Hortence mumbled something under her breath, which sounded vaguely like an incantation.
“Oh, no. You’re not pulling any mumbo jumbo on me so I’ll forget what you’re up to this time.” He cut the air with a hand gone rigid with temper. He’d be shifting if he wasn’t careful. Maybe that’s what the old woman needed was a good scare.
“I told you, Sonja’s fine. I can’t help it if you don’t believe me.” She took a step toward him, her beady eyes squinting on his features. “Time was you both didn’t know squat, had to be lead around by a rope. Now, you think you understand everything.” She let out a snort. Without blinking, she threw up a boney finger mere inches from Ty’s nose. The finger trembled as the old hag warned, “You don’t. Beware the serpent comes. He will take a form familiar to each of you. He will seize those closest to you. He wants you to grovel for their return.”
The temptation to grab the old woman up and shake her, shot through Ty like a blot of fire out the sky. Fisting his hands, he bore down on his molars. The wolf jerked the reign Ty used to tether his inner spirit. The beast inside wanted out – now! Turning on his heels, he stormed out. He needed air, lots of air!
***
Briann tapped lightly on Sonja’s door before slipping inside. The poor girl’s face held such pallor. Shadows rested under her eyes. “Sonja, Jeb said you were ill. He said you fainted. What happened? Are you all right?”
Sonja rose to sit in the middle of the bed, propped against the pillows. “I’m fine.” She gave her sister a weak smile. Patting the bed, she motioned for Briann to sit beside her. “Hortence tended to me. I’m feeling much better now.” Smoothing the cover, she fidgeted with her hands. “Briann…I did something tonight which I’m not proud of.”
“What?” Briann asked.
Sonja cut a fleeting glance at Briann before dropping her eyes to her hands in her lap again. “I followed Ty when he left.”
Briann’s eyebrows winged up. “You followed him? Why?” Shaking her head, she sighed. “I thought we talked about this last night.”
Sonja nodded hesitantly and traced the pattern on the quilt with her index finger, giving the design a thorough examination. “I wanted to know what he was up to. That’s why.” Still unable to hold her sister’s gaze, she toyed with the ticking on the quilt.
“You told me you didn’t suspect him of seeking another’s attentions. Did you change your mind?”
“Well, no, not a woman. I believe he loves me. It’s just that…” She trailed off. “He’s up to something besides playing cards, Briann. He doesn’t smell of tobacco and whiskey when he comes back.” Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Sonja fidgeted with the corner of the quilt.
Briann shared her incredulous eye with Sonja. “That’s it? He doesn’t smell the way he should. What does he smell like, pray tell?”
“All right! No, he doesn’t smell like he should, he smells like sewage and rank water!” Folding her arms over her bosom, Sonja glared at the wall.
Briann pursed her lips. “Maybe he fell into a horse trough or stepped in some mire. Sonja you really can’t conclude he’s up to something based on a couple of strange smells. Really, sister!”
“Ah, see, I knew you’d say that.” Wagging a finger at Briann, Sonja tugged on the coverlet, smoothing out the wrinkles. The finger pointing resumed. “Let me tell you, he’s up to something. I followed him tonight. I found out where he’s been going and why he smells like he does.” Sonja’s brow knitted. “Or, I have a pretty good idea.” Waving away her sister’s blank stare, Sonja went on, “Hear me out. I followed him down near the river. Smitty and Clemens went with him. A vagrant guided the three of them into some sort of cave. Turns out it was an abandoned tunnel. The place stank of sewage. You couldn’t walk without stepping on a rat.”
“Okay, okay, this still doesn’t mean he’s up to something,” Briann tried again.
“Just a minute, I’m not finished. I followed them until the tunnel ended, or I thought it did. The vagrant knocked on some boards covering a secret passage. Turns out there was a door hidden. Luckily, I was able to slip in behind them. Following, I found them in a big sort of storage room full of ammunition and guns. There was a big, burly fellow by the name of Sturgeon. He carried a patch over one eye – I’m not kidding. He told them he could get them anything they needed. He told Ty to come back tomorrow night. Said he’d have what Ty wanted. Then, there were men and voices, so I shifted to get away quickly. What’s another dog in a sewer anyway?” The laugh came out brittle. Expecting Briann to scold her, she twisted a loose thread on the coverlet.
Briann pursed her lips. “Jeb hasn’t mentioned anything to me about this. Ty’s dealing with smugglers for weapons. What’s he up to?”
“See, I told you, now do you believe me?” Without waiting for an answer from Briann, Sonja’s lips thinned and she dropped back down into the pillows. “Oh, Bri, why didn’t he tell me about this?” Unable to help the sadness in her voice, Sonja hunkered lower in the bed. She couldn’t get warm. For her mate to hold her was what she wanted. Was he still her mate?” Or, was she alone again? “He has a good reason, right? I don’t know what the reason is. He has one, though.”
“Here now, sister.” Briann moved closer, gathering Sonja’s hands in hers. A look of surprise crossed her face. “Your fingers are like ice. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes, I guess so.” Her bottom lip protruded. The weight of the world felt as though it rested on her shoulders. “Briann, I’m pregnant.”
Her sister’s eyes widened. Her expression changed so quickly, Sonja was sure she hadn’t considered the consequences fully. Before Sonja could stop her, Briann wrapped her in a hug, practically squeezing the life from her. “Are you sure? Oh, Sonja, this is wonderful! Both of us pregnant together. I always wanted a niece or nephew. Now, they’ll grow up together. I’m so happy for you!” She hugged Sonja again.
“Bri, what if Tyler’s not happy?” Worry creased her brow. Her skin tightened with tension over her next idea. “He may not want me. He may decide we aren’t mates. He may leave!” Dread rose unbidden. The chill was back. Sonja rubbed absently at her arms, trying for a more positive face. “Perhaps I’m overreacting. This ‘keeping secrets’ makes me edgy. I want to confront him with his lies.” She dropped her head. “I can’t, without bringing up this whole episode tonight. Still, Hortence will keep her tongue. I hope you will as well.”
“Of course I will.” Briann’s happiness dissipated as she gazed at Sonja. “Why didn’t you tell him a while ago? He came in to see you, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did. I couldn’t. It’s just too soon. He’s keeping a strategic plan from me - one we should be planning together. If I tell him I’m pregnant, he’ll put his boot down. He’ll stop me from defending us altogether. Oh, Bri, don’t look at me like that. You see where he’s been tonight – I’m not supposed to help with his plan – he lied to me about his whereabouts. He doesn’t want me to know what he’s up to. Spying on him is the only way I can keep up!”
“Surely you don’t believe he wouldn’t be happy about becoming a father? He loves children!” Briann’s hands were back, clutching Sonja’s.
“Bri, I didn’t say he doesn’t love children. He may go all alpha male on me. Try to stop me from defending against an attack completely. That’s my fear.” Her lips tightened over the admittance. “The timing may not be the best for a baby, but I’m not going to lie here idly while he’s out there alone trying to protect us. I won’t do it!” Tears welled in her eyes despite her best effort to stop them.
Briann shook her head. “I don’t know about this, Sonja. A father has a right to know.” Why borrow trouble?”
“Well, isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black? You’re keeping the birth of your baby from the father. How is this any different?” Scowling, she folded her arms, before huffing out a breath. “I didn’t tell you this so you would badger me about my decision. I simply told you so you’d know if something happens to
me…”
Briann’s eyes grew wide. “Nothing will happen…!”
Sonja held up a hand. “If something should happen, I want you to raise the child as your own. Understood?” The set of her mouth flattened with the question. Her meaning brooked no argument.
Briann countered with a question of her own. “So, both of us are keeping secrets from the men we love. Secrets meant to protect them and prevent them from making decisions for us. Right, sister, dear?”
Nodding, Sonja’s lopsided smile dwindled quickly. “We’re nothing, you and I, if not hard headed. Right?”
Briann’s smile was back. “We wouldn’t be our father’s daughters if we weren’t. At least that’s what mother always said.” Both women gazed through the tears at each other.
***
Air combined with space - lots of it was good for a man’s woes.
Ty stayed as far from the old witch as he could for the rest of the day. That included staying away from Sonja as well. Guarding her was a different matter. He put his best man on the job. Smitty was as good a friend as a man could ask for. Hell, he was like a brother. For that matter, all the men in his unit were good, solid men you could depend on. The fact he could trust them gave him some peace. They’d need all the luck and loyalty they could get come sundown. Ty didn’t trust the smuggler. What if, the meet with Sturgeon, turned out to be a trap? He wasn’t pleased with their odds and if Sonja got wind, neither would she. Images of her treaded through his brain, needling the composed focus he needed for the task at hand. Damn it! She meant so much to him! He wanted to keep her safe at all costs. He found himself pacing the dock where he’d told the others to meet him. Did she understand what she meant to him? When they reached his ranch, he intended to explain a few things to her. Would she be in favor of marriage? Honestly, he didn’t know. She’d been married once. Turned out her husband was a vampire. Not merely a vampire, no, the king of the vampires of Pennsylvania. How did a woman get over such a blow? He’d have to bide his time, courting her like she deserved. This damn vampire situation kept him on guard and away from her most of the time of late. Ty vowed he’d make it up to her once they reached Texas.
Smitty cleared his throat behind him.
Ty turned to see his sergeant standing nearby. The sight of the beefy captain standing, feet braced, holding his filthy, tattered cavalry hat in his hands, made Ty pause. He was a decent looking fellow, Ty supposed. The doves in the saloons always enjoyed his company. Still, he must be lonely. Maybe there was a special someone Ty could introduce him to once they reached Shooter Creek. “You have an update, Sergeant?”
The tendency to salute a superior officer played out in his jerky hand movement coupled with the squint of his eyes. “Yes sir, Lieutenant...sir. There’s been no activity in the under the hill landing since daybreak. New boxes sit on the dock only because the hands haven’t removed them to a safer place by now. I ‘spect the boat docked during the night. We didn’t hear anything, which leads me to believe they have this off load down to an art. Do you want me to continue the watch?”
“Keep a man posted, Smitty. We should learn all we’re able about our new business partners. Baby can watch. I don’t want him involved in another skirmish. His maw would like to see him come home from this war, I wager.”
Smitty nodded.
“What’s Sonja been up to?”
Smitty pursed his lips, shaking his shaggy mane. “Nothing, sir.”
Chapter 6 - For a Werewolf’s Love
The river road meandered past plantations with their loading docks, their private warehouses, as well as their prestige. Ty let the horse have his head. Why did Sonja continue to keep secrets from him? Hortence wouldn’t reveal the cause of Sonja’s fainting spell. She said he’d have to ask his mate. Weren’t mates supposed to confide in one another? Sonja continued to keep him in the dark whenever it suited her. She was up to something. What he couldn’t say.
The moss hung heavy in the live oaks. Their boughs draped across the road like a grand canopy against the morning sun beating down from the sky. Glancing up, Ty noted small squirrels playing in the branches of the old trees. Time moved slow and lazy here along the outskirts of town. The meeting with Sturgeon was set for midnight. He’d be gone most of the night loading and unloading the ammunition. His plan to set fire to the coven required all the gunpowder he could get his hands on and would have to go off without a hitch if they were to see the end of the damn vampires. Those bastards couldn’t follow them to Texas. That was all there was to it.
Working up a good head of mad wasn’t going to do him any good, Ty mused. He needed his wits about him. A four in hand drove by. The fashionably dressed couple smiled politely until they recognized the color of his skin. No big surprise. His mind darted back to the predicament with Sonja. Maybe she was having doubts, probably about the encounter with Claudine. Truth be told, she had a right to her suspicions. She’d already questioned him more at every turn each time he returned from being gone most of the night. The reminder ignited a quick twist in his gut. It didn’t matter! The less she knew about the plan the better. The woman needed to remember he was the man. He would see to their protection.
The night of the Indian attack still lived in his mind’s eye. He shuddered with the image of the vampire, Robert, her dead husband biting her right in front of his eyes. He wasn’t able to do anything then. He bore a nagging suspicion he’d be unable to do anything in the future. Her burden was hers, yet he couldn’t let her stare down the vampires alone. His plan would work. He’d take care of the problem without the worry of her safety to distract him.
It was a perfect plan. They’d infiltrate the coven with Jeb’s help, launching a surprise attack. No one would guess what they were about until it was too late. Ty smiled to himself. A needling sensation danced across his hairline. Where was the trust between mates when he wouldn’t share any of this with her?
Guilt trotted out and tipped its hat at him. Smiling smugly, his damn conscience wagged a pointed finger at him. Surely, he was smarter than to believe she didn’t need to know, no - had the right to know his plans.
He could hear her now, “When were you going to tell me?” His excuses wouldn’t hold up under close scrutiny. Such was his problem. He didn’t have a good enough reason for keeping her out of the loop.
Pulling up hard on the reins, Ty wheeled, heading back to town. He had some things to do before tonight’s exchange.
***
Was she compulsive or simply crazy? Hadn’t she known this could happen? Becoming pregnant when you slept with a man was inevitable! She’d had a great deal to manage over the past few weeks, hadn’t she? Sonja slammed the armoire door so hard, she had to catch it before it bounced off the frame, breaking the looking glass inside. She’d compounded the issue by not telling Ty anything when he’d asked what was wrong with her. Still too soon, her mind screamed. She had to think, to plan her next move, or all was lost. The fact remained those who helped her were in constant danger. Not only were the Yankees looking for Robert, her undead husband, but her lover as well. She couldn’t let them take Tyler. No one would like what she was about to do, but it had to be done! Ty, her family, Ty’s men were all in grave danger as long as she was around. What she planned to do was the only way to save them. Ty – poor Ty, would certainly be devastated. Wasn’t her heart breaking even now? Briann would understand. Her abilities would allow her to see the sense in Sonja’s plan. Briann had Jeb and the boys – they’d be fine. Perhaps, in time, so would Ty.
Sonja stepped out onto the balcony. Glancing about, she noted the sun was setting. Ty’d been gone all day, brooding most likely. She couldn’t blame him. It made her heart ache to keep the news about their child from him. If she told him, he’d never let her do what she had to do. Tears sprang to her eyes when she considered their son. Oh, how much she wanted him to live, to live free, safe from the worries of the world around them. Too soon, the world would force evil in his path. “Too soon…” her words
floated away on the breeze. Retracing her steps she readied for the night’s mission.
The corridor was empty, so she retraced her steps of the last several nights. The decision to take the fight to the vampires was hers and hers alone. She didn’t want Ty involved. She was the reason they were all in danger, so it was her responsibility to take care of the situation.
Slowly she made her way down the back stairs, out the servants’ entrance and into the tool shed off the back stoop. Breathing a sigh of relief, she waited a beat until she could hear no one nearby. Night fell silent as a lamb bedding down for sleep. No rousing ruckus in the streets, no bawdy music tinkling from the saloon doors. No, it felt like a tomb, Sonja mused. Breathing a sigh of relief at having made it down the servants’ stairs, she gathered her courage and shed her clothes inside the small tool shed. Ty’s talisman vibrated with such intensity, startling her at first. His birthright, his Choctaw grandfather pendant heated in her hand. The warmth of the pendant gave her pause. A bluish hue glowed from the center as the talisman quivered. So enthralled was she that she started when the voice came to her out of the fog.
“Yours is a path of solitude and loneliness, my child.”
Sonja froze, unable to move. When no other voice spoke she glanced around sure she would see a servant or a beggar at the back door. She was alone.
“Do not fear, my child. I watch over you even now.”
“Who’s there?” Sonja clutched the chemise to her chest. Fingers of apprehension tickled her spine. “What do you want?”
“I want nothing more than for you to be safe. You carry the future of my people, do you not? The sole reason I am here is to share the truth with you, a truth as old as time.”
Cocking her head, Sonja frowned, searching for the source of the voice. “Show yourself. Tell me who you are.”
“In time, you will see. Until then, I give you protection from the night stalkers.”
Wolfen Secrets (The Western Werewolf Legend #3) Page 11
