From the Shadows (A Shadow Chronicles Novel)

by Moore, Christina

  Kevin looked at me, his expression becoming disgusted again. “A dog claims the Beast Master?”

  Race took another step forward; now he was standing nose-to-nose with the werewolf. “Take care how you speak, wolf. The Siberian is my mate, and I will not hear her insulted by the likes of you.”

  “But my Lord—there are women worthier than a mere dog for you!”

  In the blink of an eye, Race’s hand was around Kevin’s throat and the older man had been lifted several inches off the ground. “This is your final warning—do not insult Juliette again,” he snarled, then unceremoniously dropped Kevin to the ground.

  “Jake and Anna have declared their feelings to one another in spite of not being bonded. They know the risk they take of hurting themselves and each other should a mate come along,” Race went on. “If their relationship is a mistake, it is theirs to make, and not for any other to interfere.”

  “But my Lord—”

  “I think you’d better leave now, Mr. Tracey,” Race said, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Kevin stood straight as he said firmly, “I’m not leaving without my daughter.”

  Race shook his head. “Oh, I think you are. You weren’t invited, and she was. Jake will bring Anna home when they are ready to leave.”

  “Please leave, Mr. Tracey,” Saphrona said then. “I don’t think you want me calling the police to have you escorted off the property, not in your present circumstances.”

  Kevin looked down at himself, as if just realizing his clothes were gone. He looked at Saphrona with a scowl on his face, the scowl shifting to an expression of loathing as he glanced at Jake, who was still a massive dog. His look returned to one of respect as he turned his gaze to Race and nodded stiffly. “I’ll go—but only because you have asked me to, my Lord. Not because some filthy, half-breed bloodsucker has threatened to call the cops.”

  Good grief, the guy just didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, did he? First he was insulting Anna, then Jake, then me, and now Saphrona. Had he not turned and marched back to his truck as soon as he’d spoken, I had no doubt that Mark would have come forward and decked him.

  Without another glance at any of us, Kevin climbed into his vehicle, gunned the engine, and backed quickly down the driveway. His daughter sobbed loudly and said, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I never should have come here!”

  Jake was in human form and taking her into his arms before she had a chance to drop into her chair. “No, baby, don’t say that!” he told her, his voice anguished.

  “Anna, Jake is right,” Martha Jensen spoke up. “Do not regret choosing to accompany him—you are among friends.”

  “But my father…” Anna said, sniffling. “He’s ruined everything!”

  “Hey, he’s only ruined the party if we let him,” retorted Danielle.

  Anna lifted her head and smiled tentatively at her as Tom and Martha came around the tables to stand before Race.

  “You did well, my Lord,” Tom said, his pride evident. “Your instinct to protect those who serve you is strong.”

  “Yes,” his sister replied with a smile. “You will make a fine Beast Master.”

  Race held his hands up. “Tom, Martha… Please don’t. I appreciate the sentiment, really, but I’m nobody’s master. Nobody serves me. And please don’t call me ‘my Lord’—this is the twenty-first century, not the Dark Ages.”

  The Alpha pair looked at one another, then back at Race. “But you are the Beast Master. If not ‘my Lord’, then how should we address you?” Tom queried.

  Chuckling, Race reached for me, placing an arm around my shoulders as he said simply, “My name’s Race. How about calling me that?”

  Tom and Martha laughed, then nodded.

  Twelve

  Perhaps hoping to return the atmosphere to a happier one, Saphrona went to her truck, a Ford Explorer SportTrac, and turned the radio on, settling on a rock station and cranking the volume up. Mark went into the house and returned a few moments later with a pair of gray sweatpants and a t-shirt for Jake to wear, as he had shredded his clothes when he’d phased. I salvaged his wallet and car keys for him and picked up the remains of his and Kevin Tracey’s clothing, depositing the shreds of cloth in the trash.

  Though it took some coaxing on behalf of several of the pack members present, Anna finally stopped shedding silent tears and rejoined the conversation, though she only picked at her food. Jake kept an arm around her shoulders, every so often giving them a gentle squeeze or placing a kiss on her temple or her hair. I watched the two subtly from where I sat a few people down, making note of how she leaned into him, deferred to him, how Jake made sure Anna had everything she wanted, kept her in his sight at all times. I remembered the fear in her voice when she she’d called out his name during the confrontation with her father, and I would never forget the relief in her eyes when he had taken her in his arms after it was over, nor the pain in his voice when spoke to her as he held her. Jake Anderson and Anna Tracey were in love, truly in love. What right did anyone have of trying to break them apart?

  And what right did I have to be fearful of an end that might never come, of a little sharing of blood that only needed to be done one time to link me with Race for the rest of our lives—and lift the binding magic that kept our brethren from bonding with one another? If their love was this strong now, it just might be possible that Jake and Anna were meant to be together.

  A strong feeling of resolve washed over me as I silently made perhaps the most important decision of my life. I didn’t know if it would work out for my friends, but I owed it to them to give their happiness a chance—and if that meant I had to accept that I was the mother of the next generation, that I would in essence become the Alpha female of all werekind…

  …then I guess that’s what I had to do.

  Now I just had to convince Race.

  I reached for his hand then and clasped it tightly. When he looked down at me, I realized that while I had been afraid for him when he’d challenged Kevin, I had at the same time been absolutely certain that should a fight ensue, he would win. A questioning look came into Race’s eyes as his piercing gaze bore into mine, and so I offered him a reassuring smile and whispered softly “Later,” to which he nodded and went back to the discussion he’d been taking part in.

  Eventually the gathering did break up, and my packmates began leaving in twos and threes for home. Each person thanked Saphrona for inviting them; Danielle told her she was “actually kind of cool for a chick who’s part bloodsucker.” Saphrona had laughed and told her she would accept that as a compliment. Tom and Martha, the latter of whom had offered to give my mother a ride home, once again told Race that they thought he would be a fine Beast Master and assured him that if he ever had need of them, he had their support. Race replied with thanks and a hope that he would never have to ask.

  Jake and Anna stayed behind after the others had left, insisting on helping with the clean up. Jake, Mark, and Race carried the tables and chairs to the storage room in the barn while Saphrona, Anna and I took care of the food.

  “I…I just want to tell you again how sorry I am,” the werewolf told us at one point. “My father’s just…he’s very protective of me.”

  “And a hardcore traditionalist,” I pointed out.

  Anna nodded. “I know. He thinks most other werekind are beneath the wolves,” she said sadly, “and that we shouldn’t even associate with other Families. Not even the big cats, though believe it or not he has a lot more respect for them than he does any of the weredogs. That’s why he doesn’t want me to see Jake, because Jake’s supposedly not good enough for me and because we can’t breed together. In our pack, leadership is inherited by the eldest child of the Alpha pairs, making them cousins and not brother and sister. Even if Jake and I could have children, Dad thinks that being with a Malamute would lower my status and that I’d be forced to abdicate.”

  “I read a study recently that said Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies were two of
the seven most ancient breeds of domesticated dogs,” Saphrona said then. “That those seven were the most closely related to wolves, which really wasn’t hard to believe given how much they both resemble wolves in the wild. If the wild ones and domestics share common ancestors, certainly weredogs and werewolves do too, like Tom said.”

  Anna sighed as she placed a pile of dishes in the sink. “I would like to think so too, but there’s very little chance of getting my father to accept that as even possibly being true.”

  “How and when did you and Jake meet, anyway?” I asked.

  She smiled tentatively as she turned to face Saphrona and I. “Of all the ways to meet someone, I got a flat tire. I was on my way home from Columbus about two months ago when it happened, and Jake was the nice guy who stopped to lend me a hand. Even though I assured him I knew perfectly well how to change a tire myself, he insisted on doing it for me. Wasn’t even the least bit fazed by my being a werewolf. Didn’t flinch or wrinkle his nose—you know what I mean.”

  I grinned wryly and nodded. “Yeah. It’s kind of a typical reaction to the scent of a shifter from another Family—though I honestly try not to do it myself. My mom always said it was disrespectful to do that because we’re all werekind, no matter what Family we hailed from.”

  “I really liked your mom,” Anna said. “And Tom and Martha, and pretty much everyone. They were all so nice to me, especially after my dad showed up. God, I can’t believe he followed us here! I mean, honestly, does he think I’m stupid? Does he think I don’t know Jake and I won’t be able to have children together? That sucks, I won’t lie and say it doesn’t, but in spite of that, I love him. Jake is just…he’s wonderful. He’s so good to me, and sweet and… He’s perfect for me, even if the magic doesn’t think so.”

  I gulped and looked out from under hooded eyes at Saphrona. She only lifted her eyebrows at me, and so I sighed. “Anna… There’s a chance you and Jake are meant to be together.”

  She scoffed. “If only that were true. But you’re mated to the Beast Master, and neither of us has felt the pull of the imprinting bond. I’d know it if I had. Jake would have told me if he had.”

  “Race and I haven’t completed the bond,” I confessed. “We know we’re meant to be together because we did feel the imprint happen, but…we’ve not done the ritual.”

  “But you—” Anna began, then stopped herself. I suspected she’d been about to say “But you have to.” In truth I would not have blamed her. My mother had said it. No doubt if the pack had not presumed otherwise, they’d have said it as well, especially Tom and Martha.

  “Are…are you going to?” she asked finally.

  “I admit that I was afraid to at first, because there’s just so much responsibility that goes along with being mated to the Beast Master—not to mention the responsibility that will be placed on Race’s shoulders,” I said. “We’ve talked about it but we both admitted to not being sure we were ready for that huge a commitment.”

  I took a breath and stepped closer to her, the strong muskiness of her wolf assaulting my nose. I ignored it, and looked into her eyes as I said, “But after today, seeing you and Jake together… I realized that I can’t let the fear of losing Race, of losing myself—of all it will mean to become a leader of our kind—stop me from doing what needs to be done. No doubt those who are mated love their human partners completely, but it would be purely selfish of me to deny those who are not the possibility of mating with one of our own just because I’m a little scared. I’m not blind to how much you and Jake care for each other, Anna. Maybe going through with the ritual won’t change anything between you, but he’s been my best friend for most of my life, and I owe it to him to make it possible.”

  In the next instant her arms were around me, crushing my ribs in a vice-grip of gratitude. I felt tears hit my shoulder as she whispered, “Thank you so much. It means the world to me that you would do this for us.”

  Stepping back as she released me, Anna gave an embarrassed chuckle and sniffled. “Well, of course I know it’s not just for us, but to be even part of the reason is… I just don’t think I’ll be able to thank you enough.”

  “You’re welcome, Anna,” I said sincerely. “But as I said, it might not change anything.”

  “I know,” she replied, taking the paper towel Saphrona handed her to wipe her face and blow her nose. “I know, and I will keep reminding myself of that so my hopes don’t get up too high. But there’s a chance, even if it’s a small one, and you’re giving it to us.”

  “Yeah, now I just have to convince my mate,” I said wryly. “Which means I can’t guarantee when we’ll do it. I’ll talk to him tonight, though.”

  “Okay,” the werewolf said, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “Thank you, Juliette.”

  I sighed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of my decision and her gratitude. Still, I thought as I took a breath, I could almost feel the joy radiating off of Anna in waves, and that made it worth it.

  ***

  Shortly after Jake and Anna had left and the four of us remaining retired into Saphrona and Mark’s house for a drink, my cell phone rang. Slipping it out of my pocket I frowned to see a number I didn’t recognize, though I did recognize the Cincinnati area code.

  “I don’t know anyone in Cincinnati,” I muttered, and was just ready to press the Ignore key when Race grabbed it out of my hand.

  “Shit, it’s my mom,” he said grimly, taking another swig of his beer as the phone rang a second time. “Guess your mom must’ve called her.”

  “But why would my mom have given yours my cell phone number?” I asked.

  “Lochlan crushed my cell yesterday, remember? She can’t get a hold of me on my own phone, so she must’ve called your mom back or something.”

  I looked at him over the top of my Smirnoff Ice. “Aren’t you going to answer it? She’s your mother.”

  He looked back at me. “I’m afraid to. You don’t know my mom anymore. She’s protective of me and my secret to the point of being paranoid.”

  “You gotta talk to her sometime, brother,” Mark pointed out as the fourth ring trilled.

  “Yeah, I know,” Race grumbled, pushing the Talk button. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Race, why am I calling someone else’s cell phone just to get a hold of you?” Caroline Covington said sternly, causing her son to wince.

  “Sorry, Mom, mine’s broken. Just happened yesterday and I haven’t been able to replace it yet.”

  “Well do that soon. Unless there’s an emergency, it’s rude to call one person looking for another. Anyway, the reason I’m calling is I just got one hell of a phone call from a woman I haven’t spoken to in nearly twenty years,” Caroline admonished. Her voice was softer, however, when she continued with, “God, how I wish I’d known, baby. Monica said…she said she’s something like you. That little Juliette is too, and her brother Buck and sister Sandy are, and so many others…and that Mark is some kind of immortal because his birth mother was attacked by a…a vampire…when she was pregnant. Oh, sweetheart, if only I’d known. You wouldn’t have been so alone all this time.”

  I felt like a heel for listening in on what should probably have been a private conversation between a mother and her son. Mark and Saphrona had already quietly risen to leave the table and I made to follow but was stopped mid-step when Race grabbed my hand. Looking back, I saw that his breathing had changed, and I knew that he was fighting back emotion at his mother’s anguish.

  “It’s not your fault, Mom,” he told her as I sat back down, his hand still holding mine. “You can’t help what you didn’t know. And you were afraid for us. You were just trying to protect me, and I totally respect that. You did the best you could.”

  “I did. I did, son. And I was scared. I just didn’t want you to end up as part of some government science project that might hurt you or worse,” Caroline said. “But God, if I had known about Monica and Juliette and those others… You could have had friends that were like
you, and you wouldn’t have had to learn everything all on your own.”

  I heard her sigh then. “So… Not only are there people who turn into dogs and wolves and lions and other things, but there are actual vampires too. There really are real vampires. Are you being safe?”

  “Mom, I, uh… I’ve known about the vampires for a long time,” Race confessed.

  “What? For how long? And when the hell were you going to tell me, young man?”

  I had to stifle a laugh. Race released my hand and smacked my knee for it, but I couldn’t help finding it amusing to hear Caroline Singleton referring to him as “young man” in the same tone of voice she used to scold him with when we were kids.

  “Mom, have you ever heard the phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’?” he asked her slowly.

  “Don’t you dare patronize me, Horace,” she retorted, causing him to wince again. Race had always hated his full name, especially when she used it like that.

  “Mom, I’m not patronizing you, I swear,” he assured her. “I’m just saying that you not knowing about vampires all these years means you didn’t have to be afraid of them. I was protecting you the same way you used to protect me.”

  “That’s very sweet of you, son, but given that I was already aware that you could turn into any animal you’d set eyes on, I think I could have handled the truth about vampires. I’m a big girl, Race.”

  “I know you are, Mom.”

  There was a moment of silence after he spoke, then Caroline said, “So Monica tells me you’re dating Juliette now. That’s kind of interesting, considering she had the hugest crush on you when she was a little girl.”

  Both of us laughed at that. “Is that Juliette?” his mother queried.

  “Yes, Mom, that was Juliette,” Race replied. “We’re over at Mark and Saprhona’s—that’s Mark’s girlfriend—”

  “The girl who’s part vampire, right?”