “I’m so tired of the fighting.”

“So am I.” Emily’s stomach clenched. But tired or not, she knew the truth. The best way to stop the fighting was to eliminate the strongest fighters from the rogue packs. Brutal, but necessary. It was how things worked. How they’d always worked. And whether she liked it or not, she was part of that world.

She wasn’t sure anyone’s fighting skills were truly up to par. The four packs were strong together, but their territories were stretched wide and separated. Hers and Jackson’s were the farthest, which complicated everything. Even if she wanted to figure out a way to combine their packs—which was impossible—the distance alone made it unrealistic.

“Don’t be sad.” Luna leaned over to pat her knee.

“I’m not sad,” Emily replied. Not really. But for one brief, wonderful moment, she’d imagined a future with Jackson. He’d been kind and gentle, a side of him she hadn’t expected. Someday, some lucky female would get to see that side of him every single day. “Sometimes, life sucks.”

“Yeah, but we usually figure it out,” Luna said with a small smile, flipping open her notepad. “I think you might be underestimating Jackson. What if his mind is already made up?”

Emily’s chest tightened. “There’s nobody else like Jackson.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth quirking upward. “Well, that sounds suspiciously like someone already halfway in love.”

“Stop.” Emily shook her head, but the warmth in her cheeks wouldn’t abate.

“Fine, fine.” Luna tapped her pen against the page. “Let’s get back to your illness. I need to know more about your ancestors.” She paused, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Unless you’d rather tell me about your night with Jackson. Now that, I’d love to hear.”

Back in the guest cabin that still carried the scent of Jackson, Emily sat at the round kitchen table, scribbling notes for her next book. The notepad, borrowed from Luna, rested under her hand. When Luna started muttering intensely about blood tests and medical theories, and the air in that basement lab had begun to feel too heavy, Emily had excused herself and returned to the cabin.

What in the world was she going to do about Jackson? How was she supposed to help arrange dates for him with other females? The thought twisted her stomach into knots, especially since she put herself in this situation. On purpose.

Her phone buzzed against the tabletop. She picked it up and pressed it to her ear. “Nightsom.”

“Hey, it’s Nadia,” her sister’s voice came through.

She relaxed in the kitchen chair, her legs extended, and her feet resting on another seat. “Hey. What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to know…what are my rights here?”

Emily tapped her pen against the notepad. “What do you mean?”

“Philip left the territory for some meeting today, and Vic’s here at the house acting like he owns the place.”

Emily’s feet dropped to the floor. “What?”

“Yeah,” Nadia said, frustration lacing her words. “I kind of want to kick him out, but…it doesn’t feel like my place.”

“It is your place,” Emily said firmly. “You have every right to kick him out.”

“Are you sure?”

Unbelievable. Who did Victor think he was? He just wanted to intimidate Nadia. “Yes. Vic has his own house. He doesn’t need to be there.”

“Well, he’s not measuring windows for new drapes or anything, but he’s sitting in the dining room having the cook make him a late lunch. Is that normal?”

“No,” Emily replied, her tone sharpening. “It isn’t.”

Nadia’s voice dropped. “He mentioned once again about being ready for the trials. What does that mean?”

Emily’s fingers tightened around the phone as she glanced toward the window. Snow clung to the tree branches outside, but the calm didn’t touch the knot forming in her gut. “Dad wouldn’t tell me. For now, try not to worry about it, okay?”

“How can I not worry? Victor is in here barking orders like he owns the place. My overbearing bodyguard is about two seconds from throwing him out.”

Who could provide backup? “Did Miliki go with Dad?”

“No. He headed into town. Philip wanted to go alone in some show of strength or power, I guess.”

That figured. “Yeah, I’m sure the other Alphas did the same.” Emily exhaled slowly, the tension pressing against her ribs. “Listen, kick Vic out if you want. Or I can call him right now and make it clear.”

“No, that’s okay.” Nadia’s tone brightened, a hint of mischief slipping in. “I’ll have Caidrik do it. They don’t like each other anyway.”

That didn’t surprise Emily in the slightest. “Good. You have every right to be there, same as me. It’s your home, too.”

“Thanks,” Nadia said softly.

“Hey, since I have you,” Emily added, shifting her notepad aside, “Jackson’s thinking about adding farming and ranching to his property. You interested in consulting? For an exorbitant consultant fee?” Hopefully Jackson’s pack had money.

“Of course.” Nadia laughed. “I’d love that. Never had a job that paid a lot of money before.”

Emily twirled the pen. She should consider handing over half of her trust fund to Nadia. She’d have to figure that out when she returned home. “Real quick, is there anything going on with you and Caidrik?”

“God, no. He’s big, growly, and grumpy. I didn’t even know him before I got here. What about you and Jackson?”

“Nothing long-lasting,” Emily said, the ache curling low in her chest. “I’ll see him happy and mated someday, and then I’ll come home.”

Silence stretched for a beat too long.

“What?” Emily asked.

“I’m new to this whole sister thing, but I feel like I should tell you that you’re being a total dumbass.”