by Riley Storm
Standing up, she gathered her few meager belongings. In the rush to flee Moonshadow Manor, she’d left with little more than what was on her person. Even her cellphone was still back there. There was some lip-chap, a folded receipt from when she’d filled up with gas on her way to see Zoe, and a five-dollar bill that had somehow ended up in the tiny pocket of her jeans. Not much to go on, but it would have to be enough.
“Umm, what do you think you’re doing?” Klaue asked.
She turned to see him leaning to one side staring at her, arms crossed. His sweatshirt still fit him nicely when he did that.
“Leaving. Do you care if I keep the outfit? I think it might be a new trend.”
“What? No, of course I don’t care. I wasn’t expecting it back. We have spares.”
Jessica was grateful for that, at least. It was a long walk up to the road. She was going to need the warmth. Until she could figure out a way to get home, it was all she had.
“You don’t seriously expect me to just let you leave like that, do you?” Klaue asked, blocking the path to the door.
Jessica eyed him, then nodded, moving around the couch to approach from another angle. Klaue intercepted her again, arms spread wide this time.
“Yes, I do,” she answered. “It’s my choice. Unless you’re going to toss me into a prison cell.”
“I’m of half a mind to do just that!” Klaue exclaimed, slapping his hands together. “What brought this on?”
“Your family, your House, they hate me,” she explained slowly, like talking to a child. “Have you not noticed that yet, Klaue? They detest me.” She shook her head slightly. “Not even twenty-four hours, and they’ve gone from having no idea I existed to despising me, thinking I’m a spy for Canis or worse, I guess—somehow associated with a mage, which apparently is a real fucking thing!”
The stress was getting to her, and it showed in the outburst, but now that the gates were open, there was no shutting them. The words kept flowing.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever felt so universally reviled and hated for something you didn’t do, but I can tell you, it doesn’t feel good. So yes, I am leaving. I’ll go handle this on my own, and thank you very much for saving my life last night and not a whole lot else.”
“That’s kind of a big thing,” he pointed out, still blocking her path.
“Yeah, I know. Believe me, I appreciate it more than you know. But I’m not the one treating people like shit around here.”
Klaue waggled his hand back and forth. “Sort of. We did save your life by killing some of the Canim who were after you. While they shouldn’t have come near our property, that still puts us in a bit of a tight spot. Not to mention this mage. You may not know who they are, but they were present last night, and whoever they are, they’re not some sort of backyard lightshow artist. That guy knows what he’s doing. He was trained.”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t ask you to kill anyone. And secondly, like I’ve told you, I. Don’t. Know. Who. The. Mage. Is.” She emphasized every word with an exasperated shake of her hands. “It would be nice if someone believed me.”
“I do,” Klaue said. “Isn’t that obvious?”
She sighed. He wasn’t trying to project hurt, but she could sense it in his words anyway. The poor guy was torn between his belief of what she was saying, and the way the rest of his House felt. Pretending he wasn’t, wasn’t fair to him.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, meaning it. “But I can’t stay here, Klaue. I just can’t. I need to go away, to handle things by myself. It’s for the better, you must know that.”
“I don’t know that,” he said bluntly. “I don’t know anything, because you won’t share. You won’t let us help. Don’t you think that’s a little unfair? To expect us to help, without knowing what the hell we need to do?”
He had a point. A damn good point. But his feelings didn’t compare to her sister’s life, no matter how much she didn’t like to hurt him, oddly enough.
“That’s why I’m leaving,” she said bluntly, meeting his gaze at last, seeking the soft comforting embrace of blue that lay beyond the cold front he put up. But it wasn’t there. Not this time. He was guarding himself. “I can’t ask you to do this. I won’t. I’ll figure it out.”
Without waiting for a response, she moved to the side and went for the door again. Part of Jessica still expected Klaue to make an attempt to stop her, to keep her from leaving, but—this time—he just watched her go, not saying a word as she departed his quarters without looking back.
He was playing stubborn then. What did he expect, that she would just abandon her quest once she reached the doorway and change her mind? Run back into his arms, maybe?
Well if that’s what he thinks, then he doesn’t know Jessica Elizabeth Hanes!
She didn’t need his help to fix this. Jessica knew she was a strong, independent woman that could solve her own problems. She didn’t need a man to help her out.
Not like, a “man-man”, because Klaue isn’t my man. I’m not his woman. That’s not how I meant it. Just because I think he’s hot doesn’t mean I’m getting possessive.
As she walked down the hallway, her brain grew more muddled as she argued back and forth with herself, confused about why all these thoughts of Klaue were suddenly intruding in her mind.
11
Letting her walk out of his room without chasing after her was a little colder than was perhaps necessary, but he wanted to drive home the point to Jessica that she was not in charge here. Klaue wasn’t going to run after her and agree to do whatever she wanted. The safety of him and the other members of his House was at stake, and he wasn’t about to jeopardize that.
Besides, it’ll take her two hours just to reach the front gate.
He had time. Even after she reached the gate, it wasn’t like Ursidae Manor was on a bus route for Plymouth Falls either. She was a long way from civilization, which gave him time to think as well. Time to come up with a plan.
“A plan for what?” he mused, pacing around his quarters deep within the palatial house.
The focus should have been on getting the information from Jessica, figuring out just what it was she had done to make Canis want her so bad. His Queen had charged him with doing just that, and Klaue didn’t want to let her down. But Jessica was his mate. Theoretically at least, according to a wild vision that only Kincaid had been privy to. So shouldn’t he be coming up with a plan to find out if there was any truth to that as well?
Confused by his choice, he left his quarters, following her scent through the corridor for a brief time. Although she was wearing generic Ursa clothing, and had washed with the same non-scented soap he kept in the shower, there was still a bit of Jessica mixed in with all that, and he followed it like a fly hunting sugar, not bothering to watch where he was going.
This careless attitude resulted in him colliding with another shifter at the intersection of the hallways.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, finally remembering where he was and coming to his senses.
“Did you not see me there?” the other shifter growled, obviously irate.
Klaue, not in the mood for bullshit just then, drew himself up to his full height and faced the other shifter straight on. The other member of the House did the same, and to his surprise, Klaue was forced to tilt his head upward. That was rare. There were a few shifters in the house that outsized him, but this shifter had to be pushing seven feet in height.
Being the second-in-command of the House guards, Klaue knew every member staying there by memory. All two-hundred and thirty-seven of them currently. None was as big as the pale-skinned giant facing him now. Whoever it was, it was a newcomer.
“Where’s your little Canis pet?” the Nordic-looking shifter sneered, pushing long blond hair from his face. “Finally got rid of her, did you?”
Without knowing just who the man was, Klaue was reluctant to teach him a lesson. He wasn’t afraid of fighting larger opponents. Size didn’t matter nearly as m
uch if one knew how to counter it. There was probably a reason the shifter, whoever he was, had come to the House, and if it was at the behest of the Queen or another Title Holder, Klaue could get in a world of hurt by fucking with him. So, he bit his tongue.
“Good,” the giant said, pushing by him. “She had spy written all over her. I can’t believe you didn’t see it.” He snorted. “Of course, you didn’t see the uprising coming either. All of you here are blind.”
Somehow, Klaue didn’t hit him. It was an amazing show of restraint that truthfully he wasn’t aware he possessed. “Have a day,” he ground out, not willing to wish the unknown shifter well, and then kept walking.
His route was changed now though, taking a more aimless, wandering route through the House. Although the giant was an unknown to him, and therefore didn’t hold any power, Klaue wasn’t an idiot. As vast as Ursidae Manor might be, word traveled through it at lightspeed. Within hours of her arrival, he was positive just about everyone had known about it.
The Viking giant wouldn’t be the only one harboring feelings of doubt and animosity toward Jessica. In fact, it was surprising that he hadn’t been confronted about it more already. They didn’t like where she’d come from, and they didn’t like that she was being extra secretive with them, not revealing anything except the barest of details.
Which is exactly what doesn’t add up. That’s the part I don’t understand. If she was a spy, if House Canis had for some reason set this all up as a way to get her inside to live among us, wouldn’t it make more sense for her to be nice? To try and ingratiate herself with us?
There were just too many questions surrounding the issue, and not enough data. Klaue’s wanderings eventually took him toward the one person he was confident could shine more light on the situation if there was anything to be seen.
Coming to a halt in front of a thick wooden door covered in intricate engravings, he lifted the metal knocker and rapped it twice. The sound hadn’t finished fading when it opened.
“Klaue.”
He smiled and tilted his head at Khorve, head of the Queen’s Own, her bodyguard detail. “Hello. May I speak to her please?”
“One moment.” The door shut.
Klaue couldn’t help but chuckle, admiring the other man’s attempt at deference whilst remaining professional. He could remember back when Khorve was just a pumped-up little shit. Klaue had broken the arrogant man down and then built him back up again into one of the best of the best, and the two had had a sort of weird relationship since. Not father-son-like, since they were only about eight years apart, but perhaps more brotherly.
His thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and Khorve waved him into the Queen’s antechamber. Kaelyn came in from her private quarters seconds later.
“Klaue, what can I do for you?” she asked with a smile.
“It’s about Jessica,” he said without preamble.
The Queen nodded, her eyes glancing around, noting the absence of the human woman, but saying nothing. “Go on.”
“I was wondering if we’d heard anything from Canis lately,” he said, thinking as he spoke. “We’re not likely to get anything from Jess without forcing it out. She’s clamped down tighter than House Drakos’ security,” he joked, making reference to the third great House, whose members had retreated from the world a century ago, leaving behind a security screen of wards and magical guards that nobody dared challenge anymore. Not after the first few dozen had died in a most gruesome fashion.
“Ah. I think I understand,” Kaelyn said. “She might not tell us, but if something has happened, it might be a coincidence.
“Exactly.”
“Unfortunately I haven’t heard anything,” she said regretfully. “Ever since they killed Laurent and his wife for going after Kincaid—well, for getting caught going after him, I should say—but ever since that, it’s been silence. Nothing of note has happened that we’ve heard about, at least.”
“Nothing? No more deaths? No fires, explosions, poisonings?”
Kaelyn shook her head. “The only news, is that there hasn’t been any news.”
“That’s weird. Why would they come after her then? They wanted her badly. Whatever it was, I feel like we would have heard about it, don’t you think?”
The Queen nodded. “Yes, if she’d done something.”
“Huh?” Klaue was confused.
“Well, what if she found something out. Learned something that she shouldn’t have. Knowledge can be just as powerful in the right set of hands.”
Klaue considered that. “It’s entirely possible,” he agreed.
“Why don’t you ask her that?” Kaelyn suggested. “See if she’ll give you an answer about whether she did something or knows something?”
He nodded. It wouldn’t give them much, but then again, they had nothing so far, so it would be an improvement.
“Speaking of which, where is Jessica?”
“She decided to leave. Felt bad about putting us on the spot like she did.”
“And you…let her?” Kaelyn didn’t sound happy.
“She’s walking. It’s a long way to the gate,” he said lamely, realizing how pathetic that sounded now he was forced to say it out loud.
“Go after her already,” Kaelyn commanded, assuming the mantle of Queen in the space of half a heartbeat. “If she does know something, we need that information, Klaue. Whatever it is, Canis is desperate enough to work with a mage to ensure we don’t get it. Think about what that means. Whatever it takes, get it.”
Despite the change in her persona, Klaue’s spine straightened at the blunt command. “I’m not going to manipulate my mate,” he said formally, making it clear he was standing his ground.
“She’s your mate?” Kaelyn sounded surprised.
“Yes?” Klaue frowned. “Didn’t Kincaid tell you that the other night?”
“No. Neither did you.” She crossed her arms.
“Ahhhhh,” Klaue stammered. “Oops?”
“Yeah. Big oops, Klaue. That’s kind of important information, don’t you think?”
He shrugged. “I guess. It’s not like it’s going anywhere right now though. Assuming Kincaid is right. He is rather new at this, it’s possible he got it wrong.”
“No it’s not. His visions don’t lie. If he saw the connection between you two, it’s there, trust me.”
Klaue started to protest, to ask how they could possibly know, but Kaelyn shook her head, cutting him off.
“You’re not thinking this through, Klaue.”
“I’m…not?” He frowned. “I was pretty sure I’d given it lots of thought about whether or not she could be my mate.”
The Queen sighed. “Not that. Think! You let her go. She’s currently walking to the gates. To where she’ll be unprotected. Vulnerable to Canis.”
“Yeah, I knew all that. I wasn’t going to let her get that far. I’m not completely stupid.”
“You’re overlooking one key thing, Klaue.”
“I am?”
The Queen sighed, shaking her head. “You men. Sometimes you’re blind. Ask yourself this, Klaue. What if Canis finds out she’s your mate?”
He jerked upright. “Oh shit. That’s, umm.” He started stepping backward. “That’s a good point.”
Kaelyn smiled tightly. “I thought it might.”
Klaue was still walking back toward the door. “I, um. I’m gonna go now.”
The Queen waved imperiously at him. “Begone,” she commanded with a smile.
He didn’t wait for more. Klaue turned and bolted from the room, running breakneck speed for the garage. It hadn’t been too long since Jessica had left. He could still intercept her before she reached the gates.
But somehow, he knew it wouldn’t be as easy as catching up to her. He would still have to convince Jess to turn around. To come back to the House. To come back to him…
12
“Maybe not your smartest of moments there, Hanes,” she muttered, berating herself over th
e genius idea to leave without asking for a lift.
Of course, if I’d had any idea their driveway was longer than most city streets, I would have approached it differently.
Her journey from the gates to the House itself when she’d arrived was mostly a nondescript blur filled with nothing but images of Klaue’s head as she’d looked up at him. It was impossible for her to judge time or distance then. Now, however, she was learning first hand that the Ursas loved their privacy.
Even the drive up to Moonshadow Manor wasn’t this long, though it wasn’t exactly short either. Not that driving was an option. Klaue had never come out and said it, but she was fairly positive the Hummer she’d stolen from Canis was either destroyed, or left behind for the werewolves to take back with them.
You should have just asked Klaue for a ride, the situation be damned.
It was too late for should have or would have, and Jessica knew that Klaue might have denied her request anyway. It was easy in hindsight to look back and say she would have had the courage to ask him, but in the moment, it was very different indeed. Besides, the whole point of her leaving was to stop putting anyone else in harm’s way to protect her. Zoe had already done that for her, and that was one person too many. It was time Jessica started taking responsibility for her own actions.
Zoe was the first step. After she’d cleared the property and found a ride away from Plymouth Falls, she would need to search out a payphone and find out if Zoe was still alive. From there, she would have to stay one step ahead of whoever Lorran sent after her, including the mage, all while figuring out a way to rescue Zoe.
It was ambitious, and she understood the odds of success were slim. She was just a normal human after all, without any special powers or abilities. But this was her baby sister, and she wasn’t going to fail her. This was the best way. Nobody else would be hurt doing this. Jessica would risk her own life. She wasn’t about to risk anyone else’s. Not again.
Of course, if you just told Klaue what was going on, then he might be inclined to help you.
