by Wolf, Terra
At the last moment, the driver pulled the car a little to the right, around the first trunk. The headlights revealed a small, barely maintained road. The angle of the entrance made it nearly impossible to spot from the road she realized, as the car rumbled along the gravel. The branches of the trees were like massive arms, reaching up and over the road, blocking any view of the sky.
Ahead of them she could begin to make out something. As the car came closer, she realized it was a house. The clouds must have parted for a moment, because it was bathed in the pale glow of moonlight, showing her the hard, sharp lines of its design.
It was a squat, rectangular building, as far as she could see. There were very few windows, and only the one main door set into the right-hand side of the front. It was made of gray stone and contained very little color. Anything besides stone seemed to be very dark in color or simply outright black.
It gave her the chills. It looked unlike anything she had seen before. Spikes surrounded the roof, looking for all the world like someone had taken a thousand oversized spears from a medieval-era regiment and stuck them every six inches around the perimeter of the roof, all facing the same direction.
The car stopped out front, and Maria, or whatever she was, got out and opened the door where Natasha was strapped in.
"We're going in there?" she asked dubiously, not entirely sure that was something she wanted to do.
Okay. It was absolutely, definitely, not something she wanted to do. Ever. At all.
"Yes."
Wonderful.
Muscles as hard as steel clamped down on her shoulder as she awkwardly exited the vehicle, her hands still bound behind her. As she stood up, the hand propelled her forward.
"I can walk just fine, thank you," she said, irritation creeping into her voice. Probably not the smartest thing to do when someone with literal superhuman strength had you at their mercy, but dammit, it would go easier if she was allowed to walk on her own.
Maria seemed to think about it for a moment. "Do not try to escape," she said, easing off the pressure and gesturing forward to the door.
Pulling herself erect, head held high, Natasha marched herself toward whatever doom awaited her.
Chapter Ten
Bryce
The others had all gathered at The Silver Bullet by now. With the added reinforcements, Bryce was anxious to go after Natasha, but he knew that the bigger issue at hand was whatever had attacked him and Chase.
Thankfully it looked like Chase was going to make a full recovery. He was already looking and sounding stronger, and the gaping wound in his side was all but closed. It would be a day or so before his system fully healed everything. The majority of that time would be replenishing all the blood he had lost. Chase would eat a lot, in the meantime, such as the meal he was wolfing down now.
Jake was speaking, outlining his plan to the clinking sounds of the cutlery on Chase's plate. "So, I want to send three of you out on a long-range patrol into the woods, to see what you can pick up. Bryce, you'll lead, and take Kevin and Ethan with you. Holden and I will maintain constant presence outside the Bullet."
"What do you want us to do if we find something?" Bryce asked, trying to plan for all eventualities.
"This is reconnaissance only. You may be out there in force, but do not engage unless it is absolutely, completely, one hundred percent unavoidable. When we take on whatever this thing is again, I want to hit it with everything we have at once, and take it out. For good."
"What about me?" Chase said, mumbling around a mouthful of steak.
"Stay here, man the phones, protect everyone inside in case anything happens. Review the evacuation plan and safehouse locations if you need to get out in a hurry."
Jake and Chase had created several places nearby where members of the pack could fall back if separated from the others and injured or in need of shelter, in case the restaurant became compromised.
"Okay boys, let's go play 'search and sniff,'" Bryce commanded, heading for the back stairs in Thomas's office. The owner was sitting at his desk, ignoring everyone around him. The only thing occupying the huge wooden desktop was that damn tooth.
The tooth he'd said wasn't from a wolf shifter, and definitely wasn't from a human either. But any more than that he hadn't been willing to divulge, if he knew. It had irritated the others, but Thomas, as was normal with him, did not seem to care about the wants or needs of the wolves.
He looked worried.
Bryce did not like that. Not at all.
The cold whipped across him as he pushed the door open to outside, trying to forget the look he had seen on Thomas's face. His ears tingled, despite the enhanced heat generated by his wolf within him. It wasn't just the cold tonight. Things were coming to a head, and quickly. It meant more fighting.
Bryce may have been the largest and strongest of the pack, but he would just as well avoid any conflict if he could. It wasn't his preferred style to fight, though he recognized that it seemed to be unavoidable this time. With a sigh, the three men jogged outside and into the hedge maze. As soon as they were sure they were out of sight of any humans, he stopped.
"Okay boys, just by the numbers today. Me, Kevin, Ethan," he said, his fingers up in a triangle, indicating he wanted Kevin to trail back and to his left, and Ethan to hang back and cover the right flank. With nods of understanding, he turned and ran forward once more, but this time he shifted.
His wolf ripped forth from within, using the momentum of his run to propel it faster. He didn't stop to follow the path, instead simply hurtling right through the two walls made of "hedge" until they erupted on the far side of the maze and blazed a trail into the forest.
The scent was strong and they picked it up instantly, following it directly back into the trees. As they ran—a long, loping pace that covered ground quickly, but would not tire them for ages—Bryce tested the scent once more.
There was something tantalizingly familiar to it. He didn't know it, but there was an element to it that he had smelled before. Most of it was cold, dark, and extremely unpleasant to his nose. It was very tangy and metallic, a smell that he most decidedly could have done without in his day-to-day life.
Wolves could move faster. Wolf-shifters could move much, much faster if they so chose. In minutes, they were farther into the vast swaths of forest and wilderness than any of them had been before, and still the trail went on.
How far had this thing come from?
Suddenly Kevin skidded to a halt twenty feet or so to his left and howled to get their attention. The others swiftly rushed to his spot, where the reason for his stopping became known.
The scent split. The trail of scent they had been on was the oldest, the most faded. It was strongest if they continued on, but this new path was the second oldest he judged, tasting the air once again, his wolf snorting its dislike of the smell.
What this meant, however, was that whatever it was had split off, gone along this new path, then come back along the same path before continuing on. So, the question remained: what was so interesting along this new path? Jerking his head, the three of them took off, following the new trail.
As they followed it, Bryce realized something else. They were gradually curving around to follow the forest back toward the restaurant. What the hell was going on? He broke into a flat-out run, anxious to find out. Several minutes later, they burst from the trees several hundred yards north of the restaurant. The scent abruptly stopped, and as Bryce slowed, something else hit him.
Another scent, and one that he recognized, since only moments before she had been pushing it in his face as violently as possible.
It was Maria's. And hers had that same, unidentifiable bite to the scent. He couldn't forget it even if he tried. She had practically rubbed herself all over him just a few minutes earlier. Which meant the two were somehow related.
Holy shit.
The wolves retreated into the forest, scampering around until they were near the hedge maze. Bryce nodded, an awkwa
rd movement in wolf form, and the three men shifted back. Panting, steam erupting from their bodies as they tried to cool down after the exertion, Bryce led them to the stairs. He needed to tell Jake. If the waitress was in the building, she could pose a threat to every patron there. His feet moved faster, the urgency of the situation practically palpable.
"Jake!" he cried, bursting into the room.
His Alpha, sensing that something was wrong, rose and spun all at once, facing the entrance as the wolves tumbled inside.
"Speak," he said, infusing his voice with more command than Bryce had ever felt before. It washed over him, calming him, organizing his brain and allowing him to ensure every word he spoke was properly pronounced, despite his desire to rush.
"We tracked the scent, until it split off. Followed the new trail, and it led us back here. To the parking lot."
"And?" Jake pressed.
"It mixed with the scent of Maria, the new waitress. They're also related."
It was short, quick, and concise, but it said everything that needed to be said. Jake motioned for the others to join him, and they all padded toward the door to downstairs. Even Thomas joined them, gliding along swiftly behind the pack.
They flowed down the stairs, fanning out as they reached the middle floor, searching every accessible area for signs of Maria, but they found none. Jake split them up into two teams before they descended to the main level. Bryce and Kevin were to check the kitchen, the rest would search the main floor.
It took them no more than a minute to announce the premises clear. Not wanting to panic the patrons, they regrouped outside to discuss the next plan of action.
"I need to get a hold of Natasha," Bryce said before Jake could speak. None of them had seen her inside during their search, which meant she was gone. With everything going on, he wanted to make sure she was safe.
He stabbed his finger at the dial button, wishing it would connect faster.
The phone began to ring. She wasn't picking up anywhere near fast enough for his comfort.
"What's that?" Kevin asked, the one closest to the parking lot. "Listen," he said as the others turned to him.
Out in the parking lot, a phone was ringing.
Bryce's blood went cold. It was Natasha's ringtone. He recognized it because it was a beat from a popular song he hated. He pushed past the others, racing for the parking lot, and slid to a stop next to her car where he saw the phone lying on the ground, almost concealed by the snow.
He brought his wolf to the surface once more, testing the air, hoping he wouldn't find what he dreaded. But there it was, clear as day, mixed with the exhaust smell of the car.
Maria's scent.
"She took her," he snarled as Jake came over after him. "She fucking took her, that crazy bitch. I should have known there was something off about her when she kissed me earlier. I had to use my wolf to get her off me. I figured it was just her desire for me in a crazy way, but I should have known. Dammit Jake, this is my fault!"
"Calm down," Jake said, taking him by the shoulders and moving him away from Natasha's car. "Tell me exactly what happened."
So he did. The entire details about the waitress, her attempt to seduce him and get him to impregnate her, followed by how she had forced herself on him, her strength too much for him to deal with unless he called upon his wolf.
"We need to go after her," he insisted.
"Bryce, we have no idea where she took her," Jake said, putting voice to what had Bryce so scared.
"That may not be entirely true."
Five sets of eyes turned to regard Thomas at the same time. He snorted softly, not thrown off by the weight of those gazes at all.
"What do you know?" Bryce snapped, taking a threatening step forward, though he honestly doubted his ability to do any damage to Thomas.
"Nothing for certain. But there is an old house, well-hidden out in the forest east of town. It is worth checking out, I believe."
"Why haven't you told us about this place before?" Jake asked sternly, unimpressed with this late-hour revelation.
"Because I had hoped I was wrong, young wolf," Thomas said, sadness filling his voice.
"Wrong about what?" Bryce pressed warily, unsure he wanted the answer. "Just spit it out," he said when Thomas hesitated once more.
The tall, pale man sighed, then began to speak.
"I was hoping that our enemies are not who they are. I was in denial for too long, so I didn't tell you. But now it would appear they have taken your mate, Bryce Holland, and for that you have my sincerest apologies, however little they may mean to you at this point."
Bryce didn't respond, waiting for Thomas to continue.
"How old are you?" Jake asked suddenly.
Bryce looked over at him. Something in Jake's voice was off, as if he had suddenly had a revelation about something. He wondered where his Alpha was going with that line of questioning.
"By your reckoning master wolf, I am somewhere over five thousand years old."
Bryce blinked. Holden coughed. Ethan swore. Kevin whistled.
"You're a vampire," Jake said.
Thomas nodded slowly.
"Please tell me that what we're up against is not another vampire," Jake pleaded, his voice so low Bryce had to strain to hear it.
The look in Thomas's eyes said it all.
"Shit." Bryce figured he spoke for all of them.
Running his hands over his face and up through his hair, Bryce turned to pace while the others digested the information.
"Tell us everything," Jake said, his tone brooking no argument.
For once, Thomas obliged. For once, Bryce wished he hadn't.
"Although I do not believe we face them directly yet, at least one, possibly as many as three of my kin are coming. They intend to kill everyone in this town, turn them into their pawns if they can, but otherwise, they will terminate every last person."
"Why Moonlight Canyon?" Jake asked as Bryce nodded, wanting to know why this town was so special.
"Because of me, I am afraid, which is why I am here to help. I cannot divulge the exact details, as it would reveal things about my kin that you are not privy to, but it basically boils down to the fact that we had a disagreement. I made them look rather bad, so now they wish to repay me. They intend to do so by destroying the town I call home."
"How do they expect to do this without law enforcement and other humans finding out?"
Thomas laughed. "Simply. Vampires do not operate in the same timeframe as humans, even shifters. They will do this over the course of the next few hundred years, killing and scaring people off until the town is a wasteland, simply to spite me. That is, unless I can stop them."
"Three vampires?" Jake said skeptically. "There aren't even a dozen of you left, and you want us to take on three of them?"
"Yeah, that's bad news. Like, really, really bad news," Ethan said.
Which was true. Full-fledged vampires were generally considered to be the kings of the paranormal world. They were incredibly fast, unbelievably strong, and had millennia of combat experience. Even dragon shifters, the largest and most powerful of the shifters, were unlikely to enter into combat with one.
Six wolf shifters would be nothing for a vampire as old as Thomas. Thankfully, contrary to the tales written by humans, vampires were neither plentiful, nor were they born capricious. Many of them were like Thomas, simply existing, without trying to eradicate any human who crossed them.
"I do not believe they are here yet. What we face first are some of their shades. Which is what I have you for. The shades are tough, but they will be few in number, and not a match for you as a group."
"What's a shade?" Holden asked.
"A human with the mental strength to withstand the Changing. When a vampire bites a human, it inflicts incredible mental stress upon them. Many go insane and kill themselves. Several more take it, and survive to turn into shades. Baby vampires, for want of a better word, although they have several centuries before the
y have any hope of truly evolving into a vampire. Often times they run afoul of shifters, or their masters simply tire of them, ending their existence before they can change."
"Joy, that makes this all the more pleasant," Bryce muttered.
"So," Jake said, finally facing the task at hand. "Where do we find them?"
Thomas told them, explaining the turnoff and what they might expect to find.
"I will be nearby in case the vampires are there, but until then, the rest is up to you. Once I commit myself, they will in turn enter the playing field. So the longer we can—I am sorry to say—use you, the better."
"I think we can all agree that keeping four vampires from fighting is a good idea," Bryce said.
The others nodded in agreement. Lips curled back into a cold smile, he strode toward his truck, not wanting to linger any longer.
It was time to go rescue his mate.
Chapter Eleven
Natasha
All she could think about was that first night the two of them had shared together. The memories of that night of passion and exploration were something she cherished. They had been the gateway to something more, though even now Natasha wasn't entirely sure what lay before them. But she was certain that she wanted to find out, side by side with Bryce's hand clasped over hers. The two of them made a formidable pair, and she wasn't afraid to admit that she saw something with him that she had never seen with another man before.
The future.
"When my Master gets here, you will know much pain," said the thing that had once been Maria.
Well, one version of the future, at least. A happier, family-filled vision of the years to come, where there were no secrets, no drama, and most of all, no dangerous situations. She was quite positive that none of those dreams had seen her the way she was now.
At least she was still clothed. It was the one silver lining she had been able to find out of the entire fucked-up situation. Keeping her dignity helped to keep her spirits intact, to a degree. As did several other elements of her current predicament.
"You know, threatening pain and such doesn't go along so well when you have me sitting in a leather reclining chair this comfortable," she remarked, giving her best attempt to taunt the waitress-thing. She had been trying her hand at it for awhile now, but so far responses had been only slightly greater than zero.
