Fangs of Vengeance

by Aaron Henley

  “But why take Becca’s body?”

  “A trophy,” Kiera snorted derisively. “You’re aware of the stories of how dragons hoard treasure and love precious things? What could be more valuable than the body of the daughter or the husband of the woman you hate? I shudder to think what she desecration she will perform on Becca. If I was at my peak, I would be tearing the country apart looking for her. The human world could go to hell for all I care. I want my baby back so I can lay her to rest.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that Kiera. I’m going to bring her home. No matter who I have to kill to get her.” Steve growled.

  “I know son. But you’re not ready. You could barely handle a group of humans armed with mundane weapons. If you tried to attack Lilith right now, all that would happen is she would get a new wolf rug for her den.” She shook her head defeated. “I wish I knew where to send you but I don’t. Ask your grandfather, he may have some ideas. Now I need some rest dear. I plan on being by Alan’s side as soon as I can and I’m going to start building my magic again. I hate to say this dear but, if you fail, someone needs to bring my daughter home.”

  Steve stood up. “I understand. You’re right. No matter what, Becca comes home.”

  “Thank you dear.”

  As Steve walked to the door, he paused. “Just one last thing Kiera.”

  “Oh?”

  “If you were locked into your human form and your magical reserves were drained, then how did you shift?”

  “I don’t know. It may be cliche’ but when I saw my husband and daughter hurt, something broke inside. Apparently love is still the strongest magic there is.”

  Chapter 6

  Two days later, at Steve’s apartment, as Steve was finishing stuffing some odds and ends into his old backpack, Richard came bursting through the door. The old man was the most furious Steve had ever seen.

  “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing son?”

  “I thought it was pretty obvious.” He zipped the pack close and threw it over his shoulder. “I’m going to get Becca back and kill the bitch who ordered it done.”

  Richard pointed his finger like a dagger at Steve. “Are you out of your goddamned mind?! Just how the hell are you going to take down a dragon? Do you even have the least idea just what you’re going up against? We saw four men casually tossed about like a load of laundry and incinerated before our eyes without any effort at all. You may think you’re the baddest wolf on the block but we don’t even come close to that kind of raw power. Don’t forget that Kiera was incredibly weak when she lit up that bonfire. You’re planning on going up against in all likelihood a full-powered dragon. I’ve spoken to Kiera. I know the kind of power you’re facing. You remember that Tunguska event back in the early 1900s from school? The meteor that wiped out about seven hundred square miles of prime forest?”

  “Barely. What about it?”

  “Son, that was no meteor that did that. Kiera told me that it was a single male trying to impress a lady. That’s the kind of power you plan on facing. Every wolf in the country combined couldn’t face something that powerful. Just what the hell do you think some fangs and claws can do against a hide as tough as diamond? I’ll tell you. Shatter every tooth in that thick-headed skull of yours. You face this Lilith and all I’m doing is burying an empty casket next to your parents. Do you even know where you’re going in the first place? No. You are not going on some kind of suicide crusade just to bring back a corpse. You are not going period. This is a direct order from your Alpha.”

  Steve snarled at that. His blood boiled and he just about challenged his own grandfather for his Alpha standing right then and there. He didn’t care about the odds. He didn’t care if he died doing it. His mate was dead and he wouldn’t rest until the person responsible was between his fangs and he feasted on their corpse. “I don’t care,” Steve replied in a voice so cold it stopped Richard in his tracks. “Becca was my world. If I die, then fine as long as I take that bitch with me. You can order me not to do it Pops but it won’t stop me. I’ll go rogue if I have to.”

  Richard’s face went pale. His mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to get words out but failing. Finally, in as stern a voice as he could, he said. “Don’t even joke about that Steve. Being a rogue is being packless, an outcast, forever shunned. If you came back, any wolf in the pack would be within their rights to kill you on sight if they wanted. Rogues are the scum of our society. We only cast them out when they’ve committed a crime so horrible that it ---” he couldn’t finish the sentence. Tears welled up in his eyes. “Please son. Don’t do this. I can’t bury another family member. I can’t. Becca would tell you herself that she isn’t worth going through that. I know you’re hurting. It’s the same pain when I lost your grandmother and your parents. All you want to do is rip apart everything just to make the pain go away. To find some way to let the world feel exactly as you do. But not like this son. It won’t change what happened. All you can do is let her go and rest in peace. I’ve never asked you for anything in your life but I’m begging you now. Don’t go. Please.”

  Steve almost sat the backpack back down. He had never seen his grandfather, the strongest and most courageous man he knew; the man he had always tried to imitate after the loss of his parents; break down like this. Tears were pouring down the old man’s face. Steve knew that Richard was only trying to protect him, to keep the last member of his family safe. He closed his eyes and just stood there in his living room for a few minutes. He knew this would be the turning point of his life. There would be no going back from this, no matter what he decided.

  Is it really worth losing everything to bring her home? Pops is right that Becca would be calling me a complete idiot for doing this. She meant everything to me but she’s gone. I’m not a fool. I know in all likelihood that I’m not coming back. Still, Lilith may not be satisfied with what’s she taken already. She may come back to finish the job and this time she knows what she could end up facing. She may just decide to wipe out the pack while she’s at it in retaliation for what Pops and I did. Is it worth looking over my shoulder the rest of my life wondering if I’m about to be roasted? Can I live like that?

  Are you kidding? You know you couldn’t. His wolf paced a moment then laid down and sighed. But Pops is right about one thing. We have no idea where she is. We have no idea where to even start hunting.

  Doesn’t matter. Someone knows and I’ll find them.

  Doing what? Breaking into every truck stop, gas station, and bar demanding someone who knows where a dragon lives? We have to plan this out. A smart hunter catches his prey, a rash hunter becomes the prey.

  Where the hell did you pick that up?

  Pops. You may have forgotten when he started teaching you basic wolf theory but I sure didn’t. Also, before you start arguing with me, I’m fully with you on killing the bitch and bringing Becca home. I’m positively drooling at the thought of what dragon meat tastes like. But I plan on us sticking around to enjoy the memories of it when we’re old and gray.

  You sure you’re my wolf and not Jiminy Cricket?

  If you’re going to start listening to me a bit more, I’ll put on the top hat and start singing about wishing on stars.

  You know as soon as we find out anything, we’re gone.

  Of course. Also we don’t need to tell Pops about that little catch with what we’re about to say now do we?

  Steve opened his eyes and set the bag down. “Okay Pops. You win. I won’t go.”

  Yet.

  Richard ran over and embraced his grandson. “I’m sorry Steve. God, I’m so sorry. I wish I could change it. She was a daughter to me too.”

  Steve finally let the tears he’d been holding since that night. Together both men wept at the loss of one of the most wonderful women they had loved.

  ***

  Kiera hadn’t left her husband’s bedside except to bathe and change clothes. Friends and co-workers had brought her what she needed and even offered to w
atch over Alan when Kiera was forced to leave him. Seeing him laying there not moving except for the slow rise and fall of his chest, hooked up to medical devices that she couldn’t fathom the purpose of tore her apart. She hadn’t returned home yet. She couldn’t face the pain of the memories that were still so fresh. She had made sure though to thank Marcy for the courage her husband displayed in trying to save her. The poor woman was still dealing with the shock and one of the hospitals psychiatrists - one of Richard’s pack of course - was helping her deal with the loss and the fact that some stories were true.

  She had barely eaten anything that was given to her. All of the food tasted like ash in her mouth, drinks barely refreshed her. The light had gone out of her life. She was barely going through the motions of it. If Alan took a turn for the worse, as she feared every minute, she knew she would quickly follow her husband and daughter into the Goddess’s embrace. She was resting her head on her folded arms on Alan’s bedside when a nurse walked in to check on him.

  “Sorry for disturbing you ma’am,” the man said. “I’ll be done in a few minutes.” As he checked Alan’s vitals, he looked over to Kiera. “You know ma’am, sometimes a coma patient can still hear the voices around him. It may help Mr. Daniels, if you talked to him a bit. Give him something to look forward to when he wakes up.”

  “Thank you,” she replied. “I’ll try.” A small smile, the first she had since the attack, appeared on her face. “Any suggestions?”

  The nurse pulled something out of his back pocket. “Here’s a copy of today’s paper. I finished it so you can have it if you want.”

  “Thank you.” As she took the paper, she asked, “Any change?”

  The nurse met her gaze and shook his head.

  “I see. Thank you again for your kindness sir. I do appreciate it.”

  “My pleasure ma’am. I’ll be back in a couple hours to check on him again. Would you like me to bring you anything?”

  “Thank you for the offer but not right now dear.”

  The nurse nodded again and left the room. Kiera sighed deeply. He’s right. I need to stop moping around and do something. I’m a queen damn it. I need to start acting like it. She reached over and ran her hand through her husband’s hair. She trailed the touch down his cheek. She bent over and kissed him, a tear falling onto his cheek. “I love you Alan. Please come back to me.” She leaned back in her chair and unfolded the paper. She started reading the front page out loud to him. As she went through the articles, she would pause and offer a thought or two. Feels just like our Sunday breakfasts. We’d read the paper together over our toast and eggs. Becca would come running in grabbing a slice on her way to work. I swear that girl could never ---, she paused in her thought as a stab of pain went through her heart. I still haven’t told him. If he can hear me, I’m not going to until he’s awake. He needs to hear this from me. How will he react? She was our only child. I couldn’t allow myself to get pregnant again. I couldn’t keep certain things from him if that happened again. Goddess, I’m still scared of how he will react when I finally tell him. How would anyone react when they find out their spouse has been lying to them from the moment they met? But, I have to now. The genie is out of the bottle. It is finally time for this dragon to come clean to the man she loves.

  She returned to the paper and kept reading. She went through the main section, the sports pages even though she knew they both couldn’t have cared less. On and on she read, trying to help her husband in letting him know he wasn’t alone. She reached the business section and started with the headline, “Pharmaceutical tycoon plans to open new factory in town.” I remember this company. I catered one of their meet and greets not too long ago. I guess whoever the big shot is was there but I was so busy I never really met anyone. She read the article to Alan. There were the usual comments about how many jobs would be created, the economic growth the town expected, how it would keep Derrick’s Falls growing in the twenty-first century. The article continued to the next page and, when Kiera flipped it over to the back, she bolted out of her chair, stunned disbelief on her face. There was an image of the company’s CEO on it. A woman with black hair and a face of slightly Asian descent. She was quite stunning really. Yet that wasn’t what Kiera saw at all. All she saw was a face that she hadn’t seen in over seventy years, one that belonged to a Violet dragon named Lilith.

  Chapter 7

  The grandfather clock quietly ticked in the large corner office on the thirtieth floor of Amethyst Pharmaceuticals. It was a calming counterpoint to the storm raging within the penthouse office. The source of that storm was seated in a luxurious leather chair behind an antique mahogany desk.

  Lily Samantha Travers, CEO and majority shareholder of Amethyst, was not pleased. Considering that when she was in this type of mood was when people started disappearing or having “accidents”, the obese man seated in front of her began sweating---profusely. He had just delivered her some rather unpleasant news. All he could do now was wait for the fallout.

  Rather than rant or rail, she just sat there quietly. The only expression she gave was a slight twitch of an eyebrow. The clock continued ticking and the man began to wonder just how many of those ticks his life had left after the storm finally broke.

  Finally, Lily laid her arms on the desk and peaked her hands together. “So, just to be clear, Leonard,” she began in a cool voice that approached absolute zero. “the building permits for the Derrick’s Falls project have been---delayed.”

  Leonard nodded his head so quickly, he might have given himself whiplash.

  “I see. Thank you for informing me of this. You may go.”

  Leonard bowed to her and strode out of the office as quickly as he could without appearing to be running.

  Lily reached over to the intercom on her desk. “Roberta, could you please have Edward meet with me at his earliest convenience.”

  “Of course ma’am.”

  Less than a minute later, a man with a lean frame, wearing a navy blue suit that fit him almost like a second skin walked into the office. He approached her desk and bowed.

  “You asked to see me my lady?”

  “Close the door please Edward. We have some things to discuss.”

  “Of course my lady.” He closed the door and then proceeded to stand ramrod straight in front of her desk.

  Exasperated, Lilith pointed to a seat. “Sit down Edward, I can’t stand your hovering like that.”

  He immediately sat in the indicated chair. “How may I be of service, my lady?”

  “The Derrick’s Falls project is stalled. Apparently Councilman Harris is resisting our construction permits. We need that facility in operation as soon as possible. Kindly remind the good councilman that the rather significant campaign contributions we supplied his last campaign could just as easily go to his opponent --- or replacement. If he still won’t listen to reason, show him the photographs of his last visit to Seattle. I’m sure his wife would be most interested as well as the local authorities.” She paused a moment and arched one thin black eyebrow. “You did make sure both the girls were underage of course?”

  Edward silently nodded.

  “Excellent. Don’t tell him about that last part Edward. If push comes to shove, I’d rather have him find out on the six o’clock news. It will make it all the more sweeter watching him trying to deny it before finally accepting his fate.”

  “Of course my lady.” He nodded again, the light reflecting off his dark slicked-back hair.

  “What is the status of Patient Zero?”

  “Unchanged but stable. Dr. Morrow reports some minor irregularities but nothing to be concerned over.”

  “Wonderful. Make sure he informs immediately of any significant change. No matter what time or who I’m with.”

  “As you wish.” Edward paused for a moment than asked quietly, “What about the Daniels my lady?”

  “Is the husband awake?”

  “No my lady. According to the people we have at the hospital, he is
still in a coma. All of the doctors agree that it is possible that he may come out of it. However, the longer he remains in it, the less likelihood there is.”

  “I see.” Lily folded her hands into her lap. “And what about her?” Edward heard the venom drip from every syllable.

  “She hasn’t left his bedside except when absolutely necessary. According to our sources, she’s barely eating or drinking. In all honesty my lady, she is a complete wreck.”

  A teeth-baring grin ran across her statuesque face. “Wonderful news Edward. Wonderful indeed.”

  “Do you wish me to terminate the husband as originally planned?”

  Lily tapped her finger against her lip considering the possibilities for a few moments. “No. Not anymore Edward. Letting that bitch suffer day after day while holding onto the vague thread of hope is much more satisfying than having to bury him and move on. I wish him a very long life indeed. Is the rest of the incident cleaned up?”

  “Of course my lady. We had some minor trouble with the locals but nothing our federal contacts couldn’t handle.”

  “Excellent work as always. Now one last bit of business.” She rose and glared down at him. “What the hell is going on in Washington? We have lost two shipments along with multiple hijackings. Both our Canadian and Mexican clients are getting rather---irritated. I have had to personally apologize and reimburse both of them.” Her sapphire blue eyes became as hard as obsidian. “I can’t afford to lose that income until we break ground on the facility. Inform Mr. Beckett that if there is a third lost shipment, he will apologize to the clients personally at their homes. Is that clear?”