Banewolf (Dark Siren Book 2) (25 page)

York sat in the kitchen with both feet parked atop the table. Kali could tell he wanted to pounce on Rhane from the first second they entered, but the big guy restrained himself. After a swift appraisal of Rhane, his gaze wandered to Kali. She nodded. York relaxed. A fraction. “I made breakfast.”

Rhane opened the cabinet. “That explains the burning smell.”

“Those waffles died a slow death,” Ri
on said mournfully and slid a box of cereal down the counter to Kali.

Handing her a bowl, Rhane kept
only a mug for himself. “At least you make a good pot of coffee.”

York nodded. “I do.”

Rhane filled the mug. Taking the coffee black, he winced. “What did you put in this?”

“Feverfew. I thought you might need it after last night.”

“Thanks.”

Kali watched them warily. Rhane still hadn’t talked about the night in question, and York was getting more fidgety. She stuck a spoon into the bowl in front of her and was almost done chewing before she noticed the cereal was dry. She started to push her chair back, but Rhane was already there with a carton of milk, filling the bowl to exactly where she liked it. She smiled in thanks. “What’s feverfew?”

York answered her question but never took his eyes from Rhane. “It’s a medicinal herb used to treat headaches and vertigo.”

She looked back at Rhane. “Why would you have vertigo?”

He took another swallow of coffee. “We needed a better clue of what’s expected from us in this whole setup. So, York and I set out to do a little recon and learn more about what’s going on.” He paused. “We were following a Builder and…it sort of possessed me.”

The spoon dropped from her hand. Rion’s head snapped up. “Say what?”

Rhane shrugged. “A bright red light filled the inside of the pickup. Then the light went inside of me.”

York was shaking his head. “You were all over the place like a beheaded chicken. And then you stopped moving. You stopped breathing.” He shoved back from the table in disgust. “The next time I see that guy, I’m going to kill him.”

“He didn’t mean harm, York. Let me finish.” When York calmed down, at least visibly, Rhane continued. “To you it may have appeared I’d lost consciousness or worse. Trust me. My mind remained very awake.” He poured a second cup of coffee. “The Builder showed me visions of the past and the future. I believe they were the same images we all saw in the Gobi, while we were beneath the ruins.”

Rion raised his hand. “I didn’t see any visions. I wasn’t allowed on that fieldtrip.”

Rhane quickly caught him up, summarizing what they’d seen in the tunnels. It served as a refresher for Kali as well, though she would never forget the yellow-eyed and black-scaled monster of a finale.

Rion looked confused.
“What does it mean?”

York hadn’t cracked a single joke all morning. Now his face got even more serious. “It means the devil is coming for us.”

Kali really, really didn’t like that answer.

#

The words on the page began to blur into an indecipherable glob of black and white letters. Kali gave up and closed the text book. Tired didn’t accurately describe how she felt. She was utterly exhausted. Practice with York had started earlier and lasted much longer. Going to school hadn’t been an optional part of the day’s agenda. She couldn’t have left the manor before Rhane awoke, before knowing if he was okay.

But Rhane was okay. Everything was basically normal again, except War wasn’t around to heckle York or argue with Rion during sparring. Kali missed him.

At least her arm was better. In fact, it was perfect. Good thing. York hadn’t taken it easy on her. Her skills, both defensive and offensive, had matured. And such progress called for more advanced lessons. Kali dealt her share of punishment but took even more. When the lesson ended, she felt every bruise, cut, and scrape. Soaking in a hot bath eased most of the aches.

But now, trying to get up after being stagnantly positioned for hours made her feel like a battered old woman. Maybe studying on the floor hadn’t been the best idea.

Relocating downstairs to the kitchen, Kali took a seat on a bar stool and turned on the laptop. Schoolwork done, it was time for a little research. Eleazar. She couldn’t get the name out of her head. Orrin had interrupted the last search. Not that she had been on the verge of discovering something useful. Truthfully, when going up against the World Wide Web, a last name wasn’t much to go on. Thirty minutes and a dozen searches later, she still had zilch. Rubbing her temple in frustration, she stared at the screen, willing useful information to appear. The only thing she got was a bigger headache. “Sugar honey iced tea,” she muttered.

“Watcha doing?”

Jerking back in surprise, the move almost pitched her off the stool. Rion grinned sheepishly around the mouth of a soda bottle. “Sorry.”

Cheeks burning, she scowled to show her annoyance. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Rion waved a hand innocently. “There was no sneaking. I just walked in.”

“Well, walk louder.”

“I’ll work on it.” 

Giving a short laugh, Kali pressed her face into her hands. “I’m sorry, Rion. I’m just really frustrated.”

“Work?”

“Sorta.”

His ears perked. “Anything I can help with?”

“Maybe. You’re good with techy stuff, right?”

“I have my moments.”

“Okay, well I’m trying to follow a tidbit that Shannon and her Reaper gave me. She mentioned the name Eleazar. Apparently, this guy was the manipulator
who pulled a lot of Mack’s and Shannon’s strings to get me into the desert. I’ve tried, but I can’t find anything on him.”

“Tell me exactly what Shannon said.”

“Eleazar threatened Mack’s family in order to get him to turn me over to the Reapers. And he promised Shannon a cure in exchange for her cooperation.”

“Eleazar promised Shannon a cure?”

Kali nodded.

“For what?”

“She wouldn’t say. She went all crazy, trying to get me to tell her about War.”

Rion sipped at the soda. Then he rested his chin on the cap thoughtfully. “Okay, try this. Do a search for Eleazar, cure, and…corporation. See where that gets you.”

Kali entered the info. Bingo. Suddenly, there were threads to follow. Thaddeus Eleazar was the president of Global Cures, an international corporation specializing in medical and scientific research. Their mission statement was a vow to rid the human race of affliction from all diseases, to give hope and strength to those currently affected by incurable illnesses. Global Cures even had a special division dedicated to prosthetics, integrating organics and myoelectrics into the framework of mechanical limbs. Their science division had made leaps and bounds in the field, giving a new foothold on independence to people who’d lost limbs due to trauma and children born with defects who’d never known wholeness. It all sounded very futuristic to Kali.

But Eleazar didn’t seem like a bad guy. He was a philanthropist. Running a billion-dollar corporation didn’t stop him from donating to and spearheading other causes. He had three sons who were all equ
ally involved in the company. Luke was vice president of Global Cures; Ezra, the oldest and a former military operative, was the head of security. Aaron was the youngest son. He was also involved in security operations for the company. There had been a fourth son, Seth. A biology major at a local university, Seth died tragically at a young age, killed in a car accident on his twentieth birthday. Eleazar had publicly sworn that if medicine and science had been more evolved, his son would have been saved.

She looked at Rion, still reading over her shoulder. “He sounds really sad.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Seriously? The dude has got all the markings of a mad scientist.”

“Come on. Nothing about this says destroyer of families, kidnapper of teenagers.”

“Let’s see what Rhane thinks.”

Kali realized she hadn’t seen him since breakfast. “Where is he?”

Suddenly looking really guilty, Rion cleared his throat. “He’s sparring with York, probably needed to blow off some steam.”

She watched him curiously, waiting for him t
o continue. So far nothing he had said warranted blame. Rion endured the silence for almost thirty seconds. “Rhane’s trying to decide what to do with War.”

“He kicked him out of the house and banished him to indefinite forest patrol. Isn’t that enough?”

Rion shook his head. “That’s not how we do things.” Practically fidgeting his way out of the chair, he stood up. “When a soldier in the Warekin army repeatedly disobeys orders, it’s taken as a sign of rebellion. Rebellion easily evolves into insurgence. So to prevent that, the Warekin have a law where a soldier can challenge his commander for control of the army. If the soldier does not call for the challenge, his commander can mandate a fight. The struggle goes on until only one is left standing. The victor leads. The loser becomes indebted to the service of his warlord until death.”

“That sounds brutal
.” She almost didn’t believe her ears. “Rhane isn’t going to do that to Warren, is he?”

“I hope not.” Rion sagged against the counter. “I shouldn’t have pushed him.”

  “It wasn’t just you.”

“Yeah,” he agreed but not
seeming at all convinced. Staring quietly at the floor for a moment, Rion looked up. “Let’s go find them.”

Kali didn’t argue. “Okay.”

They didn’t have to go far or search very hard. A pair of voices were easily heard over the fields. Weapons in hand, Rhane and York were in the middle of a heated debate. River stood off to one side, observing quietly. None of them acknowledged Kali and Rion’s approach.

“…put a lid on this before it gets out of hand.”

Rhane was pacing. The frown on his face grew more severe by the second. “Two foul ups in two weeks is hardly a sign that he’s out of control.”

“It’s for his own good.”

“I can’t do it.”

“Our laws require it,” River softly interjected.

Rhane spun around, practically yelling in his brother’s face, “By our laws I should have died at birth. We do not live by our laws.”

York fell silent, but River did not back down. “How will they ever become men unless you treat them as such?”

“They are not men. Warfare and bloodshed make men. These are boys.”

“And yet, a war is
at our doorstep.”

It was strange to
witness River and York in a united front against Rhane. Anyone could see the two were rivals. The animosity between them was old, probably spawned from a conflict that happened centuries ago. Put York and River in the same room and the tension became almost palpable. There was a story there. Kali reminded herself to find out what it was.

Rhane’s gaze shifted
across the field to where she and Rion stood. His eyes were dark, burning with emotion as he stared at Kali. Then he looked away, placing his attention back on the dispute. “He requires discipline, brother,” River insisted.

Rhane moved closer. Two strides, then he and River were only inches apart. “I will not do it.”

There was a heartbeat of silence. All of them were armed to the teeth, and that made Kali very nervous. She held her breath, afraid of what might happen next.

But it was River who relented. Yielding space to Rhane, he bowed his head stiffly. The light breeze whipped
through his hair. “It is your will.”

She nudged Rion, needing confirmation before she got her hopes
too high. “They’re talking about Warren, right?” She was careful to keep her voice to a whisper.

Rion exhaled softly. He was obviously relieved. “Rhane won’t order a fight.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah. It’s good.”

But things were about to get worse.

Kali walked between War and Rion, matching their snail’s pace. It was Friday afternoon. Another school day
ended, a new weekend starting. But Kali wasn’t sure if she would see War again before Monday. Outside of guarding her at school, he was still restricted to forest patrols far from the manor. Rhane had been in a terrible mood since the argument with his brother and York. Taking that into consideration, she didn’t think War’s punishment would be over soon.

The exit sign loomed ahead with bold red letters. She and the kin stopped. They would part ways here. Kali embraced War in a brief hug, tousl
ing his hair before he could shy away. “Be careful out there, Red.”

A bright smile transformed
his glum demeanor. “You’re the only one who has ever called me that.” He plucked one of her curls. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“He’ll let you come home soon.” Rion didn’t mask the hope in his voice.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be the pessimist.” War blew out a breath. “I’m counting on it. Patrol is really boring.”

“You sure you don’t want a ride?” Rion asked. Since War had to report to border duty right after school, no longer could
Kali enjoy the long walk home to the manor. A monotonous, fifteen minute car ride had replaced that.

“Nah.” He glanced at his watch. “Matthias is meeting me now. We’re going to make a run of it.”

“Don’t have too much fun without me.”

“Not a chance.”

Out in the parking lot, Kali slid into the car and immediately put down her window. If she couldn’t be outdoors, at least she could smell it. Ander was already inside. His huge form nearly filled the entire back seat. He didn’t look comfortable. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Kindred prefer the earth to touch their feet.” His primal,
reddish brown eyes met hers through the vanity mirror. “But do not worry. I will be fine.” 

She shivered. Ander’s words had echoed Warren’s exactly. Anxiety turned a small flip in her stomach. “Let’s just get home.”

At the manor, Rhane’s bad mood endured. A sullen wistfulness pervaded the general atmosphere, overshadowing the rest of the kin. Everyone missed War. But the gears didn’t stop because of it.

Rhane leaned over the kitchen counter with Rion next to him and a laptop between them.
They were reading the article about Global Cures and its president. Midway through, Rhane shifted a stiff glance to Rion. “Why didn’t you bring this to me earlier?”

“Kali only just found it.”

Apparently satisfied with that answer, he resumed reading. He finished but didn’t speak. Rion couldn’t wait any longer. “What do you think?” he prodded.

Rhane’s green eyes were sharp. “You tell me.”

Rion fiddled with the keyboard. “Shannon’s Reaper accused this guy of some pretty bad things. I think he and his company deserve a second look.”

Nodding, Rhane tapped the screen. “Thaddeus Eleazar is obsessive, driven, and powerful. Men like him should never be underestimated.”
His voice softened. “Good work, Rion. Now—”

Kali,
sitting at the table and busy with homework, waved her hand in the air. “How about sending a little credit over here?”

“Good work, the
both
of you.” A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. It faded as he focused on Rion again. “Take a closer look at Global Cures and see what else turns up.”

Rion nodded curtly. “Use my magical hacking powers to get inside their network and
discover other breadcrumbs to this conspiracy. Got it.”

Rhane didn’t look amused. “Did you finish writing the program that will translate the key we found at the bookstore?”

Color flushed Rion’s cheeks. “Not yet.”

“I thought you’d be done with it by now.”

“It’s almost finished. The programming has been a real pain. I’m working with a code so old, it’s practically antediluvian. Making it compatible with modern tech is not easy.” Rion ran a hand through his thick hair. “I’m close though.”

“Thank you. That’s all, Rion.”

Leaving in a hurry with the laptop, the young kin aimed a meaningful stare at Kali as he passed. “Talk to him,” he mouthed. The door swung shut. Kali and Rhane were alone.

Silently, he moved to the window and stared
into the fading afternoon light. She left the table and went to him. Slipping her arms around his torso, she pressed her cheek against his back. The muscles there felt like flexed steel. Rhane was wound tighter than three cats on a wire spool. He leaned forward, digging his fingers into the window ledge.

“Rhane, what is it?”

He didn’t answer for a long time. Then, “I had a difficult upbringing as a youngling. My mother, Roma, was forced to leave Golden Mountain because of me. Father wanted me spared. Roma obeyed. But other royals would not concede to a bad omen walking freely among them. Father, as one of the ruling Primes, could not leave the mountain. The rest of us were sent away—my brother, Roma, and I.” The wood splintered where Rhane’s fingers gripped the sill. “We lived in the plains as commoners. Roma blamed me for her fallen position. Had River been her first born, she would have become one of the Mothers, the ruling force behind the triumvirate. My birth, my continued life took that chance away from her.”
Crack.
The ledge buckled beneath the pressure, and more wood splintered. “She was a cruel woman. And the many lovers she bedded to ease her pain were just as cruel as she.” Rhane relaxed his hold. Flexing his fingers, he turned around. His gaze was both sad and distant. Kali grasped one of his hands and squeezed it. Looking at her, a spark of light came back to his eyes. “What River and York think is best stands for everything I hated about my childhood. I know what it’s like when the person who is your only world raises their hand against you. I will not do that to Warren.”

Kali nodded. “I understand.” Taking Rhane’s face in her hands, she brought his head down to hers. “You’re worried about him.”

“Yes.”

This was adult stuff. She knew little about raising kids or grooming soldiers. Chewing her lip, she went on a hunch. “This behavior started after you found me again. Day and night, your concern has revolved around our relationship and keeping me safe. War loves you so much. He idolizes you.” Kali thought for a moment. “I think you’re right. Beating him to a pulp in some stupid challenge is not the answer. But maybe isolating him isn’t either. Spend more time with him.”

She folded her mouth into his in a tender but lingering kiss. Pulling back slightly, she spoke so that her words were a breath against his lips. “Bring War home. He needs you.”

Rhane closed his eyes. “Kalista,” he said softly. And suddenly she was a prisoner in his arms. His mouth found hers again. Hungrily prodding with teeth and tongue, he kissed her
until she was ready to melt. Then his lips left her mouth, found her neck, and crafted trails of pleasure against her skin. He nuzzled her blouse aside to plant more heated kisses against her shoulder. She moaned. He clutched her tighter. Knees shaking, Kali held onto his shoulders just to keep standing. “Rhane,” she gasped, unable to find more words. Still, he didn’t stop. His hands stole to the waist of her jeans and traveled up, sending her stomach quivering in the wake of his hot touch against her flesh. Then his mouth was on hers again, claiming the next moan that escaped her lips. She wanted him so bad. She gave in, surrendered to the longing. Lifting his shirt, she let her fingers trail over the smooth skin and corded muscle. He responded to her touch, groaning, pulling her closer. Kali bit into his shoulder, digging until his flesh trembled between her teeth. Tangling a hand into her hair, Rhane pulled her head backward and kissed her neck roughly. Then his teeth pinched her flesh, sending a jolt of pleasure through her belly. She gasped as he bit her again. Her nails dug into his back, her fingers curling spasmodically. Then her hips rolled to meet his, grinding denim against denim. Rhane exhaled a hiss. A low growl rumbled in his throat. Kissing her neck again, softly this time, he brought her face up to meet his.

“If we don’t stop now, I’m going to break the promise I made to your father.” His
eyes were so dark, they were almost black. Her hips still pressed into him, so Kali could feel the full extent of his desire.

“I don’t want to stop,” she said.

He kissed her again. “I don’t want to either.”

“I’m not Greg’s little girl anymore.”

“I know. You’ve changed.” He didn’t move. Bodies flush, her pulse pounded. She could feel his heart charging as well. He searched her face. “What do you want?”

He was giving her a choice. All she had to do was say the word
s, and she could have him.

I want you.

He had made a promise, but was willing to break it for her. Would there be guilt after? The last thing she wanted was the afterglow of their first time together to be tainted by remorse. “Give me a reason to let you go.”

“I need to go get War.”

She sighed, rubbing against him as she rose on tiptoe and kissed him one more time. He shuddered. “Don’t do that.” His breath came out in a ragged pant. “If I’m going to let go right now, you can’t do that.”

“Sorry.”

He brushed a thumb against her cheek. “Don’t be.”

Disentangling herself from his arms was one of the hardest things Kali had done in a very long time.

#

Each day passed brought more of the old Kalista back to him. She was so much like herself; it was getting hard for Rhane to see her as anything but the mate he’d loved for so long. Greg Metts was a smart man. The next time Kalista had the opportunity to be with her family, he would no doubt see the change in her too. Remaining hopeful as he made his way deeper into the forest, Rhane dragged his
focus back to the task at hand. Every step took him closer to Warren, but Ian’s warning was a chief concern in his mind. Rogue activity had increased in this territory.

Even with borrowed men, patrols were still stretched thin. Rhane didn’t have the manpower to investigate what rogues were up to out in these woods, keep Kalista safe, have her trained, negotiate an alliance with the kindred, fend off attacks from Gabriel while trying to learn the fallen Prime’s motives, pursue Builders to understand what they wanted of him, and solve the riddle of the map, ledger, and key. It was a lot to do with so few resources.

Kneeling down, he searched for tracks in the brush. There wouldn’t be many. The kindred were too good for that. Though War and Matthias should have been covering the grid closer to the manor, Rhane had yet to see any sign of them.

He closed his senses to everything except the sounds within the
forest, letting his mind project every noise into a multi-dimensional image. He filtered out anything smaller than a deer because what he looked for was much bigger. In due course, Rhane spotted something. It was big, low to the ground, and barely moving. Not good. He started out at a fast but cautious run while keeping an eye on the moving mass as he went toward it. Hairs were standing on end all over his body. And the closer he got, that unsettled feeling only intensified.

Twenty feet from the object, Rhane stopped.

Watching. Listening.

Nothing.

He sniffed the air. Blood. It was kindred. He sniffed again. A faint smell of flowers and wet garbage lingered in the atmosphere. And more blood. Not earthy like the kindred, this smell was much more unpleasant.

Rhane crept forward.

He found the creature camouflaged by a patch of thorns. It wasn’t obvious whether the disguise was intentional or if it was simply where the kindred had fallen after battle. It certainly hadn’t gone down without a fight. Just beyond the kindred lay several more bodies. All were rogue. Looking closer, Rhane’s gut took a sickened twist. He recognized the soldier. It was Mykelti. One of Ian’s best. He was still alive but barely. Rhane grimaced. The kindred alpha should have alerted him that the threat was this severe.

Mykelti’s injuries were familiar. Two ragged holes marked where spears had pierced his abdomen. The wounds were most likely fatal. Shallow breaths quivered through the kindred’s chest, barely filling
his lungs. Death was close. Rhane reached forward. He could help.

Fingers just shy of touching
skin, Mykelti jerked forward and clasped Rhane’s hand with the strength of an oak. His gaze was wild and unfocused. A second passed. The kindred’s eyes gradually fixated on Rhane. “Save your power.” His voice, like his grip, held a surprising amount of strength. “You will need it soon.”

Rhane swallowed. The inside of his mouth felt like he
had swallowed a pound of cotton. He knew what was coming. He could already sense it. “Where are Matthias and the boy?”

“Get back to the manor,” Mykelti said. Then he slipped away.