Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Iknew I had to diffuse the situation and fast. Jennaveve was to the Cordells what I was to Kellen. My stubborn mate had to see that. “Listen, guys. I think you should let me check on her.”
Damien held her closer. “We will see to her well-being.”
A deep rumble shook the building. “They have come,” Lucas said.
Fear hit me. Hard. “What can we do?”
Lucas closed his eyes. “My father is coming. Be prepared. He is kind of an arrogant…”
“I wouldn’t finish that if I were you. Is this your mate?” The extremely tall man sized me up and down.
Holy shit! My knees threatened to buckle. “Um, no, sir. I’m not.”
“Did I say you could talk to me, woman?”
My eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe I asked you if I could, thank you very much.”
“Father, this is our mate, Jennaveve. She healed Lucas from silver poisoning. Now, we don’t know what’s wrong with her.” Damien stepped in front of me.
Kellen growled and pulled me away from the vampire. “Is she human?” His disdain was clear.
Another rumble shook the foundation. “What the hell is going on?” Silence filled the room while I assumed the twins gave their father the rundown.
Kellen began easing me toward the door to the inner hall. “So, you brought this wolf to the attention of a vampire. A vampire who has now tried to kill you. And you are just telling me.” Eyes as dark as night turned red. I was glad I wasn’t Damien or Lucas in that moment.
“Mon Chaton, I need you to go to the club and stay with Rowan. I’m going to make sure this fight doesn’t come inside this time.” His voice brooked no argument.
“Come with me. Let them handle one of their own,” I pleaded.
Kellen’s growl was my answer. Even in my head, I could tell I’d disappointed him. I sent him a feeling of love, and he returned it.
“I know you’re scared. I promise I’ll live long enough to give you a proper punishment.”
We reached the doorway. The sound of the three arguing males focused on each other, filtering through to us. I leaned up and kissed my mate. “Stay safe.” Then I left before I made a fool of myself.
“Very smart to send the woman away. I will take the Fey to my mate and return.” The man I had yet to be introduced to disappeared, taking Jennaveve with him.
“Is he always like that?” I looked at Damien and a now healed Lucas.
Damien nodded. “Actually, he was quite cordial.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Well, let me explain how this is gonna go down.”
“No, let me tell you how this is going to go down.” The deep voice had me spinning, my claws out.
I heard two identical male voices yelling at me, but my instincts kicked in, unleashing my inner war beast. Shifting to the Direwolf, something only a few of my kind could, my iron claws ripped from my knuckles as I pushed the vampire king onto the table his son had been lying on.
“Don’t ever sneak up on me, motherfucker. You won’t come out the winner.” I allowed the man to see his own death flash before his eyes. It was good to be Alpha.
“Holy fuck. What are you?” Lucas asked.
“He’s a true Alpha.” The man beneath me blinked. “Allow me to get up.”
It wasn’t a show of submission, but enough for me to back off. “Now, are you going to introduce yourself?” I pushed off, getting to my feet, keeping to the form I’d shifted into.
“My name is Damikan Cordell. Vampire King, if you will.” He nodded his head.
“Alright. I understand you know more about what we are facing, but these are my people. I don’t want them at any more risk than they are. If we can face these pieces of shit outside, then that is what we do. Feel me?”
Damikan shook his head. “I don’t want to feel you.”
Lucas sighed. “Father, he means…”
The vampire king raised his hand. “They are coming. Let’s go. I have help waiting to arrive when the sun sets. They will keep your people safe and fight this battle with us. You may stay inside as well.”
I flicked my claws open. The metal clang had the three vampires’ eyes widening. “Well, alright then. If you take the head off, they cannot rise. Rip out their heart, and the same thing. Most other wounds will only piss them off,” Damien said as they opened the door.
The sun was setting. Its pink and orange glow looked beautiful in the sky. “Why was the ground shaking if they weren’t already here?” I asked. “And how are you here?” I looked at Damikan.
“I am King,” Damikan noted.
Between one second and the next, the lot was empty, and then several men dropped to the ground. The members of my pack had been instructed to clear it out of their vehicles, leaving the area open for the fight.
“I’m assuming these are your men since you’re not attacking?”
“What the hell is that?” A red-haired giant of a man asked.
“That would be a Direwolf Alpha you want to be nice to.” Damikan looked toward the woods. “The difference between good and evil is easy most times, Wolf. You’ll smell the difference.” He pointed to his nose.
I remembered the acrid stench from earlier. “Well fuck me.”
“No, thank you,” Damikan said. His tone was completely even.
Blades were drawn from several of the men’s backs, and then they took fighting stances. “These are my father’s elite guards,” Lucas explained.
“Why did he bring them?”
“My mother would allow none other. Believe me, you want only the best, and these are the best. Besides my brother and me, that is.”
Beings poured out of the woods, cutting off our communication.
We were outnumbered six to one, but I noticed the men with the Cordells didn’t back away.
My beast rose to meet the battle as I noticed one trying to slip past the battling vampires.
Instant recognition hit me. This was the man who’d taken my mate from her dream state.
I stalked the vampire, effortlessly taking the head off one of the lesser vampires who tried to get in my way.
Blood coated me, fueling the beast inside.
I ducked to avoid getting hit by a headless body.
The smell of rotting flesh no longer affected me.
My only goal lay feet from me, trying to gain entrance into the back of my club.
I saw the being’s hand turn red from whatever protection had been applied to all the entrances, thanks to the vampires.
“Hello, little man,” I growled from behind Nigel Watson.
And he was a small man. Hell, my mate was taller than the male in front of me. Little man syndrome clearly rode this one.
“I’ll show you who’s the little man,” Nigel lashed out with his arm, trying to punch through my chest.
Laughing, I stepped to the side. Nigel’s eyes narrowed, then he clicked his fingers. Snakes slithered up from the ground. The concrete split beneath our feet, allowing the serpents to crawl toward their leader.
“What’re you gonna do now? Hiss and spit like a reptile?
” I wasn’t sure how to kill something covered in snakes, but I wasn’t allowing this man anywhere near my people.
When the first snake shot out like a missile, I caught it in one of my fists and ripped it in two.
Nigel used the snakes like a gun, throwing them in rapid fire, too many for me to rip apart before they sank their fangs into my flesh. I roared in anger and agony.
Deciding to end the man, I launched myself across the space, taking Nigel by surprise, uncaring that the serpents continued to attack me.
Slamming my fist into his chest, sinking my iron claws past skin and bones, intent on one thing.
I could hear the man’s heart pounding like an offbeat drum.
Ignoring the bites sinking into me, my hand latched onto the organ while my other hand held the back of Nigel’s head, keeping the man from sinking his teeth into my jugular.
“You can’t defeat me,” Nigel shouted.
I stared down, pulling my fist back. “The fuck I can’t,” I snarled, jerking the last inch out of his chest cavity. The black blood oozed around the heart. I tossed Nigel away from me. Damien and Lucas came toward me, the snakes falling off as their Master fell to the ground.
“Here, let me dispose of that,” Damien offered.
I let the Cordell twin take the thing from me. A feeling of lightheadedness swamped me. My knees buckled, making me hit the ground.
“Well, damn, boy.” Damikan came over and squatted in front of me. “This might hurt a little.”
Blood clouded my vision. I wasn’t sure what the hell the vampire king was talking about.
Hell, at that moment, I wanted to lie down.
Only the thoughts of reaching out to Laikyn one last time before I faded away kept me from doing so.
Yeah, I knew I was dying, and damn if I wasn’t pissed.
However, I knew I’d done what was right.
We’d destroyed the vampires, and my people were safe.
“Goddess, save me from the mumbling of fools,” Damikan said.
I raised my middle finger, not realizing I’d been mumbling out loud.
White-hot heat bathed me. Searing pain followed, making me wish for my favorite bottle of hard liquor or two.
I tried to raise my fists. Tried to push the men away from me.
The absolute lack of power had me fighting the invisible bonds that held me.
A growl unlike any I’d ever unleashed shook me to the core, and then I stood.
The Cordell twins, along with their father, stood several feet away, along with the contingent of vampires they’d brought with.
“What the hell just happened?” I asked between my teeth, not recognizing my own voice.
Damikan gave a careless shrug. “I healed you. We are even.” I blinked, expecting to feel blood again.
“What exactly are we even for?”
“You saved my son. I saved you. We are even.” Damikan stared at me, dark eyes identical to his sons, and waited.
I held out my hand, then stared at the iron claws.
I forced my body to shift back into human form.
“Thank you,” I said, glad my voice was back to normal.
I didn’t want to face Laikyn looking like a monster.
Only a few of my pack had seen my other form.
I wasn’t sure how she’d react if, or rather when she saw it.