by J C Gordon
Why Rhianna’s pain tugged at his soul was a mystery but he knew he couldn’t walk away from the rage within. Hanlon and her brother had hurt her and he couldn’t let that go. This fragile woman had somehow becomes his to protect and heaven help anyone who hurt her.
Rhianna was tired but had a big smile on her face. The evening with Caleb had been fun and like the first time they’d met, she had been able to forget about losing Rafe for the few hours while she was in his company. There was something about Caleb Ryder that soothed her soul in a way no one else could. Was she falling in love with him or were her emotions confused because of the tragedy she’d recently suffered? Rhianna found she didn’t want to examine the question and smiled up at the man who made everything seem that bit easier to deal with.
“I really enjoyed tonight, Caleb. Thank you for a lovely evening.”
“I enjoyed it too, Annie.” He smiled back, reaching over and brushing her curls from her face. “I’m already looking forward to spending the day with you tomorrow.” He wasn’t surprised to find that he meant what he said. Despite everything that was about to happen, his thoughts were already straying to spending the next day with her. For the first time in a long time, Caleb was actually looking forward to time passing.
Walking her to her front door had him feeling disquiet at the thought they were about to be parted. “I’m going to miss you the moment you go inside,” he sighed softly.
His words brought a smile to Rhianna’s face and she looked so beautiful, he had to reach for her and pull her into his arms. She melted against him and he lifted her up so she could wrap her arms around his neck as he kissed her. His sudden need appeared to surprise her and she pulled back and looked at him quizzically, but he just smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her mouth before her set her down again.
“Get inside before I forget I’m supposed to be a gentleman.” His tone was lightly teasing as he pushed her inside.
His smile melted instantly when she closed the door. Spinning around, Caleb took the steps three at a time to get to his car and speed away from the apartment. Black rage filled his soul as he sped all the way down Old Forest Road until he came to three park cars. Demetri was already standing outside his car waiting for him. Caleb signalled the other vampires to stay in their cars for now and turned to face the trees.
“Hanlon!” he roared at the top of his voice and Demetri looked at him with a concerned expression.
“Caleb, are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?” his friend asked. “If I need to back you up then at least clue me the fuck in so I know why I’m about to start a war with the dogs!” His friend’s unusual behaviour was unsettling him. He figured it had to have something to do with the redhead because until Caleb had met her he’d been pretty level-headed.
Caleb didn’t answer him. In truth, he was too furious to speak. He glared into the trees, knowing there would be wolves around who would have reported that they were there waiting for the Hanlon Alpha to appear. Demetri had called him anyway at Caleb’s instigation. If Hanlon didn’t show up quickly he’d go looking for him, and the Alpha knew it. Jared Hanlon wouldn’t want a vampire in the middle of his pack compound.
Finally, the enormous shapes of half a dozen wolves appeared, the big black Alpha leading the way. Caleb saw the brown wolf close at his side and his fury escalated as he watched it with narrowed eyes. The wolves surveyed the vampires intently for a moment and then Jared shifted and rose to his feet standing naked before him. “What’s this all about, Ryder?” he asked tersely. “Why did you have your lackey call and demand this meeting?”
Demetri rolled his eyes and leaned against his car. He was way too old to let a stupid dog goad him into losing his temper. Better dogs had tried and failed. His gaze remained fixed on his friend who was ignoring the Alpha and glaring at the large brown wolf at his side.
Caleb pointed at the brown wolf and growled, “Change!”
Jared took a step forward, his hands clenching at his sides. “You don’t get to order my pack around, vampire.”
“I’m not talking to a member of your pack, I’m talking to the brother of the woman I intend to spend the rest of my life with,” Caleb hissed. He glared at the wolf as it growled loudly at him. He didn’t even register what he had just admitted to but Demetri did and was staring at his friend in shock. “Change! I want to look the bastard in the eye that broke my woman’s heart and then played with her here on this road. Change, Armand, or so help me God, I will rip your throat out where you stand. You’re already dead to Annie. She’ll never know you died twice!”
Demetri straightened as loud growls echoed through the trees. “Caleb, calm yourself. I understand your anger,” he paused and then smiled wryly. “Actually I don’t understand it, but are you really willing to start a war with the dogs over this? Do you really think this would be what the redhead wants? You can’t be killing her brother, my friend. She’ll be very put out about it.”
Caleb turned his head and shot his friend a murderous look. “Did I ask for your opinion?”
Demetri stepped back and put his hands up. “I’m only saying, Caleb. Maybe you should calm down a little first and think things through. I’m more than happy to help you with the dogs. I just don’t think Annie will be mighty impressed about it when she finds out.”
“If they’re all dead then she’ll never have to find out.” Caleb voice was cold, his gaze once more swinging to the brown wolf.
“There are more of us than there are of you,” Jared countered calmly. “You should listen to your friend, Ryder. Go and cool your head. Come back when you can be reasonable about things. If you truly cared anything for Annie then you’d know what he says is true. She will find out and she’ll hate you until the day she dies.”
Caleb felt his rage boil over as he turned to the Alpha. “Don’t you dare pretend you give a flying fuck about Annie, Hanlon,” he roared furiously. “If it wasn’t bad enough you took her brother from her, now you’re sniffing around her best friend!
“Do you know how cute Annie finds your pursuit of Millie? She thinks it’s so romantic you won’t give up despite being rejected time and time again. She’s actively encouraging Millie to go on a fucking date with you; she thinks it’s so romantic. She has no idea that you’re planning to steal the only family member she has left. She knows nothing about Weres and their mating. She doesn’t understand that when Millie finally agrees to mate with you, she’ll never see her friend ever again!”
Rafe let out an agonised howl and shifted into human form. “You bastard,” he roared at Jared. “You fucking sneaky, lying bastard! You said you’d take care of Annie. You said you’d make sure she was okay, when all the time you were plotting on how to get your hands on Millie!”
“Rafe, it wasn’t like that.” Jared used a soothing tone, signalling to Aaron to flank Rafe on his other side in case the big man started to go rogue. There was only so much a forced turning could take in a short period, and Ryder’s revelations could prove to be the final thing that pushed him over the edge. “The vampire is twisting things to his advantage, Rafe. Don’t let him push your buttons.”
“He’s the only one talking any sense here.” The words ground out of Rafe, hate and self-loathing layering his tone. “He is right to be furious at me. I let you keep me here when every instinct said to go home to Annie. I let you convince me it had to be this way; that the pack had to be protected. The pack was never in any danger from my sister. She would never have told anyone about us. To do so would have endangered me and she would never do anything to cause me any harm.”
“Rafe, the protection of the pack is paramount. You’ve been with us long enough to know that. We can’t start picking and choosing who someone thinks can be trusted to know our secret. It just doesn’t work that way. Eventually the wrong person would be chosen and all of us would be in danger. It’s a pack law and a pack decision. Everyone has agreed to it.”
“I never agreed to it,” Rafe yelled. “I di
dn’t ask to be made into one of you. You let one of your kind go mad and run around attacking people and killing them. I wish to God that the rogue had killed me too. It’s your fault I’m like this. Your laws fucked up somewhere, you didn’t protect innocents like me, and do you give a shit about it? No, you don’t. Not only am I punished by becoming a Were, I have to lose the most precious thing in my life too!”
Rafe suddenly broke. “You wouldn’t even let me be with her in my wolf form.” Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at his Alpha. “She knew me, Jared. Even as a wolf, my Annie knew me somehow and you wouldn’t even give me that!”
Jared frowned deeply as Rafe broke before his eyes. The man’s anger petered out as quickly as it had arrived and he sank to his knees to the ground weeping inconsolably. Aaron chuffed loudly, rubbing his head against Rafe’s shoulder, using the power of a wolf’s touch to try to soothe his distraught friend.
“Are you happy now, Ryder?” Jared asked coldly, turning to Caleb. “Months of painful, hard work has just been pissed down the drain because of you. You may not think much of us or how I run this pack, but you’ve no right to destroy one of mine just because you want to bed his sister. Get the fuck off my land. If you come back here, we will take it as a declaration of war.” He turned his back to the vampires and helped Rafe to his feet. He murmured low to the weeping man as the wolves flanked them as they disappeared into the trees.
Caleb watched them go silently, pursing his lips. He’d learned a lot from the encounter and not everything to his liking. Rhianna’s brother was in deep torment. A torment he had increased greatly tonight. He had expected to feel some kind of satisfaction but instead he felt hollow inside. She’d hate him for hurting her brother. It wouldn’t matter how angry she was at Rafe, she would still hate him for what he’d done this night.
“That was a roaring success.” Demetri’s dry remark had him hissing through clenched teeth.
“Fuck off, Demetri. I’m going home. Stay away from the pack until I decide what to do.”
Demetri barked out a laugh without humour. “You want to decide? Maybe you should let me decide, Caleb, because so far you’re fucking everything up. What the hell is all this ‘the woman I intend to spend the rest of my life with’ shit? Has the redhead cast some kind of spell on you because since you’ve met her you haven’t been behaving normally?”
Caleb bristled, his eyes going flat as he pinned his friend with his gaze. “Her name is Annie. I suggest you use it. What goes on between us is none of your business either, so keep your comments to yourself. Now, I’m going home.”
“Caleb…” Demetri tried once more to get his friend to talk but he walked away ignoring him, climbing into his car and speeding off down the road. He watched the car retreat, sensing Stephan approach.
“What’s going on, Demetri?”
He turned to look at his friend, meeting puzzled eyes. “The hell if I know, Stephan. Whatever is going on is done for tonight. Go home. I’ll keep an eye on Caleb.” As he headed over to Caleb’s, Demetri’s thoughts were once more on the woman who was the centre of the current storm. If Caleb continued to act aggressively out of character, then he would have to step in and protect his friend. He would do what needed to be done to protect not only Caleb but also his people. If Rhianna Armand proved to be a threat, he would have no qualms about neutralising that threat.
~~~~~
Caleb didn’t sleep well. He tossed and turned most of the night trying to think of some way to make things right. He’d wounded Rhianna’s brother gravely. His ignorance of the events leading up to Rafe’s turning was no excuse. Sighing loudly, he got up and headed in for a quick shower. Pulling on a pair of old faded Levis and a silk shirt, he knew he had to do something to repair the damage he’d caused. His erratic emotions were making life difficult to say the least.
He was so used to always being in control. He didn’t know how to handle the extreme mood swings he was now subject to. It was all Rhianna’s fault. He’d been just fine up until the night she’d walked into Karpathia’s. Now he had all these raging emotions deep inside him, and it was disconcerting to say the least.
Caleb shook his head as he pulled on his boots. He wondered if Demetri had gone home or stayed the night so he could continue with his berating of him first thing this morning. His friend had been livid last night, screaming furiously at him about starting a war with the Weres.
That had been an unexpected turn of events. He hadn’t expected Hanlon to react so aggressively. They’d managed to co-exist for over two centuries, which was pretty good going considering the natural loathing Weres had for Vampires. Hell, he’d even become somewhat friendly with the Alpha over the years.
He dug out his cell phone and called Hanlon. He had to nip this talk of war in the bud before it got out of hand. “We need to talk.”
“Didn’t you do enough of that last night, Ryder?”
Caleb strangled down a deep sigh at the animosity in the Alpha’s tone, and counted to ten. “Just meet me in half an hour, Hanlon. I’m coming alone.” He disconnected the call, knowing the Alpha would show up. Although, the call was frosty to say the least, Jared Hanlon didn’t want a war any more than he did and he would meet him on the Old Forest Road. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was barely six am, so he had time to meet with Jared before he went to pick up Rhianna for lunch.
Caleb was early, leaning against the hood of his new Porsche, waiting for Jared to appear. He wondered if he would come in wolf form or human. The form he chose would be a good indicator of just how furious the Alpha was. He waited for half an hour staring sightlessly in front of him with his arms crossed, Hanlon obviously making a point by showing up late. His head turned to the trees as he scented a human approaching and Jared strode from the trees in a pair of old denims and a denim shirt.
Caleb schooled his expression carefully and tried not to let the Alpha see his sigh of relief.
“What do you want, Ryder?” Jared’s bark was aggressive as he came to a halt a few feet away from him and folded his arms across his wide chest.
Caleb’s golden brown eyes regarded the Alpha for a long moment before he dropped his carefully constructed mask and let his true weariness show. “A way out of this sorry mess, Jared.” He saw some of the tension leave the Alpha’s body as the Were walked closer. Caleb moved over slightly and Jared rested his long body against the hood beside him.
“You were out of control last night, Caleb,” Jared finally said with a deep sigh. “I’ve never seen you so wild before, not in the whole two centuries I’ve known you.”
Caleb nodded his head in agreement, his lips twitching in a rueful smile. “I surprised even myself last night,” he admitted. “I appear to be caught up in a situation I’m at a loss to deal with. Rhianna, she’s like no one I’ve ever met before. I find myself experiencing strong protective instincts over her, being subjected to emotions I haven’t felt in a long time. This whole feeling thing is a complete minefield to me. I don’t understand it and I don’t know what to do with it.”
Jared swung his head around and regarded Caleb’s intently. “You love her?” He couldn’t keep the incredulous note from his voice. The finer feelings in life were a bit sparse when it came to vampires. Some of them did remember enough of their former humanity to be able to bond emotionally with others, but usually it was all about sexual gratification with no strings attached.
Caleb frowned, his brow furrowing deeply as he pondered the question. Was he in love with Annie? Was he even capable of love? He knew there were a select few in his life that he did have deeper emotions for, but they were all vampires. Never had a human interested him.
He stared down at the road trying to work out how to respond. “I don’t know,” he finally sighed. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt the emotion I don’t know if I’d recognise it. All I am sure of is, at this moment in time, she is all I think of. From the very first moment I met her I’ve craved to be with her. Her scent, her beauty, her bl
ood, her body, every single part of her calls to me. I want her and yet I give her space to get to know me first. Usually I just take what I want.”
Jared chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. The situation wasn’t really funny but seeing the bewilderment on the vampire’s face made him laugh. “Sounds like love to me, Caleb. It explains your shocking behaviour last night too.”
Caleb met his gaze. “We were at the club last night. She was telling me about her little bookstore she was going to open, mentioned the unexpected life insurance policy her brother had and the very kind man Jared Hanlon who had given her the news. It wasn’t hard to work out that ‘Wolfie’ was her brother. You’re a good Alpha, Jared. You always make sure families are taken care of when you add to your pack.”
He shook his head, offering a wry smile. “I lost it, my friend. Her pain and grief at losing Rafe is so deep. I was infuriated that he was alive and with your pack when she was suffering so because of his loss.”
Jared felt a stab of guilt. He could understand the vampire’s reaction because he too felt for Rhianna’s loss and the fact Millie was his mate. However, protection of the pack was paramount. Personal feelings didn’t come into it. The pack had to come first. He sighed and heard the sadness behind it. He hoped his friend would understand.
“You know how difficult it is for us to maintain our secret, Caleb. Do you think I want Annie to be suffering like this? I barely know the girl and yet I like her immensely. I can see why Rafe has struggled so hard with joining the pack, why he craves to return to her. She is sweetness, innocence and kindness all rolled into one. I take no pleasure in her pain but it is necessary to protect the pack.”
Caleb shifted, standing straight and stretching his long legs. “I understand your dilemma even if I disapprove of it, Jared. I can’t condone anything that hurts Annie, but I do understand it. I know your pack laws forbid outsiders from knowing your true nature. I know you can’t break the laws, not even to save Rafe.”
