Things That Go Bump in the Night IV (20 page)

J.C. Wilder

seemed to move down his back in a dark wave. Ears appeared on his head and they resembled those of a German Shepherd. His hands were transformed into claws and he flexed them; his nails clicked together. His eyes glowed red and with a howl of rage, of loathing, Lyn charged at Rik.

My God, what were these people?

Shaking now, Char’s breath caught as Rik tipped his head back and gave a scream like that of a cougar. A wild, ear-shattering sound that sent shivers down her spine.

Her lover leapt into the air, and with a sharp flick of his leg, kicked the knife from the other man’s hand. With a second kick, right into Lyn’s dog-shaped face, the other man’s feet flew out from beneath him and he landed heavily on his back.

Rik stood over him, his chest heaving with exertion. “You’re done, Fido.” He grabbed Lyn by the throat and hauled him to his feet.

The other man grinned; his face had reverted to its human form with the exception of his elongated canine teeth. Blood ran from his nose and had splashed onto his chest.

“That’s what you think, pussy.”

The man who’d abducted her from her apartment had stood silently beside her, but now he grabbed her arm and hauled her toward the section of broken railing.

“No!” Char resisted, trying to push away from the pit but the man seemed to be unfazed by her struggles. She looked up into his dark eyes and he gave her a cold, toothy smile.

“Ulrik,” he called out. “Release him or lose your woman.”

Char’s body went numb as he hauled her to the edge. A soft keening sound welled up in her throat as she teetered between safety and sure death. Her nails dug into her tormentor’s hand but he didn’t flinch.

“Char!”

Her gaze shifted to Rik. He stood on the edge of the pit and his eyes were strangely golden. His hair looked longer and his teeth…his teeth…

Oh my God…not him too…

Lyn lunged for Rik’s unprotected back.

“Look out!” she screamed.

The floor tilted and her captor released his grip. She managed to catch a piece of the broken railing and her nails clawed at rusted metal. The faded paint flaked off to embed itself under her nails.

It wasn’t enough.

She screamed as her grip loosened and she fell into space. She flailed her arms and legs in the air and it felt as if she were falling in slow motion. Down, down, down she plummeted into the stagnant black water. She’d barely managed to take a deep breath before the darkness closed over her head. She struggled in the inky water and her sense of time and space was obscured.

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Foul water invaded her mouth and filled her nose. She clawed at the darkness, all the while bemoaning the fact she’d never conquered her fear and learned to swim. Her all-consuming terror of the water had caused her to go into hysterics when her parents had signed her up for swim classes as a child and they’d pulled her after the first day.

A sense of inevitability settled over her. She would die here alone in the darkness and her family would probably never find her. Her body would be sucked out into the bayou and become croc kibble.

That horrifying thought sent a jolt of panic through her. She kicked her shoes off and clawed the water, trying to reach the surface and fresh air. Her abused lungs ached and spots danced before her eyes. Images of her parents, brothers, and Rik flashed against her eyelids.

Whatever he was, whoever he was, he’d cared for her. She knew that as sure as she knew her own name. Too bad she would be dead before he would ever know how she felt about him. Oh, why hadn’t she told him?

Dizziness assailed her and shadows shifted. A deeper, thicker darkness descended over her. The water didn’t seem as cold or alien as when she’d fallen into it. In fact, it was almost…welcoming.

As she lost consciousness, she imagined a hand reaching out of the darkness.

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She hurt all over. Every inch of her body felt used and abused, and she wanted nothing more than to let herself slide back into sleep. At least there she didn’t experience any pain.

“Charlene,” a firm female voice spoke in her ear.

Char forced her eyes open and the blinding overhead lights caused her to whimper.

Pain lanced through her skull and her throat felt raw.

“I’m sorry. Let me turn the lights down.”

The voice carried the soft twang of the south. Almost immediately, Char began to feel better just hearing that melodic voice.

Taking a deep breath, Char slowly opened her eyes. The light had been turned down, leaving the room dim, and she sighed with relief. She blinked several times, trying to clear her fuzzy vision.

“Would you like to sit up a little bit?” the soft voice asked.

“Please.” Her voice was horribly raspy.

“You have to be feeling like hell.” The voice came closer and a mechanical whir sounded. Char felt the head of the bed rise a few inches until she was in a partially reclined position. “I have some soda for you. Are you thirsty?”

Images of the dark water rushing up to meet her caused her to shudder. “I shouldn’t be.” Her attempt at humor fell flat.

The other woman chuckled. “You swallowed quite a bit of that nasty water but we pumped your stomach just in case.”

Char blinked several more times and slowly her murky vision cleared. She lay in a hospital-style bed complete with metal rails, except the sheet was pale pink. Her gaze moved around the room. If she really was in a hospital, it was unlike any she’d ever seen.

The walls were painted a soft, butter yellow and there were paintings on each wall.

Several feet from the foot of the bed was a comfortable grouping of overstuffed chairs arranged near a small fireplace. In the center was a coffee table that sported a towering arrangement of flowers.

“Where am I?” Char asked.

“The Clinic. The cats brought you in a few hours ago.”

Char’s gaze moved toward the young woman standing near the bed. She was petite, with short hair that stood straight up in different colored spikes. Her lower lip 120

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was pierced and her eye shadow was a shocking blue. She wore a neat white lab coat over a worn Ramones concert T-shirt.

She gave Char a wide, welcoming smile. “My name is Sasha.” She reached for a glass of clear, sparkling soda and she held it so Char could take a drink.

The cold liquid felt like heaven on her abused throat and she took several deep swallows, then indicated she didn’t want any more. The woman put the glass on the bedside table.

“What kind of clinic is this?” Char whispered.

The woman’s smile widened. “This is a clinic for the Shadow Dwellers.”

“What are the Shadow Dwellers?”

Sasha’s smile slipped. “You don’t know?”

“I’m feeling like Alice in Wonderland and I’ve just fallen into the rabbit hole.” Char let her head fall back against the soft pillows. The linens smelled of fresh lemons.

“The Shadow Dwellers are those who live on the fringe of the mortal world. The vampires, were-cats, wolves, the creatures most humans don’t believe exist.” She waved her hand to indicate the sumptuous room. “This is where the Shadow Dwellers come when they need medical attention.”

Vampires?

“What kind of medical procedure would a vampire need?”

“A blood transfusion?” Sasha grinned and Char couldn’t help but smile.

“Are you a w-w-were-cat?”

Sasha shook her spiky head. “Oh no, I’m a vampire.”

Char sunk farther into her comfy bed. “Oh.” Her voice was faint. “That was my second guess.”

“Charlene, are you new to our world?” Sasha asked in a gentle voice.

“I don’t know what I am right now,” Char admitted.

Sasha patted her on the hand. “If you don’t mind me saying, our world isn’t much different than the world of the mortals. We love, live, and have productive lives.”

“Just with more teeth.”

The other woman laughed and nodded. “For some of us that’s true. Most of us aren’t anyone to be feared. We don’t live under the beds of children to grab them when they stick their feet out from under the covers. Many of us are more humane than most humans.”

“And what is Rik? Is he a cat?”

“We call them were-cats. They are very similar to a werewolf from your American movies. Their kind are cat shapeshifters and they’re known for being very sensual creatures.”

That explained a lot. Weary, Char allowed her eyes to slip closed.

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“It’s a lot to take in.”

“It is. Just take it slow and trust that all will work out in the end.” Sasha stroked Char’s arm. “Rest. I’m sure Rik will be back any minute.”

Just what the hell had she stumbled into? Vampires? Did they really exist or was Sasha some deluded freak and she’d landed smack dab in the middle of some sort of cult?

Lyn’s wolfish face came to mind and she shuddered. No, what she’d seen was real.

He had changed shape before her very eyes. She shook her head then regretted the movement as a soft wave of pain washed over her.

The soft murmur of voices warned her that someone was approaching. Rik materialized in the doorway and his golden gaze centered on her. He was dressed in loose, dark blue scrubs and he looked disgustingly hale and hearty. Three scratches on his right cheek marred the perfection of his face, but she was pleased to see they’d been cleaned and attended to. When he saw she was awake, he smiled and her stomach clenched.

She was definitely in trouble.

“How are you feeling?” He kissed her on the forehead and she inhaled his familiar, beloved scent.

“Shaky,” she said. “My brother—”

“Is pissed but he’ll live.” He took her hand. “Just hang tight and everything will become clearer—”

The soft sound of someone clearing his throat brought her attention to the door. A tall, dark-haired man clad in an immaculate Armani suit was watching her from the entrance. His skin was pale and his eyes were a mesmerizing green. Behind him came a second man that Char recognized from the alley and the warehouse.

“Char, this is Alexandre Saint-Juste, the head of the Council of Elders,” Rik spoke.

“The Council is akin to the American Congress.”

The tall man smiled. “Only more efficient.” His cool gaze moved over Char and she fought the urge to squirm. “I trust you are feeling much better?”

Char forced a weak smile. “Much, thank you for asking.”

“And this is Bo, Lyn’s brother.” Rik indicated the second man.

“A werewolf.” Char’s voice was flat.

Something flickered in the man’s eyes and he nodded.

Alexandre looked at his watch. “If we may speak freely, Rik?”

Rik took her hand. “Of course.”

“We need to discuss the recent events involving you, Weylyn and this young woman. I understand that the wolf is dead.”

“He is.” Rik spoke and Char shuddered. As long as she lived, she would never forget the look of pure animal rage on Lyn’s face as she fell into the water.

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“Just how did he die?”

Rik squeezed her hand. “I killed him, Alexandre.”

The vampire frowned. “You were told to avoid confrontation, and killing someone is definitely a confrontation. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I killed him in order to save the life of the woman I love,” Rik said.

Char froze at his words. He loved her? Did she hear him right?

“That’s not a very—” Alexandre started.

“Your honor,” Bo stepped forward, “if I may add something to your line of questioning.”

Alexandre nodded. “Go ahead.”

“My brother had plans to set Rik up from day one. He paid his human lover, an unmarked lover I might add, to seduce Rik into bedding her.”

“For what purpose?”

“He wanted a reason to start a war, sir.”

Alexandre frowned and his electric gaze moved from Rik to Bo then back again.

“What brought this on?”

“Mikhail recruited him to start a war between the cats and wolves in the hopes that it would divide the Council and leave you vulnerable to attack.

“Several weeks after Rik returned home, Lyn put his plan into action. He murdered Serena in New York and came here demanding an apology from Rik. I found out about her death only after our meeting with Rik turned sour.”

“What happened during that meeting, Rik?” Alexandre asked.

“He wanted me to grovel at his feet and he pulled an innocent young woman into it.” Rik raised their linked hands, ensuring Alexandre saw them. “He threatened her life and I was forced to defend her.”

“This is most distressing news.” Alexandre’s gaze flickered over her, and to Char it felt like she was being caressed by a low voltage line. “While I am glad that your human was unharmed, I think it illustrates the danger of forging a relationship between humans and one of our kind.”

Her heart caught in her throat and her gaze locked on Rik. She didn’t know what power Alexandre held but if he forbade their relationship, she was prepared to throw herself at his feet and beg for mercy.

“I am aware of that,” Rik said. “I was a Shadow Hunter for several hundred years and I am very familiar with the dangers involved in crossing that line.”

He raised her hand and brushed his mouth over the back of her knuckles. The depth of emotion in his eyes took her breath away.

“But there are times we can’t help who we fall in love with,” he continued. “Love is like a train with no brakes, running downhill at full speed and you’re helpless to stop it.

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When the odds are against you and you already know you’re sunk, all you can do is hang on and hope for the best possible outcome.”

Her eyes stung and she swallowed hard. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, I think.”

Rik grinned. “I should hope so.”

“Given that Lyn was acting on Mikhail’s behalf, I think the Council will be in agreement when we say that you did nothing wrong in your dealings with the werewolf, Rik,” Alexandre said. He turned toward the wolf.

“Bo, I would like to speak more with you about this.”