Hyena Moon (10 page)

Cormac looked at the phone as if he'd misheard. "What did you just say?"

Lenore sounded tired and very small. "I'm in Jacksonville."

He felt thick. "Florida?"

"No, Wyoming." Now she was exasperated. He could sense the impending eyeroll coming. "Yes, Florida."

Finn and Kess were watching him, listening intently to his side of the conversation at the mention of Florida. He turned his attention back to the phone call. "How did you get to Jacksonville?"

"I took the train." There was a voice sounding in the background, announcing something over the intercom. When it was done, Lenore said, "Look, you can either come get me or I can catch the next train to Miami and you can pick me up there."

Cormac rubbed the back of his neck, a little afraid to ask the next question. He had a bad feeling he already knew the answer. "Why did Mom and Dad put you on a train?"

Lenore didn't say anything. The silence stretched out painfully until Cormac said, "They didn't, did they?"

She answered reluctantly. "No. I kind of came on my own."

"Are you kidding me?!" Finn and Kess gestured to ask what was going on and Cormac took the phone away from his ear. "Lenore is in Jacksonville. Mom and Dad don't know yet. She wants me to come pick her up."

Finn dropped his head into his hands. Kess' eyes widened. She got up and went inside. Cormac put the phone back up to his ear to try and get some sense out of his sister. She was saying, "So are you coming to get me or do I buy another ticket?"

"Lenore, this is crazy. Why did you take off--and what did you tell Mom and Dad?" He tried to rein in his temper, but if his sister had been here, he would have shook her until her teeth rattled.

"Mac, please. Can we just talk about this when I see you? Please?" She sounded near tears.

Some of his anger evaporated. Lenore sounded tired and a little scared and very, very young on the phone. Kess came out and threw the keys to one of the cars to him. She nodded at him, and then at Finn, who disappeared into the house. "I'm on my way." He heard her release a breath. "But Lenore, you need to call Mom and Dad as soon as you get off the phone with me. Understand?"

"Okay, I'll call them." The reluctance in her voice would have been funny if he hadn't been so worried about her.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."
And I'll try not to strangle you when I see you, but no promises
. He hung up and turned to Kess.

"Go get changed," she said with a smile. "And bring her back safe. You've got a long drive ahead of you." When he began to gather up his things, she told him, "Leave it. Finn's already getting changed. I'll get all this."

Cormac dropped his towel on the chair and shook his head. "I don't know what she was thinking."

"She's fifteen. She wasn't." She kissed Cormac lightly on the mouth.

"You'll be careful while we're gone?" He didn't like leaving her in the house alone with Rafe. This might be the perfect opportunity for him to cause trouble. Cormac knew Kess could take care of herself, but he hated the idea of being so far away from her in case something happened.

"Always."

Cormac headed inside to get into some clothes and collect Finn so they could begin the drive to get his errant sister. He'd call his parents on the drive up. He hoped Lenore listened to him and called their parents before he did. If news of her arrival in Florida came from him, it would be worse for her in the long run. Regardless, he wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

**********

Finn stayed in the car while Cormac entered the train station in Jacksonville, eyes scanning the room. He thought it would be better if he spoke with her alone first. Finn had been a calming influence in the car, especially after he'd spoken with his parents, but he was also a little too sympathetic to Lenore's situation. Cormac thought his sister was likely to glom onto their cousin as an unexpected ally and he didn't want her to think she could get out of this easily.

He saw Lenore slouched in a seat, her bag hooked around her feet. She had a light jacket draped over her. She looked like she was napping. He walked over to where she was sitting and said her name. Her eyes flashed open and met his.

"Mac!" She threw herself into his arms. He staggered a little, surprised at the reception. He'd expected her to be much more defiant. "Thanks for coming to get me!"

He hugged her back briefly. He was glad to see her; he just wished it could be under different circumstances, like say without her being a runaway. He pulled away from her and scooped up her bag. "Are you okay?" When she nodded, he turned back towards the exit. "Let's go."

He heard her gathering up the rest of her things, but didn't stop. Her feet pounded behind him as she ran to catch up. When she was alongside him, taking two steps for every one of his, she began to make her case. "Okay, I know you're not thrilled that I'm here, but could you slow down a little?"

Cormac didn't. "So you told Mom that you were staying with Keri. You do know the amount of trouble your friend's in, right?" He looked down at his sister, who at least had the good sense to look guilty.

"I didn't think it would be that big of deal for me to come down here."

That was a lie and they both knew it. Alaric McNeil was not the kind of man for whom his youngest and only daughter haring off to the middle of a possible war zone on her own would be
not
a big deal. His father had nearly been incomprehensible in his fury and worry when Cormac had talked to his parents on the drive up to get Lenore. His mother had been the calm one. She'd suggested that Cormac take Lenore back to Miami and then they'd decide what the best course of action was.

"Oh, stop it, Lenore. You knew exactly what you were doing and how Dad would react. Don't try that crap with me." His anger made his voice hard, probably the first time he'd ever been this cold and matter of fact with her.

She looked up at him, hurt in her brown eyes. "I'm sorry." She bit her lip, clearly trying to keep herself together. Cormac felt a twinge of guilt for being mean to her, but squashed it. Lenore had to learn she couldn't do stuff like this. "I just couldn't stay there anymore. Mom and Dad want to keep me a little girl--they want to make all of my decisions for me. I couldn't even see Wyatt!"

"You realize that this little stunt is not going to make them revise their opinion?" He understood where she was coming from. Their father could be on the overbearing side with what he thought was best for his children--whether they agreed with him or not. But there was rebellion, and then there was...this.

She nodded her head miserably. "I know. I know this was stupid. Now." She paused. "It made so much more sense when I was in my room planning it." She was quiet for a minute. When she spoke again, her voice was tentative, unsure. "How were Mom and Dad when you talked to them?"

"Not good. Worried sick."

Lenore looked down at the concrete, her mouth tight. She looked like she might throw up. "What's going to happen now?"

Cormac dropped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Now, we go back to Kess' house and figure out how to get you home." She sighed, leaning against him. He didn't ask how her talk with their parents had gone. He had a pretty good idea after his own phone call with them. He didn't envy her position at all.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as he led her over to the car. Finn was already getting out, opening up the back door so Lenore could get in.

"I know, kiddo," Cormac whispered back, kissing her temple. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure if that's going to be enough."

Chapter Fourteen

Kess pulled the car into a parking space several blocks from the coffee shop and walked. It was easier than fighting for a coveted space nearby and it gave her a chance to think, even if it felt like she was walking through pudding in the mid-summer humidity. Though it was the middle of the day, Kess was still mindful of her surroundings; the habit had become ingrained in her during her years of running from her brother's investigators. It paid to be aware of who and what was nearby. Even now, back home, she couldn't relax her guard. Samara and her pack of werehyenas were after Miami and Kess doubted they'd be shy about attacking her if an opportunity presented itself.

Still, the man she was going to meet with was worth the risk. And his presence would most likely deter any possible hyena foolishness, so she could lower her guard a bit. Not many werecreatures would willingly tangle with a Keeper of Divine Order without a damn good reason. The werejackals that filled the ranks of the Keepers were rightly feared for their killing prowess. Mebis was no exception.

Kess saw the werejackal standing near the front door, waiting for her. He nodded when he saw her. They'd been meeting intermittently since Samara's last attempt to gain Miami. He and his sister, Laila, had both been there for the werehyena's machinations; Samara had even attempted to form an alliance with the Keepers against Kess. Mebis had played along, but his mission here was not to further the hyena agenda. It was to see if Kess was a strong enough leader to keep them out. This, of course, was after Laila had killed Sekhmet. Kess was still trying to wrap her head around it. She was beginning to think that anything with werejackals, and Keepers specifically, was bound to be far more complicated than was healthy.

Mebis looked as he usually did, calm and cool in a neat goatee. He wore a lightweight suit in concession to the heat. Only a few years old than Kess, he still felt older, perhaps due to his deadly status. He was as tall as she was and leanly built. He didn't cut an imposing figure, but Kess knew his looks were deceiving. She did not intend to underestimate him, not if she wanted to stay alive. He'd told her that his orders were to assess the situation and that if she did well, she would maintain her position in Miami. If she did poorly, the Keepers would be forced to find someone stronger to lead her clan and hold her territory. Which meant her elimination.

Kess had no intention of letting that happen either.

She smiled at Mebis as he held the door open for her. She was more comfortable with Mebis—even though his decision could determine her continued existence—than she was with his sister, but that might have something to do with Laila killing Kess' brother and cutting his heart out of his chest. It made things a little awkward between the two of them.

"How are things going?" Mebis asked, once they'd gotten their drinks and sat down at a small table towards the back of the shop.

Kess stirred honey into her tea and searched for a response. She really didn't want to tell him about the incursion in the Everglades, even though they'd fought off the hyenas. She had a feeling he already knew anyway and wondered again how the Keepers came by their information. "Fair. Samara's been quiet."

He raised a brow at her, but said nothing. Instead, Mebis doctored his café au lait with one packet of sugar and continued to stare at her. Kess tucked her hair behind her ears and braced herself. She wanted to talk to him about something important, and it had to do with how she was going to run things in Miami.

"There's something that I need to run by you."

Mebis stilled. "I'm listening."

Kess took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I was wondering if a territory has even been run by a group, rather than by a single leader."

Mebis cocked his head, obviously trying to make sense of the meaning behind what she was asking. "What, like a consortium?"

"Sort of, yeah." Kess took a sip of her tea, watching Mebis carefully over the rim. The werejackal leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against his mouth as he took a few minutes to think. She sat quietly, waiting to hear what he had to say and trying not to fidget with the sugar packets.

He leaned forward, seriousness making his face intense. "It's an interesting idea. I don't believe it has ever been attempted before, but I can certainly see the appeal. Are you thinking about implementing something like it?"

Kess shrugged, unwilling to commit. She was feeling him out, trying to get an idea of whether the Keepers would support such a radical change. Mebis was a difficult one to read though, and she suspected he actively cultivated it. "Well, it seems pretty obvious that things can't continue the way they are. My clan is too small to be able to effectively cordon off the entire area from other weres."

"What about Samara?" He knew as well as she did that Samara couldn't be allowed to continue as she was.

Kess held her cup in both hands, gripping it tightly. "I need to take care of her before the end of summer."

"And the boy?" Mebis sounded cold.

"Excuse me?"

"Your houseguest. What you plan to do about him?"

"I'm not sure," she answered, confused with this line of questioning. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing to do."

Mebis smiled a grim smile. "Ah ah. That might cut it with your boyfriend, but it won't hold water with me. The hyena is a potential threat. One you haven't dealt with."

"If you know something...," Kess warned.

The werejackal cut her off smoothly. "I know that you are putting yourself, your clan, and your territory at risk over an unproven stranger. That is not the decision making process of a leader, but rather of someone who is letting personal feelings cloud her judgment."

God, had he been talking to Cormac? Kess bit back an angry answer. She didn't think snapping at a Keeper would bode well for a long and healthy life. "I wouldn't say I was doing that."

"Really?" Mebis leaned back in his chair, gaze sharp. "What would you call it then? If Cormac didn't have Finn watching the boy, there'd be no eyes on him at all."

Kess reddened. How on earth did Mebis know all this? She'd been lying to Cormac about her people watching Rafe. She stirred her tea and tried not to look as guilty as she felt.

"Let me be blunt with you, Kess." He caught her gaze and held it. "I don't care about whatever issues are troubling you. You can wallow in your brother hang-ups until the stars fall from the sky. But when those same issues blind you to the threat in your own house, then I must intervene."