by K. N. Banet
I fired through the gap, hearing an animalistic scream. It didn’t slow him down, though. I kept firing until I ran out of bullets, wondering if any of them helped. Between that and the size of the man, I had some idea who and what he was.
“Oh, shit.” I crawled away a few more feet from the door while Raphael stood in a standoff against the werewolf who had done something no werewolf could do. I found our bags and grabbed another clip, this one loaded with silver. I turned back and began to take aim.
“Raph, let him through!” I ordered.
Raphael looked over his shoulder like I was crazy.
“Do it!” I yelled.
He jumped back, and the werewolf monstrosity barreled through, snarling. Drool fell from the movie monster’s mouth in long strings like a rabid animal. This was what humans wanted werewolves to be. This was the version of them that inspired monsters.
Why did they keep you in the prison? Why couldn’t they find some other hole to keep you?
“Raph, back off,” I ordered, aiming for his legs to bring him down. I took a shot, but the damn wolf moved faster than I could blink, tackling the closest living creature to him, my roommate. Unable to take another shot, I watched as they rolled and fought across my condo, knocking things off the walls and sending furniture into different areas of the room.
Wesley must have realized I wasn’t the biggest threat in the room because he was ignoring me now. It gave me a chance to take stock. Wesley was kept in a special cell that must have been unlocked when the prison’s systems failed. He’d been a special project. Not quite a prisoner, but definitely not allowed his freedom.
Whoever let him out was a sick son of a bitch. Wesley didn’t deserve what was going to happen to him. The others certainly did, but not Wesley.
Before I could tell Raphael to hold him for me to kill him, the werewolf was thrown out the window. I stood shell-shocked for a minute as I realized what Raphael had just done. Those windows were able to withstand bullets. They certainly weren’t supposed to allow bodies to be thrown through them. It was just a piece of the ultra-strong puzzle Raphael was and a stunning one at that.
“Shit,” I whispered, letting it trail off as Raphael ran over to me, bleeding from a dozen places, his shirt torn to hell.
“Kaliya, we need to go,” he said swiftly, grabbing my arm and tugging. With his free hand, he grabbed one of my bags. “Kaliya.”
I watched the window as I saw Wesley begin to stir on my patio.
“Fuck.” I started moving, realizing that wasn’t going to put the werewolf down for the count. I grabbed the second bag and ran out with my roommate, going into the service hallway. I deadbolted the service hall door before jumping into the elevator. While we went down, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, glad to see it made it out. I didn’t need another Sinclair style security breach.
“Who are you calling for help?”
“No one. We have help in the condo,” I answered, hitting the button to disengage the security in Raphael’s room where I had locked away my uncle. “If those two tangle, it buys us time. Wesley will fly down the stairs and meet us in the parking garage if I don’t give him something to chew on.”
“And your uncle is a good idea for that? Don’t we need him?” Raphael tried to grab the phone from me, but I was fast enough to get away.
“He’s better than nothing or, you know, just being dead,” I snapped, not letting guilt get to me. Nakul had come with me and given me good information and wanted to help, but he was still one of them—one of the bad guys, one of the murderers who should have died when they were caught. Keeping Raphael and me alive was the first priority. Everyone else could go fuck themselves, especially my uncle.
“There’s a chance Wesley would sniff him out anyway and pick a fight. We’re just making it easier. Once we’re in the car, I need to call Hasan again. This is a major secrecy breach.”
“Really? Do you think that guy walked all the way here, looking like that?”
“Walk? No. Run? Very possible. Wesley isn’t normal.”
The elevator dinged at the parking garage, and we ran for my BMW, jumping in. I started the engine and pulled out, glad to be getting away from yet another attempt on my life.
“I think we should go to Cassius’,” Raphael said as we turned onto the road.
“Nope. Fae. Can’t trust the fae right now,” I said evenly. “That stands. Every fucking one of them is conveniently missing. Remember?”
“That’s right. What about…Paden’s? He’s a good friend, and he’s a fae, not missing.”
“He’s got a wife he needs to keep on lockdown, and he’s an information dealer in his spare time. The Jackalope doesn’t pay his bills. I can’t give him anything that might jeopardize the position of the Tribunal, and details about a mass prison break that aren’t already public could very well do that.” I considered other options, sighing as I figured one would be better than the rest. “It’s not finished, but we’re going to my desert home.”
“The one where Sinclair attacked us?”
“Yup.” I hit the gas and got onto the freeway. Rain was pouring down now, meaning Levi had finished the spell, and the storm was at full strength. Going after him now seemed like a terrible idea. Wesley, Nakul, Erline, Dunter, Levi—how many other monsters would come crawling out from under the bed while I tried to regain any semblance of control over the situation?
“What was he? Wesley.” Raphael leaned back in the seat, getting comfortable.
“A werewolf.” It wasn’t that hard to figure out.
“No. Werewolves and werecats only turn into actual animals, big ass wolves or big ass cats.”
“Big ass sabretooth cats, but yeah, you’re right.” I shrugged. “Wesley isn’t normal.”
“Obviously,” he snapped. “Kaliya, this is where you start telling me what we’re dealing with, remember?”
“Oh shit, yeah. Sharing. That’s right.” I was frazzled, but I saw no reason why he couldn’t know about Wesley. “Wesley is a werewolf, but he’s not really a bad person or anything. Someone else turned him into that, dumped him in the middle of a small town in the Rockies, and a massacre ensued. He’s gone into what’s called the Last Change. Werecats and werewolves sometimes completely lose it and can’t finish going between the forms. They’re cursed beings, so it makes sense it would end poorly, right? They’re normally killed when it happens. They have no humanity, no reason. They’re mindless killing machines.”
“So…this just happens, and they’re killed when they’re found. But not Wesley?”
I could understand his confusion.
“Wesley has moments of clarity, of humanity no other werewolf or werecat has after experiencing the Last Change. He was found in the center of that small town, crying over a little girl he had killed.” I thanked my lucky stars I hadn’t been one of the people to find him. What an awful sight that must have been. “They knew then something was wrong…with him, with the entire situation. The problem is, when he tries to remember what’s happened to him and who did it, he goes into a rage, freaks out, and starts killing again. Others have tried to probe his memory to discover anything, but it’s always a dead end. So, he’s kept in hopes someone could one day discover how to fix him because this wasn’t his failure. Not that he’ll ever live on his own again, but he’s just a victim.”
“Like me,” Raphael whispered.
“Like you,” I agreed softly. “I’m honestly pissed off he’s out. If he can’t be contained, he’ll need to be killed, and that helps no one. Certainly not him.”
“Why was he at the prison? Was it for security?”
“Yup.” I nodded sharply. “I would bet my life’s savings the breakout agitated him more than normal…” I trailed off, realizing my train of thought was wrong. There was another thread here, and it was something I could use. “No…”
“What?”
“I think he was spelled or charmed,” I said, putting it together very quickly and deciding I was
right. “He must have been. There’s no way, in a city this big, he would have beelined to me like any other prisoner with a grudge or a hit on me. He and I only saw each other when I did my walkthroughs, and I often didn’t go down and see him. He’s normally no trouble. I’ve even spoken to him once. He’s very sad but kind. He and I have no qualms or history.”
“That’s nice to know,” Raphael whispered. He took a deep breath, looking out his window and away from me while I tried to navigate through the rain. “So, let’s have a quick rundown. I’ve killed a redcap, trying to kill you. You killed a fae, trying to kill you. Nakul was asked to kill you and didn’t, but he also has no memory of who asked him to do it. Now, Wesley is running around, a werewolf who is more fucked up than other werewolves, and for some reason, he was able to get to us to try to kill you, all the way in Phoenix and at the top of a condo complex in his normal form.”
“Yeah, sounds about right,” I said, hitting the gas as if they were on my tail at that very moment. “Not very often I’m afraid, but I’ll give it to whoever orchestrated this nightmare. I’m terrified.”
“You’ve got me, and I’m stronger than all of them,” he said confidently. “I meant it, Kaliya. I’m in this with you. You went through hell and lost a friend when you helped me. Whatever the reason, you did that, so I’m in this all the way. No reason to be terrified.”
“You aren’t?” I asked, trying to look in his direction. I could always see him out of the corner of my eye, but I wanted to really see him. I wanted to see his eyes and his face and understand what he was really thinking.
“I’m worried. I’m scared. I don’t know any of these people. But I’m tough, and you’re skilled and have all the intel we can get our hands on. We can get through this.”
I let that sink in, then nodded.
“You’re right. We’ll make a good team.”
“Just as long as you don’t throw me out of danger anymore,” he said quickly, and I heard the bite of anger he must have been hiding.
“Sorry.” Not really.
“Sure, you are,” he snorted. “You don’t need to protect me, Kaliya. If I know what I’m up against, I’ve had a lot of practice at protecting myself over the years.”
Yes, I do. “You don’t think it’s even a little admirable that everyone’s trying to kill me, but I’m protecting you?” I asked, trying for a faulty, fake smile, trying to tease him a little and feel better.
“It’s a little admirable, but also just a little stupid,” he retorted. “I’m probably not skilled like Cassius or anyone else you’ve worked with, but I’m not incapable.”
“I know.” I just don’t care. “Look, I promised to look out for you. I’m sorry this entire mess is taking us away from what we’ve been trying to do for you—”
“We were at a dead-end anyway and have been since the moment we left the Tribunal,” he reminded me. “I’m not an idiot. I know you and Cassius have dug into everything you can and haven’t found anything. I know Mygi isn’t making this easy for us.” He sighed. “Do you think this might tie back to them?”
“I’m honestly hoping it doesn’t. It would be stupid for them to do something like this. I don’t know what sort of connections they would have with the prison, which I haven’t heard from since we left…” I rolled my tongue over my lip piercing. “We should drive back down there and question some people once we get word it’s secure. Korey, if she’s alive, will have already launched her own investigation, and that could really help us.”
“Good plan. I’m just following your lead.” He nodded once, and I smirked.
I kind of like this Raphael, the one who doesn’t argue a lot, goes with the flow, and helps me. He’s nice.
Oh, wait a minute. I thought the exact same thing about Cassius right before I started sleeping with him. Work together on a thing, then get drunk and fuck. Because that’s how I really need this to go down again. What’s the definition of insanity?
We pulled in front of my house in the wee hours of the morning. I parked in the repaired garage, glad to see the garage door was already installed and working. Leading Raphael inside, I felt a wave of déjà vu from the last time I brought him here, which had led to Sinclair attacking. He hadn’t come with me when I stopped by for repairs. I dumped him off with Cassius or went by pictures and meetings with my contractors.
“It looks done,” he commented. “Why haven’t we moved in?”
“Some of the contractors are magical and have been spelling the region for me as Cassius has. That takes longer than most of the construction. I’m also installing the same type of security the condo has. Instead of two safe rooms, it’s going to become a fortress when it’s on lockdown. Tying together the technology and the magic to work together is a pain in the ass,” I explained, looking over my new floors and the wrapped furniture everywhere. I was taking the chance to redesign some areas, and Raphael didn’t realize, but I had made major expansions to the main house, attaching it to the second building where the gym was. That way, if there was a lockdown, we both still had things to do.
This was why I never brought him. I was taking him into account when repairing my house. I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t help but plan everything in my life around whether he would be in it or not.
There were rare moments in life when I desperately wanted my mother. This was one of them. She was the only person I ever felt comfortable talking to about naga things. My dad and brothers were just like Adhar in a lot of ways—get a mate, have children, avoid danger at all costs. I loved them, but they weren’t her. She had understood and would have been able to offer me advice none of them would have ever considered giving.
I can’t think about this right now.
“Kaliya, we’re going to be safe here, right?” Raphael asked from the kitchen. I honestly thought kitchens were his favorite room in every building he walked into. He practically lived in them.
“As safe as anywhere. I need to make that call to Hasan. I’ll be in one of the back rooms. Scream if you need anything.” I looked in the kitchen and saw his thumbs up in my direction as he looked around. I almost smiled at how my kitchen was twice the size it used to be, and he seemed to really like it.
Stop, stop, stop. Got to stop thinking about this. Got to stop worrying about this.
My bedroom was one of the few rooms I didn’t change much. It was larger now, but the design was the same, the colors, warm and rich, and explosive, remnants of a home I never went back to.
I dialed Hasan and waited for four rings before he answered.
“I’m in a meeting. What’s your update? We’ve seen the storm in Phoenix and contacted a local witch in hopes she and her coven can track the source and find where Levi might be hiding.”
“I’m getting the okay to go on the offensive?”
“I was going to call in ten more minutes. We’re briefing with Korey and Eliphas right now,” he answered. “They’ve finally secured the prison to the best of their abilities.” He sounded disappointed in them.
“Perfect. I need everything either of them can learn about this,” I said quickly, walking into my office and frowning. Damn it. All that work in the condo, and it’s still in the condo—the wrecked condo. We’re going to need a good cleanup crew from the Tribunal once it’s over.
“We can make that happen come dawn. We’re still trying to account for any of the northern cell block inmates, and they were just saying they noticed Wesley—”
“Wesley’s in Phoenix,” I answered quickly. “We just had a run-in with him. I would have called you sooner, but I had to drive through the storm. He found his way to my condo. Raphael nearly threw him off the building. We got out because he’s enraged, easy to distract. I think he’s spelled. There’s no way he would have been able to focus enough to track me otherwise.”
“You should have started with that…” Hasan muttered. “Putting you on speaker for everyone. She’s already run into Wesley, everyone, and believes he’s spelled.”
“What exactly did he do to make you think that?” Callahan asked, the male werewolf Alpha on the Tribunal.
“He took the elevator up to my condo.” That got a couple of curses and a gasp. Wesley, if he were just in a fit, would have never been able to focus enough to do that. If his mind was clear enough to work technology, he wouldn’t have tried to hurt a fly.
“Then I’m inclined to believe you,” the werewolf muttered. “Fuck. Hasan, we need to mobilize others in Phoenix.”
“Agreed. I can try to call in Coyotl. He lives south of the US-Mexico border, but he can get there by next sundown or faster. He might not answer the call, though. This isn’t the Duty, so he’s not required to. I could also send in any of my own children, but only one is in the United States, and the rest are dealing with the political fallout. I need your wolves to back off, but that’s a discussion for another night. What about the pack in Phoenix?”
Political fallout? I wonder if he’s talking about the werecat he saved from death row. Wouldn’t that be a good thing? And he has a kid in the United States right now? Fucking who? Hisao would have let me know one of his siblings was my neighbor or passing through, right? Unless it’s him…
“It is a discussion for another time and unrelated to the matter at hand,” Callahan agreed with a small growl. “We’ll mobilize the local pack.”
Callahan’s words knocked me off the train of thought about Hasan’s family. Mobilizing the Phoenix pack was much more pressing than wondering about the old werecat family who scared everyone.
“They’ll take over securing Wesley and getting him out of the city without incident. We’ve never briefed the human populace about the Last Change, but we can use this to introduce the topic and remind them we are monsters if they aren’t careful. It’s not going to play out pretty, so there will be backlash we can at least prepare for.”
