by Mandi Casey
Wow, he was really good with the guilt thing. No, making anyone have to stay out in the cold weather, watching my house for the possibility of some rogue stalking the property wasn’t the right thing to do.
“I’ll have to talk it over with Aunt Judith. If she’s totally against it, then yeah, the wolves will have to do whatever they feel obligated to do. I’m not going to make my aunt more uncomfortable with the situation than she already is.”
Blake nodded, and said, “I don’t blame you for wanting to keep your home a sanctuary for both you and your aunt. But remember, your safety is of the utmost importance. Don’t be too stubborn that you put yourself or your aunt in danger unnecessarily.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Then it dawned on me. Brianna wanted me to give him a chance. It wasn’t something that happened every day, a non-boyfriend trying to tell me what to do. What would Blake be like if he really was my boyfriend?
“I’m not a fool, Blake, don’t worry about it. I’ll call you right away if my senses pick up the presence of a rogue anywhere near me.”
Shortly after he left the store, the local deliveryman, Dale, brought in a package. He carried in the box and set it on the counter. Dale brought in a lot of packages to the store. He didn’t need to bring them all the way inside. Most mailmen would have left them at the door. He either had an interest in the store contents, or the only store employee, me. Luckily, he kept whatever his interests were to himself. I had enough complications in my life with the world of werewolves and vampires. I didn’t want to add another one in the form of a local deliveryman trying to gain my attention. My plate was already filled to the brim with the wild and weird.
Dale was nice enough, but in no way was he attractive. He carried himself well, despite the growing beer belly, common for the men in the area to have. Many of the locals supported the breweries a few cities away by going to the local taverns and consuming the golden liquid quite often.
In the box, there was a note neatly written in an old-styled penmanship. The curls and the unusually sharp angles of the words told me without even having to read the letter that it was written by Kieran. From the appearance of the ink on the paper, it looked like he used a calligraphy quill and inkwell when he wrote it.
Dearest Sydney,
You are invited to my home tomorrow evening. We have things to discuss, you and I. The rogue vampire you exposed at my latest gathering has divulged a great deal of information. Apparently, there are many rogues working together as we discussed. He confirmed this before he was dealt with. Unfortunately, he did not disclose the location of their hiding places as they frequently move from site to site. Hunting parties have been deployed. Each are led by a Knight, and their mission is to find the rogue nests and rid us of their contemptible selves once and for all.
Enclosed is a copy of Wolf’s Bane, a very interesting fictional tale regarding the lives of werewolves. Much of the information written within is quite close to being truth. Someone close to the wolves composed the novel. Nonetheless, read it at your leisure. Become aware of what you are associating yourself with. Take care.
Inside the box was a leather-bound hardcover novel with the outline of a werewolf howling at a full moon in the sky sketched on the cover. Another book to read? I didn’t have enough time to read more than a few passages from Grandma’s journal as it was. Did people think my days were empty, and they needed to give me things to do?
The picture of the wolf on the cover was part human, part wolf. There were no signs of gender in the picture, but it looked like the wolf was male. The musculature underneath the shading of fur covering the entire body was extremely well defined. Each muscle group was separated, outlined in a display of raw animal power. The wolf’s mouth was elongated and lined with large pointed teeth. Dripping saliva glistened off the mouth from the light of the moon. Its chest was larger than any human man’s I’ve ever seen, and its waistline was unusually narrow in comparison. The arms, corded by long, lean muscle, extended just above its knees, and were thrown back behind the wolf’s body. Talons longer and more pointed than any bird of prey in existence tipped the fingers and toes. The head was lined with a mane of long hair that reached the wolf’s lower back.
I had never seen a werewolf in animal form. Hopefully, it would stay that way. Blake said wolves in a pack were able to think consciously of what they were doing when the moon was high. The collective thoughts of the pack calmed and organized one and all. The wolves that went rogue didn’t have the benefit of a conscience, and that’s what made them attack anything that moved, including humans.
The thought of Blake transforming into something that resembled the wolf on the book cover sent chills down my spine. He would be a magnificent sight to behold, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to trust that he would have control over his wolf instincts with me around. I’d rather not find out anytime soon. Blake was already difficult to fight off in human form. I suspected dealing with him would be worse when he was a wolf.
The fact Kieran was aware of my affiliations with the wolf pack shook me. How did he know? It wasn’t like we talked about it at his party. Did he know who came to visit me at my house and store during the day? I’d have to make a list of questions for him to answer.
How cozy did Kieran and my grandmother become during their working relationship of Selected and vampire coven leader? What did the Knights do to that rogue? Pressing Kieran to give me that sort of information might not be wise. He may want me to give him information in return, about the werewolves. Blake said if the vampires ever did anything for me, there would be a price to pay later, of their choosing. The more vampire resources expended doing anything for me would determine how high the price that would have to be paid. Blake wasn’t talking about money.
Shoving those thoughts aside, I made up the free recipe cards to give out with every customer’s purchase starting tomorrow, and I made a display sign to put in the window that the store hours were now going to include Sundays from one o’clock to four o’clock in the afternoon.
Cataloging the ancient runes, spells, and ward tomes didn’t take as long as I expected. Since my goal for the day was accomplished, it was time to sit behind the counter, and read some more of Grandma’s journal.
All vampires fear the Elders, including Kieran and his brother, Cian. The Elders, they say, are older than time itself. The Elders are the keepers of the scrolls of knowledge. They interpret the scrolls and the prophecies that are written within them. Kieran said there is a Selected, different from any other Selected, that will change the entire vampire population. If the special Selected offered her blood freely to a vampire, that vampire would then be able to walk in the warmth of the sun, without dying, or suffering deep painful burns wherever the sun touched their skin.
Dear Granddaughter, I am not the special Selected. To my own shame, Kieran has received my blood freely. Please do not judge me for doing so, for a time we shared a true love as a woman loves a man. He said he felt the same. Unfortunately, vampires are not people as we know them. Vampires have their own ways of seeing things. They are able to control situations and humans alike with the mere glance of the eyes and a slight push from their minds. My feelings for Kieran have not lessened, and deep down, there still remains a small portion of the big heart he once had, before the political coldness that is the way of vampires chilled his humanity to almost nothing.
If you find yourself in the same situation, be aware, you may indeed be the Selected the vampires and werewolves have sought through the ages. They each want to gain advantage over the other. It would not be beneficial to either species to be above the other. Both deserve to exist, but neither should be able to dominate, or exterminate, the other. As time goes on with the complexities of each side, and the deeper you delve into the world of the vampires, the more cautious and wary you need to become. Kieran is a good coven leader, and Morris is a good pack master. Unfortunately, in all of history, there has not been anything to help them co-exi
st more peacefully.
The leaders of each are not the ones who order direct attacks on one another, but they each must react when their lesser members happen upon each other, battle, and are killed. When there is a death, each side retaliates, no matter which side started it. In a sense, they are all animals, and they attack with animal quick reflexes and indiscretion.
From the many long nights I have spent with Kieran, I got the idea the Elders also believe the Selected is capable of bridging the gap between the species. The Selected may be the one capable of bringing the two together, finally allowing them to live alongside of each other in the same city, our city. Kieran did not come right out and say such a thing was in the scrolls. He is forbidden from sharing specific passages with anyone, including the Selected. However, he did imply that the Elders are the root of the conflict between the wolves and the vampires.
They do not desire for the vampires to associate with the wolves. Elders view their kind as superior to all other beings. They will not allow for that portion of the prophecy to come to fruition, and they will do anything, use all of their resources, to prevent a peaceful co-existence. Granddaughter, stay away from the Elders, and their close servants, at all costs. That includes the Judges, the demon bodyguards they use to dole out justice when vampire coven leaders do not heed their words as they see fit. Kieran is a close follower, never doubt that, or let your guard down around him or his coven, but he is probably one of the only vampires honest and honorable enough to call friend one day.
The Elders mean well for the vampires, but their intense followers are closer to an occult with their obsession of them. Their followers take the interpretations of the scrolls to the extreme, and that makes them a very scary, very powerful, group.
The Elders use the scrolls to dictate their biddings as they see necessary for the survival of the vampires. The Elders use their positions as keepers of the scrolls to control the entire vampire population. From the time the vampire bite triggered my powers, the Elders’ decrees appear more aggressive toward the wolves. There is increased suspicion regarding the Elders’ motives when the vampire covens are told to battle the wolves for various reasons that are not clearly justified.
I am not sure if the Elders have an ulterior motive to not wanting the vampires and the wolves to co-exist. Kieran may not be a part of their bigger plan, but he follows their word as law. Discussing such an idea with him did not go overly well, and he very nearly accused me of treason against all vampires. One day, if tangible evidence is brought to him, he would listen. But it would have to be irrefutable.
The door chimes sounded, and nausea immediately set in my gut. The room temperature instantly rose to a hard boil. Sweat dripped down my back as the gorgeous blond woman Blake knew sauntered into my store.
Lisa.
Chapter 18
Pain tore across my gut as Lisa sauntered into the store. I was stunned into silent agony. Blake was wrong when he’d told me there was nothing to worry about her. Blake had probably said that to make me feel better, even though we weren’t in a relationship. Still, she had me worried. The tension in the room was palpable. There was a reason my Selected senses were kicking into high gear with her nearness.
Lisa was naturally beautiful. She could have been in makeup or healthcare product commercials. Realistically, she could have been a runway model in Europe for expensive brand names, the ones that weren’t sold at the local malls. Yeah, she was that kind of pretty, and she knew it. Unfortunately, she had the attitude to match.
My chest tightened. I coughed and tried to catch my breath. A glob of spit flung from my mouth as pain tightened its fist in my gut. I stood as still and upright as possible. I didn’t want her to know about the pain she caused me.
She smiled a wide, toothy, predator’s grin, and said, “Hello, Cindy, wasn’t it?”
She didn’t look surprised to see me. She looked like she already knew Morning Sun was my store.
How did she know?
I smiled back at her, keeping my professional face on while trying not to vomit from nausea and pain.
“It’s Sydney. What a surprise to see you here, in a store like mine. Was there something specific you’re looking for?” I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her visit, but I’d let her start the catfight.
Sarcasm dripped from my words. Keeping my composure was a challenge. If she knew how strongly her presence affected me, and made me vulnerable, I would probably be in deep trouble. As it stood, defending myself against her in my current state would be impossible. The nausea intensified when I thought how vulnerable I was. Before I could get a grip, my insides lurched. Luckily, nothing came up.
She twirled around in a circle. Her blond hair bounced on her shoulders, like a hair salon commercial. Gag.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Blake was talking through clenched teeth when he said your name, sounded an awful lot like Cindy to me. No one would try to deny that it’s hard for a girl to think around such a fine manly specimen as Blake? It is no matter to me, really.” Throwing her hand up in the air, her insults flowed, as natural as the air she breathed.
I wasn’t going to acknowledge that statement. Yes, Blake was a fine manly specimen. No, she wasn’t going to get me to participate in girl talk.
“Lisa, right? Any who. Did you want something specific, or are you here just to get on my nerves? Oops, did that just come out of my mouth?” I narrowed my eyes. The longer she stood in front of me, the more my head ached.
Bile was beginning to rise up my throat, again. Something in her non-human genetic makeup was making me sick. It wasn’t the same as being in a room with a rogue werewolf, but it wasn’t so different, either. The little fine hairs on my neck rose.
“Oh Sydney, you are a cute, funny, little girl!” She put her well-manicured hand, with overly long fingernails, in my opinion, on the counter, and began to tap her fingers one by one on its surface. “Blake really knows how to pick them, you know?”
She stepped away from the counter and put her back to me. Something in the store held her attention for a moment, and then she slowly turned and looked me straight in the eyes with the shiniest metallic irises I’ve ever seen. They weren’t anything like Blake’s, or the other wolves I’ve met. There was no hint of gold or bronze staring back at me.
“Let’s not play coy, Sydney. It’s unmistakable who you are, and what you are. I’m here as a messenger from my people, and I’m not talking about the wolves. As long as you stay away from the vampires, you and your precious Aunt will keep your lives. If you continue associating with them, we will be forced to retaliate.” She spoke as if she had practiced her speech in the mirror before she came. Her words well chosen, and to the point.
No woman, no matter what mix of species she was made up of, was going to tell me who to socialize with, and who not to. It was getting pretty tiresome that everyone thought they had a right in telling me what to do.
“Listen, Lisa.” Pain shot through my head as I took a few steps around the counter to stand directly in front of her. We were so close she could have struck me. I raised my finger, and for the life of me I’ll never figure out why my brain told my hand to jab my finger in her face. “You don’t scare me, and you threatening me and my family just makes me angry. So back off!”
A shrill laugh crackled through the air, and electricity hummed through the store. Somehow, she was electrifying the environment around us. Every hair on my body stood on end. I looked around. The lamp by the reading couch flickered. The ceiling fan began to whirl faster than it was ever meant to, and sparks were coming out of the unused outlets by the register.
Her fury reflected in her eyes. A lightning storm was playing out between her eyelids, right on her eyeballs. If Lisa wasn’t such a snooty bitch, I might have thought that was a pretty cool trick.
“Sydney, you do not want to mess with me, or any one of my people. Ask your boyfriend, if you don’t believe me. If something happens to your aunt, you can’t say that you weren’t
warned. By the way, if it were my decision, the line of the Selected would be put out of its misery once and for all. Someday, it may just be my decision. So it might benefit you to stay on my good side.”
With that said, she whipped around, and sauntered out of my store.
The second the door closed, with her on the other side of it, the nausea and pain started to subside. The bile lodged in my throat started to recede, and the little drummers playing in my head started to play their beat softer, until they finally stopped playing all together.
Good side? She considered me to be on her good side? What did she do to people on her bad side? Even though I didn’t like her, I didn’t want to piss her off. My bag of problems was already pretty full at the moment.
I called Blake on my cell phone before I lost the nerve. I didn’t want to think too hard about what she said. He would be able to confirm if there was bite to her threats, or if she was all talk. She may pose a serious enough issue that it would be safer not to talk to the vampires. If Aunt Judith was hurt because of my decisions, there would be no living with myself.
Blake picked up on the first ring.
“Sydney? What’s wrong?” His voice was sharp.
“Nothing’s wrong. Can’t a girl call just to say hey?”
He let out a big breath, laughed, and said, “Yeah, you can do that, but it would be really nice if that were true. So what’s up?”
I hesitated.
“Come on, Sydney. You called me for a reason.”
“Okay, Lisa came to the store today for a little visit, and I was hoping you could explain a few things about what she’d said.” I didn’t want to tell him she scared me, but he was the only one who knew anything about her.
