by K. C. Blake
He plopped down next to her on the swing. “I guess.”
“Did you have a girlfriend?” A slight smile tilted her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Instead, they were filled with a quiet desperation, begging him to talk to her until she could make sense of the world again. She added, “Was there someone special, or did you have a million girls trying to get your attention?”
“There was a girl when I was a sophomore. We dated for about six months. It didn’t work out. After that I dated a new girl every week. I didn’t want to get dumped again.”
Silver’s eyes widened. “She dumped you? What was her name?”
“Mary Sue Treckner.”
“What!” Silver almost jumped off the swing in her excitement. The elusive spark of life she’d been missing returned to her eyes. “You dated Mary Sue? You dated Miss Nebraska? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“She wasn’t Miss Nebraska when I dated her. I think she was something like Miss Dairy Cow at the time. I don’t know. I really don’t remember.”
“I know her! I mean, I used to know her before she moved away. She was my babysitter. Wow. You must have been in high school when I was in the first grade.”
Now he felt incredibly old and weird. He shifted in his seat and tugged on his collar. It was quickly becoming a habit. “Do we have to talk about this?”
Her expression changed in an instant, crumbling. He could see her thoughts darken, returning to the fact her father wasn’t coming home. “No,” she mumbled. “I can’t believe I forgot my dad was dead for a second.”
She should be able to forget for a minute or two, maybe even laugh once in a while. He reluctantly went into a long explanation on what transpired between him and the pretty little Mary Sue. It was embarrassing but not painful. Not anymore.
“Mary Sue wanted to be famous even back then. That’s why she split up with me. She was afraid we were getting too serious. I remember her pulling me to the side in the hallway at school and blurting the words out. Before I could decipher what she meant, she was running off to class. It didn’t sink in until I was sitting in Algebra, working on this really long math problem. It hit me like a freight train. Mary Sue had dumped me. She didn’t want to be with me, and here I’d been secretly thinking she was going to be my girl forever.”
“Did she break your heart?”
“Yes.” He smiled and shrugged at the same time. “I got over it. I found something a lot better than Miss Nebraska.” He brushed honey blond hair from her face with a tender touch. Even now Silver’s eyes sparkled with vital energy. He added, “Dumping me was the smartest thing Mary Sue ever did.”
“I think so, too.” Silver’s smile turned genuine for a brief moment before collapsing.
Wanting to keep her from dissolving into a tearful mess, he launched into another story. “I saw her again, you know. Mary Sue. It was when I was a vampire. We were at the same party in Texas one night.” He chuckled. “Can you believe it? Sometimes this world is just way too small. She was working for a local television station. Our eyes met across a crowded room like in a morbid fairy tale.”
“Did you talk to her?”
“Of course not.” He sighed and leaned back against the swing. Memories pulled him to the past. The expression on Mary Sue’s face returned. His voice grew softer. “You have to remember Mary Sue thought I was dead. I had been killed in the infamous Creed massacre. I recognized her almost right off. It took her a few seconds to place me because she was buzzed on her way to getting full-on drunk. Then this look of horror came to her face. Her mouth opened in slow motion, and she screamed like a banshee.
“Lucky for me someone passed between us at that precise moment. I used my vampire-speed to get out of there before she could take a closer look. Everyone around me was too drunk to notice. I stood outside a window and watched her. Some of her friends started asking what was wrong. She laughed and told them she thought she’d seen the ghost of an ex-boyfriend.”
He left out the part about wanting to die... for real this time. Pain had nearly ripped through his soul. He’d returned to the shack he and his friends were staying in, a load of regret and remorse riding piggyback. Seeing Mary Sue made him miss his family more than ever.
Jack waited for Silver’s reaction to his story. He rested his arm on the back of the swing, fingers close to her hair. The urge to touch the silky strands was almost palpable. Now that he knew what love truly felt like he had trouble believing he’d ever grieved over losing Mary Sue.
Silver burst into tears again. Before he could react she launched into motion, jumping off the swing, and ran for the front door in a mad dash. He was left to stare after her, stunned. She jerked the screen door open. It creaked. Before she could go inside, Jack stopped her. Using vampire-speed, he ran to her and grabbed her by the waist. Lifting her slightly off the ground, he turned her so he could wrap his arms around her. She pressed her face to his chest and continued to sob. He held her as tight as he could without hurting her.
Vanessa yelled at them from the doorway. Her face appeared red and bloated with rage. “What in the hell is going on out here?”
“Nothing.” Silver wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand as she stepped away from Jack. “We were just talking.”
“Yes, I’m sure you were.” Vanessa’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “You little slut.”
“What?”
Vanessa slapped Silver.
Crack! The sound of the slap hung in the air long after Vanessa lowered her hand. Mother and daughter stood still for a moment, staring at each other. Silver touched her face as her eyes flooded with fresh tears. The red imprint of her mother’s hand became visible within seconds of the attack. It was an ugly mark that made Jack’s hands clench and clogged his throat with white-hot rage.
He held tight to his temper to keep from physically attacking Vanessa. The woman was a widow. Sometimes grief made you do crazy things. She had no right to hit Silver, no right to call her a slut, yet there were extenuating circumstances. Jack couldn’t punish her without hurting Silver. So he stood next to the love of his life, feeling helpless and inadequate once again.
Vanessa didn’t look apologetic or even stunned by her own over-the-top reaction to seeing her daughter in Jack’s arms. A fierce hatred, totally out of character for the woman, stole over her features. Her eyes narrowed on her daughter’s face. She shook her head and added, “Acting like this on the day we buried your father. What is wrong with you?”
Before anyone could say a word, Ian stepped outside and did a double-take. “What the bloody… I just left Vanessa upstairs. Who the hell are you?”
Vanessa cackled like a witch. “Oops. Caught again.”
Blanca.
Moving fast, Jack dropped to his knees and yanked the hem of Silver’s trousers up to reveal a wooden stake in a leather sheath tied to her ankle. Fortunately, she’d changed out of her funeral dress the second they’d reached the house. In one smooth motion, he removed the stake. He was going to kill Blanca. It was going to be messy because she wasn’t a vampire. She wouldn’t burst into dust. If he’d had a gun, he would have used it. Shape-shifters were as fragile as humans. She would be an easy kill. The stake would have to do.
He leaped and lunged simultaneously, raised arm, stake high above his head. Another second and he would be plunging it into her black heart. She wouldn’t be able to screw around with them again.
Blanca had other ideas though. In the blink of an eye the form of Vanessa vanished and the familiar form of a white cat appeared between their collective feet. The cat took off, zooming across the field. Jack turned to chase her. Silver’s hand latched onto his arm. Still crying, she shook her head. He couldn’t leave her. Killing Blanca would have to wait.
Silver took his hand. “I want to go see mom for a minute. Will you meet me downstairs and stay the night like you promised?”
“Sure.” He tenderly touched her red cheek and shared a soft smile with her. “I’ll stay for as long as
you want.”
“Does your mother know you intend on having an overnight guest?” Ian asked with arms folded over his chest. His eyes, nearly as black as the night, stared through Jack. “I hardly think she would approve.”
Jack’s jaw tightened. He lifted a finger and opened his mouth to tell his uncle exactly what he thought of his uninvited advice. But he didn’t get a chance to say anything. Silver’s hand landed on his wrist. She pushed his hand down and went to Ian. Touching the older man’s arm, she spoke to him in a calm, logical voice.
“I don’t think we need to upset my mother right now. She’s been through enough today.”
“You’re right about that.”
“I can’t be alone tonight. Please try to understand. Jack and I aren’t going to do anything but sleep.”
Ian’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “I have your word on that, do I?”
“My father was buried today! Do you really think I’m in the mood for sex?”
Jack got the satisfaction of seeing Ian’s eyes flash with shock and awe at Silver’s bold statement. Ian rubbed the bottom half of his face and sighed wearily. His hand traveled around to the back of his neck. The lines at the corners of his mouth seemed more prominent than usual, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.
Apparently, he hadn’t slept in a while either.
Was it guilt keeping him awake, Jack wondered, guilt over things done in the past or something he was planning to do in the near future?
“I won’t say anything to your mother,” Ian finally said.
Silver stood on the tips of her toes and kissed the man on the cheek before she dashed inside to see her mom. An awkward tension settled on the porch after she left. The sound of crickets filled the air. Ian stared at Jack with piercing eyes.
“If you hurt that girl, I will kill you,” Ian said.
“I’m not going to hurt her.”
“Famous last words.” Ian took a step closer to Jack and said, “I’ve been watching you. They can’t see what I see, your dark powers and your loyalty to a werewolf. Pity. I’m beginning to think you could be as much a threat as Jersey Clifford. No, I take that back. You’re worse because you have them wrapped around your finger. For now.”
The vehemence in his uncle’s words caught Jack off guard. He knew Ian didn’t trust him, but the man sounded like he actually hated him. If he could get away with it, Ian would kill him on the spot. It didn’t matter to him that Jack wasn’t a vampire. To Ian, he was worse, a carbon copy of his father, and nothing Jack said seemed to sway the man an inch.
Ian continued to speak, unaware of Jack’s thoughts. “I have hunted things like you for over twenty years. You may be fooling these good people, but you will not fool me. I know what you are.”
“What’s that?”
“You are a potential problem that I intend to take care of very, very soon.”
Jack reminded him, “I’m human. If you’re talking about killing me, it would be cold-blooded murder.”
“We shall see.” Ian sort of smirked. “We shall see.”
.
*****
Chapter Five:
FOUND
.
.
Jack’s arm went numb shortly after Silver cried herself to sleep. Trapped beneath her shoulders, he couldn’t feel it. Holding her while she fell asleep didn’t seem like such a great idea now. He inched his way to the edge of the mattress, trying not to disturb her. She looked incredibly peaceful. He wanted to follow her to the land of dreams. Maybe she was already waiting for him in the woods. Unfortunately, his brain was on a fast track to nowhere. A long train of thoughts sped through his mind. He was worried about Silver, stunned by Andrew’s death, angry at Blanca, and concerned Ian would try to kill him or Billy in the near future.
He extricated his arm by slow inches. Silver stirred and mumbled in her sleep. He froze. When her eyes didn’t open, he continued on. It took several minutes to completely free himself. Sensation returned to his arm in painful increments, pins and needles. He bit his lower lip. Opening and closing his hand several times, he restored feeling and resolved the pain.
Fully clothed except for his shoes, he got out of bed. He took a last look at Silver before shutting the door behind him. Hopefully, she wouldn’t wake before he returned. It occurred to him that maybe he should leave her a note, but he didn’t have a piece of paper or a pen handy. Looking for one might make enough noise to wake her.
Jack went upstairs to the kitchen for a glass of water and found Vanessa sitting at the table. Her bloodshot eyes found him over the coffee cup’s rim before he could reverse direction. She gestured for him to take a seat across from her. Now he was in trouble.
Once he complied, she said, “I’m glad Silver has you to lean on. It’s important to have someone you can trust in a time like this.”
Her nonchalant attitude puzzled him, so he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Not really. But I will be. Don’t worry about me. Just help my daughter get through this. That’s all I ask.”
He reached across the table, covered her hand with his own. “I’m really sorry about Andrew. I meant to tell you earlier. There didn’t seem to be a good time to say it.”
“This wasn’t supposed to happen.” She shivered and wrapped her sweater tighter around her shoulders. Fresh tears appeared. Jack was getting used to the sight. She said, “I was raised in a family of hunters, but Andrew had a normal life… until he met me. My dad always said Andrew took to hunting like a duck takes to water. Andrew was an old-fashioned man, strong and protective of his family. When Silver was born and he held the necklace over her head, you should have seen the pride in his eyes. His daughter was special. She was going to save the world.
“Of course, he was also scared out of his mind for her. He never allowed her to hunt alone. As the battle with Jersey drew closer, Andrew grew desperate. He told me he was willing to do anything to save her from her destiny. That’s why he took so many chances. Now he’s gone, before the final battle, and I have to face whatever happens on my own.”
“No, you don’t. Ian and I will be there for you.”
Vanessa reached for his hand this time and grasped it firmly. “I want you to do whatever you have to do to keep Silver from fighting Jersey Clifford. You destroy him. Promise me you will protect my daughter no matter what it costs you.”
“I promise.”
She returned her hands to the warm cup of coffee, satisfied. Jack would do anything to save Silver. Her mother had to know that. He would kill Jersey by himself if possible, if he could find the magic rock in time and use it against the head werewolf. Otherwise, Silver wouldn’t have a choice.
“What about my parents?” he asked. “How did they get involved in hunting?”
“I have no idea, honey. You would have to ask Ian. He probably knows the story behind it.”
Not going to happen. Ian couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him. There was no way Jack was going to ask the man personal questions about his family or his past. The guy was scary with his burning-touch and probing eyes.
Vanessa added, “It must be difficult for you living in the house without Billy.”
“It is.”
“As soon as Jersey is dead, Billy will be free.”
“I know. But what do we do in the meantime? He might do something he can’t live with. I don’t understand the changes in him. I always thought werewolves just freaked out during the full moon phase, but he’s totally pissed off all the time. And at me. I just don’t get it.”
“I heard he threw you out a window. Ian told me. I’m glad you survived it.”
“Why did he do it?” Jack was desperate to have a logical reason for his brother’s erratic behavior, something to grasp onto. If there was a reason for Billy’s insanity, he could forgive it. If not, he wasn’t sure their relationship could return to normal even if he and Billy both lived through the coming war.
“Werewolves vary just like people,�
� she said. “I’ve faced some who were almost apologetic for attacking me. I’ve seen others who were on the brink of homicide even when there was no moon to speak of.”
Billy was like that. “What can I do about it?” Besides killing my brother, he almost added.
“There isn’t anything you can do outside the obvious.” She decided to change the subject. “Did Silver get to sleep okay?”
“She cried until she physically exhausted herself.”
Vanessa forced a smile. “She is so lucky to have you. I trust Silver, and I trust you, Jack. I’ve known about the two of you for quite some time, how you spend the night together on occasion. I know you won’t do anything to hurt my daughter.”
There was a sliver of warning embedded in the statement. Her eyes studied him over the top of the cup. She waited for a reaction. He didn’t know what she expected, what she wanted. He nodded, indicating he understood the veiled threat and would comply.
Her eyes shifted to the doorway and she said, “You should go back to bed. We’ll talk again. Right now I just want to sit alone and contemplate the shambles of my life.” When he hesitated, she forced another smile. “It’s okay. I promise you. Go to bed.”
Jack headed for the trapdoor, but he didn’t return to the mansion beneath because a shadow caught his eye. It moved past the window, and he saw it through the thin white curtains. The porch light was on so the shadow couldn’t conceal itself in darkness. It was gone before Jack made it to the front door. He figured it was probably just Ian checking on them, but he had to be sure. He stepped outside and got a surprise.
There wasn’t a soul in sight. Instead of a person (or creature) he found a note stuck to the door. It was addressed to him. Short and to the point, the note wasn’t signed, but Jack knew who had sent it. Jersey. The head werewolf was waiting for Jack at a bar on the edge of town.
The only question now: Should Jack go?
Jersey was a man (werewolf) used to getting what he wanted. If Jack didn’t meet with him, Jersey would show up at the house. The last thing the Reign women needed was a visit from the psychotic werewolf. Jack had no choice. He had to go. If he hurried, no one would have to know he’d left the house.