“And from there he only became stronger,” Alicia said, shaking her head. “I knew I should’ve trusted my gut about that fucker. I knew it. I wasted so much time. Squandered it trying to keep my family strong, not the house. And now he has my grandson, saying that he will bring him total power; enough to take the wolf world.”
“With an infant?” Alistair asked. “I have no idea what that means.”
“I do,” Talia said. “He’s been doing experiments on the baby...” Talia looked to Alicia. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t get him out, there was just no time...I was running, fighting...I couldn’t-”
Alicia held up a hand. “What experiments? What do you mean?”
“Taking his blood. A lot of it. He wants to use it somehow but I don’t know what for, I’m sorry.”
“We’ve got to go, there’s no time.” Alicia said, straightening herself.
“You’ll both die,” Alistair said softly.
“Stay here then!” Talia snapped. “You’ve got better things to do than die for something you don’t believe in, and I sure as shit have got better things to do than listen to a whiny little bitch all day.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? Both of you?” Alistair suddenly yelled. “Look behind us for fuck’s sake. The house is gone! The mansion in ruins! We three are all that’s left. And what? You’re going to go charging in there, again? Look what happened the last time you did that. And that’s when they weren’t expecting you. I’m not sorry for ever following my Alpha’s orders, but I’ll be damned if I will head into yet another battle with blinkers on. I was born with eyes and a voice, and I’ll use them.”
“Fine!” Talia said, stepping closer to him. “So what do you suggest then? Use those eyes and that voice. Run if you want. Hide. It is probably the smart thing to do. But it’s not what I am going to do. If you have any advice, tell me. If not, have fun doing whatever you want to do.”
“Madness,” Alistair said. Talia turned away and moved closer to Alicia. “You need allies, someone not afraid to stand up to Ross. There have been plenty over the years but most have been killed or cowed into silent obedience. One, that I know of, hasn’t: Scarlett Connelly.”
“The mad Scot? You have to be kidding,” Alicia said.
“The mad Scot was her father.”
“She’s an anarchist. Her father was a proud swinger. He wanted an alliance with Wilson purely so they could swap wives. What a great example of an Alpha. You want us to convince a millennial hippie on steroids to help us?”
“Ross killed her father and she’s vowed to return serve. You asked my advice and that’s it. She doesn’t have the resources, but she does have the will. That, and plenty of people that prefer her outlook on life to Ross’.”
“And that is?”
“To pretty much eat and fuck anything we want. No houses. No Alphas. No rules or restrictions. Because we are werewolves.”
“Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Fun while it lasts, but a disaster nonetheless.” Talia replied.
“Her family’s way of thinking got them laughed out of Scotland. They never fought any battles. They had allegiance to no house. They never aided nor were aided by anyone. They catered to a new generation of wolves with an old ‘make love not war’ mindset. It was ridiculous then and is even more ridiculous now. What was it, A House With No Home?”
“The other way around,” Alistair corrected. “A Home Without A House. That’s what they call themselves. Open to all and everyone. They promote complete freedom.”
“They promote STD’s, if we could contract them, and overdosing on anything that can be cooked up in a lab. They are made up of lone wolves kicked out of their packs and they drink and screw each other. It is pointless to continue this-”
“They did stop one of Ross’ supply routes. I heard about it several weeks ago. She let it be known to all that she was in open rebellion against him. Of course, no one paid any attention but a hit to Ross is a significant effort, no matter how small. He hasn’t been able to find them. Any trace vanishes.”
“Which it would if they have no base of operations,” Talia said, sounding thoughtful. “They keep moving around. Pretty good strategy.”
“Even if I thought we should entertain this, if he can’t find them, there’s no way we can. Thank you for the advice, but it’s time to move. I know we need help, but this isn’t it.”
“Alicia, there is no one else that will come to help. We do this alone, we fail,” Alistair said, falling in behind Talia and following her. His tone was grave, but he still followed. Unfortunately, Alicia knew he was right. No one else was coming. No one else dared.
Chapter Seventeen
Join Us
Nick watched as the people moved around him; small fires, the only source of light. He surmised he lay in an abandoned kit of a building. Freezing draughts filtered through the spacious room, causing those around the fires to huddle closer. His eyes shut heavily and it was an effort to get them open again. He had no idea how long he had been here, or where he was, but he knew he had been passing out on and off since he had been here. Once or twice he had woken up in pain or screaming, before lying back down.
Now he felt a dabbing on his arm. He had gotten used to weird smells and strange people touching him, dressing his wounds. This one had tended to him many times. They were short, covered in a dirty jumper with a hood covering their face, the cool mist of their breath visible.
“Thank you…” Nick managed.
“You’re welcome,” replied the soft voice.
“You pullin’ a double shift or what, young fulla?”
Nick looked to his right. The young Aboriginal that he had seen kill the vampires that had attacked him stood addressing his carer who’d backed away quickly. In the sudden movement, a flick of flame illuminated their face. Nick couldn’t believe the name coming out of his mouth, “Zachary?”
His answer was a quick but bright smile. “Hi!”
“What are you doing here?”
Zachary looked to the Aboriginal, silently asking if he could answer. As a response, the man leant against the decaying door frame and crossed his arms, giving the boy a small, polite nod.
“I was put in a centre after my dad died.”
“Your dad?” It was coming back to Nick. Nicole had been trying to help Zack come out of his shell. The boy had been retreating into himself and wouldn’t talk. Nicole couldn’t contact his father as she wasn’t a proper teacher. In the craziness of the wolf invasion, Nick hadn’t asked what had become of him. “I’m…I’m so sorry.”
“It’s ok. It wasn’t your fault. It was Dream State.”
Nick blinked at those last two words. While, yes, it was true he didn’t create or administer the drug, it was still partially his fault it was so readily available. “So…how did you come to be here?”
“I was put in a foster house for a few weeks, and then the sky got black, and then…they came. I guess no one owned the house. They barged down the door. People were running and screaming, but they’re so fast…”
Nick lowered his head, visualising Zachary’s words. Vampires had broken into the house looking for a meal. “How did you escape?”
“I didn’t. The Forgotten found me and drove them off. I’ve been here since,” he finished happily.
“And we are happy to have him here,” said the Aboriginal as he walked a few steps forward, lowering himself to his haunches. “Just as long as you remember there are other people that need that ointment too.”
Zachary went wide-eyed. “Oh. I’m sorry, Koha! He just…” he started, gesturing to Nick, “he tried to help me. I wanted to say thank you. I’ll put this back.”
Zachary moved past Koha, who ruffled the boy’s hair and replied with a playful air, “Get outta here.”
“Bye Nick! Tell Ms O’Brien thank you too!”
Zachary had meant Nicole. If there was anyone that deserved credit for doing all they could to help that kid, it was her. Koha moved across to Nick and
sat down, reaching above Nick’s head and bringing down a wooden bowl. “How you feelin’?” Koha asked.
“Like hammered shit…” Nick winced, trying to shift his position. “It was you wasn’t it, that helped me? And that other guy.”
Koha gave a slight nod in the middle of mixing various powders in the bowl. “Lucky for you I followed him to that apartment. He just had to see if his ex was ok.”
Just as Nick gave his thanks, he heard what sounded like a click of fingers and the bowl puffed with a bright blue flame. “Whoa…”
“Put your hand in here,” Koha said. “The Night Mother wants to see you.”
Nick gave a hesitant draw back but did as asked. Within a few seconds he found himself standing in a dank cave with an odour of staleness that wasn’t really unpleasant and a dull tapping of water somewhere. Nick looked straight ahead and spotted a makeshift throne, and…
“Welcome child. Please come forward.”
The voice he presumed to be the Night Mother’s was raspy. A wheeze. She, if it was a she, was very old or very sick. Perhaps a little of both. “Night Mother?”
“I am. And you are Nicholas Slade.”
“How do you know me?”
“We will get to that. For now, how do you fare?”
“I’m managing, thank you.”
“Rest is key to recovery.”
Nick smiled slightly. “Rest is a little hard to come by in that room with that little one hollering.”
“What do you mean?”
“Back up there…or out there…whatever. Is the child sick? Can I help?”
“The youngest member of our family has just turned four. She has been offsite for a number of weeks. We have no infants here at present.”
“That’s so weird. I had this migraine grinding into my skull like a hot needle. I could’ve sworn it sounded like a baby crying.”
“Weird…” the Night Mother echoed. “Indeed. But now then, I think it best to remove all manner of pretence and cloaking between us. I know you are the son of Wilson and Alicia Slade.”
“You know what I am?”
“I know who you are. The wolf is not a condition or a disease.”
“Why would you bring me here if you knew that about me?”
“If I believed you posed any threat to my family, you would never have woken up. While there is always a risk in bringing a new member into any situation, I thought you worth it.”
“Ok…I still don’t understand?”
“What was the last thing you remember of that night? The invasion attempt.”
Nick racked his brain, “I remember…the battle. We…we won. And then the mansion caught fire. No, exploded. I leapt in through one of the top windows. And then…” Nick shook his head. “I woke up in this mad rush at the hospital. My head was swimming. I felt angry. Furious but no idea why. And it’s been pretty shitty ever since.”
“You say you remember jumping into the burning building. Why?”
“I don’t know. It was just instinct.”
“People often mistake passion for instinct. There was a reason you leapt into the jaws of death that night, Nicholas. Please tell me.”
“I guess because someone I loved was in danger.”
“And that person would be Alex Hensley, would it not?”
Nick didn’t answer. He didn’t want to be giving names away. If the Night Mother knew about him, that was one thing. He would never put Alex in harm’s way by giving her name out.
If Nick didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn the sound from the Night Mother was a laugh. “Oh Nicholas. You wonderfully brave, loyal soul, by not answering you say all I need. That explosion was a momentous occasion for this city in so many ways. The beginning of a chain reaction with far reaching consequences. The root of a tree and the branches are expanding even now. Your act of pure selflessness in the face of such destruction, such evil, speaks volumes for the man you are. That is why you are here. I could use someone like you.”
“I’m not too keen on being used.”
“A turn of phrase not meant to be taken literally.”
“Be that as it may, while I thank you for helping me, there are things I have to do. People I have to see.”
“I fear you do not yet understand the environment you have returned to. You are blamed for the destructive wake of Dream State. All its chaos has been placed squarely on your shoulders because the human authorities needed someone to blame. A face for the evil. Should they discover you are alive, you will be hunted, forced to answer for a crime you did not commit. Is that what you want?”
“No. But with all due respect to your, well, group, I do not want to live in hiding either.”
“Do you perhaps not understand what I have told you?”
“I understand the gravity of the words, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now.”
“Such an indifferent attitude usually accompanies a greater direction for one’s focus. What is it you will do?”
“I have to find someone.”
“Oh yes? And this is proving difficult?”
“Well yes, considering I just woke up from a nap of unknown time…”
“Months, Nicholas. You’ve been asleep for roughly seven months.” Nick looked down as the words washed over him. Seven months. This meant Nicole had likely moved on with her life. She wasn’t expecting or waiting for him. “Does this help you with your search?”
“No, well…yes. It’s just…I didn’t realise how long it had been. This is a problem. I thought I could find her. Be with her. But after so long, she wouldn’t need me. I’d be in her way.”
“Do you love her, Nicholas?”
Nick looked up, gave the slightest sniff as his emotions almost came to a head. “Yes.”
“Then why on Earth wouldn’t you go to her?”
“Because, for one, I don’t know where she is. I haven’t got her scent. Two, she might be happy and away from all of this now. Going to see her, like this, would be for my benefit. My selfishness to put this all on her again. You said it yourself, I’m a wanted man, so she’s better off if I leave her alone. Who the hell am I to drag her down with me?”
The Night Mother adjusted her position and leaned forward, speaking calmly. “Listen to me, boy. One does not get to my age without learning one or two home truths. You survived a fire that should’ve killed an Alpha Wolf, even one as strong as you. The first thing you wanted to do was find her again when you woke. Governments neglect the people, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. I have seen these things over and over. What I have also seen is that if you find someone that touches your heart in that way, you had best believe it isn’t selfish to find them and hold them. Most people are content with their partners. But love, Nicholas, true love, transcends anything. Only recently, a vampire put the love of a human woman over his own happiness. Saving her life in the process, yet making it impossible for them to be together. If you have found that connection with this girl, you owe it to yourself to find her and to put her soul at ease if nothing else.”
“I guess that would be the right thing to do. Tell her I’m okay, at least.”
“I would start with the last place she resided…”
The Night Mother was going in and out of focus. The torches were being blown out. “What’s happening?”
“Your body is being moved. You are waking up. Have no fear. You will wake up well outside the Hollow, free to pursue your chosen course. Farewell Nicholas. I wish you had reconsidered my offer.”
“Why?”
“For we will never see each other again.”
Nick woke, sitting up against a cold brick wall, in a dark alleyway so dark the only light came from a window just above his head. He groaned and rose to his feet. He had been given an opportunity by the Night Mother. He knew that now. Maybe he wasn’t what Nicole needed, but he would do the right thing and tell her he was alright. Then he would either find or get a message to Alex to say the same thing. After that, what he wo
uld do with his life, he didn’t know.
*
The door opened and Nick cleared his throat. “Mrs O’Brien?”
The lean woman nodded with uncertainty as Nick proceeded. “Hello, I’m wondering if Nicole might be available, please.”
“No, I’m sorry,” shaking her head and looking down, closing the door as she finished, “She doesn’t live here anymore.”
Nick halted the door with a slap of his palm and winced, drawing his hand back quickly. A tremor of pain had struck his arm at contact, and Nick knew why. If he hadn’t, Felix the cat had crept low and sat just behind Nicole’s mother, almost as a reminder that wolves could not cross the threshold of a dwelling occupied by a cat.
“Excuse me?!” she hissed.
“Please! Wait. I don’t mean to be rude. I just…it’s very important that I get a message to her.”
“I can’t help you.”
“Her number? Her address? Something, please. I’m a friend.”
“A friend would have her number, wouldn’t you think?”
Nick closed his eyes for a brief moment. He knew how the next line was going to sound. “I’ve lost my phone. Mrs O’Brien, it’s true. I went to school with her, well, the same school. St. Andrews. My name is Nick and we were very close. How do you think I knew her house? Because she invited me.”
The smile he got was not one of happiness. “See, Nicole would never invite someone over we don’t know. Goodbye.”
Nick again halted the door. The pain was terrible, yet Nick focused on the sound of the TV in the other room. “Tributes have poured in as the funeral of Alan Sarsky was held today. Dr Sarsky and his partner of eleven years were found murdered on the front lawn of their London home. Witnesses, that saw the bodies, say there were violent slash marks across both men and that Dr Sarsky’s skull had been beaten in. Though Police have laid no charges, it is still being viewed as a hate crime…”
“Sarsky…was Nicole with him?” Nick snapped.
Pack Master (Undeadly Secrets Book 4) Page 11
