So how could they possibly end up together?
CHAPTER 15
THE DESERT WAS ALIVEwith the sounds of early evening, a cacophony of chirping insects and rustling creosote bush that grated on Gregory’s already frayed nerves.
He paced the small clearing between rock formations, his boots leaving deep imprints in the sandy soil as he considered how far he’d fallen.From Vincent’s right-hand man to skulking in the shadows like a common cur.
The thought made his lip curl in disgust.This was temporary, he reminded himself.A necessary step on the path back to power.Back to his rightful place.
Gregory picked up the sound of approaching footsteps long before Hannah came into view.He turned, watching as she made her way between the scattered boulders, her once-pristine blonde hair now dusty and tangled with bits of desert scrub.
“You’re late,” he said by way of greeting, his voice cold.
Hannah brushed herself off, annoyance threading through her voice.“Unlike some, I can’t just disappear without raising suspicion.I had to make sure I wasn’t followed.”
Gregory grunted, acknowledging the point without conceding it.He gestured for Hannah to join him in the shade, where the fading sunlight cast long shadows from the towering rock formations around them onto the sandy ground.
“Well?”Hannah prompted, crossing her arms.“What’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until our usual meeting time?”
Gregory took a moment to study her, noting the tension in her shoulders, her wary expression.Good.She was on edge.Alert.He needed her sharp for what was to come.
“Our return to the pack,” he began, his voice taking on the measured cadence he’d used so often when reporting to Vincent, “while satisfying in its immediate chaos, has not yielded the results we’d hoped for.”
Hannah’s eyebrow arched.“You mean your little revelation about Malcolm and Larissa’s indiscretion didn’t tear the pack apart at the seams?I’m shocked.”
The sarcasm in her tone made Gregory’s teeth grind, but he pushed down the flare of irritation.Hannah’s sharp tongue had its uses, even if it occasionally made him want to rip it out.
“Your wit, as always, is appreciated,” he said dryly.“But no, it hasn’t.In fact, it seems to have had the opposite effect.The pack is rallying around them, united in the face of our ‘threat.’”He spat the last word, his disgust evident.
Hannah’s expression sobered.“So what do you propose?We can’t exactly walk up to Nick and politely ask him to hand over control of the pack.”
“No,” Gregory agreed, a cold smile spreading across his face.“But we can make him wish he had.”
He began to pace again, his boots scuffing against the rocky ground, the movement helping organize his thoughts.
“I want vengeance,” he said, his voice dropping to a near growl.“Against Nick, for usurping Vincent’s position.Against Malcolm and Larissa, for their part in the rebellion.I want to see them suffer, to watch as everything they’ve built crumbles around them.”
“And I,” Hannah said slowly, “want to reclaim what was taken from us.The power, the influence.I want to stand at the head of this pack and watch as they all bow before me.”
Gregory nodded, feeling a surge of…not quite affection but something akin to it.This was why he and Hannah worked so well together.Their goals, while different, were complementary.Two sides of the same coin.
“Then I think,” he said, “it’s time we stopped reacting and started acting.The current situation doesn’t suit either of our goals.But perhaps we can create a new one that does.”
Hannah’s lips curved into a predatory smile.“I’m listening.”
Gregory’s mind raced, piecing together fragments of conversations overheard, tensions observed.The cooling desert air carried the scent of sage and creosote bush as he considered his next words.“The pack is weak right now,” he said.“Uncertain.The alpha competition has them all on edge, wondering who will end up in charge.We can use that.”
“To what end?”Hannah asked, though her tone suggested she already had an inkling.
“To fracture them,” Gregory said, his voice filled with quiet intensity.“To identify those who are dissatisfied, those who feel overlooked or undervalued in this new regime.We gather them, we nurture their grievances, and we use them to create a breakaway faction.”
Hannah’s eyes widened slightly, a sign Gregory had come to recognize as genuine surprise.It didn’t happen often.“Ambitious,” she murmured.“Risky too.If we’re caught…”
“We won’t be,” Gregory said with a confidence he didn’t entirely feel.“Think about it, Hannah.The younger members of the pack, the ones who feel they’re being ignored in all this chaos.The older wolves who were loyal to Vincent, who resent this new leadership.They’re all potential allies.”
The idea took root in Hannah’s mind, her quick intelligence already extrapolating the possibilities.“We’d need to be careful,” she said.“Subtle.One wrong move and we could end up exiled.Or worse.”
Gregory nodded, appreciating her caution even as his own blood sang with the impending action.“We already started,” he said.“By telling them Nick made deals with other packs to secure their support, how he promised them territory in return.Now we add to it.Rumors.Whispers.”
