The Mountain's Shadow (21 page)

“Why didn’t he just give them to you when you met with him before?”

“He said my grandfather wanted him to wait until I had been here awhile. Guess he didn’t want to put too much on me at once.”

Ron and Leo exchanged a look.

“What did he want you to see?” asked Leo.

“I’m guessing it’s the big secret that no one is talking about. Or ever talks about willingly.”

He dropped his gaze to the butternut squash soup. “There’s really nothing to say.”

“Actually, I’m fascinated by the whole culture of it. The names, the pack, the fact that Gabriel is a virtual exile for wanting to help my grandfather, but here he is cooking and cleaning for us.” That only reminded me about what Galbraith had said. A wave of frustration exploded in my chest. So what if he tried to poison us all? At least I wouldn’t have to deal with all the damn secrets.

Lonna cleared her throat. “So Joanie found out the vector for how CLS victims are becoming infected.”

Ron’s and Leo’s spoons clattered into their bowls.

“It’s in vaccinations.”

Ron’s jaw dropped. “We had flu shots right before we got sick.”

“We think it’s in the kids’ Tdap vaccines.”

“They’re about the right age.” Leo sat back and ran his right hand through his hair. “That vulnerable age for development of CLS.”

“But was it the same batch?” asked Lonna. “They go through a lot of that stuff, just like they go through a lot of the flu vaccine, I’m sure.”

“So there’s something in the vaccines, but it’s not the only thing.”

“Do you mind if I look at those charts?” asked Lonna. “Fresh eyes might help.”

“Not a problem. I’ll bring them into the library.”
 

Gabriel cleared the soup dishes in preparation for the main course. “Just tell me which boxes you want transferred, Madam, and I’ll bring them in there while you finish dinner.”

“Thanks, Gabriel. It will be all but the box with the letters and the two really old ones.”

Leo smacked both hands on the table, and I jumped. “I’m coming with you.”

“Coming where?”

“I’m coming with you. To Little Rock. Who knows what danger may be waiting for you there?”

“Are you kidding me? I don’t need your protection.”

“Like you didn’t this afternoon?”

“That was different.”

Gabriel came in and set a grilled beef tenderloin on the table with horseradish sauce and rolls. “Who would like a slice?”

“Go ahead and start with the ends for the girls,” Leo said. “Ron and I like it nice and bloody.” He bared his teeth at me.

I couldn’t help it—I laughed, particularly when his facial expression went from ferocious to bewildered.

“I think I’d like a rare piece as well,” said Lonna.

“Yep, and I’m a medium rare girl, so sorry, Leo, try again.”

The corner of his mouth twitched as he tried not to smile. “So you’re interested in werewolf culture.”

“It seems like you have your own. You have your wolf names. I’m assuming there are territories involved, otherwise the appearance of the strange black wolf wouldn’t have made such a big stir for you.”
Never mind why it did for me.

Ron held his plate up to Gabriel for a couple of slices dripping with red juices. “A wolf’s territory is where he hunts. Where the pack hunts. And where the pack leader is.”

Leo jumped in. “That means that this land is the property of the pack. And the last time I checked, you’re not a member.”

We locked eyes, and my heart beat in my throat, but I refused to look away. A sense of strength and power overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like if the moment in the woods had taken a sexual turn.
 

“Hasn’t anyone told you never to challenge a predator?” he asked me in a low tone and brought me out of my fantasy into the present moment.

I remembered our first meeting and what he said to Galbraith about his right to the land. Instead of being frightened, I got pissed. No way was I going to back down from this infuriating but fascinating man. “It doesn’t matter about your stupid pack. I’m my grandfather’s heir. Sorry, bud, but this is civilized society.”

Lonna looked back and forth between the two of us and then put a hand on my arm. “This isn’t a productive discussion,” she said. “Of course the estate is Joanie’s, that’s what the will said.”

“We’re sorry, of course you’re right.” Ron put his hand on Leo’s arm, and I couldn’t help but notice the similarity in gestures. “Please forgive my cousin. He’s under a lot of stress right now. We really do appreciate all you’ve done for us.” I saw the knuckles of his hand turn white as he squeezed Leo’s arm. Leo’s face went pale.

“I’m sorry, Doctor Fisher. I do appreciate your hospitality.”

I sat back, shaken. That was the first glimpse I’d gotten of the animal Leo since he had hurt my wrist, and I was as troubled by my own reaction as his.
What is this? Doctor Leo and Mr. Werewolf?
It was good Ron intervened when he did, otherwise they would have been sleeping in the woods again. Even so, I wasn’t thrilled about having two resentful werewolves in the house in addition to the butler with suspicious credentials and a best friend who seemed to be developing an extra bitchy side.

After dinner, Lonna and Ron went into the den to play a board game, and I went out on the back porch with a glass of wine. Leo had disappeared before dessert, and I honestly didn’t care where he had gone. Gabriel was in the kitchen cleaning up.

I sat back on the Adirondack chair and looked across the lawn, the edges of the woods inky black outside the range of the spotlights on the house. The lights gave everything a garish glow. The thought crossed my mind that the house would be an amazing place for parties. I could picture it, twinkling lights in small potted trees around the yard, buffet tables on the patio, and a live band set up on the porch. I could see myself walking across the lawn, greeting guests, a tall, handsome man in my wake. I couldn’t see his face, for he always had his back to me as I watched the imaginary scene, but I knew he must be with me because I saw a sparkle on imaginary Joanie’s left hand. She had bigger boobs than me, too. Obviously this was a fantasy. The babble of voices dissolved again into the sounds of the evening.

The irony of the situation hit me. This place had been built for entertaining but never had seen a party like I imagined. The ballroom with its strange murals had lain under a layer of dust for months if not years, and who knew whether it was only there to cover up the lab?
Nope, no parties here. Just secrets and closet skeletons with fangs.

The hiss of a match startled me, and I noticed Leo leaning against the railing in the shadows with a cigarette in his hand. He appeared lost in his thoughts. I thought about leaving, but I decided to stay—it was my house, after all. He didn’t hunt here.

“Are you the civilized Doctor Leo or are you the boorish Werewolf Leo?”

He hunched his shoulders as though I’d thrown a rock at him. “Would you believe neither?”

“What are you, then?”

A long drag from his cigarette. “I’m not sure. I get in moods. Then I have those outbursts. It’s like the primitive part of my brain takes over.”

I tried to hold my breath against the cigarette smoke, but I coughed anyway. “It’s the impulse control part of CLS—the part that takes over the brains of its victims around the full moon and makes the kids do crazy stuff at night.” But those were kids, and this was a full-grown man of tremendous strength.

“Oh, is that all?”

I ignored the sarcasm. “And it’s not so bad for Ron?”

“He’s different. We’ve always been like night and day. I was always the one getting him into trouble. He’s more of a follower than a leader, but he’s also a survivor.”

“How so?”

“He’ll do whatever needs to be done to preserve that golden hide of his. You know, he’s the one who told me about you. That you’re the famous Joanna Fisher, CLS researcher and that I had been an idiot to confront you right after my transformation. You see, I knew you’d been watching us. I could smell you on the night air.”

“And Ron was watching you? Oh, and I
was
the famous CLS researcher.”

“He’s never far away.” He took another drag at the cigarette. He blew the smoke out slowly, and I watched as it rose and dissipated. “So you lost a lot, too.”

“I lost my career.”

“And gained a fortune and an estate. Seems like a good-enough trade.”

“For all the good it’s done me. I don’t even know exactly what happened to my grandfather. Until I find out something certain, I only feel like I’m staying here, not that it’s truly mine.”

“How well did you know your grandfather?”

“Not very. I spent summers out here after my brother died. He took care of me, we’d go for long hikes, and then he’d fix these great, fancy dinners in the old kitchen.”

Leo almost smiled. “He did love to cook. He’d feed me and Ron after a long night when we were first learning to hunt. That was before the others joined us.”

“Is that why he redid the kitchen?”

“That’s a good question. He seemed to be preparing for something those last couple of months. He said he’d need to do some field research and that the house needed to be ready if he was going to be gone for a while.”

“Ready for what, I wonder?”
 

“Who knows? He was pretty secretive.”

“And what do you know about Gabriel?”

His lips curled in a sneer. “He appeared around here about a year ago and ingratiated himself to Charles. He tried to be part of the pack, but his English sensibilities just didn’t fit in. So then he agreed to be a lab rat for whatever your granddad was working on.”

“Any idea what that was?”

“No. Just that it had something to do with CLS. Gabriel had it from childhood, you know.” He stubbed the cigarette out on the railing, and I winced for the wood.

“Yes, he told me.”
That made for an interesting new angle on the pack...and Gabriel with all his secrets.
“And I thought doctors weren’t supposed to smoke.”

“They’re not supposed to turn into werewolves, either.”

“Touché.” I realized that we had been conversing like two normal human beings. Of course, the insight then gave way to awkwardness.

“Well, I guess I’ll go on in, then,” I said. “I’ll tell Gabriel that the two of you will be staying in the same guest rooms. How did you like the ones you slept in this morning?”

“They were comfortable. It’s amazing that your grandfather built such a big house for just himself.”

I looked back over the lawn, the imaginary party imposing itself on the broad expanse. “I agree. I’m happy to be able to share it. I don’t think he would’ve minded.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”
I think.

I turned back at the door to glance out into the night and saw Leo had dropped his customary scowl for a small smile. My cheeks grew hot when I realized I had caused it. I probably wasn’t supposed to see his grin, but it helped dispel any doubts as to the wisdom of letting them stay. Now if only I could convince Gabriel of that. The butler, however, was nowhere to be found, but when I checked the upstairs bedrooms, all of them had been prepared for the night. A wave of sleepiness overcame me, and I decided to turn in.

In my dreams that night, I was back at Andrew’s funeral, and his loss was fresh in my mind and heart. He had always been by my side, my twin brother. I would say it was like having a shadow, but it was more like I was the shadow, and he was the real thing, the full person, the class clown and center of attention. I was just the shy sister—the studious, quiet one who hung in the background, more than content to let him have the spotlight. His death left a huge hole in more lives than just mine and my parents’. So many people came to his funeral, all of his friends, even ones I didn’t know he had.

In my dream, I was there, and it played out in vivid detail. I grew weary of all the condolences, all the tears, the way the people looked at me like they were just now seeing me, the shadow without a body, so I had closed my eyes, put my head on my arms on the table, and opened my ears. My mother, deep in conversation with another woman, didn’t notice, or I would have had my ears boxed for such insolent behavior.

I heard a conversation behind me. This particular little boy, a redheaded kid whose striking dark orange hair made him stand out, sat with his mother. I had noticed them earlier.

“See, Michael?” I heard the mother’s nasal voice. “This is what can happen when you go running alone in the woods at night.”

A snort. “Andrew’d had his tonsils out. That’s what killed him.”

“Even if you’ve always been ridiculously healthy, it doesn’t mean you’re invincible. You have to stop sneaking out, or the next funeral is going to be yours.”

I started awake. Those were harsh words, but the woman had been worried. I wondered what had happened to them, to the little boy. I searched my memory for the last name but came up blank. I wondered if he was still alive and if I could talk to him. He would be my age, maybe a little older.