Pack Master (Undeadly Secrets Book 4)

by Aaron L Speer

  They came around a corner where the light shone brighter and brighter.

  “Now!” she yelled.

  Nick kicked off and wrapped the baby in his arms as Talia tucked her arms around Nicole. They sailed over the spikes easily with the extra push off from Nick’s legs. Nick rolled along the floor, making sure he slid on his back, as did Talia. Just as they finished checking on each other and determined they were all ok, a slow clap echoed around the room.

  Talia looked up from the floor. Tynan stood in the room, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him was a guy she didn’t recognise and her mother on Tynan’s other side.

  “Well done,” Tynan said. “You’ve come far, but the adventure stops here.”

  Tynan pulled out a long, sinister looking machete from his belt and addressed Nick. “Recognise this? You should. It removed your father’s head. Quite poetic do you not agree? Father and son about to meet the same fate.”

  “Talia…” Radha said. “Stand down…beg for mercy. Please.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “It’s over…” she replied, barely hiding her rage. “Your little stunt only got so far because of Rykard’s forces conveniently attacking at the same time. Did you really think you would win? That this would work? Let me guess…it was all Alicia’s idea?”

  “If you spent half as much time worrying about me and the person I would become instead of your hatred for a woman that did nothing to you, you might not have fucked our relationship.”

  Radha looked crushed at her words, and truthfully, Talia was glad. “Where is she?”

  “Several hundred men are between her, that…thing and here,” Tynan answered which made Talia smile.

  “So, what you’re saying is…she’s still fighting you,” Nick said.

  “You dare bring a vampire into my home? Absolute gutter trash creatures. And an Australian vampire to top it off after the way their country has disrespected us for years. We could’ve had a peace, Nicholas. Even now, I could’ve overlooked your insolence and allowed your family to live. But of all the things I could never have forgiven, a disgusting blood sucking parasite is definitely up there.”

  Nick took a step forward, and his silver eyes looked to burn a hole through Tynan. As he stood there, his muscles grew and his fangs extended. “Where do you think hurting my family ranks on my list, you piece of shit?”

  Talia looked from one face to another, finally resting on Radha’s. “Don’t,” Radha begged.

  Talia had made up her mind. She had chosen her side. Now she took her chance to remove all doubt. She backed away to join Nick at his side and stomped her foot down, roaring through her fangs as Radha broke down. Nick kissed his son on the head and handed him off to Nicole who backed away into the nearest corner of the room, well away from the TNT situation about to blow.

  “Think about this. Radha has a vested interest in this situation, and Anthony knows if even one of you escape, his life is forfeit. And after all, he has Talia to thank for becoming a wolf.”

  So, it was this guy that she had been forced to bite while unconscious. Anthony lunged forward, but Talia swatted him away with ease. He slammed into the wall and crumbled to his back. Tynan watched the move and smiled. His smile faltered though when a new guest arrived. The vampire with the red coat. He surveyed the situation from the door. He looked completely calm even though he was covered in blood and soot. He didn’t care that all eyes were upon him until several seconds later.

  “Oh…sorry, you guys havin’ a domestic or sumthin’? Don’t mind me, I just wanted a broom. May have left a bit of mess out there. All good. The Scarlet Fiend is an all in Mr Fuck It….ah, fix it.”

  Tynan readied the machete. “Get out of here dead thing. You are not invited.”

  “Oh? Sorry,” he said, flicking his lighter to a cigarette he had just placed in his mouth. “I don’t give a fuck. Funny ol’ world innit?”

  “Yes…” Tynan breathed. “Funny.”

  Talia yelled to the vampire to look out as Radha backed around behind him and stuck him from behind with a knife.

  The vampire looked annoyed. Not in pain. But annoyance turned to being livid. “You unholy cow. You tore my fuckin’ jacket!”

  Tynan moved quicker than Talia ever thought possible, slinging his machete arm through the air to slice through skin, muscle and bone. A second later the head and mass of blonde hair fell to the floor along with the body. Talia didn’t know much, but she did know one way to kill a vampire was behead them.

  “Now that fool is dealt with…” Tynan said, turning to face Talia and Nick. “You two and I have unfinished business.” Tynan dropped the weapon and beckoned them both forward. Nick and Talia rushed him, and Tynan let loose a long overhand right to Talia. She saw it coming a mile away and reached up to block it. His fist snapped her forearm. Before she could scream in pain, his other fist had cracked between her ribs. As she fell to her knees, Nick launched thunderous blows which rocked Tynan, but he was still on his feet. Smiling. “Pathetic.”

  He followed that with a straight kick to Nick’s groin. He moved like lightning. Nick tried but couldn’t stop it. As he hunched over, Tynan unleashed another furious kick directly to his face, sending Nick into the air and then crashing back down to his back.

  Both Talia and Nick struggled to even roll over, let alone get to their feet.

  “Oh, I probably should’ve mentioned, I’ve had a bit of an upgrade…” he said, pulling out a syringe, filled with a red substance Talia assumed to be blood, to pierce his chest with while rolling his eyes back in ecstasy. “Your son is the best high I’ve ever had. The blood of an eleventh generation, thank you very much.”

  Radha had joined Tynan, looking down on both, but focused on Talia who still couldn’t get to her feet. “You stupid, stupid girl. I warned you.”

  Talia spat out blood and tried to crawl to her hands and knees but was kicked back down by Tynan. A follow up blow came when his foot dropped down between her shoulder blades. Talia faced his feet, seeing between his legs. The vampire was moving. The arms were moving along the floor, and Talia realised he was searching for his own head. He found it by pulling the strands of his hair closer to his neck and reattached himself. This was done in complete silence. It appeared only Talia knew it was happening. She wondered why neither Tynan nor Radha heard it. Or Nick even. But then she realised she herself didn’t. Only saw it.

  The vampire rose to his feet and only then did the others notice, by the clatter of the knife Radha used. The vampire looked demonic. Pale as usual, but blood formed like a collar around his neck and flowed from mouth. Even as he gave Radha a grin, and gave her a few shakes of his finger. “Oh, you sneaky bitch…”

  “It’s not possible…” Tynan said.

  “For the Twelve Inch Pickler ta be this ridiculously good looking, smart, handsome and humble? I fuckin’ know. I find it hard ta believe myself sometimes, but it’s a tough job. Somebody’s gotta do it. Do you know I fought an anaconda once? Took me forty-five minutes to realise I was wanking. But, I digress. Now listen here, Tracey-”

  “It’s Tynan.”

  The vampire waved a hand. “That’s what I said. You and me are gonna have words, cunt. Starting with do you know in all that bullshit about how great ya are, the one word…you shouldn’t have said?”

  The vampire looked at the syringe in Tynan’s hand, now empty, which contained the blood of Nick’s son. “Blood.”

  “You dare think to match me when two tenth gens could not lay a single strike? I am the Alpha of Alpha’s. I have brought the packs of England to their knees. I have the most potent blood running through my veins. I have-”

  “Caused me ta lose me boner. We doin’ this or what?”

  “I’m going to put bits of you in the meat grinder…” Tynan said, closing in.

  “When I drain you to a prune, does that mean I have to lift my leg when I piss?”

  Tynan struck first, punching Nightingale straight in the face. The vampire fle
w back into the wall and fell to one knee. Three rapid kicks splintered and cracked the vampire’s ribs. Tynan launched another kick that was met with the vampire’s forearm, followed by a crunch. Tynan groaned and gritted his teeth. It was only a second of hesitation, or adjustment for the pain, but in that time, the vampire put Tynan down with an uppercut.

  “Oooo mate, that looked like it fuckin’ hurt. Let me kiss it better…” he smashed Tynan’s forehead with his own. “Fuck! Missed!” He gripped Tynan’s hair and pulled him up. “Big Alpha, huh? Whattya say now, ya dog cunt? Alpha piece o’ shit…how’s about I take your head off, fucker? Mount ya on me fuckin’ wall!”

  He unloaded with fists into Tynan’s temple, gripping his throat. Tynan flung fists to throw him off, and the vampire let him. It brought Tynan’s wrists towards his face quicker. The vampire offered his face to be struck but left a huge gash in Tynan’s wrist. In an instant, Nightingale was on him, mouth clamped around his throat and Tynan screamed.

  Radha didn’t even attempt to help him, bolting away on foot. Talia gingerly got to her feet and gave chase.

  *

  Lee drank the blood down his throat, holding Tynan’s arms down. He released himself and let out a cheer. “Whoa! Big Dogs feelin’ a lil buzz. Fuckin’ happy hour! Barkeep! Another round!” And he plunged his fist underneath a screaming Tynan’s ribcage. Lee wrenched his hand free, holding several splintered rib bones in his hand. “Keepin’ a dad from his kid aye…” Lee whispered as he slammed the bone shards directly into Tynan’s skull with a wet crack as bone penetrated Tynan’s forehead, blood foaming and oozing from the wounds. Tynan gripped the bone shards and screamed as he plucked them free. Just as he freed himself, Lee had produced the machete that removed his head. As Tynan rose Lee swung upwards with a sweeping uppercut movement, splitting Tynan’s head in half, but he didn’t stop. He knelt down and dug and swiped with the blade, again and again as pieces of Tynan were left on the floor underneath him. Lee sat up, struck his own chest with a fist and held his arm up. “Thank you. I’m here all week.”

  Nick rose to his knees and spotted Anthony doing the same. Anthony charged Nick who waited at a lower position. Nick buried his shoulder into Anthony’s stomach, used his position to lift him in the air, turning him face down and slamming him hard into the floor. Nick launched a series of kicks into his ribs, breathing heavily.

  “Nick, don’t.” Nicole said.

  “I don’t care…I can smell you on him…I know it was him…I don’t care if he’s not worth it…” Nick seethed and kept going, feeling the crunch of his ribs around his ankle.

  Nick lowered to his knees and gripped Anthony by the scruff of the neck, lifting him up and belting him over the head and face with a tight fist. Over and over again.

  “Nick!”

  The call that made him stop didn’t come from Nicole. It came from Alicia, standing behind him, a rifle in her hand. “It is worth it… It is worth anything to protect your family but not in front of your son. Even at this age, he will live by an example you set. He might see you kill one day, but he’ll be old enough to understand.”

  Nick looked down at the prick that had hurt Nicole and spat over him. Twisting away, he saw Nicole reach out her free hand to him, taking him in an embrace. “It’s ok…” she whispered to him. Nick held on as he turned to address Alicia.

  “Is it finished?”

  Alicia nodded. “Rykard’s reinforcements are here, rounding up Tynan’s. They’ve surrendered. Why don’t you two go up to one of the rooms with a shower and get cleaned up? I’ll watch the little man.”

  Nicole placed the infant in Alicia’s hands and took Nick’s hand as Nightingale lifted his head, licked his lips, and said in astonishment, “Fuck that! I wanted a war. Where is all that wolf pack paddy whack, give a dog a bone shit?”

  “Who the hell are you?” Alicia cried.

  “Lee Nightingale. Big Dog. The Scarlet Fiend. Leenatic Leader. Destroyer of Derrieres. Banger of Babes, Pounder of Pussy. Attaché of Ass. But you can call me whatever the fuck you want, as long as you tell me what exactly the reason is that I shouldn’t go postal and lose my shit. That I wasted all this time comin’ to this freezin’, dreary, shitty cricket team havin’, butt fuck country?”

  “There’s a feast being organised for tomorrow night to celebrate the victory and commemorate the dead.”

  Lee shrugged. “Meh. Good enough.”

  *

  Talia reached Radha and pushed her against the nearest wall just outside the compound. “How could you? I’m your mother.”

  “You don’t know the meaning of the word.”

  “I got you what you always wanted: the Alpha position.”

  “That’s bullshit. It’s what you wanted, and you didn’t care who you hurt because of it. Least of all me. Whatever it took to surround yourself with shiny things. Even if that included killing a pregnant woman and her child.”

  “Don’t you see that it was the right thing to do? Look at all this? Tynan would have been the best ally to have. So what if one baby had to suffer so that so many others could prosper. You have condemned our world to the same destruction as before when we were so close to peace. You charge into your black and white situations without realising our world, like the human world, is not so simple.”

  “No, but there is right and there is wrong. Killing for your own gain is wrong.”

  “And you can say that when you killed Tobias without a second thought…oh, your new friends don’t know about that, do they? You really think they’ll accept you? That you won’t have to submit for Alicia’s son? Her favourite. That’s your place now. Back to second best simply because you weren’t born first and into privilege. Say and think what you will, but everything I did was to ensure you would never have to submit to anything after Tynan. Now you’re going to throw that all away. Will you kill me? Your own mother. Killing me would further your cause, wouldn’t it?”

  Talia took a step back. She knew what Radha was doing but that didn’t make the choice any easier. What type of Alpha did she want to be? What type of person did she want to be. Not the type her mother would approve of. And that type of person would kill Radha right now.

  “Go…if I ever see you again, I’ll kill you. That isn’t for my benefit. That isn’t a warning. That is a promise.”

  Chapter Forty

  We Need To Talk

  Nick led Nicole into one of the bedrooms on the upper level. One sporting a generous bathroom, but they never got there. The second the door closed Nicole had wrapped her arms around him, finally free to let go of all her emotions. She cried into his chest and he let her, continuously kissing her forehead and lightly shushing her. “It’s ok…we’re ok…” he whispered.

  She looked him over slowly with tears brimming, her lips trembling and touched him softly. “You’re here…it’s really you.”

  “I’m here,” he replied softly, running his fingers along her forearms.

  “You came all this way…” she said, shaking her head in disbelief yet not taking her gaze of wonderment off him. “You came for me…”

  “Why are you so surprised? There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

  He touched her face at the same moment he tried to kiss her. In his excitement, he pressed his lips against hers and she hissed. He had accidentally struck her bruised and split lip.

  “I’m sorry…”

  “It’s ok,” she breathed, bringing herself closer. “Keep going. Please, keep going…”

  “Sweetheart, I can’t,” he said, looking over her puffy face where the blood vessels had burst under her cheeks and jaw. He listened carefully to the sound of her blood pulsing through her veins and noticed a huge thump, thump going to her temple, a severe tension headache.

  Nick pressed the skin at the back of her neck, and she gave a contented sigh. “That feels so good…”

  He waited until she had opened her eyes before he ripped his already tattered shirt off his body. “Please, let me help
you,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” She asked.

  As a reply, he ran two fingernails across his bare chest and let blood ooze out of the wounds. “Drink. . .”

  Nicole flicked her eyes down, well, the one eye that could open. She appeared to be hesitating. Thinking. Then she ran her hand through her hair, sweeping it back and moved her mouth towards his chest. It started off as light kisses over the wound. Nick held the back of her head gently. Easing her into it or so he thought. He gasped as he felt her tongue travel the length of his cuts. Her lips pressing against them and sucking. Her fingers scraped his stomach as she tilted her head to and fro, drinking more of him, soft moans escaping from her.

  The hand that cradled her head pulled her back to see her open mouthed, breathing heavy and looking deep into his eyes with a hunger he had never seen. She had completely healed. With a push, she sent him to the edge of the bed. Joining him, she whimpered at the effort to keep their tongues in constant contact as she met his mouth with hers. She kissed him with feverish abandon as both her hands worked to unzip him and free his cock in seconds. After kissing down his chest and stomach, in one movement, she was on her knees while holding him with two hands as she deftly sucked the tip of him. She allowed her saliva to run down his shaft, moving her hands out of the way before replacing them to curl her wrists back and forth around his cock.

  Nick’s instinct was to close his eyes, but he couldn’t look away. Mesmerised by the sight of her mouth expanding as she lowered her head, taking as much of him as she could, only to rise as she was sucking him and then go down again. It wasn’t just her head that bobbed. Her neck and shoulders shifted, and her whole body moved with her as her mouth enveloped him, hitting the back of her throat over and over until she pushed him even further. Her throat opened for him, allowing him deeper access, as she moved her hands. With one she held the base and with the other, squeezed and fondled his balls just as they emptied. He gave a roaring groan and split the sheets as his nails burst from his fingers. Nicole only increased the force with which her mouth worked on him, taking every last drop. She had only just enough time to release him and run her tongue over her lips before Nick burst from his seated position to take her in his arms.