Scorned by Venom (Argentium Vampire Hunters Trilogy #2)

16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sage

After we got to the second campground and exited the vehicle, we headed onto a porch with a woman pacing back and forth, trying to soothe the baby in her arms.

“Hey, Dani.”

“Hey, Lyric.” The woman nodded her head toward Peach with a smile before her gaze traveled to me. “You must be, Sage. My name is Danika Montoya, but you can call me Dani. Dragos is my brother and has told me so many wonderful things about you.”

I furrowed my brows, wondering who the hell Dragos was, but as my eyes drifted over her brown hair and fair skin, it finally clicked. She looked like my friend. “Do you mean Drag?”

She laughed as she swayed her hips, soothing the fussing baby. “Drag is his nickname. Do you know where he is? I’m not trying to be rude, but I’m panicking here.”

“I saw him leave with a couple others right before we came here,” Lyric said. “But I didn’t ask where they were going.”

“We have an issue I need to discuss with him.” She pulled the blanket back, revealing the face of a pink infant with red hair. “This is Scarlet. She’s a wolven baby and I don’t know what to do with her. Her mom, Tilly, used to be a part of our pack before she left with her boyfriend James who was from Ironclad.”

Living in New Mexico my whole life, I’d never heard of a city called Ironclad before, so I assumed maybe it was one of the surrounding states. “Where’s that city at?”

“It’s not a city. Ironclad Claws is the name of the pack. Their alpha is a dickhead, so I don’t blame James for leaving.”

My brows rose at the fact the packs had different names. It irritated me knowing I’d missed a lot of information during my depressive months.

“Tilly and James were on their way to check out a new apartment they were going to settle down in,” Dani continued. “They were the only vehicle on the road when he lost control of his bike and wrecked. They both died.”

“Oh, no.” Lyric threw her hand over her mouth, her emotions engulfing her face.

A heaviness filled my chest and I laid my hand softly on it. If a supernatural creature like a shifter could die in a motorcycle wreck, then my human ass could have easily died.

“They were both so young, especially for wolven.” Dani shook her head, her eyes wet with emotion. “Kaysa, one of the females in Ironclad, was the one who had my brother-in-law call me. Since the alpha of that pack doesn’t have a luna to make decisions, it was up to him. Knowing Galen’s a dick, I knew the answer would be no, but Kaysa asked anyway. Galen said they had enough members to feed and James shouldn’t have left his pack to become a Freepelt, which is a nomad wolven.”

“And a luna is a female alpha?” I asked. I had heard it said before during discussions, but I wasn’t positive.

“Yes, and most of them sit on councils, contribute to food swaps, run activities, and anything else the pack needs. Everyone always talks about how strong an alpha is, but lunas are the true leaders of any pack. The alphas know this, and it’s the reason most of them choose a luna at a young age. If Galen had made Kaysa a luna when he was supposed to, none of this would be a problem because the decision would’ve been hers.”

Another baby in the distance began wailing, and I assumed it was Dani’s newborn daughter. A few seconds later, a good-looking man with shoulder-length blond hair popped his head out the door. “I think she needs to eat.”

“I’ll be right there, Lane.” Dani sighed, then turned back toward us. “That’s my mate’s brother. They’re both from the Shadow Hounds in Arizona. By the way, he’s single if any of you ladies are looking.”

“Do you want me to take the baby to the other camp for a while?” Peach asked, completely avoiding her statement. “I know you have a lot on your hands.”

“The unmated wolves don’t mind alloparenting at our camp, but they don’t like taking the kids over there.”

“Well, Aunty Peach doesn’t give a shit what they like. Come here, little one.” Peach took the baby from Dani, admiring her beauty.

“I have plenty of breast milk right now, so I pumped extra for her. I usually donate it. I’m glad my over-productive boobs came in handy.”

Lyric brushed her hand over the baby’s red hair. “She’s so beautiful. But isn’t she cold out here?”

“Wolven babies don’t get cold as quickly as humans do. She also screams when I go inside.” Dani let out a long sigh, her shoulders sagging. “If I didn’t already have two kids and a newborn, I would raise her in our pack, because without one, this baby will know nothing about our culture or her true potential. After I talk to Drag, maybe we can come up with a way for us moms and dads to co-parent. I don’t know what else to do. Everyone here is raising young children, but she needs to be raised in a pack.”

The door popped open again, and this time Lane had a look of panic on his face. “Dani, this baby is trying to feed from my chest and I don’t have milk like you! Plus, I think she needs to be changed.” Lane scrunched up his nose, and Lyric giggled.

“I have to go. Thanks, Peach. I’ll have Lane pack you a bag with everything she’ll need for now. Just bring her back when you get tired.”

Dani took off into the house, and Lyric turned to Peach. “Are you wanting to keep her?”

“No. I love kids and I might adopt one someday, but I’m too busy fighting for the equality of vampires right now to raise a baby.”

Lyric and Peach both took turns admiring Scarlet with happy squeals and awe sounds. I stood there with my arms crossed afraid someone was going to hand her to me. She was definitely cute, but I sure as hell didn’t want to be responsible for something so tiny and fragile.

A few minutes later, Lane came out with a car seat and a diaper bag. “Do you want me to stick these in your car, Peach?”

“That’d be great. Thanks, Lane.”

Peach headed toward the Jeep and we followed, Lane falling into step with me. He was very handsome and after seeing him up close, I couldn’t help but realize he looked similar to the main character of a popular motorcycle club TV show.

“I haven’t met you before. Name’s Lane.”

“Sage. Nice to meet you.”

A knowing look fell upon his face. “Oh, you’re Luka’s woman.”

Before my twenty-fifth birthday, I would’ve cringed at that term, but now, it only made me feel lonely. “I guess I am.”

“Luka’s my friend so I’ll refrain from flirting with you.” He gave me a gorgeous smile before opening the Jeep door.

After he installed the car seat, Peach strapped the baby in, then her and Lyric said their goodbyes to Lane and entered the Jeep.

“It was nice meeting you, Lane.” I put my hand out to shake his, but he took it instead, gently kissing the back of it before letting go.

“I wish you all the luck finding the one you love.”

The kind gesture made me feel like he was a genuinely nice guy. It also made me want to play matchmaker.

“There are a few girls back at the camp that may tickle your fancy, or however you say it.”

Lane laughed, then shook his head. “I was kidding about flirting with you. I’m sorry if I came off as a creep. I know you’ve had it rough lately, so I said it to break the tension that was in your face and maybe make you feel a little better. It’s weird to say aloud because only a few people know but I’m actually in love with someone else. I do appreciate the offer to help me tickle my fancy, though.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. Dani said you were single, so I didn’t know.”

“She’s always trying to fix me up.” Lane pushed his blond hair behind his ear and nervously glanced at the cabin before turning his attention back to me. “You’re pretty good at keeping secrets, I hear. Can I tell you something?”

“I mean, at this point, I feel like I know so many secrets I probably can’t remember them all, so go for it.”

“I’m not sure you’ll even know what this means, but I actually found my fated mate.”

I sucked in a hard breath.

After living at Drag’s camp for months, I heard a lot about the wolven and their fated mates. Sometimes, destiny chooses the person they fall in love with. They can’t run from it or control it unless they’re rejected by that person. It’s similar to the blood bond a vampire has with their mate. I also heard how much of an honor it was to bring your mate and present them to their pack, so the fact that his sister-in-law didn’t know, confused me.

“Why haven’t you told Dani?”

“That’s the secret part. My fated is also a promised luna, which is a woman who’s obligated to marry an alpha male due to hierarchy and family ranking. Most of the packs don’t follow the old ass tradition anymore, but the one she’s in still does.”

“That’s horrible. How does she feel about the situation?”

“She, umm . . . she doesn’t know because I’m too scared to tell her.”

“Wait.” I shook my head and put my hands up. “Heston told the humans back at camp that both wolven know the instant a fated mate thing happens. Each person has to agree or reject the bond, or something like that.”

Lane laughed. “The fated mate thing is called a pairing, and the bond is called a nexus. Wolven have to claim their mate to seal the nexus. But for some reason, her being promised to another wolven is blocking her from feeling our bond. I talked to some elders about it, but it’s a situation no one’s ever heard of happening before. And personally, I would never reject a fated mate. Which most of the wolven I know wouldn’t unless they see an immediate issue. Possibly if there was a huge age gap or they’re in love with someone else. Otherwise, I don’t really see why anyone would reject someone. At least not after the feelings that surged through me when I met her.”

Lane’s pupils dilated as he stared off into the distance, his yearning expression thickening the air. “When I looked into her eyes for the first time, it was like she was the electricity that lit up my senses that were shadowed in a house I didn’t even know was dark. ”

I stared wide-eyed, unable to comprehend that feeling. “I wish I could say I understand, but I didn’t have that with Luka. I never felt any kind of electricity or connection click into place. Not like the ones I’ve heard the wolven talk about.”

Lane put his hand on my shoulder and gently rubbed his finger back and forth. “It’s because humans can’t feel a lenxus bond. If you had paired with a wolven, you would’ve sensed the nexus, but since you bonded to a vampire, you won’t experience it the same way he does because you’re still human. He won’t even feel the full strength of the lenxus until you’re turned into a vampire.”

I pulled my shoulder away from him in confusion . . . or possibly irritation. “Who said I would turn?”

“If you don’t turn, then you are the person who rejects their mate. It’s sad, but I’m just being honest.”

“I . . . umm.” My breaths became fast as I swallowed down the words at the tip of my tongue, unable to process the twenty different thoughts running through my head.

Will Luka feel rejected if I stay human? Will he stay with me when I get old? Do I want to be a vampire? Do vampires still have periods?

Because if not, I may quickly decide to change because the cramps I had were killing me.

“You’ll make the right choice when the time comes, Sage.”

The baby in the car let out a wail and Lyric tapped on the window, rushing me.

“You better go. It was really nice meeting you. I hope you save your mate from the eternal hell he’s in.”

“And I hope you save yours,” I whispered, my heart hurting from the sadness glistening in his eyes. I couldn’t help but put my hands out for a hug that he gracelessly accepted.

He released me and opened the car door. “Take care, Sage. Hopefully next time I see you, we’ll both have our mates with us.”

Lane waved to my friends before he shut the door.

We headed back to the other camp, and I drove incredibly slow because having a tiny baby in the car made me nervous on top of the overwhelming thoughts of me rejecting Luka.

In the past, I had passing thoughts about being turned into a vampire, but I’d never really considered the possibility of it happening or the issues that came with it.

As we were getting out of the vehicle, one of the ex-Venom members came strolling up to me. I hadn’t said more than two words to her since she came to live here, so I wondered what she wanted.

“In case you’re wondering, the guys aren’t back yet, but Drag and a few others went to go get them, so they got out of there without being injured.”

“What are you talking about, Nellie?” I asked, confused by the random topic.

“Oh, I thought you knew about the mission. Winnie and Erik are safe, so it’s all good.”

“What mission? What’s she talking about?” My attention went to Peach, and her face confirmed that someone had deceived me.

“Winnie and Erik went to get some much needed information.”

“And where did they go?” Lyric asked. Her face showed a torn expression, alternating between anger and worry. “Because if my brother and my boyfriend both lied to me, someone is getting their ass kicked tonight.”

“To the Venom compound,” Nellie blurted, and panic soared through me.

“What the fuck? Why?”

“If they aren’t dead already, I’m going to kill them.” Lyric pulled out her phone and started hitting buttons. Whoever she called didn’t answer. After the second time of trying to call someone, her gaze shot to me. “Neither of them is answering.”

Nellie placed her hand on Lyric’s arm, comforting her. “They’re fine. Jimmy told me Winnie’s plan and apparently it worked because they’re headed back now.”

“Jimmy knew about a new plan and we didn’t?”

Nellie shrugged at Lyric’s question. “Probably because he’s in your cabin hacking. Winnie had him setup in case he needed him to get them out of a sticky situation. I seriously thought you both knew.”

Lyric got quiet, her lips tightening into a thin line. Knowing her for as long as I had, I immediately recognized her angry face. Without saying a thing, she turned on a dime and headed toward her cabin.

“Sorry.” Nellie frowned, then walked away.

I looked at Peach. “Are you going to fill me in on everything?”

“Yeah. Let’s go inside.” She pulled the car seat from the Jeep, and I grabbed the bags, then followed her into her cabin.

Marcus sat on the brown couch with a laptop on his lap, his face popping up with a smile. “Hey, ladies. How was your . . .” His wide eyes locked on the car seat Peach held. “Whose baby is that?”

Peach nodded her head toward me. “She knows about the mission, Marcus.”

“You knew too and didn’t tell me?” I asked in a tone harsher than I had ever used with Marcus.

He gave me a look of sympathy. “It was for your own protection, sweetie. I knew you would want to go and we couldn’t risk that.”

“Why not? I could have helped them, but instead of giving me the option, two of my friends entered a heavily guarded compound alone!” I took a deep breath, attempting to control my anger. “Did everyone betray me or just you two?”

“You aren’t ready to go on any missions.”

A fire coursed through my veins as I stared into Marcus’s brown eyes. “I am ready!”

His empathetic expression changed to one of a commander. “You’re out of practice and malnourished. You would’ve been a liability.”

Pain settled in my chest from his words.

A liability. That’s all I am right now.

“Whatever.” I stomped toward the door and flung it open. Despite being highly pissed, I chose not to slam it because I didn’t want to startle the baby.

Once outside, I angrily paced the parking lot, waiting for Winnie and Erik to return. The longer I waited, the more I realized Marcus was right. I wasn’t ready to go on a mission. My body had become weak because of my own actions and I was now dealing with the consequences from it.

Disappointment in myself had to be one of the worst feelings.

The night air had gotten chilly, so I went inside my cabin and waited for them to return. When a car door slammed, then another, I knew they were finally back.

I headed outside and ran straight for the black van Heston, Drag, and Demi stood next to.

“Where are they?” I asked Drag, but before he answered, another van pulled into the gravel lot.

“We’re going to do a perimeter check,” Drag said before he and the other wolven began to shed their clothes.

I had seen enough of their naked bodies, so I turned and glared at the other van as Winnie parked it.

Drag and his pack darted past me, heading toward the woods and my focus went to Erik getting out of the van first.

“You could have been killed. What’s wrong with you?” I asked, and he shook his head, saying nothing.

Winnie killed the engine and stepped out with an apologetic expression. “I asked him to go, Sage Stick. Don’t be mad at him.”

“You be quiet, Asshole. I’m mad at you too. You could have gotten—” He held up a USB drive so close to my face my eyes practically crossed as I focused on it. “What is that?”

“I may be able to find the location of VRC now. Are you still mad?”

Disbelief or shock, I wasn’t sure which, hit me, and my heart skipped a beat. I took the tiny drive from his hand and stared at it like it was some magical key to another world. If the location to VRC was really on this USB, the chances of us saving Luka doubled . . . tripled in size.

“How mad is Lyric?” Winnie asked, bringing me back to reality.

“I don’t know if you know what she does when she’s highly pissed off, but she’s quiet.”

“Fuck.” He yanked the USB from my fingers and headed toward their cabin.

I immediately turned toward Erik. “Is it true? Can he find VRC now?”

He shrugged, leaning onto the side of the van. “Winnie said it’s a huge possibility.”

“I’m glad you’re alive. Even if you are an idiot.” I pulled him in for a hug and when I let go, his face seemed confused. “What?”

“I know you, Sage. And I know how you really are when you’re mad and this ain’t it. Why aren’t you yelling at me?”

“I was pissed at you both for a hot minute, then Marcus called me a liability.”

Erik made a hissing sound through his teeth. “Ouch.”

“Even though it hurt to hear him say I wasn’t ready for missions, I knew he was right. I’m going to have to bust my ass to get my strength back.”

Erik gave me a smile containing the pity he felt for me. “You’re still fast and you have great instincts, so you’ll get there pretty quickly.”

I took in a cleansing breath, letting it out on an unconfident huff.

Will I?