by Katie Reus
“You guys hungry?” Aiden asked.
They both shook their heads as a waitress with a stained apron approached their table with a warm smile and a pad of paper. “What can I get for you guys?”
The lack of formalness in people amazed Larissa. Her world had been so very different. She found she liked it, just as she was getting used to the jeans Aiden had given her. They were snug, warm, and surprisingly comfortable.
“Two coffees, black,” Angelo murmured, obviously ordering to be polite. As he did, he laid a twenty-dollar bill on the table and slid it to her. “We’re not hungry but this is for taking up one of your tables.”
Surprise rolled off the waitress as she smiled. “Thanks, y’all. I’ll bring your coffees in just two shakes and I’ll refresh yours,” she added to Larissa.
Larissa wondered if the “two shakes” was an idiom she’d missed in her reading and made a note to look it up.
“So what do you know about Larissa’s coven?” Aiden asked quietly, his question directed at Brianna.
It appeared there would be no working their way into the conversation, something Larissa was grateful for.
Brianna gave her an almost apologetic look as she shrugged. “The Draculesti coven disappeared almost overnight. Obviously I don’t mean literally, but in a matter of a year their property was sold off—most of it—and the coven just . . . ceased to exist for lack of a better description. I wish I knew more but you know how fae and vamps were and still are. We’re a little more connected now because of technology, but back then I’d only heard rumors about the great Vlad’s coven. Some said he decided to completely withdraw from the human world, which I always thought was a stupid theory because your kind need humans to survive. Some said they were killed by a rival coven, but no one ever stepped up and took responsibility for supposedly killing your family so I think that was a lie too. According to my mother the coven still owns a castle in Romania. It’s owned under a shell corporation, but it’s definitely linked to the Draculesti line. As a favor to me, she’s sent investigators to the castle for in-person investigation, but other than that I don’t know more. I apologize.”
Larissa wasn’t sure what a shell corporation was, but had a pretty good idea. “Please do not apologize. You’ve given me more information than anyone since my awakening. I would like to thank your mother personally at a later date.”
“Of course.” Brianna nodded. “I’ll extend your regards for now.”
Larissa could feel Aiden’s amusement through their bond and turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised.
I love how almost formal you two are with each other, he said through their link. “Here,” he said aloud, pulling out a cell phone and setting it on the table. “This is your new cell phone. It’s got a couple thousand minutes on it and I’ve programmed my new number and Brianna and Angelo’s number into it. I’ve also programmed my Alpha’s number in it just in case.”
Meaning in case something happened to him or all of them. Something Larissa refused to consider. Nothing would be harming Aiden. Not with her around. She might still be gaining her bearings in this new world, but that hadn’t changed how deadly she was. “Thank you.”
“If you guys are done, we should get out of here,” Angelo said, watching the busy parking lot. He didn’t seem stressed about anything, just observant of their surroundings. “I want to see if I can pick up that witch’s trail at the hotel. The sooner the better.”
When Larissa had told Aiden that she and the witch had checked into a hotel and reserved two rooms for a week he’d been thrilled. Larissa had just assumed if Magda was a liar she’d have already taken their things and left, but a call to the hotel had told them that the rooms were still theirs. Aiden wanted to track Magda using scent and the only place he might be able to pick it up was there. Larissa thought that was unlikely to happen, but they needed to start somewhere while Aiden’s packmate Ryan did whatever investigations he was doing on the witch.
Larissa nodded, then nudged Aiden slightly in the side. I’m going to find someone to feed. I’ll be quick. She wanted to drink a little more blood before they left in case they didn’t have time once they reached Winston-Salem. Even though human blood was much weaker than supernatural blood and she didn’t like the idea of drinking from anyone but Aiden, she had to. She couldn’t depend on him too much and weaken him. Not when they would need their strength. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.
He frowned, those dark eyes of his going pure wolf for a moment. I’ll go with you.
No. She wasn’t a child. It was embarrassing enough that she didn’t understand half the conversations going on around her or that she barely knew how to use a cell phone, she refused to have a babysitter while she fed.
His jaw tightened as he watched her. It was clear he wanted to argue, but eventually he relented, giving her a tight nod. Find a female and take her into the bathroom. Then meet back here.
She glared at him. I don’t need you to tell me what to do. I might be behind on some things, but I can feed without instructions. I’m over five hundred years old and have been hiding what I am and how I need to survive for longer than you’ve been alive. He jerked back at her words, but slid out of the booth, allowing her to stand.
She didn’t care if she surprised him. Refusing to look at him again as she headed toward the gas station, she started looking for a human to mesmerize. It didn’t matter that vamps had come out to the world, she wasn’t asking someone for their blood. Right now she was going to take what she needed so they could get the hell out of there. Annoyance filtered through her as Aiden’s order rang through her mind. She couldn’t believe he’d felt the need to tell her to feed from a female or where to go. Like she was that infantile? She was embarrassed enough by her lack of modern knowledge—she wouldn’t let her mate baby her, and definitely not in front of others.
* * *
“Brianna and Angelo have made contact,” Connor murmured before sliding his cell phone back into his pocket.
Liam nodded, his expression tense as they headed across the yard to the parking structure. “Good.”
“Jayce said that human female’s friends from last night were a dead end. Apparently they showed up at her place and his vamp contact questioned them.” At least it had saved Jayce a trip.
Liam grunted another affirmative as they continued. Their boots crunched over the icy ground. Even with the sun rising in a cloudless sky, the snow from the night before wouldn’t be melting any time soon. He and Liam were meeting with two Brethren vampires in less than an hour on semi-neutral ground to discuss the male Natalia had killed.
Connor had already established a relationship with the Brethren a couple of weeks ago after a case Erin, one of his packmates and the newest enforcer in North America, had handled in New Orleans. Shifters and vamps had needed to work together and his pack had learned about a sick fucking practice ancient vamps liked to engage in after pregnant shifters had started being kidnapped and eventually killed. Since it hadn’t been condoned by the Brethren and the four ancient vampires had worked together with shifters to keep the peace among their kind, Connor was more than willing to meet with them about this issue. He knew Natalia had acted only in self-defense and he wasn’t worried about her innocence, but he knew situations like this could get out of control. Especially when someone’s relative was one of the deceased.
“Seriously, why did it have to be the brother of a Brethren member?” Liam muttered, mirroring his own thoughts.
Connor lips pulled into a thin line. “No shit.”
“She’s taking this pretty hard,” Liam said, shooting him a quick glance as they reached his truck.
They’d decided to attend this meeting low-key, without a big show of numbers from the rest of the pack. He and Liam didn’t need the backup anyway, but more than anything, he wanted the ranch protected. These were his people and he’d do anything
to keep them safe. From the cubs to the strongest warriors. “Yeah, I know. Teresa told Ana and she told me.” At the thought of his mate, he smiled despite everything on his plate.
Think about me while I’m gone, he projected to her.
A moment later, he heard Ana’s voice in his head. You’re not even off the ranch yet.
How do you know?
Because Vivian is making me wait by the gate to wave you and Liam off and I haven’t seen you two leave yet.
Vivian is making you, huh?
A slight pause. Maybe it was my idea.
“You haven’t even been separated from her for five minutes yet,” Liam said good-naturedly.
“What?”
“I know you’re talking to Ana. You get a goofy look on your face every time you two communicate.”
Connor shrugged and palmed his key fob. After nearly fifty years separated from the one woman who had the ability to bring him to his knees, he didn’t care what he looked like when he communicated with her. “Like you’re any better.” If anything, his brother was worse over his little human bondmate.
His brother grinned. “Just wait until Ana’s pregnant. Then you’ll be—”
They both froze almost simultaneously. His wolf clawed at his insides, the foreign scent drifting on the air making his hackles rise. Without having to say a word, both brothers stripped off their clothes and shoes in seconds and shifted to their wolf form.
A vampire was close by. Maybe more than one. There were too many heartbeats at the ranch to decipher who was who, but the new scent subtly teasing his nose was definitely foreign.
East? Liam asked through their familial telepathic link. Not all related shifters could communicate telepathically but he and Liam came from a strong line and could in both human and wolf form. They usually chose to talk aloud in human form, but when they were wolves, this was the only option.
Connor paused, inhaling again what he’d scented only hours before at that club. Definitely vampires. Their crisp scent was unmistakable, like freshly washed clothes in summertime. It wasn’t bad, just different from his and other species. Yes, he said to his brother, running to the other end of the parking structure.
There was no way in hell he should be scenting vamps on his land. And not this close to the ranch. The drive to where everyone lived was at least a couple of miles from the highway and the rest of the surrounding land was hundreds of acres of untamed hills. Which meant these fuckers were close. Ana, get Vivian and Lucas inside. We have a breach. Vampires. Contact everyone and be careful. Love you.
She cursed, then said, On it. You be careful too. I love you.
His packmates would all know what to do and so did Ana. His mate was smart and tough and he didn’t worry about second-guessing her decisions in a crisis. She would be securing the main house and calling everyone, ordering them what to do. Though he could never truly lock down the worry he felt for his bondmate, he compartmentalized it and focused on the task at hand.
December’s on her way to the main house. She’s calling Kat, Liam told him, the worry in his brother’s voice potent. December had the healing capabilities of a shifter because of the baby she carried, but she couldn’t shift like them yet and she was weaker in her pregnant state.
We’ve got a lot of protection here. Connor knew his words didn’t matter when Liam was worried about his mate, but they would have to do.
As he and Liam neared the end of the parking structure that was the same size as the barn they had for their horses, they both slowed at the open exit.
They’re fucking close. Connor forced his growl down. Right now was about stealth. In front of him he could see one of the fences penning in their cows. It extended around all the way to the line of thick woods. Beyond that he couldn’t see shit. Didn’t matter what kind of extrasensory abilities he had. He couldn’t see through trees. But something told him the vamps he scented were closer. There was no wind right now. . . . He looked up into the rafters.
Without needing to communicate, next to him Liam did the same. Connor tensed, slowly creeping back inside, keeping his gaze upward. Scanning the dark shadows, he saw three areas that didn’t quite blend in with the darkness. But the figures came damn close. Which told him these weren’t young vamps with no experience. Hell, the fact that they’d breached his land and they were here in the daylight told him all he needed to know about the strength of the vamps. Daywalkers were fairly rare, created only if their makers were.
I see three, Liam said.
Same here.
Connor howled now, letting loose the anger he’d been restraining. No need to remain quiet now, not when he’d spotted the intruders. Next to him Liam howled and in the distance the innumerable howls of his packmates rose up like the most beautiful symphony.
Almost instantly, three males dropped from the rafters, moving with rocket-like speed, their boots thudding against the hard earth. Dust whooshed out beneath them, making soft puffs in the air.
The three males looked similar. Dark hair, glowing amber eyes, all leather clothing. Like a fucking vampire cliché. One stepped forward, a short sword in his hand. The speaker of the group focused on Connor from thirty feet away, his expression full of rage. “We just want the female.”
Fuck. Connor couldn’t talk to the male like this and while he wanted nothing more than to simply kill these intruders, he knew he shouldn’t. Not when his pack’s well-being was at stake and he had to look at the big picture. Sometimes being Alpha sucked. I’m changing, he told Liam. Translation: cover me if these bastards try to attack while I’m mid-shift.
The heady rush of the change was almost instantaneous as he shifted back to his human form. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t slaughter all of you where you stand,” he demanded, his voice more animal than man. Right now he was barely hanging on to his humanity.
These bastards were on his land. Where his beloved mate lived. Where his adopted cub lived. Where everyone who depended on him lived. Hell. No.
The leader spoke again, his voice low and angry. “I told you, we just want the female.”
“You’re going to need to be a little more specific than that.” For all Connor knew this was about Larissa and not Natalia. Not that it mattered. Even if Aiden’s mate was here and he had the ability to give her to these vamps, he wouldn’t.
“That bitch who killed our maker.”
“Again, be specific.” Connor bit back a smile as all three snarled in rage.
“I know she’s here. She killed Emil. We want her. It’s our right to exact vengeance.”
Ah, so this was about Natalia. Some of Connor’s tension lessened. He’d expected some of the dead vamp’s offspring—and that’s how some viewed themselves in relation to their maker—to want retaliation, but he’d thought he could nix the problem by meeting with the Brethren.
Connor let the leash on his wolf slip intentionally, let his animal’s need to strike bleed into his eyes. “She is here. She is my responsibility and more than that, she’s my packmate. You trespassed on my land minutes before I’m about to meet with Juhani and Narek.” Two of the Brethren members, including the dead vamp’s brother, Juhani. Connor’s wolf bared his teeth in glee when they all shifted their feet nervously. But he didn’t pause. “You either have balls of fucking titanium or you’re the dumbest vampires to walk the face of the earth.”
“I’m gonna go with dumb motherfuckers,” Jayce said. Connor could scent and feel his presence behind him, but didn’t turn.
He also scented Erin with the male, and could only imagine the display the two of them made behind him and Liam. At the other entrance, a dozen of his packmates all in wolf form appeared. Growling low, they began to advance until Connor held up his hand. The vamps were completely caged in. To attempt to run or attack now would be stupid. “You have two options. Fight me now and die. Painfully. Or come with us to meet Juhani
and Narek in chains.” Because there was no way in hell Connor was letting these males leave. There were no second chances for this kind of trespass.
The lead vamp glanced over his shoulder and the two others did the same. When he turned back to Connor his expression was still defiant, but he nodded. “Fine. We go with you to meet Juhani. I can’t imagine he lets the bitch survive for killing his brother.” He sounded so damn smug Connor covered the distance between them in less than a second and slammed his fist into the male’s nose.
A satisfying crunch rent the air as the vamp flew backward and landed with a grunt of pain. If he’d been human, the male would be dead from the impact of the blow. He wiped at his face, cursing as he shoved to his feet, but he didn’t make a move to attack. Maybe he was smarter than Connor had originally thought.
To give them credit for not being completely stupid, the other two vamps also stood there and raised their hands in surrender.
Without him having to say a word, Jayce and Erin strode past him and took all three vamps to the ground, one after the other, cuffing them with silver restraints that had likely been blessed by the fae with some sort of binding spell. Connor’s own mate had a sword blessed by the fae that ashed feral shifters and he knew that Jayce had two swords that could ash vamps or anyone with vamp blood in their system. Clearly, Natalia had used one of the enforcer’s damn swords the night before. So he wasn’t surprised that these two had something they used to restrain supernatural beings.
Go see your mate, then we’re leaving, Connor projected to Liam as he made his way to his discarded clothes. He was going to see Ana too. The need to assure himself that she and Vivian were all right superseded everything else, including pack responsibility. And once he saw that they were okay, he was going to meet with the Brethren and deal with these trespassers before things escalated.