Chapter One
Lucien Dazaraski stopped and watched the petite, beautiful female dressed in a bridesmaid gown. She bumped his arm, and a shock like no other hit him hard, almost taking away his breath. The rush of lust hit him as if he’d been hit by a bullet in the chest. He’d tried to get Najha Hills to speak to him before, amidst the long line of well-wishers. His friend, Thorn Andreiko, and his caretaker’s daughter, Jayden, just got married and he was here helping them celebrate this great time. For a lycan to find his mate was a miracle upon itself, but to find her in the same town and working for a vampire was uncommon.
During the wedding party line as they left the garden, Najha didn’t allow him near her. She basically brushed him off and spoke to a group of people behind him. He attempted to reach out to grab her arm, but she was too quick for him. She ran past him, fleeing from his touch.
Lucien paused in front of Jayden. “You look beautiful.” He pulled the bride into his arms and kissed her cheek. “Thorn, congratulations. You’re blessed to find such a lovely woman to share your life with. God is looking down upon you right now. The people are safe with you mated.” He clasped hands with the groom and pulled him into his arms to pat his back.
“Thanks for coming. We made sure the ceremony was held after the sun set so you and your people could come,” Thorn spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
“We thank you for that. Jayden, your father is proud of you. I hope you’re doing well after your near miss?” Lucien remembered when the bullet had struck the female who was now Thorn’s bride and almost killed her.
Jonas Andreiko, Thorn’s eldest, walked up. “Lucien. How are you?”
“Jonas, I’m great. You?”
“I’m doing well. Make sure you come up to Bainbridge when I have my new restaurant opened.”
Lucien nodded. “Of course, wouldn’t miss it.” He knew he would go because he was one of the investors for the lucrative business and it was worth every penny. Still having the female who’d literally driven him mad with lust on his mind, he walked with Jonas toward the entrance. “What’s up with the Mill’s female?”
Jonas shook his head. “Not sure who you’re referring to?”
Lucien pointed toward the trellis that stood up in the grove of trees. Najha stood near her mother, Myra, and the sheriff, Cade Mills. “That chick.”
“You mean Najha Mills?” Jonas raised his brows and stared.
The other male’s infatuation bothered him, and he saw nothing but red. What the hell, man? Get your damn emotions in check.
“Who are we talking about?” Jayden walked up to them.
“Najha Mills,” Jonas just had to open his big mouth.
Jayden smiled tenderly. “She’s not feeling well and has asked her father to take her home. She just needs rest. We’ve all had a really long day.”
Lucien wasn’t sure what these two knew, but they were hiding something. He couldn’t figure it out, so he’d better try to forget the female and enjoy this night with his longtime friend, Thorn. He reached for Jayden’s hand. “Well, now that we’ve established that, you owe me a dance, young lady.”
Jayden, the daughter of his trusted employee, Eric Foster, deserved his full attention. After they danced, Lucien knew he needed to go home. The sun would be up soon, and he had business that needed tending to before that happened. “Jayden, Thorn.” He walked up to the groom, “Congratulation again, on a beautiful wedding. I have a few things I need to do before sunrise.” He leaned in and kissed Jayden’s cheek.
“Thank you for coming.” Jayden gave him a hug then moved her attention to the next person.
He headed toward the entrance. He noted the rest of his people were here too. Jayden was important to his people, the vampires. Her family had been protectors for hundreds of years. He wanted to show their support.
He looked around once again for the object of his distraction and couldn’t find her. There was something different about the little human. As a leader of his people, he’d been obligated to stick around the reception for a little while longer, so now he would head out, maybe take a ride in the mountains and have a little peace and quiet. Being around this many people with the darkness constantly shadowing his mind had become tougher to do now since some of his friends were finding their mates. He’d had that much in common with Thorn until Jayden had come here from his old country, Romania. She and her parents had been caretakers to his parents. This was before his parents had come here on a visit and were murdered. It happened a long time ago, even though it seemed to him like it’d happened only yesterday.
He still wondered about the number of vampires and lycan being in one place. This occurrence amazed him enough, then to throw in the humans? It just seemed risky on Thorn’s part. If something happened, they would have a lot of explaining to do.
*****
Najha Andreiko Dadurka Hills pushed the cart of clean dishes behind the counter. Her leg felt sore after hitting it on a corner in the kitchen. The floor being slippery from another waitress spilling water made walking treacherous. “Clean up your mess, will you?”
“Why you so cranky tonight, you on the rag?” Angie spat out.
This girl hated all the others. Apparently, she needed to be the prettiest, brightest, and wealthiest. However, Angie didn’t realize who she put down. Najha, a lycan female and warrior, only pretended to be a needy woman, and Najha looked at this woman as a spoiled, self-centered, and mean human.
After putting away the glasses, plates, and cups, she discarded the empty cart back into the room where the dishwasher was stationed.
“Hey, Najha.” The dishwasher, Jacob, smiled as he sprayed off another plate before putting it into the rack.
Grabbing a towel, she wiped her hands. “Hi, Jacob, how are you tonight?”
“I’m great. Just starting my shift.” Jacob was a friendly teenager who worked way too much.
“Long weekend for you?”
“Yeah, it is. You know my girlfriend is out of town, working is a good thing.” Jacob threw the rack into the washer, pulled down the lid and hit start with a bang.
“Yeah, I suppose. How’s your mom?” His mom had suffered a stroke a few months back. She tried to ask him often about her health.
“Great, she is doing fantastic.”
Joy at hearing the good news, Najha smiled waving over her head. “Gotta get back to work.” She pushed through the swinging doors entering back into the dining area of the Mills Street Café. Working at the establishment for a few months now had been trying, but it was a sign of her independence…finally. It felt good to be away from her smothering parents.
Not having to work had always grated on Najha’s nerves, so keeping busy was the main reason she even had a job. Her parents had always taught her if she worked hard, she would get somewhere in life. At first, they’d denied her working in Shades Run because they didn’t want anyone to know who she really was…a lycan.
The lycan and vampires had always maintained order and safety here in Shades Run, which ran along the coast of Washington, Oregon, and California. In the Cascade Mountain range though, the vampires kept Washington as their territory, and the lycan was Oregon’s range territory.
Looking outside, the moon shone brightly toward the North showing her nighttime had come in with a vengeance of fog and rain. This time of year, you never knew what kind of weather you’d get in Oregon or Washington, their town bordering the two states. The feeling of dread had permeated her body throughout the afternoon and into the darkened evening.
When the outside door swung open, chills raced down her back into her calves. Without turning around, she knew who’d entered. Lucien Dazaraski, President of the Dark Tribal MC or motorcycle club, commonly known as the DTs, walked in with a purpose. His heavy boots echoed through the building as he made his way to his very own back table, reserved for his club.
It had been respected by the town, the MC held their own meetings in this café because they were part of the ownership. Only a few people who worked here knew their true reason, the vampires owned part of the real estate. But Ruby and her husband, Torment, owned the majority and ran it.
What was she thinking? This man was no more a biker than her father. Yes, he rode a beautiful black, fully dressed, Harley™. A chromed out and an after-market upgrade motor made it fast and powerful. But as far as a biker image, it started and ended right there.
“I still think they should get their own clubhouse for this shit,” Angie muttered.
Najha couldn’t agree more, but she definitely wasn’t going to let this chick know her true feelings. “Mind your own business, Angie.”
“Fuck you.”
“Seriously, did you just say that to me?” Najha stopped in front of Angie.
“Yeah, what are you going to do about it?”
Angie had just pushed her past her anger point. She only knew no matter what, she needed to remain calm. “Get away from me now.” Najha glared as she walked past her and headed into the kitchen. “Ugh, I can’t believe her.” She slammed her hand onto the stainless-steel counter.
Dane looked over at her. “Cool it. Go take an order and never mind that bitch.”
She knew Dane was right. Grabbing her pad, she walked into the cafe and right up to Lucien. “What can I get for you?”
“Can you come back in a bit, sweetheart?”
Holding her hands on her hips, she replied, “Man, order or I’m not coming back.” She took her anger at Angie out on the vampires. She didn’t feel like catering to them tonight.
Lucien stopped talking, faced her, raised his eyebrow, and grinned. His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Najha knew she screwed up when he sneered and waved his hand. “Move it, woman, serve the others then come back!”
“Really?” she spat out the word. How dare he talk to her that way? Suddenly, Najha remembered her father’s words. They’d haunted her every single day since she started working at the café. You might be able to serve humans because you are kind and a caretaker, but how long will it be before you lose your mind and anger a vampire or lycan? She wouldn’t be eating her own crow for dinner if she kept this attitude up. “I’ll come back. Sorry to bother you.”
“Najha, wait.” Lucien reached out to grab her arm and just barely missed touching her.
Fuck, he almost touched me! If he touched her, he might discover she wasn’t who she claimed to be, a human. “No, it’s okay. No worries.” She hurried her step, reached the counter and dipped behind it.
Waiting for a few minutes, she inhaled and exhaled before strengthening the gypsy spell to protect her lycan from the powerful vampire leader. Standing up, she straightened her shoulders and stared directly at Lucien.
The sexy vampire stared back at her. His eyes dilated as his nostrils flared.
It felt as if he stared into her soul. At that moment, she prayed he couldn’t scent the moisture in her panties. Could her wolf be in season? No, this would be too early. She had asked her mom if it would happen. Myra said at least a year or more. Usually, the female’s first heat was after their human’s twenty-first birthday. For a lycan, it was when she became an adult. The heat and fire screamed through her body. It was hard to control her pulsing pussy. This wasn’t fair. Shock pounded through her. This man meant something to her, but what? Oh, hell, no! Her face heated while her raging hormones zipped through her body.
‘Najha!’ Her father’s mind connected with her.
‘Daddy, I’m not sure what is going on with my body?’
‘I don’t know either, but get it together or leave. I’ll call Rubi.’ Her father’s anger echoed in her mind.
‘I’m not sure, my body is acting strange, and it’s toward Lucien.’
The hiss from her father told her he was angry and doubted her. ‘Are you in season?’
‘Wow, I can’t believe you asked me that. I would go home if that were the case.’
‘Go home!’ Myra, her mom, ordered.
‘Myra, I warned you about this.’
Dammit, her parents were not going to fight over this, were they?
‘Let her be, Thorn, you’re too controlling.’
‘Really, you two, are you going to fight over this?’ They were good friends. Right now, she needed to remind them. ‘Come on, guys. This isn’t the time to be arguing over my being an adult and possibly going into season.’
‘Renew the spell to protect your identity. Come by the house when you’re done with work in the morning. I’ll check you over and see if you’re close.’ Myra was a healer for their people.
If she was in heat and her body was betraying her, then she would have to stay home until it ended. ‘Thanks, Mom. Love you both.’ She placed her mental walls back in place and walked to the back of the café.
Needing a private area, she walked into the pantry and renewed the spell. Weaving her hands in the air, she chanted her spell in a whisper so no one could hear her as she renewed the protection and identity spell. After she was done, she used the bathroom, washed her hands, and headed back out in the cafe.
The place had emptied out since Lucien and his men had all gathered inside. They lost patrons until the MC usually left the place. Most of the townspeople respected Lucien and his men, they just gave them room when they showed up. Without Thorn, Lucien, and their MCs, the town would have been wiped off the map from violence. Every new or old MC came in and tried to take from them until they were driven out of town by her father and Lucien.
Wanting Lucien since she was a very young child had become a habit she’d hidden from everyone. Not wanting to admit the fact, she believed he was possibly her lycan mate, but she’d always hoped and prayed she was wrong. There was no way for them to be together, not with the rule of their races literally in place. Tonight, her reaction to him just moved this game of hide the lycan up to a dangerous level.
No one could change the facts. A lycan and a vampire could never, ever mate. The legend was a war so great among the species that there was a law put into place that no vampire, lycan, or other shifter could mate together. They needed to stay among their own species. She didn’t know what she would do if Lucien turned out to be her mate. A lonely existence would be her only option.
It couldn’t happen even if it was the leader of the vampires and the daughter of the pack leader for the lycan. Najha suddenly felt sad by the facts of life, but she held her head high as she marched over Lucien and his men once again. “Hey, boys, what can I get you tonight?”
When she came into close proximity to the sexy vamp—lust pure and simple hit her full force. Squeezing her legs together, she tried to control her juices from spilling into her undies. What the hell was wrong with her? Najha masked her feelings from him, trying hard to ignore the facts.
Lucien stood up next to her. Towering over her, he reached out and touched her chin.
She wanted to turn away, but something else pulled her to him. Leaning inwards, her back arching, wanting to touch him, she lifted her hand placing it on his bare arm while the heat of his body surrounded hers. His frown told her first what her mind wasn’t registering. He was feeling something as well.
Letting go quickly, she tried to step back.
He reached around grabbing her neck, pulling her back into his body. “Don’t ever submit yourself to me, woman.”
Her eyes widened, surprised he would say such a thing. “What are you saying?”
“Just what I said. No submitting allowed.”
She stared at him and out of nowhere, her lips turned up, as a thought tore through her. Don’t you worry, I’d never submit to a dog, such as yourself.
He let go of her quickly.
When he did, she turned away from him and walked swiftly away from their table. Hearing his laughter mock her from behind sent her anger boiling, and her lust became stronger. Her body was a mess, but she would be damned if she was going to let this pig bother her.
Najha abruptly turned back around, plastered a fake smile on her face, and walked up to the table once again. “Order now, or you won’t get served.”
“Oh, really?” one of Lucien’s men hollered out.
“Yeah, really. Now order something, or get the fuck out.” Najha’s anger had gotten the best of her again. She would be fired if she didn’t watch her attitude. Holding her pen with a shaky hand, she wasn’t going to show her anger or fear to these men. She was a lycan warrior, and she’d be damned if she was going to tolerate these guys doing this to her. Fear fed a vampire’s ego. She didn’t fear any of them. If she shifted to her wolf, they’d definitely rethink treating her this way.
The only being strong enough to kill a vampire was a lycan. Even a female could take down a fully matured vampire such as Lucien or one of his men. Not that she would try. God forbid, her father would kill her, but she’d executed her fair share of rogue lycan and turned vampires. Taking an order from these bullies was nothing compared to that fight. She tossed her head and eyed him with cold triumph. “Lucien, should I get you a glass of blo—red wine?”
His heavy lashes that shadowed his cheeks flew up as he glared at her. “I’ll start with coffee, water all around.”
The other three men were too large to be crammed into the small booth they were in. “Coffee,” they chimed together.
Najha nodded, turned, and left them. Rosie, another waitress, was already setting up her tray with water and coffee cups. “Thanks, sweets.”
“Hey, no problem. I’m just glad you’re willing to wait on those guys. They scare the heebie-jeebies right out of me.” The girl was so dramatic. She pretended to swoon back with her hand on her forehead.
Laughing, Najha picked up the tray and walked back to Lucien’s table, then unloaded the beverages, starting with Lucien. She again noted his dark hair, facial hair, and silvery, cool blue eyes were accented by his beautiful, athletic body.
Lucien’s frame, the smallest of the four, resembled a linebacker. He had to be at least one hundred and eighty to two hundred pounds. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him because his species didn’t carry extra around. Neither did the lycan, too damn dangerous to let that hinder you during a battle or just a misunderstanding. You needed everything your body provided during times like that.
Lucien’s solid, unaltered, male sexiness hit Najha in the pit of her stomach down to her toes. Her body touched the edge of the table, and her toe touched the sole of his black biker boot sending flames shooting to the pit of her womanhood. She wanted him with every ounce of her body. “Here you go, handsome.” She winked at him. The change in attitude came from practice. She still was mad, but if she was going to pull off this and stay in graces with her father, she’d better change her attitude and fast.
Lucien reached out and took the water from her hand. Rubbing his fingers along the back of her hand, he replied, “Thanks, baby doll.”
As if he burned her with the gentle touch, she pulled back, quickly trying to hide her reaction. She couldn’t pretend not to be affected when her face heated up. Setting the rest of the drinks down in a hurry, she actually tried not to laugh. They reminded her of kindergarten kids sitting around a small little tyke picnic table. They didn’t fit well at all, crammed into the booth. “Why don’t you guys move over to one of the tables, I think you’ll be more comfortable.” Najha smiled.
The others laughed but obeyed her by picking up their water glasses and cups of coffee to move.
Lucien frowned. “Sit!” He gazed steadily at her. “As usual, you’ll provide us with privacy. Can you assure I’ll get it?”
“Yes, sir.” She saluted before turning away from their table. She had others to attend to anyway.
A vampire wouldn’t disrespect a woman in his culture but in the public eye, as an MC, they were crude and nasty to the women. They were nothing more than property. She wouldn’t ever consider being an ‘Ol Lady’ as they named their wives. The vampires and lycan were different men than the normal MCs. The humans treated their women and children differently.
“Najha?” Lucien summoned her.
“Yes?”
“Can you bring us each a burger and fries? These guys are hungry all of sudden.”
Lowering her head slightly, she murmured, “As you wish.” Some nights she hated her job. Taking on the responsibilities of a waitress, she wanted to do the job, but after a few months of waiting on the patrons, it grated on her nerves.
Being a lycan, plus a female warrior, she deserved the respect owed to her. How could anyone take her seriously after the mistake of not listening to her parents? Thorn had tried to tell her she would hate it. She refused to admit he’d been right to his face. Sucking it up, she took the order to the kitchen.
The doors to the café opened, the cold air swirling around her bare legs and under her skirt. It must be frickin’ cold outside, what the hell entered the cafe? She never could’ve imagined something so terrifyingly evil would arrive alongside the humans walking in. Unnerving Najha, her body shivered and chills crept through her. Her senses screamed evil as something unholy was sharing their space inside the café.
The men and Lucien, who she knew to be vampires, stiffened up in their seats and slid out to prepare for battle.
She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to fight next to Lucien as his woman. His woman? What the hell! Dammit, get your shit together. She readied for the danger that stood inside the café. Her body prepared to shift or defend the few remaining humans still in the cafe.
The men who entered their space were normal looking, but something didn’t sit right. There was danger in the eyes of these predators, and vampires wouldn’t show their fear to the eyes of the beholder. She couldn’t even try to imagine what evil stood in their midst. The men were frigid, riled up, and more than a little aggressive.
Lucien and his men prepared to take out whatever they had to, to protect the humans in this town. The four vampires prepared themselves as they checked the cuts of the new arrivals to see what MC they belonged to. In their pockets, they held weapons to take out and kill any demons or turned vampires.
Not showing anyone her lycan blood, Najha had to fight the urge to shift and fight by their side as the warrior she’d been trained to be. To remain as a weaker woman took everything she had. Her need to fight was generating into something she wasn’t prepared to conquer but must.
Lucien smiled as his fangs elongated showing her the true vampire was out in full force. The king shouldn’t be fighting alongside his men…no, they should protect him with their lives. If he were to be murdered, who would lead their people? When Lucien spoke, he suddenly appeared next to her in a flash, “Najha, take the others and go in the back now.”
“Why?” she asked in her smallest womanly voice.
Lucien growled, grabbing her arm. “Do as you’re told, woman, stop fighting me every time I tell you something. Move!”
Heat from his touch raced to the pit of her abdomen as if an out-of-control fire in a dry forest burned toward a town. This man was preparing to battle the forces of evil right here in her place of employment. “Take the fight outside. We don’t need your kind in this restaurant.”
She knew by the widening of his eyes she’d fucked up. But who was analyzing at a critical time such as this? Najha then did as he bid and hastily herded the customers into the kitchen. “Please, everyone, follow me.”
Lucien and the other men grabbed the two guys who’d walked into the café. “You need to leave immediately.”
“What if we want food? This isn’t your town, man.”
Najha didn’t wait to find out what happened. She continued getting the people away from the danger. Fear was everywhere. She herself felt something dark, cold, and dangerous. “Move it, people.”
Instead of showing anyone that she was a warrior for her own people, Najha totally played the part she’d been taught since a small child. “I need everyone to come with me.” She’d taken the other customers and the employees to the walk-in refrigerator. A total of three customers, herself, the dishwasher, Jacob, then Rosie and Andrea. She pushed them all toward the kitchen.
Next to the walk-in was the pantry where all the dry goods were stored, and Najha pushed them inside. “Stay and don’t make any noise. Wait for me to return before coming out.”
Rosie reached for her arm. “Najha, no.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry, stay.” She shut them in, putting the padlock on the door, she snapped it shut so nobody else would find them.
Dane, the cook, another lycan, was waiting for her. “Najha. What are you planning?”
Her favorite sword felt familiar in her hand. “Let’s prepare for a fight.” They raced to the back of the café.
“How do you want to do this?” Dane asked.
It was Najha’s job to keep the humans safe at a time like this.
Dane was still a pup and literally had no experience other than classroom training. He was her backup only. “Do you think all of them were human or not?” he whispered.
“I don’t know,” Najha murmured back, they were next to the back door in the shadows. “I do know a couple of them weren’t.” She wanted to stay close to the kitchen just in case the vampires caught them outside. There was no way she could blow her cover.
She flipped over her apron she used for waitressing, tying it tight, it now become her utility belt. Opening her locker, she reached up and grabbed her weapons. She put her stars, knives, and hatchet in the pockets, then slung it to the side. Pulling on her leather gloves, she grabbed her samurai katana and threw it over her shoulder. It hung down her back in its very own sheath. Easy access to the weapons meant life or death to a lycan. “We need to make sure nothing gets into the café from the back, that’s it,” she whispered.
Dane nodded, agreeing to follow her outside. “Najha? You sure about this?”
She nodded, whispering, “Come on, silly, this is what we were trained for.”
The dark fog rolled in surrounding them as they made their way out the back door. They then tucked their bodies up against the dumpster right near the exit.
She stopped and waited a few minutes. With her hypersensitive hearing, she heard Lucien and his men out front. Every once-in-awhile, they would hear a grunt or a moan. Waiting, trying to keep hidden in the shadows, Najha sensed the enemy before it actually came around the corner.
She heard Dane’s intake of breath first, then within seconds, the evil one stepped out. Silently and as stealthily as she’d been trained, Najha stepped out too, standing tall. Reaching quickly and pulling out her sword, the first thing she did was behead the creature, then grabbing the wooden stake, she slammed it through the chest cavity of the vampire. When the stake opened up with barbs, she pulled as hard as she could, removing his heart, instantly killing him.
Dane had already prepared a propane torch, lit it and burned the organ before it hit the ground. The body of the evil one landed at her feet. Quickly and quietly, Dane threw it in the dumpster, then hitting a switch, he lit the body on fire, incinerating it instantly. “I love it. Your father is a genius,” Dane whispered near her ear.
Before she was able to respond to Dane’s praise about her father’s incinerator invention, something even worse came around the corner.
This vampire seemed wiser. The rot of pure demonic evil rolled off his dead body.
When he leered down at her, Najha saw his teeth were all filed to points, and black blood dripped from his fangs.
His soulless black eyes widened in surprise. “Well, well, well…”
“Dane, this one is going to take both of us,” Najha spoke softly to her partner standing beside her.
“This one is an ancient, how did he escape the hunters?” Dane moved to beside her his arm touching hers.
“I don’t know.” Najha was slightly worried. Lucien should have gotten this one out front.
The vampire moved closer to her as his feet barely touched the ground. The rags he wore for clothes hung on his too skinny body. Apparently, he’d been starving himself of human blood. His nostrils flared open, as he sneered. “You look and smell like a human, but you’re lycan. Why do you hide away?” Those words dripped with malicious intent, and at the same time, surprise. He moved rapidly toward Najha, his outstretched claws reaching for her neck.
Najha moved to the side with Dane following her lead. “You speak in riddles, old one,” she taunted. Had he been the one controlling the humans who’d arrived at the cafe?
“You will make a fine dinner for me, lycan.” This had been directed toward Dane.
“Not today.” Dane moved just enough for Najha to swing her large sword.
“You are too young, pup. I will kill you for fun.” His voice came out gravely and harsh.
Dane leaned into her back, and they spun together as a team. They learned this way of fighting during their training since they’d been kids. She kept him tight to her back to defend each other while covering every angle.
Najha struck hard and fast, her wooden stake sinking in through the bone of the chest of the dark one—pushing further, she reached his heart with the stake while his widened eyes showed her she had one over this Bolnav. His monstrous face was something out of horror films. She didn’t let up as she pushed the stake in, hitting the release. She knew exactly when the barbs opened up, gripping his heart. Before she was able to pull it out, he grabbed her wrist, holding the stake. Her skin, muscle, and bone started to burn. Screaming in pain, she wasn’t sure she would be able to kill this one. Her gloves became useless because he’d grabbed onto the part of her arm not covered.
The pain was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. If not for all the training since childhood, she would’ve cried like a baby. She didn’t give even an inch, for fear of death herself. Twisting the stake to gather the heart and sink the barbs into the meat, she kept ahold of the vampire.
“I got this.” Dane swung his kitchen knife upwards cutting the neck of the vampire. Blood spurted out, dousing both Dane and herself. It started to burn as if there was acid mixed with it.
Her arm seemed to be worthless now because the vampire must have released some kind of toxin into the wound. She couldn’t feel it now, not even the pain. Najha took her other arm and swung her sword up, cutting off his head. The vampire’s hand still gripped her arm burning its way up toward her elbow. She had to shift soon, her human body not able to withstand the injury.
Even though he was headless, the vamp still pushed on, trying to kill Najha. He grabbed her hand swinging the sword.
Najha had her doubts now, she wasn’t sure she and Dane could kill this thing. She still gripped the stake and was pulling with all her strength. “Dane, help, I can’t.” She groaned.
Dane came around swinging his meat cleaver and cut the hand that gripped Najha clean off. It separated from the body at the elbow.
With that small favor, Najha was able to tug the stake out with the heart attached to it.
Dane stood ready with a torch and burned the organ. Both of them bent over and picked up the carcass throwing it in the dumpster.
Najha cradled her arm, mumbling, “Light that bastard up.”
“Done.” Dane punched the switch.
“What the hell, where did they come from?” she asked, leaning over in pain, gripping her elbow, holding the injured limb.
“I’m not sure. Let’s get you inside. You need to shift and heal your arm.” He pointed at her injury. “Lucien is up front with a few others. When did these things hang in numbers?”
“I don’t know. We need to get back inside.” Najha rushed into the kitchen, then pushed her badly burned and sore body into the walk-in cooler.
Quickly shifting just her arms and hands, the lycan blood in her completely healed the injury within seconds. She could push the toxins from the vampire out of her blood and body easily with another spell. With her knowledge of healing, she’d been able to stop it from harming her too much. The pain subsided as she pushed the rest of it out of her.
The cold from the cooler was affecting her because the injury had taken all the energy she had. Regulating her body temperature wasn’t an option. “Let’s get back to the others before they come looking for us. Oh hell, just move.” Najha shoved Dane toward the pantry.