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PROMISE OF A WOLF
CRESCENT PACK BOOK 1
JENNIFER SNYDER
 CONTENTS

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Preface

1. NADINE
2. CALLUM
3. NADINE
4. CALLUM
5. NADINE
6. CALLUM
7. NADINE
8. CALLUM
9. NADINE
10. CALLUM
11. NADINE
12. CALLUM
Epilogue

Thank You
About the Author
 PROMISE OF A WOLF
Crescent Pack Book 1
Copyright © 2022 by Jennifer Snyder
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Cover Design by GetCovers
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Jennifer Snyder
www.jennifersnyderbooks.com

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Note From The Author:

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are
products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to
be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events,
locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any
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 PREFACE

I froze. No words came out. I couldn’t react. All I could do was

stare. The wolf was beautiful—dangerous looking—but beautiful.
When I blinked, my gaze shifted to the bottom of the stairs, seeking
Callum out, but he wasn’t there. A pile of clothes was what I saw
instead.
My breath hitched.
I’d heard rumors about some of the Crescent Creek residents
having secrets like this—shifting into animals—but I’d lived here my
whole life and never found any truth to them.
Not until tonight.
 1

NADINE

M y cell chimed with a new text, and my heart dipped to my

stomach. I didn’t have to fish my phone out of my purse to
know who was trying to reach me.
It was Brooks.
I chewed the inside of my cheek while I continued down the
sidewalk, debating whether I wanted to read his text. It wouldn’t be
anything good.
Did I really care to see what he had to say?
My leaving him had probably settled in. I was sure his text would
be hate-filled and nasty. I didn’t need that kind of negativity in my
life right now, which was why I’d left him in the first place.
My phone rang, startling me. I pulled it from my purse and
Brooks’ name lit up my screen. Fear clenched my gut. I forced
myself to exhale and silenced the call. Then I did the unthinkable—I
blocked his number. It was a bold move, but felt right.
Leaving Brooks hadn’t been easy, but it was what was best. I
deserved better. It had taken me a long time to see it, but I didn’t
deserve to be treated the way he’d treated me.
No one did.
Which was what prompted my return to Crescent Creek. Being
back in my hometown was oddly comforting. Everything looked the
same—exactly the same. I’d been gone five years and nothing had
changed.
Well, except for me.
 I’d changed. But Crescent Creek? It was still the same as the day
I left. Eighteen-year-old me would be so disappointed by this.
However, twenty-three-year-old me found it comforting.
I liked that Book Stack, the used bookstore, was still on Main
Street right next to Classy Cuts. Sugar Sweets Bakery was still there
and so was The Caffeinated Fox, which had the best coffee in town.
It was where I worked from the time I turned fifteen until I left town
with Brooks shortly after we graduated high school.
It was also where I was headed to now, hoping I could get my
old job back.
Granted, I had a bachelor’s degree in business now and knew I
was overqualified to prepare people’s coffee, but I needed a job. My
savings would only get me so far. Regina, the owner of The
Caffeinated Fox, had loved me when I worked for her in high school.
Surely, she’d be willing to hire me back.
Heck, maybe she’d offer me something better—like a manager’s
position.
A twinge of disappointment spiraled through me as I continued
toward the entrance, and I frowned. This wasn’t how my life was
supposed to be. I wasn’t meant to be back in Crescent Creek,
working at a coffee shop, while living above my sister’s garage in a
tiny apartment. I was supposed to still be in Chandler, living my best
life with Brooks.
I squared my shoulders, refusing to have a pity party, and swung
the door to the coffee shop open. The heavenly scent of java hit my
nose as I stepped inside. While the scent was still as amazing as I
remembered, the space was entirely different.
They’d updated.
When I worked here in high school, circular tables with
uncomfortable metal chairs had been crammed into the narrow
shop, and there were gigantic froyo machines near the counter.
Now, everything looked sleek and modern.
The walls were painted slate gray and the eclectic artwork that
once hung on them had been removed, leaving them bare. There
were only four tables now, each with comfy black chairs and light-
colored wooden tops. A long bar had been added along the opposite
wall made of the same wood the tables were, and black barstools
rested beneath. Three tiny froyo machines sat at the end of the bar
now, and there wasn’t a buffet of toppings beside them. Instead,
small canisters filled with a limited selection of toppings were
attached to the wall.
The place looked nice, but wow, had it changed.
“Welcome to The Caffeinated Fox,” a woman said from behind
the counter. “Nadine?”
My gaze shot in her direction, curious to see who had called my
name. “Annette? Hey.”
“It is you! I didn’t know you were back in town. What are you
doing here?” Annette asked, a wide smile stretching across her face.
She gave me a once-over, and I tried not to look as though I
noticed.
We’d worked here together when we were in high school.
Annette was a year older than me. She’d trained me when I was first
hired. It was a shock to see her still behind the counter after so
many years.
“Yeah, I moved back. How have you been? You still look the
same. Well, except for the baby bump. Congratulations,” I said,
trying to keep the conversation on her and not me. I didn’t care to
talk about what brought me back to Crescent Creek.
“I’m great,” Annette said, her hands going to her stomach. Her
smile widened, and something about her eyes softened. She looked
happy. It was a good look on her. “Yep. Six months pregnant with
my second. Billy and I are ecstatic we’re having a boy this time.”
Billy. I tried to put a face with the name but couldn’t. It must
have shown because she supplied it half a second later.
“Paris,” Annette said.
My eyes widened. “Billy Paris? Wasn’t he a few years older than
us?”
“Six to be exact. Age is just a number, though.” She waved away
her words.
“True.” I nodded.
“So, are you here visiting family?” Curiosity tumbled through her
eyes. “I actually heard a few rumors, but I wasn’t sure if there was
any truth to them.”
Knots the size of my fist formed in my stomach. That was one
thing that sucked about living in a small town—the dang rumor mill
was never ending.
“I’m not sure what you heard, but I’m back in town for good it
seems. I’m staying in my sister Liv’s little apartment above her
garage for now,” I said, somehow keeping my voice even while I
spoke.
Annette’s face fell and pity entered her stare like I knew it would.
“Oh, sweetheart. So, it is true? You and Brooks split. Dang. Y’all
were the it couple. Everyone looked to you guys as relationship
goals. What happened?”
My heart stalled. If only everyone knew what went on behind
closed doors, they wouldn’t have thought of us that way.
I shrugged, hating I was already having this conversation with
someone, but knowing it was inevitable. Chances were, I would have
this conversation twenty-seven more times before the sun set. It
would also be twisted ten times and gain a dramatic flair before the
day was done, which was why I went with the simplest answer to
Annette’s question. An answer that would leave little wiggle room for
anyone to twist it.
“We grew apart. It felt right to go our separate ways,” I insisted,
flashing her a small smile.
The sympathy in her eyes spun out of control, making it clear she
didn’t believe me.
“It was a mutual decision,” I added, which wasn’t entirely true.
Brooks hadn’t been on board with the breakup. Not by a long shot.
Hence why he kept calling and messaging. “I came back to figure
out what I want for myself.” I clamped my lips shut, not wanting to
say anything more.
“Still, I think it’s sad. You two were so sweet together. I mean,
you even got his name tattooed on your wrist! Y’all had the romance
of a lifetime,” Annette said, a dreamy look reflected in her eyes.
Instinctively, my thumb smoothed along my wrist where Brooks’
name was. If Annette knew the backstory behind my tattoo, she
wouldn’t think it was romantic. It was nothing besides a harsh
reminder that I was his property.
“Well, things change,” I said softly.
“Not in Crescent Creek.” She flashed me a smile. “Anyway, what
can I get you? The usual?”
“You remember my order?” It had been five years since I last
stepped foot inside this coffee shop.
“Of course, I do. We worked together forever. Twelve ounce chai
latte, right?”
“Yeah.” I returned her smile.
“Can I get you anything else?”
I thought about asking if they were hiring, which was the reason
I had come in, but thought better of it. While I adored Annette, I
had barely tolerated working with her for a four-hour shift back in
high school, and I doubted that had changed. Her personality was
the type I could only handle in small doses. I’d have to think of
somewhere else to work.
“Just a chai will do. Thanks.”
“Got it. It was great seeing you again. I’m sure now that you’re
back we’ll see each other frequently. After all, it is Crescent Creek.”
She laughed while handing me my drink. “Enjoy. It’s on the house.
Welcome back.”
“Aw. Thank you,” I said. “That’s sweet of you.”
“No problem.” The door to the shop opened, and a new customer
entered. “I’ll see you around,” Annette said before shifting her
attention to the guy who’d walked in.
I smiled at her again and then headed for the exit. My lungs
expanded as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. I hadn’t realized how
constricted my breathing had become while chatting with Annette.
Anxiety could be a real bitch sometimes.
With my chai in hand, I made my way down Main Street,
wondering where I should go to fill out an application.
“Nadine Beverly? My word. Don’t you look pretty as a peach and
all grown up,” a familiar voice called out as I crossed the street. I
glanced around, spotting the friendly face it belonged to instantly.
“Ms. Lynette! How are you?”
 “I’m doing well,” the old woman said as she gripped my hand,
giving it a gentle squeeze. Her skin was still that delicate porcelain
color I’d always thought was beautiful. “How are you doing, sugar?
Your parents didn’t say you were visiting.”
This didn’t surprise me. My parents could care less if I was back
in town.
A twinge of hurt spiraled through me. They’d been Brooks fans.
When I called my mom to say that I’d left him and planned to head
home, she didn’t hesitate to tell me she thought I was making a
huge mistake. She insisted I stay and work things out with Brooks.
By being back in town, I’d gone against her advice. She was pissed
at me because of it.
Thankfully, Liv didn’t share the same views about my love life.
She’d let me move into the small apartment above her garage
without hesitation.
“I haven’t been back long,” I said, making an excuse for why my
parents hadn’t mentioned anything. It had been three days, but who
was counting, right? I took a sip of my chai latte, hoping to avoid
having to say anything more. It was piping hot and burned the tip of
my tongue.
Ms. Lynette’s pale blue eyes flashed as though she knew what I
was doing. There was a part of me that thought she might. After all,
she had always seemed to know things she shouldn’t.
“Did Brooks come back to town with you? I don’t see him
anywhere.” She made a show of looking for him.
“Nope. Just me. We split up, actually. I came back, but he stayed
in the city.” As I talked, my gaze drifted over her shoulder and I
noticed a sign on the door of May’s Flowers, the florist shop I had
always adored.
“What happened to the florist shop?” I asked. “Is it closed?”
Working there had been my dream job. Honestly, I’d always
wanted to own my own florist shop. Flowers were my thing—and
houseplants.
How could I have forgotten about that place?
“May’s Flowers? Oh, May is looking to retire. She’s barely got the
shop open two days a week now,” Ms. Lynette said.
 “Oh.” It made sense. After all, May was fairly old.
“She’s too busy with Earl from the hardware store. They hit it off
months ago, and she cut back her hours soon after. His son took
over the store, but May didn’t have anyone to do the same for her.
She’s talked about selling it. Is buying her flower shop something
you would be interested in now that you’re back?” The glimmer in
the old woman’s eyes had me questioning whether she was privy to
my thoughts.
I blinked. “Yeah. I mean, I’ve always wanted to work there.”
“And you’re currently looking for a job, are you not?”
I locked eyes with her. “I am.”
“Go talk with her. I think you’ll be glad you did.” A sparkle
entered her eyes again and goose bumps prickled across my skin.
“Life is all about timing, dear. Things are about to change for you.
For the better. You took the first step. You chose yourself. All you
need to do now is follow through with that choice.” She winked.
“How?” I asked, holding her gaze.
She nodded to my wrist, the one with Brooks’ name tattooed
across it. “One step at a time. Start with covering up that boy’s
name with something that makes you smile. Things will get better.
Maybe even instantly.”
My teeth sank into my bottom lip. Covering up my tattoo was
something I’d thought about more than once, especially in the last
few days.
“Don’t think too hard. Listen to your heart and trust your gut.
The two will never steer you wrong,” Ms. Lynette said before walking
away.
“Bye,” I called after her. If she heard me, she didn’t let on.
My gaze dipped to my wrist. I stared at the swirling letters
spelling Brooks’ name and knew the old woman was right. If I
wanted the fresh start I came back here for, I needed to get rid of
this tattoo.
“By the way, there’s a tattoo shop across the street,” Ms. Lynette
called out to me. “No time like the present.”
I looked across the street. Sure enough there was a tattoo shop
beside May’s Flowers now called Inked Wolf.
 When the heck had that happened?
Heading across the street, I struggled to remember what had
been there before. A computer repair shop? A yoga studio? My
memory was fuzzy, but whatever had been there before didn’t
matter. What mattered was it was a tattoo shop now, and I needed
a new tattoo.
I needed a change.
 2

CALLUM

I extended the shading on the skull tattoo I’d been working on for
the last hour, feeling rushed to get it done. My wolf was pacing,
causing anxiety to prickle up my spine.
What the hell was his problem?
When he growled at me, I mentally growled back.
I had no idea what his deal was this afternoon. It couldn’t be
Blade’s presence. He’d been here for over an hour while I worked on
his tattoo. So had his buddy, Louis. Even though they were both wolf
shifters from another pack in town, my wolf had never once viewed
them as a threat. Maybe he should, but he didn’t. It was probably
because of their loyalty to my brother, Zac.
My wolf released a howl, and I flinched.
Nope. Whatever was going on with him had nothing to do with
Blade or Louis. Something else had him on edge.
Was it a full moon?
I didn’t think it was, but I lost track of things like that often. I got
so wrapped up in the day-to-day that full moons slipped my mind.
Not that it mattered. The moon didn’t control my wolf any more than
the sun did.
Still, something was up with him and I couldn’t figure out what.
I wiped Blade’s skin, clearing away droplets of blood beading
across its surface.
“What’s got your panties twisted in a wad?” Blade asked, his dark
eyes fixed on me.
 I exhaled a slow breath, but didn’t meet his stare. Instead, I kept
my gaze locked on my masterpiece covering his bicep. “I don’t know.
My wolf is feeling antsy,” I ground out in a low tone.
Blade stared at me, his eyes boring into me. When I glanced up
to meet his stare, I noticed amusement festering in his eyes. My
wolf snarled at him. The sound vibrated through my chest,
threatening to rip from my throat. Samuel, my second, cleared his
throat from where he sat at his corner station, piercing the belly
button of a human girl. I didn’t glance in his direction, even though I
knew he could feel my wolf’s unease trickling through our shared
pack bond. My wolf pushed against my skin once more.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I hated it.
As alpha of the Crescent Pack, I was expected to be in control of
my wolf. I was supposed to be calm. Generally, I was. Right now,
though, something had my wolf rattled to his core.
“Maybe it’s because you need to join a real pack,” Blade said in a
low tone. “Might be time to stop dicking around and come back to
the Dark Moon Pack.”
My wolf growled at the suggestion.
“I’m right where I need to be,” I said.
“That’s not what your brother says,” Blade muttered. “I talked to
him last week. He’s still pissed you haven’t rejoined us yet.”
“And he’ll continue to be pissed because I’m not rejoining shit.”
Not now. Not after everything. That wasn’t who I was anymore. I’d
changed for the better. “I’m fine where I am as the alpha of the
Crescent Pack.”
My eyelid twitched. I hated this conversation. It happened every
time Blade came in.
“You’re not. If you were, your wolf wouldn’t be butting heads
with you right now. He craves something more than your little pack
you’ve created, Callum.” Blade leaned forward, his face nearly inches
from mine. I stopped working on his tattoo and sat back, my gaze
never lifting to meet his. Now was not the time to use intimidation
on me. He should know this. My wolf was having issues. “He craves
your real pack, your home. The pack that offers you enough danger
to keep your instincts alive. The one that has your blood in it.”
 I locked eyes with him then. “You know as much as I do, blood
isn’t everything. I’ll never rejoin. Zac should know this by now.” He
had to. I’d been adamant about it for the last couple of years.
Blade’s wolf surfaced, changing the color of his eyes. I held his
stare and didn’t back down. Instead, I allowed my wolf closer to the
surface. Tension radiated from Samuel in the corner. He and his wolf
were ready to have my back at the drop of a pin.
I knew Blade and Louis well. They could be unpredictable as hell.
If either of them wanted to, they’d throw down right here in the
middle of the shop and not give two shits about the human girl
sitting a few feet away who most likely knew nothing about the
supernatural world coexisting alongside her reality.
When a smirk broke out across Blade’s face and his wolf receded,
the tension building between us passed.
“Fine. But I will say, your brother still cares about you. Every time
I pay that sucker a visit, he asks if I’ve heard from you. When are
you gonna call him? When are you gonna visit?” Blade asked. “You
know how tough being in there is for our kind, even with the help of
magic to suppress the desire to shift. Your brother is going through
a lot. Has been since he got there.”
“Not my problem.” My teeth ground together. “I have no intention
of speaking to him.”
Zac could rot in prison for all I cared, especially after what he
did.
Blade’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say another word. There was
nothing he could say to change my mind. I’d never forgive Zac for
what happened. I’d never forgive him for putting me in that
situation.
“I’ll say it again, like I have for almost seven years, he was
messed up. He was in a bad way, Callum. I don’t agree with the shit
that went down that day, but it can’t be changed. Not by him, no
matter how much he wishes it could. I know this because he’s told
me,” Blade insisted, leaning back in the reclining chair again.
I wiped his skin clean before getting back to work on his tattoo.
“Like you said, it can’t be changed. It happened. Hell, I’ve got the
charges on my record still to prove it.”
 And the letter of termination from the university I planned to
attend by scholarship.
As I resumed shading the eye socket on Blade’s skull tattoo, old
memories from that night flooded my mind, playing like clips from a
movie.
Walking back from the gas station with Zac. Him popping the top
on a forty-ounce beer and downing half of it in a few gulps. Him
already shitfaced and talking crap about every car as they passed
us. Me laughing, thinking like always he was the coolest thing to
ever walk the planet.
If I focused on the memory hard enough, I could feel the swoosh
of air sliding past my skin as the red car from some dumbass out-of-
towner nearly clipped me. Then the same thought I always had filled
my head seconds later—if I had been walking farther from the road,
the whole scene wouldn’t have happened. If I had, maybe Zac
wouldn’t have flown off the handle. Maybe he wouldn’t have lost
control and ran to meet the car at the stop sign ahead. He might not
have pulled the gun from his waistband—the one I didn’t know he
had—and argued with the guy about almost clipping me with his car.
Things might not have gotten so heated between them, and maybe
Zac wouldn’t have pulled the trigger.
Things would’ve been different.
I would have kept my scholarship for football and gotten the hell
out of this town. I wouldn’t have been tried as an adult for
attempted carjacking, and Zac wouldn’t have gone to prison for
killing someone.
Things would’ve been better.
“It was a long time ago, Callum,” Blade insisted, pulling me from
my thoughts. “He’s getting out soon, and I know he’ll want to see
you.”
My wolf snarled. He didn’t care to see Zac, and neither did I.
“It was a long time ago, but I’m still pissed about it. So don’t
come in here with updates on my brother anymore. I’ve asked you
before not to talk to me about him. If you want a tattoo. Fine. I’ll
tattoo you like I always have. Don’t mention Zac anymore to me,
though.” I lifted my gaze to meet his. “He’s dead to me.”
 Blade’s eyes flashed with his wolf again. He had something to
say, but kept quiet instead. He tore his eyes away from mine and
glanced at his tattoo. “That’s good enough. I’m done here.”
I rolled back, putting space between us. “Fine.”
My wolf growled. He wasn’t happy with the tension in the air. It
was causing him even more anxiety.
When Blade made his way to cash out, I started tidying up my
station. Samuel was ringing up the girl who’d gotten her belly button
pierced. He could ring Blade up, too. The door to the shop opened,
and a breeze swept in from outside, carrying with it the faint scent
of strawberries and chai tea. My wolf perked up and calmed down all
at once. It was like I could finally breathe again. I shifted to see who
had entered and swore my heart skipped a beat when my eyes
landed on Nadine Beverly.
Even though it had been years since I’d last seen her, my wolf
reacted as he always had whenever she was around. A sense of
peace and tranquility settled over him while his focus zeroed in on
her. I never understood the way she called to him, the way she drew
him out, but there it was.
Happening all over again.
I shoved my wolf back, not wanting Nadine to see him in my
eyes. She was human. At least she used to be. Things could change.
People could change. I stared at her, searching for any sign she was
a shifter or part of the supernatural world now and found none.
She was still human, and I was fine with that.
Blade stepped toward her, blocking my view. Immediately, my
wolf went on high alert. A deep growl filled my chest.
This was new.
He was protective of her. Maybe it had something to do with the
tension between Blade and me moments before.
“Aren’t you a sweet-looking thing,” Blade insisted, sauntering
toward her. Louis trailed behind him with a shit-eating grin stretched
on his face. Arousal stemmed from them, the scent causing my wolf
to ripple with anger. “Here for a tattoo?”
She nodded, but didn’t speak.
“Where are you putting it?” Blade asked.
 My wolf growled, the noise crawling from my throat and vibrating
into the air. He didn’t want Blade talking to her, didn’t want him
anywhere near her.
“Um, on my wrist,” Nadine said, her voice like sweet music to my
ears. “I need something covered up.”
How long had it been since I’d heard her talk?
She’d left town shortly after graduation with that tool of a guy
she’d been dating, Brooks. I’d hated him, but had always liked
Nadine. She was beautiful and kind.
We were from different worlds, though. Worlds that spanned
beyond the supernatural.
Nadine had a mom and a dad at home. A nice house. A picture-
perfect childhood. Money. I had none of those things. My childhood
had been shit. My dad was in and out of jail. My mom was an
alcoholic. And we were dirt poor. We lived in a crappy trailer with a
leaky roof. There wasn’t any heat in the winter and nearly all the
windows were cracked and drafty.
Two different worlds, she and I.
“Nice. You know, something along your hip or inner thigh would
be sexy,” Blade said, stepping closer to her. She took a tentative step
back and flashed him a nervous smile.
I was off my stool and heading her way in an instant. Blade
glanced at me from over his shoulder, his upper lip twisting into a
snarl. A low growl rumbled from somewhere deep inside my chest as
my wolf surfaced, letting him know he needed to back the hell off.
“It’s time you leave. If you want me to finish that skull on your
arm, come back when you’re ready to talk about anything besides
my brother,” I snapped, holding Blade’s stare.
He didn’t speak. Instead, he turned and stormed his way through
the exit. Louis followed.
Nadine stood frozen, staring after them. I inhaled her sweet
scent and then cleared my throat. She startled out of her daze and
looked at me. Her hazel eyes were exactly as I remembered them,
wide and beautiful. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head.
She still had that patch of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
And her lips—they were still perfect.
 Damn. She was even more beautiful than I remembered.
“You said you were here for a wrist cover-up?” I asked, plastering
a charming smile on my face.
She licked her lips, drawing my attention to her supple mouth
and my mind filled with dirty thoughts. My wolf howled, wanting me
to give into them, but I refused.
“Yeah,” she said before sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. “I
mean, if you can.”
I would do anything for this woman.
The thought hit me like a ton of bricks and immediately had me
scolding myself.
This was Nadine Beverly.
She didn’t go for guys like me. Not only was she too good for
me, but she’d been spoken for since our freshman year of high
school. Hell, she was probably married to that douche bag Brooks
DeVeau by now.
My wolf made a noise. He was pissed at my train of thought, but
I didn’t care. It was the truth.
“What are you looking to have covered up?” My gaze dipped to
her arms, searching for the tattoo she didn’t want any more on one
of her wrists.
She spun her left arm, showing me her wrist. “A name.”
I stared at the name written in a scrolling font along her delicate
wrist.
Brooks.
The asshole had her branded. My wolf went crazy, hating the
sight of his name on her skin as much as I did.
“Do you think it would be easy to cover up?” Nadine asked,
pulling me from my thoughts.
“Yeah,” I said with a slight nod. It would be easy, but it would
also be satisfying as hell. “Let’s head over here and discuss options.”
I started toward the sofa, motioning for her to follow.
 3

NADINE

H oly shit. Callum Beckett was still in Crescent Creek, and he was
a tattoo artist now.
This was the guy I’d had a crush on from the sixth grade all
the way through high school. I’d been a sucker for his short-cropped
dirty blond hair and those big brown eyes of his.
“So, you’re a tattoo artist,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound stupid
while I situated myself on the sofa. There was a chance he didn’t
remember me. “That’s exciting. I always thought your art was
amazing. It’s cool to see you stuck with it and figured out how to
create a job with your talent.”
“You knew I could draw?” Callum asked, his beautiful brown eyes
locking with mine.
I nodded, feeling my cheeks warm with color. “Yeah. I saw you
doodling when we had history together senior year almost every
day. I sat diagonally from you.”
Please remember me. I did not want to sound like a stalker.
“Oh, right,” he said, a wide grin spreading onto his face.
Not much about him had changed. Well, except he had tattoos
now. Lots of tattoos.
The desire to peel his clothes off and soak in the mural that was
his body pulsed through my veins.
“I forgot we had that class together,” he said with a slight
chuckle, pulling me from my thoughts. “Mr. Kippler. He was a real
piece of work, that one.”
 “He was.” I laughed while tucking a couple of stray strands of
hair behind my ear.
His eyes locked with mine and warmth streaked through my core.
Holy Hades, he’d gotten sexier over the years, which was something
I hadn’t known to be possible. His tattoos were like icing on a damn
cake. And those muscles. Good grief, he was ripped.
“I didn’t pay attention in his class. Pretty sure I doodled the
entire period. Either that, or I slept. He had the most monotone
voice I’ve ever heard,” Callum said.
“I can agree with that. I remember seeing you draw more than
sleep, though. There was one drawing you did I thought was the
coolest thing ever.”
“Oh yeah? What was it?” He leaned toward me, his eyes flashing
with curiosity.
My mouth grew dry. Instantly, I was back in high school again,
excited and nervous to be chatting with my crush. “It was on the
bottom of your shoe. You drew it with a permanent marker. It was a
wolf’s face with crescent moons for the pupils.”
“I remember that one. It’s actually right here.” He lifted his t-
shirt, revealing his solid chest and washboard abs, and pointed to
the wolf over his heart.
“That’s the one,” I said, trying not to drool. Dear Lord, this man
was sexy. “I always loved that wolf.”
“Thanks.” Something shifted through his eyes as he dropped his
shirt back into place. I couldn’t tell what it was because all I could
focus on was the slight twinge of disappointment that slid through
me at not being able to see his sexiness on full display any longer.
“Back to your tattoo, though. Ready to cover up that kiss of death?”
“Kiss of death?”
“Yeah. Getting someone’s name tattooed on you is the kiss of
death for any relationship.” He smirked.
“I wish someone had told me that sooner,” I said, even though I
probably wouldn’t have listened. The tattoo had been something
Brooks wanted, and back then, I was willing to do whatever he
wanted as long as it made him happy.
Times had changed, though.
 “I would have said something, if you had come here to get it.”
Callum’s eyes darkened, but I wasn’t sure why.
“I doubt you were here back then.” My gaze dipped to my wrist.
“I got it right after graduation. Brooks bought it, actually. It was a
gift.”
“Right. A gift.” The darkness in his eyes intensified, and I swore I
heard a strange growl spur from somewhere deep inside him. It had
me shifting in my seat uncomfortably.
“It doesn’t matter now, though,” I said, my lips pursing together.
“Why?”
“Because we’re not together anymore.” I straightened my back
and held his stare as I said the words. It was the first time I’d said
them with confidence.
“You’re better for it. You were always too good for him,” he said,
surprising me.
I swallowed hard. No one had ever said anything like that to me
about Brooks before. Everyone loved him. Mainly, because he had
them all fooled. He wasn’t who he said he was, though. At least not
behind closed doors. I gathered Callum somehow knew this about
Brooks. Maybe even before I did. Something about Callum made it
seem as though he could see people exactly for who they were.
“How do you like being back in town?” he asked, picking up one
of the photo albums on the coffee table in front of us.
“I like it. I mean, it doesn’t feel like much has changed. Which is
good, it’s comforting.”
“I get that. It’s Crescent Creek. Not a lot ever changes in this
place.” He flipped the photo album open, revealing pictures of other
people’s tattoos.
“You’ve changed,” I said. “I don’t remember you having such big
muscles and these tattoos.” My lips clamped together as soon as the
words fell from my mouth. What a stupid thing to say! Mortification
flooded me.
A crooked grin stretched across Callum’s face. “Yeah, I guess I’ve
changed some since you’ve been away.”
“You’re still hanging out with Blade and Louis. That whole gang.
They were friends of your brothers too, weren’t they?”
 Callum’s expression tensed. Clearly, that wasn’t a topic he
wanted to discuss. I understood. After all, his brother was probably
still in prison for killing that guy when they tried to hijack his car.
Although, I never believed that story. Callum didn’t seem like the
type to do something like that intentionally. He always seemed too
kind.
“They were here, yes. We’re no longer friends, though.” Callum
ran a hand through his hair as his gaze dipped to the photo album in
his lap. “I do their tattoos, but that’s it. We don’t hang out. I’ve
changed more than you know.”
I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know what to say. An
awkward tension lingered in the air.
“You’ve changed, too. Obviously. You’re not with Brooks
anymore.” His eyes locked with mine again. “Did you two ever get
married?”
“God no,” I scoffed, thinking about what a shit show that would
have been.
My cell rang, and my heart slid to my stomach. I fished my
phone out of my purse and glanced at the screen. Speak of the
devil.
Brooks’ work number was on the caller ID.
“Everything okay?” Callum asked, as though he could sense my
sudden unease.
I silenced the call and shoved my phone back into my purse. “It’s
Brooks. I blocked his cell earlier, but forgot to do the same with his
work number.”
Callum’s eyes narrowed. “I take it things didn’t end amicably
between you?”
I shook my head. “Not in the slightest. Honestly, I think it’s finally
settling in for him I left and I’m not coming back.”
Brooks was a workaholic. He was driven, devoted, and dedicated,
but he was a workaholic. It made sense he was just now noticing I’d
been gone. The only time we spent together was when he needed
me on his arm during one of his work-related events, or when he
needed someone to serve beer and chicken wings at his weekly
poker nights or through football season.
 It was sad, but true.
Honestly, the saddest part was how long it took me to see our
relationship for what it was. Once I had, there was no going back.
Silence built between Callum and me. I dropped my gaze to the
photo album in his lap. Talking about Brooks wasn’t what I wanted
to do. I shouldn’t have said what I had, but I knew Callum wouldn’t
spread it around town like Annette or anyone else. I’d always felt like
he could keep a secret.
“So, do you have any suggestions on what I could cover this up
with? Anything you think might work best?” I asked. “It’s not big,
and it’s a swirly font, so I was hoping it would be easy to cover.”
“It will be. I can cover it with just about anything.” He flipped to
the last few pages in the photo album. “Here are some of the cover-
ups I’ve already completed, just to give you confidence I can do a
decent job.”
“Wow, these are amazing!” I stared wide-eyed at the photos
before me. “You’re insanely talented.”
“Thank you,” he said without a hint of arrogance in his tone. “I
was thinking of flowers or a butterfly. Maybe a feather. Any of those
ideas sound good?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is I’m sick of looking at his name. It’s
like a stain from my past I’m ready to erase.”
A strange noise came from Callum. It sounded animalistic. When
we locked eyes, I noticed something wild and dangerous flickering in
their color. They seemed to brighten, too. Instead of their usual
shade of brown, they were now a honey color.
Was it a trick of the light?
“I can help you do that,” he insisted. My cheeks flushed with heat
as desire pooled through my lower stomach. Something in the air
between us had shifted. I couldn’t put my finger on what, but knew
there was a charge between us now that hadn’t been there seconds
ago. “I can help you erase him,” he said, causing my breath to hitch.
He blinked, almost as though clearing his thoughts, and his eyes
suddenly returned to their normal shade of brown while his muscles
relaxed.
 “Cover-ups are Callum’s specialty. Keep flipping through those
books and you’ll see more of his best work,” the other tattoo artist
said. He was seated at a desk with bright lights adjusted above him,
illuminating whatever he was drawing. “If anyone can make that
guy’s name disappear from your wrist, it’s him.”
I opened my mouth to say something in response, but my phone
rang. It was Brooks again. My stomach tightened, and I wished I
had blocked his work number earlier.
There was nothing left to say to him. I was done.
“Brooks again?” Callum asked, his tone low.
“Yeah.” I swiped through my phone and hit block. “Blocked this
number, too.”
It didn’t make me feel any better. Honestly, it only amped up my
anxiety. Ignoring Brooks was never a good idea. I’d learned that the
hard way over the years.
“Good,” Callum said. “Now, back to covering that tattoo. Do any
of these look like something you might want?”
“Eh, I don’t know,” I muttered.
“Why don’t you take the next couple of days to think about it,
then? See if you can come up with an idea.” Callum stood and
walked to the front desk. He picked up a card and came back to
hand it to me. “Here, give me a call when you figure something out.
I’ll get you on the books, and we’ll get that covered up for you.
Sound like a plan?”
“That will work. Thank you.” I took the card from him, my fingers
brushing his accidentally.
Everything around me fell away and my breath hitched as every
cell in my body sparked to life. Callum’s eyes brightened again, and I
wondered if it was because he felt something too. His pupils dilated
and the hint of a smile twisted his lips. My cell rang, causing all the
air to rush back into my lungs and the moment between us to end.
I took a step back and dropped my hand, then shoved his card
into my purse while digging out my phone. It couldn’t be Brooks
calling. I’d blocked his personal cell and his work number.
“Brooks again?” Callum asked. His tone was sharp and harsh, as
though he was irritated.
 I glanced at the screen. “No. It’s my sister. I should take this. I’ll
call you to set up an appointment when I decide what I want.
Thanks.”
“Sure, no problem. I’ll be waiting.”
I flashed him a smile before making my way out the door to
answer Liv’s call. “Hey, what’s up?” I asked, stepping out onto the
sidewalk.
“Brooks, that’s what’s up. I’m not sure what’s going on with you
two, but he’s been blowing up my phone all day, trying to get a hold
of you. He claims you’re not answering his calls or texts, that you’re
flat-out ignoring him.”
“And he would be right about that,” I said. “I have nothing to say
to him.”
“Nadine, really? Why don’t you call him back? Hear him out. I
don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn about this.”
“You sound like Mom. Thanks for the support.” My tone was
harsher than necessary, but it irked me that my family couldn’t trust
I was making the best decision for me on this.
While it was true they didn’t know the full reason I left Brooks, or
how awful he’d treated me over the years, Liv did know it hadn’t
been all peaches and cream.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I know you have your reasons. I’m
cranky because I’m at work, trying to get things done, and he keeps
calling me looking for you. Where are you, by the way? I went home
on my lunch break and you weren’t there.”
“In town. I was going to put applications in at a few places, but
got sidetracked talking to Ms. Lynette,” I said as I continued down
the sidewalk.
“She’s good for that.”
“Yeah, she pointed out my wrist tattoo and suggested I cover it
up, so I went to the tattoo shop on Main Street.”
“You’re getting a tattoo right now?” Irritation flared through her
voice again. “I’m fending off your ex while I’m at work and you’re in
a tattoo shop, getting a new tattoo?”
“No. I wasn’t getting a new tattoo. I was discussing with Callum
about covering up my old one. Since I couldn’t decide on anything,
I’m going back when I have,” I clarified, coming to a stop outside
May’s Flowers.
“Callum?”
“Yep, Callum Beckett. Did you know he’s a tattoo artist now?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m sure he’s still up to no good, too.
Probably still out there hijacking cars and killing people,” Liv said in a
snooty tone.
“He wasn’t a willing participant in the hijacking, and he didn’t kill
anyone. He was just there.” At least that was one rumor I’d heard
and chosen to believe. “It was a standard case of being in the wrong
place at the wrong time.”
“Maybe, but he still has a record that holds him partially
responsible.”
I rolled my eyes. There was no arguing with her. Not about this.
Liv, and nearly everyone in town, had decided what happened that
day a long time ago.
“Anyway, when Brooks calls you again, just tell him I have no
desire to talk to him. Feel free to block his numbers like I did, too.
Okay? Love you. Bye,” I said before hanging up. She called back, but
I sent her to voicemail.
My attention shifted to the note taped on the door of May’s
Flowers. Ms. Lynette’s words tumbled through my mind again, and I
wondered if May would work something out with me. It was a
longshot, and I’d have to take out a hefty loan, but I would have my
dream job if things panned out.
I dialed the number on the bottom of the note and placed my cell
to my ear. May answered on the third ring.
“Hello, May? Hi. This is Nadine Beverly,” I said.
“Nadine! My word. I heard you were back in town.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, welcome back,” she gushed.
“Thank you. Um, I’m calling because I noticed a sign on your
flower shop saying you’ve bumped it to retirement hours?”
“I have.”
“I was wondering, would you consider selling?” My teeth sank
into my bottom lip while I waited for her response.
 “Are you available to chat tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes,” I said with a nod, even though she couldn’t see me.
“Wonderful. I can meet you at the shop at two. Does that work
for you?”
“Sure. I’ll see you then. Thank you,” I said before hanging up.
Excitement surged through me. It appeared things were finally
falling in place for me and I couldn’t be more ready for it all.
 4

CALLUM

I t had been three days since I last spoke to Nadine. At this point,
I was positive she wasn’t ever going to call to book an
appointment for that tattoo cover-up she claimed to want. Still, I
felt as though I was waiting on pins and needles and my wolf was
restless.
Over the last three days, I’d been forced to shift each night,
releasing myself to him so he would mellow out. I wasn’t
complaining, because giving way to my wolf always felt good. Well,
the shifting part hurt, but once that was over, a sense of relief
trickled through that was hard to explain. I only wished my wolf
wouldn’t cause so much tension inside me to get me to shift.
I settled myself in a chair near the firepit in front of my RV.
Opening the cooler beside me, I pulled out an ice-cold beer. After
popping the top, I glanced around, soaking in the sounds of nature.
This piece of land was mine. I’d bought it with my hard-earned
money and put an RV on it. Then, I’d allowed my pack members to
each do the same.
This place was home. Our home.
My cell rang, and I fished it out of my front pocket. An unfamiliar
number lit my screen. Nervous excitement ricocheted through me.
This could be her. It could be Nadine calling.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Callum? Hey, this is Nadine.” Her voice sounded even sweeter on
the phone. It had my wolf’s attention and my heart drumming an
erratic beat inside my chest.
“Hey, how are you? Ready to book that tattoo cover-up?”
“I am. I hope you’re not busy. I looked online and saw the hours
of your shop went until nine, so I figured it wasn’t too late to call
and book an appointment.”
“Not too late at all.” We were open, however I wasn’t there. It
was my day off.
“Great. So, when is your next available appointment? I finally
decided what I want to cover Brooks’ name with.”
My wolf grumbled. He didn’t enjoy hearing her say that prick’s
name, but loved that she was ready to cover her tattoo. I felt the
same.
“Awesome. What did you decide on?”
“You’ll have to wait and see,” she said in a teasing tone that did
things to me.
“Oh, really? Okay, I see how you are.” My voice dipped low when
I spoke. She laughed, and I felt like I’d won a million bucks. “I have
an open spot tomorrow at noon. Does that work for you?”
“Sure. I’ll see you then.”
A wide smile stretched across my face, one I couldn’t dim even if
I tried. “Have a good rest of your night.”
“You too, Cal,” she said before hanging up.
My wolf howled, loving she felt comfortable enough to give us a
nickname. While it wasn’t the first time someone had shortened my
name from Callum to Cal, it was the first time I’d allowed it without
giving an attitude.
I shoved my cell back into my pocket and took a swig from my
beer. The grin that had worked its way onto my face moments
before reappeared. It remained intact even when Tobias’s huge ass
truck came barreling down the driveway. He didn’t take any of the
potholes or craters into consideration, but then again, he never did.
He had mudding tires put on the thing for a reason. The truck was
his baby, but he tested its suspension daily. His philosophy was, why
have a truck made specifically for off-roading if you never took it off-
roading for a little fun?
 When he parked near his RV, he cut the engine and stepped out.
His eyes locked on me in the next instant.
“What are you smiling so big about?” he asked while making his
way to where I sat.
“I’m not,” I insisted, my grin growing.
“Hell yeah you are. What, did your girl finally call you?” He
stepped to the cooler and grabbed himself a beer.
Samuel had filled the guys in on Nadine coming into the shop,
and all about how my wolf had reacted to her.
“She’s not my girl.” I flinched when my wolf nipped at me. He
didn’t like those words. “But, yeah, she called to book an
appointment for tomorrow at noon.”
“And you gave it to her?” Tobias asked before taking a long swig
from his beer.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe the fact that all I’ve heard
you complain about lately is how busy you are at that place. Aren’t
you booked solid for like an entire month?”
I was, but I didn’t care. I was still getting Nadine in tomorrow at
noon.
“Yeah. So?” I took another swig from my beer.
“What, are you just gonna bump someone out of their
appointment and give it to her?”
“Damn right.” I grinned.
Tobias grabbed the bottle of lighter fluid that always sat in the
cupholder of his chair and squirted it over the sticks piled high in the
firepit. Once he lit the sucker, a wide smile stretched across his face
as he watched the flames dance.
“You’re such a pyro.” I shook my head.
“I’ve been called worse.” He doused the fire with a few more
squirts, sending the flames higher. “So, what’s going on with Nadine
and her ex, that asshat Brooks?” he asked, making his way to his
chair.
“They broke up.”
“No shit, Sherlock. Didn’t you say it was a bad breakup?”
 I shifted my attention from the fire to him. “I said I thought it
was. I don’t know the details, but I get the feeling he hurt her. Not
like cheating, but that he physically hurt her.” My wolf snarled like a
wild animal.
“Oh, shit,” Tobias said. “Not cool.”
“Yeah, I already told you all this, though. The other night.”
A goofy grin stretched across Tobias’s face, and he held up his
beer. “How many of these had I already had?”
“Quite a few.” I pointed to the beer can pyramid still stacked high
on the picnic table a few feet away. “It was the night we built that.”
We’d celebrated our other pack member, Jameson’s, recent
promotion. He’d become crew leader for the construction company
he worked for. The guy was a freaking genius when it came to
woodworking. He could build anything, and it was awesome to see
his boss finally acknowledge that with a promotion and a bump in
pay.
“That would be why I don’t remember.” Tobias smirked.
His gaze shifted back to the fire, and so did mine.
“I saw Blade in town,” he said after a while.
Tension rippled through me. “Yeah?”
“I passed him on the road. He was flying through town on his
bike. When does your brother get out, again?”
“Soon,” I said, wishing he wasn’t. My eyes locked on Tobias.
“Why?”
“Just curious. Got a feeling he might come around when he
does.”
A frown pulled at my lips.
In a perfect world, Zac would stay the hell away from me. This
wasn’t a perfect world, though. I knew there was a chance he’d seek
me out once he was released.
“Do you think Nadine knows you’re a shifter?” Tobias asked
suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts. Sometimes talking with him
came with whiplash.
My wolf perked up as bolts of alarm shot through me from his
question. While I wasn’t against humans knowing about the
supernatural world, I understood why it was frowned upon, unless
you were mated to the human. Humans tended to be afraid of
things they didn’t understand, and their fear could spiral into hate,
which made them unpredictable.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why do you ask?”
“She’s a Crescent Creek local. Sometimes I wonder if the humans
woven into this community know more than we think,” he said, his
eyes never wavering from the fire.
“Maybe they do. Maybe they don’t.” I took a long pull from my
beer. “I don’t think Nadine knows anything, though.”
“Maybe not yet, but she will. I can feel it,” he said. I glanced at
him. His expression was pensive, but he wasn’t looking at me. He
was still looking at the fire.
Something was off about him lately, but I wasn’t sure what. He
seemed lost in his head a lot. I watched him for a moment before
shifting my gaze back to the night sky and losing myself to thoughts
of Nadine again.
 5

NADINE

I found a parking space on Main Street and cut the engine of my

car. To say I was excited to get Brooks’ name covered with a
lotus flower was an understatement.
However, I was also excited to see Callum.
As I thought about the conversation we’d had on the phone the
other night when I called to book my appointment, I wondered for
the millionth time if he’d cared that I had shortened his name to Cal.
I hoped not.
I exhaled a slow breath as I slid out of my car and made my way
down the sidewalk toward Inked Wolf. When I spotted Ms. Lynette
on the bench beneath the clock tower in town square, I smiled and
waved at her. She motioned for me to come over, so I headed in her
direction. There was still ten or fifteen minutes before my
appointment with Callum. It was enough time to say a quick hello to
her and then make my way back across the street.
“Hello, Ms. Lynette,” I said when I reached her.
She held up her index finger. “I have something for you,” she
said, before rummaging through her tortoise shell purse.
My stomach twisted into knots as a tiny amount of fear worked
its way through me. While it was true Ms. Lynette often knew things
she couldn’t possibly, there was another strange thing about her. She
had an odd gift of giving people things they would need in the
future, even if she claimed to never know what they would be used
for. Some said it was her weird tortoise shell purse, that it was
magic, and others said it was just her. There were also those who
simply thought there was no truth to any of it, but I knew there was.
Once she’d given Liv a safety pin when she was seventeen. Liv
didn’t think much of it and had tossed it into the cupholder of her
car. Later that night, her dress caught on something while she was
out with friends and she needed a safety pin to secure it in place.
After that, Liv and I both believed Ms. Lynette had a bit of magic
in her.
“Here, sugar. This is for you. I don’t know when you’ll need it. All
I know is that you will.” She handed me a bottle opener.
I took it from her with a smile, even though I had no clue when
I’d be needing one. “Thanks. Enjoy the rest of your day. I have to
get over to the tattoo shop. I’ve got an appointment to finally get
this covered up like you suggested.” I flashed her my wrist where
Brooks’ name was tattooed.
“Your luck has already started changing, hasn’t it?” she asked, a
knowing glimmer reflected in her eyes.
“It has. After this, I have an appointment at the bank. I’ve
worked out a deal with May to buy her florist shop from her. First, I
need to see if the bank will give me a loan.” I couldn’t help the
excitement that leaked into my words.
It was insane to think my dream might become a reality soon.
Ms. Lynette reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze,
her eyes locking with mine. “I knew you were destined to come
back. This is your home. Crescent Creek is where you belong.”
“I think you’re right.”
It was funny how eager I’d been as a teenager to get out of this
town. I’d wanted to put it behind me and forge a new path for
myself in the world somewhere, one that didn’t include Crescent
Creek. Now, I couldn’t figure out why the hell I’d ever left.
This town was home, and so were its people.
“Run along now. You don’t want to be late for your
appointments,” Ms. Lynette said, shooing me away.
I smiled at her and then made my way across the street to Inked
Wolf. Slipping the bottle opener into my purse, I pulled open the
door and stepped inside.
 Both of the tattooing stations were occupied and there was a girl
on the couch, flipping through one of the photo albums. Callum
looked up as soon as I entered, and a wide smile stretched across
his face that was contagious.
“Hey, I’ll be finished with this old fart in a bit,” he said with a
slight nod to the old man sitting in the chair.
“Old fart my ass,” the old man said with a chuckle. I gathered
this wasn’t the first time he’d come in for a tattoo by Callum. “I’ll
show you old fart, boy. I’ll whip your ass any damn day of the week.”
“Keep cussing like that, and I’ll have to tell your wife,” Callum
threatened him, his grin widening.
The old man waved his words away. “You know as well as I do,
Betty ain’t gonna stop me from cussing like a sailor. After all, I was
in the Navy. I am a sailor, which means I’m allowed to curse like
one.”
I laughed as I made my way to the couch to sit next to the
woman already seated. She glanced up at me and smiled, before
shifting her attention back to the album she was flipping through.
My cell chimed with a new text as soon as I sat down and my
stomach fluttered with nerves. Even though I had blocked all of
Brooks’ numbers, I still worried it was him. How long would it be
before I stopped thinking of him anytime my cell made a noise?
It was a text from Liv. Thank goodness.
I want a pic of it when it’s done.
I knew she meant my new tattoo. She was heading out of town
for work and was at her house, packing. I wouldn’t see her later
tonight.
I’ll send you one the second it’s done. Travel safe. Love
you.
Love you, too.
“Everything okay, Nadine?” Callum asked, startling me.
I flashed him a smile. “Yeah. Just my sister.”
The tension around his eyes faded. “Cool. I’m almost done with
old geezer here,” he said, teasing the old man once more. “Then I’ll
clean up and we can get started on that cover-up. I’m excited to see
what you picked.”
 “Call me what you want,” the old man insisted with a grin. “I’m
still cooler than you.”
“You got that right,” Callum agreed with a nod.
A smile twisted my lips as I dipped my attention back to my cell.
I opened my reading app and tapped on the book I’d been reading.
For the next few minutes, I lost myself in the written word.
“Ready?” Callum asked, pulling me back to reality. He stood
close, as though he might have spoken to me more than once.
“Did I ignore you? I tune everything out when I’m reading a
good book,” I said, putting my phone in my purse.
He made a motion with his index finger and thumb. “Just a little.”
“Geez. Sorry.” My cheeks flushed with color. “I’m ready to do this,
though.” I stood and followed him to his station.
“What did you decide you wanted to cover it with?”
“A lotus flower,” I said as I situated myself in his leather chair. “I
think it’s fitting since it represents rebirth and strength.” Telling him
the reason behind my choosing a lotus flower made me feel
vulnerable in ways I hadn’t expected.
“The flowers rise from mud unstained. You’re right, it is fitting,”
he said, his eyes never wavering from mine.
I may have imagined it, but I swore I saw pride swirl through
their color. Almost as though he knew exactly what I’d been through
with Brooks without me ever having to say a word about it. He
seemed proud of me for choosing myself and walking away from the
toxicity of it all.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “The symbolism is beautiful. I think it’s
perfect for my situation.”
“Do you have an idea of the style you’d like?” Callum asked,
saving me from sharing anything more about my relationship with
Brooks.
I grabbed my cell from my purse and pulled up the photos I
saved the other night. “Something like this. Delicate. Dainty. And no
color. Just black.”
“Okay.” He nodded before reaching for my wrist.
The moment he touched me, electricity pulsed beneath my skin.
A low noise vibrated from him and I swore his eyes flashed bright
again.
What was that? It was so animalistic sounding.
The noise stopped, and Callum tilted his head so I couldn’t see
his eyes anymore. Had I imagined the way they’d changed color?
What about the noise? That sensation pulsing beneath my skin?
“That’ll work nicely. We’ll have to make it about this big, if that
works for you, to cover up what you already have here.” He moved
his fingers across my skin to showcase the size of the tattoo, and I
wanted to melt at the feel of his touch.
“That works,” I whispered, trying to tame the attraction I felt
toward him.
While the tattoo would be larger than I wanted, taking up the
entire length of my wrist, it would be a much better sight to look at
daily than Brooks’ name.
“Cool.” His fingers lingered on my skin a bit longer and desire
danced through my core. “Let me grab a piece of paper and a pen.
I’ll sketch out what I’m thinking for the design and we can go from
there,” he said, releasing my wrist. He grabbed his drawing
materials, and I watched as he balanced the sketchbook on his leg
while he drew.
“Do you need to look at my phone?” I asked.
“Nope. I think I’m good.”
I set my phone face down on the seat beside me and watched as
Callum sketched out a lotus. His left brow lifted higher than his right
while he concentrated, and I couldn’t help the smile that twisted my
lips at the sight. It was something I’d seen him do a million times in
high school when he would draw. I’d always thought it was cute, but
this older version of him made the gesture look hot. When his teeth
scraped along his bottom lip, warmth surged through my core.
All I could think about was kissing him.
“How about this?” he asked, surprising me with how quickly he’d
finished the sketch. “Let me know if you want any adjustments. I
can start from scratch if you don’t like it.”
I stared at the lotus flower he’d drawn so perfectly in such a
short amount of time. “I love it.”
 “Really? You’re sure? I can make any changes you want. I don’t
mind.”
I shook my head. “It’s perfect as is. I love it.”
“Awesome. Let’s get started, then.”
A few minutes later, Callum had transferred a stencil of the lotus
he’d created to my skin and was outlining the edges. I watched in
amazement as he incorporated some of the swirling letters of
Brooks’ name into petals of the flower. When he was finished, I
knew no one would ever be able to look at this tattoo and see
Brooks’ name. Not even me.
That made me so darn happy.
“You doing okay?” Callum asked when he was halfway through
with the tattoo, concern heavy in his tone. Or was that remorse?
Was he upset he was causing me physical pain?
“Yeah. I just forgot how much this hurts.” I winced.
He chuckled. “People always do.” My cell rang, and he paused
what he was doing. “Do you need to answer that? We can take a
break.”
I shook my head. “It can go to voicemail. We’re almost done.”
Who could be calling me, anyway?
Liv should be leaving to catch her flight soon, and I knew it
wouldn’t be my parents. They were still freezing me out for leaving
Brooks.
When my cell chimed with a new text and then another half a
second later, I knew it had to be something important.
“You sure you don’t want to check your phone?” Callum asked,
pausing once more.
“I probably should.” I made a face, hating to ask him to stop
what he was doing. “I’ll be quick.”
“No problem.” He rolled his stool back to give me privacy.
I picked up my phone and looked to see who was trying to get a
hold of me. It was Liv. I had one missed call and two text messages
from her. My heart stalled as I read the first text.
Brooks came by the house looking for you. He was really
agitated and wouldn’t let me leave for my flight until I told
him where you were.
 Brooks was in town? This wasn’t good. My stomach clinched as I
read her second message.
I’m sorry, but I told him where you were. He’s heading
there now. I’m sure of it.
“Shit,” I muttered, closing my eyes.
“Everything okay?” Callum asked.
“Not really.” My gaze shifted to the door, looking for Brooks.
When my cell chimed again with another text, I jumped. It was
Liv again.
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told him where you were, but
he was intimidating as hell. I’ve never seen him like that.
Don’t be mad.
My lips pinched into a frown. I knew how intimidating Brooks
could be. I wasn’t mad at Liv, I was pissed at the situation. I’d come
back to Crescent Creek wanting nothing to do with him anymore,
but he’d followed me.
“Who is it?” Callum asked, nodding to my phone. Worry swirled
through his eyes and for a split second, I swore I saw them brighten
again. He blinked and it was gone, though.
“Liv, my sister. Apparently, Brooks is in town. He swung by her
house, looking for me. She told him I was here, getting a tattoo.
He’s probably headed here now.” I wanted to throw up.
Confrontation with Brooks was the last thing I wanted to deal with
today. Besides, I had a meeting at the bank shortly after this
appointment. I didn’t have time to get hung up by him and all his
crap. “Can we finish this up quickly?” I asked, hoping he understood
I wanted to get out of here before Brooks made an appearance.
“Yeah, sure. We’re almost done. I need to hit a couple more
spots on this petal, and then we should be good,” Callum said,
understanding sparking through his tone.
 6

CALLUM

N adine was scared. I could tell. And it was driving my wolf wild.
He didn’t like smelling her fear saturating the air around us. All
he wanted was for me to fix it. To comfort her and make her
feel better.
The problem was, I didn’t know how.
Talking to her and getting her mind off her asshole ex seemed
like the way to do it, but I didn’t know what to say. My mind was
drawing a complete blank, and it didn’t help that my wolf was pulling
me in multiple directions. While he wanted me to stay here with her,
to protect her and make sure she was okay, he also wanted me to
track Brooks down and make him bleed for hurting her.
I had an internal battle waging inside me, tearing me in two.
I outlined the last petal of her lotus and then cleaned her skin.
The shop door opened as I covered her tattoo with plastic wrap and
secured it. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know who had
entered. I could tell from the way Nadine’s fear intensified in the air
and how her body tensed.
Brooks was here.
Without thinking, I placed a hand on her thigh in a gesture of
comfort. Her gaze locked with mine and the fear in her eyes faded
as she exhaled a slow breath. I gave her a slight nod and strength
entered her eyes. Satisfaction surged through me at the sight and
my wolf howled in approval, realizing the same thing I did—our
touch had comforted her.
 “What the hell are you doing here?” Brooks shouted. “You don’t
return my calls or messages, so I have to come to this podunk town
to find your ass. Then where do I find you? In a freaking tattoo
shop, getting my tattoo covered up? What the hell is wrong with you
lately?”
Every muscle in my body grew rigid and my wolf fought to break
free. I held him back, but not without burden. My nostrils flared as I
suppressed the growl that threatened to rip from my throat. I tried
my damnedest to contain myself—and my wolf—but the way he
spoke to her had me using every shred of willpower to keep my wolf
at bay.
“Nothing is wrong with me, and don’t speak to me that way,”
Nadine insisted, sitting up straighter. Her voice didn’t waiver when
she spoke, it was steady as hell.
Good girl, you stand up to that fucker.
“You know why I haven’t answered your calls or text messages,”
Nadine insisted. “We’re not together anymore, Brooks. And you can’t
barge in here and cause a scene.” Her eyes drifted to me and
Samuel, an apology reflected in them.
“The hell I can’t! I’m not giving up on us.” Brooks made his way
to her. “We’re supposed to be together.”
I focused on cleaning up my station. If I didn’t, I’d lose control.
My wolf was pissed and so was I.
“No.” Nadine slid from my chair and stood. “There is no us,
Brooks. There’s you. There’s me. There is no more us, though.” Her
voice was soft, like she was talking to a small child.
Tension radiated off Brooks. I could sense it in the air. My wolf
fought to break free again. Every muscle in my body tensed with his
desire to protect Nadine, but also to put Brooks in his place. I
exhaled a slow breath to calm myself, but it didn’t do much. My body
shook as my wolf paced.
Samuel’s eyes were on me. I could feel them. He was watching
me, waiting for me to give the word to send Brooks packing.
“That’s where you’re wrong. There will always be an us,” Brooks
said, his tone low and psychotic sounding. It had my wolf baring his
teeth and fear rippling off Nadine.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 — Hän kantaa Mieleszkon rakuunaväessä lippua, mihin ei järkeä
tarvita. Mutta upseeriksi hän pääsi siksi, että ruhtinas on ihastunut
hänen voimiinsa: hän ojentaa kourissaan hevosenkengän ja kaataa
sylipainissa kesyjä karhuja.

— Niinkö voimakas?

— Luja mies. Ja sitäpaitsi, jos päällikkö hänelle sanoo: iske pääsi

seinään, niin hetkeäkään epäröimättä hän puskeekin. Häntä on
käsketty viemään meidät Birźeen, ja hän vie, vaikka maa allamme
halkeaisi.

— Sanokaas muuta! — ihmetteli Zagloba, joka oli uteliaasti

kuunnellut puhetta. — Päättäväinen poika!

— Hänessä ovat päättäväisyys ja typeryys yhtä ja samaa. Muuten,

vapaina hetkinään hän joko syö tai makaa. Ettepä usko, että kerran
hän asekartanossa nukkui neljäkymmentäkahdeksan tuntia yhteen
menoon ja vielä haukotteli, kun hänet kiskottiin pankolta alas.

— Julman hauska mies, — sanoi Zagloba ja kääntyen Kowalskiin

päin huusi käskevästi: — Tulepas lähemmäksi!

— Mitä? — kysyi Kowalski kääntäen hevostaan.

— Onko viinaa?

— On.

— Anna tänne!

— Miksi noin: anna tänne?

 — Näetkös, hyvä herra Kowalski, jollei se olisi luvallista, niin olisi
annettu kielto, mutta koska ei ole kielletty, niin anna pois.

— Aa?! — ihmetteli Roch Kowalski. — Vai niin! Entä täytyykö

minun antaa?

— Täytyy kuin täytyykin, sillä ajattelepas, voiko kieltää apuaan

vanhalta sukulaiselta, joka, jos olisi naimisissa äitisi kanssa, voisi
olla isäsi?

— Mikä sukulainen te olette!

— Kowalskeja on kahdenlaisia: toisilla on vaakunassa pukki, joka

nostaa vasenta takajalkaansa, toisilla laiva, jolla heidän esi-isänsä
saapuivat meren yli Englannista Puolaan. Nämä jälkimmäiset juuri
ovat sukua minulle isoäitini kautta. Sentähden minullakin on laiva
vaakunassani.

— Hyväinen aika! Silloinhan te olette todellakin

sukulaiseni!

— Laivako sinullakin on?

— Laiva.

— Totta totisesti, sukulaisia olemme! — huudahti Zagloba. —

Olipa hauska, että tavattiin, sillä minä olen vartavasten saapunut
Liettuaan tapaamaan Kowalskeja, ja vaikka olenkin nyt vanki ja sinä
vapaa, niin mielelläni syleilisin sinua, sillä oma on sentään oma.

— Minkä minä sille mahdan, hyvä herra? Kun käskettiin viemään

teidät Birźeen, niin minä vien… Sukulainen on sukulainen, mutta
virka on virka.

— Sano minua sedäksi! — virkkoi Zagloba.

— Tässä on viinaa, setä. Eihän ole kielletty antamasta.

Zagloba otti halukkaasti metallisen kenttäpullon ja siemaisi siitä

pitkän kulauksen. Hetken kuluttua alkoi mieluinen lämpö levitä hänen
suoniaan pitkin ja hänen päänsä kirkastua.

— Tulehan alas sieltä hevoseltasi, — sanoi hän Kowalskille, — ja

istu hetkeksi tänne viereeni vankkureihin, niin saamme jutella
lähemmin… Tekisi niin mieleni kysellä sukulaisistani. Virkaa minäkin
kunnioitan, mutta eihän se ole kiellettyä.

Roch Kowalski ei vastannut heti.

— Ei ole kielletty, — virkkoi hän vihdoin.

Ja kotvan kuluttua hän istui jo oljilla setä Zagloban vieressä.

Ukko syleili häntä sydämellisesti.

— No mitenkä jaksaa isäsi… tuota noin… kas, kun olen unohtanut

hänen nimensä.

— Myöskin Roch.

— Aivan niin, aivan niin! Roch siitti Rochin… siihen tapaan

sanassa sanotaan. Sinun pitää myöskin antaa pojallesi nimeksi
Roch. Entä oletko ukkomies?

— Varmasti ukkomies! Minä olen Kowalski, ja tässä on rouva

Kowalska.
Toisesta en huoli!

Sen sanottuaan nuori upseeri nosti raskaan rakuunamiekkansa

kahvan herra Zagloban silmäin eteen ja toisti:

— Toisesta en huoli!

— Aivan oikein! — sanoi Zagloba. — Minä pidän julmasti sinusta,

Roch, Rochin poika. Mukavinta on sotilaan, kun hänellä ei olekaan
muuta vaimoa, ja sanonpa, että ennemmin se leskettyy sinun
jälkeesi kuin sinä sen jälkeen. Vahinko vain, että sinä et tule
saamaan häneltä pikku Rocheja. Olet sukkela kavaljeeri, ja miten
ikävätä, jos sellaisen suku sammuisi.

— Ohoo! — pääsi Kowalskilta tyytyväinen mörähdys. — Meitä on

kuusi veljestä.

— Ja kaikki Rocheja?

— Kellä ensimmäisenä, kellä toisena nimenä Roch, sillä se on

meidän yhteinen suojeluspyhimyksemme.

— Juokaamme vielä vähäisen!

— Niin juuri!

Zagloba otti taas pullosta kulauksen ja ojensi sen sitten upseerille

sanoen:

— Pohjaan saakka, pohjaan saakka!

— Vahinko, etten voi sinua nähdä, — sanoi ukko. — Yö on

säkkipimeä. Kuulehan, hyvä Roch, minnekä se sotajoukko teki
matkaa Kiejdanysta silloin, kun me sieltä läksimme?
 — Kapinallisia vastaan.

— Jumala yksin tietää, kuka tässä on kapinallinen: sinäkö vai he?

— Minäkö kapinallinen? Kuinka se olisi mahdollista? Minä teen

mitä hetmani käskee.

— Mutta hetmani itse ei tee mitä kuningas käskee, sillä kuningas

ei ole käskenyt häntä liittymään ruotsalaisiin. Etkö sinäkin
mieluummin antaisi ruotsalaisille selkään kuin luovuttaisit heille
minut, vanhan sukulaisesi?

— Ehkä, mutta mikä on käsky, sitä tottele!

— Ja rouva Kowalska purisi niin mielellään ruotsalaista. Minä

tunnen hänet. Näin meidän kesken olkoon sanottu: hetmani on
noussut kapinaan kuningasta ja isänmaata vastaan. Älä vain sano
kenellekään, mutta niin se varmasti on. Ja te, jotka hetmania
palvelette, olette myös kapinallisia.

— Tuota puhetta ei minun kannata kuunnella. Hetmanilla on oma

päällikkönsä ja minulla omani — hetmani, ja Jumala rankaisisi
minua, jos häntä vastustaisin. Kuulumatonta!

— Sinä puhut kunnioitettavasti… Mutta huomaa, Roch, jos sinä

joutuisit noitten kapinallisten käsiin, niin olisin minäkin vapaa, eikä
syy olisi sinun, sillä nec Hercules contra plures!… Minä en tiedä,
missä nuo lippukunnat ovat, mutta sinä kai tiedät sen… ja voisit,
näetkös, suunnata matkaa vähäisen sinne päin.

— Kuinka niin?
 — Eihän se olisi sinun syysi, jos meidät lyötäisiin. Silloin sinulla ei
olisi minua omallatunnollasi. Synti sukulaista vastaan on näet
sangen raskas asia, usko pois!

— Ai, ai sitä setää! Parasta on, että kiipeän tästä rattailta alas ja
nousen hevosen selkään. Te ette tule olemaan minun
omallatunnollani, vaan hetmanin. Niin kauan kuin minä elän, ei siitä
mitään tule.

— Kun ei tule, niin ei tule! — sanoi Zagloba. Hyvä, että puhut

suoraan.
Mutta tiedätkö sinä, Roch, mitä setä oikeastaan on?

— Setä on setä.

— Hyvin puhuttu, mutta sanassa sanotaan: jollei sinulla isää ole,

niin tottele setääsi. Tällä on siinä tapauksessa isän oikeus, jonka
vastustaminen on syntiä… Huomaa, että jokainen voi naimisiin
mentyään tulla isäksi ja että sedässä virtaa samaa verta kuin
isässäkin. En ole, totta kyllä, sinun isäsi veli, mutta minun isoäitini
täytyi olla sinun isoäitisi täti. Muista, että minussa uinuu monen
sukupolven oikeus, sillä niinkuin me kaikki tässä matoisessa
maailmassa kuolevaisia olemme, niin siirtyy valta toiselta
sukupolvelta toiselle, eikä hetmanin enemmän kuin kuninkaankaan
valta voi minulta tässä tapauksessa isän oikeutta kieltää. Totuus on
pyhä! Voiko suurhetmani, onko hänellä oikeutta käskeä aatelista tai
edes yksinkertaista talonpoikaa nousemaan isää, setää tai isoäitiä
vastaan! Vastaapas siihen, Roch! Onko hänellä oikeutta?

— Hä? — kysäisi Kowalski unisesti.

 — Niin, isoäitiä vastaan! Onko? — toisti Zagloba. — Kukapa silloin
viitsisi mennä naimisiin ja synnyttää lapsia odottaakseen sitten
lapsenlapsia?… Vastaapas siihenkin, Roch!

— Minä olen Kowalski, mutta tämä on rouva Kowalska, — murahti

upseeri yhä unisemmin.

— Olkoon niinkuin tahdot! — sanoi siihen Zagloba. — Ja

parempihan se onkin, koska vähemmän silloin tulee maailmassa
olemaan pässinpäitä. Eikö niin, Roch?

Zagloba kallisti korvansa hänen puoleensa, mutta ei kuullut

vastausta.

— Roch! Roch! — huusi hän hiljaa. Mutta Roch nukkui kuin tukki.

— Nukutko?… — murahti Zagloba. — Odotapas… minä otan tuon

rautaisen padan sinun päästäsi, niin sinun on mukavampi. Mutta
kauhtanan kaulus ahdistaa… voisi vielä veri nousta päähäsi. Mikäpä
sukulainen minä olisin, jollen sinusta näin huolta pitäisi?

Ja herra Zagloban kädet lähestyivät Kowalskin päätä ja kaulaa.

Vankkureissa kaikki nukkuivat sikeätä unta. Sotilaat torkkuivat myös
satuloissaan.

Yö yhä pimeni.

Kului muutamia minuutteja. Yht'äkkiä Kowalskin hevosta taluttava

sotilas huomasi päällikkönsä kauhtanan ja vaalean kypärän
vilahtavan pimeässä ohitsensa. Kowalski hyppäsi rattailta
pysähdyttämättä niitä ja viittasi kädellään antamaan hevosen.

Samassa hän istui jo hevosen selässä.

 — Herra päällikkö, missä pysähdymme syöttämään? — kysyi
vartiomies.

Roch-herra ei vastannut sanaakaan, vaan ajoi eteenpäin, sivuutti

edessä ajavat ja katosi pimeyteen.

Samassa kuulivat rakuunat nopeasti etenevän hevosen kavioitten

kapsetta.

— Päällikkö ajoi edelle, — sanoi muuan heistä. — Varmaankin

hän meni katsomaan, onko läheisyydessä majataloa. Olisihan jo aika
syöttää hevosia!

Kului puoli tuntia, kokonainen, kaksi, mutta Kowalskia ei vain

kuulunut takaisin. Hevoset, etenkin vankkureita vetävät, väsyivät
kovasti ja alkoivat laahustaa hitaasti. Tähdet tuikkivat.

— Ajakaa joku päällikköä vastaan ja sanokaa, että hevoset ovat

vallan uuvuksissa, — virkkoi muuan rakuuna.

Yksi ratsastajista ajoikin, mutta palasi hetken kuluttua yksinään.

— Päällikköä ei kuulunut eikä näkynyt, — sanoi. — Kaiketi hän on

ajanut kauas.

Sotilaat alkoivat murista tyytymättöminä:

— Kyllä hänen kelpaa, kun saa päivällä nukkua, mutta istu sinä
vain satulassasi yökaudet…

— Lähellä on majatalo, ja minä luulin löytäväni hänet sieltä, —

selitti äsken palannut, — mutta eihän häntä siellä ollut!… Kuuntelin
kavioitten kapsetta, mutta mitään ei kuulunut… Piru ties, minne
karkasi.

— Pysähtykäämme majataloon, ja sillä hyvä! — sanoi

rakuunajoukkueen päämies. — Hevosten täytyy saada levätä.

Jonkin ajan kuluttua vartiosto pysähtyi majatalon eteen. Sotilaat

laskeutuivat alas hevosilta, ja jotkut heistä menivät koputtamaan
majatalon oveen.

Vangit heräsivät, kun vankkurit pysähtyivät.

— Missä olemme? — kysyi vanha herra Stankiewicz.

— Pimeä on, en näe, — vastasi Wolodyjowski.

— Tiedän vain, että Upitaan päin emme ainakaan ole matkalla.

— Eikö tie Kiejdanysta Birźeen kulje juuri Upitan kautta? — kysyi

Jan
Skrzetuski.

— Kyllä, mutta Upitassa on minun lippukuntani, ja sitä peläten on

ruhtinas varmaankin lähettänyt meidät toista tietä. Heti Kiejdanysta
lähdettyämme käännyimme Darovaan ja Krakovaan päin, ja sieltä
kai ajamme Beijsagolaa ja Szawlea kohti. Näin teemme mutkan,
jonka tähden Upita ja Poniewieź jäänevät oikealle. Matkan varrella ei
ole sotajoukkoja; ne ovat kaikki Kiejdanyssa.

— Mutta herra Zagloba, — sanoi Stanislaw Skrzetuski, — nukkuu

sikeästi ja kuorsaa, vaikka lupasi keksiä pelastavan kepposen.
 — Nukkukoon rauhassa!… Kaiketi hänet uuvutti keskustelu
hölmön komendantin kanssa, jonka sukulaisia sanoi olevansa. Ukko
aikoi vetää häntä nenästä, mutta eipä siitä tullutkaan mitään. Ken on
hylännyt isänmaan Radziwillin tähden, se ei jätä häntä kaukaisen
sukulaisen vuoksi.

— Ovatko he todellakin sukulaisia? — kysyi Oskierka.

— Vai sukulaisia? Yhtä paljon sukua kuin te ja minä, — vastasi

Wolodyjowski. — Eikä herra Zagloban vaakuna ole ensinkään
sellainen kuin hän selitti.

— Entä missä herra Kowalski on?

— Kaiketi miesten kanssa tai majatalossa.

— Tahdonpa kysyä häneltä, saisinko istuutua hevosen selkään,

koska jalkani kovasti puutuvat, — virkkoi Mirski.

— Siihen hän ei suostu, — sanoi Stankiewicz. — Yö on pimeä,

kannustit hevosta ja menit. Ota sitten kiinni, jos saat!

— Annan hänelle kunniasanani, etten yritä karata. Sitäpaitsi alkaa

kohta valjeta.

— Sotamies! Missä komendantti on? — kysyi Wolodyjowski

lähimmältä rakuunalta.

— Mistä minä sen tietäisin?

— No kuka sen sitten tietää? Kun sinua käsketään kutsumaan

hänet tänne, niin kutsu!
 — Mutta me emme itsekään tiedä, herra eversti, missä hän on, —
vastasi rakuuna. — Vankkureilta nousi, ajoi edelle ja sillä tiellä on
yhä vielä.

— Kun palaa, sano, että tahtoisimme puhua hänen kanssaan.

— Ymmärrän, herra eversti. Vangit vaikenivat.

Vankkureilta kuului kovia kuorsauksia. Hevoset pureksivat heiniä.

Sotilaat torkkuivat satuloissaan. Majatalo oli asumaton.

Sarasti. Idässä taivas alkoi valjeta, tähdet sammuivat toinen

toisensa jälkeen, ja sitten alkoi vähitellen pimeästä näkyä puita,
hevosia, miehiä.

Herra Wolodyjowski ojensi käsivarsiaan, vilkaisi nukkuvaa

Zaglobaa kasvoihin ja huusi:

— Hitto vieköön! Hyvät herrat, katsokaa!

— No, mitä nyt?

— Katsokaa! Katsokaa! — huusi Wolodyjowski yhä osoittaen

nukkuvaa.

Vangit katsoivat osoitettuun suuntaan, ja hämmästys levisi

kaikkien kasvoille: herra Zagloban kauhtana yllä ja hattu päässä
nukkui Roch Kowalski autuaan unta. Mutta Zaglobaa ei vankkureissa
ollut.

— Livisti, totta totisesti, livisti! — ihmetteli Mirski katsellen

ympärilleen ikäänkuin ei olisi uskonut silmiään.

— Olipas se aika veitikka! — huudahti Stankiewicz.

 — Sieppasi tuolta hölmöltä kypärän ja keltaisen viitan ja pujahti
pois hänen hevosellaan!

— Katosi kuin veteen!

— Sanoihan hän keksivänsä jotakin.

— Siinä sen nyt näitte!

— Hyvät herrat, — sanoi Wolodyjowski innoissaan, — te ette

tunne vielä sitä miestä; voin vannoa, että hän pelastaa vielä
meidätkin. En tiedä miten ja milloin, mutta saattepa nähdä, että
pelastaa!

Nyt saivat sotilaat tietää mitä oli tapahtunut, ja he juoksivat toinen

toisensa jälkeen töllistämään komendanttiansa, jonka yllä oli
kamelinkarvainen kauhtana ja ilveksennahkainen lakki.

Vartioston päämies alkoi kursailematta tökkiä komendanttia

kylkeen:

— Herra komendantti! Herra komendantti!

— Minä olen Kowalski… ja tässä on rouva Kowalska, — murahti

Roch-herra.

— Herra komendantti, vanki on karannut! Kowalski nousi istumaan

ja avasi silmänsä.

— Mitä?…

— Vanki on karannut… se lihava aatelismies, joka niin kauan

jutteli herra komendantin kanssa.
 Upseeri havahtui.

— Ei suinkaan! — huudahti hän säikähtyneesti. — Kuinka? Mitä

on tapahtunut? Millä lailla hän karkasi?

— Herra komendantin kypärä oli päässä ja kauhtana yllä.

Sotamiehet eivät tunteneet häntä; oli sitäpaitsi pimeä.

— Missä on hevoseni? huudahti Kowalski.

— Vanki karkasi juuri sillä.

— Minun hevosellani?

— Niin.

Kowalski tarttui päähänsä.

— Jeesus natsarealainen, juutalaisten kuningas!. Tuo tänne se

roisto, joka hänelle hevoseni antoi!

— Herra komendantti, sotamies ei ole syypää, sillä yö oli pimeä ja

karkurin yllä oli sitäpaitsi herra komendantin puku. Hän ajoi aivan
minun sivuitseni, enkä minäkään häntä tuntenut. Jos herra
komendantti ei olisi istuutunut vankkureille, ei tätä olisi tapahtunut…
Mitä on nyt tehtävä?

— Ota kiinni ja anna selkään!

— Nyt on jo myöhäistä. Hän karkasi teidän hevosellanne, ja se oli

paras kaikista. Sitäpaitsi hän läksi jo ensimmäisten kukkojen
laulaessa. Emme saa häntä enää kiinni.

— Turhaa on ajaa tuulta takaa! — sanoi Stankiewicz.

 Kowalski kääntyi kiihtyneenä vankien puoleen:

— Te olette auttaneet häntä pakenemaan! Odottakaas, kyllä minä

teille näytän!…

Hän puristi suuret kämmenensä nyrkkiin ja alkoi lähestyä heitä.

— Älä huuda, ja muista kenen kanssa puhut! — sanoi Mirski

tuimasti.

Roch Kowalski säpsähti ja ojensihe vastentahtoisesti.

‒ Minne teidän on käsketty meidät viemään, viekää, mutta älkää

pitäkö järin suurta suuta, sillä huomenna voitte olla meidän jokaisen
käskettävissä.

Roch Kowalskin silmät menivät tapille, ja hän vaikeni.

— Turhaan te siinä päätänne puhki pohditte, herra Kowalski, —

sanoi Oskierka. — Mitä sanoitte siitä, että me muka olisimme häntä
auttaneet, on sulaa typeryyttä, sillä ensiksikin me nukuimme, ja
toiseksi kukin meistä olisi mieluummin auttanut itseään kuin toista.
Yksin olette syypää koko juttuun. Minä ensimmäisenä antaisin
ampua teidät siitä, että te nukuitte kuin mäyrä ja sallitte vangin
karata omassa kauhtanassanne ja kypärässänne, vieläpä omalla
hevosellanne. Onhan se ennenkuulumatonta!

— Vanha veijari petti miehen! — sanoi Mirski.

— Jeesus Maaria! Hän on vienyt miekkanikin! — huusi Kowalski.

— Eikö miekka hänelle muka kelpaisi?-hymähti Stankiewicz. —

— Entä pistoli? Oliko sellaista?

 — Olihan minulla! — vastasi Kowalski aivan hämmentyneenä
tarttuen samassa päähänsä. — Ja hetmanin kirje Birźen
komendantille! Mitä minä onneton nyt teen?!… Tuho tuli!… Paras
olisi ampua kuula kallooni!…

— Sitä ei voi välttää! — sanoi Mirski töykeästi. — Mitenkä te nyt

viette meidät Birźeen?… Te sanotte tuoneenne meidät vankeina,
mutta me, arvoltamme vanhemmat soturit, sanomme, että teidät on
viskattava tyrmään! Ketä luulette pikemmin uskottavan? Vai
luuletteko, että ruotsalainen komendantti pidättää meidät vain herra
Kowalskin pyynnöstä? Kyllä hän pikemmin uskoo meitä ja vangitsee
teidät.

— Hukassa olen! Hukassa olen! — voihki Kowalski.

— Joutavaa! — sanoi Wolodyjowski.

— Mitä on tehtävä, herra komendantti? — kysyi rakuuna.

— Korjaa luusi! — kivahti Kowalski. — Tiedänkö minä mitä on

tehtävä!…
Iskeköön salama sinulta pään puhki!

— Ajakaa, ajakaa vain Birźeen… niin saatte nähdä, — sanoi

Mirski.

— Takaisin Kiejdanyyn! — huusi Kowalski.

— Jollei teitä siellä panna seinää vastaan ja ammuta, niin

peittyköön pääni sianharjaksilla! — huudahti Oskierka. — Kuinka te
kehtaatte astua hetmanin kasvojen eteen? Hyi! Häpeä teitä
odottaa… ja kuula kalloon — eikä mitään muuta!
 — Muuta en ole ansainnutkaan! — huokasi onneton nuorimies.

— Typeryyksiä! Ainoastaan me voimme pelastaa teidät, — sanoi

Oskierka. — Te tiedätte, että me olimme valmiit hetmanin kanssa
lähtemään vaikka maailman ääriin ja kaatumaan. Monta kertaa
olemme vuodattaneet vertamme isänmaan puolesta ja mielellämme
vastedeskin vuodatamme, mutta hetmani on pettänyt isänmaan,
antanut tämän maan vihollisen käsiin, yhdistynyt sen kanssa
armollista kuningastamme vastaan, kuningasta, jolle olemme
uskollisuutta vannoneet. Te luulette ehkä, että sellaisille sotilaille kuin
me on ollut helppo rikkoa kuri ja asettua omaa hetmaniamme
vastaan? Mutta se, joka nyt on hetmanin puolella, se on isänmaata
vastaan! Joka on hetmanin puolella, on kuningasta vastaan ja
isänmaan petturi! Me viskasimme komentosauvamme hetmanin
jalkoihin, koska omatunto, velvollisuus ja kunnia niin käski. Ja kuka
sen teki, minäkö vain yksin? Ei, myöskin herrat Mirski ja Stankiewicz,
jotka ovat maamme parhaimpia ja kunnioitetuimpia sotureita!…
Mutta ketkä jäivät hänen puolelleen? Roistot! Entä te, miks'ette
seuraa teitä vanhempien ja kokeneempien miesten esimerkkiä?
Tahdotteko häväistä nimenne, saada petturin maineen?… Kysykää
omaltatunnoltanne mitä on tehtävä: palvellako Radziwillia, petturia,
vai seuratako meitä, jotka tahdomme vuodattaa veremme isänmaan
puolesta?

Nämä sanat näyttivät vaikuttaneen Kowalskiin kovasti.

— Mitä te minusta oikein tahdotte? — kysyi hän hetken kuluttua.

— Että te lähtisitte kanssamme Vitebskin vojevodan luo, joka tulee

taistelemaan isänmaan puolesta.

— Mutta kun olen saanut käskyn viedä teidät Birźeen?…

 — Puhu sille vielä! — sanoi Mirski tuskastuneena.

— Sitäpä juuri tahdomme, että te ette noudattaisi käskyä, vaan

seuraisitte meitä, ymmärrättekö! — tiuskaisi Oskierka
kärsimättömästi.

— Puhukaa mitä hyvänsä, mutta siitä ei tule mitään… Minä olen

sotilas. Minkä arvoinen olisin, jos hetmanin jättäisin? Minä en
määrää, vaan hän. Jos hän tekee syntiä, niin vastatkoon sekä
omasta että minun puolestani, minun velvollisuuteni on vain
totella!…

— Tehkää kuten haluatte! — huusi Mirski.

— Väärin tein, — jatkoi Roch, — kun käskin kääntymään takaisin

Kiejdanyyn, koska olen saanut määräyksen Birźeen. Enpä enää
tiedä mitä teen, ja syynä kaikkeen on se aatelismies, joka, niin
sukulainen kuin onkin, on tehnyt minulle koiruutta… Sillä miehellä ei
ole Jumalaa, koska ilkesi pettää minulta hevosen ja ruhtinaan
suosion ja päällepäätteeksi syöstä niskaani kuolemantuomion…
Ihana sukulainen! Ja Birźeen me tästä käännymme, käyköön miten
hyvänsä!

He kääntyivätkin uudelleen Birźeen. Roch Kowalski käski yhden

rakuunoista istumaan rattaille, nousi itse tämän hevosen selkään ja
ajoi ihan vankien vieressä hokien itsekseen ehtimän takaa:

— Sukulainen! Mokoma sukulainen!

Huolimatta vaarallisesta asemastaan ja painostavasta

epävarmuudesta vangit eivät voineet pidättää naurua kuullessaan
Kowalskin manauksia. Vihdoin Wolodyjowski puuttui puheeseen:
 — Älkää surko, herra Kowalski, sillä se mies on puijannut
viisaampia kuin te… Itse Chmielnickin hän on pettänyt pahasti.

Sitten everstit keskustelivat herra Zaglobasta ja hänen

ihmeellisestä paostaan.

— On todella merkillistä, — sanoi herra Wolodyjowski, — mutta

eipä löydy maailmassa asemaa, josta mies ei itseään pelastaisi.
Missä miehuus ja voima eivät auta, siinä auttaa viekkaus. Toiset
menettävät rohkeutensa, kun kuolema heitä uhkaa, tai uskovat
itsensä Jumalan haltuun odottaen mitä tuleman pitää, mutta hän
alkaa heti miettiä pelastuskeinoa ja keksii aina jotakin. Hän voi
tarpeen vaatiessa olla urhoollinen kuin Akilles, mutta seuraa
mieluummin Odysseuksen jälkiä.

— Enpä tahtoisi vahtia häntä, vaikka hän istuisi peitsien välissä, —

sanoi Stankiewicz, — sillä vähätpä siitä, että hän karkaisi, mutta kun
hän vielä saattaa toisen naurunalaiseksi.

— Aivan niin! — virkkoi Michal Wolodyjowski. — Kyllä Kowalski

nyt saa kuulla kunniansa. Jumala varjelkoon ketään joutumasta
hänen kielensä piestäväksi, sillä sitä terävämpää ei ole koko
valtakunnassa… Kun hän alkaa tapansa mukaan koristella
kertomuksiaan, niin ihmiset ihan pakahtuvat naurusta…

— Hänen pakonsa on meille suureksi hyödyksi, — puuttui

Oskierka puheeseen, — sillä hän vei hetmanin kirjeen muassaan, ja
kuka tietää mitä siinä oli kirjoitettu meistä… Luulen, ettei
ruotsalainen komendantti Birźessä meistä paljoakaan välitä, jollei
Kowalskikaan. Me tulemme sinne vankeina, mutta hän vartioston
päällikkönä. Varmaa kuitenkin on, ettei perillä tiedetä, mitä meille on
tehtävä. Missään tapauksessa ei kaulojamme katkaista, ja sehän on
pääasia.

— Sanoin vain niin, — vastasi Mirski, — peloittaakseni

Kowalskia… Mutta mitä tulee siihen, ettei kaulojamme katkaistaisi,
niin siitä on vähän lohdutusta, sillä kaikesta päättäen puhkeaa kohta
vielä yksi sota, kansalaissota, ja silloin ovat kaikki hukassa.

Tähän tapaan everstit keskustelivat yhä edelleen. Sitten kääntyi

puhe taas herra Zaglobaan, ja Wolodyjowski vakuutti, että he voivat
luottaa karkurin apuun, sillä se mies ei ikänä heittäisi ystäviään
onnettomuuteen.

— Olen varma, — sanoi hän, — että Zagloba on paennut Upitaan,

missä minun joukkoni ovat, jollei niitä ole jo lyöty hajalle tai viety
väkipakolla Kiejdanyyn. Niitten kanssa hän rientää avuksemme,
mikäli ne häneen yhtyvät, jota en epäile, koska joukoissani on paljon
laudalaisia, ja laudalaiset pitävät minusta.

— Mutta hehän ovat Radziwillin puoluelaisia? — huomautti Mirski.

— He ovat kyllä olleet, mutta saatuaan kuulla Liettuan

luovuttamisesta ruotsalaisille, sotahetmani Judyckin, teidän ja minun
vangitsemisesta, he varmaan kääntyvät hetmanista. He ovat kunnon
aatelisia, ja Zagloba osaa kyllä höystää hetmanin toimenpiteet
paremmin kuin yksikään meistä.

— Mutta sillä aikaa me olemme ehtineet jo Birźeen, — valitti

Stanislaw
Skrzetuski.
 — Mahdotonta, sillä me teemme suuren mutkan välttääksemme
Upitan, mutta Upitasta kulkee tie suoraan Birźeen. Vaikka he
lähtisivät liikkeelle päivää, jopa kahtakin myöhemmin, he
saavuttaisivat kuitenkin meidät matkalla. Me emme ole vielä
Szawlessa, ja Upitasta on lyhyempi matka Birźeen kuin Szawleen.

Illan tullen he saapuivat vihdoin Szawleen. Matkalla he panivat

merkille, että kaikissa kylissä ja kauppaloissa oli jo rauhatonta.
Nähtävästi tieto hetmanin liittymisestä ruotsalaisiin oli jo ennättänyt
levitä yli Samogitian. Siellä täällä kysyttiin sotilailta, oliko totta, että
maa jätetään ruotsalaisille; siellä täällä nähtiin joukoittain talonpoikia
vaimoineen ja lapsineen lähdössä syviin metsiin. Toisin paikoin
talonpojat käyttäytyivät kerrassaan uhkaavasti; nähtävästi he pitivät
rakuunoita ruotsalaisina. Kylissä, joissa oli aatelisia, kysyttiin heiltä
suoraan, keitä he olivat ja minne ajoivat, ja kun Kowalski, sen sijaan
että olisi vastannut heidän kysymyksiinsä, komensi väistymään tieltä,
syntyi siitä sellainen melu ja hälinä, että vasta väkijoukkoon
suunnatut musketit tekivät mahdolliseksi jatkaa matkaa.

Suuri maantie Kownosta Szawlen kautta Mitauhun oli täynnä

kuormia ja rattaita, joissa aatelisten vaimot ja lapset pakenivat sotaa
Kuurinmaalle. Itse Szawlessa, kuninkaankartanossa, ei näkynyt
olevan ensinkään hetmanin sotaväkeä. Sitävastoin vangit näkivät
täällä ensi kerran 25-miehisen ratsastavan ruotsalaisen joukko-
osaston, joka oli lähetetty Birźestä tiedustelumatkalle. Juutalaisia ja
porvareita seisoskeli torilla töllistellen muukalaisia, ja myöskin
everstit katselivat heitä uteliaina, etenkin Wolodyjowski, joka ei
milloinkaan ollut vielä ruotsalaisia nähnyt; hän tarkasteli heitä ahnain
silmäyksin, kuten susi lammaslaumaa, ja kierteli viiksiään.