Page 20 of Fated Protector

"Cocky man, aren't you," mutters Anna.

"You have no idea," I mutter back. I half-jog up the stairs to my apartment, only to stop when I see a familiar form sitting in front of the door, an unlit cigarette in one hand and a copy ofMoby Dickin the other.

"Will," I say through gritted teeth.

"Jack," he says with the biggest smirk, closing the book with a snap and placing it in his old leather messenger bag. "How are you?"

"Oh, just fine and dandy," I say. “Let’s talk outside before–”

Just then, Anna comes huffing up the stairs. "Did you really have to run the stairs, or is this just more of your macho man image?”

"I was barely sprinting," I say, and she rolls her eyes. I turn back to Will, but it’s too late. His eyes dart back and forth, and then he smiles so widely that I fear his face will split in half. Actually, that would be great right now. Then, I wouldn’t have to deal with him.

"Who isthis?" he says, accentuating every syllable. He holds out a hand to Anna. "I don't think we've met. I am –"

"Going to meet me downstairs," I say, throwing open the door to my apartment for Anna. I guide her to the entrance, arm around her shoulder, and in a softer voice, say, "Wait for me inside. Lock the doors. Don't open to anyone."

She nods and goes inside. It isn’t until I hear every lock click that I turn back to Will.

"Save it for downstairs," I say, and he bursts into laughter. He cackles all the way down the stairwell, the sound echoing off the walls until we’re on the street.

I escort him to the narrow alley between my building and the grocer next door. "Talk. You said you had news."

"Apparently not as big as yours," he chuckles, slapping his thigh like I'm his new favorite comedian. "You found your Mate."

"Maybe. What about it?" I say, keeping my voice casual.

“Oh nothing,” he says, doing a celebratory dance like he’s at a parade. “Just remembering my older brother once declaring that Mates were sissy stuff."

I snort at the idea. "Trust me; they are sissy stuff. Miserable sissy stuff."

He finally stops his prancing around and sobers. “Does she know yet?”

"Not yet. She just found out all this is real just a few days ago. I haven’t even told her what we are.” I hold up a hand before he starts lecturing me. “I’m working on it. I’ll get there. We've been dealing with runaway creatures ever since then. Which…" I wave my hand impatiently at him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm getting there.” He lights the cigarette and takes a puff. “So I've been talking to Victor Lamplight."

I nod at the name. "He's a good guy for a bloodsucker." Victor is second in command to Louie Hayes, the current alpha vampire of the local group. He was also second-in-command to Michel, the former alpha vampire who was mysteriously staked three months ago. Michel had lived through the French Revolution, the American Civil War, and the various wars between vamps and werewolves. He was a tough old bastard, so for someone to get the drop on him is unthinkable, and yet it happened right under our noses.

"Victor thinks Louie is up to something, something big and awful. The vamps have been training extra hard, and all the soldiers are overworked. Victor thinks that Louie has found a way to control other supernaturals."

Oh shit, this does go deep. "Supernaturals like a swamp monster or a Grunch." One-off monsters like those, who only exist in small groups and stick to themselves, are left alone for the most part. They are just satellites in the grand scheme of things, lacking the intelligence or ability to organize enough to become a threat. We kill them on command, but the unspoken rule is that they are untouchable and certainly not recruitable.

"Exactly. And…" Will looks around to ensure we are alone and then leans toward my ear. "Victor thinks that Louie is the one who staked Michel."

"Whoa." I exhale slowly. "It wouldn't be surprising if he tried. He's wanted that position for years. But whoever did it had to be powerful, and I don’t know if Louie is that. It’s a pretty dangerous accusation to make." It does fit right in with Louie’s mode of operation, though —both living and undead. In the late 1800s, before being turned bloodsucker-style, he was a crooked politician creating his own version of Tammany Hall down here in the South. It doesn't seem like much has changed if he’s stirring the pot now. "Does Victor know how Louie would be controlling the creatures?"

"He doesn't know for sure. But Louis wears an amulet around his neck. That's not unusual – vamps love their jewelry – but this one only showed up after Michel’s death. It’s old and Slavic in origin. It could be what he's using."

"This isn't good, Will." I was young when the peace treaty between vampires and werewolves was established. However, I still remember the chaos and terror of the years before. Without that agreement, life is about to get much harder for everyone—supernaturals and humans alike.

"What do we do next?” Will asks, giving me that automatic different look that I hate.

I scowl in response. "I'm not in charge,” I remind him. “You need to take this information to Pa. He’s the Alpha, not me."

Will gives me the smirk that all little brothers seem to know how to do. "You're going to be in charge eventually. You might want to learn now."

I don't bother responding. Will already knows how I feel about becoming the next alpha. It's no use rehashing old arguments, not with the danger headed our way.

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