Death's Dark Horse Page 3

“Are you the leader?” She asked.

  He laughed, abruptly. “No, he’s got far more important things to do with his time than chase around after ponies.” From his tone, it was clear he didn’t understand why anyone would want to invite her along.

  She didn’t understand either. In the shifter community, you generally kept to your own kind.

  This was strange.

  “Is the leader a jaguar, too?”

  The man on her doorstep narrowed his eyes, and she thought she saw a flash of green and yellow. It was the full moon that night and his temper was pushing him to the verge of changing. He hadn’t intended to tell her his identity.

  “He’s a cat,” the man answered evasively, and January knew he didn’t mean the small domestic variety.

  She stored this information away to think about later. Cats were solitary. They didn’t work together well at all - that was why the wolves ran everything. It had never been a problem before. The wolves had kept order and kept to themselves, but it would seem that things had changed a lot in the years since January had been gone. Things must be very bad if her parents hadn’t told her about it before she moved back.

  “I’ll see you tonight then,” the jaguar shifter said, taking her silence for agreement.

  He turned to leave but January shot out a hand, grabbing his arm. He looked surprised by her strength.

  “You didn’t tell me your name.”

  “Didn’t I?” His expression was blank but January kept eye contact, and his cheek twitched a little. “Ryan.”

  “And I’m January - but everyone seems to know that already. It was a pleasure to meet you. Don’t wait up for me tonight…” She added, and this time she managed to slam the door without him getting in the way.

  She felt the all too familiar sensation of energy being sucked in. Ryan was reacting with anger - but it soon dissipated when he fought the change.

  Reassured that her door wasn’t in imminent danger of being broken down by a psycho jaguar, she walked back upstairs to bed. Hopefully, she could catch up on her sleep a little more.

  As she lay back on her rumpled cotton sheets, all she could think about was the new Witchwood pack, that was apparently run by cats. What had happened to all of the wolves? She had a lot of digging to do and it needed to be done fast. Something told her that the invitation Ryan had extended wasn’t one you were supposed to turn down.

  She groaned and turned over, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of her sandalwood infused washing powder. Sleep washed over her and she continued her lie-in for another hour before it was interrupted for the second time by the harsh ringing of the phone.

  January toyed with the idea of ignoring it. There were only a few people it could be and some second sense whispered that she knew exactly who it was that was calling. She should have known news of her refusal to join the shifter club would get back to them in record time.

  “Hello, mother,” January said into the phone and was rewarded with an instant ear bashing for being so rude to Ryan Eridge.

  She turned the speaker on and started laying her work clothes out, figuring that she may as well get something useful done while the lecture went on.

  “He was hardly civil to me,” January said in a brief space between reprimands.

  Her mother sighed dramatically. “I don’t know why I bother sometimes. You need to socialise with others of your own kind, not run away to Paris and pretend to be something you aren’t!”

  January felt her mouth set in the thin line it always did when she spoke to her family. Her mother had no idea what she’d really been doing in Paris.

  “I like being on my own,” she said, simply.

  To her surprise, it ended that topic.

  January’s elation drained away when it became clear that the phone call wasn’t just to tell her to play nice with the were-cats.

  “Have you seen Jo? Is she with you?”

  January frowned. “I haven’t seen her since she galloped off in a cloud of dust after I dragged her away from that vampire place.”

  There was a shocked gasp on the other end of the line, and January visualised her mother trying to sink into the ground at the shame of it. Their family had striven for years to be seen as respectable. In the space of a single generation, everything had fallen apart due to their one wild - and one wildly uncooperative - daughters.

  January almost felt sorry for them.

  “She was actually in there? Inside?” Her mother made it sound like even walking past the pub was a grievous sin. “I’d never dreamt it would be this bad. Why doesn’t she think about us?”

  January sighed, noiselessly, knowing her mother meant the family’s hard-earned business and reputation, more than their feelings. Her sister’s constant disappearances and erratic behaviour were the reason she’d been persuaded to return from her life in Paris. In January’s opinion, Jo wanted as much independence as she could get her hands on, but had made the mistake of still living with their parents. If she’d moved out, they’d never have known about her disappearances at odd hours.

  The mention of possible vampire association had been what clinched her return to Hailfield. She knew a thing or two about what vampires were capable of, and while she thought her little sister was taking her rebellion several steps too far, she still didn’t deserve to die for it.

  She glanced at Jo’s clutch, still sat on her bedside table. The phone hadn’t rung while she’d been at home but it would probably be a good idea to check the messages later.

  “She’s only been gone for twenty four hours. I’m sure she’s fine,” January told her mother, banishing mental images of vampires torturing and killing Jo.

  “Do all you can to find her for me. I couldn’t bear it if something happened. I would go out and look for her myself, but since your father’s injury…”

  January rolled her eyes when her mother tried to turn on the sympathy. It wasn’t going to work.

  On the other hand, it would be better for everyone if her parents stayed well away from the mess she suspected she’d just landed in. They’d only make things ten times worse.

  “I’ll do what I can,” January said and wasn’t surprised at all when her mother hung up without so much as a ‘thank you’.

  Despite this recent rebellion, Jo was the favourite child and always would be. She’d never be the black sheep of the family.

  January lay back on her bed for a moment longer, savouring a few more seconds of rest before she finally resigned herself to getting ready for the lunchtime work shift.

  She briefly wondered why Gregory hadn’t come to find her yet. She must not be high on his ‘to do’ list after all.

  Her mind flickered back to Ryan - the were-jaguar who had so rudely awakened her - and his annoying insistence that she attend the pack meeting that night.

  She couldn’t believe she was actually going to go.

  4

  January changed her outfit three times before she was satisfied. She didn’t want to walk into the midst of a pack of were-cats and who-knew-what-else looking like dinner, but on the other hand, she needed something that would command their attention.

  After all, she had something to say to them.

  In the end, she settled for a thin white pullover, which hugged her toned arms, and a pair of black jeans that laced up the outside of the legs. She glanced in the mirror and gave her reflection an experimental smile, wishing that tonight was already over.

  Before she left, she pulled out her sister’s phone, finally remembering to check it for messages. There was one from someone called Luke, which simply demanded ‘where are you?’. Apart from that, her inbox was completely empty.

  January suspected that this wasn’t Jo’s only phone.

  The sun’s last rays of light shone back from the mirror, as the fiery ball disappeared below the horizon. January hadn’t realised she’d spent so long deliberating over an outfit. She needed to leave right now before the moon rose.

  She stuffed her
keys into her back pocket and walked across the gravelled parking area to where her pride and joy, a red Mercedes convertible, was parked. She should really sell it and get a more sensible replacement. It wasn’t the kind of car a waitress would be able to afford, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do it. Buying it had been her first act of defiance in her new life when she’d arrived in Paris. If she sold it, she knew it would feel like she wasn’t going to go back.

  And she was going back. Really, really soon.

  The engine purred when January backed it out of the drive, wondering if somewhere nearby in the twilight shadows, Gregory Drax was watching her. She mentally shrugged and floored the accelerator. She had bigger, furrier problems right now.

  Fifteen minutes after she’d left Hailfield, she arrived in the larger town of Witchwood and pulled into an empty car park behind a shop, which sold baby stuff. She was all too aware that it was dangerously close to The Witch’s Wand, but she hadn’t left herself with much choice. The night was already underway and she had a fair amount of walking to do if she was going to reach that clearing in time to talk to whoever - or whatever - she found there. With any luck, her sister would be amongst the attendees and that would be one less thing to worry about.

  She slammed the car door and winced when it cut through the still night air.

  Far too loud.

  “Good evening, January.”

  She didn’t need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to.

  “You’re stalking me,” she said, locking her car before turning and finding that the tall, blonde vampire was only a step away from her. Vampires had no concept of personal space.

  “I’ve been keeping a close eye.” He narrowed his gaze and January felt the air crackle between them.

  He was doing it deliberately.

  She brushed past him, walking towards the hill that separated Witchwood from Witchwood Forest. “I’m afraid I’m late for something, but if you wanted to chat, maybe we could grab coffee some morning,” she said, casually throwing out the classic ‘burn to ash in the sun’ insult. She sensed it made him smile.

  “Looking for your missing sister?”

  She paused mid-stride. “How do you know that?” She asked and then felt stupid. It was fairly obvious. After all - it was the same thing she’d been doing when they’d met the first time. “If you know where she is, tell me. If not, leave me alone.”

  His grey eyes turned thoughtful in the dim light, and the faint breeze pushed the scent of fresh saltwater back in her face. She wasn’t in the mood to wonder about it tonight.

  “I haven’t seen her since you left the bar, but I’d be happy to help you look. Two heads are better than one.” The expression sounded awkward rolling off his tongue.

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” January responded, thinking of the debt of favours she was running up.

  She turned her back on the vampire and continued walking towards the hill, well aware he was still following her.

  “What are you doing?” She asked, as soon as her feet hit the grass.

  “We both happen to be walking in the same direction. Perhaps we should stay together?” Gregory’s face was serious, but she sensed that he was probably laughing at her on the inside. He’d had centuries to master a straight face.

  She opened her mouth to warn him about the pack meeting in the woods but stopped. He could handle himself. He probably knows more about the pack than I do, she realised, and started scripting conversations in her head. Seeing as he was hers for now, she should try and find out exactly what she was going to be up against tonight.

  “You must know the cats who run the pack?” January ventured, trying for a casual conversation starter.

  The quick grin on Gregory’s face let her know she’d already been rumbled.

  “I know them and their business, and they know me and mine. Beyond that, we keep our privacy and our distance. It’s what works best.”

  January nodded, knowing he was lying. He knew a whole lot more than that. No vampire worth his salt would let potential rivals get a grip on a sizeable chunk of the local supernatural community without having a few of their dirty secrets close at hand. He just wasn’t in the sharing mood.

  They kept walking up the hill in silence until January felt her nose twitch and was instantly alert. A wolf walked out at the highest point of the hill and looked down, its black silhouette clear against the dark blue evening sky. The moon hadn’t even fully risen yet. The wolves are still here after all, January thought, wondering what that meant.

  “Should I catch him?” Gregory asked.

  January realised the wolf had run off. It must be a sentry.

  She shook her head, not sure if the vampire was serious. She glanced sideways and saw his face was full of tension.

  “There’s something here. I can smell the death,” he said and ran in a blur that most eyes couldn’t follow, leaving January still stomping her way up the hill. Well, at least that’s my stalker taken care of, she thought, but the next second, the grass swished in an unseen gale and Gregory was in front of her again.

  “There’s a dead vampire,” he announced.

  January waited for some elaboration, but Gregory lapsed into silence, walking in step with her until she reached the tree line.

  “Did you know him?” She asked, unable to keep the question from forming on her lips.

  Gregory frowned. “Yes, he was a young vampire who went missing recently. One of my children was his maker…” He stopped talking and January realised he’d said more than he’d originally intended. That was an unusual error - if it was in fact an error at all.

  “Remind me why you’re still glued to my side?”

  He smiled as though the expression amused him. “I have business with the pack.”

  January raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you kept to yourselves and it was all incredibly private?”

  His forehead creased a little, missing her sarcasm. “Normally that is the case,” he answered and said no more.

  They walked through the dark, twisted shapes. The trees got older when they neared the more ancient parts of Witchwood Forest. January could already feel the energy being pulled in, as a large number of shifters changed beneath the full moon. Exactly how many of them there were, she had no idea.

  “I don’t know if this is such a good idea after all,” she suddenly said, grinding to a halt. It had occurred to her that she hadn’t seen or felt any sign of her sister. Sure, lots of other animals and people had passed by, but family was easy to spot.

  “It doesn’t feel like she’s here,” she said to herself and started to back away, only to find that Gregory’s hand was like steel behind her.

  “You’ve come all this way. Why leave now? You may as well be certain,” he said.

  She realised she’d been an idiot to allow him to come anywhere near her. “Why do I feel like you’ve been using me?” She said, unsurprised when he dragged her forwards to the edge of a large bowl-shaped clearing.

  It was filled with a crowd of animals of all shapes and sizes.

  January stopped resisting Gregory’s hold out of shock when she realised that laid out below her was the entire population of local shifters.

  “What is this?” She half-asked the vampire, who merely tightened his grip and raised his voice above the snuffles, snorts, and growls.

  “I made sure she got here. The debt is settled,” he said.

  January couldn’t believe his cheek. “I’d already decided to come!” She argued.

  Gregory gave her an indulgent smile. “Of course you had,” he said kindly, loudly enough that all of the listening shifter ears would pick up on what he was really implying.

  Touché, Mr Drax, she thought, realising that no one else knew she was immune to a vampire’s glamour - and perhaps it would be a good idea to keep it that way. At least it was a strike back in her favour. Gregory gave her a little push forwards and she felt the sudden draught as he vanished back through the t
rees with lightning speed.

  She cleared her throat, looking around for someone still in human form to talk to about her sister. All she could see were animal eyes and faces - every one of them fixed on her. They’d all changed, yet they still seemed under control and almost regimented.

  It was unnatural.

  January knew that her sister wasn’t here and took a step back towards the tree line.

  The crowd of animals parted like a wave to allow something to pass. She stopped turning away when curiosity got the better of her. The animals seemed to ripple as he walked towards the edge of the clearing where she stood. From her higher viewpoint, his spotted coat looked silver in the moonlight. Despite the show of respect, she was left feeling underwhelmed. How had an average-sized leopard created this strange super-pack?

  Walking just behind the leopard was a jaguar that had to be much larger than the natural variety. January recognised the yellow-green eyes, but it was obvious that Ryan Eridge was definitely not in charge here.

  It was time to make a move, but for some reason her feet seemed to be rooted to the ground.

  The leopard got closer and finally looked up. She was expecting him to change and talk to her. She was anticipating it, in fact. It was about time she found out exactly who was calling the shots around here.

  The leopard stayed exactly where he was, silently watching her. January felt her skin begin to crawl as some alien energy patterns started to move. This is all wrong, she thought and took a step backwards, her willpower freeing her from whatever it was that had her caught.

  She’d never seen a leopard look surprised before.

  She was just about to run when this strange speech-like sound came from the leopard’s throat.

  She froze.

  It was impossible to talk in animal form – that was why when shifters changed, it was very hard for them to fully control their actions. You were at the mercy of the animal inside and all of the instincts that came with it. She’d known there was something seriously off about this pack.

  January glanced over her shoulder and met the leopard’s quiet, focused eyes. He opened his mouth and made the noise again, only this time she heard an unspoken word chime in her head, echoing off invisible walls and getting louder with every repeat.