Pack Mentality: Wild at Heart

Chapter 1

Despite all the freedom and joy full moons gave him, Seth had hated them for a long time. He loved to shift and run, but it also reminded him of how different he was from everyone he cared about, how much of a danger he was to their lives. Scheduling his life around full moons meant not hanging out with friends and, until he gained enough control over his wolf, passing on wrestling matches on the indie circuit. It had taken years, but now it felt like he finally had the equation solved. He could work out without betraying his true strength and attracting unwanted attention in the gym. He could train his students or wrestle a match without worrying about losing control and hurting someone. Sex was even an option on the full moon now—and better yet, Becky loved it as much as he did.

The morning lessons at Black & Brave were running late, and normally Seth wouldn't mind: the students were dedicated and asking good questions, and overall it was a really good crop of wrestlers. Some, in his opinion, already had enough skills to compete in NXT. He had really been hoping to spend the afternoon with Becky, though, and time was ticking away. As the students were climbing into the ring, Seth felt Becky's arms wrap around his waist from behind, and she kissed his back. "I can drive myself home," she said softly. "You're having a good session. Let it run."

Seth turned around and kissed her. "Are you sure? They all know the class was supposed to end half an hour ago...." Some students, sadly, were often more interested in Seth Rollins autographs and seeing which of his WWE friends might stop in at the academy, but this batch was truly interested in the craft.

Becky nodded. "It's not far, and I should try getting more comfortable driving around here." Normally she was quite content to let Seth drive, but the Davenport area was nowhere near as busy as Los Angeles, so he had suggested she take advantage of the quieter traffic to hone her skills. Her Iowa car was one step above a beater, but it was good enough for what she needed; half the time it ended up being parked at Black & Brave because they usually went home together. So far, she was still happier when Seth drove, but also quite capable of getting to places she knew if he wasn't available. She kissed him again and lowered her voice to add, "And if I get home before you, then maybe I can arrange a surprise...."

"Would this surprise have anything to do with that unmarked box that arrived for you the other day?" Seth grinned. They were essentially living together, splitting their time between his place and hers when they weren't on the road. He didn't think he would ever get used to Los Angeles, but being there with Becky made it tolerable; it wasn't like Iowa would ever be her first choice either.

"Maybe...." Becky kissed him again, taking her hand off his shoulder only long enough to give the middle finger to one of the students who had jokingly started singing Seth and Becky wrestling in a ring, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. "So I'll let you go. Stay as long as you need. Just text when you're on your way so I can make sure everything's ready, okay?"

"Will do." After stealing one more kiss, Seth turned to his students. "Since things are rolling—that pun was for you, Becks," he said with a wink, "we can keep going for another hour, but that's all. It's not mandatory, but you're welcome to stay. Understood?" When the students all agreed, he motioned to Becky and added, "Becky has to go, though, so let's all thank her for her insights today."

The students started clapping and cheering, and Becky took a little bow. "Always happy to share my expertise. Good luck with your matches this weekend, and I'll see you soon." Waving, she made her way to the locker room to get her things.

For a moment, Seth considered following her. The class had technically ended, so he was under no obligation to stay, but teaching meant a lot to him. At first, it was a way to share a business with his best friend and stay in shape while at home in Iowa, but he had truly found his groove. Not only would it be a way to stay involved in wrestling when he retired from in-ring action, but it was also a way to contribute to the upcoming generations of wrestlers by instilling good habits, safe working methods, and business acumen—all qualities often lacking in indie wrestling. "Okay. What do you want to drill: clotheslines or leg sweeps?"

Seth was so in his element that he lost track of time, and one hour became almost two. He probably would have gone on even longer if one of his students hadn't piped up. "I'm really sorry," Cari said, ducking under the ropes. "But my shift starts at five and I have to get home and change."

"Oh shit." Seth glanced at the wall clock and clapped his hands sharply. "Okay, that's all for today, everybody." He was prepared to tell them not to complain, that they had already had almost two extra hours of instruction, but none of the students were griping. "Quick showers. We need to be out of here in ten minutes."

"So Becky doesn't kick your ass?" Henry, a mid-level student who put Seth in mind of The Miz, teased before ducking into the safety of the locker room.

"Something like that." It made Seth chuckle. They had tried being subtle when they were at Black & Brave, but it hadn't lasted long and most of the students didn't mind. The only ones who grumbled about it were the ones Seth suspected had a crush on him—or Becky. While the students filed back to the locker rooms, Seth went to the office and grabbed his phone. Sorry, lost track of time. Leaving in fifteen, he wrote, following it up with a heart.

Seth was surprised he didn't have any messages from Becky waiting for him, but even more so when she didn't reply right away. Hope the surprise wasn't food related, he thought with a grimace. If she had planned a special late lunch, it would be cold by now. When Becky still hadn't responded by the time the last of the students were out and he locked the doors behind them, he texted again. Just doing the final walk-through. Leaving in five.

There were weights to be put away and some towels forgotten on the floor, but Seth left them where they were. They weren't hurting anyone and could easily be dealt with tomorrow. The silence coming from his phone was more concerning. Even if Becky was planning a surprise, she should have responded by then, if only to tease him with a winking emoji or a cryptic picture. Once he was satisfied that everything was safe enough for the night, Seth packed up his bag, set the alarm, and went out the back. I shouldn't have let things run so late, especially without Marek there. Marek had needed to leave early to take his son to an appointment, and Seth hadn't thought anything of it, especially since Becky had been there.

As he pulled into the driveway, Seth instinctively reached for his phone and sent a house emoji to Becky, warning her that he was there—or at least he tried to. The ellipsis that showed whether a message was sent kept rippling over and over and over, so he finally just jammed his phone in his pocket and headed for the front door. He was sweaty, in gym clothes, and had no clue if Becky was ready for his arrival, but there wasn't much he could do about any of those things now.

Taking the shortcut across the grass, Seth stepped on something hard and nearly lost his footing. "What the fuck?" The lawn was freshly mowed, so there shouldn't have been anything buried in the grass. Stepping back, he bent down and saw a small black device. "Walkie-talkie?" he muttered, picking it up gingerly. He and his brother had walkie-talkies when they were kids, much to his mother's dismay, but he hadn't seen them in years. This device had too many antennae, though, and no talk button.

It was also covered in blood. Werewolf blood.