The Wolfborne Saga Box Set

by Cheree Alsop

  “Sutter mentioned you looked a little shaken when you returned,” Fray said. “Why didn’t you tell him what happened?”

  Serian lifted a shoulder. “About that time, you guys found the groud and called us for backup. I barely had time to reload and head back out, but I’ve been thinking a lot about it since.”

  “The witch was right,” Virgo said without surprise in his tone.

  “Or the wolves were merely hungry and happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Fray replied.

  A bit of the light left the human’s eyes at the dhampir’s words. I felt obligated to reassure her. “Either way, the witch was still right. The wolves saved your life whether intentionally or by coincidence.”

  Serian smiled at me. “Thanks for that.”

  “You’re just protective of your species,” Fray said.

  I met her gaze. “For someone who hunts mythological creatures, you’re quick to dismiss something that obviously means a lot to one of your teammates.”

  Fray’s eyes narrowed. I could feel the rest of the team watching us, but couldn’t tear my eyes away from her gaze.

  “It matters to me if it matters to Serian,” she said in a low, deadly tone. “Don’t you tell me how I should react to something from my team. You don’t even know what being on a team is about.”

  “Oh, really?” I shot back. “I am part wolf, as you like to point out every chance you get. Wolves live in packs. That’s what we do.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t even start telling me you’ve been in a pack your whole life. I know what vampire lairs are like. Who had your back? Who did you trust? Did you fight for anyone else besides yourself? Where does all this team loyalty come from? Fighting for scraps of meat in the middle of some dark, musty cave?”

  “Fray,” Kai said in a warning tone.

  She shot him a look. “He knows I’m right not to trust him.” She turned her glare back on me. “And I don’t trust you one bit. You may say you’re a team player, but throwing yourself onto a demon to take it down is more of a death wish than looking out for the team. We don’t need any loose cannons with civilian lives on the line, whether you care about them or not.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but she held up a hand. Her tone was deadly serious when she said, “On this mission, you’ll hang back and do exactly as I tell you to or I’ll report it to the Captain.” She watched me closely. “And I have some idea the Captain is very eager to hear just how well you listen to orders.”

  I held her gaze as her words sank into my head. If she told Captain Roarsh I wasn’t a good team player, as her smarting words had accurately pointed out, then the werewolves I protected by staying at the Division would no longer be safe. She might not have known exactly what I was protecting, but it was obvious by her statement that she knew I wasn’t there out of the goodness of my heart, if there was any of that left. She had me by the throat, and it would take only a mere increase of pressure to cut off my air. The worst part was that she knew it.

  “I’ll hang back,” I said.

  The words came out flat. I knew the others were watching me. Out of the corners of my eyes, I could see the surprise on their faces that I had backed down. But regardless of the way my pride stung, I wasn’t about to let the other werewolves suffer because I couldn’t hold my tongue.

  “We might need him,” Kai pointed out.

  Fray didn’t take her eyes from me when she said, “We’ll call him in then, not before.”

  Chapter Seven

  As much as I didn’t appreciate the way Fray treated me, I refused to let the vampire spawn get under my skin. Instead, I paid attention to the way the Division handled the threat. It was apparent by the organized method the groups descended the trucks and waited for their separate orders that they were used to midnight excursions to diffuse life-threatening situations. Though I could smell excitement, nervousness, and a hint of fear wafting from the mass as a whole, calm expressions and firm commands kept the energy at a controlled level.

  The demon crew had separated from the rest of the Division. We stood at the end of an alley a few blocks from the theater. Several teams were already on route to secure the perimeter.

  “We’re going through the storage basement and up the southeast stairs,” Fray informed our team as the orders reached her headset. She handed Serian a tablet. “You’ll have to take over for Sutter tonight and guide us to the demon.”

  “I’ll do my best,” the woman replied.

  I glanced at the blueprints on the screen she held. A few red circles had been drawn around what appeared to be several smaller theaters.

  “Shoot to kill,” Fray continued.

  “To kill?” Virgo replied.

  The dhampir nodded. “As much as the Captain would like another specimen, there are too many civilian lives at risk. He’ll be satisfied with a corpse or a ghost story if it comes to it. Make sure you’re using live rounds; keep the tranqs for civilians who may be in the way.”

  Riot slipped one pistol back into his vest and pulled out two more. He twirled them like a cowboy. “Ready for action.”

  “Great,” Fray replied dryly. “Let’s go.”

  I followed at the back of the team. As obvious as it was that Fray didn’t want me there, I planned to be close enough to help if things got out of hand.

  “What does she mean by a ghost story?” Virgo whispered to Kai.

  “For the demon to be destroyed without a trace left for the humans,” the man replied. “Ghost stories mean we’ve done our job, that there’s nothing for them to hang their hat on. It’s the easiest way for humans to explain something they’ve experienced but can’t quite put into words. If the civilians survive with nothing more than a ghost story to show for it, we’ve done our job.”

  “That makes sense,” the warlock replied.

  He threw me a worried look. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

  The one he shot back wasn’t nearly as confident. He tipped his head toward Fray and mouthed, ‘Sorry’.

  I lifted my shoulders to show that it didn’t bother me. I lied to us both, but it was easier than admitting the truth, that I wanted to be a real part of the team. The fact that it involved a dhampir was only slightly off-putting. If I could make a difference and protect the werewolves, it was a two-for-one. But I wasn’t about to grovel to a half-vampire in order to reserve my place in her little pecking order.

  Riot pulled open a door behind the theater. The set of stairs to the basement smelled of the pepper, sulfur, and death scent of a demon. It set my teeth on edge.

  “Give me your communicator and wait here,” Fray said before I could follow the others inside.

  “But the demon—” I began.

  “Wait. Here.” She said it in chopped words as if I didn’t understand. “Show that you can follow orders at least that far.”

  I was barely able to contain my anger when I asked, “How will I know if you need me?”

  “If we need you, then we’re already screwed,” she replied.

  I clenched my jaw before the angry retort on the tip of my tongue could escape.

  “Fine,” I growled. I yanked out my earpiece and set it in her outstretched hand.

  She looked a little surprised and I wondered if she had expected an argument, but I was too concerned about the humans I could smell inside to cause any further delay. She looked me up and down once before shutting the door behind her.

  I started pacing the alley. It was a short walk to make it from one end of the back of the theater to the other. With each step, I couldn’t help picturing Virgo in trouble, Riot being skewered by demon quills, Kai succumbing to poison, or Serian at the mercy of dripping fangs. Any picture of Fray at their mercy didn’t bother me in the least, but the others needed to be protected.

  The voice in the back of my mind pointed out that, Virgo aside, the rest of them had been fighting demons longer than I. They knew what they were doing, they were armed to the teeth, and they had
backup.

  The voice did nothing to keep my hand from pulling the door open and my feet from stalking quietly down the steps. Dhampir or not, if the team was in trouble, they wouldn’t die without a fight from this werewolf.

  Sobs came from the far end of the basement. I could smell the scent of the team. It wasn’t clear whether they had addressed the girl before passing her. She was as close to hysterical as one got. Her head was buried in her knees and her shoulders shook. She rocked forward and backwards; the scent of panic and sheer terror rolled from her in waves.

  She’s weak, my Master’s voice whispered in my mind. Pathetic.

  I shoved the grating words away and crouched in front of her.

  “Hello?” I said quietly.

  She didn’t acknowledge even hearing my voice.

  I was afraid to touch her. I had seen young men and women burst into a fight or flight reaction at far less, and I didn’t want her to hurt herself if I could help it.

  Kill her. It would be a mercy, the Master’s voice growled.

  My hands twitched with the remembered need to obey. I let out a calming breath and willed my hands to relax.

  “I’m here to help,” I continued in a low, soothing tone.

  Her sobs continued. From what I could glimpse of her face, she had run out of tears, but her eyes were shut as tightly as the fingers that drove into her knees. Her knuckles were white with the effort.

  I needed to try something else.

  Movies where they showed slapping a hysterical person as the best means to get them to calm down had it entirely wrong. Force didn’t counterbalance fear. Instead of a human caught up with ridiculous emotions, she was a small mouse in the middle of a road who was unsure which direction to take to get away from danger.

  The memory gave me inspiration. I set a hand just above her knee so that it hovered there without quite touching her. I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes.

  It took a moment for me to concentrate beyond the sounds of her sobs, but I found what I was looking for. Deep inside my soul, I located the calm that existed despite the chaos around me. I focused on it, let it grow, and allowed it to overtake the pounding of my heart and the rush of breath through my lungs.

  She isn’t worth it.

  The Master’s voice shoved through my concentration. It was grating and raw. I felt the claws raking through my skull again; I felt the pressure to do as he commanded.

  Feed her to the demons. Save yourself. She isn’t worth your sacrifice.

  I took a shuddering breath and let it out. Slowly, carefully, I eased past the voice until it was a mere whisper in the back of my mind. I brought the calm to the center again and let it overtake me. I then pictured it running from the middle of my chest and down the arm I held out to her.

  My fingers and palm heated. I lowered my hand until it just brushed the top of her knee. I sent reassuring thoughts, small, calming pulses, and the feeling of being secure and safe toward her like I had done with the mouse what felt like ages ago.

  I heard her breath catch. I opened my eyes to find her looking at me.

  “Who are you?” she asked in a ragged whisper.

  “A friend,” I reassured her. “Are you alright?”

  She shook her head. “I watched my friends die.” Her voice shook with horror. “That…that creature killed them and ate them!”

  I couldn’t let her drop back into hysterias. Keeping a calm expression, I pushed more reassuring thoughts her way. “I’m sorry about your friends. I’m going to do what I can to help the others. But I need to know you’re safe. Can you make your way to safety for me?”

  She hesitated as if thinking the question through, then nodded. “I-I think so.”

  “I think so, too,” I said with a warm smile. I carefully kept my expression calm and said, “I need to help my friends. Can you head outside?”

  She nodded again. “Where do I go?”

  I held out a hand and she took it. When I pulled her to her feet, she surprised me by giving me a hug.

  “I don’t know what you did,” she said, squeezing me tightly. “But thank you.”

  When she backed away, I caught myself staring at her. I shook myself mentally and said, “Head down the hall and up the stairs at the end. When you reach the alley, you’ll find teams in uniforms. They’ll help you find safety.”

  “Alright, thank you,” she said.

  I watched her jog down the hall. She paused at the end and waved. I caught myself waving back with a stupid expression on my face. I couldn’t help it. No one had ever hugged me out of the blue like that if you disregarded an eight-year-old child who was possessed by a demon. This was a human, someone who had every right to fear me. Yet there had been no fear on her face when she hugged me so tight.

  You’re getting soft, the voice scoffed.

  I grimaced and pulled open the door next to me.

  No comeback? the Master’s voice taunted.

  I shoved my clenched fists into my pockets and walked down the hall toward the sounds of screaming. Another set of stairs put me in the middle of the theater hallway. Doors branched off to either side. The posters that were lit on each wall showed a monster movie, a romantic picture of a man holding a woman in his arms, and a black and white dog with a rabbit on its head. Out of the three, I would have chosen the monster movie.

  I fought back a wry smile at the thought and reached for the door of the theater.

  A rumbling roar shook the doors before I touched the handle. Squeaks of fear and pleading voices let me know I had found the right place. I heard lower tones and recognized Fray giving commands. Her voice was tight. My stomach twisted when I realized it was from fear. Something was wrong.

  I pulled the theater door open and slipped inside. A screen flickered further down the steps. It took me a moment to make sense of the scene.

  The seats to the right of me were empty, but the sound of many people drew my eyes to the screen. There, on the platform in front of the stage, huddled the audience. A dark shape loomed with its back to me. The fresh scent of blood that wafted along with the pepper and sulfur scent of the demon let me know that he had fed.

  I made out the forms of the team crouched among the seats. Virgo’s hands glowed blue, but it was obvious he had no idea what to do to protect the people. The team had no shot at the demon with the humans right behind him. More casualties were a guarantee. I wondered how many lives had already been lost.

  “Let the hostages go!” Fray demanded.

  “Mine,” the demon rumbled in a grating voice that made the humans shriek and cower in fear. The fresh blast of his breath brought more blood with it. “Hungry,” the demon said.

  He reached for another victim. A broken scream echoed through the theater. Sobs and cries for help followed.

  Shots were fired from the team, but the demon barely appeared to feel them. I made a mental note to discuss bullet strengths with Riot if he survived. The demon was far too powerful for the firepower we brought; there had to be a way to weaken him.

  A thought struck me. Before I could second-guess my participation, I ran away from the carnage up the stairs and yanked open the door near the end. A short flight of steps led to the projection room. The projector that was supposed to be playing the movie had shorted out and was flashing random scenes. I hoped the light was strong enough for what I needed.

  I slammed my fist into the front of the housing. Something inside it broke, the image vanished, and a beam of white light shone through the hole toward the demon.

  A roar of pain filled the air. A smile twisted my face. I had guessed correctly. I glanced around the room and spotted the switches near the door. With one swipe, I flung all of them up and light flooded the theater below. Another bellow of rage followed.

  “He’s clear!” Fray yelled. “Open fire!”

  The sound of gunshots met my ears. I hurried back down the stairs. I found myself caught in the stampede of audience members who had escaped, and joined them in their rush
. I ducked down the next hall and made my way back to the basement. By the time Fray and the others returned, they found me leaning against the wall of the alley near the door.

  The crew looked exhausted, but their triumphant grins let me know the outcome.

  “You took care of it?” I asked Riot.

  “It was a close one,” he replied. “But he’s done for. I’m glad that one’s not around to hurt anyone else.”

  “Me, too,” Serian agreed. “Hungry demons and an audience just looking to enjoy themselves at the movies don’t mix.”

  Fray eyed me up and down. “You were here the whole time?”

  I shrugged. “Where else would I be?”

  Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t reply.

  I fell in beside Virgo. “So what happened?” I asked.

  “The demon was deadly,” Virgo told me in a hushed tone. His eyes were wide behind his glasses when he repeated, “Deadly. It had already killed at least four people when we got there. We couldn’t shoot it because it was between us and the humans, and our bullets didn’t do enough damage to deter it.” He shook his head. “It even reached straight through my shields as though they didn’t exist. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  His eyes lit up. “Then something happened with the projector. The movie vanished and the light shone out like some sort of beacon. Wherever it touched the demon, it burned it like a blowtorch! The theater lights flew on, weakening it more. The demon had to move away from the humans to avoid the light, I got him in my snare, and the crew shot him. This time, the bullets took it down without a problem just like they were supposed to.” He shook his head. “That’s luck for you.”

  “Nice,” I said lightly. “I’m glad the humans are safe.”

  “Me, too,” the warlock replied. He threw me an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to go in and help. I don’t know what Fray’s problem is.” His expression lightened. “But hey, now that you listened to her, she can trust you on the next mission, right?”

  “Sure,” I agreed without putting too much emotion into it.

  We stopped just past the theater and watched the other crews do their jobs. At Fray’s word, the blue uniformed crew who had been assigned mop up duty jogged in with grim expressions. Other crews were busy addressing the audience who had escaped, and keeping reporters at bay beyond the police cars whose lights lit up the streets.