by J. A. Saare
When Disco opened the mark between us, it allowed us to share not only physical strength, but emotions. No longer were we individuals who were separate and divided. The bond of a familiar and their master created a union that was perfect in all ways. It was how Disco knew how I felt about him despite my fear to say it aloud. He could sense everything I couldn’t formulate verbally, and I could anticipate his moods prior to his taking action upon them. He could close the mark at will, but when we were intimate, or when he wanted to convey just how important I was to him, he allowed the gates to open wide, granting us the freedom to bask in the unspoken glory of how special our relationship was.
The mark between Paine and I, while different than the one I shared with Disco, was equally powerful—if not alarmingly more so. I wasn’t sure if it was because so much time had passed and he was now older and therefore more formidable, or if he had been stronger than Disco and I was blissfully unaware of it until now. Either way, his power and presence surrounded me like an imperceptible blanket, permeating my soul until the link settled into place, and I could feel just how livid, concerned and anxious he was.
Yet it wasn’t the emotions that I should have been most concerned with that washed over me, causing my heart to stammer and my breath to catch. It was the one that I felt above all others that jolted me into an alarming awareness of the bond, forcing me to see what I had remained entirely oblivious to for God knows how damned long.
Love.
Before I could dwell on the significance of what I’d learned, Victoria was whispering into my ear, “Mindless savages, that’s all they are. What were once God’s protectors of men have become nothing more than animals. It’s a shame. When they’re not furry and repulsive, they make excellent lovers.” She smiled at me, voice pleasant and unchanging. “I’m certain Paine is excellent in bed, but if you’ve never had a wolf…” She leveled me with a look that made my stomach churn. “Do you like to be fucked good and hard?”
The question should—and would—have been offensive if she’d asked the average person, but since I worked as a bartender in a strip club back in my time, it didn’t even scratch the surface. There wasn’t much anyone could say that could shock me. For a blissful moment, I felt like I was back at The Black Panther Lounge, facing a drunk who hoped if he treated me extra special, he might get into my pants.
“Like a bastard nail,” I said while I thought to myself, straight into a fucking coffin.
“No, really.” Her smile reminded me of the Cheshire Cat—laughable to children and horrific to adults who knew better. “If you’re interested, I’m sure I can arrange something. Paine has had you to himself all day, and I can tell he’s not cemented your union. You must be dying for sexual release.”
Thinking fast on my feet, I gave her a smile as fake as the silicone breasts the dancers at the BP financed like used cars. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m still suffering from jetlag.”
She shrugged and turned away. “Look at them,” she mused as one of the werewolves bit into the shoulder of the other and removed a sizeable portion of flesh, revealing a disturbing flash of bone. “For all of their stupidity, they are exceptional in their violence.”
“Why are they fighting each other?” I recalled how close the pack was at Carter’s compound. Even though there was a traitor in their midst, there appeared to be a very strong connection between them. Nothing at all like what I was witnessing at the moment.
Victoria laughed, and my skin crawled at the lyrical sound coming from something so evil. “Leave it to someone like you to question the why of it.”
She pointed to the left and her long, lacquered nail flashed vermillion as it caught the light from the sconce. “We caught that one when he came sniffing around the kennels.” She pointed to the right, wriggling her finger. “And that one lost his female when the guards got involved. Needless to say, they’ve wanted a piece of each other for quite some time.”
“Kennels?” I echoed hoarsely, feeling sick. “You keep them caged?”
“Some of them, yes.” She sounded bored. “Those who have become familiars are allowed certain privileges, but they are the rare exception. We can’t have strays running around.” When I didn’t respond, she gave me her undivided attention, and I realized that from here on in her focus was something I wanted to avoid like the plague. “What did you expect? They are animals.”
“They’re also people,” I corrected before I questioned the sanity of speaking.
She moved faster than I could see, grasped my chin in her fingers, and lowered her head until we were nose to nose. It wasn’t a painful hold, but being so close to her caused my heart to skip.
“They are whatever I say they are.”
She didn’t bother waiting for my affirmation, releasing me just as quickly as she’d snatched me up. I resisted the natural impulse to rub the area she’d touched, wanting to wash away the feel of her fingers and the tips of her long nails against my skin.
The shuffling noises behind us provided a distraction from the bloody fight taking place only a few feet in front of me. I angled my head slightly, peering at the commotion from the corner of my eye. Paine was trying to force his way past the guards surrounding him. He met my gaze, and I quickly turned away, unnerved by the emotions I’d perceived earlier, combined with what I now recognized in the pools of shimmering onyx aimed in my direction.
“Victoria,” Paine said in a low, ominous warning, his anger unmistakable. “If you don’t tell your harem to get the fuck out of my way, you won’t be getting any of them back in one piece.”
“Men.” Victoria huffed and rolled her eyes. “One whiff of the pussy they’re after, and they can’t stop chasing the tail.” She ran her tongue along her top teeth, focused on a tipped canine, and looked at me in a manner that made me want to shrivel into the chair and disappear. “I can’t say I blame them. It’s not often that you find fresh meat.”
Another fast snap of her fingers, and I heard another slight shuffling of people at my back. I felt Paine’s long, cool fingers tickling the curve of my throat just before his hand cupped the base of my neck, his palm resting against the steady throb of my pulse. Once, that touch would have been steadying, reassuring, keeping me grounded. In light of my recent enlightenment, the caress felt aggressive, deliberate—possessive. He moved in close, until I felt his legs brush my shoulders. His scent was a combination of leather, soap and smoke from the club.
“I told you not to bring them into my club.” The anger was absent from his voice—which made his mood impossible to read for the average person—although I was able to perceive it through our connection.
“You’re overestimating your importance.” Victoria didn’t look at Paine, keeping her face forward. “You don’t tell me anything.”
A heavy silence followed, but I felt a substantial amount of comfort in Paine’s presence. The fighting continued—violent, vicious and unnecessary. The vampires studied the Lycae as they laughed and spoke with each other, oblivious and uncaring of just how macabre the scene truly was.
“So,” Victoria said casually and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Have you spoken to your pet yet? Have you told her what’s expected of her now that she’s arrived?”
His fingers went tense around my neck. “No.”
Victoria didn’t turn away from the carnage in front of her. “And why is that?”
Paine’s livid growl was almost as intense as the ones coming from the clashing werewolves. “I haven’t had the opportunity.”
Victoria sighed and turned to look at me. “I suppose he’s wanted to make up for lost time, or perhaps he’s still trying to lure you into his bed.” At my stunned expression, she laughed. “Oh yes, I’m very aware of how your former master died, and of the connection you shared. It’s not easy to overcome such a loss, which is understandable. However, now that you’re here, there’s no better time to discuss wh
at you’re going to do for me, necromancer.”
“She needs time—”
“Interrupt me again,” Victoria said and glanced past me, “and I’ll remove her from your care.”
Paine’s silence spoke volumes. The power this crazed she-demon wielded was more than even he could face. An involuntary shiver coursed down my spine, and Paine’s fingers became gentle as they caressed my nape.
It took every ounce of my self-control not to say something snarky when Victoria informed me, “I have a problem.”
Problem? More like problems. That’s plural, bitch.
Paine’s continued silence told me I wasn’t in charge. I had to walk the line and engage the deranged and unstable woman in conversation. “What kind of problem?”
“A poltergeist has taken residence in a location I want. I’ve discussed it with Ethan, and he’s informed me that you are more than capable of removing the entity from the premises.”
I hesitated. If Goose couldn’t handle it, how the hell could I?
“He couldn’t do it himself?”
“No.” Victoria snickered. “The only time he tried, he got his ass handed to him on a silver platter. He was black and blue for days.”
Poltergeists were something I knew very little about. They were covered briefly in my daily meetings with Goose, when I’d been tutored in all things wacky following my near demise, but I was still sketchy on how it all worked. They were ghosts who could physically touch, destroy and maim. Not exactly something I wanted to be a part of or fuck with.
“What kind of poltergeist are we talking about?”
Victoria shrugged. “One tied to the building by murder or ritual. Regardless, I want it gone. The building is in my city, and I want it. You’re going to remove the pest for me.”
Being honest was dangerous, but I didn’t see any alternative. “I’m not sure I can help you.”
Victoria didn’t even turn in my direction. “Of course you can.”
With another wave of her hand, the vampires across the room parted. Standing in the middle of them was a terrified girl in torn clothing. She was filthy, her hair matted and her skin covered in smudges of dirt.
“You see”—Victoria snapped her fingers and the men shoved the girl toward the fighting werewolves—“this isn’t open to discussion. There won’t be a negotiation. I tell you what to do, and you do it. You’re in my domain now. What I say goes. And I’m telling you that I have a poltergeist in a building that I want gone, and you are going to remove it for me. Simple as that.”
The only thing powerful enough in that moment to tear my eyes from the bitch beside me was the eerie quiet that settled as the werewolves stopped fighting and turned toward the girl who was shaking violently. Their stances changed, and I watched in horror as they became visibly aroused. Their penises went from flaccid to engorged, jutting from their hairy and odd bodies to the middle of their bellies.
“Look at her.” There was an edge to Victoria’s voice now, an obvious excitement. “She’s petrified.”
Wouldn’t you be? God help me, in another time, another place, I would have vocalized the words. Instead, I thought them, swept up in the wrongness of what I was seeing.
“There’s only one thing that can rip mongrels apart during a blood lust,” Victoria continued. “A female in heat. From my understanding, this is her first.”
Anger melted my restraint. “She’s just a child.”
“No.” Victoria’s cruel laugh made me wish I was powerful enough to shove my fist down her throat. “She’s just a puppy—a dog. You keep forgetting that.”
The men forced the girl toward the werewolves, and the Lycae pounced. She screamed as her clothing was ripped from her body and claws left bloody trails in their wake. A few of the vampires inhaled deeply, scenting the blood in the air. Paine’s touch was no longer tender. Now his fingers pressed almost painfully into my skin, a reminder that under no circumstances should I intervene. Unfortunately, as a victim of the same sort of atrocity in my childhood, I was unable to do so.
I attempted to move from my seat, and Paine’s hand kept me right where I was, applying brutal pressure as his other hand rested on my shoulder. I whipped my head around and glared at him.
“You can’t let them do this.”
Victoria laughed when Paine remained silent. “He can’t do anything to interfere with my wishes. Don’t ask for what he can’t give you. If you’ve not learned anything in your time here, remember the old adage—don’t latch on to a man thinking you can change him or mold him into what you want.”
The werewolves at the girl’s back began ripping at her torn pants, and her terrified screams were too much. I began struggling in my seat, furious and determined to do something, although I had no idea how I could help or what I could do to intervene.
“Your anger tastes delicious, necromancer.” Victoria glanced at me and smiled. “You’d like nothing more than to jump into the ring and stop them, wouldn’t you?”
“What I’d like to do is take the chair I’m sitting on, bash it over your fucking head, and make you eat the metal when I’m finished, you sick bitch,” I snarled, uncaring of what danger waited me.
“Rhiannon,” Paine warned, grip increasing, until the bite of the tips of his fingers into my skin was almost unbearable.
“Let her talk, it’s amusing.” Victoria studied me for a moment. Then she reached toward me. Paine’s hand vanished, and I knew he’d moved before she could touch him, granting me freedom. Rising from the chair, I prepared to jump forward, and was stopped as Victoria’s cool fingers wrapped around my wrist. I felt something solid and warm slide into my hand. Glancing down, I saw it was a blade. The hilt was leather, but the sharp end was glistening metal.
“Never enter a fight unarmed. I still need you to exorcise a poltergeist, remember? If you think you can stop them, then do it. I do enjoy a show. So make it worth my while.” Victoria released me and turned to Paine. “She does this alone. No interference. You stay where you are.”
For reasons unknown to me, I sought out the power of the pendant.
The burn was different this time, as if the magic recognized and was relieved at my call. Raw power rushed through my body, suffusing my muscles as it had previously. Only this time it was different. I felt the hum enter my body versus surrounding it, shrouding me in electric tingles.
“Rhiannon, don’t.”
Paine’s request came too late. I was already moving.
The werewolf closest to me was the one who tore the panties from the screaming child who sobbed for help. He didn’t see me as I walked behind him, grabbed him by the back of his hair, and pulled his neck back. One deft motion and the blade plunged into his throat. I yanked to the right, severing the arteries, creating a spew of blood that covered the back of the girl beneath him. I wasn’t sure if the sound he made was a howl or a snarl, since the blade had sliced his vocal cords. His hands moved from the girl’s ass to his throat. He slid his fingers into the blood exiting his body. I realized then that the blade was silver, meaning the fucker wouldn’t heal properly and would likely bleed out.
The volume of the voices in the room increased as the vampires watching took a sudden interest in the turn of events. The werewolf at the girl’s head released her and lunged at me, razor-sharp claws bared. The increased speed I’d used when Carter’s men attempted to chase me down returned, and I sidestepped just as the werewolf neared. I turned on my heels and crouched, waiting for the wolf-man to come at me, ready to introduce him to the same treatment his now limp and twitching counterpart experienced on the floor.
The girl scrambled away, but instead of rushing toward the vampires that had forced her into the situation, she rushed behind me. There was no time to reassure her or to accept her whispered, “thank you, thank you, thank you.” My opponent was gauging me, taking his time, and soon I’d have to be ready to
dance.
“Kill him and I’ll give you the puppy as a prize,” Victoria called out. “Every girl deserves a pet.”
The werewolf came at me like an unstoppable freight train, so fast I didn’t have enough time to get out of the way of his claws. The sharp tips scored my side, easing through skin and scraping bone. The pendant flared hot again, and I realized there was no pain, only recognition of the injury as it occurred. Pivoting, I delivered a wound of my own, pressing the knife into his thigh as he moved away.
The warm oozing at my side told me my blood was flowing freely, soaking into my sweater. I was considering the weakness brought about by blood loss when I felt something else pervade my system.
Paine’s mark crashed into me, so strong it put me on my knees.
The werewolf took that exact moment to pounce.
We clashed going head to head, claw to fist. It was an honest to god brawl.
Each time he struck, I dodged and evaded, and he mirrored my movements as I did the same. As he drew back to swipe his talon-like fingers at me, I countered and forced his hand aside, using the opening to direct the knife toward his bared chest.
The knife vanished into the area over his heart, and when it was fully embedded, I stepped back, judged the distance, and spun around to deliver a kick that would send the hilt farther into his chest. To my shock, the entire knife vanished, buried so deep the only way to remove it would be to cut it out.
He howled as he fell to his knees, his furred face lifting, his wild gaze finding mine. There was disbelief there, but my heart sank when I saw something I never expected—relief.
He toppled over and spasmed on the floor. His legs twitched as he emitted a death rattle. I stood over him, panting shallowly, as the vampires began clapping all around me. The wretched fuckers acted like they’d just watched a fucking opera versus the death of two men.
