Werewolves Be Damned

by Stacey Kennedy

  Turning away from her, Kyden strode toward the Council’s Hall. “Get into your gear and meet me back here.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Fifteen minutes later, Nexi re-entered the Council’s Foyer, and Kyden’s eyes flared with a whole lotta heat. Not a big shocker, she was half-naked. The kilt hugged her lower half and the hem stopped not too far after her bottom, and the bra held her girls in place—she was grateful. Her dark brown leather boots had a small heel, not enough to make fighting difficult, and they reached just below her knee, tied tight to her calf with a thick leather string.

  Even though she was exposed, the gear on her body seemed…right.

  Drawing closer to Kyden, she noticed he held a scabbard similar to his own, only half the size. He also had a dull-looking sword tucked under his arm. However, concerning her more than the idea of the fight ahead were the rumblings from the Council’s Hall.

  How many supernaturals planned to watch this?

  Five, she hoped.

  Ten observers would be her tops.

  Once she reached Kyden, he used soft touches with warm hands to place the scabbard over her head and fixed the strap on her shoulder, so it lay flat. His fingers lingered on her skin a moment before he dropped his hand.

  Her mind raced as she tried to decipher his firm look. To her disappointment, he’d shut down all emotion and she couldn’t get a read on him. Last night he had kissed her, but what did that mean? Right now, he didn’t look at all interested in her. Did his welcome to my forceful side comment actually mean that things between them were over?

  Her chest tightened oddly. “Kyden….”

  He shook his head. “Not now, Nexi. You have a tough task ahead of you.” He stepped back, his eyes becoming hard. “Ready?”

  She paused, gathering her thoughts. Of course, he was right, and now this thing between them was the least of her problems. Shoving all thoughts of Kyden, as well as the hollowness in her chest, aside to deal with later, she considered the task ahead of her. If she succeeded and joined the Council’s Guard, she gained the freedom to hunt the wolf that had gotten away with her parents murder.

  No matter what she had to do to avenge her family, she’d do it—simple as that. “Yep, I’m ready.”

  Kyden winked. “Atta girl.”

  Nexi watched him stride toward the Council’s Hall, spotting his tight posture, and she wondered what made him so tense. Wasn’t she the one about to get her butt whooped? Inhaling a long and slow breath, she found that bit of bravery deep inside her, then she followed Kyden.

  When she cleared the Council’s Hall doorway, she groaned. Within the cathedral were at least fifty male and female guardians, as well as the Council and plus Haven, which didn’t surprise her. Even if they told Haven she couldn’t come, Nexi suspected she’d still be there.

  The crowd had quieted as Kyden approached Talon, who stood in the center of the room. Nexi quickened her steps and nervousness dried her mouth.

  Once she reached him, Talon gave her a long look, then he turned to the crowd around the entrance. “Tonight it’s our duty to witness Nexi’s challenge.” To Kyden, he asked, “Do you pledge her ready?”

  Kyden inclined his head. “I do.”

  “Very well.” Talon clasped Nexi’s shoulder. “Fight hard.” Then he left the center and joined Zia off to the side of the crowd.

  She looked at Kyden as he said, “Stay strong.”

  He turned to join his father, and he didn’t have to tell her what he was thinking, as it was written all over his face: this wouldn’t be easy for him to watch. Now she realized why he’d been so tense, also telling her how bad this challenge would be.

  “You’ve got this,” Drake called from the corner of the room with a quick nod of encouragement.

  Beside Finn, Haven pumped her fist. “Kick some ass.”

  Nexi chuckled, unable to help herself at cute Haven looking so serious. However, when she heard a deep growl behind her, her amusement vanished. The rich scent of woodsy werewolf filled her nose, and her heart hammered.

  She spun, instantly facing a snarling wolf barreling toward her. In the same reaction she had with Jaxon last night—before she wised up and killed him—she froze. The memory of the wolf charging her at her house paralyzed her in fear.

  A blink of an eye passed before the wolf smashed into her and sent her flying. Before they’d even landed, the wolf’s teeth latched onto her thigh, biting deep into her skin, and she screamed out in pain.

  The agony ripping through her snapped into focus and her mind became clear. Her fear vanished and the odd sense of strength she’d experienced last night rose within. How dare he—and the other wolves—strike against those unable to defend themselves?

  Drawing on the burn of fear from the night the wolves attacked her family, she fed the fire with the desire for vengeance. She bashed the side of his head and kicked out, hearing bone crack. The wolf howled loudly before he dropped to the floor.

  Jumping to her feet, she grabbed the sword from her back in a motion more natural than she expected, and stabbed his chest. The tip buried into his fur, blood pouring from the wound. That wasn’t what bothered her.

  How the wolf lay on his side removed a smidgen of the hot anger in her veins. She hadn’t fought anyone but Kyden, and with Jaxon, it all had happened too quickly to realize her own strength. She hadn’t taken the sheer power contained in a guardian into consideration. When she hit Kyden with the force she had used against this wolf, she’d barely hurt him. Now the wolf’s body was contorted as if his back were broken.

  “Oh, shit,” she gasped. “I’ve killed him.”

  The wolf’s sudden whimper jarred her away from her own personal horror, since the test hadn’t included murdering an innocent wolf, only beating him down. Sheathing her sword, she knelt in front of the wolf. With guilt driving her on, she ran her hand through his fur to comfort him. “Zia.” she called.

  Zia knelt next to her, and whispered, “You’re doing well. Actually, I’m surprised at how fast you were able to defeat him.” She rested her hand on the wolf’s head, and he yelped before he shifted.

  Nexi blinked at the sight of the man lying on the ground—fully clothed—before her. She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her, but even after two more blinks, he remained. “Holy crap.”

  Holten, Master of the Werewolves, smiled. “Outstanding.”

  Talon happened to leave off an important detail to this test. She was sure as shit shocked they had put her up against the top dog where it came to werewolves, making her wonder if that’s why Talon didn’t tell her. Would she have agreed? “The test is my fighting against the Council?”

  Sitting up, Holten gave his head a quick shake, his dark hair fluttering around his face. “If you can fight against the strongest werewolf in the Otherworld, you can do well as part of the Council’s Guard.” He cleared his throat, his grin bashful. “It’s been quite some time that I’ve been defeated that quickly. Impressive.”

  No, actually, it wasn’t impressive. It was the desire for revenge and hot anger that made her fight as strong as she had, but shoving that thought away, an alarming suspicion rose. If she had fought Holten, and she still had to defeat a vampire, did that mean…?

  Before she could process the dread of where her thoughts had taken her, the Master of Vampires, Zade flew down at her from the fancy ceiling above.

  Vampires can fly?

  Her amazement lasted a mere second before he crashed into her and the world, for all of a couple seconds faded away. She landed against the hard floor with a groan, but forced herself not to give into the blackness.

  Drawing on every skill Kyden had taught her, she lunged forward with the intent to inflict the same amount of pain onto Zade that he had not so kindly delivered to her. Each hit he offered, she blocked, and moved quickly as she looked for any opening.

  One didn’t present itself.

  Defeating Holten had been obtainable. With Zade, she quietly began to panic, even
as she held her own as best she could. His hits came at impossible speeds and each one nearly broke her. As time drew on and the fight continued, she merely defended herself against him and had yet to strike back.

  What seemed like a lifetime later—which was probably only minutes—she was soaked in sweat, and breathing heavily, but Zade had yet to weaken. She needed to end this. As strong as she was right now, that wasn’t going to last.

  Shouts of encouragement filled the air around her. It did nothing to offer her a greater strength. However, between the hits, past the pain he issued, an idea formed. She couldn’t defeat him physically. The Master of Vampires had her beat, but he was a vampire, and that she could use to her advantage.

  Before he issued another hard kick to her gut, she pushed him away with a grunt of effort, grabbed her sword and without a thought, slashed her own arm. The pain blasted right through her, a scream ripping from her throat as the warm rush of blood trickled down her arm and the metallic scent coursed through the air.

  Zade’s eyes darkened, his nostrils flared, and he stopped dead. He looked at her with hunger raging in his expression, his fangs out as his lip lifted. In that hesitation, she swung with every ounce of strength within and screamed right along with it.

  Kyden had been right—the move did feel natural and she’d never experienced such power, as if her destiny had arrived. A wave of warmth rushed over her and for the first time—maybe in her entire life—her purpose became all too clear. No questions filled her mind. Certainty lived in her soul. The doubt she’d suffered since she arrived in the Otherworld vanished, replaced by the knowledge that she was a guardian.

  If the sword had been sharp, Zade’s head would have toppled off nicely. Since it wasn’t, it left a deep cut, which started healing before her eyes. His dark, wild eyes held hers as he took a step toward her, then, with a speed she could hardly register, he stood on the other side of the cathedral.

  Nexi spotted the fight in his features, knowing he’d put distance between himself and her blood. It surprised her how difficult it seemed for him, as his internal struggle was obvious. She’d think he’d have more control than that.

  Zade grinned, even if his posture remained tense. “Interesting approach. Well done.”

  It appeared her idea had shocked him and she wondered if no one had tried that before. Desperate measures, she supposed. Dropping the sword to the ground, she exhaled, exhaustion making her feel a thousand pounds heavier. Silence drifted around her and she tried her best to catch her breath.

  She glanced around at the silent crowd, then after a long pause, everyone in the room erupted into loud praise. First, she found Kyden in the crowd, and he gave her a tight nod with pride shining in his eyes. Yet, something else held in his features, too—something intense. And at a quick look, his posture was more tense than when she entered the Council’s Hall, almost as if he restrained himself.

  Trapped in his fierce stare, she’d never been so grateful. His training her made her succeed tonight. Now she could hunt the wolf that killed her family. She owed Kyden more thank yous than she could possibly give.

  Before she had the chance to understood his look, Talon approached her and dragged her focus away from Kyden, as he held out a silver sword with both hands. “The Council welcomes you, Nexi.”

  She took the sword from his hands, which was surprisingly light considering how long it was. The handle had a black leather grip with what looked like silver sparkles—she assumed that was the magic—and the blade was a deep shiny silver.

  Spinning the sword in her hands, she noticed Guardian was engraved in gold on one side of the blade with Nexi on the other.

  My sword.

  Talon turned to the crowd. “Welcome, our new Guardian of the Otherworld.”

  The crowd erupted in hoots and hollers, and Haven rushed forward, plowing into her. She wrapped her arms tightly around Nexi, and a rush of intense happiness coursed along the strands of their bond.

  “You did it,” Haven exclaimed, squeezing tight. “I’m so proud of you.”

  Finn barked a laugh as he settled in next to Nexi, and gave her a proud slap on the back. “I thought Zade was going to make a meal out of you.” He raised his brows, shaking his head. “That was utterly brilliant. Stupid, but brilliant.”

  Now reminded of the brilliant, but stupid plan, sharp pain laced her forearm. Biting back a groan, she looked down and her blood dripped onto the floor. The cut on her arm was much deeper than she’d thought, split right open, and she also noticed the bite marks on her thigh from Holten, all declaring her in bad shape. “Ugh. Haven, you better let go, I’m bleeding all over you.”

  Haven jumped away, cringing at the puddle of blood on the floor, and a hot wave of disgust sped through the bond. “Eww.”

  “Here, I’ll take care of that,” Zia said, approaching from the side. “What a silly thing to do.”

  Taking Nexi’s injured hand, the witch squeezed tight and as Zia’s eyes fluttered closed, a sharp sting, followed by a horrible throb, erupted through Nexi’s forearm and thigh. A scream tore from her throat, even if she did her best to mask it. Deep cuts obviously hurt more than bruises to heal because this…sucked.

  Within seconds, the pain vanished, and she hissed through her teeth to release the breath she’d held. Turning her arm from side to side, she noticed it had completely healed. “That’s so cool. Hurt like hell. But still, very cool.”

  Zia smiled. “Just think of me as a giant Band-Aid.”

  Nexi chuckled, lowered her arm, and scanned the room. However, the one face she sought had vanished, too. Why she needed Kyden to congratulate her was beyond her, but apparently she did, and seeing him gone had a similar effect as a blow to the gut.

  “May I hug you?”

  Drake’s soft voice jerked her head to the front, and she discovered him standing there with a warm expression. “Pardon?”

  His eyebrows drew together. Was his chin quivering? “I know we’re still getting to know each other, but if I may, I’d like to hug you.”

  No one had ever asked her such a question. “Err…okay.”

  Drake gathered her in his arms and held her tight against him. “I’m so proud of you. Your mother would be so proud of you. You’ve handled all this with grace when most would’ve crumbled. And you fought with such bravery.”

  Sinking into his embrace and leaning her head against his chest, she didn’t realize she wanted his hug, or needed it, but being in his arms comforted her. The warmth that touched her heart made her smile. Maybe she needed Drake more because Kyden’s absence brought forth emptiness.

  Why had he left?

  Chapter Twelve

  The medley of rich flowery scents delighted Nexi, as she walked along the cobblestone pathway in the Otherworld’s garden and let her hands graze along the tops of the bushes. The flowers were in full bloom and everything looked wonderfully alive.

  Once the pathway curved to the left, she arrived at the pond, and she sat down on the bench, watching the fish swimming. Before tonight, she’d have thought the worst things about Kyden and what a jerk he’d been by leaving her like that.

  Now things had changed.

  Maybe the acceptance of her supernatural self had shifted something inside, which made Kyden’s reactions clearer. Whatever it was, she didn’t only see herself differently, she saw Kyden in a new light, too.

  He cared for her.

  Tracing the willow tree on the hip of her kilt, and knowing every step he made—even if some of it involved chest-beating—had been done with thoughts of her in his mind, made her stomach tighten with guilt. Even his lesson last night had the desired effect. No longer could she deny how much he restrained his forceful side for her.

  She highly doubted it was the guardian’s way to allow a woman to make the first move, yet Kyden had swallowed his pride and done so anyway…for her. Perhaps he had some caveman tendencies within all those muscles, but he wasn’t a douche bag. Besides, when had she thought of him of li
ke that—over herself?

  Not once.

  She’d been so wrapped up in her own fight, her need to prove herself in this new supernatural world and in her desire to hunt the werewolf, she hadn’t thought of anyone but herself. Which was, in fact, totally douchebaggery.

  A sudden rock skipped along the pathway in front of her, dragging her out of her thoughts. She glimpsed sideways, discovering Kyden striding down the path toward her with that same fierce look on his face. A flare of happiness engulfed her a second before he grasped her by the hand and yanked her to her feet.

  In an attempt to match his gait, she had to run next to him. Her short legs couldn’t keep up with his long stride. “Where are you taking me?” she gasped.

  He didn’t answer.

  He simply continued with his big strides until he reached the castle. Once they entered through the large doors into the Guardians’ House, they passed by way too many guardians who laughed at Nexi’s current predicament, sending her cheeks to warm.

  Kyden didn’t seem to notice, or didn’t care.

  He never slowed his steps until he reached her residence. There, he threw the front door open, tossed her in, and slammed the door behind him. He turned to her, eyebrow arched. “Let’s get a few things clear, shall we?” He had accentuated each word, ensuring she took him seriously.

  She did.

  Stalking her, he exuded power. “First, I’m insanely proud of how you fought tonight.” His head tilted, expression was beyond intense. “Second, I apologize I left like I did, but it was either that, or having this conversation with everyone watching.” His mouth twitched. “I suspected that might piss you off.”

  He finally reached her and she stared into his piercing eyes as he added, “Third, so there’s no misunderstanding any longer, this is how I feel about you—” His features firmed, so confident and aware. “I love your strength. I respect it. Admire it.”