The She Alpha's Mark (Book 2)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

~Jacob~

"Anything?" I asked looking up from my desk. I had been trying to figure out where Astrid could have gone. Clayton shook his head. Carly was standing behind him. She walked behind him and sat on my couch. "Do you have any idea where she could have gone?" Clayton asked.
"If I did, don't you think I would be out looking for her?" I snapped. Clayton bowed his head submissively. "Clayton," Carly's voice chirped, I looked over to her, "Can I talk to him?" Clayton looked from her to me then back to her. "Sure," Clayton answered. He stepped out into the hall and closed the door.

"What was the last thing you said to her?" Carly asked. She was looking down at her shoes as she kicked her heels together. "We were arguing," I stated.
"I know. She told me, I was the last one she spoke to I think," Carly said. My ears perked up. "Wh- what'd she say?" I asked. I got up from my chair and walked over to her. "Well, she was saying how you were mad at her. We didn't talk for long because someone was at the door, at least I think so. She said she was going to call back," Carly explained.
"The bracelet," I said.
"Bracelet?" Carly asked.
"It was from the Rogue. The Rogue came to our house," I told her. She looked at me confused. I grabbed her hand and pulled her behind me. We passed by Clayton as we went down the hall. "What are you doing?" he had asked but then followed us.

We paused by the front door. I started looking around and using all my senses. The Rogue's scent was strong by the door frame. I turned around as Carly and Clayton watched me. I crouched down on the carpet and stroked it. "Astrid," I whispered. The Rogue's scent was fading away but I found it again on the couch and coffee table. "Carly, get me a baggie," I said. I stated at a piece of dirt that was on the table.

"What is it, Jacob?" Clayton asked.
"Dirt. There's dirt on the coffee table with the Rogue scent on it," I answered. Carly came back and handed me a Ziplock bag. I turned the bag inside out and picked up the dirt then turned it back the right way and closed it.

We went back to the pack building where I handed the dirt over to a pack member, Jane. "What about the bracelet?" I asked. She grabbed it and handed it over. "Her name is Harley Brooklyn Richardson. Her mother died several years ago. There is no record of a father being in the picture but we did find out who her father is," Jane explained.
"And?" I asked.
"Vincent," Jane said.

It made perfect sense.

I turned back to Clayton who had followed me to the pack building. "Get me Derek."

Jane handed me a picture of the Rogue. "Do you recognize her?" I asked Derek, sliding the picture over to him. He looked at it, his eyebrows furrowing. "Never seen her in my life," Derek said. I growled. "That girl, is Harley Richardson. She is the daughter of Vincent, your father and she is your sister," I explained sitting down by him.
"That's impossible, I have no siblings. I was and have been an only child," Derek assured me.
"Half sibling?" Clayton suggested. Derek and I looked over to him. "What?" I asked.
"Half sibling. Would if they're half siblings. If Derek never had siblings and this Harley has a different mother, they're half siblings. Maybe they never met," Clayton explained.
"That's impossible. My father loved my mother," Derek replied.
"He also was a killer," I pointed out.

"He never told me," Derek sighed.
"Maybe there was a reason for that," Clayton suggested. Derek looked down at the picture and picked it up. "She looks nothing like him," Derek said.
"Maybe more like her mother, Winifred or called Winnie by her friends," I told him.
"Maybe."

********

Harley pulled the car to a stop. We were in front of some old house that looked abandoned. We were in the outskirts of Dallas, a place I thought looked so busy and never could be empty. "This is it?" I asked closing the car door.
"Yep. Good 'ol Marla," Harley told me.
"The eighty five year old woman?" I asked. Harley nodded. We walked up to the house and Harley raised her fist and knocked on it. "Marla!" Harley called. I jumped when a crash came from inside and some rambling that I couldn't understand.

"What?!" the lady called before opening up the door. She was wearing a red dress with little rabbits on it. Her hair was white and you could see her age by her wrinkles. Little pearls were on her ears and her lipstick was fading. "Who are you? Are you gonna take me to a nursing home? I have told that boy time and time again that I am perfectly capable to care for myself," Marla said.
"No. We're here-" Harley started.
"You blooding poachers took my mail again. How many times do I have to warn you about my bat?!" Marla interrupted.
"No Marla, we didn't take your mail. We're here about our dreams," Harley told her. Marla peered her eyes at Harley then over to me. I gave her a supporting smile and a wave.

"You didn't take my mail?" Marla asked.
"No, ma'am," Harley answered.
"And you're not taking me to a nursing home?" Marla asked.
"No, Marla. We're here about our dreams," Harley repeated.
"You already said that deary," Marla said walking back into her house, "Come on in. I just cleaned the place so there should be room to sit." I followed after Harley and walked into the house after I closed the door.

Clean was an understatement. The house was okay it just needed more tidying up was all... I guess. There were papers on the ground and scattered across the dining room table I could see. Her old flower patterned couch had some knitting materials laid across it. Her TV was on TV Land where Andy Griffith was at the police station with his partner. "Meow." I looked down at my feet to see a calico cat with many mixtures of colors on it and a pink collar with a bell attached to it.

"Don't mind Pistachio, she won't harm ya," Marla told me sitting down on the couch after scooting over the knitting supplies. She picked up some needles that were hooked onto a green yarn thing. "Sit," Marla ordered. I looked over to Harley and followed her lead when she sat down on the carpet by the TV. I looked over at it after hearing the recorded laugh. "You like Andy Griffith?" I asked Marla.
"He's a very good man, Astrid," Marla told me. I flashed my head over at her. She knew my name. "Yes, I know who you are. Vincent's been giving you troubles, huh?" Marla asked me. I nodded. "My last dream was the worst. But why would Vincent need me-"
"He was planning something. That man was evil, he was," Marla said.
"You've got that right," Harley commented.
"Hush! You don't be rude!" Marla snapped. I looked over to Harley and smiled as she rolled her eyed. "What exactly was he planing?" I asked.
"He was gunna use you to get inside of White Fang and take one of the largest packs. It would earn him more space and much more pack members," Marla explained.

"So why do I still have the dreams if he's dead?" I asked.
"It's not just you who's having the dreams, Astrid," Harley replied.
"Well?" I asked ignoring her.
"He probably wanted to take down one of the biggest packs by corrupting it. Leaving the dreams with you so you'd complain to Jacob and he's try to fix it, distracting him," Marla told me.
"So how will you get rid of them?" Harley asked.

"Come on," Marla said. She pushed her hard knitting work aside and got up from the couch. Harley and I got up and followed her to her basement.

I followed Marla through the darkness until a light blinked on. Marla had reached up and surprisingly with her shortness had turned a light on. "This way," Marla instructed. We walked into a room that had plum purple carpet and bright yellow walls that could give you a headache. "Sit." Harley and I sat in two chairs that were next to each other as Marla searched around through several bottles. "What about linking us? Why couldn't I get rid of my dreams before?" Harley asked getting settled into her chair.

"Your father wanted you to take his role of taking over the wolf pack territories," Marla answered.
"He's not my father," Harley growled.
"But would you have? Would you take over the rest of the-"
"Their packs and I'm a Rogue. I think I'll stay a Rogue. And if he was just going to use me for his stupid plan after his wife died than he can kiss my ass," Harley told Marla. I elbowed her in her side. Clearly she forgot she was in the presence of an elder and not me or some other person her age. Harley glared at me.

"Here we are!" Marla exclaimed. She walked over closed the door to the room right before Pistachio walked in. She sat down in a chair in front of us as she poured the liquid into two cups. "Is it safe?" I asked looking at the dark purple liquid as I swirled it in the paper cup.
"Do you think I would kill you? Because I won't Astrid. I know about werewolves and vampires. For heaven sakes, I'm a witch," Marla answered. That explains a lot. I didn't even know vampires and witches existed. I probably would have known about them and more from my parents if only they were still alive. Thanks to Harley's deadbeat father though, I wouldn't have the experiences other kids have with their parents.

I shook my head and looked over at Harley who drank the mixture like a shot glass. I swallowed then tilted my head back as a cold liquid went down my throat.