Sanibel Alpha Vampire Werewolf Menage (Fanged Romance Series Book 5.5) (5 page)

“Yeah, I gotta take off and I don
’
t need you coming in with me.  I
’
ve heard enough about preferential treatment from the other Youngling males, though I
’
ve mostly convinced them I get away with everything solely based on my good looks and charm.
”

“When you were born and I sensed your power, I prayed for humbleness,
”
his father retorted drolly.  Before Jayce could answer, Ardan turned to the right, his eyes flaring blue.  
“
Blood.  Lots of it.  Come.
”  
He misted down inside the fence perimeter and Jayce followed, running behind him until they reached a cluster of utility sheds on the left embankment of the Academy.  

“Carter!
”  
Jayce yelled, thinking the bloodied Youngling male lying face down on the pavement couldn
’
t be anyone else.  This was a weekly ritual for the assholes of their bunch, but this time it looked bad - really bad.  
“
Mike!
”
Jayce kneeled down next to him, yanking off the remnants of his shirt.  His back was shredded.  In some places, Jayce spotted exposed bone.  Next to Mike, his motorcycle was in pieces.  
“
Mike, who did this, man?
”
He felt his claws emerge and his father quickly grabbed his wrists, shaking his head no.  

“Accident,
”
Mike mumbled, blood bubbling from his mouth.

“Right,
”
Jayce snarled, trying to lift him without hurting him.  

“I smell four males on you and one female,
”
Jayce
’
s father stated calmly, a cool head under all circumstances.  
“
You will tell me exactly what happened.
”

Even Jayce felt the wave of his father
’
s power, the insistence for truth.  Hell, Jayce wanted to start spilling his guts himself, but he bit his tongue.

Mike groaned, trying to lift himself, but his fingers were badly broken.  Some bones pricked through his skin.  
“
I was
…
with Jill tonight.
”

Jayce
’
s father cocked his head.  
“
She
’
s a mixed blood.
”
He inhaled.
“
Her werewolf side is of Norse decent, I can tell that much.
”

“Yeah, I, uh, cut our time short and brought her back here.
”  
Mike was able to sit up, finally.  Jayce had to look away when he spied Mike
’
s kneecap pushed up into his thigh muscles.  
“
Without doing what she wanted to do
…
with me.  And she called out her brothers, lying, saying I took advantage of her.
”

“
It
’
s just another excuse,
”
Jayce said to his father.  
“
They
’
re never going to give Mike peace around here no matter what he does.  Send him back to Scotland, Dad.  He
’
ll die here.
”

“I
’
ll die in Scotland. You have no idea how much better this is,
”
Mike said, faintly gesturing to his broken body with his only moving arm,
“
than what I had to put up with over there.
”

Ardan nodded in agreement.  
“
You
’
re staying in the states.  I
’
ll heal you as much as I can, and we
’
ll get you inside.
”

“With all due respect,
”
Mike dared.
“
I
’
ll gladly accept your healing but I don
’
t want to be carried in, especially by my Alpha.
”

A reserved smile flitted Ardan
’
s lips, understanding male pride.
“
Your way, then.
”
He laid his hands on Mike, a static power coming from centuries of experience Jayce hoped to one day master left his father
’
s fingertips.  He heard the bones moving back, snapping in place, but the outer skin would take longer to heal.  Still, all in all, Mike
’
s sudden transformation was nothing short of miraculous, even in their immortal world.  Truly, if Mike Carter had been a human, he probably wouldn
’
t have survived through the night.

“Jayce Jordan, if that
’
s you,
”
the Headmaster warned, misting in next to them,
“
I
’
ll have no choice but to call your father.
”
He gaped then, a flush hitting the planes of his cheeks.
“
Oh, Alpha Jordan, please, accept my apologies.
”

Ardan met the Headmaster
’
s stare grimly, then waved a hand across the parking lot where Mike
’
s motorcycle was scattered in bits of shrapnel.  
“
Mike Carter had an accident.  Luckily, Jayce found him right before I did,
”
he lied smoothly, though he never needed to explain anything.
“
You will keep this quiet and allow him a day or two of rest.  He can make up his work later.
”

The headmaster inclined his head.
“
Oh course, My Alpha, as you wish.
”

A tingling sensation moved beneath Jayce
’
s skin, and when he stared up at the males
’
dormitory, he locked eyes with four smirking faces. The Holm brothers were at their finest tonight. Jayce curled his lip, flashing canines. A silent promise of unholy retribution was coming their way soon.

W
hen the morning sun glared through the open window, Mike palmed his forehead, his head pounding with his heartbeat.
“
Jody lass, you
’
re  not supposed to be in these dorms,
”
he argued, eyeing his half-sister as she lifted from the opposite bed. She
’
d stayed the night, ignoring his protests.
 “
I
’
ve told you a hundred times over, I
’
ll be fine.  So go back to your room and ready yourself for class.
”

“I
’
m not leaving,
”
Jody argued hotly.  
“
You took one too many shots to the kidneys this time.
”
Her eyes flared blue.
 “
By the way, I
’
d drop that Scottish burr as quickly as possible.  No one here has any respect for the Scottish Pack.
”
She snorted, waving a dismissive hand.  
“
Correct that.  What Scottish Pack?
”

“Right you are.
”  
Shame was something he couldn
’
t seem to shake, no matter how he tried.  
“
I
’
ll be sure to work on a true American dialect, then.
”  
He
’
d have it down in a half day tops.

Bren walked in with Jayce behind him.  He glared at Jody.
“
Have a nice night sleeping in my bunk?
”

She curled her lip seductively, her eyes then moving to Jayce.
“
You could have stayed. There was plenty of room.
”

“Enough!
”
Mike shouted, wincing as stabbing pain hit his ribs.
“
Be gone, lass.  Now.
”  
To further his shame, his sister had the morals of an alley cat. What male hadn
’
t she fucked?  

“Send for me if you need anything,
”
she said nearly contrite.

Right, like he
’
d do that.
“
We
’
ll talk later.
”
He closed his eyes, listening as she left. Finally, he
’
d enjoy a moment of peace.  

“Mike,
”
Bren started in his warning tone.
“
What really happened?
”

Opening one eye, he stared at him wearily.
“
Didn
’
t you hear? I wrecked my bike.
”

“Right.
”  
Bren tore the sheets off his bed to rid it of Jody
’
s scent and tossed them in the hamper.  
“
Daily, I see werewolf after werewolf riding without the inborn agility to keep his bike in an upright position.
”

“Jill lied and called her brothers on him.
”
Jayce leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
“
Now, I
’
ve got a situation to deal with.
”

Mike open his other eye, staring hard at Jayce.  There was something different about him, something stronger.  He could swear Jayce had become a Pack male overnight but he knew better.  
“
How is this your situation?
”

“How is it not?
”  
 

Mike refused to argue with a male who could potentially be his next Alpha.  So he supplied,  
“
Every werewolf attending this Academy knows my origins.  They
’
ll think what they want, act on whatever they dare.  I
’
ll deal.  If you intervene, they
’
ll only retaliate.
”
 Mike couldn
’
t deny the truth in Jody
’
s words.  The Scottish werewolves had no Alpha, no Pack to speak of.  Sure, there were mercenaries here and there.  Some Pack Males had taken it upon themselves to protect what females Scotland had left.  Still, most werewolves had scattered, heading to Ireland, which was Mike
’
s intended destination the second he turned seventeen.  Problem was, news of him being an Alpha bastard had spread to the Irish Pack. Not that there weren
’
t plenty of bastards among them, but the ones born of Alpha lineage were quite shunned from birth, if their father refused to claim them. And even worse was the fact that his mother, Principia, had cheated on her Mate, which was also unheard of.

The beatings had come early in Mike
’
s life, so obviously his so-called father had known he wasn
’
t his all along. When Mike hit his teenage years, his father tore flesh from his bone weekly.  And it was all a ploy to make Principia confess her transgressions aloud.  During the last beating he encountered at home, when he was gasping for what felt like his last breath, Principia finally owned up to her sins.   

He blew out a pained breath, tossed his legs over the side of the bed, and made to stand. He was hungry, exhausted, and sick of everything swirling inside his head.  These things he didn
’
t want to think about anymore, but he had enough sense to know they
’
d never diminish.

Bren shook his head.
“
What really happened with Jill Holm?
”

“As I told Jayce, nothing happened.
”
Mike couldn
’
t admit the truth to anyone, not yet.

“Rumors are already going around that you tried to pin her when you took her last night.
”

“In her dreams,
”
Mike retorted with a mirthless laugh.
“
I don
’
t want to taste Jill
’
s blood and I didn
’
t take her.
”
When Mike thought things couldn
’
t get any worse, surprises never failed. But he wouldn
’
t run away from those fuckers.  Rannan was the oldest of the brothers, but Xhaiden, Padg, and Mabon followed him blindly.  All used their fists and makeshift weapons when they felt like it.  

“Jill
’
s been with everyone here,
”
Jayce said, pressing the pointless.