by Renee Rose
“Who knows why the killer kills? Boredom in his old age.”
I bite my lip because Lucius has said the same sort of things. I almost tell him Lucius has a search team looking for my old pack but Xavier speaks first.
“There’s more. I have eye witnesses. He took the youngest and the strongest to his lair. Lucius took them to his lair where he drank from their neck, forced them to drink from him, then tore out their hearts.”
I shake my head.
“Yes,” Xavier booms. “It’s true.”
“Why would he do that?”
“To turn shifters into vampires.”
“He can’t do that. He wouldn’t.”
“If he can do that, he’ll be the most powerful vampire on earth.” He sets the stake on the sink. “Unless you can stop him.”
Lucius
The video ends and I rewind it. This time I play it on silent. Whether she’s facing the camera, staking or beheading, her expression never changes. She’s so young. So determined.
It’s one thing to hear her admit she came to kill me.
It’s another to see it.
She worked at this. Trained. Everything we’ve shared and she hasn’t told me who sent her. I could torture it out of her, but it will break the fragile trust we have.
“I thought you should know,” Theophilus says, stupidly reminding me he’s here, witnessing this private humiliation.
I whirl on him. “Did you deliver this?”
He backs up, palms up. “No…”
“Did you have anything to do with this?”
“No! I just happened to be here. That’s the she wolf you bought at auction, right?’
“Yes.” I grip the edge of my desk so hard something cracks. “This video. Did it come with anything else?”
“Just the jump drive.”
“Show me the box.”
Theophilus hastens to fetch it. “We had it checked out when we first thought it was a bomb.”
No return label, just the club’s address scrawled on a white notecard taped to the front. I rip the tape away with a sharp nail. Peel off the label and there it is, the note. On screen his voice was garbled, but when I read the slanted script Xavier’s voice plays in my head.
Quite the warrior, isn’t she?
She was mine all along.
Selene
I barely register when the guard resumes his place at my side. Xavier must have paid him off. Lucius’ security isn’t as tight as he thinks it is. I should tell him...after I decide whether or not to kill him.
A frantic giggle bubbles in my chest. I press my free hand to my mouth. My right is tucked half under the fancy skirt of my dress, hiding the stake Xavier gave me.
What the hell am I going to do?
A vampire appears at my booth. Slim and dressed in a black suit like a secret agent, he beckons to me.
“I’m taking you back to the mansion. The King’s orders.”
“Where is he?”
“He doesn’t want to see you,” the vampire says. “I’m Theophilus. Trust me, you don’t want to cross him right now.”
I exit the booth on shaky legs and follow my guide out of the club. He shuts me in the limo. The divider’s up so I pull out the stake and stare at it all the way to Lucius’ home.
Who do I trust? Who’s telling the truth? Do I listen to my head or my heart?
Selene
The house is quiet, empty. I creep through the halls, not glancing into the rooms. There’s a cold smell coming from the master bedroom. I follow the scent trail, my skin prickling.
I enter the room I tore apart searching, the one where I got trapped in the false tunnel under the fireplace. The fireplace is the same, but the king bed is gone folded up into the wall like a Murphy bed. In the spot where the bed used to be is a stone staircase leading down into darkness. The cold scent wafts up from the crypt.
This is Lucius’ lair. He left it open for me. For I second, I’m dizzy. Does this mean Xavier found him?
Left hand out for balance, I descend. The walls and floor are solid stone, cold on my bare feet. My skin tingles as I cross the threshold, a buzzing feeling not unlike an electric current. The sensation rises to the point of pain; I hold my breath and fight through it, my steps slow like I’m wading through water. All at once, the spell lifts and I can breathe again. Vampire’s as old as Lucius have more than the usual defenses.
The air changes. I scent, rather than see, a great room in front of me. A light comes on, triggered by my motion. It cuts the gloom enough for me to look left and right, half expecting a giant boulder to roll out of a booby trap, like something out of Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones. Nothing happens, but I hurry on, my feet slapping against the stone.
His large form stands on a raised platform. A long stone rectangle, about hip high and ten feet long, is the only piece of furniture.
His dark hair falls across his brow. “Pet. You’re here.”
“The door was open. This is your lair,” I say stupidly. Surprise makes me Captain Obvious. “It’s...big.”
He looks around as if seeing it for the first time. “I’ve never had anyone here before. I suppose if I had planned ahead, I could’ve decorated.”
“With what? Medieval furniture? Torture devices?” I try to joke.
“Yes, well. No one expects the Spanish inquisition.”
I want to laugh, but he sounds so tired. He moves, putting the giant stone rectangle between us. Grateful for the barrier, I walk forward, stopping on the edge of the raised platform.
“Why did you let me in here?” My voice echoes in the empty space.
“Why did you come?”
I pull my right hand out from behind my back and show him the stake.
“Ah yes.” He runs a thoughtful hand over the stone slab. It’s the size and shape of a coffin. That’s where he sleeps, in a sarcophagus. Another layer of protection. Even if I broke into his lair, I might not be able to open the coffin without help.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he tells me and pauses, eyebrows raised like he’s waiting for me to deliver my part of the script.
“I was sent to kill you.”
“I know.”
I step onto the dais, and walk around the sarcophagus. I’m close enough to stake him, which means he’s close enough to reach out and snap my neck.
“I didn’t live this long by letting my guard down,” Lucius continues. “As soon as I saw Xavier, I knew something was going on.”
I jerk back. “You knew Xavier?”
“Yes. He was Georgianna’s maker.”
Georgianna the vampire he loved. The one I look like. “He ordered her to kill you. You killed her when she betrayed you.”
“History repeats itself.”
I step closer to Lucius. He doesn’t move. “Why did you let me close? If you knew Xavier was involved, if he sent me, why did you keep me here?” And not just keep me close. Fuck me, hurt me in a way we both like. Show me a world I came to love.
He turns slightly towards me. “Some risks are worth it.”
My head tilts back to keep my eyes on his as I move closer. “Are they?”
“I’ve lived a long time, Selene. I know when someone’s worth it.” He extends a finger, traces a strand of my hair that’s fallen loose from my tight ponytail. His smile is so sad it hurts my heart. He does something I’d never expect. Not in a thousand years.
He turns his back.
The stake is somehow in my fingers.
I come forward. It’s now or never. I could kill him. That’s why he left his crypt open. He’s letting me.
I toss the stake onto the floor by his feet. It lands with a clatter.
Lucius raises his head.
“I can’t do it,” I say, voice echoing a little in this stone tomb. “I won’t. I wouldn’t be here except….Xavier said you killed my family, my pack. But then I met you and… I don’t know what to believe any more…” I wait but he stays silent. “I guess you didn’t kill t
hem.”
“Do you want me to deny it again?”
“No,” I say, decided. “You didn’t kill them. You’ve killed before but not like that. Not a massacre.”
“You think better of me than anyone else, pet.”
“It’s not like you. Maybe before, a thousand years ago. But not now.”
“I’m glad you think me so civilized.” Light glints off his fangs, but he’s not smiling.
“I’ve killed before. Xavier trained me. He found vampires for me to kill, and I staked them to practice for you. He told me they deserved to die.” I trusted Xavier, but what if those vampires were innocent victims like my pack? “So I’m a killer, too.” I swallow, working saliva into my dry mouth. Lucius still hasn’t moved. “What do we do now?”
His cheek curves. “It’s up to you, pet. What do you want to do?”
“I think...it’s time say goodbye.”
He breaks his stillness, twisting around. His face is composed, regal, but his eyes are sad. “A vampire and a shifter. Is it such an impossible thing?”
My eyes drop to the stake. “Yes. Xavier won’t be happy about what I’ve done.”
“I’ll handle Xavier.”
I swipe a hand over my brow, drop it to my throat. My skin feels clammy. “He chose me because I looked like Georgianna.”
“Yes.”
“He’s been planning this awhile.” I gnaw my lip. “When I leave here, I’ll have to go on the run.”
He shifts his weight. “What makes you think I’ll let you go?” Red light gleams in his eyes.
“You told me you would. You said the ones you love always leave you.”
“They always die.”
“I’m not going to die. Not for awhile. I can run.” I suck in a breath, feeling dizzy. There’s not enough air in this crypt. “I can’t stay here. Vampires and shifters don’t belong together.”
He gazes at me, face limned half in light, half in darkness.
Answer me, I want to shake him.
“You’re right. A vampire in love with a shifter. It’s an impossible thing.”
“I ...I just wanted you to know.
“Go. with my blessing.”
I jerk my chin up and take a step. Like a klutz, I misstep and stagger off the platform. In an instant, Lucius is at my side, a big, dark monolith of support. His scent washes over me.
“Selene--”
“No--” I pull away. I’m not as strong as I act. If he touches me, I’ll crumble. “I’m fine.” I’m not fine. My stomach roils,
My vision blurs, the world narrowing to the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve got to get out of here before I do something weak, like burst into tears or vomit.
My legs wobble as I head for the exit, but I make it.
“Selene,” Lucius calls after me. “Where will you go?”
I don’t turn around. “Return to my pack’s territory. See what happened to them.”
“Take the blood. You might need it.”
“Lucius--”
“Take it,” he orders harshly, before continuing in a more normal voice. “And a car. My last gift to you.”
I wait but he doesn’t say anything else.
I want to tell him everything he means to me. Instead, I rally my weak limbs, my stomach still roiling.
He doesn’t turn around or watch me go.
Fifteen minutes later, the night air hits my face as I stagger out the door. I make it to the side of the Lamborghini before leaning over to vomit on the pavement.
Several security guards pop up to watch.
“You okay?” One of the guards asks.
I wave my hand. “Too much to drink tonight.” That’s not it. The only thing I drank was what Xavier gave me. I must have caught a bug.
He fetches me a pack of wipes and bottle of water, points out the plastic bag stored in the glove compartment. I lean on the door, heaving air into my aching lungs. Would suck to throw up in such a nice car. But I’ve got to get out of here.
The sickness lessens long enough for me to throw my stuff in the back.
I’ve got the blood. I don’t know why, but it seemed too good to waste. It can help me fight. If Xavier comes after me, I might need it.
The further I drive, the weaker I feel. I must have eaten something weird. If breaking up is making me physically ill, I’m a sentimental fool. It’s not like we were together that long. I didn’t expect it to last, did I?
I drive faster, my vision blurring. The sun’s coming up.
I turn off the main road and find a sheltered parking lot near a nature walk. Weakness radiates up my arms. I’m super dizzy. I open the door and dry heave a little, but my stomach is empty. I flop back and shut the door, locking the Lambo before reclining the seat. I’m not driving anymore today. My body feels like it’s been beaten and encased in lead.
I dump my purse out, reach for the burner phone. I should call Declan and figure out what leads he has on my pack, but I’m too tired. I lie back and and pull the towel over my face. Just a little sleep. Just a little…
Lucius
Cold air wafts over my face. This time of night, I’d be preparing for bed, checking my security, closing my crypt.
Tonight I sit like a statue, my first curled on my knee.
She left me.
I text Declan: From now on, report directly to Selene. I give him the burner number and let the phone clatter to the floor.
My crypt is still open, but I don’t care. It’s time to sleep. A month of heaven, and I am back to feeling like one of the damned.
My life stretches before me, dark as a night with no moon.
Selene
As soon as my head hits the headrest, the dream envelops me like it’s been waiting for me. I’m back in the battered activity room of my pack’s hangout. Old pool table in the corner. Ansel Adam’s print peeling off the wall. There are voices coming from all around. Outside and in the kitchen. The whole pack’s about to come here and eat, talk, play games, wile the night away.
Someone’s calling my name. A woman’s voice, soft and light. My mother. I haven’t heard in over a decade. I step through the door--and end up in my bedroom. I haven’t been here since the night my family died. The room tilts--I’m sitting in my bed, upright, rigid, waiting. Someone’s outside. An intruder.
“Who’s there?” my dad calls gruffly. My parent’s door opens. He’s going to confront the intruder.
No, I open my mouth to scream. Don’t go--he’ll kill you!
“Selene?” My mother opens the door to my bedroom to check on me. A thud and my father falls in the living room. My mother turns, the door swinging wide enough for me to watch the vampire blur to her side. He’s on her before she can turn. Her voice cuts off and she falls, her head at a funny angle. Broken.
The vampire comes into my bedroom. I’m frozen in my bed, my mind screaming, my muscles refusing to respond as the vampire crosses the room to my bed. His huge body looms over mine. “Georgianna,” he says, and reaches out to touch my hair. And I see his face clearly--
I scream and throw myself out of bed, but he’s too fast. He’s going to catch me--
The room fades and I’m back in the pack club house. Bodies all over the floor. An old woman in the corner, rocking. “It was him,” she says. “It was the one-eyed vampire.”
I come awake. My whole body chilled, like I’ve been plunged into ice water. All around me, shadow dance, lengthened. It’s not dawn, but sunset. I’ve slept the day away.
I slept and I finally dreamed--
A clanging noise breaks the silence, makes me jump. My phone is going berserk.
I answer before I know what I’m doing.
“Hiya--is this tae wolf lass?”
It takes second for me to untangle the meaning of the accented words. “What? Yes. It’s me. Selene.”
“Thank fuck,” Declan mutters. “Been calling ya all day!”
I glance at the car seat where the burner lay. “Yeah, I fell asleep. I was super t
ired.” I must have been exhausted to pass out all day and not hear the ringer.
“You with Lucius?”
“No. I left him.”
Declan pauses a beat. A car enters the parking lot and does a slow roll past the Lambo. I twist in my seat, following its trajectory. It’s a black sedan with windows tinted enough I can’t see the driver. Something about it makes me tense, but it doesn’t stop or park, just glides past and exits. Must have been a wrong turn.
Declan’s talking again, so I focus. “Frangelico wanted us to tell ya. We found a woman from your old pack.”
“What?”
“She survived the massacre. Was picked up by another pack, lived out her days there. But she told the story of the attack to the leaders of her new pack. I can send ya the recording.”
“That’d be good. Did you listen to it? What did she say? “
“We did, lass,” he says in a gentle voice.
I swallow, my mouth is so dry. I still feel weak. “Tell me.”
“It was a vampire attack. Just one, but he was strong.”
“He?”
“She describes him.”
My gut cramps so hard I double over. “Yes?” I gasp. Please don’t say it’s Lucius. Please.
“It’s not Lucius,” Declan says as if he can read my mind. I slump back in my seat, my head so light it could float away. It wasn’t him.
My stomach clenches but the pains are weaker. My emotions are wreaking havoc on my body. Either that, or I ate something bad...over twenty four hours ago. I shouldn’t be reacting so strongly.
My first instinct shouldn’t be to clear Lucius’ name, but there’s no changing how I feel.
“At least, I don’t think it was,” Declan continues. “She described a big, powerful vampire, but this one had only one eye.”
The dizziness is back. “What?” I snap, my hand gripping the phone so hard the plastic cracks. “One eye? You’re sure?”
“He wore an eye patch, but in the struggle a wolf ripped it away. There was nothing where his eye should be.”
