by Sharon Joss
Vince sat enthroned behind a massive desk, which easily filled half the room. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, crammed to overflow with books both old and new lined the walls. Vince’s taste in books appeared to lean heavily toward non-fiction; military strategy, civil war history, politics and the like.
“Does my library surprise you?” Vince’s voice still held the deep timbre of early morning. It was barely afternoon; still early for Mythica standards.
“I think I’m more surprised by the picket fence and signs of domestic bliss. The garden gnome out front is a nice touch.”
Vince showed no sign of embarrassment. “My wife makes all the decorating decisions. I bought the place for its location and privacy. What’s on your mind, Mike?”
He paused to gather his thoughts. He’d have to choose his words carefully. He wanted to ask Vince for reassignment, but didn’t want to explain why. Vince was such a stickler for control; if he found out what had nearly happened in the theatre last night, he might be out of a job before he got the chance to fulfill his contract for Ambrose. And rightly so.
“I’ve never been part of a wolf pack before,” he began.
“That’s a bit of an understatement, wouldn’t you say?” Vince’s tone was light, but the power of his presence filled the room. “That jaguar of yours won’t even hunt with the pack.”
He didn’t appreciate Vince putting him on the defensive. “There’s nothing I can do about that. I never planned on joining the pack. I came here on a lone-wolf contract. If you have second thoughts about having me as your Beta, that’s fine with me. Give it to somebody else. Stick me in the control center or on the perimeter somewhere. The contract runs out after the summit anyway.” That was easy. I didn’t even have to ask.
“I’ve made my decision, Bane. You’ll find a way to fit in to our little family here, I expect.”
“What exactly are your expectations? What does a Beta do?”
Vince leaned back in his chair. “Why don’t we lay our cards on the table, Bane. When you came to us, you neglected to mention that you have more than one beast. You also neglected to mention that you could destroy a vampire with your bare hands. Is there anything else I should know?”
A nervous tic started at his eyelid. “No sir, you’re right. I didn’t get a chance to tell you before.” He rubbed his eye to stop it. “If you want to reassign me away from the vamps, I’m good with that.”
The lines around Vince’s eyes crinkled. “You sure did put Ambrose and his boys into a tizzy when that Mayan warrior of yours ripped Torkelson apart like an overcooked turkey.”
“My point exactly, sir. I don’t want to upset the vamps.”
“That’s Rafe’s problem. I don’t care what the vamps think; you work for me. On the other hand, some of the wolves think maybe I made a mistake in bringing you on board. They think you’re too dangerous. What do you say to that?”
They were right, of course. Mike had to admit this had been a terrible idea. Tehuantl could not be trusted around vampires. Or humans. And probably not werewolves, either. Stabbing himself in the ass every day was not going to work for long. He sighed. “They’re probably right. When that vampire hit me with that Taser, I lost control.” The admission stung more than he expected.
“No wolf can withstand a stun gun, Bane. That’s why I didn’t punish you for shifting on duty. Torkelson came prepared; he knew what he was doing.”
“It’s not just that. Running with the pack is impossible. I didn’t realize the hunting thing was going to be such a big deal.” The place had grown on him, he realized, but who was he kidding? Mike shook his head. “A cat doesn’t belong in a wolf pack.”
The Alpha’s massive jaw twitched. “You came forward to protect me when you didn’t have to. I value loyalty in my men, and reward it wherever I find it.” He waved his hand dismissively. “The hunting thing will work itself out.”
He’s arguing with me to stay? Mike rubbed the tension out of his neck. “My contract ends after the summit. Give the Beta spot to someone else, and put me someplace less critical.”
“Forget it. Let me tell you something. There are times when as a leader, you have to make a decision that’s not the popular one. You make the hard call. You did the right thing by stepping up to defend me. You also defended the park from Torkelson. You didn’t have to do either of those things. Maybe you didn’t have much control over what happened, but in that situation, the end justified the means. You protected the flock. Hear what I’m saying? I value that.”
“It could happen again, Vince. I can’t-.” A soothing wave of calm washed over him, stopping him midsentence. Pheromones. Trick was a pansy next to this guy.
“I’ve lost seven pack members over the last year. Good men. The replacements we’ve gotten have been less than satisfactory. Decent enough raw material, but inexperienced. It takes time to mold them into the soldiers we need. Trick has the juice, but I won’t have him until he shows some maturity. I tell you, I’d rather have a dangerous guy like you at my back than facing me. I want you on my team. Now, if you’re done pussyfooting around, why don’t you tell me why you’re really here. Why did you come to Mythica?” Vince’s eyes drilled into him.
Mike kept the tension out of his voice, but his hands were sweating. “Ambrose asked me to come in as a consultant. Nothing specific. He mentioned that the pack was short-handed and thought maybe a fresh set of eyes on the security setup before the summit might be useful.” He hoped Vince couldn’t smell the lie.
“That’s a load of crock. Let me tell you something, Bane. Ambrose can be as bad as an old woman. He worries too much. He always wants to fiddle with things; not because there’s anything wrong, but just for the sake of change. He won’t leave well enough alone. That’s what Ambrose does. He pokes at things. Other than being a little lean on security personnel, the pack is fine. I thought I’d finally convinced him we’d be better off waiting until after the summit to bring in anyone new when he heard about you.”
“He was very persuasive.”
“I’ll bet.” Vince rubbed his unshaved chin. “Losing our Beta so close to the summit shook everybody. But now that we have you, there’s nothing to worry about. The pack is solid. The vampires and the guests are safe, in spite of what Cobb thinks. I’ve got a feeling about you, Bane. You might be just what we need around here. You might think about staying on after your contract is up. I’m making you a real offer here, if you’re interested.”
Mike couldn’t believe Ambrose really wanted to get rid of Vince. If I do my job, Vince will be out and Trick will be Alpha. Vince was right. Trick as an Alpha would ruin the pack. What if I don’t roll over to Trick after I defeat Vince? What if I stayed? The idea had real appeal.
“Everyone keeps talking about the missing wolves. If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to them?”
Vince stood and faced the window. “Living with lycanthropy isn’t easy. Some guys thrive in a pack, some do better as lone wolves. Some heed the call of the silver bullet.”
“Not you.”
The Alpha turned to face him. “No.”
“You really think all those guys offed themselves?”
Vince shrugged, but wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Like I said, this life isn’t for everyone.”
He’s lying. “A vampire is strong enough to take on a full-grown werewolf.”
“So is anyone with silver-tipped ammo.” Vince was emphatic. “I hear what you’re saying, Bane, but there’s no reason for the Van Cleves to take out one of their own wolves. They can’t trust humans to guard them while they sleep. Humans are food. A bonded wolf pack is all that stands between the Van Cleves or any other nest and true death at the hands of an angry mob. Besides, none of missing weres were on duty when they disappeared. They’d all clocked out.”
“Could one of Ambrose’s competitors had someone waiting in ambush? Cobb says they’re all fighting over that new territory. Phelan told me that Cobb thinks Torkelson was coming after him.”
> Vince smirked. “You and I both know he was here for you, Bane. Cobb has always been a bit paranoid, and the territory thing has put him in a real state. Even if it were true, there’s nothing we could do about it. We have no proof that anything sinister happened to the missing weres. And this close to the summit, there is no reason why any of Ambrose’s enemies would risk poaching on this territory.”
“Could someone inside the park be working against Ambrose? How did Torkelson get past the gates, anyway?”
“You’re not the only one wondering about that.” The Alpha’s jaw clenched rhythmically. “I’m planning to get the pack together to do a thorough review a of the security policies for the summit. Brainstorm scenarios and see if we’ve missed anything else. What do you think, Beta?”
Getting the pack together would be the perfect time to issue the challenge. Mike hesitated, torn by indecision. After Vince had just praised him and offered him a permanent position, he’d felt a real obligation to accept. But maybe Vince was using pheromones on him to make him want to stay. On the other hand, no matter what Vince said, the hunting thing was deal-breaker for the rest of the pack. Not if I was Alpha. If I was Alpha I could decide about the hunting thing, I’m sure. What if I don’t take the dive? Would the rest of the pack accept me?
He counted Silas and Dave as friends, and maybe Chaney and Wyatt, but who knew how they’d react? They’d never accept me, he realized. Tom’s face flashed before him. Hell, Tom was probably going to end up as one of them. Better to just do what Ambrose wanted and get out.
“Yeah, sure. Count me in.”
CHAPTER 26 : SOMETHING’S HAPPENING HERE
Later that day, at the hospital, he ran into Sarah. “Look, I’m sorry I walked out on you the other day. That was rude.”
She blushed and shook her head. “No, it was me. I was pushing too hard. I forget sometimes, that people have to be ready to receive help. You’re going to have to want to make peace with your beast before you learn to control it. I accept that. But I’m still worried about you, Mike.”
Yeah, me too. His butt still ached from the ice pick. “No, I owe you an explanation. I don’t know how you know, but I do have two beasts. One is the jaguar that was mentioned in the newspaper. The other is this Olmec Indian priest guy. The legends say that the shamans shared the blessings of the jaguar god in exchange for the blood of his followers. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but this shaman likes to kill. Every time he gets out, people die. So there’s no way I can make peace with him. Two nights ago, he killed a vampire with his bare hands. Last night, he nearly got out inside a roomful of people. Can’t you see? I’m totally screwed.”
She froze, her shocked expression pale. “Actually, I wasn’t talking about that.”
“Oh.” Shit. Silas was right. I don’t know anything about women. What an idiot. “Never mind, then.” He turned to leave.
She grabbed his arm, pulling him to face her. “What I meant was that when you told me you’d started working at Mythica, I neglected to warn you.” She frowned. “Although that other thing sounds pretty bad too.”
“Warn me about what?”
“A lot of the lycanthropes who work there have disappeared.”
“A few,” he shrugged.
“More than a few.” She chewed her fingernail, as if debating whether or not to tell him. “Kevin Taylor, one of my patients, was one of them. Kevin was the first to go missing.”
A sense of unease came over him. “The Sheriff and Vince seem to think they’re suicides.”
“It was just before the end of the season last year.” She explained that Kevin had come back from the gulf war infected with ALVS and had been unable to control his beast or get a job. He’d applied for a job at Mythica, and been rejected, but Vince had recommended Sarah as a therapist. Several months later Kevin had passed the Mythica interview with flying colors and gotten the job. “Everything was fine for over a year until he disappeared. He never left the estate.”
“You must be mistaken. The whole park is under camera surveillance. Vince told me none of the missing guys disappeared while on duty. He must have left the park without you realizing it.”
“It was a Saturday night. I was on duty in the ALVS information tent. My car was in the shop and Kevin gave me a ride. After I closed up for the night, I waited for him in the parking lot, but he never came out. I went back inside to look for him, but he wasn’t there. He wouldn’t have left without me, and his car was still in the lot. We only lived a few blocks from each other. I walked the four miles home from the park in the dark. The next morning, I saw his car parked in his driveway. It was early when I knocked on the door, but he didn’t answer.”
“Why didn’t you tell the sheriff?”
“I did. On Monday, when he didn’t return my calls.” She sighed. “Vince had already reported him missing. But I know he never left. You have to believe me.”
“What makes you so certain?”
She looked uncomfortable. “The same way I know about your beasts. Kevin and I had a connection.”
“What kind of connection?”
“When we met, there was an instant connection between us. Like you, he was struggling to control his beast.” Her eyes filled with the memory. “I helped him to make peace with it. Once he achieved that inner balance, he was able to gain enough control to persuade Vince to give him a job and join the pack.”
“Did you talk to Gordon?”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“The Mage. He maintains the wards surrounding the estate. He told me he’s sensitive to anyone who crosses the wards. Maybe he could tell you if Kevin is still on the property.”
The color drained from her face. “Oh my gosh. You’re right. It’s the wards. Mike, how much have you seen of the grounds?”
“Most of it, I guess. The house and vault are off limits, of course. But I’ve seen everything else.”
“So where’s the distillery? Where’s Ozzie’s clinic? I tell you, there’s something going on out there.”
Mike tried to remember if he’d really seen the whole estate. “I don’t think so. I’m sure they’re there. I’ll ask one of the guys.”
“Don’t you think I’ve already done that? Every time one of the pack shifts on duty, they are sent to me for a counseling session as soon as they’re released from the clinic. Don’t you think it’s odd that none of them can remember where the clinic is?”
* * *
He ran into Lieutenant Dixon in the parking lot as he was leaving the hospital. Dixon told him he was there to interview Tom about the attack, and asked about his condition.
“His fever is gone. The doc told me they’re planning to send him home tomorrow.” In a way, the fever had made him feel better about the possibility that Tom might not have contracted the virus, but it didn’t matter now.
Dixon gave him a grim smile. “That’s too fast.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry. I know you probably don’t appreciate me telling you this right now, but it’s not the end of the world. These days, lycans can live reasonably normal lives.”
Mike sighed. “The people that say that aren’t infected.”
“This isn’t the dark ages any more. Especially in this part of the country. We’ve got a world-class set-up here, and there are new diet and therapy programs that can help ease the transition. I’m not saying that it’s a good thing, but it’s not a mandatory death sentence either. They do lose their rights and citizenship, but at least they’re not hunted any more. Fifty years from now, I expect things will be even better. Look at the civil rights movement.”
“That is a rather enlightened point of view for someone in law enforcement.”
“I’ve got family with ALVS. My aunt is married to the Alpha werewolf out at Mythica.”
No shit. “You’re Merlene’s nephew?”
Dixon nodded. “You know her?”
“I was just at their house. I’ve got a contract with the
estate.”
Dixon’s face hardened. “I thought you were leaving town.”
“Tom Jolley is my godfather. I’m not leaving, surely you can understand that. That’s my family infected with ALVS now. Tom only has me to take care of him. He doesn’t have a son like Vince does.”
Dixon gave him a quizzical look. “What makes you think Vince has a son?”
“I was just at their house. I saw pictures of them with Ozzie.”
“Merlene’s first husband died in a car accident. Vince adopted Ozzie after they were married, but don’t ever make the mistake of calling him Vince’s son. At least not in front of Merlene and Vince. Ozzie has always hated Vince. He belongs to Ambrose, now. He’s one of Ambrose’s damn blood stewards.”
“No shit.”
“He was a lot older than me. A smart kid, but nobody liked him. Liked to play ‘doctor’ with the local road kill. A couple arrests for animal abuse that were covered up. Got into vet school, but nobody around here believed he liked animals any better than he liked Vince. He did well, though; finished near the top of his class. The whole family attended his graduation. I remember Merlene and Vince were so proud. At the celebration dinner, Ozzie told us all that he’d already accepted a job offer. Then he dropped the bomb. He said Ambrose Van Cleve had offered him the veterinarian job for the Mythica wolf pack. I’ll never forget the shocked look on Vince and Merlene’s faces when he showed off the bite marks on his neck.”
CHAPTER 27 : THE TIME HAS COME
Mike paused to read the bronze plaque posted in front of the brick and stone Queen Anne. The inscription stated that the residence had been completed in 1792 as a hunting lodge for the Van Cleve family. The brick and wood-shingled home was painted in a dark forest green with fox red accents and trim. Separated from the amusement park by a high hedge and service road leading to outbuildings behind the residence, the front of the house looked out over a formal rose garden and the estate’s vineyards.
