Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,166

I said that."

"Because I took the video," he admitted. "I was trying to figure out how to fix this, because I really didn't think anyone would see it. I had no idea that people were searching YouTube like that, and I couldn't just delete it! Not after it was on the news, because that makes it look worse. So I asked Sam how I can help."

Trent let out a heavy sigh. "I'm texting Ian."

"Don't!" Gabby hissed.

"No?" Trent asked. "How much do they know, Gabby?"

"Everything," Samantha said. "Gabby had to tell me so I could counter it."

I pointed at the boy. "Him?"

"I said if they'd explain it, I'd give them the username and password for my account." His eyes jumped to Trent. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Right," Trent said. "So I'm definitely texting Ian."

"The alpha," Gabby told her friends.

"Thought you were alpha?" Sam asked.

Pax actually laughed. "Getting a little ahead of yourself, pup."

"I'm Roman and Olivia's alpha," she corrected. "An alpha, not the alpha. Difference between potential and position." Then she looked at me. "Mom, can I at least get my laptop without worrying they'll eat my friends?"

"I don't eat people," Pax assured the kids. "Promise."

So I shooed Gabby away, grabbed my coffee, and headed into the living room. "What are you kids planning?"

Samantha looked nervous, but not scared of me. More like a kid who'd been caught breaking the rules. "Gabby said her friends are all scared they're going to be discovered, and that if the rest of the world knew what you were, then they'd try to study you or persecute you. Well, them. I mean, you're not a wolf, right?"

The simple fact that she said "wolf" instead of "werewolf" meant they'd talked about this enough for the slang to become easy for her. Granted, Gabby had still been awake when I'd called it a night, so for all I knew, these kids had been up planning this all night long, which meant it wasn't just the two - well, three - of them.

"No, I'm not," I assured her. "So who all is involved in this plot you kids are hatching?"

"Um..." Samantha gestured to Theo. "He is, now. Olivia, Xander, and Roman, but mostly it's Gabby's idea. Gabby said she told the others, but I'm not sure who all she means by that."

"The other kids at school," Gabby said as she came back downstairs with her laptop. "The wolves, I mean. Mostly, we just need a group of us to be on the same page. I mean, no one's going to believe that werewolves exist - "

"They do," Pax countered.

Gabby grumbled loudly. "I mean in the real world, Pax. You're biased." Then she looked back at me. "Mom, trust me. Everyone can do special effects with the right computer. It just takes a program, and Sam has them."

"I'm planning to go to college for special effects," Sam admitted. "I want to work in film, which is why I'm taking drama."

So I looked at Theo. "And you?"

His cheeks turned redder. "Um, I play video games. I don't really know any of this stuff."

"So why did you post the video?" I asked. "What were you hoping for?"

Gabby lifted a hand for him to stay quiet. "He wanted Roman to notice him, ok? Theo's gay, and he likes Roman. He never thought posting it would be a problem because who would believe it, Mom? I mean, werewolves don't exist, right?"

"But why post it?" I insisted. "Why put it on YouTube where everyone can see if you're not trying to expose what really happened?"

Theo just scrubbed at his face. "Because I wanted to save it. Because I thought no one would ever look at my channel. I mean, no one ever does. Because it's what we do. It's faster to share a link than upload a video, you know? And I kinda hoped that maybe it would give me a reason to talk to him."

"And it did," Gabby said. "Mom, Olivia and Roman are coming over."

The words were barely out of her mouth before the back door opened. "What are you doing, Gabby?" Ian demanded before he was even in sight.

"I'm fixing this, Ian," she said. "And we have company."

But it wasn't just Ian who walked in. Lane and Seth were both with him, and they all piled into the living room. Ian moved to my side and kissed my temple, only for Lane to take up a position on my other side. The guys looked aggressive, and not even Ian's gesture