Shifters Rule (Rule Series) (10 page)

Jersey
’s face seemed to lose color.
 
Or perhaps it was a trick of the light.
 
He didn’t look directly at Jack, but there was something not quite right about his timely appearance.
 
His expression remained neutral.
 
Still, Jack had a bad feeling.
 
It was almost like
Jersey
heard him speak.

Impossible
.
 
Jersey
would have recorded this message before moving away.
 
He couldn’t have known what Jack would say.
 
Usually at times like this,
Jersey
made a speech.
 
When one didn’t automatically spill from his lips, Jack slowly got out of
Jersey
’s old chair.
 
He circled the desk to face his enemy.

Jersey
kept staring straight ahead, mute.

Jack reached a hand out, prepared to pass it through
Jersey
’s likeness.
 
His fingers touched the heavy fabric of
Jersey
’s black coat instead.
 
Jersey
turned with a villainous smile in place.
 
“You were expecting Santa Clause?”

Before Jack could do anything,
Jersey
struck Jack in the face with a neatly folded fist.
 
Jack didn’t have time to think, let alone evade it.
 
Vanessa and Silver were upstairs, defenseless.
 
Whatever happened, Jack couldn’t allow
Jersey
to go up to the house.
 
This fight was going to begin and end in the mansion.

Jack stumbled backwards from the force of the sucker punch.
 
A trickle of blood exited through his left nostril.
 
His hand itched to wipe it away, but he refused to give
Jersey
the satisfaction.
 
“First you give me back Silver’s necklace, and now you attack me under her roof?
 
What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Necklace?”
 
Jersey
’s mouth tightened.
 
“Aw, yes, the necklace.
 
I don’t know what I was thinking.
 
I am far too generous sometimes.”

“If you had a change of heart and want it back, forget it.
 
You can’t have it.
 
And if you came for the diary, you can forget it.
 
You’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.”

Jersey
grinned, but there was something off about it.
 
The usual amusement was gone.
 
“Sounds good to me.”

This time Jack was ready for the assault.
 
He ducked.
 
Jersey
’s fist sailed over his head.
 
Jack bounced on his feet, moving fast like the boxers he’d seen on television.
 
He weaved this way and that.
 
Maybe he could wear
Jersey
out.
 
The guy was old.
 
He wondered briefly if werewolves got tired.

Jersey
seemed irritated beyond reason.
 
His jaw tightened.
 
He stood statute still; his pale blue eyes followed Jack as the former vampire danced circles around him.
 
Jersey
refused to cooperate in the ‘wearing him out’ scheme.
 
He simply stared at Jack with a cold, dead gaze.
 

Finally he spoke.
 
“Are you through acting like an idiot?”

“Sure.”

Jack stopped dancing and punched
Jersey
in the face as hard as he could.
 
He expected to hear cursing, maybe even some words that were new to him, but what he didn’t expect was for
Jersey
to burst into tears.

Tears rolled down the werewolf’s face as both hands covered the injured area.
 
He whined, “I think you broke my nose.”

Jack didn’t know what to say or do.
 
His hands almost went out to help the guy, but then he thought better of it.
 
It had to be a trick.
 
Jersey
was not the type of guy to cry.
 
Jack had hurt him far worse than this before, and
Jersey
’s eyes hadn’t even glistened.
 
Something definitely was not right with this picture.

Jersey
cried, “I am going to make you pay for breaking my nose!”

“I’m… sorry?”
 
Jack shrugged.
 
This was ridiculous.
 
Whoever heard of a werewolf crying over a punch in the face?
 
“You started it.
 
I wouldn’t have hit you if you hadn’t thrown the first punch.”

Jersey
glared at him over the hand on his bleeding nose.
 
“I won’t forget this.
 
You are so dead.”

Before Jack could add another apology to the list, Ian burst in with his rifle.
 
It was like déjà vu, only Ian didn’t speak this time.
 
He pulled the trigger without even a friendly warning for Jack to move out of the way.
 
The end of the rifle exploded.
 
Using his superhuman speed, Jack hit the floor.
 
He actually felt the air from the bullet as it passed over his head.

Idiot
!

Jack waited for
Jersey
to land next to him on the floor, but once again the werewolf disappeared.
 
He was gone without a trace of evidence he’d ever been there.
 
Jack grabbed the edge of the desk with his hand and pulled himself up.
 
His uncle scowled at him from across the room.

“That one is slippery,” Ian said.
 
“I’ve never bloody seen anything like it.
 
How does he keep vanishing?
 
Any ideas?”

“No.”

“Why was he here?
 
How did he get passed the anti-werewolf spells?”

“How should I know?”

Ian shrugged his wide shoulders.
 
“He’s a friend of yours.
 
It occurred to me you might have let him in.
 
You haven’t exactly proven where your loyalty lies.”

It was Jack’s turn to be stunned.
 
“What?
 
Why would I do something so stupid?
 
In case you didn’t notice, he came here to attack me.
 
If you hadn’t come in when you did, he probably would have killed me.”

“Now that would have been a real shame,” Ian said sarcastically.

Jack opened his mouth to tell his uncle where he could put his suspicions, but he didn’t even get the first word out.
 
They were interrupted by a scream.
 
It erupted from the hallway.

“Vanessa!” Ian shouted.
 

He turned and dashed from the room.

Jack followed.

They found Vanessa in the hallway a few feet from the study.
 
She had a hand over her heart, and her face was flushed.
 
Ian grabbed her by the shoulders.
 
“Are you all right?
 
Tell me what happened?
 
Did Clifford do something to you?”

She laughed.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I just saw a mouse.”

Ian’s eyes widened.
 
“A mouse?
 
You screamed because you saw a bloody rodent?
 
Honestly?”

She laughed until tears filled her eyes.
 
“I am sorry.
 
I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
 
You should see the look on your face.
 
You think just because I’m a hunter I can’t be afraid of a mouse?”

Ian shrugged.
 
“We all have things we’re afraid of.”

He sent a glare Jack’s way.

Jack shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
 
He looked away.
 
His uncle was like a wild dog.
 
It wasn’t smart to make eye contact.

Ian put an arm around Vanessa’s shoulders and joined in on the laughter.
 
The two of them turned, going upstairs together.
 
Jack returned to the study and his search.
 
He had to find the magic rock before
Jersey
grew even more powerful.
 
Someone had to stop the head werewolf before he created his army.

.

*****

Chapter Eight:

BROKEN PROMISES

.

.

A few days later, Jack took Silver on a date, a real date.
 
They hadn’t gone out, just the two of them, in quite a while.
 
Every time they set up a date, something happened to keep them from going.
 
They’d been busy with one crisis after another.
 
It was nice to be able to relax and take a break from the chaos.

Silver didn’t want to go.
 
Her mother insisted it would be good for her.
 
Get her
out of the house for a few hours
.
 
Vanessa whispered the words in Jack’s ear.
 
It wasn’t a bad idea.
 
If he could get Silver’s mind off her father for even a few short hours, it would be worth it.
 
He would give anything to see her smile again.

They went to a movie, a comedy with good reviews behind it.

The two of them sat in the center of the back row in the darkened theater, patiently waiting for the movie to begin.
 
Jack played with strands of Silver’s hair while she munched on butter-flavored popcorn.
 
He watched every change in her facial expression, no matter how slight, totally fascinated.
 
Every time he looked at her he was blown away by one major fact: this was his girl.
 
She was the love of his life and they were finally together.
 
Despite every horrible thing that had happened, they were together.

He wondered if she realized she was the only girl for him.

The promise ring rested against his chest beneath the black T-shirt.
 
Dangling at the end of a long chain, he wore it day and night, constantly on the lookout for the right time to offer it to her.
 
Was it the right time now?
 
Should he ask her to be his forever?

Jack turned away for a moment.
 
Straw in mouth, he drank some of the cold soda in the hope it would calm him.
 
His nerves tightened to the point of snapping.
 
A thousand reasons not to give her the ring raced through his mind.
 
Each one was valid, but he dismissed them all.
 
It came down to the simple fact that he loved Silver.

Nothing else mattered.

He sucked in a deep breath before turning to face her.
 
His hand stole under his

T-shirt and traveled up to find the ring.
 
Then he noticed the change in her mood.
 
A single tear slid down her cheek.
 
Her lower lip quivered.
 
Any second the dam would break, and she would be crying in earnest.
 
There wasn’t anything he could do to stop it.

Jack released the ring, leaving it safely nestled against his hot skin.
 
Using one finger, he wiped the tear from her face.
 
Maybe a movie wasn’t such a good idea.
 
Maybe he should take her to an open field where they could lie on top of his car and count the stars.

She mumbled, “Sometimes I forget my dad is dead.
 
Isn’t that crazy?”

“I don’t think so.
 
Sometimes I forget Billy isn’t waiting at home for me.
 
Once in a while something happens and I think I need to go tell Billy.
 
Then I remember I can’t.”

“I half-expect my dad to come running into the theater with a shotgun, screaming at the top of his lungs.
 
I’d be humiliated.
 
It would be horrible.
 
But I really wish it could happen.”

“It’s okay.
 
I get it.”
 
He leaned closer and pressed his lips against the sweet curve of her jaw.
 
He kissed his way up to her ear.

“I don’t freaking believe this.”

Her words smacked him in the face like a wet towel.
 
A cold fist settled in his gut.
 
Feeling queasy, he moved away from her, numbed by the venom in her tone.
 
“Sorry.
 
I was just trying to make you feel better.
 
Honest.”

She looked at him.
 
Her eyes slowly narrowed.
 
The truth of what he was saying seemed to dawn on her.
 
She put three fingers on his chest, almost touching the ring, and pushed him with a jab of annoyance.
 
“Not you.
 
Them
.”
 
She gestured to the affectionate couple in the front row.

With a grimace he said, “So much for promises.”

Trina and Cowboy were sitting so close to each other not even a sliver of light could pass between their bodies.
 
Cowboy held a piece of popcorn at her eye level.
 
She opened her mouth like a trained seal, and he fed it to her.
 
She giggled before returning the favor.

Sickening.
 
Jack couldn’t stand to watch the embarrassing public display.
 
Jaw tight, he stared over Silver’s shoulder at an Asian family.
 
They seemed happy.
 
And that was what he’d wanted for Silver, a tiny bit of elusive happiness.
 
Now their date was ruined.
 
Her best friend had lied to them.
 
His former friend was sneaking around behind Jack’s back, trying to insinuate himself into their lives in a sneaky way.
 
The question was why?
 
Why bother?
 
If Cowboy’s plans were harmless, he would have simply picked up the phone and called.
 
Jack hadn’t changed his number.

Jack leaned closer to Silver and asked, “You want me to go down there and set Cowboy straight?”

“Not yet.
 
We’ll wait for Trina to go to the lobby.
 
I know her.
 
She won’t make it through half the movie without returning to the concession stand for some candy.
 
She won’t let him get it for her because she’ll be too embarrassed to admit how much candy she actually wants.
 
She always saves some of it for the next day.
 
I’ll have a talk with her in the lobby while you get rid of him.”

“What are you going to say to her?
 
We’ve already tried once.
 
She knows he’s a vampire.”

Silver sighed.
 
“I don’t know what I’m going to say to her.
 
I’ll think of something.
 
The main thing is for you to have a talk with your friend.
 
Say whatever you have to, to get him to leave her alone.”

“No problem.”

He was lying.
 
It was a major problem.
 
Cowboy didn’t take direction well.
 
He wasn’t going to appreciate Jack interfering with his social life.
 
In fact, Jack feared Cowboy was only dating Trina to get revenge for Summer and Lily being dead.
 
He might even be planning on turning Trina into a vampire, replacing the other girls with her.

It would break Silver’s heart.

Jack had to stop it from happening.
 
Short of killing Cowboy, he didn’t know how he would manage to get rid of him.
 
Somehow he would.
 
He had to for Silver’s sake.

.

*****

.

Silver didn’t enjoy the movie.
 
It was obvious.
 
Her narrowed eyes were on the lying couple more often than on the screen.
 
She didn’t even attempt to finish her popcorn.
 
She didn’t laugh once, not even a stifled giggle.
 
The minutes passed slowly, masquerading as hours.
 
Jack sat back, one foot resting on the opposite knee.
 
He tried to give the movie a chance, but his mind was on Silver the whole time.
 
He wished there was something he could do to bring the smile back to her eyes.

“Here we go,” she said, straightening in her seat.
 
She briefly looked at him, hiding her face from Trina when the girl walked past them.
 
“I’ll keep her in the lobby as long as I can.
 
Get rid of him.”

Jack nodded.
 
“You got it.”

He waited for Silver to disappear through the doorway before standing.
 
He hunched over, trying to keep out of everyone’s way as he went to Trina’s vacated seat.
 
Once there, he stared at his old friend with awe.
 
Cowboy was back.
 
The two of them had parted enemies.
 
Knowing Cowboy hated him bothered Jack more than he wanted to admit.
 
Part of him missed his vampire friends.
 
Two were dead.
 
Cowboy was the only one left, but they couldn’t be friends again, not as long as Jack was human.

Cowboy didn’t even glance in Jack’s direction as he spoke.
 
“I was wondering when you’d come down here to talk to me.”

“You knew I was here?”

Cowboy tapped the side of his nose and turned a confident grin on Jack.
 
“I could smell you the second you entered the theater.
 
Good to see you, buddy.”
 
He looked back at the closed door, just a glance.
 
“I suppose your girlfriend is trying to talk some sense into Trina, huh?”

“Why Trina?
 
She isn’t even your type.”

“Maybe I’ve changed.”
 
He shrugged.
 
“She’s pretty enough once you get past the weird way she dresses, and she’s a load of fun.
 
Sometimes she sort of reminds me of Summer.”

Jack wasn’t fooled.
 
“You’re dating her because she’s Silver’s friend.
 
The question is this.
 
Are you doing it to get to me or to Silver?
 
What is your game plan?”

“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”
 
Cowboy laughed.
 
“Seriously, bud, get a grip.
 
There is no great, mysterious plan.
 
I came back to give you a hand because I hear you’re going to take on the big, bad werewolf.
 
I want to help you do it, tip the scales in your favor.
 
That’s all.”

Right, and Ian had warm, fuzzy feelings for vampires.

“I don’t need your help,” Jack said.
 

He turned his face to the big screen, teeth clenched.
 
He’d missed half the movie.
 
Now two guys were fighting over a girl.
 
He had no idea who any of them were.
 
His mind returned to the problem at hand.
 
Somehow he had to find out what Cowboy was up to.
 
Cheap tricks wouldn’t work.
 
Cowboy had invented most of them.
 

Cowboy leaned close and whispered, “Do you ever think about the good old days when you and I were the best of friends?
 
I do.
 
Summer and Lily are gone.
 
Nothing I can do about it.
 
But you, you’re still very much alive, and it occurred to me we never got a last bit of fun in, a final battle with some shared enemy.
 
I don’t know about you, but I need closure.”

Cowboy seemed sincere so Jack asked, “What do you have in mind?”

“I want to help you get rid of the head werewolf.
 
It’s that simple.”

Had
Jersey
sent Cowboy to bait a trap for Jack?
 
Anything was possible.
 
If Jack was smart, he’d walk away now, but curiosity grabbed him by the throat.
 
He had to know if Cowboy was being honest with him.
 
They’d been great friends at one time.
 
Cowboy was right.
 
Jack thought about the old days a lot.
 
He didn’t miss being a vampire, not exactly.
 
It was the old gang he missed, the tight friendships.

“I want you to stay away from Trina,” Jack said.

“Sorry, buddy.
 
I like her too much to walk.”

No way.
 
The two of them had absolutely nothing in common.
 
Jack frowned.
 
“You aren’t planning on turning her, are you?”

“Don’t know.
 
I haven’t thought that far ahead.
 
Right now we’re just having a good time, taking it day by day, or in my case, night by night.”

Silver was not going to like this.
 
He needed to do something fast.
 
If Trina became a vampire, Silver would lose her mind.
 
She’d be torn between hunting Trina down and protecting her from the other hunters.
 
It would be a huge mess.

“I’ll work with you against
Jersey
,” Jack said.
 
“But only if you break things off with Trina.”

“Are you serious?”

“How much do you want closure?”

Cowboy sighed.
 
“I don’t know.
 
I haven’t found a girl I enjoy hanging with since Summer died, but Trina is something special.
 
It’s a lot to give up.”

“There are millions of girls in the world.
 
You’ll find someone else to turn.”
 
Jack smiled wryly.
 
“Besides, Trina talks a lot.
 
She has a particular fondness for the word ‘intense’ in case you hadn’t noticed.
 
Do you really want her yapping in your ear for the next century?”