Chains by Kristine Allen

“Savior  (Ghost  Note  Symphonies)”—Rise  Against

It was late, and the clubhouse was subdued that night. E sat in the common area watching TV, but no one else was around except for the prospect at the bar. He went in the back to restock before going to bed for the night, and I lifted my drink to my lips as I held the ice pack over my eye.

“You look… like you could use a friend, young Nico,” Madame Laveaux said, and I lifted my head from my hands.

“Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me!” Like her grandson, Voodoo, she had an innate ability to see things—know things. It had my anxiety creeping up—escalating. There were a lot of ugly things in my life I never wanted anyone to know.

“That looks terrible,” she said, staring at my eye.

A snort escaped, but I didn’t want to say no shit.

“My grandson cannot read you well. Did you know that?”

I shook my head, wondering where she was going with this.

“You need to speak to him. There is something he has seen, but he doesn’t know it’s about you.”

“Then how do you know it is?”

She cocked an elegant brow and looked down her nose. “Because I know these things” was all the answer I got.

“Okay, sure. Talk to Voodoo. Got it.” I gave her a mock salute, and she narrowed her eyes.

Belated fear coursed through me. My mood was overshadowing my common sense.

It was my turn to sigh. “Sorry. I’m in a shit mood, and it’s not fair to take it out on you.”

She harrumphed in acceptance.

“It’s not hopeless, you know,” she murmured as she stared deep in my eyes. She plucked my glass from my hands and took a drink. Surprised, I let her have it.

“How do you figure? I made a promise to a woman that I don’t know if I can keep. I promised her we’d find a way to make this work, but I don’t know how that’s ever going to happen. I’m going to be a father that can’t touch his own child unless he’s wearing gloves. How would I explain to him or her why I can’t touch them with my bare hands? Holy shit… what if they are like me?” Exasperated and worried, I dropped my face to my hands as my elbows rested on the bar top.

After a few long moments of silence, she sighed.

“There might be a way,” she ominously announced. “That you could touch the woman you love and your children, I mean.”

“Why don’t I like the sound of that?” I warily questioned as I lowered my hands. Though we knew much of what she was capable of, the woman’s full abilities were shrouded in mystery.

“It involves powerful magic, Nico. Therefore, I will only help you if she is willing. There must be true love.” She poked the table with a finger as she punctuated her words. Her reply was dark and yet aloof. Eerily pale gray-blue eyes boldly stared me down.

“What magic?” Eyes narrowed, I questioned her suspiciously. A shiver hit me, sending chills through me.

“I had a vision about you and Jasmine. Afterward, I searched through volumes of old texts for a solution for you. I found something that I believe will work. It is a special potion that you each need to drink. If it works, it should have the ability to mute her thoughts in your head. If it’s done before the baby is born, it will pass to your child. Voila! Your worries of family are solved.” That didn’t sound so bad. Maybe it tasted like shit. Oh, who was I kidding, this was Madame Laveaux; it was going to be more than some nasty-tasting drink.

“Pay attention!” she barked as she snapped her fingers in front of my face. Chagrined at letting my thoughts run away with me, I winced.

“These potions, they involve very different… um… recipes,” she said as she tapped her lips thoughtfully. Unease settled in my guts.

“Like what?” I demanded. She rolled her eyes and huffed.

“So demanding. Maybe I won’t help after all. Your manners are atrocious, boy.”

My nostrils flared, and she chuckled.

“Teasing. You’re lucky I’m a romantic. Be warned, it’s likely not going to be pleasant.” The baleful warning didn’t sound good, neither did her wrinkled nose.

“How unpleasant?” This was beginning to sound like a child’s fairytale.

“You will have to drink a potion that I would make for you. It must contain your blood in hers and her blood in yours.” She shrugged as if this was no big deal.

“I’m not a fucking vampire! That’s revolting,” I snarled through gritted teeth.

“Aren’t you?” A single brow rose, and she smirked. “You steal memories, thoughts, experiences from those you touch. Is that so very different?”

“You think I enjoy it?”

“Of course not,” she scoffed. “But it is what it is.”

“The point of my going away was supposedly to give me, Jasmine, and Angel time to cool off. You also instructed me to work on gaining control of my abilities—which I did, by the way. So why isn’t that enough? I just need to make sure I keep them under control,” I argued, my frustration building.

“Impossible. There is no way you would maintain control in moments of great emotion. Anger, terror, ecstasy; they all rob you of the ability to control yourself.” She shook her head ruefully.

“So unless we do some crazy-ass ritual and drink each other’s blood like vampires, we’re doomed?” I asked as I shook my head in disbelief.

“Don’t be dramatic. I didn’t say that, but things will be as they are. Deal with it or try to change it. The choice is yours—well, and Jasmine’s. You must talk to her because the clock is ticking. It must be done before she has the baby.”

“Why?”

“Because it is the only way the baby will have immunity directly from its mother. Unless you changed your mind and you don’t want to touch your child without gloves. It matters not to me, young Nico. I’m only an old woman trying to help.” She took another swallow of my drink. The woman didn’t so much as flinch at the straight whiskey. She had me in awe.

“What about if we have other children? Will we need to do this every fucking time?”

“Language! And in answer to your question, no. The transformation will be permanent once it has been done.” She flicked a hand my direction, setting off the jingle of a wrist full of silver bangles.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, properly chastised.

“You cannot force this on her. Though you are fated to be together, she has suffered damage to her soul. That can sometimes sever even the closest of bonds. Decker saw this, and that is why you were sent away. Not only to keep you and Jude from ripping each other apart and to learn to control your abilities.” The woman rarely referred to any of us by our road names, yet when she came to visit, she stayed at the clubhouse in a guest room, not with Hawk and Julia or Voodoo and Kira. It was strange, but it was what she wanted, therefore she got it.

“If our bond has been that damaged, what’s the point?”

“The point is, I believe this is fixable. She has made great strides, yet she still believes herself unworthy of you or any man. It will be up to you to prove she is, because she must be certain.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“That has not been revealed to me yet.” She abruptly stood, the barstool scraping the floor. “You’re a smart boy. Figure it out.” Without a goodnight, goodbye, kiss my ass, nothing, she walked off. As she reached the entrance to the back hall, she turned. “Speak to Voodoo.”

Then she soundlessly went to her room.

The next morning, I woke feeling as if I hadn’t slept a wink. My sleep was plagued with nightmares of the wolf I always thought I saw when I was younger. In my dream, it killed Jasmine, then ate our baby. It was so horrific that I rushed to the bathroom and hurled until I thought my stomach would turn inside out.

When I was sure I was done, I stood on shaking legs and ran a trembling hand over my face before I rinsed my mouth, brushed my teeth, and used mouthwash twice. It took all that to remove the bitter taste of fear from my tongue.

Remembering Madame Laveaux’s instructions, I dressed. My eyes caught on the necklace I wore. It was such a part of me, I often forgot I wore it. I ran my fingertips over the smooth curves and realized my dreams might be because I’d always been obsessed with wolves. I laughed at my ridiculous mind for making me dream such stupid shit.

Once I had my keys, wallet, pistol, and had slipped on my cut, I went out to the common area. Not wanting to waste time, I went into the kitchen where several of the members were sitting at the long table. I grabbed a biscuit, loaded it with eggs, cheese, and bacon. As I passed the table, I swiped a piece of bacon off Ghost’s plate.

“Hey! There’s more right there!” He pointed to the buffet Reya was refilling. Her colored-contact enhanced green eyes looked over at me, and she gave me a once-over with a wanton gaze. It was no secret she thought she’d eventually become an ol’ lady and didn’t care who the patch was.

Not happening. She’d been with every brother here at one time or another, which was whatever, but that wasn’t ol’ lady material. She was also crazy as fuck, and I didn’t have time for her bullshit.

“Yours is better,” I said with a grin before I shoved the entire piece in my mouth and walked out to his grumbling.

Halfway to the door, I stopped when he called out to me. “Yeah?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Okay?” I drew out the word. “But I need to get going. I’m supposed to go see Jasmine.”

He ran a hand through his shoulder-length dark blond hair. “Yeah, well, it’s about that. I owe you an apology.”

My teeth ground as I waited to see what he said. If he said he’d been with her, I might have to knock his teeth out. Especially after what he’d said to me all those years ago.

“I was wrong to steer you away from Jasmine.” My shoulders relaxed, and I realized I’d tensed every muscle in my body.

“Brother, we can’t change things that are in the past. It’s more about acknowledging how we could’ve done things differently or better,” I said. One corner of my mouth lifted.

“Yeah, well, I figured out she was pregnant several weeks ago. I didn’t know it was yours at the time or I would’ve gotten her to talk to you. When I did confront her, I told her you needed to know. I wanted to apologize to you because I feel like I fucked with your life when I had no right to, but I was afraid of you getting kicked out after you’d only been patched a hot minute. You’re a good brother, and I know the Royal Bastards are your family.” He pressed his lips in a flat line.

“I know you were looking out for my best interests. Maybe you were right, though. I’m not sure I was ready to be the man I needed to be for her at that time. But I’m not fucking it up again. I’m going to do everything in my power to figure things out.” I paused and wet my lip, because this was difficult for me. “This isn’t just some chick having my kid, this is real. She’s… she’s important to me.”

“I get it,” he said with a haunted look that he quickly shook off. We embraced, and I shoved a bite of the sandwich in my mouth as I walked outside. The September sun was shining, and it was already shaping up to be a hot one as summer lingered.

Voodoo pulled in as I settled on my bike and slipped on my shades, so I waited as he backed in next to me. When he cut the motor, he pulled off his Ray-Bans and grinned at me. “Hey bro, where you headed?”

It was impossible to keep the grin from my face, but I looked away then back before I shook my head. “Going to see Jasmine.”

He smirked. “Angel kick your ass yet?”

In answer, I pulled off my sunglasses. He whistled at the shiner I was sporting. “Damn, and he didn’t take care of it afterward?”

A snort escaped me, and he laughed. “I had it coming. Didn’t even put up a fight.” I shrugged. Some people probably think the way we handle things is barbaric, but it’s second nature in this world. You don’t break the code without getting your ass beat. Truthfully, I got off lucky, and I damn well knew it.

He nodded, because he got it.

“Hey, before I go, your grandmother said I need to talk to you. That you had a vision that you didn’t realize was for me.”

Confused, he cocked his head, then understanding dawned. “Oh, yeah. I had a vision that didn’t make sense, so I spoke to my grandmother about it, but I still didn’t realize what it was about. She said it was you?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh. You know how I’ve never been able to read you?”

I nodded as I waited for him to continue.

“It’s the weirdest fucking thing. Anyway, yeah, I’ve had the same vision several times. Usually it’s the same, sometimes there are slight variations.”

While he spoke, I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. I rarely smoked anymore, but something told me I needed it.

“Other than your necklace, what does a wolf mean to you? I keep getting this vision of a wolf with silver eyes and a damaged ear. You’re never in the vision, so I didn’t connect it with you.” His brow furrowed in confusion.

My heart stuttered as he studied me.

Seriously, I damn near fell off my bike.

“Honestly, I have no clue, but I dream about that wolf a lot. For years of my childhood, I thought I was nuts because I often thought I saw a wolf. Last night was different though. It was fucked-up, man.” My hand shook slightly as I took a long, deep drag.

“I’m gonna see what I can find out. Maybe Granmé can help me decipher some of it or can come up with a different idea.”

At his mention of his grandmother and her ideas, a chill skated across my skin. It got me thinking about what she’d said to me the night before.

“I appreciate it,” I said as I nodded and started my bike. He waved as he got off and turned to head inside.

Fuck, I needed to talk to Jasmine and hope she didn’t think I’d lost my fucking mind.