“You have my support,” he said to me. “I have no doubt you’re going to kill that bitch.”
Despite how tense the room was, I smiled. It felt good to have someone in my corner, even if that someone was Anthony Everwood.
“We weren’t belittling her,” Adam said, standing up and blocking Anthony’s view of me. “We just care about her and don’t want anything to happen. We are looking out for her.”
I stood up and slammed my hands on the table so loud, the wolves in the living room stood up on alert.
“I’m not made out of glass, Adam. I don’t need you protecting me all the time, and Anthony is right, it was embarrassing when you stood up for me out there. The last thing I need is for everyone to know how little you believe in me.”
“Anna, I—”
I held up my hand. “Don’t,” I said and moved around the table. I stopped by the door and turned to face my friends. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys.” Then I left through the front door. I didn’t know where I was going, but I couldn’t be in that house for another minute, around all those concerned eyes.
I headed down the dirt drive, no destination in mind. I had been walking for fifteen minutes when I heard footsteps behind me.
“I’m not in the mood to talk, Ad—” I spun on my heel and swallowed my words when I saw Anthony walking toward me. I grimaced, hating the smile on his face, but most of all, I hated that his presence didn’t elicit my normal response I had for him. You never knew who was going to stand in your corner until your back was to the wall. I sure as hell didn’t expect Anthony to come to my rescue.
“What do you want?” I turned back around and started walking again. Anthony walked beside me, keeping a good two feet away from me. I thought that was strange, but decided not to comment on it.
“Adam made it pretty clear I should leave the house,” he said. “So I did.”
I looked up at him. “I don’t think this is what he meant.”
Anthony smiled down at me. “Then he should be clearer next time.” He punctuated the sentence with a wink.
We walked a long time in silence. I always loved nighttime in the mountains. The inky blackness of the sky was so dark the stars resembled diamonds. It was peaceful with the sounds of the surrounding animals scurrying through the forest. A soft breeze blew through the tree limbs, rattling leaves. I focused on the crunching of our footsteps, instead of the awkwardness growing between Anthony and me. When had things become awkward between us? Before, his presence annoyed me, but now … now, I was hyperaware that he was right next to me.
“I should head back,” I said more to myself than to Anthony. When I spun around, Anthony gripped my wrist to stop me. When I looked at his fingers and then up at him, he released me.
“I wasn’t lying, you know. I do believe you can take down Chloe.”
I sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “Thanks for that.”
Anthony studied me for a long moment. So much so, that I almost started to fidget under his gaze. What was wrong with me?
“I know what it feels like,” he said, “for no one to believe in you. My family always labeled me the screw up of the family. After a while, they just stopped noticing me altogether.”
“I don’t think they meant anything by it,” I said. “Adam is just really overprotective, and Elle is my best friend. They don’t want anything to happen to me.”
Anthony tipped his head to the side. “If you believe that, then why were you so upset?”
I shook my head, my answer dangling on my lips. With a serious look, I rolled my tongue over my lips and sucked in a breath through my nose.
“I do believe that. It just … gets old after a while. I thought after Adam pledged himself to me, he would start seeing me as an equal, but…”
Anthony snorted. “Adam has white-knight syndrome. It’s only one of his disgusting qualities I hate.”
Anger rose in me. “Just because he wants to protect those he loves is not disgusting. It’s brave that he puts himself in harm’s way for others. I bet you’d never do that.” His words that night he confessed to wanting to protect me flitted through my mind, but I decided not to bring that up. Things in my life were complicated enough.
“I’d do it for you,” Anthony said. “Just not to the degree he does. I don’t know how he doesn’t see that spark in you. I see it every time I look at you. You’re just as brave as he is. Having a female like that …”
“Is that why you liked Eve?” I asked. “Because she was tough?”
Anthony’s eyes hardened. “She wasn’t always like that, and no, that’s not why I liked her.”
I don’t know why, but I felt guilty for asking him about his dead girlfriend. “Sorry,” I said.
Silence settled between us again. We stood in the middle of the road, avoiding each other’s eyes. At the whooshing of air, I looked up just in time to see another arrow sailing through the air toward me.
Anthony shoved me out of the way, and I landed with a hard thump on my behind. The arrow made a thwacking sound as it buried itself in a tree. I pulled myself to my feet, my eyes scanning the forest in front of me.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are, bloodsuckers,” I cooed.
Anthony gave me a look that said he thought I was losing it, and maybe I was. How much drama could one girl live through?
“Go back to the house and tell them I surrendered to the vamps,” I told Anthony.
“What?”
“Olly, olly oxen free. I surrender,” I called out to the darkness.”
“Anna, what are you doing? You’re not going with them.”
I smiled, bringing my eyes back to Anthony. “Who’s being protective now?”
“I’m not being protective,” he said. “I’m being smart. You don’t just walk off with a bunch of vampires.”
He didn’t know about my earlier vision and that innocent lives were in my hands until the vampires got what they wanted. The woman from my vision, and the other night, stepped out of the forest. She had a crossbow aimed at me as two more vampires stepped out behind her.
“Get our message, did you?” she said with a smile.
“I did,” I said. “A simple email or phone call would have sufficed.”
“I’ve always thought visual displays were more effective,” she said with a shrug. Her eyes darted from me to Anthony, and then to the forest behind us. “Only you two then?”
I nodded and quirked an eyebrow at her. “Since I’m surrendering and all, maybe you could tell me who hired you. It’s obviously someone who knows what I can do, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to leave me that macabre message.”
She shook her head. “How about this, I’ll tell you when I’m burying a silver knife in your heart.”
I noticed Anthony bristle next to me, but I kept my face wiped of all emotion. A thought occurred to me then, and I smiled. The vampire’s head wrinkled as she looked at me.
“I’m guessing you don’t know how my power works. I’ll know the answer as soon as I touch you, and then all I have to do is send a telepathic message back to my pack and your boss … history. No boss, no paycheck, Veronica.” Okay, so maybe I was fibbing a little. My visions didn’t work that easily or clearly. I hadn’t been sure her name was Veronica until I spoke it. Her eyes widened in surprise at her name rolling off my tongue. I hope that it was proof enough that I could get whatever information I wanted from my sight.
“Hello, Taren,” I said to the man standing beside her. His eyes widened just like Veronica’s had. She looked at him and then back at me, indecision all over her pretty face. A smirk bent my lips as I watched them frazzled.
Veronica steeled her features and stepped forward. I held up my hands and said, “I’m serious. Without that paycheck, how will you take that trip to Europe?” Her steps faltered, and her lips parted.
“How did you know about Europe?” Taren asked.
I grinned—giddy I was making them second-guess themselves. “There�
��s not much I don’t know.”
“Except who hired us,” Veronica said with a satisfied smile.
I nodded. “Except that, but I plan on finding out soon.”
We considered each other for a moment, silence settling over us like a veil. I watched Taren and Veronica and they watched Anthony and me.
“Smart.” Anthony’s voice filled my head.
Veronica looked at Taren as though they were having a telepathic conversation. Hell, maybe they were. I didn’t know what vampires could or could not do. When she turned back to me, a smile lifted her mouth.
“You want to know who hired us?” When I nodded, she took a step closer. “Look to your right.”
My earlier giddiness faded into the pit of my stomach. I slowly lifted my head to look at Anthony.
“They’re lying,” Anthony said.
I wanted to believe him, but the look on his face looked angrier than shocked. If he were innocent, wouldn’t he have looked surprised or something? I took a step away from him, eyeing the vampires and Anthony.
“You lying sons of bitches,” Anthony snarled before he jumped for them. As he jumped into the air he transformed into his wolf and landed on the vampire to Veronica’s left. They went down in a ball of fur and snarls.
Something blurred in front of my vision. I blinked and found Veronica standing right in front of me. Before I could get my mind working again, her fist sailed through the air, and all I felt were knuckles against my cheek before darkness consumed me.
I came to some time later, or at least I was guessing it was later. Wherever I was, it was dark. I couldn’t be sure what time it was. I shifted my body and groaned when a hard throb pulsated through my head. This wasn’t just a headache; it felt as though an earthquake had erupted inside my skull. Squeezing my eyes shut, I winced as I waited for the pain to subside. When I tried to rub my temples, I noticed my hands were held together by what felt like a zip tie. I wiggled my legs, and sure enough, my ankles were bound, too. After a few minutes of deep breaths, I calmed myself down and the pain inside my skull receded to a dull ache. Something hard pressed into my back, and the place smelled like musty earth. Leaning to the side, I moved my hands against the ground only to find it was made up of dirt.
Closing my eyes, I channeled my wolf. My vision automatically became clearer, and I could make out the features of the room. I took in the rock walls and lifted my eyes to the ceiling that was carved out of rock, too. I was in a cave, probably in the mountains somewhere. I studied the space more and saw shadowed heaps to the left and farther back in the cave. I sucked in a deep breath, and along with the earthy smell was staleness—vampires. If they were sleeping, it must be daytime. I could use that to my advantage, but first, I needed to try and get a message to Adam.
I concentrated on his face and thought, Adam? Can you hear me?
I waited a few moments but was answered with silence. Ignoring the pain in my head, I tried again. Adam, please say you can hear me. I tugged against the zip ties on my wrists. I wasn’t sure why the vampires thought plastic strips could hold a werewolf, but I was happy for their mistake. The plastic gave way, snapping and falling off my wrist. Rustling sounded where the vampires slept. I stilled, my eyes going to their bodies. When I was sure they were still sleeping, I bent over to pull on the zip tie around my ankles. With relief, I stood and began moving in the direction I hoped was the exit. There weren’t a lot of deep caves in Wyoming, so the odds were in my favor.
After a few steps, I stopped and turned toward the vampires. If I left, this would all start back over again. I needed to kill them and end this. As much as I knew that, the thought of tearing these monsters apart with my teeth unsettled me. Then I thought about the vision of Adam dying, and it was all the motivation I needed. My feet began moving in their direction, my wolf ready at the surface. It would be easy with them asleep. I could rip their throats out before they even stirred. Or that’s what I thought.
I stood at their feet, eyeing their still bodies in the dark. There were only four: Veronica, Taren, and two others I didn’t recognize. I was just about to change when Adam’s voice penetrated my mind.
“Anna, can you hear me?”
I chuckled to myself, either out of relief, or because we were starting to sound like a cell phone commercial. Can you hear me now?
“Yes,” I said. “I’m in a cave … somewhere.”
Adam released a relieved breath. “I thought … It’s been almost twenty-four hours since I last heard from Anthony.”
I crinkled my brows. “Anthony?”
“He sent a message that the vampires arrived and that you had surrendered to them. When we reached the spot where he said you guys were it was empty. I haven’t heard from you or him since, and I thought …”
I frowned, confused. So while I was talking to the vampires last night, Anthony had been sending a message back to the pack. So much for the vote of confidence. Then I remembered what the Veronica had said, that Anthony hired them.
“Is Anthony with you?” I asked.
“Isn’t he with you?” Adam replied. “We figured you were both with the vampires.”
“Nope, just me,” I said. “They’re sleeping right now.”
“Good, get out of there. I’ll send hunting parties out to find you.”
I eyed the sleeping vampires. “I have to end this, Adam. They won’t stop otherwise.”
“Anna,” I could tell Adam was trying very hard to keep his cool. Though his voice sounded calm, I could hear the anger hiding beneath it. “Just because they’re sleeping, doesn’t mean they can’t wake up. Vampires can be up during the day; they just can’t step into it. Just get out of there, and together we’ll go back and take care of them.”
I debated on what to do. It would be smarter to escape and then lead the others back to the cave, but what if the vampires moved again? Their still bodies temped me, taunted my wolf to sink her teeth into their pale flesh. I could almost feel her begging within me to be released.
“If you find Anthony,” I said. “Don’t let him get away. The vampires admitted that he was their boss. I will see you soon.”
I wished telepathy worked like a cell phone and that when you were done talking, you could simply hang up. It wasn’t like that at all. I might have been done discussing my course of action, but Adam wasn’t.
“Anna, do not attack them. You cannot take on multiple vampires.”
I ignored him and began stripping my clothes. I would need them undamaged after I changed back to my human self. Adam’s worry slammed into me like a bumblebee trapped under glass. It hit in my chest as though trying to convince my mind I did not want to do what I was thinking about doing. I faltered for a moment, my fingers lingering on the hem of my capris.
“Fine,” I said. “I won’t do anything. I’m leaving and will send you a message as soon as I know where I am.”
The anxious worry subsided, and I could think clearly again. I hated lying to Adam, but I couldn’t think with his voice and emotions in my head. If I second-guessed myself while in the middle of attacking four vampires, I would definitely end up dead.
“Good,” Adam said. “Just get back to me, Chante.”
“I will.” I sent them message and prayed those words wouldn’t make me out to be more of a liar.
Once undressed, I knelt down on my hands and knees and turned my mind over to my wolf. I could feel her elation at being released. A whoosh of energy washed over my bare skin, sending goose bumps pebbling over my body, and then I was on four paws. It amazed me at how quickly my transformations happened now. In the beginning, they had been painful and took almost five full minutes.
My wolf shook her fur out as though she was shaking the last bits of me off her. Slowly, she padded around the bodies until she stood beside one of the vampires we didn’t know. It was a man with short black hair and a five o’clock shadow. He slept with his arms bent behind his head, oblivious that sharp teeth hovered just inches from his throat. My wolf op
ened her mouth and lowered it closer to the vampire’s throat. As I thought about her ripping his throat out, a sense of excitement raced through my body. It was poetic justice that a man who had spent his life drinking from the necks of humans was going to die from getting his ripped out.
My wolf didn’t wait any longer. She clasped the man’s throat between her sharp canine teeth and squeezed. The man’s eyes snapped open wide as his hands clawed at her snowy fur. With just a little more pressure, the man’s esophagus crushed in on itself. Blood coated my wolf’s tongue, but the taste was bitter compared to the richness of animals. When the man stopped flailing, she paused and listened for any sign that her kill had disturbed the sleep of the others. When she was happy that it hadn’t, she clasped the man’s arm in her teeth and dragged him away from the others. With soft footsteps, she moved to the next, a woman with short red hair and a spray of freckles across her creamy skin. She didn’t hesitate this time. She struck the woman’s throat in one crushing blow. The woman didn’t have enough time to struggle or cry out.
Two down, I thought, two more to go.
I should have figured Veronica and Taren wouldn’t be as easy as the first two. Veronica shot up, her eyes wild and fangs out. She raised her nose in the air and inhaled, her eyes shooting toward the two dead bodies at her feet. Of course they would have smelled the blood from my wolf’s kills. I should have killed them first. A feral snarl fell from her lips. Taren popped up behind her, his features just as wild.
Embracing the Wolf - Book #2 (Anna Avery) Page 19