Southern Secrets (The Southern Series Book 2) Read online

  “But I have to warn you once more. We have a long, long way to go.”

  “If she can get control of the thirst for human blood, and can learn to eat animals and drink animal blood, then what?” I asked, jumping ahead in my planning.

  “Then the real battle begins. It’s the little steps, such as learning her own strength, controlling her emotions – learning to tame them, to act human. She has to learn to control her temper, and learn to control her eyes, learn to retract her fangs on command…”

  “Like Olivia and Patrick did,” I replied happily.

  “Yes, but it was much easier for them. They were born Aldon, not transformed. Some can never master the control over their senses, even if they master the hunger.”

  “And then she’ll be able to go back to John?” I asked excitedly.

  “No, Bebe, it’s…it’s not that simple. It’s so complicated, it’s hard for me to explain, without over-simplifying,” he paused, lost in thought for several seconds.

  “What else?” I asked impatiently.

  “Her relationships established before she transformed will be tricky. She has to learn to feel her emotions all over again. It’s as if the memories are there, but she can’t control the emotions tying with those memories. Simple relationships will be the easiest. Friendships…but intimate relationships are hard.” He studied my reaction closely.

  “I …I don’t follow you.”

  “Did you have trouble controlling yourself with Banton after you were bitten?”

  “I still do.” I grinned at him, and he smiled back, understanding my meaning.

  “Well, it’s a hundred times more difficult for her. Add the fact she doesn’t know her own strength…well, you get the picture. She could hurt him if she isn’t ready. Then add into the mix the bite reflex, it’s the hardest urge for an Aldon to master.”

  “What? What’s that?”

  He paused and looked down and then back up at me, smiling. “I should have known I’d have to spill everything to you, Bebe, because you have the most inquisitive mind I know. When Aldon have sex, the bite reflex is an animal urge. As strong as any other sexual urge, maybe even stronger. There is a satisfaction we feel, almost like an orgasm, when we bite. The urge is strongest while having sex. Sex between Aldon, well, it’s not a problem. It’s all part of the experience, to put it bluntly. But sex with a human, or Sange-Mele such as John, well, it can get tricky. Some Aldon can never have that kind of relationship, they can’t control the urge. Countless humans have been transformed over the years because of careless Aldon who never meant to bite.”

  “Oh, gosh, that’s…” I looked back up at him.

  “I know… too much information. But now you understand the magnitude of all the different steps we have to go through, to get her ready to be Brie again. There are probably three-hundred; we are on step two. You will just have to be patient.” He drew me in to hug me. “You absolutely cannot say anything about this, to Constance, to Banton…promise me?”

  “I promise. But only if you promise to bring me back and to let me help if she gets to the point I can.” I smiled at him, and he nodded. It was the first time I remembered smiling since Mardi Gras.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  I finally had some hope. I wouldn’t accept there would be any other outcome for Brie, other than an Aldon transformation. I realized now my greatest fear was keeping all of this a secret from Banton and John. As we pulled back into the driveway, Everett cautioned me again.

  “Remember, Bebe, total secrecy.”

  “I promise. Thank you, Everett. I love you, you know.” I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  “I love you too, Bebe. Now, go on and give your husband a little glimpse of your smile. He has been absolutely beside himself about what to do for you, and he needs some reassurance.” He nodded up to the front porch where Banton sat waiting in one of our wicker rocking chairs. He rose and met us at the car, opening my door for me as I got out.

  “Hey, you’re back. Did you have a good drive with Everett?” he asked as he glanced over at Ev.

  “Yes, we did. I’m sorry…he’s made me realize how selfish I’ve been, and how I’ve worried everyone. I’m all right now. Or, I’m going to be.” I smiled sadly up at him while he put his arm around me to lead me into the house. Once we were inside, he pulled me into his arms.

  “I love you so much, Chandler,” he whispered, stroking my arms. I pulled back and looked into his eyes brimming with tears.

  “I love you too. More than you can know.” I reached up on my toes, and kissed him softly. I realized it was the first time I’d kissed him in days. He relaxed, relief evident on his face.

  I decided we all needed some normalcy to return to our lives, so after Banton and Everett sat down in the living room to talk, I slipped down the hallway to see what I had in the freezer I could fix for supper. I located some chicken and decided I could make a pasta dish Banton had enjoyed once before. I popped it into the microwave to thaw, and then put some fettuccini noodles on to boil. After finding some garlic and onions in the crisper, I set about chopping those to mix in the meat mixture.

  “Andie, what are you up to?” Constance asked, startling me.

  “I just thought I’d fix dinner for everyone. I’ve kind of been falling down on the job lately,” I replied.

  She sat down on a stool beside me at the bar.

  “No one expects you to cook. But I am glad to see you out of your room. Are you feeling better?” she asked, studying my face.

  “Yes I am. I’m sorry, I’ve been awful. But I’m going to snap out of it. It’s time to get on with life, and I thought some good food would help everyone tonight.”

  “You haven’t been awful, Chandler. We’ve all just been worried about you. With you being pregnant, and just through your first trimester, we’ve just been concerned about you taking care of yourself, that’s all. I’m just glad to see you up and back to your old self.” She stood, and came over and put her arms around me. “Now, what can I do to help?”

  “Well, since you can’t slice cheese, maybe you can butter garlic bread?”

  * * *

  After we’d finished eating, I rose to begin clearing the table.

  “Sit down, Andie. We’ve got this,” Ty grinned as he stood, picking up dishes and stacking them to carry back to the kitchen.

  “I’m impressed with those softer skills you’re displaying there, Ty.” Everett smirked, and then began helping him.

  “Well, Constance says there isn’t anything sexier to a woman than a man who does housework, so I’m working on the sexy thing.” He leaned over to kiss Constance.

  “I should have known he had an ulterior motive!” Everett rolled his eyes as he followed Ty down the hallway with his stack of dishes.

  Colin had been quiet all through dinner, more so than usual. He and Ben had been talking in low tones.

  “What was that?” Banton asked, and Colin cleared his throat.

  “Um, well, Ben and I have been talking about the timing of everything. Banton, you’ve said all along you thought the Orcos had to have some inside information. There has to be someone feeding them information about the girls, although we don’t know how much they know or exactly why they want them.”

  “Dr. Renault has warned us he thinks it’s because of their genetic makeup, their mutation of the gene closely resembles the Orcos who can fade,” Banton offered, sharing the medical information with the other Seals as I nodded to him. I didn’t see any harm in them knowing.

  He continued, “We don’t know the extent of what they know, but we are afraid when they become aware Chandler is pregnant with twins, it will complicate matters.”

  “Well, someone tipped them off when the girls would be at the house alone when we were deployed, and then the morning we were all called away from the house. And the night of the masque…to be there, right outside the door just as Chandler and Brie stepped outside.” Colin glanced back at Ben, and he nodded.

 
; Banton shot me a concerned glance, and then looked back at Ben and Colin.

  “I’m sorry, Chandler, we don’t have to talk about this right now,” Ben began.

  “No, it’s all right. We need to go over this, it’s time.” I looked back at Banton and nodded. He seemed relieved I could talk calmly about the incident.

  “I’ve been mulling over the questions, over and over in my head. There are three possibilities about why the Orcos attacked Brie, and didn’t wait for me or for Constance. The first one is obvious, they were trying to draw us out by using her.”

  “Or, it could have been random,” Ben interjected.

  “Well, yes, but I know it wasn’t,” I replied softly.

  “How do you know, Bebe?” Everett asked as he came back into the room.

  “Because it was Lucien,” I answered him. His eyes narrowed and began to glow faintly.

  “What? Who is Lucien?” Banton asked, becoming alarmed. I could tell he hadn’t recognized Brie’s attacker that night.

  “Lucien is the Orco who stalked us in Colorado, the one who bit and transformed you. He was one of the three Orcos who were here the night the Orcos broke in on us when you were still deployed. He was the one who dragged me up the stairs and Everett chased away. And he was the one who kidnapped Constance and me last week. Lucien is Brie’s killer,” I finished. I raised my eyes back up to look at Banton. He had a look of amazement on his face as he processed what I’d just told him.

  “How do you know his name?” he asked me softly.

  “Because Everett told me he knew him, after he kidnapped me. He’s known him a long time.”

  Everyone turned to look at Everett, and he sat back down at his chair at the table.

  I continued as I watched Everett. “So this could have been deliberate. He might have been mad because Constance and I got away. He came back to finish what he’d threatened to do to Brie, if we didn’t cooperate,” I began to cry as I realized the most obvious scenario.

  “No, Bebe. The blame isn’t yours, believe me. It could have been they were trying to draw you out, but I believe there is another scenario, one having to do with me.”

  “Why would any of this have to do with you, Ev?” Colin asked, bewildered.

  “Because of an old vendetta. Something happened ages ago. He hasn’t forgotten, and neither have I. I’ve decided all of this might have to do with me. He knows how much I care for Chandler, how much I care for all of you. It was his opportunity to get at me, at someone I love,” Everett stated. “He killed someone I was trying to protect.”

  “I want all of you to stop this,” John replied softly from the doorway.

  “John, I’m sorry, we didn’t hear you come in,” Banton replied as he rose to greet John. John walked over to Banton and hugged him. After several seconds, he moved around the table as I rose to greet him.

  “Chandler, come here,” he whispered, pulling me up into his arms.

  “I’m so…I’m so sorry!” I hugged him tightly.

  He pulled me back and looked at me intently. “You have nothing to be sorry for. This is no one’s fault, but the Orcos. I think I knew all along I’d put Brie in too much danger, and I always sensed we had so little time.” He kissed me on the forehead, and then addressed everyone else. “But she knew the danger and chose to stay with me anyway. We are not going to play the blame game; we are just going to finish this. Everett, you stop it, too. Go ahead with your analysis, but only to get to the bottom of how to fight them, not to pass around blame. Every one of you fought to keep her safe, keep all the girls safe. There isn’t anything we could have done differently.”

  “I think with the Aldon present, we all thought we were invincible!” Ty interjected. Colin nodded.

  “Yes, invincible, except for an informant…” Banton launched himself from his chair and strode toward the foyer. Just as he reached the doorway, we heard a shuffle in the entry, and then he reached out around the corner, slamming something up against the wall.

  “What the hell are you doing out here?” he demanded from someone around the doorway. Everett stood and hurried over to see who Banton was holding.

  “Grant, what…Banton, let him go!” Everett commanded.

  Banton appeared around the doorway with Grant by the collar. He shoved him down in the chair he’d just vacated, and whirled him around to face everyone.

  “Now talk, Aldon. Or should I say, Orco…”

  “What are you implying?” Everett asked disbelievingly.

  “He’s out in the hallway, eavesdropping on our conversation about protecting the girls. He was the one here the night the Orcos found just the right opportunity to break in, during the ten minute time span that he left early, leaving them unprotected!”

  John moved around my chair toward Grant. Sensing the fury in John’s reaction, Ty grabbed his shoulders to hold him back.

  “I don’t need this… I’ve never done anything but try to help your family, Navy Man! I certainly don’t have to help you anymore…and I don’t have to listen to anymore accusations. Everett, I’m leaving!” Grant stood angrily and strode down the hallway and out the front door.

  Banton stood frozen in the same position. The only sign he hadn’t turned to stone was the muscle ticking away at his jaw line.

  “I understand why you’re upset, but I think you’re over-reacting,” Everett said softly as he watched Grant leave.

  “No, I have the same feeling. I can’t put my finger on why, but I’ve never trusted him,” Constance shuddered as Ty put his arms around her.

  “Well, if we can prove it, he’d better start running now,” Ty asserted as Everett turned around to look at him. Everett studied Ty’s expression and then turned back to Banton…seeming to make his mind up about something he strode back down the hallway and out the front door.

  “If you’re right, Brother, we’re in trouble. He overheard everything about the girls,” Ben commented.

  I gasped.

  “What is it, Chandler?” Constance covered my hand with hers.

  “I just remembered…as Brie and I were searching for our coats, Grant was standing just inside the ballroom, beside the doorway to the foyer. He was on his cell phone!”

  “That does it, enough evidence for me. Banton…are you up for a little hunting expedition tonight?” Ty rose, the fury evident in his every motion.

  Banton took a deep breath, and put his hand on John’s shoulder, looking intently into his eyes. “As badly as I want to, no. Let Everett go after him. I’ll call Ev and let him know what Chandler remembered about Grant. Let Everett and Mr. Philippe and the Aldon deal with him. I have a feeling we couldn’t find him now, anyway. If we stay here he’ll just assume we just have doubts, and don’t have any proof. Besides, I think we’d be playing into their hands if we split up now. We need to stay put.”

  John nodded at Banton slowly, and then glanced around at everyone gathered around the table. “We all stay here tonight, until we hear from the Aldon. No more mistakes. We’re not losing anyone else!” He leaned over and brushed his hand across my cheek, and then silently left the room.

  * * *

  I paced back and forth across the floor in front of our bed. All of the evidence leading up to the attack swirled in my head. Even though Grant had always made me feel uncomfortable, I still had a hard time believing he could have betrayed us to the Orcos.

  “Chandler Ann, I thought you were in bed,” Banton admonished me as he slipped into the room. “You’ve been up here more than an hour.”

  He crossed over to me as he dropped his t-shirt in the chair beside me and then pulled me in close to his chest. “Don’t you think you’ve paced enough tonight?” he murmured, kissing the top of my head.

  “I just can’t help feeling as if I’m missing something. There is a piece of the puzzle still out there,” I turned, pulled the comforter down on the bed, and crawled in.

  “Andie, you’re trying to make something add up that will never make sense to us. Honestly, the
Orcos don’t need any excuse to kill any one of us. They are killing machines, just being used by the Somalis or this Voodoo practitioner, whoever he is. At least now we know Grant was involved, we’re gotten rid of their informant. We won’t be as vulnerable now.”

  “What if…Banton, what if the house is bugged?” I gasped.

  He laughed.

  “What? Is that funny?” I asked, miffed he was laughing at me.

  “No, actually, you’ve been one step ahead of me all night. I just never cease to be amazed at how your mind works, Colombo.” He grinned at me. “We’ve already thought of that, and Colin knows a couple of Navy guys who are coming tomorrow to make a sweep of the house and de-bug it, if necessary.”

  I relaxed as I flipped the covers back, inviting him in.

  He reached over and turned the lamp off beside the bed, and then turned to me and pulled me close. Sighing, he kissed the top of my head, and then asked, “So, where did you and Ev go this afternoon?”

  His question took me by surprise. “Um, he…just took me shopping and for a walk in the park.”

  “I know there was more to it for there to have been such a change in you. I’m so glad, but I’m just curious.” He leaned his head down to watch my face--he knew I couldn’t lie to him.

  “Everett made me swear not to say anything. He just made me realize I wasn’t dealing with Brie’s death in a constructive way, and I was hurting everyone around me. He gave me a little tough love as only a good friend can. He’s pretty wise, you know.” I patted his leg.