The Caitlin Chronicles Boxed Set

by Michael Anderle

  When she complied, Izzy checked that the coast was clear, locked the door from the inside, and turned.

  “Hey, what the hell?” Caitlin said. “If you wanted to get me alone, just ask, baby.”

  She laughed, then stopped when Izzy glared at her.

  “I hope to God that you weren’t thinking what I think you were thinking back there.”

  Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “That I wanted to be locked in a cupboard with you for the next few hours? Sure. That dream just came true.”

  “You don’t get it. You don’t get it at all,” Izzy said, an urgency in her voice which caught Caitlin off-guard. “You have to be careful what you’re doing here. There’s a system. There’s a way to do things. We’re doing what we’re told to do to try and find the missing ones. Leave it at that and help us or get the fuck out of the city.”

  “What are you…” Caitlin started, then it dawned on her. Izzy was an order-follower. A sheep. Someone who did as they were told and stuck to the easier way of life. The orders filtered down from the top, and they were followed to the letter. No room for wandering. Stay on track and obey.

  Caitlin’s anger erupted. “You’ve been wasting my time since we’ve arrived, haven’t you? You knew that you would never find the Weres. How long has it really been? A month? A year? A decade?”

  Izzy shoved her. She couldn’t help but notice that even when she was angry, there was something appealing in her features. “It’s none of your business.”

  She shoved back. “It’s every bit my business. I need to find my friend, and that’s never going to happen unless we draw outside the lines and think of a new plan. What use is it patrolling each day at the same times in the hope that something crops up? As much as the beds are comfy and the food is bountiful, I’m on a tight timescale here to find my friend and get him the fuck out of Dodge. So, I say again. Set traps. Use bait. Something. Anything. Draw the fuckers out. Stop hiding, get your shit together, and let’s make some progress.”

  Izzy’s nostrils flared as fear rose in her eyes. “No. We can’t. I mean…I won’t. Alicia…Felicia will…”

  “Will what?”

  To Caitlin’s surprise, Izzy started crying.

  “What? What is it?” she asked. “You’re going to tell me that Felicia won’t allow it? That Tristan will bring the hammer down and ruin it all? No wonder you haven’t made any progress. You guys are so used to living with the Weres, you don’t want anything to change. You all hide in your library and make a splash about how you’re doing something to change the world, when really, you’re all simply cowards, waiting for the world to come to you. You’re terrified that you might win. Or, even worse, that you might lose. Well, something needs to change, Izzy.”

  Caitlin barged past her, and the motion shoved her into a shelf. Items and jars fell to the floor and clattered. She tried the door, but it wouldn’t open. “Bitch, let me out before I get really angry.”

  Izzy stood straight, her head high. Tears dribbled down her cheek. “You’re only part right, Kitty-Cat,” she said. “Sure, we stick to the simple tactics because that’s what we’re told to do, but the last time we strayed…the last time we tried to bring the fight to them…”

  “What? Spit it out,” Caitlin said.

  “They took my son,” she said simply.

  Caitlin couldn’t explain it, but at that moment, all her defenses fell. She looked at Izzy and, instead of the bold, strong warrior of the Vanguard who patrolled the fences and led her team, she saw nothing more than a woman—a vessel of feelings, emotions, and love.

  Spurred by an urge she couldn’t quite comprehend, Caitlin strode up to Izzy, held her face with both hands, and kissed her lips.

  At first, Izzy’s body froze, but soon, she felt her respond. They threaded their fingers through each other’s hair, pulled one another closer, and barely came up for air as the moment took them. Caitlin had never felt anything like it. Growing up, she’d had men interested in her, but she had never truly experienced what she felt now. A rush of passion and emotions welled up and submerged her anger.

  After what felt like forever, they pulled apart. A moment of embarrassment lingered in the air as they looked coyly at each other.

  “That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting,” Izzy said, stumbling slightly over her words.

  “You should see what happens if you say someone stole your husband.” Caitlin smirked. “Seriously, I’m sorry. But if they took him, shouldn’t you be even more ready to go claim him back?”

  “It was some time ago,” Izzy said. “I don’t hold out much hope.”

  “Well, I can hold out hope for us both.” She took her companion’s face in her hands and their lips met again. “Look, tonight, I’m going hunting, and I won’t stop until I find something. I’m taking Jaxon and my guys, and the next time you see us, we’ll have news. A sign. An entrance. Something. Now that I know they’ve not only taken something of mine but something of the city’s and something of yours, I’m even more determined than before. Trust me. I can do this.”

  Izzy’s eyes welled with tears again. Before she could speak, Caitlin leaned in and placed another kiss on her lips.

  “Be careful out there.”

  “I will,” she replied as Izzy went to unlock the door. “Oh, and one more thing. Let’s not tell anyone what happened in here. Any part.”

  Izzy grinned and winked as they headed back into the hub.

  Chapter Twenty

  The Broken City, Old Ontario

  The world was quiet when Caitlin rose from her bed. It took a little longer than usual to shake off the fog of sleep—likely the wine, she reasoned, though it hadn’t impaired her instincts, thank goodness.

  She sat up slowly, careful to be as silent as possible. She crawled across the blankets, ready to shake the others awake, but they were already waiting for her.

  “We wondered when you’d join us.” Tom’s voice sounded amused, even in the dark.

  Caitlin giggled, then placed a finger over her lips.

  They gathered together, secured their weapons, and tiptoed across the hallway. It was difficult to see, which meant they had to take extra care to avoid obstacles. Despite having been at the library for several days now, they hadn’t spent long enough to be able to navigate their way confidently in the dark.

  Silently, the moved out into the hallway with doors on either side. Every step was measured and careful, though the wooden floors still creaked and threatened to give them away. On some level, she wondered what the worst that could happen would be if they were discovered, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to know.

  Would they be detained?

  Held back?

  She didn’t really want to find out.

  They paused at an intersection where the corridor split into three directions. Caitlin chose left with an outward confidence she didn’t feel, but it led them to a dead end only a few minutes later.

  “I thought you knew the way,” Laurie chided.

  “I’m sorry, I forgot to put on my vampire see-in-the-dark vision,” she retorted.

  They turned and moved back the way they came. As they approached the intersection once more, Caitlin’s heart stopped. She could almost swear that she had seen a flash of red eyes farther down the hallway. But they were gone as instantly as they had come.

  She shuddered, imagining the devastation that had occurred in the cities when the Madness came. Even now, one Mad attack on the folks gathered and sleeping in the hub would be enough to tear the whole town apart. Imagine half a thousand Mad in one room…

  She chose straight ahead this time, and soon enough, came to a set of stairs. They were quiet for the most part, though Joe’s boots hadn’t been designed for creeping around in silence. The thick soles clicked against the wood to the point that Tom rolled his eyes and picked Joe up—much to his grumbled protestations. Jaxon’s ears pricked up as he walked alongside Caitlin, leading the group towards the main hall.

  It wasn’t t
he way they had intended to go. She saw her destination in her mind but remembered it only vaguely. There was a small doorway off one of the side corridors which acted as an entrance into the back of the building.

  Another flash of red caught her eye, and Caitlin’s heart began to race. Where were the guards? What if the Mad had gotten in? She noted that there seemed to be no one watching the doorways now. In all the time they had been in The Broken City, there had always been guards at the exit points.

  And then, there it was. Caitlin paused and felt the others stiffen behind her as a pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness ahead, suspended like two crimson fireflies.

  Before she could think, two shadows rushed ahead. She felt them on her before she had a chance to get her bearings, feeling their weight as she was shoved to the floor.

  “Cat!” Tom hissed, diving down as well.

  Caitlin heard Vex’s laughter in her ear. He tried to keep it quiet, but the noise echoed down the hallway. On the other side of her, she recognized Belle’s sniggers.

  “Damn, Kitty-Cat. You’re too easy.”

  Caitlin shoved them off playfully. “That’s not the first time someone’s said that to me.”

  “Ma, you were so right. That was fun,” Belle whispered to Mary-Anne whose dark shape now appeared before them all.

  “Shhh, keep your voices down. You’ll alert the guards,” Laurie admonished as Tom placed Joe back on the floor. He was shaking with barely suppressed laughter as he tried to adjust to the moment.

  “No need,” Vex said. “Super vamp here knocked them all unconscious before we’d had the chance to see where she went.”

  “What?” Caitlin asked, stunned.

  “Oh, relax. They never saw me. They’ll all wake up on top of each other thinking they were part of some strange orgy, and none of them will say a word come morning,” Mary-Anne assured her, coming forward to hug Caitlin.

  “What did you do with them?” she said.

  “Conked them over the head, stripped them naked, and plopped them in a cupboard I found at the end of the hall.”

  They all laughed, their smiles wide on their faces as they embraced.

  “Where have you been, Ma?” Laurie asked.

  “What are you two doing here?” Caitlin demanded of Vex and Belle who shuffled awkwardly. Had it not been so dark, she guessed she’d see their faces suddenly grow red.

  Mary-Anne chuckled. “Not now. Let’s get outside. We’ve got some catching up to do.”

  She turned and led the way to the door.

  The Sewers, The Broken City, Old Ontario

  Kain could feel eyes burning into him as he took a seat for dinner.

  The mess hall was exactly that—a hall and something of a mess as well. What had once been a larger chamber beneath the ground for the sewage had been repurposed into something that could host large groups of the Weres at once as they ate their meals. Tables and chairs lined the space, and at the front of the room, a tall, lean man with a stained chef’s hat and a cauldron of sorts stirred the slop that would be smacked down into everyone’s bowls.

  Oh, how the nobles live, Kain thought as the chef snarled and ladled his meal reluctantly into the bowl.

  Kain felt like he was back at an old-world high school. Weres were divided into groups, with each taking their turn in staring at him and discussing something—most likely him—under their breath.

  In one corner, the Weres who had chosen the life of an animal gathered and lapped food up from bowls set onto the floor. Wolves, cats, and bears—nowhere near the size of Bryce—knocked into each other, growling and fighting over the scraps left in the dishes.

  As Kain studied the room, feeling more out of place than he ever had in his life, he spotted an empty table and took a seat, hoping that maybe Cynthia would show up soon and keep him company. Out of everyone there so far, she was the only one he truly trusted.

  The slop was tasteless, but he was starving. He made short work of the meal, pushing the bowl away when he finished.

  Which was when two Weres sniggered and separated themselves from their table nearby. They made their way over to him with shit-eating grins on their faces as they took a seat on either side of him.

  “Sorry, boys,” Kain said, emulating a high school girl’s voice. “These seats are taken. Bethany and Latrisse are powdering their noses, and they’ll be, like, super-pissed if they find you here.”

  The Were to Kain’s left, a chubby man with a scar running over his glass eye, smirked and squeezed up closer to Kain.

  “Funny one, ain’t he, Frank?” the Were said, leaning in front of Kain to address his companion.

  “You can say that again.”

  Kain looked at the chubby Were. “Go on. Say it again. I don’t think it all sank into his thick ears.”

  Frank reached a hand instinctively to his ears and examined them. “My ears aren’t thick, are they, Roj?”

  “No, but your head is.” Frank rolled his eyes.

  Kain looked from side to side. “Well, now that we’ve got that cleared up…if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen.”

  He stood, then immediately sat back down as he felt them both grab a shoulder and pull. “You’re not going anywhere, scumbag,” Roj growled. “I don’t know what you think is going on here, but you seem a little too comfortable after your flight back into the nest.”

  “Yeah,” Frank said. “Too comfortable.”

  Kain raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, lads, I think I’m on a two-second delay here. Can we sync up a bit?”

  Roj ignored him. “Look, we don’t give a shit what kind of soft spot Geralt has for you, or whose dick you sucked to get back in the pack. We’re all family here, and we don’t take kindly to fuckers leaving us behind.” He thumbed towards the nearby table where half a dozen Weres sat watching with intense stares. “So, here’s the deal. As long as you’re here, you better watch your back. Every move you make, every breath you take—”

  “You’ll be missing me?” Kain chipped in. “I think threats always work better when you don’t take your lines from old-world music.”

  A blinding pain knifed through Kain’s nose as Roj’s nostrils flared and he lashed forward and smashed his forehead into his face. Kain brought a hand up to the throbbing appendage, looked at his fingers, and saw blood. Anger welled within him. “I think that might have been a mistake for you,” he said.

  “You do, do you—”

  Kain returned the favor, feeling another blinding pain but this time on his forehead. He clapped a hand to his head as Roj fell off the chair and onto the floor. “Fuck!” Kain complained. “Why doesn’t anyone tell you that hurts the person giving it, too?” He moved his hand and looked into Frank’s stunned face. “I mean, seriously? Can you believe that—”

  Frank was quick. The shock passed and he threw his fist at Kain’s head, but Kain was faster, narrowly avoiding the blow as he leaned back.

  “Well, this isn’t good,” he said out loud, then straightened and readied himself as Roj heaved himself back onto his feet. Frank stood as well, and the Weres at the other table all rose to their feet.

  Kain looked pleadingly at the remaining tables of Weres still sat eating their food. They watched with a strange apathy, almost too scared to get involved in the fight. The animals in the corner settled on their hind legs as if about to watch a show.

  Thanks for nothing, guys, he thought.

  He took a fighter stance, raised his fists at the ready, and prepared for the onslaught. A wallop from Roj landed on his left, and Kain returned the blow, his knuckles connecting with cheek. Immediately, he turned, stepped back, and managed to avoid Frank’s punch which followed through, also smacking Roj in the chest.

  “Hey! Him, not me,” his crony exclaimed.

  Roj rose, his eyes flashing amber as the hairs threatened to grow on his body. He managed to keep himself under control, but a surge of strength and speed enabled him to boot Kain in the stomach and send him back against the wall.

  He
felt the wind knocked out of him but managed to gasp a strangled breath, pushed back off from the wall, and launched himself through the air. The momentum landed him on Roj’s chest, and he managed to deliver several powerful punches before the other Weres were on him. Despite his frenzied defense, they dragged him up and showered him with hit after hit after hit.

  And still, Kain didn’t give up. “You call that a punch, pussies? Who taught you to hit like that? Your mother?”

  It was as a fist connected with Kain’s cheek and he felt himself go dizzy that he heard the roar—so powerful that it shook every bone in his body. Immediately, the punches stopped, and all the Weres backed away, bowing their heads as Geralt approached them in bear form.

  His bulk was impressive, and his skin looked almost painted by scars and marks. He bared his teeth in all directions, watching the Weres cower before his might, then changed back into his human form and as naked as the day he was born.

  He glared across the room until his eyes met Kain’s. “You. Come with me. Now.”

  Kain stuck his bloodied chin high in the air and followed, finding just enough strength left to reach towards Roger and pinch his nipple.

  Roj looked ready to pounce but thought better of it. Kain heard someone say, “That’s right, run away. Daddy wants you,” before he stuck his tongue out and left them all behind.

  “What the fuck was that?” Geralt growled as he entered his chambers.

  Kain shrugged. “You know us Weres, even our hellos come off a little more aggressive than most.”

  Geralt stared at him, studying him intensely. His eyes didn’t blink and, for a moment, he almost felt like the Alpha was trying to read his mind and uncover his secrets.

  “You sure know how to integrate with the pack, Sudeikis,” he said at last, falling into his seat. “What I’d appreciate now is if you could behave and maybe actually try to fit in. I don’t often give second chances, and my patience is beginning to run thin.”

  Kain felt a question bubble to the surface. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he paused, thought about it, and tried to hold it down. With Geralt already flared up and needing to calm, was now really the right time to probe and ask the question he was dying to get an answer to?