Blood Hunt

by L. L. Raand

  “How are you, Prima?” Sylvan asked.

  “Hungry for you. But I’ll manage.”

  “The pain?”

  “Just a constant ache.” Drake slid around until they were face-to-face and leaned into Sylvan. “But I ache more for the taste of you.”

  “That’s not what you need.” Sylvan growled softly and nipped at Drake’s throat. “You need me inside you to quiet the breeding frenzy.”

  “Maybe. Maybe I do, but I want you in my mouth.”

  Sylvan groaned, her body quickening to her mate’s call. “We may be several hours in the city. I would tell you to stay here, but I don’t think we can be apart that long.”

  Drake pulled Sylvan’s T-shirt free from her pants and rubbed her belly. Sylvan stiffened and pelt erupted under Drake’s fingertips. Drake laughed. “No, not a few hours.”

  “You’re handling this better than most Weres in their first heat,” Sylvan said, gritting her teeth against the urge to pull Drake down and take her instantly.

  “Maybe because I have no idea what to expect. All I know is I need you. And the only frightening thing about that is I’ve never needed anyone so much before.”

  “I want you right now,” Sylvan said, “and it’s nothing to do with breeding. You take away the pain I never knew I had.”

  “Always. Always.” Drake kissed her. “But we need to do this. If they’re out there somewhere—our females.”

  “Yes,” Sylvan growled, and her face grew hard and angular. “I need to know how to find them. If I could sense them—” She growled again, and her canines forced themselves out.

  Drake rubbed Sylvan’s chest until the rumbling quieted. “In the morning I’ll go to the lab and talk to the Revniks. We’ll figure out what might be blocking your connection to them.” She drew back at the sound of a powerful engine approaching and sighed. “Since I don’t intend to couple with you on the floor of the Rover in front of Misha and Max, you’d better let me go.”

  Sylvan huffed. “You think they haven’t seen me couple before?”

  “If they have, I don’t want to know about it. And they won’t be seeing it again.”

  Sylvan clasped Drake’s hips and held her fast. “Prima. Weres couple without worrying about who may be watching, and no one does for exactly that reason.”

  Drake’s claws edged out, and she scratched Sylvan’s belly until Sylvan’s hips lurched. “I don’t care. When you come, you will come for me and no one else.”

  Sylvan thought of where they were going. Of Francesca. Francesca had drained her, tempered her need, but she’d never pleasured her, satisfied her, the way Drake did. “I have never come for anyone the way I do for you.”

  “And I intend to see it stays—”

  “Alpha!” Niki called hoarsely as she raced across the courtyard. She leapt up onto the porch. “I’m coming with you.”

  Sylvan looped her arm around Niki’s neck and pulled her close. With her mouth against Niki’s ear, she said quietly, “I need you to stay with Lara. Lara needs you.”

  Niki pressed her face to Sylvan’s throat. “Please, Alpha. I need to be with you.”

  Sylvan stroked Niki’s head. “I know, I know. I want you to be with me. But I need my best to look after Lara and to make sure we know what the Vampire discovers. I trust Gates, but she’s still a Vampire. I need Pack at my back. I need you there, Niki.”

  “I understand.” Niki took a shuddering breath. “I think you can trust the Vampire.”

  “I can’t afford to be wrong,” Sylvan said. “Stay close to her. To Lara.”

  “The Vampires…they’re powerful.”

  “Yes,” Sylvan said, stroking the back of Niki’s neck. “They are.” She gripped Niki’s shoulders, holding her gaze. “But you are my imperator. You are stronger. Feed them, if you need to. Don’t fear your need. You are stronger than your need.”

  “I’m not you,” Niki said.

  “You don’t need to be.”

  “And the blood thrall?”

  “Trust yourself,” Sylvan said. “I do. Stop fighting what you need.” She kissed Niki swiftly. “Don’t worry, we won’t be far away.”

  “Yes, Alpha,” Niki whispered as Sylvan and Drake bounded down the stairs and climbed into the back of the Rover. She wanted to stay with Sylvan. Only Sylvan’s call was strong enough to block out every other need. Sylvan had always been her safety net, a safe focus for her passion and her desire, even though she knew she’d never have her. Now with Sylvan mated, she was left alone with her own naked desires, and nothing had ever been as frightening.

  Sophia heard the Rover pull away and hurried outside. Across the Compound, Niki stood on the porch watching the Alpha leave. Niki was barefoot in only a loose pair of black BDUs. Her hard stomach and full round breasts glistened in the moonlight. Sophia’s blood hummed, and she felt Niki’s need vibrate across the Compound. She strode toward Niki, and the closer she got, the stronger she felt her call. She’d stayed away from headquarters when Sylvan had gathered her council. Too many dominant Weres in one place, when she was still so unsettled from the Alpha’s breeding call and Dasha’s hot eyes. She’d resisted Dasha’s offer earlier, and with the Alpha leaving the Compound, the restless demands of her body were lessening. But Niki, Niki was so hard to turn away from.

  “Are you leaving again?” Sophia asked.

  “Yes,” Niki said, thankful now that Sylvan had ordered her to go. Sophia stood at the bottom of the stairs, gazing up at her, her pale hair nearly silver in the moonlight. She was beautiful and good and Niki’s touch would only tarnish her. “I’m going with Lara.”

  Sophia’s lips parted in surprise. “With Lara? To feed her?”

  “No, to guard her.”

  “And the Vampire?”

  Niki couldn’t restrain her response. Her stomach quivered, and she growled softly.

  “I see.”

  “No, you don’t,” Niki said.

  “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Niki.”

  “Isn’t there?” Niki drove her claws into the wood post. “I don’t want to want anything from the Vampires.”

  “Maybe you should worry less about what…or who…you want. You’re too hard on yourself. Concentrate on what you’re best at.”

  Niki laughed, the bitter taste of failure in her throat. “What would that be?”

  “Guarding the Alpha. Safeguarding the Pack. No matter what it takes. If it means you tangle with a Vampire, for whatever reason, then you do. The Alpha needs you. We all need you.”

  Niki moaned, uncertainty filling her chest. Sophia climbed the stairs and wrapped her arms around Niki’s waist. Her breasts were full and warm against Niki’s bare skin. Sophia’s nipples were hard beneath the thin cotton of her tank top. She smelled like sunshine and wild roses, and Niki growled again.

  “I believe in you,” Sophia said and kissed her. Her tongue skimmed lightly over Niki’s lower lip and just inside her mouth.

  Niki stood as still as she could, her claws, her canines, her clitoris all hard and throbbing and ready. Sophia’s mouth moved down her throat, and she whined, the need to take overpowered only by her need not to harm. “Sophia.”

  “I know. I know you don’t…we can’t.” Sophia kissed the hollow at the base of Niki’s throat. “We can’t…I can’t be with you that way either.” She stepped back and brushed Niki’s hair with her fingers. “But I want you to know I feel safe, the whole Pack feels safe, because of you.”

  “I’ll try not to let you down,” Niki whispered.

  “You won’t.”

  The door behind them opened, and the Vampire emerged with Becca and Lara. Dasha followed a few steps behind and her eyes went immediately to Sophia. Niki growled and Dasha stiffened, her eyes flashing.

  “Wolf,” Jody said. “I understand you’ll be joining us.”

  “Yes,” Niki said through gritted teeth.

  “I hope you’re replenished after your rest.” Jody smiled. “We’ve an appointment to join your Alph
a at Nocturne.”

  Niki gently released Sophia, filling her lungs with sunshine and roses and hoping the scent would stay with her in the night. Light flickered at the edges of the darkness that had been so close around her only minutes before. “Then it’s time we left.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  It’s not your fault, Drake telegraphed to Sylvan as Andrew turned into an enormous lot in front of a dark building. If she didn’t know better, she would believe the place abandoned. Beyond the club, the dark waters of the Hudson River were a roiling tempest. She rubbed the inside of Sylvan’s jeans-clad thigh. No one suspected those two females were missing until the attack on Misha. And you were the one who wanted the disappearances investigated.

  Sylvan rumbled, her eyes flashing from blue to gold. The Pack depends on the Alpha to provide unity. The Alpha is the center, the heart holding all, one to another, no matter where they are. If I can’t feel them, I’ve failed them. Sylvan’s rage permeated the close confines of the Rover, and across from them, Misha whined softly and Jace and Jonathan grumbled restlessly.

  Drake slid her hand under Sylvan’s T-shirt and stroked her chest. Sylvan’s muscles were straining, her body hot. Her wolf was close, and she was angry. The young centuri were unaccustomed to absorbing the Alpha’s power. They all needed calming. Drake softened her touch even further, forcing her mate to concentrate on the feel of her hands, seducing her beast until she could reason again. Failure is when you deny your responsibility, avoid fulfilling your destiny. You would never do that. Whatever has come between you and your wolves did not originate in you. I’ll find out what it is, I promise.

  I need you. Sylvan closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek on Drake’s shoulder. The Pack needs you.

  And I’m here. Drake lightly traced her bite mark on Sylvan’s left breast with her fingertips. The skin was even hotter there, vibrating in tune with both their heartbeats.

  Sylvan arched into Drake’s caress and nuzzled Drake’s neck. You calm my wolf with one hand and excite her with the other. You make me ready and then tell me to wait.

  Drake let her hand drift down Sylvan’s belly, smiling as Sylvan instantly pelted under her fingertips. She looked out the front windows and saw that Andrew had angled the Rover close to the entrance. He cut the engine. Time to go inside. Sylvan’s skin was slick with pheromones. So was hers. I just wanted to make sure every Vampire in this place smells me on you. So there’ll be no doubt you’re nobody’s meal.

  Sylvan laughed and clasped Drake’s neck. “No one will have any doubt. Stay close.”

  Andrew pulled open the rear door of the Rover, and the centuri climbed out to form a path to the door for Sylvan and Drake. Drake glanced around the jammed parking lot at the vast array of vehicles squeezed into every available space. Luxury cars, limos, dusty 4x4s, rusted-out junkers, motorcycles. As diverse as the clientele, probably. Praeterns had integrated into every social and economic stratum of society over the centuries. She wondered about the humans who mingled with them for pleasure.

  “I’ve never been inside a Vampire club before,” Drake said. “I know what thrall feels like, but is there anything else I should know?”

  “Gates.” Sylvan snarled. “I knew she’d tried to ensnare you the first day she met you.”

  “But she didn’t.” Drake slung her arm around Sylvan’s waist. Jace and Jonathan flanked the club’s door as Max pushed it open, and he and Misha went inside. “Maybe I won’t be susceptible now that I’ve turned.”

  “I don’t think anyone will try to enthrall you, but if they do,” Sylvan said in a calm and reasonable voice, “I will tear them apart.”

  “Maybe you should let me try saying no first,” Drake murmured.

  Sylvan’s only response was another snarl.

  “Besides,” Drake said as they walked into the club, “I understood hosting was voluntary. Granted, I don’t know any Vampires personally other than Jody. The few I know of who work at the hospital tend to be even more reclusive than we are.”

  “We? Weres, you mean?”

  “Yes.” Drake kissed Sylvan. “I am a Were.”

  Sylvan’s eyes flashed and Drake saw the wolf shimmer in their depths. “What are you worried about, Alpha?”

  “The Vampires don’t take involuntary hosts, but they hunt with their minds. Weres are not immune, although our resistance is much higher to their thrall than a human’s.”

  “Then I’ll be sure to be on guard. I don’t want you fighting, not until you need to. And you will never need to fight because of me. I’m your mate. I’m yours.”

  “I know that. So does my wolf. But she doesn’t reason with her mind. She only reasons with her heart.”

  “Then your wolf knows the truth.”

  As they shouldered through the crowd, Drake took in the cavernous club, which appeared pretty much as she had expected given the outside. Huge, dark, packed with bodies. Furnishings surprisingly more elegant than she might’ve anticipated, but then given the activities—understandable. A heavy bass beat undercut the murmur of voices, although the music wasn’t loud. This was no dance club. Vampires and Weres and humans were feeding and tangling everywhere. She wondered if humans would watch the frantic exchange of blood and sex with the same fascination they watched lions hunt on the savanna or elks in rut fight to the death over a female in heat. Humans were as much fascinated by the wild side of nature as they feared it. The humans in this room had obviously overcome their fear, or perhaps they merely gloried in it.

  A sleek, dark-haired Vampire appeared in their path. Even in the near darkness, the blazing blue of her eyes was captivating. An androgynous mixture of beauty and strength, she exuded power and subtle menace. “To what do we owe this honor, Alpha?”

  “We’ve come to see the Viceregal,” Sylvan said.

  Sylvan answered calmly, but Drake felt her wariness. Sylvan wasn’t tense, she wasn’t anxious. She was simply on guard, the way any dominant animal would be in the presence of another predator. Her power and confidence flowed over Drake like warm rain. She loved this side of her mate, as much as she loved holding her after Sylvan had emptied her heart and mind and soul in the storms of their passion.

  The Vampire regarded Drake with a raised eyebrow. “I see congratulations are in order.”

  “Prima, this is Michel, the Viceregal’s senechal. My mate, Drake,” Sylvan said.

  Michel smiled, a cool almost amused smile. “The Viceregal will be very pleased to meet you, I’m sure.” She glanced at Sylvan and laughed.

  “We don’t have much time,” Sylvan said coolly. “Would you tell your Liege we’re here?”

  “Make yourself comfortable, Alpha,” Michel said with a faint edge to her voice. “I’ll let her know you’re seeking an audience.” She glanced at the centuri, who formed a semicircle at Sylvan’s back. “Perhaps your guards would like to relax while you meet with the Viceregal. I’m sure they could find amusing company at the bar.”

  Max snapped, “We will be accompanying the Alpha.”

  “I’m afraid that will not be possible,” Michel said. “The Viceregal sees only privileged guests in her private quarters.”

  Sylvan said, “Drake and I will be happy to meet with the Viceregal alone. My guards will stay up here.”

  The centuri grumbled quietly until Drake shot a sharp glance at them, and they quieted. She understood their apprehension, but Sylvan could not be seen as fearing for her welfare. If someone had targeted her, now was the time for her to show her strength. And Drake was absolutely certain she could protect her if it came to that. No one would harm her mate while she breathed.

  “Wait here.” Michel disappeared into the crowd.

  Sylvan turned to Max. “Be wary of thrall.” She lowered her voice. “Especially with the younger ones. They will not have had enough experience to realize when they’re being captured.”

  “Yes, Alpha. But Andrew could stay here, and I could accompany you—”

  Sylvan wrapped an arm around his neck
and drew him close. “With Niki gone, you lead the centuri. Don’t let them see you fear for me.”

  “I do not fear for you, Alpha. But it is my job to protect you.”

  “And you will. The entrance to Francesca’s lair is behind the bar. Position the centuri to watch it, and make sure no Vampires go down in force. Her legions will be young males and females, probably dressed like club clientele. Look for the ones who are not feeding. Francesca will not allow them to until she does, and that will not be until near dawn when all the Risen have left. Even the most powerful of Vampires becomes somnolent after feeding, and Francesca does not make herself vulnerable until there is no danger.”

  Max nodded sharply. “Yes, Alpha.”

  When he turned away to instruct the centuri, Drake said, “You’re very familiar with the Viceregal.”

  “Before the Exodus, she was our ally. I wouldn’t say she and my mother were friends, but they stood together to keep order among the Praetern predators. I’ve known her all my life.” Sylvan stroked Drake’s face. Is there something else you want to know, Prima?

  Drake shook her head. She might be a Were now, might be the Alpha’s mate, but there were layers upon layers of Praetern history she had yet to learn. Of one thing, however, she was certain: You carry my bite, no one else’s. There’s nothing else I need to know.

  Sylvan kissed her. “Francesca is also an excellent chess player.”

  “Really?” Drake said. “As it happens, so am I.”

  Becca glanced in the rearview mirror. Lara and Niki were half lying on the backseat, Niki propped up in one corner, Lara in her arms. Lara’s face was buried in the crook of Niki’s shoulder, and she seemed to be licking her neck. Their arms and legs were so entwined Becca couldn’t tell who was who. Both had their eyes closed, and she might have thought they were asleep except for the duet of rumbles filling the car.

  She couldn’t help wonder if Lara was going to lose control again, and if she did, whether Niki could restrain her. She was very glad to see Nocturne just ahead and signaled a turn into the parking lot.

  Jody had been silent on the forty-minute ride from the Compound, and now she said to Becca as if she’d heard Becca’s unspoken question, “They’ll be all right. Once Lara feeds, she’ll be less agitated. I’ll take her home, and she’ll sleep until tomorrow night.”