Loving Lucius (Werescape) Read online

  "Do not snarl at me," the warlord warned her. "I'm not the one who has an issue with Shifters."

  So much for Langston's idea of one of us marking his daughter. No Shifter wanted a racist mate.

  "Let me go," Sherry yelled, jerking her arm, trying to step away from him.

  Futilely. The father had no intention of allowing her to leave. His gaze flicked to us.

  Halting when finding mine.

  The hunter opened his eyes. "She had a bad encounter in the past. Please don't hold her prejudice against Langston's other daughters."

  Yes. The truth be known now. He'd expected the redhead's reaction all along. So it was my call. My choice to continue with this charade or wash my hands of a potential fiasco with an uncontrollable caustic female in our party's midst. Nor can we take her home and risk her escaping and informing Normals about our subterranean village.

  Another lodge's door opened, spitting forth another female.

  Taller. Dark hair like her sire's. But extremely long, pulled into a tail. And a shorter girl. One of eleven or ten. Both in blue jeans. Both wearing flannel shirts. The lined type that kept a person warm on cool autumn days. Sensible.

  The older female paused, studying us from a distance, then snatched up the younger's hand and hustled toward what had to be a questionable scene by the way her pinched expression noted her confusion.

  "Run, Elise," Sherry twisted and screamed where her sire gripped her arm.

  The dark-haired female's gaze darted over us as if she wasn't certain whether to bolt or ignore her obviously insane sister. Three steps from her sire, she snapped a demanding stare on the warlord. "What are you doing to Sherry?"

  The younger girl hung back like a lead weight.

  Elise continued to pull her toward our little discussion.

  It was almost crazy to leave. To miss the rest of the fireworks. Normals could really entertain a bored Shifter. At least on a good day. Besides, this Elise seemed rational. Not so slender and curvaceous. Probably because of her over-sized quilted shirt. But a wise female hid the things that attracted males most.

  "I'm sending you all west," Langston finally replied.

  Elise scanned our faces and mounts again.

  Quickly. But long enough to lose the exaggerated assessing pinch in her mask. To flash us all with her calmer and more appealing intricately-carved nose and lips. "Why?"

  Here stood the daughter sporting the intelligence to survive.

  Something drew my thoughts back to find Langston studying me.

  Scrutinizing my reaction.

  "Will you take them?" His tone now sounded more hopeful than pleading.

  The youngest threw herself under Elise's arm and clutched her around the middle.

  Just enough to show Elise had ample curves and a slim waist. Just enough to make my Wolf pop back into my eyes and ears. To listen to her rapid steady heartbeat. Why is this beauty worried? Did she fear leaving the protection of a warlord? The man had nothing here in The Wild. Nothing but a few Normals who fancied what remained of the shadow of what he had once been, powerful enough to cling to.

  "You can have all the money I brought as well," Langston added with slow calculated words.

  Measured for my benefit. Expressing his desperation instead of tempting me.

  My mount shifted his front hooves.

  Noting money isn't what we'd need. Smart horse. The females would require their own mounts to travel.

  Langston's confident demeanor began to fade.

  Probably because of the redhead trying to wrench her arm free of his grasp once again. Why should the other two suffer because of the crazy sister. Sherry should think of her siblings. Her family. "I don't need your money."

  Langston perked up.

  Did he have enough horses though? "They'll need horses."

  "No," Sherry howled. "I won't go." She flailed against his whitening knuckles.

  The dark-haired hunter shut his eyes as if deeply disillusioned.

  Noting even more the issue was more the redhead would be too much trouble for us on the trail. "I don't think she's capable of traveling with us."

  Sherry stopped fighting.

  Like she'd secured her safety and would be remaining with her sire.

  Langston's brown eyes pinched slightly. "Take all three or no deal. You can have horses. Hard tack. Ammunition. A gag and rope," he added, jerking Sherry's arm.

  She glared at her sire.

  "Anything you need." Langston clamped his jaw tight.

  Set with determination. Muscles moving in his cheeks, grinding his teeth in frustration. Or willed me to agree.

  "Bring the horses," Tacitus boomed. "If you want them to go with us. We've no time for this display."

  He was right. Always right. The reason why I always brought him along.

  "Get the horses and load them with supplies," Langston muttered to the other hunter standing beside him before uttering the inevitable. "Which one, then, Lucius?"

  Neither older daughter missed the lingering question.

  "What have you done?" Elise carefully asked.

  Langston's stare never relinquished mine, ignoring the sane daughter. "Bought you safe passage to a place far from here. Now, mind your tongue."

  But marking an unknowing and unwilling female seemed barbaric. The females didn't need to feel threatened. "We'll take them. You have my word. Back to--"

  "I don't want to know," he interrupted my declaration. "Just hide them away. Any place is safer than with me."

  "Father?" the youngest called. "Please don't send me away."

  Something flickered in the man's eyes.

  Maybe pain. He had balls. Enough to protect his children. I had to give him credit for assuming the ultimate responsibility.

  "Elise, then," Langston announced. "She attracted most of the attention in New Boston."

  Red burned up Elise's neck, into her cheeks.

  "She's young. Never married," Langston began to barter. "I couldn't just give her to any warlord. Not Elise."

  Her face drained of all color as if her father slit her throat and stood there while she bled out. But she never looked our direction.

  "Elise," Langston called.

  She gulped so loud even the average Normal's hearing had to hear the pop.

  "Come here, Elise." Langston's words slowed with warning.

  Poor thing. Who could watch this drama unfold and not pity her? How old is she? No more than twenty-four. Too old never to have mated. Strange. A warlord's daughters are mated early for political or economic power. Maybe the redhead's unrestrained behavior kept suitors at a distance.

  Elise managed to do as instructed, dragging the clinging girl along.

  "Let go, Violet." Langston tugged at the younger girl's arm until she turned a petrified mask his direction.

  "Don't send me away, Father."

  "You'll be with Elise," he said more softly. "Everything will be fine. Now, let her go."

  Elise stared at my horse's dark hooves.

  Like she knew what was coming. What her sire would command. Who in the hell could bring himself to bite such a terrified female? Grant it, she's attractive even in the large clothes she'd chosen. But the marking was wrong. Gods-be-damned wrong.

  Normals and their fears.

  Violet's arms fell away from Elise's plaid shirt, pulled by Langston, over to Sherry, where Violet reattached herself to her other sibling and buried her nose in the redhead's chest.

  Only then did Langston release Sherry's arm.

  Probably because Violet's weight would prevent the hothead from moving. Running.

  "What do you say, Lucius?" Langston asked again, carefully and rather quietly.

  No. Not with my clan at risk. I could take them back. But I'm not about to make an enemy. Even of a terrified female. If I reveal the point, will he listen? The man is so desperate now that he doesn't care about his children's feelings. Hell, Elise looked one blink shy of fainting. And the young Violet begged to stay. />
  "Remove your jacket, Elise," Langston commanded.

  Her eyes widened as big as the full moon.

  Pale gray like it too.

  She raised shaking fingers to the uppermost button holding her shirt closed at her chest and fumbled with the black disc.

  Protect, my Wolf snarled.

  Undoubtedly as sick of this lunacy as much as I am. "She doesn't have--"

  "Hurry," Langston barked.

  Violet began to sob.

  Trembling like Elise's fingers at her buttons. But the woman never looked us in the eye. Embarrassed. Ashamed. This had to end. "Enough!"

  Elise and Langston flicked their gazes too me.

  The things a Shifter is forced to endure in the company of Normals. "Bring the Gods-be-damned horses. I don't have time for this."

  Langston didn't have to say anything for the lurking male Normals standing behind him to leap away and assist the first one sent to saddle two mares. They returned almost instantly with the mounts, both loaded with saddle bags and bedrolls. One male darted out of a lodge with two backpacks and handed them to the older sisters. All else was implied in the looming silence.

  ****

  Father had lost his mind. Done the unforgiveable in whatever he offered the pack of Shifters. It didn't matter how much the Shifters were renowned as Guardians when my father wanted me to strip my clothing off for them. For whatever reason. For this Lucius. I had to go now. Simply to escape the man who no longer made rational choices. Who tried to have me barter with my body. I stared at Lucius' blue eyes.

  Eyes that held an indefinable awareness.

  A chill crept down my arms.

  Whether a warning or a sign of my partial understanding of what just transpired, goose flesh didn't jar me into a newfound sense of security. Two mounts loaded with supplies and my father's decision to send us away, whatever the cost, meant we're leaving with strangers. Men altered genetically by the aliens. Men who know what symptoms a person exhibits when carrying alien DNA.

  This is a foolish move for Langston. Even though he's the only person who knows my sisters and I are truly half alien--more alien than a Shifter--because he's the damned ass who told me. Shackled me with the knowledge about my heritage. How are we supposed to keep our ancestry a secret surrounded by strange Shifters? Shifters who sense things Normals can't. Their alien DNA might measure up to only ten percent, but they have heightened shape-shifter senses that my sisters and I don't possess.

  Yet, Shifters protect women at all costs. For the greater good of humanity. Fearing them is suicidal. Something Sherry would do. But caution saved one's ass after extraterrestrial invasion, AEI. I can't hold Sherry's fears against her since the night she awoke in her bed and found aliens huddled around her bed. I understand her anxiety and can't hold her reaction against her. Hell, she's standing up for herself. I didn't. And, at least, Lucius spared me the embarrassment of a disrobing. Remembering that makes things not so bad.

  "On the horse," Langston snarled at Sherry.

  She didn't bitch. Didn't balk. Merely landed in the saddle. That's unusual for a fighter.

  "No. No!" Violet squalled as Father eased her toward the horse.

  Father ignored her howls and hefted the thin girl into the seat before Sherry. "Take care of her, Sherry. She's afraid."

  "That's a mute point," Sherry spat but snaked her arms around Violet's waist.

  Langston ignored the quip and grabbed the other mare's halter. "Up you go, Elise."

  Just ignore him. Forget what's happening. I struggled not to scowl at him. I should punch the shit out of him. But a woman who maintained her dignity had the strength of twenty men. Women survived childbirth for God's sake! I stepped into the saddle as if it were an extension of my body.

  Father patted the mare's red neck. "You'll understand soon enough, Elise."

  The asshole. "How dare you speak to me as if you and I could ever think the same." Just to get away from the self-centered ass who sent us into danger. I yanked the reins, pulling the mare's head out of his hands, turning the horse toward the Shifters.

  Betrayed, by the man claiming to be my own flesh and blood to save my life. Simply betrayed. And he'd saved us all these years for something. From everything. Why the change of plan now? There'd be no forgiving Langston for this. I kicked the mare into a trot past the Guardians toward the open gate and headed into an unknowable future. Mine.

  Chapter Two

  "Let's go," Lucius yelled behind me.

  He sounded like the Shifters employed by Father. Bossy. Demanding. A man you shouldn't cross. Even looked like those Father employed with their shaved heads, camouflage clothing, and combat boots. Hopefully, we could expect the same kind of treatment from them as the Shifters I dealt with back home. Guardians. I had to remember they serve Normals as Guardians. By their own choice. Not because Normals pay them to do so. To fear them because of this terrifying situation would by foolish. Something Sherry would do. I have to be stronger. For Violet. If fear consumed me, I'd risk Violet's safety. Without Father, I have to take care of Violet.

  One warrior's drumming hooves raced past and ahead of me.

  Sherry better be coming. Cooperating. That's a lot to hope for. But possible. I peered over my shoulder to find Father watching us cross the long meadow from the safety of his open gate until our horses merged with the forest's edge. Sherry rode a few feet behind me.

  We'd ridden into another world. And Father had to be breathing easier now with three less thorns in his side. Maybe we should feel safer too. With the aliens suddenly determined to kill all the warlords they'd used for so long, we're better off with strangers who know nothing about our lives back in New Boston and who know nothing about my sisters' and my isolation from most people. Well, the partial isolation in Sherry's case. She was prone to sneaking out whenever the need pushed her to. Hopefully, she'd lay low and cooperate. For our sake. So I need to study our party and learn what I can about the Shifters before Sherry loses her patience. I scanned the group.

  All were standard in shaved heads and clean-shaven faces. East Coast clansmen. Like from packs east of the Mississippi. And they'd reacted honorably when faced with whatever Father offered them to take us into hiding. Didn't rape me on the spot that is. But Shifters should behave this way. They aren't our enemies. Besides, Shifters protect females. But just what will they do with us? I glanced around me.

  One large Guardian rode on each flank of our party and the fourth behind my sisters. The one named Lucius, the one Father wanted me to strip for, rode to my right.

  His stern mask turned to me.

  As if he detected my gaze.

  He studied me with patience.

  I hope because after what just transpired, we can't be certain what Father had arranged. Sherry was already with the Guardians when I chanced upon the scene. She knows more. I need to drill her for information. I pulled up on the reins until the mare stopped.

  Sherry caught up with me and shot me a glare that could melt ice.

  Lucius pulled his painted gelding's white head toward us.

  Undoubtedly because we'd stopped. Forget chatting with the stranger. Or being told to remove my shirt again. And we can't chance him insisting on touching one of us on learning our secret. "Come on." I kicked the mare back into a walk.

  After years I spent hiding beneath long sleeves, preventing the accidental touch of my skin by anyone who chanced too close in passing, my actions revolved around preventing people from learning about our psychic healing ability of touch. From setting off another wave of our being labeled witches. Abominations. Freaks. And both Normals and Shifters blamed alien DNA for psychic gifts.

  So, where would we be if one of us accidentally healed someone? Interrogated as alien spies? Prisoners? Did that even matter in where we stand now? Unfortunately, my fear didn't keep Sherry covered no matter how often I scolded her. But she didn't let just anyone touch her. She had enough sense to hide what needed to be hidden and fight back to protect hersel
f. Hopefully, she won't fight the wrong people if these Shifters prove to be allies. It'd be just our luck to have her anger them into dumping us with the first people we encounter. I kicked my mare into following the lead Shifter.

  We rode onward, entering an endless forest of shade broken by brutal sunlight, bobbing limbs laden with leaves, and the urgent calls of birds twittering their alarms to their comrades with our rude penetration of their territory.

  Lucius returned to his flank position.