by Grosso, Kym
Kalli wasn’t naïve to supernaturals, far from it. She knew how evil they all were, and this nasty detour only proved her point. But Kalli was a survivor. She’d survived her so-called family; she’d survive this too. The effects of her pills were starting to wear off, as she could feel the beast within calling, begging to fight. She supposed she needed the extra strength it could bring her, but her brain refused to allow the animal to surface. She was human now, at least on the outside.
Looking around the opulent room, she craned her neck, struggling to identify where they’d brought her. If she didn’t know any better she’d have thought she was in a luxurious hotel. But the thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets could not mask her hideous isolation; her deafening screams while tortured beyond reason. Still no one came to her rescue. Someone would have surely heard as she strained against the blood red talons that held her down while razor sharp fangs pierced her skin.
She spied a bottle of water and saltines on the nightstand. Had they been feeding her? Keeping her as some kind of blood bag? She didn’t remember eating, but she couldn’t deny she needed water. With great effort and a moan, she reached for the bottle and opened it. She felt almost human as the cool liquid slid down her sore throat. Almost human. That was the key, she thought to herself. For now, she thanked God that she was human enough to fool them. Repulsed by her blood, they hadn’t discovered her secret. She could sense the bitch’s confusion as her medicated blood hit her tongue. Damn straight, it didn’t taste good. Yet the greedy bloodsucker kept going, probably to make her weak on purpose. She might have succeeded in draining her, but Kalli was a fighter.
Letting the beast take control was seemingly her only option for escape. She hadn’t seen or heard anyone in the hallway. She reasoned from the short car ride, that she was still in the city. If she could just get out of this house, people wouldn’t be far; refuge was within her grasp. But her medicine suppressed the beast. She wanted it that way. Being human was far underrated, yet in this situation she could not deny that being supernatural would give her the strength to at least walk, find help, and hide.
Seeing no other choice, Kalli closed her eyes and breathed deeply, searching for the one within who could save her from the torment that would surely seek her out again. Determined to find deliverance from the incubus, she let the power of the beast fill her veins.
Tristan pulled his SUV up to Alexandra’s four-story, Victorian brownstone. While she preferred her ostentatious mansion in the suburbs, he knew for certain she’d be waiting for him in the city. Alexandra’s narcissistic tendencies would drive her to make an appearance at the exclusive opening of his club. Anyone who was anyone was there tonight; she considered herself the one. It probably was killing her to have to wait for him to retrieve ‘the toy’, as Léopold called it.
Tristan conceded that she had her place in the supernatural world. Vampires needed a leader, and she kept hers on a tight leash, preventing them from wreaking havoc in the city or his club. For the past fifty years of her rule, vampire on human crime had been minimal. If someone was killed, it was with her knowledge and approval. Tristan respected her leadership toward shifters; she generally respected their existence. She never questioned Tristan’s punishments on her own vampires if they got out of hand at his club, and they’d been able to amicably work out any disagreements.
But the one thing Alexandra coveted the most, she could not have; Tristan’s blood. He’d refused her his vein many a time. The denial only fueled her desire, convinced she could seduce him given the right circumstances. But he knew that no matter how beautiful or alluring she was, he’d never give in to her wishes. She only wanted his blood to increase her power, and as far as he was concerned, she already had too much, paired with little restraint.
Tristan looked over to Logan who’d been deep in thought on the ride over to Alexandra’s. Since the attack, Logan had had more visions and Tristan was certain that he wasn’t sharing all he’d seen. He didn’t press him, understanding that it was both a gift and burden to sense the future.
“Hey, man. You ready to do this?” Tristan asked, shutting off the car.
“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking,” Logan grumbled.
“You okay, Logan? I know seeing that death wasn’t easy. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but it’s not my first time to the rodeo. Things will be okay,” Tristan assured Logan, hoping he would snap out of it.
Logan knew that whatever was in that house, more like whoever was in that house, would change things forever between him and Tristan. He couldn’t get a feel for whether that change would be good or bad, blanketing him with uncertainty. But now was not the time to tell Tristan what he’d seen. Not only would the Alpha be pissed, he’d fight fate every step of the way. It had the potential to throw Tristan off his equilibrium during this time of battle; he couldn’t risk divulging his speculation without being sure. Logan had decided, with heavy heart, to cautiously watch and wait before telling him.
Blowing out a breath and unbuckling his seatbelt, he placed a hand on his Alpha’s shoulder. “I’m okay. Now let’s do this thing. Not sure about you but I’m ready for a little action, myself.”
“Okay, here’s the game plan. We’re in and out. You know Alexandra. She’s goin’ to want to keep me there, going all Playboy bunny slash Martha Stewart on me. Sex or food, she knows what I like.” Tristan grinned; she knew him well enough to know his favorite things. “A man has his weaknesses.”
Logan shook his head disapprovingly.
“Hey, at the end of the day, I’m a man. Who doesn’t like a little cookie with their milk? Seriously though, we’re in and out. No cups of tea. No bonbons. We get the package and get out. This is too serious to waste time.”
“I’m with you.”
“One more thing. The package may be damaged. Léopold promised it’d be alive, but knowing Alexandra and the fact that he referred to it as her toy, well, let’s just say we may have to carry it out.”
“As long as we can do an interrogation at some point, it’ll be okay,” Logan commented.
“Okay, you ready? Let’s do it,” Tristan ordered, getting out of the car.
Logan followed him up the cobblestone walkway. The extravagant brownstone had been fully restored and probably looked better than it had during the eighteen hundreds. Gas lights illuminated the heavy wooden, intricately carved door. Tristan knocked hard on the stained oak, knowing full well she was aware of his arrival. Survival instincts would alert her to the powerhouse standing outside her home; she’d be waiting for him.
A well-toned young man dressed in a turquoise harlequin vest and black tights opened the door and greeted them with a blithe smile. “The mistress awaits,” he announced, ushering them into a spacious, octagonal foyer. Stained glass windows and dark mahogany moldings set against cream textured wallpaper with red swirls created an antiqued illusion for guests. Dark hardwood floors accentuated the expensive oriental area rugs.
Tristan and Logan watched the odd-looking man walk into a larger parlor where he lounged on a long, velvet sofa. He closed his eyes, ignoring them. Through an archway, they saw Alexandra gracefully navigate her way around a baby grand piano. Dressed in a red satin corset that pushed up her already firm breasts, she smiled coldly, baring her perfectly white teeth. A tight, black leather pencil skirt hugged every inch of her bottom, leaving little room to walk in a typical stride. Her jet black hair had been swept into an intricate updo that drew attention to her creamy pale skin. She looked every bit the enchanting, but dangerous sanguisuge. And while her beautiful looks most certainly drew men like bees to honey, Tristan knew all too well that her sting was deadly.
“Tristan, darling,” she crooned, extending her arms for a hug. “Come now, I won’t bite.”
“Ah chère, but you do,” he teased.
Tristan grabbed her bony hand in his and quickly blew air kisses to each of her cheeks. It was more a gesture of peace as opposed to genuine happiness to see her. He knew she’d
appreciate the thought.
“And Logan, so glad you could join us as well,” she smirked, feigning geniality, never taking her gaze off of Tristan. Her irritation with Tristan’s second was hardly a secret, since she wanted to be alone with the Alpha. Logan would only serve as a barrier in her quest for blood.
Logan ignored her comment, scanning the room for others. He didn’t give a shit if she was happy or not. There was no way in hell that he’d let his Alpha walk into that hornet’s nest alone.
“Please, Tristan, come have a drink. Cognac perhaps? And I’d be remiss not to mention how sexy you look in that tuxedo. Sorry I missed your opening. As you know I’d been planning to be there right on time, but…”
“Stop. Alexandra. You know why I’m here, and I don’t have time for nonsense. Give it to me now,” Tristan commanded, not moving from the foyer.
Alexandra ran her palms up and down the lapels of his jacket. “You mean my mouse?” she purred. “Léopold really is no fun. I was having such a good time playing with her.”
“Her?” Tristan raised an eyebrow.
“Please, don’t pretend you didn’t know. Surely Léopold must have told you.”
“No, and frankly I don’t care whether it’s a man or woman. Whoever torched my club knowingly started a pack war. That being said, I’m interested in how you procured her. How do you know she was there?”
Alexandra admired her long nails, preparing to boast about her extraordinary hunting skills. “My strong Alpha, you do know just how important your little club is to me and my vampires. While you may not appreciate my interest in your venture, you know that I’ve always wanted you.”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “Yes, tell me something I don’t know.”
“My vampires. They do treasure being able to go to the club for a bite to eat and to seek carnal pleasure. They watch. They protect what they value.”
“You have surveillance on my club?” Tristan could hardly believe she’d go so far as to stalk him, but at this point, he just wanted answers.
“Please, darling, don’t make it sound so crass. They weren’t spying on you,” she countered defensively. “They were merely making their rounds, making sure our ranks were behaving. They are my eyes and ears. As their leader, I’m acutely aware of their activities. One must keep vampires in line.”
“Yeah right,” Logan grunted under his breath. He didn’t trust a single word that came out of those finely painted lips.
“Did you have to bring him?” Alexandra asked Tristan, quite annoyed that Logan was allowed to speak in her presence.
Tristan shot him a pleading look as if to ask him to curb his anger. He knew Logan didn’t do diplomacy, whereas the Alpha was trying to get as much information as possible about what had happened. The last thing he needed was war with the vampires, as he might need their help with whoever had attacked the pack.
“Please go on,” Tristan encouraged.
Alexandra huffed, smoothing her hair. “The day of the fire they were merely doing rounds of the city. All they saw was her leaving with that dreadful snake of yours in tow. Honestly, I don’t know why you even kept that vile reptile.” She rolled her black eyes in disgust. “But I digress. Long story short, we tailed her then snapped her up a few days later in a parking garage.”
“What else did your workers see that night? Did they actually see her set the fire? Was she with anyone?”
“No, they did not see her set the fire, nor did they see anyone else. Please, Tristan. As if I would lie to you.” She batted her heavily mascaraed eyelashes at him. “Now that I’ve already told you what they knew, can we please go into the parlor and sit like civilized people? I’d love to hear all the details about your new club,” she pleaded, and turned to walk away.
“What do you mean by ‘knew’? I want to talk to the vampires who saw her that day and the ones who captured her,” he demanded. “They might be able to tell me something you overlooked.”
She stopped in her tracks, slowly turning around with a cold sneer plastered across her face. “I’m afraid that’s not possible, as they are no longer with us. The vampires who saw her and took her were one and the same. Unfortunately for them, they did not understand the meaning of ‘do not touch’ and tried to play with my new toy.” Vampire justice was swift and merciless.
“Okay then. Since we are about to do a transport, I need to know if the woman’s supernatural,” Tristan inquired. He stoically waited for answers that did not come, while Logan began to pace.
“From what I can tell, she is not of a supernatural origin, now please, let’s just go sit down and…”
“Alexandra, I don’t have all day. If you have no further information, then we’ve got to get going. Where is she? Oh and she’d better be alive,” Tristan snapped. He was growing impatient.
“Mouse? Don’t worry, I didn’t kill her,” she scoffed. “I merely played with my toy. But if you are in such a hurry, I’ll ask James to bring her down to you. Honestly, I’ll be glad to be rid of the nasty little thing. I’ll tell you this, my dear Alpha, the twit may not be supernatural, but I’m not convinced she’s entirely human, either. Never in all my years has a human tasted so foul.”
Kalli heard voices. Her beast had risen for mere seconds only to cower inward. Even though her medicine was starting to wear off, it wasn’t enough to allow a transformation. After opening herself to what lay within, she’d hoped she’d have more energy. She was grateful that she could at least walk, which was more than she could have managed earlier. Slowly, she turned the door handle, sensing there were no guards. As she peeked around the corner, she spied the staircase.
She hesitated and looked down at her bare feet. What the hell had they done with her shoes? And even though they’d left her in her jeans, they’d torn her sleeveless turtleneck, exposing her bra. Out of modesty, she tried gathering the material together, softly gliding her fingers over the welts on her neck in the process. It was September, so she wouldn’t freeze. Kalli made a split second decision; she needed to leave. It was either flee or die. A coward she wasn’t.
She quietly padded down the long hallway, cringing at every little creak her feet made on the old hardwood floor. A shiver ran down her spine when she heard the demon female voice she’d come to know the past few days. Startled at the sound of a man’s voice raised in anger, she jumped. Had she brought more vampires here? Were they here for her? She had to get out quickly. She’d die if she lost any more blood.
As she intrepidly descended the stairs, she found they led into a kitchen. Kalli caught sight of a backdoor only twenty feet away; freedom was so close she could taste it. A few steps more and she could reach the handle. She didn’t see or hear anyone and darted for the door.
Pain seared through her body as a pair of large hands wrapped around the loose tendrils of her hair, yanking her backward toward the floor. Choked in fear, she gasped for air as vomit rose in her throat. A gut-wrenching scream tore from her lungs as the man dragged her flailing body along the stained wooden planks. Although fraught with confusion and despair, she took note of his perplexing attire; a clown? No, it was another monster, a vampire. His fangs bared, he silently continued to pull her toward the voices. Thrashing about, she grabbed onto his hands, trying to free herself from his iron grip. A flash of the vampire who’d bitten her and two strange men crossed her vision. Saviors?
“Please! Help me! They’re going to kill me!” she cried out, begging for rescue. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried kicking her abductor in an attempt to escape the bloodthirsty, fanged savages who’d been holding her hostage.
Breaking his silence, the harlequin man stopped and straddled her. “Silence! The mistress wants her mouse quiet!” She recoiled as he raised the back of his hand to hit her.
As Tristan heard the screams, he caught a glimpse of the evil smile blooming across Alexandra’s face. Growling, he rushed the vampire who sat atop the young woman, shoving him so hard that he flew across the room and smashed into a wal
l. Tristan cradled the woman’s head in his lap, while Logan blocked Alexandra.
Tristan looked down at the battered woman, who looked emaciated and bloodied. Dark raven curls covered her face. Gently, he pushed the strands of hair aside. She whimpered and cringed in fear, balling herself into a fetal position. At first sight, Tristan found it hard to believe that such a vulnerable creature could be involved with starting a pack war.
“Logan, coat!” Tristan barked. He would have given her his own but he refused to let go of the woman for fear that she’d run. Obediently, Logan removed his tuxedo jacket and placed it over her quivering body, never taking his eyes off of Alexandra.
Even though one of his best friends was a vampire, Tristan was irate as he saw the puncture marks all over her skin. Animals. She might be a suspect in the fire, but he didn’t condone torture. He scooped her small body up in his arms, and stood.
Without another word to Alexandra, Logan opened the door for Tristan, protectively shielding him. He slammed the door as they left, pissed at the vampire. Rage rolled off his Alpha, nearly making him tremble. If it hadn’t been for the abused woman lying on the floor needing aid, he was fairly sure Tristan would have killed Alexandra. And he would have gladly helped.
Chapter Three
“That went well,” Logan quipped from the driver’s seat. He’d settled Tristan and the stranger into the back seat; she was tightly curled on her side, lying in his lap. Her eyes were still closed and she was breathing in soft, rapid pants.
“What a clusterfuck,” Tristan responded. “I swear to God, I’d like to kill that bitch. Look at what she’s done to this girl.”
