Janine got off the sofa, and she helped her fold it back up.
“No. Thank you for coming. I know it isn’t your thing, but it really means a lot. I know you only did it for me.” Janine hugged her.
“Just don’t expect me to come out here again anytime soon.” She hugged her sister back.
“Promise me that you will give it a fair chance?” Janine pulled away a bit, her blue eyes pleading.
Sherry sighed in defeat. How could she deny her sister such a simple request? She squared her shoulders in resignation.
“I promise.” If this was all it took to make her sister happy, she’d give it an honest effort. Although, she was pretty certain she wouldn’t be any more impressed with nature than she already was—maybe more unimpressed.
Raze walked through the front door carrying all of their bags with what appeared to be little effort. Sherry was impressed as she had trouble carrying her own. He certainly wasn’t lacking in muscles.
“I think that’s everything.” He let Sherry’s bags drop to the floor by the sofa and carried the rest down the hallway.
“Why don’t you get settled, and I’ll figure out what’s for dinner?” Janine went to the small kitchen and started rummaging in the fridge and cabinets pulling things out here and there.
“I’m not really hungry. I think I’ll take a look around if you don’t mind.”
Sherry unzipped one of the bags at her feet and started pulling out her clothes.
“I don’t know, Sherry.” Raze came back into the room before Janine finished what she’d been about to say. “Maybe you should wait until one of us can come with you.”
“I promise I will not go far.” Sherry laughed. “I’m just going to walk around the cabin. I’ll stay close. Believe me, I will not venture into the woods.” She yanked her tennis shoes free from where they were wedged in the bag. I definitely will not go into the woods.
She didn’t like bugs or spiders or snakes or any other creepy crawly thing, and she was pretty sure the woods held plenty of them. She shivered.
“I’m warning you. If I see one spider in here, I’m sleeping in the Jeep.”
She gave the floor and walls a quick look, but didn’t even see one cobweb.
“Why don’t you go with her, Raze?” Janine chewed her bottom lip, a sure sign that she was worried about something.
“Are you afraid I’m going to fall down a well or something?” Sherry giggled. “We should have brought Lassie. What’s that? Sherry’s in the well, Lassie?”
“She’ll be all right, babe. I’ll keep an eye on her.” Janine smiled as Raze wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
When Janine sighed in obvious relief, Sherry frowned.
“Gee, you are starting to scare me. Is there a monster loose in the woods or something?”
“Um, not exactly.” Janine’s eyes widened for a second.
“I’m not going to go far. I still have my favorite dress on, and I don’t plan to get it dirty.” Sherry toed her flip-flops off, slipped her sneakers on, and stood.
“Go on, Sherry. I’ll be out in a couple minutes,” Raze called, but she was already halfway out the door.
Chapter Two
Anger seethed through Piers’ blood and seemed to seep out through his skin. That bastard, Anthony Wolfson, was going to pay for killing his brother. Yeah, Daniel had gone rogue, but Piers had been positive he’d be able to help him, except Anthony got to him first. While Anthony was an ancient, Piers was only a couple years younger. Anthony would be a formidable opponent, but he would take him out no matter the cost to himself or anyone else that got in his way.
He stood at the edge of Sanctuary, blended perfectly with the darkening shadows of the trees. No human would be able to detect his presence, but most importantly, other lycans would never know he was there either—the deer scent he’d sprayed on would see to that. He’d seen his fair share of battles within the packs, had fought his share, as well, and had honed his skills to near perfection. He’d really had no choice. His survival had literally depended on it more times than he wanted to remember.
More and more lycans were going rogue. He didn’t support their actions, and strived to help maintain the integrity of the ancient rules. Many rogues had been made to see the error of their ways, which is what he’d intended to show his brother. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. A tick started in his jaw and beat in time to his pounding heart.
He’d been watching Sanctuary for the past week, waiting for a perfect opportunity for an ambush. From the bits and pieces of information he’d overheard, he knew tomorrow night he’d finally get revenge. The lycans had planned a cook out, and their guards would be down. He scoffed. Sanctuary.
Sanctuary was supposed to be a safe place, not someplace to get murdered.
His brother had been a misguided pup, but he doubted he’d done anything so terrible that he’d deserved to be slaughtered. The guilt Piers felt at not being there for his brother constantly gnawed at him. He’d been tracking Daniel for three years and had finally closed in on his whereabouts only to find out he’d been too late. Damon, the leader of the pack, along with his brother and some others, had all been killed during a confrontation at Sanctuary. His brother’s pack had told him they’d simply been there to talk to a former member who’d run and were ruthlessly murdered for the fact that they’d been labeled rogues.
Rumor had it that Anthony Wolfson was directly responsible for Daniel’s death. Raze Jackson, the former pack member they’d been trying to talk to, and Brent Falls were also involved. If he had a chance, he’d be more than happy to knock some sense into those two, as well. Daniel and the others would never be so stupid as to intentionally start an altercation with two ancients. None of them would have been a match for Anthony or Brent.
He slid deeper into the shadows as the front of a dark Jeep came into view. His anger fired hotter. He didn’t like complications, but life was full of them, most of which would bite you in the ass. He shifted into full wolf form and ran until exhaustion nipped hard at his heels and soothed the hatred burning inside him. He was miles from Sanctuary before he shifted back into human form and picked up the clothes he’d stashed earlier in an old, hollowed out tree. He quickly dressed and made his way to the cave he’d been staying in. After tomorrow night, he could head back home to his empty house and spend a few more hundred years alone.
Alone. That’s what he’d been for practically his entire life, and that’s how he’d die—however many years that took. He wasn’t a blind idiot. He knew the chances of ever finding his mate were next to zero. There were too many rogues now. Rogues that thought it was acceptable to hunt down any female with the main scent and do what they wanted with them, including violating and killing them. Every female that carried the main scent had a mated scent, as well, but only the destined lycan mate could smell it. Females carrying the main scent were supposed to be watched over and protected until her mate was found. In fact, if another lycan harmed a female that carried the main scent, it was punishable by death according to lycan law.
Over the years, the ancients throughout the now dwindling lycan population had fought to bring the unruly pups back under control. While finding rogues and either reforming them or putting them to death was not an unusually difficult task, it was proving a losing battle for the ancients thus far. By the time the rogues were found, the damage that had been done was profound. Too many potential mates were being slaughtered. Every female lost was a lost mate to a lycan, a lost opportunity at happiness, a lost chance for love. He was certain his chance had been forfeited long ago.