Red the Were Hunter (Fairelle Series Book 1)

by Rebekah R. Ganiere

  Lizzy buried her head in Redlynn's side as her mind raced with questions, but she voiced none of them. Instead, she turned and walked out of the room with Lizzy at her side. Adrian stared at her as she passed, but Redlynn refused to meet his eye. They'd lied to her. All of them. The whole time they'd known who she was and where she'd come from and yet they'd stayed silent.

  Redlynn headed for the dining hall. Along the way, Hanna and Clara, who followed behind, pulled women out of their rooms and told them to come as well. Redlynn fought to keep her composure as she continued down the corridors to the large hall. Once there she headed to the far table.

  Men filled the dining hall but upon seeing all the women gathered, most stood and moved out of the room as if it was something they were accustomed to. Only two remained. Two men with long, dark hair and hard faces stared at the assemblage. Their eyes rested on Redlynn and Lizzy, and they exchanged a look.

  “The women need the room,” Adrian said.

  The men didn’t move.

  “Jale, Juda, out,” he commanded.

  Slowly they stood, taking their mugs of ale with them.

  Hanna and the women sat down silently at a long table. Redlynn, Lizzy, and Adrian sat opposite them on the other side. Blain stood watch at the outer door.

  Redlynn’s gaze scanned from face-to-face of the women gathered in the dining hall. Close up, she recognized several of them now. All former members of the Sisterhood, all had left Volkzene and never returned. There were four or five older than Hanna that Redlynn didn’t know, but Clara, Hanna and several others she’d seen in Volkzene when she was younger. In training classes, or around the village on patrol, but they’d all lived there. And they'd all been gone for more than five years.

  “I don’t understand.” She finally vocalized what had been running through her mind for the past several minutes. “What are you all doing here?”

  Hanna’s gaze settled on Adrian, his body ripe with tension. He took Redlynn's hand, sending a chill through her.

  “There are things in the world. Things that prey on humans,” he said.

  “Weres,” she said.

  “No,” said Hanna. “Not wolves; other things.”

  “Vampires,” Lizzy whispered.

  “Yes.” Adrian nodded.

  Redlynn hadn’t misheard Lizzy, but no one contradicted the girl. It wasn’t possible. “There hasn’t been a sighting of a vampire in hundreds of years,” she said.

  “Vampires live to the north of the woods,” Adrian began. “A thousand years ago, Fairelle used to be a single kingdom, ruled by King Isodor. He had four sons who each wished to rule the kingdom after the death of their father. Using an ancient mage book, they called forth a djinn from Shaidan. The djinn granted them each a wish but twisted it to his own purposes. The first wished to be bloodthirsty in battle. The second wished for the never-ending loyalty of his men. The third wished to be able to control the elements. And the last brother wished to rule the seas. Vampires, werewolves, fae and nereids.” Adrian paused. “But the brothers had called the djinn forth too many times, and the djinn was able to break free, opening a rift in what once was the heart of Fairelle, but is now the Wastelands.”

  Redlynn tried to grasp his words. She’d heard parts of the legend before, but never like this. The way Adrian told it made it seem real. Surely it wasn’t possible. Humans turned into creatures by the wishes made to a daemon?

  “Red,” said Hanna. “The wolves, or werewolves as we were taught by the Sisterhood, aren’t bad. They protect us.”

  “No.” She dropped Adrian’s hand and stood from the table.

  “Redlynn, listen, please,” pleaded Adrian.

  “They protect us from the vampires.” Hanna rose.

  “No, they don’t!” Lizzy screeched, running to Red’s side again. “They took me.”

  “Tell us what happened, child.” Adrian’s gaze shifted to Blain, who’d moved forward to the table.

  Lizzy began to shake again. Redlynn held her close, for her own comfort as much as for the child’s.

  “Come, Lizzy,” Hanna prompted. “Tell us what happened that night.”

  Lizzy stayed silent for a long moment. “I was asleep in my bed. A howl awoke me, but I was so frightened, I couldn’t move. I heard the door open; I know I should have screamed, but I couldn’t. A giant brown Were stuck his head in. Even from where my bed sat in the next room, I heard him breathing. My room faced the front door, so I saw him perfectly in the firelight. His body was huge. A second brown Were came in, as well.” Lizzy took a shuddered breath before continuing. “Then a man walked in. Tall and thin with long hair. The man pushed the Were aside and looked right at me. There was something in his eyes that, even though he stood by the door, I could tell he wanted me to go to him. I tried to stay in my bed, but my body wouldn’t obey. When I got into the front room, he smiled. And his sharp teeth grew longer and pointier like knives. I’d never been so scared. He bent down and smelled my neck.”

  Lizzy broke off and buried her tear-streaked face in Redlynn’s gown.

  Vampires were real? Her heartbeat quickened. What else was out there that she didn’t know about?

  “See?” Redlynn yelled. “How can you say the Weres protect, when you have a witness right here to their atrocities?”

  “No!” Adrian rose from his seat, shaking his head vehemently. “It isn’t like that. The wolves protect humans.”

  “Adrian, are you calling this girl a liar?” She couldn’t believe Adrian was trying to tell her that the Weres weren’t a threat.

  Adrian sighed and rubbed his temples. “It isn’t as simple as you think.”

  Redlynn finally saw the truth of the situation. The women loved the men. The men could only live here, in the woods, uninjured by the Weres if they were in league with them. She held tightly to Lizzy as she walked backward toward the stairs.

  “What do you do? You ally yourselves with beasts to keep your castle safe? You allow innocent girls like Lizzy to be taken so that you may fish and read and prosper?” Redlynn looked over the group. “You disgust me,” she spat. “And you.” Her gaze pierced Clara. “You still side with the Weres, knowing now what they’ve done to your sister?”

  She couldn’t believe it. She’d stayed here, in his bed. She’d fallen for him and almost... she had almost made love to him. Adrian, the murderer of young girls.

  “Redlynn, wait.” Adrian moved toward her.

  “Don’t! Don’t touch me,” she warned in a low voice, backing away further still.

  “If you’d let me explain,” he begged.

  “Explain what? Explain how you let these… these… creatures of the daemons steal and murder children? Children, Adrian! No more.” Redlynn looked over the room. “I am Redlynn Mactire Fola, of the Sisterhood of Red, and I will not let this continue. I will do what none of you have seen fit to do. I will go out and find the rest of the girls if there are any, and kill the Were king.”

  A dumbstruck look came over Adrian and Blain’s faces. Neither man moved as she ushered Lizzy up the stairs and out of sight. When she reached his room, she slammed the door and pushed the bar across.

  Redlynn rushed to the window and inhaled deeply. She had to get out of there. Involuntarily, she grasped for her locket, but it was gone. Redlynn looked down at her bodice; her necklace was gone. She spun on the spot, searching the floor, but found nothing. Where had she last seen it?

  Lizzy cowered in the corner, pulling Redlynn from her search. She had to think more than just of herself right now.

  Redlynn sucked in a deep breath, took Lizzy by the arm, marched her into the bathroom, poured water into the basin, and washed the dirt from the girl's face, neck, and hands.

  “Tell me, Lizzy. Tell me everything.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Find Angus,” Adrian ordered Blain in a low voice. “Now.”

  Blain nodded and left the dining hall.

  Was it possible Redlynn was the child of a wolf and a sister? It ma
de sense, how could it be any other way? How had he not thought of it sooner?

  “Lord Adrian.” Hanna’s small voice broke through his thoughts. “She’ll come around. Were any of us any different when you first explained?”

  Adrian watched the women, standing stoic and brave. Each had gone through what Redlynn was going through, and each had come out the other side, understanding the lies they’d been told by his mother and now Lillith, the Head of the Sisterhood. But this was different because she was different.

  He found it remarkable that Redlynn remembered anything from her shift the night before. He didn’t remember his first dozen or more shifts. Even the next fifty were mostly a blur, but over the years his father had taught him how to control it, how to focus and remember in his human form what he did in his wolf form. In time, Redlynn would remember as well. Adrian had to tell her before it happened.

  “Go to your mates and young,” he told the women. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “My sister,” said Clara.

  “I’ll bring her to you as soon as I’m able. I promise.”

  “Thank you, M’lord.”

  As the women filed out, Blain returned with Angus. His face was unreadable.

  “Prince Adrian,” said Angus. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Your surname is Mactire Fola, is it not, Angus?”

  “Aye, you know it is.”

  “Have you ever been with a female, Angus? A Sister?”

  Angus eyed them both suspiciously. “Aye.”

  “How long ago?” asked Blain.

  “Why do you ask?”

  Adrian sat down and blew out a breath. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Angus, but this is important.”

  Angus sighed and sat down heavily on a wooden bench. He stared at the table for a long time without speaking. “She died a few winters back. She was the one. My mate. I met her close to twenty-five years ago while she gathered herbs in the woods. After a year of meeting in the woods, I told her what I was. Her mother was the Head of the Order, and she grew scared that the Sisterhood would find out about us.”

  Angus stopped speaking. He rubbed his fingertips together as if remembering the feel of something. The burden of grief that Angus had carried all these years was suddenly very apparent. There’d always been a despondency to him, but Adrian had chalked it up to having lived so long and never finding a mate. He’d been wrong; Angus’ depression had been brought about because he had found his mate.

  “Angus, have you seen Red?” Blain asked.

  Angus shook his head. “No. I’ve heard of the new female, but I haven’t seen her.”

  “We think she might be your daughter,” said Adrian.

  “Raeleen’s daughter?” Angus’ eyes widened.

  “Her name is Redlynn Mactire Fola.”

  Angus smiled, lost in thought. “Explains the scent I caught on you a few days back. I thought it was just my imagination. I catch a whiff of Raeleen everywhere.”

  “Angus, we need your help,” said Blain. “She’s going to get herself hurt.”

  Watching Angus’ pain made it clear to Adrian that losing Redlynn now would be worse than anything he’d endured. What he’d felt the night before in the woods was just the beginning of what he’d feel if she left for good. He had to make her see the truth.

  “What do you need from me?” Angus stood. His shoulders squared, and Adrian watched the years fall from Angus’ face.

  “She hasn’t been told the truth about us yet. But it’s complicated. Girls have gone missing from Volkzene in recent months. A wolf has betrayed our oath and given children to the Bloodsuckers. Redlynn is hell-bent on killing me because she thinks I’m responsible.”

  “Then we need to tell her.” Angus looked between them.

  “Yes, but…” Adrian trailed off.

  “It’s not that simple,” said Blain. “She’s the chosen one, the one from the prophecy.”

  “My daughter?” Angus’s voice rose.

  “That’s not all,” said Adrian. “Last night… Angus, last night she shifted.”

  Angus’s mouth opened and closed several times before he spoke. “That’s not–”

  “Possible. We know. But we were there; it happened. We need you to talk to her with us. To help her understand we aren’t the enemy.”

  “My daughter. My daughter is a she-wolf,” Angus laughed, scratching his graying beard.

  “She’s my mate, Angus. Help me.”

  A sudden intensity came into Angus’ face. “Och, aye. I’ll help you, my king.”

  Adrian, Blain, and Angus stood outside the door, staring at it. His heart pounded. This was the moment. It was so different than all the mates he’d explained the truth to before. Different because they hadn’t been his woman. Or a wolf. Now, with his heart at stake, he was terrified.

  “If she’s anything like her mother, she ain’t gettin’ any softer in there,” said Angus.

  Blain clapped him on the shoulder. “She’ll get through it. So will you. Together, you’ll change our kingdom forever. Believe that.”

  Blain knocked before he could protest.

  Adrian glared at him, but inwardly he was grateful he'd not had to do it himself. A minute passed and there was no sound from inside. The hairs on Adrian's neck stood up, and his heartbeat quickened.

  “Redlynn,” he called, knocking again.

  Again, there was no answer.

  Something was wrong. Adrian tried the handle but it was locked. He pounded on the wood.

  “Redlynn! Open the door!” This was not the way to get her to comply, but the terrible gnawing in his gut grew.

  He heard the shuffling of feet and breathing from the other side. Pressing his face to the crack, he inhaled deeply. It wasn’t Redlynn’s scent.

  “Lizzy.” He tried to control his rising panic. “Lizzy, open the door to my room, please.” The wolf in Adrian’s chest growled with impatience wanting to be let out to rip down the door.

  “Red… Red told me not to.”

  “Lizzy. Tell Redlynn that I need to talk to her.”

  “I… She’s not here.”

  Adrian howled in rage. Angus grabbed him as Adrian pounded his fists on the door.

  "Lizzy, I know you don't know us," said Blain. "But we are trying to help. Help you, help Red, help the other girls. We want to find them. We want to make sure you are all safe."

  Seconds passed and then the lock clicked, and the bar moved. Adrian didn’t know what the girl saw when she peeked out at them, but it seemed to terrify her.

  “Red went to find the other girls. She went out the window. I tried to stop her, honestly, I did. She’s strong, but even Red isn’t strong enough to take on all the bloodsuckers.”

  “Close the door, lass,” Angus said in a gruff voice. “Wait for the women ta come get ya.”

  Lizzy nodded and quickly slammed the door, locking it again.

  “Adrian,” Angus said. “Boy, look at me.

  He was close to gone. His wolf so near the surface that he barely kept him at bay. The tremors had already begun; his nails were lengthening, and fur sprouted on his hands. He tried to focus on Angus’ face.

  “We’ll get her back. I lost her mother, I’m not gonna lose her, too, and neither are you. If it takes my last breath.”

  Adrian nodded. The fear and anger building inside of him was wound to explode.

  Blain took Adrian’s face in his hands. “Go. Find her.”

  Adrian was down the hall in three strides. He shifted mid-air as he leaped from the balcony to the dining hall below. Men had flooded into the chamber and watched as he landed on the main table on all fours. Turning, he faced his men. His time had come. The howl that emanated from his chest was like none he’d loosed before.

  It was the call. The call of the king.

  Within minutes, all men from the castle had assembled in the dining hall. Jale and Juda were the last to enter. Adrian howled again, so loud that the glass clattered in the windowpanes. Each man bent low
to knee and bowed to their king, except for Jale and Juda, who continued to stand. If they continued to disobey, he’d have to fight them for control. Adrian didn’t want to have to kill them in a fight to the death, but he would. Strength and determination filled him. There was no going back now.

  He pierced them with his gaze and gave them one last chance, emitting a third call. Reluctantly, the brothers fell to their knees. Adrian let his gaze rest on each of his men in turn. His Alpha stood proud and satisfied at his new rank amongst the pack.

  It is done. With the bowing of each man, his fate was sealed. He was now King of the Wolves. Adrian barked and leaped off the table, making for the exit. The sounds of clothes ripping and snarls erupted behind him as his men shifted. Dax stood waiting, watching the scene unfold.

  At the gate within seconds, Adrian sniffed the air and caught her scent easily. His men ran up behind him, followed by Dax’s giant, white bear form.

  “My mate is in the woods. She’s in danger. Vampires have been stealing girls, and she has gone to save them. Find her. Help her. Keep her safe.”

  Blain and Angus flanked him as he tore off into the trees. Over rocks and branches, the three sprinted into the woods. They hadn’t gone far when the rain started up again. Moisture clung to everything, dampening the earth and diluting her scent, making Redlynn’s trail harder to track. For an hour or more, they spread out through the forest trying to find her.

  “We’ve run the river,” Roal said.

  “I’ve checked the border to the farmlands,” panted Fendrick.

  “The clearing is empty of her scent,” Law said.

  “She has to be somewhere,” Adrian growled to himself.

  “Blain, Roal, Law, Paulo, to the northern border. Patrol for vampires.”

  “Where now?” asked Angus.

  Adrian stopped and sniffed the air. Where was she? Anxiety wracked him. He needed to find her and keep her safe. It was the only thing that mattered. How was it possible that he couldn’t find her?

  He swore.

  “What is it?” Angus asked.