by Leela Ash
Worse, why did he give a damn? Why did he hesitate, when the solution was obvious? The open road was the answer to everything. When the shit that filled your life got too deep, it offered salvation. Hit the road, make tracks… and leave the mess behind you. Clean break, start again, new life.
That plan had worked for him, for years. But now…
Now it demanded that he walk away from Ash, too. For once, he would leave behind something he cared about. Her. The one bright spot in his damned life.
Unless… “You could come with me.”
One of her hands drifted down to her belly. An odd, protective gesture he didn’t understand. “I can’t just walk off with nothing. No money, no plans. An enemy of everyone I’ve ever known.”
That was asking a lot. Yet her rejection stung. Some part of him, some crazy, irrational corner of the Monster’s mind, refused to believe she would ‘abandon’ him.
Even if he was the one walking away.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.” Slowly she nodded and for a second he thought he saw tears in her eyes. “There’s more than just myself that I need to think about.”
Funny, he hadn’t thought she was that close to her mother. “Well you can tell the Warren I walked off with the artifact. They won’t blame you for not stopping me, will they?”
“No. Nothing a Hare Kin can do against a Wolf.”
Her misery doubled, leaving them both without words.
“Well…” Lucas swallowed hard as the weight of the moment pressed down on his heart. Beside him, the Monster was a puddle of grief. “I should get going now.”
“Yeah. We both should.”
“You going to be okay without a car?”
“I’ve got a credit card and my phone. I’ll be fine.”
Words died away. He stared at the wall, she at her feet.
“Thanks,” he said at last. “For helping me.”
“Thanks for rescuing me.” Leaden and hollow, empty politeness. A fitting way to end this half-hearted ‘relationship’.
“Any time.”
Then there was nothing more to say. As Lucas trudged out the door, the Monster gave one long, mournful howl.
Chapter 13.
Ash sat, grieving. Her mind drowning in the swamp of despair Lucas left behind him. Shreds of her hopes and dreams died around her, deepening the gloom.
Eventually, Ralph cleared his throat. “There’s a 7-11 down the road. You want me to grab you something? Couple of hot dogs? Donuts? Eating always cheers me up.”
“No. Thank you.” This wasn’t the kind of crisis that food could fix.
Despair wouldn’t fix it, either. Ash shook her head, fighting to fling off the shroud of sorrow that suffocated her spirit. “I need to get going. You should probably leave now, too. Get a head start before other Shifters arrive.”
“Yeah.” He scratched his nose. “You know, if you’re in deep shit, I could call my handler. Maybe if you tell him about this Nemo character it would solve my mess? And I could put a good word in for you.”
The very thought made her chuckle. “It’s been a bad day but my life isn’t awful enough that I want to join the Fangs of Apophis.”
“Yeah, well, you wait. It gets worse.” The Rat wandered out of the living room. When he returned, he held out a slip of paper. “My number. Call me if you change your mind. Or if you need a witness to explain what happened here.”
Puzzled, Ash took it. “So you’ll work with either side? You don’t care which?”
“Not really, no.” Ralph’s sad smile mirrored the sorrow in her own heart. “I wasn’t joking when I said they all treat us bad.”
He had a point. The only thing her mom despised more than a Wolf was a Rat. Ash pulled Ralph, the man she’d thought to kill, into a warm hug. “You take care of yourself.” What a strange week this was.
“I will. That’s what us Rats always do.”
Then he, too, slunk away.
Leaving her to clean up the mess.
Mom answered the phone on the first ring. “Hello?”
“It’s me, Mom.”
Only a second, but the pause felt like it lasted for minutes. “Where are you, Ashbaline?”
No matter how bad things got, Mom still wouldn’t let go of that awful name. Her mother’s stubbornness drew a sad smile to her face. “Flagstaff. I don’t have the artifact. But I do have proof that I didn’t steal it – and strong evidence that this was an inside job.”
The silence that followed that was even longer. “Honey…”
That endearment sent a chill through her. Her mother never called her that.
Unless something happened. “What’s wrong?”
“Thana Blair hung herself this morning.”
The Witch Queen’s right hand? “What? Why?”
Her mother confirmed her worst fears. “No one’s sure but they suspect she might have helped steal this relic. It seems that it’s important. Far more valuable than anyone suspected. Do you know where it is?”
“No.” Which, technically, was true. “I do know what happened to it.”
“Well, that’s at least something. You’re coming home now, yes?”
“Yup.” There were a lot of people Ash needed to talk to. Shifters… Hares… her mother…
And, on more personal matters, the Clays. Now that Lucas was gone, there was no reason not to ask them for help. She would deal with any fallout later.
“I’ll call a cab. I can be at the Warren in an hour or so.”
“Not there. Come home.”
“But…”
“Ashbaline.” Grey and bleak, her mother turned her name into dirge. “You wouldn’t be safe there. We’re not positive that we’ve found all the traitors in the Warren. Just come home.”
Sedona meant everything to her mother. It was her pride, her life. More important than any family or daughter. How it must kill her to admit that it had failed.
“I’ll be home in a bit, then. Hang in there.”
When she arrived at her mother’s spotless, cold apartment, no one answered her knock. Heart hammering, Ash let herself in with her own key. Drawn shades filled the house with a cool, dim gloom.
She paused in the doorway, ready to bolt. “Mom?”
Her mother’s voice echoed up from down the hallway. “In the bathroom.”
At once, she felt like a fool. Jumping at shadows, terrified of the monster under the bed. Ash snorted at her own silliness and headed for the kitchen. From the cabinet she took a glass (handmade Baccarat crystal – nothing but the best for Mom!) and filled it with tap water.
The whisper of footsteps behind her stirred the ashes of her fear.
For crying out loud, how many times can Mom scare me to death in one morning?
Stupid… ridiculous… but…
Why hadn’t she heard a toilet flush?
Stomach sinking, Ash turned.
To find that yes, it was her mother standing there. “Thank goodness you’re alright.” The words were kind but – being Mom – the Hare didn’t do anything excessively emotional. Like give her daughter a hug.
Of course not. Bitterness welled up inside her, tainting the moment’s bright relief.
Until Ash saw them.
The dark smudges beneath her mother’s eyes.
Just like the people who kidnapped her.
Mascara. She was fixing her mascara in the bathroom and that’s why… that’s why…
Mom’s head tilted sharply to the left. “You can see me. How odd.”
The crystal glass slipped through Ash’s fingers and shattered on the floor. “Of c-course I can see you. I’m not blind.”
Mom’s lips twisted into a stiff, unnatural smile. “No, but you’re a terrible liar. Where’s the Aegis?”
Aegis? The little shield thing? “I don’t know what you mean.”
The grimace plastered across her face grew wider. “Then I’ll have to educate you.”
Chapter 14.
Montana sounded goo
d. Or maybe Banff, in Canada.
Flying down the highway, Lucas did everything he could to put the morning behind him. Lead foot on the gas pedal, heavy metal blasting. With the windows rolled down, a tornado filled the Honda. As if he hoped a strong wind could blow his memories away.
It didn’t. Of course.
That last glimpse of Ash stuck with him. Standing in the dimness, face downcast. Such sadness, such sorrow.
For him. Because he was leaving. She… cared.
The thought stirred dull, unpleasant feelings. Guilt. Resentment. Why did he feel as though he was leaving a piece of himself behind? Why did it bother him so much that she’d rejected his offer to accompany him? Why did he feel as though he missed her already? They’d hooked up for one night, for crying out loud.
Smoldering anger radiated off the Monster in waves. His Wolf resented every moment that took them farther away from their ‘Mate’.
Screw you! he snarled at it. I’m a Lone Wolf. I don’t need a Pack. I don’t need a Mate. I don’t need her. I was meant to be alone. No woman will ever understand the Monster that dwells within.
Though… well, that wasn’t true. Ash actually knew a lot more about Shifters than he did. That excuse, the one he’d used for years to keep women at bay, no longer rang true.
The Monster’s glare of disdain remained, unchanging.
“Fine. Okay. I miss her, alright? I invited her to join me, remember? She didn’t want to come, and I can’t stay with her. They’ll take this… thing away from me. You know how much losing it hurt. What was I supposed to do?”
The Monster had an idea.
“Bite everything? Seriously?” Lucas punched the steering wheel, frustrated by the Wolf and its idiotic plans.
No. He was the human. He was in charge. They were heading north as far as they could go. If Ash got left behind… sorry, but that was her choice.
Up ahead the road split. Route 89 chugged strait on, leading to the interstate and freedom. Route 160 curved off to the right, to Tuba City. His path was clear.
Yet he found himself in the turn lane, hesitating.
Route 160 led to Colorado. To his grandparents.
Fleeing meant leaving them, too. The only family he’d ever known. The people who loved him, who accepted the wild spirit that possessed him, even when he thought he was a monster. Through trials and challenges they’d stood by him from childhood. Could he abandon them?
He didn’t have a choice.
Could he go home? Return to the Clay ranch and hide there?
No, of course not. Lily King and her Dragon boyfriend knew where he grew up.
They knew…
At the last moment, he jerked the wheel to the right. Tires squealed as he roared onto Route 160.
The Sand Pack knew where his family lived. So did the Sedona Warren. His family wasn’t safe.
Lucas braked hard and pulled off the side of the road, scrabbling for his phone.
Four rings… then voicemail.
“Gram? Gramps? This is Lucas. Pick up. It’s important.”
Nothing. He hung up, nausea filling his throat with bile.
There were dozens of good explanations. Errands, lunch in Cortez, a short trip. Yet he couldn’t shake a sense of doom. His family was in trouble. He hadn’t protected them.
The Monster didn’t weigh in on this. It just kept watching him with that sullen, accusing look.
Time to choose. Which way to go. What meant the most to him.
North to freedom? East to family?
In the end, the choice wasn’t as hard as he expected. Lucas pulled back onto the road and headed for Tuba City. He couldn’t walk away twice in one day from people who loved him.
An ominous stillness filled the Clay Ranch. No Gramps, puttering over an old junker truck. No rickety challenge from Dodger. Lucas had called four times on the way over, and no one had answered.
Gramps’ truck was gone. That should have been a good sign, but as he stepped out and surveyed the empty land, the Wolf couldn’t shake his worries.
Something was wrong.
He dialed Gram’s cell phone one more time.
Inside the ‘empty’ house, a cheery ring tone sounded.
Adrenaline coursed through him, sending his heart racing. Lucas charged for the door. Screw subtlety. Screw safety. Screw planning.
The Monster was right. Bite everything.
Gramps never locked his door, and today was no exception. Lucas burst into the living room, scanning wildly for any threat.
Nothing. No enemies, no signs of a fight. But no grandparents either.
Gram’s phone rang again. From the kitchen.
He sprinted across the room and slid to a halt by the stove. Nothing! Where were they?
Ring!
There! Gram’s phone! On the counter…
…in its charger. Where she left it all the time.
Gram never could remember to take her cell phone with her. And Gramps? Hell, he wouldn’t touch one of those things! They gave you brain tumors!
Feeling like a fool, Lucas tottered back into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Dammit, he’d scared himself to death! Expecting the worst… assuming he’d come home to find them dead on the floor. And what had happened? They’d gone out for the day and forgotten their phone.
Mystery solved.
Nothing to bite.
Across from him, the air began to shimmer. Lights played across an empty chair – and suddenly a man sat there. Tall, regal, and dressed entirely in black.
Lucas knew him at once.
Casey Briggs. The Dragon that Ash warned he could never beat in a fight.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Clay,” the Dragon said. “We need to talk.”
Chapter 15.
Screw talk. The time for talk was long gone!
With no hesitation or doubt, Lucas released the Monster. His body dissolved into fur, claws, fangs. The rage and worry that had gnawed on him for hours spilled forth and he Shifted, fury given form.
Across from him, a shadow washed across Briggs’ skin.
Lucas leaped for him. One bound cleared the coffee table and he slammed into the Dragon. The force of his attack flipped the chair and sent them both flying backwards. As they hit the floor, he snapped, closing his powerful jaws around the other man’s throat.
It was like biting a steel beam. His fangs slipped across something smooth and completely unyielding.
From between his jaws, the Dragon spoke. “I am rude. I demand an audience when I should request.”
Scales! Closer now, he saw them. A web of black armor covering Briggs’ face and throat. Were they everywhere? Lucas snapped at the man’s hands, his knee. Each time fabric tore with a satisfying rip. Each time those scales repelled his teeth with jarring force.
And still the damned Serpent prattled on, like he wasn’t getting attacked at all! “Let me rephrase myself. Lucas Clay, may we talk?”
The Wolf backed away, snarling. How the hell could he defeat an enemy he couldn’t bite into?
One that wouldn’t attack, either. The Dragon just sat there on the floor. Waiting. Patient. Looking at the holes in his suit with a vague disappointment.
His utter indifference baffled both Monster and man.
He wanted to talk? Fine. Lucas Shifted back, still snarling. His Wolf paced behind him in a towering rage. “What did you do to my grandparents?”
Briggs didn’t try to hide his guilt. “I entered their home without permission, which is grievously impolite. When they return, I will apologize and try to make amends.”
What the hell was he babbling about? “Where are they?”
“I assume they are in town.” Suddenly the Dragon straightened, his eyes fixing upon the Wolf that stalked, growling, back and forth. “Do you have reason to believe they are in danger?”
Whims… fears… hunches… None of those qualified as ‘reasons.’ Yet Lucas couldn’t shake the dread that had haunted him for hours now. “They’re the only way
you could find me.”
“True, however no honorable warrior would ever threaten the innocent. Such behavior is never acceptable.”
Stupid, stilted, silly words. Yet despite everything, Lucas found himself believing them. The Dragon was a freaky guy. But he radiated a stiff, unyielding dignity like some knight from a fairy tale. The more they talked, the less he believed that Briggs would threaten an elderly couple.
He wasn’t the only threat in town, though. “What about the Sand Pack? They don’t seem honorable to me.”
“In their own way they are. Very honorable. Should the heat of their anger ever drive them to ignore their noble ideals, I would prevent them from shaming themselves.”
“Meaning what? You’d fight them?” The Dragon nodded. “Even though your girlfriend is one of them?”
“Yes. Lily would not thank me for that… until she calmed down. Then I expect she would be grateful.”
Lucas had his doubts about that, but whatever. “I’m not giving you my ring.”
“I will not force you. It will be given freely or not at all.” Briggs stood, dusting his torn pants and flipping his chair upright again. “May we talk?”
That offer should have calmed him down. Yet still the Monster loped from one side of the room to the other, filling Lucas’ mind with its furious doubts. “Fine. Talk away.”
Briggs gestured at the couch. The thought of sitting actually made his skin crawl. “Nah, I’m good standing.”
Back and forth the Dragon’s eyes slid, studying his Wolf. A cloud of worry darkened his eyes. “First, is the artifact safe?”
“Yes.” Out in his car, but safe enough.
“Good. Then let me start at the beginning. A gang of unscrupulous Shifters called the Fangs of Apophis are working in this area.”
The people that kidnapped Ash. “I’ve heard of them.”
“Excellent. They wish to summon an ancient, malevolent spirit called Nemagorix. If they succeed, many thousands of people will die. Your grandparents will probably be numbered among them since they live close to where this demon is bound.”
Oh, hell. Lucas had wound himself up for a fight. A dozen excuses simmered in the back of his mind, reasons why he couldn’t give the artifact away. Faced with that number, they all faded away. That kind of death and devastation changed everything. “What’s that got to do with my ring?”
