White Knight (5 page)

Impossible.

“You startled us back in Stonehill,” Desiree said. “We didn’t expect you to smell like us. Like Mother. Fiona regretted not taking you with us that day, but we have you now. You’re with your family.”

Cornerstone is my family. Knight is my family.

Leopold was her family, too. She had to get him away from the hybrids.

The baby. Oh God, the baby.

Her mind circled in that horrifying direction. “Leopold,” Shay said. “His wolf?”

“What about it?”

“Color?”

“Gray, why?” Desiree’s frown turned into disgust. “Oh gross. You may not approve of what we’re doing, or who we are, but our own brother? The baby isn’t Leopold’s. Ugh.”

Relief made Shay’s vision swim. Knight had never said the words to her—she wasn’t certain if he’d said them to anyone—but Shay had guessed through actions and conversations and the things he didn’t say, that at least one of the hybrid sisters had raped him. They weren’t above force or coercion, and hearing the blatant disgust in Desiree’s voice settled some of her fear over Leopold’s treatment.

It still didn’t explain whose baby that was.

She sniffed, trying to scent the child over the bleach odor. Nothing. Only Desiree’s strange mix of grass and rot, as well as something new. Faint. Like sage, or something similar.

“You really hate us, don’t you?” Desiree asked. “To think such a thing.” She actually sounded hurt by the idea.

Hate wasn’t a big enough word for the way Shay felt about the girl next to her. Desiree had taken part in the slaughter of hundreds of loup garou. She’d murdered children. She’d participated in the kidnapping, torture, and assault of Rook and Knight McQueen. She’d helped kidnap Shay. She’d threatened Brynn. No, hate wasn’t nearly enough.

“The Magi wanted to kill Leopold when he was born, because he was so small and weak.” Desiree spoke with a fierceness that surprised Shay. “Mother saved him. She kept him safe, and then when she was gone, my sisters and I kept him safe. We’ve protected him his entire life because he can’t protect himself.”

Desiree’s dedication to her half-brother did nothing to settle Shay’s animosity toward the hybrids. But a tiny part of her couldn’t help but be grateful to them. They’d saved her little brother—a brother she might have never known existed if they hadn’t brought her here. She didn’t want to be grateful to them, but playing nice might work in her favor.

“Thank you,” Shay said. “For protecting him.”

“That’s what family does.” As twisted logic went, Desiree’s was sound. She and Allison truly believed they were doing the right thing for themselves and their family. Fighting tooth and nail to save loved ones was a trait born in all loup garou. Their vampire blood hadn’t diminished that particular instinct.

“Then protect me.” Shay tried to reach out, but her bandaged hands were stiff, heavy. “Please. Let me shift.”

Desiree was silent for a while, her black eyes fixed on the floor. “I’ll ask Allison. We have a place that Leopold uses when he can’t hold back.”

“Thank you.” The shift would give her much-needed strength. Her hands would heal.

“Asking isn’t getting.”

It was a start. Shay allowed a bit of hope to return and she clung tightly to it as Desiree left. As ready as Shay had been to give up when her escape plan was thwarted, she had something new to live for. She had a brother, and she’d use her very last breath to see both of them get out of this prison alive.

Thirty-one days.

The number rang in Knight’s head all morning as he did his usual rounds about town, checking in with folks and being visible to them. Playing his part, showing the town that the news of the latest attack wasn’t going to weigh him down. That he was their White Wolf and he would be there for their emotional needs. That thirty-one days of Shay being missing wasn’t fracturing his heart a little at a time.

Small fractures that were being filled by the darkness he both feared and embraced.

He spent the longest time with Michelle Barnes, who was days away from giving birth. She’d been on bed rest the entire month, by Dr. Mike’s orders. Complicated pregnancies among the loup were rare, so they were taken quite seriously. Every life was precious, every child born a miracle. Children were the lifeblood of any run.

Too many lives had been lost these last few months.

Around ten-thirty, Bishop summoned him to his office via text. Knight made his excuses to Michelle, promising to stop by again in the evening.

He couldn’t find any emotional response of his own to the summons. He’d overspent his fear and anxiety on Shay, wondering if she was alive and safe. He had none left for himself, or for whatever news Bishop had waiting for him.

His path crossed with Rook near Smythe’s Restaurant, and he didn’t have to ask to know he’d been called to this meeting, too. No one else came out of the woodwork to join them, and Knight didn’t bother knocking on the trailer door.

The interior of Bishop’s temporary office was stark and boring compared with their father’s old office in the auction house. It had plain white walls, a rented metal desk, and a phone. Some paperwork, a few framed photos, and a lamp were the only personal things of Bishop’s. Bishop sat behind his desk, elbows resting on its surface, hands pressed together palm to palm like he was praying. Jillian sat in a nearby plastic chair, her expression neutral enough to stir Knight’s sense of impending bad news.

Knight didn’t sit. He stood to the side, hands in his pockets, and waited.

“Carl Weatherly called and gave me a heads-up on something,” Bishop said. The edge in his voice suggested a tight rein on his temper. Knight opened his empathy enough to verify it.

“Bad news?” Rook asked. He took a chair next to Jillian, his posture rigid.

“It’s not good news. Skydale’s White Wolf was killed during the half-breed attack, and their Alpha, Abraham Behr, is making noise with the other Alphas about our run having two Whites.”

Knight’s insides went cold.

“The other Alphas approved our uniting Springwell’s survivors with our town,” Rook said, his tone dark and fierce. He cast a protective glance Knight’s way, then refocused on Bishop. “We didn’t hide the fact that Agnes was alive.”

“Behr doesn’t want Agnes.”

“Well they can’t have Knight.”

A flash of annoyance creased Bishop’s brow. “He hasn’t officially asked for Knight yet.”

“But Alpha Weatherly thinks he will?”

“Once the hybrids are taken care of, yes, Weatherly suspects that Behr will demand one of our White Wolves be sent to Skydale, and he suspects he’ll ask for Knight.”

“Why Knight?”

“Because Agnes is much older,” Jillian said, speaking with the authority of the Alpha female. “She’s nearly sixty-five. Someone Knight’s age is theoretically better able to readjust to a new run and to acclimate to their emotions.”

“And Skydale doesn’t have any other Whites? Even children?” Rook asked.

“None that they know of,” Bishop replied. “A few infants of unknown color, but that doesn’t help them in the present, and none of them carry the mark of the White. Behr will play up the anxiety and trauma of the attacks as a way to sway supporters.”

“What about the anxiety and trauma to Cornerstone? We’re the goddamn epicenter of all of this.” Rook glanced at Jillian. “Sorry.”

Jillian smiled, unbothered by the swearing. Thomas McQueen had taught his sons not to swear in front of women—a quirky and old-fashioned thing—but most of the women Knight knew swore right back.

Bishop pinned Knight with an intense stare. “You haven’t said anything yet.”

Knight held his Alpha’s eyes. “I’m not going.”

“You haven’t actually been requested—”

“I’m not going.” Knight burned with resentment over his White Wolf, which had always been more of a burden than a joy. The status had always controlled his life. It had led the hybrids to his family, and it had nearly destroyed him. He was done being a thing, an object to be stolen, won, or traded. “Alpha Behr can request whatever the hell he wants, but I’m not going to Skydale, or to any other run.”

“Knight, run laws—”

“Fuck run laws, Bishop. The laws can be changed. We proved that when we allowed the half-breeds to stay here in Cornerstone. Hell, Colin Corman was sent here to kill you because our mother was traded from one run to another without any say in her own future.”

Bishop’s temper flared in his eyes and the way his jaw ticked. “I know that, and you know I don’t want you anywhere except here, but sometimes things are outside of our control.”

“Only if we let them be. Only if we give up control.”

Knight looked at Rook, remembering in vivid detail the night he’d walked into that awful trailer and seen Rook wounded and in pain. Ravaged by silver poisoning. Knight had given up control to the hybrids in exchange for Rook’s life, and while he didn’t regret the choice he’d made, he hated that he’d been forced to make it at all. He was done allowing others to control his life. It had only ever brought him pain.

“I’m not leaving Cornerstone,” Knight said, as much to Rook as to the Alpha couple. “Especially not for an Alpha too chickenshit to ask now and get his hands dirty with the hybrids.”

“Respect, Knight,” Bishop snapped.

Knight couldn’t drum up any respect for Alpha Behr waiting until the hybrids were dealt with before making his request. Behr would allow Bishop to suffer the burden of frontline warfare, while he stayed out of it. No.

I could never look that man in the eye and respect him. Never.

A loup who didn’t respect his Alpha was a liability. A White Wolf who didn’t respect his Alpha was dangerous, because Knight’s emotions could backwash out to the community at large and cause widespread resentment. Behr was a fool.

“I respect the position of Alpha,” Knight said. “I don’t respect a man who will allow others to fight a battle, only to wait on the sidelines for a reward.”

“He’s not wrong, Bishop,” Rook said.

“Even if I did agree with you, as your Alpha I couldn’t say that.” Bishop arched an eyebrow, sealing his silent agreement. “And nothing is certain yet.”

“No, one thing is certain,” Knight said, the darkness creeping up, fueling his anger. “I’m staying here. My home is here. My family is here. I’m going to be an uncle, damn it.”

“As I said, nothing is certain about Behr. Weatherly gave me a heads-up, so I’m passing it along. And it stays in this room, understood?”

“Right.”

“Understood,” Rook said.

Bishop’s cell buzzed. He checked the text. “Why don’t you two hang out for a while longer. A.J.’s team is back, and he’s on his way over to give me a report.”

Knight settled with his back against the wall, near one of the trailer’s windows, in no mood to sit and relax. He was proud of himself for not pacing.

A.J. Fowler had been out of town for the last five days, along with two other enforcers, chasing up potential leads on the whereabouts of Shay and the hybrids. He was a sharp tracker with a good nose, and his phone reports hadn’t mentioned any significant finds. Bishop hadn’t wanted them out in the field for too long, just in case the hybrids got wind and started hunting in return.

A new team, this one led by Mason Anderson, was scheduled to go out tomorrow.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed before heavy footsteps on the trailer’s metal stairs preceded a sharp knock.

“Enter,” Bishop said.

A.J. walked in, taking a moment to acknowledge everyone in the room before presenting himself fully to Bishop. The two men were close in age and size, but even sitting down, Bishop’s position as Alpha made him the bigger and older of the two. Knight couldn’t put his finger on exactly what about Bishop had changed since becoming Alpha, only that he had.

“We didn’t have any luck finding the hybrids or any new leads,” A.J. said. They’d been searching in Maryland, since that was the hybrids’ last hideout. Despite being a relatively small state, it was still a lot for three loup to cover. “However, we did make contact with a small vampire clan in rural Maryland, about thirty miles west of Baltimore.”

Bishop’s eyebrows jumped. “Vampires.”

“Yes, sir. One had actually been tailing us for a few hours before we noticed, curious why a trio of loup were snooping around when none lived nearby.”

“The vampire didn’t attack?”

“No. I’d never actually seen one in person before, so it was an interesting experience.”

Knight had never seen one before, or even a picture of one. The vampires were nearly extinct after a bloody war with the loup two generations ago. It was rumored that only a few hundred still survived, keeping to themselves in small nests.

Even Bishop seemed interested in the meeting. “What did they look like?” he asked.

“Almost human, actually,” A.J. said. “Thin, almost emaciated, very pale. It was a male, hair all shades of brown at once. He moved incredibly fast, which fits what we’ve heard about them. Black eyes.”

“And his fangs?”

“He flashed them a few times, but I didn’t see them all the time.”

“Fascinating.” Bishop shook himself, getting back on track. “Was this contact useful to us?”

A.J. nodded. “I believe so. I told him our reasons for searching. He was extremely disgusted by the idea of loup-vampire hybrids. It seems the vampires are as against interbreeding as we are. He volunteered his clan’s services in searching for them, and he said he would spread the word to neighboring clans.”

“Did he happen to mention how many vampires are in his clan?”

“No, but I got the impression the number was somewhat low. Maybe less than a dozen. They can only search at night, but it’s more eyes out there moving faster than we can. And their sense of smell is superior to ours.”

Even Knight startled at that announcement.

“It is?” Rook asked.

“The vampire followed us from a distance of a quarter mile for nearly three hours,” A.J. said. “No loup could do that. Not from so far away.”

“Impressive,” Bishop said. “I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve heard of vampires teaming up with loup to do anything.”

“We have a common goal,” Knight said. “And a common enemy.”

Bishop held his gaze a moment, then nodded. “That we do. We’ve had two generations of bad blood between our kind and the vampires. Trusting them to keep their word is a big ask.”

“With respect, Alpha,” A.J. said, “we’ve lost nothing by accepting their help. And we stand to gain a great deal if they come through with a location.”

Shay. Finding her was worth any risk.

Bishop considered A.J.’s words. “You’re right. We need all of the allies we can get. Now that we have eyes and noses working in Maryland, I’ll alter Mason’s search area. Shift them farther west. Thanks, A.J.”

“Of course.”

Knight’s phone rang in time with A.J.’s departure from the office. He glanced at the screen.
F. BARNES
. Without excusing himself from the conversation, Knight took the call. “Francis?”

“Michelle’s in labor.” The panic in Francis Barnes’s voice couldn’t be dealt with over the phone.

Knight was already on his feet, heading for the door. “Is she at Dr. Mike’s yet?”

“He’s coming here. Michelle’s asking for you.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

He didn’t explain as he ran past A.J., toward the Barnes home on the far side of town. Folks were used to seeing him running one place or another as the needs of the residents changed. Births were emotional and difficult processes for loup, and Michelle was high risk already. She needed him there, and he’d do his best to get her through it.

His destination was a quarter mile north of the park, a small home with a front yard full of rose bushes and wisteria vines that gave it a fairy-tale vibe. The front door was ajar, and he followed a keening sound through a living room dotted with a small child’s toys, down a short hallway.

Dr. Mike had beaten him there. Michelle was in bed draped in a sheet, her skin flushed and sweaty, hands clutching her round belly. Francis sat behind her like a man-shaped pillow, cradling her with his body. A shot of pure jealousy scorched Knight’s heart.

Shay.

He missed her more than he thought possible.

Concentrate, idiot.

Knight pushed aside his own emotions and focused on the anxious couple in front of him. Their fear was easy enough to sense. He stood next to the bed, out of Dr. Mike’s way so he could manage the birth. Knight had witnessed dozens of loup being born over the years, but today was more personal. The first birth in Cornerstone since the hybrids began their siege. The first new life amid so much death.

Grief threatened to strangle him, and Knight tamped it down. He shoved it far below the darkest of his own emotions, unable to entertain it now.

“Please,” Michelle gasped. “Didn’t feel like this with Jimmy.”

“I know, dear,” Dr. Mike said. “Concentrate on breathing and on your husband. Work through the pain. It’ll be soon, I promise.”

He crouched on the bed and rolled the sheet back, baring Michelle’s legs. Knight watched Michelle’s face, alert for any signs of her beast taking over. Loup births were fast and painful, the female dilating quickly, the child coming in mere hours. The speed meant extreme amounts of pain for the mother, and severe pain was a trigger for a loup’s beast. Coupled with anxiety and the stress of a difficult pregnancy, it was a recipe for a forced shift. And a forced shift in the middle of birth could kill both mother and child.

Knight’s job was to keep that from happening.

“Can you feel Francis’s heartbeat, Michelle?” Knight asked. “He’s right behind you.”