Storm

by Wylder, Jasmine

  They drove quickly toward the beta site. It was just an open area in the woods, from way back before the Savage Brotherhood was formed; it had been charmed against vampires, but there was no protection from the elements there, and with the thick brush it would be difficult to see the vampires coming after them.

  Relief washed over Daniel as they pulled up to the sight to find the van and bikes they’d left behind there. The others rushed forward, embracing mates and children. Andy stopped beside Daniel and gripped his arm; Daniel knew instantly why.

  Gracie was nowhere in sight, and he couldn’t smell her.

  “Daniel—” his father started.

  Daniel tore away from him and raced for Roxy. “Where’s Gracie?”

  His aunt gave him a look of deep pity. “She told us to leave; she was going back, I don’t know what for. We couldn’t wait, we had the children.”

  His throat was thick as he whispered. “Where is she?”

  Melanie stepped up beside Roxy and put a hand on her shoulder. “We had to leave her.”

  “Typhoon took her,” Mia interrupted. Her voice was emotionless, as though she was hurting too deeply to feel anymore. Tears welled in her eyes even as she wiped them away. “I saw him as I was leaving. He had her slung over his back.”

  Daniel slumped over. He pressed his hands to his knees, his mind whirling as he tried to accept this news. Images flashed through his mind of Gracie when he first saw her in that hospital robe, the terror on her face. The look in her eyes when he had brought her to the safehouse. The smile on her lips when she kissed him. The way her eyes rolled and her back arched when he finished into her.

  Then he thought of her in Apep’s hands. Of her skin marble-white, her eyes dull and lifeless. His wolf threw back its head and howled. A snarl burst from his throat; the children scattered, their parents tensed, and the men stepped in front of their mates—even Stewart and Josef. Daniel didn’t waste any time feeling bad that even his uncles felt like they had to defend his aunts.

  His head snapped up and he focused on Shadow. “You’re coming with me.”

  Blizzard snarled, tensing. “She’s not—”

  “Cunningham,” Shadow cut across him, giving him the stink eye.

  Blizzard hesitated a moment before he stepped aside and gestured at her. Which was just as well; they might be mates, but Daniel knew that Shadow didn’t let anybody tell her what she could and could not do—unless they were acting like an alpha. Daniel drew himself up. His conversation with Gracie came back to him, and he wanted to growl again—this time in anger at himself. He hadn’t thought it a good idea to stay at the safe house for so long, but the others all said it would be too hard on the children to keep running. He should have just insisted that they leave!

  His wolf growled, but he pulled it back and centered on the present. “Shadow, you’re going to help me track down where he took her.”

  “Whoa.” Tornado held up a hand. “You can’t do that. One girl isn’t worth that risk, even if you have been sleeping with her.”

  Shadow didn’t speak.

  Daniel took a moment to calm himself down before he spoke again. “We don’t know what Apep wants from her.”

  “Daniel.” Andy strode forward and gripped his shoulder. “Listen. I know that you’ve grown close to her. I know that this must be tearing you up. But they were backing off until we got her again. We can’t risk having her around. I’m sorry,” he said, his voice hardening as Daniel snarled. “I don’t like it any more than you do. But we have to think about what’s best for everyone.”

  No. He didn’t want to think about what was best for everyone. He wanted to get Gracie back. Had to get her back. He couldn’t leave her out there, God knew what was happening to her. Apep could be doing any sort of depraved thing to her, and if he just abandoned her to that fate? Then what use was he? He glared at his father then turned the glare on everyone else.

  The children were hiding behind their parents, staring at him in terror. Daniel almost growled, wondering what sort of things they had been told to make them react like this. Even his cousins! But then he felt the fierce scowl on his face and knew it was him that they were fearing, not words their parents had said.

  He closed his eyes and turned away. His father was right—he needed to think about everyone. That was what a leader did, after all. If he only thought about himself and his wants, he was as useless as if he left Gracie to be Apep’s pray.

  So what should he do?

  A deep breath stabilized him, and he turned back. Everyone stared at him, waiting, expectant, a few hostile glances. Looks he had seen directed at Typhoon multiple times. Daniel drew himself up, striding forward to glance around the area.

  “Get out into the woods and gather branches and brush to make shelters. Every family has their own lean-to,” he ordered. “No fires. We’ll use the camping stove to cook. Now.” He turned to Shadow. “You and I are going to track down where Typhoon took Gracie. We can’t keep running around like chickens with their heads cut off.”

  Both Blizzard and Tornado started to protest, but Shadow nodded. “What are we waiting for?”

  They headed for the bikes, even as there were murmurs and grumbles behind them. Andy gave him a look that was half confused, half worried but Daniel ignored it. If he wanted to stop them thinking of him as a kid, then he had to force them to see he wasn’t a kid. And he was going to get Gracie back. That was non-negotiable.

  Shadow was one of the best trackers Daniel knew. But after they found a backpack full of the books Gracie had been going through, they lost the trail. No amount of back-tracking could pick it up again. It wasn’t all in vain, though. When they returned to the safehouse, they found a vampire poking through the ruins.

  They quickly jumped him, tied him up and dragged him into the forest. They weren’t going to take him to where their new camp was, of course, but there might be something that they could learn from him.

  Daniel’s knuckles were sore and bruised by the time the vampire spoke, spitting blood from his mouth. “The girl is unique. Apep has traced her lineage back further than time itself.”

  Shadow sat nearby, sharpening her claws and looking profoundly bored. At the vampire’s declaration, she snorted and rolled her eyes. “Before time, huh? And what is so special about her lineage?”

  “She is a true descendant from the first shifter, from Ra himself.”

  Daniel’s eyes narrowed. First shifter? Ra? He was tempted to punch the vampire another few times and tell him not to babble nonsense, but he held himself back. If Apep was the first vampire, then it did make some sort of sense that Ra, Apep’s enemy, would be the first shifter… they had been enemies for as long as Daniel knew, after all.

  “Supposing that’s true,” he said slowly, “what do you mean by true descendant? She’s not a shifter.”

  The vampire turned and sneered at him. “Humans can be turned into shifters with your rituals and a bite just as a human can become a vampire. And isn’t it true that when a child is born to two shifters, that child is not always a shifter themselves?”

  It was true. Daniel’s frown deepened. “So, what you’re saying is that Gracie is a direct descendant of the first shifter… who is Ra? Is Apep trying to resurrect him or something?”

  The vampire stared at him as though that was the stupidest thing he had ever heard.

  Daniel nodded at Shadow, who marched over and sliced the vampire across the face. “It’s time you and I started talking. This is how I do things. I ask you a question, you answer. I think you’re lying, I cut you. I don’t like your answer, I cut you. Now. What does Apep want with the girl?”

  The vampire grunted. “What do I care about your threats? I am a vampire. Pain is nothing to me.”

  “That’s because you haven’t felt pain. Not since you became a vampire.” Shadow smiled chillingly. “But you know what happens when a vampire drinks shifter blood, right? They become human again, at least for a time. And then all those dead nerves
in your body? They’ll come screaming back to life.”

  All arrogance drained from of the vampire’s face as Daniel brought his own wrist to his mouth, growing out his fangs to sink into his flesh; as a half vampire, he was immune to vampire venom.

  The vampire lasted only a few swallows of Daniel’s blood before he was begging for them to stop.

  “We don’t know what he wants from her,” he gasped, his pale cheeks flushed with human color. “I don’t know. All he’d say was she was a descendant of Ra. The others… he would drink their blood and do something. I don’t know what, I never saw, I only heard rumors. But he was angry when they died. He’s hoping she’s the one that will live.”

  Daniel glowered at the vampire but took a step back and glanced at Shadow. She nodded, showing she believed the vamp. Daniel turned away and cursed.

  What did Apep want? And how could they stop him?

  Shadow stepped up beside him. “What now?”

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “We find where Apep took her. And then we get her back. In the meantime,” he grabbed the bag of books. “We’re going to find out his weaknesses. And we’re going to make a plan to kill him.”

  Chapter Ten

  Gracie

  The ice-cold grips on her arms were like iron. Though Gracie kicked and screamed and cried, they didn’t seem to take any notice. Tears streaked her face as she was dragged out of the pitch-dark underground. She had thought it would be a relief to be above ground again, to breathe fresh air and have natural light. But that was before she was dragged from her cell, changed into a revealing, low-cut gown and then dragged out to face Apep.

  The light of a full moon bathed the land in a silvery light. It was so bright that she could see everything in vivid detail. Apep stood in the center of some design carved into the rock, one with curving lines and strange symbols around it. They looked Egyptian, but Gracie didn’t know enough to understand what they said.

  “Do we have tears?” Apep asked, his voice amused as she was dragged to stand in the middle of the designs with him. “Come now, this is a great honor.”

  The vampires released her, and Gracie immediately tried to run. Her feet hit the ground only twice before Apep’s arms lashed out and wrapped around her waist. She screamed, throwing her head back against his chest, but she could have been a bunny licking his ears for all the response she got. Apep dragged her back to the center of the designs and spun her around. His hands clenched over her wrists, holding her in the spot no matter how she fought against him.

  “Light it,” he said over his shoulder.

  Guinevere and Typhoon stood right behind him, the anger and hatred clear on their faces; both of them took a torch in a hand and stepped forward. Their jaws were clenched so tight that Gracie was certain they were holding back everything they wanted to say.

  “Wait,” she cried desperately as they lowered the torches to the outer ring. “Please! At least tell me what you’re going to do to me. Please. I might only be some human to you, somebody you can drain dry, but I at least deserve to know why you’re doing this.”

  Apep grunted, but that was enough for Typhoon and Guinevere to pause. They glanced at her and then him, waiting. Apep stared down at her, his monstrous size making her shudder; even if she had some sort of weapon, what could she do to him?

  Knee him between the legs.

  She’d hold off on that; wait to see if he would talk first.

  To her relief, he did.

  “What do you know about Ra?” Apep asked, cocking his head to one side.

  Gracie swallowed roughly. Now that there was a lull, she wasn’t certain if she could speak past the lump in her dry throat. She swallowed hard, coughed, and answered in a whisper. “I know that he was the head Egyptian god. He’s supposed to be the sun… or a dung beetle that rolls the sun across the sky… something like that. I know that he’s your enemy. The one story I read was that you were born from his umbilical cord…”

  “Did it now?” Apep laughed and released one of her wrists. She fought the urge to bolt at once—he still had a grip on her, and if she attempted escape now, he’d only tighten his grip on her. She trembled with the urge to fight and flee but held herself back. Apep tapped her nose, causing her to flinch. “That is quite a story. Completely untrue but quite a story.”

  “It was thousands of years ago. All we have is records from a culture that has changed dramatically since its beginnings. So… what does Ra have to do with this?”

  Apep smirked. “Ra was my enemy, as you said. We were both chosen by the other gods to receive unique gifts. I became the first vampire, and he the first shifter. But he swayed the others to his side, and rather than join me in my strength, they followed after him. Chose to be shifters. Have you not wondered why vampires can’t stray into the light without drinking shifter blood?”

  She hadn’t even known that and remained silent.

  “And yet, if a vampire drinks too much from a shifter, they will become a shifter. The final slap in my face, even after he killed me.”

  “How could he have killed you if you’re alive now?”

  “I’m a god. Death cannot hold me.” Apep smiled. “You are a descendant of Ra. I see the light he so loved in your eyes. And since he took all from me, I will take all from him. I am in need of a goddess, and the old ones have all fallen to slumber… not that I’d want any of those wenches anyway. And you… when Ra is blood bound to me, I will be more powerful than he ever dreamed of being.”

  Gracie’s breath caught in her throat. In need of a goddess? Bound by blood? Her stomach cramped as she shied back. Bile churned, and she suddenly felt fury welling up in her. She managed to rip her arm away as she kicked out; her knee crushed between Apep’s legs; his eyes went wide as he bent over, letting out a groan of pain.

  So even a god was vulnerable.

  She didn’t wait around to gloat. Instead, she turned on her heel and dashed away. The other vampires closed in around her; one of them grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backward. Her feet jerked out from under her and she fell heavily; something cracked, but whether it was her bones or the twigs beneath her she didn’t know. All the air was driven from her lungs and she tried to gasp in vain.

  There was a savage snarl, and the next thing Gracie knew, the vampire that had yanked her like that was on the ground, twitching and seizing. Typhoon stood over her and tossed the vampire’s head aside. Gracie closed her eyes, choking on vomit even as she couldn’t breathe.

  The sound of a fist hitting flesh, followed by Typhoon’s grunt of pain, only made her curl in tighter to herself. Her lungs were just starting to heave, her chest contracting rapidly as she tried to expel the vomit from her mouth and throat. Gentle hands turned her to her stomach and rubbed her back in soothing patterns. Guinevere’s soft voice whispered in her ear, but she couldn’t hear the words over Apep and Typhoon.

  “He injured the girl; you said to kill anybody who attempted to keep her from you,” Typhoon snarled out.

  “She is not so badly injured.” Another thump, another grunt of pain. Gracie coughed up the vomit then inhaled a gasping breath.

  When she looked up, Apep stood over Typhoon, who was on his knees with his head bowed. His whole body shook, his hands clenched into fists. Gracie’s eyes widened; he wasn’t as completely controlled as the others thought. She could see him struggling to break free. If they could get him far enough from Apep, maybe he would—

  Apep turned to her; he grabbed her by the back of the neck and dragged her to her feet, then pulled her back to the center of the carved stone. Two other vampires lit them, and flames burst up all around them. Apep clutched her to his chest, pulled her head to one side, and sank his fangs into her neck.

  Oddly, there was no pain… at first.

  When it hit, it was harder than having the wind knocked out of her. All the strength fled. Her muscles went limp as agony thrashed through her. Her vision blacked out and she could feel her blood draining, sucked out b
y great, greedy gulps. Apep’s hands dug into her flesh. Her eyes rolled wildly as her jaw dropped open, but no sound came out.

  Apep grunted, clutching her even tighter. Small growls emanated from his throat, his fingers bruising her.

  Abruptly, he released her. She dropped, the pain still coursing through her. There was nothing else. She couldn’t feel the ground below, nor the scorching heat of the flames that surrounded them. Only when Apep grasped her arm again could she feel anything.

  A scream burst from her throat. Apep brought her to a sitting position and all the light and color burst around her. The monster vampire chuckled as he clasped a hand to her neck, firm enough to almost cut out her breathing. Something hot and wet ran down her chest and for a terrified moment she thought he was drooling on her; but no, it was her blood. Her head spun as she looked up at Apep’s dark, pitiless eyes.

  “Can you feel it? The venom sweeping through your blood? Soon you will have the greatest gift, Gracie Underhill. You will be immortal. You will stand by my side forever as my queen and goddess. You will be revered by all. That is…” He chuckled again. “If you survive the transformation. Let’s hope you’re stronger than the others.”

  He dropped her and strode through the flames, as though they had no effect on him. Something crackled, and a burst of fire ran along another line of the design, lighting a circle closer to her. Gracie screamed as white-hot pain shot through her body. She tried to jerk away from the flames, but they were all around her, their heat almost as painful as the venom coursing through her body.

  “I hope you survive,” Apep mused from behind the wall of flames. “If you do, that means I will, at last, have my goddess to start a new form of vampire. I have so long dreamt of everything I can do with this form… I hope that I can fulfill my fantasies with your form, too.”