“Goodbye,” he said simply, and let himself fall backward. Dante heard Melina’s gasp as he rolled up mid-fall and did a backflip off the balcony, landing on the path just outside the mansion’s front door. He grabbed for the doorframe to keep from falling. He looked up to the balcony and saw it was empty. If what Melina said about him was true, how strong Nightingale was, this encounter wouldn’t last long. Dante gathered himself as best he could and moved past the flames directly in front of Nightingale.
“So…you must be Deirdre.”
What? Is he this juvenile? “Dante.”
Nightingale took a step forward and waved a dismissive hand. “That’s what I said. Listen here, fucker, you and me are gonna have words.”
The fact Nightingale didn’t stop approaching told Dante that speaking was the last thing on his mind. Dante let him come. The only possible way to give himself a chance would be to conserve what little energy he had.
“Nightingale, I didn’t kill Angel.”
“Even if I did believe ya, I didn’t rape anyone. Didn’t stop you from comin’ after me.”
“You belong in jail.”
“You belong under me boot, cunt.”
Dante made sure he was positioned with the least amount of space between himself and the concrete and steel of his home’s inner supports. They wouldn’t act as a shield, but they would be painful when Nightingale’s fist went through them.
“You really pissed me off, Dido,” Nightingale said slowly, only two metres away now.
“You hurt my friends.”
“Only nicked ’em. Can’t say the same for you, Dent.”
Dante saw Nightingale’s left shoulder move and ducked as a fist sailed over his head and smashed the into walls around him. Dante swung with all his might at Nightingale’s knee, smacking it and hearing the tendons and ligaments snap behind the skin. Nightingale growled in pain, but before Dante could offer another shot, Nightingale grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him into the cement wall so hard he sunk into it. Dante tried to swing another punch, but this was easily blocked. Fortunately, at the same time, Dante managed to crack Nightingale on the tip of the nose with his forehead. A torrent of blood flowed but Nightingale didn’t move, except to spit blood in Dante’s face and smile. Dante swallowed as much of this blood as he could, trying to think of anything to give himself an edge, watching desperately for an opening. Nightingale flung Dante with the barest swish of his arms. Dante’s back struck the ground and he bounced once before settling.
Dante rolled onto his fists and rose slightly before Lee launched a fist straight down and across his face. Dante felt like a sledgehammer had been smashed across his cheeks. Half his vision suddenly went black. He could feel the side of his face saturated and then drip with blood.
Nightingale grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him to his knees, just as Dante flung a heap of dirt and grass into his eyes. Nightingale cursed and took a step back to shake the earth from his face and Dante took the chance to leap up and sink his fangs into Nightingale’s neck. Dante knew he would only have a precious few seconds, so sucked as hard as he could, opening up the wound quickly with a chomp. Nightingale stiffened, clearly shocked, but then recovered.
“Kinky fucker, you are.” He ripped Dante off his neck and in doing so, a huge portion of bloody flesh cleaved off. Dante swallowed it immediately. The wound was already beginning to close. And in that second, he understood what made Nightingale so tough. Healing. That was his power. And that extra time to feed had sent prickly healing tingles to the spots of agony in Dante’s body. When Nightingale launched another punch, Dante drew back and the fist whizzed over his head. Dante’s sleek footwork and years of training were coming back. Ducking and weaving away from punches from both fists. Dante retaliated, but hit only Nightingale’s cement-like forearms. Ducking another wild swing, Dante rushed in and threw a whip-like uppercut to the soft part of his belly. The impact caused Nightingale to buckle over and Dante aimed to connect his knee with his forehead. But Nightingale’s reflexes were incredible. He caught Dante’s leg and lifted him into the air.
Nightingale moved quickly with Dante held aloft, even as Dante powered into his head with fists, just before Nightingale crunched Dante’s back into the wreckage of the car. Nightingale held him down with the palm of his hand and threw a heap of unruly strikes, connecting with many. Dante’s mouth filled with blood, but he had no choice but to swallow it back down. Nightingale brought Dante off the bonnet of the car and moved him around to the driver’s side, running him head first into the window. Dante’s good remaining eye was filled with streams of blood from his eyebrow. As Nightingale brought him back for another shove, Dante wrapped his arm up and under his neck, used his foot on the car as leverage and flipped himself up before coming down and crunching Nightingale’s jaw and neck with his shoulder as hard as he could.
Nightingale finally screamed in pain. Something had truly hurt him. He let Dante go and staggered away, spitting out blood. Had it been any other vampire, his neck would likely have been broken. But Nightingale merely stretched his neck from left to right until it stopped clicking.
Seizing his chance, Dante grabbed a burning gutter pipe and brought it down on top of Nightingale’s head. His one good eye flickered, he could barely see. But Dante knew where to strike, unloading with everything he had. But soon, too soon, the centre of the pipe disintegrated, pieces falling and fell apart. Dante barely had time to notice before a missing piece of the gutter was returned to him. Straight through his chest.
Dante screamed, but no sound came out. The pain was too much. He fell, unable to breathe. He knew he wasn’t getting up from this. He cried out noiselessly again as Nightingale kicked him in the ribs. Dante lay on his back and just as his eye opened he saw Nightingale leap on top of him, planting his foot directly on the end of the pipe. The force pushed it through Dante’s chest and spine until it pierced the dirt underneath him.
Dante couldn’t move anymore. He had nothing left to give. He had tried. He had failed.
“That’s enough.”
A voice, breaking the silence. One of calmness. Power. A voice Dante recognised, even now as he could feel himself drifting. Fading. Feeling Nightingale remove himself from the pipe.
“And just who the fuck are you?” Nightingale asked.
“My friends call me Dougie.”
“Well ya can fuck off. I’m not done yet.”
“Oh, yes you are.”
“This ain’t got nothing to do with you, coon cheese. If I ain’t got a problem with you, don’t make me have one. This piece of shit’s skull is gonna end up a hubcap on me ute.”
“You must be very strong. But why so stupid? Can’t you see he hasn’t eaten for days? You that insecure?”
“I ain’t secure at all. I’m completely batshit!” Nightingale hurled himself towards Dougie and rocketed a slinging overhand right directly into his cheek, yelling with exertion. The sound it made was unlike anything Dante had ever heard. Even with his fading senses, it sounded like a tennis ball hitting a Mack truck. Dougie remained completely still as Nightingale crumbled to the ground, holding his arm, and as he fell, Dante could just glimpse why. The force of the punch had deformed and crushed Nightingale’s hand and forearm, the splintered bones penetrating the skin.
Nightingale stared at his ruined nub, gnashed his teeth and wheezed. “Really…sorry about that coon cheese thing…”
“Nice chattin’ with ya, son.”
Dougie took a high step over Nightingale and headed straight for Dante. He said something, probably. But all Dante saw was darkness as unconsciousness claimed him.
Chapter 24
A Ray of Hope
“Am I boring you?”
“Hmm?” Nicole looked up at Anthony. It was only when he chuckled at her response that she snapped out of her delirium. Notebooks, text books and papers surrounded them, spread out across Dr Sarsky’s couch, and her laptop was open on the coffee table in front of her. Nic
ole had found herself drifting off from whatever he was saying after only a few minutes, finding the torrential downpour outside quite soothing. Anything to distract herself from the ache in her stomach. A pressing pain in her side that refused to stop.
Please go to sleep, baby. Nicole grabbed her glass and took a big gulp of water. “No, I’m sorry. I think I’m just tired.”
Anthony gave his watch a glance with a quizzical expression.
“I haven’t been sleeping too well lately.”
“I understand,” he nodded, patting her leg. “Still getting used to things around here, new place, new bed. We can go easy today, but we’ve got a lot to get through. We’ll have to get into a rhythm soon.”
Nicole wanted to move his hand, but the nausea was overwhelming. She closed her eyes and held her breath to keep from being sick. “Actually, I’m thinking…” Deep breath. Don’t vomit. “I should call it a night.”
“Oh.” The disappointment was obvious. Nicole noticed his hand had not moved. Trying to be polite, she placed her hand on his, meaning to move it, but he took her fingers into his grip. “Are you sure you’re all right? You look clammy.”
“Yeah. I just—” He moved his other hand over her face.
“You’re getting really warm. Can I get you something?”
Nicole yanked her hand back quickly and pulled away from his touch. He had started to delicately trace the top of her cheek with his thumb. Was this happening? “Sorry.” She shook her head. “Look, I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us. You’re really nice, but I’m in no headspace to be with anyone or to even…think of dating or hanging out with someone.” She hoped that would be enough to get him to back off.
“I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
Was he? It could be so hard to tell. “Um, you didn’t know, it’s ok. There is another complication too, but it doesn’t matter.” Though Nicole was trying to tell that to her stomach. “You might as well know, since you’re going to find out sooner or later anyway. I’m pregnant, and right now I’m trying to concentrate on not throwing up.”
“Wow…ok. Look, again, I’m really sorry. If you need anything, just let me know. No strings or anything. I’d like to help if you want.”
Anthony got up and packed his books, very quickly. Nicole wanted to calm him down but thought better. Even before the door closed Nicole bolted towards the bathroom. The pain in her stomach crippling her movements.
*
Talia hopped out of the hummer car and dismissed her driver. She had never learnt how to drive and while she had every desire to be taught, right now, that was not what excited her. She had selected a human to be her chauffeur, not trusting a wolf to keep his mouth shut about any scent she might choose to follow. The human, though, had no idea, and had plausible deniability if asked. And that’s the way she liked it.
She sprinted over the glen she faced, heading straight for a clump of trees, the beginnings of a dense forest. The scent was definitely stronger. She was here. It only took a minute after breaking into the forest that she slowed down to a casual walk. Talia spotted her sitting on a log in front of a camp fire and billy can.
“I was wondering when you’d come searching,” Alicia said. Her tone was completely free of emotion, stoking the fire with a stick. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, the full moon was coming up in a few.”
“And?”
“Would you like to run with us?”
“No, thank you.”
“Alicia, if you don’t feel safe, I would protect you.” Talia was sincere, though she couldn’t guarantee how her mother would react.
“It’s not that. I don’t want a pack. I don’t want an Alpha.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Alicia angled her body toward Talia, interested now. “Oh? What did you mean?
“I just mean you don’t have to be alone. I’d love to run with you. You don’t have to follow me, it would just…mean a lot to me.”
Alicia did appear to take the words in. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Is that what you wanted to tell me?”
“I was just wondering if you’d let me sit with you for a bit?”
Alicia studied her face. “Sit with me?”
“If that’s all right?”
Alicia continued to stare for some time before giving the log opposite her the briefest of gestures. Talia thanked her and took her seat, accepting the offer for tea. Seconds became minutes and neither said a word.
Talia sought for something she could say to break the ice. “Have you heard of a girl called Nicole?”
Alicia took a long gulp before answering. “Well, that depends on why you want to know.”
“I came across some security footage where she was standing with Nick. There was a fight?”
“I remember that,” Alicia replied a little coldly. “What about her?”
“Well, my mum told me she has been having her followed. I was just wondering if you’d know why?”
“What?” Alicia gave a sceptical sneer.
“So you do know her. But by the way you’re looking at me, you don’t know why my mum would be interested in her. But look, don’t worry. I stopped it. Whatever it is. I don’t want this girl hurt or bothered. I promise.”
Alicia said nothing, and Talia waited. “She was Nick’s girlfriend,” she finally began. “She was going to leave Sydney to pursue her career and Nick went to see her at the airport. I don’t know if it was to say goodbye or plead with her to stay. But that was the night Creed and the goons showed up. That was the last night Nicole and Nick ever saw each other.”
Talia listened to her and felt a tingle in her throat. Nothing about this made sense. If they’d been dating, had they broken up or were they trying to figure out a way forward? Why the hell would that be of any interest to Radha? Talia felt that by asking she would only reawaken feelings of revenge within her mother. All Talia wanted right now was to forget about the past and focus on the future. She was certain that if she herself just let it go, Radha would have to as well.
“Does the pack know you’re here?”
“No. No one does. I had to get away.”
Alicia nodded, holding her jaw, looking directly at Talia.
“I wanted to find you,” Talia pressed.
“And so you have.” Alicia refilled her cup. “You haven’t told me why, though. It can’t have been just to offer me a place by your side.”
“Have you ever heard of Tynan Ross?”
Alicia sat back, getting comfortable. “Yes. You’re related to him. He’s Wilson’s brother.”
Talia raised her eyebrows. “My uncle? Shit. I never knew. Ok…is he dangerous? A threat?”
Alicia breathed a single laugh through her nose. “Everyone is dangerous. When they were on the cusp of manhood, their father William was torn over who should rule that pack. Many thought Tynan would get it, but in the end, Wilson did. Tynan took it surprisingly well, reducing himself to an advisor role, or soldier. Whatever Wilson needed. That is, until it was announced I was pregnant. Within the first trimester, Tynan had renounced his ties to house Slade, created his own and taken some of the best fighters we had with him. I always thought it was his intention to have Wilson slaughtered, to take the title for himself the way Creed did. When he found out a new, more powerful wolf was on the way, if that was his plan, he changed. I remember he was obsessed with my pregnancy. He never approached me, but I heard of it through various people and it really worried me. But apart from changing his name to Ross, we never heard from him. There were rumours he was negotiating with other houses for alliances and all that. But nothing ever came of it.” She paused and added thoughtfully, “Well, it may have. But it was never something that affected us.”
“We were scouted by him. The pack thinks he is making a move.”
Alicia held her cup a little higher to her mouth. “I’d be worried if I were you.”
“Can you help us?”
“But the pack is in trouble.”
“I’m sorry. It’s not my problem anymore.”
“What about me?” Talia hadn’t meant for her voice to sound so meek, but that’s how it came out. This was insane. Why should Alicia care about her?
Alicia opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. Talia opened her eyes wider, her mouth trembling. Not through tears, but confusion. Blood was streaming out of Alicia’s nose like a fountain. “Alicia…”
Alicia looked down, seemingly unaware of what was happening and used the back of her hand under the flow. The blood was darker than usual, the sight of it perhaps caused her to fall forward to her knees, coughing. She sat on her knees as Talia lowered herself next to her. “What’s going on? Are you all right?” Alicia didn’t look it.
“I…this has never happened before…”
“You’ve never had a nosebleed?”
“This is no simple nosebleed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you mother teach you anything?”
“Not about this? What is going on?” Talia screeched.
“It’s one of the rarest things for our kind. It happens when one of your pack, no, your blood…” Alicia turned to face Talia, focusing on her face. “…is in trouble.”
Alicia bent forward as more blood poured from her nose. Talia positioned herself behind her, using one hand to hold her hair and the other to rub her back. There was still so much she didn’t know about her own race. And she thought the only one to truly help her understand, was the woman in front of her, And she just wanted to be left alone.
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