Rouen Chronicles Box Set

by Raven Steele

  "How long will they have to be at this facility?" Sending the humans somewhere I had never heard of made me nervous. They had been through enough.

  "Only as long as they want to be,” she answered.

  I glanced back at the rear of the truck where Lynx was clothing the humans and speaking soft words of encouragement. One of the humans whispered for water, and Lynx ran back into the house to retrieve it. She was the best of us three.

  Samira motioned her head toward the truck. "Is someone going to be looking for this beast?"

  “Probably.”

  She watched Lynx give water to the humans, her expression the same as mine had been moments ago. We would never be as good as Lynx. Her gaze returned to mine. “The humans aren’t well enough to travel to Wildemoor. I will deliver the truck to a friend I can trust and take care of the humans there. When they’re well enough to travel, we’ll leave.”

  I was touched she was so willing to go to so much effort for complete strangers. There was so much more to this vampire than I realized. But I wasn’t going to tell her that, so I teased her instead. “You have a friend?"

  “Friends are crucial in this business." She either didn’t realize I was kidding or decided not to take the bait.

  Behind me, Lynx asked Samira if she could go with her. Samira paused, but ultimately said no. Of all of us, I would think Lynx would be the most trustworthy. It surprised me Samira had declined her request with how well she had already handled the humans.

  I circled around the front of the truck and helped Ryder to the ground. He wrapped his arm around me, leaning into me as we walked into the house. Already he felt stronger, the sign of good genetics.

  I eased him onto a kitchen chair and eyed a cut above his brow. "You could use stitches."

  "Thank you for coming after me,” he said. He stared down at the top of the weathered kitchen table, his eyes full of deep pain only a betrayed heart could produce. Even though I had been through a lot, I'd never had a family member willingly torture me.

  “There was never a question of not going after you.”

  “No one else in the pack would’ve come.”

  I worked my jaw, wondering if I should tell him the truth – that Dominic had refused to look into his disappearance. But what good would knowing the truth do for him now? His father's actions had already devastated him. Knowing his pack Alpha cared so little for him too would only further depress him.

  "Dominic wanted me to go after you." My teeth hurt from the lie. "He trusted me to be sneaky enough to get the job done, and he was right. Had he sent the whole pack, it would’ve been all out war between us and no one wants that."

  He attempted a smile but winced at the motion. "True." His eyes lifted to mine. "So now what?"

  “Get some rest. I’ll take you back to Fire Ridge tomorrow morning. Dominic may want some kind of retribution after he gets a look at you. We’ll see.”

  “I knew my father was an evil bastard, but I never thought he would…” His voice stopped, the words too painful to speak. “And what they did to those humans. Some things never change.”

  I rested my hand over his. “Don’t worry. Your father will pay.”

  He nodded his head, but there wasn’t much conviction behind the motion. It might be too difficult for him to imagine anything terrible happening to his father, so I did it for him.

  I made myself a promise. Jackson would pay. Just like Dominic and the rest of them.

  One more name added to my kill list.

  Chapter 30

  Lynx dropped us off at Fire Ridge, fussing over Ryder before she left. Why she worked at a clothing store and not as a nurse was beyond me.

  Remnants of the party the night before lay scattered across the lawn. Sunlight glinted off the surface of broken glass, and I had to be careful not to step on the shards of beer bottles hidden in the grass.

  No one would ever know it had also been a funeral. These shifters moved on quickly.

  “What happened?” Ryder asked, eyeing the destruction.

  I stopped, realizing I hadn’t told him about Toby yet. I chose my words carefully, not wanting to upset him further. I didn’t know how close he’d been to Toby, but I knew they were at least friendly with one another.

  He took the news as expected. Swallowing the pain instead of dealing with it. One of the ways our world was so different from humans. Maybe that explained why so many of us were filled with rage. We could all benefit from a full time psychiatrist.

  Before we walked through the front doors, Ryder asked, “Tell me the full story. How did the meeting with the Nocs go?”

  “It was... interesting. There was some negotiating, some fighting, people died, obviously, but in the end, everyone got what they wanted.”

  He shook his head. “Blood runs freely and without restraint for those who seek power.”

  I glanced at him, surprised. That was something my father used to say. It made me like Ryder even more.

  “Come with me,” I said, and moved past him. “Dominic will want to see you.”

  He nodded his head slowly. He looked a lot better this morning. The cuts on his body, the shallow ones, had healed, but while he had been changing this morning, I noticed he still had a huge purple bruise and the word “traitor” still visible across his chest. They were angry red marks over his heart, and they wouldn’t heal easily. Wounds like that go beyond the flesh.

  I inhaled a deep breath and opened Dominic’s office door. Terrence came barreling out from the room, as if he were upset. I had to jump out of his way to avoid being run over.

  Dominic scowled at my intrusion. Silas, sitting on the opposite side of the desk, mirrored the expression, but when both their eyes found Ryder, their expressions darkened.

  "I retrieved Ryder from the Greybacks,” I said quickly, giving them a pointed look. "Just like you asked me to."

  Dominic glanced from me to Ryder, as if he were trying to figure out my angle. Ryder’s eyebrows lifted like a hopeful puppy seeking praise. He needed to feel wanted, especially after what his own father had done to him.

  Dominic caught on, and his expression lifted in mock joy. He slapped his hands together. "It's so wonderful to see you back!"

  "We've been worried,” Silas said. The words were right, but they held no weight. He may as well have been talking about the weather.

  Dominic stood and walked around his desk to Ryder, saying, “I knew Briar was the perfect choice to be your savior.” He leaned in and, resting his hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “We’ll get those bastards for what they did to you. I swear it."

  "I would prefer it if we could just move on,” Ryder said, his voice soft. “It would only harm both packs if we retaliate. I heard what happened to Toby. I don't want any more bloodshed."

  Dominic gripped him by the back of the neck and stared into his eyes. "If that is what you want, then we’ll honor your request. But if Jackson decides to attack you, or anyone else in our pack, all deals are off, and we will make them suffer."

  Ryder nodded his head in agreement.

  Dominic turned to me, his gaze turning dark. "Ryder, give us a minute, will you?"

  Ryder looked at me questioningly, but after I nodded at him, he left the room and closed the door behind him. I squared my feet beneath me.

  Dominic paced the room, his hands behind his back, while Silas clicked his tongue, as if preparing to scold someone for being tardy to class. Me, the naughty child. It made me furious, especially when I did what they should’ve done themselves.

  I couldn’t hold back. ”What? I saved a pack member. You should be thanking me."

  Dominic turned his back toward me, but he unleashed the power that made him Alpha. It was a force, like the wind in a hurricane, and it pushed me back. The unseen pressure sucked the air from the room. The walls quickly closed in on me.

  I inhaled, forcing myself to breathe through the sudden tightness squeezing my chest. My wolf bristled beneath my skin, sensing my sudden anxiety. His powe
r increased, and the invisible pressure wrapped around my spine just before jerking it hard. I gasped in pain.

  "I told you to wait to get Ryder,” he snapped and turned, his eyes glowing a deep red. “But you didn't obey."

  Still sitting in his chair, Silas picked at a cuticle on his forefinger. "You can't have pack members who don’t follow the rules."

  “What about the pack rule of protecting one another?” I rasped out, barely able to breathe through the force pushing against me.

  Dominic hissed. “There was no proof he had been taken.”

  I pushed against his power, only enough to get my words out. “They would've killed Ryder if I hadn’t gone there. You should've seen what they were doing to him."

  Dominic's eyes slowly moved to mine, cold and cruel. "The point is, we can't have pack members disobeying me. It sets a bad tone for the rest of them. Ryder’s life or not, my orders must be followed."

  "But—”

  The pressure died down. “You will be whipped for your insubordination. I'm sure Silas will be happy to have the honors."

  Silas finally looked up from his nails, his lips twisting into a grin. “I will do it for the good of the pack, of course. Although it will pain me.”

  Like usual, he knew just enough to appear normal, but he couldn’t hide the devil within. He was too eager.

  “This is bullshit. I thought protecting the pack was important. I did a good thing.”

  "Without permission. Loyalty first,” Dominic said, his eyes studying me. I could sense the intelligence within the dark glow. “Sometimes I wonder if you're secretly conspiring to be Alpha. Your motivation for greatness is too strong."

  I laughed out loud. “Greatness? You think that's what I'm doing here? Maybe I just want to keep the pack safe.”

  His eyes burned a deeper red. “Are you implying I’m not capable of that?”

  I looked down, showing complete respect and obedience. “No, sir. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  It killed me to bow to him like this. I shouldn’t have said that though; it was almost a challenge.

  He turned his back to me, dismissing me. "Do I need to call my security team to take you downstairs, or can you walk there yourself?”

  "I know where it is.” I opened the door and began to leave.

  He sat down at his desk again and returned to the paperwork in front of him. Conversation over.

  Silas called after me, his voice practically singing the words. "I'll be along within the hour. I’ll give you some time to think about what you’ve done.”

  I clenched my hands together. As soon as I was out of their earshot, mostly anyway, I punched a hole in the wall.

  "Everything okay?" Ryder was suddenly behind me.

  I ground my jaw together and made my expression go slack. “It’s fine. Silas just rubs my ass wrong.”

  “Welcome to the pack. He does that to everyone. They say his mother was a hell-hound and his father the devil."

  “That makes sense.” Behind him, my uncle, who was standing in the mouth of the hallway, motioned his head for me to come over. I glanced back at Dominic's office. They might be a while.

  I placed my hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “Go upstairs and rest. I’ll catch up with you later tonight."

  I didn’t want him to see me get whipped; he would know the truth then.

  He nodded and walked toward the front door where his car was still parked. I watched him for a minute, wishing he could live a different life altogether. There were so many other packs, better packs. Packs where his goodness could thrive.

  As I stared at him, I considered introducing him to such a pack. Maybe after all of this was over.

  When I reached my uncle, he pulled me to the side and into the kitchen. The mansion was mostly empty, but there were a few people still passed out on couches in the living room.

  "There were some Greybacks sniffing around the woods here last night,” my uncle said. “I assume that had something to do with you bringing Ryder back?"

  "You heard they took him, right?"

  "I did, but only after you left. You shouldn't have gone there alone. It was extremely dangerous."

  I held my ground. No matter what anyone said, I did the right thing. “Ryder's important to the pack, and he's important to me."

  His brow wrinkled. “Are you two together?”

  "Hardly. I just think he's worth saving.”

  My uncle stared down at the floor, thinking. “I haven’t known him long, only a couple of years. He’s always been kind to me. And he was one of the few shifters who didn’t take a crack at me when I was tied up.” He looked up at me. "But can we trust him?"

  “Absolutely. Especially after I rescued him. He will be loyal.”

  I glanced back at Dominic's office again. I shouldn't waste any more time.

  My uncle followed my line of sight. "You weren’t supposed to rescue him, were you?"

  "What's done is done. Besides, it will be good for the rest of the pack to see me get punished for saving Ryder. A lot of them won’t like it.”

  “Good point.” He brushed his fingers across my jaw in a playful motion. “Your father always said you were a little schemer. What's your punishment?"

  "Stupid whipping. It wouldn't be a big deal, but he put Silas in charge of it. I don’t want that guy anywhere near me.”

  My uncle frowned, worry creasing the corners of his eyes. "Maybe Dominic will let me take your punishment.”

  My heart warmed, a part that had been cold for a very long time. That’s what family was all about–having each other’s backs. I’d forgotten how nice it felt. “That’s nice of you, but I got this. A few lashes are nothing.”

  Concern remained rooted in his gaze. “I hope that’s all it is.” He glanced back at the basement door, the same one I should’ve already walked through. “Have you seen the drugged human recently, the one locked up in the basement? He’s insane. I can't imagine what will happen to the city if Scorpion’s Breath is introduced."

  "Way ahead of you. I've already got a plan, but it's going to take a little time."

  "Want to fill me in?"

  I shook my head. "I'm still working out the details. How much longer are you on greenie duty?"

  "Another week and I’ll be given full rights back into the pack."

  "Good. I need more eyes on the inside. I need to go." I turned to leave but stopped. "Hey, have you seen Luke?"

  "He's the one who told me you went after Ryder. He drove to the Greybacks’ place to try and find you. A few hours ago, he texted me and told me the place was on fire and suspected you had something to do with it.”

  “Fire’s pretty,” I mumbled, but I was only thinking about Luke. I can’t believe he came after me. “Where is he now?”

  “Not sure. I texted him when I saw you come in, but he hasn’t responded yet.”

  “Thanks for doing that. I’ll see you soon, a little bloodier, but a hell of a lot tougher.”

  He gave me the knuckles. “You’re a Moretti through and through.”

  I said goodbye to him and headed downstairs to await my punishment. All the while I thought about Luke and how he had come after me. Why would he do that? I know he heard Dominic tell me not to go. Luke was a rule follower, or at least I always thought he was. If Dominic knew he had followed me, he would probably be whipped too.

  Whose side was he really on?

  The basement with its long halls and grimy walls was cold and smelled of rusty pipes. The floor was concrete and the lighting was spotty. It was the perfect place for the setting of a horror film. Today, I was the main character in said B-rated film.

  I walked past the room where they had forced me to torture Lynx, my stomach tightening. I never wanted to think about what I had done in there ever again. If only that were possible.

  Instead, I walked toward the room everyone called the OTC room: Obedience Training Center. A couple of weeks ago, I, along with several other pack members, had to watch as a fem
ale shifter was whipped for disobeying Dominic's rules on having a relationship with a human. She had been dating a man for almost a year until she was caught. Dominic had personally whipped her twelve times, one lashing for every month she was with him.

  He had not been gentle. Blood had run down her bare bottom and thighs into a drain on the concrete floor. I wondered if they’d make me get naked too. Not that I cared. Pack members saw each other naked all the time when we shifted.

  Getting whipped didn’t bother me either. In fact, I was looking forward to it. I wanted the other pack members to see how I was punished for saving one of their own. It would cause strife among them and hopefully fracture some of their allegiance toward Dominic.

  A sound unlike anything I had ever heard stopped me cold. It was that of a wounded animal, full of pain and despair. It made the hairs on my arms rise.

  I followed the chilling noise to a locked door and peered through an elongated window. It was the human we’d gotten from the vamps. He was locked up inside, squatting in the corner of the room. His hair was drenched in sweat, and his coloring was more gray than white. He wore only white underwear that were clearly soiled in the back, despite being given a bucket in the corner.

  Sniffing the wall, he scratched at the concrete with his fingers. He must not have any fingernails left, because the wall was stained red.

  I pounded on the door. "Stop that!"

  His head snapped in my direction, and his bloodshot eyes widened in recognition. He lobbed over to me, moving much the same way a monkey scrambles across the jungle floor.

  For a moment, he disappeared from my view. I stood on my tippy toes to look down just as he slowly rose into my view, his face void of any kind of emotion. I stumbled back, shocked and surprised at the change that had come over him so suddenly.

  He blinked, and when his eyes opened again, I recognized sadness beyond their glossy depths. Was he aware of what was happening to him?

  "What's your name?"

  He made no motion of understanding me, beyond breathing at a faster pace.