Banewolf (Dark Siren Book 2)

by Eden Ashley

  As they took the stairs side by side, Orrin turned to Kali with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher. “I once got into a fight with a giant of a guy. He was almost too big and strong for me to even consider fighting.”

  “Oh yeah? What happened?”

  “Well…he threatened to mop the floor with my face. I told him he would be sorry if he tried.” Orrin fell silent as they neared the bottom of the staircase.

  “So, did he hit you?” she prodded. “What did he say?”

  “He was not intimidated at all. He taunted me.” Orrin’s voice changed to imitate the man he spoke of. “Who’s going to make me sorry? You’re nothing.” Then his voice was normal again but got more excited with the retelling of his story. “Now this guy was huge, even bigger than York. But I looked him straight in the eye.” He paused near the bottom step, light brown eyes drilling seriously into Kali’s, commanding every ounce of her attention. “And I told him he wouldn’t be able to reach into the corners very well.”

  A full two seconds passed before she realized Orrin had told a joke. Then Kali burst into a gut cramping laugh.

  York was sitting on the living room sofa and booed. “Aw, come on. That was awful.”

  Orrin blushed. Kali rested her head against his shoulder and squeezed his arm reassuringly. “Don’t listen to him. You did good.” She frowned at York. “Stop it.”

  “No. Really. He can do better. I’ve taught him better.”

  “Okay. Tell me a better one.”

  “You know what 69 is, right?”

  She laughed. Knowing York, things weren’t headed in a good direction. “Yeah. Who doesn’t?”

  “Alright, so what’s 6 point 9?”

  “I dunno.” Kali shrugged. “A really bad sequel?”

  “No.” York grinned. “It’s a really wonderful thing, ruined by a period.

  “Oh my god. That’s terrible,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Okay wait. I got another one.”

  “No. You do not.”

  He went on anyway. “What do American beer and making love in a canoe both have in common?”

  Kali wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. “I—”

  Rhane entered the living room from the kitchen at that moment. York sat up straighter even before he spoke, guilt written all over his face. “Yorkshire Rose, Guardian of Whytetree, Bear from the Plains, you will not finish that joke.”

  War and Rion trailed behind Rhane. At the mention of York’s full name, they burst into a roar of chuckles. Kali joined them. Even Orrin smiled, though he did not laugh out loud. Rhane simply shook his head.

  “When did you get in?” York asked sheepishly.

  “Long enough to hear the beginning of your stand-up routine.”

  “It’s a good joke.”

  Rhane nodded. “For bars and whores. Not for teenage girls.”

  York’s face reddened even more. He scratched his head. “She looks older. I forget.”

  “Well, remember.” Rhane picked up a sofa cushion and tossed it at York’s face. “Dinner’s ready.”

  Her stomach growled. “What are we having?” She didn’t try to mask her eagerness.

  Rhane answered without looking at her. “The Fat Italian.” His gaze had moved to the ceiling, down the wall and to the front door. His expression was guarded. The other kin had stilled and grew silent. She studied each of their faces. Whatever they were sensing had spooked them. Even Bailen got to his feet, ears erect. Everyone, including her, now stared at the heavy, wooden front door.

  A single knock sounded. Rhane went forward. York made a move to follow, but halted when Rhane signaled for him to hang back. The door opened, and Kali peered into the darkness.

  She finally saw what all the fuss was about.

  Ian stood on their front porch.

  Chapter 46

  The kindred alpha’s unannounced visit to the manor was a surprise, but not an unexpected one. Any good leader had a responsibility to the men he led. Ian had come to check on his charges. But to see him standing at the kitchen bar with a piece of pizza pinched between two fingers, sniffing it suspiciously, was a bit of a shock. He was barefoot but otherwise fully clothed. The suit he wore was an old fashioned one. Originating in the fifties, Rhane guessed. Considering the amount of wrinkles adorning the pants and jacket, it was almost comical how Ian had taken time to neatly knot a yellow polka dot tie to a rumpled dress shirt.

  Having Ander and Matthias live among them for the past few weeks had made being in such close proximity to the kindred alpha a lot less stressful for the other kin. Even York behaved in a more relaxed manner.

  “What’s with the suit?” War asked.

  It was exactly what York had been wondering. “Not that we aren’t grateful you’re wearing it,” he amended quickly.

  “My species has rare cause to dress as humans.” Ian took a bite of pizza and chewed thoughtfully. He swallowed. “If the peculiar sauce were congealed blood, this meal would be vastly improved.”

  The color drained from Kalista’s face. Rion felt ill. He coughed dryly a few times. Puking felt like a strong possibility. Maybe the alpha wouldn’t notice.

  Rhane couldn’t blame the boy. He recalled how much his stomach churned the first time he’d learned about a kindred’s normal diet of fresh kills and the frequent scavenges of carrion. “Had I known you were paying a visit tonight, I would have tried to accommodate your dietary needs.”

  York scowled. “How?”

  “I could have stopped by the butcher.” Rhane shrugged. “Picked up a couple of steaks.”

  Ian smiled. “What a most gracious thought.” He looked down at his clothing. “I realize my dress is rather formal. This was the only garment available from my last outing.”

  “Thank you, Ian. The gesture means a lot.”

  The alpha turned his sharp, red gaze onto Kalista. “I am pleased to see your siren is thriving.”

  It was her first time being in the same room with Ian. Especially since she had killed one of his brothers, Rhane couldn’t blame her for being nervous. But Orrin stood next to her. And he was a formidable guardian. Kalista would be safe at his side no matter what. Still, Rhane wanted to go to her. But if an alliance with the kindred were to have any chance of success, he couldn’t give the direct impression that he needed to keep Kalista safe in the alpha’s presence or that he didn’t trust Ian.

  Rhane inclined his head, politely accepting Ian’s motion of concern. Thinking he could put Kalista more at ease by steering the conversation away from her, he changed the subject. “Ander and Matthias are currently guarding the perimeter. I will send Rion and War to relieve them.”

  Ian’s right handed drifted through the air. “I have already spoken with them. They are quite content in your care and spoke outstandingly of your fledgling soldiers.” He paused for a moment. “It was they who advised me to venture inside and try this most unusual pie.”

  Rion and War started to snicker. A murderous look from Rhane stopped them short. Though really, he wanted to laugh too. The alpha was often unintentionally funny. But it was too easy to offend and so much harder to mend. The young kin needed to learn more discipline. Duty obliged they learn it from him.

  “I’m glad you accepted their invitation.”

  “That they feel welcome enough to invite a guest into your home, speaks highly of your lordship,” Ian said.

  “We are glad to have them, not just their service.”

  Ian reached for the Fat Italian box but stopped. “May I commandeer another helping?”

  Rhane answered with a cordial smile. “Commandeer as much as you like.”

  Looking like a human child on Christmas morning, the alpha took another slice. He returned his attention to Rhane. “May I speak with you alone, Banewolf?”

  Rhane nodded. He really hoped Ian wasn’t about to collect on the debt for Kalista’s life. He was currently neck high in dealing with other things. Once they were alone, he asked outright. “Is it time fo
r that favor?”

  Ian studied him for a long moment. Rhane was more than a head taller, but the alpha had a presence that made him seem much larger than his small stature. “Now that we are allies,” he began slowly. “Debts shall no longer incur between us. What is done shall be so out of duty and loyalty to one another. And perhaps, in time, loyalty and duty will become friendship.”

  The statement struck an eerie note. And suddenly Wesley’s words resonated in Rhane’s head. Leave past hatreds and find new allies. It’s the only way.

  He and Ian were allies. Yes. But Rhane still didn’t trust the alpha enough to call him a friend. The sting of old betrayal was still too true. “What you did for Kalista was a good step in the right direction.” He could give Ian that much.

  Something in the alpha relaxed a small fraction. Though his expression did not change, Rhane sensed that Ian welcomed the concession very much.

  “The time has not arrived for you to honor me with your duty.”

  “Why did you need me alone, then?”

  “I do not know how freely information is shared between you and your men. To exercise upmost care in that regard, I thought it best to present this gift solely to the bane wolf.”

  Great. This means bad news. “Okay.”

  “Communication between rogue hives of this region and East Asia has increased tenfold in the past lunar cycle. But what concerns me more, Banewolf, is the escalation in rogue activity just beyond your patrolled borders.”

  Rhane frowned. When it rained, it poured. “How do you know this?”

  “I have friends in sordid places.” Ian’s face twisted to express displeasure. “While I do not condone the way my kindred have sullied themselves in association with those sun devils, the resulting information does sometimes prove to be quite profitable.”

  The news was indeed very disturbing. Rogues were watching, but being careful to maintain enough distance to escape detection. With Reapers at every turn, in Kali’s school and at her job, he couldn’t afford to expand patrols. Besides, at so far a distance from reinforcements, he wouldn’t trust anyone except York, River, or himself to be able to take care of business in the event of trouble.

  “Do not become anxious, Banewolf. I added two of my brothers to your guard, expanding the patrols of your boundaries.”

  Rhane was stunned. Thank you wouldn’t cover the gesture Ian had made in his favor. Grasping the alpha’s forearm as he would have a Warekin general under a neighboring command, Rhane grinned. “Ian, if we were not allies, I would be in your debt.”

  At first, Ian’s red eyes went wide with surprise. Then the alpha embraced Rhane’s forearm with a grip of iron.

  “Not to press my luck…but might that guard’s presence be extended beyond a return to my homeland?”

  Ian’s gaze sharpened. “Why does the bane wolf desire to return home?”

  Rhane hesitated. Really, he had yet to be truthful even with his brother on the matter. “I have questions only Primes can answer.”

  “Do these questions involve the long standing agreement between the sun devils and your Primes?”

  Rhane blinked. He had never known Ian to be so plain spoken. He would have to phrase the next question carefully. “This agreement you speak of, is it fact?”

  “It is but an unconfirmed rumor, repeated by too many to be false.”

  He was still searching for a response when Ian continued. “Were you to venture home, Banewolf, I fear you would not return.”

  “You’re beginning to sound like my brother.” Rhane kept his tone light, but the reality of the kindred alpha expressing concern for his welfare gave him a very bad feeling. “Put your fears aside, Ian. Everything I care about is here. Nothing on this earth could keep me from returning to them.”

  “So may it be.” Ian turned abruptly, sinking to all fours though he remained in human form. Rhane suspected the alpha would change once he reached the shadows.

  Bounding away a few paces, Ian stopped. His voice softly called back to Rhane. “Gabriel the Fallen, he once wore the mark you bear…the mark of Banewolf.”

  Chapter 47

  Everyone had settled in for the night when Rhane met with York. It was past time. He spilled everything to his second in command, relayed all of his suspicions, and confessed every fear and concern. York listened without interrupting. And even after Rhane had finished, he was silent.

  Then, “This is a huge pill you’re trying to shove up my ass.”

  “I know,” Rhane said regrettably.

  “And you’re seriously considering just turning yourself over to them.”

  “I’m reconsidering.” He sighed. “Do you think the Builders stripped Gabriel of the bane wolf before entombing him, and then bestowed that mark to me?”

  “It’s a linear conclusion.”

  “Oral history doesn’t portray him as ever having the mark.”

  “It’s safe to say that we’re starting to realize a lot of things our history failed to teach us.”

  Rhane grimaced. “Yeah.”

  “I’m worried.”

  “Yeah.”

  “If you don’t do what these guys want…” The need to finish the sentence aloud left him.

  “Yeah.” Rhane cringed inwardly.

  For a long time, they were silent. Finally, York said it. “Don’t go.”

  Rhane chewed his lip and thought of Kalista. He nodded slowly. “Let’s see if we can figure another way out of this.”

  York was relieved. “Okay.”

  “How’s she doing with training?”

  Grateful for the subject jump, York breathed a little easier. “Really well. Her ninja skills are coming back. Pretty soon, she’ll be kicking your butt and looking good doing it. We should get her a cat suit. I’m thinking black and leather.”

  “No. Her leathers would be of a mauve so deep they appear black.”

  “Yes!” York made two fists and pumped them, jerking his elbows back to his sides. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  Rhane laughed. “Will a day off hurt her?”

  “No. What do you need?”

  “Let’s pay our Builder friend another visit. This time with a less direct approach.”

  “Done,” York said with a wink. “Now, what the hell is mauve?”

  #

  Kalista was inside the icy cavern again. Her fingers trailed against the frozen walls, waiting for Rhane. He would come. Maybe he was already inside. It was so dark, she could see nothing. Anxiety pulled at her heart.

  Kali stirred in her sleep as the real world tugged her back. She gave in easily. So many times before, she had been in the icy cavern. She was tired of feeling fear and sick of doubt. Recreating the horrors of the past did nothing to heal them. What the Primes had done and what they had forced her to do—it was not her fault. She didn’t have to relive it anymore.

  Kali opened her eyes.

  Owning such a bold decision meant forgetting past sins and moving on. She wanted to. With every cell of her existence, she wanted to. But some unnamed emotion tied her to the past. Did guilt bar her release?

  She squeezed her eyes shut. It was not my fault.

  No. Something else. Something else in the memory…

  She searched, reliving it again despite the urgings not to. The realization hit her like a Mack truck.

  After the villages burned, she had met Rhane in secrecy. And there was snow on the ground. In this memory, there was no snow. So who was in the cave? Who had she met?

  Overwhelming pain and sadness descended on her mind, rendering her motionless. Something bad was coming. And it was going to rip them apart. Kali cried out, sobbing heavily into the sheets.

  Rhane embraced her at once. His strong arms encircled her shaking form, damming the tears, repairing the breakdown.

  She rolled, pressing into him as if were possible for them to become one. The strength of his body brought her sobs to a quiet. “Don’t go,” she said.

  A whisper answered from the dark an
d mollified all of her fears. “Okay.”

  Chapter 48

  The final bell rang. It was the end of the school day, and Kali couldn’t get out of the building fast enough. War and Rion caught up as she crossed the ball field. Matthias and Ander joined them only moments later.

  “Why don’t we drive anymore?”

  War rolled his eyes. “Here we go again.”

  Picking up her pace, Kali ignored them. Other things weighed too heavily in her thoughts. War and Rion debated the best strategies for a new shooter game while the kindred followed quietly. Every once in a while Matthias would interject a comment into the argument, effectively playing both sides. Kali waited for a lull in the incessant chatter that never came. She finally interrupted. “Did you consider that thing I asked you?”

  War turned to her with wide eyes. “You were serious?”

  She gave him a stony stare. “As a heart attack.”

  Rion looked back and forth between them. “What are we talking about?”

  Everyone else had stopped walking, so War stopped too. “York is busy helping Rhane with something today. Instead of taking the day off, Kali wants me to help her train.”

  “Oh.” Rion shrugged. “What’s the harm in that?”

  “I could hurt her.”

  “Don’t be a pansy. You’re not as good as York and look what she did to him.”

  “I am the best of us at sword play,” War said with a huff. “With more practice I could be as good as Rhane.”

  “Then practice with Kali.”

  The two boys stared hard at each other. She knew Rion had probably taken her side only because of the constant rivalry circulating between him and War. She didn’t mind. If it worked to her advantage, she was willing to take it.

  Thirty minutes later, the moor of the manor sprawled before her eyes. Clutching her messenger bag, she ran up the rest of the gravel driveway. “Meet me in the clearing,” she called back to War. “I’ll go get my things.”

  It didn’t take long to find the long wooden rod York used in sparring and the twin fighting sticks recently crafted for her. Grabbing them, she dropped her book bag and raced outside. The kindred had already gone to relieve Orrin and Bailen from patrol. Rion and War were waiting in the clearing. Red ball cap turned backward, the auburn haired kin started to warm up. He twisted a couple of flips, spun several aerial kicks, and then shadowboxed a few punches. All in less than thirty seconds.