Chapter One
I stood staring at the mirror, trying to see any sign of a bump or anything that showed I was indeed pregnant. There was almost nothing. True my stomach was a little bit rounder, but it was barely noticeable. I thought over all the things I'd heard about pregnant women and frowned. I wasn't glowing, glowering, but not glowing.
I met Alaric's amused eyes in the mirror and shrugged. “You know, I don't remember much about when mother was pregnant with any of my siblings. I have no idea how different pregnancy is in us versus humans. In fact, can you even recall the last natural werewolf we knew who was pregnant?” I asked.
He frowned and shook his head. “No, Talia, I can't say that I do. Now that you mention it, it does seem kind of weird. And didn't Kane say 'children'? We are first brood; we should only be able to have one child period, not twins.”
It was my turn to shake my head. That part was confusing the hell out of me too. The first brood are the offspring of the very first werewolves created. When the battle goddess, Macha created our parents as bodyguards, she built in safeguards. The created werewolves had been able to have up to six children. The first brood and those after were limited to one. We could only become pregnant one time in our lives. It was a way to control our numbers and keep us from taking over the world.
When my sister, Gennera had been pregnant with Anthony, I'd had no contact with her. If we didn't hate each other's guts, I could ask her what to expect. As it was, one of us would kill the other before I learned anything of use.
Besides, Anthony was my cub now. Gennera had tried to lure me into a trap using Anthony as bait. It backfired on her. I walked out unscathed and Anthony remained in my care. Gennera hadn't wanted him, and now I couldn't imagine my life without him. He brought out the best in me, letting me know it was alright to have gentle moments.
I turned back to the mirror with a frown. It would help to know what to expect from this. Hybrid werewolves, those who began life as human were unable to breed at all. Shifting causes miscarriages. True werewolves don't have to worry about that, we are not bound by the moon. We shift only when we wish to do so. Most of us make it a habit to shift at least every couple of weeks, but only because we miss the feel of running through the woods.
“You know,” Alaric said, “You could just ask Tiamat. That damned demon seems to know everything.”
I laughed and nodded. He made a good point. Alaric didn't like Tiamat; hell I couldn't even say that I liked her. Our relationship couldn't be placed in any type of category; if you could even call what we have a relationship. While it is true that we behave a bit like friends, I don't think that either of us truly trusts the other. Tiamat has an agenda, I don't know what it is, but I'm pretty damned sure I won't like it.
When we first met, Tiamat had tried to kill me, but ended up becoming a confidant of sorts rather than a mortal enemy. Alaric was still pissed off that I'd made a deal with her behind his back. He understood why I'd felt it necessary to do so, but he still didn't like me making deals with demons.
I'd been chasing after a psychotic manic for over nine hundred years. Eerek, the psycho, holds the Scepter of Danu. The scepter is a magical artifact that has the power to destroy anything it touches. The scepter was created by the mother Goddess, Danu. She passed it off to her sister, Macha who used its power to create the first werewolves. Our race was created solely to guard the paranoid Goddess. My father, Luccad, leader of the werewolves stole the scepter and imprisoned Macha in limbo.
That started my quest to bring an end to the scepter. When it had been revealed that destroying the scepter would also annihilate everything created by the scepter I grew desperate. Tiamat made a bargain with me; she would use her demonic powers to keep the other werewolves alive. All I had to do was agree that the soul of the person who does bring an end to the scepter belongs to Tiamat. To me, it was the perfect bargain; to Alaric it was beyond stupid.
`I turned back to Alaric and smirked. I knew damned good and well he wanted me to stay far away from the demon queen.
“I'll ask her tonight. It would be good to know if my pregnancy will be the length of a humans or a wolf’s. A human carries children for nine months, but for a wolf the gestation period is only a little over two months,” I said.
Anger rose in his golden eyes, letting me know right away he wanted nothing more than to tie me up so that Tiamat could never get anywhere near me. In some ways it was cute, but mostly it was annoying.
The smile faded from my face, I chewed my lip in frustration.
“Alaric, I know you don't want me to go to her for anything. However, we have to figure out what's going to happen with the pregnancy so we can go after The Magistrate and bring Kyle back home.”
His hands clenched at his side. “I know; I don't even want to think about what those fuckers are doing to him right now. We can't leave him there much longer. He's already suffered enough,” he snarled.
I agreed with that completely. I don't know how much Kyle had opened up to Alaric about his past. Judging by the look on Alaric's face he knew at least a little of it.
I sat down on the bed next to him and sighed. “You do know that Kyle isn't a normal vampire, right?”
“Huh?”
Shit, he didn't know.
“Kyle wasn't turned by blood. When he was a young man he and the girl he was seeing called up a demon. He thought the ritual hadn't worked; the demon slaughtered the girl and told Kyle that if he'd wanted the girl saved, all he'd had to do was to order it to stop.
“The demon followed Kyle relentlessly after that. In the end, Kyle committed suicide to escape. The demon cursed him into a vampire as punishment,” I said.
Alaric stared at me and slowly blinked. “God, no wonder he's messed up.”
“Exactly, he acts like a pain in the ass as a cover. He's very insecure and is barely managing to hold it together,” I answered, “We have to get him back, Alaric. He can't survive it.”
Arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly against Alaric's hard chest. His heart beat solidly against my back.
“We'll get him back, Talia, I promise.”
“We'd better,” I mumbled. It had taken me so long to make friends; to lose any of them now would be more than I could bear.
I hopped up off the bed and began to gather my weapons. I tucked my Berretta 92 down the front of my pants and tucked an extra clip in my pocket. I attached sheathes for my knives onto my wrists. The final touch was the Sword of Truth, the sword Tiamat had given me. I'd had a sheath that fit down my spine custom made for it. I held my hair up and slid the sword down my back.
Alaric watched me, his golden eyes completely unreadable.
“You know, I don't know of anyone else who carries that many weapons to meet a friend,” he drawled.
“Tiamat, as you've pointed out repeatedly, is not my friend. We have an understanding, but that doesn't mean that something won't go wrong in the end. Besides, you know damned good and well that you and Anthony are the only ones who ever get near me while I'm unarmed,” I said.
I flashed a smile at him, feeling satisfied when his eyes lightened. He knew that it's hard for me to acknowledge trust in anyone.
“Be careful, babe,” he whispered.
I walked out the door with a wave of my hand. Maybe some women would stop to reassure their mate, but I'm just not that kind of woman, a fact that Alaric knows well.
***
I headed for the beach to summon Tiamat. I could just as easily talk to her through a bowl of saltwater, but some part of me values the two of us sitting together on the beach. We aren't friends, but we're something, something that resembles friends.
My nose scented the air as I walked; I was once again being followed. It had to be Anthony; he'd followed me last time too. Though I hadn't realized it at the time, Anthony had been present at the time I made the deal with Tiamat. It had prompted him to go to his mother and beg her to help. She'd naturally refused. Gennera doesn't do anything out of the kindness of her heart. They'd fought and poor Anthony had feared that he'd killed her. Sadly, she lived.
I decided to ignore the fact that my cub was following me, let him think he was being sly. I was going to have to find the time to teach him how to properly track people. If he's going to go around following people, he needs to at least be able to do it right. Of course, teaching him was bound to come back and bite me in the ass.
I knelt down and removed my ankle length boots, no sense in dealing with wet leather if I didn't have to. Leaving my socks and boots, I walked forward until my feet were in the waves. Before I could open my mouth, the ocean began to churn, the waves rolling wildly. Tiamat emerged from the waves, her bulk shrinking down to the form I was most comfortable with. The waves washed over me, leaving me soaked and sputtering. There was no doubt that she'd done that on purpose.
In spite of myself I felt a smile cross my lips as I watched her lithe form dance over the water. Her true form is quite possibly the most frightening thing I've ever seen. The form she takes on for me is one of the most beautiful things. Her skin remains robin's egg blue, but her features take on the appearance of a beautiful woman with long streaming bright blue hair.
She stepped onto the beach, a smile on her face, her eyes dancing in silent laughter. Just like the rest of her, her eyes resembled the oceans that were her home. The irises swirling with vibrant blues and greens.
“Talia, I had hoped you would come to see me soon,” she said.
Her hand snaked out and grabbed mine as she pulled us back to lie on the beach.
“It's good to see you too,” I answered.
Her hand kept hold of mine as she rolled over onto her side. Her other hand touched my stomach gently.
“The children are doing well; they have their mother's strength.”
A blush stained my cheeks. Tiamat had never been so affectionate before, goddess but that sounded wrong. Tiamat being affectionate just didn't compute, she's a goddess, yes, but she's also the mother of all demons. Demons and affection are two words that almost never go together.
Her hand rose from my stomach to touch my face, deepening my blush.
“Tiamat, what are you doing?”
Her face closed the distance, giving me a good view of her entrancing eyes. A tingle spread though me, this was so wrong on so many levels. I had to be wrong, she wasn't going to kiss me; it just looked that way.
“You want information from me, little wolf of mine. I'll answer your questions and tell you what you want to know,” she whispered, “But the information comes with a price.”
“What price,” I asked, my voice low and feeling rough.
She smirked at me. “A kiss, one little kiss.”
That was all the warning I got before her lips covered mine. Her soft tongue swiped over my bottom lip. My lips parted out of shock, a fact she eagerly took advantage of. The tingle in my chest grew as I tentatively returned her kiss, slowly exploring the heat of her mouth. My hand raised of its own accord to entangle in her hair as the kiss deepened. A soft moan rose from her throat, the vulnerable sound had me pulling her closer to my body. With a groan I broke the kiss, panting for air and confused as hell. How could I enjoy her kiss when I was in love with Alaric?
She opened her eyes, pinning me with her stormy gaze. Her hand touched my cheek as a sigh escaped her.
“I know you wish for nothing more than to flee, but a deal is a deal. Your pregnancy won't be like that of a human or a wolf, but in between. After a five month pregnancy you'll have your twins. You needn't worry about miscarriage; the only way the babies will die is if you yourself die.
“Run home to your mate and save your vampire, I will be here when called, my little wolf.”
I rose and looked down at her; she'd turned back to the ocean, her fingers lightly touching her lips.
“Thank you, Tiamat,” I whispered.
I grabbed my boots and socks and turned away, but not before I could see a tear course down her cheek. The instinct to wrap my arms around her rose in my chest, I battled it down. There could be nothing but friendship between us, I'd already given my heart away and love isn't possible for a Demon Goddess. That's what I told myself anyway, in the back of my mind though, I found myself wondering why the thought of her being unable to love rang false.
I continued on, there was no point in turning back. I scented the air; my follower was no longer stalking me. The poor kid had probably fled after seeing Tiamat and I kiss, not that I could blame him. My lips still tingled; this was annoying to say the least.
Trying to take my mind off the kiss, I pondered the information Tiamat had given me. If miscarriage was no danger, then there was nothing to stop me from taking Kyle back right away. I wouldn't have left him there regardless, but this way I didn't have to send Alaric and Cara in my place. Not that Cara would be much help. For a vampire she was a little on the weak side, and to go up against the Magistrate, governing body of the vampires- well she'd not be able to do a damned thing. Cara, unlike me, actually respects figures of authority.
We had plans to make. I wanted Kyle back now, before those fuckers could do too much damage to him. If they'd done anything he couldn't recover from, they'd learn the true meaning of pain.
I entered the elevator and frowned. Normally, I'd have taken the stairs, but tonight I wanted to get to Alaric quickly and get our planning started. The Magistrate had taken Kyle three days ago, that was three days too long. We had to get him back.
I also needed to talk to Alaric about the kiss, there was no way I was going to hide something like this from him. A relationship can't survive on half truths and lies. Just thinking about the kiss had my fingers rising to touch my lips. Gods, this was not like me, to be so overwhelmed by a kiss.
I walked through the door and caught sight of Alaric, my breath caught in my throat. The biggest thing about Alaric is that he is completely unaware of his own beauty. Normally, you wouldn't describe a man as being beautiful, but in his case there was no other way to describe him.
Everything about him makes me think of a painting. His shoulder length, thick, auburn hair, his golden honey colored eyes, it was a combination to die for. Slouched out on the sofa, his long legs stretched out while he chewed on a pen, the very sight made my knees weak.
Not to say that he isn't masculine, his broad shoulders and the muscles rippling along his body leaves no doubt that Alaric is one hundred percent male. The thing that few seem to understand is that the male form is beautiful too, handsome just doesn't do it justice.
I plopped down on the couch beside him and curled my legs beneath me. His hand rose, lifting my face. I raised my eyes to meet him, hating the blush that I knew rose in my cheeks.
“So, what did your demon say?” he asked.
A giggle rose in my throat before I could stop it. “She said that I'll carry for five months and that miscarriage isn't a danger. Oh, she also kissed me,” I muttered.
His hand fell away from my face, his brow furrowing.
“Repeat that, please.”
“A five month pregnancy and no danger of miscarriage,” I answered.
“Not that part, Talia, the other part, damn it.”
I looked up and managed to meet his eyes. “She kissed me, full on, tongue included,” I said.
He shook his head and snorted. “I knew she had feelings for you, but I never expected her to actually act on them.”
“Wait a minute, back up here. What the hell do you mean you knew she had feelings for me?”
“Come on, Talia, it's pretty obvious. She started helping you without payment, she takes on a form she knows is pleasing for you, and to top it all off she pretty much stalks you.”
This was news for me.
“What do you mean she stalks me?”
He leaned back and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him.
“You know, for someone so smart, you're pretty damned dense sometimes, Talia. The night the office was destroyed, when we fought the rogue pack, Tiamat was there hiding in the shadows. I caught a glimpse of her once or twice throughout the fight. At one point it looked like she was going to intervene. In Kentucky, after we fought the dragon, when I carried you out of that cavern, I saw her again.”
My head lifted, I hadn't even realized she could leave her ocean. All this had been going on and I hadn't even noticed. It was a damned good thing she hadn't been out for my blood; I'd have never seen it coming.
“Well, this is a bit surprising. I mean I had no idea about any of this,” I mumbled.
Alaric's head lowered, hiding his eyes under his hair. “So, what do you plan to do now that you know?”
Now look who was being stupid. I reached out and yanked his head up, glaring at him.
“Don't be a total idiot. This changes nothing, so she has a thing for me; it's flattering but doesn't matter. I'll admit, it was a good kiss, but no one is ever going to take your place,” I snapped.
Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. His eyes lit up, the grin I'd learned to fear crossing his lips.
“So, it was a good kiss, huh? Want to give me some details on this really good kiss between you and her?” he asked.
I shoved him and got to my feet. “Nope, just use your imagination,” I retorted.
His eyes darkened as he stood and began to walk toward me. I swallowed hard. Yeah, I definitely should have kept my mouth shut. Damn that Tiamat, I had a co-worker to save, but now I was going to have to deal with Alaric's imagination first.
***
After dealing with Alaric, it occurred to me that I still needed to go talk to Chief O'Rielly about the fact that we were leaving the country for a while.
Though I'd once seen the chief of police as an enemy, I now viewed him with more respect. He was still a pain in the ass sometimes, but at least I no longer lumped him in the same category as an insect.
Technically, I didn't have to tell him we were leaving, it's not like I worked for the police, but I knew he relied on my team to help out. It was Night's End that took the brunt of the preternatural crimes in San Francisco. The police were good at their job, but they just didn't have enough man power, strength or knowledge to deal with the things that were second nature to my team.
Alaric and I had formed Night's End, our preternatural detective agency around 100 years ago, we’d waited until humanity knew about the preternatural world. We’d kept a low profile until 80 years ago, but everything changed practically overnight. After Dr. Thomas Corwin made his discovery and offered proof that vampires, werewolves, pixies and other creatures of the night actually existed, things spun out of control for a while.
Humanity had to deal with the fact that just maybe they weren't at the top of the food chain. Practically overnight preternatural crimes increased by over fifty percent. Law enforcement were unprepared and unable to deal with it. How do you jail a demon? Or a vampire who's hellbent on wiping out as much of mankind as they can? The answer is you don't, you kill them. The police weren't able to do that, but Alaric and I could.
Over time, we added on to our staff. It took a very long time, up until recently, we clashed with the police at every opportunity. The past few months had seen Night's End and the police in a place where we could work together. That was why I felt the need to let them know we wouldn't be around for a while. The last time we'd had to leave town, two police officers were killed. I didn't want a repeat of that.
The night air felt great, whipping my hair lightly around my face. A far cry from the stifling heat that summer nights held, the coolness felt like just the right speed. I walked quickly enjoying the sharp tapping of my boots on the concrete.
I rounded the corner next to the police station and found my steps slowing. It was at this corner that I'd ran into the demon who'd introduced me to Tiamat. A slight smile quirked at my lips as I remembered the arrogant way the demon goddess had demanded my presence. We'd come a long way from that day. In the beginning, I'd had to fight her offspring to prove my worthiness, now, I viewed the demoness as something like a friend.
I shook my head, first Tiamat, then James O'Rielly, I seemed to have a knack for turning enemies into friends.
I continued on my way, jogging lightly up the few steps of the station. When I walked through the doors, I found that unlike the old days, no one glared or refused to acknowledge my presence. It was a refreshing change.
My friend, Simpson waved at me, I smiled and walked over to her desk.
"We're going out of the country for a few days, maybe even a week, so I won't be able to work out with you this week," I said.
“No problem, we'll make plans when you get back. You leaving for a case or vacation?” she asked.
I seated myself on the edge of her desk and frowned. “Sort of a case I guess. Kyle, the vamp that works for me, you know, the one you think is cute?”
She blushed, it brought a slight smile to my face.
“Well,” I continued, “He was taken by the vampire Magistrate. I'm going to go get him back, no matter what it takes.”
“You need any backup? I've got some time off stored up that I can take,” she said.
Warmth flooded my heart, I smiled and shook my head.
“I appreciate the offer, more than you know, but I'll be alright. I'll have Alaric and the others with me.”
I jumped up off the desk and grinned.
“I'm going to go annoy the piss out of your boss now, I'll call you when we get back.”
I waved and made my way to O'Rielly's door, I needed to get things wrapped up so I could bring Kyle home. It occurred to me that I didn't know Simpson's first name. She had mentioned that she never used it, it made me briefly wonder what name could be so bad that she would refuse to use it?
I shook off my thoughts and opened the door. I didn't bother to knock, there was no point in it, Simpson would have told me if the chief had been busy.
I slipped through the door and hopped up onto the desk. O'Rielly looked up at me and sighed.
“You know I hate it when you sit on my desk, Talia,” he muttered.
“I know, that's part of the reason I do it. The other reason is that sitting in that chair across from you makes me feel like I'm in trouble for something. Thus, I kill two vampires with one silver bullet by sitting on your desk,” I answered.
“I believe the saying is 'two birds with one stone', Talia.”
“Nope,” I said, “Why the hell would I want to kill a bird? I'd much rather kill a vampire, they put up a better fight.”
O'Rielly rolled his eyes and frowned.
“Is there a reason you've come to annoy me?”
“Yeah there is,” I said, “I came to tell you that we'll be out of the country for a few days, maybe even a week or so.”
“Talia,” he began, “I know you wouldn't go if it wasn't necessary. I know you'll come back as soon as you can. That doesn't concern me too much, but I have to ask, are you alright?”
I frowned, what was he talking about?
“What do you mean?”
He stood and walked over to the left wall, a slight grunt escaped him as he lifted down the heavy mirror. He carried it over and stood in front of me holding it.
“Look at yourself, Talia. You've got dark circles under your eyes and you look even more tired than I do. So are you alright?”
I looked at my reflection and sighed. He was right. My eyes were bloodshot and had dark smudges under them. I ran a hand through my hair and nodded.
“I'm alright, James, I just haven't slept much lately. We've all been under a lot of strain around the office lately.”
I took a good look at him, something tugging at the back of my mind.
“You know, James, I always felt like I've seen you somewhere before. Well not you, but something about you, if that makes any sense. Something about you seems familiar, but damned if I can place it.”
He shook his head. “Well, Talia, you did say once that you came from Ireland, I look pretty much just like a lot of other middle aged Irish men, maybe that's it?”
“Could be. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up concerning our trip. I know you guys are overwhelmed at the moment. After this trip, the problems with the vamps will settle down a bit.”
He looked at me, his eyes narrowed. “While that's good to know, I don't want you to get in over your head. These vamp attacks, you said you know what's causing them, feel like clearing up the mystery for me?” he asked.
“Basically, the vamps are going nuts because the Magistrate, the ruling body of the vampires have decided to move themselves to the top of the chain of command. I'm surprised it has taken them this long to start this shit. I'd honestly figured it would happen right after the werewolf council was destroyed,” I answered.
“The werewolf council? I didn't know there was such a thing,” James said.
I stood and walked over to his coffee pot, this was going to take some time, we really did need to exchange information. He joined me at the coffee pot and handed me a mug. I glanced at it and found a huge smile crossing my face.
The mug had my name on it, literally. I felt warmth flood my chest as I beamed at him.
“Well, you're here a lot, and you like coffee, so we thought you should have your own mug here,” he mumbled.
The silly grinned remained on my face as I filled the mug and then actually took the seat across from his desk. I noticed his raised eyebrows and shrugged sheepishly.
“If we're going to discuss my long, diabolical past, I thought we might do it without me being a pain in your ass,” I said.
That brought a bark of laughter from him, feeling more at ease I settled back into the leather chair and sighed.
“I don't think I've ever told you just how old I am, James. I was born around a thousand years ago in the hidden palace under the hills of Tara. I don't remember the exact number of years, but it was a little over a thousand years ago.
“Alaric and I were of the 'first brood' we were some of the first werewolves born. Our parents were created solely to be bodyguards, and we were born to assist them. The scepter that I've been chasing was the instrument of our creation.
“Now after the revolt, in which the werewolves decided they were slaves and freed themselves, things were chaotic. We discovered that we transmit a virus to human through our saliva, and blood. Oddly enough, other bodily fluids, like those exchanged through sex do not transmit the virus. Anyway, after this discovery, it was decided that we needed a ruling body, one to protect us and to protect the world from us. The wisest and strongest werewolves served on the council,” I said.
I paused to sip my coffee, letting the warmth soothe the wounds that were still raw after all these centuries.
“The Council kept us under control by making use of 'hunters', werewolves who showed great strength and a strong sense of justice were chosen as hunters. I was one of them, but not because I deserved the spot.”
“What do you mean? Of course you deserved the spot, hell, Talia, you got a better sense of justice than most of the officers on my squad,” James said.
“Well,” I answered, “As much as I appreciate your words, James, back then I was not as strong as I am now. When the Council was forming, they lacked support. Since my father had been the Aird Ri, the high king, I was considered to be something of a princess. The Council was needed, I saw that. Since I was loved, revered as the princess, I threw my support behind the Council. I asked to be made a hunter in exchange for my support.
“Now, around five hundred years ago, when the Council was at the height of their power, they and we were betrayed. The council destroyed, the hunters, all save me wiped out in one night. I only recently discovered that it was my younger sister who discovered the Council was corrupt and brought about their destruction.”
James leaned forward, his gaze pinning me. “So, let me guess, the Council's destruction left a power vacuum, one that you expected the vampires to fill before now. The question is why did the vampires wait so long to start their bid for power?”
“My theory is that they needed to wait until it was unexpected. A vampire is strong physically, but their greatest weapon is their usage of mind tricks. Without those abilities, no vampire can win against a werewolf. We don't have the mind tricks, but when it comes to brute strength, we have them beat,” I replied.
“So, when Corwin made his discovery that vampires, werewolves, pixies and such existed, it gave the vampires more time. Time for the world to come to sort of accept their presence, to build their empire?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said, “And now they have members in high places, they have consolidated their strength. The Magistrate is old, I can't be certain exactly how old but I know that the vampires, as a race, are even older than the werewolves, like us, they get stronger as they get older.”
We sat in silence for a moment, me staring at my mug and James staring at his desk.
“So you will bring an end to the Magistrate?” he asked after a while.
“I will, they took Kyle from us, I won't rest until I have him back.”
“Kyle, that's the blonde vampire, the one who's a bit of a wise ass?”
I laughed and then remembering Kyle's actions for the past few months I sobered quickly.
“He was, now I don't know if he'll ever go back to normal. Frankly I'm terrified to see what they've done to him. The Council killed their enemies, but the Magistrate likes to play with their victims,” I answered.
I stood and placed the mug next to the coffee maker. As I walked to the door I turned back.
“I'll be back to use that mug again,” I said.
I waved and left before he could reply. Again I had that nagging sense that I somehow had known him before, something was so familiar about him. I'd figure it out eventually, but first, I had vampires to kill.
