Black Magic (Howl #4) (3 page)

Colby nodded. “Yes, she’s here. And she’s
pissed
.”

Samara was about to ask him why Emma was in a bad mood when he sprinted down the hallway and rushed to the front door. She heard the sound of the door being flung open, followed by the sound of Emma’s heels h
itting against the tiled floor.

“Move out of my way, Colby!” Emma snapped at him, as she entered the house. “Sam, where are you?”

“In here.” Samara stepped out into the living room and noticed the angry expression that Emma’s face had twisted into. Her mascara was also runny, like she had been crying. “What’s wrong?”

“My mom didn’t believe me,” Emma replied, shaking her head. “About being a werewolf, I mean. I took your advice about telling her so that I wasn’t keeping secrets from her, but she didn’t think I was telling the truth. She wants to have me committed to a mental institution. She thinks I’m having some sort of a nervous breakdown, and that I need psychiatric help or something.”

Samara sighed. “It’s hard for humans to believe the truth. Don’t worry, Emma. I won’t let her put you in a mental institution. I’ll go over there and talk to her with you. We’ll make her believe the truth.”

A small smile tugged at Emma’s lips. “Thanks, but until then, I’m going to hang out with you guys. I’m so not going home right now. A straightjacket so wouldn’t be flattering for my figure.”

“It’s cool for you to hang out here,” Samara replied. “We’re almo
st done packing up everything.”

“Al
ready?” Emma asked, surprised.

Samara shrugged. “Moving goes quick when there’s a pack of werewolves to help out. I think we only have a few more rooms to go through.”

Emma hesitated. “I can help, but don’t expect me to do anything that will chip my nails. I just had a manicure.”

Samara rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. No one expects you to do any heavy lifting or anything like that.”

“Yeah, we all know you’re a weakling,” Colby added with a chuckle.

Emma glared at him. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she added, “I don’t think you have any place to be talking about weaklings, Colby Jack. You probably can’t even lift a two pound dumbbell.”

Colby’s face fell. “I was just saying, you’re weaker than the rest of us because you’re the youngest pup here. There’s no reason to make personal attacks against me.”

Emma’s face softened. “Sorry, Colby. I didn’t mean anything by what I said.

Colby shrugged.

Samara tried not to laugh. When were her best friend and Colby going to come to terms with the fact that, for some bizarre reason, fate had decided that they were meant to be together? They couldn’t keep hating each other . . . or acting like they hated each other, for that matter.

At that moment, Linda stepped out from one of the guest bedrooms, carrying a heavy box that was piled high with holiday decorations in her arms. When she saw Emma, she put the box on the counter and extended her hand. “Hi, Emma. I’m Colby’s mom, Linda. The last time I saw you, you were passed out after your initiation. We never actually got the chance to formally meet one another. I was hoping to meet you, but you left before I got back from the grocery store.”

“Oh, um, hi.” Emma smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” Linda’s lips turned into a small smile, and she chuckled.

“What’s so funny, Mom?” Colby asked, nervously. He shifted in his shoes, an uncomfortable expression on his face.

Samara wondered why he was so nervous about his mom talking to Emma, but then she remembered that his mom had seemed to know who Emma was when her name had been brought up once before. Colby had probably talked to his mom about Emma, and he was probably afraid that she was going to say something in front of her that would embarrass him.

“I was just thinking about how blonde your future pups will be,” Linda explained. “You both have such blonde hair!”

“Pups? What are you talking about?” Emma asked, raising her eyebrows.

“She means children,” Colby replied, glaring at his mom.

Emma’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment. “Children?”

“Yes, Emma, children. Since Colby is your mate, you and him will probably have children eventually,” Samara explained. “After you get married and mark and everything.”

“Mark?”

“It’s a tattoo that you’ll get once you and Colby say your vows. Sort of like the one you got when you initiated into the Ima pack,” Linda explained.

“What are you talking about?” Emma turned to her. “I don’t have a tattoo!”

Samara burst into laughter. “Yes, you do. I’ve seen it already. How did you miss it?”

“For serious! You check yourself out in every mirror you walk by,” Colby said, wide eyed. Pressing a palm to her forehead, he asked, “Are you sick lately or something?”

Emma pushed him away and scanned the room for a mirror. “Where is it?” she asked, as she glanced into a mirror that hung in the living room.

“It’s on your shoulder,” Samara replied.

Emma rolled up her sleeve to find it. “I don’t see it.”

“It’s back here,” Linda pointed, touching her finger lightly against the tiny blue paw print on Emma’s skin.

Twisting her neck to see it, Emma gasped. “This is so not fair! I wanted to be the one who chose my first tattoo!”

“Are you planning to get more?” Colby asked curiously. “Besides your mark, I mean.”

“Yes, I want tattoos. Not that it’s any of your business,” Emma replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m not sure about this mark thing you’re talking about, though. Do I have to get one?”

Samara nodded. “Yes, if you get married.”

“Then I don’t want to get married,” Emma said, putting her hands on her hips and pouting.

“It’s not that bad,” Linda laughed. “It’s just a tattoo that will be unique to the two of you. It usually has to do with your relationship, but it’s sometimes just a tiny symbol that best represents the two of you as a couple.”

Raising her sleeve, Linda showed Emma the tiny pink heart that had been imprinted on her own skin. “This is the mark that I got when Darren and I got married. His first gift to me was a heart-shaped locket, which is probably why it’s a heart.” Colby’s mom had a wistful look in her eyes.

Samara couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She hated to imagine what it would be like to find out your mate . . . the one person who you were meant to spend the rest of your life with . . . had lied and cheated and had a secret family that you never knew of.

“But you and Colby’s dad are having problems,” Emma protested. When Colby gave her a questioning look, she explained, “I’m sorry, I know you haven’t told me about it. But it’s hard to block out your thoughts all the time. And it’s all you’ve been thinking about lately.” Turning back to Linda, she asked, “What happens with your mark thing if you and Colby’s dad get divorced? Does it just go away, or are you stuck with it for the rest of your life?”

Linda’s face blanched, and rosy patches bloomed on her cheeks. “That’s a good question. I don’t think anyone actually knows the answer. You see, Emma, when two werewolves are mates, they eventually become inseparable. It’s like they’re one person. They normally don’t betray one another. They commit themselves to each other fully and completely. The only way they ever leave each other is if one mate dies, and the other lives.”

Colby’s mom glanced away from them, her eyes glistening with tears. “From what I understand, our marks are permanent, but I’m not sure what would happen if one mate leaves the other by choice. I guess we’ll find out soon, right?” Before anyone else said another word, she picked up the box that she was carrying and hurried out the front door.

“Great,” Colby mumbled. “My mate just made my mom cry. This is going to turn out to be a happy relationship.”

“I didn’t try to make her cry, Colby. I was just trying to understand how this whole thing works.” Emma rolled her eyes at him again before turning to Samara. “What if I don’t want to ‘mark’ with Colby? And what if I don’t want to have puppies or babies or whatever with him? Nothing says we h
ave to do those things, right?”

Samara sighed. “I know this is all new to you, but maybe you need to just give it a chance. He’s the only mate you’ll ever have.”

Emma glanced over at Colby, who was bending over to pick up one of the boxes on the floor. A hint of a smile crossed her lips. “Well, if you and I have puppies, I hope they get all of my genes.”

“I’m surprised that you think that way,” Colby replied, glancing over his shoulder at her.

“Oh, yeah? Why are you so surprised?” Emma asked, placing her hands on her hips defensively. “Our puppies will turn out so much cuter if they look more like me than you.”

“Maybe because you’re thinking right now that my tractor’s sexy.” Colby winked at her.

Emma’s face turned a shade of beet red, and she threw her arms up in the air frustratedly. “Ugh! Can you please stay out of my thoughts, or at least keep quiet about them when we’re around our friends? Please?”

Samara giggled. “You guys need to just stop wasting everyone’s time and love each other already!”

Kyana came out of the bedroom that she shared with Chris and said, “Guys? I think there’s something you all need to see.”

Chapter 4

Samara’s heart skipped a beat and goose bumps rose on her arms when she glanced down at the picture that Kyana had handed her.

Darren’s black eyes were staring back at her; the way those eyes looked in the picture reminded her of the way he always watched her in person, intently and mysteriously. But that wasn’t what was so alarming about the photograph. In it, he had his arm wrapped around her Grandpa Joe’s shoulders.

Joe was the Alpha of the Vyka pack, while Darren was the Alpha of the Ima. They were the two biggest rivaling packs in the area, so why in the world would her grandfather be hanging out with Colby’s father? If either of their packs had found out, they would have wanted to have them exiled because it was against pack rules to be friends with someone from an opposing pack.

Handing the picture to Colby, Samara asked, “Did you know they were friends?”

Colby glanced down at the photo, and he frowned. “No, I didn’t know that. My father—I mean, Darren—never denied that Joe McKinley was the most powerful werewolf that ever lived, but it always seemed to me that he didn’t actually know him.” Sighing, he handed the photo back to her. “Then again, there were a lot of things about my father’s life that he kept a secret. It doesn’t surprise me that this was one of them. There are probably other things I don’t know about.”

Samara sighed and sat down on the floor. “Sometimes, I wish my grandfather was still around so I could ask him to tell me everything I need to know. I feel like it would help me figure a lot of things out.”

“Like what?” Luke asked, coming to sit down next to her.

“Like who I can and can’t trust.”

*

When eight o’clock rolled around, Samara followed Luke into the backyard, where Chris and Steve had already started a bonfire. She was disappointed that they hadn’t found anything, except for the random picture of Grandpa Joe and Darren; there didn’t seem to be anything in the house that involved black magic.

As frustrating as it was to not find what they were looking for, she knew that she had to put on a happy face tonight. As Alpha, she was going to be leading the discussion about what to do with Darren. It made her nervous because she didn’t know the adult pack, but Linda was convinced that they would be on their side.

Don’t be nervous. I’ll be right here with you the whole time
, Luke told her through mind-speak, taking her hand.

She interlocked her fingers with his and squeezed his hand tightly.
I know you are. Thank you.

Samara sat down in one of the lawn chairs next to Emma. She was talking to Kyana, who was sitting on a blanket on the ground in front of Chris’s chair.

“You’ve never had eyebrows threaded?” Emma asked, genuinely shocked by this revelation. “It’s so much better than waxing. We’re going to have to make you an appointment at the salon, pronto.”

Kyana smiled. “I’ve never cared that much about beauty. Papa always encouraged me to do things the old-fashioned way . . . the natural way.”

“I like you just the way you are, baby,” Chris said, kissing her forehead. “You don’t need to worry about all that extra stuff.”

“Oh, please.” Emma rolled her eyes. “You can’t tell me that you wouldn’t rather see her trying to dress up for you. No guy loves a girl in sweats all the time.”

“I don’t care if she’s wearing sweats or jeans or a dress,” Chris replied, shaking his head. “In fact, in my perfect world, she would be wearing nothing.”

“Yeah, well you know what needs to happen before that happens,” Kyana replied quietly.

Steve laughed. “Uh-oh. Your girl’s holding out on you. It’s time to play the field.”

Chris rose to his feet and took a step towards Steve, his hands clenched into fists. “Don’t talk about my mate like that.”

“Dude, I was just kidding,” Steve replied, holding his hands up in the air apologetically. “Calm the hell down.”

“Nah, man, I’m just getting sick of you making comments over it,” Chris replied, an annoyed look in his eyes. “The next time you make a comment like that I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“There will be no ass kicking,” Samara snapped at him. “Sit back down, Chris. Steve, shut your mouth. There’s no time for the two of you to fight right now. We have some big issues to deal with. I would say that you’re both out of the pack if you continue to act like morons, but we don’t have time to replace you.”

They both glanced over at her, shocked expressions on their faces. They both sauntered off in the other direction, shooting dirty looks over their shoulders. It was obvious that they were no longer angry with each other; it was Samara who they were mad at now.

“What was that all about?” Samara asked, turning back to Kyana.

She shrugged. “I guess Chris told Steve that I won’t have sex with him until we’re married.”

“You won’t?” Emma raised her eyebrows, as though it was the most surprising thing she’d ever heard of.

Kyana shook her head, hair silky black hair falling over her shoulders. “No, I won’t. The Koto pack expected us to have babies at a young age. That’s why I wanted to come here, to be an Ima. I didn’t want to dedicate myself to that life. But before we have babies or premarital sex, we must mark first. It’s what our Alphas expect of us. Losing my virginity before marriage would mean dishonoring my pack and humiliating my father.”

“But you’re an Ima now, and your new Alpha doesn’t care if you lose your virginity. Do you, Sam?” Luke grinned at Samara, and she knew that he was referencing the fact that she was no longer a virgin, either. They’d had sex for the first—and only—time on the day they'd returned home from Alaska.

She glanced over at Kyana. “You should do what feels right to you. If you want to wait until marriage, then you should wait. Is Chris okay with it?”

“Not that it matters,” Colby added. “You shouldn’t have sex with him just because he wants to. You should make the decision together, but he should be respectful of what you want, too.”

Kyana laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll be the one who decides when I’m ready. I don’t know why Chris told Steve, but he seems to be okay with it otherwise. He said as long as we’re together, it doesn’t bother him that much.”

“Good.” Samara smiled. When she glanced over at Emma, she noticed that she was looking down at the ground. “Is everything okay, Em?”

Emma looked up. “Do werewolves usually lose their virginity to their mates?”

Samara realized right away why her best friend was asking this question. To make her feel better, she quickly said, “Luke didn’t.”

“Why? How many people have you already been with?” Colby asked, glancing over at Emma and releasing a low, territorial growl.

Samara laughed at how jealous he had gotten by just thinking about how many other guys Emma had been with, and the embarrassed expression on his face told her that he hadn’t even realized that he was growling over it.

Luckily, Emma didn’t have time to answer him. At that moment, Linda came into the backyard, followed by the werewolves from the adult Ima pack: Ted, Valerie, Duncan, Alex, Barry, Allison, and a dark woman who Samara didn’t recognize.

“Samara, this is Melody,” Colby’s mom said, introducing them. “She’s Alex’s mate.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Samara said, shaking her hand.

“Likewise,” Melody replied with a smile. “I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a real honor to meet Joe McKinley’s granddaughter.”

Samara didn’t say anything; she was still getting used to everyone knowing who she was before she met them. She didn’t even want to think about what it was like for celebrity children who grew up with this sort of attention.

A mocha-skinned man and woman also came into the backyard. When she saw Steve wave at them, she realized they were his parents; he looked just like his father. Behind them, a dark-haired woman, who shot a smile at Chris, followed. It was obviously his mother. Without saying a word to her, they all took seats.

“So, Samara, do you want to begin?” Linda asked, glancing over at her. Samara noticed a pleading look in her eyes.

Nodding, Samara realized for the first time that the reason Colby’s mother wanted her to lead the discussion so badly was because the situation was too difficult for her to talk about in front of a crowd of people. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like for Luke to do something like this to her; she would feel hurt and betrayed, and she would wonder what she had done to deserve it.

Standing up, she centered herself in front of the group of people that crowded around the fire. Nervously, she began, “I trust that whatever I say tonight stays between these two groups of people. I don’t want anything that I say tonight to be repeated. Also, I ask that all of you try not to think about this too much or that you at least block Darren out of your minds if you do feel the need to think about it.”

Everyone stared back at her intently, curious to see where she was going with this.

“We recently discovered that Darren Jackson lied. He lied to his family, and he lied to the rest of us,” Samara went on. She felt the anger building up inside of her as she spoke. “We all thought that Colby was an only child, but as it turns out, he has two half-siblings—Jason and Josh Masterson.”

She noticed Valerie and Ted’s jaws drop; Duncan and Barry just looked stunned by what they’d heard.

“Darren is their father?” Allison asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

Samara nodded. “Yes, he is their father. As I’m sure you all know, Josh is now an Ima, but his brother, Jason, is a Vyka. He’s the Alpha of the Vyka, and we have wanted to stop him from this path of destruction that he’s been on for a long time. It’s obvious that his mission is to conquer all of the packs in the area and then, eventually, the packs in the rest of the country, too.”

“Yeah, we’ve been trying to figure out where he is for the past few weeks,” Ted spoke up. “We haven’t smelled him anywhere in the nearby area.”

“That’s because wherever he is, he’s probably with Darren,” Samara replied. “Darren hasn’t come back here since we were in Alaska, and we’re not sure when he will. What we do know is that while we were there, he set us up. He tried to make us stay there longer so that Jason could get to us. We were able to escape the attack that they were planning, but next time we might not be so lucky.”

Valerie raised her hand nervously. “I have a question. Shouldn’t you try to plan a fight with the Vyka? It seems to me like you’ve been avoiding the confrontation with them that you’re bound to have, but isn’t it better to just get it over with so we can all move on from this? It seems like a lot of anticipation is being built up, and so far, it’s been for nothing.”

Samara shook her head. “The problem is that the Vyka have two advantages over us. The first is pretty obvious. They have Darren’s support. But we also know that they’ve been using black magic. Does anyone here know anything about it that we don’t know already?”

No one said anything; they all glanced around at each other.

“Until we can learn how to fight a werewolf using black magic, I’m not sure how we can win against the Vyka,” Samara explained.

“Yeah, we’re toast next to them. Burnt toast,” Colby commented out loud.

“Well, what do you want us to do about it?” Alex asked, a note of defensiveness in his voice. “We know nothing more about black magic than any of you do. I’m not sure how we can help.”

“We need to figure out what to do about Darren,” Linda spoke up. “He’s going to come back, eventually, and once he does, we need to decide if he’s still a part of this pack.”

“Of course he is,” Melody replied. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t he be?” Steve’s dad questioned. Chris’s mom nodded in agreement.

“Do you not understand the severity of the situation? He intentionally put his own son and the rest of our pack in danger,” Samara said, knowing that she sounded nasty, but she didn’t care. Darren deserved everything that was coming to him. “That should exclude him from the Ima pack.”

“It’s not that easy to overthrow an Alpha,” Alex said, meeting her eyes with his own brown eyes, which had taken on a dark look in the moonlight. “And to be honest, I’m not sure that I really want to overthrow Darren. Not yet, at least. Not until I hear his side of the story. Maybe he fathered two kids no one ever knew about. That doesn’t make him a bad person.”

“He’s a traitor,” Colby growled. “He deserves to be overthrown. None of us can trust him, not after all the lies he’s told.”

“He’s never lied to me before,” Alex replied, shaking his head. “I say we take a vote, our pack only. Linda, your vote doesn’t count because you’re too involved in this anti-Darren campaign, so don’t even bother. Right now, I hardly consider you one of us. All in favor of overthrowing Darren, raise your hands.”

Valerie and Ted both cautiously raised their hands, glancing around to see if anyone else was. No one did, so they slowly put theirs back down.

“All in favor of keeping Darren as our Alpha, at least until we hear his side of the story?”

All of the hands, aside from Valerie’s and Ted’s, shot up at the same time. Steve’s mom rose her hand, but she glanced around hesitantly, as though she were unsure about her vote, but she kept her arm in the air.