Fighting the Inevitable (18 page)

He smiled and nodded,
answered questions by rote, as he fought with himself to contain
his rage. His Annie sat cuddled against him, completely unaware of
his turmoil, and he was grateful for it. He didn’t want to lose her
again.

He finally closed his
eyes and pulled her up against him so he could kiss her soft lips,
taste her sweetness, and lose himself in her innocence. It was the
only way he could calm the raging beast within. When he kissed
Annie, all the anger melted away and the danger point receded for a
short time.

He decided he wouldn’t
kill the dogs. That would hurt Annie too much. He would be having
serious words with Hanlon though. As soon as he could arrange
it.

CHAPTER eight

“
Give me a
second while I have a quick word with Demetri.” Caleb smiled and
ran a finger down Rhianna’s cheek before heading out of the booth
and looking for his friend.

The instant the
dark-haired vampire saw the expression on his friend’s face, he
tensed and quirked an eyebrow in query.

“
Meet me on
Old Forest Road in half an hour. I’m taking Annie home and then
I’ll meet you there.”

The coldness of Caleb’s
tone had Demetri’s interest piqued. “The wolves? What’s going
on?”

His friend cast a glance
behind him, smiling at Rhianna before turning back. “I’ll explain
when we get there. Just make sure you’re there to back me up.” He
turned to walk away but a hand on his arm stopped him. His pointed
look had Demetri removing his hand with a deep sigh.

“
If there’s
going to be trouble out there then maybe we should bring some more
backup.” Demetri didn’t even attempt to phrase it as a question. “I
can call the twins…”

“
Leave those
two out of it,” Caleb interjected, frowning deeply. “We’ll have
all-out war if they’re there.” He considered for a moment and then
sighed. “Bring a couple more people, just enough to show I’m
serious.”

Demetri nodded. “I don’t
know what’s gotten you so riled up, my friend, but you know I’ll
stand beside you. The Council will not be happy if you start a war
though.” It was unusual that he was the one advising caution, but
the expression on Caleb’s face was one he hadn’t seen in a very
long time. His friend was beyond furious about something and that
didn’t bode well for the Weres.

“
Leave me to
deal with the Council if it comes to that.” Caleb didn’t wait for
Demetri to respond, turning and heading back to Rhianna.

“
Ready to
go?” He smiled, helping her from the booth and waiting patiently as
she collected her purse. Tucking her under his arm, he escorted
Rhianna from the club, listening as she chattered away beside him.
The sound of her voice helped soothe him, as did the feel of her
body pressed against his side. By the time they reached her
apartment some of his tension had eased and he was sure that the
petite redhead at his side had no inkling of the darker thoughts
running through his head.

He was somewhat perplexed
as to why figuring out Hanlon’s deceit had infuriated him so much.
Turning to glance at the woman at his side had him tracing the
small lines of grief just beginning to lessen at the corners of her
eyes. Remembering how she had cried in his arms earlier had his
fury ratcheting back up a notch.

Why Rhianna’s pain tugged
at his soul was a mystery but he knew he couldn’t walk away from
the rage within. Hanlon and her brother had hurt her and he
couldn’t let that go. This fragile woman had somehow becomes his to
protect and heaven help anyone who hurt her.

Rhianna was tired but had
a big smile on her face. The evening with Caleb had been fun and
like the first time they’d met, she had been able to forget about
losing Rafe for the few hours while she was in his company. There
was something about Caleb Ryder that soothed her soul in a way no
one else could. Was she falling in love with him or were her
emotions confused because of the tragedy she’d recently suffered?
Rhianna found she didn’t want to examine the question and smiled up
at the man who made everything seem that bit easier to deal
with.

“
I really
enjoyed tonight, Caleb. Thank you for a lovely evening.”

“
I enjoyed it
too, Annie.” He smiled back, reaching over and brushing her curls
from her face. “I’m already looking forward to spending the day
with you tomorrow.” He wasn’t surprised to find that he meant what
he said. Despite everything that was about to happen, his thoughts
were already straying to spending the next day with her. For the
first time in a long time, Caleb was actually looking forward to
time passing.

Walking her to her front
door had him feeling disquiet at the thought they were about to be
parted. “I’m going to miss you the moment you go inside,” he sighed
softly.

His words brought a smile
to Rhianna’s face and she looked so beautiful, he had to reach for
her and pull her into his arms. She melted against him and he
lifted her up so she could wrap her arms around his neck as he
kissed her. His sudden need appeared to surprise her and she pulled
back and looked at him quizzically, but he just smiled and placed a
gentle kiss on her mouth before her set her down again.

“
Get inside
before I forget I’m supposed to be a gentleman.” His tone was
lightly teasing as he pushed her inside.

His smile melted
instantly when she closed the door. Spinning around, Caleb took the
steps three at a time to get to his car and speed away from the
apartment. Black rage filled his soul as he sped all the way down
Old Forest Road until he came to three park cars. Demetri was
already standing outside his car waiting for him. Caleb signalled
the other vampires to stay in their cars for now and turned to face
the trees.

“
Hanlon!” he
roared at the top of his voice and Demetri looked at him with a
concerned expression.

“
Caleb, are
you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?” his friend asked.
“If I need to back you up then at least clue me the fuck in so I
know why I’m about to start a war with the dogs!” His friend’s
unusual behaviour was unsettling him. He figured it had to have
something to do with the redhead because until Caleb had met her
he’d been pretty level-headed.

Caleb didn’t answer him.
In truth, he was too furious to speak. He glared into the trees,
knowing there would be wolves around who would have reported that
they were there waiting for the Hanlon Alpha to appear. Demetri had
called him anyway at Caleb’s instigation. If Hanlon didn’t show up
quickly he’d go looking for him, and the Alpha knew it. Jared
Hanlon wouldn’t want a vampire in the middle of his pack
compound.

Finally, the enormous
shapes of half a dozen wolves appeared, the big black Alpha leading
the way. Caleb saw the brown wolf close at his side and his fury
escalated as he watched it with narrowed eyes. The wolves surveyed
the vampires intently for a moment and then Jared shifted and rose
to his feet standing naked before him. “What’s this all about,
Ryder?” he asked tersely. “Why did you have your lackey call and
demand this meeting?”

Demetri rolled his eyes
and leaned against his car. He was way too old to let a stupid dog
goad him into losing his temper. Better dogs had tried and failed.
His gaze remained fixed on his friend who was ignoring the Alpha
and glaring at the large brown wolf at his side.

Caleb pointed at the
brown wolf and growled, “Change!”

Jared took a step
forward, his hands clenching at his sides. “You don’t get to order
my pack around, vampire.”

“
I’m not
talking to a member of your pack, I’m talking to the brother of the
woman I intend to spend the rest of my life with,” Caleb hissed. He
glared at the wolf as it growled loudly at him. He didn’t even
register what he had just admitted to but Demetri did and was
staring at his friend in shock. “Change! I want to look the bastard
in the eye that broke my woman’s heart and then played with her
here on this road. Change, Armand, or so help me God, I will rip
your throat out where you stand. You’re already dead to Annie.
She’ll never know you died twice!”

Demetri straightened as
loud growls echoed through the trees. “Caleb, calm yourself. I
understand your anger,” he paused and then smiled wryly. “Actually
I don’t understand it, but are you really willing to start a war
with the dogs over this? Do you really think this would be what the
redhead wants? You can’t be killing her brother, my friend. She’ll
be very put out about it.”

Caleb turned his head and
shot his friend a murderous look. “Did I ask for your
opinion?”

Demetri stepped back and
put his hands up. “I’m only saying, Caleb. Maybe you should calm
down a little first and think things through. I’m more than happy
to help you with the dogs. I just don’t think Annie will be mighty
impressed about it when she finds out.”

“
If they’re
all dead then she’ll never have to find out.” Caleb voice was cold,
his gaze once more swinging to the brown wolf.

“
There are
more of us than there are of you,” Jared countered calmly. “You
should listen to your friend, Ryder. Go and cool your head. Come
back when you can be reasonable about things. If you truly cared
anything for Annie then you’d know what he says is true. She will
find out and she’ll hate you until the day she dies.”

Caleb felt his rage boil
over as he turned to the Alpha. “Don’t you dare pretend you give a
flying fuck about Annie, Hanlon,” he roared furiously. “If it
wasn’t bad enough you took her brother from her, now you’re
sniffing around her best friend!

“
Do you know
how cute Annie finds your pursuit of Millie? She thinks it’s so
romantic you won’t give up despite being rejected time and time
again. She’s actively encouraging Millie to go on a fucking date
with you; she thinks it’s so romantic. She has no idea that you’re
planning to steal the only family member she has left. She knows
nothing about Weres and their mating. She doesn’t understand that
when Millie finally agrees to mate with you, she’ll never see her
friend ever again!”

Rafe let out an agonised
howl and shifted into human form. “You bastard,” he roared at
Jared. “You fucking sneaky, lying bastard! You said you’d take care
of Annie. You said you’d make sure she was okay, when all the time
you were plotting on how to get your hands on Millie!”

“
Rafe, it
wasn’t like that.” Jared used a soothing tone, signalling to Aaron
to flank Rafe on his other side in case the big man started to go
rogue. There was only so much a forced turning could take in a
short period, and Ryder’s revelations could prove to be the final
thing that pushed him over the edge. “The vampire is twisting
things to his advantage, Rafe. Don’t let him push your
buttons.”

“
He’s the
only one talking any sense here.” The words ground out of Rafe,
hate and self-loathing layering his tone. “He is right to be
furious at me. I let you keep me here when every instinct said to
go home to Annie. I let you convince me it had to be this way; that
the pack had to be protected. The pack was never in any danger from
my sister. She would never have told anyone about us. To do so
would have endangered me and she would never do anything to cause
me any harm.”

“
Rafe, the
protection of the pack is paramount. You’ve been with us long
enough to know that. We can’t start picking and choosing who
someone thinks can be trusted to know our secret. It just doesn’t
work that way. Eventually the wrong person would be chosen and all
of us would be in danger. It’s a pack law and a pack decision.
Everyone has agreed to it.”

“
I never
agreed to it,” Rafe yelled. “I didn’t ask to be made into one of
you. You let one of your kind go mad and run around attacking
people and killing them. I wish to God that the rogue had killed me
too. It’s your fault I’m like this. Your laws fucked up somewhere,
you didn’t protect innocents like me, and do you give a shit about
it? No, you don’t. Not only am I punished by becoming a Were, I
have to lose the most precious thing in my life too!”

Rafe suddenly broke. “You
wouldn’t even let me be with her in my wolf form.” Tears welled up
in his eyes as he looked at his Alpha. “She knew me, Jared. Even as
a wolf, my Annie knew me somehow and you wouldn’t even give me
that!”

Jared frowned deeply as
Rafe broke before his eyes. The man’s anger petered out as quickly
as it had arrived and he sank to his knees to the ground weeping
inconsolably. Aaron chuffed loudly, rubbing his head against Rafe’s
shoulder, using the power of a wolf’s touch to try to soothe his
distraught friend.

“
Are you
happy now, Ryder?” Jared asked coldly, turning to Caleb. “Months of
painful, hard work has just been pissed down the drain because of
you. You may not think much of us or how I run this pack, but
you’ve no right to destroy one of mine just because you want to bed
his sister. Get the fuck off my land. If you come back here, we
will take it as a declaration of war.” He turned his back to the
vampires and helped Rafe to his feet. He murmured low to the
weeping man as the wolves flanked them as they disappeared into the
trees.

Caleb watched them go
silently, pursing his lips. He’d learned a lot from the encounter
and not everything to his liking. Rhianna’s brother was in deep
torment. A torment he had increased greatly tonight. He had
expected to feel some kind of satisfaction but instead he felt
hollow inside. She’d hate him for hurting her brother. It wouldn’t
matter how angry she was at Rafe, she would still hate him for what
he’d done this night.