Page 35 of Eclipsed Legacy

“Okay,” she says slowly. “Gimme another hug.”

Carlie, Ashton, and Austin arrive a little later. The twins elect to stay and look after Aunt Angie.

Ricky gets everyone’s attention. “The others are over an hour away or already guarding. Those who can, will meet us at the warehouse directly. With arms.”

I let out a shaky breath. “I suppose there is no need to prolong the inevitable?”

Ray nods, “Now or never?” Aunt Angie pulls him into one last tight hug, before Carlie, Ray, Ricky, and I leave in Carlie’s car.

It’s over two hours before we arrive at the address listed in the ominous letter. At first, we aren’t sure the GPS has directed us to the right location. The main building appears abandoned. Most of the buildings are built from wood which appears rotted and unfit for any human occupation. Then again, we aren’t human.

“Are you all ready?” I ask. They all nod, but we wait a moment, bracing ourselves. There is little time to stop and think, though, it’s nearly seven already. I take a breath as we exit the car. The moon, now high, casts long shadows on the paved lot. Weeds have broken through the pavement cracks. As we approach the main building, a small light becomes visible, and I hear hushed voices. I look at my three cousins, hoping to draw courage from their presence.

Taking another breath, I open the door, ready for a fight, but I don’t see who I expect. Three wolves stand guard, one of whom is our former prisoner, Dante. An elderly man sits in a cushioned chair at the far end of the room, like a pauper’s throne. I immediately identify him as Nathaniel, not just from the way the Totius wolves stand around him, but he wears my grandmother’s talisman which gleams even in the dim overhead lights.

But my astonishment is at the man sitting beside him. Casually sitting next to him, relaxed and laughing is my uncle. That can’t be right.

“Dad?” Ray asks, stepping forward. My throat seems to close; my mouth drops, unbidden. It’s him. Uncle Carl.

Uncle Carl turns, almost startled to see us. “Ray!” he says. “And Tala, I’m so glad you’re here!” He’s fine. Not kidnapped, but here of his own volition. A numbness spreads through my body. This is one betrayal I didn’t see coming.

Chapter 14

“Where’s Michael?” I demand, ignoring Carl’s annoyingly polite greeting. I’m not sure if he has been working with Totius the whole time or if this is new. He may be family, but right now, he sure as hell looks like the enemy.

“I’m sorry, Tala. I didn’t mean to worry you. Michael’s home safely with your mother.” I give him an apprehensive look. I want him to understand the level of trust he has lost.

“You don’t believe me,” he states as a fact, but he sounds almost hurt. “Call her. Call your mother and ask her. Go on.”

The room is silent as I select my mother’s contact in my phone. Her phone rings, and rings. I’m waiting for a member of Totius to answer, but it is my mother who actually picks up. “Hello?”

“Hey, Mom. It’s Tala,” I say, but I know she has caller ID. “Is Michael home?”

“Yes! Oh my goodness! Did no one tell you?” she prattles on. “I am so sorry! I thought you knew. Apparently, he had been with Carl and a few other wolves. Some sort of rough rite of passage with the guys, I guess. Gave me such a scare! But he’s fine. I let my brother have it for not telling me what was going on. Oh, I hope you didn’t put yourself through too much trouble trying to find him.”

“No,” I say calmly. “I didn’t. Have a good evening, Mom.”

“You, too, honey. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” I respond in turn, but I’m glaring at Uncle Carl while I speak and put my phone away. “I still don’t like this,” I say directly to him. “Why the hell are you working with them?”

Uncle Carl looks at me with pity in his eyes, which infuriates me further. “Tala,” he says, addressing only me once again, despite the fact that his only son stands three feet from me dumbfounded. Great priorities as a father, I suppose. “They aren’t our enemies.” I open my mouth, but before I can call bullshit, he continues. “My mother’s death was a complete accident,” he says. “She was a member of Totius, but you know my mother was always stubborn.” He smiles at me as if we share some sort of inside joke. “She didn’t like following the rules, so she left, but she didn’t tell anyone she was pregnant, except for her friend, Nichole. Nathaniel was young at the time, so he didn’t have the power or resources to find her until his father died and he became alpha. Raina had changed her name— did you realize she completely made up our family name?” Uncle Carl scoffs. “It made it difficult to find her, as we were great at staying off the grid, until finally another pack started talking about us, our large numbers, the numerous born wolves.” Uncle Carl looks affectionately back at Nathaniel, which makes me want to gag. How could I not have seen it before? Grandma’s elusive answers regarding her past, the lack of information about Uncle Carl’s lineage, and the claim that she stole Totius’s legacy. I didn’t understand what it meant before, but the information hits me like a tractor trailer speeding ninety on the highway.

Uncle Carl returns his gaze to me. “Only then was he able to find us, and I was able to finally meet my father. Tala, why do you think our pack doesn’t have a name?” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond and, instead, answers his own questions. “It’s because we’re already part of a pack. Raina joined Totius, so all of her children— all of us— are members too. You don’t just leave a pack.”

I shake my head at the pure idiocy of what I’m hearing. I should be angry. I was furious just moments ago, but all I feel now is disappointment and shame. “I never took you for a fool with daddy issues,” I finally respond. “This is madness. The pack will never join you; Totius is our enemy.”

Uncle Carl’s nostrils flair before he speaks. “No. They’re family.”

Briefly, I glance at those next to me. Ray shifts uncomfortably, but Ricky and Carlie are red in the face with their arms crossed. I know those expressions; they’re enraged but waiting for my word to attack.

Uncle Carl licks his lips, but before he can speak, a rasping cough breaks the silence. Nathaniel wheezes as several fits overtake him. It’s a moment before I realize that he’s laughing at me. “You seem overly certain of yourself for a young girl with a pack without leader or name. Do you really consider it a pack at all?”

I bare my teeth, allowing a guttural growl to escape.

Nathaniel’s own jaw sets before he states, “Eager to fight me, are you?”

Uncle Carl quickly adds in, “That’s really not necessar—”