Mindy guided Alexia around the trailer, which was really about the size of a two-bedroom cape. There were only the two bedrooms, one of which was Cam’s loft bedroom, the kitchen, another bathroom that was only slightly larger than her own, and a living room. The living room was beautiful and for such a small overall square footage, it was spacious. Tall, vaulted ceilings made of cedar that stood a good twelve feet up gave the space a much larger feel and was the only reason the place was probably livable for someone who was as tall as Cam. Cam had done some work on this place, and the results were unique, timeless, and breathtaking.
All of this, and Alexia still couldn’t hold back her gasp as she stepped out into the yard. Mindy took a deep breath, like she was in some Folgers commercial. She leaned on the red cedar rail of the back porch, and looked over at Alexia with a “yeah, you’re seeing this right” expression.
There was a small opening behind the trailer, and the sun was peeking over the lush covering of trees. A garden lay in back, half of it forgotten over the winter and left barren, but the rest of the garden was covered in newly grown flowers and plants that were springing up with the start of the season.
A sturdy, wood table with knots sat in the yard, and because of its placement and the magical feeling of Cam’s land, the table seemed to have grown right out of the ground. Alexia touched the strong piece as she walked past it, and it was smooth to the touch.
“I made that.” The voice was strong, controlled, a bit knotted like the table she was touching.
“It’s beautiful,” Alexia whispered, and she meant it. She looked up at Devon, who sat in a large canvas chair next to a green canvas tent. Ah, so that’s where he slept. She’d wondered. She took in his features, his strong jaw, his welcoming smile, his grey-green eyes intensely examining her in return. He was a husky man, large shoulders, big arms that were about three times the size of her own rather muscular arms. His chair sat on the edge of a stone path that went from the back porch to the various hammocks and chairs and other smaller tables in the yard. The path was well made and great effort had been taken to create a pattern.
Alexia gave Devon a nod and then followed the pattern, every once in a while, looking back at her friend who had relaxed back in the lone hammock on the porch, the sun shining down and glinting in her dark hair, but she avoided the penetrating gaze of the man near the canvas tent.
Along the path, random pieces of the garden continued. There were wildflowers and vegetables, shrubs and herbs. Vines grew up the sides of trees, and beyond the trees at the edge of the opening where the double-wide was placed, there was a small pond with water lilies. If fairies existed, they would have been happy here.
Oh fuck, Alexia thought, now maybe just a little excited to find out about another world because maybe fairies did exist.
“The moment I stepped into this backyard a few months back,” Mindy said quietly, breaking into Alexia’s thoughts, “I knew this place and Cam had been waiting for me.”
She looked so at peace, so at home. Alexia felt the sting of tears, at how serene and wonderful her friend’s life was in that moment. Not because she was upset for Mindy, but because she was afraid their lives were never going to be the same.
In silence, the two walked back to the large wooden table that was surrounded by outside solar heaters. The table was filled with enough food to feed an army, and Alexia had no problem inhaling every bit of her food. Devon continued to give her strange looks throughout the meal. She knew what he was looking at. He was looking at her eyes. After a while, she glared back. Bastard was still upset he’d saved a demon. Well, fuck that noise!
Instead of a sneer or a glare back, though, he winked at her. The sexy asshole, Alexia thought disgruntled at the change. Her emotions were giving her whiplash. However, if she was going to be fair, he wasn’t giving her the looks he had last night – like she was the devil incarnate. This time, there was curiosity to his gaze. There was still hesitation and uncertainty, though.
They had a steady conversation during breakfast, most of it superficial, a lull before the storm. Cam even talked more than usual and the dynamic was easy between the four of them despite the tension radiating from her and Devon. Of course, up until now, they’d avoided the topic they’d all gathered for in the first place: Shadows, magic, and growling men. Soon, there would be nothing else to talk about, other than the inevitable.
But bliss couldn’t last forever, and with one last look at Alexia, Devon changed their lives.
“They were Shadows,” Devon said, drawing their attention from the end of the meal chatter.
“Explain,” Cam said as he sat closer to Mindy, stuffed a piece of bacon in his mouth, and crossed his arms over his chest.
Alexia didn’t know what to expect, but she didn’t expect Devon to start with a story about his and Cam’s experience at the hands of the man they called Matthew Waters. Never Matthew. Never Dad. Never “our adoptive father.” It was like saying the man’s whole name allowed the guys to detach themselves from the torture and pain they’d experienced at the hands of Matthew Waters.
Cam visibly flinched a couple times at the beginning of the story, and Alexia even saw Mindy give his arm a squeeze before looking over at her with sad eyes. That had been Alexia’s first clue that Devon’s story wasn’t going to be all fun magic and playful fairies.
Alexia understood abuse. Before she’d gone to live with the Mally and then much later, the Martinezes, she’d been neglected by families, stabbed by a kid once, hit with strong hands. She’d lived through so many homes – state, foster, potential adoptive – that it had felt like her life would always be a chaotic mess, but just because she’d been through it didn’t change how much it broke her heart to hear someone else’s experience. Everyone had scars. No one escaped childhood without a little wear and tear, but these boys – Jesus, these men had been through a lifetime of pain in a few short years. And Cam’s hooded expression as he held tightly to Mindy suggested that even after Devon had left, there was still more pain to be had.
Devon looked like a ship unto himself on the other side of the counter, as their earlier laughter was washed from the area in a sea of pain as he retold their history. Alexia wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she knew it would be unwelcome, so she pushed her instincts aside.
“After I left,” Devon said, and he gave Cam an apologetic look. “I walked for days, hitching rides with strangers, and generally just roaming. I ended up in Dunham. I was a big kid, but the locals knew better. I was put in a group home in Dunham, and even though this town had been a bit of a shit storm for me in terms of grades and doing what I should have done, at this new place I actually tried. And it’s a good thing too. I started getting good grades in school, found a life.” Devon paused and smiled. “I even went to college on a football scholarship, but it was the people who helped me get there who changed everything. They were Clan members. I didn’t know that at first.” He looked off. “I’ve always had a little extra energy, and the sports I played in school helped me work through that. But at the time, my energy was off the walls. I’d been having feelings. A lot of feelings.”
He emphasized the word and gave Cam a pointed look that said his brother knew what he meant by these feelings. Alexia assumed Devon wasn’t talking about anger and happiness, but something perhaps more – magical?
“I’d wake up sweating and restless after dreaming of running through the forest,” Devon continued. “I’d look down in the dream, and there would be paws instead of hands – bloody paws. I didn’t know what the dreams were about. What they meant. I just knew I always woke up feeling sad and lost. And also very, very hungry.”
He smiled, and Alexia knew in that moment that no matter how sexy his smile was, this dude was on the far side of crazy. And yet, she was listening. She was believing this insane story. But it couldn’t be real, could it?
“So,” Devon continued, “I was running laps around the field one night when something caught my eye. I took a st
ep back as I realized glowing red eyes were staring back at me from the bleachers area. It was dark, but I could see they were human, and that there were three of them.”
Alexia didn’t like where this was going. She liked it even less when Devon looked at her with a sideways glance, but she’d keep her cool and wait for the story, inevitable though it may be.
“Before I could run, two wolves and a small mountain lion rushed forward. The fight was brutal. I watched as humans with red eyes fought with full-grown animals. Afterward, I could see that the three animals were completely covered in blood. They had survived. The three Skröm had not. I was terrified,” Devon said. “I was a kid. I was alone. I’d just seen wolves and a small mountain lion act like a pack and attack these red-eyed demons in the bleachers.”
The word demon made Alexia flinch, and she looked away as her heart shriveled up and her mind rebelled. She couldn’t look at Mindy or Devon or Cam. Had those kids and the people in the foster care system been right all this time? She stared down at her pale hands, which shook in unspent fear. Was she really a demon?
“When the animals reached me, I tried to move away from them, but before I could back up any further, I heard a crack and I saw a flash of light. I looked up to see three very naked humans in front of me. The humans were James Freeman, my Literature teacher; Tessa Thompson, my Biology teacher; and Reece Morgan, my football coach. I believe my first words, before I stumbled over my own two feet as I backed away, were ‘What the Fuck?’”
Devon chuckled and then paused.
There was a heaviness in the air despite the deep vibrato and calming nature of Devon’s laugh. Shifters? Shadows? Red-eyed demons? Skröm? What the hell had they gotten involved in, and what was Devon’s role in all of this?
“From there on out, they became my family, along with the other Clan members and their mates at The Lodge in Dunham,” Devon resumed. “We function as a regular running lodge, but we are also a bit of a rescue for Clan members who need a little pick-me-up. Just as with humans, there are issues in our world, too. But that’s for another time.”
Alexia had seen Cam’s reaction at the word family. He’d hunched in on himself, his face becoming somber and pensive. Alexia understood why. Cam didn’t have much family, and it would hurt anyone to realize that the only blood family they had, already had others to rely on. Alexia didn’t have any blood family, but she did have Mindy and she had the Martinez family, and she had enough people in her corner to feel content with her lot.
“So, what does all of this have to do with the Shadows that attacked me?” Alexia asked, wanting to know what they were really dealing with.
“Right. Shadows,” he said, refocusing. He apparently hadn’t seen the forlorn look on Cam’s face. “Basic lesson. Think about it this way… What if all of the supernatural creatures you’ve ever read about were actually real? Vampires, witches, shifters, werewolves, the Fae, dragons—”
“Oh! There are dragons?” Mindy asked, excited.
“Don’t encourage him, babe,” Cam said, but he smiled at her indulgently after hiding the tightening in his jaw. This time his eyes flashed with not just fear, but resignation.
It was definitely a bit scary that werewolves and dragons and witches and fairies were real. It struck Alexia at how accepting they were being when moments ago, she’d thought Devon had gone off the deep end. But his story about the Skröm attacking him, his fierce reaction to her looks last night, and the events that had followed were proof. Proof she was still digesting, yes. But unfortunately, it actually made a weird kind of sense.
“Here’s the thing,” Devon continued. “There are all those things, but they aren’t called vampires or witches or werewolves. In my world – in our world – these creatures are either Clan or Other. Humans have definitely come across our kind. We’ve all heard the stories, but even with the familiarity, there are so many things humans don’t see. In truth, there are several types of Others, those creatures said to have been made from the Darkness – not the gods,” Devon clarified. “And then, there are five major Clans, those creatures said to have been made by the gods. Each Clan has gifts. The Luna Clan – our father’s Clan – can shift into any animal they choose – or at least the one animal they choose when they transform for the first time. The animal always has a strong significance for the Luna. Almost like a Spirit animal. Other than that, the Luna seem to have little in the way of power, although they do take on their animal’s strengths, some can work with the elements, and we have a fast metabolism.
“The Vuković Clan shift into wolves. They can transform at will and they are the strongest of all five Clans, but their strength is determined by the phases of the moon. They’re also our first line of defense against rogue Skröm because, despite how the Skröm look, they are incredibly fast and strong. Just not as fast, nor as strong, as the Vuković. The Azima Clan can call on the elements. Most have an affinity for a particular element, and only the most powerful can call on all five elements. The Taryn Clan – our mother’s Clan – is similar to the Skröm in that they can use tethering and grounding, which I’ll go over later, and light energy. Light Energy can do two things: it can cleanse an area of Shadows, or it can slow down the Others and the Skröm, whose Darkness is hindered by the Light. Last night, I cleansed the area, with Alexia’s help. Taryn families also only give birth once in a lifetime, and they are always mirror twins, like me and Cam.
“The Skröm Clan is the fifth Clan. Whereas the first four Clans get their gifts from the Light, the Skröm Clan wanted more power and sided with the Darkness – what most would call demons or evil. Hence why they can be slowed by light energy. However, and here’s where things get tricky”—Because they weren’t already, Alexia thought—“the Skröm are still considered Clan. They still hold a seat with the other four Clans on the Clan Council, a governing body for the Clan and the Others. And there are still some Skröm, although rare, who have not yet succumbed to the Darkness inside of them.”
He paused for a moment and honestly, Alexia was a little surprised that neither Cam nor Mindy spoke up. Then again, she’d be hard pressed herself to pull out a reaction other than complete shock. She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea that all of her childhood nightmares and daydreams, and even some of her adult fantasies, were real.
“Shadows aren’t a Clan at all. They’re actually the dark souls of the Skröm Clan. Thousands of years ago, the Skröm Clan had orange eyes and consumed only the blood of Others and Clan members. But the Skröm broke off from the other Clans and gave their souls to the Darkness, choosing to drink the blood of humans. In choosing to become our one Dark Clan, their once orange eyes became red, and their ability to use life energy – blood – as power became all-consuming. They are the vampires of legend, and they do not stop themselves with one drop of blood. They consume a whole body of blood with pleasure. When they die, though, they aren’t taken into the Light of the Afterworld like humans and the Light Clan members. They become Shadows. Shadows who seek to consume just as much as their live bodies once consumed, victim after victim. Only, now they consume power. It’s why Kayla’s sternum was crushed. A Shadow’s only magic – If you want to call it that – lies in draining power. Their very purpose is to consume as much power as they can. Except, when they consume that power, they create a pressure on the lungs and the sternum that pulls the breath, life, and any residual human or Clan power from the individual.” At this point, Devon looked directly at Alexia, who had been lost in thought. There was something niggling at the outer reaches of her mind, like she was remembering a dream or a long-lost memory. Crushed sternums. Loss of breath.
“This is ridiculous!” Alexia yelled, not only infuriated, but also terrified. “I am not a vampire!”
“So, you think Alexia is a Skröm?” Mindy might as well have been laughing by the tone in her voice, but she ignored Alexia’s outburst. “Not possible.”
“Mindy can tell you! Tell him I don’t drink blood,” Alexia demande
d. Of course, her friend was absolutely no help as she was now doubled over in laughter.
“Well, there was that one time…” Mindy started, then squealed when Alexia stood and swatted her arm. She acted like it hurt, but then she sat back down opposite Alexia, and she snuggled up to Cam again. “Okay, okay, in all seriousness,” she said, still attempting to school her features. “Alexia’s right, Devon. She may have the red eyes and the flaming red hair, but she isn’t one of these Skröm things.”
“I’m just telling you the history. I have no idea what the hell is going on here. When I saw Alexia last night, she looked like a Skröm.” Devon’s gaze swung back to her, an unreadable expression on his face. “But she’s also different. Skröm have a hypnotic voice – Alexia does too, but it’s not as potent. They have extreme strength, straight red hair, bright red eyes, pale skin, tall, thin bodies, and most importantly, a Light Clan member can’t touch their minds.” Devon looked to Alexia. “You’re so different, I have no idea what you are—”
Alexia flinched.
Devon, for once, seemed to realize how he sounded. “I’m not trying to be an ass.”
“Well, you sure as hell are doing a good job even if you’re not trying,” Alexia replied, making sure to put all the snark and hurt she could muster into that one comment.
“No, you don’t get it. You aren’t straight red-haired, tall, thin—”
“Well, excuse the fuck out of you!” Alexia screamed, embarrassed on top of everything else.
Meanwhile, her one ally in this, Mindy, was laughing her ass off. Cam sat next to her, pensive. At least someone wasn’t laughing at her!
Alexia glared at her friend. “I can’t believe you think this is all so fucking amusing,” she snapped.
“Oh, honey, you got it all wrong, believe me. I think what he’s saying is that he digs your curves,” Mindy said, grinning.
The Devil's Pride (Wild Beasts Series) Page 8