Redemption of Fate (Fate Series Book 2) (4 page)

Cami silently cursed the gentle summer breeze as it carried his intoxicating scent directly toward her. Its effect was immediate, causing her blood to rush and her thoughts to shift to all sorts of distracting images of him, most featuring far more skin than was decent.

Jesus Christ, Cami. Get. It. Together!
she yelled within her own mind, holding her breath while she waited for Jared to move away, praying that the unwanted feelings she always experienced in his presence would pass quickly.

As he placed Chloe on the leather seat, Jared glanced back at Cami. Her unease was apparent, as she fought the urge to look at him again. He reached for her stream of consciousness and smiled wickedly at the erotic images which were fluttering through her mind. His body immediately responded, pushing the scent of his arousal into the air, a most inappropriate reaction given the current circumstances, as evidenced by the disgusted scowl he received from the Elite soldier who was holding the door open.
 

Jared shrugged and smiled sheepishly at the imposing man while he waited for Tilly to jump inside. “Sorry,” was all he could manage as he placed his foot on the runner, not knowing what else he could offer in explanation for his current physical state. Before he cleared the door, a silenced shot cut through the air, the sound too quiet to garner the notice of the humans tucked comfortably in their homes, but as loud as an explosion to the vampires who were already on edge.
 

Jared spun around in a panic, his eyes searching for Cami, who was running towards the house where his parents and three guards were rushing down the stairs. She bypassed the stairs and grabbed the railing which surrounded the porch, flipping herself over it in one swift motion and landing beside the guard who was lying awkwardly on the concrete. Fragments of his skull and blood covered the wooden swing which swayed slowly behind him. The injury was absolutely fatal, even for one of their kind.
 

“Kline, get your ass back down here!” Commander Claesson shouted; as the last of the sun’s protective rays slid behind the horizon. Though the area was still well lit by sunlight, and would remain so for at least another hour, the direct UV light, which was so hazardous to the infected, was gone. As if on cue, more than a dozen red-eyed vampires appeared in the street.

“No more blood need be spilled here. Just hand over the girl,” one of them said in a voice barely above a whisper, but easily discerned by the preternatural hearing of all concerned.

Though she didn’t know why, Cami’s eyes instinctively shot to Jared, who was already looking back at her. Understanding the desperate plea in her eyes, he nodded in response and climbed into his assigned vehicle. Feeling easier with him and Chloe tucked safely behind a layer of bullet-proof steel and glass, Cami ran back down the stairs, flanking the High Commander and his guards as they made their way to the middle vehicle. Bullets whizzed by as they ran, some so close that their breeze could be felt on the skin of those they passed. William and Rebecca leapt into the car, the sound of bullets bouncing off of the frame around them before a guard slammed the door and rushed to the driver’s seat. The already-running vehicle peeled out immediately, despite the High Commander’s insistence that they wait.
 

“God damnit, O’Mally! Stop the damn car!” William yelled; as they moved down the street away from the danger.
 

“Sorry, sir; but you know I can’t do that,” Drake O’Mally replied remorsefully; understanding how difficult it must be for William to leave his family in the midst of danger while he fled to safety. Under any other circumstances, as a member of the High Commander’s guard, O’Mally would have no choice but to obey William’s orders, but in an instance where the High Commander’s life was at risk, disobedience was not only permissible; it was required in service of the greater responsibility to their race William’s position required.

More shots sliced through the hot summer air as Cami dove across an opening to join Commander Claesson behind the protection of the open door on his vehicle and returned fire. Her bullets expertly found their marks in the center of several of the vampire’s chests, yet the men kept coming, walking at a slow, almost taunting pace, completely unfazed by the silver which should have stopped them cold.

“Fuck, they’ve got Kevlar,” Cami said aloud; as she reloaded and two other Elite soldiers joined the fray, taking cover around the back of the car.
 

“Yep, going to have to aim for their heads,” Claesson responded; popping off his last two rounds, catching one of the infected where it counted and decorating the pavement with a spattering of gray matter. The body crumpled to the ground and immediately began to disintegrate as the others split apart and flashed away with preternatural speed, taking cover behind parked cars and trees. Cami heard a loud thud and turned to see one of the Elite fall a few feet behind her, obviously dead, with half of his face missing.

“Kline, I’m going to lay down some cover; get back there and find out why the fuck the rest of them haven’t left yet,” Claesson ordered; as he reloaded.

As she turned, Cami saw four infected vampires moving in on the car which was carrying her niece and Jared.

✧

Chloe wrapped her arms around Tilly’s neck, her whole body shaking with fear as bullets bounced off the car all around them, the sound reminiscent of an intense hail storm. With each impact, the glass’s protection grew weaker and weaker, having already cracked in several places. Jared knew it wouldn’t be much longer before some of those shots broke through.
 

“It’s going to be all right, squirt,” Jared said; trying to reassure Chloe despite his own fear. “We’re going to follow your grandmas and grandpas now,” he continued, looking quickly to the cars carrying his parents, the Klines, and several of The Elite down the street. Satisfied they had made it away safely, his stare returned to Cami and it was all he could do to remain with Chloe while he watched the infected vampires inching closer and closer to her and the other soldiers.

“Erikson, what’s the hold up? Let’s get the hell out of here,” he said; knowing that if he didn’t get away soon he wouldn’t be able to resist the pull in his heart telling him to go to Cami, consequences be damned.

Erikson wordlessly dropped the car into reverse and the engine died. He moved the shifter back to park and turned the key, only to be rewarded with silence as he impatiently tapped the accelerator.
 

“What’s the problem? The engines in these things were triple- checked before we left base.” The Elite soldier in the back questioned, as he popped the rear door and jumped out. He ran to the passenger door, only to find it locked as several shots struck the black metal around him. With a confused glance towards Erikson, Jared leaned forward and lifted the lock while the captain of his father’s guard remained silent with his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“What the fuck?” the soldier questioned; opening the door and looking at Erikson just as another shot rang out. Blood exploded across the front of the truck following the bullet which flew through the soldier’s neck and found a home in the side of Erikson’s seat. His hand flew to the gushing wound, only to fall away as a second shot shattered his skull, spraying his brains all over Erikson.

In all of the chaos, no one noticed that the other locks had been released until Chloe’s door flew open forcefully. Before anyone else could react, Tilly let out a growl which reverberated through the car like a lion’s roar, as she lunged. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as Jared watched the infected vampire raise a gun towards the protective dog. He dove forward, intending to absorb the shot himself, hoping the distraction would give the rest of The Elite time to save his niece.

“NO!” Chloe screamed, squeezing her eyes shut tightly before Tilly’s full weight fell limp in her small lap. Everything went eerily quiet as tears spilled down her cheeks. There were no more shots, no yells, nothing except for the low purr of another engine and the slow beats of the vampire hearts which surrounded her.

After several moments passed, Chloe finally swallowed her fear, opening her eyes with surprise as she recognized the fast thump of Tilly’s canine heart. Wiping away the moisture which was clouding her vision, she gazed down at her beloved dog with wonder. It appeared as if she was merely sleeping, with no signs of injury at all. Confused, Chloe’s eyes shot to the open door where the infected vampire lay crumpled on the ground with his head pressed against the runner and his arm extended into the car. The gun he’d been holding was lying on the floor at her feet. Chloe gently pushed Tilly’s heavy form off of her legs and turned to Jared, whose unconscious body was prone on the seat beside her.

She reached out and placed her little hand on his shoulder, shaking him hard and fast in an attempt to wake him. Her heart jumped with hope at his moaned response.

“Uncle Jared? Please wake up, Uncle Jared,” Chloe begged; hearing another groan from the backseat.
 

“Ugh; what happened, kid?” the Elite soldier asked while he struggled to lift his heavy body.

“I, I don’t know. Everyone just, stopped,” she responded; her voice shaky.
 

Tilly let out a little whimper and her eyelids fluttered as she started to move beneath Chloe’s feet.

“Chloe, are you okay?” Jared moaned; as he started to come to.
 

More tears began to flow down her cheeks as he sat up, but this time they were tears of relief.
 

“What happened?” Erikson asked groggily from the driver’s seat. The Elite soldier climbed from the back of the car and stumbled to the infected vampire who remained unconscious, lying across the open door. Grabbing the back of his shirt, the soldier slid his limp body down to the asphalt.

“Who knows, but we’re not waiting around to find out,” the soldier replied; gripping his Glock firmly and taking aim at the vampire’s head. “Turn around and close your eyes, kid,” he commanded softly, looking at Chloe.

She did as requested, jumping as the quiet shot penetrated the air. Jared, now fully conscious, pulled Chloe into his arms and watched with amazement as Tilly struggled to sit up on her long, wobbly legs.
 

He held her close, stroking her soft hair and whispering words of comfort while the soldier walked around the vehicle and deposited silver bullets into the heads of two more of the infected. Jared’s eyes darted away in a panic as he searched for Cami, whom he was relieved to find walking shakily towards him, weapon in hand. He let out a long sigh and watched her step carefully over the body of another infected. The disoriented vampire made the mistake of groaning, drawing her attention as he struggled to move. Without looking down, Cami shot twice, both bullets finding purchase in the vampire’s skull.
 

Black wisps of smoke clouded the air surrounding the disintegrating bodies of the infected that were lying on the sidewalk and in the street; apparently another, and rather convenient, side effect of Lucias’s virus which made cleaning up the messy scene in the quiet neighborhood a lot simpler.
 

“Get them the fuck out of here now,” Cami ordered the soldier. As she locked eyes with Jared, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over her as she stared into his eyes. With a great deal of willpower, she tore her gaze away and rushed to Commander Claesson, who had managed to take out three more infected, all while leaning against the front vehicle just to keep himself upright.

“Nope, climb to the other side,” the soldier said; obeying Cami’s command as he pushed Erikson, who was attempting to climb down out of the vehicle, towards the passenger seat. “We’re leaving.”

“What about the others?” Erikson asked; moving slowly, still not fully recovered from whatever the hell had just happened.
 

“They’re covered,” the soldier replied; as he attempted to start the car. “Fuck,” he said, turning to Jared. “Change of plans; we have to get everyone to the other car, like yesterday,” he stated; before climbing out to help them.

They filed out of the SUV as Cami glared at the soldier. “I told you to get them out of here,” she growled.
 

“Car’s fucked. Won’t start, so we’re going to have to fit who we can into that one and the rest will have to hoof it,” he said; indicating the last functioning vehicle.

“Shit; this mess needs to get cleaned up. We can’t just leave our men out here for the humans to find,” she said; holding her arms out toward the carnage that surrounded them, “But, for all we know, there could be more of those red-eyed fuckers on their way as we speak.”

“Perhaps we could be of some assistance with that,” Ariel said; as she and Tara stepped cautiously through their front door. “We’ve already ensured that all of our neighbors are safely asleep for the night, and the rest of our coven will be arriving shortly to help us protect our home. We will take your fallen inside, so send men to retrieve them and give them a proper burial when it is safe. Even if more of those creatures attempt to come here, they will not be able to find the way.”

Cami looked to Claesson, who nodded. “All right; thank you,” she replied; as she helped a disoriented Tilly climb into the back of the SUV.

“Yes, ladies; as always, The Elite are in your debt,” Commander Claesson said, with gratitude, before climbing into the driver’s seat.

CHAPTER 3 -
Dreams & Death

Alexa moaned and ground her hips against Ethan while she straddled him shamelessly, taking full advantage of the privacy their secluded beach paradise afforded as he tugged on the flimsy string tied at the base of her neck. He delved his tongue into her mouth, giving the string one final pull before sliding his hands to the tie at the middle of her back. Just as the second knot was coming loose, he heard a dolphin call not far off shore, and as much as he wanted to expose the hard dusty-pink nipples concealed by those thin teal triangles, he couldn’t forgo the opportunity to see the look of pure joy which lit Alexa’s face whenever she was near the friendly animals.