Awaken: Book One: London Read online

  He looked disappointed. ‘And Batman’s a lightweight.’ I cloaked a smile and allowed myself to cave to peer-pressure.

  ‘Fine – I’ll have one more.’

  He tapped the table and stood. ‘And tequila shots! Don’t go anywhere, Batman.’ I pretended to take offense at my new nickname and watched him weave over to the bar. Naturally, he was quickly served. I can stand at a bar for hours before I can get anyone’s attention. And I’m Batman.

  Too many drinks later, we stumbled out into the street ready to make our way back to my flat. We’d managed to miss the rain, but there were big puddles gathering over the road so we had to hop a little over the cobbles.

  We turned away from the main street into a cut through. The aim had been to save time getting to the tube. We shouldn’t have bothered. We had barely turned the corner when something flashed in the corner of my eye. An instant later, Vince was pinned to the ground grappling with three guys. I had no idea what to do. After all, Vince was a werewolf and he was being held. Why didn’t he change into a wolf – surely, he’d be able to fight better as a wolf?

  It soon became clear they didn’t want to kill either of us. Or, at least, they didn’t just want to kill either of us. They wanted to talk.

  ‘There’s a rumour that a friend of yours is back in town,’ one of them said as he twirled a black knife between his fingers. He was talking to Vince; he barely seemed to notice me. ‘Is it true?’

  Vince looked menacing as he was held there, his wolf pacing behind whatever block they had put him under. But he couldn’t do anything. He bared his teeth.

  The man took a step towards me. ‘Does your lady friend know?’

  ‘Know what?’ I asked.

  ‘About the dog’s friend who’s back in town, love.’

  ‘Who?’ Was Vince mixed up with something dangerous? A cold shiver ran down my spine. Was this about Ariane?

  ‘Oh,’ he pouted at Vince. ‘Does your human not know?’

  ‘Human?’ There was that word again. That confusing, irritating word. Whatever I was, I wasn’t human. My reaction seemed to please him. He tipped his head back and laughed.

  The next moment, there was a hand at his throat. It was connected to a crisp white shirt over a familiar body.

  ‘Wolfe.’ Relief washed over me.

  ‘Name,’ he barked as more familiar faces appeared and Vince pushed himself up from the floor.

  The arms around me felt looser. I shrugged them off and then froze. They had thudded to the ground. My throat immediately closed up.

  I looked down. The arms that up until now had been secured about my person were no longer attached to a body. Someone had torn them off without my even noticing.

  I felt a wave of nausea and blacked out.

  When I awoke I was lying on my back on a bed. Wolfe was sat next to me, watching carefully. It took me a while to realise we were in my room at the flat.

  ‘Did I hurt anyone?’

  He shook his head. ‘No.’ He placed a hand on my shoulder in comfort, but he was staring as if he had no idea what I might do next. ‘You fainted.’

  ‘Fainted?’ I scrunched up my face. That was why I had blacked out? Ariane hadn’t tried to protect people? I pushed myself upright and shifted back against the headboard. How could I have fainted? I never faint! And then I remembered the probable cause. ‘Someone tore some guy’s arms off! While they were still around me!’

  He frowned. ‘Yes. Me.’ He didn’t say it with pride or pleasure. It was a simple statement. As if he considered it an everyday clarification. Yes, he had removed the torso from a body without disturbing the arms and with barely a second thought. Apparently, that was normal.

  ‘I—’ I spent a little while spluttering at the violent horror of it all. The person sat opposite me had lately dismembered someone without a care in the world. ‘Why would you do that?’ I had seen extreme violence before but not for a long time. I wasn’t used to it. I didn’t want to be.

  He seemed to sense my outrage and chewed his words a little before speaking. ‘Those men were vampires. Young vampires. With little control. They should not have been touching you.’

  ‘I-I—’ They were vampires? My heart stuttered. There were vampires. I had barely thought on it after our previous conversation. I would have assumed vampires would look more attractive and less like normal people. ‘Did you kill them?’ I held my breath, almost wishing I hadn’t asked. I didn’t really want the answer.

  ‘Not all of them.’ He hadn’t killed them? I supposed that was something. ‘One we are keeping. To understand his maker’s purpose in attacking.’ I watched him carefully. He was a killer. Of killers. But did that make it acceptable? ‘They were looking for you.’

  A chill passed over me as my guess was confirmed. I forced myself to hold Wolfe’s eye. ‘To kill me?’ My voice broke a bit despite my strong stare. I cleared my throat and tried to be unaffected. But I was scared. Who wouldn’t be?

  ‘Perhaps.’

  I latched onto the glimmer of hope in his words. ‘Perhaps not?’

  ‘If they are looking for you, they must believe you are alive. It is true that they might want to end you. More likely, they will want to you as an ally.’ I rubbed my face. They wouldn’t want me once they realised I was just a human now...with a really long life span.

  ‘Why are we in my flat? Surely your place is more secure.’

  ‘You are more comfortable here.’ Well, that was…thoughtful. ‘And we must discipline whoever made it public that you are found.’ I must have gone pale because he reached out and touched me again. This time I noticed blood on the cuffs of his shirt. My stomach gave a sudden lurch, desperate to vacate its contents.

  I ran to the bathroom.

  Wolfe and Vince were stood waiting outside when I emerged some time later. I was surprised to see Vince there, but at least it meant he wasn’t hurt.

  ‘How many people are here?’

  ‘Two in the hall. Four outside.’ Huh? ‘Ah, you meant inside your flat? Just us. And your friend, Fi. Who sleeps very heavily.’

  I glanced towards Fi’s door. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘5am.’

  ‘I need a bath,’ I muttered as I tried not to picture the bloody arms Wolfe had torn from an unsuspecting torso. I glanced then at the not-so-white shirt he was wearing. My stomach gave another little jolt. ‘Please take that off.’

  He began unbuttoning without pause and I stalled. It was too early not to. I hadn’t expected him to start to undress right there in front of me. And his body was like some kind of potent drug, coaxing me to stop and stare. ‘Vince and I need to let our wolves run,’ he said, seemingly unaware of exactly how aware I was of his fingers on his buttons. I swallowed. I blinked. I tried to look away. I failed. ‘We will leave you to bathe,’ he continued. ‘You will be protected while we are gone.’

  I bit the inside of my lip when he pulled off his shirt completely. There was that chest again! What was wrong with me? Was I in heat? My knees literally felt weak at the sight of him so close.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vince grin. Presumably, that meant that they could both tell the effect a well-toned chest had on me. At least Wolfe did the gentlemanly thing of pretending not to notice. Vince sure as hell didn’t. He smirked. I scowled at him and folded my arms.

  ‘I guess I’ll wait here.’

  ‘We will return in a couple of hours.’ He waited for me to nod and then made his way to the door, leaving his speckled shirt on the sofa.

  Vince let out a short laugh once Wolfe was outside and patted me on my arm. ‘Oh, the hormones in here!’ I inwardly cringed and outwardly feigned defensive ignorance.

  ‘What?’

  He grinned and moved over to the door. ‘It’s nice to see you two getting along.’

  I sent him a deliberate scowl as I closed the door and then mused against the wood. If he sensed us “getting along”, then surely that meant it wasn’t just my reaction he felt? Had Wolfe enjoyed his abi
lity to rouse my interest by stripping? He had certainly taken his time about it.

  As I thought on it, I ran my bath, threw a load of clothes in the washing machine, bathed, got dressed and made a huge pot of coffee. I’d just poured a steaming mug when Fi padded into the kitchen in her pjs. She smiled sleepily.

  ‘Good morning.’

  I grabbed another mug and poured as she took up a stool opposite me around the counter. We spent a moment in silence and then, after a few welcomed shots of caffeine, were able to talk.

  ‘What time did you get in? I didn’t hear you.’

  I didn’t know either. ‘Around 2am, I think.’

  ‘Alone?’ She gave me a devilish smile over her mug. I debated how to answer. Vince and Wolfe would probably be back from their run soon. There was no point in pretending that the three of us were working together. I could hardly tell the truth, either. Oh, they’re werewolves. I wondered if we all looked the same age. How straightforward would it be to pretend we all went to school together?

  ‘Not quite.’

  She grinned fully. ‘Still here?’

  ‘No.’ I decided to just come out and say it. ‘They went for a run.’

  ‘They?’

  ‘Vince – the guy from my office,’ I explained. ‘And Zosimos Wolfe.’

  She froze, clearly unable to decide what to say. Then tipped her head back in laughter. ‘Zosimos Wolfe and the guy who brought the pizza last night?’

  ‘It’s not what you think,’ I said, feeling the sides of my mouth tug upwards. ‘It’s really not. They went for a run.’ Did that make it weirder? Like they had met for the first time last night, enjoyed a threesome, then gone for a run while I had a bath? Perhaps the school friends story was the right way to go.

  Fi was still laughing when the buzzer went. I grimaced and hoped Wolfe was now wearing a shirt.

  He was. They must have stopped on the way to shower and dress. Oddly, I was slightly disappointed. A part of me would have loved to see Fi’s face when confronted by two attractive, shirtless men. Well, werewolves.

  ‘I’ve just made coffee,’ I said as I let them in and led the way to the kitchen. I pretended to be completely at ease as I poured two extra mugs, opened the biscuit tin and started making a load of toast. Fi was good enough to pretend that it was completely normal to have two guys join us for breakfast, one of whom was on the Forbes rich list. They all made small talk while I whizzed around laying the table.

  ‘We’re supposed to be having good weather. Are you doing anything nice this weekend?’ Fi asked Wolfe as she passed the marmalade. There was something about how normal the setting was that felt strange. Whether he was relaxed or not, he was...amiable.

  ‘There is a family reunion this evening.’ I frowned. What did that mean? Wolves would be gathering in London?

  ‘That’s nice. Do you have a large family?’

  ‘Yes,’ he began but my own curiosity interrupted before he could continue.

  ‘Is all your family in England?’ I asked.

  His eyes shot to mine. ‘No.’

  ‘Are they visiting from far for the reunion?’

  ‘Yes. They are eager to see an old friend who has recently returned to us.’ That meant they were coming because of me – because they had heard about Ariane. I swallowed. Nervous.

  ‘How many will be at the reunion?’ I asked.

  He didn’t answer straight away. I took that to mean many. ‘No more than one hundred.’

  Fi topped up the coffee. ‘That is a big family. What about you, Ceri? Any plans for tonight?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ I said with a frown. I guessed I had to stay with Wolfe. Especially if there were people looking for me. Not people – vampires. ‘I have some work to catch up on.’

  ‘Did you manage to write your paper?’ she asked with a glance at Vince as she started clearing the table. Vince stood to help.

  ‘We got a little distracted,’ he answered, knotting my stomach. I sensed something press the air and watched him quickly lose his grin. Presumably that was Wolfe maintaining order. I was grateful. I still hadn’t figured out a palatable story for Fi.

  ‘Yeah, I heard you went out. Anywhere nice?’

  I let Vince answer and stared at Wolfe. He stared back. I indicated the door and stood. ‘While you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand with something?’ I said abstractly enough, although Vince and Fi seemed happy doing to the washing up.

  Wolfe followed me to my room and closed the door.

  ‘You have questions about tonight.’ It was a statement but I gave a nod anyway and folded my arms.

  ‘Your “family” are other werewolves?’

  ‘A handful from each pack. They have a right to know that you are alive. We have an obligation to show them.’ I had to be there?

  I cleared my throat. ‘Will they want me dead?’

  He thought carefully on my words. ‘Perhaps.’ I swallowed. Despite living for a long, long time, I didn’t want to die. ‘Some will be scared of what you are capable of. There may be those who think you want their positions. They will expect you to challenge them, fight them for dominance.’ He reached out suddenly and gripped my arm. ‘Stop that. You cannot show fear.’

  ‘I’m not afraid!’ I was terrified. That evening I was supposed to enter a room full of dominant werewolves who thought I wanted to fight them. If they were anything like Wolfe, I was doomed.

  ‘You are. I can smell your fear. They will be able to as well. You must stop.’

  ‘Stop what? I’m not doing it deliberately. You just said some werewolves will be expecting me to fight them! How am I supposed to defend myself?’

  I could feel his anger though his words were calm. He took a step closer, his fingers still tight on my arm. ‘Stop. If they scent your fear, they will act on it.’ I tried to distract myself but it was difficult to think straight. The more someone tells me to do something, the less I can do it. I tried to think about anything else. It wasn’t working.

  ‘I’m trying.’

  ‘Try harder.’ I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing. ‘Would it help if I took my shirt off again?’

  My eyes shot open. Was he serious? Judging by the expression on his face, he wasn’t. He seemed slightly more relaxed than before.

  ‘Good. You must find a way to distract yourself when you are afraid. You may think about me if it helps.’

  ‘It doesn’t help.’ It was a lie. We both knew it, but he said nothing. I wondered if he could tell how much more comfortable I was around him. I thought back to my conversation with Vince. Maybe I was excited around Wolfe too. If he could smell my emotion, what was the point in pretending? ‘What will happen tonight?’

  He moved his hand, indicating for me to sit down. When I didn’t, he straightened. ‘There will be a meeting. I will introduce you. There will be many questions. I will answer them on your behalf.’

  ‘Why can’t I answer them?’

  He thought on his response. ‘In some cases, you may not have the answer. In others, it may be wise to be diplomatic.’

  ‘Diplomatic? If you can all scent emotion, what’s the point of lying?’

  ‘Diplomacy is not lying, Ceri. The alphas of powerful packs are coming to investigate the claim that their greatest legend and most feared tormentor is alive. I do not want to start a war because of an accidental indiscretion.’

  ‘Your whole business is war! And from what the doctor told me, werewolves are violent by nature.’

  He frowned, his eyes never leaving mine as if it helped him somehow understand me. ‘Our business is irrelevant. The greatest Columbian pack exports fruit. And it is precisely because we are violent that we must be diplomatic. Whispers of your existence have already spread outside the family. I would have thought that after last night, you would be in agreement.’

  I rubbed my eyes, remembering the vampires. ‘So, I’m just required to stand there?’

  ‘For the most part.’

  ‘What if they ask fo
r proof?’

  ‘You cannot control yourself, so we will have to disappoint them.’

  ‘What if I black out?’

  ‘If you faint?’

  ‘No. I mean what happens if Ariane senses a threat and takes over like she did before.’

  ‘Ah. Leonor will not be present.’

  I let out a breath. ‘That’s not what I mean. Anybody could set Ariane on a rampage! What happens then?’

  He glanced away thoughtfully for a moment. At last, he understood my worry. ‘There will be a lot of alphas in that room. Tension will be great. If you,’ he cleared his throat, ‘rampage, there will be many there who will rampage back.’

  Was that supposed to calm me down? It wasn’t working. ‘And kill me.’

  ‘You will most likely kill them first. Even in human form, you are very strong.’

  There was something cold about the way he said those words that sent a shiver running over me. Suddenly I found myself wondering what the meeting really meant. If pack hierarchy was down to dominance and aggression, and if Ariane killed the dominants in other packs, would that make Wolfe leader of all the packs? What did that make me? I wasn’t some long-lost mate or pack member. I was a weapon. And one that only he knew how to control. And forget Columbian fruit – this wolf’s whole business empire was structured around weapons.

  He was still watching me so I stared back, trying to hide my thoughts. If he could sense my emotion, I didn’t want him feeling my doubt in him. There was an intensity to his eyes that was somehow different now. As a stranger, I didn’t expect to know anything about him, but now I suspected him of lying. And if he could lie to me, I couldn’t trust him.

  A loud clang followed by a shriek from Fi, distracted my dark thoughts. My nerves were already shot and the thought of her in trouble brought out every protective instinct I had. I pushed passed Wolfe and wrenched open the door. By the time I had made it to the kitchen, every part of my body was ready for action. My body – not Ariane’s.

  Fi was laughing. So was Vince. There was water everywhere. They were struggling with the tap as water spouted up and over the sink.