Blood Legacy: Adult Urban Fantasy (The V V Inn Book 5)

by C. J. Ellisson

  I slide my hands down to cup her ass, hauling her closer and planting a kiss on her neck. Should I match her sexual assertiveness move for move and try to seduce her? Or should I stick to safe topics, like what I know?

  “I have news on your killer.”

  Yup, I went for safe and easy. Lame-o. I can almost hear Rafe’s laughter and Vivian’s disappointment in my head. Despite my determination, I’m not used to approaching seduction with an end goal other than sexual satisfaction.

  She draws back and peers up into my eyes through her lashes. “Really? What do you know?”

  “Buenos Aires has a cat problem. An hombre gato to be exact.”

  “Hombre gato? I know what those are. But, they haven’t been seen in South America for centuries. You can’t even call them shifters.”

  “Rafe and I took care of the invunche that killed the witch and the homeless man. Then tracked Cat Dudeout of its den. We think it might be headed this way.”

  “An invunche? I don’t even know what that is. And you say the gato is headed toward San Telmo? That can’t be good. From what I was told, they’re more like human and animal aberrations created by magic. Man-like beast with huge claws, a cat head, and not necessarily a human brain behind the mask—if I’m recalling the stories correctly.”

  I nod. “The invunche is a creature from legend, too. Also created by magic. They were usually guards for a wizard—and we have no idea what brought it here, either. And you’re exactly right on Cat Dude—or at least that’s what it sounds like from what we’ve been able to dig up. We think that could be what made the fatal wounds on the delivery man and the vampire. Would its magic prevent a vampire from healing the wounds?”

  “I don’t know. Like I said, there’s been no sign of them in Argentina for well over a hundred years. The vampire could have died because the attack happened so fast. If the heart and head are removed before a defensive retaliation, you could very easily kill a vampire without there being time for healing.”

  She runs a small hand over my chest, reaching the open neck of my shirt and tentatively touching me with her warm fingertips. “But the creature would have to be very fast to surprise a vampire. If that’s the case—meaning the gato is magically supercharged—we’ll have to be very careful when we hunt it. The wounds it inflicts on us might have the same effects.”

  “Good point.” I squeeze her firm bottom one more time. “Glad I’ve got the super alpha on my side.”

  She smiles, happy with my admiration of her special traits, thrusting her hips to grind against mine in response. “Let’s hope we’ll be enough to take it down once and for all.”

  At a loss for words, I lean down and trail kisses up her neck again. Candy likes it when I do this, maybe she will, too.

  Jesus! I can’t think about Candy while trying to do this. Is this even a good time to seduce her? Aren’t we supposed to be out tracking the gato? What the hell was I thinking coming on to her now? How do spies go home at the end of an assignment to the people they’re involved with and not feel guilt?

  Because dead people don’t feel guilt, you fool. And those alive value life and love when they have it, doing what must be done to protect it.

  The voice of reason is my own conscience, although I wish I could attribute it to Viv or Rafe. Can I do this? Candy’s quiet voice of support fills my head, and I know I can.

  I think back to the skill this woman possesses, and what it could mean to shifters all over the world if I could share it and unite packs with the knowledge.

  You can do anything you set your mind to.

  Magda moans softly, arching into my embrace. The air in the office fills with sexual pheromones, triggering all my alpha tendencies to respond in kind, to take her like she wants to be taken. My body reacts to the delectable aroma filling my head, arousal growing whether I’m ready for it or not.

  The pretty, dark-haired alpha feels my physical reaction and rubs her pelvis against mine, encouraging me further.

  “Are you eager, my little alpha?” I whisper against her smooth skin. “Do you want me to give you pleasure before we hunt?”

  I reach a hand to her front, cupping her mound through her thick pants. She whimpers, thrusting her heat fully into my palm.

  “You need it, don’t you?” I move my hand to her waistband, intending to slip underneath to touch her. “Is there no one from your pack you can trust in your bed since Hector?” I skim past the fabric, my hot fingers delving down, creeping toward her center. “Can you be quiet so they don’t hear?”

  Apparently, that was exactly the wrong thing to say. Or the right thing, depending on how you look at it.

  Magda steps back, gently easing my hand from her pants. Desire smoldering in her dark eyes. She licks her full lips and glances down at the bulge in the front of my pants. “As much as I hate to admit it and stop what I want to happen—you’re right, this is not the time or place. We have a killer to catch. And I have no desire to put on a show for all the Weres beyond the door.”

  I nod, strangely relieved things didn’t go further. I can do this. I can screw a woman to get what I want. A woman I care nothing for when I’m involved with someone else I really like. Even if the alpha’s not as crazy a psycho bitch as I claimed.

  Damn, this is difficult.

  Best to push it all away and pretend it’s not affecting me. That’s the guy thing to do.

  I reach for my shirt hem, deciding to go with the flow and take the necessary steps to disrobe before shifting to my wolf form. “We need to get going then. Like I told you, it’s on the move. No telling if it’s out to kill again or just going for a stroll.” I pull the fabric over my head, revealing the tight washboard abs Candy was raving about earlier in the week.

  Magda runs a hand down my chest and then lower, over the taut skin. “Make time for play when we’re done. I will have you, Jon.”

  I smile, hoping I look sexier than I feel. And considering I feel like a cornered slab of meat she intends to eat, that’s not very sexy. “And you will, Magda. You will.”

  I relay the location of where we last scented the Gato and explain how I’d like us to go there with me in my wolf form to track it better. She’ll stay as is and change to her hybrid form if needed. I’ve got to figure out how she does it before this adventure is over or enduring her attentions will have been for nothing.

  Enduring. Who are you kidding? You like it. Like that a powerful woman wants you. Wants to—

  Cutting off the unhelpful diatribe running through my head, I chuck the rest of my clothes and change into a wolf, the transformation happening so fast it’s like a blur of the light. Her eyes widen in surprise before sparking with interest. “You’re fast. Very fast.”

  I wink. Not in all things, I swear. Realizing she can’t hear my internal thoughts, I turn toward the door, indicating it’s time to go.

  She opens the office door and I’m off like a shot, forcing her to hurry to keep up. Loud cat calls and hoots follow us, her pack having no idea what we’ve planned. If they had, I wonder if they’d join us to help or hold on to denial a little too long, more content to blame Magdelena for the deaths and remain blind.

  Ignorance is funny that way. If you’re happy with the status quo, you’ve got no reason to seek what’s behind the curtain. And let’s face it—some people are happier wrapped in hate. It’s a sad state to be in, but there it is. People do it every damn day.

  The moment she opens the outer door to the street, I spring into the night air, feeling truly alive. It’s been a while since I took on my wolf form. The urge to run past the paved streets and tall buildings is strong, almost overwhelming, but I resist, promising my inner wolf we’ll be able to run free very soon.

  Without worrying about the pretty alpha keeping up, I race down the darkened streets.

  The fragrant night air billows past me, my lungs consuming huge gulps as I allow supernatural speed to course through me. The location we last tracked Cat Dude isn’t far, but on a hunch, I l
ead her toward the den Rafe and I found in the abandoned warehouse.

  Tempting food odors—simmering pork, roasted beef, marinated chicken call me to stop and savor all the city has to offer. There’ll be time later. Now, I’m on the hunt. My body vibrates in eagerness to rend and tear, to pin down my enemy and feast upon its flesh. I snort through my nose, hoping to dislodge the visceral imagery mixed with all the food smells.

  Whatever Cat Dude is, human or big cat, I doubt it’s on my preferred meat list. Parked cars fly past me in my haste, the forms of a few late night walking pedestrians a blur of color. I know they won’t see me too clearly when I pour on the speed like this, and that’s a good thing. The city has enough to handle with the recent deaths, no need to make matters worse by thinking they’ve got a large rabid dog running through San Telmo, too.

  Within minutes I’m back at the abandoned warehouse, nose to the ground, scenting for recent signs of the hombre gato. If this thing is summoned by magic, what happens to it when it’s not killing? Does it magically disappear like the invunche did after we saw it kill? Or does it have a sentient awareness and it hides until it needs to feed?

  I breathe deeply near the doorway, allowing the fumes from old oil stains, cat urine, and garbage to enter my olfactory senses. Nothing. I rear up and slam a paw into the half-closed door, forcing it to open wider and allow my large wolf frame to pass.

  Stepping into the dark space, I still and focus on my senses. Stale air, small rodents who’ve taken up residence, and the unwashed stink of a large predator who’s been covered in blood come at me from all directions. Like before, I don’t sense the creature here now, but by the smells it seems he’s been here since we tracked it earlier. Could that mean it’s killed again recently?

  I trot into the darkness, nose down, looking for more clues to relay. In a few minutes I hear Magda join me. She enters the old building without fear.

  “Long gone, is he?”

  Not as long as she may think, but I chuff out a breath of air to indicate my agreement, continuing my investigation. Back in a dark corner, I find where he sleeps. A rank pile of newspapers, cardboard, old food containers, and scraps of cloth. And judging by the amount of territorial urine scenting he’s done, there’s no doubt in my mind this creature is a male. The original hombre in the name alludes to a male, but still, it doesn’t hurt to be sure.

  There’s a narrow second door, one we didn’t see the first time we discovered the location. I trot toward it, my gums pulling back to reveal sharp teeth as I realize the cat scent is fresher here. This must be his preferred means of exit. I look over my shoulder, a low rumble of sound erupting from my chest. Magdelena pauses in her examination of the gato’s sleeping quarters, an eyebrow raised. “Found something?”

  She joins me, leaning closer to see the slim, closed door. “Ahh… another way out. Let’s see where it leads.” She opens the door and sounds rush in. This exit leads to a much busier street, even at this hour, located on the opposite side from where we came in.

  “Crap. He could be anywhere.” She sticks her head out, glances side to side, and then back down at me. “Any way you can make yourself less conspicuous? I doubt a dog your size will go unnoticed.”

  I stare straight at her, unsure what the hell she expects me to do. I’m a freaking wolf. Changing back into a man—a naked man—will draw even more attention our way, I’m sure.

  “Cat got your tongue?” she says with a crooked grin. “Just kidding. Okay….” She looks over my large frame. “How about we have you walk really close next to me, like you’re my pet? That might work.”

  I cough once in agreement and we step into another alley, this one closer to the busy restaurant district than I’d like. We follow the trail onto what would be the thriving streets of a Buenos Aires’s shopping district. But at this time of night, approaching dawn, the sidewalks are empty of patrons, only delivery trucks and end of shift workers present.

  How did Cat Dude travel unseen? Does it have some type of obfuscating abilities—meaning whoever sees it doesn’t see what’s really there?

  With no way to voice my questions, I keep my head down and try to look innocuous as I track the old scent of the gato. After one block the creature strays away from the activity on the streets and takes another dark alley. We continue tracking for several blocks and soon find ourselves near the area where the witch coven lives.

  Despite the bragging their magic is superior, could they have triggered the imbalance that allowed Cat Dude to come to life? I snort, happy with the thought. Would serve those stuck up bitches right to have caused all the problems the city is having, especially after they were so quick to place blame on another supernatural group.

  Magdelena’s soft fingers weave through the fur at my neck, grabbing and gently tugging on the scruff. “What do you think, Jon? Has the trail gone cold?”

  A small whine escapes me, indicating my frustration. She’s right, the scent markers have dissipated. But the ones here were fresher than any I’ve come across. Could the beast have another den he hides in? With that thought, I backtrack, breaking her hold on me, and retracing the last hundred yards. Come on… there’s got to be something here.

  Magda catches up, her eyes scanning the dark roads, the infrequent street lamps our only source of illumination. She nudges me with her knee. “How about there?” She points to a partially visible basement window, deep within shadows. “Want to check?”

  I trot over and sniff the sidewalk out front and then the old window casement. Nothing. I look back toward her then to the window, twice, almost shaking my head, to indicate negative.

  “The damn thing didn’t disappear. It’s got to be around here somewhere.”

  I think back to the invunche. It seemed quite at home within its cave-like sewer hiding spot. Could that be a possibility for Cat Dude, too? I move to the closest sewer and lower my head.

  The scent of molding leaves, water runoff from the street, including gasoline, oil, and dirt, rush to fill my senses. No smell of the cat creature. Crap. Another dead end.

  Magda picks up on my idea and points down the road to a subway sign. “How about the trains?”

  I pick up my pace, trotting quickly to the stairs leading down. This time I smell something cat-like mixed with a man. Bingo. My ears perk forward and my tail goes up, a clear indicator to the female alpha that I’ve found something.

  She rushes to my side and weaves her hands through my fur. “Good work, Jon.” She peers down the steep stairs and then looks up and down the street. “Let’s check it out.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Vivian

  “Are we finally ready to activate the spell?” I try my best to keep the frustration out of my voice, but since his neighbor was found dead, Justin hasn’t exactly been very focused.

  “Yeah, give me another minute.”

  Rafe opens the telepathic link between us. He’s been saying that for the past thirty minutes. I wish he’d finish already.

  You and me both, dear. A little longer, that’s all. I lay my hand on his and squeeze. I thought for sure I’d be on the road before you two found the invunche.

  I just bet you did. You’d have left me to track him on your own, wouldn’t you?

  I look to my husband and raise one eyebrow. Why ask if you already know the answer?

  He cuts off our connection, his annoyance showing clearly on his rugged face. I’m not going to lie to him. If the tracker spell had been activated and he was not here, I sure as hell would have gone without him, and he knows it.

  Justin’s agitated voice breaks into our silent standoff. “Okay, I’m ready for the spell’s binding and payment.” His dark blue eyes seek mine. “That means your blood, Vivian.”

  He hands me a ceremonial knife, the hilt carved of bone and the blade wicked sharp. “The blood should go in the center of the other ingredients. No need to mix it, it should trigger at once.”

  “How much do you need?”

  “Depends on how
strong your blood is.” He shrugs. “For me, I’d use about a teaspoon. But that was before. When my blood was worthy. Now I have no idea. Maybe five or six drops?”

  I examine the blade carefully, sniffing it to make sure it hasn’t been covered with a poison or other substance. Justin scowls at my actions. Like I give a damn if I insult him. This is my life and my risk, the fool.

  Pricking the end of one finger with the knife tip, I watch the thick blood slowly pool, forming a large drop. When enough gathers, I let it fall into the wooden bowl. A poof of magic wafts up from the bowl, dimming the light in the room for an instant.

  Justin’s mouth drops open. “I’ve never seen a spell bind to activate and accept payment with only a drop before.” He looks to me, something akin to greed in his gaze.

  Rafe clears his throat. “And don’t get any ideas, wizard. I’d kill you before I’d let you exploit my wife’s blood.”

  Justin shakes his head. “Whatever, man. Don’t go thinking the worst of me. You don’t even know me.”

  “I call ‘em like I see ‘em. What I know so far doesn’t impress me too much.”

  The wizard mumbles something under his breath that sounds suspiciously close to fucking bastard, but continues assembling the last of the spell. “Sure, just forget I’m the one who helped you save your wife three weeks ago. Nice.”

  “You pointed me in the right direction, saving me time. But you did not fight by my side. Don’t confuse the two.” Rafe rises from the table and goes into the living room. He says to me, “Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”

  I sit quietly while the wizard assembles the activated ingredients into a leather pouch, unwilling to make matters worse with questioning him further on what he’s doing. In a few steps, Justin is done. He hands me the soft leather pouch, similar to what I’ve seen witches use for herbal talismans or to hold chakra stones.

  “How does it work?”

  “You hold it and think of the one you seek. Face a direction and when you feel the bag heat slightly, you’re on the right path.”