Chapter One: Back to Blackwater

Willow

My heart dropped to the floor when I got the phone call. In an instant, everything came rushing back, memories I’ve somehow forgotten over the years. My heart began to race as visions of a small town in Pennsylvania flashed before my eyes. Forgotten stories played in my mind and I had to steady myself on the counter with one hand when my knees buckled. My other hand gripped the phone so tightly I was afraid it might break.

“Willie? Willie are you there, sweetheart?” Artie’s deep voice snapped me back to reality. Had it really been seven years?

“Yeah... yeah.. I’m here.” I bit my lip as tears began to fall from my blue eyes so suddenly I didn’t notice them until they were streaming down my cheeks.

There was a pause on the other line and then a sigh. “Sweetheart, I think you should come back to Blackwater.” When I didn’t respond he added “it’s what he would’ve wanted.”

I stared out the window of my small New York City apartment on to the busy streets below. He was right. I knew Rover was right. I had to go back for Papa’s funeral.

Papa.

A new wave of tears streamed down my cheeks. Papa. The closest thing I’ve ever had to a family, and I’d forgotten all about him. I’d forgotten him up until now, when I got the phone call that he passed away in his sleep. My parents died in a car accident when I was three years old and I was placed into foster care. I never knew them, I certainly can’t remember them. I thought I would spend the rest of my life in an orphanage until Papa. He took me in, raised me as his own. And now I’ll never see him again.

“Willie?”

I bit down a sob. “Yeah.. I know. I’m coming home.”

I hung up the phone and collapsed against the counter. I began to sob as more memories floated in my mind. My papa was gone and I was going home.

Blackwater.

The Pack.

The place I once called my home.

And I was going back.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands and forced myself up off the counter. I had to be strong. Papa wouldn’t want this. I packed enough for a couple days and before I knew it, I was getting off a plane and walking down the runway in a trance. It all went by in a hazy blur. I didn’t remember leaving my apartment, let alone getting on a plane, but here I was, just outside the airport. I hailed a cab and told the driver where I was going. He chuckled and raised a bushy black eyebrow. “Blackwater, eh? I don’t think I’ve ever been,” he leaned closer to the rear view mirror and lowered his voice. “I’ve heard rumors about the people there.”

I perked up. “Really?” I was curious just how much this driver knew. The people at Blackwater were strange alright. They were a close pack of wolf shifters. But not many people outside the town knew that.

The man nodded. “Indeed. They’re closed off and strange. I mean, what kind of people want to live so close to The Alleghenies?”

He had no idea. The Allegheny Mountains made for perfect cover. Not many people traveled them, and those that did were mainly there to hike, and hikers never stayed too long. The rumors about The Pack made sure that people stayed away, and the mountains were the best backdrop for the “weirdos” at Blackwater who kept to themselves. They were a close family and anytime an outsider came into town, they shut them out until that person inevitably left. Papa was a shifter, but I wasn’t, and for that fact alone, I was treated like a fragile child until I left. They welcomed me into the Pack, but I was never truly part of it. I wasn’t allowed to attend any Pack gatherings or events and I wasn’t allowed to know about Pack business.

“Yeah,” I laughed nervously. I stayed quiet the rest of the ride and so did he. Apparently noticing my reaction to his criticism of Blackwater, the driver didn’t try to speak to me again. He kept his hands firmly on the wheel as he drove. My eyes drifted to the window as I stared out at my surroundings. I stayed focused outside the window and things began to look familiar. I knew we were getting closer.

Closer to home.

I took a deep breath. He didn’t even have to say it, I knew I was home. “Can you pop the trunk?” He nodded and hit a button on his dashboard and the trunk opened. I handed him the money I owed and grabbed my stuff. The cab drove away, leaving me standing in front of a bar with a small suitcase in the middle of the day. I must’ve looked crazy, but Artie’s was the only place I thought of going when I realized I needed to come home. I clutched my small suitcase tightly and took another deep breath. My heart was racing and I almost turned back around but I knew I couldn’t. I had to do this.

“Get that pretty chin up and get going, Willie. It’s going to be alright.”

Even now I could hear his voice. With Papa’s words of encouragement I placed my palm on the glass door and pushed it open.

The bar fell silent, all eyes fell on me and all conversations stopped. I inwardly cringed. “Holy shit, Willie? Is that you?” I turned my head toward the bar. Sitting there was a man. A handsome man with sandy blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. His sharp jawline was darkened with a five o’clock shadow and his large muscular frame was seated on a barstool. I was hesitant to walk toward him, but I didn’t even get a chance to because the second the words left his lips, he slammed his beer down and practically jumped off the barstool, stalking toward me. I smiled awkwardly and held my suitcase tight. When he stood up, I was a little intimidated, he was much taller than I was and he was built with solid muscle.

He knew my nickname, so he must’ve known me. “Hey..” I waved lightly. The man smiled widely and showed off perfect white teeth but what caught my eye was the bottom teeth. One of his bottom teeth was slightly chipped. I immediately knew who this man was. “Owen?”

He smiled wider and memories of a scrawny kid with blonde hair flooded my mind.

“Willie! Willie wait up!” Owen yelled as he struggled to keep up with me. He ran awkwardly behind me, his arms flailing around behind him.

I giggled. “No way! You gotta keep up!” I wasn’t much younger than he was, but I was always faster and stronger. “I win!” I yelled triumphantly as I made it to the porch, his foot landing a mere second after mine.

“No fair! You cheated!”

“Cheated?” I asked incredulously, “No way, you’re just too slow wolfboy!” I giggled and stuck my tongue out at him.

Owen rolled his brown eyes and lunged for me. “I’ll show you a wolf!” He grabbed me by the waist and shovedd me to the ground with a playful growl.

“Oh really Rufus? Let’s see!” We fought in a fit of giggles until Papa called me for dinner.

I was brought back into the present as Owen hugged me tightly. His muscular arms pulled me close. This was not the scrawny boy I used to know. In six years, Owen Peterson, my childhood best friend had grown up in more ways than one. “I’m so sorry about Papa, Willie.” He cooed and I felt sad again.

I felt everyone staring again and my face flushed. I pushed him away. “Thank you.”

He brushed a loose tear from my cheek with the pad of his thumb and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I felt under his protection as I always was as he lead me to the bar. I always had a crush on Owen and I suspected he felt the same, but it was never meant to be. I wasn’t a shifter and he wasn’t a human. I had no future among the Pack so I left. I got a full ride scholarship to a fancy NYC college and left Blackwater and everyone in it behind. Owen could one day be Alpha and he would need to take his Luna and that could never be me.

“Willie, dear, it’s so nice to see you but I wish you were here under better circumstances.” I took the seat beside Owen and Artie smiled genuinely at me as he poured me a glass of water from behind the bar. “I’m sorry about the phone call.”

I smiled warmly at him. “I’ve missed you,” I turned to Owen, “and you. But I wish I could say it’s nice to be back.” I looked down at my glass and swirled my finger around the rim mindlessly.

I felt Owen’s strong palm on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry Willie. It’s going to be alright. Papa would want you to keep living, that old bastard.” He chuckled and I couldn’t help but laugh quietly.

He wouldn’t want me to mope around. He would want me to grieve, but ultimately, he would need me to move on. I managed a half smile. “You’re right.” I lifted my glass of water up to my lips. It was the first I’d had to drink all day and it felt good. “Thanks.”

The air seemed to grow thicker and more tense. I felt someone behind me, but before I could turn around, a deep voice rattled my bones. “Now what do we have here? Is that Willie Howard? Back from the big city?”

I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Rune White’s voice was deep and silky and it sent a shiver up my spine. “Hello, Rune.” I said through clenched teeth.

He sat down in the barstool beside me and smirked. His deep green eyes bore into my soul. He was handsome. Then again, he always was good looking. Too bad, he was a bastard. Rune White was the only son of the currently Alpha, Landon White, and he let everyone know of that fact whenever he could. He was an arrogant ass back before I left and I assumed he was still one now by the sound of his cocky voice. His leather jacket fit snugly over his muscular shoulders and his black hair was a little messy like he just ran his fingers through it. I couldn’t deny he was gorgeous in every sense of the word.

“I see you’ve grown a bit since I’ve last seen you.” He said, eyeing my larger bust and licking his lips.

I pulled some of my brown hair over my chest to cover the lower cut shirt and narrowed my eyes. “And I see you’re still a pig.” I shot back.

“Actually, I’m a wolf.” He grinned and I wanted to slap that smug look off his face. “And you’d be smart to remember that.” He took a sip of his beer.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Yeah sure, whatever Fido.”

Rune began to cough and choke on his beer and Owen broke out into laughter. Rune glared at him and a deep growl erupted from his throat when he composed himself. “You got something to say to me, Toto?”

Owen leaned forward and bared his teeth. “Stop disrespecting Willie. You’re still a bastard even knowing why she came back.”

I placed my hand flat against Owen’s chest and lightly pushed him back. He always defended me and I appreciated it, but this was escalating quickly and I didn’t want there to be a fight. When werewolves fought, they wouldn’t land a couple lucky blows, they could kill or seriously hurt each other. “Stop it!” I splayed my hand out on Rune’s chest, trying to stop them, but they both ignored me and continued to growl and snarl. “Cut it out!”

“Stay away from Willie.” Owen snapped, his once chocolate eyes now a blazing yellow.

Shit. This is not good.

“You won’t be making orders around here after the full moon.” Rune growled back. “I will be Alpha and there’s nothing you can do about it.” His green eyes were now a darker blue.

Fuck.