Vampires and Werewolves: GRIMM Academy Book Two

by R L Medina

  I shook my head and sighed. “I’m not hiding anything. If I knew more, I wouldn’t even need his help.”

  Lucian’s eyes narrowed. “Why can’t you go back to your school? Your mother was one of them. Before she went to the witches. Why can’t they help you?”

  The others whipped toward me, expectant looks on their faces.

  Sorrow twisted my gut. I actually missed the school and my friends, but I couldn’t go back. Not until I was certain it was safe for me and them and even then, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a GRIMM. If Tio’s words were true, and the GRIMMS couldn’t forgive my mom her crimes, there was a chance I could never go back.

  “They don’t know who I am. Who I really am. My mom… was a traitor. They erased everything about her from their files. If they knew I was her daughter…”

  Everyone fell quiet.

  “So, Rose. You surf?” Leo’s question snapped me to attention.

  “Surf?”

  “Yeah, you know. Board, water, surfing?” His eyebrows wriggled.

  “Do I look like someone who’s ever been surfing?”

  He smirked. “Do you want to learn how?”

  The others gaped at him.

  Michael scowled. “You are not taking her surfing.”

  Leo sighed emphatically. “Just trying to lighten the mood, Ángel. Like you don’t want to ride the waves.”

  I bit back a laugh. Werewolves surfing? Now that was something I’d never read in any book. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised. Surfing was probably the most cliché thing one could do in Malibu.

  “What about the vampires?” Mateo’s words caught my ear.

  Lucian’s eyes narrowed on him. “You scared of a bloodsucker?”

  Mateo shook his head. “Of course not, but are we sure we want to risk exposure after the recent attack? Shouldn’t we play it low until we have… a course of action?”

  Leo snorted. “Chill out. You need a good wave, bro or a good—”

  Michael shot him a glare. “Leo.”

  The wolf fell silent, but his smirk was anything but contrite.

  Lucian was the first to stand. “No surfing for her. She stays here. The rest of you are free to go.”

  I bristled under his order. What, was I his prisoner now?

  Leo sucked back the rest of his juice and shrugged. “Whatever you say, Lucian.”

  The big man grunted, threw me a steely look, and shuffled away.

  I turned to the others and frowned. “I don’t think he likes me very much.”

  Leo grinned. “He doesn’t like anyone. Don’t take it so hard, doll.” He winked.

  Heat rushed across my skin. “It’s Rose.”

  His eyes lit up, smile widening. “What? You don’t like me calling you doll? What would you rather me call you? Girly? Sweetie?”

  “Enough, Leo. Leave her alone,” Michael snapped.

  Though I appreciated his concern for me, I didn’t need his help. Leo was mouthy, but harmless. Rafael on the other hand… if Michael was the angel, was he the devil? A shudder ran through me as I pictured the shifter locked below. There was no doubt in my mind, that he wasn’t the first interrogation victim for their alpha.

  “I’m going surfing. You coming, Mat?” Leo pushed back his chair, the scraping sound grating.

  His twin stood and gathered their dishes. “I’m in.”

  They glanced at Michael. His gaze slid to me.

  “If you want to go, go. I’ll be fine here with… Lucian and Rafael.”

  “Actually, I have another errand I’m supposed to run. Surfing will have to wait.” Michael sighed. “Are you sure you’ll be okay here?”

  He stood and grabbed my plate for me. I rose to my feet and bent to retrieve my sword. My stomach knotted at the thought of being trapped in the house with Lucian and Rafael. An idea came to me. What if this was my chance to talk to the shifter? I’d been too chicken before, but without the wolves breathing down my neck, maybe I could do it. Ask him about Manny, about my dad, and about the witches. Shouldn’t I try to get answers? Especially if… they were going to kill him.

  “Rose?”

  I turned to find Michael watching me with a furrowed brow.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  The man worried too much. For someone so soft why did he stick with the pack? Did he have nowhere else to go?

  Like me.

  He walked to the sink, leaving me standing by the table. I bit my lip, my mind coming up with a list of questions to ask the shifter. Would he answer me?

  Not waiting for Michael, I headed back to my room to brush my teeth with the spare toothbrush someone lent me. My heart sped up at the thought of facing the shifter once more. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t shake Manny’s monstrous face from my mind. A hollowness filled me. Would the GRIMMs ever catch him? What would I do if they did? It wasn’t like I would be welcomed back any time soon.

  Pushing away the dark thoughts, I stood by the window to look out at the beach below. Two muscular men appeared in wetsuits, carrying surfboards. Leo and Mateo. I sighed. Learning to surf with the two wolves sounded a whole lot more appealing than interrogating the shifter.

  The slam of a door sounded outside my room. The front door? Grabbing my sword, I peeked out and scanned the empty hall. I sucked in a breath and wandered out, listening for any sound of activity. Had everyone left but Lucian? What was he doing?

  “Rose.” Rafael’s deep voice made me jump.

  I turned to find him eyeing me warily. My cheeks flamed as I tried to look casual.

  “What’s up?” I blurted.

  His eyebrow arched. “I’m going out to make some arrangements before tonight. You will stay here with Lucian and the others.”

  “The others went surfing.”

  He frowned.

  “Lucian told them they could. Well, Michael went out to run an errand but the—”

  “Never mind then. Stay here with Lucian. Just remember, he’s still not quite himself so I’d be careful if I were you.” He smiled. “Don’t want to unleash the wolf.”

  My eyes bulged. “What? Are you sure you should leave me here with him? What if he attacks me?”

  Rafael scoffed. “You’ll be fine.” His eyes slid to the sword. “You have your little blade.”

  I glared at him. “If he goes crazy, I’ll stab him. Is that what you want?”

  His mouth quirked into a smug smile. “You’ll be fine, Rose. Trust me, you’re safer alone with him than with me.”

  He said it so matter-of-factly. Like a freaking serial killer.

  A shudder ran through me. I took a step back, making him grin. My face heated. Psycho asshat.

  Smoothing out his dark wash suit, he sniffed and walked past me with all the swagger of a king. I snorted. Los Reyes. More like Los Douches.

  Without a glance back, he disappeared down the hall. I waited for the sound of the front door closing. Glancing around for Lucian, I squared my shoulders and rested a hand on my sword.

  I walked past the sitting area and kitchen, careful not to make too much noise. If werewolves were anything like vampires, they had superhuman hearing. Hand on sword, I made my way toward the closed door that would lead to the shifter. I pressed my ear against it, but there was no sound.

  Heart pounding, I turned the knob and glanced around once more before slipping inside. The hanging light showered the room in a soft warm glow, adding to the creepiness. My throat turned dry as I walked the steps.

  The shifter lay unmoving on the table, the sight made my stomach churn. I paused. Steeling myself once more, I walked the rest of the way and stopped beside him.

  A chill crawled over me. Was he… alive?

  7

  His arms and legs were strapped down, his shirt sliced open. I glanced away, not wanting to see the gruesome cuts and bruising. I didn’t know if it was the same shifter that attacked me outside the academy, but guilt filled me all the same. If the witches weren’t involved, the man would never have come after me.
<
br />   I scoffed at myself. Why did I feel guilty? If Grayson hadn’t stopped him, he would have gladly handed me over to the coven. A cold realization struck me. Is that what Manny was sent for? Did he kill my dad just to get to me?

  A numbness spread over me. Was this all my fault?

  The shifter turned toward me, his eyes fluttering open. “Water,” he croaked.

  My heart leapt into my throat. I stepped back as his yellow cat-like eyes stared at me.

  “Water.” His voice was strained.

  I squeezed my sword tighter. “I don’t have any. But I’ll get you some. I promise. If you answer my questions.”

  His eyes shut again, pain flashing across his face. Did the wolves drug him? Is that what kept him so docile? I’d seen the shifters in the prison withstand bullets and a whole group of guards. This one seemed much weaker.

  “Were you at the academy? Did you… were you the one who attacked me?”

  A groan came from him.

  I watched and waited.

  “Are they going to kill me?”

  His question hit me like a brick. I couldn’t look him in the eye. Were they? I didn’t know for sure, but it seemed likely. Though he was the enemy, pity filled me at the terror in his voice.

  He didn’t want to die. Did anyone? Papi’s coffin flashed in my mind, sorrow and anger returning full force.

  “Did you attack me?”

  A shattered breath escaped him. “I don’t know. I can’t remember. The blood takes over and I black out. Can’t remember.” He swallowed.

  Fear rang through me. “What blood?”

  He didn’t answer.

  I stepped closer. “Do you know a guy named Manny? He’s a jaguar shifter from Sonoma. Have you met him?”

  His eyes opened, and he turned his head toward me. “Yes.”

  My heart pounded against my ribs. “Where is he? Do you know where he is?”

  The shifter trembled. “No. There were too many of us. Some stayed behind.”

  “Behind in Sonoma?”

  He groaned and winced. “Water. Please.”

  “I’ll get you some, I promise. But you have to tell me where he is. Did he stay behind?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t remember anything before.”

  “Before what?”

  His gaze fell on me. The regret and misery I saw written there rattled me. It was too raw. Too human.

  “Before the blood.”

  A shudder ran down my spine. “What do you mean?”

  “Water.” He croaked.

  I nodded. “Okay. I’ll get you some, but when I come back, I want answers.”

  He stared back at me. Realizing he wasn’t going to respond, I turned away to get him a drink. My footsteps pounding up the stairs. Could Lucian hear them? I paused at the door and cracked it open.

  No one was there.

  Opening it wider, I stepped out and headed for the kitchen. My mind raced as I hunted for a cup. Much to my surprise, fancy dishware filled the cupboards. What was Rafael doing with all of it? They sure weren’t using it. At least not for their late-night pizza parties.

  I shrugged. Maybe they saved them for special occasions. Grabbing a glass, I turned toward the fridge to fill it up.

  Lucian was standing there, arms folded across his chest.

  I jumped, nearly dropping the cup. “You scared me! What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”

  He grunted. “What are you doing?”

  My face reddened under his glare. “Just getting some water.”

  I hesitated before moving past him. His eyes drilled into my back. The sound of the water pouring into the glass broke the silence.

  “Did you want some?” I glanced back at him.

  He scowled. “No.”

  “Well, you don’t have to be rude about it,” I muttered.

  Pulling the cup away, I turned back toward him and flushed. Why was he still standing there?

  His eyes narrowed.

  Feeling like an idiot, I put the glass to my lips and pretended to sip.

  “You’re not drinking it.”

  Heat spread up my neck. I pulled the cup away. “Yes, I am.”

  I took a drink.

  “I guess I’ll take this back to my room now.” I nodded at him.

  He grunted. “What about the shifter?”

  My heart skipped. “Huh?”

  His eyes narrowed to slits. I wasn’t fooling him.

  “I think you should finish your interrogation.” He waved me forward.

  I gaped at him, face aflame. “What? I don’t know what…”

  Yeah, he knew.

  “Why didn’t you stop me?”

  He shrugged. “Wanted to see if he gives you the same answers.”

  Was he listening to me the whole time? I flushed. And there I was thinking I was being sneaky. I snorted. How could Grayson think I’d make a good GRIMM? My heart twisted at the memory. Those blue-gray eyes flashing in my mind.

  “Well?” Lucian’s rough voice snapped me out of it.

  “Yeah, fine.”

  I gripped the sword in one hand and the water in the other and turned to go back to the shifter. Careful not to spill the water, I slowed. Lucian followed.

  “Uh… it’s probably better if you aren’t there. You know, so he’ll talk to me.”

  His gaze turned steely.

  Irritation filled me. Now wasn’t the time for him to get stubborn. I needed answers and no one, not even Lucian, was going to stop me from getting them.

  He walked in front of me to hold the door open for me. I went through first, hoping he’d change his mind and leave.

  He didn’t.

  Ignoring his hulky presence, I focused my energy on the shifter. His eyes were closed, his body so still, it looked like he was dead.

  “Here.” I moved closer with his water.

  His head turned to me, his eyes blinking open. “Water?”

  “Yeah.”

  I held the cup up to his mouth with my left hand, trying to maneuver it to get it to pour without making a huge mess all over him. Lucian stood behind me and I was acutely aware of his gaze following me.

  The water spilled out over the shifter’s mouth and down his face, making me cringe. He drank it slow. His Adam’s apple in his neck moved with each gulp, the sound echoing loudly in the room.

  When the cup was empty, I set it down on the table by his feet. They were bare, clawed, and bloodied. I recoiled, heart thrumming wildly.

  My eyes met Lucian’s. He watched me as if curious to see what I’d do. Not wanting him to know how freaked I was, I tossed my head and moved to stand near the shifter’s head once more.

  “Do you remember anything about Manny?”

  He stared up at the ceiling, unmoving. “Only that I know him, but I don’t really remember how or why.”

  “How many of you are there? Working with the witches, I mean?”

  His brow furrowed. “I don’t know. A lot.”

  Lucian snorted.

  I frowned at him. Not helpful.

  “Why are you working for Luna Negra?”

  The shifter’s body trembled. “They promised us a place by their side in the new order.”

  New order? Lucian and I exchanged looks. That sounded like the premise of every villain story I’d ever heard. Did the GRIMMs know what was going on? All the shifter attacks in the city… were they just the beginning?

  A chill settled in my bones. If the coven could break into the prison and attack us right out front of the academy gate, what would they do next and why did they still care about me if they were planning a war? What did I have to do with their evil plans?

  Pushing away the dark thoughts, I eyed the shifter. “And the vampires?”

  He turned his head toward me. “They have their part.”

  “Which is what?”

  “Their blood makes us stronger. Faster. Better.”

  Lucian scowled. “What are you talking about? Vampire blood is toxic to shifter
s.”

  He wheezed. “Not this. Not anymore.”

  “How did the coven convince the vampires to give their blood?” He pressed.

  “I’ve said enough.”

  Frustration welled inside me. There were more questions than answers and now he wasn’t going to tell us more?

  Lucian stepped forward. “Answer her questions.”

  The threat in his voice was chilling.

  “What does it matter now? You’ll never let me go and the others aren’t coming for me. I’m just collateral in their war.”

  Collateral. A lick of anger curled in my chest. Is that what Papi was too or was that kill personal—because the witches wanted me?

  Before he could say more, the door swung open. I jumped. Rafael appeared at the top of the stairs, eyes narrowed on us.

  Lucian stiffened. The shifter stilled, fear lighting his eyes.

  I squeezed my sword as the wolf descended. Not that I could stop him even with my weapon.

  “Lucian.” His voice deepened.

  “Raf.”

  My breath hitched. What was the alpha going to do? I glanced at Lucian. I didn’t mean to get him in trouble.

  “I’ll see you both upstairs.” He stood, waiting for us to move.

  I glanced at the shifter, whose eyes were clenched shut. My heart sank. I’d barely started with my questions. There was so much more to learn. Were they going to kill him?

  Lucian motioned me out first. I hesitated, not wanting to lose my chance for answers. What did Rafael care that we were talking to the shifter? It wasn’t like his torturing worked.

  “Rose.” Rafael’s voice was low.

  Sighing, I followed them upstairs, glancing back once more before the door shut. Maybe I could sneak back in later. Get more answers.

  As soon as we stepped into the room, Rafael was on us.

  His eyes darted between us. “Leave the shifter to me.”

  I bristled. “Why? He was talking to us. Don’t you want answers?”

  Rafael smiled mirthlessly. “I’ve heard enough.”

  Anger built inside me. “You can’t kill him. I still have questions.”

  And I couldn’t stomach the idea of them hurting the shifter no matter what he’d done under the influence of the witches. Hadn’t he been through enough?