Wen was being so quiet it worried Gerri. Something had happened when they’d had sex. He wouldn’t talk to her about it and acted as if nothing was wrong. She’d bitten him. That had to be it. It had been thoughtless, since she knew he had the urge to bite her.
Then again, thinking wasn’t something she did well when Wen was naked and making love to her.
They’d gotten a few hours of sleep but a loud commotion had them both out of bed at three in the morning. Wen went to the window, pulling back the curtain. “Fight.”
Gerri was beside him in seconds. Two large men were battling in skin but their claws were out. There was enough light in the backyard that she could see the tears opening up in their clothing as they hit each other, and the bloodshed it caused. Her gaze lifted to the other buildings, noting lights coming on around them.
“What morons,” Wen muttered.
“I know. Someone will call the cops.”
Horton appeared, along with Joel. The alpha moved fast, shoving the two Lycans apart and snarling loud enough to be heard by the neighborhood.
“Is this what you call keeping them under control?” Horton sounded pissed, since he shouted it.
They all moved inside but Wen cocked his head as he released the curtain. “Shit.”
She couldn’t hear what he did. “What?”
“They’re still fighting downstairs but I hear sirens.”
It wasn’t long before she picked up the faint sound of a patrol car or two coming. “It’s not a biggy. Horton will mind wipe them and make them go away.”
“True. Maybe I should assist.”
She latched onto his arm. “Or not. It looks as if Joel’s pack has some infighting. I don’t want them attacking you if they’re comparing their dicks.”
He scowled. “What?”
“That’s a roundabout way to say resettling the pecking order. You know how Lycans get.”
“I do, but how the hell do you know?”
“I told you my mom is with a pack. They fought whenever one of them thought he was hot shit and wanted to advance his placement in the pack. It’s a rogue thing mostly, as far as I can figure. I hope not all packs are like that. Otherwise, how in the hell do they survive each other?”
“It will look good if I assist. We’re trying to fit in.”
“Fine.”
“Stay at my back.”
“You know it.” She followed him out of the bedroom, took a moment to grab a few steak knives, and they left the apartment.
The fighting had calmed a bit on the first floor but there was some snarling and pushing going on when they arrived. Horton appeared furious, glaring at Joel.
“Stop them now!”
Joel struck one of the fighting Weres in the face, taking him down. The other one he grabbed by his throat and choked until he passed out. He tossed the limp body next to his one-time opponent. He glowered at Horton. “Deal with the cops. They just stopped outside.”
“I hear,” Horton hissed. “Drag them out of sight.”
The sirens stopped. Joel and another Lycan grabbed the downed men and carried them toward a door at the end of the hallway.
Horton frowned at Wen. “I hate fucking dogs. Useless and trouble.”
Gerri saw Wen tense but he didn’t respond. She guessed Horton had forgotten the man he’d just said that to was half Lycan. She rubbed Wen’s back, hoping it soothed his temper. She might sometimes call Lycans hybrid dogs but Wen knew she liked to joke around. Horton, on the other hand, had meant it as an insult.
The police pounded on the door and Horton walked over to it, flinging it open. “Thank goodness you’re here. Come in. Two men got into a fight. We’ve subdued them.”
Two cops walked in, looking leery and nervous as they glanced at Wen then Horton, and finally at Gerri. She forced a smile.
The taller of the two addressed her. “Are you hurt, miss?”
“No. I’m fine. I was upstairs with my boyfriend when the fight broke out. We came down to see what was going on.”
Horton closed the door and the cops turned, each putting a hand on their weapons. Horton’s eyes glowed and Gerri lowered her gaze fast, not wanting to test how well he could fuck with someone’s mind.
“Take your hands off your weapons.” Horton lowered his voice to a soothing tone. “Keep looking at me.”
She saw both cops react, dropping their hands at their sides. She shifted behind Wen to block her view of Horton, just in case. He was a master and she didn’t even like to hear his voice. It had a quality to it that made her want to do what he said; she’d gotten the urge to look at him when he’d ordered the cops to do so.
Wen reached back and took her hand. That helped. He grounded her.
“Nothing happened here,” Horton stated.
“That’s not going to work.” Wen squeezed her hand and released it. “The humans from other buildings must have seen them fighting and called it in. I saw what went down from above. May I handle them?”
“Fine.” Horton snapped.
Wen approached Horton then glanced back at her. Their gazes met. “Turn around, honey.”
She did as he said. He didn’t want to risk her staring into his eyes. In seconds, his husky voice told her he must have unleashed his glowing mojo. “Two teenage wannabe actors were practicing for a video they want to make. The blood was fake. You talked to them, warned them that you’d arrest them for disturbing the peace if they ever do that again. Understand?”
“Yes,” the two cops stated in unison.
More seconds ticked by until Wen’s voice sounded again. “There are people out in the street. Tell them it was just some teens pulling a prank with costumes and props for a video. Assure them that everything is fine. You may go now.”
The door opened and Gerri spun around, watching the cops walk outside. Wen closed the door and leaned against it. He stared at Horton. “Humans aren’t totally stupid, and telling them nothing happened wouldn’t have worked. You should know better.”
“I don’t give a shit what humans think as long as they leave me alone.”
Wen pushed off the door and drew closer to the master. “Do you care about VampLycans? I don’t want them showing up here, damn it. They might be using police reports trying to find us. A call going out about a fight, injuries, and no arrests would raise red flags.”
“Fine.” Horton looked annoyed. “I let you handle them. I don’t think anyone could mistake those two assholes for teenagers though.”
“The police report will list them as teenagers. If adults had pulled that shit, the cops might have arrested them. This way it looks believable.”
“Whatever.” Horton turned and threw open the door to his office. “Get in here.”
Wen waved to Gerri to follow him. The Lycans hadn’t come back out of the room they’d gone into. Both of them entered the office to find Horton pacing behind his desk.
“Close the door.”
Gerri shut it and walked up to stand slightly next to but a little behind Wen. They both watched Horton. He looked agitated and furious.
“This is the third time shit like this has happened. Fucking dogs!”
Gerri glanced up at Wen, saw a muscle in his jaw clench, but he hid his anger fast. His features masked his emotions and didn’t show when he spoke. “What did you expect from a rogue pack? They aren’t stable. It’s amazing they haven’t turned on you yet.”
“I’ll fucking kill them all!” Horton shouted.
The door behind them banged open. Wen reacted by snagging Gerri around her waist, lifting her, and carrying her to a corner. He dropped her on her feet and put his body in front of hers. She peered around him, watching Joel storm inside.
“You got a problem with me and my pack?”
“Yes,” Horton hissed at him, flashing fangs. “You can’t keep them in line.”
Two Vamps entered, then three more Lycans. Hostility hung in the air as they glared at each other. Gerri tensed, wondering if a fight would break out. Wen must have been worried too, because when she glanced down at his hands, his claws were out. She reached for the two knives she’d hidden under her clothes, withdrawing them.
“Control those fucking beasts,” Horton ranted. “Every time the cops are called, it’s drawing attention to us that we don’t need. What’s so hard to understand about that, Joel? If you can’t keep them from fighting, fucking kill them all.”
Gerri saw hair sprout over Joel’s skin and his bones popped as his features changed, his snout pushing out. He threw back his head and howled.
Gerri tightened her grip on the handles of the knives. She heard people running over her head, coming down the hallway.
The alpha had just called his pack.
The Vamps attacked the Lycans closest to them and Horton leapt over the desk to slam into Joel. “Help me, Wen!”
Wen didn’t budge, staying in front of Gerri. Furry bodies ran into the room. It wasn’t a big enough space to accommodate them all. Glass broke across the room and a fourth Vampire landed in the melee after crashing through a side window. Gerri could even pick up the iron stench of blood filling the room with her human nose, it was so thick.
Wen snarled, a scary sound. “Don’t even think about it.”
Two Werewolves were coming at them, their four-legged bodies low, prepared to launch an attack. Gerri pressed tighter into the corner but kept the blades pointed at the wall in case they slammed into Wen, knocking him into her. She didn’t want to accidently stab him. He backed up farther, blocking her view of everything but his broad back.
“VampLycan!” Horton yelled.
“You’re on your own.” Wen lowered his voice, “Get ready to move, Gerri.”
“Right with you,” she promised.
Then the fighting suddenly stopped and the room grew quiet.
Gerri couldn’t see anything and she had no idea what the silence meant. Wen shifted his body a little, and then she saw Horton across the room, holding a limp Joel against his chest. The alpha was bloody. So was Horton. Crimson covered his mouth and jaw, even his throat.
“I’ll fucking kill him if you don’t stop right now,” Horton hissed. “I drink any more of his blood and he won’t survive.”
The wolves lowered to their bellies, their gazes locked on Horton. One of the Vampires lie on the floor, covered in blood and torn up from multiple bites. Gerri realized one of his hands had been bitten off. She looked away, her gaze taking in more. One wolf was dead. His eyes were open, blood soaking his fur. She was glad to be pressed up against the corner, since her knees weakened. The room was covered in red stains and puddles.
“Get the fuck out of here and I’ll return your alpha to you breathing,” Horton ordered.
The wolves backed out of the room, some of them badly injured.
Two of the Vampires checked the one still on the floor. A darker-haired one lifted his head. “He’s lost a lot of blood, Master.”
“Then fucking feed him,” Horton snapped. He shoved Joel’s limp body to the floor. “And take this one out of my fucking office. Don’t bleed him more. His heart is barely pumping. We still need him.”
Wen stepped away from Gerri but stayed close. “Is this what you call keeping control of your territory?”
“Fuck you, VampLycan!” Horton lifted his hand and pointed at him. “I told you to help me.”
“This wasn’t my fight.” Wen shrugged. “You already had backup from your nest. Besides, you’re a master. If a fucked-up pack can take you out, you deserve to die. I was protecting my mate.”
Gerri inwardly winced. There was that VampLycan arrogance she’d always hated. They weren’t the most sympathetic race when it came to Vamps, and they could be too blunt. She bet Horton wasn’t too fond of what Wen had just said, either. One glance at his reaction assured her she was right. He looked furious.
She opened her mouth to try to defuse the situation but then pressed her lips together. There was nothing she could think to say that could twist Wen’s words into something nicer. It would probably only worsen things, since she was human.
Horton took a step toward them but stopped. He suddenly laughed. “True.” He spun away, walked into the tiny kitchen area, and bent over the sink. He turned on water, washing his face.
Horton kept his back to them. He took his time washing his face, dried it, and then removed his shirt. He disappeared out of sight, probably into the apartment bedroom. He returned wearing a clean shirt. He looked around and curled his upper lip.
“Clean up this fucking mess,” he told one of his nest, who walked back into the room from the hallway. “At least I’m not hungry anymore.” He smiled at Wen. “It wasn’t a boring evening.”
“There’s that.” Wen kept his tone neutral.
“Go upstairs with your mate. We’ll handle this mess.” Horton took a seat at his desk.
Gerri hid her knives. Wen turned and stunned her by gripping her hips. She gasped when he just tossed her over his shoulder, hooked an arm behind her legs, and strode toward the door. He took the stairs two at a time, until they were back in the apartment. He slammed their door, locked it, and headed into the bedroom.
“Want to tell me why you’re carrying me like a sack of grain?”
He bent and dumped her on the bed. “I didn’t want you walking through blood.”
“Thanks?” She frowned. “Now what’s the real reason?”
“They were doing triage in the damn hallways. I didn’t want you to see that.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit.” She removed the knives and put them on the nightstand.
“Fine. I just wanted to get you up here before the pack can regroup. I have no idea how hurt Joel is, and if his pack will lose their damn minds if he dies.” He crouched in front of her. “It could turn bad again.”
“Do you want to leave now?”
“Soon.”
She stared into his eyes and lowered her voice. “After dawn?”
He nodded. “I’m going to kill that fucker,” he mouthed.
“What about giving him time?” She knew he’d understand. He’d planned to give Horton time to cause Decker problems.
“Things changed just a few minutes ago.”
“Because of how unstable the situation is?”
“You could have been hurt.”
“We already knew that. What really changed, Wen? Be honest with me, damn it. We’re in this together.”
Wen hesitated.
Gerri leaned forward and snagged his shirt with both hands, fisting it. She yanked him closer until their lips were inches apart, holding his gaze. “What is it?” She kept her voice at a whisper.
“I heard the Vamp talking, the one who carried out the Vampire who got hurt.”
“What did he say?”
“He ordered one of the Lycans to go find a blood donor to feed to his friend.”
That didn’t sound bad. “And?”
“The Lycan said ‘just grab that asshole’s mate. She’s human’.”
“Not surprising. I knew they’d see me that way.”
His eyes darkened. “The Vamp said ‘not yet. My master has plans for her. He’s going to make her strong enough to survive you assholes for longer than a few days’.”
Understanding dawned, and she knew why Wen seemed so freaked out. “You shouldn’t be surprised that he plans to fuck you over. Us, I should say. He’s a bad guy.”
“He said the Vampire women he turned didn’t last with this group. He’s planning on turning you into a soldier. I’m not willing to risk him getting you alone somehow.” He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. “I can’t save you if he does. There’s no coming back from that. You’d slowly go mad and become a killer. I’d have to take you out.”
She replayed in her mind everything he’d told her about those amped-up zombie versions of a Vampire. She also didn’t want to amuse a pack in the worst way imaginable. “I’d want you to.”
“We leave in the morning. I’ll take you to safety, then come back to handle this mess.”
“We’re a team.”
“I want you the fuck out of here, G.L. We’re done.”
Pain twisted her heart. He wasn’t just talking about this mission. He’d have to return to Alaska once his scent faded from her, and she’d go home. She released his shirt. “I’m your partner in this until the end. We do what you need to do and walk out of here the way we came in. Together.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“I’m your fucking backup, Wen.”
He licked his lips and eased his hold on her. “No, baby. You just became a liability. I’ll be too worried about you instead of focused on what needs to be done. I’ll take you out of here for food in the morning and get you somewhere safe. Then I’ll come back alone.” He rose up. “Discussion over. Get some sleep.” He stalked out of the bedroom.
Tears filled her eyes but she wiped them away. She knew he’d break her heart.
Wen was furious as he poured a glass of water from the tap and drank it down. He knew there would be some risk involved for Gerri but he’d never thought Horton would want to turn her into a soldier and hand her over to be a sexual plaything for the rogues. It made him sick to his stomach and enraged at the same time.
The Vamp and Lycan speaking in the damn hallway should have known he could hear them. It was just luck that they were stupid or underestimated his senses. Horton had been running water to clean off the blood on his face, or he’d probably have heard the same conversation, alerted him that Wen was on to him.
It took all of his control to not grab Gerri, smash a window, and jump out of it with her in his arms. He wanted her out of the building now. There was no telling when Horton planned to grab her, or how.
He stormed into the bedroom, wanting to stay close to her. She had removed her shoes, lying on the bed with her back to him, curled into a ball. He knew she wasn’t sleeping though.
He couldn’t stretch out next to her. He was too stressed and worried about her safety. He stayed in the doorway, on alert. He had an advantage at that moment. He could protect her for a few hours. Some of the Lycans were hurt from their fight with the Vamps. They probably wouldn’t go on a rampage or listen to Horton until their alpha was either dead or recovered enough to give them orders.
It was best to wait until dawn, when the Vamps were tucked away. Maybe Joel would wake and order his pack to flee the building. That would be perfect, but Wen wasn’t counting on rationality from the pack. They probably still needed whatever the hell they were getting out of the deal with Horton too badly to walk away.
He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. He’d get Gerri to someplace very public and secure, then come back to kill Horton. Once that was done, he’d meet Micah at the airport. They’d be out of the area by noon. He could take Gerri home and stay with her until his scent faded.
It would also mean keeping his damn hands off her for a few weeks. That would be hell, but he wouldn’t leave her vulnerable to attacks. Her life meant more to him than his selfish needs. That lesson had been learned. She was in danger because of him.
She’s accused him of being willing to sacrifice her life. He wouldn’t. No matter what it cost him.
He went over what he’d learned. He knew the Vamps slept in the basement. He’d seen them coming out of there. It made sense. They probably had some kind of escape route. He would if he were a Vamp. A city probably meant sewer tunnels. He’d have to hit hard and fast.
Horton would be able to move during the day. He wasn’t sure about the other three in his nest. They’d fought well but the one who’d gone down didn’t seem that old. He probably wouldn’t be able to fend for himself once the sun was up. That left him dealing with three, plus the Lycans. The Vamps would die first, so Horton didn’t have time to escape.
It wasn’t going to be easy to get back inside the house without Gerri. The Lycans would be suspicious. He’d faced harder missions though. The most important thing was her safety.