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Silver Chains	By : outlawblue Category: Anita Blake > General Views: 3137 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Anita Blake series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Silver Chains
- 2-A plan is born
- 3-Strategies
- 4-Chapter 4
- 5-a new threat
- 6-chpter 6
- 7-Chapter 7
- 8-chp8
- 9-Chapter 9
- 10-chp 10
- 11-11
- 12-chapter 12
- 13-13
- 14-chp 14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-final chapter
- 14
- 15
- 16
It had not been Anita’s decision to bring Nathaniel, but there was just no leaving him at home. He insisted on coming, and Anita always had a hard time saying no to him. When they arrived at Richard’s house most of the senior members of the pack were there. Sylvie and her lover were just recently arrived, and from the looks on their faces trouble was already starting to brew.

Pausing in the living room where Sylvie was holding court, Anita frowned and asked, “What is going on?”

“Dr. Lillian has stated that there’s nothing she can do for Richard except make him comfortable, and Asher came back and saying that you weren’t coming. Nerves are starting to stretch thin,” the she-wolf answered restlessly. The moment Richard died she was going to have to act quickly to keep Jamil and Shang-Da from taking the pack from her.

Anita grimaced and looked down the hallway towards Richard’s bedroom. There were some beta wolves peering fearfully into the room, their faces reflecting the fear that they felt. Richard had his faults but abusing his people was not one of them. It suddenly occurred to Anita that the moment Richard died there would be enough of the pack present to eat him and leave no trace behind. That just so could not happen.

“Where is Jean-Claude?” she asked sharply, refusing to believe that Richard was dying. She had just seen him on the bluffs strapped into the seat beside Edward who was now on his way home.

“In there, holding Richard.” Letting her eyes move to Micah and then Nathaniel, Sylvie said, “I know they go everywhere with you, but I’d leave them out here, if I were you.”

“Why? Micah and Nathaniel have done nothing to Richard,” Anita protested, not about to ostracize them. Besides, she had her pistol, and she’d yet met a werewolf who could outrun a silver bullet.

“Suit yourself,” Sylvie said with a shrug. “But the moment Richard dies, Shang-Da and I are going to have to settle our differences. I’d keep my kittens out of the way, if I were you.”

“This is so not going to happen,” Anita growled and stalked down the hallway to Richard’s bedroom with Micah and Nathaniel trailing.

Jean-Claude was sitting cross-legged on the bed with Richard’s head in his lap. He was stroking Richard’s brow, forehead and hair the way you would a touch lover or a beloved pet. Tears were slowly working their way down his face. He never looked up, his thoughts totally on keeping his wolf calm and as pain free as possible while he died. Asher was leaning against the dresser, and his expression was not friendly when he looked at Anita, and it became even more unfriendly when Nathaniel entered the room. What was going on with him? Rafael and Louie were holding up the wall close by, grim acceptance on one face and fear on the other.

Shang-Da was standing at the foot of the bed, his back straight, his eyes on Richard. He was telling all the other wolves in the room that he was going to be the next Ulfric. Jamil did not look like he would challenge it nor did Graham or Clay.

“I’m glad we didn’t bring Jason,” Anita whispered to Micah as she moved closer. Standing beside Shang-Da who looked down at her with something akin to contempt in his eyes, Anita saw for the first time the extent of Richard’s injuries. Why had she not noticed them on the bluff? Jean-Claude looked up now and there was so much sorrow in his eyes, she reacted instinctively, going to him, moving Graham out of the way.

“There is so much pain and regret,” Jean-Claude whispered. “I am shielding you from him, but I can not shield myself. I do not want to.”

Anita tentatively touched Richard’s face and jerked her hand back as if it had been burned. “He’s on fire!”

“The infection,” Dr. Lillian said, “has spiked his fever.” She removed the rag from Richard’s shoulder so she could see it.

“Werewolves don’t get infections,” Anita countered, the first tendrils of fear tugging at her heart.

“They do if the weapon used against them is from Hell,” Asher growled and righted himself. “And someone wishes for it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Anita snapped angrily and looked at the vampire.

“The ardeur gives us what we want,” Asher explained, his demeanor haughty and cold. “Sometimes the ardeur grants us our deepest darkest wish if we ask for it hard enough.”

Jean-Claude looked up. “What do you mean, mon ami?”

Asher shrugged his shoulders, but all eyes were on him now, everyone knowing exactly what he was talking about. All they needed to know was who.

“I have never wished ill on Richard,” Micah spoke up defensively. “Never!”

“Oui, but not everyone can say that,” Asher countered and glanced past him at Nathaniel. “Even now le petite kitty is forcing his will on Anita.”

“No!” Nathaniel hissed, suddenly afraid as all eyes turned on him. “I’ve only wanted Richard to quit hurting Anita. I want her to stop hurting over him.”

Shang-Da, his dark eyes nearly black with a coldness that Anita had never seen before, looked at Nathaniel and said, “If my Ulfric dies because of you, I will kill you.”

“You will have to go through me first,” Anita snapped and stood up. Wisely she kept her hands away from her pistol. She might get a shot off and wound or kill the werewolf, but he’d get her a second later. Giving Asher her best angry face, she wondered what was he doing.

“The Dark Crown Clan will stand with Anita if there is a fight,” Rafael spoke up.

“I will not fight for the one that is killing my friend,” Louie countered passionately. “If he has asked the ardeur to do this, than I can not protect him!”

Sylvie, sliding through the bedroom door, growled at Shang-Da, “Anita is my friend, and I and my own stand with her.”

Anita realized to her horror that the wolves were talking about an internal war, and they were using Nathaniel to escalate the attention. And to make matters worse, the rats were being dragged into it. “Stop this!” she shouted angrily. “Stop this! My God, drop your shields. Let me feel Richard.” She turned to the vampire, an anxious look in her eyes. If Richard really died there would be so much bloodshed, and it would begin here.

“He will hurt if I do,” Jean-Claude answered and continued stroking Richard’s peaceful face.

“Then drop them a little,” Anita said and climbed on the bed with him, crawling to his left side where she sat with her legs folded under her. Jean-Claude withdrew some of the comfort from Richard, just a little so Anita could feel him. The werewolf hissed and tried to curl himself back around the vampire. Tears sprang into Anita’s eyes. “Oh Richard,” she sobbed. “Help him!” she gasped at Jean-Claude. “Give it back to him.”

Jean-Claude drew the werewolf into his arms and calmed him. “It’s all right, mon loup. It’s all right.” He stroked Richard’s hair as the werewolf unwound and relaxed. “It’s all right.” He made a soft shushing sound like a mother to a child.

Nathaniel, wild eyed with pain and fear, exclaimed, “Anita, I did not want this! I just wanted him to stop hurting you all the time.”

“I know, Nathaniel, I know,” she answered as it dawned on her that Richard was really dying. Anything strong enough to kill a werewolf with Richard’s strength and power was too strong for her. Leaning over him, giving into her grief, she felt her wolf stir just beneath her skin. She could sense Richard’s wolf, just a dull spark within his beautiful body, curled into a ball with no hope of waking. “No!” Anita suddenly shouted, refusing to give up. “No! This is not going to happen.” She looked up into Shang-Da’s face and then over at Sylvie. “You are not going to eat him. Not tonight, not ever if I can help it.”

“What are you going to do?” Asher asked curiously, his interest roused by Anita’s passionate announcement.

“Jean-Claude, can’t we give him the fourth mark?” Anita asked anxiously. “Wouldn’t that work?”

“I don’t know, ma petite, but I do not see how it would be possible. For the fourth mark we must be joined together and Richard cries with pain whenever I free him.”

“What about the munin?” Micah asked. “What if you called her?”

Anita sniffed back the tears that were starting to stream unheeded down her face and slowly shook her head. “I don’t know if even Raina can heal this,” she said ruefully.

‘At least give me chance’ the voice in her head purred. And that would be just like Raina to want to fuck Richard as he lay dying.

“Taking him like this would be rape,” Anita whispered as she looked back down at Richard’s fever flushed face. “Niley and the Kissy bitch both took him against his will.” The tears fell hotter. “Richard, please, let me help you. Let me try,” she murmured and caressed his face. He was so hot, and the lips she loved to kiss were swollen with heat.

“Mon ami, please,” Jean-Claude pleaded. “Who will argue with me over Anita?”

Asher was suddenly on the bed beside Anita. “Beau loup,” he whispered into Richard’s ear, “if you do not let her try, and you die, they will rip each other apart.”

Anita stared at Asher. Now he was trying to help. Better late than never, she supposed. “Richard, I’m going to raise the munin,” she said softly. “Jean-Claude is going to help you. Please, Richard, show me you understand.”

A sound so soft as to be unheard by human ears rumbled in Richard’s body. He swallowed hard and opened his dark eyes. They were hard like glass, too bright to be normal. He glanced around the room, at his people. If his pack was going to rip itself apart upon his death then he would try the munin. So Raina gets to fuck me to death, he bitterly mused and gazed up into Jean-Claude’s morose face. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered hoarsely.

“No, that will not happen,” Jean-Claude assured him with a smile.
Richard swallowed hard again and closed his eyes. But for his pack he would have embraced the darkness and just let it all go. He hurt too much inside and out. Forcing his eyes open, he gazed at Anita and said, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked softly.

“For being such a pain in the ass,” he answered and almost smiled. Then he spared a look at Asher. “Thank-you.”

“For being a pain in the ass, too?” Asher countered with a sardonic smile.

“Yeah, I guess,” Richard said and got quiet again. He didn’t have the breath to say anything else.

“How do we start?” Jean-Claude asked Anita and resumed stroking Richard’s face and hair.
- 14
- 15
- 16
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Silver Chains