by Milly Taiden
She worried that they hadn’t come across any of the sleeping clan. Were they always this well hidden, or did Damon have them specially positioned? Even though the sun had no effect on her, her body tracked its position. They had precious minutes left and so many more tunnels to check. She wouldn’t risk Emma’s pack any farther.
“Trevan, call Mason and have him start evacuations. The wolves know to be out by now, but anyone left needs to hurry. So do we—” A whimper met her ears. Trevan heard it, too.
“Behind there.” He pointed to a paint-chipped door older than the others. This one had deadbolts on the outside. Not waiting, he ripped the hinges from the wall and moved in. Aria entered behind him. A group of teens, male and female, huddled in the far corner in fear. They looked in good health still. Fresh slaves.
She asked if anyone was injured and if they could walk. They nodded, but didn’t talk. She doubted the poor kids had a clue what was going on. Or maybe they did and that traumatized them more.
“Come on, everybody up. We have to get out of here now.” Those words the kids reacted to immediately. When she stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice echoed, sending tingles down her back.
“Aria,” Damon called from a distance, “we need to talk.”
“Your bet your ass we do, dickhead,” she hollered back. Pointing down a passageway they hadn’t been down, she directed Trevan to find a room to hide in or something to protect themselves. “Go, I’ll try to stall him.”
Trevan stopped in his tracks. “No, I’m not leaving you.”
Well, shit. She should’ve expected that. “Okay, then. Let’s get going.” If her sense of direction was right, they were under the main street with businesses alongside. “Check all the rooms. Look for stairs that might lead up to the main level. There has to be another way out this far from the house.”
One of the teen boys turned to her. “They brought us down stairs not too far from here. It’s this way.” He took off down another tunnel and she had little choice but to follow. She hadn’t heard Damon for several minutes, which worried her. What did the bastard have planned? The sun hadn’t completely gone down, so if they and the kids could make it out of the tunnels, they might survive.
The older vamps were able to stay awake after the sun rose and awaken before it sat, but they were restricted to the underground until night settled. Which might be their life saver.
The boy opened a door and rushed inside. The room housed boxes of dishes, some looking very old, empty barrels, old kegs, beer taps, and ancient junk in general. It looked like a salvage yard for old taverns.
On the far side, a set of stairs led up to a door. The kid pushed on it with no success. Trevan reached the top and the kids moved away. Her mate set his shoulder to the barrier and gritted his teeth as he pushed. Aria joined him and together they broke a thick metal sliding door from its track. A blast of cold air whipped past them.
They stood looking into an industrial-sized freezer unit. With no need for verbal communication, the two advanced to the door on the other side and shoved it off its hinges. They emerged in the kitchen of the big bar they started their search in. No wonder they didn’t find a passage within the bar itself. It was hidden in the walk-in freezer.
Everyone rushed through and out the front door Trevan busted opened earlier. People were scattered everywhere along the street. Some were ragged and being carried while others hobbled with others’ help.
Aria gathered the kids around her and touched each one. “Everyone, listen to me. The sun will set in a few minutes. It is important that you stay with the medical personnel and don’t wander off. The people in this area are crazy killers and will take you without a thought.”
One of the girls looked at her, absolute terror in her eyes. “They are vampires, lady. Honest to god vampires. We saw their teeth. They told us we were now blood slaves.”
Trevan joined in the conversation. “See, crazy. Just like she said. Vampires don’t exist. They had their teeth filed to make them look that way. They are all high on meth or some shit. Stay away from that shit. It’ll fry your brain to be like theirs.” He herded the group toward the triage center while Aria looked around for Mason. Farther up the street, she heard him—a low, dangerous growl that sent shivers down her back.
She called to her mate then ran to find out what was happening. As she got closer to the main house, she saw why Mason growled.
Damon stood in the yard with many from the clan behind him. He was ready to fight for what was his.
And so was Aria.
TWENTY-THREE
Aria faced Damon outside the clan house. If he thought she would bow down because he had infected her people with the taste of human blood to the point they would fight, he had shit for brains.
She would put her life in danger to save the lowliest. She may come across as a hardened bitch with no feelings, but the world in which she lived, that was the only way she could keep her heart strong. With everyone she had lost, everything she’d endured, being tough meant survival.
Vampires like Filip and Damon preyed on weakness. They would take every opportunity to find a way to crush her until she voluntarily walked into the sun. But they forgot the sun didn’t kill her. She was a blood borne and that made her different. Very different.
Wolves, both animal and human, silently lined behind their alpha leader.
Aria strode up to Damon. “You little prick. Did you think I’d not find out about your little slave trade?”
Damon laughed. “Of course, I knew you would. That’s why we hired someone to kill you.” The vamp eyed Trevan. “Obviously, we chose the wrong dog to do it.”
Aria continued, drawing attention back to herself and off her mate. “You’ve broken the rules which means your destruction and all those who followed you. Is it the entire clan I have to take down?”
The vamp leader laughed again. “You think you and your pathetic army of dogs can take down a vampire clan? And for your information, it’s not the entire pack. Some fools stayed devoted to your grandfather’s teaching, though why, I have no idea. But it seems they are on the path to eternal life, while the rest of us are damned to die.”
Aria smiled. “You are right, Damon. You’re going to die very soon.”
His eyes glowed and fangs seemed to grow longer. The sound of bones popping, then howls erupted behind her. Damon hissed. “Bring it on, bitch. I’m ready to roll in your blood.”
With no warning, he flew at her. She didn’t think he’d be that stupid to engage here and now. Before she was able to get her defenses up, a mass of black whipped in front of her face, then Damon was gone.
On the ground, the biggest wolf she had ever seen tore into the vamp. That opened the dam to the clash between vamp and wolf.
Vampires poured through the front doors of the houses next to the clan leader’s place. Wolves dodged past her to get at the oncoming enemy. The animals fought with practiced ease. A group of three went after a vamp. Two would tackle and restrain the vamp’s arms while the third dove in to tear out the throat and decapitate.
As wolves took down the first wave of the enemy, more undead came from the houses to take their places. Aria jumped in, ripping off heads and limbs. Blood soaked the grass, making the ground as slippery as ice.
Heads rolled as well as injured wolves backing away, shifting to heal then jumping back in. She’d lost sight of Trevan, until she saw him in his naked glory. He held a vamp by the back of the shirt, wrapped his other massive hand around the head and tore it to the side. He dropped the body and reached for another.
Her heart flooded her throat as she realized he could protect himself against her kind. Before, he was a big, strong alpha wolf, but now he was a goliath with the strength to match. Enough power to battle and survive. He was probably no competition for Marxius, trained not just to fight, but effectively kill. Her guard would have to teach her mate everything he knew.
Speaking of Marxius, she hoped he and Wynther were alive. She ha
dn’t thought about getting to them before the sun set. But Marxius was old and usually up before the light outside dwindled. He’d spot a surprise attack against him and Wynther before the enemy was even out of bed.
A set of angry, crazed eyes met hers. Then she realized four vampires circled her. This could get messy. She doubted she could take four. She was stronger than one, but not that many. She readied herself, shifting her balance to one foot to kick away at least one of them.
“Don’t you worry, dear,” she heard Maree say. Then suddenly, two of the four vamps were gone. Maree stood before her, looking down at the male the old woman just de-spined and the second male with the top half of his head gone. The remaining two enemies ran.
“Maree,” she said, “you’re on my side?”
“Of course, girly. It’s too late for me to live forever with old Julian, but I’ve managed to keep a few of the regiment clean and on the straight and narrow. Now they are glad they listened to me and followed the rules. We’re here to lend a hand to clean up this clan.”
Hope once again livened her heart. The clan might be saved yet. The battle scene around her raged. Bodies littered the ground along with wolves too injured to move. She scooped up one and with vampire speed, ran it back to the triage center. When she looked around, she couldn’t believe the sight.
Over a hundred people covered in scars and bites either lay on cots, being attended to, or helping others. From the back of the group, screams and humans tumbled closer to the ambulances. Several vampires had broken from the fight and decided to get an easy meal. Not on her watch.
“Aria, catch.” Emma’s voice registered in her brain just before the air overhead sliced. Aria stretched her hand up and the handle of Emma’s katana landed firmly in her hold. She almost laughed at the stunt. They’d never be able to repeat that if they tried a thousand times.
It must’ve looked impressive as hell. The advancing vampires froze in their spots. With their hesitation, she launched herself toward them and chopped off heads before they reacted. She heard Emma’s cheers as well as those injured.
Mason’s voice echoed through the night. “Emma, keep your pregnant ass in the ambulance. If I see it outside, I will bite it and tie it up.”
“You promise, my mate?” she teased.
“Don’t tempt me, love. I am naked.”
Emma stuck her head out the back of the truck, eyes rimmed with gold, and searched the crowd. “That’s not helping me stay in here, mate.”
“Realized that after I said it. Pretend I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, right, mutt,” she mumbled and returned to the injured in the ambulance.
Aria hoped her relationship with Trevan was as blessed as Emma and Mason’s seemed to be. She remembered Trevan’s words from earlier: now he had something to fight for. She hurried back to the front line, eager to end this and take her mate somewhere private.
Katana in hand, she sliced through neck after neck, quickly changing the tide of victory. She came to a halt next to Marxius. He said, “I see you have a new toy. I may have to get one.”
Aria fiddled with the grip. “It definitely comes in handy, but would be a pain in the ass to carry around. Always bumping into things, in the way when you get into a car. Then the humans would freak out if you forgot to take it off before going into the blood bank.”
A grunt came behind them. Marxius ducked and Aria swung the sword around, taking off the head and raised vamp hand in one swoop. Marxius straightened. “Yeah, but still damn handy.”
“Where’s Wynther?” she asked.
Her guard search for the other in the chaos. “We left the house together when we heard the clashing. Lost track of him. Hope he’s all right.”
“So do I. The council sent him over on my request after we took down Filip. They won’t be happy if I get him killed so soon.”
Marxius laughed. “Survival of the fittest, Aria. Always has been with you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she quipped. Marxius headed back into battle, which was slowing with each vamp taken down.
She looked around for her mate. She didn’t see him, but did see an injured Damon sneak off into the woods.
“Oh, no you don’t, dickhead.” She shot after him into the darkness. “You’re not getting away, Damon. I will hunt you until the day you die for what you’ve done. No heart or conscious means you don’t deserve to live.”
From her blindside, a force smacked into her, knocking the sword from her hand, taking her to the ground. Damon swiped a clawed hand over the side of her neck and face, scooping out deep gouges.
Her blood flooded the ground. Shit, she could be dead sooner than she ever thought.
TWENTY-FOUR
Trevan followed Aria out of the tavern and made sure the teens were safely ensconced with the medical staff. He knew something was happening farther up the road and hurried. Knowing his mate, she wouldn’t wait for him to start a brawl. Hell, she wouldn’t wait for anyone.
As he ran, he filled his lungs with air. His chest expanded more than it ever had. He felt huge, vibrating with strength, blood pounding in his veins like never before. He’d really like to know what the hell brought on this spurt of growth a hundred years after he was born.
Coming up on the group standing out front of the main house, he saw Aria facing off with Damon. Half the clan stood on the grass, none looking in the party mood.
Aria yelled at Damon standing several feet from her, but what caught his eye was the subtle shifts in Damon’s body. Trevan noticed the movement of the vamp’s pants as leg muscles tightened, the stretching of the shirt across shoulders as he breathed in a deep breath. Signs that told Trevan the bastard was going to launch at his mate. Let’s see who gets there first.
With a speed he’d never had, Trevan shifted into his wolf and went airborne the same time Damon went after his mate. Trevan felt his mass slam into the vamp midair, and knew his wolf was larger than before, also. This battle would be a good test of his new limits.
When he and Damon hit the ground, the vamp tried to roll toward others in his group to help protect him. Pussy. That piece of shit definitely had to go. He was the kind that only cared about his own neck and would do nothing to keep others safe. Bad choice for a leader.
The vamps standing around their downed leader jumped toward him. Fortunately, a handful of wolves intercepted before they all reached him. He had to release his hold on Damon to easily shred arms, hands, and legs he got his teeth around. And he noticed that the blood tasted different. It wasn’t beer, by any means, but it wasn’t Brussel sprouts either, which he hated.
Somewhere during the fight, he shifted into human form and found himself ripping off heads of those with fangs ready to bite. Holy shit. That was a handy talent to have. Now, his mate wouldn’t be able to get rid of him for being weak. He could probably take her if he wanted. And boy, did he want to take her. She was damn hot ripping off heads on her own.
When he noticed the fight starting to slow, he took notice that several vamps were fighting on their side. He felt relieved that the clan could be saved. Even though his mate came across as a bad-ass with a hard-on, she was a softy inside. The harder she thought her exterior was, the more caring she became. But he wouldn’t tell her secret. No, he treasured both sides of her: vampire leader and soon to be momma of her own little pack, if he got his way.
Catching his breath, he looked around for Aria and caught a glimpse of her shirt disappearing among the trees on the far side of the lot. Where was she going? The remaining enemy looked outnumbered so he took off to make sure she was safe. Lord knew she wouldn’t be looking out for herself.
He heard voices ahead and smelled his mate’s blood. A lot of it. Protective instincts kicked in and he scrambled through brush and leaves to get to her. In the darkness, he saw Damon straddling Aria, his bloody hand raised for what looked like a second strike.
Trevan pushed with everything he had to move faster to reach her before the claw tore out the rest of
her throat.
He hit Damon with such force that the vamp’s back crushed against its front side, instantly smashing his heart and killing him. Trevan flew forward with the vamp’s flattened body until they hit the ground. In a flash he was back by her side.
Aria barely looked alive. She was pale even for her kind. So much blood had gushed from Damon’s strike, Trevan couldn’t believe her heart still beat.
Calling up a claw from his wolf, Trevan slashed his wrist and put it to her mouth. He didn’t know why the thought occurred to him. He’d never seen a wolf give blood to his mate, but then again, no other wolf had a vamp as his mate. That he knew of.
Aria drew in a swallow, and Trevan just about came on the spot. This was far better than sex. Sex was external. This was internal. It felt like his dick was being sucked, but instead of having the pleasure limited to his cock, it soared through his entire body.
He dropped his head back and moaned when she took a second draw. His dick was a fucking rock and wanted to be buried so far inside her, it would never come out. His wolf pointed out that wouldn’t be conducive to having pups, so wasn’t allowed. He could do that after the fifth litter.
Aria pulled his wrist away and started to sit up. Trevan scooped her into his arms and nestled her onto his lap. He licked at the deep scratches that had mostly knitted and closed. His saliva finished the healing, returning the skin to flawless. He wasn’t even going to ask how he could do that. He could help his mate and that’s all he cared about.
His mate laid her head against his chest. “Trevan, thank you. Seems I’m not as all powerful as I thought.”
He chuckled and nuzzled into her hair. “Yes, you are, babe. But only with me at your side.”
TWENTY-FIVE
His fucking heart tripped over itself a dozen times before he calmed enough to breathed normally. She was alive and in his arms. Two of the greatest things he could think of. Well, another thought at the top would be getting his naked ass off the twig poking too damn close his asshole.
