Bouquet of Regret (Angel's Shifters Book 1)

by Lenai McGoveran

  “Tonight!?” Riff exclaimed while I stared at the vampire in shock. Tonight? I would have thought he’d want to wait a day or so first.

  “Yes, tonight. It gives Vesper time to have fun without me killing those who made your torment possible. There’s also the fact that someone set a trap for Angel. I’m tempted to call the house a loss and destroy all of them,” Ryker replied with a careless shrug. Shock filled my soul, followed by sorrow at such a loss of life. Even if they were cruel, not every vampire in the house was. Unless Ryker believed those who listened to me playing the piano were responsible somehow too. Albeit, was it possible they already had Riff and Char at that point? Could those vampires have known there were two werewolves in the house? I don’t think so, because had they known, then Tyger would have too. If he snuck up on the vampires, and they didn’t get the better of him, in theory, his senses were better than theirs. Thus, if something was out of place, he should have smelled it. This isn’t including his ability to read minds. No, whoever knew the wolves were here must have avoided Tyger like the plague. And the other vampires, I hope. Would they have smelled a wolf on their fellows and ignored it?

  Nodding, Riff eyed me for a moment before pulling his phone from a pocket. My heart ached when he pressed a number, and the line rang. Judging by how he held it, and the volume, Riff had it on speakerphone. Why? The smile curling his lips warned he’d enjoy the reaction of whoever answered, while the trouble shining in Char’s eyes agreed. “Do you have any idea what time it is, you asshole?” An angry voice roughened by sleep growled after a few rings, and something in my soul perked. “We have school in a few hours. Why the hell are you calling me at two in the morning on a fucking Thursday? What could you have stumbled into… wait…? Why weren’t you at school yesterday? Where are you? Is Char with you!?” With each question, the boy on the other end of the line seemed to wake and realize who he spoke to. My heart panged upon realizing my loveable idiots were missing for an entire day. So, the vampires had them for a bit, then. “Have you seen… never mind. You would have led with that if you had.”

  “You know that house Jax left you in charge of, saying you would know who to entrust it to? That he had faith they would come to Wolfram one day? Can I have the keys to it?” Riff asked with a grin so full of trouble, I feared for poor Dakota’s sanity. As it was, the sadness in his voice pained me so much I wanted to discover a way to reach through the phone to hug him. Ryker, I noticed, struggled to not laugh as did Char. Why were they picking on poor Dakota? Huffing silently, I crossed my arms and stared at Riff, who pleaded with his eyes for me to understand, or at least give him a chance.

  “Are you fucking kidding me, Riff? Are you seriously fucking with me, at two in the fucking morning!?” Dakota snarled, and I scowled at Char, who snickered. “Oh, fuck you, Char! Come here for the keys, and I swear I’ll remind you I’m no longer a beta by choice.” With a grin a mile wide, Char pointed at me, putting his hands together in a gesture for supplication. It took a second for me to realize what they wanted, how they desired to reveal they found me and I was all right.

  Swallowing nervously, I cleared my throat before softly asking, “please, Dakota?” Had he been human, I doubt he would have heard me since my voice was so quiet. I wasn’t sure how the teenager would react to hearing me with how I left, nor that we asked for something his beloved cousin gave him.

  Stunned silence met my words, and I winced, already fearing the angry outburst sure to follow. “Angel,” Dakota breathed after a moment, and tears stung my eyes when there wasn’t even a hint of anger in his voice. “You found Angel! Is she all right? Did the vampires hurt her? Is she scared? Is she mad at us, still? I wouldn’t blame her, but I hope she isn’t. Other than Kyler. She can hate him until the end of time.”

  “I’m all right, Dakota,” I answered before Riff could, and he grinned with laughter shining in his eyes. “We reunited about an hour ago.” Realizing it had been such a brief time, I glanced at Ryker warily, with the vampire shrugging in reply. Someone was impulsive. Or, did he always mean to take me back to Wolfram? Then why the mark on my hand, or was that a test? “However,” I added thickly, “I cannot come back to Wolfram alone. Six will come with me, one of which is Matty.”

  “That meddling asshole,” Dakota grumbled although there was no strength to his words. “Just couldn’t help himself.” Clearing his throat, he raised his voice to add, “well, I have keys to a house big enough for you. A certain cousin of mine bought it, paid it off, and the taxes for two decades. The utilities run at the bare minimum which he prepaid too, somehow. Jax could be compelling when he desired, or he’d guilt you into doing whatever he wanted. But, uh, it’s sort of a mansion, and none of us have been in it. He said I could, but I never mustered the courage to unlock the door.” Oh, Dakota. My heart ached for him, knowing he must have stood on the doorstep, the key in the lock while he tried so hard to find the strength to turn it.

  “Well, how about we meet you there?” I offered thickly, and, somehow, I knew his lips curled into that heartthrob grin of his. I saw it in my mind and nearly smiled because I loved the way he brightened when he grinned.

  “Sure, bunny, how far out are you?” Dakota asked, all signs of sleep in his voice gone. I felt terrible for waking him, wondering how exhausted he would be tomorrow, er later today. Couldn’t we have waited until dusk? Although Marcus would be awake and banging on the door within minutes of us entering his territory. Wouldn’t he feel it when we returned? I mean, if he knew when we left, in theory, he should know when we returned too.

  “I can have her there in minutes,” Ryker chuckled, and it was like I could see Dakota stiffening with a silent snarl.

  “Peace, Dakota, he hasn’t hurt me,” I promised softly before he said something to piss off the vampire. Riff quirked his brow, as did Char while Ryker appeared pleased. I don’t want to know.

  “If he does, I’ll kill him myself,” Dakota swore darkly, and I sighed. Ghostly laughter filled my ears, while an arm wrapped around my shoulders, and Ryker stared past me at what I could only assume to be Jaxy’s ghost. He smiled while his features softened with sorrow and affection in his eyes. How close were they?

  “I’m sure you will, Dakota,” I sighed, not wanting a pissing contest to start. I was too drained for that, emotionally and mentally.

  “She’s all right, I promise,” Ryker murmured and, unbidden, a fuzzy memory filled my mind.

  “She stumbled into the side of the playground. We were playing tag, and her foot caught the edge of the sidewalk,” Jax murmured in his soft, musical voice. “Poor tyke hit her head and is trying to be tough.” The memory burst into sudden clarity, and I saw him standing a few steps away, his hand on the purple slide above his head while he observed me with worried eyes. I sat on the gravel at the base, holding my head while fighting tears. Father said I needed to be resilient, and not such a baby.

  “Ah, let me see, Angel,” Ryker’s voice was so tender I sniffled and did as he asked. Kneeling beside me, he tilted my chin and gently touched the spot on my forehead that ached. I whimpered when his light brushing of it made it hurt worse for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, bunny, but I wanted to make sure nothing feels broken. Angel will have a decent bruise and a headache, but I don’t believe it’s something to worry about. Tyger used to hit his head like this all the time, and he’s fine.”

  “Oh, that makes me feel so much better,” Jaxy drawled sarcastically. “Tyger is fine, so automatically bunny will be too. You’re an absolute idiot!”

  Shaking his head, Ryker met my worried, tear-filled eyes with a gentle smile. “You’re all right, I promise,” he murmured tenderly, holding his arms out for a hug, and I burrowed into his embrace. “We shall keep any tears that leak from your eyes a secret between us, okay? No one else needs to know, little one.” Giving in, I cried into his shoulder while he stroked my hair and squabbled with Jax, who insisted he was an idiot for dismissing my head injury. “You would be a helicopter parent, Jax. Rel
ax, kids do worse to themselves all the time and end up fine. You have to let her stumble and fall, so she learns to pick herself up. If you coddle her, she will rely on you or someone else for the rest of her life. Regardless of what she is, Angel needs to stand on her own. Even if it pains you to watch her do it. I checked it, her eyes are focused, and she’s not screaming in pain. There’s no reason to believe this is anything other than a bump. If it swells, then we will take her to a doctor, all right? Molly knows I won’t let anything happen to Angel, or else she would insist on coming along for our playdates. Molly is also aware I’m used to toddlers. They seem intent on proving how indestructible they believe themselves to be and appear quite startled to discover they aren’t.”

  “I still think we should get a second opinion,” Jax argued with a soft huff.

  “Uncle Jaxy isn’t listening, bunny,” Ryker murmured, and I sniffled while raising my head to look at the grinning vampire. “You should tickle him.” Giggling, I squirmed until he released me so I could chase after Jaxy, who chuckled and skipped backward out of my reach.

  Uncle Jaxy? Was that just what I called him, or was it true? Heh. Did I dare try to convince myself I wasn’t related to him even though I looked identical to the man? But he was a werewolf, and I’m human. So how could we be related? Not to mention, Ryker’s voice was full of warmth when he mentioned mom’s name, so he must have known her as more than just my mom. He said he was present at my birth, so how did he know mom before I was born, unless Jax did? They must have been siblings, right? But, how could a human and a werewolf be in the same family? Step siblings? Mom rarely spoke of her family, that I remember. But I know grandma ran away from her family after they forced her to marry a man who raped her.

  Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore, and, after a ‘hunting accident,’ she ran away, meeting the love of her life along the way. This happened when mom was three, but the man never treated her different from his other children. Shock stole my breath while I tried to dig further into my head, chasing the memories just out of reach. The information wasn’t in her voice. It was Jaxy’s! I’m on the verge of solving the puzzle, I know I am! Groaning under my breath when my head pounded, I focused, trying to force myself to remember what Jax told me so long ago. I pictured him in my mind, with that same heartthrob grin Dakota had, while his lips moved to impart the story of mom’s family and where I came from.

  “… Angel? Angel!” I barely registered someone calling my name since I was so focused on grasping the answers to my questions that were a hairsbreadth from reach.

  “I would like to point out I am indestructible, thank you very much,” Tyger scoffed, his voice cutting through my mulling as Dakota called it.

  “Indestructible? Where did that come from… ah,” Ryker’s voice pulled me further from the memory, so while I could see Jaxy’s grin, darkness surrounded him. His image faded, but I tried to grab him in my mind, only to be jolted back to the present when warm pressure on my lips sent tingles vibrating through them. Blinking, I stared at Ryker’s mischievous grin once he broke the kiss with a sinking feeling in my chest. The part of my mind where the memory of Jaxy dwelled was now dark and cold, thus beyond my grasp. Tears of frustration filled my eyes, and Ryker sighed. “Soon, little one. You are very close to solving it on your own, however. Jax would be proud.” His eyes flicked to the space beside me as he said that, and a soft laugh filled my ears. “He was almost as much of a trouble magnet as you. Often, he stuck his nose into everything to see if something would bite it off.”

  “Jazzy would never have allowed it,” Jax chuckled in my ear. “She loved me too much, and the trouble we got into together.”

  “The secrecy was your idea, Jax, so shut up,” Ryker growled. “Why do you have to make me the bad guy?”

  “Because it annoys you,” the ghost answered with a grin judging by the smugness in his voice. I couldn’t stop my snort of laughter, although I didn’t try very hard. While my heart ached to have been so close to the truth only for it to be jerked away, hearing their banter felt so right. So, they must have known each other pretty well, and I spent enough time with them to know they were, at the very least, close friends.

  When I chanced a glance at Riff and Char, they dropped their jaws while they stared at the space beside me. “Holy crap, I can see and hear Jax!”

  “I saw him the other day,” Dakota’s voice was almost too soft for me to hear. “He seems to follow Angel. I would like the answers to the puzzle he left her too. However, I have an ace up my sleeve that he might have forgotten. His parents, my aunt and uncle live in Wolfram, albeit their house is on the border of pack territory. Perhaps Angel and I should pay them a visit.”

  “Dakota has always been an impatient cheater, bunny. Never play card games with him,” Jax warned in such a mock-serious voice that I laughed. Dakota’s answering scoff made my lips twitch before sadness filled my heart. I could only imagine how much it pained Dakota to hear his cousin’s voice without being able to see him or hug the man. “But he’s taken care of the house I entrusted to him, so we can’t be too hard on him. Poor kid. Give him an enormous hug for me, all right, bunny? I hope you enjoy having a safe place to stay.”

  Frowning, I mused about that, while Ryker, Riff, and Char, finished making plans with Dakota. Apparently, Tyger went back to the hall after ratting out my near discovery to Ryker. I would have to remember to pay the shifter back for that later. I was so close, and he knew it. Bastard. His laughter reached my ears, and I scowled at the door to Ryker’s room. Hmph, I’ll bake cookies and eat them in front of the jerk while the smell fills his nose. There, that stopped him from laughing.

  I hoped Char and Riff could sleep soon because they looked exhausted, although excitement seemed to give them energy for the moment. Biting my lip, I wondered why Tyger was here instead of playing with Matty. From the hall, Tyger called, “I heard Ryker’s plan while he made it, so I sent Matty to pack whatever he wants to take. I’m sure the gaming systems are coming with us, but not immediately. Once we’re established, Ryker and Liam will figure out how to transport everything Matty desires to entertain himself while you’re at school.”

  Ryker smiled with a slight shrug when I glanced at him, and I sighed soundlessly. I hoped Matty would go to school as well, but I understood why he shouldn’t. I’d be at school surrounded by teenage werewolves, whereas Matty would be in class with young pups. Sure, some teachers and faculty might be wolves, but would they get between Matty and my monster? I didn’t want them to. It wasn’t fair of me to ask someone else to risk their life for my baby brother when this situation was my fault. Sure, werewolves were hardy, but they were still killable.

  While lost in my musings, I repacked what little I took out of my bag, figuring I wasn’t necessary for deciding how or when we’d go. I still wasn’t sure I wanted to. Yes, I was excited to see the teenagers I considered my friends, and my soul longed to hug Dakota. Still, I did not want to be in the same city as Kyler. However, I refused to run from him like a coward afraid of their shadow. No, I’d stand my ground and ignore him. Why not? When he wasn’t trying to torment me, he acted like he wished I didn’t exist. So, I’d do us both a favor by pretending he didn’t.

  While I slowly packed my few items, I was aware of the flurry of activity happening in Ryker’s room. Albeit, I couldn’t focus upon it. I wanted to put my headphones on and draw while ignoring the world. That desire made me swallow nervously because I understood it meant I was anxious about running into Kyler. If I went to school, well, I sat next to him in several classes, so it wasn’t as if I wouldn’t see him. Whatever. He wasn’t my first bully, and I hoped to avoid becoming antagonistic so he left me alone.

  Blinking in confusion, I accepted the phones from Riff and Char, placing them in my bag like they asked. Their relief made me curious, as did the way they danced from foot to foot in excitement. Was something happening? I mean, I know we’re returning to Wolfram, but it felt like there was more to their exuberance th
an that. A soft whimper left my throat when I saw the enormous duffel bag Tyger handed to Ryker, who chuckled while grinning at me. Oh no.

  “Oh yes,” Tyger chortled with an evil grin. So, I was still to be his doll. Goody. Well, there were worse things, and I was beginning to like it. Which scared me a little. Patting my head with a gentle smile, Tyger jerked his head, and the teenage wolves excitedly followed him. My steps were a little slower. I fear the day, er night, was catching up to me. Still, I smiled when we joined Matty, Liam, and Snow outside. Matty bounced on the balls of his feet, which I understood. This would be the first roof we’ve lived under together where nothing intended to threaten us. Sure, Ryker liked us and meant no harm, as did the shifters and a few vampires. Alas, I fear most of the house wanted to drain us and be done with it.

  Smiling tiredly at Snow and Matty, I sighed while wondering how we intended to get to Wolfram. I didn’t know how far away we were since I wasn’t conscious when Liam stole me away. White light softened Snow’s edges for a moment, then the most beautiful snow leopard stood in her place. She looked a little larger than the average leopard in the wild, so I guessed shifters to be bigger than their natural counterparts. I tried to resist, but after a moment, I moved closer to stroke Snow’s fur. A throaty purr told me the touch was welcome, and I threw my arms around her neck to hug her. After a few minutes, she licked my forehead, and I sighed. Arctic shifted next, dancing around my feet to demand his share of attention, and I laughed before giving him what he desired. His purr was louder, which I fear was directed at Ryker. The vampire lord’s scowl warned I was correct, and I shook my head at the smug shifter. Glancing at Tyger, I waited to see if his animal form was what I thought.

  Sure enough, after the glow enveloped him, a large white tiger stood a few feet away, yawning to display his formidable teeth. “It’s not fair,” I teased with a grin. “You’re gorgeous as a human, and then you have such exquisite animals too.” Tossing his head, Tyger preened while I laughed at his antics. With a loud purr that soothed nerves I didn’t know were frayed, Tyger rubbed his head against mine. Relaxing, I hugged the tiger who chuffed with amusement when Riff and Char appeared to pout.