Raven Moon (4 page)

Maddox bowed. “I shall consider it, my lord.”

****

Rave flew down from the raven rookery to the werewolf compound, anxious to find out how the new humans fared. She landed in the deep snow, ruffled her feathers into place and shifted. Though she wore a warm parka, it always astounded her how helpless to the cold humans were without down feathers. Shivering, she entered Dora’s clinic. “Hey, Doc.”

Dora closed her chart and turned. “Hey.” She froze and gaped. “Rave?”

Instead of her flashy high-end fashion clothing, Rave wore a pair of well-cut jeans that hugged her like a second skin, snow boots, and a tan waist-length ski parka that accentuated her breasts. She’d worn virtually no makeup, enhancing her natural delicate facial features. Rave strutted down the tiny room as if she was a runway model, and whirled around. “So, what do you think?”

Dora circled around her. “I think you look great!”

Rave whipped out her compact and preened a hair back into place. “Really, not drab?”

Dora gave her a pointed stare. “Rave, you could never look drab. You’re a natural beauty.” She smiled. “I also approve that you’re letting your hair grow long. But I do miss the fashionista.”

“All my good hair stylists were human and probably now zombies, but thanks. I’m not sure I can get used to the natural look, but for missions and hanging out with non-raven shifters, I’ll give it a whirl.”
At least the heavy makeup. Giving up my fashion flair is not going to happen.

Dora smiled. “You know werewolves prefer the natural look.”

Rave laughed. “I think you mean the
au naturale look.” Dora understood Rave’s attraction for wolfish men. After all, Dora’s mate was the sexy redheaded alpha and she had confessed after Dirk, human men would never do. The two of them, as witch and alpha, were destined to a create dragon wizard child, a detail which caused the Benandanti to break their treaty to combine forces to fight the zombies.

“You got that right.” She met Rave’s gaze. “With light makeup, your purple eyes pop.”

Rave beamed but suppressed her need to confirm to check her eyes in the mirror. “Nice to know.”

Dora raised her brow. “So why the sudden change?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe my book cover doesn’t need to be a Vogue cover. After all, I’m a warrior not a princess who spends her time doing her nails while her prince rides to battle.”

Dora cocked her head. “Hmm. True. Speaking of warriors, I’m glad you came in. I’ve been meaning to congratulate the hero of the day in person. What you did to rescue the trapped veterans is the latest chatter throughout the compound.”

Rave waved a dismissive hand. “Oh that. Trust me I had plenty of help.”

Dora laughed. “You of all people being modest? You insisted on finding humans. Beccan told me so.”

“Did he now?” Beccan was like her personal PR man. Cashel on the other hand had remained silent about the entire incident. In privacy, he had chastised her that groveling on the ground with slimy putrid zombies was beneath her dignity as a princess, even one recruited for Avian intel. She agreed, not because of the indignity but because it took her several hot showers and every lotion in her bathroom to get rid of the stench.

“I can’t imagine risking your life like that.”

“Not much risk when you know raven is not on their menu.” Rave was tempted to tell her the truth. She was searching for good wine and placating her team by suggesting rescuing any survivors, but her ego had enjoyed the hero worship of the last few days.

“Dirk talked to Talon and recommended you for a medal.”

Talon, the alpha of the pack, had a team create medals of honor for heroes and innovators of their new community. Dirk, the second in command alpha was in charge of selecting shifters and humans who displayed bravery in action and for those who gave up their lives to save others. Rave certainly did not feel deserving. Dora was the only person that did not fawn over her because she was a princess. Dora treated her like a regular person. A real friend. She hated the idea of losing her respect, but it was part of the new leaf thing. “Honestly, I only wanted to find a good stash of wine. It’s a total coincidence we came upon survivors.”

Dora gave her bemused smile and then a playful shove. “Duh, of course you were out for fun and games, but nonetheless you deserve it. You are long overdue for recognition. If you hadn’t destroyed the Bloodstone, the Benandanti would have used it to find me. Dirk and I might have been killed long before we rescued my brother and niece.”

Rave flipped her hair back and smirked. “That’s, right. I did save your ass, witch.”

Dora walked over to the coffee maker, made possible with their array of generators. “Want a cup?”

“Sure. Just black.”

Dora poured Rave a cup and handed it to her. “I heard you were smothered in the middle of a swarm.”

Rave balked from the memory of the most disgusting five minutes of her life and wrapped her hands around the warm cup. “I thought I would never stop puking.”

“Next time, shift before they get within hugging distance.”

Rave shivered, imagining what it might have been like to have been human and surrounded. Eaten alive. “How are Beth, Barney and Dave doing?”

“They’re doing really well. Dave has been especially helpful with his knowledge of infectious diseases. He thinks we should send a team to check out the Texas Biomedical Research Center. Maybe they found facts about Z-phage that will help us stop its spread. He said before communication was lost, an old friend from the National Institute of Health contacted him about some successful vaccine tests at the San Antonio facility. Apparently, they had some positive results on chimpanzees. I’m not sure if it will be useful, but maybe it’s a start in finding a vaccine. My witch sense tells me something important happened at that biomedical lab.”

“I’ll do it.”

Dora stopped mid-sip. “Wait, what?”

“Hello? Did you just forget the best Avian intel team ever? Just make a list of all the research centers and we’ll check them out.”

She wiped her lip. “Are you sure you’ll be safe?”

Rave settled onto Dora’s computer chair and whirled around. “As long as zombies don’t fly or switch to eating poultry.”

Dora quipped. “Yeah, good thing zombies observe a shifter-free diet.” She furrowed her brow. “I don’t know if Talon will allow it, I mean for you to go so far from our territory, you being royalty and all.”

“While my parents are away gathering ravens from other areas, I’m in charge of the North American Raven Murder.” Rave rose from the chair and stared out the window. “I want to prove to my parents that I’m an adult, worthy of the throne. Especially, since I just wrote to them about Bram and I parting ways.”

Dora wrinkled her brow. “You wrote to them?”

“Yes. Actually, Bram wrote as well, explaining that he chose your brother as his mate.” Rave sighed and sat back on the chair, stretching her legs on Dora’s desk. “To dissolve a raven shifter match, the raven abandons their mate’s nest for three months. It is a respected tradition. Better than an annulment.”

“Tradition?”

Dora knew very little about the Mythos Consortium and in fact, before she met her werewolf husband, didn’t even know she was a witch, let alone that shifters were not figments of Hollywood’s imagination. So Rave felt compelled to fill her in. “It’s a thousand plus year tradition to respect a bride or groom who have flown the coop. During a three-month period, the raven must leave the murder. On my return, all will be forgiven. Not even Mom and Pop would dare to go against such a tradition.”

“But shouldn’t Bram be the one to leave?”

“He found another mate so for lack of a better term, he is nesting.”

“Oh.”

Rave sighed in despair. “Anyway, I’m sure on my return they’ll have another royal raven waiting in the wings so to speak.”

“So you just leave a letter and disappear.”

“That and three feathers.” She laughed. “Don’t worry. Beccan and Cashel will tag along. Normally, a raven will fly the coop solo, but a princess or prince must be guarded at all times. Knowing I’m with my guards will ease my parents’ worry.”
And kind of suck.

“And ours,” said Dora. “Let me discuss it with Dirk and I’ll let you know in the morning.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Chapter 3

The next morning after receiving Dirk’s approval, Rave sat looking over maps in Dora’s clinic. “Good, we can leave as early as Wednesday.”

“In two days?” Dora frowned. “Not to dampen your enthusiasm, but after me, you’re the most wanted fugitive within the Benandanti werewolf community.”

The Benandanti werewolves killed witches above all else, but she had a point. The day she stole their bloodstone they used to locate witches was the day she ascended to number one on their hit list. “Nah, the Holy Hounds of God Benandanti have better things to do than hunt me. I heard they are recruiting surviving humans to spread their religion, not to mention combating zombies.”

“Remember they have helicopters, planes and hunters such as the alpha, Maddox. Dirk says if anyone can beat his reputation as a hunter, it’s Maddox.”

Rave quirked a mischievous smile. “He is hot.”

“Really?” Dora chuckled. “I can’t imagine anyone hotter than my bossy redheaded alpha.”

“Oh, but you’ve never seen him. All muscle and as tall as Dirk. He’s a dead ringer for David Beckham.”

“Who?”

“Are you for real? He’s only England’s greatest athlete married to a Spice girl. He was once the hottest soccer player. He retired years ago.” She scrunched her face. “I hope he didn’t turn zombie.”

“Oh, now I remember. Underwear commercials, right?”

Rave smiled. “That’s him; only imagine him on werewolf steroids. That’s Maddox. The minute I saw him at the last Mythos Consortium meeting I thought, oh yeah, yummy. And I’m pretty sure he was into me, too.”

Dora laughed. “All men think you’re hot. Why wouldn’t he?”

The way his face had flushed crimson when their eyes met caught her attention more than any other male, human, raven or werewolf ever had. “It was more of a hate-lust reaction. During dinner, I overheard werewolves chuckle about Maddox’s aroused scent toward me.” Rave snorted. “You can’t hide much from a werewolf’s sense of smell. Point in fact, I’m used to men gawking at me, but his reaction was over the top.”

“What, did he growl at you?”

“Just about. During the entire meal, Maddox’s handsome face glowered.” She purred. “He was so irresistible. I mean who can resist a tormented surly warrior?” Rave had an urge to run her fingers through his thick blond hair, and kiss his corded neck. Even now, the memory of the hot werewolf was powerful and the hair on her arms rose. “Whenever I gave him a fleeting glance, he reddened and tightened his fists.” Rave sagged against the chair. “He probably thought I was the devil’s temptress. When a male guest kissed my hand in introduction, Maddox abruptly stormed out. So much for my game of flirting with him. Apparently, he turned wolf and dashed into the forest.”

“Not even you could seduce a pious Benandanti.”

Rave shrugged. “You’re probably right. Maddox, a holy Templar, took a vow of celibacy. At least until he finds a mate.”

Dora raised a brow. “Werewolves and celibacy don’t belong in the same sentence.”

“Tell me about it. Since the first crusades, a few select Benandanti Templar knights refrained from all sex, devoting their lives to hunt the Kindred.”

“I can’t imagine Dirk going without sex for more than a couple days and even that would be a stretch.”

Rave scoffed. “Lucky you.”

Dora raised her eyebrows. “How old is he?”

“Twenty-nine.”

“No way he’s still a virgin. Maybe he’s found a mate?”

Rave’s heart tightened. “Actually, word is Maddox killed all the Kindred of England and has recently returned. He is out for revenge against Jaeger. Apparently, the Kindred killed the woman he’d planned to take as a mate.”

“That’s sad.”

“I don’t believe she was his soul mate.” Shifters were supposed to marry their soul mates, but due to the odds of not finding their true mate, they often took an earth mate to marry and start a family. She and her former fiancé Bram would have been earth mates.

“And you know this, how?”

“Dora, you of all should know, once a shifter, especially a werewolf finds his or her mate, they can’t wait to…well, you know…”

Dora’s eyes teased. “Have sex?”

“That followed by the mating bite. At his age, there’s no way he would have held back.”

Dora fingered her silvery bite scar along her neck. “I can’t argue with that. Just promise to stay clear of all Benandanti, even if they belong in a candy jar.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Good thing the lab is in San Antonio, Texas far from their Great Lakes territory.”

Rave raised her brow and twirled her necklace: a raven sitting on the tree of life. “Oh, you haven’t heard.”

“Dirk’s been out on a hunt so I’ve pretty much stuck to my new patients and spell craft research.”

“Apparently, Hilda our raven scout returned last night and told me the Benandanti lost a battle with the Kindred and left the Great Lakes area. They and about one hundred humans killed the local Vircolac and Native shifters and then settled in the Montana territory. She’ll discuss it at tonight’s Consortium meeting.”

Dora gasped and the plant in the corner wilted. No doubt from the doc’s fear that the enemy was a tad closer to California. “That sucks.”

“Pater Valeray was killed but the new pater is even more fanatical, if you can imagine that.” Rave stiffened. “And despite his so called deep faith, he’s broken the most important werewolf pack rule.”

“Besides using silver against their kind?”

“Worse, he’s armed humans with rifles loaded with silver bullets. Now our wolfish buddies have to worry not only about the Kindred but also religious zealots armed and aiming to kill pagan werewolves.”

“Can’t they just focus on killing zombies?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Well, the good news is silver may no longer be lethal.”

“Huh?”