He nodded once, and then leaned in. Her leopard pleaded with her to accept the kiss, to lean into it and pledge herself without words to him. Instead, she reared back and punched his shoulder, putting distance between them again. What was he thinking? Was it the cocaine? Maybe she should have come alone, if he couldn’t keep his mind focused on their mission.
“Time for the mushy stuff later,” she hissed, moving once more through the tunnels.
The murmur of voices grew louder. They came to the end of a tunnel, where light was pouring in from the room on the other side. Her heart pounded as she reached for Gabriel’s hand. Cromwell’s voice came through the murmur, but what exactly he was saying, she didn’t know.
And suddenly she couldn’t leave it as it was between them. She glanced at Gabriel. “I’ll fuck your brains out once my girls are safe.”
She darted forward, just hearing his low chuckle. “You’d better.”
As soon as she got to the opening of the tunnel, Val saw why they hadn’t run into very many vampires. They were all gathered in the room below. She cursed under her breath; they were a good hundred feet up from the floor. There were other tunnels branching out lower, but none at floor level. Clearly a defense against shifters. All vampires could fly; but how was she meant to get down there?
Her heart nearly stopped when she saw her girls. They were tied up in the center of the room on a large wooden platform. Bundles of sticks were placed around them as Cromwell chanted in a language she didn’t understand.
If she jumped in, there was a ledge there and there, she could jump from them and then onto that tapestry and then onto that ledge and then—
Gabriel grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the edge. She hissed at him, but he ignored the unspoken threat until they were at a fork in the tunnel. Then he grasped her by the shoulders and narrowed his eyes at her.
“We split up. Find different ways to get in that don’t involve making a hundred-foot death leap. Find a way in, closer to the ground, and wait for my signal. Don’t go in prematurely unless there isn’t another choice. Understood?”
Val rebelled against the orders, even though she knew it was her best chance. She swallowed down the need to be in charge and nodded. Gabriel charged off down the new tunnel and she backtracked to the last branching and went down that one. She didn’t bother with stealth, moving as quickly as she could. She’d be able to trace her way back with her own scent.
Her heart raced as she found another opening into the main room. This one was only about ten feet from the floor. She crouched in the shadows. From this angle, she could see that her girls were all struggling weakly. Freya’s head was on Artemis’s shoulder. Drugged. Fury rose up in her, but she held herself back, waiting for Gabriel’s signal.
Cromwell’s chanting suddenly stopped. His head swiveled to look right at her and he started to laugh. “Well, if it isn’t Mother dearest. Come out of the shadows, Valarie. You’re not fooling anyone.”
Val bared her teeth, but leapt from her hiding spot. A surge of satisfaction swept through her when the vampires nearest her backed away. Maybe she was losing her touch, but at least they still feared her. She walked forward like she owned the place.
“Let my girls go and I won’t kill you,” she told Cromwell.
He laughed again. “Do you really think that frightens me? You, alone in a hall of vampires? Even if you kill me, my people will simply resurrect me. No. Your girls… they’re special. My Master, the first vampire and a god that walked among mortal flesh, will be returned to us through their sacrifice. You should be honored; they will be greatly blessed in the world to come.”
“If your master was a god, then how did he die?” she spat, edging closer.
There were vampires all around her. There was no getting out of this alive, not for her. Was Gabriel in position yet?
“You can ask him when he walks again.” Cromwell smiled. “I am glad you’re here. The blood of your unborn child will strengthen him once he has arrived. And now… light the pyre.”
Everything seemed to stop at that moment. Her head swiveled to see a vampire stepped up to the platform her girls were tired to. A flaming torch burned in his hand. Val let out a scream of pure hatred and sprang at him. She batted the torch away as she shifted. Her teeth tore into the vampire’s throat and ripped it out.
A howl made her smile, but she didn’t slow as she rolled over the torch, putting it out. Then she sprang to her feet and charged at Cromwell. He shifted to the balls of his feet and opened his arms, as if to embrace her. Val twisted herself around, shifting back to human form to kick the vampire in the chest. He grabbed her leg and she shifted back to her leopard form, using his momentum to claw at his face.
The chittering call of Artemis in her kite form distracted her. She turned her head to see Artemis beating her wings, her red-gold feathers gleaming in the pale light, as she dug her talons into Freya’s arm, trying to lift her. She just saw Gabriel seize Sekhmet around the waist and all but throw her to one of the openings, then kick a vampire in the face, before Cromwell’s arms wrapped around her throat.
Val choked, clawing at his arms. Cromwell squeezed tighter. Freya shifted into a red-gold lioness and scrambled up after Sekhmet as Artemis flew after them. Gabriel turned and caught her eye. A look of dread filled his expression. Then he shifted, sprang after the girls and disappeared into the tunnel.
Good.
Cromwell shouted something, but Val didn’t listen to his words. She closed her eyes, drawing the anger and hate from deep inside her. Her leopard snarled, and sound cut out around her. When she opened her eyes again, everything was in shades of red. She tore herself from Cromwell’s arms. Vampires were going after Gabriel and the girls.
She leapt onto the back of one, snapping its neck, before going after another. She disemboweled that one before swiping her claws across the throat of another. One lunged for her neck and she caught its face in her jaws and clamped down, crushing bone. The taste of blood was sweet, and her leopard took over. Clawed open another vampire. Tore the head off another. She quickly lost track of the body count as she killed vampire after vampire.
A roar filled her ears and Cromwell rammed her body. The force sent her flying through the air. As she landed, the sound of her heartbeat filled her ears. It stuttered, allowing the hummingbird beat of her unborn baby’s heart to fill her ears. The red faded from her vision as she crouched. The girls were out; she needed to get herself out now. She sprang for a low tunnel, but even as her claws scrambled at the loose opening, Cromwell was there. His nails grew to daggers and he stabbed them into her flanks.
Val twisted, slashing at his face, but he dragged her back, too quickly for her to reach him. He threw her away from him. She skidded to a stop near the pyre. Blood tasted on her tongue and poured down her flanks. She crouched low, her ears flattened against her skull as her eyes darted around the vampires surrounding her.
She was going to die. That was okay. But she was damn well going to take as many of these bastards out with her as she could!
“A mother’s instinct,” Cromwell muttered as he stalked toward her. “It will make your blood all the sweeter for my master.”
Val sprang for him again. He met her with a backhanded blow; as she was flung away, though, Cromwell stumbled. A howl filled the room and there was Gabriel, his wolf’s form huge and beautiful, as he tore into Cromwell’s back. The other vampires lunged for him and Val sprang to her feet. Pain lanced through her body, but she ignored it as she hit a vampire hard in the back.
Where are the girls? She wanted to demand of Gabriel, but there was no chance. As another vampire came at them, he released Cromwell and blocked its path. He barked at Val, jerking his head towards the tunnel.
She froze. She couldn’t leave him. Couldn’t—
Another howl. The roar of a lion. A bear’s grunting charge. From all around, members of the gang streamed in. The vampires shouted and attacked. Fur and blood flew in the air as Val retrea
ted. The pain was so bad she could hardly see. She panted, foam at the corners of her mouth. Everything seemed to spin around her as she closed her eyes. It was only now that she felt the fire in her veins; she’d been bitten. More than once, if the weakness in her muscles was any indication.
She forced her eyes open again. The gang was outnumbered. They’d take out plenty of vampires, but there were more pouring in from every tunnel. Cromwell stood in the middle of the pyre, trading blows with Jackson as he shifted from wolf to human and back to wolf. Val’s head spun. There was no retreat here, not for the Brotherhood—only a fight to the death.
Unless they found a different way.
Val threw herself into the fighting as Jackson lunged for Cromwell’s throat. The vampire slashed at him with dagger-like fingers. He was too late, though. Val’s teeth sank into his arm, yanking him off balance. Jackson pinned him to the floor and went for his throat.
“Stop,” Val shouted as she shifted back to human. She grasped Jackson’s shoulder as he growled. “Trust me.” Jackson narrowed his eyes, but nodded. He kept the vampire pinned as Val got to her feet. She spread her arms wide. “Your king has fallen once again!”
Her voice rang through the fighting. At first, she didn’t think it would make a difference, but then she saw the vampires disengaging. Within a few moments, the shifters had formed a circle around the pyre, facing outward at the vampires. The scent of blood was so strong in the air that it choked her. Val stood tall, spinning on her heel so she could look at all their enemies.
“Take a look at your dead brethren. Think about all those who have already died. The Savage Brotherhood might not win this battle, but we will exact a heavy toll on your numbers. We are not divided, and we will kill every single one of you—unless something gives.” She glared down at Cromwell. “Unless a new contract of peace is written up, you die today.”
Cromwell snarled at her, hatred burning in his eyes.
Jackson shifted back to human form and jerked the vampire to his feet. “Your choice, vamp. Death or a new contract. You’ll be telling us how to save the people you poisoned, too.”
The vampire’s face twisted into a smile. He lifted his hand, reaching to swipe across Jackson’s throat. Val leapt forward. Before she could reach them, though, another vampire, this one slightly shorter than Cromwell, was suddenly there. He wheeled Jackson out of the way, then deftly snapped Cromwell’s neck. The vampire glared at the others as Cromwell’s body dropped.
“There has been enough death,” he called, pulling himself up straighter. “We all knew that Cromwell would only lead us to oblivion. I declare myself the new king and I will give you your contract.” He turned a glare on Jackson. “So long as shifters leave us to live, we will do the same for you.”
Jackson narrowed his eyes, but nodded. Val grinned—then her knees buckled, and everything went black.
***
The next few weeks were hell. There was enough venom in her system that in the few moments when Val was lucid, she was certain she was going to die. At times, she wanted to die. It was only the hummingbird heart low in her belly and the sound of Gabriel’s voice in her ear that kept her from succumbing.
Eventually, though, the sickness passed. When she woke, she found that the new vampire king, named Kristoff, had drawn up a new contract of peace with Typhoon. He had ceded land to the Coalfell chapter and was working with the other vampire kingdoms to find a more sustainable way to survive other than drinking human blood.
He hadn’t revealed the secrets as to how the vampires were able to walk in daylight now, but that hardly seemed to matter. Not when there were so many other limits on them.
Val kept out of gang business while she recovered. It was nice, being at home with her girls every day. She’d had to explain to them about the vampires and what the Brotherhood did, but they seemed to be taking it well enough, considering. None of them wanted to stay in their house or sleep in their own beds and she found herself with Ava and Lily constantly. It didn’t matter to her, as long as her girls were safe.
When Sekhmet started to complain that Freya had gotten to shift before her and she was younger, Val knew that they were going to be okay. She was still worried about this business of ‘the master’, but vampires could no longer cross the border without being disintegrated within a few minutes, so they were safer than ever before.
Which only left one loose thread.
Val ran a hand over the fresh buzz she had gotten and nodded at her reflection. She’d elected for softer makeup than she usually went for—when she bothered to wear makeup—and the leather jacket emphasized her curves. A fresh tattoo, covering an ugly scar on her hand, gleamed in the light. She smiled and left her room.
“Girls,” she called and held out her arms for her daughters as they rushed to her. “Be good for Auntie Ava and Uncle Jackson.”
Jackson, who had Lily and was bouncing her gently, frowned. “Where are you going?”
She winked at him. “To claim my mate.”
Chapter Twelve
Blizzard
Gabriel typed the last few words of the report he’d be sending up the ladder and glared at his computer. It had taken him some time to figure out exactly how to explain the strange happenings around here without mentioning vampires. Now that he was done, he knew that this was going to stir up a lot of shit. At least as far as the Brotherhood was involved. It would be so much easier if he could just get Typhoon to pull some of his state-level strings to have the incident brushed under the carpet.
The only thing that gave him any sort of satisfaction was the fact that they hadn’t lost anybody else to the tainted drugs. That new vampire king had kept his word, and everybody who had been on them was now recovering. No shifters going rabid, no humans turning into vampires.
Maybe Jackson will speak to him on my behalf. He did say he owed me a freebie.
The door opened. He looked up and only grew tenser when Val came in. Her hair was freshly buzzed and… were her lips pink? He didn’t have much of a chance to stare because she marched over to him and slammed her hands on the desk. Her breasts strained against her leather jacket, cleavage bursting from the top.
“We have to talk,” she said.
The fierce grimace on her face left no room for argument, even if Gabriel had been planning on it. He slowly stood, reaching for the cuffs on his belt.
“You’re right,” he said grimly. “There are still charges on file against you and—”
Val rolled her eyes. She practically leapt across the desk, grabbed his collar and brought her mouth to his. Heat flared through him instantly. He wanted to let himself get swept away by the ocean of passion as it passed between them. He hardened just with the eagerness of her kiss. But he knew it couldn’t be.
He cuffed one hand and, as Val pulled back, gasping, he cuffed the other. As she blinked in surprise, he quickly dragged her to the cells. He had to get this done before he changed his mind. His heart fluttered rapidly, and his wolf snarled, as if it wanted to tear out his own throat. What choice did he have, though? She was a criminal. He was a cop. There were more than vampires between them.
As he shoved her into the cell, Val giggled. “I didn’t think you were into bondage.”
He turned to her, mouth open to tell her not to play games, only to see her unbuttoning her jacket.
There was nothing but a fancy, blood-red bra underneath. Gabriel’s jaw dropped. He stared at her breasts, which seemed a lot bigger than they had been before, as she slid the leather jacket down to around her elbows. Then she settled herself onto the bench and opened her legs, a clear invitation. A sexy smile pursed her pink lips.
“You’re serious?” he asked incredulously.
“Aren’t you?”
Gabriel stared for a moment longer before he uncuffed her. “Right. What I said before. That was just adrenaline talking, Val. My wolf wants you, but it would never work. We’re just too different, not to mention I’m a cop. How would that look to the Brothe
rhood if we started sleeping together? Besides, I have enough on my plate without people thinking I’m dirty.”
“Being ‘dirty’ is exactly what’s on my mind.” She shrugged off the jacket altogether and reached for his shirt. “Look. None of it matters. The gang, your job, the fact that we fight like cats and dogs—literally—because here’s the thing. You are my mate. We’re meant to be together, no matter what.”
Gabriel’s breath caught in his throat. “Your mate?”
“Yes.” Val gave him a wicked smile as she unbuttoned his shirt. “And I intend on letting the world know it. Loudly and very often.”
She licked a tattoo on his chest, eliciting a moan. Gabriel would have liked nothing more than to just let himself get swept away with the sensations, just like his wolf wanted. But this was far more complex than two people wanting each other… wasn’t it?
He closed his eyes as she tugged his shirt out of his pants and greedily explored him with her hands and mouth. His skin felt too tight and he forced himself to step back. To think about this.
“If I’m your mate,” I am, his wolf sung, “and you are my mate, then we need to figure this out. First, would you leave the gang for me?”
“In a heartbeat.” There was no hesitancy in her answer. Her eyes glowed as she moved a little closer. “I have, for a long time, wondered what I was doing with my life. I know that it’ll be hard, but I would leave the gang. Not just for you. For my girls. I don’t want them to grow up like I did… always afraid of the day when I don’t come home.”
Gabriel pulled her closer, his mouth seeking hers. “Then it sounds like you’ve already made your decision.”
Before their lips could meet, though, Val suddenly yanked back. Gabriel froze. Had he pushed her too fast? He started to release her, but her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him back. His wolf snorted, confused, but Gabriel smiled and nodded, giving his mate—his heart sung just thinking of it—time to process her thoughts.
“You don’t just get me,” Val warned him. “If this really happens—”
Blizzard: A Paranormal Romance (Savage Brotherhood MC Book 2) Page 9
