by L M Adams
The fall knocks the bloody katana from my hand. My only weapons left are my knives in my thigh sheaths, and there’s no way I can fucking reach either one at this angle. This one is a bit bigger than the others on four legs, but still not the size of a true werewolf. It’s male, its cock is still human and hangs hard and ready. Oh goddess, tears gather in my eyes, this just isn’t right. Lupines are supposed to have it tucked into their sheath; this is just out and aroused.
Wolf teeth in a human mouth snap at me, the area around its lips ripped and bleeding from its own teeth. Stinking spittle dripping on me, the stench is horrible. I gather all my strength and with a cry of desperation, push the not-wolf away from me just enough to reach for my blade on my left. Feeling my knife, I bring it up digging into the not-wolf’s gut. It lets out a howl of pain. I gather my strength and roll us over until I’m on top. I hold it down and start slicing through its throat; it claws my thigh deep with its hind paw.
“Oh, fuck you, you son of a bitch!” I saw through its neck bone.
It’s very ice-blue human eyes go dead. I let out a pitiful whine feeling a tad bit sorry for myself.
Get up! Get up!
I feel a pulse of power flow through me, urging me, pushing me to stand up once again, to fight more, to fight harder.
I get up with a grunt; my leg is on fire. I don’t look down at it, seeing it will make it worse, and I have a long way to go still. I hobble over to the bloody katana. I wipe my hands and pick the blade up. Right hand the katana, left hand the knife. I fight my way back through the line. It’s definitely thinned out; there’s no way I would be able to make it otherwise, not hurt and tired like I am. My body pulls power from my Chi healing the wound on my leg quickly.
I come to a halt when a shower of brains and skull bits fall on me; three more not-wolves fall at my feet. I look up to see Jack covered in the stench of blood and insides. He’d swung the fucking blade through three of them without stopping. I see partial head is as good as taking their heads. Never get on the wrong side of a Blood Lord, I’ll make a note of it.
I look down, my leg is knitting now. I did eat well last night.
The shield from the sun lightens a little, not enough to burn anyone. But I know all of Tabari’s concentration isn’t on holding it which means something is wrong. I look up to the roof. I can’t see him. He’s too far back, away from the edge.
“Jack!” I nod my head up; he turns angry metallic blue eyes to me. His fangs are down, so his speech his little slurred.
“Stay on this side of the fucking line, woman.”
I nod my head and then he’s running and leaping in the air. He grabs hold of the second-floor window and propels himself up, free scaling the building. He’s so fast all I can see is a dot of black and alabaster and then he’s over the roof. I trust Tabari’s life to Jack now, praying it will be enough; there’s no one else to send.
I look; we’ve thinned out most of the not-wolves. A few vampires lie, not dead. Vampires age to their true date when they die. So, unless all of the vampires laying on the ground are babies, they are still alive, even if just barely. Hopefully we can save most of them.
I run back in the thick of battle, doing what I do best, destroying things. I end up beside Valentine. The woman knows how to use her sword, she slices the not-wolves like they’re warm butter at a speed I can barely match. I do pick my bitches well.
I get sliced a few more times but nothing too deep. The stomach wounds hurt the worst, claws slicing across my muscles, it burns like hell. I ignore the pain; it’s easy to do with this much adrenaline pumping through my veins. Better than vodka. A bipedal not-wolf moves to jump on Valentine’s back; I drop my sword and blade and tackle it, not wanting to risk hurting her with my blade.
I do not recommend bear hugging a not-wolf. It turns its head at an impossible angle and its teeth sink into my shoulder deep; its jaw locks. I fall back and keep punching it in its sides as we roll, but it doesn’t let up its grip and he ends up on top. It has the shoulder where my last blade is; either I get to it or I die but I can’t get the blade with his teeth so deep in my shoulder. My arm just refuses to function. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I flood it, goddess forgive me, with enough power and lust to distract it. It lets go of my shoulder to howl out in pleasure. I grab its hair, yanking its head back. I’m surprised my damaged arm still works enough to grab the blade strapped to my thigh. It reaches its one human hand down and looses itself from its pants. I saw its head off while it’s on top of me, humping me and coming. It takes so long to cut through its neck with my fucked-up arm. Goddess why does it take so long?
Blood and come spills from him and I throw up. I push its dead body off me. I will not look down at my pants, I will not look down at my pants, I will not look down at my pants.
I stand up, blood covering me. At least I remembered to keep my mouth closed this time, but the blood has gotten everywhere. This kind of up close battle, there is just no way to keep it off you.
Somewhere I’ve become used to the smell of not-wolf. It’s not a good sign. I heave a breath into my lungs and turn fighting one armed with only a knife; I can’t take a break to find the sword. I know I should probably go regroup, but like shit I will. I will fight until I die.
Battle lust takes over, and I move at speeds I never would have been able to produce usually. I did feed well last night. I let the rage of my life burn through until I’m a mindless creature. I will teach them what it is to be a Reaper. I take life after life- I am a child of Abbadon, the destroyer. I will destroy them all.
A cry goes up from the vampires; a shout of victory. There’s nothing left for me to kill. I work hard on not looking disappointed. I look down both of my hands are covered in the stench of not-wolf blood. I stand in the center of the carnage and look around, horrible twisted faces further distorted in their death poses. Parts of bodies all around.
Battle is not a glorious thing, it’s a bloody thing. I just find glory in carnage, which makes me what exactly? Am I any better than these creatures I have killed?
Battle and killing stinks and rots and latches on to your soul. I close my eyes for a second trying to steady myself. Such a rush of power and adrenaline, now nothing. Nothing to hate, nothing to kill. Blood is in my hair mixing with my sweat and streaming down my face. It stings my eyes.
Vampires are walking about, helping their brethren and making sure everything that should be dead is dead. I think to tell them to find one that can talk but Valentine must have already given the order and the most human looking ones, still alive, are being chained in silver. They scream in pain as the silver burns their pelts and skin, I watch it heal so quickly and burn again as it rubs. I really don’t give a fuck, maybe I should? Nah.
Night walkers go back inside. The day walkers start making piles of not-wolf to set on fire, I’ll be skipping this not-wolf roast, my stomach can’t handle it. That smell will haunt me for the rest of my days as is.
I yell up to the roof. “Jack! Tabari!”
Jack leaps from the roof of the building, followed by his two day walking buddies. That is so fucking cool; the three of them land with a soft thud bending at their knees to absorb the impact. I watch as Tabari levitates himself from the roof, blond hair lifting from the air, or from the power. Ok maybe that’s a tad bit little cooler. His wolf eyes glow brilliantly, stepping gently into a walk when he reaches the street level again. Fucking scary. I smile at him.
“Merlin ain’t got shit on you, big brother.”
He grins. “Better than your Wizard of Oz?”
“Fuck the Oz.”
He laughs and starts moving to the hurt, healing them, feeding them raw power from the EM field; not something that should be done often, especially with purebloods. They must be allowed to feed and heal in their own ways. But this is an emergency and he will save lives. What would I do without him? I smile and shake my head.
I have to kick over a bit of not-wolf parts to fi
nd my blade and my borrowed katana. I head toward Lucien; he’s covered in blood that I’m sure is not his own. Bet he didn’t have to pants rub with a not-wolf to kill it either. He looks me up and down, he stares at my leg.
“Shower, now, and burn the fucking pants,” he growls out.
I sigh and give him a lopsided grin. “Yes, Lucien.”
All of us get showers; the guys go to use the gang shower. I hope that isn’t too awkward for them.
Valentine tells me to use her rooms. I snatch a bottle of vodka on the way and climb back to the top floor. I sit down in a chair in front of her desk to catch my breath. My shoulder is healing, finally, but it’s going slow. I’m at the end of my power reserves, I feel it in my bones.
It takes my breath away to get the pants off; getting the shirt over my head is pure burning agony. I give up and cut my bra off with my good hand, fuck it.
I whimper when I see my shoulder, it isn’t neat holes; my skin is torn, deep in places. I’ll take a shower when I get good and drunk. I start working on that, letting the minutes tick by, eyes closed, flashes of the battle still fresh in my mind, new scars to bury with the nice antique collectors set I’ve been gathering. Oh, goddess I’m tired.
When I finally drag my ass to the shower, my knees are weak from the alcohol. The pain and the battle now a shadowed memory within my mind. I rinse the blood, sweat and not-wolf stench from my body.
“My life has turned into a train wreck,” I muse out loud, trying to rub the tension from my neck.
“Perhaps I’m a good addition?” I tense, it’s Jack’s voice. I hadn’t heard anyone come in. I’m not sure if it’s shock or weariness that has me so distracted. A couple weeks ago no one would have been able to get the drop on me like Jack just has.
“Hey babe,” I answer weakly as I turn off the water.
I step out the shower. Jack is clean, hair slicked back and still wet. He looks absolutely delicious. I reach up a hand to cup the back of his neck.
He hums, low in his throat as he looks me up and down. I turn my head and stare at the wall, almost blushing. I have no idea why all of a sudden I’m embarrassed from his attention. The man has seen me naked plenty the past couple days.
“It is different because I am your chosen and not a one-night stand.”
I turn my head looking at him in shock. This whole reading my mind business needs to come to an end.
“I didn’t read your mind; you looked away embarrassed with a slight pinching at your eyes in confusion. I know you believe I’m reading your mind because you’re standing there, angry at me, because you think I am. But I am not.”
“You can tell all of that by looking at me?” I ask a little in disbelief. The man has only known me for a few days.
He smiles down at me and traces the outline of my jaw softly. “I have seen much of humans and vampires in my life. Vampires spend so much time molding their façade so it is unreadable. What we do show is fairytale of our true emotion. The fact that you’re so open about what you feel is one of the things I love about you. Just like I know me telling you of my love upsets you.” He bends and kisses the wrinkles on my forehead softly and turns walking out the door without another word.
Again I ask myself, can evil love? Am I failing this man, what have I ever done to deserve someone like him?
Chapter Thirty-four
Enough is enough
“Come, get dressed. I’m to bring you to Valentine.” Jack all but orders me out of the bathroom.
I get dressed quickly in the fresh clothes he’s found for me. New leather pants that I decide to never give back and a black tank top. He’s even wiped down my boots. I probably already tracked not-wolf blood and body bits all over the carpet. I strap back on my knives and tablet.
What I wouldn’t give to be sitting enjoying the sun and drinking a cold beer right now, maybe with Peter. I make a promise to myself to make sure I find time each week to just enjoy something simple.
We make our way down the stairs to the first floor of The Secret and across the club to the hallway that holds the bathrooms in it. There’s another door labeled ‘employees only’; we go through that door. This room is filled with cases of beer, bottles of wine and liquor piled on racks on both sides making a narrow walkway. So this is where she keeps her stash. Note taken.
Jack keeps walking towards an exit only door. He turns right when we reach the end of the aisle and walks through a plain white wall. I stand there, dumbfounded, as I watch his body disappear behind the plaster. What the fuck? I walk forward right behind him trusting this magic and step onto a landing. Jack is standing on the top step.
“This is the lair. Come, it is safe,” Jack says softly, taking my hand.
The walls are smooth black marble, lights shaped like scones pepper the walls to guide our way. These are electric, not real candles like the ones in Madame’s room. The staircase is steep. We must be going down twenty feet underground if not more. I never knew this was here. I realize the trust Valentine is giving me showing me this. I’m humbled by her faith that I won’t betray her secrets.
We reach the bottom. Two vampires sit in chairs; they nod their heads. I guess they are the guards, I acknowledge them back.
“There are a series of hallways and doors; all vampires have a separate room down here. There are also rooms for the humans we take long-term, for feeding,” Jack explains quietly. “Stick close, it’s easy to get lost down here.” I nod my head mutely in agreement.
We walk on black marble floors with a high sheen to them. The walls are the same black marble. Hallways, that all look alike, split off in different directions. A few vampires and humans are walking about. The humans all have collars on them, some of the vampires as well. The vampires smile at me, I smile back shyly.
“How much did this cost?”
Jack laughs. “Why is everything about money to you?”
I’m feeling self-conscious again. I’ve taken Jack from a place of such beauty and elegance and made him shack up in my little room with one TV in the whole damn house. Gave him a cheap ass collar; even the humans down here have gems in their collars.
“I can’t give this to you,” I answer for lack of a better explanation.
“That you care so much about taking care of me makes me feel good, Jae, but I’d take care of you. You’ve given me so much; things money can’t buy. I love you, woman. Now stop talking about money, please.”
I sigh. “Ok, Jack, I’ll try.”
We come to the end of the main hallway and go left, we walk down another series of hallways that all look the same. Easy to get lost down here is right, good god, how big is this place? How did they keep it a secret? How did they build it?
Magic and a lot of it, it’s the only explanation.
Jack pauses in front of the door and looks at me. “Valentine is torturing the not-wolves. I just thought it may be something you’d not want to see.”
“It’s fine, Jack. I can handle it.” I nod my head, trying to convince myself.
This isn’t kinky sex fun torturing; this is real screaming in terror torture. He takes a deep breath and opens the door.
The room is large, really large the floors in here are cold angry concrete, no marble. A few floor drains are around, to wash the blood down I assume. In the middle of the room hang three not-wolves by their arms, from chains on pulleys, bolted into the ceiling. All of them are naked.
They swing gently as vampires with silver ball tipped floggers whip them. They howl and scream in pain. A shudder of repulsion or desire courses through me; the fact that I can’t tell which it is scares me horribly. Valentine walks back and forth in front of them, slowly sipping on a glass of wine.
“Front,” she says softly. The vampires all move to the front and begin beating them again.
She turns seeing us and smiles, walking towards me. Like what is happening here is completely commonplace, hell it probably is commonplace. No one builds an entire, well stocked torture room for the rare bout
of torture.
“Hello, Jaevia,” she says in greeting.
“Hello, Valentine,” I say softly, the screams setting my teeth on edge, not human screams at all, some cross between wolf and man.
“They won’t answer questions yet?” I’m thinking their will is strong.
“I haven’t asked them anything yet, I’m just breaking them in.” Goddess, she’s a bloodthirsty bitch.
“You captured more,” I say.
“Your brother has two. The others, they couldn’t talk so we killed them,” She says, I nod my head towards the not-wolves.
“Do you mind?”
“No, no go ahead. Hold!” she orders and the whips stop falling, the vampires stand back.
I walk forward. All of the not-wolves’ heads hang in pain. Blood trickles down their bodies, dripping from their toes. Two of them still have human skin mostly, although, it’s shredded. I watch as it re-knits and heals again quickly.
Where in all the worlds are they getting this kind of power? Certainly not from the Wolf Mother or Moon Goddess. I’d feel a power pull from the EM field. But I don’t feel anything. Anything other than the natural repulsion of standing in a vampire lair, while abominations of the Wolf Mother swing back and forth and are tortured, of course.
“Are you willing to answer questions?” I ask loudly.
“I am,” a growly male voice comes from the end quickly. “Please don’t hurt me anymore,” it begs.
Tears gather in my eyes; goddess why did I let her do this? I walk towards the one that spoke up. It has wolf ears atop his head of human hair, dark brown hair curled tight and streaked with sweat. Its legs and feet are wolf and covered in pelt; its manhood still human, no lupine sheath. Like some twisted satyr or faun. It just has wolf bits instead of goat. It’s off proportion; the human chest and arms larger than the bottom wolf part. It used to be a black man. I don’t really know what it is now.
