Burning Both Ends

by Ally Shields

  Martin was her counterpart, the Guardian for the eastside of Riverdale, the modern city and the suburbs, where many of the werewolves lived among the human population. Because of the risks from constant interaction, Martin kept close tabs on them, especially strangers.

  “It doesn’t feel right,” Steffan said. Tired lines etched his face, as he scratched his chin. “You both should be careful. Maybe I’m over-reacting, imagining trouble, but I don’t think so.” Even the long breath he released was weary. “Ah, dammit, I’ve been involved in some difficult negotiations the last few weeks. Could be that’s affecting my perceptions.”

  “What negotiations? Anything I should know?” she asked, immediately interested. If negotiations meant disputes, she didn’t want a wolf feud erupting without warning.

  “Just some tricky wolf issues,” Steffan answered vaguely. “You know lycanthropes, we can’t agree on anything. It’s making all of us a little jumpy.” He gave a short bark of laughter, as if ridding himself of an unwelcome load. He put his nose in the air, sniffing the wind eagerly. “Weather is changing. Could be a good omen. Race you to the fountain if you give me a minute to change.”

  “You’re on,” Ari said. She hadn’t missed his vague explanation, his eagerness to drop the discussion, or his shuttered look that said he wished he hadn’t brought it up, but his reaction wasn’t enough to alarm her. Otherworlders were private. Hell, Andreas was downright secretive. Steffan was better, but he rarely shared pack business, unless it was necessary. If she needed to know, he’d tell her in time.

  “Don’t try to claim any handicaps for this race,” Andreas called to the wolf, as Steffan disappeared behind the bush again. “I do not want to exert myself.”

  “Not bloody likely to need any concessions from you,” Steffan shouted back. Like many lycanthropes that interacted frequently with humans, he didn’t shift physical forms in front of others, if he had a choice. It was personal. From experience, Ari knew the sight of metamorphosis—the stretching and tearing, the shedding and growing of fur—was disconcerting to an observer.

  Andreas’s smile faded as he turned to Ari while they waited. “Our friend is tense. He is concealing something.”

  Before she could respond, Steffan emerged from the brush in wolf form and pricked his ears in their direction. Without warning, Ari took off running. Surprise was her only chance. The three of them streaked through the park, a wildness racing through her blood. As Ari’s long hair streamed behind her, she welcomed the cool breeze on her face. The wolf and the vampire caught her within the first seconds and could have pulled ahead, but Andreas matched her stride for stride. Steffan dropped into a steady pace beside them until the fountain was in sight. Andreas and Steffan suddenly sprinted ahead, the vampire claiming a close victory.

  Even a Guardian witch couldn’t beat a master vampire or an alpha werewolf in pure speed. The outcome was ordained from the beginning, but the run was exhilarating. When Ari pulled up, both men grinned and razzed her about running like a girl. Old joke. She wouldn’t let just anybody get away with that, but these two had special dispensation. At least until she figured out how to beat them.

  Steffan parted from them at the fountain and headed for his home in the suburbs. Ari and Andreas continued through the park. She sent soft tendrils of magic to absorb the sounds and smells of the evening. Dried leaves rustled in the breeze. An apple tree’s fallen fruit emitted a cider scent. A night bird called. Something slithered over the pine needles near the path. Goshen Park, which separated Olde Town from the modern portions of Riverdale, was closed to humans after sundown. Otherworlders, including the more predatory races, were allowed to run free once dark descended, but its current inhabitants were simply wild creatures foraging for supper or seeking shelter for the night.

  When they exited the park gate and turned onto Ari’s street, Andreas broke the silence. “I think we should trust Steffan’s instincts. This pack will warrant watching. I will inform Prince Daron at our court meeting tomorrow. If it does not run too late, I will join you on patrol afterward so we can discuss any precautions we should take. Perhaps there will be time for another training session.”

  “Good idea. And I’d love a re-match. Be prepared for anything,” she warned, giving him a teasing glance. “I have other secrets up my sleeve.”

  “Do you now?” His tone changed, deeper, richer, and she felt the subtle touch of his magic curl around her. “Perhaps I should search you and see what I can find.” His hooded gaze briefly ran over her, and Ari suppressed a shiver of anticipation.

  “That was just a figure of speech. A body search is not necessary,” she said loftily, then flashed him a grin and broke into a sprint toward her apartment. “But you’re welcome to look if you can.” Andreas grabbed her around the waist within a half dozen steps of her door. Swinging her around, he covered her mouth with his. Ari’s pulse spiked, but she shoved him away, nipping his lower lip as they parted. She tugged on his arm, dragging him with her, and they entered the building laughing.

  Dawn was fast approaching when Andreas left to seek his own sleeping quarters for the day. As Ari curled under the covers, her thoughts returned to Steffan’s visit. Surely it was too soon for Sebastian’s wolves to be back. Most of the rogue pack had been killed last year, including their leaders, and the authorities had deported the rest. Of course, wolves reproduced in litters, and the young grew up quickly. It wouldn’t be hard for four-legged creatures to slip unnoticed across international borders.

  * * *

  Despite her late night, Ari was up shortly after 8:00 a.m. Dating a vampire interfered with her normal sleep hours, but her witch constitution was strong. It was also handy that her bosses at the Magic Council tolerated, even expected, an irregular schedule.

  During her morning shower, she’d decided to bring her human cop partner up to speed on the werewolf threat as soon as possible. The pack might not pose a danger to the human population yet, but if something happened, she didn’t want to deal with an outraged Lt. Ryan Foster over not being forewarned.

  At midmorning the Olde Town annex of the Riverdale PD buzzed with cops in uniform and citizens streaming into the information area. Once housing the entire police force, before the new downtown law center was built, the annex still held a full complement of units. This morning’s civilian visitors were a mixture of witnesses meeting with detectives for on-going cases, people inquiring about friends or relatives incarcerated overnight, and minor offenders looking for the right place to post bail and pay fines. Ari by-passed it all and headed straight for Ryan’s office on the third floor.

  The thirty-four-year-old ex-Marine looked out of place hunched over his keyboard, clicking away furiously. Even for supervisors, police reports never seemed to end. Ryan Foster was the senior member in charge of the Inter-Community Division (ICD) that handled the PD’s end of human-Otherworld conflicts. Ari’s bosses, the Magic Council, held exclusive jurisdiction over Otherworlders, except when both communities were involved. Joint jurisdiction meant Ryan and Ari worked together as equals, and both of them were fine with that—except for a few philosophical glitches. Ari abhorred rules; Ryan lived by them.

  “What brings you out so bright and early?” Ryan’s blue eyes crinkled in welcome as he automatically picked up the phone and called for an extra cup of coffee. Black, no cream or sugar. Ari was addicted to caffeine; Ryan enabled her habit.

  “Things have been pretty quiet. Can’t a gal drop in to say hello?”

  “It’s been a while since you’ve done that without being on a case.” The cop leaned back in his chair and eyed her with speculation. “How is Andreas?”

  No subtlety there. The comfortable relationship she’d shared with Ryan had changed when she’d become seriously involved with Andreas. Nothing big she could put her finger on. They certainly weren’t unfriendly, but Ryan was almost wary around her. It was clear he didn’t approve of her boyfriend choice, but hell, she didn’t hold that against him; sometimes she wasn’t
sure she approved either. Vampires and witches were a volatile combination.

  Since she wasn’t there to discuss Andreas or the ups and downs of that relationship, she kept her answer short. “He’s fine. We’re fine, but I’m here because of Steffan. He thinks we have trouble brewing.”

  Ryan leaned forward over his desk. “Why? What’s happened?”

  The door opened, and Ari waited until the balding, male clerk delivered the coffee. As soon as the door closed, she answered his question. “There’s a new wolf pack in town.”

  “I assume we’re talking werewolves, not the kind I could let Animal Control handle.” When she rolled her eyes, Ryan added with obvious resignation, “Toronto again? Doesn’t that guy ever give up?” Being cops, their minds often thought alike, but being suspicious of Sebastian was a no brainer.

  “Can’t say for sure, but Steffan’s worried history could repeat itself. He hunted us down last night to pass on the warning.”

  “Based on what? Have they done something?”

  “Violated wolf protocols. Just like last time.” She repeated what Steffan had told them. “He seemed pretty up-tight, but he admitted there’d also been some clan trouble, something he didn’t want to talk about it.” She lifted a dismissive shoulder. “His business, I guess.”

  “Frankly, it doesn’t sound like you have much.” Ryan rocked back in his chair.

  “And you sound like a skeptical cop. This is a trusted friend we’re discussing. Steffan is worried, and that’s good enough for me.”

  “If I was just a skeptical cop, I’d say you’ve got nothing, and our discussion would be over.” Ryan ran a hand through his light, curly hair, a characteristic sign of frustration. “But, we’re talking about werewolves, and Steffan should smell trouble faster than anyone.” He heaved a long sigh for her benefit. “Can’t the Otherworld stay quiet for more than a few months at a time?”

  “If it did, you and I would be out of a job. But cheer up, nothing’s happened yet.”

  “I don’t like the way you said that, like you’re hoping it changes.”

  “You know me, I get bored easily,” she said, leaning back and crossing her jeans-clad legs.

  “I wonder if I do,” Ryan said. “Know you, I mean,” he added in response to her quick frown. “You’ve changed in the last three months.”

  Ari’s throat tightened. Uh-oh, here it comes. She didn’t like the sound of this. “Don’t get started,” she warned. “I know how you feel about Andreas, but—”

  “It’s not Andreas,” he interrupted. “It’s you and Andreas…together. He’s OK, for a vampire. I’ve got nothing against him personally, and he’s helped the department twice now. But dating him?” He studied her face. “I thought you and I were on the same page with this.”

  “You just don’t know him. He’s a lot different than I expected.” Ari paused, searching for a way to explain it. She’d grown up with the normal wariness toward vampires. They were no longer human—were in fact often accused of being devil’s spawn. Their unique need for blood to survive set them apart from other species, making their behaviors, beliefs, and emotional capacity a mystery. Trust had not come easily. She still struggled to understand the magical link she shared with Andreas, and the control issues involved were downright scary. It was complicated, and she couldn’t explain her feelings to herself, much less someone else.

  She didn’t try. “This is getting us nowhere. Can we just drop the subject?” She gave him a fixed stare.

  Huffing with impatience, Ryan leaned back. “I just don’t like it. I’m afraid you’re going to get hurt by expecting something he can’t deliver. OK, I’ll quit. But if you ever do want to talk, I’m here.”

  She gave a brief nod, but it wouldn’t happen. What she shared with Andreas was private, too private to discuss with Ryan.

  He threw down a paperclip he’d been playing with for the last five minutes. “So what do we do about these damned wolves?” he asked, reverting to the hard-nosed cop.

  “Wait until they tell us why they’re here.”

  “Cute, Ari.” He crossed his arms. “Do you have a serious answer to go with the comedy?”

  Huh. Still grumpy. She resisted saying so. “I was serious. As you pointed out, we don’t know much. Until they surface and do something, we wait. And we hope that Steffan is wrong.”

  Chapter Two

  Yeah, waiting was a good idea, but not something programmed into her DNA. On patrol that evening, Ari started looking for the wolves or at least for some answers. She searched Olde Town for any sighting of the strange pack and listened to community chatter. Nobody had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary. In fact, she finished her patrol of the bar and club districts in record time. It all seemed quiet tonight. The Second Chance Saloon had its normal evening fight, but nothing the bouncers couldn’t handle.

  Entering Goshen Park, Ari paid special attention to the paths and open clearings where she might spot the wolves out for a run. She paused to scan a heavily wooded area, sniffed the air, and moved on. No musky scent of werewolf. The air was nippy, smelled clean and increasingly cool. It would snow within the next month. Heavy black clouds drew jagged lines across the moon. It fit her mood. She’d been reviewing her morning discussion with Ryan. In some ways he acted jealous. Not a boy-girl thing so much as a best friend thing, like he felt replaced by Andreas. Although she’d love to find a way to ease the tension, nothing had come to mind.

  She’d covered most of Goshen Park, but Andreas hadn’t turned up as promised. The court meeting with Prince Daron must be running long. A twinge of disappointment nagged at her. Not only for the obvious reasons, but she itched for a return match of wits and skills during another training session. One of these nights she intended to really impress him.

  Nearing the park gate, Ari whirled at the rustle of pine needles. A sudden spike in her witch senses flooded her system with adrenaline, but before she could do more than register the smell of lukos anthropos, the first werewolf slammed its head into her legs. Her leap into the air was a second too late to avoid the impact entirely. Although the wolf skidded under her, she was knocked off balance and landed hard on her knees. She yanked the silver dagger from her waist sheath, but three more wolves, yipping and growling, leaped onto her back. Toppled forward by their combined weight, she landed with her knife arm pinned under her body. Ari was in trouble.

  She jerked her head back hard, smashing the face of one of her attackers. The wolf grunted, snarling, but pulling back, shaking its head. She caught another wolf with the heel of her foot in a backward kick and rolled to one side far enough to free her dagger. She sliced the blade across the chest of the gray wolf straddling her side; the creature sank his teeth into her knife hand. Sharp pain shot up her arm, tearing a scream from her throat. Ari smelled blood—her blood—and knew the wolves did too. If she didn’t break free soon, it would be a short fight.

  Amid the deafening sounds of snarling and growling wolves, she bucked, kicked and twisted with a strength born of desperation. Momentarily rolling free, she flipped to her feet, and brought up her hands to use witch fire. Claws slashed the back of her legs, catching and ripping her jeans, pulling her off balance. Ari stumbled, spun away to avoid going down, and fired a blue-flamed stunner, sidestepping another set of deadly claws. She bled steadily now. The sweet aroma filled the air and would soon trigger a feeding frenzy in the pack.

  Turning in time to see a black wolf leap toward her, she backed away, shooting lethal witch fire from her fingertips. The crimson arc caught the wolf in mid-flight. Howling, he burst into flames. Other claws dragged her down from behind, and a second attacker’s needle-sharp fangs reached for her throat. She punched him in the nose with a hard jab. Blood spurted and the wolf pulled back, only to be replaced by another looming over her. The second attacker suddenly released her and was ripped away.

  Andreas shook the attacker repeatedly before tossing it into the nearby bushes. He grabbed Ari’s arm, yanked her to her feet
, and they turned together to face the remainder of the circling pack.

  Breathing hard, Ari lifted her fingers again, hitting the closest wolf with a stun-level blue flame. The creature whined and stumbled. She gave it a second blast for good measure—and because she was really pissed.

  Andreas took care of the other two. The loud crack of a broken neck sealed the fate of the dark gray wolf that had bitten her. The last wolf turned tail and ran. Shaken and bleeding, Ari was content to let it go, but Andreas had other ideas. He reached the creature in four long leaps and dispatched it with a twist of its head. The only wolf alive was unconscious from the witch fire stuns.

  Andreas gave the fallen wolf a brief look and turned to Ari. “How badly are you injured?” He eyed a scratch on her cheek, her torn blouse, then dropped his gaze to her hand.

  “The damn thing bit me.” She peered at the bite wound. The blood ran across her palm and dropped onto the ground; she held her hand away from her. “Other than this, just scratches. I’ll heal.”

  “Is the bite a concern?” he asked, taking her hand to examine it.

  Ari knew what he was asking. In a small percentage of cases, the bite of a werewolf infected a human with lycanthropy. If that happened, she would find herself howling and running through the woods on the next full moon. But Ari was only part human. Except for her great-grandfather, her witch bloodlines were pure.

  She shook her head. “No. My witch blood is dominant. It protects me.”

  “Good to know. Nevertheless, we need to stop the bleeding. The bite is deep.” Still holding her hand, his voice held a question. “My saliva will stop the bleeding by coagulating the blood.”

  “You want to lick it?” Ari made an effort to keep her voice neutral, as if this was a perfectly normal development. But, ew! Wake up call. Boyfriend was a vampire.

  Her efforts at nonchalance didn’t fool him. His face clouded in impatience.