“You would use an innocent child for your purposes?” he asked the vamp.
“It’s only fair,” the other man answered. “An eye for an eye and all that.”
By that, Taryn could make an educated guess that this man was likely Fallon’s father. Of course, this didn’t help Taryn in any way, even if he was correct in his assessment. He’d still ended up out of the frying pan and into the fire.
The vampire reached for him again, but he didn’t get the chance to grab Taryn. A spell struck him, sending him flying against the wall. Taryn glanced in the direction of the blast’s origin and gaped as he saw a group of draechen stepping into the corridor, led by Prince Rachen. Dark flames burned in Rachen’s palm as he narrowed his eyes at the vampires. “Why don’t you take on someone your own size, bat?”
“You…” The leader of the group got up, ignoring his injury altogether. He turned toward Rachen, that one word he’d uttered holding so much hatred and loathing that it took Taryn aback. “This is all your fault.”
Somehow, Taryn doubted the man was referring to Rachen’s intervention in the battle today. Either way, Taryn grabbed his chance. Turning into his wolf form, he dodged the vampires now focused on Rachen and ran toward the draechen prince. He’d never have thought that one day, he’d do this, but circumstances really put things into perspective.
“Run,” Rachen told him. “We can handle this.”
What could Taryn do? He ran, clinging to the hope that Rachen’s forces could withstand the vampires’ attack. It was with great dismay that he noted that the battle had spilled into the courtyard, which had now become a true warzone. As rainclouds gathered in the sky, Taryn knew that his escape wouldn’t be so easy.
Chapter Three
“Today’s lesson will be on the Sand Creek Massacre. Take notes, as it will be on the midterm.”
Jude Murdock scanned the classroom with keen eyes, watching his human students. Most of those present were too enraptured with the sound of Jude’s voice to even protest the potential exam. It was an entirely unintentional effect, but Jude had hope that he wasn’t wasting his time here. He wanted these young men and women to learn at least a part of the truth, what little information he could provide without disturbing the secrecy of the paranormal world.
Many American Indians actually had a deep connection with the supernatural. Some were shifters themselves, while others had a more profound awareness of the mystical. While their beliefs had been admirable, their society had become targeted because of the werewolves mingling among their midst.
Back then, it had been easy for the emperor of the Ornozian Empire to manipulate the chaos of the greedy humans for his benefit. Many of those who had been killed then had been shifters, although, of course, the innocent Native Americans had also suffered the effects.
That Sand Creek Massacre battle had been one of great significance for Jude. He hadn’t participated in it, but when he’d heard of the culling, he had realized just how much the principles guiding the paranormal world had become corrupted. From that point on, he had attempted to campaign for the rights of the less privileged. One hundred and fifty years later, here they were, with the situation worse than ever, and Jude exiled from his people.
He didn’t know what had made him give this particular lecture. It was like picking at a wound that had never really healed, scratching it until the scabs yielded into bloody skin. Perhaps he always wanted to remember his failure, and the reason why he could never go back. Perhaps he meant to garner enough courage to return and face what he hadn’t been able to. Maybe it was just recent events that had him on the edge, pointing out that his own mistakes and judgmental nature could easily lead to something worse.
Either way, on the whole the lecture went well. His students actually took notes and on occasion even seemed touched by the rawer of his descriptions. By the end of the class, he felt a little more exorcised of his negative emotions, confident that he’d done something to convey a message of peace and understanding at least to these young humans.
“That will be all,” he said as he finished the material. “Remember to review this chapter and the previous ones for the midterm. You’re dismissed.”
The students gathered their materials and slowly started to trickle out of the classroom. Some of the members of Jude’s fan club lingered, clustering around his desk.
“Your lecture today was very interesting and moving,” one of the girls said, while thrusting her generous cleavage in Jude’s direction.
Jude would have very much liked to tell her to stop wasting her time. Even if he hadn’t been an elf, she wouldn’t have had a chance. As humans put it, he was as queer as a three dollar bill. To top that off, his supernatural nature made any potential liaison between them dangerous. And she was his student. So both she and her friends were in for quite a disappointment if they thought anything would come of this.
Nevertheless, he offered her his best teacher smile and nodded. “Thank you, Julie. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Raul’s appearance saved him from having to withstand the attention of the rest of the chickadees. “Ready to go, Mr. Murdock?” his friend asked from the doorway.
“Yes, of course,” Jude replied. “I’m sorry I have to leave you, ladies. I promised Mr. Gomez a favor.”
The girls made protesting noises, but Jude extracted himself from their hold and escaped the classroom. On occasion, they exhausted him so much that he actually considered leaving the college job. Today was one of those times, but thankfully, Raul had intervened.
“I appreciate you giving me a hand in there,” Jude said. “Just between you and me, I’d rather face a draechen than a group of those girls.”
Raul chuckled. “I know what you mean. But you are getting through to them. That’s what matters. Anyway, let’s not talk about that. Would you like to come with me to grab a bite?”
Jude threw a glance Raul’s way. The offer startled him, although, in truth, it shouldn’t have. Raul was gay, too, and there had always been a shallow level of attraction between them. Jude had never bothered to pursue it, and neither had Raul. As much as he realized it wasn’t healthy to keep being a hermit, he didn’t have the energy to dedicate to a relationship. Just the thought of making nice for the purpose of a date tired him, and that was enough to make him say no.
“Maybe another time,” he answered. In the end, Raul was a genuinely nice guy and he deserved better.
“Sure.” Raul didn’t look particularly surprised at the rejection, or really disappointed. He just offered Jude a small, enigmatic smile that could have meant anything at all. Sometimes, the fae was really a mystery to Jude. They’d known each other for years, ever since Jude had moved to New York and started to work part time at St. Anne’s College, teaching human children, but in some respects, they still kept to themselves. Maybe that was why they got along so well, because they respected each other’s privacy.
As they exited the school and exited the parking lot, Raul added, “Just be careful.”
“Thanks,” Jude answered, wondering exactly what had urged Raul to make that comment. It could have been any number of things, given the recent chaos in the paranormal world. “I will.”
As Raul got into his car, Jude put on his helmet and climbed onto his bike. Absently, he looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering, looking ominous, even eerie. Jude scented the air, unsettled. He didn’t like it. He wouldn’t have exactly said that it was unnatural weather, but something was definitely amiss.
Shaking off his apprehension, Jude started his bike. He was just about to drive out of the parking lot when his phone rang. With a groan, Jude checked the display. He could only think of a handful of people that would call him when he was at the college, or at all.
As it turned out, the caller was one of his coworkers, Mary. Jude sighed. Whenever she called him, it usually meant that she needed some sort of favor from him. No sooner had he greeted her than she made her request. “Jude, you know I love you, rig
ht?”
Jude interrupted the unavoidable praises that usually came with her pleas. “What do you need?” he inquired.
“I have this amazing date tonight, and I really need someone to take over my shift at the museum,” she said. “Would you mind terribly?”
Jude knew he should have said no, but in the end, he had nothing and no one waiting for him at home, not even a pet. His job at the museum and his teaching at the college were what kept him going. “Fine,” he heard himself say. “I’ll be right there.”
Mary thanked him profusely and ended the call. Now feeling even more down, Jude drove off, heading toward the museum. It was only hours later that Jude finally left his second workplace. By now, he was pretty exhausted and more than ready to go home.
Fortunately, this time no one interrupted him to ask for random favors. Jude rode from the museum, heading toward his place, a small cabin just out of the city. He had found the little gem after a great deal of searching and far too long a period spent living in a high rise. The house itself was small and, compared to the luxuries Jude had once been used to, quite unremarkable, but it bordered a small forest and that made it all worthwhile.
Ironically, in the process he’d become the neighbor of one of the most important draechen figures in the world. Hareematek Tersain, former heir apparent of Ornoz, now the draechen emperor, owned a property nearby. While he wasn’t in the residence often, on the rare occasions he did live here, something bad always happened. Jude wouldn’t have been surprised if he learned that Hareematek had decided on a surprise visit. It would certainly explain his unease.
As he drove, the sound of thunder rumbled above. Lightning flashed through the sky, tearing apart the thick clouds. Instants later, heavy rain began to fall, settling over Jude like a heavy curtain. Visibility had already been bad, but now it became nearly abysmal. If not for his keen elf eyesight, Jude didn’t doubt that he’d have crashed his bike.
The storm didn’t frighten Jude, but it did worry him. He hadn’t seen such an unleashing of elements since Hurricane Sandy. Naturally, this tempest wasn’t as strong as the hurricane had been, but the suddenness of its appearance concerned him.
It was actually frustrating for him to be unable to enjoy the simple pleasure of feeling the soft caress of the rain on his skin. He’d once enjoyed it very much, and he still did. But today, there was something dangerous about the rain. Or maybe it wasn’t the rain itself that bothered him, but the strange feeling that it hid something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Jude wanted nothing more but to get behind closed doors and relax on his couch with a cup of hot cocoa.
He left the city behind with far more speed than was advisable under these weather conditions. As he entered his small property, he went even faster, so much so that he didn’t see the animal running straight into his path until it was too late.
With a curse, Jude hit the brakes, struggling to avoid hitting the creature. In spite of his skill with motorcycles, he lost control of the vehicle, as the road was slick with the water and he’d been going quite fast. The bike skidded dangerously, and Jude managed to narrowly avoid the animal before he fell off his motorcycle.
A bike accident could be very dangerous, even lethal for a human, but Jude had the advantage of his elf nature. He was on his feet in seconds and rushed to see if the beast he’d nearly hit was all right.
As he threw off his helmet, the rain struck his face mercilessly, but for a few moments, he caught a glimpse of a canine figure in the middle of the road. Then, out of the blue, the beast-like form melted into a very distinctive human one and fell against the tarmac.
Once again, Jude swore. His mind whirled as he knelt next to the unconscious person who had just seconds ago been an animal. A werewolf. Great, this was just great. How in the world had the stranger wandered onto his land, and what was he to do about it?
For the moment, the answer was a clear one. The wolf had suffered some sort of injury. Jude didn’t think he had hit the stranger, and wolves were, in general, exceedingly resilient creatures. So Jude surmised that something very serious must have happened to… to him.
Because it was more than clear to Jude that his peculiar guest was male. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out, even if, for a wolf, the stranger was quite small. Various cuts and abrasions seemed to litter his body. And perhaps the most important thing was the strangest and the most mind-numbing fact. He was pregnant.
Jude couldn’t imagine how a male wolf-shifter had gotten himself pregnant, but now was not the time to figure out this dilemma. The situation wasn’t ideal, and he certainly wouldn’t have picked this as his chosen activity for the evening. Nevertheless, he had to help the stranger. It was his chance to make a difference, and he wouldn’t let it go to waste.
* * * *
Draechenburg, Germany
Kael had been deep in conversation with the emperor when it happened. It came with absolutely no warning. True, Hareematek had been somewhat distracted, but in that way only a mated shifter could recognize. Kael had guessed the emperor must have been communicating with his mate, which was a good thing.
But as they approached the matter of the organization of the forces outside Draechenburg, Hareematek went rigid. All the blood drained out of his face. From Kael’s side, Talrasar asked, “Majesty, are you all right?”
The emperor didn’t answer. He just pushed past Kael and Talrasar and stalked away, bursting through the doors of the barracks and into the corridor. There was only one thing that could make Hareematek act like that, his werewolf mate. Something was wrong with Taryn.
Kael shared a concerned look with Talrasar. They didn’t even have to speak to know how serious this was. The emperor had already been very affected just by Taryn’s absence. If Taryn got hurt… Kael couldn’t even imagine the consequences on a political level. And if he wanted to be perfectly honest, he liked the couple. He didn’t want them to lose each other, like he and Talrasar once had. Somehow, he and Talrasar had to go help.
However, the soldiers in the barracks noticed the abrupt departure of their leader. Restless murmurs exploded all around them, and Kael’s heart sank. There was only one thing they could do.
“I’ll go with him,” Talrasar said, brushing a quick kiss over Kael’s lips. “Don’t worry, love. No matter where I go, we’ll still be together.”
Kael knew that, but it was still hard to let go of his mate, especially after they’d just been reunited. He’d sworn he’d never again sacrifice his time at Talrasar’s side. Alas, it couldn’t be helped. In the end, he couldn’t have kept Talrasar from assisting the emperor, because his lover was, at the very core of his being, a healer.
And so, Kael kissed Talrasar back, and then released him. “Go, and come back to me soon.”
Talrasar nodded and rushed after the emperor. Kael watched him go, and then shook himself, knowing he couldn’t moon over his mate forever. There was simply too much at stake here, too much they still didn’t know and too much they had to handle, especially now.
He turned toward the soldiers and fixed them with his best glare. “His Imperial Majesty’s presence is required elsewhere. Is there a problem?”
Truly, he was reluctant to take command just like that, but he couldn’t exactly ask for the emperor’s permission, and technically speaking, his lineage gave him the authority to act on Hareematek’s behalf when the emperor wasn’t around. Well, that was his story at least, and if someone questioned him, he’d stick to it.
A few of the draechen opened their mouths, obviously intending to ask something. When Kael looked at them, though, they must have realized that such an approach wouldn’t be beneficial, because they quickly backed off. Fortunately, no matter what, the people of Ornoz responded to power.
Kael gestured for the other draechen to continue their activity, and the soldiers did. Carefully watching them, Kael reached out to his mate, who was now boarding a plane, ready to follow the emperor. Naturally, Hareematek had already taken off from D
raechenburg in shifted form.
“I wonder what happened,” he mused.
“Well, we have two options. Vampires or whatever scared them so badly that it pushed them into attacking draechen.”
Kael’s first guess had been vampires, too. A part of him had anticipated this was going to happen. Even if Hareematek had sent Taryn away, Lieutenant Sagenamadeen Zager had known about the strong bond between the emperor and his werewolf, or at least, suspected the truth. Therefore, his naga mate had found out, too, and this memory must have been accessible to the vampires while Sage and Camden had been imprisoned by them. However, Kael hadn’t expected such a quick and daring move from the vampires, more so since Taryn had been under heavy guard. Well, Kael had been wrong before.
“Be careful, Tali. Whoever this is, they’ll likely be very dangerous.”
“It’s all right,” Talrasar replied. “Judging by the way the emperor’s acting, I’m likely not the one in danger.”
Kael hoped and prayed that was the case, because if his mate was harmed again while trying to help someone else, the world would have another foe to worry about, and one less ally.
* * * *
Meanwhile, Rose Noire, France
“I’m really not sure if we should have left Draechenburg,” Sari told his mate through their bond. “I just keep thinking that something’s going to happen.”
Karein took his hand and kissed it. “I know how you feel. Literally. But we have to trust that our family will be able to handle anything that happens without us. They’re all capable men. They can do it.”
With a sigh, Sari leaned into his mate’s embrace and glanced out of the window of the tiny jet. Rose Noire was in view now, and while a part of Sari was excited at visiting his birth home, he couldn’t help but be anxious for the people he’d left behind. Who’d have thought that one day the draechen imperial family would be so close to his heart?
Emperor's Consort [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 5] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 5
