by Helen Harper
‘You just need more help from your friends.’ He tapped the side of his head. ‘I need help up here.’
‘Your entire pack was killed, Monroe.’
He snarled quietly. ‘And it was my fault.’
‘No.’ I glared at him. ‘It wasn’t. It was a tragedy and awful, and you still need to allow yourself to grieve properly, but it wasn’t your fault.’
‘You weren’t there, Charlotte.’
‘I didn’t have to be,’ I answered simply. ‘I know you. I see you. We’re as vulnerable as each other. You hide it better.’
‘I’m not vulnerable.’
‘You are.’
‘I’m not…’ Monroe cursed. ‘Fuck it.’ He took hold of my shoulders and pushed me gently against the wall. At the same time, I pulled his face down towards me. His lips descended on mine, hot and insistent. Heat flooded through me. It wasn’t only my body that was responding; the magic inside me reacted too, tingling up and down and making me shiver, despite the searing heat of Monroe’s body pressed against mine.
‘Charlotte,’ he groaned.
‘I know,’ I whispered. ‘I know.’
His breath was coming fast and heavy. His mouth found mine while his hands moved away from my face and down my body. I couldn’t think straight. Nothing else existed apart from Monroe. Nothing else mattered. It was just me and him and…
There was the sound of a very loud cough. Barely registering it, my eyes flicked open then I jerked when I saw Cath, leaning against the doorframe and fanning herself. ‘I have one word for you both,’ she said. She raised her voice and crowed to the ceiling, ‘Hawwwwt!’
Monroe slowly pulled away from me. ‘Doesn’t anyone ever knock around here?’
I sighed. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Honestly,’ Cath said, ‘I’ve been shipping you two for like ever. It’s about time you got it on.’
Monroe looked at me blankly. ‘Shipping?’
I shook my head. ‘Is there something you need, Cath?’
She grinned. ‘I can wait.’
I folded my arms across my chest then realised that half my shirt buttons were undone. Cheeks flushing, I fumbled to fasten them. ‘We’re done.’ I sneaked at look at Monroe.
‘For now,’ he murmured.
I blushed harder. ‘What is it, Cath?’
‘Anna told me you were heading north. I want to come along. The vampire’s body is there, right? I want to take a look.’
I swear she grew more bloodthirsty by the day. ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’
‘I want to learn!’ she protested. ‘I examined Valerie’s body and I learned tonnes from that! I want to examine the vampire’s too. It’s all in the interests of medicine. It’s all very well stitching up the odd wound or handing out painkillers, but things aren’t always going to be so simple. I’m the only person with any kind of medical experience and I barely know a thing. I’m not being voyeuristic. I’m trying to better myself. I thought you’d appreciate that.’
‘You’re not the only person. We have two doctors in the north,’ Monroe said.
I started. ‘You do?’
‘Just because we’re werewolves doesn’t mean we can’t hold down a job,’ he said mildly. ‘Although there’s also a vampire who’s a cardiac nurse. I have no idea how that works.’
Cath jumped up and down. ‘O. M. G. I have to be there. Let me come with you!’
I frowned at Monroe. ‘How did I not know you had real doctors?’ We could have used them. Several times.
He looked apologetic. ‘I guess I thought you knew. It appears I’m only just starting to learn how important communication is.’
And then some. ‘What else do you have that we don’t?’ I enquired, still annoyed.
‘You’ll have to spend more time with me and find out.’ His eyes glinted.
‘Are you guys about to start snogging again?’ Cath asked. ‘Should I step outside?’
‘No.’ I sniffed. ‘We’re going to the north. We still have a murder to solve.’
‘So can I…?’
‘You can come.’ I gave Monroe a long look. Three months and only now I was learning there were real doctors? ‘Have you been holding out on me?’ I asked.
‘Not deliberately.’ He caught my hand and squeezed it. ‘I really am sorry, Charlotte.’
‘I bet they don’t have engineers,’ Cath said. She looked at Monroe. ‘Do you?’
He shook his head. ‘No.’
‘Ours are collecting generators from around the city,’ she chirped. ‘Before too long, we’ll have enough electricity for the whole community. If the magic doesn’t interrupt it, that is.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Is that right? We could do with some of that ourselves. You didn’t mention electricity before, Charlotte.’
‘We don’t have any yet. It’s a work in progress.’ I looked away. But, yeah, okay, I supposed we both had to work on our communication. And spend more time together in the process. I could live with that.
Chapter Sixteen
In the end, I was secretly glad of Cath’s presence as we journeyed to the north of the city. It meant that there wasn’t the opportunity for more awkward conversations with Monroe. Or distractions. My love life had to come second to Valerie’s murder; it wasn’t fair to her memory to spend my time being distracted by hearts and flowers. Or by how good Monroe smelled when he was pressed up against me. People died and life went on as it should. But there was still a time and a place, and this wasn’t it.
We dropped Cath off at the building earmarked as both a hospital and a morgue. I made a bet with myself as to the likelihood that her approach to blood and gore would make even the werewolf docs appear squeamish in comparison. Then Monroe and I strode towards the community’s centre, the imposing building in front of the square that served as the main hub, where Maggie was being kept.
It wasn’t just werewolves who were out on the northern streets now. With dusk falling, more and more vampires were visible. Their presence made it patently clear that they didn’t want to be locked away in their little enclave; they wanted to be out and about and involved in the world. They’d settled with the wolves rather than separating themselves away because they wanted to be part of things. I wondered how long that would last if the current climate of suspicion continued.
The vampires’ nervousness was amplified by the fact that they steered away from Monroe and me. There were a lot of side glances and under-the-breath comments. From what I could tell, none of them was complimentary.
Despite the attention, our progress was unimpeded until we reached the square. Monroe took my hand as we crossed and, warmed by the small but affectionate gesture, I stopped paying attention to the people around us. Until the shouting began.
‘Oi!’
The shout rang out across the cobbled street. There was no doubt that it was directed at us, especially when a hooded figure started to march our way. ‘Oi!’ he yelled again. ‘I want to talk to you!’
A couple of days ago, Monroe would probably have ignored the bellowing vampire completely and continued blithely on his way. Now he came to a halt and waited, with me by his side. I was pretty sure what words would be said – but then the vampire flipped open his hood and exposed his head. I recognised him immediately.
‘I gave you that list in good faith,’ Theo said, speaking to me, his voice shaking with fury. ‘I was trying to help you.’
I dropped Monroe’s hand and faced Theo. ‘You did help,’ I told him, keeping calm. ‘The list was useful, even if it didn’t contain Philip’s name. It led us to him, after all. Without your help we’d never have found him so quickly.’
Two high spots of colour appeared on Theo’s cheeks. ‘You didn’t find him quickly enough, did you? It’s one thing to dispense justice, it’s quite another to rip someone apart. In the old world we had to hide to stay safe, and it doesn’t appear that anything has changed. When that human tried to take over and hurt people, you banished him. When a vamp
ire is accused of something, you kill them. I’ve seen his body. That was not an easy death. He was tortured.’ He hawked up a ball of spit and shot it at the ground in front of my feet.
Monroe growled but I shook my head at him. Theo had the right to be angry; all the vampires did. ‘It wasn’t us who did that to him,’ I began.
‘No, but it was a fucking werewolf, wasn’t it?’ He jerked his chin at Monroe. ‘You’re obviously working with them. I thought you were independent but he’s leading you around on a leash.’
Monroe drew himself up. ‘Enough.’
‘Is it though?’ Theo was quivering. ‘Because as far as I can tell, it won’t be enough until you’ve got rid of every single last one of us. We know you never wanted us here in the first place and now you’ve hit on the perfect way to get rid of us all. Falsely accuse us of murder and you bastards can get away with whatever you want!’
Monroe’s muscles bunched up. Any moment now Theo was liable to end up with a punch to his face and, if that happened, all hell would break loose. All around us, werewolves and vampires had frozen, watching the action and waiting to see if they had to get involved. Some clearly wanted to, but others appeared more reluctant. Either way, I knew in the depths of my soul that this was the moment that could make or break Monroe’s fragile society.
‘Why,’ I asked carefully, angling myself so part of my body was between the vampire and the wolf, ‘do you think he was falsely accused?’
Theo was struggling to contain himself. I shifted an inch or two to my right, forcing him to look at me. Be calm, I projected towards him. This still might be alright.
He took several short breaths before speaking. ‘I could have mentioned him to you when you came looking but I didn’t because Philip was the most unlikely suspect I could have thought of. Yes, he was a loner but he was a gentle soul. He would never have taken more blood than he needed. He barely drank enough to survive. He came to Manchester with us because he wanted the chance to be free like the rest of us. For Philip, freedom meant peace, it meant quiet. It did not mean killing little old ladies!’
I thought about the WB Yeats’ poems and the portrait we’d come across in Philip’s house. Yes, murder took all sorts but I had to agree with Theo that, even without ever meeting the man, Philip seemed an unlikely killer. Enjoying Irish poetry and guzzling blood were two activities that didn’t quite seem to gel. Then again, Yeats had written a poem about the end of the world.
‘“Things fall apart,”’ I quoted softly, ‘“the centre cannot hold.”’
Monroe and Theo gave me strange looks. I expelled the breath in my lungs. Poetry would only defuse a situation so far.
‘I understand you’re upset,’ Monroe said to Theo.
‘Do you?’ he spat. ‘Do you really?’
‘Yes.’ Monroe nodded at me. ‘Charlotte and I are going to talk to the werewolf responsible for Philip’s death. She has not yet transformed back so she can speak, but I am hoping that Charlotte will assist in that. As soon as she’s in her human form, we can question her. You can come with us and help. It will be useful to have you along as a representative.’
I gaped at Monroe. He had been a very capable authority figure, who inspired confidence and awe; I would do well not to forget that. He didn’t just flip between being arrogance personified and a grief-stricken mess. He was also an experienced leader, and good leaders didn’t yell out orders. They soothed ruffled feathers and kept the peace.
‘I tried that already,’ Theo said, his eyes narrowing. ‘Julian wouldn’t let me talk to her.’
Monroe’s gaze was steady. ‘It’s not up to Julian. Come with us,’ he insisted.
Theo pulled back his shoulders and glared. ‘Fine,’ he spat. ‘But I’m warning you, if you try and manipulate her answers or pull the wool over my eyes…’
‘There will be no wool,’ I said. ‘Promise.’
Theo gave a minute nod and the atmosphere around us altered. The tension from the other vampires and werewolves who were watching us seemed to dissipate, and the pressure building in my chest eased. In the space of a minute, we’d gone from potential war to a temporary truce. I breathed out. Now all we needed was for Maggie to cooperate. Unfortunately, that could be easier said than done.
Maggie, the werewolf in question, was still very furry. She was chained up in a small room and there was a glint of madness reflected in her yellow eyes. Her lips pulled back over her teeth as we entered, but I thought that most of the fight had gone out of her. She wanted this to be over as much as we did.
Monroe folded his arms and loomed over her, alpha wolf virtually seeping out of his tanned pores. He stared Maggie down and she whimpered and lowered her belly to the floor. She didn’t, however, transform back to human in any way.
‘Change,’ he ordered. Her fur bristled but that was all it did. Monroe hissed in frustration and gestured at me.
I swallowed and stepped up. It was all very well having lots of magic at my fingertips but it didn’t mean I knew what to do with it. There wasn’t a manual for this sort of shit.
I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans and gave Maggie a small smile. ‘I’m going to try a bit of magic,’ I said. She whined and drew back, her eyes widening in fear. ‘It’s to try and help you shift. I won’t hurt you.’ I hoped.
Magic buzzed beneath my skin, eager to be put to use. Feeling more terrified than Maggie probably was, I lifted my right hand and pointed at her. A single plume of magic spouted forth, hitting her on her muzzle. It hissed as it made contact but nothing else happened.
‘Is there a magic word?’ Theo asked.
How the hell did I know? I gritted my teeth and tried again, using slightly more magic this time. I willed Maggie to change with every fibre of my being. Again, not a single thing happened.
Monroe cursed. ‘Something is there,’ he said. ‘Something is preventing her from making the change.’
‘Let me try,’ Theo interjected.
Both of us stiffened but Theo’s expression didn’t change. ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ he asked.
He probably didn’t want me to answer that. After a moment’s indecision, Monroe nodded reluctantly.
Theo stepped forward – and Maggie’s reaction was completely unexpected. She rose up and tried to back away, her chains jangling violently and her backside slamming into the wall. When she realised she had nowhere to go, she opened her mouth and snarled. Saliva bubbled up in the corners of her mouth as if she were a rabid dog.
‘Stop that!’ Monroe ordered, his words imbued with imperious command. They didn’t make any difference: Maggie continued to snarl and froth.
‘She’s been like this ever since she killed Philip?’ Theo asked.
‘Yes,’ Monroe bit out, treating her inability to transform as a failure on his part.
‘So the last thing she did was taste his blood,’ Theo mused. ‘Maybe she needs another taste to bring her back.’
I stared. ‘I really don’t think that’s a good idea,’ I began. It was too late; Theo had already reached into his pocket and drawn out a thin knife.
Monroe wasn’t happy. ‘Weapons are not permitted here,’ he said. ‘Not anywhere in our community.’
‘Your body is a weapon,’ Theo answered unequivocally. ‘I need something to defend myself with.’ He raised the blade and sliced it across the palm of his hand. Then he held it out, letting a few drops of bright blood splash on the floor.
Maggie’s nostrils flared as she scented the blood and she looked even more scared than before. Her whole body was quivering, as if she couldn’t control it.
‘Go on,’ Theo urged. ‘Have a taste.’
A hundred to one this would never work. Why would it? All the same, I watched, fascinated, as Maggie’s tongue darted out and she lapped tentatively at the nearest drop.
At first it seemed that nothing was happening but then an expression of oddly lupine confusion crossed Maggie’s face and her body contorted and spasmed. She had to be in great p
ain. The chains holding her in place clanked violently and I drew in a sharp breath. Her tail whipped wildly from side to side and she threw her head back in a keening howl. I made the mistake of blinking and, when I looked again, she was on all fours, her curved naked back presented to us.
‘Shit,’ I whispered. ‘It worked.’
Maggie raised her face and looked at us with tear-stained cheeks. Her human features were strangely reminiscent of her wolf form. I gazed into her pain-filled eyes for a moment then I sprang into action. ‘Get those chains off her,’ I barked. ‘And find her some clothes.’
‘We don’t treat nudity with the same fear that you humans do,’ Monroe said.
Theo spoke at the same time. ‘She might look human,’ he said, ‘but she still killed one of mine.’ At his words, Maggie’s head jerked up.
‘We are not interrogating a young woman who is manacled and naked,’ I said. ‘Regardless of the circumstances.’ I didn’t care what was encouraged by werewolf culture or what Theo thought. We were better than that; we had to be.
Soon clothes were found and Maggie was released from her shackles. Julian appeared while she was being allowed some privacy to dress, his expression a grim mask. ‘So she finally shifted, did she?’
‘It was the vampire,’ Monroe grunted, pointing at Theo. ‘He worked out what to do. One taste of his blood was all it took.’
I watched Julian’s face carefully. There was no indication that this was an expected outcome. ‘Is that normal?’ I asked. ‘Is it something to do with vampiric blood?’
All three men shook their heads. ‘It’s not anything I’ve heard of before,’ Monroe said.
Theo agreed. ‘We’ve clashed with werewolves before. There have been deaths before, but nothing in our records suggests that such a thing adversely affects the werewolf concerned.’