31 comments/ 13451 views/ 39 favorites Storm of Shadows Ch. 02 By: JazCullen I was in such a rush to get the Prologue and Ch 1 of Storm of Shadows up that I completely forgot to write a note at the start and let newer readers know this is part of a series and is in fact book 8, my apologies. The complete order to read is on my Lit Bio Page so please do stop by there for updates and such. Enjoy! * Dara Romanov ran as if all the shades of hell were after her. It took less than two minutes to make her way from the wrecked house set apart from the main pack compound to the Alpha's large dwelling in the very heart of their community. Her urge to throw up had passed, but the pit of her stomach still rumbled with nausea. Clutched in her hands, was the leather bound journal she'd discovered in Gard and Rayne's immaculate bedroom. The final words she had read were still embedded in her terrified mind. Dear Kothari... I'm here A Just thinking about it made her want to weep and her throat tighten with fear. If what she suspected was true...then Lord only knew what that would mean for Kothari or the rest of the pack. This was something she couldn't keep from her Alphas, they had to know and know immediately. She wasn't the least surprised to scent Rafe in his study the moment she entered his house. Given everything that had happened in the early hours of the morning, she doubted that he had even been to bed yet. Barely waiting for his summons to enter when she knocked, Dara opened the door to find her Alpha staring into the empty fireplace directly ahead of her. Troubled brown eyes turned to regard her as she entered, surprise mirrored deep within. "Dara. What are you doing up and about so early?" "I went to check on Kothi. He didn't come to the pack's aid when the vampires struck and that seemed odd given how protective he is of the pack. Rafe...Rafe, I found the house completely destroyed, save for Gard and Rayne's bedroom. This was lying on the bed..." The words rushed out of her mouth, fear etched in every one as she held out the journal to her Alpha. Rafe's strong brow puckered in a frown as he reached for the book. "I tested my link with him. His aura is peaceful." He took the journal to his desk, sitting in his customary seat as he quickly scanned the pages. Dara couldn't form any more words, her fear suddenly leaving her so lethargic she practically flopped into a chair across from Rafe, relieved that she had passed the burden of her discovery to someone who would know what to do about it. When the Alpha reached the end of the journal and his eyes met hers once more, she wanted to burst into tears at the expression on his face. In all her years, she'd never seen Rafe let down his guard before, to show exactly what he was thinking. Now the colour had leeched from his face and there was such grief etched across his features that the tears she was trying to hold back fell unbidden. "Kothari has gone rogue." As he uttered the words that confirmed her suspicions, Dara broke into loud sobs. She had tried to deny it even as she knew the truth. She had known it from the moment she'd read the last entry. Gard and Rayne's disappearance had finally done what they had all feared; it had tipped Kothari over the edge. "Rafe? What's wrong?" She was vaguely aware of Lacey, the Alpha's mate's, worried voice filling the room, but she didn't look up, couldn't acknowledge the other person in the room. Kothi was out there somewhere alone, only he wasn't the Kothi they all knew and loved despite his quirks. He was something else, something different and potentially lethal. It was all that kept going through her mind, all she could think about for a long time. By the time she had surfaced enough from her inner thoughts, there were more people in the study, her mother and father, Alexei and Cedar, and her uncle and aunt, Andrei and Loretta. Kallum was there too, his hair ruffled as if he'd just pulled himself out of bed. "I stayed here rather than returning to the Praetorian Compound," her friend explained when she scrubbed at her cheeks and gave him a questioning look. It made sense that he would stay close to the pack after the attack, he was the uncrowned leader of the Vârcolac. Their tight mental bond would have alerted him to Dara's distress and he had come without a second's hesitation. Next to her family, Kal was one of the most important people in her life, and he took his responsibilities seriously. It was only as she acknowledged that, that she noticed the additional mental support drifting towards her, and realised that Cassia and Pietro were in the room too. Her sister's mate was standing, leaning against the door as if he was barring any further people from entering. Cassia was standing beside her parents, worry etched across her face. "I'm fine," Dara reassured her family, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. It was evident that everyone was aware of what had happened, and she wondered just how long she had been crying that she hadn't noticed her surroundings. Her mother ran a hand over her hair, leaning down to give her a hug. Dara wasn't sure whether she was reassuring her daughter or herself, but she managed a weak smile and leaned into her touch. Her father was hovering close by, his concerned expression another clear indicator of the gravity of the situation. Dara wanted to kick herself for losing it so completely, for scaring her family and her Alphas. She was better than this, stronger than this. They shouldn't have to be concerned about her. It was Kothari they needed to be thinking of right now, and how they could best help him. "Has he really gone rogue?" Dara asked, her voice much stronger as she straightened her back and dug deep inside for the hidden well of strength she knew was there. "What other explanation can there be?" Rafe answered, gesturing to the journal. "From what I've read, Kothari has walked a very fine balance for so many years. It's a wonder it's taken him this long to finally break. Clearly Gard and Rayne have been buffering him for a long time, though who this angel is he refers to, I don't know." Dara knew...though she tried to deny it. Reading between the lines it was clear that Kothi believed this angel to be his mate...and she was more than certain that he was completely wrong about that. "It's me," she finally said, drawing all eyes to her. "He refers to an incident where Agony hurt his angel. I am fairly certain that he's referring to something that happened a while ago, when we were at the river together." "He hurt you?!" The icy quality of her father's voice made her shiver but she kept her expression as neutral as she could. "Not really, Dad. He got angry because I was pushing him and he did grab me, but he didn't hurt me per se. I shifted to wolf form and that appeared to trigger his panther because he shifted too. The odd thing was he appeared so surprised to see his animal, which after reading the journal I can now understand, but I didn't at the time." She took another deep breath, her eyes appealing to her father whose expression was thunderous despite her words. "He didn't mean to hurt me and he didn't really, I swear he didn't. It was straight after that incident that he saved Lily when she fell from the cliff. Kothi loves us, Dad, all of us. He would never deliberately hurt any of us, and I think that he may even possibly believe that I am his mate..." There, she'd said the words out aloud now, and for a brief moment there was stunned silence within the room and then everyone started to talk at once. "Dara, is he?" Cassia gasped, her eyes going wide. "Dear God, Karma surely can't hate me that much," her father grumbled, which brought him a dig in the side from his mate. "Alexei Romanov! Kothari is part of our pack. He's family already. Don't you dare speak ill of our daughter's mate!" Cedar's disapproval flashed from her eyes even as she nibbled worriedly at her bottom lip. "The boy is dangerous," Pietro commented from his position at the door. "I have spoken with him and have seen his struggle. Alexei is right to be concerned, especially after what has happened." "Is it even possible for Kothi to go rogue when he has found his mate?" Lacey asked, confusion and concern warring for dominance on her face. "He's not," Dara muttered, frowning as everyone ignored her and started to have a debate on whether or not there was some hope that Kothari hadn't gone rogue because of this new development. "He's not," she said a bit louder, rolling her eyes as no one paid a blind bit of notice to her. "Kothari is NOT my mate!" she yelled, startling the rest of the room into total silence as they all turned to look at her once more. "But you said..." her mother stammered, looking even more confused than she had been before. "That Kothi believed he was my mate. Just because he believes it doesn't make it the truth. I am one hundred percent certain that he isn't my mate, Mom. I love him, of course I do, but not in that way. My wolf is completely ambivalent towards him. She is not the least bit interested in him." "Couldn't it be similar to how my wolf was undecided at first with Pietro?" Cassia asked, though it was evident that although she asked the question, she automatically believed her sister. Dara shook her head. She'd been thinking about it ever since she had read the journal. She had tested her wolf, paid minute attention to its reactions over Kothari's disappearance, and the possibility of him being rogue. The animal was unperturbed by the events and it wouldn't have been if he was their mate. "I'm certain of it, though from the evidence in the journal, I think he truly does believe I'm his mate, and that can only work to our advantage." "Explain." Rafe's brown eyes were piercing as he spoke that one word, his gaze firmly fixed on Dara's face. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath to prepare for the automatic outcry she expected from her next words. "If Kothi has gone rogue, or whatever version of rogue we Vârcolac can go, then it stands to reason that he is as dangerous as both Pietro and Dad have already intimated. Sending someone after him will not be without risk. However, I believe that I would stand the best chance of not only finding him, but also bringing him safely home." "Not a chance in hell!" her father roared, fury blazing from his eyes. "Don't you even consider this, Rafe," he continued, pointing a long talon at the other man. "I mean it. Alpha or not, I will not agree to my daughter chasing after a dangerous man, let alone heading off alone to Europe. We all know that's where Kothari has gone. He's searching for his parents and anyone who gets in his way will be in serious jeopardy." "Stand down, Alexei," Rafe countered, his tone calm and even, though his body language was rigid as he stood up slowly. "I appreciate you're concerned for your daughter, but I have to think of the entire pack here. What Dara says has some merit and even though I am reticent about agreeing to anything right now, I can't discount what she has brought to the table." "If you do this I will leave this pack and never come back," the Ancient vampire spat out, no sign of his fury abating. "Andrei? You don't have anything to say about this lunacy?" His gaze swung to his twin brother, who was oddly silent given the fact this impacted on his family too. Andrei's expression was neutral, his gaze moving from his brother to Cedar, and then latterly to Dara, who held his eyes with a strength that brought a half smile to his lips. "You are very brave, niece of mine," he sighed, his smile widening at her surprised expression. His gaze returning to his brother, Andrei shrugged his shoulders and let out a rueful sigh. "Alexei, I have very recently been educated in just what my children are capable of and just how much they do not need my protection. Am I happy that a niece of mine wants to travel to Europe to try to save one of our most vulnerable pack members? Of course I'm not, but do I think she is strong and capable enough to perform such a task? Yes, I am certain that she is because she is her father's daughter, every bit as much as she is her mother's. Dara is a Romanov to the very core, and if you take the tiniest of steps back and truly look at your daughter, you will see just how strong and resourceful she is, my brother." The stunned disbelief that crossed Alexei's face would have been comical if the situation wasn't so grave. A loud growl escaped him in response to what he viewed as his brother's betrayal and his gaze turned to his mate, who was looking so torn that some of the rage he was experiencing evaporated as he caught her expression. "Cedar, surely you can't be considering this? She's our daughter!" "I know, and I want to keep her here with us too, Alexei, but it's not that simple," his mate countered, her voice trembling with the wealth of conflicting emotions coursing through her. "Dara is Vârcolac, and we are only now coming to learn just a fraction of what that means. She is stronger, faster, and has abilities that far surpass all of us here in this room, with the exception of Cassia and Kallum. She is not a helpless child to be protected anymore, my love. We need to see that and believe it because that is the truth." As her mate took two steps back, Cedar reached out a hand in silent plea for him to hear her out. "Kothari needs us, Alexei, and we are powerless to help him. Gard and Rayne left him in our care and we have somehow failed him through no real fault of our own. Do we sacrifice Kothari so that our daughter remains overprotected here in the pack? When Gard and Rayne come home will you be the one to look them in the eyes and tell them that they have lost their son because we were too afraid to allow our daughter to help him?" As his expression turned confused, she took a step towards him, holding his eyes with an intentness that refused to allow him to look away. "Would you accept anyone standing before you telling you that you have lost your child because they were not brave enough to give her a chance at being saved?" Alexei looked away, fury infusing him as the truth of what Cedar said fought to overwhelm him. Would he ever forgive someone in those circumstances? Never! He would hold them accountable for the rest of his existence; blame them forever for the loss of his child. Could he do the same to Gard and Rayne? Could he look them in the eyes and tell them that his child was more important than theirs was and they would just have to accept that? Turning to Dara, he stared at his youngest child, seeing a plea deep within her eyes as she met his gaze resolutely. She was so strong and beautiful, and he couldn't be more proud of her than he already was. Where Cassia had veered towards science and healing, Dara has always been more inclined toward physical combat and pack security. She was a soldier through and through, and he had always known that one day she would elevate in the ranks to Beta level. He was only now realising that his children had grown up when he didn't appear to have been looking. Cassia was recently mated with Pietro, and it would only be a matter of time before Dara would find her mate. It felt a bit churlish to be relieved that she was adamant that it wouldn't be Kothari. He loved the boy just as he much as he did the rest of their pack but he didn't want the headache of having him as a son. Not that he wouldn't have accepted him if he had been Dara's mate. He knew the deep abiding love that came with mating with the other half of your soul. He would never do anything to stand in the way of that. Dara wanted to do this. Her protective nature probably demanded it of her. If she truly believed that she was Kothari's one hope of ever coming home, then to deny her the opportunity to be herself could lead her to hating him forever. Could he live with her hate if it meant keeping her safe? Could he live with not only her disappointment in him, but also Cedar's and Cassia's, not to mention his Alphas'? Andrei would understand, despite his agreeing with Dara's decision. Kallum was oddly silent on the matter, standing off to the side a little as if he were viewing the discussion from the outside. Turning to the Vârcolac, he raised an eyebrow. "You don't have anything to say about this? It's not like you to be so silent on Vârcolac matters." "You have to find peace with this in your own mind, Alexei," Kallum answered, his expression solemn. "This is a family matter as well as a pack one. If you require my opinion, then I will gladly give it to you. Do I believe Dara is capable of this task, hell yes! Do I think she should go alone to Europe, not particularly; however, I can see the weight to her argument. Right now, Kothari has only two beliefs in his world. One is that he will find his parents and bring them home safely. The other is that Dara is his mate, whether that be fact or not." When Alexei opened his mouth to speak again, the younger man held up his hand. "Please, let me finish, Alexei, this is important. There is one thing here that no one else has touched on, which is crucial to any kind of success at finding Kothi and bringing him home. None of us can sense him. Whatever has happened within his mind, he has somehow managed to project a false sense of calmness along all his psychic bonds. He didn't cut us off to alert us like Lily did once. He fed us all a great big lie that all was well with him. " Everyone gasped aloud, with the exception of Dara who was nodding her head. It was she Kallum was now looking at, his expression shrewd as he watched her intently. "You can... you sense him, can't you, Dara? You knew something was wrong and that's why you went to check on Kothi." Everyone turned to look at her once more as she gave a tentative nod. "It's very faint, and I have to search really hard down our Vârcolac link, but there is what appears to be the tiniest beacon of light far off in the distance. Every time I closed my eyes last night, I kept seeing that light. I think Kothi may have been reaching out to me, trying to alert me from wherever he has gone within his mind. I think that the closer I get to Kothi's physical location, that light will grow and I should be able to track him." If what Dara said was true, then it would appear that she was the only one who would stand any chance of tracking Kothari in Europe. It was the final piece of information to put an end to the debate on whether or not Alexei was prepared to allow her to go. He couldn't stop her, not without hurting his family, his pack, and most of all Kothari. He had been part of the pack long enough to feel the same pull of loyalty to each and every member as he felt for Andrei. Conceding defeat, Alexei strode forward, engulfing Dara in a hug so tight it was a wonder she didn't complain that he was hurting her. He had to let go, he had to believe in her strength and wisdom to do what was right, but she was his baby, his little girl that he had never dreamed possible for most of his life. "I know I must let go, Dara, but I don't know how to. If anything happened to you...I swear I would commit murder if even one hair on your head was touched." "Dad, you know I can protect myself. If I remained shadowed the entire time I was in Europe, no one would be any the wiser. I know that's not feasible as I will need to interact with people once there, but I have that added protection." It felt strange to be reassuring her father when, until now, it has always been the other way around. Nevertheless, Dara had to make him see her abilities so he could be at peace with her decision. She could tell the exact moment that he accepted it by the resigned expression that flitted across his face. "You really need to do this, don't you, honey?" Storm of Shadows Ch. 02 "Yes," she whispered, swallowing back the tears that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. Having her father's acceptance of her worth meant the world to her. She was aware how difficult it was for him and yet he had allowed himself to be talked around against his better judgement. "I may be the only person who can save him, Dad. I need to help Kothi, and it has nothing to do with his erroneous belief about us being mates. Being pack is all about being family, but being Vârcolac...I don't know how best to describe how that bond feels to me. The closest I can come is it's like every one of us have the same link that you have with Uncle Andrei. I don't know if that makes a whole load of sense, but it's how I feel." Her father remained silent for another long moment and then he nodded. "It makes perfect sense, but I'm not going to lie and say that I am happy about this, because I'm not. What I will say is that I respect your decision and believe in you as much as anyone else in this room. If Rafe is in agreement to you going to Europe, then I won't stand in your way any further." The rough edge to his voice was the only hint of the powerful emotions he was suppressing. At the mention of his name, Rafe snorted, walking around his desk to come to stand before Dara. "Nice to know someone noticed I was still here in the room." There was a hint of amusement in his tone even as his expression was grave. "Contrary to your father's belief, I don't want you going to Europe any more than he does, Dara." "But, Rafe..." The Alpha gave her a small smile when her expression turned shocked and she went to say more. ""No hear me out, Dara. I said I don't want you going to Europe, I didn't say that I would stop you from going. Unlike your father, I have to think of the needs of the pack as a whole, and right now three of my most valuable members are missing and we don't know for sure what's happened to them. With the recent attack against us, I need all three back here safe and sound." Sighing loudly, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "We can't ask the vampires to go because we are nowhere close to preparing enough antidote to the Amort poison. We can't risk our allies to suffer what Pietro did. I can't send wolves because not only will Kothi just shadow himself to hide from them, the European vampires would execute any I sent. Add in the fact that you're the only one who appears to be able to track Kothari, well that means that you would stand the best chance of finding him. There is no other option left open to me but to send you." Kallum frowned as he listened, weighing up the Alpha's words and finding himself unable to disagree with anything he said. He did have one thought though. "More than one Vârcolac could go. I could accompany Dara, possibly Elina too?" Rafe was already shaking his head before the younger man had finished speaking. "Kothi has hidden himself from all of you with the exception of Dara. While I don't fully understand what is going through his mind right now, my gut instinct is telling me that he would hide from everyone if Dara takes someone else with her. It feels as if he is almost inviting her along...that he is telling her he needs her with him. His need to find Gard and Rayne is paramount and most likely he only trusts himself to do that, and possibly Dara." "But what about Gard and Rayne's disappearance?" Cedar interjected. "Someone or something managed to get to them and they're the oldest beings to walk this planet. How will Dara or Kothi be safer over there on their own?" Dara stepped over to her mother, taking her hands in her own and giving her a reassuring smile. "No one is saying this isn't a dangerous assignment, Mom. I promise I won't put myself recklessly in harm's way if possible, but we have to do this. We have one advantage and that's knowing that there is someone out there so powerful he or she could overcome Gard and Rayne. Gard doesn't have the power to shadow himself and you know that Rayne would never leave him by protecting herself when he was vulnerable. It's different for Kothi and I as we both have that power and we will use it to protect ourselves." "We can also use some of Caleb's contacts over there too, Cedar," Rafe added. "Dara will not be completely alone. We do have allies in Europe she can turn to as she tracks Kothari." "Are you planning on asking Caleb and Annie's thoughts on this plan?" Andrei asked. His tone made it plain that he didn't see the need. "Annie has enough to deal with right now," Rafe sighed. "Gard is her brother as much as I am, and she will be taking his disappearance hard. I will let them know what we're doing, and get contact details from Caleb, but this mission is purely pack related for the most part. I am not asking their permission to send Dara over. I will be telling them it's happening." When no one asked any more questions, the big Alpha gave Dara a tight hug, his pride and concern flowing down his Alpha bond with her. "Keep hold of Kothi's journal. It may help you decipher his way of thinking when you're in Europe. For now, go and get packed. We need to arrange travel documents for you and I'll call Caleb to see if we can use his private jet." "If you need travel documents for Dara, then how the hell will Kothari get to Europe?" Pietro asked, drawing all eyes to him. It was a valid point. None of the Vârcolac had any formal travel documents. "He couldn't go to any of our usual people," Alexei mused, his expression turning thoughtful. "No, he couldn't," Andrei agreed, his expression mirroring his brother's. "Any of our authorised people would flag up the request as is the norm to either Were or vampire council. He would have to deal on the black market and I know just the person who would likely entertain his request." "Give me that information," Rafe said as he pulled out his phone to call Caleb. "That might be a good starting point for Dara when she's ready to go." The meeting now concluded, everyone filed out of the Alphas' house, Dara returning home with her family to begin her preparations to leave. She couldn't deny there was a level of excitement about going on the mission, but she was filled with trepidation too. Everything hinged on her interpretation of Kothi's journal being right. If she was wrong and he didn't believe she was his angel...things might not go as well as she hoped they would. Storm of Shadows Ch. 02 While he was masquerading as Kothari, he mustn't do anything that would permanently damage the fragile soul hiding deep within his mind. Kothari often infuriated him with his rambling internal debates, but he was patently aware that he required both parts of his soul otherwise he would truly cross over. The cat within, he ignored completely. It was weak and useless, and not worthy of consideration. He had easily subjugated the animal many years ago and though it still lived, it was the true submissive in their co-joined existence. No, he would not do something that would upset the child within, not by laying with another woman other than his angel. He had promised him that he would find their parents, and that he was there for him, and he would do his utmost to keep his word. Once over in Europe though...he would do much that would most likely upset Kothari. As long as the end goal was a success however, he was sure Kothari would understand the end justified the means. If he couldn't come to terms with it...then the upshot of that would be that Agony would become the dominant personality forever. He wouldn't be too unhappy if that came to pass, though he was fairly certain the rest of the pack would be. Regretfully he stepped past the blonde, heading towards the door without a word. He entered and waited for the male within to look up from his laptop. "You're Carl? Faraday sent me. I need brown contact lenses." He was surprised to note that the man was human, his wizened face and white hair putting him at around his seventh decade. "It'll cost you a thousand." "For a pair of contact lenses?" Agony couldn't keep his tone measured he was so surprised. "Take it or leave it. That's my price." For a long moment, he just stared at the human and then he started to laugh, a cold humourless sound. "You have balls old man. I like that. Here's your price. Now give me my lenses. I don't have time to hang around." The transaction complete, Kothari retraced his steps back to the alleyway, shadowing himself once more and confusing the hell out of the new vampire on guard at Faraday's. He wanted to leave as little evidence as possible of his visit to the forger. When he entered the office, he unshadowed and pulled off his glasses to put in the contact lenses. "Are you ready?" he asked, blinking a few times to become accustomed to the strangeness of having something in his eyes. The lenses were clear glass so they didn't affect his sight. He was certain that had they been the real lenses that some humans required that his own vision would have adapted anyway. "Is this better?" Faraday nodded though Agony wasn't sure to which question he was answering. Perhaps it was both as he motioned him towards the wall on the right where there was now a plain white sheet. "Stand over there against the white background." Agony did as instructed, patiently waiting for Faraday to snap a photograph with an expensive looking camera. His patience was tested while he waited for the forger to mess around with printers and images, but before too long he was being handed a driver's licence, passport and social security card. The documents were flawless, a testament to why Faraday had the highest reputation on the black market. It appeared that Kothari was now one Simon Ducat, a Canadian national from Toronto, Ontario. Even if he hadn't known the documents were counterfeit, Agony was certain that he wouldn't have been able to distinguish the real thing from the fakes, despite his preternatural senses. Faraday really was a master at his craft. "How much?" he asked, opening the black bag and stuffing the ID inside. "As it was a rush job, fifteen thousand." Agony's hand stilled on the bundle of cash he'd been about to take out of the bag, looking up to pierce Faraday with an intent stare. "And I thought the old man had balls asking for a grand for the contact lenses." Pulling out a wad of bills, he tossed them onto the desk. "There's nine grand there. I'm only prepared to pay a maximum of ten for this job. If you want to take the difference from the human, that's between you two." He zipped up the bag and tossed it over his shoulder. "Oh, and Faraday...if anyone comes here looking for me... I was never here." Swallowing hard as he scooped up the cash, the vampire met his gaze without flinching. "None of my customers ever are. I wouldn't still be alive, let alone in business, if I gave them up so easily." Nodding Agony turned to leave, halting and turning back with a thoughtful expression on his face. Inside him Kothari was whispering, one word over and over. He was going to ignore him, but changed his mind in a fraction of a second. If he didn't concede this one thing then Kothari would whisper endlessly and that would seriously piss him off. "One person may come...one like me, with hair of gold and eyes of warm chocolate. You may answer her and only her, but only if she gives you one word...angel. If any others track me through you apart from her...you will not see me when I take your head." Shadowing once more, Agony left the room without a backward glance. He knew he didn't need to threaten the vampire but it had felt satisfying to see the expression of abject terror that had crossed his face. Humming under his breath, he made his way back down the dank alleyway, turning to the left and the main shopping area of the city. If he was to catch a plane then he had to blend in and look like one of the human holidaymakers. It shouldn't take him long to purchase the bare essentials that security would expect to see of someone going abroad on vacation. To be continued... Storm of Shadows Ch. 03 Dara placed her backpack beside the front door and turned towards the living room where she knew her family were waiting for her appearance. To say she was apprehensive about the upcoming trip was an understatement but she ensured her expression was confident as she braced herself to enter the room. She was deceptively calm, particularly after the fraught emotions in their Alpha's study She put that down to Cassia coming to sit with her for a while when she had started packing. Her sister's presence had been a silent comfort that had soothed the racing of her heart as the enormity of what she had agreed to began to truly seep into her mind. She had to be all kinds of stupid to do this thing, and yet, she couldn't not do it. That simply wasn't an option. Cassia had asked only one question, her blue eyes intent as she'd examined her sister's face. "Are you certain, Dar?" "Do I want to be Kothi's only hope? Hell no, Cass, but it appears that is the case." Throwing another t-shirt into her backpack, she had turned to look at her sister. "I can't leave him out there alone, Cassia. I just can't do it. I know this mission is dangerous, and I won't have the backup of the pack like I'm accustomed to. I guess I am just going to have to be everything that you, mom and dad, and our Alphas believe me to be - a strong soldier." Her sister's expression had changed then, turning thoughtful and a bit distant. Then she had risen from her seat on Dara's bed, engulfing her in a tight hug that contained all her love and the concern she couldn't quite hide. "Remember the vampires over there are quick to attack wolf shifters. It might be wise to avoid shifting as much as possible. Concentrate on your vampiric side and try to convince them you're one of them. If you do come into contact with any wolves over there...tell them you know Fox, that should help gain their trust." "Fox?" Dara hadn't even attempted to hide her confusion from her sister. Cassia would have sensed it down their link anyway. "Who's Fox?" "A European wolf I bumped into a couple of times in the city recently. He tried to protect me from Pietro of all things." Cassia's rolled eyes had brought a smile to Dara's face. "Why would he think you would need protecting from your mate?" Just the thought of that misunderstanding was funny. She wished she'd been there to see it. Her sister had shrugged, a smile gracing her lips. "Most likely because of his distrust of vampires which is understandable considering he's from Europe. There was just something about him that struck me as honourable...that he was possibly a Beta in his pack. He was most certainly a soldier. He carried himself as one who was used to having to be on guard all the time. He seemed like a good man to have at your back." It had been a strange conversation but something Dara filed to the back of her mind to remember just in case she needed it. There were likely few people over in Europe she could count on and having at least one additional ally couldn't be a bad thing. Now she squared her shoulders and entered the living room, walking across to her mother who immediately rose from the sofa with her arms open wide. It was hard to hide her nervousness, and not to cry as her mother held her tightly. She knew how hard this was for her, how hard it was for all of her family. "I'll be okay, Mom. You and Dad have trained me well, not to mention the pack and Vârcolac training I've had. I won't place myself in any unnecessary risk." "I'm sure that's what Gard and Rayne thought too," her father muttered, a frown darkening his handsome face as he took his opportunity to hug his youngest daughter. "We've been through all this." Dara couldn't hold back the sigh that was threatening to escape. "Now we know there is someone out there that is strong enough to best Gard and Rayne, I will be especially vigilant." "That's all well and good, Dara, but who the hell is going to protect you from Kothari if he has gone rogue?" he argued, his frown only deepening. "Kothi won't hurt me, Dad, no matter what his state of mind is. I am certain of that, so please try not to worry about things that aren't likely to happen." It was important to get that point across to her family because it was something she truly believed. It was the only reason she was willing to go to Europe. Her parents' resigned expressions were enough to tell her that they were reluctantly agreeing to her mission. Her father handed her a piece of paper with a name and address on it. "This is the vampire Kothari most likely went to see to get ID. Your Uncle Andrei says he's the best on the black market, and he isn't slow at knocking people around if they get too uppity with him. Try to be respectful in your dealings with him. You might find it easier to get what you need with honey rather than with a stick. If you want, I could come with you?" Dara smiled at her father, resisting the urge to let out another sigh. He couldn't help himself with his overprotectiveness and she really didn't want him to ever change. "I will be fine, Dad. Now, I need to get going because Kothi has God knows how many hours' head start on me. Try not to worry too much, I will check in regularly." Now that the moment to leave was finally there, she was hesitant to leave the sanctity of her family and pack, but she knew she had no other choice. She had agreed to this assignment and she would do her best to bring Kothari back safe and sound. If they were lucky, they may even return with Gard and Rayne. With final hugs to her parents and sister, Dara headed out of her home and raised a hand in Rafe and Lacey's direction. Her Alphas were standing outside their home, their gaze intent on her. "Be safe, Dara, and bring our boy home," Lacey whispered, a tremor in her voice as she hugged her and then stepped back to allow her mate to embrace her. "In the event that the risk is too great, you are to protect yourself first, Dara Romanov, even if that means returning to us alone. I mean it...don't you dare put your life at risk for Kothari or anyone else, if it becomes clear that he doesn't want to be helped." There was so much Command in Rafe's voice that it would have been impossible to disobey him even if she'd wanted to. "I understand, Rafe. Let's hope it doesn't come to that." With a final wave to them, she climbed into the waiting Jeep that had her Uncle Aaron, their pack's second in command, behind the wheel. "I'll drop you off close to the district you need," her uncle told her. His blue eyes stared intently for a long moment and then he nodded his head as if coming to some internal decision she wasn't privy to. "I am proud of you, Dara. You are an Alexander through and through even if your DNA is messed up with those Romanovs." He winked as he spoke, drawing a loud peel of laughter from his niece. ""You're outrageous, Aaron, but thank you for the back handed compliment. I know you adore Dad and Uncle Andrei, despite your grumbling." He laughed with her, and her nervousness eased a bit and her smile widened. Her uncle had deliberately said what he had to lighten her pensiveness. That was what made him such an excellent number two...he always knew what every pack member needed at any given time. Settling back in her seat...she closed her eyes as the Jeep surged forward, away from the pack, and her mission truly began in earnest. It seemed like no time had passed before she was getting out of the Jeep, after submitting to a huge bear hug from her uncle. Now she watched the car drive away and realised that she was now truly on her own for the first time in her life. Squaring her shoulders, Dara checked her surroundings quickly before she shadowed her presence and headed towards the address she'd been given. This part of the city was particularly seedy, and it made sense not to advertise a lone female wandering around. She didn't want to have to kick ass just to get to her destination. She found it easily enough, scented the area carefully to see if she could pick up any trace of Kothari. She thought she detected a faint scent but couldn't be sure it wasn't just wishful thinking on her part. Making her way down the alleyway, she unknowingly echoed her friend's movements, slipping passed the vampire guard who was staring perplexedly at the steel door that had appeared to open all by itself twice now. As she entered the door at the very end on the hallway, the dark-haired vampire looked up with a shrewd expression but didn't rise from his seat behind the desk. Dara unshadowed herself as the door closed, keeping a respectful distance from the elder male. "It's customary to knock when you wish admission," the male growled, displeasure crossing his face as he glared at her. "I didn't want give you the opportunity to refuse," she countered, moving further into the room and sitting down in a chair across the vampire. "I seek one who is like me." "I don't know any blondes. My taste runs to brunettes." She supposed he thought he was being witty but she wasn't very amused by his response. Fighting not to allow her temper to rise, Dara took a deep breath and tried again. "The person I seek is around six foot, with short dark hair and an unnatural predilection for sunglasses and the colour black." The male sat back, steepling his fingers as he watched her intently. "What makes you think that I would know anything about this individual?" Dara smiled, mimicking his position. "Because you weren't the least bit surprised when your door opened all by itself and I revealed myself to you. In addition, you had the sense not to instantly attack me. That tells me that the person I am looking for has been here ahead of me, and you, being an Elder of some age, learn quickly. Hence why you didn't attack me. You've already had one lesson today." The vampire's expression changed, turning guarded as he leaned forward onto his desk. "Let's say...just hypothetically...that such an individual did come to see me. And let's say that the said individual promised to take my head should I divulge his visit, and that I might only do so to one other person and only if said blonde was to say one word only...what would you have to say to that?" Dara felt elation well up inside and fought to keep her expression as neutral as possible. Kothari had been here, she was certain of that, and he had known that she would come looking for him. He did want her to find him just as she suspected. Only now, she had to try to come up with the password he had left in place for the forger. She had to think carefully because the wrong answer would lead to her having to kick the vampire's ass to get the information she needed and that would take too much time. What word would Kothi have chosen? What did he believe she would be able to come up with when asked? Dara's thoughts went to the journal nestled in her pack, the journal that was an insight into Kothi's mind and a map to where he was headed. Taking a chance, she met the vampire's unwavering gaze, and took a deep breath before she answered... "Angel." For a long moment the vampire just looked at her, then she heard the whirring of the printer beside him, and he pulled off an A4 sheet and handed it to her. Glancing down, Dara stared at the image of Kothari, now called Simon Ducat. He had been here as they had expected. Clearly she must have given the correct password for the forger to give her the information. Looking back at him, she gave him a brief smile. "How long ago was he here?" "Close to five hours now. He's had sufficient time to leave the country with the travel documents I gave him." It was enough to make her heart sink, but Dara tried not to be too disheartened. At least they had a name now and she could call it in and have one of their contacts at the airport let them know when Kothi had travelled. "Thank you for your assistance. I won't bother you any longer." She didn't need travel documents, her mother had arranged those with their own contact while she was packing. "Just who the hell is he? And you?" Faraday asked as she turned around to leave. Giving him another smile over her shoulder, Dara stored the printed page in her pack beside Kothi's journal. "Let's just say my father and his twin brother are extremely grateful for your assistance today." The vampire watched the pretty blonde leave, swallowing hard as he did. He didn't need to ask just who her father or his brother were, there was only one vampire family that consisted of a set of twin brothers. However, that wasn't why he swallowed hard, even though the Romanov twins were something to be feared by anyone with any intelligence. No, the reason he felt fear clog his throat was he finally understood that he had been in the presence of not one, but two, hybrid offspring that day...and they scared the complete shit out of him. ***** The darkness was oppressive, holding him sucked downed in a maelstrom of bonds so tight that no matter how hard he fought, he couldn't free himself. Something nagged at his sluggish mind, something so urgent that he fought against the darkness with renewed vigour, desperate to overcome it. Sarayne...Sarayne...Sarayne... He had to find her, had to save her. Where was she? Why couldn't he think clearly? Gard tried to call to his mate, tried to find her down their mate bond but there was nothing there, just more darkness...Dear God if she was...he couldn't continue down that line a thought. Suddenly there was a faint light, so minute that for a moment he thought he'd imagined it, but it began to blossom a little brighter, and his sluggish mind travelled towards the beacon. It was like staring through a keyhole, locked out of the room that was bathed in light and offered freedom. A flash of red beside the illumination, the colours beginning to mute as soon as they had arrived... "Anakatrine! Ana, hear me!" There was no answer...there was only the darkness once more. The light faded away and the fragile lucidity that had gripped him faded within as he swirled once more into the void. No! No! He had to reach her...he had to reach someone! It was to no avail though, as shadowy figures in the real word injected a serum into his arm as he lay helpless. Gard was once more entombed in a world of utter blackness, where he silently screamed knowing no one could hear him. ***** "Annie?" Rafe's voice cut through the babble of noise surrounding Rhianna as they sat in the Alpha's study being updated on everything that had happened since they'd left the night before. Caleb had woken her early, knowing that she would have wanted to find out what had happened to Gard and Rayne as soon as possible. He'd informed her of Demetri's visit in the early hours of the morning, and the more recent news of the discovery of Michael's body by Freya and Nors. Once they had reached the Armand-Hanlon Pack, they had learned of Kothari and Dara's absence, and the magnitude of what had happened was only now sinking in. Her brother's voice startled her out of her reverie, and she blinked slowly, trying to clear the fog that was whirling through her mind. Caleb was staring at her with a concerned expression, and it was only then that she realised that some time had passed since she'd last spoken. Something else had teased at her subconscious mind; something so urgent she had completed zoned everything else out. "He's alive," she whispered, feeling the elation of the long dead vampire queen within her mind. Anakatrine had gone deep, to a place Rhianna didn't know how to go to. Wherever she had gone, she had returned with those two words. "Gard is alive," she said more firmly, just the words helping to shake some of the overwhelming grief from her soul. Anakatrine wouldn't have told her if it wasn't true. She had to hold onto that hope. "Are you sure?" It was Caleb who asked the question, his concern still apparent. "I can't feel anything down the Triumvirate bond, Annie." It was clear that he was afraid she was getting her hopes up. "Neither can I, Caleb, but Anakatrine is certain. She must have had some kind of contact with him. Gard is alive. That's all I know. There is no news on Rayne, but we have to believe that she is too, for Gard's sake." Just the mention of the vampire queen's certainty was enough to bring some relief to Rafe and Lacey. Anakatrine hadn't been proven wrong yet, so if she had been able to sense Gard somehow, there could still be hope that things would turn out okay. "I hope you're right, Annie, because I fear for Kothari if he doesn't find them safe," Rafe answered, running a hand through his rumpled hair. His eyes felt as if someone was stabbing hot pokers through them, his large shoulders were uncharacteristically hunched over with tension. When had he last slept? He couldn't remember, and he couldn't afford to sleep at the moment with all that had happened. "That's it, time for you to go sleep." Aaron Alexander gave his Alpha a pointed look from his position at the window. Rafe had asked him to attend when Caleb and Annie had arrived, to ensure his number two was completely up to date on the situation. "Aaron." Rafe's warning growl would have intimidated some of the more maternal pack members, but it just brought a cocky grin from the blond wolf. Aaron had been instrumental in Rafe's recovery when he had been the victim of a forced turning many years before. He had been his best friend ever since, and often his partner in crime before they had met their mates. "There is nothing you need to be doing that is urgent, Rafe. Should we get any news from Dara or Europe, we can wake you up and let you know. The pack is secure and the Praetorians appear to have taken it upon themselves to adopt the pack as a whole rather than just the Vârcolac." Aaron moved over to stand in front of his friend. "In addition, Lacey doesn't look like she's willing to go rest without you, and she needs as much rest as possible in her condition," he added. "I can take care of things for a few hours." Rafe looked at his pregnant mate, seeing the lines of fatigue under her eyes. He felt a pang of guilt at not having noticed it earlier. She hadn't uttered one word of complaint, and she had been there at his side to help lend him strength. He knew it was pointless to try to make her get some rest without him, so he gave in to his friend's common sense. Truth be told, there was nothing he wanted more right now than to lie in his beautiful mate's embrace. "Fine." He gave his sister a tight hug, understanding the strain she was under with her brother from another time missing. His Annie felt things so intensely, he knew it was killing her. However, she had Caleb to be her strength, so he had no qualms about leaving his sister in the vampire's capable hands. "If Anakatrine has any more news..." "You'll be the first to know. Aaron's right, Rafe. Both you and Lacey need some rest. I will stay here with the pack until you wake." He could maybe have argued with them but he couldn't argue with his deep-rooted need to take care of Lacey. It was ingrained into his soul, and he needed to ensure Lacey and his children were safe and well. Looping an arm around his mate's shoulders, Rafe headed out of his study and upstairs for some much needed sleep. As the Alphas left, Caleb pulled Rhianna into a warm hug, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "I need to check in with Demetri," he sighed. "He and Mara are arranging an emergency session of the Council. I should probably attend given the difficulties they'll likely face. I'll be back in a few hours. Will you be okay on your own?" Rhianna could understand his concern, but the foolishness of his words couldn't be ignored. "Caleb, I'm in the heart of one of the strongest packs on the Northern Continent. We're surrounded by Praetorians as well. I am hardly alone, my love. Go and do what you need to be doing. I want to catch up with Mac anyway, to discuss Aaron's interesting observation with him. It's been a while since I checked in on what the Praetorians are up to." Storm of Shadows Ch. 03 Her mate appeared mollified by her words and gave her a lingering kiss before he nodded farewell to Aaron and head out, leaving Rhianna alone with the blond wolf. "We haven't spent any time together in a long time either, Aaron," Rhianna smiled, threading her arm through his. "How about I visit with you and Jen for a bit after you ask Mackenzie if he could come down to the pack?" The wolf burst out laughing, his cerulean blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I love how you make everything sound so perfectly innocent, Annie, even when you're moving chess pieces across a board. It will be our pleasure to have you visit with us while you await Mac." She gave him another small smile, allowing him to escort her from the study. If only he knew that she was terrified of being left alone right now. The earlier grief that had numbed her soul the night before was still there, ready to overwhelm her if she wasn't fully occupied. She needed company around her now, as they began what would likely be the long wait for some news of what was happening in Europe. Still, she wasn't upset that he thought she was up to something. There was nothing wrong with keeping other people guessing. ***** "Another urgent Council meeting? This is becoming tiresome." Sasha's softly spoken words were cold, her deep blue eyes bordering on black as she frowned down the opposite end of the ornate dais. The Vampire Council was in session, and for once, the brooding presence of Demetri Bozic wasn't in attendance. His wife and mate, Mara, was safely tucked away between the Romanov twins as was customary at the other end of the large table. Emily was braced between Mara and Stephan, with Cristoph, William, and Corinne taking the next three seats as was the usual makeup of the less intractable members. Following more traditional rules, the Council still sat in order of allegiance, the six closest to the left hand side of the dais looking outward, being those aligned with the Were Pack alliance. The remaining members were more conservative, less tolerant of the alliance with the wolves. Sasha was always in the latter half of the dais...today she was at the very end of the long table. "The Council demanded to be informed immediately of anything further happening with regards the Amort poison. Now you want to complain when we accede to your demands?" It was Alexei who spoke, his tone cold and derogatory. His thoughts were still on his daughter who has been gone for a few hours now. He didn't have any patience to deal with Sasha and her cronies. "The wolves have found a cure?" William asked, his green eyes turning to look to his left. His wide shoulders tilted ever so slightly away from Sasha, making it more than obvious that he didn't care for the white-haired woman very much. "My daughter found the cure," Alexei answered, pride turning his tone smug. "The antidote is being synthesised at the moment, so we need to inform the others of the threat and set up some form of clinic so that those who require the antidote can receive it." He shot a withering glance in Sasha's direction. "I take it you will be one of the first to be inoculated?" Her eyes darkened and fury crossed her beautiful face, however, it was Claude who spoke, flicking a long reddish-blond strand of hair behind his shoulder. "Naturally it is only sensible that ALL Council members receive this inoculation. How are we to lead our people if we do not do so by example?" "Which translates into you're all shit scared of dying," Andrei muttered, his smile containing no humour. "You don't want to have anything to do with the wolves but when it comes to having your asses being saved, suddenly they're your new best friends." "Squabbling among ourselves isn't very productive," Mara sighed, rolling her shoulders to try to release some of her tenseness. Having Demetri present at these meetings was often a nightmare, however today she would have killed to have him lurking in the background. The tension was so high, she wasn't sure that an actual physical fight wouldn't break out. Alexei and Andrei were spoiling for one, and only Demetri or Caleb could keep them in check when their beasts were so close to the surface. Trying to diffuse the situation, she smiled at William and looked to his companion, Corrine. The other woman's expression was more curious that anything else, and that boded well. "We need a liaison with the wolves, someone to direct the setting up of the clinic and keeping a record of who is inoculated. Corinne, would you be willing to do that?" For the barest fraction of a second, green eyes slid to the male at her side who stared straight ahead, and then Corrine nodded her head. "I would have thought one of you would have preferred to oversee such an undertaking," she answered. "Though, I have no issue with performing the task, if required." "Our time will be taken up with other tasks," Alexei replied. "Last night the European vampires attacked the Armand-Hanlon pack and tried to kill two of our members. We are needed there until such times the threat has been neutralised." "They what?" Stephan growled, fury blazoning from his hazel eyes. "Just who the fuck are these upstarts that they come onto our home territory and think they can attack us?" "They attacked a wolf pack, Stephan," Piers snorted, refusing to be intimated by the low growl that escaped Andrei's lips at his words. "Yes, you have cast your allegiance with the wolves, Andrei, and Caleb has given his edict to the Council that they are not to be harmed. This attack is from no vampire aligned to this Council, and while none of our kind here will break Caleb's edict, that does not mean that we will simply rush to protect the wolves from other attacks." Andrei rose slowly, a flash of fury glinting from his eyes before all emotion suddenly vanished from his expression. "Alexei..." Mara whispered, her breath catching as the one she called to in a bid to try to subdue his brother was rising with an equally terrifying expression on his face. "...And nor would we ask you to..." All heads whipped around to the main doors, Mara's shoulders slumping with relief as not only Demetri, but also Caleb strode into the room. Her husband immediately went to the twins' side, a long, hard stare being enough that the brothers sat back down without a further word. Caleb walked towards the centre of the room, his gaze travelling each face, his expression calm. "As I said, we are not asking the Council to provide any protection for the Armand-Hanlon pack, thought just for the record; it was two vampires that were almost killed in the attack. It was the wolves who protected them." "That's beside the point. Why are you here, Caleb? You shouldn't be here anyway. The Ancient Council is having far too much involvement in matters that are Council business. We are not your puppets to dance to your tune." Claude's tone was quiet but his anger was evident. It was clear that half of the Council shared his view, and even William and Corrine nodded their agreement to that point. They sat there silently, all eyes on the Ancient vampire whose expression remained deceptively calm though deep within he was fighting the urge to rip Claude's head from his shoulders. "I am here because someone in Europe developed a toxin that could wipe out our entire race," Caleb drawled, his voice so soft that Demetri automatically shifted his weight into a defensive stance and the twins tensed in their chairs. "I am here because that same someone sent vampires across the ocean to attack us in the heart of one of our strongholds." Caleb moved then, leaning his arms on the table, cold fire dancing from the depths of his eyes. "I am here because Gard and Rayne have vanished somewhere in Europe, and if someone is strong enough to do that, then it's time we stop this petty bickering and we start working together...ALL of us...before we wake up to find that we're completely fucked!" He roared the last words out, unleashing all his frustrations into the room, letting the importance of what he'd revealed sink in for a moment. "Now...does anyone else have any other stupid questions to ask or will this Council now stop thinking about their own petty agendas and start acting to protect our people? Because believe me, if you don't, I will fucking break this Council the same way I broke the last one, and I will keep breaking Councils until you lot get the fucking message!" Stunned silence greeted his words, a flicker of unease crossing most of the vampires' faces. Demetri moved to escort Mara from the dais, coming to stand beside Caleb. Andrei and Alexei followed, making it perfectly clear they stood with the Ancient. Stephan rose slowly, his hand moving to rest lightly on Emily's shoulder though he appeared to be unaware of the gesture. "How could this happen to Gard and Rayne? They are the oldest among us." "Exactly," Caleb answered, his tone a little less strident but his displeasure still very evident. "Threatening to abolish the Council isn't the way to go though, Caleb," Stephan continued, rebuke in his tone. "That may have worked once before, and it prevented a civil war, but if you try that again...you'll be starting a civil war." Caleb sighed loudly, frustration riding him so hard it was difficult to articulate words for a moment. "Stephan, you are missing the basic point here ...we are already at war and we have no inkling of who our enemy is. They have attacked us three times now and so far...we're losing! Now, if you lot can just grasp that fact, maybe we stand some chance of finding out who this enemy is and taking them out. If not...I will not hesitate to risk a civil war here if it means that I will have at least half of our people at my side when I take on this enemy." "Then why are we all still pissing about here?" William growled rising. "It is the Council's job to protect our people. That means we protect our allies too, as they protect us. We have an antidote to a toxin that would wipe us out in a heartbeat because of our allies. There is an invisible enemy out there that can reach into our midst and neutralise some of our best people. It's time we act. I stand with Caleb!" "I stand with Caleb..." Corrine rose at William's side. "You know you have my support," Stephan sighed, "I just wish you were less of an ass about it sometimes." "We are stronger when we act as one," Emily said quietly. There were enough votes to give him the Council, but Caleb still looked to the remaining seated members. "It would seem that the logic presented to us is compelling," Sasha said coldly. "Until this threat is neutralised, you will have my full support to protect our people." One by one, the remaining Council members nodded their agreement, and slowly Caleb relaxed. "Good, then let's all sit down and I'll provide a detailed account of what we know so far. Then we can see what, if any, ideas we can come up with." As the room settled, Caleb ran a quick inventory of just how much detail he was willing to give to the Council. Freya and Nors were fairly certain that there was the possibility of a mole in their camp, though that didn't necessarily mean that person was on the Council. Still, each Council member had their trusted support teams, and if someone were smart enough to get that close to the upper hierarchy...well maybe it would be wise to keep a few things close to his chest for now. Dara and Kothi were on their way to Europe. They didn't need any eyes turning in their direction... ***** The plane journey had been less of an ordeal than Dara had anticipated, but it had been frustrating waiting for the time to pass to reach her destination. Kothari had too much of a head start on her as it was, his attempts at trying to throw them off his tracks quite inventive. He'd used the pack's credit cards in four major cities, going online each time and purchasing tickets to multiple different European cities under the name Kothari Hanlon. It was a good tactic, one that would have left them all scratching their heads if not for knowing his forged travel details. Simon Ducat had only shown up at one airport and with one destination...Edinburgh, Scotland. Kothi was following his parents directly, as she had known he would have. Rafe had called her before she'd boarded her flight to Edinburgh, letting her know that Caleb had contacted his friend Joshua, who would meet her at the airport. She was now scanning the waiting faces, unknowingly echoing Gard and Rayne's actions of only a short time ago. She found him quite quickly, a slight inclination of his head acknowledging that he was the one she sought. Joshua was gorgeous with a slightly roguish look about him, but he exuded a confidence that only came with reaching an advanced age. She hadn't even spoken to him and yet she knew she was going to like him. "Joshua?" "At your service," he said with a smile, tipping the brim of his hat. It should have looked ridiculous when he did it, but it seemed to fit his personality well. Dara couldn't help smiling, despite itching to get on her way. "I bet you drove Gard insane with that charm." "He appeared oblivious to it," Joshua chuckled, "Now Rayne on the other hand..." She burst out laughing, rolling her eyes at his shamelessness. "Yes, you drove him insane; I have no doubt about that." It felt good to have a moment of respite, even if it wouldn't last very long. What was to come would probably be full of danger and possibly death...for this one moment it was just nice to forget the darkness that was ahead. Dara's expression sobered and she shouldered her backpack and motioned Joshua to lead the way out of the terminal. "I'm sorry to hear our friends are missing," Joshua said quietly, as he led her to a beat up old van. "Can't believe it was only a few days ago I was picking them up here. I liked them a lot." His gaze slid to watch her as she climbed into the van. "They are special people," Dara answered, a frown marring her brow. "We want them back just because of that...however there is another very important reason we need them back too. How much did Caleb tell you?" Starting the engine, Joshua pulled out of the parking lot and heading away from the airport. "Just that they had vanished after they left me and he was sending someone over to look for them. He told me of your arrival and I was to give you any assistance you needed, and I was to try to determine when a Simon Ducat had arrived and provide you with that information." He shot her another quick look before concentrating back on the traffic head. "Forgive me, I don't mean to be rude, but I am struggling a bit to understand why Caleb would send a Youngling that appears to be around the thirty year old mark to find out how Ancients of Gard and Rayne's years have disappeared. He did add that you would fill me in on anything you felt I needed to know but..." "Excellent." Dara breathed out the word, a slow smile crossing her face. "Sorry?" "You see me as a thirty year old vampire. That was what I was aiming for so it's a relief to know it's working. Most vamps here won't pay me any attention if they don't view me as any kind of threat." The quizzical look he sent her way had her smile widening. "Can we find somewhere private to go? Kothi has hours on me as it is, so another ten or fifteen minutes are not really going to make that much of a difference." He appeared to consider it for a moment and then he turned off the main road and wove through some streets until he reached a modern block of apartments. "One of my coven's safe houses. It should be empty at the moment; we're keeping close to our main hideout these days." She could understand that. She would likely do the same given the volatile circumstances in Europe. Following Joshua out of the van, Dara headed inside to the small, one bedroomed apartment. It was cold and stark, designed in the minimalistic style, but there was something about it that appealed to her. She could imagine Kothi in a place like this. "You have empathic abilities, Joshua," she said, as she set down her pack and turned quickly to face him. She caught the surprise he couldn't quite hide. "I have too," she admitted with a smile. "Circumstances stateside have given us all a need to be aware of any and all special abilities the vampires around us may have. I felt you leaning on me at the airport...I allowed it to test your strength. I think when this is all over, you should come visit with us at the pack. Liam and Reasa can help you hone and expand your considerable skills." For the first time since they'd met, a flash of unease crossed the elder vampire's face. "Just who are you, Dara?" "I will answer that, but first I must ask permission to enter your mind. I need to know that you are as trustworthy as Caleb believes you to be." Joshua backed up a step, distrust joining the unease in his eyes. "The last person who walked inside my mind headed stateside to commit murder. You'll forgive me if I don't particularly want a total stranger messing with my head after that." Dara didn't want him to be frightened of her, and she didn't want to force her way into his mind either. She was fairly certain that he could be trusted, but there was so much at stake here she had to be one hundred percent sure. "I'm sorry, Joshua, I do understand why you would be reluctant. I do need to do this though, and I would ask that if you trust in Caleb and he has vouched for me, that you please extend that trust for a brief moment to me. I promise you I have no ill intent in mind." Joshua stared at the strange woman, unsure of what to do. He did trust Caleb with his life, and Dara was clearly special to his friend. It was only a small leap to extend that trust to her, but he was still hesitant to do so. "Tell me who you are first." She was shaking her head before he finished speaking, regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't do that, not until I have done what I must do. What I can tell you is that I ask this of you so that lives may be saved, not only stateside, but here in Europe too. The longer I hesitate here, the more blood will seep into the soil on this continent. One moment of trust may mitigate some of that destruction, Joshua." It was clear she meant every word she said. She truly believed there were lives at stake, and that could mean a clear and present danger to his coven and others where he had alliances. Caleb had asked him to give her every assistance... and this was what she was asking of him. Joshua moved to the sofa in the living room, sitting down slowly. "Okay, do what you have to." Dara moved to sit beside him, a reassuring smile on her face. "I promise this won't hurt a bit, and I will talk you through everything that I am doing. Just relax and let down your mental guards. It will make this easier and less dangerous." When he relaxed a bit more, she reached out and slipped inside his mind with as light a touch as she could manage. She'd only been honing this technique for a very short time, and only on one other person before this. Kallum had agreed to help her and to keep it secret until they were sure of what it was she could actually do. They'd only had three sessions before the shit had hit the fan at the compound and Kothi had gone missing. This was still new to her. "You will be aware that old skills are returning, things the vampires have long forgotten. One of them is dream walking, being able to travel through a mind and influence events if required." Joshua sat as still as possible, feeling the slightest of brushes against his mind. "There have been rumours though Caleb didn't answer any direct questions I posed." "That sounds like Caleb, never willing to share too much, just in case the information falls into the wrong hands." Dara gave him another reassuring smile, as she sought deeper and deeper within the pathways of his mind. Storm of Shadows Ch. 03 "What I am doing isn't dream walking in the traditional sense. We don't know what it's called to be honest. I just know I was in my early teens when I realised that I had an uncanny knack for knowing when someone was lying to me. I learned from my father that some of the old Vampire Council used to be able to do it, but my uncle somehow managed to block them from knowing when he lied. I didn't pay much attention to this skill at the time but with things moving so rapidly back home, I decided it was best if I honed it as soon as I could." She paused, breathing in deeply and closing her eyes as she felt along a pathway. "We discovered that not only could I sense if someone was lying to me, but that I could walk within a mind and discover any falsehood, no matter how well it was hidden. There is nowhere anyone can hide from me, and my strength is growing on a daily basis." Her voice trailed off and she sat back, slowly opening her eyes to meet his. "Who is Dante?" To be continued... Storm of Shadows Ch. 04 "Who is Dante?" Dara's question hung on the air, and for a moment, Joshua could only stare at her in shock. His heart had already been kicking up a beat the more she divulged, but it was nothing in comparison to the dread he felt at hearing her question. How in hell had she managed to dig that deep? He hadn't felt a thing, not one whisper that she had breached his inner most shields. The sheer strength to do that...dear God, it was astronomical. "Dante is a friend," he finally answered, feeling his unease lighten a bit at her expression. It was more curious than condemning, as if she was satisfied with whatever she'd found in the deepest recesses of his mind. "Why do you hide him then?" Again, there was only curiosity in her tone, and Joshua relaxed a bit more. "Keeping secrets is often the only way we can remain safe here. Dante...well he tends to be a loner for the most part and doesn't give his friendship easily. There are many who distrust him among our kind because he is not aligned with any covens. If they were aware of my friendship with him, it could negatively impact both myself and my coven." Dara nodded slowly. She could understand that logic to a certain degree...Kothi mirrored a lot of similar traits, which made him one of the least understood of their pack, though he was loved despite that. Europe was a completely different place though, and any form of uniqueness probably was less likely to be tolerated. "He sounds intriguing. Perhaps our paths will cross while I'm here." Dara rose and rolled her head to release some of the tension in her neck. She'd never gone so deep in someone's mind before, it had drained her both mentally and physically, more than she had anticipated. She would need to discuss that with Kallum when she was back home, but for now she would just have to be more prudent about how and when she used her skill. Thankfully, Joshua had been a friend, and therefore there was no real danger to this weariness she was feeling. With someone else, it could be a completely different scenario. "So, you've been in my mind now. Do you want to tell me who you are and what's going on here?" Joshua's words broke through her thoughts and she turned to look at him. Curiosity was the prevalent emotion in his eyes, but she could see he was tense and trying to hide it. What must it be like having to live his entire life expecting everyone to betray him? She couldn't imagine it and it made her feel sad that this was the norm for those who lived in Europe, when she had known only the complete opposite. Someone had to fix this...one day when all this mess was over. Someone had to fix this, and she was going to let Annie and Caleb know that as soon as she got back home. For now, she had to get back to the matter at hand. Too much time was passing, time where Kothi was getting further and further away. There was no one else she could count on to come up with strategies and ways forward. It was all down to her, and while there was a part inside her that questioned whether or not she could do this, Dara knew she had no choice and she had to fall back on every single bit of training she'd ever received growing up. Smiling she headed back to the sofa and sat down. "My name is Dara Romanov, and I am one of the Vârcolac. You may have heard of my father and uncle, Alexei and Andrei Romanov?" "We're not that out of touch over here," Joshua remarked with a hint of amusement in his voice though it was clear he was startled by the news. "That's why you were so pleased that I mistook you for a Youngling." She nodded. "Given how antagonistic vampires over here are to Weres, I figured it would be best to be as unthreatening as possible in my dealings with others. Changing a scent is second nature for us Vârcolac. We were taught it at an early age for when we had to leave pack lands, so no one would be able to track our real scents. I haven't had to do it for a long time, so I am pleased it worked as expected." Joshua nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. "Why would Caleb let you come here alone? I know you all have a unique skillset. What you just did inside my head scares the fucking crap out of me. Even taking all of that into consideration, Caleb is far too rigid to allow one of the Vârcolac to travel to Europe alone. Especially after Gard and Rayne disappeared." She gave him a half smile. "You're right, he wouldn't have, but he didn't really get the opportunity to object. Events overtook us and we had to act immediately. I would have been on the plane before he became aware of what was happening." Dara paused, weighing up how much she was comfortable telling the vampire before her. She liked Joshua. He was exactly what he appeared, a loyal friend to Caleb, and by default, to those the Ancient took under his protection. Making up her mind, she let out a sigh and met his gaze, her expression turning clouded. "There is another Vârcolac on European soil and I don't mean Rayne. He is lost and afraid, and he is so damaged that we fear for what will happen here in your world, Joshua. He is lethal and he is invisible. He has only one goal in his mind and he will scythe through whoever, and however many it takes to reach that goal. There is a monster walking among you and none of you can see him. I am here to track him and try to convince him to come home." "The Justice Seeker..." he whispered, dread sending a shiver down his spine. "He's here already? We thought we had more time..." Dara made a choked sound, confusion crossing her face at the fear she saw on Joshua's. How could they know about Kothari? It didn't make sense. "The what? I don't understand what you mean. You've seen him? When? What direction did he go in?" If they'd seen him then she had to get moving, had to start tracking... Joshua shook his head, his hand clenching in a fist to stop from reaching for his phone to call Dante. He needed more information and Dara had that knowledge. The question was, how much should he reveal to her? He knew she could probably dig deeper into his mind and find the information, but she'd appeared satisfied with finding Dante that she hadn't gone any deeper. There was still the possibility he could keep Mila's identity a secret, but did he really need to? Dante would feel betrayed if revealed her existence to anyone. He would never trust him again... "Just tell me what you feel comfortable with, Joshua." Dara's quiet words made him feel ashamed that she had trusted him and he wasn't returning that trust. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, Dara, it's just...it's not my story to tell." "I understand. Believe me, I was in two minds about telling you about Kothari, so I do understand. However, I do need to know what you mean by Justice Seeker. It's important to my mission." Joshua rose and crossed to the window, staring out into the distance. Finally he turned, his gaze intent as he stared at the remarkable young woman watching him just as intently. "Let me make a call." When she nodded, he left the apartment, putting as much distance as he could between them to ensure that his call would not be overheard. Tapping out a brief message, he waited for a response and then hit the speed dial button. "He's here..." "You're sure?" Dante Castillo didn't mess around with pleasantries, his deep voice clipped and to the point. Joshua didn't take offence at his tone. His friend had difficulty getting privacy to talk so sometimes they had to get to the point as quickly as possible. "Yes. He's one of the Vârcolac, Dante. Dara called him Kothari, which makes him the son of Gard and Rayne. From the sound of things, he's gone rogue and he's on a mission to find his parents." There was a long silence as the other vampire digested the information. "This Dara, she's Vârcolac too?" Joshua nodded even though his friend couldn't see the gesture. "She's one of Alexei Romanov's daughters. She's here to try to bring Kothari home, but she's concerned and trying hard to hide it. Dara's afraid and that scares the crap out of me, because I've already seen how powerful her mental skills are. If she doesn't believe she can get through to him...Mila's vision is going to come true." "No." Dante bit the word out before Joshua could broach the subject he was heading in, a low growl echoing down the line. "You cannot tell her about Mila, Joshua. Find some other way to assist her, but you do not endanger Mila under any circumstances." "Dante..." "I said NO!" "If Kothari is tracking his parents' steps then he's coming for Louis and by default you. That means Mila is already in danger! Don't you think it would be wiser to have someone Kothari trusts on our side? You were the one who said Mila was really shook up by the vision she had, that we need to find some way to temper the Justice Seeker." Silence greeted Joshua's words again and, for a moment, he thought his friend was going to terminate the call, and then he heard a long, weary sigh. "I will protect her, Joshua. You do what you need to on your end and leave Mila to me. I mean it. Do not mention her to this Dara, or you and I will have a serious problem, my friend. I hope I am perfectly clear on this." Joshua sighed too, frustration riding him hard. He could understand his friend's need to protect the woman he loved, but he wasn't seeing the bigger picture. If he thought he could take on one of the Vârcolac, he was going to be in for a very rude shock. One that could cost him his life and possibly Mila's too. "I think this is the wrong move, Dante, but I will abide by your decision. If you see this Kothari...do not antagonise him, and do not underestimate him. He may be but a boy to us but he is lethal from what Dara's told me. Do not allow overconfidence to cost you your life." "Understood. Now I have to go and speak to Mila. Keep me updated on anything else you find out." The call ended, and Joshua raked a hand through his dark blond hair. He'd hoped for another outcome but he'd have to work with what he could say as opposed to what he wanted to say. Heading back inside, he found Dara staring out the window, mirroring the position he had stood in not too long before. "I can't tell you everything, Dara, I'm sorry. What I can tell you is that there is one among us who has foreseen the coming of one called The Justice Seeker. They have prophesied that the world will swim in blood unless one can be found who will temper his fury." Dara watched him silently for a long moment, processing what he'd said. Annie was a seer, or rather, Anakatrine was. She'd never heard of another but then, they didn't know half of what went on in Europe. They already had plenty of indication that the European vampires had enhanced mental skills their counterparts stateside didn't pay any attention to. To find out there was a powerful seer in Europe wasn't really all that surprising. "This seer - they are of no threat to this mission or anyone Caleb holds dear?" she finally asked, watching his expression closely. She was fairly certain of the answer but needed to ask it anyway. "None, whatsoever." "Okay, then for now, I don't need to know anything further about the seer's identity, Joshua. I do need to know about the vision though as it could be important. And I need to know if anyone was able to track Kothi when he landed, before he shadowed his existence. We can probably do that on the road to where you took Gard and Rayne when they arrived." Joshua frowned, surprised she didn't want to try to track her friend from the airport. Kothari hadn't come looking for him, therefore the likelihood the other male would have found the burnt out cottage on his own appeared remote, so surely trying to trace him from the airport would have made sense? He didn't argue with her though, simply held the apartment door open and locked up behind them. "There was no sign of Simon Ducat once he landed. It's as if he vanished into thin air." Dara sighed quietly, not the least surprised by the news. "He did. He would have shadowed himself as soon as he was able to without anyone seeing him. He would have scented his parents there too and followed that scent. I could detect a lingering aftereffect of their passage through the airport, and Kothi's senses where they are concerned is much more attuned than mine." She climbed back into the beat-up van, waiting for him to start the engine and head in the direction he'd taken the missing couple. "Just because you didn't see him, Joshua, that doesn't mean that Kothari did not find you and follow you to see what you knew and determine if you were a threat." Her quiet words sent a shiver of dread down Joshua's spine, his hands clenching on the steering wheel. Where had he been that day? Who had he met with, what had they discussed? Just the thought of possibly having a psychotic ghost tailing his every move was enough to make him want to backtrack his earlier movements to ensure that everyone was safe. "He could still be here?" he finally asked, once he could modulate his tone to hide his unease. "No, he's hours ahead of me by now," Dara answered, another sigh escaping. "The Vârcolac can't shadow themselves from each other. That is why it had to be one of us that came to try to find Kothi. He would be invisible to most others, except the Triumvirate, his parents, or our Alphas. He cannot hide from me." There was some relief in knowing that the Justice Seeker had passed him by, if he had in fact come looking for him in the first place. Still, Joshua made a mental note to change the safe house locations he'd visited earlier as he started the engine and retraced his steps once again, heading towards the ill-fated cottage that had been the start of the current chain of events. ***** Mila halted all movement, her senses alerted to a barest of sounds off to her left. Perched in the highest point of a large oak tree, she turned her sightless eyes in the direction she had heard the sound, hoping for some movement to give her extraordinary vision an opportunity to determine who else was out in the depths of the forest. The briefest flash of movement, and then her lips tilted into a small smile. A handful of seconds later Dante appeared at her side, his breath warm against the side of her face. "You startled me. I thought we weren't meeting up until tomorrow. " Not that she wasn't pleased to see him, she always felt a sense of contentment whenever her friend was near. "I didn't think you'd want me calling you while you were tracking, and I needed to speak to you right away," he replied, affection in his voice making her smile widen further. "Are you any closer to finding the wolf pack?" Mila had been roaming further and further away from her base of the cave trying to find a specific wolf pack, though pack was a loose term for the shifter community in Europe. With the chance of being attacked by the vampire covens, packs were usually small, sometimes as small as a handful of people, never normally more than thirty in any group. Finding any one group wasn't an easy task at the best of times. Finding this particular pack was proving problematic. All Mila's vision had given her was an image of a young human girl. She had seen the girl clearly and sensed wolves surrounded her, but the actual location or any clear defining imagery of the pack was missing. It made her task particularly hard, its urgency screaming at her to succeed as quickly as possible. The Justice Seeker was coming and if her vision rang true, then finding this girl was the only thing that would temper the bloodletting that was coming their way. That Dante slipped so quickly into business talk sent a small shiver down her spine. Mila hadn't had any further visions since she'd had the one about the Justice Seeker, but sometimes a vision wasn't required to know events were moving faster than they'd anticipated. "He's here, isn't he?" "Yes and we now know who he is too," Dante replied, a grim note to his voice. "His name is Kothari, and he is searching for his parents, Gard and Rayne. He's a Vârcolac, Mila." At the sound of the boy's name, an image flared to life in her inner sight...short, dark hair, eyes hidden behind lenses so black that no light could be distinguished. Streaks of red slashed across the image, jagged cuts scoring across pale white skin. The tears healed the instant they occurred, being re-opened time and again in an endless loop. Rage...grief...the emotions threatened to consume her, bringing tears to her eyes. "Oh Dante," Mila whispered, tears spilling slowly down her cheeks. "Such all-consuming pain. I don't know how any one person can live with it. We have to help him. We have to!" Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her head to rest against the hard wall of his chest. "I thought we had to save our people from him, Mila. Now you say we need to help him?" "Helping him is what will save our people. We need to help him find his parents; show him that he is not alone. The time for isolation is over, my friend. We must declare our hand in this silent war." She felt him stiffen at her words, knew he would fight her on this point. "Dante, you must listen to me..." Framing her face gently in his hands, he brushed a kiss against her forehead to take the sting from his words. "No, Mila. Your safety cannot be risked, and by default, that means my part in this must be kept secret. Only Joshua knows the whole truth and he will take that knowledge to his grave. It has to be this way, sweet one. It is all I can allow. Please do not challenge me on this. I don't want us to be at odds with one another. I couldn't bear that." She hadn't expected anything less, but she'd had to try once more. They'd had this conversation numerous times, more so the last few years than before. Always it came down to the same answer, Dante's complete rejection at even discussing it. While she understood why he reacted as he did, Mila knew it wasn't a position they could maintain much longer. Things were quickly escalating into a war that would rock the vampire nation to its very core. Manipulating events from the side-lines couldn't continue. She would have to force his hand; there would be no other option. He would be angry with her, and while she didn't relish that prospect, she was willing to endure his wrath to get him to see sense. However, this moment in time was not the ideal point to do that, so she acceded to him, nodding her agreement, and turning her thoughts back to the task at hand. "You asked if I was any closer to finding the pack with the human girl. I thought I had a couple of days ago but it turned out to be just one small family group travelling through the area. I will keep looking." Dante sighed against her temple, his arms wrapping around her once again. "We're running out of time, Mila. Joshua is sure that Kothari will come looking for Louis as his parents did. If he doesn't like the answers he finds there...we could lose the strongest coven we have who may actually be on our side when this war you've prophesised comes down on us. We need to find the girl you saw in your vision." "I know, Dante, I know. We will find her." She moved out of his embrace, reaching up a hand to brush his cheek gently. "If he comes to Louis, you must keep yourself safe. Do what you must to gain the boy's trust. Buy me some more time to find the girl." "Anything you ask of me, you know it is yours, sweet one." Her raised eyebrow brought a rueful chuckle from him. "Apart from an open declaration," he added. He wanted to give her everything she desired, but his heart told him that the moment their part in events was revealed, his Mila's life would be in jeopardy. Despite wanting to save as many of their people as he could, that was just untenable to him. Nothing could ever endanger this beautiful woman who held his heart. He would do what was required to ensure her safety, even if it meant she was cross with him. Storm of Shadows Ch. 04 "Find the pack and then call me when you do," he said, brushing a quick kiss against her forehead once more. "Do not engage them without me by your side, Mila." "I will call you," she sighed, a resigned smile on her face. "Now go do what you need to do and let me get on with my tracking." Dante watched his heart move away, her long dark hair flowing in the wind as she sailed through the trees with barely a pause. To anyone watching, they would have no inkling that she had no conventional sight, but to him, he could detect the slightest of pauses as she waited for the wind to rustle the leaves in the treetops so she could see her route. Mila was magnificent as only one who had truly suffered could be. She had managed to retain her soul and her independence despite what life had thrown at her, and he envied that sometimes. Perhaps one day he would find his true soul again, but until then, he would bask in the love and compassion this amazing woman gave to him so freely. With a sigh, he turned in the other direction, and headed back to Louis' coven and the oncoming storm. ***** "She's here," whispered through his mind, and he stopped in the shadows of a thick copse deep in the heart of the jungle. Agony closed his eyes and scented the air...allowing himself a moment's respite on his journey. "Dara...yes, I can feel her close by. I should not concede this to you. She will try to stop us and I cannot allow that." Deep within, Kothari tried to rise...tried to pull himself out of the darkness that imprisoned him. "My angel." "My angel...my angel...do you know how fucking pathetic you sound, Kothari? You've been chanting that endlessly the entire way here, and yet you are too stupid to see the truth of the matter. I am weary of listening to you, so let's have this out once and for all." Agony took off his dark glasses, running a hand through the lock of dark hair falling across his brow. Dark brown contact lenses hid the crimson red of his eyes, and he reached up to remove them, tired of the pretence. "Let's discuss your Angel, Kothi. Explain to me just exactly what makes Dara Romanov this mystical creature you've spent your entire life coveting?" Silence greeted his words, the voice in his head refusing to answer, which only served to irritate him. "Oh, so now you want to be silent? Think again, other half. I have our parents to find and I cannot do that with your whining about your fucking Angel. Speak! Answer my question!" "She is our mate though we don't deserve her." Agony threw his head back and laughed, a cold, humourless sound echoing through the trees. "Bullshit!" Again, silence greeted his words, but he could feel the attentiveness from the trapped boy in the depths of his mind. "Do you seriously believe that I would EVER allow another man to lay hands on our mate, Kothari? Are you truly that delusional?" Agony laughed again, enjoying the feel of his other half squirming inside, trying to deny the truth that had been blatantly obvious for a long time. "How many years have you patted yourself on the back, exulting in how magnanimous you have been in allowing Dara to be free to follow her wolf side and rut with pack members? Why do you think you have been able to stand knowing that she lay with other men? Not because of any iron will you possess, stupid boy...but because I allowed it! Because I knew she was not our mate." "No! " Kothari moaned the word out...trying to rip control from Agony to no avail. "You're lying! She is our Angel!" "There is no denying that she is attractive...that you wanted to lie with her, to feel her warmth bathing your soul in carnal pleasure. She was never our mate though, Kothari. I never wanted to lie with her, to own her, to give over my soul to her as you did. Our mate must call to both of us, boy. She must reach in and capture both our souls for us to ever be complete. Stop denying the truth of it. You know denial is futile." It couldn't be true...Dara had been the one thing keeping him sane his entire adult life. If what Agony said was true...if his angel wasn't his soul mate then he would be lost forever and Agony would win. Kothari would die for eternity. Moreover, if it were true, and now the words were out there in the open the rightness of them were starting to seep into Kothi's thoughts...dear God what would he do? What would happen when Dara caught up with them? "Agony...don't hurt her. We need Dara...you need her." Sighing loudly, Agony put his sunglasses back on, weary of the conversation and wishing he hadn't started it, but if it stopped Kothari's whimpering it would be worth it. He knew he had to give his other half time to process the thought, to come to see the truth of it. He didn't want Kothi to start whining on in a different direction. "Of course, I would never hurt Dara. She is our family; she is part of our pack. I am merely pointing out that she is not our mate so you will stop whining on about her. It's getting in the way of our mission and nothing should interfere with that. We must find our parents and for that, I need to be in full control. Agreed?" There was a long pause, the boy within slowly turning over his words in his head. Finally, a resigned sigh echoed in their mind and Agony smiled slowly, enjoying the surrender that pervaded him. "Agreed." "Good...now let's go hunt some vampires. I'm hungry..." Agony turned to the right, scenting the air as he moved, smelling the rot of death and decadence that both tantalised and repulsed him. Kothari would be silent for a little while, and he hadn't been lying, he was famished. It was time to hunt...time to bathe himself in blood. He had scented something earlier, a couple of wolves in the vicinity. They had not been what he had been looking for so he had ignored them though kept a loose note on the direction they were heading. Now he scented something else, death, and vampires. He headed in that direction, calling on his inner magic to skilfully bend light around himself, masking his scent at the same time as he shadowed and became invisible. He found what he was looking for easily, pausing to survey the scene before him. Two males stood laughing in a small clearing, one of them batting idly at a small wolf pup who was growling every time he came near. The pup was standing before the carcasses of two adult wolves, both of them clearly dead. There was something noble about the little pup, valiantly trying to protect its dead parents. Agony felt a cold rage bubble up deep within. They were here to find their parents. He could relate to the brave little wolf's stand to try to protect its family. So, these vampires thought it was funny to toy with the little one? He would disabuse them of that notion. Allowing himself to be seen, he stepped into the clearing, quickly taking the head of the male who was watching his friend, his movement a graceful arch of one hand. His talons cut deep, blood spraying onto the back of his accomplice. Agony took a moment to bring his mouth to the spray, closing his eyes as the hot blood slipped down his throat. "What the fuck?" The second male turned around as the blood hit his back, his furious expression turning to one of horror as he saw what was occurring behind him. Agony dropped the headless corpse to the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, aware of the sight he presented and luxuriating in the growing terror he could sense in the other male. "I hope you were as attached to him as that young pup was to its parents," he said, his tone conversational. The sound of his voice seemed to break through the vampire's shock, and he moved at lightning speed, fangs and talons elongated. To Agony, it appeared as if he moved in slow motion, and he sidestepped the intended attack with barely a movement, punching his fist hard through the vampire's throat. The male dropped to the forest floor with a tortured sound, lying dazed on his back as Agony stepped over him to check his supposition was correct with the wolves. The little pup barked and nipped at him as he knelt beside the corpses, and he allowed it to savage at his hand, understanding its need for vengeance. "They are gone, pup." he said quietly, turning his head to watch tiny teeth ripping at his flesh. "Your bravery does them proud; however it will not bring them back and I am not the instigator of their demise. I can help you seek vengeance though. Would you like that, little one?" Gathering the pup by the scruff of its neck, Agony held the wriggling, snarling animal high and then turned to the slowly healing vampire. "Do you want to play, little pup? I do." Before he had finished speaking, he brought his booted feet down on both arms of the vampire, crushing the bones easily. Lowering the animal to the gaping wound in the other male's throat, he buried its face it the pulpy mass. "There you go...enjoy your vengeance." As the wolf pup began ripping mindlessly at the vampire's throat, Agony used a talon to slice both ruined arms at the shoulder, removing any chance that the animal's efforts would be hampered. "I live in a wolf pack, vampire, and as such, they are mine to protect whether they belong to my pack or not. I will let you live...after the pup has excised its rage. When you heal, you will leave this place and travel far. You will tell everyone you meet that the wolves are off limits. Blink once if you understand me." He sat back against a tree, watching blood and flesh pump from the vampire's neck even as the wounded male blinked his understanding. Smiling coldly, Agony sat back to admire the ferocity with which the pup went about its pain. He could understand its bloodlust, craved to do the same to those who had taken his own parents. "Yes, you will tell all that Agony is here. You will warn them all of the coming storm, vampire, and they will quake in their boots." It was with some regret that he finally had to pull the wolf pup from the torn up vampire an hour later. He needed to continue on his own journey; otherwise, he would have sat there for days watching the agony cross the other male's face. He had thought the wolf was feral by now, but the fact it didn't attack him as an enemy when he pulled it away told him that there was still reason in the animal. "Come, we must find you a pack, little one." The pup yelped, growled its displeasure. "I cannot take you with me. Where I go is not safe for one such as you. However, should you ever find yourself stateside look me up. I will be easy to find. Now we must go." Agony paused long enough to retrieve the vampire's arms and place them back against the shoulder sockets. He was a pulpy mess as it was and it would take hours for him to heal. It was pointless creating a vessel of enlightenment should he maybe be discovered before he could heal sufficiently to defend himself. "Remember my words, vampire. Make sure all know of my coming." When he turned back to the pup, he found a little girl standing staring down at the ruined vampire. She was about five years old, her once blonde hair matted with blood and flesh. He was surprised to note the pup was female; he hadn't paid any attention to her gender while in animal form. It took him no effort to conjure up a tiny pair of jogging bottoms and T-shirt with his magic, handing them without a word to the child. Even before she had taken them, Agony had uttered a short incantation, her small frame losing the blood and gore, so that when she took the clothing from him, it was as if she had dipped into a lake and cleansed herself. "Magic..." The sound of her voice brought a curl to his lips. He was oddly relieved to hear rationality in her tone. There was no doubt she would forever be scarred by what had happened this day, but there was an inner core of strength about the girl. She had a chance of making it. "Yes, magic," he agreed, holding out his hand, which she took without hesitation. Scenting the air, he detected a wolf pack a few miles away. Knowing the history of the packs in Europe, it likely wasn't the child's pack but they would take in a young one. That's what packs did. "Would you like to fly, little one?" "Pippa," she whispered, turning haunted blue eyes up to his face. "Yes please." "You are a very brave, strong wolf, Pippa. You will be fine," he answered solemnly; as he reached down to pick her up. "Hold onto my neck tightly." Taking a running jump, Agony soared into the nearest tree, swinging effortlessly from branch to branch, sailing through the treetops until they were within half a mile from the pack he'd scented. The child's grip never loosened, remained tight as he dropped back to the forest floor. "You know you cannot stay with me, Pippa. I have already explained that to you. If you walk that way for a little while, there are wolves who will take you in, protect you." "They can't protect me from the vampires. No one but you can protect me from them." Her big blue eyes filled with tears, her arms holding on tightly. Agony stared at the child, unaccountably moved by the trust she placed in him, but knowing she couldn't remain at his side. His hands were gentle as he removed her arms, turning her in the direction she needed to go. "Run now, Pippa. Run to the safety of the pack. If I can, I will return. I will remember this place and I will return." He watched her go, her steps at first hesitant and then moving faster as she scented her own kind. He would keep his word. He would seek out the pack on his return journey to ensure she was safe. He may be many things, but he always kept his word. As he turned to leave, something caught his attention, a vague scent that teased at his nostrils. His head whipped around sharply, his eyes trying to pierce through the thick foliage surrounding him. The scent vanished as quickly as it came, but it left him feeling edgy, that something was out there...something dangerous to his mission. He didn't have time to investigate it though. He had to stay on track and he'd already been diverted. It was time to visit a coven...one his parents had visited not too long before. It was time to wreak havoc and bloodshed on those who had taken those he loved from him. Turning away, he headed back the way he came, back towards Louis' coven, and the answers he was seeking. ***** "He's been here," Dara said quietly, heading out of the trees to where Joshua waited beside his beat-up van. He ran a hand through his dark blond hair, placing his hat back on his head after he scented the air for the hundredth time. It wasn't that he doubted her, but... "I can't scent anything." She gave him a small smile, and he was once again transfixed by the way her face lit up with even more beauty from that one small gesture. "He was masking his scent. I would be astonished if you could. Where did Gard and Rayne go after they visited here?" "They tracked Michael from here. We parted company." Joshua tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible, but he saw another twitch of her lips and knew she was aware that he was couching his words. "You know where they went, though, don't you?" It was pointless lying to her; he'd already seen what she was capable of. Nodding slowly, he opened the door for her to climb in. "They went to Louis' coven. That was the last anyone saw of them here, and from what I've been led to understand, they didn't advertise where they intended to go after there." Dara hesitated as she climbed in, turned to look him in the eyes to read the truth of his words. "They did leave the coven alive?" Joshua couldn't hide the genuine shock that rippled across his face. "Of course! While Louis isn't aligned with any of the stateside vampires per se, he does count Freya Eriksson as someone he trusts and respects. He would never do anything to bring her knocking on his door." Dara saw only truth in his face, nodding as she closed the door and waited for him to climb in beside her. "You appear to know a lot of what goes on in Louis' coven, Joshua, especially considering you're not part of that coven. Let me guess...Dante?" He shouldn't have laughed at her accuracy but he found himself doing so. "Has anyone ever told you that you're utterly terrifying, Dara Romanov?" His comment appeared to please her, or so he judged by the large smile that crossed her exquisite features. "You're the first," she admitted. "They usually reserve comments like that for my father and uncle." Starting the engine, Joshua headed away from the old cottage. "I can't take you all the way to Louis, but I can get you to within a few miles. I have to protect my own coven, Dara. I hope you can understand that." "It is better that way, Joshua. I don't know how Kothi will react to a strange vampire, so it will be best if I am alone when I track him down. Your help has been immeasurable. I will be sure to relay that to Caleb when I return home." There was no doubt in her voice that she would return home, and he hoped that would be the case. In the short time he had known Dara Romanov, Joshua had come to like her a lot, and he would hate for anything bad to happen to her on European soil. Perhaps it was time that he and his coven came out of the background. Perhaps he would have a conversation with them once he'd dropped the Vârcolac off at her destination. ***** Rage...fury...the vampire rose from the forest floor, his eyes whirling crimson red as he kicked the wolf corpses in his wrath. His brother was dead, his blood now drying on the parched ground beneath his body. How the Youngling vampire had managed to best them was still a mystery, but it didn't halt the hatred that bloomed deep within the vampire's soul. He had allowed the stinking pup to eat at his throat, the filthy animal gnawing and ripping at his flesh in an agony that was endless! All through the ordeal he had been fully alert, aware of every excruciating moment, filing away every word the Youngling spoke to the pup. Agony he had called himself, and agony he had meted out in the shape of a filthy animal, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, enjoying the soundless screams of the vampire being eaten alive. The Youngling had formed a bond with the mangy animal. He had succoured it, had taken it with him to a safe haven of other wolves. While the Youngling would most likely be miles away by now, he could get his vengeance on the wolf pup. He could instil his own agony in the heart of the Youngling by ripping the heart out of his pet and all those protecting it. He would make the Youngling rue the day he had entered his territory. Blood would flow; only this time it would be wolves' blood, and he would take his time with the little blonde wolf...he would make her scream endlessly for the Youngling who would never come to save her. Staggering into the trees, the last of his wounds finally healing, the vampire took off towards his coven to gather his men. He could scent the wolf pack; scent the child who had gnawed at his throat. "I'm coming for you, you little bitch," he rasped out. "I'm going to swim in your fucking blood before this day is over!" To be continued... Storm of Shadows Ch. 05 Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. May 2016 bring you all closer to your dreams. Love Jaz xxx Enjoy! ***** Mila stilled in the trees, her head turning to the right. There was a pervading sense of danger, something so dark it was sending a cold chill down her spine. She didn't know what it was, but it triggered her primal instincts, and she remained still, sampling her surroundings. There were a myriad of scents on the air, and her brow puckered in a frown. What was confusing was she could scent wolves close by, a larger pack than the small family she had encountered a while back. However, she could distinguish the child from earlier, and that was odd because the girl had been travelling in the opposite direction with her parents. How could she have found her way to this pack, and why couldn't she sense the child's parents? Mila didn't stop to think about what she was doing. She automatically moved towards the pack. Whatever was happening, Dante would need to know. Their survival could depend on it. Moving as silently as she could, Mila had barely travelled any great distance when her breath suddenly caught, and she was still once more perusing the scene below her. He was there, the one she had seen in her vision. The Justice Seeker was watching the child run towards the wolves, his head snapping around as he scented the air. Mila thought her heart might well stop as she watched him, his instincts clearly superior to those she had encountered before. Most would never have detected her presence, but the boy below was on edge, searching for something his senses told him was there. Would he discover her? Could he smell her hiding place? She was afraid to breathe just in case he heard her. He stood still as a statue for a long moment, and then the air seemed to shimmer around him and she had to stifle the gasp that threatened to burst from her lips. He was the living vision, the exact replica of what she had seen in the cave that day with Dante. That wasn't what caused her heart to stutter wildly in her chest though. No, her stifled gasp was because of what she was seeing...she could actually see him, though he appeared to be shrouded by a thin veil. She could see him move away, the way the breeze rippled through his hair, his mesmerising animal grace as he moved. It felt like it was taking her stunned brain forever to acknowledge it, but it was mere seconds, and the message was as clear as day. Mila could see the Justice Seeker as if she still had her normal sight! It was impossible, and she couldn't understand how it could be, but the boy had done something so amazing it was as if he'd reached into her mind and flipped on a switch to her damaged vision. For a handful of heartbeats, all Mila could do was sit there and watch in fascination as the Justice Seeker vanished in the opposite direction. Her heart hammering wildly, she had to make the most difficult of decisions. Follow the boy so she could watch him move as if she wasn't blind, or follow the child towards the wolf pack that may be the one she had been searching for? She would have been lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was sorely tempted to follow the Justice Seeker, however, there was too much at stake to allow personal desires to get in the way. Mila slipped soundlessly down the tree, shadowing the little girl, using her forward movement as a means to get a snapshot of her surroundings. They didn't have far to travel before she once more took to the trees and safety. They were almost at the campground of the wolf pack. Mila watched attentively, seeking out each movement so her inner eye would snap a picture of her surroundings and the people in the makeshift camp. She needed to see if the human girl was here, and if she was, she would need to find some way to turn the Justice Seeker around so that they could meet. ***** The child appeared from out of the thickets, pale and blonde, with blue eyes that were so haunted the entire group around the fire could only stare at her in silence. "What the hell?" Roland, one of the pack betas, jumped up and moved quickly towards their visitor, ignoring the way the child flinched as he reached for her. "Colin, Matthew, check the perimeter, see if anyone else is out there." The child was stiff in his arms, the acrid scent of fear pervading the air. Despite that, he could tell that she was one of them, she was a wolf pup, and she appeared to have been through something traumatic. He wanted to curse but bit his tongue, as the child was so young. Their Alpha had very strict rules about watching their language among their young. It was a pity she was off somewhere on some top secret mission right now, and he was left to deal with this unexpected incursion. What perturbed Roland the most was they had checked out the area before setting up camp. They had ensured there wasn't anyone around them for miles. Now a child just appeared in their midst? Clearly, the area wasn't as safe as they had first thought, and that was concerning. He needed to be out there with the remaining betas of their small pack. It was his responsibility to protect them. "Ava." He didn't need to turn his head to know his mate had come out of their tent at his call. She always knew when his need was great, and never asked any unnecessary questions, but then that was just the way his mate was. Giving her a brief smile, he handed the child over. "I need to check the area with the others. Look after the child." Ava watched her mate leave, and then her warm brown eyes dropped to the child in her arms. The girl was so young, far too young to have blue eyes so haunted. Her heart immediately went out to the child, and her natural maternal instincts kicked in. "Hello, sweetheart, I'm Ava. Can you tell me your name?" The little girl just stared back at her and then her small fingers threaded in Ava's shoulder length hair, which was loose around her shoulders, and she was surprised when the hand fisted it tightly. "Mama...Mama." There was something in the child's voice that sent a chill down Ava's spine; a sense of foreboding coming over her that she couldn't explain. She knew better than to ignore it though, and turned to the other two pack females who were watching her with intent expressions. "It might be best if you take the children onto the next rendezvous point. The Alpha should head towards there if she's on her way back; otherwise we can meet you there in a day or so." Both Astrid and Frankie shook their heads before she'd even finished speaking. Ava wasn't massively surprised by their reaction, it was understandable that they wouldn't want to leave their mates. "Terra can take the children," Frankie countered, her tone brooking no argument. That wasn't going to stop Ava from speaking though. With Fox off somewhere on a separate mission for their Alpha, that made Roland the head beta and by rights, she was the senior female in the pack. "Terra is too young for the responsibility. She's just had her eighteenth birthday. What if there are vampires out there? The children need an adult to protect them." "Don't take this the wrong way, Ava, but you still think like a human...and that's understandable considering your daughter has yet to make the change," Astrid commented, her words tough, but her expression sympathetic. ""Terra is a born shape shifter. She's been raised and trained in survival techniques. She's more than capable of escorting the children onto the next site. In fact, you may be as well to send Natalia with them too, and the young one you're holding." The very thought of sending her daughter away was unacceptable, though Ava had to concede the other women had valid points. She pondered on their words, looking back down at the child who had maintained her silence, apart from when she'd called her mama. Making up her mind, she let out a small sigh. "Very well, Terra can take the children to the rendezvous point, but Natalia and this little one are staying here. Roland may want to talk to the child." She could tell the other two women didn't agree with her decision but they held their peace, and both headed over to the larger tent where the handful of children were still sleeping. Ava turned her attention to one of the other tents, the one that contained the most precious person in her world, not counting Roland. "Tali..." There was a moment's silence and then a muttering under breath, as her daughter pulled herself out of her tent. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and blinked into the sunlight, a frown marring her pretty features. Her brown eyes appeared slightly glazed, as was wont to happen when Natalia was dragged unceremoniously away from her science books. "Mama? What's happening?" Ava couldn't help smiling as she stared at her daughter. Her Natalia lived in another world within their own, often being the last to know anything that was happening within the pack. There was no way in hell she would ever be separated from her often-distracted daughter. She relied too much on her mother to guide her through life. "This child just wandered into the camp a moment ago. Your father and the others are out trying to find where she came from. Terra is going to take the youngsters onto the next rendezvous point as a precaution." Roland wasn't Tali's real father, though he had brought her up as if she were his own since the day he had found Ava dying from blood loss after being attacked by a vampire. Tali had been less than six month's old, and it had only been her love for her child that had helped Ava withstand being turned to a Were to save her life. Roland had taken them both under his protection, and as time had passed, the mate bond had formed between him and Ava. They had been a family ever since, even though Ava could bear no other children. It hadn't mattered to her mate. As far as he was concerned, Tali was his daughter. While Natalia was processing what she'd been told, the child's initial reaction to Ava's hair had quickly waned, and she wriggled in her arms. Ava set her down as she felt the little girl's fear rising. Whatever had happened to her was so traumatic it was as if she couldn't bear to be touched. Her natural maternal instincts were to comfort the girl, but she didn't want to frighten her any further. Ava's heart swelled with pride a second later, as her daughter reacted to the child's distress, her instinctive empathy kicking in as tears well up the little one's eyes. "It's okay, sweetheart. That's my mama and she's very kind. She won't hurt you." Natalia's tone was soft and soothing as she sat down on the ground to bring herself closer to the girl's height. It was clear she felt sorry for the child, a little girl who was as lost and out of place as she was. "I'm Tali...what's your name?" ***** Natalia held her breath, trying to be as non-threatening as she could. Truth be told, in a pack of wolves, that usually wasn't too hard to achieve. She was worried about whatever may have happened, and what that could mean for their pack, but she wanted to help the little girl, she just looked so haunted and forlorn. The child stared at her for a long moment and then she sniffed noticeably, recoiling a couple of step backwards, her mouth dropping open. "You're not a wolf." It came out as an accusation, as was to be expected from one who was so young she hadn't had any life experience with the other races that made up her world. Natalia didn't let the girl's tone upset her though. She smiled to show her that she understood her confusion as she nodded her head in agreement. "Not yet," she answered. "I am still human. My mama's a wolf though, and one day soon I will choose to become one." The unexpectedness of her answer seemed to capture the child's interest, and she moved forward again, sitting down a couple of feet away from the human girl. "I'm a wolf and my Mama and Papa were wolves. How come you're not one?" Were...Natalia didn't look at her mother, keeping her gaze fixed on the child but she knew she would have caught the past tense the girl used. Something had clearly happened to her parents, something bad. "I was only a baby when I came to live with the pack. Our Alpha is very wise and she decided that I should be allowed to grow up before I made the decision if I wanted to be a wolf or not." When she saw she had the child's undivided attention, she decided to press for some more information, trying to maintain the build-up of trust that had begun. "Are your Mama and Papa close, little one? Can you tell me your name?" The child's face turned sombre at the mention of her parents, sorrow causing tears to well up again, and her voice to drop to a whisper. "He called me that. The monster who could do magic..." Though she named this person monster, there was no fear on her face or in her voice. It was as if she was telling a secret, one she didn't want the others to hear. Natalia could sense the instant tenseness within the pack, and knew that she needed to hide hers so as not to spook the child. She put as much wonder into her tone as possible, leaning a little closer, and dropping her voice down to a whisper too. "You met a monster who could do magic? Wow, that sounds amazing! Is the monster still here, sweetie? Did he bring you here? I'd really like to see him if I could." Big tears spilled over onto the girl's cheeks and she let out a little hiccup as she tried not to sob. "He went away again...after he cut up the bad people who hurt Mama and Papa. He told me to come here. He said you would look after me now that Mama and Papa are dead." "Mama?" Natalia didn't know what to say. Her heart automatically screamed yes they would look after her, but she knew better than to agree to anything on behalf of the pack. Technically, the decision was the Alpha's, though Natalia was reasonably sure that she would take the child in, it was who their Alpha was. Ava moved to kneel beside the weeping girl, tentatively touching her back and supressing a sigh of relief when she didn't pull away. "I am sure you must have a little knowledge of pack life, sweetheart. We must speak with our Alpha who is away at the moment. She is a good Alpha though, caring and wise. Most of our pack once travelled alone or in smaller groups. Our Alpha accepts many into the fold, and I see no reason why she wouldn't accept someone as brave and strong as you, little wolf. We will take care of you until she returns. You have our word on that." The child swallowed hard, brushing a hand against her wet cheeks. "I can stay here with you? I don't have to go away with the others?" Natalia met her mother's eyes, a hint of unease filling her soul." "Why do you need to stay, little one? Is there a reason?" Nodding her head, the blonde wolf scrubbed at her cheeks once more, her expression lightening a little. "He said he would come back for me. He said he would remember this place and come and get me when he was finished." The unease blossomed into full fear, Natalia struggling to keep her face as expressionless as possible. "The monster said he would come back?" When she nodded again, Natalia felt a bead of sweat trickle down her left temple. "Do you know what it was that he had to finish first, sweetheart?" She held her breath as she waited for the answer, afraid of what it might be. "I think he's going to kill some more vampires, though he didn't say that." Natalia gasped out loud, her fear-filled gaze meeting her mother's once more as she was unable to contain her rising terror. If what the child said was true... "He's coming back for her, Mama. He's coming back here." "Frankie! Astrid! Get Terra and the kids moving now!" Ava barked out, rising quickly as Frankie hurriedly exited the children's tent at the urgency of her voice. "One of you go find the men, tell them to get back here ASAP. Natalia, grab what you can quickly from your tent. Take the child with you. We need to be ready to move out when the others get back." "I want to wait for the monster!" the little girl wailed, her composure slipping and her voice rising shrilly. "He let me bite the vampire that killed Mama and Papa! I want to go with him!" Natalia gagged, all colour leeching from her face. "Sweet Jesus!" she gasped, her expression turning horrified. He had let a baby eat a vampire? What kind of a monster let a child eat a...she couldn't finish the thought. Her stomach suddenly lurched, and with another muffled gasp, she ran to the edge of the camp and promptly vomited up her breakfast. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, an inner warning that was clambering for attention. She'd had the feeling a few times since she'd reached puberty. It was something akin to an inner awareness when true danger was near. Twice their Alpha had changed the direction of their travel when her fear level had spiked harshly. Twice, it had been proven a wise decision when they'd heard tales of a smaller wolf pack being decimated by a hidden coven. This time, the fear was so intense it was nothing short of terror, and that could only mean one thing. The threat to the pack was great, but the personal threat to Natalia was off the scale. It had blossomed the moment the child had said the monster was coming, and that could only mean that she was in close, immediate danger from the man. Natalia wretched and vomited again the instant the thought crossed her mind. Tears welled up in her eyes as she heaved, sweat trickling down the side of her face. A monster was coming, and he was coming get her. The worst part was, by the way her terror refused to abate, she was certain he was going to find her. She turned back around to see her mother glancing sideways at her as she tried to comfort the now distraught child. The look of horror in her eyes just served to increase her own sense of terror, and her certainty that something ominous was coming to get her and it wouldn't be deflected. It was evident her mother could tell by her reaction that the threat was directed more greatly towards her. Her eyes were frantic as she watched her daughter, her voice breaking as she spoke. "Move, Natalia! Now! Don't wait to gather anything. Just run!" Natalia's feet wouldn't obey her though, her fear so absolute she could only hunch over once more and clutch at her stomach. She knew it was pointless to run, to try to hide from him. There was nowhere she could run to that he wouldn't find her, of that she was certain, so she was as well as staying with her pack where she had at least a modicum of safety. Finally straightening up, Natalia wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, and fought to find some inner strength. She would stand with her family, with her pack, and she would meet the danger head on. This was the only life she knew, and it was the only life she wanted. Paradoxically, the fear of impending doom had suddenly crystallised her decision about her future. If she made it out of this in one piece, if the pack made it out alive, then she would make the change to Were. She would join the pack properly. "There's nowhere to run to, Mama," she whispered, crossing back to them and kneeling down beside her mother and the little girl. "I won't leave you. I'm not going anywhere until we all do." Natalia didn't wait for a response, instead she turned her attention to the child, framing her face in her hands. She brushed at her wet cheeks. "Come and help me in the tent. We won't be leaving right now, sweetheart, but you can help me get prepared." Her words settled the child a little, and she brushed her lips across her forehead. "What should we call you? I can't keep calling you sweetheart." It was odd how her own heart was calming a bit too as she spoke. Her fear should have been increasing but it was starting to abate. Did this mean the decision she was making was going to turn out to be the right one? She was still very afraid, but not as bad as she had been. Perhaps it was only because she was taking charge of her own life. Whatever it was, if today was the day that she was destined to die, then she would do so on her own terms, and not by running away. Storm of Shadows Ch. 05 "My name's Pippa," the child finally answered, her tears drying and her breathing calming now that she knew she wasn't about to be removed from her current location. Natalia took a moment to lean her face into the gentle hand her mother placed on her cheek, closing her eyes briefly as her Mama accepted her decision. Then she rose and took the little girl's hand. "Let's go start packing, Pippa." She gave her mother a brief smile, knowing that her actions freed her up to organise the evacuation of the children. Natalia knew her mother was terrified for her and wished she would leave too, but they were also pack, and that meant the good of the whole must often be placed before the good of the individual. Whatever was going to happen would happen, and she only hoped that if it turned out to be the worst, then she could be as strong and brave as the little girl blindly following her into the tent. ***** Agony entered the clearing, his head almost swimming with the heady scent of his parents still lingering in the air. They had been here, walked this same path, and just maybe, he might find the answers he was seeking to their disappearance. He was shadowed and silent in his movements, passing by the handful of vampires outside of the main entrance to the coven. While he ignored them for the most part, he mentally catalogued their number, sex and age, dismissing them as any kind of threat. He could easily take them if required. Hell, he wouldn't even break a sweat taking their heads. They were nothing, no obstacle to one such as he. Even Dara wouldn't break a sweat taking them out, though she would be less likely to do so. Her intoxicating scent was coming closer, her mind seeking a way to connect with his as she did, but it was easy to keep her out. She was trying to reach Kothari, and as long as she remained unaware or emotionally detached enough from Agony, she was no threat to getting inside his head. However, a little part of him admired her determination. He could understand why Kothari had become so infatuated with her. Stifling a sigh, Agony gave himself a mental shake, filing Dara's impending company to the recesses of his mind. He didn't have a whole lot of time to do what he'd come to do before she got in his way, so he had to step up a gear and get further ahead of her again. Striding into the house that was the coven's base, he almost laughed out aloud when he saw the ornate throne dominating the hallway that covered the entire ground level. So, this coven leader thought he was some kind of King, did he? There was only one vampire King and that was Callain. It was going to be so much fun educating the upstart who thought he ruled here. There were close to thirty vampires within the building, two of them standing atop the dais that housed the throne. They could have been mistaken for brothers by some their colouring was so similar, but Agony doubted they were closely related despite their comparable age. There were very few vampiric siblings in existence, despite the fact that two such pairs were part of the Armand-Hanlon pack. In truth, there were likely only a couple more sibling groups out there from the old days. No, these two were not brothers but there was a level of trust between them that was stronger than most he'd witnessed since arriving on European soil. He filed that away under the label 'important' and considered what he wanted his next course of action to be. He could unshadow and scare the crap out of everyone, but that would likely be met with instant violence and he needed answers more than an invigorating workout right now. Now that he was here, Agony was considering the possibility that announcing his presence in stages might have been the better course of action for what he wanted to achieve, and he wasn't happy that his thinking might have been so off base. That would only make his goal that little more difficult to accomplish. One of the men on the dais turned his head to survey the room as Agony watched them and considered his options. He caught the slight tensing of the male's tall frame and the way his gaze lingered a fraction of a second longer than necessary on his hidden location before it swept on. Could he see him? That should be impossible. No one other than the other Vârcolac, the Triumvirate or their Alphas or parents could see the hybrids when they were shadowed. If this male could, then he would need to be taken out. He was too much of a threat, not only to himself, but to Dara too. The male was talking quietly with the other now, his words so low Agony doubted any in the room would have been able to make them out. The other male stiffened and shook his head, and then listened some more. Agony remained motionless, deciding to watch what would happen, his curiosity piqued by what was turning out to be a heated disagreement between the two men. Finally, the other male moved, sitting down upon the throne and barking out two harsh words. "Everyone out!" ***** Dante knew he was there, the Justice Seeker. He couldn't see him exactly, not in the true definition of sight, but he was certain that Kothari was in the coven. When he'd run his eyes over the hallway a few moments earlier, he had detected a faint, shimmering red haze squarely in the middle of the room. His mind's eye had registered it, not fully understanding what it was, but knowing it was something out of place. As he'd forced his gaze to move on, his agile mind had worked to catalogue what that haze could possibly be, and the only thing he could come up with was it had to be the Vârcolac. Kothari must have had a way to bend light around himself, to become invisible to most. It was the only explanation that made any sense, and explained why Dante wasn't completely immune to whatever it was the boy could do. Only Mila knew that he could detect coloured auras around everyone he met. Not even Joshua was aware that he had that ability. He couldn't physically see Kothari, but he could detect his aura which was a deep, dark red whirling around chaotically. As Dante considered the likely implications of what would happen when the Vârcolac revealed himself in their midst, he came up with only one possible outcome, a complete bloodbath. They would lose one of the strongest covens that could help defeat whatever or whoever was out there trying to decimate the vampire nation. He couldn't allow that to happen. They hadn't worked so hard to piece everything together and become prepared, to have it all go to hell because a boy was having a tantrum because he couldn't find his parents. No matter how powerful that boy was. Dante had to find a way to defuse the situation before it even ignited, and the only way to do that was to get Louis to agree to letting him take the lead, which wasn't going to be easy. "Don't react to anything I say, don't even turn around," he whispered, keeping his voice low so his words would remain inaudible. "Just listen to me, Louis, and trust me when I say that you need to do what I say with no questions asked. Gard and Rayne's son is in our midst right now, and he has crossed over. No one here can see him, but trust me when I tell you he is here and he will decimate this coven if you react with anything that even comes close to being threatening towards him." "What the fuck?" Louis growled out, though he kept his tone low, and didn't turn around which showed that he'd picked up the urgency in Dante's voice and hadn't ruled his words out of hand. "How could anyone get in here undetected, and what is one vampire against an entire coven anyway? He's no threat to us." "He's not a vampire, Louis. He's Vârcolac...and he's feral. In his sane state he could wipe out half of this coven...I don't even want to begin to imagine what he'll do in his feral state. If you have ever trusted me, let me deal with this my way. I can reason with him, convince him that we know nothing of his parents' disappearance. We can all come out of this alive if you allow me to take the lead." Dante could see the rage and denial begin to cross the coven leader's face, and he felt the first tendrils of real fear that he'd experienced in countless centuries. If he couldn't get Louis to see sense, there was a good chance he would die this day, and there would be no one to take care of Mila. "This is my coven!" "And you made me second in command for a reason, Louis! Do not let arrogance and fury lead you into losing everything you've built up your entire life, and quite possibly your very life too. Listen to me this once, I beg of you. Please listen to me, and send everyone away right now." For a long moment, Dante was certain his friend was going to ignore him, and then he moved to his throne and barked out the order to send everyone away. Dante wanted to sigh with relief but they weren't out of the woods yet. He still had to find a way to connect with the Vârcolac and convince him that they were not the enemy, and he wasn't entirely certain how he was going to do that. Taking a deep breath, he moved to the side of the throne as the hallway quickly cleared and there was only himself, Louis and Kothari remaining in the room. "You can reveal yourself, Kothari, son of Gard and Rayne," he announced, looking directly at the red aura. "We know you are there." He wasn't sure what he expected when the boy revealed himself, but it wasn't what he anticipated. The air appeared to shimmer and then the red aura turned into a tall, young man with black hair and dark sunglasses shading his eyes. He appeared relaxed but his aura was swirling wildly, a sure fire sign that the Vârcolac was barely in control. His hand rose up and he took off his glasses, revealing eyes that were molten fire surrounded by a faint silver circle around the irises. "Then you know nothing, vampire," he answered coldly. "Kothari isn't here; he hasn't been for a while. You are in Agony's presence now, and you will know my wrath if you do not tell me what you did to our parents. Speak if you wish to live. Where are they?" Dante swallowed hard, but worked on keeping his expression as neutral as possible. He could sense Louis tensing beside him and prayed he would keep his mouth shut and let him do the talking. "We are more than aware that you have crossed over," he conceded. "And we do not deny that your parents were here not too long ago. They came seeking knowledge of who or what was behind the European incursion stateside. We didn't have anything concrete to tell them, as we did not know. They left and we have not seen or heard from them again. That is the truth." "You lie!" Agony hissed, taken five steps closer and then stopping, his hands clenched at his side. "You are behind their disappearance. You sent them into harm's way. Confess your part in this and I will allow you to live." It was hard not to take five steps backwards to put as much distance between himself and the Vârcolac but Dante stood his ground, working to keep his escalating fear in check at the insanity he was witnessing in the boy's eyes. "I do not lie, Agony. We shared what we knew with your parents. I told them the earliest indication of the covens working together was in Romania. They listened and then they said they were going home." Agony's talons burst into life, cutting into his palms though he didn't flinch at the pain. The coppery scent of blood pervaded the room as he bled onto the floor. "You still lie!" he screamed, a ragged cut appearing across his forehead, more blood filling the room, flowing from the open wound down the younger male's face. "They did not return home!" Louis jumped up from the throne, unease crossing his features as he truly began to understand the threat that was before them. "Dante tells it true, boy. Why your parents didn't return we do not know. Freya urged that I provide them with my assistance, and I did that. I would never cross Freya Eriksson. You know her; you know the loyalty she can instil in those she deems worthy. Only a fool crosses that woman, and a fool is something I am not." Dante held his breath as Louis spoke, watching Agony intently as his head cocked to the side and the wound to his face began to heal. Perhaps urging the coven leader to remain quiet had been the wrong course of action. The mention of Freya Eriksson appeared to halt the Vârcolac in his tracks as he considered what he heard. A slow smile crossed the boy's face and Dante swallowed hard again at the sight of it. The smile was even more chilling than the overt insanity on display. "Yes...Freya is the ultimate vampire." Agony almost purred as he spoke. "Crossing her is akin to committing suicide and you are far too narcissistic to do that, coven leader. If my parents said they were returning home but they did not, then that can only mean one thing...they were talking about a different home." The surprise that crossed their faces had the Vârcolac bark out a loud laugh that was devoid of any humour. "You think you are so smart, the top of your food chain, and yet you don't have the wits about you to reach that simple conclusion on your own. You are nothing. You are inferior. You and your coven are not worthy of my time. I know where I must go now." His talons retreated and he put his glasses back on, turning his back on them. "Oh, another will arrive here very soon," he called over his shoulder. "She is under my protection. If one hair on her head is harmed, I will return and you will scream for days until I take pity on you and end your worthless lives. Keep her safe or know my wrath." Dante knew instantly that he meant Dara but Louis' expression contained only confusion. "Take her with you," the coven leader growled, anger in his voice. "I have had enough of you stateside mongrels coming into my territory giving me orders. I don't give a fuck if you all kill yourselves or have your little war with whomever is out there. Just stay the fuck away from me and mine." His belligerence had the Vârcolac turning back towards them, and Dante could have smacked his friend in the face. They had almost made it unscathed from this meeting. Now he had no idea what the boy was likely to do just because he felt disrespected by Louis. It was at that exact moment that Dante felt his phone vibrate in his jean's pocket and he stiffened, and paled. Not now... oh, dear Lord, not now. Agony's attention was instantly diverted from Louis, his dark gaze firmly fixed on Dante. "Oh please, do answer your phone, vampire. I find myself intrigued to know who would be the cause of your sudden unease." Dante couldn't speak, his mouth so dry the words wouldn't come out. He couldn't do it...he couldn't answer the call even if it meant his own death. There was no way in hell he was allowing the madman before him to know his Mila existed. He would die first. "Fuck you!" No one could possibly move that fast...it was a physical impossibility, however the Vârcolac did, speeding across the room and backhanding Louis who hadn't had an opportunity to react clear across the room. The coven leader was already slumping to the floor to the sound of bones breaking, as Agony's talons pierced Dante's neck, holding him immobile long enough to retrieve the phone from his pocket. "Greet your caller..." the Vârcolac hissed, connecting the call and placing it on speaker phone. "Mila..." "Dante...Dante I found her! I found our salvation." His love interrupted him, her voice so full of excitement, her words tumbling from her lips in quick succession. "I saw the Justice Seeker too...he was so close to her but then he left. I think he helped a wolf pup in some way, so that speaks volumes to there being some humanity left within him. He took the child to a wolf pack and that's where the girl is. Now we just need to ensure he finds her." At the mention of the child, the talons in the side of Dante's neck bit deeper. "Pray continue, woman," Agony whispered, his voice deceptively soft. "Tell me that the wolf pup was succoured by the pack I sent her to. Be careful of your words though as my talons are deep within your friend's neck at the moment. Should I not like anything you say, I will detach his head from his body." Mila gasped loudly, her voice shaking as she answered. "Don't hurt him...please. We are not your enemies, Kothari. We want the same thing as you, the safe return of your parents and the answers to who is behind this invisible war. Please, you have to believe me. The child is safe, I swear it. The pack has taken her in, she is being well cared for." The pressure lessened on his neck and Dante held his breath. Maybe, just maybe, there might be positive outcome to this moment. "She is very impassioned in her plea for your life. Is she your mate?" Agony once more appeared more curious than murderous, and that gave Dante a little more hope. "No, though I consider her my family. She is mine to protect...as is Dara's yours." He could have kicked himself the instant the words left his lips. The talons cut deep at the mention of the other Vârcolac's name. "How do you know her name? What deception are you pulling here? Answer me, vampire...or die!" "Dante! Dante!" Mila cried over the open phone..."Oh dear God...no!" The sheer terror in her tone fuelled the vampire into action. He hit out at Agony, trying to free himself from his hold. "Mila! What's happening? What's wrong? Mila, answer me!" he screamed, uncaring that he was a moment away from death. He had to get to her...he had to protect her. "They're under attack... the pack. A coven's attacking them. They're going to be massacred! I have to help them...I have to, Dante." "Mila, no!" he screamed again, dropping to the floor as the Vârcolac hissed in fury and released him. He was barely aware of Agony vanishing, of Louis coming to his side to help stem the blood from the wound on his neck as he healed. All he could hear was Mila's final words to him before the call terminated. Throwing his head back, Dante screamed into the air..."Mila!" To be continued... Storm of Shadows Ch. 06 Sorry for the bit of a longer wait. Hope you enjoy the chapter. * The vampires came from nowhere. One moment, Mila was frantically trying to keep Dante alive and the next, the male wolves were running back to the camping ground as if all the demons from hell were on their tale, scooping up the female that was just heading out to track them down. The vampires arrived mere seconds after that, at least a dozen of them, their intent plain. It didn't cross her mind to stay hidden. How could she, when the Justice Seeker's mate was in the campground, as well as children? Mila could only hope that her warning about the attack would spur Kothari to return to protect the wolf pup he'd rescued earlier. Perhaps then, some of them would come out of the attack alive. Mila jumped from the treetop, landing squarely on her feet and rushing head first into the clearing without pausing. She had barely a moment to survey the area, before one of the attacking vampires turned on her. There was already one dead male wolf, and two females. This was going to be nothing short of a massacre. She ducked as the male vampire swiped talons in her direction, kicking his legs out from under him and decapitating him as he fell backwards. It was an easy kill, but then the Youngling was barely three decades old. She wasn't under any illusions that the others would be so easy to dispatch. The remaining wolves were in animal form, snarling in a circle, protecting a single tent. Mila was sure that the girl and the wolf pup were within the tent, that the lone female alive was likely the girl's mother. A male sprang at the circling vampires, howling in agony as talons pierced its side, a second before fangs sank deep within its neck. Vampiric toxin was deadly to wolves. The male died instantly. "Leave them alone!" she screamed, running towards the tent, and launching herself in the air before she reached the vampires. She sailed over their line, landing in front of the two remaining adult wolves, spinning to face the attackers. "You cannot have them! Leave now before you all die." Mila didn't expect them to listen to her, but hopefully she could buy some time for reinforcements to arrive. She prayed she had read Kothari right...that he would come to protect the child. If he didn't...well Dante was going to be extremely pissed at her for getting herself killed. "Stand aside, female. This is none of your business." The leader of the coven was wearing clothes stained with old blood. Mila could only presume that he'd had something to do with the earlier altercation with the Justice Seeker, at least she hoped he had. "He is coming back," she announced, putting as much conviction in her tone as she could. "You will all die if you are still here when he arrives." The vampire glared at her, hatred in his eyes, and more than a hint of insanity. "He will be too late," he laughed. "Let him return and see what happens when he fucks with me and mine." He turned to his coven. "This interfering bitch is mine. Kill the rest of them..." She had hoped to frighten them and make them leave. They evidently had no intention of being thwarted from their task. "Stay behind me," Mila ordered to the wolves, shifting the weight to the balls of her feet as she tried to try to anticipate how the vampires would strike. She had no idea if the wolves would listen to her, it was a wonder they weren't snapping at her as it was. They must have been able to sense that she wasn't a threat to them, however, that seemed a moot point. There was no way in hell she could hold the vampires off for any length of time. They were all doomed, unless the Justice Seeker came. ***** Agony's fury was like a cold, hard razor scything through his entire body. He had finally found a promising lead to where his parents had gone, and he now had to put it on hold to return to the place he'd left the wolf pup. He had given Pippa his word that the pack would protect her, and that he would return. He kept his word, always, though he hadn't anticipated needing to return so soon. Paradoxically, it was Kothari who was the one opposed to this course of action, his other half demanding to be heard though he ignored the faint voice swirling through his mind. The boy wanted their parents and fought him to change course. Agony was well aware of why Kothari nagged at him. They both knew that once their parents were discovered alive and well, there would be no need for Agony to have dominance within their body. Agony refused to be swayed though, continuing on through the trees as the scent of blood and death grew stronger. They would discuss dominance at a later date...for now, he had a wolf pack to protect. There was no doubt in his mind that the attack came from the vampire he had allowed to live as a warning. Clearly, stupidity was rife in the European covens, or perhaps his own arrogance that the vampire would listen to him was to blame for this turn of events. Either way, Agony would end this little episode as swiftly as possible, and then he would return to his main goal of tracking down his parents. Bursting into the clearing that held the decimated campground of the wolf pack, Agony quickly took in the scene. A female vampire was dragging herself from the ground, blood pouring from a gash in her head. One arm hung awkwardly, and her left side was a gaping wound right down to the bone, but she surged forward despite her injuries, talons swiping wildly at a male's exposed neck. Behind her, a male wolf was trying to protect a female, but his efforts were in vain, as one of the attackers slipped passed the line of defence, and drove talons into the female wolf's side. The animal howled in agony, and her mate tried to help her, but another vampire overcame him...the Elder catching him around the throat and sinking toxic fangs sinking into his neck. Death was instantaneous, the wolf's agonised howl cutting off almost before it started. The she-wolf instantly shifted back to human, her anguished scream renting the air, as she dragged her wounded body over to her dead mate. "Roland!" Her cry distracted her vampire protector enough to have her half turning from her target, the move clearly unwise as her attacker gained an advantage in their fight. The male's talons should have removed her head from body, however the female, who could only be the Mila from the phone call, moved the barest of fractions of an inch, and that saved her life. It didn't prevent her from receiving an almost mortal wound to her neck though, and she screamed in agony and fell backwards...leaving clear access to the she-wolf sobbing over her dead mate, and the tent unprotected. A girl burst from the tent, her hair wild, a baseball bat in her hand. "Mama! Look out!" she yelled, swinging the bat haphazardly at the approaching vampires, her voice laced with fear even as she tried to defend her mother. It took less than a second for Agony to realise that she human, and to acknowledge how foolish she was thinking she could somehow cause damage to the attackers with a piece of wood. It took another second for him to admire her determination to protect her pack, and the child he had brought to them to look after. However, she and the pack had clearly done a piss poor job of protecting the girl. He would have to take matters into his own hands, and that meant there would be nothing but blood and carnage when he was finished. Things were about to get very messy...the dozen or so vampires between him and the child had no idea of the death that was about to come their way. Agony took a step closer to the vampires...his talons out, his blood a cold fire in his veins. Deep within, he could feel his inner most monster rising, the approaching surge of power reaching dangerous levels with his increasing rage. They had no idea what was about rain down on them and he gloried at the knowledge that he could release his fury with no need to hide it. They were all about to witness what he truly was...and by the end of this fight, anyone left still alive would forever be terrified of him...as they should be. ***** "Mila!" Dante pushed away Louis' helping hand, and staggered to his feet, already half running, half-staggering towards the open doorway. He had to get to her, had to help her. The need to reach his love's side was all that he could think of! He stumbled and screamed in fury as he fell, his body still trying to heal itself, even as his mind registered the fact that he had no idea where she was, and Agony was long gone so he couldn't follow him. "Dante, you need to heal first," Louis said, coming to his side, his expression troubled. "I don't know what the fuck is going on here but you're also not going anywhere until you tell me all you know." "There's no time!" Dante yelled, fear for Mila suffusing his soul. "If the vampires don't kill Mila, there's no telling what Agony will do to her. He's fucking insane as it is." Dark eyes met equally dark eyes, a hint of a plea in Dante's. "You have to help me, Louis. Please...you have to help me save her." The coven leader's expression turned deadly, fury blazing from his eyes. "I don't have to help you do anything, Castillo. My allegiance is to my coven, the very coven that you brought a maniac into with your secrets and lies. You should be thanking me for not completing the job that lunatic started. It is only because I need answers from you that your head is still attached to your body." In normal circumstances, they would have been evenly matched, but Louis had only had to recover from some broken bones. Dante knew he wouldn't stand a chance against his friend right now, not when his neck wound was taking so long to heal and he'd lost so much blood. "How about everyone calms down and takes a deep breath?" A cool female voice said from the doorway, causing both of them to turn in that direction. The stunning blonde standing before them appeared relaxed and unconcerned, and Dante quickly guessed that this could only be Joshua's Dara Romanov as neither of them had detected her approach. "Who the fuck are you?" Louis growled, though some of Agony's parting words appeared to have seeped into his furious mind, as he didn't immediately attack the stranger. "I am what will ensure Kothari doesn't return here to your coven and massacre the lot of you without breaking a sweat," Dara replied with a small smile, completely unfazed by the venom in the coven leader's tone. There was so much confidence oozing from her neither of the two vampires were under any illusion that she was as deadly as the other Vârcolac. "I am not your enemy, and I will do what I can to mitigate Kothari's bloodlust, however, to do that, I need to know exactly what has transpired since he's been here. It really would be in the best interest of your coven not to detach Dante's head, Louis. I find myself in need of his assistance at the moment." Louis watched her with narrowed eyes for a long moment, as if mentally calculating the odds of a battle with another Vârcolac. He appeared to reach a conclusion pretty quickly, his stance turning less belligerent though he didn't leave Dante's side. When the coven leader nodded his head once in acknowledgement, Dara walked over to them, and crouched down in front of the wounded vampire. "I can heal your wounds with my blood in less than a second. I can also track Kothari's path to help you find your friend Mila. I presume this was the reason for Joshua's reticence to reveal everything? That he gave his word to you to hide her existence to keep her safe?" She paused for a moment waiting for him to answer, however he remained silent and her gaze narrowed slightly. "I understand that need to protect those you love, Dante. However, you must understand mine too. Kothari is mine to protect and he will always come first, but that doesn't mean that we can't work together to assist each other. I need to know what I'm walking into, and in return for your help, I will do my utmost to protect your friend. This can work out to both of our advantage. Please don't waste precious time being stubborn about things." Time was ticking away, endless seconds speeding past where Mila was alone and unprotected. Dante had to make a decision and quickly. He had to decide whether to trust this woman when trust was almost impossible to him. He did have faith in Joshua though, and his friend had spoken up for Dara Romanov. Add in the fact she could also heal him in an instant, and track Agony's movements, there really was no decision to make, not when Mila's life hung in the balance. Dante nodded painfully, taking a sharp intake of breath as pain rocked through his body. "He calls himself Agony now," he wheezed out, trying to find a position that was more comfortable. "He's insane, Dara, seeing threats everywhere. He was trying to find Gard and Rayne. He didn't believe we didn't know where they had gone. On his travels, it appears that he stumbled across a vampire attack on a small wolf pack, the sole survivor being a young child. He rescued the child and sent her off in the direction of a larger wolf pack nearby. Mila was tracking that pack, trying to find a human girl that lives among wolves. When the shit hit the fan here, Mila called to say the pack was under attack by vampires. Agony left then to go protect the child he'd saved earlier." Dara's head cocked to the side, curiosity alighting in her eyes as she considered what she'd heard. She held out her wrist to Dante's mouth, another small smile gracing her lips. "Drink; my blood will heal you." As the vampire did as he was told, her expression turned more thoughtful. "What is the importance of the human girl, and why was your friend trying to find her?" He finished drinking at her wrist, stifling a sigh of relief as her intoxicating blood sped through his veins, enhancing his own regenerative powers exponentially. Dear God, the hybrid's blood was the most potent he'd ever tasted. If they were all like this...the sheer power they had at their disposal was terrifying. He would have to be a complete fool not to see the potential of having the Vârcolac as allies, not just to save Mila, but also to help stave off the worst of the coming invisible war. "Mila is special," he finally answered, reluctant to reveal everything in front of Louis but having no other option if he wanted Dara's trust. "She was blind when turned to a vampire, and her natural sight never returned on the change. She does have a different kind of sight though, and she has developed into a very powerful Seer. Mila had a vision of Agony's coming, of blood, death and the ultimate destruction of the vampire nation here in Europe when he arrived. The only hope to prevent that was a human girl living among a pack of wolves. We have been searching for her ever since, and only just found her now." Dara rose up and held out her hand, helping him to his feet, her gaze intent. It was as if she were searching for something within his expression, something that she appeared to find when her half smile blossomed into a huge one. "Thank you, Dante. I know that was difficult to do, and I do appreciate that you told me the truth. I, too, know a powerful Seer, which makes me intrigued to meet your friend. However, that is secondary to my mission at the moment, and I do have one last question before we head off. Please, please tell me this human girl is Kothari's mate?" "Mila believes so. She is certain the girl is our salvation." Dante wasn't expecting the open relief that danced across the Vârcolac's face. It piqued his own curiosity. "You appear relieved?" Dara nodded, turning away from them and heading back towards the open doorway. "We have a chance of reaching Kothari now. If he acknowledges the mating pull and doesn't remain confused about me." "I thought you said you were the only thing standing between Kothari and the annihilation of my coven," Louis barked out, having remained silent but watchful throughout their conversation. His belligerence was back tenfold, his expression antagonistic. "Until this turn of events, I was, coven leader," she quipped back. "I was merely pointing out that we now have a much more potent ally to assist us. I strongly suggest you come with us, Louis, though I will not demand it. I know how infuriated Alpha males become when they are ordered around. Nevertheless, you should consider doing so. There can be no harm in showing Kothari that you are a friend rather than a foe." Dara walked out of the house, leaving the two vampires alone. "You know I'm going, Louis. Nothing will keep me from helping Mila, but I think you should heed Dara's advice. Your friend Freya would probably like you to assist the Vârcolac too, seeing as they are all part of the same pack." Dante didn't wait to see if the coven leader would follow. They had wasted far too much valuable time as it was. They had to get to the pack before anything happened to Mila. ***** Blood; thick and warm, and oh so sticky against his hands. The beautiful symphony of agonised screams; the sweet cacophony of sound sending exhilaration flowing through his body. Agony flowed through the outer ring of vampires, his eyes flaring orbs of red, his talons long and wicked, slicing off limbs with barely any exertion required. He didn't pause to kill the fallen though, his goal to reach the tent and the child hidden deep within. It didn't take long for the vampires to realise the threat from behind, half the remaining number turning to meet the coming storm. Agony hardly registered them, his gaze firmly fixed on the coven leader from earlier, the one he had warned and who was now stalking the human girl to gain access to the tent. "Pippa, remain inside, child," Agony said loudly enough for all to hear. His tone was emotionless and chilling, his gaze never leaving the coven leader. "I will be there shortly," he continued. "I am just taking care of a little pest problem at the moment." His words had most of the group turning to look in his direction, and he smiled a cold smile as he took the head of an Elder vampire who got too close. His movement was so casual, his head not even turned in the vampire's direction he'd just killed, that a few of the remaining coven took a step back, clearly recognising a predator more deadly than themselves. "Stay and die, or flee and hope I don't come looking for you when I am finished here. The choice is yours." Two of the attacking force appeared to seriously consider his words, but then their coven leader growled a warning, and their expressions hardened, and they moved towards him. Agony smiled another chilling smile, his bloodlust rising further. "Your funeral then." Agony hit his true killing edge, that perfect place where only death and destruction lived, where he was unshackled from all human constraints. He caught two vampires by the throat and smashed their heads together with such force, their skulls crumbled in a pulpy mess. As he released them, he twisted his hands negligibly, their heads falling a short distance from their bodies. Behind him, he sensed movement; however, he didn't turn but maintained his focus on what was happening in front of him. The coven leader continued on his path towards the child, and this only served to infuriate the Vârcolac further. The male wrenched the baseball bat from the human girl, and backhanded her across the face, sending her crashing to the ground a distance away. Something about that act resonated deep within Agony's soul...something breaking within...the monster he thought he controlled suddenly rearing up with a power that superseded anything he had ever experienced before. No time! No time left. The bastard had laid hands on her. He had laid his filthy hands on her! Agony took flight, a graceful, deadly leap that took him sailing above the heads of the vampires and directly behind their leader. The male was trying to get inside the unguarded tent, inside where a child wept in terror. Storm of Shadows Ch. 06 He had laid hands on her...and he sought to lay hands on the child. There was only one outcome to the situation. The vampire would scream his suffering for the world to hear. Agony ignored the stabs of pain he felt at his back, using his innate abilities to quickly heal all wounds he received. They closed as soon as they were given, the vampires at his rear nothing but a minor annoyance. Grabbing the coven leader by the scruff of the neck, Agony flew across the clearing with his prize, his talons sinking deep within the other male's torso, the sound of screaming permeating the air. He stopped long enough to hack the limbs off a dead vampire, dropping the coven leader long enough to scrape flesh from the limbs to leave the bones uncovered. He casually knocked aside another attacking male, before he reached for the wounded vampire at his feet, raising him high enough for their faces to be level. "I will be back in a moment," he promised, a split second before he drove a thigh bone through the vampire's torn chest, impaling him to an ancient oak tree. As the male cried out in pain, he quickly speared the other bones into his chest and shoulders, applying so much pressure; it would take another Vârcolac to release him from his captivity. Agony spun around, satisfied with his work, and turned his attention back to the remaining vampires. One tried to run, but she was far too late in realising the imminent danger coming their way. No one would leave this place alive...no one. Agony threw his head back and bellowed loudly. A faint word whispered through his mind...control...control, but he had no concept of what that word meant. All he had was his bloodlust, and the fire in his veins, a raging inferno that screamed for release that he would no longer deny. Jagged incisions rent down his arms and his face, dark red blood oozing from the wounds, his black T-shirt becoming wet and sticky from the hidden scores to his chest. His eyes pulsed crimson red...a swirling maelstrom that changed to silver, a split second before a shaft of pure energy burst forth and incinerated the fleeing female. "Run...run...try to run..." he crooned, as the last of the coven screamed in terror and darted off in different directions. His deadly gaze tracked each one of them, cold fire vaporising them as they tried to flee. One...two...three...the last one...they were all gone now apart from their leader, but he was going nowhere. A movement to the north of the campground had his attention turning in that direction. Two more male vampires were there, and a female. She was a wolf...no, she was a vampire...no, she was both, and she was familiar. It would appear Dara had finally found them, but to what end was her pursuit? His friend stood there, surveying the scene before them, her expression one of abject horror. He failed to see what she found so horrific though, a slight frown marring his brow. All the vampires were dead and the wolf pup was safe. He had achieved his goal...well, he still had to torture the male behind him, but for the most part, he had succeeded in his task. What exactly was Dara's problem? He met her gaze silently, waiting for her to speak. ***** Dara fought to hold down her last meal, but it was hard...oh so very hard. Her stomach heaved, her eyes watered, and she couldn't move as she surveyed the carnage in front of her. There was blood and body parts everywhere, wolves and vampires, the stench of death sickening. On top of that was the scent of charred remains, and the sounds of the last remaining vampire moaning in agony where he was impaled on the tree. Arriving at the end of the battle, and seeing the terrifying power that Kothari unleashed on the fleeing vampires had been bad enough, however adding the additional slaughter of the other vampires...there were just no words to describe it, there were no words to describe him! Oh sweet Jesus, what had he done? What had Kothari done, and what had he become? Her friend was staring at her unmoving, his clothes soaked in blood, his eyes no longer silver bolts of energy but swirling masses of red fire. She didn't know what to do so she remained as still as he was, checking the rest of the campground as she whispered to the two stunned vampires at her side. "Whatever you do, do not move, or speak, not until I tell you it is safe to do so. I mean it, Dante...Mila is not mortally wounded so please heed me or she will watch you die." To her left there was a weeping she-wolf, with Mila lying close beside her. Not too far away was an unconscious human girl, and she could scent a child inside the tent. The wolf required immediate attention or she would likely die, but Mila did appear to be slowly healing. Dara had no idea if the human girl was mortally wounded without checking her over, but her heartbeat sounded good and strong so she presumed she was merely unconscious. Kothari didn't appear to want to hurt the females still alive, and Dara could only hope to that he felt the same about her. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk through the carnage, heading over to her friend, and trying to work out the best way to deal with the situation. She needed him to see her, to recognise her as being pack. That really left only one way to handle the stranger in front of her. Dara stopped before him, and prayed that Kothi was somewhere inside, and not totally subjugated by Agony. "What the hell do you think you're playing at, Kothari?" she demanded, lacing her tone with a liberal dose of irritation, exactly what her friend would expect from her. "You have the pack in turmoil, and Rafe spitting nails that you masked his Alpha bond and disappeared. You know how he reacted when Lily did similar...you are in so much trouble when we get home. And just what made you think that it was smart to head off to Europe on your own to search for you parents? You should have come to us, Kothi. You know we would have helped you. We are pack after all." Dara ignored the annoyance that crept across his face, letting out a weary sigh as if she was dealing with a petulant child who had tested her patience to the limits. She had no idea if this tack was working, but for the most part, he remained motionless; though he was alert to her every movement. "As if that isn't bad enough you've had me running around Europe trying to track you down, and now I find you knee deep in blood and gore with a vampire impaled to a tree with bones! Put that male out of his misery now and help me see to the wounded over there. Your medic skills are better than mine, and I'm reasonably certain that female has just lost her mate. If we don't so something right now, she's going to go rogue." He remained still for a moment longer and then he leaned down to her height and pinned her with his fiery gaze. "Have a care how you speak to me, Dara Romanov. Kothari is not here right now, and I don't think you will like who is in residence if you test my patience." There was more than a hint of menace in his tone, but she held her ground, refusing to show any weakness. "Oh, I know it's you who has dominance at the moment, Agony. I have Kothi's journal so I know all about you. If you think I am afraid of you because of what I have just seen you do, then you're sadly mistaken. You see, it doesn't matter who has dominance. It doesn't matter how badass you think you are, or how much destruction you can rain down on all of our heads. Nothing will ever change the fact that you, Agony, as well as Kothari, are not only pack, but are also Vârcolac. That makes me yours to protect and it makes you mine to protect. Therefore, you can threaten all you like, but I know you will never hurt me. You may not need physical protection from me, but you sure as hell need psychological protection, so that's what I am going to do for you, my friend, whether you like it or not. Now, stop pissing about with that vampire and fucking help me, idiot!" Dara turned her back on him, frantically employing calming techniques in her mind to stop her legs from shaking and to help keep her breathing as even as possible. Truth be told, Agony scared her witless, but she couldn't show it, couldn't allow him to see that fear. She had to keep him engaged until he accepted her presence as a non-threat to his mission. It was difficult walking away without looking backwards, but she kept putting one foot in front of the other, motioning to Dante and Louis who had thankfully heeded her words and stayed where she left them. "Dante, check on Mila. I will be over to donate a little blood to help with her healing if she requires it. Louis, can you start clearing up some of this mess before the human girl wakes up, the gore might be a bit hard for her to cope with even if she does run with a pack. Kothi, when you're ready, I could use your help with the she-wolf." She watched the vampires move, Dante speeding to his friend, and cradling her gently in his arms. A half smile tilted her lips as she heard his opening words to the other woman. "When you've healed, you and I are going to have a very long talk about the definition of NOT putting yourself in any danger, woman." "Don't be mad at me, dear Dante. I saved the girl, didn't I? She is safe...isn't she? She wasn't hurt?" Mila tried to twist around to see where the girl was, but Dante held her too tightly, a finger trailing down one cheek. "Her heartbeat is steady," he sighed with a resigned smile. "And yes, you did save her. Lie still and heal just now, Mila. I will check on the girl and give you an update in a moment." Louis nodded to Dara, keeping half an eye on Agony on the other side of the clearing. "I'm going to call in some of my coven to help sanitise the area. Do you think he will have an issue with that?" "Probably, but as long as they stay to the tasks you assign them and don't approach the tent or any of the females, everything should be fine. Just make sure they all fully understand that. He can't perceive them as a threat in any way or the killing will start again." Dara hoped what she was saying was true. She was going by gut instinct alone, but so far, everything appeared to be working out okay. Dropping down beside the weeping she-wolf, Dara extricated her from her fallen mate as gently as she could. The female fought her, struggling to hold onto the dead male, but Dara persisted until she had the distraught woman in her arms. "He's gone, lovely. There is nothing you can do for him anymore," she whispered softly. "I'm so sorry for your loss, brave wolf, but we need you here with us. There are others you need to care for; little ones who need a strong, brave wolf such as yourself. Stay with us, lovely. Don't give into the grief and loss." Her words fell on deaf ears, the wolf too distraught, the first signs of madness beginning to appear in the depths of her eyes. She was going rogue, and Dara didn't have the experience or know how to prevent it. She wanted to weep at the loss and suffering done to this small pack. Her heart broke for the loss of life, and she also didn't want to be responsible for ending the she-wolf's life if they couldn't pull her back. She needed Kothi at her side, needed him to help her try to pull the she-wolf back from the brink of madness, but he remained where she left him, silently watching them move around the campground with an expressionless face. ***** Agony couldn't work out whether he wanted to kick Dara's ass or kiss her. The way she spoke to him, as if he were some kind of errant child, irritated him greatly, and yet there was a familiarity about it too, a feeling of belonging that usually only Kothari experienced with her. For so long he had been hidden from the pack, a guilty secret that must remain untold, for fear that he, that they would be rejected and cast out. Now, his pack mate had seen him, seen what he was capable of, and instead of rejecting him, she had castigated him as she usually would Kothari, treating him as no different to his other half. It was annoying, and yet it was comforting too, to know that there was one person who had looked upon his face, and still wanted to know him. Perhaps he was less of a monster than he thought? Looking around the blood-soaked clearing, he knew that was wishful thinking on his part. "Are you just going to stand there?" Dara called, a hint of concern in her eyes as they met his. "I'm losing her, Kothi...or Agony, or whatever you want to call yourself. I need help here." He continued to stare at the scene around him, and then he spun quickly and sliced the head off the wounded vampire behind him, pulling out the bones and dragging the carcass over to the pile one of the vampires was building with the other corpses. Dropping it on without a word, he met Louis' gaze, and the handful of other vampires that had appeared at his call. Judging them not a threat, he turned towards Dara, and the reason he was here in the first place. "The wolf pup is safe?" He phrased it as a question, though he could sense the child still hidden inside the tent, her pulse erratic but her fear the normal fear of a child, with no scent of hurt or blood around her. "It's best that she remains inside for now, away from all this death, but she is safe," Dara answered, relief dancing across her face as he knelt down beside her. "I can't reach her, Kothi. I'm not Cassia or Mallen, my healing skills are not up to their level. I wish Aaron were here. He would know what to do. He has the best success rate at keeping wolves from going rogue." She was alluding to the pack's second in command, Rafe's head beta, a male respected as highly as their Alpha. Agony agreed with her sentiment, if Aaron were here then there was a chance the she-wolf could be saved, however he wasn't, and that meant there was no real hope for the woman. "She should be put out of her misery before everything she is has been lost forever," he said coldly, acknowledging the instant denial in the other Vârcolac's eyes, but knowing it needed to be done for the good of all innocents the rogue wolf might encounter when they moved on. "We have to try, Kothi..." "It will be a mercy, Dara," he countered reaching to take the woman from her arms. "I will do what is necessary. Go now, and succour the other wounded while I do." He would take no pleasure from this killing, not as he had taken from the others. He was merely better equipped to deal with the problem than Dara was. It cost him nothing to take the she-wolf's life, he would lose no sleep over the mercy kill, though his fellow Vârcolac would. A shrill scream from behind them blasted the air, and then a ringing blow hit the back of Agony's head. It took a faction of a second for him to realise that he'd just been hit with a piece of wood, and then his anger sparked that someone would dare do this and he spun around to find himself face to face with the human girl who was clutching at her arms as if they hurt. Seriously? A pathetic human girl thought she could strike him and live to tell the tale? He would make her writhe in agony...he would detach her limbs with surgical precision and cauterise her wounds so she remained alive as long as possible. She would regret ever hitting him with a baseball bat by the time he was finished with her. A memory tugged at the back of his mind, something so nebulous he couldn't grasp what it was. He pushed it aside as inconsequential, taloned hands reaching for the girl. "Kothi, no!" Dara screamed, throwing her arms around him and barrelling him to the ground. He roared in fury, head-butting Dara to disorientate her enough to break free. He didn't want to mortally wound his pack mate, but he would do what was necessary to reach his target. "Kothari!" Dara groaned, rising as quickly as she could, as Agony reached once more for the girl. "Kothari...remember! Please...remember! I need you!" Dara did the only thing she could think of, she shifted to wolf form and ran between the girl and the Vârcolac. "Remember, Kothari...remember that day in the forest." She pressed her large wolf's body against his legs, using the touch of her wolf to try to reach him. "Dara...Dara," Kothari chanted deep within his mind, savouring the feel and sound of her name. He could smell her scent; feel the softness of her fur brushing against his legs. She was here, his beautiful angel, the very reason for his sanity and he wanted to be with her, wanted to talk with her. "No! " Agony hissed inside their mind, pushing down the boy as he tried to rise. "This is my time, not yours. You had your chance and you let out parents be kidnapped. Get out of my way, Kothari, before I remove your very existence forever. Do not test me on this, boy. You know I have that power!" "Kothi, remember...you have to remember..." Dara's words echoed in counterbalance to Agony's, stressing the word remember as if it had some special connotation. What did he need to remember? What was so important that Dara repeated the word? He cast his mind back to that day in the forest...that day when he had placed his hands on his angel...when she had shifted to wolf form to reach him and he had... "NO!" Agony screamed, his talons swiping wildly, catching Dara in the neck in his fury. She howled and shifted back to human form, wrapping a hand around the wound to try to stem the blood flow. "You lose, Agony...you lose," Kothari whispered, and then he did what he hadn't done since that day. The air shimmered around him, and he called forth the being that his monster hadn't paid any attention to, the one he hadn't locked down as securely as he had his human side. Kothari shifted into animal form, the beautiful black panther sailing over the head of the human girl to land behind her before spinning around to face his friend on the forest floor. She was bleeding! He had hurt her! The panther stared at his angel in misery, self-loathing flooding through him. He had hurt her...he had...another had laid hands on her. The odd thought that crept into his mind confused him and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. That didn't make sense, no one had touched Dara apart from himself, and yet, a memory was fighting to be heard, and he was afraid of what that memory might do to him. "Dara...I'm so sorry. Please...forgive me." "Kothi? You're back? He's gone?" Dara was pulling herself back to her feet, moving to place herself between the panther and the girl, clearly unsure of just who was in control. She deliberately spoke out aloud, to help the others know what was happening, but also because she didn't want to be inside Agony's head should he return. As she saw the reason within his eyes, her posture relaxed and she knelt before the animal. "Everything is okay, Kothi. I'm fine. Look, I'm completely healed. Kallum would kick my ass for allowing myself to be caught off guard so easily anyway. So, I won't tell if you don't?" Dara was safe, the words kept resounding in Kothari's mind, his relief rising as they slowly sank in. Agony was also gone for now, but he didn't know how long that would last, or if he had the strength to keep him at bay. What had he done? What had he allowed to happen by his weakness, his pathological need for his parents to be safe and well? The human girl had her arms wrapped around the she-wolf, calling to her mother...to the woman he had been a hairsbreadth away from terminating. The strange memory returned in a flash of pain, the coven leader striking the girl as she fought to protect her mother. Rage...fury so deep it burned his soul blossomed in the pit of his stomach and he hissed out that rage, his eyes whirling dangerously. He had laid hands on her! He had hurt the girl...this strange, brave human girl who fought for those she loved. The coven leader had laid hands on the girl and Agony had lost all reason from that point onwards. Storm of Shadows Ch. 06 No! Oh, dear God, no! He had almost killed her mother. He had almost killed her in his madness. If Dara hadn't intervened... "Kothari...Kothi!" Dara cried out as he hissed again and spun away. "Protect her, please protect her, Dara. Do what I cannot do. Guard my heart for me." Kothari took off into the trees, running as fast and as far as he could from the human girl cradling her mother's anguished form. He had almost killed her and he didn't deserve to be anywhere near her. He truly was a monster, the very worst kind of monster in the world, because only a true monster would have come so treacherously close to murdering the one woman put on this planet for him. He had almost killed his mate...he had almost killed his mate. To be continued...