by Trina M. Lee
After watching him drive away in my Charger, I headed inside. Right away my gaze darted to Willow’s usual spot at the bar. It was occupied by someone else. Wherever he was, I hoped he wasn’t doling out his own brand of demonic justice. That was a downward spiral I wasn’t sure anyone could save him from. But I would try.
During a quick walk around the building, I was stopped by a vampiress. She wasn’t someone I recognized, although, with so many passing through the place, it was hard to keep track of them all.
Her dark eyes were red rimmed, tear stains that she’d hastily tried to wipe away. Her face was in a state of perpetual frown, even when she tried to force a smile. Straight brown hair fell past her shoulders, and she wore tight jeans with a long-sleeved sweater.
I asked her if she was sure that she didn’t want to sit down, but she shook her head and pulled a bloodstained tissue from her purse. So I pulled her into a corner, ready to let her talk. My gut tightened as I anticipated the worst.
“My name is Echo. It’s about my husband, Flynn.” At his name her eyes filled with tears, and she quickly dabbed them away. “He was killed last night. By the wolves.”
“Flynn was a vampire?” I asked, encouraging Echo to keep talking.
She nodded and had to dab away another batch of tears before she could speak. “We were here together last night. We have an apartment a few blocks away, so we didn’t leave until just before sunrise. They jumped us. In the alley out back. There had to be ten or fifteen of them. Neither of us had enough power to take them on. Flynn told me to run. I didn’t want to leave him, but he kept screaming it at me. So I ran.” Her voice broke and she stopped.
A gentle prodding of her energy confirmed her claim. She had power, but it was minimal.
My mind raced. Why would the wolves do this? Those who hadn’t been picked up by the Feds would have no reason to do this. Unless they knew about Arys. But how? Only one person could have told them.
Izzy.
Jumping to conclusions wouldn’t help. However, all possibilities had to be considered.
Vampires in general weren’t the touchy feely sort. Not in a situation like this. So I patted her shoulder a few times, but otherwise kept my hands to myself.
“When he never made it home, I spent the whole day pacing the apartment, fearing the worst,” she continued after choking back a few more sobs. “I came back at sunset and found what was left of him, the ashes the wind hadn’t yet scattered. They fucking killed him. What happened to the alliance you were supposed to have with them?” There was no anger or accusation in her melancholy gaze, just a genuine need to know.
“I wish I could tell you,” I said. “The Doghead Alpha has been looking for a reason to turn on us. After two of his wolves turned up dead, he decided that was good enough for him.”
Guilt plagued me. What was done was done. Telling her it had been Arys wouldn’t help anything. It would only cause conflict among the vampires.
Echo nodded, lips pursed in thought. “Does this mean its hunting season for werewolves?”
The sly twist to her voice made me do a double take. With bloody tears dried beneath her eyes and vengeance burning within them, Echo’s aura vibrated with rising fury. Oh, shit.
“I understand that you feel you have to do something about this, but please, don’t let pain make your decisions for you. That never works out well. The Doghead Alpha is in FPA custody right now. That works in our favor.”
“Does it?” she challenged. “That didn’t stop them from jumping us and killing Flynn. The wolves need to be reminded of their role in this city. They can’t take us all, and if you don’t do something—”
“I’m trying,” I broke in, my voice rising. My frustration was fed by the cold spark in my core. Arys was nearby. “I’ve busted my ass to unite the wolves and vampires. We have a bigger enemy than each other, and it’s human. Nobody seems to give a shit about that. We’re all too intent on killing each other, and I’m ready to throw in the towel and let it happen.”
“Look, Alexa,” Echo began. “I know you’re doing your best. Honestly, I don’t envy the position you’re in, but now that they’ve gotten away with killing one of us, it’s not going to stop. We can’t sit back and do nothing.”
“Trust me, I know that.” And I did. I just didn’t know what the fuck to do about it.
As expected, Arys walked through the door. His gaze landed on me, and I was both perplexed and concerned by the dread on his face. What now?
Echo followed my stare to Arys. She touched my arm, just long enough for her pained energy to crawl over me. “I have to go after the wolves who killed Flynn. You would do the same.”
She wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t argue. All I could do was plead. “Echo, please, just give me time to figure this out.”
“I’m not sure we have that kind of time. Thanks for listening.” She disappeared into the crowd before I could think of a valid argument.
The pressure was mounting. A failed bargain with Winston. A vengeance seeking vampiress on top of the vengeance seeking werewolves. What was next?
I met Arys in the middle of the room. Like usual he was fending off advances from human women eager for his bite. If they only knew what they were missing.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, dragging him over near the darkened hall that led to both the restrooms and the back rooms where vampires took their willing victims for some private fun.
“Rachel and Ozzie are dead.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw and cursed. “She killed him. Then she killed herself.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. If shitty things happen in threes, then I hoped this was it for a while. “Do you know what happened?”
“A nurse at Ozzie’s facility said that Rachel came in there last night. They found her after the first shot went off. She was sobbing over his body, mumbling something about how it was the only way to save him from what they’d become. Then she stuck the gun in her mouth, and it was over.” Arys shook his head and pulled me close. There was unspoken grief in him.
My emotions were raw from recent events. This wasn’t helping. Meeting Ozzie and Rachel had been bittersweet. Their love had been real, as had their purpose. And yet, look how it had all ended.
“Is there hope for any of us?” Despair reared its ugly head inside me.
Rachel and Ozzie. Salem and Lilah. Both pairings had fallen apart after finding one another. Arys and I had faced conflict after conflict, a constant challenge to our bond.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Arys said, tipping my chin up so he could search my eyes. “That is not our future. We’re stronger than that.”
“Are we though? I thought so too, but now I’m not so sure. Twin flames seem to always go bad, Arys. They hurt each other.” I crushed a handful of his t-shirt in my fist and tried to fight the rising surge of panic.
Arys put both hands on my shoulders and pushed calming vibes into me, but it was tainted with the fear he couldn’t hide from me. “We’ve hurt each other too, and it hasn’t changed what we mean to each other. The challenges just make me love you more. Need you more.”
“Until it doesn’t. Until it has you caging me like a rabid animal or putting me out of my misery altogether.” I grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him. A fast, hard and desperate kiss. “Or worse.”
Arys grinned and pushed the hair back from my face. “Why do you assume that I’d be the one doing terrible things to you? It’s not always the dark one making those decisions.”
He was right. Shit.
“That’s true.” I was as big a monster as Arys. Who was to say it wouldn’t be me doing something twisted to him? There was no guessing what lay ahead. “Fuck. So anything could happen. We already know it’s got to be bad.”
“You don’t know that. One night at a time, my wolf. Why fret a future that hasn’t happened yet?”
Sliding his hands down my arms, Arys laced his fingers through mine. Power crackled between our palms. It was like a shot of adrenaline,
a force that kept us going from night to night. Vital to our existence while a threat to our sanity.
“The deal fell through with Winston,” I said, feeling the pressure mount. “The FPA won’t give up the wolves, and they only want Briggs back so they can kill him. This whole situation is fucked. We’re fucked.”
“We are not fucked.” A mischievous grin stole over his face. “Well, you could be. I’d be happy to bend you over a table. Again. That was fun.”
“Arys, be serious.” I punched his arm and tried to pull away.
He grabbed me and dragged me against him. Sticking his nose in my hair, he inhaled my scent. “I am serious.”
“Stop that.” My words lacked conviction though; it was hard to be firm when he was nuzzling the spot on my neck that sent a ticklish tingle down my back. “Arys, cut it out. Listen to me. That vampiress over there just told me the wolves jumped her and her husband before dawn. She got away. He didn’t. This is bad. Dayne’s absence isn’t stopping the rest from taking matters into their own hands.”
That got his attention. His dark blue gaze jumped to Echo. The enraged scowl that replaced his grin was worrisome. “So the wolves want to start a battle they can’t win,” he mused. Dark thoughts flitted through his head.
I knew that wicked glint in his eyes. “Remember, Arys, this all started because you hunted those wolves. Don’t get cocky or self righteous.” I didn’t like the expression he wore. It was hungry. Vicious. Ready.
“That’s only part of it. Don’t forget it was Dayne who started making demands. He made you earn an alliance by doing his dirty work. Then he made you kill a vampire in your own nightclub.” Arys’s energy crackled with the strength of his vexation. “He has always sought a reason to be at odds with us. I merely gave him one. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s always been an unreliable asshole who isn’t worthy of what we can offer him.”
I shook my head as dread swelled inside me. Bad things were going to happen. I could feel the certainty of it in my very marrow.
“I don’t feel good about this, Arys,” I said, both loving and hating the way it felt to have the malice Arys felt slither through me as if it were my own. “If shit goes down, Shaz will be caught in the middle.”
Arys cocked his head to one side and considered this with a sly smile. “Shaz in the middle? I kind of like the sound of that. We should try it some time.”
“Ugh, cut it out. If you don’t take this seriously I’m going to kick your ass.” Despite my annoyance my lips did quirk in a half smile.
“Someone’s got to lighten the mood. No sense in us both being uptight.” He snickered at my insulted gasp. “Shaz doesn’t need you to fuss over him. He’s more Alpha than Dayne will ever be.”
“Uptight,” I scoffed, nudging him with an elbow. A frown tightened my brow, and I rubbed a hand over my forehead. Yeah, no arguing that I was stressed, but I had valid reasons for feeling this way.
Arys turned me toward the growing crowd, putting my back to his chest. With a hand on my waist, he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Now pick out a happy little donor to come play with us for a nice, kill-free night of fun.”
“I don’t know about that, Arys.” I resisted but not because I wasn’t intrigued.
Although The Wicked Kiss wasn’t quite our style, it was likely what we needed right then. We’d proven ourselves to be more likely to take things too far when hunting the city streets alone. We needed each other, especially now, when things appeared so bleak for our future together.
I was reluctant to do anything but obsess over the wolves. I needed a plan. We had to be prepared.
“If you let them live inside your head, they’ve already won,” he murmured against my ear. “If Hanna can’t control the pack, then we will. Later. For now, let’s have some fun.”
Epilogue
“Extra chocolate, please. And whipped cream. Definitely do not skimp on the whipped cream.” Jez watched the guy at the crepe place as he made two chocolate, strawberry, and banana crepes. Her feline gaze followed his every move. She was ready to pounce if he didn’t do it right.
Once the guy had concocted two crepes that met her standards, she shoved some cash into his hand and passed one of the crepes to Allie. I watched with blatant envy as the teen bit off a mouthful of creamy, chocolatey goodness. To my eye most foods still looked so damn good, but all it took was a sniff for the aroma to turn my stomach. So unfair.
“Thanks, Jez.” Allie’s shy smile was the most adorable freakin’ thing ever. Her dark eyes still bore the haunted glow of a child forced to grow up too fast, but each smile seemed to lighten the shadows just a little at a time.
“Now let’s get our shop on.” With a wink and a grin, Jez guided Allie away. The two of them walked up ahead as we made our way through the mall.
This close to winter the sun set around five o’clock, giving me almost four hours to hang out and shop with the girls. It wouldn’t be like this in the summer, so I was making the most of it.
Kylarai and I walked behind them, catching up and reconnecting. Though her smile didn’t fully reach her eyes, it was genuine. Ky’s inner strength was beautiful. She’d faced so much and had to fight to achieve the quality of life she now had with Coby and the small town wolf pack. Her broken heart was there on her face every time she looked at me, but she was pushing on, facing every moment with more fierce determination than I would have in her place.
“Her first couple nights were a bit rough,” Ky admitted, her grey eyes on Allie. “It’s getting better though. She was spending a lot of time alone in her room, your old room. She’s been coming out more lately. She watched a movie with us last night. So that’s progress. She’s starting to ask a lot of wolf questions.”
“There’s no better person for her to learn from than you. How’s Coby?” I wanted to keep her talking about the good things, to celebrate in her happy moments. It killed me that, despite having enough power put me on the radar of both demons and Feds, it still wasn’t enough to heal the hurt my dear friend was holding inside.
Her smile grew as she began to talk about her husband. “Coby’s great. We’re great. I mean, other than the obvious. He’s decided to go back to school and study wildlife biology. I’m excited for him.”
We followed Jez and Allie to a clothing store boasting trendy fashion at deal prices. While they browsed around, Ky and I sat on a bench outside watching people pass by.
“Me too. I’m glad he’s pursuing something he has a passion for. I want you guys to be happy. I need someone stable to live vicariously through.” With a soft laugh, I slung an arm around her and pulled her close.
“I still can’t believe you died while I was on my honeymoon,” she said, voice low so passersby wouldn’t hear. “That’s really messed up, you know? I hate that I wasn’t here for you.”
“I don’t. You were exactly where I needed you to be at a time like that. Safe. Happy. That’s all I want for you, Ky.” I rested the side of my head against hers, reveling in the warmth and comfort of her wolf’s energy.
She leaned into me, completely unafraid. It meant so much to me, seeing as at one time she’d been wary of the ways I’d changed. Our paths had grown further apart over the last year, but that would never change what she meant to me.
“Don’t deny yourself happiness, Lex,” she said. “I know you. You think you don’t deserve it so you ruin things for yourself.” When I didn’t reply she added, “Stop pushing Shaz away. He’s a man who can make his own decisions and take his own risks. Let him love you, dammit.”
“I’m trying, Ky. It’s just really fucking hard.”
“Because you think you don’t deserve him.”
“Something like that.”
Jez and Allie reappeared, ready to move onto the next store that caught their interest. Jez chattered away animatedly, keeping the young girl engaged in conversation. It was nothing short of a huge relief to see Allie opening up and moving on with her life.
Moving on. So m
uch easier said than done. Moving on meant getting out of bed and facing the world with all its harsh truths and painful reminders. It meant braving the things that scared us most. Certainly, hiding promised comfort, but it could never bring meaning to an already tortured existence.
Three nights had passed since the meeting with Winston. Briggs was still with Gabriel at Shya’s house. Naturally they were both growing restless with that arrangement, but I didn’t want to just let Briggs go. He was too unpredictable. Though he couldn’t stay with Gabriel much longer. It was a wonder the kid hadn’t lost it and killed him already. Since I had told Juliet during our most recent phone conversation that Briggs was alive and safe, I had to keep him that way.
Willow had given the amulet containing Shya to an angel named Serene. It was as safe as it could get. Now that I had one of the demons in my life out of the way, I could focus my attention on the other. Willow had been dropping in at The Wicked Kiss, but his stays were brief, and he didn’t talk much.
I missed him. Even as a fallen angel who drank too much and enjoyed a good brawl on occasion, he’d had a fun-loving nature. The jubilance he’d once exuded was gone. Whatever light he’d had left had gone out, the last flickering rays of a dying candle now dark.
In my heart I knew Hurst’s warning to beware the angel with black wings was about Willow. At the time I’d been so sure it was Shya, but Willow was slipping deeper into the darkness every night. He needed me, and I had to be there for him, which meant keeping my own dark side under control.
The last few days had made a world of difference in my control. Spending more time with Arys and Shaz kept me grounded, anchored to my light while still able to enjoy the hunger and power. There was no doubting how much I needed them.
Still, there was a limit to what they could do. While I wasn’t losing control on a nightly basis anymore, the killer within could only be calmed, never contained. My dark side would surface, and if I didn’t ensure I took it out on the right person, my guilt-riddled baggage would keep piling up.
