Romani Blood (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 1)

by Frances Trilone

  “No.” I slammed both hands on the table. “He’s your son. I can’t believe you—”

  A low growl came from the woods behind me.

  Asher’s face twisted when Kaleb walked out of the woods with Markus behind him. Both wore blue jeans and a black t-shirt with the Norwood Isle logo.

  “We agreed you’d stay away from her.” Kaleb glared at his father.

  Asher got to his feet. “You’re supposed to be on your way to see the Kingsley wolves. What are you doing here?”

  They both grew quiet, using transference to talk.

  My gaze drifted to Markus, who stood a few feet away. When our eyes met, he shook his head and glanced at the two hunters smoking cigarettes.

  Whatever Kaleb and his father were talking about couldn’t be good, but I was definitely not going to interrupt. Not when Kaleb had told his father about us.

  Asher finally looked at me. “Let’s keep our conversation private. No need to tell Henry—unless you want him to know everything. Remember what I said.”

  Kaleb’s body stiffened, but he didn’t say a word.

  Asher walked toward Main Street, whistling.

  As soon as he disappeared from view, I turned to Kaleb. “I can’t believe you told your father about us. Are you crazy?”

  “I didn’t have a choice. He wanted to know why Markus was always in Woodlake.” Kaleb clasped his hands with mine and pulled me closer. “Did he threaten you?”

  “No. He just wanted to talk.”

  A black SUV parked on Main Street, in front of the café. Cole sat in the driver’s seat, and three other Norwood wolves in human form sat in the back. Cole glanced our way and honked the horn.

  I immediately released Kaleb’s hands. Maybe he’d told his father about us, but I seriously doubted the Norwood pack knew. “You’re leaving to see the Kingsley wolves?”

  “Yes. I’ll be back early Sunday morning.”

  I couldn’t believe he was leaving when I needed answers. Like how did he get Paige’s bracelet? Had he figured a way out of my arranged marriage to Ethan? And I needed to tell him about the conditions of Mom’s banishment being lifted. “Be careful.”

  “You too.” Kaleb rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating. “Markus will be in town keeping an eye on things. Just promise me you’ll stay out of the woods and don’t go anywhere alone.”

  “I promise,” I replied.

  Kaleb walked to the SUV and climbed into the passenger seat. He glanced my way briefly, and then they were gone.

  “I’ve never seen him like this,” Markus said.

  I looked at him; I’d almost forgotten he was there. “What do you mean?”

  “He cares about you.”

  “I care about him too.” I shook my head, pissed Kaleb and I hadn’t had time to talk. I needed answers.

  “What’s wrong?” He wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and frowned. “Are you worried about your arranged marriage to Ethan? Because Kaleb’s not letting you marry that prick.”

  “It’s not that.” I told Markus about the conditions of lifting Mom’s banishment. “Kaleb said he’d find a way out of the arranged marriage, but I need to find someone else to propose. I’m running out of time.”

  “Kaleb has a plan.”

  “What’s the plan?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. He wanted to talk to you first,” Markus said as a cop car drove by the café. “You need to get inside.”

  I tugged on his shirt when he turned away. “Wait. Do you think he killed those girls?”

  “No, Asher wouldn’t—”

  “Not Asher. Did Kaleb kill those girls?”

  “You think Kaleb did this?” His brown eyes turned black. “That’s crazy, Sienna. I’d expect other people to say that, but not you.”

  I bit my bottom lip, wanting to know the truth. “Did he give Paige a private tour?”

  “Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean he—”

  “Did he take her on the boat?”

  Markus shook his head. “You’ve got this all wrong.”

  “How did her silver bracelet get on the boat? Kaleb gave me her bracelet. He thought I’d lost it on the boat.”

  “It’s a coincidence. Anyone could’ve—”

  “He lied to me.” I crossed my arms. “Wendy saw Kaleb and Jenny talking at the party. Why didn’t he tell me?”

  “Is that why you’re upset? You think he and Jenny were together?”

  “That’s not what I said,” I insisted. “He lied, and—”

  “You know she always flirted with him. I bet she hit on him at the party and he turned her down. That’s what Wendy saw.”

  “You weren’t at the party. Cole said Kaleb had a date with Jenny. He—”

  “No.” His eyes narrowed. “He wouldn’t do that to you.”

  Deep down, I knew he was right. Kaleb wouldn’t do this, but his father thought he’d killed those girls. Why had Kaleb lied about talking to Jenny? Who cared if she wanted to have sex with him? Everyone already knew that.

  The café’s side door opened and two hunters came out, carrying their rifles.

  “We’re done talking,” Markus said.

  I walked to the café as he left in the same direction as Asher, toward Main Street, away from the hunters and wolf trackers.

  What if Markus was wrong? Did Kaleb murder those girls?

  Chapter 28

  “Ethan’s here.” Aunt Norma popped her head through the bedroom’s doorway on Saturday evening. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” I smoothed my blue dress as I looked in the mirror at the dark circles under my eyes. I’d spent most of the night tossing and turning. Too many things on my mind—my arranged marriage to Ethan, Mom’s banishment-lifting conditions, Asher saying Kaleb killed those girls, and me asking Markus if Kaleb had done it. What was I thinking? Of course, he hadn’t.

  I needed to make things right, but Markus hadn’t stopped by the café today. In fact, none of the locals had come to the café. Only more hunters showed up and the four wolf trackers from yesterday. There was still no sign of the wolf. Things seemed quiet in town.

  “Sienna, you’ll be late,” Aunt Norma called from the hallway.

  “I’m coming.” I grabbed my duffel bag and jacket as I headed toward the front door, where Ethan waited. He was the last person I wanted to see, but someone had to drive me to Drina’s birthday party.

  Aunt Norma and Uncle Henry had dinner plans in Dover and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. They’d already had dinner with Drina last night, and her birthday party didn’t include parents. She wanted to keep the party small.

  With a killer wolf roaming Woodlake, everyone insisted I stay at Drina’s house tonight. I knew they didn’t trust me in an empty house when Ethan was in town. They had nothing to worry about because being alone with him made me want to gag.

  “You look beautiful.” Ethan grabbed the duffel bag from my hand and turned to Aunt Norma and Uncle Henry. “Have a safe trip.”

  Uncle Henry returned to the living room, mumbling that they’d call tomorrow when they got home.

  “Have fun tonight.” Aunt Norma pulled me into a hug and then closed the front door behind us.

  I walked down the front porch steps and got into Ethan’s car.

  He tossed my duffel bag onto the backseat, climbed in, and pulled out of the driveway.

  The sun set on the horizon, bleeding orange and red into the early evening sky. A few stars twinkled, but there was no sign of the moon. As we drove past Marie’s burned house, I couldn’t help but notice how peaceful everything looked. A few daisies sprouted near the porch steps, and one of the bushes had sprung back to life.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Ethan said. “Is everything okay?”

  “I was thinking about something Uncle Henry said. Maybe it’s too soon for a party. With that wolf in town, no one’s safe.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about. I called in a few favors.”

  “What are you talking about?”r />
  He smiled. “You’ll see.”

  We arrived at Victor’s and Drina’s house. Pink balloons and streamers covered the outside and inside. Trays of food were arranged on the kitchen counters, and drinks sat in two coolers on the kitchen floor next to a keg and red plastic cups.

  Ethan put my duffel bag in the guest room and went to the kitchen. No doubt to find the one person I needed to avoid—Nadya. Once she learned about the arranged marriage, she’d come after me, and I didn’t want to fight. Not when I didn’t want to marry Ethan.

  I lay my purse on the bed and looked at my cell phone. No missed calls or text messages. For the past few days, Mom and I had played phone tag, trying to catch each other so we could finally talk. Unfortunately, my dress didn’t have any pockets, so I tucked my hunting knife into the nightstand and slid the cell phone into my boot.

  After grabbing Drina’s birthday gift, I made my way to the living room and placed it on the table with the other gifts. Several people gave me friendly smiles, and I politely made small talk before making my way to Drina’s bedroom. She stood in front of the mirror, admiring her pink dress.

  “You look beautiful,” I said.

  She spun around with a tissue in one hand and mascara streaked down her cheeks. “I love your dress.”

  “You should, since you picked it out.” I closed the door. “Why are you crying?”

  She shrugged, dabbing her eyes with the tissue. “It’s nothing.”

  “Are you sure? Because—”

  “I’m fine.” She looked into the dresser’s mirror again and wiped the mascara off her cheeks. “Did Ethan come with you?”

  “Yes.” I sat on the bed and leaned back on my elbows. I didn’t like the change in subject and wanted to know why she’d been crying. Had she and Victor fought? They rarely argued. “Ethan’s around somewhere. Probably with Nadya.”

  She shook her head, muttering under her breath. “You should mingle tonight. Flirt with the other boys. Ethan’s going to reject the arranged marriage.”

  “Did he say that?” I asked, remembering Victor had said he’d talk to Ethan today and tell him about the arranged marriage. This was perfect—one less thing to worry about. I just needed to get engaged, as Victor had pointed out, and then break off the engagement after my birthday party.

  “Well, no . . . but Ethan can’t marry you.” She sighed.

  Victor entered the bedroom from the bathroom, wearing black pants and a black shirt. “Sienna’s not flirting with anyone tonight.”

  I jumped off the bed, surprised to see him. “I didn’t know you were here.”

  His gaze shot toward me as Drina wrapped a pink tie around his collar. “You never should’ve told Sienna about the arrangement.”

  “I had to tell her,” she insisted. “You know if Ethan knew what his parents had organized, he’d tell them no. Nadya said they—”

  “I’ll talk to Ethan,” he said. “If he’s marrying Nadya, you can talk to one of my cousins, but not until I talk to Ethan. Agreed?”

  “Yes,” I replied, trying not to smile. I didn’t need to worry about finding someone else to propose. Victor would take care of that. He’d find a cousin who’d be okay with a fake engagement.

  He kissed Drina and left the bedroom, leaving the door wide open. As soon as he disappeared from the hallway, Drina looked in the mirror and applied blush to her cheeks. No more tears.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “He’ll talk to Ethan, and I’ll help you find a good husband.”

  “I don’t want to flirt, or find a husband.”

  “You have to.” She tossed her makeup into a drawer. “There’s no way around your mom’s agreement with the Elders. You’ll be outcasts, and I don’t want to lose you.”

  I sighed. “There must be another way.”

  “I don’t see how.” She grabbed a pair of pink high heels and sat on the bed. “I can’t believe you went to the town meeting. I heard Kaleb threatened to bite one of the witches.”

  “That’s not what happened.” I leaned against the dresser as she adjusted the straps on her high heels. “I don’t think he’s as mean as everyone says.”

  “Is that a joke? You can’t trust any of the wolves. It’s his fault those girls are dead.”

  “You think Kaleb killed those girls?”

  “He’s not stupid enough to kill this close to Norwood Isle.” She stood and stared at her reflection in the mirror, turning several times to get a look at her outfit from different angles.

  What she said made sense. Kaleb wouldn’t risk getting his pack in trouble. The Norwood pack meant everything to him. “But you said it was his fault?”

  “He hasn’t signed the agreement.” She glanced out into the hallway as laughter erupted nearby. “By not signing, he’s leaving Woodlake exposed to other wolves.”

  I shook my head. “That doesn’t make any sense. What does the agreement have to do with Woodlake and other wolves? The Norwood pack’s territory covers Norwood Isle, not Woodlake.”

  “You don’t understand. The Norwood wolves are supposed to watch over Woodlake. It’s sacred ground. If other wolves think . . .”

  Tears welled up in her eyes as she glanced into the hallway again and lowered her voice. “There’s something I need to tell you, but you have to swear you won’t tell anyone. Victor will be pissed if he finds out I told you.”

  Another secret. If this had to do with Kaleb, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. But at least I’d know what had made Drina cry on her birthday.

  “I swear.” I wrapped my pinky finger around hers. “Pinky swear.”

  “Ethan invited the wolves tonight.”

  My throat tightened.

  Ethan had said he’d called in a few favors. This must be what he meant. He’d invited the Norwood wolves to Drina’s birthday party. No wonder she was upset, but maybe this was a good idea. Having the Norwood wolves around would keep the killer wolf away.

  “Don’t worry.” I placed a hand on her shoulder. “I won’t leave your side when the Norwood wolves get here. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

  She pulled me into a hug, squeezed me tight, and rested her head against mine. “It’s not Norwood. The Kingsley wolves are coming.”

  Chapter 29

  I spent the next ten minutes reassuring Drina that there was no need for her to worry about the Kingsley wolves. Everything would be fine. But after leaving her bedroom, I wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know how many wolves were coming, or if Carter was among them.

  Familiar voices drifted out into the hallway from a small bedroom that Drina wanted to turn into a baby’s room. I stopped outside the bedroom’s slightly open door and held my breath.

  “Don’t tell me it’s not a big deal.” Victor sounded upset. “You invited the Kingsley wolves to my house without asking me. If anything goes wrong, the Elders will blame me.”

  “Nothing will go wrong,” Ethan replied. “The Kingsley wolves are staying outside, and except for a few guys I trust, no one knows they’re coming. When the Elders learn what I’ve done, they’ll be thanking me.”

  “Thanking you for what?” Victor snapped. “For inviting them to protect us?”

  “They’re not coming to protect us. I’m making a deal with Carter. He’s going to kill Kaleb.”

  “What?” I shrieked.

  Victor yanked the bedroom door open and frowned at me.

  “Drina’s looking for you,” I quickly said.

  “We’re not done talking,” Victor said to Ethan, and then looked at me. “Whatever you think you heard, you keep it to yourself. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes.” I bit my bottom lip.

  Ethan closed the bedroom door as Victor walked away. “Have you seen Nadya?”

  I shook my head. “Are you really making a deal with Carter?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Ethan winked at me and headed toward the kitchen.

  I hurried to the guest room; I needed to warn Markus. He must be somewher
e outside, keeping a close eye on me. If the Kingsley wolves showed up and found him alone, would he be in danger?

  I put my cell phone in the nightstand and slid my hunting knife into my boot. As much as I hoped Mom might text or call tonight, I didn’t have time to deal with her. Not when Ethan was planning to have Kaleb killed.

  I snuck out of Drina’s house and into the backyard. Unlike most parties, no chairs or tables crowded the yard. Instead, every single floodlight shone brightly onto the grass and surrounding trees.

  “The Kingsley wolves are coming.” I stood in the middle of the yard, not daring to get too close to the woods. I didn’t even know if Markus entered the Romani community as Kaleb did. Markus could be miles away, and if he heard me, he might come running. “I’m fine, so stay away.”

  I sat on the deck steps and watched the woods.

  No movement. No glowing eyes. Nothing but silence. Maybe Carter had changed his mind. Kaleb and the other Norwood wolves would’ve talked to the Kingsley pack by now. Would Carter still come to Woodlake after learning about the two dead girls?

  Angry voices interrupted my thoughts. I got up and hurried to a small shed on the right side of the yard. Ethan appeared from the left side of the house, Victor close behind.

  “You can’t do this.” Victor shoved Ethan toward the middle of the yard. “She’ll be blacklisted. No one will marry her.”

  I pressed my body against the side of the shed as I watched Ethan and Victor. No one will marry her. That didn’t sound so bad. The Elders couldn’t fault Mom if I became blacklisted.

  Ethan pushed Victor back. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know what you did.” Victor folded his arms. “You have to make this right. I’ll tell Henry if you don’t.”

  “Henry won’t care,” Ethan replied.

  “What about your mom? I bet she’ll care,” Victor said. “You need to tell Sienna.”

  Tell me what? None of this made any sense.

  Ethan pulled his fist back and punched Victor in the face. As Victor fell to his knees, Ethan kicked him in the chest.

  “Ethan!” I screamed, running toward them.

  Victor scrambled to his feet. “Sienna, what are you doing outside?”