Rouen Chronicles Box Set

by Raven Steele

  Inside their murky contents floated ears, eyes, and other internal organs. Each of them had been labeled in sloppy handwriting and haphazardly taped to the glass. Ray, Olivia, Tom, Lawrence, and so many more names. Did Dominic know the level of craziness Silas had climbed to?

  My stomach flipped again and a wave of nausea hit my stomach like a tornado. It pressed up my throat, until it geysered past my lips and to the floor. I spewed two more times, until there was nothing left in my stomach.

  I wiped my mouth and searched frantically for the briefcase. It had to be here.

  I spotted another door on the far wall and strode toward it. Something stopped me. A box on the floor and leaning next to it was a briefcase. My heart skipped a beat. It had the Nocturnas’ emblem on the handle.

  I snatched it and peeked inside, making sure the drugs were still there. There were almost three dozen small vials, but eight were empty. Most likely used on the human.

  Snapping it shut, I tucked it under my arm and moved back into Silas’ room, taking in a deep breath. This was it. There wasn’t a more perfect opportunity. I dialed Ryder’s number.

  He answered right away. “Do you have it?”

  “I found it. And other stuff you wouldn’t believe. We need to do this tonight. Dominic and Silas are gone, as is most of the pack. I don’t think we’ll have another shot at this.”

  His breath caught but when he answered, his voice was firm. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  “Just wait about ten minutes. I have to steal some other things so it doesn’t seem like I came just for the briefcase.”

  “You got it. Be careful.” The line went dead.

  I checked the time on my phone. I had to do this quick. I wished I could bring my uncle in on this, but he had been given an assignment he couldn’t refuse. If he did it well, he would be allowed back into the pack with full privileges. It was a big step toward getting in with Dominic.

  As quietly as possible, I slipped back into the hall and looked around until I found a laundry room. Grabbing a couple of baskets, I returned to Silas’ room and worked quickly, filling them with everything from his secret room. I took all the jars and the box, in case it contained any information I could use later against him, should it come to that.

  After hiding the baskets in one of the extra bedrooms down the hall, I scribbled a quick note and dropped it onto the now empty table. I left the door to the secret room slightly ajar and returned to the baskets. This would be the tricky part—sneaking them out of here without being seen.

  I opened the window in the spare bedroom, grateful there wasn’t a screen. There was a patio right below me. I could lower the baskets to the ground, but if anyone decided to go outside, they would easily see them. Not worth the risk. I searched the room. It was pretty sparse, but I got lucky and found a large duffel bag. Perfect.

  After grabbing a few towels from the bathroom, I wrapped the jars, then stuffed them into the bag, careful not to break them. I felt guilty hiding all this stuff. It made me feel as if I was somehow a part to his atrocity. I should be exposing his sins, not hiding them. But ultimately, this was the better plan.

  I opened the door and carefully slid the heavy duffel bag over my shoulder and walked down the hall. At the bottom of the stairs, I readjusted it and passed through the kitchen quietly. I continued walking straight into the rear of the living room and toward the front door.

  "What do you got there?”

  I froze and slowly turned around.

  Maisy, I think that’s what her name was, stared over the back of the couch with a genuinely curious expression. "I thought you were staying the night."

  "Oh I am. I'm just going to take my clothes to my car so I don't forget it when I wake up. Hangovers tend to affect my memory." I grinned, tapped my head. “That reminds me, do I need to make another beer run?”

  She chuckled. “Nah, Jerry went out this afternoon. But if you're not going to bed for a while, feel free to join us. We’re about to start a movie."

  "I might.” I tried to smile as I opened the front door. “I’ll be right back.”

  I darted across the gravel driveway and placed the bag into the back of Lynx's trunk, keeping the towels pressed tightly to the jars. I would have to grab the box later; I couldn’t have Maisy seeing me leave with it.

  I checked the time. Ten minutes had long since passed.

  Ryder had begun.

  Returning to the kitchen, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and dropped onto the couch. "What movie did you guys pick?"

  Maisy shrugged. "I haven't. Alex over here keeps falling asleep.”

  Alex opened one eye. "I'm awake."

  Maisy flipped through channels, combing her long hair with her fingers. She looked younger than most of the pack. I bet she was barely eighteen, if that. I was surprised her parents let her come to the mansion this early. Usually families of wolf packs didn't let children participate in all pack activities until they were at least twenty-one. It gave them the chance to live their lives a little, college even, if they wanted, before they became full members.

  I was about to suggest a movie, when the front door flew open. “Hey! We need everyone outside now!”

  We jumped to our feet, me acting surprised at seeing Ryder at the front door, sweat beading his forehead.

  Alex was the first to the door. "What's going on?"

  "Greybacks in the woods. A bunch of them. I can smell them everywhere! The rest of the pack are already hunting them."

  Maisy and Alex were undressing before he had finished his sentence.

  I also tore off my shirt in a grand fashion. "I'll go out the back way, you guys take the front. Let’s circle around and meet up with the rest of the pack."

  They nodded and hurried out the front door. Ryder looked at me and winked once before following after them.

  Time for phase two.

  Chapter 36

  As soon as the door closed, I pulled my shirt back on over my head and bolted upstairs. I moved fast, taking the box to the car first. I reached into the backseat and grabbed one of the blankets I had stolen from the Greybacks’ barn, the clothes Ryder had worn that night, and a jar of Ryder’s piss.

  I returned to Silas’ room, and, using speed faster than I'd ever let anyone see, destroyed his room, smashing everything I could. I threw books across the room and shredded his bedspread with my claws. The rage I unleashed on Silas’ belongings did more good for me than a hundred counseling sessions ever would.

  When I was finished, I poured Ryder’s piss all over the room. Not my finest moment, but it had to look convincing. And pissing all over is something wolves just did. Plus, they would immediately recognize the smell of Greyback territorial whizz.

  Down the hallway, I raked my claws over pictures and wallpaper, destroying everything I could throughout the house. My destruction was complete in under three minutes. I gave myself one more minute to rub the Greybacks’ scent from the blanket and clothes on as many surfaces as I could. When it was finished, I sighed in relief and stripped to my birthday suit outside on the lawn.

  The breath of a cool forest breeze ruffled my wolf’s fur as I sprinted through the woods to catch up with the rest of the pack. It didn't take me long to smell the Greybacks’ scent. Ryder had done a good job of spreading it everywhere into the forest using the other blankets I had taken from the Greybacks’ barn.

  My pack’s howls echoed into the night, but their cries were swallowed by a heavy fog creeping just over the top of the forest. I ran toward the closest wolves to my right.

  The two wolves, I couldn't recognize who they were by just their fur, turned and headed east in a frantic run. I followed them, staying close, should my whereabouts ever be questioned. We darted all over, and I could tell they were confused as hell. The Greybacks seemed to be everywhere and yet, nowhere.

  After about forty-five minutes of scouring the hillside, we returned home at the sound of a great howl. It was Gerald. Since Luke left, he was the highest ranked member i
n the pack and in charge until Dominic or Silas returned.

  Jerry and Samantha beat us back and were already dressing. They were talking to Gerald when the two wolves I’d been running with shifted next to me. Maisy and Alex. They stood there naked, cursing and pacing. I joined them and picked up clothes where I had left them on the lawn.

  “Where are they?” Samantha asked, sniffing the air. Even though she was in her human form, her movements were still very wolf-like.

  I zipped up my pants and sniffed the air too, moving closer to the house. “Shit! I can smell them inside!"

  Gerald bolted through the back door and growled when he caught the Greybacks’ scent. Samantha and I flanked him. I snapped my hands forward, extending my claws. “They could still be here.”

  Samantha tilted her head as if straining her hearing. "Spread out."

  I walked through the kitchen and down the hall that led to Dominic's office. The other two hurried upstairs. I leaned against the wall and rested my head back, inhaling the night air that was pouring in from the open back door. It felt good on my bare skin.

  I heard Samantha shout, "Up here!"

  When I met them upstairs, I put on a good show, pretending to be shocked and angered at all the damage. I also made sure to touch several items in the room, acting as if I was cleaning up; when in actuality I was covering my own scent from earlier.

  Gerald was on the phone, probably talking to Luke or maybe even Silas. "These jackasses made a mess of things, especially Silas’ room. It’s been torn to bits."

  “What’s that?” I asked, pretending to just spot the slightly open door. The way it was built, no one could tell that a bookcase normally hid the opening. I threw open the door to his secret room. "This is strange. Did you know this existed?"

  Samantha came to my side and wrinkled her nose at the smell. "Bloody bastards vomited all over."

  "I wonder why. What could’ve been in here?" I looked at her, my expression serious, trying to spread more seeds of doubt.

  She wrinkled her nose. “I have no idea. And why did they only destroy Silas’ room?"

  The seed sprouted.

  I feigned surprise. “Really? This was the only one?"

  She stepped across the pile of vomit to the other side of the room and tried the closed door. "It's locked."

  "Maybe we should break it down."

  She glanced back at me, frowning.

  "You know, in case any Greybacks are hiding in there,” I clarified.

  "Well, if there are, then they’re trapped. Leave em’. This is Silas’ room after all. If he thought we touched anything, he'd probably kill us."

  “True.”

  She didn’t let her doubt grow. Not yet. But maybe one day she would.

  Gerald hung up the phone and came to the doorway of the small room. "Odd space. What was in here?"

  “No idea." Samantha knocked on the wood. "I guess every guy’s allowed to have his secrets."

  Gerald and I looked at each other knowingly.

  “Depends on what those secrets are,” he said.

  "Hopefully they aren’t too bad,” I added. “The Greybacks could use them against us." I glanced down at the table where my note lay discarded. They hadn’t seen it yet. “What’s this?”

  I picked it up and read the messy hand writing aloud. “We have your bloody trophies, you sick bastard.”

  I dropped the note from my hands, as if it were poison. Samantha and Gerald stared down at it, their minds turning over. Processing.

  “Trophies?” I said, my voice full of dramatic horror. “What the hell was Silas keeping in here?” A visible shiver erupted over my skin. “This is going to start a war.”

  I turned around and walked out of the room. I’d given them plenty to think about. Sprinkle a little water on those seeds.

  Eventually, the rest of the pack returned to Fire Ridge. The damage caused an uproar that many of them hadn't felt in a long time. They were used to being the dominant species in Rouen.

  While we waited for Dominic in the living room, the pack grew restless. There were several mentions of revenge, escalating the already tense situation. Several fights broke out.

  But as soon as Dominic came home and walked inside, he blanketed everyone's aggressiveness with a layer of power that rivaled all in the room put together. Even I cowered at his commanding presence.

  He would be hard to take down.

  His gaze surveyed the damage, his eyes lingered up the stairs. His face remained impassive, but the air felt like it was being sucked from the room. It was enough to let everyone know how he felt.

  He was pissed.

  "Are you sure it was Greybacks who did this?" he asked, his voice cold and hard.

  Gerald stepped forward. "Yes, sir. We caught their scent all over the forest. In the house, too. Upstairs there’s more damage, specifically to Silas’ room. And another,” he hesitated, “room. It’s behind a bookcase." Gerald cleared his throat, afraid to use the word ‘secret’. "It's empty. Whatever was in there is gone."

  For the first time, Dominic's expression changed. Just a crack, but enough to give me a glimpse into his thoughts. He was worried. Could it be he knew about the room? Or maybe he didn’t, and it was Silas’ betrayal he was sensing.

  Luke and Silas walked in just then. Luke cursed under his breath and, without a word, followed the trail of destruction around the room and up the stairs.

  Silas, however, remained still, his body beginning to shake. Where Dominic kept his face smooth, Silas’ wrath was visible to everyone—an angry storm smashing against a cliff's face.

  "Clean this mess up now!” he shouted. He stomped after Luke upstairs. Gerald and a few others went with him.

  The whole house shuddered when Silas yelled and screamed. He must've discovered all of his treasures gone. Or maybe it was the mess that bothered him. Whatever the reason, he went on a tirade, destroying anything left.

  Dominic's eyes were fixated upstairs, the muscles on the side of his tight jaw flexing. Heavy steps stomped toward us from above, and Silas’ head appeared over the balcony. "They took the briefcase." He hesitated, then added, "And everything else."

  Dominic’s expression further darkened. “Then we have a problem. Round everyone up. We go to the Greybacks at sunrise."

  Everyone scattered in different directions to obey the Alpha. The aggression in the room changed to excitement. It didn't matter some of them might die, they loved to fight too much.

  My uncle, who had returned just before Dominic, pulled me outside. I motioned Ryder to come with us. Ryder was aware that I had grown to trust Vincent, but I never told him it was because Vincent was my uncle, only that I had discovered Vincent’s true feelings toward the Alpha and thought we could align ourselves with him. Having always respected Vincent, Ryder felt good about having one more on team “Take-Down-Silver-Claws”.

  We walked several feet from the house and out of view from anyone who might see us through a window. My uncle turned around suddenly. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

  "Yes?" I stuttered, unsure if I was about to be reprimanded or complimented.

  He drew closer to me until I could see his face. He was grinning and laughter escaped his parted lips. He slapped me on the back. "I don't think that even your father could've come up with a better plan. Blaming the Greybacks for stealing the briefcase? Brilliant! But how did you pull it off?"

  "With Ryder's help." I told him everything we had done, including sharing with the both of them what I had discovered in Silas’ room.

  Ryder shook his head, his face pale in the darkness. "I didn't think anyone could surpass my father's cruelty."

  "Do you think Dominic knows?" I asked my uncle.

  "That's a good question. I'll see what I can find out. No one pays an old man much attention.” He glanced over his shoulder back to the mansion where shifters had begun to spill out the front door. “You two better get ready. There's going to be a nasty fight soon."

  Ryder an
d I glanced at each other.

  My uncle noticed the silent communication. "What else did you two do?"

  "There's not going to be a fight," I said.

  "And how do you know that?"

  I lifted my chin. "Because the Greybacks are gone."

  Chapter 37

  As soon as bright oranges and pinks kissed the morning sky, Dominic ordered everyone to drive to Dreilinger Swamps to confront the Greybacks. It had taken almost all night to prepare and round up every member of the Silver Claws, old and young. We all piled into dozens of cars waiting outside. I had never seen the full pack in one place before, so it wasn’t until now that I realized how big it was. There were probably about three hundred members, the largest pack I’d ever seen.

  I was about to get into Lynx’s car, when someone grabbed my arm. I spun around and came face-to-face with Silas. My wolf broke to the surface, growling low, and I gripped the side of the door until I thought the metal would dent. "What can I do for you?"

  The fire in his eyes mirrored the sun’s rays peeking over the horizon, betraying his excitement. “I know you can fight, better than most of these apes. And I also know you crave blood.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up his finger, stopping me.

  “I don’t think you realize it yourself, but I feel it inside you. The anger. The rage. Call it a gift." His gaze burned into mine, and I caught my reflection in his eye’s glossy surface. "When we get there, I want you to show no mercy. Give in to your anger, unleash it, and kill those bitches. And if you do, I will make sure you're rewarded in return. Do you understand?"

  I shifted my gaze over his shoulder to where Dominic was getting into the back of a black SUV. "Does Dominic know you’re promising this?"

  He touched me lightly on my arm, chilling my skin. "This is between you and me.” With that, he backed away, but still stared after me, waiting for my answer. I nodded once, just to appease him. Satisfied, he turned and walked to Dominic’s SUV.