by Natalie Shaw
I shrugged, but I could feel my cheeks redden.
“I heard he's really good looking,” Layla persisted.
“Can't say I noticed.”
“You never could lie. Oh well, if you're not going to tell me, we'd better see if we can find you a job.”
“That one!” I pointed to the computer screen. “I'll take that one.”
We'd been scrolling through page after page of job listings for what felt like forever.
“Don't be ridiculous.”
“What's wrong with it?”
“We're meant to be looking at senior executive posts. Your father wants you on the management team. He doesn't want you working behind the bar in Jesters.”
“Why not? I can flash my breasts just as well as anyone.” I squeezed my cleavage together to emphasise the point.
“Your father would kill you. Hell, he'd probably kill me too.”
“He said I had to work in the business. A job at Jesters is in the business.”
“Come on, Louise. You're being stupid”
“That's the job I want.” I started towards the door. “See you later.”
I could feel Layla's eyes burning a hole in my back as I left. She was right of course—my father would go crazy, but that was the plan. Maybe he'd realise my old job was better than flashing my breasts to all and sundry in a sweaty nightclub.
Chapter 15
So much for my brilliant plan! I'd been convinced my father would make me quit the barmaid job as soon as he heard about it. Three weeks later and I was still serving beer. I knew he'd be beside himself with rage, but he must have decided to let me stew in my own juices. Curiously, I was enjoying the job more than I'd expected. Most of the other bar staff were okay. The majority were students earning a little extra cash in the evening while attending university during the day. The bar manager, Mickey, was a bit of a prat who had tried it on with most of the barmaids. I'd managed to convince myself that the reason he hadn't made a move on me was because Krell was my father, and not because he didn't find me attractive.
I still had a babysitter shadowing me night and day. It was getting really old now, and I'd complained more than once to my father, but it had done no good. At least now I didn't have to put up with Drake every day. The babysitting duties had been divided amongst a number of my father's trusted soldiers. Unlike Drake, who had turned being obnoxious into an art form, the other guys were pleasant and respectful. They were all adept at blending into the background which meant I didn't even notice their presence most of the time. Tonight's babysitter was Bruno—the pick of the bunch. He was older than the other soldiers—only a few years younger than my father. He was polite and always managed to make me laugh. His best days were behind him now, but I could imagine he'd been a ladies' man in his day. I suspected he could have told me some juicy stories about my father, but he always changed the subject when I tried to get him to dish the dirt.
“It's too quiet,” Tish complained. She was the youngest and arguably the most attractive of the bar staff. We'd hit it off straight away—she was so keen to know about my experience working amongst humans. Tish shared a similar ambition, but her parents, like my father, were none too keen.
She was right. Time dragged on quiet nights. When the club was packed to the rafters, and the bar four deep with customers, the hours flew by. “Is Max coming in tonight?”
“How would I know?” She shrugged.
Tish tried to make out she didn't care about the young shifter who she'd been seeing off and on for the last few months.
I grinned.
“What?”
“Don't try to make out you don't care. Max is a great guy—why do you give him such a hard time?”
“Cos I can.” She laughed, picked up a tray, and walked out onto the floor to collect glasses. All of the barmaids wore their skirts short, but Tish had taken an additional inch off hers. When she bent over to collect the empty glasses, you could almost see her panties. She enjoyed the power she felt it gave her over men.
The force of the blast knocked me off my feet. I slid across the tiled floor, and crashed into the end of the bar. Bottles fell from the shelves—peppering the floor with glass. My ears were still ringing and my head spinning as I managed to get back to my feet. I tried to make sense of the scene in front of me. Smoke and flames were coming from what had once been the main entrance. The doors were hanging off their hinges. People were rushing back and forth, and I could hear voices, but they were muffled. I spotted Tish over in the corner. A vampire, dressed in a black suit, had his arm around her neck. She was struggling to break free, but as I watched, her body became limp. Her neck and breasts were stained red. He allowed her to fall to the floor, and then turned his gaze on me. I glanced around to see a scene of utter carnage. More and more vampires poured in through the breached doors. A few customers had managed to shift into wolf form, and were battling the vampires, but they were outnumbered and stood no chance. The vampire who had killed Tish was only a few feet from the bar. I still had time to shift, but what good would it do? There were simply too many of them.
“Quick!” Someone grabbed my arm, and pulled me towards the far side of the bar. “Go!”
I recognised Bruno's voice as he pushed me through the swing doors which led to the kitchen. I expected him to follow, but instead he remained at the other side of the door barring the way to the vampires. I ran towards the back entrance.
Behind me, I could hear the door being hammered in its frame. Bruno would not be able to hold them off for long. I rushed through the kitchen, which was deserted, and pushed open the rear door. Outside the club, the streets were quiet. It was as if nothing had happened. I had to get to my father.
How had this happened? There had been little or no trouble from the vampires for several years. They must have known what the consequences of such an audacious attack would be. The revenge, when it came, and it would come, would be swift and brutal. I'd heard stories from some of the elders about the vampire wars of years gone-by. These still raged in some territories, but not in ours. I couldn't understand why the intelligence network hadn't picked up word of this attack. My father had invested a fortune in the intelligence services whose sole purpose was to uncover this type of event before it happened. Heads would roll—I was sure of that.
*********
By the time I reached my father's apartment block, I was gasping for air. I'd felt sure the place would be a hive of activity as he mobilised forces to put down the vampire attack. Instead, the building was quiet—too quiet. The guard, who usually sat behind the large white desk in the lobby, was nowhere to be seen. I had a pass card to let me into the building. The same card also controlled the lifts. It occurred to me when I was travelling up to the tenth floor that my father might already have left. He'd have insisted on heading up the counter-attack. I'd double-check his apartment, and then make my way back to Jesters. I intended to play my full part in any retribution which was to be handed out. I owed Tish that much.
I used the pass card to let myself into my father's apartment. The entrance hall was in darkness, but to my right, a strip of light illuminated the polished wooden floor. Someone was in the master bedroom. I could make out muffled voices. As I tiptoed across the floor, the voices became louder—an argument of some kind. I recognised one of the voices—it was Drake.
“That's not what we agreed!” a voice I didn't recognise said.
“What we agreed isn't important—this is the way it has to be now,” Drake said.
I still hadn't heard my father's voice.
“I'm not negotiating with you. I'll sort this out with Milton,” the unknown voice said.
What was going on? I still hadn't heard my father speak, so I edged nearer to the door to get a peek inside.
The blood drained from my face; a scream died on my lips. The only reason I hadn't collapsed was that I'd managed to lean on the small table next to the door. Through the gap, I could see Drake and another man—a vampire. The
y were standing next to my father's bed. The white bedspread was stained red. Lying on his back—eyes wide open—was my father. Or what was left of him. His clothes and skin had been torn to shreds. I wanted to throw open the door, rush over to the bed, and hold him in my arms, but something—survival instinct maybe—stopped me. I had to get out of there. Half way across the hallway, a floorboard creaked under my foot.
“What was that?” Drake said.
If they caught me, I'd be dead. I made a dash for the door, and sped out of the apartment block.
Milton must have been behind this. He wouldn't allow me to live after what I'd just seen and heard. I was no longer safe in my own territory—no longer safe in the only home I'd ever known. Where could I go?
Suddenly, I knew what I had to do.
Chapter 16
I didn't dare go back to my flat. There was a good chance it would be under surveillance. In the distance, I could see the building which had housed Jesters. It was now engulfed in flames. The sound of sirens filled the air. By the time the fire was out, there would be no trace of the battle which had taken place. The vampires were experts at covering their tracks.
Our territory was bordered by several different packs. If I ended up in the wrong territory, I wouldn't last long. Taking only the back roads, it took me a little under thirty minutes to reach the airport. My plan was to skirt around the perimeter until I reached the northern most point. From there I'd head north. If my calculations were correct, I'd leave my territory after three miles. The lights of the airport were blazing. Flights, both in and out, continued throughout the night. I kept close to the chain link fence until I was ready to set off north. What I was about to do was risky, but I'd have a better chance if I shifted to my wolf form. There would be guards patrolling the borders of the adjoining territory. If they came across me in my human form, I'd be dead within seconds. At least my wolf would have a chance.
I hadn't shifted for some time—far too long. The longer between shifts, the more painful it was. Once I was on all fours, I allowed myself time to take in my newly heightened senses, then I was on my way. It wasn't long before I noticed unfamiliar scents. I was close now. If I'd picked up on their scent, they must have picked up on mine. I hoped this pack didn't have much by way of border patrols. After all, we'd lived in peace with our neighbours for so long there was no reason for them to expect any kind of attack. Unless of course word had reached them of my father's anger at Craven's infringement into our territory. If they were aware of that, they might have increased their patrols. Either way, I'd soon find out.
I was in their territory now—I was sure of that. My heart was racing and all my senses were on high alert. Something in the distance caught my eye, but then it disappeared. I slowed down a little—my eyes scanning the horizon.
The two wolves seemed to come out of nowhere. I skidded to a halt only a few metres from them.
“What are you doing?” I sensed the first one say. “Are you insane?”
“I'm here to see Craven.”
“You're here to die.” The second wolf gave out a loud growl. He was summoning others.
“Take me to Craven. He'll want to see me.”
“Don't worry. We'll take you. Which part of your body would you like us to save for him?”
I was never going to convince them to do as I asked. If I hesitated, others would soon join them. My odds were already poor, but if more wolves showed up, I'd have no chance.
The one on the right was the larger of the two. I was banking on them not expecting me to make a move. I caught him on the right hand side of his jaw with my paw. He yelped in pain, and then gasped for air as I landed with all my weight on top of him. He struck out with his right paw, and I was too slow to react. The claws caught the side of my face, and opened up a wound in the corner of my mouth. I could taste my own blood. The second wolf had so far been a spectator, but now I could see it moving towards me. The prone wolf anticipated my next move, and dodged his head to one side so my teeth caught only his shoulder. It was still enough to raise a squeal of pain. At that moment, the second wolf hit me square on, sending the two of us spinning down the shallow grass bank. Claws raked at the underside of my belly, as we landed in a heap on the muddy ground. I was pinned underneath the second wolf now—his bared teeth only inches from my throat. In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of the first wolf walking slowly down the bank towards us. I had no more strength—I couldn't free myself. Any moment now, the two of them would finish me off.
“Let her go!” The command came from a third wolf—much larger that the other two.
The wolf that had me pinned to the floor gave a half-hearted growl before climbing off me.
“Leave!” the larger wolf roared.
The first two wolves made only a token protest before skulking away.
Craven was even more impressive as a wolf than he was in human form.
“How did you know I was here?” I wondered.
“You're my fated mate. I sensed you enter our territory. What's happened?”
“My father has been murdered. I had to leave or they would have killed me too.”
“Who did it?”
“I'm not sure. There were two men in his apartment. One of them was Drake. The other was a vampire.”
“Vampire? Are they working together?”
“It looked that way although they seemed to be arguing about something.”
“We heard about the vampire attack at Jesters,” Craven said.
“I was there. It was madness.”
“I don't think it's a coincidence that it happened just before your father was murdered. It sounds like it may have been a diversion. Who is this Drake anyway?”
“He's a sub. My father had him act as my babysitter, but I think he must be working with Milton.”
A sudden movement in the bushes made me jump. Two female shifters, in human form, stepped forward. Neither spoke. Instead, one placed a pile of clothes at my side. The other did likewise for Craven. He waited until they'd gone before shifting back to human form.
“We have to get to the city,” he said “You'll have to shift.
*********
Craven lived mid-town. I'd expected a penthouse befitting an Alpha, but his apartment was modest in size and décor. But then I had to remind myself that his territory and pack strength was a mere fraction of mine. 'Mine'? It hit me like a hammer. I no longer had a territory or a pack. I was isolated—a lone wolf.
“You're not alone,” Craven said.
“You're reading my mind.” I'd only ever known shifters communicate telepathically when they were in wolf form.
“You belong to my pack now. You will be my mate.”
It wasn't a question. It wasn't an invitation. It was a statement of fact. He pulled me closer, and our bodies touched. I could feel the power of the man and of his inner-wolf. It should have been the worst night of my life: my father was dead, and I'd never been more scared than I had in Jesters. And yet, there in Craven's arms, I felt safer and more content than I'd ever felt before. I belonged with him—there wasn't a single doubt in my mind. We were fated to be together.
“I'll show you your room,” Craven said.
“My room? I thought you said I was your mate.”
“You are, but after the night you've had, I thought—”
I put my arms around his neck, and kissed him gently on the lips. “I want to stay with you. Take me to your bed. I need you to make love to me.”
*********
When I woke the next morning, I was alone in the bed. I threw on pants and a tee-shirt, and went in search of Craven. I thought maybe he was making breakfast. The apartment was deserted. It was only when I went into the kitchen that I spotted a note taped to the fridge door:
Louise,
Couldn't bring myself to wake you – you looked so peaceful (and beautiful).
I have to nip into the office – I'll be back within an hour or two.
See you soon
Love Craven.
'Love Craven' – two simple words, but they meant so much.
The sound of the main door opening snapped me back to the moment. I hurried out of the kitchen to greet Craven, but the hallway was empty.
“Craven?” I walked over to the door which was still open. “Stop messing around.”
The corridor was deserted. What the hell? Where was he?
A hand covered my mouth. Someone was standing behind me. I tried to pull the hand away, but it was too strong. I kicked back with my leg, but the impact had no effect. My vision began to blur. All the strength seemed to drain from my body. Everything went black.
Part 3 - Year: 2014
Chapter 17
We'd finished dinner and were drinking wine in the lounge.
“Can you remember anything at all about the day you disappeared?” Craven said.
“Nothing.”
“What about all of the years you were missing?”
“No. At least I don't think so.”
“What do you mean?”
“It's not really a memory, but I do have a recurring dream.”
He sipped his wine as he waited for me to continue.
“The dream doesn't make any sense. I'm in a dark passageway. It's a cave I think, although I'm not sure. As I walk deeper into the cave, I become aware there's someone in there with me. I can hear their footsteps, and then I see their eyes.”
“Then what?”
“Someone calls out 'Louise'.”
“They call you by name?”
“Yes, but I didn't know it was my name when I was having the dreams.”
“Is that all?”
“The person who called my name.” I hesitated. “It was you.”
“Maybe there's a clue in the dream.”
“I don't know. Maybe, but I don't want to think about those damn nightmares any more. Will you tell me about our time together,” I said.
“We hadn't been together long before you disappeared. Less than a day in fact.”