The Unmaking (The Rayne Whitmore Series Book 1) Read online

  I fit in easily; I loved to swim but dancing is my element, my release since I had been attending an arts school on a dance scholarship before my world went to shit. I let the beat fill me up and for a second allow myself to just feel the music pumping inside me. I dance with whoever is near me, simply enjoying. Either they still don’t notice I’m human or they simply don’t care, it’s just as well though. I let the vibe and call of the moon that these wolves are feeling flow into me. Through my shirt, I can feel my tattoo glowing, like a battery recharging.

  Once I have my fill of the dance floor, I order a drink, then find a table, my back against the wall so that I don’t catch any surprises behind, hoping that either Selene will find me, or that someone will decide to come chat.

  I sit alone for about three songs before I see a darker skinned wolf eying me from the top. I take another sip of my drink, pretending not to notice before I get up again and make my way towards the stairs, prepared to follow him. My watcher is coming down, however, and grabs my arm firmly, escorting me back down the steps and to my previous seat. He sits across from me after pulling out my chair. I look at him once he settles in his seat.

  He may not be nearly as large as Jaxson, maybe 5’11” or so, but it is clear from the way his dark green dress shirt hugs his body that he is all muscle. I’m starting to get the feeling that this is a common trait among wolves. His hair is past his shoulders and in very well maintained dreds and a ponytail. His skin is like the brown of hot chocolate, darker than my own, and he has three piercings in his left ear, but none in the other. His nose is wide but not overly large and his lips are full. He appears to be in his late teens, but with the way wolves age, he’s probably actually in his early thirties.

  His dark brown eyes say that he has seen more than his share of stress. He is not strikingly handsome, but nonetheless, has a dangerous beauty about him. It’s the kind that you’d have to look deeper, past the wall he’d so clearly built to see. But, I guess that is understandable, he’d lost his mate. When wolves lost their mate, they rarely mated again, if they even lived through it. He lost his clearly at a young age. I’ll have to play that to my advantage, no matter how messed up it might be. Then, I zero in on the scar on his neck. A nasty one that starts from the bottom of his left ear to the right side of his collar bone. Someone had tried to slice him open. He is a survivor indeed.

  I look into his dark eyes as he catches mine. I try to hold my gaze as long as I can, but the power behind his stare overtakes me. This man is clearly an Alpha and I stand no chance of dominance against him, not here, not when the full moon is this close. Even without that, I think his aura would have consumed mine regardless. I look away and try not to look into his eyes again. I dare not speak until he decides it’s time.

  After he finishes sizing me up, he smirks and says, “You really are a human. How interesting.” His voice is quiet, almost timid, clearly deceptive. It’s clear that he’s confident in his own strength and has nothing to prove with his voice. He knows it will be heard and also listened to.

  “I am, but I’m not like any of the others,” I tell him.

  “Hmm. Clearly. So, what is a young woman like you doing in a place like this?” he asks, obviously wanting to know more than just how I came to be here tonight. He wants to know who I am. I need to know if I can trust him before I say too much.

  “Let’s just say that I have friends in high places. Beyond that though, I heard that there was an Alpha wolf named Anubis that shared something in common with me. I was told that we could help each other out. I hope they were right.”

  He leans back in his chair and I see him do something with his hands. I glance around without being too obvious and notice that a few wolves in here are now paying attention to our table. They must be his pack. That means that I have to tread carefully. Finally, at the bar, I spot Selene. She’s sitting next to some drunk guy laughing and talking, but I can tell that she’s also eying the other wolves in here. Even though we are grossly outnumbered, I still feel much safer knowing she’s close.

  “I’m listening. Tell me why this is worth my time,” he demands.

  I slip him two hundreds out of my pocket just to peak his interest and keep him from walking away for a few minutes. “I understand that time is money, but what I’m asking for and willing to give is worth a whole lot more trust me.”

  “Who are you?”

  He doesn’t pocket the money, but I leave it there anyway.

  “My name is Rayne Whitmore.” I pause, waiting to see if the name creates a reaction, when it doesn’t, I continue. “You may not know who I am exactly, but trust me, we have much more in common than you may know. Two years ago, my family was murdered.”

  His eyebrows rise slightly, but he attempts to show no interest.

  “They were possibly murdered by the same man that murdered your mate. I know what it’s like Anubis to lose someone who means everything to you.”

  He interrupts me, “What do you want?” Anubis leans forward, still trying to give nothing away, but the ring around his iris begins to turn yellow, betraying the anger boiling up inside. I pretend not to notice his pack mates shifting in their chairs.

  “I want his name. I want the protection of your pack so that I can do what I have to do without having to worry about any and everything coming at me trying to kill me before I can kill the son of a bitch who took away three people that I love,” I tell him firmly, leaning forward in my seat and meeting his eyes briefly so that he can see the sincerity in them.

  “What makes you think that you, a human, can do what I can’t?” he asks humorously.

  “I’m more than I appear Anubis, trust me on that. Besides, I have nothing to lose,” I tell him.

  “Oh?” he begins. “Is that so? What about your witch at the bar, is she so disposable?”

  I glance up at the bar and frown. It’s obviously one of Anubis’s pack mates that is speaking with Selene. Then, I give my attention back to him. I know she can take care of herself. “How do you know that she is mine?” I ask.

  “Your scent is all over her and vice versa. You smell of magic and human. Besides, what are the chances that a witch and a human appear here on the same night, a night that is usually all my kind. After I knew what to look for, I could smell you ten feet away.” he tells me.

  Interesting.

  “Well, she is all that I have left in this world and she is certainly capable of protecting herself too. I have nothing to lose because she won’t be going anywhere. She knows my aims and she understands that I will sacrifice myself to get my justice.”

  “You say that, but the question is will she let you?”

  I consider his question for a few seconds before I respond. I know that he might be right. Selene wouldn’t be quick to allow me to surrender my own life to kill the man who took my family’s lives.

  “I’ll do my part, just give me his name. You are the only one who really understands me right now Anubis. You have no reason to trust me, no reason to extend the protection of your pack to me, but I can see it in your eyes that you want justice just as much, if not more than I do. I will be your answer,” I nearly plead.

  His eyes begin to return to its normal color and he blows out a long breath. It seems like hours before he answers. “I cannot.”

  It feels like a punch in the gut.

  I stand up and slam my hands down on the table and say the hell with not staring him in the eyes. I meet his gaze with a fiery fury and hold it. All around me I can feel his pack begin to stand up and walk towards our table. I also somehow feel the hum of Selene’s magic wrapping around me, ready to protect me. The music even lowers slightly, an indication that a lot of people are now watching, waiting. I have no friends here. This could get ugly.

  “How can you fucking protect this man after all that he’s taken from you?” I hiss. My tattoo glows through my shirt as my power rises from my middle. Anubis notices the light through my shirt but doesn’t comment.

  “Y
ou know nothing about me or what I want,” he growls. “You came to me demanding and expecting much more than you can even handle little girl. You play a dangerous game and you don’t even realize it. The man you seek will destroy you in seconds.” The force of his pack lending him strength through the magic of their bond finally forces me to look away again.

  “Then tell me his name, who he is, and let me decide for myself.” I wipe my hair from my face and realize that I’m beginning to sweat. “I’ve changed who I am completely to find this man. You have no idea what I’ve been through either.”

  “Sit down,” he commands, voice like a cold snap brushing against my skin.

  “No,” I tell him defiantly, chin up. He’s not my fucking boss.

  “If you don’t sit down, I will consider this a challenge and you will not walk away this night, believe that, human,” he commands again, quieter, more focused, deadly.

  I sigh and find my seat once more. Slowly, the room goes back to normal and the sound of laughter and the thump of bass begin to fill the air. “I apologize. You are not my enemy.”

  “Nor do you want to make me. Let me tell you about how I got this scar on my neck,” Anubis says. I look at him impatiently before I decide that it’s best to just listen and hope he gives me what I need.

  “Ok. I’m listening.”

  “It was the night of the Wolf Moon, about fourteen years ago, and it was freezing cold out, even for my kind who naturally are resistant to cold temperatures. I was with my pack at the time, my father was the Alpha. We all ran together in the forest, hunting. I felt alive, free, wild. I was sixteen and it was my first hunt with the whole pack together.”

  I watch Anubis’s eyes as they remember better days, a deep longing in their depths. His silky voice is easy to listen to.

  “It was amazing. When it was over and we had run until our feet were sore, the pack headed back to their cars. Yet, I wasn’t ready to leave, so my father told the rest of the pack to go without us, that we would have one more run, just the two of us. When we finished, we headed to our car, but there was someone there waiting for us. My father ordered me to hide amongst the trees and I did. I waited and listened. He spoke with a hooded man about pack territory, experiments, and me. My father didn’t agree with whatever he was saying. But, it didn’t matter because whatever happened next changed everything.”

  I lean forward, struggling to hear as the music seems to blast even louder now, the tempo speeding up and the lust of the crowd increasing.

  “My father was an Alpha. He was strong and always in control. Yet, whatever the hooded man spoke next forced my father into a change. Alphas are the only wolves that can force another wolf into change and for a non-wolf to do so is unheard of. Then, he just disappeared, leaving a hint of his scent behind, blowing in the wind. Not only did the man compel my father into change, but somehow he became feral, no humanity left, it was the moon rage. I left the safety of the trees to go to my father and that’s when he attacked me.” Anubis leans back in his chair, folding his calloused, ringed hands on the table.

  “His teeth shattered my shoulder as his paws sliced through my neck. I’ve never felt pain like that in my life. It was indescribable. The hurt mixed with fear must have triggered something within me. I myself blacked out, thinking for sure that I was going to die. When I awoke however, it was my father who lay lifeless beside me, and I, covered in his blood, half alive. If my own body didn’t trigger the change, I would have died. It took me three days to heal.”

  I frown at his story. There was no way that he should have survived that. Not when his father was already attacking him while he was still in human form.

  He knows what I’m thinking and continues to explain, “I like that think that my father regained enough of his senses to allow me to change and protect myself. What’s more likely is that the man who did that to him killed my father before he could finish me off. Yet, my brain will not allow me to remember. I searched for the man he talked to that night for years, all the while being challenged over and over by pack mates that wanted to best the former Alpha’s son. I learned how to be a deadly fighter as I fought for my life every day. Ruthless and cunning. I became Alpha at a young age, probably one of the youngest in the U.S.”

  “Then, I found the man again. Or rather, he found me. Once I started running my father’s business, he came to me with the same proposition that he had given my father. Use my pack to conduct his experiments, be loyal to him, murder his opposition, and anything else he might need. In return, he claimed we would live like the kings of old with more power and more terroritory. Unlike my father, I didn’t refuse, all the while gathering information on the man, biding my time. I did small things for him to gain his trust. Then, he had another proposition; he wanted me to be one of his lieutenants in the organization he was building. He knew I was special. I thought it was a good opportunity to get close to him, to make my move.”

  “The bastard knew my plan all along; he had no intention of letting me get close. He let me get close enough to let me see why I wouldn’t be able to kill him, then, he had my mate murdered. I was restrained by his powerful magic that smelled of death and rot, fighting to reach her. My mate was pregnant with my unborn child and all I could do was watch as he had one of his demons destroy her.”

  Demon? It was definitely the same man.

  “When I asked him why he didn’t just kill me he said that he was going to kill me one day, but that my suffering would be like the sweetest wine he’s ever tasted. He said he’d make me fear him, use me, then take my life. The man is too skilled, too well guarded, and absolutely insane. For the first year, he had me followed by a demon. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, going crazy over how to protect my pack from any fallout. There’s a reason why he chose my father and then me, but I’ve never been able to figure it out. What I do know is that I can’t get close and it’s been a quiet year. I want it to stay that way. I’m not in a hurry to cut my life short,” Anubis finishes, sounding slightly shaken.

  “Well, this man thinks that I died along with my family. I can get close to him,” I explain.

  “Is that so? Do you honestly think he’s not watching you? He always finishes his job. Unless you’ve fallen off the face of the earth, then he knows where you are.”

  “What if I told you I haven’t been on Earth?” I smile.

  “Then I’d say that you have some explaining to do,” he responds, interested, hands folded on the table.

  The song changes to a slow number.

  “I will, but first, I need his name.”

  “You just won’t give up will you?”

  I just stare at him with my arms crossed, determined.

  “He’s a witch. His name is Namen Young,” he tells me, not defeated, but seemingly believing in me.

  I don’t know how to feel right now. I’ve been trying to get a name for so long, to be able to speak the name of the man responsible and now that I have it, I don’t even know how I feel. I say his name softly to myself, letting it roll off of my tongue. It’s such a nonthreatening name, but I know the truth. I reach in my pocket and pull out one thousand more dollars. I would have paid a million for it, but since he didn’t ask, I figured he’d be happy with what he got. At least he knows that I’m serious about the information.

  “Thank you Anubis. You’ve done more than you know tonight,” I tell him gratefully.

  “If you were truly grateful, then you’d value your own life and listen to what I just told you. When he comes for me I won’t be able to stop him. If you are free of him, then why even make yourself a target?”

  “Because I have been un-made. I wear the mark of the Immortals and I have thought of nothing else for nearly two years but finding this man. He murdered my mother, father, and my little sister. They deserve justice. Your family deserves justice and I will be the one to deliver it,” I answer.

  “Well, those are beautiful words, but I’m telling you the reality. Namen Young is a force. H
e has powers that are greater than any witch in this time. He has aligned himself with demons and may even be stealing powers from other awakeneds somehow. He also has people protecting him at all times. I think he is up to something that is far greater than we could know. You are just one human. I am just one wolf. I could offer you the protection of my pack, but it would only go so far. Namen will find you first and when he does, your protection is out the window. I will not put my family in any more danger where he’s concerned,” he advises me, eyes tinting yellow again before blinking it away.

  “Then, that is all the more reason to stop him. You just said it. This is greater than the two of us Anubis. I will at the very least find out just what it is that he is up to and then I will take it from there. Can I at least ask this of you? If you hear word of any of his dealings, let me know?”

  “You are asking a lot of me human. What will I get from you?”

  “The truth is, I don’t know what to offer. I may not have anything that you want,” I say honestly.

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure I will come up with something,” Anubis answers. “Here, take my card. I hesitate to give this to you, but my curiosity about you has gotten the better of me. Call me if you need anything else.” Without another word, Anubis leaves me at my table, alone, with much to consider.

  Selene finally comes over to me looking slightly wary. I stand up and meet her before she comes completely to the table. “What’s wrong?” I ask her, concerned.

  “I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s time for us to leave. We’ll talk about what we learned when we get back home. Don’t go straight to your bike if you think you’re being followed. Loop around to the car and wait. I’ll be right behind you after I handle something.” Before I can ask her what she needs to handle, she walks away, her dress hugging her like a lover’s embrace.

  I look around and try to see if someone is watching me, but with this many people, I can no longer tell as the crowd seems to close in on me. I get to the door and Jaxson tries to whisper something to me, but he’s clocked hard in his head and hits the ground with a thud. Before I can react, there is a rush of magic and I am knocked through the door, skidding to a stop on the hard pavement. Not even a second after I hit the ground, numerous hands grab me and soon the same blow that caused Jaxson to be knocked out hits me too.