Night Howls

by Amber Lynn

  “Hey, I am part vampire and I don't have even half of the answers as far as they are concerned. I don't know everything about wolves, either, but you and Walt fill in the blanks pretty quickly. You know there is something you haven't ever really gone into detail about. Why don't you ever talk about your family?” I am curious after hearing Will talk about his mother briefly.

  “There isn't much to tell. I never knew them. Like you, I was raised as an orphan. I still haven't found out who my parents are or were. Your father arranged a home for me and I was trained since I was a child to fight, just like you.”

  “Why have I never heard that little detail?”

  “We haven't ever talked much about me, other than our little twenty questions games. We spend most of our time in the present,” he says and leans down to kiss my head.

  “I would like to hear more. Do you talk to your foster parents? They have to be better than mine was. How about siblings, do you have anyone you grew up with?” I move away from him slightly, so I can get a good look at his face while he talks. Will remains unmoving next to us and I put the vampire issues all on the back burner.

  “They weren't really touchy-feely type parents. They were just there to make sure I was fed and got an education. They weren't mean or anything, but it never really felt like home to me. When I turned sixteen, I left and made a name for myself fighting against the Collective. Back then, I was happy just killing people I could confirm as one of the bad guys. I had heard my foster parents say something about the Collective making me an orphan, so I took my confusion out on anyone I could find.

  “Not everyone I killed in those days deserved it. When my teenage rebellion wore off, I realized I couldn't keep doing what I was doing. I eventually got more involved in your father's resistance. By that time, he had joined forces with Sebastian. Sebastian took care of the vampire part of it and your father put me in charge of the wolf part.

  “If I would classify anyone as a sibling, it would be Jonas. He helped teach me when I was young. He trained me and never let me give him any lip. He has always been the first to defend me when I do something stupid and would give his life for mine, just like I would for him.”

  “I always knew there was something more between you guys than him just being your bodyguard. It sounds like our lives have been pretty similar. It's odd that we ended up together as mates.”

  “I think it makes perfect sense. No one would understand us as much as we can. I know you have found your father now, but the backbone of our upbringing was the same. Enough talk about the past, let's get some protein in you. You lost a lot of blood and Sebastian isn't handy to replenish you. You could try putting a straw in me, but that is something I think Sebastian would like to keep between you two.”

  “Good idea. Is it okay for me to leave the bed?” I ask rolling over to get a look at Will. He doesn't look any different. He didn't instantly get pale or somehow change his features like some vampire lore claims.

  “We might as well give it a try. I don't want to think about him being glued to you for the rest of our lives,” Alex responds and rolls out of bed.

  I follow suit and find myself still in the clothes I was wearing earlier. That is a little surprising, but sure enough there is a small hole where the bullet burrowed through.

  “Your body actually expelled the bullet this time, so we didn't have to dig around to remove it. It is what happens to a normal werewolf if the bullet isn't silver. Since the silver doesn't bother you, your body finally did what it should.”

  “Just how long have I been out?” I ask happy to hear my body is finally doing something somewhat expected.

  “Just forty-five minutes, nowhere near as long as the last time.”

  “Well, next time someone tries to shoot me I won't be so hesitant to just go after them if I can heal that quickly,” I say skipping ahead of him in search of food.

  “Bite your tongue. I still prefer you not getting shot in the first place. One of these days, me or Sebastian will get injured and you will know what it feels like for us.”

  It would take one bad motherfucker to severely injure one of them, so I am not too worried about that ever happening.

  “Nice to see you up and about, niece. You gave me a little scare, but the rest of the guys assured me this was a usual way for a case to end for you.” Walt is sitting in the chair while Jake is on the couch. Jonas must be in the kitchen with Demon Dog.

  “The rest of the guys don't know what they are talking about. The only other time I have been shot was a weird fluke of a thing and as far as I know we never did figure out who fired the second gun.” I glance around the room again and I am shocked to find the mouthy one missing. “How did you get rid of her?”

  Alex laughs. “Sam finally took control of the pants in their messed up family. He demanded that she leave to allow you some time to rest. He also convinced her that she didn't want to be around in case Will woke up and was hungry. The idea of a blood starved baby vampire really got her moving.”

  “About time the kid finally took over.” I will have to give him a big pat on the back the next time I see him.

  “Go ahead and take a seat, Princess. I will bring your steak out to you,” Jonas calls out.

  “You don't have to, I am able to walk just fine,” I holler back, but go ahead and sit down.

  “If you need to run back in to comfort Shaky it is probably good to not get too far away,” Jonas replies and hands me a plate. Clyde waddles in and sits at my feet. I just glare at him refusing to accept that he can now talk to me.

  “I can read your thoughts, too,” he says with a grin. Screw me ten ways to Sunday. That is just wrong.

  “Ignore him and eat. You have had a busy day and even with your little nap, I think you will be crashing before too long,” Alex says as he sits and drapes his arm across the back of the couch. Just him mentioning the day I have had makes me sleepy. I make short work of my food and lean into him after I put my plate on the coffee table. “Nyx says good night, guys.” Alex puts one arm behind me and another under me and lifts me from the couch.

  “Sleepy time,” I mumble as he carries me off to bed.

  “That's right, honey. We are going to get a nice night’s sleep, so we can welcome Sebastian home tomorrow. I cannot wait to see his reaction to you creating a new vampire.”

  Chapter 23

  Dreams are starting to really piss me off

  I am dreaming again. Sebastian is sitting up in the bed and doesn't seem to be tied down anymore. Nothing else in the room seems to have changed. If he isn't bound, I wonder why he isn't walking out of here. It isn't like him to just sit around and wait for the cavalry. He seems to be mumbling to himself, a clear sign the bitch from Hell is driving him insane.

  “Nyx, if you are here, I want you to know how sorry I am. I promised you this wouldn't happen and just look at the state we are in.” I feel his pain, not literally, but from a source right in the center of my chest. I move over to the bed to be closer to him. I try to sit down next to him and it doesn't work, so I remain standing, kind of hovering nearby. “You mean the world to me, my love. I am not giving up and I know you won't either. We will be together again and I will never leave your side.” If this horrific event comes to pass, you can be assured I am going to make sure he sticks by that statement.

  The door opens as he finishes his speech and then slams shut. The she demon has arrived. What I wouldn't give to be able to claw her eyes out right now.

  “I cannot believe you mated with that thing,” she screeches and walks over towards the bed. She attempts to slap Sebastian, but he grabs her wrist and twists her arm. After a brief tussle, she breaks free and stalks to the other side of the room.

  It would be handy if I could figure out exactly where we were. Since I am having another one of these dreams, I have to assume she still somehow gets to Sebastian, even with his guards in place.

  “I actually talked to her today. I wasn't going to, but when I found out what she
was I couldn't believe it.”

  “I assume you mean you know what her third nature is. Would you care to enlighten everyone in the room?” Sebby asks her.

  “You don't know? Why would you bond yourself to her if you didn't understand what you were getting yourself into? That is beyond stupid and I have never known you to be that. Do you know how messed up things would have gotten for you if I didn't get to you first? By the time this is over, you may just be thanking me.”

  “No matter what she is, you have to see now that you are not going to be able to break our bond. Let me go and I promise we will not hunt you down and kill you for the damage you have caused.” Sebastian doesn't touch on the stupidity claim or what I am. I really need to be allowed to speak at a time like this. I have all sorts of questions for the bitch.

  “I originally planned to just kill her and hope that you would remain alive when the bond shattered into a million pieces. She didn't know what she was either, so she cannot be twenty-three, just yet. The power coming off of her indicated that birthday wasn't too far away, though. That doesn't give me a lot of time. If I allow it to pass, there will be nothing on this earth that can separate you two.”

  “That is great news. Does that mean you will let me go now?” Sebastian asks with a lot of fake hope laced through his voice.

  “Unless her birthday is tomorrow, I still have time. As her power ramps up, it will be more difficult than killing a regular vampire, but I have some tricks up my sleeves and I am pretty sure I have an ace in the hole. Yeah, that is a better plan anyway. You are going to feel that bond of yours unravel. Then when you are free from the wretched thing, you are going to find yourself so in love with me that you will live to service my every need. The things I am going to make you do would humiliate you now, but by then you won't care.”

  “You are a heartless bitch and would be wise to give up this dumb vendetta of yours. So what if I was able to resist you? I doubt very highly that I will be the last person to do so.”

  “It isn't even about that anymore. I want to destroy this great love you have. It is the only thing that will make me truly happy.” God, this woman is a nut job.

  “Well, I would say I wish you luck, but, of course, I don't. If you have nothing else of interest to say, I will ask you to leave me alone.”

  “Why, so you can pine over your precious abomination? That's what she is you know. Someone like her shouldn't exist. Me killing her would actually be a good thing for the world as a whole.”

  Sebastian just lays back and closes his eyes.

  “Fine. I will leave, for now, but when I come back I will bring you a fun surprise.” She gathers herself and rushes out the door slamming it again behind her.

  “She really is a pain, love. I know you are here now. Knowing about the dreams you have had, allows me to know when you visit, or at least gives me general ideas. The dreams really are future events and I am hoping you can get to me before you have too many more. Nothing she threatens to do is all that terrible, so don't worry about me. She cannot kill me even if she tried. You will probably feel a little pain from time to time, but we will both live.

  “So far, you haven't had a dream where you ride in to rescue me, but I don't think it will be too much longer. I have been a prisoner here for just a few days and I know how quick you are to pick up a trail. She has the door charmed making it impossible for me to get near it. I know you have wondered why I don't try to escape. As you can see there isn't anything I can really tell you about where I am other than the fact I do believe I am still in Emerald or possibly back in Night Owl.”

  Good. I will be able to focus my search if I cannot prevent it all from happening in the first place.

  “Since I have you here for at least a little while, let's discuss you siring a vampire without talking to me about it first. I understand you cannot defend yourself if I yell at you, so I will try to keep it to a minimum. Making the actor one of us is not something I would have recommended. When you become a sire that new vampire is going to be dependent on you for the rest of your life. It isn't something you can just walk away from.

  “You didn't get the chance to experience what it is like to be a baby vampire, but it is going to take a lot of hand holding on your part. The change in lifestyle can be very unnerving and you will have to remind him to not go out in the sun. When we first turn, the sun still calls to us and it can be difficult not to listen. In his case, he is safe in the penthouse, as the windows are all specially tinted. He should be able to get his glimpses of the sun and not walk out to become roast beef at high noon.

  “Thankfully, he will not need to share your blood to survive. Okay, that is wishful thinking on my part. I cannot really say for sure one way or the other. It rarely ever happens and I am hoping your different natures will cause him to seek out his own nourishment. For all I really know, he will become some weird new kind of vampire that likes steak as much as you and can maintain his tan from the get go. I don't recommend testing the sunshine part of that, but if he gets hungry, see if a steak doesn't appeal to him.”

  I really wish I could talk back to Sebastian. Being able to touch him would also be greatly appreciated. He said he wasn't able to leave the room, but I wonder if I am able to wander about. Before I can test the theory, Candace returns and she is carrying a whip. This is going to hurt.

  She walks in and cracks the whip on the floor. It is the kind that has multiple little tails coming off it. I am pretty sure it is called a cat something or another. Her tails look to be lined with metal, silver if I had to guess.

  “How do you like my new toy?” she asks Sebastian who refuses to acknowledge her. With her having a punishment device, I am not sure that is the best move on his part. “I said, how do you like it?” she asks again and sends the whip's tails crashing into Sebby's chest.

  I don't feel any pain, but I imagine I might in a few days. Sebastian doesn't even wince at the sting of the metal against his shirt.

  “It is the perfect toy for a sadistic lunatic like you. I fancy you don't get to use it often, since you are mostly trying to sweetly lure men to their deaths.”

  “You would be amazed what the men this day in age are into. Over time, there has always been a freak here and there that enjoyed a whipping every now and then, but nowadays they have multiplied and they don't stay hidden in the dark corners of society.” She lets the whip go again and this time I see just a slight wince.

  “I am sure it was your kind that helped with the great sexual revolutions that have happened over time. The more you get society as a whole interested in sex, the less strange it will be for them to find your victims left for dead in awkward sexual positions.”

  She hits him again and I am starting to wonder how he can win this game. If he doesn't talk, she whips him. If he does talk, only smart comments come out of his mouth causing her to yet again use the whip. It really is a no win situation for him.

  “Do you know how much it excites me to cause pain? I need sex to live, but adding pain to the equation is what really gets me off. Humans cannot take the punishment like us paranorms, so I tend to stay away from them. One time I cut a werewolf's penis off while he was giving me oral sex, just to see if it would grow back,” she says and strikes again.

  “It did, by the way. I probably ended up removing it three more times before I finally tired of him and finished the job. When I do things like that, I keep the guy in my thrall, but allow the pain to register in their head. They get the perfect mix of pain and pleasure and by the end of our time together they are begging for me to inflict my special tingles.”

  She seems done with her little speech and starts just wailing into Sebastian. He refuses to make a noise and takes the lashing like the brave man he is. It hurts me to watch, but I refuse to turn away. I may not feel the blows, but the ache in my chest continues to grow and it is getting unbearable.

  Chapter 24

  Vengeance will be mine…just maybe not today

  “Wake up, Nyx,�
� Alex says shaking my body. I come awake instantly. Stupid dreams. If these are how Sebastian gets glimpses of the future, I don't want any part of them.

  What I want to deal with is killing the whore trying to make Sebby's life miserable. I think I will find that whip of hers and come up with some creative ways to turn the tables on her. The whip is probably too soft for my liking, though. I really need to get on that reading up on how to kill a demon. There is no way she is going to be living through this.

  “I need to call him,” I say reaching for my phone. When I get through it just goes to voicemail. Double fuck. I try to reach for him and I am met for the first time with walls.

  “Maybe he is just in the middle of a big negotiation or that Alan guy has challenged him and they are fighting it out. A distraction at a key moment in battle would be dangerous for him,” Alex suggests being a good mate and trying to walk me back from the ledge.

  Either of those suggestions could be true, but it is a lot more likely that a succubus got past all his defenses and is now kidnapping him. She may even already have him and he is trying to keep me from flying in to try to rescue him. As protective as he is where I am concerned, I could see him sacrificing himself if we didn't have a solid way to handle her in place.

  “I don't know. I had another one of those dreams. I don't think whatever protection he put in place is going to stop her. She still somehow gets a hold of him and hides him in a place that he cannot tell me about. I don't think it is that far away because she said she had paid me a visit, but she is a demon. She could very well be hiding him in Hell somewhere and I haven't had a chance to stock up on sunscreen. He didn't think that was the case, but I am not prepared for it if it is.”

  Now the succubus is pushing me over the mentally stable cliff. She seems to have that effect on people.

  “Calm down. You said when you first saw him he was injured. You haven't felt any pain, so she hasn't gotten to him. Let's fly over to Emerald Town now and check things out for ourselves. Then he can explain to you how you are just overreacting.”