Wanted_Undead or Alive

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  “No.” John shook his head. “Then he would be dead. He would be a monster.”

  Laszlo frowned. “Do we look like monsters?”

  John studied the short man with the innocent, round face. “I’m not sure. Do you bite people?”

  “I’m a chemist.” Laszlo lifted a bag of blood. “And this is synthetic blood we manufacture here at Romatech. We make our food, we don’t steal it.”

  “Nate?” Phineas leaned over him. “Can you hear me? We can heal you if we turn you into a vampire. You’ll be dead during the day, but alive at night. And you could live for centuries.”

  Nate blinked at him. “Legs?”

  Phineas glanced at Laszlo. “He has a spinal cord injury. Will it heal?”

  Laszlo twisted a button on his lab coat as he considered. “Possibly. He has such severe injuries across his abdomen, the transformation might trigger all sorts of healing.”

  “Then it’s possible?” John asked. “He could walk?”

  “Possibly,” Laszlo answered. “For certain, it will save his life.”

  “Do it,” Nate whispered.

  Phineas exchanged looks with Laszlo and Zoltan. “I’m not sure I know how.” His own transformation had been brutal and violent. He didn’t want to repeat that.

  “I can do it.” Zoltan rested a hand on Nate’s brow. “When I give you my blood to drink, you must accept it.”

  Nate licked his cut and swollen lips. “Okay.”

  Zoltan peeled the shirt collar away from Nate’s throat.

  Phineas grabbed John’s arm and led him across the room. “Did Kyle attack him, too?”

  “Yes. That bastard.”

  “Was he in wolf form?” Phineas asked. “Did he bite Nate?”

  “No. He was still human.” John’s mouth twisted with disgust. “He was punching and kicking his own brother.” He glanced back at the gurney where Zoltan had sunk his fangs into Nate. “What is he doing? Is he hurting Nathan?”

  “He’s transforming him. John, look at me. Nate will be alive and strong at night, but completely vulnerable during the day. He needs someone who will guard him and protect him from his brother.”

  “I can do that.” John nodded. “And I’ll have my son help, too. We won’t let anyone harm Nathan. He—” John’s eyes filled with tears. “My son was a photojournalist, traveling with Nathan’s unit during the war. When Nathan was injured, he saved my son’s life.”

  Phineas rested a hand on John’s shoulder. “He’s fortunate to have you now.”

  John nodded and glanced back at the gurney. “Will he be all right? Will he still be . . . Nathan?”

  “Yes. His personality won’t change. Will you stay here with him till he wakes tomorrow night?” When John nodded, Phineas continued, “I need to go back to Wyoming and make sure Brynley is all right.”

  “Is she a vampire, too?”

  “No, she’s a werewolf, but a good one. She would never hurt anyone.”

  John gave him a curious look. “You’re a vampire with a werewolf girlfriend? How does that work?”

  “Good question,” Phineas muttered. He just hoped she was all right and he could find her.

  As he dashed back to the security office, he spotted Jack coming in the side entrance. Great. Jack and Lara could help him look for Brynley. “Is Lara with you?”

  Jack shook his head. “She stayed at the school. Caitlyn’s been shifting back and forth, scaring the shit out of Dr. Lee, so Carlos is the only one allowed in the delivery room with her now.”

  “No babies yet?” Phineas asked.

  “Yeah!” Freemont opened the security office door and peered outside. “Did she have kittens?”

  “Not yet,” Jack replied. “I came back to see if you guys had captured Corky.”

  “We have another problem now,” Phineas said. “Brynley could be in danger. Rhett Bleddyn knows she’s back, and he’s a vicious bastard. Nearly killed a mortal. Zoltan is in the clinic right now transforming the guy. And Brynley—she’s alone.”

  Freemont winced. “Wolfie-Girl’s in trouble.”

  Jack nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Phineas zipped through the trees for another half a mile, then paused to listen. Nothing.

  This wasn’t working. He and Jack had teleported back to the cabin and split up to cover more ground. So far, no sign of Brynley. No word from Jack. And they’d been searching for almost an hour.

  Bleddyn was one nasty character. Attacking a guy in a wheelchair? Sheesh, he’d nearly killed Nate. And Kyle, that creep deserved to die. The thought that those two bastards could have shifted and gone hunting for Brynley, it made his heart clench in his chest.

  She’d been hunted down once before. And raped. He couldn’t let that happen to her again.

  He needed a new strategy. He gazed up a tall pine tree and zeroed in on a strong branch. A second later, he materialized there and grabbed hold of the trunk. This was better. He had a bird’s-eye view. And eyes as good as a bird. He scanned the area and listened carefully.

  A small herd of elk at twelve o’clock. At one o’clock, a small lake glimmered in the moonlight. Farther off to the right, Jack was searching. He turned to the left. Bushes thrashed far ahead at ten o’clock. Something was being chased.

  He focused on a treetop and teleported there. The chase was just ahead of him. He teleported to another tree.

  There. A mule deer darted into a small clearing, and a wolf charged from behind. A large wolf, moving at an incredible speed. It had to be a werewolf.

  He teleported closer and materialized on a tree branch just as the wolf pounced on the deer. Within seconds the deer was down and its neck broken with a mighty wrenching of the wolf’s jaws.

  Damn. If that was Brynley, she was amazing. He whistled softly to see if the wolf would look up.

  It did. Sky-blue eyes.

  He grinned. He’d found her, and she was fine. More than fine. She was freaking powerful.

  A loud growl emanated from the forest.

  Phineas tensed, his fingers digging into pine bark. Was it Bleddyn?

  Brynley froze, her ears flattening, the fur on her back bristling.

  Out of the woods lumbered a huge black bear. It reared up on its hind legs and roared.

  Brynley stood her ground.

  “Back off,” Phineas whispered. Don’t argue with a bear. Let it have the deer.

  The bear roared again, and moved toward the deer. Brynley bared her teeth and growled back.

  “Damn.” What was she thinking? Phineas took out his automatic and fired a warning shot to scare off the bear.

  The bear shifted into a large, hairy man. He lifted his hands in surrender and looked frantically about. “Don’t shoot!”

  Phineas’s mouth fell open. Digger?

  Brynley shifted into human form. “You’re a were-bear?”

  He stared at her. “You’re a werewolf?”

  Phineas teleported down, and with vampire speed, he whipped off his jacket and covered Brynley.

  Digger gasped. “You’re one of them damned aliens!” He shifted back into a bear, and with a growl, he charged.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Phineas teleported Brynley across the clearing.

  Digger roared when his pounce hit nothing but air. He spun about and spotted them.

  “Digger,” Phineas began, but quickly levitated with Brynley when the bear charged again.

  “Digger, stop!” Brynley yelled at him.

  Digger shifted back to human form. “You need to get away from him, little lady, so I can kill him. He’s an alien.”

  “I’m not an alien,” Phineas muttered.

  “Maybe you can kick him in the balls,” Digger told her, then frowned. “But I ain’t sure them aliens have balls.”

  She gave Phineas a wry look. “Shall I verify that you have balls?”

  He arched a brow. “This is not how I envisioned our first intimate encounter.” He glanced down at Digger. “Can we come down now?”

 
“Sure. But I’ll have to kill you.”

  “I’m not an alien!”

  “You are, too! You appeared out of nowhere. You must have beamed down from the mother ship.”

  Phineas groaned. “I was in a tree, watching Brynley. And what the hell were you doing, attacking her?”

  “I wasn’t gonna hurt her,” Digger mumbled. “I just wanted the deer.”

  Jack zoomed into the clearing at vampire speed. His eyes widened at the sight of Phineas and Brynley hovering twelve feet in the air. “I heard a gunshot. Are you all right?”

  “Dagnabbit! Another alien!” Digger bellowed.

  “Where?” Jack glanced behind him, then gasped when Digger shifted back into a bear and charged. He levitated, too. “Merda! Now I see why you’re floating.”

  “Cut it out, Digger!” Brynley yelled at him. “These are my friends.”

  Digger changed back to human form. “You shouldn’t make friends with aliens.”

  “We’re not aliens,” Phineas ground out. “And would you please cover yourself? There’s a woman present.” He adjusted his jacket around Brynley. Luckily, it was long enough to hit her at mid-thigh.

  The corner of her mouth curled up. “You seemed a bit concerned about my virtue.”

  “Damned straight. And what the hell were you doing, growling at a bear?”

  She winced. “I know it was crazy. My inner wolf has been acting so weird lately. Like it thinks it can take on the world.”

  Phineas’s attention shifted back to Digger when the old man whistled. His dog, Jake, trotted into the clearing. He still wore the foil-covered football helmet on his head, but now also sported a pack strapped to his back.

  “The dog plays football?” Jack asked.

  Digger snorted as he pulled a pair of jeans out of the dog’s backpack. “Dogs don’t play football. You aliens ain’t as smart as you think.”

  Phineas’s eyes watered as he caught a whiff of Digger’s clothes. “Did you run into a skunk?”

  Digger chuckled as he pulled on the jeans. “I spray my clothes down with skunk oil. It covers up my scent.”

  That was true. Usually Phineas could always tell a shifter by his scent. Digger had caught them by surprise.

  “But of course I knew right off that the little lady was a shifter,” Digger continued. “I hoped she was a bear like me, but it ain’t surprising she’s a wolf. Lots of werewolves in these here parts.”

  “Not all of them good,” Phineas said. “There’s a dangerous Alpha in the area named Rhett Bleddyn. He attacked Nate Carson tonight and almost killed him.”

  Brynley gasped. “Nate was attacked? Is he all right?”

  Phineas nodded and lowered his voice. “We took him to Romatech. We had to transform him.”

  Her eyes widened. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “Yes. He’ll be fine. Zoltan’s taking care of him.”

  “Why would a werewolf attack Nate Carson?” Digger asked. “Nate’s a good guy.”

  “Bleddyn is trying to find Brynley,” Phineas explained. “Nate was protecting her, and he nearly died for it.”

  “Oh no.” She shuddered in his arms. “Poor Nate.”

  Phineas hugged her tight. “Bleddyn knows you’re here. That’s why we came looking for you. I was afraid he would be hunting you.”

  “A werewolf hunting another werewolf?” Digger scratched at his beard. “That don’t seem right.”

  “My father tried to force me into marrying him,” she grumbled. “I ran away.”

  Digger frowned. “ ’Cause you’re in love with an alien?”

  “I’m not an alien!” Phineas growled.

  “We’re vampires,” Jack said.

  Digger stepped back, his eyes wide. “What in tarnation? Vampires?”

  “Yes,” Phineas said. “We can teleport and levitate, as you can see—”

  “Did you mutilate those cows and drink their blood?” Digger asked.

  “No. We drink synthetic blood from bottles,” Phineas replied.

  “They’re the good guys,” Brynley insisted. “When I ran away from home, they took me in. And they’ve taken in all the Lost Boys that my father kicked out of the pack.”

  “Who’s your pa?” Digger asked.

  She took a deep breath. “Caddoc Jones.”

  Digger’s eyes widened. “Well, ain’t that somethin’? I know Cad from way back. Well over a hundred years ago.” He ran a hand through his shaggy long hair. “Haven’t talked to him in a spell. Seemed to me he got too big for his britches. Started acting like a jackass. No offense, ma’am.”

  “None taken,” she answered wryly.

  “Can we come down now?” Phineas motioned to the ground.

  “I reckon.” Digger eyed him suspiciously. “You ain’t gonna bite me or my dog, are you?”

  “I’d rather starve.” Jack waved the air in front of him, his nose wrinkled against the foul odor.

  “Vampires.” Digger shook his head. “I knew there was something strange going on in these hills. You sure you ain’t seen no aliens around here?”

  “No. We’re looking for a bad female vampire.” Phineas lowered himself and Brynley to the ground. “We think she’s allied with Bleddyn and staying at the old Haggerty ranch.”

  “A lady vampire?” Digger asked. “Did she mutilate the cows?”

  “I’m not sure,” Phineas replied. “Maybe.”

  Digger tugged at his beard. “This is all very strange. I could have sworn there were aliens around here. Well, I’ll be going now. And taking the deer, if you don’t mind.”

  “Go ahead.” Brynley waved a hand. “Bye.”

  Digger heaved the dead deer over his shoulders and lumbered into the woods. “A werewolf in love with a vampire. Don’t that beat all?”

  Phineas gave Brynley a questioning look as he drew her into his arms. “Could Digger be right?”

  “About aliens?”

  “No.” He kissed her nose. “About a certain werewolf being in love with a vampire.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Depends on the vampire. Is he in love with a certain werewolf?”

  Phineas’s vision darkened to a dusky pink as his eyes turned red. “I’ve always heard that actions speak louder than words.”

  She touched his cheek. “What actions do you have in mind?”

  “Okay,” Jack interrupted. “I’m feeling a little unnecessary at the moment. I’ll teleport back to the cabin to see if Bleddyn has shown up.”

  “Thanks, Jack,” Phineas said without looking back.

  He chuckled and teleported away.

  “Alone at last.” Brynley smoothed her hand over Phineas’s jaw. “We were talking about action?”

  “And words.” He pulled her close. “I do love you, Brynley. I know it won’t be easy. I’m dead half the time. And—”

  “Stop.” She placed a finger over his lips. “Don’t come up with reasons not to love me. I want you to love me. Now.”

  His eyes turned red. “I can do that.” He teleported away with her.

  Brynley landed on cool, soft grass. She quickly looked about and smiled. Phineas had taken her back to the meadow below the Cloud Peak Glacier. One of the most beautiful places she knew.

  “Is it all right?” he asked. “I could take you to Romatech or the cabin in the Adirondacks. We could have a bed there—”

  “This is perfect.” She breathed deeply of the cool, crisp air. “This is home.”

  “It’s not too cold?”

  “Cold?” She pulled off his jacket and tossed it on the ground. “Do I look cold?”

  His eyes flared a hotter red as his gaze sizzled over her naked body, then settled on her hardening nipples. “Maybe a little chilled.”

  “Then make me hot.” She rushed toward him and ripped open the snaps on his shirt. “The animal in me wants to claw the clothes right off your body.”

  He pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. “The Vamp in me wants to nibble”—he trailed kisses down her neck —
“and bite”—he nipped her shoulder—“and suck the life out of you.” He planted his mouth on her nipple.

  “Oh.” She arched her back as he suckled hard.

  He picked her up, his hands on her bare rump, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He tugged at one breast, then started on the other.

  “Phineas.” She ran her hands over his short hair.

  “Mmm.” He tickled the tip of her nipple with his tongue, then pulled her closer so her core was pressed against his bare stomach.

  He tugged on her breast in rhythm to rocking her against him. Moisture seeped from her, and tension built higher and higher.

  Oh God, she was going to come before she’d even gotten his clothes off.

  “Stop!” She pulled his head back and wiggled out of his arms.

  “You don’t like it?”

  “I love it.” She yanked his shirt off his shoulders and kissed his chest, his nipples, his six-pack abs. He was gorgeous, muscular . . . and walking her backward. “What—?”

  He shoved her back, and she landed on her rump on his jacket. With a grin, he pounced on top of her.

  He kissed her mouth, then moved down her body, kissing and nibbling past her breasts to her stomach. “You’re so beautiful.”

  “You’re still dressed.” She pushed him back, then pulled his legs up to make him fall onto his back on the grass. With a yank, she had one boot off. She tossed it aside and grabbed the other boot. It proved to be more stubborn, and she tugged so hard she lost her balance.

  He took advantage, giving her an extra shove so she tumbled back.

  “Umph.” She landed on her back with the boot in her hands.

  He seized her ankle and nipped at her calf. “Now I have you.”

  She tossed his boot aside. “Oh yeah?” She planted her other foot against his chest and shoved him back. As soon as his butt hit the ground, she leaped forward to pin his shoulders to the ground. “Now I have you.”

  “Wolfie-Girl, you are wild.”

  “You’d better believe it.” She leaned forward and rubbed her breasts against his chest.

  He kissed the top of her head.

  With her heart thundering in her ears, she sat back on his thighs and unbuckled his belt. “All right, Love Doctor.” She unbuttoned his jeans. “Let’s see what you’ve been hiding.” She struggled, getting the zipper to move over the bulge.