But the female vamp wasn't looking at Oliver. She was staring right at Rebecca with her blood red eyes.
“You, get up.”
Rebecca narrowed her eyes in defiance.
“I said, get up, Rebecca.” Her voice was calm, but cold.
Rebecca shook her head.
The vamp bared her fangs and hissed. “I could drink you dry, right now.”
“And I could kick your skinny ass, right now,” Rebecca retorted.
The vamp moved so fast she was just a blur. Rebecca felt sharp nails digging into her neck. “Move it, slut!”
“Slut?” Rebecca choked. “You...calling me....?”
“Yes. Slut. Aren't you the little stripper?”
Rebecca winced. That was the one thing she hadn't told Oliver. But she couldn't worry about that now.
“Now, are you going to walk out, or do I have to drag you out?”
Rebecca got shakily to her feet.
“Aw,” the vamp said in mock disappointment. “I was so looking forward to dragging you out by your hair.”
Rebecca walked out the door without a backward glance at Oliver. She knew the vamp was taking her to Phin. The vamps hadn't touched her, hadn't taken a single drop of her blood. They hadn't taken her here as food. She had been misted here as a reward for Phin.
She heard the door slam behind her. The female vamp led her through another door and down a dim corridor. As they walked, Rebecca turned her head to the side and asked quietly, “What is Phin doing with you guys? He's just a useless human. A scumbag.”
The vamp raked one hand through her spiky hair and let out a bitter laugh. “Tell me about it. But—the Master seems to think he has a useful talent.”
“Talent? You are kidding, right?”
The vampire's grip seemed to loosen around her arm. “He claims that he can see through a bear Enforcer's eyes, and the Master believes him.”
A thought struck her, and it made her sick to the stomach.
When she gazed into Levi's eyes, had she been staring straight at...Phin? And he had seen her, seen her body! She had bared her body, her breasts for Levi. What happened between Levi and her had been beautiful and real. But knowing that Phin had been leering at her through Levi's eyes made everything ugly and wrong.
That sick, sick bastard!
“Yes. Remote viewing. Some witches can do that,” the vamp went on in a bored tone.
“Phin is not a witch,” Rebecca said numbly.
The vamp gave a short laugh. “He may not be a pretty face, but he sure knows how to suck up to the Master.”
Rebecca stopped suddenly. “Are you...taking me to the Master?”
The vamp didn't reply.
“P-please...don't...”
“Just keep moving.” The female vampire shoved Rebecca forward. “Just do as you're told,” she added in a gentler tone.
“He's going to kill me,” Rebecca whispered as she stumbled along the narrow corridor.
“Not the Master,” the vamp replied dispassionately. “The Master doesn't need your blood. He has his own source.”
The vamp's words began to sink in.
“Not the Master,” Rebecca repeated.
They stopped in front of a steel door. Rebecca whirled round to face the female vampire.
“The Master will let Phin kill me, as a reward for his remote viewing services. Am I right?”
The vamp's red eyes darted to the side. “I've nothing against you,” she muttered.
“Please don't hurt Oliver. That's his name. That young man in the room. He's innocent and kind, and I'm sure you've got nothing against him either. If you need blood, go to the blood bars. Don't torture and kill innocent humans. That's not the way to be a vamp. I know, why should you listen to the mad ramblings of a dying woman?” Rebecca smiled sadly. “It's because I know I'm standing at death's door, literally, that I am not afraid to tell the truth. You are going to live a long, long time as a vampire. Make your life worthwhile. I am going to die tonight, but I'll die happy if I know that Oliver will make it out alive, and that you will be a fine, good vampire. Everyone makes mistakes. You have...time, and you still have the chance to make things right. I don't. My mistake was Phin Lester, and it cost me my life. Don't be like me,” she whispered and turned to face the door.
The vamp turned the lock and just before she pushed the door open, Rebecca heard her say very quietly, “My name's Amelia.”
“Goodbye, Amelia,” Rebecca whispered.
“Goodbye, Rebecca.” A pause. “Die happy.”
Rebecca started. She threw a sidelong glance at Amelia and saw her nod ever so slightly.
A slow smile spread across Rebecca's face. She held her head high, and stepped into the room.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Phin was standing in the middle of the room, his back to the door. The flickering light bulb threw flashes of light intermittently across his shirtless body, making the scars on his back and arms gleam eerily in the dim light.
The door closed soundlessly behind her, and Rebecca inched towards a wall, trying to put as much distance between Phin and herself as possible. There was someone else in the room, someone standing in the far corner, watching them.
“Hey you,” she called out. “Why don't you show yourself? You're the Master vamp, aren't you? So why are you hiding in a corner?”
There was a low chuckle. “Mouthy one you have there, Phin.”
“Shut the hell up, slut! Don't talk to the Master,” Phin spat.
“Or what? What you gonna do, Phin? What can you do to me that you haven't already done?” she smirked. “Beat me? Check. Burn me? Check. Bash my head in? Check.” She ticked off the items on her fingers. “Kill me? Check. You did put me in a coma. I was like brain dead, so now, I'm just the walking dead. Oh wait, the walking dead is over there. In the corner.”
Phin seemed to suck in a breath at her show of blatant disrespect towards the Master. “How dare you!” He lurched towards her and pressed his knife against her cheek. “How care you talk to the Master like that!”
“Like what?” she gritted out.
“Like you're so fucking smart or something!”
She laughed. “I am fucking smart, compared to you. Anybody is fucking smart, compared to a dirt bag like you!”
He roared and slashed down her face. Rebecca let out a small cry and her hand flew to her cheek. She could feel blood oozing from the gash in her cheek, but she refused to make another sound of pain.
“Mmmm, blood.” She stretched her bloodied palm out towards the shadowy figure in the corner. “You sure you don't want a drink? You're letting him waste good blood here.”
That seemed to stop Phin in his tracks. She saw his slitty eyes dart towards the Master, as if asking for permission to continue.
She was right. He was a grovelling, cowardly little shit.
But the coward had the backing of a Master vampire. There was just no way she could escape.
Rebecca had no doubt that she would die in this room. She would die in a few days, in a few hours, or in a couple of minutes, depending on how the Master allowed Phin to go about it. She didn't want to die scared. She had been scared all her life. She would die...happy.
She was going to have her fun with Phin.
He couldn't get to her anymore. But she could certainly get to him.
“Come on,” she goaded him. “Let's finish this. Kill me—before I kill you, you piece of shit. Oh yes, I can and I will kill you.”
At this, Phin gave her an ugly smile. “No you can't, Rebecca. You can't kill me. I'm not your regular human.”
Rebecca gave a derisive snort. “Yeah right.”
“Look at me!” he screamed at her. “Look at all these scars. That demon lord did this to me. And he made me drink his blood. I drank the blood of the demon Lord of Beasts and Bloodshed. Know what that did to me?”
“It made you stupid, I mean, stupider,” she deadpanned.
“You really don't know who you're dealing wit
h, do you, slut?”
She shrugged and rolled her eyes.
“I can now see, through the eyes of a beast,” he hissed, almost theatrically. “I can see through your bear's eyes. I saw what he did to you, how you got all naked and wet for him. I saw everything that happened at the PAC meeting. Everything.” He stretched out the last word and licked his lips.
Rebecca staggered back a step.
That female vampire, Amelia, had told her the truth. Oliver had tried to warn her as well. Phin really could see everything through Levi's eyes. He would know everything about the PAC, the Enforcers, their plans and strategies. He would inform the Master, and that was how the Master managed to stay one step ahead of the PAC. He would never be caught.
Levi would unwittingly continue to be their eyes, giving them access to the workings of the Council. If Levi knew that he was being used as a spy for a rogue Master vampire, he would gouge his own eyes out with his claws.
He would rather be blind, than to betray the PAC.
“Phin Lester,” she snarled, balling her fists and advancing towards him. “You monster!” He had abused and tormented her, and now he was using Levi and tormenting an upright, courageous Enforcer, turning him into a spy without his knowledge.
“I will kill you,” she said. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.
“The Master will never allow you to do that. He needs me. He needs my eyes. And he needs your bear's eyes.” Phin chortled. “Being dragged to the demon lord turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Rebecca shook her head. If she didn't hate him so much, she might have pitied him.
“What happened to that blood demoness anyway? The one that took me to that demon lord?” Phin mused.
Rebecca had often wondered the same thing. She could remember the demoness's face clearly. Her brilliant green eyes had stared straight at Rebecca, taking in her horrific injuries as she plunged her sharp, serrated fangs into Phin's neck and teleported him away from Rebecca's kitchen. Rebecca had been sent to the hospital by her neighbors, and she had tried to give a description of the demoness to the police. At that time, she had mistaken the demoness for a vampire. But now she knew that blood demons had long, jagged fangs and there were the telltale red swirls at the corners of their eyes.
Rebecca shook her head at Phin, her mouth curling into a sneer. “You think you are indispensable to your Master? No one is indispensable. He'll get rid of you in a heartbeat, once he's done with you.”
Phin shot a nervous look towards the Master. “No one can replace me,” he said, but he didn't sound so confident.
“The Master has the power to turn the humans he trusts into vampires. Why didn't he turn you?” she asked with a snide smile. “Clearly he doesn't trust you. Or he doesn't like you very much.”
She heard a deep, low laugh rumble from the corner.
“I think I'll make a far better spy for the Master than you, Phin,” she pressed her advantage, and licked the blood off her fingers.
“Mmmm.” She smacked her lips appreciatively. “In fact, I think I'll make a fantastic vampire.”
“He'll never turn you, you slut!” Phin yelled and charged at her.
Rebecca tried to duck out of the way as Phin held his knife out and slashed wildly. His knife sliced through the sleeve of her jacket, and Rebecca grimaced at the shallow cut in her arm. She hoped that this wasn't Oliver's favorite jacket.
She clutched her arm and scrambled up in time to see Phin take aim and throw the knife at her. The silver blade flew soundlessly through the air, straight towards her heart. She didn't even have time to scream. The silver winked in the dark as the knife hurtled towards her.
Just before the blade pierced her flesh, she glimpsed a sudden movement in the corner. Then the knife stopped spinning through the air.
It just froze, suspended in the air, the sharp point just an inch from her chest.
Rebecca exhaled very slowly, and the knife clattered to the ground.
With a gulp, she flicked her eyes to the Master. His hand was still raised, and when he twirled his fingers, the knife rose from the ground and flew to his palm. He pocketed the knife and folded his arms.
“She is unarmed, and undressed,” the Master observed wryly. “All she has on is this torn jacket. Seems rather unfair that you have a weapon, Phin, when she doesn't even have any shoes on.”
Rebecca was tempted to call out her thanks but she held her tongue. The Master wasn't helping her. He was playing with her. And he was playing Phin.
A sudden thought struck her.
She could play Phin as well. As long as she kept him occupied, he would stay out of Levi's head.
He couldn't do his damn remote viewing or whatever evil thing it was he did. He couldn't use Levi's eyes to see, if all he was seeing was her. She would make him see red.
Trying not to grimace, she slowly undid the buttons on her jacket.
She knew what she had to do. She had to distract them, amuse them, keep their minds and eyes on her. She was a stripper. She knew exactly how to do that.
She let the jacket slide from her shoulders very slowly, revealing her bare skin inch by tantalizing inch.
Finally, the jacket pooled at her feet and she stepped gracefully to the side. She put a hand on her hip, presenting her utterly naked body to Phin and the Master.
She felt their eyes on her body, and she tried her best not to shudder. She had to keep them occupied, keep them entertained, so they would forget about Levi and the PAC for a while. She would buy Levi some time, hopefully a few hours.
A few hours would give the PAC time to come up with a concrete plan without the Master and his vamps knowing about it. Levi would be able to accomplish a lot in just a few hours.
He was a bear shifter, and she knew bears could cover miles of terrain in a short time. They had strength and stamina, and a great sense of smell. Hopefully, he would be able to locate Oliver and her by then. If not...
She'd tried her best.
She had no regrets. She would die happy.
Rebecca glanced down at Phin's dirty jeans. She could taste bile at the back of her throat when she saw the growing bulge in his pants. Clenching her fists, she tried to tamp down her disgust and revulsion. She could do this.
For Levi, she would do anything.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The PAC members rushed down to the lobby as soon as they got the call from Stanley, the security guard on duty. He'd reported that a vampire had just misted into the PAC Headquarters, holding a bleeding and dazed human by the scruff of his neck. And the human's neck was in pretty bad shape.
Enforcers surrounded the spiky haired female vamp. Levi stepped forward and took a sharp breath. He recognized the young man's scent. He had smelled his blood on the walls of Club Mate.
“Are you Oliver Woods?” he asked.
The man raised his head. “Y-yes. I'm Oliver.”
“Release him,” Jett ordered the female vamp.
“That's what I came to do,” she said. “But first, listen to me. Don't interrupt. I have very little time. And...time is running out for her as well.”
Lucas nodded. “Speak.”
“My Master has taken a human woman to be tortured and killed by Phin Lester. Phin is my Master's weapon, or...pet, if you like.” She made a face. Her bloodshot eyes darted round the circle of Enforcers. “Which one of you is Levi Madden?” she asked suddenly.
Levi stepped forward.
The vamp backed away and hissed, “Close your eyes! Close your eyes now!”
Levi frowned, but Lucas said evenly, “Do as she says, Levi.”
Levi obeyed the Alpha, and he heard the vamp exhale a shuddering breath. “He can see. Phin Lester can see through Levi's eyes. I'm not sure how. He said it's because of some demon blood he ingested. He can see what Levi sees. That's how my Master knows what the PAC and the Enforcers are doing.”
Levi forced his eyes to remain closed, but his claws were out. “The bastard!”
>
“How do we know you're telling the truth?” Blake demanded. “You just said that a scumbag is using my cousin's eyes to spy on the PAC, and we're supposed to believe you?”
“I'm telling the truth, and I don't have much time. Believe what you will, do what you must. But my Master has taken a human woman to be tortured and killed by Phin. Time is running out for her. I...I have to go soon, before my Master discovers...” she stuttered and stared around, the panic showing in her eyes.
“What is the woman's name?” Levi shouted. “And somebody, get me a damn blindfold!”
“Rebecca.”
Levi's entire body started to shake with the effort of keeping his eyes closed. He reached out and grabbed the vampire's arm. “Take me to her!” he roared.
“I...can't...”
“We will protect you,” Jett swore. “You don't have to fear your Master. You are now under the protection of the PAC. What's your name?”
She hesitated. “Amelia. Amelia Jones.”
“Amelia, can you mist Levi to Rebecca? As a new vampire, you might not be able to mist Levi on your own. He is a big bear.” Lucas allowed Amelia to see his good humor and his trust in her. “Glenn Constantine is a Master vampire and he will go with you. The vampire Enforcers will be able to follow you, and they'll mist the rest of us to where you are. You'll be safe, Amelia. You did the right thing.” There was pride and approval in Lucas's voice.
Levi felt Glenn's firm hand on his shoulder. Someone snapped a sleeping mask over his eyes, and it felt like the soft, silky ones worn by passengers on long haul flights.
“Come, Amelia, hold my hand,” Glenn said encouragingly. “I'll leave a trail so the vampire Enforcers can follow us easily. Let's go, Amelia. That's right. We'll mist Levi together. On the count of three—one, two...”
Levi felt as though someone had pulled a rug out from under his feet. He started to fall, and he instinctively put his hands out. But he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't feel the air rushing against his skin, no wind, no sound, nothing. It felt as though he was just tumbling headlong into a void.
Wild Mate: BBW Bear Shifter Romance Page 8
