Blood Rule (Book 4, Dirty Blood series)

by Heather Hildenbrand

  Underneath me, his chest rose and fell with a heavy exhale. “The trip was a bust. The pack leader wouldn’t even see them.”

  “Why not? I thought he was expecting them.”

  “Changed his mind. I think he must’ve heard from someone we’d already been to see. Gotten a head’s up.”

  “Head’s up? Why does it matter? He’s an ally, right?”

  “They’re all distancing themselves from us. No one wants to be associated with this thing.”

  Something about his tone made me pause. “What do you mean?”

  “Fee said she talked to Edie during a break in today’s meeting. They’re calling for a summit. A vote. They want to dissolve the treaty.”

  “We’ve known that was Steppe’s intention for a while,” I said. I frowned, realizing Wes spoke of it in present tense and not some far off possibility like I’d been treating it. “Does he actually have enough support to make it happen?”

  “Maybe.”

  I shivered involuntarily at the thought. Not for me or even the hybrids. But for people like Jack and Fee. Derek. Wes. Their entire life’s purpose was The Cause. Peace between the two races. Or at least, no more bloodshed between them. Steppe would erase all of that with a single vote, and just like that, they’d be fugitives. Hunted. The idea of Fee having to run for her life made me tremor with rage. I would do anything for her. For all of them.

  It was a darker conversation than I wanted to have right now.

  “How’s Vera?” I asked instead. Not much lighter of a topic.

  “Unconscious, but stable. For now.”

  The mental picture of her sleeping face, unwakeable, made me think of Alex. So much darkness. So much bad. It seemed there wasn’t a subject left for distractions.

  “I want to go see her.”

  “We’ll go tomorrow, first thing.”

  I didn’t have it in me to argue for sooner. “First thing,” I repeated.

  “Where do you want to sleep tonight?”

  I thought of the tent in the center of camp. I’d slept there a few times to be closer to the pack but it wasn’t very comfortable even with the foam padding. Besides that, my mom always freaked out when she knew I stayed here. “You don’t know what sort of things are out there in the woods at night,” she’d say.

  To which, I’d laugh and tell her I most certainly did know. I was one of them.

  But if I could avoid making her stress and worry, even a little …

  “Can you take me home?” I asked.

  He kissed the side of my head. “Of course. Should we take the car or run?”

  “The car. I’ve had enough of being a wolf for one day.”

  Chapter Four

  The beeping had embedded itself inside my brain. It mixed with the hum of voices that permeated my subconscious until the whole thing became some strange techno beat. I hated techno.

  Alex was the same; stable yet unreachable. I’d checked in on him earlier and now I was sitting at Vera’s bedside in a room identical to Alex’s, right down to the matching beep of the equipment that read her vital signs. Her beeps came fewer and farther between than his. Not a good sign. And her cheeks were pale. Too pale. If I looked closely enough, I could see the purple veins that ran across her eyelids. Her chest barely rose and fell with each breath.

  Her hair was disheveled, probably from being jostled when they’d brought her in. For some reason, that bothered me most. The Vera I knew would never have messy hair. Even in the weeks she’d spent inside her room at Fee’s, barely strong enough to walk from the bed to the couch, she’d always had her silver hair combed to perfection. I blinked and looked away, sad for so much more than the state of Vera’s hair.

  Beep ... Beep.

  The voices in my head hummed. Many of them were thinking of Nick, not necessarily sad. More like cautious. Concerned. They knew what’d happened without me explaining. They could sense their own darkness and the threat it represented. We all knew any one of them could be next. A lump settled somewhere between my throat and chest.

  I pressed my fingers to my temples and squeezed.

  “Tara?”

  My head snapped up. “Mom.”

  She hadn’t come in until late last night. I’d already been tucked in bed, halfway between asleep and pretending to be. I hadn’t wanted to tell her about Nick. I wasn’t ready to take on her stress over the whole thing. But this—Vera being sick—I could share this.

  Something about the fear of losing someone you cared about to the soundtrack of a hospital computer monitor made it easy to put aside months—or even years—worth of differences. All I wanted was to hug my mother. And for her to hug me back.

  She welcomed me with open arms. I slid into them and squeezed out all of my fear and uncertainty and stress. I squeezed for all of the noise in my head and responsibility on my shoulders. And for all of the things I couldn’t share with a mom who loved me in a way that meant she wanted no part in the life I’d chosen for myself.

  My mother was a Hunter by blood, not lifestyle. A choice she’d made for herself when I’d been a baby and my life was threatened. For a long time, I’d assumed her refusal to acknowledge that side of her had to do with protecting me. Here I was knee-deep in Werewolf and Hunter politics with a peace-seeking group that had no problem using violence as a means to the end and she still wouldn’t budge. She’d rather stay home scrubbing ovens and countertops to counteract an anxiety that I suspected had more to do with losing my father all those years ago than seeing me in danger.

  The longer I watched her with Wes, the more I became convinced of it. She didn’t hide her disapproval of him, nor was she very nice about it. But she’d let some things slip and I wasn’t entirely sure it was about Wes anymore so much as my future with someone non-human. When it came to me, my mother was a fan of boring.

  Boring meant safe. And making safe decisions. I sucked at boring.

  But she was my mother and I loved her.

  She held me and smoothed my hair until I was ready to let go. When I pulled back and smiled at her, there were tears in her eyes.

  “Mom, are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said, smiling through the glassy sheen. “Worried for Vera. And what you must be going through. I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. I had to wait on a last-minute customer. We’ve been swamped lately.”

  “It’s fine,” I assured her. “I heard you come in late last night too. I wanted to let you rest.”

  My mother owned a flower shop in downtown Frederick Falls. She’d opened it when I was little and always managed the shop and me all on her own. Despite all the secrets between us, I was proud of her for all she’d accomplished as a single mother.

  “How is she?” she asked, frowning over my shoulder at Vera.

  “Not good.” I swallowed hard. “They said there’s nothing else they can do for her.”

  My mother squeezed my hand and walked slowly toward the bed. She rested her free hand on Vera’s forehead, gently smoothing the hair back.

  “She looks so fragile,” she murmured.

  “I wish they could figure out what’s wrong,” I said. “These are Hunter doctors. Shouldn’t that mean something?”

  “Vera’s condition is tied to her ability, hon. When it comes down to it, magic and medicine aren’t the same.”

  I sighed. I didn’t like that answer. “Have you heard from Grandma?” I asked.

  I caught the hint of hesitation before she said, “Yes. She’s battling rush-hour traffic. She’ll be here as soon as she can.”

  My mom and Grandma were a little like oil and water. It made me wish I’d known my grandpa, so it would make sense how one could produce the other.

  “And the meetings?” I asked. “Did she say any more about what they decided to do with Olivia?” Or me? I didn’t add that part. My mom didn’t need to be reminded.

  “No. She said it’s better left quiet for now.”

  I nodded, unsurprised at her answer. Grandma didn’t
exactly confide in my mother even when things weren’t hush-hush. Their relationship was one that worked best from long distances with minimal conversing. Confined spaces brought out the claws. I tried not to be around when that happened. Since Grandma had come to stay with us, that wasn’t always possible.

  But with Olivia in custody and all of the meetings CHAS had called, she was rarely home lately. She stayed in an apartment in DC most weeknights so her commute wasn’t so bad. She’d offered to let me stay there too, so I could be close to the hospital, but I refused. I’d rather deal with traffic than take the chance of being away from the pack if something happened.

  “She said she has some questions for you. She’ll find you later,” Mom added.

  This was news. Grandma had yet to really question me on anything that’d happened that day. She’d been there when I’d given my initial recounting of events and that had been good enough for her. It made me wonder what had changed to make her want to bring it up again. The thought of Steppe having made any sort of progress in his witch hunt exhausted me.

  “Fine,” I said.

  Something about my tone, the weariness in it, must’ve caught my mother’s attention. She turned away from Vera to study my face. “Have you been here long?”

  I shrugged. “I sat with Alex for a couple of hours before coming in here.”

  “I’ll sit with Vera. Go grab some food and fresh air. Hopefully Grandma will be here when you get back.”

  “Mom, I’m fine—”

  “Humor me. There aren’t any kitchen appliances to scrub if my worry spikes.”

  I smiled at that. “All right. You want me to bring you something?”

  “No, I’m fine. Go,” she said, waving me away.

  I hesitated a moment longer, watching as she pulled a chair across the scuffed linoleum and sat next to the bed. In profile, I was struck by how much my mother resembled Vera. I’d never noticed, although I’d never really looked either. The shape of her chin and nose, slim and narrow and almost regal in the way they held their heads up, made it impossible to deny the relation.

  It made me sad. I’d only recently come to know Vera and already, I was losing her.

  I was always losing people.

  As I made my way down the hall, my phone rang. I fumbled with it a moment, my fingers clumsy in their haste to silence it inside the hospital’s walls. The two nurses at the desk shot me dirty looks but I ignored them once I read the incoming name. I accepted the call with a smile and quickened my pace, heading for the closest exit.

  “Hey, Angela,” I said.

  “Tara, wow, it’s good to hear your voice. How are you? What did I miss? Any change? Is he awake?”

  Angela had been gone for the past ten days. Family vacation. Even though she’d been allowed to keep her memories and knowledge of my world, family vacation was sacred. She’d had to leave and forfeit cell phone reception since towers were scarce in the part of Mexico her family visited. She’d tried calling a few times but it was always so patchy and full of static, I wasn’t sure how much of my words got through.

  It was good to hear her voice, uninterrupted by static and dead air.

  “Sam’s got a new crush,” I said.

  Angela snorted. “I asked what I missed,” she said and we both laughed.

  Sam had stayed but I hadn’t really spoken to her much. She remembered nothing since Wes did his memory-wiping thing, probably good after her breakdown the night Olivia’s hybrids went after her and Angela. Alex had saved them both and been rewarded with a stab in the leg from Angela, who didn’t know whether he was a friend or enemy in the confusion and shock of all she’d seen.

  The blast of warm air on my cheeks as I exited the hospital helped too. “No change,” I told her. She sighed and I sensed her disappointment. I appreciated her concern for Alex. It was amusing to see a sort of friendship developing on her end, especially after she’d basically tried to kill him. “There’s something else, too.”

  I told her about Vera and Nick, abbreviating the second part as much as possible, downplaying the violence that had overcome him at the end. I didn’t want to scare her, but I needed to vent. I paced back and forth on the sidewalk that led to the parking garage. The area was empty of foot traffic, but I kept my voice low anyway.

  “I think I need to move them but I have no idea where,” I said.

  “Tara, I hate to say it, but even if you move them, if they lose themselves and go off the deep end, there will always be a town close enough for them to hurt someone.”

  Angela’s words were gentle, but the stark truth of them still stung. She was right. There was nowhere I could take them that would protect the rest of the world, not completely. And what about protecting them from themselves? If one of them lost it, I felt the pain like it was my own. Even now, with my mind engaged in conversation with Angela and the worry for Vera and Alex that lay under that, I could still hear the hum of voices and feel the emotions of the pack as they settled in for the night. There was no escaping the bond.

  Or the almost subconscious hunger they all struggled with, for something they kept telling themselves they couldn’t have. What happened when one of them stopped believing that?

  “You’re right, but I … I can’t let them hurt others. Or themselves. I feel it all, Ang.”

  “That must be exhausting,” she said. “Is that Chris guy still helping?”

  “Yes. They listen to him. And George. He’s a big help.”

  “George, a big help. Who would’ve guessed? How’s he doing?”

  “George is great. Better than great. He loves being a Werewolf and now that he’s got his shifting under control, he’s back home with his parents.”

  “They didn’t wonder where he’d been?”

  “Sports camp, remember,” I said wryly.

  “They bought it?”

  “Wes may have helped sell it,” I said cryptically, but Angela chuckled. We both knew what that meant. “Things are good for him now. He even has a few wolfy admirers.”

  “George is being responsible and moving on from Tara Godfrey? We’ve officially entered the Twilight Zone.”

  “I don’t think he’s noticed his admirers.”

  “Maybe someone should point them out.”

  “One thing at a time. Let’s be happy the moving on part is happening.”

  Angela laughed. “Agreed. And the bond between you?”

  “Crystal clear. Always on.”

  “How’s Wes doing with that?”

  “How do you think?”

  “Struggling.”

  “Good guess,” I said and she laughed. “No, really, he’s good, he’s—”

  A hand closed over my shoulder and I jumped and whirled around. It was Wes. With Grandma behind him—and something about Grandma’s expression made me nervous.

  “He’s here, actually. Let me call you back.”

  “Okay. Is it all right if I come by the hospital tomorrow? Can you get me in to see Alex?”

  “Um, I can try.” I had no idea how I’d get a human into the Hunter wing, but that was something I could figure out later. “Call me when you’re heading over and I’ll meet you.”

  “Sounds good.”

  As soon as I disconnected, Grandma pulled my face close and planted a kiss on my cheek. That, more than anything else, let me know something was up. Grandma wasn’t the type to display affection unless there was a reason.

  I slid my hand into Wes’s. “What’s up?” I asked.

  “Your momma said you need to eat,” Grandma said.

  “I was on my way when Angela called. What’s going on? I know you didn’t come all the way out here to lecture me on missing a meal.”

  She stared at something over my shoulder, as if considering her next words carefully. I glanced at Wes for some clue. From the glow of the white lights lining the landscape beside us, his eyes sparkled with things unspoken.

  Grandma looked back at me. “Let’s go eat.”

  I knew better than
to argue.

  We wound up in the hospital cafeteria. I wasn’t hungry enough to care how bad the food might be here and I didn’t want to waste any more time. It was clear Grandma had something to say and that she wasn’t going to say it until we were settled at a table with a plate in front of us.

  I ordered a cold-cut sandwich. It looked the safest. The hot food, a turkey and gravy entrée that looked as if it’d been sitting for longer than Alex had been here, made my stomach recoil. Wes bought himself a soda, no food. Grandma didn’t seem to care whether he ate. I gave him a dirty look.

  We found seats in the corner of the room, closed off by a loudly humming vending machine. Grandma watched me expectantly so I took a bite of the sandwich and made a production of chewing.

  “Tell me,” I said around a mouthful of food.

  It must’ve satisfied her because she finally began. “They started the inquiry into the events in the woods,” she said.

  I frowned. “I thought they’ve been doing that.”

  “No, not officially. We’ve been digging farther back, trying to figure out what Olivia’s been doing with herself all these years, her connection to Miles and all that.”

  “She’s his mother. What other connection do they need?”

  “How she met Leo. When her intentions turned nefarious. Did she know what Miles and Leo intended to do with the hybrids? Did she have a hand in the actual kidnapping and turning of Hunters and humans?”

  “Obviously I would make a terrible investigator. What’s the story?”

  “She didn’t know. At least, not until it was too late. Her contact with Miles was very recent. Hadn’t spoken to Leo in years. I don’t think Leo ever intended to make a relationship out of it. He wanted offspring. Mixed offspring.” Grandma’s eyes flickered to Wes. “Leo might’ve been the first to do it but he never said a word to anyone. Even after the attack and your parents—he never said a word. We always thought you two were it.”

  “Why didn’t Olivia come forward?” I asked. “She must’ve realized at some point that Leo wanted a son so he could use him. And her.”

  “I think she tried to stay hidden. Protect Miles from Leo. It worked for a while, but then Leo found them and took Miles.”