by Colt, Shyla
Pierce let out a wolf whistle. “I couldn’t tell she was a looker under all of the bruises.”
Crewe hissed as his protective instincts rose. His fangs distended and he stared the startled man down.
Pierce lifted his hands, palms outward. “Hey! I didn’t mean anything by it, boss.”
The reaction scared him. This should not work like a normal sire bond. Had her witchy powers intensified his feelings? With so much on the line, he didn’t have time to fumble around like a man in the dark looking for a light switch. He concentrated on the sweet smell of the woman clutched in his arms. The blood rage receded. His vision returned to normal, and the urge to rip out Pierce’s throat calmed.
“New rules … opinions about Ms. Alva are kept to yourselves.”
“I’ll spread it around.” Pierce swallowed hard.
The stench of fear and aggression poured off Pierce in waves. It shamed Crewe—he prided himself on control. A disorderly vampire was a dangerous one. They held too much power to wield it irresponsibly. He found that out the hard way. Images of blood and severed limbs accompanied a phantom metallic taste in his mouth. That night in the town, he’d gorged himself on the blood of innocents—men, woman, and children. None were safe from his hunger. He would’ve been put down if it hadn’t been for Dregan. He wouldn’t let his adopted sire down now that he’d been assigned this colossal task.
Louis walked up with a crew of ten behind him.
“Are we ready to make our exit?”
“Yes, after we leave we’ll finish erasing our exit from the van,” Louis assured him.
“Good. I’m going to take her home and prepare her for travel. If anything comes up contact me immediately before I’m out of range.” He used his speed to make his way to the SUV without appearing like he’d kidnapped an unconscious woman. After quickly buckling her into the car, he pulled away from the hospital. Time was against them. He needed to observe her changes, train her and gain her trust before the spell gave way completely. His spine tingled and his neck heated. I’m being watched. He casually checked his mirrors. Increasing his speed, he took a sharp left unexpectedly, sped up, then pulled down a side street and killed his headlights.
Studying the street, he waited for a car to pass. The sensation of being observed never left. Cracking the window, he tilted his head he sniffed the air. The scent of fur and woods made him cringe. Wolves. Snarling, he growled a warning as he moved back onto the road. It wasn’t unusual for werewolves to make themselves known in their territory, but he couldn’t take chances with his precious cargo. Not everyone wanted the spell to be salvaged. His nose told him there were at least six, enough to be a scouting party meant to send a warning.
Unwilling to lead them back to the temporary dwelling, he opened up the engine, weaving through traffic. If they wanted to catch him, they’d have to work for it. The street lamps burst. Darkness fell. The SUV jerked to the left and slammed into a parked a car. The passenger door groaned in protest as it caved. The roof dented in as two large bodies landed on it. Claws slashed at the roof. He slammed on his brakes. A yelp sounded as a body crashed into the car in front of him. Throwing the vehicle into reverse, he turned his head, driving backward on the sidewalk to avoid the cars. The two wolves on the roof clawed for purchase.
A claw punctured the roof. He slammed on his brakes, jerking the wheel to the left and right as he tried to shake them off. Spinning the car, he pinned Keeta’s body down as he changed directions. Nails scratched across the pavement as he lost another one. Hitting reverse, he rolled over the prone body with a sickening crunch. The last wolf swung down. Crewe punched his fist through the window and grabbed the wolf’s throat, and sinking his nails into his jugular he ripped his throat free. Hot blood splattered across his face. He thrust the corpse onto the ground and floored the gas.
Taking the back roads, he frequently scanned the streets, sniffing the air. Satisfied, he doubled back and double clicked the button on his steering wheel.
“Blue tooth audio. Call Dregan.”
“You have her?” The smooth baritone came through the speakers.
“I do. The wolves just attacked us in the car.”
“To protect their turf or to get to the girl?”
Crewe glanced at the woman muttering in her sleep. “I’m not sure. I didn’t stop to ask them.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I need the plane ready to go within the next hour. I need her in a secure location.”
“She’s survived the transfusion so swiftly?” Blood was a tricky thing.
“As far as I can tell. She’s powerful. I had to command her to sleep in the hospital.”
“Tell me,” Dregan said.
He described the scene.
“If the madness takes hold in her we’re all lost.”
“I know.” Crewe tightened his grip on the steering wheel
“Do whatever it takes to gain her trust and prepare her. We need her own our side.”
“I understand.”
“I know you do. We’ve lost too many already.” Silence feel between them. “I’ll make the call. The jet will be ready. Where will you take her?”
“The same place you taught me.”
“You will keep me posted.”
“Yes, sir.”
They disconnected, and he wondered once more if he’d be able to pull this off.
Chapter Three
KEETA
As she swam up from the darkness, the feeling of pressure and a loud buzz filled her ear. She smacked her lips in an attempt to moisten her bone-dry mouth. Clearing her aching throat, she pried open her lids. She squinted, struggling to adjust her vision to the dim lighting. A blue light illuminated a curved ceiling. She became aware of her surroundings all at once. Jerking in her seat, she knocked the long, black duster off her body. Why am I in a plane?
“You’re awake then.”
She turned to look across the aisle at the man who had turned her entire life upside down. “You,” she seethed.
“Saved your life from carnivorous wolves while you slumbered? Yes. You’re welcome by the way.”
“You’ve ruined me,” she snarled, clutching the expensive wooden armrests to keep from slashing at his face with her nails.
“I kept you from destroying the hospital. A quick reminder, we’re in the air now, and I won’t hesitate to put you down again if you can’t control yourself.”
She gritted her teeth and inhaled, fighting the rage building in her gut. That was where things went pear-shaped the last time.
“What have you done?”
“I don’t have the answers you seek. This is new territory for both of us.”
“Where are you taking me?” She focused on each word. There was a part of herself she didn’t recognize. A vengeful banshee hell-bent on destruction and revenge. Dark emotions clouded her brain, making it hard to think straight.
“What are you feeling right now?”
The question startled her. “What am I feeling?” The words were poison dripping from her tongue and spilling from her lips. “Do I look like a toy you can play with?”
“No. You look like a person who needs help. When I first woke as a vampire the only thing I knew was a sense of famine. That gnawing pit at the bottom of your stomach demanding to be filled is hunger.”
“I’m not a vampire.”
“No. So what is it you crave?”
“Power,” she whispered. The anger was a side effect from denying herself. She wanted to hurt him and revel in the newly gained power. Her body shook. It was like trying to kick black magic all over again. Make him hurt. Show him you aren’t one to be trifled with, the voices whispered in her ear, and the parts of her she loathed most rose up, eager to answer. It sat back on its hind legs, salivating as it awaited its next command. It was a disconcerting feeling being split in two. As if another being lived in her body.
“You must control the hunger.” He gripped her forearms. “It can never be
the other way around.”
Observing him was like peering at him from a distance. There was safety in the backseat. It kept the fear and pain away. In a matter of days, she’d lost everything.
“The more you give in, the harder it becomes to regain control. Fight it, or you doom us all with your cowardice.”
His words jolt her like a slap to the face. “I am no coward.”
“Prove it.”
“You know nothing about me, vampire.” The arm of the chair snapped off in her hands. She tossed it aside and zeroed in on the man across from her. His head snapped back. She twisted her hand, tossing him into the aisle. The magic gave her a rush. He stood at a speed too fast for her to track. Slammed back into the wall of the airplane, she clawed at the hand wrapped around her throat, constricting her airway.
“Is that all you have, witch?”
Anger simmered inside of her, a pot ready to boil over. Show him. Ignoring the fact that he held her life in his hands, she focused on the finger wrapped around her throat. They turned bright red. He released her.
“Is this what you meant?” she asked huskily.
His eyes flickered red, and he bared his fangs. “Right now, all I see is a witch so focused on her own emotions she can’t see the bigger picture. If you don’t get a handle on the hunger, you’ll watch the entire world burn down around you while it laughs at your anguish. I’m not here to play games while you figure it all out. If you attack me again, I will no longer hold back.”
The words sucker punched her soul. Shaken from the trance, she slammed a lid on her lust for power.
He narrowed his gaze. “Nakeeta?”
“Y-yes,” she whispered shakily. Appalled, she wrapped a hand around her throat. She cast her gaze down in shame. How could I act like that? She didn’t recognize the person who inhabited the body she’d been born in.
“This is your companion now. The hunger is a rude symbiotic guest who constantly seeks to gain control.”
“You feel this all the time?” she asked, horrified.
“Every second of every day,” he replied solemnly.
The admission turned her preconceived notions about vampires upside down. How could they hold onto any semblance of sanity?
“How did you know that wasn’t me?”
“Your eyes. Unlike mine, they turn purple.” He sighed. “I don’t know you, but I have a sense of the person you are. We don’t have time to become friends. I’m your teacher. I will show you what you need to know. And if you’re a fast learner, and smart enough to listen to me, you might survive what’s to come.”
She scowled at his highhanded words. “I don’t even know your name.”
“Crewe. I won’t ask you to trust me, because that can only be earned with time and actions. For now, you have no choice but to allow me to be your guide.”
Life without choice was a prison. The visions of the Native American warrior flashed in her mind. Centuries later, his poor decisions kept him from finding rest in the afterlife. She refused to repeat his mistakes. “Don’t think because we’re stuck together you can treat me any kind of way. Your kind has always thought they were above everyone else. I will be treated with respect, and in return, I’ll treat you the same.”
“So, the witch has a bite on her own.”
“More than you can imagine,” she promised.
His eyes widened, and she looked away, unable to hold his azure stare. They were connected by an invisible link. There was no time for fear or cowering, so she stared him down in defiance, swallowing down the fear. “What is this?” she questioned, gesturing between them.
“Our bond.”
“What does it do?”
“That’s …” he paused, “still to be determined.”
“Is that your way of admitting you don’t know?” She wrapped her arms beneath her chest.
He studied her like an experiment that should be observed from behind a glass. “The changes aren’t a formulaic equation that adds up to the same amount every time, and you are different.”
Shifting in her seat, she picked at the oversized white T-shirt and sweatpants she wore in lieu of her hospital gown. She didn’t dare think too hard on what he saw when he dressed her. “Are you planning on going into greater detail, or do you enjoy withholding information?”
“When we arrive.”
“Our final destination. Another thing I’d like to know.”
He cast an exasperated look her way. Clearly, this wasn’t a man used to being questioned. “An isolated country estate in England.”
“How long did you keep me under?”
“Long enough. We’ll be arriving in the next hour.”
“And then?” she goaded.
“We’ll begin training.”
She turned away from him and stared at the indent her body left in the metal. Stunned, she ran her hand down the back of her head checking for lumps or blood.
“You’re heartier than a normal human now.”
“Permanently?” she asked, unsure how she felt about the new mutant status.
“I can’t say.”
He eased out of her space and breathing became easier.
* * *
Her jaw dropped as a panel opened to allow the jet to fly into what appeared to be an underground manmade cavern. It closed with a final clank that set her on edge.
“We will head to the house now.”
Rising, she followed him off the jet onto a landing pad. “What about the pilot?”
“He’ll be leaving once we move into the underground tunnel that leads to the house. “
“So, it’s just … us?” The thought made her nervous.
“For now. It’s best this way. No distractions. What do you know about your bloodline?”
“Not enough.”
“Our people have never lived in harmony. But there used to be enough space for everyone. Before overdevelopment, overpopulation, and evasive technology. Vampires are a mix of genetics and magic. When man developed a higher consciousness, some turned toward the light, leaving the caves, and others … kept to the shadows. Man and magic have always walked hand in hand. Those in the light forgot while we remembered.”
She paused in mid-step. “Wait. Are you telling me all vampires were once human?”
“Not all, but the first of us. We’re not so different. We share a common ancestry. Had you turned right instead of left you could’ve been what we are.”
“No.” She shook her head, angered by his assumptions. “There must be more to this.”
“The story says a man came into the caves offering us a better life, one where we could walk outside of our dwellings, even if only at night. He said it’d come at a price, but we’d look … normal. We’d been in the dark too long. Our physiology had adapted to those dank, damp dwellings. The others chased us away, called us monsters, and tried to end our lives. Of course we made the deal.”
Her stomach ached. Had the Skinwalker done this?
“What does any of this have to do with me?”
“That spell birthed many things other than us and bound them tight by rules. Most of us can’t walk in the day, and those able can’t take exposure for extended periods of time. At least that used to be the case.” He shook his head as he placed his hand on a flat panel. A green light scanned from the bottom to the top, and it opened. “Our minds are turning against us, crumbling under the weight of years at an alarming rate. The Weres no longer require the moon. They shift at will. Their whole hierarchy is turning upside down. The societies once ruled by the iron fists of alphas are engaged in a bloody civil war with an ex-council member who likes to make rogues.” He waited for her to precede him through the door.
The images he depicted made up one giant ticking time-bomb that blotted out her impression of the building they were walking through.
“You are powerful enough to perform the spell again.”
“Me? I’ve never done anything of that magnitude. Besides that, who has it? Because we
don’t. Are we even certain I’m the one?”
“It was predicted long ago by a very powerful Shaman. You are the firstborn from his line born in centuries who could do this. It will take more than power. The person needed to walk in the three worlds, not human or vampire, but a mixture of both with a bit of wolf. Your father has some Were in his lineage.”
“So, a genetic anomaly. That’s what all of this boils down to? I’m just the poor bastard who won the unlucky lottery.” She gritted her teeth, careful not to push him too far. We needed someone who could walk in both worlds. Not human, and not vampire. It all lined up with what the SkinWalker showed her. Her stomach bubbled. Will I turn evil like he did? They crossed the stone floor room, and she caught glimpses of rows of wine racks filled with bottles.
“Please tell me that’s fermented grapes.”
“Partially.” His face morphed and he rushed toward her.
She tossed her hands up. A powerful blast left her, throwing him across the room.
He chuckled. “Very good.”
“What the hell was that?” she asked, high off adrenaline as she held her shield closely.
“The official start of training. If I gave you a warning, it wouldn’t simulate real life.”
She stared at his throat. “Vampires don’t actually need to breathe, do they?”
“No. Why?”
Because I think I might strangle you to death.
“Morbid curiosity,” she said dryly. She watched him warily, feeling like a customer in a haunted house waiting for the scare she knew could be around any corner.
“This isn’t an estate. It’s a castle.” She took in the high stone walls, tapestries, and furniture she knew was older than her.
“Yes, I suppose this is not ordinary for you.”
“And it is for you? How old are you?”
“Lesson number two. It’s rude to ask a vampire his age.” The cocky smirk made her huff as they continued through the castle.
At least I’ll be imprisoned in style and luxury.
* * *
CREWE