He hadn’t had shitty parents like her, or what he guessed were shitty parents based on her conversation with Damon. His parents had protected him, but when he’d turned into a wolf at puberty, it was like his change had been some silent queue that life would never be the same again. His parents had already allied with Graham Vuković, and his change into a Vuković wolf was unique. His parents hadn’t known if it was possible or not, but like called to like. He was an anomaly, and he’d needed Graham to show him what it meant to be Vuković, what the extent of his power would be.
“Damon has Kieran’s, but I can carry my own bag, wolf,” Eire said, and he was drawn to her strength, her independence. God help him, he’d been spending too much time with Danny because it gave him a bit of a sadistic pleasure that he could ruffle her feathers a bit.
Eire was defensive. She was guarded, and hell, she probably thought he was idiot. He’d barely said anything to her, but shit, staying quiet was best sometimes. He was different than other Vuković. He didn’t have a wolf underneath his skin. He was the wolf. More animal than the others in his Clan. And right now, he wanted to howl. He was so close to a shift, it took everything in him to remain in his human skin. And all because of her. Because the Other intrigued him. And now she was staying with him. In his yurt. In his home. On his land.
“Wolf, I do not, nor will I ever need your help. Give me my damn bag,” she demanded, breaking into his thoughts and speaking slowly as though he were a big, dumb animal.
He gave her a glance, but said only, “No need,” and kept walking. He saw her green eyes flare to a bright emerald hue that reminded him of the hills he’d seen in Ireland when he’d visited on leave before going civilian. He wanted to see how green those eyes got when her power was set free, when she let loose.
He wasn’t going to budge on carrying her bag. She met his stride and he had to admire her persistence. But after one more attempt to grab at the bag, which he wouldn’t let go of, she huffed out an exaggerated breath and instead quietly walked a safe distance away, but still at his side. He wasn’t being heroic or a gentleman. He quite literally couldn’t let it go. He needed to do something. Anything. His internal nature was whining at him, and between her anger and her vulnerability, all he wanted to do was to bring out the small smile she’d had earlier.
He wanted to make this Other smile.
Hell.
If Graham could see him now, Nicky’d get the lecture of a lifetime. But that restlessness that had been hounding him was crowded out in her presence. That itch he felt at his back was background noise when she stood next to him, and he had to know why. He hated that his nature had so much control over him, hated that the wolf in him craved the playfulness and the gentleness he’d let go of a long time ago on a battlefield far from home. Hated that his own rough exterior had been slowly smoothing out since he’d come to Montville.
Emotions were powerful. They were the bread and butter of existence. As a wolf, he knew that. But as a man, he didn’t like to be dicked around by the pain and difficulty emotions brought. He saw that feeling mirrored in Eire, and he couldn’t help but let out the pack animal in him.
“You’re angry.” Her observation startled him, and he quickly changed his expression. He’d been thinking too hard. Lost in his thoughts again. Brooding, Alexia would call it. He shook his head, but she ignored the motion. “I get it. I tend to have that effect on people.”
Her voice had quieted, but there was a strange timbre to it that he couldn’t quite place. “So, you give me my bag, I’ll find a god-awful motel in town, and you can walk out of this with your knight in shining armor suit still intact.” Her gaze met his as they continued to walk. “No one would blame you,” she added, her voice having turned to steel. “And I don’t need a hero.”
“Good, because I sure as hell am not a fucking hero,” he said as he walked the rest of the path up to Devon and Alexia’s double-wide. “I’ve got an extra room. You need a place to stay. No one else could take you in,” he said succinctly. “Simple as that.” Except, he already knew that it wasn’t that simple. She was used to people dismissing her. And she didn’t trust generosity.
He dropped the bag on the step to the trailer and turned around quickly, only to see she’d stopped right behind him. He held onto her arms to steady himself and cursed the action as soon as it was done because she hadn’t been the only one to feel the earlier reaction.
Where his hands held her arms, there was a feeling like touching snow. Not ice. No, touching her felt like the first snowfall in winter, cool and refreshing and so beautiful, the crisp air took your breath away. He wanted to breathe in that crisp newness, but he slowly forced himself to let her go. To break away from the refreshing feeling of first snow and walk down the steps of the double-wide to the wooded area where the fire pit was already burning.
“I’ll grab the bag later. My bike’s in the drive. You good on a Harley?”
“A Harley?” Her face transformed to interest for a blink of an instant and the corners of his lips quirked.
“Yeah, a 2015 Sportster Iron,” he answered, and made his way toward the fire pit where he saw everyone waiting. Eire followed, again matching him stride for stride even though she was almost a foot shorter. “You ever ridden?”
“It’s been a while. My brothers all used to have bikes when I was little, and Gimp has one too. But, no. It’s been years. I remember I love it, though—”
Nicky had been listening intently to her strong voice that had been unhindered by her rough tone, but he saw the moment she realized she’d been letting down her guard too much. Saw her face change, and become expressionless once again, all ice and angles.
He felt the small triumph in his gut, though, as his stomach dipped.
So, she wouldn’t be his friend anytime soon, but he’d gotten her to drop the icy tone for a good twenty seconds. He didn’t need friends anyhow.
He’d stopped collecting friends seven years ago when he’d gone from kid who wanted to blow shit up to man who knew too much about the world to ever be comfortable in the dark again.
After the loss of Graham, he’d taken his chance to once again crawl into a hole and never come back out. Or at least he’d tried. For a whole month, he’d had the peace he needed. Maybe not for his wolf that craved the company of others, but for Nicky himself. And then Ginny had happened. She’d barged into his yurt, let the sun burst through, and he hadn’t fucking been able to crawl back into a place of hiding since her “rise and shine” that morning.
“As long as you’ve ridden before,” he said, wanting to start the conversation up again, “you’ll be fine.”
She ignored his attempt at furthering the conversation and only nodded as they walked over to the fire pit, but he could see the wheels turning in her overactive, analytical brain.
“What did you smell back there?” she asked, her voice formal. “At the crime scene?” The woman was all business. She didn’t let herself stray, and if she did stray, she righted herself as soon as possible.
Well, that was why they was here, right? To solve the murders. Murders. Fuck. He was still pissed Alexia and Devon hadn’t told him about the other crime scenes, and Danny hadn’t been very happy either. But then again, Danny was different. It had taken him five minutes to move on, slap Devon on the back, and crack a joke.
“So?” Eire prompted, glancing at the flames as though she were drawn to them. Someone had already gotten the logs kindling, and he knew that the Good Samaritan was the ever-silent Ben and Carrie, both hiding away in their respective homes most likely. Matt and Gem had left after he’d arrived that morning, Matt to get to his maintenance job at the University and Gem to open her café in town.
Nicky hunkered down near the fire, feeling its warmth even though it wasn’t needed. The fire pit was large, handmade, stone reinforced, and surrounded on all sides by logs cut down and reworked into large knotted seating areas for anyone to sit and relax and just be themselves.
Any time o
f the year.
No matter the weather.
No matter snow, sun, or rain.
This place was safe.
Nicky could try and keep himself separate all he wanted, but it hit him suddenly as he looked around at the others that he was sitting in his usual spot. He had a ‘usual’ spot. He knew the truth deep down, and he knew it in that moment. He loved this place. And he loved these people. And that was a heady thing. Caring. Giving a shit. Knowing there was the potential for losing them. For causing their loss.
Nicky scooted over to the edge of his log so Alexia could sit next to him. Apparently, the new additions to the group had forced Alexia to his side of the fire. She usually sat across the way with Matt and Gem, but Eire and Damon had stayed on the other side of the pit when Nicky had walked over this way and plopped down. He didn’t know why he’d thought Eire would join him. But he had. Instead, she barely looked at him, and she held herself separate from the others by standing instead of taking a seat.
Eire made no movement toward the fire. There was no expression on her stone-cold face. Nothing but bright green eyes. Nothing but the fire-lit uniqueness of a pale face that was all compelling bone structure and beauty.
Nicky felt movement to his side and looked up to find Devon crawling in behind Alexia and she adjusted her position. The two moved in synchronicity and Nicky had to appreciate their easiness. The total compatibility reminded him of his parents.
He had wanted that at one point in his life. Now, he knew the truth. For people like Nicky, it was him against the world.
“You asked what I smelled,” Nicky said, turning toward her, making sure to let the woman know he hadn’t forgotten her question. “I smelled what everyone else smelled, Eire. Blood. Viscera. The dirt beneath it all. The growing mushrooms. The peat moss and—”
“What’ve we got?” Kieran interrupted, opening up a beer and plopping down on the log seating next to where Eire still stood.
“Where’ve you been, Gimp?” Eire asked, her face still emotionless.
Kieran just smiled, apparently used to her moods. He downed the beer quickly, and Nicky saw him move to grab another. “Had to recharge after fucking traversing twice in one night, didn’t I?” he said, his Irish brogue so strong as he knocked back second beer Nicky could barely understand the man. Danny was absent from the group, but Kieran seemed to feel just as at home. His carefree personality lightened the mood.
“Eight murders,” Nicky said, giving the Trow his attention. “Murders that some of us had to find out about by walking into their own woods and finding an exploded Other.”
“I said I was sorry,” Alexia muttered defensively from next to him.
“Shit, whatever.” Nicky looked across the fire at Eire and Kieran. “You two are Enforcers, but not from this area, so how’d you get involved?”
Gimp looked to Eire to speak. Her expression didn’t change but her eyes did. Those eyes asked the question everyone was asking of the others around the fire: Can we trust them?
Nicky saw the Trow’s nod, and he was relieved. They needed information. They needed to figure out what had happened to these bodies and close up shop before a ninth body showed up a few towns over.
Eire stayed standing even when everyone else sat. Even with everyone’s eyes on her, she didn’t fidget. She didn’t pace. She barely moved at all but for the movement of her lips. The only thing that showed she was a living being at all was that movement, the small puffs of cold breath that left her red lips, and the bright green hue of her eyes that, instead of looking at the circle of people around her, looked down at the fire.
“Gimp’s the one who got the okay to come down here from the Other Enforcers, and with Damon in town and butting his nose into the investigation as per usual,” she said, her eyes still fixed on the fire and betraying no emotion, “well, it made sense to check things out and see if a couple Other Enforcers could be of some use. We don’t have much information, yet, but we’ve got the skills. We’re also the two best Enforcers the Others have.” She paused and stood up straight, looking around at the group. “The information we do have is that the first murder took place in Syracuse three months ago. The rest continued on a path right to this last one here. Gimp also shared that the Others who’ve found the scenes have caught the scents of the Fae, and the killings…well…” Her voice and her eyes grew distant for a moment. “They’re unique.”
Nicky didn’t miss the look Kieran exchanged with Damon, and Nicky wondered at what greater role the bar owner really played in this world. His friendship with Gem over the last year, and his constant presence, made Nicky a little uneasy. Then again, an unknown Other was always cause for alarm.
“We have the same timeline,” Alexia said, her hand in Devon’s. She moved her blood red gaze around the circle and met the eyes of everyone there: Damon, Kieran, Eire, and finally Nicky himself. She exhaled loudly and stood to join Eire. “And yes. We could use the help. If you’re willing to look past the fact that I’m a Skröm bitch,” she added quickly before continuing. “Look, it’s nine am and I’ve got class. Matt and Gem are both at work. Damon has to get to the bar. Let’s call it like it is and meet tonight when Danny is off shift and can share his evidence. Matt might be able to add some to the conversation, too. He’s dealt with Others before.” Nicky saw Damon’s brief look of alarm at the mention of Matt’s dealings, and Nicky’s interest was piqued. “We can’t change anything right now, and the body,” Alexia continued even as she shuddered. “Well, the pieces of the body aren’t going anywhere. The first few murders were about three weeks apart, but we’ve seen a steady increase in the kill count over the past couple months. The perp went from three bodies in a month and a half to five additional murders in that same amount of time, and it’s been about a week since the last in Colchester. So, we need to move fast, but we need to move smart too. Eire, you go with Nicky.” Nicky saw Eire bristle at the command, but she didn’t say anything further. “And the rest of us will meet back here tonight. Six o’clock good?” Alexia asked.
“I’ve got the bar tonight,” Damon said, “but I can have Mel be barback. She likes it back there anyway.”
“Good,” Alexia said.
Everyone moved out, and as was common, Nicky brought up the rear of the group, which meant Eire beat him to her bag. His lips quirked at her stubbornness. Two minutes later, they were at his bike, and she held the bag at her side for a beat before giving him an exasperated sigh and throwing the bag his way. He caught it one-handed and tacked it to the back of his Harley.
Nicky climbed on his bike and Eire joined him, her strong legs resting solidly against his own thighs. The feeling of first snow hit him again, and he had to suppress the unfamiliar response that came over him. His inner wolf had whined uncontrollably pretty much since the minute he’d seen the ice queen at his back, but her body plastered to him, warm and cool at the same time, had silenced the restless beast inside.
The restlessness he’d felt since the day he’d become a wolf.
The restlessness that had only grown since his fuck-up when he’d served or since Graham’s death.
The restlessness that had led to an early morning run because he had reached a peak of anxiety these past few months.
Yes, that restlessness. That restlessness was gone, and in its place, he felt a peace he hadn’t felt since before he’d learned the truth about his family history and his wolf at too young of an age.
And this peace made him more scared than he’d ever been.
He didn’t know the woman at his back, but he did understand life, and anytime the fates gave you someone who felt like the beginning or the end, they were most often both. And so, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Eire Donovan was not just the start of something new, but the end to his restlessness. She was, ironically, going to be the beginning of some unknown storm. She was the adventure, and he wasn’t sure this was the way he would have chosen to cash in on his current restless state.
Eire felt the he
at against her front as she plastered herself to the wolf. It had been almost seventeen years since she’d ridden a bike and she wanted to be prepared when he set off. But he idled as if waiting for something. She turned when she heard the pounding of feet coming from the front of the main trailer, and saw the Skröm’s mate, Devon, walk out of the house, a helmet in hand.
“We had an extra,” he said, meeting her gaze. She hadn’t noticed the strange hue to his eyes before. They were a grey-green, and held no judgment of any kind. “Good to meet you, Eire.” He seemed sincere, and she nodded at the gesture.
“You too,” she said, taking the helmet with hesitation. As an Other, she should have given the bear some feelings of discomfort when their hands met, but instead, the bear smiled languidly, nodded, and barreled away. There was that humanity again working its magic.
“Here,” Nicky said as he climbed off the bike and helped her get the helmet on. She felt incompetent, but her hands were shaking from the effort she’d put into healing Gimp and then traversing from Syracuse to Montville. She really did need to crash and recover before their meet tonight.
“Th-th-thank you,” she stuttered out, shivering.
“You’re cold,” the wolf said, concerned, and his eyes were a warm brown so close to the color of her mom’s brown eyes that she got lost for minute in their depths of caring. She didn’t protest when he grabbed her hands and blew some warmth on them, trying to get the chill out. She should have told him the chill would never go away. But she didn’t say anything. She just watched him as he took care of her, as he tried to warm her body. But he was warming so much more than her hands, and she needed to pull away before she let the thoughts clouding her mind take hold.
“You headed out?” Damon asked from behind Nicky and she jumped at the sound of his voice, even though he’d barely spoken above a whisper.
Rage Against the Devil (Wild Beasts Series Book 2) Page 7