White Knight (10 page)

“You can do this,” he whispered.

She exhaled sharply through her nose. “It’s the smell of them.”

“I know.”

They moved forward, Shay leading the way with Jillian and Knight on either side, Rook bringing up the rear. Past doorways that smelled of rotten meat and decay, to a metal stairwell that stank of mildew. Upward on steps that barely echoed in the enclosed space, the loudest sound the rasp of their breathing.

The rotten flower scent of the hybrids thickened the air the higher they ascended, leaving no question that this was their home.

Shay stopped on the sixth-floor landing. “I think this is it.”

Jillian sniffed the heavy metal door then shook her head. Knight clasped the handle and pushed the door open a few inches, enough for her to get her nose in and sniff again. He caught the faint fragrance of spring grass, much milder than Shay’s but still familiar, as well as that light hint of sage. Not unlike Tanner but fainter. Muddied somehow. He had no idea what to make of it.

A soft wuff told him they were clear to enter. Knight opened the door wider, and Jillian slipped inside. Shay followed, heading down the long hallway to a door hanging from its frame by the locks, rather than the hinges. The spring grass scent grew stronger, as did something new. A strange orange fragrance, like overripe citrus.

Chelsea.

“Desiree?” a high-pitched male voice called. “Allison?”

“It’s me, Leopold,” Shay said.

She stopped in the doorway, and the sight of her prison made Knight’s blood heat with rage. A dingy room that reeked of urine and waste and old water, with a stained mattress on the floor that made his gut roll. A barred, painted-over window that allowed in very little light. In the middle of it sat a skinny boy with an unruly mop of strawberry blond hair and milky eyes, cradling an infant to his chest.

“You came back.” Instead of accusation or fear, the boy’s tone held only awe and surprise.

Shay knelt in front of him. “I promised you I would.”

Knight stayed close to her while the others kept a respectable distance. The boy had to be Leopold. He looked no older than fifteen, but if the time of his birth was correct, he had to be around twenty-five.

The same age as me. And we’ve lived two completely different lives.

“How’s Chelsea?” Shay asked.

“Sleeping. She’s been sleeping a long time.” His nose worked, his attention caught by what were probably unfamiliar scent markers.

The baby was wrapped up in a blanket, obscuring her face. Knight could rarely sense the emotions of loup that young, because their emotions were so instinctive, so primal, and it didn’t surprise him when he couldn’t sense Chelsea. His nose also verified she was the source of that strange citrus scent.

Fiona’s child. Shay’s niece.

“May I hold her, please?” Shay asked.

“Who else is here?” Fear poured off Leopold in waves.

“They’re my friends. They won’t hurt you, I promise. We’re going to take you home with me.”

He frowned. “But what about my sisters?”

“Your sisters have kept you locked away in this building for too long, Leopold. I live in a lovely town with wide open spaces, fresh air, and lots of other loup to be friends with. You don’t have to fear us. I’m your sister. I would never lie to you.”

His expression hardened into something fierce that made Knight stiffen. “You tricked me into opening your door and you left. Allison would have been so mad if she’d found out, but now you’re back and we can fix the door.”

“Shay’s coming with us,” Knight said before he could censor himself, snapping the words with all the ferocity of a Black Wolf.

Leopold ducked his head. “But my sisters want her here to look after Chelsea. They told me so.”

“Your sisters kidnapped Shay and forced her to live here. No one deserves to be kept prisoner.”

“But they wanted our family together.” Leopold’s grief overpowered his fear. “I’ve never been apart from them.”

“It’s time to grow up,” Shay said, her voice so gentle and kind. “Time to leave the nest, leave what’s familiar, and join your real family. You’re loup garou, brother. You belong with me, not with them. You and Chelsea both. You’ll be happy with us if you give us a chance.”

He sniffed and snapped his fingers repeatedly.

Sonar. Smart kid.

“To your right is Jillian.” Shay directed his snapping fingers as she introduced the big Black Wolf. “She’s shifted into beast to protect us while we’re here, but she’s very intelligent. She’s not a wild animal, and she won’t hurt you as long as you don’t hurt us. Next to her is Rook. Behind me is his brother Knight.”

Something about that piqued Leopold’s interest. “I’ve never had a brother. Only sisters.”

“I have two brothers,” Knight said, hoping to keep him focused. “My other brother, Bishop, is in charge of the town we live in. He’s a fair and good man. I know he wants you to come live with us, and with your sister Shay.”

“You’re Knight?”

“Yes.” Leopold had his finger sonar down pat, apparently.

“I’m scared.”

“I know. Going to a new place can be scary but it’s worth it.” Knight took the edge off Leopold’s fear, dimming its intensity and sharing as much positive emotion as he had to spare. Slowly, Leopold calmed.

“You can hold her now,” he said to Shay.

Shay collected the baby and folded back the blanket. A pale face and shiny black hair was all it took for Knight’s insides to squirm. He shoved that away, tamped it down. Chelsea wasn’t her mother. She was innocent in everything.

She was also sleeping deeply.

“She needs to eat,” Shay said. “I don’t know how long it’s been.”

Rook rummaged around until he found a bottle of formula. He squirted some onto the wall, then sniffed it. Apparently determining it wasn’t spoiled, he handed the bottle off to Shay. The nudge of the rubber nipple at Chelsea’s lips didn’t wake her up, either.

“I’ve never seen her so quiet.” Shay rubbed her forehead, then her chest. Nothing. Only deep, steady breathing. “No fever. Something’s wrong.”

“We need to get her back to Dr. Mike,” Rook said.

“Agreed.”

Shay surprised the hell out of Knight by twisting around and offering up the baby. He hesitated, then scooped up the slight weight bundled up in frayed blankets. She looked like Brynn, with that button nose and fan of black eyelashes.

“The vision,” Rook said.

“What?” Knight turned to face his brother, uncertain what he meant. “What vision?”

“The one Brynn had of you holding a black-haired baby. This was it.”

So she hadn’t foreseen him holding his own child. She’d seen him holding this one. “And the one of you standing with vampires.”

Rook smiled, unable to hide his pride in his wife.

“Leopold, we have to leave,” Shay said, intent and firm. “Chelsea is sick, and I need to take her to our doctor. He can fix her, okay? I need you to come with me.”

“So soon?” he asked, practically whining.

“Yes. I’m sorry we can’t talk more, but we have to leave. She could get worse. I don’t want her to die.”

His eyes widened. “I don’t want her to die, either.”

“Then will you come with me? Come live with us?”

“I’m afraid.”

“It’s okay to be afraid. I’ll help you through it.”

He hesitated, and Knight had half a mind to knock the kid unconscious and drag him out. Thankfully, Leopold said, “Okay.”

“Thank you. Do you have anything you want to bring?”

“Yes. Please?”

“Rook will go with you to collect it, but you have to be fast.”

“I will.”

Leopold scrambled up and slipped out through the wrecked door, Rook on his heels. Shay stood and brushed gentle fingers across Chelsea’s cheek, concern for her niece wafting from her.

“She’ll be all right,” Knight said.

“I want her to grow up knowing she’s loved.”

“She will.” He carefully handed the baby back to Shay, thankful for the distance. Innocent or not, she still smelled like Fiona. “We should search the other rooms once you and the others are outside and safely away.”

“Agreed.”

“I’ll call A.J. and have his team come in to help.”

Knight had the backup team up to speed by the time Rook and Leopold joined them at the stairwell. He clutched a cloth bag to his chest, the contents obscured but nothing smelled dangerous. Rook would have checked everything over before allowing him to bring it along. Leopold allowed Rook to lead him. He shivered and shook the entire walk down the flights, and he was winded by the time they hit ground level. A sad, weak state for the son of an Alpha. He needed exercise, good food, and lots of both to become the loup he was born to be.

Chelsea didn’t stir.

***

Rook didn’t know what to make of Leopold. He showed flashes of strength beneath the frail body he’d never truly tested or developed. Mentally he acted and sounded more like a young boy than a twenty-five-year-old man. He’d scuttled down the corridor to another room that smelled of both him and the hybrids.

The room had been painted various shades of blue, probably combined cans of whatever the hybrids or Fiona had been able to scrounge or steal. And it was full of little boy’s toys. Action figures, cars and trucks, a train set, play sets, building blocks—everything you’d expect to find in a ten-year-old boy’s room. Except for books. Rook hadn’t seen a single book, paper or audio.

Despite the fact that he was blind, the lack of books made him wonder about the boy’s—man’s—education.

Leopold had grabbed a cloth bag off the floor and filled it with the handful of items on his bed. A stuffed monkey, a Barbie-esque doll with short black hair, and some generic superhero figure. He’d snapped his fingers around his room with so much regret that Rook had been afraid he’d burst into tears.

“Do you have toys at your home?” he’d asked.

“Probably up in the attic.” Rook hadn’t seen his childhood toys in almost a decade. “But we can get you toys. And lots of other things.”

He’d perked up at that. “Okay.”

Seeing Leopold practically exhausted by six flights of stairs was mind-boggling. And infuriating. A seed of hatred for how poorly the hybrids had managed their brother’s care dug into his gut and stayed there, hot and angry.

When they were halfway to the way they’d come in, a gunshot made his hackles stand up. Shay crowded Leopold against the wall, shielding him and the baby with her body. Knight did the same, protecting all three of them.

Jillian charged forward. Rook plucked his .38 from the waist of his jeans and ran after her, his heart in his throat. She was through the broken window before he’d made it half the distance, and a furious snarl echoed inside. Rook peered out into an empty street, then hefted himself through the opening.

He sniffed the air as he scouted the sidewalk. A smear of blood tracked north, away from the building, then angled down an alley. He turned into it and nearly tripped over Mason, who was sitting against a pile of rusty trash cans holding pressure on a trio of long gashes across his neck and chest. Blood soaked his shirt.

“Hybrids,” Mason said, breathing heavily. “Came out of nowhere. Tanner and Jillian chased after.”

Rook yanked his t-shirt off and pressed it over Mason’s wounds, then put Mason’s hand back over it. “Stay put, yeah?”

Mason grunted.

He called A.J. with a terse “Get here now!”

Knight picked up on the first ring. “Hybrids,” Rook said. “Be alert and stay put until we come for you.”

“All right.” Knight’s snarled response practically dared the hybrids to try to go at him.

He trusted Jillian and Tanner to handle themselves for now, himself unable to move as fast as their beasts or the hybrids, so he did the next best thing. He got the car. Once he had Mason loaded into the back with a proper pressure dressing on his wounds, he picked up Knight, Shay, Leopold, and Chelsea.

“Where are Jillian and Tanner?” Knight asked from the passenger seat.

“Following the hybrids,” Rook replied. “A.J. is coming in to help look, but we can’t stay here. If the locals heard the shot, someone might call the police.”

“Do they have police around here?”

“I don’t know.”

Rook found a spot down the road and situated them behind what had once been a service station. They had a view of the old sanitarium, and the SUV had enough collected dust on it from the miles spent on dirt roads to blend in with the surroundings. Rook caught a fleeting glimpse of a Black beast darting across the street. A.J. texted that they were in the area, scouting around.

“How are you doing back there, Mason?” Rook asked.

“Bleeding,” Mason replied. “You?”

“Not a scratch on me.”

“No new ones.”

Rook chuckled, no real amusement in the teasing. Mason was the kind of guy who’d bleed to death before he admitted how badly he was hurt.

Another text from A.J.:
Spotted Jillian
.

He reported that in time for A.J. to call Rook’s phone. “What’s your status?”

“On foot. Listen, why don’t you take Shay and get back to Cornerstone. My team can wait here for Jillian and Tanner, and we’ll search the place once it’s safe.”

Rook craved the chance to tear apart the hybrids’ nest but Shay had been through enough, and they had a sick baby in the car. Taking them home was more important. “All right. If you don’t find them by the time we get back, I’ll send reinforcements.”

“Good enough.”

“Be careful, man.”

“You, too.”

“We’re heading home,” Rook said to the car. “Chelsea needs to see Dr. Mike.” And Leopold looked like he could use a Valium or six.

“What about Jill?” Mason asked.

“She’ll be fine. Concentrate on how rugged those new scars will make you look.”

Mason grunted.

Rook hated leaving anyone behind, especially his brother’s wife, but given the people occupying his SUV, today he didn’t have a choice. He set the GPS for Cornerstone and began the long drive home.

Genuine fear for Chelsea’s well-being held tight to Shay’s heart, squeezing harder the nearer they got to Cornerstone. The little girl continued to breathe steadily but her cheeks were red with fever and she’d yet to open her eyes. Leopold’s anxiety rose with every mile, and Shay knew Knight could only do so much to calm them both. She’d never been so glad to finally see the narrow paved road that led into Main Street.

“We’re almost home,” she said for Leopold’s benefit. And for her own. Two months ago she never would have imagined calling anyplace other than Stonehill home.

He sat in the middle of the backseat, close to her and the baby, legs curled up to his chest, trembling ever so slightly.

Rook drove them directly to Dr. Mike’s house, where the big bear of a man was waiting for them on the sidewalk, Bishop and Brynn flanking him.

Dr. Mike opened Shay’s door and held out his hands. She reluctantly gave him Chelsea. “She hasn’t woken up in hours,” she said. “I think she’s spiking a fever, too.”

“I’ve got her now, lass.” Dr. Mike ducked his head and peeked inside. “I want you and the lad there in for checkups yourselves.”

“We’ll be there, just please help Chelsea.”

He moved up the path to his house, and then Shay’s world was Brynn. The half-sister she hadn’t seen in a month practically strangled her with the hug. “Oh Sweet Avesta, you’re home and safe,” Brynn said.

Shay growled, startled by the unexpected embrace. Brynn backed off, her blue eyes wide, and then Rook was in front of her, a hint of challenge in his stance. Shay snarled at him, the Black Wolf inside of her angered by the barest challenge, unwilling to be used or manipulated by anyone ever again. Next to her, Leopold whimpered.

“Give me a minute.” Knight slipped in between her and Rook, and then all she saw was her mate. Peace washed over her, dimming her anger, easing back the need to attack.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think,” Brynn said somewhere to the side.

Knight crouched in front of Shay, close without touching. “Are you with me?”

“Yes.” Shay’s cheeks heated. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“It’s all right. You didn’t expect the hug, and you reacted. You didn’t hurt anyone.”

“I never used to growl at someone for hugging me.”

“A lot of things never used to be.” He spoke with so much regret that she wanted to draw him into her arms. To hold him until his own pain went away, and the urge surprised her. After Stonehill and her near fatal injuries, it had taken days for something as simple as a touch on the arm to not make her skin crawl. Knight had been by her side the entire time, witness to so many firsts. She was no longer surprised by her utter trust in this man.

He held out his hand, and she slipped hers into it. The gentle pressure and firm contact buzzed across her skin. He helped her out of the SUV, into the waning sunlight. She turned her face to it, catching the final rays before sundown, grateful for every moment she spent outdoors.

“Welcome home, Shay.” Bishop came up behind Knight, genuine pleasure in his smile. She respected the man so much. Not only because he was Alpha, but because he’d won the position on his own. For a common Gray, he was one of the strongest, bravest loup she’d ever known.

One day she would tell him so.

“Thank you, Alpha,” Shay said. Rook and Brynn had already disappeared, so she reserved her apology for later. “Have we any news from A.J.?”

Bishop nodded. “A.J. checked in a few minutes before you arrived. He’s met up with both Jillian and Tanner, and they’re searching the sanitarium for anything useful on the hybrids. He expects they’ll leave within the hour.”

“That’s good. The longer they stay, the more likely the hybrids are to return and attack again.”

“He’s got half his people shifted. The hybrids have no qualms about attacking us in skin, but they seem less likely to take on a beast when they’re outnumbered.”

“Agreed.” He hadn’t asked her opinion, but she gave it anyway. Old habits from her old life as daughter of the Alpha.

“How do you feel?”

The topic change threw her for a beat. “Exhausted. Discombobulated. I missed my quarterly by a day.”

“And that?” Bishop pointed at her throat.

Shay traced fingers over the place where that damned collar had lain against her skin for over a month. The irritation had healed during her shifts, but the traces of silver had left a permanent mark. She’d wear the necklace of scars, slimmer than a sewing needle, for the rest of her life. “It no longer hurts.”

“I owe you an apology, Shay.”

“For what?”

Bishop seemed to gaze right through Dr. Mike’s house. “For allowing you to be taken. For not seeing the fire for the distraction it was and for leaving you without proper protection.”

It took a lot for a proud man to admit his faults, and Shay did not hold him responsible for her abduction. “You had no way of knowing the fire was anything more than that, Alpha. Two men died trying to protect me, and that is two too many.”

Knight growled a disagreement.

“Still,” Bishop said. “I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

“Thank you.” He glanced at the SUV’s open door. “Is our new guest going to join us?”

Shay ducked to peer inside. Leopold was huddled on the floor near the far door, hands clutching his knees. “Leopold, it’s safe to come out, I promise. These men are my friends.”

“They smell strange,” Leopold said.

“But you already know Knight. Bishop is his brother. He’s the Alpha here, and he wants to say hello.”

Leopold shivered, and the blanket of fear hurt Shay’s heart. “Can he move back a little bit?”

“Of course he can.”

Bishop and Knight retreated a few feet without her asking, respecting the terrified young man who’d never in his life been around so many loup garou. They were his people, but he’d grown up with the hybrids. He didn’t know what it meant to belong to a run. To have a thousand family members who would fight for you without hesitation.

“They gave you some space,” she said. “It’s okay.”

Leopold slid forward, his nose seeming to never stop twitching. Scenting. He paused in the door and inhaled the fresh air, cataloguing what must have been an overwhelming variety of new scents—pine, grass, earth, flowers, and so many other loup garou. The Cornerstone loup shared a scent marker reminiscent of wet leaves. The marker was something that bound you to a particular run, but in the last two months loup from other runs had moved into the town. They brought the river scent of Potomac, the peach blossom scent of Springwell, and the sage scent of Rockpoint. Only Shay and Leopold remained to carry the spring grass scent of Stonehill.

He finally took her hand and stood, spine as straight as his nerves would allow, his gangly limbs trembling. Shay squeezed his hand, wishing she could do more to reassure him. He used his free hand to snap and listen and map his surroundings.

“Welcome to Cornerstone,” Bishop said, warm and friendly. “I’m Alpha Bishop McQueen.”

“You’re in charge.” Leopold didn’t frame it as a question.

“Yes, I am. My wife, Jillian, and I are the Alpha couple.”

“I met Jillian. Kind of.”

“She was shifted,” Shay said for Bishop’s benefit. “Leopold, right now we’re standing on a sidewalk. There are houses all around us. Behind us is the house where I live and where you’ll live, too. But right now, we’re going inside a different house. It’s where the doctor lives. He wants to make sure we’re both healthy, okay?”

“You’ll stay with me?”

“Of course I will.” As much as Shay craved a few moments alone with Knight, she wouldn’t abandon Leopold until he felt safe.

***

Knight remained behind while Shay took Leopold into Dr. Mike’s house. His beast stirred, angered by her leaving, but it was the right thing. Leopold needed her more than Knight did. The fragile man looked ready to shake apart, and while he could probably do with a little emotional assistance, Knight didn’t want to influence him too much. Not if he had any hope of acclimating to life in Cornerstone. Leopold had to work through his own fear.

“She’s back, you know,” Bishop said.

“Huh?” Knight stared at his brother, thrown by the obvious statement of fact. “I know she is. I was there, remember?”

“I meant you should be happier about it. You’ve been stalking around and snarling for a month.” Bishop’s eyes narrowed. “Or was that about more than Shay’s kidnapping?”

“Shay was a huge part of it.”

“What’s the rest of it?”

Knight bit back a stream of sarcastic responses, because Bishop didn’t deserve them. He was genuinely curious. Ever since his forced shift, his brothers had been attuned to his attitudes and emotions, and while he appreciated the support, sometimes he simply wanted to be allowed to feel what he felt. To not have it second-guessed.

I guess I deserve it after scaring them all to death.

He hadn’t told anyone about the sense of darkness that had lingered inside of him since the shift. It was too private. Too personal. And he wasn’t about to tell Bishop now. How could he tell his brother that he’d forgotten what real joy felt like?

“It’s everything that’s still going on,” Knight said. “The hybrids, Atwood, never knowing what will happen next. You’re stressed, too, you’re just better at hiding it.”

Bishop’s lips twitched. “It’s my job to hide it. Trust me, Jillian gets an earful most nights.”

“I’m glad you have her.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

He tilted his head toward Dr. Mike’s. “Shay’s back.”

“Duh.”

“You two were attached at the hip before her abduction. Anyone with eyes can see how you feel about her.”

Mine.

“You’ve helped each other through the worst moments of your lives,” Bishop added. “Things like that bond people, sometimes without you realizing it.”

“Trust me, I realized it.”

“And your beast?”

“I think my beast knew before I did, but I couldn’t sense it because Shay kept her own beast hidden for so long while she recovered. She’s the only reason I came out of that forced shift, and we all know it.”

“She helped you because she cares.”

“I know.” He cared, too. He wanted her, but he was terrified of what that meant for both of them. After his first humiliating attempt at having sex with a women failed, he’d avoided the task entirely and refocused that energy into his job as a White Wolf. And as an unmarried Black Wolf, Shay had likely never been with a man. They were both damaged, both healing, and the idea of being her first scared him. He didn’t want to hurt her.

Bishop glanced around, seeming to realize they were having this conversation in the middle of the sidewalk. No one was around to hear them, and they very rarely had these kinds of intimate moments, so Knight hadn’t really noticed or cared.

Neither of them were speaking, so a subject change seemed prudent. “Was Brynn told who Chelsea is?” Knight asked.

“Only that an infant was coming back with you guys.” Bishop glanced toward their home. “Rook is probably explaining it all now.”

“Good. It’s the kind of news you should hear in person.”

“Which part? That Fiona spawned a kid?”

Knight rolled his eyes. As much as he cursed the ground that Fiona walked on, Chelsea was innocent of her mother’s sins. “No, that it’s possible for Brynn to carry a child to term.”

“Fiona’s child had a Magus father.”

“Yes, but she was Brynn’s twin. It’s good news.”

“Except for the part about the birth nearly killing Fiona and destroying her chance of bearing more children.”

“Fine, it’s not fantastic news, but try to be positive about this. If for nothing else than Brynn and Rook’s sake.”

“I only want the best for you and Rook, you know that.”

“I do.”

“Then tell Shay how you feel.”

Knight scuffed the heel of his sneaker against the sidewalk. “It’s not the right time. She has to focus on Chelsea and Leopold. I can’t distract her with romance.”

Bishop clapped him gently on the shoulder. “Trust me, romance is often the very best kind of distraction.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Knight, I’m serious. I know you feel responsible for everything that’s happened, and I know you think you don’t deserve any kind of joy while we’re still under siege.”

He blinked at Bishop, unnerved by the spot-on assessment.

“But everyone who has died,” Bishop said, “everyone whose life was taken too soon by the hybrids, especially Winston and our father? They would want you to find joy, and to live your life to the fullest every single day. Creating reasons to deny yourself happiness only cheapens their sacrifice.”

Stunned into silence, Knight could only stare at Bishop’s back as he strode across the street to their family home. Knight was supposed to be the sensitive one who helped others deal with their issues and emotions, and he’d be damned if he hadn’t just been schooled.

***

Rachel gave Shay and Leopold both cursory exams while Dr. Mike spent time alone with Chelsea, running whatever tests he needed to run. As expected, Shay was malnourished and dehydrated, and Rachel gave her a cup of instant soup and a bottle of water, along with orders to go get a decent meal from Mrs. Troost at her earliest opportunity.

She’d go when she knew what was wrong with Chelsea.

Leopold was underfed, underweight, and generally in need of good food and vitamins to get his muscle tone to proper working order. He’d spent so much of his life in a contained space, away from sunshine, wasting away. Rachel suspected he had brittle bones, as well, but they’d need to confirm that with x-rays.

For all they’d told Leopold they loved him, their treatment of him was shameful. And enraging.

Shay paced the narrow length of the waiting room, her beast snipping at her heels. Demanding answers Shay didn’t have yet. Her family was hurting, and there was nothing she could do for them.

The exam room door finally swung open, ejecting a slow-moving, frowning Dr. Mike. And no Chelsea. Leopold’s head snapped toward the sound.

“What’s wrong with her?” Shay asked.

“A lot, I’m afraid.” Dr. Mike glanced at Rachel, then turned his focus back to Shay. Regret and sadness swam in his wide, speckled eyes, and it made Shay’s gut scream. “I tested her blood to be sure, and her lead level is seventy-five.”