She saw his frown "hold up Imogen, I think this is one you need to sit out."
"Fuck you, I know Shaun has a bead on the vampires that attacked me, I am going" she stomped her foot and he rolled his eyes.
"Look think about this, the quickest way to lose a fight is to go in for the wrong reason."
She was getting annoyed "I plan to kill them, what better reason is there?"
"Revenge will make you sloppy, you will forget the basic’s" he was really trying to stay calm; she could see it in his eyes.
"Then I will deal with the consequences of that" she slipped her long coat over her arms,
"But you won’t, I will, rather we will. This is not all about you Imogen, if I am not confident you will keep your head I can’t take you."
OH the man was about to feel her wrath.
"I will come with you, believe this ICE, it’s time you trusted me but know this if anyone stays behind it is you" she had come to stand in front of him, she was so angry she was shaking.
She could see Ice was also pissed but she didn’t back down easily "fine have it your way, let’s go" as she smiled he stalked past her.
"But we do it my way" then he started to mutter and she couldn’t believe it when she heard what he said.
"Fucking wolfs a fucking saint, enough to make a man in fucking insane" and then he slammed the car door.
Imogen was about to a rip him a new one when she took a breath, pick your fight’s Imogen, know when to keep quiet. Her father had said those words to her over and over again, until this moment she had never listened.
"Thank you Ice"
"Whatever, don’t make me regret it, you do what I say okay?"
"Agreed, so what’s the plan?"
Ice took a deep breath, the car was smooth ride without a doubt and she could almost see the wheels turning in his brain, churning through the ideas.
"It sometimes helps to talk it through."
He shrugged "we have several options, they are in a bar, so far there is only a couple of witches in attendance so we can potentially get the witches out and go in risking them taking flight. If we go in while the witches are there someone could get hurt. We could draw them out of the bar with 4 of them we could lose one or more of them, or send you in, use you as a distraction and then come in through the bar, surround them, get the witches out, but that’s my least favourite."
Imogen was twirling them in her own head "I am only a distraction if they remember attacking me, how likely is that?"
As they headed into the City, Ice looked at her and started laughing, "you have no idea do you? Don’t bother answering, you will be a distraction, the vampire community is talking all about Vlads white executioner."
"What does that mean, the vampire at the party said the same thing."
"Imogen you can be incredibly dumb, word travels fast in the vampire community, in the last 3 nearly 4 weeks you have been out patrolling and making a name for yourself. Good vampires have heard the rumours, bad ones hope you aren’t sent out after them. The dumb ones think they can take you, the really bad ones wait for you to come their way."
"Why is a woman in the Elite such a surprise?"
"It’s not just about you being a woman, you are a fierce warrior, you are incredibly strong and talented and you are partnered with the fiercest of the Elite. If you go in first we will surprise them, but if you don’t want to do that I understand."
She thought about this, his plan kind of made sense, but she would have to trust him to back her this time. Ice had tried hard to make it up to her, although that was nice and thoughtful she also wanted him to know she was strong enough to fight beside him, "I trust you Ice, so let’s do it your way".
"Are you sure?"
Imogen nodded, "good because we are here. There are four of them inside."
"How do you know?" he smiled a sly smile "because Shaun is the bar tender."
She was undoing her seat belt when she stopped "what?"
Ice laughed at her surprise "Shaun's a little like a chameleon, he turns his hand to most things, before he was turned he was a pretty outgoing guy, people just gravitate to him, so he uses it to our advantage, now people come to tell him what’s happening around the city."
Imogen had to admit Shaun was a likeable guy, he just oozed charm and charisma but not in an arrogant way, a bit like Nicky.
As they entered the bar it was just like an old fashioned Irish bar, maybe it reminded Shaun of home. In the corner playing pool were 4 men, they were being quite loud and annoying although Imogen accepted she was biased. She recognised them alright and for a moment her breathing accelerated and she was back in that alley, she could hear the birds, smell the garbage, feel the fear. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward; Shaun nodded at her and slipped out from behind the bar. Imogen stepped forward, inching closer to them, they didn’t even hear her approach and she could feel Shaun behind her.
"Evening gentlemen" as they looked up, she wasn’t that scared woman anymore, all she felt was her anger, she didn’t even feel the need for revenge she just knew they needed stopping, if not they would go on to hurt someone else. She finally had their attention and the 4 of them turned to look at her.
‘Hello gorgeous, how can we help you? Want to join us?" The tallest stepped forward offering her the pool cue. Imogen watched his friend nudge him; she heard the whisper "it’s the white executioner" as she took the offered pool cue.
"Sorry did you say something?" She watched in satisfaction as he stepped back, however the one who had bit her first stepped forward, out of the four he was probably the best looking one, with his wavy dark hair and brown eyes, he also knew it, "he was just wondering what a gorgeous woman like you was doing in a bar like this."
"What you don’t like it, my friend Shaun here does. Are you trying to insult him?"
The man laughed "now why would I insult a member of Vlad’s Elite?"
She stepped forward, she knew Ice had joined them; she had him and Shaun on either side of her.
"Well sometimes people forget to follow the rules set by our leader and when that happens Vlad gets a little pissed" she lifted her hand using two fingers to accentuate the little pissed.
"Well rules are there for a reason and I can assure you we follow those set by our Leader, we certainly wouldn't want his Elite looking for us."
She could feel his uncertainty creeping in, he didn’t look as self-assured, it was Ice who answered this time and she could hear the steel in his voice
"Really? Because Vlad has a new member in his Elite, I think you might have heard about her, they are calling her the white assassin."
"I have to say we have heard of you, in such a short space of time you have created quite a name for your-self, people are wondering where you came from?" Imogen smiled sweetly
"let’s come back to that, now one of the things I feel strongly about is ensuring no vampire takes advantage of the humans, I am sure you know that to feed from a human breaks one law, to do so in public breaks another, but to turn a human breaks one of the most sacred laws and is punishable by death. Ring any bells?" Imogen was starting to enjoy this, one of the vampires from the back stepped forward, he was the one who grabbed her, she could still smell him.
"Rest assured we know the rules and would not attempt to break them, so if you don’t mind we will leave" he stepped forward, his friends following, they were met by a wall comprising of the three of them.
"As members of the Elite we know that you have indeed broken the laws, you did knowingly kidnap a human, feed from them in public, leave them for dead, that person then completed the transformation to vampire. Have you anything to say?"
The one who had started the attack on her and took the first turn with her stepped forward, she could feel the anger radiating off him, he was trying to stay calm "we dispute those allegations and would like to see the proof of them."
This was her time "what’s the matter boys, don’t you recognise me. Maybe you don’t, I look
a little different. I was coming from a meeting, dressed in dark trousers, red blouse; I had dark brown hair then. The vampire world, I am sure will thank you for unleashing the white assassin."
She watched the open mouths, the stench of fear radiated off of them, she came here to kill them, but now she didn’t want to, she had made her point. In all fairness she ought to thank them, they had changed her and her life and she was actually starting to like the new Imogen, she finally knew her purpose and the good that she could do, "Ice, Shaun, they are all yours I am going home."
She did go home but not to Vlads, she went to the pack, she sat with Lucky and Ben and talked about what her plans were. She sat with Celia for a long time, just talking, reminiscing about their childhood. Imogen apologised for being a bitch and promised her she was bringing Theo home.
Then she went home, not to her own but Theo’s, before she knew it she was sat on his bed, she laid down, she could smell him, feel him, this room was all him. Tonight she felt the pang of emptiness, she wanted him and she wanted him now.
"NINA" she bellowed for War, but she didn’t get any response, she shouted her 3 more times, before she lay down again. Tonight she had achieved something, she had faced her enemy and for a brief moment she felt empowered, strong and proud of herself and now she felt…empty, as she laid staring into space she felt the air around her ripple.
"it’s time to get up and face the reality Imogen, stop feeling sorry for yourself and I may take you to find your man" Imogen jumped up "I’m ready."
"But are you? Tonight you faced your enemy. Tonight Theo will face his enemy, his mother. She is powerful and he will need help, are you strong enough to help him face his enemies and stand triumphant at the end?"
She stood tall ‘I am, shit his mother, how is he?’ For the first time since she met Nina she saw the weary look on her face.
"Tired, she has been sending daily and nightly attacks to the village Theo and the others are protecting, this is the fourth day and all are weary. She is strong but I believe you are stronger, it is time to show your wolf who you really are? His champion."
Wait a minute, four days and nights of attack "why didn’t you come for me sooner?"
Imogen was pissed and she knew it wasn’t good to give attitude to the Goddess of War, but it was tough, she was good at attitude, "how dare you leave him to face it alone, I could have been there helping him, protecting him, loving him."
She watched Nina smile at her "this is why you are meant to be together, you are strong and feisty, but you were not ready, now you are?"
Imogen felt her heart sink a little as the reality of what Theo had been facing "What if we are too late? Oh gods what about his brother and sister, are they ok?"
She could see the impatient look she received from Nina "well if we stand here all day waiting we won't know" Imogen went to add her weapons but Nina stopped her.
"You won’t need these" she took the weapons, Imogen’s face must have told its own story "don’t look like that Imogen, Ice was right, trust in your own abilities, weapons won’t help you, you need what’s in here to tell you what to do." No sooner had Imogen blinked Nina had grabbed her hand and they landed in the middle of Vlad's lounge where he was talking with Ice.
"I need to take Imogen to Theo and the other wolves, we will return when possible," Vlad raised his eyebrow but it was Ice who stepped forward.
"We will join you."
Imogen was shocked; truly, he was offering to come "you don't know where we are going, what we are facing. Why?"
Ice shrugged his shoulder "you are part of the team, we fight together. Give me 10 minutes,"
Nina smiled, "we have another stop to make, I will return for you in 10 minutes."
Chapter 30
Theo heard the alarm sound and wearily stood, it was his turn to patrol, he was exhausted, so was everyone else. How they hadn’t lost anyone in the village he wasn’t sure how, there had been some injuries, some more serious than others but they couldn’t keep this up.
Theo didn’t know where she was getting the people from but it didn’t matter how many they killed there were always more of them. He felt like he hadn’t been asleep for long he looked at the clock and saw that it was actually eight thirty at night and his alarm hadn’t woken him it was the radio, he put in a call to Darius who informed him there were more vampires on the way in.
As he made it downstairs to the lounge room, he felt half asleep but when he saw Liza curled up on the sofa fast asleep the adrenaline kicked in and he started gathering weapons.
He went outside, the other men and shifter’s had gathered in the village square, the vulnerable yet again headed to the village hall, he carried a sleeping Liza to Vadoma and watched as Lewis took up post in the window, since that first night he had watched eagle eyed from the window, he knew Lewis was watching his back and he felt oddly touched.
Lewis was wide awake, this afternoon he had declared that she would come tonight. Theo braced himself, inside his head he kept reminding himself he was a man not the boy she tried to burn to death but he wasn’t very convincing.
"Incoming" he heard the same message from all of the patrols and knew that tonight was it, tonight was the night they lived or died Connor was securing the hall from the inside but Theo changed the plans.
"Start them moving through the tunnels."
"Why?"
"She is on her way, tonight we finish this."
"Give me 5 minutes."
Theo sent messages to all of the wolf pack before addressing the Romany's and shifters stood with him.
"Tonight this ends, before it starts I give every person here the opportunity to leave with the others, I expect no-one to stay, protect yourselves and your families."
He waited, he saw one of two of the humans look at him in fear, he nodded and they went into the village hall, everyone else stood firm "in that case I thank you for your support and together we will fight and we will not be defeated", the crowd cheered, there were no more weary faces.
"Uh Theo we have a problem."
"How so?"
"So far only 6 people have left through the tunnels."
He turned around and went into the hall; he watched all face’s turn to his as he entered, it was Vadoma who met him.
"My dreams told me a strong a brave warrior with the heart of a king would come with his army, he gave us you. My village and it’s people have watched you and your army fight for our village, we will not leave you, you have protected the weak and vulnerable, well tonight we will not abandon your army, we believe in you and your love which will guide you through this, we will stand with you."
All of the villagers were nodding, not one ounce of doubt on their faces, he was no king, he was a normal man, well a normal wolf man but that these people would lay down their lives for him was heart wrenching.
"As will I" it sounded like Imogen, how could that be, Theo felt his heart beat speed up at the thought, shit she was here, he could smell her, what was she doing here?
Theo turned to face Imogen, wearing a black cat suit with her white hair billowing around her she looked magnificent, the leather boots that came to her knees made her look unbelievably sexy, he felt himself harden and was suddenly glad he had not had time to tuck in his t-shirt.
Seeing her smile that sexy, seductive smile was too much, he had to touch her, make sure she was real, so Theo did the one thing that would convince him, he walked up to her grabbed her arms and kissed her, he kissed her hard and passionately. His tongue slipped in her mouth to taste her and she met him half way, he knew without a doubt she was here with him.
The Kiss of a Vampire, the Heart of a Wolf (The Silver Series) Page 20