Bloody Endings Read online

  “A romantic mystery?” I asked, reaching out to grab it.

  John snatched it out of the chair and tucked it under his arm. “I don’t read romance.”

  “Sure, John,” I murmured, nodding my head and doing a poor job of hiding my smile.

  He shook his head and stalked ahead of us down the hallway. Mark and I exchanged grins, but said no more on it. Antagonizing John wasn’t the wisest idea. We reached the front door and John ushered us through. We walked past him and when I glanced back, I noticed the book was nowhere to be seen. He glared at me, as though daring me to say another word on the subject.

  We made our way to the lab in silence. Mark held my hand lightly, and the simple gesture had my heart dancing merrily. John stalked behind us like a dark cloud until we reached the lab. At the door, John hurried ahead of us and peered inside, holding us at bay. He mumbled something incoherently and turned back around, shaking his head.

  “I’ll go inside. You two wait here,” he said gruffly.

  I frowned, but John didn’t give us a chance to ask questions as he disappeared into the lab. As the door closed, I caught a whiff of something I didn’t recognize. I wrinkled my nose and sneezed at the scent, stepping back away from the odor that seemed to be stuck in my nose. Rubbing my nose did no good. The odor seemed to overwhelm my senses, and I found myself backing away faster and faster. “What is that?” I asked to no one in particular. That’s when I noticed the burning across my thigh, emanating from the dagger. I looked up at Mark, eyes wide. “Vampire?”

  He nodded and walked toward me slowly, his arms held wide. “Izzy, just calm down. Slow breaths,” he said.

  I continued to back up faster as the scent of vampire overwhelmed my senses. There was nothing else but the putrid scent of death. My dagger burned, and I reached a hand down to my thigh, touching it where I had strapped it over my leggings. Pain tore at my body, wrenching a scream from my mouth. I stumbled to the ground, writhing in misery. The grass was a brighter green than I’d ever seen before, full of light and shadows. A single ant marched beneath a blade of grass, capturing my attention even as another wave of pain wracked my body. Mark was there, his hands firmly around my shoulders. I could hear his words, but there was no meaning behind them. There was only the overwhelming pain, and the sound of something cracking. Then there was darkness.

  * * *

  I opened my eyes to the canopy of darkness above me. Trees surrounded me and the only light came from the moon filtering dimly through the branches. I sat up, heart pounding, and looked around. Mark sat beside me, his back against a tree and his eyes glowing golden. On the other side of me was John, still dressed in his usual black attire. Mark and I were both completely naked. I blushed and sat up, turning my back to John so I was facing Mark.

  “How long?” I asked.

  “About eight hours,” Mark replied. “Do you remember anything?”

  I shook my head. “Not really. I remember smelling vampire, and then there was so much pain. That was me shifting, wasn’t it?”

  He nodded and said, “Your wolf does not like vampires.”

  “What do you mean?”

  John was the one to answer, his voice softer than usual, and I looked over my shoulder at him. “Your reaction to smelling vampire was intense, to say the least. You didn’t shift after your, ahem, escapades last night, but you shift at the slightest smell of vampire. Then you tried to force your way into the lab.” He held up his arm, showing deep claw marks in his skin.

  “I did that?” I asked, and he nodded.

  “As soon as Mark shifted, he was able to coerce you to go hunt. It took a little bit, though,” he added.

  “Your wolf was screaming to attack,” Mark said as he scooted close and put his arms around me. “Your wolf knew very well what was in that lab, too. It took a bit for you to remember who you were and calm down. After that, I took you out here to hunt. John followed to keep an eye on us.”

  “You didn’t turn into a wolf?” I asked John.

  He shook his head and stood up, holding aside his jacket to show us two guns. “My Glock with regular bullets, and a tranquilizer gun,” he said, pointing at the two weapons in turn. Lucky for you, I didn’t need to use either of them. Although it was a close thing.”

  “Sorry,” I said.

  “Don’t worry about it,” John replied, smiling widely. “I got good news from your brother regarding your blood sample. It looks like all vamp blood is out of your system. He wants to give you the vaccine he’s been giving the rest of the Pack.”

  “And this vaccine will work?”

  He shrugged and said, “According to Justin it will. Mark will need to have some further tests run though before we know if he’s in the clear. For now, we have a long walk back to the house.”

  I nodded and Mark tightened his arms around me in a hug before standing up. His nakedness didn’t seem to bother him, but I still wasn’t comfortable. John knowingly turned away and Mark pulled me to my feet. “You’ll get used to it,” he murmured in my ear, his lips brushing a kiss against my skin.

  “To what?” I asked.

  “A distinct lack of clothes,” he replied. “We shift together, we run together and we rarely have clothes to change in to. It’s a fact of werewolf life that you just adapt to. With the exception of Lucas, you have nothing to worry about. And Lucas would be a fool to try messing with you again.”

  I nodded in agreement and clung to Mark as we turned and began walking back toward the house. John walked ahead of us, leading the way. It took over an hour picking our way through the darkness to get back to the main house. Lights were on and there was a frenzied feeling to the air as men and wolves milled about outside the house. John glanced at us, pulled out his Glock, turned and raced to the house. Mark and I sped up, when a sudden fire jolted down my leg. I stopped in my tracks, and Mark stumbled to a stop a few seconds later, looking back at me worriedly.

  “There’s a vampire ahead,” I whispered, the throbbing fire in my leg intensifying. “Actually, I’m guessing there are multiple vampires ahead.”

  Mark walked back to me, taking deep breaths to try and catch a scent. He shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t smell anything.”

  “Not yet,” I replied, tapping my leg. “The dagger knows.”

  “What does your dagger voice say?”

  I smiled wanly and reached out to Aidan. Aidan, are you there? Silence greeted me, and I tried again, but still received no response. “He’s not answering, Mark.”

  “Is that normal?”

  I shook my head. “He’s always answered me before.”

  “Well, keep trying,” Mark said as he glanced back toward the house. “If there are vampires ahead, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for you to go in there.”

  “Because I may not be able to control myself?”

  He nodded and stepped up beside me, taking my hand. “Let’s get a little closer and find out, but try to keep your emotions in check.”

  I took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. He stared at me for a full minute, as though debating the wisdom of moving forward. I took a step closer, squared my shoulders, and pulled Mark behind me as I walked toward the house. He kept his body close beside mine as we moved toward the first group of men and wolves. The only one in human form I knew was Logan, who stepped forward when he saw us.

  “Your old pal decided to pay us a visit,” Logan growled, the revulsion evident on his face. “To talk.”

  My heart stopped beating for a second, then resumed at a rapid rate, pounding against my chest like it was trying to break free. “Henri?” I asked, and Logan nodded in return. “Any other vampires with him?”

  He nodded again and hiked a thumb over his shoulder, back toward the house. “He has three other blood-suckers with him visible, and we’ve spotted at least a dozen more lurking nearby. He also has five wolves with him.”

  “That mother fucker,” Mark swore, his eyes glowing brightly yellow.

  I squeezed Mar
k’s hand and tugged him back toward me as he started to stalk away toward the house. “Mark, please,” I pleaded as he pulled against my hand. “I need you.”

  Mark froze, but didn’t say anything. “He’s asking for you,” Logan added.

  “Of course he is,” I replied, shaking my head.

  “If you’re up for it, Jed wants you there.”

  “She shifted at just the smell of vampire earlier,” Mark said suddenly, seeming to come back to himself.

  “I’m just relaying what our Alpha said,” Logan replied, shrugging as though he didn’t care one way or the other. “There are clothes just inside for you as well.”

  I stood still, taking in his words. “Where is he?”

  “They’re outside the front door of the house. He got all the way up to the front fucking door and knocked. I’m not sure how he got so close without being spotted.” Logan frowned and looked around at the werewolves ready to move into action. “Go in the back door and through the house.”

  Aidan? I tried again, but still received no answer other than a subtle vibration through the knife. I worried at the lack of communication from Aidan, but I’d have to figure that out later. Tightening my grip on Mark’s hand, I stepped forward. Mark moved up beside me immediately as we walked up to the back of the house. I held my breath as the burning fire of the dagger grew stronger. Vanessa met us at the back door, ushering us quickly inside.

  I let out the breath I had been holding and leaned against Mark, breathing in his scent. Vanessa shoved clothes in my hand. “Get dressed. Hurry,” she whispered.

  Mark let go of me and pulled on the shorts Vanessa had handed him. I unfolded the clothes she had given me, frowning. “What’s this?” I asked, shaking out the vibrant red dress.

  She shrugged and said, “Jed insisted.”

  “Shit,” I mumbled. If the Alpha was insisting, there was no arguing. I shimmied into the form-fitting dress which left little to the imagination. Two thin cords wound behind my neck and down the back, crisscrossing through loops that Vanessa deftly laced. The plunging neckline barely contained my breasts. I pulled on the hem, attempting to pull it down further which only exposed my breasts more. “This is barely a dress.”

  Mark stared at me with his arms crossed over his chest. “It’s more lingerie than dress.”

  “Well, you two can play with it later,” Vanessa said as she ran fingers through my hair in an attempt at styling. “Jed wants a reaction out of the vamp. Do your best to keep him off guard.”

  “I don’t like it,” Mark mumbled. The shorts Vanessa had given him were plain black and something he normally would have worn. I envied him as Vanessa scooted a pair of extremely high heels my way.

  “If I shift?” I wondered as I slipped my feet into the heels.

  “I’ll carry you to safety,” Mark said easily.

  Aidan, where are you? I tried again.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Vanessa urged as soon as the shoes were on. There was no turning back, so I simply walked through the house with Vanessa and Mark on either side of me.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The closer we drew to the door, the stronger the vampire smell grew. Knowing how my wolf reacted before, I was ready for anything. My wolf, however, seemed to have calmed down. Maybe I was learning. Or maybe my wolf just knew Henri too well. I stopped at the front door and waited while Vanessa moved forward. Mark’s presence beside me was comforting, but there was still an underlying fear in the back of my mind. What if my brother was wrong, and I still had vampire blood in me despite my transition to werewolf? I hadn’t received the vaccine yet. To top it off, he hadn’t had a chance to re-test Mark’s blood. Was he still under Henri’s control? And where the hell was Aidan? The fact my dagger voice counterpart was missing sent a new wave of worry through me. Had Jed done something to sever his connection to me?

  I swallowed down the fear as Vanessa turned the knob and opened the door. The first thing I saw was Henri, in all his golden-powered glory. He looked as he had the first time I’d ever seen him. His chest was bare and nicely sculpted. Although pale, he still glowed with a faint light as though he was basking in sunshine. His eyes were a vibrant blue, but it looked unnatural to me. The pants he wore were white and loose, making him look as though he had just woken from a nap and walked over to ask for a cup of sugar. It was all an illusion though. The sky was dark and there was an undercurrent of danger in the air. Despite his fantastic magic, I knew the truth.

  I stepped out of the house, my heels clicking on the front porch. Henri’s eyes drank in the sight of me, and he smiled appreciatively. I swung my hips with each step, determined to play the game. His eyes darted to Mark behind me, and the smile slipped from his face ever so briefly. A light fog began forming across the ground as Henri stretched his power. “You can stop with the theatrics,” I said as I carefully stepped off the porch and sauntered toward the vampire, swaying my hips provocatively.

  Henri’s grin widened and he waved an arm in the air, vanishing the fog and the ethereal glow around him. “Is that better, my Queen?” he asked.

  The urge to punch him in the face was overwhelming, but I managed to smile instead as I stopped beside Jed. The three vampires who had accompanied Henri were part of his private security detail, each dressed in matching black suits and doing their best Secret Service impersonations. “What do you want, Henri?” I asked, crossing my arms beneath my breasts. The movement drew every male’s eyes to my chest, as intended, and I artfully used my arms to press my breasts higher, so they stretched the limits of the fabric. Henri’s eyes were pulled to my breasts as well, just as Jed had intended I presumed, since he was the one making me wear the dress.

  “It warms my heart to see you looking so wonderful,” Henri said as he took a step forward. A wolf on the other side of Jed growled, and Henri wisely stopped walking. He was still only a few steps away from me. Mark moved up behind me, his body close enough to feel the warmth of his body heat without touching. Henri smiled and nodded at Mark. “Ah, Subject… Mark.”

  What’s the blood-sucker doing here? Aidan suddenly asked, startling me and making me jump.

  Henri’s eyes darted back to me and I took an intentional step forward. “I don’t think we need to exchange pleasantries or talk about the weather,” I said. “You’re here for a reason, so I suggest you get to the point before the patience of the Pack grows too thin.”

  “Very well,” Henri said, turning his eyes toward Jed, who had been silently scowling at the vampire. “I wish to coordinate our efforts to take down Petrivian.”

  “Coordinate?” Jed began, chuckling softly. “What makes you think we need to coordinate anything with the likes of you?”

  “Oh, I can think of a few reasons. First, because I have inside information into when and where Petrivian will be. I’ve had spies implanted into his organization. The time to strike is coming.”

  “So you say,” Jed retorted.

  “He has grown complacent as he has grown in power. There are weaknesses in his defenses that only I know about.”

  Jed shrugged and kicked dust off his cowboy boots, his manner relaying his nonchalant attitude. “If you have all this info, what do you need us for?”

  “Petrivian may have weaknesses, but his home base is vast and still full of dangers. It will take an army to get through to his inner sanctum and destroy him,” Henri added impatiently, as though he were talking to a child.

  “Then why attack him at his home base?”

  “Because we know the layout!” Henri stated, his anger growing visibly by the moment. “I know when he’ll be there. Exactly. We can get in and be waiting for him. Ambush him in his own home.”

  I raised my eyebrows at the idea. It was daring. Perhaps a little too daring. “So what if we go in and Petrivian gets word that we’re there waiting for him? Won’t he just change his plans?” I asked.

  Henri grinned widely then, flashing his fangs at me. “Oh, but that’s where you come in. Petrivian doesn’t entirely
trust the vampires around him, as he shouldn’t. He uses his humans for everything, including moving him during the daytime.”

  “When he’s vulnerable? That doesn’t seem very smart,” I added.

  “He is very old and will be very much awake,” Henri replied. “The other vampires in his lair, however, won’t be. Thus, they will be unable to inform him of any dangers. The only ones who will be able to do anything are his human servants, and those are easy enough to kill off long before they alert his transport.”

  “That sounds risky,” Jed replied. “You’re counting on us overrunning an entire compound full of vamps and humans during the daytime in order to ambush one blood-sucker?”

  “As I said before, I have spies in place.”

  “So?”

  “So, they plan to take over communication inside the compound and relay misinformation to Petrivian’s transport. He’ll think everything is fine,” Henri added in exasperation.

  “And you can trust your spies to do this for you?” Jed continued. “Our hope of overrunning this lair rides solely on your people.”

  “I have been setting this up for months,” Henri retorted, his eyes flashing angrily.

  “But you need us,” I said, pulling Henri’s eyes back to me. His anger immediately diminished as he stared at me. “You need us because you don’t have enough vampires who can walk around during the daytime.”

  Henri smiled again, flashing his gleaming white teeth at me. “Oh, my Queen, you are such a prize. Yes, I need the assistance of the wolves for this venture. We share a common goal. I have an army at my back, but it is true that too many of my army are confined to the night.”

  “We’d need assurances,” Jed interjected. “All werewolves are off limits.”

  “Of course,” Henri agreed, bowing at the waist. “You and yours will be safe until Petrivian is dust. Then we can go back to the way things should be.”