Wulf's Redemption (Borne Vampires Book 3) (30 page)

“What are you doing here? How the hell did you get
in my club?” Jeremy shouted, shaking uncontrollably.

Sin lifted his right shoulder, “Mina and I just
walked in. Your bouncers were gone when we arrived.”

“Son-of-a-bitch. Alex, what do we do?” Jeremy demanded,
deciding to ignore the fact he was the one who pulled the security from the
entrances.

A wicked grin exposed Mina’s white fangs as she
advanced on him. “
We’d
like to kill you.”

Alex moved in front of Waters. “No, Mina. I gave
him my word there’d be a truce until Lisle was dead.”

“You gave your word, I didn’t,” Mina snarled. Sin
clamped his hand on her shoulder, forcing her back. “What?”

“Not yet, honey. Alex gave Waters his word. We
must honor the agreement
until
Lisle Breber is dead.”

Mollified by what Sin implied, Mina grinned, a
wicked one. “Let’s get on with killing Lisle Breber, shall we?”

From high above, the silver wolf dropped to land
in the middle of the dance floor. “Who says I will die?” Lisle rasped out. Dark
green blood soaked her muzzle and fur. She walked on two legs, her arms more human-like
than wolf, long fingers with razor-sharp claws.

Waters snapped his fingers and armed men in battle
gear rushed out, their guns trained on Lisle. As one, they turned their guns on
Kai, Sin, Mina, and him. “Well done, Lisle. We could not have captured them
without your assistance.”

Mina
glared at Sin, shaking her head in disgust. Rueful, he shrugged his broad
shoulders. “Sorry. Next time we fight your way. Happy?”

“I
will be after I kill him,” she snapped, glaring at the smirking demon vampire.

“Mina,
there’s no need to be uncivilized. It’s just business, you understand?”

“Not
for me,” Kai growled, her gun aimed at Waters, finger on the trigger.”

A
roar deafened them. Lisle snapped her jaws at the men closing in on her. Jeremy
tried to calm her, “Lisle, you must return to the basement. You have done your
job. Rest, my dear. I am very proud of you.”

Sneering
at his attempt to pacify her, Lisle shifted her gaze from Waters to him. “Alex
is mine. You plan to hurt Alex,” the wolf accused, her head swaying back and
forth in agitation.
 

“No,
dearest, I explained it all earlier. We want Alex. The others are to die.
Remember?” To one of his men, Jeremy ordered, “Bring up the prisoner.”

Lisle
shifted into her human form, the blood on her vanished, and she was wearing a
gown Alex recognized from when he first met her in 1819. She ignored the men
and strode over to Waters.

“I
want Alex now.” Her lovely mouth shaped into a pretty pout.

Gritting
his teeth, Jeremy was striving to be patient. “Later. I need to speak with him
about the prisoner we captured last night. Return to the basement.”

“Are
you ordering me?” she asked softly, the darkening of her eyes not a good sign.

Alex
spoke to Kai,
“Locate Edgar and Eddie.
If they are still alive, tell them to get their asses in here, now!

“Found them. They
had to double back. Entrances into the club have been sealed. Wait, they’ve
managed to open the front doors.”

“Tell them to
sneak in and wait for my signal. And make sure our swords are out of the bags,
too!”

“Done.”

Losing
his temper, Waters shouted, “Lisle, Angel told you to follow my instructions.
I’m ordering you down to the basement. Go!”

Alex
spoke to Kai,
“Tell Mina and Sin to
get ready to run. Lisle is about to have a meltdown.”

“Ah, shit,”
She turned her face to Sin
and Mina, who nodded. They all started to back their way to the bar.

“I
will not be taking any further orders from you or Angel. Alex is all I want,
and he is here. Leave us.” She waved a dismissive hand at Waters. “Alex, let’s
leave here and return home. I miss Wulf Manor, don’t you?”

Alex
almost groaned out loud when Waters snapped, “Listen up, Lisle.” He drew in a
deep breath and let it out. “Lisle,” he said more calmly, “I have to take care
of Kai. I promised once she was dead, you could have Alex.” He almost looked
relieved when his men returned, dragging a man tied with heavy chains onto the
dance floor. The man lifted his head and Alex recognized him.

Sam
Winter.

“Waters, why is a vampire hunter here?”

“You don’t know what he is, do you?” Jeremy
smiled, exposing rows of teeth as he shed his human face. “Lisle may be the
Wolf of Magdeburg, but our guest here is an actual Lycanthrope.”

Alex stared at the demon vampire, not sure whether
to believe Waters or not. The way the vampire hunter glared at him. “Before you
become all bent out of shape,
I
am not responsible for your capture.”

“The Damned followed us to the manor and drained
everyone except for me and Harklee.”

“Why not Harklee?” Alex asked Jeremy.

“We need him. Turns out he might make a good
candidate for a vampire after all.”

“Werewolves are real, huh?” Alex watched as Sam’s
face darkened, but he kept silent. “Well, I guess you’re the one responsible
for killing people around here as well.”

“I don’t kill humans. That’s what you, vamps, do!”
Sam snapped back.

“Actually, Mr. Winter,” Jeremy interjected, “we,
the Damned, do. Mr. Wulf and his companions are not so inclined. They have this
misplaced sense of honor that humans need protection and are not to be used as
mere food. Or some shit like that.” Jeremy waved a hand, not really caring
anymore.

Sam frowned, confused. “You don’t? Why not?”

“Since we are not infectious as our counterparts,
we don’t need to kill.”

“Damn. You were telling the truth when you said to
be careful who I killed.”

“Enough.” Waters turned to Lisle. “You have one
more job, my dear. I want you to kill the Lycan.”

“Why? What has he done to me?” Lisle stared at Sam
with a mixture of wonder and curiosity.

“We cannot have him killing our kind.”

“You let me kill ‘our’ kind. What is the
difference?”

“Will you just kill him already? I’ll have other
things that need to be completed tonight!” Waters stomped toward Kai, who
leveled her gun back at him.

Speeding, Alex stood in front of Kai, protecting
her. “Kill Kai and you might as well kill me, too.”

“How
romantic,” Waters sneered. “I guess Angel has to lose out on having you, just
like she did with Sin Dracula. Pity. We could have used you in the upcoming
battle.”

“What
battle?” He looked as Kai over his shoulder.
“Read him!”

“A battle
between the Damned and the Borne. It’s been prophesized we shall meet on a
battlefield to decide the fate of our kind. Jeremy decided it would be better
for the Damned if the King of the Borne had an accident,”
she repeated
to him.
“Oh, my God! Alex, they’re planning
to kill Faeroes!”

Mina
demanded, breaking communication between him and Kai, “Waters, what have you
done?”

“I
heard Faeroes is having an open house … castle … party, except its Borne only
invite.”

Mina
and Kai exchanged fearful looks.
 
Kai
asked him,
“Alex, who was invited?”

“There are over two hundred emissaries, Slayers, and
high-ranking vampires meeting with Faeroes at the castle. It would be a serious
blow to the Borne. The war against the Damned would shift in the enemy’s favor,
if they are successful.”

“Hey,
you don’t need to worry about it, because you will be joining them. Alex,”
Waters said as he walked towards them, “move aside. I have my orders.”

“Kai, tell Mina to speak to Faeroes. You talk
to your mother!”

“We’ve already tried. Something is
blocking us from making contact.”

“Dammit, I forgot about the lockdown. No
one is to use telepathy when they are in the meeting. Cellphones are not
allowed either.”

“Alex, so many will die if we don’t get to
Berlin and warn them.”

In
the flash of insight, Alex saw his only opportunity to save the Borne in
Berlin. Handing his sword to Kai, ignoring her silent question, he stepped from
behind the bar. “Lisle, I will go with you and be with you,
if
you help me.”

“No!” Kai made to rush forward, caught around the
waist by Sin. He effortlessly held as she struggled to free herself from his
grasp. “Alex, please, you can’t leave me! I love you!”

With an expression of amazement on her face, Lisle
asked him, “You would give up your soul to save her, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, I would die for Kai.”

“You love her?” Lisle whispered, sanity returning
to her bright blue eyes.

“With all the broken pieces of my bastard heart,”
Alex admitted, praying she understood how much he loved Kai.

Scoffing, Jeremy said, “Oh, please, this mushy
crap is gonna make me puke.” He lifted his gun to fire at Kai.

An unearthly snarl made him pause. Whipping
around, Jeremy screamed as Lisle shifted into the huge wolf again. Towering
over him, her fingers wiggled into razor-sharp claws as she roared, the force
sending him sprawling across the floor. She snarled and attacked the vamps
holding Sam, ripping their throats out with powerful swipes from her claws.
Ignoring Sam’s attempts to run from her, Lisle took his heavy chains and flexed
her shoulders and broke them apart, freeing him. They stared at one another for
a moment, sizing each other up. Sam straightened. Lisle nodded once to his
unspoken question.

“Kill them!” Jeremy shouted, firing his weapon at
Lisle.

She jumped on him, using her great jaws to rip his
flesh from his body as she dug her claws into him, ripping him to pieces. The shrieks
stemming from Waters was deafening. Alex stumbled back, firing at the demon
vampires running at him and Kai whom Sin released. A snarl jerked Alex’s gaze,
deep and definitely male, around and he stared at the huge, black wolf. Silver
eyes met his and he knew it was Sam. He jumped into the fight and began ripping
the demon vamps apart with his jaws.

Edgar
and Eddie were running toward them, carrying their canvas bags, his and Kai’s
swords in their hands. Tossing his at him, Alex caught it and pulled his sword
free, tossing aside the scabbard. Kai caught her sword, unsheathing it and began
chopping off heads as Mina and Sin flanked her. The humans pulled out of their
bags orange-colored water cannons and pumped them. Aiming at the demon vamps,
they sprayed them with Holy water, causing their flesh to burn and bubble. Those
not hit were shooting
at Lisle as she ripped into Waters. Those who
weren’t injured, dead, or burned with Holy water fled out the front doors.

Machine gun fired ceased. Alex accessed the damage
when he found Lisle on the ground, back in her human form, her body riddled
with bullets. Sam knelt beside her, holding her hand. Alex rushed over to her,
amazed to see her crying.

“Oh, Alex,” Lisle gasped. Her wounds bubbled, as
if acid had been poured in the bullet holes. Checking, he saw the casings
around him and couldn’t believe it. Silver bullets. The Damned actually used
silver on one of their own.

Lisle held her hand out to him, her eyes begging
him to hold it. Taking pity, Alex slowly grasped her tiny hand in his as he
knelt beside her. “Alex, I’ve done such awful things. Why? Why am I such a monster?
Why are you a different vampire than I? What happened when I turned?”

Kai knelt beside her, pity in her eyes for the
woman who wanted to kill her. Lisle gaped at her. “You do not hate me? Why?”
she asked in bewilderment.

“No, Lisle, I don’t. I love him, too.”

Lisle smiled at Sam. “I wish I’d known you first.
Perhaps the madness in my soul would have abetted. I loved being a wolf. I felt
… complete.”

“You are a magnificent wolf, Lisle. I am proud to
make your acquaintance.”
 

Smiling at him, she coyly batted her eyes.
“Flatterer.” She sighed. “Alex, you know what needs to be done.”

“Lisle, you can change. You don’t have to kill.”

Coughing up green blood, she whispered, “Too late,
my love. I must be judged for my crimes. Please, I want you to end my misery.”

“I—” Alex found he couldn’t condemn her.

“Alex, I am in such awful pain. The silver burns
terribly. End my suffering, I beg of you.”

He exchanged a helpless look with Kai. Lisle cried
out, clutching his hand tighter. “Alex, please forgive me for hurting you and Aldric.
I … I cannot fathom how much I hurt you. There is nothing I can do to redeem
myself.” She paused, suddenly anxious. “King. Save the King.”

“Lisle, what do you know about Jeremy’s plans for
Faeroes?”

“He … he sent humans to the fortress. They have
orders to burn it to ground. Kill the Borne inside.”

“When are they planning to attack?” Sin leaned
closer, Mina and Kai behind him, intently listening.

“Council meets.” She coughed up more blood,
choking on it. Sam tried to move her to sit up, but she cried out in pain.

“Lisle, I was told you stole something from Angel.
A weapon. Is it true?”

Confused, she gave a slight shake of her head.
“Stole nothing. Don’t know what you mean.”

“I figured Harklee lied.” Alex sighed, leaning
back.

“I didn’t steal … I read old parchment Angel … had
found. Prophecy and cure.”

“Cure for what?”

“Undead. Alex, please, make the pain cease!” She
whimpered, choking on her blood.