Fighting for her Mate: Shape Shifter Paranormal Romance (Sassy Mates Book 5) (7 page)

ELEVEN

Aria stood in the shadows in her club, Embraced, a glass of animal blood in her hand. This would finally be it. She’d kill all those who dared go against her. Those who thought they knew better than she did. Vampires she knew were loyal to her mixed in with the crowd. It would end tonight.

Her pocket vibrated and she pulled her phone from her leather pants. A text popped up on the screen: ETA 5 min. The show would start very soon now. She had to make sure the right people were at the club. That meant letting the drop happen first to bring out the big fish, then they got to fry them up. Not that she’d ever think of eating a fish. Something about that thought squigged her out.

Slowly, casually, she made her way toward the door leading to the back and upper rooms. This would be where the action took place. She slipped through the door into the hallway. She passed the stairs ascending to the second level, then put her back to the wall and peeked around the corner.

Several vampires were walking toward the rear stage door. Outside, Trevan and his crew would have the young victims. She didn’t have time right now to think about the wolf. Her mind should be focused on what was about to happen, but for some reason she still felt tingles of awareness at the thought of him. Later, after everything, she’d hate herself for spending too much time with him on her mind. For now, she’d ignore the image of his bedroom-eyes popping into her head.

Time for the show. Hopefully everyone was in place. Retracing her steps to the main room, she re-entered the main lounge and headed toward the stage. Her pocket vibrated. A text read: Bait taken. Locked and loaded.

She shoved her phone into her pocket and jumped up to the music booth setup. Grabbing the strung out DJ by the scruff, she launched him forward into the dancing crowd. She found a button labeled “stop” and pushed it. The high-decibel thumping ceased.

The vamps on the floor looked around, like coming out of a daze. Aria snatched up the wireless mic and stood on top of the DJ equipment to become center stage.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming to my club tonight. Here’s a couple vampire jokes to get tonight rolling. What does a vampire order at the bar? A bloody Mary. What kind of dog does a vampire have? A blood hound.” A male voice in the crowd yelled to turn the fucking music on. Aria raised a brow.

“Hey, dumbass, I said
my
club. Who owns this place?” The idiot paled more than he was. She nodded. “That’s right, asshole. Do you know who I am?” She waited for his negative shake of the head before showing off her fangs. “I’m Aria Valderi.” She turned back to the crowd.

“No more jokes. They all suck. Tonight’s entertainment is a reminder of the vow you took when joining this elite club—no human blood allowed. I’m having a special show tonight, and unless you want your head ripped from your body, I suggest you leave.” No one got up. They looked at each other as if wondering if this lunatic lady was for real. They had no fucking clue.

She’d give the stupid fuckers one more chance. With a lift of her hand, she brought the mic close to her mouth. She took a deep breath and yelled, “NOW!”

Speakers exploded, sounding like gun fire, and people covering their ears panicked. The race to the door was on. Much better. Her loyalists gathered the crowd outside into groups to see if any of them had human blood in their systems. It was easy to smell the difference. If they were clean, they were allowed to leave.

Aria jumped onto the dance floor and watched the vamps trample each other to the doors. So far, no one of any importance had tried to leave. Only normal everyday folk. A door behind her closed.

From the shadows, a tall, dark bombshell of a man arrogantly sashayed toward her. He clapped his hands, coming to a stop in front of her. “Bravo, my darling fiancée.” Filip was as dashing and smooth as he always was. Under his tailored suit was a body any woman would appreciate, vamp or not.

Of course, the rest of him was damn fine, too. That face probably got him everything he ever wanted. “Here’s a joke for you, my love. What happened when two vampires met? It was love at first bite.”

“Dammit, Filip. You’re doing all this? And I was starting to like you, despite your old, lame jokes. Even contemplated the mating thing, even though it would be a business deal only. Fortunately, that thought wasn’t around long enough to make me throw up.” Aria winced.

“Oh, Ari,” Filip picked at his perfectly manicured nails, “you were always prone to being overdramatic, weren’t you?” He softly chuckled. “That’s one of the things I loved—laughing at you.” His tongue slid between his lips, one side to the other. “And counting the days until I got to fuck you.”

“Me? Not a chance, Filip. I’ve come to take down your operation. Before I kill you, though, tell me why a wolf brings you little girls. Can’t get your own victims, Fil?”

She noted his temper kicked in. “Rahound is a tool. You’re such a child, Aria. Wait until you get older. You’ll see the draw and taste of what live human blood offers. We’re not meant to survive without it. We’re not meant to suppress how nature created us.”

From the shadows behind her, Julian, Penelope, and Zane approached. Filip’s countenance faltered just a bit. Zane slipped his glasses off and stowed them in a pocket in his overcoat, then sighed. “Filip, you were always the stupid one, weren’t you? You should have stayed in your Turkish castle and bullied the little humans in your commons. You’re playing with the big kids now and aren’t following the rules.”

The same door Filip walked out a few minutes ago opened and many more vampires filed in behind him. “As you see, Zane, I have my own followers, and we don’t like you. It’s time for the big kids to go as all old things do: into the ground.”

Filip look at his large group behind him. “You should have brought along more friends, Aria. Odds don’t look good for you.”

Aria smiled. “You seem to be missing Anton and Chantal. Do tell, Filip. What happened to them?”

His eyes flashed red, then he threw his head back and laughed. “I should have known it was you when you didn’t raise any investigation about their disappearance.”

Aria stepped closer to her ex-fiancé. “You’ve always been too arrogant, Filip. That’s caused your downfall. Now, I’m cutting you down to size—to put your ashes into a toilet to send you where you belong. With the shit.”

Filip’s eyes flared again and his lips pressed together. “I have things to do, little girls to drink. If this show of yours is finished, I’m letting my people take care of the four of you.”

She turned and yelled, “Lights, please.” The house lamps overhead popped on to reveal scores of vamps and werewolves standing along the back wall, watching intently. A very good-looking wolf stood at the front of the pack. Aria licked her lips.

Filip breathed in loudly. “Really, Aria? You want to fuck a wolf?”

She turned to Filip. “Over you? Absolutely.”

Filip’s response was instant. He hissed with fully bared fangs, taking a swipe with claws at Aria. She dropped into a crouch, easily avoiding his swing, then launched forward into Filip’s mid-section, taking him down along with tables and chairs.

Julian, Penelope, and Zane spread out, keeping Filip’s group contained with the back wall corralling them. Several of Aria’s vampires came to the dancefloor as well as Trevan, the Wolfe brothers following.

Aria and Filip were well-matched fighters. Her natural power was that of Filip’s through age. Still, Trevan didn’t look happy. He appeared to be waiting for a reason to step in and tear out the bastard’s heart. It brought a slight grin to her face. Silly mutt. He really thought she couldn’t take care of herself?

Conversation between the two groups of vamps, those in front of the three old vampires and those behind, turned into yelling, then both groups exploded onto each other. There were more vamp fighters on their side than the enemy’s, so Trevan and the wolves were to watch and wait until needed.

Tables and chairs were smashed into splinters and stakes, which would come in handy for taking out a blood sucker who got too close. Half-filled glasses remaining on the tables from clubbers found their way into hands that beaned them into the fighting group.

For a second, Aria thought she smelled smoke. Her quick look around was enough for Filip to get his hands on her and throw her into the DJ stand on stage. Machines and piles of CDs flew into the air, crashing into the stage curtains. Aria rolled to the back wall. Filip was there before she got to her feet.

He kicked her ribs repeatedly. His knee grinded into her backbone, pinning her to the concrete. Fuck, that hurt! Fingers wrapped in her hair and her head slammed into the cement, over and over. She should have been more vigilant toward the bastard. Between Filip’s weight and the wall, Aria had no way of getting out of the situation. She flailed, trying to buck him off, but he was too balanced to tumble.

The wolves stood in awe at the back of the room gazing over the dance floor. The powerful three vampires tore through the others like decimation machines set on high. Smoke began to gather above the floor like an inverted fog machine.

Caleb hollered to the brothers and took off for the kitchen behind the bar. He hurried through the swinging door into a blaze that had climbed the walls and burned into the ceiling. On the grill sat an engulfed apron, probably tossed when everyone evacuated. It was useless to look for the fire extinguisher; it was doubtful the fire department could save the building by the time they got out here.

Screams came from the lounge.

TWELVE

Caleb and the four brothers ran from the burning kitchen at the Embraced nightclub into the lounge area. They arrived to see the ceiling falling through with burning timbers. Caleb quickly analyzed the situation. The group fight had dwindled to Aria’s three and a handful of others. Caleb and the brothers urged all non-essential fighters to get the hell out, if they hadn’t already.

Mangled bodies lying on the dance floor had caught fire from the collapsing roof. Broken furniture and booths quickly went up in flames. Within a minute, the front half of the building burned around them.

Emma dashed through the door to the middle of the lounge. She took a deep breath and coughed. “Aria! Aria!” She caught a scent toward the stage. She stepped forward then was lifted off her feet.

“Emma,” she barely heard Mason over the noise, “what the hell are you doing?” He held her to his body, arm around her waist, feet off the floor.

“I have to find Aria. She’s not outside, Mason. I can’t let her die in here.”

“Where is she?” He squinted from acid smoke in his eyes and looked around.

Emma pointed toward the stage. “I think back there.”
Back there
being behind a wall of blazing curtains and stage equipment.

A hot breeze brushed by them smelling like Trevan. He leapt through the stage flames, disappearing from their sight. If anyone were to save her, it would be Trevan. He’d not give up; he’d die trying.

Caleb shouted on the other side of the room. “Julian, did anyone check the back rooms to see if others are tied up?”

Penelope slashed her claws through a large male vamp, slicing him into four sections. She called out, “Julian, Zane and I have these. Check the back.” Julian took off with Caleb right behind.

Emma fought in Mason’s arms. “We need to help—” Her words were choked from smoke filling her throat. Mason was already on his way out. “No, baby. There’s nothing we can do. We can’t even get to that side of the room.”

Emma knew he was right, but she wasn’t the type of person to stand by and wait while other lives were in danger. Ellie came through the doorway, frantic. “Where is Caleb?” 

Emma nodded toward the far door. “He went with Julian to see if anyone was in the back.” Before Mason or Emma realized Ellie’s intentions, Ellie was jumping charred bodies, headed for the side door. “Ellie!”

Mason put Emma down to go after his sister, but a hand grabbed his shirt. “Stay here with the women, Mason. That’s an order.” Tristan blew past them faster than Mason had ever seen his dad run. Even when his dad chased him after wrapping Nate’s bed in duct tape, with Nate sleeping in it.

THIRTEEN

Trevan slapped out the small patch of fire on his shirt sleeve. Fire meant nothing when it came to saving his mate. He froze in place. Was the gorgeous firecracker vamp his mate? His mind said no, she couldn’t be. Not with what vamps did to his loved ones. But his heart said she was not part of those demons. She didn’t even drink human blood.

Movement on his periphery snapped his head around. The dickhead with the expensive suit straddled Aria’s stomach, his hands tangled in her hair, bashing her head against the concrete. Aria had her fingers around his throat, thumb digging in to crush his trachea.

Trevan plowed into the man, ripping him away from Aria. No matter how torn he was about wanting her, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her. His wolf pushed to the surface. He slammed the vamp against the wall. The foundation shook and burning material fell too close to Aria for his comfort. “Aria, get out. This place is about to collapse.” She got to her knees, shaking her head as if to clear it.

Trevan punched the dickhead in the face. He knew a single wolf was no match for a vampire, especially one as old as this asshole. Trevan hauled back for another punch when he found himself flying stage right. He landed on his backside and slid to a metal door.

Working their way toward him, Aria and the prick were in the most amazing martial arts fight he’d ever seen. He didn’t know anything about karate or the other fighting styles, he didn’t know the names of the hits and kicks, but he did know sheer power and the body’s ability to do astonishing things.

The two before him punched and sparred and kicked in a beautiful dance from hell’s ballroom. Aria blocked hands and legs in a blur of motion. Dickhead sported a grin that waned as the fight went on. Obviously, Dickie wasn’t aware how well his gorgeous vamp fought. Reminder to self: don’t piss off his beautiful vamp.

Aria drove her foot into Dick’s stomach, sending him farther onto the stage. “And in case you’re wondering, the wedding is off, asshole.”

Trevan pulled to his feet, reaching for her arm. “Aria, let’s get out of here. This place is crashing.” To emphasize his statement, overhead ropes suspending backdrops burned through, sending lighting equipment and metal supports smashing into the wooden floor.

Metal shrapnel hotter than a cast-iron skillet over a fire pierced Dickie’s arms and torso. He screamed and took off running into the inferno beyond the stage. The smell of burning flesh quickly competed with smoke in his nose. He was ready to vomit, which wouldn’t be good.

He had a bag of popcorn before leaving for the club. The last time he threw up the little white puffs after drinking too much, it came out a pulpy mess made of a million pieces of the hull. Unfortunately, those tiny parts found their way into his nasal cavity. He was blowing them out for a fucking week.

“I’m not leaving. I have to finish him. He’ll just go elsewhere and prey on humans.” The stage-front metal light bar support groaned.

“Aria,” he had to talk sense into her, “we have the building surrounded. There is no way he’ll get out without us seeing him. He has nowhere to run. And if we don’t leave now, neither will we!”

She squeezed her fists and blew out her frustration. Trevan was impressed with her lung capacity. He needed to get her to focus on blowing something else.
Shit
. Damn hard-ons.

She passed him on the way to the stage door. “I’ll pretend that smell you’re emanating has nothing to do with me kicking a man’s ass.” She shoved her shoulder against the door leading outside, ripping it off the heavy-duty hinges.

His mouth dropped open. Fucking hell was that hot. She looked over her shoulder with a smirk. “And that smell, too.”

Barbara’s instinct told her something was really wrong. Even her wolf paced under the skin. The club’s parking lot was packed with vamps and wolves waiting for the final outcome of the fight. Barbara saw Trevan and Aria come from the side of the building. Maybe Tristan, Caleb, and Ellie would come out there, too. She hurried that way then paced at a distance where the fire wasn’t too hot.

Her heart pounded. She could barely breathe.
Where were they?
Anger stole her fear. Damn Ellie for going after Caleb and damn Tristan for going after Ellie.
What the hell were they thinking?
Not about those they left behind, obviously. She laid her palm on her forehead and the other on her hip. What would she do if they were both dead?

That thought stung hard. She bent forward and gasped air into her lungs.

“Mom?” Aric and the others hurried to her. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He gently took her shoulders and helped her straighten.

“I’m fine. Just letting my imagination—” She slapped a hand over her mouth and leaned against her oldest son. When her shoulders shook, he wrapped her in his arms.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m sure Dad and Ellie and Caleb are safe. They’re with Julian. He won’t let them get hurt.”

Her head rolled side to side, but she didn’t lift from his shoulder. “You don’t know that. What if he left them to save his own skin?” Aric sighed and held her tighter. There was nothing else he could say, not when she was thinking the worst.

Barbara pulled away and sniffled. “He is such a great mate and father to you kids. I’m so glad I married him. I almost made a huge mistake.”

Jordan turned to her. “What do you mean? Were you not going to marry him?”

“When I met your father, I was engaged to someone else.” The sons gasped at the exact same time, a three-part harmony. It struck Barbara as hilarious that her boys seemed so clueless to anything that happened before they were born. They knew so little about the man their father was before they mated. How noble and brave and strong he was. The extent he went to in order to woo her.

After tonight, that would change. No matter the outcome. Growing up, the kids weren’t able to spend much time with Tristan’s parents because they were so far away. Plus, with Tristan and his father being alphas, it was difficult for them to take much time away from the packs.

“Mom, we didn’t know that. Who—”

“Aric,” Aria’s voice interrupted them. She hurried over to the gathered family. “I can’t thank you enough. I’m glad we didn’t need your wolves to fight, but you never know.” She put her hand out to shake with the son of the alpha.

“You’re a good person, Aria. We’ll always be here when you need help. Hope we can count on you, too.”

“Absolutely, wolf.” Aria was about to leave, but Barbara stopped her.

“Aria, have you heard from Julian or anyone with him? They went to look for prisoners and haven’t come out yet.” Behind her, the building gave a heaving groan, as if giving its last breath to the sky, then collapsed.

Barbara spun around, speechless, hands covering her gaping mouth as she stared at the pile of burning debris. So many emotions went through her, she felt lightheaded. Aria stepped in front of her.

“Barbara, listen to me.” Aria took her shoulders in the same manner Aric had. “If they were looking for prisoners, they were probably at the holding cells in the basement.” Barbara wanted to ask why that mattered, but somewhere between her brain and mouth was a disconnect.

“In the basement is a tunnel built for escaping if the need ever arose. They’ll be okay if Julian remembers it.”

She wanted to scream
if he remembers it
. The life or death of her beloved family members depended on the memory of a three thousand year—

“Dad?” Nate’s voice registered in her head. “Dad! Over here!” The crowd rushed toward the small group coming out of the woods. Julian and Caleb each held a young female human. Barbara outran everyone to reach them first. She threw an arm around her husband and one around her only daughter.