by K. C. Blake
He was going to free Jersey Clifford from the werewolf curse.
Jack placed his hands on the marble slab and dropped his head. A great sadness washed over him. He could barely stand the pain.
“Are you okay?” Silver asked.
“I was just thinking about Billy. I wish I had a body to bury.” He swallowed hard and fought back the tears. “I don’t even know what happened to him. He could be in pieces, scattered—.”
“Don’t,” Silver interrupted him. “Don’t do that to yourself.”
“Why not?” He walked away from the tomb, but he mumbled as he went. “Billy had to suffer through it. I can at least deal with the thought.”
******
For the rest of the day Jack longed to be alone. Well-meaning members of the Reign family wouldn’t allow it. He was convinced they had a time sheet somewhere. It was very well organized. Every time one of them left his side, another stepped in. Andrew sat in the living room with him when he pretended to read. Vanessa hung out in the kitchen with him while he forced himself to eat. Silver joined him when he wanted to take a walk.
The entire day was spent in the company of people he usually enjoyed. Now he wished he could make them go away. Even Silver. He didn’t have time to think or time to grieve. Inside, he screamed at them to leave him alone. He didn’t want to hurt their feelings, so he went along with their plans.
Until bedtime.
After forcing the last spoonful of pudding into his mouth, he stood abruptly. He looked around at everyone sitting at the dinner table and made an announcement. “I’m going to bed early. See you tomorrow.”
“Let me know if you need anything, honey,” Vanessa said.
He stopped behind her chair, planted a kiss on the top of her head. She reached up with a hand and patted his arm. It was hard to believe they’d hated each other when they’d first met. She was a wonderful woman, and his mother would have loved her.
Silver followed him into the foyer and asked, “Do you want some company? I can make an excuse.”
“No.” When a hurt look came to her face, he added, “I’m really tired. I don’t want to talk or anything.”
“Sure. I understand.”
Her expression belied her words, but he didn’t care enough to give in to her. Although he loved her, he wasn’t going to let her have her way every time. She was going to have to deal with it. His brother had died. He needed solitary time to lick his wounds.
Jack hurried to his bedroom and shoved the door open.
Blanca jumped with a startled cry. She spun around, and he saw the diary in her hands. Her face reddened. Caught in the act, she sneered at him. “You got me.”
“Huh?” Jack shut the door, not wanting anyone else to see his shape-shifting cat, at least not until he got to the bottom of this. “What the hell are you doing?”
“It was me, moron. I stole the rock, the necklace, and now the diary. I’ve been working for Jersey.”
A thousand things raced through Jack’s mind, but his mouth produced one word. “Why?”
“Why?” She cackled like a witch. “You were kind of cool when you were a vampire, sweetie, but now you’re just a stupid mortal. No way am I hanging out with a loser like you. Besides, every time I’m around Jersey Clifford this amazing power shimmers through me. I can take any form I want.”
“Give me the diary.”
“No.”
She put it behind her back as he crossed the room with heavy steps. Her eyes lowered, fake demure. She was trying to be sexy, trying to seduce him into letting her get away with it, but she didn’t know who she was dealing with. After all these years she had no idea what he was capable of.
Jack removed a dagger from a nearby drawer. He kept it there for protection rather than a gun. In a flash he had the blade pressed against her throat. There was nowhere for her to run. She was a shape-shifter, so she could be killed as easily as a mortal, and if he cut her head off she wouldn’t be able to rejuvenate.
“You wouldn’t,” she said.
“I would.” He pressed the blade harder against her neck. She gasped and a trickle of blood stained the blade. He said, “Drop the diary.”
It hit the floor behind her. He removed the knife from her throat and pushed her towards the bed with a forceful shove before she could try to get the upper hand. She landed on the mattress. Hissing at him, she jumped up and charged him.
He lifted the dagger.
She almost ran into it, but she came to her senses in time to save her own life. “Know what else I did?” she asked gloating. “I wanted you to be a vampire again, so I let Summer in to bite you. It was too bad she screwed that up.”
Everything became clear in a heartbeat. “You were the one who let Jersey into my bedroom. You let him into the house.”
“That’s right. He didn’t trust me at first, but after you killed his assistant, he needed me.”
Jack mentally connected a few more dots. “You were at the Miller house, pretending to be Summer the other day. She didn’t come back to life. It was you.”
“Right again.” She giggled. “I have the power to be whoever I want to be now. It’s pretty great.”
Jack considered what he should do next. He could kill her. If he told the Reigns about her, they would kill her for him. Ian Carver would gladly do the job if he got to her first. Shape-shifters only had one power, but it was a dangerous one. She could become anyone. And she was helping Jersey. That made her an even bigger threat.
But he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her. Not today. There had been too many deaths lately. He couldn’t live through another one. “Did you know about Billy? Do you know where his body is at?”
“No.”
He wasn’t sure he believed her.
“I blew Jersey to hell and back,” he said. “You might not even have a master anymore.”
She laughed. “Jersey isn’t dead. Haven’t you figured it out yet?” She leaned close and whispered, “You can’t kill him, but he’s going to kill you. That’s a fact.”
******
Jack didn’t sleep that night. He paced the length of his floor, trying to figure out what he should do about Jersey, Blanca, and the magic rock, not to mention Silver’s missing necklace. After two hours of pacing, Jack reclined on his bed. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Blanca. Maybe if he saw Blanca with Jersey, he would find out where they put the things she’d stolen.
Within seconds he was watching them, living a recent memory.
“See what he did to me?” Blanca tilted her head back so Jersey could see the cut on her throat. “He tried to kill me.”
“I doubt that.” Jersey frowned at her. “If Jack wanted to kill you, I dare think you’d be dead. I was counting on you to be my eyes and ears in his home. You have failed me.”
Blanca hissed.
“Relax,” he said. “I am not going to terminate your services.”
Jack took the time to wander around the room, looking for a clue that would show him where they were hiding. Nothing was familiar. The room was dark and sparsely furnished.
A slow smile spread across Jersey’s face. He looked straight at Jack as if he could see him. Jack stumbled backwards, startled for a moment. Then he realized Jersey couldn’t see him. The head werewolf had guessed he would use his power to eavesdrop on them.
“Meet me in the cemetery at dawn,” Jersey said, still smiling.
Blanca’s forehead crinkled, thinking he was talking to her. “What? Why?”
Jersey ignored her. Speaking to Jack, he said, “This is it. Tonight destiny will have its way, and one of us will depart from this mortal world. Unfortunately the deceased will be you.”
Jack didn’t leave the scene like he normally did. Instead of jerking out of it, he was sucked out. One second he was there listening to Jersey, and the next he was on his bed. He jumped up. His eyes went to the door first, but that would be a mistake. Someone would catch him if he tried to leave that way. They would insist on joining him
. He wasn’t willing to put anyone else at risk. Tonight, finally, the whole mess would end.
Jack went out the window instead.
******
Chapter Twenty-Four:
THE SHOWDOWN
When Jack reached the cemetery, he went straight to his grave. It seemed like a lifetime since he’d visited what was supposed to be his final resting place. Weeds had grown to cover the bottom half of his name. He hunched down and ripped the tangled things out. With the tip of one finger, he traced the letters in his name. Someday he wanted to be buried there for real.
A stick broke beneath a heavy foot behind him.
Jack froze, finger on the last letter. He had hoped he would have time to produce a good plan before Jersey’s arrival. Taking a deep breath, he stood and turned around to face his nemesis. He didn’t have the rock, and he knew he wasn’t ready to suck out Jersey’s soul, but somehow he was going to put an end to this insane destiny business.
A tall shadow passed between gravestones, headed in his direction. It took a moment for Jack to realize that it wasn’t Jersey Clifford. Moonlight briefly touched the person’s face, and Jack’s heart leaped in his chest. Pure joy filled him. He raced forward, eager to greet his brother.
“You’re alive!” Jack laughed, amazed that something had finally turned out good for him and his family. He would have embraced his brother, but Billy wasn’t having it. Billy’s hands gripped his upper arms and held him back so he could stare into his eyes. The guy wasn’t fond of emotional scenes. Same old Billy.
Billy nodded, stuck in professional mode. “Looks like.”
“Where have you been? We thought you were dead.”
“No.”
“I’m meeting Jersey. We’re finally going to have the big showdown. How did you know where to find me? Not even Silver knows where I’m at. Did you call the house?”
“No.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Jack clapped his brother on the back as soon as Billy’s hands dropped. Jack laughed again, feeling like he could take Jersey with both hands securely tied. Unable to help himself, he gushed, “I am so glad to see you.”
“Jersey isn’t coming.” Billy’s tone remained flat and tight.
“How do you know that?”
Moonlight caught Billy’s eyes, and they glowed with a brilliant golden hue that was eerie beyond anything Jack had seen before. His heart dropped to his stomach, and he temporarily lost the ability to breathe. “No.” He shook his head and took a step backwards, putting distance between himself and the new werewolf. Tears obscured his vision. “No. Not you. This can’t be happening.”
Billy just stood there, mouth shut, not a sign of emotion.
Caught in a twisted nightmare, Jack didn’t know what to do next. Several options rolled through his brain. If it was the last thing he did, he was going to save his brother. “Okay, okay,” he mumbled while staring at the ground. “Don’t panic. Everything is going to work out.”
“Who are you talking to?” Billy asked.
“Me,” Jack said. “I am talking to myself. Okay?” He pulled his scattered thoughts together and focused on a solution. He grabbed both sides of his head to keep it from exploding, inadvertently pushing his bangs straight up. “Okay. We are going to go home, and I’ll lock you up until things settle down. You haven’t killed anyone, right? It’ll be fine. Everything will be fine once I kill Jersey. You’ll go back to normal, human. It’ll be okay.”
Billy sneered. “What if I don’t want to be human again?”
“What did you say?”
“I like being a werewolf, bro. You were holding out on me.” Billy wagged a finger at him. “You didn’t tell me what an incredible high it is to be immortal. Of course you were just a vampire, but I’m sure you at least got a taste of what I’m feeling.”
Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “This isn’t you talking. It’s the werewolf.”
“Believe whatever makes it easier to sleep at night. I am not going to let you kill Jersey Clifford.” Billy made a show out of sniffing the air. “You stink. Did you know that? Vampires smell like rotting flesh, and the stink is all over you.”
Jack shook his head vehemently. He wanted to bawl like a baby. Not his little brother. Not Billy. His worst nightmares couldn’t compare to reality now. Rage slowly replaced confusion. “Who did this to you?”
“Who do you think?” Billy smiled, and his teeth seemed sharper than normal. Jersey Clifford had turned his brother into a werewolf. He had committed the final act that would push Jack to the edge and over it. Unforgivable. Billy added, “He asked me to give you a message.”
“What?”
Billy flashed another smile, malicious in nature. “Surprise.”
Jack remembered the birthday note from Jersey, and he felt like puking. This was Jersey’s big surprise for him? He had turned his brother into a stinking werewolf. But why? What could Jersey possibly hope to achieve by cursing Billy to an eternity of hell on earth?
Silver was right. Jersey was pure evil. He didn’t care about anyone but himself. Jack remembered the opportunities he’d had to kill Jersey while he’d been in possession of the magic rock. Back when he’d had Jersey’s trust, back when he’d stubbornly refused to harm the head werewolf, he could have ended it and didn’t.
If he had, Billy would still be mortal.
“Fight me,” Billy said. He struck Jack in the face with his fist without waiting for a response to his quiet demand.
Caught off guard, Jack staggered backwards.
Billy shouted, “Fight me!”
It was tempting, but Jack couldn’t lift a hand against his brother. He couldn’t risk the claws coming out. The memory of the time he’d accidentally killed a poor werewolf boy sprang to mind. He’d rather die than risk harming Billy. Even life as a werewolf would be better than no life at all.
Billy shrugged, no longer caring if Jack fought back or not. He was going to kill the brother he had once idolized, and he probably wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.
Billy lunged. He grabbed Jack by the front of his shirt, swung him around, and launched him into the air. The added werewolf strength gave Billy enormous power. Jack flew several yards before slamming into a gravestone. His head smacked against the granite. A shot of pain and a wave of dizziness almost knocked him out. Determined to help Billy, he rolled onto his hands and knees. Blood dripped from his mouth.
“Get up,” Billy demanded.
“I don’t want to fight with you.”
“This has been coming for a long time, and we both know it. Ever since you came home, you’ve been asking for it. I can barely stand to be in the same room with you. You make me sick.”
It wasn’t Billy talking. Jack reminded himself that werewolves, especially new ones, were notorious for lashing out at family. For some reason werewolves often killed family members before going after strangers. Jack grabbed the gravestone and used it to pull himself up. Once he was on his feet again, he said, “You don’t want to do this.”
“Then why am I having so much fun?”
Billy danced around like a professional boxer, fists up and ready. He taunted Jack with a few well-aimed insults, but Jack refused to fight back. He was afraid of losing his temper and killing Billy by accident. Somehow he had to reach his brother with words instead of violence.
Bam, bam, bam. Billy punched Jack in the face three more times. Jack staggered back, but he didn’t fall. Thinking fast, he held a hand up in surrender and said, “Mom and dad are dead, and I’m the only one you have left. We’re brothers. You can’t kill me.”
“Watch me.”
Jack spit out some more blood.
“Maybe I should use my cool new claws instead, huh?” Billy’s eyes narrowed on Jack’s face. “Is it true that one scratch can kill a vampire?”
Billy swiped his arm through the air so fast that Jack didn’t even have time to think about moving. The claws sliced through the soft flesh of his cheek. Burning pain followed the at
tack, and Jack automatically slapped a hand over the wound. It hurt like hell, but Billy wasn’t done yet.
“Of course you aren’t a vampire anymore,” he said with a shrug. “So maybe it will take two scratches.”
Billy tried to slice through Jack’s other cheek, but this time Jack was ready for him. Jack used vampire-speed to move to the side. Billy lost his balance and staggered. It would have been so easy for Jack to get away, but he couldn’t leave his brother like this. He couldn’t leave Billy alone.
“Think about our childhood,” Jack said, pleading with the part of his brother that had to be somewhere behind those lifeless eyes. “Remember how you used to follow me everywhere? Think about that. Concentrate, Billy. You can do it. You can keep the monster from taking over.”
Billy stood still for a moment, and he seemed to be considering Jack’s words. “You know what I remember? I remember crying when you decided to run off with friends instead of playing ball with me like you promised. I remember you pushing me around. I remember you running off with your new vampire friends and leaving me behind for ten years I remember you letting me think you were dead.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know why it surprised me so much to find out you were alive and just didn’t want to bother to contact me. Same old Jack. Always thinking about himself. Family means nothing to you.”
Another heavy sack of guilt rested on his shoulders like a sandbag. “I’m sorry. I am. If I could go back and spend more time with you, I would. I swear I would.”
“Right.” Billy chuckled. “Aw, you’re breaking my heart.” He tapped his chest with three fingers. “Now let’s get back to breaking your bones.”
Before Jack could guess Billy’s intention, his brother moved fast and grabbed one of Jack’s arms. He spun Jack around, and twisted his arm behind his back. Billy held onto Jack’s opposite shoulder while he bent the arm at an awkward angle. A bit more force and the bone would snap.
Jack gritted his teeth and silently prayed for a miracle.
Hot breath hit Jack’s ear as Billy placed his mouth close to it and said, “Let’s see how fast you heal this time.”
