Tooth and Claw (Kootenai Pack Book 1) Read online

  “Sorry,” I whispered.

  Professor Carlson sat on the table he’d just righted and looked down at me with kind eyes, “Have you ever considered a prosthetic? Not that you aren’t doing great without one,” he said stuttering over his words, “My wife and I ate at the Tooth and Claw last week- It’s just-”

  “I can’t afford one,” I told him ashamed all over again. I tugged on the zipper again and it blissfully went up.

  “I know you’re on scholarship, Lee but you should still be on your parent’s insurance plan, I’m sure-”

  “I appreciate the concern, Professor,” I said earnestly, “But I’m doing ok.”

  “You’re doing more than ok,” he told me, “You’re one of the top freshmen in the business department this year. I just hate seeing my students struggle the hard way around a problem when there’s an easier solution.”

  “Thanks Professor Carlson,” I told him, the other zipper finally behaving enough to close the backpack, “I have to go.”

  I crossed campus to where I’d parked my car early in the morning. My head hurt. I was mortally embarrassed that my professor was taking pity on me. I just wanted to lie down in a dark room and not deal with-, “Evan,” I groaned. The last person I wanted to see right now.

  We’d been quietly sniping at each other since his appearance at the pub the second week of October. Earl told us we had to get along, but we were oil and water, bear and wolf. We were nearly two weeks on, and he still rankled my fur. The big bear was laying casually across the hood of my car. If it hadn’t already been dented more than the dark side of the moon, I’d yell at him for it.

  The giant looked over at me casually, “Earl had to take the truck to Mainsbury,” he told me, “We’re on onion duty.”

  I groaned, “I can do onion duty by myself. You can go home.”

  Onion duty wasn’t so bad. Caramelized onions were a critical part of Easterling Burgers and the Tooth and Claw went through a crate of onions a night over the weekends. Earl had a deal with Benny down at the docks. In the summers Benny brought in fresh Vidalia onions on his scrap barge. Where he got them from, Earl hadn’t cared to share. In the winters, Benny delivered them with his truck.

  “No can-do puppy dog,” Evan said rolling off my car and going toward the passenger side, “The Hallow-Harvest festival is this weekend and we’ll be busy. Your car is going to reek of onions for a month.”

  I groaned. Just what I needed today. Pungent smells to go with my splitting headache.

  “You doing ok Lee?” Evan asked a touch of genuine concern breaking his voice. The smug grin on his face had me doubting the sincerity of his words

  “What do you care?” I bit back. I pulled open the driver’s side door and the rusted hinge creeeakked. I grimaced.

  “I don’t,” he growled, “I just don’t want to be stuck on onion duty with the one-armed bitch.”

  His insult stung, I tossed my keys at him, “Then you go. I’ll walk home.”

  It was about three miles from campus to the Tooth and Claw. I could walk that easily. I’d had to once before when my car wouldn’t start. Three miles to Tooth and Claw.

  32

  Present day

  “Shift Aster,” it was Kendrick, his hand was in my wolf’s fur, she lifted her head to look at him, for the first time, my wolf was not happy to see him. She was finally beginning to understand her mate’s betrayal. She drowsily set her head back down. He could fuck right off.

  Kendrick’s hand pulled the scruff at the back of her neck harder, “Shift, Aster,” his voice was harsher than he’d ever spoken to the wolf before. She didn’t like it. She didn’t want to obey. The human inside her didn’t like him any more than she did right now. She bared her teeth at him, “Shift,” the ancient power of the alpha wolf radiated down Kendrick’s hand into my wolf’s fur. She resisted as long as she could. She knew the primordial power would drain him the more he had to use. The stronger he’d recognize her to be. The more he’d fear her. “Shift,” Kendrick’s head was beading with sweat and his other hand was beginning to shake before my wolf relented shifting back into me.

  Kendrick’s hand was roughly gripping the back of my neck which was bruised from the challenge and raw from frostbite.

  “Your trial,” he said, his words were tinged with regret.

  “I won the challenge,” I reminded him pulling out of his grip. He was weakened too much from forcing my shift to maintain control of me, “there shouldn’t be a trial.”

  “You weren’t pack,” Kendrick said bluntly, “You had no right to challenge. You are being tried as a rogue sent to assassinate the alpha female.”

  “You couldn’t just kill me yourself, huh?” I asked bitterly, “You had to drag me across the country against my will and make your dear old mom do it. You’re pathetic.” I spat at him.

  Enforcers filed into the cell and dragged me away from Kendrick. I wouldn’t let them take me easily. I wasn’t weak. I was broken, but I was not weak.

  I was dragged up the stairs and into the largest room. Best compared with the sanctuary of the church, rows of benches facing the front where a large t shaped whipping post was surrounded by the Alpha and Beta families. I was pleased to see that Mama Biel was still bloodied and bruised. I must have done a good amount of damage for her to still show wounds. Good. I won that challenge.

  No light filtered through the high windows. It was night. I hadn’t called Evan to warn him off trying to find me. Now he never would. The eyes of the pack were on the enforcers surrounding me. It must have been quite a sight: a naked one-armed woman red with frostbite, bruises, and blood to be guarded by so many strong wolves. They’d doubted my strength and worth all those years. Now here I was to face trial for attempted assassination. None in the crowd would meet my eyes. None on the dais could hold my gaze.

  It took four enforcers to tie me to the post. My right arm had to be tied at an incredibly uncomfortable angle in order to have me secured.

  “You’d think they never murdered a one-armed woman before,” I quipped to the crowd. A few wolves eyes widened in surprise.

  I’d never witnessed public punishments before. I was a dud; this was a pack activity. But I’d heard about them plenty. I heard how wolves whimpered and pleaded while they were being tied to the post. I heard how the blood poured from their backs down the steps after they’d been whipped. I’d heard a lot of horrible things. But I wasn’t going to be scared. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction.

  “Rogue wolf, Aster Lee Fields,” Alpha Biel’s voice was shaky, though still commanding. I vaguely recalled Beta Lorde saying he was on his deathbed. I must be something special to make him come away from it, “Has been brought before the pack and the moon goddess charged with attempted assassination of the alpha female. Do any contest these charges?”

  I remembered enough from shifter school to keep my damn mouth shut. The accused had no rights in the eyes of the Alpha of this pack. Guilty until proven innocent by a trusted member of the pack. I was not pack, if I was, I wouldn’t be here. I looked out over the crowd keeping my face impassive. I wouldn’t know which wolves had been there to witness the challenge. What human forms had been present to witness my attempt to flee the alpha house. Many wolves had heard me demand over and over to be released. I knew none would come to my defense.

  My wolf riled within me. She had been trapped before and she fought her way out. Why wasn’t I fighting for our lives as hard as she’d done. Damn it, the stupid bitch was right. I wasn’t going to roll over and die. If they weren’t going to treat me as pack, I’d be the rogue wolf.

  “Don’t everyone jump in at once,” I said to the crowd with an eye roll. I maneuvered my head to look over at the pack elders who were supposedly the overseers of justice, “We all know no one’s going to stand against the Biels no matter what nonsense they claim. If you’re going to kill me, just do it already.”

  “She had ample opportunity to kill the Alpha female if that was her intenti
on, alpha,” to my surprise, it was Beta Lorde coming to my defense, “Aster’s wolf maintained a submission hold. I do not believe attempted assassination is the correct charge. Unprovoked attack, assault while in fur, and illegal challenge of an alpha female would be more correct charges.”

  Well, sort of to my defense.

  “I was kidnapped, and my life was threatened, I was trying to escape, “I bit back, “It was a challenge to leave pack lands, and it was hardly unprovoked.”

  “The accused will not speak,” one of the elders commanded, I recognized him as the shifter law lecturer, Elder Ursine, “It is against pack law.”

  I rolled my eyes, “Pack law prevents accused pack members from coming to their defense, but Shifter law states rogues are allowed to defend themselves. I may have been a dud, but I paid attention in shifter lessons, Elder Ursine.”

  I heard a few snickers from the crowd. It was well remembered in shifter lessons that Ursine’s lectures were unbearably boring. I was probably the only one to have paid attention in thirty years.

  “So, either, I’m a pack member and legally allowed to challenge for rank, or I’m a rogue and allowed to defend myself, during my trial,” I continued looking back to the crowd. Their eyes were focused on the Alpha or the council. None met mine.

  “I’ve heard enough,” Alpha Biel said, I couldn’t turn my head to look at him, but I could see the elder council who were focused on him, “She’s guilty. Punishment: death. Elder council, I need your approval.”

  The Elder Council turned into a circle to discuss. They could overrule his decision with a 2/3 majority vote, they’d never done it before. I doubted I’d be the first.

  33 20 years earlier

  I was sitting on the edge of the forest, waiting for daddy’s wolf that would never return. I didn’t understand. He always came back. Just like mom’s wolf always came back. She sat me down and told me dad got hurt by bad guys protecting the pack. I could hardly understand the words, her voice had been shaking so bad. She’d been shaking so bad. I’d never seen her so sad before.

  Alpha Biel was in the house with my mom talking about adult stuff, I didn’t know what, they sent me out of the house. So, I went to the woods. He’d come back. This was a bad dream.

  “Hey Aster,” I turned to look, it was a boy from my generation. He wasn’t in my class at school though. He sat next to me, “What are you looking for?”

  I sighed, “My dad.”

  The boy looked over at me, but I couldn’t look at him, “My dad says he’s not coming back, he says I’m supposed to tell you I’m sorry.”

  “Are you?’

  “Am I what?’

  “Sorry?”

  The boy from my class looked back out toward the forest, “I don’t know. I’m supposed to be, I guess.”

  “Yea, I guess,” I turned to look back out into the thick tree line. It wasn’t cold outside, but the boy shivered when the wind blew. I didn’t get why he was out here. His dad was inside the house with my mom. His dad wasn’t gone. Mine was. It wasn’t fair.

  “I’m also supposed to tell you that it’ll be ok,” he said.

  I turned to look at him. He had Mama Biel’s yellow eyes, but the Alpha’s dark hair, “What’s your name?” I asked him.

  “I’m Ricky Biel,” he said, he seemed to relax, even going so far as to extend his hand to me.

  “Ok, Ricky,” I said, trying to tamp down my anger. I ignored his extended hand and looked back out over the woods. This wasn’t real. Any second now I’d wake up to the eager bark of dad’s wolf as he waited for one of us to open the back door for him. Any second I’d hear my mom teasing him for not wiping his paws. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.

  The back door opened and slammed shut. The Alpha’s voice called for us. Ricky stood immediately, like a well-trained dog. I didn’t move. The Alpha called our names again.

  “Are you going to come back inside?” Ricky asked after several long seconds of silence.

  “No,” I answered shortly.

  “But...” he started to complain.

  “Just go, Ricky,” I said, “Your dad’s waiting for you.”

  34

  Present day

  The pack was silent as the Elders gave their ruling. The only sound was the growl in Alpha Biel’s throat.

  The Elders overruled their Alpha.

  I wasn’t going to die.

  Flogging, that was my punishment. 20 lashes, three times a week for a year. 3,120 strikes with a bullwhip.

  Why a bullwhip? Typically, a cat-o-nine tales was the weapon of choice. I wasn’t sure if it was mercy, or torture. But I had 3,120 strikes to find out. I doubt the pack would release me now. Not when they had thrice weekly public whippings to attend. Who didn’t want to watch the dud get whipped?

  Alpha and Mama Biel were not pleased. She demanded the right to crack the whip. I wasn’t going to die tonight and that is what mattered, I reminded myself. Mama Biel was going to crack my 20 lashes tonight and she was going to make them count.

  I did my best to relax around the post. I knew this would hurt worse than anything I’d experienced. The torment of waiting for the bite of the whip amped up the anxiety. I could hear her pacing behind me. She’d crack the whip and I’d tense waiting for the slice across my skin that didn’t come. This was the true torment. When the whip cracked, and the cord cut across my back I tried not to cry out. I chewed my lip so hard blood flooded from my mouth.

  “One...” I breathed out. I needed to count these. I needed to focus on something. Mama Biel cracked the whip three more times before it struck again. “Two,” she hit across my back along the same path as the first. I could feel the blood drip down my thighs as my body reacted to the wounds.

  I was too exhausted to cry out by the tenth strike. Mama Biel was more accurate than Indiana Jones with the bullwhip. I’d never mock Indy again. “Eleven,” my voice was a whisper. There would be no more sound from me. My lips would move through the strikes. Twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen. The blows were weakening, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. I waited for the final blow. I couldn’t focus. My vision was blurry. Had I missed count? Had I forgotten one? I was vaguely aware there was motion behind me, words were being uttered.

  I hung limply against the post. I never wanted to be here. I only wanted to go home. Maybe my wolf wouldn’t fight me so hard the next time I tried to escape. She’d be less anxious as a lone wolf at home. If I made it home.

  I felt Kendrick come to me. He undid my bindings and I dropped to the floor.

  “Shift, Aster,” he whispered sweetly to me, he was petting my hair.

  “Fuck you,” my voice was a croak, but I forced the words out. My wolf didn’t want to obey him. She didn’t trust him anymore. My vision faded more, and it went black.

  35

  10 years earlier

  My beater car rolled into the backlot of the Tooth and Claw Pub. I was sitting on the back steps pretending to do my homework, waiting patiently for one of the Easterlings to arrive. Having thrown my car keys at Evan before storming off into the campus, I didn’t have my keys to get back inside. It was an unseasonably warm day for late October and my inner wolf was enjoying the sun on my face. She’d rather it be on her fur, but she tolerated 2nd hand sun.

  I did not like the sweat on my face. Dehydration from the walk back had only worsened my headache. All I wanted was to take a shower and lie in a dark room until my shift started. The creak of the driver’s side door forced me to look back at my car and the asshole driving it.

  Evan hadn’t been lying, that was a lot of onions. The front seat was filled, the back seat was filled, and I presumed the trunk was full as well. I doubted both of us would have fit in the car ride home from the onion run. I shoved my homework back in my bag, ignoring the zipper in favor or holding it closed.

  The giant bear stepped out of my car and tossed my keys back to me. My only hand was otherwise occupied so the keys hit me square in the face.

  I
snarled at him, my wolf didn’t like this guy and now he was throwing things at us.

  “Uh, sorry,” Evan said, insincerely, “Thought you’d catch them.”

  I grumbled as I crouched to the ground and balanced my bag in order to pick them up. The sun dimmed from me as Evan stood over me menacingly holding three crates of onions in his arms, “Open the doors,” he commanded.

  I looked all the way up his massive frame, “Fuck you, asshole.”

  I collected my backpack and walked up the stairs to the apartment and let myself in. My shift didn’t start until four and technically Earl hadn’t given me any extra chores. He’d sent Evan. I set my backpack on the couch that had become my bed and took my shower. The cool water felt amazing on my skin and softened the ache in my skull. I laid on the couch until it was time for work. I dressed in my Tooth and Claw pub shirt and went down the indoor stairs to start my shift. Evan was at Earl’s table having an animated discussion, pointing in my direction as he argued.

  I ignored them and went to work.

  36

  Present day

  I howled in my sleep. But no one could hear me. No one cared. Evan couldn’t find me. My mate wouldn’t save me. I had no pack to protect me. I was utterly alone in the cold dark cell.

  37

  10 years earlier

  My wolf was on edge in the tiny metal tube that was my temporary workspace. It was Hallow-Fest and I was on street food duty. I was also stuck in the tiny trailer with the massive pissed off Evan. I’d take a burger order from the people outside and hand it to him, he would hand me the burgers to give back to them. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong.

  We kept bumping into each other in the small space. More than once, my order pad was jostled from my stump onto the counter or worse, the ground outside the truck. It was hot, Halloween should never be in the high 70’s outside. Never. Certainly not in Easterville.