The Legacy of Kilkenny
PRU
It’d been three days since our dinner in Stillwater. I’d been dream walking with Quinney the last two nights trying to find out if they had any new information. It seemed as though whatever the vamps were up to, they were keeping it secret. His group he dispatched to Louisiana was planning a trip to Oklahoma next month. He told me that he had them rent a house and join the chamber of commerce to find out the goings on in the town. Apparently one of the guys was an American that was an attorney too, so he filmed a commercial on how he could help them recover money if they were an accident victim. Nice, an ambulance-chasing supernatural. What America needs more of, sweet.
I hung up with Allie after asking if she wanted to do some last minute shopping for prom stuff. Lucky for me she was on her way to town anyway for a family get-together tonight. Abe hadn’t said anything about a get-together so I was a little surprised. We agreed to meet at the mall at noon.
The house was easier to get out of then I expected. I look at my car and take a mental note that it needs to be washed this weekend. Spring rains on dirt roads make for muddy clay and I had a serious clay problem both in and out of my car. The mall isn’t busy so I find a parking place without too much problem. I got to the mall early just to get my game on. I wanted to make sure Arien wasn’t with her hiding in one of the corners. I was guessing the stories were right about their keen sense of hearing and smell so I needed the upper hand. We agreed to meet in the food court.
She arrived dressed in Burberry’s latest ad campaign featuring Emma Watson. I know she can’t afford the clothes so I was guessing Arien had financed a shopping spree. “Wow Allie, you look amazing!” I gushed, I’m not really a gushing kind of girl, but I can appreciate designer clothes. Allie did a little spin to show me the back. “I love it. You look like you just walked off a runway.” She was looking thinner to me, can vampires be heavy? Good question.
“Don’t you just love it? Arien saw me looking through a magazine last week and he ordered everything from their summer catalog for me. I’m still shocked! He is so sweet.” She was radiant. Great, this may be harder than I originally thought.
I looked around trying to get a feel for Arien, but I didn’t sense him. “That was really sweet of him. I’m surprised you let him buy you such extravagant gifts being you just met him.”
“Actually, I didn’t just meet him. We met a couple of months ago when he was in town visiting his uncle. We met at the Broken Hearts’ Ball they have every year at the C’est La Vie club. You really should go there with me. It’s like Goth meets glamour, black décor but they have cool crystal chandeliers and the drinks are served in crystal. One of the girls I went with tried to tell me it was Waterford crystal but I really doubt it. I do think the chandeliers are Waterford though. I just love the place. They play really great music and the guys are all like Arien. Seriously, they are. They’re like the old movie stars that are on the oldies TV stations.” She bounced around like she was slightly tweaked on something. She reached in her Gucci bag and pulled out some designer lip gloss “Want some?” she held it out to me.
“Uh, no. Sounds like a fun place. Is it one of those role-playing clubs? Does everyone think their name is Edward?” I sounded a little more sarcastic than intended.
“No. I’m not a loser, seriously Pru, you know me better than that. Don’t you?” She thrust her lip-gloss back in her purse.
I felt like I was treading on murky water with her. I put my hands up, “It’s cool, let’s go down to Claire’s and find some earrings for my dress.”
We walked and talked and hit every store. Arien apparently got her a credit card without a limit and told her to spend all she wanted. I’ve never gone without anything but I’m careful with my money. All of that designer stuff could be found in no name brands for a fraction of the cost. I’d rather have a fancy trip or nice cars then a $1500.00 purses. We stopped at Starbucks, as we sat sipping on coffee I decided to go in for the kill.
“Hey Allie, I need some help with my hair, do you think you can come over Wednesday night or I can go to Stillwater. I want to do a practice run before prom.” I crossed my fingers.
“You’re cute, as if you need help with your beautiful hair. I’ll check with Arien, he said something about having a surprise for me this week. I’ll def be able to make it for Saturday.” She sipped on her coffee making a face like it tasted terrible.
“Oh, okay. I really wanted to get in a practice run. I want to look perfect for prom. I’ll be your best friend forever.” I put my hands together in prayer and made my best puppy. “You’re killing me. When did you get so needy? You have to come to Stillwater, I have class at 8:00 am on Thursday and I can’t be late. I’ve been sleeping in from staying out so late with Arien. He is so good to me.” She says, her eyes dreamy and smoldering.
I turned and looked at her “You’re not sleeping with him are you?” I tried to play dumb just in case our conversation was being listened to by ears I couldn’t see or smell.
She sat there with a mock shocked look on her face. “Prudence, what makes you think I’m sleeping with him?” She puts her hand to her mouth trying to look innocent.
“I don’t know, maybe the way you two were all over each other the other night, that might be a small clue,” I say a little snidely. I couldn’t figure out if she was for real or not.
“You should see your face. Ha! Don’t say anything to Abe okay?” She leaned in closer. “Yes, he is amazing and so considerate. He would have waited but I’m the one that instigated it. I couldn’t help myself. If you could see what he looks like without a shirt on, you’d understand what I mean. Seriously, that club is full of Oakley types. I don’t know why you aren’t all over that man, he is delicious. Maybe if you had a little sexual interlude you wouldn’t be so uptight and serious.” She shook her head back and forth as I sat there mouth hanging open. “I’m being mean Pru, but you come off very strict sometimes. I’d suggest you have a fling with my brother but I think you need a man with a little experience under his belt, and Oakley def has experience.”
Oh no she didn’t. I didn’t even want to think about Oakley with another woman, come to think of it, I’ve never heard him talk about going on a date. “I’ve got too much to think about right now to have some sexual interlude. Didn’t you take Health classes? I’d be too afraid of catching something, I’d rather wait until I love someone. Don’t even look at me like that, seriously I just wouldn’t do it. You’ve seen my family, they’d kill me and the guy. You’ll just have to trust me on that.” I felt a little embarrassed talking about her sex life, mainly because I don’t have any experience in that department. Sure I’ve kissed guys but I’ve never really liked anyone well enough to go all the way. Call me a romantic or whatever but no one will call me easy. “Back to prom. I’ll come out Wednesday after school, be ready for a girls night in.”
“Yeah, that’ll work for me. It’ll give me time to take a nap before you get there. I’ve been so tired lately, Arien has me taking a multivitamin he thinks I might be anemic. I haven’t noticed it helping but he thinks it is. He really is too good to me.” She says, voice almost a whisper, her eyes looking right through me. “I’ll see you Wednesday.” She gave me a small hug and did her fake kisses on each side of my head.
I pushed the big heavy door going out to the parking lot. This afternoon just got a little complicated. Oakley was leaned up against my car with his arms crossed. I couldn’t see his eyes because of the dark sunglasses, but I could tell by the way he held his mouth that he wasn’t happy. I couldn’t help but think of the conversation Allie and I had about sex. I’d love nothing more than Oakley to pull me close to him and kiss me and whatever else came next, yeah whatever was next. I shook my head, I had to clear it so I didn’t look like some sex-starved teenager. He was wearing a tight black thermal shirt and a pair of William Rast jeans that fit him just right. Damn.
“Hey Oak, what brings you out on this lovely day?” I flash him a toothy smile. Let the lecturing begin.
“Prudence Phelan, do you have any idea how difficult it is to protect someone you’re assigned to when they keep running off with vampires. Is there some type of mental block with you?” He took off his sunglasses for a dramatic effect. His finger wagging and his eyes piercing through me as he scolded me like a child. I grabbed his wagging finger pulling it to my mouth and bit it. “What the hell is wrong with you, you bit me!”
“It got your attention didn’t it? It wasn’t like it was a secret! Did you bother sending me a text or call me? You know, there is a little invention called a phone.” I shouted. Men could be so annoying.
He points to my purse. “I did call, look at your phone and see how many missed calls you have! Pru, this is serious, don’t you get it? I’m your shadow, we’re a team dammit and I can’t protect you if I’m always having to go to I.T. having them run a check on your GPS in your car. Sooner or later your dad will assign someone else if he thinks I can’t keep up with you. What gives?”
Guilt settling in the pit of my stomach, I close the gap between us and put my arms around him, he stands rigid not putting his arm around me. “Oakley, I’m sorry. It has nothing to do with going somewhere without you; I was just meeting her to convince her to spend next Wednesday with me. I never heard my phone. Forgive me?” I lay my head on his chest and finally feel his arms go around me, I hear him inhale deeply.
He whispers to the top of my head. “You have no idea what you do to me. You’re everything to me Pru, not just because I’m assigned to you, because you’re my friend. You’ve got to be careful hanging around vamps P.” He kissed the top of my head and I felt chills go down my back. “You cold?”
“No, I guess someone just ran across my grave.” I repeated the old superstition to cover my real reason for chills.
The Pack had a meeting with Alecia about the vamps. Apparently the leader of the clan had originally agreed to meet us, but something has come up and he changed his mind. Alecia’s coven sells charms and apothecary without discrimination to all the supernaturals unless of course it is for the dark arts. She told us the vampires have all been very cordial and have only wanted charms to protect them when they are sleeping and some homeopathic remedies for vitamin deficiency for the blood donors. She remembered someone recently asking for allergy medicine. How considerate, whatever. So that is why they don’t sneeze around us, they’re taking allergy med’s. I bet the vitamin Arien is giving Allie is an allergy pill.
Why Oklahoma? I couldn’t figure out why, historically vamps don’t venture far from their clan. I wasn’t sold on the cordial mumbo jumbo. I think they are up to something and if I’m right… they’re trying to get to Abel.
I raised my hand. “Alecia, did they give you any idea when they will be able to meet with us? Or even why they’re here?”
She told us she thinks they are friendly and doesn’t believe they’re up to anything. After the meeting, Oak and I went to talk to Bryon letting him know he really had to keep an eye on Abe. We didn’t include Abel in the meeting figuring the less he knew, the less he would tell in case he is able to be glamoured by the vampire.
The days were full of speed training just in case there was any hand-to-hand combat with Arien. One of the Texas Pack members is a master of Capoeira. I’ve taken some classes with him in the past but it was just the movement training, now we are sparring. I suffered a concussion from one of the head butts he did to me, thankfully I fully recovered in a few hours. Abel joined in on all the fun, he was a natural. We all watched in amazement as he mastered every task. Abel caught on the Chamada before I did. It is a ritual-like call to the game of capoeira. I excel in signals in our Pack but not so much with the capoeira.
Tuesday night I went out to the farm wanting to spend the night in my old room and spend some time with my dad. After dinner we settled in on the couch together to talk about Abe’s training. The Pack was starting to warm up, and no one went out of their way to avoid him anymore. Not from what I can tell at least. His leadership skills were a subject of interest to my dad; he thought we need to instill more confidence in him. The melon candle filled the room with a nice summer scent. The big wrought iron lamp with its energy efficient bulb giving the room a warm glow, I stretched my legs kicking off my sandals to curl up more against my dad. I asked him to tell me the story of the Great Wolf just like he has done since I was a little girl.
On the 20th day of September 1805 your great great grandfather Conri O’Connell arrived in New York City after a long and tiresome voyage. Many of the passengers on the ship were afflicted with scurvy due to the lack of fresh vegetables and fruit. Weres are resistant to the common day diseases and he stayed in good health. Conri was jubilant to have arrived in the America’s and was hopeful that his quest to find the tales he had heard was true. Conri left Ireland after hunters had killed most of his Pack, leaving only four to carry on the family name. He came to America in search of the Great Wolf. The Pack was told about the Great Wolf when a Pack from Germany traveled through his hometown of Kilkenny, Ireland. The German Pack had been traveling in search of other weres that may know more about the tale of the Great Wolf. They told the O’Connells the tale of a man that will be the Great Wolf and will be of American decent. The American wolf would be born to a non-were mother with no mention of the decent of his father. The German weres talked about another Pack in America that would help raise the Great Wolf to his powers. After hearing all of the stories, Conri decided it was his duty to locate the Great Wolf and challenge him for his powers. Conri traveled throughout the territories that are now known as the United States looking for another wolf Pack. He traveled for the next twenty years without finding any signs of any weres. He was lonely and needed to find a mate to start a Pack. He traveled to Louisiana after finding out there were French that had traveled by boat. He was hopeful that another were had come to America too. Shortly after arriving in Louisiana he met a mortal girl Helena. It is understood she was beautiful beyond words, long raven-colored hair and eyes as blue as the ocean’s depth. Conri bit her early on in their courtship when his loneliness overcame his restraints. He was determined she would be his mate for life. Helena embraced her new life as a werewolf. Together, they had fifteen children, one being your grandmother Estelle who married Patrick Phelan, a were that had traveled from Ireland in search of the Great Wolf. In the late 1800s Estelle, who was also a shaman, dreamt of the land of the Red Man and one of the Red Men in her dream told her the ancestors of the wolf they sought had been born in their land. The dream gave Patrick and Estelle the new found strength to continue Conri’s quest in finding the Great Wolf. Before Conri’s death he told his daughter Estelle that the Great Wolf will be nearing adulthood when he completes his first shift. His reign will be fierce and uncompromised; a great war between the Others will cause deep pain to the empathetic wolf. Once he shifts he will have thirty days to choose the Pack to which he will pledge his loyalty; the Alpha of the chosen Pack will relinquish his reign. It is told that any wolf that challenges the Great Wolf and successfully kills him will gain his powers. If the challenger loses the battle he will be banished to Romania, the land of the damned. If the challenger was Alpha, his Pack can pledge their allegiance to the Great Wolf and vow never to strike again or they too will be banished. His mate will bear him five sons and one daughter. The Great Wolf’s Pack will gain new abilities that have not been foretold. The attributes that give signal of the Great Wolf
Born on August 17th
Born of a mother that heals
Born with a crescent moon shaped birthmark
Once around Pack wolves he will gain superhuman strength and speed
Empathetic
I’d forgotten the empathy ability, hmmm, not sure if he is empathetic. “Dad, what happened to Helena’s children? Are they still ali
ve?”
“As you know love, our kind can be careless, this causes hunters to hunt and kill. One of the largest problems was the vampires. They had taken up residency in Louisiana and wanted to have squatter’s rights. They demanded the weres leave and gave them a generous amount of time to go. My understanding was Conri and ten of his children fought the vamps and lost. Helena lost her life to a hunter’s arrow.” He lowered his head making the sign of the cross. “The remainder of his children scattered across the country and started their own packs. I only have contact with one, they are in Maine. They aren’t the friendliest group but they are strong and intense rogue hunters.”
“We have relatives in Maine? What’s their name?” I felt a little betrayed, it was hard to explain but I’d kept the log on the packs in the United States for the last five years and not once was there ever mention of a pack in Maine. I watched his expression to see if he showed any tell sign of lying to me.
He sat there what felt like forever. “Yes, there is a Pack in Maine. They are ruthless and trust me the less you know of them the better.”
“That seems a little contradictory to what you’ve always said to me though. You’ve always told me to know my enemy, now you’re telling me the less I know the better?” If another Pack wolf talked to my father like that, they would be punished. I walked a fine line with him at times, just because we were so much alike. “So, which is it dad?”
“It’s a complicated situation with them. They blame your great-grandfather Patrick for the death of their family.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. They would be just as guilty, because they left too.” I stood up and started pacing the room.
“True, they did leave. They claim Patrick had promised to find a safe place for them to hide. It is said that he told them he worked out a deal with one of the vamps and were told if they stayed away and didn’t bother the vampires they would respect their Pack.” He shook his head. “Patrick traveled back to Louisiana to tell his family of the treaty that had been agreed upon. He traveled for days trying to find them when he learned of their death. The vampire that had made the agreement had been staked, the other vampires believed the werewolves had staked him because it happened in his nest. It is unknown if they had anything to do with Audric’s staking. That was his name Audric, he was from Paris and apparently was a very old vampire.”
“I don’t get it; that means the family could have had something to do with the staking of Audric, so they are the guilty ones.”
“Yes, you’re right love, but they don’t feel that way. They think Patrick had more information and he didn’t share it with them. They blame him for not traveling up to Maine and telling them of the demise of their family. It was mid-winter, not the best travel in the 1800s winter time to Maine.” He grabbed a beer out of the bar taking a big drink. “It is the Jackson Pack, that’s their name, Jackson.”
“Is Parker related to them? There’s always such mystery surrounding him, is he one of them?” I demanded.
“Yes, he is a Jackson. Before you get all mighty and righteous, he left with his mother when he was just eight years old. His mother died on their journey across the country, he knew she was trying to find us and after a few years it was brought to our attention there was a young were without any guidance traveling alone, so we searched for him and he was brought in. He is loyal to us, I assure you of that.” He finished off his beer and opened another. “Prudence, this is classified information and I trust you won’t confront Parker. You are not to contact them. They will not be receptive to you. They would be very dangerous to Abel until he shifts, so don’t go looking for trouble. That is a direct order, just in case you weren’t aware.”
I rolled my eyes, another one of those attributes that wouldn’t be tolerated from another member of the Pack. “Yes dad, I am fully aware. I don’t like it, and I don’t trust Parker but I’ll leave it.” I kissed his forehead and picked up my jean jacket. “I have to get to bed. I love you, just in case you were unaware.” I winked at him.
“I love you too, Prudence. I thought you were spending the night tonight.” He looked at me skeptically.
“I was but I have a feeling I’ll need a long run and won’t get much sleep. I better just drive back tonight that way I won’t have to worry about the long drive and being super tired. I’ll let you know how things go tomorrow night.” I grabbed my keys and headed for the door.
“Good night honey.” He hugged me.
“Good night daddy.” I squeezed him back.