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"You're his Master. You must help him. He must know you're there, that you're linked and bound, yes, but he isn't imprisoned. There's no need for him to be hurt and afraid. You are there, and you will care for him. Help him make sense of this. Speak to him in his mind, because you are his lifeline back."
He doubted her at first, but as he followed her direction, breathed, focused, Cai was startled to see exactly what she described. Pathways opened, winding, twisting together, forming amazing tapestries made up of life threads that ran from the core of Rand's soul, connected intimately to his heart. Then, his mind, a control center for it all, thrown into chaos like an engine with a wrench in it. Cai could pull out that wrench. He identified his own presence, a shifting energy that he started to reel in, how the fuck he didn't know, but suddenly he did, even if he couldn't describe it.
Rand made a noise somewhere between a growl and a question, and Cai pressed his palms harder against his chest and stomach, firm reassurance. I'm here. He remembered the wolf's words as he came out of his nightmare and rephrased them. I'm your vampire, and it's all right. Just relax. Become man or wolf, whichever is easiest. You have the space. You know how. I just knocked you off your axis because I didn't know what the hell I was doing and wrecked the car, turned us upside down.
"Just back away from the wreckage and settle down. You've done it a million times. Go forward or back. Just don't stay like this, because they'll sell you to a freak show to pay for the damage we did in here."
He wasn't sure if the humor would help but hell, it helped settle his nerves, so he threw it in. Cai realized he'd said it aloud when he felt Lyssa's fingers flex against his back. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but a cool, steady energy flowed through him from her contact. It had an unnervingly calming effect.
He felt the shift grind back to life again, though he winced as the initial jolt of it pulled a sound of pain from Rand's lips. Cai held onto him, talked to him, watched the human leg give way and disappear before the introduction of the fourth and final wolf leg. His torso twisted, rocked, and that amazing melting effect happened, things blurring. Suddenly, the human was gone.
As Rand finished the full transition to wolf, Cai let out a relieved breath so strong it rocked him on his heels. The wolf lay there, panting, and he was stroking his fur. "It's all right. We'll figure it out." I'm sorry, Rand. I fucked up bad. I get it if you want out of this gig. I won't hold you to it.
In answer, two gold eyes focused on him, telling Cai that Rand was deep inside the animal, beyond the reach of his humanity, unless Cai wanted to push it. He didn't need Lyssa to tell him how bad an idea that would be. The wolf staggered to his feet and swayed. Cai stood up and moved back, Lady Lyssa at his side. Jacob was on the other side of the wolf, a faint frown creasing his brow as he watched Rand, all of them waiting to see what the wolf would do.
The large black head lifted and Rand's eyes swung back to Cai again, taking the measure of them all. With a quick snap of teeth and flattened ears, the wolf sprang. But not toward them. He went for the door and was gone, the sound of his toenails hitting the stairs reaching them briefly before there was nothing.
"I'll make sure he gets out," Jacob said, heading toward the door. He glanced over his shoulder at Cai. "If that's the best thing?"
"Yeah. Letting him out is the best thing." Cai pushed away the sudden heaviness inside him. It was like a gift had been handed back to him, weighing ten times more than it had when he gifted it.
Turning to Lyssa, he hesitated but sketched an awkward bow. Another first for him. "Thank you, Lady Lyssa."
In answer, she moved to a guest chair that hadn't been upended by the mayhem and gestured imperiously to another. "Sit, and tell me how much you know of having a human servant. The truth this time. Caginess has its place, but hiding your ignorance about this provides you no advantage, Mordecai. Obviously."
He couldn't even bristle at the rebuke. "Doesn't really matter. That was probably my first and last experience. If he has any sense, he's running his ass off toward the nearest forest." It would have been nice to say good-bye face-to-face, but Cai guessed he could do it mind-to-mind. And receive a big Fuck-You silence in return.
"Servants, when they are meant to be ours, can surprise you. I think it's best you be prepared. Even if he doesn't return, you have third marked him, Cai. His life is forever linked to yours now. You will know when he is afraid, hurting...dying." She folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs, regal in the velvet dress even with her bare feet. Her toenails were painted the same hunter green. She wore no jewelry.
Jacob returned. "He's out. He headed straight for the woods." The servant's gaze shifted to Lyssa, a curious look passing between them. She nodded.
"I will find him if necessary," she said.
"He'll stay out of sight," Cai assured her. The idea of Lady Lyssa traipsing through the woods wolf-hunting was something he couldn't imagine, though he didn't doubt she would do it. "The wolf's cautious about being seen by humans. He won't cause you any problems."
"No, I don't expect he will. You, on the other hand, interrupted my usual wake-up ritual." She glanced down pointedly at her feet.
"Well, you have a really nice pedicure. You should show that off." Cai bit his tongue and put his head in his hands, his elbows propped on his knees. He sighed. "Being a wiseass is just what I am, my lady. Not going to fucking apologize for it every second. But fuck, I didn't mean to screw him up like this."
He straightened. "I don't know a lot about servants. Trads don't keep humans as servants, except as breeding stock. And he's not fully human, so I don't even know how much of any of it applies. But hell, what you just did worked pretty well."
"I am glad for that. Because of his different physiology, I had no idea if it would."
He looked at her, surprised. "You acted like you knew exactly what you were doing."
She smiled, though her gaze remained serious. "Calm assurance was what you both needed. I provided it to you, so you could provide it to him."
"Damn. You are one unflappable bitch. Lady. Queen." He closed his eyes. "Sorry. Again."
"Perhaps it's best if you listen and I talk. Your chances of survival will increase exponentially."
"Like I haven't heard that before." But he did his best to look respectful and attentive. As well as tamp down an unsettlingly strong desire to take off and find Rand, make sure he was
okay. He was, he knew it. He just needed space.
"Rand seems to have many of the best qualities, human and wolf, that contribute to being an excellent servant," she observed.
"I'm not so sure of that. He's an alpha," Cai said. "I mean that literally, in the wolf sense."
"How delightful. An alpha male servant is a gift to be prized, Mordecai. Even when their will poses some difficult challenges." Her eyes warmed on Jacob, before her attention came back to Cai. "I wish you well on the exploration of it."
Cai stared down at his hands, loose on his knees, his planted feet below. "Is there anything else, like this marking, that I should know about?"
When his head lifted, her cool eyes had warmed. "That's a far better track to follow than self-flagellation. And the answer is yes. Navigating that soul-link without pushing too hard upon it, is important to protecting his well-being and strengthening the connection between you. I'll give you the information you need to avoid causing your beautiful wolf further, unintended distress." Her eyes gleamed. "Because it goes far better for you both, when punishments and pain are planned."
After a thorough and eye-opening introduction to the vampire-servant relationship, Cai's brain was almost as overloaded as it had been when he'd so rashly inflicted the third mark upon Rand. Lord Brian had arrived at the tail end of the conversation, announced by one of the house maids via phone. Jacob had thanked her, told her to take Brian and his servant to a guest room and get them what they needed to settle in, as there was no longer an emergency requiring Brian's immediate presence.
"No, the wolf's not here right now," Jacob said, in answer to a question Brian had apparently posed. "Don't worry; he'll be back."
"Lord Brian is likely disappointed he can't rush right down to see your wolf," Lyssa said with amusement. "He's not our typical vampire. His energy and passion are devoted to science, particularly issues related to vampire kind. Fertility, vampire-servant bonds, and Ennui."
