by Lynde Lakes
Damon slammed one fist into the other. Damn, Damn. Valerie’s reckless act was such a bad move. Didn’t she realize that until Reeves was destroyed, that without the wolf inside her, she was more vulnerable than ever?
Then it struck him. Even if the serum worked, it wasn’t safe to give it to anyone in, or close to, the family until Reeves was destroyed. They would be too vulnerable…too defenseless. He had to fix his whole focus on the destruction of his evil half-brother. And for that he’d need Brian’s and Hugh’s help. Maybe Rick could help, too. The Indian in him was a good tracker and he could ride his Harley like the wind.
Damon bowed his head. Right now he just needed to pray. “God, save my baby girl and get me through my moral dilemma and forgive me for my past sins and those I must commit in the protection of my family….”
****
Brian’s eyes shot open when the early morning sunlight fell across his face. He blinked, trying to focus. Valerie’s bedroom took on a surreal brightness as it hit him how close they had come to losing her. Valerie’s hair, no longer wild, spilled across the pillow like golden threads. She appeared so tiny, so pale, so worn-out. Her lovely breasts barely rose and fell with each faint breath. He ached to gather her into his arms and breathe extra oxygen into her lungs.
He heard a soft cough and glanced toward the sound. It was Damon, looking exhausted but still awake. He, Damon, and Victoria had kept an all-night vigil, dabbing ice chips against Valerie’s lips, watching and fervently praying for her. For a while the whole family was there, but when Valerie’s fever broke, Damon insisted that Angela, Hugh, and Rick get some sleep so they could take over in the morning. He’d tried to order him out, but to get rid of him he would’ve had to wrestle him out the door.
He’d tried to stay awake, but apparently the silence, darkness, and fatigue must have gotten to him. He figured he must’ve fallen asleep around three a.m. As he stared at Valerie, he realized that the emotionless loner-goals he’d had when he’d left Trona had changed drastically.
Although acting impulsively and foolishly, Valerie had risked her life for him. No one had ever done that before. Now, he wanted nothing more than to be with her at whatever cost to himself. And rather than remaining emotionless, he’d weakened into an emotional bundle of love and hope. Loving so deeply hurt like hell. But it gave him a driving a reason to live, and a compelling incentive to risk his life to keep her safe.
He’d held her hand all night and his arm was sore from the awkward position, but he couldn’t let go. It was his lifeline.
Damon glared at him with narrowed eyes.
Brian wanted to shift under his searing gaze, but he didn’t want to disturb Valerie. “As soon as Valerie is completely out of danger, I’ll take that test.” Maybe Damon would hate him a little less if he pushed to move the project forward. He wanted his respect even if he couldn’t have his friendship. More importantly, it would help Valerie’s twin, her uncle, and countless others who might be trapped in werewolf hell.
“It’d be better if you wait until we identify Reeves’ host body. I think you should keep your lycanthrope gene a while longer. It might give you an edge if you have to fight werewolf to werewolf again.”
“You’re right, Sir. I just wanted you to know that what happened to Valerie didn’t scare me off.”
Damon almost afforded him a smile. “Whatever faults you may have, you’ve proven that cowardice isn’t one of them.”
“I’m glad you see that, Sir. For Valerie’s sake and the benefit of your whole family, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to identify the host and destroy him.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. Because that’s what we all want. We’ll join forces and do it as a team.”
Brian felt Valerie squeeze his hand. His heart lurched.
She opened her eyes and he felt overwhelming relief… She was back.
“How can I keep you safe if you keep volunteering to risk your life for me?” Her words were barely a whisper but nevertheless revealed her undefeatable spunk.
He kissed her hand as love gushed out of him. “Don’t worry, I was raised a fighter and a winner.” And I can’t mess up—that would leave you more vulnerable.
Chapter Fifteen
Victoria glanced down at Rick’s magnificent, muscled legs and matched her running pace to his. “Do you think I should do it?” she asked, smoothly, not even slightly winded.
“Do what?”
His tone sounded gruff, distracted. Or, did he know she was talking about taking the serum and simply not want to discuss it? Her dad was entirely against it. To her consternation, Rick often agreed with him. They were more alike than she’d imagined. But faults and all, she loved them both.
Without missing a step, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with a rag.
Rick shook his head. “I told you we needed to get an earlier start. The sun is heating up fast.”
“You’re right, but I couldn’t leave until I felt sure Valerie would be okay.” In the distance to the East, purple peaks dotted with an early snow. “Anyway, see that snow? Cooler days are ahead.”
“That doesn’t help now.”
“Quit being negative. This is still great.” Along the narrow path were towering tangles of mostly green overgrowth, thickened and blessed with color by the last two heavy downpours. She loved the rhythmic sound of their feet hitting the dirt and the hum of insects. The wolf in her valued running free through the hills, the woman in her loved it, too.
“Are there any wild areas and running trails near our new home?”
“Not sure, but there’s a great park only two blocks away and a motorcycle racing track nearby. Our new place is perfectly situated, close to everything, including my office.”
“That’s really reassuring,” she snapped, not bothering to dilute her sarcasm. She scanned the uphill terrain ahead. Good or bad, this hilly acreage had always been a part of her home. God, it was so peaceful here, so beautiful. The path’s winding borders were alive with giant sunflowers. She noted that they always turned toward the sun, symbolizing power, deep loyalty, and consistancy. She had all that and magic in her love life, but since learning that the serum might be ready for market and actually cure lycanthropy, she’d come to want more. She imagined what it would feel like to hold their own baby in her arms. If she took the correct dose of serum, probably she wouldn’t experience the terrifying reaction Valerie did, and she could have her very own baby…maybe two.
Unfortunately, after what happened to Valerie her chance of getting her dad’s approval were worse than before. And it would be nearly impossible to get the serum without his okay.
Beyond the bushes, she heard four feet hitting the ground, matching their stride. Nearby branches trembled and a dry limb snapped.
“Rick, do you hear that?”
“What?”
“I think someone or something is on the other side of the bushes keeping pace with us.”
Rick grabbed her arm and drew them both to a stop. He reached for his pocketknife and stepped in front of her. “We have to find out. We can’t leave ourselves open to a surprise attack. Grab onto my belt and stay close behind me.”
The sound of the running steps on the other side of the bushes ceased. There was only the muted howl of the westerly wind. Victoria stiffened. Tension hung in the air.
When they stepped through the bushes, they saw a flash of black and then the wolf disappeared.
“The footprints look more human than animal,” Victoria said. “It was the killer werewolf.”
“He must’ve expected you to be alone.”
“I don’t think that’s it. Maybe he was listening to us talking, maybe to gain information to help him with his next attack. The only thing I said that might’ve helped him is that Valerie is going to be okay.”
Rick shook his head. “That’s not it. How could he even know she was in danger? It’s more likely he thought I couldn’t keep up with your feral pace and you’d leave me in your dust.�
��
Valerie shuddered. It was a good thing she hadn’t challenged Rick to a race. If she had, she would’ve made sure she out ran him by at least a mile, leaving her vulnerable to deadly violence.
She had thought she and Rick might make love in one of the cool, dark caves ahead. Now all she wanted was return to the safety of the mansion.
****
Valerie’s stomach knotted. Everyone had left the room except for her dad. He’d been sitting by her bed just staring at her. She forced herself to remember how she’d ended up in bed with everyone so concerned. She closed her eyes and brought forth the memories.
Just before I grabbed the syringe, my heart swelled and overflowed with love for Brian; then came incredible pain—I twisted and jerked in the throes of body-racking spasms. Then, exhausted, I stilled to catch my breath. The wolf within me vaporized, and I saw the ghostly form escape my nostrils and disappear out the window.
Oh, my God! My love for Brian has cured me!
Unbelievable, although I’ve lost the wolf’s strength, I feel braver, stronger.
How lucky I am. I’ve just walked through a special door that few people ever walk though. A door where love is forever.
“Whatever were you thinking?” Dad asked, ripping her out of her reverie. He met her gaze with dark, angry eyes. “By God’s miracle you’re going to live. But do you have any idea how stupid shooting that serum into your veins was?”
“I didn’t plan it. It just seemed right at the time. And it worked. So why are you so mad?”
“Because your interference ruined the test. We don’t know if it was your sacrifice for Brian that rid your body of the curse or if the serum was responsible. We still need someone to test the serum.”
“Oh, Daddy, please not Brian.”
“No, not Brian. I have other plans for him.”
Her heart pounded. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Forget Brian for a minute and think about what you did. Don’t you realize that until Reeves is destroyed, that without the wolf inside you, you’re more vulnerable than ever?”
She gasped. Was she? She felt stronger. “If so, how is that different from you and Mom?”
“I can take care of us. Don’t worry your pretty head about that.”
She didn’t worry about his abilities, really. Her dad was as close to Superman as a human could get. “So what’s your plan?”
“To keep you all safe while I focus my attention on the identification and destruction of Reeves. Now that you’re recovering I’ll start forming a team to help me. Dealing with the walking dead is too risky to handle alone.”
“This may sound ridiculous, she said, but what if Reeves has morphed into Kyle? He always disappears for hours during a full moon. And he can be very spooky sometimes.”
Dad laughed. “Are you kidding me? Skinny, mild-mannered Kyle? You said it yourself—the black wolf is big, muscular. I think that serum scrambled your thinking.”
“I said it sounded ridiculous, but consider it for a moment. Every werewolf I know increases in size and strength when they morph into a wolf. I adore Kyle, but what if his gentle characteristics made him ripe for takeover? Just think about it.”
****
Dad had only been gone a few seconds when Victoria stuck her head into the room. “Hi, baby sister. How are you feeling?”
She wore black cut-offs and a pink midriff with Viva Las Vegas in rhinestones emblazoned across her voluptuous breasts. Her raven hair was caught back in a French braid and she sported a golden tan.
Valerie twisted a tangle of her lemony blonde hair, feeling pale and washed out in comparison. “After Dad’s mind-whipping lecture, I’m ready to get out of here and back to work.”
“He has a right to be upset. You did a really stupid thing.”
“Thanks, Sis. Now everyone has told me that. Since you’ve all properly chastised me, it would be great if everyone would get the heck off my back.”
“It isn’t just about you. After your hair-brained trick, Dad will never let me near the lab, let alone volunteer to take the serum. You know I can’t have a baby until I get the cure.”
“At least you have a husband who loves you. Isn’t that enough?”
“Would it be enough for you and Brian?”
“It’d be a great start.”
Valerie sighed. Sadly, it wasn’t something she visualized happening soon. As long as Brian had the curse, they had to fight their feeling for one another. Although she was cured, he wasn’t. So was it the serum that cured me, or my sacrifice for him? A cold awareness crept into her consciousness. He’d sacrificed for me by saving my life in the barrio, so why wasn’t he cured? Is it because his emotional love isn’t deep enough?
****
With Rory shouting, “Don’t do this,” in his head, Reeves drove toward March Air Force Base. He’d located a guy who’d sell his soul for a mere two thousand. The dimwit warned that getting explosives from the base would be too risky right now, but with his help it’d be no hassle to steal the dynamite from the civilian construction crew working on the flood control channel near the back gate.
Feeling confident, Reeves took the rear cut-off road, past acres of dried weed fields. “If you go through with this stupid nighttime implosion,” Rory shouted inside his head, “you’ll not only blow away the Lamont family and those they held dear, but my chances to have Valerie and her Dad’s wealth.”
“You never had a chance with Valerie from the start,” Reeves said.
But then it hit him. He was acting impulsively. If he went through with this, he’d lose his rightful heritage—the mansion and all the golden assets.
“Dammit, if you’d stay quiet up there, I could think more clearly.” Lazar had never given him trouble. He wished he had another host. The ideal would be someone inside the mansion, like Kyle. From what he’d experienced while trying to enter Brian, he figured his host needed to have a wide streak of evil in his soul. It might make morphing possible if Kyle had an evil side hidden deep within, a side he’d never shown to anyone, even himself.
Can I even conjure up the power to change bodies? Reeves wondered. So far the Devil had picked his hosts. “Hey, Devil, Buddy, help me out here. Get me a new host and I’ll show you just how evil I can be.” Maybe his present host had to die first. “Hey, Rory, how do you feel about suicide?”
“If I were dead,” Rory said, “you’d be dead, too, Numbskull. Think about that.”
“I figured you wouldn’t go for it. But you forget, I’m the walking dead and with me anything is possible.”
Reeves smiled evilly. What if I blow up the foundation office with both Valerie and Brian inside? That ought to make Damon crack and crumble.
****
Valerie and Brian headed for the office before first light to make up for the time she’d missed. Mom would bring Kindra a little later to meet with and be accepted into the system by Child Welfare. She felt sure after her talk with Kindra that the child would never mention their morphing. The little darling would only tell about the evil wolf who killed her mother. Valerie didn’t even want to think about the murder or letting Kindra go. She wished she could keep her but she would keep in touch and be her go-to-friend. Then a thought came to her. Maybe if she got her own house in order, there would be the possiblity of fostering or even adoption. Valerie glanced over at Brian. “You could’ve slept in,” she said. “With our ex-prize fighter night watchman there. I have no fear of going in before the others. No unauthorized person could get past Gordon.”
“Get it through your head, Valerie. I’m your bodyguard and shadow until our team takes Reeves out of the picture.”
“What if it never happens?”
“Then you’re stuck with me, day in and out.”
“That could get a bit stifling.”
“Am I so hard to take?”
“Not exactly.” She smiled coyly. “I’d like you to have another reason to cling close besides the fact Dad pays you to be my Siamese t
win.”
“Are you kidding me? I care about you.”
But do you care enough? Why didn’t his wolf leave him when he sacrificed his life for her? Maybe Brian needed to feel his forfeiture on a deeper level to cement their relationship. But wasn’t she expecting too much of him? Confusion swam in her mind. What did she really want? She wanted to do her best for the foundation, to protect her family—and Brian to feel the same passion and love for her that she felt for him. Aware she was behaving totally unreasonable and childish, she forced her doubts away.
She intended to have a plan for Kindra laid out by the time Mom arrived with the child so the little sweetie’s transfer into the State system would be smooth and result in her getting settled into a safe haven. Kindra would need restorative counseling. Valerie knew she needed info on the girl’s baby brother. If possible, she hoped they could arrange to keep the children in the same home. And placing them anywhere would be difficult for different reasons. The baby because he was a crack baby and Kindra because she was an older child with a history of abuse.
As she pulled into the parking lot, her neck prickled. The parking area and the building were dark. A shiver slipped down her spine.
Brian stiffened. “Why are the lights off?”
She gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I don’t know. They’re on a timer. Maybe some glich tripped the switches. Gordon might be having trouble correcting the problem in the dark.”
She parked close to the entrance, grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment, and used her keys to enter the building. Brian followed right behind her. Inside, she flipped the light switch. Nothing. She rushed to the main switch box in the supply room and pushed the lever up. Still nothing. She heard a crash in the far back office. “Gordon, is that you?” She grapped a letter opener from her desk and headed toward the noise, Brian on her heels. In the hallway, she tripped over a body. She flashed the light toward the face. She gasped. It was Gordon, his throat torn out. Blood spatters were everywhere.
