by Morgan Wylie
“Where are we?” Alana asked as she continued to look around her in slight awe.
“Alana, welcome to the Lair, our home,” Enock said with his hands held open wide as if he was about to give a tour.
“So you all live here?”
“Most of us do. Wait, Rylen, does she know what we are?” Vi asked cautiously but also curious.
Rylen cleared his throat and looked them each in the eye. “Between us for now…” He ensured he had their agreement before continuing, “Alana is from the Fairfax group.” Gasps were uttered from especially Lola and Vi. Lucius already knew as he had followed her before and Enock had his suspicions. “Now, before you get worked up, she is the informant that I met at their compound.”
Alana moved closer to Rylen. If looks could kill, she wanted to be as far from Lola and Vi as she could get.
“Why?” Lola took confrontational steps closer to Rylen. “Why would you bring her here?” she sounded hurt and betrayed.
“Because, her intentions were honest and she is looking for something outside the alliance. She gave us information,” Rylen explained but was cut off before he finished.
“So keep her as an informant. Put her up in one of the safe houses. You don’t bring her here!” Lola was getting heated, but Rylen remained in control and patient with her, though that was running thin the more she spoke.
“Because to know what our enemies are doing, we keep them close. Right under our noses if possible. This is my call, my responsibility. If you can’t stay here, Lola, I’ll understand, but I need you here.” Rylen stared her down, unwilling to allow her to grate against him that way. She took a step back and nodded her head.
“I apologize. I’ll go to my room now, unless you need me for anything else tonight,” Lola asked. Rylen shook his head, but Vi cut in.
“Where will she sleep? Not in my room! Do we need to get someone to set up a room?”
Rylen got a dark glint in his eyes. “No, she will be staying in the executive suite for those not quite trusted yet.”
Lola and Vi’s eyes grew wide, but Lola’s seemed to hold a minute amount of satisfaction from what he said.
“Alana, please follow me. Vi could you get her some food and maybe something warm to drink from the kitchen then bring it down?” Rylen asked. Vi nodded, taking off toward the kitchen.
He and Alana began to walk down the hall. Lola followed a short distance behind along with Enock. The hallway was uneventful and painted the same color as the entry. It also had a smattering of similar sconces to light the way. A number of dark wood doors lined either side of the hall. They passed one room with double doors like the ones in the entry. Rylen stopped to briefly play tour guide.
“All these doors lead to private sleeping areas for those that stay here on a regular basis. There is another large room at the opposite end that is full of bunks for temporary stays. This,” he pointed to the double doors, “is the Den. It’s where we hang out and watch movies, play games, have meetings, etc.” He continued moving down the hall.
“I haven’t seen any windows. Are we underground?” she asked innocently enough, but Rylen stiffened. Slowly, he turned around, his eyes boring into hers, studying, gauging what her soul’s intention truly was. A moment later, he answered her.
“Yes, we are underground. There are a multitude of underground spaces under any number of buildings in this area. It would take someone a long time to find you if they were looking,” he said flatly.
“I was just curious. I wasn’t trying to figure out… ok maybe I was, but just for my own understanding.” She was being honest. “I already told you I am not here to spy,” Alana answered with some heat. She sounded offended that he still didn’t believe her, which made Rylen relax just a fraction.
“Where’s your room?”
“Maybe someday I’ll show you,” he winked back at her which only earned him a scowl. He laughed.
He opened the door at the end of the hall. Darker than the rest of the Lair, the curved stairway was lit with only one torch. The flame flickered as a cool waft of air danced through the opening, eliciting chills on her arms.
“What is this?” she asked with growing nerves.
“This, is your accommodations for your stay here,” he said with no emotion.
“It looks like a dungeon,” her voice shook.
“I guess if you want to get technical, it is. But we like to call it the executive rooms and suites of the Lair.”
She gasped. “Why? Why are you putting me in the dungeon?” she stammered.
“We need to get to know you better before you can roam freely,” he said as a matter of fact.
“Ok,” she sounded resigned with her current fate. “I get that. It was dangerous for you to bring me.”
He was shocked at her acceptance. Rylen thought she’d put up a bit of a fight. So was that part of the plan to gain his trust? Or did she really just take it for what it was? He truly did feel bad putting her in the dungeon. But he knew for a fact, that their dungeon was much more suitable than some of the other faction’s. He and the boys had even taken turns staying down there when they needed some time away from the others.
A few steps in onto the landing, the rock stairway went further and further underground. Alana’s breathing picked up, growing shallow and tight.
“What’s wrong?” Rylen asked with true concern.
“Nothing.”
“Your breathing changed. Are you scared of the dark? There are lights down there.”
“Not scared. Just… so far under the ground,” she said honestly.
“Oh. Claustrophobic?”
“A little.” She nodded. “I’ll be fine,” she said. He could hear the resolve in her voice and nodded.
Rylen stopped at a small cut out that had a chair and flat screen TV in it. On a small desk near the door, he reached in and grabbed keys. He looked at her and took in her surprised but determined-not-to-show-her-fear expression.
“Here we are.” He jangled the keys in front of her. “Quick tour. Right across from here is a bathroom, so no cold metal toilets or pee pans for our guests. We only have four private holding areas. At the end, we have a room with a door for those more unruly guests that need to be confined.”
“Why would you even need that?” she asked.
“Sometimes, if we take in a new werewolf or shifter that hasn’t gotten control of their shifts, they need to be confined for a time because they are a danger to themselves and everyone else.”
Alana nodded as if that wasn’t the craziest thing she had heard. Considering where she grew up, it most likely wasn’t. Rylen wondered what it must be like to live under the oppressive and controlling hand of the Fairfax group’s council of leaders and their beliefs. They weren’t the government, but they were a privately funded sector—which could be even worse as they were not regulated or under guidelines set by military. Rylen unlocked a door with bars and gestured for her to enter. The bars around the cell didn’t go all the way to the ground. They started from the ceiling and stopped about three-fourths the way down, joining with a solid rock and concrete wall that had taken root with the natural rock ground.
Alana entered the cell cautiously. Her eyes grew wide when she looked around the jail cell that would be her room for the night. She had never been in a cell before but was sure this was not a normal sight to see. Up against the rock wall at the back of the cell was a twin-sized bed complete with bedding and a plush looking comforter with added blankets folded at the foot. A simple nightstand with a little lamp sat right next to it. Even a small bookshelf filled with a random assortment of paperback novels was positioned against the solid wall that connected her cell with the cell next door. Private and quaint for a dungeon. It seemed she would be the only prisoner tonight. Rylen couldn’t tell if that was comforting or more unnerving to her. By her expression though, she seemed to be pleasantly surprised that she didn’t have to sleep on the hard ground or an equally uncomfortable cot. She voluntarily walke
d all the way into her room for the night and sat on the bed, even bounced a couple times and smoothed the comforter.
“Do what you gotta do,” she told him. She laid back on the bed as if she didn’t care he was about to lock her a jail cell in a strange place for the remainder of the night.
He shut and locked the cell. “Violet is coming down the stairs now with hopefully something edible for you. Enock will be down in a bit for the night shift. He tends to snore if he falls asleep. Ask him if you need to use the bathroom.” Rylen stared at her for a moment as if he wanted to say more before nodding to her a simple goodnight. Vi passed him with a tray of various foods and a glass of water along with a mug of something steaming. She passed it through the slot in the door for that exact purpose.
“Oh, if you do wake up Enock,” Rylen shouted from the bottom of the stairs, “give him some space and don’t stare at his fangs, it makes him cranky.” Rylen chuckled when he heard her slightly inaudible intake of breath. He heard Vi explain that Enock was a vampire but he wouldn’t hurt her; he was really a big softie at heart. Rylen ascended the stairs to take a nice, long, and possibly cold shower. A lingering itch had been growing under his skin from where his hands had run all over her luscious body… an itch to touch her more.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Well, at least you put her in the dungeon,” Lola huffed. She leaned against the stone wall of the hallway with her legs crossed at her ankles and her arms folded across her chest, except for one hand—she took sudden interest in the state of her black fingernails. When she looked up at Rylen, he didn’t miss the look of betrayal in her eyes.
“Lo, there’s something different about her. I don’t know why, but I think she’s a part of all this,” he waved his hands around gesturing to something bigger, “whatever all this is.” He paused and stood in front of his friend of several years. She had always been like the sassy, petulant little sister he didn’t know that he had always wanted. Rylen waited with his arms crossed, mimicking her stance, waiting for her reaction. Lola didn’t give him a verbal one. She did, however, raise an eyebrow that said, Right. And that reason has nothing to do with what’s in your pants.
“Come on, Lola. I would never do anything—ANYTHING—to knowingly put this family in harm’s way. You know that.” His own voice sounded a little hurt that she would even think that he wouldn’t consider everyone over himself.
Lola pushed herself off the wall and stood straight. She put one of her hands on Rylen’s forearm nearest her. With her heels on, she was almost as tall as Rylen and could look him in the eyes. Her expression softened. “I do know that, Ry. Something just doesn’t sit right and I can’t pin point it. I’m not even sure it’s her. I feel on edge. I want to find Poppy and I’m concerned for those of us who don’t stay here like some of the younger ones and the families.”
Rylen wrapped her in a full embrace and held her there in the hallway. “I know. I am too. We are going to find Poppy and keep our family safe. If you come up with an idea to keep track of the others, I am all ears.”
She looked up at him with a spark of mischief in her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing or saying something she shouldn’t, which he caught.
“Don’t you dare say something stupid that has to do with being an animal. I will have to punish you in the most gruesome way possible.” He smiled.
“Ha! Like you could. I am way too smart and fast to get captured by you,” Lola teased and bounced on the balls of her feet, ready to run.
“Oh really?” Rylen laughed. “Smart, yes. Fast, I don’t know about that,” he taunted with a wink.
Lola stopped and looked thoughtfully at Rylen. “Why don’t you ever shift with us? Or at least talk about your animal?” As a wolf shifter, Lola was extremely protective and didn’t understand why Rylen wouldn’t want to shift with the others.
Rylen sighed. They had been over this before and he didn’t want to get into it tonight. So he put on his sardonic smile. “Because even you, Lola, couldn’t handle the awesomeness that is my animal,” he gestured down his body like he was “all that,” mocking an attitude he had surely seen come from her a time or two.
“Sure, like anything could compete with my fabulousness,” she smiled at him and let it go. He nodded grateful that she did.
“Go to bed, Lo. Morning will be here soon, and we have a witch to find.” He put his hand on her shoulder as he walked past her down the hall.
“I think I’m going to pop in and see what the peeps are doing in the Den,” she gestured to the big double doors with her head just before there was an eruption of cheering from whatever was happening in there. Her eyes widened and she smiled. Lola loved to be a part of the action, whether it was a movie or video game competition. She was in.
“Goodnight,” Rylen said as he shook his head with a smile and strode toward the elevator. Part of him looked to see if Lacy was there, waiting for him. Perhaps she could alleviate the sexual tension that had his body humming, but the very thought of it had him hoping she wouldn’t be.
~~~~~
The night invoked restlessness. Rylen’s usually peaceful room was anything but. He paced the length of his outer wall, passing by his large window enough times to wear down the planks of the hardwoods. His mind was uneasy and his body antsy, irritated. At this point it wasn’t even all sexual, though a faint itch still lingered along his skin where he imagined Alana touching him back. His animal within was restless. It always knew when something was coming. Rylen had learned to pay attention to it. He and the animal were one for the most part, they rarely disagreed on a course of action, but a few times Rylen had overridden the beast’s instincts. He stepped in to harness the beast’s power—those were the times, however, he had wished he hadn’t. His beast had excellent inherent aptitude for most situations. It had taken time for the two to co-exist. When his animal rose its head, alert to something unseen, Rylen listened. It had been hard on his animal to be so contained these past many years. His was not an animal to be held in captivity. He longed for the freedom to run, but it couldn’t be here. Once upon a time there were places in the northwest that he could run and not be seen, mountains with tall trees and valleys with lush tree growth so thick he could get lost in it. The problem he had found: the people of the great NW liked to be outdoors and explore. There were too many recreational hikers to take the risk, plus this time of the year the air was still cooler than he would prefer. When he could get away again, he would head south, but too many things were going on that effected his Lair and his people. He had to figure out what was happening and soon.
Dawn was beginning to break, though it was still early. Unable to get any sleep, Rylen pulled on his favored black straight cargo pants with side pockets and funky zippers, along with a simple gray v-neck t-shirt. Slipping in to his well-worn black combat boots left partially unlaced, he then checked each pocket to ensure the contents he liked to have on him at all times: a pocket knife, a collapsible titanium wand, a small satchel of burial ground dirt of his ancestors, and two feathers: one the purest white of a dove and the other the blackest of night on a black moon. He never left without them, he didn’t need much in the way of supplies for his magic, but certain types of spells required a little extra push. After brushing his teeth and completing his morning ritual for getting ready, he ran his fingers through his hair, managing to create a look that was messy yet styled at the same time.
Ready, he quietly crept out of his apartment, taking note that at least Lucius and Mather were in their rooms asleep. They had a big day ahead, he didn’t want to wake them. Down the elevator, he stopped in the kitchen for two cups of coffee and carried them down the hall to the ominously closed door at the end, leading to the dungeons. He didn’t know what to expect, but he needed to talk to her… to be close to her. His animal needed to feel her presence.
The stairway down into the dungeon was dimly lit, but he didn’t have issues seeing in the dark—another perk to being the shifter that he w
as. However, as he got closer to the bottom, the light that bounced off the walls flickered with changing hues of blues and whites. Rylen shouldn’t have been surprised at the sight he walked in on, but it still made him pause for a second. Though Enock knew he was standing there, he didn’t shift his eyes right away. Either he didn’t want to spook Alana or he didn’t want to miss the action scene of the movie they were watching. Rylen shook his head with humor. Only Enock would go to the trouble to set up a movie for their prisoner to watch with him.
“Pull up a chair,” Enock said with a lazy smile as he finally acknowledged Rylen. Alana turned her head quickly to see Rylen standing at the base of the rock staircase taking in the scene. Enock hadn’t let Alana out of her cell, but he had pushed the TV console that was in the guard’s station out into the aisle so they could both see it from where they sat; she on her bed and he in the chair pulled up outside her cell door. Enock had brought over an extra chair to prop his feet up on. Alana sat up on the bed against a pillow she had propped against the cold and rough rock of the wall behind her.
“Well, good morning,” Rylen said with a cheery smile. “One for you,” he handed Enock one of the steaming mugs he brought down. Enock’s eyes dilated at the scent of coffee mixed with blood. “And one for you,” he held the other out to Alana through the bars of her current room.
She got up and reached for it. Holding it in both of her hands, she leaned forward, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “Mmm. Fresh coffee. Thank you,” she said with the renewed life even the idea of coffee ignited. Rylen chuckled at the thought that the human and the vampire’s reactions to their morning elixir was quite comparable. He stepped away and brought back another chair, setting it down with a thunk on the other side of her door.
