Wolves in the Shadows (The Wolf Clan Chronicles) (16 page)

“What’ll happen to her now?” 

“It depends,” Chase said coldly.  “I don’t know how long she’s been under Demetrius’ influence.  It could be she’ll be able to go to whatever her life was before he came around, or it could be that she’ll end up going insane now that he’s dead.” 

“That’s not very helpful.” 

Chase shrugged.  “We’ll have to talk to her to find out.  I’ll bring her out here; hold onto that knife in case she tries anything.” 

Elizabeth nodded.  “And then we can go to the Wolf Clan?” 

“If all goes well, they’ll be able to come in here,” Chase said.  “They’re waiting outside right now.” 

Chapter 13

Chase emerged from the next room a moment later with a confused looking woman in a green silk robe.  She might have been fifty, but she seemed much older.  Ragged tangles of blonde hair with conspicuously dark roots fell down past her shoulders.  Her dark glassy eyes seemed way too big for her emaciated face.  She had the look of a woman who had been sick for a very long time and had lost way to much weight way to fast.  Her skin sagged limply from her protruding bones. 

“Elizabeth, this is Elaine,” Chase said as he ushered her into the room. 

“Chase, what the hell is going on?”  Her voice grated on Elizabeth’s already frayed nerves. 

Chase pointed to Demetrius’ body beside Elizabeth. 

Elaine inhaled sharply at the sight.  Her right eye twitched.  “What have you done?” 

“We killed him,” Chase said.  “He had you mesmerized and was using you as his human servant.  Do you remember anything?” 

Elaine threw back her head and laughed a velvety laugh that was disturbingly familiar.  “I remember everything, Chase.” She spat out his name.  “I remember promises being broken.  I remember long nights alone in the dark not knowing if the man I had loved was alive or dead.  I remember that bastard’s whelp growing inside me like a disease.” 

“You told him that you wanted a child,” Chase said bitterly. 

“It should have been HIS child,” Eliane screeched; her eyes burned with fury.  Elizabeth unconsciously tightened her grip on Demetrius’ knife.  The hatred that radiated from Elaine was so thick that it was almost visible as she continued, “If I had known what was inside me, I would have ripped it out of me myself.” 

“You should never have even thought to attempt it,” Chase said.  He seemed to be having trouble keeping his voice steady.  “Especially now.  It would have never worked.” 

“We’ll never know now will we?” Elaine replied.  Her voice was softer now but still thick with emotion.  “But she still has to die.  You know that.” 

Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat.  Her every instinct told her to get out of there, but her feet where rooted to the ground as her gaze kept darting between the two of them.  It was clear that they had known each other for a long time. 

“She won’t die as long as I’m around,” Chase said calmly, though his grim expression did not match his voice.  “I swore to her clan that I would protect her.” 

“Her clan,” Elaine sneered.  “The same clan that almost
wiped our clan off the face of the Earth.” 

“Yes,” Chase said.  “She can’t be blamed for something that happened centuries before she was born.”  He looked at Elizabeth, his face troubled.  Elizabeth could see that a small part of him agreed with Elaine. 

Elaine did not reply.  A look of something like pride flitted across her sickly features. 

Elizabeth relaxed slightly.  Surely this woman could be reasoned with somehow
.  Everything was going to be fine.  She glanced at Chase.  He was watching Elaine warily. 

“You’re a fool, Chase,” Elaine whispered.  She looked at Elizabeth.  Her lips curled back into a smile that suddenly turned into a snarl. 

Without warning, she leapt at Elizabeth with her arms outstretched. 

Elizabeth instinctively lifted her hands to defend herself. 

Elaine let out a hoarse cry and looked down at the knife protruding from her belly. 

Chase rushed forward. 

Elizabeth’s fingers slipped off of Demetrius’ knife as she backed away in horror.  She had forgotten for an instant that it had been in her hand. 

“I-I-I’m,” Elizabeth could only stutter in disbelief.  What had she done?  “E-E-Elaine?”  She shook her head and continued to back away, not knowing what to do.  She could not take her eyes off the stain that was slowly spreading across Elaine’s flimsy robe. 

The older woman dropped to her knees and wrapped a pale hand around the hilt. 

“Don’t!” Chase shouted, but it was too late. 

Elaine twisted the blade and wrenched it out of her body.  “I’ll see you in hell, bitch,” she gasped as her lifeblood gushed onto the carpet. 

The room spun around Elizabeth.  She felt like her heart would burst out of her chest.  She was hyperventilating and trying desperately to process what was happening in front of her. 

Chase was on his knees, vainly trying to staunch the bleeding, but there was not power on Earth that could have saved Elaine.  He was saying something, but Elizabeth could not hear him.  All she could hear was her own pulse pounding in her ears and the rasping breath of the dying woman. 

Chapter 14

The front door was ripped off its hinges as Lord Reginald burst into the house.  In an instant, he was beside Elizabeth. 

“It’s okay, young one,” he said.  He wrapped his arms around her protectively.  “You’re safe now.” 

She buried her head in his chest and burst into tears.  The realization of what she had just done swept over her. 

“I killed her,” she gasped between sobs.  “I didn’t mean to kill her.” 

Lord Reginald rubbed her back and whispered soft words of comfort into her ear. 

“Marcus,” he said sharply, looking up suddenly. 

Elizabeth lifted her head and turned to see Sir Marcus holding Chase in the air by his throat.  He must have come in just after his father without her even noticing. 

“I’ll kill you, hunter,” Marcus snarled at Chase. 

Chase kicked his legs and clawed at Marcus’ arm in an effort to break the vampire’s grip.  He seemed to already be too weak to reach up and unsheathe his swords as the life was slowly being choked out of him. 

“Marcus, no,” Elizabeth whimpered.  She had never seen him this angry.  The air around him shimmered with his rage. 

“Marcus,” Lord Reginald said again. 

A muscle twitched in Marcus’ cheek.  He threw Chase across the room as if he weighed nothing. 

Chase grunted as his back hit the wall and he slid to the ground. 

“Chase!” Elizabeth yelled hoarsely.  She tried to break free
from Lord Reginald, but he would not let her go. 

“It’s okay, Lizzy,” Chase said.  He was clearly in pain, but he managed to struggle back to his feet.  “I’m okay.” 

“Not for long,” Marcus growled. 

“Please don’t hurt him anymore,” Elizabeth said.  “He saved my life.” 

“That woman could have killed her,” Marcus said without taking his eyes off Chase.  He acted like he hadn’t even heard Elizabeth.  “If you weren’t under my father’s protection, I would rip out your liver and make you eat it.” 

“See, Lizzy,” Chase said with a crooked smile.  “That’s a good threat.” 

Elizabeth could only stare at him in astonishment. 

“Rest, young Elizabeth,” Lord Reginald said, ignoring the thick tension between his son and the hunter.  His power began to flow over her like a warm flood washing away her pain and fear.  Her body felt delightfully weightless.  She could feel him offering her the gift of sleep without dreams. 

“Thank you, my lord,” she whispered.  She was more than happy to accept his gift; her eyelids were already beginning to droop.  “Please don’t let them kill each other.” 

“You have my word,” Lord Reginald replied. 

Elizabeth sighed in contentment as she drifted away of a calm sea. 

Chapter 15

“Thank you for your assistance, Slayer Chase,” Lord Reginald said as he lay Elizabeth’s sleeping body on the hotel room bed and tucked her in gently.  Romulus hopped onto the bed and curled up at her side. 

Chase nodded, his jaw clenched. 

“I still say that this is a foolish thing to do,” Marcus said.  If looks could kill, Chase would have been diced into tiny bits on the floor.  “How can we possibly continue to trust him?  We are putting Elizabeth’s life in his hands yet again?” 

“And where else would you take her to keep her safe?” Chase asked.  He was a good six inches shorter than Marcus, but still he stood toe to toe with the tall vampire without batting an eye.  “Into your coffin while you sleep?  You know that she can’t go back to her dorm, and you can’t leave her with only a wolf to protect her.  He may be powerful, but he’s not more powerful than the Council.  They would be able to track her down within a day, and you know that they’d kill her long before you could reach her.  And then what would you do?  Have another little massacre of hunters and their families?  You would start another war.” 

“The Council would not have even been an issue if had simply let us deal with that woman,” Marcus growled. 

“You?” Chase said with a snort.  “She’d still be dead then wouldn’t she?” 

“At least Elizabeth wouldn’t have been involved?” 

“How could she not have been involved?”  Chase’s voice rose angrily.  “Do you really thi
nk that the Council would care about who actually killed her?  The mere fact that she was there, hell the mere fact that she is what she is-” 

“She is not-” Marcus started to speak over him. 

“That’s enough,” Lord Reginald said, silencing them both with a wave of his hand.  “I would have left them both alive if they had released Elizabeth.  That was what we discussed, and the word of a Wolf is binding.  Marcus you know that.  And Chase, you should not have baited Demetrius into attacking.  You knew that you would have been justified to your Council, but they are not here.  You went in there under my protection, and now, one of my oldest friends is dead.” 

“I told you-” Marcus started to say but stopped at the look on his father’s face. 

“Furthermore,” Lord Reginald continued.  “You knew that woman was once a part of the Council.  You had no right to put Elizabeth in that kind of danger.” 

“I know,” Chase said.  He looked at the ground, unable to meet the ancient vampire’s eyes.  “I just didn’t think she would have been that far gone.  I thought I could help her.  She was my mother.” 

Marcus’ jaw tightened.  His eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke.  “If you wish to avenge her, I alone will claim the responsibility for her death.  You may challenge me if you wish.” 

Chase let out a chuckle in spite of himself.  He looked at Marcus with a look of mingled respect and disgust.  “She might have been my blood, but she was never my family.  I would have killed her myself after she attacked Elizabeth.” 

“I just figured I’d give you the option,” Marcus said with a careless shrug.  “It’s a matter of honor.” 

Chase cocked his head to the side and smiled sardonically.  “Vampires with honor?  I’ll never get used to the idea.  Makes me feel like I’m the abomination.” 

Lord Reginald was between them in a flash. 

“I should kill you for that,” Marcus snarled. 

Chase had no doubts that he would have if Lord Reginald had not been there. 

“It is not wise to mock the honor of a Wolf,” Lord Reginald said.  Beneath the calm in his voice, Chase could sense a deadly undercurrent.  “Marcus, do not rise to this foolish boy’s taunts.  He is not thinking clearly, but he is still under my protection.” 

Chase gnawed his lip in embarrassment.  It was like there was something inside him whispering seditious thoughts into his mind. 

“There is no shame in your mother’s weakness,” Lord Reginald said as he studied Chase’s expression.  “I understand some of the turmoil in your mind, but it is never wise to taunt an enemy who
cannot hurt you, especially if he is stronger than you.” 

“So
, we
are
enemies,” Chase said. 

“We shall be enemies, if you wish it,” Lord Reginald replied.  “But you did help us save Elizabeth, and I swore to her that you would be not be harmed.  So long as you continue to protect her, we shall be allies.” 

“I understand, sir,” Chase said, feeling chastised.  “I apologize for my rudeness, Sir Marcus.” 

Marcus grunted and left the room without another word. 

“I don’t need to tell you what will happen if any harm comes to Elizabeth,” Lord Reginald said.  For the first time, his voice became ever so slightly threatening. 

“I’ll take care of her,” Chase said.  “Any bitterness I have towards your clan, is directed at you son and Demetrius.  And Demetrius is dead.” 

“You hate my son for something he did centuries ago, Chase,” Lord Reginald said.  “It has no doubt been taught to you since childhood, but you should remember, that the only reason you are alive today is because of him.”