by W. J. May
“Alright, I’m taking off. Give Raoul a call on your way.” I resisted the urge to rub my hand where we’d touched. “He’s been calling my phone.”
“He called mine, too, but I didn’t answer.”
Ky raised a blood-covered hand silently to indicate that she too had gotten and ignored a call. Raoul had to know I was hunting his daughter. Well, he could save his temper tantrum for when I got there to kick his ass personally. Hopefully, Zoey didn’t beat me to it.
I leaned down to face Ky and squashed Arys’s hunger deep inside me. I nuzzled the side of her face, similar to what Raoul had done to me. I wished we were in fur on four legs.
“Take it easy. I swear she’s dead for this,” I assured her.
Her eyes pleaded with me to hurry.
“Alexa?” Shaz caught my elbow, and I met his eyes. “Please be careful.”
I reached up to tousle his hair gently. “I will. I promise.” There was nothing else that I could say. “I’ll see you soon.”
Because I couldn’t sink into his arms the way I wanted to, I grabbed my phone from the Charger and gestured to Arys to lead the way.
Chapter Nineteen
We started in the parking lot of the sports bar. Zoey’s blood hung on the still, muggy night air. With Arys’s bloodlust, I easily picked out the scent of human amid Kylarai’s pure Were aroma. With no rain or wind to interfere, tracking Zoey was almost too easy, barely a challenge.
She most certainly headed towards Raoul’s end of town. I dialed his number as we went and hailed his voicemail with a litany of my favorite curses. A sick sensation of dread settled in my stomach.
“There’s no answer.” I was hot and itchy in my skin. The instincts that drove me commanded me to ditch the restrictions of a human form and go as wolf, but I had to wait until the time was right. As great as the advantages were, pulling fur in the middle of town wasn’t something I wanted to add to my list of stupid moves.
“Maybe she’s already there,” Arys mused with his head cocked to one side as he studied the stars.
I hesitated for just a moment when her trail led across the golf course. It was the fastest way to Raoul’s. The well-maintained green was soft and springy beneath my boots. It felt good enough to roll in.
Though Zoey ran only ten to fifteen minutes ahead, she was long gone. She was faster than the average human, but she was injured. That didn’t seem to be slowing her down though.
I suspected that she’d already made it to Raoul. I considered letting them battle it out. Raoul was impossible to talk to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she killed him before we arrived out of sheer frustration.
On any other night a trek through the dark, deserted golf course would have been nice, maybe even a little sexy. The silver moon shone brightly against the dark backdrop of the sky. No one was in sight.
As if reading my mind, Arys nudged me playfully. “Do you think Raoul can take care of himself if we take a five minute time out?” When I raised my eyebrows and shook my head he added, “Alright, alright, a ten minute time out.”
“Very funny.”
“Would you do it with the wolf pup?”
His question nearly brought me to a halt as I stumbled in the grass. “What’s it to you? Don’t tell me you’re going to get all jealous male on me, too.”
“He was jealous?” I heard only amusement in his tone. I didn’t have to look to know he wore that amazing grin of his.
“That’s not the point. You told me to go to him. Don’t start playing the territorial card or so help me, I’ll knock out a few of those perfect teeth.”
He laughed loudly, and I jumped. I was a real ball of nerves tonight.
“Don’t get me wrong, my love, a part of me is a little envious, but we have something that extends well beyond sex, deep into the power of our metaphysical make up. Something that so many will never know.” In a motion so swift I barely saw him move, he caught me up in a kiss. It was brief but sweet, leaving me breathless. “But, I also know that I must be realistic.”
He turned away, walking ahead, but I’d already caught the somber note in his dramatic words and action. Drawn to him, I took a hurried step to catch up.
“Wait. What do you mean by that? Realistic.”
When he stopped, I got the feeling that he didn’t want to look at me, but he did anyway. I think he was afraid that I’d see the emotions lurking behind his eyes, waiting to betray him.
“You’re an incredibly complex creature, Alexa. A strange combination of the compassionate human heart and the ruthless leadership of one of the finest animals on earth. Our journey together is far from over, but I know that you will never long for me at the end of the day.”
I found no trace of regret or anger in his voice, merely acceptance of the fact. I was tongue-tied and unsure of what to say. I looked eagerly to the street ahead as we neared the end of the golf course.
“Shit, Arys,” I poked him lightly in the side. “Why are you getting all sentimental on me? Is it because you think she’s going to kick my ass?” I forced a laugh in a lame attempt to sound like I was kidding.
We came out in a gated community just a few blocks from Raoul’s street. We hopped a wall. Dogs started a chain of barking, which had me hauling ass over the stone wall onto the street beyond before the ruckus brought people out on their doorsteps.
When we stood at the end of Raoul’s street, I called him one more time. A shiver raced up my spine when somebody picked up.
“Alexa O’Brien,” purred the most sensual female voice that I’d ever heard. “The woman my father both loves to hate and hates to love.” There was a pause, and I heard her take a ragged breath. Ky must have got her good.
“Have you killed him yet?” I cut to the chase, sounding both bored and irritated.
“What?” She snapped, and I stiffened.
I fixed my eyes on the darkened house down the empty street. Arys, tense and ready beside me, brought me more relief than I wanted to admit.
“You heard me. If you’ve already killed him then I won’t waste my time by coming in there.”
“You’re sick, bitch.” Her reply was snide.
The need to kill grew overwhelming. I snapped my phone shut and strode angrily down the street. My boots clacked loudly, announcing my arrival.
“It’s not that I don’t think we can easily take care of this pathetic little problem, but where is everybody?” Arys gestured to the empty street. No Charger or Liberty was in sight. The mournful sound of a train whistle blew. They were stuck on the other side.
“Don’t tell me you’re nervous about facing a human half breed without back up,” I teased.
I couldn’t help it. I was anxious as hell and having a hard time thinking about anything that didn’t include blood and violence. Even the presence of the powerful vampire at my side was trying my patience, encouraging me to quench the undying hunger that cut up my insides.
“Hell no.” He didn’t miss a beat. “Just afraid of being in a house with two wild women.” I felt his gaze suddenly narrow on me. “Are you going to be alright?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted as I shoved my shaky hands in my pockets. “Just don’t let me kill the wrong person.”
He nodded. “Let’s go inside.”
The curtains were drawn in the front window, but a light shone beyond. I thought I saw a flash of movement.
I reached out instinctively for Arys’s cool, inviting hand. Our auras wasted no time mingling, and I welcomed the cold vampire energy.
When I reached for the doorknob, it wouldn’t budge. I hadn’t really expected an open invitation. I glanced at the doorbell but didn’t bother.
I braced myself with the stair rail. I focused on the soft spot below the knob and let loose with a high kick. The door frame splintered in an ear piercing shriek of tearing wood. The door hit the wall so hard that it bounced back at me, vibrating on its hinges. The front sitting room was empty. I wasn’t looking forward to venturing inside.
A jolt of his power rushed through me, and I embraced it. I wanted to go in there tapping every power source I had. If the crazy bitch thought she was going to knife me, I’d blow her through the damn roof.
“Do you smell that?” Arys stalked past me into the house while I lingered uncertainly near the doorway.
He had a lilt to his voice that indicated the effect our combined power was having on him. I can’t say that I wasn’t happy that it was a battle of control for him, too.
Zoey’s blood was thick on the air inside. Drawn by the scent of injured prey, I followed the tall, dark vampire.
Muffled voices reached me. They were in the windowless study off the kitchen. They had to know we were here. The front door had been anything but quiet.
Our footsteps were silent as we made our way into the large kitchen. I paused in the threshold between both rooms. Raoul’s beloved wolf tapestry hung in tatters. Only claws would do that.
As I took in the damage of Zoey’s rage, the energy in the house shifted. At Raoul’s office, Arys stopped mid-motion as he reached for the doorknob. He risked a glance back at me and his pupils were huge.
I panicked when I saw him vamping out. I needed him to maintain the power that we’d called. I opened my mouth to tell him not to blow this when the office door suddenly burst open.
Raoul crashed through the opening, narrowly missing Arys as he tumbled and rolled. The vampire appeared at my side with his body positioned to defend an attack.
Raoul was gracefully on his feet in an instant. With one hand outstretched, he pointed an accusing finger at me.
“You,” he snarled. “It’s because of you that Zoey’s hurt. If she dies, I’ll fucking kill you, Alexa. You promised!” A harsh cough wracked him, and he spat blood on to the pristine white tile.
In an instant, I held a psi ball in my palm. “She stabbed Kylarai!” My voice was shrill enough to hurt my own ears. “I’m not playing by anyone’s rules here, Raoul.”
He was pale, the bruises lining his eye and nose appeared darker in contrast. He licked a drop of blood from the corner of his lip. He’d been letting her smack him around. Pathetic.
“I can’t be held responsible for Kylarai’s choice to get involved in something that doesn’t concern her.”
Though he was speaking, my eyes were on the study door. I could feel her approach, and I licked my lips eagerly. I felt that same crazy smile, Arys’s smile, that I’d worn when I’d slaughtered David. It adorned my features so naturally. The blood hunger seemed to hone in on the creature in the house that I wanted the most.
I had a good mind to tear out Zoey’s throat while Raoul watched, before letting Arys go at him. Wouldn’t that just be the most delicious fight?
Zoey appeared in the doorway to the small office. Her black hair hung to hide most of her round face. She didn’t look much like the smiling young girl in her picture. This version of Zoey Roberts was anything but striking. She looked like a Japanese cinema ghost.
Her skin was whiter than Arys on a bad day. Dark circles lined her eyes, and her dark blue wolf eyes were glazed. Her clawed fingers were bloody but the absence of fangs was a good sign. If she went completely wolf on us, she’d never come back.
Her clothing was all black. The rips and dirt on her jeans marked her scuffle with Kylarai. I didn’t see a weapon, but I assumed it was there. A jagged, blood-caked slice marred the white skin of her throat. The inside of her forearm showed bone where Kylarai had got her.
Zoey held her injured arm carefully at her side as if trying to hide how much it hurt. Her strange, blue wolf eyes blinked at me appraisingly before going to Arys. She believed him to be the bigger threat. I loved how wrong she was.
“How dare you barge in here like you own the place?” Zoey spoke to me but seemed reluctant to take her gaze off Arys for longer than a split second. “This has nothing to do with you, Alpha bitch.”
“Oh no?” With a flick of my wrist the swirling blue and gold orb exploded against her and showered colorful sparks overhead. I grinned when she went down on her rear end with a pained cry.
“When was it going to involve me? When you decided that it was my turn to die for letting your daddy coerce me into bed? I don’t think so.”
“Alexa, stop!” Raoul made a move towards me, and I raised a hand in defense. Before I could throw another energy ball, my dark vampire took Raoul down with a foot to the back of the knee.
“Wasn’t it you that asked for Alexa’s involvement in the first place?” Arys hissed. He twisted the bigger man’s arm behind his back with an inhuman strength. “You’re at the root of this entire mess, so why don’t you keep quiet while the ladies fight it out? You’ll get yours.”
Raoul grunted in pain. His ebony eyes glared at me as he refused to acknowledge the vampire holding him immobile.
I’d winded Zoey with the psi ball, but she scrambled to her feet. “You don’t get to kill him!” She screamed like someone who hadn’t known sanity for a very long time. It made me stop to consider my plan of action.
“Who’s going to stop me?” I challenged.
Fangs filled my mouth. The sticky blood that adorned her wounds was sweetly human. I ached to taste her human blood, laced with the energy of the wolf. I wanted her to rush me, the final push to finish what Kylarai had begun.
I didn’t expect her to break so easily. A torrent of tears streamed down her face, and a sob broke from her. Her misery pained and confused me amidst my need to kill.
“I didn’t do all of this just to have you take it from me. Kill me if you must, but I’ll be damned before I die without killing him first.” The girl’s determination was admirable. All she wanted was to make Raoul hurt. I could relate to that.
“Does it really mean so much to you?” I met her gaze evenly with my own wolf eyes. “To kill your own father.”
I followed her eyes to where Raoul knelt, straining against Arys’s powerful hold.
“Yes,” she conceded with her chin held defiantly. “I thought I wanted to bring him down, have him locked away in some wretched facility like he did me. But now, I just want this over.”
“Zoey, please,” Raoul ground out through clenched teeth. “We can talk about this. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
I couldn’t believe he was so convinced they could talk it out and live happily ever after like a sitcom family. His reaction was deeply disturbing on a level that I didn’t understand.
“You’re fucked, old man.” Zoey scowled but didn’t attempt to pass me in order to reach him. “You never cared about my well-being before I murdered your bitches. Why would you start now?”
She sounded resigned, as if she’d anticipated this discussion for a long time. I wished I could erase the past week and never let Raoul drag me into this in the first place.
Hunger and instinct gnawed at me, and I fought the urge to shift. My mind was running in the “act now, think later” mode.
“I always cared about you. There has never been a day that passed when I haven’t thought about you.” Directing his temper at me, Raoul shouted, “For God’s sake, Alexa, could you call off your vampire?”
“I don’t think so.” I shook my head and my dyed gold bangs fell in my eyes. “You both need serious help.”
The deathly glare that Zoey shot me was worth a thousand nasty words. “What do you know about growing up with a deadbeat father who’s responsible for the death of your mother? He left me to suffer, surrounded by people that he knew I could never relate to.”
She ran a hand through her stringy locks, and I was reminded of Raoul’s penchant to do the same. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to live each day trapped in this body while your every instinct cries to get out?”
After a moment of silent contemplation, I shook my head no. I didn’t. But, Arys did now, and the sympathy shining in the depths of his stunning eyes was too much for me. If we started to identify with her, her death would be
that much harder.
“I can’t relate to that.” I shifted into a stance that appeared less threatening but didn’t release the energy I held ready. “But, I can relate to being scared and inhuman. And being in need of a strong leader but finding none.”
“Alexa.” Raoul’s tone rose in warning at the end of my name. Arys jerked his arm enough to make him gasp.
“Shut up.” Zoey and I spoke simultaneously.
“Your father is a self-centered egomaniac, Zoey,” I said, finding strength in the incredulous expression splayed upon Raoul’s finely sculpted features. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s been selfish, conceited and intent on his own personal interests. You were better off not being here during your youth. I can guarantee you that.”
“Thanks a lot, you bitch.” The hate in Raoul’s deep voice struck me to the core. “After everything I’ve done for you, after I save you from being raped and used like a piece of meat, this is how you repay me?”
My face flamed with the sudden heat of embarrassment. My wolf wanted to throw off this skin and make the short work of him that he so richly deserved. So, he wanted to air our dirty laundry, did he?
“You saved me Raoul? My ass you did. What kind of knight in shining armor do you mistake yourself for? You turned around and took me to your bed. I was seventeen, damn you. You took my innocence, all I had left!”
Overcome with long repressed emotions, I took a step toward Arys and Raoul. I launched my ready energy so that it blasted a hole the size of my fist in the floor between Raoul’s trembling knees.
“And don’t you dare start with that shit about how I was willing. I was a new werewolf, and you took advantage of that. You’re seventeen years my senior, yet you claim no responsibility.”
I stood before him shaking as I stared down into his dark eyes. Aware of my bloody desires, Arys released his hold, but Raoul didn’t attempt to get up. The power in my eyes had him wary.
My mind was a mass of confusion as my senses were overwhelmed by the lovely sources of energy to consume. I wanted to taste all three.
