Chapter Six
As Alynna led the men down the hallway of the 16th floor barracks, Meredith muttered to herself and walked straight to her room, the door closing behind her with a soft thud.
Archie…
Her she-wolf let out a pained howl. Of course, her animal was mourning the loss, too. After all, it was Archie who encouraged her to talk to her she-wolf and nurture it.
You need to make friends with her, Meredith, he would always say. She’s strong. She didn’t break, but you can’t let her break you.
Despite what happened when she was a child, the she-wolf stayed whole. Meredith, too, grew stronger under Archie’s care, plus she had a warm bed, food, and people she could consider family, not one by blood, but by choice.
Guilt and pain stabbed through her. She and Archie did not part ways on good terms. When she left 8 months ago, she had been so angry at Archie. God, the last things she said to him…
A sob escaped from her mouth and finally, the tears she’d been keeping inside began to flow. She sat on the bed, gazing at the wall. The sadness gripping her heart was making it difficult to breathe.
Suddenly, the door opened and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. “Who’s— what the fuck are you doing here? Don’t you know how to knock or did the mages forget to teach you manners?”
Daric strode in, his face an unreadable mask. “You didn’t come back to escort me to my room.”
“Yeah, well, I’m done for the day,” she stood up and walked over to him. “And I’m done with you! Get the fuck out.” When he didn’t move, she slapped her hands on his chest and gave him a shove, but he remained rooted to the spot. “Don’t you know what ‘get the fuck out’ means?” She began to beat at his chest, pounding as hard as she could, despite the fact that he didn’t even flinch. Anger and rage filled her, bubbling to the surface, forcing more hot tears down her cheeks. When she slowed down, Daric wrapped his hands around her wrists.
“Feel better?” he asked.
Meredith choked and a deep, guttural sound tore from her chest. She tried to pull away from him, but he only drew her closer, pulling her to his chest. The warmth of his skin emanated through the thin T-shirt, and she inhaled his delicious cocoa scent. She sobbed against him, and he put his arms around her in a tight embrace. Not caring one bit who he was and the things that happened between them that morning, she slipped her arms around his waist, trying to get as close to him as possible. His presence, his scent, and his hands soothing her back was comforting, and he let her cry for a few more minutes.
Finally, she pulled away, letting out a hiccup as she frowned. “I ruined your shirt with my snot,” she sniffed.
He stared down at the wet patch on his chest. “It’s only a shirt. Now,” he looked down at her with his intense blue-green eyes. “How are you feeling?”
Reluctantly, she pulled away and took a deep breath. God, what just happened? One moment, she hated Daric and then the next…he was hugging her like he was her best friend. Or a lover giving comfort. “A little better,” she said before walking back to her bed and sitting down. She had to put as much distance between her and the warlock as possible.
“I, too, have lost my father,” he said.
“He wasn’t my father,” she replied quickly.
“Well, perhaps he’s the closest thing you have had to a father figure,” Daric pointed out. “I’m sure his loss is comparable to that of losing your biological father.”
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t remember my real father.”
“Did he abandon you?” he asked, his voice edgy.
“No, he died when I was young,” Meredith confessed. “I was born in North Carolina, to the Charleston clan,” she said. “My dad died when I was four and my mother raised me. When she died five years later, there was no one in the clan who wanted to take me in, so they sent me to my dad’s closest relatives in Alabama - his human cousin and his wife.”
“Was that Archie?”
She shook her head. “No.” Jedd and Marie Simmons were fully human. They were also human pieces of shit. “I…I ran away when I was eleven. They probably never reported me missing because they wanted to keep the money the Charleston Alpha was giving them to take care of me.” Bitter memories flooded her brain, threatening to overwhelm her. Pushing them deep down inside, she continued. “I made my way across the country and Archie had found me roaming the streets of Portland a year later.”
“How did you manage to get there?”
She ignored his question and continued with her story. “I was hungry. I saw Archie and stole his wallet. Actually,” she let out a small laugh. “He let me steal his wallet. And then he found me, then took me in. He had already formed his little pack and I was the newest addition.”
“So, he found abandoned Lycans like you and took care of them?”
“Yeah…I guess. I mean, he did teach us to be criminals,” she pointed out. “I’m not sure that qualifies as fatherly advice.”
“He taught you his trade,” Daric said. “Perhaps the only thing of himself he could give you, since you were not blood related.”
“Why the hell am I talking to you about this anyway?” She stood up and faced him. “Don’t you dare tell anyone about this, warlock.”
“My lips are sealed,” he said, giving her a slight smile that made him seem even more handsome.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to the strong line of his lips and Meredith felt a flash of attraction and heat. It dawned on her that they were alone. In her room. With a bed. An image of them tangled between the sheets imprinted in her mind and she stared up at him. The intense look in his eyes made her wonder if he was thinking of the same thing. The room suddenly was too small and the air became heavy with his scent and something she didn’t want to say out loud.
He moved closer, slowly, like a curious cat. His hand moved to her face, touching her cheek carefully like he was handling delicate glass.
The sound of the door opening made him immediately drop his hand and his face slipped back into his usual cold, haughty look.
“Meredith, I wanted…Daric?” Alynna asked. “What are you doing here? I thought Grant told you to go back to your room and stay there.”
“I thought this was my room,” he explained, quickly walking towards the door. “I’m still getting to know the layout of the floor. My apologies.”
Alynna’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. Right.” The warlock quickly left without another glance and the two women were alone. “Are you okay, Meredith?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You know…if you need to talk…”
“I said, I’m fine,” she insisted. “Are Killian and the others settled in?”
“Yeah, they’re a couple doors down,” Alynna said.
“I want…I need to find out what happened to Archie,” Meredith said.
“Don’t worry, Grant has given you permission to help your brothers investigate Archie’s death, as long as you don’t try to escape and you continue with your current assignment.”
“What?” Meredith asked. “He did? But why?”
“Meredith, you may not have pledged to the clan, but you’re one of us now,” Alynna explained. “You’ve helped us so many times, risking your own life in the process. And this is what clans do. Protect our own.”
She shook her head. Did Grant really trust her? What did he want in return?
“I do hope you’d consider joining the New York Clan.”
“What?” Her head snapped up. Alynna’s statement suddenly came out of left field and left Meredith stunned. Join the clan? No, she was a Lone Wolf. It was a mark she would wear for life. Clan life wasn’t for her. Besides, it wasn’t any form of freedom. If she pledged to New York, yes, her 10 years of servitude would be forgiven, but that meant she had to do whatever Grant told her to do. It would be exchanging a decade of servitude for a lifetime of being under the clan’s thumb.
“Think about it, okay?” Alynna said. “Now, tomorrow, you’ll be heading to the police station downtown to talk to the detectives working on the case. I’m not sure all of you will fit in a town car, so maybe you can just take one of the Escalades.”
Meredith frowned. “I know my brothers are big, but we can all probably fit in a cab or something.” It wouldn’t be the first time she’d be squished in the backseat of a car with Quinn and Connor.
Alynna laughed. “With Connor and Daric in tow, I’m not sure any cabbie’ll be willing to take you anywhere and I really can’t see that warlock taking the subway, though I’d pay good money to see that.”
“Daric?” Meredith asked. “Can’t you get someone else to guard him for a bit? Just until I wrap things up?”
Alynna shook her head. “Oh no. He insisted in helping you. After we left, he apparently talked to Grant. He said he wanted to help and that if the mages were involved, then he would be the perfect person to assist you.”
“What?” Meredith asked incredulously. “He asked Grant if he could come along to help us?”
“Yes,” the other Lycan confirmed. “Is everything okay with you guys? I mean, if something’s bothering you—”
“No,” Meredith replied quickly. “I mean…yeah, whatever floats his boat.” She gave a shrug like she didn’t care. But it did bother her. First, Daric comes into the room and she pours her heart out to him. Then he acts all weird and for a second she thought he was going to…no, it was all her imagination. The warlock wandered into her room by accident, saw her crying and then it was too late for him to make a graceful exit. That was all.
“All right then, goodnight Meredith,” Alynna said before leaving her room.
Meredith sighed and plopped down on her bed, thinking about what had just happened. She’d made many mistakes in her life, but Daric was one she was not going to make.
***
“Why do I have to take dance lessons, Archie?” Meredith whined as she got home after another rigorous training session with Madame Giselle. “I bet no one else had to take ballet or ballroom dancing,” she grumbled as she collapsed on the couch. “I’d be better off sparring with Connor or learning to pick locks with Killian. Fucking hell, I’ll spend time with Quinn, if it means I never have to wear toe shoes again!”
“Language!” Archie admonished. He let out a sigh as he walked into the living room and stood in front of her. “Tsk tsk, my dear Meredith, I told you. Your brothers are bigger and stronger than you. You’ll never be built like them.”
“And so?” Meredith retorted in that voice only fourteen-year-old girls seemed to be able to pull off. “That doesn’t mean they’re better than me.”
“Exactly,” Archie replied. “They’re not better than you. Not if you use your assets to your advantage. Ballet and modern dance will help you strengthen your muscles, gain flexibility, and increase your stamina. Plus, you’ll learn grace, style, and elegance.”
She stuck her tongue out. “What the hell—I mean, heck do I need to know those things for? I thought you were going to teach me to become a master thief like you?”
Archie let out a deep sigh. “Go and take a shower, Meredith,” he ordered in his serious voice, the ‘do-not-fuck-with-me’ tone he used whenever she and her brothers tried to question his teaching methods. “Put on that new dress and shoes I bought you and meet me outside when you’re done.”
“Fine,” she mumbled and went upstairs, stamping her feet like a kid all the way to her room.
Twenty minutes later, she bounded down the steps and opened the front door. Archie was already waiting for her inside his Aston Martin and so she quickly slipped into the front passenger seat.
“Where are we going?”
Archie didn’t answer her, but turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the driveway, heading towards the city. They arrived 45 minutes later, and Archie pulled into the driveway of a famous old hotel downtown. He exited the car, opened Meredith’s door and offered his arm. With a roll of her eyes, Meredith took it and let him lead her inside.
They took the elevator to the rooftop restaurant and then gave their jackets to the coat check girl. Meredith had never been anywhere so fancy, and she suddenly felt self-conscious. The decor was elegant, and there was a full band playing in the corner while tables had been set up around a crowded dance floor. Dozens of couples were dancing, swaying to the beat of the classic tunes.
She thought of asking Archie what they were doing here but thought better of it. Her mentor was more of a “show” than a “tell” kind of guy.
Archie led her to the middle of the dance floor and placed his hand on her hip and took her other hand in his. She followed his lead, and they began to dance.
“I’m sure you’ve absorbed some of Madame Giselle’s lessons,” he said.
“Yeah, well I’m not sure how they’re going to help me,” she pouted.
“My dear, everything can be a lesson, you must remember that,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “Grace,” he began as he spun her. They brushed up against another couple, and Meredith’s keen eyes saw Archie’s hand dip into the man’s breast pocket to retrieve his wallet. “Style,” he continued, twirling her around and extending his hand so he could unclip another woman’s diamond earring. “And finally…” He dipped her, bending down low so he could reach the pants pocket of the man behind her, pulling out a gold pocket watch. "Elegance."
Meredith watched in wonder as Archie used his magic hands to deftly relieve the various dancers on the floor of their possessions. When the song ended, he gave Meredith and elegant bow and then they walked off the dance floor.
“What are you doing?” she hissed when Archie dumped his loot into the trash bin outside the restaurant. “That’s like, thousands of dollars worth of stuff!”
Archie huffed. “My dear, the point wasn’t to steal. It was to learn. Now,” he put on his coat and helped Meredith with hers. “Lesson’s done for tonight. Tomorrow, we start again.”