Chapter 22 Keep Your Ear on the Ground

— Mishka —

“So are you lot a sort of mini pack?” I asked Elijah.

“Sorta,” he said.

“Pretty small pack if you ask me.”

“Does it matter?”

“I guess not,” I answered. “How do you guys got together?”

Elijah shrugged.

We were sitting just the both of us on the couch, playing Mario Kart on an old 64. Most of the others were either away or sleeping.

The job had worked mostly well. They were definitely not secretly expert at this. I’m pretty sure most of them has had some experience with crimes of one kind or another, but other than Ethan, their expertise was limited. My guess his that Mason is ex-gang, John probably a con, I’m not too sure about the others, but most probably fell on the wrong side of the law at one point or another. Either human law, or wolf’s.

“My guess is that some of you were rogues,” I told him. Rogues are generally kicked out of packs. Mostly for breaking the laws, or getting on the wrong side of someone of power. They’re not necessarily all criminals, some just make the wrong mistake. And it depends on who banished them. Some wolves are pretty fond of their power, and don’t always use it properly.

I got hired once by a couple of women who had been raped by a Beta, and the Alpha did nothing, and when the victims tried to fight back, the guy got them kicked out. Made them rogues. So when they paid me to kill them both, I had no qualms against it. When they decided they wanted them taken alive and brought to them to be tortured first, I did it, and made sure they were drugged hard enough not to fight back too much. Given their inherent strength, it would have been suicidal otherwise.

I generally don’t take contracts like these, especially against anyone too strong, but with enough preparation and motivation, I can. And for them, I did.

Rogues tend to have a bad rap, but they’re all not inherently bad, like laws are not inherently good, and those in power not inherently benevolent.

I guess when you walk the roads that I do, you tend to see things a little differently.

But then again, I kill people, and steal for a living. What do I know of right and wrong. It seems like a lot of gold plated hypocrisy to me.

The kid said nothing about my comment. He was probably not trusting me.

“Look kid. I don’t care either way. It’s not like I’m in a pack myself or getting too hung up on laws either.”There were a few seconds of silence as we continued racing on the screen.

“I was in the streets. I was adopted, things didn’t go well when I began to show too many signs of being a werewolf. My family was taking it bad, humans you know,” he explained. “They were getting me locked up. I escaped. But the streets—, they’re rough, wolf or not. John’s a rogue. I don’t know what he did to be one, but he took me on, taught me too. Amir was hanging around already back then. I’m not too sure how we all got together. Sometimes John got a job and would ask around for help. That’s how Mase and Wes joined. We got more jobs, and we got more people. Some just did the work and left, others stayed,” he told me. “You staying?”

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “The lone wolf gig is not as glitzy as people think. I’m starting to think having people around can make a lot of things easier, but I’m not sure your crew likes me.”

“Well, you’re kind of a douche.”

“Nah. A wiseass, sure. Asshole, jerk, and annoying git, obviously. But I don’t do douche.”

He laughed. “Why though?”

“Want a little tip?”

“Sure.”

“Acting professional is efficient, but it doesn’t tell you much about human nature. Push people a bit and you’ll see what they’re made of. The important part, though, is to make sure you can handle the dragon once you’ve wakened it.”

He looked at me. “So you think you can handle these dragons?”

“Sadly, I found no dragon here yet.”

“Maybe you don’t know,” he said a little vexed.

“Maybe,” I conceded. “I get you got it hard. A lot of people do. Maybe more so than you think. And you got help, which is nice. Anyone can respect someone who helps selflessly. What gets me worried are those who pretend to act selflessly to hide other intent, and to get something out of you in the process.”

“You think that’s John?” he asked a little upset, perceiving my words as accusations.

“Not necessarily. I don’t know this crew much. Actually, you do so a lot more than me. But I know something doesn’t fit. Maybe someone in this crew is hiding their true intent, or scheming something, or serving two masters. Maybe the problem is not in this crew itself. Maybe it’s the ones pulling the strings.”

He frowned at that.

“I know those gigs didn’t come from John. I think he’s serving someone. Maybe it’s just for the cash, maybe it’s more. But I get real uncomfortable when I do work for someone I can’t see, or talk to,” I said. “You can’t gage someone like that. And I know your crew don’t make the kind of money needed to get a guy like me. So my guess is, the one who calls the shot wanted someone like me on board, and was ready to pay for it, but doesn’t want to deal directly with me,” I paused. “What worries me the most of all this is why? Is it someone who prefers to stay away from crowds because of social anxiety, or someone who has something to hide? And if it’s the latter, is your crew, or some of it compliant or just unaware?”

The game had been over for a little while now and he was listening carefully. He was not an idiot. I suppose you don’t survive with your mind intact on the street by being an idiot. Idiot ends up in drugs, or other massive crap, or just dead.

“Food for thought,” I told him, and put the controller on the table. “I like you kid. I think, if nurtured, you have potential to do well. You’re a survivor. I respect that.” I got up. “My spidey sense tells me something’s up, I’m just trying to be careful. I think you should too.”

He nodded slowly and I nodded approvingly.

“You should keep your ear on the ground. I’d appreciate a heads up if the crew is about to whack me. If you could be so kind.” I smiled. “And if you’re in trouble, call me. I’ll help. Whatever I can.”

— Darren —

“Nice to meet you sir,” I told Eva’s father, Sebastian, as I shook his hand. I could feel the strength of this man’s wolf when our skin touched. I could feel a similar strength to the one I felt in Eva’s brother the night we met. Those guys were not petty wolves, or lowly Alphas. I wouldn’t want to fight either of them.

The man was tall. Taller than me but not as tall as his son. He had black hair with barely any grey in it. Beside him was a woman. She was beautiful, maybe not conventionally so, but beautiful nonetheless. There was a strength in her posture, something that told me her role was not just of a trophy wife.

Behind them stood five girls. Aged from teen to young women. They were all relatively pretty. Well dressed. Most had the same dark hair as their father, but two had the dark auburn of their mother’s.

“This is my mother, Shea.” Eva pointed at her mother, continuing the presentations.

We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

“And these are my sisters. Nadine, Jasmine, Lisa, Gwen, and Amy.”

“Hi!” I said.

“Hi!” said Jasmine stretching the ‘i’ a little too long, which got most of the girls giggling.

Eva clucked her tongue in scorn at them.

It was cute.

Shea gave the girls a look, and they barely looked abashed. Sebastian didn’t even react.

“I’m gonna show you to your room,” Eva told me. She took my arm and guided me upstairs.

“I’m sorry about my sisters,” she said finally when we were out of earshot.

I shrugged.

After I saw the room I would stay in—which was a pretty nice room too, with dark-blue walls and long white curtains—she decided to show me the whole house, which eventually led to the gardens, then the packhouse.

Eva’s mother called her as she saw we were close to the office building and did ask her if she could go to ask her brother if he would join them for dinner tonight.

So we moved to the office building.

It was getting late, and a lot of people had left.

Some sections of this building had the reinforced stone walls exposed on the inside, whereas other sections had original old finishing, while others had more modern finish. But the eclectic look was rendered with style.

“Well, hello there,” said some guy at a desk.

“Hi Mark,” said Eva. She looked a little nervous. “Hem. This is Darren.”

“Hi,” I said shaking his hand.

“Well, now I get Eva’s infatuation,” he said looking me up and down.

“Aren’t you straight?” she asked a little bemused.

“Oh! No, woman. I’m bi.”

“Oh,” she just said.

“Sorry mate, but I’m kinda taken,” I told him nonplussed.

“Yeah, yeah, I already know,” he said faking a saddened expression.

“Is my brother in?” she asked Mark

“Yeah. There was a big war room meeting not long ago, but pretty much everyone’s out now.”

“War?” she asked a little concerned. “What’s going on this time?”

“I’m not sure of the details. I know Alpha Meadows called on Alpha Devon to help a bunch of small packs that are having issues with some other pack that’s causing problems, and I think Ylva was sent somewhere and found some shady stuff, and now everyone’s preparing to make a move. And I think it’s gonna be a violent one,” he said seriously.

Eva frowned at this.

“I’m gonna check on him,” she said. “I have a message to pass along from my Mom.”

“Sure,” said Mark.

She was worried, so I gesture for her to go along and talk to her brother, while I stayed here.

“So—,” began Mark with a mischievous smile, looking at me like a crocodile looks at a rabbit.

“So?” I asked carefully.