Read Online The Lost Years by Natalie Shaw - Free Book Online Page A

Immediately, he was aware of the smell. He snapped his head to the left, and saw the two figures—one was head and shoulders taller than the other. His instincts took over, and he was on the point of shifting when the shorter of the two spoke.
    “Wait! We mean you know harm,” she said.
    “What makes you think you could do me harm?” Craven sneered. His body was aching to shift. He should rip out their throats for such audacity.
    “We just want to talk. You're Craven, right?”
    How did they know his name?
    “Step to the right,” Craven ordered.
    They did as he said, and were now standing in a part of the room which was bathed in moonlight—two young vampires. Craven cringed at their odour.
    “You can stop with the face,” the female said. “You don't smell any better to us.”  She had spirit, he had to give her that much.
    “How do you know my name?” he asked.
    “We've been looking for you. We're from the territory you know as Maja.” The female was doing all of the talking.
    “Why? What could you possibly want with me?”
    “We can help you,” she said.
    “Help me?” Craven laughed. “The day I need help from a vampire will be my last.”
    “To find Louise,” she said.
    Now she had his attention.
    “What do you know about Louise?” His anger rose again. “Have you taken her?”
    “No. Nothing like that, but we do know where you can find her.”
    “Where? Tell me now or I'll kill you both.”
    “If you kill us, you'll never find her.”
    “Are you holding her?”
    “No. We've already told you that we don't have her.”
    “Where is she then?”
    “She's still in Maja territory. She has been all along.”
    “Now I know you're lying. I searched Maja first. I'd have sensed her presence if she'd been there.”
    “Not where they're holding her you wouldn't. She's being held ten miles out of the city in a small enclosure. The undergrowth in the wood surrounding the enclosure is made up mainly of the wender berry plant.”
    It made sense. The wender berry plant had a scent which was so strong that it would obscure all other odours. If what they said was true then Craven would not have been able to sense Louise's presence.
     
    Craven walked over to the bed, and took a seat on its edge. His gaze never once strayed from the two vampires.
    “I still don't understand why you're here. What do you care about any of this?”
    “My name is Hesta,” the female said. “And this is Jarda.  We need your help to overthrow Lassiter.”
    Craven recalled his meeting with Lassiter, and a shudder ran down his spine.
    “That's dangerous talk. Why would you want to overthrow the head of your cove?”
    “He killed my brother,” she said. “And now his policies are going to destroy all of our people.”
    “What happened to your brother?”
    “Were you aware of the attack on Jesters nightclub?”
    Craven nodded.
    “My brother was one of those involved in the attack. He and the others had been persuaded by Lassiter that it was in revenge for an attack on our people by the shifters.”
    “That's a lie.”
    “I know. It was a distraction to allow Lassiter to kill Krell. Milton and Lassiter had agreed a pact under which they'd power share once Krell was out of the way. Thomas, my brother, was killed alongside six other young vampires that night.”
    “I didn't think any vampires had been killed in the attack.”
    “It was all hushed up. Thomas died for nothing. He'd never have taken part in the attack if he'd known the real reason behind it.”
    “I still don't understand how freeing Louise will help your cause.”
    “Milton wanted to kill Louise, but Lassiter insisted she be kept alive. Louise was Lassiter's hold over Milton in case the new Alpha decided to go back on their agreement. If she let it be known that Milton had been involved in her father's murder, the Maja pack would have turned on the new Alpha. Milton was forced to agree that she could be kept alive, but only on the condition that his