The Lion's Den

by D N Simmons

  Ignacio nodded. “Yeah.” He told Matthew about their plan.

  “I haven’t sensed anything. With younger vampires, I can get a vibe from them that tells me what they are and how close they are to me. But I don’t feel anything now, do you?”

  Ignacio shook his head. “No. I’m wondering if Elise or Adan are having better luck.”

  “I wonder if this coven is even here?” Matthew pondered.

  “Maybe they are and we just don’t know where to look. I can’t fly, so there’s no way I can scan the area. We aren’t supposed to split up just in case they are here, because we don’t want to weaken our defenses. This is just fucked.” Ignacio ran his fingers through his silky black curls.

  Adrian joined the two men. “Hello Matthew.”

  “Hi Adrian, any luck?”

  Adrian shook his head. “I’ll tell you what, these bastards are good at what they do. That’s why I wasn’t even trying to sense for an aura, I figured they’d be masking it. And they aren’t in the crowd either, because I’ve been sniffing for anyone with the smell of blood on their body and I got nothing.”

  “Yeah, I did the same thing,” Ignacio said. “Too bad you can’t smell that hint of decay on a vampire when they’re animated. It’s only when they’re resting when you can get that scent.”

  “Damn it, I know. That would totally help us out,” Adrian agreed.

  “I’ve been trying to find people with the scents I’ve smelled on the bodies, no such luck there either,” Matthew said.

  “What I find amazing is that other vampires seem to be avoiding this crime scene,” Adrian said.

  “Perhaps they’re scared of being targeted, or maybe they’re scared we’ll target them,” Ignacio stated.

  “You’ve got a point. I sure would have snatched the first vamp I sensed out of the crowd,” Adrian agreed, chuckling a little.

  “What are you going to do now?” Matthew asked.

  Adrian shrugged. “I don’t know … search a little bit longer. If we still don’t have any luck, I’ll go back to the mansion, call Natasha, tell her the plan was a bust.”

  “There’s nothing like delivering good news,” Ignacio said sarcastically.

  “To bad we don’t have any to deliver,” Adrian said, he looked at Matthew. “Keep in touch with us. Call us after you get all of the details about this murder.”

  Matthew nodded. “Expect a call soon.”

  Both Ignacio and Adrian turned, heading back to Xander and the others and continued to scope the area. They all exchanged words about not being able to find anything. Xander called Elise to check in on her. She was having the same predicament, as was Adan. The three leaders decided to head back to the mansion, unsuccessful.

  ***

  Natasha and Darian arrived at the fourth crime scene having done all they could at the third. Natasha walked around, with Darian by her side. A year ago, she’d drunk Darian’s blood one more time and like the two instances before, she felt her psychic and clairvoyant abilities expand, growing more powerful … more acute. She was still able to get visions in her sleep, and she was able to touch an item and see a past event connected to that item, but now she was able to feel stronger psychic waves in a concentrated area if she focused hard enough. If she was able to do that, she would get a vision, sometimes just foggy images seconds short, telling about the most recent event that had taken place in that area.

  She continued walking around, brushing her fingertip along leaves, stones, trees, until she felt a tingling sensation vibrating throughout her body.

  “I think I’ve got something,” she whispered. With both eyes closed, she continued to concentrate until snapshot images began to flash inside her mind’s eye. “Oh my God,” she gasped.

  Darian only watched her. He didn’t want to interfere now that she had a connection.

  “It was four vampires … two men, two women … one of the women looks Asian, the other woman and one of the men are black, and the last must be Marcus. They killed her here, in the bushes … Oh my God! She was so scared!” Natasha jerked her head sideways as if to shield her eyes from the visions. Her lids were shut tight as her eyebrows creased from the pressure. “They raped her.” She began to cry. Witnessing this woman’s death, even in mental fragmets, was difficult to endure. “The men took turns. They wanted her to enjoy being raped … they bit her … they drug her body … that’s it.” She opened her eyes. “The vision is over, and thank God.”

  Darian approached her, wrapping her in his embrace. He held her close, comforting her. He could imagine what she’d seen and felt and hated putting her and their unborn child through any of it. He looked down. “Are you all right?”

  Natasha nodded. “I’ll be fine.” She wiped the tears from her eyes as they ran down her cheeks. “It was just … so graphic, like I was there watching the whole thing. Darian, they’re crazy. I mean, really psycho, sadistic crazy. It wasn’t enough that they were raping her, they wanted her to enjoy it, making her body respond to them. Then when they drained her, they made sure that it was painful so that she couldn’t enjoy the way … you know.”

  Darian nodded. “The way it normally feels to be fed upon. I’m going to peek into your mind, I want to see what you saw.”

  She nodded, giving him permission. He entered her mind, searching for the image of them killing their victim. He found it. He could see their height and body frame, but their facial features were a bit blurry. He suspected they would be, it was still enough to go on. He broke his connection. “I’m taking you home.”

  “What about the morgue?”

  “What about it? There’s isn’t anything more you can gather there, that you didn’t get here.”

  “But, maybe I can get a better vision of their faces.”

  “They are already dead … the residual kinetic energy isn’t there that would help you see another vision.”

  “But what if they have clothing there I can touch?”

  “All the victims were found naked, Natasha. Even so, your abilities are not that advanced. We wanted you to get a vision and you did. There is nothing more you can do. I’m taking you home.” Without waiting for another response, Darian took her by the hand, leading her toward their car. They drove back home where he hoped he could keep her safe. On the way, Natasha contacted Warren and told him what she saw.

  “I was wondering what was taking you so long to get here. I started to call you.”

  “Oh yeah, sorry about that, I should have told you we deviated from the plan.”

  “It’s all right, as long as we were able to get some information.”

  “What about DNA? Did you find any semen or sweat, ya know?” Natasha asked.

  “Yeah, we did on some of the victims who still had skin, but it’s going to take a while to match the DNA to its owner and I’m seriously doubting these bastards are in the system anyway. I’m guessing they were born before its time.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think about that.”

  “I’ve got to go, Tasha, I’ll call you laterh="29">nt>

  “Okay, let us know what’s going on with the three victims,” Natasha reminded before they ended their phone call. She looked at Darian. “What are you going to do once you take me home?”

  “Hunt.”

  “But you said this vampire was stronger than you. Won’t you need help?” she asked, concerned.

  “I’m not hunting for him. I’m going to join Richard; hopefully he’s right in his assumptions that the shifter will return to the scene. I want to make sure you’re safe at home before I go.”

  “Oh, all right.” Natasha looked out of the window as they sped past farmland, then buildings then residential homes as they entered Evanston where they lived.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Richard and Xavier stood far enough to monitor the area without being detected. They waited for the shape-shifter to return to the scene of his heinous crime.

  “Are you sure he’s coming back to this scene?” Xavier asked, havin
g waited hours for this shifter to make an appearance.

  Richard nodded. “I’m sure. Now that the last of the media has left, he’ll want to come back, smell the lingering scents of fear and uncertainty. He might even want to mark this as his territory, he won’t be able to help it, not his kind.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what makes this male shifter any different from you or another male shifter?”

  Richard leaned his back against a tree. “With all canine species, the males run the Pack with a female Matron who works as his second in command. Her position is strictly domestic, you could say. The males handle the finances, territory, disputes, who stays and who leaves the Pack, and so on. With the feline species, the Queen is the leader, and the male king works strictly in a protector capacity. He makes sure their territory is safe from trespassers. The Queen is responsible for all matriarchal and domestic duties. With lions, however … it’s slightly different.”

  “Go on, this is interesting. I figured out as much, but wasn’t sure.” Xavier was enjoying the conversation as they staked out the scene.

  “With lion shifters, there’s really only oneale, sometimes two within the community. The alpha male… the King controls the entire Pride, much like Alpha males do within their Packs. He’s extremely territorial and usually doesn’t allow other males within his Pride. Even their sons which they have with any female within their Pride, are sent off on their own once they’ve reach their age of maturity. Their Matrons take on the domestic role, responsible for making sure everyone is happy at home, food’s on the table, children are raised properly, etcetera. The King chooses his Matron, not the other way around as it is with other Prides. If the King feels as though his Matron is weak or compromises his Pride, he can get rid of her a number of ways, it’s his right. I do believe they are the only shifter community that functions in that fashion … it’s natural for them.”

  “I see. Is the King’s position a hierarchy?” Xavier asked.

  “No. The strongest wins control over the Pride. If he is defeated for the control of the Pride, the new King can either choose to keep the current Matron or pick another one. So you see, male lions are very territorial, he’s going to want to come back …” Richard leaned forward, smiling wickedly. “I think we may have our shifter.”

  Xavier turned in time to see an Asian man approaching the scene. He was extremely handsome and looked to be in his late thirties … possibly early forties, and very well built. His outfit covered his muscular physique perfectly. The man walked gracefully around the area, which was blocked off by S.U.I.T. tape. Stooping under the tape, he approached the spot where the truck had once been. Tilting his head backward, he inhaled deeply, a look of pure satisfaction spread across his face.

  “Let’s go now before he gets away,” Richard whispered.

  He converged on the shifter, who saw him coming. Kiren dodged Richard’s attack, stepping back several paces.

  “Too slow, motherfucker!” Kiren taunted.

  Richard was able to maintain a straight face in spite of being completely blown away by the shifter’s speed and agility. He decided to go for the shifter’s pride. “Are you too scared to stand and face me? Why run?”

  Kiren laughed. “Scared? Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I be afraid of you or that vampire you brought with you for back-up … the one that’s waiting for the perfect moment to attack me.” He looked up into the trees, spotting Xavier instantly. “I seeee youuuuu.” He smiled.

  Now it was Xavier’s turn to be shocked. How did the shifter even know he was there? He was perfectly hidden and nowhere near enough for him to get his scent. He didn’t bother to get any closer; he figured his position would still be a cause for alarm for their target.

  Richard took a step closer, noting that this shifter before him didn’t make a move to retreat. He figured he knew why. This shifter was strong! He could feel his presence and realized it was nothing like his own … it was stronger. Richard knew now that every move he was going to make had to be precise, flawless. He couldn’t let his emotions hinder his strategy. He hadn’t anticipated the shifter to be so strong, yet so young. He had no idea how a shifter could be this strong and not age appropriately. No, this wasn’t going to be a usual allenge.

  “Are you interested in this territory?” Richard asked.

  Kiren shrugged. “I don’t know … big city life has its perks.”

  “You should have picked a different city,” Richard shot back.

  “Really? I don’t know, I kind of like this one,” Kiren taunted.

  “This city is already taken.” Richard was sizing him up, trying to wait for the perfect moment to attack. Any miscalculations could end in his death, this he knew.

  “Yeah, it’s taken … by us. This city and everything in it is ours. Allow me to show you what I mean.” Kiren approached Richard, who stood his ground. He unzipped his pants, removing his penis and began urinating on the other shifter’s shoes, marking them as his territory, insulting Richard in the most horrendous manner. He paused, smiling wickedly.

  Richard looked down at his shoes, then back up at the shifter. His jaw tense has he gnashed his teeth together, not wanting to make a mistake that would get him killed. He knew that Xavier was waiting, ready to make a move when he did. He believed that this shifter was stronger than both of them. They had to be careful on their defense since it was just the two of them. He wasn’t going to lose his temper now, even though he wanted to rip the shifter’s penis off his body.

  “You’ve ruined a perfectly good pair of shoes,” Richard commented, calmly, not wanting to reveal how much that truly angered him.

  Kiren zipped himself up. “My shoes now, I’ll do with them what I like. You know …” He stepped up closer to Richard, sniffing him. “I’m stronger than you are. Right now, that brain of your is trying to figure me out and you can’t. But the best part is how sexy you look to me trying to stand here and act tough.”

  “I’m not acting.”

  “Then attack me? Or are you trying to wait until I make a move that you feel will give you the perfect opportunity? Maybe you just want to fuck me?” Kiren wanted a rise out of this one! He wanted him incensed. He wanted them both standing before him. The vampire in the tree, waiting, bothered him a bit … they were both bothering him just a bit. He figured if the shifter attacked, the vampire would too and he could kill them both. If they didn’t make the first move, then he would.

  Richard decided he’d better make the first move, he hoped it would throw the shifter off enough for them to capitalize. He leaned forward, kissing the shifter full on his mouth, startling him, as that wasn’t the sort of “attack” he had been expecting. Xavier came up from behind, latching onto the shifter immediately, draining him as fast as he could. Richard’s nails elongated and he slashed them across the shifter’s throat.

  Kiren had been taken by surprise. He bucked and managed to throw Xavier off him, sending the vampire catapulting toward a tree. Richard was attacking again, relentlessly. Kiren fell victim to the second blow, but managed to counter the next. As fast as he could, he morphed into his half-beast form, catching the other shifter off guard. Before his opponent had time to followd beet, Kiren grabbed him, burying his teeth deeply in his enemy’s neck. Xavier regained his baring and attacked again, stopping Kiren from ripping open Richard’s throat. Xavier bit down hard, trying to rip out the shifter’s jugular. Kiren raked a clawed hand down’s Xavier’s face, nearly ripping out the vampire’s left eye. Xavier growled in pain, his bite loosening and Kiren took that opportunity to wrench him away from his neck. He punched Xavier several times, breaking ribs in the process. Richard regained some of his strength, but was still badly wounded. He managed to rise, but Kiren caught him by his throat, claws digging in. He was ready to make his killing blow on both men when the powerful hands of another being stronger than him, took hold of his head. He felt the hands press and twist as if they were trying to remove his head from his shoulders. Kiren released his e
nemies and maneuvering in a way only a feline can manage, he twisted around to see another vampire in front of him. He slashed out, but was too slow, the vampire with the long jet black hair was behind him. Before he could react, the vampire punched him, knocking him into the air. He hit the ground hard, knocking the air out of his lungs. Before he could gather his senses, this vampire was on him again, slashing at his throat and abdomen, weakening him. Then the other two men joined him.

  Kiren thought he was going to die. This other vampire overpowered him in every way! He held his hands up, trying his best to block their attacks, making sure to protect his vital areas at all cost, but he was losing the battle. All of a sudden, before his enemies could deliver their final blow, they were tossed from him, flying in separate directions. His Master and lover stood before him, rage was plastered all over Marcus’ face and he knew why. He wasn’t supposed to be there … he had disobeyed him and it almost cost him his life.

  Darian rose to his feet, his back ached from the contact he made with a thick tree trunk. Xavier was also just climbing to his feet, dizzy. The bloody wound on his face had healed and he was able to see clearly. Richard leaned against the wall he’d hit, unable to move. Two of his broken ribs protruded through his torso and four vertebrae on his spinal column had been shattered. He sat there suffering intense pain waiting for his injuries to heal, hoping they would. The three men looked on as Marcus gather his shifter in his arms.

  Darian decided to attack again before they could get away. He raced forward toward the shifter, who was severely injured. Darian never saw the fist that punched him, catapulting him backward sending his body crashing into a nearby boarded up building, shattering several bricks, which crumbled on top of him. He never saw when Marcus flew away with his shape-shifter lover. Dimly, Darian became aware of his own injuries. Blood ran freely from his nose and lips, he could taste it in his mouth. His head spun and tilted when he tried to rise and he placed a hand on the side of the building to steady himself. When the world stopped spinning, he could see clearly and noticed Xavier kneeling over Richard’s body. Instantly, he was over there. Richard was still alive … just barely. Darian lifted the shifter up and both he and Xavier flew to his mansion. Darian contacted John, informing him of their condition, stating that he would need help once they arrived.