Hunter's Moon

by Angela Colsin

  Whatever the case, she put her focus on the people around her just as Conner was stating, “I don't know how much I like having vampires around, but if they caught one of the assholes abducting lupines, maybe it's worth it.”

  “Could be,” Caleb conceded, “but the real question is why did they come here? Travis could've explained things without inviting them.”

  “True. You'd think they'd be focused on extracting information, not worrying with diplomacy.”

  Caleb was quick to agree. “Something else is going on, and I don't like it.”

  Emily looked at everyone in concern, wondering why they were so bent out of shape. Sure, she'd heard of vampires, who hadn't? But they were portrayed differently depending on the source, and the couple who'd just spoken to the crowd certainly didn't seem like the bloodthirsty monsters some movies and books made them out to be.

  So the reason for everyone's dismay was a mystery, and she didn't get a chance to ask over it before Travis got their attention.

  “Hey guys,” he called, approaching them from the loading dock. Most of the pack had cleared out by then, and the elder lupine came to a stop nearby, glancing between Caleb and Emily before he went on, “Looks like you two talked things over.”

  “Yeah, we did,” Caleb confirmed, but wasn't content to stay on the subject in asking, “Why are those vampires here, Travis? I mean specifically.”

  His uncle nodded like he'd expected the question, and jerked his head to the side, silently asking his nephew to join him. Then, to Conner and Joslyn, he remarked, “You two go ahead and drive home, okay? I'll be by to visit when I'm done here.”

  His statement gave Emily the sense that visit was code for tell you everything, prompting her to inquire, “Should I hitch a ride with them?”

  Travis shook his head, waving her along with Caleb before heading toward the exit near the loading docks.

  So Emily followed, and outside, Travis led them across the lot to an area dotted by trees. Apparently, he didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation, and on the way, Caleb muttered precisely what Emily was thinking.

  “I don't like this, Travis.”

  “I know ya don't,” his uncle confirmed. “But that's just instinct.”

  “It's not just instinct. Everyone knows you can't trust vampires,” Caleb argued, coming to a stop after they'd passed several trees and bushes alike.

  There, Emily took the chance to ask, “So that's what this is about? Lupines don't like vampires because they're two-faced?”

  The answer she received came from an unexpected source.

  “Most of them are,” Maddox's voice sounded a few feet away.

  Emily and Caleb immediately turned around as the vampiress stepped into view with Stephan, her smile as pleasant as they came when she added, “Yet I've always thought of myself as a rebel.”

  Without hesitation, Caleb protectively tugged Emily against his side, his voice a growl in stating disbelievingly, “Good for you. Travis, what the hell's goin' on? Do they want something from me?”

  “Not you,” Maddox answered, focusing her gaze on Emily.

  Realizing the vampires wanted to speak with her, Emily's eyes widened as Travis explained, “Sorry about the subterfuge guys, but I needed to bring you out here to speak with them without getting any of the wolves around suspicious, and I'd rather them think I had business with Caleb than assume Emily's tied to this when she just became a friend of the pack.”

  Baffled by Travis' explanation, Emily stated, “But I don't have any ties to this, do I?”

  It was Maddox who answered, “You do. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the human we've apprehended is your brother.”

  “What?”

  Gently nodding, Maddox went on, “We believe this entire case started with him.”

  “Started with Evan?” Emily repeated dimly.

  In response, Stephan finally spoke, offering an explanation on a gentler tone of voice than she thought the stern looking vampire would be capable of mustering—and his information was extremely surprising.

  “Evan's father, John Cooper, was turned into a lupine a few years before they met, and eventually, Hunter's Moon learned that he'd been betting on illegal newborn wolf fights.”

  Emily stared in confusion. Cooper was turned? Was that how Evan knew about lupines? And what the hell was a newborn wolf fight?

  Whatever it was, Caleb must've known because he suddenly remarked, “Holy shit.”

  “What?” Emily asked. “What's a newborn wolf fight?”

  At her question, Travis mentioned, “Caleb will explain it to you later. The point is that Hunter's Moon tried to arrest Cooper in Texas while he was on a hunting trip with Evan. I was assigned to accompany two other elders to track him down as a wolf, and when we found him, he was alone, but uncooperative, shifted, and tried to run.”

  Regretfully, Travis summarized, “So I took off after him, but the chase didn't last long. Cooper was in such a rush that he made a bad turn and accidentally tumbled over a steep cliff. Poor bastard fell to his death.”

  Emily cringed, supposing Evan's father would've been better off if he'd simply allowed Hunter's Moon to arrest him. Then again, she didn't understand the crime he'd been charged with, or know how the Order would've punished him for it.

  So Cooper might've met his end either way.

  But what happened to him wasn't as important as learning what Stephan said next. “We think Evan could've witnessed this struggle and decided to take revenge, but we're having trouble getting him to talk about, well, anything.”

  Now that wasn't hard to imagine. No matter Emily's personal opinion of her brother, she knew he was tough, and extremely stubborn. So if he didn't want to talk, there probably wasn't much outside of something like torture that would make him.

  It was an assumption Maddox proved correct when she added, “The Bastion wants to help him, but until they know more about everything going on, their hands are tied. He doesn't trust them, and it seems he's too loyal to rat out his friends, so we looked into his employer, but didn't gain any positive leads. This leaves us with precious few options for getting information, and we're hoping you might talk to him.”

  “Me?” Emily shook her head without even thinking about it. “I don't think I'm the best person to ask.”

  Maddox exchanged a look with Stephan, who inquired, “Why not? You're his sister.”

  “Yeah, but we've never really gotten along. The last time I saw him, he was decent, but I'm pretty sure he's not going to listen to anything I have to say, especially not about something like this.”

  “I'm sorry to hear that,” Maddox started, “but you're the only one who can. So would it hurt to try?”

  Emily sighed dejectedly, having absolutely no idea what to think. Normally, she would've told Maddox that it might actually hurt to talk to Evan, and it wouldn't be easy on an emotional level regardless of the circumstances. But the vampiress was right; no one else could.

  Besides, Emily couldn't just leave him in this organization's hands.

  So she finally agreed, asking, “Where is he now?”

  “He's at The Bastion compound just outside Charlotte, North Carolina.”

  “Charlotte? That's a long drive,” she muttered.

  “Drive?” Maddox asked. “No, we have a Spire Shard.”

  “A … spire what?”

  At that, Caleb informed the vampires, “Emily only learned about the supernatural a few days ago, so you'll have to be more thorough.” Then he qualified for her benefit, “Basically, they can teleport us now if you wanna go.”

  Emily was so baffled by everything that she found herself repeating him densely. “Teleport? Wait, us? You're going?”

  “You're damned sure not going by yourself,” he answered determinedly.

  For as comforting as that was, she asked curiously, “Why? Because Maddox and Stephan are vampires?”

  “No, because I care about you too much to let you do this alone. Besides, if I
stayed here, I'd just go crazy worrying until you came back.”

  “Yeah, but isn't that just your bonding instincts?”

  Her questions were impulsive, but genuinely curious. She still wasn't quite sure where Caleb's instincts ended and his feelings began, and if he wasn't truly invested, then she wouldn't ask him to come.

  Yet his copper eyes grew heated in response, pinning her with an intensity that caused her throat to go dry. Had she accidentally upset him?

  It was hard to tell when his only response was a serious, “No.”

  But that single word was strong enough to tell her there was a lot more than instinct driving his decision to accompany her, and she couldn't be more grateful to have him there, taking his hand to show her appreciation.

  She also hoped it would soothe any unwitting irritation she'd caused.

  Thankfully, he squeezed her hand in return, and she smiled, as ready as she'd ever be to get this ordeal over with.

  “Then I guess that means we can um … teleport? Or … what are we doing, exactly? Because I'm extremely confused.”

  Smirking, Maddox turned to Stephan, who produced what looked like a broken piece of marble from his jacket pocket, and handed it over. Taking the item, the vampiress explained, “We can go whenever you want.”

  So much had happened already that Emily decided not to question how, or what a Spire Shard was exactly. Instead, she put her trust in Caleb, and took Maddox's hand when offered.

  In turn, Stephan placed his arm around Maddox's back, and the mysterious item she held started glowing with energy.

  Within but a moment's notice, they all disappeared from sight.

  Chapter 24

  Charlotte, North Carolina

  Every major city in the world possessed a Spire—a sanctuary of the supernatural where Orders like Hunter's Moon would congregate to conduct their business.

  The only Spire Caleb had ever visited was in Atlanta, housed in a skyscraper with several extravagant accommodations. But he soon learned that the Charlottean Spire was just as nice, and Maddox procured a limousine from their rental car facility to drive them to The Bastion Compound holding Evan.

  Sadly, despite the affluence of comfort their vehicle provided, the drive was long and tense, perhaps because it started off so quietly. Emily was consumed in thought, and Caleb was too wary of their vampiric traveling companions to do much talking.

  But after fifteen minutes of silence, Emily must've decided she needed a distraction because she looked at the pair seated across from them and asked if they were partners.

  Maddox smiled at Stephan in response, proving they were definitely involved by replying with a playful, “That's one word for it.”

  She went on to explain some of their story, revealing that Stephan hadn't been a vampire for long now, and as a human, he'd worked with The Bastion and disdained vampires with an intensity any werewolf could appreciate. In fact, his derisive opinions of their kind hadn't changed with his turning, and he only approved of a select few now, such as Maddox.

  Caleb listened to the story intently, finding himself doubting how truthful it was. But in contrast to his skepticism, Emily seemed completely intrigued, asking the couple all kinds of questions.

  “So it's pretty obvious that lupines don't like vampires,” she began, “but what do they think about lupines?”

  “Most would tell you dogs are beneath us,” Maddox replied honestly. “But as for me, I don't really have an opinion. They are what they are.”

  Caleb scoffed, replying almost instinctively, “Yeah, and we'll see just how loyal you end up being.”

  Emily pursed her lips at his obvious distrust. “They're trying to help us, Caleb.”

  He would've responded, but Maddox actually agreed with him.

  “No, Emily, he's right. Since you're new to the supernatural, allow me to give you some serious advice concerning our kind.”

  “What's that?”

  With a sincere look in her golden eyes, she related, “Do not trust vampires. Even when they've earned it, use caution. Most wouldn't hesitate to stab their own kind in the back, to say nothing for a human.”

  “That's putting it lightly,” Stephan muttered.

  Caleb decided not to respond to their honesty, though it did make him wonder if he could actually give them the benefit of a doubt after all. He knew something was different about Stephan and Maddox if his uncle had sought their help, but his inability to sense whether or not they could actually be trusted only made him anxious to get out of their company sooner rather than later.

  As if he'd willed it with his thoughts, that's when Stephan looked outside and mentioned, “We're here.”

  The limousine slowed to a stop at a gated entrance into The Bastion Compound, which was in stern contrast to the Spire; a stark, utilitarian facility surrounded by tall walls and fences covered in barbed wire. Armed guards stood sentry by the gates, and their vehicle was only allowed access after Stephan and Maddox offered their identification and informed the security officers of their traveling companions and reason for visiting.

  Afterward, they pulled into the lot where the vampires let Emily and Caleb out, then took them to an interrogation room on the third floor of the building.

  Inside, there were no windows or even one way mirrors, only a rectangular desk with two chairs sitting on each side. The walls were covered by large, white panels, and Caleb supposed surveillance was done via hidden camera.

  As Stephan left to bring Emily's brother up from their holding cells, Maddox remained and proved his assumption correct.

  Walking over to one of the panels, the vampire pressed her hand against it, causing it to slide aside and reveal a hidden door. Opening it, she looked at Caleb and directed, “You can join me in surveillance while she talks with Evan.”

  “What the hell for?”

  Patiently, she explained, “Because we can't be sure he doesn't realize what you are, and if he does, he may start to suspect his sister and withhold information.”

  Caleb groaned, wishing he could argue. But she was right, and he looked at Emily to see her nodding in agreement as she took his hand.

  “I'll be fine, Caleb.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah,” she insisted, then joked, “it's not like I haven't ever had a tense conversation with my brother before.”

  All things considered, Caleb's smile didn't quite reach his cheeks, and he promised, “I'll be right around the corner, okay?”

  “Okay,” she returned, meeting him halfway for a kiss before he forced himself through the door with Maddox.

  Inside the adjoining room was an observation station with a control panel set up against the same wall separating it from the interrogation area. A human agent was operating the equipment while gazing at a large screen above that encompassed the entire wall, displaying Emily in the next room as she pulled out a chair to sit down.

  The image was so clear it was like looking through a window. But Caleb's thoughts were too preoccupied to be impressed, uneasily folding his arms over his chest while waiting for Stephan to bring Evan to the party.

  He was just grateful it didn't take long. Only a few minutes passed when the door at the opposing end of the room opened, and Stephan led a man of moderate height and a strong build inside. His hands were cuffed together with constraints attached to a chain around his torso, and his dirty blonde hair was cut short around his head.

  All in all, Evan looked like an average guy—minus the bright orange jumpsuit. He even sounded concerned for his sister's presence in the compound, immediately asking what she was doing there before Stephan could sit him down and walk away.

  Caleb knew Emily was anxious, but her voice was calm when she answered, “They told me you were being held here and asked if I wanted to see you.”

  “Yeah, but … you know?”

  “About what you've done? Or about lupines? Because I'm a little sketchy on both.”

  Evan was momentarily silent in response, and
Caleb supposed he was trying to figure out how she'd learned about the supernatural when he asked a surprising question.

  “Did Joslyn finally tell you the truth?”

  How the hell does he know Joslyn's a lupine? Caleb tried to come up with some rational explanation, but found himself grasping at straws without knowing more. So he listened carefully to their conversation.

  “Yes, a few days ago,” Emily responded simply, then asked more hesitantly, “But how did you know she's a lupine? Were you the one who broke into our duplex?”

  “No, I swear it,” he answered pointedly enough to be believable. “But first, tell me what Joslyn said about their kind.”

  Emily nodded, placating her brother by explaining their conversation the night she'd learned the truth, though she left out all mention of Caleb and Conner's involvement. He could only assume that meant she'd rather her brother not know about them if he didn't already, which was a good idea.

  After all, Emily had known Evan all her life, and aside from knowing how to talk to him and what information she could get away with omitting, she could probably tell when he was lying, at least to some extent.

  So she definitely had the best chance of getting factual information out of him without exposing more than necessary.

  Still and yet, Caleb couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

  Chapter 25

  Emily had the sinking feeling that this was going to end badly.

  Seeing Evan in that bright orange jumpsuit was indication enough. Truth be told, she couldn't say she'd never imagined her brother getting arrested at some point in his life after the way he'd treated her at times. But she never would've thought the charges would be kidnapping and possible murder.

  Yet her bigger concern was the look on his face; skeptical and leery. He seemed guarded, and she couldn't tell if his mistrust was directed at her, or if he was just uncomfortable with the general situation. Such uncertainty made it hard to know what to say, or what demeanor to use that might convince him she wasn't there to cause problems.