by Karen Lynch
At home, I quickly stowed away the Vespa and ran upstairs, checking that the doors were bolted. I still didn’t feel safe, and my first instinct was to call Roland. But I didn’t know how to face him so soon after what had happened between us. I sat at the kitchen table, willing my heart to slow down and telling myself I was just being paranoid.
I jumped when my cell phone rang, and I grabbed for it, half hoping it was Roland. I let out a shaky breath when I saw it was Sara.
“Hey. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you today.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was close to midnight where she was.
“Why do you sound like that?” she asked.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, like you’re a little out of breath. Is everything okay there?”
“Everything’s great,” I lied. “I was running.”
“You don’t like to run.” Her voice rose. “Emma, what’s wrong? And don’t you dare lie because I’ll know.”
I bit my lip. “It’s nothing. I saw this man and thought he was watching me. You know I still get nervous around strangers. I feel silly telling you about it.”
“What man? Where did you see him?” Worry flooded her voice.
“Sara, it’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing,” she chided. “I can hear in your voice that you’re scared. Tell me exactly what happened.”
I sighed because there was no putting her off when she got like this. I told her about seeing the bald man in Portland and then seeing someone who resembled him today.
“I didn’t even see his face today, so I’m not sure it was the same man.”
“And you’ve never seen this man before? Could he be someone you knew when you were a vampire?”
One of the things I liked about Sara was that she never tried to gloss over my old life. She called it like it was. Other people at Westhorne used to tiptoe around the fact that I had been a vampire. I guess they wanted to protect my feelings. Sara said I’d been a victim and I should never feel guilt or shame for that. I wished it was that easy.
“He’s definitely not a vampire because he was out in the sun. And Eli didn’t deal with too many humans, so I would have remembered him.”
“Okay, that’s good. But I still don’t like it.” There was a short pause. “Why didn’t you tell Roland when it happened in Portland?”
“I was a little shaken up, and then the man disappeared. And I was afraid of Roland asking questions about my past.”
She sighed. “You should call him. He’ll want to help and you don’t have to mention your past.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “If I see the man again, I’ll call him. I promise.”
“If you see him again, you call Chris,” she said firmly. “Or let Dax know. He’ll send someone to check it out. You still have their numbers?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” She let out a breath. “I’m glad to know you and Roland are hitting it off. He must really like you if he hung out in two art stores. He used to grumble the whole time he was with me.”
“His eyes did glaze over a few times.”
She laughed. “I remember that look. You have to admit, I was right about you two clicking once you got to know him.”
“You were right.”
If she only knew how much he and I had clicked. Thank God she couldn’t see my face because it felt like it was on fire. There was no way I was telling her what had happened between Roland and me at the lighthouse. That kiss would not be repeated, and it was better to forget about it.
“So, what else has been going on since I last talked to you?” she asked.
I smiled. “Let’s see. I went to a party Saturday night at the lighthouse, and I met Peter’s girlfriend, Shannon. Well, I guess she’ll be his mate soon. And I had coffee with her and her friend April today.”
“You had coffee with two werewolves?” she asked. “Wait. Peter has a mate?”
I chuckled. “Yes and yes.”
She made a noise like she was moving around. “Okay, I just got comfortable. Now, I want to hear everything.”
Chapter 12
Roland
“Last order of business for today,” Maxwell said from the front of the meeting hall. “I’ve had word that ranc demons were spotted in Portland last week. Normally, we wouldn’t bother with demons unless they posed a serious threat, but we learned last year that ranc demons are known to follow vampires. I will not have vampires in my city again.”
“How do you know about the ranc demons?” Francis asked.
“The Mohiri gave me a heads-up. They’ve been keeping closer tabs on Maine since October.”
Murmurs spread through the room. Most werewolves didn’t like the Mohiri because of old grudges against the warrior race. There’d been a time when our kind wasn’t that civilized and some of them had been hunted and killed by the Mohiri for hurting humans. I used to dislike the Mohiri until I got to know Nikolas and Chris. Now, I considered them my friends.
Maxwell held up his hand for silence. “I’m sending extra patrols to Portland until we are sure we don’t have another vampire problem. You’ll go in teams of four, and we’ll rotate the patrols twice daily. Brendan and I have divided the people who will patrol into twelve teams with a leader for each one.”
Brendan stood with a notepad in his hand and began reading off names. I quickly noticed the team leaders were Beta candidates. In fact, most of the people in the teams were on the Beta list. I wasn’t surprised Francis was the leader of the first team, and I was relieved not to be in that one. My cousin and I still couldn’t spend ten minutes together without butting heads.
One of the female candidates looked surprised and pleased to be named leader of her team. Traditionally, females couldn’t become Betas, but Maxwell had declared that any pack member of age was eligible.
“In team eight, we have Roland Greene, Peter Kelly, Shawn Walsh, and Trevor Gosse,” Brendan announced, and I grimaced at hearing I’d have to work with Trevor. He’d kept his distance from me since our fight last week, but I’d caught him glaring at me a few times. The guy was itching for payback. I wasn’t sure what Maxwell was thinking, putting the two of us on the same team, but the Alpha never did anything without a reason.
“Leader for team eight is Roland Greene,” Brendan said. “Your first patrol is Wednesday night.”
“No fucking way,” Trevor growled in a low voice. “He’s a goddamned kid.”
“A kid who kicked your ass,” retorted Shawn, who sat behind me. A few people tittered. At least Shawn didn’t sound upset to have me as his team leader.
“You have something to say, Mr. Gosse?” Maxwell stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest.
Trevor stood. “No offense, Alpha, but the kid is barely out of school and I have years of experience. I should be team leader, not him.”
Maxwell nodded. “You’re right, he’s young. How many vampire kills have you had?”
Trevor lifted his chin proudly. “Two.”
“Roland?” Maxwell looked at me.
I stood slowly, trying to remember the number, but there were too many to count. “I don’t know. Two crocotta and about thirty vampires, maybe more.”
“Bullshit,” Trevor spat as the room erupted in whispers again.
Maxwell’s hard gaze swept the room, and everyone fell silent. The tic in his jaw told me Trevor was walking a dangerous line.
“Mr. Gosse, are you questioning me or my judgement?”
“N-no, sir.”
“Then we’re good.” Maxwell looked at Brendan. “Continue.”
The rest of the teams were announced without interruption. I don’t think anyone dared speak up after Trevor’s little outburst. Maxwell could be one scary son of a bitch when you pissed him off. I knew that firsthand.
The meeting ended once all the groups were called out. I glanced at my watch as I waited for the crowd to file out. It was still early, so Paul and I were going to try to get in a few more ho
urs at the garage today. The Chevelle was coming along better than I’d expected, and we’d be finished ahead of schedule at this rate.
“Did you really kill that many vampires?”
I looked up at the blonde female candidate who’d been made team leader. “Yes.”
Her expression changed from curious to admiring. “Are you one of the guys who took off across the country with the Mohiri girl?”
“Yes.” I smiled and held out my hand. “Roland.”
She shook my hand. “Sheila. I’d love to hear about all those vampires sometime. I hunted two up near the Canadian border, but my brothers made the kills.”
“Sure.” I couldn’t smell a male on her, which meant she was unmated. But she made no move to flirt with me. Either she wasn’t attracted to me, or she didn’t want a mate. It was nice to talk to a female wolf who wanted nothing beyond friendly conversation.
We started toward the door, and I groaned when I spotted Lex standing at the back of the room. She waved, and I managed a weak smile.
“Word of advice,” Sheila said in a low voice. “Watch out for that one.”
“You know her?”
“Yes.” Sheila made a face. “Lex knows Maxwell’s son or one of his nephews will be the next Alpha, and she’s determined to have one of you. She wouldn’t let any male from home get close to her, afraid one of them would imprint on her before she met you.”
I’d known from the beginning she was after me because of my connection to Maxwell. And I’d seen how possessive she was of me and how aggressive she was with other females.
“Any advice for getting her to back off?”
Sheila snorted. “Yeah. Find a mate.”
“Hey, Roland. Sheila.” Lex smiled, but I saw that it didn’t reach her eyes when she looked at my companion.
“Lex.” Sheila continued to the door. “See you around, Roland.”
As soon as we were alone, Lex moved in. I evaded her touch by pretending not to see her reach for my arm as I turned on my phone and waited for the display to come up. Maxwell had a strict “no phones” policy in meetings, and you had to leave your phone outside or turn it off.
The first thing I saw was a new voicemail from Sara. I looked at the time of her call and frowned. It was 2:00 a.m. in Russia. Why would she call me at this hour? I hoped she and Nikolas were okay.
“Excuse me, Lex. I need to make a call.” Leaving her, I walked a short distance from the building before I listened to the voicemail.
“Hey, Roland. It’s me. Everything’s good here, but I need a favor. I’m worried about Emma, and I wanted to ask if you’d check on her for me. It’s probably nothing, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I talked to her tonight, and she told me she saw a strange man watching her. He was in Portland when you guys were having lunch, and she thinks she saw him again today outside The Hub. She said she was just being paranoid, but she sounded shaken up. I told her to let the Westhorne security guys know if she sees him again, but I’m still worried. She’ll probably be upset that I called you, but at least I’ll know she’s safe. Talk to you soon. Love you.”
The cell phone made a squeaking sound, and I realized I was about to crush it with my hand. I eased my hold on it and replayed Sara’s message. A man had been watching Emma when we were in Portland? How had I not seen him, and why hadn’t she mentioned it? Then I remembered how different she’d been when I came back from my phone call. She’d claimed she was sick, but I’d suspected it was more than that.
I wanted to kick myself for not keeping her safe. Someone had frightened her while I stood a few feet away, talking on the damn phone. And now he was here? A growl threatened to escape me. Even if she never accepted me as her mate, she was mine to protect. Any male, human or not, who harmed her would have to deal with me.
After the talk with my mother and grandmother, I’d planned to wait a few days before I went to see Emma. But there was no way I could stay away from her now. I wouldn’t rest until I saw for myself that she was okay.
“Roland,” Lex called when I started walking away.
I took a calming breath and stopped to let her catch up.
“Sorry, Lex, I have to go.”
“You can take a few hours off from the garage,” she wheedled in what she probably thought was a sexy voice. “A bunch of us are going out to eat and play pool. Doesn’t that sound like more fun than working under a car?”
“I’m not going to the garage.”
I knew I’d said the wrong thing when her eyes narrowed and her lip curled. “You’re going to see that human, aren’t you?”
The way she said human, like it was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe, killed the last of my patience with her.
“It’s none of your business where I’m going,” I bit out. “Enjoy your dinner.”
I fumed as I strode to my car, glad I’d parked on the road so I didn’t get blocked in. All I could think about now was seeing Emma.
I forced myself to calm down as I drove to her place, because it wouldn’t help if I showed up like this. I wanted to reassure her, not freak her out.
Emma opened the door on my second knock. She sighed, not looking surprised by my visit. I couldn’t tell if she was happy to see me or not.
“Sara called you.” It wasn’t a question.
“She left me a voicemail. Can I come in?”
For a second, I thought she was going to say no. She stepped back, opening the door wider. I entered, closed it behind me, and followed her into the living room.
“I should have known she’d call you,” Emma said, sitting on the couch. “She worries about me too much.”
I took the chair by the window and tried not to stare at her. The pull of the imprint was strong, and it hadn’t been easy to stay away from her the last two days.
“I’m glad she called me,” I said gruffly. “Tell me about the man.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “He was sitting at the coffee shop across the street from us. I caught him looking at me while you were on the phone. When you came back to the table, he disappeared.”
“What did he look like?”
“He was bald, probably in his thirties, average height, and he had no mustache or beard. He looked like a normal guy.” She shook her head. “Like I told Sara, I’m probably making something out of nothing.”
“It is something if he frightened you.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Why didn’t you tell me about him? I hate that someone scared you with me standing right there.”
Her face softened. “It’s not your fault. And he didn’t do anything but look at me.”
“And what about today? You saw him here?” The thought that a strange man might be stalking her made my stomach knot.
She picked up a decorative pillow and hugged it to her chest. “I don’t know if it was the same man. I was at The Hub with Shannon and April, and when I left, I saw a bald man walking away. He reminded me of the man in Portland because he was bald and had the same build, but I didn’t see much of his face.”
The slight quiver in her voice told me she believed he was the man from Portland, and it had spooked her more than she wanted to admit. It gnawed at me, too. She lived here alone, and the waterfront was practically deserted after the shops closed. If that man was following her, it wouldn’t take him long to realize how vulnerable she was, if he didn’t already know it.
“Did Shannon or April see him?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Their car was at the other end of the parking lot.”
I clasped my hands together, trying to frame my next question so I didn’t frighten her. “Do you feel safe here in the apartment?”
“I think so,” she replied. Her eyes said something else.
“You don’t sound so sure.” I took a breath. “If you want, I can stay here with you for a few days. On the couch,” I quickly added.
Her arms tightened around the pillow. “Thanks, but I’m fine, really.”
I could sense her
withdrawing, and I knew what it was really about. “Emma…”
She got up quickly, dropping the pillow to the couch. “I’m thirsty. Would you like something to drink?”
“I’m good,” I said, but she was already out of the room. I sighed. “Water or juice is f–”
Her scream made my blood go cold. I felt my teeth lengthen as I tore through the doorway and skidded to a stop in the hallway. Emma was pressed back against the wall, her face frozen in terror as she stared at the slender, gray creature standing by the front door. He clutched a cloth sack in his hand, and his large violet eyes darted between Emma and me.
I put a hand to the wall. “Jesus, Remy! You gotta stop doing that, man.”
His eyes lit with recognition, and he gave a small nod. “Werewolf.”
I pushed away from the wall and went to Emma, who jumped when I laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Emma, it’s okay,” I said gently. “This is Sara’s friend, Remy. He has a habit of popping in like that, but he won’t hurt you.”
She turned her head until her eyes met mine. “R-Remy?”
“Did Sara tell you about Remy?” I hoped so because it was not going to be easy to explain trolls to her.
She gave a jerky nod, and her voice was a hoarse whisper. “Yes, but it’s not the same as…”
“Trust me, I know.” I smiled, very aware that she’d moved closer to me. Warmth filled my chest at the knowledge she felt safe with me.
I rubbed her arm comfortingly. “You okay?”
“Just give me a minute,” she said shakily.
“Take your time.”
I looked at Remy, who hadn’t moved. His shaggy gray-brown hair and round eyes made him look like some weird life-size Muppet, a very deadly one. Trolls were some of the scariest creatures on earth, and even vampires feared them.
“What are you doing here, Remy? Were you looking for Sara?”
He held up the sack. “Sara ask me to ward home. Keep bad people out.” He looked at Emma. “I not mean to make you afraid.”
“What does he mean?” she asked me.
“Troll magic is strong. He came to put magic wards on the building to keep you safe. Remy showed Sara how to do it when she lived here, but I guess they wear off after a while.”