Bloody Consequences

  Bloody Consequences

  Isabella Howerton Series

  Book 2

  Laura Hysell

  The Isabella Howerton Series

  Bloody Beginnings

  Bloody Consequences

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 Laura Hysell

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Dedication

  To my family and friends for supporting me every step of the way

  Acknowledgements

  Dedicating time to write means there is less time for other things. Writing a book isn’t just putting words to paper. That’s just the beginning. There are a thousand tiny steps before a book is complete, and many people along the way that help.

  First, my family has been my biggest help and biggest support. They have encouraged me every step of the way, even when I’ve gotten lost in “Twitter Land” or can’t decide between two virtually identical covers. They keep me happy, and that’s better than all the coffee and chocolate in the world!

  I also have to thank my wonderful friends. These people understand my sarcasm, contain -or encourage- my coffee addiction, and are all completely different!

  Last, but certainly not least, I have to say a special thanks to my BETA readers! Their input and observations were immensely helpful! I have some amazing BETA readers who sent me thoughtful and often comical commentary, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I love knowing my readers have connected to the story and the characters.

  Thank you again!

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  "This above all: to thine own self be true." –William Shakespeare

  Hamlet, (Act I, Scene III)

  Chapter 1

  We were sitting in Jed’s living room, listening to my brother talk about the vampires. I had a thousand questions to ask, but Jed beat me to the vital ones. “Why were they still after you? They could have easily killed you, but they kept you alive and vampires keep coming after you and your sister. Why?” Jed asked.

  Justin took in a deep breath and looked up, facing Jed. “They want my research. They want the project I’ve been working on,” Justin replied, pausing. He glanced at me and pulled his hands out of mine, guilt etched on his face. “I’ve been working on making the vaccine airborne… and permanent.”

  The room went quiet and the only sound was the sudden intake of breaths. Then everyone was talking at once. Werewolves were standing up and yelling, pointing fingers at my brother. I stared at Justin, watching my brother take the wrath of a room full of werewolves. Justin looked down at his hands and hunched his shoulders, as though he was bracing himself for impact.

  I looked over to Jed, waiting for him to get the werewolves under control. Jed was wearing his usual jeans and a flannel, looking relaxed despite the intense conversation. He sat back in his chair with his hands folded calmly in his lap, watching Justin with normal human eyes. Was he waiting for the werewolves to tear my brother apart? I moved closer to my brother and fingered the knife I kept on my side. I didn’t want to battle werewolves, but I wasn’t going to let them hurt my brother without a fight.

  Mark had been sitting quietly beside me and I risked a glance at him. He was watching Jed intently, and his eyes had turned golden. Someone in the room growled, and I felt a cold chill run up my spine. I stood up and moved in front of my brother as my eyes roamed over the werewolves. Golden eyes greeted me from every face, but it was the face that was morphing into something inhuman that had me transfixed. Already, she was indistinguishable from the person I knew as fur quickly covered her body. She let out a piercing howl and I felt my heart speed up at the sound.

  The other werewolves had quieted down and were watching Beth change. I was mesmerized, unable to tear my eyes away from her transformation. I had watched her change before, but through a video. This was different, and immensely terrifying. Loud cracking sounds accompanied her change as human limbs bent and twisted into wolf legs. Her face twisted and elongated into a muzzle, baring sharp teeth made for tearing. She howled again as her body completed the change from human to wolf, the sound echoing through the room.

  Beth turned her large wolf’s head toward me, her yellow eyes glowing like twin suns. No normal wolf could ever be confused for the giant creature she now was. She snarled, baring her teeth at me. I was afraid to move, using only my eyes to look around the room. Jed was still sitting quietly in his chair, but he was watching Beth. His face showed no emotion, and no hint at what he might be thinking. No one else in the room moved or spoke. The only sound in the room was the low growl emanating from Beth’s wolf form. I wasn’t sure what to do, or even if I could do anything.

  Justin shifted behind me and I felt him clutch at the fabric of my jeans. He hadn’t gotten over his fear of the werewolves, and this was only making things worse. I had spent more time around them than he had, and I wasn’t sure if I was over my fear either. Beth growled again and moved deliberately toward me, her body hunched down as though stalking prey. No, I was definitely not over my fear. Despite the terror coursing down my spine, I felt a strange calmness come over me. I moved my hand slowly until it was resting against the hilt of my knife. I grasped the handle with sweaty palms and gradually pulled the knife free of its sheath.

  Beth growled again and shifted her body, ready to spring. I wouldn’t be able to move with Justin clinging to me, but I’d rather her get me than him. I bent my legs, ready to absorb the blow. There was no warning when Beth attacked. One moment she was hunched down, growling, and the next she was leaping into the air. I felt her front paws hit me in the chest, knocking the air out of me as I fell backward onto the couch. Bared teeth snapped at my face, but Beth couldn’t reach me. Mark had his strong arms around her chest, holding her at bay.

  Her wolf body was larger than any normal wolf, and far larger than Mark, but somehow he held her back. I gripped the rough knife hilt, and wondered if I could stab her with it. She was so close, and it would just take a single thrust. It would be like when I killed Patricia. I moved the knife in close to my body, ready to strike, when her weight suddenly lifted off me. I watched as Beth sailed through the air and crashed into one of the smaller couches, toppling it over. Mark was standing in front of me, breathing heavily. He looked me over briefly before turning his attention back to Beth, but I noticed his eyes lock onto the knife clasped in my hand.

  I scrambled off the couch, pulling Justin with me. Most of the werewolves had scattered to the edges of the room, leaving only Mark between an angry wolf and me. Beth was back on all fours, looking angrier than ever as she snarled and snapped at Mark. I felt my skin prickle and I heard sick popping and breaking sounds from behind m
e. I now knew what that sound was; another werewolf was turning.

  I grabbed Justin with my free hand and pulled him behind me toward the hallway. The only wolf I absolutely knew wouldn’t hurt me was Mark, and he was still in human form. This room wasn’t safe any longer. I reached the hallway and found myself stopped by Lucas. He stood poised like a bodyguard with his arms across his chest, blocking the way.

  “Lucas, let them go,” Jed called from somewhere behind me.

  I breathed a sigh of relief as Lucas moved aside to let us pass. More snarling noises sounded from behind us, and we hurried faster, neither of us looking back. Justin stumbled behind me as I pulled him down the hall and into the closet. I pressed on the wall and waited impatiently for the security panel to pop up. As soon as the panel appeared, I punched in the code for Jed’s security room and hurried Justin down the stairs in front of me while I closed the door behind us. We moved down the steps and I entered the code to get us into the monitoring room. Both security doors were thick steel, and I imagined they were werewolf proof as well. Of course, a werewolf in human form could easily follow us, but I was hoping Jed and Mark would prevent that from happening.

  I sat down in one of the two chairs and tossed my knife onto the counter while I scanned the security cameras. I heard Justin sit down beside me, but my eyes were on the living room camera. It was hard to make out details on the small screen, but there were definitely two wolves in the room now. One of the wolves moved with lightning speed at Mark, who turned quickly to deflect the attack. The second, larger wolf took that opportunity to attack Mark from behind, launching onto his back. Mark dropped to the ground and rolled, shaking the wolf off him just before the first wolf sprung at him again.

  They rolled to the ground again; Mark trapped underneath two snarling wolves. I watched nervously, my face pushed close to the monitor. Mark was still in human form when he came up from beneath the two wolves. He grabbed one wolf by the leg and hefted it into the air before hurling it across the room. He ignored the second wolf and raced after the first as it rolled to its feet. They moved out of the living room and I scoured the monitors until I found Mark and the wolf tangled on the dining room floor. The second wolf joined the fight, and the three of them tumbled across the floor toward the kitchen.

  Mark managed to get to his feet and ran for the door, leading the two wolves outside. I swiveled in my chair until I was watching the monitors surrounding the house. Both wolves were stalking Mark, who still maintained his fully human form. One of the wolves leaped onto Mark’s back, dropping him to his knees. The wolf latched onto his shoulder with strong jaws and even through the small monitor, I could see blood gush from Mark’s shoulder.

  Mark rolled and the second wolf joined the fray as they tumbled across the yard, fighting and tearing at one another. One of the wolves suddenly went sailing through the air to land on its back near the house. The wolf struggled and flopped on the ground, but failed to stand back up. With one wolf injured, Mark was able to turn his full attention onto the other, larger wolf. Mark wasted no time rolling across the ground to his feet. The wolf pounced, but Mark was able to grab it around the neck. He held the wolf off the ground with one hand before slamming the large wolf into the ground at his feet. Mark knelt over the wolf, his hand pushing the wolf’s head down. The wolf thrashed its body around on the ground, struggling to stand. After a minute like that, the wolf finally lay quiet. Mark stayed still, holding the wolf down for several more minutes before he finally stood up and walked back toward the house.

  The two wolves stayed where they were on the ground until Jed walked out and ushered them toward the barn. The remaining werewolves had all congregated outside to watch the fight, but they parted to let Mark back into the house. I was standing up before Mark had reached the back door. I grabbed my knife off the counter, sheathed it, and hurried toward the door.

  “Izzy! What are you doing?” Justin asked as I grabbed the door handle.

  “Mark’s hurt. I’m going to check on him.”

  “Are you crazy? Did you just watch what happened? Did you see what Mark did?”

  I stopped at the door and turned back to my brother. His blue eyes were wide with fear, and his sandy blond hair was a mess. “Mark won’t hurt me. He just protected both of us. Please, just stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  I left Justin with the monitors and quickly climbed the steps. I would have to deal with my brother later, but right now I needed to deal with the werewolves. This place was supposed to be safe for Justin, but it wasn’t looking like that now. No matter what he had done, he was still my brother and I couldn’t let a pack of werewolves tear him apart.

  Mark was already in the small living room when I walked in. Blood dripped steadily down his arm and onto the floor. I looked him over briefly, taking note of the dark, bloody patches covering his clothes. He grinned weakly at me before limping toward the medical bed Hugo had been using earlier. I rushed over as he sat down and helped him pull off his blood-soaked shirt. The wound was worse than it had looked on the small video monitor. A large chunk of skin had been torn off, revealing white bone and raw flesh beneath. Numerous scratches and bites littered Mark’s skin, but I noticed the smaller wounds seemed to be healing already.

  “Where’s Dr. Humphry?” I asked worriedly as I scrounged around underneath the hospital bed for bandages to staunch the bleeding.

  “She’s on her way,” Mark muttered.

  I found a box of bandages and pulled them out, wondering what to do next. The wound was far beyond my skills, but I could at least help with the bleeding. I swallowed down the bile that was rising in my throat and tried not to look too closely at the gaping wound. I opened one of the thickest gauze pads I could find and held it to the open wound. “Why didn’t you turn into a wolf?” I asked as I watched the blood soak through the bandage at an alarming rate.

  “It’s complicated,” Mark replied gruffly.

  I waited for him to elaborate more as I swapped out bandages, but he just sat quietly. “I thought werewolves healed fast. This wound doesn’t seem to be healing at all,” I added as I put yet another bandage on.

  “Some wounds heal slower than others, especially when made by another wolf. There’s not much I can do without changing into wolf form,” Mark added the last quietly.

  I could feel myself growing light-headed and I looked away from the wound, concentrating on Mark’s face instead. “Changing into a wolf would heal you?” I asked, and Mark nodded. “Well, go change then.”

  Mark sighed loudly and used his eyes only to look at me. “I’ll change when my Alpha tells me I can.”

  “What? If you’re hurt, can’t you just go change whenever you need to? It doesn’t make any sense to wait.”

  “It’s wolf business, Izzy. You don’t understand,” he growled at me, his yellow eyes flashing.

  “Well, why don’t you explain it then?”

  Mark turned his head fully toward me and gazed at me for a minute before answering. “I’m sort of on probation. For right now, I am not allowed to change into wolf form without the Alpha’s permission.”

  “Do the others know that?”

  “Yes,” he replied shortly, turning his head away from me once more.

  I could feel the blood soaking through the bandage again, and I quickly added another layer while trying not to look at it too closely. “Who was the second wolf?” I asked, wondering if the attack had been purposeful. Were the other werewolves mad at Mark for some reason? I felt like I was missing some crucial details.

  Mark sighed loudly and muttered, “Logan.”

  “I thought you and Logan got along?” I was completely confused. Lucas seemed more the type to attack Mark than Logan. Logan had always seemed so cool and collected, and I knew he could control his wolf better than most. Why would Logan attack Mark?

  “We do get along, but things are complicated right now,” he said softly, pausing to take a deep breath. “I’m not feeling up to talking about it. Let’s
just say he’s a little irritated with me right now. A lot of the wolves are.”

  “He took advantage,” I stated.

  “They’re werewolves,” Mirabelle said, startling me as she walked into the room with a medical bag in hand. I immediately moved aside to let the doctor examine Mark’s injuries. The doctor was immaculately dressed as usual, in a button down blue blouse and black slacks. She rolled back her sleeves and slipped on gloves. She continued speaking as she pulled the bandage away. “Don’t try to understand werewolf logic. You don’t get the handbook unless you become one of them. Even being married to one, and being around them for years, I still don’t understand it all.”

  I moved to the other side of Mark so I couldn’t see the bite wound any more. My nausea was mostly under control, but that didn’t mean I was comfortable seeing his bone exposed. The other side of Mark was littered with scratches and what looked like another smaller bite wound on his side. Blood was also seeping through the upper thigh of his jeans and I suspected there was a larger wound there as well.

  Mirabelle sighed in frustration before yelling loudly, “Jed!” She turned toward me and shook her head. “Damn werewolves. I can’t just patch him up like this. The smaller wounds aren’t a concern, but this larger one is. He needs to change now, or there will be permanent damage. Jed!” she yelled once more.

  I watched the doctor move around Mark to add a bandage to the wound on his side. She moved back to the larger wound once more, peeling back the bandages to peer at it again before adding another bandage and wrapping it tightly with gauze. “Any other major wounds?” she asked as she stepped back and peered at him, arms crossed under her breasts.

  “Leg,” he murmured, even though Mirabelle’s eyes were already fixated on the bloody patch on his thigh.