Chapter One
Fucking vampires.
Erik rolled his eyes as he made his way farther into the crypt-like waiting room with his men close behind him. It was always the same with the bloodsuckers: old, creepy-looking tapestries on the wall and gargoyles in every corner. The whole style leaned a bit more toward haunted house.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t subtle. It annoyed him, and he supposed it was the price of dealing with them. Maybe they thought the same thing about Erik and his people when they visited. Maybe Erik was the world’s most obvious werewolf. He smirked at the thought.
The vampires were never one to turn down an opportunity for theatrics. In fact, many seemed to thrive off such games. Ironically, they played up all the stereotypes that humans held for them, even the ones that made no sense whatsoever.
Like crosses. Erik hadn’t met a vampire yet that didn’t have one either hanging around their neck or on display somewhere. Maybe it was an easy way to set their prey at ease, letting them think that they were actually Godfearing creatures. Or maybe it was just a holdover from their past lives. The last bit of humanity that refused to let go.
Not that it stopped them from slurping a neck or two when given the chance.
The steel doors slid closed behind Erik and his men as they stepped into the concrete room, shutting out the cold early morning rain and any chance at light. Although on a day like this, it seemed a bit of overkill, especially considering the sun hadn’t yet come up and the younger vampires weren’t nearly as susceptible to the scorching rays as the older ones.
Two vampires near the door glared at them. They clearly hadn’t gotten the memo that the vampires and werewolves had a truce.
“Is this a trap?” Hall asked, twirling around to glare at the door and the vampires that stood there.
Both vampires smiled at their unease, making sure to show off the sharp fangs in their mouth. Tension filled the air as the two groups stared one another down, each daring the other to be the one to break the peace.
Erik turned to look at the younger man who had been recently promoted. Hall’s shiny blond hair and bright blue eyes were nearly identical to those of his older brother, Tyr. It seemed like only yesterday Erik had promoted his brother into the same position. Now he was part of his inner circle. Maybe one day, Hall would be there as well.
He was already showing good instincts. With a little more training, Hall could easily be an asset to the team, something sorely needed.
“If this were a trap, you would already be dead,” an amused voice said. Erik recognized the voice of the vampire Corso.
Erik felt the hair on the back of his neck rise at the intrusion. It pissed him off how easily the vamps were able to sneak up on them. No matter how keen their werewolf hearing was, the bloodsuckers would always be number one when it came to stealth.
He supposed that not having a heartbeat might make it easier to sneak up on people. And if that was what it took, there was no way in hell he ever wanted that particular talent. It was just good their werewolf strength put them on level playing ground and helped even things out.
Erik sensed his men tense around him. He didn’t blame them. It happened every time the vampires were near his people. Natural instinct was hard to fight. He knew the importance of the truce, but the wolf part of him ached to take on a vamp or two.
He kept his eyes on the vampire in front of him. Despite how totally normal Corso looked in his black V-necked sweater and dark blue jeans, Erik knew not to trust the creature. It didn’t matter how many dealings they had with one another over the years. There was one thing he always knew for certain. Never trust a vampire. Not completely.
Corso raised a well-manicured brow. His olive skin was still just as tan as it might’ve been when he was alive, however many years ago. The lack of pallor was a clear sign he had recently fed.
Good news for Erik and his men, but likely not so good news for whomever he had fed on. Sure, the vampires claimed to only take from mostly willing victims and swore to the Council they didn’t kill, but everyone knew there were some that didn’t care about the Council. The whispers of dissent in the ranks were becoming more than just whispers. But that was for the Council to worry about.
The Council was supposed to mediate supernatural crap when things got of hand. He didn’t like their decisions all the time, but that was the world they lived in.
It didn’t matter anyway. Who could ever really trust a vampire?
“Did you get it?” Corso said.
Erik pulled out his phone and looked over to Corso pointedly. This wasn’t a damn social call. And he wasn’t there to deliver a gift.
The vampire rolled his eyes and whipped out his own phone. The vampire’s hands became a blur, moving faster than Erik could almost keep up with. He watched as the vampire tapped rapidly on the phone. His phone beeped, confirming the money had been transferred to Erik’s account.
Satisfied the vampires had held up their end, he nodded to Leif. The bearded man pulled a crate from behind the men toward the front.
Corso wrinkled his nose as several of Erik’s men approached. “Christ, it smells like wet dog in here,” he said. “Can’t you do something about that?”
Hall growled loudly and stepped forward. Corso dashed in front of him in the blink of an eye, smiling into the face of the young man.
“Promoting the pups now?” Corso smirked at Hall. “Now you be a good boy and maybe I’ll find a doggie treat for you.”
Hall stepped forward but stopped when his brother’s hand landed on his chest, letting him know that now was not the time for fighting, especially for one as inexperienced as himself.
Corso might look like a GQ model in his prime, but Erik knew the vampire was several hundred years old.
Erik tugged on the collar of his button-up shirt. Although he had to play the part of the boss in situations like this, he hated the confinement the nice button-up shirts and slacks gave him, especially when he might have to rescue one of his own from having his ass handed to him.
Corso looked at him and gave a little smirk. The damn vampire was enjoying the little game.
Erik had enough of this shit. He wasn’t about to break the peace they had established. Besides, the vamps were easy money.
They needed to finish the deal. He didn’t want to get locked inside when the sun actually came up. He still didn’t know all the inner workings of the nest but guessed it wouldn’t be in his men’s best interest to stick around.
“Can we just get this shit over with?”
Corso stared at Erik for a moment longer before turning and taking long strides to stand next to the crate. With little effort, he pried the top off. The nails from the box creaked as they pulled out of the wood. With ease, he tossed the heavy lid to the side. It clattered loudly on the cement floor. The vampire reached inside and shook off the paper packing material. He pulled the painting out and surveyed its contents.
“That’s him all right,” Corso said as he frowned at the velvet painting. “He always did favor the tacky side of life.” He clucked his tongue.
Erik glanced down at the painting. It was a standing man, his hairy chest fully exposed in a flashy jumpsuit of gold and purple. The art was ugly as sin, but that didn’t mean shit to him. As long as they paid, he had no problem finding whatever godawful art they needed him to. Part of him wondered if they even kept everything they collected.
“I’ve sent you a new list of things to keep an eye out for,” Corso said as he slid the painting back into the crate. “We’ve had several elders awaken from the long sleep. Although they might not go out, it’s in our best interest to make sure they can do so safely.”
Erik nodded. He kept his face void of emotion, but the vampire’s words turned over in his head. They had been pulling more out of retirement, so to speak. It made him wonder just how bad things actually were. But mostly, he worried about what that would mean for his people and the innocents around them.
“I’ll look over the list and have my buyer see what she can do,” Erik said.
Corso gave him a wide, fang-filled smile. “You know, you could just give me her name, and I could go directly through her.”
Somehow everything Corso said always seemed to be an innuendo about something else. Mostly it was just a chance to stir the pot. A low grumble erupted from Leif, and Erik knew that when it came to Gwen, he had no room for pot stirring.
Corso flashed them another smile and nodded. “Apparently somebody takes issue with that.” He chuckled.
The vampire pointed to the crate. The vampires that had been by the door easily lifted the crate and made their way inside the dark tunnel on the other side of the room.
The watch on Erik’s wrist chimed loudly. Ten minutes to sun up. Time to go.
If they were even one minute past, the doors would lock until sunset, and there was no way in hell he was chancing some sort of fucked-up slumber party, especially when it might end in someone tearing someone’s head off.
Corso nodded to Erik as he hit a button on the wall. The giant doors slid open.
“Always a pleasure doing business with you.”
Erik rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”
Without any further discussion, he turned and led his men back outside as the doors started to close behind them.
The sun hadn’t yet crested the horizon, but already the light from dawn was all around them. There was something very comforting about being in the sunlight when it came to vampires. Unlike many of the myths, there was a certain truth to the threat of the sun.
Although it wouldn’t necessarily kill the younger vampires, the sun could prove fatal with age. The older the vampire, the more likely they were to burn up in the rays of the sun. That helped balance things out. The most powerful of their kind weren’t free to wander.
It was what made the younger vampire so valuable to nests, being able to actually walk in the light. That made them useful for keeping an eye on the human world.
The sun still made them vulnerable though. It weakened them enough that even a common human could take one out in the daylight, which is why even the younger ones rarely chanced it unless they had to.
“Why are we working with those guys?” Hall asked, his voice almost a growl. “They don’t show us any respect. It’d be different if he wasn’t such a dick.”
Erik had fielded the question many times before. It wasn’t often vampires even consented to working with others, let alone werewolves. Corso was different. Erik wouldn’t necessarily call him a friend, but he wasn’t an enemy. And that was saying something in their line of work.
They had an agreement. One that gave them both what they needed. Win-win.
“We do what will benefit us all,” Erik said as they stepped into his Hummer. He started the vehicle and listened to the engine purr. He placed his hands on the wheel as he watched the others climb in. “There is a balance to our world,” he said. “Right now, the scale is tipped slightly in humanity’s favor. But there are many who are just waiting for the chance to tip it the other direction.”
He watched the younger man in the review mirror. This wasn’t something talked about much back at home. Erik had made sure that those living there wouldn’t be tainted by the realities that surrounded them.
“What would happen if it tipped the other direction?” Hall asked.
It was Leif who responded first. “Right now, the vampires do as the Council asks. They don’t kill, mostly, and keep themselves from public view.”
A funny look crossed Hall’s face. “That’s not so bad, I guess.”
Leif nodded. “But there are others who don’t want to live life in the shadows. Ones that think of humans as only a food source.”
Erik nodded and pulled out into the morning traffic. “If their secret were exposed, it would put us all in jeopardy. A war with the vampires would break out, and we would be called to defend those who can’t defend themselves.”
Hall seemed slightly surprised by the answer. “Like the curse says.”
Erik snorted. “There’s no such thing as curses.”
The younger man frowned. “Then what are we?”
Erik felt his hands tighten on the wheel. He always got like this when the curse was mentioned. “We’re just trying to get by,” he said stiffly.
The SUV grew quiet. Erik wasn’t quite sure what else to say. He’d heard the myths his whole life, stories used to scare rambunctious boys into doing what they were supposed to do. None of those myths fit into the world they lived in, a world where werewolves helped vampires.