Trajan’s wince was barely noticeable. “I had forgotten that.”
“I hadn’t.” Trajan’s head flew forward, the man nearly knocked off his feet as Noah Wulfenbach strolled into the room. His gaze was glued to Blake, his nostrils flaring as he scented the Van Helsing. “Well, well. What have we here?” He licked his lips, his gaze hard and hungry.
“Don’t eat me, don’t eat me!” Blake scrambled to his feet and dove under the desk.
Eddy shook his head. “Poor kid. Don’t you hate it when they do that?”
Dragos just stared at him. He had to be kidding, right?
A wet sniffle brought his attention back to the boy under his desk. And really, that was all he was—a boy, maybe eighteen at the most, and terrified out of his wits. Now that Dragos could ignore the Van Helsing stink—a mixture of gun oil, incense and animal piss—his fear was unmistakable. They thought they were hiding their scent from the supernaturals by using sprays meant to confuse deer.
Unfortunately for them, shifters weren’t deer, and were rarely fooled for long.
“Come on out. We promised you wouldn’t get hurt, remember?” Greer parked himself on top of Dragos’s desk, completely ignoring the pile of paper he knocked to the floor. He bent at the waist until his head was below the level of the desk. “Hi.”
Trajan moved until he was standing next to Eddy, his brows rising in surprise. “Flexible, isn’t he?”
Eddy scowled at him.
Trajan smirked down at Eddy, who blushed and looked away.
Dragos rolled his eyes. He needed to lock the two of them in a room just so they’d get it over with.
Another watery sniff brought him back to the Van Helsing under his desk. “Hi.”
“Don’t worry, Blake. The nasty werewolf isn’t going to bite you.”
A muffled whimper was Greer’s only answer.
Noah growled in frustration. “You’re covered in skunk piss. Would you bite something covered in that?”
A dark, tousled head slowly appeared around the edge of the desk. “No.”
Noah shook his head, his demeanor slowly changing. The boy obviously needed protection, and Noah’s alpha instincts were apparently surging to the fore. Dragos watched as the big, bad alpha took in the boy’s appearance and adjusted his stance accordingly. He relaxed, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders no longer tense. He even smiled. “I won’t hurt you. I just want to know where my friends are.”
“You’re the alpha werewolf.”
Noah blinked slowly, but to his credit he remained relaxed. “Yes.”
Blake darted a glance at Eddy, who nodded encouragingly.
Greer held out his hand. “C’mon, I’m getting a crick in my neck and you’re disturbing Dragos’s impressive collection of dust bunnies.”
Dragos opened his mouth but Noah shook his head, silencing him. The boy slowly scuttled out from behind the desk, still pale, his cheeks blotchy with tears. “You’re not like they said you’d be.”
“Yeah. Van Helsings suck, man.” Eddy took hold of Blake’s hand again and settled him in the chair he’d bolted out of. “They think we’re monsters.”
Blake nodded. “They know what I can do. It’s why my dad brought me in.”
“Who’s your father, Blake?” Dragos kept his tone easy, not wanting to scare the boy any further.
Huge, teary brown eyes stared up at him. “Nelson Rhodes.”
Noah cursed under his breath. “The second in command of the Van Helsings.”
Blake’s brows drew together in confusion. “Van Helsings?”
“The ones who hunt us.”
The boy nodded. “Oh. We call ourselves the Knights of Hercules.”
“Ah.” Dragos leaned back against his desk, hoping to put the boy at ease. “I’d forgotten that.” Everyone but Trajan and Blake looked at him, waiting for an explanation. “Long ago, during the Dark Ages, the Van Helsings first banded together to stop the rampages of a few of us who’d decided that the humans were no longer capable of ruling themselves. Between the black plague, the Inquisition and the rampant starvation, I’m not sure I blame them.” Dragos held up his hands as the others started to protest. “However, no supernatural has the right to rule over humans, only ourselves. That law has always been, and shall always be. In our attempts to stop our wayward brethren we brought unwanted attention on ourselves. The humans retaliated, finding us in our lairs and trying to destroy us. In the end, the Knights of Hercules was formed, first under the aegis of the Catholic Church, but later the Church disavowed them. Their tactics were considered too ruthless, even for the times, and when we managed to convert some of them the Church felt the entire order was compromised. They were officially disbanded, but unofficially they only grew stronger in their conviction that all supernaturals were spawns of their Satan.”
“They were Templars?” Eddy sounded fascinated.
Dragos shook his head. “The Templars had another duty.” One he did not believe in—but they had, giving their lives in their belief that a single cup could hold divinity. It was an illusion at best, but he’d seen humans do far more foolish things in the pursuit of immortality.
“Why don’t we know any of this?” Noah was frowning, watching Blake’s reactions. The boy had relaxed as Dragos related the Van Helsings’ history, as if he’d expected Dragos to tell a different tale than the one he knew and had been pleasantly surprised when Dragos didn’t.
“We do. We’re just so used to calling them Van Helsings the old name has been forgotten among us.” He turned back to Blake. “Nelson Rhodes is psychic?”
“Yes, sir.” Blake gulped. “He says its humanity’s response to the monsters, and that we have to use it to defeat them or they’ll overrun us.” His gaze darted to Eddy and he swallowed hard, his expression crestfallen. “But we’re the monsters, aren’t we?”
Eddy grimaced, but didn’t answer. “Why isn’t your last name Rhodes?”
“He never married my mom, so I’ve got her last name. When she died, he came and got me.”
“Are you sure he’s your dad?” Eddy’s voice remained soft, soothing.
Blake shrugged. “Yeah, I look just like him.”
“Who is Mr. Carpenter?”
Blake winced at Ash’s harshly worded question, but his gaze stayed glued to Eddy. “Harold Carpenter runs the local group of hunters. He became aware of Maggie’s Grove about eight months ago. He scouted it out before sending someone to take his first subject.” That last was said with such disgust Dragos almost found it in him to feel sorry for the boy.
Dragos crouched down until he was eye level with Blake. If they terrified the boy they wouldn’t get the answers they needed. “Why did he take Iva?”
“He wanted someone from here, a supernatural who’d grown up in a town like this. There’s no other place quite like it in the United States. Dad—Mr. Rhodes, he’s got this new scientist, see, and they’ve been performing experiments.” Blake grimaced. “This place is like one-stop shopping for those assholes. So they took some abandoned buildings, fixed them up under the guise of some kind of manufacturing plant, and moved their Northeastern operations into it. Including the prisoners they already had.”
“He wants to learn how to kill us better.” Dragos exchanged a glance with Noah, who nodded. This would go out to all the packs, and thus to all the supernaturals.
It was confirmed. The Van Helsings were kidnapping them for experiments. Damn it.
“I think so, but some of the stuff they said I didn’t get.”
Dragos nodded. They’d have to get their hands on that research, find out what the Van Helsings had come up with. “Can you tell us where they’re holding Iva, and if they have anyone else?”
The boy swallowed again and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, they’ve taken some people from the town and the forest, and they’ve got more from other places. They’ve got Iva on the edge of town, away from the mountain and the forest. They didn’t want anyone they captured to be able to use any way of co
mmunicating with you.”
“They thought any psychic communication would stop at the edge of town?” Greer frowned.
That wasn’t entirely true. Mates, like Dragos and Mina, would be able to communicate no matter where they were in the world. But a weakened dryad—even a ruling one—might not be able to alert the forest.
“They keep them in metal cages and burn away any brush or weed that approaches the compound. Animals are shot on sight, and the night-time guards wear night vision goggles and have monitors on them that signal if their hearts stop beating for any reason. Mr. Carpenter also has bombs rigged to blow if it looks like the defenses have been breached. They’re totally ready to torch the place if it looks like your guys have gotten out. Or in.”
“They have Iva in a cage?” Ash muttered something under his breath. “Mina’s going to go ballistic.”
“We need to figure out how to get to her without setting off the defenses.” For once, Greer looked as fierce as Ash, his fists clenched at his sides. “We’ll have to set up to deal with any supernaturals that are wounded as well.”
“Does he have magical protections?” Noah’s voice remained even, but Dragos could smell the anger coming off the alpha.
Eddy was tensing up in response to Noah’s emotions, causing Trajan to take a step toward his mate. “Ease up, alpha.”
Noah stared at Trajan, but his brother wasn’t backing down. No matter the cost, Eddy would be protected.
Noah nodded. He understood the need to protect a mate. The scent of anger faded, and Eddy relaxed.
Blake didn’t seem to have noticed the little byplay between the shifters. He bit his lip, a small frown furrowing his brow. “I’m not sure how I’d know, honestly. We hunt...” He looked up at the people surrounding him and paled. “They hunt witches. Dad—I mean, Mr. Rhodes, he says that they have no souls.”
Ash rolled his eyes. “Think we should introduce Blake to Selena?”
“Well, I wouldn’t introduce him to Kate.” Eddy shivered hard.
“Eddy.” He couldn’t let his Renfield run down the woman. She was on the city council—a respected member of town.
No matter how much Dragos agreed with him.
“No, Dragos.” Eddy stood and faced him, the expression on his face full of fierce determination. Eddy was not going to be denied his say. “She’s bad news, and you know it.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, Eddy.”
“I mean it. I don’t want her anywhere near me, or you.”
Dragos agreed wholeheartedly. The way he was reacting around Kate was all wrong. He was beginning to suspect the witch had cast some sort of spell over him. “I hear you, Eddy.”
Trajan put his hands on Eddy’s shoulders, startling the Renfield. “Shall I kill her for you, dragule?”
Eddy’s smile was strained, his eyes almost as wild as Blake’s. “No?”
Noah coughed, obviously hiding a laugh. “Are you sure about that or not?”
Eddy shrugged. “No.”
“All righty then. As long as you’re sure you’re not sure.”
Eddy rolled his eyes. “You guys have been hanging around Parker way too much.” He turned back to Blake. “Can you show us on a map, maybe, where they’re holding Iva?”
Blake nodded warily. “I think so.”
“How many others do they have captive?”
A good question, and one Dragos should have thought of. “More than you might think. There was a man for a while, one who could turn into a wolf, but—” Blake stared at Noah. “He was yours, wasn’t he?”
Noah nodded. “He had a wife and two kids.”
Blake grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
Blake rubbed his face wearily. “I’ll show you where they are, but you might want someone to hack into their computers first to get the data they’ve collected. I’m pretty sure they’ll have protections on that too, but if you can figure out a way around them you’ll have everything they do.”
“And then some. Dragos, if they’ve got more than the research data on those computers we’re golden. We could have lists of other pockets of Van Helsings—just for starters.” Noah’s enthusiasm was understandable, but Maggie’s Grove was supposed to be a place of safety. The last thing Dragos wanted was to bring more Van Helsing attention their way.
“Lore’s been investigating our lost people as an internal missing persons problem, not Van Helsing attacks.”
He stared at Noah. “How do you know?”
Noah shrugged. “I’ve been running interference for you, taking some of the meetings you couldn’t handle. Lore’s one of mine, so it made sense for him to bring the problem to me.”
Dragos winced. It was just one more thing he’d missed while dealing with his beast’s need for Mina. Still, he’d be having a long talk with the human about what constituted his need-to-know.
“Knock it off. You’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff recently, and none of us realized how close the Van Helsings had gotten. Hell, they got to one of my enforcers.”
Noah had a point. Still, someone should have told him. “I’m the mayor. I’m supposed to know about these things happening in my town.”
Noah snorted. “No, you’re not. That’s what the sheriff is for. You’re supposed to run the town. Besides, if it had gotten much worse Lore was under orders to bring it to you. Last I spoke to him he was just starting to toy with the idea that it might be a serial killer, and we were discussing how to deal with it.”
“Damn it. I should have known.” He didn’t like the thought that Noah had kept him in the dark over something so important.
“I made a call as Alpha to take some of the strain off you.”
Dragos sighed. In any other circumstance he would have thanked the Alpha. “I don’t want a war, Noah.” Dragos held up his hands to stall Noah’s immediate protest. “We deal with this set of Van Helsings, yes. But I don’t want Maggie’s Grove to become a battleground.”
Noah nodded. “Understood. I don’t like it, but...understood.”
“Good.” Noah might be alpha, but Dragos still ruled Maggie’s Grove, and damn it he wouldn’t use that to his advantage.
Noah bowed. “Yes, Mayor.”
Dragos turned back to Blake, but before he could say anything Trajan stepped forward, his arm protectively wrapped around Eddy’s waist. “We still have to deal with Laurentiu and Vasile, Dragos.”
“What is Father up to, Trajan?” It was time he found out, began planning for whatever his father was going to throw at him.
“He’s going to issue a formal challenge to you. He’s sent Vasile to scout out the area—see what, if any, weaknesses you may have. He’ll exploit them if he can.”
“Why?” Dragos couldn’t understand why his father insisted on harassing him. He was no longer a part of the clutch. He had nothing to do with them. Yet his father continued to send hunters after him.
“I’m not sure.” Trajan glanced at Eddy. “If I did, I would tell you. I swear.”
He was inclined to believe Trajan, if only because Eddy remained relaxed in the dragon’s embrace. Still, it didn’t hurt to be cautious. “Vasile spoke with Mina, told us to guard ourselves against you.”
Trajan snorted. “Of course he would. You know how deep in Father’s pocket our brother is.”
“Do I?” Dragos allowed his skepticism to show. “Up until a few days ago I thought all three of you were my enemy.”
Trajan pulled Eddy close, ignoring the man’s indignant squawk. His meaning was clear. “Not anymore.”
Chapter Eight
“Remember, Mina. Three times. You’ve have a round of sex and vampire noms, and that counts as one time no matter how many times he chomps on you.”
Amara nodded at Parker’s words. “He’s marked you once, and since then you’ve been threatened. The urge to place the second mark will be nearly overwhelming. Until he puts the third, he’s going to be insanely overprotective.”
Mina�
��s brows rose. Like Parker wasn’t still insanely overprotective of Amara, even knowing how powerful she was.
Parker, standing behind Amara, nodded discreetly. No, it wouldn’t get any better, but Dragos’s urges might be easier to handle if their bond was no longer under threat.
“Thank you.” They’d been giving her the run-down on how a vampire claimed his mate. It took three times. Three deep bites, each one during a different round of sex, and the bond was complete. The vampire would be mated to his chosen one.
Tonight she’d receive the second mark. She could feel Dragos’s desire thrumming through her, tightening her belly with want. She could almost feel him caressing her skin the closer he got to the Throne.
She wondered if Parker would give Dragos the same courtesy. Did her vampire lover know how dryads claimed their mates? She hoped not. She wanted to surprise him, wanted to see him react when she offered herself to him.
“Are you all right?”
Mina rolled her eyes and looked up. As if thinking his name had conjured him, there was Dragos, floating over her bed of leaves. His arms were crossed over his chest as his gaze roamed over her. My very own overprotective vampire. The Throne hadn’t even bothered to alert her to his presence.
She turned to her friends. She could tell him she was okay until she was blue in the face, but he’d believe it faster if they told him. “Parker? Amara? Am I all right?”
“She’s fine, Dragos.” Amara waved a cheery hello. “The forest did a good job cleaning up the remains, and the headache she got for leaving the Throne seems to be all gone.”
Parker nodded. “She’s been resting.”
“Good.” She’d been right. Her vampire immediately relaxed, even smiled. Dragos landed and held out his hand to Parker. “Thank you for watching my sotiei.”
“You’d do the same.” Parker picked Amara up in his arms and started to float. “We’ll be on our way, then.”
Amara wrapped her arms around Parker’s neck. Apparently she didn’t have the same problem with her feet leaving the ground that Mina did. “Have a good night!”
“I plan on it.”
Mina needed some information, and to show him something important, before he took her again. She’d been thinking about it all evening, how she wanted to give him a gift she’d given few others. It was important that Dragos love all of her home, not just the Throne. “How did the conversation with Blake turn out?”
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