by Morgan Fox
Lilly tsked under her tongue. “The trick is to be a hybrid first.”
“No,” Brie muttered. “If you could’ve seen Mason’s body when…”
“When you what? When you killed him with your magic and stripped him of his soul?”
“He wasn’t a man anymore, Lilly. He was a demonic freak,” Sebastian said coldly.
Lilly shook her head, pacing back and forth. “This is why I loved Mason. He never questioned me.”
Sebastian sighed and snapped, “Because you’re fucking crazy.”
Lilly’s body roared with anger. She charged at them, but she couldn’t break through the magical barrier. She shouted. The raw and menacing sound left Sebastian wondering just how long they could keep the crazy vampire queen away. If no one was coming for them, why prolong the inevitable? He’d planned to sacrifice himself if the need arose, and standing beside his mate, he knew there was only one option remaining.
He stared upon Brie’s face, and his heart sank in his chest as he watched the fear he knew she felt fill her gaze.
Remove the protective shield from me.
Brie’s eyes rounded. No!
Following a deep breath, Sebastian swallowed his nervousness. The love he had for Brie and his daughter was enough to keep him focused. He would do what was necessary to give Brie a chance to escape. If he did nothing, they would both die, and he could never live with that decision.
Once the barrier is off me, I’ll take out Lilly. Use your powers to get out of here.
Sebastian, no…
Don’t look back to see if I’m following you. Chances are I won’t be. Staring into Brie’s watery gaze, he swallowed the bitter taste of regret and felt a sharp pinch in his heart. No pain had ever stung more than knowing he would never see his family again. I need to know you will do this, Brie Ferguson McCarthy. I need to know that you’ll be there to protect our baby girl.
Please, Sebastian. Don’t make me do this. She shook her head. I can’t live without you. I won’t do it.
Sebastian cupped her face and kissed her damp cheeks, one after the other. His touch was gentle and lingering. He pressed his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Don’t cry, my mate. You can do this because you have to. Jonah waits for you up top. I know he does. I can feel him.”
Sebastian closed his eyes, knowing the lie he told would be easily read if she could see his eyes. He was sending her away without any of his lycans to protect her, but by some miracle he prayed that her people would sense her and come to her aid. They had done it before. They could do it again.
“What are you whispering, lycan?” Lilly bit out, and again she slammed her hand against the pulsing shield that protected them from her. “Planning something?” She folded her arms over her chest. “Well, I can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store.” She laughed coldly, and a few of the vampires did the same.
The gut-wrenching vibrations of her voice only managed to piss Sebastian off more, and he couldn’t wait to strike the vampire queen down once and for all. Turning to Brie, he kissed her lips and hugged her tight. Releasing her slowly, he nodded his head, giving her the signal that he was ready, and then waited for Brie to find the courage to do as he asked.
* * * *
Ryder knew something wasn’t right. His entire body was riddled with unease. He halted his steps, shifting back partially into human form. His naked body was the hybrid mix, arms and chest swollen with strength and power, his teeth were sharp, and his eyesight was heightened and fixed on his surroundings. Like his chest, his legs were enlarged with the muscles of his beasts, and his nails on his hands and feet were lengthened.
His body tensed as he observed the quietness around him. The scents that should be filling the night were absent, and he knew his screaming instincts were right.
Trap.
With great hesitation, he turned toward the direction he had come from and slowly made his way back, careful not veer from the original path he had taken. Avoiding any traps, one made for capturing animals by practically breaking off their legs, was his first thought. Then it was the likelihood that vampires were hiding in the tall trees above him.
As a tracker, he knew how to find people, creatures and such, but he was always seen as the predator not the prey. His stomach rolled. He was a dead man if he didn’t get back to the others before an attack could be staged. At least he had been smart enough to demand Bianca stay with Brie and Sebastian. Worrying about her and the others was not something he could deal with at the moment. He had to concentrate on how to get his own ass out of danger, and even though he couldn’t see them, he knew the vampires lingered nearby and were waiting for just the right moment to set down upon him.
The rustling sound of leaves and twigs caught his attention. Gazing down the path, he spotted several lycans charging up toward him. He then caught sight of Bryce, Bianca, and Brody, the only panthers among wolves. He gnashed his teeth together as anger flooded through him.
This was why the vampires had not attacked him. They were patiently waiting for the other were-animals to arrive.
Dominic shifted just as he reached Ryder. His eyes glowed bluish silver as he remained in half were-form. “Why have you turned back,” Dominic asked, his voice a deep, raw, guttural sound.
Ryder fought to keep his beasts contained. His seething anger toward his mate as she paced around him left him clenching his jaw and tensing. She had disobeyed him and now she, too, was in danger.
Ryder narrowed his eyes. “We’re surrounded,” he replied to Dominic, hoping his voice was low enough not to raise suspicion to the vampires he knew were watching them.
Being the strong alpha type, the news didn’t cause Dominic to flinch or waver in anyway. He nodded his head slightly and eased back, fanning out a bit. Ryder assumed he was telepathically linking to the other lycans since they, too, began following his lead.
Ryder snapped his gaze toward Bianca, who changed partially into human form to meet his gaze. Her long black hair concealed her breasts from his sight, and he shouldn’t be anything more than angry with her, but he couldn’t deny his animal need to protect her. He would deal with his irritation later. Right now he needed to save as many of them as he could.
We’ve walked into a trap. He linked with the panthers and told them what his instincts were telling him. We need to get back to the base of the mountain as quick as we can, but we must be careful. There could be hidden traps along the way. Take the same route you came up on.
Bryce and Brody roared in response, but Bianca stayed, eyeing him. He held her intense gaze. “Go,” he told her sharply.
She shook her head. “Not until you do. I will follow you.”
Ryder understood her need. He had it, too. The mating bond made separation difficult, even when it was necessary.
He nodded in acceptance, but just before he could tear his eyes from Bianca and head further down the mountain, the sky began raining vampires. Their silent landings were everywhere. The crouching of leaves was the only indication they were coming.
His gaze whipped in every direction as they dropped from the trees above. Instantly, he roared in warning to the others. The were-animals that had begun to retreat turned back to join the fight. Dominic and the others had shifted into lycan form completely. Their fierce snarls lashed through the air. Bodies collided with each other and slammed to the ground.
Within seconds, the world around Ryder exploded into chaos. As his focus shifted toward the lycans, he hadn’t noticed the vampires preparing to set down on him and Bianca. Bianca’s startling cry had his gaze darting to her. Three vampires were clawing at her, gripping her by her arms and head, hauling her back from him. As Ryder registered what was happening, he roared with fury and lunged toward them. The wind was immediately expunged from his lungs as a vampire collided with his midsection. Wheezing from impact, Ryder sliced through the flesh of the vampire’s back, turning him into minced meat. Ryder dug his claws into the vampire’s throat and sank them into the soft tissue
, severing the head from its body.
Up on his feet, Ryder once again charged after Bianca. She fought against the hold of the vampires, but she was at a disadvantage. Three on one was not good odds. But surprisingly to him, Bianca brought her hind legs up and dug the claws on her feet into the eyes of the vampires who held her arms. She then shoved against them, loosening their hold as they fumbled to cover their faces. With her arms, she reached up and shoved her nails into the face of the one holding her by her throat. She then flipped her body over and with one powerful swipe of her claws, sliced through skin, tendon, and bone to remove its head.
Staring wide-eyed, a sense of pride welled inside Ryder as he watched his mate dispense of three vampires as if they had been small, defenseless children. And she didn’t stop there. As more vampires dropped from the trees, Bianca kept up the fight. She and the lycans were holding their own against the hundreds of vampires surrounding them.
However, at the rate the vampires were appearing, the weres would be unable to keep up the battle. He’d be a fool to think they could survive an assault like this and win without help.
As he ducked to avoid a charging vampire, he thought of Tiffany and the fey witches, hoping they were still close-by. The werewolves and werepanthers were strong and powerful, but they were few, and nothing would kick ass like the power of witches.
Careful not to bite the vampires he fought, he clawed his way through a dozen of them, slicing and ripping at them. Bianca did the same, as did the others. He could see Jonah, Brody, Bryce, Dominic, Megan, Reyes, Ryken, Luken, Zane, but no Tiffany.
Where the hell had she gone?
Had Zane told her to remain with Brie? He wouldn’t be surprised if the young lycan had suggested it to keep his mate safe. But if Ryder knew his charge, Tiffany wasn’t going to listen to Zane just as Bianca hadn’t listened to Ryder.
Then a tingling sensation crawled up the back of his neck, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Miss me?” Tiffany asked sweetly, her eyes batting coyly.
Ryder arched a brow, breathing a sigh of relief. “Very much. Now can you and the fey witches do anything to help us out?”
She shook her head. “No, but I think they can.” She pointed up into the trees above them that were no longer covered in darkness. White blotches clung to the trees.
Ryder’s eyes focused on the images that were not fey witches, and to his surprise, he was still glad for the help. No matter who they were. “What are they doing…” Ryder’s words tapered off.
“Apparently the true leader of the vampires hates Lilly more than we do,” Tiffany told him with a wide grin.
He shook his head. “I’m not sure about that.” He locked gazes with her. “How did you find them?”
“They found me,” Tiffany said matter-of-factly.
As the vampire lord Gregory and his vampires joined the battle against Lilly’s vampires, Ryder couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that ate away at him. Lilly was nowhere to be seen, and as he looked around at the many faces, Sebastian and Brie were the only two missing.
His jaw clenched tight as he began putting the pieces together. Lilly had assumed the fey witches had retreated once the vampire danger appeared to be over, leaving the remaining werewolves and werepanthers to track her into the woods. Lilly had planned to separate the packs, destroying them one by one with her vampires, all the while doubling back to attack Sebastian and Brie on her own.
Brie had killed Mason Levi and Sebastian led the attack against her. It only made sense that she would want to personally seek revenge.
With panic and fear consuming him, he raced down the hillside, darting left and right to avoid the battling vampires and weres. As he closed in on the place where he had last seen Sebastian and Brie, he prayed it wasn’t too late to save them.
Chapter 17
Ryder crawled upon the ground like a snake, slithering closer to the hole that wasn’t there before he went in search of Lilly. He could hear Sebastian, Brie, and Lilly’s voices. Then he heard a troubling silence.
Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Ryder scooted closer to the edge. He studied the area beneath him that was overrun with bloodsuckers. In the center of the space was Sebastian and Brie, clearly protected within a circle of Brie’s magic.
Ryder eyed Sebastian as he held his mate close. They never spoke, but Ryder had the impression that they were telepathically linked. Brie’s body quivered, and her head shook as if rejecting whatever Sebastian was asking of her. Then Ryder felt the magic shift in the space, and he knew instantly what Sebastian was doing. Ryder couldn’t let that happen.
Without thought, Ryder dropped into the hole in front of Sebastian and Brie, shifting most of his body into were-form. Before his presence register to Lilly and the vampires, Brie surrounded him with her power.
“Ryder,” she gasped, pulling him into a tight hug. “We thought you’d been killed.”
That would be Lilly’s second attempt to take my life. “That was her plan,” he said, easing back from Brie. His naked body made hugging another man’s mate awkward. Thankfully no one seemed to care at the moment.
“The others?” Sebastian asked, his hand gripping Ryder’s forearm.
Ryder shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Lilly hissed, slamming her fist against the barrier. The sizzling sound reminded Ryder of a bug zapper, and since Lilly was the biggest pest he knew the similarity was perfect.
“How are you still alive?” she said with a fierce snarl.
Ryder studied the vampire queen. She was even more menacing than when she tried to kill him the first time. At least then she had disguised herself as Bianca. This new version wasn’t attractive at all. Her red eyes glowed as if the pits of hell could be accessed through the hollowed-out sockets. The red velvet robe she wore hung low on her chest, revealing grotesque and discolored skin. The fabric hugged her close, tapering at her waist, and a thigh-high slit chased up one side. Her distorted features weren’t the only thing that had changed. Lilly’s small frame had been replaced by a more intimidating figure.
Ryder cocked his head, a deeply etched frown on his face. “What the fuck happened to you?” The question sprung from his lips without hesitation. “You look like shit,” he added.
“And your nine lives are running out, Ryder,” she said. “I look forward to killing you several more times. Maybe we’ll make a game of it.” She grinned. “Let’s see how creative we can get at torturing you.”
“Trust me, being this close to you is torture. You’re killing me already.” Ryder gave a mock shudder.
“Ryder, please,” Brie begged. “Don’t piss her off anymore. We don’t exactly have a way out of here.” Her voice dropped low as she spoke to him and Sebastian.
Brie positioned herself between both Sebastian and Ryder and held their arms tightly. Her eyes rounded as she whispered, “I don’t know how much longer I can keep up the shield. As I feared, Lilly is still drawing power from me. I’m feeling weaker by the moment,” she confessed.
Ryder inhaled a shuddering breath. “Well that sucks.”
He looked up to the gaping hole above them and wondered if anyone thought to follow him as he rushed down the mountainside away from the battle. Surely someone noticed he was missing. Ryder thought he could make the leap up, but he’d be leaving Brie and Sebastian and he couldn’t do that. Brie had saved his life, and in return he would save hers.
“Take power from me,” Ryder said sternly. “I know you can, so don’t lie to me and say you can’t. We need to buy more time.”
“No, Ryder. You’re the only one at full strength right now.”
“Brie,” he groaned. “There is no way I can defend us against all of them.” His gaze searched the room. “Not even at full strength.”
Sebastian frowned, but ultimately agreed. “It’s the only way, Brie.” Sebastian sighed hard. “We better pray that the others are alive and coming soon.”
Ryder couldn’t
agree more. He was preparing to weaken himself to give them a fighting chance. If there was ever a time he was glad to be mated it was right at that very moment.
Bianca, come to me. I need you.
* * * *
Brie didn’t want to rob Ryder of their last remaining hope of defending themselves against Lilly and her vampires. If no one arrived to help them, all would be lost.
“Stop stalling, “Ryder muttered. “If you need my energy, take it.”
She frowned as he stepped up to take her in his arms. Ryder rested his chin on top of her head. The power that began to fill her body was unlike any she’d ever felt before. Sebastian’s strength had always left her breathless. Ryder’s was doing the same, but with a twist. She figured it was the hybrid mix filling her mind and body.
She took less than she did from Sebastian, only taking what she needed to keep them safe for a little while longer.
She gently eased away from Ryder and smiled. “Thank you,” she breathed.
Ryder winked, teetering a bit as he straightened. “Just keep that bitch from killing me again and we can call it even.”
“It won’t be much longer,” Lilly said, her voice cutting through the silence. “Brie can suck you dry before anyone will even realize you’re missing, and then I’ll be the one wiping that smirk off your hybrid face.”
Ryder seemed to dig up a hidden level of strength as he faced Lilly, glaring at her with a hatred that would have stunned any normal man into running for their lives.
“Do you think you could bring us a few chairs to sit on while we wait?” Ryder asked, his inner smart-ass rising to the occasion.
Brie placed her hand on his arm, forcing him to look down at her. “Ryder, please. Save your strength. She’s not worth your time.” Brie’s gaze settled on Lilly, whose red eyes were narrowed on her. The vampire queen was growing impatient. “Besides, she hates it when you ignore her. She wants to be the center of her diabolical world.” Brie stared up at Ryder. “Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
