Seduced by Lies (6 page)

Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,


A broken voice, an' his whole function suiting


With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing,


— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

THE DAY HAD
taken its toll on me and my psyche. I sat under the weeping willow, whose forlorn song whispered to me. It had become my favorite meditation spot, though I knew Sam and Lucy both came out here often, their hearts heavy with the loss of their teacher, Mr. Krevner. He’d been presumed dead but was discovered near a secret research facility run by the organization responsible for our powers. They’d experimented on him until he’d turned into a tree. It sounded crazy, even now, but Sam had mind linked with him before the forest he’d been living in was burned down, leaving only his seed—which resulted in this tree.

Maybe it held the soul of Mr. K, maybe it had something else entirely, but we all knew this tree was more than just a tree.

Still, it gave me a place to release my mind and let go of the emotions that had attached themselves to me today, overwhelming me.

When the vision filled my mind, my heart rate spiked, sweat pouring down my face as terror filled me.

Teeth, dripping with blood. Claws, long, sharp and deadly. And eyes, red eyes glowing with evil. I felt the pain of someone, saw the world slip away into nothing.

I stood on shaking legs, running back to the mansion as Rose’s car pulled up by the front door.

She got out, fear pulsing through her, and ran around to the other side to help Curtis.

I reached her in time to ease her burden, helping Curtis stand and walk into the mansion. He was sweating, his skin too pale and tinged in red. “We have to get Dr. Susie and Father Patrick. What happened?” I asked.

Her breathing came in gulps. “It’s not a shifter killing these kids. It’s something else. It attacked us.” Tears poured down her face as she ran in to find help.

We got Curtis to the infirmary where Dr. Susie hooked him to an IV and took his vitals.

Rose told her story again, then asked, “Where’s Derek?”

I told her what we learned about the Lycans. “Derek went to his family’s house to get help.”

Father Patrick smoothed Curtis’ forehead, and he and Dr. Susie both frowned. “I’ve got to make a call,” he said. “Bishop Alaric has some explaining to do.”

“You can’t invite them back here,” I yelled, losing all the control my mediation had brought me. “They’re probably the ones behind this. Don’t you find it a bit coincidental that these attacks started right before they allegedly came to town, whereas we’ve never even heard of werewolves before?”

Father Patrick put his hand on my shoulder. “I do. And they might very well be behind this, but they are also the only ones who might know how to save Curtis’ life.”

Seems, madam? nay, it is, I know not "seems."

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,

Nor customary suits of solemn black,

Nor windy suspiration of forc'd breath,

No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,


Nor the dejected havior of the visage,


Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,


That can denote me truly. These indeed seem,


For they are actions that a man might play;


But I have that within which passes show,


These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

MY FAMILY HOME
wasn’t quite as magnificent as the mansion we taught at, but it was pretty impressive for a single family home. I’d never fully appreciated the life my parents created for me until I’d met Rose and seen first hand what she’d had to live through.

After that, I’d sworn I’d never take my family for granted again, and it felt good knowing I could go to them for help without my stupid pride getting in the way. My dad had even respected my wishes and backed off of trying to get me to take over the family business. It was enough that Rose and I would lead the pack when the time came.

My sister Tammy ran down the stairs to greet me the moment I walked through the front door.

“Derek! What a pleasant surprise.” She hugged me, her blue eyes shining with joy.

“Hey, sis. How are you?” I didn’t really have time for small talk, but I also didn’t want to be a complete ass.

“Good. Nothing much has changed since you were here for family dinner last week.”

Rose and I came up once a week to be with the pack and have dinner with my family, and it was always a good time to reconnect and get caught up on each other’s lives. “Any word from Jasmine?”

Jasmine, Rose’s younger sister, hadn’t endured the betrayal and death of their coven leader mother as well as Rose had. Tammy’s smile disappeared. “She checks in once a week as promised, but she refuses to speak to Rose or come home. Dad got her into a good boarding school, which she reluctantly agreed to attend, probably because on her own she has no money or place to live if she refuses to come here.”

My family had offered her a home, as had Rose and I, but she was still too angry to be around any of us. I was glad she was at least safe, even if her silence hurt Rose.

“Hey, Tam, I’m not here on a social visit. I need to talk to Dad right away.”

Her frown deepened. “Are you okay? Is Rose okay?”

“Yes, we’re all fine, but we might have a situation on our hands.”

Many said my dad and I looked alike, save for the graying of his temples and a few more life lines around his eyes. David O’Conner, business mogul and one of the wealthiest men alive, sat behind his polished mahogany desk as I paced the library, my hand sliding over our family’s beloved collection of first edition classics. "Did you know about Lycans?" I asked him after filling him in on the happenings at the mansion where Rose and I taught.

“I’d heard stories of them, of course,” he said. “Everyone has. But I’d never seen any evidence of their existence.”

I released a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. I’d feared this was another secret my dad had kept from me, but I believed he didn’t know much more about them than me. “Do you know of any stories that link them with shifters? After all, we both turn into wolves.”

“True, but if Father Patrick is right, then Lycans serve the Church. We don’t. We never have.”

“How did our kind come to be?” I asked. You’d think this was something I would have inquired about long ago, but I’d spent most of my life running away from my destiny. I didn’t really want to know more about the history of the Druid Shifter.

“There are stories—myths—that some believe about our creation. The most popular is the one about a woman named Liana.”

Something tickled at the back of my memory. “That name is familiar.”

Dad nodded. “It’s a story we told you as a child, an old tale, more like a fairy tale than history. Once upon a time a woman named Liana fell in love with a man. But their love was forbidden, for he came from a great family and she was poor and reviled.

“Still, the man loved her just as much and gave up everything to be with her. They ran away together, but they were attacked by a wolf. A beast with red demon eyes, some say. The man died, and it crushed Liana’s heart, who was heavy with his child.

“She wept over his body, praying for a miracle to protect their child, and his blood and her tears mingled, and a rosebush grew in its place, with roses of all colors, glowing with the magic of another world.

“She ate the petals and the magic in them transformed her into a beast of the forest, a wolf. From then on, the wilderness became her domain, and she and their child, and all their lineage after, were safe.”

Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't.

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

RED GLOWING EYES
come for me in the dark, attacking me, coming after those I love. My shifter power stirs in me, but I don’t turn into a wolf. I look down and see claws, but not the paws of a wolf. The claws of a bear. I fight the beast, tearing into him, but he’s unnatural, and strong. Too strong.

He grabs me with his human-like claws, his muscles rippling as he twists my neck.

Snapping it.

I woke, my heart pounding, disoriented as I looked around. I had fallen asleep on the couch while reading and waiting for Derek to come home.

I heard someone in the hallway and the fear from my dream took over again, but I forced it back down, calming myself as I took comfort in the familiar library where I’d fallen asleep.

Derek walked in, and I jumped up and ran to him. He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. “I just heard what happened,” he said. “Drake stopped me on the way in. Are you okay?”

I didn’t answer, instead finding his lips with mine, taking comfort in the strength of his arms wrapped around my body, his hand holding my head as our kiss deepened.

Someone cleared their throat behind him, and I pulled away and smiled at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. “Dean, Tammy, what are you two doing here?”

I left Derek’s embrace to hug them both. Seeing Dean so alive and healthy always cheered my heart, especially since I’d been responsible for sending his soul to a hell dimension and nearly killing him.

Dean smiled his boyish grin. “My brother came to beg for help. Looks like you have a werewolf on your hands, and we thought having a few shifters to help out might prove useful.”

My smile at seeing them faded. “Curtis was hurt badly. Dr. Susie says he’s not getting any better.”

I reached for Derek’s hand and led him to the infirmary. This hunt had just gotten personal.