Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
Victor folded his arms and scowled. “Who is going to explain what happened?”
Zee’s tail lashed while he mumbled something incomprehensible, although Victor’s keen hearing probably picked it up. I’d had the entire journey back from Whiteacre Falls to think, and now my blood had cooled I’d begun to regret speaking to Zee like I had. I’d been out of line. He’d tried to help. I hadn’t meant to yell at him...
“Nobody?” Victor asked, eyebrow raised.
I sighed and shoved my hands into my pockets. “We were attacked, we think by the loup-garou, and warned off.”
“What else?” Victor’s piercing gaze narrowed in on me. This wasn’t about what had happened, it was about the icy chasm between Zee and me, and Victor had wasted no time in pulling us up on it.
“I told Zee to stay inside and guard Zander,” I mumbled. “But he didn’t?—”
“There ain’t no fuckin’ way imma leave?—”
“Doesn’t need to protect me?—”
“Uuh, excuse me.” Zee cocked a hip, and snapped his fingers together with a sharp click . “You can tell me not to protect you until all the dragons come home to fuck, but I ain’t ever gonna stop, Adam. You might as well ask me to stop being me, or ask me to cut off a wing, or even ask me to stop eating mac and cheese. It ain’t ever gonna happen because I fuckin’ love you and I will always fuckin’ love you, and lovin’ you means I will do anything to keep you—and yes, Victor fucking Reynard—safe. There, I said it. And now you made me admit to loving him. He’s way too old for me, and let’s remember, he’s also a fuckin’ vampire, which is like... the worst of the worst, and did I mention he’s real fuckin’ old?”
Victor rubbed his forehead. “I wish I hadn’t asked. Zodiac, thank you... I think. Adam... while we are trying our best not to question the reasons for our being here, or your motives for not simply telling us what we are running from, as you can see, it’s causing quite the strain on our fledgling relationship.”
Why did he have to be so calm and reasonable? They were both ganging up on me. I was trying to do the right thing here. “I’m trying to protect you guys!”
Victor looked me dead in the eyes. “As we have only tried to protect you.”
They both stared. Zee with some regret in his soft, purpled-lashed eyes, and Victor’s glare with its no-holds-barred ability to pin me down and make me squirm.
“Ugh.” He was right.
They were trying to keep me safe, and I had no right to stop them when I was trying to do exactly the same thing. I was in the wrong. I’d messed up. All of it—coming north, running, not telling them—it was all a stupid mistake.
I sighed. It was time to admit the real reason we’d fled the hotel. It had probably been time to tell them back at the gas station, or maybe right before we’d left... “If I tell you, you have to promise you won’t get straight into the van and drive back to the hotel.”
Zee shook his head and shoved his palm at my face. “Nah, dawg. I am not making open promises until you’re honest with us.”
“Zee!” I whined. “This is why I haven’t told you. You guys need to let me do this. You’ve both proven why you can’t protect me. I have to protect you.”
“From what?” Victor asked, sharp as a razor blade.
“From my...” I bit my lip and turned my face away... but when I looked back, their expressions were even more sympathetic, and my heart was done. I couldn’t lie to them anymore. “From my brother.”
“You got a brother?” Zee asked.
“Technically, I had eight of them. And three sisters.”
“Fuck, that’s a lot of Christmas gifts—oh right, the chicken an’ egg thing. That’s why there’s so many of you.”
“I was under the impression your family were all... dispatched,” Victor said, choosing his words carefully.
Done with the lies and feeling sorry for myself, I dropped onto the end of the bed. “They were... well, I thought they were, but he’s uh... he’s back.” I didn’t even want to say his name. Saying his name made it real, and meant I could no longer hide the horrible fact from myself—I was being hunted. We all were.
“Okay, so he’s back and that’s bad because . . . ?”
I looked up at the two most precious people in my life standing side by side. “His name is Syros, and it’s bad because he’s probably a bit angry that I tried to tear his face off... then his wings, and you know... I murdered our entire family.”
“Yeah. That’ll do it. Oreo?” Zee shoved the cookies under my nose. “There’s a whole lot of goodness in these little ohs.”
“That’s uhm... that’s the ad for Cheerios...” I told him, then caught his smile and smiled back. He was using Oreos to build a bridge over the chasm I’d dug between us.
Taking a cookie, I nibbled its edges. “Syros is mean and vicious. He’ll burn down everything and everyone to get to me. That’s why I had to get us out of the hotel. If he knows I’m not there, he won’t stay there for long. They’re safe.”
Victor sat next to me on the end of the bed, making the mattress dip and me slide against him. “The wards would have protected us, Adam.”
“Not when you visited the council,” I said, and faced Zee again. He waited, tail swishing. “Or when you went to Razorsedge to see the demons. We’d have been prisoners in our own home. Syros is smart, like you’re smart.” My gaze returned to Victor’s again. “I thought I’d... killed him. We fought and... it was brutal.” I remembered the blood... so much blood. It didn’t seem possible that my brother had lived. We’d torn into each other with such ferocity we both should have died. “I was so badly wounded I didn’t check that he was dead, I’d just had to get away... Always running,” I mumbled, then nibbled more cookie. “We can’t go back to the hotel until I figure out what to do about him.”
“Let’s just murder him like we murder everyone else we don’t like,” Zee said.
We didn’t murder everyone we didn’t like. “It’s not that simple. You may have noticed dragons are hard to kill.”
“Victor did it, with werewolf mercenaries.”
“That dragon was old and slow,” Victor said. “Killing it equated to mercy. His own kin would have done the same had they discovered him.”
“Syros is bigger than me... more powerful. He’s one of the worst.” Shaking my head, I struggled to imagine how we could stop him. “We just need to lie low, away from the hotel so he doesn’t destroy it, and you guys need to stop throwing yourselves into danger to protect me when I’m a whole lot tougher than you realize. Because he will find you and hurt you, and I just need you to survive... I can’t... My heart couldn’t take it if you were gone.” I whispered that last part, mostly because my voice had gotten all squeaky and weird, and my heart pounded, and everything felt hot and cold at the same time.
I nibbled more cookie. It did actually help.
“That’s why you got shitty with me earlier,” Zee said. “You’re scared.”
“Yes. I am so scared of losing you guys. You’re all I’ve got. You’re everything to me. He’ll try to take you away because you’re mine. He doesn’t care about anything. He just wants to hurt me, and the easiest way is to hurt you two. I can’t let him... I can’t...” Overwhelmed, I stuffed the remaining bits of cookie in my mouth and ate them along with my feelings.
Zee sat on my left, flung an arm around my shoulders, and tucked me against his side. “He threatened you at the hotel, didn’t he?”
“He said I should go with him or he’d destroy you both, and I had until the next day to decide. So I ran... because it’s all I know that works against dragons. You have to run.”
“He’s a dick,” Zee huffed.
“Yeah.”
“While I do wish you had told us sooner,” Victor said. “I cannot deny we would likely have attempted to make a stand at the hotel.”
“Yeah,” Zee agreed. “I’d have gone for Spyros.”
“Syros.”
“Him too.” Zee smiled, trying to brighten the mood.
“And Syros would have burned it all down.”
Victor’s hand settled reassuringly on my leg. “Indeed.”
“If I’m not there, the hotel is safe. If you’re with me and we’re hiding, you’re safe.” I sighed and closed my eyes. Feeling Zee pressed close and Victor’s hand on my leg, just being with them and having them listen... it gave me hope that all was not lost. Not yet. “Running was the best I could come up with at the time.”
“Alright,” Zee said. “We have got this. Together. Like always.”
“Never apart.” Victor echoed the sentiment.
I should have told them sooner, but I was also glad I hadn’t. With distance came the time we needed to figure out what to do next. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Zee. I never, ever want to change you. You’re perfect the way you are.”
“Uh, I know. And it’s fine. I like it when you get all fiery and protective. For a long time, at Razorsedge, I protected others. I’m not used to feeling safe, or knowing someone’s got my back, but I do with you.”
“In the past few weeks our lives have been turned upside down. We have much to adjust to,” Victor agreed. “There will naturally be some bumps along this road.”
I still wasn’t entirely convinced they wouldn’t team up and try to take out Syros on their own—it seemed like the kind of foolishly heroic thing they’d do—but while we were in the middle of nowhere, hunting a werewolf killer, they’d stay.
“Regarding our current predicament... I examined Cameron’s corpse, and it’s clear he was not killed by a werewolf, but something with a larger claw diameter. The loup-garou theory remains the most likely one. Unfortunately, my examination did not reveal any further clues to help us.”
“But how is this loop-guru thing in the area without the pack knowing?” Zee asked. “Werewolves are insanely territorial.”
“Unless the loup-garou is one of the pack?” I asked. “They can shapeshift, right?”
“Wolf packs rarely adopt other species as their own.”
“Yeah, okay. And they kicked Zander out for being slightly different,” I said.
“Duke?” Zee wondered aloud. “We thought we saw and heard him in town earlier, when the creepy mist came in. Maybe he’s pretending to be like them? Would Galbraith be able to spot an imposter?”
“Duke appears to have been their beta for a long time. They’d certainly know if he wasn’t a lupine shifter,” Victor said. “But we should speak with him regardless. It is the beta’s job to look out for the pack alongside the alpha.”
“You guys go speak with him,” Zee said. “Three is a posse, and I get the impression he does not appreciate my rampant fabulousness.”
It was true Duke hadn’t much liked us, and especially Zee. “What are you going to do?”
“Chat with Jenny and see if anyone else is staying at this motel who seems a bit special or murdery.”
“Can we all just agree right here not to take any risks or do anything heroic?” I asked them. “If there’s a risk, we regroup. No going it alone. No luring the bad guy away.” That one I aimed at Victor. “And no lurking in bushes to help.”
“Agreed.” Victor gave my leg a firm squeeze and stood. “Zodiac?”
Zee gave an all-over body shiver. “Say my name like that again, Daddy.”
Victor’s soft chuckle was all he deemed appropriate. “It appears we have a plan. Let’s deal with this loup-garou so we might then focus on our own unfortunate dragon situation.”
An “unfortunate dragon situation” was a great way to explain my murderous, psychopathic brother coming back from the dead to wreak havoc on my life and destroy anything and everything I’ve ever loved. I’d prefer dancing with a loup-garou than facing Syros, any day.
Leaving Zee to drop in on Jenny, Victor and I made our way across the lot toward the bar, where the very person we needed to speak with was sitting outside at a picnic table littered with engine parts. The rows of bikes that were usually parked outside the bar weren’t there now.
The big werewolf beta saw us coming, but said nothing, just continued to use a grubby rag to clean grease off the shiny metal bits and pieces.
“What’s this, then? An intervention?” he grunted.
“We’d like to speak with you about Cameron’s murder and the attempted murder of Zander.”
The old werewolf raised his gaze, studied me and Victor, then continued to wipe a metal ring down. “Is that right? Then you’d better sit and ask yer questions while I work on this block.”
“Where is everyone?” Victor asked, as I took a seat at the bench.
“Ride-out. I got work to do. Engine’s gone. Say whatever you gotta say and then leave.”
I skipped my gaze over all the engine bits and pieces spread over the table between us. Duke carried on selecting each piece then methodically wiping it down. “You don’t seem all that concerned about a killer rampaging through your territory and threatening your pack mates?”
“Folks who step out of line generally get what they deserve round ’ere,” he said.
Was that a threat? “Were you up in Whiteacre Falls earlier today?”
“Been here all day, fixing this up.”
Was he lying? A glance at Victor revealed he was happy to let me take the lead while he stood back and radiated menacing vampire vibes.
“You clearly don’t like us being here,” I said, prompting Duke’s bushy eyebrow to leap. “I figure you think you don’t need our help, but Galbraith appointed us. You disagree, so you’re not going to make it easy.”
Duke grumbled a gruff, noncommittal sound, dropped the metal ring, and leaned back. “Why don’t you just come right out and ask if I killed Cameron?”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you attack Zander?”
“Yes. Have you met him? He’s annoying as fuck and wears pink sandals. But did I threaten him lately? No. Cameron wanted him out, and frankly, Zander was never a good fit, even he knows it.”
“You think Zander killed Cameron because he got him kicked out of the pack?” I asked.
“No, I don’t. The fool hasn’t got it in him. Did he tell you he’s a vegan? A fuckin’ vegan werewolf. He should be eating the squirrels not feeding them.” Duke rolled his eyes. “I don’t know who killed Cameron, but I do know all this shit started when you showed up. Asking you for help was a mistake, but I don’t challenge the alpha. That’s a guaranteed way to get my bags packed for me.”
“Indeed,” Victor said.
“If you think I’m an asshole and a killer, you’re right. And I don’t much like you. Seems to me a dragon could rip the guts out of a werewolf pretty damn easy. And just so happens, here one is.”
I swallowed. “I have no reason to hurt you or anyone here.”
“But trouble rolls into town right along with you. That’s some mighty coincidence.”
Admittedly, it did look suspicious. My brother couldn’t be behind this, could he? No, there was no way he could have known where we were headed or reached the bar ahead of us... and if he had, he wouldn’t have been subtle about it. We just happened to be dealing with someone else that also happened to have really big claws and liked hiding.
“Why do you think Galbraith accepted Adam’s offer of help?” Victor asked.
“Yeah, I asked him that. He said we’re all too close to this.”
That actually made sense. Werewolves were a feisty bunch. Justice would have been quick, and probably wrong. “He thinks you’d have all gone after Zander?” I asked.
“Probably. And he’d be right. Looks like you saved that idiot’s life twice.”
“So, if you aren’t the killer, and neither am I... who do you think is?”
Duke’s wolfish smile brimmed with blunt, human teeth. “Aren’t we lucky you’re the ones who have to find out. Don’t let Galbraith’s approachable attitude fool you. You’d better find a killer because without one, you, your demon, and this vampire lord aren’t leaving Whiteacre Falls. Ever.”
“Hey, big bear.” Zee waggled his fingers as he smoothly side-stepped into the conversation.
Duke growled. “Wolf.”
“Hm, no, sweetie. You’re definitely a bear. Anyhoo—” Zee flicked his wings and turned to me. “So yeah, Jenny isn’t at the front desk, but the good news is I took a look at the guest log and we’re the only ones staying in this fine fuckin’ five-star establishment, so whoever is doing all this has gotta be local.”
“If you think any wolf would risk Galbraith’s wrath, you’re outtah yer tiny minds,” Duke huffed, returning to polishing his engine parts.
“What if they’re not a wolf, but something else?” I asked him.
“Not much out here but wolves and you guys.”
“What about a loup-garou?” I asked. “A shifter, but one who’s able to shift into anything, including a wolf.”
“No shifter is gonna fool a wolf,” Duke tapped his nose. “We’d sniff ’em out.”
Victor nodded his agreement. This wasn’t helping. Duke hadn’t told us anything new. We were just chasing our tails, going over the same ground over and over again. Nobody wanted to talk, and those who did didn’t know anything. How was that possible? How did Agent Leomaris deal with Lost Ones every day and not pull out all his gorgeous hair?
“There was something else,” Zee added. “So, the office kinda looks like a bomb went off inside?—”
“What?” Victor tensed.
“It could just be that it always looks like that. It’s real hard to tell, what with all the rubbery plants everywhere.”
Victor vanished—or more accurately, did his thing where he moves faster than I can track.
“Zee, you could have led with that,” I said, getting to my feet.
“I was about to.”
“Adam!” Victor’s shout sailed from the open reception doorway.
We hurried on over, with Duke stomping behind us.
Zee was right, the office had been trashed. The chair behind the desk had toppled, leaflets for local tourist hotspots were scattered about, and the succulents had been scattered, flung about as though a tornado had torn through the space.
I stepped around the desk and found what Victor was so fixated on. He righted the chair and turned it to show us. Three huge slashes almost cut the back of the fallen chair in half.
“Oh dear.”
“We must find Jenny.”