Nicky actually chuckled. “Yes, you passed. So, these would be the families a Skröm can pledge themselves to during that adolescent ritual. The night Mally died, the Shadows that were there with the wolves were Darmov Shadows.”
Alexia rubbed her temples. She felt like there should be a dunt-dunt-dunt sound effect playing in the background. Her brain was on overload but Nicky wasn’t finished.
“After the first murder, we came down here,” he continued. “We knew the Shadows and the Skröm were in the area again; and while hunting one night, Graham and I found the Darmov Shadows and a wolf was with them, but I didn’t recognize the wolf.”
It was definitely kind of fishy, and she’d recently become a non-believer in regards to coincidence, but the situation was sketchy and she wanted to make sure Devon was safe. If there was a connection between the wolves, Reece Morgan, and these Darmov Shadows, then Devon and everyone else she loved might be in more direct danger than she’d originally thought.
“It’s just too much of a coincidence, Lex,” Nicky added, mirroring her original thought. “Darmov Shadows so close to you, in your town, in this state again. They haven’t been active since we were kids. Even the attacks your mate’s family has thwarted over the years have all been by the Tao and Macredes families. Never the Darmov’s. Definitely not the Zolanskis. Your cousin, Ginny, and your grandfather, Roman, both knew about James and your mother, and Roman was against it. Ginny has always said that Roman is just a big teddy bear underneath his Skröm exterior, but for most in our world, that’s a hard concept. We’ve been told the histories. But Ginny and even Roman…well, I’ve met a lot of bad seeds from the Skröm camp, but those two have made me question what I’ve been told. Not to mention, I know for a fact those two have single-handedly, and quietly, dealt with any attacks they could prevent in regards to The Lodge. They’d never directly go after James and The Lodge. And they’ve kept James’ identity a secret for almost forty years. That says something about their character.”
“James and Devon have both mentioned Ginny. Said she was good people – for a Skröm.”
“They would know… Woman has her hands in every pie in the Eastern states.” He stopped for a minute and his gaze pierced her with its intensity. “You are too, Lex. You’re one of the good ones. And yes,” Nicky said, a strange tone to his words, “Ginny is good people.”
“You know her.” His voice had said it all.
“She works with your uncle and me—”
“She owns that club, Stealth, right? How does she work with you?” Oh, he had her attention now.
“Yep, Stealth. Her club helps us do what we need to do. We gather Intel. We find rogue Clan members. We investigate crimes done by the Others… Help clean up the rogue Skröm numbers… She’s a big part of what we do.”
Alexia sat there for a moment. This was a lot to take in. The fuckin’ last few weeks had been quite a bit to take in. She didn’t feel stressed or terrified, though. Which, honestly, was scary in and of itself. She was apparently getting used to the craziness around her.
“Do you know anything else about the murders?”
“Just what you and the cops know. How they died – blood loss. Also that what the murderers have been performing is a mixture of the Vuković and Skröm Clan rituals.”
“In what way?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. She didn’t know all the rituals yet.
“Clan members change. It’s what happens. Hybrids, Pure-Clan Adolescents…it’s gonna happen. It’s very rare that a Dormant finds out and doesn’t change, and the change always happens for a Pure-Clan member. But as I said, we like our rituals. The Vuković ritual is transforming under a full or a new moon. During the ritual, the blood of each immediate family member who has changed before them – and who is still alive – is poured out in a circle of blood starting with the Matriarch’s blood. The first transformation occurs in this circle under that full or new moon.”
“That’s what’s been happening. The first murders occurred under the new moon and the last under the full moon…” Alexia trailed off.
“And you remember what I just said about the Skröm ritual? Again, it’s not needed. Just for show. Except, it’s become a requirement for the adolescent. The forearms are marked with one of the four family’s crest, and the child pledges themselves to that family before they drink their first blood—”
“But forearms haven’t been marked,” she said. There had been smudges on the forearm, but no actual markings.
“Have you seen the bodies?”
“Well, no, but Cam and Mindy have been filling us in. That’s not normally allowed, but these are sort of special circumstances, what with this being Shadows and Skröm killing innocents.”
“You haven’t seen the bodies. And your coroner isn’t Clan, nor is she a Dormant. She wouldn’t see the marking. It’s a soul-deep marking. Only Clan and Dormants would see it, just as only they can see the Shadows.”
“Humans can’t see Shadows?” That couldn’t be right. Mindy had seen them. Had Mindy also seen the markings? Had she said something? Why would she hide that?
“Just Clan can see the Shadows. Dormants, Light, Dark, or human mates.”
But Mindy…that first night…
“Fuck! Mindy is Clan,” Alexia said, and started pacing along the pathway. The weeds had popped up in between the cracks of cement, and Alexia knew how they felt. Searching through the unbreathable rock for just a little bit of light. A little bit of hope.
Was that Mindy now? Was she going through this on her own? She’d just been introduced to the Clans as well, and since Alexia had known her, she’d always had these gifts. If Alexia’s symptoms were anything to go by, Mindy was probably experiencing some serious shifts in her own power. Alexia blew out a breath. Mindy had always been overly open about her emotions, maybe because she felt everyone else’s so deeply. But Clan? “I mean I knew that in theory she had some mega power, but this makes so much more sense now…” Alexia trailed off.
“I’m assuming you mean the woman from your birthday party who was with Cam, the one who told me to fuck off before she charged into your room earlier?”
“That’s my Mindy,” Alexia said with a smile. Ah, Mindy… So, still amazingly free with her feelings. God, she loved that girl.
“Oh, she’s definitely Clan. Vuković Clan aren’t just good at fighting the Skröm because we’re strong. We’re also really good at sniffing out power. Mindy has a very high power signature. She’s going to be amazing one day when she goes through her change as an Azima Clan member—”
“The witches, right?”
Nicky gave her one of the first genuine smiles she’d seen from him recently. “They don’t call themselves witches, but I guess that would be the closest description. Your friend is powerful. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was a prospective Azima Councilor. But the Councilors would have found her years ago, Dormant or not.”
“Her parents don’t have magic, though. Those people are the most closed-minded, awful individuals you will ever meet.”
“Well, they’re probably Dormants, but she wouldn’t need her parents to be Councilors to be a Councilor herself. The Azima Clan is different than some of the other Clans. Their leaders are chosen from a handful of young women and men each generation. It’s not passed down through families in a transfer between heirs like other Light Clans; it’s almost like it’s handed down directly from the gods, or so the Azima think.”
“So, Mindy is powerful like them?”
“Not yet, but if she’s already got such a big power signature as a Dormant, her powers will only get stronger when she fully accepts and uses her Azima gifts. And in this case, the ritual is actually necessary. The Azima need the ritual to come fully into their power, whereas with the other Clans, it’s more of a formality.”
“You know, I have to share this with her, right? She needs to know she’s Clan.”
“I’m pretty sure she already knows she’s Clan, but yes, you can definitely s
hare the other details with her. But not about the murders or about Mally’s death,” he added quickly. She gave him a “not this again” look. “Please, Lex. We don’t know if James is involved or how, but we do know at least one of the wolves who is in his family group is guilty. If you share this information with James or with Devon, it could be years before we’re able to find Mally’s killer again.”
Damn. He had another point. Alexia wanted to catch Mally’s killer. She didn’t want to lie to Devon, but she also couldn’t imagine a world where she knew about Mally’s murderer and Professor Anderson’s murderer and she didn’t do everything she could to try and stop those responsible.
“Okay,” she said, hoping she was making the right decision. “But you need to tell me when you have new information, and if things get too crazy, you have to let me tell Devon. I can’t keep things from him.”
“Deal,” he said, and he stuck out his hand.
“Deal,” she said, taking his hand briefly. Huh. No shocks. She could control this thing after all, or maybe she didn’t experience shocks with him because he was Vuković, and she was going to be like the head honcho or something someday.
“Well, I’ve got to get back inside. We’ve been out here for almost an hour and the pizza should be here soon.” Alexia walked up the steps and to the door, but turned back around and leaned over the railing of the second floor.
“Hey, Nicky,” she said, and he hadn’t moved, so he just turned around.
“Yeah, Lex?”
“Catch these guys,” she whispered, although now that she was near the motel room door, Alexia was pretty sure everyone inside could hear what she’d just said, including Reece Morgan. God, if what Nicky was saying was true, how was she going to stand being in the same room with a man who was responsible for Mally’s death?
“We will, Lex.” He gave a nod, turned around, and Alexia walked back into the motel room.
Before she could move any further than a footstep inside, Devon pulled her into his arms, and his steadiness calmed her and the raging beasts beating at her breast. He nuzzled her neck, and she knew he was making sure she was safe. He was scenting her and claiming her in the only way he could in that moment.
She had so many secrets floating around in her head, and she didn’t like it. She didn’t like keeping things from him or from Mindy. Alexia didn’t know James all that well, so she was reserving her feelings and thoughts there, but still…secrets were dangerous. Although, from what she’d learned, it was possible the truth would be more dangerous if shared too soon.
She burrowed into Devon, drawing in his scent to let it soothe her damaged self. Mmm…clean waterfall and oranges. She wanted his blood again, but mostly she just wanted to be a part of him. She heard a snicker from next to her.
“Stop reading my mind,” she said, giving her toughest mean girl stare. But a part of her was scared for her friend. Power. She could scent it, now that she knew what it was. Beneath the slight smell of curry and blood was the smell of wet earth after a long rain, as the sun beat down. She didn’t know what the smells meant. She only knew the scent fit Mindy. Fit her down to the woman’s soul. Powerful. Yes, she could sense that now. Alexia avoided eye contact with everyone else. She was still on edge and one look at Reece might actually send her over the wolfy cliff she kept walking right up to.
“Remember? I can’t actually read minds. And that time you were talking out loud again. Oranges? Yummy,” Mindy said, laughing and dodging Alexia’s wayward arm slap before walking to the door to get the pizzas from the delivery girl. Devon chuckled in Alexia’s arms, and she smiled up at him before looking to the table now filled with the pizza boxes the others were bringing in.
Jesus, Alexia thought, three sheet pizzas for – she did a mental count – eight people? Well, damn, Clan members could eat.
Devon was still chuckling as he dug in. She liked the fact that he lived and laughed and acted like a Man Bear. Her Man Bear. She looked around her as she grabbed a few slices of the everything pizza, and her smile dipped for a second.
Could she trust these people, or were her enemies right under her very sensitive Clan nose? Her gaze lingered over Reece, but she moved her eyes away before he caught her. She would keep the secrets she was hiding close to her chest – to keep Devon and those she cared about safe. She just hoped she would be able to figure out a way to keep those secrets from destroying her and anyone else in their path.
“Damon, I’m headed out!” Alexia yelled into the back office as she hung up her apron. It had been almost two weeks since the motel and the pizza and all the craziness of that night, but Alexia was settling back in.
“Hang on a second,” he shouted back, his loud voice booming from the office. Alexia threw her black Pumas into the locker she shared with a couple of the other servers and put on her brown cowgirl boots.
“What’s up, boss?” Alexia asked as Damon moved into the hallway. He was the oldest of the three Trappe brothers and the owner of Trappe’s Bar, a mainstay for college students and townies alike. The man was sex-personified. Muscles for days, dark hair, tattoos that he just couldn’t hide, and hypnotic, golden brown eyes. Alexia would have been lying if she’d said she hadn’t had a few fantasies about the beautiful man who stood before her. And she’d probably still have been sporting a bit of a crush on her boss if she didn’t already have a fantasy man.
“You good, Lex?” Damon asked as he leaned against one of the lockers in the back. Alexia looked up and saw concern in his eyes. Damon had always been good to her. Eight years now, she’d been working at Trappe’s, and Damon Trappe had always treated her like family. She’d never shared much beyond how Mama and Papa Martinez were, but she didn’t want to brush off his question.
“Yeah, Damon,” Alexia said softly to let him know that she had truly considered the question. “I’m good… You?” Maybe he wanted to talk. It wasn’t likely; the man and his brothers had been the biggest mystery in town before the murders.
He gave her a considering look, and her eyes widened when he tilted his head to the side in a very inhuman manner Alexia wouldn’t have noticed a month earlier.
“I’m good, Lex. Always good.” He’d seen her shock, and instead of acknowledging the truth, he just gave her a nod and a cunning smile.
Predator, Alexia thought, and a shiver worked its way along her spine.
“Keep safe, Alexia,” Damon said, and he went to put his hand on her arm like he often did. At the last second, he pulled his hand back.
“You too, Damon… You too.” Alexia gave him a sly look and a cunning smile in return. God, she was actually starting to love this town more than she had before. She left the bar and grabbed her bike from the back, but before she started peddling, she heard the rumble of Devon’s Triumph coming down the road, and she smiled secretly to herself. She put the bike stand back up and turned around to watch Devon ride into the back parking lot of Trappe’s and hop off his bike.
“Hey, Red,” Devon said as he moved toward her. He pulled her into his arms, and she hadn’t realized how tired she was until that moment. The training she’d been doing with Carrie and Ben, the two Taryns, along with James, had really been working her mentally and physically.
Devon held her close, his arms like twin grips of steel encasing her in safety and comfort. He’d been sleeping in the guestroom of the trailer with her. The first night, he’s taken a spot on the tiny floor… For about an hour. That was, until she’d told him to get his ass up on the bed or she wouldn’t go to sleep, and his goddamned manly sacrifice would be worthless anyhow. She always fell straight asleep in his arms. For almost two weeks, since they’d been back at Cams, he’d held her as they fell asleep, and each night was more torturous, and yet more peaceful and right than the last.
Alexia was back at classes and almost done for the semester, and life was back on track. Except for the fact that she had a birth father she’d never known about. A birth mother he’d supposedly killed to protect others. An ex-boyfriend
who’d lied to her since the day they’d met, and who was now following her around town between house hunting and doing whatever with her uncle. An uncle, she reminded herself, whose presence and goings on she was hiding from her newly found biological father. A growing relationship with a man who transformed into a bear. Oh, and another family had been murdered. That meant thirteen people so far. Other than Kayla, the number four seemed significant in some way.
The cops didn’t know why these families were being murdered, but it was always families. The most recent murdered family were the Monroes. More good people murdered in her town. And not just good people, but again, Annabelle Monroe had been a Professor at Montville University. An adjunct who only worked part time, but this was just another connection to the school and to Alexia… And still nothing new from Nicky.
“How was your visit with your parents?” Devon asked.
“Ha!” she said, falling into his arms naturally, and enjoying the feel of his muscular body. “Mama asked if I’d talked with Nicky yet.”
His eyes narrowed. “She isn’t still trying to—”
“Get Nicky and I together?” Alexia asked, pulling him back in. He’d stepped back for a minute because he thought Mama had been playing matchmaker, and she had to smile at the jealous gesture. “No. Absolutely not. She knows better, and she saw how tired and hurt I was during our birthday party a few weeks ago. But she thinks I need to talk with him. So, I told her we’d worked things out.”
“We haven’t talked about that conversation. I didn’t want to get in your business, but if you want to talk, you can, you know? He’s Clan, so I want to help,” Devon said.
“You knew?” Alexia asked, stepping out of his arms in surprise. How much did he know?
“Red, everyone knew that night. We could smell the Vuković Clan, his wolf on him, a mile away,” Devon said, smiling. And then tentatively, “That was the real secret from that night you left Cam’s house for the hike, wasn’t it?”
“Yep,” she said, defeated, and she threw on the leather jacket he handed her. “There’s more to the story of course. There’s always more it seems,” she murmured and climbed onto the back of his motorcycle.
The Devil's Pride (Wild Beasts Series) Page 22