by Kate Wendley
Anthony frowned at them from the foot of the bed, then turned and used one hand to hold onto Kaia as he awkwardly pulled the curtains open of the window he stood in front of.
Min-chul snapped more loudly, “Vampire! Did you hear me? He needs more. You can’t leave him like this, not now that we know what will heal him! Get more vampires up here or give him your blood.”
Anthony calmly said, “No,” before turning back to the window and nudging Kaia away. “Father?”
Isaiah reached out and grabbed tight to Kaia’s arm, and from the looks of it she wasn’t very happy about it, but Penny’s and everyone else’s attention was on Anthony as he slid one of the vertical windows open. To everyone’s confusion, he turned into mist and flew out into the night.
Isaiah stepped in front of the window with Kaia and looked outside.
Min-chul scowled. “What the hell’s going on?”
Isaiah said, “He’s… kneeling in the grass.”
Zach strode forward, took a look, then jerked away. “Shit. Get out of here. Everyone. Now.”
Isaiah frowned heavily at him. “Why?”
As fast as he could, he said, “Anthony drained himself recently trying to heal some wolves that were shot. To heal himself after that, he sat out in the grass, somehow absorbing power from the ground, or the earth, or wherever. When he came to, he wasn’t himself and anything he got close to got fried. That includes people. It wasn’t until he went to sleep again that he had his power under control.”
Isaiah frowned and got out of the way so Zach could push everyone out of the room, though Sebastian was already growling at those that weren’t moving fast enough.
Penny screeched, “What about Vince?”
Zach gave her a worried look, flicked a glance to Vince writhing in pain on the bed, then paced to the window again. He gave a good look outside, then said, “He stays. Anthony’s not drained tonight so maybe he can control the power he’s siphoning.” He jerked his attention to the crowd. “Isaiah. When Anthony comes back up here, assuming he does, there might be some explosions. Can you use your power to help keep glass and other things off of Vince?”
“Of course.” He passed Kaia off to Sebastian and kept his focus on the window, ready to do his part.
Zach said, “And, uh, be ready to yank Vince out of there if Anthony doesn’t have control over himself. You can do that, right? I mean, I’m assuming you have some of the same powers as…”
Zach shut his mouth as Isaiah’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. I have that power. Just like my son, and just like my Maker.”
Penny didn’t want to leave Vince’s side, but Sebastian didn’t give her a choice when he grabbed her with his free hand and yanked her off the bed. She tried to glare at him and was going to try to tear out of his grasp, but one look into those Alpha Wolf eyes froze her to her core. When he wanted to be, Sebastian was a damn scary monster.
So she huddled in the crowd just outside Vince’s door with everyone else, except for Isaiah, and tried her best to keep an eye on her man.
Vince lie on the bed grunting and dry heaving, and it wasn’t long before an eerie quiet fell over the room. Even Vince’s grunts and whimpers seemed hushed, at least until Anthony’s misty form seeped in through the window.
Nothing exploded like Zach thought it would, but as soon as Anthony’s translucent hands reached Vince, screams tore through the air. Anthony’s eyes were bright, the only thing even halfway solid on him right now, but his face was expressionless as he pressed down on Vince’s thighs, his body a wispy trail of mist still stretching out the window and into the night.
The energy looked like it had a heartbeat as it pulsed up through that eerie trail and into Vince’s trembling body. He bucked against it, the air thick and hard to breathe as they all watched him battle with the broken magic inside himself.
But Vince never once tried to push Anthony away, and by the time Anthony abruptly snapped back to his whole self, Vince’s cries sounded more animal than human.
Anthony slumped forward, then weakly maneuvered himself to fall beside Vince on the bed.
Zach cautiously called out, “Anthony? You ok bud?”
He rolled onto his back and tiredly said, “I still have control over myself, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s good, buddy. Is it safe to come in the room?”
The sickening sounds of tendons popping and muscles and bones rearranging themselves competed with Vince’s screams of agony, and Anthony was suddenly gone from the room while Vince began shifting in front of everyone’s eyes.
Bodies pressed against Penny and she looked around to see Anthony pulling Kaia back into his arms and away from the action.
Min-chul shoved his way through the crowd and started undressing. “Zach. Take us somewhere he can run. I’ll shift and try to control him.”
“Control him? How the hell are you going to do that as your cat?”
Charlotte snapped, “Min-chul is aware when he’s his animal.”
Penny stiffened, along with this whole room full of people. That was a personal, and important thing to reveal because not everyone had the skill to keep their human mind while they were their animal, and not everyone liked for others to know if they didn’t have the skill. All in all, less people had the ability than didn’t have it, so that meant Min-chul had an advantage over Zach, even if Zach was otherwise more powerful than him.
The two men locked eyes for a moment, looking like wheels were spinning in both their heads, and everyone held their breaths while they waited for Zach to do something.
Luckily Vince’s screams tore them from whatever power games they were playing, and all Penny could do was helplessly watch her man as he writhed in pain.
Min-chul finished stripping in front of them all, and Suzanne elbowed her once he was bare naked. Penny had to admit, for an old guy he was damn fine. And if that was Vince’s dad… Ugh. This probably wasn’t the greatest time to have her mind in the gutter.
Min-chul shifted swiftly and neatly into his cat, and his animal was just as sleek and well-toned as his human self. And black. Not all jaguars were. Most were shades of gold with black spots.
Vince’s shift was nowhere near as neat as his father’s. His arms lengthened as he screamed in horror, and his cat eyes were wild, feverish, and terrified. His face slowly morphed, his head widening while his human ears receded and cat ears formed higher up. Once his snout pushed forward from his nose and mouth, his voice changed. It had a wilder, deeper pitch to it, and it was even more animal sounding than before.
His hands widened next as his skin stretched and took on a painful, angry red tone, his chest heaving in anxious breaths while he knelt on all fours and arched his back in shaky tremors. Zach and Ed quickly tore his remaining clothes off him, just the shorts she’d carefully put back on him this morning. Being completely naked would free him from any unnecessary restraints while he shifted. Unnecessary pain.
Her heart hurt for him as he dry heaved on the bed in between wild cat screams and the grotesque sounds of his body forcibly changing shape. And they all cringed when his skin actually stretched to its limit and tore open in spots, only to heal over again.
His shift seemed to take a really long time, but it was probably pretty average compared to most shifters. Still, her gut felt sick watching him in so much pain and anguish, and just plain terror. Her head knew that all shifters went through these same changes every month, but when everyone was all together, it didn’t seem as bad. They had company in their pain, and they knew that it would be over soon and then they’d have all night to run with the adrenaline of their animal finally free and loose on the most powerful night of the month. Seeing it completely sober as her human self made it hit home that it was a horrific thing to go through.
But it was still magical, and soon black hair flowed and coated Vince’s body, and his transformation was complete.
He was a beautiful animal, just like his father, and everyone jerked in surprise w
hen Vince let out a wild cat howl. He looked shocked and confused at the sound of his own voice, then got tangled up in the blankets and sheets as he tripped over his feet and fell off the bed. Murmurs of laughter mixed with sounds of sympathy rippled through their group.
Vince was awkward and clumsy as he tried to stand and walk, but ended up going forwards, then backwards, then bumping into and ricocheting between the bed and the wall. He seemed all around confused about what was going on.
Zach hollered, “Ed, get a van. Let’s take him to the ranch. Jade, bring extra clothes.”
Penny’s heart raced. “I’m going with.”
Zach locked eyes with her. “No. This is his first shift and we don’t know how powerful he is. I don’t want anyone getting hurt. Level fours and fives only tonight.”
Her heart dropped. She was a three. Not strong enough magically or physically to be part of their group.
Zach grabbed her by the shoulder as Vince stumbled around his bedroom. “There’ll be plenty more times for you two to run together.”
She knew he was right, but it still hurt that she couldn’t be there with him, especially after their odd, yet sweet day together. “Fine. Just go.”
She got out of everyone’s way and couldn’t help her happy tears while watching them wrangle him out of the apartment. He looked like he was struggling not to trip over his own feet, and Anthony’s father even lent a hand, using his power to try to control his movements. Zach seemed surprised by the unasked for help, and soon they had a system down to get Vince out the door.
When the commotion finally died off, she resisted the urge to run after them. Vince was in good hands, she knew he was, and there wasn’t anything she could do to help him right now. Besides, Charlotte was still here, sobbing in happiness, Benicio was looking lazy and tired on the couch, and Suzanne stood with her arms crossed, watching them from the kitchen.
She looked at her alpha in confusion. “You didn’t go with?”
Suzanne shrugged. “They can handle it, and it seemed like a guy thing anyway.”
“Jade went.”
“Yeah, but she’s jaguar.” She flicked a look behind Penny. “Besides, we’re not done here.”
Penny turned around and froze. Kaia was eyeing her like candy, and Anthony looked weary enough to fall asleep on his feet. He kept a tight hold on his bride as she slowly rocked against his grip, but Penny wondered how long he could keep her in check.
And Charlotte… shit. Penny had heard through the family grapevine that Charlotte was pregnant. If she got hurt…
She felt like she’d sort of bonded with Anthony recently when he asked for her help with the security cameras, so she calmly and slowly said, “Hey’a Mr. Foster. So, uh, people are looking a little hungry. Should we call someone? Because I heard Charlotte’s preggers over here, so, uh, that wouldn’t be good for her to−”
“No one’s going to be attacked, Miss Thomason. But yes, it would be good to call on volunteers.” His tired eyes locked on her for a moment before looking away.
She traded a WTF look with Suzanne, then decided to take another one for the team, though this time it wouldn’t be as fun.
“So, who’s hungriest? And don’t mess up my hair any more than it already is.”
Kaia lurched forward, making Anthony sway as he kept a tenuous hold on her.
Suzanne grabbed Penny by the arm, pressing her back behind her. “Why don’t you leave the newbie to me. You can offer yourself to someone more experienced at controlling themselves.”
She looked up at Anthony, his eyes boring into her and making her feel like the prey she probably was to him. Luckily Suzanne’s movements made him look away, and he slowly let Kaia go once she was safely wrapped around her and feeding from her neck.
His tired gaze flicked sharply to Penny then, and she froze again. She tried to calm her heart as she told herself she’d be all right. After all, Anthony healed Vince. He surely wouldn’t hurt her, would he? He was still in control of himself, right?
He seemed frustrated when he said, “I’ll be fine Miss Thomason. I can control myself until I find a volunteer.”
He might be able to control himself, but his ashen tone said it was going to be madness while he waited. Damn men. They could never just ask for help.
She stepped closer and arched her neck. “Is this how you do it?”
He let out a slow, shaky breath, his fangs now visible as he eyed her throat. She’d never volunteered to feed a vampire before, and his uncharacteristically intense reaction to her made her a little unsure if this was such a wise idea.
He didn’t make any moves towards her, though. Instead, he said, “If it makes you more comfortable, your wrist would be fine.”
He still didn’t move, and she wondered if it was because he knew she was scared of him. He might’ve been nice to her when she was kidnapped, and even afterwards when he asked for her help overseeing Kaia’s turning, but he was still vampire and he looked damn weak right now. It didn’t help that the sounds of Kaia eagerly feeding from Suzanne made for eerie background noise as she decided what to do.
Anthony looked away from her and settled back against the wall. “As I said, I’ll be all right. Thank you for thinking of me.”
She stepped forward and held her wrist out. “Feed. You helped Vince, and me, so I’m helping you.”
Only his eyes moved, and his gaze felt incredibly powerful even though he looked exhausted. Her arm seemed to weigh a hundred pounds as she held it out and waited for him to do something, but his hesitation was short lived. Before she knew it, he warily stepped forward and reached for her hand.
She tensed at his cold touch. His hands were firm and strong as he was obviously trying to be gentle with her, watching her carefully as he positioned her wrist at a good angle, then looked down and bit into her flesh.
She wasn’t sure what she expected but his bite was a quick, sharp prick, and then an incredible warmth that didn’t feel at all bad. In fact, it felt pretty nice. Huh. It had to be his vampire mojo doing that to her.
Just as her thoughts started getting a little fuzzy, she heard Benicio’s voice.
“Mistress. Mistress Foster. Kaia! You must stop now.”
Anthony stilled and Penny looked up to see him staring intently at Kaia and Benicio.
Benicio had his hands around Suzanne’s shoulders. “Once they start to tremble it’s best to let them go. The more you take, the longer it takes for them to heal.”
Anthony pulled back from Penny’s wrist in the meantime, then licked her. If she wasn’t feeling so sleepy all of a sudden, she’d be weirded out by that.
His eyes were still on Kaia when he said to her, “It helps the wound heal faster. Thank you for your blood.”
**
Penny woke on Charlotte’s couch about an hour later.
“What happened? Where is everyone?”
Charlotte put the TV on mute. “They’re still out at the ranch. Zach texted and said everyone’s all right and not to worry.”
Her relieved smile and teary eyes made Penny feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and she couldn’t help giving Charlotte a hug.
“He’s healed. Finally.”
“Yes he is. And you helped with that. Thank you.”
Penny went back home feeling like her and Vince were finally on the mends, and life couldn’t be better.
Chapter 35
Vince had no idea how he ended up naked in the middle of the forest, surrounded by other naked people. Other naked shifters. The last thing he remembered was feeling sick after Kaia forced him to drink blood.
He sat up and looked around. Zach was here, and… was that his dad? That guy was always around lately and Vince still wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
It was too early to think about things like that, so he laid back down instead. It was cold out, and the sun was just barely rising, and yep, there was a woman out here with them. Jade. Great. Well, every guy out here was going to have the same issue with the cold.
God this was weird. People were sleeping and huddled around each other, for warmth he supposed, except… it felt like more. It felt like… pack? Excitement built in his brain as bits and pieces of remembered emotion tore through him. He couldn’t put his finger on actual memories, but feelings of power, craziness and freedom seemed too real to be imagined. Had he finally shifted into his cat?
He looked down his body, then noticed he and everyone else were kind of dirty, and the smell in the air was of animals. He inhaled more deeply, then realized that smell was him. He smelled like an animal.
A laugh bubbled up in his throat and he couldn’t stop it. The noise started waking the others, and judging by their moans and groans, they were exhausted. He was tired, too, his muscles tight and sore, but he felt good for once in his life. He felt alive.
“He’s back.”
Vince turned his head in the direction of his father’s voice. He had a smile on his face this morning, and it reminded him of the picture his mother showed him of Min-chul’s whole family, everyone smiling except for him.
“Did I shift into my cat?”
He nodded and Vince was sure he was now grinning like an idiot he was so deliriously happy. “How?”
Sebastian spoke from his other side. “Vampire blood. And Anthony’s magic.”
“Really? Holy shit.”
Zach said, “Holy shit indeed. You don’t remember any of it?”
“No.”
Min-chul yawned and said, “Good thing. It looked damn painful.”
Vince eyed himself all over again as if his cat would suddenly appear out of thin air, then joined the group as they all stretched, then hustled back to the van to get some clothes and go home.
**
They stopped at a diner on the way and were all so hungry that barely a word was said while they ate. He found out they’d run all night, which would explain why they were all so tired. Even he was starting to come down from the rush of finding out he was finally healed.
At least he thought he was. Being able to shift meant he wasn’t sick anymore, right? He stared at his hands in sudden awareness. They weren’t shaking. He was tired, hungry, and he wasn’t shaking. God yes. He was healed!