Rouen Chronicles Box Set

by Raven Steele

  I had learned the art of mixing drinks when I was a fourteen-year-old kid and landed at a halfway house back East. I wasn't a juvenile delinquent like the other kids, just an orphan lost to the overburdened foster care system.

  But those kids had taught me more than just mixing drinks. They had some serious survival skills, especially for normal humans. Eventually, my drink-making skills had surpassed all of theirs, and I'd become the queen of that place. Soon, I'd be royalty here too. It was just a matter of time.

  "Let me pass," I heard the manager say to the crowd. He pushed his way through the customers to reach me. He was pissed, but that was all about to change.

  Grabbing a bottle of Larceny I saw earlier, I tipped the bottle of Kentucky Bourbon straight into my mouth. I closed my eyes and rolled that first taste around, bathing my taste buds in the buttery caramel flavor. The honeyed-notes played over my tongue, like a symphony for my palate. I savored the smooth texture before letting it slide down my throat—warm and comforting.

  Wanting another taste, I made a show of holding the bottle up, as if to pound the bourbon in a frat boy guzzle-fest. Not going to happen. I had something way better in mind and jumped up to kneel on the bar.

  I poured a mouthful and held it there while I held up a lighter for everyone to see. The crowd exploded into cheers, knowing what was coming and chanted, "Do it! Do it! Do it!"

  From the corner of my eye, I saw that the manager had stopped to watch. I swallowed a portion of the bourbon and spit out the rest while simultaneously setting it on fire. Creating a flame thrower with my mouth, I aimed away from any onlookers. I couldn't very well set them on fire.

  I glanced at the vamp on the stool below who was glaring up at me. Now her, that was a different story.

  The crowd went crazy, and I made another round of drinks. I finished pouring the last one requested and slid it down the long bar. The fact that not one drop was lost on the slide home was a testament to the pride Peeper took in his bar. I glanced over at where he sat on the back counter. His shoulders were tightened, and he was scowling.

  I smiled. "You can take over now. I'm done."

  "Really?" His voice was sarcastic. "Thanks for giving me back my bar."

  "No problem." I winked. "Just finish up with the rest of the customers."

  "How in the hell am I supposed to compete with what you just pulled?"

  "It's not a competition. We're all winners in my book." There was room in this place for two bartenders, especially with the crowds I would draw in.

  When he didn't answer, I walked past him toward the manager who'd finally made it behind the bar. He wasn't tall like Peeper, but he was lean with honed muscles like a man on a rowing team.

  He leaned his head toward me and yelled over the excited crowd. "What's your name? I'm Eddie."

  "Briar. Sorry about taking over your bar. I see rows of alcohol, and I guess I get a little crazy."

  "You looking for a job?"

  "Not really." Best to play hard to get.

  I scanned the audience, making a mental note to keep an eye out for the two vampires and their location. Samira was still chatting up Lynx, no doubt worming her goth self into my room.

  Eddie was talking again, but I didn't hear a word because a tingling sensation started at the back of my head. My palms grew sweaty, and my breathing picked up. Something wasn't right.

  I did another sweep of the club's patrons, specifically focusing near the VIP lounge where I spotted the male vampire. Even from here I could see his eyes were glazed over. He had that euphoric look vamps got from drinking blood. The hairs on the back of my neck stood, and a low growl began in my throat. Vamps shouldn't be eating out in the open like that. Licking his lips, the vamp leaned over, whispering in the ear of a man sitting on the couch.

  As soon as my eyes shifted to said man, my back straightened and time slowed to a stop. Holy titty tongue twister. It was him. I was sure of it. I sucked in a breath through my teeth.

  I'd finally found him.

  The man I'd hunted for over ten years.

  My blood turned to ice, and a blast of nausea churned my stomach. I never considered how I'd feel once I actually found him. I'd been doing it for so long I was used to the slow, angry rage that constantly burned my stomach.

  I narrowed my eyes.

  Finally, I was going to rid myself of the man I'd dreamed of killing for most of my life.

  "I'd love to hire you." These were the only words that slipped through my mind as Eddie continued talking. Pretending to listen, I watched the bastard stand up, button the top button of his suit and walk to the other side of the club.

  "I have to go." I dove into the crowd.

  "I'll pay you double!"

  Pausing for only a second, I tossed him a quick thumbs up sign, then focused all my attention back on the dude still moving through the crowd. It was Silas Brown, aka, The Rat, and Dominic's beta.

  He was one of the men who had slaughtered my whole family.

  Now it was his turn, and I couldn't wait to tear him apart.

  Chapter 2

  I deftly moved around dancing couples and groups of desperate men, silently stalking Silas. He didn't look that much different than the last time I saw him, with pale skin and light blue eyes. But he did walk with a cane, trying to cover up the motion of a slight limp. His every movement was precise and stiff, as if he had a stick shoved up his southern pucker.

  My wolfie powers pulsed through the club. I usually suppressed them, but I was too distracted to care. The vibe in the bar heightened as adrenaline spiked my senses, and an argument broke out near the restrooms. I ignored it; I couldn't worry about how I was affecting everyone. All thoughts, all movement, was focused on the man in my sights.

  If Silas was in Rouen, then his Alpha Dominic couldn't be far away.

  I shoved my way through the hordes of people, my hands practically shaking in anticipation. I'd dreamed of killing these two for so long that my hatred had become a natural part of me. Almost like breathing or screwing.

  But I had to be careful. If any of them discovered I was still alive, they'd break my neck for the chance to get their hands on the Abydos blood. Keeping that safe was the only thing in this world I'd give my life for. It must be protected at all costs.

  Pushing aside another customer, my hopes of reaching Silas waned when I crashed into a man’s chiseled chest. I growled and moved to get past him, but he stepped in front of me again. Was this jerkoff deliberately blocking me?

  I looked up a good six inches, meeting the intense, blue eyes of a man who looked like he’d just stepped off a Viking ship, minus all the animal skins. With dark rumpled hair and a taut muscle-lined body, he looked every inch the man I would love to have wrapped around me for at least a week. He was about my age too. Almost perfect, except he was staring at me with cold, hard eyes and a look of contempt, which doused my hormones, akin to waking up to a cold shower and a hangover.

  "Get out of my way." I glanced over his massive frame; I couldn't see Silas’ head anymore.

  "You need to turn around and return to the bar." His voice was deep yet smooth, like a hundred-year-old bourbon being poured over rocks. The sound of it surrounded my senses, caressing my skin softly. I cursed.

  "What's your deal? It's a damn club. I can go wherever I want."

  "I don't like the way you were eyeing my boss, Pup." He folded his massive arms to his chest and stared down at me. So he recognized I was a wolf. Not all shifters could detect other shifters. I wondered if he was able to spot the vampires, too. I couldn't imagine him being too pleased about them.

  "Don't call me that. Move." I tried to shove him away, but he knocked my hands to the side before I made impact.

  His voice lowered even deeper, and his eyes flashed a warning. "Leave."

  "Now you're just pissing me off." Curling my fingers into my palm, I punched him. It wasn't at full strength, but it was effective. He stumbled back, his expression darkening.

  He gro
wled, the sound vibrating low in his throat. "I wish you wouldn't have done that."

  He lunged for me, but I maneuvered to the side and grabbed an empty chair at a nearby table. I swung it around, hoping to catch him in the back. He anticipated the move and ducked. The chair crashed into a club bouncer instead. Even though the massive dude was a regular human, he looked like he ate coal for breakfast and crapped diamonds at lunch.

  The bouncer's expression twisted into a snarl, and he swung two meaty fists at the shifter blocking my path to Silas. Snickering, I got out of the way just in time as the fists connected with the shifter's jaw, one after the other. The shifter fell backwards into a shorter man, spilling his beer all over his shirt.

  The shorter man turned around, along with three of his friends. I expected them to exchange words, you know, trash talk each other, but apparently, I was surrounded by men of action. Before I could take my next breath, the scene in front of me turned into a full-on brawl. It only took a second for more people to jump into the fray.

  I shook my head, smiling. Drunk people were stupid. And fun as hell.

  The air filled with the smells of sweat and blood, tempting me to jump in on the action, but I was a wolf on a mission and nothing would deter me.

  I shoved my way past the fight to pick up Silas’ scent, but someone jerked on my shirt. Oh, hell no. I spun around; there were so many fighting that I couldn't tell who had done it.

  From the corner of my eye, I spotted Samira. She'd set her glasses on the bar and had joined the fight, throwing around graceful punches and kicks. She had some massive ninja skills. Guessing she was a lot older than I could ever imagine, this fight was probably a walk in the park for her. Lynx however, had shrunk away, her back pressed against the bar, and her eyes wide.

  I turned back, looking for Silas, but he was gone. Angry I'd missed my chance, I pushed back through the swarms of people to get to the shifter who'd made me lose sight of my prize, determined to get some information out of him.

  His gaze locked onto mine. I cracked my neck to the side, ready to punch his lights out. By his expression, he seemed to be thinking the same about me. He delved into the crowd, aimed in my direction.

  As soon as I reached him, I swung at his face. "You screwed me over."

  My fist missed its mark. He ducked and grinned. I pivoted and dropped, swinging my leg wide. I swiped his legs out from under him, smiling as his cocky grin disappeared.

  He rolled between two tables. I jumped on top of him, straddling my legs on each side of his massive chest. Random legs bumped into me, but I shoved them away.

  The shifter's smile was slow and deliberate, and his stare burned into me. He had the musky scent of the deep forest and gasoline. "You've been wanting to hump me the second you saw me."

  I punched him in the jaw. "If I'd wanted to hump you, you'd be in the handicap stall of the lady’s restroom right now, hanging on for dear life."

  "Ooo, sweet talker. I like it."

  I punched him on the chest. "Where does your boss work?"

  Faster than I could respond, he jerked me to the ground and rolled on top of me. It was his turn to straddle me. He leaned forward, pressing his forearm just below my throat to keep me from bucking him off. "Why do you want to know?"

  I sucked in a quick breath, panic surging within me. I couldn’t move. My chest began to tighten and sweat broke on my brow.

  Tight spaces and being confined was something I avoided at all costs. This one had taken me by surprise. He leaned toward my face, further restricting my movements.

  I struggled beneath him, my heartbeat thundering. "Get off me!"

  My frantic words barely escaped my constricted lungs. The present faded, and all I could see was the hazy outline of old stone and moss. I flung my fists in every direction, swinging for anything I could hit. I didn’t want to relive that memory. "Get off! Get off me!"

  My wolf surged to the front of my consciousness, and she prepared to shift. She would protect me and didn't care where we were. I tried to take in a deep breath to calm her. Shifting in front of all these humans could get me killed the second I walked out the door. Besides, I had too much shit to do to get killed now.

  The shifter's thick brows drew together in concern. "You okay?"

  I couldn't answer, only suck in tiny sips of air. My lips tingled. Sensing my trouble, he slid off me. The hard look in his eyes was replaced with softness, which only pissed me off more. I didn't need his pity.

  I reached for the top of a table and pulled myself up, feeling light heated. I gulped in fresh air, expanding my tight lungs. Finally, I could breathe again.

  He said something else, but I was already shoving my way back to the bar. Well, that was embarrassing. I'd never had one of my claustrophobic episodes like that in front of anyone before. Just my luck that it would happen in front of the second biggest asshole in the bar.

  I passed Samira just as she kicked at the chest of a female shifter, a coyote, I believe. The coyote flew across the room, crashing into a table. Another female came up behind her, a chair raised high. Without even looking, Samira spun and grabbed her by the neck. I finished off the female with a single punch to the face. Samira nodded once at me and returned to the fight.

  I leaned against the bar next to Lynx and tried to pretend that I hadn't gone all psycho just a second earlier. My lungs still burned. "This place is pretty crazy. Yet, fun, right?"

  "I wouldn't say that. Does this usually happen here?"

  "Probably only on good nights. So can I have the room or did goth chick beat me to it?"

  I flashed my eyes to Samira. She met my gaze knowingly. Damn vampires and their good hearing.

  "Actually, I think I might rent out two rooms. I could use the money."

  Just then a large table, probably thrown by a shifter, came flying our way. It was spinning too fast. I stretched out my arms to block it, but it was so large, it would probably break my arms.

  I closed my eyes, waiting for the burst of pain, but it never came. I opened my eyes. The table was on the ground in front of us. I had only shut them for maybe two seconds. How had that happened?

  An electric charge filled the room, bringing with it the faint smell of copper. I could barely detect it, but it was there. I looked at Lynx to see if she was sensing anything strange, but she was staring down at the table, beads of sweat on her forehead. That's when I knew.

  "You're a..." I swallowed, not finishing the sentence. Goth girl, among others, might be listening. I didn't care that she was a witch, but others might.

  She glanced up at me, eyes pleading not to finish the sentence, as if she knew that I knew. I closed my mouth tight and made the motion of turning an invisible key and tossing it away. She mouthed the words, "Thank you."

  No sweat, witchy. Turning around, I leaned back into the bar. The fight was dying down. A couple of humans had some minor cuts, and a shifter feline held her arm protectively. Overall, a decent brawl.

  I scanned the masses for Silas, hoping I'd just missed him earlier, but he was nowhere to be found. My gaze found his employee, the hot shifter. I averted my gaze, too embarrassed to even give him a dirty look, and turned around to face the bar.

  "When can I move in?" I asked Lynx.

  She was in the middle of downing her soda. With sweat still on her face and the way she guzzled her drink, using magic had taken a toll on her.

  "After I do." Samira joined us at the bar and placed her glasses back on the bridge of her nose. She wasn't even breathing hard.

  I turned to Lynx. "Are you really going to let goth girl room with us? Come on. It's okay to tell her no. I'm sure it won't hurt her feelings."

  "Um...I..." Lynx stammered, unsure what to say.

  "Goth Girl?" Samira asked "What does that mean?"

  I chuckled and nudged Lynx. "You tell her."

  Lynx's face reddened, and she lowered her eyes. First priority of living with this girl—teach her to speak up, especially when being sarcastic. She was a witc
h, and a powerful one at that. If anyone could turn her into a bitch who could stand up for herself, it was me. She'd be the wickedest witch bitch in no time.

  Samira continued to speak. "From what you've told me, the home is five thousand square feet spread across three floors with seven bedrooms and five baths. That is plenty of space for three people."

  I touched my forehead. "Stop. You're making my head hurt. Numbers."

  Lynx cracked a smile. "There is plenty of room. Some of the rooms are even furnished. You can come check it out tonight if you want. My schedule is open, and you can move in whenever."

  "I call dibs on the furnished room!" I needed furniture. Badly.

  "Dibs?" Samira asked.

  I sighed, and Lynx smiled again. Looks like I had two projects. For a vampire who has probably lived five lifetimes, she wasn't clued in to current culture. She must have been living alone for a very long time. Why would she suddenly want roommates?

  "A toast." Lynx held up her glass. Only ice remained.

  I made a motion at the bartender. "Hey, Peeper! Give us two shots of Tennessee Honey."

  He poured shots of the amber whiskey and handed them to me.

  "Thanks, dude. I look forward to working with you."

  He muttered something and turned away.

  I handed Samira the drink, but she held out her hand in a stopping motion. "I don't drink."

  "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." I forced her to take it. I lifted my glass and glanced at my new roommates. A timid witch who probably had no idea how powerful she actually was and an old vampire who clearly had an agenda. "To new friends."

  As I clinked my glasses against theirs, my stomach clenched tightly. It only ever did that when something bad was about to happen, but that was ridiculous.

  What could possibly go wrong in a house with a witch, a vampire, and a shifter?

  Chapter 3

  The house was a huge gothic mansion backed up against a rambling forest—the best part of the property. Whenever I wanted, I could slip away and let my wolf run. The dark, angular roof of the home absorbed the full moon’s light, making the old structure appear even darker. An eerie effect that I dug.