by Morgan Wylie
“None for you?” Alana asked.
Rylen shook his head. “I’m good. I had some in the kitchen before I came down.” It was a lie. He simply couldn’t figure out how to carry three mugs down without dropping one or sloshing the burning liquid all over his hands, which he did… twice. Enock detected the lie and gave Rylen a funny look to which he shrugged off.
“What’s the flick?” he asked her. At the look of confusion on her face, he elaborated, “The film. The movie. The show. What are you watching?”
“Oh,” she laughed. “Enock introduced me to the world of Dr. Who. I find it fascinating that they were able to change the Doctor so many times and it worked!” Her eyes lit up with the excitement of a small child discovering a new toy.
“She doesn’t get out much,” Enock explained for her. That simple statement, however, rubbed Rylen wrong. He bristled at the idea of Enock knowing things about his… his what? The thought stopped him in his tracks. He didn’t know what he was about to think, but it shouldn’t have been in his mind in the first place.
Enock narrowed his eyes, obviously reading Rylen. He shrugged his shoulders and abruptly stood up and stretched, walking his hands along the ceiling of the dungeon. Rylen frowned at Enock’s apparent show of his very masculine set of rock-hard, defined abs when his shirt rose. Rylen turned, though, to see Alana watching not Enock’s abs, but him. He looked back at Enock’s smug face that said, See, she’s not even interested in me. Rylen rolled his eyes at his friend.
“I’ll be right back. Behave, now,” Enock reprimanded as if they were kindergartners.
“I’ll be good. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” Alana’s words were filled with sarcasm as she gestured around her.
“I meant him,” Enock pointed to Rylen. Enock winked at Alana which made her blush.
“Why don’t you get me some more coffee from the kitchen,” Rylen asked craving his own cup.
“You got it, Boss,” Enock replied as he bounded up the stone steps two at a time.
“He has a lot of energy,” Alana noted with fascination. Rylen’s expression was suddenly appalled and she realized her blunder. Trying to take back what she said, she stammered out, “What I meant to say was: he sure is chatty. He talked about this place and all of you, well, you mostly,” she paused and stopped and looked at Rylen. “You know what, your reaction was uncalled for. First of all, you brought me here. Secondly, he is the most loyal person I think I’ve ever encountered. He talked about you most the night. How great you are, what a great leader you are, how you take care of this group… this family. And you have the audacity to react as if he took and played with something that belonged to you… which I don’t!” she was seething by the time she finished her rant.
Rylen smirked at her, trying not to break out into a full smile.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Alana crossed her arms like a petulant child.
“You are absolutely right. Hearing you defend one of my people—one of the ones your people,” he pointed a finger at her, “hunt down and exterminate like pests—struck me ironic I guess. Thank you for that. Plus you’re cute when you’re mad.”
Alana opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but then shut it again unable to form the words. She bit the inside of her cheek and scrunched her face in deep concentration. After a long pause in conversation, the air in the dungeon grew thick as awkwardness descended between them.
Rylen was struck with the realization that they were from two very different worlds and even the hope that there could be something between them, even to benefit his people, was a very distant idea. He cleared his throat with resignation and the need to get down to business.
“I’m going to ask you a question, but I need to wait for Enock to get back down here before I do.”
“Ok. Why wait?” she asked innocently.
“He’s a human lie detector. I’m pretty good at it, but he can always hear a lie. Being a vampire gives him some special tricks,” Rylen said.
“Oh come on, man. I have more tricks than just that. That sounds boring,” Enock said with a small smile as he walked down the rest of the stairs. Rylen knew he had been standing there, waiting for his cue to enter. Enock sauntered casually in and sat back down as if this was a normal conversation. To them, it was.
“Do I need to do something? Or does he need to touch my finger or something like the machine lie detectors do on TV?” Alana asked.
“Ha!” Enock barked. “I am way better than a damn machine,” he held his hand to his heart as if completely offended.
Alana laughed a little. Rylen couldn’t help but smile. He liked the sound of her laugh. It sounded weak, though, like an atrophied muscle fighting to regain its strength.
“Alana, one more time. Tell me who is in the warehouse that I was asking you about before, when you found me and Mather in the woods.” Rylen stared at her straight on as if waiting for her to slip up.
“I know a lot of things about what goes on in our organization. My father is high up in leadership. But that said, they don’t tell me where the leaders meet or conduct official business. The warehouse you asked me about is where I live. It’s where those not directly involved in the alliance stay in this area. There are bunkers for the members who are staying temporarily and come and go, but mostly it’s filled with the women and children,” she said looking directly at Rylen. She then turned to Enock and cocked her brow as if asking him to counter what she had said.
“Clean,” Enock confirmed.
“Yeah that’s what I was afraid of,” Rylen grumbled. He rubbed his chin with his hand. His eyes lit with the spark of an idea. He glanced at Enock and gave him a funny look. Rylen’s inner circle had been together for so long that they could communicate a lot through some of their looks. Enock gave an imperceptible nod and let Rylen lead.
“We have intel that would suggest that one of the branches within our network—Las Vegas to be specific—has plans to take out that building,” he stared directly at Alana. Her eyes widened and she gasped.
“What exactly do you mean, ‘take out’ the building?”
“Not sure, but it would probably make a pretty big boom,” Rylen said with a straight face. He glanced quickly to Enock who hadn’t changed his expression, revealing nothing. Rylen could practically see the thoughts spinning in his eyes, following the thread of his lie until he arrived at the same conclusion. Finally, Enock nodded his head in the slightest way, barely noticeable to anyone not looking for it.
“You have to let me out, Rylen. Please,” Alana practically begged.
“Are you kidding? So you can go get yourself blown up?” he spat.
“Why would you care? I’m just your prisoner,” she spat back with equal heat.
“Why would I care, indeed? The fact of it is, I don’t. But you might come in handy as a useful ally to let me know when Fairfax is closing in on us.” Rylen cocked his head as if he had just thought that was actually a good idea.
Alana’s gasp was full of outrage. “I will cut my ties if I have to, but I will not be used as a pawn in my father’s games either for him or for you.” She stared him directly in the eyes unafraid of what he might do to her.
Rylen could sense her resolve and admired it. “Who is your father to the alliance?” What he wanted to ask was how her father was using her.
“Arturo Krestle, the actual leader of the Fairfax Human Rights Alliance,” she said without inflection. “Eli Fairfax is the face of the organization. He’s young, charismatic, and people find him endearing. My father made him the front man.”
Rylen recovered quickly before she saw his moment of shock—not from the fact that Eli was not the true leader of the Fairfax group, but from the name. Krestle. That name was very familiar, going back to when he was a boy. It couldn’t be the same family, could it? Enock, however, read or felt Rylen’s emotional response and squinted in confusion, studying him. Rylen shook it off and continued.
“Fine. Enock
will blindfold you as you were on the way in. You will be released into a public place not far from here where you can make contact. I’m sure they are looking for you.” Rylen grabbed the keys from Enock’s outstretched hand and unlocked her cell door. She rose and quickly put her boots back on, afraid if she didn’t move fast he might change her mind. Part of her didn’t want him to let her go back to them. She would for sure have hell to pay for leaving, but she couldn’t let the innocent people pay for something they didn’t necessarily chose to be a part of.
As she walked past Rylen standing at the edge of her cell, she paused, “Thank you. Will I see you again?” Her voice was laced with hope and desire. She did want to see him again even after spending a night in his dungeon, maybe even because of it.
Rylen stepped in close to her. She didn’t step away. He leaned in even closer. His chest moved against her shoulder and she looked up at him, just slightly taller than she. “Never fear, little hunter. I will be keeping my eyes on you. The darkness is never that far away if you can turn your back on the light that threatens to chase it away. Just remember, there is no light without the darkness. They go hand in hand,” he whispered as he laced his fingers within her own. The warmth from his breath on her neck sent chills down her arms.
“They’re not bad people, well not all of them. They’re just single-minded, goal-driven people,” she breathed.
“They can be the worst kind. Be careful with those whose vendetta overrules their sense of what is right and wrong.” She tried to interrupt, but Rylen silenced her, placing his finger over her lips. He left it there while he spoke his next words. “Magic may be right under their noses. Watch your back. If you want to unlock your magic, little hunter, come find me again,” with that he moved his finger from her lips. About to question him again, he lowered his head and took her mouth, pressing his desire upon her full, defined lips. He wouldn’t have forced her to kiss him back, but she volunteered that all on her own, turning toward him, her chest pressed tightly against his. She reached up and around his neck with both hands. Opening her mouth to him hungrily, his tongue dove inside taking what she offered. Their tongues danced a duet of passion for only a mere minute before he pulled back forcefully against his desire to consume all of her. Her lips were swollen and moist from his kiss. They both breathed heavily, her chest rising against his own. Alana’s eyes were wide with a hunger for more that tempted him beyond words.
“Go. Go before I trap you here and your people perish,” he said knowing those words would shock her out of her passion induced fog.
She straightened up and turned to where she thought Enock had been standing. “He’s waiting at the top of the stairs. Stay safe, little hunter, don’t trust anyone.”
“Even you?” she asked with sass.
“Especially me.” His eyes sparked with heat. “But know that all your father has told you may not be the whole story,” Rylen said. She puckered her forehead in confusion but turned to the stairway and ran up the stairs not looking back.
Rylen ran his hands over his face and took several deep, cleansing breaths. He needed to head back to his apartment for yet another cold shower.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Daylight was fading fast and the darkness would soon descend upon Seattle. The day had been mostly uneventful since Alana had returned to the compound he now loathed. Rylen and the team he had designated were ready to head out, each clothed in black from head to toe. Individually, they positioned their ear-pieces and took turns checking the comms with Tom and a couple of his assistants.
Rylen’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He lifted it up and read the caller ID, giving a head signal to Mather who was closest to him and beckoned him over to listen.
“Good evening, Madam Widow,” Rylen began and the room around him hushed in silence. “Yes, we are all prepping to head out right now.” He paused to listen. “I know exactly which building it is.” He looked to Mather who was listening intently using a special talent the wolf shifters had. He didn’t even need to be that close to hear the other side of the conversation through the phone line. “I know there’s a lot riding on this. I know my time is running out.” A pause. “I said, I know,” Rylen growled under his breath. “No. My apologies, Widow.” With that, he hung up. He stared straight ahead simply breathing.
“Release the phone, Rylen,” Mather coaxed quietly. “You just got that one to replace the last one you smashed.”
“Right.” Rylen faced his friend and gave him an appreciative nod before he tossed him the phone, no longer wanting to touch it. He would have thrown it had doing so not meant destroying yet another phone. He didn’t care about getting a new phone, but he wouldn’t be able to get one until tomorrow, and he would need it tonight.
“Where are Luc and Enock?” Mather asked him as the team continued to get their gear in order, tightening boots, adding weapons to holsters, and various random pre-mission routines. A couple of guys passed them carrying a locked utility bin that held various types of explosive devices. They nodded at Rylen, who returned the gesture.
“Enock got back a while ago from taking Alana to her drop point. He should be changing and joining us in a second. I had Luc follow her and whoever picked her up to see if they went anywhere other than back to the warehouse. He’ll probably just meet us there. He said he’d let you know if anything changed,” Rylen explained as he put in his own ear piece.
“Check, Tom,” Rylen touched the ear piece as he tested it.
“Loud and clear, boss,” Tom’s voice echoed in his ear.
“Gotcha. Out.” Rylen signed off. Mather then did the same with his own.
“We’re taking Mai with us and I’m leaving Lola and Vi here with Samson in charge of the Lair and whoever is left behind.” Mather nodded his agreement. Samson was a seasoned member of the team and a secondary warlock, specializing in protection and offensive spells. Just then, Mai and Enock came from around the corner suited up in their own black gear. Mai’s clothing was a little different than the standard black cargo pants and black jackets over the protective vests. She chose instead to wear thick black leggings, her tall black wedge boots, and a long black tunic length t-shirt with a long-sleeved short black zip-up jacket. She claimed it was for ease of movement should she need to use her “ninja” skills. Her hair was in a high ponytail to ensure it stayed out of her way. Plus she looked badass.
“Gear up,” Mather said as he threw an ear piece first to Enock, who caught it with quick reflexes, and then another to Mai, who also caught hers with precise dexterity.
Unexpectedly, Lola came into the entry, guiding Gracie by the arm. She held a vacant stare, but the irises of her eyes spun wildly. The Oracle was having a vision.
“Rylen,” Lola whispered knowing he’d hear her from the other side of the room. He looked up at her. Seeing Gracie, his eyes went wide and strode quickly across to where they stood just inside the entry area.
“How long?” Rylen asked Lola as he looked Gracie over. He was incredibly protective of their little Oracle and was always on edge when it came to her wellbeing. They all were. She was the most loved and cherished of anyone among the Lair. Her secrecy was of the highest importance and they all vowed to guard her with their lives.
“Not long. Five minutes maybe,” Lola answered. “Do you think it could be about Poppy?” None of them had any idea of what the Oracle’s visions could be about, but Lola was worried. She bit the nails of her free hand while she still held onto Gracie’s arm with her other.
Rylen shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know, but I hope so.”
They had to wait about three more minutes to find out. Gracie’s eyes returned to normal and she took a deep breath as if she had been holding it the entire time. She hadn’t been; Rylen made sure of that when the team was first scared that she would pass out or die from not breathing during a long vision. The abrupt reaction of her coming out of the visions back into reality was a bit jarring, however.
“Poppy. I saw her and other
s… at a computer doing something for them, but she kept looking over her shoulder like she didn’t want them to see. I could feel her use her magic with the computer and put her own thoughts into it. I think she’s trying to tell us something,” Gracie rushed out.
“Does she seem all right? Is she hurt?” Lola asked quickly.
“She had some scratches and a black eye, but overall seemed ok I guess. It was hard to tell from just looking,” Gracie said apologetically.
“That’s great, Gracie. Thank you,” Rylen said as he put his large hand on her tiny shoulder.
“Boss?” Tom’s voice came through the comm in Rylen’s ear.
“Not now, Tom,” Rylen shot back.
“But boss, I got—“
“I said not now, Tom,” Rylen said tightly. He looked to Lola and Gracie about to say something when Tom interrupted him again. Rylen growled.
“It’s Poppy. Boss. I got a message from her, I think… no, I know it’s from her. It’s encrypted, but it has her signature coded within it. I just thought you should know,” Tom trailed off. From the sound of his voice, he was nervous but, being in the command center, he didn’t know that Rylen’s expression was actually one of relief.
“Thank you, Tom. Can you decode it?” Rylen asked much more calmly.
“Yes, but it will take me a few tries.”
“Very good, Tom. We will wait in case it’s pertinent to this mission,” Rylen said then finished with, “Rylen out.”
“Well, now we know what she was doing.” Lola sighed with relief. “Maybe she’ll tell us how to fry the fuckers who took her.” Her expression took on an evil glint as she smirked at Rylen.
He didn’t return the sentiments even though he felt them because he knew it would bother Gracie, but as he glanced at her, he was surprised to see her nodding her head in agreement with Lola.
“What?” Gracie asked in annoyance when she saw Rylen watching her.