by C. Gockel
“You can leave here none the worse for your adventure, or you can give yourself to me as the others have done.”
“No.”
“Tell him,” Stephen said simply.
“Give yourself to Stephen or die. Those are your choices.”
“But you said I could leave unharmed!”
“And I keep my word,” Stephen said. “Tell him all of it.”
“If you leave,” Ronnie said. “You will be alone. Georgie will find you. You will never be accepted into a pack.”
“I’m not looking for a pack.”
“A lie,” Stephen said simply.
“The pack is all,” Ronnie said grimly.
David heard the need in her voice and wondered about it. “I admit I’m looking for help, but I don’t need a pack. I’m not an animal. I’m a man, dammit!”
“You are what you are,” Stephen said. “You must accept it and move on. The fact of the matter is you will not be accepted into a pack, but you need one or something as good.”
“Why won’t I be accepted?”
“What do you really know about what you have become?”
“I know enough—”
Stephen sighed. “Your lies become tiresome. You know nothing. If you did, you would have known not to come here without invitation. You would have known why you needed the invitation, and you would have known not to come alone.”
“All right, I know some, obviously not enough.”
“You know enough to get yourself killed,” Ronnie said derisively. “But who else will die? That’s the question.”
“No one has to die,” David protested. “Well, no one but Georgie and not her if she turns herself in.”
Ronnie snorted. “She won’t.”
“The facts are these,” Stephen went on. “A pack is led by the strongest wolf with the next strongest below him and the next below him all the way down to the weakest. You will not be accepted simply because you will not submit. No one will accept someone dominant to them—not easily at least.”
“That’s crazy. Why—”
“Why, why, why!” Ronnie snapped. “Why you? Why me? Why anything?! It doesn’t matter why! It never does. All that matters is surviving the day.”
“It matters to me,” David said stiffly. “I don’t want to live from one day to the next always wondering whether I’ll be breathing tomorrow.”
“It’s just the way it is. There’s no changing it.”
“Who says—you?”
“It’s how it has always been.”
“It’s time we changed it then,” David said, trying to ignore Stephen’s amusement. “What?”
“I was just thinking that you might become an interesting diversion.”
“I’m not here for anyone’s entertainment. If you won’t help me, I’ll find someone who will.”
“Oh, I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you,” Stephen said and Ronnie turned to him in surprise. “You can join my wolves.”
“No,” David snarled. “I’m no one’s slave.”
“As you wish. I will be sorry to hear of your death.”
David scowled. “What, precisely, would be involved?”
“It’s quite simple. In exchange for somewhere safe to stay, you work for me.”
“Work? What work?”
Stephen shrugged. “Whatever I say it is. You will agree to protect me and my property—that includes people like Ronnie here. In exchange, I protect you. It’s the same bargain I offer all my wolves. I assure you I mean it when I say I’ll protect what’s mine.”
David believed that. “What about AML?”
“What of it?”
“They’ll come for me. People might get hurt.”
“David,” Stephen sighed almost sadly. “Haven’t you realised yet? You will never be free of them, just as I will never be free of those wishing me harm. Kill one, and another takes his place—believe me, I know. It’s just the way things are. You must adapt to thinking in terms of survival, just as Ronnie and I do. Only then will you have a modicum of freedom to enjoy life. Never forget what you are. AML won’t.”
“How can I live like that?”
Stephen rose smoothly to his feet. “I’ll leave that for Ronnie to explain.” He turned to leave. “Introduce him to the others and make him aware of what is expected of him.”
“Why me?” Ronnie said sulkily.
Stephen stopped and turned slowly to meet Ronnie’s eyes. She flinched and backed away. “Because I wish it. Do I need another reason?”
“No Stephen, I didn’t mean...” she said and whispered fearfully, “please forgive me.”
Stephen watched her in utter stillness. If he breathed or blinked at all, David couldn’t detect it. Suddenly he was at the door, and David hadn’t seen him move. He couldn’t help gasping. The door clicked shut and he was alone with Ronnie at last.
“Release me, please.”
“I should drop you in the harbour for this,” Ronnie snarled. Her earlier display of meekness was gone as if it had never been.
“What did I do? Look, you’re in this mess because you’re in this mess. I didn’t put you there; you did that before we met.”
“This mess, as you so quaintly put it, is liable to get us both killed. I have enough to do looking out for myself without babysitting you.”
“Fine,” he snapped. He was fast losing patience with her attitude. “Introduce me around and let someone else be burdened.”
“I can’t. You heard Stephen.”
“And you always do what he says I suppose.”
“Always,” Ronnie said with finality. She crossed the room to the desk while he tried to think of a comeback. “I’ll unlock your restraints,” she said turning back with a key.
“Thank you.”
Ronnie unlocked the chains that even a shifter could not break and backed away. David rose smoothly to his feet wincing at the pain of returned circulation.
“Well?”
Ronnie scowled. “This way.”
He followed.
8
Marie
Marie stood before the full-length mirror in panties and bra trying to decide what to wear. Her legs were long but she couldn’t help thinking that they were too pale, and horror of horrors, she had fat thighs! All the cycling she did, all the working out, had just made them worse. She was sure they were bigger than the last time she checked. She pinched the flesh at her hips and found almost an inch of fat between her fingers. She groaned at this new evidence. It was a good thing Terry had never seen her naked. The only man ever to do that had run away screaming… well, not really. She didn’t know what had happened to him. Martin had just disappeared one night.
Her eyes prickled and she dashed at the tears angrily. She would not cry. She didn’t care what they said about him. She knew he had loved her. He would never just leave as the police insisted. She could imagine all kinds of horrible things happening to him, but not that. She could almost wish that he had dumped her. At least then, she would know he was all right somewhere out there.
She resolutely turned her attention to her appearance. She was determined to have a nice time tonight. It had been too long since she had really enjoyed a night out. The last time was when her father had taken her to the opera to see a recreation of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. She loved him for that gesture; she knew he disliked English opera, almost as much as she liked it.
She turned sideways trying to find something to appreciate in her appearance, but her eyes were drawn to her butt—flabby, and her chest—what chest? She sighed. Okay, she had nice hair didn’t she? She grudgingly admitted that she did. It was very fair and had always been easy to work with. It had a natural curl that most people believed came out of a bottle or at least an expensive salon.
Her eyes were a startling green like her mother’s had been—her father said so, and she had to admit that she liked them. Now that she was thinking about it, having a little meat on your bones was fashionable. Her stomach was
as flat as anyone could want, and Martin always said he liked looking at her butt. If it was good enough for him, it was certainly good enough for Terry.
She turned away to look at the outfit laid out upon the bed. She had chosen a simple black sleeveless dress with spaghetti straps and square cut neckline. It would reach to mid-thigh, hopefully enough to convince everyone that her thighs were simply generous and not at all fat, of course they weren’t fat!
“Fat thighs, who me?” She snorted imagining the whispers. “You must be thinking of someone else dear.”
She would need to change her bra of course. Showing white straps was so tacky. She had bought a new black under-wire bra with very thin straps just yesterday. She didn’t like the strapless kind. They never felt very secure somehow, and they almost always curled at the edges. She had chosen one with a little extra whammy in the cups. With luck, it would fool everyone into thinking she had a bust to be proud of.
She checked her wristband and noted the time. She had to shower and change before Terry arrived. He would be picking her up soon. She had better hurry.
An hour later she was ready but Terry wasn’t apparently. He was late on their first real date—not a good start. She looked at her wristband for the umpteenth time and sighed. It was half past already. Maybe he was going to stand her up.
Great.
“Miss Stirling?”
Marie turned to find Andrew standing uncertainly at the open door to the lounge. Andrew was her father’s assistant, bodyguard, and general all around lifesaver. Anything her father needed done, Andrew could arrange it. Her father said he was a treasure. He certainly looked like one. He had been a jock in his college years, which going purely by his looks couldn’t have been that long ago, but that was a false impression. She had known him for ages. He never seemed to change to her eyes. His wide shoulders filled the doorway in which he stood—power at rest. He had nice hands. They looked strong and capable of…
She felt her face heating at his regard. She had known him since she was a kid! She shouldn’t be thinking about him like a potential… like he had potential! She wanted badly to pull her dress down to cover her knees. Fat thighs, who her?
“Hey there. I thought you went home, Andrew.”
“No, I’m still here,” he grinned when she chuckled at the obvious. “I’m supposed to ask where you’re going tonight, Miss Stirling.”
“Oh? Did my Dad tell you to ask?”
“He worries.”
She knew that he did worry about her, but she was a grown woman now. She had to admit that she was nervous, and that knowing her father and Andrew were here was comforting, but that was bad. She shouldn’t need comforting like a child all the time. She should be a woman of the new millennium—strong and self-possessed, but she wasn’t. She doubted that strength would ever be part of her nature.
“Terry didn’t say. It’s a surprise.”
“Mister Sayles is known to me, Miss Stirling,” Andrew said and took another step into the room. “You could—”
She held up a hand. “Don’t tell me I can do better, Andrew. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have legions of men queueing at my door.”
“I was going to say that you could have asked him before agreeing to this date. Your safety and that of your father is chief among my responsibilities.”
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I’ll do that next time, I promise.”
“Thank you, Miss Stirling,” he said gravely.
“Andrew,” she said it almost like a sigh. “How long have you known me?”
“Almost twelve years, Miss Stirling.”
“Twelve years? Don’t you think it’s time you called me Marie?”
“It wouldn’t be proper, Miss Stirling. I’m an employee, nothing more.”
“You could be more. You could be my friend.”
“I would like that, Miss Stirling”
“But?”
“But your father would not take it kindly if he heard me being so forward with you.”
“That’s silly. Elsa calls me Marie, and so does Katrina.”
“With respect, Miss Stirling. The situation is somewhat different between you and them. Your father’s housekeeper is a woman, and so is his office manager.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Andrew nodded and withdrew. At the door, he hesitated and looked back. “I am, and always have been, your friend. Remember me if you ever need someone to talk to.”
“I will. Thank you, Andrew.”
Andrew left and Marie paced. Would Terry stand her up? No as it turned out. He was just very late. It was a little after eight when Andrew appeared again, this time with Terry in tow.
“Mister Sayles is here to see you,” Andrew said and Terry barged rudely by.
She stood and allowed Terry’s hug. The kiss was quick and without passion, more like her father’s kiss of goodnight. She told herself that she shouldn’t be disappointed. Terry wasn’t Martin and it wasn’t fair comparing them.
Andrew was still standing by the door with a look she hadn’t seen upon his face before. It was disappointment. How dare he be disappointed in her! What right did he have to think anything about her? She fumed for the barest instant but then remembered how kind he had been earlier. She needed kind. Her anger drained away to be replaced by... what? She could almost call it longing if it weren’t so silly. Andrew was Andrew—her father’s shadow. Ever there, ever dependable. He was her friend.
“Where are we going, Terry?” she asked and saw Andrew’s small nod of approval. It warmed her, but then she felt confused. Why was she trying to please Andrew?
“I told you, to a party.”
“I know you did, but where is it? Will I know anyone there?”
“You never know.”
His smile was almost a sneer and suddenly she didn’t want to go. She shook herself firmly. She wasn’t backing out. She had to learn how to be normal—at least how to pretend to be normal. Normal was going out and having fun, not hiding in her room letting the world go by. She didn’t want to be some kind of recluse all her life, but then she realised that she secretly did. She was appalled at that realisation.
I really am crazy.
She glanced at Terry and saw his smile again; it was just a smile not a sneer. Had she even seen it? She was trying to find reasons not to go out with him! “Okay. I like surprises,” she lied.
“That’s good, because you’ll be very surprised tonight.”
Andrew led them toward the door and saw them out. Marie almost stopped and begged off when she saw the look on Andrew’s face, but before she knew it, she was seated in Terry’s car and buckling her seat belt.
“This is going to be great,” Terry said as he drove along the driveway.
Andrew watched from the door until they were out of sight.
They drove into the city, but Marie didn’t enjoy it. Terry drove too fast and she didn’t like the area they were passing through. Not one bit.
“Where are we going?” she said nervously. She glanced out the car window again. “I don’t like the look of this place.”
“Relax,” Terry said with laughter in his voice. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”
She tried to smile, but she couldn’t seem to summon one up. They were driving through a part of the city that she had never entered before, let alone after dark. No one with any sense would come here.
“Do you know where we are?”
“Of course I do, sweetheart. I told you we were invited to a party.”
“So you said, but I expected it to be uptown not down here! Please Terry, this place is dangerous—”
“Not for us, sweetheart, I have an invitation.”
Marie subsided. Terry was a mistake; she knew that now. If she were completely honest with herself, she had known it from the first, but she had wanted… what? Someone for herself, she thought wistfully—someone who would love her and listen to her. Someone who would take charge of her.
Did she really want that? Did she really want to be cared for like a child for the rest of her life? What was wrong with her that she would want that? She knew the answer, but she did not like it. Daddy’s girl—that’s what she was. Martin was right.
Tears threatened as she remembered him. Why had he left her? She had loved him so much, and he had loved her. She was sure he had. They had talked about getting married dozens of times, but then one day he just vanished. The police said there was nothing they could do. Even her dad with all his contacts had failed to find him. Something must have happened to him. He would never have left without her.
“Here we go,” Terry said cheerfully.
“You must be joking!” she said in horror. She stared at the club with wide eyes. “We can’t go in there!”
“Sure we can. I’ve been in dozens of times. It’s the best. They don’t allow just anyone in you know.”
“But it’s a club for—”
“Vamps and shifters? Yeah I know. That’s what makes it so great!” Terry said with excitement heavy in his voice. “Come on.”
Terry climbed out and opened the door for her. Marie reluctantly climbed out and walked with him toward the main entrance of the club. She wanted to hide as they walked straight by the queue of hopeful party-goers. Everyone was glaring at her. She felt so exposed.
There were two very large men standing at the doors. Marie was sure they would stop her entering, but they took one look at her and waved Terry inside. They hadn’t even bothered to check the invitations he clutched so tightly as if fearing someone would steal them.
The interior of the club was something of a surprise, though thinking on it she didn’t know why it should be. She was far from experienced where these kinds of clubs were concerned, she didn’t know what normal was, but surely this quiet elegance wasn’t it. The foyer was plushly carpeted and subtly lit. It was completely free from the crowds of debauched revellers she had expected to find. She had heard all kinds of terrible things about non-humans and what they did for entertainment, but she saw none of those things. There were very few people, and as far as she could tell, none of them were monsters.
