That wasn't exactly the answer I'd been seeking. Still, it was better than nothing. With this final command, the primus walked away, sipping at his alcohol, laced with human blood. My stressed brain got side tracked as I imagined the cops busting this place, and not only finding people drinking human blood, but also so many underage drinkers. Mikhail, despite being over three hundred years old, looked all of seventeen. And I knew he wasn't the youngest-looking person in the seethe. I had seen a girl earlier who couldn't have been more than fourteen when she'd been turned. What a riot that would be! I could see the headlines now: “Cops Raid Party: Booze, Blood Abound.”
I felt my shoulders slump as I dragged my thoughts back to the issue at hand. I had no idea how I was supposed to achieve this impossible goal. Before I could finish moping, Nik placed his strong hand on my shoulder and gave it a tug. I turned toward him.
“Hey, don't worry about that now. We'll deal with it tomorrow. Right now, it's your party!”
“Strange,” I muttered. “Sure doesn't feel like it.”
Nik forced a smile to his face. It didn't look completely right on a man who seldom smiled.
“Let's dance.”
I shook my head. I didn't have it in me to pretend anymore.
“I don't want to.”
“What's wrong, Ash?”
“Don't call me that,” I barked. It felt like something a friend would call me. Jordan used to call me that.
“Okay...” Nik slurred, drawing out the short word.
I turned to walk away but he was faster. He grabbed my shoulders and kept me rooted to the ground.
“What is wrong? You have been like ice to me ever since... you got away from Richard.” Nik frowned. “Was it that I didn't protect you from that... that I failed?”
I tried to shake his hands off my shoulders, but he wouldn't budge.
“No,” was my reply.
“Then what is it?”
“Let it go,” I grumbled.
“Tell me what’s wrong. I'm not moving until you do,” Nik stated flatly.
“FINE! You want to tell me what you were doing around the time of the Civil War?”
Nik stared at me, confusion written on his features. “Could you be a little more specific?”
I hesitated, unsure how to word what exactly I needed to tell him.
“I know... I know that this last time... it wasn't the first time you'd heard of Sedgrave. I know that you...” I trailed off. Recognition had dawned in Nik's face. I didn't need to say anymore.
“How?” he mouthed, too shocked to actually speak.
“One of the things they don't warn you about when you become a supernatural sacrifice—you see visions of all the other times said sacrifices have been tried. I saw. You wore black trousers... tall brown boots. A long black coat. The woman next to you had brown hair and wore a purple dress.”
As I continued to describe details of one of the few memories I wished to lose, I saw acceptance in Nik's expression. He knew I wasn't bluffing or making this up. I was one hundred percent serious, and one hundred and ten percent livid.
I glared up at him as his hands slid from my bare shoulders. “How could you sit here, and pretend to be ignorant of what was going on, or why they wanted me dead!”
“I didn't know. Not until Periphetes told us. And by then he knew everything I could have shared. There wasn't any reason to tell.”
“Except this little thing called trust,” I snapped before storming off.
The effect probably would have been more impressive had two things not happened: One, if I had not tripped over my own damn dress and nearly face-planted; Two, if a group of complete strangers hadn't entered at that exact moment, drawing everyone's attention to the door I was trying to fall through.
I felt the room tense from the packed doorway all the way back to the kitchens. I knew this event was for invited individuals only, but their party crashing didn't seem enough to send my seethe into this spiral of anxiety and half-uttered growls.
Long after I should have realized the threat, my nose recognized the earthy smell coming from our new guests: Werewolves.
Before I could control it, a memory struck me like a load of bricks. Though I knew I was mostly safe in my own seethe, I felt a searing pain rip into my thigh muscle. I wanted to scream, but I forced myself to remember that it wasn't real. Before my eyes swam images of wolves attacking me and another person. Was it Nik? Why were we fighting them?
Slowly, much too slowly, the images cleared and I could remember it all: The werewolves had attacked us in the street on the way to my apartment. I had to remind myself that we had killed all of those wolves.
I glanced at the newcomers and, sure enough, did not recognize any of our visitors.
I took a cautious step backwards, uncomfortable being within reach of our old enemies, while the protection of my seethe, stood three or four feet away. Sadly, my small movement caught their lupine attention. Six pairs of eyes darted to where I stood, caught between them and the other vampires. Though their expressions were calm, there was an antagonism behind their bright eyes, as though their wolves had spotted a juicy rabbit and wanted to eat it.
I didn’t like the rabbit I had just became.
“Ashley, come here,” ordered Nikolai in a soft, yet tense voice.
The wolf who appeared to be in charge nodded once, as though giving me permission. For once, I didn't argue with Nik's order; instead I picked up my dress until I'm sure my knees showed and marched back to Nik's side. Josh had appeared from somewhere within the large group of angry vampires.
“And you are?” Mikhail asked from where he stood a number of feet away. He was trying to appear calm, but like our guests, there was a strain in his eyes.
The foremost werewolf, who I had correctly assumed to be the leader, swept an awkward bow, as though he'd seen it done in a movie and was trying to copy it. Perhaps he thought the older vampires would appreciate the effort. I glanced around, surprised to see it had partially worked. Though still wary, I spotted a few of my seethe members take casual sips of their drinks or make a snide comment to the person standing next to them. Maybe it was the sound of their leader’s voice that put them at ease.
I forced my gaze back on the intruders, not feeling at ease in the slightest.
“My name is Travis Owens. I am the Alpha of the Olympia pack. I've come for your help.”
Chapter Five
I think we were all a little shocked as we stared at the young man and listened to him introduce himself as the pack's alpha. He was so young. How could he possibly lead this group of werewolves? In the back of the pack, I noticed a man who had to be well past retirement. Surely he would be a better leader. I tried to remember what Josh or Nik had said about how werewolves worked, but couldn't even recall if we had had such a conversation.
“Our help?” asked Mikhail in a tone that hinted at contempt.
“Yes. We are all that is left of our pack after our past alpha decided to attack you.”
“And you think we'll help you... after your pack attacked members of my seethe?” scoffed Mikhail, fully disbelieving.
“I think we can come to some sort of agreement. If you're willing to listen.”
Mikhail gestured casually for Travis to continue before taking a sip of his liquor—every movement speaking indifference toward our visitors.
“We are all that is left of our pack since... well you know. If you wanted to get rid of us you could right here and now, but we have skills and abilities as werewolves that you don't have as vampires.”
Woops, I thought. Not the wisest thing to say.
I glanced around the room, noticing the casualness leave my seethe members' demeanor. He had insulted them, and now they wanted blood.
“I do not say that with any sort of pride. I simply mean that werewolves have different gifts than vampires.” Travis paused, waiting to see if his back-pedaling had worked.
Mikhail stared at him for a second before gesturing
for everyone to calm down.
“That is true enough. I don't think any of us can deny it. What's your point?”
“As guards, guides, et cetera, we could be very useful to you and yours,” responded Travis.
“In other words, you'll trade your services for our protection? Who is it that wants to kill you?”
“Who doesn't?” Travis asked. “With our numbers so depleted, we are the weakest group here in Olympia. Anyone could take us out purely for the sake of keeping us from growing again.”
Mikhail stared at the younger man in silence, slowly swirling his brown drink.
“I'm assuming there are some caveats you have to this agreement. Somehow, I doubt you're going to start serving us, just like that.”
“My wolves answer to me, and me only. You need something from us you come to me and I'll approve it or deny it, as I see fit.”
Again Mikhail took his time to think through his options. I held my breath. Knowing Mikhail, I realized he was just as likely to kill them all as he was to agree to their peace treaty.
“Friends with benefits, eh?” the primus asked with a small chuckle.
I heard a few other laughs from within the crowd, but, personally, was too shocked to laugh. I never thought of Mikhail as one to think of pop-culture jokes. It seemed out of place coming from a guy who looked like a teenager and yet could kill you before you had a chance to whimper.
Travis smiled at the joke. “Something like that.”
Mikhail was silent again, and Travis did his best not to look too impatient, though I'm sure he was nervous. “You have to understand, if you refuse too many of my requests, I will be forced to withdraw my protection from you and yours.”
Travis nodded.
There was another long pause. No one dared make a noise, though I'm sure I wasn't the only one growing impatient. Finally, when I was ready to just tell Mikhail to do it and be done with it, he nodded slowly.
“I think we have a deal,” the primus announced in a voice straight from a Bond-villain; it was almost a purr. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, my stomach turning at the idea of what schemes he might be plotting. Maybe I was being a little paranoid, but I felt instinctively that these wolves would need protection from their new protector.
I threw the deadbolt of my front door and leaned my forehead against the rough wood, relieved to be alone. Shortly after Mikhail agreed to protect the wolves, I slipped away from my own party. Nikolai was busy calming the seethe down and finding spare rooms for the werewolves. Evidently they would be living in the seethe for the foreseeable future, a decision which was causing a great deal of outrage among the older vampires. Never, in their memories, had werewolves resided with vampires. And of course, I couldn't figure out what the big deal was.
Before I could muster up the energy to leave my front door, the old phone on my desk began to ring. When I say old, I mean it actually plugs into the wall. I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest person in America with a corded phone.
With a sigh I heaved myself away from the door and crossed my room before the phone stopped ringing. “Yes!” I demanded into the receiver.
“So that's where you ran off to?” asked Josh from the other end.
“Yeah.” I couldn't think of anything else to say. How do you explain that you just couldn't stand another minute in company with your new family without sounding like a jerk?
“Just wanted to make sure you're safe.”
“Thanks, Josh. I just couldn't... you know.” I stumbled over the words, trying not to sound as pathetic as I felt. “Just tired, I guess.”
“I know. Get some rest.” Josh hesitated. “You know you looked very pretty tonight.”
“All thanks to your hard work.”
Josh chuckled. “Nature had something to do with it. I'll check in on you when the sun goes down.”
I nodded and hung up, only realizing after it was too late that he couldn't hear me nod. I set the receiver in the cradle and began unlacing my dress, feeling a little ridiculous for having only spent a few hours in it. Before I could get all the lacings loosened enough to step out of the gown, I felt a tugging on the long strings. I looked down to find Tereus attacking the strings as they swished from side to side.
“Tereus!” I shouted, worried he'd poke a hole in the fabric with his claws.
The cat looked up at me, his bright yellow eyes glowing. After a quick look at my angry face, he glanced back at the string grasped in his claws.
“I-uh...” The cat trailed off as he stepped away from my dress.
I ignored him and returned to my task of getting undressed. I had barely shifted my weight when I felt the familiar pull on the strings. “What are you doing?”
Tereus looked up at me, a shocked expression covering his feline-features. “I... sorry.”
I tried getting undressed one more time, with the same result. I looked back to find Tereus laying on the small train of my dress and rolling over onto his back with the fabric caught in his claws, just as I feared.
“STOP!” I shrieked at him.
Tereus streaked across my small apartment, bumping into the far wall before he could stop his retreat. After a moment’s silence he emerged from the other side of the bed and looked up at me with round eyes, as though he didn't understand why I had just yelled at him.
“What?” Tereus asked in such a pitiful voice that I nearly broke out laughing.
“Why do you keep attacking my dress?”
“It moves,” he responded, as though that was answer enough.
“And?”
“Things that move must die.”
I sighed, thoroughly annoyed. “You're acting more like a cat than a man.”
“Take off the dress and we'll see if that holds,” he murmured as he flopped over onto his side and started licking his back leg, which pointed straight up in a sort of yoga position only cats can achieve.
“If I move you'll attack me!”
“Why would I do that?” He had already forgotten about the lacings of my dress.
I rolled my eyes, lowered the gown to the floor, and stepped out. Tereus' leg distracted him until I started to remove the fancy bra used for ridiculous dresses like this one. I heard the cat begin to purr and turned to look at him. His eyes were glowing again.
With another sigh I finished my dressing in the privacy of my bathroom, Tereus meowing at me from the other side of the door.
When I emerged, fully dressed in workout pants and a t-shirt, he sauntered off to the corner to finish his grooming. I sat at my desk and opened up my new book to give it one last look before sending it off to my publisher. For whatever reason, she liked to read it before I went and got all “nit-picky on it”—her words.
After staring at the last paragraph for a while, Tereus piped up. “Something wrong?” he asked.
I jumped in my seat.
“You blanked out again,” he commented before jumping into my lap.
I glanced at the clock. He was right; three hours had passed since I had arrived home and most of that time had been spent staring at my book.
“Just send it, love. It's good stuff, even before you edit it.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. Send it.”
I obeyed my cat.
Chapter Six
“Where do you think you’re going, love?” asked Tereus from where he lay, tucked between my pillows. His yellow eyes watched my every move as I packed a small duffel bag.
“During the Joining, Periphetes asked me again to come up to Seattle and visit him.”
“And you said yes?” asked Tereus, his voice dripping with consternation.
“It was that or visit Jordan and Chloe, but that would have meant being around Nik.”
“While I perfectly understand your distaste for Nik’s company, it does not seem a good idea to venture so far from the seethe.”
I smiled over at Tereus. He was a worry-wart, especially where I was concerned. “You’re very sweet t
o worry, Tereus, but don’t you think this has more to with Periphetes than a concern for my safety. After all, it’s been almost two months since I was attacked.”
“I will not deny my abhorrence for Periphetes. But that is not why I don’t like you spending time with him.”
“So you’re saying him being a Winter Fae has nothing to do with this conversation.”
“Nothing at all. Him being a man, though…” Tereus trailed off.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Before he could answer, we heard the downstairs door open and quick steps ascend my steps. As expected, Josh arrived just as the sun was setting behind the dark clouds.
“You okay?” he asked as he shut the door. Like Nik, Josh had a key to my place. I didn't mind him having a key, Nik on the other hand...
“Fine.”
“She blanked out again,” announced my traitorous cat.
“I'm fine,” I repeated, a little more forcefully
“What were you doing when you blanked out?” Josh asked as he crossed the room to my side and turned me away from the window so that he could look into my eyes. I'm not sure what he saw there to make his rust-red brows furrow.
“I was at my computer.”
“Hmm.”
Very helpful, I thought as I pulled away from the touch of his fingers against my cheek. “I'm fine,” I repeated for good measure.
“Maybe this trip to visit Periphetes will do you good. Get you away from this place.”
“How'd you know about that?”
“Periphetes asked me. He wanted to make sure you were up to it,” Josh added when he noticed my growing frustration.
“I'm not a damn invalid!” I snapped.
Josh didn't say anything, but stepped away. He moved toward my desk, where the necklace lay in its box on a cushion of tissue paper, and scooped it up.
“I'm sorry, Josh,” I murmured before he could make it to the door. He was my only real friend, definitely the only person I felt comfortable with; I couldn't afford to alienate him, and he didn't deserve my wrath. “I-I'm just tired of all this. I'm sick and tired of... of being sick and tired. It's gonna get better, right?”
The Series that Just Plain Sucks: The Complete Trilogy Page 30