Dead Letter Day (36 page)

Ted chimed in—in writing—again.

I think you’re going to have to let some non-Pack beings do your guard duty. You’ve got me and Melina and Meredith already.

Chuck shook his head.

That’s not enough to guard all of them 24/7 for however long it will take.

I answered:

I doubt it will take that long. Whoever it is will have to act quickly. What about Alex Bledsoe?

Chuck sputtered and scribbled:

You want me to allow a vampire here to stand guard in the middle of my own Pack? You think he’s better equipped than one of my wolves?

I answered:

Yep. I do. He’d lay down his un-life for Paul. I’m sure of it.

I was, too. It wasn’t the most typical friendship, but it was a true one.

Chuck was already shaking his head.

I can see explaining your presence as well as Ted’s and Meredith’s. You’re already here, for one. How do I explain Alex being here without alerting the traitor that we’re onto him? Don’t even think about suggesting we sneak him in. There’s not a wolf in this pack that wouldn’t sniff him out from a solid mile away.

I was aware of that. I was equally aware that, in general, werewolves and vampires didn’t tolerate each other very well.

We could say he’s here as my doctor. That he needed to come and check me out because of the baby.

I saw absolutely no reason not to use my condition for any purpose that I wanted. There couldn’t possibly be a karmic payback for that, right?

The Pack won’t like it. It’ll raise everyone’s hackles.

And I care about that why?

I waited a few seconds and then added:

Do you have a better suggestion? Honestly, the more you trust one of these guys, the less good idea it is to put him or her on guard duty. If something happens, one of your Pack takes the blame. Is that what you want?

Chuck rubbed his hand over his face.

No. What I want is for this not to be happening, but that doesn’t appear to be an option. Make the call.

“It’s the right choice, Chuck. You won’t regret it,” I said out loud.

“I already do.”

Ted gave me a nod and headed out of the house to make the call to Alex.

15

EVEN WITH TINTED WINDOWS ON HIS CAR, ALEX COULDN’T travel until after sundown. As a result it was hours before he arrived at Chuck’s. He parked the Porsche in a very conspicuous spot, practically in the center of the cleared area that served as Chuck’s driveway. I wondered if he thought one of the werewolves would key it just to rile him. Or claw it, I suppose.

I watched from the window as he got out, walked to the passenger side and helped Norah out of the car.

Damn. I hadn’t counted on that. We hadn’t been talking much, hardly at all since I kicked the door off the chain. I wasn’t sure who was feeling more pissy, her or me. I met them at the door anyway.

“Thanks for coming,” I said.

“It’s no problem,” Alex said, walking inside. Norah hung back behind him. He turned. “Are you coming in?”

She nodded and stepped through the door, too, her eyes big and round. “How many of them live here?” she whispered.

“I have no idea and there’s no point in whispering. They’ll be able to hear that just fine.” I motioned for them to follow me inside. “Do you want to see Paul first?”

“Please,” Alex said. Norah nodded, her lips pressed in a thin line. I wondered what she was afraid she’d say.

We went up the stairs to the room where Paul and Meredith were. Paul was asleep on the bed. The bruises on his arms were already starting to heal, but the burns across his chest remained angry and red. Meredith stood from the chair in the corner where she was sitting and threw her arms around Alex. “Thank you for coming.”

He patted her back, looking a little awkward at the gratitude and the affection. I didn’t blame him. It would have caught me off guard from Meredith, too.

Alex sat down on the bed next to Paul. Norah hovered by the door, shifting from one foot to the other. Was she that nervous or did she have to pee?

Paul stirred and opened his eyes. “Really? They send a bloodsucker to heal me? They must really want me out of the way.”

“Oh, be quiet, puppy. Let me see what’s been done to you.” Alex took Paul’s arm and examined the bruises and tracks. “Well, I think you can kiss your career as a junkie good-bye. Whoever did this scarred up your veins but good, my friend.”

Paul sighed. “What will I ever tell my mother? She had such high hopes for me, too.”

I felt the tight spot in my chest loosen a little. If the two of them were willing to poke at each other like that, things were going to be okay. Then I reconsidered. They’d probably talk to each other like that if they were standing side by side on the gallows about to get their necks stretched.

Alex had moved to examine the burns on Paul’s chest.
They glistened with the ointment that Meredith had applied. Paul flinched a bit as Alex’s hands stretched the skin.

“Your hands are cold,” Paul complained.

“Pretty much always,” Alex agreed. “Silver, I take it?”

Paul nodded. “Burns like a son of a bitch.”

“You won’t heal so fast from these,” Alex observed. Not only did silver burn the crap out of werewolves, its effects lingered. A cut made from a silver knife would take significantly longer to heal than one made with any other kind of knife and would be much more prone to infection. On top of that, what we saw on the surface might only be the tip of the iceberg. Silver damage can burn deep under the skin of a werewolf, with tissue damage spreading beneath the skin unseen. The burns on Paul’s chest would have to be watched and tended in a way that no other wounds he had would. Alex turned to Meredith. “What have you put on them?”

“Mainly cantharis. I didn’t want to get too fancy.” She moved the chair closer and took Paul’s hand. He glanced back at her, but didn’t say anything.

Alex nodded. “Sometimes simplest is best. We need to watch for infection, too.”

Meredith blew out a breath. “I’ll let you know if it looks like something’s cooking in there.”

“Good.” Alex turned to me. “Your turn.”

I held up my hands in protest. The checking out Melina because of the baby had only been a cover story. “I feel fine.”

“Super. Is there some place with a little privacy or do you want to do it right here?” He smiled. Damn it. He was enjoying this.

I cocked my head to the right where there was an un-occupied room. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Ted followed us.

“Do I have to put on a paper gown?” I asked.

“Only if it turns you on,” Alex answered, shutting the door behind us. “Sit down.”

I rolled my eyes, but did. He set his hand lightly on my back and stood very still. I realized he could probably hear my heartbeat, my respirations and the baby’s heartbeat without any fancy equipment like a stethoscope.

“Good,” he finally said. “Everything sounds strong. Your heart rate is a little low even for you. Ditto on your blood pressure. Any dizzy spells?”

“Not lately,” I said, which made Ted shoot me a look.

“There were dizzy spells?” he asked.

“A few. No biggie.”

“How’s the morning sickness?” Alex asked.

I thought about it. “Better, actually.”

“Also good. Anything else you want to report? Anything unusual?”

“I think I can control the zapping better. I know when it’s starting and I’m getting pretty good aim.” This was why I couldn’t go see an ordinary ob-gyn. How the hell would I explain that?

“You’re going to have a hell of a time if the baby comes out able to do that,” Alex observed. “I can’t imagine anything more dangerous than a toddler that can electrocute her playmates.”

I put my hand on my stomach. “Her? Do you know? Is it a girl?”

He laughed. “No. I was speaking metaphorically. You’re going to have to wait and find out like everybody else unless you want me to sneak you an ultrasound in the hospital.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Ted had stayed silent until now. “I think that’s a good idea. And maybe one of those amnio tests, too.”

“What’s up, Boy Scout?” Alex asked turning to him.

“Nothing.” He sat down next to me on the bed and put his hand on my back. “I just want Melina and the baby to get all the care they’re supposed to get.”

“Fair enough. I’ll make sure.”

Ted stood up and shook his hand. “Thank you.”

Boys are so weird.

WE SET UP A SCHEDULE, SCRATCHING NOTES TO EACH other in a spiral notebook Norah had in her backpack. We’d each rotate through where Inge and her boys were being kept and upstairs with Paul in what we hoped would look like a fairly nonchalant rotation. I had my doubts we would be fooling anyone. On the other hand, whoever had set this all in motion had a fair amount of chutzpah. He or she still might think outsmarting us was possible.

We finished up our notes and Norah tore off half a piece of paper, scribbled something on it and handed it to me.

I took it from her.

We need to talk.

I took the pen from her and scribbled underneath it.

So talk.

Outside. Please?
was her response.

I shrugged and headed for the door with her following. “We’ll be back in a few minutes,” I said over my shoulder to the others.

I led Norah out the back and into the clearing where Chuck and I had spoken about Michael Hollinger. I sat down on the same stump I had before. “What?”

She twisted her toe in the pine needles that covered the ground. “I’m sorry.”

I raised one brow. “What for?” She wasn’t getting off that easy.

“For not being, you know, more supportive.” She still wasn’t meeting my eyes.

“Whatever,” I said and stood, starting back to the house.

“Wait,” she called after me.

I turned. “What?”

“That’s it? Whatever? That’s all I get?” Her hands were on her hips.

“What did you want?” I asked.

“To talk?”

“Isn’t that what we just did?” She’d said something. I’d said something back. I was pretty sure that was talking. Personally, I felt it was vastly overrated.

She made a face at me. “Don’t be such a boy. Sit back down.”

I returned, but I dragged my feet. I may be cheap, but I am not easy.

She twisted her hands. “I could have been a better friend when you told me you were pregnant,” she finally said.

“Yes. You could have been,” I said. Nothing she said was going to change that. I didn’t really see the point of discussing it further. She’d said she was sorry. I’d said okay. It was time to move on.

“I should have been a better friend,” she amended.

I shrugged and opened my mouth to say something snarky, then thought better of it. How many times had I lied to Nora? How many times had I put her in danger just by living with her? How upside down had I turned her life? “You’ve got like seven more months to be a better friend now.”

She flung herself at me. “I’m so sorry, Melina. It wasn’t nice. I was…I was jealous, I think.”

I peeled her arms off my neck. “Really? You’d always dreamed of having an unplanned pregnancy when you weren’t married?”

She made a face. “Not when you put it like that.”

“I can totally understand. It’s super-glamorous. When I barfed in the bushes in front of Ted? I don’t think he’s ever found me more alluring. And let me tell you about my swollen feet.”

“Stop it,” she said, giving me a little shove. “You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

I laughed. “Have we met?”

She laughed, too. “As a matter of fact, yes. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Come on. Let’s go back in. We have work to do.” I stood up and took her hand this time as I walked back toward the house. I took a few more steps before it hit me. I hadn’t seen any crows in a while. Had Muninn and Huginn given up their watch on me? Or had they been called off?