The Severed Thread

by Dione C. Suto

  It was common practice for the local Were pack to supply daytime security to the vampires living in the same region. It was good business for the Weres and it benefitted the vampires who were more vulnerable during the day. In this case though, Jonathan and McCallister seemed to have a personal issue. I wondered what it was all about, or if McCallister was just a bigot.

  “That’s fine.” The added security did not seem unreasonable to me. He was the local clan master after all. “I thought I could come get her around eleven, take her to the park and have a picnic there with Marsha and her kids. I should have her back by two-thirty or so. Does that work?”

  “I prefer that my security drive you. They can pick you up and take you to the park.” I thought about that a moment. I wanted Penny to feel like I had come to get her to take her on an outing, not the other way around.

  “I’m fine with them driving but I would like to come to her. I think it will seem more like I’m taking her on the adventure that way,” and less like you are controlling everything, as usual. I’m happy to report that I did not say that last part out loud. There was silence on the line for a moment. Liam McCallister was not used to anyone pushing back at his edicts.

  “Agreed,” he finally said, surprising me. I was sure he had been about to balk. Not because the request was unreasonable, but because he could.

  “Alright, I will be there at eleven.” The line was quiet again.

  “I will contact you later this evening about the other arrangements we need to discuss.” I assumed he meant the Sapphire shipment. “And Abigail,” he said my name like he was tasting it. I shivered. “Don’t enjoy your dinner with the wolf too much,” he said before the line went dead.

  How in the hell did he know I was having dinner with Jonathan? I shivered again, instinctively looking at the windows at the far end of the hall. I kept thinking about that blackness beyond the glass. Shit, shit, shit! I needed to listen to Samantha and Corbin more. Being mixed up in McCallister’s personal life was adding a stressful dimension to my life that was definitely not needed.

  I looked at my phone, dreading the walk back to my seat. It felt like the walk of shame. I straightened my blouse and ran my palms down my slacks before re-entering the dining room. Five sets of curious eyes followed me as I made my way to my seat. I stubbornly refused to look at Jonathan but I knew he was watching me. I finally looked up after taking my seat to find his eyes narrowed as he observed me.

  “Is it possible that the vampires are watching your home?” I asked nonchalantly. Jonathan tensed but otherwise did not react. Not everyone was so calm about my inquiry. A fork clattered to a plate and I heard a growl come from the end of the table. I looked, it was Sampson.

  “Yes, I would think that was possible,” Jonathan responded as he went back to eating. “Why? Did McCallister imply that he was watching just now?” So he did know that was who was on the phone. Either his hearing was extraordinary, even for a wolf, or Sampson had told him.

  “I didn’t get the impression that he specifically was watching but I got the feeling someone is or was,” I explained. “Either that or he made several assumptions because of the wolves you have watching my house.” I looked at what remained of my food on my plate. It looked cold and unappealing. Putting my head in my hands, I leaned on the table. I was so tired and I needed to get home. McCallister was calling later and I had to squeeze meditation and sleep in somewhere. A hand appeared and slipped my cold plate of food off the table and put a fresh one in its place. I looked up. It was Sampson.

  “Eat,” he said. “Then we will get you home.”

  Everyone else was finished and the room started to clear. Jonathan, Sampson and I were the only ones still in the room when I finally finished my meal. Jonathan had been brooding at the end of the table, watching me eat. I couldn’t hope to guess what he was thinking.

  “Alright miss, I will take you home now,” Sampson said.

  “I will take her,” Jonathan said as he stood.

  “I don’t think that is such a good idea,” a deep, masculine voice said from the other end of the room. I looked up to see a tall muscular man with the brawny look of a fighter and the scow to match standing in the doorway. The large scar running from under his left eye down to and across his chin was impressive. There were only two things that I knew of that could do damage like that to a Were. Silver was one thing and a vindictive vampire was another. Vampires had the ability to produce an enzyme on their nails and teeth that inhibited healing. Such malicious behavior came at a cost to the vampire, so it was usually reserved for mortal combat.

  Jonathan appeared surprised at his words. “Now why would you think that?” he asked.

  “Because you are flirting with danger, bro.” That’s when I noticed it; they had the same piercing green eyes. This must be Jonathan’s brother Alexander. Samantha had mentioned him before, he was Jonathan’s second in command. I was guessing he was also likely to be the person for whom the extra place was set at the table. “That vamp is probably sitting outside her house right now spoiling for a fight. You go there alone and it’s just you and him.”

  “You don’t think I can handle Liam McCallister?” Jonathan bristled, I felt his power building again but it was subtle.

  “I think you can handle him,” he said. “The question is – do you want to?” He looked over at me and then back at his brother. “Is this one worth starting a war over?” Well, obviously someone had a low opinion of me. I glanced to Jonathan, his face was a blank mask but the increasing pressure of his dominant energy in the room implied swelling anger. I imagined there were few that had the nerve to question him so openly.

  “I don’t think we are quite at that point.”

  “You don’t?” Alexander asked slyly. “You brought her back to the Den. She’s an elf for christsake!”

  “Come closer little brother,” Jonathan said quietly. “See what your wolf tells you.”

  I stiffened as Alexander approached, his nostrils flaring when he got within two yards of me. “Corbin Greenbranch marked her as his mate?” he said incredulously. “What the fuck?”

  “Not as mate,” Jonathan corrected. “As Pack.”

  “He cannot do that,” he said stubbornly. “She’s not a wolf.”

  “It’s done.”

  “You can undo it,” he asserted. Well that was news to me I thought looking between the two.

  “I am not prepared to do that at the moment. But I will think on it. Right now, I’m taking her home.”

  Alexander opened his mouth to protest again but apparently Jonathan had heard enough. His dominant energy lashed out like a physical blow that nearly staggered me. I had to put my hand on the nearest chair back for support. His brother rocked back under the assault and shut his mouth, no further opposition offered. Sampson was holding onto the table, looking a bit green.

  “Abigail,” Jonathan said. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Definitely,” I said dryly.

  The ride home was quiet. Both of us lost in our own thoughts. At some point I must have drifted off because Jonathan’s hand on my shoulder gently woke me when we finally arrived at my house.

  A dark shape separated from the shadows to the left of the drive as we got out of the car. The shape turned out to be a sleek sable wolf that trotted up and rubbed his muzzle on Jonathan’s hand before disappearing around the side of the house. Another pack member in human form waved the all clear from his position to the right of my front door. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. It looked like Alexander’s predictions were wrong – McCallister was not waiting in the bushes to jump anyone.

  “I will leave two wolves here in shifts. It will irk McCallister but he will get over it.”

  “I’m sure I’m fine.”

  “You are obviously not familiar with Andrei and Luca. They will be back,” he said grimly as his power began throbbing around him.

  “You might want to consider some meditation yourself,” I said with a laug
h. “You dominance can pack a punch when your temper gets away from you.

  “I will take it under advisement,” he said with a sheepish smile, his power ratcheting down a notch. “I would like you to start working with Sampson three days a week. He will have you using the staff like a pro in no time.” I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. “Sampson will contact you tomorrow about setting up a practice schedule.”

  Chapter 21

  I was relieved when I finally shut the door on Jonathan and the two wolves he had left behind to watch the house. I walked back to the kitchen before getting down to the business of serious meditation. All of my non-perishable groceries were in bags on the counter and the rest were safely tucked away in the fridge and freezer. I would have to thank Sampson and Trevor the next time I saw them for replacing everything. I also needed to figure out how much money I owed them, something I had not even considered earlier.

  Once all of the remaining items in the bags were put away, I filled and began heating the kettle, letting my mind drift back over the events of the last week. How had my once quiet life suddenly gotten so turned upside down? Jason was dead without me having any time to properly mourn his passing. I was hopelessly tangled in a mess with the local clan master and don’t even ask me what was going on with the pack-master. Jonathan seemed to have made me some type of pet project. Hell, he expected that I would show up at the Den three days a week for two hour lessons from Sampson in self-defense!

  The whistle of the kettle interrupted my musing. Pouring hot water over the infuser, I inhaled the warm scent before taking my tea into the living room. Drawing the curtains, I settled on the floor and lit one of the fat candles I always kept on the coffee table. Eyes closed, I breathed deeply several times to help calm and center myself. Opening my eyes again, I fixed my gaze upon the spot where the flame balanced upon the wick. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out…. The trance came slowly as I followed the rhythm of my breath and the movements of the flame. Then, between one inhalation and the next, I was standing in a forest.

  We went to The Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park on a family vacation when I was twelve and while there we had hiked the Hall of Mosses Trail. The trees there were covered in moss that ran the gamut from lime to deep emerald and all the shades between. The ground, thick with ferns, was rife with the pulse of life, an interconnected ecosystem that felt more like home than anywhere I had ever been before. The sheer lushness of the place had been awe inspiring – so much so that I had transformed my psychic realm into a replica of the wonders I had witnessed. Today though, the usual verdant scene looked dry and untended, the moss browning, ferns wilting. Gone was the cool Pacific Northwest moisture, in its place was the beginnings of an arid heat that I could taste in the air.

  Dread filled me as I hurried to the walled fortress that lay at the center of my forest. Four enormous trees stood sentinel at the corners with side walls running from tree to tree. I inspected the structure from all angles. Three walls were riddled with cracks and fissures while a series of huge bulges – where my beast had obviously tried to tear its way through by force – were visible along the fourth. I had never seen damage like this before. My containment was always flawless, my beast calm behind the barrier. Not today. Today my berserker looked as ragged as its prison, staring at me with wild red eyes, it paced beyond the fractured walls, its chest heaving in frustration.

  “It will be okay,” I crooned softly. “Be at peace.”

  The ruby eyes that met mine reflected uncertainty and mistrust. It had no reason to find comfort from the one who had kept it caged for its entire existence. I desperately tried to think of something that I could offer but could think of nothing it could want other than freedom.

  “I’m sorry,” I said with regret. “If I let you free, we will both be caged for the rest of our lives.” It looked at me a moment longer and a flicker of rudimentary understanding flared in those crimson eyes. It backed away from the barrier and sat on its haunches, watching. Hesitantly I approached, making certain that it intended to keep back. My worry was unnecessary as it seemed content in its vigil.

  Slowly I began making my repairs, first smoothing over the cracks and then solidifying the barrier, hoping to achieve something close to its previous thickness. Time passed quickly and soon exhaustion began to weave its own thread through my efforts, making each new addition to the structure less effective than the one that preceded it. I needed to stop before I collapsed. Stepping back I inspect my handiwork. The fortress was not completely restored but it would have to do for now.

  Blinking away the vision of my inner landscape, I took a disorienting look around my living room. The candle, much like myself, was spent. Usually meditation was a time of rejuvenation and mental respite. Rebuilding the walls in my psyche had not allowed time for rest. For that I needed sleep. I took what was left of my now cold tea into the kitchen to reheat it when my phone chimed. McCallister had called while I was meditating and there was a message.

  “Abigail, I know that the wolf has returned you home. We have arrangements to discuss.” He sounded irritated, as if I was intentionally ignoring him. If only that were an option I thought before reluctantly returning his call.

  “Ah Abigail, so nice of you to call.” His tone was cool.

  I had to resist the impulse to explain myself, remembering Corbin and Samantha’s warnings about getting involved with Liam McCallister on a personal level. He was owed no explanations.

  “Do you have the information on the shipment?” I decided to get straight to business.

  “Why are there two wolves guarding your house?” The change of subject caught me off guard.

  “I had a little run in with a couple of shifters this afternoon.” And that quickly, I found myself offering an explanation. My resolutions were short lived it seemed.

  “Who?”

  “Two goons named Andrei and Luca,” I shrugged even though he couldn’t see the action. “Know them?”

  “Unfortunately, I do.”

  “There were two Lenape wolves at the store when the altercation occurred. They contacted the pack-master and he insisted on posting two guards.” It was quiet on McCallister’s end of the line for a moment.

  “I see,” was what he finally said.

  “The shipment?” I prompted, attempting to get the call back on track.

  “The container will arrive at Tioga on October 4th via the Lassiter Tempest.” I was a little surprised that it was coming in on Donald’s boat. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to involve him, but if I did, I at least felt he could be trusted. That would give me five days to get in contact with Joey Jansk and get his help. Hopefully that would be enough. “I expect there will be no missing merchandise this time.”

  “That’s the plan,” I said.

  “Good,” he said briskly. “I will have Lok forward you the shipment details.” The line went dead. I guess he was still grumpy about the wolves. I would never understand vampires.

  I received a text from Lok a few minutes later with the container number as well as some additional details regarding the cargo and consignee. Thankfully the bananas were organic. Organic bananas were more likely to be shipped in containers since they were shipped in smaller quantities and had to be kept separate from the regular bananas which were fumigated to eliminate pests. Hopefully they would draw less scrutiny than if they had been regular bananas shipped in a container.

  Either way, I couldn’t think about it anymore tonight. I had a full day tomorrow and needed to get some rest. I barely got my clothes off before falling into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 22

  After breakfast the next morning I put in a call to the number Jonathan had provided for Joey Jansk. He didn’t answer and I had to leave a message for him to call me. I was a little uncomfortable leaving the voice mail but what choice did I have? I asked if he was available to meet sometime later this afternoon without leaving any incriminating details. Hopefully Jonathan
had already filled him in on the nature of my request. Successfully moving the Sapphire through the port hinged on having someone in place that could overlook any oddities in the radiation signature coming off the container when it was scanned.

  I was scheduled to pick up Penny later and the morning was slipping away. I needed to get my half of the picnic lunch packed before I headed out. I cut up some fruit, made a couple of sun-butter and jelly sandwiches, threw a handful of carrot sticks into a bag and added a small container of ranch dressing. As soon as this was all packed into an insulated bag with a few ice packs it was time to head over to the Clan Home to pick up the kid.

  I called Samantha on the way to see if she had any updates regarding Harvey from our new consultant, Nemesis. I still couldn’t keep a straight face when I thought about that name. Shouldn’t it have been Virus or something equally cyber-like?

  “Hello Abigail,” Samantha’s voice chirped over my car’s speakers, interrupting my mental wanderings.

  “Hey,” I said, giving myself a mental shake. “I’m checking in about a few things on my way to get Penny. Have you heard anything from our new contractor?”

  “No, but I expect to hear back later today.”

  “Alright,” I replied a little disappointed. After my run in with Hook Nose and Weasel yesterday, I had hoped to find something else out about Harvey’s finances. He obviously did not like having Sal asking around about him. It was either that, or my brush off at the coffee shop had pissed him off more than I thought.

  “What about the report regarding the retirement fund?”

  “Yeah, about that….” she said. Uh oh, that didn’t sound good. “I have been having a bit of trouble getting that sorted out. I’m starting to worry that it’s not a clerical error.”

  “What!”

  “I cannot get any information out of Jamison Financial. The person I spoke with there was borderline rude. Apparently I don’t have the correct passwords or account numbers and I’m not listed as the contact for Lassiter. After getting the run around, I called back our rep at Ferris Investments. She had never heard of Jamison before your father requested the transfer. I hate to say it but something just seems off about the whole thing.”