Fang Chronicles: Ivan Read online

  There were maybe fifteen steps and then the stairs curved and I couldn’t see the rest. If I sat down now there wasn’t a chance I would make it up. “Let’s go,” I grunted.

  I gave Rondy credit. His breathing was raspy like mine, but he never stopped and by the sixth turn of stairs, I was leaning heavily on him. My vision went blurry and my arms and legs shook so badly I questioned my sanity in attempting the climb.

  “This is it. Second door on the left,” he said after the eighth turn.

  I practically fell inside.

  “Lay on the couch.” He helped me to an old sagging piece of furniture.

  I fell back against the corner and brought my good leg up.

  “I’m lifting your sore leg, so don’t growl at me again. It needs to be propped up.”

  He hefted and I really had to fight back the growl—damn leg. But I couldn’t help the smartass in my voice, “You’re a doctor at sixteen?”

  “I had a broken leg last year and my mom stuck around long enough to get me to the doctor. He slapped on a cast, gave me some crutches, sent me home, and she took off. Hurt like a motherfucker. If she filled my pain scrips, she took ’em ’cus I didn’t see them or her for the next two weeks.”

  I was sorry I said anything. If I had stayed with my clan, they may not have helped speed my healing, but they’d have cared for me.

  Rondy left the room and came back with a pillow, which he propped under my leg while speaking. “There’s some vodka hidden in the back of the cupboard if you want some of that. I keep it around for emergencies.”

  I might try some alcohol later, but with my metabolism I had to drink large quantities quickly to feel any results, so it was a last resort. “What I really need is water, food, and a shower.”

  “We get charity food boxes with lots of canned food and stuff. There’s chili, if that works?”

  “How much chili?”

  “Plenty, at least five or six cans.”

  I looked at his skinny, gangly body. “How many can you eat?”

  His chest puffed out a bit, but he winced. “A whole can.”

  “I’ll eat the others, if you don’t mind. I need lots of food because the one arm I have is hollow.” Wasn’t I hysterical? I’d just used gimp cat humor I didn’t know I had.

  He smiled with swollen lips. “Ha ha. I’ll cook them all, but we can always refrigerate what we don’t eat.”

  “How about ice?”

  “Ice is free, so we have lots and I can make more.”

  Now that he was all business, he looked more his age. “We both need it. My leg and your face, but water first please.”

  He turned toward the small kitchen and came back with a huge plastic cup of water. I downed it while he watched. I handed it back. “More please.”

  He stared at the cup for a few seconds before walking away. This time I heard him make an ice bag before returning with the water. He put the bag on my leg and handed me the cup. Without a word, he headed back to the kitchen. After finishing it off, I lay my head back and closed my eyes. Rondy made small noises as he moved around the kitchen. I let out a pain-filled sigh. The ice was helping a little and weariness crept in. I needed sleep, but it would be awhile.

  Pots and pans rattled, and after about five minutes, I smelled the chili. Protein would help me heal. Without the special saliva from a vampire, I healed slowly, but still faster than a human. I knew the kid was in pain too, but I was beyond caring right now.

  Ten minutes later, he brought me a bowl of chili, refilled my water, and sat down in the chair beside me with his own bowl. I moved slightly, propping myself up. Methodically, I began devouring the warm food. After I scraped it clean, the kid refilled my bowl without a word. He said nothing until he got up a fourth time.

  He gave my body a slow once-over. “I think your legs are hollow too. How do you stay so skinny?”

  “Me? Have you looked in a mirror?”

  He continued appraising me with a quizzical expression. “I’m a growing man, you’re… well you’re… I don’t know what you are.”

  To him he was a man just like I was a woman at his age. We had more in common than he would ever guess—he barely had a mother and I never knew mine. I couldn’t tell him what I was because I couldn’t trust him. “I’m just like you.” I gazed directly into his eye. “Desperate.”

  He looked away first and I continued eating. Five bowls was my limit because sleep knocked heavily at my door. “Can I use your bathroom and take a shower?”

  His exhaustion showed too and he kicked back farther into the chair next to the couch, a long sigh escaping. “Sure, there should be a towel or two under the sink. You can grab something of my mom’s to wear out of her closet.” He gave a little wave of his hand in the general direction of the back of the apartment and closed his eye.

  I stared at his relaxed face for a few minutes. Without the swelling and blood some might consider him cute. It was his unwashed smell that made him unattractive to me. Looking away, I concentrated on the amount of steps it would take me to get to the bathroom. I couldn’t help the small moans that escaped on the way, but Rondy was asleep and the noises didn’t seem to bother him.

  He perplexed me. I had a feeling he hadn’t seen the last of anyone associated with the thugs in the ally, but he kept a level head and took care of us both. It was sad that I wouldn’t be around to help him out of whatever predicament he’d gotten himself into. The sooner I said goodbye to the city the better.

  Chapter Three

  Ivan

  The grief never left me for long. It occasionally faded into the background for short periods, but then it roared back with overpowering eagerness. Holding myself together hadn’t become easier. My animal side scratched with deadly sharp nails into the door holding my human side sane. Killing enemy cats helped. Now that the beastkind war was over, I no longer had cat flesh to sink my fangs into. It wasn’t a good thing.

  Just let go, I’d thought far too often. I could shift for the last time and run into the swamps to live out my days as a wolf. No vampire to prolong my life, hazy memories that might fade the longer I stayed in beast form. No accusing eyes.

  I’d left my newborn twins for others to raise and my grown sons without their father… leader… alpha. Hell, I deserted my entire fucking pack. There could be no happiness without Alba, my mate. I didn’t want it. Wallowing in pity was more my style now. I was only half the man or wolf I once was. If it wasn’t for The Moor, I don’t know what I’d do. Before he claimed his mate, the vampire held more sadness in his eyes than even I could comprehend. The connection to his female calmed him and he appeared content. I was glad he found a semblance of peace, but I was now the odd man out. Memories swamped me as sure as the marshy surroundings. I could never run far enough to escape.

  Just let go.

  I shifted to wolf and took off. As tempting as it was to keep running, I knew I’d return. I needed to explore more of The Moor’s new territory and check for issues regarding humans. The swamps surrounding us weren’t what I was accustomed to, but they served a purpose and kept humans away.

  Florida once held a large contingent of beastkind cats, our enemies. Those cats had mostly migrated to Mexico for the final standoff between the cats and the wolves. The bears, our allies, fought by our side along with each clan vampire. I was there for the final battle to kill cats and bathe in their blood. For a short time, I felt whole.

  Following the annihilation of the cats, the pain of losing my mate returned with a vengeance. I stayed with Marcus and Amy and visited my twins for a few days after the war before returning to Mexico to help with the cleanup. Female feline stragglers and children came in slowly and received safe passage to Marcus’s clan. The Canadian cats asked that willing females join them instead of going to Marcus’s clan. I was fine with any and all cats leaving the US. Even though I knew the female cats weren’t responsible for the desolate life I now lived, and suffered horribly at the hands of their males, I couldn’t handle bei
ng close to them. I hated their smell and most of all hated the fact that cats helped kill my mate. The battle of words I had with The Moor over cats coming into our clan was unfriendly if not downright suicidal. Maybe I wanted the death The Moor could assuredly provide. I didn’t know how much longer I could stand the endless cycle of pain.

  Alba. My wolf’s brain focused on her—fixated on her scent, the texture of her fur, and the intensity of her eyes. Even knowing she was gone forever, my wolf searched.

  A few hours later, I headed back to camp. We had two small deserted cabins, little more than shacks, left deserted after a hurricane hit the area a few years ago. Morris, The Moor, purchased thousands of acres of the uninhabited land. Those acres were surrounded by protected marshlands. It cost him a pretty penny, but money was no factor with him.

  We’d finally finished repairing the electrical wiring the week before and we had power. Becca, The Moor’s mate, had a kitchen to cook in. As vampire, she ate none of the food she served, but Becca was a nurturer. Even with the heat and lack of air conditioning, none of her small clan would go hungry.

  Now that she had electricity, Becca’s complaints centered on the cracks in the sidewalls and holes in the roof that allowed water and bugs in. We had work crews building the main house, but it would be a month before completion. The workers stayed Monday through Thursday before clearing out and giving us a three-day weekend. Our small clan needed a break by then. We were not human and pretending to be was difficult.

  Two female cats and one four-year-old boy were the source of my argument with The Moor. As pathetic as they were, my wolf brain couldn’t accept them even though it was a start to building a clan. Not that five adults made a clan, but it was all we had for now. I avoided the females. After I growled at the young boy werecat, he avoided me.

  Becca was our peacekeeper. I saw the condemnation in her eyes whenever I rebuffed conversation with the battered women. I didn’t care. Becca would never understand. I would hate cats until the day I died, and chances were good I would take the hate with me to hell.

  Chapter Four

  Talya

  With a full stomach and clean body, all that remained was sleep. I found sweats and a t-shirt and passed out on the couch.

  The sound of pots and pans in the kitchen woke me hours later. The sun was up and judging by the light streaming through the window, it was mid-morning. The couch was lumpy and my bones hurt. My leg throbbed, and after I completely assessed myself, I realized my stomach hurt too.

  I stumbled to the bathroom to do my business. Falling asleep with wet hair had it sticking up at odd angles. A comb and a little water didn’t help much. I also needed a toothbrush, but made do with some toilet paper and toothpaste.

  When I came out, Rondy was setting a giant plate of pancakes on the small table in front of the couch. He looked up when I came closer.

  “I want four and you can have the rest,” he said after returning to the kitchen and coming back with plates and forks.

  “I’ll get water,” I said and turned for the kitchen.

  “Sit. Your leg still hurts and I have two good ones.” His stern look was laughable.

  For a kid, he was pretty bossy. He came back and I waited for him to take the four pancakes he’d declared as his own. I started with four and it soon became fourteen. They were almost gone, but I still craved meat.

  I noticed Rondy watching me.

  I finished my last bite of food. “I won’t eat you, don’t worry.”

  This time his regard was a little more intense. “Could you?”

  “What do you think?” I added my best sneer to the end of the sentence. This conversation was interesting. Yes, I’d tossed a guy ten feet like he weighed nothing, but Rondy hadn’t seen me in beast form. At least I didn’t think he had.

  His look wasn’t exactly friendly. “I’m not sure what to think. Maybe you owe me an explanation now that I’ve put a roof over your head and fed you.”

  He had balls, I’d give him that. “I saved your life; I think it’s you who owes me.”

  “What makes you think they were going to kill me?” He gave it away by taking his eyes from mine for a split second.

  “You don’t want to tell me what’s up, that’s fine. I have no intention of spilling my secrets either. I will tell you this, though... there are people after me and the bodies in the alley will lead them here. When they find you, just tell them the truth. I’ll be out of your hair fifteen minutes from now and I’ll lose them again.”

  His eyes grew intense. “There are no bodies.”

  “I killed four of them, there are bodies.” I probably shouldn’t have reminded him of my kills, but I had to get out of here before it was too late.

  “I took care of it when you took a shower last night.”

  Well damn. This could cause even more trouble for me and possibly Rondy. “So what? You have someone who can fix the fact that four men are dead?”

  I watched Rondy weigh his words. Up until now he was honest. “No. I called Teo. He’s the dude responsible for the guys beating the fuck out of me. I told him to collect his shit before the cops got involved.”

  “Teo?”

  “I can’t say anymore, Talya.”

  Hell, he might be telling the truth. “How did you notify him?”

  “A payphone two blocks from here. I thought you’d be out of the shower and ask where I’d gone, but I think you fell asleep in there.”

  I had, but when I came out he hadn’t moved from the couch or at least I didn’t think he had. “If you’re lying, the people looking for me will take me away.”

  He shook his head. “No worries.”

  The condition of the bodies could cause added problems for Rondy. “Does this Teo guy know it was you who called?”

  Now he shrugged. “Probably. I didn’t give a name, but he knows who he sent his guys to fuck with.”

  “Then he knows where you live and will come here?”

  “Nah, he won’t come into Sheck’s territory. I’m good until I leave again. You’re good too.”

  I’d walked into the middle of West Side Story. It’s one of the old movies I watched when our clan stayed with Brandt and Emily’s pack for a short time. I played it repeatedly until the others banned me from choosing movies.

  “We’ll see.” I’d messed the bodies up pretty badly. Not something a human could do easily. I don’t think Rondy saw the majority of the damage. “I need meat.”

  Now his eyes went speculative. “You got money?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  He accepted that. “You got a preference?”

  What was he going to do? He obviously had no money. “No preference.”

  “I’ll be gone for a while. Anything else you need?”

  It was sad that I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. He was human after all. Though I didn’t care for human flesh, the cats I lived with in Mexico weren’t as picky. Humans were food. Wolves were the enemy, and women were worthless. “No, just protein.”

  “I’ll be back in less than an hour. Rest. You look like shit.”

  “Well thanks, you’re all heart.”

  Rondy left a few minutes later. If my leg didn’t hurt so damn badly I would have paced. Instead, I did as Rondy said. I needed more sleep. If Rondy betrayed me and brought his friends back with him, I’d take care of the problem then. For now, I would work on recuperating.

  I woke up when Rondy pounded on the door. I smelled him as I walked closer. He waited on the other side holding a large box in both hands. I smelled the raw meat he carried into the kitchen.

  “Did you steal it?” I asked sleepily.

  “No, it’s another food box. There’s always some type of meat. I know a lady at the FB and she added a little extra.”

  “FB?”

  “Food bank. They’ll only give you a box once a week, so I’m not sure what to do after this is gone.”

  “I won’t be here in a week, but that will still leave you short.”<
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  He shrugged. “If it’s an emergency I can hit my friend at the FB up. She likes me, thinks I’m a nice kid,” he said as red crept up his neck and scalded his cheeks.

  “This wouldn’t happen to be a younger woman would it?”

  His face turned a brighter shade of red. “Naw, she’s old enough to be my grandmother. She just has a soft spot for me. You gonna eat that meat or grill me about shit?”

  “You cooking?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Thought you’d eat it raw,” he said sarcastically as he took the box into the kitchen.

  I could easily do just that, but when in human form it tasted better cooked. My cat preferred raw. The smells a few minutes later had my stomach growling. The pain in my leg had lessened somewhat and I took some time to gaze around the apartment. It wasn’t much. There was nothing on the walls and everything from the couches to the television was old. I’d lived in much worse conditions, but I felt sympathy for Rondy.

  My eyes drifted shut again, but I didn’t sleep. Rondy finally carried in a plate of food and some more water. Three hamburgers sat on my plate with huge patties sticking out the sides of the buns. I took a bite. It was the best food I’d ever tasted.

  Rondy smiled as he watched me devour the first hamburger.

  “What?” I gave him my mean look.

  He walked away. “Nothing,” he said over his shoulder.

  He cleaned the kitchen as I finished eating every last crumb. My stomach finally felt normal and the craving for meat noticeably diminished. The pain in my leg was better too, so my thinking was clearer. I should leave. It didn’t matter if Rondy had taken care of the problems with the bodies. I needed to be as far from Dmitri’s clan as possible.

  Rondy walked back into the room and sat down in the chair beside the couch. He lifted his chin. “You and I need to talk.”

  All at once he sounded much older than his age. Living a hard life did that to you. I shrugged. “So talk.”

  He studied me for a few moments before speaking. “These people looking for you… is this gonna come down hard?”