Vampire (Alpha Claim 8-Final Enforcement): New Adult Paranormal Romance (Vampire Alpha Claim)

by Eros, Marata

  I mentally clamped down on their melodic song, concentrating . Keeping my abilities under control was getting a little easier.

  I swung my gaze away, seeing the hill appear that signaled the dump at its crest. I looked down at my pulse again.

  smiles they're pretty cool parents, Caleb! JLeC

  Yeah, I hear that. But, lately, I just don't want to listen to their reasonable-ness about all this profanity-block I have goinʼ on that is my weirdness.- CH

  proximity alert!

  Caleb! Look out! - JLeC

  I was hit from behind with what felt like a ton of bricks. My pulse flew out of my hands as I lurched forward, plowing into the sharp gravel, my palms saving me from a face-plant.

  I flipped on my side and blindly swung my leg out in a defensive jab, sweeping it in the path of whoever stood closest. As they landed beside me, I registered it was Carson.

  Big surprise.

  I tried to get to my feet but Brett landed a good one to my ribs, and I felt something integral give.

  I yelped, staggering to my feet when Brody's fist connected with my jaw and my face rocketed back almost knocking me on my ass.

  “Hold ʼem!” Carson bellowed.

  Diego and Brody came for me, Brett close behind them. I tried to focus for the zombies but everything was happening too fast and in all the control I'd mastered in the last year, my power just didn't automatically leak anymore. I was so stressed that I couldn't seem to pull it out of my ass if my life depended on it.

  It sorta did.

  I was taller, I was stronger, I took Judo, did pullups, pushups, but none of it mattered against the dismal ratio. I wasn't going to make four to one.

  But still, I fought .

  When Diego latched onto my arm I swept his legs and threw him into Brody like a bowling pin. But they were older, it just caused them to stumble and fall, springing back up with a bucket that overflowed with more pissed off.

  Carson got into it then, coming from behind and dragging me into a chokehold while Brett delivered a nice one-two to my stomach, my ribs screaming under the onslaught.

  “This is what you've been begginʼ for, Hart. This'll teach you that you're no better than the rest of us.”

  My trunk was a burning disaster, the pain roaring up and engulfing me.

  Brett's fists kept connecting, with Diego and Brody each holding an arm. The chokehold was working its magic and I could feel myself slipping, beginning to sag against Carson's forearm.

  Then, as if in a mirage, I saw someone advancing in the distance, gaining fast, sprinting . My vision swam in streamers of fog, everything in triplicate.

  The figure drew close, and I knew I might get relief when Carson yelled, “Fuck me!”

  The figure was Clyde.

  They dumped me on the ground to concentrate on the one zombie that apparently didn't need a lot of juice to get his groove on.

  I didn't move— couldn't move. I spit out a glob of mucus that was mostly blood and it landed in a dull plop, only a foot away from my head.

  Clyde tracked it like a falcon. “Gentleman, you abuse my master. You will cease and desist.”

  “Piss off, creeper,” Carson said, all bravado.

  Throwing his foot out casually it connected with my tortured side.

  I groaned in response.

  Clyde swung both hands and grabbed Carson by the torso, flinging him ten feet into a neighboring tree. He slid down, his bell rung and out.

  Clyde turned his dead attention to Brody and Diego, who were taking shallow breaths.

  Clyde had been raised in a hurry and was little more than a skeleton with some skin hanging on. I was impressed. I hadn't even felt my call; thought I hadn't had time to use my power. But he was very near the surface of my call and came.

  He came.

  I lay there helplessly while my zombie started in on the other boys, smelling like fresh death.

  First he knocked Diego and a struggling Brody together and I could feel heat building. Brody was fumbling with a lighter, the flame ignited and it roared up Clyde's arm, but my boy didn't feel pain. He crushed the hand that held the lighter and Brody screamed and wailed.

  Clyde was grinning, his teeth white marbles in a black mouth.

  Brett was backing up, his arms straight out, hoping to placate Clyde, who he'd already become acquainted with.

  Clyde was a believer in follow through . Dumping the injured jerks where they stood, they landed about five feet away from me and he began to mark Brett like prey with his gaze.

  I suppose to Clyde, he was.

  “You learn quite slowly. As I recall, we had a similar event one year past,” Clyde said, his partial tongue making everything sound like mud pie.

  Clyde , I thought, my mind a literal fog, consciousness running along a thin tether. I needed to get this managed because I thought Clyde would see things through.

  All the way to the end.

  He turned those eyes to mine, the only part of him that was whole and complete. “Yes, Master?”

  “Don't kill him, Clyde,” I whispered.

  He looked at me for a heartbeat's pause. “I will not kill him. ” He turned away from me and hissed at Brett, “A lesson will be learned here this day.” He charged at Brett, who tried to escape but Clyde tackled him from behind.

  I saw it all unfold in slow motion, Clyde leaping through the air, the sleeves of his dress shirt sailing behind him like a flag shredded into dirty strips, caked dirt riding the aged material in crumbling bits.

  They landed together in the center of the road.

  As they grappled, Bry's crappy car rolled to a stop, parking behind the rolling pair.

  Clyde had straddled Brett's body, his posture stiff, his arms before him, fingers twined like talons around Brett's neck. Then the head-banging started. I had noticed that was a zombie-trend.

  All roads lead to head-banging, I thought, feeling shocky.

  I heard Jade scream, “Caleb!” I saw her feet as she rushed over to me, my cheek pressed into the rough asphalt.

  My stomach rolled, I'm getting ready to toss my cookies.

  She bent down and a pair of emerald eyes, wide-as-saucers looked into mine. “Oh my God! John, Jonesy... Caleb needs,” she looked at me in horror, the small hand I had held five hundred times covering her face as despair filled her features, “a hospital.” Fat tears began to chase each other down her face.

  I felt bad for her pain, but I was actually focusing on not barfing. “Brett,” I croaked out, through my raw throat.

  Jade smoothed my hair off my forehead, the tears running down and falling off her jaw, her lips trembling. “I'm so sorry.”

  “Brett,” I repeated.

  “What... oh.” She turned around and the kids parted.

  Clyde was gone.

  The Js rushed up, saw where I was looking and Jonesy said, “Clyde split.”

  John grabbed my wrist with one hand and his pulse with the other. He counted to himself. “Shit. He's erratic.” He turned his head and screamed for Bry. The Weller kids came at a jog. “Did you pulse 911?”

  “Hell yeah. Can't ya hear them?” Bry asked.

  I heard the pulse sirens wailing in the distance.

  “They're coming, Caleb,” Sophie said, hanging onto Jonesy's hand like a lifeline. He stroked hers absently, not even aware that he was doing it. John had his arm around Tiff. Jade had her hands floating above me, not sure where they could land without it hurting me.

  The Js looked at each other. “He's gonna need an Organic,” Jonesy said.

  John nodded at Jonesy, no arguing that.

  Jade covered her face as an ambulance arrived and ground to a halt, all the kidsʼ bodies sprawled everywhere.

  The last thing I knew were the paramedics landing on their knees beside me, their uniforms of red looking like flowing blood against a field of gray.

  My vision narrowed and unconsciousness folded around me.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I was in the murk
of semi-consciousness. That place when you're clearly awake, but too asleep to respond. I heard voices. My Parents had shown up for the fun. I knew, because the smell alone told me I was in the hospital.

  I cracked an eyelid open and everything spun around, gradually calming into stillness (pretty sure things aren't supposed to move unless you are).

  A nurse stood over me. Her palms hovered above my body, making their toe to head trip again. Without stopping she said, “He's awake, but don't touch him while I'm doing this.”

  Two anxious faces sprung up, and I had the need to laugh but my ribs felt attacked so I said no on that one. I turned my head a little and Jade popped out of the chair she'd been sitting in, rushing to my side. Her face told me how much she wanted to touch me. She met the nurse's gaze over my body and she gave Jade an imperceptible shake of her head that said clearly, not yet.

  My parents had obviously not had just a cow but a whole herd. I'm sure Mom went ballistic when she was pulsed by whoever (please let it not have been Jonesy).

  Jade looked like she was gonna bawl again.

  “It's okay.” I turned to the nurse, Jezebel , of all names. “You're an Organic, right?” She nodded at me, her hand never stopping. Finally, she halted her movement with a final sweep of her hand.

  The Js were standing off in the corner and I motioned them over, only the vaguest tweak from the ribs. I looked at Jezebel. “So—what's going on?”

  “What's going on is that you have some very brave friends that responded quickly.” She gave John steady eyes and he blushed a fine, true red.

  “What? Did you save me, bro?” I asked.

  “Apparently,” John said.

  “No shit?”

  “Caleb,” Mom warned.

  Dad shook his head at her.

  I guess I got some slack here in the Gonna Die Place.

  “Yeah, you went into—” Jonesy's face scrunched up and Jade rolled her eyes.

  “—respiratory arrest,” she finished.

  He snapped his fingers. “Yeah, that!”

  Mom said, “This was a very near thing, Caleb. And I, for one, am not going to make light of it.”

  Jezebel glanced at my parents, nodding. “Your friends got you help in time, but you were greatly compromised: three fractured ribs, a punctured lung, internal bleeding, a concussion.” She looked at me.

  “But ya fixed him, right?” Jonesy said, the finer details of The Incident completely lost on him.

  She smiled at his enthusiasm. “Yes, but there is some residual,” she looked up, hesitating for a second, “ repair that will need to take place. His body will still need to recuperate. I just gave it a huge head start.”

  Jezebel tucked the hospital linen right underneath my chin in a manner so similar to my mom's I looked at Mom, and she smiled back at me.

  Tears stood in her eyes while Dad held her against him.

  “Listen, guys,” Dad started, “I think we need a moment with our son.”

  The Js and Jade nodded and left, Jade giving me a glance over her shoulder mouthing, I'll be here.

  I winked. Wasn't going anywhere.

  Jezebel said, “I'll be back in,” she looked at the pulse-clock on the wall, “twenty more minutes.”

  She left in a blur of white.

  Mom, who'd been brave that whole time, let the tears she'd been holding fall.

  Dad turned her into him and said, “Shush, he's alright. He's okay, Hun...”

  She pulled away, nailing him with her intense blue eyes. “He almost wasn't though, Kyle.”

  Dad looked at me over her head. “Garcia paid us a visit right after you left. You just missed him.”

  Mom turned. “He went over everything in great deal. And Caleb, he wasn't painting a pretty picture of you.”

  Yeah, I'd been getting that from him.

  “But, in view of what transpired today, I'd have to say that the burden of proof is on him. Those kids are obviously the problem. You don't go and gang beat one person and be taken seriously.”

  “As a point of fact, I have a call in to each one of the parents and have filed a formal complaint, with Garcia, ” Dad said.

  Go Dad.

  “There is a point which troubles me, besides the obvious,” Dad said, his finger up. “The Js said that Clyde made an appearance.”

  Just talking about my favorite zombie coming to play!

  Mom frowned. “What's so funny, Caleb?”

  “I think there's some internal monologue going on...?” Dad asked, a quirky smile on his face.

  Sometimes I dug Dad, he just got me . “Yeah,” I grinned.

  “Huh,” Mom huffed.

  “Anyway, I didn't actually raise anything. I didn't have time, they took me down from behind.”

  “Cowards,” Dad said in an uncharacteristic growl.

  Mom swung her face toward him.

  “You don't nail someone from behind it's...” he tried to explain.

  Jonesy walked in. “It's against Guy Code.”

  Dad nodded his head. “Correct, Mr. Jones.”

  Jonesy bowed, getting that twinkle in his eyes. “I have a plan for Righteous Retribution.”

  “No,” we said in unison.

  He appeared foiled but not beaten. I hoped he didn't get together with Gramps and cook up a Solution. Gramps was very talented in that area.

  “Go on,” Dad said.

  The Js and Jade came back in my room followed by the Weller duo and Alex. Christi was nowhere to be seen. Thank God for small favors.

  “So, I was just trying to defend myself.” I shrugged my shoulders, while I was lying there, remembering. I took a shaky breath. “They were holding me...” I took a deeper breath, letting it out slowly.

  I wasn't gonna cry in front of Jade.

  “Clyde, he was just there . At first, I just saw something off in the distance, then, when the figure came closer, I saw it was him .”

  They all looked at me.

  “He gave them a chance. He really did. Except, when Carson kicked me again. Well, I guess he took it personal.”

  “Personally,” Mom corrected absently, rubbing her arms like she was cold.

  None of us were, but there was a good case of the creeps running around the room.

  “So you didn't ʻcallʼ him?” Dad clarified.

  I shook my head. “Not consciously.”

  John said, “I think we should all be asking ourselves what happened to Clyde.”

  Silence filled the room and my stomach fell into my feet, I'd never laid him to rest!

  “Ah, does this mean we have an errant zombie running loose?” Mom asked to no one in particular.

  “Directionless?” John said.

  “Righteous!” Jonesy air-pumped a fist.

  “Wonderful,” Dad said, scrubbing his face twice in a row.

  Garcia poked his head in the door. “May I talk to Caleb now?”

  Dad gave him a look I had a hard time identifying, then he nodded.

  Mom and Jade came to the opposite side of my bed.

  The notebook cleared his shirt pocket, and I was back to kinda hating him a little. I hadn't liked the way he'd given the gang equal treatment. I mean, I knew that I'd raised the Dead Team, but only when things got squirrelly with the Torch Team. Choices, choices...

  “Let's get right to it, Caleb. The Organic said that you have about ten minutes,” Garcia said.

  Let's. I gave him raw, accusing eyes. I was pissed, hurting still and felt like he hadn't taken stuff seriously enough when the thing happened at Jade's.

  He pulled a regretful face. “Okay, I got it. I know I should have understood the danger level a little better.”

  Mom humphed.

  Garcia looked at her, and Dad watched Garcia watching Mom.

  I don't think the Fam was too keen on Garcia right now. Gee, I wonder why ? I was going to pull up a chair, let him just try to take on Mom, he couldn't back her into a verbal corner if his life depended on it.

  After a minute long sta
re contest he broke it with, “Alright, let's recount what happened,” he said.

  I told him and he listened, asking questions in key places.

  “So, now, it's my understanding that you unconsciously raised,” he looked at his notepad, “Clyde,” tapping it.

  I nodded confirmation.

  “And he is...” he spread his arms wide.

  “Somewhere?” Jonesy answered logically.

  Garcia pointed his pen at Jonesy. “You—quiet.”

  John covered his grin with a hand.

  Jonesy looked hurt. I'm sure the Jonester thought he'd offered a solid explanation.

  “Wait a sec,” Jade said. Everyone looked at her. “This is so- not important.”

  Garcia raised his eyebrows like clearly, it was .

  She shook her head. “No, Caleb got hurt. Wherever Clyde is, I don't know. But right now, Caleb needs protection. Those boys—they could have killed him,” she whispered.

  “They almost did,” Bry said.

  Tiff nodded, snapping a bubble like gunfire.

  “Just wish we'd been a little earlier,” Alex mourned.

  I shook my head. “No guys, it would've been a replay. They were all about making me suffer. It was individual. Personal.”

  “I guess you've been taking self-defense,” Garcia quizzed.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  Was he serious? “After last year, I just wanted to be more prepared. I can't always count on the undead to have my back.” Even though they did.

  “I'm talking to all the parents involved. Some will be easier than others. This type of bullying...” Garcia began

  “I think it's more than ʻbullyingʼ,” Mom said.

  He nodded. “You're right. If they'd been over eighteen, they'd be in jail right now.”

  “Yeah, what gives on that? Don't they have to take a vacation in juvie?” Bry asked.

  He shook his head. “They'll have pulse monitors.”

  “Nice,” John said.

  Mom released a big breath.

  That was awesome, if they came within fifty feet of me it would be auto-police pulse.

  Garcia held his hand up. “Don't get excited yet. Both Carson Hamilton and Brett Mason are under sixteen.”

  “No,” I said. “That bozo is driving.” I remembered the flip-off session at Gramps. “He got held back. He's sixteen.”