Forbidden Alliance: A Werewolf's Tale (Forbidden Alliance Trilogy)

by Ayusso, Danae

  The bitchy redhead called Abigail while we were passing through Bellingham; she wanted a ride since she got caught in the rain. Of course she snarled and growled at me the entire time. Romeo even had to trade seats with her so I didn’t have to sit next to the criminally insane vampire. But that put me stuck in the back seat with Romeo, who kept giving me those large, puppy dog eyes of his. The vampire was amusing when he wasn’t trying to hump my leg, but it didn’t distract me from the bitch in the front seat who wanted to kill me.

  The snarling redhead turned around in the passenger seat and glared at me. “You need to leave me bloody brother alone, you stoney wanker!”

  “Huh?” I turned to Romeo who was groaning. “Translation?” I asked.

  Romeo shook his head. “Broke bitch, in essence.”

  “Oh,” I said and nodded my agreement. “Is that all?” I asked condescendingly.

  The long string of profanities that flowed from her lips was impressive but I only understood every sixth or seventh word, most of which would have made my brother blush!

  Finally Abigail couldn’t take it anymore and slammed on the brakes, sending the irate redhead smashing into the windshield, and slamming both me and Romeo against our seatbelts. Mine didn’t catch fast enough, and my face smashed into the back of the driver’s seat.

  “Ow,” I complained, pinching my nose.

  For being a kick ass werewolf, I got nosebleeds ridiculously easy, and at that moment, my nose was starting to bleed. Usually this isn’t a big deal; it simply translated to a ruined shirt or a stained bandana.

  However, in a car full of vampires, a bloody nose was a big effing problem.

  As if everything was in slow motion, I raised my gaze to Romeo and he was staring at the red seeping from between my fingers with black eyes, his usually handsome face twisted into something else, something vampiric. The bitchy redhead looked even crazier, her pouty lips were pulled up into a snarl, exposing her seemingly elongating fangs.

  This sucks.

  “Jay Dee, get out of the car. Now, ” Romeo said through clenched teeth.

  He didn’t have to tell me twice.

  Blindly, I searched for the door handle, not wanting to take my eyes off of the three vampires staring at me like I was a damn ‘all you can eat’ buffet. I had just gotten the door opened when someone slamming into my body, sending both of us flying across the road.

  Georgiana was on top of me, snapping at my throat like a crazed wild animal. I held her back with my hands the best I could, but the crazy bitch was stronger than I had given her credit for.

  We rolled across the grass, our bodies tangling into a knot of flesh. Luckily, when we smashed into the trees, I ended up on the bottom. When you’re a werewolf, being on the bottom wasn’t a disadvantage. I positioned a foot against her sternum and pushed as hard as I could, launching her up into the air. I flipped from my back to my feet and crouched, readying myself for her attack when a blur of black slammed into the charging redhead, knocking her into a tree.

  “Run!” Abigail yelled, throwing herself at Georgiana again.

  I didn’t wait to be told twice and I ran in the opposite direction.

  Talk about first impressions! Tanis is going to be so pissed. I hope he lets me apologize and explain what happened before he realizes that I’m no good for him, and that it’d be safer for him and his family if he stayed as far away from me as possible.

  Ugh! Damn it, this sucks.

  It would have been quicker if I ran in wolf form, but I don’t want to ruin my favorite jeans. It was a girlie thought, one that self-preservation should have trumped, but it hadn’t and that was honestly scarier than the three vampires who wanted to have me for lunch, literally.

  I wasn’t too far from Lummi; the cliffs we dive from in June and July were only a couple hundred yards ahead. It was safer to skirt the cliffs in case I needed to throw a demonic redhead off of them before making a run for it. I started to head north when I heard it only a second before the vampire slammed into me.

  “You’re seriously starting to piss me off, Georgiana,” I snarled, smashing her into a tree.

  “Shut up and die already,” she hissed in my ear so I slammed her into the tree again.

  “You wouldn’t like it when I’m angry,” I warned.

  “I will enjoy ripping your throat out,” she purred.

  “Not if I rip yours out first,” I countered and reached back and grabbed two handfuls of red hair and pulled the psychotic bitch over me, sending her sailing through the air.

  I crouched, ready to phase, my eyes narrowing.

  Georgiana sat up and her eyes widened when our eyes met. “Bloody hell,” she stammered, her complexion blanching.

  I growled at her, a deep, menacing snarl of a growl that was the most intimidating sound that I had ever heard come from me.

  Honestly, it scared me more than the vampire who was sitting in wide-eye terror not more than fifty-feet from me.

  Suddenly I felt exposed with three vampires surrounding me, and defensive instincts kicked in and I ran for the cliffs.

  The cries and yelling coming from Romeo and Abigail nearly made me turn around, but I couldn’t trust that they weren’t hungry, and this werewolf was in self-preservation mode. I knew right away that someone was following me, matching me stride for stride as I raced through the woods, and the scent was familiar: d’Artagnan.

  Lovely. Is this a family thing? Why is it that only one of three Ashtons is remotely normal and sane acting? Damn it! I can’t fly, which sucks, but I can swim. I just hope that the undercurrent isn’t bad today.

  Without slowing, I jumped when the edge of the cliffs appeared….

  ...The church bells in the distance rang over and over, but this wasn’t a celebratory ring, it was a warning: they were underattack. The villagers shouted as they ran through the cobblestone streets taking up arms, children were crying, and the wind carried the blood curdling screams from the outskirts of the city.

  “The outer walls have been breached, my queen. The guards are mobilizing but there isn’t time. We have to get you out of here, now,” one guard warned, his silver armor reflecting the fires burning around them. “Your highness, now, there isn’t time!”

  Just then, three large snarling black wolves came crashing through the crowd of evacuating townsfolk. The guards pulled their swords and engaged the snarling beasts.

  “Where is my husband?” the queen demanded, pulling her long, white hair back out of her face in preparation for battle, securing it with a leather tie.

  “He is with the troops on the western wall, my queen. We must go now, it is the only way to save your child!” the guard pleaded.

  With silver sword in hand, the queen looked around at what was left of her village and people, the realization that this truly was the end broke her heart but flooded her with purpose, and she followed her guards as her free hand tenderly caressed her swollen womb.

  Queen Aesa had never run from a fight in her very long life, especially when her people were in desperate need of protecting, but her child took precedence. Her unborn child would be the last of their bloodline and species.

  If the child died, their people would be lost forever...

  …something heavy kept pushing on my chest. My lungs were flooded with salt and water. And it felt like I was sinking into something gooey and slightly sticky.

  “Come on, breathe damn it!” Was growled before cold lips pressed against mine and blew into my mouth. “Bloody hell, breathe already!” again cold lips pressed against mine and air was forced down my throat.

  The hard pressure on my chest was back and I tried fight back but my arms were pinned to my sides.

  “You can’t leave him, not like this,” he pleaded before blowing in my mouth again.

  That time, the air was pushed back out with a gurgle of water and I coughed violently, desperately trying to expel the disgusting salty liquid from my mouth and lungs.

  “Bloody hell that was close�
� he said, and carefully rolled me to my side until I stopped expelling the part of the Pacific Ocean I tried to drink.

  “Ow,” I groaned and he rolled me to my back. “Why do you sometimes sound like you fell out of a goddamn PBS period piece?” I mumbled as my eyes fought the salt stinging them and they eventually dilated and focused on the face of the smug vampire straddling me.

  This isn’t embarrassing at all.

  “Ow is a good thing, it means you’re alive,” d’Artagnan amusingly informed me. “And the British thing is a habit. Need I remind you that I am a British vampire who is more than three hundred years old? You, however, bring out that damn accent with your annoying presence,” he informed me.

  “Good to know, get off of me.”

  “No,” he teasingly sang.

  “I’m not in the mood, Über Douche,” I warned and struggled under him but he was unmoving stone.

  “Now, now, Kitty, play nice.”

  “Go to hell,” I snarled then snapped my teeth at him.

  “Such gratitude,” he chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Truth be told, I expect that from my little brother but not from you, not from the girl I just pulled off of the ocean floor and have spent the past thirty minutes trying to revive.”

  Damn it.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled and pouted.

  “Whoa, someone woke up on the wrong side of the coffin this morning,” he teased and lowered his face down to mine.

  “Don’t even,” I warned when I felt his lips just a fraction of an inch from mine.

  His eyes moved over my face before I felt the corner of his mouth turn up on one side. “For some reason, I have the feeling that you would sic your dogs on me if I did.”

  “I would,” I agreed.

  “That’s what I thought,” d’Artagnan huffed and quickly kissed my forehead instead, in a completely strange a-sexual, almost brotherly way.

  That I wasn’t expecting.

  In a blur of movement that made me slightly nauseous, he was on his feet and I was in his arms, cradled protectively to his chest. “So tell me, Jay Dee, what was so terrible that you had to go and try to kill yourself? Was sleeping with my brother that horrible?” he laughed as he quickly maneuvered through the woods.

  “Your sister,” I informed him.

  “Really?” he mused. “I didn’t take you for a lesbian.”

  “That crazy redheaded bitch tried to eat me…that didn’t help the I’m not a lesbian thing,” I mumbled the latter with a pout.

  My admittance made him shake with laughter.

  I tried to kick out of his arms but my body was numb and had no feeling, my teeth were chattering wildly, and I was shivering uncontrollably.

  “Yes,” he said, sounding thoughtful, “Georgiana tends to have that effect on people. But, unlike most people, you’re bite free. Unless of course you’re offering me a taste,” he said before pulling his tongue across the ridge of my jaw, and I shivered in disgust.

  Summoning the last bit of energy I had, and not entirely sure if my hand was balled into a fist or not, I punched him in the jaw as hard as I could.

  “Or not,” he surmised.

  “It will never happen, Über Douche. Where are we going?”

  “Home,” d’Artagnan said as if it were obvious and I looked at him with wide eyes. “Relax, Abby would never let Georgiana bite you, and neither would Romeo. Steffen would kick all of their asses if she did; he doesn’t believe in feeding on humans. He is strictly animals, not even donated blood, and has been that way since he was turned. However, my little brother is going to be very pissed off when he finds out what our lovely little sister did, or tried to do. Either way, it should prove to be a good show.”

  What a prick.

  “This is just a show for you, some kind of cheap live soap opera which you can manipulate the characters in? What is wrong with you? And don’t say lots, because that’s more than obvious!”

  “Smart girl,” he agreed and nodded his appreciation. “I will give you that one, but if I told you why I’m here, you’d run to that pain in the ass little brother of mine and tell him, and where would the fun be in that? You’d cause this soap opera to get canceled early, and that I cannot permit. There’s a Daytime Emmy in it for me somewhere.”

  I hate this tool.

  I pouted in silence the rest of the way to Tanis’ house, trying to ignore d’Artagnan and his incoherent rambling about something I didn’t give a damn about. He was trying to distract me, that I was certain, but another part of me knew that he had an ulterior motive and reason to keep talking, most likely so I couldn’t talk.

  “Mommy, I’m home,” he called out when he entered the house.

  Instantly Steffen and Sabirella were in the foyer.

  “What in the hell did you do?” Steffen demanded. “He’s your brother!”

  “And that’s why I pulled her from Death’s waiting arms,” d’Artagnan said with a smirk. “For my brother.”

  Even I didn’t miss his condescending tone.

  Sabirella snarled. “You bit her?” she hissed and stalked towards us, minding the sunlight pouring in through the open from door and d’Artagnan retreated away from her.

  “No,” he said quickly, his eyes wide. “Georgiana attacked her. Jay Dee got away but took a header off of the cliffs in the process. Undercurrent caught her and I saved her,” he explained in a rush.

  Instantly her face softened some, her anger was no longer directed towards him so he hissed out the breath he was holding.

  “So where’s my hug?” he asked and batted his lashes at her.

  “Shut up,” I groaned. “I am so kicking your ass when I can feel my legs again,” I mumbled.

  Steffen chuckled and nodded his agreement, but Sabirella wasn’t amused in the slightest.

  “Since my brother is missing in action, I thought that I’d help her shower. Get her warmed a bit,” d’Artagnan said with a smirk, and suddenly I was out of his arms and was looking up at Sabirella. “Oh come on, Mom. That’s not fair,” he pouted.

  “Shut it,” she growled. “Steffen, please call Tanis and let him know what happened. Advise him to compose himself before he gets home and I shall notify her family that she will be escorting us to the celebration tonight, thus she will be late due to the sun.” Her tone left no room for discussion.

  While the bathtub in Tanis’ bathroom filled with hot water, I was curled up on his bed in the fetal position.

  “Child, are you well?”

  “Cold,” I stammered through chattering teeth.

  “That much is obvious, you are slightly blue in pallor,” Sabirella agreed and I fought to keep from rolling my eyes. “I am sorry for my daughter trying to bite you; she is temperamental to say the least.”

  “You don’t say,” I stammered.

  “Sarcasm was around when I was a child,” she reminded me and the corners of her mouth pulled up on one side. “Georgiana does not like the fact that her brother is happy when she is not. Georgiana will never be because she will not allow herself to be happy.” She sat on the edge of the bed and tenderly brushed a piece of wet hair out of my eyes as she looked me over my face many times. “You are exactly what my son needs, and what he has been looking for his entire life, even if he does not know it yet. You two were destined…” her words trailed off as a tear stained her cheek.

  “We’ve only know each other five days,” I hollowly objected.

  In five days I had become completely consumed with the vampire, with Tanis as a person. He was amazing in every sense of the word, I never knew people like him existed, but I had always wished they had.

  “What does the number of days you have known each other have to do with anything?” she countered. “Abigail and Steffen fell madly in love the moment they laid eyes on each other. My husband, Toran, and I were completely smitten the first time I stabbed him...well, one of us was. Times were much different back then, however, the point remains, time has very little to do with matters of the heart. Is it
possible to fall endlessly in love with someone the first time you see them? Yes. Do opposites attract? Yes. Would my son give you the world if you only asked for it? Without a doubt. My son may not know it yet, but he is in love with you. Those who have been around him longest see it, even when he does not see it himself…yet.”

  I shook my head.

  “Miss Jay Dee, allow me to tell you a story,” Sabirella said softly, her eyes studying my face. “There were once two sisters who were born from two very different times, and were of two different species, yet loved each other to no end,” her words were merely a whisper and yet were flooded with so much emotion that I wanted to scream so I couldn’t hear them. “One day, the older sister asked the unthinkable of her little sister, she asked her to open her heart to a stranger and to protect him as her own, at all costs, and that he whom she took in as her own would one day save the only thing left of her,” she said, looking up at me and wiped away the tear that had rolled down her dark cheek.

  Huh?

  “I don’t understand,” I admitted, fighting the sting in my eyes from the tears flooding them from obviously upsetting the strong, motherly vampire next to me.

  A small, sad smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Age, species, mortality…none of that matters when the heart is involved. Tanis’ heart was vacant for many, many centuries, and it is only been since you have effortlessly found yourself in it that he has truly started to live for the first time in centuries. You are both scared to take that leap, however, in order to save each other, you have to. Both of your hearts depend on it.”

  “But he doesn’t even know me,” I argued.

  “Tanis knows enough about you to know that he wants only good things for you, and he wants you to be happy. Being with you makes him happy, and you being with Tanis makes you happy. The way you two are when you are together, even that little bit I saw when he brought you over to meet me, which was a first mind you,” she said with a chuckle. “You two unconsciously move around each other. When he smiles, you smile. When you laugh, he laughs. When you speak, he hangs on every word that leaves your lips… It fills my heart with warmth to see him happy, and I know that only a wonderful woman could be the reason behind it. Please, take a bath and warm up. Tanis will be back soon and I fear that only you will be able to calm him down so he does not go on a murderous rampage, thus becoming an orphan.”