Aspen Valley Wolf Pack (The Complete Series) by Amber Ella Monroe (135)

---

Another hour passed before Elaina heard someone fumbling at the door again.

She released a deep sigh of aggravation. Without looking up, she said, “Not again, Leo. If you’ve returned to get me to swear to you that I won’t try to escape, it’s no use. Once I find a way out of here, I’m gone.”

“I’m not Leo.”

Elaina looked up to see Melrose entering the room with one of the Refuge guys right behind her.

“Melrose, what are you doing here?”

“I was ordered to stay behind too, remember?”

Elaina rolled her eyes. “Well, at least you’re not cuffed to your bed.”

Melrose tilted her head and bit her bottom lip as she took in Elaina’s predicament. She laughed. “Hmmm, you look pretty tempting tied up like that. Did Vicq ever tell you that this is how they keep female blood Donors in the Court?”

Elaina pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. “Very funny.”

Melrose turned to address the guy. “Will you give us maybe five minutes or so? Girl talk.” She giggled. “Maybe we can hook up later, though.”

The guy smiled and nodded. “Sure. I’m going to run down the hall. I’ll be right back.”

“Later.” She waved her hand.

When the guy was gone, Elaina said, “Melrose, please…get me out of here.”

Melrose produced a key from behind her back. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Elaina sighed deeply, letting the tension roll of her shoulders. “Thank God.”

Melrose unlocked the cuffs and helped Elaina out of them.

“How did you get the key?”

Melrose grinned. “Leo left for a bit. And that guy—”she chucked a thumb back at the door—“was on break. I added in a little persuasion, sex appeal, and a little bit of grab and snatch action. He was an easy target.”

Elaina chuckled. “You’re bad.”

“Oh, don’t I know it.”

Melrose looked behind her at the door. “We can’t go back through there. We have about five minutes to jet out of here.”

“I fought like hell to break through those cuffs and drained just about all my energy. They must be vampire-proof or something. I can’t shift anywhere.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” Melrose offered her neck.

Elaina swallowed, but every moment she hesitated equaled wasted time. They only had a few minutes. She found Melrose’s jugular easily and took what was offered. Recent memories of Melrose worrying about her and devising a plan to her out of the room flooded her mind, but there was no time to delve any deeper. When she detected a surge of powers igniting within her again, Elaina pulled back.

“Thank you. You know we’ll both be in a heap of trouble for this, don’t you?”

“Yes. Are you afraid?” Melrose asked.

“Of the trouble we’ll be in. No, but…”

“But, let me guess…you’re afraid of joining the raid on District 5.”

“I know I have to do this, but yes, I am.”

Melrose looked confused. “Why?”

“My human emotions.” She shrugged. “They surface every time. Isn’t that what you said when we first met?”

Melrose grinned. “You remembered.”

“I haven’t learned to suppress them yet, but I think that’s a good thing. Fear has always been the one thing that’s kept me alive.”

“I get it.” Melrose nodded. “And I’m with you. Always.”

Elaina held out her palm, and Melrose took it, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, forming an alliance that would never be broken. Together, they used their combined strength to shift away from the Refuge.

---

Elaina’s anticipation rose as she maneuvered the big eighteen-wheeler off the interstate and onto the main highway. Where had she gotten the guts to steal a big rig and drive it more than ten miles up the road? Even in her human days, she hadn’t been much of a driver. But she craved answers, and not just the one’s her father or Vicq had given her. Plus, she’d worked for this moment over these past several months, fantasized how she could serve destruction to every District 5 Head responsible for the death of innocents. Finally, that time was here. Tonight was the night she’d unleash all fears, any doubts, and rain terror down the halls of the District headquarters. In search of answers and those in need of help.

On the passenger seat next to her, Melrose hitched two daggers into the loops on her belt and peeled out of her tall overcoat. She pointed up ahead. “You’re gaining on your dad’s crew. They left in the Hummer right after Vicq and the team.”

“Good. We’ll follow the Hummer through the gates. You ready?”

“Been ready,” she said and then slid out of her seat to help Elaina strap on her bulletproof vest. “Try to stay out of the line of fire. I’ve got you covered. Same plan, right?”

“Yeah, same plan. I’m not getting in the way of Vicq and his team. Not if I don’t have to. By the time we reach the admin offices, D5 security will have shifted all of their attention to the area under attack by both teams. My hope is that no one will suspect you and I slipping through the side door while the team is holding up the front end.”

Just as planned, after confirming that Vicq and his team had breached the entrance, Elaina drove the eighteen-wheeler through the security gates.

A handful of men were already laid out on the ground when she and Melrose arrived on the scene. Gunfire and screams could be heard coming from the inside of the lobby. So much gunfire and no way to tell if the people she loved were okay.

“Elaina?” Melrose urged her forward. “We have to keep moving. Vicq can take care of himself on that end.”

Elaina swallowed down the lump of panic in her throat and rushed for the side door. Someone, either on her dad’s side or Vicq’s side, must have had the same idea because the door was already propped open and a dead guard lay bleeding out beside it.

They moved into the admin offices, flanking each other and anticipating any harmful threats. Whoever had reached this side of the hallway first had already done the utmost damage and had left a line of armed security personnel as their victims along the hallway.

“Hey!” someone shouted at them from behind and opened fire.

Elaina shifted out of the way just in time as a spray of bullets lit up the hallway. She pulled her Beretta and aimed for the gunman’s lower half. The bullet caught him in the feet just in time, and he was brought to his knees. Before he could lift his revolver again, Melrose approached from behind and snapped his neck.

“Let’s go,” Elaina called out.

She moved into the next room, which turned out to be a storage closet of some sort. Boxes of office supplies lined the wall, and reams of paper were stacked high alongside a printer.

“It’s clear,” Melrose said after circling the room.

They moved on to the next room, but the door was locked. They kicked it in and were greeted by a pair of screaming women.

They held their hands up and huddled together under a desk. “Please don’t kill us.”

“We’re not here to kill you,” Melrose said. “Get up and against the wall. Put your hands out in front of you and keep them that way.”

They complied with Melrose’s demands as they checked the room from top to bottom.

“What do you two do here?” Elaina asked one of the women.

“We’re secretaries to the VP,” one of them said. “We just answer calls and sort mail for him. That’s all we do. We’ve got nothing to do with the other stuff.”

“Where are the HR files?” Elaina asked.

The women glanced at each other apprehensively.

Elaina closed the distance between them. “Where?”

“Out the door and turn right. The last room down the hall. In the owner’s suites.”

“When I leave, I want you to close the door, and don’t come out until the police show up.”

The women nodded.

Melrose and Elaina proceeded down the halls until they reached a larger room labeled suite 500. The current owner’s name was engraved on a plate on the door.

“Mr. Stewart Reynolds,” Melrose read. “Have you met this guy?”

“No. I was never allowed past this point,” she replied.

Elaina kicked the door open, instantly taking in her surroundings. At first, the suite appeared to be unoccupied, but then they noticed some movement coming from a dark conference room in the back corner. She drowned out everything around her and refocused her sense of hearing. Sure enough, she picked up on the heartbeats of one panicked soul.

“Hear that?” Elaina mouthed to Melrose.

Melrose nodded and pointed her gun toward the right side of the conference room where Elaina had first seen the shadowy movements.

The person in the room fired a gun, shattering the glass dividing the room. Elaina and Melrose ducked out of the way as shots were fired haphazardly from the conference area.

Melrose made a sign for Elaina to stay behind and shifted into the conference area. Clashing and tumbling noises erupted only moments later before gunfire began again and a woman’s screams sliced through the room.

Elaina vaulted inside just in time to spot the red laser aimed at Melrose’s head. She reacted just in time, pushing Melrose from the direct line of fire, only to catch a bullet in her right arm instead.

Elaina swung around to face the gunman, who had a hostage shielding him.

“Shoot and she’s dead,” the man said.

“Can’t you fight your own battles?” Elaina asked.

“Two vampires against a human?” He chuckled. “I’m not stupid.”

“Well, then…that means you’ve already lost, so why are you wasting our time?”

He tugged the woman closer to his chest, pushed the gun deeper into her side, and she squealed in fright.

“This won’t end well,” he mumbled. “You might as well run while you can. My men are coming.”

“End well for whom?”

“The both of you. All of you vampires who dare raid my company.”

“You sure about that?” she asked.

He grimaced. “Do you know what we do to you creatures?”

“I’m aware. Who are you?”

“Does it matter?”

“It’s him, the owner. Mr. Reynolds. The girl said his name already,” Melrose exclaimed.

Elaina grinned. “You’re just the man I want to see, Mr. Reynolds. Have a seat so we can talk.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know you.”

“Well, you should,” Elaina said. “And I’m getting ready to rectify that.”

“You can start with your name,” he stuttered.

“No, you don’t get to make demands. I’m running the show here. I’m going to give you ten seconds to drop the gun, let the girl go, and have a fucking seat.”

“Who do you think you are? Coming up in h—”

Elaina lifted her Beretta and aimed. “Ten. Nine…”

Mr. Reynolds backed up and fumbled for something in his pocket with his free hand. A cell phone dropped from his pocket, and a voice came through on the other end. “Chief Reynolds? Mr. Reynolds? You still there. We’re getting picked off…”

The voice faded away.

“Five, four…”

“If you shoot, she’s dead.”

Elaina fired the weapon. The gun Mr. Reynolds was holding clamored to the floor, and he dropped to his knees and cried out in pain.

The woman raced to the other corner of the room. Melrose grabbed hold of her, preventing further escape.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Mr. Reynolds wailed.

“That wasn’t even a major artery, Mr. Reynolds. Or should I call you Chief?” Elaina laughed.

“Look, I’m sorry. I’ll let all the vampires go,” he proclaimed, holding his hands up in defeat. Blood dripped from the bullet wound in his arm onto the floor.

“It’s too late for that, and you had plenty of time to right your wrongs. Now get up and go sit,” she said.

Mr. Reynolds stumbled a few times before he made it across the room. He pulled out a chair and slumped down into it.

“My men are coming for me, ya know,” he said. “You’ll never make it out of here alive.”

“Let them come.” Elaina opened up her vest. “I have enough bullets for all of them.”

Mr. Reynolds visibly swallowed, and his gaze shifted to the door as if he expected someone to come save him at any moment.

“What do you do here?” Elaina asked the girl, keeping an eye on Mr. Reynolds.

“I just started last month. I’m Mr. Reynolds’ personal assistant.”

“Really? You use your personal assistant as a shield? I never really got to know you, Mr. Reynolds, but that’s pretty lowdown and dirty.”

Mr. Reynolds frowned.

“And your name?”

“Monica.”

“Monica, do you have access to the file vault over there?” Elaina said, pointing to the opposite end of the wall where a bookcase had been slid aside to reveal a filing cabinet built into the wall.

Mr. Reynolds rose from his cheer. “No!”

Elaina fired her Beretta and Mr. Reynolds nearly toppled over backward in his chair.

“Stay,” she said.

He sat down.

“Well, do you,” Elaina asked.

Monica nodded.

“Open it,” Elaina demanded.

Melrose nudged Monica toward the vault. The girl then turned back around to study the disapproval on Mr. Reynolds’ face.

“I’ll lose my job,” she said under her breath.

Melrose dug the gun into Monica and said, “When this is all over with, no one will have a job here. Don’t you hear that?” She paused as gunshots echoed through the hallway. “Sounds like a total takeover to me. Open the damn vault.”

Monica pressed her palm to the keypad and a file drawer immediately popped open.

“Which cabinet contains the personnel records?” Elaina asked.

Monica pointed to a drawer near the bottom.

“Seeing that we don’t have much time before Mr. Reynolds’ backup arrives, you’re going to follow my instructions. If you so much as hesitate, I’ll put a bullet in Mr. Reynolds’ heart and you will be responsible for his death,” Elaina told Monica. “You got that?”

She nodded her head.

“Retrieve the file on Stewart Reynolds and bring it to me.”

“No, no, no,” Mr. Reynolds exclaimed.

Monica pulled the file drawer open and brought the accordion file to the conference table where she plopped it down in front of Elaina.

“Are older records kept here?” Elaina asked.

“Some of them. Not all.”

“Give me what you see there for Chrishauna Arakelian.”

Mr. Reynolds sat up straight in his chair. “Arakelian?” There was a small hint of recognition in his voice as he spoke.

“Yes, Arakelian,” Elaina said. “Do you know something about that name?”

“Are you…?” Mr. Reynolds’ gaze narrowed. “Well, I’ll be damned. I thought you looked familiar. You know you’ve got a lot of nerve coming back here.”

“You know who I am?” she asked.

“The one and only, Elaina Arakelian. D-33,” he said. “How’s life treating you?”

“What do you know of me?”

He pointed to the file Monica tossed on the table. “More than that file will tell you. It’s been over twenty years. Do you think we would have kept information about your whoring mother here that long?”

Elaina’s anger rose, and she grabbed Mr. Reynolds so hard about the collar that he almost choked.

“Do you know something about my mother?”

He nodded, but his face reddened from lack of oxygen.

“Start talking.”

He pointed to Elaina’s grip on his collar.

Elaina let him go and put some space between them.

“Where to begin…” he drawled.

“What happened to my mother?” she asked.

“Which one?”

Elaina grimaced. “So, you really do know me?”

“Of course. I studied your files. You did impressive work here until you got mixed up with the vamps. And when we found out about your blood, your value tripled three times over. It’s too bad that you’re a disposable asset since you’re one of them now.”

“Tell me about my birth mother.”

“She was an illegal immigrant. The only way that she could stay in this country was if she worked for the District. We ensured that she never got deported back to her mother country, where apparently, she was wanted for murder.”

“Murder?”

Mr. Reynolds shrugged. “Yeah, it’s all in the files there. She was a murderer. She killed her husband, so you might want to watch whom you’re calling lowdown and dirty. She hadn’t even been here three months yet before she got knocked up by one of the field guys. She never said whom, but she told just about everyone he’d gotten killed while out on a mission. And just like today, vampire trackers died every day.”

“How do I know this is true?”

“Why would I make it up? This truth won’t set you free. It only explains why you’re so miserable, searching for some explanation as to why your mother gave you up. It wasn’t so that you could have a better life. It was so that she could stay here, in America. She signed your life away, Elaina Arakelian.”

She gnawed at her bottom lip. “Was that all she got in return?”

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but…” Mr. Reynolds pasted a crabby smile on his face. “Your mother was a District whore.”

Elaina charged.

“Wait!” He held his hands up in front of his face. “It’s the truth. She was a surrogate and worked in our fertility unit. She was hired on to help couples carry their babies to term and deliver them, but like I said, one of the trackers knocked her up before she could even begin. Two months after she delivered you, she caught an infection and died.”

Elaina nearly choked on her own sorrow.

“You thought I was going to tell you a story about some little miss perfect mommy who gave birth to her perfect baby and decided to give her to some other perfect couple who could take care of her better and have the perfect life. No. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re the one who came here and insisted. Why did you have to break in here with a team of vampires and castaways to get this information?”

“That’s not all we’re here for. Do you think we’re shooting up the place for nothing?”

Mr. Reynolds almost looked worried. “You don’t mean to…?”

“Mean to what?”

“You can’t mean to release the dungeon vampires?”

“Dungeon vampires,” she asked. “Is that what you call them?”

“You don’t understand. The vampire down there has lived for hundreds of years. It took us several years to catch him. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“You said hundreds of years?” Melrose asked from across the room.

Mr. Reynolds nodded. “He was labeled a retched rogue way before we started capturing vampires. He used to feed from humans to the point where he was a few tablespoons short of killing them. Where they were in agonizing pain. So much damage was done that the person would have been better off if he’d just bloody murdered them.”

Elaina could tell by Melrose’s perplexed expression that she didn’t know anything of this vampire.

“Well, of course you didn’t know. Your kind can’t even keep your rogue population in check. We have to do it for you. Might as well salvage what we can.”

Melrose shook her head. “Not anymore you don’t.

“If you release that thing…” Mr. Reynolds started.

“You want him so you can create a hybrid, don’t you?”

“We stopped trying to create the first hybrid months ago after a series of failures that resulted in the human being turned—like you.”

“Then why are vampires still your concern whether they’re rogue or not?”

“Because that creature you’re about to release may be the only thing that could diminish the rogue population, but not just the rogue population, all vampire kind, no matter the species.”

“How do you know?” Elaina demanded.

“Because it can only live if it takes blood from other vampires.”

“But you said it fed from humans, draining them of almost all life force.”

“Correct, but the creature was killing humans for sport. That’s why he must never ever be released.”

A series of blood-curdling screams resounded down the hallway and throughout the building.

“Or is it too late?” Mr. Reynolds’ voice trembled.

“Stand.” Elaina grabbed Mr. Reynolds by the arm. “Let’s head out into the main unit. This time, you’ll be the hostage.”

---

Vicq thought he was imagining things the moment he spotted Elaina trudging down the hallway of District 5 headquarters, dragging along a badly injured man. What the heck was she doing here? He’d made it clear to Leo that she wasn’t supposed to leave the Refuge during the raid.

He closed the distance between them rapidly. “Tell me this is an illusion and that you’re not here.”

“This is an illusion and I’m not here.” She pushed past him. “Have you breached the dungeon level?

He followed her. “Elaina, what are you doing here?”

Finally she paused and pushed her hostage against the wall. “You should know the answer to that,” she replied.

“She was fact checking,” the man she had in a vice grip answered.

Elaina groaned, ripped a strip of fabric from the man’s collar, and proceeding to tie his lips shut. “You speak when I tell you to,” she told him.

“Elaina…?”

“Mr. Reynolds, who is also the owner of D5 Holdings, was hiding out in the admin offices. Let’s just say that I cleaned up what was left behind.”

Vicq glanced at Mr. Reynolds. “He did a good job of hiding while his employees paid the price.”

“There’s no time to argue about why I’m here,” she said. “You cuffed me to a bed rail, and you’ll pay the price later when we’re done here.”

“Who un-cuffed you?” he asked, and then his gaze trailed over to Melrose, who was exchanging some words with Eli. “Never mind. It’s pretty clear who helped you get out.”

“Did you or did you not release the vampires in the dungeon,” she asked.

“Dungeon? It was hardly a dungeon. It was a lower level prison. We found one Dresdan who was obviously too strong to contain. He was strapped down on ice when we released him. He killed all of the scientists in the room before we could get anything out of them and then fled the room. There were several other vampires in coffins, but we won’t know their intentions unless we wake them from slumber.”

“Where is he now? The Dresdan that got away?” she inquired, adamantly.

“That’s the problem. We’re finding evidence that he’s been feeding on and killing guards before we even get to them, which means he’s seeking out an exit. We’ve picked up what evidence we can, but now it’s time to go.”

“What about Leo’s sister? Did you find her?”

“She was never held here. Eli talked one of the lab techs into pulling up her information in the database, and it turns out she’s at some fertility center in Texas—also District owned.”

“Mr. Reynolds here told me that they use young women to birth children.”

“You don’t plan on releasing him, do you?”

“I’m not done with him yet. He keeps talking about his men coming to save him,” she replied.

“If he’s talking about his little rescue team of four, they didn’t quite make it either. Seems the missing Dresdan is out for vengeance, not blood.” Vicq pointed to a body on the ground. “Necks are snapped, but no blood is drained.”

“The problem is that the owner here thinks this Dresdan’s blood type of choice is vampire.”

“To my knowledge, none of us have been slain by him,” Vicq replied.

Elaina’s captive lifted his finger in an attempt to get their attention. She snatched the gag from his mouth and said, “What’s that?”

“That creature will kill you all,” he sneered. “You vial, pesky little—”

Vicq pistol-whipped him across the face to shut him up. He passed out cold and slumped against the wall.

“We’ve got to head out. Almost every corner of the facility has been raided. Your dad’s team just left the property with a trunk load of evidence, data files, and other key information we can use to send to the White House. But we have to make a decision now. We either need to torch the place or leave it.”

“Have all the employees exited the building?”

“All except for the dead. We even have a few willing witnesses and unwilling hostages that we can question about the in-house lab drugs we found.”

“If we leave this building standing here today, there’s a good chance we’ll miss something that remaining District scientists will be happy to get their hands on. On the other hand, if we burn the place down, all the evidence will burn with it. Will what we have be enough?”

“I haven’t been a human in a long time, Elaina, but if we distribute the information to key people at every level of the White House, someone will take note.”

“Let’s hope so,” she said as they reached the outside. The last of the District 5 employees who had made it out alive scrambled around in the parking lot, trying to make quick haste to their cars and the nearest exit.

A man from Mr. Smith’s team came racing toward them with a mix of emotions brewing over his face.

“All the innocents are out and the building is clear. Smith says…” His voice faded away as his gaze landed on Elaina. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “And how did you get out?”

“Question of the day,” Vicq said, rolling his eyes.

Elaina sighed deeply. “Apparently, you men think I can’t make my own decisions. Isn’t it clear why I’m here?”

“Mr. Smith just sent me a message. We have about twenty minutes before the authorities show up. Our connection with the Feds can’t hold them off any longer.”

“Thanks, Ryan. You’d better get a head start. Everyone that’s left here is Dresdan. We know how to escape the cops.”

Ryan nodded and raced through the security gates where a Refuge van was waiting for him.

“Hey, Eli!” Vicq yelled across the lot. “Take the van and head out. The cops are on the way.”

It didn’t take long for everyone to team up and begin clearing out. After the dust had settled, the only people remaining on the District lot were him, Elaina, Melrose, and Mark…and of course, Mr. Reynolds—the elusive owner, and one of the prime suspects responsible for keeping District operations alive. All other executives were dead or had fled, except for a female executive whom Mr. Smith and his team had taken back to Refuge to question.

The street lamps angled down on them, offering them a light source in the night where the moon did not. The skies were dark and overcast, and aside from the sounds and scents of smoke billowing from nearby industrial building pipes, the night remained relatively quiet. But quiet wasn’t the outcome that Vicq wanted.

“Well, let’s cut to the chase, who’s going to be the lucky one to drain Mr. Reynolds,” Vicq asked.

Mr. Reynolds’ eyes widened as he looked back and forth from them.

“If there’s nothing but filth there, I want nothing to do with it,” Mark replied.

“My memories are bad enough,” Melrose said.

“Slow your roll, guys,” Elaina said. “Why do you think I haven’t killed him just yet? The files I took from the personnel drawers aren’t nearly enough information for me. And while he was talking back there, I figured feeding off his memories would cut the time in half.”

“More than half,” Mark added.

Mr. Reynolds was becoming more and more frantic as they decided amongst themselves who would feed off his memories.

“Plus, there’s a Dresdan who has possibly turned rogue somewhere out there. Mr. Reynolds would know what he looks like. He had a mask on his face when we unstrapped him.”

“Stand up,” Elaina told Mr. Reynolds. She untied the material preventing him from speaking.

“No, don’t do this. I’ll tell you everything. All of it. I swear it,” he urged.

“You are responsible for the deaths of dozens of innocents and probably even more than that. Was it worth it?”

Mr. Reynolds was silent for several moments before saying, “For a chance to live forever without becoming a vile creature like you, yes. Every organ I harvested, every business deal that I’ve made, every corrupt politician I’ve helped get elected to office…yes. Yes, it was. I’m an inventor. That’s what I do. I create things.”

Elaina’s face tensed and she recoiled from him. “But you also kill real people.”

“I don’t. I just do what’s required. My hands are clean. Yours however, D-33…not so much.”

Elaina dug her nails into the flesh on his arms. “You weren’t being upfront with anyone you hired.”

“I wasn’t. You signed up to kill rogue vampires, and you killed rogue vampires. What else did you think you were going to be doing?”

“Reducing the world’s rogue population was only a front to keep the government off your back so you could continue your faulty operations.”

“Maybe, and we were successful at that, weren’t we, Elaina? But there was a time when I played by the rules until I realized being compressed by guidelines stalled the progress of my research, so I got involved in other side deals and business ventures. It also didn’t help that my entire family was taken from me by a creature like you.”

“A vampire killed your family?” Elaina asked.

“Not just any vampire. See, here’s the thing. You think that I failed my mission, but I didn’t. My missions are always trifold. I’ve already avenged my family’s death, but I was having fun torturing the creature who decided their fate.”

Vicq shook his head, confused at the subtle hints Mr. Reynolds was throwing out at them. But then recognition transformed Elaina’s features and her mouth fell open.

“Are you getting it now?” Mr. Reynolds laughed when Elaina didn’t respond.

“You were afforded a better education than your mother, so you should be smarter than this,” Mr. Reynolds added.

“The Dresdan from the vault,” Elaina whispered.

“Yes. That one. I’ve kept him imprisoned here for years. You’ve released a monster. One that you’ll have to deal with.”

A series of hand claps echoed just above them. Vicq glanced upward and spotted a vampire perched on the edge of the roof staring down at them. The vampire jumped down, defying gravity by slowing his descent to land softly on the pavement.

Vicq hadn’t seen this Dresdan in decades. He was clearly delineated as an ancient based on the extra markings surrounding the Dresdan symbol on his chest. His long, blue-black hair hung below his shoulders and his eyes gleamed a bright silver. A deep red tattoo of a dragon graced his entire left arm. He was the Dresdan that everyone talked about whenever discussing their history, but most had never seen him.

His name was Mercer—the warlock who’d become a vampire. An ancient and the first vampire to have ever overturned the Dresdan Court.

---

Elaina’s heart jumped and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the tall and dark Dresdan approaching them. Even as she held Mr. Reynolds captive in her grip, she felt his fear, his body trembling.

The Dresdan continued to clap his hands, sporting an amused grin. “Very good, Stewart,” he said, his foreign Asian accent was more distinct than his tone of voice, which was mellow, yet commanding.

“Mercer,” Mr. Reynolds mumbled.

“You tell a very good story, but you left out the part about how I delivered their hearts—drained of blood—to your front door. Your wife, your uncle, and your gardener. They were all part of your scheme to murder my mate.”

“They didn’t kill her! I did.” Mr. Reynolds clenched his fists.

“No, but they sat by while she begged for her life. Your own sister. You killed your flesh and blood.”

“I couldn’t see her married or mated to a creature, a monster. She was a disgrace to our family.”

“Was she? Or did you fear that she’d discover that she was just as deserving to run the family business as you were. After her death, you took Reynolds Pharmaceuticals and turned it into the disaster that it is today.”

As Mercer closed the distance between him and Mr. Reynolds, Elaina began to back away. Intense power and something else of sizable magnitude emanated from the Dresdan. Something told her that Mercer possessed more than ten times her abilities. And judging from everyone else’s reaction, he was a force to be reckoned with.

“Instead of killing me a long time ago when you had the chance, you chose to keep me locked away in order to fuel your research projects by using my blood and DNA. Too bad you failed.”

“It was one step closer to making you the most miserable being alive,” Mr. Reynolds said. “I think I accomplished that quite well.”

“I’m going to regret this.” Mercer shoved off his jacket and tendrils of energy began to radiate from his skin, along his torso, and down his arms. “But I can’t let you live to see another day. Not knowing about the things you did to the people inside that building. You were the monster whenever you stepped foot inside those labs.”

Mercer began to chant something in a language Elaina couldn’t understand.

Mr. Reynolds scrambled backward, clutching at his throat. He glanced at Elaina, his human eyes pleading for help.

“Please,” he said. “Help me. I told you he was evil. An abomination that should’ve never been created. He won’t stop. He’ll murder all of you. He’s just that powerful.”

A turbulent wind spun around Mercer as he continued to conduct whatever spell he was using to rob Mr. Reynolds of his life force. Elaina was witnessing something she’d never thought possible. How could a Dresdan have this much power? How many lives did he have to take to get it?

“Elaina…” Mr Reynolds moved slowly against the forces pulling him down. “If ever a rogue you should kill, this is the one. He’s the one that the rogues call Master. Do it now, while he’s weak.”

Elaina lifted her palm to shield her eyes, to ward off the bits of sand and debris whipping at her face. Vicq, Melrose, and Mark were still standing amid the chaos. All of them were trying to gain their bearings in a supernatural storm that wasn’t even directed at them.

The situation turned dire when two helicopters began to buzz overhead. Police sirens blared in the distance, but they were getting closer and closer.

Elaina lifted her gaze and focused her sights on the newest threat. The Feds had arrived.

A shower of bullets began to pelt the ground, most of them directed at Mercer.

Just as Elaina thought to shift away, as was the plan before, Mr. Reynolds lurched for her. Mercer’s power faded, releasing the hold on the chief conspirator behind District 5.

Mr. Reynolds grabbed for her belt and snatched out a dagger. Not two seconds later, he thrust the blade straight through her chest.

Her knees gave out from under her, and she hit the pavement. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream.

Her vision was red, cloudy. Unfocused.

Another body hit the pavement beside her. She stared into the fearful grey eyes of Mr. Reynolds. One minute, he was intact, and the next minute he was nothing but bloody limbs spread out over the ground.

Someone lifted her. Vicq. She tried to say his name and begged him to take the pain away, but he told her to save her strength. They shifted away once, and then again.

She was forced to drink blood. Vicq’s blood.

But still it felt like she was drowning in an endless pool of misery.

She faded in and out of consciousness, afraid to let go. Afraid to die.

“Hold on,” someone said. It was Mercer’s voice.

“Please save her,” Vicq said. “Whatever the price…save her.”

“Of course,” Mercer replied.

Even though her vision was hazy, Elaina managed to see one thing as clear as day. Silver eyes—not red like a Dresdan’s.

And then she tasted his blood. Mercer’s blood. The blood of the vampire whom the rogues called Master. The moment the sweet elixir flooded over her tongue, the pain faded.

“We’re being trailed by Superiors,” she heard Mercer say to Vicq.

“I was given twenty-four hours to report to Master Russo,” Vicq said.

“Why is he still Master?”

“He betrayed Zaket. The Court is in chaos. And with their Master gone, the rogues are disorderly.”

“I was never Master to the rogues. They call me this because they know I am the only one who can fix them.”

“Fix them?”

“Yes. With my blood.”

“Right,” Vicq said. “You can create Superiors, just like a Master.”

“Yes, and do you know what an army of nonaffiliated Superiors would do to your Court?”

“I’ve heard the stories about you,” Vicq told him. “All vampires were without a Master and divided decades earlier because of you. You created an army of Superiors who succeeded in overturning the Court, thus we had no Master until Zaket pulled us all back together.”

“Indeed. I’m the most hated vampire of them all.”

“You accomplished something that no Dresdan ever had,” Vicq said. “You initiated a change in leaders and you had control over the rogues.”

“My blood magic had control over the rogues,” Mercer corrected.

“Same difference.”

“I’m a warlock and a vampire. The magic flows through my blood. No magic. No control. Make sense?”

“Sí.”

“You can accomplish the same thing. You need numbers. And you’ll only get that by going back to the Court and pledging allegiance. Avoid being put to death.”

“Vicq,” Elaina called out, reaching for him. “Please don’t leave me again.”

“I won’t,” Vicq replied, slipping his fingers into hers. “I’m right here.”

Vicq placed her head carefully on some bags of clothing, but she kept her fingers grasped around his forearm.

“Kneel just this once to Russo. Fall back in line,” Mercer said. “Prove your worth to the Court, and when the time is right, when he is vulnerable…take back what is rightfully yours.”

“I won’t kneel,” Vicq said.

“You can’t be stubborn and victorious at the same time. Russo won’t stop until you end him. I’ll tell you what…if you vow to end Russo’s reign, I’ll promise to find and bring swift end to the rest of those District 5 Heads.”

“I’ll end him,” Vicq vowed.

Mercer rose. “There’s not much time left for me to do this. Word will spread fast about what happened back there.”

Vicq nodded. “You’re right. But if I do this, you’ll rejoin the Court, sí?”

Mercer frowned. “No, you’ll never see me again. It won’t take me long to find those District Heads. After I do, I’ll make my exit. Eternal peace is waiting for me on the other side. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

“Wait!” Vicq called out.

“Do what you need to take back your Court.”

Elaina’s eyes fluttered open momentarily as a harsh wind swept across her face. The door to the van slammed shut after Mercer exited.

“Melrose!”

“Yeah!” Melrose called back from the front of the van.

“We’ve been located by Russo.”

“Well, there’s no use in making it easy for them to catch us. They’re going to have to work for it,” Melrose said.

“Fuck,” Mark exclaimed from the passenger side of the van just as the van propelled forward.

Despite the fact that the healing process had begun for Elaina, she couldn’t seem to stay awake. Her body was pulling her into slumber. The more she fought it, the weaker she became. So she held onto Vicq and closed her eyes.

---

“Ah, you’re awake.”

As Elaina regained consciousness, an unfamiliar face came into view. At first she thought the man was an angel who’d come to take her poor soul away, but something about his smirk was more sinister than angelic.

The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in the van, but if she had recovered after taking Mercer’s blood, why then did she feel bruised and battered?

“Who are you?” she croaked.

The man waved a hand over her face. “Wake up, wake up. We have a ceremony to attend.”

“Ceremony? And who the fuck are you?”

“The day has come. The traitor we call Vicq will die.”

She bolted upright on the sofa she was lying on. Her eyes were now fixed on the stranger.

“Nice to meet you, love. My name is Russo.” He extended his hand. Highly amplified power rolled off him in waves.

Elaina looked from his hand to his face then reeled back on the couch. “Where’s Vicq?”

Russo smiled. “Not dead yet.” He ran his fingers through his exquisite blond hair and sat back in his chair to study her.

“How did I get here?” she asked.

“Vicq was trailed and captured. Just like I warned him. It’s unfortunate that you were there with him.”

She lowered her gaze and turned her body away from him.

“How did you ascend to Superior so quickly?” he continued. “Your slow recovery after the car crash tells me that you only recently became vampire but I’m sensing a stronger source of power within you. A power very few have here in the Court.”

“Car accident?” Elaina asked.

She rubbed her palms over her bruised body. She remembered being stabbed in the chest and healed by Mercer, but where had the other scars come from.

“You mean you don’t know that you were in a car crash?” He laughed and the chains and other jewels on his belt loops clinked together.

She gasped and her back stiffened. “Are my friends alive?”

“Oh, calm down. We’re Dresdan. Do you really think we’re going to die from getting thrown from a van? I’m not going to let them off the hook that easily. All of my enemies die deaths worthy of their traitorous crimes.”

Elaina frowned. This man spoke of her friends’ deaths like he was having a normal conversation about current events.

“You bastard,” she muttered.

He sighed and shook his head. “Why did you have to go there? I was just taking a liking to you. “ He stood and waved a few fingers in the air. A young woman came to him immediately. “Give her something to wear. Roy and Eldric will bring her to the square once you’re done.”

Russo shifted out of the room without another word.

There were bite marks all over the young woman’s neck and shoulders. She reached for Elaina.

Elaina flashed fang. “If you touch me, I’ll snap your neck.”

The woman fled the room, and two Dresdan Superiors entered. Elaina resisted all the way down the long winding corridor made of stone until she was led out onto a courtyard.

The first person she spotted was Vicq, who stood in the middle of the area with his limbs chained to the ground. Despite having multiple veins opened up on his arms and legs, he remained upright but seemed to sway back and forth as if he would collapse at any moment.

Bile rose in Elaina’s throat at the harsh picture before her. Both Mark and Melrose were also chained, but they were both weakened and on the ground.

There were spectators, all vampires, looking across the courtyard as if this was a circus and they were all animals.

Russo was seated on a throne-like structure made of the same stone as the Court.

The Superiors who’d brought Elaina in, shoved her harshly into the courtyard, directly in front of Russo.

“Perfect. They’re all here and conscious for their sentencing,” Russo said.

“What is this?” Elaina yelled.

“You really weren’t seasoned in the ways of the Dresdan, were you? No Superior should ever be ignorant of our ways,” Russo replied.

“I’m not ignorant, you silly bastard,” she countered. “Do you know what these Dresdan had to go through to take down District 5 while you sat your lazy, non-working ass on a throne? They don’t belong in chains.”

The crowd gasped and guffawed as Russo sat fuming.

“Their punishment is for crimes committed against the Court before they executed these deeds you speak of.”

“Are you serious? You’re obviously drowning in so much authority and power that was never meant for you that you can’t even see through your own thick-headed ways of bigotry.”

Two Superiors came out with chains.

Russo held up a hand and signaled for them to wait. “Let her spit flames, but I won’t raise my sentence.”

“Is this really the way of the Dresdan?” Elaina asked. “Explain to me how anyone but a coward would put the people that have stood up and fought not just for themselves, but for all vampires to death.”

A wave of silence fell over the area.

“Explain it to me like you would a human. Why is a Dresdan who takes on a mission bigger than himself labeled a traitor? If you were my Master, I’d turn my back on you, too.”

She pushed forward toward the throne, only to be held back by two Superiors.

“Do you know what they say about a leader who sends his men out to do all of his work for him?”

“Enlighten me,” Russo said to Elaina’s surprise.

“You will never gain the support due a true leader unless you walk with those you command. You sit on a throne, throwing out orders, but will you ever execute them yourself? Have you ever?”

Russo’s face was now red in what Elaina hoped to be more shame than fury.

“Why are you speechless now?”

“Elaina,” Vicq croaked from across the space.

She could hear him now, and he didn’t even need to say the words. He wanted her to stand down, but she wouldn’t. She wasn’t going to be silenced before dying. She hoped her words echoed in Russo’s memories long after her death. Maybe one day, he’d actually listen.

Russo uncrossed his legs and rose from his throne. Then he descended the dais, coming down to her level. His eyes were red like the brightest rose and his fangs were distended, glistening under the moon and starlit sky over the courtyard.

Elaina stood her ground as he circled her. She felt every inch of his gaze, every sweep of eyes across her. He closed the distance between them and snatched the blood necklace that Vicq had given her away. He crushed the glass and let the blood run down his arm, and then he grabbed a fistful of her hair and forced her to look up at him.

Vicq fought against his chains behind her as Russo homed in on her neck. “No!”

Elaina cringed as Russo slid his tongue against her jugular as if testing the heat of her blood and sampling the taste of her skin. She heard his fangs breaking through his gums. She remained completely still, concentrating on what she wanted him to see of her memories if he decided to take from her.

His cold lips moved against her ear, and he whispered, “I am going to break you. That is what I do. And soon…you will learn.”

He let go of Elaina’s hair, leaving her scalp burning. “But first, I’m going to pass sentence on your lover and those who aided and abetted him.”

Her chest rose and fell harshly as Russo turned his back and returned to his seat.

“Now, we’ve wasted enough time.” He opened his palm. “My pen?”

A female vampire produced a pen and a container of blood. Russo dipped the tip of the pen into the blood and folded out the scroll of paper on the table beside him.

“Mark,” Russo proclaimed. “For the crimes treason and plotting against the Court, you are sentenced to spend the rest of your days as a fledgling and a servant. You’ll be drained here in the Court of all your Superior blood.”

He scribbled on the paper. “Melrose. For the crimes of treason, plotting against the Court, and five murders here in the Court, you are sentenced to spend the rest of your days as a blood slave. You’ll be drained alongside the traitor, Mark.”

“I will kill myself before I become anyone’s slave,” Melrose yelled.

“That’s what you say now,” Russo responded.

He dipped his pen into the blood and scribbled some more.

“Ah…Elaina, the spitfire of a Dresdan, who thinks she can speak to me like I am inferior.” He pretended to think and tapped his pen on the throne. “I don’t know what I’ll do with you yet after I’ve broken your spirit and brought you to your knees, but I do know that, pretty soon, you’ll be calling me Master.”

“Over my dead body,” she said.

He grinned. “Yes, of course.” He wrote on the paper, placed the pen down, and then folded it neatly on the table.

“Vicq. You knew this was coming, didn’t you?”

Elaina struggled against the Superiors holding her and turned, hoping by now that Vicq’s healing powers had taken over, and his wounds had sealed up. But they hadn’t. He still stood, tethered, while bleeding out his life force. She looked down at her own skin, wondering why all her wounds were healed while Vicq’s, Melrose’s, and Mark’s were not.

“Are you going to kneel or not?” Russo asked him.

“How many times are you going to ask me that question? You cannot rightfully sentence those who do not kneel first.”

Russo grumbled. “Reminds me of another rule that I need to nix from the Dresdan code. Such a stupid law.”

“But you can go on and kill me without sentence like you did our Maker,” Vicq spat.

“Maybe you’re feeling a little regretful that you didn’t get to him first,” Russo said.

“The only thing I regret is leaving here without clawing your heart out first,” Vicq said.

“Many, many chances have been given, and still you won’t kneel. We’re brothers. We promised Zaket that we’d always stick together.”

“It’s a promise I cannot keep.”

“Theodore, come open up another vein. This time, on his neck,” Russo ordered.

A dude resembling a football linebacker came across the courtyard. He had a sword on his belt and dagger in his palm. Without flinching, he sliced a vein open on Vicq’s neck.

Elaina screamed.

Russo laughed.

“You see how much agony this bitch is in?” Russo asked. “Put her out of her misery. Just kneel.”

The color left Vicq’s face. It seemed that his life force was fading with every beat of his heart. Elaina could feel it now. She could feel his death as if it were her own.

“Kneel and become the servant you were always meant to be.”

“Fuck you.”

“Another,” Russo ordered.

The dude with the knives went in again, splitting a vein open on Vicq’s forearm.

“Vicq, please…”

Vicq lifted his eyes, which were now a dull brown. “I cannot.”

“Why?” she demanded. “He’ll kill you.”

“He’ll kill me anyway. And I promised my Maker I would never…” He took several deep breaths. “I can’t break any more promises.”

“The sword,” Russo called out from the throat. “In the gut.”

The dude with the knives tossed the dagger on the ground and quickly unsheathed his sword. He plunged the lengthy blade into Vicq’s gut.

Vicq lurched, but still he kept to his feet, not giving in to the pain and dangling from the restraints. “I’m sorry, Elaina.”

How conflicted he must feel to want to live and die at the same time. The agony was there on his face and in his demeanor, but still he would not accept defeat. Not while he still lived.

Elaina turned around, tears running down her face. “You animal!”

“Do you know what my Maker, who also happens to be Vicq’s Maker, taught me?” he asked. “When you give your word, you should keep it. I warned Vicq that if he turned his back on me that I would treat him in the same manner as everyone else under my command. He would receive no special privileges. And you know what he did…? He shunned me. Ran and denounced the Court under my leadership. I’m keeping my promises and my word to my Maker.”

“Please…” Elaina fell to her knees.

“The flames have already begun to diminish, Elaina. I will put them out, one by one, just like I told you.” Russo lifted his hand and again, calling more men with swords into the courtyard. “Finish him.”

Elaina called on a source of power she didn’t know she had, or maybe the amount of rage she felt inside fueled her. She shoved at the Superiors holding her, allowing for a brief second to free herself. Once she had room to move, she lunged for the dagger discarded on the ground and used it to slice straight through the neck of one Superior and then another.

You could have heard a cricket crawling in the room after the bodies dropped to the ground.

Elaina wasted no time. She went straight for the linebacker who’d plunged the sword in Vicq’s gut. After his entrails had fallen out, littering the ground, he fell face down on them. Elaina swiped his fallen sword from the ground.

Her training as a vampire tracker and combat fighter was not wasted. She may be skilled, but she wasn’t here to display fighting prowess. When she had the opportunity, she took the kill. But the wounds she sustained weren’t healing nearly as fast as the bruises from the car accident.

Elaina stood in front of Vicq with a dagger in one hand and a sword clutched in the other. When she looked up at the throne where the coward sat, she took a lot of pleasure in seeing the look of fear on his face.

“Hayward. Nathan,” he commanded, sending two more Dresdan into the square with swords.

Elaina cut them down one by one until sweat—theirs and her own—seeped into her wounds. She glanced behind her at Vicq, who’d regained some of his strength but still struggled to heal. Before she could race to feed him, a Superior barged in, shoved her off, and sent her flying across the quad.

This time, Russo ordered a series of lashes with a leather whip across Vicq’s back. The first strike echoed across the courtyard. Before the second lash came down across Vicq’s back, Elaina got back up and charged with a blade, which she ended up driving into her target’s spinal cord. While he was lying motionless on the ground, Elaina picked up the whip, tied it around his neck, and dragged him front and center right in front of the throne. She picked up another discarded sword and beheaded the paralyzed victim.

“Stop! Enough.”

Two Superiors froze on the way to the center of the courtyard.

Russo rose forcefully from his chair. “What kind of shit is this? How many of you does it take to stop a woman?”

No one said anything.

“Bring her to me,” he ordered.

“No!” She raised the sword. “If you touch me or any of them, I’ll proceed until I’m ready to die.”

Russo straightened his collar and came down from his throne once again. “Put the sword down or I’ll have no choice but to send more Superiors in.”

Elaina laid the sword at her feet within grasping distance.

Once he reached her, he said, “What are you trying to prove? Vicq will die, either by sentence or because he failed to give in.”

“Release Vicq. Take me,” she said.

Chains rattled, but Vicq was so fatigued from blood loss that he could barely muster a word.

“What’s that?” Russo asked.

“Prove your worth to the Court, and when the time is right, when he is vulnerable…take back what is rightfully yours.”

Mercer’s words came to her right when she needed them the most; as if they were meant for her. She only wished that Vicq had listened to him. But she’d made a promise to Vicq, too, and she wanted to honor it.

“I’ll kneel in his place,” she said.

“Elaina…don’t!”

Russo circled her. “They say you taste of sunshine,” he said. “And of a blood type so rare, it takes a Dresdan on the most delicious high.”

Elaina swallowed.

“You’ll be the most scrumptious blood slave I’ve ever had.”

“I’m not a slave,” she said.

“If you kneel before me, you’ll be whatever I want you to be.”

Chains clanged on the stones behind her.

“But I’m no fool,” Russo said. “I see your worth and how quickly you rose to Superior. In exchange for the life of the traitor there, you’ll be my Donor.”

“Is that your word?” she asked.

“I give you my word before the Court that if you kneel before me now, I will let the traitor go,” he said.

“I—”

“On one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“He leaves the Court and never returns. If he steps foot back here, he will be murdered on sight, but first, I will make him watch while I drain the blood from you this time.”

Elaina turned around, only to find that Vicq had collapsed on the stones. He wasn’t kneeling, just collapsed, as if he’d given up. Hanging from the chains that tethered him to the posts. There was still life within him as he mumbled the same two words over and over again. “No, Elaina. Elaina, no.”

“He is Superior no more. His power against me is gone,” Russo said. “Make your decision. Or else he’ll be dead before the deal is done.”

“You’ll let him leave?” she asked.

“Yes, I’ll even send someone in here for him to snack on before he goes. But once you accept in front of my people, the deal you make with me can never be broken. Any bond you share with him will be shattered.”

“And my friends?” Elaina asked, referring to Melrose and Mark, who were bleeding out on the floor.

“No, Elaina.” Russo shook his head. “I will not reunite the traitor and those who aided him. I’m crazy, but I’m not that crazy.”

“Give me your word that they won’t become slaves,” she demanded.

“Fledgling,” he said. “And that’s my final offer.”

“I accept,” Elaina said.

“I’m going to have so much fun breaking you. Bring a blood slave to feed these idiots,” Russo commanded a Superior.

The same young woman that Elaina had threatened in the room earlier came out. She slit her wrist, knelt next to Vicq, and offered her arm. Vicq tried to protest, but his will to live was much stronger, especially when blood was offered freely. He grabbed her hand and fed until she had to be snatched away by a Superior.

“Do you see how easily sides can be won, brother?”

“Why, Elaina?” Vicq stood with the chains still holding his arms and legs in place.

It pained Elaina to see him this way after she’d all but accepted another vampire to do with her as he pleased. She lowered her gaze.

Russo traced the outline of her face with his fingers. “Kneel,” he said.

And kneel she did, to save the life of the man she loved.

“Rise,” Russo commanded.

Holding her tongue and all the hateful words she wanted to throw Russo’s way, she rose. Russo turned her so that she was facing Vicq and swept her hair off the back of her neck and over her other shoulder. The moment Russo’s fangs pierced her, Vicq closed his eyes.

Russo fed until her limbs were weak and she had no choice but to fall to her knees again.

“The deal is done. Go now. Before I change my mind,” Russo told Vicq.

Two Superiors unlocked the chains holding Vicq.

Vicq took one last look at Elaina and then stumbled from the courtyard.

While emotionless and kneeling on the floor, Elaina had only one thought. One hope.

Come back for me. Take back your Court. No matter how long it takes.

---

The pain in Vicq’s heart raged and tore him down more than the stab wounds riddling his body. He couldn’t bear the thought she was lost to him forever. The willpower to turn around and whisk Elaina away was strong, but he feared that Russo might retaliate against Elaina instead of him. He just didn’t want to see her endure another moment of agony. He didn’t want her fighting his battles, but Elaina had a mind of her own. Why she thought it would be a good idea to kneel before Russo was beyond him? Yet, he knew Elaina more than anyone else. She knew damned well that he’d come back for her.

In his current state—drained of nearly half of his blood—he was no longer able to shift anywhere. Fuck, he hadn’t even been able to break the chains binding him to the floor. Even now after feeding on the blood slave offered to him, his body reacted by trying to lure him into a slumber. But he was on enemy’s ground and he had to move out fast. He sensed Russo’s vampires following him through the mountains and valleys as he walked through the territory. Only when he was out of the jurisdiction that belonged to the Court did he feel the other vampire presences fading away.

An hour later, when the sun begin to rise, Vicq took cover in a cave. Slumbering within miles of Russo’s territory was out of the question, so he fought the urge and continued to allow his body to heal at a slower pace.

Dawn seemed to take forever, but as soon as he was safe from deteriorating under the sun rays, he followed some train tracks to the nearest train station.

Right after crossing the threshold into his countryside manor, he collapsed on the floor beside the hearth, and his body shut down, taking him into a deep slumber.

---

Vicq watched as Mr. Smith settled back in the sofa with the fresh cup of brewed tea that Leila had just handed to him. He pulled out a small flask from his pocket and splashed some whiskey into the cup with the tea.

It hadn’t taken Vicq long to find the new sanctuary deep within the valley of Niagara Falls by following Leo’s blood presence. For over seventy hours, he’d lain on the floor next to the hearth, dead to the world. He’d woken up to the screams of his mother. Still, after all these decades, the earthquake that had caused his parents’ deaths still haunted him in his dreams.

“How many vampires are there in this Court?” Mr. Smith asked.

“Hundreds,” Vicq replied. “Thousands if you count the Dresdan that have been stationed to carry out duties outside of it.”

Mr. Smith chugged down the tea without pause. “Are you certain my daughter is still alive?”

“She is. I’m her Maker and I feel her presence and I’m certain that she feels mine,” Vicq said. “However, Emory is in grave danger. Some days I feel his presence fade and other days it’s as strong as ever. This gives me reason to believe that he’s being held as a blood slave.”

“Blood slave?” Mr. Smith fumed.

“Humans who provide blood to Dresdan,” Eli replied, shifting in his seat.

“This is…this is just…” Mr. Smith shook his head and shot up from the chair and paced the small area. “I should’ve stayed with her back at Refuge,” he muttered.

“I’m sorry,” Leo exclaimed. “We changed rotation and …”

“No.” Mr. Smith stopped pacing. “It’s not your fault. Elaina has always been hands-on and tactical. Whatever she wanted, she went out and got it. I just didn’t know she would risk her damn life like that. Dammit.”

From across the room, Leila sighed and fell back into Leo’s arms.

“The point is, Elaina is our real victor here. She made a split second decision and risked herself so that the next mission could be carried out,” Vicq said.

“And if you were dead, that mission would have failed,” Brandon added. “The Court members honored the previous Master, Zaket, even in his last days. He had given his word that he’d choose another Master worthy of the Court. That Master was supposed to be you, and there are many who are beginning to realize that.”

“And what if this other mission fails,” Mr. Smith asked. “And you don’t take back your Court and you can’t free my daughter? Then what? Am I supposed to stand by and do nothing? Because that won’t happen.”

Eli rose and placed his hand on Elaina’s dad shoulder. “Look, Mr. Smith, there are many things you aren’t going to understand or even accept about us, but I’ve known Vicq for decades. He’s not going to let your daughter live the rest of her days with his enemy.”

Eli glanced Vicq’s way after reassuring Mr. Smith, but even he held a hint of uncertainty in his gaze.

Vicq rose from the armrest he was perched on. “Eli is right. Just like I planned, I’ll take back my Court and have my Queen. Brandon has already started the process of locating any covens who’ve denounced ties to Russo.”

Brandon nodded. “We’ve already gotten the support of Ghost. We’ve made alliances with the Crow coven from the north, the Lunar coven in Alberta, and the Azote coven down in Mexico. They’re more than ready to help.”

“All right.” Mr. Smith scrubbed his hand down across his face. “Just tell me what I can do. I’ll do it.”

“Elaina tells me that you have some bounty hunters and vampire trackers in your Refuge that are skilled at tracking down rogues,” Vicq said.

“Since we’re all being truthful here, yes, we do. We track down and kill the ones who murder,” Mr. Smith replied.

“I have reason to believe that there’s a coven of rogues out there somewhere without a leader and they’ve been without a leader for a very long time,” Vicq said. “When we released Mercer, he revealed that they referred to him as Master right before he was captured by District 5. I have reason to believe that if I can find that coven, I can find Mercer again.”

“Why would you want to find Mercer again?” Brandon asked. “I thought he specifically stated that he doesn’t want to be bothered.”

“I’m going to take my chances and I’m willing to risk dismemberment if he goes batshit crazy on me, but Mercer may just be the answer to a unified Court. And I’m going to find him.”

---

The search for Mercer had taken Vicq more time than he wanted, but after trailing Mercer’s essence for two weeks straight, the evidence had finally led him to one simple resolution. He’d have to befriend some rogues, not just locate them. At first, they weren’t willing to give up where Mercer might have gone. When they learned that the warlock vampire was planning to end it all, they were more receptive to cooperation with the hopes that someone might be able to talk him out of it. And befriend a rogue he did, one who led him straight to one of Mercer’s caves.

“So, are you just going to die and leave your entire legacy behind,” Vicq asked.

“What legacy? My legacy lies within me,” Mercer answered, weak from continued exposure to the sun. “I take it with me.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I want to see Fatima again. I want to tell her how sorry I am for thinking that she could trust her brother.”

“You were mated to her?” Vicq asked, taking a seat next to Mercer on the dusty ground.

“Yes, we mated while she was human,” he said. “They’re so fragile, you know.”

“Yes, they are.”

“She wanted to be turned, but I wouldn’t do it. I failed her.”

“But to turn her, you would have had to kill her,” Vicq said.

“And I wasn’t ready to do that,” Mercer said. “I wasn’t even there when she needed me the most. She just slipped away, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“Is that when you turned rogue again,” Vicq asked.

Mercer was silent for a long moment.

“I don’t know the exact moment. I tried to not take her death out on others, but I was lost without her. She taught me compassion for humans, and she showed me how to live my life. Before I met her, all I had were my gifts and my vampirism.”

“Before Fatima and before you overthrew the Court, what was your life like then?”

“I was destined to live eternity serving the Court alongside my cousin as a Superior. He was a warlock, as well. Do you know that there currently aren’t any warlocks in the Dresdan Court? We are a dying breed, which is unfortunate since it was our magic that created the first of the Dresdan. At all times, one of us was to lead the Court,” Mercer explained.

“What happened?”

“We evolved. Humans evolved. And suddenly, vampire existence was known to mankind. I wanted a united front and better control over our numbers, and my cousin wanted to create an army of vampires just in case the humans decided to attack us. Well, guess who won?”

“You did. You killed him, remember?”

“No, I didn’t win. The Dresdan Court was without a Master for a very long time after that. And I failed at unifying the Court. When Zaket took the reins, I fell back into the shadows. If ever a vampire I trusted with the Court, it was Zaket. But history has a way of repeating itself, and there seems to be one common factor in every case.”

“What’s that?”

“Women. It doesn’t matter if she’s human or vampire. One little decision made by a woman can change the course of things forever. Fatima changed my outlook on life. Your Master Zaket chose a human wife, and when she died, she took a piece of him with her. Word on the street is that Russo has your mate.”

Anger rose in Vicq’s gut. “She gave herself up for me. I—”

“I caught wind of it from some rogues. Word travels fast, even outside the Court.”

“I have to get her back.”

“What are you waiting on?”

“If I return, he’ll kill Elaina. It was part of the deal. Mercer, I need your help.”

“Ah, of course. Everyone needs my help.”

“I have very little to offer a warlock and Superior vampire in return, but I promise that you if you lead us, I will help you bring about a unified Court. I’ve never lost that vision.”

Mercer shook his head. “No, Vicq. I won’t lead the Court. My mate is waiting for me on the other side. How many times do I have to explain that to you? I’m here to die. It’s what I’ve wanted all this time. No one will grant me my death wish or offer to cut off my head for me, in fear that I will retaliate or somehow come back from the dead with my witchy magic and haunt them.” He laughed.

Vicq laughed. “Well, you do have an advantage over other Dresdan with your powers.”

“But what if I told you that I could help you win back the Court.”

“If that’s what it takes to get Elaina back and unify vampires, I will.”

Mercer shifted on the ground and stretched out his legs. “I’m more than ready, Vicq. My blood magic is a gift. It can be passed on.”

“You’re not suggesting that…?”

“Yes. You have something that I need, and in return, I’ll give you what you need to succeed.”

“What do I have?”

“The ability to bring my swift end so I don’t have to suffer anymore.”

Vicq dropped his face into his palm. “I don’t know about this.”

“I will die here, regardless of what you do next. Every day, my life force drains from me a little more. A blood vessel dries up. A vein fails to pump blood to my heart. It could take another three weeks, or it could take a couple of months, but pretty soon, there will be no blood magic left in me. I can take my legacy with me, but I can’t take my blood magic with me.”

Vicq sighed. “You’re asking me to kill you and take your life force.”

Mercer nodded. “You will be more powerful than the Master who currently resides. That’s the way it should be. That’s the way it was until I messed it up. I see this as a way to redeem the Court and bring back the blood magic that will unite the vampire race again.”

“And you won’t come back from the dead to haunt me?” Vicq asked, only half kidding.

“No, I’ll be preoccupied with Fatima,” Mercer said. “I don’t have the desire to live in this world anymore without my mate. Please take the force that binds me to this existence.”

“What if I can’t control the magic?”

“My memories will be an open book, and you’re stronger than you realize.”

“Are you sure you want that? Do you really want me to know your history and everything you’ve done, good or bad?”

“I’m willing to reveal everything if you wish to accept.”

“Okay, just give me some time to think.” Vicq stood and paced the small cave.

“I’m a very patient fellow, but rumor has it that Russo is not.”

“When do you have in mind?” Vicq asked, nervously.

“Right now, Vicq. While you’re dancing in front of me, another vein in my neck dries up.”

His heart drummed and he exhaled. “Okay.”

“But there is something you should know. The magic comes with a price,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“The rogues. If you take the magic, you’ll have to take responsibility for the rogues because you’ll be the only one who can keep them in line. But if you seek unity, I have no doubt that you’ll be able to control and oversee them with the full support of the Dresdan Court.”

“This is a lot to take in, but the responsibility falls on me now,” Vicq said.

“Then don’t wait another moment.”

---

Elaina never understood why Russo made her attend meals where the only people that ate were his human blood slaves. Why did he attend their dinners to watch them eat while he sat there stewing in a hoard of bad decisions? Maybe watching them reminded him of all the things he had in life when he was human?

And the blood slaves performed as if the meal presented to them was the best they’d ever had.

Elaina sighed and settled back into her chair. Russo stared at her from across the table, but she avoided his gaze. She realized that the more time he spent with her, the more he rubbed off on her. Soon, she’d become hateful of everyone around her, wishing she could be with someone that she loved wholeheartedly. Someone who could love her back the same way.

But Russo wasn’t capable of loving anymore. It seemed that he took more pride in owning people than he did in gaining their mutual trust and respect.

“Why so sad, Elaina,” he asked her, leaning forward and placing his forearms on the table.

“I don’t eat food. I don’t understand why I’m here,” she said.

“Here’s the thing. If you want a healthy blood slave, you have to feed them right. And the only way I know that’s being done is if I know what they’re eating.” He said this with no shame while they listened.

“You’re a monster.”

He smiled. “And if they eat a balanced meal, then so do you. And then so do I. See how all of this works out?”

Elaina rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t how much more of this I can take. I don’t see how you haven’t died of boredom and cabin fever. Do you ever step foot outside the Court?”

Russo frowned. He slid his seat back and rose from the table. “Carry on.”

After commanding her to stand, Russo led them into her sleeping quarters. She was chained to the bed nightly because Russo feared that she would flee or try to kill herself when he was away. He slumbered elsewhere, which told her that the coward was afraid she might betray him. He knew what was coming for him. Maybe he was smarter than she thought, after all.

While in the room, he slammed her body against the wall face first and imprisoned her against it.

“Don’t you ever talk to me like that. I’m your Master, and you will act like it. You will shut up during meals from now on. I don’t care if you don’t like it.”

Elaina laughed. “I may be your Donor now, but I’m still Elaina Arakelian. I will say what I want. I won’t bite my tongue for anyone. You knew what you were dealing with when you dragged me into your Court. I made it clear that I wouldn’t shut up for anyone.”

“Is this who you really are?” he sneered.

“You just bring out the worst in me.” She thrust her elbow back and jabbed him in the ribcage.

He retaliated by burying his fangs in the back of her neck.

Elaina cringed, and despite what she’d just told him, she bit her tongue again and let all of her anger fade from her. Who was she fooling? He had her right where—and how—he wanted her.

As he pulled from her vein, she shut down everything. All past memories. She’d learned to feed him the same one over and over again. The one of her slicing through his Superiors on the day she’d become his Donor. Those memories didn’t seem to faze him anymore. Not even now as he reveled in the feeding and moaned against her neck as he fed off her blood and the remnants of her anger.

“That was good. Let’s fight again,” he said.

“Don’t push your luck,” she said.

“Fine. Now what you’ll do is go back to the table and sit your ass down until I tell you it’s okay to leave. You will watch them eat until I give you permission to get up.”

Reluctantly, Elaina did as she was told.

Fifteen minutes into the feeding, one of the maids ran into the room with blood splatters on her apron. She waved her hands about frantically.

“Oh my God,” she screamed.

Several Superiors entered the room in an attempt to shield their Master, but by that time, it was too late.

Vicq barged into the dining hall with the force of a tornado. He was covered in the blood of his enemies. And not only that, he had more than a few Dresdan causing chaos. He’d brought the rogues with him. Dishes flew from the table and smashed into walls as Vicq and whatever malevolent force he possessed entered the room.

One of the Superiors guarding Russo began bleeding from every pore and opening on his body until he vomited huge amounts of blood. The blood slaves scrambled to one corner of the room as the Superiors fell one after the other.

“What the fuck?” Russo exclaimed.

“Vicq!” She ran for him. She couldn’t help it. When she threw herself up against him, his magic vibrated against her, reminding her of the way she’d felt when Mercer saved her. It felt as though his presence was right there in the room, but Mercer was nowhere to be found. This was all Vicq’s doing.

He kissed her face and the top of her head, but his magic never waned. “Let me take care of this. I promise you that I’ll make up for all the bad things that happened to you here.”

She nodded and backed up against the wall with Russo’s blood slaves.

More vampires filed into the room, but they did nothing to help Russo nor stop Vicq. Either they were scared out of their mind, or floored by the power that only a Master should have.

“I should have known you wouldn’t stop, that you would come back and take her,” Russo said, scrambling to the opposite corner of the room. “But the rogues!” He spat. “You brought the rogues back in here?”

“Yes, Russo. This is no illusion. Not only did I come to take her. I came to take my Court, as well.”

“Your Court?”

“It will be. Kneel.”

Russo folded over, clutching at his torso. He knelt to the floor without much hesitation.

“Consider your rights to the Court relinquished. Do you have anything to say before I carry out your sentence?”

“What sentence?”

“Death.”

A knife used to carve the ham levitated from the floor and sailed swiftly through the air. Russo didn’t see the blade coming until it was too late.

There was a moment of silence in which Vicq stood utterly still as the powers that Russo once possessed as Master took root within Vicq, joining those he already had.

Elaina came from the opposite corner of the room and wrapped her arms around Vicq. He hugged her back, instantly wrapping her in love. Rage still rolled off of him in waves, but his touch was nothing but loving and gentle. She’d missed that.

She pressed her face against his chest, feeling protected in his arms even after the dangerous offense that he’d just committed on behalf of the Court.

As she hoped he would do, he lifted her chin, titled his head down, and kissed her. She couldn’t get enough of him.

She pulled back and searched his gaze. “What happened?”

“Mercer,” he said. “Mercer’s gone.”

“What did you do?”

“He wanted to be free. I ended him at his request. His powers are mine now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“We’ll grieve and reconnect later, but first, there is something I must do.”

Elaina knew what that something was.

Vicq picked up Russo’s head and exited the dining hall. Dresdan parted to let him through in his path to the courtyard. They even followed him.

Vicq brought the head of Russo into the square, leaving a trail of blood as he ascended the steps to the throne. Right before he sat, he gazed out at the residents of the Court as they knelt to show their allegiance to him.

He held out his hand to her, palm up. “Come and rule with me,” he said.

She smiled and ascended.

“Always,” she said. “I’ll always be with you.”

He set the severed head down on the stoop near the throne and took his rightful place as the Master of the Dresdan Court. All kneeled before their new Master, both Dresdan and human alike.

“Do you see this, Russo,” Vicq said to the head. “Do you see how easily sides can be won?”

Yes, he’d won. They had both won in the end—her by taking down D5, and him winning back his Court—but now they had their work cut out for them.

“My life-long mission is a unified Court,” Vicq announced, raising his voice over the din of the crowd. “Only then can we be strongest. Only then can we rise above the human stigma of predator or expendable asset. Only then can we build an empire.” The Court rose and cheered him on. “I’ll devote myself to this task no matter how long it takes. Stand with me now and we’ll stand together for eternity.”

---

“How does it feel, Emory?” Elaina asked, pausing next to him as he sat near the water feature just outside the courtyard. “To be Dresdan and not just in transition.”

Emory smiled. “It’s all that I expected and more. I should’ve let Vicq change me sooner.”

She gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. “Have no regrets. I think it all worked out for the best, don’t you?”

“You’re right.”

They shared a brief moment of silence as they looked out across the front lawn at the many Dresdan joining in the celebration. Vicq had just made his official announcement to lead a unified Court. There was music and dancing and laughter. All the things they’d always enjoyed whenever Leila planned an event. Melrose had gathered up a band of musicians and they brought the party to life with their upbeat hard rock tunes. Eli, Mark, and Brandon had long disappeared to mingled in with the crowd, eager to reconnect with other Dresdan brethren.

Elaina smiled. This was her family and this was her new life. A life she’d come to love.

She spotted Vicq across the lawn as he exited the courtyard with one of his Superiors. The two men were deep in conversation until Vicq met Elaina’s gaze. Not one minute later, he hurried across the lawn to her.

“There you are. I thought you were right by my side and when I turned around you were gone,” he said, then looked back and forth from her to Emory. “Is Emory telling you stories about him and me?”

Emory laughed. “Not yet, but prepare yourself. It’s only a matter of time before I tell her all the little things you’ve been keeping to yourself, especially about how you crashed that first Aston Martin I gave to you.”

“Someone crashed into me,” Vicq countered.

“Mm-hmm. Just admit it. You were in dire need of several driver’s ed courses before you met me.”

“All right. Fine. You got me.”

Emory stood. “No worries.” He clapped Vicq on the back. “You and I both know the real truth. I needed you more than you needed me.” Before Vicq could get a word in he said, “Now, I’m very hungry with me being a new vampire and all, and there was this pretty little brunette that was so excited about getting together tonight. Catch you two later.”

“At least he’s excited.” Elaina laughed softly and rose. She brushed his lips over his, gentle at first. There was something about the way he led his new Court with respect and dignity. She loved this confident side to him. “Don’t you have more business to conduct tonight, Master?”

“I like to tackle one agenda at a time, but you, Queen, have always been my first priority.”

“That’s nice to know,” she said. “Because while you were away, I got a little hungry myself.”

“I guess it’s time you ate, then,” he said, tipping her chin.

“Not that kind of hungry,” she said suggestively.

He grinned. “Why don’t we indulge both sides of our hunger? Like we always do.”

She grabbed Vicq by the forearm and pulled him in for a long, fate-sealing kiss.

---

The Dresdan Court

•Dresdan: an ancient race of vampires whose origins date back to 2 BC. They are the most deadliest and ruthless of all vampire species in the world.

•Master: Head vampire that leads his race or coven. Possesses great knowledge, experience, and power.

•Superior: High ranking member of the Dresdan Court. Assists the Master in his duties. Possesses great knowledge, experience, and power.

•Soldier: Carries out the duties of the Master and the Superior(s). Possesses experience and power based on the number of blood kills and age.

•Fledgling: A young vampire who is immature and inexperienced in his abilities and powers. They can later become a Soldier but must earn that ranking through years of service and sacrifice.

•Donor: A human whose only purpose is to serve the needs of a specific Dresdan indefinitely or for an undetermined period of time.

•Blood Slave: A human whose only purpose is to serve the needs of the Dresdan.

•Coven: A circle of vampires. Usually 13 or more.

District 5 Inc

•District 5: an underground secret organization whose mission is to create a new species of human (hybrid between vampire and human DNA). Also known as D5 or the District.

•Host: A human capable of sustaining the vampire agent without a complete transformation or dying (aka, Human-in-Stasis).

•Recruiter: Employed by District 5 to recruit those who will sign a lifelong employment contract to serve the mission of the organization.

•Tracker: Employed by District 5 to hunt down, capture, and/or execute the Dresdan.

•The Five (5): A mark emblazoned in the flesh of District 5 members who’ve pledged their life to serve the mission of the organization. It usually appears on their necks, arms, or shoulders.

---

Requiem (Dresdan Coven)

Copyright © May 2016 by Amber Ella Monroe

Published by Obsidian Gem Publishing LLC

Edited by Michelle Olson (Literally Addicted to Detail)

Cover Design by Kellie Dennis, Book Cover By Designs

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, places, incidents, and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or person, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-5333-7899-6