by T. S. Ryder
He brushed his fingers against her cheek. "Kayla… Will you stay? After all this is over, I don't want to shuffle Mikayla between us. I want the three of us to be a family. You're my mate. I'm sorry if this is moving too fast—"
"Maybe a little. But I'm not sure there is a point to move slowly. I'm stronger than I was before, and we have three years to catch up on…" She ducked her head a moment before looking up and smiling gently. "I love you, too. I never stopped. So yes. I want to stay."
Eric grinned broadly. He leaned in for another kiss when a scream from outside made his head jerk round. He raced for the door and emerged in time to see the taillights of half a dozen motorbikes zipping away. The drivers were dressed head to toe in black leather, complete with helmets and heavily-tinted face shields.
"Stop!" Quin's heartbroken howl pierced the air. Eric glanced towards his brother to find him pinned to the tree by a javelin.
It was only then he realized Donna and Mikayla weren't with him. There was still a scream splitting the air, growing fainter with the roar of motorbike engines. He leaped off the porch, transforming at once. His clothes shred as he burst from them and chased after the motorbikes. His gaze darted among the black figures.
There! He could see the back of Donna's head. She was on one of the bikes, sitting in front of one of the bikers. That person only drove with one hand; holding Donna in place as she struggled. But where was Mikayla?
He pushed himself harder, the stitch in his lung screaming, yet he wasn't going to stop. The bikes were fast, but he was faster. Soon he could smell them: vampires. The strong stench of death churned his stomach. He leaped at them, howling a challenge.
"Daddy!" Mikayla screamed.
His head swung round to find her. But even as he did, one of the vampires turned their bike sharply. It swung around to its side, barreling right into Eric's path. There was no time to avoid the collision. Eric was hit hard, flipping over his head to land on his back. Pain shot through him. He flipped over, chest screaming with agony. He couldn’t breathe. By the time he got back to his feet, the vampires were too far away. A few stumbling steps nearly had him collapsing again. He threw back his head and howled mournfully as the bikes disappeared.
Eric whirled on the vampire that had collided with him. As it tried to push itself back to its feet, the Alpha pounced on it. A tremendous growl rose up his throat, but he stopped himself from doing what he wanted to do – tear the creature limb from limb. He needed information, and a dead vampire couldn't talk.
"Let go," the vampire gasped in a female voice muffled by her face shield.
He ignored both her cries and her struggles as he dragged her back to the houses. Kayla was helping Quin free himself from the tree, and Eric dragged the vampire to the hospital. They had rooms deep underground where Eric could interrogate this vampire without exposing her to sunlight. Not that a little sunlight would kill her instantly… Maybe it would even encourage her to talk.
Other Wolves gasped and crowded around until a growl from him dispersed them. Soon, he was in a dark room. He Shifted, tossing the vampire in. Grunts of pain made him look round. Quin staggered towards the cell, supported by Kayla.
"Quin—"
"They took Donna," he gasped, his face pale.
Eric hesitated a moment, then nodded. If what was between Quin and Donna was what the Alpha suspected, it would only waste time trying to argue with his brother. The Wolves faced the vampire again. She had taken off her helmet, revealing a pretty, delicately-boned face and wide hazel eyes. Her hands clenched as she looked between them.
"Where are they taking them?"
The vampire tossed her head, her eyes narrowing. "We aren't going to let you Wolves run us out of our home again."
"We have never—"
"We used to have a palace," she interrupted. "We would have such balls, such festivities. But then the Wolves came and slaughtered our people and burned our home to the ground. So we built a new home, out of brick so it couldn't be burnt. Not a grand palace, but comfortable enough for those few of us who survived. And the Wolves came again."
Eric ground his teeth together. He didn't need a history lesson! "We are not trying to drive you out! Yes, my people have treated yours terribly in the past, and your people have treated mine terribly. But that is the past, and I am trying to build a future where we can all live peacefully!"
The vampire stared at him stonily. "Why should we believe you? We've taken your mate and child to ensure that you won't try to take our home."
Kayla gasped. She clutched Eric's arm. "What are they going to do when they realize Donna isn't me?"
The vampire's brow furrowed, but Eric ushered Kayla out before the conversation could continue. She was shaking from head to foot. Beside her, Quin swayed on the spot, his face ashen. Eric reached to steady him. Blood still poured from his wound.
"Kayla, I promise I will get them back. Whatever it takes, I will get them back. But for right now, I need you to take Quin to an upper room for medical treatment. Don't argue with me, Quin. You're about to fall over. And you need to be in top condition if you are going to help me get Donna and Mikayla back."
Quin looked unhappy but nodded. Kayla's lip trembled. She pushed herself to her toes, kissing Eric hard before she returned to Quin and helped him down the corridor. Eric looked after them, his heart pounding shallowly. He turned to the door where the vampire was held.
If he didn't get his daughter back unharmed, he would burn them all to the ground.
Chapter Nine – Kayla
Eric was busy with the other Wolves discussing their attack on the grain elevators to get Donna and Mikayla back. Kayla had tried to sit in on the meeting, but Eric grimly refused to let her. She was left wandering the hospital floors, full of anxiety and stress. She couldn't even go outside for a breath of fresh air. There was a chance that the vampires might come back for her, and Eric wanted her surrounded by Wolves that could protect her at all times.
But when she happened across the items that had been confiscated from the vampires, including a cellphone, she stopped dead. The thought that maybe she could do something to get Mikayla and Donna back burned in her mind, and she couldn’t not act. She grabbed the phone and swiftly returned to the room she had been given for her time here.
Once there, she didn't let herself think. There was a chance that this would end badly for herself, but that didn't matter. She had to do whatever she could to get Mikayla and Donna back – and hopefully avoid more violence.
There was only one name on the contact list. Kayla's heart pounded as the phone dialed. Her hands shook and her mouth was dry. After far too many rings, there was an answer.
"I wondered when you Wolves would—" a cruel, amused male voice started.
"I'm not a Wolf. You have my daughter and my best friend, and I want you to let them go."
There was a moment of silence, then a low chuckle. "Ah, so it seems I have the Alpha's mate instead of the Alpha himself. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when my people brought home the wrong woman. I nearly killed her on the spot."
"Don't hurt her," Kayla gasped. "Please. You wanted me and Mikayla. Taking Eric's daughter was a huge mistake. He will kill you all if you don't give her back. But…" She closed her eyes. "If you let Donna and Mikayla go, then I will be your prisoner."
"Hmm… Interesting proposition. I'll tell you what. I will take up your offer. If you come to the parking lot of that old abandoned laundromat on Ninth Street tonight after dusk, I will let your daughter and friend go. But if I see a single Wolf, I will kill dear Donna."
He hung up before Kayla could say another word. She dropped the cell phone, heart hammering. But her mind was made up. She was going to get her daughter back to safety.
I'm sorry, Eric. If only she could say goodbye… but that would tip him off that something was wrong. No. She had to face this alone.
***
The parking lot was dark and deserted, with only a single flickering street lam
p illuminating it. As if this place had to be any creepier than it already was, the laundromat was all but falling apart. It looked like the perfect place for serial killers to have a convention.
With a shiver, Kayla turned off the car. It was only by luck that she managed to get here at all. As Eric was still busy, Quin had been left to watch out for her. Fortunately, due to his injury, he had fallen asleep, and she had slipped away. How long she had before they realized she was gone was another thing, though.
Kayla hadn't been in the parking lot for long before a large black van pulled up beside her little car. A man in a dark suit stepped out from the driver's side. His paleness gleamed in the dim light, a sneer on his face and a glittering triumph in his eyes. Kayla's heart pounded as she stepped out of her car.
"Hello, Kayla." The vampire mocked a bow. "I am the coven leader that you spoke with earlier."
"Where are Mikayla and Donna?"
The vampire gestured to the van. "I must say, you're not what I expected for an Alpha's mate. I thought you'd be… thinner."
Kayla clenched her hands. "I don't care what you think. Let my friend and daughter go!"
The vampire grinned again, but even as he turned towards the van, a howl split the air. Kayla jumped, spinning around. A Wolf bounded out from behind the laundromat. Quin. Kayla opened her mouth to tell him to go, but her voice was drowned out by another howl. He leaped at the vampire, but with a grin, the vampire sidestepped him. The black doors of the van screeched open and a dozen more vampires leaped on Quin at once.
Kayla stumbled away from the fight. "I didn't know he followed me! Please, don't hurt Donna! Please!"
Quin snarled and snapped at the vampires surrounding him, but there were too many of them. Soon, he was pinned down by their bodies. Each one had a death grip on him. The head vampire walked over to Kayla, smiling blissfully. He reached to touch her and she shied away.
"You say that you didn't know he was coming?"
"I didn't."
The coven leader turned to the others. "You see? Wolves are not to be trusted. They even lie to their own mates."
Kayla didn't bother correcting him. "Please don't kill Donna."
Quin Shifted, the vampires' grips tightening on his human-form body. He panted, not resisting their holds. "I'm the Alpha's brother. Let Donna go. You can have me!"
"I would rather keep my new daughter than you." The coven leader grinned. He gestured once more, and one of the vampires left Quin and returned to the van. A high, keening wail came from inside it.
The vampire dragged Donna out. Shackles bound her wrists and ankles. Kayla cried out, starting to go forward, but stopped when Donna shook her head. Her eyes were wide, her skin pale… too pale. Her normally bushy hair was sleek. When she opened her mouth, Kayla saw two fangs flash. Horror filled her.
"Run!" Donna shouted. "Kayla, run! I can't control—"
Kayla was frozen as Donna stiffened. Her eyes darkened and her face went blank. Her head swung from side to side, and when their gazes locked again, Kayla couldn't recognize her friend. Quin shouted. Donna snarled. The shackles were unlocked, and the newly-formed vampire raced towards Kayla. She was frozen in shock and horror, unable to move—
A smoky-grey Wolf jumped over the van. Mouth wide open, teeth glittering in the dim light. He pounced on Donna, knocking her to the ground. The sleek fur rippled with muscles as he grabbed her by the arm and threw her back. She arched gracefully over the van. Then the Wolf was on the coven leader.
"Eric!" Kayla gasped.
Eric didn't take the time to acknowledge her. The coven leader was screaming under him. Kayla backed away from the fight, not knowing what to do now. Several of the vampires left Quin and rushed Eric; the beta shook off the rest of them and knocked over several with one brush of his paw. Eric's teeth tore at the coven leader as the rest of the vampires bit and clawed at him.
A screech. Donna rounded the van, claws sprouting from her fingertips. She made a beeline for Kayla. Quin howled in pain and leaped in her path. Donna slashed at him
Kayla turned on her heel. She raced back to her car and climbed in, locking the doors behind her. Could vampires break car windows? She fumbled with her keys. What could she do? Why hadn't she learned more about the vampires so that she could actually help in this situation?
Eric released the coven leader, turning to bite the vampires surrounding her. Quin had Donna clamped between his teeth; she was struggling wildly, clawing at his nose and face. Blood poured from the scratches she opened up, but he didn't release her.
The coven leader jumped to his feet. His gaze narrowed in on Kayla and he dashed for her. Kayla threw the car into gear and stomped on the gas. The vampire snarled, jumping at the last second. He landed lightly on the hood of the car–the others weren't so lucky. As Eric jumped out of her way, Kayla plowed through the vampires, sending them sprawling every which way.
The coven leader punched a fist through the windshield. And then Eric had him in his jaws, tearing him away. Snarls and screams filled the air. A piercing shout made her shudder.
And then all was silent.
The vampires drew away. They formed a group, knees bent and hands up, baring their long fangs and hissing. Eric growled as he faced them. He spat something out of his mouth–Kayla had a suspicion that it was a head–and threw his head back. He howled, deep and long. The vampires cowered back from him.
With Quin still struggling to hold Donna, Eric shifted. Kayla's heart was in her throat. Her knuckles were white as she clutched at the steering wheel. What if the vampires attacked while Eric was in his Human form? Blood ran in rivulets down his body, but he stood tall as he faced the vampires. They backed away from him, clumping together in a tighter group.
"I did not want it to come to this," he said. "I want peace, not to kill each other. But if you don't find a way to let that happen, I will kill every last one of you to protect my mate and child. You have lived anonymously here for years. You are not a danger to the human population. You don't have to be a danger to me or my pack. We can find a way to live in peace."
The vampires glanced at one another, but Kayla's gaze was drawn to where Quin and Donna still struggled. Quin shifted, his arms tightening around her. Donna's face was twisted in pain, her whimpers mixing with screams as she reached towards Kayla. Her fangs flashed in the dim light.
How could there be peace when the vampires had turned Donna into something like that against her will?
"Donna!" Quin twisted her around to look at him. "Donna, look at me. I love you. Donna, I love you!"
The newly-formed vampire's struggles wilted. She sagged against Quin, burying her face into his chest. Her shoulders shook for a moment before she turned towards Eric.
"He wanted a war. The coven leader. He told me. That's why he changed me. He wanted to provoke you. He had no interest in peace. He's been lying to all the vampires, saying that you killed that vampire he sent to duel you… Except he said he sent him to negotiate."
"Take her back to the pack," Eric said quietly to Quin. "We'll find a way to help you through this, Donna."
Quin scooped her into his arms and strode away. The rest of the vampires left glanced at one another. One of them stepped forward, shoulders thrown back. "We do not want to die."
"Good. Because I do not want to kill you. So, you will give me my daughter, and my mate will take her home. But I will stay and we will talk about how to proceed from here."
Kayla's throat was dry as the vampire nodded slowly. Her hands shook. Would this really be the end? Could they really have the peace they so desperately wanted now?
Chapter Ten – Eric
Eric grinned broadly at the commercial that Kayla had developed for the community garden project. Showing images of young and old alike gardening, it went through the steps of what needed to be done before reassuring the people it was free to use for everybody. They'd been getting overwhelmingly positive feedback from the project, and it was thanks to the marketing plan Kayl
a had put in place.
The Alpha stretched his legs, considering everything that had changed in the past few months. Kayla and Mikayla had moved in permanently, as the boxes that were still in various states of being unpacked were a testament to. Mikayla was comfortable being outside again, though she still crawled into bed with her parents at some point every night. It would take some time to get over her experiences, but she was getting there.
And the vampires had finally accepted that he wasn't out to get them. Since he killed the previous coven leader, he'd been able to actually talk with them all and develop a plan that was beneficial to everyone. As such, he was building them a new home.
Instead of being crammed into the two grain elevators that didn't have the space for them to have privacy or even room to do much more than hunker in their own little corner, they were getting a house. Fully furnished bedrooms would be provided for each of the coven members. What they seemed to be most excited about was the air conditioning and the blind-shutters that they could open at night after the sun went down. Apparently, things got very hot and stuffy in the grain elevators.
All in all, things were looking up for everybody involved.
"Hey, has my commercial come on yet?" Kayla leaned over the back of the couch, stealing one of the potato chips he had in a bowl.
"You just missed it." Eric straightened. He pulled her over the back of the couch and nestled her into his arms, kissing the back of her neck. She moaned lightly and wiggled her butt against him. With a grin, Eric kissed her again.
"Mikayla asleep?"
Kayla nodded. "Yeah. She's out like a light. And I think she might end up sleeping the whole night…"
Eric laughed and buried his face in her neck, but Kayla didn't relax the way he wished she would. With a frown, he straightened again.