Cursed (Howl, #6) Read online

  “So, who did they initiate if it wasn’t Rocco?” Luke questioned, his eyes darting over at Samara from the front seat.

  “Initiate? They initiated a new member just now?” Emma asked from the backseat, her voice low, as though she were still afraid the Vyka pack might hear her, even though they were already far away from the field at that point. “Sam, what went on back there?”

  Samara glanced over her shoulder at Emma, who had her hand on Colby’s thigh. Colby looked a little shook up, which Samara knew was probably because he’d just seen his father for the first time since he’d found out that Darren was also Jason’s father. It had to hurt to see him again, even though he’d had time to deal with it on his own for a while.

  “Darren was initiating a young person into the adult Vyka pack. This person was supposed to be somebody who was close to me, but Darren was wrong. It wasn’t someone who was close to me,” Samara lied, even though she wasn’t sure why she felt the need to lie. Actually, she did know why. She still didn’t want to admit that she had almost chosen Declan—especially now that she felt like a fool for falling for his act. But she also didn’t want Emma or any other members of their pack to feel just as hurt about Declan’s decision as she was. And she most certainly didn’t want Luke to tell her that he’d told her so. So, instead, she was going to lie, for as long as she could.

  “Did you know the person they initiated?” Luke questioned, resting his hand on her leg. For the first time since their wedding night, Samara felt relaxed by his touch again.

  “No, it wasn’t someone I knew,” Samara replied quietly. Technically, she was telling the truth about that part, at least. The Declan who had just initiated into the Vyka pack wasn’t the same Declan she had known for all of these years. It wasn’t the same Declan who she’d come to love; it was a different Declan.

  “Whoever it was must have lied,” Colby said. “They probably thought they could buy their way into the pack by pretending like they knew you. The funny thing is, Darren will figure out the truth, and when he does, he won’t be happy. That person is just screwing themself over.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Samara mumbled, knowing that Colby was wrong. She wasn’t sure what information Declan was feeding to Darren, but it was obvious that he was telling him something about her.

  How much did Declan know about her? Was he aware of what her weaknesses were? Shit. She didn’t even know what her weaknesses were. How could she figure out how to protect herself from the information that Declan was telling Darren if she didn’t even know what that information might be?

  There was one thing that Declan definitely did know, though—and that was where the Tala pack was staying. As soon as they got back to Pennsylvania, Samara needed to get in touch with the Trusted Ones. They needed to round up as many good spirits as they could.

  Yes, once they got back to Pennsylvania, the Tala pack would be prepared to fight the Vyka.

  Chapter 9

  “And this information just in from Grandview Prison ,” the news reporter read on the TV, which Samara flicked on once she and Luke got back to their bedroom at her parents’ house. “Officials at a federal prison in Grandview say that an inmate has escaped sometime this evening between seven o’clock and eight o’clock. It was discovered that the inmate was missing when prison guards did a head count. It is believed that the prisoner may have enlarged a window slit, removed its bars, and lowered a rope, which he later took with him, to make his escape. Authorities are wondering how this went undetected by the guards.”

  Samara watched as a mug shot picture was shown on the screen, and she gasped when she saw who the picture was, as the news reporter continued. “The escapee is identified as Joshua Masterson, seventeen years old. Masterson was awaiting legal proceedings, but he has been accused in the killings of his girlfriend, Lilly Phillips, who died this past fall, and his twin brother, Jason Masterson, who died on Christmas Eve. His arrest was made based on information that was provided to authorities by Masterson’s family, who he was estranged from. The FBI is offering a twenty-five thousand dollar reward for information leading to his capture. He is considered dangerous and may be armed.”

  Luke glanced over at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “I can’t even believe I’m seeing this. This is unreal.”

  “I know. I mean, I know he said he had a plan, but I can’t believe it was this.” Samara picked up her cell phone and sent a text to Emma, telling her to let the other members of their pack know. “I don’t know what to do. If we let him back in the house, we’re technically an accessory to a crime.”

  Luke met her gaze. “That may be true, but . . . Seth is the one who committed the crime. It’s not even fair that Josh is the one who got the blame for it.”

  “So, what are you saying?” Samara asked. “You think we should protect him?”

  “Damn right we should protect him,” Luke replied, his cheeks reddening with anger. “He’s a part of our pack. That’s what you do when you’re part of a pack, Samara. You protect all of your members.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Samara admitted. Sighing, she turned to him with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have even questioned that right now. I’m just not used to doing anything to break the law, you know? It scares me, but I know you’re right. We’ll protect Josh.”

  “Good,” Luke replied with a grin. Hesitantly, he asked, “I think we might need to talk.”

  Samara’s heart froze in her chest. “Why? What is it?”

  “Well, ever since you got attacked by that shark in Hawaii, I feel like you’ve been acting different towards me,” Luke said quietly, his emerald green eyes locked on hers. “I didn’t do anything, did I?”

  Samara paused. If she was going to say anything about the picture and Brad, now was probably the best time. They were being honest and open with each other . . . or, at least, Luke was trying to be. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

  At this point, Samara decided that it didn’t matter, either way. A tiny part of her had been clinging to the fact that if she found out Luke was the one who had killed Brad, she’d be able to go to Declan. Even if he didn’t want to be with her, he would at least be there to console her. But now Declan was no longer an option, not as a friend or otherwise.

  Luke was the one who she had married, and it was time to start acting like it. Maybe he had killed Brad, but he’s a werewolf. If he had done it, it was because he was jealous. She knew it could happen eventually. He had done it for her, even if it wasn’t the right thing to do. At the end of the day, that was the only thing that mattered. Luke loved her. And it was time for her to remember how much she loved him; she needed to remember why she had said ‘yes’ to marrying him in the first place.

  Turning to him, Samara shook her head. “No, you didn’t do anything. I’m sorry. I’ve just been going through a lot, but I’m feeling a lot better right now.”

  “I can tell you’re feeling better,” Luke said in agreement. “I can feel it . . . Your emotions aren’t so sad anymore. It feels like you’re happy again.”

  Samara gave him a small smile. If only he knew just how wrong he was—that deep down, she was dying inside. Declan had broken her heart, and it was going to take years for it to ever go back to being the way it had been before now. But she was going to need to make the best of it and at least try to be strong through this.

  She rested her head on Luke’s shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him closely. Samara knew that, at the end of the day, she wasn’t going through this entirely alone. Even though she could never tell Luke about what had happened between her and Declan, she knew that Luke would always be there when she needed him the most—and that was what really mattered.

  *

  The next morning, Samara’s cell phone jangled from her nightstand. Sitting up in bed, she hit the ‘talk’ button. “Hello?”

  “Sam! Oh my God! I just got your text message from last night.
We’re in total shock,” Emma said, her voice squeaking at the other end of the day. “Have you heard from him yet?”

  “No, I haven’t,” Samara replied, speaking quietly so that Luke wouldn’t wake up next to her. “He hasn’t come to the house yet?”

  “No, we haven’t seen him—or heard from him, for that matter,” Emma replied. “We thought he may have gone to you. Maybe he hasn’t been able to escape from wherever he’s hiding without people seeing him.”

  “Yeah, that’s probably it,” Samara agreed. “I bet we see him sometime tonight. Hey, when’s the last time anyone has heard from Bennett, Nadia, and Dante?”

  “I’m not sure. I think he walked in on Colby and me sometime last week,” Emma mumbled into the phone quickly. “Why, what makes you ask?”

  “I need you guys to start trying to summon them, okay? Don’t let them leave until after our whole pack is there,” Samara told her. “Luke and I are just going to grab a quick bite to eat for breakfast, and then we’ll be right on over.”

  “Okay, that’s fine,” Emma replied. “Oh, by the way, you should know that Rocco called Colby this morning. He wanted your number, so you should be getting a call from him sometime today.”

  “Lovely,” Samara murmured, and as if on cue, her cell phone beeped, indicating that there was another call. “That’s probably him now, actually. We’ll see you soon.”

  “Alright, later,” Emma replied.

  Samara clicked over onto the other line and asked into the phone, “Rocco? Is that you?”

  “Yes, it’s me. You’re really on your game today, aren’t you?” Rocco asked sarcastically into the phone. “I guess Colby talked to you.”

  “Yeah, I was expecting you to call,” Samara replied. “I’m a little surprised to hear from you. What’s up?”

  “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me? What’s up with the fact that we’ve been using violet for a few weeks now, and not one of us has noticed any difference in our abilities at all?” Rocco questioned into the phone.

  Samara’s breath caught in the back of her throat. She had been afraid that Rocco would eventually figure out the truth—that violet really wasn’t what her grandfather used to make himself and the rest of his pack stronger, but she had been hoping that it wouldn’t be for a while. Then again, she supposed that it didn’t really matter anymore whether Rocco figured the truth out or not; Declan was going to tell Darren about the Tala pack’s whereabouts, anyway. It was just a matter of time before the Vyka got there.

  “Well?” Rocco pressed. “Why isn’t it working yet?”

  “It just takes time,” Samara replied, hoping that her voice sounded convincing enough. “I told you that before. It takes many years for violet to work, but once it does . . . it works in full force. You’ll be the strongest you’ve ever been.”

  “I know you said that, but I’m not quite sure if I believe it,” Rocco replied, a harsh tone in his voice. “You see, if that were the case—if it takes many years—it doesn’t explain how you’ve gotten to be as strong as you’ve gotten to be so quickly. Your pack was able to kill Jason Masterson, even though he uses black magic. How did you do that? It doesn’t seem possible.”

  “There’s more to it than you realize,” Samara replied with a sigh. “My grandfather believed that both of his grandchildren would be naturally stronger than other werewolves. As you already know, my brother is the one who killed Seth. We’re not sure if anyone else from our pack would have been able to do it.”

  Rocco laughed. “So, you’re telling me that your genes are the only reason you guys were able to conquer Jason?”

  “Pretty much,” Samara replied. Sighing, she added, “Listen, I really need to get going, but maybe we can continue this conversation at a later time?”

  Rocco laughed into the phone again, but this time, Samara wasn’t sure why he was laughing. “Yeah, sure. We’ll talk again soon. Bye, McKinley.”

  “Actually,” Samara corrected him, “It’s Samara Davenport now.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot. Bye, Davenport,” Rocco corrected himself, sounding sarcastic, before hanging up the phone.

  Samara felt a pair of strong hands wrap themselves around her waist, and she turned to look at Luke. “It’s really sexy when you call yourself Samara Davenport. It has a good ring to it.”

  Samara grinned up at him and gave him a kiss on the lips. “Good morning.”

  “Morning. We’re heading over to see the rest of the pack, right?” Luke questioned.

  Samara nodded. “Yeah, but I’m hungry, so I want to eat something first. I figured you’d want to eat, too.”

  “I do,” Luke agreed. “I need to grab a shower first, though.” Lowering his voice, he added, “You should join me.” There was a hopeful look in his eyes, and Samara knew it was because he was hoping that they could consummate their marriage, finally.

  “Samara? Is that you?” Mrs. McKinley called from the kitchen.

  Samara shot Luke an apologetic look. “Sorry, Luke. My parents are home. Maybe some other time.” She gave him another kiss on the lips before heading to the kitchen, while he headed for the bathroom, seemingly disappointed.

  It was one of the things that really sucked about living with her parents until they graduated from high school. They really had no privacy.

  She found her mom in the kitchen, scrambling eggs. Bacon was sizzling in a frying pan, and her mom was wearing an apron. “There you are!” Her mom said with a warm smile. “I feel like I never see you anymore. In fact, I’ve seen Seth more lately than I’ve seen you . . . and you know how little we get to see your brother.”

  “I know, I’m sorry,” Samara replied apologetically. She really did feel bad about not being around much. Her parents probably felt lonely now that she was never home and her brother had officially moved into Penelope’s apartment while she and Luke were on their honeymoon.

  “Your brother’s girlfriend seems like a lovely girl,” Mrs. McKinley said.

  “Really? I’m not sure if I like her,” Samara admitted, even though she felt bad about saying it aloud.

  Her mom gave her a sideways glance. “Samara! Penelope is your brother’s mate. Seth has been very accepting of Luke, so you really should try to do the same.”

  “I have been trying. There’s just something about her that seems a little . . . off,” she said, choosing her words carefully, as she grabbed a blueberry muffin from a plate in the center of the table and peeling off its wrapper.

  “Well, she is from North Dakota, and she doesn’t have any family—or friends—around here. Did you ever think that maybe she just doesn’t feel like she fits in here yet?” her mom asked.

  Samara sighed. “There’s more to it than that, but it’s hard to explain. It’s werewolf stuff, so you probably wouldn’t understand.”

  “I see.” Her mom didn’t say anything for a few moments, and Samara was pretty sure that she’d hurt her feelings. But she didn’t want to involve her mom in that part of her life. It was bad enough that they lived in the same house, which put her mom at risk if Darren Jackson and the Vyka ever chose to attack Samara at home.

  Changing the subject, her mom asked, “So, what have you and Luke been up to lately?”

  Samara shrugged. “We’ve been trying to stay out of the house as much as possible, because I know you’re still not happy with Luke after the whole fiasco with Marnie at the wedding.”

  “Oh, we’re over that, sweetie!” Her mom said, laughing. “It was a little frustrating when it happened because we knew some of the guests felt embarrassed about having to witness it. Luckily, they didn’t make it known in front of our human guests that you guys are werewolves.” Her mom chuckled. “Anyway, it seems like Marnie might be over it, too. I bumped her into her when I was at the grocery store yesterday morning, and she asked me to tell you that she would like to speak to both of you. She wants you to come over for dinner tonight, if you can.”

  “Why didn’t she just tell Luke?” Samara asked through a mout
hful of blueberry muffin.

  “Apparently, she’s tried, but he’s been leaving his cell phone off,” her mom explained. “He’s avoided all of Marnie’s calls. I can’t say that I blame him, with the way she overreacted on the day of your wedding. And I thought my mother-in-law was bad.”

  Samara raised her eyebrows at her mom. “What are you talking about, Mom? Grandma McKinley died before you and Dad got married. I thought you never had the chance to meet her.”

  “Oh, not a biological mother-in-law,” her mom explained. “Your grandfather was married to this woman for a while. I’m not sure if they ever actually got divorced or not.” She hesitated, tapping her finger to her chin, as though she were trying to remember. “They had a lot of promises, Joe and her. She was a very stubborn woman, and I’m pretty sure she hated me. I mean . . . maybe she didn’t, but it always seemed that way. Then again, it always seemed like she hated everyone. And your grandfather and her? They were like fire and gasoline. In a way, they were perfect for each other, because that man needed someone who could put him in his place. At the same time, though, they fought a lot. So, I think they might have ended it.” Her mom shrugged, as she piled scrambled eggs onto three plates.

  Samara couldn’t imagine her grandfather being remarried, but it was probably only because no one had ever mentioned it to her before. “How come I never met her?”

  “I think they were probably on their breaks when they used to visit us,” her mom replied. “There was also one time when I told her not to come because she got snippy at me over the phone.” She shrugged. “Joe always made me think that they were going to end their marriage, so I didn’t see any reason to introduce you to her. I didn’t want you to get too attached if she wasn’t going to be a regular part of your life, especially when you didn’t even understand what divorce was.”