Blood Empire Reborn, page 20
“It makes sense,” Pablo said.
Heidi tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m guessing they don’t want to risk turning your pack into firm enemies.” Luke exchanged a look with Pablo who shrugged. Turning back to Heidi, Luke rubbed his chin, thinking. “Do you pay much attention to the packs in Belgium and France?”
“They’re our neighbors,” Heidi’s responded vaguely.
“We’ve discovered that the Bordeaux Pack has come under the control of a powerful vampire lord known as Le Mousquetaire.” Luke waited to see what her reaction would be.
Heidi sat, her face a calm mask. After a while, she tapped her finger on the table and shook her head. “Scheisse. I’d heard rumors that something was happening in western France. The vampir’s name isn’t unfamiliar to me.”
“Well, neither the Bordeaux Pack nor Le Mousquetaire and his vampires are in Bordeaux anymore. We left them a few days ago in Cambrai, and some of them are now in Liege, reclaiming that city and the mansion where I killed The Mistress after the EDM festival you mentioned.”
“They’ve moved back to Belgium?” Heidi narrowed her eyes, leaning closer to Luke.
“I believe so.” Luke pushed his glass around on its coaster, fidgeting.
“I will need to consult with my alpha.” She sat back, pursing her lips. “I wondered why I haven’t heard from Pieter in a while.” Seeing the look on Pablo and Luke’s face, she clarified, “The pack alpha’s son. He’s a…a friend.”
“We’re familiar with Pieter. He’s our friend as well,” Luke replied.
“Yes. He mentioned you a time or two. That’s one of the other ways I know about you.” Heidi scowled, looking Luke in the eyes. “I was excited to meet you—a real life myth in the flesh.” She turned to Pablo. “Does he always bring dark tidings?”
“That’s my pal—Gandalf Stormcrow.”
“Nerd,” Luke murmured.
Keeping her eye on Pablo, she smirked. “He’s not nearly as dignified and stodgy as I thought he would be.”
Luke hitched his thumb toward Pablo. “You can blame my friend here for that. He’s worked hard in the short time we’ve known each other to knock off some of my stodgy edges.” Luke paused, then shifted to a more serious face and tone. “I lost my dignity a long time ago.”
Heidi raised an eyebrow at Pablo. He shrugged in response.
“You get that from him too,” Pablo said. “Along with random historical snippets.”
“I bet.” She returned her gaze to Luke, appraising him. “Is there anything else you can tell me about what’s happening in France and Belgium?”
“We’ve just met,” Luke said. “A lot of what’s happening isn’t mine to relay to an unknown third party. I’m here to fight vampires and help a friend who’s helped me fight them. As long as you don’t align your pack with the forces of evil, you’ll have no problems from me.”
Any humor she’d kept in her expression was wiped from her face at the tone of Luke’s words. “What happens to those you do have problems with?”
“I’m still alive, and almost none of them are.” Luke kept his face neutral.
“That’s plain enough.” Heidi sat back and waved the server back for another round of beers. “Can I tempt you two into something a bit stronger? They have a fine schnapps list here.”
Luke nodded, smiling. “If they have a good kirschwasser, I’d take a snifter of that.”
Seeing Luke and Heidi relax, Pablo let the tension drop from his shoulders and leaned back. “I’m not terribly familiar with real schnapps. Just the garbage they make in the US and call schnapps. I’ll take whatever you think is a good choice to start with.”
Heidi picked three schnapps. The server nodded, dropped off three more stanges of Kölsch, and disappeared to retrieve their schnapps.
Picking up her glass of Früh, Heidi took a deep drink, sighing happily after. “I can give you my word that our pack has nothing to do with the undead, certainly no alliances.”
Luke nodded. “Then we shouldn’t have a problem and can be friends.”
“It’s that easy?” Heidi asked.
“I don’t have time to make more enemies,” Luke said. “I have too much to do already, and too many vampires to deal with. I can’t afford to pick fights with people who I can just as easily leave alone or befriend.”
The server returned, setting three snifters on the table, then disappearing again.
Heidi lifted her glass and tipped it toward Luke. “I think I’d like to be your friend.”
Luke lifted his glass toward her. “I think I’d like that as well.” He took a sip of his kirschwasser. “Excellent choice. Thanks.”
Next to Luke, Pablo was smacking his lips, making nummy noises over the glass Heidi had selected for him.
“I think my friend likes schnapps.” Luke chuckled.
They chatted amiably for a few more minutes while Heidi finished her beer and schnapps. When she tossed back the last sip, she stood. Luke and Pablo rose to join her.
Extending her hand, she shook Luke’s hand, then Pablo’s. “Gentlemen, it was nice to meet you both, but I need to report in to my packleader. Don’t worry about your tab. It’s taken care of.” She reached into the pocket of her suit jacket and pulled out a card, handing it over to Luke and locking eyes with him. “This is my number. Call if I can be of service.”
After Heidi disappeared around the corner, Luke and Pablo took their seats to finish their drinks.
“I think she was flirting with you, buddy,” Pablo said, a grin spreading across his face.
Luke waved him off. “She was just being polite.”
“Dude. She was checking you out.” Pablo smiled broadly.
Luke blushed, picking up his beer and taking a sip to cover. “Well, if she was, it’s nice to be flirted with.”
Pablo chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m amazed and impressed Maggie landed you. You’re impossible.”
Luke laughed. “You’re not wrong.”
They finished their drinks and ordered another round of the tiny glasses of low alcohol beers and talked about anything but vampires until they decided to head back to their hotel and retire. Otherwise, they’d face the consequences the following day. Luke couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a friend like Pablo who he could be himself with and not have to hide behind a façade of an imagined Luke.
Today had been a good day, but despite the fun with Pablo, the growing undercurrent of tension caused by the lack of contact with Pieter couldn’t be pushed aside. He hoped his friend was OK.
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
After a hearty breakfast to erase the lingering effects of a few too many stanges of Kölsch, Luke and Pablo met Maggie and the team outside of the train station they’d designated. They took everyone out to lunch before the trip back through Belgium to Luke’s cottage. Maggie volunteered to ride shotgun with Luke in the old VW bus while the rest of the team opted for the luxury of the BMW.
“How was your flight?” Luke asked.
“Not bad. I got a little sleep. Watched a bad movie. The train ride along the Rhine was beautiful. Old castles and vineyards.” Maggie reached across and squeezed Luke’s thigh. “How have you been? We’ve not had much opportunity to really talk.”
“OK. I guess.” Luke sighed, shaking his head. He couldn’t hide things from Maggie and pretend he was OK. She never demanded he be falsely strong for her. “I’m feeling a bit scared, Maggie. There’s something bigger going on I can’t get my mind around, and I’m afraid I’m missing something important. Something that could blow up in all our faces.”
Maggie scooped Luke’s hand off his leg and squeezed it, working her fingers between his. “I know it must be weighing on you heavily. Don’t forget to share the burden. We’re here to help you.”
Luke gave Maggie a closed-lip smile, squeezing her hand. He felt better with her here. Her calming presence and kindness helped fill some of the hollow spots inside that still persisted.
“I know, Maggie. There’s just so much on my shoulders, countries waiting on my actions. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that level of responsibility to bear. I used to command armies and move the wheels of power, but I’ve spent a long time running from myself. Hiding from the world. Hiding who I was until that person nearly died, leaving a shell in his place.” Luke let the silence hang, enjoying the feel of Maggie’s soft hand in his rougher palm. After a while, he turned to Maggie. “Do you feel like taking a more scenic route? The hills and forests of southern Belgium are quite nice.”
“That sounds lovely. I’ll text Sam and let her know we’ll be a bit late,” Maggie replied, taking out her phone. “Do mind if I put some music on?”
“Not at all,” he replied. A moment later, “Pale Blue Eyes” by The Velvet Underground filled the VW. It was followed by LCD Soundsystem’s “Oh Baby.”
Luke pulled onto N68 after they crossed the border from Germany into Belgium. They drove in silence as Maggie admired the countryside, skirting by the edge of Hautes Fagnes-Eifel.
“Oh, there’s a pullout ahead. Do you mind if we park and take a break to stretch our legs?” Maggie asked.
Luke turned on the turn signal, pulling over and parking in the empty lot. Luke locked the old bus as soon as they got out. Maggie stepped up next to Luke and kissed his cheek. She took his hand and led him toward a path. Together, they strolled under the trees, enjoying the gentle breeze and the birds flitting about, chirping their songs. When they found a bench, Maggie sat down, patting the spot next to her. Luke slid onto the bench, scooping her hand up.
“What’s eating at you, Luke?” Maggie asked.
“I don’t know if there’s enough of that man left to get us through this successfully, Maggie.”
Maggie sighed. “Oh, Luke.” She reached over and patted his hand. “I never met that man. I have no idea what he was capable of. But I’m getting a good idea of who the man sitting next to me is.” She adjusted her position so she could easily look into his eyes. “I’m learning what kind of man I’m falling for.” Reaching up, she laid her hand across his cheek and turned his head. Maggie leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss over his lips.
“Maggie…”
Maggie placed her middle and forefinger over Luke’s lips. “I don’t know who you were, but I like the man I’ve come to know. He’s strong and kind. He’s intelligent and thoughtful. And he has friends who care about him deeply, who can help him shoulder this burden. I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to find the old pieces of yourself, but I do know the man you are now is strong and capable.”
Luke took Maggie’s fingers from his lips. Leaning forward, he kissed her. “I feel so brittle, like if more is poured on, I’ll break.”
“Luke, you’re not in this alone. You’re a member of a strong pack, who cares about you and supports you. You have friends who would go to the ends of the world and back for you.” Maggie looked down at their entwined hands. “I’d go to the ends of the world and back for you.”
Luke lifted his hand, resting his finger under Maggie’s chin and tipped her head up so they looked each other in the eyes. Since he’d met her and grown to know her, she’d always been so calm and quietly confident, even as she pursued him. This was the first time he’d seen real, deep vulnerability in her eyes. Zel had told him Maggie was falling hard for him. He guessed Maggie wasn’t sure the feeling was mutual or as intense, but when she wasn’t present by his side, she resided in his thoughts and occasionally his dreams.
“I’d go to the ends of the world for you, too.” He caressed her cheek. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Magdalena.”
Maggie leaned forward and kissed Luke gently, pulling back she said, “I’m falling for you too, Luke.”
They kissed in the solitude of their bench under the shady trees as the warm late summer breeze rustled the leaves above them, then sat holding hands, sitting close. Maggie leaning her head on Luke’s strong shoulder.
“I could sit her like this forever,” Luke said, “but if we’re going to get back to my house in time for dinner, we should get going.”
They walked back to the bus and continued their scenic tour of the Ardennes and southeastern Belgium. Luke entertained Maggie with tales from history when landmarks jogged memories to the forefront as they wound their way over the windy roads to Luke’s manor. When they neared the turnoff down to his property, he reminded her of the phrase to keep in mind so the property wouldn’t repel her, creating discomfort she couldn’t turn from since she was the passenger.
Once they pulled out of the trees and Luke’s manor came into view, Maggie gasped. “Luke… Is this yours?”
“Mhm,” he replied.
“It looks so much bigger than in the picture. It’s beautiful.”
“I’ll give you the grand tour when we have a moment. We’ll have just enough time to get you settled. You can freshen up, then go downstairs for a pre-dinner drink. If you prefer, I can have a separate room prepared for you, but I’d like it if you stayed with me in my room.”
Maggie placed her hand on his thigh and rubbed his leg. “Unless you’re going to come visit me in my room, it would be a lot more convenient to stay with you, you know, for snuggles and such.”
Luke parked then pulled the luggage out of the back of the van. Someone must have been keeping watch because everyone came out to help with the team’s baggage. Grabbing Maggie’s bags, Luke led her up to the top floor and his multi-room main suite.
“The floors are a little creaky, but it’s almost two-hundred years old,” Luke said, waiting for Maggie’s approval.
“It’s wonderful, Luke. Do you mind if I take a shower quickly? I need to wash the travel away.” Maggie started unpacking, making herself at home.
“Not at all, the bathroom is through that door. There’s a shower or a jacuzzi tub.”
Maggie looked thoughtful. “Jacuzzi tub? I’d better stick with the shower. Otherwise, you’ll never get me out of there.”
Once Maggie showered, dressed, and twisted her wet hair into a bun, Luke took her downstairs, showed her his little bar, and poured a couple beers. They joined the noisy crowd in the solarium. The kids ran around making noise as they waited for dinner to be served. Pablo and Sam sat with the three other packmates who had come with Maggie while Simone and Delilah sat nearby with a table to themselves.
“Mind if we join you?” Luke asked, standing next to the empty chairs at Delilah’s table.
“Not at all.” Delilah stood up and walked over to hug Maggie. “Glad you could join us, Maggie.”
“It’s good to see you too, Delilah.”
“Maggie, I’d like you to meet Simone. She’s been helping us out,” Delilah said, gesturing toward the Black woman standing next to her.
Simone extended her hand. Maggie took it, smiling at the young woman.
“It’s nice to meet you, Simone.” Maggie sat in the chair Luke pulled out for her.
“Maggie is on the pack council and is one of the pack’s doctors,” Delilah said.
“How are the children doing?” Maggie asked, watching as the kids ran around.
“They’re better after a couple days of food and hydration, though they get tired easily,” Delilah said.
“What’s going to happen to them all?” Maggie picked up her beer for a drink.
“If we can find any family members,” Luke said, “we’ll get them reunited. For those who don’t have anyone left, we’ll see about getting them adopted into other packs. Simone and her brother are thinking about coming to Portland. We’ve offered to sponsor them.”
Simone smiled nervously, probably feeling awkward as the center of attention at the moment. “Your pack sounds accepting and welcoming. It sounds like a good place for Idrissa to grow up. I have to get him away from this”—she gestured around—“conflict if there’s any hope for him to grow up safely. I don’t know if we’ll ever be safe in France.”
“Well, Portland is a lovely city, and our pack is a warm, friendly group of wolves. If you decide to join us, you’d be a welcome addition,” Maggie said.
“Excuse me, sir.” The caretaker tapped Luke’s shoulder to alert him to his presence. “We’re ready to bring out the food.”
“Please. Let’s get started,” Luke replied.
Émile signaled the catering crew. They’d set up chafing dishes to hold the pans, serving dinner buffet-style since there was a large crowd. When the food arrived, the kids all settled down at their tables, staring hungrily at the food.
“Why aren’t the children lining up?” Maggie asked.
“They won’t go until the adults go first,” Simone said.
Luke stood and waited for Maggie to join. “Most of them are from packs that are more…rigidly hierarchical than Portland. It’s going to take them a while to get used to not being required to be so subservient. We should get our plates so everyone else can serve themselves.”
“Is there a reason we’re going first?” Maggie asked quietly once they stepped up to the chaffing dishes.
“According to Simone, I’m in charge, which makes me the alpha of this little pack. It’s easier to just do it to make the kids comfortable for now. Simone says it’s what they’re used to.” Luke felt uncomfortable, even if he understood Simone’s logic.
“I see.” Maggie said, scooping Brussels sprouts onto her plate.
Once they’d loaded their plates, they returned to their seats. Pablo, Sam, Delilah, and Simone were currently filling their plates. Setting hers down, Maggie went over to the other three Portland wolves and filled them in on the situation so they could get their plates and allow the kids to go. She sat next to Luke and removed her silverware from the rolled napkin.
“They’ve had a tough go of it lately. Whatever sense of stability we can provide for them will have to do until we can find a more permanent option for them.” Luke cut into a piece of roast chicken.
Maggie nodded.
Once Simone and Delilah rejoined the table, the four ate, Maggie and Simone getting to know each other, Maggie often shifting into French for Simone and to practice. They were nearly finished when the caretaker waved Luke away from the table to a quiet corner.
