Rouen Chronicles Box Set

by Raven Steele

  Lilith sat in the back seat and pulled out a nail file. I’d only met two of the three witches. Lilith seemed to be the more relaxed one, always acting like she didn’t care about anyone or anything, but this likewise made her cruel and uncaring. She was also Dominic’s favorite to take to bed, so she pretty much got anything she asked for.

  “Gerald,” Silas barked from the passenger seat of the car. The tone of his voice, shrill and volatile, hurt my ears.

  Gerald rose from filling the front tire with air. “Whatcha need, boss?”

  “Grab Ryder. I want him with us.”

  I turned to Silas in shock, my pulse racing.

  “But Ryder’s never done security before,” Gerald said.

  “I don’t care. Bring him.”

  “Alright, bossman.” Gerald walked away.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring Ryder,” I said, keeping my voice even and gentle. “His father is the Alpha. They might get pissed to see him there.”

  Silas lowered the visor in front of him and opened his mouth to inspect his teeth. “I need a toothpick.”

  “I’m serious. Ryder should stay.”

  “I’m bored.” Lilith slid the nail board over her nails again. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Silas opened the glovebox and pushed aside its various contents until he found what he wanted. He lifted his upper lip and jammed the tip of the toothpick into his teeth. “He comes. If they choose to escalate the situation, it’s on them. Consequences will follow.”

  “That’s what you want, isn’t it?” I asked.

  He turned to me, his lips slowly twisting into a grin. It disappeared when he saw something over my shoulder. I turned around. Luke and Gerald walked toward us.

  “What’s he doing here?” Silas snapped, motioning at Luke. “I said Ryder.”

  Luke and I hadn’t spoken much since that day with Lynx. I missed it a little. Missed him.

  He stopped at my open window to address Silas, but not without casting me a fleeting glance. “I thought it would be better if I came along. Dominic doesn’t need me today.”

  “You thought wrong. Get me Ryder and don’t make me ask again.”

  Luke’s mouth tightened, and his blue eyes returned to mine. We were both thinking the same thing. He knew as well as I did that it was a bad idea taking the kid, but we couldn’t go against Silas’ orders. He was second in command.

  “Whatever you say.” Luke backed away from the vehicle.

  A few minutes later, I pulled away from Fire Ridge with Gerald and Ryder in the backseat, Lilith sitting between them. Ryder kept glancing at me nervously in the rearview mirror as if I could somehow get him out of this. Beads of sweat dotted his brow, and I could practically hear his heart beating out of his chest.

  I hoped he could see and feel the sympathy in my eyes. If what he said was true about his father, then going to this place was like returning to hell.

  The road to the Dreilinger Swamps, the place Dominic had allowed the Greybacks to live, was dismal and depressing. Where the trees at Fire Ridge were lush and full, the trees here were bowed over and painted in a dirty green color, their leaves tinged with brown. By the time we reached their small town, my windshield was specked with green and red splats of dead bugs.

  The closer we came, the more my stomach churned; something bad was going to happen.

  We drove through the center of town, a stop sign at its center the only sign of traffic control. There was a small convenience store on the corner, but other than that, only small houses lined the streets. Most of them needed new paint and several repairs.

  Lilith sat forward in her seat, smacking on her gum. “Hey, let’s stop at that gas station. I need a doughnut.”

  “No.” Silas’ voice was firm.

  “Ugh, seriously?” She flopped back into her seat. “How much further?”

  I glanced at the directions on my cell phone. “Another five minutes.”

  “I’m hungry, Silas.”

  He didn’t answer her, but stared out the front window, twisting the ring on his middle finger with his thumb. His knee bounced up and down anxiously.

  “We’ll eat when we’re done,” Gerald told her. “Where do you want to go?”

  While Lilith described her ideal restaurant, I kept my eye on Silas. He started tapping his fingers on the side of the car door, his agitation growing. He reminded me of a balloon slowly being filled. Eventually he was going to pop. And when it exploded, someone was going to get hurt.

  We pulled up to a large white home with green shutters. It wasn’t as big as Fire Ridge, but it was still larger than any foster home I’d ever lived in. The paint was flaking and the roof sagged on the front porch.

  At our arrival, a couple of shifters came out to meet us. Behind the main house, I spotted several smaller homes, made from rotting wood. They lined up in a row, each looking more decrepit than the other. The only structure that looked to be well taken care of was the barn. It was tall and big; it could probably hold two of the houses inside it. I wondered what they kept in there.

  Silas was out the door before I had a chance to turn off the car. I swiveled in my seat and grabbed Gerald’s arm before he left too. “You need to help me keep him under control.”

  He scooted toward the edge of his seat to follow after Lilith who had climbed over Ryder to get out. “You know I can’t stop him. He’s been itching for blood ever since your initiation. Either way, he’s going to get it. I’d rather have it be one of the Greybacks than me.” He left the car before I could say anything else.

  I exhaled a tight breath, wishing I was anywhere but here.

  “He’s right.” Ryder hadn’t moved, and his voice was soft from the backseat. “Silas will have blood.”

  “Over a three-day late payment?”

  “That doesn’t matter. It’s the blood he craves.” His eyes slowly tracked outside the window, and his face paled at the sight of several people now gathered in front of the house. He probably knew all of them.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

  “If only you could.” He slid off the backseat and out the door. I rubbed at my chest, sighing heavily, and then followed him.

  The group consisted of a mixture of men and women shifters, a lot of them wearing camouflage shirts or hats. One of the men sported a confederate flag bandana tied around his head and several of the girls wore short shorts and bikini tops.

  “Jackson!” Silas roared. He shuffled a few steps, red dust billowing up at his feet, his cane tapping the ground in front of him in measured beats.

  A large beast of a man pushed his way through the crowd. He must’ve been at least six feet seven with muscles that stretched his t-shirt thin. Based on how old Ryder was, his father had to have been at least forty, but he looked much younger. His jawline was strong, and his face just handsome enough. He was definitely the best-looking man of the pack. Ryder shared many of his same features.

  Jackson took us in and when his cold eyes settled on me, I shivered.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” His voice was deep and gravely, reminding me of the fractured hum of a tractor’s engine. His gaze shifted to Ryder, who was standing next to me. “I see you brought a traitor with you.”

  Silas glanced back at Ryder. “I wouldn’t call him that necessarily. He’s more of an opportunist. He knew a winning side when he saw one. This place reeks of mediocracy.”

  Jackson growled low, the bass sound filling the air. “What do you want?”

  “Payment, of course.” Silas drilled the point of his cane into the earth. “It was due three days ago.”

  Jackson’s cold gaze flashed to a skinny man standing ten feet away. “Payment was delivered. Isn’t that right, Tommy?”

  Tommy, a man with thinning blond hair and a splash of freckles along his nose, cleared his throat and shifted his weight while staring at the ground. His shoulders moved up in a shrug.

  “But it was only half of what you owe for the mo
nth.” Silas stopped moving to stare at Jackson.

  “As Tommy ‘splained to your man, we were unable to get full payment. You gave us a dying part of the city to run. Most businesses are failing and don't have the kind of money you demand. What you're wanting is impossible."

  Silas eyed him coolly. "Are you telling me you will be unable to pay this month?"

  Jackson’s hands balled tight. "Were you not listening?"

  "I won't accept excuses. If you can't get it from the local businesses, then find a way to pay it as a pack. There are consequences if payment cannot be met. You know this. The details of our arrangement were clearly spelled out to you from the beginning."

  Everyone looked from Jackson to Silas, not one person moved. Like me, they were rooted in place by fear of what might happen. Jackson was much bigger, by almost a foot, yet everyone seemed more afraid of Silas.

  "I don't know what to tell you, little man,” Jackson spat, trying to gain back the respect of his pack. “Maybe if you give us another week."

  Silas laughed out loud, longer than seemed necessary. "Ryder! Come forward."

  Ryder looked over at me, and I nodded my head, urging him forward because what else could he do? I didn't like this, but I also had no idea what Silas might do. To go against him at this point would be premature.

  Ryder reluctantly approached Silas. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, but he kept his head up trying to appear brave.

  "Tell me," Silas grabbed Ryder by the back of his neck, "How long has it been since you've seen your father?"

  Ryder looked everywhere but at Jackson. "Two years."

  "Two years? And do you still feel the same way about the Greybacks?”

  Ryder cleared his throat until he found his voice. “I don't understand.”

  "If I remember correctly, when you first came to us, you said the Greybacks were weak and beneath your potential. Isn't that right?"

  Several in the crowd growled and murmured their disapproval.

  Ryder mumbled his answer. “Yes, Sir.”

  “What was that?”

  “Yes, Sir!”

  Silas’ lips turned up at the corners, wrinkling his pale skin. “Your old pack has been unable to deliver on their promise because they are weak. And the only way to make someone weak is to strengthen them. How do you think we should strengthen this pack, Ryder?”

  Ryder tried to pull his shoulders back, but there seemed to be an invisible weight on them preventing the motion. He knew the answer but was afraid to say it.

  So I answered for him.

  “Punish them.”

  Silas glanced over at me, annoyed. "Right you are. We must punish them so they remember what it's like to be strong. Only when one is broken can they rise."

  He searched the crowd looking at each of the men, women, and children. Bile rose in my throat at the thought of what might come next.

  Jackson stepped forward. "We don’t need to be punished. We’ll get you your money. Give us a day. I promise.”

  By Jackson’s sour expression, he was not used to begging.

  Silas stormed over to him and drilled the tip of his cane into Jackson’s massive chest. "You will not have more time. Your pack is lazy and weak.” Silas turned the cane away from Jackson and pointed it into a group of people. “I want her."

  Everyone followed its direction. It landed on a girl maybe eighteen years old with long brown hair. Her features were delicate, a small nose and blue eyes that sparkled in the morning sun. It didn't surprise me he chose her. She stood out from the rest of the pack, a shining light in an otherwise downtrodden pack.

  The best way to destroy a group of people is to kill its brightest star.

  Chapter 21

  Silas motioned the girl forward. She looked around nervously but jumped when he yelled at her. “Get over here!"

  Jackson and two other men stepped forward and blocked the girl from going to Silas.

  "Silas, please.” Jackson held his hands up as if trying to soothe an angry dog. "We can fix this."

  Silas glanced back at Lilith and nodded his head once. She grinned and stepped forward, an invisible, powerful force swirling around her. Her eyes turned a brilliant white and a gust of power burst from her, lifting the hair on my arms as if she had surged electricity into the air.

  Jackson dropped to his knees and clutched his head in pain, along with the other two men.

  The pack reacted, springing into action. Several of them began to shift, but one by one they, too, fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

  Silas called out to those who remained frozen in place. “Anyone else want to feel like their brains are being scooped out of their skulls with a spoon?"

  When no one responded, he added, "Come forward, she-wolf."

  The girl’s blue eyes watered, but she lifted her chin and maneuvered her way through the crowd, ignoring hands that reached out as if to stop her. She stood face-to-face with Silas and stared him directly in the eyes, folding her arms. “Whaddaya want?”

  Silas glanced at Ryder. "Remove her shirt."

  Several of the women burst into tears and fell to their knees, their shoulders trembling. Every muscle in my body tensed, and I took a step forward, but Gerald pulled me back into place.

  Ryder’s chin quivered as he pleaded with Silas. “Please, Sir."

  "Do it."

  With trembling hands, Ryder unbuttoned the girl’s flannel shirt, his eyes on the ground.

  A man from the crowd, most likely her father, sprung forward, shouting in protest. He made it only two steps before he collapsed to the ground, his body twitching uncontrollably. I yanked my arm out of Gerald’s firm grip and steeled my eyes forward, ignoring the cries of the men and women twitching and screaming in agony.

  "Stop hurting them, and I will do what you say.” The girl’s voice was small and trembling, but it was loud enough to gain Silas’ attention.

  He moved closer to her, his hand on his ear. “What’s that?”

  She swallowed hard and spoke again, her voice louder. “I promise. I’ll do what you say, just stop hurtin’ them.”

  He eyed her for a moment, then called back to Lilith. “You may release them, but if anyone makes a move toward me, you can do what you want.”

  Lilith nodded her head, grinning as if she was watching a show on the comedy channel.

  Jackson’s body relaxed, and he gasped for air. The rest of the pack groaned and brushed at their heads as if swiping away remnants of the witch’s magic. Only Jackson seemed unfazed by the after-effects. He stood back on his feet, straightening tall, and a dark anger pulsed from him, like the onslaught of an approaching storm.

  But he made no move to stop Silas.

  "Get on with it,” Silas said, his voice impatient at Ryder’s slow movements.

  When Ryder finished the last button, he pulled off the girl’s shirt, and it fell to the ground. Wearing only a white bra, she stood before everyone looking anything but ashamed. Whatever punishment Silas handed out, she was prepared to receive it for the pack.

  Silas flipped his cane upward and caught it in the air with his other hand. Methodically, he began to unscrew the top handle. "I really do hate that it's come to this. There was a time when our packs were friendly with each other.” He sneered, looking up at Jackson. “But then you became power hungry, didn’t you?"

  He popped off the top off his cane and removed a shiny, silver blade. "I know my actions today may seem rash, but I have thought long and hard about what punishment would be best."

  Ryder stepped back behind Silas and gratefully took his stance beside me. By how pale he was, I feared he might pass out or throw up. I slowly pressed my shoulder to his to offer my unsaid support.

  Silas moaned as he traced the blade up the girl’s bare arm. Goosebumps broke on her flesh, and a fresh tear ran down her cheek, but she remained silent.

  I swallowed my own bile threatening to expel itself from my throat.

  I couldn't watch.

  Instead
, I found the face of a girl about ten years old, the same age I was when I was thrown into the well. Her mouth was agape with wide green eyes. Like me, she would remember everything that happened today. The images would raid her dreams, robbing her of prettier and happier things.

  Silas began talking about honor and brotherhood among wolves, all the while his silver blade continued to trace the girl’s skin until it reached near her neck. I thought this would be the end, and he would slit her throat, but the silver moved upward, finally slowing near her narrow cheekbone.

  He paused there and looked back at Jackson. "I've decided to show your pack mercy. The girl will not die."

  There was a collective sigh of relief from the crowd, and even Jackson managed to mumble a thank you. But before the words had fully left Jackson’s lips, Silas stabbed the knife into the girl’s left eye.

  She screamed an unintelligible word, a noise so terrible it made me tremble. It was a sound I'd only ever heard from my own lungs.

  Others screamed with her and rushed forward, but once again, they fell to the ground, convulsing. The scene shook me to the core, and I bit down, clenching my teeth until I thought my jaw would break.

  Jackson lunged for Silas, fangs fully grown within his large mouth, but before he could reach him, Lilith mumbled a word, and he dropped to the ground, his back arching painfully. He wasn’t convulsing like the rest of the pack. Instead, every bone in his body contorted, bending unnaturally and several sickening cracks filled the air.

  Silas stared down at the great Alpha’s body appreciatively. He said nothing for almost a full minute, only watched Jackson’s bones break one by one. The girl continued to wail behind him, the sound like a horror show meant for society’s most depraved.

  Silas finally looked away. “You may release him now, Lilith.”

  Jackson’s body fell limp. He lay there panting, unable to move, but through chattering teeth, he growled, “I will kill you. I swear it.”

  Silas smiled, the kind reserved only for devils. "Is that so?"

  He walked back to the crying girl and without hesitating, he stabbed the blade directly into her other eye. Abruptly, the girl’s cries halted, and she fell to the ground, not dead, but unconscious. Blood pooled on the ground, staining the side of her face.