Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series)

by Jami Brumfield

  The closer Rebecca got to the vampire the more danger she was in. The vampire hissed violently at her, a warning to stay away. Her behavior was that of a wounded animal, the self defense instinct was in overload. When Rebecca was able to work past her fear and actually focus on the girl she realized she was just that, a young girl. She couldn't have been more than twelve years old when she was turned. It seemed barbaric that she was changed when she was so young. To live eternally as a child, never having the ability to grow up, to have children; it was inhuman. But then they were, at their very core, inhuman.

  Rebecca’s desire to hurt the childlike creature was overcome with her human compassion. She realized she suddenly had an urge to help her. "It's okay. Let me help you." She told the hissing child. Apparently the instinctive reaction was not strong enough to overcome the vampire’s morality. Regardless of the creature’s reaction, in Rebecca’s eyes she was a child in need of help.

  "I do not wish to be helped by the likes of you, little wolf." She snarled, then cried out in pain. "Don't you know we are supposed to be enemies?"

  "I guess we’re supposed to be enemies. But any warrior I know isn’t willing to take advantage of a weakened foe. Besides, I don't see anyone else around to help you so I guess you’ll have to deal with me." Rebecca came a step closer, now only a foot or two from touching the vampire’s skin. "Before I help you up, need I remind you that my blood is poison to you?" It was the only real defense wolves had against vampires while in human form and Rebecca was suddenly thankful she had that defensive ability.

  "I am not stupid, you foolish child. I have been around a lot longer than you have." The vampire hissed bitterly as she tried to maneuver out from under the brush to gain a better defensive stance. The look of distrust in her eerie green eyes was out in the open for all to see, and it bled over to her face in the scowl she wore. Despite the ugly expression, it was easy to see how pretty she was. Her long auburn brown hair had the perfect amount of waviness. Her eyes were guarded and held many secrets; they looked older than the girl that surrounded them. Her pale skin matched her auburn hair perfectly. The light layer of freckles that sprinkled over her nose and cheeks gave her a youthful look.

  Rebecca nodded, "I’m sure you have." She reached a hand forward only to take a step backwards when the vampire snapped those sharp teeth at her hand. "I’m going to help you, and snarling at me like a wounded cat won’t do you any good."

  "Why should I trust you?" The vampire asked as she inched her way out of her hiding spot; groaning in pain as she twisted around the shrubbery. The pointy thorns cut deep across the skin of her neck, causing a bloom of red to bleed out before the injury healed quickly.

  "Why shouldn't you?" Rebecca asked the obvious question and decided to continue after the deadly look the injured girl gave her. "Because it’s the right thing to do. If I leave you here, you could die. I won’t have that on my conscious. My compound is over that ridge. We can have the doctor look after your wounds and help you."

  The vampire snarled again. Frankly, Rebecca was getting tired of her theatrics.

  "I won't let you take me back to the compound. Your people did this to me which makes your offer of help highly suspicious, don’t you think?"

  "I highly doubt my pack had a hand in this." Rebecca held out her hand, waiting for the vampire to take it. It was difficult to ignore the suspicious comment. Truth be told, it was strange she was out here. But antagonizing the injured vampire would only drag this ordeal out. Rebecca was losing her patience and goodwill.

  "Leave me! I will heal in time." The vampire shrank back into the brush cover.

  Her movement caused Rebecca to pick up on the scent of fresh blood. She was still bleeding and the major wounds were doing little to heal. Her knowledge of vampires was limited to myth and the few tidbits Dianna fed her when Rebecca was preparing her for the change.

  Rebecca shrugged and stepped back, "Suit yourself, however, that wound looks to be getting worse, and not healing."

  The girl grimaced, "That’s because your pack leader tainted the wounds with poison to slow the clotting process. He is a very good interrogator...” a hint of respect crossed over the girl’s face. “…but he got nothing from me.” The look was quickly replaced with disgust.

  Rebecca shook her head, "why would he do that?" She didn’t want to believe Tomas would do something so terrible, but he wasn’t a good man, and they were at war. The only thing he cared about; no, obsessed over, was the safety of his pack. Even that was getting twisted with age and the internal battle he and his alpha constantly fought. Dianna worried for him, worried that he was losing his mind, and feared he would be overtaken by another wolf.

  "He wanted to know why the vampires were increasing their numbers in Phoenix. He was positive that we were gearing up for a terrible attack." She seemed irritated that Rebecca didn't simply take her word for it. “We aren’t, by the way. We are tired of the ancient battle between the vampires and wolves but Tomas refuses to entertain a truce.”

  "Well, you could’ve fooled the rest of the pack." Rebecca sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. “Part of the reason they made me was to add numbers to our side. As far as everyone is concerned, peace is a long way off. It would take a miracle, I think, for it to ever become something to consider.” Rebecca leaned against a sturdy tree trunk and crossed her arms over her chest. “Regardless of the war brewing, I plan to help you. So you might as well come out of there and let me.”

  "You’ll be signing my death warrant if you take me back to that compound." The vampire stated simply.

  "So I won't take you back to the compound. I’ll take you somewhere else; anywhere you want, but not your nest." Rebecca’s wolf screamed the word 'loyalty' in her mind. She felt a twinge of disloyalty in not taking her back to the compound, but couldn't leave her here dying. War was one thing, but torture and inhuman behavior was another; we were, still half human, after all. Even war had rules of conduct.

  The vampire cried out in pain with almost every move she made, "I ask for sanctuary, can you take me to the Refuge?"

  "Of course, as long as you promise to behave." Rebecca reached a hand towards the injured vampire again and she slowly, reluctantly moved forward. The girl’s skin was ice cold and she weighed more than her tiny frame suggested but Rebecca managed to help her down the hill. They made it to the camp sight where her car was located in little time.

  There was a water fountain with a hose hook up at the head of the trail; something locals’ used to water their dogs before embarking on or coming back from a long hike. Rebecca sat the girl down at the picnic table near the water source and went to her car to find the baby wipes. She also grabbed a spare hoodie from her overnight bag and brought it with her.

  "Take off your shirt." Rebecca ordered; her voice flat.

  She looked at her with daggers and disgust. "There’s no way in all of Hades that I’m going to take my shirt off. What if someone comes along?"

  The vampire girl had a point. They were all tasked with the one simple rule; do not reveal themselves to humans. Seeing someone as bloody and cut up as the girl would definitely make another human question how she was still conscious; and breathing, for that matter. Rebecca needed to clean the vampire’s wounds before they left. "It’s the middle of summer, one of the hottest days this year. It’s highly unlikely someone will come along. But you can use this as a shield just in case." Rebecca handed her the hoodie which the vampire reluctantly took, her disgust and anger slowly subsiding into something else, something that looked an awful like gratitude.

  The girl struggled with removing the shirt so Rebecca ripped it from her to get a better look at the wounds. The angry scent of infection mixed with the coppery scent of blood had Rebecca fighting back the urge to be sick. The wounds were claw-like gashes made over and over and over again. Her torso looked like black and red blood soaked ribbons. Disgust for anyone who could do this to any creature boiled up inside her as she began to slowly clean
the wound with water and the disinfectant baby wipes. It would have to do for now.

  "It was Tomas." The girl’s voice was barely above a raspy whisper.

  "What?" Rebecca asked as she kept the bulk of her concentration on cleaning the vampire’s skin. Black specks dotted the blood and instinctively Rebecca pulled out as many as she could.

  "Your disgust should be directed at Tomas." She held back tears. Maybe being half naked while her enemy shows her kindness made her vulnerable. Rebecca didn't know, but she never expected tears - bloody tears.

  "Stop that. You don't have the blood to spare." Rebecca commanded the girl.

  "He laughed while he tortured me. I think, I think your pack leader has gone mad. It happens sometimes, the alpha is too strong for the human and it drives the man insane. It happens to vampires, too, but that is a response to living while everything and everyone else around you dies over and over again for centuries." She cringed and shivered; reaction probably from the pressure on her wound and the memory of what happened.

  "I’m sorry. I wish I had better supplies but I didn’t expect to come upon an injured vampire." Rebecca told her as she continued to clean the wounds.

  "And I had never expected to be treated with kindness from a young werewolf... especially one connected to the pack. You people are loyal to a fault." The vampire snapped.

  "We are." Rebecca nodded in agreement, "But there are rules." She dampened another handful of wet wipes and cleaned more of the vampire girl’s skin, continuing to clean as many of the specks out as possible as she went along. "I won't lie to you; if you attacked me I would have fought you to the death. You were on compound land. Trespassing is not tolerated."

  "But because I was injured you took pity on me? That’s foolishness. A real wolf would’ve taken advantage of the situation and ripped my head from my shoulders." Disgust laced her voice again making it clear she thought her helper was weak.

  "Be thankful that I’m not a real wolf then." Rebecca responded with sarcasm. Her hearing picked up the sound of wheels on asphalt approaching their direction. "That’s going to have to do for now, someone is coming."

  The vampire nodded and slipped on the black hoodie. It clashed against her pale skin, auburn hair and bright green eyes; but it was the best Rebecca could do for the moment. It wasn’t like they were getting ready for a beauty pageant anyways. Rebecca tossed the bloodied shirt and wipes into the trash and motioned for the vampire to get into the car.

  "Please bring those with you." She asked, nodding toward her clothes. "It’s my blood."

  Rebecca looked at the vampire girl like she was losing her mind, but she complied with her request just so they could leave. The injured girl placed them on her lap in the car after she slowly got in.

  "Please don't let them soil the car; that would be a difficult thing to explain." Rebecca washed her hands quickly and headed back to the car. The new car pulled into the parking space next to them just as Rebecca was getting into the driver's side.

  "How’s the trail this afternoon?" The guy asked when he rolled down the passenger side window. He was alone and looked human, but looks could be deceiving. So Rebecca used her enhanced sense of smell to make sure he was not a threat.

  Rebecca smiled politely once she verified his humanity. Phoenix isn’t known for having the nicest people around; Tucson had a better reputation for that. But when it comes to hikers, the location didn’t matter. Most of them were friendly. In a way, one's life could depend on it. "Fairly good if you’re equipped. Bring lots of water." And with that she got into the car and started the engine.

  "You’re too nice to be part of this world. That kindness is likely to get you killed." The young looking vampire warned Rebecca as she turned and laid her forehead against the window. In minutes she was asleep and, hopefully healing.

  Chapter Five

  ~”Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love.”

  ~Ritu Ghatourey

  Rebecca

  It was a few hours before Rebecca pulled the car up to the street where "The Refuge" was located. The entire time her new vampire 'friend' slept. It was odd having a member of the undead in the car next to her; she was a threat despite being weak and hurt. Every once in a while Rebecca could hear the thump of the girl’s heart which told her the vampire was still partially alive, but her breathing was practically non-existent. At least the bleeding stopped, and it looked like her organs and skin had begun to stitch back together. It was an amazing thing, the speed with which vampires and werewolves could heal. A human would have died from those wounds, and if a human had survived, surely infection would have taken their life instead.

  As soon as Rebecca stopped the car and got out, the vampire was gone. Taken by surprise, Rebecca simply stared at the opened passenger car door and the blur that was obviously the now mostly healed vampire. She guessed the girl didn’t need help anymore. The least she could have done was said thank you. She decided she was simply grateful the vampire did not take the opportunity during the long car ride to kill her; not to mention she brought her to a place she wanted to visit. In this place, “The Refuge”, she would begin her real investigation into the death of her parents. She closed the passenger car door, sorry she didn't even get the vampire’s name but happy she could show her a little kindness. Besides, if she was being honest, there was no doubt they would cross paths again.

  The Refuge was a restaurant by day serving lunch. At eight the restaurant was converted to a night club. By the looks of the clientele it was after eight. She debated whether or not to leave and come back tomorrow after lunch or request sanctuary and enter the club as a supernatural being in need of help.

  Before taking a step into the rowdy nightclub she decided to call Dianna, again, to let her know about the vampire. The phone went directly to voicemail. She left another message. Obviously, five voicemails and countless texts weren’t enough for Dianna to call her back. Perhaps this situation would warrant a courtesy call. “Hey Dianna, I hope your phone is working, or not lost. I just wanted to let you know about the encounter I just had with a young vampire. Call me back.”

  Loyalty was important, especially as a beta member of a pack. The simple act of calling Dianna seemed to please her wolf alter ego and she relaxed. This allowed her to shut down the automatic alert system in her body, like turning off a light switch. It felt like the two of them; wolf and human, were finally able to breath for the first time since she made the decision to help the vampire. Despite the gnawing feeling that she did something wrong, she would have done the same thing if she was given a second chance. She turned towards the night club, still wondering if she even wanted to deal with lost souls and alcoholics tonight.

  She took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was the logical first step. It was, according to the private detective she and Jacks hired, one of the few places her mother visited the day of her death. Logic was always her best friend, and as she surveyed the nightclub entrance she suddenly felt betrayed by her best friend. This was not a club her mother would have been found dead in, let alone one of the last places she visited. She was sure of that. The clientele made it perfectly clear the patrons were a rowdy bunch. A mixture of country, rock and jazz spilled out into the street. The smell of sickly sweet alcohol, cigarette smoke, fried foods, and pain floated on the gentle breeze that filled the night.

  A young girl dressed in a skin-tight, brilliantly dark blue dress ran out of the club and made it down the stairs just fast enough to avoid throwing up all over the bouncer’s shoes. Rebecca briefly wondered why adults punished themselves with alcohol that way, but never having tasted it before; she really had no idea. She had friends who experimented and it seemed to her the side effects were similar to the stomach flu; why people were excited to drink themselves sick made her question those people’s motives.

  The bouncer, who was dressed in black from head to toe
, pressed his fingers to his ears and spoke into some sort of microphone. She would have focused her hearing to listen in, but she was sure he was simply telling someone there was a ‘clean up on aisle one’. The lady finished vomiting just as a larger-than-life biker hunk rushed to her side. He was a little late to pull her hair back, but the girl still clung to him like a life preserver in turbulent water. The guy managed to toss a weak smile over his shoulder and the second bouncer shook his head and shrugged him off with a chuckle. It seemed like a hint that he was a regular customer.

  She couldn’t imagine what her mother would have wanted from this place. Perhaps the private investigator was wrong, had his facts confused. She truly hoped that was the case. “The Refuge” was a far cry from the high society parties that her parents had attended while they were alive. In fact, being seen in a place like this would have been social suicide.

  Another woman, dressed in a red and white tight fitting top and blue jeans that looked like they had been painted on her body, walked past the employee who came outside to clean up the mess. She flipped her long reddish waves behind her shoulders. With a small, barely noticeable shudder she marched up the stairs and headed straight towards the swinging saloon-style double doors. The bouncers stepped in her path and became a solid wall of muscle blocking her. The larger of the two bouncers stepped forward another foot. His large black hand went up in a signal known universally as stop. The hand was larger than the lady’s head.

  Despite his obvious bulk, the redhead was not letting him or anyone else intimidate her. Rebecca knew, deep down inside, she should not let anything or anyone intimidate her either. She was a wolf now; stronger, faster, and even smarter than before if one believed two minds were better than one.

  Rebecca sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to take a step forward; crossing the street had never been so scary. The patrons and the ambiance of the place were not the scariest parts of this visit; it was what she could find out about her parents that scared her the most.