by April Zyon
That’s when all hell broke loose.
She was suddenly grabbed from behind, a hiss of death near her ear and icy cold fingers digging into her skin. Then there was the iron again, which had her screaming. Between her gaining power and the iron, she couldn’t have stopped the shout even if she had tried. She heard it then, the sound of a snake hissing but in a man’s voice. “Perfect timing. After tonight, I will have daylight again,” the thing whispered in her ear.
It couldn’t be possible. That race was long dead. No, it can’t be, Alaska thought to herself, then turned slightly and yelled in real horror as she saw it. “Vampire!” she cried for the whole forest to hear. Sure, they had all heard stories. But vampires had long since died out, or so Alaska thought.
“That’s right, Alaska, a vampire. I am the last, for now,” he purred. “I can’t believe your idiot Kodiak let you go out alone. Tsk tsk. Oh well, I hope that he got his last goodbyes in,” he said as he stroked long nails up and down her neck.
More power poured into her and she was sobbing in utter agony, the iron making it harder for her body to absorb the energy. Her skin was breaking out in welts and boils from the overpowering surges. “That’s right, little witch, just a bit more,” the thing whispered with his claws digging into one side of her neck.
Another bolt of lightning struck, followed by a low, deadly sounding rumble. Not thunder, she realized, but something even more dangerous. The thing at her back switched his attention from her to the forest around them. The rumble sounded again, closer, raising gooseflesh along her skin. The sound held comfort and hope for her, but death for the vile creature.
Before her, the fire began to sputter. There was no way it should have but she could see it happening. There were no sounds coming from the forest now. Not a bird, not a leaf rustling—absolutely nothing moved and yet she knew her mate and the other Kodiaks were closing in steadily.
She felt the claws scraping her neck and taking flesh with them. Unfortunately, she had even more problems to deal with as another surge hit her harder than before. Alaska needed the cuffs off, now. The acrid scent of her own skin reached her nose even as it cracked and bled. The power she was gaining was killing her because she had iron on her.
“Harley, please, now!” She begged for her mate. He would know the pain she was going through, because they were tied together as one. She just hoped and prayed that he wasn’t experiencing the pain she was. When the thing leaned his head closer to her neck and inhaled, she thought she would be ill.
“Ah, you are more powerful than I thought. Far more powerful than your mother. The bitch couldn’t give me the sun back but I think that you can. Finally.” He licked her blood and he shuddered behind her, which made her want to gag and throw up, especially when she felt the iron hard-on that he had pressed against her naked back.
“You are killing me,” she bit out through her shuddering teeth. “The iron, it’s killing me.” She tried to reason with the thing but it just laughed.
“I think it’s fitting. One of your great-great-sometimes-over-grandmothers cursed and killed me, so it’s only fair that you give me life back. Don’t you think?”
“No,” she said and leaned her head forward, then snapped back as hard as possible. She fell forward while the thing fell back holding his mouth and cursing at her. She was in convulsions now. The pain was nearly too much. “Harley…”
Doubled over, Alaska couldn’t see the sudden chaos that broke out in the clearing but she heard it and felt it through the ground beneath her. A roar sounded. One she was pretty sure came from a bear. A fight ensued too close for comfort. Then warm, familiar hands touched her face. “Shh, I have you.” Strong arms and a familiar scent wrapped around her when Harley lifted her from the ground. He carried her some distance before setting her down and moving to take hold of the cuffs.
He snapped the chain between them before bringing her arms around to her front. “Same as the last ones. I’m going to have to pick the locks to get you free. Are you okay?” he asked.
“Just please hurry. I know more is coming.” She was shaking as the power rumbled around them. “Cut off his head. Please, hurry,” she repeated. “I love you, Harley, so much. I can never let you go.” Her back arched and there was more pain as another surge hit her.
“Fucking hell, that hurts like a bitch,” he muttered. “If what I’m feeling is only a drop to what you’re getting, I have some seriously choice words for whatever ancestor gave you this damn legacy.” The first cuff fell from her wrist. Already the relief coursed through her having that one cuff off.
Some distance away she heard a fight still ensuing. Low growling and vicious hissing noises told her that the vampire was still alive, for now. Then the second cuff was off her wrist and Harley was pressing something into her hand. “It’s bottled water. Wash your wrists off the best you can. I have to go help Jagger kill this freak but only if you tell me you know why he did it.”
“He thought that I might be able to reverse the curse an ancestor put on him long ago, so he would be able to walk in daylight again,” Alaska said as she quickly washed her hands off. “Please, kill him. If we have children and he’s allowed to live, he will come for them. Go, the next part is going to hurt like a motherfucker so be warned.” Because what was coming next was going to usher in the crescendo of this whole fucked up birthday ritual of hers. While it wasn’t the strongest wave, it was the next strongest. The last wave would knock her out. “The one after this will knock me out. Be warned,” she told him as she sensed him turning back into his bear, a bear she loved with all her heart and soul. She then arched in on herself and waited for the next wave and screamed with the howling she heard. After that wave there was silence. Then, from the blue, the last surge hit her and had her whole body lifting from the ground. She cried out in pain before giving in to the blissful darkness that beckoned her.
****
Harley stumbled at the pain tearing through his body. He knew it wasn’t truly pain he was feeling but only an echo of what was happening to Alaska. Bracing his paws, he rode through the tidal wave even as he heard her cries choke off. He heard her breathing and her heart beating, which was the only reason he was able to focus on killing the threat to her. Both he and his bear wanted to curl around her and protect her from anything else that came her way, but he had a task to see to first. Then he was taking his mate home and pampering her for a week, at least.
The vampire on the ground was attempting to crawl away even while surrounded. Harley lowered his head and stalked toward the vile being. He let out a growl to warn the others he was going after the thing with everything he had. The creature suddenly stopped, turned, and looked him dead in the eyes. The grotesque, bloody smile had Harley pausing.
A grunt from Jagger made Harley shake his head at the question. Focusing, he moved in closer and when the vampire opened his mouth to speak, he struck. A paw full of claws tore the thing’s head clean off. He backed off from the spray from the contaminated blood and forced the change to sweep over him. “Burn it all and make sure nothing survives but ash. We need to be sure,” he told the others when they’d returned to their human forms. “I’m taking my mate home.” She’d probably kick his ass but too damn bad. He needed her in familiar surroundings and safe. If she blew out all the light bulbs again, so be it. She was unconscious, which meant she damn well didn’t get a vote.
A few long-legged strides carried him back to where she lay crumpled in a heap. Gently he lifted her into his arms before he headed through the thick brush to where he’d parked his truck. An hour tops and he’d have her home, cleaned up, and tucked into their bed. He’d likely be awake the entire night checking on her but so be it. Better safe than sorry.
She roused in his arms, but her eyes were still closed. His bear chuffed in happiness when she curled in closer to him and whispered, “I wanna go home.” Well, there was her vote, damn the woman. “I love you, Harley. Thank you. For taking care of me.”
“Al
ways, little witch. You are mine to care for and protect. Go to sleep for me. I’ll take care of everything.” Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he cuddled her closer while protecting her body from the branches slapping at them during their journey through the trees. “When you next wake you’ll be tucked in our bed all safe and sound.”
“Sounds good,” she whispered, then drifted back off to sleep. Her trust in him just bewildered him. Even when she had been surrounded by bears she hadn’t been afraid, because he had been holding her. He eased down an incline. Two minutes later they reached his truck and he got her inside into the nest of blankets he’d been smart enough to set up. Even if she’d been out there the whole night without the vampire incident, she’d have been chilled. After tucking her in, he quickly dressed, then got to work driving them home.
Chapter Ten
When Alaska woke the next morning, she was sore. Every inch of her body hurt but she was in a soft bed and warm. She shifted to move closer to the heat of her mate and yawned. “Good morning, evening, or whatever it is.” She was pretty sure that she had terrible breath this morning from the bloody mouth she’d had the night before. “It’s over, isn’t it?”
His low chuckle had her melting into him further. “It’s evening, little witch. You’ve been asleep close to sixteen hours now. I would have worried except you grumbled at me from time to time when I got in and out of the bed.” She felt his lips coast over her shoulder as his arms tightened around her slightly. “I’m going to assume it’s all over. The vampire is dead, and yes I’m sure. One of my trips from our bed was to confirm that he was nothing but ash that we ground down to dust and disposed of. How are you feeling, Alaska?”
“Sore, like I was ran over by a truck, but overall I’m okay. I feel the new power surging inside of me, almost like it’s trying to heal the damage that was done to me. I think the part of me that hurts the worst is my neck, where that fucker dug his claws into it. I hope that they made that bastard hurt when they killed him.” Okay, so she was a little bloodthirsty but she didn’t give a shit, she hurt. “How are you? No one was hurt, were they?” She lifted her head to ask him that question.
“We’re all perfectly fine. No injuries sustained on our end. You were the only one hurt out there. As to the vampire, I didn’t make him suffer nearly enough before I tore his head off but I was more concerned for you than that thing.” Harley pressed her head back down onto his shoulder. “I thought they were nothing but a myth. Jagger’s still shaking his head over actually seeing one in his lifetime.”
“They were supposed to only be a myth. That explains the elders’ words about the taint when they scried for the man who tried to get me. He also did tell me that it was one of my ancestors that cursed him to walk the night only. That’s why he was after me. He thought that by killing me and drinking my blood, it would end his curse. It wouldn’t have worked, though. Only the witch who creates the curse can break it. That’s just how it works.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder again and smiled. “I love being in bed with you and having you all warm and snuggly against me. Oh, and by the way.” She lifted her head again and looked at him to grin. “Your bear is pretty freaking awesome.”
“You noticed that, huh?” His lips curled into a crooked grin. Pressing a kiss to her nose, he shrugged. “I’d have preferred much better circumstances but I guess we work with whatever we’re given. And it all had a happy ending, so that’s a good thing. By the way, your phone’s been blowing up with calls and texts. I took a peek after about the twentieth one and it looks like they are all from the coven. You should probably check in with them before you shower and eat.”
“I’ll check in with them and then shower if you want to order us some food? I don’t much feel like cooking anything.” He could cook but she didn’t want to ask anything more from him.
“Go do what you need to do while I check on dinner. It’s in the slow cooker but it’s been simmering for a while now. I may need to come up with plan B if it’s turned to mush.” Harley swung from the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans. He left the room with a wink thrown over his shoulder at her.
Alaska shook her head and smiled. “God, I love that man.” She crawled out of bed. “Oh shit,” she mumbled, bending at the middle. She hurt like hell but when she stood up it was even worse. She looked down at her body and the bruises that littered it here and there and sighed. “Fabulous.” She walked into the bathroom, then paused. “Good Lord, I look like shit.” She had four large marks on her neck, and her hair was a hot mess around her head. It was clear that she’d had a rough night. Fortunately, after a shower and a taming of her hair she figured she should be good.
****
Half an hour later, she walked down the stairs slowly. She had on one of his shirts and her shorts. “Hope you don’t mind, but I stole one of your shirts.” She knew he wouldn’t and if the smile on his lips was anything to go by he was actually happy to see her in his clothes. “I feel a bit better now that I’ve gotten a shower. I checked in with the coven and brought them up to date on what was happening. They are in shock that it was a vampire. They’re all putting their collective minds together to come up with something to use to see if there are more vampires out there.”
“God, I hope there are no more. Damn thing was creepy. I had a hell of a time keeping my bear in line when that thing touched you. I won’t even mention what was running through my head when I saw the cuffs. Where the fuck did the guy get the damn things from? Not like he ran down to the local store given the rust on them.” Harley passed her a glass. “It’s good for you. Drink it all.”
“He probably had them for a very long time. More than likely he was a witch at one time himself, if my ancestor cursed him. If that’s the case, he knew our weaknesses.” She accepted the drink from him and took a sip. “What is this?”
“It’s good for you,” he repeated with a pointed look. “A secret recipe of my mother’s that will help with the aches, pains, and bruising. She swears by it and it does work even if you have to choke it down. If it’s too sweet, cut it with some water but nothing else.”
“No, I can use whatever is in it to help me feel better.” She continued to drink it while she watched him. “So what did you make for us?” Whatever it was smelled amazing.
“I figured something easy was best so I threw a stew in. I knew it would take a while to cook. The potatoes are a little softer than I like but it shouldn’t all turn into one giant glob of sameness.” Opening the oven, he pulled out a loaf of garlic toast. He spooned up two bowls, set them on the counter, then cut the garlic toast into thick chunks and dropped them onto a plate. “Grab a seat. Finish the drink before you start eating. The stew will help kill the aftertaste from that muck.”
“It smells fabulous,” she told him, then forced down the rest of her drink. Once she did that, she took the seat at his side and asked for water with their meal. She took a bite when he took his seat. “Oh God, this is so good.” It was a bit softer than she would have liked but the flavors had all blended together in a way that only cooking them for a long period of time could create.
“Glad you approve. Eat whatever you want. There’s plenty still in the pot. And you’ve been down recovering for hours. I have a feeling you’re going to be damn hungry a few bites in.” Harley took a piece of toast and tore it into chunks, dipping them into the juices while he watched her eat.
He wasn’t kidding. She ate the first bowl, got a second, then even took a third bowl of the food. Licking his spoon, he collected their dishes and took them to the sink. “Why don’t you go pick a movie while I throw everything in the fridge and the dishes into the dishwasher so we can let it all digest before you get back into bed.”
“Sounds good. How about an old-school comedy? Like The Hangover? The first one, not the other two.” They really should have stopped with the first one, in her opinion. Then again, Bradley Cooper was fabulous. “Oh, or how about A Million Ways to Die in the West? Seth MacFarlan is brillia
nt and I swear that man’s life must be filled with laughter day in and out. Plus, it has Charlize Theron in it.”
“Whichever, sweetheart. I’m more interested in cuddling you than what’s on the TV. Besides, you’ll probably be asleep halfway through whatever we pick.” He passed her the refilled glass of water to take with her and went about wiping down the counters.
“True. Okay, Million Ways it is.” She stood and stretched, sighing when she felt her back pop. “God, I needed that.” She moved away from the kitchen and got the movie ready. The blanket and pillow for them to stretch out and cuddle on was already on the couch.
Five minutes later he joined her, shutting off lights as he came her way. Falling onto the sofa at her side, he handed her the bowl he had in hand for her to see popcorn. “Figured this wouldn’t do any harm and we are watching a movie after all. Start it up,” he told her. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he drew her in closer to his side.
She moved easily into his arms, naturally fitting him. “This is perfect, having you holding me like this.” She could do anything at all as long as he was there with her. “If I were feeling just a smidge better I would totally jump you right now.”
“Save the jumping until you do feel better. I know you have to be hurting,” he said quietly, stroking his hand up and down her arm. “You took a beating last night. I think you deserve a couple days off to heal properly.”
“I agree. I will still have my bear with me, though, right? Can you take a couple of days off and stay with me? Even though he’s gone, I still would love to have you near just for my peace of mind. Silly, I know, but there it is.”
“Already talked to Jagger about it. He’s going to give one of the younger kids the extra shifts. You get to have me for the rest of the week, may you not regret it. He’s also talking about bringing the cub by to visit with you in a couple days. Figures you’ll heal faster with some cuddling from someone who’s actually cute. And yes, he said that.”