by Mandi Casey
I looked around. From my viewpoint, with my head on Liam’s knee, I didn’t see that there had been a struggle. The rogue must not have come into the store. The good thing about being the Selected was that the rogues couldn’t tell who I was, besides being just another ordinary human they’d like to snack on. They couldn’t tell I was the Selected because I didn’t give off any kind of identifying scent to clue them in on. They only knew my identity when someone told them.
After Liam helped me sit upright on the couch, he took his own position on the other cushion. I would have laughed when he gave me a stare that said, Go on, explain what the heck that was all about, but bile threatened to rise up my throat.
“Sorry about that. A rogue must have been pretty close for me to pass out. The closer they are to me, the stronger my Selected senses react. Thanks for staying to make sure the rogue didn’t try getting in the store.” I felt sick, but the rogue must have left the area because my body was already slowly feeling better. If the rogue were still around, I’d probably still be unconscious.
Liam fidgeted a little, clearly not used to being thanked for his service. He waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” He laughed when I lifted one of my eyebrows in disbelief. “Besides, if anything happened to you, my boss would have my butt in a sling.”
Liam tried to make a joke of it, but I could tell he meant what he said. Kieran would not be pleased if one of his vampires was with me, and they let something happen.
The recollection of what he was saying when the foggy haze lifted from my mind hit me. “Liam, you were attacked by a werewolf? Is that when Kieran made you a vampire?”
He shifted uneasily on the cushion while deliberating on what to say next. Was it not polite to ask a vampire how they were turned? I’d have to ask Kieran about what vampires considered proper manners when it came to asking about their vampire origins.
“It was a long time ago, Sydney, hardly worth mentioning.” Liam lifted his hand to peer at his watch. Did the vampire want me to think he had somewhere else he needed to be?
“No, I want to hear it. That is, if you’re willing to tell me.” I didn’t want to push, but I had really warmed up to Liam. He seemed like he really needed to get it out, since he chose to tell me while I was unconscious and unable to remember the story.
“Fine.” He drew a deep breath. “A long time ago, my brother and I were working on my father’s farm. It was night time, the moon happened to be full, and we didn’t pay enough attention to what was happening around us beyond the trees that lined the south end of the property. We were attacked from behind. My brother never knew what it was. You see, he didn’t survive the night. Kieran found me later when the wolves had been gone for some time and gave me his blood to heal my injuries. If he hadn’t, I would have died along with my brother. And for that, I’m very grateful to my coven leader.”
We smiled. Kieran did have some really good qualities as a person, even if he was a vampire. The fact that he had had a longstanding affair with my grandmother before she died gave me the willies, but otherwise he was a pretty decent man.
“So, did you know werewolves existed before you and your brother were attacked?”
Liam’s eyes glazed over, as if he were returning to that awful night when his entire life as he knew it was ripped away from him.
“My family was very superstitious, but we’d never seen a wolf before. There were stories the grown-ups used to frighten the young children, but I figured it was to make sure we stayed tucked in our wee beds when it was time to go to sleep.” Liam lifted his shoulders in a shrug. He was the vampire that had come the closest to mastering human gestures for the benefit of his conversations with people, making him appear more, well, human.
“How did Kieran happen to come along and find you on your father’s property the same night that you were attacked?” Liam was lucky Kieran had found him, otherwise he would have died that night, or could he have become a werewolf from the wolf’s bites?
“Kieran and his Knights were hunting the wolves in the area. The coven leader has always been protective over humans, Sydney. He was not much different when I first encountered him than he is this day. Anyways, Kieran and his hunting party were tracking the wolves by their kills. Wolves can be very messy when they attack. My poor brother . . .” Liam stopped talking, coughed to clear the lump I imagined was forming in his throat, and took a moment to regain his composure. Clearly he was not over the death of his brother.
“Liam, you don’t have to finish the story if it’s too painful.” I put my hand on his forearm and gave him a gentle, but supportive, squeeze. He turned his head toward me. That’s when I saw his eyes. Vampires didn’t cry, not that I’ve ever seen. But Liam’s eyes were more of a deeper color red than usual. Normally, Liam’s eyes were a vibrant red color, almost pink.
He took his other hand and patted the one I had resting on his arm. “Sydney, you’re not so bad, for a human.” With that, we both laughed. Liam was fast becoming my favorite guy vampire friend.
“Sydney, I’ll finish the story. There’s not much left to tell anyways. Kieran tracked the wolf that attacked us by smelling my brother’s blood. The wolf had almost all of my brother’s leg torn off, and there was a lot of blood. Vampires are not able to smell each other, or tell the difference between rogue wolves and those that belong to packs, but they are more than able to smell human blood. Even from far distances.” Liam sat on the couch, patiently awaiting my questions.
The thought of the nature shows I’d watched about sharks came to mind. Sharks could smell blood in the water from over a mile away. I never understood how they could smell anything while they were in the water, but then again, nature was full of complex details that didn’t make sense to me.
“Liam, why does Kieran let the Elders dictate how to run his coven if he doesn’t agree with how they conduct their own behavior in regards to how they feed?”
“Kieran’s loyalty to the Elders is like a child’s to their parent. The Elders turned and raised Kieran and his brother, teaching them the old ways as being the only way to survive. Besides, if Kieran went against the Elders, they would have the Knights get rid of him. Such an action would be considered treason, and they would deal with him as a traitor. Kieran is better off making his case, having the changes he wants implemented in small doses. That way they will be better received by everyone.”
“If Kieran’s coven is so loyal to him, why wouldn’t he just start his own coven, away from the Elders, with his own rules?” I got that Kieran was loyal to the Elders, but if he didn’t like the way they handled the vampire issues, then why not become his own governing body?
Liam took a deep breath, another human-like gesture for my benefit. He was good. “Sydney, you can’t just go against the Elders. They have been a part of vampire law and existence from the start. If Kieran were to start separating himself and his coven from their law, he would be killed. The Elders don’t want to lose control of their people. Think of the vampires being under a general dictatorship. The Elders are the dictators. They want Kieran to be their General, to enforce their laws.”
“But if Kieran is so against what they stand for, why not move away from them and live the life of a vampire as he sees fit?” Kieran didn’t seem like the type of vampire that would bend his morals too far, so why would he stay under the rule of a group of old vampires that demanded he do just that?
“The Elder’s reach doesn’t only extend to this area of vampires, Sydney. The Elders belong to a larger group of Elders that spans across the entire world. From what I’ve been told, the Elders that oversee this country are nothing in comparison to those over in Eastern Europe and even farther away, like the ones in Asia.” Liam began fidgeting again, inspecting his fingernails closely. We were clearly on a topic he was no longer comfortable talking about, but I wanted to know ev
erything there was to know about the Elders.
The phone on the counter next to the register rang loudly, making me jump from the couch. I hadn’t realized how edgy the rogue’s appearance and what Liam was telling me had made me. I walked over to the counter, my legs shaking from weakness. Before I answered, I put a finger up toward Liam, signaling for him not to go anywhere. I wasn’t finished talking yet.
Brianna was on the other line giggling. “Sydney! I’m so happy you answered. We’re coming up to Kenosha in a few minutes so be ready, because we’re going to Max’s. Maybe you should ask Blake if he’d like to go, too?”
My sister, ever the matchmaker. She had no idea vampires and werewolves existed. Hopefully it would stay that way. Michael, her boyfriend, who was also Blake’s cousin, belonged to Blake’s werewolf pack.
I told Brianna to hold for a second, muted the phone, and set it down.
“Liam, is there anything I can do to repay you for your kindness? You didn’t have to stay with me like you did, but I really appreciate it.” I liked Liam. He was one of the good guys.
Liam lifted himself off the couch and walked over. Gently, and like a little brother would, Liam gave me a hug while patting me on the back. “Sydney, it was my pleasure. Besides, like I said before, if anything happened to you, Kieran would have my hide.” He smiled and headed to the door.
Before leaving, he turned and said, with a surprising amount of sadness in his voice, “See you tomorrow, Sydney. Take care of yourself.”
“Don’t think you’re getting off that easy, Bub. I still have a lot of questions for you about vampires. You are going to tell me about them,” I said with stern determination, telling him that I wasn’t going to let it go.
Liam nodded. His shoulders slumped lower, just a bit. “Sydney, no matter how much I would love to tell you, there are things about the vampire nation I’ve been sworn to keep to myself, even from you. But I’ll answer what I can. I don’t see any point in it, though. There’s nothing you, not even as the Selected, can do to change them. Vampires are pretty set in their ways. Besides, vampires can only fight the need to consume blood for so long. We all give in, eventually.”
“Liam, what aren’t you telling me?” I could see it in his face that he was holding back. Like there were things he wanted to tell me but wouldn’t, or couldn’t.
“Like I said before, Sydney, take care of yourself. You mean a lot to me. Whatever happens tomorrow night, just know that I’ll make sure you’ll be okay,” he said, while gripping the doorknob so tight I feared he’d crush it with his vampire strength.
When I was about to say something else, Liam put his hand up in the air and gave a little wave. I didn’t say what I wanted because I knew it wouldn’t matter. Liam was trying to tell me something about tomorrow night, but he couldn’t come right out and say it. What did he know about the ball?
Grabbing the phone and putting it back to my ear, I said, “Brianna? What do you mean you’re coming up tonight? What time will you be here?”
Brianna and Michael planned to arrive a little after seven o’clock but had to go to Morris’ pack house before going to the nightclub. Morris, Blake’s father, knew his nephew was dating my sister. As a favor to me, he made sure his pack members didn’t say anything in front of her she wasn’t ready to hear.
That would give me enough time to close the store, go home, and get ready for the evening.
My guess was Blake already knew about the evening plans. My sister was a fink who kept trying to make us date each other. Should I invite him? He had a terrible time seeing me talk, or even flirt, with other men.
It could prove to be an interesting night.
Chapter 5
The wind gusted in a cold blast as I shut the car door and ran up the front porch steps to Aunt Judith’s house. The sweet, tangy smell of lasagna came from the kitchen as I set my purse and keys down on the wooden table next to the front door. The smell consoled my senses. My mouth began to water in anticipation. Nothing was better than four melted cheeses, black olives, pasta, and homemade tomato sauce laced with oregano and sugar. Sugar was Aunt Judith’s secret ingredient in making the best sauce I’ve ever tasted.
Aunt Judith stood in the kitchen next to the sink, taking in the scenery through the window overlooking the back yard. She turned and smiled at my approach. When the timer dinged, she used two colorful potholders to take the delicious-smelling meal out of the oven and set it on the stove.
As she dished up our dinner, I asked, “Aunt Judith, have you ever heard Grandma speak about a Blood Rites Ball?”
Her hand holding the blue spatula halted mid scoop. Without turning around, she said, “Yes, she mentioned having to go. Why do you ask?”
She finished dishing out the lasagna on our plates, brought them to the table, and sat down with a little less grace than was normal for her.
“Kieran is having one tomorrow night. One of his vampires came to the store today saying that the Elders may assign someone else to watch over me instead of Kieran. He also said this happened before, when Kieran and Grandma started getting too close for their liking.”
I needed to know how Kieran and Grandma kept it so no one else was put in charge of the Selected. I needed to get stronger so it wouldn’t matter who was put in charge of me. From what I read from her journal, Grandma was powerful. Her powers were strong enough to keep the bad guys at bay. I needed to do the same for myself. Aunt Judith had said her abilities grew and developed over time. My instincts told me I didn’t have much time before someone tried to lock me away. I needed to figure out how to defend myself, fast.
Aunt Judith nodded. “I remember. My mother fell quite fast for the vampire leader. She used to tell me they were in love. But the Elders don’t like it when something, or someone, becomes more important to their servants than they are. So, they made Kieran choose.”
That didn’t make sense to me. Why would the Elders not want their vampire coven leaders to be happy?
Then it hit me.
Kieran had made a choice.
He chose the Elders over my grandmother.
“He decided to go along with what the Elders wanted instead of staying with Grandma. She must have been devastated.”
Sadness for my grandmother’s broken heart and disappointment that Kieran would pick power and privilege over the love of his life pounded another link in the armor being constructed around my heart against love.
Blake was destined to be the pack master of the Midwestern Werewolf Pack someday. What would happen if his pack didn’t accept their leader having the Selected for his mate, especially if she wasn’t the Selected who could fulfill their prophecy?
What choice would Blake make if forced to choose between me and his pack? I didn’t want to be the one to put him in the kind of position where he’d even have to make such a choice.
My heart hurt. Would Blake choose me over his pack?
No.
Aunt Judith’s fork scraped along her plate, bringing me back to the present.
“Yes. My mother was devastated, but not because of Kieran’s rejection. They decided together it would be better to have him in charge of her, as her protector, than it would be for them to try and run away together. There was no way the Elders would have allowed Kieran to live if he declared the Selected, a human female, of more importance to him than they were. They would have treated him as a rogue.”
Aunt Judith’s shoulders sagged, making her face seem a bit more aged than usual. She was under a lot of stress. It wasn’t just me who had to deal with all of this. Aunt Judith was pretty deep in the thick of things as well. From the stories I’ve now heard and read about, she’s always been submerged in the life of the Selected, one way or the other.
After she explained how Kieran didn’t leave my grandmother for power and glory, and that he’d ma
de his choice to save both their lives, a bit of relief washed over me. I hadn’t realized how profoundly disappointed I’d been with the vampire leader when I heard he had basically dumped my grandma so he could live a posh life, rubbing elbows with the rich, powerful, and famous of his kind.
From the way Kieran’s vampires adored and respected him, as did my grandmother, I assumed he was an upstanding kind of guy, for a vampire. I could have kicked myself. I should know better than to assume anything anymore.
I wasn’t so sure what kind of vampire Kieran was, but I had an idea I was about to find out at the Blood Rites Ball. If the Elders decided to take the power of the coven and the Selected away from Kieran, my bet was that he would show his true colors.
We finished eating dinner in contemplative silence. After cleaning the kitchen, I went up to my room to take a quick nap before Brianna and Michael came to pick me up. Before turning off the lamp next to my bed I spied the edge of Grandma’s journal poking out from under the mattress.
The feel of the soft leather binding soothed my beating headache. My heart lurched thinking of Grandma having to go through being the Selected all on her own.
Just like me.
The difference was Grandma Maria knew who and what she was her entire life. She had been brought up among the vampires and werewolves. She’d even formed bonds of friendship with some of them. Her mother insisted my grandmother knew what she was getting into.
Opening the journal to the page with the top bent inward, I began to read.
Kieran was stunned when he realized I started to be able to see into the short-distance future. He agreed to keep it between us until I was able to get a better grip on the ability and use it to our advantage.
