by Ben Reeder
Shade let out a sob and pushed him away, then turned and ran inside. Kain just stood there and laughed softly. Moments later, he was dodging the front bumper of Shade’s Mustang as she barrelled out of the driveway. I hit the ground at the base of the tree and sprinted for my car, my own thoughts racing as fast as I was running. I didn’t want to think she liked what he’d done, but I also wondered why she hadn’t fought back. Did she actually like what he’d done? Again and again, worst case scenarios ran through my head, and I found myself driving toward the one person who knew both of us well enough to offer me some insight. I parked near the main iron gate of the Hive and headed in.
A trio of sprites zeroed in on me before I was ten steps in, and hovered nearby as I made my way to the Red Gate, and Synreah’s House Of A Thousand Delights. The red skinned Hob at the door nodded at me as I approached.
“She’s expecting you,” he said with a nod toward the stairs behind him.
“Thanks, Roke,” I said. I’d learned months ago that it was a bad idea to try to second guess Synreah. If she was expecting me, so be it. She’d explain if she felt like it. I took the stairs two at a time and went to her office door, then knocked just to be sure. It was a whorehouse, after all. Odds were better there than most places of me interrupting someone having a good time.
“Come in, Chance,” Synreah said, her voice muffled slightly by the door. She sat behind her desk, mostly wearing a black robe over a black teddy, dangerous curves covered but still visible. I closed the door behind me and turned to her, but she spoke first.
“She’s been here for almost half an hour, crying her eyes out on my shoulder,” she said. “And let me tell you, the tears of a girl in love burn.”
“She’s still in love with me?” I asked.
“After all you two have been through together, and after everything you’ve fought and killed your way through together, and you still think she could love anyone else?”
“Kain… a lot of what he said made sense, and when he kissed her...she didn’t fight it, and I wasn’t sure what that meant.”
“Going passive is how she survived years of being molested by her old alpha,” Synreah said as she stood up from her desk. “It’s how she coped, and it’s all she knew to do.” She came around to stand in front of me, then brought her hand across my cheek in a resounding slap. “That’s for doubting her.”
“Yeah, I deserved that,” I put one hand to my cheek.
“Damn straight you did. As much as this little alpha-male-manchild wants to believe his own bullshit, most women don’t just fall in love with every guy who clubs them over the head or reaches out and gropes them. That is not manly, it’s creepy. A man who has control of himself and isn’t a total thug? That’s a little hotter. Now, the woman who loves you needs you to go in there and do what no one else can for her: make her feel safe and loved.”
“I’m not sure I’m strong enough,” I said, looking toward the door.
“You are,” she said, laying a hand against my cheek. “Gentleness requires strength. Only weak men always need to show everyone else how strong they are. Just go in there and be the good man you’ve been all along, Chance.”
I went to the door and hesitated with my hand on the knob, then pushed ahead. The door swung open to reveal Shade sitting at the end of the bed with her head in her hands. The red satin sheets made my brain want other things, but one look at Shade’s eyes when she looked up and then away, and I knew all of that would have to wait. She needed something else just now. I went to the side of the bed and put my feet up on the mattress, resting my back against the headboard.
“I love you,” I said after a few moments. That seemed like the single most important thing I wanted her to know, and it unlocked a hundred other things I wanted to say. “I’m not going anywhere, and I won’t just stop loving you. Ever. And no matter what, I’m here for you. You don’t have to be strong all the time with me...it isn’t a bad thing if you’re weak sometimes. I mean, yeah, we’re both kinda fucked up, but I figure we can be fucked up together, you know?”
“I...I let Kain kiss me,” she said after a moment. “It was like I was back in King’s bed all those nights. I couldn’t do anything, I just...I just froze. Some alpha bitch I turned out to be. Some girlfriend.” She stopped for a moment, but I could see the tension in her body, hear the pounding of her heart. “I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t let him kiss you,” I said. “He forced himself on you. And you did the only thing you could.”
“You weren’t there, Chance, you didn’t see-”
“I was,” I said. “I did. And you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I feel like I did,” she said. She turned and came toward me on her hands and knees, head down. The wolf in me recognized it as a submissive belly crawl. But my human heart broke at seeing her like that. She wrapped her arms around my leg and laid her head on my thigh. For a while, all I did was stroke her hair while she cried against my leg. Finally, I pulled her up to my shoulder, meeting her halfway as I slid down.
“My shoulder’s getting jealous,” I explained, and she giggled, then started crying again, giggling at the same time.
“We are so fucked up,” she said.
“Well, you’re stuck with me,” I told her. “Wolves mate for life, right?” She rolled over to look up at me, then straddled my legs.
“My wolf chose you a long time ago,” she said. “Even before yours came to you, she...and I...chose you.”
“I chose you before I was turned. My wolf chose you, too.”
“We got to choose each other twice,” she leaned down and whispered in my ear. Her hands slid up under the hem of my shirt and pulled it up over my head then she laid her head on my chest, her hair draped over my arms. “Mine,” she said.
“Always.” I brought my hands up to hold her close. After a few more moments, I could smell her desire, and I was sure she could smell mine. She rose up and pulled her shirt up over her head, then reached behind her back and undid the clasp of her pink bra. Her breasts were perfect, her nipples perfect little pink points that I couldn’t help but cup in my hands. She arched her back into my caress, then leaned down to kiss me, her hands reaching between us for the button to my jeans.
“I want this,” she said, her voice rough with desire. “I want you.” She planted her lips over mine, so all I could do was show her how much I wanted her, too.
Chapter 10
~ Never fight a wizard at home. ~
Proverb
“I think it’s cute that you two spend so much cuddle time,” Synreah said when we came out a couple of hours later. “Too few couples do. Remember how this feels when things get rough.” She had poured her ample curves into a black dress with a corset top and black gloves, onyx jewelry and black boa. She glided toward us with a broad smile on her face. When she got close, she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath through her nose. “Mmm, you smell delicious. One thing I want both of you to remember. You might both have a wolf in you, you’re both still human. Don’t let anyone make you give that up. Now go,” she gestured toward the door. “You have things to do.”
With a trio of sprites flying overhead and our combined reputations in the Hive, the walk out was uneventful. The crowd that seemed to always be there gave us just enough room to walk unimpeded to the iron gate, the smells and sounds of the bustling market pressing in on us all the way.
Once we hit the street, Shade’s cell-phone went off. She answered it without putting it to her ear, since we could both hear it even without putting it on speaker.
“We have movement near the Romani camp,” we heard Galen say. “I smell wolves.”
“We’re on our way!” Shade said. We broke into a run, each heading in a separate direction. I slid behind the wheel of the Mustang a moment later and gunned the engine before I shifted into reverse and backed out of the parking space fast. Tires squealed on the concrete as I hit the gas, and the Mustang bounced out of the parking lot. Shade flew out b
ehind me, her Mustang skidding to take the curve harder than she ought to. We didn’t just break the speed limit, we shattered it and took no prisoners. Fortunately, no one with a badge was on the highway.
We took the turn into the parking lot at speed, just as the first wolf burst out of the woods and ran for the camp. I heard a woman scream and saw her dart from a picnic table outside the circle of campers and trailers. It looked like the wolf was going to catch her before she reached the shelter of the camp, so I hit the gas when Shade veered off toward the bigger group of wolves that had emerged from the woods, and plowed into the pursuing Were’ a few yards away from the woman. It went flying and bounced off a cinderblock wall, the spell enhanced bumper of my Mustang directing the Weres’ own momentum back into him and sparing my front end from so much as scratched paint.
Before it could get up, I was out of the car and on my way over to it, but I suddenly had another problem. Another Were’ landed in front of me, teeth bared, claws slashing the air in front of me. I kicked out and caught him in the gut, then kicked him in the face when he doubled over. I spun a roundhouse into its side and knocked it away from the Roma camp. But when I looked to where the first wolf had landed, there was only a vaguely wolf-shaped dent there. My first instinct was to look toward the camp, but there was a line of men and women with guns standing there. If the wolf had gotten past them, there would have been more chaos and less grim determination. I turned back to the woods.
A line of Weres’ stood halfway between the woods and the edge of the camp, all in hybrid form, clothes hanging from their shoulders. A half dozen wolves were approaching from the woods, heads low, ears back, teeth white against the darkness. Shade’s black form leaped across the space between them and hurled one of them back toward the trees. The rest of the attacking wolves surged forward, met by Galen and the others. Instead of engaging, though, they veered to the side, trying to go around the defenders. Three got caught by the pack, but two made it past. I let the wolf out a little, and felt the fur erupt along my arms and chest as my face elongated. The two breakouts raced toward me, and I let out a roar of challenge.
When they split, they went in unexpected directions. One, a big gray wolf, leapt forward, low to the ground. The other, a sleek, red-furred wolf, leapt high. The problem with jumping, though, is that once you leave the ground, you’re pretty much committed to your trajectory. When the black wolf hit me, I went with his momentum, rolled onto my back and put my feet on his chest, then kicked. Hard. The black wolf sailed into the path of the red one, and they came down in a tangle of fur and limbs.
Right on top of me.
I rolled to the side, cursing when I came to my feet, and grateful I wasn’t part of the meaty sounding thump that came from my left. However, these were still Weres’. A fall from thirty or forty feet was just going to hurt some. It wasn’t going to stop them. That was my job. While they were scrambling to untangle themselves, I ran up and grabbed the one on top. While he was snapping at my arms, I spun in place and let go of him, sending him sailing back toward the forest. His buddy was on his feet, watching his friend fly over his head for a moment before turning to face me. By the time he did turn to face my way, I had already covered half the distance between us, and I’d jumped into the air. He tried to brace himself, but momentum and leverage were on my side. I kicked out with superhuman strength and every bit of Kim’s borrowed skill, and my target left on a flat trajectory. He only hit the ground a few yards from the edge of the trees, but he didn’t stop there. It was a second or two before the snapping and snarling stopped.
“Physics, asshole,” I said, kicking up to my feet.
Gunshots split the air behind me, and I turned to the camp. Another wolf raced past me, and I followed suit, recognizing Galen’s scent. He leaped onto one of the RVs, then dove off. I was right behind him, using my hand to push off the same vehicle and land beside him. The wolf he’d attacked had caught him across the chest with a backhanded slash, and he tried to hit me with the other hand. I ducked under his attack and unloaded a low sidekick that caught the attacker in the chest and threw him into the air. When he landed, more gunshots peppered the night. The wolf convulsed and went still.
“Gonna make it?” I asked Galen, kneeling beside him. I could see a lot more of his insides than was healthy without a scope or an X-ray machine.
“Eventually,” he coughed, spitting blood. “If we don’t get shot out of gratitude for saving this guy’s ass.” He looked toward a Romani man laying near us, his shoulder bleeding from a bite that went from his pecs to his scapula. Several gun barrels swung our way, and I heard a couple of hammers being drawn back.
Suddenly, the sounds of combat faded, and we heard the sound of vehicles approaching. Motorcycles and cars were coming, and I smelled lots of wolf. The attacking wolves were drawing back into the woods to the north, and the two we’d held off in the camp were nowhere to be seen. Galen and I backed away, and the Roma lowered their weapons at a gesture from my grandfather.
“I don’t think they are here for us,” he said. “See to Vano.”
“Come on,” I growled to Galen, and I put an arm under his shoulder and helped him get moving. We limped to the rest of the pack, Galen holding his slowly healing belly together. Kain was getting out of his Cadillac, posing like an action hero with his chiseled jaw set and blond hair blowing in the breeze.
“Nice of you to finally show up,” Shade said.
“I could say the same of you,” Kain answered. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you since you ran off this afternoon. Someone attacked Sinbad earlier. He’s in bad shape. If I hadn’t been there to help out, he’d be dead by now. And if I hadn’t showed up, there’s no telling how many you would have lost defending these...Gypsies.”
“Romani,” Shade and I said in unison.
“What did I tell you about correcting me?” Kain said.
“We listened as well as you did when we told you the right term for my people,” I said.
“Your people are about to come try to kill you,” Kain said, looking over my shoulder.
The angry mob of villagers had upgraded from pitchforks and torches to shotguns and flashlights but it sounded like they were still reading from the same script. We turned to face them, and they stopped a few yards away. My grandfather stood by another man who carried a pistol.
“Patrin, don’t do this,” my grandfather said. “We don’t know if they are the ones who killed our people.”
“They are still monsters, still telkeripe. It does not matter if they are guilty of this. They must still die!” I stepped forward, leaving Shade to hiss in surprise behind me.
“None of Shade’s pack hurt your people,” I said, raising my voice to be heard. All eyes turned to me, and I heard Kain growl Shade’s name behind me. “They are my friends, and Shade would not allow it.”
“Stand down, boy,” Kain barked.
“I can’t let Shade risk herself, and you’re sure as fuck not going to do it, Kain,” I spat. “I’m the logical choice here.” I pulled my wolf back, and felt myself reverting back to fully human. A gasp went up from the Roma, and my grandfather took a few steps toward me.
“Chance, on your life, do you speak for these Weres’?” he asked.
I felt Kain’s will crash over my defenses for a moment. “I do,” I said.”On my life, I do. They are good people.”
“Chance, no, don’t do this,” Shade whispered.
“I have to,” I said. “Or a lot of people are going to die.”
“The word of a Were’ is worth nothing!” Patrin said, raising his shotgun.
“But their actions speak louder than your hate,” my grandfather said. “One of theirs shed his blood to defend your son. And this boy is willing to put his life on the line for his clan. Your son did the same. We must accept his word. Take Varo back to the camp. And you, Lady Shade...bring your wounded, too. His wounds are not healing fast enough. He will die without proper treatment.”
“Treatmen
t he’ll get from real doctors, not Gypsy folk healers,” Kain said. He moved to stop Galen from moving forward, but Shade put her had on his arm.
“You’re not helping,” she said, the words coming fast and high pitched.
“We don’t need help,” Kain said.
“He won’t survive the trip,” my grandfather said, stepping forward to help support Galen.
“Don’t,” Shade growled when Kain opened his mouth again. He looked at her and frowned, then turned away.
“Go,” he said. “Grovel to the Gypsies. I’ll deal with you later.” He stalked toward his car, passing a familiar figure in a leather vest coming our way.
“For an alpha, he pouts an awful lot,” Killian Moon said.
“Is it true?” Shade asked. “About Sinbad?”
“He’s in bad shape,” Killian said. “But he’s survived worse. Truth is, if Kain hadn’t arrived when he did, it could have been a lot worse. We were only seconds behind him, I guess, and we were almost too late. Still, you’ve managed to do something Sinbad has been trying to do for decades, make peace with Roma.”
“I wouldn’t call it ‘peace’ exactly,” I said, looking toward the still armed group of Roma men and women who were covering the pack. “More like a truce with tense negotiations.”
“Well, no matter what, it’s a step in the right direction, as far as Sinbad would be concerned.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “But, heads up you two. With Sinbad down for the moment, Kain is the ranking alpha. And if I know him, he’s going to milk that for everything it’s worth. So I need to get back to Branson before he does.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Shade said with a smile that made me think of cats and canaries. “I need to make sure Jester is taken care of. Come on, Warlock,” she said to me, turning to go.
“Warlock?” I asked when I caught up to her.
“Not my choice,” she said. “Jester came up with it, and the rest of the pack went with it. Though I did vote for it.”
