by Helen Harper
NEW BRETHREN LORD DEFEATS NINE CHALLENGERS TO EMERGE VICTORIOUS.
‘I don’t seem to recall that,’ I commented. ‘Where are these supposed challengers? Bring them on and they can fight it out between themselves.’
Staines threw me an exasperated look. ‘They don’t exist. I told you, the Brethren in its entirety is happy to accept you as Lord Alpha.’
‘Then why these stories? Is this more propaganda?’
He shrugged. ‘Not from our end. It doesn’t do any harm, however. It will cement your position if it is believed that you have fought your way to the top.’
‘What about the pack alphas? At least some of them must want to make a move in this direction.’
‘My Lord Corrigan, everyone believes you are Brady’s natural successor. You will bring both the Brethren and the packs into greater alignment and provide more enlightened leadership for the future.’ Somehow Staines managed to make the words sound sincere rather than sycophantic. He raised his eyebrows in my direction. ‘And, with all due respect, don’t be naïve. You must have had some idea this would happen when you faced off against Brady.’
I opened my mouth to answer but the muffled voices on the other side of the door caught my attention instead.
‘They said he beat off twelve shifters, including a wererhino.’
‘I’ve never even heard of a wererhino.’
‘I heard it was closer to fifteen.’
‘We’ve never had a Lord Alpha that strong before. Even Lord Brady couldn’t have managed that.’
I gazed at Staines in irritation. ‘Even our own Brethren members believe this tripe?’
He merely grinned. ‘You’re already becoming a legend in your own right.’
I balled up my fists. ‘Ridiculous,’ I muttered. I stalked over to the door and yanked it open. Three shifters with rapidly paling faces stood there, then, as if they’d planned it, each one bowed in obeisance. I rolled my eyes.
‘Don’t do that,’ I snapped, immediately regretting my tone when all three suddenly looked terrified. I took a deep breath and backtracked. ‘I apologise.’
‘My Lord Alpha,’ one of them began, ‘it’s not for you to apologise: the mistake is all ours.’
I straightened my shoulders. ‘Let’s get one thing very clear. I am not infallible. I will make mistakes. If I do, then it is your job to tell me so. I won’t have bowing and scraping. The Brethren may not be a democracy just yet but I’m not a mindless tyrant.’ I paused and turned back to Staines. ‘Actually, there’s an idea. How about a vote to decide the next Lord Alpha?’
He merely looked at me, completely devoid of expression. I sighed and rubbed my forehead. ‘We need to set about changing some of these goddamned stupid traditions.’
Staines nodded. ‘As is your prerogative, Lord Corrigan.’
I thought about it. Now there was an idea. If everyone around me was dead set on this ridiculous Lord Alpha notion, then I could use it to my advantage. Make the world a better place. I rubbed my thumb across my chin. I could even institute democratic action then step down and let the cards fall where they may. There was the pesky Voice aspect to overcome – traditionally the strongest and most able shifter in a pack automatically received the ability to use the Voice, thus deeming them automatically the alpha. I was fairly certain that there would be means to circumvent that, however. Who was to say that if a vote were taken, then the winner would not naturally receive the Voice? The Ministry of Mages often set their minions into investigating our hierarchical telepathic abilities. Perhaps I could get in touch with the Arch-Mage.
I frowned to myself, then abruptly realised they were all staring at me. I cleared my throat. ‘Is there something you need?’
‘The, uh, West Yorkshire alpha is waiting upstairs.’ The shifter's voice was high-pitched and squeaky.
I closed my eyes briefly as Camilia Waite’s corpse flashed into my mind. Just brilliant. ‘I’ll attend to him immediately.’
‘My Lord Corrigan?’ Staines said softly. I half-turned. ‘He is – or rather was – Ms. Waite’s father as well as alpha.’
I ignored the brief spasm that clutched at my heart and nodded. It wouldn't matter how long I searched for the right words before meeting him face to face, there was nothing I could say that would make him feel any better or assuage any of his pain and grief. Not only that, but I was as much responsible for her death as Brady was. I exhaled loudly. As much as even the worst demon-infested demesne would be preferable to the conversation I was about to have, I had to do it. With a heavy soul, I dragged myself up the stairs, ignoring the trio at the door who flattened themselves against the wall in a concerted bid to allow me to pass unimpeded.
When I walked into the drawing room, even though the figure at the far end had his back to me, it was obvious that he was under considerable strain. His hands were bunched and his spine was rigid.
‘Alpha Waite,’ I said in typical formal fashion.
He turned in my direction, bruised eyes raking over me. From the look of him, I guessed he was as much werewolf as his daughter had been.
‘Lord Corrigan.’ He bowed.
Unable to stomach his automatic submission, I strode up and took his hands. ‘I am deeply sorry for your loss. I barely had time to get to know Camilia but she was very brave.’ I thought of the understanding reflected in her face at the end and swallowed. ‘She died a hero.’
‘She was only trying to help that human.’
I nodded. ‘I know.’
‘She didn’t deserve that punishment.’
‘No,’ I said quietly. ‘She did not.’ I looked him in the eye. ‘I can’t bring her back. Her loss will be one that is always with both you and the West Yorkshire pack. I cannot presume to share your pain but it will also always be with me. Know that she has been avenged and that this will not happen to any other shifter again.’
His demeanour appeared slightly more relaxed, but his voice retained an edge. ‘You should not make promises you can’t keep, my Lord Alpha.’
Something deep inside me clicked, as if a new link had somehow suddenly been formed. Not just between me and the grieving father in front of me. It was more than that. I lifted up my chin and felt my posture straightening. ‘Believe me,’ I said, with all honesty. ‘This is a promise that shall be kept.’
***
‘When do I get to the fun part?’
Staines grimaced. I’d have thought his expression couldn’t get much grimmer than the one he normally used as his everyday greeting but apparently I was wrong. ‘Fun part, my Lord Alpha?’
I pinched the bridge of my nose. ‘You know you don’t have to call me that, you know. Corrigan is fine.’
‘It wouldn’t be right,’ he answered stiffly. ‘You need to use the title suitable to your standing as the alpha of all the British Isles’ packs.’
‘Like I could forget.’ I gritted my teeth. ‘And I meant, when do I get to the part when I get to live in the lap of luxury, roam around in my wereform whenever I please and generally do whatever I want?’
‘I’m not sure that you’ll ever get to that stage.’
‘The joys of being the Brethren leader are boundless.’
‘Indeed, my Lord.’
I laid the seemingly never-ending list of Way Directives to one side. ‘Some of these are beyond archaic. And repetitive. At least five are about maintaining secrecy from the humans. Why does there need to be five?’ I muttered. ‘We should be able to streamline into ten clear Directives that everyone can remember.’
‘Like the Ten Commandments, you mean?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Which have been around for almost as long as the Way Directives. You’re messing with hundreds, almost thousands, of years of tradition.’
‘That’s why we need to change things around. The humans were at least smart enough not to overburden their populace with too many rules to follow.’
‘Of course. That’s why their legal system makes such sense and is so sim
ple and clear.’
‘You know I don’t find sarcasm funny, right?’
‘You could always create a new Way Directive, my Lord. Any shifter found using sarcasm or irony, or telling a joke that our new Lord Alpha deems not to be amusing, should immediately be burned at the stake.’
‘I could have you kneecapped, Staines.’
‘Just say the word, My Lord.’ He glanced up at me from the paper-strewn desk. ‘In all seriousness, however, there are many shifters both within the Brethren and the rural packs who will not take kindly to you changing the system so dramatically. Especially if you’re going to invoke the humans while doing so.’
I sighed. ‘The humans aren’t perfect but we can still learn a lot from them. Shifters have far too much disdain for their kind.’
Staines looked remarkably underwhelmed at my words. Fortunately, he was prevented from commenting further by the sudden ringing of the phone. He picked it up while I walked to the large window and stared out at the darkened sky.
‘We should create a committee,’ I said when he replaced the receiver. ‘We can ask for participation from the packs as well as the Brethren. See if they can do something to improve the Directives.’
‘My Lord Alpha…’
‘It shouldn’t be too hard. How many shifters actually know them all anyway? We may not be able to cut them down to ten, but we can certainly shave off a good hundred or so with little effort. There are too many rules. We should allow the packs more freedom. Micro-managing them is a pointless exercise.’
‘Corrigan.’
I finally registered the sombre nature of his voice and turned round. ‘What is it?’
‘It’s the Cornish pack, my Lord Alpha.’
I scanned his face. ‘What about them?’
‘Their alpha has just been murdered.’
Chapter Three
I stared at the gleaming black sports car. ‘It looks…expensive,’ I said finally.
‘Do you like it?’ Leah knitted her hands together worriedly. ‘I thought it was the kind of thing you’d like.’
Walking around its sleek body, I couldn’t help be impressed. It was, however, hugely inappropriate. ‘Where did you get the money from?’
‘The Brethren coffers, of course.’
I threw her a look. She stiffened and frowned at me. ‘Corrigan, you need a car that befits your status.’
‘The Brethren money should be spent on more worthwhile projects. You can’t throw it around on cars.’
‘Staines told me to…’ Her voice faltered when she registered my look. ‘Maybe we can take it back to the dealership. There’s nothing else available for the journey to Cornwall unless you want to take the train though. All the other cars are filled.’
I grimaced. ‘There’s no time to wait for the train. I need to get to the Cornish pack as quickly as possible. From the sound of things, they’re in turmoil.’
‘I thought you said that the woman who telephoned had received the Voice?’
‘So?’
‘Well, then you don’t really need to go, do you? She’ll take over and everything will be fine.’
‘It’s not as easy as that. There’s the Way to consider.’ I frowned. ‘She won’t have full possession of alpha powers until the ceremony is completed. And she might not even be the best person to be alpha.’ I thought of Brady. ‘Sometimes the natural order gets it wrong. We need to be sure we’re not setting them up for failure. And we need to find out what happened to the previous alpha too. I’ve checked the records. Nothing like this has ever happened in Cornwall before. I will not allow my alphas’ lives to be placed in jeopardy. We need to find this murderer and ensure justice is served before it happens again.’
‘You’re sounding more and more like the Lord Alpha every day,’ she commented. ‘But are they really going to be thrilled that the Brethren are riding into town to save the day?’
I gave her a hard look. ‘It’s the law. Besides, we have to oversee the initiation ceremony and ensure all the rites are adhered to. As the Brethren, it’s our responsibility to be there. I can’t be seen to be shirking my first real challenge in the job.’
Leah rolled her eyes. ‘It’s a backwater pack. They probably don’t even know who you are yet, Corrigan.’
‘That’s Lord Corrigan to you,’ I growled.
She giggled. ‘Yeah, right.’
I muttered under my breath while she fluttered her eyelashes innocently. ‘Do you want me to come with you? This thing in Moscow is probably nothing. I can put it off for a week or two.’
I shook my head. ‘No. I’ll have Staines to keep me on the straight and narrow. He’s terrified to let me out of his sight in case I do something silly like disband the Brethren altogether when he’s not looking.’
Leah looked alarmed. ‘You wouldn’t do that, would you?’
‘No. But we may well end up bankrupt if we throw money around on things like this.’ I gestured towards the car. ‘I’ll take it for now but we’ll need to try and re-sell it or return it when I get back.’
‘Christ, Corrigan. Live a little!’
‘I do not require a fancy car.’ I shot her a look of faint amusement. ‘It’ll seem like I’m trying to compensate for something.’
Leah winked at me. ‘Hey,’ she said lightly, ‘getting laid will do you some good. Perhaps you’ll meet a pretty Cornish lass who’ll be so blown away by your ride that she won’t be able to resist your other, less charming attributes.’
My mouth twitched. ‘I’ve already had several offers of that ilk, thank you very much. And you should learn your place and treat me with more respect.’
‘You need someone to keep you grounded. Everyone else looks at you like you’re a god or something. Waiting on you hand and foot, cooing admiringly…’
‘Don’t be silly,’ I snapped, at the very moment a weremonkey scampered up and placed my bag in the boot before bowing obsequiously. Leah raised her eyebrows at me. I simply cursed under my breath. ‘Don’t do anything stupid in Russia,’ I told her.
‘As if I would.’ She winked, then reached over and gave me a hug before sauntering off.
***
I’d be the first one to admit that even in convoy with the rest of the Brethren delegation, driving the car was akin to sprinting across a meadow on the first night of the full moon. In fact, it was almost better. I felt a genuine twinge of dismay at the knowledge I’d be returning it to the dealer upon our return to London. And when we left the motorway to join the smaller road leading into Cornwall and a flickering figure appeared without warning in the centre of the lane, I discovered how effective the brakes were too.
I stormed out of the car. It didn’t take an Otherworld genius to recognise what type of beastie the figure actually was. But it was also early afternoon. There was no good reason for a will-o’-the-wisp to be out and about at this time of day. And there was definitely no good reason as to why it almost caused a six-car pile-up.
Gesturing angrily, I stalked over in its direction. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
‘Werewolf,’ it hummed.
‘Werepanther, actually.’
The will-o’-the-wisp shrugged, dusky shoulders making fluid movements. ‘Werewolves are easier to remember.’
‘Why did you stop us?’
‘I sensed your approach. I need some help.’
I checked my watch. There wasn’t time for this. From behind, the other shifters were piling out of their own vehicles and coming up to stand silently behind me. ‘Help with what?’ I asked with more brusqueness than was probably required.
Its head swayed from side to side, almost transparent in the bright sunshine. ‘I have erred.’
‘You’re damn well right you’ve erred!’ Boyne snapped. ‘Do you know who you’re talking to?’
I held up a palm, forcing him to fall silent.
‘Werewolf,’ the will-o’-the-wisp answered, seemingly unconcerned by Boyne’s aggression.
‘Werepanther,’ I
corrected again. ‘Tell me what you did.’
‘Last night. It was a good night. Very misty. I found a traveller to lead astray.’ Its eyes gleamed. ‘There is a quarry nearby.’
‘You made someone fall into a quarry?’ Lucy’s voice was aghast.
The will-o’-the-wisp tutted. ‘I do not kill.’ A ghostly smile traced across its lips. ‘I misdirect.’
I looked around. We were on a small road surrounded by fields and hedgerows. There were no abandoned cars or suggestions of campsites. We had to be at least twenty miles from the nearest settlement, unless it was a farmer the will-o’-the-wisp had attempted to fool with its bobbing light. Those kinds of humans were rarely tricked in that manner, however.
‘What kind of traveller would be out here?’
The will-o’-the-wisp flickered. ‘It is not easy for our kind. They take the land and build on it and we have to move. They use,’ his face distorted, ‘caravans. Now there is glamping. I want the sole traveller. The lonely peasant who walks with his eyes on the ground. I come in the darkness and…’
‘Enough,’ I interrupted. ‘I am sure that your life is very hard in these tragic modern times. Tell me about the mistake.’
An odd purring sound came from its chest. I stared, thoroughly flummoxed.
‘Meow,’ the will-o’-the-wisp said.
I sighed. ‘This is pointless. We need to get a move on. The Cornish pack is expecting us within the hour.’
Before I could turn away, it spoke again. ‘It was a cat.’
‘What was a cat?’
‘The traveller. It wasn’t human. It was feline.’
‘You mistook a cat for a person?’ The incredulity in Staines’ voice mirrored my own thoughts.
‘I sensed the life. It has been many weeks since I have found life to mislead and I did not look at it to check. I only knew it was not Otherworld.’
I exchanged looks with the others. ‘What happens with insects? Do you try to lead them away too?’