by Petra Landon
“Don’t try to push my buttons, leech” the Alpha warned. “You won’t like the consequences.”
He moved a step closer to loom over the Vampire who stared up at him warily.
“Stay away from her.” He gestured at Tasia. “And the rest of my Pack. This is the last time I warn you.”
Leaning down deliberately to meet the shorter Vampire’s gaze, the gold eyes bored into Bianchi. “The next time you come after one of mine, I’ll make sure you regret being Undead. That’s a promise.”
“Come, witchling” he directed imperiously, without looking away from Bianchi. “We’re done here.”
Summoned away from her perch, Tasia strode up to him. The Alpha stared down the Vampire one last time, the cold eyes flashing with a kind of burning fury that left Bianchi shaken.
“The next time, I’ll fucking rip your heart out, leech. Freak of nature or not, you’ll beg me to stake you when I place your still pulsing heart in your palm.”
Rafaelo Bianchi watched the Alpha stride away with the little witch in tow. The Beast Lord was one scary bastard, he acknowledged silently. No wonder the Chosen were unwilling to tangle with Raoul Merceau. The direct approach wasn’t going to work with this one, he realized. Regardless of the Alpha’s personal feelings for Wizards, it didn’t look like he’d give Sienna up any time soon. Not without more of an incentive, in any case. Like his Lady, Bianchi couldn’t help but wonder at this unlikely alliance between Merceau and the Wizards. But he wasn’t deterred. Despite the Alpha’s intransigence, Bianchi was confident that he could break this alliance by finding the weak link. He just needed to figure out what the link was.
The meeting had also thrown up another interesting tidbit, Bianchi mused with satisfaction. He’d been successful in riling the Beast Lord with his comment about the Alpha’s past. Until then, the Shifter had traded barbs with his opponent easily, in complete control of the conversation. Bianchi’s insinuation about the Wizard from his past had changed all that. That legendary cold demeanor, supreme confidence and arrogant unruffledness had given way to a kind of burning fury that had taken Bianchi aback. The Vampire realized cannily that he had a pressure point right here. The question to ponder now was how to use it effectively without causing an all-out war with the Pack.
As they walked to the car, Tasia cast sidelong glances at the man beside her, his shuttered expression giving nothing away. His last threat to Bianchi played in her mind. Even the Vampire had blanched at it, unable to hide his reaction. That was the moment Bianchi had decided to let the matter be — Tasia had recognized it. This is what made this man so dangerous. He knew what threat would work on someone of Bianchi’s ilk. An unstaked Blutsauger would suffer unbearable agony if any organ was cut out of him to regenerate slowly. And, only a preternally strong Chosen with enough magic to overcome a Blutsauger’s inherent powers could attempt such a feat. The Alpha clearly could. Not only that, he had made it plain he would.
Fate had led her to fraternize in very different circles, Tasia reminded herself. This encounter with Bianchi had proven that, if nothing else. The path before her was deadly, snaking and so treacherous that a single mistake could prove fatal. But she was not walking it alone anymore. While the man who held her enemies at bay was a scary, dangerous enigma, Tasia was nevertheless glad to have him on her side. But even her new champion would be powerless if she didn’t trust him with the information necessary to safeguard her interests. Tonight had been a timely reminder to her that there were only two ways forward — trust him with everything or walk away from the Pack to go it alone again. The time to commit was coming, Tasia knew.
“What?” he said quietly from beside her.
Tasia glanced up. “Do you think he’ll …” She paused, searching for the right words to ask the question.
“Back away from Sienna?” he finished for her. “No! The stakes are too high for him. But he won’t mess with the Pack again. Whatever else he is, Bianchi’s not stupid. He got my message alright.”
That he did.
“But …” she prompted, confident that he wasn’t entirely satisfied by the outcome. Perhaps, she was learning to read him a little better, she mused.
He shrugged. “I’ve driven him underground. Not something I wanted.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bianchi won’t come after the Pack anymore. He’ll be more devious. A direct assault would be easier to predict. But now, all bets are off.”
Tasia ruminated on his words. He was hinting that there were other ways Bianchi could press the Pack for access to Sienna. And, these would be harder to anticipate.
“I was hoping to buy some time until Sienna’s locket could be dealt with, but Bianchi’s actions this afternoon made that difficult” he remarked. “It forced me to warn him to back off.”
Tasia shot him a look, surprised that he’d been reluctant to warn the Vampire away. From what she’d seen of the Shifters and especially the Alpha, they were not exactly known for their restraint.
“You’re surprised at a Shifter turning down the chance of a brawl.” The gold eyes held a knowing glint in them. “Or is it because I turn it down that surprises you?”
Tasia studied him. He was teasing, she decided. The gold eyes held no rancor or bitterness.
“I know that if you walk away from a fight, there’s a good reason behind it” she remarked mildly.
The tawny eyebrows shot up. “We make progress, I see” he murmured.
Tasia waited patiently. She sensed that something had changed indefinably between them tonight. He seemed different, less guarded and more forthcoming — subtly different from the inscrutable and inflexible Alpha she was familiar with. All in all, it had been a strange evening. Despite everything, the revelations, pledges and encounters this evening, one thing Tasia was confident of. The only reason this man shared anything with her was because he wanted to. Every action from this guarded man was always deliberate. He was never impulsive.
“Bianchi and I’ll have a showdown one of these days. I owe him for Chicago.” His tone was implacable. “But not yet — when the time is right. I’ll keep Sienna away from the likes of him but I’ll be damned if I take care of Bianchi for the Wizards. As much as I love a good brawl, I hate doing the Spell Casters a favor even more. That’s never going to happen.”
“I see.” And she did see very clearly where he was coming from. Tasia could even appreciate his sentiments. For him, safeguarding Sienna was a separate matter from taking care of Bianchi and his goons. One was Wizard business, which he wanted no part of, while the other was personal. Sienna was a member of their team and deserved to be protected for something that had not even been her fault to begin with.
“The locket around Sienna’s neck.” She paused.
“Yeah?” he prompted encouragingly.
“Is it any closer to coming off?”
“The First Wizard has reached out to ElThor.”
“She has?” Tasia was surprised. For the Wizards to reach out to the First Ones was an implicit acknowledgement that the matter was beyond their magic. Tasia doubted the Wizards would chose to make such an acknowledgement lightly.
“They’re certainly going the extra distance for Sienna” he murmured.
There had been the assurance from LaRue that the First Wizard would not play politics with Sienna’s welfare. She’d also been willing to go to bat with the Guardians when it came to Sienna’s protection. Add to that David Hamilton’s strange comment about the First Wizard’s insistence on being personally involved in anything to do with Sienna McAlister. Why would that be, Raoul couldn’t help but wonder curiously. For the First Wizard, Sienna was the daughter of an old rival, one who had been and continued to be a major thorn in the Wizard leader’s side. At most, he’d assume the First Wizard to be indifferent to Sienna’s plight. This role of fairy godmother to Sienna puzzled him.
“Can I help?” Tasia inquired as they reached the car.
“With what?” He turned to her, surp
rised by the query.
“Sienna’s locket.”
He contemplated her. “Can you unlock that thing without hurting her?”
“I don’t know.” Her response was honest. “But I can try.”
“I’d like to. For Sienna” she added, as he remained silent.
Like she had told him before, her magic tended to work very well against the Blutsaugers. That locket around Sienna’s neck was held together by Vampire magic.
“It’s too risky.” He shook his head. “Even offering to make the attempt will blow your cover. Sienna is safe enough, for now. Let the Wizards handle this.”
He held the car door open for her. “The First Wizard will be here in a few days to make an attempt.”
Tasia’s eyed widened. “The First Wizard?” It was unprecedented for the First Wizard to visit a Pack Lair.
“From all accounts, ElThor is driving a hard bargain for his assistance with the locket. The First Wizard has decided to make a last attempt in-house before she’s forced to pay ElThor’s price.”
His voice, though deadpan, held a subtle undercurrent of amusement. Then, the implications of his words suddenly hit Tasia.
“Will any Guardians accompany her?”
“No” he forestalled her immediately. “No Guardian will set foot in my Lair. I made that clear to LaRue when I offered Sienna and him our hospitality. That still stands. LaRue suggested the First Wizard as a compromise and I accepted.”
He started the car to smoothly glide out onto the Embarcadero.
“There’s something I want you to keep in mind” he said as the car roared powerfully down the almost empty streets. “Bianchi is far more dangerous now that he knows the direct approach is off the table. I’ve pushed him into the shadows and it makes him unpredictable. Sienna is in danger but so is everyone that he considers vulnerable or exploitable in his endeavor to get me to walk away from her. While that locket hangs around Sienna’s neck, I need you to stay safe in the Lair. I’ll do my part to get you some respite when I can but unfortunately, you’ll have to stay locked up for now.”
“I’ll keep to the Lair” she assured him. Tasia did not cavil for she knew what Bianchi was.
He drove in silence until they were almost at the Lair.
“I might’ve made a slight miscalculation tonight” he remarked abruptly.
“What do you mean?”
“That leech thinks we’re involved. He might consider you an excellent way to test my commitment to Sienna.”
“Oh.” She’d assumed that Bianchi’s comments were merely an attempt to rile the Alpha with banter about Chosen he was known to dislike. Tasia hadn’t realized that there had been a thread of underlying seriousness in his assumptions.
“My bad, I’m sorry” he said, the apology rolling off his tongue easily.
“It’s fine. I was confined to the Lair, in any case. It’s not like I had plans to roam the streets of San Francisco any time soon, right?” she countered lightly, disarmed by the simple apology.
“True” he agreed wryly as he came to a stop in the Lair parking lot. “My personal life isn’t that leech’s business.”
That was his cryptic way of telling her why he hadn’t bothered to correct Bianchi’s assumptions about them, Tasia presumed.
She could understand that. He always seemed to hold himself apart. Pack business was seemingly the only arena this guarded man allowed himself to get involved in.
“Do you have your cell on you?” he inquired.
Tasia nodded affirmatively.
Raoul waited patiently. “Can I have it?” He held out his hand after a few seconds while she stared at him blankly.
“Oh … Yes, of course.”
Tasia fumbled for her phone in her purse.
“Could you unlock it for me, please?” he asked politely.
“Umm … yeah.”
He punched some keys into her phone, his handling of the device very confident. Tasia, who’d never associated cell phones with Shifters, watched him thoughtfully. There was something old-fashioned about the Shifters’ mores and attitudes — they seemed so much a throwback to a bygone era. Yet, unlike the Clan who refused to use any modern amenities, this Pack seemed adept at walking a fine line between life in the modern era and the age-old ways of a Shifter Pack. The soft trill of another phone in the car roused her, presumably his, before he cut the call and handed her phone back to her.
“I’ve added myself to your contacts. In an emergency, you’ll need a way to reach me” he informed her.
Tasia’s eyes snapped to his.
“We’re entering a phase where the Pack needs to be very careful. Your unique situation makes you vulnerable to those who presume you an easier target. If you were a Shifter, your Were-Alpha and were-pack mates would keep tabs on you. Duncan, Hawk and your new friends will keep an eye on you but ultimately, you’re my responsibility. This is just a precaution — in case you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to get hold of me.”
“I understand” Tasia acknowledged, appreciative of his consideration. The stakes were getting higher, she realized. Before, there had been no threat to the Pack. All she’d had to worry about was guarding her own secrets. Now, her membership in the Pack also made her vulnerable to those intent on forcing the Alpha’s hand.
“Do you have a keycard for the Lair gates?” he asked her.
“Yes.”
“Good. I want you to message me once you’re in your room.”
This time, Tasia looked confused.
“If I walk into the Lair with you, the Shifters on duty will see me. Then, the current Pack gossip that bothers you will seem like child’s play” he said.
The blunt words acted like a douse of cold water on Tasia. She could just imagine the Pack gossip spreading like wild fire.
“Understood” she muttered as she made to open the door.
“Remember, I’ll be waiting here until I get your message. Text me one once you’re in your room.”
“Text?”
“WhatsApp will do.”
Tasia gaped at him. It felt incredibly weird to hear this man say something this prosaic. “You know about WhatsApp?” she stuttered unwarily.
“Why wouldn’t I know …?” He stared at her. “How old do you think I am?”
Tasia pretended to consider. “Hawk said you were young for an Alpha, so I’m guessing fifty.”
“Fifty! Fifty years old” he bit out incredulously.
“No, too young?” she was apologetic. She should’ve known that no fifty year old Shifter would ever possess the power to become the Alpha Protector of such a large Pack.
“I’m going to be thirty next year” he informed her, seemingly at a loss for words.
“Thirty!” it was Tasia’s turn to be flabbergasted. “But I thought …”
“Yes, I know what you thought” he said wryly. “You’d better head in before you really put your foot in it. Let’s table this discussion for another time.”
He got out of the car, coming around to hold her door open before Tasia could recover from her astonishment.
“I hope you keep the nightmares at bay tonight, witchling” he called out softly as she walked away.
Tasia took a couple of steps before glancing back at him. “Thank you. For everything” the words were sincere.
“You’re welcome.”
Portland, Oregon
Nandini thought furiously, wondering how to extricate herself from the situation she found herself in. She cast a sidelong glance at her taciturn companion, focused on driving through the crowded street, packed with cars. When she had emerged at International Arrivals an hour ago, he’d been waiting with a placard bearing her name. Assuming him to be SivoTar’s representative, Nandini had identified herself to him. The man had bid her with silent courtesy to follow him. At first, weary and jet-lagged, Nandini had watched the streets flash by, eventually rousing herself to make desultory small talk. Soon though, her instincts had kicked in. His mon
osyllabic answers didn’t seem to add up. Even with his naturally reticent disposition, Nandini was fast coming to the conclusion that she might be in what Mahen would call a pickle.
“I’m looking forward to meeting your Boss’ wife” she said cheerfully, attempting one final test. “It’s been a long time.”
In their world, one never talked openly of Chosen matters or even identified oneself as a Chosen to strangers, no matter who you thought they were. Assumptions were dangerous in their world. So, she merely referred to SivoTar as his Boss, as he had.
The man sent her a startled glance before grunting out a response that suggested his Boss’ wife was expecting her too.
That did it, Nandini mused to herself. Whoever this stranger driving her was, he certainly had nothing to do with SivoTar.
They braked to a sudden halt as the car in front swerved abruptly to avoid something.
“Sorry” her companion muttered as Nandini put out a hand to prevent being thrown forward in her seat.
Before she could respond, there was an almighty clang as one of the decorative lamp posts that adorned the street crashed unexpectedly, missing the fender by a hairs breadth. Outside, the slow-moving traffic ground to a halt. A fine layer of dust flew into the air, obscuring the windshield, and pedestrians craned their necks to see what the commotion was about.
“Excuse me” muttered her companion, jumping out to stare at the post barring their way in some perplexity.
His words served to jolt Nandini from the shock of the near miss. This was her chance, she realized. Grabbing her purse, she slid out to stride away without a backward glance, hoping to hide herself in the crush of onlookers staring at the car.
“Miss …. Miss Rath … thore. Wait!”
The cry from behind her only gave Nandini greater impetus. She plunged hurriedly into the crowd before the man could reach her. The throng parted for her easily. Nandini ran, dodging pedestrians and interweaving expertly between the tightly-packed tables on the sidewalk by the cafés and bistros. She could hear distant shouts behind her but Nandini did not stop, unwilling to risk even glancing behind her. She ran on desperately, drawing curious glances from passersby. Then suddenly, the sidewalk became easier to navigate, as she found herself in a less busy section. Here, there was no bustle of café tables or passersby to bar her way. The street was also less brightly lit, the numerous decorative lamp posts that illuminated it before now missing. Wary and reluctant to venture deeper into a strange, almost empty and poorly lit street, Nandini turned quickly into an alley. Adrenaline carried her forward until confronted by a high brick wall. It was a dead end.