LIAM (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues, Book 2)

by Shannon Mayer

  Blessedly, Levi was quiet the rest of the walk to the bakery. I kept an eye on the drifting moon as it dropped lower in the sky, slowly setting. Time passing. I did a quick tally in my head. Forty-one hours and change remaining. We still had lots of time. In theory, of course.

  A sudden rush of scents lit up my brain, and I slowed my feet. Something sweet, like an overused perfume, raw milk and . . . ogre. That musk was undeniable, there was nothing out there quite like it.

  I put a hand on Levi, pushing him behind me. Could I be that lucky as to find an ogre female outside of the park, away from her apparently psychotic tribe?

  Only one way to find out. I kept our pace sedate as I slowly tracked the scent of the ogre. I couldn’t tell if it was a female or not, but when we rounded the corner I saw her. She was taller than me but only by a few inches, so that would put her at about six and a half feet.

  I shook my head, no more than that. I had to get used to being in a slightly shorter body.

  Her skin was a glossy, pure black that I could see glistened even in the moonlight. Here and there were patches of purple, though, like she’d gone through a shower of splatter paint. Her shoulders were hunched under a light top that left her arms and shoulders bare, odd for the cooler weather, and showing a few pale scars. She moved slowly, not seeming to even notice us. A soft sob rippled out of her, and she covered her mouth with one hand, while she wrapped the other around her waist. A sobbing female ogre with scars all over her back and shoulders.

  Something was wrong, and every instinct I had screamed at me to watch my back. Ogres were not known for being overly emotional in regards to the softer side of things. Anger, yes, that was a given. Not sobbing, not tears, not oblivious to the world around them. Their sense of smell wasn’t on par with mine. But she should have noticed us. We were upwind of her, our scents should have been jammed up her nose already.

  I glanced back at Levi, pointed and then put a finger to my lips. His eyes popped open wide and he gave me a slow nod. I began to wonder if his eyes would fall out if they opened wide like that again, like a perpetual jack in the box. But with eyes.

  According to the bright screen of Levi’s phone, the bakery was just a few minutes away. Apparently the assumption that ogres liked their sweets wasn’t so far off base. I motioned for him to put the phone away. I kept us far enough back, shifting so that we weren’t upwind of her anymore. At least that would give us a chance that she wouldn’t pick up on our scents. Though in the obvious state of distress she was in, I doubted she would notice.

  Ten minutes later she reached a park bench and slid into it, her back to us still. She bent at the waist, rocking slowly.

  Was she unstable? Shit, that was the last thing I needed. A female ogre who was out of her mind? Was that even possible? I didn’t want to think about it too much. Right now, we needed to make contact.

  I put a hand on Levi and tugged him back the way we’d come until we could barely see her sitting on the bench.

  My mind raced as I formulated a simple plan, something I’d implemented more than once in my FBI days. I bent my head so I could whisper to Levi. “I want you to walk by her, and when you see her ask her where the bakery is.”

  “Why?” he whispered back.

  “Because I told you to.” I tightened my hold on his shoulder, and he trembled under it. I eased off. I really had to remember he wasn’t tough like Pamela. Or even Frank. That necromancer had a spine of steel despite being a kid still in his teens.

  “No,” he shook his head, “I mean why would I be looking for a bakery at . . .” he looked at his phone, “three in the morning?”

  That was a good catch. “New job. Bakeries start early.”

  “But why wouldn’t I know where it was?” He frowned. “Your plan stinks.”

  He shook my hand off and walked away from me, toward where the ogre sat, still crying on the bench. I hissed at him to stop, to come back, but he just hurried his feet, the little shit.

  I followed at a slower pace, stopping near a tree about twenty feet away, leaning against it so I could listen.

  “Hey, I’m totally turned around and my phone died.” He held up his phone, the screen blank. “Do you know the area?”

  Her head tipped up, and she swiped a hand over her eyes. “Um. Yeah, I do. Where are you going?”

  “I’m supposed to meet a friend near a place called Vanilla and Honey. A bakery, he said.” He tucked his phone away in his back pocket.

  She twisted on the bench and I ducked behind the tree, just in case. “You just cross that street over there. It’s a couple of blocks down. They’ll be doing their early morning muffin and coffee in an hour.”

  “Thanks, that’s what we were going for.” There was a pause and I leaned back out to watch the interaction. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She shook her head, and put her hands over her eyes. “No. But . . . you’re sweet for asking. Go on now, go see your friend. It’s not safe out here at night.”

  Levi sat on the bench and I stared at him as if I could make him move. Bad idea, very bad idea, don’t get close to the ogre who can snap you in half like the kid you are.

  “I can’t just leave you like this. Do you want me to walk you home?”

  She laughed, but it was choked up. “What, you think you can protect me?”

  He flushed, and ducked his head. “I guess not.”

  Time to make my move. I stepped out around the tree, not bothering to hide my approach with softened steps. “He might not . . . but I can.”

  CHAPTER 4

  SHE SPUN AS she stood, her eyes wide, her body shaking so hard, the ends of her hair shook. “Who are you?”

  Levi stayed where he was. Maybe he was smarter than I gave him credit for. The last thing I wanted was for him to draw her attention now that she was somewhat pinned between us. I held up both hands, palms forward in the universal sign of no harm. “My name is Liam, and I am a Guardian.”

  Her chest heaved as she sucked wind hard, as if she had been running flat out. “Even a Guardian can’t protect me. And why would you bother? We aren’t the same species.” She took a step back. “No one can save me.”

  I kept my approach slow, as if trying to calm a wild animal.

  “Save you from what?” Levi asked.

  She glanced at him and then back to me. “I’m not telling you anything. You two are outsiders.” She spat the last word at me, but it lacked heat.

  I shrugged, fighting the urge to just thump her over the head and drag her with me. I needed her to want to come with us. There was no way I could force her hand. “I may be an outsider, but I’m not the one afraid to be here in Seattle. You are.”

  Her lips trembled. “You should be afraid. My tribe will kill you. And him just because he’s with you.” She motioned at Levi with a tip of her head. He stiffened. I shook my head and forced a smile to my mouth.

  “That’s not going to happen. We’re going to be gone before they even know we’re here.”

  “Then why would you even come? Just to prove you can?” Her tone suggested others may have done the same in the past. Again, I shook my head.

  “No, I think I am here to save you from whatever it is that makes you cry. And to ask for your help.”

  Her mouth made a perfect O and tears slipped from her cheeks. “You think you can give me back my child? More the fool are you.”

  Her words shot through me so hard, I stood and stared at her as she started away. I almost couldn’t get the words out, they stuck in my throat so hard, the disbelief holding them there.

  “And if I can give you not one child, but three? Triplets? Ogre babies who need a mother.”

  She stumbled and spun, hands clenched into fists. “What did you say?”

  Time to throw caution to the wind. “Three ogre babies. Triplets that need a mother, an ogre mother. Without you, they are going to die.” Time to be bold. I approached her and carefully took both her hands in mine. “Please help me save them. We are running
out of time.”

  Her whole body trembled, as if on the verge of falling to the ground, and her eyes slowly closed. “My tribe. They . . . they’re going to kill me. You can’t save me from them, they’re too strong, and too vicious. I’m . . . I would help you if I could.”

  “I can get us out of here. If you’ll let me.” I motioned for Levi and he moved to my side. “Show her the pictures of the triplets.”

  He flicked his phone on and pulled up a picture of the babies from the day before. Sleeping, they didn’t look sick at all. “They don’t have long without your help. The blue boy is Kav, the purple on the left is Rut, and on the right there is Bam.” Names, give them names and faces and she’d be hard pressed to say no.

  Tears spilled over her cheeks and she hiccupped a soft sob. “They’re beautiful.”

  “And they are dying.” I struggled with the words, struggled to impart the emotion that would help her see she was desperately needed. That she hadn’t flat out denied us was beyond what I’d truly hoped. I would fully admit to myself that I’d come to Seattle believing I would fail, believing that no matter what I did, it would not be enough.

  “Please help me save them.”

  She slowly pulled her hands from mine and rubbed them up and down her bare arms. “I . . . I don’t know. They took all my weapons from me, I can’t even protect myself.”

  It took everything I had not to yell at her, to try and force her into coming, but I knew it wouldn’t work. I had to convince her I was on her side, show her I trusted her even when I didn’t. I dropped to a crouch and dug into my bag. I pulled out a silver-edged knife with a six-inch blade. “Take it, use it if you have to. The silver will cut through any supernatural.”

  Carefully she took the knife and tucked it into her belt. “You don’t even know my name.”

  Time to roll the dice. “Tell me your name when you’re ready to save these boys. We’ll wait for you at the bakery over there as long as we can,” I said, and Levi held the phone up again for her, showing her the triplets once more.

  She backed away, her eyes locked on the image. I didn’t move until I couldn’t see her any longer.

  “Liam, what are we going to do?” Levi asked.

  “Exactly what I said.” I glanced at him. “We’re going to wait for her at the bakery and hope to all that is holy she shows up in the next few hours.”

  I slung my bag back up over my shoulder and headed toward the growing scent of fresh bread and pastries.

  “Have you been there before?” Levi asked.

  “No.”

  “How do you know where you are going, then?”

  I touched the tip of my nose. “I can smell it.”

  “Wow. That’s cool. Do you think I’ll be able to smell stuff like that?” He looked down at the palm of his hand, but no water appeared. I shrugged.

  “I don’t know. Elemental magic isn’t the same as supernatural. Like I said, Nigel is the one you want to talk to about it.” I picked up my pace, which kept him from asking more questions. Half an hour later, we were in front of the dark windows of Vanilla and Honey. A Greek specialty bakery, if the sign was correct. By the smells, though the windows were dark, the bakery was in full swing in the back. My stomach rumbled, but there was nothing I could do for it at the moment. It had to wait too.

  I made my way around the side and found a shadowed recess against the building to tuck into. “You might as well try and sleep.” I pointed to the step and Levi didn’t argue. He sat and pulled his jacket up around his ears. Moments later, his heartbeat slowed along with his breathing as he slipped into dreamland.

  The fact that he could crash in such an uncomfortable position made me think he’d slept more than one night on the street in order to keep away from his father. I shook my head, hard pressed to understand why a man would do that to his own child. There was no reason I could see that would ever make me turn away from any of my kids. Or any of my pack for that matter.

  I kept watch, noting the cars that came and went, none of them passing more than once. We weren’t being watched, which was a good thing, a small good thing considering everything. The slowly shifting light as the moon sank further through the sky made my shoulders tighten with anxiety. How long did the ogre need to decide if she would help us or not?

  Four a.m. came and went, and a few people drifted into the bakery for their coffee and sugar-laden breakfasts. Five a.m. rolled around and I began to doubt. No, she had to come, she had to, there was no other choice.

  Six a.m. and the moon set, the sun rose above the edge of the world, and a dim light grew around us. We were down to thirty-seven hours. I adjusted my stance, watching, knowing that while I’d told the female ogre we could only wait so long, I was not being entirely honest. I wanted to believe there would be other females, but . . . I wasn’t sure. And then there was something about this ogre that stuck with me. The wolf in me bobbed his head in agreement. This was the female we needed.

  End of story.

  Which meant I would wait, and if she didn’t come, I would go looking for her.

  The faint scent of milk and ogre wafted down the alley. I stood straighter and took a few steps to the edge of the building. There she was, but with her was a big-ass male ogre. His skin was as dark as hers, minus the purple splattering, and he was speaking in low tones.

  “You aren’t listening to me, stupid chit,” he snarled. “I am trying to save you.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re going to sell me out to them. I’m one of the last females this tribe has, and you don’t want to lose a warm body that isn’t one of your boyfriend fuck buddies.”

  He grabbed her arm. “You can have another child, but not if you’re dead. The council is speaking right now and unless I stand for you, they’re going to kill you this time, and not just beat you.” He leaned into her. “What did you think you were doing, getting knocked up by Tul when you were supposed to be bedding Pic? Did you think they would just let you go?”

  She jerked her arm away from him. “And if you speak for me? What does that cost, Buk?”

  “You’ll bed who I say, when I say. You know the rules. You’ll belong to me, you will be my property. I will take responsibility for you.” She shoved him and he stumbled past the alley opening as he struggled to gain his balance.

  I reached out from the shadows and grabbed his one flailing arm. I yanked him into the alley with me, not thinking much about anything but doing as I’d told her I would. I would protect her from her own kind and everything else that came her way. I snapped his arm up behind his back, spun him to the ground, and slammed his face into the concrete. I put a knee into the center of his back and kept the sharp angle of his arm twisted high. “I think you should listen to her.”

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?” He took a big sniff. “Fucking piece of dog shit wolf. I’m going to skin you alive and eat your balls for breakfast.” I grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back, then smashed it into the ground.

  “Now, that isn’t very polite, is it? Play nice.” I slapped the back of his head, which pushed his nose into the concrete again. He howled, and I glanced over my shoulder. “What do you want to do with him?” Below me the ogre twisted and tried to buck me off which forced me to look away from her for a moment. When I looked back, she was striding forward, a grim look on her face, one I’d seen more than once on an ogre. She was in fight mode. Shit.

  She pulled the knife I’d given her from her waistband in a single smooth motion that told me she knew how to use it. Flipping the handle around, she had it angled downward for a deadly blow. For just a moment, I thought I’d judged her wrong. That the blade would come at me.

  With a wicked thrust, she drove the knife through the back of the male ogre’s head. He jerked once, twice, and then was still. Breathing hard, she crouched beside me and held out her hand. “My name is Mai.”

  I took her hand. “Liam.” Even though I had already introduced myself, it felt right. “And the kid ov
er there is Levi.”

  Levi didn’t even move, he was still sound asleep despite the scuffle. I shook my head. I shouldn’t have been surprised, we’d been running on adrenaline and not much else since we left home. With Mai’s help, I dragged the dead ogre to the closest dumpster and shoved his body in. We dropped the lid with a slam.

  “That won’t buy us much time,” she said. “A few hours at most.”

  “We won’t need that much time to . . .” I stared at her face, seeing the indecision there. “What?”

  She tucked the knife back into her belt. “I can’t leave yet. I have to go back to my apartment first.”

  “If what I overheard is right, that’s not a good idea. We have to go now and use the time we have on our side.”

  Mai drew a breath. “My son’s ashes are there. I can’t leave without him. Surely you can understand that?”

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, thinking it through. “How long?”

  “My place is in Redmond, about an hour by transit.”

  “What about a cab? That would be faster.” There had to be a way to speed this up.

  “No, they’re watching the cabs. Apparently there were a few supernaturals that infiltrated using cabs last week.”

  That would be Rylee again. Damn it. I nodded. “Okay. I’m coming with you.”

  “No, you stink to high heaven like an alpha wolf. They’ll pick up on you in no time. You can’t come with me. I have to go alone.”

  “I could go with her,” Levi said, finally joining the conversation, cautiously, like he wasn’t sure he was welcome. “I don’t smell, do I?”

  Her eyes shot to him. “Are you a supernatural?”

  He held out his hand and water pooled in his palm, the same as the night before. His voice held more than a little pride to it as he spoke. “Elemental.”

  Slowly she nodded even while I struggled not to strangle Levi. Against an ogre, he had no chance. No shot. She drew a big sniff of his hair, making it ruffle toward her nose. “He doesn’t smell like anything. And if he can manipulate water he could be an asset.”