But gone is the beautiful woman. And in her place stands a larger than normal wolf, powerfully built and blacker than a shadow. She looks at me and lets out a soft whine – as if telling me to open the door and let her get to it already.
I give her a nod and then fling the door open wide. Neesa rushes through it and that low chittering becomes the high-pitched keening I heard in the tunnels. But then, that's followed by the sound of a wolf growling and barking as she tears into the vamps. I rush outside and the cool early morning air hitting my skin is invigorating. But as I see another group of the vamps coming toward the cabin from the woods, I drop down and force myself to shift.
Now in my bear form, I lumber across the yard, my roaring echoing around the woods that surround my cabin. Two of the vampires turn to me, making that keening sound as they rush at me. Standing up on all my hind legs, I swipe my powerful paw at the two – and take both of their heads off in one fell swoop. The bodies of the creatures fall at my feet with a meaty thud, their blood spilling onto the gravel, their heads rolling away, ending up beneath my truck.
I turn and spot Neesa surrounded by four of them. Her hackles are up and her lips are curled back into a snarl. She barks and growls at the creatures who are slowly advancing on her. I drop back down onto all fours and start running for her, when I feel two impacts in my side. I spin around and find two of the vampires clinging to my flanks.
Their claws rake through my flesh, sending a burst of agonizing pain rocketing through me. I throw my head back and roar, spinning around, doing everything I can to shake them off. But they hold tight, their claws digging deeper into my skin, the pain becoming almost unbearable.
Unable to shake them off of me, I let myself fall down onto my side. I roll over, feeling the bodies both of the vampires beneath me buckle as the weight of my bear body crushes them. Quickly getting to my feet, I see that the vampires are already moving again and know it won't be long before they heal themselves and are back on their feet.
I decide to not give them the chance by stepping forward and driving my massive paws straight into their faces. With all of my weight as a bear behind me, I rise up and let myself fall down onto their heads again and again, bones snapping, their skulls flattening, red, meaty matter shooting out across the gravel driveway. It's not until both of their heads have been completely pulverized and obliterated that I turn back to find Neesa engaged with all four of her attackers.
Her wolf yelps in pain as one of the vampires rakes its claws across her soft belly. Neesa's powerful jaws clamp down onto the neck of one of the vamps and a gout of blood shoots out, hitting the side of my truck and leaving red streaks as it runs down the paint in rivulets. She opens her jaws and the body drops, but the other three vampires are pressing close to her, their teeth and nails continuing to rake at her flesh.
I rush forward, cocking back one of my paws just before I get to the vampires and Neesa. Swinging as hard as I can, I take the heads off two more vampires, sending them spinning like a ball into the nighttime sky. The last vampire is momentarily distracted by the sight of its two friends having their heads ripped from their bodies and pays the price. Neesa's jaws clamp down on its head and she gives it a hard, violent shake. I hear the sound of wet, tearing flesh as she separates head from body.
The vampire's lifeless body slumps to the ground and Neesa spits out the head, letting it roll across the gravel. She throws her head back and lets out a howl of triumph that drifts out into the night. As I listen, I wonder if Umak is hearing her and wonder what he thinks. Not that I care.
Standing side-by-side, we look around, scanning the area for more. But aside from the small group that showed up in my driveway, the forest around is empty. For now. We shift back into our human forms and jog back into the house.
“We need to get dressed,” I say. “And we need to get out of here. Now.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” she says.
We quickly throw on our clothes and toss some supplies into a pack. I sling it over my shoulder and we dash outside, closing and locking the door behind us. I usher her into the truck and then run around to the driver's side and jump in. After making sure the doors are locked, I start it up, the familiar roar of the engine somehow comforting to me.
I turn to Neesa and smile. “You did pretty well out there,” I say.
She shrugs. “Not as well as you,” she says. “You had to save my ass.”
“There were just too many of them,” I reply. “I got lucky and you drew the short straw. Had to take on more at one time.”
She laughs and looks at me, her smile wide still. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Do me a favor though,” I say.
She looks at me. “What's that?”
“After we have sex next time,” I say, “could you do that victory howl thing? That was actually kind of hot.”
She laughs and punches me playfully in the shoulder. “Pig.”
I put the truck in gear and stomp on the accelerator, the truck rolling over dead vampires as it rockets down my driveway and out onto the road.
Chapter Eighteen
Neesa
“I'm just glad you're both okay,” Mariana says, her tone serious.
“Yeah, that was a little hairy,” Jackson says.
We're sitting in Asher's office just as the sun begins to peek over the horizon. Asher, Mariana, and Luca are all there. As is a plate of pastries and coffee. I'd availed myself of a cup of coffee earlier and now I'm giving strong consideration to chowing down on a cheese danish.
We'd taken some wounds in the fight, but they'll heal quickly enough – one benefit of being a shifter. Asher had his people tend to our wounds and dress them anyway. But honestly, I'm already feeling better and the cuts we'd sustained are already vanishing like they'd never been at all.
“So, these things can track as well,” Luca says.
“They don't act like any vampire I've ever read about,” I say.
“That's because they're more animal than human,” Mariana says. “I guess living below ground sort of takes the humanity out of you after a while.”
“This needs to end,” Asher says. “They seem to be getting bolder. I mean, taking a couple of drunks in the forest is one thing. But tracking you down to your house is another. How long before they're roaming through the streets of town pulling victims out of their cars.”
“And you know Sheriff Richards will find some way to blame that on us too,” Luca says, rolling his eyes. “He'll probably try to get the City Council to pass an ordinance banning us from town or something again.”
Asher grins. “Yeah, probably.”
“Did you get what you were looking for, Asher?” Mariana asks.
He nods. “I did. Thankfully.”
Jackson leans forward and snags the cheese danish I'd been eyeballing. He drops it on a plate and hands it to me and gives me a little wink. I smile at him and then, with my stomach growling, tear into the pastry, delighting at how fresh and good it is. I look up and see Luca smiling at me. I turn my eyes away quickly, focusing on my pastry. No matter how warm and welcoming they've all been, I'm still very keenly aware that I'm an outsider here.
There's a knock at the office door and it opens. Three men step inside, all large, all burly, and all with that unmistakable air of violence about them. One of them sets a metal device that looks a lot like a tank of propane down on the table and nods to Asher.
“Riley,” Asher says, shaking the man's hand. “Good to see you.”
“You too, Chief,” he replies. “Got what you were asking for. It wasn't easy though. Or cheap.”
Asher waves him off. “Expense doesn't matter,” he says. “I appreciate the quick turnaround.”
From her spot next to Asher's desk, I can see Mariana looking Riley up and down – obviously enjoying what she sees.
“Asher, dear,” she says. “Are you going to introduce us to your playmates?”
Asher grins. “Everybody, this is Riley,” he says
. “And behind him are Tobias and Javier. They're honorary Q'lapa.”
Luca and Mariana exchange glances. “Honorary?” Luca says.
“They're allies. Have been for a long time,” Asher says. “They're former military and helped my father out of more than a few jams.”
“You can say that again,” Riley says and grins.
“So, to honor their service to the Q'lapa,” Asher continued, “my father made them honorary members of the Clan – with the option of becoming true Q'lapa whenever they wish. Something they've yet to take advantage of.”
Riley nods to us all while his two men stand behind him, as silent and expressionless as a stone.
“We're getting there, I think,” Riley says. “Once the fun of being a private contractor wears out, we'll be up here with you all. Promise you that.”
“Private contractor?” I ask.
“Yeah, they fly all over the world,” Asher says. “Do violent stuff, kill important people. The usual.”
I look from Asher to Riley and then back again, not sure if he's kidding or not. Judging by the expression on Riley's face though, I get the impression that he's not.
“Well then, what did you bring for us to play with, Riley?” Mariana purrs.
Riley gives her a roguish grin, catching her meaning. “This is essentially a dirty bomb,” he says. “A dirty napalm bomb. Guaranteed to burn anything alive within a one-hundred-yard radius.”
“We'll be setting it off inside of an underground cave,” Luca says.
Riley shrugs. “I can guarantee you then, that nothing is walking out of that cave when this thing goes off,” he says. “Not even a cockroach.”
“Napalm,” Jackson says. “Nasty stuff.”
Riley shrugs. “I hear you got a nasty problem.”
Jackson chuckles. “That we do.”
“Mariana believes that fire will take care of our problem,” Asher says. “Which makes this napalm bomb our new best friend.”
“How does it work?” Luca asks.
Riley pulls a remote out of his pocket and hands it to Asher. “Remote detonation device,” he says. “It's simple. You plug the code into this keypad. That will arm the device. And once you're safely away, you press the red button on that remote and boom, problem solved.”
I stand up and take a closer look at the bomb, a chill running through me as I look at it, realizing that if it went off in that moment, we'd all be incinerated.
“Don't worry,” Riley said as if he intuited my thoughts. “It's not armed yet. Has to be armed to be functional. Once it's armed though, watch your ass.”
“What's this red button on the side?” I ask.
“That's the failsafe,” Riley says. “If for whatever reason, the remote is damaged or inoperable, you can press that button. You have thirty seconds to get to cover or you're a pile of ash. Obviously, you would prefer to keep the remote handy and safe.”
Jackson nods as he listens to it all, taking it all in. I can see the wheels in his mind turning and see the threads of his plan coming together to form the whole. This might just work.
“So, what's your plan?” Riley asks. “If you don't mind a little show and tell?”
“Oh, I don't,” Mariana says, her eyes fixed on Riley. “In fact, show and tell is one of my favorite games.”
Luca and Asher look at her and shake their heads. “You'll have to forgive her,” Asher says. “She doesn't get out much.”
“Her social graces are lacking,” Luca adds.
Riley smiles wide. “Nothing to forgive,” he replies, looking her up and down. “Nothing at all.”
Jackson gets to his feet and looks at the bomb, nodding his head. “Basically, we're going to take a small team into the cavern where these things nest,” he says. “We plant the bomb, get out, set it off, and these vampires aren't a problem anymore.”
Riley nods and seems to be considering Jackson's words. “Sounds reasonable enough,” he says. “Without seeing the terrain or the enemy though, I couldn't tell you how successful it might be. Or might not be.”
Jackson chuckles. “How about just saying good luck then?”
Riley smiles wide. “Well hey, good luck then.”
“Appreciate your help, Riley,” Asher says. “As always.”
He shrugs. “Hey, you pay good money,” he says. “Besides, I kinda like you. And it's never a bad idea to curry favor with your eventual new boss.”
Asher laughs and claps him on the back. “Whenever you're ready for life as a bear, you let me know,” he says. “I'm serious about that.”
Riley nods. “You'll be the first call I make,” he says. “We should go.”
The two men with him turn and leave the room as silently as they'd entered. Mariana though, sidles up next to Riley and links her arm through his. He gives her a smile.
“Let me walk you out,” she purrs.
Riley looks over at Asher and Luca. “Her social graces seem just fine to me, boys.”
I watch the pair walk out of the room and then turn back to Asher and Luca. All four of us are starting at the bomb sitting on the table. A million different thoughts spin through my mind at the same time and I'm not sure how to feel about any of them.
What we're about to do is dangerous. And as I look at the bomb, I realize just how dangerous it is. But the other side of that coin is that doing nothing would not just be dangerous – it would be stupid. The vampires are a threat and need to be dealt with. Sooner rather than later.
“You ready for this?” Jackson says, locking eyes with me.
I feel the adrenaline start to flow and my heart start to race a bit. That familiar excitement starts to fill me up.
“Yeah, I'm ready,” I say. “Let's do it.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jackson
Neesa and I are standing at the head of a trail that will take us to the cave where the vampires are nesting. The bomb is in a pack on my shoulders and I'm fidgeting nervously with the remote. I know it's not armed and won't go off unexpectedly, but I'm not one who's comfortable with explosives. Or guns. I much prefer the steel of a good blade.
A black SUV pulls to a stop behind my truck and two large men get out. They're large and unmistakably bear. They're wearing black tactical gear and are bristling with an array of weapons.
“You Asher's guys?” I ask.
The first one nods. “Todd,” he says, shaking my hand. “This is Dom.”
“Jackson,” I say. “This is Neesa.”
Todd lowers his sunglasses and looks her up and down. “Wolf?”
“That going to be a problem?” she asks.
Todd puts his glasses back up and shakes his head. “Not at all,” he says. “It's just unusual, that's all.”
“Yeah well, there's not a lot about this that's normal,” I say.
“So I've heard,” Todd replies. “Asher got us up to speed for the most part.”
“We ready to roll?” Dom asks.
“Not yet,” I say. “We've got a couple more coming.”
As if on cue, another car pulls up behind the SUV and the man I recognize as Evan gets out from behind the wheel. Another man is with him – one I don't recognize. They're both carrying crossbows and have quivers of silver-tipped arrows on their backs. They walk over to us, nodding at Neesa and looking at the rest of us suspiciously. The tension in the air is thick.
“Evan,” I say and extend my hand. “Thank you for coming.”
He looks at my offered hand for a moment before taking it, giving me a firm shake. And as if by some sort of magic, the tension in the air begins to dissipate.
“Sounded like a party,” he says. “Who don't like a party?”
Even Todd and Dom crack a smile, further cutting through the tension of our small group. Evan turns to Neesa and gives her a hug.
“I've – uhhh – I've got your things in the back of my car,” he says.
“Does Umak know what we're doing out here?” she asks.
Evan shakes his head. �
�No, of course not. You told me to keep a lid on it so that's what I did,” he says. “I just told him I'd take your stuff to you and he was fine with it. More or less. He knows we always got on, so he didn't care for the most part.”
“Yeah, that's a big surprise.”
I look at Neesa and see the tightness in her face. Her life with the pack is over – officially. Umak has exiled her. She knew it was coming. Told me she was actually welcoming it. But when the reality of it sets in, no matter how prepared for it you think you are, it's still going to sting. And I can see the sting on her face clearly.
“Sorry, Neesa,” he says. “I really am.”
She shrugs and clears her throat. “I'm not. It's for the best,” she replies and looks at me. “There are better things in store for me.”
“If we survive this,” Evan says grimly.
“We're going to survive this,” she replies.
“Speaking of which,” I say. “We should probably head out. They sleep during the day and we don't want to get caught out here at night.”
“Agreed,” Todd says.
I heft the pack on my shoulders, adjusting its weight, and we set off. We walk through the forest, our senses alert, our bodies tense. Just because sunlight hurts them, I don't necessarily think that rules out the possibility of them taking the pain for a chance to get to us. Especially if they know it won't kill them.
The air is cool and the light on the forest floor is dim, the canopy overhead blotting out most of the sun. I fall back a little and fall into step beside Neesa. I give her a look and then reach out, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
“You okay?” I ask.
She looks at me and nods, her smile weak. “Yeah,” she replies. “I'm fine. I'll be fine.”
Neesa picks up her pace and walks ahead of me. I see her wiping the tears from her face and decide to give her a little space.
Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3) Page 12
