The Werevamp Diaries: Moon Beam Dream (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 5) (9 page)

“Ah, the werevamp in the flesh.  Literally.” He licked his lips, then used a hand to comb his long black hair back from his face. “And what perfectly delectable flesh it is.”

Her wolf responded immediately from deep inside her, moaning in sexual delight.  This was the alpha she’d gone up against years ago on Halloween night.  He was one of the most powerful she’d ever encountered, and the werewolf inside her responded to that strength.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, ignoring modesty and bracing her legs apart to face him. 

“I told you I’d find you.  Ready to ditch that pussy Sandman and have a taste of something solid for a change?  Since we’re in human form, we might as well be formally introduced.  I’m Thad Kramer.”

He advanced on her as he spoke and as he did she backed away.  “Where is Sandy? And the baby?”

The alpha arched a thick eyebrow and smirked, “You tell me.  Where is the little half-breed?”

Rhiannon’s eyes widened in alarm.  He was here for Remy and not for her?  She recalled the conversation with Lynlee weeks before.  “I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.”

“Didn’t Rhetta tell you before she dumped her little pup on your doorstep?  She completed what I tried to accomplish the night you and I first met.  I finally have my hybrid... at least I did until she stole him from me.”

She recalled the young Daywalker boy that the Alpha’s clan had tried to turn were years ago.  Rhiannon managed to stop the kid’s transformation just in time, putting her life on the line to get the chubacabra anecdote necessary to prevent the change. 

“My people have been tracking her since she left the pack.  We knew she stopped here briefly, but we didn’t anticipate she’d left the child with you.  You know.” He approached faster, backing her into a corner.  “Just because Rhetta is his mother, doesn’t mean you couldn’t take her place at my side.”

“At your side?”

His breath was hot against her cheek, then he raised a hand and ran his knuckles along the outside of her arm. “Rhetta is my mate.  The queen of my pack.  But for circumstances that are obvious, she must be set aside now.  Imagine the power you and I would possess.  The legacy we could pass on with that sort of supremacy.”

She shivered as his hand slipped closer to her breast, keeping a close watch on his eyes and waiting for just the right opportunity...

“What the hell is going on here?”

It was Sandy’s voice from the living area ,but his arrival gave her what she’d been waiting for.  With a growl she shot one arm up and struck the Alpha under the chin, knocking him back.  He immediately began changing into his were form.  Her own wolf begged to transform too, but first she would use her vampire speed and strength against him.  He was still mid-shift, but she leapt at him, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck with both hands and tossing him into the opposite room.

“Sandy, the pack will be close by.  Remy?”

“He’s fine.” Her boyfriend moved close to her. “I took him...”

She waved her hand. “Don’t say it or they’ll hear.  Just as long as he’s safe.”

“Damn it, Rhia.  What is going on here?  Who the hell is that and why are you naked?”

She didn’t have time to respond because a deep growl filled the apartment, and she knew the Alpha was recovering from her initial attack.  She slapped her hands on Sandy’s chest and threw him back, then pivoted and sucking in a breath to begin shifting into her wolf.

I like a wolf with spirit. Your sister can tell you that.  C’mon, Rhiannon.  Why are we playing this game?  I know you’re attracted to my power. 
He stalked in front of her, head low and sweeping side to side.  His eyes were black, but there were pinpricks of red in the centers. 

Rhiannon bowed up her shoulders and raised her lip in a snarl.  And then he was on her, both of them rolling in a ball of black and brown fur.  Pain shot through her shoulder as the momentum of his body knocked her into the wall in the kitchen.  When he got her down onto her back, he slammed both his paws onto her chest, claws digging in to hold her down.  She lunged forward with her head, sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

The taste of his blood was like a fortitude to her senses, but he barely even noticed the wound as he forced his body harder down on hers to roll her onto her belly.  She realized with alarm that this wasn’t a fight to the death for him.  He wasn’t seeking to hurt her; he was trying to mount her. 

And even more disturbing was the realization that her wolf was responding.  That animal part of her had always been strong, and in fact her pack credited that werewolf strength as having saved her life when she became a were/vampire hybrid.

But now that part of her was her greatest weakness.  The shewolf at her center was practically panting in heat, longing for him to make her his mate.

What the hell are you doing?
She shouted to him telepathically.
I won’t be your mate.  And even if I were remotely interested, you’re wasting your time with this.  I’m infertile.  You’d gain nothing by taking me.

He chuckled in her mind, and the sound was somehow erotic, setting her wolf to moaning with lust.  Rhiannon mustered every ounce of her wherewithal and drew her hind legs close to her body, coiling them like a spring.  Just as the Alpha tried to make the final move, she let lose, catapulting him off her. 

The wolf inside her scratched and clawed at her psyche, protesting her intention.  But it was too late.  In an instant she was transforming back into her human body, her eyes remaining on the Alpha as he gathered up his senses and began stalking her, this time like prey. 

Swallowing down the nerves digging their way up her throat, she crouched low with her arms outstretched.  “Listen, you overgrown dog, either I kick your ass or you kill me, because I’m not becoming your mate.”

He issued a growl that sounded more like a laugh, then lunged at her again, this time his sharp teeth seeking bare flesh.  She honed in on her vampire powers of speed and agility to dodge the bite, then she clawed one hand into the open wound on his shoulder.  Her fingers gripped the flesh and muscle, ripping it away to leave him howling in pain. 

For the coups de gras, she reared back and kicked him in the groin.  Now the Alpha whimpered, rolling around on his back, paws cradling his family jewels.  She could hear sniffing and growling coming from the door, and she knew the pack was probably pacing outside her apartment, waiting. 

Before the Alpha could recover even a little bit, she kicked him again, this time in the jaw, then she grabbed his massive form with both hands. “Open the door, Sandy.”

Her boyfriend, who had all that time been standing there with wide eyes and a worried expression, complied with her curt demand.  She groaned with the effort as she hefted the huge werewolf out into the night, then closed the door behind him.

“W
ill he be back?”

Rhiannon wiped her bloody hands on her pants, wrinkling her nose in distaste.  “He’ll be lucky if he survives the night.”

Sandy approached, seemingly cautious in his steps.  “You hurt him that bad?”

She looked up suddenly, frowned and shook her head, “No, he’d heal from those injuries.  But he’s lost face with the pack.  There’s always some strong were waiting to steal the Alpha’s place, maybe even more than one who will vie for that kind of power.  He’ll have to fight for not only his position, but his very survival.  So.” She slapped her hands together as if she’d just gotten finished throwing out the trash. “With that taken care of, where’s my nephew?”

Her boyfriend hesitated, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Rhetta came for him.”

Rhiannon’s mouth dropped open at the same time her heart sank.  “She did?  Where did she take him?”

He didn’t answer, and she realized immediately he had no idea where she’d gone. “You let her just take him?  Just like that?  What were you thinking, Sandy?”

“I was thinking she was his mother.  That’s what I was thinking.”

There was a tone to his voice she couldn’t ever remember hearing from him before.  Was he angry with her about something?  He didn’t have any reason to be.  No, in her opinion she was the only on in that room with the right to be angry and she was pretty well pissed to infinite at the moment.

Kicking a broken chair out of her way, Rhiannon stormed down the hallway to her bedroom. “I can’t believe you just
let
her leave.  She abandoned him at our doorstep.  Just walked out on her son and you just
gave
him back to her!”

When he finally walked slowly and methodically into the room she had on a T-shirt and was tugging on a pair of jeans.  He didn’t say anything, just watched her sit down on the edge of the bed and start putting on her socks and shoes.  Once she had her sneakers on her feet, she looked up at her boyfriend. “How can we find her?  I bet Lynlee can use her magic...”

“Rhiannon, he’s not our child.”

He said the words in a soft whisper, but they hit her so hard it was as if someone punched her in the gut.  Still, she swallowed and gave him a fierce look. “I know that.” She tossed her head side to side and searched for something to focus her eyes on. “You know I know that.  I’m not stupid.  It’s just that the decent thing to do would be to let me say goodbye.”

She turned her eyes up to him, her vision blurred by the tears filling them.  “Sandy...”

He drew in a long breath, gritting his teeth, then stepped forward and enveloped her in his arms, her head against his belly as he brushed her long brown hair back.  She cried softly, tears wetting his shirt.  “It’s just the adrenaline,” she said, rubbing her runny nose. “I wouldn’t be this emotional about it, but I just finished a fight with a badass alpha were.  I just need to come down from the rush.”

“Okay, it’s just the rush.”

She nodded into his stomach. “Yeah, that’s all this is.  I mean, we knew he’d leave eventually.  This isn’t a surprise at all.  Just bad timing.”

“Bad timing.” The tremble in his body made her turn and look up at him. 

And when she did, she saw clearly that there was a world of hurt in his eyes too.  She stood up, cupping his face in her hands as she leaned her forehead against his. “You’ll miss him too.”

He didn’t say anything, just closed his eyes and nodded.  They stayed like that a long time, their eyes closed, their breaths mingling as they absorbed the strange silence of the house.

“We were good before he came here.  It’ll just take a while to get used to it,” she said. Patting her stomach, Rhia took a few steps back and forced a smile, “I could use some sustenance.  How about pancakes?”

He pursed his lips and inclined his head in the affirmative. “Sure, pancakes.”

Instinctively she knew something wasn’t right, but before she could say anything, he started picking up the overturned furniture in the room.  Gently, he leaned Remy’s baby bed back onto all fours, then folded his blankets and placed them on top of the mattress in a neat stack.  It was all she could do not to start crying again.

“Is there something else going on here?”

He paused, back still to her.  She saw his chest bow as he inhaled deep.  “Let’s go get those pancakes,” he said, pivoting and offering her a tight grin.

R
hiannon stopped stone cold when she recognized her sister’s voice on the other end of the telephone.  She licked her lips, swallowed and then decided she’d better sit down.  “Rhetta, where are you?”

“Don’t worry, I’m safe.  Pete helped us get out of the country.  Thad can’t hurt us anymore.”

Just a week or so ago, word got out about that how the Alpha’s pack had broken into three smaller ones.  It seemed that Thad hadn’t allowed any other member to accrue sufficient power to recruit the support of all of the other weres.  The tactic that had probably allowed Thad to maintain control of such an enormous pack for a very long time had also been the pack’s downfall.

“And who is Pete?” She knew her tone was cold, but it was either that or start spewing angry words at her sibling.

Rhetta was quiet a moment. “Pete’s a daywalker.  He’s also Remy’s father, Rhia.  I knew if I could find him, he’d help me get little Remy to safety.”

“Well.” She tugged at a loose string on the end of her shirt. “Since you’re gone and all, you probably haven’t heard what happened to Thad.  It’s a shame really, because if you’d just come to me with the truth this would all have been a lot simpler.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

About that time the sound of tinkling chimes filled the room, and Sandy appeared just in front of her.  His immediate smile quickly dropped into a frown when he saw her serious expression.  “What’s wrong?” he mouthed.

She shook her head and pointed at the phone. “Rhetta.” Then she motioned him forward.

His eyes widened, then he pulled out a chair and sat down beside her so that he could listen.

“What I’m talking about is that the Alpha came for you.  He came banging on my door, tearing up my place to find you.  And I fought him, and I won.  And because of that, his pack took him down.  If you’d just told me what was going on, I could have helped you, Rhetta.  I could’ve protected you and Remy.”

“You did help.  I knew you could protect him, and that’s why I left Remy with you.  I don’t understand what you’re so angry about.”

Rhiannon stood, the chair making a screeching sound as her backside shoved it away from the table. “I’m angry because you shut me out.  You just dropped your baby off at my doorstep as if it was no big deal.  Didn’t you stop to think?  Didn’t you even once consider just telling me about Remy?”

Rhetta started to sniff, and she knew her sister was probably crying.  She quickly stifled the twinge of regret. 

“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I thought you liked Remy.  I didn’t know it was such a burden.”

“Oh for the love of...” She raked her hand through her hair. “That’s not what I’m saying.  You should’ve trusted me, Rhetta.  But you just went out there, leaving Remy here and assuming you knew best.”

Sandy placed a hand at the small of her back, offering her some calm.  With a long deep breath, she slowly dropped back into her chair and moved the phone to the other ear.  “For the record, I love that kid.  You just remember that.  He was here, a daily part of my life for weeks while you were off doing your thing.  I love him and yet you just showed up and bundled him back up and disappeared into the night just as quickly as you appeared.  You’re so selfish, Rhetta.  Didn’t you even once think about me?”