ETERNAL SOULS: A Shadow Creek Novel (Shadow Creek Series Book 1)

by J. C RIMELL

  Permanently.

  §

  Madeleine sat back and breathed a huge sigh, still trying to believe that what she'd spent hours testing might actually work. She smiled with a weary sense of achievement before rising out of her seat with a stretch. The alarming sound of Cade's mental cry for help made her jerk in surprise.

  It was a mental call that ripped through her mind as she raced to the medical wing. She bumped into Fleet and Snow in the tunnel who'd been on their way to the cells before they, too, heard the telepathic message. The three of them barged through the doors to see Cade holding on to Kit's limp body.

  “Do something!” he yelled, trembling with emotion. “Madoc, please… for God's sake, save her!”

  Madeleine moved in closer. “Cade, I...” she began, but quickly felt Fleet's hand grab her upper arm in warning.

  “Take it easy there, Cade. We're here to help.” Fleet's voice was an authoritative blanket that swathed a sense of calm into the palpable, tense atmosphere.

  Madeleine sucked in a breath. Removing her Alpha's hand with an understanding nod, she moved with caution over to the broken shifter whose wolf had half emerged. Cade's eyes flamed like luminescent lava and his fangs pressed tight against his lower lip. His big body was a rigid cage of steel forming a protective barrier between them and his mate.

  “Kit is beyond my healing ability, Cade.” His glowing eyes zoomed in on her, his brows crashing together. If it wasn't for the fact she was a shifter herself, his intimidating, predatory glare would have caused her to freeze on the spot with fear. “But,” she quickly added, “she's not beyond yours.” She let that sink in a little, feeling every gaze in the room swing in her direction.

  “What are you saying Madoc?” Fleet asked, quite stunned at what he'd just heard.

  Facing her Alpha she explained. “I've tested their blood. When Cade's blood is mixed with Kit's, it produces new healthy cells rapidly.” She paused, returning her attention back to Cade, who was intently focused on her. “It kills the venom. I believe your blood can stop the change that's taking place. It won't be too long before the transition is complete. We have to act fast, Cade.”

  Fleet's expression turned from stunned to grim. “But that would mean...”

  The air in the room was almost tangible; charged with urgency and despair and a sudden realization of just what was being suggested.

  After a silence that stretched over several of her own heartbeats Madeleine nodded, her curls caressing her face as they tumbled free. “Yes, she would need to be turned and Cade claims she's his mate, so it would be the best choice we have of saving her.”

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  The vampire's lair was complex and cleverly constructed with many tunnels. Some were concealed to human eyes, but not to the shifters who now roamed the underground cave. The decision to kill the two male vampires had been an easy one. After the female had left things went a little… bandy.

  A fight broke out and trying to stay silent was near impossible. After the first male vampire had sunk his teeth into Gunner's arm, the second had tried his luck with Jack. The vamp received a bullet to the head which blew most of his brains all over the wall. Not that it killed the son-of-a-bitch. It was Ryker with his fuck off Bowie knife that sliced the bloodsucker's head clean off. And before the second managed to wriggle free of Gunner's restraint, he did exactly the same thing.

  “Are you ladies done messing around?”

  Gunner grunted and gave him the bird. “Sure thing, Crocodile Dun―fuckin―Dee.”

  “I think we've got company,” Jack said, moving hastily toward the door, his hearing picking up faint footsteps. “Come on. We need to find Jo, then smoke the place.”

  Further along the tunnel, an arm shot out from a linking corridor and the vampire almost got a bullet in her head. “Jesus!” Jack cursed. “I told you to get the females out.”

  “I have instructed them,” the waif-like beauty informed him, her voice heavily accented and her dark eyes remaining wary. “You've come for the human have you not?”

  Jack nodded at the assumption. “Where?”

  She spun on her bare heel and beckoned them to follow. After a brief hesitation, the shifters followed the delicate frame of the female vampire, now dressed in a white smock robe. Entering two other tunnels, they continued until reaching a heavy oak door. Standing in silence, Jack mouthed his thanks and told the woman to leave. She gave a slight tilt of her head toward him before moving with such speed she was a ghost, a sudden breeze across their flesh.

  Leon was no fool. His age guaranteed him such things that afforded him the ability to sense an intruder from within a wide radius of the building. Having sent out two of his best men to confirm what he had detected, they returned swiftly and with affirmation. Just as he'd suspected, strangers had penetrated his secluded hideout. But he was ready, he was no longer prepared to be a victim.

  He was a Vampire King and now was his time.

  The door flew from off the heavy metal hinges that secured it into the thick stonework and the three shifters entered the room, treading carefully over the debris as the dust settled.

  “Well, what do we have here?” The vampire was well schooled in remaining cool and collective. He eyed the three men from beneath a hooded cloak noting their impressive presence.

  Their size alone would've made any person quake in their boots, but not him. He stood in the middle of the room, hands behind his back, the corner of his mouth curved exposing a deadly fang.

  “Where is she you sick bastard?” Jack wasn't about to waste time on introductions, playing games wasn't on his to-do list.

  The vampire laughed, the echo bouncing off the cold, stone walls. “Do you think that my own people would betray me?” He remained stoic, weighing up the shifters, keenly watching every tiny movement and every muscle twitch.

  Jack's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he felt the vampire's power snake around his senses. “Get your damn hands where I can see them, slowly, or you're likely to digest a bullet.”

  “Oh, I assure you, I need no weapons,” he said, bringing his hands up as proof. He moved toward them, hearing the distinctive clicks of metal as they cocked their guns and swung all three barrels at his head. Stopping an arm's length from Jack, he leaned forward so the cold metal of Jack's Beretta pressed into his cloaked forehead. “You will never find her, wolf.”

  A snarl ripped from Jack's throat, his finger poised on the trigger.

  Something felt off.

  “We're going to search this place with a fine-tooth comb, you son-of-a-bitch. And rest assured death will wait patiently. We'll find her and when we do… you're dead.”

  The vampire chuckled sadistically. “Good luck,” he goaded, before ripping back the heavy hood of his cloak that hid the vampire's true identity.

  Jack realized too late the whole thing had been a ruse. The Vampire King was possibly leagues away by now with Jo. His jaw clenched as the fury doubled with ferocity in his gut.

  The vampire's head remained pressed to Jack's Beretta as he tugged open the black robe. He was wearing a device strapped to his chest with enough explosive to bring down half the mountain that the tunnels ran beneath. The small digital clock in the center indicated they had less than a minute.

  “Surprise.”

  “Fuck!” Gunner spat out the curse, angry he hadn't scented the bomb and they'd been well and truly had.

  The devoted vampire male stretched his arms open wide, closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath then said...

  “Long live the King.”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Cade's pacing was slowly wearing a track in the solid oak flooring of his Alpha's office. The two men were heavily weighed down with decisions that needed to be made. Neither had uttered a word, yet both could telepathically hear each other's thoughts.

  Fleet's emotions were far removed and logically thinking. Cade was in complete disarray, his emotions as turbulent as a stormy sea. Having once had a mate him
self, Fleet couldn't blame Cade for the pain he was putting himself through. Finding a mate was no easy thing. Even with the potential of human mates, they were becoming a rare find, and a wolf could spend most of their life alone. It was in the hands of the fates and so was the situation Cade had found himself in. Fleet had to admit he wouldn't want to be in the young shifter's shoes right now.

  “No!” Cade stilled, answering his Alpha with a tone that held little sway before Fleet had aired his conscious decision. No other shifter in the pack dared speak to him that way. Though Cade wasn't an ordinary pack member, Fleet couldn't let his rebellious, disobedience slide.

  Getting up out of his chair with his wolf on a tethered leash, Fleet leaned on his desk and scowled at the obstinate shifter. “I don't give a damn what you think! You're in no state right now to be making life-altering decisions.” He straightened up, a commanding growl leaving his chest in warning before retrieving his cell from the pocket of his jeans. “Christopher Warden has to be called in on this. He's the Goddamn Overseer!” His eyes flashed with heat, throwing a cautionary glare at Cade. “We're both well aware of your family ties, but right now I've got a shifter going fucking insane about his potentially dying mate. Pack members trying to hunt down a blood-sucking vampire, who just so happens to have kidnapped your mate's aunt. And two killers in my holding cells.” He blew out a heavy breath, his mouth forming a grim line as he flipped open his Samsung and hit speed dial.

  A low curse left Cade's lips.

  His hands were tied in a damned if you do―damned if you don't kind of scenario. He wanted nothing more than to have Kit accept him as her mate, but right now that wasn't a choice she could make for herself. Still unconscious, it could be hours, possibly days before she woke. Madoc assured him Kit's body was just sleeping, saving much-needed energy while the venom was spreading. He couldn't get his head around just taking her and turning her into something she might not want to be. Instead of loving him, she would hate him, despise him for stealing her human life. Even though without doing so and doing so soon, would inevitably result in her becoming a blood-sucking vampire.

  The thought of the cursed blood running through Kit's veins made Cade's skin crawl with an irritation like a million needles pricking his entire body. His wolf clawed and scratched against Cade's flesh at the idea like a rabid fiend. They'd hardly got a chance to get to know one another. He knew all he needed to about Kit, but she was still getting used to the idea of shifters and supernatural beings that the majority of humans still knew nothing about.

  “He's on his way,” Fleet informed Cade, bringing his attention back to his Alpha. The look in Cade's stark, gray eyes clearly stated he wasn't about to do anything he didn't want to do, whether it was his Alpha or the Overseer that gave the orders. “Cade, listen to me, don't do something foolish here. Christopher Warden may be your grandfather, but don't doubt for one minute he'll come down on you like a ton of bricks if he has to.”

  Cade's challenging glare said all that was needed of his annoyance before he pivoted around and slammed the door closed on the way out.

  §

  Ryker studied the device carefully. He guessed it was coded with a better-than-average encryption. Nothing he couldn't handle, but there were only thirty-nine seconds and counting left on the clock.

  He needed to act quickly.

  Jack Henderson had used his weapon many countless times. His first time had been with a young male high on drugs. He'd been just a kid, sucked into the life where nothing mattered but the next fix. His stained clothes hung from his skinny body like rags. Track marks and bruises lined his arms, the gun shook in his hand when he'd turned it on Jack, who had entered the grocery store the kid was about to rob. He could still see the kid's deep brown, lifeless eyes, void of any reasoning. Jack had already withdrawn his weapon and aimed it with precision at the kid's head. He'd tried to talk the youngster around, but in the end the kid was too panic-stricken and strung out and Jack knew he was about to do something stupid.

  Jack pulled the trigger just as the kid was about to take out the old man behind the counter. The shot to his head hit the intended area accurately, thus debilitating the subject immediately; the brain no longer able to send the signal required down the nerves to his finger to pull the trigger.

  Now he intended to do exactly the same thing, only, he wasn't sure it would have the desired effect on a vampire.

  Screw it.

  The shot rang out and ricocheted around the room. The vampire slumped to his knees. Before he fell or made any sudden moves, Gunner took a hold of his head and ripped it clean off his shoulders.

  “Ryker, can you stop this thing?”

  “Twenty seconds and counting. Sure, I've got this,” he said with a lazy drawl before laying the remaining body down flat with caution. Crouching down beside the body, Ryker looked a little closer at the device. “Whoa, the encryption is pretty complex.”

  Gunner shifted from side to side with noticeable impatience. “Ryker, I hate to rush you, dude, but we're looking at fifteen seconds here. For fuck's sake, how complex is the damn thing?”

  Ryker didn't make a sound while his fingers traced across a small black box at the bottom of the device. Flipping it open slowly it revealed a code panel and a bunch of colored wires. He felt along the underside of the panel and found a small, circular indentation. A button.

  “Jesus Christ, Ryker, I think we need to get out of here buddy. That looks like some serious shit right there...”

  “Shut the fuck up, Gun, can't you see I'm concentrating here.” Ryker kept his cool with his finger momentarily hovering over the button.

  “Holy fuck, we're going to die.”

  “Ryker, man, we're on three seconds… two...” Jack's voice was steady, but even he sucked in a deep breath, bracing himself for one hell of a way to die.

  One.

  The clock stopped as Ryker pushed the red button, disarming the device instantly. “Piece of cake,” he said as he stood up and tugged his cap down low.

  Gunner blew out a breath. “Christ, I thought you said it was complex?”

  Ryker's shaded gaze bounced up to meet his comrades. “It is, but all bombs have an off switch―you've just got to find them. And besides...” He burst out laughing, his body shaking with the sound. “You're fuckin face was classic.”

  Hours later the vampire's hideout had been thoroughly searched, and just as Jack had suspected, Jo was gone. The Vampire King had taken his willing followers and his hostage into hiding somewhere else. Jack's thoughts swung back to Valerie. Had she known? Had she intentionally set them up? Had she been a part of Leon's plan?

  “I found a laptop that I'll check out when we get back,” Ryker said, stashing the Mac under his arm. “We done here, chief?”

  “Yeah, we're done.” Jack sighed, taking one last look around the empty room of the hunting lodge. He wouldn't forget, and he'd find the bastard vampire whether it was the last thing he ever did.

  Chapter Fifty

  Cade pulled another gurney up alongside Kit. She was lost somewhere in a deep sleep, her pallid face ghosting over her real beauty. He couldn't bear it any longer. The helplessness saturated him to the point of drowning beneath a wave he was unable to break through.

  “Need some help there, Cade?” Madeleine grabbed a hold of the bottom bar and helped him position the bed next to Kit. She watched the shifter hop on, his big body swallowing up the mattress that just about accommodated him.

  “I need you to keep everyone out, even the Overseer.” Cade gave her a pointed stare as she raised a suspicious brow. “Let's just say he owes me big time,” he added.

  She folded her arms across her chest and peered at him over the rim of her glasses. “Might I ask what your intentions are?” She loved Cade like a brother, she did all of them, except for one, special shifter, but her main concern was for Kit. The woman was her patient and right now she was in a very vulnerable position.

  Cade sat up bracketing his knees with his arms
as he pulled them up toward his chest. “I'm going to see if I can dream walk into Kit's subconscious. It's a long shot, but I've done it once before.”

  “Really?” Madeleine asked, surprised. She'd attempted dream walking, but having suffered from the same reoccurring nightmare ever since being attacked, she found it impossible.

  He nodded. “Yeah.” Grunting, he remembered just how well that had gone. “I just can't stand the thought of turning her into something she might not want to be. The thought of...” he cursed, barely able to talk about the other possible outcome, “… of her becoming a vampire.”

  She reached forward and gripped his shoulder in sympathy. “I know.” She sighed with heavy recognition, remembering the horror of her own transition. A decision that was never her own to make. The attack of a rogue wolf had taken away everything she knew and had changed her life forever.

  Madeleine walked around the bed to check Kit's stats on the monitor. “I need to get a fresh IV bag.” Having put Kit on an intravenous drip earlier, she removed the empty, plastic pouch and crossed the room to retrieve another.

  “Listen, Madoc, I want you to put me under, give me something strong enough to knock me out.” He ran a hand through his hair, agitation setting in as he caught the wary gaze she threw him. “I can't risk waking up too soon.”

  “Okay, but under one condition. I'm wiring you up so I can track your stats.”

  “Fine.” Cade shook his head. He didn't like the idea of being under observation, but if they were the terms he'd accept them without complaint. He turned his gaze to the doctor as she hooked up the new bag of saline. “So, how are we going to stop anyone getting in here?”

  “I'll think of something.” She hoped Ryker would be back soon and that he'd help her. Otherwise she didn't know how in hell she'd be able to stop her Alpha, let alone the Overseer from getting in. “Just one last thing,” she said, removing her glasses and pinning him with a sober gaze. “What about her parents? Don't you think they have a right to know what's going on with their daughter and her aunt?”