by Cara Wylde
Now she was angry at herself for having left them alone. She hated being out of the loop. Yes, she knew the Arte di Calimala was involved, and she knew how bad that was. But shifter blood?
Emil patted the spot beside him, and Rebecca sat down.
“Tyler was just telling me about the Assassins’ Guild.”
“Sure, okay,” said Rebecca impatiently.
Tyler turned around suddenly, throwing his hands in the air.
“You’re not surprised either,” he almost screamed. “I’ve been talking about assassins and supernaturals for half an hour, and neither you, nor Emil are surprised in the least. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. But I certainly didn’t expect you to believe me so easily. You have no idea how hard it was for me to convince Amber I wasn’t making fun of her in a cruel, twisted way.”
Rebecca blinked rapidly, in slight confusion, then turned to Emil, who sighed and relaxed against the backrest. Kassandra studied the three friends. She sensed Tyler was still not ready to reveal his identity. He still didn’t trust them. If Emil made the first step…
“We’re not surprised because we both know about the Calimala,” said Emil.
Tyler opened and closed his mouth, unable to come up with a decent reply. Now, that was something he hadn’t expected.
“I moved to the U.S. because of the guild,” continued Emil. “They killed my parents.”
“Your parents…” His tired brain started putting two and two together. The Calimala killed Emil’s parents. “This means…”
“Yes, I’m a shifter.” Emil stood up and took a couple of steps towards Tyler. He looked him straight in the eyes when he asked: “A wolf. Now, what about you? And don’t tell me again how you’re a designer by day and a hacker by night, and you just happened to come across the history of the supernaturals and the Assassins’ Guild and figured out it wasn’t just fantasy. I don’t buy that for one second.” He paused to give Tyler time to process the situation. He knew it wasn’t easy for a shape-shifter to come out of hiding, but he believed he had just earned Tyler’s trust by making the first step. “I’ll ask again, mate: what about you?”
Tyler cocked an eyebrow. All he saw in Emil’s green eyes was honesty and real concern for Amber. He had been right to bring her here.
“Bear-shifter.” The words seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders. It was the second time he spoke them that night, and it felt good. Oh, it certainly felt good to tell someone out loud: “I’m a bear-shifter.”
Emil smiled. “Good. Now we can talk.”
Kassandra chuckled, drawing the two men’s attention. She took her time to walk slowly towards the sofa and sit down beside Rebecca. Tyler and Emil were still slightly confused at her reaction.
“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just happy the Order of the Severins is about to start growing.”
“Excuse me? Did you say the Order of the Severins?” Tyler was pretty sure he had taken enough surprises for one night.
“Why, yes. Emil and Rebecca created it just over a month ago. You’re going to be the third member. It’s exciting, really.”
Tyler turned to Emil. The wolf-shifter shrugged his shoulders, as if to say it wasn’t a big deal.
“Emil Severin, nice to meet you,” he said, extending a hand towards Tyler.
Tyler shook it reluctantly. “Severin? I thought you were Gilbert.”
“Becca is. In Romania, Severin doesn’t mean much, as it’s a pretty common name. But a Severin in the U.S. would have immediately attracted the Calimala, given that they wiped my parents’ pack when I was a kid. Now I only use the name when I have to take care of… you know… Order business.”
“I see…”
“All right, gentlemen,” Kassandra interrupted them. “Back to the present situation, please.” The two men nodded and turned towards the empath. “From what I’ve been able to tell at a first glance, Amber has been on shifter blood for a while. No more than half a year, I would say, which explains why it took so long for the withdrawal symptoms to appear. If we don’t give her a dose, she won’t wake up, and her body won’t be able to sustain her after a certain point. So, let’s think. We need solutions, and we need them rather fast.”
Rebecca jumped off the sofa and started pacing the room.
“What the hell even is shifter blood? It’s the first time I hear of it.” She threw Emil a glance, but she immediately understood he hadn’t known about it either.
“It’s not exactly shifter blood,” said Tyler. “It’s what’s left of it after a witch separates the venom.”
“Witches can do that?”
“Well, they created us. They can pretty much do whatever the hell they want.”
“Legend. That’s a legend,” intervened Emil. “I’ve tried to keep tabs on the Calimala as well, but it’s clear I don’t know as much as you do. I don’t have your… skills.”
Tyler smiled. Emil was, of course, referring to his hacking skills. A hobby at first, then an obsession.
“It’s one of the guild’s best kept secrets. It’s true the Calimala hunted and killed shifters at first, but then they got ideas… They started catching them alive so they could study them, learn their secrets, try to figure out what made them special. Eventually, they did. The secret is in our blood. The venom allows us to turn humans into shifters, but the pure blood is the one which gives us strength, incredible speed, heightened senses, and a ridiculously long life. Used together, a shifter’s venom and blood can turn a human into a shifter if the human is bitten, which makes the venom spread into their bloodstream, then forced to drink the shifter’s blood. An easier and less painful way is to simply inject the human with the blood and venom. Used separately, the effects are… different. The venom alone, will kill the human. The pure blood alone, will give the human all the physical strengths of a shifter, but won’t turn him, and the effects won’t last. Taken regularly, shifter blood will cause addiction. The human won’t be able to live without it because the organism would crash.”
Emil cursed under his breath.
“This gives the Calimala amazing advantages.”
“Yes, it does. It took years of trial and error to figure out how to separate the venom and obtain pure shifter blood, but when they did, they started using it to make their assassins stronger and faster. The two guys Stephan Castell sent after Amber were quite a challenge. Not for long, but still a challenge.”
“And how do they separate the venom?” asked Rebecca.
“Only a witch can do it. It’s a combination of magic and chemistry… ancient mumbo-jumbo, I have no idea. But witches can do it.”
“And the Calimala have witches,” she concluded.
“They do.”
Rebecca turned to Kassandra, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. The old woman shook her head.
“No, my dear. I’m not a witch. I’ve already told you that.”
Rebecca started pacing the room again. She hated this situation, this feeling of helplessness. Her friend was in a coma. Apparently, her jerk of a husband had actually drugged her, and the stupid guild he was part of seemed to be the only source of the drug.
“Why can’t you just give her some of your blood?” she asked Tyler.
Tyler shook his head. “It would save her life, but it would also turn her. I can’t do this to her, Rebecca. I can’t make this choice for her. To save her, we need pure shifter blood. We need the venom removed.”
“So, we need a witch.”
They were all silent for long minutes. It was almost 7 A.M.
“I might know someone who has a witch,” said Emil.
***
“Tristan Ward?!”
Tyler shouted, then realized he was being too loud and immediately apologized. He plopped in an armchair and started rubbing his temples.
“He’ll never do it.”
Emil was silent for a moment, thinking about Tyler’s words. It was true it was a long shot, and he didn’t even know Tristan that well. They had only met on
ce, after Emil had insisted for days. Their meeting lasted a little over half an hour in which nothing was achieved. The lion-shifter didn’t seem to be interested in joining the Order of the Severins. Emil had let him go, thinking he could try again later. Tristan Ward would have been a great addition to his little secret organization, and could have made a huge difference in the supernaturals’ war against the Assassins’ Guild. Why? Because he was one of the few shifters who had been able to build a community and keep its members safe. He might have well been the only lion-shifter who had his own pride, and Emil could understand his reluctance in joining an Order which wanted to go directly against the Calimala. A single mistake could expose his people, and as their Alpha, Tristan had to think about them first. He had promised them protection, and nothing was more important than that. He couldn’t drag them into a war.
“You know him…” said Emil.
Tyler shook his head. “I only know about him. The guy has kept his pride alive for so long because he knows how to lay low. He’d go out of his way to keep his people safe, but he wouldn’t lift a finger to help someone else. Not even a fellow shifter. It’s called survival, and he’s really good at it.”
“Still worth a try. He refused to join the Order two weeks ago, but there was something in his eyes. Tristan Ward is a man who wants to fight, but joining a secret organization of one member, me…” He smiled bitterly. Starting something was always the hardest part. “It sounded too risky for him. He’s got resources, and I’m not only referring to his witch. But now, there are two of us.”
Tyler laughed. “A wolf-shifter and a bear-shifter. What can we possibly offer a lion-shifter who’s got a witch and a bunch of other lions under his command?”
“More than you think. I’m pretty sure Tristan doesn’t have a hacker.”
“Fair.”
He didn’t. It was why Tyler had found out about Tristan and his pride in the first place. While he didn’t know where he kept his people, he did know about their existence. If Tristan had had a good hacker, Tyler wouldn’t have even come across his name. It was more than likely that the Calimala knew what Tyler knew, and they had already focused some of their resources on finding Tristan’s pride. On second thought, yes, a wolf-shifter and a bear-shifter did have something to offer in exchange for the help of Tristan’s witch.
A weak moan came from Becca’s room, and they all jumped to their feet. Even though Becca and Kassandra were closer, Tyler was the first to reach Amber’s side. Now that everyone knew he was a shifter, he didn’t bother to hide his normal speed.
“Sweetie, you’re awake… Thank God you’re awake!”
He kissed her hand, and Amber smiled up at him. Her face was pale, her lips were dry, and she could barely keep her eyes open. When Becca, Kassandra, and Emil entered the room, she couldn’t move her head to look at all of them.
“What’s wrong with me?” Her voice was a soft whisper.
Tyler kissed her hand again, then caressed her hair.
“You’ll be all right, I promise.”
“I feel so tired. I want to move, but I can’t. It’s like I haven’t slept in days.”
Rebecca rounded the bed and sat down at Amber’s other side. She checked her temperature, but it seemed pretty normal.
“Do you want something to drink? Or eat? Are you hungry?”
Amber shook her head.
“I just wanna sleep.”
Becca bit her lip to keep herself from begging her to fight it. She knew Amber couldn’t.
“She won’t be awake for long,” said Kassandra.
The empath thought it was a miracle she even woke up and was able to speak. Without the shifter blood she was addicted to, her body would soon shut down. She turned around when she heard soft footsteps down the hallway, and plastered a smile on her face when Amber’s daughter appeared on the doorstep.
“Mommy?” The girl rubbed her sleepy eyes. “What’s happening?”
Kassandra wanted to take her hand, but Ava threw her a suspicious look and avoided her. She was a stranger, and she didn’t talk to strangers or let them touch her. She accepted Becca’s hand instead, and allowed her to take her to Tyler and her mother.
“Come here, baby…” whispered Amber. “Give me a hug.”
Ava climbed on the bed and lay down next to her.
“I thought you were in Chicago,” she said. “Are you sick?”
“Yeah… I wasn’t feeling well and I had to come back.”
Ava furrowed her brows. She was pretty sure things didn’t add up, but she didn’t question her mother. All that mattered was that she was there, with her, and that her friends would make things better. Tyler was there, and Ava knew she could trust him.
“Mommy is very tired,” Amber continued. “I’m going to sleep for a while, but I’ll be fine.”
Ava nodded.
“Promise me you’ll listen to Becca, okay?”
Those were the last words she managed before falling back into her deep sleep. Her mind couldn’t process what was happening, and even thought she would have wanted to bombard Tyler with questions, she was too weak to do it. She wanted to know if the two guys who had tried to kidnap her had been sent by her insane husband. She wanted to know if they had done something to her. The discovery that Tyler was a bear-shifter had distracted her at the cabin. Now she felt so much regret that they didn’t have more time to talk about it, to sort things out better, to contact the police about Stephan and his men… She had been such an idiot. She should have contacted the police the second Stephan had told her he was watching her. So many things she could have done differently…
“Mommy?”
Amber forced her brain to make its way back to Ava, but it was useless. Endless, dark silence enveloped her, and she fell into a void where nothing could reach her. For a split second, she knew she would never wake up again, and she panicked. Then it was gone. Panic, hope, desire, thirst, hunger… It was all gone.
Tyler took a deep breath and struggled to fight back his tears. It wasn’t because he didn’t want Becca, Emil, and Kassandra to see him cry. They knew how much he loved Amber, and they surely understood how love worked between mates. And Kassandra could probably feel exactly what he felt, anyway. But he didn’t want Ava to see him broken and desperate. He couldn’t allow himself to lose hope even for a moment. He kissed the top of the girl’s head, then nudged her shoulder.
“Come on, let’s let her rest,” he said.
Ava turned to look at him. His smile reassured her, so she allowed him to take her into his arms and carry her into the living room. Kassandra and Emil followed them. Rebecca stayed a minute longer to rearrange Amber’s pillow, pull the cover up to her chin, and make sure she was comfortable.
“Don’t you worry, my dear,” she whispered. “We’ll find a way.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
When Tristan Ward said he would be there in three hours, Emil thought what convinced him was the mention of Tyler Atwood and the fact that he was a hacker. In truth, it was something else.
If there was one thing Tristan respected more than anything, it was the idea of fated mates. He hadn’t found his mate yet, but he still believed he would one day. Yes, the fact that Tyler was a hacker was nice. So was the news that Emil Severin’s little Order was growing. But when the wolf-shifter told him that Tyler’s mate was addicted to shifter blood and was going to die if she didn’t get her dose, he barked into the phone that he’d be there as soon as possible, then called Camille and told her to grab her toys. The witch tried to ask him why, but he threw her an annoyed glance and told her to move. He didn’t have time for explanations, and even if he did, he wouldn’t grace her with one.
Three hours felt like forever to Tyler. He paced the living room, went to check on Amber every ten minutes, and refused to have breakfast. He couldn’t eat. He could barely think clearly. Emil was busy making some phone calls and canceling the meetings he was supposed to have that day, and Rebecca was keeping Ava busy. It was Saturday
, so she didn’t have to worry about work. Only Emil didn’t know when to stop. Kassandra had finally befriended Ava. All it took was to ask her if she wanted to learn how to read someone’s future in their palm, and Ava was totally sold. Now, they were both staring at Becca’s palms.
Tristan arrived ten minutes earlier. Emil let him in, and the lion-shifter entered the crowded living room, Camille following him close behind.
“Was it difficult to find the address?” asked Emil out of courtesy.
“Not at all.”
Tristan nodded towards everyone, and shook Tyler’s hand when the bear-shifter introduced himself.
Rebecca asked Ava if she wanted some hot chocolate, and when the girl said “yes”, she took her into the kitchen on the pretext that she needed help. Kassandra remained in the living room, on the sofa. She was the only one who was seated, and that gave her the perfect opportunity to carefully study the lion-shifter and his witch.
When Emil had told Tyler about Tristan Ward, it had been the first time Kassandra had heard about him. It made her feel uncomfortable. Of course, she didn’t know all the shape-shifters in the U.S., but she did know about the special ones, the ones who could truly make a difference. Now, as she was studying Tristan, she realized the man eluded her. He was as tall as Emil and Tyler, but more muscular. He was built like a brick. Long, dark blond hair that almost touched his waist, intense blue eyes, thick, furrowed brows, and a neatly trimmed beard… He certainly looked like a god. A god of war and destruction. There was a wall between him and the rest of the world, and she couldn’t break it. She got flashes of his thoughts, bits of his past, but that was all. It wasn’t enough for her to be able to make a clear idea about the man. What he wanted, what his goals were, what made him so sad and cold, what could make him happy… Kassandra was at a loss. The woman, however…
Camille looked small and frail by Tristan’s side. Short and slender, with narrow hips, and tiny breasts, she wasn’t very feminine. She had silky blonde hair and faded blue eyes. She could have been a beauty if she had had the courage to think of herself as one, but she didn’t. It was easy for Kassandra to read Camille. The second the young woman stepped over the threshold, the empath was hit by a strong wave of sadness and utter desolation, to the point where the feelings verged on depression. Dark, heavy, unforgiving depression. Camille was a woman who could barely find the strength to get out of bed in the morning, but did it anyway. Not because she didn’t have a choice. She could decide to go to sleep and never wake up at any time. It was because as she lay in bed for hours on end, a spark of hope would eventually make her heart beat faster and her limbs move. It was feeble and almost impossible, but it was there: the hope that Tristan would see her one day, that he would look at her and actually see her eyes, filled with fear, insecurities, and love, he would see her as a woman, not as a witch, not as a tool he needed to keep his pride hidden from the Calimala. No, Camille wasn’t a tool. She knew that deep down, Kassandra was sure of it. But there were days when the girl would look in the mirror and see what Tristan saw, and those were the days which made her go into her work room, open the cabinet where she kept her potions, and go through all the poisons she owned, chanting out loud the terrible ways in which they killed.
