The Lost Years (8 page)

Part 4 – CRAVEN (1989)

Chapter 13

Another territory, another run-down motel. They'd all begun to look the same to Craven. Most of the time, he travelled in human form—it was easier that way. In wolf-form, he'd have been restricted as to which routes he could take, and unless he wanted to draw unwanted attention to himself, would have been forced to travel only at night. He normally only shifted to wolf-form if he ran into trouble with local shifters, and needed to make a speedy get-away or to stand and fight.

Over the previous fifteen years he'd become adept at surviving as a lone wolf. He'd learned from his early mistakes. His golden rules for survival were:

1)
                
Never approach a new territory near to a busy border—scout the border until you found a weak point.

2)
                
Always enter a new territory in the early hours of the morning.

3)
                
Once in a territory, find somewhere to stay as close to the border as possible—if you need to get away there is less distance to cover.

4)
                
Remain in human-form, and mix with humans while searching the territory—the local shifters are less likely to confront or attack you while humans are present.

5)
                
Be vigilant.

6)
                
Don't do anything stupid. 

So far those rules had served him well. When searching a territory, he always kept as low a profile as possible. He tried to be in and out within no more than three days. Most packs were tolerant of a lone wolf passing through their territory, but if it began to look as though he was setting up residence, that would sound the alarm bells.

He wasn't always able to stay in a motel. If he had no money or was unable to find somewhere suitable and affordable that was close enough to the border, he'd sleep rough—sometimes in the city, but more often in the countryside.

When he'd begun his quest, he'd been full of optimism, but as the months had turned into years, and the years had rolled by, he'd found it increasingly difficult to sustain that hope.  That didn't mean he planned to give up. While there was still a breath in his body, he'd continue to search until he found her or he knew for sure she was dead. On good days, he could convince himself that every day brought him closer to her. On bad days, and there were more and more of those, he found himself wondering if she was still alive. He'd found not a single trace of Louise since he left Terroun all those years ago. It was as though she'd disappeared off the face of the planet.

In the car park, directly outside of his window, a huge fluorescent sign flickered on and off. The 'Retreat Motel' was only two miles inside that particular territory. Craven knew nothing about the packs that lived in that region of the country. He'd known all of those within a hundred mile radius of his own territory, but he was now much further afield.

His plan was the same as always. He set his alarm for eleven AM. That would give him seven hours sleep. By then the city streets would be busy with humans. He'd sniff around and make some enquiries even though he was conscious that every question asked meant another shifter was alerted to his presence. He selected carefully those he approached. Older, female shifters were often more sympathetic to the story of a lone wolf seeking his fated mate. He always steered well clear of young, male shifters who saw his very presence as a challenge to their honour.

The Retreat Motel was run down and in dire need of renovation. His room contained the absolute bare essentials: a bed, a bedside cabinet with one of the three drawers missing, and a clothes rail. The shared shower and toilet were at the end of the corridor. Craven had glanced at the shower on his way to the room, and decided he'd give it a miss.

He was starving, but there wasn’t a restaurant in the motel. The only vending machine was empty except for a half dozen bars of chocolate. If he grew any weaker, he'd not be able to resist an attack if it came. Maybe if he could sleep, he'd forget the pangs of hunger. Who was he kidding? If he didn't eat, he probably wouldn't sleep at all.

His room was on the ground floor. He could easily sneak out of the window to avoid having to walk by reception. He'd find somewhere, around the rear of the motel, to hide his clothes. Then he'd shift into wolf-form, and go in search of food. There would be plenty of small wild animals—possibly even a farm nearby. It would mean he had less sleep, but it would be worth it. There was always the danger he might come across some local shifters, but this section of the border had appeared to be very quiet when he'd done his reconnaissance. Decision made—he opened the window and slipped out.

*********

It had been the right decision. One hour later, Craven's stomach was full, and he'd not encountered even a single local shifter. He could already feel his strength returning. He retrieved his clothes, dressed quickly, and made his way back to the front of the motel.

Craven slid open the window, and stepped inside the room. Immediately, he was aware of the smell. He snapped his head to the left, and saw the two figures—one was head and shoulders taller than the other. His instincts took over, and he was on the point of shifting when the shorter of the two spoke.

“Wait! We mean you know harm,” she said.

“What makes you think you could do me harm?” Craven sneered. His body was aching to shift. He should rip out their throats for such audacity.

“We just want to talk. You're Craven, right?”

How did they know his name?

“Step to the right,” Craven ordered.

They did as he said, and were now standing in a part of the room which was bathed in moonlight—two young vampires. Craven cringed at their odour.

“You can stop with the face,” the female said. “You don't smell any better to us.”  She had spirit, he had to give her that much.

“How do you know my name?” he asked.

“We've been looking for you. We're from the territory you know as Maja.” The female was doing all of the talking.

“Why? What could you possibly want with me?”

“We can help you,” she said.

“Help me?” Craven laughed. “The day I need help from a vampire will be my last.”

“To find Louise,” she said.

Now she had his attention.

“What do you know about Louise?” His anger rose again. “Have you taken her?”

“No. Nothing like that, but we do know where you can find her.”

“Where? Tell me now or I'll kill you both.”

“If you kill us, you'll never find her.”

“Are you holding her?”

“No. We've already told you that we don't have her.”

“Where is she then?”

“She's still in Maja territory. She has been all along.”

“Now I know you're lying. I searched Maja first. I'd have sensed her presence if she'd been there.”

“Not where they're holding her you wouldn't. She's being held ten miles out of the city in a small enclosure. The undergrowth in the wood surrounding the enclosure is made up mainly of the wender berry plant.”

It made sense. The wender berry plant had a scent which was so strong that it would obscure all other odours. If what they said was true then Craven would not have been able to sense Louise's presence.

Craven walked over to the bed, and took a seat on its edge. His gaze never once strayed from the two vampires.

“I still don't understand why you're here. What do you care about any of this?”

“My name is Hesta,” the female said. “And this is Jarda.  We need your help to overthrow Lassiter.”

Craven recalled his meeting with Lassiter, and a shudder ran down his spine.

“That's dangerous talk. Why would you want to overthrow the head of your cove?”

“He killed my brother,” she said. “And now his policies are going to destroy all of our people.”

“What happened to your brother?”

“Were you aware of the attack on Jesters nightclub?”

Craven nodded.

“My brother was one of those involved in the attack. He and the others had been persuaded by Lassiter that it was in revenge for an attack on our people by the shifters.”

“That's a lie.”

“I know. It was a distraction to allow Lassiter to kill Krell. Milton and Lassiter had agreed a pact under which they'd power share once Krell was out of the way. Thomas, my brother, was killed alongside six other young vampires that night.”

“I didn't think any vampires had been killed in the attack.”

“It was all hushed up. Thomas died for nothing. He'd never have taken part in the attack if he'd known the real reason behind it.”

“I still don't understand how freeing Louise will help your cause.”

“Milton wanted to kill Louise, but Lassiter insisted she be kept alive. Louise was Lassiter's hold over Milton in case the new Alpha decided to go back on their agreement. If she let it be known that Milton had been involved in her father's murder, the Maja pack would have turned on the new Alpha. Milton was forced to agree that she could be kept alive, but only on the condition that his people acted as her guards.”

“But why come looking for me now? After so many years?”

“The alliance between the shifters and vampires has disintegrated—it was never going to last for long. There's now nothing to stop Milton from killing the only witness to his betrayal of Krell.”

“What about Lassiter?”

“It's in his interest to keep Louise alive. It means he still has a hold over Milton. Even without the alliance, she's a powerful bargaining chip for Lassiter.”

Craven's heart sank. If Milton got to her first, she'd be dead. If Lassiter got there first, she'd be alive, but at what price?

“I still don't understand why you came to me.”

“We need Louise alive. My people still don't know the attack on Jesters was no more than a diversion. And they don't know Lassiter was working with Milton to overthrow Krell. There would be real anger if the truth was known. It's one thing to form an alliance, but quite another to sacrifice your own people simply to strengthen your own position. Keeping Louise alive is a risk for Lassiter, but it's one he's judged to be worthwhile for the hold it gives him over Milton. If you can free Louise, and she tells what she knows, then that should be the end of both Milton and Lassiter.”

“How do you know they haven't killed or snatched her away already?

“We don't. That's why we came here as soon as we knew the alliance was about to crumble. If she's still alive, we don't have long.”

Chapter 14

He'd never trusted a vampire before, but he sensed they were telling the truth.

“We have to leave now,” Craven said.

“We can't go with you”

“You have to. How will I find her—?”

Hesta took a sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to Craven.

“Can you follow it?” she asked.

He studied the hand-drawn map. As he recognised a few of the landmarks, his heart sank. All those years ago, during his initial search of Maja, he'd been less than four miles from where Louise was being held.

“Yes. This will be fine. What will you two do?”

“We can't go back. Word will have reached Lassiter by now. We'd be dead as soon as we set foot back in Maja territory. We can't return until Lassiter has been removed from power.”

“What will you do in the meantime?”

“Try to survive. It won't be easy. Vampire coves do not welcome outsiders readily.”

“Thank you for bringing this to me,” Craven said. “I wish you luck.”

Craven wasted no time. He had memorised the map, so didn't need to carry it with him. The two vampires were still in his room when he left via the window. After shifting to wolf-form, he set out on the long journey to Maja.

Travelling cross-country, he calculated he could complete the journey in under twenty-four hours. The journey was risky. He'd be travelling in daylight for some of the time. He planned to take the most direct cross-country route available which meant he'd be entering some territories at dangerous border locations. It was a risk he had to take.

*********

For once, lady luck was on his side. Apart from a couple of minor skirmishes, he'd completed the journey back to Maja without any major confrontations. He'd travelled for over a day without sleep or food, and he was almost spent. The enclosure was less than two miles away. Craven could already see the wood where it was located. The smell of wender berry was overpowering even from that distance. No wonder he hadn't sensed Louise's presence when he'd passed nearby.

Hesta had warned him the enclosure might be heavily guarded. Even though he was exhausted and weak, adrenaline would see him through any confrontation. The thought of his fated mate being so close was enough to drive him on. One last push, one last battle, and they'd be re-united.

Craven crept slowly through the undergrowth trying to avoid any dry twig which might snap underfoot and give him away. He could see the fence
—i
nside it was a small cabin. He tried to sense Louise, but the smell of wender berries was too strong. There was no sign of guards. As he entered the clearing, he noticed the door in the fence had swung open on its hinges. Throwing caution to the wind, he raced over to the enclosure.

The cabin was empty, but now he could sense Louise's presence. This is where she'd lived for so many years. He glanced around at the spartan surroundings. It broke his heart to think of her locked away for so long. The back of the toilet door had been scored as Louise had tried to record her time there. How long had it been before she'd given up on him? One year? Five? Ten? He could almost sense her despair. Where was she now? If Milton's men had been sent to kill her, there would be signs of a struggle and possibly blood. She wouldn't have gone willingly with Lassiter's vampires.

Craven had no way of knowing how long she'd been gone. It could be hours, but was more likely to be much longer. The wender berries made it impossible to know which way they had taken her. He thumped the table in frustration. His instinct was to seek out Milton and Lassiter, but they'd already lied to him once about Louise. He wouldn't trust a word either of them said.

*********

The Terroun border guards were out in greater numbers than he'd expected. The guard who stood in his way looked as though he was about to attack, but then backed off.

“Craven?” the guard said. “Sorry, I didn't recognise you at first.”

“That's okay. It's been a while. Are you expecting trouble? I've never seen so many guards on this border.”

“It's great to have you back, sir. We thought you
—
”

“Were dead?”

“Sorry, sir.”

“No need to apologise. So what's going on?”

“It's the Maja, sir. Ever since Milton came to power, there's been a lot of tension. The Maja have made numerous incursions.”

“Co-ordinated?”

“Well co-ordinated. Milton wants to expand his territory.”

“Is Hill still your Alpha?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I'd like to see him if that's possible.”

*********

“Craven! Am I pleased to see you.” Hill said. “I thought you were
—
”

“I know. Seems like everyone did.”

“Have you come back to reclaim your throne? I'll be only too pleased to step aside.”

“No. You're doing a great job from what I hear. Sounds like you've had a few problems from the neighbours.”

“Milton is crazy. There's quite a few of his own pack who think so too, but no one dare step forward to challenge him.”

“I hear he's been trying to move into our territory.

“Trying, yes. But it's never going to happen
—not
while I'm still breathing. Are you sure you won't take over as Alpha again? It would be a fantastic boost for the pack.”

“I can't. Not until I find Louise.”

“I hate to say this, old friend.” Hill hesitated. “Don't you think maybe it's time you gave up?”

“Not now. I'm too close.”

“You know where she is?”

“She'd been on Maja territory all of the time. I only found out a few days ago.”

“How's that possible? You searched there after you first stepped down as Alpha. Are you sure?”

“I'm absolutely certain. I've just been to the enclosure where she'd been held. She was there up to a few days ago. That's why I'm here. I need your help.”

“Anything. Just name it.”

“Do you still have people undercover in Maja?”

“A few. They've killed five of our under-cover operatives this year alone.”

“Ask your people to sniff around. See what they can find out. Someone somewhere must know something.”

“Of course. I'll get them on it straight away. While you wait for an answer you must stay in my place.”

“No need. I'm okay.”

“How long is it since you showered?”

“Do I smell that bad?”

“Worse. Get yourself over to my place. Take a shower, get something to eat, and try to sleep. I promise I'll let you know the moment I hear anything.”

*********

Craven was too tired to argue. After a hearty meal, he showered and then collapsed onto the bed. It was eight hours later when Hill nudged him awake.

“Have you found her?”

“No, but I think we may have a lead. According to our intel, Milton sent his people to kill Louise, but she'd gone before they got there.”

“Does Lassiter have her?”

“I don't think so. It would appear that Milton and Lassiter are both looking for her.”

“How did she get away?”

“Officially, no one is saying.”

“Unofficially?”

“The word is that one of Milton's men smuggled her out of the territory.”

“Do you know his name?”

“No, but from what we can make out, it was one of the shifters responsible for guarding her.”

Craven jumped off the bed and began to dress.

“I'm sorry I don't have better news,” Hill said.

“She's alive. That's good news enough. Now all I have to do is find her.”

“You look exhausted. Why don't you stay here a few days to get your strength back?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I can't. I'm too close.”