Grif (Tales of the Were - Redstone Clan) (26 page)

Heck, they’d probably seen it all before.

And on that scandalous thought, Lindsey headed out of the bathroom to find some clothes. She found that her suitcases had been delivered to the hall outside their room sometime during the night and Grif had brought them in while she’d been in the bathroom. As a result, she had her full wardrobe to choose from.

She chose a colorful outfit of knit separates that didn’t wrinkle no matter how long and how tightly they’d been crammed into her suitcase. When she was finished dressing and doing her hair, she looked neat and if not professional, then at least she looked friendly.

Her clothes weren’t anything special or expensive, but she thought she looked okay for meeting people. They’d have to accept her as she was because she had never been rich and didn’t pretend to know how someone with the kind of money the Redstones apparently had, usually acted. The brothers had been friendly and kind around her. She hoped the rest of their people would be the same.

Grif dropped a kiss on her lips as he met her near the door to the hall. He was dressed in jeans and a nice white dress shirt. He looked good enough to eat, but she knew spending the entire day in his room making love wasn’t really an option. It would only postpone the inevitable and she’d done that long enough as it was.

Besides, she was hungry. Her tummy growled as Grif opened the door and they both laughed as they went downstairs. They followed the source of cooking smells to a light and airy kitchen at the back of the house.

It was like a gourmet’s dream kitchen and Lindsey couldn’t believe she would be allowed to use the state of the art appliances, if she wanted. She loved to cook and this room was like a showplace, full of wonder and what she hoped would be hours of joy to come.

“Wow,” she breathed, walking through the kitchen. Grif was beaming at her side.

“I designed the kitchen with my mother’s input. She chose the appliances and we went from there. What do you think?”

“It’s gorgeous, Grif.” She twirled to take in the whole space, getting a three hundred and sixty degree view. Matt was finishing up at the stove and Bob was ferrying plates into the room next door. “It’s really awesome.”

“Glad you like it.”

He put his hand at her back and ushered her into the next room, which proved to be a spacious dining room that looked out through large windows and a glass door to the backyard. She could see an orderly garden back there. A green oasis in the middle of the desert. It was almost magical.

Grif seated her at the large table. Belinda and Steve were there before her, along with two other people she hadn’t met.

“Lindsey, this is the Clan’s new priestess, Kate, and her new mate, Slade. I asked them to join us this morning so you could meet them first,” Grif said as he claimed the seat at her side.

She nodded uncertainly at first at the other couple, but they seemed open enough to her senses, so she began to think what she’d heard about them. She knew their names. The soldiers had discussed them with Grif a few times.

“We met your sister, Millie,” Lindsey offered with a small smile as she shook Slade’s big hand.

“Yeah, I heard.” He frowned a bit, causing her to wonder if she’d said the wrong thing, but the woman at his side reached around him to shake Lindsey’s hand.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s not happy his sister is working with a bunch of soldiers. Apparently she didn’t run it past him before she took off for Wyoming and he’s still miffed.”

Lindsey liked Kate’s open manner and firm handshake but she didn’t quite know what to say in response.

“Dig in while it’s hot,” Bob broke in, seating himself as Matt joined them with the last heaping platter of food.

There were eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles and oatmeal. More food and variety than she could really handle. But the men dug in with gusto while she and Kate shared humorous looks. Kate seemed really nice and as breakfast commenced, the conversation was kept to light topics. Lindsey was able to get to know the new couple, as well as Bob, a little better. So far, so good.

When they’d decimated the platters and Belinda and Matt had started to ferry the empties back into the kitchen, Grif suggested he and Lindsey take a little walk with the new couple and Steve. Lindsey guessed they were going to talk business away from Belinda’s little ears, so she got up and joined the group headed for the backyard.

“What news do you have for me?” Grif asked as soon as the back door had shut behind them. They all drifted toward a picnic table set up in the shade of the biggest bird of paradise plant Lindsey had ever seen.

“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” Kate began. “Slade and I examined the body. He had tattoos, Grif. Magical ones that only we can see.
Venifucus
tattoos.”

“Fuck,” Grif cursed. “I knew that bastard was getting help from somewhere. He couldn’t have evaded all my trackers for so long if he hadn’t had support. Were they on his wrists?”

Grif had told her on the plane ride about how some of the evil agents of the ancient organization known as the
Venifucus
were marked with magical tattoos over the pulse points on their wrists. They’d talked about why it was so important to have the body checked and a lot of other things to pass the time on the flight home. She was glad now for the knowledge.

“One on the left wrist,” she confirmed. “And a few more. Alpha, they were in strange places.” Kate swallowed as if what she was about to say was painful. “There was one over his heart that radiated pure evil. We think it encoded some kind of spell.” She turned to her mate, probably seeking his support.

“We think it might be what caused him to kill his mate,” Slade stated with no sugar coating. “He also had one on his right temple and one at the base of his skull. Neither of us have ever seen anything like it. I called the Lords and their mate earlier because this might be too important to let sit, and they had no reports of anything like this either. It’s a mystery. And they’ve asked us to ship the body to them for further examination. With your permission, of course, Alpha,” Slade added, almost as an afterthought.

“They can have him, provided they promise me that after they’re done with him, his body will be burned and consecrated by a priestess. I don’t want his shade coming back to haunt us, if such things are possible. With all the ancient stuff that’s coming back now, I don’t want to find out those fairytales are true as well.”

“Neither do we,” Kate said with a touch of vehemence in her tone. “I’ll ask the High Priestess myself and make sure she understands, though I think they’ll be thinking along the same lines once they see the evil in his marks for themselves. It’s palpable. And for someone like me, they cry out to be cleansed,” Kate added.

“I’ll want you to accompany the body, Slade. I don’t trust this to anyone else. And one of my brothers will go with you. I don’t want you to let it out of your sight. Timmons had support from the
Venifucus
. I don’t want one of their agents taking him back, even in death.” Grif’s tone brooked no argument.

“Understood, Alpha. And I concur,” Slade replied very seriously.

This was a guy who didn’t mess around. Lindsey thought he was very much like some of the soldiers she’d met in Wyoming, but even more deadly, if that made any sense.

They were all quiet for a moment when a thought occurred to her.

“If the
Venifucus
was supporting him, then where were they when he came after us at the cabin? Did he just escape their control? Or were they still helping him? And is that why he was apparently able to take out four of those soldiers and get into Belinda’s room without anybody noticing?”

Grim faces turned to regard her and Lindsey felt uncomfortable under their scrutiny for a moment before she realized they weren’t angry at her, but at her words. They didn’t like contemplating the danger to the Redstones any more than she did. She’d found common ground with the new people, but none of them really liked the basis for it.

“All good questions,” Grif replied after a quiet moment. “And unfortunately I don’t think we have the answers, but you better believe we’re going to find out. If you’re right, the
Venifucus
have been targeting our family in particular for much longer and more thoroughly than I thought.” Grif looked angry with a hint of terror in his golden eyes that only Lindsey could see. “If they really caused Timmons to turn on Jackie, as you believe, their interference goes back years longer than I anticipated. And if they were there, in Wyoming, helping Timmons, then we might not be as safe as I thought.”

“And don’t forget mom,” Steve said softly, but with a determined growl to his voice. “Those two who murdered her were supposedly rogue elements, but they definitely had
Venifucus
ties. Maybe they weren’t so
rogue
after all. Maybe doing damage to our family is all part of some deeper plan.”

“I don’t like this,” Grif spat. “Not at all.” He turned away and paced for a moment, coming back a few seconds later. “We need to operate as if the threat continues. We’ve seen what they’re capable of now. We need to guard against it. More than that,” he pounded one fist on the picnic table. “We need to go on the offensive.”

“Amen, brother,” Steve muttered under his breath but they all heard him. Slade just frowned, but he also had that determined light in his spooky grey eyes.

“From this moment forth, I’m declaring the Redstone Clan at war with the
Venifucus
. We will hunt them where they live and we will end the threat against our family and against our Clan, or die trying.”

Even Lindsey felt the weight of his words as Grif declared his private war and she knew in her heart they were doing the right thing. They’d already lost too many innocent people to the evil cult. She didn’t want to see any more of the Redstones taken out by an enemy that didn’t fight fair.

“I’m sorry I brought you into this at such a time, Lindsey,” Grif turned to her and took her hand in his. “I’d send you away, but I can’t. I need you like I need my next breath.” She put her hand over his mouth to forestall his next words. She understood.

“I wouldn’t be any other place than at your side, Grif. The Great Spirit changed me and put me here for a reason. I know that deep in my heart. I will help you and your family to the best of my ability. I don’t know what I can contribute, but I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I love you.”

It was just that simple. Love made her brave when just thinking about the danger that possibly faced them should have made her tremble.

Grif kissed her in front of everybody, but she didn’t mind. Let them witness the power of their love.

“This is as it should be,” Kate said softly after Grif let Lindsey go. “The Alpha is stronger for having a mate and the Clan is stronger for having a matriarch. You will grow into that role in the fullness of time, Lindsey. I have no doubt about it. Let your love guide you and the Lady will show you the way.” Kate raised her hand and for a moment, Lindsey thought she saw little rainbows of light dancing around her and Grif, like some kind of magical benediction. “Whatever comes, you will face it together. Now and until the end of time.”

Lindsey liked the way that sounded. Apparently, so did Griff. He bent her back and laid a kiss on her like something out of a fairy tale. Dimly she heard laughter and even a little applause from those gathered around them and off in the distance…she thought she heard the flapping of great wings, as if an angel watched over them and had suddenly taken to flight.

# # #

A Word From Bianca D’Arc

About Her Paranormal Series

Since I started writing paranormal romances in 2005, much has happened behind-the-scenes to affect the way in which these stories have been released. Originally, there were two very separate series—the
Brotherhood of Blood
for vampires, and the
Tales of the Were
for werewolves and their werecreature friends.

The main reason for this separation was that each series was with a different publisher. The publisher that originally had my vampire short stories and novellas went out of business some years ago and I began the process of bringing those stories over to Samhain Publishing, which had been publishing my
Tales of the Were
novels. I took the vampire short stories and novellas, expanded them—in some cases significantly—and republished them with Samhain, where they remain as of this writing. Those stories are:
One & Only
,
Rare Vintage
, and
Phantom Desires
.

I have since added to that series at Samhain with the novella
Forever Valentine
and the crossover novel,
Sweeter Than Wine
, which is the point where it became quite obvious that all of these stories happened in the same contemporary paranormal world. Matt Redstone plays a significant part in that book.

Those five stories are united by the fact that they follow the love stories of five female college friends. All five find that they are mated to vampires. But there is a sixth college friend and her story is told in the
RT Award
nominated novel,
Wolf Hills
. She is mated to Jason Moore, who is mentioned briefly in the book you just read. He is the Alpha of a large werewolf Pack in Wyoming, and his brother, Jesse, heads up the team of ex-Spec Ops shifters who comes to the aid of Grif and his family in Wyoming and beyond.

At this point, the
Brotherhood of Blood
series will begin to follow the story line begun with
Wolf Hills
, and the next novel in the series, the upcoming,
Wolf Quest
, is Jesse Moore’s story. It will be out late in 2013. There is quite a bit of crossover now between the
Brotherhood of Blood
and the
Tales of the Were
, but the timing is tricky. The internal chronology of the stories has been, at times, difficult for me to reconcile because of all this confusion in the way the initial stories came out, went out of print, then were re-released.