Wolves in the Shadows (The Wolf Clan Chronicles) (15 page)

Chase raised his eyebrows.  “Would you?” he asked. 

“No,” Demetrius said with a snort.  “But I have no reason to.” 

“Neither does Lord Reginald,” Chase said.  Elizabeth got the distinct impression that he was enjoying himself.  She just wished that she wasn’t in the middle of it.  “He has a hunter, and you’re about to lose yours.” 

Elizabeth could feel the soft trickle of blood down her neck.  She knew that Demetrius was restraining himself, and that if he lost his temper, she would lose her head.  She could feel the vampire’s will clashing into Chase’s with the force of a speeding freight train, but Chase was unshaken. 

“Where is Elaine?” Demetrius’ voice had become dangerously soft and velvety. 

“Oh, she’s fine,” Chase said with a crooked smile that chilled Elizabeth.  She had never seen anyone look so deadly, except maybe Marcus.  “At least for the moment,” he added darkly.  When I left her there was a big wolf eyeing her, and he looked hungry.” 

Demetrius trembled with fury.  The knife bit deeper into Elizabeth’s throat.  She closed her eyes and tried to prepare herself for the inevitable. 

“If any harm should come-” Demetrius started to say. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Chase interrupted.  He sounded completely unaffected by Demetrius’ anger and Elizabet
h’s increasing peril.  “Whatever.  Will you stop trying to hypnotize me already with your voice and just let the girl go already?  You have no power over me.  I was invited.” 

Elizabeth opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief as Demetrius pulled the knife away from her th
roat. 

“You alright, Lizzy?” Chase asked; a hint of concern had crept into his voice and eyes. 

Elizabeth nodded, unable to speak through the lump in her throat.  Her eyes burned with tears. 

“Now let her go,” Chase said firmly to Dem
etrius.  “And Lord Reginald will spare you and Elaine.” 

“Do I have the Wolf’s word on it?” 

“You do,” Chase replied.  “No one from the Wolf Clan will be permitted to touch either of you without provocation.” 

“Very well,” Demetrius said.  He released Elizabeth and nudged her towards Chase. 

Elizabeth side stepped awkwardly and stood beside the fireplace.  She didn’t particularly want to be near either of them right now. 

“Now, hunter,” Demetrius said.  His voice was velvety smooth, but Elizabeth could hear the
turmoil beneath.  “Tell me where she is.” 

Chase shrugged; the side of his mouth twitched upwards as he spoke.  “I haven’t the
faintest idea.  I figured I’d deal with her after I’m done killing you.” 

“Save your threats,” Demetrius said, his eyes narrowing.  “You are under Reginald’s power and bound by the honor of the Wolves.” 

Chase laughed.  “I am under no power but my own,” he said.  “The Wolf Clan might not be able to touch you, but I am free to do whatever I wish with you and your human whore.” 

“Who are you?” Demetrius said; his eyes kindled with sudden flame.  The fury that radiated from him almost knocked Elizabeth off her feet, but seemed to have no effect on Chase. 

Chase raised his bloodstained blades and said in a voice that took Elizabeth’s breath away, “I am Chase Brennan, slayer of the Rat King.  The blood of the great hunter that flows through my veins and the blood of the Wolf Clan upon these blades protect me from you power.  No prepare yourself, for you final death is at hand!”  The coldly confident expression on his face filled Elizabeth with awesome dread. 

Demetrius’ face twisted into a mask of hatred mingled with fear.  In a blur of movement, he flung his knife at Chase’s heart and rushed towards Elizabeth with his arms outstretched and his teeth bared. 

Elizabeth instinctively dropped to the ground and kicked his legs out from under him. 

Chase, who had easily batted the knife away, laughed triumphantly and leapt at Demetrius, swords flashing. 

Hot blood splattered onto Elizabeth and the spotless fireplace as the sword in Chase’s right hand sliced through Demetrius’ neck, cleanly decapitating him while the sword in his left hand pierced through Demetrius’ chest. 

Elizabeth rolled away from the vampire’s body and retched onto the carpet.  She was shaking like mad when Chase knelt beside her and pu
t a warm hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay, Lizzy,” he said.  “It’s over.  His voice was as gentle as it had been when they first met. 

Elizabeth looked up at him and shook her head.  There was no way in hell it was over.  She knew in her heart that it had only just begun. 

Chapter 11

“Thanks, Chase,” Elizabeth said as she touched the bandage around her neck.  She had been too emotional to speak while he had patched her up, but now the silence between them had become too much. 

“You’re welcome,” Chase said stiffly. 

“You’re a hunter?” Elizabeth asked.  She hated feeling like the easygoing friendliness between them was gone forever.  She hardly knew how to feel in his presence. 

Chase walked across the room and picked up Demetrius’ knife from the floor.  He brought it back to Elizabeth and placed it in her lap without a word. 

Elizabeth stared down at it.  Her own blood was drying on the blade into a rusty brown.  She swallowed nervously and looked up at Chase. 

“I’m a Slayer, Lizzy,” he
said.  He sat down beside her on the couch and started to clean the blood off his swords.  He seemed a little more like himself, but Elizabeth would never forget the expression on his face when he had killed Demetrius.  He seemed to have enjoyed it far too much. 

“Do you know what the difference is?” Chase asked as he sheathed the swords across his back. 

Elizabeth shook her head. 

“Slayer is the title given to a hunter who has killed a Master Vampire,” Chase said. 

Elizabeth bit her lip and carefully lifted Demetrius’ knife from her lap.  She was not sure how to respond.  Ever since she had met Sir Marcus, she had felt like she was living in two separate worlds.  Now those worlds had collided, and she hardly knew what to think.  She looked down at Demetrius’ body sprawled out on the ground.  That could have been her if it hadn’t been for Chase. 

“How do you know Lord Reginald and Sir Marcus?” she asked at last. 

Chase let out a dry chuckle.  “I was honestly expecting you to ask me if I’d killed them,” he said. 

“You couldn’t hurt Lord Reginald,” Elizabeth said with a small smile.  “He’s way too powerful.” 

Chase raised his eyebrows.  “What about Marcus?  I never said that I knew him.” 

“That’s his sword,” Elizabeth said, indicating to the hilt over her right shoulder.  “Whose blood was that?” 

Chase slipped off the couch and knelt before her so their eyes were on the same level.  “Whose do you think it was?” 

Elizabeth’s grip tightened on the hilt of Demetrius’ knife, but she did not reply.  She did not like the look in his eyes. 

“What would you do if I had killed Marcus?” Chase asked. 

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and studied Chase’s expression carefully.  “I would say you’re lying,” she said. 

“How do you know that?” 

“I can see it on your face,” Elizabeth said.  “And I think you know that if you had hurt him, I’d probably try to kill you.” 

A smile flitted across Chase’s face as he replied.  “Not a very strong threat, Lizzy.  You’ll have to work on that.” 

Elizabeth frowned and glared at him angrily. 

Chase’s crooked smile returned as he watched her.  “Pretty feisty, aren’t you?  But you are right.  There’s no way I would have been able to hurt either of them.”  His smile faded slightly.  “Would you have really tried to kill me?” 

Elizabeth gave him a small smile and shook her head.  “You know I couldn’t, Chase.  You know the only things I can kill are bugs.” 

“You helped me kill Demetrius.” 

Elizabeth shook her head.  “I just tripped him, you did the rest.” 

“You moved faster than any human I’ve ever seen,” Chase said.  “You could have been a hunter.”

Elizabeth looked into Chase eyes.  She wished, as she often had before that she could somehow see through him. 

Chase looked away.  “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he said. 

“Do what?” Elizabeth asked. 

“I can feel you pressing against my mind,” Chase said with a grimace.  “You don’t even know that you’re doing it do you?” 

“I’m not doing anything,” Elizabeth said.  “At least I don’t think I am.” 

Chase massaged his temples gingerly and sighed.  “Look into my eyes and tell me what I’m thinking right now.” 

Elizabeth chuckled.  “You’
re kidding me right?” she said. 

“Seriously,” Chase said.  “Just don’t push too hard.” 

“Okay,” Elizabeth said.  She took a deep breath and looked into Chase’s eyes.  Her brow furrowed as she frowned. 

“Part of you thinks it would be best for you to kill me right here and now,” she said after a few minutes.  “You think I’m far more dangerous than I realize, but you don’t actually want to hurt me.  You gave me this knife to defend myself in case your instincts overwhelm you rational thought.” 

“You’re absolutely right,” Chase said through gritted teeth.  Beads of sweat had begun to form across his forehead, and his face was twisted with pain. 

Elizabeth
forced herself to break eye contact with Chase and focused on her own breathing.  She could hardly believe it, but somehow, she had been inside his mind for an instant. 

Chase stood and backed away from her, clearly shaken. 

“I’m sorry, Chase,” Elizabeth said.  “I’ve never done that before.” 

“I knew I liked you for a good reason,” Chase said with a chuckle. 
“God damn, you’re powerful.” 

“How can you laugh?” Elizabeth asked.  “We’ve gone from being a couple friends who liked to hang out and eat to-to…to being I don’t know what.”  She shook her head as words failed her.” 

“To enemies?” Chase asked just above a whisper. 

Elizabeth shook her head.  “I don’t want to be enemies,” she said.  “I don’t think we have to be.  You obviously allied yourself with the Wolf Clan.” 

“At least temporarily,” Chase said.  “But you’re right; I think we can be friends.  We’re at least being honest about who we are now.” 

“I figured that you’d just think I was crazy if I told you about Lord Reginald and Sir Marcus.” 

“And I figured you’d think I was crazy if I said I was a guy who goes around killing vampires.” 

Elizabeth smiled in spite of herself.  “Maybe we should just start over again.  I’m Elizabeth; I’m apparently descended from a clan of ancient vampires.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Elizabeth,” Chase said sitting down next to her.  “I’m Chase.  I’m a vampire slayer descended from a long line of hunters.” 

Chapter 12

It didn’t take long for Chase to tell Elizabeth all about meeting the Wolf Clan in the orange groves and their hastily formed alliance. 

“The fact that I was your friend was the only thing that saved me,” Chase said.  “
Marcus could have easily taken me apart.” 

“I’m glad he didn’t kill you,” Elizabeth said with a smile.  In spite of everything that had happened, she found that she still really liked Chase.  Things would never be the same between them, but then again maybe they would end up being better.  Once they had gotten over the initial awkwardness, it had been easy for them to talk to each other.  “So Sir Marcus loaned you his sword, and he and Lord Reginald gave you some of their blood so that you could be protected from Demetrius?” 

“Exactly,” Chase said.  “And here I am.” 

“But how did you get in without Demetrius knowing?  He was just as surprised as I was.” 

“That was partially thanks to you.  I think he was having so much trouble keeping you under control that he wasn’t as aware of his surroundings.” 

Elizabeth frowned as a thought occurred to her.  “Didn’t you tell him that you were invited in?” 

“Elaine let me in,” Chase said.  “She was Demetrius’ human companion.”  

There was something about the way he said it that made Elizabeth shudder. 

“I didn’t hurt her,” Chase said seeing Elizabeth’s reaction.  “She’s fine; she’s tied her up in the next room.” 

“Chase!” Elizabeth said reproachfully.  “She’s probably scared out of her wits!  How long has she been in there?  And why didn’t you tell Demetrius that she was okay?  He probably wouldn’t have-” 

“I needed him to attack first,” Chase interrupted.  “And I said she’s fine.  I just put her into a trance.  She won’t even have a headache when I wake her up.” 

“Sorry,” Elizabeth said.  “I just spent all day chained up in a basement, and the idea of someone being held prisoner, just doesn’t agree with me.” 

“Understandable,” Chase said.  “But trust me; you would not have wanted to deal with both of them at once.  Elaine is pretty fierce.”