But Dale, sitting near Aiden, frowned. “Impossible. Perry and any other Skins could not access our land without us lifting the warding. I made certain to ward that land again yesterday after you told Aiden that Skins had been there. It must have been Professor Chance you saw from a distance. The only Skin allowed through the magick barrier is Professor Chance. In addition, if Chance carried any kind of weapon, he could not access that land near the pack.”
“I’m telling you, Perry and his little cult were there and Perry had a gun.”
They didn’t believe her. Dismay filled Troy as doubting looks were cast her way. Jenny was new, and they didn’t know or trust her.
Aiden held up a hand. “Quiet. Dale, go to the Timberline pack and take two men with you. Check it out again. If what Jenny says is true, there will be evidence of tire tracks on the access road.”
The meeting continued on with routine matters about the cattle herd, moving them to the summer pasture, and cutting back on trail rides for Skins. Aiden’s cell phone buzzed. He answered it.
“Right. Okay. Thanks.” The alpha pocketed the phone, looking directly at Jenny. “That was Dale. Just like last night, the only tire tracks were from Professor Chance’s Jeep. That’s it. No one else was there.”
Troy’s stomach clenched. No one would believe her now, even if he did.
Her jaw dropped. “But I saw them! I know they intended harm to the pack!”
“The pack’s fine,” Aiden said, his expression guarded. “Skins can’t erase their tire tracks by magick.”
“Unless Perry isn’t human,” Jenny shot out. “And those with him are either witches or demons. One had glowing red eyes.”
Silence descended over the crowd. This wasn’t going to be good. More than anything, Troy wanted to pick up Jenny and carry her out of there. Protect her, because the crowd was looking angrier.
Jenny pressed on. “Perry is evil. I saw a death head skull beneath his skin. He is not human, but darkness itself, summoned from the underworld to infiltrate this ranch and destroy all of you because you are powerful Lupines.”
Jenny swept her hand over the crowd.
Murmurs and slight laughter greeted her words. Aiden stood patiently at the podium, but disbelief filled his expression.
“Death head skull?” Sitting on the stage next to Aiden, Darius snorted. “That sounds like a parlor trick one of the wizards would perform. Perry is a Skin.”
“You must believe me. Perry must die before he can unleash harm upon you and your land,” Jenny droned.
“Right,” someone called out. “How do you know?”
“How can we trust you?” This from Ellison, a longtime pack member. “You just got here. Some of us have been living here for years.”
“Believe me. I’ve seen evil and it must be vanquished.” Her voice deepened as she turned to face the assembly.
Troy’s stomach clenched. He knew what was coming. Couldn’t stop it, didn’t even know if he should. He turned in his seat to gauge the crowd and someone screamed.
“Look at her eyes,” someone yelled.
Oh crap. Troy turned. Sure enough, as they had in that night in the alley, Jenny’s eyes turned pure white. She blazed with power.
Unnatural power other Lupines lacked. The first time he’d seen it, he knew she was different.
Different was bad. These Lupines didn’t know Jenny’s kind heart or her honest nature.
They didn’t understand her. What they didn’t understand, many feared. This pack proved no exception.
“She’s a freak,” Ellison yelled.
“Drive her away,” shouted another Lupine.
A mob mentality was building. Even Aiden, who ruled with an iron hand, couldn’t calm the fears. He barked orders, but Lupines were standing, yelling at her and the smell of fear increased. Tension accelerated.
An object whistled through the air, striking her on the temple. Troy saw red, but before he could blink, Jenny shifted into wolf. She leapt over the Lupines sitting nearby and crashed through the window. Glass shattered, not from her breaking it with her body, but her powers.
Screams followed.
So did the pack, some in Skin form, picking up stones as they ran outside, throwing them at the retreating Jenny. Some shifted into wolves, the intention to take her down quite clear.
Not on my watch.
Troy ran. Not as wolf, for he didn’t need his magick to outpace the others. He ran on two legs, his speed making the others gasp.
Now you know my secret, Aiden. I can outran any one of you, even as a Skin.
The gift the Fae had endowed in him charged through his cells, making him as swift as a breath of wind. No one could catch him.
He caught up to Jenny, who had vanished into the woods and now cowered behind some trees. Troy dropped to the ground beside her as she shifted into Skin. Naked, shivering, she hugged herself.
Poor thing was so terrified, she forgot her magick. He shrugged out of his jacket, draped it around her naked shoulders.
Jenny took a deep breath and clothed herself by magick, handing him back his jacket. “This is yours.”
Distant voices sounded. The pack was losing the will to pursue, and some had shifted back into Skin.
“We don’t need you around!” someone shouted. “Get away from our land!”
Troy wiped a streak of blood away from Jenny’s temple. “They hurt you.”
He slammed a fist against his thigh. “Why did you do it, Jenny? I told you, it wasn’t the right forum or the right time. They could have killed you! Lupines don’t like different, even in this pack, not that different!”
Her lower lip wobbled. “I had to, Troy. I couldn’t keep quiet about Perry. It went against everything inside me. Like something compelled me to speak the truth. I had to let them know how dangerous he was.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I know you couldn’t help it.”
“Do you believe me?” her voice dropped to a whisper.
He nodded. “Always.”
Troy
