Chapter 25

Charlotte Sanguinite

I haven't seen Angie in quite a few days.

It's my day off when I head out to try to find her. Both Mano and Zeno are with me, wearing their leashes. My cat has decided, pregnant and all, that Zeno is beneath her. So, every time we pause, she decides to smack him for being lazy.

"I hope you don't beat your kids," I tell her. "You're so mean."

She meows at me indignantly as Zeno bounds over to sniff at her protruding belly. Mano is due any day now. I plan to take her to the shelter after this to have Ricky give her a checkup.

Making my way to the park near my apartment, I scan the area, disappointed when I see no sign of Angie. She's always here around noon. I find a bench and let Zeno and Mano run around, off their leashes. Mrs. Mallory has been training both of them to respond to a whistle, which she gave me to use today. The animals don't stray very far from me, preferring to be together. Mano is moving more slowly in her pregnancy, and Zeno likes to come sniff her every now and then to make sure she's okay.

I don't take my eyes off them, but I do let my thoughts wander.

I still can't forget that feeling when Doreen declared she was Robert's fiancée. I know the truth now. I don't think I'll be seeing her at the cafe again.

Over this past week or so, though, I've had so many shifters visiting the cafe that it's been overwhelming. Tommy Decker has been dropping in every other day, two or three shifters with him. I can hear them whispering among themselves, but I've never sensed any hostility from them. I have a feeling Tommy dropped the bombshell about what I am because a few of them have eyed the silver bracelet on my wrist with unveiled interest.

It's the older women who've been more persistent. I've been getting homemade pies and chunks of meat handed to me during my shifts. I'm lucky Jazz finds this whole thing amusing. She doesn't understand what's going on, but she seems to have figured out that these women are related to Robert in some way.

Tommy approached me the first time he showed up and told me about a pack meeting last week. Robert had been out of the house the whole day, and when he returned, he looked shaken. Pleased, but also as if his whole world had been rocked.

Robert never told me where he'd been or what had happened. It was Tommy the contractor who told me, almost gleefully.

"I put two and two together, you see." The man had beamed at me. "You smelled too much like him. And now, you smell just like our Alpha. He fought for you. He was going to leave the pack, but we can't lose him, so we wanted to convince him that we will accept you. Doesn't matter to us if you're one of them bloodsuckers. You're not like them."

He fumbled with his words, but it touched me to see all these people trying to find different ways, nonverbal ways, to welcome me into their pack. Even if it is for Robert's sake, this warm feeling in my chest isn't going away.

I was so sure his pack would reject me. I was certain Robert knew of the imminent fight our relationship would cause, and he was probably just as shocked. But Tommy's words made me proud of Robert. He hardly ever talks about his work, but when he does, he's always downplaying it. Like setting up a community center with his own money so that the youngsters in the pack have a healthy outlet, or establishing committees to make sure no household within his pack goes hungry.

He doesn't even tell me about any of these ventures. I just overhear him on the phone sometimes. He's put his heart and soul into this pack, and it seems the members not only acknowledge all this, they also love him.

I watch Zeno try to catch Mano's tail as she sprawls lazily by my feet, slowly blinking up at me.

I reach down and rub her tender belly, making her close her good eye and purr.

I'm happy, I realize as I listen to the contented rumbling sound. I'm happier than I have been in years. And I want to protect this happiness with everything I have. I found love in the most unlikely of places.

Robert and I haven't visited the cave again yet, but he's been talking about retrieving the journals to see what parts of our history were erased and should be restored. Neither of us has addressed the elephant in the room, the fact that both Lucian Whitlock and Jean Sanguinite are spitting images of ourselves. We mentioned it the night we found the cave, but that was it. I don't know why we look so much like them. It doesn't make sense to me.

This is why I wanted to find Angie today, but tracking her down has been next to impossible. She's not at her usual haunts, and she doesn't have an apartment, preferring to live in women's shelters or under the open sky. I've offered her a bed at my apartment so many times, but she's never accepted it.

I'm worried about her.

I've got two more hours to look for Angie because I'm supposed to meet Jazz at the animal shelter this evening. Two more hours. I've exhausted all the possible places where she could be.

"Well, it's not like she could have vanished." I stroke Mano, who has managed to climb into my lap. "She'll show up. She always does. And this time, I'm going to force her to let me buy her a phone. This is ridiculous. She's getting old. She needs to learn to stay put somewhere so I don't have to worry about her all the time."

Mano meows in agreement to my complaints.

Just then, Zeno begins to bark, and a shadow falls over me.

I look up and see Terrence standing in front of me.

My whole body stiffens, but he immediately holds up his hands, one of them containing a brown paper bag. "I come in peace."

"What're you doing here?" I look around anxiously before remembering that I'm not completely weak anymore.

"I brought a peace offering." Terrence holds out the paper bag. "Macaroons. You used to love them, remember?"

I open the bag and peer inside.

My stomach turns.

It seems there are a lot of things Terrence has forgotten. I fold the top of the bag over and set it aside. "I don't eat macaroons anymore, Terrence. It was a long time ago, so I don't expect you to remember."

His eyes linger on the bag. "Really? What happened?"

"Clyde sat on my stomach and forced macaroons down my throat, and I couldn't breathe." I curl my hands into fists behind Mano, the memory still traumatizing. My brother shoved them into my mouth, deep into my throat, and I almost suffocated. "You saved me, remember?" I look at him, not surprised that he doesn't. His expression flickers, and I see regret in his eyes. I try to keep my tone dismissive. "It was such a long time ago. I don't blame you for forgetting."

Terrence sighs. "I'm sorry. It's just…So many things have changed, Charlotte. I always thought you were angry with me for leaving and that's why you never replied to my letters. I believed that when I came back, I would apologize for leaving you behind and fix things between us. It was hard being so far away from you and not even having a single letter from you."

"I did write, Terrence—" I begin, but he gives me a wry smile.

"I know. I wish your father hadn't decided to keep us apart."

I shrug. "He probably thought I would be a distraction. He never really approved of our friendship as it was."

Terrence sits down next to me on the bench, his voice heavy. "I'm sorry I let you down, Charlotte. I wanted to go become the kind of man you would be proud of. I know you didn't want me to leave, but I needed to become strong so that I could protect you. I thought I was doing the right thing. But I guess all I did was push you into the arms of another man."

I glance at him, and my heart aches.

"You were gone for a long time, Terrence," I murmur. "I know you won't approve because Robert is a shifter, but—"

"It's not that." Terrence's voice is hoarse. "I don't care what he is. It's that he was able to do for you what I never could. I see the confidence in you. I've never seen you like this before. It's a good change. I just wish I had been the person to bring it about." There's a pleading look in his eyes. "Are you sure you won't reconsider, Charlotte? I don't know what to do without you. Everything I've done in my life has been with your name in my heart, for a future with you. I know I seem pathetic, but I can give you a good life, a happy life. I'll do whatever you want me to do."

I press my lips together, recalling what Robert asked me in his kitchen about choosing Terrence and how Terrence had proposed to me. And I still haven't been able to process what Robert told me about having given me his mating mark. I never thought I would be caught between two men who want me. Nobody's ever wanted me, so this is nothing short of a strange phenomenon for me. I don't like hurting either of them, but…

"I love Robert, Terrence." I look at him, my fingers digging into Mano's fur. "I don't know how it all happened, but it did. Perhaps if you had come back before Robert and I crossed paths, things would be different. But now…" I don't feel good saying this, but I don't want to give my childhood friend any false hope. "It's not that I don't care about you, Terrence. You were kind to me at a time when I had no one, and I do value the friendship we shared. But Robert and I…It might not make sense to anybody, but we work. We're happy. I'm happy. In a way I've never been."

Terrence sighs, running his hands through his hair before leaning back against the bench. "I see." His smile is tired and sad, and my heart aches. "Your happiness matters to me. But don't just cut me out of your life and discard me like a used tissue, Charlotte. You might not need me, but I need you, and I'll take whatever you're willing to give, even if it's just friendship. Don't turn your back on me, Charlotte."

"Your loyalty is to the clan, Terrence." There is a crippling sadness within me as I utter the words. "My loyalty is to Robert. I can't hold on to our friendship and be with Robert at the same time. You know what the Nelo Clan has been doing to his pack, with the drugs and the murders—"

"His pack will never accept you." Terrence looks away, not even denying the doings of my old clan. "How can you be loyal to him when they would burn you at the stake, simply because of what you are? There is no future with Robert aside from you simply being one of his women—"

"They have accepted me," I reply simply. "And I can't be friends with a person who is actively trying to hurt the man I love and his people. I'm sorry, Terrence."

Placing Mano on the ground, I get to my feet, and Terrence grabs my wrist. "What if it's not like that? If I help you, will you at least offer me friendship?"

I look at his eyes, and despite the sincerity I see in them, I know that if I choose to let Terrence into my life, Robert will be unhappy. He won't stop me; he's never tried to restrict me from anything. But he will certainly not be pleased, and that will have a ripple effect on my relationship with him. I want to protect what I have with Robert at all costs.

But if Terrence is willing to help, we will have somebody inside the Nelo Clan who can help us bring it down. Because it is time to bring down the clan altogether. Whatever my father is planning, I can't sit by and watch it happen, not when the man I love will inevitably become a target. Robert has been fighting to protect his pack. The least I can do is help.

"Alright." I nod reluctantly. "If you help me stop whatever the clan is planning, and peace can be achieved between the wolf packs and the clans, there'll be no reason for us not to be able to maintain our friendship."

I feel awful for using Terrence's feelings like this, but if harmony is achieved and this whole awful business is put to rest, then perhaps I can have a cordial relationship with Terrence. I don't believe things will ever go back to the way they were between us, though, because the girl he loved was a victim, helpless and needing a knight in shining armor. The girl Robert fell in love with was no victim. She had clawed her way out of the pits of hell and had reinvented herself. She'd built a life for herself, and even if her heart was empty and she was physically weak, she was determined not to go down without a fight. Terrence never would have fallen for the current version of me. He would have wanted to play the hero, while I would have wanted a partner.

But I don't think Terrence will ever understand that.

"What do you want to know?" Terrence doesn't look upset in the least at the idea of betraying his clan. But then, he's been away for more than a decade. Maybe he doesn't have much loyalty toward the clan, either.

"I want to know what my father is really up to," I say flatly. "Simply creating a drug for the shifters doesn't make any sense to me. There's no purpose behind it. A majority of the packs have banned the drug, so why keep making it? And…" I hesitate at this part, "I want to know about Jean Sanguinite."

The name elicits an odd reaction from Terrence. "Why're you asking about Jean Sanguinite?"

It would be easy to tell him the reason why I've suddenly uttered this name, but I remember the promise I made to Robert. This involves both of us, and I don't think I should be telling anyone about what we discovered. Angie is someone I trust implicitly, which is why I needed to discuss it with her—that and because of the tarot cards she showed me.

"I've always been curious about her." I shrug. "She's such a prominent figure in the vampire world, but there's not much known about her."

"It's odd that you mention Jean," Terrence murmurs. "And even odder that you're mentioning her to me."

"Why?" His expression has me blinking.

"You are her descendent." Terrence tucks his hands in his pockets. "You must know that because of her surname. My family can also trace its roots back to the time period when she was alive. Jean's right-hand man, Silvius, is my ancestor. My family has maintained records of Jean's life through the years. I can give you access to them if you're interested in her."

I gape at him. "If you have so much information about her, why wasn't it ever available in the clan's archives?"

Terrence shakes his head. "I don't know. I was very young when my father told me about Jean and our family history. There was also a prophecy spoken by a Seer who had been close to Jean."

"A prophecy?" My ears are tingling. "What did it say?"

Terrence meets my gaze. "Again, I don't know. Sorry. It's written down somewhere, but I've never seen it."

I really want to know the contents of this prophecy, mostly because I want to know whether it has something to do with why Robert and I look so much like those two war heroes.

"Is there," I begin carefully, "any mention of her mate or children?"

"No." Terrence shakes his head. "Nothing. Why are you asking all these questions, Charlotte? This doesn't sound like simple curiosity."

"No reason."

"No." Terrence steps toward me. "You're hiding something from me."

When I was young, it was very easy for Terrence to get me to tell him everything. However, I'm not that easily persuaded anymore.

"It really is nothing." I give him a small smile. "I just heard somewhere that she had red hair like mine, so I was curious."

Terrence is silent for a moment and then murmurs, "I see."

It's obvious he doesn't believe me, but I'm relieved when he doesn't push the issue.

"Give me a few days, and I'll bring you the information you need."

His smile is sad, and I look away at the heartbroken look in his eyes. But if we're able to thwart my father's plans, the harmony we might be able to achieve will go a long way in repairing the fractured friendship between us, as well. I want to be idealistic and believe that.

Terrence reaches for the bag of macaroons, but I pick it up first. "I'll try them." His eyes widen, and I give him a small smile. "New beginnings, right?"

He walks away, and once he's out of sight, I put the bag in my purse. I'll give one a taste, but not right now.

"Come on, babies." I look at Mano, who is dozing under the bench. "We'll get Ricky to look at you, and Zeno needs to get dewormed today. Maybe Robert will meet us there."

I don't know how to drive, although Robert has been dropping hints about teaching me soon. I've never needed a car; public transportation is usually enough for me. Today, though, I hail a taxi, and with both cat and puppy in my arms, we head to the animal shelter. The taxi drops us off at the corner of the street it's on, and I make sure the leashes are secure in my hand before walking the last half block.

Opening the door, I call out, "Ricky?"

"Coming!" Ricky walks out, yawning. "Where's your friend? I thought you were bringing someone to adopt one of the kittens."

"Jazz?" I check my phone as Ricky lets Zeno lick his entire face in an enthusiastic greeting. "She'll be here in ten minutes. Any other takers?"

"For the kittens?" Ricky picks up Mano and walks over to the examination room. I trail after him, letting Zeno follow me at his own pace. "We had one interested party, but the girl didn't want a calico or a black cat, so she left."

I frown as I watch him poke and prod Mano. "I don't even know how to respond to that."

Ricky gives me a tight-lipped smile. "I did. Kicked her out. She called Peaches ugly. How dare she?"

Peaches is the tiniest one of the litter and Ricky's favorite. I know he's going to end up adopting her, eventually.

"Well, Mano." Ricky presses her belly lightly. "You're very close to giving birth. I would say today or tomorrow. Her abdomen has dropped, and you told me she's been panting a lot. It is strange, though."

"What is?" I stroke Mano's head, and she rubs her hand against my palm.

"You told me she's not exhibiting any nesting traits. The box and blankets didn't work?"

"She refuses to go into them." I look at him. "All she wants to do is to be around Robert or me. She's taken to sleeping with us, and that means Zeno also wants to sleep with us." I roll my eyes. "We have chaperones."

Ricky chuckles. "She feels safe around you. Make sure one of you is around her when the other isn't. Do you have a picture of the food you've been giving her these days?"

"Oh, yeah." I reach into my bag, and my hand comes into contact with my gift from Terrence. "Hey, you want some macaroons? I'll probably just eat one, and I know you like sweets."

Ricky has taken off his gloves and is washing his hands as I open the paper bag.

"Where'd you get them?" he asks, reaching out for one with a grin. However, when he takes a bite, his smile fades.

He grabs the trash basket from below the counter and spits out the cookie.

"What's wrong?"

Before he can say anything, two things happen at the same time. Mano lets out a pained cry, and the sound of the front door opening reaches me just as Jazz's voice sounds. "Charlotte?"

"She's going into labor," Ricky says, looking at Mano.

"Now?" I look down at her, confused.

"I told you she was ready," Ricky says, grabbing another pair of gloves. "Go get one of the heating pads and an absorbent pad from the supply room. She may not have wanted a nesting place before, but she'll need one now. There's a box in my office. Bring that as well."

Mano yowls, her body writhing. I grab Zeno. "I'm going to lock him in the office."

Exiting the examination room, I say, "Jazz, we've got a bit of a situa—"

My words cut off as I see the man standing next to her.

My mouth turns dry, and a ripple of fear passes through me.

"Father."