Crescent Vendetta
A Vendetta Novel – Book One
Desiree L. Scott
Lavish Publishing, LLC. – Midland
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CRESCENT VENDETTA – Copyright 2016 ©
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Lavish Publishing, LLC.
First Edition
Vendetta Series book 1
All Rights Reserved
Published in the United States by Lavish Publishing, LLC, Midland, Texas
ebook edition
ISBN-13: 978-1-944985-07-3
ISBN: 1-1-944985-07-7
Cover Design by: Wycked Ink
Cover Images: Adobe Stock
www.LavishPublishing.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About Desiree L. Scott
Chapter 1
From what Travis Kameron could see from his current position, he was in some serious shit.
Struggling to stand, his legs shook and caved from beneath him. He felt himself fall just as his head hit the concrete and a flash of pain shot down his spine.
Fuck!
The room spinning, he struggled to open his eyes and attempt to stand again. Collapsing before he even made it to his large paws, the animalistic groan fought to break free but his dry throat tightened. Thinking was beyond his capabilities as he struggled to focus. His vision, usually enhanced by his shift, took in the enclosure surrounding him. It wasn’t much bigger than he was. The rods in front of him blurred the harder he tried to concentrate.
What the fuck happened?
Everything was in a fog, his memory blank.
Limbs heavy, he lay panting on the hard ground, thankful it was cold, at least. Taking in the silent room, he worked to piece everything together. It looked like a warehouse of some kind. The stacked, empty cages lined the bare walls of the large, rectangular area. A door was at the end of the slim space between the set of pens, and he noticed a few small windows high up near the ceiling. Black paint covered the glass, sealing and concealing everything inside.
From the edge of his eyesight, he saw something move in the far corner, about six cages from him and closer to the metal door in the middle. A low whine drifted towards him, and he stilled.
Zooming in on the occupant inside, Travis shook his head to clear his vision, which didn’t help. Glancing around, he saw they were the only ones caged.
Have I been drugged?
Closing his eyes, he wished for the room to stop spinning as he battled to bring his human form to mind. He felt the pull as his muscles contracted and tightened, bowing in the middle. His bones struggled to break and mold as the shift took over, but something stopped him. The magnetic hold on his ability to keep his bones twisted into that of a wolf stayed strong. Drugs had to be the only explanation.
The alpha of the Crescent Ice Pack had been fucking drugged.
He let the anger build, and the rage push forth as he struggled to rise again, but it didn’t help. He hadn’t felt helpless in years, and a shiver of rage slithered down his spine.
Someone is going to die.
He collapsed back on his side and focused on pushing whatever they had shot him with out of his system. Looking over at the still form in the other cage, he couldn’t tell whether it was someone from his pack or not.
Ambushed?
The dark sound of his growl filled the silence, and the other form stirred slightly.
Whoever it was, they were alive.
He couldn’t think; his mind remained jumbled and thoughts unclear, so he lay on the cold stone and breathed, the musky scent of sweat, dirt, and blood strong. A little light came in from the cracks at the bottom of the door.
As he willed his wolf to heal, his memory returned in flickers and flashes, as if a movie played in slow motion. Travis recalled the night, the full moon, the chase, and the metallic taste of blood that filled his mouth. He had been out hunting with his pack, the cool air of the Colorado Mountains light and chilly.
Images filtered in and out—the blur of the trees, the deer and rabbits running and hopping through the woods. Fleeting scents flashed through, but the quick impressions were enough.
The smells…
He focused on the imprints further and examined them as the cold from the concrete seeped into his flesh. What had he smelled? He remembered the aroma of something foreign, another animal. Wolves, he realized. Another pack ambushed him.
Why? Was he the only one?
Only one pack was hostile towards his, but nothing had been brewing between the two for years. A truce had been in effect since the other pack’s last alpha died—murdered.
Thinking back, Travis remembered feeling watched when he had stopped near a creek to drink and catch a breath.
Then…nothing…
A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention, pulling him back. His dark gaze shifted, watching as the other wolf struggled to gain purchase.
Don’t bother. You’re drugged.
The animal stilled for a moment, but then resumed the attempt at standing. A simple feat that no doubt felt as if concrete blocks were attached to their legs.
Stunned, he observed as the petite wolf stood up, wavering on its feet. Leaning against the bars for balance, the thin chest moved vigorously with each breath.
The Canis lupus was a female; pure white with a black stripe down her nose, and smaller than he was. She was beautiful. Her head turned, and their gazes met, her eyes a dark green. Growling, Travis’ wolf battled against his internal cage to give him back his abilities, but those bars were set in stone. As long as the drugs coursed through him, he couldn’t shift. He tried the communication link instead of fighting it.
Can you hear me?
The other wolf tensed, and her eyes flashed a dark green in the dim light, but she remained silent.
I’ll take that as a yes. Do you know where we are?
Her glare remained solid as she refused to speak. Still leaning against the rods, the rapid pace of her breathing slowed down. It took a lot to get a wolf down, but drugs would do it.
Most wolves bowed down to his commands, their head tilted down in submission. He was an alpha. Well, this one had never received the damn memo.
Wavering, the cage tilting, he lifted himself up. She must have been here longer than him for her to be able to stand first. He started to say something else, but a sound caused both of them to freeze. Their eyes shifted in the direction of the scraping coming from t
he door.
Almost as one, they lay back down and put their heads on the ground. Well, more like Travis crashed back down to the hard floor. With little balance and his shifter essence out of whack, a loud thump came from his cage, his breath lost for a minute as he lay on his side.
Lids lowered, Travis watched the door, praying he would have the strength if needed. It wasn’t something he would bet on in his condition, but at that moment, he didn’t have much choice. Waiting for the time to strike, his muscles tensed. He could feel the life coming back, the nerves in his legs and arms tingling.
Come on, come on…
Voices drifted towards him, coming from the other side of the door.
“What about the other two? Think the medication has worn off?”
“I don’t know. Go take a look while I dispose of this heavy bastard.”
“Yeah, I thought he would have lasted longer.” A chuckle followed as heavy footsteps came towards him, followed by a jingle of keys—what the hell could they do locked in cages? Then a creak of the metal hinges of the door as it opened, letting in a small stream of light from the hallway.
Travis closed his eyes and focused on keeping his body stiff and breathing even. He didn’t have time to worry about the female; the prick wasn’t getting another needle in him.
Waiting, his nose twitched as the footsteps came closer, stopping next to his head. Smelling the unwashed human on the other side of the cage made him want to gag. He breathed in through his nose, choking the urge down as the seconds blended into minutes, the smell of onions reaching him.
Disgusting.
He felt the man move away, but Travis kept his eyes closed, his breathing even. The repulsive scent still lingered in the room.
Finally, he heard the door creak again and then slam shut. A loud click signaled the locks.
Taking a deep breath in, Travis opened his eyes and met the other wolf’s stare. Rage glittered in their green depths. She still hadn’t spoken through their link, though he knew she could.
They had to escape before the sons of bitches came back.
What the hell was going on?
Chapter 2
Vanessa Burns watched the large wolf open his eyes and meet her gaze as he stood up again, swaying but using the metal bars for balance. He didn’t try to communicate with her, and she was grateful. Still weak from the drugs, it was a struggle to think, to move. Her wolf fought to push them through her system, but it wasn’t quick enough. It was never quick enough.
Vanessa knew what awaited them once the fuckers returned. Her companion had no idea.
She had watched when they dragged him inside the warehouse and threw him in the cage. They shot her again with another dart before leaving. She had awoken to the other wolf trying to move. Used to the drug, it hadn’t taken her long to get up on her paws and pretend she wasn’t hurting, especially after the last fight.
It had been a brutal week, one battle after another. She didn’t know how much longer she could survive. They were bringing in stronger wolves, and it was getting to be more of a challenge to survive and win.
She didn’t know how long it had been since her capture—months at least. She wondered if her pack was even looking for her anymore. She didn’t think so, not after how they had parted. At this point, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume she were dead. They were no doubt glad she was gone.
She thought of her condition, her unborn pup, and struggled to control the urge that followed. She hadn’t cried in years, and she wouldn’t start now. To show any type of emotion in this hellhole was to invite death for them both. She couldn’t believe she had managed to conceal her condition, only thinking that the drugs must have had something to do with it.
Could it have masked the hormone? she wondered, staring over at the far wall. The concoction their keepers came up with must have because wolves had an acute sense of smell and could tell when a female was pregnant, so it was the only thing that made sense.
Will I even be able to see him or her alive? She was unsure if either of them would survive this, and that thought caused her eyes to burn. Blinking furiously, she cleared her vision.
Don’t concentrate on that. Live. Fight.
Being the sister of the Outlander Pack’s Alpha, Vanessa knew her brother Aiden wouldn’t rest until he found her. That was the only thing that kept her going, kept her fighting. Her father wouldn’t have cared if she were alive, but her brother did.
Thank God, Aiden had taught her to fight. He had trained her since she was a teen after saving her from one too many rapes. Their father would always laugh and say, “boys will be boys,” which had pissed Aiden off. Instead of killing them like he wanted, Aiden taught her how to defend herself. It had paid off more than a handful of times, as was such the case now.
Will he still want anything to do with me once he discovers the truth?
Vanessa paced the tiny cage she had called home for far too long. Exhaustion pulled at her, threatening to send her to the concrete floor stained with her blood, but she forced herself to move back and forth. If she stopped, if her mind and thoughts flourished with the past, it would topple her. The fear would win.
She felt the male wolf watching her but ignored him as she paced, the drug haze wearing off.
A little bit longer. Just a little bit longer.
Who are you? The deep growl came through, and she sighed at his persistence as she shot him a quick glare. She didn’t want to answer but could tell he wouldn’t stop. Not that she blamed him; she wanted to get out of here, too.
He was an alpha. Had to be. They had shot him with the same drugs, and in just a few hours afterward, he was standing. Even she hadn’t been able to do that. She put up a hell of a fight on capture, but her body had been pretty weak and bloody as well.
Great. A fucking alpha.
Sure enough, she heard his deep voice filter through the connection that seemed to be getting stronger. Who are you?
Growling, she paused in her pacing and shot another glare his way as she answered,
Vanessa. Now save your strength. You’re going to need it.
Why?
Before she could respond, a loud roar vibrated the cement at their feet. She could even make out a few profanities, the words soft but clear. She knew what it was and watched her fellow captive for the realization of what awaited them. The fights were always back to back, lasting long into the night as long as people kept paying. One died, they just brought out another and another. There were many doors to the warehouse, each room housing no more than two pens, even though there were multiples in a line up against the chamber.
She took the time to study him. He was gorgeous, large and powerful, his brown coat glistening with dry blood. His head snapped towards the door, the glow of his bright blue eyes darkening. She could feel the rage from across the room, and for the first time since she had woken up in hell, a ball of acid, of fear burned her mouth.
Chapter 3
Travis tensed as the realization slowly hit him. The roaring of a crowd vibrated the air, followed by growls and whimpers.
What the hell? A fighting ring.
His eyes met Vanessa’s and noticed the old and new wounds on her body for the first time, the blood coating her white fur. The color red stained the floor of her cage, most of the liquid dry. He stared harder at her and glimpsed the resignation in her green eyes.
Something else flashed there, and he could have sworn she smiled—a sad, pathetic curve that showed her fangs. It more resembled a grimace, but that small curl and the look in her eyes tore into him, bringing forth his beast’s protective instincts.
The sounds of howling, growling, and whimpering grew louder, the crowd screaming through the thick walls. He looked towards the door and then back at her.
How long does the medication last before you can shift?
Silence, and then she sighed as her gaze shifted over to the door as well.
I don’t know. They keep us drugged.
; How long have you been here?
Months.
Travis tried to think of anyone who had gone missing but drew a blank.
How soon until they return?
Her eyes glowed as they went from the door to him, but she answered through their link, a link that was growing stronger.
Anytime. They have the length of the serum down pat. I’m surprised they didn’t shoot us the last time.
Footsteps thudded outside the door followed by loud cursing. Travis laid back down, his thoughts racing. How the hell were they going to get out of this?
The door opened, and two men walked in, one carrying a long, thin gun. Their intentions were clear, and the enjoyment of their actions was evident. Watching through the slits of his eyes, Travis remained prone as they approached Vanessa. She hadn’t laid back down when they entered but stood defiant and growling.
The two men laughed.
“Well, well, pretty lady. How about a kiss for your ol’ Uncle Tom?” The asshole flicked his tongue, and his eyes glowed. His own inner wolf just below the surface as he stared down at her.
They’re shifters.
What would possess someone to do this to their own kind? He barely managed to control the urge to storm the bars, to tear the men’s throats out and taste their blood, but he knew he wouldn’t win this one; not yet.
Keeping his body still and eyes half closed, it took all of his restraint not to howl, to fight, and to protect her.
They will die.
“Should we hit the other one again?”
A pause.
“No. He’s still out, and we want him to be able to fight fast.”
Suddenly, Travis heard a whirl of sound—A silencer? —followed by a howl and a thud. He flinched and struggled to stay still, but it was getting harder.
Breathe. Breathe. Nothing you can do. You have to let the drug pass through your system. Breath, Travis. His wolf’s rage mingled with his thoughts, but common sense won out. His air intake evened out; his wolf wanted blood. Wanted to taste the iron flavor of their life leaving their disgusting bodies.
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