Chapter 2: Ezekiel's Promise

Francesca’s POV

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted saying them. I had no intention of backtracking though. Hell, no, I wasn’t a coward.

“What did you just say to me?” he snarled the words, eyes glinting like steel.

“Would you like me to repeat myself, Dadd—”

“Do not dare,” he cut me off sharply, his fingers tightening around my neck, slightly cutting off my air supply. I felt light-headed but I stood my ground. “I swear to the Moon Goddess if you ever call me that again, the consequences would be dire. Don’t you know your limits? Your insolence knows no bounds. I’m about to marry your mother. You can’t talk to me like that.”

“But it’s okay for you to tell me, a grown adult that I would be spanked if I misbehave?” I shot back angrily. “Are we supposed to pretend a comment like that has no sexual connotations?”

It seemed as though my words were the equivalent of an electric shock to him. He instantly released the grip he had around my neck and took several steps back. His face morphed into a blank mask as his expression shuttered. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He could have been planning a slow painful death for me and I would have been known the wiser.

“You’re right, I was out of line,” He grunted out after what felt like an eternity. It sounded as though he was visibly pained to spit out the words. “I shouldn’t have said that. My temper got the best of me. You were trying to rile me up and you succeeded.”

Those words shouldn’t have thrilled me as much as they did. Knowing that I could have that kind of effect on a powerful Alpha like him did wonders for my ego. But also, there was an underlying reason, there was something else that excited me about it but I didn’t want to examine it closely. I won’t like what I would find. I was sure of it.

“A conversation like this will never happen between us again,” Alpha Ian said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “It’s inappropriate in every sense of the word. And I won’t have chaos in my house. Are we clear on that?”

If he wanted a verbal response from me, he wouldn’t get it. I was a volatile creature. There was no telling what I could get up to tomorrow. I wasn’t about to make a promise I knew I couldn’t keep.

“I’m going to take your silence as a yes then.” He walked back to his high-decked chair and reclined on it gracefully.

I swung around and faced him, crossing my hands against my chest in a defiant pose. “Are we done here?”

Those sinfully full lips of his twitched in a smile. “Not quite. I have a few questions. What’s your schedule like? Your mum informed me you’re attending university.”

I nodded my head at that. “Well, it’s the middle of July now and we’ve just concluded the spring semester. I’m on summer vacation until September.”

“Very well, then, you will be engaged in activities around the pack. We have daily training sessions and attendance is mandatory for everyone who’s otherwise unoccupied. We need to prepare ourselves well and also get to bond as a new merged pack. We will heavily need to rely on each other in the case of an attack or Mood Goddess forbids, war breaks out.”

“That sounds reasonable to me. I will be happy to participate,” I said and I sincerely meant the words. We were on common ground when it came to this issue. I wasn’t going to be difficult about it.

“There’s going to be an initiation ceremony tonight for you and the several other young wolves from your pack. We will be in the woods at nightfall. You’re dismissed.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to make a rude comeback but I held myself back. I had the feeling I had pushed his buttons enough for today. I needed to pace myself and choose my battles wisely. With that, I walked out of his Study without a backward glance.

***

Perched on my window sill, I watched the descending sun paint the sky with the most gorgeous colors of pinks, oranges, and reds. Sunsets have always had the power to center me. I could always lose myself in their beauty. Darkness always followed and the moon would grace us with her presence. It was a feeling unlike any other. As I continued to stare up at the beautiful fluffy clouds, I realized that my wolf has been silent ever since I stepped foot in this mansion. Usually, she’s a chatterbox, giving me her unsolicited opinions and advice on everything. Lumina was as opinionated as I was, if not more so. She was such a pain in the ass. Never mind that she was my best friend.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” I said into the empty room, hoping I could coax her out of hiding. “Lumina, don’t you have anything to say about our new life?”

Nothing. She was giving me the silent treatment.

“How about Alpha Ian? Do you have any thoughts on him?”

I scoffed at her bratty behavior and shook my head. “Fine. You can ignore me all you want.”

I descended from the windowsill and walked over to my closet. I decided to wear a simple silk dress for the initiation ceremony. There was no need to wear underwear as we will strip naked the second we stepped foot in the forest. I wonder what it would feel like to run amok in a new territory in wolf form with the others. It was the purest form of bonding for night creatures like us and I was looking forward to it.

***

We were surrounded by tall trees and thick shrubs, essentially in the heart of the forest. There was a shrouded mist that gave the air of sacred mystery. The moon was shining down on us, infusing us with vibrant energy. It was the Moon Goddess’s way of showering us her blessings. I was standing in line with several other young wolves from my pack. We were facing Alpha Ian, my mother, and several other people who I assumed were important in the running of our new pack.

“Standing before me today are the brave young wolves of the former Crescent Pack,” Alpha Ian bellowed into the night. His voice made me shiver. Never have I ever heard someone exude so much power and authority. “After this run into our territory in your wolf form, you will officially be part of the Sangria Pack. All of you will be under my command and I will protect you with my life.”

“It’s time for you to become acquainted with your new home, young wolves,” My mother said. “Run into the night and howl to your heart’s content.”

We didn’t wait to be told twice. We stripped out of our clothes and ran into the woods. My shifting was effortless as usual. Bones breaking and body mass morphing within the twinkle of an eye. My paws were nimble and swift as I raced through the forest. In this form, I always felt like a completely different being, more animal than human. Civilized thoughts were diminished. Everything was more primal now, instinctual. My senses were heightened and I was in predator mode.

I was no longer Francesca. I was Lumina. A great big beautiful white wolf in her natural habitat.

The forest was a magnificent place to behold at this time of the night. I could see things so clearly. The busy squirrels hurtling about, the birds flying from tree to tree singing melodious songs. The gorgeous fireflies illuminate the area in a way that was mesmerizing. The scents emanating from the Pine and Fir trees were crisp and refreshing. I could barely get enough. I took in the earthy smell of the forest floor and the musty odor coming off of the old and decaying trees and felt right at home.

This was where I belonged.

It might be my first time running through these woods but everything about it was already familiar. I was running right alongside people I grew up with and as we howled into the night, a primal communication that only we could understand, I had never felt happier or free in my life.

***

After a few hours, we made it back to the clearing where we had left our clothes and dressed up. We were laughing and exchanging jokes, exhilarated after our run into the woods. I felt invigorated, like I could take on the world and the Mood Goddess would give me the strength to surmount any challenge. I ran over to Patrick and jumped into his arms without warning.

“Whoa, slow down there, girl,” he said, stumbling back a few steps with the force of my embrace.

I released him from my hold, grinning from ear to ear. “That was awesome,” I said. “I feel like going for another run already.”

“Of course you do.” He chuckled, linking our arms together. Patrick was the same age as me, an omega wolf, something that would suggest low status but we’ve never cared about things like that in our pack. He was probably my closest friend, definitely the one who has to suffer through whatever I was obsessed with at the moment.

“You think we will like it here as our new home?” I asked him. We were walking towards the open area where the rest of the Sangria Pack were waiting for us.

“I’m confident we will,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Everyone has been so welcoming.”

“You’ve been here for a day.”

“And unlike you, I didn’t spend it cooped up in my room sulking,” he retorted. “I’ve been out here, mingling and getting to know people.”

“Whatever.”

“Would you just grow up, Francesca,” Patrick said, laughing. “On a serious note, I know you’ve got your reservations but I think everything will be alright here.”

I felt again, that tingling dread. My whole body shivered and I huddled closer to Patrick. I didn’t know what it meant. The fact that my wolf was so quiet and refused to talk to me was troubling.

We were now in the center of the open area and the entire pack was present. There were so many different voices talking over each other. Wolves were social creatures, loud and boisterous and we like to mingle when we were together. The younger pups were scuffling about, wrestling each other to the ground, and being rough in their excitement.

I looked over at where my mother and Alpha Ian stood on a raised platform and felt my annoyance flaring. I hated seeing them standing side by side. I especially hated it when he wrapped a hand around her narrow waist and whispered something in her ear. It just rankled. I didn’t even care about why it did.

“Isn’t Alpha Ian the coolest?” Patrick said, his tone full of awe.

“If you say so.”

“You really are determined to be miserable about everything, aren’t you?”

I chose not to reply to that.

A sharp voice let out a loud whistle and absolute silence descended over the area. I wonder who it was. There was something about the voice that made me uneasy.

Alpha Ian raised his and my mother’s joined hands in the air and then said, “From today till eternity, we will be known as the Sangria Crescent Pack.”

The loud cheering and howling of our new pack rang through the night, and as much as I wanted to remain immune to it all, the infectious joy got to me. Patrick pulled me into his arms and placed a resounding kiss on my cheek. I let out a shrill bark of laughter, forgetting all about the foreboding feeling I had earlier.

***

Ezekiel’s POV

I observed the celebration of the merging of the so-called Crescent and Sangria Pack from my hiding place in the woods. The witch who had provided me with a cloaking spell did a marvelous job. The wolves standing guard had no idea I was so close. Their security was actually laughable. I couldn’t believe they were now supposed to be the most powerful Pack in New Orleans. They had no idea what was coming, what I was planning as the chosen leader of the rogues. I had made a promise to the people who entrusted me with their lives and I intend to keep it. Their happiness will be short-lived. I will break them apart piece by piece, take away everything they hold dear, and leave the kind of destruction in my wake that they will never recover from.