Howling for You 8.5 by Neill Chloe

Author:Neill, Chloe [Neill, Chloe]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Urban, Fiction
ISBN: 9780698144286
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2014-01-07T08:00:00+00:00

5

St. Bridget’s was gorgeous, a church of fairy tale proportions and fantastical architecture. The building, also located in Ukrainian Village, was constructed of pink-peach stone with turquoise turrets, and the interior was just as colorful, with lots of wood, marble, and inset stone.

Right now, it was the site of vampire-worthy scheming. We’d guessed Tom would take a stand. Instead of trying to keep him out, we’d let him come in, crown in hand. And then we’d take him out.

At Jeff’s suggestion, a small corps of trustworthy shifters took positions outside in the dark, hidden from view but keeping an eye on the church and its access points. If—or when—Tom tried anything, we’d have eyes on him.

The interior of the church would have the same setup. A few friends of the family, all shifters, sat in the pews as if preparing to witness Connor’s initiation. But they were armed and prewarned—and they were as excited as shifters could be about the possibility of a good, solid brawl.

Jeff and I, both dressed in respectful black, stood on the church’s front steps, peering into the darkness. The snow still fell, powdering the neighborhood in white.

“You’re nervous,” Jeff said.

“It’s not every day I use my family as bait.”

“They can handle themselves,” he said. “It’s a good plan.”

“I know. And it was your good plan.”

He nodded, and we stood in silence, so much unspoken between us.

“We should go inside,” Jeff said. I turned to walk into the church, but he took my hand and pulled me against his body. Before I could object, his lips were on mine, mouth insistent.

He kissed me there on the steps of the church, with snow falling like tears around us. When he pulled away a moment later, my breath was short.

“Jeff,” I said, but he shook his head, leaned his forehead against mine.

“Every time I breathe, I breathe for you. Every time I speak, I speak for you. And every time I howl, I howl for you.” He pressed his lips to mine, so softly. “This isn’t over,” he said, and walked inside.

My hands and knees shaking, I followed him.

Gabriel stood in the back of the church with Eli. The rest of my brothers had taken their seats, dressed in suits as if we’d planned to proceed as normal. But Tanya and Connor were secure in an anteroom with Berna and a few of her minions. She didn’t look like much of a threat—squat figure, bleached hair—but she was, as Gabriel liked to say, a wolverine when it came to her family.

“Any sign?” Gabriel asked us.

“Not yet,” Jeff said. “But I have to think he’ll be along soon enough.”

“He’ll be along,” Gabriel said. “If he’s brassy enough to walk away with the crown, he’s brassy enough to try and make the initiation his. Take your positions.”

Jeff nodded and took his place on the other side of the aisle. I walked to the second pew and slid across slick wood to join Ben and Christopher.

Gabriel stepped up to the dais in front of the church and looked out over the shifters who’d come to witness history.

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