Loving Lucius (Werescape) Read online

  Far enough for me to whisper. "Tell me what happened before my arrival back there." I tried not to look at Violet's twisted mask. Tried not to feed her dread.

  "He said we were going with these animals," Sherry hissed.

  Interesting choice of foolish words. "Mark your words, sister." I kept my voice as low as possible. "These men now protect us. We don't want to point fingers. Especially after our Father just ordered me to undress before them."

  Sherry snorted. "That father of ours is a fool. He's run so long and so far that he's lost his mind."

  Maybe. "Something else drove Father to this extreme. For now, say nothing. Do not fight these men, Sherry. Do not cause problems. Violet will suffer for your actions."

  Violet. Now she's as much a problem as Sherry. Violet's heightened alien intelligence would endanger us even more than Sherry's behavior. My youngest sister grows more and more social with every year. Now that she approaches her coming of age, she'll yearn for the opposite sex. Sherry and I had. It's inevitable. The day will come when Violet will want to befriend males for obvious reasons. Possibly even sneaking away to do so among strangers who are normally kept at a distance like Sherry had even though Langston had paid a Shifter to prevent that very thing. What will happen when Violet faces the same decision, out here, in the middle of nowhere? Will we be abandoned in The Wild with nothing for protection against Bounders, the alien creatures extraterrestrials left on Earth to dine upon human flesh after nightfall? I can't worry about that now. No. Better to worry about the problem at hand.

  ****

  The hot sun hung directly overhead, signaling to Lucius it was time to break for lunch. To rest. To allow the women to stretch their legs, he noted. Or, at least, to allow us to realize these warlord princesses had spent a lot of time recently on horseback. They weren't bothered a bit by the long morning's ride. Running from something. What? And will it hurt my clan? All the better for us though. We don't have time to waste coddling Normals who obviously aren't happy to be among us. And, even now, the redhead glared at Tacitus.

  My friend's standard indifferent mask never let on how annoying she is though.

  Good thing the mouthy female focused her anger on the big Guardian. There's no guarantee my brothers would politely sit in silence.

  We dismounted and settled in for lunch beneath a large oak tree's shady canopy. Next to Sherry, the youngest female clutched Elise's shoulder where they sat, eating something they'd extracted from their saddlebags.

  They hadn't offered food to us. Not that we don't have our own. But tonight I'd have to become the hard ass and search through their belongings. We don't carry a lot of trail food. What they brought could save us time in traveling home instead of delays in procuring food for them to eat. Save us time and energy in protecting them. Whether or not they liked me searching through their bags.

  The redhead rose, sneered at Tacitus, and stepped toward a mound of leaves.

  Tacitus rolled his eyes my direction, rose to his full height of well over six feet, and followed her.

  To guard her of course. Better him than me. Tacitus wasn't about to muddy his reputation by allowing some angry female to get kidnapped or killed.

  She whirled to the big Guardian's movement. "I can relieve myself, alone," she snarled.

  Not the best way to make allies.

  "Shut up, Sherry," Elise barked at the redhead.

  Wise woman.

  "Don't tell me what to do."

  Tacitus rooted both his black combat boots a step away from Red's tan hiking boots and matched her poker face, towering above her sneer. "You'd be wise to listen to your sister." He pointed at the bush. "Many things hide in places like that. Things that bite, sting, or eat obnoxious little mouthy females."

  She actually straightened, gaining another inch in height. "So you're going to bully me around? Try to scare me? It's not like I have anywhere to go. My damned father just booted us out of his life. If you don't mind, I'd like to piss alone without some gargantuan killer watching."

  Her declaration shouldn't have sounded funny. But something remotely humorous about her chewing out Tacitus made me choke down a chuckle. Not to mention she had balls. Balls enough to piss alone. "Let her go, Tacitus. She'd be foolish to wander too far in search of privacy."

  He nodded without a moment of hesitation and leaned his long muscled form against a tree trunk, crossing his ankles and snaking his arms across his wide chest.

  Comfortably waiting. Probably ready to assist in case she shrieked at a bug. Then we'd all chuckle. I drifted my gaze back to the others who sat six feet away.

  To Elise flicking her gaze off of me.

  Play, Wolf whispered.

  No. No playing with females. But her behavior noted she'd been studying me. Why? Maybe surprised by my ordering Tacitus to leave Red alone. Whatever the reason, she'd do well to act like nobody was special here. And keep her attention to herself. Because my Wolf wants to play with a female. And mating a suspicious one is too dangerous. My Wolf would surely bite that pretty thing. I can't afford to allow him to get carried away.

  "Elise?" Violet tilted her nose up to the older sister.

  Elise focused on the little one's face.

  "Why did Father send us away?"

  Elise wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder. "I don't really know. Probably because he thought it was safest for us out here."

  Excellent answer. But maybe something else might come of this little discussion. Something reflecting what really transpired with these females.

  "But warlords are powerful," the young girl replied. "We had walls. Walls where men walked with guns. And doors we could lock at night. How is it safe out here?"

  My heart sank.

  Such wise words from the youngest. The one almost coming of age. Her awareness of adulthood changing daily. Maturing. So vulnerable. And now she seemed so lost. It must have killed Langston to send his children off with strangers. Unless he had an ulterior motive.

  Elise just hugged the girl.

  Not good enough. Someone needs to explain to Violet that she's safe with Guardians. And since everyone sat in silence, the chore falls to me. I rose, crossed the few feet of grass between us, and knelt by the girl's worried mask.

  Elise studied me with a raised brow.

  Curiosity? Maybe. Or a tempered warning. I'd have my say nonetheless.

  Violet's dark gray gaze locked onto mine.

  Eyes incapable of speaking but able to mirror the insanity of life on Earth since the alien invasion.

  Protect, Wolf commanded.

  Something shook Wolf hard in the chasm where I kept him locked deep inside my chest. Something bone-chilling. Yes. Maybe in her eyes. Hidden there. Drowning. But what? We'd done the right thing bringing the females along. Yes. For this one's sake. Now, I'd do even more. "Do you know about Shifters, little one?"

  She nodded.

  Listening instead of being too terrified to pay attention. Good. "Then you know Shifters protect Normals who seek their assistance."

  Again she nodded.

  "And," I pointed at Hadrian, "one Shifter alone is enough to protect you and your sisters on this journey. But, all four of us, we are an army. You will suffer nothing on this journey except boredom in the saddle. That I promise."

  Violet scanned my traveling companions as if she digested my declaration before turning those charcoal-gray eyes back to me. "I'm glad. Father meant to teach me to shoot this spring. But he didn't have time. The aliens were so demanding."

  Were the aliens now? Just what did the aliens want?

  Elise's arm tightened around the girl with a jostling motion. "Oh, Violet, you don't need to shoot to survive out here." She flicked a glance at me then back to the girl.

  Nervously. Not good.

  Wolf snarled and crawled into my eyes and ears.

  Sensing. Listening to the tattling rattle of Elise's heart. That sound noted one thing. Deceit. Why does she lie?

  "These Guardians will protect
you," Elise said.

  Violet studied my kneeling form, from my scuffed combat boots up to my uppermost button securing the sides of my shirt together beneath my chin.

  Undoubtedly noting any weapons or my physical strength. Wise girl. But her sister isn't into concealing whatever she hid.

  "Your name is Lucius?" Violet asked.

  And the young one pays attention. Those are the only Normals who survive out here. I nodded.

  "Where are we going, Lucius?" she asked.

  She seemed only seven years old asking these questions. But fear did that to a person. It can't hurt to ease her mind with details that described any place one visited out here. "We're taking you to my sire's outpost up north. My family lives in a place where wild rice grows and the forest crawls with deer. There's plenty of food. And other youths your age. I think you will like it there."

  She thoughtfully nodded. "Alright. I trust you."

  Another statement beyond her years that made my heart squeeze in my chest.

  Protect, whined Wolf again, clawing at the underside of my ribs.

  He liked the harmless little one who looked defenseless but had the mind of an older wiser teen. "If you need anything, Violet," I looked at Hadrian and the others, "come to any of us."

  A smile stretched across her pretty face. "Thank you."

  Time to get back into the saddle. I slid my gaze to Elise.

  Her dark eyebrows pinched as she studied me once again.

  Why? I'm not the one with secrets. "Pack up. It's time to leave."

  A shadow danced in those pale gray eyes of hers, and she nodded.

  Contemplatively. As if my talk with Violet surprised her. So be it. Surprise the enemy is the only way to win out here. She should get used to the shock. Especially after Normals claimed Shifters are the animals but her sire and Red proved otherwise. This journey is bound to be eye-opening for Elise.

  ****

  Elise couldn't shake the fact that sometimes you had to sit back and observe a person's behavior to really understand what unfolded around you. In the saddle, I can watch and piece together the possibilities of my future, she thought. Although, Violet rode with me this afternoon, instead of Sherry, and bombarded me with a deluge of questions. My little sister's entire attitude had flipped from terrified to content. Thanks to Lucius. Why the change in his demeanor? The man looked like an unbending soldier with his no-fuss hairstyle and military garb. But deep down inside, I could tell his heart sensed beyond that of the hunter and protector. He'd proven himself more human than Father. So far.

  More human than a Normal. And I'm not about to insult him again. Would he accept an apology for my behavior at my father's embarrassing command? Whatever Father intended. Damn, what was the point of me removing my clothing? Lucius must confess. I casually scanned the area in front of me to feign a glance Lucius' direction.

  Would he tell me if I confronted him? Allowing me the one bit of information that would help me understand why Father abandoned us. But Lucius is so resolute. Being the second tallest among the pack of Shifters, he looked as massive and determined as the larger Guardian who stayed close to Sherry. Albeit, Sherry paid that one no mind, responding to his presence with the vehemence of a hissing cobra. Like a warning. I never knew if she toyed with people or thought herself invincible. Maybe her caustic approach to life is what keeps her safe? Alive. Although, we healers rarely looked at life and death the same way as Normals who lacked our psychic abilities. Admitting what we are or allow anyone to touch us is damned foolhardy though. Just in case our psychic power goes haywire and tries to affect change in a person without our knowledge.

  We'd be discovered. The alien hybrids.

  My skin crawled with a warning.

  And, the only time a person ever learned what we were through a haphazard touch, Father had the man imprisoned as insane. That is the only other moment as terrifying in my life as Father handing us over to Lucius. People discovering I'm not Normal out here would be the final straw to a life of loneliness and isolation. Surely it's leading to my end. But maybe, just maybe, nobody would notice out here if I kept my skin covered, especially as an example to Sherry and Violet to maintain a distance from everyone else. We can't afford touching. Maybe, just maybe, we might be able to survive out here. Then this trip into The Wild would become our hope for a future in a sparsely-populated region of the U.S. Territories.

  Violet wiggled in the saddle against my chest. "Do you think these Shifters think I'm a child, Elise?"

  Her loud voice made me blink.

  Drew me back to realize Lucius stared at me with glowing amber Shifter eyes. Sensing how my thoughts affected my heartbeat. And even though there had to be a good twenty feet between us, I can't pretend I'd been looking elsewhere. Not after outright staring at him. And stares are open invitations that lead to touching.

  Heat burned up my neck to my cheeks.

  I'd just talk to Violet and pretend the stare didn't happen. "Why would you ask that?"

  "He called me a youth. I'll be a woman any day now. I'm almost eleven."

  True. She wants so much to be a little warrior. To help people. The inner drive to heal was strongest for her. For some reason. "But you aren't of marriageable age until you're sixteen."

  "Father said noble daughters marry at eighteen."

  I stand corrected. "Well, you might find things different out here."

  "You didn't want me discussing the aliens, did you?" she whispered.

  At least she had the wherewithal to whisper. "It's better we don't speak of them again. That part of our life is over. Now, we must focus on the future."

  "Do you think we'll see Father again?"

  Not likely.

  "Who cares?" Sherry blurted barking words. "He's sent us to live like the cavemen we studied."

  Tacitus groaned from his saddle and shot Red a scowl.

  Well, she finally got under his hide. "Shut up, Sherry. You don't have to insult them."

  Sherry rolled her eyes at me. "We aren't cattle. We have minds. Thoughts. Feelings. I'm emotional. The world just has to deal with it."

  How could I get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a narcissistic sister? We're doomed. Sherry would be our demise. "They don't have to take us anywhere. So, bite your tongue and swallow your comments. Or we'll find ourselves servicing a whole village of disgusting Normal males who don't bathe or ever cut their hair." Or comb their hair to boot.

  Sherry grimaced. "I hadn't thought of that." She squirmed in her saddle and eyed the Shifters.

  Like it suddenly dawned on her how our future rested in these Guardians' hands.

  Sherry leaned toward me.

  In a blatant display of secrecy.

  "But I'm chewing the big one's ass out every time he follows me when I have to relieve myself," she whispered.

  Such stupidity isn't going to achieve anything. But how can I control her? She's twenty-one and set in her ways.

  ****

  The merciful day dwindled at long last. Before we shut ourselves inside a metal building with the Shifters locking the large door, Lucius endured Sherry's bitter snips as he searched through our belongings while kindly reassured us he had every right to know what supplies we carried. That Father had sent the supplies along to help with the difficulties of the journey. To save us. So, I couldn't hold his actions against him. He is what was necessary to keep us alive. We need to cooperate with him. But Sherry tore into the unreadable leader with caustic insults. Lucius merely turned a deaf ear to her. Hopefully, the big Tacitus would do the same when the time came.

  Now, the failing sunlight waned where it faded in the small elevated windows. This enormous space must serve a purpose AEI. But I can't fathom what it was from the few things that littered the space. One large metal barrel, a pile of metal parts in one corner, and a hook suspended on a thick chain from the rafters. Anyone could have holed up here. Brought things with them. Removed everything initially left inside the tall walls. The room would remain a mystery
long after our departure.

  The horses snorted in the shadows at one end of the huge space where they'd been left with feed bags.

  All in all, the warehouse-type building wasn't a bad place to sleep. Just an ominous dark place. I couldn't see a thing once the sun set.

  "It's so dark," Violet whispered, curling a fistful of fingers around my upper arm.

  No more complaining. Sherry's badgering had managed to kill the decent mood we had among us once we stepped through the doorway. I patted Violet's hard knobby knuckles.

  Something sparked and shushed in the impenetrable black void.