by J. C RIMELL
“Murphy,” he called out without shifting his glowing stare. “They will now.”
Madeleine waited until Murphy joined the three of them. He was a silent soul, who said very little if nothing at all. At six and a half feet and built like a solid stone wall, his presence said enough. He wore heavy military boots, black jeans, a vintage Iron Maiden T-shirt, and a black leather trench coat that swept his ankles. His midnight blue eyes were almost always covered by a pair of black wraparounds. He sort of reminded her of Neo from the Matrix movies and was easily―if not―better looking than Keanu.
Murphy felt the electric pulse in the air. He absorbed the emotions each individual was feeling, and he did so without a flicker of affirmation across his face or twitch of his body. His abilities were special to say the very least. The reason the two prisoners were sitting in silence, was because he controlled emotion and the environment that surrounded one's emotions. That he could pluck them out, tell if someone was angry, sad or happy even when he wasn't in the same room, was only part of his skill. He could consume the vibes in the air. Bend them to his will and make even the wildest animal compliant. A skill which had come in useful in a den full of hot-headed shifters and the most stubborn of prisoners.
He entered the room and the male gazed up at him. Flipping his black shades to rest on the top of his head, the two exchanged a long, hard stare. Murphy opened his mind and felt the foreign energy of the male seep into him. He called to it, found that it was new and interesting.
He sensed an ancient knowledge. A yearning, a hunger, and a deep hatred that swirled invisibly in the air. Murphy studied it for a moment. Once he was sure it was safe for her to do so, he dropped his shades back into place, turned and gave a single nod toward the doctor. She entered the cell along with Jack and Cade as a precautionary measure. Murphy took a step back to give Madoc some room but didn't allow his subject to leave his unbreakable, invisible grasp.
Seth had sensed Daniel was close, and to continue fighting with the wolf hadn't seemed like the best idea. Even though his blood boiled and his need for the female had engulfed every part of him. He couldn't leave his brother, and the jealousy he felt toward the half man, half wolf would have to take a back seat.
So he'd allowed the shifter to take him in and had felt relief when he caught a fleeting glance of Daniel, who was two cells away from his own. He observed the men on the other side of the glass and could tell the second male was also a shifter. They were soon accompanied by a female and another male who had been standing guard over Daniel.
Now a strange feeling of calm washed over him as the tall guy dressed in black stood before him. He'd sensed the curious energy enter the room before he did. It was as though an invisible snake had slithered inside of him and wrapped itself around his emotions and squeezed the life from them. Seth's blood no longer felt foreign beneath his skin. He no longer felt the burning thirst for blood. Nor did he feel angry or any other emotion. For the first time since he could remember he felt at peace, and he savored the tranquility of his mind.
He removed his shirt as requested by the female and made a fist as she proceeded to tourniquet his arm. “My name is Seth,” he offered as if an imperceptible voice had ordered him to do so.
“Okay, Seth, I'll try to make this as quick as possible.” Madeleine addressed the male, tapping the vein in his arm before inserting the needle. “You are quite the mystery. I've yet to establish what on earth you are.” She popped another vial into place and watched it fill with dark, ruby red liquid.
Seth turned to look at the woman sitting next to him, she was very pretty, her hair was a wilderness of curls and her eyes were kind and inviting. Again he was encouraged to talk to her by a phantom voice sweeping through his mind. “I was once not much different from yourself.” His eyes narrowed in reminiscence. “I walked the earth like any living creature I desired to be. It was a peaceful existence. I never killed innocent beings and only hunted to feed.”
Madeleine took the full vial and marked the first and second with his name. “So what happened?” she asked, squeezing a spot of antibacterial liquid onto a ball of cotton wool and placed it over the needle while she carefully removed it. Although he was a supernatural being, and would heal seconds later, she treated him as though he was as fragile as a human. Just as she did with all the pack.
“Valerie.” Her name tasted like poison on his tongue.
She wiped the injection site, pleased to see it had already healed. “A woman?”
He wanted to laugh, but his body was void of any emotion at the moment, and he knew it was the shady character stood in the corner with hidden eyes. He would have to thank him after. “No, not a woman. She's a venomous bitch.” He met the doctor's gentle, inquisitive gaze. “She sucked my life from out of me and turned me into a monster.”
Madeleine watched as the white in his eyes grew bigger, covering what little blue there was like a cloud covering a winter sky. She understood he had been a Walker, but their race had disappeared long ago. “I don't understand,” she said, shaking her head and sending a few curls tumbling loose from her braid. “If you're no longer a walker, then what exactly are you?”
He speared her lovely cinnamon eyes, catching the hypnotizing flecks of gold in their depths.
“A killer.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
When Kit awoke, she felt… Happy.
She sat up slowly and allowed herself to toy with the emotion. It was the first time since she'd felt happy since she could remember. The feeling was unfamiliar, foreign as it tried to become comfortable in a place where it didn't quite fit and it didn't belong. Cade Grayson, she realized, had been the very first thought in her waking mind, and the person responsible for the smile that had accompanied it.
It should be a good thing, she thought, but she couldn't escape the heavy pain that settled in her chest. For the first time since the accident, it hadn't been Clara's image she'd seen. Hadn't been the guilt she'd grown so accustomed to feeling. No, she thought, as she allowed the pain and guilt to nestle back into place, she wasn't ready to move on or to forget about Clara. Her heart gave a painful twist. For her to hang on to her twin, meant she would have to let go of that happiness, which also meant letting go of Cade.
Dragging herself out of bed, she felt hot one minute and cold the next and decided to drown her sorrows in a nice hot shower. Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in jeans and a soft cream turtleneck. It seemed a little too warm for knitwear this time of year, but she just couldn't shake the chills. Her glands felt twice their normal size, and she was more tired than she'd felt in forever. But she refused to believe it was anything more than the onset of a common cold. It was still early and the deep amber streak in the inky sky promised a fine day. The storm had passed, causing little to no damage, and after drying her hair she padded down the stairs to the welcoming smell of coffee.
“Are you running a fever?” Jo asked as her shrewd eyes narrowed in suspicion at Kit. “Your cheeks are flushed, but you look pale around the gills.”
Kit shrugged off the astute observation. “No, I've just had a shower, that's all.” She grabbed a large mug she filled it with fresh coffee, adding cream and a brown sugar cube, figuring she could do with the extra sweet kick. She took a long, slow sip, unable to hide the grimace as the heat of it fired up the pain in her tonsils.
Jo was there immediately pressing the back of her hand against her forehead. “Damn, you're hot like burning coals,” she paused, leaving the room only to re-enter seconds later with the phone. “I'm calling Doctor Krane.”
“Jo, please, I'm fine. Just give me some Ibuprofen and see how it goes.” She was fine, it wasn't anything to worry about. It was just a cold.
But her aunt just shook her head, defiant.
“Your mama will eat me alive if I don't get you checked out. After what happened to you, it'll make me feel better. Besides, I already feel bad enough that I haven't told your parents about that recent incident.”
> Kit blew out a frustrated breath with a roll of her eyes. She wasn't winning this one, and she knew it. Damn the women in this family for all sharing one common trait.
Stubbornness.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Leon sneered in distaste as he glanced at his reflection in the full-length mirror in his chamber.
Gone were his normal attire of Gucci loafers, Ralph Lauren shirts, and fine Armani suits. Tonight he was garbed in black clothing and heavy military boots, all of which felt too rough against his skin and he despised. But, he supposed, they were necessary for the task at hand. He gathered ten of his best men. All were purebred vampires, strong, and skilled in fighting hand to hand, with a good knowledge of weapons. Together they headed out into the night.
His experimental creations had not yet returned with Seth, and he refused to wait any longer. Leon would kill the ancient ones he had spawned into new creations. He should have known they would prove untrustworthy, and they were somewhat complicated having to rely on new hosts. Leon would continue with the half-breeds. Though not as strong, human and vampire offspring were far more reliable with abilities like their vampire parents. The humans were the weaker ones; the blood was far too diluted, inheriting immortality, speed, and strength, but lacked the special and unique abilities bred into their counterparts.
The chill of the Arctic air sank deep into his lungs, waking him from within, stirring his need for a fight. The desire to show those who disobeyed him his strength and power, and ultimately why he was a Vampire King.
They were heading South, where the weather was warmer, clearer, neither of which he nor any other vampire enjoyed. The sun had little effect on his kind unless exposed to it for long periods of time. Then it would decrease their power, make them sluggish, lethargic and ineffectual. Eventually, they would perish in slow, painful agony.
Leon waited for his men to surround him, then took one last look at the female vampire stood on the second story balcony of the hunting lodge. Valerie was quite a vision, he thought, watching the breeze play with her long dark hair, sweeping it back over her shoulders. The moon glistened in her eyes like shimmering crystal. Once her eyes had glittered the same way for him, but he knew she felt nothing for him now. He hoped a little she would not let him down, it would be such a shame to have to put an end to her immortal life.
“Let us hunt down our deserters and show them no mercy,” the King called out into the wilderness, the sound echoing in the eerie silence. A cruel smile spread across his face as the blood rushed through his veins. He blurred into the night, an invisible entity to all but his soldiers who followed tightly on his heels.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Doctor Krane put his stethoscope and thermometer back in the traditional brown leather bag and pushed his half-moon spectacles back onto the bridge of his nose. He was old, Kit thought, as she sat watching him fumble with a pen and prescription pad. No, not old, ancient. His white hair was wispy and windswept. His face had more lines than a tube station map, and his eyes were a striking apple green below fuzzy white eyebrows.
He was dressed in an impeccable, fawn tweed suit with a checked shirt, complete with burgundy bow tie and old-fashioned brogue shoes, the toes having seen better days.
“Now then young lady,” he said, peering down at her over the straight edge of his spectacles. “I think you have a dose of influenza.” His accent was British and upper class. He'd grown up there, before returning to his birthplace after finishing his education.
Kit breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but her reprieve was short-lived. The charming doctor scribbled something on his pad.
“However,” he continued, tearing the prescription free and handing it to her, “I will arrange for you to have a blood test, to check for anemia. The sooner, the better.” He closed his bag and stood up from the sofa. “In the meantime, take the medication I have prescribed. Stay warm, dry and try to get as much rest as you can.”
Aw shit. Kit folded her arms across her chest, totally peeved. She felt like doctor Krane had just placed a big old black cloud over her head.
§
Leon did not pause until he caught the distinct scent of his rogue servants. He had tracked their faint signatures through Nebraska and Kansas City. He and his men continued until reaching Atlanta where his unique ability stretched forth before him and took them toward the coast of Northern Carolina. For a human driving non-stop it would have taken over seventeen, painfully long hours. But being the age old vampire that Leon was, he did it within half that time.
The unique DNA of his subordinates tainted the blood of the hosts in which they had to use. Even so, his power was strong enough having lived almost two thousand years, that he could tell each individual apart no matter how slight the difference. He was a connoisseur of signatures, of the unseen footprint left by those around him and he would not stop until he found them.
The sun was a slither streaking the sky in the distance as he stood atop a cliff overlooking the sea. It had been many years since he had ventured near the sea water that covered the Earth. The salty air burned in his nostrils, acting as a warning. They had little time before the sun rose higher. He needed to be as strong as possible, his skills impervious if he was to finish what he had set out to do. He would kill Seth and his brothers, and anything else that got in his way.
§
“So, what exactly do we have, Madoc?” The Overseer addressed her from his seat at the head of the table, also seated were his Sentinels, Protectors, and the Shadow Pack were sitting. The room was highly charged. Buzzing with a living pulse, and Fleet wished Murphy was there with them instead of guarding the two prisoners back at the lair.
All eyes swung to rest on Madeleine, and she felt the heavy weight of expectation like a ton of bricks on her shoulders. She breathed deeply through her nose, straightened her spine and projected her voice with calm precision. There was no need to shout, thankful each individual in the room had supernatural hearing.
“I've carried out multiple tests and have come to the same conclusion each time. The two Others that are in the cells were once Walkers. They still have the DNA pattern, but I've found something else very unusual.” She opened a large book, of which spine was shredded and the pages dog-eared. “They have the ability to heal as we do, and can shift form. Before they were changed, they could morph into any living thing.” Her hand flipped the pages while her eyes scanned them eagerly for information.
“Walkers can't just shift, though, right?” Ryker asked. He wanted to help her a little by filling in the silence while she found whatever she was looking for.
Madeleine looked up and smiled at him. Although unable to find his eyes beneath the shade of his cap, she knew intuitively his gaze was fixed on hers. “That's right.” She opened the old book fully and located the information she required. “They used to need something from the animal-like fur or hair and store it in a small pouch kept around their neck. The pouches are passed down from generation to generation. They'd chant to their ancestors or ancient ones allowing the transition to happen.” She stood up, pushing away the heavy wooden chair with the back of her legs and placed the book in the middle of the table. “Seth, one of the Others told me about his change. It appears not only are Walkers still alive but so are Vampires.”
The air seemed to still. Breathing ceased as eyes flicked from one another. The Overseer leaned forward onto his elbows while his stark gaze narrowed as though in disbelief.
“That's… impossible.” His voice was a bomb going off in the silence. Even though it was barely above a whisper, the sheer impact of it was just as explosive. He knew the vampire race had been eradicated centuries ago by humans. The Vampire King and his large coven had burnt to the ground, and the wolves had stood by and let it happen. The Society had been relieved the archaic, bloodthirsty breed that fed and killed humans were no longer a threat. Wolves and vampires had always been enemies.
Madeleine swallowed. “I thought so, too, sir.” Now she ha
d to show him the proof. “The samples I tested show the genetic makeup of the Walkers. However, in genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material. Usually, DNA of an organism increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level.” She paused, allowed the information to sink in a little. “Mutagens cause changes to the DNA that can affect the transcription and replication of the DNA, which in severe cases can lead to cell death. The mutagen produces mutations in the DNA. And deleterious mutation can result in aberrant, impaired or loss of function of a particular gene. Powerful mutagens may cause chromosomal instability.”
“Hang on Maddy,” Jack addressed her, “just so we're getting this right. What you're saying is these Walkers' DNA has somehow become mutated by the vampires attempts at turning them?”
She nodded. “In a nutshell, yes.”
“The Walker,” the Overseer said, as he, too, now stood. His mighty build cast a heavy shadow in the room and all eyes swayed to look at him warily. “He is sure that what he encountered was a vampire?”
Madeleine lifted her gaze to meet his thunderous glare as he rose from his seat. “From what he's told me and with the tests I've carried out, it seems so, yes.”
“But?” he prompted further sensing her hesitation.
Madeleine cleared her throat, it suddenly felt dry and tight under his intense scrutiny. “We only have his word for it. The only way we would know for certain is to see a vampire, or find some DNA from one and test it. Compare it with what I have… Sir.”
His deadly stare refocused on Fleet and Madeleine breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “I want these Walkers interrogated to within an inch of their lives. I want to know where these vampires are hiding.” He gripped the edge of the table, trying to control the anger that was a storm waiting to erupt. His eyes were two burning orbs and his voice had gone wolf. “Get a team together… and hunt them down.”