Shifters Rule (Rule Series) Read online

  SHIFTERS RULE

  by K.C. Blake

  *****

  Shifters Rule

  Copyright © 2012 by K.C. Blake

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  ADDITIONAL BOOKS BY K.C. BLAKE:

  .

  The Witch Game Series:

  CRUSHED

  WITCH HUNT

  .

  The Rule Series:

  VAMPIRES RULE

  WEREWOLVES RULE

  .

  Coming Soon:

  The Order of the Spirit Realm Series:

  BAIT

  HUNTER

  WARRIOR

  LEGEND

  .

  *****

  Chapter One:

  NIGHT VISITOR

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  .

  Six weeks after graduation…

  It was two o’clock in the morning when Jack stood at the top of the steep staircase, dagger clenched in his right hand. Tilting his head, he strained his ears for the slightest sound. Although he was no longer a vampire, his hearing was almost as good. A strange noise had shaken him from sleep, a muted crash as if someone had bumped into a heavy object and knocked it over even as they tried in vain to catch it. The sound was followed by a muffled curse. His super-hearing failed to catch an accent so he ruled Ian out. There was an intruder in the house, a male intruder. Hope blossomed within his heart instead of dread, knowing it could be Billy.

  Billy had disappeared after graduation, but Jack refused to give up on his brother. The kid was out there somewhere, confused and hurting. Jack was determined to find him. If he could just talk to Billy, reason with him, he was sure he could convince his kid brother to return home. Jack was even willing to move out for a while if it would make things easier for Billy. He just wanted to know his brother was safe.

  Jack reached out with his free hand and flicked on the overhead light. It lit the stairs and foyer below. There wasn’t a sign of anything amiss. The foyer looked the same as it had when Jack went to bed. He grasped the wooden railing and leaned over to check the living room. It seemed to be empty as well. If a stranger was in the house, they were in another part of it.

  The floor creaked behind him.

  Strong hands shoved him, and Jack lost his balance. He flew down the stairs like a clumsy gymnast, smashing into the wall at the halfway point. Then he rolled headfirst over the last few steps and landed at the bottom of the staircase in a tangled heap. The dagger flew from his fingers and skated across the hardwood floor. Every inch of his body screamed in pain.

  The intruder descended the stairs with slow, meticulous steps while removing a pair of dark gloves. Even though it was a warm summer evening, he wore a long black coat. Jack recognized the garment immediately. It was the same coat worn by a killer from his past, the psychotic werewolf who had thrown Tobias off a tall building. Before the man’s face came into view, he knew without a doubt the intruder was Jersey Clifford.

  Most werewolves preferred winter to summer, but Jersey was a law unto himself. He wore heavy layers even in the most humid weather. Sometimes it made Jack hot just to look at him. He wondered if Jersey’s immortal body was immune to hot and cold.

  Jack tried to get up.

  Jersey pressed a foot against his chest, pinning him to the floor like a bug. Amusement played across the older man’s features as he said, “You look good flat on your back. I think you should remain in your present position. Believe me, it’s safer for you.”

  “Why are you here?” Pain, anger, and humiliation brought out the sarcasm. “Let me guess. You want to know what I’m reading, right? You probably came over for a book report.” Feeling reckless, he added, “What’s wrong? No friends to hang with?”

  Jersey sneered. “I came to offer you a final chance to join the winning side before I rip your stupid face off. Show some gratitude.”

  “I wouldn’t take a spot on your team if you were the last smelly werewolf on the planet.”

  “I had hoped time would convince you to be reasonable, but you are as stubborn as a century is long. Am I waiting in vain for you to grow a brain? Tell me, will you ever come to your senses?”

  Jack shook his head against the hardwood floor with violent little jerks, his mouth a tight line.

  Jersey removed his foot from Jack’s chest and strolled into the living room, hands clasped behind his back. As soon as Jersey crossed the threshold, Jack was on his feet. His gaze automatically went to the front door. He knew he couldn’t win in a fair fight against Jersey Clifford, not yet. Until then Caution was his middle name.

  The door was within reach. Vampire-speed would take him miles from their current location before Jersey could do more than blink a few times. Running away might be the smartest thing he could do at this point. But it wasn’t his style. With a grimace he followed his former teacher into the heart of the house. Curiosity pushed him forward. The head werewolf obviously wanted something. Why else would he risk showing his face at a hunter’s house?

  Jersey stood in front of the fireplace. He placed narrow hands on the mantle and leaned forward, head bowed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders and he couldn’t bear it any longer. His unprotected back made a tempting target, but Jack wasn’t that stupid. He knew this was a test. Jersey wanted to see if Jack was going to attack him. Maybe he even wanted Jack to attack. A show of aggression would give Jersey an excuse to end this now.

  “I was reading Edgar Allan Poe yesterday,” Jack said, offering the werewolf a bone. “The one about the raven. He heard tapping… tapping on his chamber door, but when he opened it, he found darkness and nothing more. I kind of expected to find the same when I opened my bedroom door tonight. Yet here you are.”

  “It pleases me that you continue to broaden your mind.” Jersey lifted his head and smiled. “I tried to convince Pagan to do the same, only she hated the written word, especially poetry. She couldn’t understand a word of it. It was her only fault.”

  Pagan was Jersey’s assistant before a wraith had killed her. Since the woman’s death was partly Jack’s fault, the mention of her name made him visibly cringe. He drew Jersey down a different verbal path.

  “Oh yes,” Jack said with a wry smile. “You have a new helper now, don’t you? And how is my none-too-faithful kitty-cat?”

  Jersey turned to look at Jack, an odd expression twisting his features. Before Jack could label it, it was gone. The former teacher shrugged thin shoulders. “Blanca is doing quite well, thank you. In fact, she’s amazing. I don’t know how I ever got along without her. Tell me honestly. Do you miss her?”

  “Like a toothache. I wish I’d gotten a dog instead.”

  Jersey hissed between clenched teeth. “You should think before you speak.” He took a deep breath and rubbed the bottom half of his face. When he started to talk again, it sounded rehearsed. “There is no escape from fate, no detour when you are dealing with destiny. You need to get it through your thick skull. Destiny has a way of fulfilling its own plan, even when the participants refuse to cooperate.”

  “Garbage.” Jack stayed on the other side of the room with the sofa between them in case Jersey decided to attack him. His gaze locked on the werewolf’s chin instead of his eyes. If they didn’t lock gazes, Jersey wouldn’t be tempted to suck his soul out. A heavy blanket of tension settled over Jack’s heart. Grief made him ask, “Why did you turn my brother into a werewolf? Was it some grand master plan that only makes sense to someone who is so obviously out of his mind?”

  “Perhaps it wasn’t me who did the deed.”

  “Then who?” Jack pushed for an answer, desperate. “Who did it? I want to know. Was it the werewolf with the silver knife?”

  Jersey’s eyes widened a fraction. “Helio? I ha
d no idea the two of you had met. He’s certainly no friend of mine. If you want to destroy him, feel free to do so. I won’t try to stop you, and I certainly won’t mourn for him.”

  “I would love to kill him. Can’t find him. After Billy joined the pack, they moved to another location. Do you know where they’re at?”

  “Quite possibly.”

  “Are you going to tell me? Or do you want to play Twenty Questions?”

  Jersey lifted a finger high in the air. The gesture was reminiscent of lectures he’d given at the high school. His stance and expression warned Jack he was ready to teach his former student another lesson. “I will tell you what you want to know if you answer me this. How much do you remember of your former life? I know Isobel was trying to induce memories. Did she succeed?”

  “I remember you killed me.”

  “That was… a mistake. I regretted it later seconds after you took your last breath and every night since. Now to answer your question. The werewolf you seek has moved to another house. I won’t give you the address. No fun to be found there. I will, however, give you a clue to help you on your way.”

  Jack wanted to cram Jersey’s clue down his throat. He worked hard to keep a tight reign on his temper. Getting mad certainly wouldn’t loosen Jersey’s lips. “Is my brother with Helio?”

  “Indeed he is.” Jersey shook his head, his eyes filled with mirth. “I never would have thought your brother capable of embracing life as a werewolf so easily. He seems quite taken with the power. What do you suppose you’re going to do about him?”

  Jack planned on chaining Billy to a wall during the next full moon cycle, if he could find him in time. Maybe Billy could walk around free during other phases of the moon; although Billy hadn’t tried to reach out to him since graduation. It was possible Billy was permanently lost, a shadow of his former self.

  “Don’t worry about my brother. I’ll take care of him.”

  Jersey stepped closer. “Do you still believe you can win this war, Jack? I know what you’ve been doing, trying to learn to suck souls. Do you think that a wise decision considering I am the master of ripping souls from the body?”

  “I’m doing more than trying. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at it. Not a master yet. But I will be by the time we go to war.”

  “You are a fool.”

  “And you are trespassing.” Ian Carver’s booming voice filled the room even as his large body filled the doorway to the foyer.

  Jack looked at his uncle, saw the revolver in his hand, and hope for a quick resolution to the werewolf problem made his heart leap for joy. Ian’s dark eyes were narrowed and fierce. No doubt there were silver bullets inside the chamber of the gun. Maybe they would slow Jersey down enough for the two of them to cut the werewolf’s head off. Jack held his breath. Anxious for it to be over, he waited for Ian to fire the first shot.

  Ian’s finger began to squeeze the trigger.

  Jersey disappeared.

  One second he was standing in the center of the living room and the next, he was gone. Poof. Nothing left but a bad taste in Jack’s mouth.

  Jack spun around in a circle, eyes wide, before turning to Ian. “What the...? How did he...? Am I dreaming?”

  “If you are, then I am as well. So no, unfortunately, you are not.”

  He wished he was dreaming because being awake meant Jersey had learned a new (scary) trick. The possibilities made him dizzy. If Jersey could pop in and out of their lives whenever he wanted to, there would be no stopping him. He was on his way to becoming invincible. Then they were all dead.

  “Where were you?” Jack asked.

  Ian had insisted on moving in after Billy was transformed into a ‘monster’ so he could keep Jack safe. The older man sighed, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. “Every hour on the hour I take a quick trip around the exterior of the house, looking for potential trouble. It was an unbelievably stupid mistake I will not repeat in the future, I assure you. I should have varied my routine instead of becoming predictable. The werewolf must have been watching and waiting for an opportunity.”

  Jack didn’t blame his uncle for the slip. Even the best hunters made a bad move on occasion. His parents had gotten themselves killed in their own front yard, and Billy had been changed into a dirty werewolf. Ian was only human, bound to make mistakes on occasion.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jack said.

  “Are you okay? You have a cut above your eye.”

  Jack reached up and touched his fingers to the wound. There was a spot of dried blood where it was already healing. He shrugged. “I took the hard way down the stairs. I’m fine. Jersey just wanted to play games. I don’t think he’ll come back, at least not tonight.”

  “You can go to bed then. Get some sleep.”

  “I think I’ll wait until my heart stops pounding.” Jack collapsed onto the sofa and put his bare feet on the coffee table. He picked up the remote and pointed it at the TV. “Maybe I’ll watch a little television.”

  “There’s nothing decent on at this hour. I have a better idea. Let’s chat.”

  Jack waited for his uncle to take a seat. The guy chose Billy’s favorite chair, their dad’s old chair. For a split second Jack wanted to yell, “Don’t sit there!” but he refrained. It was silly to worry about where someone planted their butt, especially considering everything else going on. Ian sitting in Billy’s chair didn’t mean Billy was gone forever. It wasn’t a premonition of things to come.

  “What do you want to talk about?” Jack asked.

  “Your choice.”

  Several things sprang to mind. He wanted to beg Ian not to kill his brother once they found him. There were still unanswered questions about his father. Jack felt like he hadn’t even known John Creed. It was possible Ian could give him a new view of his father, some insight into the real John Creed. Also, Jack didn’t know anything about his uncle. There were at least a hundred things he wanted to ask Ian about his own past.

  Ian’s gaze traveled to a family photograph on the fireplace mantle. He walked over and took it down for a second to inspect it. Grief twisted his facial features. Jack thought it might be better not to talk about personal matters tonight. Ian obviously missed his brother.

  In the end Jack decided to start slow and easy. It was too late for long conversations anyway, and he was way too tired for a deep discussion. He forced a smile and asked, “How do you feel about baseball?”

  They talked for over an hour about everything and about nothing until Jack couldn’t keep his eyes open another second. He went to bed feeling a bit lighter than when he’d first gotten up to find Jersey in his home. Even though he’d had some reservations about letting Ian move in with him, it was good to have his uncle in the house. He hated being alone.

  As Jack fell asleep, he remembered the clue Jersey supposedly was keeping to himself. He wondered if Jersey would tell him at their next meeting. Maybe. Maybe not. It probably wouldn’t matter anyway. Jersey’s clue would be an impossible-to-solve riddle. Jack was better off searching for Billy on his own.

  His last thought before he fell asleep was of his brother. Somehow he was going to find Billy. As the oldest Creed boy Billy was his responsibility. He didn’t take the duty lightly. He was going to save his brother if it was the last thing he did. He was going to give Billy back his mortality.

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  *****

  .

  It was almost dawn, and Jack could smell the rising sun. He was still tired. Rough night, too many bad dreams about hairy monsters howling at the moon and not enough sleep. He rested on top of the covers and thought about Silver. Time was running out. She would be leaving for college soon. Her eyes sparkled every time the subject was introduced. The fact she’d be leaving him didn’t seem to bother her anymore. Maybe he should go with her, get away from Nebraska and the whole werewolf-vampire mess.

  Jack desperately wanted to see her. A few options came to mind. He could call her, but she was probably asleep. He could join her in
a dream, but Jersey could appear and attack them both. That didn’t sound like a fun time.

  Jack wasn’t supposed to eavesdrop on her memories. She’d made him promise not to do it. Too bad he couldn’t think of a better way. He just wanted to feel close to her. Shutting his eyes, he concentrated on Silver’s face. He asked himself a question. Was she thinking about him?

  A short-lived burst of electricity sizzled over his nerves.

  Another moment and he was inside her head, looking through her eyes. Her every thought belonged to him. He felt what she felt and knew what she knew. Before—living as a vampire—he had thought blood was an intoxicating drug. This was worse, much worse. He wanted to live inside her head forever.

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  *****

  .

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Trina asked. “It’s a big move. The biggest. Totally intense. Nothing could be more intense than this.”

  “Okay, I get it. It’s a major deal.” Silver lay across her friend’s flowery pink bed. She held one of Trina’s favorite stuffed animals, a little gray elephant in her hands. Her fingers tugged absently on the big floppy ears as she said, “I don’t want to lose him.”

  “I thought you guys worked things out already.”

  “I’m leaving soon. It’s real to me now. I won’t see Jack except for on holidays. How am I going to concentrate on my classes when Jack is half a world away?”

  Trina pulled clothes from her closet, a single outfit at a time. She held each one in front of her body and looked into the mirror over her vanity before tossing the outfit and moving onto the next. “Don’t you think getting married is a little extreme? I know I haven’t been Jack’s biggest fan, but I don’t think he’s going to chase other girls as soon as your back is turned. He’s crazy about you.”

  Silver sighed in frustration. She thought if anyone would understand what she was planning to do it would be Trina, her best friend since grade school. Her mind continued to rush in violent circles until she felt seasick. Okay, maybe on the surface marriage didn’t seem like the best idea, but she loved Jack. When two people loved each other, they got married. Right?