Storm Surge (40 page)

“But that would make you the Rift King and Kelsh’s king,” the Danarite whispered.

“It gets even better,” Kalen grumbled.

“I’m very interested in hearing how this could possibly get any better than it already is,” Dela said, rubbing her hands together.

“He’s my co-captain,” Silvereye explained with a grin.

“Oh? Well done, Kalen, well done indeed! I guess seeing as I can’t kill a fellow Shadow Captain, I’ll have to focus all of my attention on Maiten instead.” Dela’s grin sent shivers rippling through Kalen.

“Sorry, old friend,” Kalen said, staring at Silvereye so he wouldn’t have to meet his Guardian’s gaze.

“One day, Your Majesty, you are going to get what you deserve,” Maiten announced.

Kalen laughed. “Today is not that day.”

“Runt,” his Guardian muttered.

“I’ll have a pair of courtship serpents sent from the Rift before we part ways, as an aside. If I’m going to get what I deserve, you’re getting what you deserve, Maiten.” Kalen flipped his hand in a rude gesture at his Guardian to mask his pleasure at the thought of binding the two of them as a pair.

Dela’s eyes widened. “You mean it?”

Kalen snorted. “Of course I mean it. I’m not like you and your pets; I don’t toy with my food before eating it. What was I thinking, giving you those serpents, anyway? I should have known you’d corrupt them. Where are they, anyway? Please tell me you left them in Mithrias.”

The woman’s laughter was sweet. “You really haven’t changed at all, have you? Why would I leave them in Mithrias? They’re with the Silvered Hand, sleeping off their supper. I’ll have you know they are darlings and haven’t bitten anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

Kalen chuckled, wondering just how large the kingmakers had gotten since he’d last seen them, each one barely as long as his hand. “You’ll have to show them to me soon enough. We’ll do the ritual this evening. It’s about time something good came out of this mess, and your foals deserve to get to know their sire properly.”

“Thank you,” Dela said, her eyes bright.

“You’re both welcome,” he replied, sparing Maiten the need to say anything at all. It was time the two got to enjoy some happiness together, without having to hide behind protocol and lies.

Soon enough, they would all be swept up in the tides of war.

It takes a lot of help to finish a novel, and Storm Surge was no different.

To my friends, family, and editors,

Thank you so much for sticking with me through thick and thin. Without you, this book never would have happened. You’ve seen this book before it was polished, finding those insane, embarrassing, and sometimes hilarious mistakes scattered throughout the novel. Thank you for putting up with me. I appreciate it.

To my readers and fans,

Thank you for all of your support. You’re what really makes the hard work, effort, and time spent on this novel worthwhile. Your support of my novels helps ensure I can work on the next title, something I will always be grateful for.

I was recently asked about my views on piracy when they discovered many of my novels had been pirated and made available on torrent sites without my consent.

Piracy is a concern for all authors. We value our words, our stories, and our livelihoods. I’m an author. Writing is my career. The support of fans and readers is how I’m paid. Piracy means I don’t get paid for my hard work.

That said, in the digital era we currently live in, torrent sites have become the new library system in many ways. Someone buys a copy of the book and populates it on the torrent sites, no differently than a librarian who buys a copy and puts it on the shelf of their library. Unlike traditional libraries, one file can be propagated to many users, all at the same time.

I support literacy, and I have no problems with libraries. If you did acquire a copy of this book (or one of my other titles) through a torrent site, I really hope you enjoyed the novel. Please consider buying a copy for yourself or a friend. Your financial support helps ensure I am able to keep writing.

Thank you.

~RJ Blain

When Allison is asked to play Cinderella-turned-Fianceé at a Halloween ball, the last thing she expected was to be accused of murder on the same night. She has to find the killer or she'll be put to death for the crimes she didn't commit. To make matters worse, the victims are all werewolves.

On the short list of potential victims, Allison has to act fast, or the killer will have one more body to add to his little black book of corpses.

There's only one problem: One of the deaths has struck too close to home, and Allison's desire for self-preservation may transform into a quest for vengeance...

Chapter One

Autumn had come, and I was powerless to stop it—this time. A yellowed leaf clung to its branch, mocking me with its splash of color. The rest of Central Park clung to the hope of summer. I stood on my toes and snatched at it, but a chilly wind ripped it from my reach.

The leaf landed on the path several steps away. When I reached it, I crushed it beneath my boot.

“Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Allison?”

I twisted my heel while wrinkling my nose. With light brown hair and creamy skin prone to burning rather than tanning, Mark would never be my tall, dark, and handsome, though he was good looking and aggressive with his money.  With my sort of luck, he’d never account for anything more than an occasional lunch buddy who needed my help with his finances. Then again, maybe it was better for both of us that way.

Some girls had all the luck. Me? I had more money than I knew what to do with, most of it acquired from Mark in management fees like I was some sort of modern-day vampire. Too bad money couldn’t buy me a life.

“Who said I went to bed last night?” Hopefully, he wouldn’t think too long or hard on my delayed quip.

“What’s got your tail in a bunch?”

I shoved my hands in the back pockets of my jeans and swallowed my relieved sigh. No tail. Good. Last thing I needed was to sprout a tail on Halloween at noon. “N-nothing. You’re always ‘blah, blah, blah, something’s wrong.’ Nothing’s going on.”

Mark arched his brow at me. “So what did that poor little leaf do to you?”

“It failed its calculus test twice.”

“Ouch.” Mark’s laugh rumbled. “I failed it four times, thank you very much. You haven’t killed me over it, not yet at least.”

“You pay me too well for me to kill you. Did you really ask me to come to New York City just to take me to the park? Normally, you’d have me tucked in your office sorting through the stack of papers breeding on your desk, cracking your whip like the evil overlord you like to think you are.”

“But you like parks. Would an evil overlord take his minions to the park?”

“It’s cold.” I sniffled, taking my hands out of my jeans to stuff them into my coat. My keys, cell phone, and wallet were still in the left pocket. I was with someone, and muggers didn’t tend to attack couples in the park during broad daylight.

I hoped.

“I can’t believe you brought me to New York on today of all days.” I nodded my head at the park, taking in the entirety of the city in a single gesture. Even in the relative peace of Grand Central, I could hear the bustle, the honk of horns, and the noise of the restless cityscape. Atlanta wasn’t much different downtown, but at least it was home.

“Oh, come off it, Allison. You like Halloween.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Maybe a little. I still can’t believe you brought me here, though.”

“Anyway, you owe me,” he said before clucking his tongue.

I winced. He had me dead to rights, and I knew it. Mark gathered favors and cashed them in like currency. Resisting was futile. “Rub it in my face, why don’t you?”

“Of course I will, but another time. I’m enjoying myself way too much right now. You’re mine for three whole days, like it or not.”

“I’m doomed,” I groaned.

He laughed.

I didn’t have the courage to tell him I meant it. It was bad enough it was Halloween. The full moon would reach its zenith after nightfall.

If I wasn’t careful, I was going to pop a tail for real. That would surprise him. It would also get me killed. I doubted the NYPD would appreciate a wolf running loose in the center of their city. “Seriously, Mark. What’s so important that you had to fly me in from Atlanta? I do have a job, you know. I’d even like to keep it.”

“You’re owed three weeks, and at the rate you’re going, they’re probably getting ready to force you to take the time off. The way I see it, I’ve done you a favor.”

“Mark,” I growled.

“Okay, fine. It’s Ma. I told her I had a girlfriend so she’d shut up about me getting married for a while. She wants to meet her. To meet you.”

I broke into a brisk walk, cutting across the grass towards one of the other paths through the park. With luck, he’d get grass stains on his pretty blue business suit. “You brought me to New York to dress up as your girlfriend for Halloween?”

I guess it really was going to be a night for wearing masks and pretending to be the impossible. It was bad enough I would have to live the dream of having a boyfriend worth keeping, knowing I could never pursue a real relationship with him.

If I had a mother, I’m sure she would’ve been proud. I didn’t cuss, scream, or pitch a fit. I did keep walking without checking if Mark kept pace with me though.

He did. “Come on, Allison. I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”

“A Halloween party with your mother, Mark? Have you lost your mind? She’s never going to believe we’re a couple, for one. Two, you live in New York City. I live in Atlanta. You know, that place you flew me in from? She’s got no reason to believe us.”

“I might have told her that you are an old college friend, and we’d been seeing each other on and off since we got our degrees. It’s even true, just not for the reasons she thinks. Come on, Allison. It’s only for one night. You’ll save me from marrying a woman I’ve never met.”

I sighed. “Seriously? Did your mother have you betrothed or something? That’s so two hundred years ago. At least you had the decency to book me into a good hotel. How did you manage a room at the Plaza on such short notice?” Using my brown bangs as a shield, I stared at my friend. He grinned wolfishly.

“Who said it was on short notice? I had our room booked six months ago.”

I tripped over my own feet. A startled cry worked its way out of my throat. Mark’s arm slapped against my chest as he caught me. With a low grunt, he hauled me upright. “Careful.”

My face burned. “Sorry.” I drew a deep breath. Killing Mark in Central Park wouldn’t work—not during the daytime. There’d be too many witnesses. “Our room?”

“We’re twenty five. We’re young, healthy adults. There’s no way my ma will believe we’re a couple if we don’t share a room,” he replied. He leveled a scandalous leer in my direction, his gaze taking all of me in.

I flushed. “You have a perfectly nice condo, Mark. I’ve seen it. Why not invite me there instead of booking us a room in one of New York’s more expensive hotels?”

“Wait until you see the room,” Mark said. Then he waggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.

I closed my eyes, stood straight, and once again shoved my hands into my back pockets. No tail. That was a start. I counted to ten. Then I counted to ten again.

When that didn’t calm me down enough, I systematically considered all of Mark’s banking accounts I could probably hack my way into, calculating how much I could siphon off without him noticing. I wouldn’t do it, but the figure made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

When I managed to quell my urge to throttle my friend, I opened my eyes and glared at him. “You reserved the honeymoon suite, didn’t you?”

“Do try to act surprised when I propose. At least you have an easy line. Don’t worry. We’ll call off the engagement in a month or two.”

“Mark.”

“Yes, dear?”

“Give me a reason I shouldn’t kill you in your sleep tonight.”

“I’m too good-looking to kill.”

“No.” It was a lie, but I wasn’t about to let him know that. I couldn’t fault his logic. We were friends, but we were professionals as well. It was just another business arrangement between us, and nothing more.

Mark couldn’t possibly be interested in me.

“I pay you exceptionally well for your accounting skills.”

“True, but no.”

“You like me?” His voice wavered, and I had to work to smother my grin.

“You sound so confident,” I murmured. “Fine. I like you. A little. I’ll do it, but you, dear Mark, will owe me.”

Mark’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “You wouldn’t really try to kill me, would you?”

I grabbed hold of his tie and yanked down so I could look him in the eyes. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I wouldn’t bet your life on it, if I were you.”

The little color he did have fled from his face. I let him go and resumed walking across the park, whistling a merry tune.

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