We Are Family (The Hybrid and The Wolf - Book 5)

Chapter 1 - Gather Up the Killers

I pressed two fingers to my lips and kissed them, Hope did the same and we touched fingers like a pinky promise.

"Deal," Hope said.

I hugged my daughter again. "I love you, baby girl."

"I love you too, Mom."

I turned around and started to walk to the truck, Mary followed me.

"Keep your guard up. Stay moving. You smell trouble, you run," Mary told both me and Hayley, the next words were directed only at me. "Those folks back there, they had plenty of life. What you need to do is stay alive for your little girl."

"Everything I do is for her," I replied.

Hayley and I got into the moving truck, I started the engine and drove away.

~*~*~

The lead Hayley had lead us to Austin, Texas. We were sitting in a bar, I was playing with the necklace Klaus had given to me on Thanksgiving five years ago as we watched a girl named Keelin drinking with her friends.

"Whoo! I'm getting the next round. Just take a sec to put yourselves together," she told her friends as she approached the bar.

I stood up and walked to stand beside her, Hayley followed.

"You look like you're having fun. What's the occasion?" Hayley asked.

"I just finished my residency," Keelin replied. "Which makes me an official ER doctor."

"Congratulations," Hayley told her.

"Thanks."

"Does it help with the guilt?" I asked. "Given what you are."

Keelin's smile faded as she turned to look at me. "What did you say?"

"Keelin, you need to listen to me."

"How do you know my name?" She asked.

"Got it from a friend," I looked at Hayley.

"I heard your grandma's maiden name was Malraux," Hayley told her.

Keelin scoffed, starting to walk away, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"You better back off," Keelin told me, her eyes glowing werewolf gold. "Right now."

"I wish I could," I told her, making my own eyes glow. Keelin's eyes returned to normal. "I need a favor. Five minutes. Outside. I can explain."

~*~*~

Hayley, Keelin and I walked outside the bar. Keelin elbowed Hayley in the face before running off, making her fall. She jumped over a brick wall and found me and Hayley waiting for her with annoyed expressions.

"Do not do that again," Hayley told her.

"I'm not going without a fight," Keelin replied.

"Will you relax? We're not here to fight you," I stepped forward. "We need you."

"You're the last of your pack," Hayley told her. "That makes you too special for reasons that are too complicated to explain."

"I don't care about your problems," Keelin told us.

"You should," Hayley replied. "Because there are others who know how important you are and they will come for you."

"I have a life, career, relationships. Someone tries to take that, they're gonna have to kill me."