The Pack - Shadow Games Read online

  I woke up in a cold sweat, my heart beating in my chest. My breath came quickly as I fought to keep myself from panicking.

  It was only a dream. It wasn't real. It was only a dream.

  But even as I repeated those words over and over in my head, I found myself wondering what Calder looked like under his armor. My body tingled at the thought before I could push it away.

  "I love Sam!" I screamed into the empty room. "Sam! I love Sam!"

  The golden waves and pimento eyes of Calder filled my head. I beat my hands against the soft mattress and threw my head back against the pillows as I sobbed. I tried to picture Sam in my head, but thoughts of Calder kept flashing through my mind. This couldn't be happening! Had he put some kind of spell on me?

  "I love Sam."

  I had to get out of here. I had to get back to Black Bear. I had to get back to Sam before I lost him forever.

  *****

  "So where are we going today?" I asked as Calder and I walked down the hall.

  "Today we will be going out into the town. Please stay close to me."

  "Do I have any other choice?"

  Calder chuckled. "No. I guess not. But keep your eyes open. There are people in town that would do you harm."

  "Kill me to kill the King. I remember."

  "So I promised you that if you lived the day, I would take you to get enchantments. Would you like that?"

  I tried to picture myself with the glowing hair that I saw on most of the vampires I'd met so far. I couldn't imagine what I would look like, but I was curious. If I was going to be locked up in a tower for the rest of my life, I might as well look good. "Yeah, let's do it Calder."

  "As you wish."

  I wasn't sure what I was expecting when the massive wooden gates of the castle opened and I saw Calder's world for the first time, but I did know that I wasn't expecting to be assaulted by the warm rays of the sun.

  I threw my hands over my eyes as the bright light overwhelmed me. "Damn Calder, you could have warned me it was going to be so bright out."

  "I thought humans were used to sunlight."

  I dropped my hands slowly, letting my eyes adjust to the harsh daylight. The warmth of the sun felt wonderful on my skin but I didn't understand how this was possible. "You told me sunlight kills vampires."

  "I told you yesterday that I would rather not speak of it."

  I turned to Calder, intent on getting some kind of answer out of him, but as soon as I saw his face, I burst out laughing. His armor was blindingly bright in the sunlight and his hand still rested on the hilt of his sword. His hair pulsed with golden energy and his handsome face still drew me in like no man I'd ever met. Calder cocked is head to one side and frowned as I tried to stifle my laughter.

  "What is so funny?" he asked.

  I snorted. I couldn't help it. Calder looked like a knight out of a story book, but the dark sunglasses that hid his eyes were so out of place that I couldn't stop the fits of laughter that racked my body. The coke bottle lens held together by a golden frame just looked wrong. A vampire in sunglasses. It shouldn't have been so funny, but after the week I'd had, I needed a good laugh.

  "Where did you get the glasses?" I managed to get out between breaths.

  "I take it you do not like them."

  "No, I love them. Just not on you."

  If a vampire in sunglasses was funny, a vampire in sunglasses that was now self conscious about wearing them was even funnier. Just as I started to calm down, Calder pulled off his glasses and handed them to me.

  As I slipped on the glasses and the world in front of me darkened, Calder looked me up and down.

  "They do look better on you. I like the way you look."

  I raised an eyebrow at his compliment. "You like the way I look huh?" I threw my arms out and spun in a circle, the hem of my dress catching in the wind and flattening out into a disk as I turned. When I stopped, I caught Calder staring at my legs.

  He blushed and lifted his eyes. "In my glasses. I like the way you look in my glasses."

  Did I just cause a centuries old vampire to get embarrassed? And was he really checking me out? Why was I encouraging this?

  "So you never answered me," I said as I stared into Calder's striking eyes. "Where do vampires buy sunglasses?"

  Calder started walking. "I did not buy them."

  "So where did you get the glasses? Birthday gift?"

  Without looking at me, Calder answered. "I took them from the first man I ever killed."

  My good mood evaporated into the warm air. I pulled the glasses off and held them as far away from me as I could. "What the fuck Calder! Why would you give these to me?!"

  He stopped and lowered his head as he turned around. "Do you know what my position as First Fang entails?"

  “I don’t care what you do!” I held the glasses out to him in both hands. "Take your stupid glass back. I don't want them!"

  But instead of taking the spectacles, he wrapped his hands around mine and looked me in the eyes. "It was nearly a century ago. The man was guarding a prisoner. Aoife. She was vampire. Beautiful, young."

  As I looked into his eyes, they shimmered. Was he tearing up?

  Calder looked away as he continued to speak. "Protecting the magic. That is a First Fang’s job. And that is what we went to do that night. She was part of my detail. We were tracking an item in the human world and were tasked with bringing it back to Thiea.

  It is not often that humans capture a vampire. But these humans were waiting for us. They lured us to a warehouse and we moved to retrieve it like we were trained. But when we approached, gas filled the room. I shifted away as did the three other vampires that were with us, but Aoife tried for the item. She passed out from the gas."

  Calder let go of my hands and wiped his eyes. "We couldn't get back to her before the sun rose."

  I looked at the sunglasses in my hands, then back at Calder. I didn't know what to think. He didn't strike me as a cold blooded murderer, yet the proof was in my hands. But from the tone in his voice, he wasn't bragging. There was something else going on here.

  "What happened?" I asked.

  "I went back the next night. I went alone. The King had forbidden us to return, but I couldn't leave Aoife."

  Calder lifted his head and when I saw his eyes, I took a step back. They had changed. No longer were they the olive green orbs with a dash of red. Now his eyes burned a deep red. They were the eyes of a madman. They reminded me of the King.

  "I tracked them, the humans, to a train yard. I slipped past the perimeter and found Aoife in a boxcar. They had her chained up and caged like an animal. Bright lights filled the room. I think the humans thought they hurt my kind. And standing outside of her cell was a man in a dark suit wearing those glasses. He was laughing at her, taunting her.

  She didn't look well. They had stripped her of her armor and given her only her robe to cover herself. And when I saw her, it was clear I was already too late. She had sun sickness. There was nothing I could do for her."

  "Sun sickness?"

  Calder sighed. "I didn't want to talk about this. You tricked me Miss Olivia."

  "This isn't my fault! You were the one who gave me ghoul glasses."

  "You are right. To explain simply then, Thiea and your Earth are different worlds, but connected through chaos. Our planets collided long ago and became one. Your moon was created from the collision. When the moon is out on Earth, magic is stronger. That is why werewolves cannot resist the change during a full moon and why normal humans seem to act a bit strange. The crossover between our two worlds is at its strongest then."

  "So no moon, no magic?"

  "There is a faint trickle. Wolves can still shift for instance. But for a vampire, it is not enough. If we are still in your world when the sun comes out, we are cut off from Thiea. It does not kill our bodies, but it poisons our souls. Imagine what it would be like to suddenly go blind and deaf. To lose all of your limbs. To lose your memories. To be... empty. That is su
n sickness. Death is kinder."

  "That sounds horrible."

  Calder took the glasses from my hands and held them up. He stared into the dark lenses. "Aoife was a shattered shell. And this man was laughing at her pain." Calder closed his eyes and dropped the glasses back into my hands.

  When he opened his eyes again, they were the kind pimento eyes that I was used to. "I don't remember killing him. But his glasses flew off in the fight. They landed in Aoife's lap. I don't know if she recognized me when I unchained her. She didn't speak. She wouldn't look at me. But she handed me the glasses before she passed out. I got her back home, but her heart simply stopped a week later."

  "She meant something to you didn't she?"

  "She was my sister."

  Smooth Olivia. Real smooth.

  "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

  "There is no way you could have known." Calder smiled at me. "You remind me of her. Brave, headstrong."

  "Thank you," I said, unsure as to how I should take his compliment.

  Calder reached for the glasses and I handed them over. But instead of putting them away, he unfolded the golden frames and slipped them back onto my face. "I was not lying when I said they looked better on you."

  I blushed and looked out at the foreign landscape ahead of us. The more I learned about Calder, the harder it was to deny my attraction. "So, are we going to get going or what?"

  "Would you still like to get your hair enchanted?"

  I nodded, then glanced down at my bare feet. I wiggled my toes. "Any chance we could pick up some shoes as well? I promise not to run away."

  Calder started off for town. "As you wish."

  *****

  Hours later and I was actually enjoying myself. I used to have dreams about going to another country to soak up the sights, but now I was in another world altogether. Nothing was familiar, but everything still seemed close enough to normal that I didn't feel too out of place. The sky was blue and the leaves on the trees were green, but the air itself seemed filled with electricity.

  Good to his word, Calder took me to buy shoes. Now I skipped around in beautiful sandals that matched the dark green dress. We ate an early lunch and then it was off to the enchanters where spells were woven into my hair. I opted for a less extreme version of Calder's style. Instead of a full head of magical hair, I went with highlights that shimmered and changed colors, accenting my natural look.

  And the enchanter didn't stop there either. When Calder and the wizened old vampire who enchanted my locks started to talk in their own sing song language, she picked up immediately that I couldn't understand a word they were saying. But with a quick incantation, I could understand and speak their language or any other that I wished. This world was amazing.

  After we left the enchanter, Calder turned us back towards the castle.

  "Do we have to go back already?" I asked, feeling like a child as I did so.

  Calder nodded as he glanced around. "We came into town so you could be seen. Word will get back to the other Lords."

  I sighed as we started back. "Tell me about them."

  "Who? The vampire lords?"

  I nodded. "If they are trying to kill me, I guess I should know who they are."

  Calder shook his head. "You would be wrong to think so. They are not worth knowing." He gripped his sword handle tightly. "Not beyond recognizing the danger they represent. Besides, the Lords have armies to do their bidding. It would be better if you knew of them."

  "Then tell me about these armies."

  As we walked, Calder talked. "There are only three Lords who have the power to take the throne. And of the three, only two truly want it. Of those two, Lord Marescu is most dangerous. The men he commands have no honor. They act like wild beasts, refusing weapons. They attack with tooth and claw."

  I thought back to the night the vampires first attacked us. Images of Sam on my couch, beaten and bloodied filled my mind. I could see the claw marks on his face. And the bite marks across his shoulders and down his arms were hard to miss as well. I remembered how the black ichor leaked from his wounds when McNaire cleaned Sam up.

  I looked over at Calder, noting the way his hand never left the hilt of his sword. And as I stared at the gleaming blade, I remembered the night he stood outside of my apartment. I remembered the fight between my wolves and Calder's vampires. They swung swords and threw punches, but they never made to bite anyone. And now that I looked back on the attack, I wondered if they ever intended to kill Sam or McNaire during the fighting.

  I stopped walking, letting my mind run away with itself. Since the first night back in the woods, I'd been thinking that the same group of vampires had tracked me. But what if they weren't the same?

  I needed answers. "Were you in the forest the first night?"

  Calder's eyebrow rose. "Which forest? What night?"

  "The first night of the Blood Rite. Were you the one who attacked Sam and the other wolves?"

  His eyes narrowed. "I did not step into your world until the night I took you. Nor did any of my men."

  "And this other Lord, the one with the troops who don't use weapons. Could he have known about the Rite before you did?"

  Calder's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword. His whole body tensed as he looked over my shoulder, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. "He has the resources. Why are you asking?"

  I bit my lip as I answered. "We were attacked by vampires the night before you showed up. They hurt Sam bad. They killed half of my father's pack. And they didn't use weapons. Sam was covered in bites when he was brought back to my apartment."

  Calder's hand wrapped around my arm. In an instant we were walking back to the castle as fast as my legs could carry me. I was practically jogging as we moved.

  "What is it? What's going on?" I asked as we moved. "I thought we wanted to be seen!"

  As soon as we were crossing the castle bridge, Calder slowed down, relaxing before letting go of my arm. "You weren't supposed to be in any danger today. I wanted you seen, not harmed."

  "So? I was seen. No one attacked us."

  Calder shook his head. "We were lucky. If I'd known about the forest... If they could track you on Earth, they can track you here much easier." His hand ran across my arm as he looked down at me with worry. "This changes everything. I cannot let you leave the castle again."

  I could see the fear in his face. And as I stood next to him, something stirred within me. I'd thought I was nothing more than a pawn to him and his King, but now that I saw the hesitation in his eyes, I knew I was something more. Calder wanted to protect me, and it was clear that it went beyond his duty.

  "What about the King?" I asked as we stood on the steps of the castle. "I thought he wanted this."

  "I only agreed to this plan so long as you came to no harm. I cannot guarantee your safety any longer."

  "So what? I stay locked up in the castle until I die of old age?" Anger bubbled up inside of me. "I can't stay here Calder! I want to go home!"

  He sighed as he led me back into the castle. "I cannot take you back Miss Olivia. Not until the danger has past."

  Thoughts of Sam filled my head, trying to block out my strange feelings for Calder. If he was still alive, I wanted to see him. And if I couldn't go home until this was over, then there was only one thing I could do.

  "We can't stop with the plan," I said as I stood up straighter. "We have to go out again tomorrow."

  "But you'll be in danger! Lord Morescu "

  I held my hand up, cutting off Calder before he could finish. "I trust you Calder. I know you'll keep me safe. And when this is all over, I want to go back home. Please."

  The vampire sighed one last time. As he walked me back to my room, he looked down at me with sad eyes. "As you wish."

  *****

  It took me nearly an hour to get Calder to agree to take me out of the castle the next morning. The vampire was stubborn in his attempts to keep me behind the large stone walls of the King's fortress. He promis
ed me free reign of the whole estate if I just stayed inside for the day, but I wasn't having it. I needed to get back into town. I needed to be seen. And I needed Calder's original plan to work so I could get back to Sam where I belonged.

  When he finally relented, he made me promise that I would run back to the castle at the first sign of trouble. If I saw anything, or anyone, suspicious, I would tell him. And he made it clear, too clear, that above all else, my safety was what was important. By the time we left the castle, I knew that Calder would forfeit his life if it meant I could keep living mine.

  It hurt to know that. Sam and McNaire had been willing to die for me too. For different reasons maybe, but it didn't matter. It didn't feel right that I was putting so many people in danger. All because of my selfish desires to fit in. To be a wolf. Sam would have loved me even if I never shifted. But I couldn't live with myself.

  I wrestled with my own thoughts for most of the morning. Calder spoke to me, trying to lift my mood, but I ignored him for the most part. And even as he pointed out all of the strange new things his world had to show me, the wonder of it all was gone now. All that was left was a sense of homesickness, clawing at my stomach as we made ourselves seen.

  But by midday, I was done living inside of my own head. Maybe it was the feeling of the sun on my back, or maybe it was Calder's increasing desire to see me happy, but I finally cracked a smile at something he said. I couldn't even remember what it was, and I only understood half the joke since I would have had to have grown up in his world to get it all, but it was enough to snap me out of my funk. It was enough to pull me out of my own headspace.

  Now Calder and I walked side by side through town as the Thiea's sun set. Radiant sparks of light exploded over head like tiny fireworks as we walked. I stared up at it all with wide eyes of wonder, lost in its beauty.