Vampire Matriarch

by J. C. Diem

  Following both her scent and our link, I tracked her to an apartment building. She’d used the fire escape to enter an apartment on the fourth floor. Smelling fresh blood even from half a block away, I knew that she’d broken her own rule not to kill any humans. If I didn’t take steps, the bodies would be discovered and we’d be forced to flee again.

  Appointing myself to be the Cleanup Crew for our nest, I climbed up the fire escape and entered the main bedroom through the open window. A woman in her late twenties lay on the floor beside the bed. Her throat had been torn open and her skin and clothing were coated in blood.

  Bloody bare footprints led me down the hall to the prone form of a man. He’d been on his way to the nursery to defend his child when Katrina had caught him. Blood had sprayed on the wall from the violence of her attack. She’d savaged his shoulder and the bruises on his mouth meant she’d clamped a hand over it to muffle his screams. Death had already claimed him, but he seemed to be staring at the disturbing scene through the doorway in horror.

  Katrina stood with her back to me, holding a baby to her chest. Not content with feeding from the parents, she’d decided to decimate the entire family. Her teeth were buried deeply into the tiny infant’s shoulder. The baby was already pale with blood loss and only had a few more seconds left to live.

  I crept closer and circled around them until I could see Katrina’s face. She wore an expression that was as close to bliss as the undead could feel. The baby gave a last desperate gasp before it expired. Dropping the infant to the floor, blood dripped from her fangs when she smiled in true pleasure.

  A glance inside her mind told me that she’d just relived the moment when she’d tried to kill me. God only knew how many times she’d replayed that moment during the past eighteen years. The last of my illusions that she could ever be anything other than a monster were finally stripped away. I finally admitted to myself once and for all what my mother truly was; remorseless, malignant and evil incarnate.

  I’d done my best to try to change her from a coldblooded killing machine into something that might be able to coexist with humans. I now saw that the attempt had been futile. She was a predator and people were her food. All vampires needed to be wiped from the face of the Earth and that included me. Secure in the knowledge that if she died then so would I, I reached for my gun.

  Katrina’s expression of happiness turned to momentary alarm when she opened her eyes and saw the weapon in my hand. “Put your gun away,” she commanded. Believing I had to obey her every word, her fear had already faded.

  Ignoring her order, I crossed the floor and pressed the cold steel against the scar on her forehead. “Even for a vampire, you’re sick and twisted,” I said. “You need to be put down.” I didn’t feel sorrow or pain at the thought of ending our lives. Once I pulled the trigger, I’d immediately follow her into oblivion.

  “You have to obey me,” she said with a hint of desperation when she realized I hadn’t instantly followed her order. “I’m your master.”

  “You might have created me, but you’ll never be my master. It’s time for you to die, Katrina. The world will be a better place without us both.” The moment my finger tightened on the trigger, my vampire rose to stop me. She wasn’t ready to die and she was going to fight for her life.

  The gun shook in my hand and Katrina’s momentary terror was replaced with a sly grin. “You can’t do it. You might not be truly undead, but there’s enough vampire in you to make it impossible for you to kill me directly.”

  I might not be able to kill her, but I didn’t have to stay and pretend to be her minion any longer. I didn’t care whether Mark and the team learned of the deaths that she’d just caused. I was done with being her servant.

  Leaving through the window, I put my gun away and raced into the night. Spotting a church, I deliberately blanked out my thoughts as I headed towards it. I had one more trick left and I didn’t want my vampire to realize what I was about to do.

  Running parallel to the church grounds, I suddenly veered across the road. Pain burned me from the inside out at being so close to the holy structure, but my agony was about to become a lot worse. Launching myself into the air, I shouted in denial when my wolf came forward. Instead of entering the hallowed ground and bursting into silver flames, I hit an invisible barrier and was thrown backwards.

  I landed flat on my back on the sidewalk, stunned but unhurt. My wolf had risen and my vampire had fled deep inside my head, which had saved me from being fried. My vampire was now keeping company with my necromancer. Clearly, my alter egos were conspiring to keep me alive. Before I could try again, I found myself on my feet and running back towards our lair.

  My wolf was fully in charge even though I was still in my human form. I’d never been controlled like a puppet before. It was an unsettling experience to have my body taken over so completely. Entering the building through the door on the roof, I headed for my room and stripped down to just a t-shirt and jeans. I left everything else behind and headed outside again before anyone knew I’d been there.

  Too disinterested to care about what my wolf had planned, I was forced to leave the city and headed to the wilderness. I wasn’t surprised when I ended up near the PIA compound in the mountains. This was where I’d first turned into a werewolf and it was natural for her to return to her favorite hunting grounds.

  Deep in the forest and far from civilization, my head tilted back and watched in fascination as the moon rose. It finally reached its ascendency and I was as close as I could get to being shocked when I began to transform. It seemed my vampire wasn’t stronger than my wolf after all. They were equal in strength, which meant I could probably choose which form I wanted to take.

  Instead of the usual pain that I suffered during the change, my bones became almost fluid as my body assumed a new form. My clothes tore and fell to the ground in tatters as my back and ribs crackled and popped. My jaw lengthened and my teeth grew into fangs while my hands and feet grew longer and claws sprouted. In seconds, I changed into a form that was similar to a werewolf, but slightly different. My fangs were far longer than usual, as were my claws. My fur wasn’t as long or dense, but it was just as black as always.

  Looking around the snowy area with eyes that saw light and shadows far more strongly now, I realized that I’d come home again. With my vampire and necromancer locked away, my emotions had returned and sorrow crashed down on me. This was the last place I wanted to be. I was still a lone wolf, but my ostracism was even worse than that now. I’d turned into something that had never existed before. I’d become an abomination.

  As I ran away from the place where I’d first transformed into a monster, rage began to fuel my steps. None of this would have happened if my mate hadn’t left me. With his help I might have been able to battle the darkness and the vampirism that had taken over my human body. If he hadn’t abandoned me for his pack, we’d still be together now. Even in my wolf form, I couldn’t sense him now that I’d severed our bond. I imagined he was with his chosen pure blood mate, reveling in the happiness that we should have had together.

  For three nights, I ran. I couldn’t move as fast in this form, but I still travelled a long way each night before resting during the day. Subconsciously, I knew where I was going, but it wasn’t until I entered West Virginia that I acknowledged my motives. I wasn’t here to try to win my mate back. He’d chosen someone else and we’d never be together again. He’d walked away from me, condemning me to become a freak.

  The necromancer inside me whispered into my mind. She told me that I would be overwhelmed and torn apart in seconds if I barged directly into the middle of the pack to confront my mate. The night was running out and it would soon be dawn. I listened to the plan that the darkest part of me proposed. Rage had fueled me this far, but now it was time for calm.

  Staying far enough away that I wouldn’t be detected, I listened to the distant howls of the pack of hunting werewolves. I was no longer tied to my former mate, but I knew he
was close. My ears pricked up when I heard a muted howl that was different from the others. It sounded hollow, forlorn, desperate and alone. It also didn’t sound like any werewolf I’d ever heard before. He knew I was close and he was calling for me. I was no longer tied to him, but he was somehow still bound to me.

  It took every scrap of willpower that I possessed not to run to him. The necromancer reminded me that he’d left me and had chosen another. I knew he was in pain and that something was terribly wrong, but I wasn’t here to save him. My plan didn’t involve begging him to take me back. I was here for an entirely different reason. He was going to pay for what he’d done to me.

  I was here for revenge.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Thirteen

  By the time the sun rose, I was ready to act. As the darkness seeped away, I swiftly and painlessly transformed back into my human form. My werewolf didn’t protest as she was locked away in my mind once more. For a brief moment, my necromancer surged to the fore, but was forced back by the other two. My vampire slipped out to take charge and the door in my mind slammed shut again.

  Stark naked, I flitted through the trees to a nearby farmhouse. Still asleep, the occupants didn’t hear me when I broke in and rifled through their closets and drawers. Clad in borrowed clothing, I didn’t bother with shoes. My body was much tougher now and stones no longer hurt my feet. The snow didn’t bother me either. Frostbite was a thing of the past.

  Sprinting through the fields, I closed in on the property where Nina Carter and the mate that she’d stolen from me ruled their pack. Observing the buildings from afar, I frowned when I couldn’t detect any signs of Reece. I saw Nina, her brother Ned, Gloria and Reece’s little brother Gareth emerge from the house. They moved into a huddle to talk, but their new alpha was nowhere in sight.

  Remaining in the shadows, I ghosted closer until I could hear their conversation.

  “You said Garrett would get better after he transformed during the full moon,” Gloria was saying to Nina in a distressed tone. “But he’s even worse now!”

  “We should kill him,” Gareth suggested and received angry glares from the others. “It’s obvious he’s gone mad. The vampirism has spread too far. Not even bonding with Gloria was enough to stop it. They don’t have the same type of bond that he had with Lexi. It isn’t strong enough to save him.”

  Nina’s narrow shoulders were tight as she contemplated her son’s fate. “He’s not fit to rule the pack when I eventually step down,” she decided. “I thought I could control him, but it’s impossible now that he’s so badly infected by vampirism.”

  Gloria burst into tears and Ned drew her into his arms. Nina didn’t look particularly bothered that she’d just signed Reece’s death warrant. Gareth was understandably pleased with her decision. He hated his brother with a passion.

  “I’ll do it tonight,” Nina said.

  “What’s going to happen to me?” Gloria wailed. “I was born to be the mate of an alpha!”

  “Once Garrett is dead, you can find another alpha,” she said carelessly. “It’ll hurt when your link to him is severed, but you’ll survive.”

  My wolf tried to surge to the surface at hearing her former mate’s life being threatened. She wanted revenge, but she didn’t want him to die. The vampire forced her back down, coldly curious about this new development. The necromancer watched it all without feeling anything one way or the other.

  The group broke apart and returned to the main house. A few minutes later, Gloria emerged through a side door. From her furtive movements and frequent glances back over her shoulder, she was trying to avoid being seen. She quickly crossed the yard to a building that sounded empty to me. A door opened inside and her footsteps descended before the door closed again.

  I could hear her speaking to someone, but it was muffled and I couldn’t make out the words. Her tone sounded imploring and desperate. She was only down there for a few minutes before she returned. Bursting back out through the door, she was sobbing quietly. I could smell Reece’s scent on her clothes, but it had changed dramatically since the last time I’d seen him. He now smelled like me; part werewolf and part vampire.

  Now that I knew where my quarry was, I crossed to the building in less than the blink of an eye. The inner door wasn’t locked and I pushed it open. I descended the stairs and reached a basement. The walls were made of thick concrete that acted as effective soundproofing. At the far end of the room, strong metal bars had been erected from the floor to the ceiling. Black paint that coated the bars. It was flecked with silver to keep the occupant away from the door.

  I moved closer to see Reece crouched on the floor. Wearing only torn cutoff sweatpants, he was filthy and hadn’t shaved in weeks. Sensing me, he looked up. His golden eyes were as feral as a wild dog and his upper lip lifted in a silent snarl.

  I dropped to my knees and we stared into each other’s eyes until his tangled thoughts cleared enough for him to recognize me. I felt him reaching for me mentally, but he couldn’t connect with my mind. I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t severed his bond with me when he’d become bonded to Gloria. Maybe he’d tried and had been unable to. It had almost cost me my sanity when I’d torn him free from me.

  He held out a hand, being careful not to touch the bars. For reasons I couldn’t explain, I couldn’t resist his silent appeal and I reached out to clasp his fingers. The instant our flesh touched, I was caught up in a barrage of emotions that didn’t belong to me.

  Reece was being torn apart inside. His wolf and vampire were fighting for control and neither was willing to give in. I sensed that he would remain in this battle until the process of being turned into the undead was complete. I also sensed he didn’t have much time left before his body and mind would give out. Thin and gaunt, it looked like he’d been starved by his pack for some time.

  My wolf gave a mental howl of fury at his ill treatment, but my vampire didn’t care. What better revenge could there be than just letting him wither and die? From the looks of it, he was already close to the edge.

  The insidious voice of my necromancer spoke up then. Wouldn’t it be the ultimate revenge if he was forced to become like you and to live without emotions forever? Isn’t that the worst torture you can imagine? My wolf latched onto the suggestion. She and the vampire started arguing about whether to let him die or to rescue him from his imprisonment.

  Their bickering came to a stop when the door at the top of the stairs opened. I pulled away from Reece and stood as Gareth descended the stairs and came into view. His momentary surprise was replaced with a sly grin. “I thought I smelled you outside, but you’re scent has changed,” he said as he stalked closer. I said nothing as he circled me.

  Stopping behind me, he leaned down and spoke softly in my ear. “Have you come to save Garrett?” He put his hands on my stomach and pulled me back against him. He slid his hands upwards, stopping just beneath my breasts. “If you bond yourself to me, I’ll talk my mother into letting him live. If you don’t, I’ll kill him right now, while you watch.”

  Reece was still crouched on the floor, but he was no longer silent. He was growling at his brother. His fangs had descended and there was no sanity in his expression at all. Before I could give Gareth an answer, he yanked my stolen shirt away from my left shoulder. I could easily have pulled away before he could accomplish his plan, yet I allowed him to bite me. He had no idea how much I’d really changed, but he was about to find out.

  He took only one small swallow of my blood before jerking his head back and pulling away. I turned to see him staring at me in disgust. “There’s something wrong with your blood.”

  “I know,” I replied and it was my turn to stalk him.

  He backed away when he saw my fangs begin to lengthen. Fear replaced his cocky self-assuredness. It finally occurred to him that I was no longer the scared girl he’d tried to assault. I was something far more dangerous now. “What are you?” he whispered in horror.

  “I’m not just a werewo
lf anymore,” I replied. “My dear undead mother finally managed to convert me and now I’m some kind of hybrid.”

  “Hybrid? Like some kind of cross?” He didn’t want to ask, but he did anyway. “What else are you?”

  “Can’t you guess?” I smiled without mirth and his eyes dropped to my fangs. “I’m part vampire now.”

  His face paled as he realized the implications of what I’d become and what would happen if I bit him. He turned to run and I grabbed him by the shoulder, slammed him into the wall and pressed his face against the cold concrete. He struggled, but my superior strength held him still. It had long been delayed, but justice would finally be met. There would be no escape for him this time. “You’ve been trying to get me to bite you for months, Gareth. Haven’t you heard that you should be careful what you wish for?”

  With my free hand, I tore his shirt away. Even in my emotionless state, I had to acknowledge that he had a magnificent body. Almost as well-muscled as his brother, only the scars from Kala’s silver knife and the two bullet wounds in his shoulder marred his masculine beauty.

  He screamed in a combination of pain and terror when my fangs latched onto his shoulder and I began to drink. My mother was right, werewolf blood was far stronger than a human’s. Drinking until I was full, I stepped back and wiped my mouth with my sleeve.

  Reeling from blood loss, Gareth slid down the wall to collapse on the floor. He convulsed and his head rebounded off the concrete wall, leaving blood and hair behind. The vampire toxin from my bite rapidly started to seep through him. In seconds, the poison had spread through his entire system.

  Gasping for air that he could no longer breathe, he coughed up blood as his internal organs shriveled and ceased to function. He fell onto his side and stared up at me in mute appeal, silently begging me to somehow reverse the process and save him. I felt no urge to comfort him. As far as I was concerned, this was payback for his attempt to rape me and to steal me from his brother. I watched on with cold detachment as the rogue wolf the Shifter Squad had once hunted down expired.