by Mary Abshire
Although angst consumed him, his heart ached from forcing Anna to leave. The thought of a group of demons near her raised his shields. He couldn’t let them capture her again. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. His instinct had kicked in and he had to get her to safety, even if it meant sacrificing his life.
He couldn’t blame her for being infuriated with him, but he wanted her out of danger. She could hate him all she wanted. His love for her would never die. Maybe he couldn’t have her in this time, but he’d see her again in the kingdom above. Her existence mattered more since she could exorcise demons. He didn’t regret his decision to send her away. He hoped she would forgive him.
Leaving his clothes on the floor, he headed for the bedroom. He hoped he had enough time to shift. Although he didn’t hear any footsteps or heartbeats approaching the suite, he feared the demons would come at any moment. After closing the door with a small half-inch gap, he lowered to his hands and knees.
Power surged through him, fueled by adrenaline and his heightened emotions. His skin twitched while his temperature began to rise. Bones began to shift. Hair emerged from every pore on his body. His blood grew hotter while his nose and mouth took shape. Every nerve and cell in his body tingled and spasmed. As the change continued, he focused on sounds outside the suite. He heard people in other rooms and televisions too. Strange claps further away and from opposite ends grew louder. In a matter of seconds, the amount of the taps increased as if someone were running.
Having shifted, Zale wiggled his head and then the rest of his body before he headed to the door. He used his claws to open it. As he strode into the main part of the suite, he heard the chopping sound of the helicopter blades outside. A hint of relief touched him, knowing Anna would make it away unharmed.
Pausing near the main door, Zale listened to the men talking at the end of the hall. Their hearts thumped fast, but not nearly as fast as his. Someone said to check out the roof. The quick smacks on the hard surface began again while others approached the suite.
Zale backed away from the door. He trotted behind the sofa facing the entrance. Several feet behind him, the glass patio doors vibrated and the vertical blinds clicked against each other.
He paced behind the couch, waiting for the men to enter. He’d never faced so many demons at a time. The most demons he’d fought had been with Anna. While flesh and blood made up their bodies, their strength surpassed a regular human. If he wanted to survive, which he did, he needed a plan to escape. He should’ve thought of one sooner, but Anna and the others had been his top priority. Even if he failed to get free and ended up as another casualty, at least he’d managed to ensure their safety.
A knock at the door brought him to a halt.
“Room service,” a man said.
Did they really think the vampires were stupid enough to fall for that line?
The door beeped and then it snapped.
“Room service,” the same man said.
Zale counted four heartbeats standing in the room with another three approaching. Four stopped down the hall. One of them knocked on a door. Zale presumed two teams were checking each suite. And if he guessed right, someone at the hotel had given the demons a keycard to get in.
“Nobody’s here,” said a different man.
Zale kept his muzzle pointed down and his gaze up as he listened. Footsteps moved closer. A man wearing baggy jeans took two steps past Zale before he jumped back.
“Holy fuck!” the man with dark skin and eyes said. “There’s a big fucking dog here.”
Zale growled and bared his sharp teeth. More men approached. The couch blocked Zale’s view until two men stepped forward. Hearing others behind him, Zale backed up to the patio so he could see them all.
“That’s not a dog, you idiot,” said the short man wearing khakis.
Zale had seen a photo of the man with light-colored hair. The man’s picture had been in the file Anna had given to him. Seeing Rodney and knowing he’d harmed Anna enraged Zale. He deepened his growl and yapped at the master.
Rodney tilted his head. “I think he might know me.”
Zale barked and displayed his canines. He wanted to rip Rodney to shreds. The man should suffer for leaving Anna in the sun and destroying so many other vampires, and maybe even his partner, Ray. But killing Rodney would be too easy and would only satisfy Zale’s hunger for revenge. The master belonged in Hell along with every demon he’d brought here in the last year.
“Now, now.” Rodney glanced at the men standing across from him and gave a nod.
Zale’s options were shrinking. He couldn’t take on all of the demons and survive, and he couldn’t escape. A man stood in front of the closed door.
The building and patio behind Zale vibrated harder. Seconds later, the loud chopping blades started to grow distant.
The man with dark skin stood near the edge of the glass doors. He pushed aside the blinds. “Looks like they got away.”
Knowing Anna was safe gave Zale strength and confidence. She’d carry on with her job and be able to save more humans.
The men on Zale’s right moved too close for his liking. He leaped and barked at them, but kept a distance. Startled, the men jumped back. The fast beat of their hearts indicated their fear.
Rodney took a step toward Zale. “Maybe the others got away, but we can use this one.”
“Use him?” asked the man near the patio. “How do you use a dog?”
Rodney shook his head. “Idiot.”
When the master came closer, Zale barked ferociously at him. Rodney stopped and glanced at the man standing near the sofa. “Shoot him in the lower abdomen. And try not to hit a major organ.”
Zale snarled as he shifted his gaze between the men on each side of him. His chances of surviving were slim, yet he had to do something. He had to take a chance and make an effort to escape. He wouldn’t get far, but at least he could hurt them with his sharp teeth and rough claws. He’d first start with the master who’d hurt Anna.
The man wearing a trench coat lifted a long rifle from under his arm. Zale realized he couldn’t waste another second. Growling, he leaped toward Rodney. The man with the weapon aimed it at Zale. A loud pop stung his ears a split second before the bullet pierced his side. Sharp pain ballooned through him. Rodney twisted away from Zale’s path and then shoved him. More agony flamed within Zale, especially after he landed on his four feet. Limping, he tried to stay upright.
“Hit him,” Rodney commanded.
Before Zale had time to look up or even think, something hard hit him in the back of the head. Darkness swallowed him as he collapsed on his aching chest.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The sound of the helicopter starting up increased Anna’s worry and anger. She didn’t want to leave Zale or his friends to face the demons. If the demons captured the werewolves, they could torture the men until they were weak enough for possession. The DS didn’t need possessed werewolves infiltrating the UoJ or causing more trouble among the various species.
Trevor shoved the door open to the roof. A gust of wind hit her face as she peered around his body. Lights on the ground pointed toward the center where the leaders were climbing into the chopper. Ethan and the other guard sat in the front. A red light flashed from the edge of the building.
“Put me down,” she said the second the door slammed shut. She stopped kicking, clawing, and punching since it failed to aid her goal of freedom. “Please Trevor, put me down.”
He continued walking.
“Trevor, you can’t let him do this. They’ll take him and try to possess him. I fight demons all the time. Let me go so I can help him,” she said in a more urgent tone.
“He gave a command and I’m following it.”
“If you obey and he dies, his death will be on your hands.”
He stopped. The wind picked up from the blades spinning faster. Strands of her ponytail flew in front of her face.
“Zale kn
ows what he’s doing,” he said.
“No he doesn’t. He’s trying to protect me because he loves me. That’s all this is. You have to let me help him.”
“If I let you go, it will be the end of my career.” He headed for the helicopter.
“You’re making a mistake. He can’t fight alone.”
“He’s not going to. Derek and I are staying to fight,” he said loudly.
He stopped and leaned forward. She slid off his shoulder and onto the seat in the back of the chopper. Before he could step away, she grabbed his shirt in an effort to stop him. She rose from the seat, but he shoved her so hard she fell into the lap of the person behind her. Arms wrapped around her, holding her from reaching the door again.
“No!” She screamed. “Let me go.”
Trevor slammed the door shut while she wriggled.
“Anna, calm down,” Colin said, sitting across from her. Jeffery sat beside him with Michel at the end.
“Let go!” She yelled as she tried to unlock the arms around her. “They need my help.”
She twisted to face the vampire holding her. Of course, it was Curtis. Tim sat to his right, as close to the wall as he could get.
Holding Zale’s necklace in one hand, she used her other to choke Curtis. She squeezed his neck tight. “Let me go,” she said behind clenched teeth.
Curtis released his hold of her as the craft started moving.
“No. No, no, no…” She rose, but quickly fell down in the empty seat by the door as the helicopter flew away from the roof. She banged her fists on the window. “No!”
The helicopter had reached a height making it unsafe for her to jump out. Below on the roof, Derek and Trevor strode toward the exit. Panic seized her. The three werewolves were left to face the at least fifteen demons and some had weapons. The trio didn’t have a chance of beating them.
“Land the helicopter,” she yelled to the front. “I have to help them. They will die if I don’t.”
The chopper continued to rise. Below, the door on the roof opened and three men strode out. One wore a trench coat. He removed a gun from underneath it. Another man withdrew a small hand-held weapon.
Trevor and Derek stopped and raised their hands. Fear swallowed Anna as she stared with wide eyes. Before the helicopter veered away from the building, the men fired their weapons at Derek and Trevor.
“No!” she screamed and hit her fist on the door.
“Anna stop!” Colin said.
She glared at him. “You’re letting them all get slaughtered to save your ass and theirs.”
“We made a deal,” Colin said.
“And you could’ve let me go to help them,” she spat. “I’m a DS agent. I can’t be possessed. They can!”
“There are always casualties,” Colin said. “I’m sorry.”
“Turn this helicopter around,” she said in a strong commanding tone.
“We can’t,” Colin said.
She glared at each of the men. “You all are a disgrace and you disgust me. You won’t talk to your communities. You let them think it’s okay to kill humans when it’s always been against the fucking AoA law. And now you turn your backs on a man who wants nothing more than to help me stop an outbreak.”
“Anna—“
“What?” she snapped at Colin. “You misunderstand the situation.”
“What’s there to misunderstand? You don’t care about the three werewolves you sent to their deaths. You got your freedom. You know, between the eight of us vampires, I bet we could’ve taken twenty demons with little trouble. I’ve faced half as many with only one agent as my back up.”
“We’re not fighters,” Jeffrey said, his shoulders bumping Colin and Michael’s.
She leaned forward. “You better pray there isn’t an outbreak, because I’m not going to be the one saving your ass. Learn to fight instead of being a coward.”
“Anna!” Colin snapped. “That’s enough.”
“You’re not my boss. I do my part. I fight to save humans and our future. Now do yours. Stop being pussies and get your communities to help us or we won’t have a future.”
“That’s enough,” Colin said louder.
Anna shook her head. She wanted to scream and stab all of them with the daggers in her boot. If she thought it would motivate them, she’d do it.
She rubbed her temple. Her head ached from the stupidity she had to deal with. “If there is an outbreak, all of you better learn to fight or those demons will sever your head without hesitation.”
“You’re upset,” Colin said.
“You’re damn right I am. We could’ve saved them and captured demons to take back for interrogation. Hell, maybe one was a master. But all you guys wanted to do was get away.”
Colin looked away from her. Jeffery and Michael lowered their gazes. Tim stared out the window next to him while Curtis kept his attention forward. None of them deserved any respect.
“You better talk to your communities,” she said.
“They will,” Colin said, meeting her gaze. “You have my word.”
She scoffed as she turned to the window. Lights from buildings and streets glowed in the dark night. The scene looked peaceful, but all she could think about was the hell Zale and his two friends were in, if they were alive.
“We’ll take you to the nearest drop off point near the DS headquarters,” Colin said.
“The sooner the better,” she said.
She opened her clenched hand and stared at the cross necklace. A wave of sadness flooded her. The man she loved gave his life to protect her. Why were good people always taken away from her?
The chances of the three werewolves surviving seemed slim. But maybe the demons would hold them as bait. No, she knew better. If the demons kept them alive, they would torture the werewolves for information. The trio would have to suffer great pain before a master would bring over a demon to possess each one of them.
She closed her fingers around the necklace and shut her eyelids. Praying, she asked for strength on behalf of the three werewolves and for herself. She hoped she could find them before a master poisoned their minds and bodies with demons.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Zale,” a man called out. “Zale, can you hear me?”
A dark fog clouded his mind. Zale tried to break free from his daze. He took a deep breath and pain spread through his abdomen. He focused on the scents. A mildew odor thickened the air. The aroma of blood was strong too.
“Zale, are you there? Talk to me,” the man said again.
The voice sounded familiar. Zale struggled to gain coherent thought, yet he knew he needed to. The hard surface underneath him felt cold. Where the hell was he? Anna. Where was Anna? He needed to make sure she was safe.
His eyelids weighed a ton, but he forced them up. He licked his lips and his teeth felt different, longer and sharper. Vision blurry, he blinked several times. Slowly, he lifted his head. Upon seeing his furry paws, he began to recall his last memory.
“Zale, if you can hear me, wake up,” Trevor said.
The ache in Zale’s head seemed minor compared to the one in his abdomen. Still, he rose to his four feet. His legs trembled for several seconds. Once steady, he used the power inside him to initiate the change.
His temperature climbed fast. Hairs on his body began to retract. His bones shifted. The pain in his body remained constant during the transformation. After he finished, he sat on his knees and examined the hole below his rib cage. Blood leaked from it and had soiled his flesh.
“Zale, wake up,” Trevor said.
Zale ran his hands through his wet hair. Sweat covered his naked body. The warm climate of his room wouldn’t help him cool off anytime soon.
He looked around the room. Cement walls surrounded him. He found two steel doors. Three long light fixtures dangled above. Higher, pipes hung from the ceiling. Liquid dripped from one in the back and plopped into a bucket. Hearing movement from
behind one of the doors, Zale stood. Of course, his injured body protested. He pressed his hand to the wound as he headed toward the door, scraping his bare feet over the concrete floor.
“Zale?” Trevor asked.
“I’m here.” He stopped and gripped handle.
“It’s solid. And I’m too weak to try to kick it down.” His voice sounded close and low to the ground.
“Are you hurt?” Zale asked.
“I was shot in my shoulder and leg. I think the bullets passed through, but I lost a lot of blood before I could shift. They knocked us out.”
“Is Derek with you?”
“He was. A couple of men took him away about fifteen minutes ago. He looked pale and reeked of blood. I don’t know if he can last much longer.”
“What happened?”
“After the helicopter took off, a couple of demons showed up on the roof. We managed to kick their asses, but they shot at us first. We figured you’d need help, so we returned to the suite. There were too many of them. I heard a gun go off twice. One of the demons shot my leg before someone knocked me out. Derek has three bullets in him.”
Zale leaned his forehead against the door. Concern weighed heavy on his mind.
“Did he ever shift?” Zale asked.
“No, he’s been unconscious the entire time. He was out when they took him.”
“Did you shift?”
“Yeah, I changed. I’m still weak from the blood loss. And I’m starving. What about you? How are you feeling? I smell blood.”
Zale glanced at his injury. Depending on how he moved, red fluid trickled from the hole. He could feel the bullet lodged within him. “I have a bullet in me. I need to get it out so I can shift and close the wound.”
“Do you have anything you can use? My cell is empty.”
Zale scanned his prison again. The bucket catching the drip from the ceiling would prove no help to him. He could try to remove the handle and use the wire, but why bother when he could use his own fingers.
