Fires Of Solstice Part 26

He thrust his chin forward. "I have waited long enough for Bleddyn Glyndwr to accept his destiny. If he will not, I will a.s.sume his place."

Meredythe s.h.i.+fted and the wobbly chair creaked. This guy was a certifiable nutcase.

"What place?"

He straightened his lanky form, crossed his arms over his chest and said, "King of the werewolves."

Only the madness in his eyes kept Meredythe's laughter from erupting. King of the werewolves? Anderson needed to be locked up.

She s.h.i.+fted and the chair creaked again. The spindly arm wobbled. "And where do I fit into all of this?" she asked, carefully tensing and relaxing her wrist. The rope loosened.

"You will be my queen."

His queen? She shuddered mentally. Not even if h.e.l.l froze over. The other arm of the chair loosened.

"Sorry, I'm not interested. I'm sure one of your followers," she nodded toward the group in brown robes milling about the sputtering fire in the middle of the floor, "would be far more worthy than I."

For the first time, anger appeared on Morton's face. "No! Bleddyn Glyndwr chose you. I will have what is his."

Meredythe froze.

Anderson's face contorted with hatred as he continued. "Bleddyn Glyndwr could have everything-power, wealth, fame-but he chooses to waste his time teaching people about wolves. Fool! He refuses to accept his destiny. So I will take his place. I will become a werewolf and take his power and his mate."

Meredythe shook her head. "I'm not Dr. Glyndwr's mate. I'm a reporter. I'm here to research a story."

Anderson glared at her then began to pace. "You lie. You are mated. You smell of him."

Smell of him? How could Anderson tell how she smelled considering his own stench? Meredythe chose her words carefully. "How are you going to do that? I mean, doesn't another werewolf have to bite you?"

A crafty expression appeared on his face. "That's what they want you to think, but I have researched carefully. It has taken years, but I have finally discovered the secret." He gestured to his followers. "Bring it here."

Two men eased into a broken-down stall and returned carrying a cage. They carried it to Anderson and set it down. Inside crouched an emaciated wolf.

"What have you done to him?" Meredythe snapped. "He looks starved."

Anderson shrugged. "It was necessary to control him."

Meredythe checked her anger. Wait until she told Bleddyn what this a.s.shole had done to a wolf. "What are you going to do with him?"

Eyes glowing with madness, Anderson said, "I will drink a cup of his blood then pour the rest into open cuts on my chest. When our blood mingles, I will become a werewolf."

Meredythe shook her head. Anderson was nuts. "But what about being bitten by a werewolf?"

Spittle flew from Anderson's lips. "Lies, all lies. That's what those with the power want us to believe so we would not learn the secret of transformation. But I have learned -I, Morton Anderson. Tonight I shall fulfill my destiny. And you shall be my bride." He spun and gestured again to his followers. "Begin the ceremony. Now."

Over my dead body, Meredythe thought as she wiggled the left arm of the chair.

Two men began to pound on drums and the rest of Anderson's followers began to jump awkwardly about the fire. Again Meredythe's vision blurred. Brown robes transformed to white. A feral bonfire leaped toward a cloudy sky and the odor of wet pine wafted to her nostrils.

The wolf whined.

Meredythe shook her head. The small group of brown-robed people hopped around a pitiful fire.

The wolf whined again.

She jerked her gaze to the wolf. He crouched in his cage, his eyes locked on hers. He stared intently, as if he were trying to tell her something.

Meredythe blinked and shook her head. Whatever they'd used to drug her obviously hadn't worn off yet.

After Anderson stepped away from her, she wiggled and tugged and twisted her left arm harder. n.o.body knew where she was, so n.o.body was going to help her. Besides, she was a strong, independent woman. She'd get herself out of this.

The wooden dowel pulled loose. Her eyes never left Anderson's back as she eased the rope off her wrist. Thanking all the powers she could think of that she was left-handed, she picked open the knots on her right wrist.

Holding her arms parallel to the ground as if they still rested on the chair's arms, she looked around for the door. There it was, on the far side of the barn. She s.h.i.+fted her gaze back to Anderson.

He was still standing with his back to her. A wooden table covered with a tattered, old quilt separated him from his gyrating followers. He chanted something indecipherable and lifted a butcher knife above his head.

Her gaze leaped to the wolf's cage. He was watching her intently.

Inching her b.u.t.t forward slowly, she slid to the floor. Once there, she froze. No one noticed. Taking a deep breath, she rose to her hands and knees and crawled toward the cage, hoping the wolf wouldn't growl and alert Anderson.

Its gaze intent, the wolf remained silent.

"No one is ever going to believe this," Meredythe muttered as she reached the cage. Once there, she stretched out on her stomach and allowed herself a nasty grin. The door was tied shut with a piece of rope.

Again, she glanced toward Anderson. He was yelling gibberish now, raising the knife and then stabbing it over and over into a bowl of water. His followers continued to skip and hop around the slowly dying fire.

Bracing herself on her elbows, Meredythe picked at the knot securing the cage. She bit her lip when a fingernail ripped as the knot finally loosened. The rope fell free.

"b.i.t.c.h! What are you doing?" Face red, eyes bulging, Anderson leaped toward her, knife gripped in his fist.

Meredythe rolled left, bunching her legs beneath her. Once her feet were under her, she straightened. One hard kick to the cage knocked the door open. The wolf staggered out. Weak as he was, he turned to face the charging Anderson.

Unintimidated, the enraged man hurtled forward. "h.e.l.l's b.i.t.c.h. I will drink your blood with the wolf's!"

The wolf leaped. His heart was willing, but the cruel treatment he'd received had weakened his legs. His leap fell short. Ignoring the teeth snapping at his wrist, Anderson plunged the knife into the wolf's abdomen.

"No!" screamed Meredythe. She hesitated.

A gurgling howl erupted from the wolf's throat.

She turned and sprinted toward the door she'd noted earlier.

"Get her," shrieked Anderson.

His followers scrambled after her.

One more step, she screamed to herself, one more step.

As she grasped the door's handle, a hand tangled itself in her long hair. She was yanked back. Someone wrapped his arms around her. The door creaked open an inch.

Anderson's voice rolled over her. "Now, b.i.t.c.h, you'll pay."

Meredythe stomped her heel on her captor's bare instep.

Bawling of pain, he released her. She stumbled then regained her balance. Her escape was only a few steps away.

As she reached for the latch, the door exploded inward and a black whirlwind blasted through the doorway. A rafter-shaking howl ricocheted off the walls. Meredythe froze and stared into the steel gaze of the huge, black wolf facing her. Fangs flashed in his red mouth as he leaped. She screamed, but he landed past her at the feet of her pursuer. Shrieking, the man turned and tried to flee.

Instead, he tripped over the robe he wore and fell onto a stack of rotting boards. They teetered then crashed in all directions, slamming into boards that propped up part of the sagging back wall. The supports fell. A small section of the barn wall collapsed, pieces of old wood landing in the fire. With fresh, dry kindling, it roared to life, following the trail of old wood. The back wall burst into flame.

Anderson's followers screamed and scattered. One shoved Meredythe out of the way as he sprinted for the doorway. Smoke rose. Some escaped through the holes in the roof. Some floated about the rafters. The rest rolled back toward the floor. Coughing, Meredythe stepped toward the door. She stopped.

The injured wolf. She couldn't leave it. She had to try to save it. Spinning around, she searched for it through thickening gray smoke that dipped, parted and then swelled throughout the interior of the old barn.

She took a step away from the door. Where was that wolf?

Black mist swirled and Bleddyn stepped out of the billowing smoke-naked. A snarl twisted his face.

"Meredythe, get the h.e.l.l out of here now!"

A black shadow appeared out of the smoke. Anderson lifted the knife above his head.

"Bleddyn, look out!"

"Now you will die, unworthy dog."

Spinning, Bleddyn grabbed Anderson's wrist and twisted it cruelly. The knife fell to the ground. The older man wrenched free and scrambled for the knife. Again black mist swirled. Snarling, the black wolf leaped.

Meredythe turned and fled through the door.

Twenty yards from the door she stopped. Which way was Winterbourne? She had to get away, away from him. Through a small line of evergreens, moonlight glinted off metal. Sprinting around the trees, Meredythe found a rust-spotted truck parked inside a ramshackle shed.

"The keys will be in it. The keys will be in it," she chanted. "It will start. It will start. Please let it start." Wrenching the door open, she crawled onto the cracked seat. A keychain dangled from the ignition.

Stomping one foot on the clutch and the other on the gas pedal, she turned the key.

The engine coughed.

"Come on, baby."

She turned the key again and pumped the gas. The engine choked, then coughed, then sputtered to life. Shoving the gears.h.i.+ft into drive, Meredythe roared out of the shed, grinding gears as she went.

Fifteen minutes later, she careened up Bleddyn's driveway. Skidding to a stop in front of the house, she shoved the door open and leaped from the truck.

Bleddyn was here, in his house. He had to be. The smoke from the fire had gotten into her eyes and the tears had made her vision blurry. No way had she seen what she thought she'd seen. Bleddyn was not a werewolf. Werewolves did not exist.

Leaping up the steps, she pushed open the door. Keri met her, lips pulled back in an ugly snarl.

Meredythe skidded to a halt and yelled, "Bleddyn! Bleddyn, where are you?"

No answer.

"Bleddyn!"

Silence.

Her gaze returned to the wolf. "Keri, it's me, Meredythe. You know me." She held out her hand.

Saliva dripped from the wolf's mouth as her snarl deepened.

Meredythe backed away slowly. When her foot reached down for the first step, Keri gnashed her teeth and stepped toward her. Meredythe froze. She couldn't go forward, and she couldn't go back. Cold seeped into her feet and up her legs. s.h.i.+vering, she tucked her hands into her armpits. Keri sank to her haunches. Ignoring the tears trickling down her cheeks, Meredythe stared at the wolf. All she could do was wait.

Bleddyn licked his jowls as he stepped away from Anderson's body. He sneezed. The smoke was getting thicker.

Brother?

Mist swirled as Bleddyn transformed to his human form. "Where are you?"

Here.

Kneeling by the wolf's side, Bleddyn gathered him into his arms.

The wolf yelped with pain. No. My spirit will soon run free with the winds.

Bleddyn laid his hand on the wolf's shoulder. "As you wish, Brother."

You must put me next to the man. They will believe I killed him.

Ignoring the fire that roared above him, Bleddyn bowed his head. Tears dropped onto the wolf's fur.

"Thank you."

Go to your mate. She has need of you.

Meredythe. Bleddyn's anger simmered. None of this would have happened if she hadn't run away.

The wolf's nose touched Bleddyn's hand. Her presence gave me death with honor, Brother . She is worthy of you. Go now. Live free.

Bleddyn stroked the wolf's fur once. "Go now, Brother. Die free." Lifting the wolf, he laid it gently next to Anderson's body.

The mist swirled once more and the black wolf leaped through burning timbers and out the door. As Winterbourne's fire truck roared toward the burning barn, Bleddyn disappeared into the woods.

Ears p.r.i.c.ked forward, Keri whined and looked past Meredythe's shoulder.