Renegade (Shadow Realms): An Urban Fantasy Dragon Shifter Romance

by Amber Ella Monroe

  "Yes, I know. We need to save as many as we can. But you can't save or help your parents if you bring more attention to them. Or you, for that matter."

  "My dad came looking for me. Somehow, he knew I was there. I have to reach him. I need to know why the District was paying him, and why he and my mom just disappeared."

  "You reached out to them once right before the District intercepted the call that gave away your location," he said, giving her a knowing look.

  She swallowed. "That wasn't the only time I tried to reach them. I sent an unmarked letter once. I wrote a small poem on it that my mom once taught me, and that was it. But that was before I knew they weren't living in the old house anymore."

  Vicq groaned.

  "I know. I fucked up, but now I know better. If that was my dad in that sketch, then he has the right idea about not using technology. He's also ex-military, so he's extra cautious anyway. I want him to know I'm safe and that he can stop looking for me."

  Vicq sighed heavily. "And then what? Once you find them alive…then what? They'll know what you are now. Is that what you want?"

  Elaina ran the tip of her tongue along her incisors. How could she have forgotten that she was now bound to follow the Dresdan code? Dresdan were forbidden to reveal their true natures to human civilians unless they planned to kill them or destroy their memories.

  "I'll go alone so you don't have to break your code," she said.

  He arched an eyebrow. "You know that's not going to happen."

  There was a knock at their bedroom door, and Melrose stuck her head in. "Ready?"

  "Give us a minute," Elaina said.

  When she pulled the door closed, Vicq said, "You were going to do this without me anyway."

  "No, but Melrose offered to help when I told her I wanted to go."

  Vicq shook his head. "Did you know that Melrose was a convicted felon in her human life?"

  Elaina gave a short laugh. "She told me. Former lead guitarist, whose father had ties to the mob. Her entire family was wanted by the FBI. Someone set them up, and she was the only one who got away after the shootout. A Dresdan saved her. Why are you bringing this up?"

  "You are alike in many ways. You get each other," he said.

  "We weren't always like that. She hated my guts before she met me because she thought I had set you up."

  "Yes, she's very loyal." His eyes wandered from Elaina to the closed door and then back again. "In either case, I'm just as much your sidekick as she is, but I like to believe that I am your only lover."

  "You're my everything. I will never love anyone as much as I love you."

  She slipped her fingers against Vicq's nape, pulling him slightly downward. She opened her lips under his, yielding. A long moment passed before they separated from the kiss, finished getting dressed, collected their belongings, and headed out.

  Chapter 5

  Elaina, along with four others of her coven, landed a quarter of a mile away from the small houseboat community where she'd lived under D5's radar for months…or so she’d thought. She could only hope that D5 had written her off as lost after the showdown with the trackers they’d sent to bring her in. After all, the trackers—after learning that they couldn’t stop Vicq and his crew from rescuing her—had shot to kill her…and they had.

  The night air was bitter, and the instant they all landed, Elaina picked up the scent of gunpowder residue and old blood. It rushed toward them on the wind.

  Mark, who'd shifted to the crime scene to check out the area before they moved any farther, flashed back to the clearing where the others waited.

  "It's clear," he informed them.

  Vicq, Melrose, Logan, and Mark followed her lead as she used her abilities to unfold against the darkness to the entrance of the community. Except for the unwavering sounds of the water ripples pushing against the boats latched to the deck, the atmosphere was mostly devoid of disturbances. Most of the residents had jobs, or only ventured out during the day when they took their sailboats farther out onto the river to fish or enjoy the seclusion.

  Many of the slips were vacant. Few houseboats were tied up to the docks. The number of homes seemed to have decreased by almost half. She couldn't help but wonder if the recent incidents were the cause of so many residents moving out.

  Elaina continued to breathe in the scents of the night, letting her strongest sense tell the story. Things were different now that she was changed. She didn’t fear for her life—or lack of one. She only feared the unknown.

  “The area is clear. That’s for sure,” Logan chimed in. “Either folks are scared shitless and locked up in their homes, or they’ve hauled ass.”

  “Both,” Elaina replied. “The residents also move based on the season. Living on a river in the dead of winter is a lot tougher than some are prepared for.”

  Despite the biting wind whipping across her skin, Elaina’s body temperature didn’t affect her comfort levels. It had taken some time to get used to her new anatomy, but most everything about changing into a Dresdan was self-explanatory…once one became a vampire. She thought she knew the Dresdan before, but the old saying that it takes one to know one suited her circumstances just fine.

  They moved quietly down the dock toward what should have been her houseboat. They took precautions. At the first sign of trouble or the potential for blown cover, they’d shift out. They’d agreed before arrival that they’d come to investigate and avoid any direct run-ins with the law or D5.

  Elaina bent down to pick up a large, old, rusted chain and anchor from the spot where her houseboat had used to be hitched.

  “Not what I expected,” she said. “The houseboat is gone. That’s suspicious since I bought it outright. This wasn’t a rental.”

  “But it was here…at least on the television,” Mark said. “Are you sure this is the right spot? There are other boats out here, and not all of them look occupied.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  Logan held up a piece of torn crime scene tape. “It seems the boat was removed after the incident was reported on the news and the cops left. Could this be another attempt to cover up a crime or just outright destruction of evidence?”

  “There’s a process when D5 is involved in an incident like this. They couldn’t cover this one up, so they’ve begun the process of destroying what was left.”

  Melrose shrugged. “Well, they knew you weren’t coming back to live here.”

  Logan scoffed. “She’s back now. Whether it’s to live here or not.

  Elaina threw a frown in his direction. He’d always been skeptical of her, always questioned her plans. Especially when Vicq wasn’t around.

  “She’s back because she believes her father is somehow involved,” Vicq interjected.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my dad, but how could I mistake a parent?” Elaina asked.

  “So now you think that your Pops came to find you for whatever reason and got a rude awakening?” Logan countered.

  Before Elaina could respond, Vicq pointed to an area to the left of them. “Look. There was blood here.” He circled a spot on the deck where blood had been spilled and bent down to investigate. “Someone died here. And it’s only a few feet from where your houseboat was.”

  “I don’t understand.” Elaina shook her head. “Why would my dad come here? The newspapers said they were dead. What’s going on?”

  “We might have to go digging through police records,” Mark said. “See what we can find there.”

  “Ssh. Someone’s coming,” Melrose said.

  The soft purr of a motor hummed in the distance. All eyes honed in on a figure approaching from the far side of the pier where smaller cabin-style homes were situated near the river’s edge.

  Just as the young guy came into full view, Mark shifted forward and captured him by the throat. Mark’s fangs were distended, ready to strike.

  “Wait!” Elaina called out.

  Blood-red eyes shifted in her direction. Confusion set in on Ma
rk’s face as he attempted to understand the reason for her command.

  “Please,” the guy croaked. “Don’t…”

  “He’s marked. He’s marked with a 5,” Mark said, turning the guy around and forcing him to bend at the neck so everyone could see.

  Sure enough, the branding that the District gave all D5 members was there. But this guy’s mark looked distorted, as if someone had taken a knife to the back of his neck at one point or another.

  “Kill him!” Logan said.

  “No, please…” He held up both arms to show that he meant no harm. He slowly turned around and looked directly at Elaina. “I’m just like you. I’m a D5 refugee. I left the District just like you.” He lowered his arms again and reached for the bottom of his jacket. “I—”

  Mark gripped him again about the neck. “Not so fast.”

  “D5 refugee?” Elaina questioned.

  The guy looked back and forth from Elaina to her crew. “I can’t really say…”

  “We won’t hurt you. Tell me. What’s a D5 refugee?”

  The guy pointed to Mark. “But he’s a Dresdan.”

  Mark retracted his fangs, but the guy’s body still trembled under the vampire’s firm hold.

  “Release him,” Elaina said.

  “He’s seen us,” Logan warned. “Why?”

  “I said…release him.”

  Mark let go.

  The guy shifted around nervously. “What about the rest of them?”

  “They’re my friends, whether they’re Dresdan or not,” Elaina said.

  The guy examined them, peering through the darkness with his human eyes, trying to decipher their true nature.

  “Well…” Elaina said.

  “A D5 refugee is a former District employee who wants no involvement with the organization anymore. And those who are wanted dead or alive by the District for rules they have broken. Like you.”

  Elaina swallowed. “I’ve never heard of this. How do you know who I am?”

  “Unless you have a twin that I haven’t been told about, then you must be Elaina. We’ve been looking for you. ”

  “We?”

  “Yes. The Refuge.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “Once a bounty hunter. Always a bounty hunter.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I was employed as a bounty hunter for the District before I left and found Refuge,” he said. “I broke the pledge, but never gave up my profession. It appears the same applies to you…vampire tracker?”

  Elaina gave a short laugh. “If you only knew.”

  “I have a message for you,” the guy said, almost in a whisper. “Here, in my pocket. Can I get it?”

  “Where?” Mark interrogated. “I’ll get it. We want no surprises.”

  The man gestured again, and Mark retrieved a letter and handed it to Elaina.

  “You need to destroy the note once you’ve read it. And if I were you, I’d stay far away from this place.” The guy started to turn.

  “Wait!” she called out. “Did you hear about what happened here?”

  He nodded. “Yes. We came to investigate your houseboat after we caught wind of the incident here. There was a motion sensor programmed into the door, and that’s when D5 trackers showed up.” The guy looked out across the lake. “You should go… Now.”

  Elaina’s heart pounded with hope and curiosity. The messenger wanted to leave when she had so many other questions.

  “I hear an engine about a half mile south of here,” Melrose said. “He’s right. We need to go.”

  “By the way, Elaina, the note is from your dad. He wants to see you without hindrances.” His gaze floated over Elaina’s crew. “And the note is for your eyes only.”

  She gasped. “How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

  “You won’t know. You’ll just have to take a chance.”

  After that declaration, he took off. Slowly at first, but then his jogging became a sprint as he raced in the direction of the trees.

  Elaina gripped the letter in her hands, but before she could unfold it to uncover the message, Vicq enveloped her in his arms and shifted her away.

  Chapter 6

  Elaina and Vicq, along with the other members of the night’s crew landed in a small gathering room inside the sanctuary. She was still gripping the note in her hand, but had yet to unfold it. She was excited yet apprehensive about what could be inside. After all these years, what would her parents have to say to her? Would her dad hate her for making the decisions she had? Would they tell her what they knew of D5?

  Melrose patted her shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” Elaina said, quietly. “Thanks for coming out with me.” She glanced up and looked out across the room. “All of you.”

  She took a seat in a nearby chair and sighed deeply. “I just need some time to think.”

  “All right, you three. Let’s give her some privacy,” Vicq said. He must have sensed her anguish and knew just what she needed before she’d even asked.

  Everyone began to move out.

  Everyone but Logan, who protested. “Don’t you think we should see the le—” Logan cut his speech off abruptly enough to cause Elaina to glance up.

  She saw the look of disapproval that Vicq threw Logan’s way just before he released a sigh of defiance and fled from the room.

  Vicq’s hand was on the doorknob, and he was ready to leave too until Elaina stopped him.

  “I want you to stay,” she said.

  “Sure.”

  He took a seat in the chair next to her just as she unfolded the letter.

  “Hey, LadyBug. Yes, it’s me, your dad. It’s getting late. Time for you to come home. :) Meet me at the old abandoned post office building on the corner of Anahurst and Fletcher at 07:00 sharp tomorrow. Come alone. Ask for Glory. She’ll bring you to me. Take care.”

  Elaina’s hands trembled as she passed the note to Vicq to read.

  “Is it really your dad?” he asked.

  “LadyBug is the nickname he gave me. He’s the only one who called me that.”

  “But you don’t look happy.”

  “I don’t know what to believe.” Elaina frowned. “And there’s a slight problem. A big problem actually.”

  Vicq looked on in confusion.

  “7 AM. The sunlight isn’t my friend, remember?”

  Vicq’s shoulders hunched. “You’re right. Newly created Dresdan take years to withstand even the tiniest bit of sunlight. Especially the first rays of the morning.”

  “My dad has no idea that I’ve changed or he wouldn’t have called for me like this. I can’t do this. I can’t go.”

  “Elaina…”

  “I shouldn’t have gone back in the first place. Maybe it’s best if he thinks I’m dead.”

  “That’s not an option anymore. The bounty hunter has confirmation that you’re alive. We can send a messenger out to him instead.”

  “He’s not going to trust someone sent in my place,” she said.

  “No, but we can bring him here.”

  “Would he come?”

  “You know your dad better than I,” Vicq replied. “What would it take to get him in a safer location for you?”

  Elaina laughed. “You want to convince him that a group of vampires will take him to his daughter?” She shook her head. “He’ll shoot on sight.”

  “Even now?” Vicq frowned. “Times have changed, Elaina. Even the guy back at the dock said it. Former members of that dirty organization have joined Refuge. He seemed skeptical of us, but I could tell he wasn’t sent to harm anyone intentionally, not even a vampire.”

  “He doesn’t have to know that I’m vampire. I just have to master suppressing my nature. Right?”

  Vicq shook his head. “You’ve mastered suppressing yourself well, even under the most trying circumstances. But I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “There must be a way for me to go…”

  Vicq’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. �
��There is…you’re strong, but not strong enough to withstand sunlight for more than a few minutes. You’d have to take blood. Human blood. And a lot of it. Whatever you consume will tide you over for a few hours to meet with your father, but you’ll need to reserve most of that strength to shift back or seek a dark haven close by. I don’t know if there’s enough time to convince him about what happened to you and why the organization is after you and get you to a protected area.”

  She swallowed. “Lots of blood, you said?”

  “Sí. Pints of it. One human after another. And that’s only because if you take any more than a few pints, you’ll kill them.”

  “Isn’t that the way of the rogues? Feed to kill?”

  Vicq nodded. “They kill innocents mostly. The blood plus the number of kills makes them stronger. But what separates a rogue from a fledgling only seeking to ascend within the Court is restraint. Rogues continue to murder without regard for human life, but Dresdan-kind are more respectful. We honor the code and only take what’s necessary.”

  “So between now and 7 AM, I’d have to feed.” Elaina had never fed on anyone other than Vicq. She’d never needed to. He was always there when she needed him the most. Vicq had the powers of an ancient running through him, and his blood sustained her well.

  “The odds of you feeding off humans—which is something you’ve never done—are slim to none. I see the hesitation in you already.”

  “But you and I both knew that there would come a time when I’d have to take from someone other than you,” she said.

  “In desperate times…”

  “I am desperate. And just like you, I have a hunch that this will help us understand some things about the way the District operates. I have missing links and lost pieces to the puzzles because I never got involved in every aspect of the organization. It sounds like these guys from Refuge can aid in solving this.”

  Vicq leaned against the table. “Then we can’t let this opportunity pass us by. I’ll go and convince your father to meet you after dark.”

  Elaina reached for his arm. “If you meet him without me, he’ll suspect something is wrong. He’ll suspect the worst.”