Blood Cure (A Keira Blackwater Novel Book 1)

by K. R. Willis

  The four-foot, pudgy man behind the bar angled himself toward me, but didn’t stop sorting the bottles of alcohol along the back wall. Even with the stepstool he stood on, he barely reached the bottom two rows. The rock charm that signified he belonged to the troll family of supernaturals hung from a gold post that pierced his right eyebrow. Tonight, like every other time I’d been around him, he smelled like corn chips and I wondered if that was indicative of trolls in general, or just him. His perpetually grouchy nature always prevented me from asking him any questions.

  Raz’s scraggly brown beard bobbed up and down as he answered, “Nahp. He here, then left.” He quickly dismissed me, and went back to his sorting.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled. Now what? George hadn’t made it back to the club after collecting the werewolf from my apartment, and I still needed answers. It was only a matter of time before the werewolf that fled my apartment told the Alpha and the whole pack came after me. When they did, I would be dead.

  The pounding in my head reached a whole new level of painful. Little jackhammers worked overtime on the nerves behind my eyeballs, making them water. Blinking furiously in an attempt to see better, I spun around, determined to leave the club before I passed out, and ran smack dab into Leo. Damn vampire really knew how to get on my nerves.

  “Move, Mr. Trevelyan, I don’t have time….” The words were sucked out of me as my lungs collapsed, or at least that’s how it felt. My vision went black, little stars flashed and blinked before my eyes. Faster than my battered brain could process, I was slammed up against the wall in the back hallway just outside the ladies’ restroom.

  I whimpered from the pain. If Leo hadn’t been holding me up, I would have slumped to the floor. Getting thrown against the wall twice in one day was seriously bad for my health.

  Once the hallway stopped spinning, I looked at Leo. His eyes were as black as obsidian, and his fangs had erupted into full view. He leaned forward and pressed himself up against me, trapping me to the wall, then took a deep breath.

  He put his lips to my ear and rumbled, “Why are you here?”

  My cheeks flushed with anger. Who the hell did he think he was, my keeper? “That’s none of your business. Let me go!” I struggled pointlessly. His body created an impenetrable cage, molding itself even tighter to me until I stopped moving.

  “It is my business,” he growled. “Insolent woman. How dare you come into my club, a club filled with creatures that feed on flesh and blood, with you in this condition.” He sucked in another deep breath and hissed as he blew it out slowly.

  “What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  Leo leaned back, then reached up with his right hand and ran his fingers across my forehead just below my hairline. I winced. When he held his fingers in front of my face, red streaked them.

  In my quest for answers, I had completely forgotten about the cut on my forehead. I’d jumped in my car, raced to the club to find George, and walked right into a concrete box filled with predators and dangled a nice juicy steak in front of them. Damn.

  I deflated a little. “It’s been a rough night. I wasn’t trying to cause trouble.” My carelessness could have gotten me killed, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Leo. “I’m leaving, okay? Let me go.” His hard, unyielding chest didn’t budge when I shoved.

  He glared at me for several heartbeats and then took a step back. “Your ignorance could have resulted in your death and caused me a lot of problems. Why are you here?” Leo crossed his arms across his chest, refusing to move.

  Normally, I would have told him to go stick it, but I needed answers and had run out of options. I considered him for several minutes. George wasn’t here, and I had no idea if he would even speak to me in the first place. There remained a slight chance that even though he had always been nice to Sally and me, he would attack me on sight.

  Leo, on the other hand, seemed to be neutral. As a vampire, he wasn’t under any obligation to the werewolves. Yet at the same time, he was tied to their world and might be able to provide me with some answers. If he’d wanted to hurt me, he would have already done so in his quest to gain my shop, or when I showed up in his club bleeding.

  “I’m looking for George,” I said, deciding to take a gamble on the vampire. “I’m having a problem with the werewolf pack and thought he might be able to tell me why.”

  “George is not here. He was here for a few hours, but then he received a phone call, said something about a pack emergency, and left.”

  “Pack emergency. Riiight,” I grumbled. I thought of it more as my emergency, considering they were werewolves, and had attacked me, but hey, what did I know.

  He cocked his head to the side. “Is that how you came to be injured?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I touched the sticky cut on my head. “It’s only a matter of time before they come after me again.” I decided not to say anything else, and waited for Leo’s response. If he was going to help me, he would have to make the offer. I refused to ask him for help lest he feel I was indebted to him and ask for the shop as payment.

  He seemed to read my thoughts because he grinned one of those Cheshire cat grins, and said, “Perhaps I may be of service.”

  I heaved a sigh a relief before realizing what I’d done. My eyes narrowed when Leo’s grin widened. “Well, if you’re offering. But don’t think that in any way this changes things between us. I’m still not selling you my shop.” There, that told him.

  “Of course, Miss Blackwater. If I am able to be of service, you may consider it…a peace offering.”

  A peace offering? Yeah, right. “Fine. Thank you,” I gritted out. I just hoped it didn’t come back to bite me on the ass.

  As the adrenaline from the last couple of hours retreated, the jackhammers I’d managed to ignore kicked into high gear, playing some heavy metal gig that threatened to burst through my skull. I rubbed my temples.

  “Are you all right?” Leo asked. I’m not certain, but I think I heard genuine concern in his voice.

  “Yeah, sure. Being thrown against the wall by two supernaturally strong people in a matter of hours makes me feel just peachy,” I snapped. Leo’s grin disappeared. Dammit! If I don’t shut my mouth, no one is going to help me. “Sorry. This music is making me cranky. Can we talk somewhere a little quieter?”

  Leo nodded. “Certainly. This way.” He led me down the hall past the restrooms, through a side door hidden in a supply closet, and out into the cool crisp night.

  My pounding head felt better the moment the heavy steel door closed shut behind us, effectively shutting out the loud drone of music from the club. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind and crickets chirping was much more welcoming, both coming from the woods that surrounded the Blu Moon on three sides.

  A large black stretched Hummer that could have filled half my apartment waited in the private parking spot hidden behind the club. When we reached it, Leo stopped and waited as his chauffeur came and opened the door. “Miss Blackwater, this is Arnaud D’Aubigne, my chauffeur, my friend, as well as one of my progeny.”

  “I’m Keira, nice to meet you.” I offered him my hand as I took in his appearance. Arnaud stood several inches taller than Leo with a short, dark brown crew cut. He wore black jeans, clean and crisp, and the maroon T-shirt he sported resembled the ones the bouncers wore. Handsome, in a “tough as nails” kind of way.

  “The pleasure is all mine, mademoiselle,” he said and then bowed. The grand, sweeping gesture reminded me of the days of old. His infinity charm sparkled from a gold chain around his neck that matched Leo’s.

  Arnaud held the door open for us, and I hesitated. Did I really want to get into a limo with a vampire? One who had been trying to persuade me to sell him my shop, and then threw me against the wall just a few minutes ago in his club?

  Leo seemed to sense my thoughts because he said, “I swear on my honor, I will not harm you. You are my guest.” All of a sudden, the air around us felt thicker as if his
words held some kind of weight to them. He bowed from the waist and swept his hand out toward the interior of the limo and waited patiently for me to make my decision.

  I hesitated for another minute, then figured what the hell. I’d come this far; I might as well see if he could help me. And besides, I’d heard rumors about vampires holding honor above anything else since most of them came from a time when chivalry ruled the land. As I stepped into the limo, I just hoped Leo was one of those vampires.

  Leo climbed in behind me and Arnaud shut the door and went back to the driver’s seat. Old Red seemed like a soapbox racer compared to the Hummer’s opulence. Black leather seats, walnut accents, a flat screen TV, and a fully stocked bar surrounded me in luxury.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Leo asked.

  “No, thanks.”

  Leo sat across from me, his bright hazel eyes shining softly in the moonlight that streamed in through the open windows. We sat in silence, just staring at each other. He wore a crisp, white shirt, probably silk by the expensive look of it, black dress slacks and shiny black loafers. His auburn hair fluttered in the soft breeze that blew in through his window. He seemed comfortable in his surroundings, like he belonged among the opulence. Reluctantly I realized if we hadn’t met under the circumstances we had, I would have found him handsome.

  Leo spoke first, breaking my train of thought. “Now that we are here, what can I do for you, Miss Blackwater?”

  I licked my suddenly dry lips. Right. Business. “You’ve heard about the two werewolves that were found dead, right?” When he nodded, I continued. “Well, the pack seems to think that I’m somehow responsible. Two pack members paid me a visit a few hours ago. That’s where I got this.” I pointed to the gash on my forehead.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Werewolves are quite powerful. Might I ask how you escaped?”

  I shrugged. “I’ve been in training since I was a kid. When they attacked, I defended myself. It won’t be long before they come after me again.” I decided not to tell him I’d killed one of them. He’d been a gentleman so far, but I didn’t want to press my luck.

  Leo nodded, as if my explanation made sense. “So what do you want from me?”

  “Do you have any idea why they might think I’m responsible for those deaths? You’re a vampire. You’re connected to their world. Have you heard any rumors?”

  Leo leaned forward and poured himself a finger of whiskey. “Because I am a vampire, the werewolves do not speak with me on such matters. No, I have not heard any rumors.” He threw back his shot of whiskey. The empty glass plinked on the walnut bar when he set it down.

  Damn, now what? Leo was listening, so I decided to go for broke and voiced the thoughts running through my head. “Okay, how about this. The wolves that attacked me said their deaths were my fault. How could I have killed two werewolves without using silver bullets, or removing their heads?”

  He seemed to think about it for a moment and then replied, “I do not know. What you need to ask yourself is this. What did they find with the bodies that led them to you in the first place?”

  Excellent question. I hadn’t thought of it that way.

  “You know, you’re right. The police wouldn’t have released that kind of information to the public. One of the officers, Matt, is also one of your part-time bartenders here at the Blu Moon. He said the only thing they found…”

  I stilled. Matt said they found some unusual properties in their blood, but they attributed it to their unique werewolf DNA. Could that be it? Could the anomaly have something to do with me? And if so, how?

  “What is it?” Leo asked. “You have obviously thought of something.”

  I told Leo my theory. I hoped like hell I was wrong, but it was the only thing I could think of that made any sense.

  After a moment, Leo said, “It seems logical to assume with the extraordinary nature of your blood, combined with this anomaly the police found in their bodies, this is what brought the wolves to your door.”

  Was that a compliment? For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

  “If you would like, I can call in a few favors and see what I can find out,” Leo offered. “I will not promise anything, but it will not hurt.”

  “Thank you. That would be great.”

  Leo nodded and poured himself some more whiskey, then turned and looked out the window.

  I blew out a breath and let my shoulders relax a little. Letting Leo help me still made me nervous he’d ask for the shop as payment, but I needed any and all help I could get. I had to know if my blood killed Tom and Brian. If it did, not only would I never forgive myself, but I would also have to stop my blood donations at the hospital until we figured out what was wrong with it.

  After staring out the window with Leo at the night sky for what seemed like forever, I looked at him. He’d been more or less approachable so far so I figured, what the hell, I’d let my curiosity have its way.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “Hmmm?”

  I took that as a yes. “How did you become a vampire?” I knew I risked our temporary truce, but I just couldn’t help myself.

  In an instant, Leo’s features turned stone cold in that way only vampires could manage. He didn’t even blink. When he finally answered, his words came out measured, almost rehearsed. “I was born in Versailles, France in 1768. My father was a respected soldier, and my mother was a bread maker at the palace there. I grew up surrounded by beautiful women, and shortly after I turned eighteen, I fell in love with one. Unfortunately, she had already married a high-ranking nobleman.

  “When he discovered our affair, he had me thrown into the Bastille for immoral behavior. Everyone forgot about me for three long years. Then, when the prison was stormed at the beginning of the French Revolution, I escaped.

  “After losing the woman I loved and spending so much time in prison, I needed purpose. I enlisted in the French National Guard, and fought during the Revolution for four years before being fatally wounded. A vampire posing as a medic, found me and offered to turn me. I accepted. I had not known at the time that he would be the kind of creature nightmares are made of.” His voice trailed off, offering no more explanation.

  Wow. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to be imprisoned just for loving someone. It sounded awful. Some of the leftover animosity I felt toward him dissipated. Maybe he wasn’t such a jerk after all.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up what is obviously a painful memory.”

  “It used to be,” he said. “But after more than 200 years, I’ve learned to enjoy the benefits of being immortal.”

  I started to ask him more questions about the things he’d seen during his time as a vampire, but a howl drifted in from the woods somewhere outside. Leo tilted his head to the side to listen, and I froze. Had they come for me already? A few seconds passed without another sound so I relaxed, thinking it must have been a stray dog, but then another howl rang out, joined by several more, and my blood ran cold.

  CHAPTER 9

  “You and Arnaud should get out of here,” I told Leo. “This isn’t your fight.” I touched the dagger strapped to my hip, felt for the sword nestled between my shoulder blades for reassurance, and reached for the door handle.

  Leo grabbed the handle with vampire speed. “Your concern for our wellbeing is touching, but misplaced. We are vampires. We do not run from werewolves,” he answered calmly. “Besides, what kind of a gentleman would I be if I let a woman fight while I hid safely in the shadows?”

  Another howl echoed through the parking lot. They were close.

  Leo’s door opened, and Arnaud stuck his head in. He didn’t sound the least bit concerned when he informed us, “Sire, we are being surrounded by werewolves. There are at least six of them. What are your orders?”

  Leo looked at me and replied, “If they will not listen to reason and withdraw, then we will fight.”

  “Yes, Sire,” Arnaud said as he held the door op
en for us.

  Leo stepped out of the Hummer, and offered me his hand. I ignored it, determined to step out on my own two feet, lest I show the wolves any weakness. Leo nodded, as if he understood.

  As wolves emerged from the darkness, my eyes scanned the small lot, quickly cataloguing the threat. Two werewolves stood directly in front of us. The one on the left had a smoky gray coat with white fur on the tip of his tail, light amber colored eyes, and a scar over his left eye. I’m not a werewolf expert, but he seemed kind of small.

  In steep contrast, the other one standing with him was massive, at least the size of a grizzly bear. His earthy red coat resembled clay, white fur covered his paws, and his deep whiskey-colored eyes glared at me. They growled and slavered all over the ground, ears flat against their heads.

  Another werewolf, coal black, appeared to my right, from the front of the Hummer. If it hadn’t been for his yellow eyes and a patch of white fur the size of a quarter on his left shoulder, he would have blended into the night. The three wolves closed in enough to trap us with the Hummer at our backs, and then stopped.

  A man emerged from the shadows and strode toward us with his head held high in defiance. I remembered him. He’d been introduced at Tom’s funeral as the Alpha. Just the sight of him striding toward us made me want to cower. When he reached the red werewolf, he paused and scratched it behind the ears.

  “I am Jeremy Whitfield, Alpha of the Flathead Pack,” he announced. His voice, laced with the magic of his position, carried across the entire lot. “Walk away, vampire. We have no quarrel with you or your friend. She is the only one we want.” Jeremy raised his hand and pointed at me, as if we didn’t know who he referred to.

  “I am afraid I cannot do that, wolf. She is my guest. If you continue to pursue her this night, you will have quarrel with me.” Leo’s forceful words made me wince as he laced them with enough of his own power to make them sting, causing the wolves surrounding us to growl even more. It made me glad he was temporarily on my side.