by Cathy Clamp
Oh, shit! Rachel glanced at Claire—one of them had to change the subject before Alek realized Anica was an attack victim who had turned her family.
But before either of the women could speak past the pizza in their mouths, Alek asked, “How old were you when you turned?”
Claire swallowed first, nearly choking, then elbowed him. “That’s an awfully personal question, Alek.”
He blushed and tried to backtrack. “Oh, hey, I’m sorry if I—”
But Anica waved off the objection. “No, no. Is okay. I have … how you say, accept my bear side. I was thirteen when I was attacked, nearly a woman and already betrothed. But that was ended, as you can understand.”
Rachel winced. Claire winced. Alek and Scott were both staring at the Serbian woman like she’d grown a second head. Scott reached out and touched her knee. “You were an attack victim? What happened?”
Reaching out one foot, Rachel kicked Scott in the arm. “Dude. Not cool.”
Anica looked confused at the mix of scents—the men both smelling embarrassed and curious, the women horrified and afraid. She looked anxious, realizing something was wrong but not sure what. “Am I saying a wrong thing? Is talking of attack a rude thing?”
There was no way this was going to end well. It had gone too far. Rachel took a deep breath. “Okay, look. Anica, it’s not bad to talk about being an attack victim. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in this happening to you.” She looked at Alek—she could tell he wasn’t sure what to think. “Alek, can you let go of the law and order thing for a few minutes and think like a person?”
His face and scent both showed his outrage. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Claire touched his arm. “It means that Anica told me and Rachel something that could get her in a lot of trouble, but she doesn’t realize it’s wrong, so she doesn’t know to stay quiet.”
Alek let out a small growl. Scott slapped the back of his hand against Alek’s arm. “Bro, cool it. Not everything is black and white in life. Let’s find out how serious the damage is.”
The older wolf took a deep breath and let it out slow, then nodded. Claire put an arm around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Okay, let’s have it,” Alek said.
Rachel took a long drink of beer for courage. “Okay, über-short version: There was another nest of snakes in Europe doing the same thing as in Texas. Anica is like me and Claire. She was turned against her will.”
Alek shrugged. “That’s not illegal. Well, not on Anica’s part, anyway.” He stopped when Rachel raised her hand.
“Her family was human before that happened, Alek. Not sloth, not Sazi family. Human.”
Scott lowered his eyebrows so far they shaded his eyes. “Did the snakes turn her family too?”
Claire shook her head. “Her father insisted Anica do it. To keep the family together.”
Overwhelmed, Alek fell back on his heels and sat there as the realization washed over him. Anica was looking more alarmed by the second.
“Is bad thing my femily has done? Will we be punished?”
Alek looked at Claire with accusation clear in his face. “And you were just going to ignore this? Not tell anyone higher up?”
Claire set her jaw. “Yeah. I was. Because nothing can be done, Alek. Scott is right. Wolven isn’t black and white. We have to use our judgment. Anica was turned by force. She didn’t know about the Sazi … wasn’t born into it, didn’t have the rules drilled into her.
“Like me. Like Rachel. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d made it back to my human family instead of staying with the Tedford pack. Maybe I’d have turned them too. The point is that it’s done, was done years ago. Her family at least is trying to play by the rules of the Sazi now that they know a Council exists.”
“Except Samit,” Alek reminded her, a slight growl in his voice.
“Samit is doing wrong thing, but for right reason,” Anica said, her scent and voice sad before becoming determined and on the edge of angry. “Kasun family has sold drugs and guns to rebels. They kill, extort. But nobody stops them. Not even Wolven. People in villages are too afraid of them, because they are terrifying, but people not know why they are scared. We did not know either, until we turned. Now we know of magic and bears that speak like people.
“It not scare us anymore. With new fence, we cut off Kasuns from people they frighten. We think maybe Kasun Alpha know more than he says about snake nest, and we plan to find out. Samit planned to blame attacks on Kasuns, reveal to Council they are bad people. Bad bears. He should not have done this. Should have trusted process. But he is rash, always in a hurry.” She looked down at the floor, tugging at a loose thread in the armrest of the couch, her emotions and words spent.
Wow. That was a lot to take in. Rachel didn’t doubt what Anica was saying because she didn’t trust the Kasuns either, not after seeing how they behaved. What the hell was Dalvin doing snuggling up to those people? How could he possibly not know any of this stuff was happening? Or worse, what if he was part of it?
“Do you think the Kasuns knew the snakes were taking humans and turning them into bears?” Claire asked, looking concerned.
Now Anica’s jaw set and the fire in her eyes was equal to the bear she was. “No. I say the snakes take, and the Kasuns turn.”
The way she phrased that—“Wait. You’re saying that like it’s not just in the past, back when you were taken,” Rachel said.
“No,” the Serbian replied, then thought. “I mean, yes. There are still snakes and new bears. Even today.”
“Wilco Tango Foxtrot,” Scott said, his voice low and horrified. “There are still attack victims out there, being turned today? Like you guys?”
Anica nodded. “Yes. I tell Tamir of this when first Wolven arrives for talks. He tells Council members. I hear him. But nothing happen. Nobody comes talk to little bear with no magic.”
Now Alek was angry, but for a different reason. “So, wait … you reported a crime in progress to a Wolven officer and nobody acted? Are you sure?”
The woman on the couch shrugged. “We come to America, so I am not sure. But we all come to America. Nobody left to search. And too, I am not sure where camp is. I escape at night and am lost for long time on full moon before I come home. My femily find me wounded and asleep, nude, on stairs. I am first to come back in village from kidnappings. Whole village have hope. But children keep go missing. Just last month, another gone.”
Alek ran his fingers through his hair, clenching them and pulling on his hair like he might tear it out. “God, what a mess!”
Rachel took another long draw of beer. “Well, in my humble opinion, Anica should get a free pass. It was ten years ago and she didn’t know any better. The stuff going on now is the crime, because there are other attack victims out there, possibly doing the same thing as Anica. If they manage to get out at all.”
Claire held up her hands before anyone else could speak. “The first thing we need to do is not talk about any of this anymore. Not until we have a chance to think about all the ramifications.”
A new voice, Amber’s, came from the other side of the apartment door. “Then you should have remembered to keep your voices down in an apartment complex full of shape-shifters.”
Everyone froze. Damn it! She should have remembered that Amber was going to stay in her apartment tonight. Claire and Alek winced; the others, including Anica, sighed. “C’mon in. Might as well make it a party.”
The knob turned and the door opened to reveal a pissed-off doctor with glowing yellow eyes. She stepped inside and closed the door quietly. Nobody said a word as she stood glaring at them, tapping one foot.
Finally, Anica spoke, her eyes beginning to leak tears down her cheeks. “Is my fault. But I did not know I do wrong until now.”
Rachel held up her hand, feeling like a heel. “No, it’s my fault. Anica told me what happened yesterday, before the town hall meeting. I should have said something to someone.”
Claire r
aised one hand as well. “Yeah, but you only knew vaguely that it was an offense. It was my duty to tell someone, and I failed. I shouldn’t get emotionally attached to people. But her story got to me.”
Amber finally spoke. Her scent was an odd mix of concern, annoyance, and frustration. “Don’t. I’ll handle this.” She looked at Anica, who was crying more heavily, and spoke a bit less brusquely. “You did tell someone in Serbia during the peace talks? You’re sure?”
The little bear nodded and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, then snuffled. “I did. I swear. I told bear in charge, Tamir. I remember name because is close to cousin’s name, Tamil.”
“Did you tell the Council representative who was overseeing the talks, Ahmad?”
Now Anica looked at Amber with disbelief in her face. “Tell head snake about nest of bad snakes? Why would he help? He is probably in charge. No, I tell bear, for him to help other bears.”
Amber grabbed the back of the wooden chair at the desk and sat down, then rubbed her forehead just above her reddish-gold eyebrows with two fingers. “This whole situation is making my head hurt. She moved her hand to run fingers around her lips. “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to talk to Tamir, and to Ahmad, and then probably to my husband … who is also a bear, Anica.
“If there is a remnant of Sargon’s operation still active in Serbia, we’ll find it. It would help a lot if you could remember where it was, though. If they’ve been hidden for a decade, while we’ve had people actively looking for nests, then they’re well hidden.”
Anica just shook her head. “No, I am sorry. Whole escape is fuzzy in my head.”
Rachel raised a finger. “I’ve heard of people who can see through time, forward and backward. Could they help?”
Amber nodded wearily. “We do have seers with hindsight. But they’re pretty busy right now. I might be able to get one from Alek’s old wolf pack to come here after we get this race done.” She slapped her hands against her pale green linen slacks, which were now showing the wrinkles of a long day. “But until then, let’s just move along as though we know nothing.
“I’ll take any blame from here on. I’m not going to bring this up and complicate the peace talks any more than necessary. Once the blood feud and land issue are settled, we can work on various other illegal activities.” She sat on the arm of the couch and reached forward, straight past Scott’s head. He froze, eyes wide. But she just grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza. “For now, I’m starved. And hand me one of those beers, unless you have anything stronger.”
Rachel could tell that Scott wasn’t sure if Amber was joking or not. But he offered, “I have a half bottle of vodka in my apartment that Rachel donated when she was packing. It’s pretty good stuff, with lemon flavoring.”
The Council doctor nodded and said through a bite of pizza, “Get it. I need a drink.”
“Great,” he said with a smile. “Let me use the john real quick and I’ll run downstairs. I really need to pee.”
Rachel stood up with him. “I’ll go. I know where you keep it. The door unlocked?”
Scott tossed her his key ring. “Bottom cabinet next to the stove. Same as always.”
She gladly left her apartment. What a mess! That certainly wasn’t the way she’d expected the Council to find out about Anica. But in a way, she was glad it had happened. To think there were still people out there chained to the walls, living in filth, and fearing that each day would be their last … it made her skin crawl.
In Scott’s apartment, Rachel headed straight for the kitchen. The vodka was right where he’d said and nearly three-quarters full. She grabbed it and the nearly full bottle of whiskey beside it, then took a moment to take a juice glass out of the cupboard and pour herself a shot of vodka in case she didn’t get any later. Throwing it back, she felt the burn of the alcohol slide down her throat and warm her chest. The lemon was soft on her tongue and tasted good enough that she poured another shot.
“Better slow down with those. You can actually get drunk.”
She turned abruptly, nearly dropping the glass on the floor. Dalvin was standing in the living room wearing only a towel around his waist, fresh from the shower. Crap! “Um, we really shouldn’t be seen together.” Her words had a fast, panicked edge because her heart was beating like a trip-hammer. He was gorgeous—tall and muscled, his dark skin glistening in the lamplight. She held up the bottle. “And Amber’s waiting for this.”
He padded closer on bare feet, his eyes fixed on her, heavy, weighted. “Then you should leave.”
Inches from her now. He didn’t touch her—his hands stayed tight on the edges of the towel. He just breathed in her scent and closed his eyes. Her entire body started to tremble from the sensation of his magic enveloping her, caressing her own magic. It was like nothing she’d ever experienced. It made her knees weak. When he leaned forward and kissed her, she had to lean back against the counter to keep from falling. His tongue slid into her mouth, danced and toyed with hers. Every instinct screamed out for her to put her arms around him, pull him against her, wrap herself around him and keep him there. But she was frozen, unable to move while he kissed her, his lips soft and his jaw hard against hers. Her whole body was flushed. The last time he’d kissed her, it had sent her straight into orgasm. Never had that happen before!
He pulled back and she could barely stand. “Mmm … you taste good,” he whispered next to her ear. “I’ll bet the rest of you tastes just as good.” Then he turned and padded back into the bathroom. She watched the play of water drops sliding down his muscles. His lean calves and thighs made her bite her lip. Part of her wanted to follow, but he shut the door with a soft click and she heard him set the lock.
Another shot, I definitely need another shot. She swirled the third sip of vodka around slowly, trying to get the taste of his kiss out of her mouth. Now the bottle was down to a half. There was no way the people in her apartment weren’t going to know what just happened. The best she could hope for was tactful silence.
She got it. A few raised eyebrows when she set the bottles on the table and escaped into the bathroom to put a cool cloth on her face and use the toilet, but nothing was said. At least, not until Scott and Alek left, an hour later.
Then, as Amber helped clean up the mess while Anica was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, the healer said, “He gets you worked up, huh?”
Rachel froze, her hand on the trash can lid. “Who?”
The other woman let out a light laugh. “Who do you think? Be careful with that one. He may seem like a player … like everything is loosey-goosey and just for fun, but if it gets serious with him, there’ll be no turning back. I know. I got one of those myself.”
“I already know that,” Rachel said, nodding. “He’s like his dad. Still waters. He was always thoughtful. I was surprised to hear he was with so many women.”
Pausing in her cleaning, Amber took a sip of vodka, swirling the ice around in the glass. “Charles told me once that he knew what he wanted and knew nearly immediately when a woman didn’t have it. So he’d go on one date, maybe two, and then he was gone. He said when he met me, there was a thunk in his head, like the last number on a big vault lock had finally hit and he didn’t need to look anymore.”
“For you too?” Rachel dried her hands on a paper towel as she walked to a chair.
Amber shook her head. She set her glass on the table, then sat down on the couch and leaned back, crossing one leg over the other knee. “Not really. It took longer for me. A lot longer, probably fifty years before I really warmed to him. He can be jovial, but I always seemed to see him at his worst. Council meetings are hard on him, make him cranky and snippy.”
Rachel leaned back in the recliner and pulled the handle to bring up the footrest. “So what’s the other boot? Is it the race?”
Amber shook her head. “No. The race is just a race. What’s going to happen has already started. The wheels are in motion. You’ll know what it is when you decide
to act. I just don’t know if that will be soon or weeks from now. I hope I’m around for it. I hear tell I’m likely to be. But the future is strange. So many things can change it. My sister knows about that stuff. I try not to get involved.”
Rachel pondered that for a few minutes while staring at the woman who could think of time in leaps of centuries. “It would be strange to know the future. See people living or dying before it happens. I don’t think I’d like it.”
Amber wiggled her butt in the cushions. “This couch isn’t half bad. I could fall asleep right now.” She continued. “Most of the seers I know feel the same. They don’t like it. They know why it’s necessary, but keeping the secrets, hiding the possibilities from people you love … not fun. Having lived a few centuries myself, it’s hard to know I’ll still be around when others are gone.”
“People like me. I’ll probably just live a normal human life span.”
“Possibly. But you never know. Strange things happen when magic is involved.” Her hands were behind her head, propping up the pillow. “I think I’m going to sleep now. You can have your bed. Try to get some rest. Morning will be here quick.”
“Thanks.” She was really grateful to be able to sleep in her own bed before something as nerve-racking as the race was sure to be. Even as she got to her feet, the little cat closed her eyes and started to breathe slower. A glance at the clock showed it was already eleven! Crap!
Rachel locked the front door and padded down the short hallway. Peeking into the spare room, she saw that Anica was already asleep. Safe in her own room at last, Rachel closed the door, changed quickly, and crawled under the covers. Her last thought was of Dalvin—what would have happened if he’d left the bathroom door open and there hadn’t been people waiting back in her place.
CHAPTER 15
The sun was just rising when he pulled up to the lake. Rachel was already sitting on the dock, and beside her was … Zarko Petrovic? Rachel was singing “Dock of the Bay” again, while Zarko dipped his bare feet in the water and kicked. It was such an odd scene that Dalvin wasn’t sure whether to interrupt it. When the final line reverberated in the air, he opened the car door.
