Hurt (Alexa O'Brien Huntress)

by Trina M. Lee

  Five us of went out into the frigid night to investigate. Three vampires stood in the middle of the parking lot. Outnumbering them didn’t mean shit. If any of them had any real power, we were screwed.

  Leading the charge was Echo, a vampire I knew from The Wicked Kiss but didn’t know personally. She was joined by two others I didn’t recognize. On his knees in the snow in front of her with his arms bound behind his back was a wolf named Quinn. He was beaten and bloody, a message Echo wanted to deliver personally.

  I held the wolves at my side back with a raised hand. Keeping a considerable distance between the vampires and us, I crossed my arms and tilted my head to one side, sizing up the situation.

  “Can we help you?” I asked, seeking Echo’s gaze.

  She was a mess of emotion. Her fury was so strong I could smell it, an acrid aroma that got my beast’s attention. Assessing each vampire, I was relieved to find a very low static charge among them. A powerful vampire, like Arys or Alexa, gave off a heavy static sensation. Thankfully, most vamps didn’t run as hot as they did.

  “Can you help me?” Echo repeated, pinning me with eyes like daggers. “That depends. Do you want to help me kill every wolf who jumped my husband and me outside Wicked?”

  There was no negotiating with her. She was far past that point. Not that I blamed her. Several Doghead wolves had jumped and killed her husband, without Hanna’s authorization. Now it was everybody’s problem.

  “Echo, please, let’s stay calm. I’m sure we can reach some kind of agreement.” Not that I had any damn clue what that would be. She wouldn’t accept anything less than vengeance. Pointless small talk wouldn’t buy much time.

  “Agreement?” One of the wolves beside me scoffed. “Let’s kill the bitch.”

  Echo smiled. “Please try. I’ll bleed every last one of you.”

  “Killing is what started all this shit,” I said, incredulous that I was surrounded by so many simpletons. “It has to stop. We were supposed to have an alliance. An alliance that we need if we want to get our Alpha back from the FPA.”

  “The vampires shit on that alliance when one of them killed two of our pack.” The wolf next to me edged closer, hands clenched into fists. “Or have you conveniently forgotten about that?”

  “And more death is supposed to fix that?” I snapped, stepping into his space. Dropping my arms down at my sides, I stood there waiting, daring him to take a shot at me.

  He stared at me with wolf eyes, and for a moment I thought he was going to throw a punch. Then he backed off, returning his attention to the vampires. Tension thrummed through the rest of the wolves around us.

  Echo, annoyed with us already, grabbed the wolf at her feet by the hair and jerked his head back, baring his throat. “You guys can fuck each other in the ass on your own time. I’m here to send a message. You can’t stand against us. One by one we will slaughter every one of you.”

  She wasn’t here to negotiate. Wasting no time, she jerked Quinn’s head hard to one side and plunged fangs into his carotid. Blood spurted from the wound, spattering Echo’s face before pouring down his neck and chest.

  “That’s one down,” Echo said. “And unless you hand over every other wolf there that night, I’ll hunt them down and leave their bodies at your door.” Blood stained her fangs and lips. A vampire scorned was a formidable foe.

  Before I could decide how best to respond, the wolves around me burst into action. They rushed the vampires, driven by the loss of their brother, but they weren’t thinking this through. The thrill of the fight and the need to protect the pack lived in me too. But this wasn’t the way to deal with vampires.

  Wolves and vampires clashed in violence. Growls and shouts filled the night. I watched as the wolves used fangs, claws, and fists as they swarmed the three vampires. Moving as a unit, reading each other instinctively, they landed several attacks in a matter of seconds. But it wasn’t enough.

  There was no hesitation from the vampires. Echo and her cohorts took just enough of a beating to make the wolves think they were getting somewhere. Then as vampires do, they pulled the rug out from under them with hits, both physical and otherwise.

  My new pack members quickly got their asses handed to them. Tossed aside, pummeled with fists as strong as concrete, they kept coming back for more. With one dead wolf on the ground, I reacted because I couldn’t let another body drop tonight.

  I jumped in as defense, not offense. Dodging fists, I got between wolves and vamps, thrusting them apart. Inevitably I took several punches as a reward for my efforts.

  Echo grabbed hold of my arm and twisted it up behind my back, pulling until she forced a pained growl from me. “Don’t worry, Shaz. We’re not going to kill you. Wouldn’t want to piss off the queen by killing her favorite pet.”

  Nice one. What stung about the insult was that she dropped it in front of my new pack members, many of whom already resented and questioned my presence among them.

  “You think she won’t be pissed that you killed another wolf? Just leave now, Echo. It doesn’t have to go any farther. You’re only screwing over your own kind.” I grunted as she jerked my arm, threatening to pull it from the socket.

  Everyone waited for Echo to make her next move. She stared at the wolves who were eager to keep the fight going, and the vampires willing to stand by her while she killed us all. Was this fight worth risking Alexa’s wrath?

  Alexa wasn’t a hardass, though she should be. She wasn’t even the type to exercise the power she had over the vampires. I had a feeling her reluctance was going to be put to the test. Soon she might not have a choice.

  “Stay out of my way, Shaz. Or next time, I won’t walk away until I know what your blood tastes like.” Echo released me with a shove. Then she was gone, a blur at the end of the parking lot.

  Her friends lingered for only a second before following. I’d have liked to think they didn’t want to engage me, but I knew it was Alexa. And I was cool with that. It was about time people in this city started taking her seriously.

  “So Quinn is dead because the hybrid bitch can’t control the vampires?” Bastian barked, turning wild eyes my way. “And you get a free pass for being her pet. Well isn’t that fucking convenient?”

  “Come on, man, it’s not like that and you know it.” Staying calm was next to impossible after what had just happened, especially when he got in my face.

  “Tell me how it is then,” he hissed between clenched teeth. “Because to me it looks like you’re a mole for your vampire girlfriend.”

  I stood my ground, even when we were chest to chest, glaring in each other’s face. All I wanted to do was drop him, but that wouldn’t make his accusations seem any less true.

  “Don’t forget that it was my vampire girlfriend who went out of her way to form an alliance with Doghead,” I reminded him. “She bent over backwards for Dayne. All she’s ever wanted was a partnership with this pack.”

  Bastian glanced at the others, seeking some kind of approval or camaraderie. Hands curled into fists, he snickered. “She bent over backwards for Dayne, did she? I hear she’s a succubus. She must bend over for a lot of cock to get what she wants.”

  My fist was in motion, cracking against his jaw before he’d even finished the last word. It didn’t stop at just one punch. I smashed Bastian’s face three times before the others got between us, pulling us apart. Hanna’s shout rang throughout the parking lot, adding to the commotion.

  “What the hell is going on?” she demanded, striding over with Izzy and a few others in tow. “No, I don’t even want to know. But whatever it is, it stops now. We are a pack, and that means having each other’s back, not pounding one another’s faces in.”

  Bastian whirled toward her, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “Hanna, it’s not safe to have him here.” He jerked a thumb at me. “He’s too close to the hybrid bitch. We can’t trust him.”

  Hanna held up both hands, her auburn tresses bouncing as she shook her head with vehemence.
“I don’t want to hear it. Bastian, go home. Cool off. Come back tomorrow.”

  “But Hanna—”

  “Enough! I said go home.” Turning to me with an apologetic frown, she shrugged. “Maybe you should go too. Just for tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  I got it. She had a lot of shit on her plate.

  “No problem,” I said. “Just be safe, ok? Don’t go anywhere alone.”

  Hanna gave a short nod. “Thanks, Shaz.”

  With a wave to Izzy, who looked uncomfortable about the whole thing, I tugged car keys from a pocket and headed for my small blue Chevy. It was just as well. I needed to see Lex anyway.

  Onward to The Wicked Kiss.

  CHAPTER TWO

  She wasn’t there. The first thing I looked for was her car. It was missing. Shit. I parked anyway. She’d be back at some point, and more than likely Willow or Jez would be inside.

  Like usual the place was overflowing with people, most of them human, but a sizable number of vampires mingled among them. Prowling. I paused to shoot the shit with Justin on my way in. He manned the main door, ensuring all cell phones were checked on the way in, all humans were legal age, and all vampires were known and approved.

  “Shaz, buddy,” he greeted me with a fist bump. “How’s it hanging? You plan on ever coming back to work here? We could use the muscle.”

  “I don’t know, man. I’m pretty tied down with things at Doghead right now.” As much as I’d enjoyed working security at The Wicked Kiss, it was better that I didn’t. This place tempted me in a bad way. Also, Doghead was my responsibility. Lex had things under control here.

  “Well, be careful over there. Seems like some of those wolves are running rogue with Dayne out of the picture.” Justin turned to flash a brilliant white smile at the woman who handed him her I.D. “How are you tonight, gorgeous?”

  I ducked my head in a nod. Those same rogue wolves were putting me in a tough position. “Hey, if you see Echo tonight, can you let me know?”

  “Will do.” Justin was ogling cleavage and flashing that smile like it was a weapon.

  I clapped him on the back and headed inside. The vampire bar had a much different smell and feel than Doghead. The atmosphere was heavily layered with the scent of humans and blood. Alcohol and several kinds of perfume and cologne mixed to make a chemical cocktail of aroma. Whereas Doghead had a rowdy party atmosphere, The Wicked Kiss was all about the conquest. Walking in felt like stepping into a pit of snakes, wondering which one would strike first.

  Right away I felt eyes on me. The weight of that gaze, I knew it. Searching the crowd for Arys, I found him lurking near the wall like a shadow. A cobra among rattlesnakes.

  Walking the perimeter of the room, I ambled toward him, scoping out the scene as I went. The dimly lit dance floor was littered with drunken humans waiting to be picked by one of the prowling vamps. One of these lady vamps caught my eye with a wave and a wink, calling me over with a finger. Wolf blood was primo around these parts.

  I might have gone in for that kind of thing several months back, but I’d learned fast that it wasn’t just any vampire’s bite I wanted. It was Lex’s. And though it killed me to admit it, Arys’s as well, a time or two. Or three. Who’s counting? In my defense, I couldn’t help that they had the same vibe.

  Ignoring the invitation, I continued on, managing to sidestep a giggling female before she spilled her drink on my shoes. Arys waited for me to reach him, watching me with the hunger that sparked in his eyes every time he looked at me. I wasn’t sure if he knew I saw it, although he probably didn’t care.

  Arys always had that hunger in his dark-blue eyes. When looking at Lex or me, he had this certain spark, this ravenous, insatiable longing. It used to unsettle me. Now it was more of a challenge. One that I conquered more often than it conquered me.

  I didn’t like to think of myself as a bite junkie. But I was one. My dirty little secret that wasn’t really a secret at all. There was no rush like it. The energy, the adrenaline. It was like being swept up into an alternate reality, the greatest high.

  With Alexa and Arys I’d first experienced it. Things took a difficult turn, and I made the stupid mistake of seeking out that rush with someone else. It hadn’t worked.

  Nobody could replicate the power they possessed. Nobody’s bite could rival theirs. Every encounter with Bianca had left me unsatisfied and guilty. I couldn’t even think about it without wanting to kick my own ass. But those days were over, and though Lex and I had made many mistakes, we had moved on.

  “Why so grim, pup?” Arys greeted me with a slow once over. His gaze lingered on the pulse in my neck before he met my eyes. “You don’t look happy.”

  “Where’s Lex?” I asked, purposely ignoring his inquiry.

  My mind sifted through the many possibilities. She could be fangs deep in a victim. Or self-medicating with a certain fallen angel. I didn’t want to think about it, but that image would be burned into my memory for a very long time. Goddamn Agent Briggs and his disgusting video.

  “She’s not with him,” Arys said, like he could read my mind. “She’s with Brinley. He needed to kick some ass without getting his hands dirty.”

  “Oh, well, good.” I liked that she did that kind of thing. Partnering with youth worker Brinley Kane was good for Lex. He gave her a purpose that allowed her to help the helpless. She needed that right now.

  “Shit, Shaz, you’re so transparent.” Arys searched the bar until he spotted a guy across the room. “See that guy there? That’s Alexa’s regular human victim, the guy she goes to when she’s trying to be a good little vampire.”

  I studied the guy for a moment, finding him to be exactly the kind of human victim I imagined Lex would pick out, and shrugged. “So?”

  “So that doesn’t bother you?” Arys questioned, pinning me with that drowning incubus stare. “So then why does it bother you that she also goes to Falon for the very same thing?”

  Either he was trying to piss me off, or we really were as different as night and day. “She doesn’t fuck that guy.” I pointed to tall, dark, and human. “It’s not even close to the same thing.”

  “No, but she makes him want it anyway. That guy would love to give it to her. In his mind he fucks her every time. But it doesn’t make him any more than the food he is.”

  Thinking he made his point, Arys leaned back against the wall and stuck his hands in his pockets. He surveyed the building, but his gaze kept sliding my way as he watched for my reaction.

  With his trendy, jet black hair and hypnotic eyes, Arys was the attractive type who knew it. From his leather jacket to his perfectly polished boots, he drew attention from both men and women. Of course, that could also have something to do with the constant cloud of power surrounding him. The static buzz of it made my skin tingle when he got too close. With one fang he gnawed at the silver ring in his bottom lip, the only body jewelry he wore these days.

  “It’s not the same, and you know it. I’m starting to think you enjoy getting punched in the face.” I smiled but I wasn’t kidding. Like I said, Arys had a punchable face. Already I wanted to clock him.

  He laughed, a sound filled with so much more than mere mirth. There was darkness in that laugh. “Well, it has been a while. Seriously though, don’t think it means more than it does. Falon is just another victim to her. That’s all. Nothing more.”

  Now it was my turn to study him. Arys thought he was so smooth, so damn charming. And he was. But he couldn’t lie to me. I saw right through it. “Don’t expect me to believe you’re totally cool with that piece of shit touching her,” I said. “If you try to tell me that no part of you is bothered by it, I really will punch you.”

  “It bothers me that she needs to unleash the kind of aggression she purges with him, because I know it’s only because of me that she needs to.” With a halfhearted shrug he let me see the truth in him.

  We were so different, he and I. An incubus, Arys was a creature of sex and darkness. Like the demon his p
ower came from, he fed on sexual energy. Because of that, Alexa did too. Centuries had taught him how to separate sex from emotion. As long as there was no emotion involved, Arys was cool with it. Or so he wanted me to think. I didn’t buy it though. Not this time.

  “He can’t be trusted, Arys.” I wanted to say what I had to say and be done with this subject. “Falon’s a traitor. He has an agenda.”

  “You saw the video, pup. He was totally mindfucked that night. He wasn’t even really seeing her. Something else was going on for him.” Arys seemed to really believe it. Maybe he was right, or maybe he was in denial. “Would he be my victim of choice for Alexa? Hell no. But it’s not my decision to make, and it sure as hell ain’t Sinclair. So it could be worse. But we’ll keep an eye on him, ok?”

  I didn’t want to think or talk about any of this. Kale was a sore spot for both of us. During the time after Alexa’s transition, when she was with him, both Arys and I had been forced to accept that there was a part of her we could never touch. A part that she could only show Kale because she could only be weak with him. I hated that. Her need to stay strong in front of me was frustrating. I wanted all of her.

  I was about to tell him that I was done with this conversation when a brave woman with a margarita in hand and a confident stride broke out of the crowd, intent on Arys. He watched her sidle up with a cocky grin. What a piece of work. She looked him over, biting her lip in invitation.

  “How is it possible that a hottie like you hasn’t been snapped up yet?” She sipped from her drink, never breaking eye contact with Arys.

  He played the game, eyeing her up like the human blood bag she was to him. “Sorry, darlin’, but I have been. I’ve got my hands full of this fine specimen tonight.”

  I scoffed, stiffening when Arys reached out to grasp the back of my neck with a possessive hand, running his thumb over the pack tattoo on the left side below my ear. She checked me out, and I must’ve passed her test because she nodded in approval.