A Werewolf's Saga Books 4, 5, & 6 (A Werewolf's Saga Boxed Sets Book 2)

by Michael Lampman

  Now that they were alone, Robert felt it was time to ask a few questions of his own. He had too many of them to start with, so he picked one that came up first. “Jimmy, I have to ask you something. What did you mean about being a wanderer? What did you see after you fell out of the window?”

  Jimmy kept his eyes up to the ceiling. The sudden thought of Rachel was now heavy on his mind. How could he forget that he failed her? How could her forget that he let her get away like that. He promised to protect her. He promised never to leave her again. He failed. He felt ashamed. He felt the pain for doing it. “We have to find Rachel Robert. I let her down.” It took everything he had to keep himself from exploding with tears.

  Robert shook his head. “We both did that Jimmy. We both let her down.”

  Tears did soak his eyes. He now let them come. He deserved the pain. He deserved everything that happened to him as it did.

  Robert bowed his head seeing the tears. He sat down at his side, on the bed. “It wasn’t your fault Jimmy. If you didn’t notice this but they stabbed you.” He looked back up.

  “Still.” He sniffled some. “I should have tried harder. I should have done something more than I did.”

  Robert shook his head. “There was nothing that any of us could have done. We were outmatched Jimmy. They planned her taking and did it better than we did in protecting her.” He swallowed shallow. He actually felt like crying himself, but this wasn’t the time for such a thing. This wasn’t his place to do it.

  His words made him turn his head towards him. “I’m not going to give her up Robert. I’m not giving up until I find her, and hold her again.”

  Robert bowed his head again. What he had to say made him cringe. It made his heart ache like nothing else ever could. “She will not be the same person Jimmy that you knew. If he’s back—if Devish has her with him again—he will give her back what she lost. He will have the woman back that stood by his side until the end.”

  Jimmy shook his head strongly. As he did so, the pain in his chest hurt truly badly. It also made him wince just as strongly. “I’ll never believe that.” He gripped his chest some with the palm of his hand. He stopped talking to catch his breaths. When he finished, he started again. “I’ll never believe that she will join him. I won’t let her.” He dropped his hand back to his side as the pain subsided some.

  Robert nodded. He knew that Jimmy believed everything he said, even if he didn’t, but he didn’t want to argue with him about it. He had to get back to what he needed to know. “Jimmy? What did you mean about being a wanderer? What did you mean about what you said about Kalima?”

  Jimmy took a deep breath. It hurt, but he did manage a strong exhale. “I saw him. I saw him at the fire in the clearing.” He felt thankful to change the subject. Just the thought that Rachel would do anything against him—against people—he just couldn’t think about it. It hurt too much to do it.

  “Fire?” Robert sat up some. “What fire in the clearing?”

  Jimmy sighed. “It’s in the place where wanderers go between lives. It’s the place to wait for it to come again.” He heard Kenny’s deep, tobacco laden voice echoing around inside his head. He heard him say just what he himself just said in his own head.

  Hearing him, Robert nodded. Only a true wanderer would know what he’s saying. “My God.” He stood up from the bed and walked into the center of the room. He stepped on something soft and wadded on the floor, stumbled some over it, and turned back to the bed. “You are a wanderer.” He couldn’t believe what he heard before and now couldn’t believe that it was he himself that just said it. It all seemed so outstretched. It all felt too outrageous to take in.

  Jimmy watched him stand. He heard what he said. He saw the look on his face of confusion. “What’s wrong?”

  Robert shook his head. “It’s nothing.” He gave him a smile. He felt satisfied with Jimmy’s answers, but unsatisfied for what they gave him. He now had more questions. He now had more dilemmas he needed answers to. “Jimmy? I need to read you. I need to read your mind.”

  “Why?”

  “I need to know what gifts you have. I need to know who you were…how you came to be?”

  “Who I was?” Jimmy tried to move, but the pain in his chest gripped him tightly and it forced him back down to his back.

  “Yes Jimmy. We wanderers are not just born. We’re born again. You’ve lived before. You’ve been around all of this before.”

  His words made him blink. What he heard boggled his mind. He knew none of this. He knew nothing at all. “Go for it.” It was the only thing left to do.

  Robert shook his head. “I have to wait for you to be stronger again. If I push too hard with your body this weak, your soul might be pushed out.”

  Jimmy tried to nod. He did his best.

  Robert nodded as well. He now had a plan, but there was more. “After I do, I have to get to New York Jimmy. I have to warn the walker elders to what’s going on.”

  Jimmy winced again. “Why warn them?”

  “Not all walkers want the end of the world. Some will help us. Sharlia for one of them will.”

  Jimmy bowed his chin—his nod. He remembered the woman he saved in the alley when all of this began.

  “Jimmy?” Robert began, but a soft knock on the door behind him made him stop. “Yes?”

  Sasha opened the door. “Excuse me guys, but someone’s coming to the door. It’s a nightwalker by the smells of it.” She left before anyone answered her.

  Robert turned to Jimmy. “Stay here. Stay calm.” He left him and walked back out into the living room. He joined Brandon and Sasha at the front door.

  Brandon brought out his eyes and fangs.

  Sasha stood like a sentinel ready to pounce.

  Robert readied himself for anything.

  They stopped everything when whoever it was suddenly knocked. They didn’t crash through the door. They didn’t fight to come in. They just seemingly and politely knocked. Hearing that, they each looked at each other in turn.

  “Kind of a polite thing to do before coming in and trying to kill us isn’t it?” Brandon didn’t know what to think.

  Sasha sighed for both of them when she turned to Robert.

  Robert blinked. “He’s right.” He reached for the doorknob and opened the door.

  A young, tall and rather thin looking man was standing on the top step. He looked too young to be what he obviously was. He also didn’t look threatening. He kept his fangs up. His eyes sparkled with a dull green hue.

  Seeing his face, Robert noticed something glimmering around his neck. When he saw the inverted S, he blinked twice.

  “Wanderer, I’m pleased that I have finally found you.” The young man smiled.

  “Who in the fuck are you?” Brandon only knew that yet another vampire was at his door. He didn’t want to know anything else but when he might have to kill him. Nothing else mattered but that.

  “Brandon please?” Robert turned to him with a stern looking glance. He gave a scoff with the look. “He’s with the Sharlia coven.” He looked back.

  Sasha let herself breathe hearty and full. “The one that Jimmy saved?” She nodded.

  Robert gave her nod back.

  The young man, maybe in his late teens, nor more than his early twenties at that, lost his smile after hearing what the other nightwalker said. He suddenly looked rather afraid. His eyes turned to looking like a lost puppy’s eyes all too fast.

  Brandon puffed as he turned from the door. He let his eyes fade back to normal, and lifted his fangs back up. He walked back to the kitchen and stopped. He really did want to fight. He didn’t know why, he just did.

  “Why are you here?” Robert felt him leave, saw the look on the kid’s face, and truly felt for him. “We’re not going to hurt you. It’s been a rather chaotic night.”

  The young man swallowed shallowly. He looked like he even held his breath before he began with what he needed to say. “I bring a message from my lady Sharlia.” He looked at
Sasha and winced again. He had to swallow again too. “I…um…need to give it to you, wanderer, and to the black wolf Kalima.” He looked back to Robert. Seeing all of them, a nightwalker, another black wolf, and the wanderer too made his mind grow numb. If they wanted to kill him, they could do it without breaking a sweat. He would die before he ever knew what happened.

  Robert nodded. He stood away from the door and with his right hand waved for the kid to come inside with it. “Please come in.” He gave him a smile.

  The young man looked at the gesture, almost made a single step, but stopped, looking back to Sasha first.

  She didn’t have a clue to what was really going on, but smiled to him anyway. She figured that if Robert would let him, she would too. Besides, just looking at him, she knew she’d be able to take in a fight if she needed to. It would be too damned easy.

  The young man finally nodded. Cautiously, he walked through the door, passed Sasha and Robert, and moved to the sofa.

  Robert closed the door behind him.

  He heard the door closed, and swallowed again, looking at Brandon, and turning, looking back to the door.

  Robert crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the message? What’s your name?” His eyebrows went up.

  “James.” He looked around this small home. “The black wolf?” He looked even more terrified, now that he seemed trapped by all of them. He almost looked like he was going to pass out. He grabbed the arm of the sofa to help hold himself up.

  “He’s here. What is the message James?” Robert uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his side.

  The young man held his heart. “The elders have been called. The house is coming in two days.” He looked to Brandon, looked to Sasha, and then looked back to Robert. “My lady Sharlia wishes for you and the black wolf Kalima to attend.” Now that he said it, he only hoped they would let him leave. One could never know about so many of them together at once. This was the first time he was with others that were not a part of his family alone like this. He had no idea what they would do.

  Robert nodded. “Where is the house meeting?” He felt an instant relief. He felt better than he has in so many days. With the elders coming, they had a chance. He could speak to all of them at the same time. He could warn all of them together. It made everything so much easier now to do what he had to do.

  “At the meeting place of the house.”

  Robert nodded. He now had a better plan than he ever thought he would have.

  “May I speak to the black wolf now? May I see him?”

  Brandon crossed his arms over his chest, still brewing some. “Why is it so important to see him?”

  The young man needed to swallow again. His heart nearly exploded in his chest. Fear exploded with it in him.

  Robert truly felt for the kid. This is obviously his first time away from the nest. He felt that he needed to come to his defense. “He’s a messenger Brandon. In order to inform his lady that he did his job he needs to say that he gave that message to the one that needed to hear it.”

  The young man swallowed again, thankful.

  Robert nodded. He looked to Sasha, left her and came to the boy’s side. He took his right arm into his right hand. “This way.” He held out his left arm ahead of him.

  The boy now looked downright horrified.

  Robert tried not to smile too harshly. He did his best even though one did come on his face. “I promise you. We will not hurt you, for your lady’s sake.”

  The young man nodded.

  Robert led him to the small hallway and to the only bedroom, and opened the door when he reached it.

  Jimmy looked up when they stepped inside.

  49

  “Who the hell are you?” He tried to sit up but couldn’t. He settled for just coming up on his elbows.

  Robert led the young man into the room beside the bed. “Go ahead.” He let go of the boy’s arm.

  The young man saw the wound easily on his chest. He saw the man lying on the bed. He gasped with everything he had when he flung himself down to his left knee and leaned to him. “My lord Kalima.” He bowed his head.

  Jimmy was, needless to say, shocked. He looked to Robert with the look of which all over his face.

  Robert smiled. “He’s a messenger from Sharlia, the woman you saved the other night.”

  Jimmy looked back to the young man, truly not knowing what to say. “You know that woman?”

  The young man looked up. “She is my lady lord Kalima.”

  Jimmy shook his head. “The name is Jimmy. Kalima doesn’t seem to be too sociable at the moment.” He lay back to the bed.

  “I’m sorry, my lord Jimmy.” He bowed his head again.

  Behind Robert, Sasha and Brandon looked on with an endless fascination for what was going on.

  Brandon spoke what was on both of their minds. “What’s with the lord crap?” he whispered to Robert’s right ear.

  Robert scoffed again, “Not now Brandon.” He paid him no other mind, and kept his attention to the room.

  Jimmy laughed, subtle at that. “What’s the message?” He wanted to think of something else. He wanted to mourn. He wanted to regret what happened, and all of this was taking away his time to do it right.

  “The elders are assembling in two days. The house is gathering. My lady Sharlia wishes for you to attend my lord.” He lifted his head again.

  Jimmy turned to him and winced. “What house is doing what, and why am I attending?”

  The young man felt truly shocked. He of course didn’t understand. “The house of the elders. My lady has called them to gather, my lord.”

  Jimmy looked up from him to Robert.

  He gave him a nod.

  He looked back to the young vampire kneeling at his bed. “All right. Thanks.”

  The young man looked to his chest and saw the wound again. He looked from it and back to his head. “You have been injured my lord?”

  Jimmy cringed some. “I’ll live.” He kept his eyes on the ceiling. He kept his thoughts on her.

  The young man looked over his shoulder up to the wanderer and then back again to the black wolf. “You have saved the life of my lady, my lord. For this, my life is yours.” He bowed his head again.

  Hearing him, Jimmy did turn. He truly didn’t know what to say to that, so he looked back up to Robert.

  Robert saw the look on his face and understood it. He also understood that Jimmy was tired and needed to rest. “Thank you for your offer, and thank you for coming to deliver your message.” He came in and took the young man’s right arm with his left hand. He nudged him to stand again.

  He did.

  “You have done your lady well. You may go and inform her that we have received it gratefully.” Robert nudged him towards the door. He of course has played this game many times in the past. The rules of the walkers were like any other form for royalty. He played it well.

  The young man bowed his head one final time to Jimmy, and turned with the wanderer and left the room.

  Robert showed him the door and closed it behind him when he left. He then walked back into the bedroom to Jimmy’s side.

  Brandon stood at the foot of the bed and Sasha was still at the door.

  Brandon laughed when Robert came back. “What the Sam fuck was all of that about?”

  Robert wiped both eyes with the palms of his hands. He was slowly growing tired of Brandon and it was beginning to show.

  Sasha actually agreed with Brandon. “That was odd.” She looked to Jimmy.

  “He was showing his loyalty to the black wolf. The Sharlia coven is a little more regal than the others are. He was offering him his coven’s pride to his lady.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Sasha crossed her arms over her chest. Seeing Jimmy like he was, quiet, almost lifeless, was beginning to tear her own heart from her chest. She’d never seen him like this before, and she truly didn’t know what to think about it. She wanted to help him if she could, so asking questions was all she had
, so she did her best with it.

  “He saved her life. He now deserves repayment for it. Besides, with her calling the house together, it means she thinks something bad happened. She feels it coming and is asking for help deciphering it.”

  Brandon scoffed again. “What is she trying to decipher?”

  “Her feelings. The Sharlia have always been very heavy into spiritualism. They are believers in destiny and the calling of the trinity.”

  “The trinity?” Sasha put both hands to her face. Suddenly, everything felt so large to her that it made her feel small. So much was going on that she had no idea how to deal with it. And here her Jimmy was, lost within his own grief. All of a sudden, all she wanted to do was go back and make things simple again. Go back to just the hunt, the way of life she always knew.

  “The trinity is a belief. They believe that one day someone will come to unite the world. They call that person the trinity.”

  Brandon chuckled some. He tried to keep it low key, but failed at it miserably. “You mean like the father, the son, and the holy ghost type?”

  It was Robert’s turn to scoff. “No, I mean the Walkers, the humans, and the Wanderer type of trinity. They believe that the trinity is the joining of all three into a peaceful world living in harmony. They believe that one day some will come to do it. They call that person the trinity. The uniting of the world.”

  “Sounds weird.” Brandon looked back to Jimmy. He was beginning to have enough of this. He just wanted to run out, hunt down those that took Rachel and get her back. Nothing else mattered. He owed it to Jimmy to do it, and standing there, talking about this nonsense wasn’t helping.

  “It doesn’t matter what you think Brandon. The house of elders is meeting. We have to go Jimmy. We have to get to them before he does.” Robert too had enough of this. He had to get back to the plan. He had to get back to how to stop this.

  Jimmy listened to everything they said. He didn’t care. He had only thing left to do as far as he was concerned about it. “You guys do what you need to do. As for me, I’m going to find where they took Rachel.” The ceiling seemed to swim some in his eyes.