Storm of Shadows Ch. 07

"It doesn't feel right, Kal," Lily sighed, rising from her bed and pacing across to the window. "Kothi and Dara shouldn't be out there alone in a hostile environment. We should be with them, helping to find Gard and Rayne." Her tone was laced with an irritation she didn't even try to hide in front of her brother. It was pointless, as he knew her far too well.

They were in her bedroom at the Praetorian compound. Mac had decided that the recent upheaval of the attack against the pack and Kothari's disappearance was too much stress for Lily to cope with in her current condition, and had insisted that she take some rest. He was being annoying with his overprotectiveness but she understood his reasons, so she had acquiesced with a minimum of fuss, but she couldn't hide her frustration from Kallum.

Her words brought a wry chuckle from her brother and she turned to look back at him, a half smile teasing at her lips.

"Good luck with telling Mackenzie that one," he said when he stopped laughing, uncoiling his large body from the chair he was sitting in, and crossing to stand behind her. "You're pregnant, Lily. You know there is no way in hell any of us are going to allow you to go haring off to Europe, so put any thoughts of that out of your head."

"I know it's not practicable but that doesn't mean I don't wish I could help, Kal." She ran her hand over the growing bump on her abdomen, stroking the child nestled just below her heart with a gentle touch. She would never do anything to endanger the burgeoning life she nurtured within. Mac had been through far too much with the loss of his first family. There was no way in hell she would ever bring such suffering and sorrow into his world once more.

"There is one thing we could be doing that would be helpful and not dangerous enough to incite Mac's displeasure," Kallum mused, understanding his sister's restlessness and knowing it was better to give her something worthwhile to do to counteract it. "Cassia is concerned about something one of the European wolves said to her, so much so that she mentioned it to me as everyone appears to be less interested with the other things happening right now."

Lily's interest was immediately piqued. "Cassia is one of the most level-headed of the Vârcolac...and newly mated. If she's leaving Pietro's side to come look for you then whatever it is must have had worried her, especially with Dara being alone in Europe too."

Kal nodded. "My thoughts too," he agreed. "This Fox character said she should be concerned about the wolves she couldn't see, rather than just the ones she could. I know the Hanlon pack is being extra vigilant in the city and we're maintaining a strong presence on our boundaries after the attack, but I would prefer to do a little digging around myself. Can't do any harm, can it?"

Lily moved back to the bed and grabbed her boots. As she pulled them on, she watched her brother staring out the window she'd so recently been standing in front of. "What do you have in mind, Kal?"

"Mac's not going to let you head into the city, not even with me, and he's still focused here with the recovering Praetorians, and now patrolling pack lands. I think I can convince both Mac and Rafe that it would be good to get Brandon out and about for a bit. He's bounced back really well from the trauma he went through, judging from him being his usual cocky self. I think he's almost as restless as you are, waiting for things to go back to normal and having to wait while the others fully recover."

She agreed completely with him about Brandon. Her best friend was already displaying signs of being edgy. It didn't help that once a day Liam or Reasa asked to dreamwalk in his mind just to ensure he was healing properly. That didn't sit well with him, even though he was eternally grateful to the couple for finding his shattered psyche and helping to heal him. Being an invalid just wasn't something Brandon was cut out to do. "That would be great, Kal. Bran's trying to be patient but his restlessness is escalating almost on an hourly basis. Thank you for not only noticing it, but thinking of a way to alleviate the problem."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Apparently, it's what I do, notice when people are about to go stir crazy, which brings me on to you. I think Mac would have a hard time prohibiting a visit to the Hanlon pack, not if you take say Elina and maybe Karn with you? While Brandon and I are snooping around the city, you and Elina can have a quiet word with Jared and maybe poke around their boundaries to see if there have been any unexpected incursions?"

Lily's shoulders slumped a little. "Mac will never allow that, Kal. Even with Elina, Karn and an entire pack around me, he will still judge that to be too much of a risk." For a brief moment she had hoped she could so something worthwhile that wouldn't be considered a risk, but she knew her mate too well. He would never agree to it.

His sister's disappointment was more than he could stand, and Kallum crossed to sit beside her on the bed, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Mac doesn't need to know the complete story. Elina can say she wants to visit with her grandparents and you can go along with her to get you out of the compound for a little while. It won't really be a lie...Elina does like visiting her family, and it will give her something to do as well. With Cassia being newly mated and agreeing to work with the vampire Council to set up an inoculation protocol for the Amort vaccine, Elle is pretty much left to her own devices at the pack."

"Karn will report back to Mackenzie. You know he will. He's almost as overprotective as my damned mate is." Though there was a modicum of frustration in her voice, there was also affection. She adored the Praetorian's second in command, even if he could be a pain in the ass at times.

"Elina will deal with Karn," Kallum laughed, devilment in his twinkling eyes. "I've already spoken to her and she's on board. Now we can do a little reconnoitring to see if there is any merit to the European wolf's warning. If we find anything out, we can let the Alphas and Mac know. If it's nothing, then no harm, no foul."

Lily burst out laughing, shaking her head, and wagging a finger at her brother. "I thought I was supposed to be the sneaky one here."

He gave her a squeeze before standing up and pulling her to her feet. "Overprotectiveness is a very hard thing to let go of. Everyone is doing their very best, and things are improving, but it will take a little more time before they truly let go. There's no harm in hastening that along a little, without them realising that's what we're doing. Come on, let's go convince Mac that his mate will be fine at the Hanlon pack."

Heading downstairs, they found Mackenzie in the study, Karn just getting ready to leave the room. It was good that they were both together; it meant they only needed to win one battle rather than two. The Praetorian leader's face lit up the instant he saw his mate, though Karn's shrewd gaze went from Lily to Kallum and back again before he rolled his eyes. "What are you two cooking up?"

Mac's gaze narrowed, and he looked at the two of them for a long moment before he rose from his chair and gathered his mate into his arms. "Whatever it is, the answer is no."

"Mackenzie!" Lily groaned, pushing at his chest and conceding defeat quickly when he wouldn't let go. "You can't keep me locked up here at the compound. It's like being in a prison." It wasn't really, how could being in her mate's loving embrace ever be like a prison? However, her frustration was riding her hard, and she was desperate for a little freedom.

Karn snorted loudly and rolled his eyes again. "Your idea of a prison and everyone else's is vastly different, Liliana."

"I can deal with my mate without your assistance," Mac interjected, feeling the tenseness of Lily's body in his arms. She was coiled so tightly he was starting to feel concerned. Her agitation couldn't be good for her or the baby. "Honey, we've had this conversation before. You agreed to stay here at the compound."

"Not all of the time, Mac," she muttered against his chest. "I want to be able to go visit the pack and see my friends. I need a little freedom." She looked up at him, seeing the stubborn set of his mouth warring with the concern in his slate grey eyes. It was still a little disconcerting to see their changed colour, having been so used to seeing them black.

"Being cooped up isn't good for anyone," Kallum added, keeping his tone quiet and confident, working to remind the other two men that he was someone whose judgement they trusted. "It's not just Lily that's becoming edgy, Brandon is too. I think it would be a good idea to take them into the city for a while, let them get out for a little while. I am happy to go with them."

"Absolutely not!" Mac and Karn growled at the same time, their expressions turning set.

Lily was surprised at Kallum's words too, but she didn't dare look at her brother. If he'd included her in the city visit then he had to have a good reason for it.

There was a long pause and then Kallum sighed deeply, resignation in his exhalation of breath. "Fine, maybe it wouldn't be wise to take Lily into the city but there shouldn't be any reason Brandon can't go. Elina wants to go visit her family at the Hanlon pack. Surely there can be no objections to Lily going with her? Hell, one of you can go with them too, if you're so concerned. "

Silence reigned when he stopped speaking and Karn pursed his lips as he looked at Mackenzie. "Brandon is edgy," he conceded. "He's almost back to peak fitness too. I can see no harm in letting him go with Kallum, and I could escort Lily and Elina to the Hanlon pack."

Lily held her breath, her eyes beseeching Mac to say yes. She had faith in her mate's empathy. She knew he could feel how badly she needed this time away through their mate bond.

Mac hated saying no to Lily, even when he knew it was for her own good. He also knew he had to stop coddling her, that she was stronger than he was, and she would end up resenting him if he continued to restrict her movements. He was just so afraid of losing her. She was the very air he breathed, the most precious thing in his world...and she was carrying their child, that beautiful miracle he had never dreamed he would ever be able to have again. It was difficult to balance his need for her protection with her need for independence, but he had to do it.

Sighing, he admitted defeat, tilting her chin up so he could kiss her tenderly. "No city, but you can go to the Hanlon pack with Elina. You stay with Karn the entire time you're there though. You have to promise me that."

Lily pouted, trying not to show the elation rippling through her. If she agreed too easily, her mate would become suspicious. "I could kick Karn's ass even pregnant," she quipped, drawing another snort from the man behind her, which she ignored. "Karn doesn't need to come with us."

"He goes or you stay, Liliana Romanov. That's about as much leeway as I am able to concede right now." Mac's tone brooked no argument, leaving everyone in the room fully aware that he meant it.

"Okay, I will stay with Karn. Thank you, Mac." Lily hugged her mate tightly, hiding her huge grin in the crook of his neck. Sure, he would be able to sense her happiness at his concession, but that would only be expected. Stepping back, she gave him a smile and then turned to her brother. "Let's go tell Brandon before he implodes from frustration."

Mackenzie and Karn watched them leave, fighting to hide their smiles. "Do you think they know they've just been played?" Mac asked, feeling a little mean at their deception.

"They'll work it out," his friend answered, laughter lacing his tone. "Once they've finished congratulating themselves at having played us."

He'd warned Mac only the day before that Lily's frustrations were escalating to the point that there was a chance she might do something reckless. She needed to be active and contributing; the only problem had been figuring out what Mac was comfortable agreeing to that would also give Lily the purpose that she needed.

They'd heard about the European wolves, and it seemed reasonable to have the Vârcolac look into the rumours currently surfacing. Mac knew handing his mate something she hadn't worked for wouldn't soothe her frustrations much, so he'd done what any good mate would, he'd make her work for it. Now Lily had some purpose and Brandon would also be able to finish his recovery. It was the best outcome they could manipulate, though Mac was still a little dubious at letting his mate out of his sight.

"You made the right call, Mac. That little ball of trouble was practically beaming with smug satisfaction as she sashayed out of here. You know I'll keep an eye on her. She can't get into too much trouble at the Hanlon pack."

"She'd better not," his friend growled. "Just make sure you're attention isn't diverted elsewhere, Karn. If Lily gets up to anything that I deem reckless, it will be your hide I'm taking it out of."

Karn burst out laughing, walking away with a nonchalant shrug. "I have no idea what you could possibly be eluding to, Mac. You know I take my responsibilities very seriously." He closed the study door behind him, a wide smile gracing his lips. It was always very entertaining when Elina Alexander was around. He was certainly looking forward to spending more time with the introverted Vârcolac.

*****

Dara headed over to Dante and Mila, leaving Natalia with her mother and Pippa. She was reasonably happy that the danger point with Ava had been averted for now; she just wasn't sure what to do with the situation without talking to Rafe. Before she did that, she wanted to make sure the female vampire was healing okay. She had promised Dante she would help his friend.

"Do you need some blood to help you heal?" she asked, kneeling down beside the couple.

The other woman looked up as she spoke, a smile crossing her pretty face. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I have fed from Dante and I am almost back to full strength." She sat up, shooing Dante as he kept his arms around her. "Stop now, I am fine, Dante. I want to hear about the girl and her mother."

"You almost died, woman. I told you not to reveal yourself without me. I'll bloody well hover for as long as it takes my heart to start beating normally." There was censure in his voice but also concern.

His words just made Mila smile more. "Overprotective males," she sighed.

"The bane of every woman's existence," Dara agreed, immediately liking the other woman. "Natalia is well, no real harm done physically from the attack, though she's grieving the loss of her father and pack members. Pippa seems to be enough to halt Ava's descent into turning rogue for now, so we have a moment to take stock and work out what to do next."

She looked around the campground before turning back to the couple. "Louis and his coven have pretty much sanitised the area too. Now we just need to wait for Kothari to return."

"Can you control him, Dara, because I won't have Mila anywhere near him if you can't. He's insane," Dante said, his tone resolute. Just the thought of the Vârcolac being anywhere near his friend was enough to send a shiver down his spine.

"He's hurting, Dante," Mila interjected, turning to cup his face. "He doesn't mean to be the way he is, he is lost and trying to find himself. Natalia will help him and you know my thoughts on this. We must help him too, in whatever way we can. We must declare our hand. It can be no other way."

It was obvious this was a conversation they'd had many times before. From the stubborn expression on Dante's face, it was equally obvious that he was used to winning this argument. Selfishly, Dara knew that they needed the help offered. If she had her way, she would convince Louis and some of his coven to help them find Gard and Rayne too.

"Kothari is focused on finding his parents. We all need to help him do that. This doesn't begin and end with me and Kothi. If Gard and Rayne die...the stateside vampires will come en masse and there will be nowhere for anyone to hide. If you're on our side, Dante, then you need to tell me now, otherwise I can't do anything to protect you or Mila in the coming storm." She didn't expect him to take her words calmly, and he didn't disappoint.

"Is that what the Vârcolac do, Dara? They threaten people into submission? What makes you any better than Kothari? You're just as bad as him."

Dara's patience broke, the enormity of what was in front of them too much. She didn't have time to pander to alpha male pride. She needed everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. Standing up slowly, she pierced Dante with a stern gaze. "Have a care on what you say, Dante Castillo. I told you before, Kothi is mine to protect. We are Vârcolac and that makes us family. We are pack too, and that makes us family. That double connection we have is stronger than anything you vampires or any Were could ever understand. I am no better than Kothari. We are Vârcolac and we are the same."

She turned away, weary of the conversation. "Help us or don't help us. It's your choice. Just don't come running to us when whoever is out there comes knocking on your door if you choose the latter. We will not be here for you if you do."

"Why, Dara, I didn't know you cared so much," Agony laughed from the tree he was leaning against. He had returned just in time to hear the last part of her conversation with the vampires.

She spun around, disappointment in her eyes. "Just shut up, Agony. I don't need your asinine comments right now." She had hoped Kothi would win the internal struggle with his vampire. It appeared that was not the case.

"You shouldn't beg, it's not very attractive," he laughed again, moving to come to her side. "We don't need them anyway. Not while I am here. You've seen what I can do, sweet Dara. I don't even need you either, but I confess I wouldn't mind the company of your presence."

His mockery was infuriating and she hissed in his face. "Keep talking...I dare you. I will kick your ass and keep kicking it until you shut up."

"Hey! Watch your language! There's a child here, remember."

Natalia's tone was outraged, and Dara could have kicked herself for forgetting the little one was present. "I'm sorry," she muttered, glaring at Agony before stomping off in the opposite direction. She needed to get her temper in check, before she said or did something that couldn't be retracted. The only good thing was it didn't appear that Pippa had noticed her bad language, caught up with Ava and the story the other woman was whispering to her.

"You're pretty feisty for a little human girl," Agony commented, giving Natalia a long, steady appraisal. With her glasses and rumpled hair, she looked quite young, but her eyes were older, and they were red from weeping, though she wasn't crying at the moment. There was a bruise on the side of her face and he took two steps towards her before he halted in his tracks. "I killed him."

"What?"

She was staring at him as if he were insane. For some reason he didn't find that as pleasurable as he usually did. "The vampire who struck you...I killed him. I was going to make him suffer but Dara wasn't too impressed with that idea. I can heal your bruise with my blood if you'd like."

Natalia stared at the man Pippa called Monster, and he truly was a monster. He appeared to only be a few years older than she was, but that was where any point of common reference ended. He thought telling her that he had killed someone was some kind of badge of honour? Then he offered to let her drink his blood as if that was normal too? What kind of lunatic was he?

"No, I don't want to drink your blood. Seriously? You think that's socially acceptable? Just the thought of it makes me want to throw up, and don't think I haven't forgotten that you were ready to put my mother out of her misery. Stay away from me, Kothari or Agony or whoever the hell you are. I don't need your help and I don't want to be your friend."