“Can you create a protection spell for Kish?” Mitchell asked.
Vexx shook her head. “Demon magic is too different from my own. I could probably prevent others from tracking Kish’s jaguar scent while she was with me, but that’s about it. For a spell to mask a demon, we’d need several experienced witches.”
“Then we should move frequently,” Mitchell stated. “We can travel until Legion comes up with a solution for dealing with my father.” He looked to Vexx and then Winter. “You don’t have to stay with us after we get Kish back here.”
“Connor will never allow that, and Ian won’t allow you to go alone,” Cord told him.
“I’m not letting you go alone,” Vexx insisted.
“Neither am I,” Abram added.
“I can help you bring Kish back here, but I can’t go with you after that. I wish I could,” Winter said on a sigh.
“Not while you’re breeding,” Cord grumbled, earning him a smack from Winter.
Based on the irritation on Winter’s face, she hadn’t planned to share her news yet.
Chapter 20
Looking over at Winter, Mitchell had even more doubts about his plan to protect Kish.
One thing he knew for sure was that he wouldn’t put Winter or her unborn child in danger. His magic reached out to her and connected with the life growing inside of her, a girl. She was strong. His eyes moved up from her belly and locked with Winter’s. He wondered if she knew what he’d done. It was an unintentional invasion, but an invasion no less.
“Sorry,” Mitchell murmured before ducking his head.
Before Winter could respond, Abram spoke. “I’ll take responsibility for Kish. No one else needs to be involved once we get her out of the jaguar territory.”
“What about your people?” Jase asked with narrowed eyes. “Are you telling us you don’t care if this puts your people in danger?”
“My people are none of your concern,” Abram growled.
“He’s not thinking about bringing her to Treasure Island specifically,” Mitchell interjected.
“I can find a place to hide with her,” Abram told them. “There are plenty of remote areas with no settlements nearby.”
“As sweet as your suicidal offer is, I think it would be best if we try keeping Kish alive,” Vexx replied. “If you go off with her alone, you’ll get both of you killed.”
“Maybe we should kill her,” Jase suggested. “I’m not trying to sound like a bigger asshole than Abram, but if she’s who the demon is looking for, it might be for the best. She’s far from innocent.”
Silence met Jase’s suggestion. Mitchell wanted to help Kish, and something told him he should, but Jase’s argument still made sense. Ian would like the idea.
“I don’t know,” Vexx hedged. “It feels wrong.”
“Why?” Cord asked.
Vexx shrugged. “I’m not sure how to explain it, but I feel her power intertwined with ours.”
“It has been since we helped her get home,” Winter agreed. “I’m not sure what would happen if we let her die, but it feels wrong. You know I’m not the sentimental type, so my opinion is in no way based on emotion.”
Cord blew out a frustrated breath. “So, we need to help the demon, but no one has any idea how we can do that. She can’t stay here, and Abram can’t guard her alone.”
“We have other guests approaching,” Jase announced.
Mitchell caught the scent of the vampires. His sense of smell wasn’t as good as Jase’s, which meant they were close.
“This is bad,” Abram muttered.
No one said anything when there was a knock at the door. Cord simply went to answer it, and in walked Connor, Simon, and Layla.
Simon and Layla had taken Mitchell in during the months they’d believed Ian was dead, and they still acted like his parents at times. Simon had long, blond hair and blue eyes. He was beautiful in a way that made a lot of people act dumbfounded when they first met him. Layla, his mate, was a short blonde. She’d grown up believing she was human. Everyone had been surprised to learn she was half lynx shapeshifter. Connor was the leader of their settlement. He was slightly shorter than Mitchell with brown hair and eyes. Due to his tendency to run his fingers through his hair on a regular basis, Connor’s hair was always messy.
“I assume there’s a good explanation for why you’re wandering around without any back-up,” Connor began casually. Though he sounded calm and stood in a relaxed pose, Connor was pissed. The last time Connor had been this angry with him, Mitchell had been ordered to run until Connor got over his anger. He’d run for several hours.
“I’m with him,” Abram stated as he moved close to Mitchell’s side.
Connor nodded. “You are determined to make me like you, aren’t you?”
Abram laughed and shook his head. “Nope. I just don’t want you killing my people. This time, it’s because I like Mitchell.”
“When did you and Abram become so chummy?” Connor asked.
“I’ve run into him when I was out before,” Mitchell replied, meeting Connor’s eyes. “I know you don’t like this. You want me to apologize and promise it won’t happen again. I get that, but I can’t. Part of the reason I leave is to explore my demon side. Since I learned what I am, I need to get out. I need the freedom of the wooded areas.”
“Next time you need to go out, you tell me so I can make sure you have back-up,” Connor ground out. “This sneaking around behind my back ends now. I am responsible for your safety and that of everyone else in our settlement. You may not feel like you belong right now, but you are still under my authority. If you don’t want to spend a week in a detention cell, then I suggest you follow the rules.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?” Vexx asked.
“He’s right,” Mitchell told her. “I live in Connor’s settlement, and I need to live by his rules.”
“So, who wants to tell me what’s going on?” Connor asked.
Mitchell quickly filled Connor, Simon, and Layla in. Connor’s jaw clenched as he listened, but they all remained silent until after he finished.
“And killing her isn’t an option?” Layla asked.
“That seems like a good solution,” Connor agreed. “She tried to kill a lot of people in our territory.”
“It won’t work,” Cord replied. “She has some weird bond with Winn, Vexx, and Mitchell. We don’t know what will happen if we kill her.”
“Besides, she didn’t ask to become a weapon,” Abram argued. “Don’t misunderstand me. I’d kill her if it would keep my people safe and prevent Mitchell from putting himself in danger, but that’s me being practical. I don’t consider her my enemy.”
“Because you want to screw her,” Simon muttered. “You might change your mind after you’ve had her.”
“You don’t know shit about what I want,” Abram snapped. “Can we figure out where we’re taking Kish?”
“We?” Vexx asked.
“Yeah, we,” Abram spat out. “I don’t know how many times I need to tell you I’m going with, and you’ve already made it clear you won’t let me go alone. Let’s make a plan and get moving on it.”
“I have an idea,” Winter began thoughtfully.
“You don’t sound confident in this idea,” Vexx remarked.
“It relies on your mother’s people,” Winter admitted.
“How can the witches help?” Jase asked. “If Vexx can’t hide who Kish is with magic, why would going to other witches be helpful.”
“I’m only one witch, and not a full-witch,” Vexx reminded him. Her gaze met his momentarily before she continued. “A group of witches can use magic as a whole. It’s one reason they form covens. If they weren’t more powerful living together, witches probably wouldn’t live in covens.”
“That’s true,” Cord agreed. “Vexx’s mother often told me she found more peace among the shifters because we complimented her nature. We’re calmer.”
Connor laughed. “I generally find s
hifters to have extremely mercurial personalities, so it’s funny to think of them as calm compared to witches. What are the chances the witches will help you?”
“I don’t get along with the new leader, but I’m sure she’ll help us,” Vexx replied. “She won’t allow Kish to stay there forever, but we should be able to hide her until we come up with a better plan.”
“Legion knows we can’t hide her forever,” Mitchell stated. “All we need is a temporary solution.”
“Do you really think you can count on Legion to come up with a permanent solution?” Abram asked.
Mitchell sighed. “I don’t know, to be honest. He seems to genuinely care about Kish. She and Serenity may be the only people he cares about.”
“I think you should take Kish to the witches for now,” Winter began. “After she’s there, we’ll consider another spot to hide her until Legion comes up with another solution.”
“This is a terrible plan,” Cord muttered.
“But what other choice do we have?” Vexx asked. “We need to move her now. This will buy us some time.”
“This might work as a short-term solution,” Connor mused. “It will give us more time to plan. I’ll send some of my people to help.”
“I’m going along with three of my vampires,” Abram added.
“Winn can only help get the demon here,” Cord replied. “After that, she’s out of this.”
“I can speak for myself,” Winter snapped.
Cord gave her a loving smile. “I know you can, but I love irritating you.”
“Annoying male,” Winter grumbled.
Jase surprised them all when he said, “I’m going along with one or two of my lynx.”
“You can’t go,” Vexx argued. Vexx could argue all she wanted, but Jase would never let her walk into danger without him by her side.
Chapter 21
“Fucking Connor,” Abram muttered as he drove across the bridge alone. Though it made sense for Mitchell to ride back with Connor and the others from their settlement, it still bothered Abram. The fact that it bothered him, pissed him off even more. Caring about people sucked, and he always regretted letting himself get pulled into any emotional crap. If you got attached to people, you had to watch them die, which was a good argument against him going anywhere with Mitchell. He could always change his mind—should change his mind.
“You’re done babysitting the little vampire?” Paul asked when Abram stepped out of the jeep.
Abram’s eyebrows rose in question. “Little? Mitchell is bigger than you.”
Paul waved off his words. “Whatever. Did you get him home safely?”
“Are you jealous of Mitchell?” Abram asked, sure he had to be wrong.
“A little,” Paul admitted with a laugh before spitting on the ground. “I still don’t like guys, so I’m not sure why I’m jealous. Maybe it’s because you aren’t usually this concerned about the safety of your obsessions.”
“Mitchell’s different,” Abram admitted as he started walking.
Paul fell into step beside him. “You don’t give a fuck about most people, and I got used to being one of the few who mattered. I feel like an idiot for feeling this way.”
Silence fell between them as Abram considered how much his life had changed. He was talking about emotional crap with Paul, something he avoided. It seemed like the perfect time to change the subject before they ended up hugging.
“Did anything happen while I was away?” he asked.
“We have an issue with the feral vamps,” Paul replied. “It’s why I came out to meet you. They always respond better to you.”
Abram sighed. He’d inherited the feral vampire problem from the asshole who created them. They were slightly different from the undead vampires created by the original virus. The undead vampires on Treasure Island usually had no memories of their lives. People generally saw them as dangerous killing machines, much like the other variety of feral vampires.
In the beginning, Abram had only seen them as killers, and he’d planned to end their existences. Some days, it still seemed like killing them would be the kindest thing to do. Two things prevented him from putting stakes in their hearts. First, when they received enough blood to keep them from feeling like they were starving, these vampires didn’t attack. Second, they weren’t entirely without feelings. Adequately fed, the vampires communicated with each other. On rare occasions, which touched even Abram’s cold heart, memories of their lives returned. He’d seen feral vampires break down after remembering the death of a loved one, often at their own hands. They’d gotten screwed. Many had been forcibly turned while others had agreed without knowing they’d be denied blood until their hearts stopped. They didn’t deserve to die.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“A stupid fucking cat gave birth in their enclosure,” Paul explained.
Abram stopped walking and stared at Paul, sure he’d misunderstood. “Would you mind repeating that?”
“There’s a cat and a bunch of kittens in the enclosure with the feral vampires,” Paul repeated.
“And I care, why?” Abram asked.
They had plenty of cats on the island to help with rodents. As far as Abram was concerned, there were too many cats. Cats had been kept as pets before he and his people took over the island. Few of the former residents had taken their cats with them when they’d left. At first, Abram’s people hadn’t bonded with the furry beasts. They hadn’t had pets growing up on his old island settlement. Why would they have wanted extra mouths to feed? They’d gotten used to the cats, and some of his people even kept them as pets now. One had moved into Abram’s home, but he wouldn’t call him a pet. Abram refused to name the moocher.
“A few people went in to try to get the cats out, and the feral vamps lost their shit,” Paul explained. “The cats are still in the enclosure, and the idiots who tried getting the cats out are lucky to be alive.”
“Why the hell would anyone go in there to get cats out?” Abram demanded.
“Someone insists the female who gave birth belongs to them,” Paul explained with a disgusted huff.
“Fucking pets,” Abram muttered. “That reminds me. I’m going to be away for at least a week. I’m not sure when I’m leaving yet. The Cat needs to get used to being around you so he can stay with you while I’m gone.”
“Fuck no,” Paul shot back. “That thing is your problem. You’re the one who decided to get a pet.”
“I don’t have a pet,” Abram insisted. “The Cat lives in my house because the irritating little bastard won’t leave.”
Paul snorted. “Little? That cat is huge, and it’s all because you keep feeding him.”
“He’s a good hunter,” Abram argued. “I’m in charge, and I say you watch The Cat while I’m gone.”
“Why the fuck do you need to go anywhere?” Paul asked.
“I’ll fill you in on the details later,” he replied. “For now, let’s see what’s going on with the feral vamps. They’ve been getting enough blood, so they shouldn’t have attacked anyone.”
“You already know they don’t always act as expected,” Paul said with a shrug.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Abram muttered as they approached the enclosure. There was housing and plenty of space to move around. It was still a prison, but the alternative was death.
When they reached the enclosure, he saw a group huddled near the far corner, close to one of the houses. “The cats are over there,” Paul told him.
Abram nodded and reached for the gate. Paul immediately caught his arm. “Maybe we should get some more back-up. They’ve already attacked once today.”
“Nah,” Abram replied. “I’d prefer to leave the cats there, but if people are stupid enough to go in there to get those cats, then they might try again. I don’t have time to deal with this shit. As for back-up, you know they’re more likely to see it as a threat if I go in there with guards. I’m going to see if they’ll let me take the cats.”
Pau
l muttered something about Abram having a death wish but made no further move to stop him.
The vampires turned when they heard the gate shut. Several hissed while others moved in closer to the cats.
“I’m not here to fight you,” he told them, but they still looked guarded. “Did you kill the cats?”
He got a lot of vacant stares in response to his question much as he’d expected. They didn’t usually react to his words, though his tone made a difference. He tried for calm and commanding. They hardly ever made any sense when they spoke, but there were times when he got the gist of what they meant.
“Soft,” a female told him. She brought one hand to her cheek and closed her eyes.
“Soft,” a male agreed with a sigh.
They had to be referring to the mother cat since he’d seen enough kittens to know they weren’t soft.
“Baby,” a male stated in a gravelly voice.
“Can I see them?” Abram asked. If they refused to let him close, he’d leave. The vampires weren’t losing their shit. They seemed fascinated with the kittens. “I won’t touch.” He put his hands up.
Several vampires stepped back to give him room to pass. Proving he was a crazy bastard, he walked straight through the crowd, not knowing if they’d suddenly turn on him. He didn’t think they’d attack, but they had before, so the possibility existed. When he got closer, he saw the mother cat with four kittens close to her. Several vampires sat on the ground. They seemed mesmerized by the kittens, and some even smiled. Abram didn’t often see facial expressions on them except ones of grief.
Decision made, he turned and walked toward the gate again. Once he was outside, Paul asked, “What are you going to do about the cats?”
“Leave them there for now,” Abram replied. “Once the kittens are older, we can try moving them. In the meantime, get some more cats in there.”
“To distract them when you remove the other cat?” Paul asked.
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