Blood Ties

by Lauryn Evans

  “The loss of both of your parents should have been enough to keep you loyal. Not even losing Jonathan at the hands of blood-sucking filth could keep you loyal to their memory, as if you didn’t even love them.” Scott taunted Jackson lazily, “Their deaths meant nothing to you, did they?”

  Renata spied vials of magna elixir in a cabinet to the side of the room.

  “A vampire may have killed them.” Jackson’s anger boiled. “But that doesn’t mean all vampires are killers.”

  The gears inside of Renata’s head spurred. Could Scott have known Laurentia Crowe was helping Alexander all along?

  Renata cleared her throat. “That’s what you wanted him to think all along.” She took a calculated step towards Scott, adjusting her position as she turned her back turned to the elixir. “You were responsible for the death of Laurentia Crowe and her husband. You killed your own sister because you knew she was working with Alexander against you.” Renata inched closer to the cabinet.

  “And to top it off, you blamed their deaths on vampires to ensure Jackson wouldn’t follow in his mother’s footsteps. You wanted him to be loyal to you.” Renata looked up at him with disgust. “Your plan failed.”

  Scott turned to face his nephew, while Renata slowly reached behind her back, grasping a vial of elixir.

  Jackson’s face contorted with anger and despair. “Is this true?”

  Scott remained silent, eyes colder than stone.

  “Is this true?” he asked again, his voice louder this time.

  Maliciously, Scott replied with a laugh, “I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”

  To Will, Renata yelled, “Get her out of here!”

  Will locked eyes with her, receiving her command. He lunged at Scott with his daggers in hand.

  Jackson took action, keeping his uncle preoccupied while Will carefully removed the needle and Adelaide’s bonds, picking her up from the table. Will dashed out of the room at his full superhuman speed. Relieved that Adelaide was going to be alright, Renata redirected her energy at Scott.

  Renata was suspicious. It was all too easy. Getting into the building, saving Adelaide, it was all too easy. Renata knew Scott had something else up his sleeve, something Jackson had no part in.

  “How could you?” Jackson demanded, his voice raw with emotion. “They were your family.”

  “They were filthy traitors, no family of mine.” Scott’s low voice dripped with hatred. “Death is the only punishment fit for traitors like you.”

  Jackson charged at his uncle and sent a punch. Scott dodged, delivering a harsh blow to Jackson’s stomach. Jackson lunged again, but for an older man, Scott was quick. Scott replaced Jackson’s attack with another blow, sending him to the floor. Bright red blood dripped from Jackson’s nose.

  “I will deal with you later,” Scott spat at his nephew, cocking his head towards Renata. “You will pay for this with your life, just like Alexander did.”

  Renata’s mind whirled. She had to think, and she had to think quickly.

  Like a predator, Scott prowled towards her, ready to attack his prey.

  Think Renata, think.

  Her mind was blank.

  To her surprise, Will dashed back into the room.

  “What are you doing here, Will?” Renata exclaimed.

  “Adelaide is safe. Besides, I’m not going to let you have all the fun,” Will said lightheartedly, catching his breath.

  “Oh, this will be quite fun indeed,” Scott said with a wicked grin as he raised a vial to his lips.

  That must have been the “something else” Renata dreaded.

  Scott’s body began to morph and change, reminding Renata of when she saw Jackson change back in the mansion’s basement. That day, she couldn’t have fathomed where she was now.

  How could she have known it would come to this?

  She raised the vial of elixir to her lips. She would fight fire with fire.

  “Renata, no!” Jackson yelled. “I don’t know how the elixir affects vampires.”

  “Ren,” Will begged. “It could kill you!”

  She saw Jackson and Will’s faces staring back at her, both fearful of what she was about to do. The magna venom was lethal to vampires, but that didn’t necessarily mean the elixir was too. Renata had to try. It was the only way this fight would be fair.

  This time, she refused to back down.

  “Too late,” she said as she tilted the vial and swallowed its contents.

  Renata felt her body begin to change. Her mind suddenly seemed distant, less human-like. She heard a bellow. Someone yelling. Shouting her name.

  With her bones cracking and reshaping themselves, Renata cried out, and as she continued to shift, her body slowly grew numb to the pain. Her mind became clearer. She felt savage, animalistic, and powerful.

  She tilted her head down. Shredded denim and what remained of her leather boots littered the area near the huge paws attached to muscular legs covered in matted brown fur. Renata bared her teeth, long fangs jutting over her jaw, and growled at the beast glowering at her from across the room.

  Instinct and primal adrenaline launched her body forward. Her logic was muddled, but she knew this creature wished her harm. She pounced on her enemy, latching her claws into his flesh, blood staining his fur. Humans flooded the room. She caught a whiff of their scent, but paid no attention.

  Her rival’s paw smashed into her jaw with enough force to knock her back and give him room to stand. Like two brawling lions, they circled each other. She snarled, the sound morphing to a ferocious roar. Swishing her cat-like tail defensively, she stood her ground.

  By the wall, she saw someone she recognized. Someone she cared about. A light haired man who attacked her opponent with a small shiny weapon. She allowed the man to fight her enemy for a moment before she pounced again, snapping her teeth.

  On his hind legs, her foe slashed at her. She met him, slash for slash, growling when his strikes met their mark. To protect her jugular, she swiped at his head, and then launched herself at him, using her weight to pin him to the ground.

  A strange thought took her mind. A civilized thought.

  The machine.

  While her opponent was down, Renata smashed the big metallic-looking box, repeatedly bashing her body into it. Searing pain dug into her backside, her enemy hitching his claws into her back and dragging her closer. Enraged, she growled in pain, wetness coating her fur.

  Renata turned and threw him off of her, landing a blow to his face.

  Another human shifted into an animal, but Renata was too focused on the closer threat. No sooner did the animal rise, it fell at the hands of another man she cared about, this one with dark hair.

  Her adversary wasted no time landing another blow.

  Renata hissed in pain and dug her claws into his body. Together, they barreled into a wooden furniture piece, each taking the other down. Glass cracked from beneath her rival, liquid wetting the cold floor beneath them. She rose up onto her hind legs and pushed against his chest, holding him down.

  He snapped his powerful jaws at her, saliva dripping as he hissed. Lowering her own to his neck, she sunk her teeth around his throat, locking her jaw until the body beneath her went limp.

  “Renata!” a male voice cried. “Look out!”

  She barely had time to react before a flash of dark fur lunged towards her. But, before the magna had a chance to strike, a body attacked it from behind. The light-haired man wrestled the beast, something metal glinting in his hand.

  Renata staggered and shook her head, struggling to stay conscious. Her fur was damp with warm blood—both hers and that of her enemy. Her vision began to blacken, and dizziness quickly taking over.

  She fell to the floor with a thud before everything went black.

  Renata’s head pounded. She opened her eyes, surprised to see her hands and feet instead of huge paws. Cold air kissed her skin, and looking down at herself, she realized she was naked.

  She looked around the room. It
looked as if a bomb went off. The machine that produced the magna elixir was broken into several pieces scattered throughout the room, and the storage cabinet with the rest had been rendered to nothing more than a pile of splintered wood and glass. Broken shards of glass were discarded on the floor around her. And, judging by the empty room, the Order’s hunters must have fled.

  Scott’s lifeless magna form was sprawled out on the floor amidst the cabinet rubble.

  Good lord.

  Her chest tightened. “I killed Scott,” she murmured. The realization hit her like a pound of bricks.

  Renata was startled as she felt someone come up behind her.

  “Easy, easy. It’s okay,” Jackson whispered, helping her up. “It’s just me.” He seamlessly tore off his ripped T-shirt and gave it to her.

  Renata graciously put on the shirt which covered as much of her body as a short dress would. She looked down at herself and watched her wounds stitch themselves back together as if they had never been there despite the magna venom flowing in her veins.

  She should have been burning up with fever.

  Her eyes instantly found Will on the ground, clutching his leg. Fresh blood seeped out of the wound, forming a dark puddle on the floor. A dead magna lay crumpled in a heap a few feet away from him.

  Renata raised her hand to her mouth. Short bursts of memory fragments replayed in her mind. The magna lunging at her. Will warning her and telling her to “lookout.”

  Will, he…

  He saved her. Will saved her.

  “Will!” Renata exclaimed, rushing to his side. She would have fallen if Jackson hadn’t caught her.

  Renata’s eyes widened at the sight of the bite mark on Will’s leg. By the looks of it, the wound was deep.

  No.

  Renata knelt by his side, assessing his wound. “It should be healed by now. Why aren’t you healing,” she murmured frantically. “Why—”

  Renata immediately raised her hand to Will’s forehead. “No.”

  This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening.

  No.

  “Good lord,” she panicked. “He’s feverish. That means the venom is already in his bloodstream. I don’t know what to do.”

  No, she couldn’t let him die. Not for her. She was the one who was supposed to protect him, not the other way around.

  She sobbed, “Alice would know what to do, I don’t—I don’t—”

  “It’s okay, Ren,” Will said softly, his weak voice barely above a whisper. “Stop.” He took her hand in his, as his breathing slowed.

  Renata’s movements slowed. She could do nothing but cry. Jackson kneeled behind her, his closeness comforting her. He must have known that Will was dying. Renata couldn’t face that reality.

  Her heart was breaking all over again.

  Will reached out, pressing his hand to her face. He brushed a stray hair behind her ear as tears, one after another, glided down Renata’s cheeks. He slowly lifted his mouth to hers and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips.

  Renata couldn’t hold back the tears that continued to fall, denial sweeping over her.

  This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t—

  Will weakly smiled at Renata, and she could see the pain that he was trying to hide in his bright amber eyes. “Keep an eye on her for me,” he said to Jackson, taking a labored breath. Light-heartedly, he added, “She’s a handful.”

  A small laugh escaped from Renata’s throat through her sobs. “Don’t talk like that.” Doing her best to be funny, she said, “I’m not done antagonizing you yet.”

  Will chuckled, his eyelids drooping.

  “Don’t you dare close your eyes,” Renata commanded, gently squeezing Will’s hand. “That’s an order.”

  Will cracked a smile, and Renata held her breath until she saw the light leave his eyes.

  Jackson reached out to Will’s face, closing his eyes.

  She buried herself in Jackson’s chest, clinging to him tightly as she cried. The last time she’d felt pain this raw—this unadulterated—was when she learned of Alexander’s death.

  But this time, a new hole formed in her heart. A deep wound that she knew would never heal.

  Jackson just sat there with her on the ground, holding her as she wept.

  Will couldn’t be gone. Ever since she’d arrived at the mansion, all those years ago, Will had been there. He’d always been there for her.

  Now he was dead.

  And it was all her fault.

  THIRTEEN

  Renata sat in the bathtub, scrubbing the dried blood from her body. Jackson’s torn white T-shirt laid on the floor in a heap. She scrubbed her body until her skin was raw, but she still didn’t feel clean. She knew she couldn’t wash away the memory she was trying to forget.

  It would have to be good enough. Renata hoisted herself out of the tub, put on some clean clothes, and went to her office to be alone.

  She heard a gentle knock at the door, and Renata softly murmured, “Come in.”

  Jackson quietly slipped into the room. He, too, had cleaned himself up and was wearing clean clothes. “How’s your leg?”

  “It’s all healed,” she said, feeling numb. “The venom didn’t affect me.” Will hadn’t been so lucky.

  None of it felt real. Renata half-expected to see him in the common room downstairs, armed with sarcastic remarks.

  He was the only reason why she was still alive. Why she was here and not him.

  “You must be immune to the effects of the venom in magna form,” Jackson ran his hands through his hair. “You had a rough night yesterday. The first change is always the hardest.”

  Renata could tell he purposely left out the elephant in the room. What’s more, she still didn’t know if the Order was going to proceed with their attack, or how she was going to tell the House members about Will.

  But none of that seemed to matter.

  ~

  The day had come and gone, and the Order had not yet attacked.

  “This branch of the Order is disbanded,” Jackson said. “Once they knew Scott was—”

  Renata placed her hand on his arm. She knew what he meant. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not. He murdered my parents,” he paused. “I will never forgive him for that.” Jackson shook the thought away. “The hunters at the branch of the Order fled to other branches. But, they’re still out there, Renata.”

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  Adela rushed to her. “Renata, we were taken by surprise, and Adelaide was taken. I’m so, so sorry.” Adela searched the room. “Where’s Will?”

  Renata hugged her friend, avoiding the question. “Was anyone hurt?”

  “No,” Adela breathed. “We put up a good fight.”

  Once they had all returned to the mansion, Renata had gathered the House members in the common room to address what happened. Jackson stood in the back of the room, separate from the group.

  “Our plan to destroy the machine and the elixir was successful,” Renata paused, taking a moment to compose herself. “But we suffered a tragic loss.” Tears welled in Renata’s eyes. “We were attacked. Will was…he was bitten.”

  The room went silent. Renata could see tears welling in Heather and Veronica’s eyes.

  “While we have suffered such a loss, we are also victorious. This branch of the Order has disbanded, and the remaining members have fled to other branches.”

  “Will’s sacrifice was not in vain,” Renata continued, “because today we’ve won.”

  ~

  The sun shone bright, and the wind kissed Renata’s fair cheeks. Adelaide patted the dirt around the flowers that she had just helped Renata plant.

  Edwin and Jackson buried Will on the mansion’s grounds, a place Renata choose, where the sunlight fell through the trees. She and Adelaide had just finished planting a rose bush on top of Will’s grave. Renata thought it was more fitting those flowers, something alive, marked his grave, rather than a cold dead
stone.

  With every passing day, she mourned the loss of him. Yet she knew that he wouldn’t want her to disappear into herself. She would have to find a way to sway the House members’ opinions about Jackson. With reason, some House members weren’t sure if they could trust him. Renata was sure they would see what she saw in him, what he had proven to her, and what Will had seen.

  The Newport House had suffered so much loss. Laurentia Crowe, Alexander, Will. So many people sacrificed their lives to keep them safe.

  So they could survive.

  Renata felt strong, stronger than she had ever felt before. She knew that the Order of the Seven Blades was still out there, and they were still a threat. That someday, they would strike the Newport House again.

  But, Renata also knew that she would be ready. And when the time came, the House would be ready to fight back.

  And they would not fall.

  Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed Blood Ties as much as I loved writing it. I’m excited for you to follow Renata’s journey in book two of the Newport House Series, Blood Bound. Read on for a sneak peek.

  Grab your copy now!

  Excerpt from Blood Bound

  ONE

  The mansion was burning.

  Glowing red embers devoured the wooden walls while thick, black smoke billowed from the flames. Only a brittle, blackened skeleton remained where the Newport mansion once proudly stood.

  The Mistress of the Newport House sank to her knees as she watched the mansion burn against the midnight sky. The other House members watched behind her as their sanctuary crumbled to the ground like a tower of cards.

  This fire was no accident. Renata Courtenay would find whoever did this, and she would make them pay dearly for their crimes.

  She beckoned to Adela Johnson, her second-in-command. “Take everyone to the safe house.”

  Adela nodded silently and did as her Mistress commanded.

  “What are we going to do now?” Adelaide McKennon, the youngest member of the Newport House, asked her, with unease in her bright yellow vampire eyes. “We lost everything.”