20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  Briony jogged back to the diner, got in Aunt Sophie’s car, and headed back to the Inn as quickly as she could. George’s car was already there when she got there. He must have left in a hurry.

  In fact, all the members of the diner’s staff were there, along with half a dozen other people Briony didn’t know. They sat in the Edge Inn’s lounge, all clearly nervous. Aunt Sophie stood at the front. She looked up as Briony arrived.

  “Good, we are all here. I won’t waste your time with pleasantries. There has been a vampire attack. A fatal one.”

  Briony had been half-expecting some kind of collective gasp to go around the room, but everyone stared intensely straight at Aunt Sophie, expecting her to go on. “Do we know who?” Briony asked. A few of the society members looked over to her at that, like she shouldn’t be interrupting.

  Aunt Sophie nodded. “A girl from the local school by the name of Tracey Welston. I have a picture here somewhere.”

  Until she raised the photograph, Briony didn’t get it. Even then, it was hard to connect the features of the dead girl in it to someone she knew, but once she did…

  “Tracey? Tracey’s dead?”

  That got another disapproving look from a couple of the strangers there, but an interested one from her great aunt.

  “You knew her?”

  “She was my friend. Well, kind of. We would hang out when Pepper wasn’t around. She was one of the girls who invited me to the football game.”

  Briony said it flatly, still hardly able to believe it. She had spoken to Tracey just… well, probably more than a couple of days ago, because Pepper had been hanging around a lot, and Tracey tended to be a bit more careful about that kind of thing than Claire, but not that long ago, anyway. How could she just be dead?

  “Do her family know?” Briony asked.

  “Not yet,” one of the society members said. “For now, they just think she is missing. We will make it look like it was an accident. It’s better that way.”

  Some accident. Briony could not help wondering what it was about her that meant things happened to the people around her. Her family had died, and Tracey had died, and Fallon had turned out to be… An awful thought struck Briony. Had Fallon been involved? She didn’t want to think so, didn’t want to believe it for a moment, but what if he had? He had said himself that his control was not perfect.

  “What happened?” Briony asked, not daring to ask what she really wanted to know. Aunt Sophie seemed to hear the unspoken question too, though.

  “It was a group of vampires, dear. At least four of them. Probably more. To drink all of someone’s blood in a single sitting takes several of the creatures.”

  She said it in such a matter of fact way. Like there wasn’t one of Briony’s friends lying dead. Like this was all just normal, somehow. Briony couldn’t think like that, because she couldn’t help thinking about how things would be at school now. How would Claire take the news? The two of them had been inseparable.

  “What do we do now?” Briony asked.

  “Are you sure she should be involved?” one of the others asked. “She’s not even fully trained.”

  Briony turned a glare on him that she hadn’t known she possessed. “I’ll stop being involved when people around me stop dying.”

  Aunt Sophie nodded. “Well said. Split into the usual pairings for the hunt. George, will you partner with my niece?”

  The former soldier nodded. “Gladly.”

  They didn’t rush out after that. Presumably, things did not end well when you rushed after vampires with no preparation. Instead, they went over the likely areas of the wood the vampires might be in, acquired weapons, and went over the importance of keeping in contact. Only after that did they trail off into the growing darkness together, flashlights and stakes ready.

  George moved through the forest smoothly, with the care of someone who was obviously used to it, and Briony found herself wondering what kind of things he had done in the army. Except for the light beaming from their flashlight, the forest was pitch black, the air heavy like molasses. Briony scrambled after George, holding a short sword. Being a surer shot than Briony, the former soldier had a crossbow slung over his shoulder.

  “Where are we?” Briony whispered to him

  George put his finger to his lips. “Don’t talk unless you have to. We need to listen. Vampires can move very-”

  He spun and fired at a shape in the darkness. Briony was about to ask what he was doing, but then she saw the shadows gathering in the trees. They were under attack!

  Briony brought up her short sword in time to plunge it through a vampire’s shoulder, but that just made it scream and pull back. She slashed at another, looking for an opening that would let her thrust to the heart. How many of them were there? Briony could not tell in the darkness. All she could do was hear the quick swoosh of the air of approaching vampires gathering around them. It went on all around them, surrounding George and her. So many of them, getting closer and closer.

  George shot up a flare, creating enough light for Briony to make out all the vampires surrounding them. And then, the one vampire Briony had been hoping not to see was there.

  “Fallon…”

  Briony had barely breathed the word before he was beside her, twisting Briony’s arm behind her back hard enough that she yelped and dropped the blade. Briony could see a pair of vampires pinning George, a third tying his hands.

  “Don’t struggle, little vampire slayer,” Fallon said, loud enough that the other vampires laughed at it. “I’ll only hurt you if you do.”

  Briony started to drive an elbow back, but Fallon caught it, holding her while another of the vampires tied her wrists.

  “Why, Fallon?” she demanded.

  “Why not? After all, if I can’t control my instincts, I might as well give into them.”

  “You know this human, Fallon?” Another of the vampires, a girl who didn’t look any older than Briony, asked.

  “I’ve been toying with her a little, Lily, yes.”

  It hurt to hear him put it so bluntly. Toying with her? Had that been all it had been to him?

  “Well then, let’s toy with her some more, shall we?” Lily suggested, grinning and coming over to seductively place a hand on Fallon’s arm.

  “Like you did with Tracey, you mean?” Briony shot back. She glared at Fallon. “Like you did?”

  “Oh, Fallon didn’t arrive in time for that one,” the female vampire said. “Still, he’s here now.”

  “Our master is not, though,” Fallon said. “He will be angry if we don’t let him know. I’ll go and tell him.”

  Lily shook her head. “No, let the others go. You can stay here and get reacquainted with your little pet.”

  “I’m staying too,” another of the vampires said gruffly. It was the one Briony had stabbed in the shoulder. He licked his fangs.“I owe her.”

  Briony saw the look the vampire gave her, raking his red-hot eyes over her from head to toe. She felt dirty, shuddering at the pure evil waiting to lunge at her. The other vampires scattered according to some unseen plan, leaving Briony and George alone with him, Lily, and Fallon. Lily ran her hand along Fallon’s shoulder.

  “What shall we play then?”

  “Oh, all kinds of things,” Fallon said. He stalked towards Briony.

  “Keep away from me!”

  “No.” Fallon smirked as he said it, pressing her back against a tree. His beautiful blue eyes bore into hers. Briony’s eyes filled with unshed tears. Was Fallon going to kill her after everything? How stupid of her to have trusted him enough to love him before. Aunt Sophie was right…a romantic relationship between a vampire and a slayer would always end badly. His mouth opened, giving her an impressive view of his fangs. His mouth went to her neck… Briony closed her eyes, hoping that if Fallon was going to kill her, he’d be quick.

  He placed the gentlest of kisses on Briony’s throat as his hands went behind her, snapping the rope holding her with ease. His hands kept hers
pressed there for a moment, until Briony got the message.

  “Oh, you are a tease, Fallon,” Lily said. “Making the poor thing wait like that.”

  “Perhaps you would like to begin things then?” Fallon suggested.

  Lily brushed past him. “Nothing too damaging, of course. Just a taste.” She moved close to Briony, but Briony wasn’t watching. Instead, she was focused on Fallon as he picked up Briony’s fallen sword in one movement, spinning towards the third vampire, the male she had stabbed.

  “What?” was all the vampire had time for before the sword plunged under his ribs, up and into the heart. He fell back, cold flames already claiming him as he died. A second or two more, and there was nothing left of him.

  Fallon lunged for Lily, but the female vampire was already reacting. She spun out of the way of the blow, kicking out at Fallon and catching him in the knee. He did not fall, but he did have to scramble back. Apparently from nowhere, Lily acquired a couple of wicked looking knives.

  “Oh, how sweet. Trying to protect your little human. It will not work though. I am older than you are, Fallon, and we both know what that means, don’t we? Don’t we?”

  “It means you are stronger and faster,” Fallon said. He still raised the sword, circling until he was facing Briony. Or, to look at it another way, until the other vampire’s back was to her.

  “That’s right,” Lily said. “Don’t worry though, I’m not going to kill you. Only the Master gets to do that. Besides, I’ll want you alive while I hurt this human of yours so much that you beg me to kill…oh.”

  The last sound came out as a gasp. Briony had slid the crucifix from around her neck, activated the long blade, and slid it up into the spot where she thought the heart was. Since Lily flamed with that cold fire, Briony guessed that she had hit the right spot.

  “That’s for Tracey.”

  Somehow though, it didn’t feel very satisfying. It certainly didn’t do anything to bring her friend back. All Briony could do was move over and cut George’s bindings. The ex-soldier looked over to Fallon and started to scramble for his crossbow.

  “You won’t need that,” Briony said.

  George paused for a moment. “How do we know?” He eyed Fallon critically.

  Fallon walked over to Briony, slipping his arm around her, holding her close. “Because, sir, I love Briony. I would never do anything to harm her.”

  Briony’s heart swell, hearing Fallon’s words. Looking at Fallon’s handsome face, full of love and earnestness, Briony wanted to lean into him and just let Fallon hold her. Fallon looked down at her, his cheeks brushing hers. “Briony…I’m sorry for leaving. I miss you.”

  “I missed you, too,” Briony whispered, all her feelings for Fallon rushing back into her with full intensity.

  George’s gruff voice penetrated the thick air of passion between the two, and Briony instinctively pulled away from Fallon. “I believe you, vampire, although I’m not sure how a slayer could be dating a vampire.” He addressed Briony, “Does Sophie know?”

  Briony nodded.

  “And she’s fine with it?” George asked in disbelief.

  “She allowed us to go to the dance together,” Briony said.

  “Well…you’re her niece. She’s very protective of you so if she trusts this vampire around you, then he is probably alright.” George scratched his head. “What I do know about Sophie is, after all these years, that if she thinks someone is alright. She’s usually right.” George extended his hand. “Thanks…Fallon, is it? Your tactic was clever and fast-thinking.” Fallon shook his hand.

  “To be honest, I didn’t really think it through.” He reversed Briony’s sword, passing it back to her. Briony accepted it gratefully.

  “Well, I have been doing some thinking,” George said, “and I think it’s probably time for what we in army circles call a tactical withdrawal.”

  Fallon nodded. “They’ll be here very soon…the rest of them.”

  George nodded. “And we don’t want to be here when they come back.”

  Chapter 18

  They scrambled back to the Edge Inn, all three of them, glancing back as they ran to check that the shadows between the trees were still just shadows, and not a horde of vampires about to descend on them. They stayed just as they were though. It seemed that the vampires had done enough with them for one night. At least, Briony hoped so.

  There were still surprises in store though. No sooner had they reached the safe, comforting presence of the Inn than two shapes barreled out of the darkness at them. George raised his crossbow. Even Briony had her sword half up before she saw who it was.

  “George, don’t shoot. Maisy? Steve? What are you doing here?”

  The two of them were warmly wrapped up, carrying torches and maps. Maisy spoke.

  “We heard that Tracey had gone missing, and… well, we know she is your friend, and we wanted to help look for her. Um… if I ask what all the weapons are about, am I going to like the answer?”

  Briony didn’t get a chance to reply, because another shape detached itself from the darkness. It was a man in his twenties, his skin pallid, his eyes already glowing red in the dark. Another vampire then. Briony raised her sword again.

  “You won’t need that,” the man said.

  “I doubt that,” Briony replied.

  “I simply have a message.”

  “What kind of message?”

  “A message for Fallon here, and a message for you.” The vampire turned to Fallon. “We saw what you did to the others, traitor. Slaying your own kind. Our master has cast you out for that. Any of us who sees you has the right to your blood.”

  The vampire stopped for a second.

  “What was the message for me?”

  The vampire smiled eerily before lunging for Briony at a frightening speed. Unfortunately for the creature, Briony reacted on instinct, thrusting with the blade straight into its heart. The body fell and burned to ashes. Briony let out a deep breath. That was that then. All dealt with. Except…

  Except that Maisy and Steve were watching from just a few feet away, shocked expressions on their faces.

  “Um…” Briony tried to think of a lie that might work, decided that there probably wasn’t one, and decided to try the truth instead. She looked to George, who shrugged. Apparently, this was going to be up to her. “I think I should probably explain a few things.”

  “I think you probably should,” Maisy agreed, Steve leaning heavily on her. “Just help me get Steve inside first. I think he’s fainted.”

  As it happened, Steve recovered quickly enough that Briony didn’t have to help haul him inside, because he was able to walk. What he was not able to do was stop staring at the sword Briony held. Eventually, out of sheer irritation, Briony settled for tucking it out of sight under the sofa.

  After that, while George watched from the windows for signs of the others, Briony did her best to explain. She explained about vampires. She explained about werewolves. She explained, in great detail, all the strange things that had happened to her since she showed up in the town of Wicked. Briony even explained some of the ways of killing vampires, mostly because the other two looked like they needed the extra reassurance that they could be killed. Finally, Briony explained about the preservation society, and what it did.

  “So Tracey has been killed by a vampire?” Maisy asked.

  Briony nodded. “A group of vampires, yes.”

  “And we can’t tell anyone this because…?” Steve began.

  Maisy punched him on the arm. “Because no one would believe us, idiot. They would think we were making things up, or insane. Or maybe they would think that we had something to do with killing her.”

  “You mean like in season three of Vampires in Space?”

  “You mean season two, don’t you?”

  Steve looked sullen. “I do not.”

  “Actually,” Fallon put in. “I’m fairly sure that it was season two, but that’s not the point.”

  “No,”
Maisy said. “We get that.”

  Briony was impressed. “You’re taking this a lot better than I did.”

  Maisy shrugged. “Well, we are confirmed sci-fi geeks, remember. All this stuff being out there… it is actually kind of cool. So, where do we sign up for this society of yours?”

  That took Briony a little by surprise. “You want to join?”

  “Of course we want to join! Out there, fighting against the forces of darkness! Who wouldn’t want to? It will be so epic, won’t it Steve?”

  The boy nodded so vigorously, Briony thought his head might drop off. “Totally. I mean… vampires? Ok, so they might have been done to death on TV, but an actual society dedicated to fighting them? This is going to be amazing!”

  “I don’t think you two get it,” Briony said. “This isn’t a TV show. It is real life. You can really be hurt, out here.”

  Maisy nodded. “We know, Briony. But you haven’t been, have you? Besides, after what they did to Tracey, I don’t think hanging around pretending that nothing is happening here is going to keep us very safe.”

  Briony nodded. That made sense. “There are still things you need to see.”

  “Like?” Maisy asked.

  Briony nodded to Fallon, who opened his mouth, revealing fangs. Briony wasn’t sure what reaction she was expecting from her friends. Shock, maybe. Disbelief? Not for Maisy to lean forward, peering into Fallon’s mouth like a particularly overeager dentist.

  “That is so cool. Where do the fangs go when they are not out like this? I mean, do they retract, or do they just appear by magic, or what?”

  Steve got in on the act. “So you’re a vampire? Does this mean you’re stronger than the whole football team put together? Do ordinary weapons bounce off you? What about sunlight? No, that can’t hurt you. I’ve seen you walking around in the day.”

  Slowly though, the two ground to a halt. Maisy raised her hand like she was in class.

  “What is it, Maisy?” Briony asked.

  “Well, we’re meant to be part of a society for hunting vampires, right?”

  “Not until after I’ve spoken to Aunt Sophie about it,” Briony said, but when she looked over to George, he nodded. “But yes.”