Blood of the Wolf

by T. L. Shreffler

  She looked around. Her feet had carried her to the grassy outskirts of Davenport, where the houses were either brand new or very old. An empty lot occupied the next block, and she loped easily across the splitting asphalt, then slipped through the gate and onto the abandoned property. The lot was filled with tall grass, sheltered by a copse of small trees and the burned foundations of a house. She didn't question it, just jogged into the shadows, moving silently until she found herself with nowhere left to go.

  He arrived a minute later, his footsteps soft against the ground, his masculine scent filling the small clearing and making her hot and cold at the same time. He stopped a few feet behind her, not saying anything, and just stood there. She didn't turn to look at him. She didn't think she could.

  The wind blew, the rain lessening to a lighter drizzle. She wrapped her arms around herself and let out a long breath, staring into the darkness. “I've hated you for years,” she said quietly. He didn't respond, but she knew he was listening. “Every single problem in my life, I've blamed on you. I wanted to kill you, you know... so uh... sorry if this lifemate thing is hard for me. I just don't understand it. How am I supposed to love someone I've always hated? And how am I supposed to hate someone like Magnus the Gray, who I've never even heard of before?” She sighed, not knowing what she was trying to say. She rubbed a hand over her face, brushing her wet hair out of her eyes. “I don't know what to expect from you — you don't make any sense. Am I your partner or your prisoner? What do you want from me?”

  Silence. The rain continued, a cold breeze spiraling across the grass. Finally, she heard him shift. “... You.”

  “What?”

  “Just you.”

  Jaime turned, staring at him, her eyes wide. For a moment her breath was taken away — he was so handsome standing there in the rain, his hair slick against his head and his eyes gleaming at her. He was standing about ten feet away, his hands pushed into his pockets, slightly slouched. It struck her suddenly that he seemed tired... as though maybe this chase was wearing him down as much as it was her.

  “Just me?” she asked softly. “And what am I — a prize? A goal? I'm a person, Sirus. If killing Magnus the Gray is all just business, then it's my business too... and you can't let me live the rest of my life without closure. I would never forgive you.”

  He was gazing at her, his expression impassive and unreadable. She wished she knew what he was thinking; she wished she could be in his head.

  He took a step towards her. “What do you think revenge is, Jaime?” he murmured. “If I had sought revenge on every single person who deserved it, then I wouldn't be a man anymore... I wouldn't even be an animal.”

  She shook her head again, more forcefully this time, not wanting to hear it. “You don't know,” she said, practically choking, as though all the pain of the last four years was about to come pouring down with the rain. “You can't tell me that. He took my family, Sirus. He took everything. He needs to die.”

  Sirus strode a few steps closer to her, slowly closing the gap between them. “And what about my life?” he said quietly, his voice smooth and persistent. “What kind of past do you think I have? Magnus killed my pack too; he took my territory long before he took yours, left me for dead, destroyed everything I had. But you know what I did, Jaime? I became a soldier. A Tracker. I got as far from this damned place as I possibly could....” He paused. He was in front of her now, barely a foot between them. She was staring at the ground, unable to meet his eyes anymore, her heart pounding. She had never heard his story, never actually thought to question what had made him this way. “I swore I would never be left with nothing again. I swore I would get it back.”

  “Get what back?” she asked, unable to help herself.

  “My life.”

  It hadn't been the answer she'd expected. She looked up at him, surprised, and the moment their eyes locked he reached for her, pulling her close against his wet clothes. His warmth and smell enveloped her, an unexpected comfort. He rested his chin on top of her head.

  “I know you've felt that way,” he said softly. “Like you're just waiting for your real life to begin.”

  A sudden lump welled in her throat and Jaime choked back a sob, pressing her face against his shirt, trying to hide in vain.

  “If you're going to kill Magnus,” he murmured, “then don't do it out of hate or revenge. Do it for all of the lives he'll destroy if we allow him to live.”

  The tears broke loose. Jaime didn't try to hide it anymore; she sobbed into his shirt, crying for the second time that night, the pain coursing through her as though it had just happened — as though her parents had died an hour ago, not four years ago. It overcame her in a wave, so deep and choking that it made her gasp for breath, feelings and emotions that she had been too angry to face. She dug her hands into his shirt, gripping the fabric hard as his arms went around her, pressing her tightly against him. She was locked against his chest and she wished that she could just sink into his body, forget herself and who she was and learn to be normal again.

  He pressed his lips against her head and held her like that, rocking her slightly, not saying a word. He didn't need to say anything. For once, she knew he understood.

  They stood like that for a long time, long enough for the rain to slow down, for the sounds of the night to engulf them. Evenutally her tears slowed and she was able to rest her cheek against his shirt and breathe deeply, calming herself. She felt exhausted, as though she had just swam up a river. Jaime pressed her ear to his chest, listening to his calm and steady heartbeat. She wondered how everything had come to this point.

  Finally Sirus took a step back, his hands moving to her shoulders. He looked down at her, his expression unfathomable.

  “If you want to fight, then fight,” he said quietly. “I won't stop you.”

  She nodded, a small smile sneaking across her face. “Trust me,” she said.

  Sirus grinned then, a somewhat wry expression, and he took her by the shoulders and turned her around, still holding her clasped to his chest. He pointed past her to the dark streets, to the cars parked along the side of the block.

  “If you want to go, then go,” he said.

  She frowned. “What?”

  “Magnus' wolves have been following us. They were watching Gareth's house the entire time we were there. They're parked in a car across the street.”

  “Really? Across the street?” Jaime squinted, trying to see through the rain, looking for the tan Buick that had ran them down the day before. It was impossible to tell one color from the next in this kind of darkness.

  Sirus released her, and she was suddenly bereft and alone in the cold. Everything seemed to be moving so quickly — when she had volunteered for this, she hadn't thought she would be leaving immediately. Trepidation seized her. A brisk wind blew past them, reminding her that she was soaking wet and freezing; her fingers were numb. She glanced back at him. “So... what, I should just let them take me? How will you find me?”

  He grinned wider. “I'd find you anywhere,” he said quietly. “No need to worry about that. I've tracked you so far, haven't I?”

  Jaime nodded. He had a point. “You won't be far behind?” she couldn't help but ask.

  “Not far... and I'll kill any bastard who touches you.”

  She shuddered, knowing he meant the words. “You might end up killing a lot of people.”

  He shrugged.

  She smiled in return, hesitantly, feeling strangely lighter. It was much easier to breathe — she hadn't felt such release in years. Something had come out of her with all those tears, something dark and ugly and poisonous. She abruptly turned and hugged him again, a brief act that made him laugh.

  “Get out of here,” he grunted, tussling her hair. “Don't have too much fun without me.”

  They looked at each other for another moment, at a sudden loss for words. She knew that she had to go. If she waited too long, then she might get cold feet.

  “See ya,” she sai
d awkwardly.

  He didn't reply.

  She turned before she could change her mind and started across the abandoned lot. With each step away from Sirus, she felt her heart tug, a sudden reluctance to leave his side. She was still shocked by what he had told her — that Magnus had destroyed his family too. She thought of his arms, of the sound of his voice, the words he had said... she didn't want to trust him, to sympathize, and yet... maybe Maddy had been right. Maybe they were more alike than she had ever thought possible.

  And... he was her lifemate. Lifemate. The very word rang through her head like a bell. She felt the truth in every fiber of her being. Maybe... maybe she didn't have to be alone anymore.

  She continued across the open lot, catching a whiff of wolf-scent on the wind. She knew where Magnus' cronies were. Now it was time to face them.

  Head held high, she slipped through the fence and strode down the sidewalk in the direction of the car. Time to get a move on.

  * * * *

  Stevie couldn't believe his luck.

  He checked the side mirror again, watching as the girl exited the open lot and started down the street directly for their car. Yes! The tides were turning once again — their luck was about to change.

  “Guys, get ready,” he said, undoing his seatbelt. “She's coming our way!”

  “I see her,” Tabari grumbled.

  They watched as the girl walked towards them. Stevie frowned. It was strange, but.... If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was walking to their car on purpose... which was impossible... except....

  “Wait, hold on a moment,” he murmured as she walked closer. Where was she going? Gareth's house was in the opposite direction, unless she really was about to....

  The girl came up alongside their car and stopped, tapping on the back window. “Excuse me!” he heard her muffled voice.

  “Enough of this,” Tabari growled, and thrust open the driver's side door, leaping out and grabbing the girl roughly by the shoulders.

  “Ow!” she yelped.

  “Shut up!” the man growled, yanking open the back door. Jones was sitting in the back seat, ready to grab her. Stevie watched everything in surprise — the whole thing seemed surreal.

  “What the hell are you doing, kid?” he asked, once they had finally wrestled her into the backseat and slammed the door. She was a pretty thing, big eyes and thick hair... the scent of her filled the car, making his body suddenly hot and tense, super-sensitized to her presence.

  “Fuck Sirus,” she grumbled, not trying to resist as Jones started taping her wrists together, then he pushed her back in the seat and buckled her in. “I'll take my chances with the other guy.”

  Stevie didn't know what to say to that. He wondered if the girl had finally come to her senses. No use allying oneself to the Seneca bastard — why follow an Alpha with no territory?

  Tabari dropped into the driver's seat and started the car, the engine roaring to life. He kept the lights off, zooming through the residential district well over the limit, bouncing over speed bumps and careening around corners. Stevie continued to watch her in the rearview mirror as they skidded away from the sidewalk, pulling out into the road and speeding down the street. He didn't trust her for a minute, but he couldn't think of any other explanation that made sense, so he just kept watching her warily. It seemed too perfect, too easy... after all the hell he had been through the last few months? She was up to something.

  But he wasn't good at reading minds, and the girl was staring out the window, her face unreadable. Maybe she really was tired of the chase.

  He turned back to the front just as Tabari ran a red light and almost flew into a street sign, turning at the last second to get back on the road.

  “Slow down, dammit!” he yelled. “It won't matter that we have her if we all end up dead!”

  Tabari slowed, but just a little.

  They continued through the night, tires squealing, driving as fast as they could out of Davenport, heading towards the airport in Albany. He would use a payphone at the airport to call Magnus... he couldn't wait to tell him the good news. Finally it was all over.

  Stevie sat back, relaxing for the first time in months. Soon he would finally be able to go back home.

  * * * *

  Sirus watched her go.

  He turned away before she reached the car — before Magnus' wolves leapt out and grabbed her, pulled her in the backseat, and drove away. He knew that if he stayed to watch, he would lose it, he would chase the bastards down and kill them before they even got on their plane.

  He figured they would take her to the airport... no sense driving to Illinois when Magnus was in such a rush. Her wolf-moon was only two days away, after all. He hated the idea of what Magnus would do to her if they weren't able to reach her in time, if they followed her and arrived too late....

  He had to stay close on their trail. He started back toward Gareth's house at a hard run; after a moment, he allowed the primal energy to surge within him and fell forward, shedding his clothes and Changing into his wolf form. It was the fastest way. They might get a half-hour head start but he wasn't going to let that plane get off the ground without him. Jaime was too close to her wolf-moon and her scent was like a drug — no telling what another male wolf might do. Once her month of ripeness started, she would be at the mercy of whatever man was around. He planned on it being him.

  The thought of Magnus touching her made him want to sink his teeth into something. He was tempted to chase after a cat that suddenly dashed across the road, but he kept running. No time to kill.

  What am I doing? he thought. What madness had possessed him to allow Jaime to take this on by herself? He had been trying to do the right thing, trying to show her that he trusted her, believed in her abilities... stupid. It was all stupid. A dumb, dangerous plan. She couldn't control herself; she was passionate and crazy and full of rage. And no matter how strong her abilities, she was no match for a male like Magnus. Were it to come to a fight....

  A new surge of power coursed through his legs. He couldn't wait to reach Magnus and rip into his throat. Or, if he could, he'd put a gun to the fucker's head and pull the trigger. He had no intention of playing fair.

  He ran faster, the rain drenching his thick gray fur.

  Chapter 14

  Jaime glared at the tall black man, wrenching her wrists from his grasp. “I can walk on my own, thank you!” she snapped. They had untied her wrists before entering the airport, but he had been holding onto her ever since, obviously worried she would try to run away. A valid point — if only she could tell them that running away was the last thing on her mind. The first thing on her mind, of course, was air sickness. She hated planes.

  They strode through the boarding terminal on the way to their flight, gate D5, the tall black werewolf on her right and the fat one on her left. Stevie, the tall skinny one with a greasy comb-over, had disappeared to find a phone. She knew he was calling Magnus, probably to alert him of her capture. It made her sick to her stomach, thinking she was no more than a prize. They had arrived at the airport at about eight in the morning and bought the first flight to Paxton, which was leaving in half an hour. By noon, she would be in a car, headed to some top secret destination.

  The crowd in the terminal parted before her, and Jaime saw the sign labeled D5. The plane was just beginning to board. Tabari grabbed her arm again and tugged her into line, ignoring her when she tried to pull away. She didn't struggle too much, just enough to keep him tense. She didn't want to draw attention, in case someone grew alarmed. Jones fell in line behind them, already eating a bag of peanuts.

  She sighed, giving up, looking at the early-morning sunlight beaming through the wide windows. The storm had passed, leaving everything fresh, vibrant and new. Jaime wished she could enjoy it, go out and smell the clean air and damp earth, roll around in the mud somewhere or dash through the woods. Instead she could only focus on the disgusting wolves around her, and the throbbing, pulsing ache of her wolf-mo
on. She grit her teeth, bearing it the best she could, trying not to stare at every man that passed. She needed release, craved it... she was dangerously close to losing control. Her teeth kept elongating and shrinking inside of her mouth, the wolf fighting its way to the surface.

  Tomorrow night... was it really so soon? The full moon would initiate the month long frenzy in which she would be overcome by her mating hormones. She hadn't considered that when planning this mission. What about Magnus? What would he do to her if Sirus didn't come in time? Would her body really control her to the point that she would mate with a wolf other than her lifemate? She already knew the answer to that, and she didn't want to think about it. She didn't know a lot about the wolf-moon, only that it was something that every female had to face in their life, and it usually wasn't very pleasant. Her mother had only told her a few things before the destruction of her pack.

  The line budged up and a woman took their tickets, checking it against their IDs. She waved them ahead, giving them a curt smile. “Enjoy your flight!” she said.

  Jaime started up the boarding ramp and walking as far from Tabari as possible, dodging when the man tried to grab her arm again. Head held high, she walked to her seat, weaving around people who were putting their bags in the overhead compartments. It helped to have no luggage. Finally she found her seat number in the coach section and plopped down next to an elderly woman, buckling her seatbelt firmly.

  Jones sat down in the row across from her near the window, and Tabari came to stand next to her in the aisle, moving uneasily. “You should sit next to Jones. I'll sit here,” he said in a deep baritone, looking at her darkly. She knew he wanted to grab her and force her into the other seat, but he couldn't in front of so many people

  Jaime glanced at the elderly woman next to her, who was looking at the two of them suspiciously. She smiled. “Aw but I wanted to sit here next to this lady! It looks way more comfortable.”