Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
I hadn’t appreciated how much paperwork was involved when you killed somebody in Coldstream and their death wasn’t conducted under the secretive guise of an assassin. Even though Brassick’s death had been deemed both just and necessary, I still had to spend more time than any reasonable person would have considered worthwhile filling out forms and explaining my actions.
Thankfully, MacTire and his wolves had tidied up the scene at the building where Nick had been held captive, otherwise I might have been buried for good under the weight of bureaucracy and Captain Montgomery’s desire to cross every t and dot every i. I’d also been forced into meetings with several high-faluting vampires who wanted detailed explanations about what had happened. They’d extracted several bound promises from me that I wouldn’t breathe a word about the Understream tunnels and that I wouldn’t enter them again without stamped approval.
Thane had been fortunate: he got to spend three days recovering in hospital instead of dealing with all the damned form filling .
The morning of the winter solstice was the first chance I’d had to relax properly since all this crap had started. It was cold but sunny enough for me to drag a chair into the front garden, sit with a cup of coffee and watch the world go by. Umbra had been, by both name and nature, a thing of shadows and darkness, which made me almost as grateful for a splash of winter sunshine as She Who Loves Sunbeams.
All five cats were gathered around me. There had been a minor stand-off as He Who Crunches Bird Bones and He Who Must Sleep vied for my lap, but in the end they both backed off when She Without An Ear nabbed it first. She curled up into a tight ball while I clutched my mug and resisted scratching her ears. I knew my place.
I was, however, touched that all five of them were still worried enough about me to stay close. It was almost like the old days when I’d sometimes returned home after a particularly gnarly assignment and they’d crowded me with warm feline concern.
I murmured inanities to them about the weather and my plans for the day. He Who Roams Wide sent me an arch look, judging my level of conversational skill and clearly finding it wanting. Before I could respond with a snarky comment about his conversation, he sprang up and hissed.
She Without An Ear tensed and dug her claws into my legs before leaping off my lap and disappearing. The others followed her lead, although He Who Crunches Bird Bones opted to hide under a nearby bush rather than retreat inside.
I gulped down the last of the coffee. By the time I’d placed the mug on the grass next to my chair, the gleaming black car had rolled up outside my garden gate.
I stayed where I was. I’d have been disappointed if I’d not received another visit from the MacTires but I was surprised that it was happening so quickly. I hoped that didn’t mean bad news about Nick, who was still recovering in the furry fold of his uncle’s pack.
Samantha was in the driver’s seat, her expression inscrutable, though she did turn her head and nod slightly. That was probably as much an acknowledgement of what I’d achieved with Thane’s help as I was likely to get from her.
The rear passenger door opened and Alexander MacTire stepped out. He was a different man to the one I’d seen last time. The pained angst and barely contained fury had vanished and in their place was a more sober man, one who’d been confronted by his vulnerabilities. I wondered if the experience would change him in the long term. Only time would tell.
He strode to the gate and paused, raising his eyebrows in silent question. Well, that was certainly different. ‘You may enter,’ I said, amused by my imperious tone.
He unfastened the latch and walked up the narrow path. I got to my feet and met his gaze. ‘Morning.’
‘Good morning, Ms McCafferty,’ he replied. ‘I won’t take up much of your time but it was important for me to come by.’ His eyes held mine. ‘You saved Nicholas and for that you have my eternal gratitude and that of the MacTire pack.’
At least he wasn’t blaming me for allowing Nick to get kidnapped. ‘He’s alright?’ I asked.
‘He’s recovering.’ MacTire licked his lips and lowered his voice. ‘Thank you, Kit.’
There were several answers I could have given. I chose the simplest. ‘You’re welcome.’
‘If there is ever anything the MacTire pack can do to help you, you only need ask. We owe you and we will repay that debt.’ He paused. ‘You have my sworn word.’
I sucked in a sharp breath; I hadn’t expected that. ‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘I appreciate that.’
He nodded and stepped back. ‘I’ll leave you in peace now but there is someone else who would like a word with you, if you don’t mind.’ The car door opened again to reveal Nick.
He was much thinner than before; his face was gaunt and there was a haunted expression behind those familiar eyes. He would recover, though, both mentally and physically. I was certain of that.
I watched him walk through the gate. His progress was slow, as if it were a struggle to put one foot in front of the other. Alexander MacTire didn’t reach out to help him because that would have been too great a sign of weakness for a wolf. In fact, that lack of action meant that I knew exactly what was going to happen next. Nick had made a decision about his future – and I believed it was the right one.
MacTire melted away and I barely noticed his departure; my attention was on Nick. I waited, giving him the same respect by not offering to take his arm. I wouldn’t offer him my chair either.
As soon as he reached me, his face broke into a wobbly smile. ‘Hi, Kit.’
I smiled in return. ‘I’m glad that you’re finally calling me that and not Ms McCafferty.’
Nick blinked rapidly as he held back his tears; damned werewolves and their need to hide real emotion. Crying didn’t make you any less tough, quite the opposite, but I knew better than to tell him he could let his feelings show. It would only embarrass him and that would never be my intention.
‘Thank you,’ Nick said, once he’d composed himself enough to speak. ‘You saved my life. I wasn’t aware of what was going on but I have a vague memory of you coming into that room. When I saw you, I knew everything would be alright.’
‘I’m amazed you were conscious enough to notice anything at all. They must have taken a lot of your blood. You’re recovering quickly. ’
‘They were trying to fill an enormous conical glass flask – there was a mark on it that indicated the level they wanted to get to. I was literally watching my life drain away.’ He dropped his gaze. ‘That’s what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up.’
‘You’re a survivor, Nick. You’d have made it out of there.’
‘No, I wouldn’t.’ He shuffled his feet. ‘I owe you everything.’
I gazed at him for a long moment. He’d only been gone for days but he’d aged years.
He cleared his throat. ‘I’m taking the oath this afternoon,’ he said. ‘I’m joining the MacTire pack. I won’t be coming back here to stay.’
I wasn’t even remotely surprised. ‘I’ll return your deposit,’ I said.
His eyes widened. ‘No! That’s not why I’m here. Keep the money. I just wanted to let you know in person. It’s the least you deserve. You helped me out when nobody else would.’
‘Are you sure that you want to sign up for life with the MacTires?’ He was making the right decision but I wanted to be sure he’d considered all the ramifications and he wouldn’t live to regret it.
‘Yes. My uncle asked me to wait before taking the oath – he wanted me to be certain I was doing the right thing. But it is. I don’t want to be a lone wolf. I can’t be a lone wolf.’ He swallowed. ‘I’m not sure if Thane will understand. He was my friend.’
‘He’ll still be your friend,’ I said gently. ‘And he will understand. He’ll approve, too.’
‘You really think so?’ he whispered.
I didn’t hesitate. ‘I do.’
He Who Crunches Bird Bones edged out from underneath the bush, miaowed and wound around Nick’s legs. The boy smiled and crouched down to stroke him. ‘I should probably go,’ he said eventually. ‘But…’
‘Go on,’ I said.
‘Can I still come and visit sometimes?’
I grinned. ‘Always.’
He straightened up. ‘Thank you.’ He bowed as if I were some sort of queen, and my cheeks warmed in response. ‘See you, Kit.’
I nodded. ‘See you, Nick.’
He returned to the car, hesitated then turned around and waved. I caught a glimpse of the happy, cheeky teenager he’d been before he disappeared inside and Samantha drove away.
Dave’s front door opened and he walked into his garden. ‘Been curtain twitching?’ I asked.
He scowled. ‘Well, I wasn’t going to come outside with all those wolves around. I suppose they won’t be coming here any more.’
‘You suppose right.’
He grunted. ‘Shame. I guess you’ll have to continue lowering the tone of the neighbourhood all by yourself.’
‘I guess I will.’
Another front door opened across the street, and Mrs Miller appeared dressed in her Sunday best: a tweed two-piece complete with a matching hat. She’d even taken the trouble to pin a corsage to her breast. ‘Happy Winter Solstice!’ she beamed.
I smiled back. ‘Happy Winter Solstice to you, too.’
Dave’s scowl grew more ferocious. ‘Whatever.’
She waved at us and turned in the direction of the tram for Crackendon Square rather than towards the Glebe where the Church of the Masked God was planning its more muted solstice festivities. I watched her departing back then suddenly froze.
‘Problem?’ Dave grunted.
‘Fuck, yes,’ I whispered.