"Uh-huh." The look Rand gave her said he didn't buy her excuses even for a second.
No matter what, her guilt and grief weren't topics for casual conversation. Jaw jutting, Victoria shook her head. "Don't want to talk about it."
"All right." Rand turned toward the final doorway to the one room they hadn't inspected yet. "This must be the bedroom."
Victoria entered ahead of him and turned on the lights. The small room contained a double bed and a five-drawer dresser. A toddler bed and a toy chest stood against one of the walls. Lego blocks and Matchbox cars littered the floor. The space hardly seemed big enough for one person to occupy, let alone two.
"I thought you said the boy is six," Rand said, scowling at the toddler bed.
"That's what the spirit and the newspaper said. I guess it's what she could afford." Victoria pitied the dead woman and missing child more than ever. The boy had lost everything. She hoped they could save him.
"Where the hell is the boy's father in all this?"
"The article said she was a single mother. No mention of a father."
Rand walked past the beds and examined the room's only window which had been broken inward. The vinyl mini blinds lay in a mangled heap on the floor. Glass fragments littered the carpet. "This is where it entered. I only smell the one creature."
She bent and picked up a small red fire truck off the spotted carpeting. She inspected the toy and then tucked it into the front pocket of her jeans. The threadbare comforter on the bed contained a lumpy polyester fill. She committed the boy's scent to memory and then wadded the blanket into a ball.
"Catch," she said, tossing it toward Rand.
"So there's no one left to miss the poor kid?" Rand caught the blanket out of the air and held the blue fabric to his nose. After a few seconds, he returned the blanket to the bed.
"No, probably not." She shook her head in sorrow. If they failed to save the boy, she would feel responsible for his death, the same way she already felt for so many others.
Rand stilled, and his gaze settled on her. "Cut yourself some slack, kid," he said in a gruff tone. "Everything isn't your fault."
Her stomach dropped. She stared at him.
"Isn't it, though? Daniel is dead because of me." She had known dating a hunter was reckless and off-limits, but that hadn't stopped her. "Dad knew Jake Barrett would blame me for his son's death. It's why he kept me from attending the meeting with the hunters."
"Ah, so you get to claim credit for the massacre at the airfield 'n starting the fighting too, I suppose?" Rand's brow arched. "Something of a royal screw up, aren't you?"
Tears stung her eyes, and a hot flush of temper set her teeth on edge. "Mocking it doesn't make it any less true."
"Course not," he drawled. "But it might help you see the only person blaming you for what happened is you. The pack doesn't hold you culpable for any of it."
Her anger dissipated and left her flushed with embarrassment. His reassurance served to undermine her self-confidence. She was a failure as Alpha. She lacked the necessary experience and wisdom to serve as a good pack leader. The role had been thrust upon her years before she should have been ready.
"Rand." Uncertainty threaded her voice, vibrating with the strength of her curiosity. She had a question she wanted—no, needed—to ask but did not know how to phrase it.
"Just spit it out."
She sighed. Fine.
"Why haven't you challenged me for Alpha yet? We both know, in a fight, you'd win. You're older, more experienced, better suited to leadership."
Rand laid a hand on her shoulder. Victoria tilted her head to gaze into his face. She fully expected her question to finally provoke the ritual challenge.
He scowled. "I was loyal to your father and mother. My Alphas. So I'm loyal to you, Victoria Storm. If your father had wanted me to be leader, he'd have put me in charge."
"Alpha isn't a hereditary title, Rand. It has to be earned."
"Let me guess. You don't feel you've earned it?"
She shook her head.
His nostrils flared as he exhaled. "There has been a Storm leading this pack for five hundred years. You're a good leader, just a little bit inexperienced. You need to stop being so hard on yourself."
Victoria opened her mouth, although she had no idea what she intended to say. Before she formulated words, her cell phone rang. She sighed, extracted the mobile from her pocket, and checked the number.
Sylvie.
"Victoria," Sylvie said in a voice filled with panic. "It's Jasper. He's gone."
An awful sense of foreboding filled her, but she strove to remain cool. "Jasper was upset when we told him he couldn't come with us. He's probably just sneaking around after me and Rand."
Beside her, Rand snorted. "That boy needs his backside tanned."
Victoria waved a silencing hand at him. "Don't worry, okay? We’re through here. We'll come back and track him down."
"Okay." Sylvie's tone calmed. "Please hurry."
"We will." Victoria put the phone away and looked to the redhead.
Rand rolled his eyes. "Well, fuck. I guess we'd better get after that little shit."
"Rand, don't be too hard on him, okay? He's just a kid."
"It's time for him to grow up and start being a man." He accompanied her outside and closed the door of the apartment behind them. "Do you have a plan for finding Michael?"
"Not yet." A sense of urgency coalesced in her gut. The need to act grew imperative, but she had no idea what to do. "C'mon, let's go."
Together, they returned to the parking lot where they'd left the truck. Rand approached the driver's side of the pickup and unlocked the door.
"Smells like a storm," he said.
As if to echo his words, thunder rumbled miles in the distance. The clouds formed a thick gray blanket. Orange hues tinted the horizon, and a brisk breeze blew easterly.
Victoria tilted her head back, scenting the moist air. "It blew up suddenly. I didn't know it was supposed to rain."
"It wasn't. Not according to the weather report I read this morning anyway."
She traded an ominous glance with Rand, and their shared concern remained unspoken. Picking up a scent trail that was already a couple days old was difficult in an urban area. Rain would destroy any chance they might have had of doing it the old fashioned way.
They drove for a couple minutes. A light drizzle started, just enough to turn the dust on the windshield to mud. Rand turned on the wipers. The rain wasn't heavy, but it was enough to obliterate any trace of a scent trail Jasper might've left. His disappearance ate at her. She hated her inability to act, and each passing minute stretched like an hour. The teenager hadn't been gone for long, so she doubted he'd gotten far. Most likely, he'd return to the pack once he'd blown off steam.
The consolation offered cold comfort.
Chapter 5
Fretting over Jasper's safety, Victoria chewed her lower lip and stared out the window at the passing scenery. In many ways, Albuquerque was like Phoenix. Certainly, the landscaping and architecture of the high desert city reminded her of home. Small discrepancies such as unfamiliar local businesses and vegetation really stood out. Those differences served to sharpen the knowledge that she could never go home again. Even if they managed to make peace with the hunters, she couldn't return to the place full of so many painful memories.
From that first date with Daniel, she'd known becoming involved with a hunter was wrong, but she hadn't been able to resist him. When he asked her out, she'd gone in defiance of good sense while questioning his motives and her own the whole time. She didn’t hide that she was dating a hunter from her parents or pack. However, they'd kept their relationship a secret from Jake Barrett and the rest of his family.
The first time Daniel broached the issue had been a rainy Sunday morning in April. He lay sprawled across her queen-sized mattress with the headboard and a stack of pillows propped behind his torso. His dark eyes followed her every move as she dressed in
medical scrubs. She had an upcoming shift in the emergency room of Good Samaritan Hospital where she worked as a nurse.
"Call in sick. Play hooky with me." Daniel wore a wicked smile and a sheet tangled around his hips. His tanned skin contrasted sharply with the white cotton. He lacked tan lines, even in the middle of winter, a fact she teased him mercilessly about.
"I can't. People are counting on me." She frowned to hide her amusement. In the few months they'd been together, she'd learned that indulging his antics only made his behavior worsen. She certainly didn't want him to know just how much the offer to climb beneath the covers with him tempted her.
"What time are you off?"
She perched on the edge of the bed and pulled on her shoes. "I'm working three consecutive twelve-hour shifts in the ER. Then, I have plans with friends Thursday and pack business on Friday. I'm visiting my parents Saturday."
While she tied the laces, he rolled onto his side. His hand snaked across the mattress and caressed the curve of her backside through her blue scrubs. "I don't want to have to wait a week to see you again."
Victoria didn't like it either, but she put on a cool smile and evaded his grasp. Glancing back, she said, "You'll live. Besides, it keeps the sex interesting."
Daniel's brow furrowed, and he sat upright. Anger honed his features and sharpened his scent. "We've got more than sex going for us."
Startled, she stood and turned to face him. "Sure, we have fun together. I couldn't ask for a better hunting partner."
They worked together well as a team. To avoid other hunters, their expeditions often took them to remote, isolated areas outside the city. They preferred to stalk and destroy vampires. Undead were unusually common in the Phoenix area. They'd also taken on the odd ghost, and what might have been a chupacabra... Or a member of her pack playing pranks. They'd never figured that one out.
Daniel surged off the mattress. His wide stance and the position of his shoulders reminded her of a wrestler. His aura shimmered with vibrant red-toned swirls. "You just don't want to admit that we're good together."
"Whoa, hold up there, lover." Her hands rose to his abdomen, and she smoothed her palms across his sides. "We're good together. That's not the issue at all. And you know it."
Beneath her touch, he stilled. His heartbeat slowed, and his respiration steadied. An elusive empathetic resonance buzzed in the air between them, strong enough so she felt his restrained anger. The connection wasn't as intimate as the pack bond, but it held tantalizing promise.
Resolve hardened in his eyes. He placed a finger under her chin and raised her face so only inches separated them. Their breath mingled, and the moment became as intimate as a kiss.
Her breath hitched. Mentally, she crossed her fingers and prayed he wouldn't do this now. She wasn't ready to have the big commitment talk yet. They hadn't been dating long enough for her to even be sure how she felt about him. For every reason they should be together, a dozen real world considerations existed to keep them apart.
"Daniel–"
He held her gaze. "I'm going to tell my father about us."
Upon hearing him say it aloud, her alarm spiked. His intentions were as she suspected and as she feared. She liked things as they were between them. She didn't want everything to change. Her grip on his sides tightened. "No."
"Victoria, we need to discuss this." His jaw twitched near the corner of his mouth. The set of his shoulders, as well as every nuance of his body's posture, bespoke staunch determination. The man was a force to be reckoned with when he set his mind to something.
Exhaling, she let go of him and took a step backward. "I don't have time for this right now. I need to leave or I'm going to be late for work."
"When then?" His jaw tipped in a stubborn jut. "When do you have time?"
"Call me tonight." She shot him a long, unhappy look. He hated being put off, but she expected him to be reasonable. He couldn't upend their entire dynamic and expect her to adjust at a moment's notice. "Please don't go ruining what we've got. I want to enjoy it while it lasts."
Face set in an implacable mask, Daniel stared at her for a long time before he opened his mouth to answer–
"We're almost there."
Rand's voice cut through her reverie, yanking Victoria back to reality.
Choking on painful emotions, she twisted to face the redhead. "Let's hope Jasper is back."
"Yeah." His reply carried a distinct note of doubt.
Striving to escape her dark musings, she slanted a look toward her companion. Humming along in off-key concert with a tune on the radio, Rand appeared unperturbed. Curiosity ate at her. She had questions about his attitude toward Jake Barrett and dying. She didn't know how to phrase them without insulting him.
"What's eating at you, kid?" Rand asked in a gruff voice. He never took his eyes off the road.
An automatic denial formed, but she hesitated to offer an outright lie. Lacking a tactful approach, she blurted out, "You didn't seem worried earlier."
"I'm not the worrying sort." He shot her a speculative sideways glance without bothering to disguise his curiosity. "What about?"
"Jake Barrett."
"Oh." He snorted. "Yeah, well. I worry for the rest of the pack, but not about Jake killin' me."
Her eyebrows knit. "You think he won't?"
"Nah, that's not it." Rand's chuckle reverberated in his chest like a rusty engine. "I don't worry about dying. All the dumb ass shit I've pulled. Never figured to live as long as I have."
Her alarm spiked. "You're not even fifty."
"Fifty is old." He flashed a teasing grin. "I want to die fighting. Hopefully while I still can."
Victoria scowled. "You think Barrett would be a worthy adversary and an honorable death?"
"Not think. Know. I've accompanied the man on countless hunts."
The pickup rolled to a halt at a red light. Tense silence endured while they waited for the signal to change. The whole time, Victoria bit her tongue against the desire to call Rand an idiot.
His attitude didn't surprise her. Her people followed the old ways. Enemies had driven Loki's wolf shifter children from their Old World homeland centuries before. They fled to North America. However, they worshipped the ancient gods and clung to their Viking heritage. The only good and honorable death came as a courageous end in glorious combat. The victims of murder, sickness, and accidents were all doomed to the gloomy underworld. Certain exceptions were made for women who were deemed worthy and a place was created for them in Freya's hall.
She not only accepted the doctrine, but embraced it. In addition to being Freya's priestess, she was a Valkyrie who transported the souls of the chosen to Odin's Valhalla. So she wondered if her reaction was entirely selfish. She depended on Rand's strength and his experience. Losing him would make the already difficult job of pack leader even harder.
The light turned green, and the truck lurched into motion again. The light drizzle continued to fall. Water beads danced on the side windows and then stretched into long streaks across the glass.
"Relax, kid. I'm not going anywhere," Rand said at last. "I don't intend to commit Hari Kari."
"Don't even think about it." She adopted a fierce glare and menaced him with her fist, playing it for laughs. She didn't want him to figure out how much the prospect of losing him scared her.
"I won't." Chuckling, Rand turned the pickup into the parking lot of the convenience store and pulled into a space. He shut off the engine.
A cool smattering of rain pelted Victoria when she climbed out of the cab. Inclement weather was unpleasant, but not a big deal. As wolves, they were capable of enduring much worse. The SUV was parked a few spaces over. Sophia appeared in the rolled up window of the vehicle. She rested her paws on the sills, pressed her nose to the glass, and peered out.
Side by side, Rand and Victoria walked around the rear of the truck to greet Sylvie. The older woman hurried toward them. Worry lines etched her face, and muddy swirls marred her tranquil aura
.
"Thank the goddess you're back," Sylvie said. "Jasper's not answering his cell phone. I'm afraid something awful has happened."
"Don't panic. I haven't felt anything through the pack bond." Victoria adopted a soothing tone and projected confidence. Her gaze strayed past Sylvie to Morena. The teenager lurked next to the SUV's quarter panel, staring intently at a spot on the ground.
"How long's he been gone?" Rand scratched at his beard. His knowing gaze also settled on Morena.
Sylvie worried her lower lip. "He must've taken off right after the two of you left for the library. I was hoping he followed you."
"Without a car? Not a chance." Rand shook his head.
"Where's Paul?" Victoria asked, needing to know the locations of every member of her small pack. The bond wasn't the equivalent of mystical GPS. Unless Jasper experienced severe emotional distress or injury, she couldn't use it to track him.
"He's looking around the neighborhood for Jasper," Sylvie answered. "In case he just wandered off to blow off some steam."
Victoria stepped past Sylvie and approached Morena. The teenager slumped against the SUV's quarter panel. Her gaze fixated on the ground. At her Alpha's approach, the girl visibly shrank in upon herself, arms crossed in a self-hug. She stank of guilt and fear.
Victoria stopped in front of her. "Morie, did Jasper tell you where he was going? If you know, you need to tell us. It's too dangerous for him to be out there alone. No one's going to be angry with you. "
The teen produced an indecipherable whimper. She trembled from head to toe.
Victoria settled her hands on the teen's shoulders and steadied her. "Morena?"
Morie's head rolled to the side. Tears streaked her cheek. "I told him not to go. I told him it was stupid. But he said he needed to prove he's an adult or no one would ever take him seriously."
A cold rush of fear swept through Victoria. Swallowing panic, she caught the girl's eyes. "Where is he?"
With a snotty inhalation, Morena scrubbed at her eyes. "Lo siento. He made me promise not to tell."
"Tell me. Now." Biting back a growl, Victoria asserted her will through the pack bond and assumed command of Morena's wolf. The girl cowered before her.
Valkyrie's Vengeance_Loki's Wolves Page 5