Chapter Six
Jackson
The sound of multiple motorcycle engines had Jackson tensing. This late at night, any members of the gang headed out this way ought to have phoned first. He moved to the window and peered through the night. Soon, headlights came into view. Two of them. He recognized Val’s shadow as she climbed off her bike and shook out her braids. The other was big, hulking.
Jackson moved to the porch. His wolf snarled, though he kept his own expression calm.
“Tornado,” the stranger called in greeting.
Jackson took a moment to place the voice. “Thunder.”
He was the alpha of the Ivywood chapter. Jackson tensed. If he was here, that meant that Typhoon was furious, and was checking up on him. Jackson growled as the two approached, though he kept his gaze on his sister.
“Didn’t expect you to stab me in the back,” he snarled.
Val rolled her eyes. “If I was going to stab you in the back, brother, you’d never know it was me. Thunder’s got words for you.”
“Can I come—”
“No.” Jackson folded his arms. “You can’t. Say what you’ve got to say and then leave my territory.”
Thunder smirked a moment. “Touchy. We found your boy. The shifter that killed the vampire. He’s dead. Clear signs of vamp-inflicted wounds.”
Jackson’s heart rose at once. He dropped his arms and stepped forward, eyes alight. “Then they have no right to Ava. I was right! That corpse can take his claim and shove it—”
“We will have to meet with him. Show him proof he has no claim.” Thunder sounded bored. “And then you have to report to Typhoon. He’s not gonna let you off easy, even if you were right. What’s this girl done to you, man? You’re like a little puppy on a string.”
“Shut up,” Val snapped. “What goes on over here is none of your concern. Typhoon never should have sent you. We’re more than capable of dealing with this on our own.”
Jackson smiled at his sister, grateful for her support. She narrowed her eyes at him in clear warning. If he screwed this up, there’d be no mercy from her. He nodded briefly, then stepped back inside.
“I assume the meeting’s already been arranged?”
“We’ve got two hours to get to Astrophel,” she confirmed. “You remember that old warehouse out on Pine? It used to be a canning place?”
“Yes,” said Jackson. “He’s there?”
Val nodded. “Go get the girl. We’ll have to make him take the mark off her, or else she’ll be stuck here forever.”
Jackson hesitated. Taking Ava to the vampire who wanted to kill her was a bad idea. And yet, if they didn’t have the mark removed, then she’d be vulnerable. The vampires would think they had claim to her. They wouldn’t stop coming for her. So, with a sigh, he headed back inside.
Surprised, he came face-to-face with Ava as soon as he rounded the corner. Her eyes were bright, and her hands twisted.
“Did I hear right?”
He nodded. Part of him wondered if Ava would do something stupid… If their places were reversed, he’d feel like he deserved some vengeance on Astrophel. Ava didn’t seem to be that kind of person, though. She seemed like the kind to forgive and forget… at least, he hoped she was.
“We’re going to meet Astrophel. We’ve got proof he has no right to claim you and—”
“I’m going with you.”
Jackson nodded reluctantly. “We’re going to need you there so Astrophel can remove the mark he made on you.”
She nodded. There was fear in her eyes, but anticipation and excitement, too. Was she really so eager to be rid of him that she’d face down a vampire? What was he thinking—of course, she was. Her words from earlier made his jaw clench. I won’t be a gangster’s side piece.
He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t what he wanted from her, but, honestly, how could he say something like that? Whatever connection they had, it wasn’t the kind to last. They were thrown together by circumstances, nothing more.
“Jackson…” For the first time, a look of vulnerability shone from her eyes.
“What is it?”
“I can’t shift,” said Ava, her voice cracking. “I tried. I can’t even feel my panther… it’s just… blank.”
His brow furrowed in concern. He took her hand and led her deeper into the house, where Val and Thunder wouldn’t be able to overhear their conversation. They sat on the couch and Ava twisted her hands. Was this why she had been pushing him away? Because she was afraid something was wrong with her?
He touched her chin, gently guiding her gaze to his. “It’s the venom. Sometimes this happens. It’s not permanent, but we can’t take you in there if you can’t defend yourself.”
“I don’t feel sick,” Ava said.
He took a deep breath, glancing at her lips, then back up at her face. There was one sure-fire way to bring a faded animal back to the forefront. It was hiding because it didn’t feel safe. Because of the venom, threatening to turn it rabid. But there was nothing left in her system, and it needed to emerge.
“Can I try something?” he asked.
“What?” Ava asked him, her voice trembling slightly.
“I think if I kiss you—"
Ava shook her head but didn’t look away from his eyes. “What—what does that have to do with anything?”
Jackson wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Your panther, she’s scared. She needs to know that it’s safe to come out. She trusts me. We’ve already had sex, she knows that I’m the wolf she can play with. It will let her feel safe , so she can come forward.”
Her hands continued to twist. She glanced away, and then back at him. He understood her desperation.
“I’ve gone through this myself,” he added softly. “I know it feels like you’re barely half a person. I promise this will help. And all it has to be is one kiss.”
Her hands stopped fidgeting. Finally, her eyes met his fully and she nodded. Her whole body was stiff and tense. He frowned, but didn’t comment on it. She had every right to be tense. Slowly, he moved closer.
He touched her cheek again, pulling her face forward for a soft kiss. Ava gasped as he sucked on her lips, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Her taste was enough to drive him to distraction. Heat flared under his skin as he moved closer; he pulled her into his lap. She began to respond as he tasted her, opening her mouth to him, letting him in. His wolf growled with pleasure. He thought he heard a purr in response.
“How’s that?” he asked against her lips.
Ava’s eyes closed. Her whole lush body pressed against him, making him want more. He wanted to lay her down and meld with her, so close that they were one body. He wanted to swear to be hers for the rest of eternity. He wanted…
Her mouth found his again. This time she took charge, delving deep. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he pressed against her, hungry, his whole body trembling against hers. Desire coursed through his veins and he heard a panther’s snarl, evoking a howl from his wolf. He could feel her getting closer, eager to join the fun. Ava whimpered as their mouths moved together.
Jackson pulled away, studying her face. His wolf snarled at him for stopping, but he knew he had to. Desire pulsed under his skin. But she didn’t want this.
“Try to shift,” he said to her. “I can feel her inside of you. Your panther. Can you feel her?”
The next thing he knew, the black panther was in his lap. She sprang from him, wriggling out of her clothes before she started to race around the room. She leapt onto the walls, springing off with such strength and grace, he was left breathless. When she landed, her yellow eyes gleamed, and her tail flicked back and forth. She leapt forward at him, knocking him to the ground on his back, her massive paws pinning his shoulders.
Ava growled at him playfully. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning back at her.
“See? It worked.”
She shifted back to human form, still on top of him. Her hands pressed against his chest and from this angle, he could see every inch of her bared, curvy form. “I want this vampire dead. I want to get out of here.”
He opened his mouth to say that they couldn’t kill Astrophel, but she was already gone. Jackson watched her dress, hating that such a body had to be covered, then got to his feet.
The others waited outside, arms crossed, as they came out. Ava glanced warily at Thunder before turning to Jackson.
“Where’s the car?”
Jackson shook his head. “We’ll take my bike.”
“Your motorcycle?”
“Yeah. You scared?” he asked her teasingly. She crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her chin upward and giving him a defiant look.
“No,” she said. “I’ve just never ridden one before.”
“I’m sure you’re a natural,” Jackson said. “I seem to remember that you’re very good at riding.”
She blushed, and he grinned at her, enjoying the heated look on her face. Some of the stress of the situation eased as he walked with her to his bike. Thunder watched them openly, a curious expression on his face. Val just scowled and looked in the opposite direction.
When he climbed on, though, Ava hesitated.
“Chicken.”
“I’m not a chicken. I eat chicken.”
Jackson shrugged. “You are what you eat.”
She laughed, the sound soft and sweet, rare coming from her. Then she climbed on behind him, wrapping her body around his, her chest pressed against his back as he started the bike. The feeling of her lush body pressed against his was distracting, and all Jackson wanted was to turn around and kiss her, pull her inside, forget about Astrophel, and take her to bed, where they belonged.
Instead, he pulled away from the house, heading toward the warehouse. Val rode at his right side, Thunder at his left. The other alpha kept pushing his bike forward, threatening to outpace him. Jackson ignored the obvious attempts to goad him. Thunder just liked to cause a scene.
Instead, he focused on Ava. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her face pressed close. Her heat warmed him as they rode through the cool wind. When this was over… it was going to be over between them. She’d go about her life, and he’d return to his.
It was probably for the best. This way, Astrophel would have no reason to target her again.
Still, the thoughts played about his head. The only way to be sure Astrophel never came after her was to kill him. Jackson knew that the best way to go about killing the vampire was to keep him out until the sun came up. Astrophel would burn away into nothing, and the vamps would have no proof that he had been killed by a shifter. And technically he wouldn’t have been… but Jackson also knew Astrophel would never fall for that. He was much too old and smart.
The warehouse was huge and forbidding. Jackson brought the bike to a standstill, then helped Ava off before he climbed off himself. Val and Thunder followed suit. Val’s nose twitched as she tested the air. Jackson caught a faint whiff of sweetness, but that was all he could tell from the vampires. Val’s senses were much more finely tuned.
“There are at least three of them,” she muttered. “Astrophel’s here.”
“Right, then.” Jackson rolled his shoulders. “Stay close. Thunder, you’re here to present evidence, but this is my gig. Stay out of it unless I ask you to speak.”
He snorted, but nodded. Jackson finally turned to Ava. Uncertainty crossed her face, but it was gone before he could question if she was alright. A determined scowl answered him, and she nodded. Together, the four of them walked into the warehouse.
Astrophel was already waiting with two of his more muscled goons. They sneered at the shifters. Jackson’s wolf growled.
“So, you’ve brought me my claim,” Astrophel said in a bored tone. “I was beginning to lose patience.”
“You have no claim,” Jackson growled. “You already took your restitution for the vampire killed. The shifter that killed your man is dead by vampire wounds.”
Astrophel’s lip curled back. “Is that so?”
“It is,” Thunder said. He stepped forward.
Jackson couldn’t stop himself from snarling. “We brought proof.”
Thunder tossed a cellphone to the vampires. Astrophel caught it with ease and flicked through the images. A look of disappointment came across his face, and he shook his head.
“I see. Such a simple mission and he still managed to fail.”
The hairs on Jackson’s neck rose. “What are you talking about?”
“If you are half as clever as you think, you will be able to figure it out.” Astrophel made a small gesture with his hand. His nostrils flared as he turned to look at Ava. Jackson felt her shudder as the vampire smiled. “But no distractions. My claim is still here. Hello, my dear… You are stronger than I thought. Perhaps you are all that will be required.”
Jackson started forward. “Listen, you corpse—”
Before he could get out another word, the doors flung open. A dozen vampires poured in, hands outstretched like claws, fangs bared and fearsome howls in the air.
Jackson shifted at once. Ava shrieked, but when he glanced over his shoulder, she had shifted to her black panther. Val growled in her Leopard form, and beside her, Thunder charged the vampires coming at them.
They were on neutral territory. This attack was more than enough justification to go after Astrophel. Jackson whirled about, launching himself towards the vampire king. Before he could reach him, though, a vampire came out of nowhere. It rammed into Jackson’s side, throwing him off course. Jackson skidded several feet, snarling and biting at the vampire.
It bared its teeth in a laugh. Strong arms wrapped around his chest. Jackson threw himself forward, teeth clamping over the vampire’s lower jaw to prevent it from biting him. The vampire shrieked. Jackson used his momentum to fling the vamp onto its back, and then shook him from side to side. Bone snapped, and the vampire’s head came cleanly off.
Jackson barked in triumph and turned once more, but Astrophel was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, a scream rose up behind him. He whirled, eyes widening as he saw Ava grabbed by the throat and hoisted into the air. He threw himself forward, running hard, but the vampire flew high into the air, out of his reach. Val came out of nowhere. She jumped on his back and sprang into the air, using him as leverage.
Her paws swiped just under Ava’s feet before she fell back to the ground.
Astrophel laughed as Ava screamed again. “It is fitting, Jackson Masters, that your blood will be what resurrects my son. Kill them all,” he ordered, and then was gone.
Jackson let out a mournful howl. But then the rest of the vampires were closing in on him. The last he saw of Ava, she was clinging desperately to Astrophel’s arm, calling his name.