by Dena Christy
DARK CURSE
by
Dena Christy
(c)2015 Dena Christy
All Rights Reserved.
Cover design by The Killion Group Inc.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Chapter One
Hadria approached the darkened compound, her eyes probing the shadows that clung to the main building. The Order cleaned out the inhabitants here when they had raided the place a few weeks ago. She'd been part of the team used to extract her adopted daughter, Samara. The fine hairs stood alert on the back of her neck as the silence enveloped her. Not even crickets chirped, and stillness surrounded the main building looming over her.
“Watch your step, and be careful,” she said to her partner Jaclyn. She'd partnered with the vampire before and they worked well together. Hadria had hoped she and Samara could work together, but since her daughter was expecting a baby, dangerous missions were out of the question for her.
“I'm not sensing anyone around.” With her heightened vampire senses, Jaclyn would sense if they weren't alone.
“Caution doesn't hurt,” Hadria said, her voice low as she cocked her head, listening. Nothing moved, the building remained the same but Hadria’s pulse beat in her ears as a small bead of sweat trickled down her back. Five hundred years with the Order had ingrained vigilance in her. At least that’s what she told herself as she inched closer to the building.
She used to love the rush of adrenaline and the excitement of hunting down the Order's enemies. Now tiredness plagued her. Still, it was better than the life she left behind in Asgard.
Valhalla had grown boring once Christianity tamed the Vikings. The belief in the old Gods had waned, there was no one left for Hadria to collect on the battlefield. Joining the Order –being part of something good–had filled a place in her she hadn't realized was empty. It had distracted her from her curse. But now the years weighed on her, and the job didn't fulfill her as it once had.
Gravel crunched under their feet and the door to the building was no more than five strides ahead. The inky darkness outside swallowed everything around them, and Hadria let Jaclyn take the lead. The vampire had perfect night vision. Hadria forced her jaw to relax. A hundred years ago, she would've been in front, but not now. Now she couldn’t see well enough at night unless a threat was in front of her.
Who was she kidding? There were some dangers she never saw coming. A thousand years under a curse, and she still couldn't tell when one of her lovers would betray her. Alex had been a perfect example, in a long line of lessons she failed to learn from. Each time she hoped for a different outcome, and each subsequent betrayal ate at her soul.
She shook her head to clear her mind, and she forced herself to focus on her mission. She and Jaclyn were there to see if they could find anything missed during the previous search of the compound. The compound’s owner–the late James Horn–had used this facility to create a formula to genetically alter wolves. He strove to make them faster, stronger, and better able to produce viable young with human females.
The formula had a huge flaw. Rabies contaminated the genetic material used to create it. The wolves injected with it turned feral and attacked a number of human females. A short time after the raid, the wolves injected with the formula had disappeared. Cadric wanted to know where they were and have them contained so they wouldn't harm anyone else.
“Do you know what we're supposed to be looking for?” Jaclyn turned to Hadria when she reached the front door.
“I don’t know. There must be something the other team missed during their final sweep. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.”
“Got it.”
Hadria reached into her pocket for the keys to the compound. Sorting through the others on the chain, she found the one she needed to unlock the padlock on the door. The lock fell free, and she shoved it in her pocket along with the keys.
Her military-style boots made little sound on the tile floor as she walked inside. Jaclyn came in behind her and shut the door. Hadria’s eyes strained to see around her.
“Do you need some light?” Jaclyn asked.
Hadria bit her lip as she turned her head in Jaclyn’s direction. “Yes,” she said.
She hated showing weakness in front of the younger member of the Order, but perhaps the vampire would assume night vision wasn't one of her gifts.
A light switch clicked behind her, and the florescent lights above her flickered for a moment. The lights emitted a quiet buzzing sound as they stabilized and flooded the foyer with the light. Hadria blinked rapidly as pain lanced through her eyes for a moment.
“We should head for the lab. It would be the most likely place to find something.” Hadria turned toward the lab. She sensed Jaclyn's hesitation behind her and turned to glance at her partner.
“Didn't the team already search it?” Jaclyn asked.
“Yes, but Cadric sent us here to search it again.”
“Okay.”
Hadria heard the doubt in Jaclyn's voice, and she spun around on her heel.
“Are you questioning my authority?” Hadria asked, her voice low. Jaclyn stepped back, holding her hands up.
“No, if you want us to check the lab, then that's fine by me.”
Hadria turned away, blowing out a slow breath. Lately she'd heard talk around headquarters that she'd become a liability to some of the members of the Order. Except for Nick, the werewolf members treated her like she had the plague…not that she blamed them.
Her former lover Alex, had betrayed the entire Order and his species with his involvement with James Horn. The wolf members didn't want to get too close to her, lest her curse taint them too. She may not have seen Loki in a thousand years, but the curse he placed on her still had the power to turn any wolf she became involved with against her. She'd arrogantly refused to allow a werewolf–known back then as the children of Fenrir–into Valhalla. Loki punished her for daring to judge the fitness of one of his son's children.
Focus.
Letting her thoughts go, she walked down the hall until the corridor branched off into two directions. Hadria went to the right and Jaclyn followed, her boots squeaking softly.
The lab door required a pass code to open it. Hadria punched in the code and pulled the door handle. The muscles in her shoulder strained when the door resisted. The lights above the panel remained red. She tried again, with the same results. Suspicion tickled at the edges of her brain.
“Someone's changed the code.”
“Are you sure you put it in right?” Jaclyn asked, with the same thread of doubt in her voice.
“Of course I put the goddamn code in right. Is there something you want to say to me? Do you want to try it?” Hadria turned around to face the woman behind her, her lips flattening as her eyes narrowed. Her nails cut into the palms of her hands as she invaded Jaclyn’s space. The vampire pulled back.
“I didn't mean to make it sound like you don't know what you're doing. Anyone can make a mistake, especially in a tense situation. If you say you put in the correct code, then I believe you. I just wanted to make sure.”
Hadria turned to the door, drawing in a slow and steady breath. She didn't want to be sensitive to every word and comment. Jaclyn's hand came down on her shoulder, and she stiffened. It’s not Jaclyn’s fault you doubt yourself. Get over it.
“I know you’re aware of the talk around headquarters,” Jaclyn said as Hadria stared at the door. “About you and Alex. I just wanted you to know t
hat I don't think you're a liability to the Order. You're one of the strongest members we have and I'm glad to be on your team.”
Hadria nodded as she typed in the code one more time. The door remained locked.
“What do we do now?” Jaclyn asked as her hand dropped off Hadria's shoulder.
“I have one more trick I can try.” Hadria put her hand on the code panel. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes as electricity built in the muscles of her arm, traveled through the palm of her hand and into the panel. Her nose crinkled as the sweet, pungent aroma of ozone invaded her nostrils. She heard the soft click of the lock disengaging, and she twisted the handle and opened the door.
“That was so cool. How did you do that?” Jaclyn followed Hadria into the lab, awe lacing her voice. A grin kicked at the corner of Hadria’s mouth before she straightened her lips into a smooth line. At least something still worked.
“I used a bolt of electricity and overrode the circuit.”
“Can all Valkyrie do that?”
“No. That ability was a parting gift from Thor when I left Asgard. Let’s search this place and see if we can find anything.”
There wasn't much left to hunt through, since the team who’d gone ahead of them had done a thorough job of cleaning out the lab. They went through every available spot to hide something, but came up with nothing.
“This is hopeless. The team took out anything that would have been of value. Maybe we should search somewhere else.”
Hadria’s gaze swept the room one final time. Her eyes drifted up, and directly above her a single ceiling tile canted a fraction to the side. She climbed up on the table underneath it, and reached up to shove it aside.
“What did you find?”
“I'm not sure.” Hadria reached into the hole in the ceiling, and her fingers brushed against something cool and smooth. “I think it's a laptop.”
Hadria grabbed hold of it, and pulled it out of its hiding spot. It was a laptop. She climbed down from the table and set it on top before turning to Jaclyn. Jaclyn straightened and jerked her head toward the door.
“Get down,” Hadria shouted as she shoved Jaclyn out of the way. The lab door burst open, and the sharp crack of gunfire echoed in the room. Fiery darts of pain hit her torso as she grabbed the laptop and threw herself over the table and down onto the floor on the other side.
She reached for her weapon and her hand encountered the empty leather of her holster. Shit. In her minds eye, Hadria could see her gun sitting on the console of their vehicle right where she’d left it. A sloppy mistake, one she would not have made even a year ago. Her stomach and injured leg burned. She pressed her hand against the flesh on her torso. Hot and sticky fabric met her palm and when she pulled her hand away blood coated the surface.
She struggled to her feet. Agony knifed through her right leg, and black spots danced in her line of vision. She collapsed on the floor. Jaclyn let out a screech like a raptor engaging its prey. Her partner could handle the two intruders. Werewolves by the look of them. One good thing about her curse, she could recognize that species from a mile away. Too bad she hadn’t connected them with her unease outside.
The sound of running, booted feet grew fainter. Her head swam, and her limbs trembled as she pressed one hand against her side, and the other against the wound in her leg. Hadria blinked hard as she focused on breathing in and out. A rapid burst of gunfire sounded, and then silence. Hadria slid sideways, her energy draining from her body as she continued to bleed. She'd always been careful when injured not to lose too much blood. The key to her ability to heal required that she have sufficient blood circulating in her system.
Rapid steps approached the table and Hadria tensed her muscles. She raised herself up into a crouch, turning her wounded side away from the threat as she tucked her elbows into her sides and raised her fists. The footfalls came around the side of the table, and relief poured through her. Jaclyn, thank God.
“Don’t let me bleed out.” Hadria whispered. Jaclyn’s image wavered in front of her, and her lips were moving but Hadria couldn’t make out what she was saying. The room around her receded and everything turned black.
***
Nick Johnson knocked on his brother Rowan's front door with a bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand. Eric and Samara had taken up residence there until they could find a place that suited them, and Nick hadn’t been over since they moved in. The flowers were for her, something to brighten up the place. Rowan lived there too, but spent most of his time in his room since getting out of the Order’s hospital. Rowan had been injected with the Dark Wolf formula. His body had recovered nicely from the coma he’d been in, but his mind still had a long way to go to get back to normal.
The front door opened, and Samara stood on the other side smiling. Nick smiled back and handed over the flowers.
“Nick, how nice.” She scooped up the bouquet and held them up to her nose. “Come on in.”
She turned and Nick followed her into the house. She took the flowers into the kitchen, and he walked into the living room where his brother Eric watched hockey on the big screen TV.
“Sucking up to my woman? Nice flowers Nick. Did you pick them out yourself?” Eric took his eyes away from the game to grin at his brother. A few months ago Eric wouldn't have been able to joke about another man, even his brother, bringing his woman flowers. He'd come a long way to relaxing in his relationship. They'd gone through some rough times together when they first met, most of it due to Eric's trust issues. They’d weathered the early turbulence and now had a baby on the way.
“I'm not sucking up to her. I'm just showing her what a considerate man can give her. You should try it once in a while.” Nick set down beside his brother as warmth settled in his belly. Eric’s relationship with Samara wasn’t the only one showing signs of improvement. After six years, he and Eric were finally acting like brother’s again.
“I give her something better than flowers.” Eric wiggled his eyebrows. Nick rolled his eyes and gave his brother a light shove.
“Yeah, and I'm sure she loves getting a piece of your hairy ass.”
“Well she hasn't complained about my ass so far, hairy or otherwise. You're just jealous that I'm getting some.”
Nick stuck up his middle finger and rubbed his nose with it.
His brother laughed and turned back to the hockey game. “Why don't you make your move on Hadria? Pining isn’t your style,” Eric said with his eyes glued to the TV.
“Why do you insist on sticking your nose into my love-life? Matchmaking isn't your style.” Nick focused his attention on the game. He didn't want to talk about Hadria, who he’d been in love with for years. She'd been in a relationship for most of that time, so he kept quite about his fondness for her. Then Alex had betrayed her, betrayed them all and still he kept quiet about his growing affection for her. She insisted on maintaining the status quo. So he'd wait till things between them changed enough to enable him to tell her how he felt.
“Don’t give him a hard time about Hadria, baby. He’ll let her know how he feels when he's ready.” Samara came into the living room and sat down on Eric’s lap. Eric pulled her close against him, his hand resting on the curve of her stomach, which did not yet show evidence of their child.
“I’m not giving him a hard time. I just think he should get in the game before someone else does.”
The idea of Hadria with someone else sent a growl rumbling through Nick’s chest as his hands curled into fists. His jaw ached as he clenched his teeth. His knuckles showed white, and he forced himself to uncurl his fingers.
“Calm down, Nick. Hadria isn't interested in someone else. She's closer to you then she has ever been to anyone.” Samara touched his arm, and he concentrated on breathing as he counted to ten silently in his head. “Just give it a little more time. Alex's betrayal did a number on her. And considering she believes she is under a curse, it will take some time for her to get over it”.
“I doubt she will ever get
over it. Face it, if she thinks every wolf she has a relationship with will betray her, then I don't have a chance.” Nick’s shoulders slumped and he let out a heavy sigh. Samara shook his arm and he looked over at her.
“You have to try,” she said as she squeezed his arm, hard. “Would you be happy with anyone else? Or would you regret, for the rest of your life, not telling her what’s in your heart?”
Nick was silent for a moment. He tried dating other women, but nothing had panned out. He spent most of his time talking about Hadria, and his dates found it a big turn off. He didn't give many second dates. Hadria consumed him, and while he wasn’t ready to profess his love, he knew he would have to sooner rather than later.
“How's Rowan doing?”
Nick looked at Eric, and his brother smirked at him. Eric mouthed the word “loser” and Samara saw it and gave him a light smack on the back of the head. Eric straightened up, and his grin faded.
“He doesn't come out of his room much. Eric's been trying to engage him, to get him out doing things, but so far it hasn't worked. He paces around in there at night.”
A pained look came over Eric and he scrubbed his hand over his face.
Nick knew he blamed himself for not being able to pull Rowan out of his funk. Nick shared the blame. Eric hadn't even been around for the aftermath of the death of Rowan’s wife and baby. Nick had. He'd ignored the signs of his brother's downward spiral until it was too late. By the time he woke up to his brother's state, Rowan had been injected with Dark Wolf. He attacked a woman and had fallen under the Order’s radar. They sent Samara in to assassinate him, but she'd seen something in Rowan deserving of mercy and had spared his life.
“I'll go see him,” Nick said as he prepared to stand.
“He's not here.” Eric held up his hand and Nick settled back onto the couch. “When he goes out, he goes to McDonald Park and just sits there for hours.”
“How do you know?”
“I followed him once when he first came home, and I doubt his habits have changed at all.”