by C. T. Adams
Holly was stunned. “What are you afraid she’s going to do?”
Lucas sighed and started tapping his finger on the knife again. “She’s already asked if I want her to turn me.”
“Turn . . . as in attack?”
He nodded and closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them again. “At first I thought it was a joke. But she’s asked three times in less than a day. If she is prejudiced against humans, I don’t know if she’s going to keep asking.”
The thought horrified Holly. “But that’s a death sentence. And there’s no guarantee that you’d wind up an alpha wolf again or even survive.”
Lucas locked eyes with her. While his voice was steady and calm, his scent was pungent with fear and worry. Holly was pretty sure the fear was for Tatya, rather than just himself. “I’m afraid she’s not thinking logically enough to care.”
Holly shook her head sadly, her heart thumping at the possibility that Tatya might be tempted to murder her husband just because he was human. “I don’t think there’s any healing magic out there that can change an honest belief—however wrong we think it is. Do you even think she is wrong? How do you feel about this being human stuff?”
He pushed back his chair and stood up, offering a blank face. But he couldn’t hide his scent. He was scared and angry. “I don’t think that’s any of your concern. I feel fine. It’ll just take some time to adjust.”
Apparently the meeting was finished. She hadn’t really been done talking, but there were an awful lot of things to do before she could get some sleep. And frankly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to get any further inside Lucas’s head. He never had said whether he thought Tatya was wrong for how she thought of humans. And if he did believe the same, she didn’t want to know. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. She nearly offered to talk to Tatya if he thought it would help. But she really didn’t think it would . . . and she really didn’t want to.
Lucas held the door for her, just like he always had at the restaurant. She felt another pang of pity for him, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.
They parted ways without a glance.
Maybe that was best.
Holly passed by Eric on her way outside. She needed to breathe air that wasn’t scented with negative emotions. If there wasn’t so much danger, she’d love to go for a run. But as it was, maybe she could just find a quiet place where there weren’t terrified, worried, angry people to push their emotions up her nose and make her sad.
Do you really feel that way, Holly? She heard Eric’s tentative voice in her mind. Do you want to be human again that badly? Enough to risk everything you’ve gained?
He heard it all? Crap. She hadn’t meant to inflict all that baggage on him. “Yes. No. I don’t know.” She whispered the words under her breath as she stepped out the door. She wasn’t lying. There were parts she liked, and parts she didn’t. “Can I be alone for a little while? Is that even possible with our connection?” She looked up at the nearly full moon, pale and round in the night sky. It pressed against her skin like a too-tight sweater and made her itchy. There’d be no relief from it until it began to wane.
Tony taught me a couple of things earlier. They might work. But I would like to talk to you about this. Soon. Especially since our relationship is hanging in the balance.
Something happened inside her brain. It was like a screen door banged shut and her mind felt a thousand times clearer. There’s your problem, right there. She didn’t want to care about Eric, but she always had. What if both of them were human? Would there be any attraction at all?
God, if there was just someone to talk to who would understand. But everybody here was all on one side of the argument. What I need is perspective.
“What I need,” she said with determination, as she spied a small tower rising from one of the land yachts, bearing a familiar gray dish, “is the Internet.”
THERE WAS NOTHING to do except think. An hour had passed, then two, as Eric guarded the door to a room not much bigger than a walk-in closet. Bruce had cried and then mumbled for a long time, but now was still. He could hear him turning over, trying to get comfortable. But there was no comfort to be had. There wasn’t even a chair in the room, and nobody was around to relieve Eric so he could go get one.
He couldn’t understand how Holly could hate the wolf she’d become. He couldn’t imagine not being a wolf, to not be able to run and hunt, to hear and smell things that others couldn’t imagine. But then, he didn’t remember being human. He’d known he was Sazi before he turned ten. All he could remember was the freedom that came with fur. He could climb higher, jump farther, and rarely got hurt. And too, he’d been one of the elite, the son of a pack leader. School was a whirlwind of privilege, good times, and great friends—a place to escape from Derek’s constant torment and devious tricks to get him in trouble. Eric had seen the seeds of his brother’s dark side even as a child. Except his parents wouldn’t believe it of their golden son.
What would it have been like to suffer his brother’s torture and have everybody look down on him, simultaneously? Would he have joined a group like FMU?
He shook his head without realizing it. No, I can’t imagine doing that. Their goals are just wrong. They only encourage anger. Thank goodness Holly had gotten out of the group before they fell off the deep end. He’d like to throttle more than a few people in that organization. To turn someone like Lucas into a mere human—
The sound of approaching footsteps brought him fully alert. But when his nose told him it was Lucas and Tony he relaxed a bit.
They both dipped their heads in greeting and he returned the gesture. “Eric, Tony is going to take watch for a while. We need to talk.” Eric glanced at Tony. It appeared that he was alert, despite the fact it was nearly dawn.
Apparently he telegraphed his thoughts on his face, because Tony let out a little chuckle. “I just woke up from a nap. I’m a lot better off than you right now. Plus, I’ve met Nasil. If anyone’s going to try to spring the prisoner, that’s who it’ll be.”
Eric waved his hand toward the empty chair. “Be my guest. Hope you brought a book.”
Tony tapped his temple with his hand. “I’ve got a wife to keep me company. You’ll be surprised how handy that is when you’re bored, once you both get the hang of it.”
Except she doesn’t want me in her head. But Eric didn’t say that out loud. It was nobody’s business.
Lucas was waiting at the door of the conference room where the speakerphone was located. But when Eric followed him inside, he didn’t reach for the satellite phone. He instead sat down and motioned to an empty chair. “Have a seat.”
“Is there a problem?” Eric asked. He knew Lucas didn’t really have a say over him anymore, but he did merit some respect.
“We’ve been trying to reach out to pack leaders all over the world, in order to update them on the situation at hand. So far, the only group we haven’t been able to reach is Quebec. Have you heard from anyone?”
He shook his head and let out a sigh. “Other than Holly’s sister, Iris Renault, nobody has shown up down here. And she left the pack days ago, before any of this happened.”
“When Josette called her. I know.” Lucas nodded. “Your mother was the Alpha Female, and your brother the Alpha Male of that pack. Since we’re unsure of their status, the council is considering you the de facto pack leader of Canada. Do you accept that appointment?”
“No.” Eric was surprised at how calmly the word came out. No laughing hysterically or spouting a string of swear words. “If I’d wanted the Canada pack, I would have challenged my brother for it. I don’t. If the council gives me Four Corners, I’ll accept it.” He shook his head. “But not Canada.”
“Is there a particular reason you’re refusing?” Lucas was holding his emotions in check so well that Eric couldn’t figure out where this was leading. But hadn’t Lucas been a prosecuting attorney for a number of years? No doubt he was pretty good at keeping his cards
close to his vest.
Eric could play that game if he had to. “I don’t think there’s any requirement that I give a reason. Or has that changed?”
Lucas shook his head and sighed. “No, that hasn’t changed. But I’m asking you to tell me. It could help me figure something out.”
Eric felt his brow furrow. “Does the council even know you’re here talking to me?”
A small smile curled one side of the man’s mouth. “You catch on quick. That’s a good thing in a pack leader. This isn’t a council matter. It’s a Wolven one. You’re free to leave the room if you want. Of course, I could simply reactivate your commission in Wolven. Then you’d have to answer me, as your boss.”
Eric blinked several times, processing that. “But you’re human. Can you still be the head of Wolven?”
Lucas’s smile faded. But there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “The position is appointed, not filled by election. And as I reminded Antoine and Ivan, only Charles can remove me. They’re not happy about it, but there’s nothing they can do without the full council to override it.”
“So you weren’t going to tell me I was free to go unless I asked. Is that it?”
The only response from Lucas was a small shrug. “Will you answer the question or do I bring in Ivan and Antoine?”
He should just walk out. Without a full council, Lucas probably couldn’t get a warrant and Eric wasn’t sure they could actually reactivate him. He really hoped not, because the last thing he wanted was to be an agent again. It was frustrating, stressful work that demanded constant diligence every waking hour and a cold brutality that he’d tried long and hard to forget. Still, his curiosity was tickled. What could Lucas be up to? “Let’s just say Derek and I had a difference of opinion on how the pack should be led.”
“Did you feel he was too lenient with the pack members?” Again, with no particular emotion.
There was no helping the bitter laugh that jumped out of his mouth. “I can honestly answer that question with a firm no. I woke up pretty much every day completely amazed that nobody had killed Derek in his sleep.”
“So you felt he was likely to be killed by another pack member?”
Ah, now he saw where this was going. He held up his hand. “Before we go any further, Lucas, it’s only fair to tell you that I’m double-mated to Holly. Your conversation with her wasn’t entirely . . . private.” He tipped his head in embarrassment. “Actually, none of it was private. I got treated to the same rant you did. Trust me—after that, I started taking a crash course in shielding. But if you’re asking whether the same situation she experienced in Boulder also existed in Canada, the answer is yes. Quite possibly, it was—is—worse. And it’s worse in the snake nest I visited in Australia a few years back, if that matters any.”
Lucas took a deep breath and held it for a long moment while he tapped one finger on the table. Eric didn’t take his eyes off the man. When Lucas finally spoke, he changed the subject. “Ivan mentioned to me that your brother was about to be put down for attacking a human.”
Eric didn’t feel the need to discuss the details, so he just nodded once. “That’s what I was told.”
“Were you aware he had significant gambling debts owed to a casino in Atlantic City?”
Eric’s brows lowered. “No, that can’t be right. Derek didn’t gamble. That’s the one thing he didn’t do. And he hardly ever left Quebec.”
Lucas shook his head. “No, unfortunately, that is right. I didn’t send Raina up there because of a pregnant human. That was just something she uncovered by accident when she was looking for the other evidence.”
Eric had no clue where this was going. Raina was sent there by Lucas. Lately, he’d been giving all the assignments personally, from what Eric had heard from others. But why? “Even if you’re right, gambling debts aren’t really the sort of crime that’s worth putting someone down for.”
Lucas’s voice was bland when he replied, but his scent spoke of a growing anger. “It is if he was in so deep to a certain group of people . . . or more precisely, a group of Central American snakes, that he was willing to sell secrets to them.”
Eric wanted to tell Lucas that there was no possibility of that happening, but hadn’t Mom mentioned the “foreign dignitaries” Derek had been entertaining from South America? It wouldn’t take much for his mother to get confused about the location. She considered anything south of Niagara Falls to be “South America.”
Eric’s mouth went dry. “What sort of ‘secrets’?”
“The locations of all pack headquarters. The names and addresses of alphas. The meeting places of the hunts. Information he’d have access to as a pack leader, and all of it useful to an enemy planning a coordinated attack. Raina found all the evidence we need to put it before the council. The question is, what do you know about it? You were his Second for years.”
Eric couldn’t answer. His mouth wouldn’t work. In fact, none of his body parts would work. He felt completely numb, and more horrified than he’d ever felt in his life. Derek, what have you done? “I . . . I don’t know anything about it. In the first place, I wasn’t his Second—not in truth. I was just his little brother. And I’ve been in Australia for two years—ever since I retired from Wolven. He never took a trip outside the country when I was in the pack, and we never had snakes visit Quebec.”
Lucas nodded. “But you just told me that you visited a snake nest in Australia.”
Eric pushed back his chair and stood up. “I have nothing to do with any of this. Whatever this is.” He held up a finger and heard his own voice increase in volume. “I knew one person in Australia when I arrived. One. Carl Davros, who I met at a band camp in secondary school, and who happens to be a snake. I slept on his floor for a couple of weeks until I found a place to live. He’s never met my brother, and I didn’t introduce them.”
Lucas’s brown eyes might not hold magic anymore, but they had a weight that made Eric step back a pace. “I believe you. Maybe I can’t smell emotions anymore, but I can still read body language.”
Eric let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “So is that all you wanted? To ambush me and see if you could surprise a confession out of me?”
“Never hurts to try.”
The chuckle that emerged was bitter and filled with the annoyance Eric felt. “Yeah it does. It scared me out of a year’s growth.” He motioned to the door. “Can I go now? I’d like to get some food and then collapse.”
Lucas nodded. “Fine. But you are to report to me immediately if your brother tries to contact you. We’re not certain yet if your mother is involved, but we want to talk to Derek as soon as we reach the pack up there.”
Eric nodded as Lucas stood. He turned to the door as though to leave, but then paused with his hand on the knob. Lucas smiled, but there was no humor behind the flash of teeth. “In fact, let me make your duty clear. You’re officially reactivated. Welcome back to Wolven, Agent Thompson.”
Chapter Nineteen
THE SILVER-AND-BLACK WOLF had backed against the cliff so tightly he was hunched over on himself. He was baring his teeth, and his hackles were raised, but the stink of fear that painted the air told Nasil the wolf knew he was no match for the snakes and spiders who surrounded him.
They waited impatiently for Nasil to make the slightest twitch of his hand that would tell them to attack. Even Marduc, flapping overhead hard enough to raise a wind, was growing frustrated. “Why do you hesitate, Nasil? Destroy the wolf so my people can be fed.”
“No.” He felt her slap of power as she punished him for refusing, but it bounced off. Ever since they’d had sex, he’d been feeling his power grow. He felt like himself again for the first time in a year, and far more clear-headed. “I would talk to him first. Alone.”
“You overstep yourself, my mate.” Marduc’s words were a hiss that should have terrified him. But it didn’t. “I am hungry and he has power. The eggs must have his magic, and game is growing scarce nearby.”
/> He looked at the blurry form above him and spoke into her mind. This is the wolf who was selling secrets to Sargon about the positions of the packs. I believe he can be of use. We can use him to find out what alphas are in the camp below. If we take them out, one at a time, then—
Then the rest of the lives there would be mine to terrify and feed on. Her voice sounded pleased. But the alphas are strong and much of my power is going to feed the eggs until the serpent moon comes. I have little energy to battle them. It’s why I plan to send the spiders and snakes before me—to wear them down.
The Serpent Moon? But that was when Marduc was supposed to be born. What exactly was this Serpent Moon?
She heard his thoughts and laughed, the sharp sound of glass slivers crunching underfoot. You would call it a “meteor shower” in today’s language. They are strange and awful meteors that first arrived when I was born, and the world was new. They return every thousand years. Four times I have missed the call since I was of a maturity to bear young. I will not miss this time.