Charity Received (5 page)

* * *

Zeke noted Charity’s growing agitation the closer they got to the area the O’Malley alpha had demanded they bring the dead wolf. He soon discovered why. The alpha was a large male, only an inch or two shorter than his own six-feet-five frame and just as muscular. And his rigid bearing spoke volumes. He blamed them for the young wolf’s death.

“Charity Russo. I should have known you would be involved in this calamity,” the alpha growled out, his stance threatening. Zeke reached for his ax, sensing more than seeing Arak go for his sword.

“It’s Darinn, Thomas. Charity Darinn, you big Neanderthal freak.” Charity stood her ground before the alpha wolf. “And I don’t give a shit what you think. I am trying to at least show some respect to you and your family by returning the male to you. We trailed him from the body of a dead human and encountered him attacking another—a woman.”

The snarls emitted from the wolves around them sent a chill down Zeke’s spine. He wondered how badly he would regret his decision to include Charity in this meeting.

He had assumed bringing her here would aid in his relations with the O’Malley alpha. He’d apparently been wrong.

“And your friends?”

Zeke met Thomas’s gaze. “I am the one who delivered the killing blow to the wolf.”

He ignored the warning in Charity’s voice as she spoke his name, and tuned out the aggressive growls around him. “Though unprovoked, he attacked Charity. And he spoke to her.”

This seemed to surprise Thomas. “What did Maxwell say?”

Her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and confusion. “He begged me to end his life. Spoke of someone else, as if this person held some type of control over him. Is it true two other males are missing?”

The alpha turned away, sighing heavily. “No longer. But both also spoke of a male who was forcing their wolves to appear. I was able to save one, our youngest, but we didn’t get to the other in time. He’d already been gravely injured.”

So many questions filtered through Zeke’s mind at Thomas’s admission. “How were you able to save him? And could they tell you who was controlling them?”

Thomas studied Charity silently until she glanced away, then focused on Zeke. “I am the alpha. All wolves in my pack are under my influence, and I was able to wrest young Michael away from the one holding him. As for who that was, we don’t know.

His touch was tainted…evil. My guess would be a warlock.”

“That is Charity’s belief as well.” Zeke rested his hand on the small of her back and felt her unease lessen at his touch.

The alpha nodded. “Now we would like our pack-mate returned to us and you to leave.” His gaze met Charity’s, and some silent message seemed to pass between the two.

Charity nodded, taking a step back. She opened the back of the SUV and allowed another shifter to remove the wolf’s body. Then she returned to Zeke’s side. Not trusting these shifters as far as he could throw them, Zeke wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

As the shifters began to disappear into the forest around them, the alpha turned one last time. “And Charity, don’t return, or you shall pay the price.”

“Yeah, yeah. Kiss my ass,” she muttered as they left. Then she lunged away from Zeke and, without uttering another word, climbed into the vehicle and slammed the door behind her.

Arak breathed a sigh of relief. “What the hell?”

And Zeke couldn’t agree more.

Once inside the SUV, Zeke turned to Charity. “Care to explain what just happened?”

She stared at him defiantly. “No.”

“Charity.” His tone held a warning not to try his patience.

She released a growl, then snapped, “I told you I was different. He sees me as a threat. They all do. Stupid, dumb-ass males. Like I’d ever have anything to do with a wolf pack again.”

Zeke considered her words but knew better than to pursue them. Not with Arak present. He would get more from Charity when they were alone. While he knew she liked the brothers she had met, Charity didn’t trust them. Not that Zeke blamed her. He hadn’t given her enough information about them to earn her trust. And it continued to amaze him every time she placed her faith in him. He didn’t deserve it.

But he would. Tonight he would explain to Charity with just whom she had aligned herself, whether or not Remy approved. They owed her much more than they’d ever given her.

“You can explain to me exactly what you mean when we arrive at the abbey.”

Charity immediately began to protest, but Zeke cut her off. “And in return, I will give you the truth you so deserve about me and my brothers.” Zeke ignored Arak’s sharply drawn breath and his attempt to communicate with him through his mind.

Arak could not dissuade him from this course, not now that he’d spoken his intent out loud. He would not go back on his word. Not to Charity.

And with great reluctance, Charity nodded. “Just you and me, Zeke. The idea of all your brothers together in one room makes my wolf edgy.”

Her tone, vastly different from the one she had used on the O’Malley alpha, pleaded for his understanding. “Sasquatch, you know no one at the abbey would ever hurt you, right?”

With Charity’s snort and a roll of her eyes, Zeke turned to hide his smile, relieved to find her reluctance didn’t stem from fear. In the past she had always refused to return to the fortress with him, but Zeke had never pushed the issue. By not involving her in his life with his brothers, he had been able to avoid any questions concerning the Grigori and what their role was in this war against the demons. And though he suspected Charity sensed more about who they were than she let on, he was just always glad she never demanded answers. But now he wondered about the reasons behind her avoidance.

Meticulously pounding the metal with a mallet, Kash felt the melancholy that had been gripping him begin to drain away. The abbey was quiet, dawn several hours away, and with most of his brothers still out stalking the streets of Seattle, searching for any information regarding Raym, peace settled over him. He lived for these moments, when he was able to create bodies of armor from nothing but sheets of steel. Especially lately, when he’d been feeling so adrift.

He ran a hand over the breastplate, heating it with just a touch. Lost in his own world, minutes passed as he rocked to Disturbed’s “Indestructible,” his hammering taking on the beat of the music. He barely heard the car door slamming outside the sliding wood door before the whirlwind that was Hope Magee came crashing into his workshop.

With a grin on his face at the sight of her, Kash rose to his feet. “’Bout time. You said you were going to help me.”

“I ran into some trouble and convinced Arak to drop me off here instead of home.”

Hope’s lip was curled into a sneer, and venom filled her voice. Only one thing ever put that look on her face: Zeke. So Kash did what he always did—he resorted to gentle teasing to pull her from her funk.

“You could always kill him off. You’ve been threatening to for months.”

Not long after Hope had come into the brothers’ lives, Kash had discovered she was the author of a series of graphic comic books titled
The Vampire Hunter
. Though she would never admit it—and he tried to get her to quite frequently—one of her main characters was a male who closely resembled Zeke. Every time the insensitive ass did something to piss Hope off, the look-alike ended up getting sliced and diced by a demon.

“Don’t even mention that jerk to me,” Hope practically growled, and Kash couldn’t help growing concerned.

“What did Zeke do now?” he asked, but she only shook her head. She obviously didn’t want to talk about it, and he wasn’t going to pry. She’d confide in him eventually. Hope always did. Returning to his seat, Kash then grasped the breastplate to hold it up for her perusal. “What do you think?”

Hope released a breathy sigh. “Kash, it’s wonderful. I wish my condo was big enough to display one of your pieces.”

The longing in her voice made him smile. “Can you get me a rag from the cabinet?”

he asked, trying to keep his voice nonchalant as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

“Sure.” She turned her back on him and moved to the other side of the workshop.

Anticipation raced through him as Hope opened the cabinet then paused. “Kash, what is this?” She pointed at a large, wrapped box.

“Open it and find out, doll.”

Hope’s face transformed as she squealed, forgetting all about whatever it was Zeke had done to upset her. She pulled the box down, then set it on the counter before she began to tear off the paper. Kash moved closer, her excitement contagious. He reached over, grabbed the bow, and stuck it gently on top of her head as she ripped off the lid and threw it across the room.

For one tense moment, she peered inside, frowning, and Kash was overcome with disappointment. “You don’t like it.” When she finally turned to face him, there was a tear slowly rolling down her face. “Hope?” he questioned uncertainly.

“For me?” she whispered. Her voice was filled with disbelief. She reached into the box and pulled out the silver and gold Helm of Isildur.

Hope was a huge
Lord of the Rings
fanatic, and Kash had had to sit through the movies countless times over the past six months with her. Having experienced true medieval warfare—first in Jerusalem and France with the Templars, then with the Scots under Robert the Bruce—he was more a blow-’em-up action flick kind of guy, but he hadn’t complained. He liked hanging with Hope, even if it required watching
Lord of the Rings
again and again.

“Who else would want it?” he asked, a trace of humor returning to his voice. She was staring at the helmet as if she were witnessing the Second Coming of Christ. Then with a flurry of motion, she set it gently on the counter before throwing her arms around his neck. Chuckling, Kash returned the hug. “Guess you like it after all.”

Hope backed out of his embrace, her gaze returning to the helmet. “I love it, and I know exactly where I’m going to put it. On the shelf right above my drafting table, so I can look at it while I work.”

Satisfaction welled up in his chest as Kash returned to his seat and threw his concentration back into finishing the breastplate. He barely noticed when Hope dragged a stool over to the counter so she could sit and study the helmet while he worked, diverting her attention only when she got up to get him something.

He was used to a more animated Hope. Only when Zeke had really hurt her with his sharp tongue and careless attitude did she grow this subdued, and Kash considered demanding an explanation. He hated seeing her upset. But when she glanced at him and smiled brightly, he snapped his jaw shut. Maybe her strange mood had nothing to do with Zeke. And if it did, she’d cave soon enough and fill him in on the whole sordid mess. Then he’d do what he did best: tease her until the only tears she shed were from laughter, because Hope didn’t deserve the treatment she received from Zeke. His brother was a fool, not seeing the gift he’d been given. It was a mistake Kash vowed never to make. If he was ever given such a blessing, he would hold on to it with both hands.

* * *

The walls of the massive stone structure stood better than twenty feet tall, filling Charity with a sense of awe as Arak drove up to the gatehouse. Even through the SUV, the large silver gates that had swung open for them left her slightly nauseated, but it quickly passed once they reached an open field. Outcroppings of buildings surrounded the field, the biggest of which appeared to be the main residence.

Arak backed her SUV under an enclosed carport across from the residence and left the keys dangling in the ignition. When she leaned forward to reach for them, Zeke stilled her hand, explaining they all left their keys inside their vehicles in case any had to be moved quickly.

“Don’t you worry someone might take the Charger for a spin?”

Zeke paused from opening the car door and glanced back at her with a dangerous smile. “My brethren know better. They might not die by my sword, but I can sure as hell inflict some pain.”

Charity sat in stunned silence for a minute as Zeke climbed out of the truck then swung open her door. She tried to ignore the hand shoved in her face, but the fingers waving only an inch from her nose were extremely annoying. She grabbed and twisted them in her fist, and Zeke, using the distraction, pulled her from the vehicle.

Looking around, she noticed the carport held a variety of vehicles stacked two deep.

Some she recognized, like Zeke’s Charger, Bale’s Viper, and Faith’s VW Bug. Others, like the large-ass black pickup truck against one wall and the array of motorcycles against the other, she did not. Boys and their toys.

The first rays of the morning sun were just lighting up the sky. Arak had moved off ahead of them, and Charity clung to Zeke’s arm as he led her across the field.

Dragging her feet did no good. Zeke only chuckled, picking up his pace and forcing her to remain alongside of him.

She was just stepping across the threshold of the main residence when a scent hit her. Inhaling deeply, she drew the fragrance into her lungs and felt receptors flare to life throughout her body, wiggling around in happy delight. Again she sniffed, ignoring Zeke’s questioning look. She had to be wrong.

The grand double staircase and large tapestries adorning the stone walls barely registered as she moved farther into the foyer. Her mind was centered only on the delicious aroma she was drawing into her lungs in large gulps. She had to follow it.

She had to know the truth.

“Charity,” Faith greeted, coming down one of the two sets of stairs. She knocked Zeke out of her way, curled an arm around Charity’s, and led her toward a large archway on the other side of the room. “Hope is in the dining hall with some of the brothers. Come on and meet them. I promise, only a couple of them bite.”

Charity blindly allowed Faith to pull her deeper into the fortress because that was the direction the trail led. She heard a voice she recognized as Kash’s from within the residence. “So I finally get to meet the infamous Charity.”

Then Arak’s laughing reply: “Zeke’s been trying to keep her to himself. I swear they are like Thing 1 and Thing 2.”