He squinted at me in the dim light. “You’re the Mexican girl, aren’t you?”
“The politically correct term—” Cora started to say.
“Another time, Cora. Yes, I’m Jacintha from the wildlife department. That’s my sister, and Avery I’m sure you know.”
“Thought you would never get here, boy.”
I stared at the man and blinked a couple of times. “Wait a minute. You expected Avery to come back after what you did to him?”
“ ’Course I did. Why’d you think I dumped him somewhere he’d be safe?”
“It was you who put me in the shelter?” Avery asked, freeing Albert’s hands. “Why?”
“To keep you from being killed by my cub, of course.”
“Dieter?” I asked.
“Franz?” Avery asked at the same time.
“Danielle,” Albert answered. “When I saw that she turned you, I knew she’d be sending you to the farm.”
“The hunting reserve,” Avery said, answering the question on the tip of my tongue.
“She didn’t know you’d turn therion instead of were, though,” Albert continued, thoughtfully eyeing Avery. “She didn’t ken what you really are.”
“And you did?” I asked.
“Aye. Not much slips past me.” He winced as Avery severed the ropes on his feet. “Except when my own cubs turn on me. The she-bitch caught me leaving you off, boy, and told me my time was at an end. Lucky for you, folks started showing up at that shelter, so she couldn’t get you back.”
“Lucky indeed,” I mused, looking with warmth at Avery. My blood ran cold at the idea of him, helpless and drugged, in the clutches of a woman who would so abuse her own father.
Avery and I helped him to his feet. The old guy was unusually tall, probably close to seven feet, thin as a sapling, with long salt-and-pepper hair, and a wiry beard that would have been at home in a Tolkien story.
“What about your sons?” Avery asked quietly as he steadied Albert, who seemed a bit wobbly. “Do they know that Danielle is doing this?”
“Not Franz. Boy’s as thick as a stump. Dieter, now, he’s—”
“Missing.”
We all whirled around at the sound of the female voice. Two people stood with the tent flap pulled wide, a petite woman with a gorgeous mane of blue-black raven hair (a color I’ve always coveted), and a man whose smile left my stomach feeling as if I had been eating lead.
“Greg. I might have known.”
“Hello, Jacintha. Yes, you might have, but I’ve been very careful that you haven’t, not even when you came sniffing around my office asking so many obvious questions. Danielle, my dear, it looks like we have three more pets to ship. I hope there is still room on the plane.”
Danielle Baum was staring at Avery in a calculating way. Before any of us could move, she whirled around and knocked her father backward with a blow to the face. “You stupid old man. You just had to change him back, didn’t you? I told you what would happen if you interfered with my plans again.”
Change you back? She thinks Albert changed you back?
She doesn’t know I’m a Moravian, he answered. She doesn’t know that’s why I’m a therion, not a were.
“Hey!” Cora said, kneeling next to the prone Albert, who was sputtering in a language I didn’t understand. “He’s old! You could have broken his hip or something. You okay, old-timer?”
Albert continued to speak, chant really, his eyes closed as his lips moved almost silently.
Danielle laughed and nodded at Greg as she moved over to a canvas duffel bag sitting on a camp stool. “Take them outside. I’ll tie up Daddy dearest again.”
Greg, who had produced a gun and pointed it at me, frowned at Albert. “Did he hit his head or something?”
“No, he’s just babbling to himself,” Danielle answered, pulling out a length of rope and moving toward her father. “Summoning the spirits of the woods. Don’t worry—they don’t answer to him anymore. Do they, old man?”
Her voice held a note of taunting that had my hand itching to slap her.
“This way,” Greg said, evidently reassured by her statement. He waved the gun toward the center of the camp. “You first, Jacintha. And just in case your boyfriend gets any ideas, I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”
Albert’s daughter and Greg—what an unholy alliance.
That’s what she must have meant about needing a consort, and why she wanted so badly to marry me, Avery mused as we stumbled out of the tent to the center of the compound. The others had disappeared, leaving us four alone next to a large fire. She was planning on usurping Baum and taking over his position as lord of the forest.
And she wanted you at her side?
He gave me a mental smile. I told you I am quite popular with the ladies.
Were quite popular. Were is the key word there, isn’t that right?
I don’t know—it’s rather enjoyable seeing you jealous.
Retribution for such sentiments aside, what are we going to do?
Stop them, he said simply.
Before I could ask how, Danielle emerged from the tent. “Right, that’s done. Now let’s take care of these troublemakers before the others come back from meeting Dieter. Once they return, we’ll tell them we have a couple extra for the shipment.”
“Sorry, Jacintha,” Greg said with mock sorrow. “I would say it’s too bad the way things ended, but I always knew the day would come when you’d stumble across our business.”
“The business of murdering people?” I asked.
He blinked for a moment.
“Didn’t Danielle tell you that’s what happens to the people who are changed into animals and sent to Scotland?”
He frowned and turned to look at her. “I thought you said they were sent to zoos?”
“Does it matter what happens to them?” she snapped, taking up a stand next to the fire. “They bring us money; that’s all that should concern you. Now be quiet and let me concentrate.”
Get ready to grab your sister and get the hell out of here, Avery warned me.
What? What do you—
Before I could finish that thought, Avery’s body shimmered, shortened, and changed into a sleek black cat.
Danielle stood at the fire, her eyes closed, her hands held out blindly as she started a chant that sounded similar to the one Albert was mumbling.
“What the—” Greg stepped backward as Avery leaped across the fire toward him, knocking him backward onto his ass.
Run!
No! I’m not going to leave . . . leaf . . . love . . . The world around me swam in a dizzying swirl, my head spinning, leaving me with the feeling I was going to pass out, or vomit.
I heard Cora calling my name, but it seemed to come from a very long way away. My entire body felt hot, as if I had a great fever; then suddenly my vision cleared.
The leaves rustled in the trees around us, a wind whipping across the compound and bringing with it the sound and scent of a half dozen animals nearby.
“Oh my God!” Cora yelled, staring at me with huge, disbelieving eyes.
Greg screamed as Avery bit down on his hand, forcing the man to drop the gun.
“Jas! What . . . Jas!”
“Excellent,” Danielle said, opening her eyes to smile at me. That was when I realized I wasn’t looking at her properly. I was several feet lower, as if I’d fallen onto my hands and knees. . . . I looked down and saw two furry feet, and in an instant knew what had happened.
Holy Mary and every single little saint that ever was and ever will be! I’m an animal! A whatchamacallit—one of those weres!
No, you’re not. You’re my Beloved. You’re immortal now.
But you said we hadn’t done the Joining thing! How can I be immortal
?
We did the last step two hours ago when you took my darkness into yourself, giving me light in return.
I what?
You love me, Jas. You gave me your heart, and that was the final step for us. You’re mine now. Forever.
But . . . but . . . I’m . . . this!
Yes, well, I hesitate to guess what this is going to mean for our children, he answered as he head-butted Greg. It will be hard enough explaining that their father is a jaguar, but when we tell them their mother is a lion . . . I just don’t know how they’re going to take it.
Don’t kill him! I said, twisting around to look at myself. Even with the strangeness of the situation, I could not help but admire my lovely tawny coat, and the power coiled inside me. I felt as if I could run for miles and miles without even breathing hard. I wanted to hunt, to pounce on things, to corner prey. They were strange, alien feelings and, at the same time, as familiar as the beat of my heart.
Why shouldn’t I kill him?
He didn’t know Danielle was murdering people by sending them to be hunted. Just disable him somehow.
He grumbled to himself but head-butted Greg again, harder this time, knocking the man out.
We turned to face Danielle, who was looking at me with satisfaction. When she caught sight of Avery coming around the large fire, she stared at him with obvious astonishment. “You . . . you’re . . .”
He shifted back to human form, quickly slipping on his jeans, but not before Cora and Danielle both got an eyeful.
“Moravian is, I think, the word you’re searching for. And when you try to turn a Moravian into a were, we become therions. Didn’t know that, did you?”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “It doesn’t matter. Not really. We’ll just have one less animal to ship.”
For peace-loving animal rights people, they sure do carry a lot of guns, I complained, padding my way over to Avery. I rubbed my face on his leg before turning my attention back to Danielle, wondering if I leaped on her, whether I could knock from her hand the gun she was pointing at Avery.
Don’t even try. There’s no need.
Huh?
Can’t you hear them? Others are coming.
More Leshies?
No. Open yourself to the night.
I did so, instantly becoming aware of the animals on the edge of the compound. Cougars. Bears.
Yes. That must have been what Albert was doing—summoning the beasts. Looks like Danielle underestimated her father.
Danielle heard the animals a second after they crossed into the compound. She whirled around, shifting into the form of a white wolf, her lips pulled back in a snarl.
Go, Avery ordered as he ran for Albert’s tent. “Cora, follow your sister.”
“She’s a lion!” Cora yelled after him.
“Just follow her.”
But . . .
Just get out of here. Albert has summoned the animals to do what has to be done, and I’d really rather you weren’t here to see it.
I took one look at the scene in front of us—Danielle poised to leap on a cautious cougar as it approached her—and turned in the opposite direction.
Where are you? I asked as I ran down the dirt path leading to the compound.
Right behind you. I had to get Baum. Danielle will try to turn the animals on him in order to cement her place as lord of the Leshies, and I don’t know if he has the power to combat that.
Smart, sexy, and honorable—I guess I’m going to have to keep you.
I know I’m keeping you—if for no other reason than black and gold look good together.
You’re assuming I can get out of this shape. We don’t know that. We don’t know that . . . Ooh, bunny!
Stop chasing prey and get yourself and your sister out of there. And don’t try to shift until I get there.
Why not? I asked, curious and more than a little worried.
A scream rose high in the night, half animal, half human. It was wordless, but it carried impotent fury that made my hackles stand on end.
You don’t have any clothes.
Ten minutes later, I sat on the backseat of my car and looked at Albert Baum. He looked back at me, his bonds once again removed.
“You’re sure?” Cora asked Avery for the third time as we bounced down the track, heading for a paved road and civilization.
“Yes. She’s my Beloved. She’s immortal. She’ll be a therion just like me.”
“Guess you really will be a cat whisperer now.” Cora had a little quirk to her smile as she turned to talk to me.
I tried to growl at her, but it came out a purr.
“Aww, isn’t that sweet? Big kitty is purring at me,” my obnoxious sister said, patting my head.
I thought about biting her hand for a good minute, but, in the end, decided that I’d wait to get my revenge.
“This is the strangest vacation I’ve ever had,” Cora said to me three days later, as we stood with her at the cruise line’s dock. “Vampires, werekitties, and a lion for a sister . . . Man. I just don’t know how I’m going to top that next year.”
I smiled and hugged her. “We’ll have to worry about that then.”
“Yeah, right.” She gave me a wary smile, then turned to the man at my side, giving him a long, considering look. “You’d better take care of her.”
“I will,” he answered gravely, bowing over her hand in a courtly, old-fashioned way that made my heart beat faster.
“And if she gets turned into anything else—”
“She won’t.”
She bit her lip for a moment. “I get to come see you guys in Scotland.”
“Our home will be yours,” Avery said with that same polished courtliness.
You know she’s going to hold you to that, I warned him.
He laughed. I know. But I mean what I say—your family will be welcome at any time. I know it’s going to be difficult for you to adjust to living in another country.
Hey, I thought we agreed to split time between yours and mine?
I believe that’s still under debate. . . .
“Let me know if I’m needed to testify,” Cora said, interrupting his thoughts.
“I don’t think Greg is going to stand trial for anything, let alone the murder of Danielle. For one thing, she was mauled, not shot, and for another, he’s absolutely bonkers. Marge from my office went to see him at the hospital, and they wouldn’t even let her into the ward. He thinks he’s a wolf.”
She stared at me with startled eyes. “That crazy lady didn’t, you know—” She waggled her fingers in the air. “Magic him, too, did she?”
“No, just me. He’s just gone nuts, which, given what happened, is pretty much justice. With Danielle receiving the justice of the forest, Albert regaining his health after months of abuse at her hands, and the Leshies in jail for illegal animal smuggling, it’s better for everyone concerned.”
“I guess so.” She gave me a questioning look, then hugged me again, whispering, “If you ever need me, just yell, and I’ll be there with a stake and my hose.”
I laughed, kissed her on the cheek, and waved good-bye as she was swallowed up by the crowds heading for the cruise liner.
I turned to Avery, wrapping my arms around his waist, kissing his chin, and marveling to myself that such a handsome man was mine.
“All yours, Jacintha. How long will it take you to finish things here? I’m anxious to take you home. You’ll like the castle. It’s big, and old, and drafty, and filled with Paen’s and Finn’s kids racing up and down the halls.”
“Sounds like heaven,” I said, letting the love in his eyes warm me to my toes.
“But best of all, there are two hundred acres of land around it.”
I cocked my head in question.
“Oh. Well, I’ve never been one for jogging,” I started to say, when I realized what was behind the mischievous grin. I had a vision of us running over hill and dale, his sleek black form contrasting with my tawny elegance as we bounded after rabbits. “Dibs on the first bunny!”
“My bloodthirsty little panther girl,” he said with a laugh, turning and escorting me toward the parking lot.
“For the love of the saints, Avery! Don’t you ever listen? Lion girl, not panther! I swear you have panthers on the brain.”
“Panthers are cool.”
“There is no such thing as a panther! It’s all just a misnomer. Now, listen, we’ll go over it again. . . . The jaguar is a member of the Panthera genus. Panthera is a Greek word meaning leopard, so as you see, there really is no panther at all. The lion is also in the same genus, but we’re Panthera leo, whereas you are Panthera onca. . . .”
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* * *
Read on for an excerpt from Katie MacAlister’s next Dark Ones novel,
Much Ado About Vampires
Coming from Signet in October 2011.
* * *
Alec Darwin was dying, or as close to it as one could be without having that last little spark of life flitter away into nothingness.
He closed his eyes and lay back, shifting slightly when a rock dug into the small of his back. Should he go to the trouble of trying to remove it so he could lie for eternity in comfort? he wondered absently. Or was such a trivial thing worth the effort? Did he even have the strength to do it? It had been all he could do to stagger to the area, his final resting place, which the previous day he had cleared of small, pointed rocks.
He shifted his shoulder in mild irritation. The rock pressed into his kidney, the pain of it distracting him from his plan. Dammit. He hadn’t seen a rock when he had fallen to the ground, his strength draining from him as his body squeezed the last morsel of vigor from the remaining teaspoon or two of blood that slowly was absorbed into his dying flesh.
He was supposed to be cherishing his martyrdom as he lay dying in the Akasha, not thinking about a damned rock the size of a watermelon digging into his back. He was supposed to be thinking of the pathetic tragedy of a life that he had been forced to live, unenlivened with any sort of joy or happiness or even hope. He shouldn’t be wondering if he rolled over onto his side whether the damned rock would let him die in peace.
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