The Rainmaker

by Petra Landon

  The Pack plane they were in waited at the tarmac for the flight back to San Francisco. Sienna, with Sara beside her, faced Hawk and Tasia in the cubicle of seats adjacent to the plane’s left wing. One row ahead sat Roman, flanked by Duncan and Jason. The identical four-seater across the aisle from Roman and Jason was conspicuously empty. Elisabetta and Simeonov had seated themselves in the row of seats that faced the center aisle to the left front of the plane. Elisabetta and the handsome blue-eyed Were-Alpha were starting to become a clique, similar to Atsá and Maartje. It puzzled Tasia, for the only thing in common between these two was unbridled ambition — that did not usually make for convivial bedfellows. Across from Tasia lay the passageway that led to the stateroom aboard the Pack plane. All the seats to the right of the plane were unoccupied.

  Atsá strode in, followed by Luis, to make his way down the aisle with greetings for everyone. Both Sara and Hawk returned their grandfather’s greetings politely, and without constraint. Hawk, in particular, seemed to have made his peace with Atsá. He treated his grandfather as just another Were-Alpha in the Pack, when before, there had been subtle undertones to all his interactions with Atsá. Tasia was happy and very relieved to note this. Hawk would always worry about Sara’s place in the Pack. His beloved twin’s happiness and well-being was irrevocably tied to the Pack. Now that Atsá was not the enemy anymore, and more akin to a neutral albeit influential bystander, Tasia hoped that Hawk would rest a little easier in the knowledge that he did not carry the entire burden of Sara’s relationship with the Pack on his young shoulders anymore. As always, Duncan continued to be a silent and strong presence, keeping an unobtrusive eye on Sara. Tasia had noted this, again and again. With her increased awareness of the dynamics within the Pack, Tasia had also observed the protectiveness of many of Sara’s were-pack mates. Plus, her Alpha had also offered his assistance to smooth Sara’s path. Tasia understood instinctively that his own experience spurred the Alpha to ensure that Sara was not judged for being a different kind of Shifter. But she also understood that the Alpha standing up publicly for Sara would have other consequences for her friend. Any unusual attention from him would make life more miserable for Sara in the Pack. There was not much she could do for Sara, but Tasia was determined to smooth at least one obstacle from her friend’s path. She cast a sidelong glance at Luis as the Were-Alpha stopped to have a word with Duncan.

  Beside Duncan, Roman Durovic grimaced silently as he adjusted himself in his seat. Outwardly, the Ancient’s demeanor was unimpaired, but Tasia suspected that Lady Bethesda had made a very bad enemy. Roman was a man who held things close to his chest. Unlike Jason or Sienna, his willingness to assist the investigation had more to do with an alignment of interests. But this action of Lady Bethesda’s had made things personal for the Ancient. Not for the first time, Tasia wondered why the Wizard had taken this step. From everything Roman had divulged so far, the Vampire guards’ queries had been about the investigation and the Alpha who led it. Why had the Lady considered this information worth angering the powerful Setik?

  Atsá exchanged a look with Duncan that set Tasia’s radar off. It was done very subtly, so smoothly that had Tasia not been observing Luis, she’d never have noted it. Something had happened, she realized. Atsá, Luis and the Alpha had not been at the hotel when the rest had set out. Duncan had announced that the three Shifters would meet them at the airport. Now, Tasia found herself pondering Duncan’s statement. There had also been the rather strange and cryptic conversation between Roman and Duncan in the car, overheard snatches she had ignored.

  Truth to tell, Tasia was exhausted, the physical and emotional toll of the past twenty-four hours leaving her drained. It had been a roller-coaster of a ride from the moment the Alpha had announced his decision to rescue Roman Durovic. Mingled in with the excitement, alarm and weariness was a sense of euphoria. As a team, they’d been successful in freeing Roman and assisting Nandini, and she had been instrumental in helping the Indian Ancient escape this morning. But now, as the adrenaline rush died down, Tasia found herself hyper aware of the huge elephant in the room she would soon have to deal with. She’d have to face the music with the Alpha. Her revelation about the deadly effect of her blood on Blutsaugers had left him furious, and she would have to answer for it. And, Tasia would have to address the other matter she had ignored this far. She could not bury her head in the sand anymore, Tasia knew. This intangible thing with the Alpha had to be nipped in the bud, while she still could. It was clear that he felt it too. To her astonishment, he didn’t seem to want to ignore it. That the distant man with the obsessive need for control seemed content to fan it, or at least be disinclined to tamp it down, alarmed Tasia greatly. It would have been so much easier to deal with the attraction if he’d co-operate with her, she mused wistfully. The man, of course, would always chart his own inexplicable course.

  The airplane door shut with a soft thud behind her, followed by a series of clicks as it was efficiently locked down. The Alpha strode down the aisle, to give a sharp nod of his head to the Shifter co-pilot standing by the cockpit door. Atsá and Luis made for the seats to the right of the plane, across from Elisabetta and Simeonov, while the Alpha slipped into the quartet of seats across the aisle from Duncan and his companions. As the others readied for take-off, Tasia caught the glance Duncan directed at the Alpha.

  Hmm, something’s up with him.

  She watched the Alpha settle in, his movements characterized by the usual controlled grace. Once seated, he ignored everyone to gaze out the window. It was twilight, the sun’s streaks orange in the sky. She could only see the broad back from where she sat, one row of seats behind and across the aisle, but she fancied that there was an unusual stiffness to it. The other Shifters took it in stride, used to the Alpha’s solitary nature. But Tasia watched him carefully, trying to pick up on cues, her mind busy working through the puzzle. Without conscious thought, she unbuckled her seat belt, excusing herself absent-mindedly to her companions. Tasia strode down the aisle, with a vague idea of fetching a bottle of water from the front of the plane as an excuse to steal a glimpse. Over time, she’d learnt to read the subtle cues from his inscrutable face — small signs that hinted matters were awry. Engrossed in conversation, the others paid her no heed. Only one Shifter trained green eyes on her. Elisabetta seemed to be keeping tabs on her, where the Were-Alpha had ignored her before. It made Tasia very uneasy.

  The engine started with a soft hum, the floor under her feet vibrating gently. Fernando, the co-pilot, opened the cockpit door to stride out.

  “We’re cleared for take-off, Boss” he directed at the Alpha.

  The Alpha, his gaze still on the scene outside, said almost mechanically. “Strap in, everyone.”

  Fernando shot Tasia a look, clearly astonished to see her up and about. While the Shifters rarely buckled themselves in, Tasia certainly didn’t possess their sturdy physique. The plane rolled forward with a jerk and Fernando shot back into the cockpit.

  “Tasia.” There was a chorus of urgent voices, the others finally noting her presence in the aisle.

  Duncan, closest to her, reached out to steady her, just as Hawk sprang up from his seat. Before Hawk could get to her, Tasia turned herself neatly around in a half circle to slip into the nearest seat — adjacent to and facing the Alpha. Prompted by the commotion, he abandoned the window to study her with a pucker between his brows. The plane, approaching the runway, slowed down to get into position for take-off.

  “Hi.” She attempted a casual greeting. It was somewhat spoilt by the breathless quality of her voice.

  At the greeting, his lips quirked, the merest hint of a smile playing about his lips.

  “Seat belt” he reminded her, as the plane began accelerating.

  “Oh.” Tasia reached to buckle herself in, just as Hawk laughingly called out to her from across the aisle.

  “Don’t do that, Tas. I’m too young to have a heart attack.”

  “Sorry, Hawk” she said, a tad she
epish.

  “Why were you wandering the aisle, witchling?” inquired the voice across from her.

  Tasia fought to keep her color even. “I was thirsty.”

  “Hmm.” The gold eyes looked inscrutable, as always, but Tasia was glad to note that he seemed his usual self. Whatever preoccupied him seemed to have been vanquished. Instead, the eyes watched her with a hint of amusement in the gold depths. The airplane took off with a tiny rattle, climbing steeply into the air before making a half turn. Tasia turned her attention to the window, using it as an excuse to escape the gold eyes that saw too much. The quiet hum of conversations resumed around her but Tasia kept her eyes firmly on the view outside.

  The Pack plane did not bother with safety announcements, the Shifters deeming them unnecessary. The only communication the young co-pilot ever made consisted of informal heads-ups he directed at the Alpha before take-off and touch down. So, Tasia bided her time, watching the last rays of the sun slowly transform into night as they rose high above the clouds until she could no longer discern the lights from the land down below. Only then did she reach for her seat belt.

  “Running away?” inquired the soft voice of her nemesis.

  Tasia glanced up to meet the challenge in the gold eyes.

  She raised her chin. “I do not run away” she said calmly, buckling back her seat belt to settle in comfortably.

  Behind her, she heard Elisabetta pause her conversation with Stefan Simeonov.

  Something flashed in the gold eyes before they resumed watching her with that heady mixture of challenge, attention and amusement.

  “I’ll remind you of your words one day” he said.

  Now, Tasia could almost feel Elisabetta’s eyes boring into her back.

  Having been expertly finessed into a conversation with him, Tasia rose to the challenge. She was in for a reckoning from him, in more ways than one. But that would be done in private, Tasia knew. Not out in the open. He did not operate that way.

  “There’s a rumor doing the rounds” she opened, meeting his eyes with composure.

  One eyebrow arched fluidly. “Is there?”

  “About you” she added provocatively.

  He eased back in his chair, settling in, his attention on her. “This should be interesting. though I never took you as one to believe rumors, witchling.”

  For a pregnant moment, earnest gray eyes met amused gold ones, before she threw his own words back at him. “I’m something of an acquired taste. It takes a rare being to appreciate my excellent qualities.”

  The gold eyes met hers, the night in the woods simmering between them before he chuckled softly, a low deep sound that seemed to envelop Tasia in a shared joke. In that moment, she felt the pull of him, stronger and more magnetic than before, beckoning her to pleasure and wickedness and everything in between. With the usually arctic gold eyes awash in laughter, he looked far from the cold, ruthless and inflexible leader of his band of violent, aggressive Shifters. Instead, he looked young, dangerous, and very much in control. And very appealing to Tasia. It magnified the effortless charisma that seemed to draw others to him like a magnet. Where the uber Shifter Alpha persona made it easy to eschew the very idea of anything romantic with him, this side of the man tugged at her heartstrings in a way she had never thought possible. This man had the power to crush her, Tasia sensed in that instant — her heart, her soul, and everything in between, if she allowed him a stab at it. She’d have to make very sure she did not, she told herself determinedly.

  “Well played, witchling.” His brimming eyes acknowledged the hit.

  There was a subtle dimming of conversation around them as the others noted the unusual display of levity from the Alpha. Tasia cast a sidelong glance at Hawk, across the aisle but facing her. Sienna and Sara had their heads together but Hawk’s eyes were trained on her. He winked at her, his broad grin a metaphoric toast for holding her own with the Alpha.

  “What is this rumor?” the Alpha inquired, drawing her attention back to him.

  “That you received a call from Lady Bethesda” she offered tentatively.

  “I did.” He was prompt to acknowledge it, without any hesitation.

  Tasia straightened, startled by his answer. She hadn’t expected this, despite the cryptic bits of conversation overheard in the car.

  “And?” she prompted.

  For a moment, he studied her.

  “I went to meet her. That’s why we were late taking off from Portland.”

  This time, the silence in the plane was absolute. The steady hum went so abruptly silent that Roman opened his eyes to turn to Duncan with a frown. “What did I miss?” he inquired.

  “Raoul’s just telling Tasia about his meeting with Lady Bethesda.” Duncan knew that Raoul would have shut the conversation down if he wasn’t ready to share it with the others yet.

  “You went to meet my mo … Lady Bethesda?” Sienna turned her head to direct the question at the Alpha.

  “Yes, I did.”

  Sienna unbuckled her belt to walk over and plonk herself in the seat beside the Alpha, across from Tasia.

  “What does she want?” she asked bluntly.

  The Alpha’s response was equally direct. “Ostensibly, the locket she stashed on you. But I suspect that was just an excuse.”

  Everyone turned as one to watch the Alpha and Sienna.

  “She did, however, clear up a mystery.”

  The Alpha glanced across the aisle, at Roman, who watched him intently, the slowly fading bruises that marred his handsome face standing out starkly. “The assault on you, Durovic? It puzzled me.”

  Roman roused himself. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to the Alpha before, but priorities had changed. The assault had changed everything.

  “TorElnor has excused me from my other responsibilities. I’m to work with you on the investigation to do everything in my power to bring her to justice.”

  “She didn’t know who you were, Durovic” the Alpha explained. “That never occurred to me. She’s always been meticulous before, never impulsive, but with you, she was sloppy” he said thoughtfully. “Didn’t do her research, simply assumed she’d get away with unleashing her pets on you.”

  Something dark flashed in Roman’s eyes, an omen Raoul knew did not bode well for Lady Bethesda. Going after Roman Durovic had been one of her first mistakes, one Lady Bethesda would regret before long.

  “Her mistake, Merceau” the Ancient said casually. “Before I’m through, she’ll know who I am.”

  “Oh, she knows who you are now, Durovic. She went white when I told her.”

  Roman’s eyes narrowed at the Alpha’s words. Something had happened, he seemed to realize. Something about the meeting had Raoul Merceau rattled. That did not bode well. The man had nerves of steel.

  “What did she want, Merceau?” Jason asked

  “She said she wanted a simple exchange.”

  “My locket” Sienna prompted.

  “Yes.” He paused. “In exchange for access to Nandini.”

  “Nandini?” Elisabetta exclaimed, clearly confused.

  “She didn’t know Nandini had walked away hours before” Duncan said slowly, his eyes on the Alpha.

  “She didn’t know” he confirmed.

  “More evidence of sloppiness, Raoul?”

  “Yup.”

  “Begs the obvious question, Merceau.” Jason shot a sidelong glance at Sienna, whose eyes never left the Alpha’s face. “What’s going on?”

  Equally curious, Simeonov glanced at Atsá and Luis. They had been present at the meeting, too, but they were watching the others, their faces giving nothing away.

  “She’s rattled, LaRue” the Alpha said. “That’s what’s going on.”

  “That’s good. Isn’t it?” Sienna was puzzled by the ambivalence she sensed in the Alpha. He should have been charged up that the adversary they opposed seemed finally on the back foot.

  Raoul said nothing. He was still processing the bombshell Lady Bethesda had drop
ped. For now, he didn’t quite know what to make of it. His eyes went around the room. The look on Jason’s face reminded him how very personal stopping Lady Bethesda was to many here. He owed them an explanation.

  “I told her I didn’t have the locket” he said. “That’s when things got weird. First, she tried to get a rise out of me. When that didn’t work, she tried to persuade me to join her.”

  Hawk looked thunderstruck. “Why the fuck would you ever join her, Alph?”

  “Gave me some mumbo jumbo about my fealty to Faoladh.”

  “Faoladh?” Sienna looked startled.

  “Fealty” Simeonov muttered under his breath, exchanging a pregnant glance with Elisabetta beside him. The female Were-Alpha had a frown between her eyebrows, as if something didn’t quite add up for her.

  Shifters understood only too well what fealty meant. To them, unlike other Chosen, it meant something very different. Lady Bethesda did not intend to persuade the Alpha, in any way or form. She meant to use Faoladh to order the Alpha into doing her bidding.

  A silent Tasia wondered what Lady Bethesda had up her sleeve. Influencing Faoladh would be near nigh an impossible task for anyone. That Lady Bethesda not only meant to go that route but had been confident enough to reveal her intentions to the Alpha disquieted her. Now, she understood the Alpha’s earlier pensiveness, and that glance between Duncan and Atsá.

  “How’d she try to get to you, Raoul?” Duncan ignored the comments about Faoladh, to ask bluntly.

  “The usual, Duncan.” The Alpha shrugged. “A mashup of every rumor out there about me — my past, my Wizard heritage, you name it.”

  “She did call the Alpha a slur in a manner she thought clever” Luis Beltran proffered. He didn’t think the Alpha would bring this up, and Luis thought it important to let the others know about it.

  The Shifters, used to keeping their interactions with others to a minimum, cared very little what other Chosen said of them, so they evinced little interest in this, apart from adding one more strike against the Lady. Other Chosen, however, were not as sanguine about the use of slurs.