Chronicles of the Uprising (Trilogy 1): Trilogy 1 (26 page)

Chapter 14

Still smelling of blood, the cave gave off an ominous vibe. Stepping foot inside felt like welcoming death. And with the sun beginning to rise over the mountains to the east, Mira knew she might well be welcoming her end.

Thick and coppery, mixed with the humid mineral-laden air, the smells in the cave should have been enticing, but they only reminded Mira how easily a life could be snuffed out.

“Are you getting tired?” Stryker asked. “Most of the vampires I know start to get sleepy around this time.”

Fatigue’s nagging pull was definitely in the back of her mind, but anxiety kept her from relaxing enough to give into it. “Most vampires you know are not preparing to fight for their life. Sleep is probably not going to happen. I’ll take first watch.”

One last peek outside, before the sun had a chance to completely fill the sky, confirmed what Mira had feared: There was another tank out there. It was moving slowly, but from what her eyes could see, it was traveling in their direction. “They’re out there. Let’s hope they pass us by.”

Stryker stepped out of the cave. Holding a hand up to his eyes, he scanned the horizon. “I’ll take your word for it. I can’t see anything.” He shrugged and began moving boulders around the outside of the cave. “I thought you said I was going to be on first watch.”

“I’m not going to get any sleep; might as well be useful.” Eyes weakening with the rising sun, Mira had to turn away from her watch on the lumbering tank and retreat to the safety of the dark cave.

“You thinking about your human friends? Lucan?” Stryker asked.

Mira found it odd he’d bring up the humans at all, let alone Lucian specifically.

“I hope they made it to the cave, yes.”

“He seems a bit arrogant, that Lucan.”

“Lucian,” Mira corrected. “Do you blame him? You kinda went all alpha male on him back there. He was just trying to be protective.”

“A human protecting a vampire.” Stryker laughed. “Sure – I
am
an alpha male. It’s in my blood. But he engaged me first; I had to return the favor. Humans like him have an air about them. They don’t respect our kind unless they are made to.”

“Lucian isn’t like that.” She surprised herself by saying that. He was an elite, after all. “But the rest of the humans, yes.” One in particular came to mind: Olivia Preston. Oh, how she’d love the chance to make her former owner, that pretty little princess, pay for all the torture she’d endured.

“You like him?”

Caught completely off guard, Mira stumbled and collapsed on the ground. “What? Who?”

“Lucian.” An undertone of animosity that went beyond simple prejudice colored the way he spoke her companion’s name.

“He saved me. He’s showed he is an honorable man. That demands respect.”

“Indeed.” Stryker rolled the last few rocks near the mouth of the cave, not quite covering the entrance completely, but enough to block a majority of light. The few shafts that would make it through would be easy enough to avoid and would light the cave interior enough for Stryker to see. “And once you turn him, you can both live out your happily ever after in peace.”

 She’d wondered when the subject of Alec’s ruling was going to come up. He’d been all too happy and helpful up until now, without even pressing the matter. But why bring it up now, and in that forlorn tone? What was going on in that wolf’s head? “Do you really think now’s is the time to discuss this?”

“What’s to discuss? After we survive the day, you’ll be reunited with… Lucian… and can turn him. Make him like you. It’s your happy ending. Remember, positive thinking.”

He may have covered his words with positivity, but his tone said otherwise. He was fishing for something. And rather than pussyfoot around the issue, Mira decided to meet it head on. “I do not want to turn them, and they do not want to be turned.”

Stryker smiled knowingly. He slid down the wall, taking a seat in the dirt. “Did they actually say those words?”

“No, but I know Lucian’s mind.”

As he’d done before, Stryker began doodling in the dirt. “If they haven’t voiced their denial, then the option is still on the table.”

“I’m taking it off. The decision cannot be made under duress.”

“That’s going to be a problem.” He looked up and his golden eyes scrutinized her, challenging her. He was an Alpha, one used to getting his way without opposition. She would not give him that satisfaction. But in his stern gaze there was softness too. He did not want to have to enforce his will on her, and that fact was made more evident in the soft way he said, “You have to know I was assigned to ensure you complied.”

“I know. And I am prepared to defend my… humans. If I am forced to.”

He broke eye contact with her and resumed doodling in the dirt. “Funny how you’ll defend them to the death, but you have such a hard time calling them your friends.”

“I’m working through my issues. But that’s the least of my concerns.” Despite trying to remain as calm outwardly as she could, Mira worried about her companions who’d gone along with the pack. What if, by some chance, the tank bypassed them and headed for their tracks instead?

“We’re in a bit of a situation, aren’t we?”

Mira scooted next to Stryker, watching him draw his shapes and squiggles in the ground. There was something peaceful in watching the motion of his hand. “How do you propose we remedy this… situation?”

Stryker shrugged, not looking up from his doodling. “Honestly, I don’t know. I have my orders. I have to comply. That’s how our society works. But, I know the situation is not so cut and dried for you and your… companions.”

“You’re stalling.”

Stryker stopped drawing. “I am…” He sighed. “Because I don’t know what to do.”

She snickered silently. “And you call yourself an Alpha.”

“Being an Alpha is more than just being the biggest, baddest wolf around. It’s about being a leader of my pack. Making good judgments and protecting my people. ”

“But you’re not the leader, you’re the Council’s lackey.”

“Hey, now. Careful what you say.”

Damn her mouth. She hadn’t intended to insult him. And that was a low blow, even for her. “Merely making an observation about the situation. I don’t mean that you personally are a lackey. You’re just blindly following orders...like a lackey.” Despite her best efforts, backpedaling was not her strong suit. “What I mean is… The Council told you what to do, and now you have to do it, above what is good and right and honorable. We all risked our lives to go back and save your people… well, as many as we could.”

“And that is precisely what makes this a touchy situation. The right thing to do is not exactly in line with what I was ordered to do. I know this, and I am prepared to make that case to the Council if it comes down to it.”

Mira’s eyebrow quirked up. “So, then, are you saying you will let us all, the humans included, reach Sanctuary without any incident?”

Stryker sighed heavily and returned to doodling in the dirt. “I’m saying we make it as far as meeting up with the group, and then we decide together what to do.”

Mira had to admit, she appreciated the diplomatic way he was handling things. She was ready for a fight, and would take on the whole pack if necessary. Stryker had to know that. The fact he was not backing down as well as not immediately giving in was quite a respectable quality. “Sorry about the lackey comment. That was a low blow.”

“It was.”

“I just feel very protective of them. They were the first humans to ever show me kindness.”

“I understand, believe me, I do. We were raised with our own prejudice against their kind. To see them act differently is strange, but gives me hope.”

“They’re not all good, though. Don’t be fooled. I could tell you stories…”

“Oh, I’m well aware of how bad they can be.”

“How? You live in Caldera Grove.”

“The humans have been trying to find us for as long as I can remember. Our pack has taken many casualties defending our territory and keeping Caldera safe from prying eyes.” The shapes he scrawled in the dirt became sharper. She could sense the anger transferring from his finger to the ground.

“I guess we’ve all suffered in some ways at their hands.”

“It’s a never-ending struggle.”

The gentle swirls and strokes of his fingers in the dirt were mesmerizing. Mira couldn’t stop herself. “Okay, I have to ask. You’ve been doing this all night. What are you writing?”

“It’s an exercise in relaxation. An old Otherkin practice to help calm and focus the mind. Once the mind relaxes, the body will too.”

“Are they words, like a spell?”

“Magic, you mean? Have I ensnared you with my drawings?” Stryker’s laugh was a welcome sound after so much tension.

Mira let a small chuckle escape. “You have. I am under your spell.”

“No. It’s not a spell. They’re just shapes. Pick five to start with and put them in random orders, not allowing the pattern to repeat or putting two of the same symbols next to each other.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“It’s really not. You just draw whatever you feel like drawing. The idea is to let your mind wander away from what’s bothering you and to focus on something relaxing. That’s all.”

“Well, whatever the rules, the effect is soothing to watch.”

“It’s become more of a habit over the years. I draw whenever I need to calm myself before a battle… or after one. I’m sure you have a similar ritual before your gladiatorial battles, right?”

Mira shrugged and fingered the dagger she’d confiscated from the tank. “I check to make sure I have a good weapon. Then prepare to use it.”

That brought on more of Stryker’s comforting laughter. “The simple elegance of a warrior.”

“Not sure if I should be insulted or not.” Mira scowled playfully.

“Take it as a compliment. We Alphas love a good warrior.”

That caught Mira completely off guard. One moment he was cold and standoffish, and the next he said things like that. Then there was his not-so-veiled jealousy of Lucian. She wasn’t sure what to make of the wolfman, but she had to admit, at least to herself, that she liked Stryker. He was not only a good soul, but pretty easy on the eyes as well.

“Here, let me show you how to do it. You look like you could use a bit of relaxation.” Stryker scooted close to her and held out his hand “May I?”

Not normally one for touching or having her limbs manipulated, she hesitated before letting Stryker put his hands on her.

“Relax. Remember, this is the point of the exercise.”

Mira took a deep breath and allowed Stryker to guide her in drawing the random shapes, creating new patterns.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, Mira felt the tension in her shoulders release. A strange feeling of warmth washed through her. She began to relax. Breathing became easier as well. The knot she didn’t even realize existed in her chest loosened, and despite her initial aversion, she leaned into Stryker’s body, savoring his warmth.

“You see?” He released her hand but did not back away from her body. He allowed her to lean back against his chest. “Works wonders on nerves.”

Mira tilted her head back into the crook of Stryker’s arm and met the warmth of his eyes. She hadn’t enjoyed being this close to another person in so many years. It was as if the stresses of the outside world didn’t exist anymore. “Oh, nerves are not the issue. I’m not nervous. Are you?”

“No.” Stryker bent his head, his lips closing in on hers.

Their moment of peace was cut short by a rumbling engine grinding to a halt nearby. Mira picked up the sound of boots hitting the dirt. She was on her feet in a moment, trampling her beautiful doodle.

“Guess it’s time.”

Chapter 15

Boots trampled the dirt outside of the cave – three pairs, by Mira’s count. She crouched low along the farthest wall opposite the cave entrance. Stryker was up and at the ready too, just waiting for the opportunity to make a move.

“Is there another way into the cave?” Mira whispered to Stryker.

“We haven’t explored the depth of this cave. It’s entirely possible, yes.”

She silently cursed herself for spending her time doodling in the dirt and making small talk when she could have been preparing for battle.

A face blocked one of the shafts of light streaming in from the haphazard pile of rock at the entrance. Eyes met hers, but in the darkness of the cave Mira was certain that the soldier wasn’t really seeing her. Crouched low to the ground as she was, she might have been mistaken for a cave rock herself.

A soft click, one Mira recognized, echoed against the rocky walls. A shaft of blinding white light illuminated the cave. Mira flattened herself against the wall, averting her eyes, hoping to hide.

“This one looks pretty deep,” the soldier called out. A moment later, a loud blast destroyed the flimsy rock barrier Stryker had created.

Blinding sunlight flooded the cave. Mira’s skin began to burn. Despite the pain of it, she held her tongue. Screaming would only give their position away. But blind as she was, Mira was as good as dead if they fired another shot like that in her direction.

“C’mon.” Stryker pulled her toward him and they backed further into the cave.

“What’s happening?” Mira whispered.

“I think they’re testing the cave. They don’t know we’re here yet. Stay behind me.” He continued to push her back, further into the cave. It twisted, and after they rounded a corner, the light grew dim enough for Mira’s skin to stop burning. Still too bright for her to see properly, she’d still have to manage with Stryker as her eyes.

More boots. Humans getting closer. Fast-paced footsteps snapping twigs and crunching the hard dirt. “They’ll be armed with torches and automatic weapons,” she whispered. “They’re trained to shoot first.”

“Good to know.”

“You might be better off as a wolf. Aim low.”

The boots halted. “More blood in here,” a soldier, male by the sound of his deep voice, spoke out loud. “I think we found something.” 

“Check it quickly and let’s move on. There are hundreds of caves in these mountains.”

Only two voices. That was a manageable number. Mira’s outlook was getting better. A fair fight here, and then Stryker could take out the final one in the tank.

Stryker stripped off his pants and pulled his shirt up over his head. He shifted into this wolf form before she could say anything and crossed to the opposite wall.

He whimpered pitifully, like a weak and injured animal. Smart man.

The light of a UV torch clicked on and shone down on Stryker, the dying wolf. He played the part well, his tail weakly moving, laying with his head between his paws.

“Looks like we found a wolf den,” the soldier said.

Another UV torch clicked on. Both soldiers walked cautiously toward Stryker.

“Where’s the rest of your pack?” the lead soldier asked, his voice oddly friendly.

Stryker whimpered and scooted backwards.

“Poor little guy. I wonder if that vampire made a midnight snack out of them.”

“You saw the two burned bodies. I’ll bet she turned on those humans who helped her. I wouldn’t put it past a savage like that to kill off a wolf pack too.”

Their words, while aggravating, proved exactly how wrong the humans were about her kind. The elites kept the prejudices going, painting her kind as nothing but stupid savages. And that’s exactly how they treated her and her kind in the prisons. It was a damn good thing they didn’t know about shifters, or they might not have fallen for Stryker’s plan.

One of the soldiers knelt down to inspect the fallen wolf. The other one remained standing, his UV torch in one hand still pointing at the wolf and his gun on the other hand, cocked and ready to fire.

Mira waited for Stryker to make the first move.

The soldier reached out a cautious hand. “It’s okay, little fella. I’m not going to hurt you.” Before he could react, Stryker had him by the throat.

Nicely done, she thought, and took action, lunging at the other soldier. He squeezed off a shot before she could drag him down.

Stryker yelped, and the high-pitched cry said he’d been hit.

Flushed with anger, she drew her dagger and plunged it into soldier’s chest, then snapped his neck in a moment and throwing his lifeless body to the ground. Frantic with worry, Mira bent and pried the other soldier off Stryker’s struggling body. By the looks of it, the bullet had gone through the soldier and then hit Stryker.  Blood gushed from the wolf’s body. He twitched and whimpered on the ground.

“You okay? Stryker? Shift back. Tell me you’re okay.” She pulled the wolf into her lap, covering the gushing wound with her hands. “Tell me what to do. Can I heal you?”

Stryker didn’t respond. His whimpers were fading into shallow wheezing breaths. He wasn’t shifting. He was barely moving. Mira gazed down into his amber eyes. The light there was fading. She had to do something, quick. 

Frantic, Mira pressed her wrist down hard onto one of his sharp canine teeth. Blood dribbled into his mouth, but he was didn’t swallow. His tongue just lolled out of the side of his snout.

“Dammit. Tell me what to do! Why isn’t this working?” She hadn’t meant to shout, unsure of how many more soldiers might be outside of the cave, but in her frustration she was losing control.

Stryker’s body was beginning to go limp.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” she growled. Biting her own wrist and ripping the skin away she flooded the wolf’s snout with her blood.

His tongue finally moved, lapping weakly at her bloody wrist. She rolled the wolf over and fit her bleeding wrist into his mouth, letting her blood pool into his throat. Moments that felt like eternity went by before he started to wake. Whether voluntarily or involuntarily, he began to shift back to his human form.

Thank the gods! She never felt so much relief seeing the small movements and hearing the grunts of consciousness come from the half-shifted wolfman.

“On your feet. There are still more out there.” Mira nervously glanced toward the mouth of the cave, the shadows playing tricks on her eyes. She could have sworn she saw a figure standing there, watching her. But no, her vision was better than that. It had to be nerves. She couldn’t go out and meet the humans head-on in daylight. It would have to be Stryker.

Stryker groaned. Her blood was definitely reviving him, but more slowly than she’d hoped. He’d said they were slower to heal, but how much slower was the big question. Would he be okay to fight?

Voices on the outside of the cave sent Mira’s already frantically beating heart racing. How many of them were there? Surely the tank only held three at the maximum.

They were getting closer, no doubt heading into the cave after their fallen companions. Stryker’s breathing had regulated, and he had completed shifting, but still he refused to move.

Mira lifted him into her arms and stood. A quick glance around the dark cave didn’t show her any other way out. No hope of retreating further into the depths either. The walls appeared solid all around. If there was another way in or out, it was hidden well from view. She took Stryker back as far as the cave would let her and set him down against the wall. “If you can hear me, stay here.”

Following the wall around, she headed back towards the entrance of the cave, careful to stay away from the light.

 The voices outside of the cave had ceased, but near-silent footsteps told her that they were still heading in her direction.

She waited, crouched low against the wall, ready to strike. A lip of rocks blocked her from the light and shielded her from view.

Sour sweat and dirt, the smells of a long ride with no shower, hit her nose before she saw the man walk past her. The soldier was armed with the standard issue UV torch and sidearm, which he held out cocked and ready to fire.

Mira listened, but didn’t hear anything else – no other soldiers coming inside. Confident in that fact, she lunged forward and grabbed the man around the neck. He fired his weapon at the cave wall and fumbled with his torch, trying to aim it at her. “Couldn’t just leave us alone, could you?” she growled in his ear. This one she would kill slowly. Take his blood to heal her of what she’d fed to Stryker.

Mira bent the soldier’s head sideways, savoring the slight tremble he gave her before she sank her teeth in to his hot flesh.

Blood flooded her mouth, hot and sweet. Just what she needed. The soldier’s heart pumped frantically, gushing blood so fast she had to gulp to keep from wasting it.

In her gluttony she didn’t hear the other soldier coming up behind her, or the cocking of his gun. She felt the shot, though; it seared through her flesh. One shot, two, three in rapid succession. Before she could drop her prey and turn on her attacker, he’d unloaded the entire clip into her body. She was on the ground, her blood spilling out onto the dirt.

A UV torch clicked on and white hot light flooded her vision.

She spewed out every obscenity in her arsenal, both to curse herself for not being watchful for more soldiers and to put sound to the pain she was feeling.

“Gotcha now, leech!” the soldier taunted her.

“Then why haven’t you put a bullet through my heart?” Mira answered back, voice filled with hatred.

“Magistrate wants you back alive, so he can personally kill you in the arena. Pity. I’d love to put a bullet between those pretty blue eyes myself.”

“Then do it, you coward.” Mira spat at him.

The soldier flashed the UV torch right at her face, singeing her eyes. Limbs weak with blood loss, she couldn’t manage the strength to lift her hand to block the light. Closing her eyes didn’t help much either. Every inch of skin the light touched burned. Mira grit her teeth, letting out a silent growl.

“I’ve got the leech here. She took out Watson and Briggs. Bring up the body bags and a set of silver cuffs. We’ll get her locked and loaded.” The soldier had to be talking through a com-link. There was still one more human out there.

“Nice work, Littleton. We’ll get a promotion for sure, bringing her back.”

If she wasn’t in so much pain, Mira might have laughed at their atta boys. Bringing in the big bad vampire and getting a reward. How quaint.

Littleton turned off the UV torch but held it straight at Mira. “Be a good girl and stay still, and we won’t have any trouble, you hear me?”

 She refused to answer. Not that she could move if she wanted to.

“What. No snarky comment? The warrior rendered speechless?”

Vision fading, she struggled to keep her eyes open. Too much blood gone. At least she’d find some peace soon. Unconsciousness had its perks.

“I really did a number on you, didn’t I?” Littleton smiled. “Bet you couldn’t move now even if you wanted to, eh?” He kicked her in her side.

Mira barely felt it, her nerves already flooded past the point they could register. She didn’t have the voice to protest, either.

“Might as well make the most of our time together, eh? Never could afford to be a patron, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a vampire.” Littleton crouched low and ran his hands up her bloody shirt, ripping it open and exposing her breasts.

Not even the rage inside of her could force her limbs to move. Of all the insults to injury, to have this oaf of a human male pawing her while she was a prisoner in her own body!

Mira prayed that her heart would finally give out and she would not have to endure more.

Littleton stood and unzipped his black trousers, smiling wickedly down at her.

As the pants slipped down his legs, she caught sight of fur. Wolf fur. She couldn’t see what happened from her vantage point, but a moment later, Littleton was on the floor. Blood sprayed across her face. Littleton screamed, but it was cut short into a bloody gurgle.  

Her world faded to darkness. She wanted to warn Stryker about the other human on his way in, but couldn’t voice it. He disappeared from view, and unnerving silence filled the void. Did he know? Had he heard the com-link conversation? She could only hope. For his sake. Injured as he was, she didn’t want him caught unawares

Everything darkened, and finally, blissful unconsciousness took Mira.