CHAPTER SEVEN
D umas found his unease peaking several times during the meeting. It was clear why they wanted the strays, but he wished it wasn't his mate who had to pursue the Wazir. He'd heard many things about that man, but very few were good. It was true few knew anything about him, and even fewer had ever met him. But still, there was always a seed of truth to every rumor. He would not let his mate face the man alone. If they were on bad terms, then anything could happen.
“When was the last time you spoke with the Wazir?” He asked when they pulled up to the old, abandoned warehouse.
"I was fifteen, and my father went missing. He refused to help me find him and said I was better off without him." Rowen spoke hurriedly and did not look at Dumas.
“Were you?”
"Probably." He just left it there, and Dumas did not press for more. They had a lifetime to learn about each other, so there was no need to push.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be I suppose.” They got out of the vehicle and began walking around to the back of the old warehouse. He could see memories coming back to Rowen in his expressions upon seeing the area once again and he could feel his apprehension.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” He reminded him while putting his arm around his shoulders.
“It’ll be okay.” He said and smiled up at Dumas. “I have you.”
"You'll always have me," Dumas answered.
Dumas didn’t like the idea at all, but he could not tell his mate what to do, all he could do was be there for him. The area behind the warehouse was cloaked in a dark shadow except from a small area that was bathed in sunlight that came through an opening in the trees that bordered the property. The delineation between the light and the dark was a hard line and apparently the entrance to the Wazir’s realm.
Rowen took his hand and side by side they stepped onto the line and suddenly they were moving through space and emerged into what appeared to be an entrance hall. It was cavernous and also beautiful with stone and color and design similar to Master DuCane’s Palace entrance. The walls were adorned with Egyptian imagery and decor. It felt like a blend of the old world and the ancient world. A blend of Kings and Pharoahs.
As they walked further, going forward, rooms, hallways, and even a ballroom rose up on either side, indicating that the place was endless, just as alternate realms tended to be. What he found interesting was the amount of sunshine, or what looked to be sunshine, lighting every room.
“We will be met shortly by his guards don’t underestimate them. They are not large but they are fast, agile and deadly. The guards of the Wazir have claws that are poisonous.” Rowen warned.
“Good to know, thank you.” Dumas replied. “Do you have the same capability?”
"No, only the guards, but the rest of us can lay a person up for a while. It's a poison as well but not as toxic and can only be delivered in our shifted form.” Dumas was learning more every day.
Just as Rowen said, two guards dressed in a uniform of flowing pants and a long, snug jacket walked up to meet them. The outfit had an Egyptian flavor to it and was quite stunning, actually. They looked at Rowen first and then glanced derisively at Dumas.
"I request a meeting with the Wazir," Rowen stated firmly and clearly.
“Why do you bring a hellhound here?” One of them asked disapproving.
"He is my mate, and we have bonded," Rowen stated again, firm and clear. They looked surprised for an instant but quickly covered it.
“Follow us.” They said. Rowen and Dumas fell into step behind them.
Dumas looked over at Rowen but did not speak. Their eyes locked, and Rowen nodded. They were on their way to the Wazir; Rowen's request had been accepted. They walked for quite a distance before entering an open area, a large room with soldiers positioned along each wall. At the far end of the room was a raised platform, and on it was a thick, intricately decorated throne.
The Wazir was a king among his people, and that was very clear. He stood as they approached and descended the platform as they came to stand before him. He wasn't what Dumas had expected, although he wasn't sure what he'd expected. This man was tall and lean but solidly built and moved with a fluid-like agility that was mesmerizing. He did not appear old, although he had lived for several thousand years, with his presence dating back to the days of the pharaohs. He was an enigma in the truest sense of the word.
He looked of Mediterranean decent dark and tanned. His hair was black, as were his eyes that saw all and knew everything and remained suspicious. He was stunningly handsome, dressed in silks and gems, and held the air of a man who feared absolutely nothing. Dumas would remember this meeting, and he would remember this man.
The Wazir looked at Rowen, who then dropped his head and stared at the floor. "What is it that you seek from me, Rowen, and why do you bring this man to my court?" His voice was like soft, rolling thunder with the undertone of an ever-present threat.
He looked at Dumas and held his gaze, and it wasn't long before he had a full grasp on who stood before him. Understanding snapped between them, and suddenly, Dumas felt the connection take form. Heat and energy pulsed through him, leaving a mark on his soul. Dumas was shocked at the power this man could wield. The Wazir had just claimed his first hellhound.
"Welcome, Dumas, to the land and lair of the stray cats. I am the King of the Felines and the Prophet of Bastet herself." He stated with a half smile that showed straight white teeth and incisors sharp as daggers. "I am the King of all the strays and of one hellhound." He was now beholden to his Bard, Master Hadden, and the Wazir. Dumas smiled in return, warmed by the welcome and inclusion.
"Thank you for having me, sir," Dumas responded respectfully.
"It's a pleasure, a true pleasure." He said and then turned to Rowen. "You chose wisely, my son. Your mate is a treasure, a hellhound of note, and worth and a valuable addition to my community of strays."
Rowen seemed confused at first but caught up quickly and gave Dumas a subtle but cheeky grin. “I agree, sir.”
“Presenting your mate to me was not your only reason for requesting this meeting.” He stated and waited.
Rowen explained the deaths and disappearances in the lowlands and the rising evil. He made clear the need for a rapid end to the threat that hung over them all. "I'm asking on behalf of Master Nikolas Hadden for your pack's assistance. They wander the lowlands and see so much, and no one notices." Silence fell for several minutes.
"They will not fight for him." He said, and Rowen interjected immediately.
“He’s not asking for that kind of support. He’s asking for eyes and ears on the ground so he can locate the evil and dispatch it before more are killed and the human’s interest grows deeper.” Dumas was impressed with how his mate stayed calm and focused in the face of this powerful individual. Everything he’d heard of the Wazir might be true, but at this moment, he knew him as a strict, formidable, and devoted leader.
“He will owe me a favor in exchange.” He stated.
Rowen nodded in agreement. Dumas wasn’t sure if the man held the power to be answering for the Master but now was not the time to nitpick the details. “Are we agreed?” Rowen asked and again the Wazir made him wait as he looked him up and down and with a glance over to Dumas he responded.
"Yes, we have an agreement." Without another word, the Wazir turned and walked away, and the two guards took them back to the doors where they'd entered. As soon as they stepped out, they returned to the back lot of the warehouse and were standing in the sunlight. Only a few minutes had passed, although it felt like hours.
Once back in the SUV Dumas called Josef and let him know the agreement was struck and the strays would join the surveillance team. He also mentioned the favor exchange and was relieved when Josef laughed, referring to a similar deal they’d made with Master DuCane many years ago and how that had turned out.
He closed the call and reached over, taking Rowen's hand in his. "That was interesting."
“Sorry I didn’t tell you that there was a possibility he would connect and mark you as one of his own. It rarely happens so I didn’t bring it up. I’m sorry.” Rowen was very apologetic, but it was unnecessary.
“I’m honored to be a part of your pack, and your Wazir is a respectable man.” Rowen smiled. “He didn’t appear to hold any grudge against you.”
"The grudge was all mine, I'm afraid. I said things in anger and thought he wouldn't want to see me again, but all he was waiting for was for me to reach out. Life lessons, I fucking hate life lessons."
"Don't we all." Dumas laughed, pulled out of the lot, and headed downtown. Rowen needed to report to work, and Dumas wanted to join the foot patrol in the lowlands.
Rowen entered the station and was immediately congratulated for solving the lowlands case. Cal Grainger came in and confessed to the killings and said that Det. Dalhousie was the reason for his decision to come clean. The memories they'd placed in his mind painted a perfect picture of a man believing he was trapped with no way out.
"Good work convincing that creep to come clean." His Sergeant praised him.
“Thank you.” Rowen played along.
“He’s refusing to tell us what he did with the other bodies, but we’ll get it out of him in time.”
“I hope so.” Rowen went to his desk and decided to finish the write up on this case following the information given to him by the vampires. It was awkward as hell but necessary for the safety of all paranormals.
"Grainger has confessed to the crimes." The Mage shouted. "He got scared and probably believes that the police will protect him from us no doubt."
“It works in our favor either way.” The magic assisting with the ritual commented. “The cops will let down their guard and we can find another sacrifice without them breathing down our necks.”
"I think the last one should be meaningful, don't you?" The Mage said with a sinister grin.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking we should choose someone special and connected to the case rather than just easy targets. The incubus needs strength and intelligence to feed from." The Mage was going on and on.
“Are you referring to one of Hadden’s men?” The magic was sounding unsure and a little concerned. “Why rock the boat all we need is one more and an easy target is an easy target I say.”
“I’ll take care of things from here.” He said. “When everything is ready, I'll call to make sure everything is set up at the site. This one will bring him back full force and full strength, and then we will rule this town. Control will be ours." The magic nodded, ready to go along with whatever the Mage had devised. The incubus would provide the power they lacked and the skills they needed. Giving him a few humans to feed on was an easy price to pay.
Dumas patrolled through the lowlands following leads but found nothing noteworthy. The strays were everywhere now that he knew them and recognized them. Being a part of that pack and the Wazir opened Dumas' eyes to the lives of the small shifters. They may be overlooked in many ways, but they were not powerless. The little beasts were fierce and clever.
It was early evening, and he was finding it growing more and more difficult being away from his newly bonded mate. He stopped in a parking lot near the old leather bar that was once a focus in the nightlife of the area but was now abandoned and gave Rowen a call.
"You still at the station, sweetheart?"
“Yeah, just finishing my reports and all the related paperwork.”
“Any blowback on the Grainger situation?”
"All is well. He's admitted to everything, and the case is being closed as we speak."
“Good, very good.”
“How about you? How’s the patrol?”
“Uneventful so far but I have high hopes. The strays are amazing, and they are everywhere. Now that I know them I see them.” Dumas was impressed.
"You're one of us now, babe, so they don't hide from you." Rowen chuckled. "You're the amazing one. I love you, Dumas, and I can't wait to see you."
The declaration hit him by surprise and swamped him with feelings of want and desire. “I love you too Rowen and we’ll be together soon.” The craving to be close was real.
"I'll meet you in the lowlands when I finish here," Rowen suggested.
“No, I don’t want you around here it’s foul. Call me when you get off and I’ll meet you at your place it’s closer than mine.” It gave Dumas something to look forward to.
“I’ll call you.”
"Thanks, sweetheart. I'll see you very soon." With that, he closed the call, and not five minutes later, Josef called.
"The strays are doing their job and doing it well." He declared. "The leader of the group is a mage, just as Rowen had predicted, and their intention is to raise the demon incubus that we destroyed several years ago. He had been operating out of the old leather bar sucking souls and killing people."
“Why would they want to resurrect an incubus?” It sounded insane to Dumas those creatures were pure devils.
“They’re under the belief that they will control him and his abilities and use him to their own ends.” Josef scoffed. “If they manage to bring that guy back, they will be his first victims. There is no controlling a monster like that, and we do not need him back in Pittsburgh."
“Where are they.” Dumas was eager to end this.
"They were in the Two Track but have left and separated. The strays followed, one heading to the tenement and the other going in the direction of the derelict warehouses on River Street. There are more than just the two of them. We're pretty confident that there are four in all, and the leader is the Mage." Josef finished and then added. "Those strays were worth every penny we paid."
“You haven’t paid yet.” Dumas chuckled. “But someday the Wazir will call in his marker.”
“No doubt.” Josef closed the call and Dumas decided to head over to the warehouses and maybe get a lead.
Rowen was getting ready to leave and head over to his apartment when the Sergeant pulled him into his office. "We just got an anonymous tip on the location of one or more of the missing."
“Where?”
“The caller said they were buried on the grounds of the leather club down in the lowlands. It closed several years ago after it partially burned.” He gave him the information and instructed him to go and check it out.
He left the building slightly disheartened by the fact that he wouldn't be seeing Dumas until morning. He could call and let him know he was on his way to the lowlands, but Dumas had been adamant about staying away, so it was probably best that he kept it to himself no need to cause him worry.
The leather bar was a shell now just a brick wall and a few planks scattered around, and dirt plenty of dirt. The attached shed was still standing but also showed signs of having been burned. He checked the perimeter of the building looking for freshly turned earth indicating a grave or any obvious disturbances to the ground or trash laying around.
It was getting well onto darkness, and he was considering coming back in the morning at full light to investigate further when he heard something from inside the old shed. He shined his flashlight over the area and found nothing out of the ordinary so moved in the direction of the shed.
With an odd sense of déjà vu, he was suddenly struck from behind, not with a bat this time but with something much smaller. The pain hit just below his left ear and radiated outward. When he reached up, he felt a dart that was puncturing his skin. It was small and sharp.
Rowen managed to remove it before succumbing to the poison and dropping to the ground. He tried to hold onto consciousness, but the shadows closed in too fast. He heard movements and voices around him, but his vision was gone, and then there was nothing as he sank into the darkness.
"He's a cat shifter." The magic was startled. "We've only used humans. Will he accept a shifter?"
“We used humans because they were easier to catch and contain. A shifter will be perfect for our last sacrifice, and it will show our love and dedication. This is working out so much better than I had ever imagined." The Mage was giddy.
They quickly carried Rowen inside the shed which was set up for the final offering with an altar and candles and various small organics. They were skilled and had absorbed some interesting abilities from the incubus in exchange for serving him. But they were ignorant of the capabilities of a demon incubus and his lack of loyalty, care or his willingness to do anything to anyone to appease his own wants and needs. They were nothing, and yet they thought they were in control.
“Call the others and bring them here.”
"What about his pack? They might come looking for him." The magic was referring to Rowen, who lay on the cold cement floor. The Mage began to laugh as if the idea was hilarious.
"He's a cat shifter, for fuck sake. No one cares. They have no pack, and they're more likely to kill each other than provide any sort of support. No one is looking for him apart from the police, and they will never find him." The Mage shot him with another dose of the drug to keep him sleeping. Being a shifter, it would burn off quickly. He continued to laugh as he began removing Rowen’s clothes, preparing him for the incubus.
The warehouses were a bust, with no sign of anyone having been there in quite some time. But he went ahead and searched the area thoroughly. The magics could move fast and he wanted to make sure he did not miss anything. His next move was to check out the old leather bar. Others were checking the tenement, and he had a feeling about the leather bar.
He was told that it was the location the incubus had been killed apparently he came up against a human that was half angel and his beloved who was an angry vampire assassin. The incubus didn’t have a chance. Dumas smiled at the way Gage had told that story that had been told to him. Dumas wished he’d been there.
Dumas pulled into the overgrown parking area of the club and got out feeling a weird sense of dread. He didn't do dread. It wasn't something that had ever touched him, and yet it was there. He moved around the front of the rubble that had once been the club and toward the large shed on the left. There were lights, flickering lights. He didn't hesitate to run at the door, knocking it down with his shoulder. What he saw inside froze his heart and nearly killed him.
On a weird makeshift altar was the love of his fucking life, stripped naked and about to be offered up with a knife to his throat. The rage was blinding, and he rushed to the front of the building only to be brought to a sudden halt when the one with the knife screamed he'd kill Rowen if Dumas came any closer. The need to kill to destroy was burning through him, but fear for the safety of his lover held him fast. There were four of them, just like Josef had said. They were there watching, smiling, and Dumas would tear them to pieces.
"Any closer, and I slit his throat, or maybe I'll remove his head entirely." The bastard taunted, touching the knife blade to Rowen's throat, drawing a bead of blood, and then backing off. Dumas was going to lose his mind trying to figure out a way to get his mate away from these devils. Then he saw them working their way closer and behind the two on the altar and circling those on either side. The rage and need to defend consumed him as he shifted in an instant, bearing his full fearsome Hellhound form. The terrifying beast was unleashed and ready for retribution.
"You're not leaving here alive hound once we bleed this one the prince of the underworld will rise and use your lover here and you to feed and strengthen his presence in this world. Hadden's hold on this town is about to end our Master will rise and all those who do not bow down will die." The guy was delusional if he thought he was going to make the cut.
Everyone in the room would die the moment the incubus broke through. He would need an ungodly amount of life force to stabilize himself in this realm. Dumas kept his eyes on strays waiting, and then it happened. The large candles stacked behind them on the altar, all burning large and bright. One by one, they were swept off the tables, setting fire to their robes and debris.
The second the knife was raised away from Rowen's throat, Dumas was on him, grabbing the burning man and tearing him to pieces. The other attempted to fold into the air and disappear, but apparently, fire nullified the airflow necessary for such a magic trick. The other one on the altar was being consumed by the flames, so Dumas left him to burn and grabbed Rowen up into his arms, getting him away from the fire. Rowen shifted. A soft grey cat now filling Dumas' arms and nuzzling close, looking for comfort and safety.
The last two were finished by one of Wazir's guards. The cat shifted into one of the men who'd led them in to see the Wazir. He sliced the throats of the remaining two magics, killing them instantly. Everyone rushed out of the shed, Dumas held tight to his mate, and the cats scattered. The guard came up to him and placed his jacket over Rowen.
“Thank you.” Dumas was sincerely touched by his assistance.
“Thank the Wazir. He had me keep an eye on Rowen.” He looked Dumas up and down. "I knew you'd get here, but know that if you hadn't, his people would have saved him." The guard made himself clear.
“His people did save him.” Dumas admitted and reached out to shake his hand. The guard looked at the hand and then took it.
"You make a good stray, Dumas. I look forward to working with you." With that, he shifted back to a large black cat and disappeared with the others. Rowen began to wake, and Dumas held him tight in his arms and placed a hard kiss on his lips.
"You're okay, my love. The magics are dead."
Dumas called it in, and in seconds, the area was swarming with people. Master Hadden had called in favors from every form of magic hunter and destroyer he knew to come and purify the land. It was determined that the Mage had come close to realizing his dream, and the demon had been on the threshold of this world. In the end, the source remained elusive, but the current threat had been neutralized.
Dumas brought his mate to his apartment in the Hadden Center fearing for his safety. The place was solid secure and there were doctors and scientists of all sorts available. Dumas was not going to take any chances on the health and wellbeing of his mate.
"The Hadden Center," Rowen stated, looking around Dumas' living room from the sofa where he lay. Dumas had been caring for him after having the doctors thoroughly examine him for any lingering effects of the drugs he was given. "It gets easier every time I come here."
"That's good to hear because you're staying here for a while. I don't want any arrogant magics taking another run at you. We wait until Master Hadden sounds the all clear, and then we move back to my place." Rowen reached out his arms, and Dumas did not delay in rushing to him.
"I love you so much, and I'm so glad I found you." Rowen rubbed his cheek against Dumas' shoulder.
"We found each other, sweetheart, and I couldn't be happier. I love you with my life."
They stayed like that for several minutes, and then Rowen spoke. "There will always be danger for you and me, but together, I have a feeling we can conquer anything."
"You, me, and the strays, we can conquer anything." Dumas chuckled.
“Oh yeah, I forgot the Wazir sent me a message.” Rowen moved to look Dumas in the eyes as he spoke. Those beautiful eyes, Dumas melted with every glance.
“What was it?” Dumas started nuzzling Rowen’s neck and slipped his hand down to gently cup his growing erection. He could never get enough of this man.
“He’s calling in his favor and wants to meet with Master Hadden.” That was a surprise. Dumas stilled and turned his head to place a soft kiss on Rowen's ear.
“So soon.” He stated.
"I think he had something in mind at the time he made the agreement," Rowen admitted.
“This could get interesting.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Rowen chuckled and refused to say more. Dumas rolled him onto his back and took full advantage of his lovely body.