Authors: Trina M. Lee
I started my car and pulled away from the curb. It was still early. I planned to go back home before heading to the Lounge. Kylarai had been home before Shaz and I had left the house. I’d had time to fill her in on my visit from Harley while she ran around getting ready for another date with Julian. Was I a bad friend for wanting that whole, sordid relationship to dissolve? She was my best friend, and I adored her. I wanted better for her.
I was singing along to an Ill Scarlett song as I crossed town to my neighborhood.
Passing one of my neighbors, I raised a hand in greeting. When I turned the corner on to my street, my expression froze on my face. A black SUV that I recognized as Julian’s was parked in front of my house. Why did I get the feeling that this was just the beginning of a bad night?
I made a face of disgust to nobody at all as I turned the doorknob, letting myself into the house. Kylarai’s laughter rang out, tinkling like wind chimes, and Julian’s low murmur came in response. I let the door slam shut behind me, a little harder than necessary, but I wanted to make my presence obvious right off the bat.
I was hoping that I could bypass the living room where they sat and escape down the hall to either the kitchen or my room. The square layout of our house had the hallway running past every room as it continued around the house. It wouldn’t be all that hard to sneak past the entry to the living room, would it? Hopefully, Ky would know better than to stop me.
Unfortunately for me, the voice that called to me as I hurried past the living room entry was not Kylarai’s. I cringed when Julian’s low, husky tone caught my attention. His hurried, loud whisper of, “Alexa!” had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I shuddered and turned towards the living room, unable to resist as Arys’ blood lust rode me.
I appeared in the doorway suddenly. Kylarai actually jumped, which I found both odd and surprising. Crossing my arms over my chest, I mustered my best bored expression and said, “What do you want?”
Julian held up both hands in a mocking show of surrender. The smile that played along his lips was more than a little malicious. I stared at him and instantly saw him as prey to be hunted and bled. I think I may have licked my lips as the sound of his steady heartbeat alone suddenly outweighed any other sound in the room.
My eyes went to Kylarai. She was curled up against the corner of the sofa, sipping from a steaming mug. He sat next to her, an arm slung loosely about her shoulders.
Though he attempted casual, there was no missing the way he looked me over. I’d caught him doing just the same thing at Raoul’s once. That time it had appeared sexual, this time it was the sign of a wannabe Alpha wolf sizing up the competition. I smirked openly at him.
“I’m not here to get into it with you, Alexa. I just want to spend some time with my girl here.” Julian nodded at Kylarai, and I had to fight down the bile that threatened to rise up in my throat.
“Then why did you call my name when I tried to successfully ignore your wretched presence?” I felt Kylarai cringe more so than I saw it since I was staring down the pathetic excuse for a werewolf beside her.
“Alexa,” she piped up, her voice gentle as she tried to draw my attention to her. “I didn’t know you would be back tonight. Is something up?”
I studied her for a moment before replying. She wore a long, black robe and had her long bob pulled back into a ponytail. Her grey eyes were filled with anxiety. I hated that she was caught in the middle of all of this.
“No, not at all.” Though I looked at Ky, my senses honed in on Julian, sharper than before. “I just had some time to kill before I head to Lucy’s. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Her ponytail bounced as she gave her head a vigorous shake. “No worries. It’s your house, too. We’re just watching some silly ass Freddy Krueger movie on the Scream channel. Want to join us?”
Julian seemed to await my response as if he thought I might really say yes. I couldn’t resist the urge to look at him, his scent tantalizing my blood hunger as I did so. It seemed to grow stronger when our eyes met. The spice and pine of Were blood assaulted my senses, and the wave of demanding bloodlust rocked me. It was all I could do not to cross the room dividing us and bleed him.
“No,” I replied, a slight shake to my voice. I swallowed hard; confused at the way I was reacting to Julian. “I won’t be here long. You won’t even notice me.”
I turned to leave the room before the growing, sickening hunger could affect my choices. Julian cleared his throat, and I knew he was going to speak before he did. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten. I was not going to murder him in my own house.
“I just want to say something quickly, Alexa.” When I turned back to face him, he wore a serious expression. “The whole thing with Shaz … no hard feelings, ok?”
Was he freaking kidding me? He looked so damned serious, but I just didn’t buy it.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and the surge of anger that hit me directly fed my hunger for living, pumping blood.
“Remember that you said that when he wipes the forest floor with you.” The words came tripping out of my mouth before I could stop them, not that I wanted to. A wicked smile graced my lips then, and I knew it was Arys’ smile. Julian may not recognize it, but Kylarai would.
She stiffened noticeably; her mug smacked the coffee table loudly, and her mouth dropped open. Julian looked like he didn’t know what hit him. I took great pleasure in his shocked expression. I found it somewhat surprising that he hadn’t expected it from me.
He recovered fast though, his typical smirk back in its place on his scruffy face.
“And, if he doesn’t? What then, Queen Alpha? Are you going to accept me as your second fiddle in this town or take me on yourself?”
“Julian, that’s enough!” Kylarai warned as her cheeks grew flushed with angry heat.
“I won’t hesitate to run you out of this town with your tail between your legs like the pathetic dog that you are. You will never be a dominant to either Shaz or me, so keep dreaming. Dreams are all you have, little boy.” Something moved inside of me, and Arys’
power slammed through me.
It was Julian’s reaction that alerted me to the fact that my eyes were Arys’ startling blue, not my own deep brown. It was something that happened when the vampire’s power was strong, pressing the surface of my being. It was also something I would never get used to. I avoided mirrors like the plague when my eyes turned the eerie vampire blue.
“Holy shit,” Julian breathed. He sat frozen next to Kylarai who just looked plain worried. She thought I was going to kill him. I could see it all over her face.
“Don’t say another word,” she hissed under her breath. Of course, I could hear her as if I’d been standing beside her. To me she said, “It’s cool, Lex. Just calm down …
okay?”
Try as I might, I couldn’t shake the snake-like grin from my face. “Trust me. I am calm.”
I wasn’t trying to scare Kylarai, but her face paled, and she ever so slowly got to her feet, motioning for Julian to stay seated. He watched me with dark chestnut eyes that had gone all wolf, leaving no trace of white. It was only natural that his wolf would go on the defensive. It only encouraged the cool energy dominating my focus.
“Maybe I should call Arys for you?” Her tone implied a question, and I realized she was afraid of me, not just the situation. If I hadn’t been so wired right then, I would have been saddened by that.
I could remember the first time this had happened to me, right after I’d lost it and attacked Shaz. That had been the first morning Ky went to bed with her door locked. Did she really think I would hurt her? I shuddered at the look of horror on Shaz’ face, my mind conjuring the image of when I’d rushed him as Arys’ tortured memories drove me.
“Arys is hunting.” My voice sounded hollow, even to me. “I said I’m fine. I can’t help it if obvious prey inside my own house triggers the bloodlust.” My smile vanishing, I turned to Julian. “You think you’re something to be feared?” I flashed my sharp fangs at him, blinking my blue eyes slowly a few times for effect before a vicious laugh bubbled out.
It took everything I had in me to turn toward the hall and put one foot in front of the other. I knew how badly I’d massacred that first victim, the woman-beater, and I knew I’d do the same to Julian if I put my hands on him. One foot in front of the other, and I finally entered my room and managed to close the door without going back for a fight.
I didn’t want to be in my room though. I wanted to get the hell out of the house. This was so not good. My best friend and the werewolf I detested, dating. Ugh. Was it wrong to hope they wouldn’t, as gross as it was, fall in love?
Against my better judgment, I went into my ensuite bathroom and very quickly looked over my appearance. I didn’t get any closer to the mirror than necessary, unnerved by my unnatural blue orbs.
The black, hip-hugging jeans and equally black halter-top made my hair look so much blonder than usual. The shirt was one of my favorites. It held my breasts perfectly supported so they both felt and looked great, and the fabric that fell around my waist was sheer, longer on one side than the other, and jagged-cut. I didn’t wear jewelry when I knew I’d be shifting, but today I had slipped on a silver charm bracelet that Shaz had given me for my last birthday. If the Hollywood rules about werewolves had been true, I never would have been able to wear it.
After running my brush carelessly through my waist length hair, I tossed the red streaked locks over my shoulder and turned back to my room. It had gotten incredibly quiet out in the living room. If I couldn’t sense their heartbeats, I would have thought they’d left.
Before leaving my bedroom, I grabbed a pair of black ankle boots from my closet so that I wouldn’t have to go back for my shoes at the front door. Silently, I slunk down the hall to the kitchen and let myself out the sliding door into the backyard. I crossed through the yard to the front where my Charger sat large and red against the dark backdrop of night.
I revved the engine a few times before putting the car in gear and driving away. I wanted to make sure they knew I’d left. Arys likely wouldn’t be at Lucy’s for some time yet, but that didn’t mean I had to sit at home with two chicken shit werewolves feeding my fire. I needed to burn off some of the aggressive power I’d built up before I dared to step foot into a bar filled with tantalizing humans.
Turning onto the main drag, I headed for the north end of town and the beautiful little fountain park that also served as a both a tourist attraction and information center. It would be empty at this time of night, perfect for unleashing some negative energy. By then, hopefully, Arys would have appeased both his hunger and mine.
* * * *
As expected, the park was cast in darkness. A few strategically placed streetlights illuminated the path that led to both the gazebo and the path that wound the circumference of the large fountain pond. I parked in one of the many vacant spaces and got out of the car, breathing in the crisp night air. Thick, luscious trees and brush surrounded the park on all sides except the one with the large hill, which led up to the highway on the edge of town. The sound of vehicles passing by was distant. If I turned away from the hill, it was as if I wasn’t even in town anymore.
I passed the community bulletin board, glancing briefly at a flyer advertising a way overpriced, used Mustang for sale. I chuckled to myself, knowing the guy would never unload it on anyone but a sucker. Passing the gazebo, I continued down the path, headed toward the bridge that spanned the length of the pond.
As I drew closer, the darkness seemed to grow thicker. The fading light behind me was soon no more than a pale glow. The bridged loomed large and spooky beneath the silver moonlight. A chill spilled down my spine like ice-cold water when a memory surfaced, unbidden and unwelcome.
I had come here the day that Arys gave me the letter from Raoul, the one he’d found addressed to me, Raoul’s confession. It had been one of the most horrifying and enlightening days of my life. Everything had changed that day: some for the better and others not so much.
I stepped onto the bridge, light and silent on the wooden planks beneath my feet. I followed its U shape up to the peak of its height, reaching out to the metal railing to steady myself. The water below looked absolutely black. I knew it was filled with thick, dangerous weeds and was actually very deep in places. The glint of the moonlight reflected off the dark surface, catching my eye.
Despite the perfection of the scene around me, the vampire’s bloodlust scarcely waned. The need for the kill was deep in my core, riding me hard. Hadn’t that damn vampire fed yet? Where could he be? At most times, the differing power of the wolf and the vampire co-existed somewhat peacefully within me. Now, they seemed to be battling for control. The approach of the full moon encouraged my wolf’s dominant and controlling nature as it warred with the cold power of the undead.
A visible spasm wracked my body, and I gripped the railing tighter with both hands.
The warm living energy of my wolf fought to battle the blood hunger, but something else appealed to my instincts. My head snapped up suddenly as the night air carried the scent of werewolf to me but not anyone’s scent that I knew.
My eyes instantly searched the surrounding darkness; my every sense, on full alert. I was standing in the middle of the bridge, and my instincts screamed at me to both fight and to run. I inhaled deeply, pinpointing the scent to my right, the way I’d just come. I only smelled one Were out there lurking around. His energy was livid, and he was out to kill.
I sprung into motion, moving slowly but steadily along the bridge, towards the other side. I didn’t want a confrontation on top where I could end up going over the side. I couldn’t imagine who this werewolf was stalking me or why. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared shitless.
Judging the distance back to the Charger, I knew I’d never make it in time if this Were was intent on attacking me. Ever so slowly, I made my way down the other side of the bridge, grateful when my feet were back on solid ground. I could feel his energy grow stronger in its intensity as he advanced on me. I had yet to see him in the darkness. I could feel him though, getting closer with every step.
I tapped into the hungry power I held inside, bracing for the attack that I knew was coming. His scent was musky and strong, as if he had been in wolf form for a long time. I was praying he wasn’t on four feet now, or he would easily have the physical advantage.
We never saw foreign Weres in this town, not like this.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The shape that came across the bridge then seemed to be nothing but a blur. I gave a small cry, throwing my hands up, the power rushing from me so fast that I almost collapsed. The rush of gold and blue hit him dead on, throwing him back. I turned to run, sensing only one but fearing more than that.
I had barely made it ten feet when a clawed hand reached me, digging into my shoulder and down my back. I felt the blood spill from the gouges before the scent reached me. The adrenaline blasted through me so hard, I almost stumbled from the onslaught of it. I was afraid, but the bloodlust was quickly stripping that away, and I turned to fight him with all I had.
A snarl broke the silence, and everything seemed to speed up again. In the pale glow of the moon, I could see that he had long, dark hair, stringy and matted. His eyes seemed to glow deep amber brown, and his large fangs flashed as he rushed me.
My breath whooshed out as his weight slammed into me, taking me down beneath him. His fangs snapped just inches before my face, and I struggled uselessly to make my lungs work. I lashed out in defense, raining blows like bricks against his face. He seemed to be unfeeling as he took every one with little protest. His eyes were locked on mine as his clawed hands wrapped around my throat.
He squeezed so hard that my vision blurred and white spots danced before my eyes.
For a moment, I truly thought I was dying. The power of the undead saved me. It wasn’t afraid to die because it was already beyond mortal life. It wanted to taste this fiery werewolf, to drain everything from him slowly and completely. I reached out metaphysically first, drawing his energy to me.
At first, he didn’t feel me drawing him into me, absorbing his strength, his very life.
Then, awareness brightened his eyes, and he tried to pull back. I gulped in the air when he released my throat, grateful to be able to breathe again. I reached for him as he scrambled backward, suddenly desperate to put space between us. He thought that would make a difference.
I leaped to my feet with my fangs bared and a loud growl rumbling in my throat. I wanted to taste his musky wolf blood as I drained his life energy away. My mind wanted to ask him what the fuck he thought he was doing, but my instinct just said kill.
“Vampire.” The word came from him like a hiss. I almost wasn’t sure I’d heard it.
His shock didn’t last long. He flew at me again, and this time I hit him with a psi ball that left him panting, but still, he didn’t stop. “You killed her. You killed Olivia!”
Uh oh. It all made a little more sense now. He took another clawed swipe at me, this time painfully close to my throat, grazing my upper chest. It seemed that Kale and I had failed to consider that the she-wolf we’d taken out had a mate. Like any mate would be, he was hell bent on my death as retribution. And, knowing Shaz would be the same, I couldn’t blame him.
“It wasn’t personal. She was endangering all of us.” I didn’t doubt for a moment that he had been a willing partner in Olivia’s rampage. I would have given anything to be in wolf form right then, but it just wasn’t possible, not unless it got really ugly.
I tapped Arys’ power and threw the wolf clear, sailing through the air to land against a thick pine tree. He immediately tried to get up, but he was dazed and moved slowly.
Running, I crossed the distance between us, landing on him with a series of power-fueled blows that snapped his head back and forth. I just knew that I couldn’t let him gain the advantage again.
Despite the blows that resulted in a series of crunches and cracks and plentiful blood flow, he didn’t cease his assault either. When his body beneath me began to turn furry, I knew I was a goner if I didn’t get the hell out of there. I didn’t want to shift in the park and be trapped, unable to get in my car and leave. I had to get to the Charger.
I went for his throat, but he successfully blocked me with an arm that was instantly a furry front leg. Leaping off him, I turned to run, feeling ashamed but knowing I couldn’t take him here and now. The sound of his paws hitting the ground behind me had my heart leaping into my throat.
I threw up an energy wall between us, buying myself some time. He’d either have to wait for it to dissolve or go back across the bridge and around the pond the other way to catch me. Glancing back, I saw him slam right into the barrier and go down. I poured on the speed; my feet barely touched the ground as I ran.
Fear drove me to move faster when I saw the large wolf scramble to its feet and take off the other way, across the bridge. I was closer to the Charger than he was, but he had twice as many feet as I did. I could taste blood in my mouth from a cut I’d sustained during our scuffle. The pain was beginning to set in as my injuries throbbed in time with my pounding heart.
As I drew closer to the car, I fumbled my keychain out of my pocket. With a loud jingle, it dropped to the grass, and I had to jerk to a halt. Cursing, I snatched the keys from the ground and continued sprinting to the car. A large shadow was barreling around the other side of the pond, drawing closer with alarming speed.
Thanking God for the remote unlock feature, I literally threw myself at the passenger side of the car, since he was coming up fast on the driver side. I had just gotten in and slammed the door shut behind me when his two hundred pounds of aggression crashed into the driver’s side of my car. Scrambling to get into the driver’s seat, I jammed the key in the ignition and felt absolute relief when the engine roared to life. I’d been afraid he would have done something to strand me here.
Slamming the car into reverse, I pressed the gas to the floor, and the car flew back in a wide half circle. If he was stupid enough to get in my way, I was going to run him down. He backed off though when I put the car in gear. In a blur, he darted out of my path and in amongst the trees. I didn’t stop driving until I was across town, safe in the parking lot of Lucy’s Lounge. Rather than park at the end of the lot as usual, I double-parked next to Shaz’ car in the staff spaces near the door.
My heart had barely slowed in the five minutes it had taken me to cross town.
Flipping down my visor, I studied my face in the mirror. I could have screamed when I saw my face and the tangles and filth in my hair. My eyes were still Arys’ shocking blue, but that was the least of my worries right now.
There were small, bloody punctures on my throat from where he had grabbed me.
Crimson stained my bottom lip, and I could only imagine how bad the deep, long scratches down my back were. I’d need a full-length mirror to see it all.
Finger combing my hair was almost useless, and I had to arrange it carefully so that the marks on my neck were hidden from the humans at least. Anything supernatural would know I was injured immediately. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with Julian here, since he was at my house, in my personal space.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the car door and scented the air before getting out.
Call me paranoid, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I reached the door in record time, nodding briefly to the bouncer just inside. He raised an eyebrow but waved me through.
My first instinct was to look for Shaz at the bar. I knew I should go for the bathroom to get cleaned up, but I needed to see him. I had come close to biting it at the hands of a crazed werewolf intent on revenge.
Before I’d even made it halfway to the bar, my white wolf’s head snapped up as he scented my blood. With a word to Tawnie, his partner behind the bar, he was moving through the crowd to get to me. My bottom lip trembled as he drew closer and when he pulled me into his arms, I choked back a sob.
“What in the hell happened to you? Don’t tell me this is about Arys or Harley.”
Shaz’ expression grew venomous, and I shook my head vigorously. He pushed my hair back, scrutinizing the marks on my neck before dragging me back towards the staff hall at the back of the building.
“No,” I said, clinging to his heavenly warmth with relief. “It’s not that at all. It’s a wolf that Kale and I killed … her mate attacked me in the park.” Saying it sounded so ridiculous. I hadn’t considered this outcome.
With his interest piqued, Shaz scented me closely. His jade eyes widened as he got past the blood and nightclub scent, picking out the musky odor of the wolf who had dared to touch his mate. When he looked up at me again, his eyes were all wolf. “Where is he now?”
“No! You are not looking for him.” I touched his cheek, forcing him to look at me.
“He’s out of his mind. Please, don’t.”
“Alexa, you’ve got to stop this. You can’t shelter me anymore. I’m not a kid; I’m your mate, and I am going to make it clear to every wolf that I am the Alpha male in this town. You can’t deny me that. It’s in every part of me.” His chin lifted in defiance, and a gleam lit his eyes that I’d never seen before. Still, I couldn’t back down.
“You can kick the living shit out of Julian and anyone else in this town if you feel the need to. But please, don’t go looking for this wolf right now.” I pressed an urgent kiss to his lips, forcing him to respond. I felt the fight go out of him as his shoulders sagged, and he deepened the kiss until it was hot and passionate.
Arys’ blood lust honed in on Shaz and I had to pull away. Looking into my blue eyes, he nodded knowingly. “You want to bleed me right now, don’t you? That son of a bitch isn’t supposed to let this happen to you.” His anger teased my senses, bringing a smile to my lips though I didn’t find it at all funny.
“Don’t freak out about it. He said he was going to hunt.” I breathed deeply, savoring the delightful aroma of living, breathing humans. My fangs had disappeared upon leaving the park, but my gums tingled in anticipation, and I ached to sink teeth into something soft and full of life. Shaz’ intoxicating Were energy was both painful and pleasurable.