Over the past week, I’ve been so busy with interviews that I haven’t had time to work. I plan to help my family with Grayson’s Construction until I hear from the FBI. If I don’t get accepted, I will apply to the local PD and work my way up. I have to start somewhere.
I finish my orange juice and set the glass in the sink before grabbing my car keys off the counter. Tia is at the front window, peering out while she drinks her coffee. “What are you going to do today?” I ask.
She glances back at me and nods at the newspaper on the kitchen table. “I saw an ad in there for a job at the flower shop. I think it could be fun.”
Tia has plenty of money from being with Killian all those years, but I understand her reasoning for wanting to find a job. “I think it could be too,” I agree. “I’m helping Faith on a landscaping job today. We’re going to plant trees. Now that all of my interviews are over, I can get back to life.”
Tia smiles. “I bet you’re happy about that.” She walks over and sets her coffee cup down on the kitchen table. “It’s the full moon tonight. Did Ansley tell you what she and Lance are going to do?”
So much has happened in the past week. When Chase took Ansley back with him to California, he made sure she spent plenty of time with Lance. They’ve known each other for years but never really talked when we’ve had our parties. It only took two days for the mating signs to appear. When Ansley called me to tell me the news, I had never heard her so excited and full of life.
“They don’t see the need in waiting, so they’re going to complete the bond tonight,” I say, smiling. “Lance is bringing her back to Montana in a couple of weeks so she can get more of her things.”
Tia smiles. “Good. I’m happy for her.”
“Me too.”
Several couples will be completing their bonds tonight. A part of me wants to make a list of the females in my pack so I can pick a day and visit them, but the other part wants me to let nature run its course. For Ansley, she needed to find her mate. For others, like myself, I’m not in a hurry. I have other things in life I want to accomplish.
I look over at the microwave clock and sigh; I’m running out of time. “All right, I gotta go. Good luck at the flower shop.”
Tia waves. “Thanks. I need it, especially since I’ve never had a normal job before.”
“You’ll do fine.” I wave at her and rush outside to my Jeep. The weather is warm and perfect with a slight breeze. The Jeep top is down, and I crank up the music. The house we’re working on is only six minutes away, so it doesn’t take long to get there. Faith and I will be working in the yard while Tate and Orin are in the house, remodeling the kitchen. However, when I pull up into the driveway, Tate and Orin aren’t the only wolves present. “You have got to be shitting me,” I grumble. Standing next to my brother is not only Orin but Colin. Since my party, he’s been in Montana, and I thought for sure he’d have gone back to Wyoming by now. Groaning, I get out of my Jeep. Faith appears around the side of the house, already dirty with mud on her pants, and waves me over.
“Hey,” she calls out.
Tate and Orin wave at me, and I wave back while Colin gives me that devilish smirk of his. I glare at him in return and turn my focus to Faith.
“I’m not late, am I?” I ask. I arrived at nine o’clock, just like I was told.
Faith shakes her head. “Not at all. Tate wanted to get here a little earlier to get a head start on the kitchen. You know how he is.”
Yes, I do. He likes to finish his projects early. That’s why everyone around town wants to hire Grayson’s Construction. I look out at the backyard, and Faith already has markers in the grass where she wants the trees planted. Before I can say anything, I can feel Colin coming closer. Royals can hide their presence, or they can make it known by blasting their power. Colin wants me to know he’s there. Arrogant ass.
“All right, where do you want them?” Colin asks.
I don’t even bother turning around to look at him. Faith points toward the small flags sticking out of the ground. “Just line them up for me, please. Kami and I will take care of the rest.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch him walk over to the flags, holding a small Eastern Redbud tree in each hand, showing off his perfectly chiseled, bare upper body. I may not like him, but I’m not blind. The last thing I want is for him to think I find him attractive like all the other females in the world. Faith comes over to me with a big smile on her face. “The trees will look amazing in the spring.” She nods in the direction where her brother still stands with the trees. “Can you picture it? It’ll be nothing but beautiful purple flowers.”
I don’t want to look.
Nodding, I keep my attention on her. “Yes, it will.” My phone rings, and I turn all my focus onto it as I pull it out of my pocket. It’s a restricted number. “I’ll be right back,” I say to Faith. I intentionally don’t look over at Colin when I walk past him to the front of the house. I accept the call and bring the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Kami Grayson?” the man asks.
“Yes.”
“I’m Reed Chandler. I’m with the FBI.”
My heart stops, and I bite my lip to keep from shrieking with excitement. “Hi, Mr. Chandler.”
He chuckles. “You can call me Reed. I like to keep things casual with my recruits.” Recruits? Does that mean I’m in? I hurry over to my Jeep and lean against the door. “I looked over your application for the FBI Academy. You graduated from the University of Montana, correct?”
“Yes, sir,” I reply.
“Nice. I also happened to see you on the news this past week. It’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.”
I hold my breath and let it out slowly. “It’s been an interesting week,” I admit honestly.
“I bet. How are you holding up? I know it’s not easy taking a life, even if it was someone who deserved it.”
My heart stops and I freeze. They know I killed him. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. What the hell do I say?
“Yes, we know you killed Michael Lawrence, Kami,” he adds. “You’re not in trouble if that’s what you’re worried about. You can talk to me freely. But I do want you to answer my question … how are you handling everything?”
I can’t exactly tell him I’ve killed others before. However, Michael is the first human I’ve killed. “I’m doing fine, actually. I’ve come to terms with it. I know if I join the FBI, it’s something I might have to do again.”
“You’re exactly right. Does that not bother you?”
I don’t know if this is a trick question. All I know is I feel the need to tell the truth, no matter what I think he wants to hear. “No,” I answer. “I’m a firm believer on an eye for an eye. All I want is to make the world a safer place. Can I do that on my own? Of course not; the world’s too big. But I can try.”
Reed bursts out laughing. “Wow. I’m impressed. No one has ever answered my question like that. It makes this a lot easier.” He clears his throat, his voice turning serious. “There’s something I want to talk to you about before we move on. I have to say it’s piqued my curiosity.”
“Okay,” I say. “I’m listening.” I have to say I’m curious as well.
“So, I read Michael’s autopsy report. The cause of death was trauma from a broken neck. What surprised me was the complete obliteration of his bones. I’ve never seen anything like it, especially considering you’re a female. I don’t mean that in a sexist way; I’m just stating the facts. The amount of force to do the kind of damage you did is unprecedented in this case. I’m just wondering where your strength came from.”
I will never forget how I felt that day when I found Samantha Teller’s body and smelled Michael’s scent all over her. The rage consumed me. My strength came from that.
“There were many factors, Reed. I know you don’t know my past and what I’ve been through, but let’s just say I promised myself never to be a victim again. I’ve been training to fight for the past few years.”
“Jiu-jitsu?” he asks.
I smile. “Something like that.”
“Well, we’d love to see what you got, so here’s my proposal to you. You have two options, and let me just say, whichever path you choose, there is no wrong one.”
“Okay,” I reply, slowly releasing my breath.
“The first option, you can accept your spot with the FBI Academy. The training is twenty weeks long, and if you make it through, you’ll be placed in a position best to your abilities.”
My eyes shift over to Colin, and I hate myself for even looking. He meets my gaze and smiles at me. Rolling my eyes, I turn my back on him. “And the second option?” I ask.
“This is where things might get a little strange for you. I can’t discuss all of the details right now, but I’m hoping you’ll consider it. I’m part of a special branch of the FBI. What we do is top secret and can’t be talked about with just anyone. We do things a little differently. Our training program is eight weeks, and by the end of that first day, we know who’s going to make it. That’s how tough it is. We take the best of the best.”
It sounds interesting. “What happens if I pass? Will I become an agent?”
“Yes, but you’ll also be part of something bigger. This isn’t for the faint of heart, Kami. I’ve recruited several women over the past year, and only one has succeeded. I think you have what it takes. You said it yourself, you want to make the world a safer place. I’m offering you the chance to do that. If you need time to think about it, I understand.”
I look over at Tate, who disappears inside of the house. “What do I tell my family if I choose option two?”
“Say you’re going to the FBI Academy, and you’ll be gone for eight weeks. You’ll be able to call them like normal, only you’ll be limited to what you can tell them. The training facility is in Jackson, Wyoming.”
I gasp. “Seriously? I have friends there.”
He chuckles. “I know. We have some of those friends in common. They put in a good word for you.”
My curiosity gets the best of me. “Who?”
“Ryker Whitemore and Tyla Rand. They’re friends with a fellow FBI agent, Blake Evans. I believe Tyla works at his ranch.” Well, I’ll be damned. It’s a small world. I’ll have to thank them when I get to Wyoming. “My brother, Ian, and his wife, Grace, own a hotel near the facility, and that’s usually where our recruits stay.”
“That’s great, but would it be okay if I stayed somewhere close by? I have a lot of friends in Wyoming.”
“As long as you make it to training on time. I’ll be the one picking you up from the hotel along with three others. It’s our meeting spot.”
A part of me is ecstatic about this new adventure in my life, but I’m also nervous. I don’t know what the training entails, but I know I’ll have to be extra careful. I can’t let anyone know what I am.
“When does all of this start?”
“That’s the thing. We’ll need you in Wyoming tomorrow. Is that something you can do?”
I don’t even think twice about it. “Yes. I’m ready.”
“Good. I’ll email you all the details and my contact information. When you get into town, I want you to call me. That way, we can get started.”
My heart starts to race. I can’t wait to tell everyone. “Sounds perfect. I’ll be in touch.” We hang up, and I run straight to the house. “Tate!” I shout, barging straight through the door.
My brother drops his hammer and rushes over with Orin while Faith and Colin burst through the door behind me. I clutch my chest, and tears of happiness fall from my cheeks. Tate grabs my arms, his face full of worry. “Kami, what’s wrong?”
Laughing, I shake my head and fling my arms around his neck. “Nothing’s wrong. I just got accepted into the FBI Academy.”
Faith squeals from behind. “Oh my God, this is awesome.”
Tate lets me go, and the look of pride on his face makes my heart melt. “I knew you could do it, Kami.”
Faith pulls me away from him and hugs me. “What happens now?”
When she lets me go, I breathe a sigh of relief, even though I’m not too sure what’s going to happen when I get to Wyoming. There are so many unanswered questions. “I leave tomorrow for Jackson, Wyoming. That’s where the training facility is at. Apparently, Ryker and Tyla put in a good word for me.” Faith grins as if she knows something I don’t. “Did you know about that?” I ask her.
She grins sheepishly. “Maybe. I knew Tyla worked at an FBI agent’s ranch, so I told her to mention your name. Guess they liked what they saw.”
I hug her again. “Thank you for that. I have eight weeks of rigorous training ahead of me. I was hoping you’d call Amelie and see if I can stay with her? Maybe even Tia could come as well?”
She gasps and lets me go. “Amelie would love that. She’s all alone right now with me and Laila gone.” Pulling out her phone, she heads for the door. “I’m going to call her.”
Tate brings out his phone. “And I’m going to call Mom and Dad and everyone else if that’s okay with you. They’ll all want to hear the good news.” I nod, and he walks out to the front yard, pacing back and forth as he makes his calls with a huge grin on his face.
Colin comes up next to me and leans against the railing, so his body faces toward me. “Congratulations, Kamille.”
“Thanks,” I say, cutting him a side glance. I focus on my Jeep to keep myself from looking at him. “And didn’t I tell you not to call me that?”
He chuckles. “You did, but I like giving you a hard time. It looks like you’re going to be close to me for the next eight weeks.”
I groan. “Don’t remind me.”
He moves closer to me, but I stand my ground. “You know, I was heading home tomorrow. Chase was going to send his jet, but if you’re driving, I thought I could ride with you.”
The words hell no are on the tip of my tongue, and before I can say them, Tate joins us on the front porch. “That’s a great idea. Now you don’t have to make the drive alone.”
Clenching my teeth, I glare at Colin and his smart-ass smirk. He loves that he gets under my skin, and every time I end up giving him what he wants by being snarky back. He brings out that side in me. “Okay, you can ride with me,” I say to him. Tate and Faith walk back inside, and I move closer to Colin so only he can hear me. I look up into his crystal blue eyes, and I can feel mine flash to my wolf’s. “If you so much as get on my nerves one tiny bit tomorrow, I’ll kick your ass out of my Jeep and not think twice about it. I don’t care if we’re in the middle of nowhere. Got it?” His eyes shift to his wolf’s, and it makes my breath hitch as his power flows over my body. He’s stronger than me, but my sheer and utter determination to not back down is stronger. I stare right into his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re a big bad wolf, and you probably don’t think I can toss you out of my Jeep. All I can say is try me and find out.”
His gaze slides down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. “I’ll behave, Kamille. Honestly, I’m looking forward to this time together.” He winks and goes inside the house, leaving me alone on the porch.
How the hell am I going to deal with being alone with him for hours tomorrow? I can barely handle a single minute with him.
The door opens, and Faith giggles. “Please don’t kill my brother tomorrow.”
“I’ll try not to.” I turn to her, and my attention shifts to the window where I can see Colin inside, helping Tate. “But I can’t promise anything.”
She smiles. “Something tells me Colin’s going to enjoy every minute of it.”
Exactly. That’s what I hate.