by Lexi Blake
“Have some of the she wolves chosen to stay with the vampires for more than a night?” I thought about that couple I’d seen going into the club. They’d been together for a while, I would guess. That must upset someone like Joseph Castle to no end. It made me wonder what other rules the king had tossed out. Traditionally, the alpha of a pack was practically a god. He made all the important decisions for his group. “Does the king not allow the alpha to select mates anymore?”
Darren practically spit his answer at me. “We’re allowed to make suggestions, but if a female chooses not to mate with our selections, then we have to back down. He can also shut down our business ventures whenever he pleases.”
I bet he could. According to Gray, the king shut down a drug ring the wolves had been running. “So the king won’t let you rape women or run drugs. You have it hard, man.”
I should have watched my mouth, but I was starting to agree with the king more and more.
His eyes began to take on the predator inside him. His features elongated as he struggled to control his urge to change. “It will all be over once the Ranger finds your body. He’ll have to believe it was Sharpe since the idiot professor is in custody. I’ve already written the note. When he raids Sharpe’s apartment, he’ll find traces of you everywhere. Dad’s taking care of that. I have to bring you in and we can finally be done. When Sloane tries to bring in Sharpe and the king saves him, the rest of the wolves will finally see him for what he really is.”
I saw a few problems with the scenario and wondered if the Castle men weren’t every bit as crazy as Peter Hamilton. “What if the king allows the arrest?”
“He won’t.” Darren’s hatred was thick in the air. “Vampires protect each other. They expect us to do what they tell us, but they only care about their own rules. Otherwise, why would they let some scum like Sharpe live after everything he’s done?”
I didn’t point out that they’d done the same things as Sharpe. I chose another tactic because I wasn’t so hot on becoming victim number seven. “You’re underestimating Lieutenant Sloane. He won’t arrest Sharpe.”
“Of course he will. He doesn’t play favorites. He’ll arrest anyone he thinks has done something wrong. Look how he fucked with Quinn last year. That was sweet. My dad laughed the whole time Sloane was hauling that pervert out. Too bad he couldn’t make it stick.”
“I assure you if he thinks Alexander Sharpe killed me, he will not arrest him. Sharpe will die and there won’t be anything left to identify. He loves me. He won’t leave it to the justice system.”
“He’s a Ranger.”
“He’s a man first. We’re getting married,” I explained logically. “Would you calmly arrest the man who killed your mate? If he kills Sharpe, then the king might have a problem with it, but everyone else will think justice is done.”
That seemed to flummox the younger man. He frowned as he thought about it. I felt my back touch the concrete barrier of the small elevator that led to the second and third floors. Darren was thinking and generally growing more panicked as he considered the angles. I considered the angles, too. Even if Darren decided I was right, he couldn’t call a mulligan and get a new hand. He had to play the one he’d dealt himself, and that included getting rid of the obnoxious PI who screwed everything up.
Very cautiously, I slipped my hand back and hit the button for the elevator. As I heard it start to ding, I reached into my bag and pulled the .45 Gray had given me. Without hesitation, I shot him squarely in the shoulder and watched as he was blown back by the impact. His entire left side flew around like he was attached to a chain someone had yanked. I threw my body into the open elevator and immediately hit the number two button and then punched close doors as many times as I could in the few seconds it took to work.
Even as the doors were closing, I watched Darren’s body jerk up from where he’d fallen. He turned to the elevator and he growled low in the back of his throat. It started as a growl, but before the doors were fully together, it was a howl that shook the garage.
It was the single, longest elevator ride in the history of time. I’m pretty sure of that. The whole time I stood there, holding the gun and waiting for the doors to open, I fought the instinct that threatened to take over. It was stronger, possibly because I’d let it loose the night before. There was something inside me, like a caged wolf, clawing to get out. Adrenaline rushed through my system, seeming to feed it. I couldn’t lose control. I’d been insane the night before, nearly unstoppable. Marcus wasn’t here and I wasn’t sure I could get control back without him. The first time someone had knocked me out with horse tranquilizers and the next time Marcus had been there. What if I went crazy? We were in a public place. No, it couldn’t happen.
I needed to get to the Jeep and drive like the wind to Gray’s office in Garland. I had the address. I would go there and dump everything in his lap. He would handle it and I wouldn’t have to find out how far gone I was. I forced that twitchy beast down. I shoved it away with every ounce of will I had.
When the doors opened, I ran. I ran as fast as I could toward the dark blue Jeep that represented freedom and safety. I might have made it if a big brown and white wolf hadn’t been between the car and me.
Wolves are way faster than elevators.
The force of stopping on a dime nearly set me on the ground. I managed to stop my fall, but the gun clattered to the floor. The wolf snarled and I wondered briefly if his clothes had ripped and torn around him or if he’d taken the time to unclothe before becoming the big, toothy predator in front of me. It’s funny the things that go through your brain when you know you’re going to die. Darren Castle was going to get his first blood and it would be mine. He wouldn’t knock me out and take me to a convenient location. He was going to kill me right here and right now.
What was more important? Survival or keeping my conscience clean? It was no question at all. One way I died and the other I had a chance at staying alive and being with Gray. That was all that mattered to me in that moment. I wanted to see Gray again. As the brown wolf leapt through the air, I let down every defense and let the beast take over.
This time it wasn’t a tiny ember that blossomed. It was a full-blown bonfire that raged through my body uncontrollably. Fear fled and in its place was a righteous certainty that I wanted to live.
The wolf flew through the air, his jaws opened wide. I felt the heat from his mouth as I kicked up and I shoved myself under the pouncing wolf, catching him in the chest and following through to shove him behind me.
Even before he hit the ground, I was up and looking. Through almost alien eyes, I took in everything in that sparse concrete-laden lot. During the times when I fully surrender to the beast, it’s as though I’m rewarded with superpowers. My every sense heightens and any fear I felt flees. I can still feel emotions, but they’re muted in comparison to the joy of the hunt, the anticipation of the kill.
There were only a few cars around at this time of day. Above me there was a wealth of pipes crisscrossing the ceiling and disappearing into the adjacent building. The wolf turned, growling in frustration as he got back up and began to run toward me again.
I leapt straight up, catching the pipe in both hands and swinging my legs back. The motion brought power with it and I timed it perfectly. I caught the werewolf in the jaw and was satisfied with the crack and the whimper as my opponent went down. I dropped down, knowing I had mere seconds before Darren recovered. My foot had caught him right across the jaw, but I hadn’t felt the bone break. I was still fighting my instincts on some level, and there was a part of me that was screaming to give it up and let them take over completely.
Stop pulling your fucking punches and let a real woman do the job, a voice inside me growled.
Fighting to maintain some semblance of control, I searched around for a weapon. I ran from car to car, looking for anything I could use, but freaking college professors aren’t big on carrying weapons. There was a lot of tweed and great literature, but nothin
g in the way of guns.
Darren landed on the late-model piece of crap I was searching and the hood dented under his weight. He snapped at my head and I leaned back before catching him in the snout with as much strength as I could put in my fist. I didn’t look back as I moved on to the next car and finally hit pay dirt.
Somebody actually played a sport, and lucky for me it was baseball. Unlucky for me Mr. Shortstop remembered to lock his car door. I was desperate enough to rear back and shove my fist through the back door window. It cracked against my fist, the pain blossoming, but I was able to ignore it. Blood start to run. It reminded me I needed to fight. My fist closed around the bat as the wolf leapt onto my back. He bit down ferociously on my shoulder, close to my neck. The sharp, terrible sensation pushed me straight over the edge.
I roared, the beast in me firmly in control. I threw my body back in an attempt to dislodge the wolf. We hit the Volvo behind us and Darren foolishly let go as his spine hit the car. I took the opportunity to run and regroup. Behind me, I heard the elevator doors open.
“Oh my gosh, lady, do you need help?” a middle-aged man asked, taking in the sight of a young woman being assaulted by what I was sure he would describe as a big dog.
Darren growled at the man, but he walked bravely forward. “Shoo!” he yelled in a strong voice.
I turned and he got a good look at me.
That was when he ran.
I didn’t have time to ponder that as Darren was running full throttle toward me. I took the proper stance, knees apart and a little bent. In my state, I grinned at the thought of letting one fly. My elbow was up in a perfect imitation of Jamie on the L. D. Bell High School baseball team. When Darren pounced, I swung and hit. This time I caught him full in the head and his whole body twisted with the force. He didn’t whimper. He didn’t moan. He just went down.
I was nowhere near satisfied with that. Rage filled me. He’d thought he could kill me? I brought the bat down again and again. His big body twitched a time or two, but after a while he didn’t move anymore. Blood splattered, but I didn’t mind. It was only right that I cover myself in it. He was my enemy and I’d won our game.
My heart raced and I felt disappointed the game was over so quickly. I hit the body over and over, trying to get out all my rage. He’d tried to kill me, to take my life, but I’d shown him what it meant to cross me.
“Shit,” I heard a voice say behind me.
“Don’t get close to her,” another voice warned.
It was too late. Someone was reaching out to me.
“Kelsey,” Dev Quinn said as his hand touched my shoulder.
I reared back, all instinct and rage. He’d come into my killing field and dared to interrupt me. Swinging the bat back, I hit him full force across the chest. His emerald green eyes registered complete shock as his body flew away from me. He hit the concrete with a thud and a low moan came from his mouth. This one wasn’t dead yet. He needed another couple of hits before I could claim him. I held the bat over my head and was about to bring it down on the faery’s head when an arm shot out and I looked into seriously blue eyes.
Dan held my arm in his hand, the threat obvious. He would break it if I didn’t stand down.
“You don’t touch him,” he snarled around his really freaking big fangs. “He is mine.”
But in my mind he wasn’t. In my rage-addled brain, that faery was mine because he’d walked into my territory and tried to keep me from my rightful prey. Now the vampire was doing the same damn thing. He stared at me like he could scare me into backing down. Idiot.
I pulled my arm out of his grasp even as I kicked him straight on in the crotch. Vampires, I discovered, liked their privates uninjured as much as the human male. Dan went down with an outraged shout and I took advantage. I swung the bat straight down at his sandy blond head. My bat hit the concrete and split in two as the vampire nimbly rolled away in the nick of time.
It was okay. A broken bat becomes a handy stake.
“Daniel!” Quinn had managed to get to his knees. He pointed my way.
I rushed the vampire, the lovely pointed end in my right hand, his heart in my sights. Dan’s handsome face registered shocked and he took a defensive stance. His fist reared back and it was just a question of who handled the impact best.
Or it would have been, if the world hadn’t stopped on a single command.
“Sleep,” a peaceful, familiar voice said deep in my brain.
My hand lowered and I saw Marcus running toward me as I began to fall. I was in his arms as everything went black.
Chapter Fifteen
“Well, it’s been an awfully long time since I saw anyone put Daniel on his ass,” I heard a voice say as I started to come out of the darkness. “It was worth the broken ribs for that sight alone. I’m glad I took the bat in the chest instead of what happened to you. If that had happened to me, we would never have any more kids.”
“It’s not a fucking joke, Dev,” a low voice growled. “She nearly killed you.”
I opened my eyes a smidge and saw them standing there.
“Oh, it wasn’t that bad.” Quinn had changed his shirt. He was back to masculine perfection in an olive-colored dress shirt and black slacks. “I’ve had much worse, though it has been a while since I broke a bone. I’ll moan and complain about the pain for days and see how much sympathy sex I can get out of our wife.”
A familiar voice chimed in, disapproval dripping. “It could have been avoided if Daniel had taken me with him as I advised. I can handle her. I am the only one who can handle her when she gets like that. You’re lucky Zack drives as quickly as he does or you could have had a much bigger problem on your hands.”
I lay perfectly still. I wanted to listen in as Marcus argued with Dan and Quinn.
“You think I couldn’t have handled her, Marcus?” Dan asked defensively. “Damn it. I held back because I don’t like hitting girls. I took Dev because I thought he could help. He has a relationship with her.”
“He spent ten minutes with her,” Marcus complained. “I have a relationship with her. Devinshea tossed money her way and expected her to comply because of it. He knows nothing about her. Neither of you has ever met a Hunter before and you’re proving it even as we speak.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Quinn asked.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. “It means that she is awake and listening to everything we say. It’s no use, cara mia. Open your eyes.”
Dark eyes looked down into mine. He smiled, but I saw the deep concern in them.
“What am I?” I asked desperately, needing to know what the hell was wrong with me. It wasn’t normal to have something primal inside waiting for a chance to get out.
The vampire smoothed back my hair and lifted me up. I felt weak against him. “Rest. I had to use an enormous amount of persuasion on you. The weakness will pass.”
I couldn’t rest when I wasn’t sure of where I was. The room was painted a neutral color and I’d been placed on a comfortable bed, but the bars on the door didn’t lie. “I’m in jail?”
“It’s a holding cell.” Dan looked at me with a mixture of guilt and wariness. “It’s only a precaution. You were out of control. It’s a good thing you’re awake. The Council is ready to meet. You need to answer for the killing of Darren Castle.”
“It was obviously self-defense.” Zack slid his key card through the lock and the door swung open. “I told you that when I asked you to go save her. He attacked her. I heard the whole thing.”
Dan sighed. “I know that, Zack, but you know as well as I do that the kill has to be declared righteous.”
Marcus squeezed my hand. “Do not worry. It will be all right.”
I shook the fog out of my head and turned to Marcus. He was the only one in the room I had any trust in at all. “His father killed those girls. Darren admitted it to me. He was the one who told Hamilton about vampires and led him to Sharpe. He was planting evidence against Alexander Sharpe. They wer
e trying to make everyone believe Sharpe and Hamilton were partners, but Joseph Castle killed them all.”
Dan shook his head. “Son of a bitch. If he’d succeeded…”
“The wolves would revolt,” Quinn said.
Dan pulled out a cell phone and quietly called someone explaining that Castle needed to be found and brought in.
Someone had changed my clothes. I was wearing a too big V-neck sweater and a pair of men’s Levi’s. My feet were covered only in a pair of white socks. “Who changed my clothes?”
“Our wife and her friend.” Dan shoved his phone back in his pocket. “You were covered in blood. I thought it best you didn’t go meet the Council like that. I was going to change you myself.” Dan grinned and rolled his blue eyes. “But Marcus there insisted on propriety. So we brought in Zoey and Neil. Devinshea and I left the room. No covetous male eyes saw you, I assure you.”
I looked up at Marcus and saw he didn’t care that the other two men thought he was ridiculous and old-fashioned.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. His hands on me felt so good, though not necessarily in a sexual way. It was sensual, for certain. While I sat with his arms around me, I felt peaceful and calm, as though he could take the serene core of himself and impart a piece to me. I knew Gray wouldn’t like it, but I needed it. I put my hand in his because I needed the support for whatever I was about to learn. “Now, will someone please tell me what’s happening to me?”
Zack’s open face broke into a huge smile. He knelt down beside me. “I would be thrilled to tell you.”
“Boss,” a heavily accented voice said from the barred door. It sounded Northeastern. “Her brothers are here and so is the witch. They want to see her before she goes in.”
Dan inclined his head. “Thank you, Trent, show them in. I have some questions for them anyway.”
