Awakened by the Vampire

by Holly Brookes

  “When am I able to feed in peace?” she muttered.

  She faced her attacker. Quinn. The werewolf stood there with a forced grin on his face. Her gaze lowered to his right arm. It was wildly contorted, a sickening mass of dark fur and blood. It glistened in the moonlight and she saw a flash of white bone. He had partially transformed, but it wasn’t a full moon.

  Quinn growled, his voice rough and low. It was a disturbing, inhuman sound and she would’ve shuddered if she wasn’t so stunned.

  “I know you didn’t kill him,” Quinn said, obviously struggling to control himself. “The Council started this. We will end it.”

  He stumbled toward her and his face twitched wildly. His skin began to shrivel as a patch of thick fur burst out from his cheek.

  “You can’t transform!” she insisted, as if it would be enough to stop him.

  She looked behind her. The homeless man had fled some time ago. She was alone in the alley with a werewolf who seemed very intent on attacking.

  “This is my frenzy. I avoided feeding ever since I found you. I wanted to save this…for you.”

  Frenzy. She remembered Liam’s words and her eyes widened. “But I didn’t harm Ethan.”

  “You befriended him. Because of you, he was murdered. This war will continue. I’ll let you be my first victim.”

  Quinn ran at her and gripped her arms tightly, his weight pushing her to the ground. She fell to the pavement, struggling against his hold. He was changing rapidly, a loud, guttural rasp coming from his throat.

  She stared in shock as his teeth began elongating and blood splattered against her face. He was transforming erratically, parts of him becoming covered in fur then reverting to human skin. The horror of observing him transform gripped her. She couldn’t look away, or escape. Since meeting Ethan, she’d avoided watching a werewolf transform. Now she had to see it up close, and feel the warmth of Quinn’s blood on her face, the rush of air from his foul breath.

  She fumbled for the back of her jeans and grasped the silver knife. As Quinn continued changing, his mutilated jaw lunging for her shoulder, she withdrew the knife and slashed it across his face.

  He grunted and his hold lessened enough for her to slip free. She stumbled away, watching as he paused. He pulled his hand away from his cheek, revealing the gash across it. Enough to weaken, not kill.

  During her attack, his body had reverted to human form. He’d weakened, and she doubted it was due to her actions. But that didn’t stop him advancing toward her again.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Liam pulled the blanket close. Olivia had been driving since sunset as he directed her to the werewolf’s home in central New York. It was tempting to get out and run there himself. Patience had never a strong suit when he had a goal in mind. Finally, the traffic began to pick up and they made it through, turning off into a quiet street.

  He discarded the blanket, now shielded by shadows. They parked directly in front of the house and he stared at the derelict looking place with a patio. Paint was peeling from the outside, the small garden an unkempt mess. It had been years since he’d visited, and the alpha obviously didn’t bother with the upkeep of his house. Not that he was familiar with werewolf habits.

  “You can talk to me, you know,” Olivia said. “I’m not going to try anything.”

  “I know you won’t. But you hurt my Madison, and because of that, I have no interest.”

  He still felt bitter toward Madison for allowing the hunter to live, but her compassion had triggered his own helplessness toward the deeds he’d undertaken in the past. She was forcing him to change, to perceive humans differently. He’d become accustomed to the darkness of the world for too long, and she was guiding him out of it. Killing Olivia was an unnecessary line to cross unless she attempted to stake one of them again.

  “Haven’t you had someone you love die?” she asked.

  He strode towards the front door, shooting her a glare. Now wasn’t the time for her issues. “Your sister shouldn’t have got involved.”

  She followed, anger contorting her face. “Madison murdered her.”

  “There are more intricacies to the decisions our kind make than you believe. If you’re looking for mindless bloodthirsty vamps, find one in a frenzy.”

  Olivia swallowed and lowered her head in submission. “Fine. She didn’t kill me, so this is all I’m doing as repayment.” She observed the house. “I was expecting an underground lair.”

  “Still buying into stereotypes.”

  “Your relationship with Madison is one big stereotype. A prophesized love for your loveless kind.”

  He stilled. “How do you know about the Awakening?”

  “My mentor filled me in.”

  He had no interest in learning who’d trained her, but whoever it was had their connections. Olivia was aware of the situation and the interplay between them and the wolves. Good. She’d know what’d happen to her if she intruded.

  He knocked on the door. The answer was immediate, and it swung open to reveal Riley, still looking as young as when he’d last seen him. A glowering look overcame him, as expected, but it softened when he diverted his attention to Olivia.

  “Well, this is a different sort of company than I expected,” he remarked. “I’m surprised to see you. Come in.”

  He stepped away from the door and Liam followed him inside. Riley led them into the living room before a massive fireplace and gestured to a seat. Liam took it, grateful they were welcomed easily. Olivia sat opposite him; her presence had given this advantage, he wasn’t going to waste it. The fire crackled in front of them, burning brightly and giving off a gentle heat. He assumed it was cold but since his temperature remained cool, he couldn’t feel it. He noticed Olivia wringing her fingers together, the tips of them pink.

  “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here,” Riley began. “You turn up with a human, of all creatures. I hear you have no business with the Council.”

  “Not anymore,” he confirmed.

  Riley nodded thoughtfully, his brown hair a tousled mess, wrinkles lining his skin. “I have a feeling you’re not here to discuss the deal we made twenty years ago.”

  He felt Olivia’s eyes on him.

  “Not at all. I want to discuss your actions regarding the war.”

  “Of course. You want me to order restraint? It won’t happen. Thousands of us won’t tolerate what your Council initiated, despite their backtracking.”

  He gestured to Olivia. “You’re putting humans at risk. This is your only chance to ensure peace. The Council is run by a new man with different intentions. He wants peace. If you deny that, innocents like her will fall.”

  Riley glanced at her, allowing a moment’s hesitation. He’d played his trump card. It all hinged on appealing to Riley’s humanity.

  Riley wet his lips. “It’s unfortunate, but this has been brewing for centuries. You know it was meant to happen, and my orders will change nothing. Many will rebel. I allow free will. That’s all I have to say on the matter.”

  Olivia suddenly rose from the couch. “I need to use the bathroom, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course.” Riley gestured toward the hallway to the right. “It’s at the end of the hall. Try not to disturb any of my…guests on your way there.”

  Olivia nodded. The tension in the room immediately faded once she left. This was part of the plan, subtle ways of reminding Riley what was at stake, and she was playing her part well.

  Riley leaned forward. “Cut the crap. Why bring her here? She doesn’t matter to you, I can see that much.”

  Riley wasn’t easily fooled. Liam shrugged. “Humans don’t deserve to be involved in this, but unregulated bloodshed will doom us all. Is there nothing you can do?”

  “I’m afraid not. Coming here was a lost cause, but I appreciate the effort. You tried to hold together what would inevitably fall apart.”

  Damn it. He felt his chest lurch from helplessness.

  Riley coughed. “I wan
t you to repay my hospitality by telling me what you know. The Council’s weaknesses, if a daylight attack will be worth the cost.”

  “That’s what you plan to do?”

  “Only if you reveal where the main Council is. I’m not giving you a choice.”

  Of course. Now he intended on pressuring him for information. He didn’t owe Riley shit, and his brief hospitality meant nothing. He couldn’t give the wolves the advantage, not that they deserved it. They were hungry for bloodshed and it’d confirmed his earlier suspicions.

  “Attack those marked with graffiti,” he offered.

  “You remember the burning in Los Angeles? We tried that. If we make that same mistake, the Council will relocate. We need to assault the main building itself.”

  He knew the procedures the Council would take upon risk of attack and the death toll would be lower than the wolves intended.

  “You won’t help us, so I’m repaying that.”

  “Then I won’t let you leave,” Riley decided. “Down the hall, my guests are prepared to deal with you.”

  Liam stared at him, remembering their last discussion. “That’s forbidden.”

  “Thirty years ago, yes. But times are desperate. At my signal, they’ll attack you.”

  Tense silence passed. He evaluated the situation. Riley was desperate, had to be. Liam wouldn’t surrender to his attempts at prying information from him and so he resorted to threats. Scanning his face, he doubted he’d follow through. The wolves had a code, from what little he recalled. They weren’t eager to kill without a solid reason and Liam held value. He was the only vampire that associated with them in the past, a link Riley wouldn’t sever.

  Riley smirked. “Always stubborn. Still protecting them, but you’re making a mistake. You’ll regret it someday.”

  “Not as much as your helplessness at stopping this war. We’ll all pay for that. See you around.”

  Liam slid off the chair and headed for the exit. Olivia followed suit. Riley made no move to stop them, but simply sat back and watched them depart.

  “Nothing but empty threats,” she remarked.

  “So it would seem, but he’ll get his bloodshed eventually.”

  “He was unarmed.”

  “Riley’s the leader of his kind in New York, he wouldn’t risk being unprotected.”

  Liam could smell something. His gaze lowered to the back of her arm. She’d pulled a heavy black coat on which covered the wound and hid the blood. But the scent was discernable.

  Olivia noticed her watching and hesitated before opening the car door. “You like watching me?”

  “How were you injured?”

  “Oh, right. You can smell blood. It’s nothing. I’m on my period.”

  Liar.

  “Were you bitten?”

  “No,” Olivia replied and grimaced when he grabbed her arm and began to peel the sleeve of her coat back. “I don’t want you to see it! You’re a vampire. I’m not risking it.”

  “I won’t attack you.”

  Olivia shook her head. “I don’t believe you. I know you won’t accept my help. You won’t believe that I can change.”

  He had to laugh. “I know people. And people don’t change unless something compels them to. This war isn’t enough of a reason for you to change. You’ll continue to hate Madison until the end.”

  “You can’t claim to know my feelings.”

  He got into the car, eager to leave. “You always will. I know hate. Anger. They’re feelings that overwhelm you and don’t easily subside. With Madison around, you’ll always see her as Sandra’s murderer.”

  Olivia gave a small smile. “I give you credit for being more perceptive than I thought. I can see why you were part of the Council.”

  “And you can see why I am no longer.” He started the car and got the hell out of there.

  When they stopped at the next set of traffic lights, he felt Olivia’s eyes on him. She had obviously been pondering whether to talk.

  “I wasn’t bitten, but clawed,” she admitted. “Someone attacked me when I went down the hall but it wasn’t human, or a full werewolf.”

  “The frenzy,” he explained. “When a werewolf doesn’t feed during their transformation, they become erratic. As the next full moon approaches, they can’t control their transformation and it can happen any time when the moon is out.”

  “Why would they choose not to feed?”

  “Riley needs protection around him at all times. It was a controversial defense for their kind decades ago, but when the Council and the werewolves were amiable, there was a deal. I was the one who confirmed it with Riley. Their defense maneuver was not to happen and in exchange the vampires wouldn’t keep track of known werewolves. It was a way of ensuring trust between us, but as time passed, suspicion crept in and the Council became paranoid.”

  “That was the deal he mentioned?”

  “Yes.”

  A deal that Riley didn’t care to break.

  Madison opened the front door and shakily stepped inside. She hadn’t seen Olivia’s car outside but Liam’s absence didn’t bother her, she was preoccupied with recovering from Quinn’s attack. He’d let her go, apologizing that he couldn’t control himself.

  If she hadn’t taken the silver knife, Quinn would’ve killed her even though he claimed to have no intention of doing so. The memory of him transforming made her stomach recoil.

  She grabbed a cloth from the counter and wiped her face until she couldn’t feel any of his blood on her skin. Outside, she heard a car pull up. Liam. As the front door opened, she looked back and saw Olivia enter, wincing as she held her arm. She smelled blood and immediately went to Liam.

  “Hey. Any success?” she greeted him.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Nada.”

  A disappointment, not that she had her hopes up. She glanced at Olivia. The hunter removed her coat, revealing a bloody arm. She looked up and noticed Madison was watching, then covered the wound.

  Madison turned to Liam and motioned for him to follow her out of the hunter’s earshot. “Mind explaining?”

  “The werewolves have no interest in changing their minds. Just as I thought.” He frowned as he glanced over her clothes. “That’s not your blood. What the hell happened?”

  “I went out to feed and met Quinn again. He was in a frenzy and attacked me, but I managed to hurt him. How’d Olivia get wounded?”

  “By her stupidity, not that it’s our concern. The werewolves will make their move. And soon. There is something else we can consider before the Awakening.” He looked into her eyes, his expression dark. “I’d never want to do this but the Council showed they have no regard for our lives. They started a war which will destroy everything. So what I’m about to say is justified. It should no longer be kept secret.”

  Secret? Her eyes widened. “You want to reveal the fact we can go into the sun?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Madison sat up and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside dresser. It was 11am, already broad daylight, yet the sun wouldn’t affect them today. They’d sent Olivia home last night, having no further use for her. Strangely, she had the feeling it wasn’t the last time she’d see her.

  Liam climbed out of bed and managed to dress himself quickly. He glanced at Madison. After what they’d discussed, unspoken questions lingered. She pulled on jeans and a blue shirt and followed him out.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “Once we reveal the truth, it won’t be long before other vampires get the courage to attack. It’s been a secret for centuries, thousands won’t be pleased to learn what was hidden from them.”

  It sounded precarious but it had to be done. She was getting used to taking risks as it was the only way to ensure action, and the Council had to be stopped before the war became out of control.

  “I’ll be back soon, I have business to take care of. Show as many havens as you can, even Council registered ones.”

  She nodded and then he pulled her
into a kiss. His lips pressed hard against hers, slanting deliciously against her mouth, almost as if he didn’t want to release her. When he finally did, she noticed the fear in his eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile.

  “This will work,” she promised. “The vampires have to act. And if they don’t, we have the Awakening to fall back on.”

  He nodded and went to the couch, grabbing a blanket to take with him. “Just in case I’ll be awhile,” he explained.

  He didn’t look back before he left and her heart wrenched again from all this uncertainty.

  Madison continued walking. She made it a few blocks before she came across a haven; a one storied home with red satin curtains concealing large windows. A large unsecured gate surrounded it. She pulled it open and gently closed it. A place like this certainly stood out from the rest of the neighborhood. No doubt it would intimidate people. The graffiti had been hard to spot, etched onto one of the gate posts.

  She knocked and waited. Nothing. She frowned and knocked again but there was no response. This place can’t be abandoned. Warily, she tested the door and it opened, obviously unlocked.

  She stepped in, immediately entering a hallway which stretched down to the back door. There were rooms on either side and she began walking forward, stopping at the first two doors. A nervous feeling flooded her. Not even the Council building had been this intimidating. It was too quiet, too uneasy.

  She threw open the left door to reveal a simple bedroom. Two vampires were under the sheets of the bed and they both stared, unperturbed. Sensing movement behind her, she turned. Someone grabbed her arms, pinning her in place.

  “Welcome to our haven.”

  The last words she heard before an electric current surged through her body and everything darkened.

  Madison pried open her eyes and quickly recovered, sitting upright. She was seated on a couch in what appeared to be the living room. There were five vampires surrounding her, one sitting beside her with a laptop. She couldn’t decipher whether they were rogue or from the Council.