The hunters closest to us slowed, giving our side a chance to tear them down while their reaction times were lagging. Edgar ripped the head off a female hunter, using her ponytail for leverage. Another hunter half-heartedly bashed a chair over Kat’s head, but she spun on him, dug her fingers into the front of his neck and ripped out his throat.
Two hunters raced in the front door, barreling at us where we hid. Isabel charged over to shield Danielle and Julius as one of the hunters took aim with an AR15. Three rounds burst forth as I raised my hands, shooting out two air-spears. One spear blasted a shoulder to bits, the other hit him square in the chest, sending him soaring out the door, toppling several incoming hunters.
An ear-piercing howl of rage halted all movement for a moment, drawing our attention to a hunter with a katana standing over a headless werewolf, laying at his feet mid-shift. The two remaining werewolves changed in the blink of an eye, pieces of skin and clothing flying through the air as they pounced on the sword-wielding hunter, tearing him apart.
A loud pop echoed through the large room, and I saw a hunter crouched behind a table at the front, a wide-barreled handgun aimed at Samuel.
“Oh, fuck!” I spun around and tackled Benjamin, squeezing my eyes shut. “UV Round!”
The blast of bright neon-blue lit up the restaurant, singeing my skin that wasn’t covered by the table. Samuel let out an agonizing wail which cut off abruptly with a sickly sound of wet bits raining down on tables, chairs, and the floor.
Benjamin and I peeked around the edge of the table to see the wolves and Eliza huddled together, coated in ichor. Eliza’s skin looked red and blistery, a few spots crisp and burnt, her eyes wide as her breath raced in and out of her flaring nose.
“You okay?” Benjamin touched a red line on my hand, a pained hiss escaping my lips.
“Yeah, fine. Much better than them.” I scoffed and shook my head, hoping I was wrong about what I’d seen.
“Michael!” Kat yelled.
Fuck! Not him again.
“Mr. Anderle,” Edgar said, his deep voice raised loud enough to hear over the wolves who’d resumed their fighting frenzy, “I wish I could say I was happy to see you again, but since you’ve just destroyed a dear friend, that would be a lie.”
“Surrender now,” Michael said as he stepped inside, glass crunching under his boots, “and no one else dies.”
“Never!” Kat spat on the ground, her eyes flashing red.
“I’m afraid we will have to disappoint you, Mr. Anderle. My people will not submit to your tortures. We are not lab rats for Ms. King to experiment on.”
“Rowena has built some cozy accommodations for you,” Michael said, “despite my objections. You’re all filthy vermin that need to be put down.”
“Why are you so angry? We have not harmed you. We’re civilized, only taking what is freely offered to us. We are no longer the wild monsters of fireside tales. Were we not acquaintances at one time?”
“That was before I knew exactly the kind of monsters you really are—before one of you killed my family.” Michael took another step inside, reaching into a belt pouch and pulling out a massive glowing bullet. “Come with me now, or I’ll take out another of your clan.”
“I should have known you killed Mira,” Kat hissed. “You’re the only monster here.”
“None of my clan harmed you or yours,” Edgar said with a growly tone. “We have lived peacefully for decades, and haven’t killed a human in over a century.”
“Oh, really?” Michael asked, switching on a flashlight attached to his handgun. I winced, covering my eyes as he shined it on me. “This one is new. How the hell did that happen if none of you’ve killed recently?”
“You backed me into a corner,” Kat said, her words laced with venom. “I had no choice. If you’d just left us alone, none of this—” she waved her hands around the room, ending by pointing at the wolves as they gnawed on a body “—would have happened. Your people, our people, would not be dead or dying.”
“You should’ve just co—” A mighty silver cat flew at Michael from the side, latching onto his arm and biting at his face. “Ah, get the fuck off me!” He swatted ineffectually.
Chima grabbed my arm, startling me since I’d lost track of him during the fighting. He pulled me towards the open store front, Benjamin following close behind as Isabel led Danielle ahead of us, using her still bleeding body as a shield. I glanced back and sighed with relief when I spotted Edgar and Kat right behind us. Chima took the lead with two blood-soaked wolves bringing up the rear.
A silver streak passed me, slowing to keep pace next to Danielle. Chima led us at a faster than humanly possible pace down the street, stopping to check around the corner. His shoulders drooped a little and he looked back at us, waving us forward.
Around the corner, three limousines pulled up to the curb just as a sliver of morning light appeared on the horizon. A wave of exhaustion hit me as I climbed into a limousine behind Benjamin, Isabel and one of the wolves. I peered out the back window, squinting to see through the black tint, and watched as the rest of our group split up, getting into the other cars.
Chapter 12
With the squeal of tires, we sped away from the destroyed restaurant and what was left of our foes. Benjamin and I sat near the front while Isabel and the wolf sat by the doors. My mouth fell open as I watched fur recede into skin, bones crunch and realign, and muzzle flatten out as the werewolf returned to the form of a blood-covered, but handsome man. His black fur matched his black hair, and his piercing hazel eyes scanned the vehicle before looking out the windows.
Wow, he doesn’t even care that he’s naked. He’s like a yummy blood-covered treat that I could just lick clean. Wait!
“What the hell, dude? Why are you naked?”
“My clothes were shredded when I changed for the fight…” The man stared at me with an arched brow and a little frown.
“But, I watched Chima and Julius change, and they were fully dressed afterwards.”
“Chima has an amulet that reconstitutes his clothing as he’s changing back.” Isabel peered out the window, holding a gun in her lap, the glass fogging with her breath. “I do, too.”
“You don’t have one?” I looked in the man’s eyes, studiously avoiding ogling him.
“They’re rare. Very few in my pack have amulets. You pretty much have to have an ‘in’ with the witches.” He grinned at me when my gaze wandered a bit too low.
A nudge at my elbow made me turn to see Benjamin grinning. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him, to which he responded by pointing a finger at my face and spraying me with glittery sparkles that landed on my skin with tiny zaps. I giggled and it turned into a loud yawn.
“Sun’s coming up now, Mercy,” Benjamin said. “When you wake up, we’ll be at Heather’s.”
“Will we make it there safe?” I asked, my guts shaking at the thought of dying in my sleep. Already done that once, thank you very much. “The hunters won’t catch up to us?
“Don’t worry now,” he said with a soft smile. “We’ll take care of you. I won’t let Kat throw you off the ferry.”
“Uh, thanks, I guess.” I gave him a nervous laugh, turning to get one last look at the naked eye candy before the weight of sleep pulled me under.
***
Muffled voices drew me up from the murky darkness of sleep. My eyes snapped open and I shot up in bed, scanning my surroundings. Cool, silk sheets caressed my skin beckoning me to lay back and snuggle in the plush mattress beneath me.
“About time you woke up,” Kat said, her snippy tone biting from where she stood in the bedroom doorway.
“See? I told you I wouldn’t let her throw you overboard.” Benjamin grinned, sitting in an overstuffed, cream-colored armchair.
“Thanks.” I smirked at him, running my hands over the luxurious bedding. If I’d woken up in this bed that first night, I might not have been quite so upset about being a vampire.
“Hi, I’m Heathe
r,” a blonde woman said. Dressed in a cream-colored pants suit that matched the bedding, Heather smiled with perfectly white teeth, her hair done up in a French-twist and her nails meticulously manicured. Looking around the room, I noticed an overall color scheme. I fell asleep in a limousine and woke up in a penthouse suite… Things are looking up!
“Where are we?”
Heather swept her arms out to encompass the room. “You’re at the Bainbridge coven estate.”
***
“Please, explain to me how you lost thirty men and women to one small group of vampires.” Rowena King sat behind her enormous oak desk, her hands clasped tight enough to turn her knuckles white. Frown lines fought and lost, unable to form on the Botox smooth skin.
“Ms. King,” Michael Anderle said, pulling his tactical helmet off his head, exposing sweaty, dust-brown hair, “we were outmatched—”
“Outmatched!” Rowena stood abruptly, her wheeled chair bouncing off the wall behind her. She closed her gray eyes, pressing her lips together as she took several deep breaths. Smoothing a strand of platinum blonde hair back into place, the lithe woman slowly walked around the desk, pulling the hem of her black suit jacket down, her eyes pinning Michael in place. “You had thirty hunters, and all the state-of-the-art gear I provided for you. How could you be outmatched by one small clan?”
“They weren’t alone,” Michael said, squeezing the edge of his helmet, and shifting from foot to foot. “They had guards… inhuman guards.”
“Inhuman, you say?” Rowena stepped close to Michael, running a finger down a seam of his tactical vest. “What kind of inhuman?”
“Werewolves,” Michael whispered in a shaky voice. “I saw werewolves, and a cat—”
Rowena jerked her head back, searching Michael’s eyes. “A cat?”
“Yes, a giant, silver cat. It came out of nowhere and attacked me.” His jaw ticked as anger and shame filled his eyes. “The cat distracted me while the rest of them got away. Martelle was in the surveillance van, and got video of them escaping.”
“But, not of the battle?” Rowena glared, gritting her teeth.
“I believe he got some video from the body cams, but there were no traffic cams or CCTV nearby for him to tap into.”
“Send me everything you got.” She turned on her three-inch red heel and tapped a button on her desk phone.
Michael slumped, breathing out a silent breath of relief as the phone rang.
“Yes, Ms. King?”
“Belinda, get me R and D.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The phone line clicked and started ringing again.
“Doctor Stevens speaking.”
“Doctor,” Rowena said with a calculating smirk, “there’s been a new development. We’re going to need more containment units.”
The End
(For now…)
Vamp Tales Book Three Sneak Peek
Moving Day
Cassandra came in blazing, like her red hair. Tall and thin with a button nose that turned up ever so slightly at the end. Piercing hazel eyes shifted between green and gold, adding to her fierce exterior. When she spoke, her aggressive demeanor was complete.
“Who’d have thought the Martis clan would ever need our help?” She spoke into the air as if the world listened with bated breath, and put heavy emphasis on the end of Martis. Like peace, if peace were a distasteful word.
“Cassandra,” Edgar said, his voice dripping with sweet syrup, “we are ever so grateful for your assistance. We were just discussing how it had been ages since we’d seen you, and how wonderful it will be to spend some quality time with you and your coven.”
Taking her cue, Kat stepped forward and did the whole air-kiss thing that hoity-toity rich ladies like to do. Cassandra lapped up the attention, pulling Benjamin and then Julius in for full body hugs. I glanced at Danielle and admired her patience, or maybe she was only acting as if it didn’t bother her. If that was the case, I applauded her skills.
After a similar air-kiss with Danielle, Cassandra turned to inspect me. I stood straight and still, unwilling to squirm under her scrutiny. Everything about her made me want to scratch her eyes out.
“You’re new here.” Her voice rolled over me like a predator sizing up their prey for an easy meal. Try me, bitch. A muffled snort and a zing of amusement came from Kat, and I could feel her grin in my head even though she kept her face mostly stoic.
When I didn’t respond, Cassandra stepped into my personal space. It took all my strength to hold in the blast of air begging to be released.
“Who might you be?” She tilted her head like a bird. “You smell quite new.”
Ew! “Uh, that’s an odd thing to say. Are you a shifter as well as a witch?” I couldn’t help but poke a little.
“No!” She curled her lip, blanching as if she’d bitten something rotten. “I’m just that good.”
Someone better get a muzzle before I bite this bitch! A chuckle echoed down my connection with Kat, and I shot her a nasty look.
“This is Mercy,” she said, stepping close to me. Her hand clasped mine, squeezing gently. “She’s my fledgling, and you’re correct, she is new. We’re still teaching her restraint.”
Don’t make excuses for me! I screamed in my head, hoping it would traverse our bond. Her grip on my hand tightened, and I felt only a little smug for succeeding. Okay, a lot smug.
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Connect with the Author
A tidbit about the author:
I’m just a laid-back chick with eccentric tastes who loves writing, reading, music, horror flicks, crafting, and unusual things.
A few words:
I want to send a gazillion thanks to my sister, Danielle, for reading my stories in their roughest form, for giving me awesome feedback, and working through plot issues with me. Her enthusiasm for my stories really inspires me.
And to Benjamin Phillips, many thanks for beta-reading and using that “red pen” with abandon. I can almost hear your sinister laugh as I read through all your comments.
Writing Mercy’s story is so entertaining. I love to see where the characters and plot take me. It’s always a wild adventure!
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I would greatly appreciate it!
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Also written by Melony Paradise:
The Discordant Earth Series
Broken
First in the series
A baby is precious, even a half-alien one, and Alyssa Rose will do anything to protect hers.
Twenty-two-year-old Alyssa had an idyllic childhood, growing up among the aliens that saved Earth from a third world war. As assistant to Kayn, Commander of the Szu’Kara, she dreams of a long, fulfilling career and a future of eternal bliss. Dating the gorgeous commander is just the cherry on top of her perfect life.
But a visit to the clinic has Alyssa’s world spinning when she finds out she’s pregnant, which shouldn’t be possible—they’re different species. Commander Kayn couldn’t be prouder, but Alyssa has her doubts, especially when things between them start to change.
When tragedy strikes her family, Alyssa realizes things aren’t what they seem, and her dreams are slipping through her fingers. Torn between what’s real and what’s not, she struggles to understand the secrets that lie beneath the surface.
She just never imagined she would find her only chance to uncover the truth through Sebastian, an intensely attractive rebel leader.
Alyssa must make her choice: cling to the remnants of her life with Kayn, or side with the rebels… and Sebastian.
Available for purchase at Amazon.com
And…
New Enemies
A Discordant Earth Prequel
Hell is made for those who find love…
The year is 2020, and Earth is embroiled in a worldwide war. Drafted at the age of fourteen, Sebastian Roberts has a few reservations. As his detachment arrives on Seattle’s battlefield with little to no time to spare, he wonders just how much he will have to give up fighting a hopeless war.
But when aliens intervene, abruptly ending the war, their promises of rebuilding a prosperous new world with society living in harmony has Sebastian convinced nothing is what it appears to be. Struggling with the memories of battles fought and lives lost, Sebastian searches for the one thing he needs most—a place to call home.
Can Sebastian find a way to survive the chaos of a world seemingly at peace? Or will his hidden scars lead him to his own grave?
Available for purchase at Amazon.com
Meet the Clan (Vamp Tales Book 2) Page 5