Moon's Web

by C. T. Adams

  I shook off the momentary panic. Sue was right here beside me, warm; alive. This mental shield was just a new kind. That’s what I kept repeating to myself, but I wasn’t believing me. I shivered the darkness. I might as well get up and see where I was and what was happening.

  I gently moved away from Sue and slid my feet out from under the covers until I was sitting. Again I had to fight the panic of solitude. My breathing increased and my heart quickened. I reached behind me and found Sue’s warm form. I removed my hand. Just a touch seemed to be enough to fight the eerie sense of dread.

  What the hell was happening to me? I shook my head.

  A whisper came from the darkness. “Ah. You wake, Tony. Is good. Come, they wait for you. We must let your mate sleep, but you are needed.”

  Was it important that Sue stay asleep? I didn’t know. I decided to be quiet, as well, just in case.

  “What’s been happening, Yurgi? Where am I?” I glanced behind me to see that Sue was oblivious to the noise. She was still nestled in a deep, penetrating sleep.

  Sounds and motion flooded my ears and eyes as Yurgi stood. The birch bark scent became stronger as he stepped forward. He leaned down close to my ear. “You remember my name. Is good. It has been most busy since you arrived, Tony. Is very important that Nikoli see you right away.”

  “So I’m at pack headquarters?” He nodded in the darkness. I could see his glowing head move up and down.

  “They brought you to the den—the hotel—until all is done. The powerful Councilman who is nearly legend among my people in Siberia was carrying you. The snake who smelled sick is in the next room, also sleeping. The healer, who I am told is a bobcat on the moon, she is like the nervous hen. She runs back and forth often to be sure that you are both becoming better. I was told to stay with you, to be certain you slept and then woke safely, because she had to go back to the healer meeting.”

  I yawned and stretched, and was a little weirded out when I had to—had to—touch Sue once again. It was a disturbing trend.

  I was stalling leaving the bed, and I knew it. I just couldn’t seem to help it. “Why has it been busy around here, Yurgi?”

  “The meeting!” he exclaimed quietly, with surprise in his voice and his scent. Then he slapped his forehead lightly. “But yes, how could you know?”

  I smiled in the darkness, knowing he couldn’t see. How indeed? I figured he’d smell the curiosity, which was fine.

  “Our pack has been very honored, Tony. All of the most powerful Sazi leaders will meet in our den, right downstairs. But is much trouble to make the hotel ready. Soon guests will arrive and everything must be just so. My Pamela, she is in charge of the decorations—honoring the holy days from around the world: the Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa…”

  I smiled at his obvious pride in his wife. So, the meeting was on. I wished I could have seen Nikoli’s face when Lucas told him. “Anything else I should know?”

  “Yes. Our most gracious Alpha has been further honored. He will represent all of the wolves of the world at the council meeting.”

  I pursed my lips. That was news.

  “Is very humbling, Tony, to meet these great ones and to know that our pack leader is so respected as to sit at the same table, protecting the thousands of wolves in the world. The different species, they fight and fight for dominance always. But our Alpha is strong. He will protect us from the other Sazi. Never have I met the leaders of the other Sazi—the great cats, and raptors and snakes. Is a very exciting time, even if frightening.”

  I furrowed my brow in the darkness and could even smell my own curiosity. “Why is it frightening?”

  “Have you not felt it—the magic that makes the skin crawl? But no, perhaps you are powerful enough. Even when Alpha Santiago and the healer try to be careful, it hurts to be near them. Is making the rest of the pack afraid; the stronger wolves snap and growl at the lesser ones. Not even the children are spared their anger. I worry of our pack mates’ reaction when the other council members arrive. Only a few hours, and already the children hide and cry. I am accustomed to the pain of being near powerful wolves. Everyone is more powerful than Yurgi. But to have so many so strong, all here at once—is a worry for those unprepared. Nikoli is so involved with preparing as he has not noticed.”

  That was a good point. I’d have to bring it up to Nikoli and Lucas. Most of the members of the pack aren’t much more powerful than me. Only Lelya and Nikoli are alphic. We wouldn’t want the security risk of someone going nuts because they couldn’t handle being around the big dogs, whatever the species. Frightened people make mistakes, sometimes deadly ones.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slow. Okay, time to go face the dragon—which reminded me. “How’s Asri? Is she recovering from her…illness?”

  Yurgi’s voice was a little surprised. “I am surprised you know of our enforcer. She dropped to the floor while speaking to Nikoli downstairs last night. I was probably not supposed to see, but she was pale and writhing in pain. Nikoli, he was very worried. We were fortunate to have a great healer visiting the Duchess—the wife of Alpha Santiago. She was able to heal Mistress Asri so that she is better now.”

  So that’s where Tatya was this morning…keeping Asri alive and kicking. The things you learn when you ask questions.

  Another deep breath was called for. I stood up and reached out for the bedside lamp. A soft glow lit the room when I clicked the first setting. We were in a two-room, impressively ornate suite, not just a simple hotel room. I wondered what I did right to rate the royal treatment.

  Yurgi was horrified. “But no. We must not wake your mate. The healer, she was most firm.” He started to reach out for the lamp to turn it off, but I stopped him by grabbing his arm. Thankfully, nothing happened.

  I turned my head to glance at Sue. There was no movement. “It’s okay, Yurgi. She’s in a magical sleep. She’ll only wake up when Amber wants her to.”

  Yurgi looked skeptical for a moment. Then he glanced at Sue to see that she was out cold. “Perhaps you are right, Tony. She sleeps even still. But come, let us hurry. Nikoli and the others wait.”

  It only took a few minutes to dress, and run a comb through my hair. They hadn’t brought my toothbrush but, frankly, I wouldn’t want it anyway after Bobby used it. There was one of the trial sizes of mouthwash, though, so I used that.

  I noticed that Lucas and the others had provided a clean change of clothes, folded neatly on a turn of the century rosewood wing chair. My favorite Taurus, from the box that Carmine gave me, was resting on top of the clothes in the well-used inner pants holster. I opened the cylinder and removed a shell. Now, why had someone loaded it with the silver bullets? The rounds were definitely the ones I’d made. I couldn’t see Amber taking the effort. Bobby might, if it occurred to him. Would Lucas?

  Regardless, I strapped it on and then zipped my pants.

  “Ah! Tony, I forget,” Yurgi said quietly. “Nikoli ask me to give you knife from battle as reward.” He reached in his pocket and handed me a nylon sheath containing the silver push knife. I removed it from the nylon. It would fit in my boot. I put ceramic knife on the dresser.

  I glanced once more at Sue’s sleeping form, and fought the urge to touch her. Another deep breath, filled this time with Yurgi’s birch bark scent and his growing impatience. I closed my hands into fists and squeezed tight for a moment. I’d been through worse. I’d get through this. But I would be back to hold her very soon.

  “Let’s go.” My words were slightly above a snarl, even though I hadn’t intended to. But Yurgi stepped back a pace.

  “You see?” He said quietly. “Even you are affected.”

  “It’s not the magic, Yurgi. It’s…” Actually, he could be right. I don’t know anything about the magic that was cutting me off from Sue. “Never mind. Let’s go find Nikoli.”

  I flicked off the bedside light and wound my way through the furniture to the door. As I got closer, I realized why we had been put in a suite. The heavier doo
r muffled the yelling and pounding feet in the hallway. While most of the swearing was in Russian, some phrases were English, and quite colorful.

  I opened the door with Yurgi tight to my heels. I backed up quickly, bumping into him. A small Latina human, her arms loaded with fluffy white towels, dashed by at high speed. I’d nearly creamed her.

  I turned and apologized to Yurgi, who was rubbing his nose. “Sorry.”

  “Is all right,” he replied. He sighed. “Will be more bumps soon. Yurgi was glad to sit by the bed of Tony and his mate. Was peaceful.”

  The strong scents of ammonia, bleach and vinegar filled the air and made me sneeze repeatedly. Not emotions this time—cleaning solutions. My eye caught movement and sound as I stood erect after my sneezing fit. Suddenly, an armful of sheets flew by us, tossed off the landing above into the central lobby. I walked the few paces to the ornate wrought iron railing. Sheets and towels were flying down from every level, and the children I’d met at the apartment were scrambling to pick them up and stuff them into large cloth bags.

  Yurgi spoke into my ear quietly. “You see? Is chaos. We’ve never guests here. There are many tasks, and we know little of making hotel ready.”

  He was right. I watched as the woman with the towels was directed to another task by Boris, an old wolf just barely above Yurgi in the pack. She put down the towels on the floor on the other side of the circular hallway. Moments after she left, a voice screamed, “Celia! Where are those towels?”

  Alena poked her head out of a doorway further down and yelled her name, as well. Celia stopped and turned, while Boris called for her to follow him. She looked back and forth as the three continued to call. Then she burst into tears and sat down on the floor right where she’d stood.

  “This is ridiculous.” I glanced over at Yurgi, who was nodding.

  “I would go back to watch over your mate if you ordered,” he said somewhat wistfully. His eyes were a little wide. I think he was hoping I would do just that.

  A rustling sound took my attention away from the drama on the other side of the hotel. I glanced to my left. The leaves of a large potted plant were moving slightly. I backed up and lowered my head so I could see better. A pair of panicked blue eyes appeared through the leafy green and a burst of hot and sour soup filled my nose over the strong chemicals. I recognized those eyes. Yurgi did, as well.

  “What are you doing here, Denis?” Yurgi’s voice was slightly stern. “You are to be helping your braht, Alek, gather beddings for laundry.”

  His voice was a whisper. I had to struggle to hear him over the yelling that was echoing off the high ceiling. “I made Sergei mad. Alek told me to hide. Please don’t let him find me.”

  I knew that Sergei had a bad temper. It probably hadn’t improved with the silver bullet I’d put in his arm.

  I shook my head. I remembered when I was growing up, having to hide from trigger-tempered adults. I’ve never liked it much that people yell at little kids. I reached out to grasp his arm. “Let’s go find your mother, Denis. Sergei will be able to see you through the railing.”

  Denis turned his head and blanched. The hot and sour turned to ammonia panic. The logic had escaped him that if he could see out, others could see in.

  He flinched and whimpered when my hand closed around his arm. He pulled back sharply when I started to tug him out from behind the plant. He smelled of Worcestershire sauce, the scent of pain. It mingled with the hot and sour soup and made my jaw tight. I furrowed my brow in concern as my nostrils flared to catch more of the scent. Yurgi likewise knelt by the boy’s side. I raised the sleeve on his thin arm. There was a deep black bruise that hadn’t been there the other day. “What happened to your arm?”

  Denis’s eyes dropped to the floor. “I made Sergei mad. He tripped over me when his arms were full of glasses. Some of them broke. I got away because he still was holding one tray and couldn’t get a better grip on me with his hurt arm. But now he’s looking. I think he’ll hit me if he finds me.”

  I was betting he was right. This might not be the reason they gave me my gun, but it would be handy. I really don’t like people hurting kids.

  I reached behind me and removed the Taurus. I held it out for Denis to look at. “See this? If Sergei tries to hurt you, I’ll shoot his other arm.” I smiled darkly at the boy. I looked into his eyes and could see a trembling hope replace the fear. I flipped open the cylinder and removed one bullet. I held it out for him to touch. His tentative finger pulled back when the silver burned him just a bit. His eyes went wide as he looked at the tiny blister forming. I put the bullet back in the chamber and closed the action. I spoke as I was returning the Taurus to the holster.

  “It’s me he’s mad at, Denis. But he’s mad because he’s afraid. Get it?” I held out my hand to help the boy off the floor. Yurgi was looking at me with something approaching wonder. The clove scent of pride reached my nose, and blended in nicely with the bright citrus happiness that burst from Denis. He grabbed my hand with his good arm and rose. He stayed close by me with his head high and a smile on his face. He didn’t even glance around him as we walked the hallway.

  I wished I could have said the same. The further I got from the room—and Sue—the more tense I felt. The black glove of solitude made my throat tight. Is this what Lelya had meant? That I would be “very alone” in my task? I could feel my fingers trembling slightly, but neither Yurgi nor Denis seemed to notice. But one thing I noticed was that when I was dealing with Denis, I hadn’t felt the solitude. I guess that meant I needed to stay busy—keep my mind occupied.

  “Let’s go find Nikoli.” Yurgi nodded and Denis reached over and clutched my hand tight.

  I heard the sound of breaking crystal when we were halfway down the stairs. Lelya’s horrified voice soon followed. “What is going on out here?”

  One of the children was picking up the remains of a shattered vase that had been knocked over by a flying bundle of sheets. Another was holding a broom and dustpan.

  Nikoli strutted by the staircase, looking quite pleased with the chaos surrounding him. “I have instructed that all the beds be stripped and the linens sent out for cleaning. It progresses nicely, yes?”

  My eyebrows raised a bit when Lelya strode out from behind the front desk. She was wearing a pair of black denim jeans and a colorful sweater that showed off her figure—interesting, but it wasn’t the impressive part. Her hair was darker, the lines in her face less and her whole manner was confident and proud. She had transformed from an aging Queen Mother into the Queen.

  She stood with hands on her hips, inches from Nikoli. He seemed a little taken aback. “It progresses—NO! I would like to speak to you privately, oh great and glorious pack leader!”

  She took his arm and pulled him, his face still in a state of shock, into a room and closed the door without completely shutting it. I got the feeling she wanted people to hear. And they were certainly listening, sidling up to the wrought iron railing and tipping eager ears toward the door crack.

  “Niki, if you strip all of the beds, what will the guests who arrive tonight sleep on? The laundry told you that the sheets could not be back before late tomorrow. The sheets on the second floor, which you have already managed to strip, were only placed there three days ago. They were perfectly clean. You strut like a peacock, Niki, with no cause. There is no planning, no order! I will take care of this.”

  The door opened so suddenly that no one had time to step away. She glanced around with fury in her gaze, ignoring the startled but annoyed look from “Niki,” who remained in the room briefly before following his mother almost meekly. Her eyes lighted on the three of us. She tipped her head to me briskly, and then stared at Yurgi. She pointed at him. “You—you there. What is your name again?”

  Yurgi paled slightly behind his dark beard. His voice quavered a bit when he replied. “Yurgi, Duchess. Yurgi Kroutikhin.”

  Lelya raised her brows and pursed her lips. “Ah, yes. The husband of Pamela. Well? Come down here,
young one. I won’t bite.”

  Yurgi glanced at me fearfully, but I could only raise my eyebrows and shrug my shoulders. Neither of us was quite sure that she wouldn’t bite.

  He positively scampered down the stairs. He bowed his head when he reached her. Nikoli was huffing into his beard, but Lelya didn’t notice—or didn’t care. She put a hand on Yurgi’s shoulder, who flinched visibly. “You will go to the mall, Yurgi. You know where that is? Good! You will buy sheets for king size beds. All white, all excellent quality.” She turned to Nikoli. “You will give him money.” She stared at him until he removed his wallet and pulled out a number of large denomination bills and held them out. She took them, and then turned back to Yurgi. “Also buy a steam iron and board so we may press the factory wrinkles from them.” She handed him the bills. Yurgi stuffed them in his pocket but looked around uncertainly.

  She shook her head in annoyance and turned away from Yurgi. “We must make do with what we have, I suppose.” Then she looked back, to see Yurgi still standing immobile. “Well? Go!”

  Nikoli’s eyes grew dark. He was being usurped in front of his own pack. He stepped forward as if to stop Yurgi from bolting out the door to obey. “Mother, I really think you should…”

  She turned to him with one brow raised. She started to glow with a blinding light. He stepped back, almost involuntarily, before the storm. Once again, Yurgi flinched and tried to step away, but Lelya’s hand moved to rest firmly on his shoulder. I could see Yurgi wince from pain.

  “You think I should what, Niki? You have owned this hotel for years, but have never trained your pack members to properly run it. Who is in charge of housekeeping? Of reservations? Of the kitchen?” She shook her head at his blank expression.