by Trina M. Lee
“I’m not interested in ruling anyone. My interests lie in protecting this city and the secrets we all keep, which you are right now threatening to expose.”
“You kill our kind,” the vampire hissed, baring fangs.
“I kill those who deserve it. That isn’t going to stop. If you had any sense you’d realize I can be a valuable ally.” I could feel eyes upon us. We were being watched by humans. No good.
“Yes, but at what cost?”
It was hard to keep from baring my own fangs at him in return. I focused on maintaining my human appearance. “Stop with the fang display, or I’ll have my friend hold you down while I yank them out of your head.”
Without waiting for a response, I kicked him square in the crotch and jerked the cue from his hand. He grunted and doubled over.
His recovery was fast. He forgot about the pool cue and with an angry grunt, tossed me over the pool table where I crashed to the floor, taking a few pool balls with me.
The bartender shouted at us to take it outside. A few shouts and jeers rang out from those watching. This idiot vampire was going to expose us all.
“Should I take him outside?” Willow asked, nodding to the one he held pinned.
We didn’t have much of a choice. I gave him a slight nod before lashing out at the blond one with the power I’d told myself I wouldn’t use in a human place. Lucky for me, they couldn’t see the swirl of blue and gold though they could feel it, much the way one can feel static electricity.
“Get moving,” I said, feeling his heart in my mind, knowing I could crush it to dust with only a thought.
I dropped the pool cue and ushered him out. Unable or unwilling to take his eyes off me, he walked backwards while I advanced on him. Willow called an apology to the bartender who rolled his eyes as if a good fight was part of a normal night for Willow.
Once on the street, all bets were off. I slammed a fist into the vampire’s smug face, letting him take the anger I’d swallowed back at the church. He tried to fend me off, but I was too pissed. His face was a bloody mess when Willow called me off.
He still held the other vampire though now he had the guy on his knees with his arms behind his back. “Do you want to kill them?”
I did. But that would only prove to them and the other so called rebels that I was a dictator willing to wipe out anyone who displeased me. I was better than that. Wasn’t I?
“No,” I said, clearly surprising the blond one. “I want to talk to them.” I stared at each vampire in turn, forcing them to look into my eyes. “Let’s get something straight. I am not Lilah. I don’t want to be worshipped or served or whatever the hell else you guys think. I want only to be respected.”
I paused, letting that sink in. When neither of them spoke, I continued. “There’s no reason we can’t all just go about our business without shit like this going down. Arys and I can protect this city. That includes you guys. It’s your choice. We can all play nicely in the sandbox. If you don’t want to, then I will be forced to defend myself.”
“Sounds fair to me,” Willow quipped, wearing a grin. He was enjoying this.
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” The dark haired one on his knees gazed up at me in defiance.
“You don’t. But there’s only one way to find out. Does my reputation have me painted as a liar?” I challenged. I was many things. A liar was not one of them.
The blond scoffed but said nothing. His buddy continued to glare at me, but his determination seemed to die.
“We aren’t human,” he finally said, finding his courage again. “You can’t police us. We’re beyond that shit.”
“A sense of order has to be maintained. It’s the only way for us to continue our existence without the human government hunting us down. The FPA is watching us. All of us. Is that what you’d rather have?” My hand fell to the black jade handle of the dagger on my hip. It was a comforting habit. “I’m the one who’s been dealing with them. If you’d all prefer that I stop and let them come for you, that’s fine with me.”
The two vampires exchanged a look. This was news to them.
“I suppose it makes sense that it’s best for us all to keep a low profile,” the blond grudgingly admitted.
“It sure does. We’re going to let you go now. Tell your rebel buddies what I said. It’s common sense really. The next vampire to jump me or my friends dies a horrible, slow death. I promise.”
Willow stepped back, releasing the vampire he held. The two of them hesitated, probably considering another attack. They proved they had a sense of self-preservation when instead they slunk off into the night.
I sighed, relieved that I’d been able to send a message. I wasn’t about to hold my breath, but I hoped it helped them see that they had it all wrong.
“Those assholes don’t deserve to have an ally like you, Alexa,” Willow said.
“Yeah,” I nodded, feeling overwhelmed with the entire evening so far. The tequila haze had burned off, leaving me light headed and in need of coffee. “I know.”
Chapter Eleven
Less than an hour later, I was standing outside a dance club, staring at a corpse. This night just kept getting better.
Willow and Juliet stood on each side of me. The FPA agents Juliet had brought were busy keeping the occasional curious passerby from getting a good look. Receiving the call from my sister stating that there had been another public vampire kill had really been the shitty icing on an already craptacular cake.
It had been painfully tempting to ignore her call. I knew my sister though, and ignoring her would only have her showing up at my club unannounced. I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
“Do you have any idea why they’re doing this?” Juliet inquired, studying me with an uncharacteristic hardness to her brown eyes. “I mean, why now? Is there something going on that we should know about?”
“There’s never anything you should know about,” I snapped, harsher than intended. “I swear half the problems in this city are because of the FPA constantly digging around where they aren’t needed.”
Juliet glared at me, biting her lip as if to keep from telling me off. She might as well. Everyone else seemed to enjoy doing it. “I don’t know where your attitude is coming from, but you can drop it anytime. I have a problem to solve here. If you don’t want to help, then leave. But that will force me to take matters to the next level.” With her hands on her hips and her dark curls blowing slightly in the soft breeze, Juliet looked ready to kick some ass.
I could out glare Juliet any day. Of course, there was little satisfaction in that kind of win. I glanced down at the body. A college-aged guy lay sprawled at my feet, his blood staining the concrete. A series of twin punctures marred his neck. After the discussion I just had with the two rebel idiots, I was especially ticked off that this had happened again. Either this was someone’s lame act of rebellion, or we had a rabid newbie on our hands.
“Don’t get all authoritative with me, Juliet. You won’t win that battle.” Despite my words, I spoke with a softer tone. Fighting with her was the last thing I needed.
Willow nudged me and gave me a look. When I just shrugged, he said, “Alexa, maybe you should tell Juliet what’s going on. She’s your sister. Surely she’s trustworthy enough to know.”
Juliet’s eyebrows rose. She looked back and forth between us. “Tell me what? What’s going on?”
I frowned at Willow who wore a neutral mask. Meddlesome angel.
Sharing sensitive information with Juliet wasn’t something I felt comfortable doing. She was government, and I didn’t trust them. Still, she was also my sister. Didn’t she have a right to know I was going to die my human death?
“Anything I say to you is off the record. You have to promise to keep this to yourself.” I shot a look over my shoulder to the other agents, ensuring they weren’t close enough to catch this conversation.
“If you say something that affects my job, then I can’t keep it to myself.” Juliet tried to maintain her
tough image, but it faltered, allowing me to see the worry she was fighting.
“Dammit, Juliet. Don’t make this so difficult.” It took great effort to keep from shouting at her. “There’s a small vampire rebellion trying to make my life hell. It’s because they think I’m going to die and become some hard ass vampire queen. And I am. Going to die, I mean. Soon.”
She stared at me as if I’d spoken another language. Confusion creased her brow. “I don’t understand. How can you know something like that?”
“It’s been foretold by several people with the ability to see what’s to come. Shya needs me and a scroll to take over Lilah’s throne and the power that comes with it.” There. I said it. And I did not feel good about it. I suddenly wished I could snatch back the truth. My gut told me I had just betrayed myself.
“But how? Why? This doesn’t make any sense.”
I nodded. “Trust me, I know. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it. There’s a lot of details I still don’t have.”
The color drained from Juliet’s face. She shook her head, trying to process what I’d said. “Are you supposed to be some kind of sacrifice? Is that why he’s kept you so close all these years? Son of a bitch.”
“Something like that,” I admitted as warning bells went off in my head. “Look, Juliet, you’ve got to understand that there’s a lot we still don’t know. I just want to find that scroll before he does. I know you guys are looking for it too. But please, take this seriously. It’s dangerous. Too dangerous for a human-run organization.”
She was quiet for a long time. Too long. My nerves grew increasingly frazzled.
Finally, she sucked in a deep breath and took a step closer. Leaning in so I could smell her perfume, she said, “You were never going to tell me this, were you?”
“I didn’t think you needed to know. When I die, I’ll become a vampire. I just assumed you’d find out when it happened.”
From the incredulous look on her face, it was abundantly clear that she felt betrayed. Her eyes flashed with irritation, and her wolf looked out at me. I wondered briefly what she looked like as wolf. I had yet to see it.
“That is so fucking selfish of you, Lexi. All I am to you is government now, aren’t I? You don’t see me as family at all.”
Keeping this mature and professional was vital. Unfortunately, this was my sister, and the antagonistic tone she used triggered my defenses. It got a rise out of me the way only a sibling can. “You’re one to talk. You tried to arrest me! You let them hurt my friend.” My wolf responded to hers. A growl rumbled in my throat. “Better not throw stones unless you’re willing to take a few too.”
Willow stepped between us, gently pushing each of us back a few steps. “Excuse me, ladies, but I must point out that it’s nothing short of a miracle that you’re both standing here today. In times as dark as these, there are very few you can trust. You knew each other before all of this. Is this world you both live in now so much stronger than the one you came from? Have you forgotten each other already?”
The wolf in me retreated, backing down in awareness of the truth he spoke. Juliet’s gaze dropped to the pavement. Neither of us dared to be the first to respond.
Juliet turned away and barked, “Boys, get this body out of my sight. Make it fast.” To me, she said, “Alexa, we’ll talk later. I’ve got to get back to HQ.”
Without a glance in my direction she kept walking, leaving the agents to scramble to do her bidding. Most of them were twice her age. I wondered how she suddenly had so much clout. I guess screwing one of the bosses came with a promotion.
That thought was accompanied by guilt. Some might say I screwed my way to greater power too.
“Have a good night, Juliet,” I muttered to her retreating form. Taking Willow by the arm, I led him away. Once out of earshot of the agents, I groaned. “Telling her was a mistake. I can feel it in my bones.”
“It might feel that way, but fear is deceptive. Trusting her again will be difficult. But it might be a risk worth taking. Give her a chance.” Willow slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close in a half hug.
My phone rang as I approached the car. Digging it out of my pocket, I groaned when the call display showed me Justin’s number.
“What’s going on?” I answered, knowing he only called when something was up. Could this night just chill out already? God I needed a spa day.
“There’s a wolf here that insists he needs to talk to you. Big guy. Older. Says his name is Dayne.” Justin paused to shout at someone in the background to get off the bar. “Should I toss him out?”
“No, get him a booth and anything he wants to drink, on the house. I’m on my way.” After I hung up, I turned to Willow. “That’s weird. The Doghead Alpha is waiting for me at The Wicked Kiss.”
We got in the car and headed for downtown. My mind raced as I tried to imagine what Dayne could possibly want. The real question was did I really want to know?
“This might be a good thing,” Willow mused. “You wanted an alliance with his wolves. Maybe that’s what he wants to discuss.”
The effects of the tequila had faded quickly once the drinking had stopped. It was a handy perk of being a werewolf. Intoxicants didn’t affect us the way it did humans. It took a hell of a lot of booze to put down a shifter. However, it had left me feeling tired. Or maybe that was the stress. I hoped Dayne didn’t mind the delay, but I was hitting a Starbucks drive-thru on my way.
The Wicked Kiss was at its peak when we arrived. A line of people waited to get inside. That had once concerned me. Now it was a relief. As long as the humans were lining up to be victimized, it would keep the public kill numbers down. At least, that was the plan.
Arys’s old and rarely driven Firebird was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d been afraid he would spend all night in the back with Jenner, reliving their glory days. I wondered if Shya had cursed him as well, though I knew nothing of the demon swiping any DNA from Arys.
“I’ll hang out at the bar,” Willow said as we crossed the parking lot to the front entry. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“You don’t have to hang around here if there’s something else you’d rather be doing. Trust me, I would understand.”
“No, it’s cool. I have nowhere else to be.”
It wasn’t hard to figure this one out. He wasn’t just tagging along to keep me company. He was protecting me. “Willow, is there a reason you’re sticking to me like glue tonight?”
“Someone has to,” he grinned. “It’s my job. And I’m happy to do it.”
I frowned, feeling insecure and a little worried. Willow had suffered enough. I didn’t want him becoming a target for Shya. He’d already been down that road.
“Don’t take any crazy risks for me, ok?”
“What’s that? I can’t hear you.” He shouted over the noise as we bypassed the line and crossed through the lobby. “Go deal with your visitor. I’ll catch up with you after.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. He had definitely heard me. It was easy to see why Christina had fallen in love with him. He was so caring and easily the most selfless person I knew. Why did those types always get the shit end of the stick? It was so unfair.
Justin pointed me in Dayne’s direction. I found him sitting alone in a back corner booth, his meaty hand clasped around a beer bottle. A single empty sat in the middle of the table.
He looked up at my approach. His expression never changed. It was neutral, almost forced. Wearing a leather vest over a t-shirt and worn jeans, he still had that menacing air I’d found intimidating. Ice-cold blue eyes looked me over as I slid into the booth across from him. It wasn’t the way a man appraises a woman but the way one wolf appraises another. It was unsettling.
“Sorry about the wait. I was across town when I got the call that you were here.” I extended a hand in greeting, anxious when he waited a few long, awkward seconds before taking it. His hand was warm and big, making my hand look child-like in comparison. Dayne
gave my fingers a squeeze before releasing me.
“Your hand is cold,” he said, low and gruff. “Unusual for a werewolf.”
I felt uncomfortable with his spoken observance. Hiding my hands in my lap, I said, “Well, I’m not your usual werewolf. Anyway, what brings you by?”
Instead of speaking right away, Dayne leaned back against the booth and took a long swig of beer. His gaze remained on me the whole time. The guy sure knew how to intimidate people. He hadn’t really done anything, and yet I was on pins and needles.
“I’ve been thinking about that alliance you offered,” he began. “I’d like to take you up on that. I just have one question. Would you be willing to do me a favor in return? Consider it a way to prove that I can trust you.”
Conversations that started like this never ended well. I was uneasy. “What kind of favor?”
“I want you to kill someone.”
That revelation wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been, mostly because I’d been expecting it. I had known an alliance with his pack would come at a price. It wasn’t surprising that he’d use it as a way to get me to do his dirty work for him.
“Who? And why?” I met his gaze with one equal in intensity.
“One of my wolves. It doesn’t matter why.”
“It matters to me. I don’t kill without good reason.”
We stared across the table at one another as our wolves held a silent battle of wills. Finally Dayne laughed, a rough, unpleasant sound.
“Right. Sure you don’t.” He finished off the beer and slammed the bottle down with a belch. “Look, one of my guys has turned rat. He’s been talking with those FPA pricks. I can’t trust him anymore. Normally I’d use my pack enforcer for this kind of thing. But I thought it’d be a great way to find out how good your word is.”
“And that’s enough to earn him a death sentence?” With eyebrows raised, I studied Dayne. “I don’t know how you run your pack, but that sounds pretty harsh.”
“Does it?” Dayne said with a lazy grin that was downright scary. “Are you telling me you don’t deliver your own kind of justice when these vamps step out of line? I know you’ve killed wolves before. Don’t pretend you’re too good for this.”
