THE IMMORTAL: A Novel of the Breedline series

by Shana Congrove

  Renshaw looked up and found the Beast looming over him with a hungry expression in his eyes. He covered his head with his arms, afraid to watch... afraid of becoming the Beast’s next meal.

  Someone yelled, “Jace! Stop!”

  The Beast’s head whipped around as his twin brother’s voice traveled from the other side of the gates. Then his attention shifted to Drakon and Lawrence as they stepped out of the SUV. Roman stood back, anxiously waiting to be the one to witness Ethan Renshaw as he finally met his maker, and this time for good.

  “I’ll distract Jace,” Drakon said to Lawrence. “You get Renshaw out of the way.”

  The Beast turned toward Drakon and positioned itself in an attack stance. The muscles in its legs quivered, waiting for Drakon to make a move.

  Drakon took a step forward as Lawrence readied himself to grab Renshaw.

  The Beast crouched lower and snapped its jaws.

  Jem shot around the corner. “Drakon, stand back!”

  When Drakon stopped moving, the Beast looked toward Jem.

  “Brother,” Jem murmured with his hand outstretched, “it’s me. Jem.”

  The Beast’s eyes narrowed and its lips curled up into a snarl.

  “Everything is okay, brother.” Jem used his telepathic voice as he approached the Beast slowly, hoping he could get to his brother and talk him down. He knew Jace was in there somewhere.

  The Beast heaved in a big breath and then eyed Renshaw once again.

  “Look at me, brother,” Jem said in a low voice. “He’s not going to be a threat to you, to me, or anyone else ever again.”

  In that moment of distraction, Renshaw made a move for another weapon he had tucked behind his back. Before he could fire a shot, the Beast lunged at him.

  Jem and the others immediately ducked.

  The sound of the Beast’s thunderous roar went silent as he took Renshaw’s head between his jaws.

  Jem turned away from the horrible killing, cringing at the sounds of flesh torn and bones crunching.

  Moments later, Jem felt something nudge at his arm. The Beast was pushing at him with its wolfish paw.

  Jem looked up into the Beast’s glowing eyes and sagged in relief. “It’s okay, brother,” he said. “Now, bring Jace back.”

  The Beast heaved a deep breath and dropped to its knees. There was a flash of light and then Jace appeared in his human form. Before Jem could reach him, Jace pitched forward and collapsed on the ground.

  Jem shrugged out of his jacket and covered Jace’s naked body as Drakon, Lawrence, and Roman rushed over.

  “Jem...” Jace called out in a weak voice.

  “Don’t worry, brother. I’m right here. Everyone is going to be fine.”

  Jem looked up from Jace’s body and focused on the others. “I’ll take him back to the Covenant while you guys wrap things up here.”

  “I’m guessing there’s no one left alive inside Scarpelli’s estate, am I right?” Drakon asked Jem.

  “Yep,” Jem replied. “After Vincent Scarpelli shot me, Jace went ballistic. Be warned before you go inside. It’s not a pretty sight.”

  “It’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” Lawrence chimed in.

  Before Jem summoned a portal, Roman knelt down beside Jace and said, “Thanks for saving our ass.” He patted Jace’s shoulder. “But I’ve got to say this.” He chuckled a little. “That thing you turn into. That’s one ugly son of a bitch.”

  Jace smirked in triumph. “You only wish you could be as great.”

  “Yeah, you said that right.” Roman stood up. “I owe you one, buddy.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Jace said, heaving a deep breath. “It’s what I do.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  As Helen pushed her way into Detective Manuel Sanchez’s hospital room, a nurse standing next to his bedside looked up. “Hello, Dr. Carrington.”

  Helen smiled at her. “Nurse Kathryn, how’s our patient?”

  “Stubborn as hell,” the nurse replied. Her mouth curved and her blue eyes sparkled as she winked at Manuel. “Other than that, he’s patched up and ready to go.”

  Manuel’s cheeks and neck suddenly appeared flushed.

  “That’s good to hear,” Helen said. She moved to the opposite side of Manuel and put her hand on his shoulder. “I just examined your partner in crime. It looks like Detective Perkins is going to make a full recovery.”

  Manuel eased back against the pillow, seemingly relieved to hear the news of his partner’s condition.

  “What about the bastard that put this hole in my arm,” Manuel grumbled, getting straight to the point. “Please tell me he didn’t kick the bucket. He’s my only witness to whoever put out a hit on me.”

  Helen cocked a brow. “I’m sorry to say, Mr. Caruso took a turn for the worse. I know I’m not supposed to give out this information, but considering the situation and everything we’re dealing with, I’m going to bend the rules here. I trust you’ll keep this confidential.” When Manuel nodded, Helen’s tone was grim as she continued, “We’ve got him in ICU on a ventilator. I don’t expect him to make it through the night.”

  “Shit,” Manuel cursed low. “Have you heard back from Tim?”

  Helen looked up at Nurse Kathryn and said, “Kathryn, will you please excuse us. I need to speak with Detective Sanchez in private.”

  Kathryn nodded. “Of course, Dr. Carrington.” She reached out and lightly patted Manuel’s hand. “I’ll get your release forms ready, Detective.”

  Manuel’s face bloomed again. “Th-thank you, Kathryn.”

  Helen noticed that Manuel’s eyes never left the nurse as she exited the room, her long braided hair swaying gently. Not to mention his reaction to her touch.

  “Detective Sanchez,” Helen said with the biggest grin on her face. “I think Nurse Kathryn is a little sweet on you.”

  Manuel took his eyes off the door and refocused them on Helen. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  Helen chuckled. “She’s single. I can get her number if you like. I’m sure she’d be thrilled if you asked her out on a date.”

  His brows furrowed in confusion. “Who?” he mumbled. “What?”

  “I was talking about Nurse Kathryn,” Helen raised her voice a little. “I think you should definitely ask her out.”

  Manuel’s face turned three shades of red. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep this conversation professional and get back to my question.”

  “Whatever you say, Detective.” Helen snickered under her breath. “But if you change your mind, just let me know.”

  “About Tim Ross,” Manuel said firmly, changing the subject. “Have you heard from him?”

  Helen’s expression dropped. “Unfortunately, no,” she sighed. “But I did hear from Tessa.”

  “So, what did she say? Did they find Jimmy Fratianno?”

  “Tim sent Drakon and four others to Mr. Fratianno’s hideout. Apparently they were apprehended by a group of bad guys,” Helen told him. “To make a long story short, they pissed off Jace. He turned into his Beast, and everything went to hell.”

  Manuel shook his head. “Did they manage to catch Jimmy?”

  “Yeah, they got him alright. The parts of him that were left.”

  “Shit,” Manuel gritted out. “I take it Jimmy’s rogue wolf was no match for Jace’s beast.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Detective.” Helen crossed her arms. “They’ve got everything covered.”

  “What about the bodies?”

  “As I said, Detective...” Helen briefly paused, her lips forming into a slight smile. “...they’ve got it covered.”

  In frustration, Manuel rubbed his eyes and groaned. “So what you’re saying is it’s out of my hands, right?”

  “No, Detective. That’s not what I’m saying. Right now, you and Detective Perkins need to take a day or two and rest. You need to heal. Let them take care of things in the meantime.” Then she tacked on, “Doctor’s orders.”

  “I think I
’ll take you up on that,” Manuel said.

  “You mean you’re actually going to take my advice and rest?”

  “No,” he simply said. “I was referring to the nurse’s phone number.”

  Helen shot Manuel a look. “You got it, Detective. Oh,” she went on, “before I leave, I wanted to tell you that I had Ms. McCain transported to the Covenant. She’s not safe here.”

  Manuel looked at Helen in question. “Why in the hell wasn’t I informed?”

  Helen held up her hand in a reassuring gesture. “Calm down, Detective. There was no time. The creature somehow got into her room last night. We thought it best to get her out of the hospital as soon as possible.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “Jena is fine, Detective. She’s just a little shaken up.”

  “How in the hell did it get past the guards?”

  “That’s a good question. So far, we think the creature has the ability to transform into a fog-like substance. If so, it’s possible it could have gotten through the vents.”

  “Shit,” Manuel grumbled. “You mean to tell me we are chasing after a creature that not only can shift into a werewolf, the damn thing can make itself change into fog?”

  “Sorry, Detective. But that’s the only explanation I can come up with.”

  “How is Tim going to keep this thing from getting into the Covenant?”

  Helen shook her head. “I don’t know, Detective. At least we’ll be able to contain Ms. McCain in the Covenant. It won’t be long, and she’ll be a threat to humans.”

  He heaved a deep breath. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Helen. Thanks for letting me know. Sorry I barked at you.”

  “You’re welcome, Detective, and don’t worry about it. I know you’re just concerned about Ms. McCain’s safety. As soon as Nurse Kathryn gets your release forms ready, you’re free to check out.”

  “What about Perkins?” Manuel asked. “How long before he gets out?”

  “If his vital signs continue to improve,” Helen said as she headed to the door, “he should be good to go tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Has anyone called his wife, Missy?”

  “As a matter of fact, she came to see him as I was leaving his room.”

  “Thanks, Helen. You’re a damn good doctor.”

  “Why thank you, Detective.” She opened the door. “I’ll have Tim give you a call.”

  Before she stepped out of the room, Manuel said, “Uh, Helen,” he briefly paused, “about that nurse. Is she a—”

  “Breedline?” Helen finished his question before he could get the words out.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I was just curious. I mean, in case I had to keep all this stuff a secret.”

  “She’s just like you.” Helen smiled. “Kathryn was born with the Breedline genetics, but she does not have an identical twin.”

  He nodded. “Thanks, Helen.”

  “You’re welcome, Detective.”

  * * *

  As Tessa escorted Tara back to her room, so many questions plagued her mind. How did the creature find its way into the Covenant? And why didn’t it kill Tara like it did her boyfriend? Was it true what it had told her? That she wasn’t human.

  After Tara carefully got back into bed, she eased her head against the pillow and asked Tessa, “How old is your son?”

  “Jax and his twin brother Jem turned a year old on Groundhog Day.”

  Tara’s eyes widened. “You have twins?”

  Tessa brushed Jax’s hair back, tucking it behind his ear. “Yes, and they’re identical.”

  “He’s adorable.” Tara’s eyes softened. “You and your husband must feel very lucky to have such beautiful children, and so well behaved.”

  “Oh, we are truly blessed.” Tessa smiled a little. “But this one here,” she dropped a kiss on the side of Jax’s cheek, “he can be a little ornery at times.”

  Jax crinkled his nose, stuck his tongue out, and blew a raspberry.

  Both Tessa and Tara laughed. Then their attention went to the sound of a light knock coming from the door. Seconds later, a familiar voice called out, “Ms. Hood, it’s Tim Ross. May I come in?”

  “Yes,” Tara replied. “It’s open.”

  When the door opened, Tessa turned to meet Tim as he stepped inside the room. Jax smiled ear to ear and extended his hands.

  “Hey, little guy.” Tim smiled back and tentatively reached for Jax, taking him from Tessa. He hugged Jax close, giving him a light squeeze. “What are you doing up so late?”

  Jax placed his thumb in his mouth, a habit he’d recently adopted.

  “He’s been up for hours,” Tessa said, releasing a long sigh.

  “Where’s his brother?” Tim asked.

  Tessa cocked a brow at Jax. “He’s sleeping like a baby.”

  Tim shifted Jax in his arms. “Are you keeping your mama up late?”

  Jax grinned around his thumb, and Tim chuckled. “Well, I hope I’m not intruding,” he said, his eyes meeting Tessa, and then Tara. “I came by to check on our guest and heard voices.” He moved next to Tara’s bedside and smiled down at her. “I was just making sure you were all right, Miss Hood.”

  “Please, call me Tara,” she told him.

  “Tara, this is Tim Ross,” Tessa introduced them. “He’s a close friend of mine and he helps me take care of this place.”

  Tim repositioned Jax and offered his hand to Tara. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tara. I hope you’re comfortable here.”

  Tara took his hand, and said, “It’s nice to meet you, too. And yes, everyone has been so nice to me.”

  “Good to hear,” Tim said, and then turned to Tessa. “So, what are you doing here at this hour? Is there something I should be aware of?”

  “The reason I’m here is that...” Tessa hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out the easiest way to tell Tim about Tara’s recent incident. She knew this was going to put the Covenant on high alert. “The creature tried to attack Tara here in the Covenant.”

  Tim’s eyes rounded. “What?” He shifted his eyes away from Tessa and focused them on Tara. “When did this happen?”

  “Just moments ago,” Tara told him.

  Tim heaved a deep breath. “Are you all right?”

  “I-I’m fine,” Tara nervously said as the images of the terrifying ordeal came crashing back. “Just startled, that’s all.”

  “Do you think the creature could have followed Jena back here?” Tessa asked Tim.

  “Who’s Jena?” Tara interrupted.

  “She’s the survivor from the cemetery attack,” Tessa told her. “I’m sure you’ve heard about it on the news. She’s coming here to stay with us for her protection.”

  Tim’s hold tightened around Jax. “It’s a possibility the creature has some kind of link to Jena. We are going to have to beef up security, and I want everyone to report to a meeting first thing in the morning, before breakfast. I’ll send everyone a text.” Then he asked, “Have you heard from Helen?”

  “I spoke with her earlier,” Tessa replied. “She’d just got out of surgery. Both Detective Sanchez and Detective Perkins are doing fine. And I gave her permission to inform them about the situation with the Scarpelli thing.” She cocked a brow, not wanting to say anything further in front of Tara.

  Tim nodded an understanding. “Thank you, Tessa.”

  Tara cleared her throat, catching their attention, and then said, “Tim, why are you doing all this for me? I mean, you don’t really owe me anything, and you hardly know me. No one here knows anything about me.”

  Tim frowned. Because you are human, and you wouldn’t make it a day without our help, he thought.

  Keeping that to himself, he leaned over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Because, Tara, we care about your safety and the safety of our family.”

  “But—”

  “Just let us help you, Tara. And don’t worry about a thing.” He pulled back his hand and straightened. “I know you have a lot of unanswered questions. Consid
ering the circumstances, it’s perfectly understandable.”

  Tessa reached for Jax and whispered, “Come to Mommy, sweetheart.”

  He disentangled himself from Tim’s grasp and reached for Tessa.

  “There you go, buddy,” Tim said as he placed Jax in her arms.

  “Look, Tara, I have to go meet with my security,” Tim said. “But I assure you, we will do our best to answer all your questions tomorrow after our meeting. Until then, you get some rest. I will post two guards outside your door twenty-four seven.”

  “Thank you,” Tara whispered, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

  Tessa patted her hand. “Get some rest, Tara. I’ll check on you first thing in the morning.”

  As they shut the door behind them, leaving Tara to get some rest, Tessa said, “We need to have Helen run a DNA test on Tara.”

  Tim’s brows furrowed. “Why’s that?”

  “Tara had mentioned something rather strange. She said the creature told her she wasn’t human.”

  “You think that’s why he didn’t kill her?”

  Tessa shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe.”

  “And she didn’t say anything about what we are?”

  “No, nothing.” Tessa shook her head. “As far as Tara thinks, we’re human.”

  “Have Helen do a DNA test as soon as she returns. It’s a possibility Tara was born with the Breedline genetics without her knowledge,” he said.

  “Mama,” Jax mumbled around a noisy yawn.

  Tim looked down to see Jax rubbing his eyes.

  “I think it’s way past someone’s bedtime,” Tim said, chuckling lightly.

  Tessa stroked Jax’s blond curls and pressed a kiss to his head. “Let’s get you back to bed, sweetheart.”

  Jax pulled away from Tessa and glanced over at Tim. “Night-night,” he murmured, waving his hand.

  “Good night, little guy.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Tim,” Tessa said, cuddling Jax in her arms.

  “Good night, Tessa.”

  When they left, Tim buried his face in his hands, briefly giving in to the crushing despair that hovered over him like the darkest cloud. What in the hell were they going to do? How was he going to keep everyone in the Covenant safe? They depended on him, and not knowing how to destroy the creature was eating a hole in his stomach. Whatever he had to do to keep his family safe, he was willing to do, even if it killed him.