“Starlight is among the top five record companies in the country, Jules,” Kate informed her, using a monotonous tone of voice. “I’m not surprised.”
“Jesus, girl, you sound like Dr. Stiff,” Julia complained, as her smile fled. “This is the biggest day of your life, and you look like you’re going to a funeral, for God’s sake.”
“Actually, we both left from a funeral,” Kate pointed out, ignoring her friend’s comment about her similarity to Monica. “Let’s get this over with,” she continued as the elevator halted in front of them.
“You’re overreacting here, honey,” Julia commented, as they stepped into the car. “She’s blind; she’s not dead.”
“She is,” Kate countered, turning to face her, as she pressed the “penthouse” button on the panel. “The witch is gone, Jules.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Julia urged a hint of stress in her tone. “Ok, she’s suffered a blow, but…”
“It’s not just a blow,” Kate interrupted, putting some force in her voice. “It’s the worst thing that could happen to her. You don’t know her as well as I do. Witchcraft is her life. It kept her going through years and years of solitude. What is she going to do now? I mean, how can she come back from this?”
“Is there anything you can do to help her?” Julia wondered, intensifying her stare.
“I have no idea,” Kate shook her head sideways. “I’ve read my mom’s book a couple of times; it doesn’t mention anything about how to cure blindness. I’ll need to head over to her library. Maybe there’s something in one of her books.”
“Let’s do that together,” Julia suggested, taking her eyes off her. Finding a reflective surface in the chrome frame around the elevator, she checked her face. At the sight of her countenance, she swept her fingertips back across her hairline, and practiced a friendly smile.
“Jules…” Kate snorted in amusement, as the doors on the car opened. “Relax, will you? You’re not going to a job interview,”
“I made you smile,” Julia winked at her, as she strode off to exit the elevator. The two women stepped out into a large, white, but rather empty lobby. Other than an elderly lady at her desk to the left, there was no one else around them.
“Welcome to ‘Starlight Records’, what can I do for you ladies?” she smiled at them, as she moved around her desk.
“Hi, my name’s Kate Brooks, I have an appointment with Mr. Alstead,” Kate courteously responded as they walked towards her.
“Yes, he’s been expecting you. You may enter,” The secretary said, as Kate spotted an open door in the upper right corner. By all accounts, being just minutes away from realizing her dream should have her feeling excited, to say the least. Yet, the young blonde was utterly numb. To her, it was like she was visiting her local grocery store, not the CEO of a major record company. Ample sunlight was coming through the massive glass façade, as she and her friend joined Ryan in his office. He was standing next to his office, with a big, polite smile adorning his chiseled face, and his hands in the pockets of his expensive, navy-blue suit.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Brooks,” he addressed her in a polite manner, as he pulled his right hand out of his pocket. “It’s lovely to have you here. Who’s your beautiful friend?”
“Julia Stinson,” Julia was quick to respond, returning his smile, as he and Kate exchanged a cordial handshake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ryan went on, shaking her hand as well. “Please, have a seat.”
Kate didn’t pay any attention to his compliments on Julia. He had been quite warm to her as well the night before. More than that, Alstead was a young, very successful executive, who was rumored to be a “ladies man.” Eager to be done with this as quickly as possible, she seated herself on his left, while Julia assumed the other seat across from her.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” He suggested, pulling two, small piles of documents out of his top drawer. “Ms. Brooks, take some time to read your contract,” he continued, setting the pile in his left hand down onto his desk.
“Thank you,” Kate murmured, as she flipped over the first page. She took a deep breath, understanding that, for a few minutes, she had to take her mind off her friend’s misery, and focus on herself. She might have been in pain, but she was well-aware of her vocal skills. She wouldn’t leave that office, until she got what she wanted. Nevertheless, Kate realized that she didn’t have to voice any kind of complaint, as she went over the terms of her contract. Within four years, she had to release three albums. She would get $150,000 for each, plus 5% from CD sales. And, incredibly enough, “Starlight Records” would give her a $100,000 signing bonus. Kate’s jaw dropped to the floor, as she read that last condition.
“Mr. Alstead, you didn’t mention a signing bonus,” she spoke, excitement pouring into her voice, making it come out fast and tense. “One hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money.”
“I believe my exact words were ‘I hope you can swim, because, someday, you’re going to swim in money.’” He teased, as his smile widened to a grin. “Signing bonuses are company protocol. We always offer them to upcoming artists. In case you didn’t notice, there’s no mention of any live performances or your compensation. Don’t worry; we haven’t left them out on purpose. It’s just that we need to wait for the people’s response to your first videos. I’m sure they’ll love you, you’re very talented, but we have to wait, until they go on YouTube. We’ll set up a different contract for you when they do. Welcome aboard, Kate,” He finished his short speech with yet another, polite smile, handing a check over to her, as he leaned closer.
“Thanks again,” she uttered, red heat flushing her cheeks, as he offered her his pen.
“These are the songs that will be included in your first album,” Ryan declared, putting the other stack of papers beside her contract. “Take a look at them. If you have any suggestions, feel free to meet with our writers and discuss them. Their phone numbers are on the last page. If you don’t, we can start recording at your convenience.”
“Great,” Kate chirped, as she signed the contract. “I can’t wait.”
“Neither can we, Ms. Brooks,” Ryan gave a short giggle; “neither can we. Do you have any questions?”
“No, not really,” she responded, as she got up. “Thank you so much for this, Mr. Alstead. You won’t regret it.”
“I know,” he said with a nod, as they shook hands once more. Kate allowed herself to savor the long-awaited moment, feeling her heart racing in her chest. She had earned it; this was the –first – reward of her long years of performing in nightclubs. At last, her efforts had paid off. Mainly though, she cherished it, because Helena’s fate had not left her mind at all. Signing that contract would be a glimpse of sunlight in the dark world she was about to return to.
Chapter Eleven
Back in Paxton, Raul had called an emergency pack meeting, somewhat surprising Dean. It was standard procedure in dark times; but, for him, this was rather futile. Had there been any vampire sightings in the area, his brother would have been the first to know. In Dean’s mind, this was an act of despair, one that could cost Raul dearly. Wolves can smell fear. They prey on it. The pack would sense their Alpha’s weakness. So far, they were all loyal to him. Nobody had shown any intention of challenging his rule. Still, this was not a matter of power. It was a matter of spirit, a spirit that would inevitably break, should the pack discover the dire position they were in. Damian’s sorcerer had taken away their witch. She couldn’t use her resources to find out more about the enemy. They were completely in the dark. They could only rely on Helena’s agents, and none of them had offered anything of import lately.
Dean set off with his brothers from their estate in the hope that the pack would stay united. However, the cries and the screams that rang in his ears, long before they reached “Joe’s” diner, proved to him that this was a fool’s hope. He and his Alpha glanced at one another; yet, neither of them spoke. The pack was not just uneasy as
they had been in the past. It was more than clear to them that they were on the verge of turning on each other. When the diner came into view, it occurred to Dean that they had a lot of work to do. Thankfully, things had not become physical just yet, but almost every shifter in the diner was yelling, pointing, or banging their hands onto tables. Raul literally ditched his truck in the middle of the parking lot, and stormed out of his truck. Dean jogged behind him, fixing his gaze on the room. Alas, as the Alpha strode into the diner, the racket did not cease whatsoever. It was as if the two of them were invisible. Raul lowered his gaze, exhaling hard, as he folded his arms across his chest.
“Hey, shut up!” Dean’s rumbling baritone rose above every other noise in the diner, as he put his hands on his waist. “Your Alpha is here, you mutts! Show him some proper respect!”
“Respect!” snarled Jimmy, as every head turned in Dean’s direction. The seasoned scout was twisting with rage, as he stood across from him. “We’ve been through all sorts of shit, since he took over: witches, other packs, vampires, more vampires! Now, he tells us Helena is blind! What the fuck are we supposed to do now, huh?”
“Calming down would be nice for starters,” Raul interjected, his tone stiff.
“Fuck no!” Jimmy cried, jerking his head in a spasm of frustration. “You’re unfit, boy. Warrick was a prick, but at least we didn’t have to worry about anybody else, while he was in charge.”
“Boy?” Dean grumbled, throwing a ferocious glare down at the scout. “Did I hear you right?”
“Yeah,” Jimmy affirmed, as a sarcastic smile formed on his face. “Why? What are you going to do about it?”
Dean was starting to lose his patience. Not only had they been disrespectful towards his brother, but one of them was taunting him, testing his limits. His inner beast was calling to him, eager to rip right out of his human skin, and show them the gravity of their insult. However, his wolf had to stay put. Shifting and engaging one of them in broad daylight could have catastrophic consequences for the pack. Should he attack Jimmy or anybody else, the chances of them staying together would go from slim to none. Therefore, he decided to hold on to his temper.
“You said my brother’s unfit,” Dean assumed a cold, businesslike tone. “You know what you have to do, if you think you’d be better. But first, you’ll have to go through me. If you can’t beat an Alpha’s lieutenant, you stand no chance against the Alpha himself. Come on,” he beckoned. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Yes,” Jimmy growled, as he rolled his fingers into fists. Dean watched, as the scout burst towards him, his face as hard as stone. Three shifters stepped aside, as he sprinted across the diner. By rights, Dean should have been concerned. His opponent was an experienced warrior, and very close to his own size. Spurred on by his higher motive though, he remained focused on him, keeping his cool, as Jimmy closed in on him. Jimmy jerked his right arm back to punch him, as one more of his cries resounded through the diner. Dean thrust his hand up in the air, not taking his eyes off him. His rival’s fist sent waves of pain, rippling across his skin, as his knuckles crashed into his palm. Without wasting any time, Dean wrapped his fingers around Jimmy’s fist, his breath getting heavier, as he took a short step towards him. The scout let out a pain-ridden moan, shutting his eyes, as Dean gripped him tighter. But, the Alpha’s brother was not going to let him get away with a simple bruise. The sound of Jimmy’s fingers, cracking under pressure, forced an even louder cry of agony, as Dean made a fist with his free hand. Flexing his arm muscles, he laid a thundering punch in the scout’s stomach, causing him to fold in two. In a quick move, Dean released Jimmy’s hand, and then landed one more, tremendous blow to Jimmy’s jaw, sending him reeling back towards the nearest table. Glasses and mugs were thrown across the floor, as his body knocked it down. The two shifters at it jumped from their seats, staring down at their unfortunate comrade.
“Stay down, Jimmy,” Dean commanded, pursing his lips. “Stay down, or you’re going to lose a lot more than just a couple of fingers. That’s a promise. Does anybody else have any cute ideas I should know of?” He asked, as his gaze shot up to meet his comrades’. Sweeping the room, he tried to control his fast breath, as a few of his kind helped Jimmy up. The pack’s silence set his concern at ease. Indeed, none of them would utter a word. Instead, they kept glancing at one another. “Good,” he gave a satisfied nod. “What happened to Helena messed us all up inside. She’s been like an angel on our shoulder. It’s not been twenty-four hours since that goddamn incident, and I already miss her. It’s going to be tough without her. She always tipped us off on any dangers that lay ahead. She’s fought all of our wars. However…” he paused. “We can’t give up now. Not just because we have too much to lose, but also, because that is exactly what Damian and his bloodsuckers would want: for us to lose our spirit. They’d love to see us tear each other apart. We can’t allow that. We can’t let what they did to Helena go unpunished. So, let’s find those bastards. Let’s give them a taste of what punishment really feels like. Ok, you may say ‘we don’t have any leads.’ I agree. We don’t have much to go on, but we have learned a few things about them. Tell me, what do we know so far?”
“They’re not all that different from us,” Olivia interjected, raising her hand in the air. “They consider their Alpha their friend, not their tyrant.”
“They must be based in New York,” Martin concluded, stepping over a fallen chair, as he sauntered towards him. “Helena’s told us that clans are nomadic. They prefer small towns in the continental U.S., because the wilderness helps them hide. But, they can’t stay in one place for long. Sooner or later, someone will notice that they don’t age. What’s better than New York? They can easily blend in, and it’s so huge that they can keep moving from one district to another, without anybody noticing. I mean, they can live in Brooklyn for a few years, and then move to Queens, or Chinatown. Hell, they’re spoiled for choice. Dean, where’s the club Kate was attacked in again?”
“Downtown Manhattan,” he replied, his curiosity piqued within him. “Why?”
“I think they live close by,” Martin assumed a bass-deep voice, as he glanced up at one brother, and then the other; “maybe not within a one-mile radius of the club, but definitely within Manhattan. Think about it. Saunders attacks your girl at about 2am. He doesn’t report back to Damian. He takes the hint. Next thing we know, he’s up on Wolf Mountain. Cliff saw him there at 7:15 that morning. Within five hours or so, he figured out his goon had screwed up, and drove from wherever the hell he lives all the way to Shandaken. That’s pretty tight if you ask me.”
“It’s not a bad theory, but you seem to be forgetting that there are like four million humans, living in Manhattan,” Dean pointed out, maintaining a firm tone. “If they were preying on them, we’d have heard something.”
“They don’t,” Raul finally spoke what was on his mind, his baritone drawing everybody’s attention. “I don’t know how they can resist, or what they’re using to replace human blood, but they’re not interested in humans. Otherwise, they’d be in Shandaken. I like your theory, Martin. Saddle up, everybody. We’re going to Manhattan. We need to check ‘Tommy’s Pit’ for any strange scents. Then, we fan out in pairs, scour the area. If you locate any of them, call me. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Martin nodded, as Kate’s car skidded across the parking lot. For an instant, Dean caught himself wondering how her appointment had gone. Yet, as Helena’s image, lying helpless on the ground popped into his mind, he abandoned that thought. His mate probably had what she wanted. Any details were of no significance to him, especially with the threat that loomed over his town. Nevertheless, as he noticed her waving a piece of paper in front of her, and her somewhat hesitant smile, he was intrigued. A glance down at Julia told him that she didn’t share her friend’s excitement. On the contrary, Ray’s mate was unusually serious. Baffled by their behavior, he pushed Jimmy aside, as he swaggered out of the diner. One by one, his comrades walked out
of the hall, as he descended the stairs. Kate ceased waving the piece of paper, and used both hands to hold it up in the air, as his steady footsteps led him closer to her. It was a check. Still, as he focused his gaze on the upper right corner, he felt shockwaves, running down his spine.
“A hundred grand?” he croaked, unable to believe his eyes; “for real?”
Kate didn’t dignify his question with an answer. Instead, she shoved the check back into the pocket of her coat, and then wrapped her arms around him. Dean was so stunned that he didn’t hug her back, or close his eyes. He even caught a glimpse of Julia, behind his mate and to the left, shaking her head in disapproval, just before Ray bent towards her to kiss her.
“Yes, for real,” Kate affirmed, squeezing him in her embrace. “It’s a signing bonus. I was pretty shocked, too, when they told me about it.”
“Don’t,” Julia silently mouthed to him, as he eased back out of his mate’s arms.
“That’s wonderful,” he commented, as a big smile lit up his face. “Look, I’d love to hear all the details, but I have to run. We’re going to Manhattan; we think we’re onto something. Don’t go to bed until I come back, alright?”
“You got it,” Kate chirped, planting a short kiss on his lips. “Be careful out there.”
An act: that’s what he had to resort to, in order to prevent himself from discussing this weird situation with the woman he loved. Dean would also be leaving Paxton in a few minutes, but, under any other circumstances, a departure would not deter him from voicing his concern.
“Kate, get back to the car, will you?” Julia requested, lightly pressing her hand onto her forearm. “I need to talk to them, see if I can join in on this.”
Dean’s gaze followed his mate, as she indulged her friend. Ray turned his back to Kate’s car, blocking her view, adding to his brother’s tension.
“Ok, what are you guys not telling me?” Dean wondered, lowering his tone.
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