Broken Blood (21 page)

I looked from him to Emma, who tried for a reassuring smile. I felt too bad not to return it and the gesture softened me.

“Why didn’t you come get us?” Wes asked, not quite as forgiving.

“We didn’t want Tara caught up,” Derek said, but he looked guilty again.

“Your mom said you needed rest,” Cambria added and I could almost hear the words in my mother’s voice in my head as she said them.

“I need to be informed,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Next time, come get us,” Wes said.

“But we handled it,” Derek began. Wes silenced him with a look. “You got it, bro,” he muttered.

“Do you think they’ll come back tonight or wait?” I asked.

“At this point, we’re assuming the worst,” Derek said, rising. “We need to make a patrol schedule. Cord took first shift. I told her Wes and I would relieve her. We need to make regular rounds of the woods in back.”

“What about the street view out front?” Wes asked.

“Edie’s using a contact to hook into the security cameras installed by the homeowner’s association. It should give us a clear street view,” Derek said.

After everything I’d learned about Grandma, this barely surprised me.

Wes leaned in and kissed my cheek on his way out the door. “I’m going to check in with Cord. I’ll find you in a bit.”

I grabbed his arm before he could leave. “Can you put me on the next rotation with her?” I asked.

He frowned. “Tara, you shouldn’t be—”

“Wes. I’m not asking,” I said. After a moment, he nodded.

“All right,” he said quietly. Another kiss and then he handed me his phone. “In case Alex calls back. I’ll find you later.”

I stared after him, trying to read the meaning of the phone hand off. I hadn’t come any closer by the time the door shut behind him and Derek.

“He seems ... adjusted,” Cambria said.

I turned back, about to give her a look for bringing it up in front of George and Emma. But then I realized they knew just as much as her—if not more. They’d been inside my head up until a few weeks ago, after all.

“He’s different,” I said and I wondered if I meant Alex or Wes.

“We all are,” George said quietly, a shadow crossing his features. Emma squeezed his hand and Cambria looked away to stare out the window at the moonlit forest.

“What happened while I was gone?” I asked. “I get the feeling it was more than just running from Steppe’s goons and a trumped-up YouTube channel. No one will tell me anything straight.”

George and Emma said nothing.

“They’re just trying to protect you,” Cambria said.

“I think I’ve proven I can handle it,” I pointed out. “Besides, if you don’t tell me, I’m forced to go on what Steppe wants me to see. Which isn’t pretty.”

“None of it’s pretty,” Cambria agreed.

“So, tell me,” I pressed. “All of you keep alluding to bad things and you sit here like it’s no big deal that we’re being attacked right now. I don’t get it. What am I missing?”

Cambria exchanged a look with George who nodded. “There’s a reason we don’t seem more surprised or riled up,” Cambria said. “This isn’t a new thing for us.” 

“So, there were a few attempts at violence?” I pressed. “What? They’re angry. Taking it out on us.”

“Not exactly,” she said.

“Then what?”

Cambria took a deep breath and George said, “I’m surprised Steppe didn’t show you this, to use it as some sort of psychological torture B.S.”

“The law we keep referring to, the one you think is about killing Werewolves on sight,” Cambria said. “That’s not it.”

I frowned, mentally going back over what I knew. “What is it then?”

“Same death penalty. Different target,” Cambria said. “He’s put out a blanket call for extermination. Anything hybrid and anything it talks to. He’s even offered a reward.”

“What sort of reward?” I asked.

“For the hybrids that come forward on their own, they get to choose. If they choose to become a Hunter again, he turns them back. And if they don’t ...” Cambria drew her pointer finger across her neck.

“He’s not killing them,” I said, everything Steppe had said at the clinic now falling into place. All of the jumbled images, the cages—empty then full then empty again. “He’s bonding them. Using them as his personal army.” I told them about the twisted version of hybrids that had doubled as my guards.

“Ugh, gross,” Cambria said.

“But she can’t shift?” Emma said. “Olivia, I mean.”

“We have no proof they can’t shift anymore,” George said.

“They can’t,” I assured them, thinking of the strange smell on Lexington. Another leaked thought from Steppe clicked into place.

“How do you know?” George asked.

“Unbinilium. Steppe had Astor develop some sort of ... immunization, I guess. They’re not so much cured from being a wolf as it is suppressed. It’s still in there, just unable to reach the surface.”

“Is that what he did to you?” George asked. “Suppressed it?”

“Yeah, I thought you were immune?” Cambria said.

“Immune does not mean immortal,” I said, remembering with a pang the last time those words were said to me before I was captured.

“So, that’s why it’s a permanent thing for them and only temporary for you?” George asked.

“Yes.” I smiled. “And seeing you cured me. Thanks for that.”

“I’ll go rabid dog on Gordon Steppe any day, especially if it helps you. Just say the word.”

I scowled at him and he laughed. “Seriously, though, I’m glad you’re okay but...”

“But what?”

“Cord had a point the other night,” he said. The hesitation in his voice made me wonder if there’d been a vote about who would be the one to actually say those words to me. Judging by the exchanged glances between the three of them now, I had a feeling George must’ve drawn the short straw.

“About what exactly?” I asked, careful to keep my voice even.

“These attacks aren’t going to stop,” he said. “They know where we are now.”

I remembered what Wes had said earlier about Werewolves and Hunters finally banding together in order to come after us. “I know,” I said quietly, looking back and forth between my friends’ faces.

“You guys are right,” I said. “We can’t expect to stay here and be safe for much longer. But there are too many of us to move without being spotted. And there’s not really anywhere else for us to go.”

“We could go to Wood Point,” Cambria said. “The wards there are stronger at least.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to put everyone there in danger for us,” I said.

“We can’t go back to Frederick Falls,” George said. “They’re all over the place back there.”

“And we can’t involve anyone else,” Emma added. “Any hybrid and anyone they contact,” she reminded us.

“Emma’s right. We can’t put new people in danger,” I said.

I bit my lip, running through options like a mental grocery list. One by one, as I thought of each possibility, I crossed it off. There wasn’t a single place I could think of that would keep an entire pack—or packs—out while still managing to seal us in. With Vera gone, our ability to construct wards that powerful was pretty much nonexistent.

“I could call my mom,” Cambria said finally.

“How will that help?” I asked.

She hesitated and I realized there was more to the thing with her mom than she’d let on earlier. “She might have a friend who can help,” she said.

“What kind of friend?” I asked warily.

She forced her eyes to mine. “I spoke with her after you and I talked. She’s seeing someone. I think he can help.”

“Cam, we can’t involve anyone new,” George began, but I waved him off, eyes narrowed. Something about the way she was staring at me...

“Who is it?” I asked.

Cambria rolled her eyes, crossed herself Catholic-style, and said, “A Werewolf from Frederick Falls. You met him once, I think. His name is Benny.”

––––––––

I
stared at Cambria. I couldn’t have been more confused by her words if she’d said them in Russian.

“Your mom is dating ... Benny?” I asked.

“That’s what I said. Why? He’s crazy, right? You told me that story of the night—”

“He’s a Werewolf,” I said.

“Her type,” she agreed grimly. “Gah. Why can’t I have a normal mom like yours?” she asked, eyes cast to the ceiling.

“Uh, have you met my mom? Not normal,” I said.

She sighed and stood. “I guess we’ll be able to make an accurate comparison soon enough.”

“What do you mean? You didn’t tell them to come here, did you?” I asked. But something told me I already knew the answer.

“Your mom said I should,” she said, her voice rising in defense.

“My mom? Since when is she calling the shots?” I demanded. “This is bad, Cam. It’s not safe. There are packs of Werewolves watching the house.”

“Apparently Benny has
contacts
. Whatever that means,” she muttered.

“Cam, this is bad. Dangerously bad. I can’t believe you talked to my mom about it before me—”

A phone rang, the sound of it startling me until I remembered Wes leaving his here. I picked it up and, when I saw the name on the screen, abandoned my argument with Cambria.

“Alex, what’d you find out?” I snapped. In the background, a car door slammed and then another one rolled shut. An engine roared to life.

“Victoria’s picking up something really strange,” Alex said. “We’re coming home.”

“Why? What did she find out?” I asked. Beside me, Cambria leaned in close.

“According to Victoria, Olivia is there. At the house with you,” he said.

“What?” Cambria and I said together.

“I know, it doesn’t make sense. We’re on our way, just ... tell the others to be careful.” Alex said something too low for me to hear and the engine in the background roared again.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ll be there soon,” he said and the line disconnected.

Cambria and I shared a look and then we both jumped up and ran for the stairs. George and Emma were on our heels. Three steps into the hall, something crashed below. Someone yelled—Derek maybe? The front door opened and slammed shut.

From the basement, Steppe’s anxiety spiked and adrenaline poured into my veins. My pulse sped as I soaked in his fear as he peered out of the high window in the basement wall to the yard beyond. Images of wolves locked in combat—some familiar, some strangers—poured in.

And another face, startlingly familiar but not necessarily a comfort. Steppe recognized him first as an ally and I felt his relief—followed quickly by shock and dismay.

I ran faster.

At the bottom, I rounded the staircase in a hard left toward the loudest of the crashes and Cambria followed. In the living room, I found chaos.

Both windows were broken, the glass shattered in piles and strewn across the wood floor and in piles along the windowsills. Grandma stood alongside one of them, a crossbow in hand. My mother stood alongside the other. She didn’t see me as she quickly slid into position, aimed her weapon, and fired off a metal arrow into the backyard.

“They’re after him,” Grandma said without looking over as she fired off another shot.

“After who?” Cambria asked, but Grandma was too distracted to answer.

From my angled view, I caught sight of a russet wolf streaking by. A second later, a round of human shouts came from the yard and Cambria and I ducked aside just as an array of arrows hurtled toward us from outside. I landed with a thud on my stomach and rolled behind the couch.

Arrows being shot
into
the house? As Alex would say, how did anyone outside have opposable thumbs? Cord—but stakes were here weapon of choice. And her aim wasn’t bad enough to have her shooting into the living room. Professor Flaherty, maybe? I didn’t see her anywhere.

“Tara,” Cambria whispered, her eyes widening as she spotted something over my shoulder.

A growling sound came from behind me and I rolled again, catching sight of the ebony Werewolf as it leaped at me. I shifted, my sweatpants and tee ripping away, but there was no time to right myself before my opponent was on me.

I had no idea who he was or what pack he’d come from. He gnashed his teeth and craned his neck trying to lock his jaw around my throat and I scrambled back, sliding and clawing out of his reach until I could find my opening.

Cord had said this would happen. She had warned us to be ready and my damn political agenda hadn’t allowed me to—

Steppe had created this reality, not me.

I growled and fought back. The dark wolf’s teeth caught me in the shoulder and tore through fur into flesh. I yelped, my wolf’s elation at being freed instantly dampened as the pain ripped through me. Steppe crumpled, his thoughts dulling as the pain washed over him too. Someone stood over him—on two legs, not four.

I fell back, distracted by trying to identify his attacker, and knew the mistake I’d made even as my weight gave and the wolf landed on me, jaw open. I snarled but braced myself for the second bite. The one that would undoubtedly put me down.

Suddenly the wolf’s weight gave and it collapsed on top of me, jaw still open. His eyes turned bright yellow and then the life faded from them. Footsteps approached—human feet—and then a hand appeared, first knocking the Werewolf aside and then offering its assistance to help me.

I jumped to my feet on my own, careful to keep my distance as I took in the familiar dark hair and ragged scar carved into hollowed cheekbones. The face of Steppe’s ally from a moment ago, the one he’d realized too late hadn’t been here to help him escape after all.

“Professor Kane,” I said, glancing side to side. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to—well, I can explain that later,” he said as another yelp rent the air.

My head snapped sideways, searching for the source. Across the room, Mom and Grandma still stood alongside the windows. Cambria had joined them and they took turns providing cover fire for the larger battle raging in the backyard.

But none of them had yelled. The sound came again from deeper inside the house. And buried inside my mind. I glanced behind me, toward the kitchen and the basement door on the far wall beside the pantry, and my blood ran cold.