by E. Blix
In the meantime, he would call in a favor and introduce Analie to the Moonwalker who would be her “babysitter” during the full moon.
Chapter Nine
Once the young Were was settled in, John and Mouse were often busy getting things for Analie meant to keep her out of trouble when she wasn’t doing schoolwork or training with Jacques, the temperamental chef. Showing her the room dedicated to nothing but exercise equipment on the second floor had done wonders to channel that boundless energy of hers, and the extensive collections of art supplies, books, movies, and computers kept her occupied the rest of the time. Isabelle, the Were the Moonwalker pack had “loaned” to Royce to homeschool Analie, had relaxed to the point where she might even crack a smile or a joke when the vampires weren’t around. When they were, she was strict, no-nonsense, and eager to wrap up Analie’s lessons as rapidly as possible.
On the other hand, Jacques Fontaine was impatient, quick to anger, and a brilliant chef who was, surprisingly enough, quite willing and capable of sharing the secrets of his success. He had no issue with teaching Analie, except that he was always hopelessly enraged when she didn’t know what an “obvious” herb or utensil was, or what it was used for. Obvious, to Jacques, could be anything from salt to marjoram to essence of white truffle.
For the first time in her life, Analie was interacting regularly with humans—and she found she liked it. Even Jacques, with his irascible temper and strict teaching methods, was turning out to be unexpectedly kind—if a bit impatient with her.
Royce didn’t involve himself directly in Analie’s business beyond the initial arrangements, mostly letting his people get on with it, and returned his attentions to the running of his businesses. He kept tabs on the movement of the Goliath pack as best he could from across the country, but thus far none of them had done anything—overtly or covertly, as far as he could tell—to break the decree given by the Others of New York.
Things were settling down, becoming routine, and all going according to his plans.
Ashi had no desire to walk to the motel, and Christoph wasn’t capable. They took a cab, and Christoph immediately flopped on one of the granite-slab beds and fell asleep.
Ashi took this time to rest and set up his laptop to check out a map of the area. He was disturbed by how complicated the layout was—nothing like the suburbs of LA. He was going to print out a map, but it was useless. If he wanted to be able to pick anything out of the jumble, he’d have to zoom in and make a map the size of the damn room.
Christoph woke up, and they ordered in Thai. Their sleep schedules were off, and they yawned and scrubbed at their eyes as they ate. Christoph tested out his knee and confirmed that, though still painful, it was good for a fight.
That left calling Analie and getting her location.
Analie picked up, bewildered at who would be calling her. She usually texted Freddy so she wouldn’t be heard.
“Hello?” she whispered.
“Don’t hang up. That’s an order.”
Analie made a face. “Hi, Christoph.”
“Analie, where are you?”
Analie hunkered down in her den. “In my room.”
“What’s the street, the address?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“I will push your face through a wall if you don’t tell me where you are.”
“Hafta find me first,” she taunted.
There was a scuffling noise as the phone changed hands.
“Listen, pup. Listen closely. This is Ashi, and I am in no mood for your petty challenges. You will tell me where you are now or I will see to it that you learn your place, damn the cub-hide.”
Analie’s blood ran cold, her mouth going dry.
Giving away the location of Royce’s home was absolutely out of the question. Analie had been very careful as of late to follow rules. In her own mind, she’d also tried to fit everything into Goliath’s pattern of living. Royce was alpha, of course, and she was temporarily transferred to his pack. Positions were not gained by fighting, so she should never challenge others. John was deputy and not to be messed with. As the newcomer, everyone else currently out-ranked her.
However, obeying Ashi was always a good idea, even if it wasn’t a nice idea. Still, telling him the address was a terrible idea, but the idea of disobeying was a horrifying idea.
“No.”
There were three minutes of silence. Analie wondered if Ashi was counting. When he finally spoke, his voice was flat and dangerous.
“What?”
“I can’t tell you where I am.”
“We are trying to get you out of there.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Analie said quietly. “You could start a war.”
“Not if Royce is dead.”
Analie barked out a sudden, harsh laugh. Talking over the phone gave her courage she would not have possessed if she’d had to talk with Ashi face-to-face. “You give that a try, and you’ll find out just how scary the bogeymen of Goliath really are.”
“You little shit. You utterly disrespectful little shit! I order you to tell me where you are!”
“No!” Analie gritted her teeth and lowered her voice. “No.”
Christoph said something in the background. There was a hard smacking sound followed by a yelp. Analie, though she didn’t much care for the lunkhead, winced.
“You will meet us, then. Choose a location.”
“I’m not sneaking out.”
“Fuck you! Choose a meeting place!”
Analie was now smashed into the corner, trying to hide from Ashi even though he didn’t know where she was. “Look, sometimes I go to an Italian place down the street. I’ll go back in two days. Maybe we can meet then, but I’m not taking you back.”
“Fine. I will settle for that. Where is it?”
Analie told him the street and hung up. She grabbed Mr. Bear and wrapped herself in a blanket, hiding her head under a pillow.
“Ashi is a jerk,” she informed the bear.
He seemed to agree.
When the appointed time rolled around, Mouse wanted to go with Analie. Obviously, it would create all kinds of problems if Ashi or Christoph saw Mouse, and vice versa. Insisting she go by herself would be viewed with suspicion. There was no way around it—they had to go together.
Luckily, Mouse was only interested in going so she could stop at another store down the street. She didn’t mind leaving Analie alone at the restaurant since it was only a couple doors down, and the vampire wasn’t about to share a meal.
That left Analie alone to meet with Ashi and Christoph, though how long Mouse would leave her to her own devices before deciding it was time to return was anybody’s guess.
Analie sat at a checker-clothed table, palms clammy as she scanned the menu, not seeing anything she wanted. This was odd, since going out to eat had been a rare treat at Gavin’s. She couldn’t remember what she had been dying to try.
Analie jumped when fingers dug painfully into her shoulder, thankfully without claws. She turned around and coughed respectfully. Ashi seemed satisfied with that, but he didn’t let go of her shoulder.
“So. You look well cared-for.” He looked her over and frowned. “These are new clothes. What is he doing, dressing up his food?”
“I’m not his food,” Analie said. She winced when Ashi ground his fingertips in.
“I advise that you keep your tone respectful with me,” he hissed. “Do I make myself clear?”
She nodded quickly.
“Good. Christoph will contact you again, soon. In the meantime, stay strong and don’t let them bite you. If you tell anyone you met me here, I will see to it that you get a lesson in respect, perhaps as demonstrated through Jo-Jo. Do I make myself one hundred percent clear, cub?”
Ana
lie nodded again, eyes wide in terror.
“Good.”
Ashi stalked out of the restaurant. Analie hurried out and tracked down Mouse. She had no appetite and wanted to get back to the house now.
Ashi grabbed Christoph and hauled him out of his hiding place behind a dumpster. “We’re going to wait an hour, then follow her scent. Obviously she’s under some kind of spell to protect the vampire like this.”
Christoph shuddered. “I don’t even want to know how that happens.”
“It’s probably like hypnotism. Come on, I don’t want to stay in one place too long.”
They circled the area for an hour before they picked up Analie’s trail and followed its slightly meandering path. Christoph had the better nose, and he acted as a bloodhound, sniffing as they ran, dodging countless pedestrians on the way. They were both in shifting clothes, ready to fight.
The house they came to was unlike anything they expected. Perhaps a boarded-up Victorian, or an ominous shack—anything but the neat condominiums before them. Ashi didn’t see any windows on the first floor, and only one on the second—a huge bay window above the foyer that overlooked the street. Too obvious. They’d have to use the brick façade on the side to climb to the third floor. Assuming most of the vampires must be in the lower floors, leaving their victims in the rooms with windows upstairs, the Weres would work their way from the top down. Maybe they’d even find Analie on the third floor and be able to take her without much of a fight.
They went half-Were in the shadows and scaled the building, their claws finding purchase in the brick exterior. Ashi took the lead, but Christoph would be the battering ram, literally. When they got up to the third level, Ashi edged to the side, and Christoph used his head, exploding through the window into the room. Ashi was right behind, golden eyes alight with excitement.
Royce swiftly dived off of the couch he’d been lazing on to one side, thinking the explosion was yet another sniper bullet come to do god-alone-knew what kind of damage to him or the laptop he’d been using to review his stock portfolio online. When he rolled to his feet, fangs extended and hands hooked to claws, he blinked in shock.
Two full-grown, shifted Weres. Unmistakably Goliath Weres, judging by the size.
They were in his house. In his room.
Oh, would the alpha of Goliath ever pay for this…
Furious at the scare they’d given him, and the amount of damage and trouble they’d already caused, he employed some of his unearthly speed and rushed forward. Before they could take more than a couple steps on their unnaturally-jointed paws into the room, they were suddenly thrown into each other by something they couldn’t see, their skulls cracking together.
Royce didn’t stop there. While that should have been sufficient to stun them, as they slumped to their knees, making the pair of dog-like heads roughly eye-level with him, the vampire’s fingers clamped vice-like around their windpipes to drag them deeper inside. He wanted them out of range of the artwork, furniture, and computer before they started thrashing around.
His grip tightened when he pulled them closer, cutting off any hope of taking so much as a gasp of air.
“What in the name of the gods is this un-fucking-believable behavior about? Shift back, now,” the vampire snarled, anger dripping like venom from his lips. He shook the two like rag-dolls, ignoring the pain of their frantic attempts to pull his hands off their furry throats. “So help me, if your alpha sent you here for this, I am going to personally gut you and use your skins as my battle standard when I go to return the favor.”
Analie flinched at the first loud thump as she stood in the bathroom and examined the bruises on her shoulder. Something had happened. Something loud and heavy. She pulled her shirt back on and headed into the hallway. There were breaking-type noises from upstairs.
Hell if she was going to get involved with that. She scurried to her room.
Ashi was the first to shift back, hoping to catch a breath. His heart was pulsing in his ears and behind his eyes. He had obviously underestimated this vampire—but he was not going to accept defeat just yet.
Christoph was more reluctant to shift, but he did. He scrabbled at Royce’s arm with his useless pink hands, mouth gaping open as he tried to suck in air. This was about as bad as it could get.
No, it wasn’t. He still had pants. He was going to be thankful for that, even with his eyeballs ready to explode out of his face and his lungs shriveling into raisins.
Christoph was never watching football with Ashi again.
“John! Get up here!” Royce roared over his shoulder.
As the two shifted back, Royce took careful note of Ashi’s human features, committing them to memory as he studied the boy’s face. Not someone he had seen before.
When he recognized Christoph, his eyes narrowed to thin slivers, and his nails dug in hard enough to draw blood.
“You ungrateful little wretch. Are you trying to save the girl after so kindly handing her over to my care?” Royce shook his head, disgusted, finally loosening his grip enough so that the two could catch their breath. He didn’t release Christoph, but he did give him just enough breathing room to answer. “Tell me, Christoph, did your alpha send you on this fool’s errand?”
Before the Were could choke out a response, John threw the door open and rushed into the room, Mouse hot on his heels. Both were carrying swords and looked grimly determined to use them. Seeing that Royce had everything under control, John lowered his weapon, but Mouse kept hers on guard and sidled closer, ready if the two should attempt escape.
“I’m sorry, sir,” John said, frowning. “Henderson must not have been watching the security monitors closely enough. I’ll make sure he’s replaced immediately.”
Royce shook his head, voice thunderous with barely restrained wrath. “Worry about that later. Call Arnold Moore at The Circle and request his immediate presence. Then tell Analie to come up here.”
John hesitated for a second, long enough for Royce to shift that heavy glare from the Weres to his second. Rapidly backing up, John pulled out his cell with his free hand and dialed The Circle, retreating to make the call in the stairwell.
Royce turned his attention back on the pair, shaking Christoph again. “Answer me,” he snarled, “now.”
Christoph couldn’t even give a proper cough of respect before mentioning his alpha. It came out as a stuttering gurgle through his compressed throat. “Alpha...doesn’t know...we’re here,” he choked. “Didn’t want...come here...Ashi ordered—” He needed to stop and breathe for a few moments. “…out-ranks me.”
Ashi snarled, baring his teeth. “Quiet...! That’s...an order!”
Christoph went back to breathing after gurgling respectfully to Ashi.
Analie texted with Freddy some more, though she didn’t mention Ashi. Freddy had only had one run-in with him before. He didn’t talk about it, except to tell his caretaker what had happened, and Analie was careful to never mention Ashi around him.
She ended the conversation and tucked the phone under the mattress. Maybe she should tell Royce about meeting with Ashi. On the other hand, orders were orders. On the other, other hand, this was the kind of thing you didn’t keep from Royce. She curled up with Mr. Bear and stared at the wall.
Royce, eyes narrowed to dangerous slivers, studied Christoph. He didn’t think the boy was dumb enough to lie to him under the current circumstances, but he doubted that the alpha was oblivious of his actions. Even if he was, their pack would still have to pay for this. Dearly.
“So. Ashi ordered this little coup, did he?”
The flat, disenchanted tone sent a surge of frightened adrenaline through the Weres, and they renewed their efforts to squirm free.
“Ashi,” Royce purred, his fingers slowly tightening on the Asian man’s throat as he pulled him closer, lifting him
a few inches off the ground until they were practically nose-to-nose. “I am in charge, here. You no longer give orders—you take them.”
With that, he gave the two men a harsh shove until they were thrown back on their asses. Mouse stepped in before they could rise, a sharp, slender sword-tip pressed to each man’s throat. The silver content was high enough to redden their skin in reaction, even without piercing it.
“If you’d like to live without scars, stay right there.” Royce growled, turning away. “Mouse, if they so much as twitch, do as you like. But do keep them alive.”
The mute vampiress smiled genially at the two, her angelic features reflecting utter peace with being given the all-clear to carve them up.
Royce pulled out his cell phone, sending a few text messages as he walked back to the bank of computers against the far wall.
Analie padded into the hallway when John called to her from her apartment’s front door. He was busy talking on his phone but paused to tell her to go upstairs to Royce. She hopped up the stairs, apprehensive, then hesitated at the door before she opened it and stepped in.
It took her a moment to figure out what the hell she was seeing and, even once all the figures were in view, she still didn’t understand it. Mouse’s silhouette was holding two battered guys captive. One of the windows was smashed from the outside. Shadows she assumed were Royce hovered by a door leading into a bedroom. She sniffed the air and suddenly realized who she was looking at.
