by Tally Adams
Paoli was not in the mood for Sekhmet's lectures. He'd risen after the horrible fiasco of last night to find Lyric gone; her car not in the parking lot. He had every intention of using the blood bonds of the pack to track her down and physically attach her to his side, if he had to. He wasn't above entrancing her during daylight hours if that's what it took to keep her from running. She was not leaving him. Whether she liked it or not, she was his, just as he was hers. While he understood last night must have frightened her, his reality was hers also, no matter how hard she tried to escape it. Fate was a certain thing. Even if she managed to hide from him again, his world would find her. Without protection, she'd be easy prey.
"We need to talk," Sekhmet interrupted his near-panic, grabbing his arm aggressively as he stepped off the bus.
Paoli whirled around angrily and knocked him back, his black mood giving him a short fuse.
Sekhmet caught himself on the door before he lost his balance to land on the steps.
"I have to find Lyric," Paoli growled. "That's the only thing I care about right now."
Sekhmet pushed off the doorframe and back on his feet. "If you'd bothered to complete the connection, you'd know where she is," he snarled. "You would have always known!"
"Our connection is not your business," Paoli snapped.
Sekhmet gave him a dark scowl. "Your lack of connection, you mean, and that's where you're wrong. It's all of our business. We need you focused right now."
Paoli took an aggressive stance; legs planted and arms folded over his chest. "I haven't failed to remember my responsibility. Not now, and not ever. Let's not forget who was traipsing all over the world to uphold order while you sat in a castle, playing the Coven's lapdog." It was an unfair assessment, to be sure. But his worry for Lyric and aggravation with Sekhmet made his tongue sharp.
Sekhmet gave an angry snarl and swung. Paoli moved to the side just in time to avoid the blow and delivered his own to Sekhmet's gut, bending him over and knocking the wind from his lungs, which effectively brought Sekhmet's own temper down a notch.
"See what happens when you don't see action often enough?" Paoli sneered coldly in his ear.
Sekhmet stood back up, glowering at him. "There's more at stake here than a single human," he hissed angrily.
"Not for me," Paoli said.
"Damn it, Paoli! Why the hell didn't you complete the blood exchange? It would have saved a lot of trouble," Sekhmet demanded.
Paoli knew there was truth in his words, which only managed to make him angrier. "She was bleeding to death and there was no one around to monitor me," he said between clenched teeth. "And it's none of your damned business." He wasn't about to tell Sekhmet he'd never bitten a human and couldn't be sure how he'd react.
"You're a vampire," Sekhmet said disgustedly. "Why can't you just accept what you are?"
Paoli bared his teeth. "I know very well what I am," he snarled. "But that doesn't mean I have to be a monster. My decision to maintain my humanity is my own." With a look of disgust, he turned away from Sekhmet.
He was intent on finding on Lyric and didn't have time to waste defending himself to the likes of Sekhmet. He glanced up at the sound of a car and watched with almost crippling relief as she and Emily returned to the lot, both of them laughing until they saw he and Sekhmet standing there.
Sekhmet grabbed his arm and wheeled him around. He spun and landed a blow directly to Sekhmet's chin, which snapped his head back and sent him staggering into the bus.
Emily groaned aloud at that and was gone from the passenger's seat. Lyric didn't see her move. She was simply there one minute and gone the next.
Lyric blinked stupidly at the empty seat for a second, then heard Emily's voice from outside.
"That's enough, you too," she cried when Sekhmet launched himself at Paoli, tackling him around the middle.
Lyric looked over just in time to see Paoli go down under Sekhmet's weight, both men hitting the ground in a twisted pile of flying arms and legs. She couldn't tell who was winning—if either of them were—because the movements were so fast, she just caught blurs and specs of blood flying.
When they didn't heed her words, a strange change came over Emily. Energy seemed to gather and the whole area felt charged. "Stop," she said, her voice calm and so authoritative, even Lyric paused.
The combatants went still, both staring at Emily with expressions of confusion and anger.
A new car turned into the lot and the werewolves they were meeting with pulled up to the scene just as William and Empusa came flying into the group.
"This is not the time," William snarled darkly, grabbing their hands to pull both men to their feet.
Sekhmet stepped back with a tight nod, straightened his clothes, and headed into the bus.
Paoli scowled after him for a heartbeat, then seemed to collect himself and took his place beside William to greet Jonathon and the single wolf he brought. The men all shook hands in greeting, then disappeared into William and Emily's motel room, leaving Emily, Lyric, and Empusa looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Do you have any idea what that was all about?" Emily asked Empusa, who was staring at her.
"No clue," he said with a trace of awe. "But how did you do that?"
"Do what?" Emily asked.
Empusa shook his head. "I don't know, but it felt like you just pushed a bunch of power at them. I felt the-" he paused and glanced around, as if he couldn't figure out the right word. "Vibration, I guess."
The door to the bus jerked open unexpectedly and Sekhmet marched toward them again, his stride angry. "I'm going hunting," he announced, passing right by them.
"Not in this mood, you're not," Emily said, stepping into his path.
He stopped to avoid running over her and moved to step around. Emily moved with him.
"I'm a vampire and it's night. I have the right to hunt," he said curtly, looking over her head, rather than at her.
"We have a group of werewolf delegates in a room with our leader," Emily snapped. "You're not going anywhere while there are strangers in our flock."
"Pack," Empusa corrected automatically.
"Now, I don't know what your problem is—" Emily continued, but Sekhmet cut her off.
He flung an arm toward Lyric, who shrank back the slightest bit. "Smell her," he demanded. "I noticed it last night when we were coming off the roof. She carries his scent, but he doesn't carry hers."
Emily glanced at Lyric, and back at Sekhmet. "So, he hasn't fed from her. Why is that your business?" she demanded. "You know Paoli doesn't drink directly from the source, so what?"
"It's not about his ridiculous feeding habits," Sekhmet said in exasperation. "He tried to connect them without ever taking her blood."
Lyric's heart seemed to trip over at that. "What does that mean?" she spoke up for the first time. Could it possibly mean Paoli was wrong, and she hadn't been fated to die with her parents at all?
"I have no idea," Sekhmet said impatiently. "No one does, because no other vampire in history has been so stubborn about feeding."
All three of them turned to look at her with speculative expressions. She felt as though she'd just stepped into a bright spotlight. Or become a bug in a jar. It was a most uncomfortable sensation, but she ignored it, plunging ahead. "Does it mean we aren't really connected?"
"I don't know. Only the Fates would have that answer. What he needs to do is sink his fangs into you and spend a night in your bed," Sekhmet said crudely. "To finish the damned connection the right way."
"Sekhmet," Emily snapped sharply. "There's no need to be rude."
Sekhmet let his head fall back and groaned in exasperation. "This is no time to worry about female sensibilities," he said. "Do you understand that without a complete connection, she may not be bound to the pack? Or even bound to him completely?"
"What does that mean?" Lyric asked again.
"It means another vampire might be able to override the half-assed bond and claim you for thems
elves. It means Paoli left you at risk for fear he'd hurt you," Sekhmet said in a condescending tone. "Since we're currently planning to hit a massive vampire nest, it means the other vampires might see you as a trophy to be stolen from the great Paoli. He and William are legendary among our kind. Being able to take something of theirs would give someone status."
A trophy? Lyric tried not to take offense, but it was tough.
"If another vampire took you from him, what do you think it would mean for our diplomatic mission?" Sekhmet went on.
Empusa let out a heavy sigh of understanding. "He'd lose perspective and start an attack himself," he said.
"Exactly," agreed Sekhmet. "Which means he needs to end this foolishness and taste her."
With those words, Lyric's temper finally flared. "Now you listen to me," she said dangerously. "I've had about enough of you talking about me like everyone has the right to use me as they will. I may be a mere human, but I'm still a sentient being and I deserve a little respect."
Sekhmet bared his teeth at her in irritation.
Lyric was tempted to reach out and poke him in the eye; then they'd see how scary he was. She refrained, but it took a great deal of effort. Instead, she snarled right back to show him she wasn't afraid.
"If you're quite finished," Emily broke in, trying to hide her smile. "I think we need to present a united front, all things considered." She looked pointedly toward the motel door, where a meeting that might have serious consequences was taking place.
Silence fell amongst the group while Lyric and Sekhmet continued to stare one another down. Then Sekhmet gave an angry nod and turned his face away. Lyric couldn't help but feel as if she'd won an important battle, and Emily's subtle smile of approval solidified it. While she might not understand the specifics, she'd had some sort of victory.
After that, the four of them waited for the meeting to conclude; to learn what had been decided. Everyone seemed cautiously optimistic, discussing different possibilities in low tones while they waited for what seemed like forever. When the door finally opened and the werewolves left, they all waved polite goodbyes until the car pulled out of sight, then converged on the room where William and Paoli were waiting for them.
Chapter Twenty Four
"Well?" Empusa asked impatiently while they were still filing through the door.
"They've decided to join us," William announced once the door was closed. "They've sworn fealty and agreed to start gathering resistance in their territory, protecting it from Lycaon's growing number of wolves. While Jonathon's pack may not be dominant enough to stand against Lycaon himself, they shouldn't have a great deal of trouble with his minions. And Lycaon is chasing us, as we now know, so hopefully, he won't have time to harass Jonathon's people."
"Has anyone heard anything about Amber?" Emily asked, and an uncomfortable hush fell over the room.
"Who's Amber?" Lyric asked Empusa.
"One of Lycaon's generals. And Emily's twin sister," he muttered.
Lyric couldn't stop the surprised gasp that escaped her. Fortunately, it went unnoticed as William spoke. "No one has mentioned her," he answered the question gently.
Paoli frowned. "That may not be a good thing, come to think of it," he said contemplatively. "I wonder why no one seems aware of her yet?"
"She may be working in another part of the country, extending Lycaon's reach," Empusa said.
Everyone in the room looked at one another; their faces etched with concern as they considered the possibility of someone else wreaking the same sort of mayhem far away and unchecked.
"Would Jonathon be able to find out if that was happening?" Sekhmet asked William.
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I got the impression alphas know the closest packs, but I don't know anything beyond that."
"Is there any other way to look into it?" Emily asked.
"I'll make some calls, put some feelers out," Empusa offered. "I know a lot of the packs from my time at the Coven. Not all, mind, but quite a few."
"Is there any chance Emily could track the packs?" Paoli asked. "I'm talking about the blood," he said in response to William's confused look. "Lycaon's blood is what connects werewolves. Emily carries his blood directly, since she's his daughter. Is there any way she could use that?"
Lyric's eyes snapped to Emily in surprise. She was staring at her and didn't even realize it. Emily was Lycaon's daughter? Why hadn't anyone mentioned that? The image of the man staring Emily down from afar swam into her mind. And her twin sister was one of Lycaon's generals? Lyric found herself wondering how Emily had ended up here; standing against her own family.
"You're thinking in terms of vampires. I don't know that it works that way with werewolves," Empusa said. "Lycaon could track the wolves, but only if he knew to seek them. It's not like an email inbox that he gets notified when new wolves are created. "
They all looked at each other, but no one offered an alternative idea.
"Now what?" Emily asked, glancing at William, who sighed resignedly.
"We've done what we intended to with the wolves here. Now it's time to reach out to Sekhmet's people," he said. "See if we can make more contacts on that side."
A strange atmosphere seemed to settle over them and the tension level increased almost palpably. Lyric didn't understand the reasons for it, but it made her distinctly uneasy about meeting with the vampires.
"Are we going tonight?" Sekhmet asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Paoli had been leaning a shoulder lazily against the wall, one foot crossed over the over, looking completely relaxed and at-ease with the conversation. At Sekhmet's words, he stood up straight and his ice-blue eyes landed on Lyric. "No," he said immediately, glancing at William. "We'll need time to get ready."
William, too, looked toward Lyric. She was uncomfortably aware she'd become the focus of everyone again; even those who weren't obviously looking at her. "Okay," she announced with a theatrical sigh. "I'm not a child. I get the whole human-among-vampires danger. I can wait here," she said.
"After what happened last night, there's no way I'm leaving you unprotected," Paoli spoke up. "We just need to speak with the master vampire before we do anything," he said. "They may not be receptive to werewolves or humans, either one, and we need to make sure we don't make ourselves vulnerable. Sekhmet has contacts with the local nest and will need to act as our delegate."
"There's no way we can take a human who isn't fully connected into the nest," Sekhmet grumbled, glancing toward Lyric.
William scowled at Paoli, then Sekhmet. "What do you mean she isn't fully connected?"
"Smell her," Sekhmet said, waving an arm in Lyric's direction again. "He doesn't carry her scent, which means he performed the connection the same way he does every other vampire thing. Half-assed," he clarified, glaring at Paoli.
"What I do with my human is not your concern," Paoli snapped at Sekhmet, his face angry and his jaw set. "I don't risk lives to satisfy my own hunger, and I'm not about to apologize for that."
His human? Lyric had heard about enough of that talk. "Excuse me?" she cut in, her voice rising above the din of their ongoing argument. "I'm fed up with this ownership bullshit, from both of you." She waved her finger at Paoli and Sekhmet. "I'm not Paoli's human," she insisted angrily. "And I'm about damned tired of being discussed as if I weren't standing right-freaking-here."
"Can Paoli finish the connection now?" William asked Sekhmet, as if she hadn't spoken, which was enough to send her temper into orbit.
"Stop right there," she bellowed at William, gesturing for Sekhmet to shut his mouth when he opened it to answer the question. "I don't give a damn what the answer is. No one is going to decide anything about me, unless it's me," she said, her eyes snapping in anger. "And all three of you can kiss my ass." With that, she snatched her keys from the table and swept from the room, slamming the door behind her.
She was done with this ridiculousness, she decided, stalking angrily down the walkway. She was
going to throw her stuff in the car and leave, werewolves or no. With Emily's gun and her new knowledge, she'd be able to protect herself well enough from attack.
"Lyric, stop," Paoli said from behind her.
She didn't even look back. Instead, she made a go-away gesture behind her back and kept walking. This had gone on long enough. Last night she'd saved all their asses. One would think it would count for something, but evidently not.
"Listen to me," Paoli said, suddenly walking right beside her.
"Buzz off," she said, grabbing the door to her room, wrenching it open, and slamming it right in his face.
Chapter Twenty Five
"You're going to talk to me if I have to come under the door," he said impatiently.
"If you do that, so help me, Paoli, I'll grab the hair dryer and blow your foggy ass all over this room," she threatened. "We'll see how superior you feel when your arms are on the ceiling and I've blown your head into the bathroom."
"You wouldn't do that," he growled in frustration.
Lyric ran to the bathroom, snatched the small hairdryer from its nook in the wall, and plugged it in. She flipped it on for a second and shut it back off. "Try me," she dared.
Silence fell, and she imagined him standing there with his eyes closed, taking a deep breath. It didn't matter to her, though. Whether he believed she'd do it or not, no fog slid into the room.
She continued throwing things haphazardly into her suitcase. Once she was satisfied she had everything, she zipped it up and started toward the door.
"Will you at least tell me why you're so angry?" he demanded.
She jerked the door open; suitcase in one hand, keys in the other. "Are you serious?" she asked incredulously, her voice several octaves higher than normal. "How would you like it if people stood around discussing you like you weren't even there? Or debating your future like you don't have any say? I'm not your human!"
"If you'd stop fighting your damned memories, you might remember that you did have a say. And you agreed to be mine," he snapped. "Rather than stumbling blindly through this, how about you take a second and put the smallest effort into remembering that?"