Chapter Twenty-Two
Trixie pumped her fist. “Yes, this should be easy.”
The look Viktor gave her said otherwise.
She groaned. It had sounded so easy. “I forgot about your issues with the nest’s leader. You’re their master. Shouldn’t she be afraid of you?” Trixie made sure to be clear that he wasn’t her master.
Viktor leaned his chin in his hand. An amused expression on his overly handsome face. “When is anything easy when dealing with politics? And for your information...” He gently clasped her chin in his fingers and drew her close enough that their breaths kissed. “I am not afraid of her. I just don’t like being in the same room with her.” He released her.
She let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Can’t you just go in demanding for the dhampir?” Now that she said it, she wasn’t sure that was a great idea.
His smile confirmed her thought.
“I watch too much television, don’t I?”
Chris laughed. “I guess I do too. That’s what I was hoping he could do.” He sat across from them. At his laughter, the other shifters seemed to finally breathe. She had noticed how nervous they’d been when Chris was angry. “What is stopping you?”
“How would you react if someone strode into your pack, demanding one of your children?” Viktor shook his head. “I will not do it. Our children are so rare. I will not turn her over to you.”
Chris punched the arm of the chair. It broke off with a loud snap. He stared at the broken piece. “Fuck, I just bought this.” He massaged the bridge of his nose. “I’m not going to kill her. I just want to…” He growled.
“Throttle her?” Trixie offered, because that was what she wanted to do.
Viktor tossed her a concerned glare.
She shrugged. Nothing like a lover scorned to bring on murderous intention. They’d all been there. In the end though, the murderous thoughts were just poor wishes they’d never actually act upon. Chris had it bad. Betty had left Riverbend years ago; she was mated to another wolf shifter, and still Chris pined for her.
This wasn’t healthy. “You might kill the dhampir.”
“I just need to understand why she did it. That tattoo wrecked everything. The lack of motive is driving me mad. I never wronged the vampires before then. Neither did Betty. Why attack her?”
“We actually did not come for the dhampir.” Viktor clasped his hands, looking very sane, and very much a seasoned leader. He had changed so much since she’d met him. Maybe having a purpose helped? Living for so long must get boring. Enough so that someone could lose their mind and end up in a dragon’s dungeon.
Was that her future? Not if she had it her way. She knew how to keep busy. There were so many things she wanted to see and learn. She’d drag Viktor along with her and keep him sane.
“We came for the book she owns. The one Betty chose her tattoo design from. I suspect that’s the source of the black magic and it must be destroyed.”
“Have you checked anyone else in your pack for similar tattoos?” she asked.
“As soon as I heard about the incident, everyone was checked. No one used that artist but Betty. The place is more of a human hangout than a shifter one.”
That made sense. Betty had gotten tattooed just before the pack had declared her human. She might have been trying to connect to her mother’s people by hanging out with them.
It didn’t really matter why Betty had gone. What mattered was preventing any harm happening to others.
Chris rubbed his chin. “So, there’s a book of black magic involved. Not surprising when it comes to vampires.”
“Hey, they’re not all bad.” Out of the corner of her eye she caught Viktor absentmindedly opening the collar of his shirt and exposing a name. She frowned at the alpha. “Well, I don’t plan on going bad.” For fuck’s sake, couldn’t she get a break?
“Trixie and I will visit the nest tomorrow night and try to locate the dhampir. Then they will see if she still has the book.”
Chris’ frown deepened, concern aging his young face. “I think they still have it. The book’s existence explains some weird incidents lately.”
“Like what?” Fear tiptoed along her spine. Tomorrow night’s visit to the vampire nest had the fixings of a disaster.
The alpha rubbed his chin. “There have been two reported spontaneous combustions in the last weeks. At least, that’s what the humans are calling it.”
“You think they were vampires?” she asked.
Viktor grew still as stone. “Yes.”
She couldn’t imagine the pain. She didn’t want to. “Why would they walk out into the sunlight?” Suicide?
“That’s not the weird part.” Chris’ eyebrows rose. “It was midday and they went up in flames far from any shelter.” He counted off on his fingers. “First one went up in the middle of Belfurred Park, and the second was at the farmers market. It’s not like they jumped out of a window or exited a building and then went up in flames.”
“They died a distance from their shelter. That’s impossible.” Viktor’s dark eyes swallowed the light. They did not reflect anything from the room as he sat in silent contemplation.
“You do tattoo magic?” Chris asked.
Viktor quirked an eyebrow. “I have not a drop of magic in my blood.” He winked. “Only charm.”
One of the shifters made a gagging noise.
“I mean, how would a tattoo stop a shifter from changing shape?” Chris’ face was pinched with concern. “It’s just ink and flesh.”
Magic was rare and weird, but she loved watching the documentaries on witches. “It’s not just ink and flesh if the dhampir was born with magic. Add the symbol from the black magic book and voilà, a spell. Betty had never changed shape so all the magic had to do was continue that trait. If you had gotten that tattoo, it probably wouldn’t have worked because you could already change shape. I’m not an expert, but that doesn’t sound like a hard spell to do.”
Chris rose to his feet, clapping his hands together. “Then it’s decided. Viktor goes to the nest tomorrow night and retrieves the magic book.”
“I have already explained that this plan wouldn’t work.” Viktor rose more slowly.
“That’s when I asked you to go in after the dhampir. I understand your people being protective of their children, but they shouldn’t refuse you the book. Or are you afraid?”
Her sire stood toe to toe to Riverbend’s alpha, meeting his stare. “What do you want with this book?”
Trixie wanted to yank them both by the ears. They had the same objective and they’d be stronger together than apart. Couldn’t they corroborate without the macho posturing?
“I’m going to burn it and make sure your kind doesn’t mess with mine again.” The alpha crossed his arms, his pack mates gathering behind him.
“See.” Trixie got to her feet. “He wants to destroy it too. Can we be friends now?”
Viktor tongued his fang as if a piece of food were caught. How? They were on a liquid diet.
She elbowed him again.
“Fine.” He spoke. “I will keep you apprised of what I discover.” He snaked his arm around her waist and made to leave the room, but the werewolves blocked their path.
“You’ll be my guests until the book is in my hands.” Chris suddenly seemed much bigger. He took up more space without actually shifting. She’d met the New Port wolf alpha at Betty’s mating ceremony. He had the same aura. Somehow Chris had hidden it until now.
But there was a flaw in Chris’ thinking. When they went to the nest, there was no reason for them to come back. She smiled. “Okay, where are we sleeping? Has to be light proof.”
Viktor didn’t look happy. She would explain it to him once they were alone, then he’d understand that they had nothing to worry about.
“We have accommodations in the basement,” said Chris.
“You have a change of clothes?” She gestured to her wet T-shirt and jeans smeared with dirt from the car trunk and her rough and tumble over the pavement. “I don’t want to make a bad first impression when we go to the nest tomorrow night.” Who knew—maybe she would visit this nest again?
Chris squished his eyebrows together. “You’re not going. You’re my collateral in case Viktor skips town with the book.”
“What?” She glanced at Viktor for confirmation.
“He thinks you are his hostage.” Viktor grabbed the closest wolf shifter by the throat. He moved so fast she hadn’t had time to blink.
Unfortunately, Chris moved just as quickly. Claws pricked her throat. This game was getting old.
She slapped at it and tried to wiggle free and only managed to cut her skin on the claws sharp edges. Yeah, no luck there.
“It won’t take much effort to tear her head off.” Chris kissed her cheek.
Viktor’s ink black eyes flared with dark heat that seared her retinas. He set his captive down.
“You made it very clear that she belongs to you.” Chris stroked her hair. “I would hate to hurt someone that Betty cares about, but for my pack, I would make any sacrifice.”
Trixie wanted to slap the stupid out of herself. All that flirting had been on purpose. He had been testing Viktor’s reaction. Chris was smarter than he looked, and if his claws hadn’t been pressed to her jugular, she would be impressed.
“You might be strong enough to beat all of us, but not before I kill her.”
“You’d kill me?” She kicked him with her heel.
“Nothing personal. Pack safety always comes first. Cute, pink haired vampires second.”
She couldn’t fault his priorities. “We want the same thing as you. There’s no double-cross to be had.”
“Then your being my guest shouldn’t be an issue.”
Viktor growled. “No harm will come to her?” It was more of a command then a question.
“As long as you fulfill your part of the deal.”
“And if I’m killed?” Viktor set the shifter he’d been holding aside and slowly drew closer.
“Killed?” She and Chris parroted each other.
Viktor pursed his lips. “I have already explained that I am not on good terms with the nest’s leader.” He rubbed his chin. “If I recall, I left her tied to a tree outside the city for breaking a cardinal human law. Or was it for stealing one of my lovers?” He scratched his head. “I cannot recall which was last.”
“Yeah, we get it. You’re not friends.” She crossed her arms and gave Chris the side eye. “Are you planning on holding me like this all night?”
He retracted his claws. “You’re their leader. Lead.” Chris seemed genuinely perplexed.
“We do not govern our nests like pack. If I stride in making demands and threats, it would only incite rebellion,” responded Viktor.
She had to side with her maker. As a person raised in a democracy, she would buck against any dictator-ish demands.
The alpha looked like he had a splintered bone stuck in his gums. “Escort my guests to their rooms.”
“We will share one.” Viktor possessively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Trixie will need to feed again when she wakes. Can you manage to acquire some blood without a massacre?”
His regal tone obviously rubbed Chris the wrong way.
“We can.” The alpha took her hand and kissed her knuckles, lingering a few seconds too long. “I will be sure Trixie’s every desire is met in your absence.”
She could sense Viktor’s predator tension climbing. For all his intelligence and finesse, he was still a killer. She tapped Chris on the nose hard. “Behave.”
He looked stunned.
If he was going to act like a dog, then she’d treat him like one.
A shifter guard opened the door and ushered them out before things escalated. Smart wolf. Chris also could use a few lessons. She eyed Viktor. So could he. “You shouldn’t let him goad you.”
“He should not be touching you.” Viktor tossed a death glare at the smirking alpha, who leaned against the apartment doorframe, watching them descend the stairs.
She poked Viktor. “Stop it. You’re only encouraging him.” Part of her was flattered. She’d never had anyone except Ruby and Betty stand up for her. Viktor felt responsible since he was her sire, but this seemed like more than that. She didn’t want to place words on those feelings yet. It would give her false hope.
The werewolf boys took them to the basement where they had a nicely decorated room waiting for them. Desk, chair, books, television… She stared at the single twin bed.
“He’s the one insisting you share.” One of the guards nodded at Viktor. “Change your mind?” He directed the question at her.
“No,” Viktor responded before she could.
The guard closed and locked the door.
She spun a slow circle. No windows. “Does everyone have a dungeon except me?”
“By dungeon standards, this is not bad.” Viktor turned on the television and flipped through the channels. “Clean and furnished with entertainment.” He glanced at her. “I would guess that this is really a safe room used by the pack.” He tested the door by pushing. “Steel reinforced.” Then he scratched at the walls and licked his fingers. “Silver mixed into the concrete. Definitely a safe room.”
Fighting to keep disgust from showing on her face, she stared at the scratched spot on the wall. “You can taste silver?”
“It tingles on your tongue. In larger quantities, it would burn.” He held up his finger. “Want to taste?”
No matter how curious, she would not lick his dirty finger. “What is a safe room?” She thought she had heard Ken refer to one, but she still hadn’t a clue what it meant.
“A place where shifters with control issues can stay.” Viktor retrieved the remote and chose a fishing show. “I do not know much more than that. Shifters are a secretive race.”
“Yeah, and vampires are so forthcoming.” She stared at the fishermen reeling in a bass—trout—salmon? A big, fighty fish. “You like fishing?”
His gaze was fixed on the screen. “I like sunshine.”
Blue sky, clear water, and sunlight sparkling on the ripples. She flopped onto the edge of the bed. She’d never see the sun again, feel the heat on her face, or tan at the park with Ruby.
Viktor slid behind her, lying on his side. “We can change the channel if it bothers you.”
“No.” It came out as a whisper. They had been so busy the last couple of nights that the reality of her vampirism hadn’t had a chance to settle. “How long do we live on average?”
“If you survive the first decade, a few centuries.” He sighed and rested his head on his hand. “If you survive that then you end up like me.” He didn’t appear happy.
The bed flattered him. Heck, he looked good in anything. She could hear Ruby’s voice in her head live in the moment or Betty’s take a chance.
The crease between Viktor’s eyebrows deepened. “I never wanted the responsibility of governing nests. Making them play nice while I broke the rules. The hypocrisy of it isn’t lost on me, Trixie.” Darkness in his eyes pulled her into their depth. “I want to be a better person. Have been striving for it since I moved to New Port. It seems like an impossible task.”
She crawled in next to him and kept his face in her hands, her heart breaking at his pain. His regret. “What’s stopping you?”