Paranormal Romance and Romantic Suspense Author Caridad Pineiro

Undead Uprising Chapter 16

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I just realized that it’s been a few weeks since you had a chance to follow the adventures of Catalina in UNDEAD UPRISING. So this week’s Wicked Wednesday brings you another installment of my urban fantasy involving a twist to the werewolf mythology, battles with vampires and a struggle for control in a werewolf pack. I hope you like this next free chapter that I’m offering you.

In the prior chapter, Catalina and her half-sister Helena have met with their father, their other half-sister Selena as well as one of their clients. Tempers have flared during their meeting and the family is less one client. Catalina’s father has given her instructions on what to do about Hemmerich, one of the pack’s alpha wolves and a prospective suitor for Catalina. In this chapter, Catalina follows her father’s commands, but is surprised by the outcome.

For those of you who may have missed the first chapters, you can read them here:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15

Chapter 16

She wasn’t sure what annoyed her more — that Hemmerich hadn’t complained or her half-sister Selena’s smug smile as she had led him out of her office to show him where he would now be working.

“What do you make of that?” Helena asked from the sofa where she sat.

“I don’t. How about you?”

Helena shrugged. “It’s almost like he’s glad about it.”

She recalled the look on Hemmerich’s face as she had made the announcement about his reassignment. Helena’s comment wasn’t so wrong. There had been a glimmer of . . . satisfaction before he had controlled his features. “We’ve been played. He wanted to be here all along and we gave him exactly what he wanted.”

Sliding forward on the sofa and then rising, Helena smoothed the front of her jacket. “More reason to keep an eye on him.”

She examined her sister, recollecting her father’s words of the day before: Helena is one you need to watch. With a nod, Catalina said, “I’ll be sure to watch my back.”

Her half-sister’s head shot up at her words, obviously aware that she wasn’t referring just to Hemmerich. “As I will when I hunt tonight, hermana.”

Guilt came as it always did at the mention of the hunt since Catalina would not be there to safeguard the pack. She followed her Helena as she walked to the door.

“Helena,” Catalina said and laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder.

Helena half turned, a puzzled look on her face.

“I know we haven’t been close — ”

“You are a master of understatement,” Helena said and looked away. After she did so, she added in soft tones, “I know you don’t trust me. In your shoes, I probably wouldn’t either only . . . ”

Helena faced her then, her crystal blue eyes glistening with tears no alpha would shed. “We have to start believing in each other sometime, don’t we?”

Did they? Catalina wondered, but didn’t say, knowing that it best not to reveal too much when you hadn’t yet decided if someone was friend or foe. With a nod, she repeated her half-sister’s words. “We have to start sometime. Be safe tonight, hermana.”

“You, too. Have an easy change,” Helena replied and after, walked out.

Catalina closed the door and then leaned back against it, confused by the emotions swirling within her. For too long she had been at odds with Helena and Selena and now . . .

She wanted to trust Helena. She needed reliable people around her if she was to lead with any level of comfort. And she wanted to believe that Selena was just misguided rather than actively plotting with Hemmerich. Having both her sisters on her side, along with Hembra and her father, would cement the Villalobos’s leadership of the pack.

Without their support . . .

It would only make a hard job she didn’t want to do all that much more difficult.