Which meant someone else was pulling the strings now, and Saxon suspected there had always been a more significant player behind the scenes. Maybe that player was the strange being Killean encountered when he infiltrated Joseph’s camp to get Simone back.
He said he suspected it was an ancient-turned-hunter because of the creature’s eye color, but the hunter elders had spent months pouring through their history in search of such a thing and come up with nothing. However, that didn’t mean a turned hunter hadn’t happened before Kadence; it might not have been documented, and an ancient-turned-hunter who became a Savage would be a powerful enemy.
“Once we know the location of all the cabins, we should split up and go to them,” Lucien said. “It will go faster that way.”
“Are we all going to walk?” Logan asked.
“There was a car rental place in the last town we went through. We’ll go back there tomorrow, rent some cars, and start searching. Hopefully, we’ll be out of here in a day or two.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Logan started the vehicle and pulled away from the side of the road.
Saxon studied the bar as they headed back through town. The music and voices coming from it were louder than before and followed them to the crossroads at the end of the street. A lit motel and vacancy sign caught his attention, and he pointed to it. “We should stay there until we can get the cars.”
Logan turned toward the motel and pulled into the lot where he parked next to a battered pickup. Saxon assumed the truck belonged to the manager or owner as there were no other vehicles in the lot. When he stepped out of the SUV and made his way toward the office door, he spotted the lights from the back of the bar spilling through the trees toward the side of the motel.
He contemplated walking over after they checked in and finding a woman but decided against it when a fresh blast of wind blew ice down his back. He required sex to help keep himself under control, but he despised the cold, and he would go without sex for one fucking night.
It had been centuries since he abstained from sex for any length of time, and the demon within him was already clawing at his insides in need of the release it sought, but he could do this. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders against the cold.
He was so tired of being at the mercy of the demon part of him; so tired of needing sex to maintain his control yet never finding any satisfaction from it. So tired of living this way, but the only alternatives were giving in and becoming a Savage or death.
There were some days death was preferable.
* * *
Saxon folded the map marked with x’s of the cabins he was supposed to explore and set it on the passenger seat before surveying the field before him. They’d divided the town into sections before leaving the rental place this morning; farms tucked into the hillsides and mountains comprised most of his search area. He didn’t know how anyone lived up here in the winter, but people were moving about the farms as they took care of their animals.
He hadn’t discovered a cabin with a farmers porch that stood out as anything more than being someone’s home. Pretending to be a lost traveler in search of his sister’s new place, he’d spoken with the few people who were at home when he drove onto their property. Though he considered them crazy for living in this hostile environment, they were ordinary people.
He’d only covered half his terrain, but judging by the slate gray color of the sky and the increasing scent of snow on the air, he wasn’t going to get through them all today. He scanned the radio stations in search of a weather report, but they were either playing music or debating sports and politics.
Giving up on finding anything useful, he turned the radio off and pulled away from the side of the road. Maybe they were only expecting flurries, but this was the last place he was going to check out before heading back to the motel, showering, and heading to the bar. Not only did he need a woman, but he’d also like a few stiff drinks after this tedious day.
He guided the vehicle down the country road with no lines or lights and turned onto a driveway winding up a steep hill. The piles of snow shoved against the sides of the drive were chest high. One more big storm would make it impossible to plow as there was nowhere left to put the snow.
“Horrible setup,” he muttered as he guided the car up the drive.
Behind the banks, trees crowded the roadway; their skeletal branches creaked and swayed as the first snowflake landed on the windshield. He was beginning to think there was nothing at the top of this hill when the driveway leveled out. The car tires crunched on the stone as he coasted into a large, circular drive.
He parked in front of a cabin with a farmers porch and lights shining out of some of the windows. The interlocking logs were light in color, and behind the cabin, a field stretched out a good fifty yards before the woods reclaimed the land. In the distance, the sweeping peaks of mountains rose to touch the sky.
The home looked like Kadence described. This had to be it, but what was it? He saw nothing unusual about the place. In fact, with the snow spiraling lazily from the sky, it looked inviting.
Saxon pulled his phone off the charger and went to type a message to Declan before realizing he had no reception here. “Shit.”
Slipping the phone into his pocket, he patted his jacket to reassure himself his weapons were still there before opening the door and stepping out of the car. His breath hissed in when the frigid air slapped him in the face, and melting flakes stuck to his face and lashes as he strode toward the porch.
He studied the windows of the cabin as he walked and spotted a shadowy figure moving behind a curtain before he glimpsed a pale face peering out at him. He wiped the snow from his lashes, but the person was gone.
Elyse ducked down and waited a few seconds before poking her head around the corner of the window again to inspect the man coming toward the cabin. She’d never seen him before, but she’d never seen most of the men and women who arrived here before she was forced to get to know them better. Usually, those men and women came with an escort, but they could have decided to send this one on his own.
She hugged herself as she braced for what was to come. “Please don’t be too many.”
Saxon had his foot raised to climb the first step when the stench of decay swept over him. He froze with his foot in the air before bringing it down to the driveway again. Slowly, he reached into his jacket and removed the small crossbow he had strapped inside. He also took out a stake tucked into one of his interior pockets.
He’d kept the weapons hidden so as not to frighten whoever was inside, but that stench meant something far worse than people lived on this property.
A hundred feet of cleared land was on either side of the building; beyond that, the woods were thick. He strained to hear anything over the wind and creaking trees, but the twilight was eerily quiet considering that smell and the impending storm.
And then a pair of red eyes blinked at him from the shadows of the woods. His lips skimmed back as the eyes vanished. He glanced at the front door; were there more Savages inside? Were they trying to draw his attention to the woods so something could charge out of the house at him?
He edged away from the stairs and back toward the car so he would have plenty of time to prepare for anything that came out of the cabin at him.
Elyse peeked out the window again as the man moved away from the steps. In his hands, he held a small crossbow and a stake. She frowned as she studied the weapons; vampires rarely came here armed, and when they did, her guards took their weapons and kept them until the vamps left.
The handsome man stared at the woods before casting the cabin a suspicious look. His black, leather jacket fit like a second skin over his broad shoulders and was open enough for her to see the black sweater he wore beneath. His jeans emphasized his long legs as his gaze returned to the cabin.
What is going on?
He wasn’t acting like all the others who came here. They stormed up the steps like they owned the pla
ce and stared at her like she was some offensive turd they’d scraped off their shoe, or like they were going to sink their fangs into her at any second. This guy almost looked lost.
Then a flurry of movement exploded from the woods, and the man spun to face it. Elyse restrained herself from cowering when two of her monstrous guards sprinted across the yard toward the man. The first creature leapt off the ground and launched himself at the man as the second charged head-on.
The man caught the first and flipped him over his head as he slammed it into the car. When the monster landed on the vehicle, the hood dented with a screech of metal and the windshield shattered. With a quick step to the side, the man dodged the second creature and swung his hand out to plunge a stake through the thing’s back.
He may be different from everyone else who came here, but he was most certainly one of them. No human could ever exhibit this kind of strength.
Elyse’s heart lodged in her throat as disbelief and then excitement pulsed through her. Only a couple of her guards had ever come out to greet the other vamps who came here, but they’d never attacked them. This was something entirely new which meant…
It could be helpful to her!
But as swiftly as her hope came, it vanished. This man was a vampire too, which meant he was also her enemy. And this change could be really terrible. Sickness twisted in her belly as her thoughts turned to her dad; what would this change mean for him?
Elyse’s breath came faster. She wanted to scream at this man to go away, but at the same time she was close to rushing down the steps and begging him to take her away. She didn’t get a chance to do either as, from behind the man, three more guards emerged and raced toward him.
Chapter Three
Saxon heard a crunch on the icy snow and spun in time to see three more Savages coming at him. He ducked the first one before driving his fist up and slamming it into the chest of the second. Bone crunched and crumpled before he enclosed his hand on the Savage’s heart.
He didn’t have a chance to tear the bastard’s heart out before the third was on him. Spinning the Savage he held, he used its legs to batter back the vamp. As he did so, the one he held beat at his face and shoulders. Saxon bit back a shout when the Savage’s fingers dug in and tore a chunk of flesh from his shoulder.
“Son of a bitch.” Saxon shoved his hand into the vamp’s face and pushed it back while its fangs snapped at him.
When Saxon yanked the creature’s head to the side, the shattering of bone resonated across the clearing, and the vamp went still. Saxon ripped his hand out of the vamp’s chest, taking its heart with him. He released the organ, but it didn’t hit the ground before the other Savage pounced on him.
Staggering back, he bashed them into the side of the car in the hopes of knocking it off. The door dented with a screech of metal, and shattered glass fell around his boots. The other Savage recovered and charged at him. Saxon ignored the vamp clawing at his flesh as he lifted the crossbow and aimed it at the other monster. The creature was nearly on him when he pulled the trigger and sent the bolt straight through its heart.
The vamp clutched at the bolt as it collapsed onto the driveway; its feet kicked against the snow before going still. The Savage clinging to him sank its fangs into his throat. Fire consumed Saxon’s veins, and his legs nearly gave out when crippling waves of pain washed through him.
Do not give in!
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself not to succumb to the agony that accompanied having his blood pulled unwillingly from his body. It wasn’t the first time he’d experienced it, and it wouldn’t be the last, but if he went down now, he wouldn’t get up again.
His hands felt like lead weights, and the crossbow toppled from his grasp. He raised his arms and fumbled to grasp the one feeding on him. The other remaining Savage peeled himself out of the hood of the car and staggered to its feet.
Saxon’s pulse thundered through him as he realized his time was running out; if he didn’t kill the one feeding on him, he would die.
It’s not my time!
Feeling over the head of the one feeding on him, he found an eyeball and plunged his thumb into it. When he twisted deeper, the creature howled and released him as Saxon effectively blinded him in one eye.
Air that he hadn’t realized he wasn’t breathing rushed back into his lungs as his muscles unlocked and his legs stopped feeling like they were about to shatter. He yanked the vamp over his head and smashed it into the ground. He went to plunge his stake into its heart before realizing he’d dropped the weapon.
Weakness cleaved to him as he fumbled inside his jacket to free another stake while the vamp from the car came at him. Saxon pulled the stake free and plunged it into the Savage’s chest as another one rushed from the woods.
He bit back a groan. They were like a fucking clown car; every time he believed it was over, another one emerged. The one who bit him was still on the ground, wailing as it covered its eye with its hand while trying to crawl away. When Saxon stepped forward, his legs wobbled; the Savage had drained him more than he realized.
He grabbed One-Eye by its shirt and lifted it off the ground to plunge the stake through its back. The other one was still coming at him, but he slid to a stop when Saxon lifted his gaze to him and bared his fangs at the creature. The Savage glanced at its fallen brethren before turning and fleeing back toward the woods.
If he had the energy, Saxon would have laughed, but he found nothing amusing in this. Calm descended over him as he knocked the snow from the crossbow while dipping into his jacket to remove another bolt. Reloading the crossbow, he lifted it and aimed at the back of the fleeing Savage.
Saxon pulled the trigger and watched as the bolt pierced through the Savage’s back and it collapsed. Unable to tell if it was a kill shot, he reloaded the crossbow before starting toward the Savage. The world spun, and he staggered to the side as he wiped away the sweat rolling down his forehead and into his eyes.
He didn’t realize he’d been cut on his head until his fingers came away sticky with blood. As he stared at the blood on his fingertips, snow-covered his hand, and he tipped his head back. Somewhere during the fight, the flurries had turned into a snowstorm that was rapidly covering the stone under his feet and the bodies around him.
He had to get out of here and tell the others what he discovered, but he couldn’t leave any Savages alive, and someone was in the cabin.
Elyse watched as the tall vampire approached the monster sprawled in the snow. The man staggered and almost went down before arriving at the side of the creature. Her hand clasped the maroon curtain as her heart hammered so loudly she was sure the vamp could hear it.
Chewing her bottom lip, she tried to decide what to do. Should she run for the car? Hide? Or maybe see what this vamp was doing here? He’d killed her guards, so he couldn’t be one of the ones who’d imprisoned her, which meant he could be an ally.
Or he could be something worse.
She didn’t see how that was possible, but she’d never imagined things could be this bad. This vamp may be about to turn her already shitty existence into a giant pile of dinosaur crap that would make her situation here seem like a party.
She gulped as the man moved beyond what she could see from the window. If she went into the next room, she could watch them from the windows in there, but she couldn’t make herself move. Her feet felt as if they’d melted into the floor as she gazed at the doorway across from her. No matter how curious she was to see what was happening, she couldn’t bring herself to enter that room.
Even if she didn’t look at the mantle, she would know what was there.
Her gaze returned to the car. The vamp was distracted and injured, but she doubted she’d make it to the vehicle before he caught her. After seeing what he did to her guards, she couldn’t think about what he would do to her.
The bastards holding her prisoner had enemies; was this man one of them and had he come here to kill her?
Don’t stand here; do so
mething!
She was wasting her first opportunity to escape, but she had no idea what to do. She’d never considered herself a moron, but being imprisoned here for months had stripped her of everything she once was and made her something else.
She was ashamed to realize it had made her someone who was terrified to act. But then, on the mantle in the next room was the reason for her indecisiveness. This wasn’t just about her. She wouldn’t be the one to pay the most for leaving here, but if she stayed, she could pretty much kiss her life and her dad’s goodbye.
However, she had no doubt their lives were already forfeit, and they were simply walking corpses now. They’d kept her alive this long, but once they finished with her, they would kill her; she did not doubt that. And it was only a matter of time before they finished with her.
If she fled here, she could find her dad, and maybe she could save him too. She doubted it, but she definitely couldn’t do anything for him if she remained here. But what would they do to him when they realized she was gone?
She shuddered at the possibilities, and bile rose in her throat. If she stayed, they would both die; if she ran, they would torture her father and punish him for her actions.
Rushing to the door, she turned the knob and inched it open. She ignored the bite of the wind and stuck her head out to watch as the vamp staggered toward her last guard. He knelt by the monster, yanked out the bolt, and sank it into the creature’s back.
Bowing his head, he rested his hand in the snow and knelt there for a couple of minutes. Then he rose and turned back to the cabin. The blood streaking his face made him appear more lethal as he wiped it away and flicked it into the snow. Drops of red stood out starkly against the pristine snow as they followed him toward the cabin.
Elyse closed the door before he spotted her and locked it. The lock would only buy her a couple of seconds against him, but it was better than nothing. She rested her hand on the door before turning and fleeing into the kitchen.
Bound by Passion: The Alliance Series, Book 4 Page 2