Chapter 2：The Clan

GUILDSWORTH

POV NATHANIEL

My breath curled in front of me as I made my way back to the black Sedan parked near the front of the abandoned building. I liked to start my day early at the bank, knowing that I would get Desmond’s time all to myself. I opened the passenger side door and slid into the seat.

"All taken care of?" Samuel asked. I nodded and Samuel turned the car around to exit the rows of abandoned buildings.

I threw the briefcase into the back seat and huffed a long sigh. Samuel turned his head slightly to me, "Something on your mind man?"

I flexed my hands and ran them over my thighs, "Nothing but the usual." Samuel chuckled, his teeth appearing ghostly white against his dark skin, and turned onto the freeway that led to the docks. Of course, Samuel knew what I meant. I was surprised he hadn't ripped my head off from speaking about Desmond so much.

Ever since I started making the bank runs for Thomas several months ago, I couldn't get Desmond out of my head. He was tall (although I was a few inches taller), broad-shouldered, and his suits were always immaculate. The guy had a taste that I had only observed in other high-ranking vampires.

Desmond had the most intoxicating scent of any human I had come across. He smelled of winter snow and pine and something else I couldn't quite place. It was so strong that I always felt like I was hiking near Mount Rainier again.

Even in gloomy, piss-ridden New York, Desmond managed to stand out as something different. I had wanted to run my hands through his cropped black hair since I laid eyes on him. It was smoothed back to perfection no matter the weather. His soft pink smile, his chest, his hands…

"Did you ask him?" Samuel asked.

"Hm?" I said, turning to face Samuel.

Samuel snorted, "Did you ask the guy out?"

I sighed, "Yes, but you know how Uncle Gammond feels about our kind. I won't get far with him in the way." Samuel nodded, taking the exit off the freeway.

"Well don't give up hope just yet man," Samuel continued, "I'm sure Des can't stay away from your charm for long." Samuel snorted again, and I punched him in the arm. "Ok, ok," Samuel conceded while he made the last few turns before hitting the warehouse, "I’m just saying, why go this far for some simple human?" I ignored him as we pulled up.

WAREHOUSE

I stared out the window as we passed through the streets with guards hidden around the docks. Mortal eyes couldn’t see where they were hidden, but I always knew where to look. You could catch the glint of a watch or the plume of cigarette smoke if you looked at the right angle. Samuel parked the car next to the other black Sedans and vans that sat behind the warehouse.

I reached into the back and grabbed the briefcase and opened my door. Samuel had lost his smile and took on his regular stony face that he wore around others of the clan. At our apartment with Dean and Harmon he could be himself, but not here.

I brushed off the nonexistent dust off my shirt and pants before striding ahead of Samuel and opening the back door. The outside was dull, gray, and looked like every other dingy warehouse on the docks. But on the inside, long wooden beams ran across the ceiling and marble slabs covered every floor.

I took the backstair case that led to the boss's floor, nodding to Samuel as he made his way to the rec room. My shoes clicked softly as I made my way up the wooden staircase. All the staircases were wooden, and they looked tacky next to the marble floors, at least in my old opinion.

I straightened my shirt one last time before knocking on Thomas's door.

"Enter," he responded, already sounding irritated. Although that was never new. I turned the golden handle and walked in, keeping my face neutral. I closed the door behind me and strode into the room.

"I've deposited the money, here is the return slip," I said as I set the briefcase down on the leather sofa and the paper down on the desk. Thomas's office was simple, with a few leather sofas and chairs that circled the large wooden carved desk in the middle. The floors had remained wooden and scratched throughout the years. He had told me once that the desk was given as a gift from a warlord in China tens of years ago. It honestly looked like a cheap knockoff from Ikea, but I wasn't about to tell him that.

"Thank you," Thomas said as he set the papers, he was looking down on the desk. "I have another job for you, bigger than just being the money lackey," Thomas said as he motioned for me to sit down. I sat back in one of the leather chairs, crossing my legs and stretching my arms around the back.

Thomas stood up and leaned against the wall next to the one window in the room, "It concerns those damned shifters that have been creeping around recently." Thomas pulled a cigarette holder from his pocket and lit one as he continued, "I'm sure you are aware of the recent "attacks" these dogs have been managing around here." I nodded my head; they had been occurring more frequently.

More than just the random straggler that tended to get lost down by the docks. Thomas took another puff before responding, "My scouts have been telling me that more of them are organizing near Staten Island. I am getting whispers of a female Alpha." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. A female Alpha was rarely heard of. In all my travels, over 500 years, I had only met two and they mainly lived in South Africa.

Thomas nodded at my surprise, "I understand your reaction, mine was the same when I got the report. It seems she has been raising quite the army over on that rotten island." Thomas took another puff, fidgeting with his Rolex, "That is where you come in."

I tilted my head to the side, "What is it that you would like me to do exactly?" Thomas made his way over to the front of his desk, sitting on the edge. I uncrossed my legs to keep from touching his black slacks; they usually cost more than an entire month's rent. Thomas put his cigarette out in the black ashtray on his desk, "I want you to work on taking them out, starting with the Gammas and working your way up. Until her army crumbles on top of itself."

I sat up straight in the chair, "How am I supposed to take out an entire army?"

Thomas scoffed, "Well it won't be just you, take those three other vampires that live with you. I know they will follow whatever you say, and I can't afford to lend you anyone better." I held back the growl that threatened to escape my throat.

Although we were the newest in the clan, we had worked for almost 100 years to earn our way closer to the top. Yet it seemed we were no closer today than we were then.

"Will this be a problem?" Thomas asked in a lower volume, holding another cigarette.

I cleared my throat, "Of course not, sir." Thomas looked away and lit the cigarette.

"Good boy," he said, "Now get out of my office." I stood up quickly and strode quickly out of the office.

I made my way downstairs to look for Samuel. I wanted to get out of this warehouse before anyone else wanted anything more of me. Turning down the hallway of portraits, I found Samuel stalking out of the rec room. I saw a pool stick shatter on the wall behind him and what sounded like Dedra screaming Samuel's name.

I quirked an eyebrow at him, but Samuel just shook his head and pointed toward the exit. I turned on my heel and followed behind him, looking back once to make sure that Dedra and his posse weren't following us. Samuel threw open the back door and made his way quickly to the car. Each group got its car to share, as long as they continued to contribute to the clan.

We piled into the car and Samuel backed out of the parking lot before I could buckle my seatbelt. "Jesus, man," I said, foregoing the seatbelt, "what happened while I was gone?"

Samuel hissed, "Dedra can't keep his mouth shut. It seems he was the one who dealt with the wolf wandering through last time." I kept quiet, waiting for him to continue. Samuel sped onto the freeway, weaving his way through the constant traffic. "I know we are supposed to hate them, but they are still living beings. Dedra and his posse massacred that wolf when he was only asking for directions!"

I sat there as Samuel continued to seethe and watched the streetlights zoom past us. When we finally pulled up to our dingy apartment I waited until Samuel's hands uncleaned from the steering wheel.

"I got new orders from the boss," I said, staring straight out the window.

"What, another drug run?" Samuel scoffed. I let out a long, heavy breath,

"You're not going to like this." I turned to face him, his big brown eyes seemed to see right through me as I continued, "Thomas wants us to kill all the wolf shifters that are gathering on Staten Island."