by Petra Landon
“You’re better now?” he inquired cautiously, feeling his way carefully through the minefield before him. “I hear that Doc has discharged you as his patient.”
“Yes, thank you. I’m fine” Tasia repeated, somewhat mechanically.
That did it! Something was definitely going on here that he didn’t quite understand. How should he handle the situation now, Raoul mulled silently. He had walked in here, ready to unleash a charm offensive, like he had told Duncan. But he rather doubted that a strategy like that would work on her right now. His goal was to ensure that she did not walk away from the Pack for a second time. The only question was - what was likely to convince her to stay. He had to give her a very good reason to attempt another affiliation with the Pack again. Raoul pondered his options furiously even as a tiny strain of curiosity at the back of his mind wondered at her inexplicable despondency.
He went through a mental checklist of what he had observed in her in the past few weeks. She was whip smart with an understanding of the Chosen and their outlook that went way beyond her years. She could be impulsive on the rare occasion, acting without thinking through the consequences like she had at the leech nest and when she had ignored all danger to rush to a stranger’s aid for Hawk. There had been glimpses of an indomitable spirit and a steely fortitude that tended to rear its head when she found herself pushed into a corner. She was also risk averse, especially of anything that drew attention to her, possibly a consequence of safe guarding her remarkable powers. The last two traits had played a huge part in her decision to walk away from her bargain with him.
The only way to convince her to give the Pack a second chance was to make it the least risky option for her, Raoul realized. A subtle reminder that it was the only viable option left to her would do the trick. And a good start would be to shake her out of her apathy and despair with a reality check of the danger that stalked her without the Pack to back her up. Raoul was confident that he could depend on her formidable intellect and understanding of Chosen realities to do the rest.
“I have some bad news for you” he stated abruptly, testing the effect of his words on her. She seemed to shake off her apathy to focus on him, as if somewhat resigned to hear more bad news.
“The Guardian did snatch you for the wrong reasons although, in a strange coincidence, I believe that he was actually searching for you.”
“For me?” Tasia exclaimed in surprise. The Alpha had hinted at this possibility before although she’d never taken his suspicion seriously. No Chosen should even be aware of her existence. Her father had assured her of that and she trusted him to have done his homework on this. After all, he had spent her lifetime hiding her successfully from the rest of his kind. Yet with her confidence newly shaken up, Tasia found herself questioning whether the Alpha could be right. If he was, this whole imbroglio had just gotten worse for her! At a time when she was looking for a way to stay here, this might be one more reason to flee San Francisco and start over somewhere else with a new identity.
“He admitted to me that he and his buddies were searching for a Chosen hiding out in this city in the guise of a low level wizard. You certainly meet his criterion - your name was on the target list of wizards he provided to the mercenaries. What are the chances that there’s another like you hiding in plain sight in this city?”
“There are dozens of Chosen that meet the criterion” Tasia countered uneasily. “What makes you think that he was looking for me?”
“The Chosen he seeks is one with great power. You were unconscious when we found you that night because he’d taken blood from you. A lot of it. I believe he was attempting to verify the extent of your power in a brutal, quick and, I daresay, unconscionable way.”
Tasia closed her eyes wearily. This was bad, very bad! She had to reluctantly agree with the Alpha’s instincts in this case – his reading of the events was plausible. If what the Alpha said was true, then the Guardian was seeking someone with serious power. And he would certainly have guessed the extent of her powers if the Pack hadn’t rescued her in time. Things were starting to look even grimmer than what she’d previously calculated. If someone as powerful as a Guardian hunted her, even changing identities would not necessarily guarantee her safety.
“I have tried to mitigate matters by making the Guardian’s blunder with you public” Raoul continued steadily at her stricken expression. It was clear that she was waking up to the danger she now found herself in. “The Chosen world now believes that the Guardian was bamboozled by mercenaries he hired into targeting the wrong wizard. Our world is a small and insular one. Once this news spreads like wildfire, it should, at least temporarily, remove you from the crosshairs of his associates to give you some breathing room.”
Tasia had to reluctantly agree that the Alpha’s plan had been very smart. Yes, her name was currently being bandied about in their world, making it hard for her to get any Mfector gigs in the foreseeable future. But on the other hand, it might help temporarily keep the dogs at bay. Hopefully, that would give her enough time to assume a different identity and disappear before they came after her again.
“I … I don’t know what to say” she stammered, genuinely nonplussed by his actions. The deal he had offered her before had been to protect her from all consequences of her singular decision to assist Hawk. But this was something else. Rescuing her from the Guardian after their association had ended by mutual consent was perplexing enough. But his other and subtler moves to safeguard her secret from the Guardian and his associates astounded, staggered and confused Tasia. She was no longer his responsibility, so why had the Alpha gone above and beyond his obligation!
“I need your help” the Alpha said gravely, choosing to ignore her comment. The anvil was hot, Raoul calculated shrewdly, and he needed to strike before it got cold. “We should verify who the Guardian and his friends search for so desperately. Right now, it is still a hypothesis that it’s you – an educated one but a hypothesis nonetheless. Once we confirm that, we can counterattack more effectively.”
He gazed at Tasia expectantly while she stared back in open-mouthed astonishment at his offer. At least, he’d managed to shake her from her curious detachment. That was some success, Raoul reflected confidently.
“I’ve a plan to do just that” he continued. “Faoladh has a lot more connections in that world and might be able to get us the information we want. In return, I’ll have to offer him something worthwhile. Thanks to you, I was able to offer him a breakthrough in The Vault business. They now believe that Lady Bethesda is alive and are trying to track her current whereabouts. If you’re willing to work with me, I can offer him more insights into her motivations in exchange for information about this Guardian.”
Befuddled and dumbfounded, Tasia merely stared back mutely at the confident Shifter. After the first shock and confusion, wariness was kicking in.
This is way too good to be true - there has to be a catch in it somewhere. Finding out if and why the Guardian is after me would be a godsend. But why’s he willing to help me? And what will he demand in exchange for his assistance!
“Why do this for me?” Tasia inquired in genuine incomprehension, not bothering to hide her skepticism or suspicion from him. What did the Alpha expect to get out of this was the obvious albeit unspoken undertone in her query.
The Alpha smiled coldly with an enigmatic quirk to his lips that sent a chill down her spine.
“I intend to teach that Guardian a lesson. And to do that effectively, I need to know what he holds dear.”
There was a short pause. The two Magicks stared at each other, each intent on sizing the other up.
This man makes a very bad enemy. Should I even risk getting into his bad books? Any more so than I already am, that is. I got out unscathed once – what if I’m unable to do so the second time around.
“You want me to work with yo … the Pack on the Lady Bethesda investigation?” Tasia inquired cautiously, trying to understand what his new offer of co-operation entaile
d. How would this new arrangement between them work or did he merely intend to go back to the older deal that had ended so spectacularly in flames before.
“A temporary arrangement and one for mutual benefit” he proposed suavely. “Perhaps even on trial basis for say, three months? At the end of it, we can evaluate the arrangement and decide whether it’s worthwhile to proceed further.”
“Proceed further?” Tasia repeated in confusion.
How much leverage is he looking for against the Guardian? What kind of revenge is this man planning!
“You have talents that the Pack could use and no way to utilize them without revealing your powers to the rest of the Chosen” he stated baldly. “I can help you hide your magic from other Chosen. We will also protect you no matter what the circumstances, as I’m sure I’ve amply demonstrated” he added softly, the gold eyes glinting as he contemplated her.
Tasia hesitated, greatly tempted by his offer. It sounded great on paper and would allow her to live in San Francisco without having to say goodbye to her new friends. If he was right about the Guardian, this would also be her best chance to confirm the Alpha’s suspicions. It might be her only chance, Tasia admitted to herself. Admittedly the most tempting part of the offer was the rare opportunity to use some of her powers, an offer unlikely to come her way ever again. Yet the memories of her last stint with the Pack and its Alpha made her cautious and hesitant about tangling with him again.
“The Pack will compensate you well for your unique talents” he continued, naming a sum five times more than what she had earned while struggling with two jobs. “We’ll pay for all expenses when you travel on Pack business. And you can keep your room at the Lair.”
Tasia, who’d almost gasped aloud at the sum he named, studied the unfathomable eyes. Something in his studiously blank demeanor made Tasia suspect that he knew about her currently unemployed status. So, the Alpha was softening her up for the kill, was he? Tasia straightened her spine, unconsciously girding herself for battle. The last time, she’d been at his mercy and desperate enough to accept his offer on his terms. Although she could admit that his terms had been more than fair to her. This time, she sensed that she was the one with the advantage and thus better able to demand concessions from him. For some reason, the Alpha wanted her to work with the Pack badly enough to compromise a little. Tasia wasn’t quite sure how she sensed that but she was very sure of it! Perhaps he wanted her ‘unique talents’ as he put it to give him an advantage over this Guardian he seemed determined to punish. Whatever it was, it put her in a position of power that she’d never experienced before in her interactions with the Alpha.
“What will you expect from me if I agree to this?” she inquired evenly.
Sensing victory, Raoul set about sweetening the pot he dangled before her. There were aspects of her last association with the Pack that he had the power to change. Especially his equation with her. If Duncan was to be believed, a major part in her decision to reject the Pack had been its Alpha.
“The rules remain the same as before. No magic without my explicit say so. And I want you to stay at the Lair until some of the brouhaha from the Registry dies down.”
He paused as Tasia continued to stare at him, clearly unconvinced and suspicious.
“I will not ask anything of you that places you in danger” he pledged softly.
“This is a good offer. You need this. Unless we find out what those wizards have on you, you’ll have no way to dodge them when they eventually come after you. It will not be easy to escape a Guardian or his powerful friends once they hunt you in earnest. I can defend you” he reminded her gently, his voice seductively persuasive. “From them and others if need be.”
He was absolutely right. It would take care of all her current concerns. Yet Tasia wondered how to bring up what had gone wrong the last time that they’d attempted this.
“I’ll strive to remember that you’re not one of my Shifters this time around” he said abruptly.
Tasia stiffened, understanding perfectly well what he meant by his words. He seemed to have read her mind.
“If I ask anything of you that makes you uncomfortable, come to me and we’ll sort it out. I’m no saint but neither am I in the habit of running around frightening wizards still wet behind their ears.”
Tasia wondered wildly whether she should take exception to the comment about being wet behind her ears. But at least, he was trying to apologize. Albeit in his own unique way!
“For your part, you’ll need to remember that you’re Pack – not full-fledged Pack like the other Shifters but still a part of it. And that means obeying some of the basic tenets of a Pack and its command structure. At the end of the day, I’m still a Shifter and I know no other way to deal with my Pack. Okay?” the gold eyes were intent on her.
Tasia found herself agreeing mutely, almost mesmerized by the candid softly spoken words and the hypnotic gold eyes that held her gaze. Although a tad confused about what he was asking of her, Tasia’s certainty that his words included an apology for their previous altercation in this room went a long way towards mitigating her remaining hesitation. But before she would consent to attempt this experiment with him again, there was something Tasia was determined to get him to clarify. Would he be a little more malleable at accommodating her differences with the rest of his Pack or would he be the same totalitarian and inflexible Alpha she’d encountered before when it came to what he considered Pack business.
“I give you my word that any Pack business you discuss with me will be kept confidential. But I don’t know anything about being part of a Pack. I might not be as guarded in what I discuss with my friends, especially when it comes to matters that I don’t consider Pack business. Like … like before” she said, fumbling over her words at the look in his gold eyes.
“Don’t do it behind my back” he warned bluntly. “That is liable to piss me off. If you’re not sure, come and talk to me about it. I can be a reasonable man” he added with self-deprecating humor. “And I’m sure that if we put our heads together, we can come up with a reasonable compromise that we can both live with.”
So, he was willing to be more flexible this time. Or at least, was ready to discuss being more flexible this time, she corrected herself.
“I consider the past to be in the past” he said evenly, his words blunt. “This is a new bargain I offer you, one that will benefit both the Pack and you. This is not a repeat of the past. There is no debt to be repaid here and no one doing anyone a favor. I want that to be clear.”
Tasia understood what he meant immediately. In his own way, he was telling her that their bargain before had been a result of what she had done for Hawk. As she had suspected, it had been a sense of obligation that had driven him to offer her that particular deal. This new bargain was different. It would be among equals.
Tasia weighed the pros and cons silently, pondering her limited options. It was absolutely essential she find out what the Guardian wanted with her. Something she was unlikely to ever achieve on her own. The Alpha was offering his assistance in this endeavor. And she had to admit that he was right – it was a very good deal for her. It would also allow her to live here in San Francisco. What did she have to lose anyway? The trial period was three months. She could stick it out for three months, especially if it meant digging up information on the Guardian. At the end of the three months, armed with this information, she’d be in a much better position to plan her next move. Tasia was very sure that at the end of the three months, she’d also be ready to bid the Pack and its Alpha goodbye.
“Alright” she consented. “I’ll give it a shot for three months.”
Triumph flashed briefly in the gold eyes before he tamped it down ruthlessly. Raoul leaned forward, his tall lithe frame bending gracefully towards her as he held out a long-fingered hand to her, palm up.
“It’s a deal” he said steadily. “Shall we shake on it?”
Huh! What is he up to now? I’ve lived amongst them – I kno
w how Shifters avoid gratuitous physical contact with others. Is this a subtle hint that I’ll have to be on my guard all the time?
Tasia hesitated, glancing at the suave Shifter and the hand he proffered her before slowly placing her smaller palm into his. He shook her hand firmly and let go. Tasia stood up, assuming their meeting to be over. She gave him a short nod before making her way towards the door.
“There’s something else I’d like to make clear” he called out softly from behind her.
Tasia glanced back at the man who lounged so indolently in his chair. He stood up to face her.
“You said some things the last time we were in this room – about why you thought that it was time to go our separate ways.”
“I think it’s time we went our separate ways, Alpha. It’s clear that you dislike me. You certainly don’t trust me. I know that you offered me Pack protection from a sense of obligation.”
Her words from that night reverberated in Tasia’s head while the gold eyes remained steady on her.
“Before we begin a new partnership, I’d like to set the record straight. You are wrong, Tasia Armstrong. In fact, you couldn’t be more wrong. I hope that you come to see that one day.”
Chapter 14
A vision brings forth an unlikely champion
A young Shifter ushered in the two wizards before discreetly closing the door on his way out, leaving the clean cut brown-haired man and his pretty blonde companion to face the room. The gathered Shifters eyed the wizards with expressions that ranged the gamut from curiosity to indifference. In the Alpha’s briefing the night before, they had merely been told that two wizards would join them on the upcoming sojourn to Chicago – a Guardian and another wizard with insights about Lady Bethesda. Tasia felt a spark of sympathy for the wizards - she had once been the cynosure of Shifter eyes in this very room. She sensed significant power in both wizards but it was the man she pegged as a Guardian. Something in the way he carried himself screamed Guardian to her. Tasia found herself going rigid at the realization, an involuntary reaction after her recent experience at the hands of another Guardian.