1. Deacon
Chapter one
Deacon
I hand my umbrella off to Chaya, ignoring the rain that drips beneath the collar of my coat, rolling like icy fingers down my back. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but this poor wolf lying in the dirt, his lifeblood being washed away with each drop that falls from the sky.
He was young, in his twenties, and I recognise him in that distant kind of way that means I’ve seen his face and picked up his scent. His throat is a mess of blood and skin, and I wrinkle my nose.
There is no scent to track. Even if it were not raining, I know that would still hold true.
I rub a hand over my face and sigh. Three dead wolves in as many weeks, and we are no closer to finding the culprit than we were the first time.
It’s Tamesis. I know it’s him. And I’ve told the other alphas that, too. Not everything—not the precise details of what happened that night a century ago—but enough.
We still haven’t found him. Every wolf who is able is looking.
At least, they were.
Next to me, Chaya stiffens, turning her head. The wolf… His alpha is here. Chaya reaches over, fingers brushing my forearm. “I’ll deal with him,” she murmurs.
I don’t respond, but that doesn’t matter. She turns on her heel and strides across the rain-slicked street, and when I hear voices rising, I still do not look.
I have failed them. I am failing them, and right now, I’m not sure what to do to help.
Calling Tamesis out and offering myself up to him will do no good. He wants me only because he believes Vasile still values me, and even if I explained everything that has happened between us, it would make no difference.
Tamesis is a monster. A true one. I’ve walked that line between the two well enough to understand that.
I did not understand it when I saw him for the first time.
“Alpha,” Chaya murmurs. “Alpha Jude wishes to speak with you.”
There’s an edge of irritation to her voice, something that no one but me or Orion—my other beta—would pick up on.
“All right.” I stare at the dead wolf for one more moment, memorising the shape of him, firming my resolve, before I approach Alpha Jude.
He is not one of the alphas I usually pay much attention to as his pack is well-run, and he rarely has to come to me with problems. He is furious now, and I understand it, but it will do him no good.
He should not be here. We would have returned the body.
Chaya hands me back my umbrella and I open it again when I stand before him, sheltering us both from the rain.
“Alpha,” Jude says. There’s a growl to his words and silver in his eyes. “This is unacceptable.”
“I am aware.”
His growl rumbles through me, even above the rain. I do not react. He is grieving and angry.
“Did a vampire do this?”
“I believe so, yes.” What other creature would tear out a wolf’s throat? Another wolf, maybe, but our bite marks do not look like that.
Jude growls again. “I know who he is.”
“The wolf?”
“No. Tamesis. I know.”
I frown at him. “I told you. I briefed all of you three weeks ago.”
“You did not tell us he is Vasile’s sire.”
I did not. I shake my head. “I fail to see—”
“It’s important!” Jude hisses. He takes a step closer, and, out of the corner of my eye, I see Chaya is watching us. Waiting to intervene. “Just because hardly anyone remembers what Vasile used to be like, it doesn’t mean we don’t know . He was vicious. A monster!”
I swallow down my own growl, surprised at the sudden fury that rolls through me. Vasile is not a monster.
I know how hard he worked to overcome what he had been taught.
“The crai has not killed our wolves,” I say when I can trust my voice again.
Jude shakes his head. “Even if he has not, he has vampires who—”
“ Enough !” His mouth snaps shut as the word leaves my lips, and I lean in close. “I understand that you are upset about the death of one of your wolves. Believe me, so am I. But fighting with our neighbours will do nothing to bring him back.”
Part of me is impressed by the way he looks me in the eye, even as my wolf surges forward, ready to prove that we’re the one in charge.
“Vasile has hardly been seen for the past three weeks.” His eyes dart past me, to where the wolf lies. “Since these murders began. I hope you investigate fairly, alpha.”
A growl rumbles in my chest, and he immediately drops his eyes, tilting his head to the side in apology. My free hand curls into a fist. It won’t do to get into a fight with one of my alphas on the night he’s lost a member of his pack. I know better.
One breath in. One out. My wolf retreats, but barely.
“Go home,” I say, and the instinctive command in my voice isn’t there, but Jude knows he’s pushed me far enough. “See to your pack. I will see to this.”
He frowns but nods. “Yes, alpha.”
Chaya steps in closer as Jude turns on his heel and walks away. “Everything all right?” she asks quietly.
I blow out an irritated breath. Tamesis is somewhere in my city—has been somewhere in my territory, if he’s the one killing my wolves—and all I want to do is shift and hunt him down.
“Not really,” I say, and she nods. I glance, again, at the body of the fallen wolf. “You’ll take care of returning him to his pack?”
“Of course.”
“I need to call Moreau.”
Chaya withdraws and I pull my phone out of my pocket, leaning against a lamppost. Moreau answers on the second ring.
“Deacon? Are you okay?”
He’s sounded as panicked every time I’ve called him since Vasile came to see me. Like Tamesis is waiting in the shadows for me specifically.
Oh, I have no doubt the vampire is out to kill me. But before Vasile turned up in my office, we hadn’t spoken to each other in a century. I’ve got to be low on his list.
“Fine. Another wolf is dead.”
“Another…?” There’s some rustling, as though Moreau is setting things to rights. “Where?”
I give him our location, watching as my wolves cover the body and transport it to a car. They don’t leave right away. Chaya is looking at me. Ah. She doesn’t want to leave until I’m not out in the open.
“That’s three now, right?”
“Yes.”
“And you think—”
“I know a vampire did this,” I say, cutting him off. “I don’t think they were with the clan, even if some of my wolves are beginning to suspect the crai.”
“They are?” Moreau’s voice is faintly puzzled.
“You know his… reputation.”
“I do. I didn’t think anyone else remembered.”
Because most of the wolves aren’t as old as either of us. Because we worked hard, the three of us, to rebuild Vasile’s reputation, when he decided to stay in London, to be with me.
My chest pulses with a faint, old pain. I’m glad I’m holding the umbrella because it’s easier to fight the urge to rub that spot on my chest, even though I know there’s no physical wound.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re patrolling our territory, but whoever’s doing this is still sneaking in and out without a trace. If I find many more dead wolves, I’m going to have a mutiny on my hands.”
Moreau sighs heavily. “I know. We’re not—We’re not having much more luck here.”
“Dead hunters?”
“Not yet.”
The rain is beginning to slow. The words trip out of my mouth before I can stop them. “How is he?”
“Deacon…”
“Tell me.” A growl leaks into my voice. Moreau sighs again, for once sounding as old as his years.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean? Your guards—”
“He dismissed the guards the night he went to see you. He hasn’t spoken to me since.”
“So what? You’ve left him unprotected?”
“Of course not,” Moreau snaps. “Saide and Rook are still watching the clan. They’ve seen no sign of Tamesis. But Vasile wants nothing to do with me, and for now, I have to respect that.”
“For now.” I huff. It warms me a little to know the guards are still there. At least Tamesis will have to get through them first, and from what I know of Moreau’s associates outside of the Council, they are all difficult to kill.
“You know,” Moreau begins, and I’m shaking my head even though he can’t see me. “Vasile never meant to hurt you. Before, I mean. It wasn’t—”
“We’re not discussing that.”
“I just—”
“I’ll call you again if anything changes.”
He splutters, but I hang up on him and slip my phone back into my pocket. No. I can’t hear it.
It’s not about whether or not Vasile hurt me. I know he had to kill Tamesis. I know there were few ways he could accomplish the task.
But me?
I failed.
No matter what Tamesis was able to do to our bond, I never should have been able to hurt Vasile. Hurting my mate…
What kind of a wolf does that make me?
I swallow and push that thought firmly back into the box I keep it locked in. All the packs are on lockdown for the rest of the night at least, and I’ve arranged an alpha meet for later in the week.
Well, all the packs except one.
I pull my phone back out of my pocket and dial Kieran’s number. When he doesn’t answer, I frown and try Sam.
He doesn’t answer, either.
Worry swirls in my gut. I don’t believe anything is truly wrong ; they may both simply be busy.
Still, if I set eyes on them, I will feel better for it.
I cross to where Chaya is standing, still waiting for me to leave. She blinks up at me, and when she takes in my expression, she frowns.
“I’m going to see Kieran,” I say.
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“No. You need to take him home.” I gesture with my chin at the car. We left Orion at our pack house this evening, with strict instructions to deal with the issues he could and to keep the pack safe.
He can deal with everything, of course. Both of my betas should have become alphas of their own packs long ago.
“This is a bad idea,” Chaya says, tucking blond hair behind her ear.
“It’s not a good one,” I agree. “But I’ll be careful. They didn’t answer the phone.”
“At least take a taxi.”
I shake my head and put my umbrella down before I hand it to her. She rolls her eyes when I shrug off my coat but takes each item of clothing, signalling for another wolf to bring her a bag.
“If you get injured—” she says, just before I transform.
“I will be careful.”
She doesn’t believe me—I don’t need to smell it in the air to know that—but she steps back as I shift, then fastens the bag containing my clothes, shoes, and phone around my neck.
“It should only take forty-five minutes if you run,” Chaya says. “I’ll call you then. We’ll come looking if you don’t answer.”
I yip and rub my cheek against her knees before I bound away.
Maybe if I see to my newest pack, I won’t be thinking about Vasile anymore.