“She can use this as a vacation from that—”
“Don’t talk shit about my bar, jackass,” I snapped before Davor could finish. “Look, I know this could be retaliation from…whatever. I just want to help fix it, all right? I don’t want anyone else hurt because I—”
“I’m amazed you have a single ounce of personal responsibility.”
“You know what, Davor? Fuck you.” I couldn’t believe the kind of shit I was getting from this guy. He was like a thousand years old and was talking to me like a high school bully. “I’m not sure what the fuck I ever did to you, but I’m really damn tired of this.”
Someone clapped, and I rolled my eyes at Mischa, who had her hands right in front of her camera.
“Get him, girl. Father, when are you going to let me leash his misbehaving ass?”
“There’s a reason Davor keeps skipping holidays home,” Hasan said mildly, annoyance written plain on his face. “Davor, you’ll be nice to Jacky, or I’ll come get you and remind you who the biggest cat is in this family. Are we clear? She’s your sister and doesn’t deserve your abuse.”
“She—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Hasan growled loudly. “Leave it.”
“Father—”
“Jacky, be ready to fly out of Dallas by noon on Friday, with or without your wolf. Let us know as soon as you can if he will be going with you.” Zuri shifted into the leadership role as Hasan and Davor both dropped out of the call.
“What’s Davor’s problem with me?” I asked before anyone else could hang up. “I mean, except the obvious problem that I had issues with Hasan.”
“To put it lightly?” Zuri sighed. “He considers you an abject failure and thinks Father Changing you was a waste of time, energy, and space. He thinks you have no drive, no real education, and no goals in life.”
“Oomph.” Once again, I was hit directly in the chest by my siblings’ words. “Waste of time, energy, and space. I got the entire trifecta of being wasteful.”
“Well, he missed resources. At least he feels you need money and food to survive,” Mischa said blandly. “That’s something. He thought we should let Niko starve or hunt for himself for a long time. He loved Liza…” Mischa trailed off. “He’s just cranky with you. He doesn’t know how to deal with you and believes we have expectations to live up to, and we do. We’re all college educated and work with werecats around the world to better our lives and theirs. We manage rogues when we see them, and if we can, get them to settle down.”
“And we kill anyone who breaks our rules,” Hisao added. “Then, you broke our rules.”
I winced. “Yeah, I know.”
“Obviously, we couldn’t kill you, so we’re adjusting.” Zuri tapped her nails on the coffee table in front of her. “This could go wrong if you screw up, Jacky.”
“Or it could go very right,” Niko retorted. “They’re all mad at her and us because of her. Western European werecats call me once a week to bitch about their werewolves, who have started this insane global effort to talk to us. The London vampire nest is also trying to talk to a werecat nearby, and that has me worried. We can’t change that, but…” He tilted his head, thinking. “If we show Jacky is just as invested in our safety and prosperity as a species, the others might not see her as such a problem child.”
“I’m not a problem child. I protected one little human girl!” I grumbled softly. “I did what any rational being would do, and that’s it.”
“And we need to show them you didn’t mean to cause as much trouble as you did,” Niko said softly. “This is a great opportunity, Zuri.”
“I know, and I know how you feel about the possibility of real, lasting peace with the wolves.” Zuri gave him a small smile. “Too bad you could never lead the cause.”
“I did what I could when I could.” He shrugged.
“There’s a chance this had nothing to do with the wolves,” Mischa reminded everyone. “But yes, Niko is right. Do you think Father considered that before he went to take one out of Davor’s hide?”
“Probably,” Hisao mumbled. “Keep in touch with us, Jacky.”
“I will,” I promised, swallowing. “Thanks for trusting me.”
“You’re family,” Zuri said, still smiling. “Stay safe. Family meeting adjourned.”
The video feeds all cut out at once.
Leaning back in my desk chair, I considered my next move. I was being entrusted with helping Jabari once the full moon passed, and I would be able to help fix the problem that could very well be my fault. I was going to help get justice for two dead werecats.
It felt like a win-win in my book.
Now, I just have to convince Heath he owes me enough to help me out.
Chapter Nine
The full moon was coming. I could feel it in my bones, ready to answer the call but not yet, not just yet. I had a few more hours before it became pressing. That meant I had time to call Heath, who would have already locked Carey away for her own safety, the same way I had done. If it were any other night, he would let her pet him. I knew, like me, they shifted more than just on the full moon; there was just more control on every other night. Tonight, there would be little control. It was the most dangerous time of the month for any of the humans in my territory.
I dialed him up, hoping he was calm, not already edgy from the coming night.
“Jacky. What can I do for you?” His scotch voice was easy on my nerves, soothing. I could recognize the Alpha talking and figured it had to be the upcoming full moon that made him channel such a calm.
“I wanted to ask you a favor to think on tonight,” I answered. “I told you about those dead werecats, right? Well, the werecat who went out to investigate has now been declared missing as well. Due to…things, I’m heading up there to check it out without getting into trouble. The problem is, we already know the last werecat had a hard time talking to the local werewolf pack…”
“What do you need from me? It sounds like an introduction.” He didn’t sound annoyed or surprised. If anything, his calm seemed to grow deeper, more patient on the other end of the line.
“That’s exactly what I need. I’ve been told to stay out of any immediate trouble and danger, so it should be an easy trip. With our…obvious public connection, it might be easier for you to get me in to get some answers if the wolves know anything.”
“Or they could be the problem, and I would literally be throwing you to the wolves,” he replied. “Have you or whoever you’re talking to considered that?”
“Sure.” Kind of...not really. “Look, once you introduce me and I get a chance to talk to them, you can head right back home. Wouldn’t be longer than a weekend trip for you. I’m supposed to stay in the area in case anyone needs me or until we have the answers we need.”
“I’ll think about it,” he finally said after a long silence. “Will you owe me a favor in return?”
“No. Let’s say this makes us even for last year.”
“What about information?” His voice stayed calm, but there was no missing the edge of excitement.
I should have known. He was an Alpha wolf and never did anything for nothing unless it was for a treasured member of his pack—politicians, the lot of them.
“Depends.”
“I want to know more about you. I won’t ask for anything that could put anyone at risk. I just want to know more about the woman my daughter is so taken with.”
“Done.” I was willing to give up some of my own secrets if it meant helping Jabari and getting justice for two dead werecats. I could handle that. As it was, I didn’t have that many secrets left. Every werecat in the world knew who I was now, and my peaceful, ignored existence was no longer a viable one. Now, I was going to give up those secrets to a werewolf. “I have to fly out of Dallas by noon tomorrow. We’ll be landing in Seattle—”
“There’s only one werewolf pack in that state, and Seattle belongs to them. I can give them a call ahead of time before we get on the plane tomorrow. They don’t like surprises. The Seattle Freeze is not a joke.”
“The Seattle Freeze?” I frowned. “What?”
“The idea that Seattle doesn’t welcome outsiders. They won’t throw you out, but they can be a bit cold and selective. It’s not so bad. I spent a year up there once. The werewolf pack up there takes it to the extreme and doesn’t talk to outsiders at all without an introduction from someone else, not on their home turf.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I know their current Alpha. I’ll tell you more on the plane tomorrow.”
“So, that’s it? You’re going to help me out?” I was a little shell-shocked. I had figured I only had a fifty-fifty chance of him saying yes. It seemed too easy.
“Yeah. I can take a trip for the weekend and help you out. I’ll leave Landon and Carey here, and they’ll be grateful for a weekend away from me. This doesn’t sound like it’ll be more than a social trip for me.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Heath.” I let out a breath of relief, glad I would have something my siblings wouldn’t—a wolf who was willing to help. “See you tomorrow once we’re showered and clean.”
“Come run with us if you want,” he said lightly. “I’m sure you get lonely running on full moons.”
“I like being alone on full moons, sorry. And it’s safer if you stay on your property while I run my territory.”
“Can you run your territory?” he asked, his voice making me wonder if he was frowning. “It’s…forty-five miles in diameter now? If you run the edge…”
“It’s one hundred and forty-one miles, give or take a couple. I can do it in a night, don’t worry. I should if I’m planning on leaving. A werecat never makes a territory bigger than it can run in a night. Remember that.”