Wolves in the Shadows (The Wolf Clan Chronicles)

by Sharon McLaughlin

  “Are you crazy?” Marcus said. “Vegas is too volatile. It could turn into a war zone at any time.”

  “But no one’s allowed to hunt there,” Chase said. “The Council lets the Clans keep control of the city.”

  “As if they need the Council’s permission,” Marcus replied with a sneer.

  “You can throw off your pursuit there,” Lord Reginald said to Elizabeth, ignoring the Marcus and Chase’s bickering. “The Coyote Clan there can assist you.”

  “How will I know them?” Elizabeth asked.

  “You’re part of the Wolf Clan,” Lord Reginald replied. “You’ll know.”

  “Will you be coming with us?”

  “No.”

  Chase and Sir Marcus both looked at Lord Reginald in surprise.

  “We’re not going to leave Elizabeth alone with him are we?” Marcus asked.

  “Romulus will be with them,” Lord Reginald replied. “We must return to Austria and continue to strengthen our clan. They can join us when the time is right.”

  “It might take awhile,” Chase said, biting his lip. “I can’t imagine the Rat Clan will be too thrilled to have me back in Europe.”

  “They don’t control all of Europe,” Lord Reginald said. “I can deal with them.” He turned to Marcus and said, “Take Chase and show him the supplies we procured for him, Elizabeth and I will join you shortly.”

  Marcus nodded and left with Chase without a word.

  “Is it such a good idea to let those two be alone together?” Elizabeth asked with slight smile.

  “I am not worried about them,” Lord Reginald said. “They are both hot headed and reckless. In time, I think they will get along quite well, but I am worried about you.”

  Elizabeth ran her fingers through her hair and looked down at the floor.

  “What is troubling you?” Lord Reginald asked gently.

  “I keep feeling like there’s a part of Demetrius that’s still alive. It’s like I can still hear him inside my head even though I know that he’s gone.” Elizabeth said. She sighed. “I almost wonder if he’s the reason that all of the sudden I can do so many things that I couldn’t before, but it seems crazy.”

  Lord Reginald smiled sadly and laid a hand on her shoulder. “The flow of power amongst vampires and the clans is very complex. When Demetrius died, everything that was his became yours by right of conquest. That is why we could give the Coyote Clan the territories that Demetrius controlled.”

  “But I didn’t kill him,” Elizabeth said. “I might have helped, but-”

  “There is vampire blood in you veins, Elizabeth,” Lord Reginald interrupted. “Chase might be a Slayer, but he is wholly human. He cannot share in the power of the clans and masters the way you can.”

  “So what does that mean?” Elizabeth asked. “Did I somehow get some of Demetrius’ power or something?”

  “In a way,” Lord Reginald replied.

  Elizabeth threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Why do vampires always have to be so vague in their answers?”

  Lord Reginald chuckled. “Because we do not have all the answers,” he said. “The longer you live, the more you realize how little you know.”

  “You know much more than I do.”

  “Many of those things, I wish I did not know,” Lord Reginald said with a sigh. “And I hope you never have to know them.”

  Elizabeth swallowed nervously but did not reply. She felt uneasy at the expression on Lord Reginald’s face.

  “Come,” Lord Reginald said, shaking Elizabeth out of her thoughts. “The time of our parting must come soon. Let us go out to see Marcus and Chase and have one last discussion before we say farewell.” He held out his hand.

  Elizabeth took it and together they left the cabin with Romulus trotting at their heels.

  *~*

  The sun slowly lifted her majestic head to look down with fiery eyes on the pristine white SUV that barreled down the empty stretch of highway through the desert. They had driven in silence while the night had lasted, but there was something about the dawn that finally loosened their tongues enough to speak.

  “Have you ever heard of Philippe the alchemist?” Elizabeth asked.

  “I didn’t know there were still alchemists around,” Chase replied. “Why do you ask?”

  Elizabeth shrugged and took a deep breath. The rich smell of new car mingled pleasantly with Chase’s cologne. She glanced towards the back seat were Romulus lay stretched out comfortably.

  “I’ve never been to Vegas,” she said. She felt a slight pang as she thought of her roommate. “Michelle invited me to go with her last summer, but I didn’t think that I’d like it.”

  Chase looked at her and gave her a sly wink. “You’d make a killer poker player.”

  “You’d have to teach me.”

  “I’ll add it to the list. It seems like there are lots of things you don’t know how to do, little Lizzy.”

  Elizabeth punched him playfully in the arm. “That’s why I have you, old man.”

  She looked out the window as low shrubbery and stunted trees raced by. The pale sky turned slowly to a rich blue as the sun climbed higher and higher with each passing moment. She could hear her pulse throbbing in her ears and feel her blood flowing. She felt so alive as they raced down the desert in pursuit of adventure.

  She turned to Chase to see that he was watching her out of the corner of his eye, his lips curved into that familiar crooked grin.

  “What?” she asked.

  Chase shrugged. “It just looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day.”

  The Beginning

  Elizabeth’s adventure continues in The Wolf Clan Chronicles Book 2: Shadows on the Soul.

  Available May 2014.

  Chapter 1

  The crisp breeze stung Elizabeth’s bare skin as she stood on a sandy stretch of beach watching the first pale fingers of dawn caress the distant horizon. Normally, she would have felt incredibly self conscious standing out in the open like this wearing nothing but a tiny red bikini but not now. And not here were the only sound was the whispering rhythm of the waves that lapped up around her toes. She could hardly remember the last time that she felt so alone. It wasn’t a bad thing. Indeed she relished the feeling almost as much as the salty tang that she licked from her lips.

  She could not help but feel a certain sense of melancholy as one by one the last stars where swallowed up by the slowly brightening sky. Soon the sun would emerge in all her radiant glory and send her rays skipping across the glassy sea. It would be a beautiful symphony of color to herald the beginning of a new day, but it would bring little joy to Elizabeth. She had come to love the night.

  “It’s been centuries since I’ve seen a sunrise,” a velvety voice came from beside her.

  Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat.

  “I must thank you for this, young Elizabeth,” the voice continued.

  “You’re dead.” Elizabeth finally found her voice. She turned to face the speaker. “I watched you die, Demetrius.”

  “Did you really?”

  Elizabeth tried not to shudder as she looked into his cold grey eyes. He was exactly as she remembered. The same sharply defined features and cruel expression that did not match the smooth velvetiness of his voice.

  “I saw Chase stab you through the heart,” she said.

  “That’s right,” Demetrius said. His thick lips curved into an amused smirk. “He cut off my head too, but here I am.”

  “And where exactly is here?” Elizabeth was surprised at how calm she sounded and felt for that matter.

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  Elizabeth looked out across the water. The sky had turned to a soft pink and the sea to gold as the first sliver of the sun rose above the horizon. “I’m dreaming aren’t I?”

  “You’re getting quicker at noticing,” Demetrius said.

  “What do you mean?” Elizabeth asked with a frown.

  “We’ve had this conversation before.�
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  “You’d think I’d remember.”

  “I wouldn’t actually know. Do mortals often remember their dreams?”

  “Sometimes. I suppose vampires don’t dream.”

  “We don’t.”

  “Lucky you.” Elizabeth turned and began to walk along the beach. The waves lapped eagerly at her ankles, but she paid them no mind.

  Demetrius followed a couple steps behind her. “Aren’t you curious how I ended up in your dream?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Elizabeth said without looking back.

  “You know better than to lie to me,” Demetrius said with a shadow of a threat in his voice.

  “Why? You can’t hurt me in a dream.”

  “You’re certain of that?”

  Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from exclaiming. Demetrius was suddenly blocking her path. His eyes gleamed with a deadly fury. “You really think that you’re safe from me?”

  She could hardly hear him above the sound of the waves, but there was no missing the menace in his voice. Her hand began to stray towards her right hip.

  “Looking for this?” Demetrius’ voice was now syrupy sweet. He was casually tossing a bloodstained knife into the air and catching it by the hilt. “It is mine after all.”

  “It was yours,” Elizabeth replied. She felt a sudden surge of anger as she watched the blade slice through the air once again.

  Demetrius smirked at the expression on her face. “I like your temper,” he said. “You seem so sweet and innocent at first, but-”

  “Don’t talk to me about innocence,” Elizabeth snapped. She felt as if someone had lit a fire in her stomach. “Thanks to you, I’ll never be innocent.”

  “So you blame me, do you?”

  “I blame myself,” Elizabeth said. She could feel the heat from the fire within her rising along with the sun. There was something stirring deep within herself. Something horrible and dangerous. “Now give me my knife and get out of my dreams.”

  Demetrius’ eyes widened. His smirk faded. “You’re not what you seem,” he said.

  “Neither are you,” Elizabeth replied. “But at least I’m still alive.”

  Demetrius handed the knife back to her hilt first. “It’s a pity that you won’t remember any of this when you wake up.”

  “I’d say it’s a good thing.”

  “Maybe for you,” Demetrius said bitterly. He furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side as if he was listening for something. A smile spread slowly across his sharp features. His eyes began to sparkle with malicious intent.

  Elizabeth took a step backwards; her fist tightened around the hilt of her knife.

  “I might not be able to hurt you,” Demetrius hissed. “But here comes someone who can.”