Cherishing Destiny (A Dangerous Destiny) (26 page)

“Damn.  I told him to stay on Gates.”

“He put someone else on Gates.” Ryan said.

“What do you mean? Who else? He told me there were no other--Never
mind, just finish.” Alex was growing more agitated.

“McPherson followed the merc who was following you.”

“Me?” Alex dropped onto the stool again.

“The panther followed you toward the cabin for a couple of
days and then he skipped ahead of you.  Probably felt all he needed was a direction.
The guy’s some kind of genius tracker/ assassin.  McPherson lost him after that
and turned back to Syracuse. He reported to his Alpha who passed

 it on to mine, and they sent a message to me.”

“I guessed, after our conversations, that your pack was somewhere
close to here.” Alex was still shaking his head.

“Well they warned me early enough that I moved us all out
of here four days ago, and the snow hid our trail long before the panther got
here.  I didn’t know if he would stick around after finding the place empty.  I
came back to watch for him and for you.  He got the drop on me, literally.  He
was waiting on the roof and hit my back before I even knew he was here.”

“I heard the fight from a half mile away, but I couldn’t
walk any faster in this snow.”

“I’m just glad you were here when I got back. I think you
saved my life.” Ryan said.

“That makes up for one of the times you saved mine, but I
think I’m still down one.” Alex answered.  “What happened to the panther?”

“I lost him, but he was badly injured too so I don’t think
he’ll be back for a while.”

Alex nodded thoughtfully.  “I really need to see Aurora. 
When do you think you can travel?”

“Let’s go,” Ryan said, hopping to his feet.  He stretched,
popped his sore shoulder, and grabbed his pack. 

The snow continued to fall, and they were slower than a
half day, but they still made it to the lodge before dark.  Ryan watched both
Aurora and Sara, light up when they saw Alex behind him striding along on his
snowshoes.  Ryan had travelled most of the way as a wolf as it was easier on
him. 

Aurora and Sara were waiting for them in the main room,
with the massive fireplace blazing.  Ryan noticed Tyler standing near the fire,
looking a little uncomfortable in the presence of the Vampires. 

Alex stepped directly in front of Aurora and dropped to his
knees.  He laid his cheek on her abdomen and looked up at her in awe, when he
heard the heartbeat.  “It’s alive. How can that be?” he asked. 

“I don’t have any answers, my darling,” Aurora said,
putting her hands in his hair. 

He hugged her tight and then stood and pulled her close for
a deep kiss.  He embraced her again and reached out pulling Sara, who was just
standing there, into the embrace, as well. 

Ryan wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but he
figured that it was Alex’s turn.  He’d spent a lot of time in the last couple
of months with his ear to Aurora’s belly. 

When they finally released each other, Ryan looked away and
turned to Tyler.

Tyler seemed grateful for the notice.  “I need to speak
with you, sir.”

“You can talk here, Tyler.  These people are our allies.”

Tyler cleared his throat nervously but continued.  “Another
runner came in from Syracuse.  McPherson was arrested by the Vampire, Gates.”

“What for?” demanded Alex.

“Well, I guess there were three Vampires that were supposed
to be part of a new council and they turned up dead.  Gates is accusing wolves
and is arresting McPherson for murder and spying.” He hesitated and looked
almost ill.

“And?” Ryan prompted.

“And, Gates is also saying he has evidence that Mr. Lake is
involved with McPherson too and that he was in on the murder plot.  He is
declaring martial law and has issued a warrant for Lake.”  He looked bravely at
Alex. “He says you had McPherson spying for you.”

“I only…” Alex turned away and started pacing.

“Thanks, Tyler.  Would you tell the L.T. that we are safe
here and that the panther was injured but got away?”

When they were alone again, they all took seats near the
fire and made sure they were close enough to touch.  It was comforting to be in
their makeshift family group again, and they reached out often with a pat or a squeeze. 

“I need to talk to your Alpha or that L.T. you mentioned. 
Mac didn’t do this.” Alex said.

“I’m sure they already know that, but if you want to talk
to the Alpha, I will let them know tomorrow. They will want to meet you here. 
It’s pretty unusual to allow a stranger in the settlement.”

“I understand.” Alex nodded. “Do you think they might know
if anything happened to my valet, Reginald?”

“Your who?” Ryan asked.

Alex told them all the story of his travels and meeting
Reginald at their own home.  He realized that he had grown fond of the old valet
and hoped he was alright. By the time Alex finished his tale, they were all
yawning, but no one wanted to go to the separate apartment bedrooms. Sara
gathered blankets, and they all slept together again in front of the massive
fireplace.  The difference was that Alex slept between Sara and Aurora, and
they each had their heads cradled on his arms.  Ryan didn’t mind.  He knew how
much they missed him, besides, it allowed him to continue to sleep next to
Aurora, and he never took his hand off of her belly. 

Twenty
-seven

Reginald sat rigid in a straight backed chair that had been
placed in the center of the study.  Samuel Gates paced around him in circles,
rubbing his jaw and saying nothing.  Reginald was frightened.  The elders loved
to inspire fear.  He remembered the frightened look on the face of the female
Vampire who sat in this very same chair, in the hall just outside the door to
this room, on the day that Alex thought about killing one of Gates’s
prostitutes. 

“So, Reginald – may I call you Reginald?”  Gates didn’t
wait for an answer. “Reginald, it seems to me that you have shown exceedingly
poor judgment in your choice of a new employer.  Wouldn’t you agree?” He
continued his circuit.

“Sir, I don’t…”

“I knew your maker.  Did you know that?”

“I…”

“Do you remember me visiting him? I remember you.  You were
a tottering old man as I recall, but Charles loved you.”

Reginald wisely stopped trying to speak.  Gates was not
interested in what he had to say. This was a performance, not an interrogation.

“I think you loved him too. Is that true, Reginald? Did you
love him too?”

Reginald squeezed his eyes closed.

“In fact, while you lay dying, and Charles was desperately
trying to turn you in order to save you, he made it abundantly clear to me that
there was something truly special between you.”

One small tear tracked down Reginald’s cheek.

“Your survival was nothing short of miraculous.  I certainly
never believed you would make it.  But, you did and, for another one hundred
and some odd years, you two were able to stay together.”

Reginald stayed very still, and the elder’s voice traveled
in a circle around him.

“But, in the end, Charles was still a very sad man.  Wasn’t
he, Reginald? So sad that he had to take his own life.  Isn’t that so?”

A sob broke from Reginald.

“You see, Reginald, I know something that you don’t think
anyone knows.  I know that Charles never walked out into the sun.”

The trembling started.

“As it happens, I know that Charles died in his own bed. 
You pulled the curtain and let the sun take him.  Didn’t you, Reginald?  Don’t
misunderstand me.   I know he was sad and that he wouldn’t get out of bed
anymore.  He may even have asked you to do it, but the fact remains that an
elder died by your wrinkled, unworthy hand.  Do you deny it?”

“No.” Silent sobs racked the old man’s body. “How…”

“How did I know? Well, you see, Reginald, we Vampire elders
do not leave the ashes of another elder just lying around anywhere.  For
reasons that are no concern of yours, we collect and protect the remains
whenever possible. You wrapped his ashes in the coverlet he was on when he
died, scorch marks and all.  You then placed the entire bundle in his vault in
the tomb below the manor. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened”

Reginald’s sobbing ceased. “You took him?”

“Of course, I took him.  You don’t have any idea what power
resides in the remains of an elder.  With what is going on, we may never know
that power again. I certainly couldn’t leave him in your care.”

“Where is he, now?”

“You should not concern yourself with him, Reginald.  I
think you should be more concerned with the fact that you have murdered an
elder of the Vampires.  Do you have any idea what that means?  Do you think
that anyone will care if you say it was a mercy? He was an elder.”

“Do whatever you will with me.” Reginald was beaten without
a single mark, but that was about to change. He knew the marks were coming soon. 

“Oh, I intend to, you can be certain.”

∞∞∞

Gates had Reginald taken away for later questioning. But,
right now, he had more pressing matters.  He had just received word about three
pregnant Vampires.  He didn’t know how it could be possible, but he couldn’t
have been more pleased and excited.  He had obsessed from the beginning of all the
trouble about the fact that they had been unable to make any Vampires.  If reproduction
now required raising Vampire babies, then he could learn to adapt.  He had already
requested the presence of two female Vampires residing in Syracuse so that he
could try this evening to impregnate them.  In the mean time, he had others
securing the three pregnant Vampires he knew about with orders to bring them to
Syracuse, as well. 

He would have been blissfully happy if it weren’t for some troublesome
elders that had recently arrived.  They were not pleased that he had declared
martial law, and they were putting themselves forward to become council
members.  They were also expressing doubts about Lake’s connection to the
Were
-wolf,
McPherson.  They wanted to talk to him before making any rash decisions about
arresting him. 

At least that would be one problem that should be solved
imminently.   The Chief left over a week ago to track and kill Alexander and
Aurora.  He should be returning at any time with the news of their demise. 

Gates was going to have to allow other elders to take
places of power on the council.  Martial law would not last long without significant
objections from other Vampires.  He was going to have to risk the short trip to
speak to Mother.  The witch was close by, holed up behind the high fences of
what used to be some kind of drug rehabilitation center.  Mother Zhukov set up
there after he brought her as far as Syracuse with him.  He had tried to
convince her to stay hidden but in town.  His motives were entirely selfish of course. 
He wanted her close by if he needed something from her.  Mother had been
providing him with spells, potions and whatever else he needed to gain and secure
power among the Vampires for centuries.  She wouldn’t say, but he guessed that
she was nearly as old as he was, but while he looked maybe thirty five or so,
she looked like the ancient crone that she was.  He never let that fool him,
though, he knew she was immensely powerful, and he had a healthy respect. 

That was why he had no choice in the matter when she
decided to set up behind the security of the fences and razor wire at the rehab
center.  She said she had no intention of staying hidden in town, and the
center was actually pretty luxurious even though it had been a secure, locked
facility.   It was also plenty spacious enough to house her large entourage. 
She had herb women, practitioners and their hoards of apprentices surrounding
her all the time, not to mention the huge, silent bald men that he noticed were
guarding her when he contacted her to bring her to safety.  Gates didn’t care
who she wanted to drag along with her as long as she continued to help him. 
For now, he intended to have her provide him with something that would allow
him to influence, if not entirely control, the Vampires he would have to appoint
to the council.   He would arrange to make the eight mile trip outside of town
in the morning.  Tonight he had Vampires to impregnate. 

During the night, he was awakened by a disturbance in the house
outside his bedroom door.  The two women sharing his bed were entwined together
sleeping soundly.  Gates arose and went to the door without bothering to cover
his nudity.  He was proud and vain when it came to his good looks and virile
body.  He yanked open the door and roared his displeasure at the two men in the
hall arguing. 

“I’m so sorry we disturbed you, sir.  This man insisted on
waking you, but I tried to tell him that you were not to be disturbed before morning.”

“Well now I’m disturbed, so what in the hell do you want?”

The second man looked scared but stepped up to address
Gates anyway.  “Sir, I wouldn’t have bothered you, but I don’t know if the
Were
will last until morning.”