Ravens of the Mist: Rejection to Salvation
Chapter 2: Persistence
JAMES
“What the hell are you doing here?” I snap at Lilah. She’s part of my pack, but she’s got no business being on my bed in nothing but her underwear.
“Kill her!” Logan, my inner wolf, growls in my head. He’s itching to tear her apart for her audacity. If I don’t keep a lid on it, I might just let him.
Nobody’s allowed in my house. But this woman, she’s not just in my house, she’s on my bed. And she’s lying on Every’s side of the bed.
Every was my mate. She was killed by hunters over a year ago.
Hunters are humans who hunt werewolves, vampires, and even mermaids. If it weren’t for Batsy, I’d be dead too. Sometimes, I wish I was.
I miss Every. When she died, a part of me died too. But thanks to Batsy, I got my revenge.
“Don’t forget about Angel.” Logan reminds me.
“I could never,” I tell him. Angel was Every’s inner wolf.
Lilah grins at me. “I’m just here to help you get some release.” She twirls her hair and eyes me up and down.
“Kill her, or I will!” Logan snarls at her words.
“Get the hell out!” I roar, using my Alpha voice. She has no choice but to obey.
Lilah scrambles off my bed, grabs her clothes without looking at me, and bolts.
Great, now her scent is all over the room.
“You should have let me kill her.”
“If we killed everyone who pissed you off, we’d have no pack left.”
I open the window to let in some fresh air, hoping Lilah’s scent will fade. Sleep’s not happening tonight, so I head to my office to get some work done.
Ever since Every died, Doyle and Malik moved their offices to mine. They wanted to keep an eye on me. I appreciate it, but it’s time they moved back.
There’s a knock at the door. “Come in,” I call out.
Sigourney, our healer, steps into my office. I can see the worry in her eyes. “Are you okay?” she asks.
She’s known me since I was a kid. She took care of me when I lost my parents. She always knows when something’s up.
I rub my eyes, irritated. “Just fucking peachy.”
She steps closer. “I saw Lilah walking around in her underwear. Did something happen?”
“I found her in my room, on my bed.” I snap at her like it’s her fault.
Great, now I’m picking up Logan’s temper.
“I heard that!” Logan snaps back.
“Good.”
“You might want to rephrase that. I raised you better,” Sigourney says, giving me that look she used to when I messed up as a kid.
Since she took care of me when I was sixteen, she’s the only one I let talk to me like that.
Sigourney shakes her head. “So, what are you going to do about Lilah?”
“You know where I stand.”
I run a hand through my beard. I’m too angry to think straight, and Logan’s not helping.
I look at Sigourney, and it hits me. “You decide what to do with her. Whatever you choose, I’ll back you. If she gives you trouble, tell her she’ll have to deal with Logan.”
“That’s more like it.” Logan grins.
“I’ll let her know,” Sigourney says, and leaves my office.
“What can I do for you, darling?” I ask the shadow by the window.
Beth steps forward. “You knew I was here?”
I tap my nose. “Nose never lies. I knew you were here the moment you walked in.”
She sits on the edge of my desk. “You’re no fun!”
I look up at her. “Never claimed to be. Where’s your mate? I doubt he’d let you come here alone, especially since you’re new to all this.”
Beth is a newly turned vampire.
She sighs. “He’s outside talking to Doyle.”
I don’t like the idea of Batsy and my Beta alone together. Those two never get along, I think.
“Don’t worry. Cole promised he’d behave.” She picks up a letter from my desk. “What’s this?”
I snatch the letter back. “Don’t you have anything better to do than snoop through my stuff?”
Beth’s changed since she became a vampire. She was never this bold as a human. Now that she’s the most powerful vampire around, she’s got a new confidence.
I cross my arms and lean back in my chair. “It’s a letter about a meeting with all the Alphas on this continent in two weeks.”
She takes the letter to read it again. “Are you going?”
“Not a chance in hell!” I grab the letter and toss it in the trash.
“Why not? It seems important.” Beth looks at me, worried.
“She’s persistent. Good thing I like her,” Logan says.
“Easy, Logan. Not everyone’s out to get us.”
He snorts at my response.
Doyle steps into the office, Cole trailing behind him. “You’re just spinning your wheels if you think you can convince him to go to the meeting,” he says.
Beth chuckles, pushing herself up from the corner of my desk. She saunters over to me, still seated in my chair.
Oh, great.
She leans in, her fingers deftly adjusting my collar, a smirk playing on her lips. “Alpha James Hunt, are you chicken? Is that why you won’t go?”
“What?!” Logan and I exclaim together.
“She’s really pushing it!” Logan warns me mentally.
Doyle covers his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter. “Well, I never tried that approach.”
I shoot a warning glance at my Beta, then turn to Beth. That crafty little vampire knows how to play her cards right. I hear Cole’s chuckle echo from the back of the room.
“Alright, I’ll go! Satisfied?” I snap at her.
“That cunning little vampire!”
“I’m so proud of you.” Beth pats my shoulders.
Cole growls, a warning for me not to mess with his mate.
I can’t help but smirk. I rise from my chair, wrapping an arm around Beth’s waist, just to get a rise out of him. “Feeling a little green, Batsy?”
Cole’s eyes flicker from my hand on her waist to Beth. She shakes her head, knowing exactly what he’s thinking.
“You’ve been warned, mutt!” Cole grabs Beth’s hand, pulling her towards him.
The door swings open and Malik steps into my office. He looks around, clearly puzzled by the gathering.
“Malik, I’ve decided to go to the Alpha meeting. You’re in charge while Doyle and I are away.”
Malik is the Delta of our pack. He, Doyle, and I have been tight since we were kids. I always knew they’d be the ones standing by my side, leading this pack.
Ever since Logan and I lost our mates, we’ve been just getting by, living day to day, doing whatever it takes to protect our pack.
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