by Raven Steele
“We will go to the Linchen Pack,” Angel said to me. “There is still time to drive there, scout out their grounds, and return before sunrise.”
“It’s cutting it close, but okay,” I said. I held up a finger. “One problem. I have an Uber driver waiting for me.”
“Send her away. I have my bike.”
“You’re a bike man?”
He didn’t answer, already following Mateo out the back exit of the butchery. Samira waited while I texted Roma. When I was finished, I looked up at her. “Things seem tense between you and Mateo. Are you going to be okay with him alone?”
“Old wounds struggle to stay buried.”
“Is that a yes? A no? Need me to run interference?”
“Be careful with Angel.” That’s all she said to me before she followed after the vampires.
Before I did the same, I checked my phone one last time for a text from Luke. Nothing. I frowned and began walking.
Luke’s lack of communication had me worried. There was about to be some serious collateral damage.
Chapter 10
“Hop on,” Angel said and motioned behind him on the seat.
I sighed and lifted my leg over it. As much as I liked riding bikes, I was a little nervous about being pressed up against Angel for the next hour, especially after our kiss.
“Hold on tight. I drive fast.”
“Bring it.”
Angel wasn’t kidding. He accelerated the bike until I thought the engine would fall from its casing. I wrapped my arms around him tightly to keep from being thrown off. My thumb brushed against his hard abs. Angel may be hard and chiseled like Luke, but he lacked the heat that radiated from Luke’s body. After only a few minutes being pressed against Angel, I was freezing, but not in an unpleasant way. It was just different.
With how fast Angel drove, we reached Mandeville in record time. I directed him to the dirt road leading to the Linchen Pack. We abandoned the bike at the top of the lane to avoid detection and became part of the dark forest. The animals seemed to remember my scent from before, and they hid away as soon as they smelled me coming.
The moon, barely a sliver in the night sky, provided no light, especially this deep into the forest. I could barely see Angel even with my night vision. This wasn’t going to work.
“Hey,” I whispered and grabbed Angel’s arm. “I need to shift. I can’t see well.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Into your wolf? I’d love to see it.”
“Meh, not for you. Turn around.”
He obeyed without hesitation.
I undressed quickly and shifted into my wolf. He sensed the change and turned around, eyeing me appreciatively. “You are beautiful, unlike any wolf I’ve ever seen.”
I pointed my muzzle at the clothes on the ground, and he picked them up, still staring at me. I turned and padded away into the forest. Even though I couldn’t hear him, surprising since I was in my wolf form, I knew he was behind me.
It took about twenty minutes to reach the outskirts of the pack’s compound. As a wolf, I easily avoided a few scouts guarding the property. I didn’t want them to hear us; after my last encounter with them, they might try to kill us.
I reached the edge of the clearing and peered out. A fire roared big and bright, illuminating the faces of men and women, beers in hands, smiles on faces. There were more pack members tonight than there had been before, but it was also a weekend. By the sweet smell in the air, they were also smoking weed. Lots of it. Good. It would help mask our scent.
Assuming Angel would follow, I circled the clearing to explore any outbuildings. Beside the large cabin, there were several smaller buildings scattered throughout the forest. I sniffed the ground to see where most of their pack traveled. There was one trail with more traffic on it than the others. I followed it through the woods for almost a quarter of a mile before the forest opened up again, revealing a large concrete building that looked like it could hold at least ten vehicles. I found a good hiding spot and sat to watch it.
Angel appeared next to me and reached his hand down to the top of my head. He stroked my fur slow and tenderly. I almost growled at him to stop—I never let anyone pet me—but I found myself leaning in to his touch. It soothed my nerves.
For the next thirty minutes we watched the building. Only a couple of shifters came out of a single door on the end. The large garage doors remained closed. The building had no windows, so we had no idea what lay hidden within. I had a strong feeling we needed to get inside somehow.
Angel seemed to be thinking the same thing. “I’m going to the roof. Maybe there’s a way inside from up there.”
He stepped back from me and suddenly a loud crack filled the air. Angel's shoulder opened up, his blood misting the air.
Shit. I dropped into a defensive position in front of Angel, searching for the threat.
Five shifters walked out from the woods opposite of us. I didn’t recognize any of them. I was hoping to at least see Marge.
“Come out, intruders!” one of them called. Each of them gripped a gun and held other weapons at their hips or ankles. I had to assume they were all made out of silver, including their bullets. Not something I screwed around with. Angel could heal from those wounds, but not me.
Inwardly, I groaned and padded out to meet them, motioning the best I could with my wolf head for Angel to follow. Holding his shoulder and grimacing, he followed after me.
“Aren’t you a pretty little thing,” a man with a full beard said and knelt down to pet me.
I snarled and at the same time, Angel said, “Don’t touch her.”
The man straightened. “You’re on our turf. I can do whatever the hell I want.”
A woman next to him stepped forward. “What are you doing here?”
I shifted back into my human form. The cool air chilled my naked skin. I expected Angel to stare at me, but he kept his eyes forward and handed me my clothes. Chivalrous.
While I dressed, I said, “We were just checking out your digs. Where’s Brutus?”
“He’s busy.” The bearded man stared at my boobs while I dressed. Asshole. When I had my shirt on, he added, “Why are you spying on us?”
“I’ll explain myself, but not to you, so be a good bearded man and go get your Alpha. Hell, I’d settle for Marge. At least she won’t stare at my boobs.” The five shifters looked at each other skeptically. “Please tell me we aren’t going to have to fight to see Brutus. Been there, done that.”
“I would like to fight them,” Angel said, his face deadpan.
“What’s a filthy vamp and a shifter doing together anyways?” Beardy nodded his chin at Angel while looking at me. “You ain’t one of those blood whores, are you?”
“Shut up,” I snapped. I hated that word. I lifted my head and shouted, “Brutus! Marge! You have company!”
My voice was loud enough that wherever they were, they should be able to hear me.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Beardy said. “Time to teach you a lesson on pack rules.”
I walked toward him, anxious to meet him halfway. “I hate rules.”
Since I had just shifted, my wolf strength was still close to the surface. Beardy leapt into the air, but I was quicker and drilled his mid-air body into the ground. My head snapped up. “Who’s next?”
Two female shifters rushed me, but Angel intercepted them, using his good arm to swat at the first one. Super fast, he turned to the second and caught her by the neck.
“Don’t kill her!” I yelled at him. We needed this pack on our side.
He tossed her to the side just as another gun fired, hitting him in the stomach. He stumbled back.
“Damnit!” I rushed the shooter and yanked the gun from the dude’s hands before he could react. I rammed the butt of it into his jaw hard enough that it knocked him out. I spun the gun until it was pointing at the last shifter. “I am tired of games. Where’s Brutus?”
“Here.” The voice was strong and authoritative. Bingo.
I turn
ed around, the gun still firmly in my hands.
“Why have you returned?” Brutus asked with his stupid, awkward smile. He stood upon a small rise in the middle of the trail. Marge was next to him.
“Hey, Marge,” I said.
She winked at me.
I scanned the woods. “Do I have to worry about anyone else trying to shoot us?”
“Not at the moment,” Brutus answered. “But you’d better talk quickly. I told you not to return unless you came with your new Alpha.”
“That’s exactly why I’m here.” Scooting back toward Angel, I explained. “Our new Alpha, Vincent Moretti, heard of our visit and how Dominic was planning on bringing the Linchen Pack in with the Silver Claws. He sent me back here to scout things out and see what you guys are like. Not many of us were aware that Dominic was in contact with you.” I paused, trying to decide if I should hedge a bet. “He said if you guys check out, then he’ll honor Dominic’s agreement with you.”
I reached Angel. He was trying to appear stoic, but that was hard to do with blood pouring from his gut. It had to hurt like a mother.
“Here,” I said quietly. “Hold this.”
He took the gun from me and kept it pointed in Brutus’s direction while I removed my shirt. I looped it around his gut and tied it tight. This left me in me just a bra, but it was one of my good ones, so I didn’t mind.
“Lower that weapon, vampire,” Brutus said, his smile threatening. “If your Alpha wants to make a deal, it will have to be a new one. I have a feeling the Silver Claws are not the pack I thought they were.”
“I am the Alpha’s right hand gal. You can make deals with me.”
Brutus narrowed his dark eyes. “You’re more than just his right hand gal.”
Angel’s eyes darted to me, his Adam’s apple moving up and down.
“Okay, she-wolf,” Brutus said and walked toward me. “You want to make a deal? Fight me. If you win, then I’ll make a deal with you. If you lose, then I’ll only work with your Alpha.”
“Fight me, instead,” Angel said, but his voice was strained.
“Shut up,” Brutus and I said to him at the same time.
“You have a deal,” I said. “You’re shirts, I’m skins.”
“Please be careful, Briar.” Angel swiped his thumb just above my eyes giving me the chills. “I think you know what I’m talking about.”
I didn’t, but I couldn’t deal with it right now. Maybe he knew I was a Komira. The thought made me pause, but I pushed it away and winked. “I got you.”
As if they’d just heard about the fight, over two dozen shifters hurried over the small rise. They circled around us, while Marge backed them up to give us ample space to fight in.
“Thanks, Marge,” I said.
“No problem. I hope you do well. Cute bra, by the way. Where did you get it?”
I looked down at it. “I think I found this one in a motel room.”
“Lucky!”
“Right?”
“Are you ladies done talking yet?” Brutus growled, still managing to smile simultaneously. I was going to wipe that stupid grin off his face.
“First thing first,” I said and turned to him. “That crazy-ass smile has got to go.”
I swung hard. My closed fist caught him across his jaw. It wasn’t one of my full-strength punches, but it still managed to drop him to his knees. The crowd gasped in surprise and hurried voices filled the air.
Brutus slowly rose to his feet. Finally, that crazy-ass smile was gone.
“That’s more like—”
Brutus tackled my midsection, lifting me up and slamming me to the ground. He tried to mount me, but I bucked hard, flinging him forward. I quickly scrambled away and jumped up at the same time as him.
He punched at me several times in a row, but I dodged them all. He was fast, but I was much faster. Did I want him to know that? My gaze found Angel’s. He barely shook his head as if answering my question.
Ugh. Fine.
I slowed down and when I should’ve zagged, I zigged. One of Brutus’s hairy fists caught me along the side of my head. Stars exploded in my vision, and I dropped to the ground. It hurt like hell, but already I could feel myself healing.
I made a show of trying to get up.
“Get up, she-wolf. I know there is more to you than that.”
I pretended to still struggle, despite everyone around me urging me to get to my feet.
Brutus circled me, his massive chest rising and falling. “I know who you are. Dominic spoke about you. He said he thought he had a powerful shifter, one that hadn’t been seen for centuries. He wasn’t quite sure, but he’d hoped so. He also hoped that shifter would eventually give her life for a cause bigger than herself. But I don’t think he ever found out for sure, did he?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I gasped dramatically.
“Trianus,” he said as if the word wasn’t a secret among his pack. “You could be instrumental in his return. Too bad Dominic didn’t have time to teach you all that Trianus could bring to this world. Maybe you would’ve changed your ways. Maybe you can still become like Dominic.”
Motherfucking bastard. I would never be like him. I stopped struggling and rose to my full height. The crowd quieted down. “Let me tell you about Dominic.”
“Briar,” Angel warned, but I was just getting started.
“I was the one who killed Dominic. Plunged a knife into the bastard and gutted him nut to nibbler. I will never be like him. He was a plague to this earth and so are you.”
We reacted at the same time, both going for each other with fists raised, but I was much faster. I punched him three times in a row. His head jerked backwards and blood sprayed from his nose, splattering Marge in the face.
“Sorry, sweetie,” I said, then punched him again. Rage overtook my mind and my powers swelled. I hated him. Hated the way he spoke Dominic’s name with reverence. Hated that he’d killed Luke’s brother. It was people like him that gave assholes like Dominic power. I hit him, over and over, and he tried to back up. But my powers grew with each blow; the surge of ancient strength swelled within me.
Brutus stepped back one last time, cornered by the tree behind him. I stepped forward to give him one final blow, but before my hand could hit his face, something hard shot out and tripped me. I fell to the ground near Brutus’s feet. I looked up, only to see Angel staring down at me in anger, his breathing ragged.
He leaned over and whispered words only for my ears. “I promised to protect you, even from yourself.”
I inhaled a sharp breath, realizing he was right. Once again, he seemed to know how different I was, but now was not the time to find out how. I needed to calm down and quickly. Too much power. I concentrated hard to try and suppress it, but Brutus’ foot connected with my gut, and my body flew through the air.
Fighting the instinct to retaliate, I remained on the ground to avoid losing control. I accepted Brutus’s punches over and over, letting my body be his battering ram. This was going to be a painful recovery.
I caught a quick glance at Angel. He was staring into the distance, unable to look at me.
Brutus’ fist smashed into my face, spraying my blood down my chin and neck. He straddled me and, grabbing the sides of my hair, slammed my head into the ground.
“Fight back!” Brutus yelled. “Show me your true power.”
“You’re crazy,” I breathed, blood flowing from a cut on my forehead into my eye. Good thing my eyelid had already swelled over it. Every part of me hurt. My pride especially. I could kill this prick if I wanted to.
“I know what you are.” He stood and kicked me again. The sound of my ribs cracking hurt my ears.
“Enough,” Angel said.
“Yeah, boss,” Marge said in her deep voice. “I think you won.”
“I didn’t win anything. She has to admit what I already know.”
“You know nothing.” Angel shoved him aside and knelt next to me. “This fight is ov
er.”
Brutus got to his feet, staring down at me. “If your pack ever wants to work with us again, it must be your Alpha who shows his face. Anyone else will be killed. No questions asked.”
“Your terms are agreeable.” Angel scooped me up. My head lobbed to his hard chest.
“I didn’t make the deal with you, vampire,” Brutus growled. “The shifter must say the words.”
“I agree, assdick,” I said. I looked up at Marge with my good eye and winked at her. She grinned back.
Angel carried me away from Brutus and his pack, shaking his head in disapproval. “If you weren’t hurt right now, I’d punish you myself. You must be more careful.”
Angel sounded like he knew I was a Komira, but I had no idea how that was possible. And I couldn’t very well ask him without giving it away.
After what Brutus had said about knowing about me, Dominic must’ve suspected I was a Komira as well. And he’d had plans for me. Something about helping to bring back Trianus. What the hell did that mean?
It worried me I was hearing more and more about this Trianus fellow. It worried me even more that there were people out there who thought a Komira could help bring him back.
Angel was right. It was more important than ever to keep my secret. My life could depend upon it.
Chapter 11
Angel set me down on his bike. I wobbled a little, but he kept a steady hand on my arm. “Let me heal you.”
“I really don’t feel like a tongue bath right now. Besides, I’ll heal soon enough.”
“Stop, Briar,” he ordered, his voice firm.
I sighed and closed my eyes. “Do as you wish.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
I sucked in a quick breath, too afraid to open my eyes. He filled the space between us and smoothed back my hair. His fingers slid across my skin like frosted petals. He pressed his tongue to the deep cut on my forehead. This time, his healing touch was almost clinical, and I relaxed against him.
“Are you strong enough to stay on the bike?”
I blinked open my eyes, realizing his ministrations had lulled me into a sleepy state. “I think so. What about you? How are your bullet wounds?”
