Cross My Heart

by Elizabeth Morgan

  I wasn’t the type to argue when someone handed me free grub. So I accepted the bag and dived in. Food had never tasted so good.

  The passenger door opened, and Nathan climbed in.

  “You okay?” I asked after swallowing a mouthful of my burger.

  “Fine. Just need t’stretch my legs.”

  A snort sounded in the back.

  “Something funny?” Nathan glanced through the overhead mirror.

  “Leeches don’t get cramp.”

  “Fine. I needed air.”

  “Leeches don’t breathe.”

  A soft growl vibrated in Nathan’s chest as he turned his attention out the passenger window. “I wanted t’be outside before being stuck in here with you for another few hours.”

  His comment was that of a child who didn’t want to be around his annoying siblings. I had to muffle a giggle.

  “That makes more sense,” Graham remarked before taking a huge bite of his Big Mac.

  Well, the remainder of this trip was going to be interesting, to say the least.

  “Do you need anything?” I asked as I scrunched up the burger wrapping and dropped it into the bag.

  “No, I’m fine.”

  He seemed tense. Maybe uncomfortable, but then, I couldn’t imagine he was looking forward to our destination. Truth be told, I hadn’t thought much about the fact there would be more Werewolves waiting at the end of this trip. Just that I would see Heather. See she was safe. Despite the fact I probably should really think this through, I didn’t have the energy. I just needed to know what the hell was going on.

  Placing the fries in the cupholder, I scrunched the brown bag up and shoved it into the side of my door.

  Fed, watered, and no longer needing the toilet, I turned on the ignition, and we set back out on the road after I had checked the route that my GPS was dictating. Graham confirmed and assured me he would point me in the right direction once we hit the long winding roads of the Scottish Highlands.

  And Jesus, it was eerie. I knew Scotland was rural, and Graham had explained the Pack Keep was at the top of the Highlands, but the higher we got, the roads seemed to get thinner and had more bends. Not to mention there were no streetlights. I was literally driving in the pitch black with a Werewolf and a Vampire as passengers. It felt like the start of a dark comedy film.

  Three hours after our pit stop, I manoeuvred the car into a crawl as Graham pointed out we were there. My floodlights highlighted the dirt road before me. Large, open fields lined the roads, unfenced and flat. The light weaved over the rough trunks of the line of trees to our left, but there was no sign of a residence or of life anywhere around us.

  “Usually, there would have been lights filling the windows of the house and a spotlight at either side of the gate.” Graham’s voice held a hint of sadness in his tone. “There. Can you see the wall?”

  A yard or so ahead, a high wall seemed to spring from behind a line of trees. “Aye.”

  “The gate will be open.”

  I watched carefully for the opening, turning left as soon as I caught sight of black iron. My lights streamed through the opening, the pale glow washing over the large, gravel courtyard.

  “Shit.” The gasp left my mouth as I came to an abrupt halt.

  Blackened bricks and broken tall windows filled my windshield. Nathan and I unbuckled our belts and lent forwards so we could glance up at the destroyed building. The fire had consumed everything, and I could only guess that the main reason would have been that considering how far the residence was from the nearest town, it no doubt took the fire service forever to get here.

  I had seen fires on the news and in films, but never up close. Even though there were no blazing flames in front of me, I swear I could almost see them, hear the hissing and crackling as they greedily went to town on this manor house, which I was sure would have been beautiful.

  I knew Vampires were monsters. I had seen enough, but this seemed insane and so unnecessary. An act of simple destruction. And why? What purpose could setting fire to the Pack’s Keep have? Surely, they would have known that it would only piss the Werewolves off. Cause retaliation? Was that what they had wanted? Or had they hoped to kill all the members? I just couldn’t understand the reason behind this.

  “This is what your kind have done t’our Alpha’s home.” Graham unclipped his belt. “This house has stood for generations—”

  “This had nothing t’do with me,” Nathan replied, straightening in his seat. “I didn’t light the match.”

  “Regardless, you won’t be welcome here.” The handle of the door clicked, and the doctor slid out of my car, empty McDonalds bags in hand, then closed the door behind him.

  “I’m not sure you should come in.” I glanced at Nathan.

  His jaw was tense. His lips pressed in a line, but his focus remained dead ahead. “I’m not scared of them.”

  “I never said you were.” A sigh escaped me, and I flopped back in my seat. “I don’t know how many Werewolves will be in there or how pissed they all are.”

  His brow was furrowed as he looked at me. “I didn’t do this.”

  “I know that.”

  “I had no involvement in this.” He jutted his left hand toward the building. “No say. No vote.”

  “Hey.” I placed my hand on his right and gently squeezed. “I know, but this isn’t like some turf war. These people will not hesitate t’kill you.” My eyes widened as I stared at him. “Like, really kill you.”

  “Then I need t’give them a reason not to.” He slid his hand from beneath mine, opened the door, and slid out.

  “Like what?” I stared after him.

  Christ, this wasn’t going to go well.

  I jumped out of the car and followed quickly. Gravel crunched beneath my boots, and I tightened my jacket around me. It was freezing and windy, and each small gust that rushed past me brought the faint scent of smoke. This fire had happened a week ago, and yet, the scent of the destruction lingered to the bones of the site.

  A shiver ran up my spine as I looked up and saw that part of the house had caved in. The structure was broken, and we were about to step inside. A double death trap, great.

  We followed Graham who had walked down the left side of the building. My feet met firm concrete as we strolled along a patio. A hint of flowers teased my nose, and I could just about make out a low hedge and flowers to my left. Moving round the back of the building, I saw that Graham had kindly waited for us. Regardless, my gaze darted around the area. The only noise was the shudder of leaves as the wind wandered through the treetops. Even in the darkness, I could see that the back garden was huge and ended where the forest began. Fields lined either side, both separated with what looked like fences. Did the Pack own all this land?

  “Things are a mess in here, so be careful you don’t trip,” Graham explained as we stopped before him.

  “Didn’t know you cared,” Nathan replied.

  “I was talking t’her,” came his reply as he held his phone out before him, allowing the white light to fill the blackened room.

  “Is it safe with the building being in such a mess?” I glanced into what appeared to be the kitchen.

  “The fire marshal gave the okay the other day. We’re allowed t’enter and start collecting anything that hasn’t been destroyed.”

  He stepped through the doorway and took a few steps, turning and pointing the light on the open doorway to his left.

  I grabbed Nathan’s wrist. “Stay behind me.”

  “Elle—”

  “Seriously, I don’t think they will hurt me, but I don’t know what their reaction will be when they see you.” I slipped my phone from my pocket and switched the torch on. “Graham and the others could have killed you on the spot. Luckily, the fact they could smell Brendan on your T-shirt caused them to pause. I don’t know what’s going to happen—”

  “I get it.” He cupped my chin. I was surprised to see him smirking. “You care about me. It’s sweet.”

/>   “Can you go back t’being pissed off, please?” I batted his hand away. “It’s so much easier t’deal with.”

  “It will be okay.” The smirk remained.

  “Christ.” My chest clenched. God, I hoped it would be. I wasn’t going to admit it, but yeah, I cared if he got slaughtered in front of me.

  “I’ve got your back.”

  I stepped across the threshold, rotated my wrist allowing the light to sweep across the space. My gaze following, making note of the blackened walls and broken furniture. A charred door lay on top of the large breakfast counter. The door I could only presume should be attached to the splintered frame that Graham had just ducked under. The crack of glass met my ears, and I looked down to find shards beneath my boot.

  “The stairs are steep.”

  I glanced up to see Graham disappear through an opening to our left. A quick perusal of the space showed broken jars, discarded cans, singed packets, and the odd mounds of ash. It was a pantry, and a decent-sized one. I glanced at the large panel of dark, solid wood that stood unscathed before us. No handle.

  Letting go of Nathan’s hand, I reached out and curled my fingers around the edge, pulling. It was heavy, but with another tug, it moved enough to reveal shelving on the other side.

  “Werewolves must like secret doors leading t’super kitted-out basements, too,” Nathan remarked.

  Pushing the door back so it stayed wide open, I stepped over the threshold of the secret doorway. The torch of my phone seemed brighter in the narrow stairwell. Long stone stairs stretched out before us.

  “Watch your step,” I told Nathan before descending. With each step, the air seemed to change. Something rancid and regrettably familiar met my nose.

  “Ugh, what t’hell?” Nathan retched behind me.

  “Vampire blood,” I replied as my feet hit the basement floor.

  “So that’s what it is.” Recognition coated his tone. “Makes sense now. I could smell hints of it at the facility and at the Nest.”

  “You get used to it.”

  “I don’t think you should. It’s freakin’ vile.”

  That was an understatement. “You want t’try being smothered in it.”

  “I will take a rain check.”

  Graham stood by a large iron door which was ajar. The dead bolt, though unlocked, was huge. Faint light teased the opening.

  “I thought the electrics had been damaged?”

  “We have a different generator down here for when we have … guests.” The doctor glanced between me and Nathan. “Are you sure you want t’bring him in here?”

  “I’m capable of making my own choices,” Nathan replied. “I’m undead. Not a child.”

  “I beg to differ.” Graham pressed his large hand on the iron and pushed the door wide open.

  I don’t know what I expected to see. I was personally used to stepping into a basement filled with gym equipment. Instead, I was greeted with a very long and wide stone room. Furniture and items you would expect to see in a basement were situated at the far end of the room, but it was the large iron cage that stood in the centre that caught my attention first. The bars were thick and menacing.

  “I expected Heather t’have something like that in her basement,” Nathan whispered in my ear.

  Graham stepped into the large room. “Carter, I apologize for disturbing you, but I have someone here who wishes to see Heather.”

  “Oh, fuck.”

  Nathan’s gasp and the grip in which he grabbed my upper arm broke my moment of wonder. Off in the right corner where the glow from the low hanging ceiling lights didn’t quite touch the walls hung a naked, one-legged man.

  Patches of skin had been cut from his torso and arms. Silver glinted from the thick blades imbedded in his rib cages. His head hung low. Black blood stained what remained of his pale flesh.

  “Michael.” His name left my mouth on a stunned whisper.

  Was he still … with it?

  “These guys really don’t like Vampires.” He’d stolen the words from my mouth.

  “Nathan, maybe you—”

  My words were cut off at the sound of a crash. Splinters of wood were scattered across the ground due to the wooden chair which was hurled against the wall.

  Four sets of eyes suddenly pinned us to the spot. The air in the large room seemed to be evaporating with every beat of my heart. The four men stepped from the shadows and stood before the cage—two older, two younger, and only one still had his top on.

  What is it with Werewolves and being topless?

  “You brought a Leech here?” the stocky male snarled, his silver eyes locked on us.

  Graham’s head dropped to his chest. “He is with the girl.”

  The male’s broad chest heaved, causing the two fierce scars that lay at the centre to expand. Even though they were partially hidden through a thatch of dark hair, the tissue was a pinkish colour, indicating that they were fresh. Unusual that the male wore any marks considering Werewolves were supposed to heal quickly, but clearly, something had stopped the process. Splatters of dry, black blood stained his tanned skin. Some had been caught by the nest of hairs on his chest and the thick beard he wore. The thick splodges of dead cells had caused his wiry hair to get matted. Exhaustion clung to those swirling eyes, his expression a pained scowl. Brown wavy hair which stopped just above his shoulders was dishevelled and sticking to his forehead and neck.

  “He’s a Leech,” came another snarl, nostrils flaring. His fingers flexed. His entire body seemed to be vibrating as if he was fighting to stay stood on the spot.

  “I guess that’s Carter.”

  If it was possible for Nathan to become paler, well, he had just turned blue.

  The stocky male stalked toward us, the skin rippling on his bones, teeth bared and nails turning into talons before us.

  “Jesus.” Nathan’s grip tightened as he pulled me back and behind him.

  It took me a second to realize what he was doing. My hand dropped to the hilt of my dagger which I slid out, and with a swift turn, manoeuvred myself back in front of Nathan.

  Before I could open my mouth in warning, Graham had stepped in front of his Alpha and placed his hand on the male’s heaving chest. His head remained bowed.

  “This is Heather’s cousin, Danielle and her … friend, Nathan.”

  At the mention of Heather, Carter’s expression relaxed slightly. Something flashed in his eyes. His entire body was still poised, and his focus remained on Nathan.

  “It’s rather unusual for Slayers and Leeches to be friends,” one of the younger males commented, folding his arms. His chest was smooth and chiselled, and though I wanted to gag as soon as the thought flitted through my mind, he reminded me of one of those perfect roman statues. He clearly took care of himself as every line of his physic was perfect, which made the angry scar beneath his left ribcage stand out.

  “He was my friend before he was a Leech,” I replied, before taking a deep, steadying breath.

  “And it wasn’t my choice,” Nathan finished.

  I fought the urge to close my eyes and hang my head, not wanting to take my focus from the pent-up men before me.

  “The being turned into a Vampire,” Nathan explained. “Being her friend was my choice.”

  Dear God, please let us survive this regardless of the idiocy that comes out of Nathan’s mouth.

  The younger male’s eyebrow quipped. His face was even chiselled to perfection, a strong jawline and cheekbones. Smooth skin and perfectly styled hair. He could have been a model if it weren’t for the matching scar that hugged the left side of his throat.

  Clearly, something had gone down as the younger male’s scars matched his Alpha’s. Had there been a fight between the two? Or could it be linked to the attack on their house? Were these injuries sustained from fighting off Leeches? If so, why hadn’t they healed?

  Shaking myself from my evaluation of the males, I kindly asked, “So, I ask that you leave him be.”

  “Do you
always let your girlfriend stick up for you, blood sucker?” the male continued, a smirk curling his mouth.

  “I can never get a word in edge ways,” Nathan replied. “And not that it’s important, but she isn’t my girlfriend. She is a friend who happens to be a girl and a Vampire Slayer. So, she’s naturally wired to jump to anyone’s defence.”

  I twisted and gave Nathan a ‘what-the-fuck?’ look. Eyes wide, he just shrugged. Chatting even more shite had always been a sign of his nerves.

  “We’re getting off subject here.” I turned back to the males, relieved to see that all but the Alpha seemed to have relaxed slightly.

  “Carter, they’re just here for Heather.” Graham removed his hand from his Alpha’s chest and stepped aside.

  “She’s not here,” Carter stated through clenched teeth.

  It felt as though a boulder had dropped to the pit of my stomach. And just like that, we were back to Square One. “Do you know where she has gone?”

  “Why should we tell you?” The younger male walked towards his Alpha, stopping a foot behind him. “You could be anyone. Simply claiming to be Heather’s cousin and yet having a Vampire for a friend. Seems fishy to me. Considering how much you all hate Vampires.”

  The model was going to tell me how much my family hated Vampires. Cutting off a bemused laugh, I slid my dagger back into its holster and took a few steps into the room.

  “My name is Danielle Renaud, and I am the niece of Sofia Renaud who recruited a guy called Brendan, who is a member of your Pack, t’help my cousin, Heather Ryan. Brendan helping her was the last bit of information we received from Heather. It’s been over three weeks. I’m here—I mean, we’re here looking for her.”

  “She is who she says she is.” Graham reached into his pocket and retrieved a small card and held it out to Carter.

  The Alpha didn’t glance down. Instead, the younger man plucked the card from Graham’s fingers and looked at the piece of plastic.

  “Could be fake.”

  “It’s not,” Graham replied. “Plus, Heather’s scent is on her, and Brendan’s on him as they have been staying in her home.”

  “Using their stuff.” The younger male moved past his Alpha.

  “Heather’s clothes are a little too tight for me,” Nathan explained.