Two Wolves and a Candy Seller [Werewolf Castle 1] (14 page)

“Charcoal suit and matching tie, sir,” said Grigori.

“Black suit, yes. I need to look through my neckties but I’m sure I’ll have a suitable one,” said Jairus.

“And you, Damask? Do you have a suitable black dress?”

Damask nearly panicked at being addressed directly but she gulped and said, “I have a floor-length black dress but I also have a navy day-length skirt and blazer which would likely be more appropriate. And navy pumps.”

“You’re right. The suit will be better. Pack that,” said Odette.

“Now. About our travel. I don’t want half the packs in Europe following us home, but I don’t want to have to drive all night to get there either.”

“No problem, sir. We can fly to Bratislava. It’s only about a ninety minute drive from there and a lot of it’s on autobahns. We could lose any pursuers if we needed to by ducking on and off the exits.”

“Jairus, you’ll be driving since you know the area best. What kind of car do you want me to hire?” asked Odette.

“Fast.”

Damask almost giggled but caught herself just in time.

“Also, sir, if you can fit everything you need into carry-on luggage we’ll be much faster in and out of the airport than if we need to wait for a suitcase,” said Jairus.

“We’ll only be staying one night so that is eminently doable. Very well, go and pack your luggage now. Be sure to have an early night. Odette will text you what time we’re leaving in the morning but I can assure you it’ll be much earlier than you are used to.”

Damask hated to have to ask a question but in case he had forgotten she had to say it. “What about my job at the candy store tomorrow, sir?”

“Henry will help out again and I’ll send one of the young men first thing in the morning to restock the shelves so Piotr doesn’t have to do that.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Damask followed Odette out of the Alpha’s office her head still spinning. He hadn’t yelled at her. She was going to a funeral. A very important funeral, just as if she was someone of importance herself. Her mother would be impressed but she wouldn’t say anything until she was home again. She didn’t want to do anything that might give away any of the pack’s secrets.

The men walked her out of the building and stopped near the chapel house. “Pack a scarf or hat to hide your hair, and make sure you have shoes you can run in. I don’t expect anything will go wrong but just in case we need to get away from any pursuers, your hair will be the thing they’ll notice,” said Jairus.

“That’s a good point. Plan to wear your hair at the funeral itself so it’s really noticeable. That way anyone wanting to follow us will focus on your hair. As soon as you cover it up we’ll be invisible. Just one more dark suit in a crowd,” added Grigori.

“Can you ask costuming for a piece of navy blue fabric, please? I don’t have anything like that here at the castle with me. All my scarves and hats are for winter, so are still at home.”

“Can do. See you tomorrow then. I’d really like to kiss you but I guess we won’t be doing that for a few days,” whispered Jairus.

“But with luck we’ll be sitting together on the airplane for a few hours,” added Grigori.

Damask wasn’t so sure about that. Booking flights for the very next day she rather thought they’d have to take any seats still available. But it didn’t matter. She was going to Vienna and even though it was for a funeral likely she’d see some of the sights of the city as they drove through it. Vienna. Wow!

* * * *

The flight into Bratislava arrived on time, for which Jairus was very grateful. It was one of the cheap flights with no food service and his stomach was telling him very angrily it needed some breakfast. He led them through the maze of the airport, glad they’d followed his advice and had only carry-on bags. The crowds at the luggage retrieval carousels were enormous and they were able to walk straight to the almost empty car hire booth and collect their vehicle.

Odette had done as he asked. The car was a Mercedes with a lot of power under the hood. He drove steadily until they reached the autobahn, then he floored the gas pedal. The car took off like a rocket. He eased off the speed again but was certain they’d be able to outrun most cars sent to follow them. If any were, of course. It was all conjecture at this point.

Odette had booked them rooms at a nice but not top-rank hotel in a quiet part of the city of Vienna, just to have a shower and get dressed. She’d also arranged for breakfast to be kept for them, which made him even happier. He was starving hungry and the sight of the pastries and bacon and eggs put new life in him.

After they’d eaten, the Alpha asked, “It’s very nearly ten already. How long will it take us to get to the church?”

“No more than twenty minutes, but it might take me almost as long as that to find a legal parking space. The last thing we need is to come out after the service and find the car has been towed away.”

“Agreed. Very well. We’ll shower and change and meet here at eleven. Jairus can drop us off at the church when we arrive. I need Jairus to identify people for me, so Grigori you will have to find a legal parking space then find your way back to the church. Damask will save you a seat beside her but if the service has begun remain standing at the back. Aim to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jairus was used to showering fast when he was on duty and had already cleaned his dress shoes the previous night, so putting on a suit didn’t take him all that long. He went straight down to the foyer and bookmarked the map of the streets around the church and sent the URL in an email to Grigori. Poor Grigori. He’d gotten the worse deal by having to find a parking space and then find his way back to the church on foot. Still they had plenty of time.

He’d placed the length of navy fabric from the costuming department in his suit coat pocket to ensure he didn’t forget it. When Damask walked into the foyer, as stunning as ever, he handed the fabric to her. She opened her navy purse and dropped the fabric inside. “Thank you.”

Her red hair was piled on her head in an updo, making her look taller, and she wore gold earrings that showed her neck to advantage. She also had a gold chain around her neck and another one on her left wrist. So simple, yet so pretty.

“I’ll drive but you guide me. It’ll give me an opportunity to get to know the car and the traffic,” said Grigori.

Jairus nodded. “That makes sense.”

The Alpha and his wife arrived then and they left. Jairus felt more nervous sitting in the passenger seat than he’d been when he was driving, but Grigori handled the heavy, powerful car well, and drove sensibly.

Jairus pointed out the German words for “No Parking” but the red line though the picture of the car made it pretty obvious anyway and Grigori spoke some German.

Grigori pulled up smoothly outside the church and they all got out. Jairus watched Grigori merge into the traffic then turned to Damask and followed the Alpha up the steps. Although it was still twenty minutes before the service was due to start there were plenty of people in the old stone building. The Alpha’s position was well toward the front. The first few rows would be for family members and the other Supremes. Then would be three or four rows of the Alphas. Jairus calculated carefully and sat six rows behind the Alpha but exactly behind him with Damask behind Odette and her purse on the seat beside her, reserving it for Grigori.

Jairus concentrated on memorizing people, naming those he could and remembering as much as he could of the others, including who they sat next to and who they greeted on their way in.

Their own Alpha left Odette minding his place and spoke to the son and daughter of the deceased Supreme. Both of them had shown very undesirable personality traits, but the Alpha was right. They were still grieving the death of their father and deserved recognition for that. He spoke next to the new Alpha of Vienna and his two mates, people Jairus had met and who he respected. From there the Alpha went and greeted the other Supremes, before making his way back to his seat as the pipe organ began to play.

He heard Damask’s little sigh and he glanced at her. Her eyes were closed and she was enjoying the music. Gently, he patted her hand then returned to his job. Identifying people. Grigori arrived and slid into his seat mere moments before the priest asked everyone to stand as the service began.

It was conducted in German, which Jairus spoke fluently so he understood everything. He knew Grigori would also understand some of what was said, but he was surprised when it came time for the hymn to be sung and Damask’s voice rose out beside him in crystal clear tones, sweet, accurately pitched, and with perfect pronunciation. He hadn’t realized she knew any German at all and her singing was amazing.

The pallbearers were the other Supreme Alphas, so perhaps Odette had guessed correctly and the Alpha of Vienna had bought their plane tickets in advance. Or maybe they’d been told ahead of the rest of the world. The son and daughter walked side by side behind the coffin followed by the rows of Alphas. Jairus inserted himself into the crowd staying as close behind his own Alpha as he could, watching, watching, watching, those who surrounded him.

People started to leave the building, and Jairus inched a little closer. Grigori breathed into his ear, “Should I fetch the car?”

“How far?” he muttered back.

“Ten minutes to get it back here.”

“Go.”

It was a gamble, only the Alpha knew what he wanted, but it seemed sensible to Jairus. He thought it likely the Alpha would be ready to leave by then. If not, Grigori could just keep driving around the block until they left the church.

Twice Jairus had caught sight of Brody and Roman deep in the crowd. They were young men from their pack studying in Vienna, and they monitored the drop boxes for information from the various packs which they relayed back to the Alpha. After Grigori left the church, Brody disappeared too, but Roman came up to Jairus. He didn’t look at him or speak but he opened his hand and in it was a toy yellow construction vehicle. Jairus had no idea what it meant, but he nodded a fraction anyway. He would certainly tell Grigori to beware of construction vehicles, yellow or otherwise.

Actually they’d swap drivers if they possibly could. He’d rather be driving if they had to make a fast exit. But that in itself might slow them down enough for someone to follow them, dammit.

The Alpha was steadily making his way to the exit. He was still talking to people but not as much. More just saying hi, Jairus thought. He wondered if it was ten minutes yet but hadn’t looked at his watch.

“Eight and a half,” Damask said softly.

She was such a treasure. He was surprised she’d even followed his brief exchange with Grigori far less monitored the time for them. He walked her out of the building and down the stairs then turned side on so he could see both the traffic closest to the church, and the stairs down which the Alpha would come.

He also noticed a young man on a motorcycle. A man with a full face helmet and thick leather jacket. He had a quiver of alarm before he noticed the style of the pants and the shiny black boots. It was Roman. So he was going to support them if need be. That was good.

Jairus saw the Mercedes stopped at a traffic light just a few hundred feet from the church. He looked up the steps for his Alpha and Odette. The deceased Alpha’s daughter was hanging on Yerik’s arm, talking to him. The Alpha brushed her off but she grabbed his hand again. The three of them came down the stairs together, the daughter still holding tightly to the Alpha, Odette maintaining a perfectly bland countenance.

Grigori stopped the car right outside the church, blocking traffic. He jumped out and ran to the passenger side. Damask took two fast steps to the car and piled into the backseat, Grigori jumped in the front passenger seat, and Jairus claimed the driver’s seat and buckled his seatbelt. He watched in the rearview mirror as Odette then the Alpha climbed in. The other woman was still talking as the Alpha firmly shut his door.

Jairus pulled out into traffic, then slammed down the central locking button. Quickly he made his way across a few lanes of traffic and turned onto a major road. “Watch and see if we’re followed,” he said not taking his gaze from the road for a moment.

“Motorcycle,” called Damask.

“Is it Roman?”

“Yes,” said Odette as calmly as if he wasn’t exceeding the speed limit and driving dangerously.

“Anyone else?”

“Black SUV. It’s a way back but trying hard to catch up. Either someone is in a hurry or they’re following us,” said Grigori.

“Let me know if you see a construction vehicle anywhere, possibly yellow.”

Jairus concentrated on going as fast as he could and using every opportunity to get farther ahead of the SUV. It wasn’t far to the first autobahn and he could enter and exit that a couple of times if need be before he picked up the correct road to Bratislava.

“Roman’s talking on his cell phone,” said Odette.

“Likely to Brody. I wonder where he is.” Jairus didn’t look back for a moment. He was totally focused on getting ahead.

“Yellow construction vehicle one hundred feet back on the right,” called Damask.

“It’s a tractor scraper,” added the Alpha.

“That doesn’t help. Is it a friend or the opposition,” groaned Jairus wishing the truck ahead of him would get over into the slow lane.