When The Fur Flies (16 page)

“Filthy creatures.” A low growl left Yasmina’s throat as she stood up straight to face her enemy. “These are Poppets and poor ones at that.” Allison knew of the pets the Vampires kept to do their bidding during the daylight hours when they were forced to sleep in total darkness. These were humans who lived in the Vampire’s Hive. They served the immortals for the express chance to eventually become one of them.

“Sticks and stones, bitch.” The small man spit out a chunk of smelly tobacco as he leveled a lethal-looking shotgun at them. They were dressed as hunters in full camouflage gear. Both had beards and yellowed teeth when they smiled. No wonder the two wanted to be immortals, but Allison seriously doubted the change would improve their looks that much.

“You should drop your weapons and walk away, gentlemen,” Allison warned them softly.

“Oh my, Sam. The little gal just called us ‘gentlemen.’” The fatter one laughed sarcastically. “Do you think Chambers would be upset if we show her just how wrong she is? ‘Cause I’d really like to teach her the difference.” His pudgy cheeks heightened in color as he leered at her hungrily. Her flesh crawled just looking at him.

“Sure he’d be fine with anything we do to her so long as we bring her to him alive and kicking.” The one called Sam took a long look at Yasmina. “This one might be fun too. I guess we should take care of her before she changes on us. It gets real nasty when these Wolf bitches change.” He winked at Yasmina. “Then again, I’ve never been inside a Wolf bitch, so I don’t think I’d mind the fight.”

“You couldn’t handle me, Poppet. If you want to live to become immortals, then you really need to start running.” Yasmina smiled, showing her lethally sharp canines, making the two men lift their guns uneasily.

“We don’t run from women,” Sam snapped at her.

“We aren’t just women.” Allison used the power rising uncomfortably inside her to whip the wind up. Dust flew in their eyes as they were pushed backward roughly. Beside her Yasmina turned in the blink of an eye. She was a pretty silver Wolf with blue eyes that laughed up at Allison before she jumped the skinny guy with a violence that spoke of the Wolven’s wild nature.

“Bitch!” Big boy rushed Allison with a hard shoulder. She went down beneath him as the air whooshed out of her lungs. “What ya gonna do now, pretty? I got ya down, little Witch. You’re mine.”

“Oh, Goddess. Stop breathing on me!” Allison shoved him easily off her and rolled to her feet with a smooth transition to land a hard kick to his chin. He went down with a howl that rent the air with curses. His partner wasn’t fairing any better as he fought to keep Yasmina’s sharp teeth from sinking into his neck. Allison figured her new mother could handle her own.

“Stay down, human.” She shook her head in a silent warning as the big dummy struggled to his feet and pulled a long knife from his waist. Light from the setting sun reflected from the sharp blade. The arc of light stung her eyes, making her wince in pain.

“Pure silver and blessed by a Wiccan priest.” He grinned maliciously before he turned and threw the blade with all his strength in the direction of Reginald’s mother.

“Return to your master.” Allison threw out a hand and her magic with the speed of a Wolf. Yasmina’s big head turned in surprise as the silver blade stopped in midflight barely two inches from her furry body. The knife turned and flew straight into the big man’s chest.

His gray eyes turned in surprised horror to stare at Allison. His mouth drooled as he clutched at the knife and fell to the side, dead. Yasmina yelped as she took a fist to the side of her head. The one named Sam took quick advantage of her momentary lapse in attention. Yasmina rolled twice and got to her feet to stand glaring and growling at him before she changed back into her human form.

Allison moved to her side as Sam, holding a black handgun, got slowly to his feet. His other hand held his neck, blood seeping through his fingers as he glared at the two of them. “You’ll pay for this, Witch.” Hatred glittered in his beady brown eyes as he waved the gun at them. “I don’t need the Wolf bitch, but I do need you.” He told Allison. “Behind that tree is a bag, get it.” He gave her a warning glare as he trained the gun at Yasmina’s chest. “Get it now, or I’ll shoot her.”

“You lame brain! You just told us you were planning on killing me anyways.” Yasmina shook her head at his ignorance. “You need a better threat, Poppet.”

“He needs a better brain. I just killed his friend. He’s next, and instead of running like the hounds of hell are on his dumb ass, he’s standing here like he has us beat.” Allison shook her head at the man as his gun moved from one to the other.

“You do have a point. Plus, if we wait much longer, Reginald will be here and death by us is so much quicker.”

“Don’t you mean less messy? There wouldn’t be much left of him when the Alpha got through with him.” Allison grinned as the little man’s eyes widened.

“Shut the hell up!” He shoved a bloody hand through his greasy hair in agitation. “What are you two trying to do? Talk me to death! Shut up! Go get the bag so I can tie this Witch up and get the hell out of here.”

“Too late. We’ve got company.” Yasmina smiled as a howl came from behind the human. He jerked and turned to face the sound.

“I’ve decided not to wait for my mate to kill your ass. I want answers.” Allison rushed him then. The gun went off, the sound echoing through the forest and sending birds and animals scurrying for cover. “Yasmina, mind grabbing this idiot’s bag so we can tie him up?” She asked before she took the gun and hit him over the back of the head. “I think I’m beginning to like the speed and power of the Wolf.” She sighed as she waited for her mother.

“It gets addictive. Sometimes I come out for a run during the sunlight just for fun. Don’t tell my son about it, though. He would have me locked up in the dark tunnels of the Den for life, if I let him.”

“He’d tie me to the bed if he thought it would work.” Allison blushed as Yasmina laughed.

“That he would. Tell me, why do you want this piece of crap alive?”

“His buddy said the knife was blessed by a Witch. Alexa was accused of leaking information to the Vamps about Elaina’s abduction. We have a rat in the Coven. One who means to cause us harm. This pitiful excuse for a human is going to tell me who it is.” She gritted her teeth as she pulled the ties to his hands tight as she could.

“Reginald won’t be happy about this. He has already sent the Wolves out to search for these two in the daylight. If we hadn’t been here, they would have already attacked.”

“You mean that was real Wolves?” Allison raised her head and took a deep breath. She frowned as she took in a million scents. One far too familiar and potent to her sexuality. Already she was feeling that itchy feeling on her skin and the ache in her lower belly. Signs of being in heat. “Your son is anal. Of course he would have a Wolf pack patrolling his grounds.” Allison rolled her eyes.

“He’s protective to a fault. If we bring this human back to the Den, he might not like it. Maybe we should just leave him here so Reginald can decide what to do about him.”

“Mother, you’ve lived in a patriarchal society for far too long. I don’t plan to answer to Reginald on everything, whether he likes it or not.”

“I take it you’ve never seen my son truly pissed off before.” Yasmina laughed.

“Don’t worry so much. I can handle him.” She looked over her new mother’s shoulder with a sigh. “Besides it’s all right. He knows we are here. The decision will be taken out of our hands in just a few minutes.” Allison felt his anger and his relief. He was already close by and if she wasn’t mistaken, would be meeting them soon. “Here he comes.”

“How do you know that? I can’t smell him—oh, there he is.” Yasmina nodded with obvious relief. “You may be right. I do tend to leave the big decisions to the males. You’ll find at my age that it is a lot easier than butting heads with them.”

“Yes, but not nearly as much fun.” Allison pulled herself to her feet just as Reginald and another man came into view. His blue eyes blazed down at her with an inner fire she absorbed and welcomed.

“What the hell have you two been up to?” he demanded of his mother after his gaze moved from the dead man to the unconscious body that was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

“We’ve been hosting a tea party—” Allison stopped as a big finger pointed her way.

“Don’t open your smart mouth, again. I am not in the mood to hear your voice, Allison.” He glared at her, sending a shiver of warning down her back. He’d never used her name before, which told her more than his glacial glare that she was about to see him pissed off up close and personal. So, why the hell was her body tightening in anticipation? Her breasts hardened painfully as her abdominal muscles clenched in greedy need. She folded her arms over her breasts in a defensive move, but all she really wanted to do was hide her wanton body’s need for him.

“Son, don’t be angry with Allison. You could not have followed us where we needed to go. No man could. We are both unhurt and better off for the journey.”

“You are standing in what looks like a frigging battle zone. I’m assuming these men weren’t here for tea.” A dark brow rose pointedly as his hands clenched into tight fists by his sides.

“Don’t you use that tone with me, Reginald Francis Leclair. These two idiots jumped us as we were on our way back to the Den. We dealt with them just fine on our own.” Yasmina’s blue eyes glittered with humor as she looked at Allison. “Your Alphina is a talented partner who had my back. She was strong, brave and powerful. You could not have chosen a better mate. Don’t screw it up by being an arrogant prick!”

“Francis?” Tray held both hands up in surrender as his Alpha turned on him with a killing glare. “My bad.”

“Mother, my relationship with Allison is none of your business. It may not even be an issue in a few hours.” He folded his arms with stubborn arrogance.

“Really?” Allison’s temper flared as she took a step in his direction. Beside her Sam the Poppet moaned and turned his head to look up at her.

“You Witch!”

“Seriously, you need a dictionary to find a better word for me.” She sneered down at him.

“You’ll wish you were dead...”

“Yeah, yeah...” She meant to taunt him, but her mate moved with a speed that made her curls fly up with the wind his movement generated. He had Sam off the ground and dangling precariously in his fists. The horrible growl he let go in the human’s terrified face surprised them all.

“Threaten my mate again! I dare you.” Reginald’s voice deepened with the effort of controlling his animal nature. One twist of the head and the piece of scum in his hands would be no more.

“Wait! Reginald, wait! Please!” Allison grabbed his upper arm. “I need him alive.” She took a quick breath as his icy blue eyes turned on her. “We need him to talk. Someone implicated your pack in Elaina’s escape. Someone who used Alexa’s name to speak to the Vampires. And the big dead guy had a silver bladed knife blessed by a Witch.”

“Is what she says true?” Reginald shook the man hard enough his teeth clanked.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not talking.” Sam stuck his bearded chin out stubbornly.

“That is too bad,” Reginald growled softly, “because if you don’t intend to talk, then I have no reason to keep you alive.”

“Wait! I belong to the Elder himself. He’s bound to bargain for me. You’d be a fool to give up the amount of money he can pay.”

“See, that is where you are wrong, human. I know Wilhelm Chambers, personally. Poppets like you are a dime a dozen to him.”

“Someone like you must be low man on the totem pole because sending you after the Alpha’s mate on Wolven territory was a suicide mission. You, my friend, were a dead man walking the first step you made on our lands.” Tray shook his head with a charming smile.

“Point is he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you. The only chance you have is to open your mouth and speak.” Reginald sneered at him.

“I must warn you, I’m a Witch with the coveted gift of feeling the truth. I’ll know if what you say is a lie.” Allison released Reginald’s sleeve to stare at the man. He seemed to shudder as he looked into her weird-colored eyes.

“I’m running out of time and patience,” Reginald warned him with a threatening show of teeth.

“Do you promise not to kill me?” Sam asked quickly as he turned his terrified eyes from Allison.

“I promise death will not find you at my hands, if what you tell us is the truth.” Reginald relaxed his grip enough to set the man on his shaking legs, but he didn’t let go of his jacket.

“What do you want to know?”

“Who blessed the knife your partner was carrying?” Allison demanded as she ignored the glare her mate sent her way. She knew he would have preferred that she let him do the questioning, but there was no way she was going to be the quiet little mate, and it was about time he learned it.

“That is a problem, because it was Gary’s personal possession. He didn’t tell me who blessed the damn thing.”

“Who told Chambers that my pack was responsible for taking the girl?” Reginald gave him a tiny shake.

“I don’t know.”

“He’s lying.” Allison raised an eyebrow as the man’s head swung in her direction.

“Please, he’ll know I told you things. He’ll torture me before he tears my head off. I can’t go back if I tell you anything.”

“You won’t be going back to Chambers’s Hive, not if you know what’s good for you, Poppet. He’ll tear you apart just for the fun of it before he drains you dry. You won’t be safe now that you have the smell of the Wolf upon you.” Tray leaned against the nearest tree as he watched the human panic beneath his skin. Allison was sure the man was already terrified of the Elder.

“This is your last chance for a future, human. I’d take it if I were you.” She folded her arms as she waited for him to cry.

“I don’t know much. I’m not exactly a favorite, so I’m not in on the Elder’s important plans. This mission to capture and return the Witch to the Hive was a surprise to us both. Gary and I were mainly used to hunt fresh meat for the Hive. The Elder has us guard the Hive during the day.”

“He’s wasting time. The sun will be down soon, and he’s hoping to be rescued.” Tray moved away from the tree to smell the air.