by Sharon Joss
“There’s been a change of plans. We’ll have to take down the wards first. We’ll need a couple of wolves to draw off the patrol while Kiyayo and I go in there and take out the Mage. Once the wards are down, we should be able to get Sarah and the rest of the Fae out of there before vamprise.”
I sent Dave and Chaney to keep an eye out for the patrol, and keep them off us. Trick and Rizzo would cover the house, and Tom and Wynn would position themselves just outside the park near the Odditorium. Silas and I would meet up at the front gate as soon as the wards came down. While Silas and I confronted Vince, Tom and Wynn would search for Sarah and the others.
I gave Dave and Chaney a few minutes head start, then set off with Kiyayo. But in spite of our precautions, two wolves caught us by surprise as we approached the vineyards at the outskirts of the estate. This time, the odds were better, and the wolves were no match for us. I unfurled the cat.
The jaguar snagged the lead wolf by the cheek, dragged him into bite range, and crushed his skull. The second wolf ripped into the bear’s shoulder. Kiyayo slapped him away, and the cat slipped between them. Xenotchi hunkered low as the wolf circled, darting in to bite at anything it could; missing each time as the cat flinched away. Distracted by the jaguar, the wolf didn’t see Kiyayo’s attack until too late.
The bear grabbed the wolf by the rear leg, and I heard the bones snap. The wolf screamed and wheeled away, then took off running back to the estate on three legs. We had to let him go; even on three legs, he was faster than we were. The wolf would be back with reinforcements. Getting onto the estate was going to be more difficult than I’d planned, but failure wasn’t an option. If we couldn’t go in like I’d planned, we’d go the other way.
I rolled up the cat and we turned west, crossing back onto the Tor until we reached the creek where we’d rested after escaping from the bestiary. We followed the game trail up to the rocky outcrop and though the shallow cave into tunnel leading down into the putrid blackness of the bestiary. The bear whined unhappily at the warded portal, but there was no turning back. Too late, I realized that I hadn’t brought a flashlight, but there was only one direction to go.
I was betting that Gordon would feel us cross the ward and come and see who the intruder was before calling security, but we would need to move quickly. We slipped through the warded portal and moved silently between the rows of silent, empty stalls. The only sound was the clicking of our claws on the stone floors.
When we reached the workroom, I found the light switch and in the dim glare of the bare bulbs, we could see the place had been cleaned out. Every shred of equipment, including the gear and weapons the mercenaries had brought with them had been removed. Crap.
The door to the clinic was locked. With my new strength, I managed to lift the door completely off the track. Unlike the Bestiary, the clinic had been left undisturbed. I tore drawers and cabinets open, looking for something to use as a weapon. I found a box containing a dart pistol and a hypodermic needle with six darts, and several boxes of ketamine. Not what I’d had in mind, but maybe they’d come in handy. I put everything into a big black garbage bag and took them with us.
At the top of the stairs, I eased open the door to the distillery, listening for sounds that would indicate someone was inside. The lights were on, but the hum of the refrigerators masked any other noises. Motioning to the bear to wait, I crept into the room. Gordon’s computer was sitting on his workbench, next to a still-warm cup of coffee. Bingo. The Mage wasn’t far.
I made a cursory search of the barn, and satisfied myself that he must have gone down into the cellar. I motioned to Kiyayo to follow, and we moved to the portal warding the cellar entrance. With my improved vision, the wards did seem rather obvious now. I tapped the ward on the floor with my foot.
We surprised Gordon as he was coming up the stairs. He froze, and I threw myself at him. We tumbled down the staircase, my claws extended and groping for his neck with every ounce of fury I had in me. I felt the Mage drawing on some kind of energy, but before it could build into anything, the she-bear was all over him. She batted me aside like an irritating fly, and tore at him with her teeth and three-inch-long claws.
Gordon screamed. He cried. He begged me to stop her. I wasn’t certain that the wards would drop if he was dead, and to be honest, death was too good for him. I grabbed her from behind and pushed my will into her. She stilled; her jaws at Gordon’s bloody neck. She wasn’t big, but she was heavy enough to hold him down just by sitting on him. Blood flowed freely from deep gashes she’d inflicted all over his neck and chest and shoulders. His upper torso looked like so much Swiss steak.
Cold fury coursed though me. “Lower the wards, Gordon.”
He sobbed hysterically, but I wasn’t fooled. I could feel the power continuing to well up within him. I stepped back and the Nagual bear bounced on his chest, making it difficult for him to draw a breath.
“Last chance, Mage. You’ve made enemies of two shamans and the entire clan of the High Tor Fae. I daresay that Kiyayo here would love to spend some real quality time with you. You remember Kiyayo, don’t you?”
Kiyayo gave a resounding growl.
“No, it’s not my fault.”
“Dissolve the wards.”
He shook his head. “The Fae lied to me. They double-crossed me,” he gasped. Tears of frustration rolled down his face. “I’m trapped here. You don’t understand. I can’t leave. That was never part of the agreement,” he hissed. “I’m the prisoner here.”
I backhanded him. “I don’t care. Lower the wards.”
“They tricked me. Nobody told me not to use blood. If I take them down I’ll die.”
“I don’t give a shit about you, asshole, you’re going to die anyway. You are at the root of everything rotten that’s going on here. Drop the wards or I swear I’ll tear you apart myself.” I unsheathed my claws.
He was crying now; blubbering, pathetic sobs. “Okay, okay. Give me a minute. Um. I need to concentrate.” Gordon wiped the blood off his face and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath.
I tensed, not trusting that he wouldn’t try something. I felt the power build within him as he strained with the effort. Then suddenly, it was gone.
His face paled and sagged. “I’m sorry, I can’t do it.”
With a roar, the bear lunged for him, shoving me aside like I was nothing. I tried to pull her off him, but she turned on me in a fury and I backed off. I stood back and steeled myself as Kiyayo took her retribution. Gordon never stood a chance; he barely lifted a hand against her. It was an ugly death. Kiyayo clawed furiously at his body, but when she was done he was nothing but a limp and bloody corpse. She looked at me as if to ask where he’d gone.
“You did it, girl. He’s gone, but we’re not done yet. Come on.”
She moaned as she shifted; a long low sound. I watched in amazement as she transformed from the bulky bear into the beautiful, panting, and very naked Nekeyah. Above her high, sculpted cheekbones, fire still burned in her dark eyes. The word magnificent didn’t do her justice.
I tried to keep my eyes on her face.
She tossed her head like the wild, magnificent creature she was. “The Fae of the High Tor will never thank you for this, but I will.” She panted with the effort. “I owe you my life. Today I destroyed the man who betrayed me and many of my clansmen. Name your reward and if it is within my power I will grant it.”
My hopes soared as my thoughts went to Farley. Would she be able to lift his glamour after all these years? It was almost too much to think about. It would have to wait; now was not the time. I jerked my head in the direction of the stairs. “I appreciate the offer, priestess, but let’s get through this first, okay? We’ve still got to meet Silas and get Sarah and the others out. Let’s go.”
“As you say.” She smiled, and a moment later, the bear was back.
CHAPTER 43: THE BATTLE FOR ALPHA
When we stepped out of the distillery, the world was not the same.
Without the wards, the silver-grey pallor of the weathered distillery stood in plain view amidst the forest of sunflowers. The main residence too, was sorely in need of paint, shingles, and fretwork. The lawns were brown from lack of water; the rosebushes drooped in the summer sun. The twelve-foot-tall thorny hedges, seen without the glamour of the wards revealed a line of scruffy, dying shrubs ringing the edge of the park. There were gaps in the perimeter fencing wide enough to walk through.
Silas was waiting for us at the edge of the field. We approached the front gates together, using the scanty hedges surrounding the park as cover. The bear, Kiyayo, shambled well behind us. We spotted armed sentries with walkie-talkies on the roof of the concert hall and on top of the theatre at the other end of the park. We ducked behind the thickest shrubbery.
“Looks like they’re expecting us,” Silas observed.
As I armed the tranquilizer darts with ketamine, I kept my voice low. “Good. Let’s hope we can keep their attention long enough for the rest of the pack to move into position. Now that the wards are gone, the Fae should be here soon.”
In the central plaza, Vince leaned against the fountain where Tehuantl had killed the vampire bounty hunter. To his left stood the big mercenary Hale, his new Beta. Both men were shirtless, and Hale held a katana sword at his side. A half-dozen mercenaries in camo-gear came out of the security building and formed themselves into a half circle, along with a dozen or so blood stewards. They couldn’t see us, but they knew we were there.
They were waiting for us.
I handed the dart pistol to Silas. “Follow my lead. I need to give Tom and Wynn time to locate Sarah. The ketamine won’t stop them right away, but it might make them think twice about rushing us.”
“Got it.”
We stepped out of our hiding place and came to a halt just inside the park entrance; Silas at my left shoulder.
Vince did a double take. “Is that you, Bane?” The mercs all snapped their heads up, and the blood stewards pulled closer together. Their hands went to their sidearms.
“It’s over, Vince,” I said. “This stops now.”
“This is private property.” Vince’s pheromones rolled out over the group, but there was a fragile, skittery feel to them. He was uncertain, and I could tell that none of the mercs were bonded to him. He wouldn’t be able to depend on them and he knew it. “You’ve got two seconds to bare your throat to me, Bane, before I rip it out. Same goes for you, Silas.”
I rolled out a few pheromones of my own, noting the momentary confusion in the faces of the lycans. “You’ve got balls, Vince, I’ll give you that. But you’re not my Alpha. Not any more. You always knew what Ozzie was doing. You let us rot in that hell hole. I’m calling you out Vince. You’ve had your run, but I’m shutting you down.”
“I don’t know what the hell happened to you, Bane, but you’re no wolf. Take my advice and get out now, while you’re still standing.”
The air around me thickened with Vince’s shift pheromones. In my head, I could feel Dave and Chaney off to my left; and Trick and Rizzo to my right, near the house. Behind the crowd, Tom and Wynn were moving in. Surrounded by my brother wolves, I felt invincible. We were as solid as Fort Knox. This was what Sarah had tried to explain in scientific terms. But she was wrong. It felt like a part of my brain had been awakened for the first time, and discovered a dimension that was only accessible through the sworn oaths of brotherhood. This feeling of shared strength and power went far beyond anything that could be explained by science. This was pack magic.
The jagged shreds of Vince’s pheromones told me beyond a doubt that his pack was in shambles. I could sense erosion in the bonds of the few remaining Mythica members and his Beta, Hale, but the rest of the mercs were not bonded to anyone. They were all hired guns. As lone wolves, Vince had no access to their power base.
“You’re right, Vince, I’m no wolf, but it doesn’t matter. I’m the Alpha of the High Tor pack. We’ve come for Ozzie and the prisoners. No bullshit, Vince. We’re taking over. Yield or die.”
The mercs stiffened, and pressed closer, but Vince motioned them back. “You have no authority here,” he sneered. “You’re out classed and outmanned. I will not give you my son.”
Phelan unholstered a stun gun in an overt threat. Phelan was the lowest ranking member of what remained of the Mythica pack. His usual job was selling corn dogs. Vince must have given him a promotion.
With an economical flick of his weapon, Silas nailed Phelan with a ketamine dart right in the neck. The Omega screamed like a girl and dropped like a rock.
I grinned. “Helluva shot.”
“There’s more, if anybody wants it,” Silas said.
“Ozzie’s sick, Vince. For years you’ve protected him while your own people suffered at his hands. You’re no better than he is. It ends now.” I pointed at Hale. “What did Vince tell you when you asked about all the wolves locked up in the bestiary? And Sarah. What did he tell you about the naked, bloody, woman?”
“Shut up,” Vince roared. Pheromones rolled off him like hot lava. “Just shut the fuck up, Bane. You’ve got no room to talk. Your father gave up everything for you. This is no different. Any father would do the same.” His voice cracked. “Any father who loves his son.”
“Who the hell is this guy?” Hale demanded.
My face flamed. “We’re the ones you planned to seal up in that dungeon. “Payback’s a bitch, asshole.” I raised my voice so that even the guys on the roof could hear. "We were starved, beaten, violated and abused by Vince’s stepson, Ozzie. Those who didn’t survive were left to rot or used for animal feed. You knew it, Vince, and you did nothing to stop it.”
Vince stiffened, but didn’t deny it. I needed to keep the crowd’s attention. I needed to give Tom and Wynn time to find Sarah.
“You must have been proud when he did well at vet school. Of course, you’d mention it to Ambrose.” The crowd was silent, listening. “Ambrose always chooses his blood stewards for their skills, and you practically served him Ozzie on a dinner plate.”
Vince clenched his fists. “I never imagined that son of a bitch would decide to take my son.” He spat the last words out, the color in his face high. He was losing control of his beast.
“I’ll bet your wife couldn’t stand the thought of Ozzie as a blood meal for a vampire. Her perverted, sociopathic son. Ozzie turned his back on you and your family, and you just couldn’t let him go. You knew all about blood dementia, and when you saw the symptoms in Ozzie, you knew what Ambrose would do to him.”
A rumbled murmur stalked the crowd.
Vince motioned for silence. “Knock it off. Look folks, the truth is that Mike here has gotten himself hooked on that Glamour hooch that Gordon brews. You know what I’m talking about.” He looked around at the crowd and smiled broadly. “I caught him drinking on duty a few weeks ago and fired him.”
“Gordon’s dead.”
Vince waved at the crowd. “Don’t believe a word he says. Come here, Mike; let me smell your breath.”
“I challenge you, Vince. Alpha to Alpha. Here and now. This is a legitimate beef.”
Vince’s face reddened. His back bowed. “You’re not pack, Bane. You never really were. I’ve got a new Beta now. You’ll have to go through him first.”
“Coward.”
Dark rage mottled Vince’s face as he tore his pants off and leapt, changing into beast in midair. He scored a deep gash across my right shoulder before Xenotchi unfurled and slapped him back, raking deep grooves across the wolf’s face. One of his ears dangled by a shred of tissue, and blood dripped into his eyes, but he’d done plenty of damage to Xenotchi’s shoulder. The cat was on three legs.
Unchecked fury glowed in his yellow eyes, but it paled to the heat of my rage. Vince came in low and fast as he feinted for the jaguar’s other front leg.
The jaguar scrambled back and landed a blow that sent the Alpha sprawling. He landed ungracefully and fought for his footing. Caution crept into his eyes. He
began to circle, hackles raised, head held low, favoring his left side.
I noted with satisfaction that he was nursing at least a broken rib or two.
The blood stewards moved back, but the air was growing thick with change pheromones; other weres were beginning to shift. Silas was already halfway there. I heard one of the mercs say that Tanner hadn’t lasted a minute, and one of the near-weres started taking bets.
Xenotchi faced the wolf as he circled, letting him do all the work. The shoulder wound would not allow us to any weight on the paw yet, but it was healing fast and I shared the cat’s fierce confidence. The jaguar knew we were playing for keeps this time. This would be a fight to the death. An injured front leg meant there would be no killing blow, but Xenotchi’s hind legs were equally deadly. Exposing the cat’s belly was dangerous, but would draw Vince in. The First Jaguar was a master of patience. We would wait for him to come to us.
We didn’t have long to wait. The Alpha wolf feinted at the good leg again, and the cat crouched to protect it, offering his rear to Vince’s swift attack. I felt the crunch of cartilage and screamed in shared pain as Vince’s wolf shook and worried the cat’s flesh. Xenotchi withdrew, and rolled himself up, but I was ready. I grabbed the huge wolf by the scruff of the neck and hurled him into the fountain with all my strength. The force of the wolf’s impact cracked the stone basin. Water poured onto the plaza.
Vince lay half in, half out of the water, stunned by the force of the impact. I leapt directly onto the wolf’s injured ribs using my weight to force his head below the surface of the water. The wolf struggled mightily to raise his head out of the water, but I wasn’t about to let him drown. The smell of his blood awoke my own craving. I shoved my hand beneath his ribcage and clawed my way through his torso while he screamed and twisted in agony. Vince thrashed and gave a final roar as I dug my claws into his frantically beating heart and ripped it from his body.
I tore bite after bite from the bloody pulp until there was nothing left, then staggered away from the body. I collapsed into a bloody heap, repulsed by what I’d done; hissing and panting as the flesh in my torn shoulder and leg mended itself.