“It’s a chance I’m willing to take, but the decision will have to be hers.” I’d wrap her in bubble wrap and keep her home, but I didn’t mention that part. “I haven’t talked to her about what she’s willing to offer you, but I can’t offer her services to you.”
He nodded. “As it happens, I have need of a wolf. If you’ve never been bitten before, you’ll do.”
“I haven’t.”
“I’ll have a guest in my home in two weeks’ time. He prefers male wolves who’ve never been bitten, and you’ll need to let him drain you to the point of near-death before you change. We’ll have you bound in a hog-tie until you’re nearly drained, so you’ll have to trust us to free your limbs when it’s time.” He shrugged. “The bite can be pleasant or painful, your choice. He won’t want to fuck you. He just likes having his fill of wolf, and especially enjoys wolves new to the experience.”
I leaned back, checked in with my wolf, and returned his shrug. “We’ll have to lay out some ground rules, and it’s a steep price, but based on your description — I’m willing.”
Bran inhaled deeply and said, “I’ve never tasted snake.”
“Viper isn’t part of our bargain.”
“Of course not. Just an observation. Should we explain the process to your girl and she decides against it, payment for her having knowledge of my kind will be my feasting on you before I leave your home. No more than thirty ounces, as we both know you can easily replenish.”
“Agreed.”
He nodded. “What kind of liquor does your girl like?”
“Rum.”
“Do you have any?”
I shook my head, and Aaron said, “Duke does. I’ll call him and let him know I’m coming to get some.”
Before I could ask why we’d need it, Bran explained, “I’ve found humans do best by chasing my blood with their favorite alcoholic beverage. It’ll still taste foul, but they can usually keep it down easier.”
I knew Hailey had been looking forward to a long soak in the tub with a good book, so I stood and said, “While Aaron’s collecting the rum, I’ll get Hailey out of the tub. I know I can’t tell her about you, but give me a minute to set the stage?”
Bran nodded, and Viper met me in the hallway, saying, “I’ll keep your guest company while you talk to her.”
We both knew he was going to watch Bran and keep him from snooping, but offering to keep him company sounded nicer. My brothers always have my back.
* * *
Hailey
I looked up from my e-reader as the bathroom door opened, and smiled at Dare. He smiled back, but looked worried, and I set my reader to the side.
“You know I can’t fix your wrist by turning you into a wolf, and you’ve learned werewolves aren’t the only supernatural creatures.”
I nodded as he leaned against a wall and crossed his arms.
“You’re about to meet someone who might be able to fix it. I need you to listen to everything he tells you, and carefully consider the pros and cons. I’ll be behind you no matter your decision, but if we go through with it then your movements will be severely restricted for at least a week. It might mean you miss the first couple of days of classes after spring break.”
“I’d do just about anything to be able to play music again. You have to know that, right?”
He nodded. “Which is why I’m willing to do what has to be done to make this happen.”
“What will you have to do?”
“Nothing with lasting damage. Wolves are resilient. Let’s get you out of the tub and ready to meet our guest.”
“Oh! He’s here?” I stood and stepped out of the tub so fast, I nearly fell. Dare caught me with a laugh. “Yeah. Jump back in and rinse the conditioner out of your hair. Jeans and a t-shirt will be fine. No need to dress up. If you go through with this, you’ll see him again tomorrow — and possibly the next day, too.”
I rinsed my hair under the shower, blow-dried my long hair until it was damp but no longer dripping, and spent thirty seconds putting eyeliner and mascara on. I frequently go without make-up, but felt I needed a little something for whatever brand of supernatural person I was about to meet.
I’ve noted Dare always seems hot, and Viper always seems cool. When I shook Aaron Drake and Bran Petrescu’s hands, the first was hot and the latter was cool. I’d yet to figure out the temperature differences but had a feeling it would eventually make sense.
When Bran shook my hand, though, he didn’t let go. While he was holding it, he looked to Viper a second, then to Dare. “You didn’t tell me she was Cherokee.”
“Does it matter?” asked Dare.
“It might.” He looked back to Viper. “You share the same…”
As Bran seemed to be looking for the right word, Viper said, “I’m aware. I plan to talk to Hailey about the fact we’re related in a number of ways. Our closest relation is fourth cousin, but we share many ancestors.”
“If we see no improvement at all after three days, we’ll stop and do nothing more. If there’s improvement, we’ll have to heavily weigh some other risk factors before we cause further damage.” He gave Dare a dark look as he added, “Your payment’s the same whether it works or not.”
Dare nodded. “Understood. As long as you don’t throw any other details not already explained to me, and as long as the entire procedure lasts under fifteen minutes, I agree.”
“Thirty minutes.” Dare didn’t say anything, just looked at him, and Bran shook his head. “My guest likes to savor. Thirty minutes, and you’ll get your fill of recently killed venison when you shift to wolf, and then grass fed bison steaks when you return to human. Should you wish for something else, let me know and I’ll make arrangements.”
“What have you agreed to?” I asked again.
Dare shook his head. “It’s time for Bran to explain the process to you.”
“No. It isn’t fair for you to have to pay for my…” I shook my head. “No.”
He sighed. “We can’t tell you what I’ve agreed to until you hear some specifics, and at that point we’ll owe him something for merely having told us the specifics, even if you don’t go through with it.”
I was still shaking my head when Viper said, “Let him do it, Suli.”
He pronounced my name right, as a native Cherokee speaker, and without thinking, I asked him in Cherokee, “We’re really cousins?”
He nodded, glanced at Dare, and back to me before he continued speaking in Cherokee. “He won’t be tortured unless he asks to be. Let him do this for you. It’s important.”
I looked at Dare, then Bran. “Okay. Please explain.”
“I’m up well past my bedtime. I usually sleep during the day, but it’s an overcast day so I rode with Aaron.” He looked at Dare, then back to me. “Some vampire blood has healing properties for humans. Last night, your werewolf asked someone to get me in contact with him. I’m sorry for the surprise visit, but I’ve lived a long time and I’ve found I can learn much about people by showing up unannounced.”
When I’d found out Darnell and Darius were werewolves, a couple of people had been present — my mom, a tribal Elder, and two men I hadn’t known. My mom already knew, and she and the tribal Elder kept me from completely losing my shit.
Today, it was Viper who blocked my exit when I stood with the intention of walking out the front door once it sunk in I was sitting in the room with a vampire.
“Trust Father Sky and Mother Earth, Suli.”
I met his gaze. “I trust my instincts. You aren’t a wolf, and you’re cold like him.”
“I’m not a wolf, but I’m not at liberty to tell you what I am at this time. Do your instincts tell you I’m safe?”
“Yeah.” My voice was softer than I intended, and he gave me a gentle smile.
“And they warn you of Bran, though we’re both cold?”
“You read minds?”
“Sit by the door and listen to Bran. You owe it to the musician inside of you to hear him ou
t.”
I nodded, turned, and told the vampire, “I apologize. I was a child when I found out about werewolves, and I already knew Darnell and Darius when I was told.”
He continued as if there’d been no interruption. “My blood can heal humans, but certain matrilineal lines of the Cherokee aren’t affected and it’s clear you hail from this line. We won’t know how much it will influence your healing until we try.”
“My mom is barely Cherokee genetically. I get most of it from my dad.” I shook my head as I realized I had questions of my own. “Will your blood turn me into a vampire?”
“Drinking my blood will not turn you into a vampire. In order to be turned, you’d need to drink a good quantity of my blood, and then be drained of all your blood. There is a danger of your being turned, should you lose a good quantity of your blood while mine is still nourishing the cells of your body.”
I asked questions for thirty minutes, and eventually sat beside Dare and let him put his arm around me. I needed his warmth.
Bran went into another room to fill a glass with blood. They’d warned me it would taste bad, but it was noxious. The men had lined five shot glasses on the coffee table, all filled with rum. I drank half the glass of vampire blood and reached for a shot of rum, downed it, then another, took a breath, and then forced the rest of the blood down. The last little bit was so hard, but I knew if I didn’t get it all down in the second try, there wouldn’t be a third.
Viper refilled the two shot glasses as I finished off the blood, and I downed all five to try to get the vile taste out of my mouth.
“More. God! More rum, please!”
I drank enough to be drunk before I thought I could keep everything down, and then I paced the floor until the room started swimming.
“When will we know?”
“It’s been five minutes,” Bran said with a smile. “I’ll be in touch with your werewolf in the morning to see how you’re feeling.” He handed Dare a business card. “My address is on the front. I’ll need you to have her at my house around nine tomorrow evening. You’ll also find a date two weeks out. Please plan to arrive at my home around eleven in the evening, and to stay around three hours so we can feed you properly afterwards.”
I remember Dare talking to Aaron a little, then Bran some more before they left, but zoned out as I recalled how it’d felt to make music, how my soul had soared, and how much I missed the old me.
* * *
I awoke in bed alone, and found Dare and Viper on the back deck. They were both looking my way as I rounded the corner into the kitchen — they’d heard me walking through the house.
It had to be in the thirties outside, and Dare was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with socks but no shoes, while Viper wore a coat and his boots. I didn’t bother raising my voice as I said, “You’re both crazy, and I’m starving.”
Dare came inside and Viper followed. I stepped away from Dare to keep him from hugging me. “Oh no. Warm up first, then the hugs.”
Viper chuckled. “Dawg brought one of his guitars over last night after you were asleep. It’s in the living room if you want to give it a try.”
I lifted my hand, wiggled it, and thought my thumb might have more mobility. I hated even holding a guitar now because my hand doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, but it was probably the easiest way to see if Bran’s blood had helped.
I strummed a few notes and eased into Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, and nearly cried when my thumb bent the right way and moved where I wanted it to. It wasn’t right, and I still didn’t have the reach or movement, but I could feel the strings in my fingers and thumb.
I could feel the strings, and the vibrations. I could feel the music in the tips of my fingers.
I stopped playing and stared at my left hand holding the strings. “I can feel the strings. It isn’t right, but it’s better.”
We all stared at each other a handful of heartbeats, and then Dare was in front of me, and I’m not sure how he managed to get the guitar onto the sofa before I was in his arms, but I didn’t care, because I could feel with my fingers again, and this meant I might be able to play again.
I hugged him a few minutes, and then pushed him away and turned to pick the guitar up again.
“No,” said Viper. “Let it rest. We needed you to try it this morning to see if there was any change, but Bran said we needed to feed you lots of greens and good proteins today. I’ll make you a spinach omelet while Ghost fires up the grill for breakfast steaks.”
* * *
Dare left after breakfast to head to the gun store, and Viper stayed with me.
“Don’t you need to go to work?”
He shook his head. “I usually work three days a week. I’m scheduled Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday this week.”
Viper is a tattoo artist, and he’s apparently in high demand. Most of the MC works for one of the club’s businesses, but — from what I gathered — Viper patrolled like the rest of them, and went with them when they had ‘club business’, but he didn’t work for the club.
“You’re my babysitter? Dare said I’d have two bodyguards while I had… while Bran’s blood is…” Even though his blood was making me better, I still shuddered at the memory of having to drink it down.
“Dawg’s next door at his house, and Tiny’s across the street at his. Dozer’s at the entrance to the circle, and he’s home today, too. If we need to go somewhere, Gonzo or Duke’ll go with us.” He swiped his tablet on and held it so we could both see the screen. “I wanted to have this conversation with you at my house, but it looks like it’s going to happen here.”
I followed my name at the bottom up to my parent’s names, and then the ancestors above them. It was my family tree back to one of the women from the Dawes Roll. I was familiar with this document, and I shrugged. “Yeah. My dad’s actually related to her a couple of ways. His line can go back to her through four routes.”
He swiped to the side, and I saw the same tree with a few more branches, and saw where Jordan Walker fit into this particular lineage.
“That’s you? Jordan Walker?”
He nodded, and another swipe showed yet another way we were related.
Fifteen minutes later I said, “Okay, so we’re related from here to Timbuktu. What does this mean?”
“Do you know of The Thunder’s Necklace?”
I nodded slowly. “A man who took the form of a snake to save the sun.” I breathed in as I remembered Viper’s cold hands. “Utsa'nätï.” I’m not sure why I said the Cherokee word for rattlesnake instead of speaking English, but it’s what came out.
“Keep going.”
“There are legends of a Snake Clan amongst those of the Long Hair clan, but the only thing left are the snake surnames.” I shook my head. “Walker?”
“It was anglicized from Walkingstick several generations back. I can’t prove it with legal documents, but I’ve been told all my life I’m a descendent of Chief Goingsnake.”
Kids on the rez learn all about the Trail of Tears, and many witnesses report it was a clear, cloudless day, but when Going Snake mounted his horse to lead one of the contingents out on the Trail of Tears, thunder sounded.
Viper swiped to one of the Dawes Roll pages and pointed to the large Walkingstick family. “There are legends of the family throwing their stick on the ground and it turning into a snake. So many snake legends.”
“And so many legends of the Utsa'nätï are tied in with the thunder. If this is true, and we’re related so many ways, why can’t I shift into a snake?”
“I don’t know.”
“When did you first shift into one?”
I wasn’t sure he’d confirm it, but he only hesitated a brief second before saying, “My MC brothers know I’m a snake, but none of the history or culture around it. I have permission to speak with you about specifics, but only you. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share the personal bits.”
I nodded, and he continued. “I first changed during a sweat lodg
e with my parents and both sets of grandparents. I believe I was around seven or eight. I’m told it has to do with intention and respect for all-that-is — and not puberty, as with many of the supernaturals.”
“Can I see your snake? Is it safe to be around you? How often do you change?”
“Never in winter unless I’m in ceremony. Occasionally in summer on my property. On the first warm spring day, you can come to my land and see. Or, if you’d like to sweat with me before then, I’d be honored.”
“You won’t bite me?”
“No sudden moves. I know not to bite those the human likes, but if you catch the snake off guard his instincts take over and he’ll strike.”
“Maybe I don’t have enough Cherokee blood? Or snake-shifter blood? It sounds as if the vampire blood wouldn’t be helping if I was more Cherokee.”
“Why were you named Buzzard?”
I shrugged. “My mom always said it meant Peace Eagle, which it kind of does, but I didn’t find out a peace eagle was just another word for vulture until I started school. Apparently, my maternal grandmother said I’d bring transformation and insisted on the name.” I looked out the window and back to Viper. “I’m going to go crazy having to stay inside all day. We really can’t go roam around the woods?”
“Not with just the two of us. Sorry.”
Chapter 11
Ghost
Hailey was going stir crazy when I got home. I’d bought so many green leafy vegetable dishes from a local restaurant, it looked like I was planning to feed an army of vegetarians. She dug into them when I set them on the table, so it must’ve been what her body needed.
Ghost: The Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Book 8 Page 9