The Cursed by Blood Saga

by Marianne Morea

  A shadow of unguarded grief crossed Rissa’s face, disappearing just as quickly before Lily could say anything else. Rissa didn’t utter a word, just sat with her eyes trained on her hands folded over her belly.

  “Rissa—” Lily began, immediately regretting her words, but the other woman held up her hand.

  The pregnant woman offered a tired smile, but its warmth didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I think I’m going to turn in. I’m exhausted.”

  Lily exhaled, cursing herself and her big mouth. “Don’t leave because my brain to mouth filter is malfunctioning. I shouldn’t have brought up Jerard. It’s this waiting. It’s making me crazy.”

  “You mean crazier than usual?” Rissa laughed and held out her hand for help off the couch. “And you have no filter. Malfunctioning or otherwise.”

  Lily grasped her friend’s hand and at the simple touch Rissa’s emotions flooded her mind—her sorrow at losing Jerard, her guilt at finding happiness again with Mitch, worry over the future for her four year-old daughter, Stephanie and for the new baby she now carried. Lily’s grip tightened and her heart clenched.

  “You’re a crazy ass bitch, Lily Saburi,” she said, rubbing the dull ache lodged in the small of her back. “But it’s one of the things I love most about you. You’re strong. Even if you do need to grow a serious filter.”

  Rissa’s gaze softened and she picked up her sewing bag. “Trust me. I really am tired. It’s a wonder I don’t fall asleep where I stand, enormous as I am, and who could blame me?” She glanced at her swollen belly. “As for all the rest, well, it is what it is. I need to accept there was nothing anyone could do to save Jerard. We weren’t exactly the happiest of couples, but we did care for each other in our own way. I know I have to let what happened go, but sometimes—” Her voice trailed off. “I’m okay, or at least I will be. One day at a time, right?”

  Looking around the room, Rissa gestured with her hand. “Don’t stay cooped up in here too much longer tonight, huh? You could use some rest yourself. Or at least some relief. You still have those toys in your night table drawer?”

  Lily’s mouth fell open. “Oh, my God! How could you possibly know that?”

  She touched her nose with a smirk. “Thin walls, remember?”

  “Ugh, I’ll never be able to relax now. Sean and I are definitely going to have to move.” She glanced toward the window again. “If we ever get the chance.”

  Rissa gave her a hug. “You will. Once way or the other, you’ll figure it out. Even if the answer takes a different path than the one you expect.”

  Lily watched as Ris closed the door behind her. A different path? Right now their situation felt more like a maze with no way out. The whole thing sucked. Three months ago she’d had a normal life. Then everything had changed. She’d gained, and she had lost. She may have found the love of her life in Sean, but she had lost her best friend. And while she knew she wasn’t responsible for what happened to Terry, she wasn’t about to lose Rissa simply because she couldn’t remember to keep her thoughts to herself. What was it Terry used to say?

  Constipation of the brain, diarrhea of the mouth.

  Yup. That just about covered it.

  The living room was quiet, except for the sound of the logs crackling on the fire and the hum of her thoughts racing in her head. Glancing back at the closed door, she frowned, angry with herself again. She was lucky Rissa was the forgiving type. Like Terry.

  With a sigh, she walked back toward the window. Terry had always been there for her. Lily’s throat tightened and she swallowed hard again. No matter how much time passed, she would never quite get over her death. Terry was the only one Lily could count on to help her keep her eye on what mattered most. She had been Lily’s touchstone, the one to force her to see the truth about herself, whether she wanted to or not.

  Lily smiled this time, as she glanced over her shoulder at the door again. Terry would have liked Rissa. They were different personalities, but somehow they both managed to bring out the best in her. Maybe I should try the ‘love is patient, love is kind’ thing too, she thought, half-expecting Terry’s snort of laughter at the idea. Yeah right, that from the person who was the poster girl for shoot first and ask questions later.

  Even as a ghost for a short time after her passing, Terry had been there, conquering death just long enough to force Lily to face her fears and ultimately her love for Sean. To put aside her guns and her vigilante need for revenge and learn to forgive, starting with herself.

  Lily blinked at the wetness prickling at the corner of her eyes. She hadn’t cried in a long time and she wasn’t about to now. Only happy tears. That was the last thing Terry had said before moving on and into the light.

  Those words hit her like a ton of bricks. Move on. Lily lit a cigarette and took a drag. Blowing smoke through her nose, she flicked the ashes into the fireplace as she looked across the frozen landscape again. “We’ll see soon enough, won’t we?” she murmured.

  ***

  Lily rolled onto her side. She cracked one eye open, staring blankly at the window across from her bed. It was well past three a.m. and no sign the council had come to any kind of a decision.

  With a sigh, she shoved a pillow beneath her down comforter and wiggled it toward her feet, wedging it between her knees to get comfortable. Not that it would help. Sleep just wasn’t going to happen tonight.

  Why had she ever agreed to let Sean handle this alone? She kicked at the duvet, sending the down blanket puffing out around her. Lily had promised she wouldn’t interfere, and as much as she hated to admit it, he honestly hadn’t given her much choice.

  Stubborn was certainly one way to describe Sean Leighton, Alpha Council of the Brethren. As was Mitch Paris, his second in command and the rest of their team, especially when it came to the women in their lives.

  This situation was unadulterated bullshit, nothing more than pack politics running amok. She stretched out her legs, her feet brushing the cold edge of the sheets. There was no soft snoring or wide, warm back to cuddle against. Not with the large wolf that should have occupied the other side of the bed still out playing with the politicians.

  She shivered, burrowing further down and taking the covers with her. The Alpha’s bed was large and comfortable, but without Sean to fill the emptiness, it was nothing more than a vast sea of lonely blankets.

  According to tradition, the Alpha’s word was law, but this situation required more. It required finesse. She snorted to herself. Finesse. That seemed to be the word of the day. It described how the Compound itself came to be in the first place. Sean held the right of Alpha in his own wolf pack, but the Compound wasn’t just comprised of wolves. Many different species of Were had joined Sean in an unprecedented effort to unite their world, electing him Alpha to represent all, gifting him with the abilities of each individual group.

  If the Compound failed, the Weres would splinter into traditional groups, and any steps taken toward the dream of one cohesive Were State would be lost forever. Even before the virus had caused an epidemic, Sean had been on the verge of uniting the normally volatile groups, but facing near extinction brought them together and they rallied. At least that had been the case until Edward Parr had had his fifteen minutes of fame.

  She frowned. Bastard! Parr’s political spin not only upset her acceptance by the pack, but it also succeeded in fracturing the hot-blooded Weres, not to mention driving a wedge between her and Sean. As if a relationship between a human and a Were wasn’t hard enough.

  So what if she was human? She had Were blood in her veins courtesy of Jerard’s rabid attack. Lucky for her, she was asymptomatic when it came to the virus. Even luckier, her antibodies were the key to curing this mystery illness.

  A disgusted sigh left Lily’s mouth. If it were up to her, she would give Edward Parr two shots behind the ear without batting an eye or ruining her mascara. As tempting as that idea was, she had to keep her cool. For whatever reason, Sean was trying his hardest to remain politically cor
rect. There was something hidden behind this or why else would Parr risk so much? On that point, she couldn’t argue with Sean. The status of her humanity wasn’t a strong enough case to merit all this uproar.

  She sighed.

  Enough was enough. Sean had closed the door on their shared mind link, but as the Alpha, he had no other choice. He needed a clear head, especially since Parr would use any pretext to discredit him.

  Chewing on her lower lip, she sent her senses out. It would be so easy, and with her skills who would know? Weres were a tricky breed to read, but all she needed was one person with their guard down. She had even joked it was like being the proverbial fly on the wall without all the mess of having to shift.

  It only to a moment to sift through the thoughts buffeting her from across the lawn. She found her opening and slid into the unsuspecting mind. Her vision was hazy as she had no clue as to whose eyes she borrowed, but she sensed an underlying fear radiating from the occupied mind. Whoever this was, they’d rather be anywhere but there.

  Sean’s voice rang above the din, bringing all eyes to him. One leg crossed over the other, his hands rested casually on either arm of the Alpha’s chair. His relaxed pose was a complete contradiction to the tension echoing through the room and Lily guessed it took major effort on his part to appear that composed.

  “Let’s be reasonable. Every test, every report our lab has generated over the past month states unequivocally Lily’s blood needs to remain pure. Would you risk everyone’s life for an archaic law? You would risk your own?” Sean’s gaze traveled across the room, fixing Parr and his allies with an icy stare. “This pathogen affects everyone, or did you think status would spare you?”

  Parr stepped forward, his robes swirling in exaggerated scorn. Lily snorted from her vantage. Poser! Couldn’t they see how smarmy he was despite his polish and rehearsed words? Were they that dim they couldn’t see through his theatrics?

  “Once again our illustrious Alpha proves his contempt. What more does the council need? Leighton won’t even entertain the idea of turning his human lover, simply because she would rather not. The audacity! Well, I ask you, when did we as a species start putting the wants of humans above ourselves?” Parr raised one hand against the murmurings that stirred.

  “It is one thing for this human girl to be kept in her natural state while her blood is of use to us. On that point, I do not argue. But what I find objectionable is our Alpha’s unwillingness to agree to an acceptable timeframe for her to be turned. She has seen too much. Knows too much. I tell you this, if we allow the threads of our secrets to unravel, so then follows the entire fabric of our supernatural society!”

  Oh, he was good…the son of a bitch.

  Sean shook his head. Regardless of his calm exterior, his exhaustion was clear, and Lily’s heart broke for him. He’d been fighting windmills and getting nowhere.

  “She has a name, Edward. It’s Lily! And your disrespect sets my teeth on edge every time you refer to her as ‘the human’. Everyone here is aware of her status, but you can’t dismiss what she has done for us. We have undeniable proof our survival depends on Lily’s blood. There is no alternative. You want timeframes? The doctor’s at Leighton Research have already given us one, and they were very specific. One year. That is the time required for the vaccine results to be conclusive.”

  “Rubbish.”

  Sean’s jaw tightened. “So now you’re a doctor? You’re an excellent orator, Edward, but it’s obvious your listening skills need work. Not more than eight hours ago, Ernst Volkmann himself said we need the year to be sure. Or is the word of our head geneticist not enough for you?”

  With a smug look, Parr spread his hands. He was in his element, with all eyes, including Lily’s, focused on him. His self-righteous expression said it all. “What our Alpha doesn’t know is I’ve since spoken with the good doctor. While it’s true he would prefer to have the girl’s blood intact for a year, Dr. Volkmann admitted by the next full moon enough time will have elapsed, that a forced transformation would most likely be without incident.” He nodded. “That said…I’ve more than proven my argument. You, Leighton, have proven nothing except your desire to keep your human pet.”

  Pet? Throwing back her covers Lily stood up, ignoring the shiver that jolted through her exposed flesh from the chilled air. Well, fuck you very much! And what was all that other crap…most likely be without incident? Didn’t they realize they were playing with fire? Doctors warned in no uncertain terms what would happen if they let Parr have his way, forcing Sean to change Lily prematurely. Not to mention, it wasn’t what she wanted. It was obvious no one but Sean gave a goddamn about that minor detail.

  After everything that happened—the horrible deaths, the living in fear—these erratic Weres were willing to put clan pride before their own safety. Fists clenched, she needed to calm her anger, or she’d lose the hijacked mind link.

  Sean stood slowly, his face grim. Even blocking her, Lily sensed every muscle in his body burning, including the little muscle in his jaw as he bit back on his anger. She could hear the blood pounding in his head. Even without the benefit of her psychic sense, she knew exactly how Parr had coerced, if not out and out threatened, Dr. Volkmann. The little geneticist may have been a heavy weight in their medical world, but against Parr and his henchmen, he didn’t stand a chance.

  Sean’s gaze was as black as his mood. “Edward, everyone here knows what you’re capable of, even if they won’t admit it. I don’t have to venture much of a guess as to what you said, or more likely did, to get Dr. Volkmann to give you what you wanted.”

  Parr opened his mouth to argue, but Sean held up his hand. In the dual timbre of the Alpha, his voice layered power on power, never faltering as he stared down Edward’s glare. “Enough! This discussion is over.” The edit was clear. Lily was not to be touched.

  Parr’s entire diatribe on tradition and law had just backfired. The alpha had ruled, and according to their laws and the precedent Parr spent days preaching, the matter was now closed. Or was it? Lily could see the backpedaling scheme hatching behind Parr’s narrowed eyes.

  “This human has our Alpha wrapped around her finger, even as her legs are wrapped around his back! Our laws vary for no one. I have stated plainly she must be changed or cast out—but, under these extenuating circumstances, and considering the Alpha’s unwillingness to rescind his verdict, there is only one choice left. The human must be imprisoned until she is no longer of use to us.”

  Chaos exploded with the majority demanding Lily stay, in essence, under house arrest, but also demanding Sean distance himself from her in exchange for a temporary peace. The Alpha’s ruling may have been absolute, but the decision had come at a price. In their eyes, shunning her was the only way Sean could prove he had the Compound’s best interests at heart and not his own.

  Grabbing the first thing she could find, Lily hurled a delicate porcelain egg against the wall like a personal grenade. Severing her hijacked mind link, she picked up a pair of sweatpants from the end of the bed but threw them down in disgust. Did they honestly think she was the type of woman who sat waiting for her fate to be decided?

  Yeah right, when pigs fly.

  Stalking across the room, she picked up her leather jeans from one of the chairs facing the fireplace and jammed her legs into them. She threw on a plunging, black V-neck sweater and her leather jacket, stuffing her feet into her biker boots, mumbling to herself. From the side table, she grabbed her black wool scarf and her gloves and was out like a shot, slamming the door behind her.

  Hell hath no fury? Bullshit! Forget scorned and try threatened and pissed off. They hadn’t seen anything yet.

  Lily looked like something out of Hell’s Angels as she stalked across the frozen snow toward the great hall. Without stopping, she kicked open the double doors. Sweeping the room with a single glance, no one had to guess who she’d come for.

  In one fluid motion, she grabbed a ritual lance from the sidewall and sent the lethal st
eel racing toward Edward Parr’s head. Fear flashed across the man’s face and he jerked sideways, barely avoiding the razor sharp edge.

  The lance grazed his sleeve, tearing his robes and pinning the shredded material to the center of the chair behind him. The spear pierced the wood to its core, impaling the painted crest on the back of the chair. Parr’s crest.

  Visibly paled, the man grabbed the hilt, but the lance wouldn’t budge. Throwing his hands off in disgust, he narrowed his eyes and took a step toward Lily. Sean growled, moving away from the Alpha’s chair closer to where she stood, but Lily put up a staying hand. This was her fight.

  Parr stopped, his eyes darting around. She could see his Machiavellian mind clearly weighing the pros and cons of harming her in plain sight. Rearranging his robes, he shot her a slow, arrogant smile. “Hot-blooded. I’ll have to remember that,” he said as his eyes swept her body.

  “In your dreams, old man. The only thing you need to remember about me is watch your back.” Lily’s gaze swept the room. “I have to thank you gentlemen for including me in your deliberations. It’s such a comfort knowing my well-being is so high on your list of priorities.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

  “How dare you spy on these proceedings!” Robert Stanton, delegate from the Avian collective, yelled as he came to stand beside Parr.

  “Gimme a break,” Lily shot back, cutting the man off midsentence. “You can spare me the self-righteous outrage, Robert. While you and the rest of your cronies were busy deciding my fate, you forgot I have my own specialized set of skills. Did you honestly expect me to accept your orders and come quietly? Do you know not me at all?” Lily’s tone was matter-of-fact, but her gaze was deadly.

  Parr’s face was a mask of indifference. “Don’t look so annoyed, my dear. We mean you no harm. Evolution is a painful business and that’s all this amounts to, really. The advancement of our kind,” he replied with a silken voice.

  Staring him down, Lily crossed her arms in front of her chest. “We both know that’s bullshit, you pompous gasbag. You’re not looking for these people to advance, you’re looking to revert them centuries. How does that qualify as evolution? Or are you really as deluded as you sound?”