by Bianca D'Arc
“I remember. Something about you putting some kind of mark in your report that wasn’t on the guy. The other cops hassled you for months, teasing you about seeing things.” Trust Carly to remember the hazing that had hurt more than the reprimand.
“Yeah, it was this tattoo. On the inside of the wrist, over the pulse. A round thing with a design inside. I saw it. I really did. But when the perp died in the hospital and they examined the body, there was no tattoo. I saw him when they admitted him and made my notes from a combination of the doctor’s observations and my own. I saw the tattoo and wrote it down along with everything else. But nobody else seemed to be able to see it. Just me.”
Both Jason and Dmitri looked alarmed.
“And this is the same thing you saw today? The same design?” Dmitri asked.
“I think so. I only saw it for a split second out of the corner of my eye, but it looked about the same as I remember.”
“Can you describe it?” Dmitri leaned forward, pulling a pad of paper off the end table and taking a pen from his shirt pocket.
“It’s round, about an inch in diameter. There are two concentric circles about a quarter inch apart with strange symbols inside the ring. In the center, there’s an inverted V.”
“Can you draw an approximation?” Dmitri handed her the pen and paper.
“Sure. I’ll give it a try. It won’t be perfect, though.” She set to work, noting the frown lines on both men’s faces. It didn’t take long. She drew what she could remember, mostly from her examination of the guy in San Francisco. As she handed it over, both men bent over the small drawing.
Dmitri’s expression hardened and she read recognition in his eyes. He knew something.
“What is it?” Jason asked Dmitri. Sally’s ears perked up. She wanted to know too. The damn thing had caused her a lot of trouble.
“In days of old the Venifucus used to mark their lower level minions with this kind of symbol. Something like this, anyway. But what you recall, Sally, is close enough to make me worry.”
Jason cursed under his breath.
“Venifucus?” She’d heard the word from Jason but didn’t really know what it meant.
“A group dedicated to destroying all those on the side of light,” Dmitri clarified. “Once upon a time, they were led by a sorceress named Elspeth. She was defeated and banished, her power dispersed to the farthest realms, but lately there has been evidence that some of her followers are trying to bring her back.”
“Each Pack Alpha or Clan leader is answerable only to the Lords of the Were who set down the overall rules for were behavior,” Jason explained. “Every generation, a set of identical twins is born to one of the were Clans or Packs under special circumstances that mark them as the next Lords. They share a single wife between them and she is always a priestess of the Lady. The current Lords are wolves named Tim and Rafe, and they live not too far from here. Their wife’s name is Allie.”
“A while back, several attempts were made on Allie’s life by a magic user who was finally caught and dealt with,” he went on. “During the capture, he revealed that the Venifucus had not dissolved centuries ago when Elspeth was defeated. The Lords sent out warnings to all Packs and Clans about the possibility that there could be more trouble. Since then, there have been a few incidents around the country. I just didn’t expect they would bother my Pack. Especially not this way—hunting children.” Jason’s lips firmed into angry lines.
Sally felt the weight of his words in the air. This was serious business. Much more serious than just a few jackasses in the woods with guns. She began to think about how she could help.
“Okay. First things first,” she began. “Tomorrow when I give my statement to the local cops, I’ll try to get a look at the police reports. If either of the perps has a tattoo, it’ll be on their sheet. We can get their names too, so we can keep an eye on them. I might be able to call in a few favors to track them through their credit card receipts, cell phones, or anything else that can be traced electronically.”
“And I’ll talk to the Lords. See what they can tell me. They’re coordinating intel on run-ins with the Venifucus and Altor Custodis.”
“Those are the bad guys you mentioned before, right? One of them watches and one of them is actively working against you, if I remember correctly.”
“The Altor Custodis professes only to watch and record our doings,” Dmitri confirmed. “They’ve been at it for centuries. Until now they’ve been mostly an irritation, but we’ve learned that their organization has been compromised at the highest levels. Venifucus agents have infiltrated their ranks and we believe they are using the AC’s knowledge for their own purposes.”
“That sounds bad,” Sally said, meeting Dmitri’s gaze to see the worry in his eyes.
If he was worried, they were really in trouble. What could worry a centuries-old vampire? Whatever it was, it had to be very bad indeed.
“Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.” Carly was the voice of reason. “Let’s make sure about the tattoo first. You guys talk to your contacts and Sally will do her cop thing and we’ll go from there. It could just be two idiots shooting at anything that moves.”
“You don’t really believe that.” Sally knew Carly well enough to know her expressions and she was showing an odd mix of hopeful skepticism at the moment.
“No,” Carly admitted, folding her hands in her lap with a downcast gaze. “Deep down, I’m afraid this will prove to be something sinister, but let’s do what you said and take it one step at a time.” Carly looked up to meet Sally’s gaze. “For tonight, the jerks are in jail and we’re here, safe and sound.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Sally raised her glass in salute, which Carly returned with a grateful smile.
The men were quiet, obviously troubled, but they made polite conversation for a bit before Jason took his leave. He took Sally by surprise with a smoldering kiss that let the cat out of the bag completely—if Carly hadn’t figured it out already. But it was worth it. That man could really kiss.
Dmitri excused himself to do some work in his office and left the two women alone soon after.
“He’s going to contact the other Masters and find out what he can,” Carly said as she watched her husband’s retreating back.
“How do you know?”
Carly tapped her temple and grinned. “Sharing a brain, remember?”
“You’d said, but I didn’t think…” Sally was at a loss. It seemed so unbelievable. “How does it work, exactly?”
“Most of the time we’re just sort of aware of what each other is doing or thinking. I can tune him out if I want to and he’s even better at blocking me completely when he feels the need. I don’t like that. Now that we’re joined mind to mind, I somehow need the connection and start to feel really insecure when he blocks me, but we both have had to adjust. He was alone for longer than either of us have been alive. A lot longer.” Carly rolled her eyes and they shared a laugh. “He’s also a Master and has been one for a long time. He’s used to keeping his own counsel. Sharing our thoughts is mostly amusing to him and can be terrifying to me, considering some of the things he remembers. But it can also be really handy. If I want to know something about our new life, all I have to do is think about it and I can access what he knows. It’s pretty cool.”
“I’ll say.” Sally thought about the implications but still couldn’t really understand what it must be like to share a mind as they did. “There is one thing I’ve been wondering about. The men have mentioned magic a few times. What’s that all about? Are there really witches and wizards roaming around?”
“They call them magic users or mages. The bad ones are sometimes called sorcerers, like Elspeth. She was the baddest of the bad from all accounts.”
“And a bunch of wackos want to bring her back?” Sally really didn’t like the sound of that at all.
“’Fraid so.” Carly looked upset, so Sally didn’t push her any farther on that score.
“So
there really are werewolves, vampires, and magicians in the world. I’ve seen some weird stuff from time to time on the job, but I never really expected that legendary beings really existed.”
“I know how you feel. When I bought this house, I had no idea a vampire shared my land. Dmitri’s home has been under this farmhouse for more than a hundred years.” Carly took a sip of her wine, then put the glass down on the coffee table. “Now, what’s going on between you and Jason?”
“It’s just a fling.” Sally tried for nonchalance but failed utterly judging by the look on Carly’s face. She had to come clean—a little, at least. She flopped her head back on the couch, giving in. “I have no idea why I’m so attracted to him. Maybe it’s a werewolf thing? But none of the other guys in his Pack affect me like this. I wanted him from the moment I saw him.”
“And judging by the way you two were cooing at each other when he left, and the scent of him all over you, I’d say the feeling was mutual,” Carly accused with a knowing smile.
“Very mutual, if I’m any judge. Of course, he’s probably been with half the women in his Pack. So it might just be the temptation of new blood being put in his path.”
“I don’t think so.” Carly looked off into the distance for a moment. “Dmitri has known him since he was a kid and while the wolves like to play around, they never really mix with humans unless…” Carly snapped out of her thoughts, shock on her face.
“Unless what? Were you tapping into Dmitri’s memories just now?” That was so cool. She didn’t pretend to understand how it all worked, but the concept fascinated her.
“Yeah.” Carly rubbed her forehead with one hand. “Did Jason say anything about mating?”
Sally thought back over their day together. “No. Nothing that I recall. Why?”
“Well, Dmitri seems to think Jason’s Pack doesn’t mess around with humans unless there’s a possible mating in the offing.”
“Mating? What does that mean exactly?”
Carly got very serious. “Wolves mate for life.”
“Life? No divorces? No cheating?”
“Nope.” Carly shook her head slowly from side to side. “Once they find their true mate, they are loyal and completely devoted. The only way there could be a problem is if someone is tricked into proclaiming the wrong person as their mate. That’s happened a few times in the past, to Dmitri’s knowledge, when magic was used by one party to derail the course of nature, and chaos always resulted.”
“How does he know all this?” Sally was curious.
“In centuries past, wolves, bloodletters and many Others were allies against Elspeth. Since her banishment, the alliances have broken down and each group went their separate ways. The supernatural races went into hiding as humanity rose to persecute and hunt them. Magic declined and non-magical races took over. The survivors of that purge remained hidden and have managed to recoup some of their numbers only after centuries of living in secret. Some have never recovered.”
“That’s amazing.” Sally was impressed by the knowledge and the way it appeared Carly plucked it directly from the mind of her spouse. She even fell into his old-fashioned speech patterns. It was very cool to witness.
Carly blinked, coming back to herself. “So the bottom line is, wolves play around a lot before they find their true mate, but once that happens, they’re loyal to a fault. And though some Packs have different rules, Jason’s Pack doesn’t mess around with humans unless there is a potential that the human might be a mate.”
“How would they know?”
“Scent. Dmitri thinks the wolves know their mates by their scent.”
“Gross.” Sally made a face and Carly laughed.
“Think about it, Sal. Your nose is human and can’t pick up much unless it’s really strong.” Sally didn’t bother correcting her friend. She never talked about her own heightened senses. “A wolf’s senses are much more acute. The scent of skin, of arousal, of lust. They can smell it all, and each person’s scent is unique to them.”
Sally felt warm as she thought about it. While they’d been making love, Jason had spent a lot of time with his nose close to her skin. He seemed to enjoy it, so she hadn’t questioned it at the time. Was it possible…?
Nah. He was just being a wolf, no doubt. There wasn’t anything special about her except she was human with a tiny bit of wolf blood, if he was to be believed, and she knew about this crazy Other world. That probably made her unique and therefore eligible for fun and games.
“I bet part of the prohibition against getting involved with regular humans is the whole secrecy thing, right?” Sally asked.
“Definitely. They don’t mix not because they can’t blend in, but because there are Pack rules about keeping their society secret and their Pack protected from humans who might want to kill them just because they’re different.”
“Like those jerks in the woods.” Sally thought about the close call Colleen had earlier. It had been way too close for comfort.
“If they really were simply hunters. If that tattoo exists, and it’s what Dmitri thinks it is…well, that’s a whole other story.”
“Let’s hope they’re just stupid hunters.” Sally grimaced. It was still hard to think about anyone hunting a young girl with a rifle, but it was somehow worse to think they knew what she was and had targeted her specifically because she was different.
“Now, about Jason.” Carly’s expression turned mischievous. “How is he?”
The question brought back scandalous memories of that afternoon in his office. Sally felt her face heat as she sank back against the sofa cushions.
“He’s as good as he looks, if that says anything.”
Carly gave a low whistle. “That good, eh? And how does he measure up?”
“Carl! I can’t believe you just asked me that.” Both women cracked up laughing.
“Well, I saw him once. Remember, I told you, he shifted right in front of me the first time we met? He was pretty impressive even in the, shall we say, relaxed state? You can’t blame a girl for wondering if there was more to him than met the eye.” Carly tried for innocence but her giggles ruined the effect.
Sally felt like a teenager all over again, talking to her best friend about the new and exciting world of boys. Only this time, she had a fully adult appreciation of the male form and they were talking about a magical man who could turn into a wolf at will. It sort of boggled the mind. Or it would have if she hadn’t just spent the day with the guy. They’d packed a lot into a day. Danger, passion, companionship, and a great bike ride through the countryside. She’d never had a more interesting or exhilarating day.
“There is definitely more than meets the eye.” Sally felt the blush heat her cheeks again as she remembered just how much more.
“I knew it!” Carly crowed in triumph as they both laughed. “Dmitri isn’t happy with this discussion,” she said a moment later. “If he doesn’t like what I’m thinking, I told him to mind his own business.”
“Okay, change of subject then—” Sally tried.
“No, I want to hear more about your afternoon with Jason,” Carly demanded.
“What’s there to tell? He took me up to this really pretty waterfall in the woods, but before he could get his Don Juan on, we ran into this cougar named Steve Redstone. He told us about the hunters and we decided to go check it out.”
“Wait. You met Steve Redstone?” Carly looked almost envious.
“Yeah.” Sally didn’t want to go into too much detail about her first experience with wanton exhibitionism. Luckily, Carly let her one word answer pass.
“The name Redstone didn’t ring a bell with you?” Carly seemed frustrated with her.
“No. Should it have?” Sally didn’t know what her friend was driving at.
“Don’t you remember Christy talking about her good friend, Matt Redstone?” The name clicked into place as Carly said it. “Steve is Matt’s older brother. I haven’t met him, but I’ve heard he’s been in the area lately. Some
thing to do with their little sister and the eldest brother, Grif. So spill. What’s he like?”
“Steve? He’s really handsome, but then all these shifters seem to be on the blessed end of the gene pool. He’s tall. Around Jason’s height and built a bit sleeker. More cat-like, I suppose. His hair is blonde, a little lighter than his fur. More golden, I’d say.”
“He shifted in front of you?”
“Yep. And he seemed perfectly comfortable standing there, holding a conversation in the nude.” Sally was still a little nonplussed at that. “I guess these guys are used to running around in the buff when they have to. And Lord knows, they’ve got nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to their physiques.”
“I’ll bet. I’ve wanted to meet Steve, but my loving spouse barely lets me out of the house. He’s trying to teach me all the stuff I need to know about protecting myself from the various dangers our kind can face. There’s a lot to learn, and of course, he does his best to distract me. Several times a night.” Carly giggled and Sally almost envied her friend’s happiness.
Ultimately she was glad Carly had found someone who had brought joy back to her. Even if she had to become a vampire to do it. Seeing Carly happy once again made it all worthwhile and who was Sally to judge? Carly was her friend, no matter what—or who—she ate for breakfast.
“Now, about tomorrow,” Sally had to ask something before she got sidetracked again. “I wanted to ask your permission to work in your garden a bit. I noticed it’s a little run down and this place has so much potential. I’d love to putter around in the yard while I’m here, if you don’t mind.”
“Mind? Heck, no. I remember the gorgeous garden you had at your last place. You’ve got a green thumb and I’d be a fool not to take advantage of it. Plus, I know how gardening relaxes you. This is your vacation, after all. Do what you like. I’ve been meaning to hire a gardener or maybe ask one of the wolf kids to weed the place for me. I’ve missed the scent of flowers. You’d be doing me a favor.”
Sally detected the slight hint of sadness in her friend’s voice when she mentioned flowers. Carly had always loved them, even if she wasn’t the world’s best gardener. She’d loved receiving flowers for special occasions and buying houseplants to bring those fragrances into her dorm room.