“You must be awful stupid comin’ around these parts, girl—even with a Vampire at your side.” A loud voice snapped.A woman came into view, emerging from where she blended in with the forest line. Her skin was as dark as the bark that covered each tree, but that was where the similarities ended. She swayed her round hips gracefully as she approached the bike, her full lips curled back in a fearless sneer. She stopped five feet away, standing on the dual yellow lines that split the road in two. The leather jacket she wore glittered under the moon, mirroring the light in her dark eyes.For a single fleeting moment, I wondered if they were oblivious to who we were. The miniscule dash of hope fizzled out when the woman spoke a second time.“And don’t expect me to call you Queen, you ain’t no friend of me or mines.”Though I didn’t dare take my eyes off the Vampire, I could see in my peripherals that she wasn’t the only one venturing from the forest to stand in the road. In all, I counted f
“What’s with Vampire’s and abandoned warehouses?” I asked, speaking to no one in particular.The breaks of the rusty minivan we were crammed into squealed as we pulled into a handicap space close to the front doors. I could make out the symbol painted on the spot, though it had faded over time.Within the parking lot were a few cars, but most looked like junkers rather than functioning vehicles. There weren’t any windows apart from the ones that lined the front, but they were blacked out by scraps of cardboard boxes and old newspapers.“This one won’t be half as luxurious as your father’s.” Tristan muttered at my side; his face marred in a permanent scowl.From the front seat, Dina snorted. She turned around and glared at Tristan.“With how flimsy your loyalty is, you got no room to be judging anybody, Tristan.” The pale-haired Vampire at my side lifted an eyebrow, but Dina didn’t falter in her rant. “That’s right, I know you. You don’t know me, though. I was a nobody back then, a bod
“What the fuck?” I deadpanned, staring at what could easily be my father’s clone like the man himself had risen from the grave and sewn his head back on.I couldn’t process the thoughts churning in my head enough to formulate any other response, but I couldn’t help but feel as though those three words summed things up brilliantly.He had the same thick hair, composed of the darkest onyx, that Holly and I inherited, along with the startling eyes. His build was definitely larger than my father’s, but his face, the wide-set jaw and sloped nose—that was the same.The man who claimed to be my uncle—as if that wasn’t the weirdest thing I’d ever said, raised one of his dark eyebrows. “Well said.”“You’re Deacon?” I managed, my voice a touch suspicious.He nodded imperceptibly, “That’s what I’m called.”“The former King doesn’t have a brother. I spent nearly all of my time by his side, and never had he mentioned a brother. How is this possible?” Tristan grimaced, hovering protectively at my s
There was an itch I needed to scratch, a burning curiosity I needed resolved before I could give him what he wanted.“How do you know about my magic? As far as I know, it’s passed down through my…my grandmother, but it was kept a secret for the most part.” I grimaced.“It was kept a secret because my father despised witches and their magic. My brother, on the other hand, saw only power. Unfortunately for him, our mother died before he ever got the chance to use her in his plans.” Deacon replied, then let out a snarl. “I’ve been more than accommodating considering I haven’t had you killed on the spot. I won’t tell you again, niece or no. What do you know about Bridgette?”I’d never been a cruel type of person, nor was I someone who lorded information over another person’s head, but there was something about Deacon that provoked that side of me. Perhaps, it was his attitude and the way everything he said felt like a challenge, but I couldn’t help but feel that a Queen—his Queen, wouldn’
“Three witches, three vampires, and three werewolves…” I heard myself say. The corpses of Carmen and Devin came to mind, both strategically placed shortly after their gruesome murders. It brought me no peace to learn that their deaths were for a specific purpose. Learning the truth had renewed my rage, but also invoked a wave of disgust that made me nauseous. I had no doubt that the witches were more than willing to knock off a few of their own if it meant getting what they wanted. ‘That’s why we’ll win in the end. Even under Tyler’s rule our pack had more loyalty for its members than the witches.’ Maya huffed, her tail swishing in agitation. “We have to assume they’ve already sacrificed three of their own. There’s no reason why they’d wait if they have three witches readily available. Hell, they probably offered themselves willingly. We know they’ve killed more than one Vampire, which leaves…” Tristan trailed off, his voice fading but his grimace was answer enough. “Which leaves
Even though I was more than interested in hearing Deacon’s reply, it wasn’t what made me stop. There was this sudden rush of familiarity that swelled in my stomach, making it plummet to the warehouse floor. I felt a harsh tug on my sleeve and whipped my head to the side to lock eyes with a stone-faced Dina. She jutted her chin towards the exit, which was a few rows of shelves behind where we stood and tugged a second time.“Not yet.” I mouthed, shaking my head.Typically, Tristan would be the one trying to keep me out of trouble, but it was hard to do when he too was crouched, peering through the slim gaps in the shelving in an effort to spy on the witches. I held back a snicker and joined him, stretching my hearing as far as it would go, until the voices at the center of the warehouse sharpened.I guess after spending this much time with me, he already anticipated what I’d do. It was risky but getting information about the enemies plans rarely ever came with a safety net.“Mm, I thou
“Oh, Lola.” Ember sang, “Why don’t you come out before I start losing my patience? Wouldn’t you rather walk out with dignity than have Tessa here use her vines to drag you out by your ankles? We’ll even let your little friends go…so long as you don’t put up a fight.”“Lola, did I not tell you to get the hell out of here?” Deacon rumbled, cursing under his breath.Ember turned her attention to the hulking Vampire that had spoken and smiled dryly.“Deacon, you never planned on accepting our offer, did you?” She tutted, eyes flaming with vicious excitement. “I’ll admit, as much as your loyalty would’ve made things easier, I’d much rather watch you all burn.”As the air around her began to shimmer with heatwaves, I had one thought.We needed to get the hell out of here, right now.No sooner than the statement had crossed my mind, the exit doors just a few rows behind us were torn open. Blasted so hard by a gust of wind, they slammed into the walls on either side. The deafening clatter ech
Rather than felt, I heard the screech of metal twisting and tearing, followed by a loud splash. Before I could swipe away the moisture that coated my face, the entire world went dark.“Damn it, Lola…” A voice snarled, practically shouting in my ear. “…one minute before I throw your ass over my shoulder and—”All at once the memories collided in my head, exploding in a symphony of screeching tires, torn metal, and rushing water. The soundtrack was backed by Tristan’s voice, which was growing angrier by the second. When I was able to pry my eyes open, my surroundings quickly sharpened and the forest we were in came into view. While I was more than thankful there wasn’t any light to blind me, there was a gnawing sort of pain covering most of my body.‘Goddess, I hate cars.’ Maya groaned, ‘We’re running everywhere from now on.’“You need to get the hell up before the witches catch up.” Tristan hissed quietly, wedging his hands underneath my arms.As he lifted me to my feet, the pain that