The Ian Dex Supernatural Thriller Series: Books 5 - 7 (Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department Box Sets Book 2)

by John P. Logsdon

  “Ah.”

  I closed my eyes and pictured the scene in London.

  It was an inaccurate representation. In fact, it wasn’t even the same room. I needed it to be worse and more vibrant. Therefore, I imagined Rachel being tied to a rack with blood seeping from various wounds on her body. She was moaning horribly, whimpering in a way that threatened to make me want to kill anyone and everyone who was within range of my fists.

  “Okay, okay,” Felicia soothed, “slow it down now.”

  That’s when I noticed the pain in my hands, feet, and face. I opened my eyes and found that everything was clearer than normal. Where I would have expected the colors to be dulled, they were quite the opposite. Glancing down at my hands, I saw they were elongated and my nails stuck out like claws.

  I sniffed the air and a low growl escaped my throat as the smell of valkyries filled the room.

  While Felicia might be able to fight back releasing pheromones, the warrior babes down here had zero desire to keep themselves in control.

  My libido was threatening to take over.

  “Control, Ian,” Felicia said, which caught me off guard since she usually referred to me as ‘Chief.’ She moved back into my field of vision, bringing my focus again to her. “You have to maintain control. If you slip up even for a single minute, you’ll go full wolf and then there’s no telling what you’ll do.”

  My head recognized the logic of her words, but my body wanted to continue down the path it was on.

  The physical pain was incredible. A howl began to rise up in my throat, but I fought it with all my might. Releasing that howl would result in the complete destruction of my suit, and I couldn’t have that.

  Too bad I was losing the battle, at least until I began to recall how the various genetic aspects of my person balanced each other out. If I wanted to avoid going full wolf, I didn’t need to manage my emotions, I just needed to allow another facet of myself to gain some hold over things.

  But which one?

  When I considered vampire, I found that I loathed myself. That seemed logical seeing as how vampires and werewolves weren’t exactly the best of friends. I’d hate to have to kick my own ass, though. That would be embarrassing.

  Pixie was an obvious choice. A cursing werewolf would be a novelty, if nothing else.

  Werebear…no. Talk about a killing machine. That’d just be nuts.

  I finally landed on fae. It was the only one, aside from weresheep and wererabbit, that would allow me to maintain half wolf without making it any worse. There may be moments of vanity, but I kind of dealt with that on a regular basis anyway.

  “Well, that’s interesting,” Felicia said with a grimace.

  “What?” I replied, my voice sounding slightly different than before.

  “You’re either the best-looking werewolf I’ve ever seen…” She then tilted her head again as if appraising me from an entirely different angle. “…or the ugliest fae.”

  “Nice,” I replied, finding that I could feel the power flowing through my veins, but I wasn’t contending with the rage anymore. “The lady who checked us in at reintegration was far less attractive than I look at the moment…I hope?”

  “You mean the werebear?” Felicia asked.

  “She wasn’t a werebear,” I corrected her. “She was a fae.”

  “No fucking way.”

  “Yep,” I stated. “Anyway, I think I’ve got the hang of this now, and I already know how to fight, so I shouldn’t need any pointers there.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Felicia agreed. “If you do ever go full wolf, though, just remember that your bite is worse than your bark.”

  She then grabbed my chin and looked in my eyes.

  “Substantially worse.”

  CHAPTER 16

  N ext up was Chuck. I was kind of looking forward to this training stint, to be honest. People had always mistaken me for a vampire over the years, and now that I had the teeth to go with the mystique, I thought it’d be great to know how to use them properly.

  “Not a lot to say, Chief,” Chuck said, shrugging. “The fact is that we really don’t do much more than what you already know how to do. We just get quicker, more agile, have razor-sharp claws, and pointy teeth.”

  It made sense, actually.

  Even Felicia couldn’t give me much beyond controlling how far I changed over to wolf form. Aside from that, I got stronger, faster, and could bite through a block of wood. Oh, I could also scratch my ear with my back leg, and I could lick myself. That thought sounded great until I remembered that my dick talked to me.

  “Yeah,” The Admiral agreed, “I wouldn’t want you licking me either, pal.”

  “What about venom?” I asked.

  “Definitely don’t want you biting me, dude.”

  “I was talking to Chuck, idiot,” I responded. “Obviously, venom is a thing,” I continued aloud, “otherwise I wouldn’t even be in this mess in the first place.”

  Chuck carried a look of dread.

  “Yeah, sorry about that.” He looked at his feet. “That guy should never have poisoned you.”

  “Well, he did,” I stated hotly. I wasn’t mad at Chuck, but the memory of Sly the vampire snapping into my neck pissed me off. “Anyway, it’s not your fault that it happened, but I want to understand it in case I need to employ it.”

  His look of dread changed over to shock.

  “You really shouldn’t even be thinking about that, Chief,” he whispered, glancing around to see if anyone else was within earshot. “That can get you into deep reintegration.”

  “If used against a normal, yes,” I countered. “I was talking about the potential of hitting a super with it.”

  He shook his head. “That’s almost as bad. It wouldn’t put you in for a deep brain sweep, because you’re a cop, but you could still end up in jail, and your topside privileges would be revoked indefinitely.”

  “I know the law, Chuck,” I reminded him, “and I have no intention of using it unless I have no other choice. But I want to know how to use it, should the need arise.”

  Chuck appeared very uncomfortable with this entire topic. I got that. If he gave me the insider scoop on how to inject venom and rule over someone, he’d essentially be an accomplice…at least to his way of thinking. The truth was that all vampires were taught this basic element of their race, except for those who thought the practice should be banned forever, of course. Regardless, Chuck clearly knew how to do it himself, which meant someone imparted their knowledge to him.

  “You were trained in this, right?” I asked, knowing his answer.

  “Yes.”

  “And you gained that knowledge when you were just a kid, true?”

  “I was twenty-one.”

  “Which is essentially a toddler in vampire years,” I pointed out. “I’m older than that, I’m slightly more mature than a twenty-one year old, and I’ll get someone else to teach me if you refuse.”

  He shot me a look.

  “Sorry, man,” I said with a shrug, “but if I’m going to be facing down some amalgamites topside, I’m going to need every advantage I can get.”

  He looked away and sighed.

  The way his eyes were moving made it clear he was having an internal debate. I could have pushed my agenda further to tip him over the fence, but I knew he’d do what was necessary. Chuck would either trust that I wouldn’t use the skill without there being a dire need, or I’d find someone who wouldn’t care one way or the other.

  And, let’s face it, there were plenty of vampires who wouldn’t give a shit what I did with the knowledge as long as they got whatever payment they wanted.

  “All right, Chief,” he said, finally, “I’ll do it. But you have to promise me you’ll only use it if you have no other choice.”

  I gave him a serious look.

  “You have my word.”

  “Okay.” He motioned to the ground. “Sit down.”

  I sat, although I wasn’t exactly a fan of havi
ng dirt all over my suit pants. That was one thing about training in an arena, there was dirt everywhere.

  Ah well, at least it wasn’t drool or goop.

  “Cross your legs,” Chuck instructed.

  “Are we going to meditate or something?” I asked before complying. “If so, I already know how to calm my mind and clear my thoughts.”

  His look told me to just shut up and follow instructions.

  “Okay, okay,” I said, and then crossed my legs.

  “Put your hands on your knees, palms up. Touch your thumb to your first finger and let the rest of your fingers relax.”

  I did.

  “You already know how to release your fangs,” he continued. “Do so now.”

  I hated doing it, but after a few moments they slid out to their full length. I could only hope that Rachel wasn’t watching from afar because she loved the fangs.

  “You know—” began The Admiral.

  “Quiet!”

  “Right.”

  “Now,” Chuck said in a calm voice, “you need to imagine that your soul is starting to boil.”

  “Uhhh?”

  “It needs to be controlled, though,” he was quick to point out. “We’re not talking about you being angry or filled with rage. I’m talking about a direct control of your inner essence. It needs to burn.”

  “Burn,” I said with a nod. “Right.”

  How I was supposed to manage this, I didn’t know. It sounded like Chuck wanted me to go through the equivalent of that reproductive pon farr thing that Spock dealt with on the Genesis planet in Star Trek III.

  Fortunately, I wasn’t going through a sexual change.

  “I hope not!” agreed The Admiral. I was about to give him a piece of my mind, but he quickly added, “Shit. Sorry again.”

  I growled to myself.

  Then I released a long, slow breath and cleared my mind.

  The moment everything fell to calmness, I saw a small light in my mind’s eye. It was spinning like a vortex.

  Vortex!

  That had to be my soul. It was white and spinning peacefully.

  I needed it to burn.

  But how?

  My first reaction was to imagine that I was channeling a flame at it, flying from my fingertips. I was part mage, after all.

  Surprisingly, that worked.

  Within seconds, the vortex began to cycle faster and faster, pulling in the burning power spilling towards it from my fingers.

  The glow was getting stronger by the minute.

  I was beginning to sweat.

  That’s when I felt it. An acidic rush that poured through my veins, finding its way to my neck, then face, then gums.

  My eyes snapped open, smoldering as I glared at Chuck.

  “That’s it,” he said, a worried look covering his face. “If you bite anyone with that, Chief, they’ll be under your power, or they’ll die.”

  “Thuper,” I said, lisping because my teeth were out.

  That killed the mood.

  “Fuck.”

  CHAPTER 17

  I t honestly wasn’t in my best interest to start fighting the valkyries yet, but I had to test out what I’d learned thus far. My main concern was the healing. If it allowed me to sustain a battle against these ladies, it’d certainly be useful against the amalgamites.

  In their domain, the valkyries were nearly impossible to kill, but they could be injured. Me, on the other hand? I was rather easily killed when compared to them, especially because they were seriously good at destruction.

  “Now remember,” I said as I stared across at three rather large warrior chicks, “this is just a mock battle. Nobody wants to be seriously hurt here, right?”

  They nodded, but their eyes were cold and filled with wicked intentions.

  I gulped.

  “Have you all stretched?” I asked.

  They furrowed their brows.

  “I’m just asking because I know you all don’t get a lot of opportunities to fight much anymore. Pulling a hamstring is not...”

  I trailed off, and with good reason.

  Each of them took a leg and brought it straight up in the air. I’m talking straight up so that the bottom of their boots were parallel to the ceiling. They didn’t even look the least bit bothered by keeping that pose either.

  “Seriously, man,” rasped The Admiral, “I know I’m supposed to shut up and all, but dayyyyum.”

  “Yeah, okay, I’m with you on that one.” I then added, “Still, though, shut up.”

  “No problem.”

  “And don’t even think about standing at attention right now,” I warned him.

  “You’re no fun.”

  My first inclination was to lift my leg up like they were doing, but I knew damn well that I’d pull a muscle. I was limber, but nothing like these babes.

  “Okay,” I said, waving at them to stop the we’re-so-going-to-kick-your-ass demonstration, “I get it. You can lower your legs now.”

  They did.

  Slowly.

  It wasn’t exactly a boon to my confidence to see how incredibly controlled they were. But I also knew there was something more to them than simply physical power. They had a level of magic running through their bodies that gave them strength, speed, and that amazing limberness.

  I couldn’t ask them to shut that down, but if they were allowed to use it, shouldn’t I be allowed to use all of my skills?

  I wasn’t talking about fireballs, ice storms, energy pulses, fangs, claws, and so on, either. I was talking about my special brand of magic. The kind that made the ladies shudder with pleasure when I released my energy into them.

  “Is everything fair game here?” I asked, just to clarify.

  “What do you mean?” Valerie replied from her throne.

  I turned to her.

  “Well, your warriors are all imbued with magic, right?”

  “They are.”

  “So if they’re able to use that magic, does that mean I am allowed to utilize mine as well?”

  Valerie shrugged.

  “Fine by me.”

  “I’m talking about my amalgamite sexual energy magic here, Valerie,” I added for clarity.

  She shrugged and then turned to the three warriors.

  “Do any of you have an issue with him pushing sexual energy into you?”

  Their heads shook so fast that I felt a breeze.

  “Okay, then,” I said, knowing damn well that I was going to quickly win this battle. “That should make things easier.”

  I turned back to my challengers and smiled at them in such a way that their cold eyes changed to excited eyes. They must have spotted my newfound confidence in our impending clash, but that didn’t seem to bother them.

  “Ready when you are, ladies,” I said as I flexed my hands.

  Three seconds later, I was lying on the ground, battered and bruised.

  I hadn’t even seen them twitch. In fact, I didn’t even know I’d been hit until the pain began welling up inside me.

  It was immediately apparent that fighting three of them at once had been a huge mistake.

  “Ouch,” I whimpered while trying to untangle my legs.

  They’d pretzeled me!

  But, wait, wasn’t the point of this to use my new skills and magic?

  I closed my eyes and sent a healing wave through my body. Everything straightened, except for The Admiral, of course, and I stood back up, brushing off my suit.

  Then, I stared back at the three valkyries.

  “That was really impressive,” I said, stepping over casually while laughing. They relaxed slightly. “If I didn’t know any better, I would have said you were able to control time.”

  I touched the one nearest me and she moaned. With lightning speed, I touched the other two as well. Now, before you go getting up in my face about sending sexual energy through them, you should recall that a) I’d asked if I was allowed to use my powers in this fight first, b) they’d all vehemently agreed, and c) I’d o
nly sent enough mojo into them to give them a rush of horniness and nothing more.

  But it gave me enough time to go half wolf and start my attack. My hands elongated, my jaw stretched out, and my teeth ached to tear into flesh.

  I growled.

  I flexed.

  I set my eyes to full smolder.

  I attacked.

  That time I lasted a good seven seconds.

  “Okay, okay,” I said after healing myself again. “I think I’m going to need to work with the mages next.”

  “Touch us again first?” asked the closest valkyrie.

  Since we weren’t in a fight anymore, I felt weird about that. I glanced over at Rachel and she nodded while wearing a wicked grin.

  Weirdo.

  “Right,” I said as I reached out and gave them all another jolt of sexual yum-yum.

  CHAPTER 18

  G riff, Jasmine, and Rachel all stood across from me, holding looks that spelled they were the masters and I was merely an apprentice. This was the kind of look I was used to seeing from Rachel, so that didn’t bother me. It was awkward coming from Griff and Jasmine, though.

  “What is the most powerful spell you’ve utilized thus far?” Griff asked, clearly taking control of the training.

  “Uh…I don’t know what they’re called,” I replied, “but I’ve done some energy stuff and some flames.”

  He nodded. “Did you feel anything uncomfortable as you were launching these incantations?”

  “Not really.”

  “What did you feel?”

  I took a deep breath. “Power, mostly.”

  All three of them grimaced at that response. Then they looked at each other with concerned faces. It was instantly clear that “power” wasn’t the answer they were hoping for.

  “So, I’m guessing that’s a bad thing?”

  “It’s not great,” Jasmine replied. “There are three types of mages, Ian. Controlled, chaotic, and power.”

  I chewed my lip. “And because I answered your question with ‘power,’ that makes me the power type, right?”

  “No,” answered Rachel. “I’d guess you’re chaotic.”

  I furrowed my brow.