Storm of Shadows Ch. 10

When she nodded but her expression remained doubtful, he considered trying to convince her some more, and then decided against it. His feet itched to begin the ascent into the mountains, the tantalising scent of his parents becoming a beacon drawing him to them.

"Dara, the pull I feel is great," he said quietly, taking a half step forward. "I need you to watch our backs just in case whatever overcame my parents comes looking for me and I don't recognise the danger until it is too late."

Though his tone was solemn, the blonde Vârcolac laughed, amusement dancing across her face. "I have never known you to overlook anything, whether you call yourself Agony or Kothari. I will be on alert anyway because I don't know how to do anything else, however you will know of any danger at the same time I do, Agony."

For the barest of moments something alien assaulted him, a sharp gnawing feeling, an instant of doubt. Never in his existence could he remember ever feeling uncertain, and he didn't like it one bit. The moment passed as quickly as it arrived, and he inclined his head at his friend. He knew Dara would protect the others if he was unable to, and that was good enough for him to start forward. He was conscious of Natalia meeting his step with only the barest of hesitations, his lips curling into an involuntary smile. She really was very brave for someone so fragile. Perhaps he should stop fighting Kothari so hard and pay more attention to the girl.

~~~~~

"They're here, Rafe." Aaron Alexander popped his head around the study door long enough to utter the three words and then disappeared again.

The Armand-Hanlon alpha looked up from the report delivered by one of Jared's betas on the lone wolf movement within the city, and placed it on his mahogany desk. It hadn't seemed that long since Dara had called to update him on what was happening in Europe, however a glance at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace showed that he'd been sat at his desk for more hours than he cared to admit.

The remains of dinner sat off to his left and he remembered Lacey coming in with it and admonishing him to eat. A warm smile curved his lips at the thought of his mate, and he once more wondered how she put up with his overworking all of the time. He truly had lucked out that night so long ago when he had looked through the security cameras of the nightclub, and was stunned breathless when he'd seen the vision with long platinum blonde hair. His life had never been the same since then, and he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Rising wearily from his seat behind the desk, the tall Alpha ran a hand through his tussled shaggy brown hair, and headed outside to meet the refugees sent to him from protection. If what Dara suspected was true and the grieving wolf was one day going to be Kothari's mother-in-law, he had to do everything in his power to make sure that she didn't go rogue. He didn't ever want to be the position of telling Kothari's mate that they had to perform a mercy killing to keep everyone safe.

Stepping out of the large Alpha mansion in the middle to the secluded forest, Rafe Hanlon got his first look at the wolf called Ava, and the small child that had accompanied her. The woman was skittish, unsure, a hint of panic in her eyes as she clutch the young girl close. Aaron was talking to her quietly, however she wasn't responding to his second in command which was highly surprising. Aaron had successfully pulled two wolves back from going rogue. He knew that first hand, because he was one of them. Aaron was the pack's most experience beta and could probably take that last step up to be an Alpha, though it appeared that it wasn't something he wanted to be.

"Ava," Rafe called, putting as much authority into his voice as he could muster. Perhaps she would respond to the fact that he was an Alpha. It was at least worth a try.

Skittish eyes turned toward him, and for a moment he thought he would get through to her, and then, her gaze turned inward again, and a sinking tightness settled in the pit on his stomach. He really didn't want to be put in the position of performing a mercy kill. He would if he had to, but there had to be a way to save the wolf, there just had to.

"Ava, this is Rafe, the Alpha we told you about."

It was only when the blond vampire spoke that Rafe paid any attention to him. It wasn't that he hadn't known he was there, because he was aware of everything around his pack. He just knew that this was Joshua. Caleb, and Demetri and Pietro had all vouched for him, so, there was no need to be concerned about his presence. He was a friend.

The woman backed into the vampire's chest, clutching at the child protectively. "Home," she whimpered, her fear escalating. "Tali needs to go home."

Things were going from bad to worse, and Rafe didn't know how to countered Ava's rising terror. Her big eyes were beginning to lose the small spark of sanity they contained, her grip on the child becoming harder as the little girl exclaimed in pain. He would have to protect the child at all costs. If that meant ending the she-wolf then so be it.

"Move out of the way, Joshua."

The blond vampire stiffened at the female voice, spinning around defensively as Liam and Thereasa joined the group. "I thought you were dead, Thereasa." His tone was conversational, but his stance was tense.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she countered, a half smile on her face. "You've travelled a long way for a hat," she remarked, alluding to their meeting not so long ago, when she had slipped inside his mind in Europe, to steal the fedora that contained the vampire scent she'd needed to track the Vârcolac stateside. From his expression it was clear he was still annoyed about it, though she didn't appear too bothered.

"Step aside, Joshua. I will not hurt your charges. If anything, perhaps Liam and I can save the wolf before she loses whatever semblance of sanity she still retains."

It was clear he didn't trust her, and Liam fought to keep a scowl from his face. It was difficult enough in their pack for Reasa to earn any trust. He was unhappy that a stranger could come onto their lands, and get away with questioning her too.

"Let Liam and Reasa do what they can," Pietro del a Rios called as, he too, arrived in the meeting area. "I never did get a chance to thank you properly for all you did for me in Europe, Joshua. Please come to our home and meet my mate Cassia." He qualified his statement by standing side by side with Thereasa, smiling at her to show that they had come to terms with their previous difficulties.

Pietro's appearance seemed to sooth the other vampire, and his defensiveness lessened a bit, though he still cast a sceptical glance in Thereasa's direction.

"A lot has happened since Europe," his friend continued, beckoning him to follow him to his home. "Let's get you caught up on the developments before Caleb drags you away for a debrief."

"They are safe with us, Joshua." Rafe nodded his agreement. "I give you my word on that."

With such strong positive reinforcements, it was hard for the European vampire to continue his distrustful stance, so he finally relaxed, turning to Ava and giving her a reassuring smile. "These people will help you, sweet one. Do not be afraid. You are safe and Tali is safe here. They will care for you until you are well enough to return to your Alpha."

"Home," Ava gasped out, the little girl giving a pained cry as she gripped her a bit too hard.

Rafe took an involuntary step forward, but Thereasa intervened first. She quickly scooped the child out of the woman's grasp, handing her expertly to Liam who had moved at the same time. Ava screeched out aloud, lashing out at the vampire, who deftly caught the raised arm, and gripped the woman's neck to keep her immobile.

"Be easy, Ava," Thereasa said, both mentally and out aloud. "You are unwell at the moment, and don't understand what you do. This is no fault of yours. Shifters are genetically programmed this way. However, it doesn't need to be this way. We can work together to help you become well again so that you can take care of the child. You wouldn't wish to accidentally hurt the young one, when you are unwell."

The shock of hearing someone inside her head as well as speaking out loud was sufficient to still Ava's struggles, her eyes going wide. Thereasa used that shock to delve a little deeper into the tortured wolf's mind, ruthlessly shutting out the overwhelming grief that cascaded through the broken mind she encountered.

"We will care for Tali for you. We will feed her, clothe her, ensure that all her needs are met until you can once more take over those duties. You know you are not capable of that right now. You know it is best for Tali. Let us help make you well again, Ava. You have been so brave, so strong fighting this awful pain on your own. Let me help take some of that burden from you, brave wolf. Let us bring you home."

Large tears pooled in Ava's eyes, slowly trickling down her cheeks. "Home." She gulped out the words. "There is no home." An anguished wail erupted from her lips, a cry so full of melancholy that the child in Liam's arms burst into tears.

"He's gone...oh God he's gone." Ava cried out the words, the words containing so much pain her voice sounded raw. "Let me go too, vampire," she begged, her tortured gaze swinging to Rafe. "Alpha, let me go too...please let me go too."

"No!" the little girl screamed out, struggling in Liam's embrace. "I promised her. I promised. You can't leave me. You can't go to the forever sleep. I promised, Mama. I promised."

Thereasa saw the child's words register through the wolf's grief and she ruthlessly pressed on, knowing there was a finite amount of time they had to give her some will to live. "I know it hurts. I know the pain feels insurmountable, Ava. I am in your mind. I can see it, feel it, taste it with every tear you cry. I am astounded that you've stayed with us so long. A less strong wolf would have faded away long ago. However, you're still here, Ava. You're still fighting. You're not alone and you have something precious to live for. Live for Tali, Ava. Live for your child. It won't be easy and the pain won't miraculously vanish, but let me help you find a way to work through the agony. Let me help you find a way to live for your daughter."

The she-wolf still wept, but the sobs didn't sound as harsh. "Tali. For Tali..."

"Come with me, Ava. Come to our special room that will help you heal. I promise I will not leave you. Come, brave wolf."

An audible sigh of relief sounded from the compound as Ava allowed Thereasa to lead her towards the medical building that contained the pack's safe rooms, Aaron in close attendance.

Liam cuddled the little girl close, quietening her terrified outburst. "it's okay now, little one. We will take care of Ava. She will be fine. You have been very brave. Now it is time to let us take over the burden you have had to bear."

"I promised, Tali," she hiccupped. "I promised that I wouldn't let her Mama go to sleep forever like Mama and Papa did."

Rafe stroked the child's back, aware that she had recently lost her parents to a vampire attack, and was almost as vulnerable as Ava was. Dara had said the child's name was Pippa. It was important to establish her identity to her so that she didn't get caught up in Ava's grief and begin to believe that she was her daughter. "We will look after Ava, Pippa," he said with quiet authority. "We will look after you too."

Liam felt a little hand tangle in his auburn hair, and met his Alpha's gaze. "Pippa can stay with me until Ava is feeling better." His gaze told Rafe that he would work inside the child's mind, helping her to come to terms with her own grief as Thereasa worked with Ava, a bond of trust having been formed there already so it was best that he left the she-wolf to his mate. Rafe nodded his head in silent agreement, and the Vârcolac headed to his home with the little girl.

To say Rafe was relieved was an understatement. He had been doubtful about them being able to help Ava when Dara first mooted the idea, but they had to take a chance, as it was the only option open to them at the time. Perhaps everything would work out satisfactorily, only time would really tell.

Joshua followed Pietro to a modest sized home deeper into pack lands. He thought back to their time in Europe, of how convinced he was that the other vampire would die from the terrible poisoning he'd suffered at Thereasa's hands. It was gratifying to see the other male so obviously healthy and happy, despite the scars than ran down one half of his face. What he couldn't understand was why Pietro hadn't killed Thereasa but instead, appeared to be friends with her.

"It's a long story," Pietro chuckled, as if he was reading Joshua's thoughts. "What do you think of the house? We just finished it last week. We split our time between the pack and the club. I wanted something that I had built myself. Rafe appeared to understand that and was happy to donate this patch of pack lands to us."

It was a great looking place. Not large but with room for expansion should children appear on the horizon. Joshua knew enough to know that now Pietro had mated to a Vârcolac he had the potential to become a father. The concept of children was entirely alien to him personally, but the Romanovs and Erikssons appeared to have thrived as parents so there had to be something of worth in it.

"Looks nice," he commented, casting his vampire gaze around the area and stopping when he saw a chimney stack. "You're not too isolated from other pack members either." Security was always something in the forefront of Joshua's mind.

Pietro followed his gaze, a wry smile crossing his face. "That's Liam and Reasa's place. It seems I have my own personal bodyguard in that vampire, or perhaps it's a Vârcolac mated thing where they move out, and need to be close to each other. I could be wrong about the latter though. Lily seems perfectly happy up at the Praetorian Compound."

Joshua's deep blue eyes met his friend's, curiosity shining deep within. "I guess I need to hear this long story." He followed Pietro into the house, pausing to admire the fresh white hallway before joining him in the cosy living room that had a refreshingly light and airy contemporary feel. He moved to one of the pale cream leather sofas, accepting the glass of red wine Pietro handed to him.

"Well, as you can see I recovered from my near death experience," the other male said, sitting across from him and sipping at his own glass of wine. "I was surprised to return here and discover that my mate was one of Alexei's daughters. I was equally as surprised to learn other facts that I believe Caleb has told you already." He raised an enquiring eyebrow, not willing to go on until he had confirmation.

"Yes, I know about the attack on the Vârcolac and the punishment meted out. That was the last that I heard on that subject though. I had expected Thereasa to have taken her own life once she realised she was human. I can't begin to imagine the trauma to a vampire's soul to go from being everything to being nothing."

Pietro nodded, his near death experience and mating with Cassia giving him an even stronger zest for an immortal life. He had always secretly admired Thereasa's will to live even when he had hated her. He hadn't been so sure he would have been that strong had their roles been reversed.

"It turned out that Reasa was Liam's mate, and the only one here that could save his sanity. He was quietly going insane with his high-level empathy. Elina held it at bay as best she could, but he needed someone with the skills of Reasa, someone who could teach him how to protect himself. She not only taught him how to protect himself, but together they managed to rebuild a dozen shattered vampire minds that Liam had inadvertently damaged when Reasa was stripped of her immortality."

Joshua couldn't contain his shock. It had been astounding to learn that the Vampire Queen could strip a vampire's immortality. It was even more astonishing to learn that Liam and Reasa were strong enough to repair destroyed vampire minds. Perhaps there was some hope for Gard and Rayne, and the others in Europe after all. If the Vârcolac were that strong...hell, he had experienced Dara's strength himself in Europe and Liam sounded like he far exceeded her skills, they actually may stand a chance at defeating whoever was out there.

"Yes, I know," Pietro continued, a smile crossing his face. "I think we were all as shocked as you are at the time. They did it though, and then we were all left with the sticky problem of two Vârcolac mating with two people who hated each other. Well, I hated Thereasa. She was learning the hard way that her actions had drastic consequences."

Pietro sat forward, twirling the glass stem in his hand, the shadow of a frown marring his brow. "I was so full of hate, Joshua. I have never hated anyone more than I did Reasa. I was scarred, damaged, broken by her actions. I knew that my hate hurt Cassia and Liam. I tried so hard to learn forgiveness, but I just wanted to ram my talons in her now human neck, to bathe in her blood as the life leeched from her eyes. I didn't know then what we know now. We had no idea of the power that was out there." His voice trailed off, his gaze riveted to the blood red wine in the glass.

"Your reaction is understandable," Joshua finally said. He could understand Pietro's base urges completely, and the dilemma that placed him in now that he was mated and part of the pack. To be honest, Joshua didn't know if he would have held back the way his friend had.

"Cassia wouldn't let me give into the self-pity," Pietro continued. "She saw the scars and she loved me despite them. I tried to fight the mating pull, but I knew it was impossible. I still hated Reasa, still waited for her to betray the pack, as I knew she would. And she did...I was elated, vindicated. I knew that I had the proof of her deceit. I followed her into the forest expecting the worst. What I discovered was that she was sacrificing herself to save the pack. Michael, the one who had directly poisoned me had blackmailed her out of the pack's safety. He was here to kill her and she was a fragile human. Still, she went to what she believed was her death. My instincts kicked in, I fought the vampires even as I called for Cassia to come. One of them had bullets laced in the Amort poison. He fired at me, and Reasa threw herself into my arms, taking the poisoned bullet meant for me even as she knew she wasn't immortal anymore."

Joshua could envision the scene playing out, surprise etched across his face, surprise and also a touch of admiration for the woman who would sacrifice everything to make things right. "Sweet Jesus," he whispered.

"I know," his friend agreed. "It was a sobering thought to me too. Reasa was dying in my arms. In that moment, the hatred evaporated, and I found myself begging her to stay alive long enough for the pack doctor to save her life. She was dying and I was alive because of her. It was just wrong. Anyway, things became chaotic after that, the vampire queen got involved, and gave Reasa her immortality back. She healed, and we talked. By then there was the first inkling of something bigger being involved in what was happening, but nothing had really been discovered. I had found it in my heart to forgive Reasa, and in doing so the last of my own anguish melted away. I was finally able to fully appreciate this wonderful new life I have with Cassia and the pack."

"I didn't realise it had become so bad here stateside. I thought everything was still contained in Europe."

Pietro gave a humourless laugh, throwing the last of his wine back before setting down the glass. "Yes, so did we, I guess. We are a tremendously arrogant species, my friend. My arrogance led to my capture and being poisoned. We presumed that once we were back here that the danger wouldn't follow us, but it did. I now believe that I was poisoned deliberately by whoever our enemy is. They wanted to see how we would react, what we would do in that circumstance. Michael's mind was not his own. Reasa spoke the truth when she said that their goal had only been to get information about why I was there. Michael's master had other ideas."