Fangs sunk into my shoulder, sending my flesh ablaze. I tried purging myself of the vamp, but his teeth went deeper and then he tore away a chunk of my flesh. Pain sliced through me and I gritted my teeth. Damn, he’d gotten the cure.
The vamp dove at me again. Cedric disengaged and rammed a fist into the vamp’s face, sending him in the opposite direction. The vampire crashed against the desk and I pounced on him, submerging my fangs deep into his abdomen and ripping him open. When his movements became sluggish, I bolted off him in search of another vampire.
There was only one left. Cedric pulled a long knife from his drawer then made a beeline for the intruder who was already fleeing toward the door. I thought about blocking the vamp’s exit, but in a flash Cedric pinned him to the floor. He withdrew the knife, then buried the tip of the blade in the vampire’s neck. “How many others are there?” Cedric demanded.
The vampire chuckled, liquid gurgling at the back of his mouth. Not my concern at the moment. Autumn had shifted back to her human form, her discarded body lying lifeless, eyes open and staring. I shifted too and knelt beside her.
“She can’t be dead,” I mumbled as my hands explored her, checking for more serious injuries. Her head was connected, which meant she was alive, right? Panic seized me as I dropped to my knees and brushed the blood-soaked hair off her neck.
“How many are there?” Cedric repeated.
Behind me, the vampire laughed once. “Too many for you to handle.”
“They’re here in the palace?”
“They’re everywhere.” He wheezed, his voice weaker with each second that ticked by. “And they’ll eventually find another way to get to you.”
“Who’s they?” When the vamp didn’t answer, Cedric shook him and the vamp’s head banged against the hardwood floor. “And what do they want?”
“The glory you’ve been denying them for centuries by keeping us hidden and cowering from the humans.” He coughed, followed by a weak laugh. “When you’re dead, vampires will take their rightful place in the world.”
Cedric grunted in disgust. “Yes, I’ve read the ancient scrolls, how the vampires nearly killed off their food source. When our species can control their own power, only then will it truly be ours. I ask again, who are they?”
“The very same who will triumph over you,” he wheezed.
“Answer me,” Cedric demanded, pounding his fist into the vampire—his face, I assumed by the sound of it.
I glanced over my shoulder as the vampire sputtered, red droplets flying through the air. “You may as well kill me now,” he said.
“Done.” Cedric lowered the sword and I turned toward Autumn, trying to tune out the sound of bone crunching, flesh separating from flesh, and finally, metal scraping against the hardwood floor. Cedric nudged the head away from the body, then stood and repeated the action on the other vampire still writhing near the door. Grabbing the headless body by its feet, he dragged it out of the way. Boots thumped as they fell against the floor.
I heard footsteps muffled across the carpet in the hallway, followed by a click of the deadbolt. An instant later, Kayla, Tony, and Dathan swarmed the room.
“Bastards shorted the panel. Took forever to get through.” Kayla’s gaze fell to the floor and she hissed. “Autumn okay?”
“Not exactly, but she’s alive.” Cedric bent down and scooped Autumn into his arms.
“You sure?” I asked, my pulse throbbing at my temples. Autumn and I had learned the hard way that appearing dead didn’t necessarily mean actually dead. That knowledge was the only thing staving off full-blown panic and keeping my voice from sounding preadolescent.
“Positive. All supernaturals die to some degree when they would’ve normally died as a human.” He effortlessly hauled Autumn toward our room.
“What does that even mean?” I trailed behind Cedric, barely noticing Renzo and Alura hovering nearby as we cleared the doorway.
Cedric gently deposited Autumn onto our bed. “If our hearts stop beating or we’re no longer breathing, we will appear dead on the outside. Inside, our bodies are busy healing, even if there are no outward signs of it.” He examined Autumn’s neck briefly before straightening and casting me a glance. “Once she’s patched up and has a good meal, healing will accelerate.”
“How did they get in?” I asked, doing my own scan on Autumn for any other injuries. In addition to the extreme damage to her neck, an ugly wound gaped from her shoulder and blood oozed from her side.
“He was already authorized to access my suite. He must’ve palmed the panel, then somehow disabled the scanner.” Cedric hitched a thumb toward the headless body at the other end of the room. “No one leaves my suite until we’ve ensured the entire floor is secure. Since I only keep blood bags in my fridge here, real food will have to wait.”
I nodded, distracted by Autumn and her open, lifeless eyes. And I couldn’t get to any food to help her. “It’ll heal faster with stitches, right?” I asked. “Kayla can do that?”
“Kayla can do almost anything.” Cedric studied Autumn. “She fought well. I owe her my life—I owe both of you. I can’t seem to get myself out of werewolf debt.”
I shrugged. “You wouldn’t have been attacked if you hadn’t taken us in. I’d say we’re even.”
He leveled me with an intense stare. “The traitors were already here. All you did was help flush them out.”
Kayla stood in the doorway, blocking the bright light streaming in from the next room. She held up a metal tray layered with tools and first aid supplies. “Give me some room, huh?”
Cedric whizzed by and I gave Autumn one last glance before stepping out of our room and into his study. I hovered outside our door as Cedric debriefed the rest of the group on how he’d nearly been usurped.
A few minutes later, Kayla flung the door open. “Humpty Dumpty’s still sleeping but she’s put back together again.”
“Thanks.” I knuckle-bumped Kayla and, as I squeezed past her, pain shot through my shoulder when I grazed the doorframe. Reminded of the bite on my back, I reached a hand around and my fingertips came back dark red and gooey. Right, the vamp had taken a piece of me. Between that and the energy I’d expended fighting vamps—not to mention Cedric feeding from me—exhaustion weighed on me like cement shoes.
And oh, man, my stomach screamed for food. I craved a big juicy burger with everything on it. I was getting to the point where I’d eat almost anything. Unfortunately, I didn’t see food in my future since Cedric had already ordered that no one leaves his suite. Good thing Kayla was gone because even chewing on a limb of a vampire was beginning to seem like a pretty good idea. Their parts grew back, right? They wouldn’t miss it for long.
Yeah, I was that hungry.
I did my best to ignore my hunger and returned to the side of the bed. Autumn’s eyes were closed now and the gray in her skin had been replaced by warmth and a little more color. But she needed fuel to get stronger. So did I.
The door opened, letting in a sliver of light.
“She’s still sleeping,” I said without turning around. I already knew it was Dathan. Despite my fatigue, I could sense him stronger than anyone else. I muscled through the intense need to nibble on him. My bite wouldn’t kill Dathan since he had access to two other werewolves who he could take a nip from for the cure.
“Hungry?” Dathan asked.
“And beyond.” I couldn’t look at him. He was my natural enemy and my urge to attack had never been stronger. All I had to do was morph into a wolf and I wouldn’t care much what I ate. “You shouldn’t stay in here with me,” I warned in a tight voice.
He rounded the bed anyway and came up behind me.
“Dathan, I should warn you I’ve never in my life been this hungry. You should leave. Seriously.”
He scoffed. “It’s illegal to feed from a vampire. If you tried and anyone found out, you wouldn’t live through the night.”
Another round of hunger ravaged me. “Then maybe you should go.”
“But if no one knew...,” he said in a voice so low, no one could hear beyond the walls.
My head whipped to Dathan. “What are you saying?” I whispered. “And why would that be on the table? You don’t like us, remember?” He was actually volunteering his body parts? I bite or two off his arm?
Yes, I remember, he said, switching to telepathy. That is a fact I won’t soon forget. However, you and your mate showed great courage tonight. He thrust his wrist at me. And you saved me from having to play king, a job I loathe.
Much to my astonishment, Dathan bowed his head and extended his arm farther toward me. When I didn’t bite into his wrist, he waved it under my nose.
Do you know what vampire blood does to a wolf or shifter? You must be dying to learn why it’s illegal.
Vampire blood? Surprisingly, that sounded tasty. I spun to face him. Will it make me stronger or will it kill me?
Stronger is an understatement. The corners of his mouth rose into a half smile. Drink up. I promise you’ll be adequately happy with the result.
Maybe it was a trick. But it was either that or wait until we could leave the king’s suite and access the kitchen. If I got any hungrier, I couldn’t vouch for my sanity.
I shimmered into a wolf and nudged his hip with my muzzle. He held out his wrist and I sank my fangs into his flesh. Hot liquid poured into my mouth and my limbs tingled as Dathan’s blood spread through my body, flooding my veins and mending my wounds. I understood now why werewolves killed for it. Not so much for the flavor, but for what it invoked—pure bliss, the way I imagined it would feel being jacked up on heroin. Except more intense.
Easy, young wolf. That’s enough. He tugged on his wrist.
With great effort, I let go. Thank you, I told him silently, then licked my chops and shifted back into my human form. I can see why it’s frowned on. If other werewolves knew...
“Unfortunately, some do,” he muttered. If it were widely known though, we would be sucked dry and left for dead. The irony of being hunted for our blood is not lost on me, I assure you. He leaned against the bed, visibly paler than when he’d first walked into the room. I’ll be needing the cure if you don’t mind.
Right. No wonder he was beginning to go gray. He’d allowed me to bite him, fully cognizant he’d be at my mercy until I gave him the cure. But he hated all werewolves. Didn’t he? He could’ve let me suffer or watched me get so hungry that I attacked Kayla or Tony. Yet he’d been the one to supply me. Ancient blood, no less.
I offered my wrist. When his teeth pierced my skin, the flesh around his fangs prickled. “You’re not the jerkface you make yourself out to be.”
As if I hadn’t said a thing, he waited a few short seconds before pushing my wrist away. I don’t want to take too much or I’ll have to refuel you again.
If someone brought up some food, I wouldn’t need your blood, I pointed out.
“Our first priority is handling the dead bodies and cleaning up the pools of blood on the rug. Not to mention the splatter on the walls. We can’t risk any of the staff knowing what really happened here tonight. Once we’ve made sure the entire floor is secure again, we can venture into the kitchen.” Dathan dipped his head toward Autumn. “See if you can wake her. We’ll need her input.” He whirled and strode to the window, and I wondered why he didn’t leave.
A light rap sounded at the door. “Come in,” I said.
Alura poked her head in and glanced at Dathan.
“They’re both alive.” Dathan sent her a bored look. “Although your friend here is exceedingly hungry. Autumn will likely be ravenous as well. The sooner we get this floor in order, the sooner we can take advantage of its kitchen.”
“Kayla and Tony are on it,” Alura said. “And I’m betting Autumn will be waking soon. She was torn up a lot worse last time and she was only out a few hours.”
“Last time?” Dathan huffed. “Magnets for trouble. I should throw you off our property as soon as dawn breaks.”
Man, he ran hot and cold. Why wouldn’t he get out of the room and leave me alone with Autumn?
Alura sent him a frosty look. “Whether we’re here or not, you’ve all been marked as werewolf lovers. Without us here to deter them with our werewolf bites, Cedric will be much easier to get to.”
And Dathan could be stuck being king. I hoped he didn’t dislike us so much that he’d get rid of us, even after we’d saved Cedric’s butt.
As soon as Alura retreated, Dathan resumed staring out the window. I had no idea what was going through his head, but I couldn’t worry about that. I leaned over and kissed Autumn’s cheek, then the tip of her nose, and finally her mouth.
Her lids fluttered open and she blinked a couple of times, then she struggled to sit up. “What happened to Cedric? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” I assured her, anchoring a hand on her shoulder so she couldn’t get up.
“But not that vampire you mutilated.” Dathan stood beside me and scowled down at Autumn. Then he offered up a vein. “Drink and be quick about it,” he said in a whisper lower than low.
I gave her an encouraging nod. You won’t regret it.
Dathan allowed her to drink twice as long as he’d let me. Probably because she had more healing to do.
“Enough.” He yanked his arm away and faced me. “She’s stronger than you. Why do you suppose that is?” The way he said it almost wasn’t a question, more like he already knew the answer and was hinting I needed to find out. Shape-shifters should be weaker than werewolves, as you know.
“We don’t have a clue,” I answered. That mystery wasn’t my first concern right then and if he planned to tell me, he’d just say it.
Autumn licked her lips and stared at the nearly healed bite marks on his wrist. “Why did you allow that?”
“Despite the fact that your absence is desired by most of my people, including myself, you risked your life to save one of us. You should be rewarded for the loyalty you’ve shown.”
Dathan may have been the scariest supernatural I’d ever met, but he had a solid honor code. I had to give him that, but I wasn’t foolish enough to think that would always be in my favor.
He lifted Autumn’s chin with an index finger. “You’re needed. We’ll be waiting for you outside while you take a moment to clean up.”
She was needed for what? Had they finally had enough of us, decided that protecting us was too great a risk? Maybe they were ready for the palace to get back to normal, and Dathan intended to follow through with his threat of getting rid of us.
Chapter SIXTEEN
Autumn
“Give me a minute,” I told Zack. Even though I’d had the best medicine ever and life slowly seeped back into every cell in my body, my energy drained out just as fast.
When you join us in Cedric’s office, take care to act weak in front of the others. It won’t do to let on I’ve shared my blood. The fewer who know, the better, Dathan told me, then slipped out the door.
I slumped, covering my face in my hands. I’d almost died. Again. Thankfully, I’d survived, but what if I’d been the one to pull the stake from Cedric, and Zack had held off the vampires? I might not have gotten to him in time. The thought of losing him, of him no longer existing anymore, caused my heart to stutter and fall.
While I appreciate your heroism tonight, as do the vampires I’m sure, what you did was reckless, Renzo silently scolded me from wherever he was. You risked Zack’s life, as well as your own. You’ll only ever bring him danger. Set him free now, before he dies trying to protect you.
“Are you okay?” Zack leaned in to drape an arm around my waist. “Let me help you to the bathroom so you can get rid of the blood.”
“I’m fine.” I wiggled out of his grasp and staggered to the bathroom. Dathan may have been helpful with the major healing, but my legs still wobbled beneath me. I would’ve appreciated Zack’s support, but doing everything on my own was just what I deserved.
To think I could’ve prevented the m
ess if I had urged Zack to leave with Renzo and admitted to everyone in the palace that I was a shape-shifter. With the werewolves gone and the king not harboring the enemy in the palace, his people would’ve had less reason to rise up against him. Or me.
Instead, I’d been clingy and greedy. Letting Zack go made me want to crawl into a hole, but him dying was a far more horrible thought.
I splashed water over my face and when the water drained back into the sink, it was pink. My own blood... or had it belonged to one of the vampires? A shiver of revulsion danced along my spine.
A part of me hated how thrilled Renzo would be if Zack and I broke up. But I couldn’t ignore his logic and continue risking Zack’s life, exposing him to danger. First with my ex, then Charles, and now this time because I had acted on impulse. I’d thrown myself into the middle of a vampire war. And once again, Zack had been left to pick up the pieces.
He was always there, putting his life on the line for me, even if it meant he might be killed too. Because that’s the way he was made; he would always step up for a damsel in distress. I loved that about him—his fierce loyalty, how he always acted with honor. And that’s how he’d probably go out, loyal to the end. I couldn’t let that happen.
Bending over the sink, I stuck a dry, stiff section of my hair under the faucet. The water changed color again. Mine. Had to be my blood.
If I were a cat with nine lives, I’d have six left. But I wasn’t a cat; I was a shape-shifter. Since I would always be in danger, my number was coming up. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week. But at the rate we were going, it would be soon. And if Zack were there with me....
Our lives weren’t make-believe and I couldn’t shut out the real world anymore, no matter how much we wished it didn’t exist. Not after tonight. I’d proved with utter certainty that I wasn’t impervious to death.
Zack and I had been playing grown-up for months, pretending we could conquer our enemy and beat the odds. But we were only kids just out of high school. Without some advantage, Zack and I would both die like Hannah and Eli. Hunted. And it would be all my fault, because I wasn’t able to let him go.