Viva

Part 2.4

Unedited

***

Part 2.4

"Hey, Michael," allowing my words to sound casual and as if we were friends, I tried to bait him into opening up. "What did Braxton mean about the big bad wolf being here?" Curiosity was killing me to the point of no return. I had to know what was going on. "Who's the Southern Government?" I quizzed as I began to figure that it had something to do with a "werewolf" type of government.

Opening my mouth, I began to bluntly ask if the South Government was some kind of authoritative power over the pack. However, my lips closed as I noticed that Michael was not going to answer me. He was on alert.

Michael's narrow, blue eyes continuously glanced around, paying extra attention to the shadows and dimly lit areas around us. He was taking in every inch of his surrounding as if expecting to see something pop out of nowhere. Michael's mannerism made me feel uneasy. The feeling grew to consume me as I become frightened of what might really be going on.

My mind raced with all the possibilities of what could be happening. "Is the pack being attacked?" The words spilled out of my mouth without a seconds thought. For a moment, I thought Michael had not even heard me. His response was slow.

Michael squeezed my arm just a little bit tighter than he had been. It wasn't painful, and the tone of his voice to follow showed me that Michael could sense my worry. "No one is getting attacked." His words eased me just a little.

A loud howl cracked through the air, sending right back into fright as a shiver went down my spine. The sound came from afar, but it was enough to put a jump in both of our steps. "If we are not being attacked, what is going on? . . . I didn't like the sound of that howl."

"It was just a wild wolf. We have a lot of them around here," Michael shortly replied as he guided us around a building and down another sidewalk. "We are going to Weston's Apartment. Now, please be quiet and stop asking so many questions."

The attention to our surrounding had not left Michael's mind. His eye remained focus ahead, making sure to check over his shoulders every so often. The slightest sound would cause Michael to stiffen for a brief second. I would watch, in interest at his action. He never lost sight of his duty.

"Who's Weston? Is he part of your pack?" I inquired as I tried to form an idea of the pack and its members. If I was to become the future Luna of the pack, I knew that I needed to be well versed in who was part of the pack, what their duties were, and so on. It was a daunting task, but it was my responsibility and I was more than happy to take it on for my mate's sake.

"Weston is not a person. It's the name we gave the apartment that's above Dinah's shop," Michael said right as we approached the herb shop.

"Oh, great! I assume Dinah is there? I need to find her," I was rejuvenated with one of the purposes of me coming back to Cedar Falls.

Michael shook his head, "Dinah is dead."

I gulped, "what do you mean, dead?"

"As in six feet under," Reaching out, Michael tried to open the door. Very soon realizing that the door was locked, when it would not budge, Michael took a step back and stared blankly at the door without saying a single word.

Shocked coursed through me that Dinah was also dead. "How did she die?"

"Uhh, car wreck. Now, can you please be quiet? I am trying to concentrate."

Michael resumed his focus on the door, deep in thought.

I could not keep silent. "Are you having a staring contest with the door?" As I had expected, Michael ignored me and continued to keep his eyes glued forward at the wooden door.