We’ve all got the power in our hands to kill, but most people are afraid to use it. The ones who aren’t afraid, control life itself -The Night Stalker.
__________
A soft rumble of thunder rolled through the night sky, followed by a humid, chilly gust of wind. Hopefully, I’d finish my business before the rain started. While werewolves didn’t get sick easily, I didn’t want to push my luck. Another breeze sent chills down my spine.
*I told you not to dress up for him,* Balric said. His voice rolling through my mind like the thunder we’d just heard. He never could resist an “I told you so” even if he was wrong. Not that he’d ever admitted he was wrong of course.
*A girl can never go wrong with fluffing a man’s ego,* I thought in reply.
The sound of a door caught our attention. The aging couple stepped out into the night from the bed-and-breakfast across the street. Mr. and Mrs. Claymont, the elderly couple who owned the powder blue victorian styled bed-and-breakfast, walked to a small rust-red truck sitting in the wide driveway. I watched as Mr. Claymont opened the door for his wife, saying something that made her laugh. A twinge of envy stabbed at me. None of that would ever be in the cards for me. Hell, at this rate I’d consider myself lucky if I reached my thirtieth birthday. Especially after tonight.
*It’s time,* Balric said and I shoved the thoughts of my life expectancy away.
Brushing my dark brown hair out of my face, I looked down the small rural road for any potential witnesses before crossing the street to the victorian B&B. *Let’s do this.*
*Be careful,* Balric warned me. His unease pressed heavily in my mind. This would be our first high ranking target and was going to catch a lot more attention than the others. It was a price I was willing to take. Philip Gregory was a piece of trash.
I knocked on the door and pulled my body in on itself, putting on the mask of the submissive werewolf. A moment later Philip opened the door. He was an older werewolf, a few years younger than my father. Yet, he leered at women, me included, like a teen in the throes of puberty. “Desiree?” He pronounced my name wrong - using the American pronunciation instead of the Spanish, where the accent fell on the first “e”.
“Um, hi, Sir, sorry to bother you…”
“No, not at all. Come inside, Sweetheart before you freeze.”
“Thank you, Sir,” I replied meekly.
Philip moved to the side to let me in, but with only enough space that I would have to brush against him to get inside. Cabrón. The liaison sneezed as I passed and I had to hide a smile. Turning to face him, I saw his eyes were watering. He waved his hand, reeling back a step. “What are you wearing?”
With my lower lip between my teeth, I looked at him through my lashes. “You don’t like it, Sir?” I clasped my hands together in front of me, making sure he noticed my meager cleavage. It worked. The ass even licked his lips. Gross.
“Well no, it’s not that, Sweetheart. It’s just a little overpowering,” he said as he closed the door. Philip gave me an oily smile, obviously making the assumptions I wanted him to. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was figuring out the quickest way to get my skirt around my waist. “Let's find somewhere to sit, shall we?”
“Yes, Sir,” I told him with a hesitant, shy smile. I was rewarded with another of his oily smiles, this time it had a predatory edge to it. How many women had found themselves the victim to that predatory smile? All afraid to say something because he worked personally for the Praetor -the leader of all the werewolves in North America. I was going to enjoy this one.
As Philip and I reached a cozy room with obvious signs of being decorated by a woman in her golden years, he let his hand drop to brush against my ass. He sat on a loveseat and patted the cushion next to him. Forcing my body to stay relaxed and submissive, I sat, and immediately his hand landed on my thigh, just below the hem of my skirt. “Now tell me, what brought you here to see me tonight?”
“I made a breakthrough on the Betrayer,” I told him in a breathy tone.
“Good girl,” he said, patting my leg. “What did you learn?”
“I know who he is. I know who the Betrayer is.”
Philip’s hand slipped up my thigh and under my skirt with a look of shock. My hand flinched towards the blade hidden away in my wrist cuff. Now recovered, he leered at me as he said, “Very good girl. I promise to reward you well for this.” His hand slid higher up my leg. “So tell me what is he calling himself in this life?”
I bit my lip again, looking at him through my lashes. I leaned closer, letting my lips brush his ear. The arousal in his scent was palpable as he shuddered. “Desirée de Léon. Me. I am the Betrayer.” Before he could pull away from me, I slid the knife from my cuff and into his stomach. He sucked in a stuttering breath. I twisted the blade, his blood hot on my fingers. With another twist, I broke it off inside him. Philip’s breath came out in a slow pained wheeze. “Balric.” He glared at me with hate and anger.
“That’s right, Sweetheart,” I told him, dropping my meek mask. I stood and blew him a kiss, with my bloody hand, enjoying the horrified look on his face. A soft growl rumbled from him and he tried to get up, but his face went pale with realization. “You bitch.”
The blade now inside his gut was made from moonstone. Moonstone absorbed the wolf spirit, leaching it from the werewolf, leaving its body an empty shell. With desperation, Philip clawed at his stomach, desperately trying to remove the blade. He’d be too late, though. “You bitch,” he said again, his voice a whisper. The light in his eyes flickered and dulled to nothing as he slumped against the loveseat. With a lift of my chin, I smiled. The rush of the kill was a unique kind of high.
“Bye, bye, Sweetheart,” I said with a wave and went into the bathroom to clean up.
I left the bed-and-breakfast mostly as I left it and hurried down the street. It was three blocks to my house. It wasn’t nearly as elegant as the Victorian bed-and-breakfast, but it served its purpose. Halfway, the rain started to fall and I ran the remaining distance to avoid getting soaked. I closed the front door and looked at my small, mostly bare living room. I had only the basics: tv, sofa, an end table, and coffee table. It was a testament to the years I expected to have left. In other words, personal touches seemed to be moot at this point.
In the laundry room, I stripped out of my clothes and started the washer before going into the spare bedroom. It was my base of operations. I walked over to the dry erase board on the left wall. With great pleasure, I crossed Philip’s name off the list. “Only two more, Bal. Only two more. Ian Renner and Caius.” Caius was elusive to locate. Up until now, I didn’t even have his human name. All I knew was that he was once an Alpha, but had gone off the radar soon after his brother’s miraculous recovery.
Three days later…
Alpha Melissa paced the floor of her large living room. The impossibly high heels sending a clack, clack, clack echoing off the walls. “José, please tell me you’re not serious?” she asked my father. Despite being in her late fifties, she was still an exquisite woman. Auburn hair, styled with expensive products, and curves I could only have in my dreams. Worry now marred her perfect face.
Dad shook his head. “With no disrespect, Alpha, what did you expect the Praetor to do?”
“Melissa, come,” Alpha Erik told his mate. She hesitated before sitting next to him on the arm of his wingback chair. He took her hand in his. “We have nothing to fear from Praetor Noah. We’re not harboring the Betrayer, and Desirée has been working non-stop to find him.”
Mimicking everyone’s grim expression I nodded, keeping my eyes on the floor.
“Praetor Noah feels it’s best to come here. The death of his liaison warrants no other response,” Dad explained.
“Actually,” I mumbled, holding up my hand.
“Yes, Desi?” Alpha Erik asked, a frown touching his grim expression.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for the Praetor to visit.”
“Why?” Alpha Melissa's voice, sharp and tight, cracked through the room like a whip.
Purposely hesitating, I glanced at them and then to the floor. “The Betrayer has killed four people in the last seven years. It’s making him bolder. Each kill has been higher in the pack hierarchy and now the Praetor’s liaison. I… I think this might be him trying to call the Praetor here.”
*Nicely done, nicely done,* Balric said.
I couldn’t help preen a little. This was all playing out just as I planned it.
“He wouldn’t,” Alpha Melissa said, staring at me, her features pinched.
“He’s a crazed killer and might be delusional enough to believe he’s a match for the leader of all the Alphas in the country.”
Alpha Erik looked at Dad. “Did you inform Praetor Noah of Desi’s concerns?”
“I did, but the Praetor didn’t seem concerned. He’s only increasing the number of people he’s bringing with him.”
Alpha Erik rubbed his face. “The Praetor does as he wishes. All right, José, make the necessary security arrangements. Melissa, let’s prepare for his arrival. Desi, ready your research. I want everything you discovered ready for Praetor Noah. Understood everyone?”
And there it is ladies and gentlemen - Goal and home team takes the win!
I dipped my head in submissive acquiescence while doing a victory waltz in my head and followed my parents outside. As soon as I stepped outside, my breath fogged, and I pulled my knit cap lower as we walked to the car. They insisted on driving me since I had neither car nor license, technically.
With a loud sigh, Mom shook her head. “Let’s hope something good can come from this visit.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, situating myself in the back seat.
“It’d be nice if the Praetor did more of his own dirty work and leave you be. I don’t like you being involved in this mess. What if that monster came after you instead of Philip?”
“Dios Mío, Mamá. The Betrayer isn’t coming for me. I’m too weak and unimportant to warrant his attention,” I said, unamused.
“You have part of it right,” she said, surprising me. “You’re too weak.” Now that sounded more like her. “I’m sorry, Desirée, but you can’t deny you’re weaker than everyone. Without shifting, you never will be anything else. Praetor Noah needs someone else for this work.”
Dad narrowed his eyes when I flipped the back of her seat the bird. I offered him a sweet grin before slumping into the seat and preparing myself for another of Mom’s long-winded speeches about my disability.
*Go easy on her. She’s your mother, and it’s her job to worry.*
*Et tu, Brutus?* I scowled, and his laughter vibrated through my brain.
“Oh, tonight your father is inviting the Enforcers over to dinner…” Mom said as we pulled into my driveway.
“Sounds great. Have fun with that.” I practically ran inside before she could try to push me into going. I swear if the Praetor or his people didn’t kill me, my mother and sister’s attempts at matchmaking would.
Once the door closed, I grinned. “It worked, Bal. Ian’s coming! He’s coming right to us.” I fist-pumped the air. No way would Praetor Noah come here without his hitman.
*Yes. Let’s make sure we’re ready to welcome them properly,* Balric replied, his excitement mixing with mine.
No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected - Julius Caesar_____________Tapping my foot to the quiet music, I compiled the research I’d supposedly made on Balric. I’d put it all together a year ago when Balric and I first played with the idea of bringing Ian here.*There. Done.*I twirled the flash drive between my fingers, before slipping it into my skirt pocket. I still wasn’t sure why I had let Mom bully me into dressing nice. It wasn’t that I minded dressing nice or professional, but I knew she only said it so I might catch the eye of my mate… or any single male, for that matter.“God, save me from meddling women,” I breathed in prayer. Walking around my desk and sitting on the edge, I wondered who the praetor would bring with him. Ian was a given, but if he had a crapload of enforcers too that could be a problem.As praetor, Noah had only the best of the best. I could go one on one or two on one, but if there were more than a handful… not so good.*Don’t
A man cannot be too careful in his choice of enemies. I have not got one who is a fool. They are all men of some intellectual power, and consequently, they all appreciate me. - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray_______________I stepped out of the shower slowly. My muscles still ached from my three-hour weapon training. Now that Ian was here, I had to step up my game. He wouldn’t find an easy target in me. Darth Vader’s iconic theme sliced through the silence of my house as I dressed. Mom. What did she want now? I rejected the call then scowled when she just called back. With a sigh, I picked up the phone. “You rang.”“Let me guess, this is the part where you tell me that you forgot?” The sounds of people in the background made it a little difficult to hear her.“Um,” I said, drawing out the sound. I really did forget this time.“The dinner, Desirée. The dinner at the alpha’s house to welcome Praetor Noah to our territory. The dinner you were supposed to attend nearly twenty minu
Chaos of thought and passion, all confused; Still by himself abused or disabused - Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man_______________Drying off my sweat covered face, the smell of lavender tickling my nose, I looked at the dry erase board. In the top left corner, I had Ian’s personnel file. Next to it were a couple of others I thought could be Caius. He was once a commander of armies and I started second-guessing my idea of him being a bootlicker. He was probably among the enforcers. If the praetor’s chief enforcer wasn’t a woman that’s where I would’ve looked first.*Caius, shouldn’t be our priority. Not when we have Ian so close. I don’t care if Caius gets away in this lifetime as long as we get Ian.*I frowned. *Really? But he's the one that agreed and let Ian kill your son?**Yes, his brother was dying. Ian was the one who had no personal investment but put forth the idea. He’s the more dangerous of the two.*“Hm, all right, Jefe. So forget Caius,” I said and tapped my finger on the
It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone. - Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy_______________The cold water was a shock to my heated face and I debated on simply sticking my head under the faucet. At least they’ll never think to look in my direction as the Betrayer. I scowled at my reflection. *Bal, seriously, how is this possible? For the love of God, I’m human. I’m not even supposed to have a mate, much less two.**After the Great War, it was said that the praetor’s wolf was sundered by the demon spawn - Deabru, and placed into two different bodies, thus two twin brothers with the same wolf. I had thought it was talk. Soldiers bragging, and all that, but if it was true, if they shared just one wolf then it’s possible you can connect with both of them.*I grabbed a hand towel, drying my face, still scowling. *Except for the part that I’m human a
I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun. - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice_______________My head felt heavy and fuzzy as I sat up on the bed. Feathers of remembered pain danced down my limbs. Balric was still silent. I suspected he might be so for some time. He didn’t deal with the nightmares any better than I did. Agron, the proud warrior who didn’t always think before he ran to save the princess. My heart ached with loss as if he was mine to lose. I ran a hand over my face and got up to take a shower, hoping it’d help wake me up.When I got out, I noticed I missed several calls and had almost as many texts from Carl. I rolled my eyes as I scanned through them. He sounded like a jealous boyfriend, demanding to know where I was. He even sank so low as to threaten with ‘repercussions’ if I wasn’t there A.S.A.P. Swallowing the urge to tell him to stick his threats where the sun doesn’t shine, I sent him a text telling him I’d be on my way and headed out the door.As soon as
Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive - Elbert Hubbard_______________I stepped into the office, glancing around. “Is Carl here?” I asked Sam. I’d been avoiding the praetor’s tracker as much as possible, working from home, and sending Sam the updates I had prepared ahead of time so I could work on figuring out which room of the manor Ian was staying in.“No,” Sam said.“Good.” I blew out a breath. “I swear I’ve never met a person more condescending in my life.” I sat on the corner of his desk, picking up the tacky snow globe he’d picked up from his trip to Alaska five years ago. As if we weren’t far enough north here that he had to even go farther. “He’s gotten on my nerves so much I’ve actually started to consider your offer to get rid of him for a lap dance.”Sam gave me a tilted grin but whatever he was going to say was cut off when someone else asked, “That open for anyone?”I scrambled to catch the snow globe, almost dropping it. Daniel was leaning ag
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing - Edmund Burke_______________I sipped the hot cocoa as I looked at the plans of the Willows Manor. It had taken me five hours to find them. They were in a long lost part of the remaining Willow Creek’s website files from when they renovated a good portion of the manor a few years ago. Both Balric and I agreed that breaking in would be better than questioning the caretakers about who was in what room. If Ian heard I was asking questions there was a good chance he’d get suspicious rather than think I had a personal interest in him. He didn’t seem like the type that is easily tricked like Philip was.Tomorrow would be the full moon and everyone would have to shift, everyone but me that is. It was the perfect time to break in. Now if only I could deal with the problem of Daniel just as easily. This morning I’d gotten a call from Tina demanding to know why I hadn’t told her that Daniel and I were an item. It ha
The future is uncertain but the end is always near. - Jim Morrison_______________I woke up, reenacting one of the iconic scenes from the movie Exorcist as I sat up in bed and threw up all over the hardwood flooring of my bedroom. I doubled up as my stomach cramped. I used my fist to massage and relax the muscles. I panted, eyes watering at the acidic stench of my own sick. “Three injections, two of which are experimental, back to back is a very, very bad idea.” My voice was rough as a habitual chain smoker.*Just take it slow,* Balric told me, worry evident.“I’m fine. Just one hell of a crash.” I lowered my feet to the floor. I stepped around the mess and into the bathroom to clean the bitter, sour taste in my mouth. When I finished I called Sam. “Hey Sam, look I am really feeling bad. I’m no use to anyone like this. I’m going to need to take a sick day.”“Yeah, sure, leave me with the psycho. Though, you do sound pretty rough. You okay?”“I will be after some bed rest. Talk to you