Blood Rule (Book 4, Dirty Blood series)

by Heather Hildenbrand

  “My pack,” I said.

  Grandma’s mouth tightened around the edges.

  “Tara, there are so many of them,” my mother began. “It puts you at risk—”

  “I’m not leaving them.”

  “We’re not saying you should leave them,” Grandma said. “But you should know that Steppe has summoned you for questioning.”

  I looked at my mom for confirmation. She nodded, her expression grave. “The notice came by messenger after you left.”

  “It’s not quite as serious as the warrant for Wes or the treaty being rescinded,” Grandma said.

  “Not yet,” my mom interjected.

  “But the fact that you lead—or even associate with—the hybrids doesn’t bode well for you,” Grandma finished.

  “I’m not leaving them,” I repeated.

  Grandma nodded and fell silent, as if she’d expected my response. My mom shot her a look. It was obvious this had been discussed already and that she was more determined than Grandma to change my mind. “But if you can make it look like you’ve separated yourself from them and everyone else leaves, Steppe may go easier on you. Maybe let them stay somewhere else. At least until after the questioning.”

  Heat rose into my face at the possibility of what she was asking. I couldn’t stand even imagining that sort of separation. From my pack. From Jack and Fee. From Wes. “No. Absolutely not.” I glared at my mother, challenging her. “And if you try to force me, I will run away. With my pack.”

  “No one is running away. And no one is forcing anything,” Fee said. She gave my mother and Grandma a reproachful look. “Tara understands what’s at stake. It’s pretty obvious Steppe has already made up his mind about Tara, about all of us. If he gets a hold of Tara for questioning … She needs to understand there’s the possibility she won’t come out again.”

  “He won’t go outside the law,” Grandma said.

  “He doesn’t have to. He’ll create new ones to fit his agenda,” Fee shot back.

  Grandma looked like she might argue further, but Wes cut in. “Tara stays with me,” he said.

  I looked at him in surprise. He hadn’t said much outside of wanting to tear into Steppe. “You think Steppe will lock me up?”

  “I think it’s not worth finding out,” he said. “And I won’t be separated from you again. We tried that already, when you went to school. It didn’t work out well for either of us. From now on, you go where I go.”

  I nodded, lost in the intensity of his eyes and the pull I always experienced when he looked at me that way. My arms tingled and I reached for his hand, not caring we had an entire audience at my back. I gave him the tiniest smile. My lips trembled, shaky in light of the uncertainty of whatever came next, but it was an expression of the realest feeling I’d had in hours. “I go where you go,” I whispered.

  He nodded, his mouth hinting at a smile to match my own. Someone behind me—Cord?—cleared their throat.

  “I’m not going to CHAS,” I finally said, turning back to Grandma.

  Grandma’s lips tightened into a thin line. “I never said you should. Fee’s right. Once you go in, I can’t guarantee Steppe intends to let you out.”

  “Mom?” I prompted.

  “I can’t make you do anything,” she said. “If I did, you’d wait until you had an opening and go your own way. I’m leaving it up to you, as difficult and dangerous as that is.” She eyed Wes.

  “Which is precisely why everyone here gets a say in what happens next,” Fee said.

  “Like hell,” Wes muttered.

  Fee ignored him. “My priority right now is keeping you all safe. Which means, for now, we are leaving. We have two hours to get home, pack what we can, and get out of town. Once we’re clear and safe, we can all decide together how to handle this.” Her words were so diplomatic, so Fee-like, no one bothered to argue. “Edie, did you speak with Astor?”

  “Yes.”

  At the mention of the familiar name, I perked up. “Is that where we’re staying?” I asked.

  Grandma frowned. “No. It’s too dangerous for him. But he’s helping to provide a safe house.”

  “What sort of safe house?” I asked.

  “The kind protected with wards,” she said. “According to Astor, it cannot be breached by Hunter, Werewolf, or human.”

  “Then how do we get in?” I asked.

  “We don’t,” Fee said, aiming a pointed look at Wes and then me. “You do.”

  “What do you mean?” Wes asked. “How can we get in if it won’t let Hunters or Werewolves through?”

  “Because the two of you and that pack of yours are neither one,” Grandma said.

  Wes and I shared a look. “We’re both,” I said softly.

  “And the rest of us?” Cord asked.

  “Victoria has offered up her home,” Fee said.

  “Victoria Lexington?” Cambria and I asked in unison.

  Our friendship with Victoria was tenuous at best. She’d been the biggest bully when we’d been at Wood Point together, stopping her torture long enough to begin dating Logan—still the oddest pairing ever, if you asked me.

  The one remotely civil conversation I’d shared with her was after her parents had disappeared. Miles had kidnapped them and used the hybrid serum on them, turning them both. I’d seen them twice since then and both times they’d tried to kill me. Now, they were off the map, hiding who-knew-where.

  These days, Victoria rotated between sad orphan girl and popular mean girl. Neither were versions I enjoyed. Neither version liked me much, either.

  “Yes, Victoria Lexington,” Fee confirmed. “With her parents gone, the staff was let go, and the house is sitting empty. It’s perfect.”

  “I’m game. Her house is pretty awesome. Indoor pool, Jacuzzi, movie room, the works,” Cord said. For the first time since arriving, she didn’t look ready to maim someone.

  “You’ve been there?” Cambria asked.

  “I hung out there a few times last summer,” Cord said.

  Scratch that. Cord and Victoria being friends. That was the oddest pairing ever.

  Derek didn’t look nearly as excited about their destination. “This is temporary, until we figure out our next move, right?”

  “Yes,” Fee assured him. “We need somewhere safe to figure out who’s with us and who isn’t. And we need to decide the best way to fix this.”

  Derek’s eyes narrowed. “And by fix, you mean …?”

  “Fix,” she repeated. “I don’t condone violence as a first choice. You know that.”

  “But it is a choice,” he said.

  She scowled but didn’t argue. “Edie and Elizabeth will both stay behind, keeping an eye on CHAS for us.”

  I frowned. “Is that safe? I mean, Steppe has to know you’re both going to help me and I’m already on his list. Won’t that make you both traitors too?”

  Grandma smiled, but it lacked warmth and showed too much teeth to be anything but threatening. “Gordon knows better than to mess with me or mine.”

  In that moment, I decided I officially had the coolest grandma in the entire world.

  “And I’m going to side with your grandma on this one,” my mom said. “It’s about time I took responsibility for what I am.”

  I wasn’t sure how much to believe her, though her tone was surprisingly firm. I hoped whatever she lacked in the badass department, Grandma would make up for.

  “The clock’s ticking,” Fee said. “Everyone get home and pack what you can. We need to get on the road.”

  The huddle broke apart with everyone gathering their things and heading for the door. Grandma hugged me tight. Now I understood why my mother had done the same when I’d arrived. They both knew they were saying goodbye.

  “I wish you could come with me,” I said against her silver hair.

  She pulled away, her smile fierce. “I get to be on the front lines. Where I like it.”

  “And Mom?”

  “I’ll keep her safe,” she whispered.<
br />
  I nodded and started to go. Grandma grabbed me tighter, holding me still. Her expression was intense enough that I would’ve paused even without the pressure of her hands on my arms. “Tara, this is big,” she said quietly. “After today, things will be different. Forever.”

  I nodded.

  “There’s a removable panel behind my top left dresser drawer.”

  “What’s in it?” I asked.

  “Supplies. Now, do you remember what Vera said to you? About her visions and the future?”

  “Yes.”

  “I want you to think about that.”

  I frowned. “About leading?”

  “Yes.”

  “But how can I lead a race of people that hate me?” I asked.

  “One man doesn’t speak for us all. Things will change.”

  “How do you know?”

  She squeezed my arm a final time and then let me go. “Nothing lasts forever.”

  ***

  Everything felt muted as Wes drove us home in my mother’s car. The light. The sound. Even the air felt quiet and close. The reflection of the streetlights cast a moving trail over the interior of the car, haloing Wes in orange-ish light before tracking a pattern across the hood and disappearing behind us. For a moment, I was lost in it. No voices registered, no concept of what we were about to do. Where we would go. Whether I would ever come back. For a moment, it was all meaningless.

  This car ride, the patterned lights on the dark interior, the somber faces of two people I loved. These were all that mattered, because no matter where I went tomorrow, right now I was here. In this car. With Wes and Angela.

  Grandma’s parting words came back to me: Nothing lasts forever.

  And for some reason, despite knowing she’d meant it about a government she hoped to crumble, all I could think of was Alex. Motionless and cold in a hospital room that, after tonight, would sit empty save for the patient himself and the paid staff.

  The thought of leaving Alex upset me in a place I’d thought I’d buried. Even though he remained unconscious, seeing Alex every day did something for me. Although my choice had been made, I needed him.

  What if he woke up and I wasn’t there? What if he was all alone?

  The thought gnawed at me even more than the problem with Steppe. I couldn’t leave Alex alone. He wouldn’t do that to me.

  One by one, voices trickled in, the more adamant ones interrupting my thoughts until their thoughts took over. I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. I’m bored. I’m jealous.

  The last one concerned me and I zeroed in on who the thoughts belonged to. It was Janie, one of the sisters always staring at George. I tracked him through the bond and found him walking the perimeter. He wasn’t alone. I could tell by his flow of thoughts that he was talking to someone, following a conversation.

  I searched the minds of the rest of the pack but came up empty. Who was he walking with?

  I tried honing in on George’s thoughts more closely, but my thoughts—my ability to read him—felt disjointed. Worry and anxiety, plans for escape and getting Angela home safe, and wondering whether my mother would be okay without me made everything a jumble.

  I caught bits and pieces, images and mental snapshots, as George walked and talked to whoever it was. Directions. Plans for packing up camp and getting everyone ready to travel. Who would he talk about this with, if not a pack member?

  Eventually, the two parted company.

  I still had no idea who it was.

  Thirty minutes later, Wes parked curbside in front of Angela’s house. I got out and walked her to the door. Her family’s minivan was noticeably absent in the driveway.

  “You going to be okay?” I asked her when we reached the doorstep.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured me. “My mom will be home soon. It’s you I’m worried about. Can you call me and let me know you made it okay?”

  I suspected phones would be off-limits, especially with civilian police out looking for us too. “I’ll try. But, Ang, be careful. You know way more than you should about all of this. If anyone finds out …”

  “They won’t.”

  I nodded, trying to believe her. Angela was smart. I could count on her to be aware and careful, but danger wasn’t always recognizable. Sometimes the monsters looked like normal people until it was too late.

  “You be careful too,” she said and started toward her door.

  “There’s one other thing.” I gave her an apologetic smile. “I know my asking you this puts you right back into the danger I told you to avoid, but …”

  “What do you need?”

  I told myself it wasn’t purely selfish, my reason for asking. “The nurses at the hospital know you now. I’ve vouched for you and they’ll let you through even if I’m not there. Could you—? Would it be possible—?”

  Her expression softened. “I’ll check on him. On both of them,” she added.

  “Thank you.” I exhaled. “But be careful visiting Vera. She may have other visitors in and out.”

  She nodded in understanding. “The man with the scar, he shouldn’t see me, right?”

  “Right. But Alex …” I swallowed. “He doesn’t have anyone else.”

  Angela hugged me. “I’ll take care of him,” she said. “You stay safe.”

  I nodded, not trusting my voice. I knew Angela would make sure Alex didn’t wake up alone. And I told myself he would wake up.

  I watched as she let herself inside before trudging back to the car, my arms wrapped around my middle.

  I slid into my seat and pulled the door shut. Wes leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “I asked Angela to look in at the hospital. On both of them.”

  “You think it’s safe for her to be there alone?”

  Again, I ignored the ping of guilt and told myself I wasn’t putting Angela in more danger. “I told her to keep a low profile. Besides, I don’t think CHAS will be paying attention. They have other things on their mind.”

  “Good point.” He backed out of Angela’s drive and navigated the darkened streets toward my house.

  “Are you okay with this?” I asked after a moment of quiet.

  “Which part? The part where I’m wanted for murder or the part where a secret government is, at this moment, signing my—our—death warrant?”

  I sighed. “The leaving part.”

  His shoulders deflated, as if my lack of response to his sarcasm had taken the fight out of him. “I’m on board for whatever keeps you safe.”

  “And my safety aside?”

  He glanced sideways at me. “I want to kick their asses.”

  My mouth curved in a small smile. “In that, we agree.”

  Another moment of silence passed. I knew we were both deep in our own thoughts. Of leaving. Of running and hiding. Of when we’d get to turn and face the enemy. The animal in both of us wanted to fight. The urge to stay and do just that was growing stronger, the closer we got to home—and to the pack.

  They knew what was happening now. That CHAS was going to make it okay to hunt them. They wanted to hunt right back. At this moment, I had over three dozen voices in my head urging me to let them. I clamped my jaw shut to keep from whining. It wasn’t an attractive sound as a wolf, let alone a teenaged girl.

  I asked another question, to distract myself from the voices. “Why do you think they killed her?”

  “Who?”

  “Mal. Obviously she knew something, right? They got to her right before you did, to talk to her about all the bond stuff. What do you think it was?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Cord went up there right after it happened to poke around. She didn’t find out anything.”

  There was something in his tone. Something he wasn’t saying. “But …? You have a theory,” I prompted.

  “It was something Cord said about the girl’s apartment. Some notes she found. She didn’t want to risk taking them or touching anything but she saw the word Unbinilium used sever
al times.”

  “Seriously? Why didn’t she mention this before?”

  “No reason to. At the time, Cord had no idea of the implication or what any of the materials were. And it very well could be a coincidence. I mean, she worked for the lab there at CHAS headquarters and they do a lot of metal testing.”

  “What else was in the notes?”

  “Stuff on immunities and something called a purity cycle.”

  “What’s a purity cycle?” I asked.

  “No idea.”

  I stared distractedly out the window. Familiar lawn ornaments decorated the yards of houses in my neighborhood. We were almost home.

  Next came packing. Then leaving.

  “I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” I said as Wes pulled up in front of my house.

  He looked over at me as he unbuckled. “I don’t either.”

  “I think it was Steppe,” I said.

  “So do I.”

  “Wes …” I trailed off, unsure what it is I even wanted to say.

  He laced his fingers through mine. “Like Fee said, let’s get safe, and then we’ll figure this out.”

  I blew out a breath. “All right.”

  I climbed out behind him, pocketing the conversation for now. There’d be plenty of time for more speculation later. And realistically, that’s all we had. I wished, not for the first time in recent days, Astor were here. Crazy, convoluted, unstable Astor DeLuca. My uncle—and mad scientist extraordinaire. He knew all there was to know about Unbinilium and immunity, including the fact that I was immune to all metals—a material fatal to other Werewolves.

  What did Mal know about it? And what was a purity cycle?

  Lights were on downstairs when we pulled up to my house. I used my key on the front door and checked the living room and then the kitchen. Both were empty.

  “Mom?” I called.

  A panicked stab hit me in the gut. Cord should’ve dropped her off by now. What if something had happened? “Mom?” I called again, louder, sharper.

  “Tara? In here.” Her voice drifted down from the upstairs. I took them two at a time and found her on her knees in her bedroom.

  Adrenaline waned and still my knees were liquid. I was way too on edge. I concentrated on breathing deeply. In. Out.