“We’re out of options here. We’re sending emissaries out to all the covens to try and get them to side with us, but who knows if they will. And I overheard you saying to Selene that you knew of an enclave that had weapons—”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I’m not going to take you anywhere. For all I know you’re trying to get in there so you can get more slaves.”
“Humans aren’t slaves here anymore. You know that.”
“Come on, William, I’m not an idiot. You bloodsuckers are going to run out of blood some time. You’re going to run out of humans unless you allow us to have families. But if you do that, then you won’t have a free-for-all blood-buffet at your beck and call. Do you really think Sue would come running back to you every time you snapped your fingers after she drives carpool and picks up her husband’s dry cleaning?”
“This isn’t about blood.”
“Yeah, you say that, but how do I know?”
“I’m not lying to you.”
“All bloodsuckers lie. It’s what you’re good at.”
He moved to her in a blur of speed. “I don’t.” Anger and frustration rolled off him. “You can accuse me of many things, but being a liar isn’t one of them.”
She blinked rapidly several times, and, in their close proximity, her eyes changed. Heat wafted off her skin as did the scent of lust. For as much as she protested to hate him, she was attracted to him.
She laid her hand on his chest and the warmth of her fingers spread through his sweater. His gut tightened as for a moment he thought she might kiss him. To taste her sweet lips on his was a feeling he’d dreamt about. She pushed him away and stepped back herself.
“You say you don’t lie, but you told me outside that you wouldn’t try anything. Yet here you are inches from me. I see the way you look at me. Watch me. You think I’m naïve? I know what you really want and you’ll never get it. And that, William, is not a lie.”
“You know what? Forget it. But believe me when I say if you utter a word of this to anyone, Danika will kill you.” He left without another word.
She couldn’t be trusted. As much as he wanted to believe there was good in her, she wasn’t the one.
William jogged down to the first floor.
The human men had gathered around a television to watch a movie. They eyed him as he passed. His entire life he’d wanted to be included in a group the way they were. Sitting around watching a movie. Throwing jabs at each other. He’d never known that kind of camaraderie as a human. But now, because of Danika, he’d found a place he belonged. In the vampire society.
“Did you get her to put out?” asked one of them. “That one is a ball buster.”
William stopped and clenched his fists. He turned to the group where Matthew stared at him a smirk on his face.
“If I were you, Matthew, I’d keep my comments to myself. I know for a fact that there are two males in the coven house who’d like any excuse to rip you limb from limb because of what you’ve done with their mates.”
Matthew’s smirk fell as his eyes did. The other guys snickered. As William pushed out into the yard, the men burst into laughter, jibing at Matthew.
It was obvious to William now more than ever. He was no longer human. And he was fine with that.
Chapter 2
Evan watched William’s firm backside as he walked out. She tried not to, but she couldn’t help it. For as much as she hated what he was, she couldn’t deny the way his expensive sweater fit his trim, athletic physique.
She shook her head. No. She refused to be taken in by him. All their kind did was take and kill and throw away. She’d witnessed it firsthand.
He’d said he needed help, but she was pretty sure that all the Vampires really wanted was sex and blood. A handsome face floated into view, and Evan swallowed hard, pushing the memory away.
She threw her hands over her face. What if it wasn’t a lie? What if they really were in trouble, facing an army of demons? Her stomach growled. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t her problem.
She headed to the door. Pulling it open, she peeked into the hall to make sure William was gone. The sounds of laughter taunted her from the downstairs common room. How could all these humans be so stupid? So complacent?
She walked down to the kitchen dreading having to interact with them. All she wanted was to get back to her home and family. And just because the people she shared the barracks with were the same species, it didn’t mean they were family. She’d tried to tell them there were places they could go. Enclaves that would take them in and protect them. But none of them seemed to care. In all the households of all the Vampires that had bought and returned her, she’d only ever had a handful of humans be interested in what she had to say.
A group of guys lounged on the sofa watching some sci-fi movie and eating popcorn. Several females chatted in the kitchen. Soft, they’d all become so soft. They’d forgotten the struggles of those who still tried to remain free from the Vampire slave markets.
“Hey, Evan, why don’t you come sit with us?” asked Matthew.
He always tried to be nice to her, but she couldn’t abide humans who actually liked being bitten.
“Not on your life.”
The men burst into laughter and one held his hand out to the others. “Pay up! I told you she wouldn’t do it.”
“Dicks.” She shook her head and strode into the kitchen.
The females scattered around her. She didn’t care that no one liked her. She’d be gone as soon as the situation presented itself.
She opened the fridge, and then pulled out a plate of food and a bottle of water.
She laughed to herself. Bottled water. Something so simple yet so elusive to those humans still out there in most enclaves. The one she’d come from, though large, had scraped to provide fresh water until their last move. The new setup had all the water they could handle. If the others would listen to her, they’d see how happy they could be in the enclave she’d come from.
She walked up to the second floor past the pasty white walls void of decoration to the last room on the right. She pushed open her door and then stepped out of her sneakers. Setting the plate on her large white bed, she plopped down and then pulled her hair from its band and stripped down to her underwear.
Her mission, if she’d ever gotten captured, was to get as many humans as she was able out of the slave houses and back with their own kind. To that end, she was failing miserably. Perhaps if she was nicer to people, they’d listen.
She sighed. Being raised by her uncle and two male cousins hadn’t taught her much in the way of manners.
Dawn was only a couple hours off. She turned on the stereo while she ate, listening to music that she didn’t care for, but at least it broke the silence. Back in her enclave, she’d collected CDs over the years. She sure wished she had some with her now.
As a love song came on the radio, her mind drifted to places she didn’t allow. A handsome man in a tailored suit. A cold night huddled with other survivors in a cave. Staring into the eyes of her little sister as she took her last breath. Memories. So many memories. And lastly, a tiny pink hand, clutching her thumb.
She shoved the plate onto her nightstand, no longer hungry, and turned off the light. She had to get out of here. She had to get back to her people. It wasn’t optional.
* * * *
William knocked on the door to Danika’s den and then entered. Roth, Neeman, Selene, Sinya, Danika, and Mason were already present.
“Well?” asked Danika.
William shook his head. “I don’t trust her.”
“But you’re the one who vouched for her in the first place,” said Neeman.
“I know. But I was wrong. She won’t help us. We’ll have to figure something else out,” said William. He hated that he’d been wrong about her.
“Do you think she’ll talk?” asked Mason.
“Sooner or later she’s bound to tell the others, or worse, bolt.” William slid into a seat and ru
bbed his temples. Why did she have to be so damned rebellious?
“So what do we do now?” asked Roth. “We’ve recruited all the trackers we can. Even now, we only have about sixty of us. The demons are going to strike again. It’s been weeks since their last real attack.”
“And those weren’t even real attacks,” said Mason. “We need more bodies if we’re going to survive.”
“Maybe we should tell the humans and vamps,” Sinya suggested.
Mason shook his head. “No. That would be chaos.”
“Maybe, but you’re going to have that soon enough with the demons coming. You know father isn’t going to need much more time to gather his army.” Selene stared at Mason.
“Why don’t we give Evan what she wants?” asked Roth.
All gazes traveled to him.
“She wants to leave,” said William.
“Let her go?” asked Danika.
Roth shrugged. “Yes. Let her go and monitor her. Follow her.”
“Why?”
“What does she want more than anything?” he asked.
“To go home.” Though William couldn’t understand why.
“Exactly. We plant a car with a tracking device and follow where she leads. She is going to make a run for it sooner or later, why not have it be on our terms?”
“I don’t think that’s exactly the best way to gain the humans’ friendship.” Sinya chuckled.
“I’ll go,” William offered. “I’ll follow her and track her whereabouts. If she meets up with an enclave, I’ll send word.” Why did he keep offering to do this crap?
“No, William, you’re too valuable,” said Danika.
“Actually, I’m the most expendable,” he countered. “Roth and Neeman are needed to lead the trackers. You’re the coven lord. Mason and Selene are needed for their strength and knowledge, but I’m nothing.”
“You underestimate how we rely on you.”
William chuckled. “Please, I’m not trying to get you to flatter me. I’m telling you that which you already know. Roth said himself you need everybody here. Which means that no tracker can go. And there isn’t anyone else outside this room that knows of the threat besides King Sherman and those that sided with them a month ago. Let me go. I’ll make contact with the humans and try to reason with them.”
“And if you fail?” asked Roth.
He shrugged, trying to fake his way past the fear that gnawed at him. “Well then I hope they kill me before the demons show up because I have a feeling the demons won’t be so kind.”
The group fell silent. It was a hard decision, but they had to see it was the right decision.
“Okay,” Danika whispered. The emotion on her face struck him to the core. “Roth, you set up the fake escape for Evan. Make sure William has everything he needs not only to follow her, but also to keep himself safe. This has to work. We only get one shot at it.”
“I’ll do it myself,” Roth replied.
Mason stepped forward and his large palm fell on Danika’s shoulder. She met William’s gaze. “You’ll take two phones with you.”
“Of course.”
“And you check in every six hours.”
“Yes.”
“And if you don’t…” Her eyes misted.
“I’ll come for you myself,” said Mason.
“I appreciate that.” This was absolutely where his family was. A pang of apprehension hit him. He’d lived in the enclave until a year ago when he’d been captured by slavers and sold to Danika. In all that time, he’d never gone anywhere by himself. If he got stuck out there in the daytime with nowhere to go…
“Come on.” Neeman slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s plan this out.
William nodded and stood. Finally, he was going to be useful. There was no way to back out now.
Chapter 3
William removed a crisp blue dress shirt from its hanger and folded it. He was only taking one suitcase with him, so he had to choose wisely the things that he might need. This shirt would be the only nice one he would bring. Everything needed to be comfortable and practical.
He laid the shirt inside his bag when shouts caught his attention. Heavy footsteps pounded down the landing to the floor below. He stepped out into the hallway and jogged to the balcony. Men shouted from below. Roth and Mason were organizing trackers into cars.
“Demons?” he called.
Roth nodded and continued barking orders.
William ran down the stairs to the front door. Mason caught him by the arm.
“No. You have a different mission. We’ll handle this.”
“I can help.”
“You can, but this isn’t your fight. Finish packing. You leave as soon as we return.”
Mason took off outside and jumped into the last SUV in the driveway. William closed the front door as they pulled out of sight. He wasn’t a fighter, though he could fight, but he wanted to be out there protecting his friends. His family.
“William.”
The sound of Danika’s voice made him turn. The look of trepidation on her face struck him.
“How many are there?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I didn’t get a chance to find out before Mason ran out. I was on the phone with Sherman.”
William squeezed her arm. “They’ll be fine. They know what they’re doing.”
She nodded and gave him her stoic coven lord expression. “Are you ready to go?”
“Not yet. I am finishing packing.”
She linked her arm in his. “Come. I’ll help you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I am well aware of that, but it will help me keep my mind off the fact that just about everyone in my family is out fighting demons.”
William inclined his head and led Danika up to his room.
* * * *
The sounds of cars approaching had both Danika and William rushing to the front door two hours later.
The door flung open and Mason entered carrying Neeman. William’s stomach turned at the sight of Selene, whose red-rimmed eyes tracked Mason’s movements.
“Take him right to Doc,” she said.
Mason spoke something to Selene in draconic, his voice soft and soothing.
She rushed beside Neeman and whispered into his ear. Danika put her arm around Selene’s shoulder and the group moved swiftly to the elevator. As they passed William, he spotted a huge gash down the side of Neeman’s face that continued down his throat and flayed open his shoulder. The wound was deep enough for William to see bone.
He turned away and cursed under his breath. This was why they needed the humans’ cooperation and possibly the weapons they had. If they didn’t get them soon, there would be no one left to defend against the demons. There was no choice, the entire country needed to come together on this one. Even the complacent vamps would be forced to fight if things got worse.
The rest of the trackers as well as Roth piled in the house.
“What happened?” asked William.
“There were more than ever. They fanned out and surrounded us. Neeman and Selene were pinned down by the edge of the park. We couldn’t get there until it was too late. If not for Selene, he’d be dead.”
He didn’t look too far off from that now.
“How many did we lose?” William asked.
“Three. Three good men. We’ll bury them tomorrow evening with the rest.”
William searched Roth’s hard face. A gash in his dark hairline caught William’s attention. “You should see Doc for that gash.”
“No need. I’ll feed and be fine. I’ve had worse. Much worse.” He glanced at his watch. “Damn. We’re supposed to be at the airport in thirty minutes. Are you ready to go?”
“Almost. I just need to get Evan.”
Roth nodded. “Do that, and then we’ll head out. The sooner you find those weapons the sooner we’ll stop burying friends.”
William swallowed. “Do you think Neeman will make it?”
; Roth blinked several times and licked his lips. “I honestly don’t know. If he does though, I don’t know how much fighting he’ll do in the future. That arm…” He coughed and clapped William on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
* * * *
William stood outside Evan’s room and took a deep breath. He clutched a dry-cleaner’s bag full of clothing in his hand. It had been almost five days since he’d had his fateful conversation with her and now the time had come. He knocked.
A moment later the door opened and Evan peered at him with her aquamarine eyes. She cocked an eyebrow when he didn’t say anything.
“Here.” He shoved the dry-cleaning bag at her.
Her brow furrowed and she snickered. “Okay.” She held up the bag inspecting it. “And what’s this?”
“Put it on.” He rubbed his slick palms on his slacks. “Gather your things. You’re leaving.”
A fearful expression crossed her face, and then she snorted and shoved the clothes back at him. “Ha-ha. Very funny.”
He handed them back. “It’s not a joke. Lord Danika has decided you can no longer stay here. You’re being transferred.”
“Transferred or sold?” Her gaze hardened like steel.
“You leave in fifteen minutes. Be downstairs or I’ll send the house guard up to get you.” He turned and headed down the hallway.
“Wait. William.”
He swallowed hard and refused to turn. He couldn’t blow this.
* * * *
William waited by the front door when Mason emerged from the elevator that led to the underground bunker and Doc’s office. He was covered in blood and dirt and crossed to William when he spotted him.
“Hey.”
“How’s Neeman?”
Mason shook his head. “He’ll make it but it isn’t good. We have no idea yet if he’ll ever regain use of his arm.”
“Doc’s as good as they come. If anyone can sew Neeman up, it’ll be him.”
Mason nodded, but his expression said he wasn’t so convinced. “You getting ready to head out?”
“Just waiting on Evan. She should be down any minute.”
“I have something for you.” He pulled a small leather pouch attached to a leather strap from his pocket and handed it to William.
Vengeance of the Demons Page 2