“Please, don't get up on our account. We're just passing through,” Lucas smiled grimly.
“A wolf, and a human,” the vamp in a gray hoodie sniffed the air. “What do you want?”
“You shouldn't touch what doesn't belong to you. There are rules, PAC rules, to be obeyed and enforced. Do you know what happens to rule breakers?” Lucas asked, the smile fading very slowly from his face.
“You're from the PAC?”
Lucas merely shrugged.
One of the vamps gasped and nudged the vamp in the gray hoodie, “Lance, I recognize him! He...he's the PAC Alpha!”
Lance narrowed his yellow eyes. “No he's not. The Alpha is a little old lady.”
Lucas couldn't help barking out a laugh. “If Helen hears that, you'll be practically begging to meet the sun, punk.”
Lance took a small step back, his eyes darting between Jett and Lucas. Balling his fists, he swallowed hard and said, “So the PAC has a new Alpha. Big deal.”
Lucas shook his head. “You really haven't been keeping up with the news.”
“We don't follow PAC rules and we don't follow PAC news!” a vamp in a yellow hoodie shouted out from behind Lance.
“Oh? Then what do you follow?”
“We...none of your damn business!” It was a vamp in a blue hoodie who blurted out.
Lucas studied the vampires in front of him as he strode forward casually. Their fangs were long and sharp, but their eyes looked strangely animal. Their eyes were yellow and their nails seemed to be curling out of their gloves. Like claws. These bunch of rogues weren't purely vampire.
They were hybrids, the mongrels of the paranormal community.
Lucas stared at the claws sprouting from their hands and the hoods covering their heads.
“You're not pure vampires,” he said aloud, for Jett's benefit. Jett was sharp, but as a human, he might not be so attuned to the subtle differences between pure vamps, shifters and hybrids. “You're hybrids. Specifically, you're vampire-werewolf hybrids.”
Lance tore off his gloves, revealing his animal claws and snarled, “So you know what we are.”
“It's not what you are that matters, it's what you do. And what you did was grab two young Enforcers off the street and hold them against their will. You hurt them,” Lucas said evenly but the menace in his eyes was unmistakable.
“No!” Lance spat. “They. Hurt. Us! Enforcers hunt us, and kill us!”
“They hunt rogues, not hybrids.”
“Rogues, hybrids—tomaytoes, tomaahtoes,” the yellow hoodie interjected.
“No. You can be a hybrid, without being a rogue. Rogues have no respect for humans and paranormals. They take what they want, what doesn't belong to them, and they kill innocent civilians to satisfy their lust and hunger. Rogues are defined by what they do, not what they are,” Lucas answered.
“We take what we want, what we need, to satisfy our lust and hunger. That's called surviving,” Lance said.
Jett stepped forward. “No. That's called robbing, raping and murdering.”
“It speaks!” Lance clutched his chest in an exaggerated show of shock and amazement. “And who are you, human?” he sneered.
Jett smirked. “Who am I? I'm...the Man. The Hu-Man.”
Lucas sighed. Jett had been watching too many superhero movies. He turned back to Lance. “Now, release the girl.”
“What girl?” Lance asked, throwing out his hands.
“Yeah, what girl?”
“We don't know what you're talking about!”
“There's no girl. Do you see any girl here?”
Lance's minions began speaking up at once, backing their leader up.
“You're getting senile, old man!” one of the hybrids challenged.
At that, Lucas arched a brow. Old man? How young were these hybrids? They may have existed for centuries as pure vamps or shifters before they were turned into hybrids. And judging from their insecurities and anger, they must have been turned pretty recently.
“Who turned you?” Lucas asked, studying the four hybrids quietly. They must have been pure vamps before their turning. If they had been werewolves, they would be exhibiting more pronounced wolf traits as hybrids. Vamps, turned into hybrids by a rogue werewolf.
“Were you turned against your will?”
“Yeah,” a scrawny hybrid in a tattered maroon hoodie mumbled from his corner.
“Shut up, Timmy!” Lance snarled over his shoulder.
Timmy lowered his head, making himself even smaller than he already was. He was smaller than the rest, scrawnier and shorter. But Lucas saw that they were all scared, even Lance.
“Tell me who did this to you,” Lucas said. Timmy shook his head. Lance glowered, and the other two glanced at each other. Lucas saw the uncanny resemblance between the two hybrids, even with their blue and yellow hoods pulled over their heads. They had the same build, the same posture and mannerisms, and reacted the same way.
“You're twins, aren't you?” he addressed them over Lance's shoulder.
One of them nodded quickly. “I'm Kev. He's my brother, Ken.”
Lance scowled. “Won't the lot of you just shut up?”
“Just give me the girl, and nobody gets hurt,” Lucas said reasonably.
“We're not scared...of you!” Timmy squeaked.
“No. You're not scared of me. You're scared of...him. The one who turned you. He's controlling you, isn't he? Tell us who he is, where he is. We can help you. The PAC will help you,” Lucas said. Jett gave a curt nod at his side.
“No one can help us,” Lance spat. “So just beat it. Go away. He wants her. He wants her hurt, but alive. Too bad that weak female vampire couldn't do the job. So later, when we feel like a little fun—” He cracked his knuckles loudly and smirked. “We'll make her scream, nice and long. Then...we'll make like good delivery boys and deliver that plump, fleshy human to him. And maybe after he eats her heart, we get to drain her. And nobody gets hurt,” he mimicked Lucas.
Lucas stayed perfectly still, but at his side, his fingers silently curled into claws. His eyes flicked to the small door at the corner. They were standing in the middle of an old, disused barn. There used to be a large farm out here, but the farmer and his family had long gone, and the forest had slowly encroached upon the farm, overrunning it with weeds, shrubs and young trees until only the barn was left standing at the edge of the woods. There was only the entrance, and that small door which led to a storeroom in the back. Charlotte was in there.
Lucas moved so fast that the hybrids fell over themselves trying to stop him. But Jett covered him. While Jett engaged the hybrids, felling the twins with two high powered kicks and taking on Lance and Timmy together, Lucas rammed his shoulder against the door and splintered it under his weight.
He barged into the storeroom, and saw the cage immediately. Charlotte was crouched in a corner, the gun in her hand pointing straight at the door.
She fired and a silver bullet lodged itself in the door frame.
“Put that thing away, for God's sake!” Lucas shouted.
Charlotte's eyes widened and she lowered her gun immediately. “Lucas, don't touch the cage,” she yelled quickly as Lucas lunged forward. “It's silver!”
Lucas pulled away just before his fingers wrapped around the bars. He was about to grab those bars and rip them apart, but what the hell? They had to be made of silver.
“Jett!” Lucas roared. “You had your fun, now get your ass in here! It's my turn to have at them.”
Lucas's fangs and claws elongated as Jett came crashing into the room, with four hybrids hot on his heels. Lucas jerked his head towards the cage, and Jett nodded, flicking out a small pocket knife.
Lucas gave Charlotte one long look before he turned to face the hybrids. As Jett stabbed his knife into the lock and worked quickly, Lucas fought the four hybrids off with ease and restraint. A part of him wanted to rip their heads right off their shoulders for daring to touch his mate, but a larger part of him held bac
k. They were being manipulated and intimidated by someone else, someone more dangerous and powerful. Lucas scaled back on the violence and force he used on these hybrids. His claws slashed through their hoodies and cut across their chests and faces, but the wounds weren't as deep as they should be.
Had he unleashed his full fury and power on them, none of them would still be standing. They would be spewing their blood and organs from every orifice as they writhed on the floor right now.
Lucas heard a click, and knew that Jett had done his work. Jett could pick any lock, even magically enhanced ones. Before joining the police force, Jett had been in street gangs and had even risen to the upper echelons of the gang hierarchy. He had been on both sides of the law, and had walked the thin strip of gray between good and evil.
Charlotte tumbled out of the cage, her gun waving in all directions as the injured hybrids spun around the room, trying to dodge Lucas's blows.
“Get down!” she yelled to Lucas. “I'm gonna shoot!”
Ah hell.
“Don't!” Lucas barely managed to get the word out before she fired. He crouched and watched her squeeze off two shots in rapid succession.
One silver bullet ricocheted off the edge of the metal cage and slammed into the wall above Lucas's head. Lucas jerked away in time to see Ken drop to the ground, a bullet wound in his chest. His body spasmed and twitched violently, and exploded into a pile of ashes. Lucas gaped at Charlotte. She had shot Ken right in the heart with a silver bullet.
Charlotte pointed the gun at Lance, her finger tightening on the trigger. Lance snarled at her, as his face contorted and elongated. His blond hair became a tuft of golden fur as his facial features changed from human to wolf. His body was still largely human, and his hoodie and jeans remained intact. But his canines were unusually long. Vampire fangs in a werewolf's mouth.
Lance lurched towards Charlotte's neck, and she shot him point blank in the head. He jerked back with a smoking hole between his eyes, but still he pushed himself up and growled, his yellow eyes churning with wrath and want. Charlotte aimed her gun at his heart, and said, “For Bryn.” Then she fired.
Lance disintegrated into ashes the moment the silver bullet pierced his heart. Lucas stood and watched the remaining two hybrids stagger back, inching their way towards the door as Charlotte swiveled round and took aim with her gun.
Jett moved to stand at the door to cut off their escape. He spun his pocket knife casually through his fingers, the silver glinting and moving so quickly it was almost impossible to tell if he was playing with a coin or a knife.
There was an audible gulp as the two hybrids were forced to the middle of the room.
Charlotte sauntered towards them, still holding her gun. “You two can't mist away?” She quirked a brow. “So who misted Bryn and me here?”
“Lance and Ken were the stronger ones, of the four of us. They can mist without us, but we can only mist with them. Lance and Timmy took the vamp, while Ken and I misted you,” Kev answered in a strained voice. “Kenny...he...” Kev's voice began to break. Fur began to sprout on the back of Kev's hands as he screamed at Charlotte, “You—you shot Kenny! I will avenge my brother! I will kill you!”
As he flew towards her, she raised her gun and a single shot was heard. Kev's form was already turning into ashes in the air even before dropping to the ground.
Lucas saw Charlotte turn her gun towards Timmy, who had put his arms over his head and was making small, whimpering sounds.
“Charlotte.” In two strides, Lucas was in front of her, covering the barrel of her gun with his palm.
“You're in my way, Lucas,” she said, her green eyes flashing.
“Don't shoot him.”
“Why.”
“He's scared.”
“Well...” Her gun began to shake as she blinked rapidly. Taking a shuddering breath, she swallowed and said in a barely audible whisper, “So am I.” Her voice quivered and broke.
She turned away and Lucas recognized that it hadn't been easy for her to say that, to admit to him that she was scared.
She looked up suddenly and hissed, “Let me kill him!”
Lucas blocked her, catching her in his arms. “Enforcers don't kill in fear.”
“I'm not...!” She struggled violently in his arms, twisting and trying to elbow him in the ribs. “I'm not an Enforcer, thanks to you! You made me fail my Final test! You bastard! You let me...fail...” She slumped against him, her breathing shallow and her eyes closed.
“Take him away,” Lucas grated to Jett over his shoulder. “Take him to the PAC Headquarters. He'll be answering quite a few questions. Get Zorath and Glenn to guard him. He'll be unable to control himself when the moon is full tomorrow night.”
Jett nodded and in one fluid movement secured Timmy's wrists in silver cuffs behind his back. “I'll get Keagan to drop by and give me a lift,” Jett said, punching a message into his watch. “We'll be traveling first-class by Dragon Air. What about you, Alpha? Need a ride?”
“No. I'll take her back to my place. It isn't far from here.”
“Yeah.” Jett cocked his head. “I tend to forget that you have a mansion out here, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You're in the PAC Headquarters most of the time.”
The sound of beating wings could be heard overhead. “My ride's here.” Jett's eyes shifted to the unconscious woman in Lucas's arms. “You sure...”
“I'll take care of her,” Lucas answered in a tone that brooked no argument.
“All right then. Final boarding call for Dragon Air. Let's go.” Jett bundled Timmy out the door and said grimly over his shoulder, “You take care, Lucas.”
Lucas carried Charlotte in his arms and ducked out of the dilapidated barn. He was just in time to see the powerful dragon rise and soar towards the dark gray clouds. The beat of Keagan's strong wings could still be heard even as the dragon receded far into the distance.
Glancing down at his precious mate in his arms, Lucas felt his heart constrict with pain, worry and fear. For the first time in so long, he felt a chill of real terror. He was so afraid of losing her, and the thought of his brave, beautiful mate hunting deadly rogues and putting herself in danger repeatedly drove him to the very edge of his sanity.
He began to move swiftly through the woods, his resolve hardening. No. He wasn't going to let her hunt. If anyone was going to do the hunting, it would be him. Not her.
But the trouble was, she'd made a Promise. How in the world was he going to get past that? Everyone, even kids, knew that a Promise should always be taken seriously and should never be broken. Like ever.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Charlotte opened her eyes and blinked the shadows into focus. With a start, she threw back the covers and sat up in a huge bed with cool, satin sheets. She glanced down at herself, and immediately yanked the covers back up to her neck. She was completely naked!
Her eyes darted to the side and she gasped when she saw Lucas sitting so still by her bedside. He was wearing sweatpants and a gray t-shirt stretched tight over his body, and his brown hair was damp from a recent shower. His golden eyes were looking right at her, his lips drawn in a grim, tight line. She had no doubt that she was in his bedroom, in his bed. She could smell him, feel him in the bed, his scent and his presence dominating every corner of the room. The very air seemed charged with his presence and his power.
But even though she was sitting butt naked in his bed, there was no lust in his eyes as he stared at her. Those golden wolf eyes were gazing at her intently, fiercely, quietly and making her whole body shiver, not with cold or fear, but with a trembling, feminine heat. She clenched her thighs together as she felt the moisture gather between them.
His nostrils flared. “You're awake,” he growled.
Yes. Awake and aroused.
But she was sure he already knew that.
A memory began to nudge at her from the corner of her mind. Faintly, she remembered Lucas carrying her through the towering double doors,
down hallways and into his room. He had laid her so gently in his bed, and had removed her clothing with utmost care, careful not to cause her any pain. His touch had been warm and tender. She remembered him growling as he dabbed something cool and soothing over the scratches, bruises and scars over her body. Some of those bruises were old and almost faded, like her scars. She had sustained them during her training, but still, Lucas didn't sound pleased at all at the sight of them. And her scars? They were a reminder of why she should never, ever trust a werewolf. Much less be in a werewolf's bed.
But somehow, she trusted Lucas. She knew, she just knew, that he would never hurt her. He was protective, sensitive, sweet, smart, and oh so hot. Just his touch was enough to set her body aflame with mindless lust. If only he wasn't a werewolf. But nobody's perfect, right?
Charlotte groaned inwardly. Lucas had seen and touched every inch of her feverish body when she was half conscious and half delirious. God knows what nonsense she had mumbled. Did she reveal that she thought he was drop dead gorgeous, and wished aloud that he wasn't a werewolf?
She wanted to cover her face in her hands. Instead, she gulped and forced herself to stammer, “Um, t-thank you, you know, for...for...”
“...for coming to get me,” she managed at last. She looked around for her clothes, and more importantly, her weapons. “But, just so you know, I had the situation under control.” I make a great Enforcer! Charlotte twisted the covers in her fists. This was her chance to impress the PAC Alpha and ask for a retest. “Can I...” Retake my Finals? I'll ace it, without interference from you!
Lucas leaned forward and said softly, “Why.”
“Huh?”
“Why do you hate werewolves.”
Oh shit. She had been mumbling and talking too much in her sleep.
He leaned forward in his chair, and waited, without prompting or pushing. He didn't need to. His words, his mere presence, his hold was compelling and commanding. Yet he didn't intimidate her. He didn't hurt her. He took her hand, and she let him hold it. His huge hand felt warm and snug, like a protective glove that enveloped her hand and steadied it.
Alpha Mate: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 10
