Heart of the Wolf (The Heart Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  What had I just agreed to?

  Two

  Carter

  After four years on the force I was ready for a promotion. I didn't care about the money, but I was done chasing vamps away from tourists in the French Quarter. There was only so much of that I could take.

  I punched the bag, needing to burn off energy. It was the middle of the night, but I had long before given up on sleep. I punched again, wishing I had something more than a bag to spar with. Most of the guys I worked with were more concerned with getting laid than staying in tip-top shape. I was a glorified security guard. I’d have rather joined the human police force, but I had signed a five-year commitment with The Society. I had another year to go before I could request a transfer.

  When I moved to New Orleans at twenty I had dreams. Four years later, I was ready to move back home to my small town. But that meant quitting, and I wasn’t a quitter. Besides, it would also ruin any opportunities for advancement. I had to believe eventually my hard work would get noticed.

  I punched the bag harder, taking out my anger and frustration on the blue bag. I punched again, this time hard enough to break the chain attaching the punching bag to the ceiling. The bag and chain fell to the floor in a pathetic heap.

  There went that exercise. I kicked the bag and headed toward the shower.

  I never got there. My phone rang, and only one person would call me that late at night. “Carter,” I answered automatically.

  “Get down to my office now,” My boss barked into the phone. He was never one for pleasantries, but I didn’t mind it. There was no reason to waste time on words you didn’t mean.

  “Now?” I glanced at my digital clock. It was two-thirty a.m.

  “Yes, now. Unless you have something better to do than your job.” He knew I would come in.

  “On my way.” I hung up. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything better to do. Or anyone. I’d given up on finding a girl who could hold my interest. If things worked out career wise, I could worry about that later.

  After a quick shower, I pulled on a fresh black t-shirt and stepped into jeans. I grabbed my keys while I slipped into my boots and left my tiny apartment on Magazine Street. The place had seen better days, but it served its purpose well enough. Plus, the rent was cheap for the location.

  I drove my mustang—the same car I’d bought at seventeen—over the few blocks to the warehouse my division worked out of. I parked around back, and scanned the area to make sure no one was watching before heading inside.

  “Carter.” The night guard nodded to me as soon as I entered.

  “Hi, Larry.”

  “You in trouble, or did you forget something?” he asked.

  “Maybe the first one, who the hell knows?” I nodded to say goodbye and headed up the three flights of stairs to Mike’s office.

  “Carter.” He barely glanced up from the pile of papers on his desk. At fifty-five, Mike still ran things the old-fashioned way. He wasn’t a bad boss, but he didn’t seem to care.

  “You wanted to see me, sir.” I met Mike’s eyes. He was the kind of man who respected eye contact.

  He set aside his papers. “You have the opportunity for reassignment. You were specifically requested.”

  “What kind of assignment?” I took a seat in one of the worn leather chairs in front of his desk.

  “It’s classified.”

  “How can I decide whether to accept it if I don’t know what it is?” I put my hands behind my head and leaned back.

  “I don’t know, kid. I thought you were the one who wanted more than the New Orleans beat.” There was something resembling a smile on his face. In the four years I’d worked for the man I’d never seen him smile, so I assumed this was meaningful.

  “I did. I mean I do.” When I signed up to work security for The Society I was looking for a chance to prove myself. I could question all I wanted, but I was taking this assignment. “What office is it in? Can you tell me that?”

  “That’s classified.”

  The office was classified too? “I want in.” I dropped my hands. Maybe it was reckless to agree so quickly, but I wasn’t going to give up my chance.

  “Good. Make me proud, kid.”

  “When do I start?” I thought over the list of things I’d have to do before leaving the city. I’d have to contact my landlord, try to get my security deposit back.

  “Yesterday.”

  “Where do I go?” Things were moving way faster than I expected.

  “An escort is waiting outside.”

  “What do I do with my car? My apartment?”

  “Leave the car keys, I’ll sell it for you and send you the cash. I’ll take care of your apartment. I’ll have someone pack you up and put your things in storage.”

  “Sell my car?” The whole putting my things in storage part didn’t bother me, that was normal, but he was going to sell my car? “How long am I going to be gone?”

  “From this life?” He leaned forward on his elbows. “Forever.”

  “What do you mean, Mike?” He was hiding something, or more than one something.

  “It’s a little late for questions. You said you were in.” Any hint of the initial smile was gone.

  I tossed him my car keys. “Try to get me something for it.”

  “I will. Good luck, kid.”

  “So this is it? You have nothing else to share with me?” There had to be more information. Things ran officially in The Society. There were protocols to follow.

  “This is it. There’s nothing else I can tell you.”

  I stood up. “Ok, thanks for calling me in.”

  “Like I said, you were personally recommended.” If he was surprised by the request, he didn’t show it. “Godspeed, kid.”

  I nodded. “Thanks.” I headed back out of his office.

  “You get fired?” Larry asked when I reached the lobby.

  “Nah, promoted.” I felt a surge of pride. I was specially requested. Some one had noticed my hard work.

  “What division?” Larry adjusted his belt.

  “I can’t tell you that. Have a good night.” Man, that felt good to say. I headed outside. The only car around was a black sports car with no identifying information. No license plate, no brand markings. The windows were tinted almost completely black so I could see nothing inside.

  I hesitated for half a second before I approached the car. There was no door handle. I stepped out of the way just in time when the door flew open. “Get in,” a voice boomed from inside.

  I didn’t hesitate this time, afraid the car would leave if I waited even a second. I got in and closed the door just in time. The car launched away from the curb and down the road.

  “Carter Ryan.” I held out my hand to the driver who was masterfully avoiding every pothole in the street while pushing eighty.

  The driver nodded. “I know who you are.”

  “And you are?” I studied the man. He was wearing dark sunglasses that made it difficult to really get a good look at his face.

  “Your driver.” He didn’t as much as glance at me.

  “Ok.” So he wasn’t the friendly sort. I could handle that. Seriousness had real value.

  He slowed down long enough to move around a parked truck. “There’s no reason to know my name. You’ll never see me again.”

  “Kind of like my car, huh?” I joked.

  “You will have access to whatever cars you need from now on.”

  “Like this one?” I didn’t know what it was, but it was nice. If it was handling this way in the city, I’d have loved to see it on an open country road.

  “Better than this one.”

  Was he serious? My new assignment was sounding better and better. “Where are we going?”

  “To catch your flight.”

  “My flight to where?” We weren’t headed to the main airport, I knew that already, so we had to be going to a private landing strip somewhere.

  “That’s on a need to know basis.” He turne
d onto the interstate, speeding up closer to ninety now.

  “Since I’m getting on the flight, doesn’t it mean I need to know?”

  “No. It means you’re getting on the flight.” His serious expression never faltered. Either the guy had no sense of humor, or he took his job very seriously.

  After years of bemoaning the lack of seriousness in my position, I couldn’t exactly complain about the opposite. “Got it. I’ll shut up now.”

  “Fine by me.” He turned on the radio, sending loud rock music pounding through the car.

  I didn’t say a word. I had plenty to think about. This was a new adventure, and there was nothing to worry about. I was requested specifically, which meant I could handle whatever was coming.

  He slowed down as he took an unmarked exit. He drove another few miles and then detoured down a gravel road. Ultimately he stopped the car in the middle of a field. “Your flight will be here soon.”

  “You’re not staying around?”

  “I’m just the driver.”

  “Right.” I got out. As soon as I closed the door, he sped off.

  I glanced around at the dark night, glad I had night vision. This didn’t look like a landing strip, but maybe that was the point. Mike had said the whole operation was classified. The unmarked car was even more evidence.

  Before I could worry long, I heard the roaring sound of an engine. I looked up and watched as a sleek black plane moved closer to the ground. I moved as far back as I could, covering my ears to block out some of the noise.

  The plane landed and stopped directly in front of me. A door opened. Nothing else happened, and I assumed that was my cue. This was like the car again.

  I walked up the few steps and into the empty interior of the dimly lit plane. There were about a dozen rows of seats. Before I could even reconsider my decision to board, the engines started up again.

  I stumbled over to a seat, as the plane ascended into the sky. I looked out the window and watched the ground disappear below.

  Before long, we were above the clouds, and I had no idea where we were heading.

  “Mr. Ryan.” A gruff voice called from somewhere out of sight.

  “Yes.” I turned from the window to find a man wearing a black suit. At least he wasn’t wearing sunglasses like the driver, and I could get a good look at his dark brown eyes.

  “The name is Alastair.” He held out his hand. “Welcome to the Rangers.”

  I accepted his firm handshake. “Carter Ryan.”

  “I know who you are.” He took a seat in the seat facing me.

  “Yeah… I guess you do. Are you the one who requested me?”

  “I am.” He crossed one leg over the other “I’ve been watching you.”

  “And you saw something you liked?”

  “I saw potential.”

  “Potential?”

  “Yes. I saw wasted potential. I have an opportunity for you to actually use your talents.”

  “What kind of opportunity? All I was told is it was classified.”

  “Let me go back and explain when I saw the potential.”

  “Ok.” That was fine by me.

  “Last August you were assigned the Garden District to keep an eye on the freshmen at Tulane and Loyola during move-in weekend.”

  “I was.” I remembered it well because my partner had bailed and left me to handle the whole beat on my own.

  “Most would have missed the evidence, but you didn’t.” He rubbed the stubble on his chin.

  “I have an eye for detecting enchantments.” And I had that night. I’d felt an enchantment and stopped a group of freshmen girls from getting into a car with an unregistered warlock.

  “He would have killed them all. Probably raped them too.”

  My stomach churned. “I know. He nearly killed me when I intervened.”

  “But he didn’t. You took him into custody while simultaneously getting the girls into a real cab. It was impressive.”

  “And you think that showed wasted potential? Those girls needed protecting, and I saved them.”

  “You did. And I know your division will notice your absence. I’ve already recommended some new recruits with, how did you put, your eye for enchantments? But sensing magic isn’t your only skill. It’s all your skills combined that make you intriguing to me.”

  “What kind of team am I joining?”

  “It’s classified. But by stepping foot on this plane you’ve already accepted.”

  “I need to know what I’m signed up for. I have certain rules.”

  “No killing innocents. No hurting women and children. I know how protective you are of those groups.”

  “I have two little sisters; every girl is someone’s sister or daughter.” I wasn’t a sexist prick. I knew many women could defend themselves, but not against supernaturals.

  “Your sisters are human. I know.” Alastair uncrossed his legs. “Just as I know their names. Melissa and Karen.”

  I froze.

  “Don’t be surprised. I did my due-diligence. Your family is even safer now than they were before. No one will touch them.”

  I nodded, even though I would always worry about my family’s safety. As soon as I found out what I was and realized I wasn’t the only one, I started worrying. I’d never stopped.

  “You were raised by humans. I bet finding out what you really were was hard.”

  I shrugged. “It was what it was.”

  “Your upbringing also makes you perfect for this team. You’ll be working with many types of supernaturals. Most are shifters like you, but there are exceptions.”

  “Fine by me.”

  “Your job is to help innocents and their allies.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “There are places on the planet not controlled by any supernatural organization. They are free zones. Sometimes these are isolated places, other times they are in the middle of major cities. You following?”

  I nodded.

  “But sometimes The Society needs things done in these places anyway.” He glanced down at his black watch. The only part that wasn’t black was the diamond in the center.

  “And that’s what you want me for?” I looked down at my own, worn out sports watch. It had been with me since before I knew about the wolf inside.

  “You’ll be joining an elite team as I said. It’s a diverse group. All members have unique skillsets. All provide a value no one else can.”

  “When do I start my training?” I was revving to go.

  “As soon as you land, but know you won’t have time to train beyond the basics. Your first mission starts in twenty-four hours.”

  “In twenty-four hours?” I repeated to make sure I had heard right.

  “Correct. This mission has your name written all over it. It was why we had to pull you at such an odd hour of the night.”

  “I barely sleep. The hour doesn’t bother me.”

  “Good. Your partner will explain everything to you once we get there. I am a hands off director. You will only see me when you need to see me.”

  I nodded, hoping my partner was a good one.

  “This isn’t just a job, Carter. It’s a life. Don’t forget that.”

  “I won’t.” I wasn’t quite sure what he meant, but I assumed I’d learn soon.

  “Your code name is Wolf. For obvious reasons.”

  I nodded. Did that mean I was the only wolf on the team? I preferred it that way. I hadn’t grown up in a pack, which meant I didn’t fit in with most wolves, or as they were often called, Weres.

  “May I ask what your code name is, sir?”

  “No, you may not.”

  Ok then.

  “You will call me Alastair, and you will respect my rules. That is all you need to know.” He stood up.

  “Thank you, sir.” I stood as well.

  “I hope you are ready for this. There are no training wheels.”

  “I’m ready.” I really hoped that was true.

  Three


  Hope

  “Hello, beautiful.” Justin’s voice came from somewhere outside of my hazy thoughts.

  I opened my eyes, momentarily forgetting where I was. I startled when I saw how close Justin was to me. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a phone call?”

  His absence was why I’d enjoyed any of the flight at all. He’d gone off to the back of the plane and left me in peace. I wasn’t sure who’d called, but I was grateful.

  “I’ve been off the phone for a few hours now. You’ve been asleep.”

  “Impossible. I never sleep on planes.” Not even red-eyes when the rest of the passengers were passed out. Instead I spent those flights with my eyes wide open, trying to read in the dark so I didn’t bother whoever was sitting next to me.

  “You slept on this one.” He stretched out his legs in front of him. “Maybe it was because I’m around. I relax you.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think so.” He had the exact opposite effect on me. “There are lots of seats on this plane. If you want more room…” I wasn’t going to beat around the bush. The fact he’d been sitting next to me while I slept entered into creepy territory.

  “I prefer this one.” He patted the minuscule space between us.

  “I can move then. I hadn’t realized you wanted to sit here.” I started to unbuckle my seatbelt.

  Justin put a hand over mine to stop me. “Really, Hope? You still going to play the innocent card?”

  “Innocent card?” I gasped. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  “Yes.” He kept his hand on top of mine so I couldn’t unbuckle. “Pretending you don’t know how I feel about you.”

  “Justin, we work together.” I focused on my breathing. I needed to stay calm.

  “And there are no rules about fraternizing. In fact when it comes to us, management welcomes it.”

  “Management, meaning you?” If he wanted me to acknowledge he was into me, fine. I’d do just that.

  “Management meaning me, my father, and my brother.” He smiled at the last mention.

  I doubted that. “Ok, well rule or no rule, I have no interest in hooking up with you. If you knew anything about me, you’d know I don’t do that sort of thing.”