Banewolf (Dark Siren Book 2)

by Eden Ashley

  Stealth required that he swim slow enough to leave only the smallest ripples in his wake. Ears capable of hearing the flutter of a butterfly’s wings from a hundred feet away were searching for his position. The slightest sound could give him away. But moving at a snail’s pace meant spending more time in the water. Rhane couldn’t afford to have his internal temperature drop. And the cold was creeping in. He dared to swim faster.

  The opposite shore was tricky. Large boulders and rocks were covered in algae, making them extremely slippery to navigate, even for someone as sure footed as Rhane. He rose from the river carefully, letting the water slide from his body as soundlessly as possible. Then he began to climb. Once his feet were on solid earth, Rhane crouched low and hugged his extremities to his body. He was relieved to be on dry land again. Then the wind shifted, bringing with it a surprise. Time to move.

  Keeping his back to the wind, Rhane had traveled in a southwest direction. The strong musk he now smelled came from farther south. The scent belonged to one of his pursuers. Somehow he had managed to get ahead of Rhane.

  Damn. He smiled. These guys are good.

  Rhane stood and surveyed his surroundings. Lasting all afternoon and into the evening, the chase had covered nearly a hundred miles. He wasn’t as familiar with this part of the territory. In eight hours’ time, he had lost his pursuers twice. But each time he was ready to claim victory, they’d successfully regained his scent. Kalista was probably at the manor or would be there soon. It was time to end this. If Rhane couldn’t escape, then he would have stand and fight.

  The Desert Eagle was still lost somewhere up on the scorched ridge. And Bellefuron was tucked away safely at the manor. Taking on two kindred in human form and with his bare hands had never exactly topped the list of things he wanted to do. If he could meet them one at a time, he’d have a much better chance of getting out of this, with a lot less damage.

  Swiftly scaling an aged pine, Rhane used the higher vantage point to spot the kindred still north of his position. The creature was moving slowly but steadily straight toward him. In less than five minutes, it would arrive at the river. Rhane looked at the ground. It would take him two just to climb back down the tree. That only left three minutes to find the other kindred, engage, and disable it. Trying not to think about why he shouldn’t do what he was about to do next, Rhane eased out to the edge of the thick bough he perched in and jumped. Several seconds later, the fifty-foot drop ended with a bone jarring thud. Rhane rolled to minimize the impact and sprang to his feet. Then he ran as fast as he could.

  He found the creature picking its way through low brush less than a mile away. Unlike rogues, sunlight had no adverse effects on the kindred. But the dissimilarity didn’t make it any less ugly. Gray fur was mottled with black spots and stripes that held no distinct pattern. Thickly muscled hind legs were very disproportionate to the front legs, which were skinny and strangely elongated. The kindred had large skulls that tapered into narrow jaws with razor sharp teeth protruding in a wicked overbite. It was almost if a mad scientist had experimented with crossing a wolf with a kangaroo.

  Rhane never hesitated. Hitting the creature at full speed, he tackled it to the ground, planted a firm kick to its face and then darted away from the tangle of beast. As he whirled to face the other, he saw in peripheral that the downed kindred’s form was shrinking rapidly.

  The second creature had found them faster than Rhane expected. But had it gotten there any slower, Rhane would have been disappointed. He smiled as it charged, feinting left and then back to land a punishing jab right behind the foreleg. The area was a weak spot, positioned above one of its two hearts. The beast staggered and dropped to its knees. For a moment, Rhane worried that he’d really hurt it. But when he eased forward, the kindred lunged and hit him square in the chest. The power behind the blow sent Rhane flying at least twenty feet. When he landed, the creature was right on top him. He twisted away, kicking at its jaws and connecting. A nicely aimed snap bit the air where Rhane’s head had been only a split second before. To be so large, the thing was extremely fast. He rolled away from another snap of its narrow jaws, but felt the wind leave him when the kindred pounded a hammer-like blow into his back with the flat part of its wide skull. Rhane’s body sort of skipped across the dirt, sliding another five feet before he stopped, his nose inches away from a pair of blue sneakers.

  Matthias’s toothy grinned appeared above him. “He’s good, isn’t he?”

  Arching back and shifting his weight to his hands, Rhane flipped to his feet in time to sidestep another charge. As five hundred pounds of flesh barreled by, Rhane grabbed a fistful of coarse fur and swung onto its back. The sloping anatomy made shimmying up to its withers no easy task. But Rhane managed. Once there, he wrapped his arms around the creature’s neck as tightly as he could. For two minutes, it was a furious struggle. Then the kindred’s strength gradually started to fade. It sank to its knees breathing madness, with murder in its eyes.

  “Yield,” Rhane whispered into its ear. “You did well. Now the hunt is over.”

  Chapter 35

  A neatly trimmed pathway cut through the moor and led directly to the manor. Typically, the path was mainly used by Kalista or Bailen as he guarded her. Long ago, the kin had been people of the plains, but now they didn’t care much for traveling in the open. The coverless landscape did serve a purpose. When enemies came, the kin would see them coming.

  Ander and Matthias flanked Rhane on each side as he walked, so quiet he resisted the urge to look back and make sure they both were still there. If only he could get War and Rion to be so well behaved, he could die a happier man.

  Pausing at the edge of the tall grasses, Rhane contemplated the serenity surrounding his home. He sensed bad news. “You two can go ahead inside or you may remain out here and guard the perimeter.”

  “We prefer to be outdoors.”

  “Very well. Come in before school tomorrow to shower and change.”

  “Yes, Warlord.” Matthias and Ander bowed their heads low—a very formal way of acknowledging Rhane’s imminent departure. He inclined his head slightly, amazed at how closely kindred culture resembled the old ways of Golden Mountain.

  It was getting dark fast. Soon, he would have to send two of his own to join patrols. He still didn’t know why, but rogues were after the ledger. And if they wanted it as bad as he thought they did, an attack on the manor wasn’t out of the question. But first, he needed to hear a full report from War and Rion. Today had been Kalista’s first day back at the firm. It was dangerous to let her return there, but in reality, he had little choice in the matter. In the end, the old Kalista had always done what she wanted.

  Avoiding the front door, he trotted to the back wall. Three stories up were large windows into the master bedroom. Rhane wanted a chance to shower and change into dry clothes before dealing with whatever trouble awaited him. Besides, Kalista’s scent was strong, drifting through the open window and into the evening air. She was quiet, maybe doing homework. A moment alone with her was worth the climb.

  He perched on the ledge of the windowsill and sat there unnoticed for some time. She was busy with an assignment, leaning against the sofa, nose deep in a textbook. It was so sexy, the way she chewed her lip whenever she was trying to figure out how to solve a problem. Usually that involved convincing Rhane to go along with whatever unreasonable request she’d come up with. But tonight was different. Her problem didn’t involve him. It was all about—Rhane tilted his head to read the spine—Calculus.

  How screwed up was it that his soul mate and former lover was living the life of a seventeen year old kid with very little idea of who she truly was. In their old life, he had been the sun to her moon. They were opposites who complemented and completed each other like no other could in the entire universe. They’d shared a life, a child, passion, and more happy times than Rhane could count. That was the Kalista he remembered. But now she was a shell of her former self. Dozens of children had died to prese
rve her life. What if this human form she occupied also began to deteriorate? He didn’t want to think about it. But most times, it was all he could think about.

  Sitting there and watching her study for school, Rhane was confronted with the reality he now faced. Damn those Builders.

  He stepped down from the window and crept silently toward where she sat. When she was close enough to touch, he reached out and covered her mouth, pulling her sideways into him. For a split second she went rigid. Then she must have recognized the feel of his body or the scent of his skin because she relaxed completely into his arms.

  “I’m sorry.” He allowed himself the small thrill of brushing his lips against her ear. “I snuck in without realizing there was no way not to startle you once I arrived. I didn’t want the others to come running at the sound of your fright.” His hands fell away, releasing her.

  She slowly turned her face to his. Her concern was thinly veiled. “York said you were away hunting.”

  “Yes…well, it was more like I was being hunted.”

  “Was it Gabriel and the Reapers?”

  Rhane shook his head. “Nothing like that. I just needed to see what Matthias and Ander could do in their natural forms.”

  Her mouth made a perfect circle. “Oh.”

  He reached over and retrieved the fallen calculus book. “Are you almost done with this? Dinner smells like it’s close to being done.”

  “Yeah. There’s just this one problem I can’t figure out. The formula is right, but the answer isn’t coming out as it should.”

  “How do you know it’s wrong?”

  “The back of the book has all the answers.” She flipped the pages to show him a catalogue of single digit solutions somewhere near the appendix.

  “Let me see that.” He took the notebook she’d worked the problems in and studied the one that gave her trouble for a few seconds. Then he marked through two errors and jotted in corrections above them. Kalista stared in open mouthed awe. “There you go.” He handed the notebook back.

  “How did you do that?”

  Rhane smiled. “I’ve been around for a very long time.” He got to his feet. “Look at the corrections. Make sure you understand where you went wrong. I’m going to take a shower and then we can go downstairs together?”

  “I’d like that.”

  After hanging out in an ice-cold river all evening, hot water should’ve been a welcome luxury. But an intimate moment with Kalista had to end with a cold shower. Bathing quickly, he dressed in fresh jeans and a long-sleeved shirt while still in the bathroom.

  Warlords of his people were never worn down by battle. Adversity and loss hardened their exteriors into impenetrable hulls, encasing the men they once were. Rhane’s face was becoming as stony and unreadable as the old ones who led him when he was a young warrior. The mirror wasn’t much of a liar. Shoving damp hair out of his eyes, Rhane left the bathroom. He needed a haircut.

  Kalista was still seated on the floor Indian-style. A different book was in her hands. Biology. “Do you need a few more minutes?”

  “No. It’s fine. I was just looking over some stuff for a quiz.”

  “You’ve missed a lot of school.”

  She bit her lip again, driving him crazy. “I actually have detention tomorrow.”

  “For what?”

  “Failing a test.”

  “They give detention for that?”

  “Well…it was already a make-up test. Mr. Pile was a little angry because I wasted his time.”

  “If my name was Pile, I imagine I’d be angry all the time.”

  A small laugh slipped from her lips. Rhane loved the sound of her laughter. Kalista’s expression smoothed as she molded her face to be even more adult-like. “It was nice of him to give me another chance.”

  A smile played at his mouth. “Sit near a window,” he teased. “Pass the quiz out to Rion. Let him take it and pass it back.”

  This time she burst out laughing. “Are you encouraging me to cheat?”

  “I never get to be the bad influence.” He shrugged. “It’s kind of fun.”

  “Greg was right about you.”

  Rhane’s sudden laughter surprised him. Her comment had caught him off guard. He moved closer to her warmth. The stone-faced man in the mirror found a hard existence around Kalista. Laughter and love were given so freely from this girl who barely knew him. She made him human as much as he kept her human. His fingers stroked her face. “How do you do that?” he asked, realizing his words were a similar echo of what she’d said earlier.

  “Do what?”

  “Make me laugh when it’s the last thing I want to do.” His hand rested lightly against her cheek.

  She didn’t answer, but her grey eyes bore into his, beckoning him closer. Rhane’s pulse kicked into third gear. He wanted to kiss her badly. But the bed was too close and he’d had enough cold showers in one day. Clearing his throat, he grasped her hand. “Let’s go join the others.”

  Chapter 36

  It was nice, having everyone around for dinner. Matthias and Ander on watch left all of the kin available. The chairs were filled, so Rion and Orrin sat at the bar. Well, Rion actually sat on the bar. Even River had found a place in a far corner. Bailen scarfed down his food like any dog would have, finishing first. Then he settled on a spot near Kalista’s feet. Rhane leaned against the kitchen counter after grabbing another drink, feeling somewhat relaxed.

  The mood was cheery and mostly positive. York’s and Rion’s antics left no room for lulls in conversation. Rhane felt like he was the only one in the group who lacked unguarded enthusiasm. And he knew it was noticeable because every other minute, York and Kalista threw a glance in his direction. Though at ease, Rhane had too much on his mind to get sucked into one of York’s wild tales or a lighthearted debate amongst the others. He still needed to hear reports from the day. And he hated being blindsided. The others had misguidedly done it to him before, waiting until he was in a great mood to break bad news, hoping his having uplifted spirits would deaden the blow. What the tactic actually felt like was someone taking a shit in a bowl of his favorite cereal while he was still eating it. Not only did he not get to finish the cereal, but staring at a steaming pile of crap would make anyone regret finding joy eating in the first place.

  He thought he’d made it clear the last time that blindsiding him with bad news wasn’t to happen again. But apparently the point hadn’t gone over as well as he’d believed. Something was up. Whatever it was involved Kalista or at the very least, she knew about it. That alone was enough to make him weary. Her troubles had a funny way of being could-possibly-get-you-killed serious.

  Rhane sipped at his beer and surveyed the room. There was no need to demand answers. Eventually, someone would speak up and he would go from there. Five minutes later, it was War who ended the passive standoff. “There may be a problem with Kalista remaining at Mack Ventures, Inc.”

  Chatter throughout the room died instantly. Rhane took another swallow of beer. That statement in itself wasn’t exactly a news flash. “Go on,” he said.

  “The girl who survived the Reaper attack, Shannon, has fully regained her memory of events in the desert. And she seems to have some knowledge of what Kali is. She knows Kali isn’t human.”

  “How is this a problem for us?” Of course, Rhane had already calculated the implications of Kalista’s true identity being discovered in the community. He wanted to get the boy’s thinking on the matter.

  “She could tell others, expose Kali to anyone crazy enough listen.”

  “What else?”

  “That could eventually bring unwanted attention to us and our involvement in other things.”

  “What things?”

  “There was that whole mess with the college kid’s body.”

  “York took care of Jackson. No evidence of us will ever be found there.” War cleared his throat a bit nervously. It wasn’t Rhane’s intent to put him on the spot, but there was a lesson here for everyone, espe
cially Kalista. “You’re on the right track, War. Piece it together.”

  A flush of color came to his cheeks, but the boy persevered. “The investigation into the death of King Richard Grayson is still open. His body will eventually be found, York made sure of it. But an autopsy could raise questions, open minds to the possibility of the supernatural. And with attention drawn to Kali, her talents could be perceived as a danger. That could trigger the other kid who took missing, Trevor, to remember details that point back to her.”

  “What else?”

  War exhaled. It seemed as if he wanted to say, “Isn’t that enough?” The expression lasted for only a micro-second, which was slow enough for Rhane to see. Frustration often got in the way of War figuring things out. He was older and more skilled in battle than Rion and his twin, but to be a good leader, he needed to learn to control his emotions. Rhane was still trying to discover the best way to teach him to do so.

  “There’s a bigger danger here, War.”

  He looked down at the floor, frowning in thought. Rhane waited patiently to see what other conclusions the young kin would reach. When Rion opened his mouth to speak, Rhane put up a hand, a signal for him to remain silent.

  “If Shannon remembers everything, she could still be involved with those behind the deal to sell Kali.” War exhaled audibly. “And Gabriel was the number one buyer.”

  “Bingo.” Rhane smiled. War had stuck with it and thought things through. The idea that Gabriel might have someone positioned in such close proximity to Kalista wasn’t nearly as thrilling. He looked over at her, hoping badly that she understood how dangerous the situation had become. Mack Ventures, Inc. wasn’t a safe place, not until they determined whether or not her coworker was a threat.

  Her hands were on the table, wringing themselves into knots. “Kalista, is there something you want to say?”

  “I don’t think…”