Chapter 7
Greyson stepped inside the tunnel and stared into the darkness. “Well shit. I knew I shouldn’t have worn these boots.”
“What are you talking about?” Rafe laughed. “Let’s go.”
“Viktor gave them to me. To be fair, he ruins as many pairs of shoes as I do. All that killing and whatnot.” Greyson turned to Skylar and winked.
“Don’t listen to him.” Rafe wrapped a protective arm around her as they traversed through the winding tunnel, following the vampire. Dark and tight, it wound through a series of descending switchbacks. No lights. No windows. No escape.
If push came to shove, Greyson could flash them out, but Rafe didn’t want to test fate.
“This doesn’t look like it leads to another room. Oh my God, what is this place?” Skylar dug out her phone and swiped on the light. “Is that blood?”
“Most definitely.” Rafe may have not detected magick in the room, but the tunnel reeked of death.
“They move the victims.” Greyson kept moving at a swift pace.
“Why are there no lights? Why is it so small?” Skylar asked.
The claustrophobic tunnel narrowed as they turned around another switchback. Though he sensed no life, the stench of death permeated the tightened space. Rafe fought the temptation to run as he yearned for a fresh breath of air.
“They’re moving bodies.” Greyson glanced over his shoulder at Rafe. “Could be humans. Maybe others.”
“Possibly.” Rafe resisted speculating the details. He didn’t want to freak Skylar out any more than they already had.
As they moved in silence, his mind drifted to the interaction with the shewolf. Alpha. She’d addressed him as such, immediately submitting to him. Though he hoped Skylar hadn’t noticed, Greyson surely did.
During the battle in Japan, something had switched on, his wolf awakening to the truth of his powers. Something inside him was changing, warring with the vampire.
The swirling storm inside him continued to brew. With each day since his rebirth, he’d spent far too much time lamenting his fate. Nothing made sense yet there was no other choice than to roll with it.
A speck of light at the far end of the tunnel shook his contemplation. “Up there. It’s an exit.”
“Transport tunnel.” Greyson dragged a foot along the pavement, attempting to clean his shoe.
“An escape.” Rafe reached for the doorknob and opened it. As the door swung open, his eyes widened.
“The loading dock.” The vampire crossed his arms. “Hmm. Importing or exporting?”
“Definitely exporting.” Rafe sighed.
“Exporting what?” Skylar asked.
“Bodies. Blood,” Greyson guessed.
“Why are they doing this?” a whisper escaped from Skylar’s lips.
“That, my love, is what we are about to find out.”
“We could have flashed through that tunnel.” Greyson shook his head in disappointment.
“The exercise is good for you.” Rafe again refused to allow Greyson to dematerialize them back to the car. “Besides we would have missed finding out where the tunnel led.”
“What’s he talking about?” Skylar asked.
Rafe hesitated but decided on the truth. A version of it anyway. “Vampire stuff. The kind of stuff only really old vampires do.”
“Easy now. Age is a state of mind, baby.” Greyson quipped.
“What can he do? Can he fly?” Skylar’s eyes lit up with fascination and caught up with the vampire. “Hey, can you fly?”
“Trust me, love. I’ll show you some day.” Greyson clicked his keys and a beep sounded, the locks opening.
“Not today.” Rafe growled and shot the vampire an annoyed look.
Guilt threaded through him, aware he’d concealed his own vampire from her.
He told himself it was to avoid scaring her, but deep down he knew the truth.
Shame. He was the very monster she feared, the same kind that had attacked her and murdered her friend.
“What?” Skylar wore a confused expression.
“Maybe she’s right,” Greyson surmised. “I think it’s a good idea we’re open. You see Rafe here is attempting to shield you, a mere human, from the reality of this supernatural situation.”
“Don’t listen to this big, dumb vampire.
If he understood anything about humans, he’d show a little sensitivity after what happened to you last night.
You see, my lovely human,” Rafe turned to her with a soft smile, placing his hand to his chest, “I would like you to know that not all paranormal creatures are scary. We can be quite kind.”
Skylar gave a small laugh. “If you say so.”
“I think it’s good for her to have a healthy fear of vampires. And wolves for that matter.”
“We are no different than humans,” Rafe argued.
“You were never human,” Greyson countered.
“Of course, I was born wolf, but my point is that all creatures have both good and evil within them. It is the eternal struggle. And like humans, some are stronger than others.”
“This is true,” Greyson confirmed.
“But just because you’re stronger. Older in Greyson’s circumstance. Way older. That doesn’t necessarily equate with doing bad things.”
“How much stronger is he?” Skylar asked.
“I’m like Zeus.” A chuckle rumbled from his chest.
“Dude. Yeah, no.” Rafe shook his head and rolled his eyes. “He’s got a God complex. Pretty bad one. He’s tried therapy for vampires, but you know,” he shrugged with a laugh. “I mean sure, okay, he does that thing where he disappears and appears. Neat trick but he’s no wolf.”
“I’m not a dog person,” Greyson commented.
“That’s his trick?” Skylar raised her eyebrows. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Ha! Did you hear that, wolf? She thinks it’s cool.”
“He’s much older than Kade,” Rafe continued and reached for the car door, waiting for Skylar as she slid into the back seat. “He has some abilities not all vampires have. He can flash. Something that I hope we won’t have to do with you.”
“We’re gonna get you home safe.” Greyson nodded, both hands gripping the wheel.
“Why did that woman call you Alpha?” Skylar asked.
“She’s confused.” Rafe’s stomach knotted. Alpha. Hearing it on Skylar’s lips shot right through him like a bullet. “Things here are unstable. The wolves are afraid. They need a leader. I’m not it.”
“We’ve got a bit of a situation.” Greyson backed out of the parking lot and beeped his horn as a car cut him off. He gestured towards it with his hand. “Assholes. Do you see how these humans drive?”
“Why are they moving bodies?” Innocence rang in Skylar’s voice as the question rolled from her tongue.
“That is the question.” Rafe shrugged. “I guess the obvious reason is for food. But it could be for human trafficking. It’s a hotel.
Plenty of humans there but they don’t make ideal locations for a vampire club.
You’ve got to get the humans out somewhere secluded.
Like they did with you. They got you to the desert.
Possibly using that tunnel. The wolf back there said vampires are watching. They must be in management.”
“They’re drugging them,” she suggested. “Like they did to me.”
“Or maybe using some kind of black magick to incapacitate the humans,” Rafe suggested. “It appears someone used glamour back there. So that makes me think a witch or warlock could be working with the vampires.”
Greyson pounded his fist on the steering wheel, a blaring horn reverberated through the car. He gestured to the red pair of taillights ahead of him. “Now, did you see that? Look at that guy. Could he go any slower?”
“Somehow Grey got a driver’s license. I suspect he threatened the human giving it to him,” Rafe told her.
“He lies. I’m an excellent driver.”
Rafe and Skylar exchanged an amused look as they braced their hands against the back of the seats as the car lunged forward once again.
“He needs anger management. You know they have classes for that, vampire. Online.”
“Anger management? Nonsense,” Greyson shot back. “I’m a vampire. Anger is an asset. Killing is in our nature. I’m of a perfectly suitable temperament.”
“You’re like what? Over a thousand years old? I’d think you’d have your emotional issues worked out by now.”
“Don’t listen to a word of what he says, Skylar. He’s the one you should worry about. Wolves? They’re animals. Astute perhaps, but they’re wild, ravenous beasts. But vampires? We have what you call passion.” Greyson raised his fist in triumph.
“He’s truly mad.” Rafe raised an eyebrow at Skylar.
“Vampires are where it’s at. Our bite is intoxicating.”
“Are we going back to the bar with the wolf?” Rafe asked, changing the subject.
“I’ve got a tip,” Greyson said.
“From who?” Rafe asked.
“Not important. I hear there’s at least one vampire working at a blood club who might be willing to talk. Name’s Topper.”
“Do you think they know Scott?” Skylar asked.
“Maybe yes, maybe no. Things are messed up now. You see, most vampires crave order. When a leader is taken out,” Greyson ignored her question. “There’re fights for succession. But not always. We must assess the situation. Shake a few trees. See what falls out.”
“There’s order in the paranormal world,” Rafe told Skylar. “Supernaturals are like humans. Some are attracted to evil ways. So if one of these humans is transformed into a vampire, it can amplify how they were in life. And Scott, he was probably a pretty bad dude before.”
“So when you die an asshole, you stay an asshole?” she probed.
Rafe laughed. “Yeah, take big guy for example.”
“Fuck off.” Greyson shot back.
“Not everyone wants immortality. To drink blood to survive. But a guy like Scott? It’s worse because he gets off on the power.”
“He didn’t have that much power when I killed him.” Greyson stopped short of finishing his thoughts.
“Easy.” Rafe shot him a pointed look.
“When I took care of Scott,” Greyson continued. “I tasted the blood of another but not within my line.”
“This vampire we’re seeing tonight. Is he expecting us?” she asked.
“Whether he likes it or not. I find vampires. It’s my special skill.” Greyson looked back and smiled. “And no. He is not expecting us. Our presence alone will alert them. It’s likely they will sense my power. But they won’t know my purpose.”
“Did Scott try to kill the vampire you’re looking for?” she asked.