by J. C. Diem
Reece rose to his feet when I approached his cell. He showed no reaction at seeing Gareth die so horrifically. I wasn’t sure he even understood what was happening.
Silver was less deadly for vampires, but it would still burn me if I touched the bars. Gauging the strength of the metal, I took a step back then kicked the door as hard as I could. Pain shot through my bare foot, but the door crashed open. My burns healed after taking only a few steps towards the door. Reece stepped out of his prison and followed me, staying close enough to feel the warmth of his skin on my back.
₪₪₪
Chapter Fourteen
We emerged into the sunlight to find Nina and her entire pack surrounding us. Fury emanated from her. She’d felt Gareth die, but her surprised expression told me she hadn’t expected me to be the culprit. She’d thought Reece was to blame. “What did you do to my son?” she asked in a low, ominous tone.
“He wanted me to bite him, so I did,” I shrugged. “Apparently, my saliva is riddled with vampire toxin now.” Gasps of fright and alarm came from everyone. Gloria stared at me in horror. She surreptitiously backed away and stepped behind Ned.
“I don’t know how you survived a vampire’s bite and I don’t care. You are both abominations and you need to be destroyed,” Nina said and drew her gun. She spared Reece a glance that was almost as devoid of emotion as I felt. After all the effort she’d gone through to get him to join her pack, it was strange that she was so ready to kill him now. Clearly, my mother wasn’t the only one who lacked maternal instincts.
I could smell the silver bullets inside her gun. They would be deadly even for me if she managed to shoot me in the head. I wasn’t about to let that happen now that my revenge was so close at hand.
I moved so quickly that I was just a blur to them. Nina froze when my hands settled around her throat from behind. “You’re right,” I agreed. “I am an abomination, but I’m also really, really fast now.”
“What do you want?” she choked. I wasn’t trying to strangle her, I just didn’t know my own strength yet.
Easing my grip slightly, I nodded at her only surviving son. “I’m going to take Reece with me and get my master to turn him into a vampire.”
Gloria sobbed at my pronouncement, drawing my attention to her. She peeked at me from behind Ned, using him as a shield. He turned to her and put his arms around her, glaring back over his shoulder at me. “First, you’re going to release him from your bond,” I said to her. It wasn’t a true bond like ours had been, but she was still tied to him. I didn’t want there to be any way for his pack to track us. They were lucky I didn’t kill them all. If I’d been interested in wreaking revenge on their whole pack rather than just on Reece, they’d all be dead already.
“She’ll have to transfer it to someone else,” Nina grated. “Garrett is the only male alpha in our pack.”
“Her bond doesn’t have to be given to an alpha,” I pointed out. “That’s just her preference.” Silence took over and my patience wore thin. “If you don’t choose someone in the next five seconds, I’ll kill you,” I told Gloria bluntly. It would be the quickest way to sever their ties and we all knew it. “I really don’t care either way.”
It was my utterly emotionless tone that convinced her. “I choose Ned,” she blurted, much to everyone’s surprise. He was old enough to be her father, but it was obvious that they cared about each other.
Nina turned as much as I’d let her and glared at her brother. He flushed bright red beneath her accusing stare. “I swear I never touched her!” he said in self-defense.
“You’re touching her right now,” she pointed out.
He dropped his hands from Gloria’s shoulders and stepped away from her.
My patience was utterly gone now. “Bite each other and get this done so we can leave,” I instructed them.
“That won’t finish the process,” Nina said with a hint of smugness. “Garrett will have to release her from his bond of his own free will or he’ll remain bound to her.” She nodded at her son’s blank expression. “Does it look like he’s capable of making any rational decisions?”
“Let me worry about that,” I replied and looked at Gloria and Ned. “Do it,” I commanded.
Nervous and shy, they turned to each other. Ned tenderly shifted her shirt aside and bit Gloria first. She moaned in part pleasure, part pain then returned the favor. Ned closed his eyes and shuddered in bliss when her teeth sheared into his flesh. As far as bonding ceremonies went, it was pretty lame. At least it was compared to the glimpse I’d had of Reece and Gloria’s ritual.
“Come here,” I said to Reece and he obeyed me as if I was his master. Taking Nina’s gun from her, I tossed it far away then gave her a shove. She stumbled and nearly fell, but one of her followers caught her. She was drawn back to safety then rounded on us with a scathing glare.
Reece took faltering steps towards me and stopped when he was only inches away. I stared into his eyes until they cleared slightly again. “Do you want to stay here?” I asked him. He shook his head once, but he didn’t speak. “Do you want to come with me?” This time, he nodded. “Then you have to let Gloria go.”
It had been an agonizing decision for me to make, but he made the choice without even thinking about it. Reece flinched when their link was severed, but that was the only indication he gave that he felt any pain. He was deep in the process of turning into the undead and his senses were currently dulled. Gloria, on the other hand, shrieked as if she’d been doused in oil and set on fire. Ned pulled her into his embrace and patted her back as she sobbed on his shoulder. His tight expression indicated that he shared her pain.
Seizing the opportunity while she thought I was distracted, Nina shouted an order at her pack. “Kill them both!” Most were armed with either handguns or rifles and they reached for their weapons.
Ready for her treachery, I grabbed Reece by the wrist. His feet became tangled and he nearly fell when I yanked him after me. I put my arm around his waist and carried us both out of danger as bullets flew through the space that we no longer occupied.
Nina cursed shrilly when she realized we were gone. “Find them!” she shouted and her pack scattered to search the grounds.
Instead of fleeing, we entered the main house. He’d need more than just ragged cutoff sweatpants for the journey ahead. Finding the only bedroom that had his faint scent, I gathered some of his clothes and stuffed them into a backpack.
He made no move to stop me or to help me when I removed his sweatpants and made him step into a pair of jeans. He’d lost far too much weight and his ribs were showing. The jeans were too loose on him now. He’d need to feed to regain his bulk. I put boots on his feet and drew a t-shirt over his head and deemed him to be presentable. Then we left the place that should have been his home, but had instead ended up being his prison.
I wasn’t sure what had happened to him while he’d been with his pack. My wolf was in pain at seeing him in this state, but my necromancer couldn’t have cared less. My vampire was pleased. This was exactly the type of revenge she’d been craving. Now all I had to do was bring him to my mother. Then she could turn him and he would be trapped in a state of eternal emptiness, just like me.
Leaving the property far behind, I smelled a herd of deer and veered from our path. Reece followed me like a faithful hound. His link to me was the only anchor he had. Without it, he would lose what little was left of his sanity.
The deer froze when they sensed us closing in. I chose one and snatched her up before she could flee. I bit down on her neck and Reece watched me in fascination. His fangs descended and his stomach rumbled. I moved aside and motioned for him to take my place. The deer gave a bleat of pain when his teeth tore into her. He was trying to eat her as if he was still just a werewolf rather than part vampire. His wolf was dormant now and he needed blood to replenish his energy.
He went still when I put my hand on his shoulder. “Just drink her blood,” I said. “You can eat meat later.”
>
Taking my advice, he stopped trying to tear out a chunk of flesh and swallowed her blood instead. He drained the doe until she was lifeless then stepped away from her carcass. The dark death magic that partially animated us both went to work and within seconds he’d fleshed out again. His body was as muscular and perfect as it had been before he’d been imprisoned. It showed just how desperately his body had been craving blood.
Speaking of which, blood covered his face, hands and shirt. “Why do vampires always have to be so messy?” I asked the uncaring forest. It had quickly become tiresome living with a bunch of slobs who didn’t care about their appearance. Now that they’d begun to take better care of how they looked, I wanted Reece to be presentable when I brought him to Katrina. Convincing her to turn him wasn’t going to be easy. I didn’t want to give her any reason to refuse my request.
He followed me to a stream and lifted his arms patiently as I stripped his shirt over his head. I dunked it in the water and used it to clean the dirt and blood off his face and neck. Growing uncomfortable beneath his unwavering gaze, I stepped behind him and went to work on his back. I couldn’t put it off forever and rounded to his front again. Beginning at his abs, I worked my way up his torso, washing away an accumulation of blood from his meal and grime from being jailed.
Something stirred inside me at touching his half-naked body. My wolf was responding to his nearness. I looked up to see him staring down at me intently. His mind wasn’t entirely empty and I saw a hint of desire inside before I stepped away.
“Put this on,” I said and handed him a fresh shirt. Feeding so deeply on the deer had given him back his ability to function. He complied and it was a relief when he was fully clothed. His hair needed a wash and he badly needed a shave, but it was the best I could do right now.
Still in the transitional stages of becoming a vampire, he wasn’t as fast as me, but he could still move a lot quicker than a werewolf. We sped westward, stopping to feed again when our energy grew low. Reece controlled himself far better this time and only left a few smears of blood on his face.
I sensed my mother and her nest long before we drew close to the lair. It was doubtful that Katrina would greet me with open arms after I’d tried to kill her, but I needed her cooperation if I was going to exact my revenge. I could have tried to turn Reece myself, but I didn’t want our minds to be linked again. Being tied to my master was already one invasion too many.
Silence fell when the others sensed us approaching the building. Reece followed me up to the roof and then down the stairs to the living room where Katrina was holding court. She deigned to turn her head and stared at me regally. “What is that?” she asked and pointed at Reece without looking at him directly. She didn’t seem surprised that I’d returned to her. Maybe she’d known I couldn’t stay away for long.
“You know who and what he is,” I said. “I’m sure you remember biting him in Bradbury.”
She made a show of looking him over. “Why did you bring that thing here?”
“I want you to turn him.”
“Why should I?” she asked with a sneer. “So you can have your lover back? You killed my favorite bedmate and I have no inclination to make one for you.”
I realized she wasn’t going to turn Reece out of sheer petty spite and my wolf surged to the surface. Without even needing to think about it, claws formed. Turning to the closest vampire, my hands shot out and snatched up Tiffany. Katrina looked on in shock when I tore her minion’s head from her shoulders. “I have forbidden you from killing anyone without my permission!” she screeched.
“Here’s the thing,” I said. “I can’t kill you, but you have no control over me at all. My wolf is too strong for you to be able to take over my mind.” To demonstrate, I turned to Kevin. My claws lashed out and he gave a garbled scream as his throat became a ruined mess. Leaning down, I tore his head off and held it up by his long hair. “Now there’s one less mouth to feed. I can kill someone else if you like. In fact, I’ll kill every single one of your minions if you don’t turn Reece right now.”
Katrina knew I wasn’t bluffing. She might be my master, but she had no idea what I was capable of. I caught a fleeting thought that she wished she’d never encountered me in New Orleans. “Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll turn him if it means so much to you.” She crooked her finger at Reece imperiously. He ignored her completely until I motioned for him to go to her. Blood dripped from my claws. I wouldn’t need them anymore so made them disappear. I dropped Kevin’s head to the floor then bent to wipe my hands on his shirt. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t mind the stains.
Katrina took Reece by the hand and roughly yanked him down to his knees. Without ceremony, she tore his shirt away and bit into his right shoulder. He turned his head and his eyes remained on me as she drank his blood. Tearing her wrist open with her teeth, she held it to his mouth. Again, he watched me as he drank.
When she’d deemed he’d had enough, Katrina pushed him away. He crawled over to me and stopped a short distance away. Remaining on his hands and knees, he stared blankly down at the carpet. Just when I thought the conversion had failed, he convulsed.
Reaching out, he grabbed my hand and pulled himself to his knees. He wrapped his arms around my legs and pressed his face against my stomach as he went through the agonizing process of transforming into a vampire.
I should have pushed him away and left him to face the torment alone just as I had. Instead, I allowed him to cling to me like a lifeline. His heart rate increased then almost came to a stop several times. He groaned in agony as pain permeated his entire being. His heart began to slow and his body to cool, but he didn’t die.
When the process was finally over, he was just like me; half werewolf, half vampire. Unlike me, he didn’t have the added presence of a necromancer residing inside him. When he tilted his head back and looked up at me, I saw there was another significant difference between us. Agony, sorrow and profound guilt were in his eyes. While I felt nothing, he apparently felt everything.
For the first time since becoming a new form of monster, my lips tilted upwards in a true smile. This was the best revenge I could have possibly hoped for.
₪₪₪
Chapter Fifteen
“What is your name, servant?” Katrina asked the newest addition to her flock. Still displeased at being forced to turn him, her tone was wintry.
“Reece Garrett,” he replied without turning to look at her.
“That’s not your real name,” I said. I stepped back, breaking his contact with me. “His name is Garrett Carter.”
Standing shakily, he shook his head in denial. “I don’t want to be called that ever again.”
“You can’t go back to who you were, Garrett.” He flinched at my continued use of his real name. “You gave up the right to the name Mark gave you when you cast us all aside and ran off to join your pack.”
Turning my back on him, I took two steps away before Katrina’s voice stopped me. “Clean up the mess you’ve made, Alexis. I don’t want their corpses stinking up our new home.”
She had a point, so I bent to pick up Kevin’s body and head. The remaining minions huddled together as Reece picked up what was left of Tiffany. We trudged up the stairs to the roof and dropped the dead vamps. The sun would destroy their bodies once it rose.
Turning to the staircase, I stopped when Reece moved in front of me. His expression was haunted and he stared at me imploringly. “It wasn’t my choice to leave you, Lexi. I was happier than I’d ever been in my life when we both accepted our bond.” He looked away from me to stare out at the city. “Everything changed when we entered my mother’s territory and we started hunting Gareth.”
“Your happiness at being with me didn’t last very long,” I reminded him. “You ended up resenting me so much that you tried to kill me.” He’d done his best to strangle me while I’d battled the foreign presence that had invaded his mind.
“You know that wasn’t me. Someone made me attack you
. She was trying to drive you away and force you to leave me.”
“Who?” I already had my suspicions and he confirmed it.
“It was my mother.” His lips twisted in bitterness at that revelation.
My eyebrow rose to signal my disbelief. “Your mother had control of your mind? How is that possible? You’re an alpha. No one should be able to force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” A small voice told me I was being a hypocrite, but it was easy to ignore. My mother wasn’t a werewolf like me and our situation wasn’t the same.
He sighed wearily and ran a hand through his hair. It was longer than I was used to, but it was still short by most people’s standards. “She’s not just my alpha, she’s also my parent. Apparently, this gives her control over me.”
“I find that very hard to believe.” Before he could protest, I continued. “Even if it is true, you should have been strong enough to resist her. If you’d really cared about me, you would never have asked me to release you from our bond so you could become mated to Gloria.” I was glad my emotions had been destroyed or the thought of him being naked with the blond bimbo would have crushed me all over again.
“I never had sex with her,” he said, picking up on that thought.
I laughed and it was utterly without mirth. “I saw you when you bonded yourself to her. You were both naked and were surrounded by your pack.” His mother had been standing over them wearing a look of fierce concentration.
“That part is true,” he admitted. “We did bite each other, but that was all that happened.”
