Rouen Chronicles Box Set

by Raven Steele

  I avoided my roommates. My new schedule kept me sleeping until late so by the time I woke, Lynx was gone for the day. And I was never there in the evenings when Samira rose, so dodging her was easy.

  The only people I saw consistently were Angel and Roma. He provided me with the tools I needed to keep the pain from crushing me in exchange for a little sip from my neck. And Roma provided a good and safe substitution for my friends. She didn’t judge me and, when I wasn’t riding my motorcycle, she’d drive me around. I would talk to her about my day and seek her advice when needed.

  The only downer in my life had become my uncle. He constantly glared and lectured me on losing sight of my goals. I mostly ignored him. He had no idea how often my plans for revenge ran through my mind when I lay in bed in the early mornings. I imagined all the ways I could tear off Dominic’s head, or how I would gut Jackson.

  They would die.

  In the meantime, all investigations into Ryder’s death came up empty. Terrence had asked every Greyback he came across, but they all denied involvement. It seemed whoever killed Ryder was going to get away with it.

  I woke up shaking badly. Somehow my nightmares had begun to break through the Scorpion's Breath. I needed more.

  Scrambling out of bed, I knocked my knees hard on the wooden floor. But the pain didn’t even register as I clawed at the suitcase beneath my bed where I kept the extra vials Angel had given me. I popped open the last vial and tossed it back like a shot glass, the Scorpion’s Breath tingling in my throat. Panting and shaking, I collapsed onto my bed to wait for the Scorpion’s sweet whisper to work its magic, which seemed to take longer than normal.

  Several agonizing minutes passed.

  When I finally felt strong again, I sat up and realized just how long it took for the drug to work. And my stash was gone. My pulse raced at the thought of not having any for when I went to sleep, when nightmares were the worst. I dressed quickly and roared away on the motorcycle.

  I showed up at Angel’s penthouse, pounding on the door. Sunset wasn’t for a few hours, so he could be sleeping or whatever it was he did during daylight, but I had to take the chance. I couldn’t go another day or night without the Scorpion’s Breath to whisper its sweet kiss into my veins.

  He answered the door wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweats. It was the first time I’d ever seen him wearing something other than a tailored suit. He frowned, then turned back to his penthouse. “Ellie. I need you to retire for the evening.”

  I heard a mumbled complaint and the feminine voice sounded familiar. Then the waitress who took my order the first time I went to Heartbeat appeared in the doorway. She was wearing a sexy black lace bra and underwear that left nothing to the imagination.

  As soon as she saw me, she narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue. She swiveled towards him. “Angel, you’d kick me out for this animal?”

  I answered before Angel could. “This animal has claws, so beat it, ass face.”

  She gasped and looked at Angel, waiting for his reaction. He gave her a bored look and held out his hand, holding several hundred dollar bills

  Her mouth dropped open. “I am not a prostitute.”

  His mouth set in a firm line. “Leave. Now, Ellie.”

  She huffed a big breath and pulled on a sheer robe. She ran her hand through her hair and squared her shoulders, then stepped out the door. At the last minute, she grabbed the money and tucked it into her bra.

  Angel raised his eyebrow, half of his lips turned up. “Good little whore.”

  She didn’t respond or look at me, as she walked by. Angel opened his door wide. “I wasn’t expecting you so early. Have you run out so soon?”

  I hurried in and collapsed on the couch, Ellie already forgotten. “I’m sorry, it’s just … I can barely breathe some nights.”

  He sat down, looking at me with worry in his eyes. “It’s too much. I fear I’ve done you a disservice.”

  “I fear I’m going to lose my mind if you don’t give me more. I’m so close!”

  “Close to what?”

  I clutched at my head, needing to relieve some frustrations. To confide in someone. Someone who wouldn’t care if I destroyed Dominic, who wasn’t working against me. It was too hard to keep everything contained. “My list. There are people I need to kill.”

  He nodded once, looking forward. “Silas was on that list.”

  “Yes.”

  “And I assume Dominic’s name is there somewhere?”

  “And Jackson’s.”

  “So if you kill these men, you will be made whole?”

  “I’d like to think it would be that simple.”

  “Your pain grieves me more than I can say. Maybe there is a way I can help you.”

  I sat up, eyeing him. “Why would you help me? You’re the bad guy.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Am I?”

  I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or if he truly believed it.

  “How about you just hook me up with the good stuff?” I offered my neck.

  His expression didn’t change as he leaned toward me. His hand slid up to the back of my neck. In one fluid motion, he had me sitting his lap, his hands on the small of my back. His expression pained. “You came back for more of that poison?”

  “The poison you freely offered me.”

  “As a respite, not as a crutch.” He raised his eyebrow. “Is that all you’re here for?”

  I rested my hand on his bare chest, trying to calm the rage inside me, the anvil on my heart, the suffocating in my chest. “I don’t know what I’m here for.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie. I needed the Scorpion’s Breath. But I also wanted to feel. Angel had no connection to the pain I’d brought upon others. He didn’t judge me. He even, if it was possible, seemed to care for me. I’d successfully managed to push everyone out of my life and it was destroying me inside.

  At least with Angel, I felt something, a connection to someone, without guilt. Without fear.

  He grasped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Do not lie to me.”

  “I …”

  “Briar, I will help you with whatever you need. Just say the word, and I am yours to command.”

  A hard, fast knock on his door made me jump. Angel pressed a finger to his mouth to silence me. He stood up, setting me on the couch, and approached the door cautiously, sniffing the air. He returned to me and pulled me gently off the couch. “You need to go into my room. Do not come out until I tell you to.”

  I slipped inside what ended up being a bedroom just off the living room. Angel opened the front door, and my heart stopped when I heard a voice say, “We need to talk. There’s a problem.”

  Dominic.

  Chapter 25

  Dominic entered the living room. I could hear him pacing and feel his anger strangling the room, and I wasn’t even in it.

  “Why are you here?” Angel asked. I could detect the annoyance in his voice. “We aren’t supposed to meet for another two days.”

  “Because I’m tired of waiting. You said Mateo would work with us. What’s the hold up?”

  “That’s for Mateo to decide.”

  Silence reigned. “Maybe I don’t have to work with Mateo. Maybe I can work with you.”

  “I work for Mateo.”

  Dominic’s voice lowered. “I don’t think you understand what I’m trying to say.”

  “I understand perfectly.”

  There was another long silence. Angel was very good at those. He never felt the need to fill those awkward moments.

  “Why does it smell like shifter in here?” Dominic asked.

  My blood turned cold, and I stepped away from the door.

  Angel ignored him. “Why are you in such rush to get this done? Our deal has been in the works for months. Why now?”

  “Because Trianus is coming.”

  There was a slight pause. “Trianus? That is a myth.”

  I frowned. Trianus? I�
��d never heard the name.

  “It’s not. It’s here and it wants us to solidify our relationship.”

  Again, an awkward pause. “There are people who want you dead.”

  My head snapped up, and I drew close to the door, my hands trembling.

  “No one can hurt me,” Dominic said. “I have a Morgan on my side.”

  Angel was slow with his next words. “The witch isn’t here now.”

  “What are you saying?”

  For once, I agreed with Dominic. What was Angel saying?

  There was a sudden flurry of movement, followed by a loud thump.

  Several heartbeats later, I heard, "Briar. You can come out."

  I slowly opened the door and peeked into the living room. Dominic was passed out on the floor face down. "What did you do?"

  He texted something into his phone, not answering me.

  "Angel!" I cried. "What did you do?"

  "I'm solving many problems in one fell swoop." He glanced down at Dominic's body. "If you'd like, you can kill him right now. If you choose to wait, I have men coming up to take him to Jackson."

  "Jackson, as in Greyback Jackson? Why would you take him there?"

  Angel circled around Dominic's body, assessing him. “I don't know if you were listening, but Dominic just came in here and told me to go behind Mateo’s back to work with him. That was Dominic's first mistake.” He cast me a fierce look. “I will always be loyal to Mateo. So I immediately do not want to work with him. I'm also giving you the chance to kill Dominic.” He paused, waiting to see if I would respond. When I didn’t, he continued, “If we tell the Greybacks that we want to work with them instead, they will think it’s a trap. So bringing Dominic to Jackson will be a sign of good faith.”

  “But I want Jackson dead, too.”

  “It matters not to Mateo, or to me. Jackson is only the Alpha. What we need is the relationship with the pack. When you live as long as we do, you discover that the relationship with the whole pack is more important than with any Alpha.” He shrugged. “Alphas come and go.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair. "I have so many questions."

  "Make it quick." He glanced at the time on his phone. "We have maybe two minutes before Dominic disappears."

  "You said Mateo would listen to you and work with the Silver Claws. What happened to that?"

  “I made the choice to work with the Silver Claws because of you, love. If you are not loyal to him, then I have no reason to be.”

  I groaned and asked my next question. "Why are you doing this for me?"

  He crossed the room to me and lightly touched my cheek. "I don't care about many in this world, but you're different. There's a power in you that even you haven’t discovered yet. I want to protect it. I have a feeling that one day my very life may depend upon it."

  "That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

  "Don't mock me." His voice was hard. It was the first time he had ever spoken to me so harshly.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mock you. I just have a hard time believing that I have any meaning in this world.”

  “Don’t discount yourself so easily. Now please, make your choice.”

  I stared down at Dominic's body. I could kill him in less than a second with a simple snap of his neck. He had never been more vulnerable. The Scorpion’s Breath breathing through me wanted his death. It would be so easy. I wouldn't even care.

  But there was another voice, smothered under layers of indifference, that remembered Luke. He would never be able to find his brother if I killed Dominic. I had also just discovered what I thought could be the name of the shadow figure in Dominic's paintings.

  Was it Trianus?

  I needed to uncover more. If there really was something big coming, something far more dangerous than Dominic, then I needed to figure it out.

  There was a knock on the door. Angel answered it and three vampires walked in.

  Angel looked at me, and I gave him a nod and stepped out of their way. “I need him alive, for just a little bit longer.”

  “As you wish.” He nodded to the vampires and they lifted Dominic to his feet and easily carried him from the room.

  As soon as they were gone, Angel walked into his kitchen and removed a small case from the refrigerator. I watched it eagerly. He held it close, his brows furrowed, and walked me to the door. "Wait a few hours before you return to your pack as to not look suspicious. By then they will have received word that Dominic has been taken. It's up to you what you want to do with this information.” He handed me the case. "I have given you two gifts tonight. Use them both wisely."

  I unzipped it quickly and sighed when I saw a dozen vials of Scorpions’ Breath. I couldn't swallow the liquid in one of them fast enough. "Thank you. I owe you."

  I turned to leave but he stopped me. "You are more than you believe you are. Do not let sorrow and pain swallow that."

  The reminder of my pain only brought the suffocating feeling back into my chest. I couldn’t move past my agony; the pain and sorrow were a part of my life now. But I gave him my best smile, and he walked me to the elevator door. He pushed the button and squeezed my arm gently. “The first time we were in this elevator together, we pretended to have no fears. Now is the time you will face yours. I have no doubt you will discover that you are stronger than them. And when you know this, you can do anything you desire.”

  He kissed my cheek. I stepped into the elevator, for once in my life not letting the enclosed space bother me. I smiled as the elevator doors closed around me. I didn't know what I was going to do, but either way, the blood of at least one of my enemies would be on my hands by the end of the night.

  I laughed out loud, a sound I hadn’t heard in a while.

  I did as Angel suggested and waited a few hours before I returned to the pack. Fire Ridge was in a state of chaos when I arrived. There were several shifters outside on their cell phones, their faces illuminated in the dark. I could hear shouting echoing from within the mansion. Lilith's voice to be exact. They were all trying to track down Dominic. I repressed a giggle.

  As soon as I stepped into the door, Luke and my uncle pulled me aside.

  "Did you do it?" Luke’s brows pulled tightly together, his face angry. Even with all the shit I’d put him through lately, he’d never looked at me like that before. I swallowed hard, looking away.

  When I looked back at him, I gave him a stony glare. "Do what?"

  My uncle looked at me incredulously. "How do you not know? Dominic is missing. Did you have something to do with it?"

  Luke’s burning gaze bore into mine. “If you did anything to him, I don't think I could ever forgive you. I need to find my brother."

  I folded my arms, facing them with an icy stare. "I didn't do anything. You set your eyes on someone new and now you no longer trust me?”

  His face darkened, but he reached for me. I brushed past him. “Don't worry. I'll find your stupid Alpha and bring him back."

  I left them behind, smirking at Lilith, who was tossing shit around, throwing a temper tantrum like a toddler. Honestly, I was surprised she cared enough.

  I played my part, pretending to care where the hell Dominic had disappeared to. Several shifters thought it was the vampires, while a few suggested he just left town without telling anyone. Everyone knew that was ridiculous. Dominic had never gone anywhere and not let at least Lilith or Heather know.

  I thought it interesting that no one suspected the Greybacks. To me, it was the most obvious choice. But I also didn't come from a pack like they did. An order from another pack Alpha, especially one that's clearly more powerful, was strong enough to obey. After some time, I decided it was time to start steering them in the right direction.

  "Why are we not considering the Greybacks?" I asked in the crowded common room.

  A few of them heard me, but they dismissed the question. I cleared my throat and rose from my spot on the sofa where I had been enjoying the view. Louder, I said, “What about
the Greybacks?"

  Voices died down. Heather began to laugh. "Are you serious? They wouldn't dream of doing something like that. We would wipe them all out."

  “Look, I could be wrong, but we should at least consider it. It would be easy enough for them to hide Dominic back at their ranch. Maybe they’d think we’d never suspect them."

  They were quiet again, and I could see my words worming doubt into their minds.

  "What's the harm in checking it out?” I added. “It's not like we have any other leads to follow, right?"

  Silence again, until Lilith broke it. "Then what the hell are we doing standing around here? Take a team or whatever it is you guys do and go find my man!"

  "I'll go," I said. "I'm already pretty familiar with the place since I had to save Ryder all on my own last time I was there." I hope they all felt the sting in my voice at the sound of Ryder's name.

  "I'll go," Luke said. He looked a lot calmer. Maybe he figured out that this was part of my plan all along.

  "Me too," my uncle added.

  Jerry, Gerald, and Samantha also agreed to come. So basically, my only friends within the pack. The others probably thought I was ridiculous. They were all in for a special surprise.

  "I hope you're right about this," Jerry mumbled as we all headed outside.

  "If you're right," Samantha added, "then we’re going to need more numbers than this. They will fight to the death to protect their Alpha."

  "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Luke opened a van door, and we all filed inside.

  It took us almost half an hour to get to the Greybacks’ ranch. We parked about a mile away and jogged to the edge of the property where forest met farmland. Moon’s first light cast a silvery web across the fields. I inhaled deeply. This wasn't your usual farm. I bent down to grab one of the plants and inhaled. They were growing marijuana. A whole shitload of it. I snapped off a mature plant and shoved it into my pocket. Luke gave me a disapproving glare. I winked at him. Hopefully he didn’t realize I was high right now.