The Council of Elders was made up of three. They didn’t look all that bad considering they’d each been around for at least a century. They weren’t immortal, but the aging process was slowed by their healing ability. Still, Shifters do eventually age, and they were showing the signs. A little more bent, a little more withered and sporting manes of snowy white hair.
But their eyes were sharp, and damn it, their ability to scent probably was, too.
We were sitting in chairs near the fireplace. I felt as though the snarling wolves on the mantel were looking directly at me, passing judgment.
The elders studied me. I fought not to show any nervousness and prayed they wouldn’t ask me to demonstrate my ability to shift. It hadn’t occurred to me until that moment that maybe we had to reveal our wolf form to them before we could shed our novice status. That was going to be a bit of a problem. I also realized that if Shifters possessed some sort of instinctual connection with one another—something like what Kayla had sensed with Lindsey—that the elders might also be able to tap into the fact that I hadn’t shifted. But if that was the case, wouldn’t they confront me about it?
I tried not to envision how it would go—the distrust they might exhibit.
“So,” Elder Wilde finally said.
I arched a brow. “So?”
He gave me an indulgent smile. “In all of our history, there is no record of a female surviving her first transformation alone.”
“There has to be a first time for everything, right?”
“Was it painful?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” I gave a self-conscious laugh. “I guess you would believe. You went through it, right?”
They all smiled. At least they’d retained their sense of humor.
Just don’t ask me to shift. Please don’t ask me to shift.
“We still believe it’s important that you find a mate,” Elder Wilde said.
Relief swamped me. If they were still trying to set me up, then they had to be sensing that I was a Shifter. So what had gone wrong? Would they have the answer if I confessed the truth? Would they decide I wasn’t up to being a Dark Guardian? With Bio-Chrome still a threat, I wanted to do what I could to protect Shifters. Even if I couldn’t yet shift, I truly believed that I could help, could make a difference, could have an impact.
I nodded quickly at his belief that I needed to find a mate. “Oh yeah, definitely. I’m totally up for that. I just want to do it at my own pace.”
“We were thinking of sending you to various other sanctuaries. We have them throughout the world. It could just be that, like your mother’s situation, your mate isn’t here. She found hers in Europe.”
My jaw dropped. I snapped it back up. My mom had never told me that little tidbit. I’d always assumed he was someone from around here. Was that the reason she went to Europe every summer? To be with him? Why hadn’t she ever told me? More importantly, why didn’t she take me with her to meet him? Maybe she wasn’t going to see him, maybe she was just trying to find him. Mom had always been so mysterious where my dad was concerned, like maybe she was ashamed of him or something. But then why wouldn’t she be? He hadn’t hung around.
But as stunning as the revelation about my mother was, I was more concerned with what he was suggesting for me. “I don’t want to leave here, especially now with”—Connor no longer tied to Lindsey—“Bio-Chrome threatening us. Our very existence could be in jeopardy.”
“I told the others you would feel this way,” Elder Mitchell said. “You’ve always been one of our most loyal novices.”
“Definitely. I feel very strongly about this. We have to protect the pack. At all costs.” Even if that cost was lying until I understood what had happened to me. “Don’t send me away.”
“It’s not a punishment, Brittany,” Elder Wilde said. “It can be very lonely when everyone around you has a mate.”
“The pack comes first.”
Elder Wilde sighed as though I were suggesting something that would land me in detention. The elders looked at one another, arched brows, nodded. I knew that in wolf form, Shifters could read one another’s thoughts. I had a feeling the elders could do it when they weren’t in Shifter mode. I hoped they couldn’t read mine. Just to be safe, I fought to make my mind blank.
“You won’t find anyone more loyal than me,” I blurted. “Let me prove it.”
“We don’t question your loyalty,” Elder Wilde said. “We want what is best for you.”
“Staying is best for me.”
They did another round of head nodding.
Finally Elder Wilde sighed as though he’d lost the argument. “We’re in agreement. We need you while the Bio-Chrome threat is here. But destiny chooses our mates. If your mate is elsewhere, it’s not fair to you—or him—for us to hold you here forever.”
I could have told them that he wasn’t elsewhere. There was obviously a defect in me that wouldn’t cause that instant bonding. I was going to have to secure a mate the human way—by making him fall in love with me.
Good luck with that, Brittany.
I was more than ready to leave and decided my best course of action was to initiate the ending of the meeting. I tapped my watch. “Lucas is calling a meeting of the Dark Guardians. I should probably go.”
Elder Wilde smiled. “One more question.”
I nodded expectantly. They hadn’t been too hard so far.
“Did you what you were looking for in the ancient book?”
Okay, I should have expected that. I felt all the air leak out of me like a balloon. I considered denying it, but even I thought I could smell my scent from last night lingering in here. Although that was probably just in my head or guilt making me sense things I couldn’t possibly sense. I shook my head.
“Would you like to share with us what you were seeking? Maybe we can be of assistance.”
“It’s really not important enough to bother you with.”
I expected them to question whether it was important enough to break rules over, but instead, Elder Wilde studied me quietly, giving me the impression that he knew exactly what I’d been searching for. I expected him to admonish me, or torture me, or make me confess the truth of my situation.
Instead, he simply said, “Well, you are right about our needing to get to the meeting. Your first as a full-fledged Dark Guardian. Should prove interesting.”
I kept my expression passive, even though I was stunned. That was it?
As I rose to my feet, Elder Wilde said, “Remember, Brittany, deception may give us what we want for the present, but it will always take it away in the end.”
For a minute, I thought he was sharing something he’d read in a fortune cookie, but then I realized he was way too serious.
“What are you talking about?” I asked nervously. Did they know the truth?
“May you never find out.”
As I followed them out of the room, I couldn’t help but feel that I was being tested in some way. But the greater test was Bio-Chrome. I knew I could help the Dark Guardians defeat them—but only if I was a Guardian.
If I didn’t shift during the next full moon, then I’d confess everything to the elders, ask for their guidance and assistance.
But for now, I was determined to be what I’d always longed to be: a Dark Guardian.
When we arrived at the council room, I hung back, respectfully waiting for the elders to take their place at the large round table that occupied the center of the room. Twelve additional chairs circled it. Eleven Guardians were standing behind their chairs. Kayla stood on one side of Lucas. Rafe, his second-in-command, was on the other side of him. Lindsey stood so close to Rafe that light could barely filter between their shoulders. Her fingers continually touched his, and then retreated, as though she couldn’t stand the thought of not having some skin-to-skin contact with him, but knew it was inappropriate here in the council room. Her golden eyes were focused on me, as though I were the only one in the room. They were imploring me to speak up, to reveal my ugly secret, to release her of the burden of truth she carried on her shoulders.
Sorry, Lindsey. No can do.
The chair between Connor and Daniel was empty. Staring at it, knowing it was designated for me, I swallowed hard. Every meeting before this one, I’d sat in a chair along a wall, the place designated for the novices. A Dark Guardian who hadn’t yet been caressed by a full moon. The significance of this meeting slammed into me. I was finally qualified to sit at the big table. Or so they all thought.
I knew I needed to move forward but my feet felt as though someone had super-glued them to the floor. More than moving forward, I knew Lindsey was right. I needed to confess my deep, dark secret. I knew I did. I knew it was wrong to place my butt in a chair that rightfully belonged to a warrior. I needed to just suck it up, accept the reality of—
Lucas grinned at me, his silver eyes teasing. “Come on, Brittany. I don’t know anyone who’s wanted—or deserved—this moment more than you.”
So true. No one else put in the hours working out like I did. No one else ate as healthily—and boringly—as I did. Chocolate hadn’t passed between my lips in years. I’d wanted to be the best Dark Guardian ever. No reason I couldn’t be. I was smart and strong. I’d trained in the martial arts. I knew this wilderness as well as I knew every feature of Connor’s face. I’d willingly die for the Shifters—without hesitation or regret.
What did it matter if I hadn’t yet shifted? I’d been prepared to pull my weight before my full moon. My devotion, my readiness hadn’t changed.
With a deep breath, I strode forward to stand behind the empty chair beside Connor. Dark blond bristles shadowed his face as though he hadn’t bothered to shave since the last full moon. His hair was combed back in its usual style but looked as though he’d merely used his fingers rather than a comb to arrange it. He’d never looked sexier. As wrong as it was, I drew strength from his nearness, as though I could actually feel the warmth of his body reaching out to mine.
With a scraping of chairs over the stone floor, everyone took a seat.
Connor leaned over and I caught a whiff of his unique earthy scent. “Welcome to the big table,” he whispered in a low voice.
Holding his blue gaze, I fought not to grin like an idiot, not only because I was sitting at the big table but because he was there beside me, acknowledging me. “Thanks. How’s the arm?”
His eyes hardened and I realized that was not exactly the best conversation starter. I should have gone with, “What did you discover out there about the snare?”
“Healed,” he said curtly, and whatever camaraderie might have been developing between us came to a screeching halt. He turned his attention to Lucas.
Because I could feel Daniel studying me, I smiled at him. He gave me a thumbs-up. He really was a nice guy. We just didn’t have any chemistry.
“As most of you know,” Lucas began and I directed my attention to our leader, “we recently found a lab that Bio-Chrome had set up at the northeastern edge of the forest. They captured Connor, Kayla, and me—but we managed to escape with help from Lindsey and Rafe.”
I slid my gaze over to Lindsey and Rafe. His hair was as dark as mine, but that was where our similarities ended. His eyes were brown and so full of adoration for Lindsey that I was stunned to realize how much inner strength it must have taken for him to keep all those emotions hidden away. But was I really any different when it came to what I felt for Connor?
We believed in destiny, that our mates were kindred souls. I shifted my gaze over to Connor and it collided with his. My heart slammed against my ribs with the intensity of his stare. Was he watching me so closely because he was suddenly interested or was it because he was beginning to sense that I didn’t belong at this table?
Soul mates were supposed to be able to decipher each other’s thoughts. Could I even afford to have a mate now? Or would my thoughts always be locked away from other Shifters?
“Then on the way back to Wolford, Brittany came across a snare,” Lucas announced.
I heard a couple of sharp intakes of breath as the other Guardians turned their attention expectantly to me. As much as I wanted to lie about it, I knew doing so would put Shifters in danger. “I don’t know if Bio-Chrome set it,” I admitted.
“They did,” Connor said. “I checked it out last night. Picked up a scent.”
Panic caused my stomach to flutter. How was I going to explain why I hadn’t picked up the scent? Was I going to have to come clean about what hadn’t happened during the full moon?
“Mason’s?” Kayla asked. She and Mason had been friends earlier in the summer before she discovered what they planned for the Shifters.
“No,” Connor answered, before meeting Lucas’s gaze. “It was the scent of one of the mercenaries Bio-Chrome hired to help them find us. I figure Brittany didn’t recognize it because she wasn’t with us when we were captured.”
I fought not to reveal how relieved I was with that explanation. When they’d been captured, I’d been with a group of girls camping in the forest.
“I found three other snares,” Connor continued. “They followed the river. I didn’t find any evidence of them scouting nearby, but it’s just a matter of time.”
Lucas nodded. “Good work, Brittany.”
Normally I enjoyed praise, but I felt like a fake accepting it for something I’d simply stumbled across. “I just got lucky.”
“Lucky Bio-Chrome wasn’t around,” Daniel muttered.
“So what are we going to do about the lab?” I asked.
Lucas gave me a patient smile. He, too, was dark, but his hair was a medley of colors: brown, black, silver, white. It made him a very easily identifiable wolf to humans. “Best case scenario: We destroy the lab, but that’s tricky. We can’t burn it without risking the forest. Even though it’s not located inside the national forest itself, it’s still surrounded by trees. A fire doesn’t respect property lines. But we do know a Shifter who owns a company that implodes buildings for demolition. I’m going to meet with him. See what he recommends.”
My granddad, my mom’s father, had once taken me to watch an old hotel being taken down. It was in the middle of a city, buildings all around it. They’d reduced it to rubble without damaging anything else in the vicinity. It had actually been pretty cool to watch.
“Don’t suppose it’s too much to hope that their lab geeks will be inside when it goes down,” Connor said.
“Do we want their deaths on us?” Lucas asked. “That’s something we have to think about.”
“If all we do is destroy the building, they’ll just build another one somewhere else—maybe one that’s more difficult for us to get to,” Connor pointed out. “And they’ll still come after us.”
“Maybe we should out ourselves,” Kayla said.
A bold comment from someone who’d only just discovered that our kind existed.
“I don’t know that the world is ready for that,” Lucas said. “Could just bring us more trouble.”
“I say, bring it on,” I stated emphatically.
Beside me, Connor chuckled and I had another one of those feel-good moments when I thought maybe if I could make him completely forget about Lindsey that I might have a chance of hooking up with him.
Lucas looked toward the elders as though seeking their counsel.
Elder Wilde stood. “It is possible that the time has come to reveal our existence to the world, but it is not a decision that can be made in haste. And it will carry consequences. We cannot forget how we were persecuted in the ancient world when our existence was known. Well-trained hunters were charged with destroying us. We went into hiding for so long that our kind is only remembered as a myth. We cannot deny that the world has since changed, but has it changed enough to accept us? We cannot yet say, but we will take your suggestions under advisement.” He sat and folded his hands on top of the table as though to signal he’d finished.
Lucas turned his attention back to us.
“When do you anticipate we can take action?” Rafe asked, and I felt Connor stiffen beside me. I admired him for not growling. I couldn’t imagine how much courage it took for him to be here, knowing that everyone in the room had expected Lindsey to be his mate. Our kind had rituals. For Lindsey to be with Rafe, everyone would know that Rafe had challenged Connor—and Connor had lost.
I hadn’t considered that before. I’d always thought they were well matched. Would Connor have thrown the fight intentionally? I hadn’t thought to ask last night. Since it was supposed to be a fight to the death—well, someone had shown mercy. I wanted to believe it was Connor.
“I’m thinking that our best chance for success will come during the dark of the moon,” Lucas said. “We have night vision on our side.”
“And they have night-vision goggles,” Connor pointed out.
“Possibly. But a moonless night will give us the best chance of cover.”
Connor nodded, as though he reluctantly agreed.
“Okay then, I’m going to divide us into smaller teams. Some of you will stay here at Wolford, some will scout the forest searching for any more signs of Bio-Chrome, and another team will head to the lab. For now you can all relax. I’ll post assignments later this morning. Tomorrow we get to work. Are there any questions?”
I glanced around. Everyone appeared determined. Tension radiated on the air but I sensed it was because we were all anxious to protect our kind.
“All right, then,” Lucas said. He then nodded toward Elder Wilde, relinquishing control of the meeting.
Elder Wilde stood. “You all carry a heavy burden. We’ve always turned to our youth for protection because you’re stronger, hungrier, more eager to prove your worth. But wisdom comes with experience. If you need counsel, come to us.” His eyes fell on me and I fought not to look guilty. “We are here to serve and guide. But you are our guardians from the darkness that can be humankind. Go forth.” He moved his hands in a widening circle, giving us permission to leave.
As everyone started to get up, I took my time, trying to think of something clever to say to Connor. I felt a tug on my braid and looked over at Daniel.
He smiled at me. “You’re one tough Dark Guardian.”
“Thanks.”
I didn’t have to look to know that Connor had moved on. I strongly felt his absence. I was a mess: hopeful one moment, facing reality the next. Sooner or later a situation might arrive in which I would have to shift. What would Connor think of me and my deception then? Was I simply delaying his inevitable disgust? If he fell in love with me, would he forgive me? Or would he simply hate me all the more?
Lucas called Daniel over to where he, Connor, and Rafe were talking. I figured he was about to send them out on patrol.
“Maybe we can catch up later,” Daniel said.
I nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
After he walked off, it occurred to me that I needed to introduce him to one of the novices or something. He was new to our area and he needed to expand his circle of friends to more than just me.
I was in the hallway when I ran into Kayla.
“So what did the elders want?” she asked.
“To send me away.”
“What do you mean? Like, back to Tarrant?”
Tarrant was the small town near the entrance to the national forest. Most of us had grown up there.
“No, I mean, like to other forests, other areas, places where other Shifters hang out. They think my true mate is out there somewhere just waiting to connect with me.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Whoever heard of matchmaking grandfathers?”
“Maybe they’re worried about keeping the species thriving.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I think they just finished their Sudoku puzzles for the day and were bored, so they decided to meddle.”
“Maybe they care about you.”
She made me feel guilty for having unkind thoughts about their attempt to play Cupid. From an early age, we were taught to respect them. But who wanted to be set up by men who’d probably forgotten what it’s like to first fall in love?
Looking over my shoulder, I could see through the doorway and into the council room. Connor, Lucas, and Rafe seemed to be engaged in an intense discussion. I had no doubt that the three of them were the most powerful of the Dark Guardians. But Connor held my attention like no one else ever had. Whatever the topic was he cared deeply about it. It was evident in his burning expression. I wished he would look at me with that intensity.
“So you wanna go somewhere and talk?” Kayla asked, dragging my attention away from Connor.
My stomach tightened painfully with the thought of any more interrogation. “About what?”
“I don’t know. Girl stuff. Wolf stuff. I’m still adjusting to this whole new lifestyle.”
Girl stuff I could handle. Wolf stuff…I wasn’t so sure I’d be able to talk about it without giving away that I hadn’t actually ever experienced it. “I’m going for a humanlike run.”
She might invite herself on a four-legged run, but I’d never seen her jog.
She furrowed her delicate brow. “Do you have to work to stay in shape now that you can shift?”
“I love running on two legs. It can’t be beat for an adrenaline rush.”
Before she had a chance to debunk my statement—since I figured there was truly no greater rush than what one experienced when shifting—I hurried up the stairs to my room, grateful that she didn’t follow. I quickly changed into running shorts and sneakers. Grabbing my iPod, I rushed outside before anyone else could stop me and hit the ground running.
As I settled into the familiar rhythm, my mind drifted to Connor. I should have reached over and taken his hand. Squeezed it. Silently communicated that I was there for him. Where was the strong, bold Brittany who had defied the elders and gone off on her own to face the full moon? Yeah, Connor might not be ready for a relationship, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use a friend who did more than drool whenever she was in the same room with him.
I shifted my thoughts to Bio-Chrome and our plan to destroy them. Its lead researcher, Dr. Keane, and his son, Mason, wanted to figure out what made Shifters shift. They wanted to replicate it, create some sort of serum that would allow Statics for a short while to have the capabilities of healing and transforming that Shifters did. But in creating their product, they could very likely ruin everything we had. They wanted to capture a Shifter. We had no guarantee that whoever they captured would survive whatever experiments Bio-Chrome had in mind. But worse, they’d reveal our existence to the world. Even if Kayla was correct and it was time to tell humans that Shifters existed, we needed to be able to do it on our terms—not Bio-Chrome’s. I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced that Statics were ready to accept the existence of Shifters. Bio-Chrome didn’t treat us as though we had rights. When they’d captured Lucas, they’d put him in a cage and tormented him.
They would stop at nothing to gain what they wanted—to have our abilities to shift.
I could relate. I’d waited so long for the arrival of the right moon and now that it had passed I was straining to reach the next one—to see if it made a difference.
But Bio-Chrome would kill to gain what they wanted.