Silent Cravings (7 page)

“Look, dude, they aren’t a prob. We don’t mess with each other. As long as they leave me and my people alone, they can do whatever they want.”

“Aren’t you even the slightest bit concerned? Your people could be hurt.”

“You don’t seem to get it. Look, Royce, babe, if you want to do lunch, give me a ring. Come out here sometime. I’ll get you a walk-on in some TV show. It’ll be great. Don’t worry about the howlers. They’re nothing. Air. We walk through them. They don’t see us, and we do them the favor of not seeing them.”

Royce sincerely hoped Clyde was right.

For the time being, he’d keep his ear to the ground. If the wolves brought their war east, or brought their troubles too far into the public eye, he would fly to Los Angeles to personally gut the alphas responsible for starting this nonsense.

He’d also have to get Analie busy or she would start looking for other avenues to work off her rambunctious adolescent energy. Keeping a teenaged Were idle spelled trouble if he didn’t channel her agitation to something productive as soon as possible. Jacques hadn’t had the time to pick up the things he needed and refused to delegate the task to someone else. It was irritating, but with his skills, the prima donna chef could have worked for anyone. Royce wouldn’t risk losing him to a rival restaurant by insisting on such a trivial matter.

In the meantime, he would call in a favor and introduce Analie to the Moonwalker who would be her “babysitter” during the full moon.

Chapter Nine

O
nce the young Were was settled in, John and Mouse were often busy getting things for Analie meant to keep her out of trouble when she wasn’t doing schoolwork or training with Jacques, the temperamental chef. Showing her the room dedicated to nothing but exercise equipment on the second floor had done wonders to channel that boundless energy of hers, and the extensive collections of art supplies, books, movies, and computers kept her occupied the rest of the time. Isabelle, the Were the Moonwalker pack had “loaned” to Royce to homeschool Analie, had relaxed to the point where she might even crack a smile or a joke when the vampires weren’t around. When they were, she was strict, no-nonsense, and eager to wrap up Analie’s lessons as rapidly as possible.

On the other hand, Jacques Fontaine was impatient, quick to anger, and a brilliant chef who was, surprisingly enough, quite willing and capable of sharing the secrets of his success. He had no issue with teaching Analie, except that he was always hopelessly enraged when she didn’t know what an “obvious” herb or utensil was, or what it was used for. Obvious, to Jacques, could be anything from salt to marjoram to essence of white truffle.

For the first time in her life, Analie was interacting regularly with humans—and she found she liked it. Even Jacques, with his irascible temper and strict teaching methods, was turning out to be unexpectedly kind—if a bit impatient with her.

Royce didn’t involve himself directly in Analie’s business beyond the initial arrangements, mostly letting his people get on with it, and returned his attentions to the running of his businesses. He kept tabs on the movement of the Goliath pack as best he could from across the country, but thus far none of them had done anything—overtly or covertly, as far as he could tell—to break the decree given by the Others of New York.

Things were settling down, becoming routine, and all going according to his plans.

Ashi had no desire to walk to the motel, and Christoph wasn’t capable. They took a cab, and Christoph immediately flopped on one of the granite-slab beds and fell asleep.

Ashi took this time to rest and set up his laptop to check out a map of the area. He was disturbed by how complicated the layout was—nothing like the suburbs of LA. He was going to print out a map, but it was useless. If he wanted to be able to pick anything out of the jumble, he’d have to zoom in and make a map the size of the damn room.

Christoph woke up, and they ordered in Thai. Their sleep schedules were off, and they yawned and scrubbed at their eyes as they ate. Christoph tested out his knee and confirmed that, though still painful, it was good for a fight.

That left calling Analie and getting her location.

Analie picked up, bewildered at who would be calling her. She usually texted Freddy so she wouldn’t be heard.

“Hello?” she whispered.

“Don’t hang up. That’s an
order
.”

Analie made a face. “Hi, Christoph.”

“Analie, where are you?”

Analie hunkered down in her den. “In my room.”

“What’s the street, the address?”

“I’m not telling
you
.”

“I will push your face through a wall if you don’t tell me where you are.”

“Hafta find me first,” she taunted.

There was a scuffling noise as the phone changed hands.

“Listen, pup. Listen closely. This is Ashi, and I am in no mood for your petty challenges. You will tell me where you are
now
or I will see to it that you learn your place, damn the cub-hide.”

Analie’s blood ran cold, her mouth going dry.

Giving away the location of Royce’s home was absolutely out of the question. Analie had been very careful as of late to follow rules. In her own mind, she’d also tried to fit everything into Goliath’s pattern of living. Royce was alpha, of course, and she was temporarily transferred to his pack. Positions were not gained by fighting, so she should
never
challenge others. John was deputy and not to be messed with. As the newcomer, everyone else currently out-ranked her.

However, obeying Ashi was
always
a good idea, even if it wasn’t a
nice
idea. Still, telling him the address was a
terrible
idea, but the idea of disobeying was a
horrifying
idea.

“No.”

There were three minutes of silence. Analie wondered if Ashi was counting. When he finally spoke, his voice was flat and dangerous.

“What?”

“I can’t tell you where I am.”

“We are trying to get you out of there.”

“That’s not a good idea,” Analie said quietly. “You could start a war.”

“Not if Royce is dead.”

Analie barked out a sudden, harsh laugh. Talking over the phone gave her courage she would not have possessed if she’d had to talk with Ashi face-to-face. “You give that a try, and you’ll find out just how scary the bogeymen of Goliath
really
are.”

“You little
shit.
You utterly disrespectful little
shit!
I order you to tell me where you are!”

“No!” Analie gritted her teeth and lowered her voice. “No.”

Christoph said something in the background. There was a hard smacking sound followed by a yelp. Analie, though she didn’t much care for the lunkhead, winced.

“You will meet us, then. Choose a location.”

“I’m not sneaking out.”

“
Fuck you!
Choose a meeting place!”

Analie was now smashed into the corner, trying to hide from Ashi even though he didn’t know where she was. “Look, sometimes I go to an Italian place down the street. I’ll go back in two days. Maybe we can meet then, but I’m not taking you back.”

“Fine. I will settle for that. Where is it?”

Analie told him the street and hung up. She grabbed Mr. Bear and wrapped herself in a blanket, hiding her head under a pillow.

“Ashi is a jerk,” she informed the bear.

He seemed to agree.

When the appointed time rolled around, Mouse wanted to go with Analie. Obviously, it would create all kinds of problems if Ashi or Christoph saw Mouse, and vice versa. Insisting she go by herself would be viewed with suspicion. There was no way around it—they had to go together.

Luckily, Mouse was only interested in going so she could stop at another store down the street. She didn’t mind leaving Analie alone at the restaurant since it was only a couple doors down, and the vampire wasn’t about to share a meal.

That left Analie alone to meet with Ashi and Christoph, though how long Mouse would leave her to her own devices before deciding it was time to return was anybody’s guess.

Analie sat at a checker-clothed table, palms clammy as she scanned the menu, not seeing anything she wanted. This was odd, since going out to eat had been a rare treat at Gavin’s. She couldn’t remember what she had been dying to try.

Analie jumped when fingers dug painfully into her shoulder, thankfully without claws. She turned around and coughed respectfully. Ashi seemed satisfied with that, but he didn’t let go of her shoulder.

“So. You look well cared-for.” He looked her over and frowned. “These are new clothes. What is he doing, dressing up his food?”

“I’m
not
his food,” Analie said. She winced when Ashi ground his fingertips in.

“I advise that you keep your tone respectful with me,” he hissed. “Do I make myself clear?”

She nodded quickly.

“Good. Christoph will contact you again, soon. In the meantime, stay strong and don’t let them bite you. If you tell
anyone
you met me here, I will see to it that you get a lesson in respect, perhaps as demonstrated through Jo-Jo. Do I make myself one hundred percent clear,
cub
?”

Analie nodded again, eyes wide in terror.

“Good.”

Ashi stalked out of the restaurant. Analie hurried out and tracked down Mouse. She had no appetite and wanted to get back to the house
now
.

Ashi grabbed Christoph and hauled him out of his hiding place behind a dumpster. “We’re going to wait an hour, then follow her scent. Obviously she’s under some kind of spell to protect the vampire like this.”

Christoph shuddered. “I don’t even want to know how that happens.”

“It’s probably like hypnotism. Come on, I don’t want to stay in one place too long.”

They circled the area for an hour before they picked up Analie’s trail and followed its slightly meandering path. Christoph had the better nose, and he acted as a bloodhound, sniffing as they ran, dodging countless pedestrians on the way. They were both in shifting clothes, ready to fight.

The house they came to was unlike anything they expected. Perhaps a boarded-up Victorian, or an ominous shack—anything but the neat condominiums before them. Ashi didn’t see any windows on the first floor, and only one on the second—a huge bay window above the foyer that overlooked the street. Too obvious. They’d have to use the brick façade on the side to climb to the third floor. Assuming most of the vampires must be in the lower floors, leaving their victims in the rooms with windows upstairs, the Weres would work their way from the top down. Maybe they’d even find Analie on the third floor and be able to take her without much of a fight.

They went half-Were in the shadows and scaled the building, their claws finding purchase in the brick exterior. Ashi took the lead, but Christoph would be the battering ram, literally. When they got up to the third level, Ashi edged to the side, and Christoph used his head, exploding through the window into the room. Ashi was right behind, golden eyes alight with excitement.

Royce swiftly dived off of the couch he’d been lazing on to one side, thinking the explosion was yet another sniper bullet come to do god-alone-knew what kind of damage to him or the laptop he’d been using to review his stock portfolio online. When he rolled to his feet, fangs extended and hands hooked to claws, he blinked in shock.

Two full-grown, shifted Weres. Unmistakably Goliath Weres, judging by the size.

They were in his house. In his
room
.

Oh, would the alpha of Goliath ever pay for this…

Furious at the scare they’d given him, and the amount of damage and trouble they’d already caused, he employed some of his unearthly speed and rushed forward. Before they could take more than a couple steps on their unnaturally-jointed paws into the room, they were suddenly thrown into each other by something they couldn’t see, their skulls cracking together.

Royce didn’t stop there. While that should have been sufficient to stun them, as they slumped to their knees, making the pair of dog-like heads roughly eye-level with him, the vampire’s fingers clamped vice-like around their windpipes to drag them deeper inside. He wanted them out of range of the artwork, furniture, and computer before they started thrashing around.