Pack Bonds, page 18
part #4 of Amarok Series
“Don’t talk like you know about it!” Clementine yelled. “You don’t know anything about it!”
“Lower your damn voice,” Dean barked, throwing a glance at the nearby houses. Clementine bit her lip but settled down. “You’re right, I don’t know anything about it. At his worst, my alpha would never have physically forced me to do something against my will.
“This is what I do know. The weak will be drawn to the strong, but your life isn’t predetermined. Even sheep can choose their shepherd. And, despite what you think, the relationship isn’t unbalanced. Dominants, true ones, have a responsibility to the weak and those who follow them. Any bastard who can’t grasp that doesn’t deserve that title.”
“You say that now.”
“I say that because I believe it.” Dean pushed to her feet and Clementine scrambled to follow her. “I’m going to promise you something. I’m not going to hurt your family or force you to do anything. You can walk away right now.”
She walked forward and the blonde scrambled to the side to maintain the distance between them. Dean shook her head. “But if you stay, you’re one of mine. And I take care of my own.”
Dean reentered the house. Clementine stood alone in the darkness, thinking over their conversation. More than once, her gaze moved to the street and beyond.
The desire to run was evident to anyone watching. Her first step took her away from the house. Then she took a deep breath and reversed direction, taking a small, hesitant step back toward the house. Within moments, she went through the back door, closing it softly behind her.
Chapter 12
Katherine opened the door, a bell chiming above her. Her nerves relaxed as she took in the dim and empty interior, but there was nothing that could calm the painful cramping of her stomach.
Her main source of anxiety stepped into the bar, looking over the room from behind her shoulder. Nothing could persuade Cayden to stay behind. He had been the main force behind setting up this meeting, scouring the internet for information on the creatures lurking within the shadows of the city, sifting through the tons of fantastical crap in the different forums until he came into contact with what seemed like a viable lead.
“Could you at least wait in the car?” she tried, already knowing the answer.
“I think that’s him right there,” Cayden said, ignoring the question as he moved across the room. Katherine sighed as she followed him.
As the email said, the bar was empty and a single man sat at the end of the bar, nursing a drink. Even the bartender was nowhere to be seen. Despite his gumption, Cayden hesitated before approaching and Katherine overtook him, squaring her shoulders as she took the seat next to the man.
He looked up. With a shock, Katherine recognized the man whose statement she had taken. He had cleaned himself up; the dirty clothes had been replaced by a dark uniform and a long trench coat, his scraggly silver hair neatly trimmed. His coal-black eyes were serious and full of intelligence. “It’s you.”
“Hello again, detective.” The voice had changed as well. Clear and cultured, an intonation that reminded her of a professor rather than the lunatic he’d presented himself as. “I’m glad you accepted my invitation.” He looked past her to Cayden. “You must be the one I talked to.”
Her usually friendly brother stayed at a distance. The action sent warning bells through her mind. Loud ones that rang a tune that said it was best they leave this bar and bother Morgan until he gave her some answers. He might be stubbornly trying to block her out but at least he was a known element. “I think this was a mistake,” Katherine said, pushing to her feet.
She stiffened as the man grabbed her arm. “A moment of patience,” he said, releasing her immediately. “Perhaps this will ease your tensions.”
Katherine turned to her brother as he sucked in a quick breath. “What? What is it?”
“I can hear him. He was quiet and now he’s not.” Cayden’s face wore a look of wonder. “How’d you do that?”
“It is a simple thing. Forgive me if this seems rude, but I did some research into both of you. You’re a descendant of House Harmonic. So am I. My bloodline doesn’t appear to be quite as strong as yours, but I have much practice. It is possible to shield one’s aura. For you, you’d probably be more interested in dulling your senses so you couldn’t sense everything.”
Her brother looked as if lightning had struck him. “I can do that?” he whispered, unmistakable longing in his voice.
“You haven’t scratched the surface of what you can do. With the proper training--”
“Hold on a minute!” Katherine snapped. She glared at Cayden until he turned his head. “You’re making all kinds of promises but you haven’t told us who you are.”
“Gordon Graft.” Gordon inclined his head. “There’s no need for you two to introduce yourselves.”
“Because you’ve researched us,” Katherine said harshly.
“Could you tell me you wouldn’t do the same thing?” He smiled at her huff. “I suppose we should get to the heart of the matter. The two of you searched me out because you are concerned about the fate of this city. You’ve become aware that forces are moving and approaching an explosive confrontation.”
“Please, spare me the runaround. The detective’s voice was plaintive, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was for the red eyes to stop haunting her dreams.
“Then straight answers. Freewood is a rare city. It was founded by the three races and they have held a strong grip on it. This is only the most recent of their struggles.”
Katherine bit her tongue to keep from interrupting. She didn’t care about history. She needed to know what was happening know. Innocent people were getting dragged into this.
“At the moment, the fae, those who have bloodlines similar to your brother and I, are making moves on this continent. They planned to use Freewood as a staging ground for a huge attack against the Blood Court, the vampire seat of power who hold the most influence in the United States. They failed. What is happening now is the fallout.”
“Wait I thought, you said you saw an animal. Is that a fae?” She just managed to stop herself from admitting she already knew they weren’t. Just because she was suspicious of her partner didn’t mean she would spread his secret.
Gordon smiled enigmatically. “There’s no need to hide your connection to this world. We know about Morgan Lake. He is the reason I set up this meeting.”
“What does he have to do with it?”
“A stake. You are invested in this city and its secrets. It guarantees that you will put considerable thought into how you use the knowledge I will give you.”
She nodded slowly and he continued. “Good. You most likely heard that the current crime wave sweeping the city is the result of rogues. In case you don’t know what those are, they are changers who have been exiled from their packs, usually for challenging the leader or going against him. It is not a very forgiving culture.”
He reached inside his trench coat and pulled out a thin folder that he slid along the bar. Katherine grabbed it and rifled through the contents, looking at several maps marked with colored circles and lines. “What’s all this?”
“We’ve been tracking the rogues' progress. From our research, the fae assassinated several changer alphas.” He allowed her a moment to absorb the knowledge before continuing. “An alpha from Colorado moved across the country, gathering the displaced changers to launch a retaliatory strike. Their target was the former alpha of Freewood, Franklin Freewood.”
She closed the folder. “Franklin. I know that name. He’s dead. Big arson case. The prime suspect right now is his nephew.”
“Kyle Freewood. We are aware of him, but he is not the culprit. The exact details escape us, but the vampires mobilized a large force on the night of the fire and flame is the usual way they cover their tracks. More importantly, this large force has arrived in the city without a goal. Dozens of enhanced, angry, and criminally inclined creatures with no clear direction.”
“Sounds like a recipe for disaster.” Katherine closed the folder with finality. “Now, here’s the million-dollar question. What are you doing about it? And better yet, what do I, as a cop who’s supposed to be protecting the people in this city, do about it?”
Gordon downed the last of his drink and stood up. “Nothing.”
“Oh, not you too! What, because I’m human--”
“Not because you’re human. For all intents and purposes, I am the same as you. Hunters…” He grimaced, looking down to the ground. “I am a part of a small sect. Many of my comrades have formed alliances with the three races. Very few of us remain independent and we struggle to remain so. Traditions mean nothing in the face of overwhelming power. What are we against a being that can bend steel?”
Gordon shook his head and stared at her resolutely. “No, it is not because you’re human, Katherine. It is because you are not resolute. A sense of justice and that tiny gun you’re carrying on your hip isn’t enough. At most, we can watch and monitor. Maybe take out one of the more dangerous ones but we lose more of our number every year. There is nothing we can do. The changers will protect their territory. I called you out here to tell you to forget about it before you get yourself killed.”
Gordon began to walk away but it was her time to grab his arm. Rage bubbled inside her, twisting her face into a nasty grimace. “You know, I didn’t know what to think when I met you, but I was expecting more. People who fought the monsters I saw had to be larger than life. But now I see you’re nothing but a bunch of cowards. Do you think cops are better armed than criminals? We break down doors knowing automatics are on the other side, knowing the vest can only do so much. And we do it because if we don’t, innocents die. I’ll take a group of cops over you shadowy assholes any day. And you can forget me forgetting this.”
She let go of his arm and headed for the door, waving for Cayden to follow her.
“Then are you ready to do what needs to be done?”
Katherine turned back and swallowed heavily. The air around Gordon had changed, filling the room with tension as he stared her down. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers. Five figures stepped from the back, dressed from head to toe in black. Large hoods covered their faces in shadow. Katherine shivered, the absurd notion that they were faceless shades seeming all too plausible despite her battered grasp of common sense.
Gordon barked an order and as one, the shades hopped over the counter and came to stand at his back. “Before you are three roads. The first.” He pointed to the men. “These are some of my most talented subordinates. If you wish to simply eliminate the rogues, they will go with you. Perhaps you may be considered worthy to join their number. The second is that you leave and forget this meeting ever happened. And then there is the third.”
He held out his hands in a grand gesture. “You can change the world.”
Katherine frowned. She’d never seen that look on anyone’s face. The closest thing she could compare it to was when she’d interviewed members of a small cult. Pure fanaticism but tempered with focus. Katherine opened her mouth to respond but stopped when she felt Cayden’s hand on her back.
She looked at him and he dropped his hand, a deep frown on his face. Katherine stared at him curiously but when he didn’t comment, she turned back to Gordon. “What do you mean?”
“You said it yourself. Hunters, those who remain true to the mission, are great warriors but the resources of law enforcement dwarf us. They simply need the knowledge of what they are facing and someone to guide them through the new, confusing reality. Someone who carries a badge that they can rally behind.”
“Just so we’re clear, you’re suggesting we reveal the presence of the changers to the city?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a terrible idea.”
“Is it?” Gordon shook his head. “What better way would we be able to enforce law and order? The city’s police are going after these rogues with tasers and little pea shooters. How much damage are you going to let these monsters do?”
“How much damage do you think telling the world about them will cause? Christ, do you go to the movies?”
“I think you are confusing fiction with reality. It will be a shock, yes, but it can be handled. We have people and command structures in most major cities, ready to integrate and train local law enforcement. People who are prepared to educate the country via articles, spoken word, and the internet to forestall any misunderstandings.”
“Why does it sound like you already have this planned out?”
“Because we do. It is already in motion. Freewood was not on our radar but, with its substantial supernatural population, the effects of our revelation will have serious repercussions. We had written this city off with no means of controlling the fallout. Until you presented a rare opportunity. Someone with both connections to law enforcement and the changers who can soothe the inevitable tension that will develop. Think about how many people can be saved and I’m not only talking about humanity. Your partner and his pack would be much safer if the police were able to handle incursions like this one. I want to be clear. We are not murderers. We stand for order.”
Katherine shut her eyes, mulling over his words. She had come to this meeting searching for answers. That’s all. Not to be put on the spotlight. This shady old man was talking about her leading the city through the biggest upheaval in the country?
No way. She didn’t want anything to do with that. The first option appealed to her somewhat. If she had the proper training on how to deal with these, God she couldn’t help thinking of them as monsters no matter how much she tried, then she could handle these crazy events. Maybe get a squad of the nasty looking hooded shades who were standing straight enough to make a drill sergeant proud.
But Gordon’s plans would still come to fruition. Katherine didn’t know what would happen but imagining the city descending into chaos wasn't hard. Someone leading people through it would help but was she that person? She barely knew anything at all. Could she handle the city, maybe the country, turning to her for answers? Did she want to? Not in the slightest but if she did, could she possibly save lives? Isn’t that what she should be doing, as a cop?
“...I don’t know,” she finally replied softly.
Gordon nodded. “It is not a decision to be made immediately, but unfortunately, you don’t have long. The invasion of the rogues sped up our timeline.” He made a gesture with his fingers and the shades moved forward, two abreast as they trooped toward the door. As they passed by Katherine, she noticed handles of several knives tucked all over their bodies. A shiver went down her spine once they’d passed. They were not the kind of people she felt comfortable having out of her line of sight.
She looked up as Gordon stopped in front of her. He held up a small card that she hesitantly took. “You can reach me here. I hope you make the right choice, Katherine.” He turned to Cayden and nodded. “If you want to learn about who you are and what you can do, this is not the place.”
“You mean…I’d have to leave?” Cayden asked hesitantly. “The city?”
“Everything. The abilities of the fae are not to be taken lightly, especially when one who is untrained begins to experiment with them. Anyone who trains with us must submit to isolation in one of our camps.” He nodded, seeing the young man’s stricken expression. “It would appear you both need to think. Feel free to take anything from the bar. It’s on the house.”
Gordon left the room, the door closing softly behind him. Katherine sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Then she moved over to the bar, hopping the counter with a fraction of the grace of the hunters. “Fuck it. He said it’s free and I need a drink.”
“Alcohol doesn’t help,” her brother muttered as he found a stool. He frowned as she put two glasses on the counter. “You know I don’t drink.”
“Relax, I’m looking for some, ah.” She sat a six-pack of Dr. Pepper on the counter. “What some ice?”
“Yeah.”
She filled his glass with ice and then pulled down a bottle of scotch for herself. Katherine hated the stuff, but she’d been dragged into drinking the crap by her training officer after too many stressful days. Drinking it to calm her nerves was more of a habit than a true balm. Her features screwed up as she gulped it down. “This is nasty.”
“Then why are you drinking it?”
“Not this. Well, this too but I was talking about the situation.” She shook her head as she refilled her glass.
“I know. Just trying to stimulate conversation.”
“Hmph. So, let’s hear it.” She leaned on the counter, pointing at him with the index finger holding the glass. “What do you think about all this?”
