The Shadow Deception: The Shadow Enforcer Series Book Two

by N M Thorn

  Hawk’s eyes rounded, his eyebrows climbing up. “You don’t say,” he mumbled. “The Destiny Enforcer has a brother who’s a vamp.” He shook his head, pursing his lips. “The joke is on you, kid. One day you may have to put cuffs on your own brother, you know.”

  “It’ll never happen,” replied Damian, cringing inwardly at the thought. “My brother is a good man.”

  “I’m sure he’s a vegetarian,” murmured Hawk with a cold smirk.

  “My brother’s name is Cole Adams.” Damian met Hawk’s gaze without blinking.

  Hawk got up, moving slowly as if his limbs were filled with lead. “The new King of the Arizona Vampire Court is your brother?” he hissed. The air around him shimmered, and the werewolf stiffened, visibly fighting to get his anger under control.

  “This is the reason I am here, sir,” said Damian.

  “Are you here to beg for your brother’s life, Enforcer?” the Alpha growled, his eyes igniting with a bright orange light as his fangs elongated. “If yes, then you wasted your time by coming here! The vamps started this war, but I swear, I’m going to finish it.”

  “No, sir. I don’t beg.” Damian gestured at the bench, inviting Hawk to sit down. “If you give me a chance to explain, you’ll see I have no need to plead for my brother’s safety.”

  For a few seconds, Hawk stood, glowering down at Damian, but then he grunted and sat back down. “Fine,” he muttered. “Go ahead. Explain.”

  “Earlier today, detective Evans summoned me to a crime scene in Blue Creek,” started Damian. “One more werewolf was killed by a vampire, or so it seemed. But once I examined the victim and the scene of the crime, I detected a strange magical energy residue which made me think that things were not what they appeared to be. I don’t believe vampires killed those werewolves. I believe there is a third party who’s trying to ignite a war between two large supernatural groups in Arizona. I don’t know who that is or what their motives are, but if you help me, I swear I will find out and bring them to justice. I’m here to ask you to hold the werewolves from retaliating just long enough for me to do my job.”

  “What makes you think there is someone else?” Hawk wasn’t sarcastic, but the vibe of mistrust and antagonism surrounding the old Alpha was too prominent for Damian not to notice it. He couldn’t blame him knowing that his only daughter had been killed recently, presumably by a vampire.

  “Intuition. Isn’t it what you teach your young ones—to always trust your intuition?” replied Damian. “Centuries of swimming up to my eyeballs in supernatural shit without my full power and magic has taught me a few things.”

  Hawk raised his face, his gaze lingering on the scar on Damian’s face a moment too long, and for a heartbeat, Damian felt as if the old Alpha was reading his soul.

  “Ruby was my only daughter,” Hawk said after a while. “She was beautiful, kind and...” His voice shook and trailed away, undiluted anguish overflowing his words. He sat, motionless and silent, his face a mask of pain. Finally, he pressed his fingers to his eyes and leaned back, taking in shallow breaths. “A rogue vamp took her from me... and you’re asking me to stand down?”

  “No, sir,” objected Damian. “I’m asking you to give me a chance to find the person who’s truly responsible for Ruby’s death.”

  Hawk didn’t reply right away, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely audible. “And what if it is your brother who’s responsible for her death? What would you do then, Enforcer? Would you put the Destiny Cuffs on him? Would you fulfill your duty, killing your brother in the process?”

  Damian shuddered, swallowing with an effort. The Destiny Cuffs were designed to strip any magical or elemental being of their magic, draining them completely and effectively turning them into humans. Since the only thing that sustained a vampire’s life was their vampiric essence, which was nothing but pure magical energy, the lightest touch of the Destiny Cuffs to their skin would kill them instantly.

  Rising heavily, Damian extended his right hand. As his dagger materialized in his palm, he took one knee before the Alpha, placing the tip of his blade to the ground.

  “Hawk, I don’t bow, and I kneel before no one. But right now, I’m kneeling before you so I can swear my oath to you.” Damian squeezed the pommel of his dagger, looking up at the old werewolf. “I swear I will find those responsible for Ruby’s death and bring them to justice.” He bowed his head, a deep crease materializing between his eyebrows. “If it is Cole who killed your daughter, I swear, I’ll put the Destiny Cuffs on his wrists myself.”

  Hawk looked away from him, his hand clutching at his throat as if suddenly he had a hard time breathing. “Your brother is a vampire,” he said in disbelief. “How can you be so positive in his innocence? How can you trust him so... blindly?”

  Damian got up, and his dagger vanished. Lowering on the bench next to Hawk, he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his lap. “Because I believe that discord in the Vampire Court and the war between the vampires and werewolves are driven by the same individuals. Because despite Cole being undead, he’s more human than some people I’ve known throughout my life.” He straightened, turning to the Alpha. “Because he’s my blood, and even though he’s a vampire and I’m a Destiny Enforcer, we stand together. Always.”

  “A Destiny Enforcer works with a vamp. And here I thought I’d seen it all by now.” Hawk smiled, and there was something in his eyes that gave Damian a spark of hope, but then the Alpha set his lips into a straight line, shaking his head. “I’m afraid you’re asking me something I’m not sure I can deliver. Even if I can hold back my own pack and a few more packs whose Alphas would listen to me, there are others who don’t care about anything I say.”

  “I understand, but what if—,” Damian started to say when the loud ring of his cellphone interrupted him. Throwing an apologetic glance at Hawk, he got up and pulled the phone out. As he checked the screen, he saw Cole’s photo and pressed the green button, answering the call. “It’s my brother. I’m sorry, I have to take his call.”

  Hawk nodded, giving him a dismissive flick of his wrist.

  “Cole, finally,” Damian exhaled with relief. “Did you receive my message? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, more or less,” replied Cole.

  “What happened?”

  “I’ll tell you later. There are more important things you need to know,” said Cole, and the engine roared in the background as he started his car. “I just met with Luc de la Crosse. You were right.”

  “About?” asked Damian, glancing at Hawk.

  “Everything,” replied Cole. “Someone is playing a dangerous game in our backyard, and we need to find them before they unleash a full-blown supernatural storm on our state.” Cole stopped talking, and Damian heard a loud thud as his brother slammed his hand on something. “When we find this person”—Cole’s voice came through as a low growl—“I’ll tear them limb from limb with my bare hands.”

  “Cole, what happened?” asked Damian, unease spreading through him.

  “I’ll tell you everything when I see you in person,” replied Cole, his voice flat. “Did you speak with the Alpha?”

  “I’m with Hawk right now,” said Damian, giving a curt nod to the Alpha. “I’m going to put you on speaker. Do you mind telling both of us everything the Master Warden told you?”

  “Go ahead.”

  Damian switched his phone to speaker and turned to Hawk. “This is my brother, Cole Adams,” he introduced, lowering on the bench. “He just met with Master Warden Luc de la Crosse, and he has some information for us.”

  “A vampire had a meeting with a Master of the Wardens Order. I never thought I’d live to see the day when any representatives of the Destiny Council would deal with vampires,” muttered the old Alpha, shaking his head. “For them, the only good vampire is a dead one. At least, it used to be that way.”

  “It still is, sir,” said Cole, his voice sounding sad even through the speakerphone. “However, the Master Warden understands
the gravity of the situation and is willing to work with me to resolve the issue.”

  “Your brother sounds like one of those corporate sharks,” Hawk whispered, giving Damian an arched stare.

  Damian almost choked, trying to stifle his laughter. “You know Cole is a vampire,” he managed to say. “Whispering doesn’t help. He can hear you.”

  “Oh, shit,” muttered Hawk, scratching the back of his head. “So, what did the Master Warden tell you, Mr. Adams?” He cleared his throat and added not without a layer of sarcasm in his words, “Am I supposed to address you as Your Majesty, by the way?”

  “No, sir,” replied Cole quietly. “You can call me Cole. I am not a proponent of keeping up the medieval traditions in the midst of the twenty-first century.”

  “Okay, Cole, what do you have for us?” Despite sounding calm, Hawk clenched his jaw and frowned slightly, his every move betraying just how much he hated the idea of speaking with a vampire, even over the phone.

  “I’ll make it short,” continued Cole. “Luc de la Crosse suspects that we have a powerful necromancer working in Arizona.”

  “How powerful? Did Luc give you a name?” asked Damian, his blood running cold at the realization of the danger his brother was in.

  “Powerful enough to conjure wurdulaks,” growled Cole. “All those werewolves... they weren’t killed by vampires. They were murdered by wurdulaks!”

  He all but screamed the last words, anger and despair loud and clear in his voice, and Damian couldn’t help but wonder what made his normally composed brother lose his temper. The line went silent for a moment, only the continuous noise of the engine coming through.

  “Damian, that night when I met with the leaders of the opposing faction,” Cole continued at length, “I think we were all under that necromancer’s control. I can’t be sure, of course, but that would explain why I can’t remember anything that happened after the confrontation started.”

  “Cole, where are you? I’m coming to get you,” said Damian, rising. “You’re not safe. Necromancers can control anything without a heartbeat.”

  “I know,” murmured Cole. The ticking of a turn signal sounded too loud to Damian’s overly strained hearing as a pregnant pause hung between them. “I’m almost at Paradise Manor. I have orders from the Master Warden to remain there until further notice.”

  There was so much bitterness in his brother’s voice that Damian cringed inwardly.

  “Hawk, are you there?” asked Cole. The sound of the engine disappeared, and complete silence stretched across the line.

  “I’m here, Cole,” replied the Alpha quietly, and for the first time, he didn’t sound like he wanted to take the phone and smash it against the biggest rock he could find in his backyard.

  “I’m truly sorry for your loss, sir. I’m sorry for all the werewolves who fell victim to this monster,” he said softly. “Now that you know what we’re dealing with, can my brother and I count on your support?”

  Hawk clenched his teeth, his cheek disfigured by a scar twitching from a nervous tic. “You have my support, King,” he replied, his fingers clenching into massive fists, his fingernails elongating into claws.

  “Thank you,” said Cole. “Dima, I’m at Paradise Manor. I’ll see you soon.”

  Damian hung up the phone and turned to the Alpha. “I have to go. I need to get in touch with Luc de la Crosse as soon as possible and start searching for this necromancer. The sooner I find him or her, the safer we all will be.”

  Hawk nodded, rising. “What’s your phone number?” he asked, gesturing at the device Damian held in his hand. “I’ll get in touch with you as soon as I talk to the local pack masters. I can’t promise you that everyone will believe me, but I’ll do my best.”

  “That’s all I can ask for,” replied Damian. He gave the Alpha his phone number and offered his hand to him. As the old werewolf squeezed his hand, he smiled. “Say hello to your teen-wolves. I still wonder why they called a man of my height ‘a little human’, even if they thought I had no magic.”

  Hawk snorted, rolling his eyes. “Don’t even get me started.” He turned around and headed toward the machine shop but halted after a few steps and glanced at Damian over his shoulder. “For a Destiny Enforcer, you’re alright, kid. I hope we can get together for a cup of coffee after all this mess is over.”

  “I have a feeling after all this is over, I will need something stronger than coffee,” replied Damian, chuckling.

  “You got it! Drinks are on me.” The Alpha waved his hand and resumed his walk.

  Damian turned around and moved across the property toward his car. As he reached the fence, he opened his other sight and check the wards placed around the werewolves’ ranch with curiosity.

  “I should have asked Hawk about that,” he muttered, opening the gates. “I wonder which god placed such powerful wards, and why they were needed in the first place.” Promising himself to find out more about Hawk and his pack, he unlocked the car and sat down on the driver’s seat, starting the engine.

  Driving back toward the main road, he dialed Ace’s phone number.

  “Commander Blake?” Ace’s voice sounded surprised and troubled at the same time.

  “Hi, Ace,” he said, poking at the touchscreen to set up the GPS. “Where are you now?”

  “Just left the office and on my way back to Blue Creek,” she replied. “Cole asked me to take care of the mess in his...” Her voice trailed, sounding like the voice of a person who had said something they weren’t supposed to say.

  “He called me earlier,” said Damian, recalling the way his brother sounded on the phone. At first, he wanted to ask Ace what Cole asked her to do but then changed his mind. “Ace, Cole is at Paradise Manor. The Master Warden ordered him to stay within the protected area until the investigation is over. I need you to go there and stay with him. I’ll be home soon, but I can’t be there twenty-four-seven, and I need you to keep an eye on things while I’m not around. I don’t want Cole to be alone even at night.”

  “Yes, my lord,” she replied, tones of excitement coming through the line. “I’m about five minutes away from Paradise Manor.”

  “Ace,” he growled warningly, clenching his jaw. “Remember what I told you. Cole is your charge. You’re shadowing and guarding him. Your service doesn’t include bodily fluids exchange, and it definitely doesn’t include blood donations. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, my lord,” she replied. “Clear as day.”

  He hung up the phone, shaking his head. “It’s like giving a bone to a dog and asking him not to eat it. If Moore ever finds out about her extracurricular activities, she’s not gonna be a happy camper.”

  Chapter 8

  ~ Cole Adams ~

  River was still at work, and the house stood dark and empty. Cole walked through the hallway without turning the light on. With his sharp vision, he didn’t need it to find his bedroom. He opened the door and walked inside, closing it with a soft thud. For a moment, he stood in the middle of the room, his arms dangling limply alongside his body.

  Then he headed toward the bed and collapsed on top without taking his shoes and trench coat off. It took a lot for him to feel tired, but right now, he felt exhausted to the point where he could barely move. Somewhere deep inside, he realized it wasn’t physical exhaustion. It was his mind refusing to process everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Grief, scorching anger and a dreadful feeling of his own helplessness blended into one overwhelming concoction within him, driving him to the wall.

  He pulled a pillow to his chest and curled himself around it, closing his eyes. But just when he allowed himself to relax, the doorbell rang, its jarring sound making him groan and wrap his arms around his head. The bell rang again, and he sat up, lowering his feet to the floor. Slowly, he made his way through the hallway into the foyer and opened the door to see Ace standing with her hand up, ready to ring the bell again.

  She glanced up at him, and her mouth dropped open. Without sayin
g another word, she seized his wrist and pulled him after her, heading back to his room. Once inside, she kicked the door shut and let go of him, placing her hands on her hips.

  “I just came from your office,” she announced. “It looked like something out of a cheap thriller movie, or as if a stampede of rhinos rampaged through it.” She gave him another once-over and added, “And you look like all those rhinos ran over you. Do you want to tell me what’s up with that?”

  “No.” Cole lowered to the bed, dropping his head. He didn’t want to offend her, but talking about him killing his best friend who had stood by his side for over a thousand years wasn’t going to make anyone feel better.

  Ace approached him and threaded her fingers through his entangled, blood-splattered curls. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against her stomach, but she took his chin with her fingers, raising his face.

  “Do me a favor, Cole. Get up.” She nudged him up, and he didn’t resist. Putting her hands under the lapels of his coat, she took it off and tilted her head a little, staring at the T-shirt he was wearing. “Not your style, is it?”

  “No... but walking around covered in blood is also not my style.” He sighed, looking out the window. “Why are you here, Ace? I’m okay. I just need a few minutes of peace.”

  “Commander Blake ordered me to shadow you in his absence,” she replied, sounding all business. “You have blood in your hair and on your neck, by the way.” Ignoring his less than warm welcome, she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned the waistband of his pants. He flinched from the sound of the zipper but again didn’t resist, allowing his pants to fall to the floor. Then he bent down and took his shoes off. As he straightened, she tugged at his shirt. “Take it off.”

  He lifted his arms and grabbed the collar of the shirt, pulling it off, all his moves torturously slow and heavy.

  “Shower, now!” she commanded, pointing at the bathroom.