Defeat the Darkness (Hearts of Darkness) (21 page)

Surrounded by Jackson and his pack, the animal that emerged from Kyle was a wolf. Within moments, he discovered his shifter ability and the wolf he’d been shielding inside him his whole life.

“Garr told me about the wolf shift last night. You okay with that?” Dylan asked.

“Me? Hell yes. I can add it to the other weird shit I’m dealing with. At least the pack is more comfortable around a wolf than a jaguar.”

“How’s your control coming?”

“Garr says I’m catching up with Jackson. Why?”

“I figured you’d want to test yourself. I need an assistant for an assignment in New Orleans. You up for it?”

“Me? Are you sure?” Dylan worked freelance with federal and local governments when they had cases they couldn’t explain. Kyle had never seen him use his gifts, but his work sounded fascinating. He’d love to see him in action, but did he trust himself to get that close to town, people, or Shelby?

“Garr thinks I might begin my transition tonight or tomorrow night.”

Dylan touched his mind and said, “Stasis will wait at least one or two more nights. I’ll arrange for you to go to ground tomorrow.”

“How do you know that?”

“There’s a certain pattern in your mind, and it changes right before the stasis. Yours is changing but not quite there.”

Kyle clapped Dylan on the back. “Then tell me how I can help.”

“I thought you might be best since you have the most sensitive sense of smell around. Not only do you have the ability as the wolf but as the jaguar as well.”

“Lead on, my friend. I will gladly be your loyal bloodhound.

Chapter 26 Murder

The French Quarter

The quaint house on the cobblestone street, lit by old-fashioned streetlamps, didn’t look like a crime scene from Kyle’s perspective. When Dylan opened the back door to let him in, his opinion instantly changed. The scent of death resided here. He caught the rank odor in the entryway as soon as the door opened. “You didn’t need my special sniffer for this, Dylan. Hell, anyone can smell the blood.”

“I didn’t bring you here to sniff out the dead.” Dylan led him into the foyer. Suddenly, another scent turned Kyle’s stomach. The stink was one he recalled, one he thought he’d smelled once before, and it overwhelmed him.

Evil. Brimstone. The strong sulfuric scent burned his sensitive nostrils, reminding him of an old memory he couldn’t bring into focus. It overpowered the week old rot of blood and death.

“Up here,” Dylan called from the top of the stairs.

The closer Kyle got to the crime scene, the stronger all the scents grew, and the more he inhaled the filthy scent, the more irritated he became.

The horrific vision blinded him to anything else.

Two corpses, drained of blood, were discarded on the floor like rag dolls. The red hair on the female drew Kyle’s attention first. He couldn’t breathe. He tried to take several deep breaths to steady his queasy stomach, but her appearance made his heart stop and the condition of her body made him want to vomit. “What did this?” he asked,

“I’m not sure. I was hoping you could tell me. Check out her wounds,” Dylan said, pointing at the female body. “Looks like someone was very angry and went wild on her.”

Not a problem. Kyle couldn’t tear his attention from her. The skin across Kyle’s back buckled and blistered like a recent road burn. Pins and needles prickled along his spine, up his back, and across his shoulder blades.

Control.

Blood spatter was everywhere, but something had thoroughly drained the female. The fact that the beast also mauled
her sickened him. Inspecting the physical damage to the female, he noted the tears at her throat and the claw marks on her arms and legs. Her body was shredded like so much used paper.

“Where’s her heart?” Kyle asked. It was difficult to tell from all the gore, but an empty hole was where her heart should be. Something had torn the young woman’s heart from her chest. “You think whoever or whatever did this, took it for some kind of voodoo ritual or what?”

“No. It wasn’t voodoo. Look at this.” Dylan stepped aside to give Kyle a better view of the other victim.

Kyle stepped closer, avoiding the puddles of blood and allowed the rage to rise inside him. The poor woman’s heart was in the guy’s hands, resting on his chest. A reminder. A threat. A promise?

“Notice anything else strange about this guy?” Dylan stood and waited for him to examine the male’s body.

“Yeah. He looks like me,” Kyle said before returning his attention to the other body. The guy covered in blood was about his own age w
ith a similar build. “And Dylan...” he said and walked back to the other body. He knelt on one knee, his legs too weak to hold him, “She looks like my ex-fiancée.”

Until he’d realized the poor victim wasn’t Shelby, he hadn’t taken a breath.

“What? Kyle?” Dylan shook his shoulder to get his attention. “Are you saying this girl looks like your Shelby?”

“Yes.”

Dylan turned and glanced at the male then back at the female. “Shit!”

Unlike the male victim, who’d been neatly killed, the young woman, who probably had once looked enough like Shelby to have
been her sister, had been purposely mutilated. She stared up at Kyle with dull, lifeless eyes, her red hair spread around her like a burial shroud.

Kyle sniffed the air. “Amyra,” he whispered. The purpose of the young woman’s death was suddenly crystal clear. “She was here. I smell the demon. She’s what did this.”

“She can’t do this here and get away with it.” Dylan placed a call, and when he pocketed his phone, he said, “The bitch is sick.”

“Very.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll put more security on Shelby. We have plenty of man power to keep her safe—”

Kyle started dialing her cell. “If it isn’t too late. This kill is at least a few days old.”

Dylan put his hand over Kyle’s and stilled him. “I’ve had a team watching Shelby since I spoke to Victor about the demon. Maybe that’s why she had to settle on murdering two strangers.”

Dylan was right. Kyle exhaled, unclenched his fists, and shook out his fingers. “What can we do to stop her?”

“Not we. You. Victor said only another with demon blood would be strong enough to defeat her.”

“Me? I’m on the verge of going into stasis, and I haven’t even thought about letting my demon rise. To tell you the truth, it scares me brainless. I can barely contain it as it is when I get angry. I’m as likely as she was to let it go wild on innocents.”

“Not likely. Let’s get out of here. The stench of blood is affecting you. Your eyes are turning red.”

Kyle glanced back at the bodies and tapped back the shudder of revulsion coursing through his body. He wanted to kill Amyra for doing this. He had to get away from the scent of blood before he lost all sense of himself.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise. You did say you sensed the demon within you—” Dylan said as he closed the door behind them.

“I’m not surprised—just disgusted.” Kyle inhaled the city air, humidity, vehicle exhaust, and cooking odors masked the coppery smell of blood coming from the house.

Dylan took out two cigars, clipped and lit them, then handed one to him. “Go ahead. It’ll help.”

Kyle took the cigar he offered. He usually didn’t smoke but the taste of the cigar overpowered the taste of death in his mouth. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be strong enough to defeat her.”

“We’ll band together and find another way until you emerge from stasis. By then, you’ll be prepared, and I should have more details from Victor.”

“No. Dylan. How can I—?”

“What? Go into stasis at a time like this?” Dylan frowned. “Cut the drama. You won’t have much choice when the moment strikes. You can’t afford to get caught alone with Amyra or in the sun when the time comes.” He jabbed his finger in his chest so Kyle knew he was serious. “Let me explain what will happen. Without warning, you’ll drop into a deep coma-like trance. Then she would have complete control over you, and even if you managed to elude her, you’ll need the rich earth in the mausoleum and the concrete to provide the proper protection from the sun. While you’re in stasis, you could fry even from diffused light, let alone survive direct sun.”

“How can this end well? I can’t go into stasis while Amyra is running loose, threatening Shelby.”

“Trust me. I’ll protect your soul mate for you, and should the day come when I need to call on you for help, I know I’ll be able to depend on it.”

“That goes without saying, Dylan. I already owe you and so many others a great debt.”

“Trust me. It would be considered paid in full immediately if you become the vampire capable of stopping Amyra.”

Chapter 27 Stasis

Sang-froid Estate

The stasis effect happened as Dylan described. Kyle grew more and more tired, and felt heavier and heavier as the sun rose, until he couldn’t move. As Garr predicted, the stasis came upon him less than twenty-four hours after they found the murdered couple. Before he succumbed to the deep sleep of the immortals, Jackson, Dylan, and Garr helped move him into what he’d come to think of as the bowels of the old mausoleum.

Located in a private cemetery on a remote section of Dylan’s Sang-froid estate, the ground was high and dry for this area of Louisiana. The overgrown trees and brush made the place hard to find even if you knew what you were looking for. All the old marble monuments were covered in moss and overgrown ivy. The chamber where they placed him was one of many, and most were impossible to differentiate from one another by sight. Dylan identified the one he placed Kyle in by scent.

The entire following week, the others watched after Shelby while Kyle remained in stasis, the final stages of his transition.

When he awoke, it wasn’t dark like he expected. The crypt burned with gaslights. He sat up, feeling remarkably different—more together. Muffled sounds from above outside, cleared. His heightened senses were even stronger than they’d been after he shifted the first time, and now he had more control over them.

The concrete bunker lined with rich earth beneath the marble had protected him like a cocoon while his body permanently absorbed all the DNA he’d acquired from Amyra, from the jaguar that bit him, and the original supernatural DNA from his own genetic code. He should have been frightened to face what he was becoming, but he wasn’t—not now with Shelby in danger. His demon might be the one thing capable of stopping Amyra.

Kyle flexed the stiff muscles in his arms and legs, stretched his shoulders, and stood. He whirled around when he heard the soft swish behind him. Whoosh! He turned and glanced over his shoulder.

Rising up from his back, each with a ten-foot span, stretched enormous black, leather-like wings tipped with razor sharp talons. He rotated his shoulders and tested the muscles across his back. The wings moved, flexed, and curled. He relaxed and willed them to do the same. They retracted into his back, disappearing along the ridge of his spine. Kyle released a long breath and sat back down.

The demon was out.

Wasn’t it what he wanted? What they needed?

Yes. But…
He took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of fear and excitement. He dressed quickly, putting on the clothes Dylan left there for him, and followed the lit corridor to the gated entrance.

Jackson was pacing in front of the crypt. He jumped and let out a low growl when Kyle surprised him.

“You supposed to be keeping watch?”

Jackson laughed, sounding relieved when he saw him. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight. Garr said it could be another day or two.”

“I need to find Dylan right away.”

“He’s at the house. Garr is out with Salazar, but they should be back soon.”

“Salazar’s here? Even better.” Forgetting, he whipped out his wings, ripping apart his shirt, and said, “I’m going to need help with these.”

“Whoa, dude. Those are awesome.” The hybrid wolf prince’s youthful exuberance made Kyle grin.

“They are pretty impressive if I do say so myself.” He whipped them once and stretched them out to full span. “I wish I knew what to do with them.”

“I know what I’d be doing.” Jackson grinned. “Dive bombing the guys in the pack.” He stared at Kyle and motioned him to
follow. “Dude your eyes have gone blood-red. And get a load of your fangs. They’re an inch longer than any I’ve seen. You need to feed.”

“This is more than hunger. The demon is rising. I need Salazar right away. Lead on.”

“Dylan is investigating an alternative way to stop Amyra in case you aren’t strong enough, yet. Salazar arrived two days ago and went out with a few of the wolves hunting the demoness.”

Kyle followed Jackson to the edge of the cemetery.

Jackson looked worried. “Her careless killing could have exposed us all to the humans if it hadn’t been for the fast thinking beat cop.”

“Sorry if I’ve put you all in danger, Jackson.”

“It’s not your fault she’s a crazy bitch. Lucky the cop remembered Dylan handled the gruesome ritual murders in the district for the New Orleans police, and called him first.”

“Amyra must be more demented than I thought to risk discovery.” Apparently. Kyle had seen a brief example of her twisted mind.

“With the elders aware of her ruthless killings, the consensus is she has to be stopped before she endangers us all.” Jackson ran a hand across his forehead. “Problem is I’d rather not have to make the decision regarding her punishment.”

“I understand. I’m going to need time to adjust to my new strength and powers before I confront her.”

“Good luck with that, dude. I hope we don’t run out of time.” Jackson was young but sharp. It was no wonder he was tapped as the future pack leader. The local vampire community liked Dylan, but Jackson was their hope for the future. “Everyone in the vicinity is on the lookout for her. There’s this sweet little witch over in Lowland Parrish who’s scrying for her.”

“Scrying?” Kyle frowned. “What is that?”

“I don’t know—some witchy thing she does with a special mirror.”

“Did you say ‘sweet’?” Kyle gave the young man an appraising glance.

“Yeah. Very.” Jackson wiggled his brows and returned the look with a lopsided grin. “But her folks aren’t fond of wolves or vampires.”

“I take it that’s not stopping either of you?”

“Not at all.” Jackson laughed. “It’s not like we’re kids. We both know the score. I have to learn how to manage both sides of my world before I’m thirty.”

“At least my beasts learned how to play well together while I was in stasis,” Kyle said. All was at peace within him except his hunger for the woman who was the other half of his soul. Other than that huge issue, he felt like a well-tuned machine.

When he decided to try his new shift, he figured it could possibly emerge as a composite of the wolf, the jaguar, and the vampire demon. He’d need a guide—perhaps several guides. “Jackson, how quickly can you find Garr?”

“Immediately if I shift. My wolf can track him anywhere.”

“Do it. I’ll head back to Dylan’s on foot. Tell Garr to bring Victor. I need Salazar right away.”

Jackson stripped and shifted as Kyle considered how to work his way through the overgrowth of vegetation quickly. His vampire speed would do since he could now trace just by thinking of where he wanted to be.

~~~~

Dylan sensed Kyle before he arrived back at the estate and used their mental link.
I see you survived the stasis. You look good. Come in.
He handed a bag of blood to Kyle and pressed the button on his desk.
That should keep you from killing the donor.

Kyle finished the bag off just as a human female appeared in the doorway. She was beautiful—a brunette with large breasts and hips, a slim waist and long slender legs.

Dylan said, “Kyle, meet Lisette. She works for Garr’s family. She’s one of my favorites, aren’t you sweetness?”
Control her. She’s for you.

Lisette nodded, gave Kyle a slow thorough inspection, and smiled.

He sent thoughts of desire into her mind while her gaze focused on his.

“I can see why,” Kyle said, seductively, and approached her, mesmerizing her with his vampire mind. She was already hot and anxious for Kyle to touch her. She imagined she was here for the sex, this time with him instead of Dylan. She didn’t have any idea he would feed from her. Although as he fed, he would fill her mind with images of mind-blowing sex and give her that orgasm she longed for—the orgasm his bite would provide.

“Would you like to go somewhere more private, sir?”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Kyle answered.

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, and she glanced at Dylan again. Her thoughts were easy to read. She found the men attractive. Her desire grew as she considered both of them.

You need as much of her blood as you risk taking without killing her. Go ahead, Kyle. Don’t worry. I’ll wait.

Kyle felt his own blood stir when he imagined her warm blood in his mouth, running down his throat, and filling him with life.

Dylan stood up and crossed the room. He took Lisette in his arms and gave her the illusion of kissing her neck from behind. Instead, he held her steady while Kyle moved in and bit into her neck on the other side, drawing deeply from her vein. The two men entered her mind and gave her what she wanted—the climax of her life—just as Kyle realized he had taken too much. Lisette’s knees buckled and Dylan caught her. Kyle wiped his mouth and drew back.

“Is she all right?” he asked.

Dylan placed his finger on her pulse. “She’s fine. Just weak.” He lifted her under her knees and said, “I’ll put her in my bedroom and fill her memories with what she expected. Why don’t you go clean up? I’ll meet you in your room.”

Dylan gave him a knowing look, and Kyle remembered the torn shirt. It was covered in blood, he was breathing hard, and his balls ached with unfulfilled need. The bloodlust caused a painful erection if he didn’t experience physical sex while feeding. The tingling along his spine reminded him why his shirt was torn. He needed a cold shower, a change of clothing, and a release. Not necessarily in that order.

“Dylan, it won’t take me long. Jackson should be returning with Garr and Salazar soon. We all need to talk. Right away.”

“I’ll meet you in the den. You all right?”

Kyle loosened the tight muscles with a few stretches. “Yes, for now,” he said, and they both went in separate directions down the hall.

Kyle stripped in his room and went directly into the bathroom. Jackson was right. His fangs were a good inch or more longer than they had been, and his eyes were blood red. The full length walled mirrors revealed the new tat that appeared on his back since he entered stasis. Those wings, inked in black, were replicas of the real thing stored right below the surface, talons and all.

His cock was at full mast against his abdomen, begging for relief, longer and thicker than ever. He turned on the shower, stepped in, and watched the water run red. Soap in hand, he began thinking about Shelby and stroking himself. The pressure behind his balls increased then the tingling rose up his spine warning him he was about to come. His orgasm was imminent. He increased the speed of his strokes hoping to relieve his pain. There was no time to enjoy this. He needed to come and get it over with. He imagined his mouth licking and sucking the sweet spot between Shelby’s legs, her scent, and the taste of her blood—

Daaamn!
He ejaculated into his hand with his hips pumping hard, and kept up the rhythm with steady rapid stokes until he was bone dry.

The taste of her blood? Like nothing else.

The memory felt frighteningly real. Fear and a cold chill settled over him.
It’s your imagination. You couldn’t have.

He stepped out of the shower catching his reflection in the mirrors. His fangs had retracted, and his eyes—no longer crimson—had returned to their normal shade of gray.