Dragon's Bayne

by Cheree Alsop

  Dr. Wolf

  The Fae Rift Series Book 4

  Dragon’s Bayne

  By Cheree L. Alsop

  Dragon’s Bayne

  By Cheree Alsop

  Copyright 2016 by Cheree Alsop

  Editing by Sue Player

  Cover Design by Dean Samed

  www.chereealsop.com

  To my family, immediate and distant,

  This book is for you.

  May it find you in happy times

  Creating even happier memories.

  To my readers,

  I am so grateful for you.

  I hope this book fulfills your quest for

  Escape, Adventure, and the want to be a

  Hero or Heroine.

  Dr. Wolf is for you.

  Chapter One

  The delicate, beautifully decorated interior of the vampiress’ lair had been torn to pieces. The fine couches, lovely carpets, and wall decorations had been smashed, shredded, and bitten in half by the gorgons. Aleric could smell their stench from where he stood. A few drops of blood colored the white carpet near the door.

  “She’s gone,” Dartan said. He leaned against the door, his face paler than usual. “We failed.”

  “Who’s gone?”

  The vampire and werewolf turned to see Vallia standing on the steps behind them.

  “If you’re here, who did they take?” Dartan asked. He leaned down and touched one of the drops of blood. He brought it to his lips and tasted it.

  “It’s human,” he said with dread in his voice.

  “Lilian,” Aleric replied in a whisper.

  Everyone followed his gaze. On the ground near the door lay a single white rose, its petals crushed and bruised against the carpet as though it had been stepped on by a heavy foot. All of the girls had worn similar roses in their hair on the bridge for Gregory’s proposal. Half of the rose was red. Aleric didn’t have to pick the flower up to know that the color was blood.

  “They’ll pay for this,” Dartan said.

  Aleric phased into wolf form and ran back out the door. Dartan called his name from Vallia’s lair, but Aleric didn’t slow. His paws hit the stairs and then the stretch of subway tunnel beyond with the mile-eating cadence of the wolf.

  He followed the trail. Lilian’s scent wasn’t mixed in with the humans and gorgons, but every so often, Aleric found a drop of her blood. It was obvious they were carrying her. Did they know she wasn’t the vampiress? Did they know he would come after her? Maybe it was a trap. He didn’t care. As his paws thundered along the cement of the subway tunnel, all he cared about was bringing Lilian safely home.

  Aleric followed the scent up a set of stairs to a part of the city he hadn’t been to before. He was in the Fallows, that much was made certain by the rundown state of the buildings, the sour stench of the streets, and the lean-tos made of cardboard and junked furniture that housed people who smelled worse than the unwashed asphalt. These Aleric ran past on swift paws; those who were still awake during the dark hours of the morning spoke exclamations and curses that were lost to his ears by the time they were muttered. He didn’t see the whispered prayers or gestures of faith to ward off demons and devils.

  Rage burned through Aleric. His shoulder ached from the Archdemon’s wound, but he pushed himself harder. He ran so fast he lost the trail several times and had to backtrack to ensure that he was in the right location. Dark shadows moved across the street to avoid his path. He didn’t see them; he only saw a white rose colored in red blood, the blood of the woman he cared about with all of his heart, the blood that meant he might already be too late.

  Aleric turned the next corner and slid to a stop. His heart thundered in his ears. He struggled to pull in a breath. He blinked, trying to make sense of the scene before him. His vision cleared, his nose filled with the scent of blood, and horror clouded the desperation that had fueled his flight.

  Aleric approached the body slowly. It was clear by the mangled limbs and the amount of blood on the asphalt that the person was dead. A sniff confirmed that he had been human. As Aleric looked through the body parts, the realization that something was missing struck him. Dread knotted in his stomach. He loped back through the alleys, the image burned into his mind.

  Aleric found a drycleaner’s and phased behind the small store. He opened the locked door with his werewolf strength and found some suitable clothes. Vowing to pay the store owner later for the borrowed items, Aleric used the store’s phone to dial the Commissioner.

  “This better be good,” the Commissioner said by way of answering the phone.

  “I’m afraid it’s not.”

  Aleric heard the Commissioner sit up at the sound of his voice. “Dr. Wolf, what’s wrong?”

  “You better get over here, Commissioner Oaks. Bring a body bag.”

  Aleric waited impatiently for the police to show up. He walked from one end of the alley to the other, keeping clear of the mangled body near the wall. His bare feet made dull thudding sounds on the cement. At one point, a rat squeaked from a pile of debris. When it fell silent, an eerie stillness settled over the alley.

  “This is the address he gave.”

  The sound of the officers’ voices were welcome. The shine of flashlights cut through the darkness.

  “How’d he even see anything back here is beyond me,” another voice said.

  “He’s part wolf,” Officer Ling’s clear voice replied. “He can see at night.”

  “I wish I could,” a woman told them. “On second thought, strike that. I’d hate to see what else is back here.”

  “He should be just around that corner,” Commissioner Oaks’ deep voice reverberated off the alley walls.

  “How do we know this isn’t a setup?” Aleric recognized Officer Darold’s gruff voice from back when he was being held for questioning at the station. “I don’t trust that werewolf.”

  “I do,” the Commissioner replied simply.

  Officer Darold fell silent.

  The five officers rounded the alley and paused. All five flashlights shone on Aleric’s face. He knew they saw the reflection of his eyes, gold against the darkness of the alley, animal where they had expected a man.

  He cleared his throat. “Sorry to call you out so late.”

  The Commissioner stepped forward with a hint of relief on his face. “I’ve learned not to second-guess when you call.”

  “Dr. Wolf,” Officer Ling said. He held out a hand.

  “Officer Ling, thanks for coming,” Aleric replied, shaking his hand.

  Aleric nodded at the other two officers. “Officer Teri, Officer Rellen, good to see you both. I wish it was under different circumstances.”

  “I wish it wasn’t at all,” Officer Darold said.

  Aleric ignored him. From their prior meetings, he knew nothing would come from letting the officer get a rise out of him.

  “What do we have?” Officer Teri asked. Her petite voice matched her small frame, but she was surprisingly strong. The fact that she appeared the most calm in the dark alley said a lot about her poise.

  Aleric motioned for them to shine their flashlights past him. “I was searching for someone and came upon this.”

  Officer Teri’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my goodness,” she breathed.

  “That’s disgusting,” Officer Darold said.

  “Do you know who it is?” Commissioner Oaks asked.

  Aleric shook his head as he led them to the mutilated body. “I have no idea. I didn’t expect to find something like this.”

  “What were you looking for?” Officer Darold asked, his tone accusing.

  “A friend,” Aleric replied, meeting his gaze. “Someone I care about was taken by Dark fae. It seems they’re working with humans. They came by this
way.”

  “Any chance they’re connected?” Officer Ling asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Aleric replied. “But there’s something else.”

  “What is it?”

  Aleric felt the pit in his stomach tighten when he said, “Whoever that was, he was killed by a werewolf.”

  The Commissioner’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  Aleric nodded. “Positive. By the smell, the werewolf was a male, but he wasn’t alone. There were humans here.”

  “Look at that.”

  Everyone followed Officer Teri’s flashlight beam to the mark on the wall.

  “Great,” the Commissioner muttered, his frustration evident.

  The orange letters FV were circled above the body and the letters OSA were written smaller beside it.

  “What does it mean?” Aleric asked.

  “That’s the sign of the Fervor,” Officer Ling said. “They’re a gang here.”

  “More like a cult,” Officer Rellen said. “The way they follow that lunatic is disgusting.”

  At Aleric’s questioning look, Officer Ling explained, “He calls himself the Chosen. They’ll do anything he asks.” Ling pointed to the letters. “OSA stands for Obey, Sacrifice, and Ascend. They believe if they do everything the Chosen tells them to, they have a sure ticket to heaven.”

  “They’re ruthless,” Officer Teri said. “And most of them are on moss.”

  “What’s moss?” Aleric asked.

  “It’s a drug,” Officer Rellen replied. “It dulls their ability to feel pain. Makes them difficult to stop without a bullet to the head. Colors their lips green, hence the name.”

  “Officer Darold, tape off this alley,” Commissioner Oaks ordered. “Ling, call Homicide and the crime lab. Teri, get the coroner on the phone. I don’t want anyone coming through here until Homicide can do a sweep. Dr. Wolf, walk with me.”

  Aleric fell in beside the hulking Commissioner as he made his way back through the alley. “I haven’t heard of the Fervor before.”

  “They’ve been a thorn in my foot for years,” the Commissioner replied without looking at him. “But that’s not what’s bothering me.” He glanced at Aleric. “Are you sure that was a werewolf attack?”

  Aleric nodded. “Positive. I don’t know who would have taken the head, but those wounds were definitely made by a werewolf.”

  The Commissioner paused at the mouth of the alley. “We’re going to call it a dog attack for now.”

  Aleric stared at him. “But it was a werewolf.”

  Commissioner Oaks gave him a serious look. “Dr. Wolf, do you know what will happen if word that a werewolf killed somebody in an alley in Edge City spreads?” He didn’t give Aleric time to answer. “Your hospital will be protested, citizens will distrust you, and all of the work you have done in helping with human and fae relations will be ruined.”

  “But I didn’t kill that man,” Aleric said in surprise.

  “It doesn’t matter,” the Commissioner replied. “You’re the werewolf they know. They will immediately jump to the conclusion that you’re dangerous.” He looked over his shoulder at the officers following his commands. “For now, we’ll let the coroner file his report. Those same wounds could have been made by a big dog. The Fervor have had attack dogs before.”

  “Not that big I’m guessing,” Aleric pointed out.

  The Commissioner crossed his massive arms. “Dr. Wolf, I need you to trust me on this. If the Fervor is killing people, this won’t be the last body we find. I want you to come to me first if you stumble upon another one. The less this leaks to the media, the better.”

  “Will do,” Aleric promised. He looked back towards the body. “I lost the trail of the girl I was looking for.”

  “Who is she?”

  “Lilian Worthen,” Aleric replied. His heart tightened at the name. “Dr. Worthen’s daughter. They took her from the subway. There are gorgons involved, huge snake-men, but humans, also. I think the Fervor might be working with the gorgons.”

  Commissioner Oaks nodded. “We’ll put an APB out on her. Get Officer Ling a description.”

  “I appreciate it,” Aleric told him.

  The Commissioner let out a deep sigh. “If the Fervor are working with the Dark fae, we might be in trouble. We need to get to the bottom of this fast before things get even bloodier than they already are. The Chosen moves locations, but this deep in the Fallows, it doesn’t matter. He has followers everywhere. Be careful.”

  “I will,” Aleric promised.

  Officer Ling dropped him off at the hospital.

  “Take care of yourself,” the officer said.

  “You, too,” Aleric told him. “Let me know if you hear anything about Lilian.”

  “You’ll be the first to know,” Officer Ling replied.

  Aleric walked through the back hallway to the D Wing. He entered the Dark fae side and was glad to see Dartan sitting in his usual spot beneath the boarded-up window.

  “About time.” Dartan rose and made his way toward Aleric. He paused halfway across the room. “You smell like blood. Is it Lilian’s?”

  Aleric shook his head. “Someone mutilated a body in the Fallows.” He met the vampire’s gaze. “It was a werewolf who did it. It seems like he’s helping a clan called the Fervor. It was a mess.”

  “There’s another werewolf in Edge City?” There was shock in the vampire’s voice.

  Aleric nodded. “The Commissioner wants to keep it quiet. He’s worried people will hear ‘werewolf attack’ and jump to conclusions.”

  “Conclusions that won’t be so friendly toward you,” Dartan hedged.

  “Exactly,” Aleric replied. He leaned against one of the empty beds, then pushed up again. His hands clenched as he walked across the room and then back, thinking aloud. “They have her, Dartan. I don’t know why the gorgons would take her, or what the humans are doing working with the gorgons. All I know is that she’s hurt, probably scared for her life, and hoping I’ll find her.” He shook his head, his eyes on the floor but not seeing it. “But the trail went cold when I found the body. I have no way to track her. How do I find where she is?” His voice tightened. “How do I know if she’s even alive?”

  “She’s alive,” Dartan replied.

  “How do you know?” Aleric turned on him with desperation in his voice. “How can you be sure?”

  The werewolf’s intensity made Dartan second-guess himself. “I don’t know for sure. But why would they take her alive if they were just going to kill her later?”

  “How do we know she was alive when she left Vallia’s?” Aleric countered. At the vampire’s silence, he strode across the room toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” Dartan asked.

  “To find her,” Aleric replied.

  “How?”

  “I’ll fight every member of the Fervor to get answers if I have to.”

  Dartan was at the door before Aleric could go through it. The vampire crossed his arms. “That’s not the way to find her.”

  Aleric stared at his friend, his chest heaving and fists clenched. “They hurt her, Dartan. They killed that man. How am I to know her body isn’t going to be the next one I find?” He shook his head. “I’m not going to be emotional about this. I can’t. All I think about is her hurt somewhere waiting for me to find her. It kills me.”

  “You have to be emotional,” Dartan replied.

  “Why?” Aleric practically shouted the word. “How does that help anyone? I can’t think with my heart. I have to do this without feeling.”

  “Feeling is the only thing you have that separates you from the people who took her. If you turn animal on them, tear them apart, how are you going to find anything out?” Dartan stared him down. “Stay human.”

  “I’m not human, I’m a werewolf,” Aleric replied, his tone flat.

  Dartan crossed his arms. “You know exactly what I mean. This is important. The sun’s coming up. I can’t go chasing all over the city to make sure you�
��re not slaughtering people in droves.”

  Aleric’s gaze was unreadable when he asked, “What do you think I am?”

  “A werewolf,” Dartan replied, his voice level. “I’ve seen what your kind can do, remember? I lost more than one family member in the Fallow Conflict. You’re not the only one with dark memories from that time.” His voice lowered. “My brother was killed by one of your so-called ‘emotionless’ pack mates.”

  That caught Aleric off-guard. “I had no idea.”

  Dartan let out a breath. “That was a different world. You and I both know how far away we are from that time.” He held Aleric’s gaze. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect me. Fight as a human. Use your emotions to remind you that even members of this Fervor gang have people who care about them somewhere; they have family. They have their own packs.”

  Aleric nodded. “I’ll remember.”

  “Thank you,” Dartan said, his voice quiet.

  “Where’s Vallia?” Aleric asked. “Is she safe?”

  Dartan nodded. “She went into hiding. She said she wouldn’t appear again until the gorgons are gone and we send word.”

  “Thank you,” Aleric said to his friend. “I don’t think I’m in the right state of mind to battle a dragon.”

  Dartan snorted. “I figure demons are bad enough. I don’t think the city could handle another flesh-eating fae.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Aleric agreed.

  The werewolf walked out of the D Wing. His thoughts were heavy with the thought of Dartan’s brother; the vampire was his friend, yet he had never known of Dartan’s loss.

  “Dr. Wolf, where’s Lilian?”

  Aleric’s head jerked up. Dr. Worthen stood in the doorway to the Emergency Room.

  “I need to ask her about a letter that arrived. Have you seen her?”

  Aleric’s heart tightened. He looked back at the D Wing in the hopes that Dartan was there with an answer, but the door was closed. He opened his mouth; the words wouldn’t come out, so he shut it again.

  Concern crossed Dr. Worthen’s face. “Aleric, are you alright?”

  He nodded, then shook his head. “Uh, no, I’m not. I mean, Lilian’s not.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, Lilian’s in trouble and I’m trying to bring her back.”