Chapter Four
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This night, their team was assigned a series of gated communities to search. The bright three-quarters moon appeared blurred by moisture-rich air. One by one, they leapt over the six-foot privacy fencing to land on the lawns on the other side. Dogs barked in the distance. They kept to the shadows, avoiding the streetlamps, spreading out again to peer into windows and backyards. Seeking any evidence of vampires or blood.
Shouldering his crossbow, Calum watched as Viper and Ginnie broke away to dip into a cul-de-sac. He and Ephraim continued on to the next intersection.
“This is a waste of time,” Ephraim said. “Will winged vampires really be hiding out in suburbia?”
“Weren’t you listening to the briefing the human cop gave?”
When they’d arrived at Navarro’s just after dark, a black cop named Moses Brown provided intel the Seattle PD had gathered from 911 operators about large birds and low-flying gliders. They’d compared those sightings to the areas still needing to be searched.
“I listened. Still a fucking waste of time. We should bait them. Let them come at us, and then take them the hell down.”
Calum had no doubt something like that was in the works, but the wolves weren’t “in the know.” Navarro and the Masters’ Council were setting the strategy. He wondered if the wolves were sent on patrols to keep them busy while the “bigger” plan was put in motion. Calum didn’t care that he wasn’t included in those planning sessions. Only meant he had more downtime to enjoy with Ginnie.
Tonight, he no longer resented his attraction. After watching Ginnie feed off the maid, any doubts he’d had about her self-control were laid to rest. She’d been gentle with the girl and had fairly rewarded the maid’s gift of blood with pleasure. Watching the two women writhing together had been one of the most erotic acts he’d ever witnessed.
But he still wasn’t comfortable with Ginnie’s special power. Looking at the world from her perspective was more than just unsettling. He was a plain man who liked to work with his hands and ignore his true nature as much as he could. Living a completely human life was impossible, but he liked his life. He liked how uncomplicated it was. Ginnie was one huge complication, who’d already forced him to rethink his long-held notions about vampires.
Still, his chest got tight just thinking about climbing into his truck alone to head back to North Carolina when this war was over.
“Hey.” Ephraim slipped behind a bush and stared across a yard at a two-story brick colonial house. The front door had just opened. An older man, wearing pajama pants and a flannel robe flapping around his bare belly, walked down the porch steps and headed to the mail box at the curb. His hair was graying and messy, like he’d just risen from bed. And he looked like one of the men whose pictures were taped to the board in Navarro’s living room. One of the scientists Zachary turned, and then forced to work on developing some sort of gene therapy that made vampires into the winged creatures responsible for turning the first humans into vampires.
Calum breathed deeply and knew instantly this was one of the guys. In the slight breeze, he smelled almonds.
Already, Ephraim was crouching, hands in front of him, ready to race toward the man moving away from the mailbox.
Calum grabbed his sleeve, forcing him to turn.
Ephraim frowned as Calum shook his head.
Together, they watched as the man re-entered the house.
“We need to know if more of them are present.” He reached for the radio strapped to his belt and pulled it free. Pressing the TALK switch, he said quietly, “We’ve found one of the scientists.” Then he gave the address.
“Pull back and wait for us,” came Viper’s response. “I’m calling Navarro.”
Ephraim cussed under his breath.
Calum gripped his friend’s shoulder and moved away. The two took a position across the road behind a large fir tree. He heard footsteps approaching rapidly from behind and turned to watch as Ginnie and Viper drew near. Both of their gazes reflected like gold mirrors in the lamplight.
They hunkered down beside Ephraim and Calum.
“Another crew is nearby,” Viper said. “Dylan and Emmy O’Hara. When they arrive, we’re getting closer to see if any others are around. We’ll need the garage and back door covered when we enter. If flyers are here, we don’t want them escaping into the air. We’d like the scientists taken alive, because we need to know exactly what they’ve been working on. If we find anyone else, we end them.”
Calum nodded his agreement.
Ginnie moved closer. Her expression was set, but excitement glittered in her eyes. “I can’t believe we found something. Thought these patrols were just busywork.”
Calum’s mouth curved. “I thought they were keeping the wolves out of trouble.”
“They were,” Viper said with an arch of his eyebrow. “Didn’t mean we weren’t working on good intel.”
Ten minutes later, the O’Haras arrived.
Viper gave each of them their instructions. Dylan and Viper would breach the front door after the rest of the group fanned out to take the other exits, including the French doors on the balcony overlooking the backyard. “No hesitation, folks. Can’t wait for them to pop their wings. If the vampire’s not middle-aged, he dies.”
The group broke apart. Calum guarded the back door, leading into the garden. Ginnie had the balcony. When they jumped the four-foot wooden fence surrounding the backyard, Calum moved into position beside the sliding glass door then quietly drew back the linen cord on his crossbow, latched it in the spring clip, and placed an arrow on the track. Holding his bow against his chest and sliding his back to the wall, he gave a nod to Ginnie.
Ginnie squatted then sprang upward, catching hold of the iron balustrade above and hauling herself over.
Calum lifted his radio. “We’re in position.”
“On three…”
Mentally, Calum counted to three. A crash sounded from the front of the house. Cries from inside were quickly silenced. Something bounced against the back door, but then it slid opened. Calum stepped into the space and met a young woman with wide, frightened eyes, who wore only a large, ill-fitting T-shirt.
He hesitated, which cost him as she grinned and shoved past him, moving onto the patio.
Her shirt shredded as a soft explosion sounded, and wings stretched behind her body.
Feeling sick to his stomach, because she couldn’t have been older than sixteen when she was turned, he raised his crossbow. She ran just three steps before her wings lifted and fell, popping like a canvas tarp on a windy day. Taking a deep breath, he aimed for the upper center of her back and pulled the trigger.
A split-second later, she exploded into ash, which sifted downward to settle on the lawn.
“Nothing up here,” Ginnie’s voice called from above. “Gonna look under beds…”
“Be safe!” he called out, then ducked inside. Moving quickly, he threw aside furniture, looking for anyone hiding, as he made his way through the living room. Then he tore open the door to the downstairs bathroom. He met Viper coming out of the kitchen area. “We’re clear.”
Ginnie and Emmy appeared at the top of the stairs.
Emmy pushed a disheveled vampire, his teeth only half-way exposed in his gums, in front of her. “Move it, Pops.” Her gaze went to Dylan.
“Van’s on the way,” he said, grinning up at her.
Emmy blew away a long lock of wavy blonde hair from her blue eyes. “He was hiding under the bed, only his belly wouldn’t fit. I told him I could tell just looking that my boobs wouldn’t have cleared that space.”
Behind her, Ginnie smiled at the group gathered at the bottom of the steps and shrugged. “He’s the only one here.”
“I took out a flyer escaping through the back door,” Callum said.
The older man shuddered. “She was one of Dirk’s blood whores. He turned her a couple of nights ago and left her with me. Nasty piece of work.”
“She had wings,” Viper said, his brows arched high. “You can change them that quickly?”
The older man nodded. “We have a source for cells. Something Zachary captured. We figured out we could inject the cells straight into the bloodstream. After a regenerative day’s rest, the vampires wake up—with wings. We haven’t replicated the same success using cells from anyone we’ve turned, which means Zachary has had to keep that poor creature imprisoned. The cells we harvest don’t last a day.”
“Poor creature?” Emmy said, her eyes rounding.
“A female. Very beautiful,” the scientist said. “I regret that we have to flay skin from her back every day to get the cells.”
“Sonofabitch,” Viper whispered, his hands jammed on his hips.
“Where?” Dylan said, his voice cold.
The scientist still stared at Viper whose scowl was growing darker by the second. “Where is he keeping her, you mean? At his factory.” He slumped, his hand resting on the banister. “I didn’t like giving the girl wings. Zachary prefers to choose his minions. He rewards those most loyal. He didn’t know she’d been turned. Dirk forced me to bring a syringe home. Said if I didn’t, he’d dust me.” He straightened. “When Zachary learns of this attack, he’ll round up my friends. He won’t let them out of his sight.”
Headlights shone through the windows. “That’s our ride,” Viper said. “You’re coming with us. Navarro will want to hear what you have to say.”
“I understand.” The old man nodded as his shoulders slumped. “He’ll probably want all of us…dispatched. But I’ll have to tell him, anyway. The science isn’t anything fancy. The key is the source.”
Once they were on their way, the other teams still searching were contacted and ordered to stand down and return to wherever they were staying. Since they’d shared transportation, Ginnie, Ephraim, and Calum accompanied Viper, Emmy, and Dylan, their vehicle following the van with the geneticist to Navarro’s estate.
As their SUV passed through the gate, Ginnie sat forward, noting limousines parked on the circular drive in front of the house. “Something’s up,” she said under her breath.
“The council has arrived.” Viper shared a charged glance with Dylan.
Emmy grunted. “Shit’ll hit the fan after they have a chat with Dr. Deats.”
“That’s the old guy’s name?” Ginnie asked.
“Yeah. We’ve met before…” Emmy’s voice trailed away as she leaned between the two front seats to whisper into Dylan’s ear.
Ginnie was getting tired of constantly being a step behind because she wasn’t included in the conversations. She could only imagine how frustrating the situation was to Calum. She wanted to ask questions. Find out what the hell was going on. Talk of an original “source,” a creature who’d been tortured so vampires could get their wings, intrigued her. She’d had to learn how to be a vampire on the fly, addressing every hunger and limitation as it presented itself. She knew how to cope with her present state of being, but she didn’t know the history behind what she was.
Frankly, she hadn’t been all that curious, because she’d been dealing with grief and running the club. But now, she didn’t have the luxury of remaining on the fringe, only half-informed. “Can we stay?” she blurted.
Dylan glanced at Viper behind the wheel.
Viper shrugged. “She’s solid.” His glance slid to Calum beside her. “You can stay, too.” When he glanced at Ephraim, he frowned and shook his head. “You’re not leadership.”
Ephraim shrugged. “Sitting in a room full of vamps isn’t my thing. If I can catch a ride…?”
Viper nodded. They parked and separated. Ginnie and Calum followed Emmy into Navarro’s house.
They passed Navarro’s ancient human manservant, Inigo, who gave them a dignified nod. “The masters are assembled in the dining room.”
The only master she’d ever met was Navarro. With his old-world reticence and dark, aquiline features that rarely gave a hint of his emotions, he was pretty damn scary. She straightened her shoulders as she made her way down an arched hallway, noting the paintings on the wall, likely originals, and probably acquired when the paint was still drying…
Upon entering the dining room, she saw seven men seated around a table for twenty. Others hovered around the masters. Viper, her sire, stood leaning a shoulder against a wall, his expression stony. She moved toward him and stood with her hands folded behind her back, her feet braced, like the soldier she was.
Calum stopped beside her, his gaze scanning the room, his dark brows furrowed.
She envied him his beard. She couldn’t tell if he held his mouth as firmly as she did from nervousness.
Navarro rapped on the tabletop. “I’ve spoken with Dr. Deats,” he said, his lightly accented voice uninflected. “He is willing to share the location of the warehouse, which is the center of Zachary Powell’s operation. He has asked that we attempt to free his two associates…”
One of the masters with a long, gaunt frame leaned forward, the hollows beneath his cheeks deepening as he frowned.
Ginnie watched him, wondering how old he was. By his pursed mouth and fiery gaze, he could have been a part of the Spanish Inquisition.
“They should all be destroyed,” he said. “We can’t risk this infection spreading. Wings are earned, not given.”
Ginnie jerked at hearing that. What did he mean? Could vampires earn wings?
Another of the masters, this one bald and with an angular face, beat his fisted hand on the table.
From his militaristic posture, she imagined he might have been a Roman centurion in the past.
“A thousand years spent in service to our secrets, and never have I even seen an old one.”
“And Zachary holds one now, torturing her.” Navarro scanned his gaze over those seated at the table. “I contacted Magnus. He’ll join us tomorrow night, along with Garron. From Dr. Deat’s description, Magnus and Garron know who the creature is. When we take the warehouse, they advised us to keep her subdued.”
“Albermarle…” The gaunt one looked to a blond man standing behind Navarro’s chair. He waved his hand to a vacant chair beside him.
His face set, Quentin Albermarle moved to claim the chair.
Ginnie held her breath. She didn’t know Quentin well, but she had seen him a few times in the past and knew he was friends with the O’Haras, and that he was one of Navarro’s
“lieutenants.”
As soon as he was seated, the gaunt master bit out, “This situation is your fault. You are responsible for the Powells.”
Quentin drew a deep breath and sat straighter in his chair. “It’s true. I turned Nicky Powell. Every vampire they created afterward is my responsibility.” His gaze went to a slender, dark-haired woman, whose taut lips pulled away from her teeth.
“We should kill you,” the master grumbled. “You’ve been unwise. And you’ve broken trust. If not for…” He drew a deep breath and firmed his lips.
The balding master rapped the table. “I don’t care what Garron says. We should put him down along with that abomination.” He pointed toward the slender, dark-haired woman who held Quentin’s gaze.
Quentin’s lips thinned. His hands fisted so hard his knuckles turned white.
Tension rose in the room, palpable and thick. Heartbeats thudded against chest walls, breaths deepened. Ginnie swallowed to relieve a dry mouth and wondered whether another war would erupt.
“They are under my protection,” Navarro said quietly, his posture stiffening.
His voice, so quiet and controlled, made Ginnie shiver.
The bald one’s gaze narrowed. “She had a child. If it is found, you know what must happen.”
A small muscle flexed along the edge of Navarro’s jaw. His gaze swept the rest of those gathered in the room. “If you haven’t all heard, Darcy is both vampire and wolf,” Navarro said softly.
Beside her, Calum gasped.
Ginnie didn’t dare turn away from the tableau in front of her. Vampire and wolf? She hadn’t known that was possible. Had Darcy been born a wolf and then turned by a vampire? That was the only way she could imagine this condition would be possible, because “turned” wolves—humans bitten by werewolves—were dangerous, uncontrollable beasts. And yet, this woman, Darcy, stood still, baring her teeth, yes, but she remained in control of herself.
“As you well know,” Navarro said from his seat at the head of the long table, “I had every intention of hunting Darcy Albermarle down and killing her, but she isn’t the maddened beast we expected. She could be an asset.”
The gaunt one frowned. “She has yet to be tested. Who knows what will happen when she’d pushed into a corner and forced to fight for her ‘get.’ If her child isn’t already dead, she may prove to be more of a problem than Zachary. How do you expect to control her?” He spoke as if Darcy couldn’t hear and didn’t flinch at his harsh words.
Looking straight ahead, Navarro said, “Quentin and I have already put plans into place.”
This time, Darcy shot a glare at Quentin, her anger bristling for anyone to see.
Quentin’s expression remained neutral, although his blue eyes hardened.
Shifting her feet, Ginnie drew a deep breath and let it out. She didn’t like the masters. Didn’t like that they could end a life with a wave of a hand. What made them God? The fact they were old? She hadn’t heard anything particularly wise and Gandalf-ish coming from any of them.
Her gaze went to Darcy, whose expression was fierce, but whose body didn’t seem all that scary. She was wolf and vampire—but which being held precedence? Did she have to feed like a vampire? Did she go full-on, hairy wolf like Calum?
The most mind-blowing bit of news had been about the fact she’d borne a child—and apparently, it was all mixed up in this Zachary Powell business. Questions flashed through her thoughts. When this was over, she’d expect answers from her sire.
She shot Calum a sideways glance and discovered his gaze was laser-focused on Darcy. His brows were lowered and his eyes mirrored—shining gold in the dimly lit dining room.
Fearing he’d start to growl and draw attention their way, she reached for his sleeve and gave it a tug.
His hand fisted, and he shrugged off her touch. Then a low growl sounded, quietly at first, then building in intensity.
Darcy’s eyes flashed golden, and her upper fangs descended, creeping past her lower lips.
No, no, no. Ginnie shot Viper a glance.
Frowning, he already watched the play between the two.
Everyone did.
Navarro pushed up from the table. “Are we in agreement?” he asked, his voice louder and sharper than before, likely hoping to drag everyone’s attention back to him and away from the menacing noises and stares occurring behind him.
The masters made eye contact around the table, perhaps communicating silently, Ginnie guessed.
The gaunt one firmed his lips then gave Navarro a regal nod. “You will see to Powell’s annihilation. His factory and all his minions must be destroyed. We will…trust…your methods. See that this war does not bring any more attention upon us from the human world than it already has.”
Left unsaid, but all too apparent by his bristling anger, was an unspoken or else. Ginnie had no doubt that Navarro’s fate, as well as that of all his progenies, depended on their victory.