Dark Coven

by J. C. Diem

  I gestured for Kala to approach and she did so warily. Zeus cocked his head to the side when we linked arms. His expression was so comical that we both burst out laughing. Picking up that we cared about each other, my new companion reluctantly accepted that she was a member of our pack. He wasn’t thrilled about Flynn’s presence either, but he would put up with him for my sake.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Zeus followed me to the back of the SUV and leaped inside when I opened the door for him. Kala opted to ride with my father in his rental car rather than to be confined in a small space with a large dog. She was having a harder time adjusting to this than Zeus was.

  Flynn sat sideways so he could keep a wary eye on my guardian. Zeus hunkered in the back of the vehicle. Mainly watching me, he occasionally glanced out through the tinted windows. He’d only been with me for a short time, but he already loved me. It was hard not to return such unwavering affection.

  Having an animal depending on me was a new challenge. Our job would most likely take us all over the US. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to keep Zeus with me at all times. He whined as he picked up my concern and leaned over the back of the seat to lick my cheek.

  “Gross,” Flynn complained. “It smells like dog breath in here now.” Following my direction, Zeus swung his head towards Flynn and huffed out a low bark. Blanching, Flynn waved the stench away with a scowl. “I should have kept my mouth shut.”

  “I highly doubt Margaret and Edward will allow an animal to stay inside the house,” Mark turned around to say as we pulled up in the parking lot at the back of Dawson’s Rest. “What are you going to do with him?”

  It was clear that Zeus was my responsibility and I wasn’t about to shirk my duty. “He hasn’t eaten for a couple of days, so I’ll need to buy some food for him. I’ll ask him to stay out of sight and guard the property while we’re sleeping.”

  Reece met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Why ask him? You’re the boss, just tell him what to do.”

  “I’d rather have Zeus as a friend than a lowly minion.”

  Sensing that I was defending him, Zeus leaned over and rested his head on my shoulder.

  “Can he understand everything you’re saying?” Flynn asked.

  “Only if I project my thoughts to him.”

  Reece seemed relieved. “So, he isn’t linked to you in the same way that I am?”

  My nose wrinkled at that thought. “No. We’re not bonded. We can just sense each other’s thoughts if we try to hard enough.” Zeus and I were linked, but not in the same way that Reece and I were. It took conscious effort for me to portray what I was thinking to the animal.

  “I’ll take you to buy some pet food,” Reece offered. He didn’t trust me to be alone, not even during the day and with my guard dog with me. So far, Katrina hadn’t made any further attempts to kill Reece or to turn me. She was lying low, waiting for her chance to strike. At night, I could feel her hovering at the edge of my senses. She was close enough to keep tabs on me, but stayed far enough away that we wouldn’t be able to find her easily.

  I nodded and climbed out to take Mark’s place up the front when he left the SUV.

  Zeus alternated between staring at me forlornly from the back of the vehicle and glowering at Reece for getting to sit beside me as we headed to the next town. I had plenty of money, thanks to my generous government salary and lack of bills. I’d barely spent any of the pay that I’d earned yet, mainly because we’d been so busy hunting the bad guys.

  Reece parked out front of a pet store and I told Zeus to stay in the SUV. I pitied anyone who tried to steal the car with the Rottweiler still inside.

  Dressed all in black, Reece and I looked like we were playing dress up as a SWAT team. I made my way to the counter and the clerk’s eyes widened when he saw me up close. Aware that many men found me to be attractive, I tried not to roll my eyes. Reece’s shoulders moved as he laughed silently at the clerk’s stunned reaction.

  “Can I help you?” the man squeaked.

  “I need some dog food.”

  “What kind of dog do you have?”

  “He’s a Rottweiler.”

  “How old is he?” On familiar ground, the clerk ignored Reece completely and focused his attention on me.

  I stared back at him blankly. How was I supposed to know how old Zeus was? I doubted he even knew the answer to that question.

  “He’s about two years old,” Reece said.

  “You’ll need both wet and dry food,” the clerk decided and hustled off to search for what we needed.

  “How do you know Zeus is two years old?” I asked.

  Leaning against the counter, Reece shrugged. “It was just a guess. He’s not a puppy, but he’s also still fairly young.”

  The clerk returned with a bag of dry food that had to weigh half what he did. “I’ll be right back with the rest,” he puffed and disappeared again. Blinking at the massive bag of food, I could now see why my father had never wanted a dog. I had no idea they required so much food. The clerk came back with an armful of cans and dumped them on the counter. “That should be enough food for a week,” he pronounced.

  “A week?” I said. My voice went up a few octaves higher than usual.

  “You should have researched what you were getting yourself into before you bought the dog,” the clerk said with a complete lack of sympathy, not realizing that I hadn’t had a choice about it. “Food and water bowls are over there.”

  Following where he was pointing, I saw a shelf crammed with bowls of all shapes and sizes. Keeping Zeus’s size in mind, I chose two large stainless steel bowls for food and water and returned to the clerk. He rang up the items and I handed over my credit card. Reece hefted the bag of dry food over his shoulder and I carried the rest of the items.

  “I hope I’ll see you again soon,” the clerk called as we left his store.

  “Not likely,” Reece muttered.

  His jealousy was starting to get out of hand and I sent him a frown. “Can you stop glowering at every male who looks at me sideways?”

  “No,” he replied evenly as he opened the back of the SUV to dump the food inside.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m an alpha and you’re my mate.”

  “You make it sound like I belong to you,” I complained.

  Taking the bag from me, he placed it next to the dry food then turned to face me. “You do belong to me, Lexi.” His stare was compelling and his tone was very nearly seductive. “Just as I belong to you.”

  I frowned and looked away to see a pair of young women staring at Reece. They were around his age, only a couple of years older than me. He chuckled when he felt a flare of jealousy from me. “It might not have been our choice to bond with each other, but it’s done now and we just have to live with it,” he said reasonably.

  Unfortunately, neither of us knew the slightest thing about what it meant to be bonded. There was nothing about it in the PIA files and we just had to bumble through this on our own.

  Zeus had obligingly moved aside to give us room to stash the packages. He could smell the dry food even through the plastic bag and started salivating. The poor thing was starving. I couldn’t make him wait another half an hour to return to our temporary base to eat. I ripped the bag open and poured some food into one of the bowls. Zeus leaped down and gobbled up the biscuits then looked at me hopefully.

  “I have no idea how much I should give him,” I said. I’d only had him for a few short hours and I was already feeling overwhelmed and not up to the task.

  Reece bent over to read the instructions on the bag and the two women giggled. They were staring at his butt, which was admittedly impressive. I stepped in front of him to block the view. My glare effectively killed their laughter and they scurried away with spiteful whispers aimed at me.

  “Down, girl,” Reece said silkily into my ear.

  “Sure thing, ‘Rex’,” I replied and he scowled. Rex was the ni
ckname Kala had given him when they’d been kids. He’d always hated it.

  “Watch it, or I’ll start calling you Rexina,” he threatened.

  “Fair enough,” I conceded in defeat. I didn’t want or need a nickname like that.

  “You can give Zeus another handful of dry food, but no more until later this evening,” he instructed.

  Licking his chops, my new companion barely waited for the food to land in the bowl before he devoured it. “That’s all you’re getting,” I told him when it was gone. “Back in the car.”

  Slightly disappointed, Zeus obeyed me and leaped inside. Much happier now that he was no longer starving, his tongue lolled in a doggy grin as I closed the door. At least one of us was happy, I thought grumpily. Being alone with Reece was bringing out feelings in me that I was desperately trying to avoid thinking about.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  We returned to the B&B and I let Zeus out after checking that Margaret and Edward were both still inside. He followed me over to the tap at the side of the house and watched with interest as I washed his food bowl then filled the other one with water. I carried it over to the tree line that bordered the property and placed it behind a bush where it would be out of sight of the house.

  Hunkering beside him, I scratched his ears and he closed his eyes in enjoyment. “I need you to stay out of sight and to let me know if any strangers approach the house,” I said to him. He acknowledged my request with a lick of the back of my hand then disappeared into the shadows.

  Shaking his head in disbelief, Reece followed me inside the house, carrying the gigantic bag of dry food. I had my arms full with the cans. “Will he actually be able to warn you if one of the witches shows up?”

  “Yep. He knows there’s something different about them. He can tell them apart from normal humans,” I replied quietly. We weren’t the only ones up and about and we didn’t want anyone to overhear our conversation.

  Taking the stairs quickly, I unlocked my door and moved aside to let Reece in first. He knelt and placed the bag on the floor then slid it under my bed. It wouldn’t be pleasant having the smell of dog food permeating my room, but I didn’t have anywhere else to stash it. “Thanks,” I said.

  “I’m glad I’m not sleeping in here,” he replied, wrinkling his nose at the smell. He left and entered his room next to mine to wash up before breakfast. I hid the food bowl and cans next to the dry food then spent a couple of minutes in the bathroom.

  Margaret was serving an early breakfast when I joined everyone in the dining room. It had been hours since I’d eaten. I devoured my cereal then followed it with four pieces of toast. The coffee was hot, strong and wonderful.

  Tired from spending the night on patrol, we headed to our rooms to sleep for a few hours after we’d eaten.

  Zeus woke me with a mental bark when a car arrived. Groggy from sleeping during the day rather than at night, I walked to the window and peered out. A car parked in the lot behind the house. Zeus confirmed that the woman who climbed out was a witch, but she wasn’t from the dark coven.

  Mark appeared below and jogged over to help her with her suitcase. He planted a kiss on her cheek, which confirmed my suspicions that she was Beatrice.

  Taking a quick shower, I was more alert when I joined the others in the dining room downstairs.

  Beatrice wasn’t what I’d expected at all. I’d been picturing an ugly old crone with pure white hair, possibly dressed in a black robe. Instead, she had shoulder length brown hair, wore jeans and a man’s chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She carried a large brown purse on one shoulder.

  I was the last to arrive and her back stiffened when she sensed me. When she turned around, I saw that she was in her late forties. There were a few lines on her forehead and at the corners of her eyes, but she was still quite pretty. Or she would have been if her hazel eyes hadn’t been wide with fear.

  I looked behind me to see if the ghosts had materialized, but I was alone. When I turned back, the witch was smiling. She gave no sign that she’d just been staring at me like I was going to tackle her to the ground and start gnawing on her entrails. “You must be Alexis,” she said and extended her hand.

  Taking her hand in mine, I shook it gently and noticed her cringe away slightly. “Is there a reason why you’re so afraid of me?” I asked her curiously. “I’m not planning on biting you, you know.” Not yet anyway, the full moon was tomorrow night, so theoretically, it could happen.

  “Are you aware that you’re…different from normal shifters?” she asked as delicately as possible as I brushed past her and sat beside my father.

  “I’m well aware,” I replied dryly. “I’ve been bitten by both a vampire and a werewolf, which I understand should have killed me.”

  “Oh, it will,” she said and received stares of consternation from everyone. “I mean, it will eventually if you don’t take steps to stop the taint from spreading to your heart.”

  Margaret bustled into the room, pushing a trolley with tea, coffee, the remainder of Mark’s chocolate cake and enough cups for everyone. We’d slept through lunch and would have to settle for afternoon tea instead. Our hostess was pleased to see that we had another guest. With the addition of Beatrice and my father, she had a full house again.

  Mark waited for her to leave before he leaned forward, beating my father to the question. “What can you tell us about Lexi’s condition?”

  Kala leaned against me in support at hearing that I now had a condition. I thought strengthening the bond with Reece had fixed the problem. Obviously, I was wrong. It was distressing to hear that I was tainted.

  “I can see her aura and it’s obvious that her soul is in torment.” Beatrice was looking at me, but her focus wasn’t on my face. It was on my aura that no one else could see. “There are two forces battling each other for supremacy. If the vampire side of you wins, you’ll become the undead. If that happens, nothing will be able to bring you back.”

  Before we could take in that shock, she turned to Reece. “Your soul is also under siege. I’m afraid that you will also eventually turn if you don’t kill the vampire who is responsible for your taint.”

  “So,” I said, drawing all eyes to me. “We have to hunt down the vamp that bit us both and stake her through the heart.”

  “Neither of you can kill her,” she said in alarm. “You know what will happen if you do.” We’d die, of course. Reece and I nodded our understanding of the danger. “Killing her will help, but ultimately, it won’t save you,” Beatrice went on. Her British accent sounded quite posh to me. “She mustn’t be a master vampire.” At our enquiring looks, she explained further. “If she was, you’d be undead already. She’s just a lackey, which is why it’s taking so long for the taint to take you over.”

  Mark grasped what she was hinting at. “Are you saying that we need to kill the master who created the vampire that infected both Lexi and Reece?”

  Her nod was crisp. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. The vampirism originally came from him, assuming her master is male. In order to stop the taint from spreading and to have a chance of reversing it, you have to destroy both of these creatures.”

  “I didn’t see the master vampire,” Mark said to my dad. “I have no idea who he is.”

  “I can’t help you find him, but I might be able to help you to locate the vampire who bit your two agents,” the witch said. She bent to rummage around in her bag. Pulling out an ancient book bound in cracked and faded red leather, she flicked through the yellowed pages. I caught a glimpse of handwritten notes and intricate illustrations before she settled on a page. The book reminded me of the journal that Thomas the priest had penned.

  Placing the book flat on the table, she pointed at a passage that was written in archaic English. “This spell should help. All we need is an item that belonged to the vampire. Then I can cast the spell and the item should be able to track her back to her nest.”

  As far as I kn
ew, I didn’t have anything that would help. The only item I had that even reminded me of my mother was a silver locket that had a picture of us both inside. Now that I was a werewolf, touching any form of silver was extremely painful. Ingesting it could kill me outright. I kept the locket in a pewter jewelry box. It was currently at our base in Colorado.

  “I have an item that belonged to her,” my dad said. At Beatrice’s raised eyebrows, he explained. “The vampire was my wife, Katrina. She was also Lexi’s mother.” He was talking about her in the past tense, even though she wasn’t quite dead. Maybe she already was, in his eyes.

  The witch turned to me and her fear turned to compassion. “Oh, my dear, I am so sorry.”

  I shrugged off her pity. It couldn’t help and would only make me feel worse. “I just want her to finally be at peace.” That wasn’t exactly the whole truth. After watching her savage Reece and being at her mercy a few times, I kind of wanted to see her suffer before we sent her and her maker to hell. She might have been my mother once, but she’d lost any hope that I’d be able to love her when she’d tried to kill me as a baby.

  Reece knew what I was feeling and sent me a knowing look. He wanted her dead just as much as I did. The feeling had intensified now that he knew we were both at risk of turning into vampires. If it wasn’t for our bond, we’d already be dead. Our link had simply postponed the inevitable.

  “What else do you need to perform the spell?” Mark asked.

  “A few ingredients that should be easy enough to find,” she said. “The question is, do we focus on the vampire or on the coven first?”

  “The witches are our main mission,” Mark decided. “We’ll deal with them first.”

  Beatrice radiated concern and shifted in her seat, as if she wanted to speak, but was unsure we wanted to hear what she had to say. Mark nodded at her to voice whatever was on her mind. “It is worrisome that the vampire has tracked Alexis down across several states. They aren’t usually this persistent.”