Shadow Lake Vampire Society Book Two: The Count
Page 20
Coco appeared at her shoulder. “Is he dead?”
Levi nodded. “Yes, but we’ve got bigger problems. Look.”
While we were fighting Xander, Warren’s vampires had won the fight. Not only had The Society vamps pinned and hogtied all our friends, more vampires were appearing at the edge of the estate. These didn’t look like the ones I’d seen working for Warren, rich types with fancy clothes and perfect haircuts. These vampires looked rough and savage. They wore furs and leather as if they’d just stepped out of the arctic tundra or something.
“What the hell?” I said, lifting my vampire blade.
“Who are they?” Coco asked, edging closer to me.
“Mountain vampires,” Levi said, his eyes going wide. “Ladies, I want you to run.”
“Levi—”
“Piper, now!” There was no equivocation in his voice. He was telling me if we didn’t go now, we’d all be dead.
Torn, I glanced between him and my friends. Coco barely knew what was going on, and True seemed to be in shock after killing Xander. They couldn’t fight mountain vamps under normal circumstances, much less now. I needed to get them out of here, but I couldn’t abandon Levi. There was no way he could survive a fight of this magnitude.
I grabbed his hand and tugged. “Levi, come with us. Please.”
He shook his head, his eyes sad as if he’d already decided something. “Someone needs to hold them off. Go!” He pushed me away, but I refused to move.
“Levi, no.” Tears spilled down my cheeks. If I went now, I had a horrible feeling I’d never see him again.
“Piper,” he said, his eyes locking into mine, absorbing this moment like it might be his last. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I whispered. “Please, just come with us.”
He gave me one last heartbroken look, then he took off, running toward the fray.
“Levi,” I cried, but I knew it was too late to stop him. He was ten times faster than I was. I also knew if I didn’t get True and Coco out of here, they’d be dead. It was an impossible choice, and it felt like ripping my own heart out, but I turned from Levi toward the girls.
“Come on,” I said, reaching for them as tears slid down my face.
I’d get them out of here and come back. I’d come back for him. He could survive until then. I knew he could.
But as we started to run toward the driveway and back to where we’d parked the car, more mountain vamps stepped out of the shadows.
They had us surrounded.
Oh, shit.
“Get behind me,” I said, stepping in front of the girls as I pulled out the knife again.
My eyes took them in—four vampires. All males. Each wore some version of a wilderness mountain man outfit. Boots, furs, and savage expressions. Their hair hung in long braids down their backs. Their unforgiving eyes locked on us like wolves spotting a herd of defenseless deer.
But I was no unsuspecting doe. I brandished the vampire blade. “Stay back, shitheads, unless you want to die today. This thing does more than dice and slice. It takes out ugly vamps like you with one swipe.”
The one in front sneered. He had a scar running from the corner of his mouth to his right eyebrow. “Spunky. I like it. Just like he said you would be.”
Then he gave a nod. “Attack!”
The group ran forward with preternatural speed. I readied myself to fight, the blade held high, but as they approached, they parted on either side of us and tore past.
“What in the actual hell?” True asked as we spun to watch.
The mountain vamps slammed into The Society vamps, tearing at them with such savagery, it put those pansy ass regals to shame. I watched the vicious attack for a moment, unable to tear my eyes away, but it was almost too much. The mountain vamps were brutal, ripping The Society vamps to pieces. Black blood splattered the ground as screams rent the night.
So we weren’t going to die? Then I remembered Levi was out there amongst them. They might confuse him for one of The Society vamps.
“Levi!” I took off running.
Terror pumping through my veins, I tore across the grass, running past my hogtied friends, spinning out of the way of two vampires locked in mortal combat. Where was he?
Hands grabbed me. I lifted the blade only to be crushed into someone’s chest.
“Piper, what are you doing out here? I told you to run.”
“Levi,” I allowed myself one moment to enjoy his embrace. He was alive. Then I tried to drag him away with me. “We have to get out of here. The mountain vamps are attacking The Society vamps.
“I see that,” he said, his voice a low growl. Everything about him was tense as he caged me against his body, a human—er, vampire shield. “What in the hell is happening?”
“Everyone keeps saying that,” I mumbled, glancing over his arms to watch as a mountain vamp bit into the neck of a Society vamp. “This is getting out of hand.”
“Hang on,” Levi said, hefting me into his arms like I weighed nothing.
In a split second, we were tearing across the lawn, onto the driveway, and beyond. I realized too late he was leaving Coco and True behind. “Levi! Coco and True!”
“I’ll go back for them,” he said, not even winded as he sprinted faster than Usain Bolt.
“No, wait!”
He skidded to a stop. I was impressed he actually listened. Normally, when it came to my safety, there was no persuading him. Then I saw the figure stepping out of the trees along Warren’s driveway.
More mountain vamps appeared. Crap. How many were there?!
Levi set me on my feet, shielding me with his body again. “Piper, I—”
“If you tell me to run again, I’m going to scream.” I pulled out the blade and stepped around him until we were standing side by side.
“What do you want?” I shouted at them. “We aren’t with Warren and his asshole vampires, so just leave us alone!”
“Piper. My god, how you’ve grown up.”
A new figure appeared, stepping between the vamps who moved aside for him like he was their leader or king. He wore the same garb, fur and leather, but his clothes seemed a bit nicer than the rest, confirming my theory that he was in charge. In the dark, I couldn’t quite make out his features, but there was something about his voice…
“What’s going on? Why are you fighting Warren’s vampires?” I asked, the questions firing out of me like a shotgun. “Whose side are you on?”
“Yours, Piper,” he said, stepping closer until the moonlight finally revealed his features. “I’ve always been on your side, bug.”
My heart stopped beating, the world spun as if it had suddenly skipped off its axis, and I could barely keep my feet. Only Levi’s hand at my elbow kept me from hitting the ground.
No. It couldn’t be.
But the man who stepped closer could only be one person. One… vampire.
“It’s so good to see you,” he said, smiling, and in that moment I knew.
It was him.
I took a stuttering step forward. It was all I could manage. My legs seemed to have turned to jelly. Then I said a word I hadn’t uttered for over a year.
Not since the cabin. Not since his death.
“Daddy?”
THANK you so much for reading The Count! We hope you liked it and will take a moment to leave a review!
Shadow Lake Vampire Society Book Three: The War
The final book in the Shadow Lake Vampire Society Series…
With the way people are coming back from the dead, I wouldn’t be shocked to learn we’re in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
But we’re not. It’s just become my new normal in this insane reality I live in. My father died, my best friend was killed, someone wants me dead. Oh, and an unbelievably high percentage of the people I love drink blood to survive.
Just another day at Camp Shadow Lake.
I can’t bring myself to regret any of it, even when an old vampire feud comes to a head—wit
h me at the center of it all. The leader of the Shadow Lake Vampire Society has had a secret agenda all along, doing whatever it takes to maintain the status quo. Killing people, changing them into vampires, drinking from unwilling humans, and using compulsion to get whatever he wants…well, except me, that is.
But the rogue vampires of the Siskiyou Mountains are here to stop them, led by someone I thought I’d lost forever. And I refuse to lose him again. Warren Thornberry and his band of evil minions are going down, for good.
This is war.
Pre-order your copy today!
Acknowledgments
Thank you to everyone who gave Shadow Lake Vampire Society a chance! We hope you’re enjoying your stay at Camp Shadow Lake!
Thank you to T.L. McDonald for making time to quickly read through the book, even though we asked last-second. You rock!
And thanks to our families for supporting us and letting us write when they’d rather be chilling with us on the couch, eating junk food and watching trashy movies.
About the Author
Wendi Wilson is mom to two rambunctious boys, a cat, a dog, and two crazy ferrets. She lives in Idaho with her husband and kids. She writes every spare moment she gets- those moments not already consumed by volunteering at school, team parenting various sports teams in baseball and football, and reading as many books as humanly possible. You can join her mailing list at WendiLWilson.com or Join her reader group on Facebook: Wendi L. Wilson’s Book Brigade
Katie French is an Amazon best-selling author in Young Adult Sci-fi and Fantasy. Her book, The Breeders, was a semi-finalist in the 2014 Kindle Book Awards. Other than that, her major award includes a "Best Mom Mug" which is cute, but really, she'd rather just have the cash.
She works as a high school English teacher, and, yes, she will correct your grammar. In her free time, she writes manically, reads great books, and takes care of her three fairly mediocre children (whom she loves very much if they are reading this).
You can join her mailing list at www.katiefrenchbooks.com and receive two free full-length novels, so do it already. Contact her at katie@katiefrenchbooks.com.
Also by Wendi L Wilson
Shadowed Series
Suppressed Duet
Blood Persuasion
Unpersuadable
Oberon Academy
Oberon Reformatory
Rogues of Everly Prep
Also by Katie French
The Breeders
Supernatural Academy
Dark Fae Trials
Dragon’s Creed
Monster Island
Second City
Table of Contents
Title Page
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Shadow Lake Vampire Society Book Three: The War
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Wendi L Wilson
Also by Katie French