Venom & Vampires: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Collection

by Casey Lane

  I didn’t turn on any lights. I didn’t know if I should so I could see better or if it was best to let my eyes adjust to the darkness. What if the vampire thought I’d left when Cade did? I wouldn’t want to alert him with house lights.

  Still, I knew the vampire had to be coming, house lights or not. He was out in the woods surrounding us somewhere. I just hoped he wasn’t feeding on Cade.

  I wished I knew the rules. Could the vampire enter the cabin without Cade’s permission? Or had Cade given that to him already when faced with death? What supernatural powers did the vampire have? Was he stronger now that it was dark? Did I have the right tools to kill him?

  I waited. After a few minutes I felt like I was going insane. The cabin was silent. Why wasn’t he coming? It was dark. I gripped my stake and watched out the windows.

  The knocking woke me. I jumped up, clutching my stake and scooping up the bottle of water at my feet. How could I have fallen asleep? The knocking came again. Cade! I jumped up and ran for the door. I stopped, just short of throwing the door open. My heart was hammering in my chest even as hope soared through me. It might not be Cade.

  “Who is it?” I called out in a croak.

  My heart was about to burst out of my chest with fear.

  “Seraphine,” my grandmother said on the other side of the door.

  I practically collapsed from relief. Tears formed in my eyes. She was finally here. She could help me stay alive. Maybe she could help Cade.

  I threw open the door. “Grandma! How did you find us? Are you alright?”

  “Why are all the lights off?” she asked. “I can’t see anything and there seems to be something on the floor right here.”

  The dead deer. Gross. I smelled it now too and almost gagged. I set down the items I was holding.

  “Sorry about that, grandma. Let me help you around it,” I reached out to her, crossing the threshold of the cabin to help her around the dead deer.

  That’s when I heard the howl. I automatically looked out across the lawn. I pulled at my grandmother frantically, trying to get her to hurry, but she had turned to look at the sound too.

  I had assumed it was the vampire until I saw the beast racing toward us through the darkness. That was definitely not a vampire. It howled again. My blood turned to ice. The only thing that enormous animal coming at us could be was a werewolf.

  Chapter Seven

  I hadn’t prepared for a werewolf. It hurtled toward us, its long, wild hair flying up with every leap. I was awestruck by its massiveness. I couldn’t imagine a scarier beast.

  I blinked at it, having a hard time believing what I was seeing. Cade had said that a vampire was after me. I think this was worse. At least a vampire looked human. This thing was not human.

  What was I going to do? I didn’t have silver bullets. I only had stakes and holy water. I was not prepared for a werewolf. We had to get in the house. I doubted the cabin door would hold the werewolf for too long, but at least it bought us a little time. I sized up the werewolf again and hoped that it was enough time to at least grab a weapon. I could only hope that the Witch’s Bottle bought us a few more minutes than that. Then maybe my grandmother knew another spell that could help us, one specifically tailored to fight a werewolf.

  “Hurry, grandma!” I yelled, turning back to help usher her into the house.

  I was a little surprised that she wasn’t already moving. My grandma was pretty spry for a senior citizen. Maybe she hadn’t expected a werewolf either.

  Except it wasn’t my grandma standing next to me anymore. Instead it was a man filled with darkness. I already knew his name. It was Athan Delano.

  He was dressed like he was going to work. He’d been in a similar suit when he’d visited me as an employee of the IRS the previous day. The only difference was his hair. It was not impeccably styled at the moment. His gel had failed him.

  I knew I had just made a fatal mistake. I wasn’t sure how he’d done it, but Athan had successfully tricked me into believing that he was my grandma. It hadn’t even occurred to me that he might be able to shapeshift and pretend to be her.

  I lunged for the doorway and my stake, the holy water, and the protection of the cabin. I was too late and Athan was inhumanely fast. He grabbed me and swung me around like a rag doll. Before I knew it, he’d twisted me around, embracing me in his arms, all while exposing my neck by holding my head back.

  I struggled with all that I had, but he didn’t seem affected at all. His grip was like a vice and I felt like I was hitting and kicking at a body of steel. I didn’t stop, regardless. I did not want to die. Athan wasn’t even looking at me. He was watching the yard. The werewolf. Even if I survived Athan’s death kiss, I still had to deal with the werewolf. My luck was not good today.

  Athan looked down at me and my eyes met his. He held them. I couldn’t look away even if I’d wanted to do so.

  “Seraphine, you’re mine,” Athan whispered.

  Athan’s voice boomed and the phrase resounded in my brain for what seemed like an infinity. I went limp, my head falling, and turning my vision to the yard. Athan’s words still sounded in my head, over and over again.

  The werewolf stood frozen, not too far away, watching us. Its eyes met mine and I was surprised to see that they were a vibrant green. I’d expected blood red. The werewolf’s hair bristled along its back. It shifted into a threatening crouch. Something was about to happen and I was right in the thick of it.

  I looked away from the werewolf, able to shift my eyes upward even if I couldn’t turn my neck. From the corner of my eye, I saw Athan lean downward, teeth flashing. I prepared myself for the pain of a bite. I was still not ready to die, but I knew that the initial bite wouldn’t kill me. If he kept draining me, that was when I’d be in trouble. I knew it looked grim, but there was still time. With the werewolf poised to attack, I didn’t think Athan had enough time to kill me. Still, I watched in terror as Athan’s head moved down toward my neck. I waited for the sharp pain of teeth tearing into my flesh.

  Suddenly there was a sonic boom. The world went white. Athan let me go and I flew backward. I smashed into the wall of Cade’s cabin, my back hitting it hard, followed by my head. Everything went black for a second. I didn’t pass out, but I couldn’t see. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, and then stars danced in front of my eyes. That was something. I had to get up. My back… It didn’t matter. I scrambled to my feet even as pain flared through my body. I blinked again. My vision was now good enough to see the porch in front of me, and my eyes focused on the dead deer lying on Cade’s doorstep. It was a grim reminder. What had just happened? The Witch’s Bottle? Had it actually worked?

  I didn’t have time to figure it out for sure. I’d just had a stroke of good luck and I had to roll with it. Now, where was the vampire? The werewolf? I scanned the yard, still trying to readjust to the darkness. The full moon lit up some of it and I was finally able to see Athan Delano standing up in the middle of the lawn. He oozed darkness and the area surrounding him was significantly darker than it should have been. How had I not seen it before when he’d come to see me at work? Did the daylight hide it or was it the annoying florescent lights in the office? Is that how he was able to pass himself off as a normal person?

  That’s when I noticed the werewolf. It was between Athan and I, crouched with its back to me. The hair on its back was still bristling.

  Relief surged through me. It wasn’t here for me. It was here for Athan. I hoped. That is, unless they were fighting over me. Maybe they both craved my blood? I couldn’t be sure. I had to run. They were both engaged. This was my chance at survival, probably my only one.

  I escaped back into the house, shutting the door, and grabbing my stake and holy water. I ran to the windows overlooking the yard. I considered hiding, but there were limited spaces in the house. I could run, but they were both inhumanely fast and I’d bet that the werewolf in particular would have no trouble tracking me. Besides, it looked like an epic battle was ab
out to occur. I had to watch. I needed to know which one I was going to have to face when they were done.

  They continued to stare each other down like they were about to have a gunfight. I kept waiting to see who would be the first to draw. I could barely breathe as I watched them. I didn’t even know who I wanted to win.

  Athan moved first, suddenly and to the right with lightning speed that made him look like a blur. The werewolf matched him, continuing to block his way to the cabin. Athan froze for a brief moment and then went left. The werewolf did the same. They stopped and stared at one another. Athan retreated backward and the wolf followed him.

  “I will have her,” Athan said, his voice still clear in my head even though I was nowhere near them.

  The werewolf simply paced slowly in front of him. He had no reaction at all. Maybe it didn’t understand words.

  I was having a major reaction. I could still hear Athan. Chills shot up my spine. Athan meant it. I clutched my stake and holy water. I hoped one of them worked.

  I was even more bothered by something besides the threat. Why could I still hear him like that? He hadn’t managed to bite me, had he? I put my hands up to check my neck. I looked at my fingers. There was no blood. He hadn’t managed to sink his teeth into my neck. So, why did his voice sound like that? I remembered his words. Seraphine, you’re mine. Was that a spell? Could vampires do magic? Is that how he had turned into my grandmother for a moment?

  My attention focused back on the battle as Athan sped forward again, this time in a diagonal toward the cabin. The werewolf moved to block him. Athan pivoted and went in the opposite direction, still gaining ground toward the cabin. The werewolf tried to force him back again and I expected Athan to retreat, but he didn’t. Instead, the vampire and the werewolf finally met.

  Even I knew that an epic battle had just begun. I struggled to see what was happening. Athan’s darkness swirled around the combatants, sometimes hiding them from view until the light from the moon illuminated them again.

  I saw the werewolf snarl, baring his teeth, and snapping at Athan. Athan managed to push him off, trying to move forward toward the cabin again. The werewolf pounced on him, but Athan moved to the side, unscathed.

  Athan turned to face the werewolf. “This is getting annoying.”

  His words were followed by an inhuman scream. It bounced around my head and I clapped my hands to my ears. I fell forward against the window. It had to stop.

  Even as my ears felt like they were going to start bleeding, my eyes were glued to the fight. A power play was happening. The werewolf seemed affected by the high pitch scream too. Athan saw the moment of weakness and leapt at the werewolf. The werewolf didn’t react until Athan landed on its back. Then it went wild, bucking, and trying to sink its teeth into Athan’s body. Its jaws kept closing on air. Now, all I could hear was Athan’s evil laughter as he rode the panicked werewolf.

  My heart sank. The werewolf was going to die. Athan was going to be coming for me again. I felt just as doomed.

  I watched as the werewolf spun in a circle, trying to shake Athan. Its eyes found mine and held them for a long second. I was struck again by the brilliant green of his eyes. This time, though, my heart also broke. His eyes spoke to me. In that one look, he told me that he knew he was going to die. He was warning me to be prepared to fight for my own life.

  That was when I realized it. Panic shot through me. Cade was the werewolf and he was saying his final goodbye.

  Chapter Eight

  How had I not realized it? The wolf was Cade. I could feel the truth of that to the core of my soul. Besides, the proof had been there all along for me to see. The wolf’s vibrant green eyes were the same as Cade’s. The wolf’s body also had his insanely curly, wild hair.

  Besides that, little things made more sense now. The electricity I’d felt emanating from Cade, wasn’t just attraction, it had been energy. He was a supernatural being too. I’d just failed to notice it. He also hadn’t said anything about it. Then again, that wasn’t too surprising based on my reactions to the supernatural. Guilt shot through me. That was why Cade left. He went off alone to protect me, not to save himself. I’d doubted him, but I hadn’t known. I still felt bad about it.

  The surprising thing was that I wasn’t scared of the werewolf anymore. I should have been terrified. From the many movies and stories I’d heard about werewolves, it seemed like most of them were dangerous in wolf form. They were violent animals once they turned and only wanted to kill even if they were the nicest person when they were human. That’s why it was a curse. Still, Cade, as a wolf, despite being the size of a bear, didn’t frighten me at all. He wouldn’t hurt me. The wolf was just a part of him, a part of him I would have to accept if…we survived this.

  I ran to the hallway closet and grabbed the Witch’s Bottle. It was his only chance. I thought it had saved me from the vampire. Maybe it could help Cade too. Then I opened the door and ran outside toward the darkness.

  The battle raged on ahead of me. Both Athan and Cade seemed unaware that I was running toward them. I wondered how close Cade needed to be from the Witch’s Bottle for it to work. I hadn’t been that far from it when it had saved me.

  I ran at them and didn’t slow down until I was almost upon them. I didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire. Cade was still spinning, trying to buck Athan off of his back. The vampire seemed to be enjoying his terror. Then Athan saw me. The laughter on his face died and he focused his gaze on me. He glanced down at Cade and I guessed what he was going to do. He smiled at me, but his grin was pure evil. His teeth flashed. He was going to bite him. I wasn’t sure what a vampire bite would due to a werewolf, but I doubted it was anything good.

  I looked down at the Witch’s Bottle. It should be working. I was pretty close to them. Wait. Cade wasn’t in his human form. Did that make a difference to the Witch’s Bottle? It might. He was like another being in this shape.

  Athan moved forward to the werewolf’s massive neck. I had one chance and a split second to make a decision. Too bad I wasn’t an athletic person, but I had to try. I didn’t care about being a witch anymore. In fact, I wanted to be one. I had to save Cade, no matter the cost. I threw the Witch’s Bottle at Athan, focusing all of my thoughts on it as I did so.

  I repeated the incantation with every part of my being, thinking about Cade, both parts of him. “Protect him with light. Protect him with love. Protect him from harm. Night and day. This shield shall keep the dark away.”

  It exploded in white light as I said the last word. Athan howled. I fell to the ground as my ears resounded with the sound, over and over again. Then the sound was gone and there was complete silence.

  I looked up and found the werewolf standing in front of me. He was my only protection now, but I didn’t care. I’d saved him.

  I got to my feet. His back was to me, looking out across the yard. Was Athan already on the attack again? I had to make sure Cade was alright first. I searched Cade’s werewolf body with my eyes, but he seemed unscathed. Athan hadn’t hurt him, had he? He wasn’t showing any signs of it although I couldn’t see much because of his long hair.

  I turned and followed Cade’s gaze. I didn’t see Athan. Then there was slight movement. Someone was struggling to stand. It was him.

  My jaw dropped as I focused on Athan. He looked burned. His skin was melting off one side of his face and his clothes were in tatters on that same side. His hair on the right side was completely gone. Had the Witch’s Bottle done that?

  Cade didn’t wait to find out. He attacked. Athan didn’t know what hit him. He flew backward with Cade on top of him. Cade snapped his massive teeth and this time he struck bone. There was a loud crunch before Athan howled again.

  This time Athan’s voice didn’t reverberate in my skull. Relief flooded through me. The connection was gone. Athan’s real life screaming continued, though. He was truly wounded. Maybe we had a chance at beating him. Maybe we would survive the vampire attack.

  Cade
moved to strike again, his jaws going for the kill. Athan managed to maneuver himself out from under Cade before the werewolf’s teeth closed around his throat. It happened so fast that Cade’s teeth clamped down around air. Cade recovered immediately. He spun and ran at Athan without even faltering. Athan had tried to flee toward the trees, but he had stopped short. Cade slowed to a walk too as he took in the scene in front of them.

  I watched in awe as a small circle of very large and scary werewolves surrounded Athan. Even I started to back away. There was no way Cade could protect me from this many supernatural beings. Then I noticed that he didn’t seem to be afraid of them. His gaze was still on Athan as was all of theirs. They were working together.

  Oh. I think that made sense. I tried to search my brain for werewolf facts. I was a little more interested in vampires, but it did vaguely ring a bell that werewolves usually had a pack, sort of like wild dogs did. I looked at the group in front of us. Was this Cade’s pack? Not that I’d had a lot of time to think about it, but I had sort of assumed he was a lone wolf. Maybe he wasn’t.

  The pack shifted and tightened the circle. Athan actually looked panicked. His arm was hanging incorrectly at his side. I could tell from the carnage of the good side of his suit that it was where Cade had bitten him. The circle shrank even more.

  Even though Athan had to die for me to be safe, I watched the scene in horror. That many wolves would tear the vampire apart and they wouldn’t hesitate to do it. My stomach felt queasy.

  That’s when Athan made his move. He jumped up. Cade leapt at him, but the other wolves hadn’t expected it. Cade landed next to another wolf, but Athan hit ground on the other side of them, out of the circle. He took off at lightning speed toward the woods and the wolves immediately turned and laid chase.