Stone Crest: Rise of a Raven

49. Chapter 49

Chapter forty-nine

Locke

I ’m halfway down the stairs of the basement when I hear the familiar bickering coming from behind the door. Everyone is assembled tonight to discuss our dealings with Kingston.

When I round the corner Declan is sitting on the chair farthest away from everyone, a distant look on his face. Hendrix is already pounding on the keys to his computer. Nyko, Zander, and Callum are tossing darts at the dart board while Autumn sits oddly quiet on the small sofa.

I enter, standing at the front of the room. “I want to be up front with you. Most of you know my relationship, if you can even call it that, with my brother has been strained for years. Some recent events have forced us to talk and although I wasn’t for it, turns out he may be our shot at stopping Malikiah and Elias from whatever scheme they have planned.”

“You trust him?” Nyko asks.

He’s been with me since day one. He knows how hard trusting him is.

“In this situation. Yes. Malikiah took something from him. Something we as shifters hold sacred. He wants revenge just as I do.”

I spent the next few minutes explaining our last meeting, all the way down to his connection to Raven.

“Damn," Callum mutters. “Small world.”

“He called me this morning and wants to discuss what he thinks is happening. Just outside of Stone Crest. Outside of both territories to be neutral.”

“You think it’s a set up?” Zander asks.

“My gut tells me no,” I answer honestly. “But we can’t be too careful.”

“I’m going,” Declan grumbles from his spot.

I nod. “Declan, Zander, and Nyko will go with me.” I point to Autumn. “Autumn. Raven, Frankie, and Presley are having a girl’s night. You should go.”

Her smile is there, but it’s faint.

“Not to work,” I add.

Her smile grows. “Ok. Thanks Locke.”

I had my suspicions about what was going on with Autumn, but it wasn’t my place to ask. Honestly if I had proof, I’d go to Zander first and let him deal.

“Hendrix and Callum. You go with the girls. I want eyes on Raven at all times. There hasn’t been another threat, but we all know if I tell her she can’t go, she’ll deliberately disobey me, so I’d rather just compromise.”

The room is silent.

“What?” I scoff.

Nyko grins. “Never knew you to compromise, Locke.”

“Neither did I.” I run a hand through my hair.

“We leave in ten.” I pause. “And Callum. She outsmarts you again. I’m killing you.”

Hendrix chuckles. “Frankie might beat you to it.”

I stride over to Declan. “Upstairs.”

He reluctantly follows, and I lead him into the kitchen.

“You want to tell me why the fuck you have Presley stealing from the hospital for you?”

His jaw tenses and he rolls his neck back.

“Did you compel her?” I step to him. “Weren’t you the one who said not to ask you to do it again?"

“Locke.” His voice holds a warning.

Declan is usually the easy going one. He’s not tense. He’s not serious, which has me terrified he’s relapsing.

“You never lie to me, Dec. We’ve been through too much. Did you break your sobriety?”

He scoffs out a laugh and shakes his head.

“Did you get her to steal from the blood bank?” I ask.

“You think I would do that?” His movement is so quick I don’t have time to react. His palm is around my throat in seconds. “You think I would take someone as innocent as her and use her for that?”

His face changes to the usual shade of gray that shows when his emotions are high. His fangs appear, but there’s no danger in his gaze. I see something else, something I have never seen in all the years I’ve known him. Fear.

“I didn’t ask her to steal blood for me.” He squeezes. “I did compel her. But I had to.”

“Ok, man.” I tap his wrist. “I believe you.”

His grip loosens as he takes a step back. His face returns to normal and he presses his thumbs to his eyes.

“Talk to me. What’s going on?” I reach out to grip his shoulder.

“I told her to pick up her medical records.” He keeps his gaze averted from mine.

“Why?”

Before he can answer, Raven peers around the corner. “We’re leaving.”

Giving his shoulder a squeeze, I cross the kitchen to her. One hand lands on the door frame and the other on her chin.

She presses those perfect lips to mine.

“You’ll come back to me?” She asks.

I press one more kiss. “Always.”

When I face Declan, it’s clear he’s in no mood to talk.

“Let’s go see what other bullshit your brother has to say.” Then he brushes past me and out the front door.