From the Shadows (A Shadow Chronicles Novel) (40 page)

“Wait, so you’re saying that now Race is their leader?”

I nodded. “Essentially, yes. Yesterday it appeared that some of them had already accepted him, because they knew that Kevin was wrong.”

“Well if this man was already such a bad leader, why did they stay in the pack?” Caroline asked.

I was suddenly reminded of Lochlan’s words about loyalty between vampires and their offspring, how it wasn’t so easy for a vampire to deny his or her sire. The same was true of members of a pack, pride, or flock—once you’d pledged your loyalty you couldn’t just up and walk away because you didn’t agree with something someone in the pack did. The magic was too binding for human fallacy to break the group apart so easily.

I tried to explain that to Caroline, who seemed to understand, though I surmised she’d have more questions later. “Right now,” I went on, “Race is meeting with the rest of the pack to let them know that while he might not have wanted to be their leader, now that he is, he’s going to do his best to be a better leader than the last one.”

I could tell from the look in her eyes that Caroline was afraid for Race, knowing that he was on his own amongst a pack of wolves. But then she drew a deep breath and squared her shoulders, reaching for her seatbelt and buckling it as she said, “My son is a good man. He thinks I don’t know that he’s done some questionable things with his life and I continue to let him think I’m still in the dark because it makes him happy to believe I’m ignorant of it. I might not have known about vampires all this time, but… I know my son.”

She turned to me then. “I know he’s done bad things, Juliette,” she said again. “I hate that he felt he could do no better. That he didn’t make better choices. But I also know that deep down he’s a good man. And even not having seen him, I already know that being with you is making him an even better man. I think he’s going to do right by those wolves because deep down, he knows it’s the right thing to do. Being responsible for all those other people will finally teach him to be responsible for himself.”

I smiled hugely. Caroline might still be coming to grips with the truth of everything, but she was one tough cookie. She was accepting what I’d told her virtually without question, and she was putting so much faith in her son that I knew if he were hearing it himself, he’d be floored. And in that moment I had something of an epiphany—I wanted someday to love that fiercely, because there was no love on this planet that compared to that of a mother for her child.

Taking my own deep breath, I reached for my own seatbelt, pausing when my phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that it was Race, and immediately put the phone to my ear as I answered.

“Hey, your ears must’ve been burning. We were just talking about you,” I said.

Race chuckled softly. “I take it Mom’s plane arrived without incident?”

“Yeah. I’ve, uh, been trying to explain what your meeting is about,” I said. “We’re in my car in the parking garage and will be leaving in a moment.”

“How’s she taking it?”

I glanced sidelong at Caroline to find her watching me with a smile. “About as well as can be expected. I had to explain imprinting as well, so that she’d understand why you felt compelled to defend me. Not that either of us would expect you to allow someone to besmirch my honor.”

“Damn right,” he agreed. “So she’s holding up alright? I know that it’s going to be a lot for her to take in.”

“Race, believe me, your mother is doing fine. She’s more worried about you at the moment, but agrees with me a hundred and ten percent that
you
are going to do great,” I said, my words earning a nod from the woman seated next to me.

“Son, don’t worry about me,” Caroline said, loud enough that the phone would pick it up.

Race chuckled on the other end of the line. “Speaking of me… This is going about as well as I expected. I made it clear to everyone that the choice to follow me or stay with Kevin was theirs, that in spite of the magic, I didn’t want them following me blindly. All the witnesses from the challenge yesterday, and Alex, they’re all still on my side. Kinda feels weird to say that, but they’ve already declared they are pledging themselves to me. I think a few of the others who’ve pledged are doing it because they’re following the others—like Tyler said last night, they’re mostly the young ones—teenagers and young adults. It’s the older adults, the ones who’ve been around a long time, who are unsure. I think some of them are leaning toward sticking with Kevin, but… It’s their choice, if he even allows them to stay.”

“Good point. He may decide to cast everyone off, but then again I don’t think so. I mean, what would be the point of filing the protest if he intended to cut ties with everyone?” I wondered.

“I mentioned the protest as well, which led some to questioning the challenge, but Tyler reminded them that the moment I defeated Kevin they all felt the magic shift. He reminded them that my being the Beast Master aside, they can feel that I am their Packmaster. And I know they feel it—hell, I feel it.”

I knew what he meant. My mother had explained to me during my early education in this new life that an Alpha could feel the power he or she held as the leader of a pack, that it was like a buzzing of extra energy dancing along their limbs.

“Well, this respite of yours isn’t likely to last long,” I said then. “I’d better let you get back to them.”

“You’re right, the natives are getting restless. But I had to call you to check in on Mom and let you know what’s going on,” Race replied.

“I’ll see you back at the farm, okay?” I said.

“Definitely.
I love you, Jules.”

I felt a goofy grin spread across my face and warmth stealing its way into my heart
when I heard those words. “I love you, too. Bye.”

As I was slipping my phone back in my pocket, I happened to glance to the side to find Caroline smiling at me with wonder. Heat of a different kind flashed up my neck, no doubt reddening my cheeks to the color of roses.

“It is simply amazing,” she said, “to see this. The two of you are in love already—at least, I can clearly see that you’re in love with him.”

“Ms. Covington, I’ve probably been in love with Race since I was nine,” I returned.

She chuckled as I finally fastened my seatbelt. “I suppose anything is possible, my dear. And given that we’re both adults now, I think it would be all right if you called me Caroline.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said with a laugh as I put my key into the ignition. “I’m sure you remem
ber my parents raised Mark and me to be respectful of our elders. I may well be an adult now, but I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with simply shucking the feeling of having to show you proper respect. ‘Miss Caroline’ might be as close as I can come to it.”

“Close enough
,” she said as I backed us out of the parking space.

As I reached for the gearshift to put the car into Drive, I happened to glance up at
the rearview mirror one more time. I felt myself frown at the sight of a man just standing in the middle of the aisle, arms crossed over his chest, staring at us from about fifteen or twenty feet away. Shaking my head to dispel my suddenly unsettled nerves, put the Liberty into gear and started forward.

“Juliette, look out!” Caroline cried out.

I moved my foot to the brake and brought us to a jolting halt—the man was now standing in front of us.

“What the fuck?” I muttered, and then it hit me: he was obviously not normal. Only a vampire or a
shapeshifter could move that fast.

My entire body went on alert. Who was this mysterious stranger and what did he want? Why didn’t he want us to leave?

I briefly contemplated the idea of flooring the accelerator and running the man over, but just as quickly dismissed the idea. I could not put Caroline in that kind of danger.

Though only a second or two passed as I considered that option, I became aware that a second man had taken the place of the first behind us. If I backed up or moved forward, I was going to hit someone.

“Juliette, what is going on?” Caroline asked, and I could hear her nervousness in her voice. It was then that I also became aware by the scent of her hormones that she was slowly becoming frightened. Casually I pressed the automatic window control on my door panel, lowering my window just enough to get a good, strong whiff of the air outside our vehicle.

I growled as the truth assailed my nostrils: vampires. Both men were bloodsuckers, but there was a third scent being carried through to me now, one that sent chills down my spine even as the owner of that particular odor stepped out from the shadows and made himself known.

“Look, mutt,” Merrick drawled as he stepped into view to my right. “
Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. Why don’t you get back into that space and come with us now, nice and quiet.”

For a moment I could not speak, and barely registered Caroline’s squeak of fear. All I could think about was what fools we had been. Race and I had been so wrapped up in Kevin Tracey’s attempts to thwart our bond that we’d completely ignored a very real threat to our lives. Both Saphrona and her father had warned us that Vienna Silk was playing games.

And it looked like she’d decided to show her hand.

Merrick must have taken my silence for surprise. “Yeah, I know what you are. I could smell your stink as soon as you walked off the elevator. Do yourself and the human a favor and get back into your space.”

“J-Juliette? Who—what—are they?” my passenger asked.

Growling softly, I reluctantly put the Jeep in reverse and backed up so that I could pull into the space we’d just left.

“They’re vampires,” I answered, wondering where in the hell all the damn costumed curios had gone all of a sudden. What I wouldn’t have given for a couple of green-painted nerds with bright orange wigs to walk by at that moment.

“Do you know these people?”

I shook my head. “Only one of them, though not personally. I only know that Race used to work with him.”

With one hand I maneuvered the Liberty back into the parking space; with the other I reached into my pocket and gripped my cell phone. Feeling for the number two key, I pressed it down and held it long enough that I knew it would send out a signal, and I prayed that Race wasn’t too busy to pick up.

“Hands where I can see them—now!” Merrick yelled.

“Just do as he says,” I prodded Caroline as I shut off the car
, undid my seatbelt, and raised my hands. She did the same and the two nameless vamps approached us on either side of the car. They opened the doors and reached in, grabbing us by the arms and none too gently hauling us out onto the pavement.

When Caroline cried out in pain, my head whipped sharply in her direction. “Take it easy, leech!” I snapped at her captor. “She’s human, and a lot more fragile than I am.”

He grinned lasciviously, and drew another squeal from Caroline as he stuck his tongue out and drew it up the left side of her face. “Just the way I like ‘em,” he said. “Breakable and tasting of fear.”

I growled again, louder this time. “You leave her alone!”

In the next instant Merrick was next to me, his hand around my throat. He leaned close and took a long draw of air, then looked into my eyes, saying, “I thought I knew that putrid stench. You’re that fucking mutt what interrupted me and the freak in that alley.”

He shook me, laughing as he squeezed my windpipe tighter. His friends laughed
with him, enjoying what they were seeing.

“So, little mutt,” Merrick said. “Just how do you know our little freak? He
puttin’ the stick to you, is that it? Tell me, do you fuck like this or do you fuck like the worthless animals you become?”

“Stop it, just stop it!” Caroline cried out. “You leave her alone! And stop calling my son a freak!”

Merrick’s eyes widened and he turned to her. “Oh, now this is rich! Looky here, boys—we’ve got the
freak
’s piece of tail and the bitch who whelped him!”

All three of the men burst out laughing, and for a moment I wished Caroline hadn’t said anything about being Race’s mother—I’d entertained the notion that I might be able to get her out of this and convince them to take just me, but now that was never going to happen
.

I began to pray as we were roughly shepherded toward a black panel van at th
e end of the row that Merrick wouldn’t bother searching our pockets. I was certain that I’d connected with Race’s cell and that he could hear what was going on, because I was feeling too much fear for myself and Caroline to be feeling as much rage as was coursing through me right then. The only other time I’d felt an all-consuming hatred like this was right after the accident with Alex, when Race had noticed I was bleeding. I wanted the connection to last long enough for one of the vampires to let slip where they were taking us.

My hope was short-lived. As Merrick was pulling open the sliding door on the passenger side, he ordered his goons to search us. They took their time rubbing their hand
s all over us, their rough fingers lingering between our legs, on our asses, squeezing our breasts. Panic began to overwhelm me, and I fought desperately to control it. I couldn’t go through another experience like I had, not again, but I also couldn’t fall apart and give in to fear because Caroline needed me. I had to be strong, to keep a clear head for both of us, if I was going to devise a way out of this mess.