by Lisa Marie
The thunder rolled loudly in the air, the sound spurring the women into action. They split, Flora and Eve heading towards the charging vampires, while Brie took off in the opposite direction, her need to get away from both Sebastian and Edward ruling her. Sebastian watched her go, then his eyes landed on the naked Edward. They shared an almost imperceptible nod, before Edward took off after Brie. Sebastian, none the wiser to his hired hand’s intent with the Siren, waved his companion’s forward and turned to deal with Ash once and for all.
* * * *
Shit! had been all Mark could think of when he heard the telltale sign of the warning spell. Edward was apparently wasting no time trying to get Brie back. He surged through the dense undergrowth, fighting his way to the edge of the trees. He refused to give in to the fear that was threatening to climb its way up his throat. Fear for his friends. Fear for Brie. The thought of the werewolf touching her, hurting her, or worse, pushed him single-mindedly through the forest. He’d let down his parents, Cyrus. He wouldn’t do the same again.
With a final burst of speed, he plunged out of the trees. His attention fell immediately on Seth and Ash, who had come out opposite him. Flora and Eve ran towards them, being followed at a slower pace by Sebastian and two cronies. But it was the sight of Brie, sprinting into the woods at almost the exact same spot as the day before that spurred his legs to pump faster. She disappeared into the blackness, and the naked man following her leaped and changed in mid air. As a wolf, he crashed into the forest behind her, making the blood freeze in Mark’s veins. His lungs burned and he half-vowed to quit smoking by the time he’d forged in after them. If only he could get to Brie in time…
* * * *
Brie tore blindly through the foliage, ignoring the reaching limbs of the trees as they snatched at her hair and whipped hard against her exposed skin. The fury of the storm was muted in here, but the ground was still slick, making her lose her footing every few steps. Each time, she would right herself and tear off again, never looking back in her flight from Edward. She didn’t want to see how close he was, afraid that if she did, she’d freeze on the spot. The crashing of thunder covered the sounds they made during their chase and that was just fine by her.
A hellacious roar sounded behind her and what felt like a Mack truck slammed into her back. She landed hard on the damp ground, her body scraping along the exposed roots and rocks in a painful slide, the knife in her hand skittering away to be lost in the underbrush. The breath left her lungs in a whoosh, the suddenness of the impact stunning her enough for Edward to seize his opportunity. She could only blink as she was flipped on her back and pinned beneath the werewolf, now in his human form. She could feel his erection pressing into her, could feel his hot breath on her face, could see the mad light in his eyes as he stared down at her ravenously. Sickness rolled quickly through her, urging her to struggle, no matter how weakly.
“I told you,” he said in a harsh whisper, her movements beneath him inflaming his lust further. The fear on her face caused pure bliss to blossom within him, the fact that she was finally his making him giddy. “Let’s get you out of here,” he suggested, his voice almost friendly.
Brie shook her head violently, since the ability to speak still eluded her.
Edward didn’t pay her silent denial any mind, but seized her wrists. His fingers brushed over Sebastian’s claim mark. She was his now. The teeth marks on her wrist did nothing to dispute that. He dipped his head and breathed deeply of her scent, pleasure rolling through him. She smelled so good, so sweet, so … anger slashed across his face, making his ugly face even uglier. Brie’s heart stampeded in her chest.
“Bitch!” he spat, raising a hand and smacking her hard across the face.
Stars danced brightly behind her eyes and temper sliced through her fear.
When she opened them to fix on the rage twisted face of the werewolf, her eyes were a deep maroon, the power in them shining bright. He saw it, but was too furious to care. He raised his hand again, desperate to hurt her for betraying him.
“After everything I’ve done for you,” Edward snarled. “Everything I’ve done to find you … lying to Sebastian, killing that son of a bitch Tanner … you fuck that human?!” His hand shook, his stomach sickened with the stink filling his nostrils. She had defiled herself with that lowly male, he could smell it all over her.
Brie glared up at him, silently daring him to hit her again. A cold smile curled her lips as she opened them to suck in a deep breath.
Edward realized what she was about to do, his eyes widening incredulously. He was going to tear her apart. The thought had tears sliding from his eyes even as his face started to change. The first note slid out of her throat, just as the weight was lifted off of her body. She blinked, then promptly shut her mouth when she saw Mark, his handsome face twisted with grief, pain and fury. She knew then that he had heard Edward’s confession.
“Bastard!” Mark screamed, plowing a fist into the werewolf’s face.
Edward stumbled back, his body stuck in the beginnings of his transformation. Thin strands of black fur covered his naked form, but his face still held its human properties. Blood dripped from the punch Mark had sent to his nose. The butt of Mark’s gun plowed across the werewolf’s jaw, splitting the skin and releasing a spurt of crimson to arc in the air.
Brie quickly sat up and scooted away, ignoring the rain soaking her clothes and the pain from her fall lancing across her nerves. Her eyes were riveted to the two circling each other, her heart beating an erratic tattoo against her chest.
Mark knew he should shoot the bastard and get it over with. But the knowledge that this was the creature that killed his grandfather blacked out rational thought. He lunged forward, swinging again, his eyes going wide with the feel of sharp claws swiping across his skin.
Brie’s scream sounded like it was miles away as hot pain shot through him. He sank to his knees, gasping against it. He barely managed to get his arm up in time to block the next attack, and he didn’t evade the punch sent to his cheek. Agony exploded in his face with the force of the blow and his vision blacked out for a split-second. He shook it off in time to block then land a punch of his own in the middle of Edward’s chest, sending the werewolf backward to land hard against a tree. Ignoring the pain, Mark surged to his feet, seizing the opportunity. He landed a series of kicks and punches, raining his fury down on the werewolf with amazing force.
Brie watched as Edward sank to the ground, his furry face covered with blood and bruising. Mark let out a war cry that chilled her to the bone, but she couldn’t help cheering him on in his brutality. She cried out in anguished surprise when Edward managed to grab a rock and hurtled it full force against the side of Mark’s head. Mark fell back, stunned. Edward was up in an instant, his body turning even further into that of a wolf. Brie surged to her feet, her hands wrapping around a fallen tree branch, and hurtled herself into the fray.
Edward howled in pain and turned betrayed, accusatory eyes on Brie when she brought the branch up between his legs to crush his penis. He turned on her, one clawed hand raised to swipe down on her, the other wrenching her makeshift weapon from her hands.
“I loved you,” he growled, the pain of his words written over his wolve’s features. Brie’s arms came up in a desperate attempt to try and protect herself. Tears stung her eyes with the knowledge that this was it, she was going to die.
The explosion of gun fire cut through the stormy night. Brianne’s eyes shot up to the surprised face of the werewolf and gaped in horror at the huge, smoking hole mangling his chest. In shock, Edward brought a hand to the wound, looking at his bloody fingers with disbelief. His gaze rose to meet Brie’s and that same bloody hand reached out to her, as if beseeching her to help him. She backed away, horrified as he fell, his body hitting the ground with a hard thud.
She stared, wide eyed at him, her mind rebelling against what she had just seen. Mark’s cough of pain had her returning to the here and now. She stood and ran to h
im. She barely registered the smoking gun in his hand as relief flooded over her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, his own banding around her to hold her tightly to him. The storm raged around them, blind with its fury. Neither paid any mind as they huddled together, Edward’s body lying forgotten in front of them.
Chapter Nineteen
Ash slammed full force into the vampire heading for him in a tackle that would have made a running back proud. Rain pelted his back as they skidded across the yard, claws tearing into each other before they had even come to a stop. He landed hard on his ass when the creature bucked him off, and rolled to his feet in time to block the stake wielding hand aimed for his heart. He sent a sharp kick to his opponent’s knee, a cold smile curling his lip at the satisfying crack that ensued. The vampire screamed in agony, hitting the ground face first.
Adrenalin pumped fiercely through Ash, reminding him why he loved this. A good fight cured what ailed you—at least, that’s how he looked at it. Especially with a worthy opponent, which this vampire obviously was not. The vamp writhed on the ground, grasping his demolished knee like it would never heal as good as new.
Well, actually, Ash thought, eyeing the vampire’s forgotten stake on the ground. He snatched it and quickly plunged it into the vamp’s heart through his back, not even waiting to watch him crumble into dust before whirling around to find the next fight. To his surprise, it seemed that Sebastian had only brought two enforcers with him, besides Edward. Since the werewolf was nowhere in sight and neither were Brie or Mark, Ash quickly deduced that they were together.
When he saw Sebastian walking from the trees, the vampire’s face smug even though his lackeys were being quickly dispatched, a cold calm overtook Ash. He could hear the fight going on behind him, but it didn’t matter. Seth could take care of himself. He wanted Sebastian. His hand fisted over the wood in his hand and he strode toward the other vampire with purpose. Sebastian watched him come, the rain beating down on his head, plastering his hair to his skull. He still looked like a man in complete control and that pissed Ash off to no end.
“Sebastian!” he yelled, coming to a stop a few feet in front of him. “You underestimated us, Mr. Cane,” he said with a malicious smile.
“Oh, I don’t think so, Mr. Marshall,” Sebastian countered, pointing one, manicured finger over Ash’s shoulder.
Ash’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t want to turn to see what he was talking about, in case it was a trap. The sound of Eve’s scream, however, had him whipping around in horror. How could he have forgotten about her? A trio of big, beefy vamps held her tight. Flora was a few feet away, struggling in the grasp of three vampires herself. She was shooting off curses that would make a sailor blush, the lightning glinting off the cleaver that had fallen to the ground in front of her.
Lightning flashed, casting Eve’s face in stark relief. She was terrified, her usual strength stripped from her.
“Let her go, you bastard.” Ash looked back at Sebastian, his voice a deep growl meant to intimidate. Unfortunately, Sebastian wasn’t easily intimidated.
“I don’t think so, Mr. Marshall. You see, you’ve lost. As we speak, Brianne is being returned to me. Your friend will die, as will all of you. Then I and my Siren shall leave here. You’ve failed. Please bring Ms. Murphy here.”
Eve struggled as best she could against the steel hands on her arms, but to no avail. The vampires never faltered under her weight as they made their way quickly across the slick grass.
Her eyes were desperate as she looked at Ash and he was sure she was crying, despite the rain washing over her face. Her cry of pain, when Sebastian seized her arm, wrenching hard, ripped at Ash’s heart. Fear rolled in his stomach, oily and slick, as he watched the other vampire press against her back, his hand coming up to bury in her wet, dark hair.
“Hiding behind a woman, Sebastian? Afraid to take me on yourself?” Ash yelled, starting forward. He stopped at Eve’s second cry when he saw that Sebastian had bared the side of her throat carrying his mark. “Come on, you coward.”
“I don’t fall for slurs against my pride, Mr. Marshall. Fighting you is not in my best interest, we both know that. Watching you crumble like the pathetic weakling you are is.”
“No!” Ash screamed when the older vampire plunged his fangs into Eve’s throat, desecrating their claim to each other. She cried out, the pain in her body and the pain of their bond being torn apart making the beast inside of Ash break free. The need to protect what was his pushed him forward, kill reverberating over and over in his mind.
Seth pounced the second the three vamps flanking Sebastian rushed forward to intercept the raging vampire. He tripped one, then sent an elbow into his back, while the other two lunged at Ash.
Flora took the opportunity to throw her complete weight forward, surprising the vampires holding her. They lost their hold on her, sending her sprawling hard to the ground, her palms stinging with pain as they scraped along the rocks. She felt a snap as her wrist gave under her girth, and she crumpled to the sodden ground. Pain lanced through her when razor sharp claws wrapped around her throat, squeezing hard and blacking out her vision.
Hatred and anger and fear reared up in Eve when Sebastian’s fangs tore into her skin. Revulsion crawled through her like a living thing and she struggled against it, against him. Sebastian’s grip was like steel, his lips pulling on her neck like a wet fish. Tears slid hotly down her cheeks and her heart cried out with agony that he was defiling something sacred between her and Ash, simply because he could. She did everything she could to get free, from stomping her foot on his to elbowing him. None of it worked. Panic set in when spots formed in front of her vision. She started to feel dizzy and knew with a sudden clarity that she was going to die.
No! her mind screamed, even as her struggles weakened.
“I love you, Ash,” she whispered, her soft voice lost to the howl of the wind and rain swirling around them. Just as the edges of her vision started to turn black, she managed to pull one last burst of energy from deep inside. With a violent twist, she wrenched free from Sebastian’s grip, the pain of his teeth ripping her flesh exquisite.
“Eve!” Ash watched her go down, watched the bright stream of vivid red sail through the air in slow motion, each drop seeming to solidify and congeal.
A roar exploded from his throat as he ripped the head clean off one of the vamps and knocked the other one out of his way. The creature burst into dust from the wooden tipped bullet Mark sent at it as he emerged from the forest, Brie stumbling behind him. All Ash saw was Eve, her small body crumpled to the ground, her beautiful green eyes closed like she was sleeping, the gaping hole in her neck seeping her life force to the ground.
“Evie, baby?” He dropped to his knees, forgetting about Sebastian, the fight around them, the rain beating down on them.
His hands were shaking as he reached out for her, his senses stretching out to hear her heartbeat. The sound of the gun popping as Mark picked off the vampire choking Flora was all he heard at first. Then, very faintly, he caught the faint sound of her pulse. “Evie, please,” he cried, not looking up when Brie dropped on the other side of her sister’s body.
“Eve?”
Brie’s voice, so tiny and scared, barely penetrated Ash’s mind. Tears streamed in long rivulets down his cheeks, his heart shattered in his chest. He cursed anything and everything he could: Celine, Sebastian, himself. The God he had turned away from. Everything that had led to this moment. He had just found Eve and now he was going to lose her.
“No, baby, no.” He lowered his head to her breast, willing her breathing to deepen, praying for her heart to keep pumping.
Brie looked down at her sister’s face, grief already gripping her so tightly she thought that it might kill her. She wrapped her fingers around Eve’s, feeling how cold they were. “Eve, don’t die. Please, don’t die,” she begged quietly, rubbing a hand over her sister’s arm as if she could rub the life back into her.
Her gaze darted up to Ash w
hen she heard the most heartbreaking wail rip from his throat. When her attention fell upon the sharp fangs, the red eyes, hope flared in her heart.
“Ash,” she reached out, grabbing his shirt with her free hand, shaking him a little when he didn’t respond.
“What?” he roared, his vampiric face twisted with agony. He was practically lying next to Eve, his arms wrapping around her, tightening as if he could keep her with him that way.
“Turn her.” Brie couldn’t believe she was saying it. Couldn’t believe the idea was even allowed to take root in her mind.
“W-what?” he said again, this time hesitant, unsure. He blinked, looking up at Brie, seeing she was in as much pain as he was.
“Turn her,” she repeated, this time stronger, with more conviction.
“No.” Ash shook his head, looking back down at his love and felt himself start to crumble. The thought of losing her was killing him. But could he condemn her to a life in the shadows when she so desperately deserved to be in the light? “I can’t,” he gasped, his ears clinging to the sound of her fading heartbeat, his eyes watching the blood pump thick and red from her neck.
“You have to,” Brie insisted, her grip on his shirt tightening. She couldn’t let her die. Wouldn’t let her die. “Every second you wait takes away one more second you can save her. Turn her.” Her voice broke on a sob, her eyes filled with her conflicting emotions.
He looked back up at her, his eyes tortured with his indecision. But when he looked back down, his gaze lovingly tracing the curve of Eve’s cheek, the slope of her lips, he knew what he would do. She may hate him, but he couldn’t let her go.
Brie practically sighed in relief when he raised his wrist to his lips and tore the flesh. Bright crimson dripped from the wound to land on Eve’s shirt, her lips as he brought it her mouth.