The Unleashing

by Shelly Laurenston

  “Thank you so much, Kera.”

  They shook hands before Kera walked over to Vig.

  “Kera?”

  “Hhhm?”

  “You’re still holding that puppy.”

  “Yes. I know. I’m not adopting him or anything.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I’m just fostering him.”

  “Fostering him?”

  “Yes. But Chloe can’t complain because I’m not taking him.”

  “That’s pathetic.”

  “I know, but it’s the best I can manage right now.” She held the puppy up. “But look at that face!”

  Vig shook his head as he watched the kid talk to the rescue people. While he spoke to them, he kept petting his new partner.

  “What kind of dog is that?”

  “A Doberman pinscher–German shepherd mix. Pretty girl, huh?”

  “Gorgeous. You ready to go?”

  “Yep.”

  They climbed back into Vig’s truck and headed to Raven territory. As he moved through traffic, Vig asked, “Kera?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Remember earlier today when you said you needed a job?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I think you found it.”

  “You mean working for a rescue organization?”

  “Not working for one. Having your own.”

  “A dog rescue? I guess—”

  “No. A vet rescue.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Kera, I’m talking about doing what you just did. Helping a vet get a partner—a dog—to get him or her through this transition. Just like Brodie did for you.”

  Kera looked away, shook her head, then turned back to Vig. “Wait . . . what?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “I don’t know anything about nonprofits,” Kera said, attempting to argue herself out of what Vig felt was a natural fit for her.

  “First off,” Siggy announced now that he, Rolf, and Stieg had forced their way into Kera and Vig’s dinner date in the yard, “you need money.”

  They all gazed at him a moment before Kera nodded and said, “Yes. Yes I do.”

  Proud he’d made such a helpful comment, he went back to his bread and cheese.

  “Now I just need to figure out how to get money.”

  “You could work for another rescue first, just to see how they’re run,” Rolf suggested.

  Vig, his chair turned away from the table so he could stretch his long legs out without hitting any of the other guys’ long legs, sat back and said, “My sister can help you with that. She’s very close to the rescue we went to today.”

  “I know. She’s the only reason I was able to foster the puppy without filling out their incredibly long and painful application form. It was your sister’s good word about me that let me take him.”

  “If anyone can help you, she’s the one.”

  The air around them suddenly swirled and the puppy lifted his little head from Siggy’s chest to bark. That’s when the Crows landed in Vig’s backyard.

  It was a small group. Just Erin, Jace, Leigh, and Maeve.

  “What are you guys doing here?” Kera asked. “Do we have a job?”

  “No. Chloe was just freaked out that you were gone so long.” Erin walked over to the table. “And apparently telling her that, ‘Hey, it’s no problem. She’s with the Ravens,’ does not make things better.”

  “Why not? She’s the one with the shitty ex-husband.”

  Erin motioned to Vig and his brothers with a swirl of her forefinger. “I think it’s just this little group she has a problem with.”

  Vig frowned. “What did we do?”

  Erin grabbed an empty chair and pulled it up to the table. “Are you guys done eating? Because we’re kind of starving and this looks pretty good.”

  “Can’t afford your own food?” Stieg asked.

  “How can you be a Raven and not like to share?”

  “I just don’t like sharing with you.”

  “That’s a lie,” Rolf muttered.

  “What’s the matter, honey-bunny?” Erin teased. “Tough day?”

  “Eat up,” Vig offered, and they did. The Crows pulled up chairs and dug into what was left of the food with a Viking-like gusto that Vig appreciated.

  The only one who didn’t was Jace, who slowly inched her way over to Siggy’s side. Once there, she reached out to pet the puppy’s head with one finger. But Siggy could be as bad as Stieg when it came to sharing, and he moved the puppy away and said, “Get your own puppy.”

  Vig watched Kera, her back straightening, her eyes narrowing on Siggy. But before she could deal with him in what Vig was sure would be a very drill sergeant–like way, Jace suddenly screamed and slammed her fists against Siggy’s head and shoulders.

  Kera was the only one who looked surprised by this, and Siggy nearly dropped the animal in his haste to hand it over to Jace. But once she had the little beast in her arms, she went back to her silent self, holding the puppy close to her chest and moving to one of the trees. She sat down at the base, her entire focus on the puppy she held.

  Erin, now with a bowl of pasta in front of her and a glass of wine that Rolf placed on the table, asked, “So what are we talking about?”

  “Kera wants to start a nonprofit organization that would place dogs with former military personnel suffering from PTSD or those who just need a friendly companion.” When everyone gawked at Stieg’s simple explanation, spoken without any rancor at all, he shrugged, and admitted, “I think it’s admirable.”

  “I thought maybe I could sign up with a rescue,” Kera said. “Get some experience and contacts.”

  Erin, inhaling the pasta as if it was her first meal in months, asked between bites, “Why?”

  Kera’s eyes narrowed and she snapped, “Why? Because maybe the troops who live and die for our freedom need a little more than a hearty pat on the back and a shove out the door, with a friendly, ‘Thanks, fella.’ Maybe our troops actually deserve—”

  Erin suddenly dropped her fork, reached both arms toward Kera, and then mimed yanking something away.

  Kera gawked at her sister-Crow. “What the hell was that?”

  “Me snatching your soap box away. I wasn’t asking why would you do that. I was asking why waste your time joining a rescue? You don’t really want to create a rescue that takes in any and all dogs. You’re placing dogs with specific people. Military vets. So what’s the purpose of wasting time with some run-of-the-mill rescue?”

  “I’ll still need to train the dogs, work with the guys I give dogs to, so that means I’ll need kennel space, training space, money for feeding the dogs and getting supplies.”

  “Yeah,” Erin said.

  “Perhaps it’s not clear, but I don’t have that kind of money.”

  “We’ll get you money.”

  “Not by robbing a bank?”

  Erin glared over at Stieg and Siggy. “You told her?”

  “It wasn’t us.” Siggy pointed at Vig. “It was him.”

  “No,” she said to Kera, “I don’t mean by robbing banks. You have lawyers, financial planners, bankers, all at your disposal.”

  “Where?”

  “At the house.”

  “I thought they were all actors and models.”

  “No. Those are just the ones you see sitting around on their asses all day unless they get a callback. The rest go to their day jobs. They’ll help.”

  “We’ll all help,” Jace suddenly volunteered . . . out loud . . . her nose pressed against the puppy’s, her gaze locked with his.

  There was a long moment of silence as everyone at the table stared at Jace, wondering if she was aware she’d said those words out loud. When she did nothing more than rub her nose against the puppy’s, Erin turned to Kera and said, “We can talk about all this tomorrow.”

  “Why can’t we talk about it now?”

  “Because we have visitors.” Erin looked at Vig. Her expression was unreadable, but her words . .
.

  “They’re coming, Vig.”

  Erin’s words were no sooner out of her mouth, than the men dropped from the skies, surrounding their little dinner party.

  Kera watched as the Ravens moved with a speed that left her breathless. One second they’d been sitting, lounging really. And the next . . . on their feet and behind the intruders.

  Kera could tell they weren’t fellow Ravens from their white and brown wings.

  “Protectors,” Erin softly noted.

  The Crows had not moved, but Kera wasn’t buying their casual disdain.

  Stieg put his arm around the neck of one of the men. “Ormi. What are you doing here?” Stieg leaned in close and said softly, “And why shouldn’t we let Vig here rip the flesh from your bones?”

  “Because you need to see something.”

  “We don’t need to see anything. Talk to Josef.”

  “No. You.” He pointed at Rolf. “And him.” And, suddenly, he pointed at Kera. “And her.”

  Vig didn’t say a word. But he had the Protector’s head yanked back and a blade against his throat in seconds. Literally seconds.

  “Vig,” Kera said, keeping her voice calm. “Don’t be that guy.” She’d been married to “that guy” and she wasn’t about to go down that path again.

  Vig impressed her, though, immediately releasing the Protector.

  “What do you want me for?” Kera asked.

  “We want your opinion.”

  “No, you don’t. But I’ll go.”

  “You sure?” Erin asked.

  “I’m curious.”

  Erin smiled. “Me, too. We’ll go together.”

  Stieg grabbed one of the Protectors and pushed him over to the table. “This one stays.” He shoved the man into a chair. “Crows and Ravens come back healthy or I have some fun with this one.”

  Great. Now there were hostages.

  Kera went back into Vig’s house and put on her battle clothes, borrowing one of Vig’s tank tops. Not because she expected a fight, but because she needed her wings to be free.

  Once dressed, she came out, and Erin was waiting for her.

  “You two sure about this?” Leigh asked.

  “If we’re not back before sunup,” Erin told them, pointing at the hostage-Protector, “kill him.”

  Leigh sat on the table, letting her legs dangle over the edge. “Yeah. Okay.”

  “How casual we all are with the idea of killing a man,” Kera noted.

  “Can we just go, little Miss Judge-a-lot?” Erin asked, pushing Kera toward Vig, his Raven brothers, and the Protectors.

  As the small group landed on Catalina Island, Vig prevented Kera from crashing into the rock wall. Clearly she hadn’t nailed her landings yet.

  The Protectors—a less fun group of males Rolf had never known—led the way to a small cave buried away from the more populated areas of the island. They walked inside and down a long, dark path until they reached a cavern. Torches mounted on the walls were lit, and Rolf let out a breath as he looked around.

  In the center of the room was a stone altar. It was covered in copious amounts of blood. Some fresh. And painted on the floor in gold were runes.

  That’s why they’d insisted Rolf come. He was known among the Clans for his knowledge of runes and rune lore. Most of it was the kind of information one could get in any metaphysical book about Nordic runes. But there was a small part of him that understood runes on a deeper level than any book. Because the runes spoke to him. They whispered. They told him things that they told no other.

  But this time, the runes didn’t speak. They didn’t whisper. They screamed.

  Rolf closed his eyes and worked to block out the screaming. But it only became louder.

  He closed his eyes and covered his ears with his hands, and someone pushed him out of the cavern. There he was greeted with wonderful silence. The runes no longer screamed at him. When Rolf opened his eyes, he saw Erin standing in front of him.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Thanks.”

  “What did you see, Raven?” Ormi Bentsen, leader of the L.A. Protectors demanded.

  “Back off, Ormi,” Erin told the older man. “Or I’ll tear your wings off.”

  “We don’t have time for him to be a sensitive flower.”

  “Give him a minute.”

  Once Ormi returned to the cavern, Erin’s lip curled. “God, that guy irritates me.”

  “Everyone irritates you.”

  “That’s very true.”

  Rolf leaned his head back, blew out a breath.

  “That bad?”

  “That loud.”

  “I guess whatever they’re raising is powerful.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t think they’re raising anything. I think they’re drawing something in. Pulling it from another world into this one.”

  “They’re trying to open a doorway.”

  “And let something god-awful in.”

  Kera walked around the altar. There was so much blood on it.

  She turned to Vig, who was taking pictures of the runes with his cell phone. “You don’t do this, do you?”

  Vig glanced up. “Do what?”

  “The Crows, the Ravens . . . they don’t do . . .” She gestured to the altar.

  “Are you asking if we do human sacrifices?”

  “Any sacrifices.”

  “They were outlawed in all Clans back in 1908.”

  “That’s a little more recent than I was hoping.”

  “Cut us some slack. At least we got there.”

  Kera continued to study the runes and the altar until something shiny caught her eye.

  “Vig?”

  “No, we don’t kill animals.”

  “Vig.”

  “What?”

  “What?”

  She motioned him over, and he crouched down next to her. After staring at each other a moment, Vig walked around to the other side of the altar. Together, they lifted the heavy stone up.

  “Holy shit,” Siggy murmured.

  He reached forward but Ormi caught his hand. “No, Raven. Leave it.”

  Vig and Kera moved the altar over to the side and dropped it. They went back and studied the gold and diamond jewelry and artifacts that had been lying under the altar.

  “That has to be worth . . . a fortune.”

  “It’s a sacrifice.”

  “Along with the human ones?” Kera glanced around at the others. “Does that seem excessive to anyone else? I mean . . . really excessive?”

  Vig took her hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “We’re just going to leave all this?” Siggy asked.

  Vig sighed. “It’s tainted, dumb-ass. Cursed. Leave it.”

  “Whatever.”

  Kera watched Siggy walk out of the cavern. “He’s not the brightest—”

  “He’s my friend,” Vig said quickly. “Great in a fight and does a great job on our taxes.”

  Kera gawked. “He’s an accountant?”

  “Numbers and hand-to-hand combat . . . Siggy’s the best. Anything else . . . Siggy’s our friend.”

  Kera laughed. “Fair enough.”

  Ski watched Jace Berisha feed that funny-looking puppy with her hands. She didn’t speak to anyone, not even her sister-Crows. She didn’t seem to notice anyone. But she seemed really happy with that puppy.

  “Watcha staring at?” Leigh Matsushita asked from Ski’s right side.

  “I’m just waiting. Quietly being a hostage.”

  “She is cute,” Maeve noted from his other side, and Ski turned his head to look at her. “But a little out of your league, don’t you think, Protector?”

  “And you never want to make her mad,” Leigh added. “You really couldn’t handle that.”

  “Really?” Ski turned his head nearly 360 degrees to look at Leigh and both women screamed, dashing away from him.

  “I hate when you guys do that!” Leigh snarled.

  “Yeah.” Ski smirke
d and cracked his neck. “We know.”

  Ormi returned with the Ravens and Crows, the new girl’s landing more than a little wobbly when she almost crashed into a tree. But she veered in time and Amsel caught her before she hit the house.

  “What’s wrong?” Leigh asked Erin once she and the new girl were safe on the ground.

  “We need to talk to Chloe,” Erin announced.

  “That bad?”

  “It wasn’t good.”

  “We’ll talk to Josef.” Rolf pulled out a chair and sat down. “Does anyone have aspirin?”

  “Chloe and Alexandersen working together on anything?” Maeve asked everyone. “Really?”

  “Maeve has a point,” Vig said.

  “Let’s wait until we have everything we need,” Rolf announced, gratefully accepting the small bottle of aspirin that Maeve put in his hand. Leigh handed him a bottle of water. “Once we have everything, we go to Chloe and Joe. If we go to them now, they’ll just start arguing and nothing will happen. Okay?”

  The Crows and Ravens agreed, then turned to Ormi. He nodded. “That’s fine.”

  “What about the other Clans?” the new girl asked. “Should we involve them?”

  “No,” everyone said together, making the new girl take a step back.

  “It was just a question.”

  “Involving all the Clans can be a bit of a challenge,” Vig stated.

  “That is,” Ormi noted, “an amazing amount of understatement.”

  Ormi glanced up. “The sun will be up soon. Let’s go, Ski.”

  Vig watched the Protectors fly off. And, as they passed the trees, Vig saw twenty other Protectors follow behind. They’d never made a sound, but Vig wasn’t surprised they’d been nearby.

  “Hey.” Kera tugged on his hand and Vig smiled down at her.

  “I’m going back to the house,” she told him. “Get some sleep. Change of clothes.”

  “I’ll call you later.”

  Kera went up on her toes and kissed him. “Later.”

  “Later.”

  Vig watched Kera and the other Crows take off, then turned back to Rolf, who had his head buried in his hands.

  “You going to be all right?” he asked his friend and brother-Raven.

  “It’s just a headache.”