“Help you with what?”
“Your clan’s ability to find people whose absences don’t cause ripples in the pond is more useful than you can imagine. You take the first pick, and let my clan and me have access to the rest. They’ll remain in your businesses, everything happens under your direction, and you’re still in charge.”
“As a skilled negotiator, I know if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Why am I getting that feeling right now? Oh yes, because you still haven’t told me what you are. And you only want access to my feeders? That’s not all you want.”
“There may be some unorthodox activities we have planned for them, but nothing that should cause you any concern.”
“This is the last time I will ask this before I rip your throat out. What. Are. You?”
With a deep breath and a resigned drop of his shoulders, Rolland finally replied. “I’m a shapeshifter.”
“That’s not all you are.”
“I’m mixed with a vampire.”
“That’s not possible. Shapeshifter and vampire blood do not mix.”
“I was bitten by a vampire, and a strange thing happened when he decided to turn me. Our blood mixed, and my powers changed.”
“Changed how?” My curiosity was more than piqued.
He hesitated longer this time, not wanting to share the information he was no doubt waiting to use as leverage against me later. But I wouldn’t be denied the full story before I agreed to any type of deal. Especially with a stranger.
“My eyes have flashed red a couple of times. I haven’t learned how to fully sustain it yet, but I know others who have. There is a way, and it’s not only with finding your immortal love. There’s a way to tap into it and unlock it on your own.”
“Bullshit.”
“Not at all. We’ll figure it out together, because neither of us can do it alone. We need each other’s help, Ramses. Combining our clans will give us the best of both worlds. We’re shapeshifters, so we can easily blend in places where others may find it more difficult.”
“Very well, then. I’m in. But know this, Rolland Cleary. If you think you can double-cross me at any time during this partnership, no amount of shapeshifting will save you from me. I will find you, whatever form you’re in, and I will kill you in the most unpleasant of ways. You will regret ever having met me should that happen.”
“I have no doubt of that, Ramses. It’s not something I’m concerned about, though.”
Just like that, we moved from strangers to partners. We were united in our quest to find and enslave the humans that society had rejected and forgotten—either as clan members or feeders. My clan had to live, and I reasoned that keeping prisoners was more humane than killing them outright. Our feeders were well cared for and fed good food. That’s more than they’d get from anyone else in their lives.
Rolland and his clan of shapeshifters built a house in the mountains not far from my current location. They would sometimes take a few of the feeders out of their cages and into their house. I never questioned Rolland on what they did to them. Part of me was curious to know, but since they always returned the feeder back to the cage the next day unharmed, I assumed the shapeshifters were fucking the ones they liked.
Who am I to judge that? I’ve done the same thing myself.
The two I brought to my room last night were eager and rigorous with their affections. It doesn’t matter who I’m fucking or who I’m feeding on, though. The only scent I smell is the one in my mind. Alea. I smell her in everyone. I taste her blood with every drink. My thirst for her is insatiable. No matter how much I take from someone else, the craving for her never goes away.
“Do I not satisfy you?” the girl last night asked.
“No. But it’s not your fault. It’s me—I’m broken.”
It was the truth—as honest as I can give it. Alea broke me, and when I tasted the first drop of her blood, I felt the fissure inside me crack under the weight of my obsession with her.
“We need to talk about Slade,” Rolland announced when he strode into my office unbidden.
“What about him?”
“We need to kill him. He needs to be removed from the equation so we can take over his clan and bring them under our leadership.”
“No.”
“What do you mean ‘no’?”
“How many meanings do you think it has?”
Rolland huffed loudly—exasperated with my sarcasm. “Why would you not want to kill him?”
“Because he’s my brother. And I’ve plotted to kill him before, but my maker stopped me.”
“How did he stop you?”
“He showed up and ordered me to stand down. I had no choice but to obey him.”
“No, you didn’t have to, Ramses. You can assert your own will and your dominance. That breaks the creator’s hold over you.”
“You’re serious?”
Understanding dawned in his expression. “They never told you that, did they?”
“No. They didn’t.”
“So they could keep controlling you, Ramses. You’re destined for greatness. We can take over his clan. Are you ready?”
“We can’t. Not until we’ve unlocked the secret of the red-eyed vampire.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Slade is one, and his strength and powers are beyond compare. We’d never be able to stand against him.”
Rolland looked somewhat surprised, but only in the way that his suspicions had finally been confirmed. I suddenly questioned the intentions of my odd new friend. Though several weeks had passed with him and his clan literally at my side, when I revealed Slade’s secret, Rolland seemed different.
“You still love your brother after all his deceit. I can sense it.”
“I do,” I admitted. “He is my brother. He may have kept things from me, but he has always been the one to look after me.”
“Was he looking after you when he stole your woman from you?”
“He didn’t. She wasn’t mine to steal,” I denied. “Wait. How did you know that?”
“People talk. Your men talk. It is known throughout our clans. They can’t see you as weak, Ramses. You have to show them you’re the leader, or they won’t follow you. Just as you don’t have to follow Castel any longer.”
His argument made sense, yet his words stirred dread in me. The clan war had not ended well in my favor, and yet he urged me to start another one and take over my brother’s place.
“I do need to prove I’m worthy and establish my rightful place as the leader since I’m the eldest.”
“Yes, you do. There’s no need to start an all-out clan war. This time, it just needs to be you against Slade. Confront him and expose his weakness. Then we can form an attack.”
“His only weakness is Alea,” I replied absently. “She is the only one who can bring him to his knees.”
“Then we need to take her and put him in a place of vulnerability.”
“That would only make him stronger. I’ve learned that firsthand.”
“Not if we do it right,” Rolland replied. “Leave that to me. There are ways.”
“I don’t want my brother killed, Rolland. Or Alea, for that matter.”
“I can’t promise Slade’s safety, but I have no qualms with promising his wife’s safety. She’ll just be the bait to get him where we want him. If he cooperates, we don’t have to kill him. If he fights, I can’t say what will happen to him.”
Regardless of what’s happened between Slade and me, I didn’t appreciate hearing those words from another man. I haven’t been the best brother to him, but I’m sure as hell not going to allow another man to kill my brother. That’s not something I shared with Rolland, though.
After Rolland left, I called for Patrick. I needed my friend’s input.
“What do you think of our business associate?” I asked.
“I don’t trust him, Ramses. I understand he says he’s a shapeshifter and vampire mix, so my senses w
ill be off-kilter because he’s an unusual breed. But I know there’s more to him than he’s showing us.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He can read our thoughts but hide his from us. I’ve never met anyone who can do both.”
“Can you hide your thoughts from him?”
“Only with strong concentration. I can feel him scratching at the wall, trying to get in, though.”
“Perhaps it’s time to part ways with him and his clan. We can cancel this entire plan and go back to our original plan.”
“Be careful, Ramses. I don’t think he’ll give this up without a fight.”
* * *
Alea Barnett, 1791
Telling Slade I found the vampire hunter was not a pleasant conversation for me. The red flashed in his eyes as soon as the words left my mouth.
“You what?” His voice was low and tight. He was holding on to his temper by a thread.
“I found him. I know where he’s staying. And he was sleeping during the day. He must believe all the folklore that we only move around during the night. That tells me he’s not as experienced as he thinks he is.”
“Alea, you weren’t supposed to go looking for him alone. What if he’d woken while you were in there? He’s faster than you’re giving him credit for. What if he’d killed you?”
“Slade, I’m fine. I’m not as helpless as you seem to think I am. He had no idea I was there. In fact, I could’ve killed him on the spot, but I wanted you to have the pleasure.”
Slade walked away several steps and stopped with his back to me. “I know you’re not helpless. You’re strong and fearless. I’m the one who’s losing my grip. I’m sorry—my fear of losing you is affecting my ability to be objective.”
“You never have to be sorry for showing your love for me. Let me help you feel better about my skills with you nearby to step in and assist if I need you.” I watched his body language to gauge his reaction. I understood his anxiousness all too well. I can barely manage my own craving for him.
“How do you suggest we do this?”
“We wait until he leaves tonight and follow him. When we reach an isolated area, I’ll incapacitate him, and you can kill him for what he did to your friends.”
“You’ll incapacitate him?”
“Trust me, my love. It’ll be fine. I will be fine.”
“Okay. Thomas and I will both be there to make sure you’re safe. That’s not up for negotiation.”
“Agreed. You and Thomas can both be there as my bodyguards. I won’t argue.”
Slade, Thomas, and I set out at dusk to wait for the elusive hunter to emerge from his tiny apartment. He was a handsome man, approximately thirty years old. His hair was as black as coal, and his eyes were brown like Slade’s. He was taller than most men I know and physically fit. His long legs carried him with confidence, and his stride had purpose. He would not go down without a fight—that much I was sure of. The element of surprise was on my side, though.
I moved ahead of him with ease and waited around the corner for him to catch up to me. When I heard him approach, I walked out of the shadows and into his path. While I wrung my hands and turned around in slow circles, he approached me.
“Miss? What are you doing out here alone at this time?”
“I’m new here and got turned around when I went for a walk. I don’t know where I am or where I’m even supposed to be. All I remember is the building had a beautiful fountain in front.”
“I believe I know exactly where you’re supposed to be. I’ll walk you. It’s not safe for you to walk out here alone.”
He was so nice and very polite. It was hard to imagine he was the same man who was a self-proclaimed vampire hunter. But, of course, I knew he was. We walked for a few steps until we were in deep shadows, shielded by the tall buildings on both sides of the street.
“Thank you for walking with me. Where are you from?”
“A small village in Spain, originally. But I’ve moved around a lot. I don’t really have a home anymore.”
“You don’t have any family left in your Spanish village?”
“No one is left in that village.” He paused for a heartbeat. “Someone, or something, killed everyone. Took everything in my life from me. Now I travel and hunt for those monsters who killed my family and friends.”
“What kind of monsters? What do you mean?” I withdrew from his proximity and looked at him suspiciously.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He sounded defeated. “But there are evil people in this world who do unspeakable things. I’m just doing what I can to help keep as many humans safe as I can. I’ve made some mistakes along the way, but my intentions are honorable.”
“Mistakes? So you’ve missed some of these monsters?”
“Yes, I’ve missed some. And I’ve mislabeled some people as monsters when they weren’t. That’s my biggest regret.”
“What’s your name? I believe we completely missed our introductions.”
“I’m Leo Michel. And you are?”
“My name is Alea Barnett.” I paused my steps and turned to face him directly when I spoke.
“Very nice to meet you, Miss Alea,” he replied politely and bowed slightly.
It was then that I made my move. He wasn’t ready for me, my speed, or my strength. When he realized what had happened, he struggled against my firm hold, but his writhing was pointless. His muscular arms were useless against my dainty hands. The silver blade in his pocket might as well have been in his desolate Spanish village for all the good it was to him.
I turned him so that his back was against my front, his arms were securely behind his back, and my cheek was close to his cheek.
“Allow me to finish introducing myself. My name is Mrs. Slade Barnett, and you tried to kill my husband after murdering his human friends. Now that you’ve made the foolish mistake of bringing your job here, I’ll allow my husband to exact revenge on behalf of his friends.”
Slade emerged from thin air directly in front of us. His eyes were red, and inherent danger radiated from his presence. The murderous expression he wore conveyed his plans for the unwanted visitor.
“Wait,” Thomas commanded as he made his presence known. “I’ve seen his future. We should change him instead of kill him.”
Slade’s already chilling expression changed to a devious smile. “What a perfect suggestion, Thomas. Rather than kill the hunter, we’ll change him into the very thing he hunts.”
Leo started to object but barely made a sound before Slade bit him and drained his blood.
“Now you’re too weak to fight.” Slade slit open his wrist and forced the blood into Leo’s mouth. Leo didn’t have to swallow willingly—the infected blood slid down his throat from his lack of strength to prevent it. “Welcome to the family, Leo.”
Chapter 18
Slade Barnett, 1792
I’ve tried to stay away from Ramses as much as possible over the last few months. It does no good for me to visit his mountain home. Every time I have, the rage fills me and makes me want to tear his entire world down. The last time I was there, he was rebuilding his cages to hold humans against their will. He always takes one more step toward revealing us to the world.
But it’s both dangerous and foolish to think he isn’t up to no good, so I forced myself to check on him again.
And I did not like what I found at all.
Rolland Cleary has joined Ramses in the mountains. They’ve built their own cozy little community deep in the forest, away from the prying eyes of others. Rolland’s clan was with him, and they’re actively working with Ramses’s clan. The fact of the matter was I had to find out what they were up to, why they’d joined forces. I hovered around different members to listen to their private conversations in an attempt to gather information on their plans.
Rolland had offered to help me infiltrate Ramses’s clan and stop his insanity. But it was an offer I didn’t feel comfortable accepting. The man was obviously hiding som
ething, and I wasn’t willing to put my wife and my clan in harm’s way. Now it appears he has found a new home with others who aren’t quite right. He joined Ramses’s clan.
Was their plan to mount a joint attack on my clan?
Just when I thought life could become routine and normal. Well, as normal as normal can be for a family of vampires. But then, Ramses never has been ordinary, and he never allowed our lives to become conventional or routine. Since he hadn’t changed in the slightest, I had to play the role of the adult and nanny to my older brother. Even though I’d rather spend my spare time with my wife, I was forced to divide it between her and spying on my brother.
Moving around their compound made one thing abundantly clear. The lower level members of the clan haven’t been given any information at all regarding the plans they have in place. That means the plans are big—and the leaders have gone to extreme measures to keep them completely secret. They weren’t taking any chances with the weaker members having knowledge of their underhanded schemes.
I moved on to another area where multiple clan members had collected, speaking in hushed tones. I could only hope I was moving up the chain to someone who could provide any information on what they’d been doing, what they were working on, and what they were planning.
“Rolland said to make sure your assigned men are trained and ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
“When is it happening?”
“He hasn’t said. We won’t know until it’s time to make our move. I think it’ll be soon, though.”
“What do you know about Slade? I’ve heard Ramses’s clan members talk about his abilities.”
“I’ve only heard what you’ve heard. No one wants to take him on one-on-one. Some say he has some kind of rare power.”
Their conversation confirmed my suspicions. They’re plotting something against me. Only Rolland knows what that is and when it’ll happen. Until then, a lot more of my time will be spent in the mountains, trying to identify what I can do to stop whatever is coming before it’s too late.
Immortal Envy Page 17
