Chasing Shadows(27)

He gave my hand a squeeze as he said, “Do you think that’s why he wants you to find Vivian Drake so you can learn her source of information?”

I looked at him, nodding slowly. “Yes. It’s very possible,” I replied.

“It’s been three years since she released her first book,” Lochlan said with a small amount of disgust in his voice. “What the devil is the point in going after them now?”

I turned to Lochlan. “That’s exactly what I said to Evangeline the other day when she was here. What’s the point of killing Drake or her source when the damage has already been done? Besides, it’s not as if the human community believes a word she wrote. The books are best-sellers, sure, but from what I’ve read most people still cling to the belief that vampires are the walking dead.”

“I actually agree with you on that, Saph,” Loch said. “It’s already too late to stem the tide if you ask me, but I can only assume that Father thinks if he can stop her from releasing another book, he’ll score points with the Ancients.”

“So even if I refuse to find her, he’s not going to give this up, is he?”

He shook his head. “I would not count on it.”

“Wonderful,” I mused sourly.

Shaking my head, I looked at Lochlan. “You never answered my question from before: what are you doing here at this time of day?”

“Believe it or not, I was bored,” Loch replied with a laugh. “Well, perhaps restless would be a better descriptive term. Couldn’t seem to find anything with which to occupy my mind, couldn’t seem to sit still at work. So, since I was going to be coming out to see you anyway, I figured I would surprise you.”

“Well, it was a pleasant surprise to see you so early,” I said. “Wasn’t expecting you for hours.”

“And I am inordinately pleased I made the decision,” he replied, glancing at Mark. “All curiosity as to what you taste like aside, my friend, what has your life been like? I mean, what supernatural traits have you inherited?”

“An accelerated healing factor is the only thing as far as I know,” Mark answered. “I’ve been aware of that since I was a kid, but no one believed me when I first discovered it, so I stopped trying to convince them. Although Saphrona tells me that dhunphyr are said to be immortal as well, I’m the first she’s met so she cannot say for certain.”

“How did you even know he was a dhunphyr? Was it that supe-sense, as you call it?” Lochlan asked me.

I nodded.

“I would like to be able to tell you whether or not you are truly an immortal human, but you are the first of your kind I have met as well,” my brother said. “However, given that Saphrona’s ability to sense the presence other supernatural beings identified you as such, I would hazard to guess that you are. Certainly the fact that you’re a real-life Wolverine wouldn’t have raised her paranormal hackles.”

Mark and I looked at each other and laughed. Lochlan had to clear his throat to get our attention to ask what was so funny.

“It’s just funny you should call him a real-life Wolverine,” I said, still chuckling. “He’s been referring to his healing factor as Wolverine Syndrome.”

“And speaking of hackles,” Loch went on, “you said your sister is a shapeshifter. How is that possible?”

“She’s my half sister,” Mark replied.

As if on cue, we heard a vehicle pulling up the driveway. Mark rose and peeked out the curtain of the window facing it. “Speaking of the flea-bitten mongrel shapeshifter…”

Lochlan cleared his throat again. “About that... As you are Saphrona’s bondmate, that makes you a part of my family, as is your sister by association. I would like to apologize for my earlier insult.”

“Well, I was annoyed earlier, but now that I’m fairly certain you’re not going to try to kill me, I have to admit its kinda funny,” Mark said as he started back toward the table. “It’s a good insult to throw at her if she pisses me off.”

Just then, Juliette came through the back door unannounced. “Whose fancy car is in the drive—”

Her voice cut off and she growled at Lochlan. “Vampire,” she sneered.

Lochlan apparently found this amusing. “Shapeshifter,” he said with a nod, then sniffed the air. “Dog, from what I can tell, now that you’re actually here.”

“Jules, chill out,” Mark said, stepping over to stand beside her. “This is Saphrona’s brother Lochlan. Lochlan, this is my sister, Juliette.”

“A pleasure,” Loch said with another nod.

Juliette ignored him and looked between Mark and me. “Does he know?” she asked.

“He does,” I told her.

“And apparently I’m enticingly scented, I smell mouthwateringly delicious, and I’m the most delectable human he’s smelled in over three hundred years,” Mark added.

His sister looked at him incredulously. “Mark, that isn’t funny!” she declared.

“Oddly enough, I think it is,” he retorted. “Saphrona, what do you think? Am I all those things your brother said?”

I fought a smile as Juliette threw up her hands in exasperation, then turned and looked at Lochlan with narrowed eyes. “I know what you look like, vampire, and I know what you smell like. Harm one hair on my brother’s head and I will hunt you down like the dog that I am.”

“Juliette, I really don’t think you should be threatening him,” Mark cautioned.

Lochlan waved his words away. “No need to speak for me, I’m a big boy,” he said. “Besides, the pup is only doing what comes naturally.”

“Pup!” Juliette nearly shouted, and took a step forward. Mark grabbed her arm to stop her. “I’ll show you I’m no mere pup, you bloodsucking leech!”

“Enough!” I said sharply, slapping my hand down on the table. “Both of you can stop sniping at one another.”

“Vampires and shapeshifters are natural enemies, Saphrona,” Lochlan reminded me. “It is difficult to be in the same room together and not fight; thus, we resort to witty repartee.”

How cute that you’re being a smartass about it, I thought, then amended, At least you guys didn’t start fighting first and save the repartee for later. I also acknowledged the fact that Lochlan had had three centuries to perfect his self control—Juliette was not even thirty yet.

“Well, both of you are just going to have to get over it,” I said aloud. “Like it or not, we’re all going to be a part of each other’s lives from now on. Juliette, Lochlan is my brother, and a semi-frequent visitor to this house. He has already been warned that Mark is off-limits, and has given his word that he will not touch him. I’m fairly certain he knows that his life is forfeit should he break that vow. If you want to stay here on the farm to continue in your capacity as Mark’s guardian, you are to treat my brother with the same respect you expect to receive yourself.

“Lochlan, Juliette is Mark’s sister. She’s been his personal guardian for the last year, so surely you can understand her desire to protect him. As she will no longer be hiding in animal form, now that certain secrets are out in the open, she will be living in the apartment above the barn in order to remain close to him. You will more than likely see her when you visit, so if you want to continue being welcome to do so, you are also to treat her with the same respect you expect to receive. Am I clear?”

Reluctantly, I could see, both of them nodded. “I’m going to take my stuff up to the apartment,” she said stiffly, turning and retreating out the screen door.

“I’m gonna go help her unpack…and cool off,” Mark said, and followed his sister outside.

Once they had gone, Lochlan whistled. “Damn it all to Hades,” he muttered.

“What?” I asked.

He looked at me. “She’s got fire, that one. And she’s quite a looker. If she weren’t a shapeshifter, I’d be very much inclined to take her to bed.”

Somewhat shocked by this, I could only stare at him. “Don’t let her—or for that matter, Mark—hear you say that,” I said at last.

Lochlan smiled. “Indeed.”

A moment of silence passed, and then a thought occurred to me. “Loch, I have to ask you… If dhunphyr blood is so addictive that most of the immortal humans born didn’t live past the first hour of life, where did the stories about ultimate sexual gratification come from?”

Loch glanced at me, and though I had schooled my expression to neutral, something must have given me away, for he smiled knowingly. Then he sobered and heaved a sigh. “I suspect, like so many other lies told throughout time, that it was created to cover up the truth. Who knew that this one would turn out to be not such a lie after all?”