The Xoe Meyers Trilogy (Xoe Meyers Young Adult Fantasy/Horror Series)

by Sara C. Roethle

  Abel didn't even have to put down his end when he used one hand to grab the knob. The door shut behind them, and I heard another door open and shut as they went out the girl's room and into the hallway. I wasn't sure where they were going with the bodies, it looked pretty darn suspicious, but I figured they had it covered.

  It was my turn to go into the girls' room so I could shower. Before I went through, I had a thought, and I turned back to regard Devin as he gathered up the other rug all by himself. “Tell Abel he's doing a bang up job on protecting me so far. I might just have to reconsider the whole deal.”

  Devin's eyebrows raised. “So that's why he was here?” he questioned. “He offered you his protection?”

  Apparently it was a secret. Oh well.

  “Yes,” I answered, “and I took it. Now tell him to do a little better.”

  Devin smiled politely, something changed in his demeanor and I didn't know what or why. “Of course, I'll get the message to him right away.”

  I really should have just gone into the other room already, but letting things go is not one of my strong points. “What does Abel offering me his protection mean to you?”

  Devin smiled again, the picture of a perfect gentleman, except for the corpse burrito in his arms. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

  He was lying, but short of threats I couldn't really make him tell me anything. I took a deep breath and went into the girls' room without another word.

  Lucy was sitting on the edge of one of the beds. Lela, Max, and Allison still weren’t back. I imagined rumors would be circling soon enough and they’d find their way back to our rooms in a hurry.

  “Is Chase okay?” Lucy asked.

  “Fine,” I grumbled. I grabbed my forgotten shampoos and headed into the bathroom.

  I wasn't sure if Lucy deserved my grumpiness, but my adrenaline had faded and I felt like crap. She probably deserved it . . . maybe. I'd think about it later. I just wanted a few minutes alone.

  As I had suspected, my clothes were completely ruined. I felt dizzy for a moment thinking about how all that blood had come out of Chase. I sat on the edge of the bathtub to try and steady myself. As I sat I peeled my bloody shirt off and tossed it into the trashcan.

  I stood and turned the shower on, then finished undressing. My jeans wouldn’t fit into the little trashcan so I put them in the sink.

  After stepping in, I waited for the shower water to run from pink to clear before I shampooed my hair. Ick. I had blood stuck under my fingernails, and I couldn't quite seem to get them clean.

  I gave up on my nails and finished showering. Then I got out to find that I once again forgot clean clothes, only this time I was way too tired to care. I wrapped a towel around me and ventured out into the bedroom.

  Everyone was huddled in the girls’ room, making it seem smaller than it already was. My suitcase had been placed right outside the bathroom door. I crouched down and picked out some new jeans and a plain white tee-shirt. New bra and undies, and back into the bathroom I went.

  I got dressed and came back into the room to find several newcomers. The newcomers in question were dressed in all black, two men and one woman. Their attire and stance practically screamed bodyguard.

  “Let me guess,” I said sarcastically. “You're here for our own good.”

  I got three curt head nods in response, all in unison. Well at least Abel had chosen to take his job seriously. I decided to ignore our new friends and regarded the old ones so that the inevitable questioning could begin. Lela, Max, and Allison had to have already heard the story from those that were there, but they apparently needed to hear my perspective.

  After my recap everyone went silent.

  “Why are we all in this room?” I asked.

  Max shrugged. “Chase bled all over ours. They’re cleaning it.”

  I looked at Max skeptically. “Who’s they?”

  “The inn’s staff,” he replied. “Apparently they know.”

  I looked to Lela for confirmation.

  She shrugged. “The entire staff is one type of supernatural or another. I thought you guys knew.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “How would we know.”

  Lela held up her hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, but it’s kind of obvious if you paid attention.”

  I shook my head. “Whatever.”

  I looked around at the room, everyone was staring at the floor dejectedly as if the world had ended. Chase had put on a blue plaid, button up shirt over his bandages. Jason wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  I turned away from them all to search the room for my purse. I found it on the night stand by the room’s phone. I tossed it over my shoulder and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Lucy called from behind me, a tinge of anger in her voice.

  “Dinner,” I replied curtly, not bothering to turn around. “As soon as you guys are done wallowing, you’re welcome to join me.”

  Max was by my side in a split second. We were out in the hall and about to shut the door, when Chase raced out to join us.

  I raised my eyebrow in question at him. “I don’t think you’re in much shape for bodyguard duty.”

  Chase shrugged, then winced at the pain. “Jason seems to think you don’t want to be around him right now.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. Hell hath no fury and all that . . . but had I really been scorned? I didn’t think so, but I was pretty set on acting like I was.

  I was hoping that by leaving the room we would escape the bodyguards, but there was a whole other set of them waiting outside the door. I mean, I was grateful for the extra protection and all, but it felt weird having strangers watch us. The bodyguards fell into step behind us without a word. I felt like patting them on the head and saying, “good bodyguards” but I'd probably lose a hand.

  I continued down the hallway without another word. Max, Chase, and the bodyguards followed in my wake. We walked down the stairs and past the semi-upscale restaurant that was part of the inn. There was no way we were eating in there.

  I almost made it to the front door of the lobby. I was that close, when I noticed Darla walking towards us. Her tight curls had been braided back away from her perfectly sculpted face. She was still in the same clothes she had worn earlier, and I realized with a start that I had just met her that morning. It seemed like days ago.

  She came to stand before us with arms crossed. Instead of acknowledging anyone else in the group, she just looked directly at me and asked, “Where are you going?”

  I smirked up at her. “None of your damn business.”

  She sighed loudly like I was wasting her time, when really she was the one that was wasting mine.

  “Did you need something?” I asked snarkily when she didn't speak again.

  “Abel wants to speak to you in private,” she said, frustration coloring her voice.

  I raised an eyebrow at her, but she simply turned around and started walking away. I almost didn't follow her, but thought it might be stupid not to, given that he'd just hidden two bodies for me . . . even though one was his fault.

  Darla went into a conference room and shut the door behind her, either assuming that I'd come in behind her, or not really caring either way. I'd go with not caring.

  I peeked in the little window to make sure Abel was actually in there, and it wasn't some sort of trap. He was there, and I was surprised to see that Devin wasn't.

  “You'll all wait right here?” I asked our little group.

  Chase's mouth was set in a stubborn line. “I'd rather come in with you.”

  I sighed. “You know that's just going to delay the process. He's going to try and make you leave, and then we're all going to have a nice argument about it. Finally you'll leave, because I actually do want to hear what he has to say.”

  Chase nodded, clearly not happy, but it was good enough. I went into the room and shut the door behind me.

  Abel and Darla were already sitting on the far end of the long conference table. Wit
hout being asked, I walked over and sat down across from Darla with Abel in the end seat.

  “I would like to hammer out the details of our arrangement,” Abel announced. “I want to make sure you understand everything Alexondra.”

  I nodded. “Sounds good to me, though I'm not fully understanding why Darla is here . . . no offense,” I added, looking at her.

  Abel smiled and put his hand on Darla's. “Darla is my wife,” he announced.

  “No shit?” I asked loudly, genuinely surprised. “Doesn't that make her like, co-leader?”

  Darla chuckled. “Not exactly Xoe. Werewolf hierarchy is extremely chauvinistic.”

  “What, is it like a law?” I asked them, feeling grumpy at the idea. Stupid werewolf politics.

  Abel shook his head. “Not a law really. Our traditions spring from pragmatism. We fight to become leaders. Men win more fights. Of course, not all men are bigger and stronger than women, but if you take a group of people, the one biggest and strongest person is most likely a man.

  “That's why you don't see many female leaders. Female alphas within a pack sure, but for there to be a female pack leader, she would have to be able to physically take on every man in the pack. It happens of course, but just not that often.”

  I wrinkled my eyebrows in distaste. “Sounds stupid.”

  Darla laughed. “Tell me about it. What they don't get is that most of us are smart enough to stand back and let the men take the beatings for us. I could kick this man's ass any day of the week,” she said, gesturing with a thumb at Abel.

  Abel simply smiled and gave Darla's hand a squeeze in return. It was weird seeing him in this element. All happy and . . . domesticated.

  “We're getting off topic,” Abel announced. “On to the matter of your protection. I assume you've told your father Alexondra?”

  “For the last time, it's Xoe, and yes I told him,” I answered.

  Abel steepled his fingers in front of his face with his elbows on the table. “And what did he think?”

  I shrugged. “He's not sure of your motives, but he thinks it could be beneficial.”

  Abel smiled. “Alexondre, ever the pragmatist.”

  It still weirds me out to hear people say my dad's name. Not only do we look freaskishly alike, we also have almost the same name. My mom really dropped the ball on that decision.

  Abel seemed to be thinking for a few minutes, then finally spoke. “We'll need to make an official announcement, but until then, my protection of you is no secret. If anyone threatens you in any way, you let them know exactly what they're dealing with, as well as alerting me immediately. I'd rather not get jumped unawares by a group of vampires.”

  I hadn't really thought of things like that. Abel was really sticking his neck out for me. For some reason though, it didn't make me feel any more trusting. In fact, it just made me more suspicious.

  “Also, you need to wear this,” he added handing me a bracelet of braided blue leather cord. The braids were extremely intricate, with the individual cords dyed different shades of blue and blue-green.

  “Um, no thanks,” I said, as I tried to hand the bracelet back to him.

  Darla held up her wrist to show me the same blue bracelet. “Just wear it,” she ordered. “It won't hurt anything but your pride, and the other wolves will know what it is. You won't have to go out of your way to tell them you're under Abel's protection.”

  I took the bracelet reluctantly, but couldn't tie it around my wrist one handed, so Darla reached over the table to help me. Her fingers were long and nimble, and the bracelet was tied in a complicated looking knot in seconds.

  I stared at the knot. “Well now I'll never be able to get it off.”

  Darla smirked. “That's the point. You need to keep wearing it after you get home. You're representing the coalition in your area now. Any traveling wolves will make note of your standing.”

  “They're not going to be looking to me for leadership or anything right?” I asked, needing reassurance.

  “They will not.” Abel answered. “They may however, give you a message if they wish to relay something to me.”

  “And they don't have phones?” I asked sarcastically.

  Abel laughed abruptly. “We're not barbarians Alexondra. They would simply trust someone under my protection to give me a message, more than they would my secretary.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You have a secretary?”

  Abel nodded, like it wasn't a big deal. “I am a very busy man Alexondra. I don't have time to take phone calls from every wolf that gets mad at someone in their pack. Serious calls are filtered through to me. I don't concern myself with the others.”

  “Well since you don't answer your calls, wouldn't it kind of defeat the purpose if I just had to leave their message with a secretary regardless?” I asked.

  “You don't understand Xoe,” Darla answered. “You being under Abel's protection makes you part of the, well I guess you could call it the inner circle, though that sounds a little dramatic for my taste.”

  “Okay,” I went on, “so what you're trying to say, is that I can bypass the secretary?”

  “In so many words, yes,” Abel responded. “You will be able to speak directly to me. If you feel there is a threat to you and yours, you must notify me right away.”

  This was getting complicated. There were probably a million more questions I should have asked, but I was hungry, and I didn't feel like chatting anymore.

  I sighed loudly. “Anything else? Is this where you teach me the super secret handshake?”

  “We'll teach you the handshake later. First there is the matter of the tattoo . . . ” Abel began.

  I jumped up out of my chair, knocking it to the ground. “No way!” I shouted, crossing and uncrossing my arms like an umpire. “There is no way you are branding me!”

  Abel and Darla erupted into laughter, and I realized that they were screwing with me.

  “Sorry,” Abel responded, laughter straining his voice. “I just couldn't resist.”

  I crossed my arms across my chest grumpily. “Are we done now?”

  Abel nodded with tears streaming down his face. That's me, Xoe Meyers, everyone's favorite source of amusement.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I walked out of the conference room with a sour expression on my face. Chase and Max were sitting on a couch against the wall with a bodyguard standing on either side of them. I noticed the other bodyguard standing by the lobby's front door, watching everyone like a hawk.

  I stomped over to the couch. “Ready?”

  “I take it the meeting didn't go well?” Chase asked.

  “It was fine,” was my reply before turning to walk towards the lobby door.

  Max and Chase got up to follow me, and the bodyguards closed in to flank us like a black cloud. It was unnerving as hell, but I grudgingly admitted to myself that it did make me feel safer. Though the main source of comfort was knowing that Jason and the others had their own pack of bodyguards with them in the room.

  As we continued out the door, I pulled the SUV keys out of my bag. We walked across the lawn, then all piled into the vehicle silently. I was officially glad for the vehicle, since it fit the three of us, and the three bodyguards. Though now that I was out of the inn, I had no idea where I intended to go.

  I decided we’d just drive down the main drag and look for a place to eat. I found one pretty quick, a brick-oven pizza place with a sign that said they sold burgers and stuff too. Something for everyone.

  I pulled in and parked. “This okay?” I asked the other passengers, gesturing at the restaurant.

  “Well you did already park,” Max said sarcastically.

  I grimaced. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.”

  “Ok,” Max said simply, seeing my logic and forgiving me. If only all arguments could be so simple.

  We got out of the SUV and walked into the restaurant. We were seated quickly in a booth that was all wood with no cushions. It was meant to look rustic, but what
it really was, was uncomfortable.

  The bodyguards refused to sit and eat with us, and instead stationed themselves strategically around the restaurant, one by the door, one by the bathroom and one seated in a near-by booth.

  Chase sat next to me, and Max sat across from us. We decided on sharing a pizza with all of the fixings. Upon ordering, I remembered how much Max could eat, which was an absurd amount given his size, and added on an order of pasta with Alfredo sauce to share on the side.

  We got our drinks, water for me and Chase, soda for Max, and then it was just the three of us.

  “So what's with the bracelet?” Chase asked, looping a finger through the offending object on my wrist and lifting it up.

  I shrugged, trying to not act as bothered as I actually was. “It's a sign of Abel's protection. Apparently all of the other wolves will recognize it, and know what it symbolizes.”

  “And it symbolizes . . . ” Chase began. “Abel's ownership?”

  “Like a dog collar!” Max laughed.

  I blushed in spite of myself and pointed a finger in Max's face. “Hey buddy, I'm doing this so Abel will protect all of us. See these fancy bodyguards all around?” I asked, gesturing to the figures in black. “They're here, because I'm wearing this,” I said, putting my bracelet in his face.

  Max raised his hands in mock defense. “Calm down,” he said, still laughing. “Please don't light me on fire. You know we all appreciate what you're doing.”

  I smiled and finally laughed at myself a little. I crossed my arms and turned my nose up at Max. “Darn tootin',” I responded haughtily, then added, “Maybe I'll get you a bracelet too so you don't feel left out.”

  “Oh pretty, pretty please?” Max asked jokingly bouncing in his seat like a little kid.

  I smiled. “We’ll see. If you're a good boy, we'll get you a pink one.”

  “My favorite!” Max exclaimed, just as the waitress came and sat our food on the table along with three plates. After asking if we needed anything else, she walked away.