by M. L. Briers
“You have what I want and nobody takes from me.” Vane spat out. His purpose was clear and Connor understood that this was a fight to the death for the both of them.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
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Chelsea stood her ground and called upon her magic to bring a wind so strong, so fierce that it swept all three vampires backwards through the air, tearing them apart into three directions, and depositing them in different locations.
“Suckers!” She chuckled, as Connor shot a look at her over his shoulder at her, and grunted his disapproval. “Don’t grunt at me with that tone of voice.” She scowled back, and Connor shifted his attention back towards Vane, but it wasn’t Vane coming at him now… it was one of his men.
Landon grunted and growled as he pushed back up onto his paws. As if all of his future Christmas wishes had been answered all at once, a vampire slammed down to earth next to him. His beast reared up in surprise, but didn’t hold back setting at the bloodsucker with his claws and his fangs…
The vampire swiped at out Landon’s body. His claws embedded his flesh just above his right shoulder and swiped downwards, opening deep gouges into his fur, and sending the scent of his blood up into the air around him.
Maverick struck hard and fast – attacking from the other side of the vampire while his attention was centred on Landon’s bear, and pushing up off of his back paws to lock his jaws around the back of the vampire’s neck, burying his fangs deeply into his flesh and dragging the man down onto his knees under the weight of his wolf…
Landon turned fast, and with one swipe of his large paw; his claws took the vampire’s throat out. Maverick release the bloodsucker and pushed away, just as two of his brothers, Rowan and Callum, set about the man, ripping him apart in a frenzy of fangs and claws that insured the man would not rise again. Ever.
Connor closed in on Vane, but before he could meet him head to head, Chelsea had already stolen the vampire away on another burst of magic that took him up in the air, holding him suspended high above the ground, as Vane roared, and Connor turned in frustration…
“Can you not?” Connor growled out, sounding more like a Lycan than a vampire.
“Sure?” Chelsea shrugged, shooting Vane upwards like a rocket before she slammed him back down to the ground at high speed. She heard Connor groan, and turned to inspecting her nails. “There you go.”
Justice roared his intent as he tore into the fray. One vampire stood in the middle of three damn big bears, swiping his claws through the air to ward them all off of him and halting any attack that they could launch.
Marshall grunted and growled, as Tyler paced, looking for an opening that wouldn’t see those claws embedded in his flesh.
Cole took one step forward and one step back, waiting for his chance to attack… when Justice’s white wolf, shot in from outside the circle and used his beast’s speed of attack and agility to distract the vampire.
It worked. The vampire turned and took a long hard swipe at the wolf, and Tyler rushed in from behind, using his weight to bowl the bloodsucker down to the ground as Cole and Marshall joined the attack.
The vampire managed to get a few good swipes in with his claws, and he took a bite out of Marshall’s shoulder in a last bid attempt to do some damage before they ended him, but even the vampire couldn’t keep up the fight under the sustained attack of three frenzied bears.
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Vicky heard the turn of the lock on the door and knew that she had no magic with which to be able to defend herself. Connor had meant well, but he’d left her standing there naked in the face of danger, stripped of the only advantage that she had to inflict any meaningful damage on Vane.
When the door swung backwards; she felt the rush of adrenalin that had sent her heart rate soaring almost overwhelm her with fear. She’d chosen this, to free Natalie and take a stand against Vane, and she didn’t regret helping the young witch – but she did wonder what having Connor as a mate would have been like.
Morgan stepped into the room and Vicky almost choked on a rush of relief that washed through her.
“Didn’t think you’d want to miss all the fun,” Morgan offered by way of a hello, and Vicky rushed towards her.
“What’s happening out there?” Vicky demanded rushing forwards, spurred on by the thought of Connor fighting Vane.
“Good to see you too,” Morgan grinned, but Vicky wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries or small talk – she wanted to find Vane and end him.
“Later, if there is one,” Vicky said. Not stopping until she had sidestepped Morgan and stalked out onto the other side of the threshold.
Her magic swept back into her in one heady rush that made her hesitate in her stride, but it didn’t stop her from carrying on down the hallway. She had a need to be a part of Vane’s death – this time a permanent one – even if she only witnessed it to be able to know that his end had truly come, and that his time of walking the Earth was over.
“Connor?” Vicky tossed the question back over her shoulder.
“Still alive the last I saw,” Morgan grinned to herself. “Vane isn’t alone, so watch where your step or you could end up in the crap.” She warned her.
“Got it, thanks.” Vicky was well aware of Vane’s tactics. She’d seen them in operation enough times to know that the man had no honour.
The only thing that she wanted from life in that moment was to see his desiccated corpse and to know that his reign was over.
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It had come down to Vane as the last vampire standing – not taking into account Connor who was stalking towards him now, as the bloodsucker took in the two alpha’s that were circling him. One wolf, and one bear. Vane’s mouth lifted at just one corner in a cruel grin that told the world that he wasn’t planning on losing this battle.
“He’s mine…” Connor ground out. His bloodlust was like a fever growing within him that was born out of the need to protect his people, protect his mate, and see Vane’s desiccated body ripped apart limb from limb and burnt on a bonfire on his property – his ashes, forever a trophy, forever a testament in honour of his mate.
“All you had to do was hand over the witch,” Vane grinned, and the sight of his fangs only made Connor’s bloodlust turn into a frenzy within him. “Let’s play…” Vane rushed at him, claws out, fangs at the ready to strike, and with a warrior’s roar that echoed through the night.
Connor met him head on. The man was in no mood to think of strategy or battle tactics now. His mind was fixed on one thing and one thing only. Ending Vane.
Claws bit into flesh as the men crashed into each other. No ground was given on either side – they were equal in strength and determination.
Vane was a man who always got what he wanted, by whatever means necessary, and Connor was adamant that this would be the man’s last stand. In the makeshift arena that the clan and the pack had created by gathering to view the most important battle of their friend’s life, it was a battle that neither vampire seemed to be winning, but neither seemed to be losing either.
Connor caught Vicky’s scent on the icy breeze that blew in from the west. His mind spun, his attention faltered, and Vane made him pay for it by embedding his claws down his chest and opening up deep wounds…
Connor roared and tossed an open fist at Vane – his claws ripped through his face and down his neck, missing his jugular vein by mere centimetres… Vane took a step back and lifted his boot to kick Connor clean across the open space, almost depositing him against the shoulder of Marshall’s bear. Connor dipped his shoulder, scrapped his claws against the ground to turn and right himself, and he was going back at Vane in a heartbeat…
“My turn,” Vicky muttered as she lifted her hands, her magic fizzed and burned at her fingertips, and then she let loose with a blast that hit Vane in the stomach, his body folded, almost in two, and he was propelled backwards through the air, landing with a
heavy, satisfying thud against the frozen ground.
Connor stalked towards him blowing hard, panted breaths down his nose, as his top lip curled in a sneer of hatred for the man who would have killed his mate. The scent of his mate in the air was as much incentive as he needed to end Vane now or die trying.
Vane gathered his strength, and on a roar; he pushed up and headed in Vicky’s direction. If he was going to die this night, he was going to take her with him to hell.
Connor moved fast, faster than Vane. In the blink of an eye he was in front of the man, barring the vampire’s way to Vicky, and with one swipe of his right hand, his claws sliced through Vane’s neck, chewing up the flesh as the man reeled backwards.
Another swipe from Connor’s left hand, opening Vane’s flesh from his throat, down his chest, and ending across his stomach. Vane’s body caved forwards against his injuries.
His hands grabbed at his throat… Connor’s boot came down against Vane’s kneecap, shattering the bone and dropping him down onto his knees on the ground.
Vane’s eyes locked with Connor’s. Hate, disgust, anger, and loathing boiled there. Connor moved fast, his fist entered the man’s chest, and his fingers wrapped around his heart, locking it in place, and he squeezed hard…
“End it,” Vane spat out blood. His voice rasped against the wound to his throat. His jet black eyes held Connor in contempt…
“Pleasure’s all mine,” Connor bit out as he snatched his fist back out of the man’s chest, bringing his heart with it.
Landon’s bear roared the victory, and Justice did the same. The sounds of the gathered beasts echoing through the darkness of the night as Connor tossed Vane’s heart back at him just as his body was collapsing to the ground.
Connor’s bloodlust still fevered in his veins. His chest rose and fell in gasped breaths as he turned towards his mate…
“How the hell did you get free?” Connor ground out. Anger still racing within him.
“I’m out and I’m not going back,” Vicky tried to tear her eyes from Vane’s body, satisfaction welled within her, and relief that it was finally over made that almost impossible as she drank the sight of him in.
Her life was hers again.
Connor stalked towards her. His body blotted out Vane’s corpse and snatched her eyes up to his. She could see the rage in his face, see the anger in his jet black eyes…
“You could have died,” he ground out.
In one fail swoop, he had her up and over his shoulder, and was stalking back towards the castle with her kicking and protesting against him.
“So could you,” she snapped out, fisting the material that covered his broad back and trying to push up.
Connor had something of a death grip on her lower body, but as she raised her head; she could see the gathered beasts behind them, and her eyes found Morgan, amused, giving her a small wave that riled her.
“You got this, Connor?” Justice growled out, having shifted into his human form as he worried over the mind-set of the man.
“Not with so many damned wolves and bears around, no.” Connor shouted back. “Go home.”
“You think he can regain his control?” Landon asked, shifted and stalking towards Justice. “He looked pretty screwed up there.”
“She’s his mate…” Justice growled… “He’ll stop himself.” He’d bet his life on it.
Hell, he was betting hers on it.
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Connor could feel his bloodlust still clawing within him for more. He could hear Vicky’s heart beating hard in her chest, and could practically taste her blood on his tongue.
He wanted that taste. He craved it like a drug to his system that had him hooked.
He stalked through the downstairs of the castle, trying desperately to cap that need, get back that control within himself that wouldn’t allow him to harm one hair on her head. It wasn’t as easy as it should have been…
“Put me the hell down…” Vicky ground out, trying to shift her hips, wiggle just a little against the hold that he had on her.
“I need…” Connor bit down on that thought…
He needed not to hurt her.
Not to take her blood.
Not to sink his fangs into her vein now when he ran the risk of bleeding her dry…
Vicky yanked her body upwards and tried to get a look at him, but all she could see was the back of his head…
The bounce and jostle of the man taking the staircase two at a time, and the height of the view told her that they were headed back to where she had just escaped from…
“Oh, hell no,” she bit out, trying to latch onto the wall with her hand as he rounded the top of the stairs and started down the long corridor…
Her fingernails tried to bit into the hard surface, but just screeched over it…
“I need to taste you…” Connor’s voice wasn’t as melodic as she’d known it to be before. There was no humour in his tone, no sign that the man who was carrying her back into the room where her magic would be banished was the same man who had taken her there before.
“Bloodlust?” Vicky knew the signs, and her heart lodged in her throat as realisation took over.
Fear gripped her. For all reasoning, this man wasn’t the same man. He wasn’t her mate now – not in any real sense of the word, and if his bloodlust was at fever pitch within him then he could end her without a thought, without conscience, without pity…
“Connor,” she tried to push up once more, snatched a look down the corridor to the end where his bedroom was, where her certain doom lay if she allowed him to take her inside…
Vicky struck hard and fast. Sending her magic out through his body and making every muscle contract. He faltered, twisted in pain, roared with the sting of a thousand imaginary knives cutting through his skin, and then he dropped to his knees, taking her with him, as they both crashed down to the stone floor…
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CHAPTER NINE
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Vicky protected her upper body from the hard impact of the fall with her hands and arms coming out in front of her. Her lower body was still against him, and his arm was locked tightly around her, maybe even tighter now that his muscles were locked in place from the sting of her magic…
She tried to break free of his hold but couldn’t, and she knew that she would have to ease up on her magic to stand any chance of getting out of his grip. It was a risk, but one that she needed to take.
Vicky released her magic. Not a little at a time, because then he would have seen it coming and been able to act on it. She snatched the power back inside of her and felt the lock around her legs ease…
She clawed away from him, using her hands against the floor to wrench her legs from his grip… Her breath caught in her throat the instant that she felt him move…
Connor spun over her, pushing up, and coming down on top of her body, turning her beneath him until he had her trapped with her back on the cold stone and her arms up above her head, the back of her hands were locked against the floor.
“No…” She ground out through clenched teeth, trying to break free once more, but once again he had her pinned.
“I – need – to – taste – your – blood.” Connor bit out, and the sight of his fangs down, his jet black eyes wide with the fever of his lust for her sent a chill into her heart that couldn’t be denied.
“I’m your mate…” she rushed out, trying to buck against the weight of his body, but knowing that would never work. “Get a damn grip…”
One hand held her hands down while his other hand fisted into her hair, shooting pain through her scalp as he dragged her head to one side, opening her neck for his fangs.
She saw his eyes flare at the sight as he stared at her vein, the hard pounding of her pulse sending her blood chasing through her body, blood that he wanted, needed, like a fire in his soul, if he even had a soul then…
“Stop – me.” Connor bit out. His lips came back in a sneer
, his fangs ready, and his eyes locked onto that vein, and all he wanted was to taste her blood…
Vicky cursed within. Sending her magic out in a hard blast that took him backwards, took her backwards with him, still joined together… and Connor’s back hit the stone floor hard as she came down on top of him…
“Hold…” Vicky’s first thought was that she was on top of him. Now was the time to bind him down to the floor… “Stiff as a board and as heavy as granite… stiff as a board and as heavy as granite…”
He roared. His hand still locked tightly around her wrists. She bit down on the pain…
“Stiff as a board and as heavy as granite… stiff as a board and as heavy as granite…”
Connor tried to move. Tried to shift his weight to be able to flip her over onto her back and taste her on his tongue, but he couldn’t move. His body felt as if he was encased in cement…
“Stop – this…” he grunted and tried to move, but she kept going, locking him in place until she was satisfied that he couldn’t move a muscles, was no threat to her…
Her magic would wear off if she didn’t keep topping it up, and she might have been trapped against him, but for now, at least, his bloodlust for her couldn’t be satisfied.
“You need to back the hell up out of this and get a grip,” She bit out, raising her upper body away from his fangs as much as she could.
“It’s – just – a – taste.” Connor bit down on each word as he tried to break free from her magic. His need was great, too great to be denied by magic.
“The hell it is, if you sink those fangs into me now you’re going to drain me dry.”
“Let’s test – that theory,” he grunted as he thrashed against the invisible bonds that bound him, but his body made no movement beneath hers.
“Let’s not. Now that you’ve killed Vane, I’d kind of like to have a life,” she shot back, feeling his hand ease slightly against her wrist and knowing that her magic was starting to wear off from his body.
