The House Grey vampire coughed. “Your sentimentality is unbecoming.”
“Dren, please kill him,” Anna said.
The Husker hesitated. “To kill him will make you a large number of enemies, Sanguine. Enemies you might not want yet, in your illustrious five-hour-old career.”
“I don’t think I care.”
Dren shrugged and set his sickle to the Grey’s throat. “Don’t you want to know about Santa—” the Grey began. Anna didn’t look up. Dren finished his move and the vampire dusted like a cloud.
The distant howling came nearer. Anna looked down to Helen now. “Such a meal I have not had before. No wonder we used to keep your kind as pets. Perhaps that can be your punishment. I’ll chain you to the end of my bed and drain you every night.”
Lucas the wolf crouched at the edge of the circle, then bounded in. His wolf left him as fluidly as I knew it had arrived. He landed softly, on one knee, both hands touching down. Two other weres leapt in beside him.
“Their punishments are ours.” He stood and turned to look at Helen. “What were you thinking? How could you shame us so?”
“My father killed my husband to hide his secret, to buy his extra years of life. Fenris—my Fenris—died for my father’s secret use of vampire blood, so that no one else would know.” Helen picked up a handful of the slush beside her and threw it at Lucas’s feet. “Fenris Jr. was too young to lead, and the pack would never pick a woman. I had to let that bastard live until my son’s position was secure—then he went and got you to rule us!” Her face curdled in anger. “That was when I made my pact and told House Grey I’d raise an army to get the blood from here. They denied him vampire blood and Jorgen tried to kill him, but the bastard wouldn’t die. All of it was going to be ruined. All my waiting, all my patience, and for what?”
Lucas’s face held pity for her mixed with horror. “I told you I was only going to be pack leader for the interim. Why didn’t you believe me?”
“Have you ever known a man to step away from a throne?”
Lucas clenched his fists at his sides. “I am not like him, Helen.”
“That’s what all men say.”
Anna moved to stand in front of Lucas. “I demand her life. A life for a life—it is the old way.”
“We will punish her in our own manner. Take Jorgen instead.” The weres beside Lucas moved to grab Jorgen, and he fought back.
“No!” Helen screamed, reaching for him as they dragged him off.
“Is that the one who attacked you, Edie?” Anna asked. I nodded. “We’ll accept him then. His death shall be as you prefer.”
I took two steps back. “What … if I don’t prefer it?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Sike did not die so that this one could live.”
I waited, unable to speak.
I could use needles on patients; I could debride painful wounds; I could hold a crying child down to push a feeding tube up its nose—and I could bleed a vampire. But could I, with my voice, give the command to kill a man?
“If I may make a suggestion, ladies,” Dren said, stepping in. “I’ve always wanted a were for a Hound.”
Anna looked at me, then back to Dren. “Do it.”
It was better than death. Right? I didn’t fight when Dren took Jorgen in hand. I knew then I would always regret it. Dren pulled him outside the circle, and it was dark, so I couldn’t see, but I could hear Jorgen cry out.
“No—” Helen whispered. “Samson, Lars, Nichola—when they questioned how Winter was living so long, he bought some of them off with blood. Take one of them instead!” she pleaded. At the back of the pack, in the shadows, some weres peeled away and ran off.
Lucas snapped his fingers, and other wolves ran off after their traitors. “Who else?”
“No one!” she said.
“All right. Then we decide.”
A high-pitched snarl began from inside the pack’s group. Helen blanched. “Fenris, no—”
Fenris Jr. ran in, on four legs, then two, crouching in front of his mom. “Don’t hurt her!”
Lucas swooped down and scruffed the boy, just like he was a puppy, holding him up by his neck.
“No, Lucas—no,” Helen whispered.
“Pack honor demands that your bloodline be punished. That means both of you.” Creatures with teeth and paws reached forward into the circle, grabbing hold of Helen, pulling her back into the dark. Lucas tossed Fenris Jr. to the ground.
Fenris landed poorly, a tangle of arms and legs. I ran out to stand in front of him.
“You can’t, Lucas. He’s just a child.”
“Edie—get out of the way.”
“I can’t let you do this, Lucas.” I looked to Anna for help, but she raised her hands as if they were tied. “You’ll regret it forever if you kill him!”
“I’ll regret it forever if I let him live. I’ll be the pack leader who was dishonored.”
“So? Who cares? No one cares about that! No one has to care!” I reached around behind myself to press Fenris Jr. tight.
A phalanx of new wolves and wolfmen arrived, and one of them pressed through. It was deep black, with white splotches. When it reached the circle’s edge, the wolf skin fell away. Viktor stood there, finally without his hat. “I care. None of your bloodline deserves to lead this pack, not anymore.” Viktor moved into the center of the circle, shouting loud enough for all. “I figured it all out. All of it. Only none of you would have listened to me. I brought one of the drug dealers here—I interrogated him. Found out he got his drug—his Lobos Luna—straight from Jorgen.” The wolfmen shoved forward a man, who hit the pavement on his knees.
The dealer was Jake. My heart stopped. How come Jake wasn’t out there with the rest of the crazed new weres? I couldn’t look behind me now to see how the Shadows were “taking care” of things. And Jake was looking down—soon he had to look up and see me.
Viktor continued. “You’re not fit to lead, Lucas. Look at all this chaos in your pack. So many traitors. Kill the boy—and then fight me for your pack.”
Lucas watched Viktor as the newcomer walked proudly around. “Who are you to tell me what to do?” Lucas asked.
“I’ve watched all of your fights. I know where all your weaknesses are. To the Viktor will go the spoils!” Viktor said, thumping his chest, stepping aside.
Lucas took three steps toward me, as though he were coming for Fenris. Fenris scrabbled behind me, reaching the edge of the circle at last. I heard the snarls as he changed into a wolf, and frightened yips as he ran away. Lucas made like he’d give chase, then whirled and took two low steps back at Viktor, punching out to shove his human hand into Viktor’s stomach, carrying Viktor upward with the force of the blow. Standing, he drew the other were onto his toes, his arm embedded in Viktor’s chest. “It seems I have your heart.”
Viktor couldn’t say anything. His face went red, his rib cage straining the confines of his chest, gasping for air. Lucas went on.
“No one tells me how to lead my pack.” He flung Viktor outside the circle, and the black wolf form enveloped him as he left it. “Heal—and heel. Don’t offer me counsel ever again.”
Lucas looked out at the rest of his pack, held his arms wide. “Is this settled? Is there anyone else?” His pack gave no response. “Good. No one harms a hair on Junior’s head. Bring him home safe, to me.”
He turned toward me, sitting in the circle with him, and offered me a gore-covered hand. Since I’d already had one were-shot that evening, I took it. “You were born the wrong species.”
I sagged with relief and exhaustion. “I don’t think so.”