Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
The thrall went into complete panic mode; she pressed herself against the far wall and immediately started babbling. ‘I don’t … wolf … attack … help … what do I?… No…’ Then she clamped her hand to her mouth as coherent speech failed her completely.
‘He was early,’ Boris said. ‘I let him into the flat and he found a note on your coffee table from Mr Longchamps and then—’ He gestured helplessly.
Mallory knew exactly which note he meant: it would be the one on headed paper that mentioned roasting her entrails, which she’d been too busy to discard properly. Uh-oh.
She tightened her toes and spun around, then pelted back in the direction of the drawing room past the Cursed Portrait, which was now shrieking, ‘Alarm! Intruder! Help!’
Thankfully blood hadn’t yet been spilled. Chester Longchamps had jumped onto the sofa, as if that would somehow protect him from the snarling wolf that was facing him. He was clutching the unwrapped bellarmine jug. ‘We’re under attack!’ he shrieked. ‘That’s a fucking werewolf!’
Mallory darted into the space between Alexander and the vampire and spread her arms out wide. ‘Let’s all calm down!’
‘Eat her!’ Longchamps shouted. ‘Attack her!’
For a Preternatural who would probably heal and regenerate from any but the worst of werewolf attacks, the vampire was being something of a prick; then again, he was being attacked in his own home.
And it was daylight outside so he likely already felt vulnerable.
Alexander had no right to be here and they all knew it.
She turned to face the werewolf head on and injected as much cold authority into her voice as she could. ‘Stand down.’
He deepened his snarl. In return she put her hands on her hips and glared. ‘You heard me. Back off.’
His narrowed eyes flicked to her. Good: at least he’d heard her. The veil of misplaced alpha fury that had brought him here must be starting to dissipate. ‘Everybody needs to take a breath,’ Mallory said.
Alexander’s ears twitched and she thought she was getting through to him, but then a shaky voice trembled from the doorway, ‘Wh-wh– what’s happening?’
She allowed herself a quick side-glance to assess this potential new threat: a vampire she’d never met before. Chester Longchamps knew exactly who it was, though, and was clearly emboldened by the fact that he was no longer alone.
‘Alan! We’re under attack from the werewolves! Get into the Understream and sound the alarm! Get everyone here!’
Oh no. Mallory’s stomach dropped sickeningly as she realised just how much danger they were suddenly in.
The vampires would see this as an act of war.
They’d maintained cordial relations with the werewolves for decades, beyond the odd light skirmish here and there, but this wasn’t a daft brawl or a silly argument.
Alexander had broken into Chester Longchamps’ home and violence was vibrating through every shred of his lupine fur.
If she didn’t stop this now, it could spell disaster not just for everyone in this room but for all of Coldstream.
‘Wait!’ She flung out her hand towards the vampire. ‘Everyone wait. That means you too, Alan!’
Alexander growled again and his hackles rose still further. Frozen in the doorway, Alan squeaked. Chester Longchamps stiffened. Goddamnit.
‘That is not a werewolf,’ Mallory said. ‘It can’t be.’
‘Are you mad?’ Longchamps bellowed. ‘Look at it! Of course it’s a fucking werewolf!’
She prayed this would work; if it didn’t there would be war.
‘It’s not the right time of the month – that’s been and gone.
I might be a squib but I know that werewolves can’t transform unless it’s the full moon.
’ Apart from Alexander MacTire. But as long as Longchamps wasn’t aware of that fact, they might get away with it.
‘She’s right,’ Alan said.
‘I know she’s right!’ Longchamps thundered. ‘But look at that thing! That’s a fucking werewolf!’
Alexander bared his teeth as if to agree. Not helpful, not helpful at all.
‘It must be a wild animal,’ Mallory said. ‘Magical, sure, but still an animal. It can’t be a werewolf!’
‘Alan, forget the Understream for now,’ Longchamps snapped. ‘There’s wolfsbane in the storeroom. Go and get some and we’ll find out the truth quickly enough.’
Alan nodded and disappeared and Mallory’s stomach tightened further. She’d bought them some time, but it was minutes at best. Her only chance to remedy the situation was to talk to Alexander and force him to get out of here before World War III was invoked. But she’d have to talk to him alone.
‘Leave the room,’ she said to Chester. ‘I’ll deal with this.’ She turned her head to look at him and realised abruptly that his shock was wearing off.
Longchamps was preparing his own attack, mirroring Alexander by baring his vampiric fangs. There was a steely look in his eye that promised predatory violence, spilled blood and absolute vengeance. Unfortunately Alexander had exactly the same look in his eyes.
Shouting wouldn’t help. ‘Chester.’ Mallory softened her voice. ‘I will sort this out. Wait outside and I’ll deal with it.’
Another figure appeared in the doorway – thankfully it was Boris and not Alan with wolfsbane. ‘Lord Longchamps.’ He beckoned to the vampire who frowned.
‘Go,’ Mallory urged. ‘I’ve got this.’
‘I am not responsible for your safety here,’ the vampire said stiffly.
For goodness’ sake: a moment ago he’d wanted to throw her into a werewolf’s snapping jaws. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘Now get out of here.’
Still clutching the bellarmine jug, Longchamps stepped down from the sofa and edged towards the door. Alexander growled and Mallory glared at him. ‘Enough,’ she hissed.
Longchamps sidled further away – but when he was little more than a metre away from the hallway – and just as Mallory was starting to breathe again – Alexander chose to be an idiot again.
He feinted a lunge towards the vampire and snapped his jaws, even though he was too far away for his lupine teeth to connect with flesh.
It was nothing but posturing but unfortunately Chester rose to the bait.
Without thinking, he threw the bellarmine jug in self-defence.
It smacked into Alexander’s snout and bounced off, then crashed to the floor and smashed into several pieces.
Mallory and Longchamps stared at the shattered jug.
‘Oh shit,’ the vampire muttered.
Mallory ran a hand through her hair. ‘Leave,’ she said dully. ‘Please, Chester. Just leave.’
Thankfully, for probably the first time in decades, the vampire did as he was told.
As soon as he’d left the room, Mallory stared at Alexander. He was no longer growling or snarling, he was simply looking at her.
She didn’t have any experience deciphering a wolf’s facial expressions and she wasn’t going to try now.
She walked up to him and crouched down until their eyes were level.
‘Do not shapeshift,’ she told him. ‘If you do, Chester Longchamps will find out exactly who and what you are and this won’t end until one of you is dead. ’
Alexander snorted.
‘If he dies, what do you think will happen?’ she hissed.
He looked away. ‘Yeah. You know what will happen. You knew what would happen when you came here. For fuck’s sake, Alex!
You’re an intelligent person, you know what the consequences could be.
Every vampire in Coldstream will be gunning for every damned werewolf, regardless of who they are. People will die.’
He dipped his head forward to nudge her with his nose but Mallory drew back before he touched her. ‘Don’t,’ she warned.
She inhaled deeply, aware that her breathing was shaky.
‘You saw the note from Chester and you thought you’d come and save me, but I’ve told you that I don’t need you to be my hero.
I don’t need you to save me. I might be just a squib but I’m perfectly capable and I don’t belong to you. I’m not your responsibility.’
She paused. ‘I don’t even work for you anymore. Our agreement was only until the night of the Wolf Ball and that’s over. I failed to find you a First Mate and now you’re on your own. You have no further obligation to me and I have none to you.’
He neither blinked nor made a sound. She had no idea what was going through his head but she couldn’t stop now; she couldn’t allow herself to weaken.
‘You have no idea what you’ve ruined by coming here and doing this.
’ Her gaze drifted to the shards of the bellarmine jug.
‘No idea at all.’ She sighed heavily. ‘Don’t interfere in my work ever again.
Right now, you’re going to walk out of here as a wolf.
You’re not going to look at Chester Longchamps, you’re not going to look at anyone.
You’re going to leave very, very quietly. ’
Alexander’s body slumped and she knew he’d do what she needed him to do. Thank heavens. ‘Come on,’ she urged. ‘You must go now.’ She stood up and turned to the door but before she could step towards it, Chester Longchamps reappeared.
‘Alan couldn’t find any wolfsbane but that’s alright because he’s gone one better.
’ He displayed the crossbow in his arms. ‘It’s been a while since I fired one of these but I’m pretty sure I remember how to do it.
And look!’ He grinned coldly. ‘Silver bolts. These will kill a werewolf stone dead, so I guess we’ll know the truth of the matter either way in about three seconds’ time. ’
Oh God. Fear ripped through Mallory. She began moving towards him. As he raised the crossbow and aimed, she panicked and threw herself at him, knocking the crossbow to the side at the very moment he fired.
Time seemed to slow. She was aware of the silver bolt leaving the crossbow, and she was aware of the air rushing past her as it flew by her ear. And she was very aware of Alexander’s howl of pain as it slammed into his flank and he collapsed.
He was already on the floor writhing in agony as she ran to his side. In truth it was little more than a flesh wound but the silver would be seeping into his blood and poisoning him. If he didn’t receive medical treatment very soon he would die. Horribly.
And Chester Longchamps was already re-loading the crossbow and preparing to fire again. ‘You made me miss,’ he spat. ‘That won’t happen again.’
No. She had to stop him. She couldn’t allow a world where Alexander MacTire didn’t exist.
‘He’s definitely a fucking werewolf.’ Longchamps sniffed derisively.
‘He wouldn’t be in such agony right now if he weren’t.
But you were right that it’s not the full moon so that means this bastard is strong – likely an alpha, probably from one of the more powerful wolf packs.
The Fergusons, perhaps. Or the Stewarts. ’
He paused. ‘I heard rumours a while back about the MacTires, and their alpha in particular. I didn’t believe them at the time.’ He smiled nastily. ‘Well, well, well. It appears those rumours were true.’ He reloaded the crossbow and pointed it in Alexander’s direction.
Mallory felt sick. ‘Stop!’ she said, her voice ringing out. She’d kill Chester Longchamps before she’d let anything else happen to Alex, even if she was just a squib and even though the vampire could snap her neck before she managed to even bruise him. ‘Don’t shoot. You can’t do that.’
The vampire laughed. ‘I can. This is my home, my domain. I can do whatever I want.’
‘I will release you from all your contractual obligations to me if you let the wolf go.’ The words fell out of her mouth in desperation. ‘No favours and no secrets.’
‘No fucking Clouded Map either,’ Longchamps spat. ‘He destroyed my only chance of getting hold of it by destroying that jug.’
That wasn’t actually true because Alexander hadn’t smashed the jug, but Mallory wasn’t going to argue about it, not right now.
‘Handy for you that we closed the contract only moments ago,’ Longchamps continued. ‘One might almost think you planned for this to happen.’
Hardly; she hadn’t told him to throw the damned jug at Alexander. ‘Our contract is officially over, but if you let this go I will get another bellarmine jug for you.’
‘How?’
‘I will find a way. Just give me time.’
Alexander’s breath was already ragged, his eyes were closed and he appeared to have lost consciousness. Mallory started to shake with fear for him. ‘I will get you what you need free of charge. I promise.’
‘And if you don’t?’ Longchamps sneered.
‘Then my blood is yours,’ she said simply. ‘You can drain me of every drop.’
‘You’re just a squib. Why would I want your blood?’
‘Chester,’ she pleaded, ‘nobody else can find you a bellarmine jug. You know I’m your best chance.
It’s only March and we have until August. Give me another eight weeks then you’ll still have the entire summer to use the Clouded Map.
There’s still time.’ She tried to keep her voice steady.
‘You know there’s nobody else who can help you. Let me do this.’
‘Why do you care so much about one wolf? Werewolf, or otherwise?’
Because I love him, she thought. But she only stared at the vampire and said one word: ‘Please.’
He stared back with hard, unfeeling eyes. ‘Four weeks.’
Mallory swallowed. What if that wasn’t enough time? ‘Six. Just in case.’
‘Fine,’ he muttered. ‘But if you don’t come up with the goods by then, I’ll drink you dry.’ He pointed at Alexander. ‘And then I’ll find this bastard and end him, too.’ He laughed. ‘Assuming the MacTire alpha lives beyond the end of today, that is.’
He lowered the crossbow. ‘Now all of you need to get out of my fucking house.’