Jodie's confidence in her plan diminished thirty minutes after her meal as she questioned her ability to change the visions. This came after remembering her failure to save her mother despite having three months' notice of the tragedy. Perhaps that was different, though, as she'd seen that the woman passed away from a strange illness.
With a sigh, she reclined on the bed, her fingers entwined over her belly as she stared at the ceiling.
She had been afflicted by this oddity since she could remember her name. Her visions did not follow a pattern and occurred infrequently. They hadn't helped her avoid danger either. If only she'd seen a vision that she'd been spurned by her mate, banished, and held hostage by another pack. If it was even a pack. She still had no clue where she was or why the strange men had saved her. Her life had felt lackluster before. Now, she could barely keep up with everything that was happening. And she sort of had her wolf now? Her old pack members would have a field day with this.
The door opened again, and Jodie turned expecting to see Ingrid's bright face, but was confronted by a man's scowl. The one who rescued and brought her here--the second person whose death she foresaw. She sprang to her feet immediately, on edge. She didn't know whether to fight or flee or simply stare at him. He was unlike any man she had ever seen. She vaguely remembered him before she passed out but didn't recall him looking this good. Maybe it was because the black paint was now gone.
Shivers ran through her as he approached, giving her a skeptical look as if he could see into her head. It made her very uneasy. Strangely his eyes were like dark chocolate—the deepest shade of brown. Last she remembered they were black--it was probably a wolf thing but whatever it was eluded her. As his gaze scrolled once down the length of her body, her nipples hardened.
He was the complete opposite of her ex-mate. Everywhere her former Alpha had been soft, the man before her was hard. His jaw was chiseled to perfection, and his cheekbones were high and sharp. His hair was a deep midnight color, and she found herself imagining what it would feel like to run her fingers through it. He was tall, taller than Alpha Ken, and she could tell he spent long hours working out by his strong arms and defined chest. He wasn't like any man she'd ever seen, Alpha or normal wolf.
Jodie cleared her throat, trying to distract herself from her wayward thoughts. The last thing she should be doing was ogling her captor.
"Who are you, and why am I here?"
Ares had a sixth sense. He could sense danger from miles away, or even a feet away. But he didn't need his sixth sense to know the little wolf had been checking him out. It made him uncomfortable for some blasted reason. What did she think of him? The thought was ridiculous given he didn't care what anyone thought of him. He was a hardened killer, not a teenage boy on the cusp of manhood. Still, there was something about her that drew him in. It was more than their turbulent past. He didn't like whatever it was either.
The fact he had to keep her alive for the next two months weighed on him again. He would be much better wrapping his hands around her delicate throat and squeezing until she called his name for mercy. He shifted uncomfortably as his thoughts went south. He probably needed to sleep. He hadn't slept in a week. He was so consumed by the mission. By the woman in front of him.
"I'm Ares, Alpha of the Phoenix pack."
"Phoenix pack?" The name sounded familiar. It felt like something she should know but had forgotten. Maybe she'd seen it in a vision? No, she always remembered her visions--like the one of his sister. Her head shook in dismay.
Ares raised his eyebrows at her odd movements. Ingrid was right. The girl was strange. What exactly had she endured in her former pack? It meant little to him, but he did need her in the right state of mind. Maybe that was why she had to be here longer. To acclimate and get better. Better enough for what was to come next.
Jodie picked at her fingernails. The thing about her visions was, there was no time limit. She could never tell when they would happen. The events leading up to a vision never showed, just the moment itself. Ingrid could be getting murdered right now, or tomorrow. She tried to remember the surroundings she saw in the vision, but everything was hazy.
"How safe is your sister?" she suddenly asked Ares. He folded his arms, causing his biceps to flex.
"I wouldn't be too worried about my sister." The girl was definitely insane. He expected more questions, maybe an escape or two, but not this pacing and faraway look in her eyes. It made sense that she turned out to be a nut job. The entire lineage was crazy.
Jodie stared at Ares knowing he probably thought her mad. She felt mad sometimes. The only other anomalies in the werewolf world afflicted with such visions were seers. But, Jodie wasn't a seer. Esmelralda, her one and only friend from the Whispering Moon pack, had confirmed it. For the longest time, Jodie had believed she wasn't a wolf either. But now she had her wolf, so she was definitely a werewolf. Her visions were also never wrong. She suddenly saw herself standing over Ares, and stabbing him. Someone would kill his sister, and she would kill him. She felt so sick.
"You should be worried," Jodie looked away.
"What do you know?" he inched closer to her.
"Nothing. Why am I here? Why did you save me?" You should have left me on the forest floor.
"You don't get to ask questions, only I do. Ingrid will show you your room," Ares replied coolly.
"I'll get a room?" Jodie asked, surprised.
"Would you prefer the dungeon? That can be arranged," he shot back, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"What if I want to leave?" She lifted her chin in defiance. She hadn't taken orders from the Alpha who rejected her, and she certainly wouldn't from this one.
Ares suddenly smiled, transforming his face completely. It wasn't a genuine smile, yet it made him seem less threatening. "Leave then," he said, a challenge glinting in his eyes.
Jodie swallowed. This was her opportunity to leave, but it was also a trap. With a sudden clarity, she realized she couldn't leave just yet. His men might kill her before she got anywhere, and she had nowhere else to go. She might have lucked out on those rogues but who was to say if she would survive the next ones she saw. Especially if she went into heat again. Her cheeks flushed.
He and his men must have smelled her scent earlier, even though she had been in her last stages of heat. But most importantly, for some inexplicable reason, she didn't want Ingrid to die. The girl had been kind to her--people were rarely kind to her and the death was going to be gruesome. If there was anything Jodie could do to stop it, she would. Even if it meant staying in this pack with this strange man that did strange things to her wolf. Ares must have figured out her decision as he turned to leave the room.
"Why Phoenix?" Jodie asked. She didn't think he would answer.
"Isn't it obvious? We rose from the ashes." He said, before closing the door. Jodie stared at the white walls in thought. Was this a rebirth for her as well? She really wished it would be so. She needed it to be.