Free The Bucklin Wolves Next Generation: Return by Jessica Ryan Page A

aren’t here to kill werewolves. We’re here to build a casino.”
    “That’s not going to happen,” Jacko said, turning to Ms. Wilson. “Not as long as we’re under fire.”
    “Explain,” Ms. Wilson demanded.
    “See for yourself,” Jacko said, then pulled out his flashlight and shone it on the other side of the yard.
    “Oh my…” Maribel began before turning away to throw up the alcohol Seth had filled her with.
    Seth shook his head in disgust and looked back at Jacko. One of his men lay on the ground, ripped to shreds by what appeared to be a very large animal—at least the size of an alpha wolf. It wasn’t a good sign—it was a terrible sign, actually.
    “What happened?” Seth asked somberly.
    “A wolf attacked us while we were running drills,” Jacko said. “A very big wolf. It was on Chalmers there so fast we didn’t know what was happening until he was dead. We shot at it, but I don’t think we hit it. It ran into the alley, but it taunted us for a bit before it disappeared right before you got here.”
    “How did you alert Ms. Wilson in all that commotion?” Seth asked. “She came and got me at your behest.”
    “I have a radio,” Jacko said. “It runs directly to her cell phone. I started shouting commands and she went on the move.”
    Something isn’t right, Seth thought, surveying the scene and trying to put it together. Something isn’t adding up here. Why was she…
    His thoughts were interrupted by Maribel sidling up to him and burying her face in his side. “It’s horrible, Seth. I can’t look.”
    “Go home,” he whispered. “We’ll meet about this tomorrow. We’ll get it figured out.”
    “You’d better get it figured out soon,” Jacko said. “We’re going after the monster tomorrow.”
    “Monster?” Seth asked. “You’re talking about my people.” Although for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why any of them would attack the security team.
    “Your people?” Jacko asked. “No, mate, that wasn’t one of your people. I would recognize the description of that big-ass wolf anywhere.”
    Seth didn’t like where this was going. He winced as Jacko said the name and smiled—obviously deriving some sort of sick pleasure from the name bomb he had just dropped in Seth’s lap.
    “Rowan,” Jacko repeated. “It was Rowan, and that’s a fact.”
    Seth gritted his teeth and shook his head. “Impossible. He’s at least a hundred miles away and has no claim to this place anymore. How would he know what was happening here, anyway?”
    “I don’t know, buddy,” Jacko said. “But it was him. I always know a job before I go on it. That was your half-brother.”
    “We meet at eight in the morning, sharp,” Seth said, turning to walk out of the yard. He had to process this and call William.
    “I hope you have a plan, Seth,” Jacko said. “Otherwise I’m going to do my job and there won’t be any family reunions after I finish. Bank on it.”
    Seth could only nod. He had signed the agreement, and there was nothing he could do to hold Jacko back. He had to figure this out before Jacko did, otherwise there would be a lot of dead wolves in Bucklin…or a very dead security team.
     

Chapter 9
    “And that’s why I’m recommending we receive clearance from corporate to go on a special mission to hunt Rowan and his warriors down in the national forest so they won’t cause us any additional problems. I’m talking scorched earth here. No survivors. It’s my belief that they’ve placed a territorial claim on this place and they wish to defend it to the death.”
    Seth leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as Jacko laid down his plan to hunt down and kill Seth’s half-brother. He still refused to believe that Rowan had been involved at all. Ever since Jacko had set foot in his town he had been uneasy and the events of the night before had done nothing to assuage those feelings.
    “Very good,” a voice on the speakerphone in the middle of the table