Werewolves Be Damned - By Stacey Kennedy Page 0,52
raised his head with tears soaking his face. “Calder from the Texas pack.” He glanced over his shoulder, spotted Finn and Briggs before he looked to Kyden. “Go on, kill me. I have nothing to live for anyway.”
Kyden glimpsed over at Briggs, and noticed that even he was regarding the wolf strangely. The man’s behavior seemed all wrong. The wolves Kyden had met so far had showed no emotion or guilt, and Calder was a broken man. “All right. Start talking.”
“I’ve gotten myself into a situation.” He wiped his tears and sucked in a breath, gathering himself. “After a new alpha took over our pack, which left the pack divided, a group of us made a plan to leave.”
He leaned against the back of the pew, sending it squeaking beneath him, as he added, “My brother left our pack in Texas so I went with him, feeling it was the right thing to do. I hadn’t known taking innocent mortal lives would be included in that plan.”
Kyden heard the meaning in Calder’s statement. “You haven’t been involved in these recent string of killings?”
Calder shook his head. “I refused to kill.”
Kyden had a moment of relief looking at Calder. At least all werewolves hadn’t up and gone mad. This gentle wolf, one against such cruelty, showed typical wolf behavior. He believed Calder, and didn’t doubt that the wolf simply didn’t know how to get out of the mess he’d gotten himself into. Also, that Calder had no part in the brutal deaths Kyden witnessed.
He looked at Briggs then, and Briggs jerked his chin in agreement, obviously reading Kyden’s line of thinking. To Calder, Kyden said, “You have the chance to redeem yourself. Tell us everything you know and Briggs will help you either return to your pack—if they’ll accept you—or will find you a new pack.”
Calder’s eyes widened before he glanced over his shoulder at Briggs. “I’d be offered forgiveness?”
Briggs’s amber eyes were stern. “You tell the truth, and your honesty will prove your loyalty to the wolves. That’s how you’ll gain forgiveness.”
The wolf looked down to his lap, and at his soft nod, Kyden asked, “Where are the rest of the wolves involved in this?”
Calder lifted his head, shaking it. “I don’t know. The wolves keep on the move and I haven’t been with them for days. The last time I saw them they were staying at the Radisson, but I can promise you they won’t be there now.”
“Hrmph,” Kyden muttered.
Briggs growled, a low rumble, then he asked Calder, “What are the werewolves after by committing these murders?”
“Full destruction of the packs.”
Briggs’s eyes widened, and Kyden experienced the same type of shock. Of all the reasons the werewolves were killing the mortals, Kyden hadn’t once guessed their intention was to destroy the very foundation of their society.
He stayed quiet as Calder continued. “A way for the rogue wolves to overpower the current alphas so they can rule their own packs.” Calder looked to Briggs, then to Kyden. “A promise has been made to the wolves that the alphas and the Patriarch will be destroyed.”
“Shit,” Finn droned.
“Foolish wolves,” Briggs snarled.
Kyden sighed.
This was far worse than anyone could have anticipated. The wolves did have a plan, and as it seemed the plan was in full effect. Now he wondered why the wolves were so confident they would succeed. Taking down the Patriarch and the alphas wouldn’t be an easy feat. The next obvious question twisted his gut. He suddenly had the real sense he didn’t want to know the answer. Yet, he knew he couldn’t avoid it either.
With coiled anger in his veins, Kyden managed, “Who made the promise to the wolves they could destroy their alphas?”
“You see it’s all connected…” Calder paused, and the dismayed look the wolf gave Kyden dropped the floor out from underneath him. “I’m afraid you won’t like what I have to say.”
Calder was right—Kyden didn’t like it.
In fact, Calder was lucky Kyden didn’t kill him for the words that came out of his mouth.
…
Knock, knock, knock.
Nexi’s eyes fluttered open, as she became conscious enough to realize someone was knocking at her front door. Pushing off the pillow, she also realized she was alone in her bed, and Kyden was nowhere in sight.
Stumbling out of bed, she pulled on her gear, then dragged her feet along the carpet as she approached the door. Once there, she opened it, and Drake stood on the other side. She sighed in frustration, rubbing at her eyes. “I thought I told