Wild Wolf Chasing

by Rhyannon Byrd

  Sound familiar? his wolf muttered, and he silently warned the beast to shut up, too exhausted to argue with it just then, even in his head.

  Beside him, Elliot spoke up again. “But why has it taken these Vadmeous demons so long to regroup?”

  “They don’t want to shadow crawl,” Kyle scraped out, the lines fanning out at the corners of his dark eyes looking deeper than Max had ever seen them. “They want to fully cross over into this plane again. And this time, they want to be powerful enough to fight off the Venatori, no matter how many hunters come after them.”

  Brody’s deep voice cut in. “So they’ve been, what? Feeding and growing stronger all these years that they’ve been trapped back in their own realm? If that’s true, then what the hell have they been eating?”

  “Our best guess,” Kyle said, “is that they’ve been feeding on the lesser demons who have managed to shadow crawl across the veil, and then make it back without getting caught.”

  Sam leaned forward and braced his forearms on his spread knees as he looked over at Brody, adding, “We destroy most of them, but sometimes there are too many. And the Venatori’s numbers are nowhere near where they need to be.”

  “And why is that?” Brody asked.

  A bitter smirk kicked up the edge of the merc’s mouth. “For too long, too many of our kind have tried to go it alone. A dangerous choice when hunting things that aren’t from this world.”

  “So that’s why you joined together,” Elise said with a soft note of understanding.

  Kyle managed a small smile as he focused on Elise’s beautiful face. “It wasn’t a coincidence that we all found each other in South America. There was a Venator named Andrew Verus who investigated our mothers’ deaths, but it took years for him to finally submit his report to the Council. When he did, James managed to get a copy of it, and he set out to find the rest of us.”

  Eric glanced at Eli. “And how did my brother fit in?”

  “Eli’s a natural leader and one of the deadliest fighters any of us had ever seen,” Sam said. “We knew the smartest move we could make was to bring him on to the team.”

  “There’s still one thing I don’t get,” Mason said, his low voice rough with emotion as he looked from one merc to the next. “Why the fucking secrecy? Why not just tell us all of this a long time ago?”

  It was Lev who pulled in another heavy breath, then carefully said, “I get that you’re pissed, Mase. But what good would it have done to tell you all of this before?”

  “What good? My wife and my children live here, you son of a bitch. Every person in this room has loved ones here.” Mason surged to his feet and stepped up to Lev, getting right in the guy’s face. “You don’t think we had a right to know what might be coming for you some day? Because if those assholes make it across, and they know you’re gunning for them, where do you think they’re gonna look for you first?”

  “We’ve taken precautions for that.”

  “Yeah?” Mason sneered. “Am I meant to feel better now? And I don’t give a shit what your precautions are, man. You still should have told us!”

  “When we had no guarantees it would ever actually happen? You would have wanted to live in fear every goddamn day, worried about the end of your world, instead of just enjoying it?” the merc roared, his savage voice echoing through the room. “Instead of living your fucking lives?”

  Everyone stared in stunned silence. It was the first time any of them could remember seeing Slivkoff completely lose his shit, and in that moment, Max knew they all got it. That they all finally understood the bone-crushing weight that the mercenaries had been living under all these years. Why they were a part of the Alley, and yet, had always remained a bit distanced as well.

  He was still furious at the jackass over the way he’d dropped the life-mate bomb on Vivian, but he didn’t begrudge the merc his secrets. Not when he truly believed their silence had come from a place of caring, rather than mistrust or indifference.

  Torrance grabbed Mason’s arm, tugging him back a few steps, her touch seeming to ease the powerful Runner to the point that she could pull him back down onto the sofa with her. Lev, on the other hand, remained on his feet in front of the fireplace, his head forward and his hands shoved deep in his front pockets.

  Another tension-filled minute ticked by, and then Brody scrubbed both hands down his face, exhaled a rough breath, and muttered, “So given everything that we’ve just gone over, what exactly do we think this Chiswick prick is?”

  “Definitely a demon,” Kyle said. “We’re just not sure what kind, or when he got here. But our guts say he’s the new Bridge-maker.”

  Brody scowled. “The new Bridge-maker? That doesn’t sound good.”

  Kyle shook his head. “It’s not. Bridge-makers can be born from a few different demon combinations, and the name literally explains their power. When they consume enough energy, they can create a bridge between this world and the demon plane.”

  Softly, Michaela said, “Which would explain why he needs the women.”

  “Sick motherfucker,” Wyatt growled.

  “A sick motherfucker who I’m going to enjoy killing, slowly and painfully,” Cian said with such quiet menace, there wasn’t a single person in the room who doubted him. Though he’d have to fight Max for the job, because he wanted Chiswick’s death so badly he could taste it.

  “If Chiswick is what you think he is,” Carla murmured, “then our worst nightmares are planning on making one hell of an entrance. Literally.”

  “But where?” Elliot asked.

  Lev lifted his head, looking as though he’d aged ten years since the start of the meeting. “As soon as James manages to learn Chiswick’s location, we’ll know.”

  “Speaking of James,” Max said, “why is he still out there on his own? Couldn’t someone have joined him by now?”

  “They could have,” Sam murmured, “if the fucker would just tell us where he is. But he doesn’t want anyone else to be put at risk at this point.”

  Mason shot a meaningful look over at Elliot. “Sounds a lot like someone else I know.”

  “Never gonna live it down,” Elliot mumbled under his breath, sinking a little in his chair.

  “So what do we do now?” Eric asked, looking at Lev.

  “The same exact thing we’ve been doing,” the merc husked. “We wait.”

  Wyatt lifted his dark brows. “For what exactly?”

  “For the chance to put an end to this shitstorm,” Lev said, slowly looking around the room, “before it turns into an all-out war.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Something Crazier Than Your V Card?

  While the others all made their way down to Lev’s place, Kyle quickly pointed Vivian toward the cabin where she could find Skye, then headed off to join them.

  Pushing her hurt and anger at Max down as deep as she could, she made her way up the porch steps and knocked so hard on the heavy wooden door that it made her flinch, her thoughts pinging from one point to another as she waited for her best friend to open up. She was nervous about what kind of reception she was about to receive, but the second Skye pulled the door open, her wet hair making it clear that the reason she hadn’t been outside with everyone else was because she’d been in the shower, Vivian realized there’d been nothing to worry about.

  “It’s about freaking time!” Skye squealed, quickly throwing her arms around her and squeezing her tight. “Ohmygod, Viv. I’ve missed you so much!”

  “I’ve missed you too,” she choked out past the lump of emotion clogging her throat, hugging Skye back as tightly as she could. They stayed that way for a good minute, until Skye finally pulled back, grabbed her hand, and tugged her inside the beautiful cabin, then shut the door behind them.

  There were so many things that she needed to say and explain, Vivian didn’t even know where to start. Then she saw the gorgeous hand-painted bookcase that sat against the nearby wall, and she latched on to it like a lifeline. “Did you make this?” she
asked, trailing her fingertips over the top of the case as she looked over at Skye.

  Her best friend smiled. “I did. It was my Christmas present to Elliot.”

  “Wow, woman. It’s beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” Skye murmured, blushing like she always did when she got a compliment. “But it’s not nearly as nice as the new phone and purse that he got for me.”

  “I’m sure he loves it. And just look at you,” she said, giving a low whistle as she slipped out of her jacket. “This Elliot guy must be treating you right, because you’re practically glowing.”

  Skye gave a shy laugh as she grabbed the jacket, hanging it on one of the ornate hooks near the front door. “Well, it’s hard to be self-conscious when your man makes it clear that he’s into you.”

  “Into you?” Vivian grinned. “From what I’ve heard, the guy freaking worships you, Skye.”

  “I feel the same way about him,” her bestie admitted, still blushing like crazy.

  “So it’s been all roses, huh?”

  Skye’s smile turned wry. “With a few thorns here and there.” Grabbing her hand again, she tugged her over to the room’s beautiful leather sofa, and they both sat facing each other, some of Skye’s happy glow dimming as she said, “I mean, I’ve obviously been worried sick about you.”

  Vivian frowned, but before she could apologize, Skye went on. “And when we first got here, I actually snuck out of the Alley. Twice. Both times in the bed of a truck.”

  “I heard about you doing that on the night of the fight down in Wesley, but not the other time.”

  “Let me grab us some sodas real quick, and then I’ll explain,” Skye said, hurrying into the kitchen. She came back just a few seconds later, handing over an ice-cold can, then sat back down, saying, “Both times, Elliot had left me behind, thinking it was for my own good, and it pissed me off because I wanted to be able to make sure he was okay.”

  An understanding smile curled Vivian’s lips. “I don’t blame you. When you find someone who makes you happy, it’s natural to be as protective of them as they are of you.”

  She opened her soda and took a long drink, then slowly lowered the can as she caught the way Skye was looking at her. “What?” she asked, wondering if she’d just sprouted a set of wings or something.

  “I don’t know.” Skye gave a little shrug, then grinned. “I guess I just didn’t expect you to react this way. I figured the first thing you would do was lecture me about being foolish for getting involved with a guy and tell me that I needed to protect my heart.”

  “Wow,” she sighed, after being unable to hide her initial wince. “I sound awesome.”

  Skye bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Viv. I didn’t—”

  “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t need to apologize, because you’re not wrong. That’s exactly what the old me would have said.” Trying to lighten the mood, she leaned forward a little, whispering, “But your Elliot’s not exactly a ‘guy,’ is he?”

  Another soft laugh tumbled out of the woman who was like a sister to her. “Ohmygod, I know, right? It’s…”

  “Still a little too crazy to believe?” she said, when Skye seemed to struggle with finding the right words.

  “Yeah.” Skye turned her head to the side, blinking as she gazed over the back of the sofa, out the front window. “And this place. It’s amazing, Viv. Like something out of a dream at times.”

  Throat tight with relief, she somehow managed to keep her voice steady as she said, “I’m so happy you’re feeling at home here, hon. That’s awesome.”

  “Hey, that’s enough about me,” Skye said, clapping her hands together once as she brought her pretty gaze back to Vivian. “So you and Max, huh? God, the two of you are going to make the most beautiful babies.”

  Vivian coughed so hard the sip of her soda that she’d just taken nearly shot out her nose. “Jesus, Skye! What the hell?”

  “Sorry,” her bestie said, trying to hide her smile with her hand. “I didn’t think that was going to get such a violent reaction.”

  “Yeah, it’s just…” She paused and wet her lips. “Things are kinda complicated between us at the moment.”

  With her head tilted a bit to the side, Skye pursed her lips in thought. “But how do you feel about him?”

  “Honestly? Right now, I’m angry. So angry I just want to…”

  “Fuck his brains out?”

  “Well, yeah, pretty much,” she admitted with a husky laugh, shaking her head at how ridiculous she was. “But then I pretty much always feel like jumping his bones.”

  Skye gave her a sly smile, and then her expression turned serious. “So what did he do to make you look like you want to kick him in the balls?”

  “We’ll get to that later.” Digging deep for some courage, she pulled in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “First, I… I really need to explain some things to you. About why I’ve been…avoiding you.”

  “Oh. Okay,” her best friend whispered, looking like she was bracing herself for an emotional blow, which just made Vivian feel even crappier than she already did.

  Licking her lips, she gave a little cough, then blurted, “I’m not a…human, Skye. I’m…something else.”

  Skye’s green eyes shot wide and bright, confusion and surprise instantly burning away the hurt. “Are you telling me you’re a Lycan?”

  She shook her head. “No. Not that. But the night of the attack at our apartment, something…happened. It didn’t make any sense, and I knew something wasn’t right. Max knew it too, and then things just kept happening, but we didn’t know how to explain any of it. But when Lev found us this morning, he explained everything. He told me that I’m something called a Venatrix. Apparently, my dad was a Venator, so I’m only half, the same as the mercs. This non-human half, though, is meant… I’m meant to hunt demons.”

  She didn’t mention what Kyle had said about her dad supposedly being dead, because she still hadn’t figured out how to process it, or even how she felt about it. Sad? Angry? Relieved? Crushed? And, hell, maybe her emotional confusion wasn’t really all that surprising, seeing as how her dad had brought her family so much pain, as well as the fact that Kyle hadn’t known anything for sure.

  By the time Vivian finished her explanation about her bloodline, Skye’s eyes were the size of saucers and she had her hands on her cheeks. “Vivian… Ohmygod,” she whispered.

  “I know. It’s crazy, huh?”

  Nodding, Skye gave a few blinks as she lowered her hands. She still looked a little dazed, but understanding and acceptance were quickly blotting out the vivid burn of her shock. “Is it… Is it weird that I feel like this kinda makes sense? I mean, I always knew you were amazing.”

  A soft laugh fell from her lips. “Not hardly. And I wouldn’t be anything without you. You’re the amazing one.” And just like that, she felt a sob crawl its way up the back of her throat, and in the next second, she burst into tears.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Skye scooted closer and placed her hand on Vivian’s shoulder. “Why are you crying? Was it something I said?”

  “No. I’m just… I’m so sorry for what happened,” she managed to scrape out between her sobs. “That they tried to kidnap you from the safe house.”

  “No, stop. Please. That had nothing to do with you.”

  She pulled in a deep, shuddering breath as she set her soda down on the coffee table, then slowly let it out. With a little shake of her head, she wet her lips again, and said, “See, that’s where you’re wrong.”

  “Viv? What on earth are you talking about?”

  “I… I made a huge mistake,” she choked out, the truth pouring out of her as she confessed about the stupid choices she’d made, starting with the private party she’d worked at the club, and not stopping until she’d explained that Skye was only on their radar because of her. Because she was a greedy idiot.

  “Viv, stop. Stop crying,” Skye pleaded, when she’d finally finished the story with another heartfelt apology. “I have n
o idea why you think I would blame you, because I don’t.”

  She blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing. “You don’t?”

  “Not at all,” Skye said, taking her hands in hers. “You didn’t ask for any of this. You were just trying to do something nice for your family and me.”

  “But it led to you being hunted by those psychos!”

  “And that’s their fault,” her sweet, beautiful best friend said, Skye’s gentle voice firmer than Vivian had ever heard it. “Not yours.”

  Lurching forward, she threw her arms around Skye, hugging her so tight she was surprised she didn’t accidentally crack her friend’s ribs.

  When Vivian finally sat back again and let the poor girl breathe, Skye gave her a searching look that was full of concern. “So how are you handling all the Venatrix stuff? Do you feel okay?”

  She’d had time, during the long drive there, to think about what she’d learned…as well as how her dad had dealt with what he was—or hadn’t dealt with it, since it seemed to have destroyed his life. But Vivian didn’t want to be anything like him, and somewhere around the Maryland state line, she’d decided she was going to keep having an open mind and heart, and simply do her best to accept the unimaginable.

  So in answer to Skye’s questions, she said, “Yeah, I feel great now. I was super tired at first, but it’s getting better every day. And Lev and Kyle were able to answer a ton of my questions on the way here.”

  “They’re really good guys, so you’re lucky to have them. But I can’t really get over how well you’re taking everything. I mean, I thought learning the truth about werewolves and witches and vampires was this huge, life-changing thing. Which I know it is. But compared to what you’re going through… God, Viv. I don’t know how you’re keeping it together so well.”

  That was exactly what Max had kept telling her, after they’d reached Arra’s cabin at the beginning of the week. That he couldn’t believe how well she was handling everything. How easily she’d started to accept what was happening to her, and that was before Lev and Kyle had filled in so many of the blanks for them. But she’d decided that she didn’t see the point in struggling against it. Not when it’d become so clear that this was her reality now.