Way of the Wolf: Shifter Legacies 1 (60 page)

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arcadian, and this is my home.
Welcome!
” He stepped further into the room, looking around at the subtly lit display cases. “The guns you find so interesting are for show only—replicas many of them, though cunningly made and of the highest craftsmanship I assure you. Do weapons interest you?”

They certainly did right now, so she nodded.

“I do not favour guns myself. I prefer blades. Come, let me show you.” He held out a hand to her.

Marie swallowed and went to join him. His friends stepped out of the way, and he escorted her into another room. He allowed her to precede him and she stopped a few paces later in amazement. The room was an armoury complete with elven armour as well as the human variety once favoured in Europe. Her host beamed. He was inordinately pleased with her shock.

“Wonderful, is it not?”

She nodded wordlessly, though wonderful wasn’t the first word she would associate with all this. Priceless, surprising, stolen? She doubted the elves knew that some of their magical artifacts had fallen into this maniac’s hands. Elven weapons and armour were highly prized by everyone. They did not sell such things, ever. These could only be prizes taken in battle centuries ago, and that meant they were heirlooms of elves probably—almost certainly—still alive today. To the elves, these things would be personal mementos belonging to their families and clans. How would they feel looking upon all this, perhaps still mourning their dead even centuries later? It would enrage them to learn all this had fallen into the clutches of evil. All undead were considered evil by them, even Stephen would be, despite his honourable reputation.

The elves didn’t tolerate much beyond their own people and customs. They were akin to AML, if opposite in view. Anything non-elven was considered lesser at best, and totally anathema at worst. Invariably beautiful they might be, but they were cold hearted and prejudiced bastards. Still, in this case she wouldn’t mind if they found out about this place and wiped out AML and its allies to take back their property.

“Everything you see here is original. There are no replicas allowed to contaminate this collection. Can you guess the era? No? It all dates back to the War of Races. Verified I might add, by experts in the field.”

Wow! That was even worse. At the end of the war, prisoners, weapons, and armour—everything was repatriated to the original owners as part of the treaty. She couldn’t imagine how nine complete sets of armour could have fallen into Arcadian’s hands. The swords could be thousands of years old, yet they gleamed as if new. The magic within them kept them sharp and unsullied.

“Do you like them?” Arcadian said, surveying his treasures with pride.

“Very much, but how did you acquire them?”

“They were in a private collection in Chicago belonging to an acquaintance of mine. He no longer has need of them.”

One of Arcadian’s clique laughed, and the others smiled briefly.

Marie’s eyes flicked from face to face, pausing upon the two women in the group. One was an exceedingly beautiful vampire; the other a young human who Marie thought looked puzzled and unsure. Terry seemed baffled by all the fuss. To him the entire collection was nothing but worthless scraps of metal. Cretin. The artifacts filling the room were historical treasures beyond price. Many would kill to own them, as Arcadian had no doubt done. She took his hint to mean that at least.

Goddess, she wanted out of this madhouse. She eyed the tall patio doors that led outside to the gardens. It was dark out there now, but she didn’t care. She would be safer out there in the dark with whatever was hiding in the shadows than in here. Whether he noticed her evaluating an escape route or not she wasn’t sure, but suddenly Arcadian was all business.

He took her elbow gently and began to guide her back the way they’d come. “Let us find somewhere more comfortable to talk.”

“You came to LA from Chicago?”

“I lived there most recently, yes.”

“Why am I here, Mister Arcadian? My father...” she swallowed what felt like a boulder of grief. “He died because of you.”

Arcadian glared at Terry. “I’m sorry for that. It was not my intention to harm either of you.”

“No? What
was
your aim then?”

They entered a room and took seats. Marie assumed that Arcadian used it as his office. There was an impressive antique desk and a bar to one side. Electronic gadgets festooned one wall opposite the desk, all of them inactive, and other quality furnishings. She began to worry that her idea of buying herself free might be in jeopardy because it was obvious Arcadian didn’t lack funds. He might reject any offer she made. Her thoughts raced. What could she offer if not money? Her shares? Still money, but better than cash. Techtron was a huge corporation and very profitable for shareholders.

“Does it matter now?”

“I would like to know,” she said. Stephen would definitely expect her to ask good questions. She intended to report everything she learned to him. He must be awake by now. “If you wouldn’t mind?”

“Certain agreements with my allies were imperilled by your father’s investigations and his association with House Edmonton.”

“But there is no association.”

“Come now. Your father was meeting with Stephen to discuss it.”

“How do you know that?”

Terry grinned.

Marie scowled. “The traitor told you,” she said and Arcadian nodded. Terry’s smile fled. “So you killed my father, abducted me and my friends, all for Wilson?”

“Wilson and AML are important allies of mine and will be for some little time yet.”

“Not forever?”

“Not if certain things go as planned, no, but we digress. I had planned to discuss this with your father. I have no doubt we could have come to an agreement.”

“By threatening harm to me you mean?”

“Exactly.”

She swallowed, seeing the sudden gleam in his eyes. “And now?”

“That depends upon you. Will you drop the investigation?”

“I’m not on the board. I don’t have a voice in the decision.”

“Come now, you know that isn’t true. You will inherit your father’s shares and properties.”

“But not his position on the board,” she insisted.

It was true too. An interim chairman would be selected, and later a vote would be held. She would have influence as majority shareholder, but no one with sense would allow a twenty-three year old woman with no experience in the business to take the chair. The closest she had ever come to running a business was selling cookies at summer solstice!

She shifted under the intensity of his stare, careful not to catch his eyes with hers. “I could pay you to let us go.”

His glare intensified. “Do I look like a merchant to you?”

He looked like a goddess cursed fiend to her! A damned psycho with a god complex! “No but—”

“Then do not attempt to bargain with me. You will stop this investigation. Say it.”

“But I can’t!”

“
Say it!
”

She swallowed. “I’ll stop the investigation,” she whispered.

He beamed. “There, I knew you could do it.”

But... he was a maniac. He really was mad! She couldn’t do what he wanted, not because she didn’t want to—she
didn’t
want to because Wilson was a snake—but because she literally couldn’t prevent an internal investigation that her father had already initiated! There were people already working on it. Wilson was already finished, though he didn’t know it yet. The story would break very soon. Her father had only been holding back long enough to discover how the transfer of funds had been accomplished. He’d wanted Stephen’s agreement to let him investigate that aspect, but he hadn’t counted upon it. His investigators were digging like mad already. Within days, a report would land on each director’s desk.

“You’re letting us go then?”

“You can’t!” Terry said. “You promised that I could have her. You promised—
gah!
” Arcadian’s hand was around Terry’s throat before Marie knew he had moved.

“Do not tell me what I cannot do, Terry Sayles,” Arcadian hissed. “It’s your fault and failure that forced me to this measure. You were ordered to bring her father to me, not kill him! This girl was to be your reward for that task.
A task you failed to complete!
” he roared, shaking Terry like a rat in a cat’s jaws. “You failed me; you’re lucky I do not kill you for it. Take my forbearance as your reward.”

The door opened and a man entered. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

“What is it?” Arcadian said, still glaring and throttling the life out of Terry.

Marie willed him on.

“You asked to be informed of any AML developments.”

Arcadian turned to face the newcomer, still holding Terry off the floor by his neck as if he’d forgotten about him. Marie shivered at this evidence of his strength and mental state.

“What news, Cadmon?”

“Newman came himself this time, sir.”

“He’s here now?”

“Yes sir.”

“Did he say why?”

Cadmon hesitated, glancing at Marie. “Yes sir. He came because of her. He says...” he swallowed nervously and glanced at the others in the room. “He said because you... because
we
didn’t take care of business in a timely manner, he’s had to take matters into his own hands, and that if we can’t supply what was promised he’ll find another supplier.”

Arcadian hissed, his fangs descending and his eyes burning red suddenly. “He dares? He dares come here, into my House to say that to me? Is the man a fool?”

“I would venture not, sir. I think he might be shrewd enough to have taken precautions.”

“Hmmm, probably so. I always liked that about him. Very little else to like, eh?” Arcadian laughed, and everyone mimicked him. The sound cut off as if with a knife, and everyone instantly fell silent again.

Marie stared. They were all frightened of him, she realised. They worked for him, yet they were scared spitless to cross him or even speak up. What kind of man engendered that in his own friends?

Arcadian frowned when he noticed Terry and gently lowered him to the floor. “Terry my dear fellow, I was just thinking about you, and here you are! Take Miss Stirling back to her cage will you?”

Terry swallowed nervously, his eyes huge. “Yes sir, at once sir!”

“Good man. I need to speak with Newman and calm him down.” Arcadian turned to Marie and gave her a polite but tiny bow of the head. “I’ll come down later to finish our chat. I won’t be long.” He strode out, and his entourage hurried to follow.

Before Marie could react, Terry was on her, pinning her in place on the couch. “Get off me! He’ll kill you for this!”

“Only if someone tells him. He gave you to me, and I’m taking what’s mine before he changes his mind.”

“He already did. He’s letting us
go!
” She shoved at him, but he was stronger than he looked now.

“Then there’s no time to lose, is there?”

She gasped as his fangs punctured her throat. She tried to fight, but a warm lethargy stole her will and she was suddenly floating. It felt wonderful, and when he began fumbling at her clothes and groping sensitive flesh, she didn’t care. She moaned and arched against his hand cupping her sex, and thrust against the heel of his hand. Fingers slipped inside her and her climax was immediate. She screamed her pleasure, or tried to, but a hand clamped over her mouth stifling her ecstatic cries. All chance of rational thought or protest shattered in a mind-blowing wave of pleasure that engulfed her entire body. Terry’s mouth on her neck, sucking and swallowing her life became her world. Her blood flooding into his greedy mouth was all that mattered. She didn’t care about anything other than what her body was feeling. Another orgasm shook her, and then another, and another, each one ripping through her in an unending stream of poor bliss. They blended together and they went on, and on, and on...

* * *

35 ~ Revelations

Stephen awoke and sprang to his feet snarling in fury the instant the sun’s tyranny and power over the day released him. He slammed into the bars of his cage before he realised they were there, and howled in pain. They were electrified. They had caged him like an animal. Where was Marie, what had they done with her? The thought of her dead or harmed almost unhinged him. His eyes blazed in fury. When he freed himself, he would slaughter every AML sympathiser in the city. He would make them beg for death before the end, and then he would drain them dry! More, he would hire Rachelle’s necromance to bring them back and hold them on the edge of death while he tortured them into gibbering
mindlessness!
There wouldn’t be a single one of them left sane before he gave them the mercy of death.

His fangs ran out of their own accord at the thought.

His eyes darted around his prison looking for escape. The bars of the cage were thick. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to overcome them. The electrification was overkill. Pain wouldn’t stop him from attacking the bars if he’d had any hope of escape that way. He didn’t. The cage had been built with his people, or maybe shifters, in mind. AML were psychopathic fundamentalists, but they knew their business. They weren’t in the habit of underestimating the monsters they hunted, and the strength of the bars proved they hadn’t here.