Raven Moon (32 page)

Jaeger nurtured his brandy in his rough hands. “Unfortunately a handful ran off, like cowards. We killed most of the alphas but kept Lazarus.”

That sucks for Lazarus. Although, things for her would be much worse if Lazarus still held power. She gasped. “Wait, you don’t plan on using the five chimpanzombies to go after the escaped pack?”

He stiffened. “How do you know it’s five?”

“I know you collected them near the San Antonio lab.”

He raised an eyebrow, as if impressed with her Intel. “I brought three here and no I’m not so stupid as to release them to infect more humans. The way they go after our livestock and other animals, we would run out of food. They are strictly for lab research. “

“Sensible, but where are the other two?”

“Since you are my permanent guest why not tell you? The other two experimentals are with Barker Creed.”

Oh, guano shit. Barker Creed, the second most powerful Kindred was just as cruel as Jaeger and since the Bane had recruited tankers and former drug cartel gang members. He was most likely to use the chimpanzombies on humans as he was on shifters. “You trust Barker with the rage apes?”

“He has been ordered to keep them while we search for scientists who can study them. A vaccine to help humanity before the werewolves and other shifters usurp our planet.”

“It won’t be our planet if we don’t team up to find out who or what created the Z-phage in the first place.”

Sloane smirked. “I like the idea of keeping the experimentals to bring down all shifters.”

Rave rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you want to invent Wizard of Oz flying monkeys to come after us birds?”

Jaeger laughed with a sinister edge. “I have a cage just for you, raven.”

Rave flipped her hair back. “Trust me, you don’t want to keep a bird as a pet. We’re high maintenance.”

He grinned. “As in a high maintenance call girl?”

Rave threw the remaining hot chocolate at his face but he dodged it, only soiling his chest. “Piss off!”

A guard handed him a cloth, but Jaeger waved it away. He glared at Rave but licked his lips. “Cunt, or shall I say cloaca?”

Sloane snapped at him. “Father, don’t even think of fucking her.”

Rave gave Sloane a sardonic look.
Seduce? Eww. Gross. Try that and I’ll shift and peck your balls off.

Jaeger laughed. “Your only purpose is as bait to capture Maddox. Your imprisonment might even entice your friends from the Fenrir Arbor Pack to attempt a rescue.”

Rave checked her nails, exuding calm and focus. Preening was a bird’s version of deep relaxation. Her stomach, however, churned. “Like I said, my mate is in California. My raven clan would never allow me to take a Benandanti as a mate.” A truth that soured her romantic dreams of their life together. If she didn’t escape, she would never learn the choices her parents would offer. Abdicating her future throne or banishment from their rookery? Likely both. Screw it. Her choice would always be Maddox, no matter the consequences. Even if her death meant he would live.

He narrowed his eyes. “No werewolf would allow his mate to gallivant across the nation, alone.”

“I’m Princess Ravenna of the North American Murder. I make my own decisions, besides my guards were with me. One of your experimentals broke my arm.” She swallowed a lump in her throat and the biting snark left her tone. “They died defending me.”

Sloane glanced at her father. “Maybe she does have another mate. The Benandanti hold great contempt against ravens and other shifters.”

“True. Only a werewolf can confirm her story.” Jaeger turned to one of his men. “Bring in Lazarus.” The man gave him a brusque nod and left.

Rave shifted in her seat and glanced at Sloane. “Does Lazarus know Jaeger is your father?”

Sloane shook her head. “Not yet. As far as he knows, I was one of the Benandanti concubines who turned on her master.”

Jaeger smirked. “Let’s enlighten him.”

Five armed men dragged Lazarus into the room. He was manacled and pulled by silver chains. A gleipnir collar squeezed his thick throat and a visible vein throbbed as if at any moment it would burst. The once powerful alpha werewolf now rendered helpless. Whoever held the gleipnir controller had the power with one touch to administer agonizing pain. His wild widened eyes, disheveled dark graying hair, and torn clothing reminded Rave of the crazed villager of long ago, accused of being a werewolf. Things were bad for her but far worse for Lazarus, murderer of Jaeger’s former love and Amazon girl’s mama. Would he be on tonight’s chimpanzombie menu?

The guard handed Jaeger the gleipnir controller. He scowled at Lazarus. “Kneel.”

The beleaguered false prophet sank to his knees. His chained wrists were chafed and red from the silver’s effects. Bruises on his face must have been recent, since they had not had time to heal. He shot Rave a fevered stare. “The devil’s trickster!”

Rave stood and stepped well out of his reach. The brute might lunge at her and kill her before they zapped him. “Hey, I’m not part of this.” She sneered. “If it had been me, you would be already dead.”
You mess with my mate, I mess with you.

Lazarus growled at her then leapt up and charged her.

Shit!
Cawww.
Rave shifted to bird form and flapped behind Sloane’s boots.

Jaeger pushed the red button on the gleipnir remote, and the alpha werewolf seized and howled in agony, falling to the floor. He slipped the remote in his pocket and kicked Lazarus in the gut. He barked, “Get up and face me, dog!”

Lazarus groaned unable to move, but struggled to obey rather than face another zap of the gleipnir. How many times had Jaeger punished him? The werewolf was ten years older than Maddox, not as tall but muscular and bulkier like a wrestler. Now he lay on the ground, groveling like a low ranking cub. She had no love for the Benandanti leader but seeing him tortured by the gleipnir didn’t make her gloat in revenge. Is this what Jaeger had in store for Maddox or would he kill him outright?
Not if I can help it.
She shifted back to human form and fluffed her hair with her fingers. Smirking, Rave turned to Sloane, “I’m not having a bad hair day, am I?”

Sloane folded her arms across her chest, ignoring her.

Rave frowned. “Thanks for boosting my self-esteem.”

Lazarus, nostrils flaring, crawled, lifted himself, grunted and collapsed. Two men dragged him to his feet, and held him before Jaeger.

Jaeger turned to Sloane. “Bring Ravenna to him.”

Her blood cooled to freezing. “Wait, what?” Her bad hair day would soon turn into a bad headless day.

Sloane yanked her ‘bad’ arm.

“Oww!” She shoved Rave against the deposed Benandanti and she thumped against his hulk. Her palms landed on his barrel of a chest to keep her balance. She recoiled and held her aching arm. Even if she shifted, Lazarus would end her life. Nonetheless, she lifted her chin and whispered, “What say we team up and kick some Kindred ass?”

A deep growl reverberated from his throat and he rasped. “Whore of Babylon!”

Rave shrugged. “Thought so.” She scoffed, “You’re on your own then.”

He growled. “First you die!”A jolt of pain twisted his face, he yelped and stumbled back.

Jaeger released the pressed controller. “Sniff her neck and look at her mark, dog.”

Rave’s eyes widened. No. He wouldn’t see the mating bite in her raven form, but before she could shift, Jaeger gripped her arm as if reading her thoughts.

He warned her. “Try shifting and I’ll pluck out each feather until you return to human form.”

Rave tried to jerk away. “I bet you were on PETA’s top hit list for animal cruelty.”

Defeated, Lazarus lifted his nose and drew closer. He sniffed. Rave cringed from his hot breath. His fangs too damn close to her jugular. He jerked back and wrinkled his nose as if he’d tasted rotten cheese. He shook his head. “No.”

“Do you recognize her mate?” Jaeger asked.

Lazarus widened his eyes in horror. “There had been rumors from our enemy pack but we thought it was to intimidate us with satanic lies.”

Impatient, Jaeger barked, “Is she Maddox’s mate?”

Lazarus dropped his head and stared at his manacled wrists. “Yes, she belongs to the blasphemous fool.”

No point in keeping up the charade. “I take it that means you won’t be coming to our wedding?”

He snarled at her. “You and the heretic will burn in hell.”

She shrugged. “Okay, that’s a strong no.”

Jaeger held her arm against Lazarus’ nose. “Sniff her arm and tell me, can she fly?”

Lazarus turned his head and then met Jaeger’s eyes with his crazed ones. “She bewitched him.”

Jaeger barked, “Do it!”

Lazarus gave her a flat gaze and sniffed. “Her human arm is healed but her wing is incapable of flight.” He spat on the floor and muttered something in Latin. “Kill the trickster before it’s too late.”

Jaeger shoved him back. “Silence!”

Sloane narrowed her eyes at Lazarus. If she could melt him with her ice-blue eyes, Lazarus would be a puddle on the floor. “Feed him to the experimentals.”

Lazarus raised his brows at Sloane. “Why? You were our most devoted convert. Nick was going to leave his earth mate and keep only you.” He turned to Jaeger. “Together we were going to defeat the witch’s pack.” He pointed a shaky finger at Rave. “The devil’s trickster is the enemy. Not me.”

Sloane sucker punched Lazarus and grimaced as if she had hit a brick wall. Lazarus weaved but did not react to her blow and tilted his head in confusion.

Rave scoffed, “Umm, girlfriend? It’s never a good idea to strike an alpha werewolf. Human fists just can’t withstand the—”

Sloane snapped at her, “Shut your fucking mouth.”

“Impact.” Rave spoke under her breath, “Just sayin’.”

Jaeger walked around the chained werewolf. “We’ll go after the Fenrir pack and with Sloane’s help, infiltrate their compound. Find their weaknesses as it was with your pack and then take them down, too.”

Knowing Talon’s pack, they would be warm and open in welcoming another survivor. Naturally, Jaeger would kill Rave to keep her from warning her pack of the Kindred infiltrator.
My reason to escape, like now, is critical.
Rave’s gaze roved around the room for escape routes
.
None.

He pressed the gleipnir remote to his chin. “Tell me, Lazarus, do you recall every witch you killed?”

He lifted his chin in pride. “I’ve killed five, three in Europe and two here.”

Rave cocked her head to the side.
I wouldn’t brag if I were you.

Sloane stepped forward but Jaeger held her back. He glared at Lazarus. “The witch you killed in Oregon, Brenda Clery, does she ring a bell?”

He blinked and gaped.

Jaeger raised his voice. “Speak!”

Lazarus curled his lip. “She fought hard but yes I can still taste her evil witch blood.”

“Not evil. A good woman. A woman I once loved and gave birth to my daughter, Sloane.” Jaeger handed Sloane the gleipnir remote.

Lazarus turned to Sloane, growled and sprung toward her, clawing toward the remote.

Sloane pushed the red kill button. Not releasing it.

He clutched his throat and shrieked as he crashed to the ground, shaking as if struck by continuous bolts of lightning, shrieking pathetic howls.

Rave closed her eyes and covered her ears. Dirk had explained the pain from a gleipnir was the greatest pain imaginable but to die in such a manner, even for her worse enemy, nauseated her. Only being eaten alive by zombies came close to the horror of such a death.

Sloane twisted an ugly smile as Lazarus writhed in agony until his piercing screams silenced and his eyes glazed in death.

Jaeger gently took the remote from her clutches. He knelt and unsnapped the gleipnir. “We’ll save the collar for Maddox.” He ordered his men. “Feed him to the experimentals while he’s still fresh.”

They dragged the body away.

Sloane turned to Rave. “Why don’t we throw her in and let the scent of her guts draw Maddox in?”

Rave flinched.

Her knees weakened at the thought she’d be torn to pieces by the chimpanzombies. And no chance to save Maddox from the gleipnir’s torture.

She glared at Sloane. With no other alternative, Rave cawed loud and clear.

Would the wild ravens help her?

Chapter 22

Maddox followed Rave’s scent toward the hotel lodge beyond the lake. He sat, his fur blending in with the heavy new snow as a familiar scent raked his nostrils. His hackles rose.

A low growl greeted him from the forest thicket. Not natural wolves. Benandanti. In human form. An alpha stepped forward, followed by ten betas and omegas, men and women he knew. Splattered blood and flaked snow coated their clothing. He inhaled the lingering stench of human blood. No doubt the Kindred, since they would not have attacked innocent humans.

Damiano, the alpha sniffed and cocked his head. “Templar Maddox?”

Maddox shifted and shuddered as his bare feet adjusted to the cold. One of the betas took off his cloak and handed it to Maddox. He slipped it on and bowed his head. “Pack brother.”

Damiano smiled. “We howled for your loss.”

“Who told you I was dead?”

“Lazarus gathered us and told us the Kindred hunters killed you. He regretted you refused to accept our new alliance with them. The Kindred had no choice but to kill you. Nick, the pilot watched you die.”

Maddox met Damiano’s eyes. “Nick betrayed me.”
As did Lazarus.

Damiano snorted. “We were all betrayed by our so called prophet. When Lazarus announced our alliance with the Kindred, many attempted to escape but Lazarus had them hunted and executed.”

Maddox narrowed his eyes. “But you stayed.”

“Lazarus convinced us the All Mighty commanded us to align with the enemy to destroy a greater threat, the forces of the powerful witch, Dora.”

His mate’s best friend. Life had become so complicated. Black and white turned to shades of gray sprinkled with red blood. Who was right, who was wrong? His pagan parents had not been evil and neither was his foster Benandanti mother. No matter what the Benandanti Bible preached, his mate was a raven shifter. A brave, beautiful, frustrating, glamorous and smart woman. How would he convince them they had been barking up the wrong tree? Never. Damiano was the son of a Benandanti priest. “Did Jaeger release the rage apes?”