by Rena Marks
His dazed eyes followed me, but he kept Julian’s forearm in his mouth.
“Mike, it’s Anjelia. Leo’s here. Behind you.”
Weakly, Mike’s eyes slid up to see for himself, and he relaxed when he saw he was cradled by Leo. Then his panicked eyes shot to Julian, whose arm was still in his mouth.
“It’s okay,” I soothed. “It's Julian. Leo, Julian, and me, we’re a sort of threesome now.” I smiled reassuringly.
“Do you know what happened to you?” Julian asked.
Mike shook his head, and looked confused again.
“We’re getting you out of here,” Leo said.
“Wait,” I told him.
I closed my eyes, and added my other hand to the first on his abdomen. I pushed numbing power into his body from the right one, but the pain that originally filled him had nowhere else to go.
I sighed. I was becoming a martyr for pain.
Without saying anything, I sucked his bitter aches into me.
There was too much, and it had to go somewhere. With one slip of a magical veil, I let the crone out.
She sucked the pain, and grew stronger with power over someone else's tragedy. There would be a price to pay for her gift.
I opened my eyes, and gritted my teeth. “Okay. Let’s get him out of here.”
Two of the wolves stepped forth with a homemade stretcher that they’d prepared and carefully laid Mike onto it. With Julian’s blood, his injuries were already starting to heal. I could feel the pain I carried for him starting to lessen.
Mike reached out and entwined his hand with Leo’s. The expressions the wolves carried were tragic, the strong, ferocious personalities reduced to tears at the horrific sight of one of their own.
Leo gripped his hand just as tightly, and Julian and I led the way back to upstairs. They loaded him into the medic van, and we returned to our own estate. Once there, Leo and the rest of the wolves carried the makeshift stretcher upstairs. Julian and I trekked down the stairs to the dungeon. We stopped in front of Chen, who still guarded Victor and Adàn.
The father had been slapped around a bit. Oh, hell, he looked like he’d been through a boxing ring. His face was reddened and swollen, and beginning to purple in some areas. Victor was untouched. I understood what Chen was doing. Pitting them against each other.
“It appears we’ve found what you’ve hidden,” Julian said to Adàn. “How was he created?”
Adàn stared mutely at Julian, and Julian flicked his eyes toward the whimpering Victor.
“Take an eye out of his son if he doesn’t answer.”
Chen grabbed his knife and raised it to Victor, who began to scream. Sickened, I turned my face away. Then I forced myself to watch. The crone would want the appeasement.
Adàn never spoke.
Instead, Victor pleaded. “No, please. I’ll tell you what you want. We don’t know how he was created. We found him, clawing his way from a grave. We knew he was Leo's tribe, but his death forfeited his fealty, so we took him. We tried to feed him, but nothing helped. He was about to die, that’s why father sent me to find out about your son...”
His voice cut off with a gurgling sound.
Adàn had swiped out with a claw, slicing Victor’s throat. Blood bubbled at the wound with the air that escaped at the unnatural opening, and Victor’s mouth opened and closed mutely. Then he slumped, his eyes glazing over as he bled out from his spurting jugular.
I stared, stunned that a werewolf would kill his own son without remorse. The crone hackled with glee at the glorious, two-in-one gift. An outright death, and the death by the father.
Her cackles bounced off the walls, sending shivers down my spine. I forced myself to look away from Victor.
Julian turned a furious face to Adàn. “Chen, find out anything you can from him. If he doesn’t cooperate, use any torturous means available until he begs for his own death.”
Julian led me from the room with a hand on my arm.
Back upstairs in the French Quarters, Leo had put Mike to bed in one of the bedrooms. In fact, the one across from us that Verity had used when we'd found her.
Leo looked exhausted while he watched Mike sleep.
“Need some help?” I asked.
He tried to smile. “Want to be a nurse?”
“Anything.”
“He probably wouldn’t mind being cleaned up a little, if you can sponge bathe him. Julian’s blood is amazing, his internal organs have already shifted, and he was alert enough to tell me that Adàn and Victor had other captured vampires and humans in the basement that they were trying to cross-breed. It was a dungeon of horrors.”
“Humans? That can’t be good.”
“Especially because they’re now gone. The vampires got hungry waiting for rescue. I received notification from the Julian’s vamps we'd send to their property.” Leo sounded exhausted, as if he’d collapse without the adrenaline he had been running on.
I winced.
“Come grab a bite to eat while Anjelia tends to Mike,” Julian said. “He’ll be fine with her, you can keep up your strength with food, and I’ll tell you the little bit we found out from Victor.”
When they left, I went into the bathroom and retrieved a small basin. I filled it with warm soap water, and grabbed one of Luc’s soft sponges, along with a few fluffy towels.
Mike’s eyes were closed when I approached. I pulled back the covers enough to expose one lean leg and foot, and went to work scrubbing.
Dirt was embedded in his skin. He could soak for months and not get it all out. Still, he’d probably feel a little better to have some of it cleaned up.
When one leg was finished, I lifted the sheet from his other. That was when I noticed he watched me.
“Hi,” I said with a smile.
“You okay?” He sounded like the old Mike I remembered from my visions, truly concerned, as if I was the injured party here.
I draped a towel over his privates and lifted the sheet. Although with him being wolf, I needn’t have bothered.
I softly rubbed more blood and dirt from his stomach, scrubbing gently where it was stubborn.
“You’re back from the dead and asking if I’m the one who’s all right?”
He smiled weakly. “It was my job to make sure you were safe, always. I failed.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“So I guess I’m a werewolf turned vampire?”
“Actually, I think you’re both but I’m not sure. A werewolf has never been turned.”
He looked surprised. “Both? How can that be?”
“I don’t know, but Adàn was interested in kidnapping my son to see how being a cross breed worked.”
“You and Leo have a son?” he asked, surprised.
“It’s a little more complicated than that. Leo, Julian and I have a son. After you...died, I was given to Leo. After only a few hours in which he sealed his power into the brand my ex-husband made, I was stolen by the vampires. I refused to stay with Julian, knowing I was sold to Leo. Desperate to keep me, he erased my memory and I moved here. He followed me and mesmerized me to become his human servant. After I was eternally tied to him, Leo found me again.”
“Leo couldn’t turn you werewolf while you were a human servant?”
“No. But I almost died from a non-related little witch problem, and Leo bit me, afraid I’d turn vampire when I nearly died. I’m kept from turning wolf by Julian diluting my blood, and I’m kept from turning vampire with the wolf virus running through me. A delicate series of checks and balances.”
“Then the son?”
“Luc is a cross breed of human, wolf and vampire. The only living creature with two fathers and one mother.”
“My God,” he breathed. “How long have I been gone?”
“It’s been a few years, Mike.”
“I dreamed of you, you know. Showing you things, always easing your fears.”
“I thought I dreamed of you too, or visited you in the past. Now, I think it was my
witchcraft actually reaching out to you. I should have known you were still alive.”
“Luc—he takes blood?”
“Yes, Julian’s. Once a month, every full moon.”
“He changes?”
“Sporadically. No rhyme or reason, really. Leo usually has to force him back to baby. However, I was kidnapped by Adàn and Victor, like you were. During that time, Luc changed and Leo hasn't been able to change him back. We're unsure why.”
Mike looked worried. “Leo’s been good? It's unusual for a wolf king to not be able to change someone.”
“Once he found me, he became much better. It eased the insanity he suffered from not having his power. He’s fine now. We just need to focus on getting you healthy.”
“I don’t know if I want to be vampire, Leah.” His voice was broken, as if this was the worst thing that could happen.
I’d finished his chest and put the drying towel down. I brushed a long, tangled lock of hair from his forehead, and looked into deep brown eyes that were slightly crinkled at the corners, although no longer from laughter.
“Honey, you don’t get a choice. But you’re not alone. You have another person in the world that’s unique, like you. Luc. Different, but still close. My son needs his uncle Mike, the only other person who knows what he’s going through.”
He closed his eyes, his expression haunted. A slight tapping at the door sounded, and I called out to enter.
Verity approached, and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Leo said to bring an assortment of meats to him to see if he can stomach food.”
I nodded. “Verity, this is Mike Ishee. Werewolf and apparently also vampire.”
“I didn’t know that could happen.” Her voice was soft as she nodded to Mike.
Mike’s voice rumbled as he opened his eyes. “It’s never happened before. The werewolf should die. And I don’t think I’m fully vampire.”
“No, you’ve definitely still got some werewolf in you,” I said, remembering his partial changes when we’d found him.
“It is good to meet you, Mike,” Verity said, the French lilt in her voice more pronounced than usual.
It made me take note. But suddenly I had a great idea. “Verity is an excellent choice to help with your rehabilitation, Mike.”
I glanced at her, silent permission to reveal her secret. She nodded.
Mike raised an eyebrow at the exchange.
“Anjelia saved my life. I’ll do anything to help.”
“It’s your past, Verity. I won’t share it if you’re uncomfortable.”
“I am fine.”
“Verity was kept captive for decades after her own change. Tortured daily, kept in isolation. She can help you with any mental or even physical problems you’ll face.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Mike said.
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear Verity blushed.
“Madam,” called a dull, monotone voice from the doorway.
Verity’s sire, Marcus, stood hesitantly in the hall. She looked up, and instantly her demeanor changed. She went from the sweet, shy girl I knew to the powerful vampire we’d left in charge of the French mansion.
“You are needed,” he said, his eyes lowered.
“Excuse me,” she said, and rose gracefully. I watched Mike’s eyes follow her throughout the room. When she left, he turned his attention back to me.
“So, I was supposed to ease the way for you into werewolf existence, and now you’re all eased in on your own,” he rasped.
“Yep,” I said, cutting a bit of the bloody steak on his plate and holding the bite out for him.
He chewed slowly. I always found it incongruous that werewolves eat their meat uncooked, bleeding on a plate, which is quite uncivilized, yet with a fork and knife, which is very civilized.
“How did you find Verity?” he asked.
“Exploring the French Quarters when we first moved in. She was little more than a wild animal, having been converted and then immediately handed to the old master of the mansion without receiving the automatic gratuity of protection. When she displeased Nico by killing her father—who'd sold and married her to Marcus, the vamp you just saw—had her thrown for eternity in an open sunlit tower to be burned in the sun daily.”
“It didn’t kill her?”
“She was horribly disfigured, but you know vamp blood. Very recuperative. He left her some shade, so she would live long enough for the very painful existence the next day. She was fed dead blood, just enough to keep her alive but not enough to heal her burns.”
“Vampires are vicious. They did that to one of their own?”
“Some vampires would argue that Adàn was vicious. He was a werewolf leader, and he slit his own son’s throat. He captured and tortured other werewolves to recreate a crossbreed like you.”
Mike accepted another bite of meat. “He did. I guess you’re right. It’s just hard for me to think of myself as the species I hated for so long.”
“I know. But there’s not as much hatred as you were used to. We're learning to get along. We put Verity in charge here at the French estate, but our vampires from the States all take a tour of duty, so to speak. So the friendship follows. Leo's even considering sending a few wolves, especially since he brought some here with us this trip.”
He finally pushed his food away. “No more. My stomach has shrunk.”
“Then it is time for more blood,” a deep voice rumbled.
We looked up to see both Julian and Leo in the doorway. They came into the room. Leo took the tray and set it on the dresser, then sat next to me on the bed. Julian came round and sat slightly in front of me on the far edge.
“Nurse Anjelia gave you a bath,” Leo said, giving me a quick smile.
“Yeah, I can’t wait for a real one.”
“You'll need to soak in it for awhile,” I laughed. “Like a month.”
“Take some blood, Mike. You’ll heal quicker than you can imagine,” Leo said.
“From his arm?” Mike asked, his voice the slightest bit aghast.
“I could drain it into a cup, but you get greater benefits directly from a vein. Later, when you don’t need it as desperately, we can use the cup if you're more comfortable,” Julian said. “Do you want to try using your fangs, or would you like me to slice a vein?”
Mike seemed to think about it, and I could tell he was wrestling with the idea of being vampire. I stood, reaching over Julian’s shoulders, leaning into him with my breasts pressed to his back. I reached out and stroked Mike’s temple, and he fought not to flinch from even my touch. “You can do it, Mike. You’re going to have to learn. Let Julian show you. Trust us.”
His eyes found Leo’s, who simply nodded.
When Julian brought his forearm to Mike’s mouth, Mike opened his mouth and latched on. We all waited, and Mike looked around the room, almost desperate. Like he didn't know what to do.
“Relax,” Julian commanded, and his tone was cajoling.
There was a crunch, and Mike’s eyes grew huge behind Julian’s arm. Then, he ravenously sucked the blood that he withdrew on his own.
Chapter Sixteen
At dawn, I checked in on Mike, wondering if he’d be dead like the vampires.
No. Brown eyes fixed on me when I slowly cracked his door open.
“Wow, you’re awake,” I said to him.
“Seems like it,” he said, his mood improved from yesterday. “I take it the rest of the vampires are dead?”
“Yes, it’s six in the morning. Dawn hit about half an hour ago.”
“Leo’s exhausted. He checked on me throughout the night.”
“He sure is. He woke me with his snoring. I can't believe Luc's sleeping through it. You’re stuck with me.”
“I feel pretty strong with Julian’s blood, but do you think you can help me with a real bath? You’ve already seen all my parts,” he grinned.
“Everyone's seen your parts,” I reminded.
He flung back the covers. I took his arm and dr
aped it around my shoulders as we made our way to the bathroom. I led him to the separate stall which contained the toilet, and then I started the bath while he did his business.
When I heard the toilet flush, I helped him back to the tub. Not that he needed help, but he was still bone-thin and I was afraid he’d lose balance.
“How’s the warmth?” I asked him.
“Perfect. You’ve been conditioned to the wolves.”
Werewolves can stand their water a lot hotter than humans. Their body temperature is actually warmer than ours, just like the vampire is cooler. I was guessing that Mike’s must be more in link with the wolves.
“I can soak for hours,” he said, his eyes closed.
“Take as long as you need,” I said. “But if you wouldn’t mind putting on leg along the edge here...there’s a spot from yesterday I just couldn’t get out.”
Mike grinned at me, looking more like his normal self. “Love a challenge, do you?”
“Always.”
I couldn’t help myself. I wasn’t supposed to be an emotional human female, I was the wolf queen. But it overcame me anyway.
I threw my arms around Mike’s neck and held him tight. He patted my arm.
“I missed you,” I whispered.
When I pulled away he asked, “What happened afterward? To Trevor?”
“After he shot you, he sold me to Leo, but Julian stole me from the werewolves. Then Julian killed Trevor. When I protested that I’d return to the wolves, he erased my memory of everything that had happened so I wouldn’t.”
“Did Julian say how he killed him?”
“Um, I never asked.”
“Just wanted to know how painful it was.”
“It was Julian. I’m sure there’s no mercy involved. Oh, I just thought of something. I hope Julian notified Rhett that you’re alive.”
“My cousin Rhett? How’s he doing?”
“He’s great. He owns the coffee shop near Bang’s, and he’s dating one of the vampires.”
“My cousin? Shit, I have been out of it a while.”
“I told you, we're very well integrated. You’re going to love Anna. She and Leo go at it round and round. Rhett’s so laid back, he’s the perfect wolf for her.”
“I can’t wait to see him. And I can’t wait to meet Luc.”
