by Trina M. Lee
Returning to the bedroom, I got dressed and surveyed the scene. The john’s throat was a mess of punctures and tears. The bed beneath him was soaked in blood, filling the room with a sticky sweet aroma. Not so long ago, I’d gazed upon Zoey’s prone form much like this. The meaning of this moment sank in deep. With a bitter string of expletives, I grabbed my bag and turned to go.
I smacked right into Shya who suddenly stood there looking both amused and quizzical.
“For fuck’s sake, Shya,” I cursed. “I know you like the element of surprise, but this is getting ridiculous.”
His red eyes took in the motel room. “You called. I’m merely responding to your message. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
The dragon on my arm itched and burned. He had used it to find me. The thought was unsettling.
“Not at all. I was just leaving.”
“Are you just going to leave him like this? For the police to find?” His tone held a note of warning, and he raised a brow, his expression disapproving.
“Yes. I highly doubt they’ll walk in here and immediately assume a werewolf did it. You are aware of what century this is, right?” I was snarky, and I wasn’t sorry about it. The demon didn’t share his business with me. Mine was certainly no concern of his.
“Veryl employed you to keep activity like this quiet.”
I shoved by him and let myself out of the room, assuming he would follow. “Yeah, well Veryl’s dead.”
Shya fell into step beside me. Even with his wings absent from sight, he carried himself with an intimidating air. “And, if the FPA catches wind of this?”
“Then, it’s their job to keep it quiet. They don’t want the public to know about us anymore than you do.” I headed down the street in the direction of my car. So much for enjoying the high, Shya was a real bring down. “Did you come here to lecture me or to talk about Lilah?”
“She didn’t just take your sister; she’s got Gabriel, too. I’ve been summoned to her sordid soirée tomorrow night. I believe she plans to force both you and me to make some hard choices.”
I looked sharply at him. An ill sensation began in the pit of my stomach. “Why would she want Gabriel? How much leverage is he over you?”
Shya clasped his hands behind his back, a grave mask replacing his usual bemused grin. “She knows I need him. Grabbing him is her way of ensuring I show.”
“What are we walking into, Shya? How bad is this going to be?”
“It’s hard to say.” He shrugged. “She’s been targeting my demons, as she has been doing with your wolves. We are the two biggest threats to her throne. She wants us vulnerable. There’s no telling what she will do to see us that way.”
A shout followed by gunshots several blocks away accompanied us as we walked. I quickened my pace. I couldn’t possibly get out of the crime-riddled neighborhood fast enough.
“What are you up to that has her so keen on bringing you down?” I asked, making no effort to hide my suspicion. “Aside from the obvious play for power. Why do you need people like Gabriel and me? What are we to you?”
Shya nodded appraisingly. “I admire you, Alexa; I do. I can feel the fear I instill in you, and still you never let it keep you from speaking your mind. There are demons that have existed since the beginning of time who are not so brave.”
“You’re not answering my question.”
Our eyes met, and I saw within Shya a glimmer of pride. He was too confident with himself. It didn’t sit well with me.
“I plan to overthrow Lilah’s kingdom, to claim it as my own. I need something specific to do that. I need a coalition of those with exceptional skill to help me maintain a stronghold on this city and the power within it. The less you know, the better. It would be a shame if one of my foes were to torture information out of you.” He said it as if it wouldn’t be a shame at all, merely an inconvenience.
“And, why the hell would we want to help you? What makes this city so special?” I hoped he would keep talking. Even a little info from Shya could shed light on the mysteries of his plans.
“There’s something here… a door that must be opened, if you will. You, Hound, will help me with that.” He was being purposely vague, as if he enjoyed making me ask questions that he didn’t intend to answer directly.
I was growing impatient. With a snarl I spat out, “Let me guess. My blood will open this door.”
“No.” He grinned, enjoying this moment. “Your death will.”
I was dumbstruck. Breathless and stunned, I struggled for the words that disappeared on the tip of my tongue. “Sorry if I don’t think that’s as fucking funny as you do.”
Shya’s look changed to one of disdain. He so easily tired of my mortal antics. “If you had any sense at all, you’d know an opportunity when you see one. Once you die your mortal death and rise as a vampire, there will be no mortal constraints on your power. No headaches. No nosebleeds. No limits.”
The bastard demon always had talked a good game. I wasn’t buying it. “When I die, the balance shifts. Arys and I won’t have the balance of light. We will just be dark. I get it. You’re a demon. You like the dark. That’s not my world.”
“Ah, you silly mortal girl, it’s always been your world.”
Considering the scene I’d just made in the motel, it was hard to argue with him. My pulse raced, and my breath came fast. He was scaring me.
We reached the Charger, and I pulled the keys from my bag. “I won’t be controlled. Not by you, not by Lilah and not by the goddamn FPA. I’m sick of you all telling me what to do and when to do it. I’m not a sixteen-year-old newbie wolf anymore. If I have as much pull in this city as you all think I do, then you should know better than to fuck with me.”
The angry tirade spilled out. This shit had to stop. I was nobody’s puppet.
Shya’s expression grew absolutely venomous. His wings appeared with a loud snap, spread wide to intimidate. He shoved me hard against the car, closing in to trap me there.
“Is that so?” A pulse of scorching heat emanated from him. His mark on my arm throbbed in response, burning as if flames engulfed my flesh. “You know who shouldn’t be fucked with? Someone who knows how to get inside the head of those who love you.”
Logic told me to shut up, but the heady rush of the kill drove me to be bold. I wasn’t backing down. “I know what you’re doing with Arys. Taking advantage of his fear of losing me won’t get you very far. He’s not an idiot.”
“No, just a man with a lot to lose. Everything in fact. And, the more he worries about keeping you safe, the more likely it becomes that he himself will destroy you.” Shya leaned in dangerously close, searching me for something, weakness perhaps. “I promise you, I’ll be there when he does.”
This was not how I’d pictured our conversation. Shya knew too much. Had Gabriel also foreseen my death at Arys’s hand? Is that how Shya knew?
“Even if you find a way to take advantage of my death, I will never help you. I won’t lead vampires and wolves for you. I will, however, lead them against you.”
Shya laughed in my face. He smelled of wine and roses. Faintly beneath that was the bitter stench of sulfur.
“I look forward to it,” he said. “Now tell me, why did you really ask me here? I assume it wasn’t to argue about petty details.”
“Brook is working with Lilah. He delivered an invitation to me for tomorrow night. And, a chunk of my sister’s hair. I need to know she’s safe from him. That he won’t do anything to her between now and then.” Those petty details were my life and death, but he was right, I had called him because of concern for my sister. It was a risky call, and I knew he would take advantage of it.
“Oh I see.” He stepped back a few paces, allowing me some room to move. “So, you expect me to do something about that.”
“I know you have power over him,” I offered lamely. I had a bad feeling I would regret this. Still, I couldn’t leave Juliet in Brook’s hands.
“What do you want me to do?�
�� There was intrigue in his eyes.
My stomach turned. This would lead to nothing good. “I just don’t want him to touch her in any way that would harm or violate her.”
Shya nodded thoughtfully. Pinning me with a deep red stare, he pursed his lips in consideration. “I may be able to do something about that. Falon’s recent indiscretions with Lilah have put him deeper in my debt. He’s playing double agent now. I can have him speak with Brook.”
Relief swept me.
“That’s not going to come without a price, is it?” I was wary, afraid to hear his demands, but if it meant keeping Juliet safe, it would be worth it.
He pulled his wings in close so they hugged his back. Stroking a hand along the hood of my red Charger Daytona, Shya’s grin was vicious. He tilted his head to the side and regarded me as if I were a prize, not a person.
“How about we negotiate on this whole leading vampires and werewolves issue? You are already Queen to Arys’s King. Why not start acting like it?”
“I’m not going to pretend to know what you mean by that. You’re too elusive, Shya. I can’t agree to anything if you aren’t straight up with me.” I frowned when he sat on the hood of my car. I was ready for this night to end.
“Nobody has more power among vampires and werewolves than you two. I need the kind of power and muscle those creatures can provide. All you have to do is establish and maintain a position of respected authority. You have it. You just don’t exercise it.” When I glowered at him uncertainly, he added, “It wouldn’t be so different from what you already do for me, what you did for Veryl. You’d just have more man power.”
I searched him for a lie, hating that I couldn’t smell one on a demon. “You want me to keep wiping out people that get in your way. FPA rats and such?”
“More or less.” With a cocky smirk, he winked at me.
“That’s what worries me. The more or less.” I watched a car slow down as it rolled past us. The driver was smart to keep going. I said a small prayer that this wouldn’t be a mistake that would come back to haunt me. “I’ll do what I can to make connections with the vamps and Weres in this city. But, the Stony Plain wolves will be left out of it, and I won’t force anyone to do anything. Their choice.”
That was as close to giving him what he wanted as I was going to get. He knew it, too. The demon dragged out the moment, making me sweat while I awaited a response.
“Alright,” Shya finally said after what felt like an hour. “That works. For now.”
“Good. Now, can I please go home? I need to rest up so I can be bled by a vampiric demoness tomorrow night. Wouldn’t want to be unprepared for that.” Sarcasm dripped from my words. I reached for the car door handle, hoping Shya would take the hint.
He looked far too pleased with himself. A flicker of unease passed through his eyes. “Be ready for anything. It’s going to get nasty. I’ll see you there.”
Shya vanished. I got into the car and started the engine. I kicked myself for being a hypocrite. Making a deal with the demon was stupid, but it was for Juliet.
As I headed out of the city, headed for home, I couldn’t help but think that if Lilah bled me dry tomorrow, at least I wouldn’t owe Shya a damn thing.
Chapter Nineteen
The sounds of the night were so different from my backyard patio than they were in the city. There was no traffic to ruin the peaceful quiet. No sirens. Small town living allowed me to see the stars glittering against the night sky. It called to my wolf.
I walked through the yard, taking in the scents of summer. It wouldn’t be long until the warmth faded, and Fall moved in to strip the trees of their leaves and the grass of its green vitality. I couldn’t help but wonder if Shaz would be back by then.
A chorus of howls broke the stillness. A shiver crept up my spine. Kylarai, Coby and the others were running tonight. They were miles away, but I could feel them as if they were right there with me. My wolf wanted to join them. That would probably never happen again.
It was tempting to shift, but the thought of running alone was depressing. I missed Shaz desperately. He would have had something reassuring to say, and for a little while, I might actually believe him. Too bad for me, he wasn’t here. While I was here waiting for the clock to count down to my potential demise, Shaz was likely running through the mountains, at one with nature.
It was better that he wasn’t here. I wouldn’t want to risk him. His absence kept Lilah’s attention off him. That was worth the pain I felt every time I thought about him.
Unable to listen to the pack’s mournful cries any longer, I went inside and closed the patio door. The house felt big and empty. I didn’t know what to do with myself. So, I poured another glass of whiskey and sat at the kitchen island.
I sipped the golden liquor and stared at my cell phone, watching the minutes change. It was a quarter past four. I needed to attempt sleep at some point. Being at full strength for Lilah’s little shindig was essential. The thought of climbing into bed alone was painful. Maybe I’d crash on the couch instead.
“Only got yourself to blame,” I muttered for no other reason than to break the silence.
I had no pack to call my own. My small town pack of everyday people had been a comfort, a sense of normalcy in an unusual world. The three men that I had ties to were all lost inside their own hell. Here I sat in mine.
I didn’t cry. I only wished I could. The cleansing tears would have been a welcome relief from the hollow ache.
I decided to take the opportunity to leave a message for Kylarai while she was out. I wanted her to know where I would be the following evening, in case anything should happen, at least she would know. I called Jez after, happy to hear her alive and safe.
“I’m going with you,” she insisted after I told her about Lilah’s invitation. “You need back up, and I want to see the bitch go down.”
“There’s a huge chance it won’t play out like that. I can’t stop you from coming but don’t take any hits for me, Jez. I mean it. Enough people have been hurt on my watch already.” I refilled my glass and took a large swallow of whiskey. It burned in all the right ways. “How are you doing? You know, since Zoey…”
She sighed heavily into the phone. The crinkle of a chip bag was loud in the background. “I’m stuffing my face with pizza and Doritos. Does that answer your question? At this rate, I’ll be obese in no time.”
“Better than binging on blood and whiskey like I’ve been.” I laughed despite my mood. “Besides, your scrawny ass could stand to gain a few pounds. You’ll be fine.”
“Laugh it up, blood fiend,” she joked. I could hear the smile in her voice. Jez was broken now, but she would put the pieces back together. Maybe I could do the same.
A cold wind swept through me, capturing both my heart and my attention. Seconds later, there was a knock on the front door. I wasn’t sure I could face Arys right now. He wasn’t giving me a choice by arriving unannounced.
“Jez, I gotta go. I’ll call you back later.”
I set both the phone and my glass on the counter before creeping down the hall to the door. I grasped the deadbolt and started to turn it, pausing to second-guess the motion. I didn’t want to fight with him. Could I keep the peace by refusing to open the door?
Groaning inwardly, I flipped the deadbolt and jerked the door open before I could change my mind. When I saw him standing there with a fire burning in his eyes and a bouquet of red roses in hand, I was smitten all over again.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he shoved inside and silenced me with a kiss. Kicking the door closed, Arys pushed the flowers into my hand and pulled me into his arms. The power sparked between us. For the first time since our fight outside The Wicked Kiss, I felt whole. In Arys’s arms, the fear and despair faded, replaced by strength and confidence. I was complete again.
His tongue was soft on mine, exploring my mouth insistently. I was drowning in him. Every one of my senses were ablaze, ignited by his touch.
“Arys, w
hat are you doing here?” I broke off the kiss to catch my breath. The roses in my hand were deep scarlet, reminding me of the blood I’d spilled earlier. That had to be why Arys was so worked up; he’d gotten off on it.
“What does it look like?” His lips moved on my neck as he kissed a warm path along my jugular. “I can’t stay away from you. I tried. I wanted to do what you asked, but it’s not going to happen.”
A lump formed in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to push him away. With his scent tickling my nose and his mouth on my skin, there was no denying how desperately I craved him.
“We can’t keep doing this,” I said, a catch in my voice. I ran my free hand through his sexy shock of hair, holding him close. “The constant conflict is killing me.”
“It’s what we do. We fight. Then, we fuck. And, we both damn well love it.” Arys knocked the flowers from my hand in his efforts to undress me. He peeled my top off and tossed it aside before burying his face in my cleavage. “You can’t escape me, beautiful wolf. All it does is make the need stronger. We are meant to be together, and you will have to accept that, conflict and all.”
The passion we shared crackled like lightning. Arys nuzzled my breasts, his hands worked to slide the skirt down my legs. A slave to the longing he stirred within me, I tugged at his shirt, seeking his bare chest.
He kissed me again. I sucked hungrily on his tongue and nipped at his lower lip. Running my hands over his hard body, I abandoned the sense of reason that tried to stop me. He was right. The bastard was always right.
“I never feel like me anymore unless I’m with you,” I gasped out between kisses. “You’re inside me all the time. I don’t know how to live with that.”
My bra and panties quickly joined the rest of my things on the floor. Arys’s remaining clothes followed. He pressed me up against the wall in the hallway. His erection throbbed against my abdomen, and I licked my lips in anticipation.
Arys shook his head. Slipping a hand between my legs, he watched my face closely for a response. “That’s not true. You just hate having absolutely no control over something. So you have no say in this, is that such a bad thing?”
