by Kasi Blake
“I saw you talking to some blonde lady in a tight pink skirt.”
A huge smile widened Jersey’s mouth. “You must have seen Pagan. She works for me. A beautiful lady, yes, but her intelligence is lacking in several areas. I’ve tried for years to get her to expand her mind, read some books from my private collection. However, she would rather spend her free time painting her fingernails.” He set his fork down and gave Jack his full attention. “Tell me more. What else did you see?”
“She had bad news for you. A death in the family?”
The smile faltered. “Oh. You saw the day I found out about Kenneth. I told you I had recently lost a friend.”
Jack kept his mouth shut.
“You saw me transform.” Jersey pushed the salad aside and laced his fingers on the tabletop. “You know my secret, and I know yours. Seems we’re at a stalemate. Suppose we reach a mutual understanding here, before something regrettable happens.”
“I’m not planning on telling anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about. I have something bigger than you on my mind.”
Jersey didn’t ask for details. He seemed happy with the information he’d gleaned from his new student. Nodding, he returned to his salad. After taking a few more bites he said, “I’d like to ask you another question if I may.”
“Go ahead.” Jack steeled himself.
“What do you really think of my class?”
For the next ten minutes they talked about literature, Jersey’s favorite subject. Jack told him about Lily and how she’d shared her love of the written word with him. For a short time Jack forgot his problems. Another reason he liked Jersey. The man seemed to have that effect on people.
During their conversation, Jack kept his eyes on the teacher, but he was ultra-aware of every movement Silver made, no matter how slight. His keen sixth sense told him when she got up to dump her garbage, and his eyes followed her to the metal trashcan.
Jersey sighed. “If you miss her, go to her. Whatever came between you two can be worked out.”
Jack dragged his eyes from Silver long enough to check Jersey’s expression. His eyes clouded over with a deep sadness. Scratch that. It was a terrible grief, the kind that came from losing someone close. Reflected in those pale blue eyes was a taste of what Jack had felt when he’d seen his parents killed.
“You’re young still,” Jersey said. “You may not understand what I am about to tell you, but please try. Some of us get one chance at love. We have a soul-mate, a single person in this universe we are meant to be with. Once that person’s gone…well, the world can be a bleak place.”
“Aren’t you and the blonde together?”
“Pagan?” Jersey laughed, loud and throaty. Curious students turned to look at the teacher and student having lunch together. A strange sight to be sure. “She and I…that would be impossible, Jack.”
“Why?”
He leaned over the table and lowered his voice again. “Werewolves mate for life, and I had my one chance with love several lifetimes ago.”
Jack found the high number of years hard to fathom. It would be awful to be alone for that long. He watched Silver as she headed for the door with her friends in tow. Her eyes drifted his way. He sat up straighter and held his breath, silently praying she would look directly at him. His reasons for giving her up were still valid.
To Jack, the world kept moving at regular speed while Silver moved in slow motion. Time seemed to stop for the two of them as her eyes briefly touched his. Although she was smiling for the benefit of her friends, he saw the pain in those eyes, pain he had caused. His stomach plummeted to his feet.
“It’s not too late,” Jersey urged. “It isn’t too late until the object of your affection is dead. Don’t make the same mistake I made. Don’t take love for granted. It may not always be there.”
Jack began to rise from his seat, acting on impulse. He didn’t know what he was going to say to her, but he had to say something. The feeling he would never see her again if she walked out the door ripped a hole in his gut.
A flash of anger touched her face when she saw him rising. There was a layer of contempt and a shadow of loathing. She didn’t want to talk to him. She wasn’t going to listen to a word he had to say. It was over. He had already lost her.
Jack sank back down. Feeling like a total idiot, like everyone in the cafeteria had seen Silver reject him, he decided to question Jersey for a change and turn the tables.
“Tell me about the woman you were in love with.”
Jersey put his total attention on his food. He finished his salad and moved to a gooey piece of chocolate cake. He took his time removing the plastic wrap. Instead of using his fork, he broke off a small part of cake and popped it into his mouth.
Jack considered repeating the question, but there was no need.
“She died,” Jersey said.
“How did it happen?”
Jersey sucked the frosting from his fingers. “The bell is about to ring. You don’t want to be late for your next class.”
His next class was English, and they both knew it. Jack looked around the lunchroom. They were practically the only ones left, and Jersey wasn’t finished eating.
Jack shrugged. “I think I’m okay. I have a feeling the teacher is going to be a few minutes late today.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“I told you my biggest secret. Tell me yours.”
The amused glint returned to Jersey’s eyes. “Admitting I’m a werewolf isn’t enough for you? It would be for most people.”
“I was a vampire. Werewolves aren’t a big deal in my book. Although, I never thought I’d be having lunch with one.”
Jersey nodded. “Likewise. Vampires aren’t on the top of my list either.”
“I’m not a vampire anymore, but you are still a werewolf.”
“Which brings us to a puzzling question. How did you manage to become mortal again? I didn’t think that was possible.”
Jack shook his head, refusing to be led from the scent he was following. “Maybe someday I’ll share the story with you. First, I want to hear about the love of your life and how you lost her.”
With a defeated look, Jersey hung his head. “Okay. You win this time. She was my wife, and we were very much in love. I had believed I would grow old with her. On our wedding day I never imagined I would find myself not growing old with her, not growing old period. I’ll be like this forever.”
Jack pressed. “How did she die?”
“I killed her.”
Chapter Eleven:
JACK’S FIRST HUNT
For the first time in his mortal life, Jack skipped school. After his enlightening conversation with Jersey, he decided to skip English class. Jersey wouldn’t report him. A werewolf in disguise wouldn’t want the principal asking questions. Besides, after his admission that he killed his wife, he couldn’t possibly expect Jack to act normal around him.
Jack sat in the car for a long time before sliding the key into the ignition. He didn’t know where to go. Going home would put him into a difficult conversation with his brother. Billy had already made his position on the subject of school quite clear. Funny, Jack felt more alone now that he was human than he had as a vampire.
Life as a vampire had been a lot easier than life as a mortal. It hadn’t been that long since his return to normal. Hard to believe he had thought being human would solve all his problems. Now he was racking them up. He had a teacher who was secretly a werewolf, a cold-blooded killer for a school janitor, and Silver wasn’t speaking to him. Oh yes, and his brother wanted to kill him every time he turned around.
He drove with his brain on automatic, no idea where he was headed. When he found himself in front of Silver’s house a few minutes later, he wasn’t really surprised. He made sure Andrew Reign was gone before he parked the car out front. Vanessa had been u
nderstanding and kind on his last visit. He was hoping to find a sympathetic ear.
In seconds he was knocking on the front door. During the time it took for Vanessa to answer, he reconsidered what he was doing. Talking to Silver’s mother might not be the best idea. He turned to go. Before he could completely reverse direction, Vanessa was there with a smile and a plate of cookies.
“You caught me on my baking day,” she said. “Get in here. It’s freezing.”
She led him to the dining room. They sat at the table with the plate of cookies between them. She offered him a glass of milk, but he declined. He wasn’t hungry either. Guilt over hurting Silver and fear of being surrounded by werewolves at school had stolen his appetite. He chewed on a cookie to be polite; he could barely taste it.
“Why aren’t you in school today?” Vanessa asked.
“I found him, the one who killed my parents.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”
“His ugly face is burned into my memory forever. Besides, I think he wanted me to know it was him. He’s working as the school janitor. He actually smiled at me, kind of daring me to do something. I remember looking up at that same face while I was dying in my front yard ten years ago.”
Vanessa shivered. “He’s at the same school as my daughter? He could be the lead werewolf. He’s at the school because of Silver. Does she know?”
“I wanted to tell her, but she’s not exactly taking my calls right now.”
“You did what needed to be done. Don’t start second-guessing yourself. It will make you crazy.”
“I’m already there.”
“You protected my daughter, put her safety before your own selfish desires, and I won’t forget that.” Vanessa picked up a second cookie. She pinned him with a hard stare. “How did you do it? How did you break my little girl’s heart?”
It was the last thing he wanted to talk about. “I stuck with the truth, mainly, told her I wanted to be normal and I couldn’t be normal with her around.”
“Ouch. I guess that would do it.”
Curious about his parents, Jack changed the subject to what he considered a safer one. “You knew my mom and dad, didn’t you? Billy mentioned something about all of you working together. He also told me that you trained him.”
“It was either train him or let him get his fool head ripped off. Anyway, I worked with your mom and dad a few times. Your mom loved to talk about you and Billy. She was so proud.”
He noticed Vanessa didn’t say his father was proud of him. Hardcore masculine to the extreme, his father’s idea of an emotional scene was patting his sons on the back. Way to go, buddy. He couldn’t remember his father ever saying he loved him. He had been a man of few words.
“How does it work?” he asked. “I don’t understand how my parents made a living. How does Billy survive without a regular job?”
“We have a couple wealthy benefactors. They have a website that tracks werewolf and vampire activity. When people die under mysterious circumstances in Nebraska or in a nearby state, we get an email and go to work.”
“How do you get paid?”
A smile tilted her lips. “The money is wired to a secret account outside of the country. As a matter of fact, I would be surprised if your parents didn’t still have an account with a hefty sum in it. Billy is probably using it to keep afloat. He doesn’t take as many jobs as we do. His main focus has been the werewolf responsible for your parents’ deaths. I imagine he’s tickled pink to know where the beast is now.”
Jack shrugged. He didn’t want to have to explain his troubles with Billy to her. If he brought up their fight, he would have to tell her he had growled. She could follow that clue to the next and eventually she would figure out he was regaining his powers. Although he liked her, he didn’t completely trust her. At this point he didn’t trust anyone—except for Silver.
He asked, “Is there some way for us to find out if the janitor is the lead werewolf? Is there a test we can do on him?”
She stared off into space for a moment, thinking. Her eyes finally returned to his. “The lead werewolf is supposed to be extremely clever. We could set a trap, see if he’s smart enough to figure it out.”
Great. He wanted to convince Silver to give him the magic rock to use against the janitor, but she wouldn’t let him have it unless he could prove his theory. Without the rock, he wasn’t sure he could kill the werewolf. It had taken out two seasoned hunters (his parents) without a problem. He would need his old vampire powers to kill it, and even then it was iffy.
He thanked Vanessa for her hospitality. She offered to send him off with a few cookies, but he turned her down. Within seconds he was walking to his brother’s car. He glanced at his watch. School was about to get out. Silver would be on her way home soon, and he didn’t want her to catch him at her home.
“Where the hell have you been?” Billy greeted him at the door with a sour expression. “School got out hours ago.”
It was dark outside. Jack had gone to the mall and had lost track of time. He hadn’t bought anything. For some reason, he felt like being surrounded by total strangers. He had needed time alone to think about everything going on in his life.
Billy stood there, arms folded, waiting for an explanation. His dark eyes were narrowed, creasing his forehead with a deep frown. He said, “I was worried about you, idiot. Next time you want to screw around and be late, pick up a phone.”
Since when was Billy concerned for his welfare?
“Vanessa called me,” Billy explained. “She filled me in on the legend, told me why you have unnatural powers. Question is, why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were turning into a vampire again. I already sharpened my stakes.”
Jack blinked at him, speechless.
Billy disappeared into the living room for a second and returned with a shotgun. “You remember how to handle one of these, don’t you?”
Their father had taught them how to shoot when they were in grade school. Jack nodded. “Why do I need a gun?”
“After Vanessa told me about the legend, she asked me to train you. You need to be prepared for anything. She seems to think every crackpot werewolf and vampire in the area will be hunting for you.”
Vanessa Reign snaps her fingers and Billy jumps. Interesting. Billy’s entire attitude and demeanor had changed after one conversation with the woman. Jack made a mental note of it, just in case he needed her to use that special power for him at some point.
Billy pressed the shotgun into Jack’s hands. Jack tested the weight of it. It had been a long time since he’d held a weapon. For a while fangs had been enough. He checked the safety and made sure it was on before pointing it at the far wall. Looking down the barrel, he imagined the werewolf-janitor on the other end.
Problem: since when could you kill a werewolf with a shotgun?
“What am I supposed to hunt with this?” he asked, annoyed.
“It’s loaded with silver bullets that have been blessed. A blessed silver bullet can slow a werewolf down long enough to grab a sword.” Billy hesitated before adding, “Seeing you used to be a vampire, I didn’t think you’d want to hunt them, at least not yet.”
Not ever. Jack planned to remain loyal to them, especially his former friends. Barring, of course, they didn’t do something stupid like attack his brother. Then all bets were off.
“Remember that time you bagged a deer?” Billy asked.
Jack nodded. It was one of the few times his father had looked at him with pride in his eyes. He’d put his arm around Jack’s shoulders, dangerously close to a hug, and said, “Way to go, son. Someday you’ll be a great hunter.”
Jack shook the memory loose and said, “Well, let’s go.”
“Hold on. There are some things I need to tell you first. You may have been a vampire, but you don’t know werewolves like I do. I’ve been hunting them for nearly a decade, so pay a
ttention to what I tell you. Learn from my mistakes.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I bet you dreamed about this moment. When we were kids and I was constantly telling you what you should and should not do, you were fantasizing about being the big brother. Now here you are. I’m seventeen and you’re the adult.”
“Don’t be stupid, Jack.”
“It’s a fact.” He leaned the shotgun against the wall so he wouldn’t be tempted to use it. “Admit it. There’s a little kid inside of you right now jumping up and down for joy. You get to live the dream of every younger sibling. You get to take control and boss me around, and there isn’t anything I can do about it because legally, you are older. In the eyes of the law, you are in control here.”
Billy stared at him, lips compressed.
Jack waited.
An exaggerated smile formed on Billy’s face, and he nodded like a madman. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m thrilled to have a brother who was a vampire up until five minutes ago.” He dropped the phony smile and the sarcasm. “You think this is easy for me? I looked up to you. I thought you were the best brother ever.”
Jack remembered complaining about Billy to his mother. She would smile and tell him it was his job to take care of his baby brother, to show him the ropes and be a good role model.
Billy continued his rant. “And I loved you. Then one night my whole world was ripped away from me. My mom, my dad, and my brother are murdered practically in front of my eyes. I heard the screams. You have no idea how long I hid in the basement, waiting for you to return, or for the bad guy to find me, too.
“An hour, maybe more, sitting in the dark alone. Then I heard the sheriff arrive, and I ran outside. He tried to stop me, tried to keep me from seeing the three of you lying on the ground, covered in blood, ripped to shreds, but I pushed my way around him. I can’t wipe that image out of my mind no matter how hard I try. I drank too much, and I slaughtered as many werewolves as I could. Nothing helped.
“Then one night I come across a werewolf with information to share. I attacked him and before he dies he tells me how you’re one of them. He tells me my brother isn’t in the cemetery anymore, because he’s a monster.” Billy laughed without humor. “You have no idea how it felt to unbury your coffin only to find it empty. It killed me to know you were a vampire. I had nightmares about it. I slept with a stake under my mattress in case you returned for me. I lived with the knowledge that someday I would probably have to put you down.”
