by Raven Steele
I looked back at Brutus. “So you all must be part of the Principes Noctis.”
“And proud of it. The Silver Claws are too, right?” The last word held a sharp edge I didn’t want to touch.
“Of course,” I said, lying through my teeth.
A dull thumping sound drew everyone’s attention to the grave. Luke dug faster, then dropped to his knees to brush dirt away from something dull and white. Bone.
His hands frantically dug into the earth, continuing to uncover what was left of the body. He froze suddenly and sucked in a breath. He reached for something I couldn’t see from my viewpoint.
Silence reigned through the forest. It was as if everything and everyone was holding a collective breath, knowing Luke’s heart was about to shatter.
He held up a silver chained necklace, a cross dangling at the end. Moonlight captured the metal tip. “This was Jake’s.”
His eyes met mine and everything around us slowly faded away. We were now bound by something stronger than lust, deeper than love. Dominic had taken away what we both loved most in the world. The pain and rage reflected in his eyes mirrored my own. I knew exactly what he was thinking, what he was feeling.
“Like I said,” Brutus drawled, shattering the moment with his voice and obnoxious smile. “Dead as a doornail.”
Luke leapt from the grave and slammed his fist across Brutus’s face. Brutus stumbled back two steps, surprised. Two pack members lunged for Luke and shoved him away, but Luke was immoveable. His chest heaved up and down. “Who killed him?”
Brutus looked around at the other six shifters around us. “I think we all had a hand in it, right, Tom?”
Tom nodded. “I know I got a few good punches in.”
Luke jabbed the sharp end of the shovel at him, but Tom darted out of the way. Luke swung his leg low, knocking Tom’s legs out from him. Tom fell to his back, but before he hit the ground, Luke was on top of him, raining blows upon his face.
I jumped in, supporting Luke just like he’d supported me. I slammed my fist against one of the two men protecting their Alpha. He fell to the side, but easily jumped to his feet. He grinned at me, popping his knuckles.
While I quickly took him out, Brutus stomped over to Luke and with one kick, knocked Luke back several feet. I thought this would be the end of it, and Luke and I could get the hell out of there, but Luke wasn’t finished. He rushed Brutus, tackling his mid-section. The force was enough to take them both to the ground. Luke managed to get in a few good hits to Brutus’s side and face, but Brutus was an Alpha for a reason.
A slow and deep growl vibrated deep within Brutus’s throat. Luke should’ve recognized the threat, but his mind was nowhere near clear. Brutus shoved upward with both hands directly into Luke’s chest and flung him sideways into a tree.
Luke slammed into it and slumped to the ground. His hands clawed into the earth as he struggled to get back up, pain etching his face. He screamed a dark and painful cry full of rage and grief that shredded my heart. The sound would haunt me until the day I died.
Brutus slowly came to his feet, rising tall into the darkness. He was still smiling, but it was anything but friendly. It was the kind of grin a serial killer wore when he made another notch into his skin belt. He ran at Luke.
My wolf surged within me so suddenly it took my breath away. I appeared in front of Luke, startling Brutus into a full stop.
“Out of my way, she-wolf,” he snapped.
“You’ve made your point. Just back off and we’ll get off of your property.”
“Too late. I’ve been insulted. Only blood is going to fix this.” He attempted to come through me, but my hand shot out and slammed into his sternum. He flew back over a dozen feet. His body bounced off a wide stump.
I glared hard at him, my chest heaving at the surge of power.
His head snapped back and looked at me. “Your eyes…what the hell are you?”
I closed them quickly and forced myself to relax. After three breaths, my heartbeat slowed, and I opened my eyes. “I am someone you don’t want to cross. Let us leave or there’s going to be serious problems.”
His nostrils flared and jaw flexed. “Get the hell out of here! Don’t return again unless it’s with your Alpha. New terms need to be established.”
I nodded once then whirled around to Luke. He had pulled himself into a sitting position but was inhaling shallow breaths. He probably had several broken ribs, maybe even his back.
Crouching next to him, I asked, “Can you walk?”
He didn’t answer me, nor would he accept my hand to pull him up. Grimacing, he came to his feet and stalked off into the darkness, casting each one of them a dangerous look. Luke wasn’t finished with them. The anger pulsing off him terrified me. I’d felt the same fury inside me and it didn’t lead anywhere good.
“Luke!” I called but he didn’t turn around.
I didn’t hurry back to the car, hoping he’d use the time to calm down. By the time I reached it, Luke was in the passenger seat staring out the window. I opened the driver’s side door and found the keys resting on the seat.
I started the engine and glanced at him sideways. “I’m sorry about your brother. We’ll get through it. I promise.”
“I’m going to kill every last one of them.”
“If you want revenge, you have to be smart about it. Attacking an Alpha while his whole pack is there to back him up won’t work.” I shifted into drive. “We’ll come up with a plan. Figure out a way—”
“I don’t need your help.”
My head jerked toward him. His blue eyes were as hard as steel as they stared straight ahead.
“I don’t want your help,” he repeated, his voice emotionless.
“Well I want to help you. I know about pain and revenge. I can—”
“Just drive.”
I waited for him to say something else, but the silence in the car was telling.
“Luke, I… I care about you.” I swallowed, finding it hard to admit this to him, especially when he was so angry and cold. “Let me help you.”
When he didn’t answer, pain twisted my gut. But I took a deep breath and maneuvered the car so I could drive back out. I thought of how I’d pushed him away when I was so angry. I set my mouth in a firm line and drove down the long lane, determined to do whatever it took to help him
We hadn’t gone far when his pulsing anger became so suffocating I had to roll down the window and inhale deeply. The drive home felt much longer than it had been going up there, and the only sound to keep me company was the wind whipping through my hair.
When we reached the outskirts of Rouen, Luke ordered me to stop. I pulled over to the shoulder and turned to him, hoping he was ready to talk. Instead, he flung open the door and bolted. Before he reached the forest line, he ripped off his clothes and shifted into his massive black wolf, his fur glistening in the moonlight.
“Call me?” I yelled to no one.
I stared off into the forest for a long time, the car idling. I didn’t know if I should stay or go, but just then the sharp howl of a wolf pierced the night deep within the forest. I gripped the steering wheel, my heart breaking for him. Maybe I should join him.
I moved to get out of the car, but stopped myself. Luke had to go through this, especially in the beginning when his wound was raw. And he obviously didn’t want me with him.
I pulled off the shoulder and headed for home. He could push me away all he wanted, but when he was ready, I would be here for him.
Chapter 8
Silence reigned when I arrived home. Lynx must have been sleeping. I couldn’t smell or hear Samira at all, and I hadn’t seen her since she left angry at me for giving Cassandra the position on the Ministry board.
It was nearly four in the morning, but I still frowned. Part of me felt the need to talk about what had happened with Luke. This was a new side for me—the urge to want to talk to friends. I paused at Lynx’s door, almost waking her up, but then I remembered her pro
blems with sleeping.
I fell into bed, clothes and all, and texted Luke. I’m here if you want to talk. He never responded.
The next day, I stayed busy so I wouldn’t keep checking my phone. Lynx was surprised to see me back so soon and asked me to go shopping with her. For the next few hours, I followed her around while she made her choices. I told her about everything that had happened and she gave me a sympathetic ear. It felt good to talk about it with someone who cared.
I wanted to share with Samira too, especially since she had been helping Luke try to find his brother. I knew it would upset her, but she never came home. Then Lynx and I received a cryptic message from her just before the sun set.
Going to Coast City. I’ll be gone for a few days.
She never responded to my text asking if she needed help. I would’ve loved to have something to do to keep my mind off Luke. I also wanted to meet this Aris Crow vamp Samira kept mentioning.
Instead, as soon as Sinsual opened, I worked the bar for a few hours. The smell of alcohol on people’s breath as they cheered my name ignited all my wolfie senses. It was another form of power, commanding an audience, that appealed to me. I didn’t realize until now that it was probably the Alpha inside me that craved it so much. But I would never be an Alpha. That was for smarter, more controlled shifters.
A whole week passed without a word from Luke. I stopped by Fire Ridge more often, but no one had heard from him. My uncle had tried calling, but Luke didn’t return his call, either. This went against pack rules. Thank goodness my uncle was the Alpha, otherwise there would be consequences.
“He needs time,” my uncle said as we stood outside the great mansion, near the bike I’d confiscated. “What Dominic did to him was a terrible betrayal. Not only did he kill his brother, but he used Luke. He stole the last four years of his life.”
“So glad the bastard is dead.” I swung my leg over the bike. It was getting late. Already the moon hung high in the sky.
“Me too.”
“I’m going to head home. Text me if you hear anything.”
“I will, but before you leave, I need to ask you something.” He kicked at a little pebble on the driveway. “I don’t know how to say this—”
“Just spit it out.”
“The Abydos. I know you say you don’t know where it is, but maybe you do and you’re trying to protect it because you still don’t trust me yet.”
“I don’t know where it is,” I blurted and averted my gaze.
“Perhaps.” He gave me a warm smile. “I only want to see you happy, and you can’t do that if you’re carrying a burden as big as the Abydos. That’s what a pack is for. The pack you and I come from was charged with guarding the Abydos, not just your father.” He drew his brows together. “I’m determined to change this pack into something good. I think the Silver Claws can be the pack I always hoped it would be.”
His words hit me in the core. I couldn’t imagine a life without the Abydos. Protecting it. Worrying about it. Dreaming about it falling into the wrong hands. Just the thought of turning it over to someone else practically had me throwing a punch at him.
I stared my uncle in the eyes. “I don’t have it.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
I started the bike and revved the engine.
Vincent stepped back. “I’ll let you know if Luke comes by.”
I nodded my thanks and sped away. I deliberately drove fast to prevent myself from seriously considering my uncle’s offer, because the truth was, he was right. If he could turn around the Silver Claws, making them like the pack I was raised in, I would trust him with it. But it would take time and getting rid of people like Heather and those who still worshiped Dominic even after his death.
Changes were coming.
I walked into the house just as the grandfather clock in the living room chimed ten o’clock. Lynx and Samira, who must’ve just gotten back from Coast City, were in the living room, a cup of something steaming in Lynx’s hand. Ice tinkled in Samira’s glass. I wrinkled my nose. She was the only vampire I knew who occasionally drank her blood cold.
Not that I knew a lot of vampires. Who knew? Maybe there were whole covens of them. Online support groups, podcasts. Vampires for cold blood.
They sat on the same sofa, chatting quietly. There was a closeness between them that made me a little envious. But then I noted Samira’s blank expression. How much of that face was a mask? Could she ever be a best friend to anyone?
I was beginning to understand her micro expressions, but I was usually more observant than many others. Comes from learning to read others, an important skill when you grow up in foster homes.
She looked at me. I thought she might still be mad at me for the whole Cassandra thing, but I didn’t see any indication of it. Plus she was wearing her glasses, always a good sign.
“How was Coast City?” I asked her and walked opposite them to sit down. I dropped into the Queen Anne chair near the fireplace. The low, flickering flames barely provided any heat. Samira turned her head slightly, and I noticed a fading bruise on the other side of her face. It must’ve been some blow.
Samira stared straight ahead, her eyes distant and pained. Did I dare say she looked sad? “Are you okay?”
Her chin quivered ever so slightly. “We lost someone important to us.”
“Oh, Samira!” Lynx gasped and rested her hand over Samira’s. “I’m so sorry.”
Samira blinked, clearing a drop of moisture. “It’s fine now.”
“That really sucks,” I added, my voice soft. “Can you tell us what happened and did it have anything to do with that lovely yellow color on your face?”
She reached up and touched the bruise lightly as if she was surprised it was there. “Some supernaturals, specifically some nasty witches, tried to take back the city.”
Lynx set the cup in her other hand onto the coffee table. “Didn’t you tell me Aris Crow had kicked out all members of the Principes Noctis?”
“He had, but there were witches who tried to rebel. Aris needed my help against them, and as you can see, they proved quite challenging.” She snapped her head toward me. “Tell me about Luke. Lynx said something happened with his brother?”
“Nice conversation change, but I’ll bite.” Whatever had happened in Coast City, she clearly didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe one day soon I’d get her to talk about her friend that had died. It might help her heal.
“When we arrived at the Linchen Pack, we got into a fight with some inbreeders so they’d take us to their Alpha. A big burly fellow named Brutus. I think he’s in on the inbreeding. Anyway, he said they killed Luke’s brother over four years ago on Dominic’s orders. Luke didn’t believe he was dead.” I inhaled a hitched breath.
Lynx’s hand rose to her heart, even though she already knew all this, and Samira blinked slow and long. I think the news was just as upsetting to Samira as it was the rest of us.
“They showed us where they buried him. Luke dug up his brother’s grave, just to know for sure. He found some cross necklace Jake used to wear. After that Luke tried to kill one of them, then he took on their Alpha. I managed to get him out of there with only a few cracked ribs, but Luke disappeared the moment we got back to Rouen.”
“And you haven’t talked to him since?” Lynx asked, her voice full of sadness and tears in her eyes. Where Samira showed nothing, she showed everything.
I shook my head. “I’m worried about what he might do. I saw the look in his eye. He wants revenge.”
“He needs time,” Lynx said but phrased it as a question.
“He needs blood,” Samira said, startling us. “And somehow he’ll find a way to get it. We need to keep an eye on him. In the meantime, Mateo wants to meet with us as soon as possible.”
“What for?” Meeting with Mateo probably meant seeing Angel. My heart thudded in my chest. I briefly closed my eyes, remembering the last words Angel had ever said to me. “I ran to you, love. Never doubt my devotion.” I di
dn’t understand what he meant then, too tired and afraid to ask him, and I still didn’t want to ask. It might mean getting answers I couldn’t deal with yet.
“He said they have a problem,” Samira continued. “He doesn’t know who to trust.”
“He trusts you guys?” Lynx asked. “That says a lot. I didn’t think vampires trust anyone.”
I looked at Lynx and flashed a sly smile. “It’s only because Mateo has a thing for Samira.”
“He does not.” Samira’s voice was firm.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d guess you two have a history.”
She turned away, using her long hair to curtain her face. I wished she wouldn’t have. I wanted to know if it were possible for her face to redden.
“You do!” I said. “Do tell! I bet it’s terribly romantic and tragic at the same time.”
Without facing us, she said, “We leave in ten minutes. Try and get Luke to meet us there.”
She left the room, practically extinguishing the fire with her coolness.
Lynx leaned over and whispered across a narrow coffee table, “I think she still has feelings for him.” Her eyes flickered to the necklace she gave me, still around my neck. “It looks good on you.”
“I agree on both points.” After I texted Luke about the meeting, I stood and headed for the kitchen while texting Roma for a ride to wherever it was we were going. “Any of that cake left?”
“In the fridge.” She followed after me. “Since you’re eating cake, then I’m having cereal. I don’t care that it’s almost midnight.”
“As you shouldn’t.”
While I busied myself with pouring milk and cutting cake, Lynx also moved about the kitchen setting herself up with a bowl of cold cereal. Captain Crunch Berries. I sighed. What Luke would’ve liked.
I ignored the pain in my chest and turned around, just as Lynx slammed into me. Her cereal spilled all over me and she grabbed at the bowl. Her fingers caught in my necklace and it snapped from my neck. I sucked in a breath at the cold milk, now all over my shirt.
