She couldn’t say anything to that. She didn’t doubt his words. Her father had been a murderous bastard that craved the destruction of those around him, but her brother was nothing like him.
His father. Her father had killed his father. Would the son of a bitch’s brutal deeds ever go away? With each person she met, his ghost followed her, and her brother was left to clean up his mess and make amends.
Travis Kameron. Well, shit. The name finally clicked with her, and her eyes shot over and met his.
My brother has been wanting to talk with you for two years, she accused.
He wavered against the bars and finally laid down on the hard floor, sighing.
So? I don’t have anything to say to him.
He’s trying to make amends for the past; to anyone our father wronged.
Travis shrugged. Good for him. Wrong is putting mildly what that fucker did.
She flinched at his dark tone, but she couldn’t blame him. Vanessa had never heard of her father killing the mate of a rival pack, but she didn’t put it past him. He had been capable of a lot of shit.
It was the reason her brother had challenged and killed him.
Travis waited, his muscles quivering with the urge to release his beast, to taste the blood of his enemy.
Patience is a fucking virtue, my ass.
The door squeaked open, metal on metal grinding as the rusty door protested the movement. It had been a few days and waiting for his chance began to take its toll as his anger grew with each vibrating rumble from beneath him.
The same two men entered and headed for his cage, their lumbering footsteps echoing in the silence.
He crouched down, the deep growl vibrating up his throat as they came closer.
The tall one, Mitch, grinned down at him.
"Well, asshole. It seems to be your turn."
The man lifted his gun, and before Travis could move, a dart hit his backside.
He howled and twisted, banging against the bars as he tried to dislodge the dart. The room spun, and his stiffened legs kept him from falling. His sides heaved with his ragged breathing as he stood in the middle of his pen, head lowered, glaring at his jailers.
The other fuck opened the cage and stepped back, another gun pointed at him.
"Let's go," he ordered.
Travis took a faltering step and then another as he followed the men. He could barely stand, let alone fight.
Was this how he was going to die? Without a fucking fight?
As he passed her cage, Travis looked over at Vanessa. Blood stained the floor, her chest slow to rise and fall with each breath. After their talk, she had fallen asleep. Her fur was matted, and patches of hair were missing due to the long and angry scars littering her body. He passed her cage, and the assholes slammed and locked the door behind them.
Barely able to stand, he walked down the long hallway, both men at his flank. In minutes, he found himself in the middle of the ring. A large roaring crowd called for blood. He sniffed. His smell was almost nonexistent, but he was an alpha. He had a higher tolerance than most.
Humans. Most of them were humans.
He scanned the faces as they waved their arms and shouted down at him. The rage built, and he shook.
He felt his balance return just as the door on the other side opened. Another wolf walked out, welts and dry blood scattered on the black fur.
A dull roar entered Travis’ ears. He could barely hear it, but more movement became possible as he tensed. He took a step back, not in retreat but to test his muscles. He didn't take his eyes off the wolf in front of him, their gazes locked. It was an older animal, gray around the nose. The brown eyes were faded, tired. He fought to communicate, but the link was broken.
A shot was fired, and the wolf charged.
Travis dodged to the right and whirled, his mouth open, snapping his teeth as he went for the throat. The animal moved at the last minute, and Travis landed on his feet with his back to the opponent. He turned just as he felt fangs sink into his shoulder.
His howl could barely be heard over the roaring of the crowd. He bucked and jumped, but the incisors dug further into his muscle. Snarling, he dropped to the floor and rolled, finally dislodging the teeth. They both jerked back, heaving and staring at each other, the sounds dimming. A glimmer of the link came through, and he felt the tiredness of the other wolf, but that was it. The link was too weak for much more.
The enemy jumped. Travis had anticipated the move and vaulted with him, his large claws out. Shoving forward with his own body, he landed back towards the middle of the ring, watching as the other wolf crashed against the wall and fell to the ground.
For a moment, his adversary appeared stunned and wavered to its feet. The roaring got louder, deafening as the screams grew. He allowed the wolf to get his bearings without charging. The link grew stronger, and he heard the other animal for the first time. Their eyes met.
Make it quick, Alpha, the other wolf said.
Who are you? What pack are you from?
He didn't respond but charged, his fangs bared as he flew towards Travis, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Travis jumped to the side and rolled in the dirt as the wolf missed him. Whirling around, fangs bared, he crouched down and sprung, landing on the older wolf’s back. His fangs grew even longer as he sank them into his enemy’s neck; his teeth breaking through the voice box with ease. Blood and bone filled his mouth. Muscle tore until he met the thick spinal bone in the back.
I'm sorry.
I know.
With a savage growl, he jerked and jumped back. The rival wolf fell to the ground, a large chunk of his throat missing.
The crowd went wild, sound shaking the walls. He turned and felt the darts hit his sides, his legs. Suddenly, he stilled, and the world spun, collapsing inward, blood pooling beneath him as the blackness hit him.
Damn it.
Aiden Burns eyed the large metal warehouse nestled between two enormous mountains; his second in command behind him. A chilly breeze blew through from the snow-covered tops, but he didn’t notice as he surveyed the activity below.
Or the lack of it.
It was silent and almost looked deserted. From what he had found out, there was only one entrance into the building and one or two small windows at the top, but not big enough to go through. They were entering through the front door.
“This it?”
Aiden nodded, his lips tight as he surveyed the building. He refused to believe his sister was dead. Even when the whole pack was convinced, urging him to give up, he held firm. His sister was a fighter. She was alive. He would know if she were dead.
After months of searching, one of his leads had come through with information about a fighting ring in the middle of the Colorado Mountains that involved wolves and high-priced stakes. It had been a long shot, but he was desperate. Unsure of what shape he would find his sister in, time was running out.
Sis, I’m coming.
He spied three humans patrolling the grounds with four more on the roof, guns slung over their shoulders.
He took a deep breath and turned, opening his mouth to plan the attack.
I’m so sorry, Aiden.
He froze as her voice came through. Their link, their family bond, had gone weak to almost nonexistent, but just then, he had heard her small voice, clear but filled with pain, defeat, and something he never thought he would hear when it came to his sister.
Resignation.
His eyes returned to the building as his body trembled. Hands tightened into fists at his side.
“She’s in there,” he said. Relief threatening to bring him to his knees as his anger grew and his wolf battled to be freed.
He couldn’t believe it. After months of looking, of hoping, his sister was close. He could feel it. It had been her voice; he was sure of it. She was in the warehouse, and everyone inside would die.
Of that, he promised.
“How can you be sure?” Ethan, his second in command
, said quietly, standing beside him as he too looked at the warehouse and its guards. For being so isolated, there was a lot of activity on the grounds.
Even being his best friend, Ethan had urged him to give up, telling him his sister had probably run off and left the pack, but Aiden knew better. She wouldn’t have left without a word to him. They were too close.
“I can feel her.”
And he left it at that.
Travis opened his eyes, the dim room and the barriers of the bars slowly coming into focus. It was a struggle to move, but he finally managed as he staggered to his feet. He didn’t know how much time had passed since they shot him up, and his gaze flew over to Vanessa’s cage. Lying in the corner, her head resting on her paws, she watched him.
How are you feeling?
Her thoughts came across muddled. He could understand her, but barely.
Like shit.
Her amusement at his response came across, and that told him a lot about her. Like how she was used to it. He didn’t know how he felt about her yet, but she was right about one thing. Neither she nor her brother had played a role in his mother’s death, and he had to remember that. He wasn’t the type to blame the offspring of his enemies, as long as they left him and his alone. On top of that, he had to find out what the fuck was going on beyond the obvious fighting—like his memory loss. It may not have been his battle in the beginning, but by God, he was making it his now.
Why can’t I remember the attack?
Because of the drugs.
And the healing? The smell?
Slowed down, and your smell beyond the basic is blocked by the drugs.
With that, she closed her eyes and turned her head towards the wall, away from him.
Questions slammed through him, but he knew she would ignore anything else said. So, he paced. He couldn’t rest, not while he was caged like an animal.
Feeling his nerves coming alive, the drug working its way through his fast metabolism, he knew he didn’t have long. Whoever they were, they would be returning at any moment to make sure he couldn’t shift. At least from what he could understand.
Travis heard footsteps pounding towards them from outside the room and froze, his muscles tense. Vanessa was in no shape to fight. Her ear twitched, but she didn’t open her eyes so that only left him.
Fuck.
The door opened, and two men entered, a gun slung over the shoulder of the taller one. They ignored Vanessa’s prone body and headed towards him, an identical grin on their ugly faces. A growl tickled his throat, and his canines grew as he watched them close in.
The two stopped a few feet from the metal bars, and the bigger one raised the gun, his aim perfect. The Alpha felt the shot in his shoulder again and howled, foam instantly dripping from his open mouth. He started to charge the bars, fury hitting a new high. His legs caved, the nerves paralyzed by the drugs quickly seeping into his bloodstream. His vision blurred as he lay on the ground, eyes shifted, meeting Vanessa’s in the other cage.
He laid there and fought the blackness, managing to stay semi-conscious. Keeping his eyes on the female wolf as she watched him, compassion glittering in her green eyes. They didn’t try to communicate telepathically; instead, they connected through sight, each willing the other to be strong, to survive.
Before long, the door opened again, and he managed to get to his feet. A growl erupted from his throat.
“What the hell?” The tall idiot stormed closer to the male, and he moved back, his eyes on them.
“What the fuck. The drugs were supposed to–”
“Hit him again.”
A shot fired and this time, he couldn’t fight it. Blackness enveloped him. Vanessa’s eyes were the last thing he saw.
Pain.
A sharp pain pierced him, jerking him back to awareness.
The crowd roared as Travis’ eyes flew open. He didn’t move as he took in his surroundings. He was on the dirt covered ground, back in the ring. His heart slammed against his ribs as he stumbled to his feet, swaying, trying to steady himself as he took it all in.
Fuck.
It had only been hours since killing the last wolf. These fuckers were greedy.
Metal clanked as the crowd roared again, and Travis looked to his right just as a huge, gray wolf entered the ring, the glint of his brown eyes gleaming with all the emotions of survival.
Shaking his head, the alpha tensed. If it were going to be another fight, then he would win.
He always won.
He braced himself just as the whistle blew. Eyes narrowing, his focus tightened as everything else faded. The other wolf paced a circle around him, watching him, trying to get him to make a move. Travis remained still with only his eyeballs following his adversary.
If he hadn’t been so still and watchful, he would have missed it, as in the slight tensing of the muscles that signaled the move.
The other wolf sprang, leaping up into the air, fangs bared.
Travis waited, his head down as if in defeat. At the last second, he moved, shifting slightly to the side. The other wolf missed him and landed on his flank with a small yelp but didn’t have time to jump to his feet.
Incisors bared, he went for the throat, blood filling his mouth as he cut through the gristle. The body went slack as the life drained from his enemy’s body until he was gone. Just like that, it was over.
Travis jumped back and turned, spying his chance.
He swung to the right and felt the sharp breeze of a flying dart past his ears. Three men jumped down from the stands as the crowd gasped, their eyes riveted on the scene in the ring, on him.
He bounded, using the power of his back legs to propel him past the men and onto the wall ledge. The crowd jumped back as he catapulted over them. He just had to make it to the doors, and he was free.
Darts pierced his side. Four of them running down his back and hind quarters.
Vision blurred, the arena spun again as he experienced his legs collapse beneath him. He barely felt the ground and the booted kick to his side.
“Fucking animal. Get him up!”
Vanessa paced around the cage, hating the fact she had the steps memorized and measured. She could walk the same walk, the same cadence, with her eyes closed. What she couldn’t believe was her worry over a wolf she didn’t know. Especially after learning what her own pack had done to his. The pain had been hidden in the rage, and yet, there was something about his eyes, about his posture and his pride that told her all she needed to know.
He’s an alpha. Why do I care? I have my own shit to worry about.
She felt a flutter in her stomach, and her vision distorted as a tear leaked from the corner of her eye to disappear in her fur.
She heard the door open, and her body stilled as she glanced over. Her first thought was to back away from the door to the far side of the cage. Which wasn’t much distance from the front, but to her, any little distance was better than none from the man coming towards her. Heart pounding, she didn’t take her gaze off of the bastard.
“Well, hello there, darling Vanessa,” Dominic drawled. His hard brown eyes raked her form, and a shiver skated down her spine as she stood frozen in the back of the cage, silent. She knew what was going to happen but wouldn’t make it easy for the asshole. The other bastards hadn’t appeared behind him, but she knew they were there. Her neck prickled with the sensation of being studied.
The shift took over, her captor’s face tightening as the fur covered his tall body. Bone snapped and shaped, filling the silence. A second later, she stared over at the enormous black wolf. It's cold gaze boring into her.
The door suddenly opened again, and his two pack dogs fell in behind him. A sadist gleam in their bloodshot eyes.
Dominic took a step closer and froze, tensing as he lifted his nose to sniff. He bared his teeth. A growl escaped his throat, and the men froze. He sounded off again, and they turned and left, closing the door behind them.
Son of a bitch. You’re fucking breeding
.
No response. She knew he would find out once he had shifted and come close to her. It had been at least a month since Dominic had visited her, and he didn’t allow any of the other shifters near her, except for Mitch and Tom. They were too stupid and scared of Dominic to try anything with her.
She could see the wheels turning in his head as he studied her. The door opened again behind him, and he growled low in his throat. This time a definite warning. He didn’t take his gaze off her. The menacing rumble caused chills to tighten her throat.
The door closed with a snap. Seconds ticked by until he took a step back, his eyes taking on a feverish light.
Well, well, well, I do love surprises.
Suddenly, he shifted, the fur receding, and soon he stood naked in front of her, his muscled form standing tall. He stared down at her.
Oh, God, no…
Vanessa knew the look in his eyes, knew what he was planning to do. She backed up further, but there was nowhere to go. Her stomach dropped as the quiet order left his lips.
“Shift.”
The alpha was speaking, and the power radiating from the heat of his body bypassed the effects of the drugs.
She felt the pull, the bones try to disengage and give her back her human shape. If she hadn’t been pregnant, she would have welcomed the shift, used it in a way to fight. But if she shifted, her baby was dead.
His eyes narrowed to slits; his lips pulled tight. “Shift,” he ordered again, glaring down at her.
The pull got stronger, and she whimpered. A gleam of satisfaction turned his brown eyes black.
Fight, girl. Don’t shift. Fight.
Her body, her wolf, wanted to bow down to the dominant one, the alpha, but a mother’s instinct was more intense. Vanessa glared up at him as the pull retreated and her bones slipped back into place.
Their gazes locked as the seconds ticked by.
The gleam turned feverish, and he stepped closer to the cage, his large hands circling the bars. He may have been the alpha, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.
Crescent Vendetta (Vendetta Series Book 1) Page 3