Watching Out For Fangs (The Cloverleah Pack Book 7) (2 page)

Chapter Two

Vadim D’Arcy grumbled under his breath as he listened to Stephen whinging and whining yet again, about the cursed runes around his neck. If the stupid git had honored the gift of blood that had been given to him, then none of them would be in this frigging mess – stuck in some sub-standard motel on the outskirts of Cloverleah waiting for permission to enter a wolf pack’s territory. An apparently small but exceptionally strong wolf pack with members who had all sorts of powers.

Vadim didn’t have a problem with shifters as such – he just preferred not to have anything to do with them at all. In fact he preferred his own company to anything else. He was an old vampire and had originally been the leader of his coven.  But Vadim hated the politics, the back stabbing and having to deal with stupid idiots like Stephen on a daily basis, so he had handed over the reins to his brother many years before. A brother who had turned around just the other day and literally begged Vadim to lead a delegation to Cloverleah. When the begging hadn’t worked, his brother pulled out the big guns – their mother.

Ermine D’Arcy, known simply as Regent D’Arcy because he absolutely hated his first name, had been in cahoots with the Atlanta wolf pack for months. Vadim knew about it, but absolutely wanted no part of the deal. The Atlanta pack territory included the Atlanta Botanical Gardens which was host to a particularly beautiful Rose Garden that Regent D’Arcy wanted to gift to his new wife. In return, the Atlanta pack wanted the Coven’s help in securing an Omega of their own – and apparently the only Omega in existence lived in Cloverleah.

Vadim snorted as he remembered what a clusterfuck that last mission had turned out to be.  His brother and the Atlanta Alpha had the Omega in their sight for two freaking weeks, and didn’t dare make a move on the man.  Apparently a Shifter Guardian was mated to the Alpha of the Cloverleah pack and that had put a spin on Alpha Morgan’s plans to snag the Omega while the men were visiting Atlanta at the request of Morgan. 

A later trip to Cloverleah to try and steal the Omega and two Fae who were all now part of the small pack as well, resulted in deaths for everyone involved, including five good vampires. The whinging Stephen had been the only one spared because his blood was used to cure one of the Fae who had fallen prey to the poison that vampires had in their claws. The Fae’s mate had graciously offered his own blood in return for the debt and Stephen had gotten cocky and stupid and damn near drained the shifter dry. If it hadn’t been for the Fae waking up and cursing Stephen with a collar of runes around his neck, Vadim had no doubt Stephen would have killed the shifter without a second thought. It was that type of stupidity that had Vadim staying away from his Coven as much as possible.

But thanks to his mother he was stuck – waiting to lead a small mission back onto Cloverleah pack lands, but this time to basically grovel to the Fae in the hopes the curse could be removed. In Vadim’s opinion Ermine should have been the one to go – he was the head of the Coven after all. But their mother explained, in her soft dulcet tones that encouraged no argument, that Ermine was needed at his wife’s side. Apparently the woman was pregnant, which was a huge deal in the paranormal world and that left Vadim with no choice but to comply. He hated refusing his mother anything.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, Vadim grabbed at it, his dark eyes scanning the screen before answering it. “You have an answer for us?” He said gruffly into the phone.

“They have agreed to meet you in one hour on the pack house lawns,” his brother replied. “No weapons, you will be searched.”

“I’ve never needed weapons,” Vadim scoffed, “and it’s my understanding that this was supposed to be a peaceful mission.  Carrying weapons would be tantamount to suicide.”

Regent D’Arcy’s voice dropped as though he was worried he would be overheard. “And it will be. But look,” he said hesitantly. “If there is any chance you can grab the little Omega wolf…”

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Vadim snapped back, flicking his long blond hair over his shoulder as he paced the floor angrily. “You’ve lost enough men due to the Atlanta pack’s mess as it is. Won’t you ever fucking learn?”

“But Lorraine still wants the Rose Garden I promised her…”

“Then tell her to plant one herself, or find something else to bargain the new Alpha with. This is supposed to be a meeting for Stephen to present his case to the Fae about the curse – a curse he deserved. Nothing more.” Vadim had no patience with his sister-in-law, or his brother’s pathetic efforts to grant her latest whim. The Atlanta Coven and Pack had lived in harmony for centuries, their territories well established and with plenty of room between them. Everything was fine until Ermine had taken a new wife who wasn’t satisfied with the territory they had. It was only the fact that the pack needed a favor too that had stopped the two sides coming to blows before now.

“He’s only a little wolf…” Ermine tried again.

“Who has a big-ass mate, a pack surrounding him and no wish to leave his home.” Vadim had done his homework and knew he wouldn’t want to take on anybody in the small but formidable pack. “I don’t want to meet with any of them as it is, and I’m not going to put my neck on the line just because of Lorraine’s latest whimsy. Buy her a fucking necklace or something. I’m doing enough, escorting her piece of shit brother Stephen, and even then I’m not going to promise he’ll get home in one piece. If he causes anymore trouble…”

“He won’t,” Ermine assured him. “Now Stephen’s met his mate he just wants the chance to claim her.”

“He should have thought of that before he got fucking greedy. A vampire’s honor is what holds him above all other paranormals and the rules surrounding the blood debt are sacrosanct. He was lucky he got away with a curse. The Fae prince could have killed him and been well within his rights,” Vadim snarled, looking at the hapless vampire in question who was sitting on the bed next to his unclaimed mate.

Ivy was a pretty little female Fae who looked far too young and innocent to be tied to someone as unscrupulous as Stephen. Vadim hadn’t been too sure about the possible pairing when he first met her, but Stephen did seem to have fallen for her. Unfortunately because they had met and were apparently true mates, Stephen couldn’t feed off of anyone else. The curse stopped him claiming his mate so he was literally starving to death.  Vadim didn’t see that as a necessarily a bad thing but then he didn’t have a high opinion of Stephen in the first place. The man was as bad as his manipulative sister.  However, Vadim did accept that Ivy deserved a chance at happiness, and that was the only reason his mother had convinced him to make the trip. That, and Lorraine’s apparent pregnancy.

“I’ve got to get going,” Vadim said, when it was clear Ermine didn’t have anything else to say worth listening too. “I’ve got to find these wretched pack grounds and work my charm on a bunch of dogs, just to save your ass from another tongue lashing from Lorraine.  But I’m not going near enough to any of them to even sniff them, let alone try kidnapping one of the pack members from his own territory. You’d just better keep your promise and keep me out of any of your shit for the next fifty years or so help me, you’ll wish I’d never been born.”

“I gave you my word,” Ermine said stiffly, just like he always did when his honor was questioned. Unfortunately Vadim knew all about the flexibility of Ermine’s word, especially when it came to the needs of his new wife. Personally he was glad he had never found his true match – not that Lorraine was anything more than a bonded partner to Ermine. Ermine’s mate had died centuries before and Lorraine was simply the latest in a string of wives that he’d taken since. She was also the greediest.

Deciding he’d given his brother more than enough of his precious time, Vadim clicked off the phone. Glaring at Stephen, he simply said, “Get Lawrence and Harvey, we’re heading out. Ivy,” he added as he saw the woman rise from the bed as well. “You’re staying here. I am not risking your safety in this situation.”

“But Stephen wants me to go with him.” Ivy was softly spoken and her fluttering hands were a clear indication of her agitation. Unfortunately Vadim didn’t have time to appease her and was quite blunt in his response.

“It’s a vampire’s job to protect his true match, not the other way around. And besides, Stephen is going to be too busy groveling to be of any protection for you. If you think being a soft little female will stop any of these wolves from attacking, then you have another thing coming.”

“The other Fae in the pack won’t allow any harm to come to me, and my magic might be useful to you all,” Ivy persisted.

“The other Fae don’t run the pack, they’re part of it, that’s all. The day I need your magic to save me, I’ll fucking hang myself. You are staying here, and that’s final,” Vadim added as he saw Stephen was about to add his two cents worth. Cocky git was probably going to try and get Ivy to beg on his behalf, Vadim thought sullenly as he herded a reluctant Stephen away from a now crying Ivy, who had crumpled back down onto the bed.  Cursing the shit in his life, Vadim bundled Stephen and the others into the van. He just wanted to get this mission done and then he was leaving the others to get back to Atlanta on their own. He’d had enough of stupid people and Coven life to last him at least another two centuries. It was time for a long vacation.

Chapter Three

Josh fisted the seams of his jeans to curb his fidgeting as he stood with the other men from Cloverleah watching a black SUV come slowly up the driveway. Something was agitating his wolf. More than one would expect when faced with a potentially dangerous situation. It was almost as though his wolf was excited about something and Josh couldn’t work it out. He did know his wolf was making it really hard to focus on the meeting ahead.

In his position as beta wolf he was standing to one side of the gathered pack, while Tobias took the other side. Troy was the only other beta wolf in the pack, but Anton wouldn’t let the man stand anywhere except beside him. In fact, all of the mated wolves were bristling with protectiveness, which was to be expected, but increased the tension in the air. Josh had almost laughed out loud when Jax had tried to convince his two mates to stay in the house. The Fae weren’t worried about a few vampires and basically ignored Jax’s gruff demands.  In all the time Josh had been training with Jax he had never imagined anyone would be able to tame the gruff Alpha, but it seemed the Fae were doing a good job of it.  

The Reef brothers, Adair, Marius and Teilo, plus Thomas, Ryan and Wesley were ranged down the driveway like a guard of honor - large guns slung carelessly in their hands. The vampires had been given a password allowing them access to the driveway, although Josh knew that was just a ruse – as was the armed presence of the enforcers. Anyone who knew anything about wolf shifters would know the guns were totally unnecessary. But then this whole meeting and the security aspects the Cloverleah pack were letting the vampires witness, were all a deliberate misdirection – letting the vampires think they were learning something about the security measures in the area, when in fact they weren’t.

Josh watched as the SUV came to a stop at the top of the driveway and four men stepped out into the winter sun. He recognized the cursed vampire immediately, the man trying for a contrite look on his face and not succeeding. Josh remembered the vampire’s arrogance when he had tried to suck Jax dry, and it would seem the cocky prick hadn’t learned any humility. Two of the other men were clearly enforcers, or the vampire equivalent – they stayed back, resting on the car, letting the cursed vampire, and one other walk forward.

The cursed vampire’s companion had the look of a man who would rather be anywhere than at Cloverleah. The first thing that struck Josh was the sheer beauty of the man’s face. All four of the vampires were classical beautiful, but this man took Josh’s breath away. Not one line or wrinkle marred the perfect marble skin and the only color on the arrogant man’s face was the darkness of his eyes and the pale pink of his full lips. His shoulder length hair was almost white and framed his angular face with casual elegance. His well-fitted suit clung to a big but long frame, with legs that seemed to go on forever. Josh was entranced and he could feel his wolf roving under his skin. His wolf wasn’t frightened – the silly animal wanted to sniff the vampire and wallow in his scent. Josh swallowed a gasp as his cock rose up for the occasion...surely not? Trying to curb his reaction, Josh couldn’t stop his nose twitching in anticipation.

The two men walked within ten foot of the pack and stopped, the taller vampire speaking first.

“My name is Lord Vadim D’Arcy, brother to the Regent of the Atlanta Coven. I bring you greetings and our deep appreciation for allowing this audience.”

The man could have been speaking in a royal banquet hall.  His tones were like honeyed silk, cultured and refined with a trace of a European accent, yet with an authority that could only come from age. Josh closed his eyes for a brief moment, committing the sound to memory. He decided then and there he could listen to Vadim for hours. But his eyes flew open again as Kane stepped forward to greet the men. Josh was an enforcer first and foremost and he wasn’t about to forget that. Kane needed to be protected at all times.

“I am Kane Matthews, Alpha of the Cloverleah Pack. I am reluctant to bid you welcome given our last experience with members of your Coven. However your Regent stressed the urgency of this matter. Please state your business.”  Kane only used his formal voice when faced with outside visitors. It was a far cry from the normal friendly tones the man used.

Vadim nodded gracefully. “I understand. The Regent has asked if the curse that was placed on his brother-in-law could be removed. Stephen has recently found his mate, a young Fae woman, and is unable to claim her because of the curse. Now that Stephen has scented her blood, he is unable to feed from anyone else. He will die if you do not help us.”

Hmm
, Josh thought,
doesn’t sound like the delicious Vadim would care one way or the other
. Clearly not a close-knit family.  He edged nearer, trying to catch the alluring man’s scent. His wolf was almost whimpering with excitement and Josh knew he would have to be careful or he would lose control of his shift.

“You understand why the curse was laid in the first place?” Kane asked.

“I do,” Vadim said, still gravely formal. “Stephen dishonored himself on that day and you have the Regent’s word that it won’t be allowed to happen again.”

Fafnir pushed forward, barely evading Jax’s grasp. He glared at Stephen who didn’t seem the least bit contrite. If anything his dark eyes were roaming across the gathered men in the pack, and his lack of attention to what was going on set Josh’s nerves on edge. Josh didn’t like the gleam he saw in Stephen’s eyes at Fafnir’s actions.

“You tried to kill my mate, who was simply repaying a blood debt. A debt that wouldn’t have been necessary if you and your friends hadn’t come onto our land in the first place. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Stephen stepped forward as if to speak, and Josh’s senses screamed at him. There was something not right about the vampire’s scent…and then Josh saw it, a small knife in the palm of Stephen’s hand glinted for one split second in the wintery sun.  Without thinking about the consequences, Josh leapt forward, intercepting the knife and taking Stephen to the ground. He should have taken time to shift, to call out a warning, or something, but in Josh’s head there hadn’t been any time. Stephen had been seconds away from harming Fafnir and Josh couldn’t allow that to happen.

Vicious claws scraped down his face and neck and Josh could feel the effects of the poisoned talons entering his blood stream almost immediately and he cursed his human form. He could hear the shouts of the men in his pack, but he refused to let the conniving vampire get anywhere near his pack mates. He was a beta wolf and it was his duty to protect the pack.

Struggling to remember everything that Jax had taught him, Josh knew his eyes were going dark and every breath was getting harder to take. He clung onto Stephen’s neck, his arms, his back, even his legs were entwined with the other man, just not in the way Josh traditionally liked. Josh was trying desperately to render the vampire unconscious but he could feel his own life force ebbing – taken over by the poison entering his bloodstream. Fuck, the cursed vampire was going to kill him before he’d even had a chance to smell the other one.

Almost unconscious, determined to hang on with his last breath, Josh was stunned as Stephen’s head was grabbed in two big hands, and the last thing Josh heard before he succumbed to the darkness was the snap of the vampire’s neck, followed by a squelching sound as the head was removed completely. Damn. He really should have thought of that himself.

/~/~/~/~/

Vadim couldn’t work out why the gorgeous young wolf shifter, leapt on Stephen, but within seconds he could see the knife in the vampire’s hand. Sneaky son of a bitch. Wanting to move closer, compelled to help the young wolf shifter although not knowing why, a long, loud growl stopped him in his tracks. Vadim looked up to see Kane glaring at him – his handsome face twisted in fury, the men in his pack ready to pounce.

“This was a fucking trap?” Kane yelled, all signs of civility gone.

“No. No.” Vadim said firmly, his eyes flickering quickly to the two men fighting on the ground. He could tell the shifter had been infected with the vampire poison and wouldn’t be conscious for much longer.

“You have to let me help your friend,” he said urgently, looking back at Kane. “This was not the plan, not on my part, I promise you. But your shifter won’t last much longer without help and your men are no match against the poison in human form.”

Kane stepped forward, deliberately sniffing him and then nodded. “Do it.”

Three quick strides and Vadim had Stephen’s head in his hands. One even quicker wrench and the satisfying sound of neck bones crunching signaled Stephen’s demise. Wanting to make sure the conniving vampire was never coming back, Vadim wrenched the man’s head from his body, severing it completely. Tossing the head one way and slinging the rest of the body off of the prone shifter, Vadim snarled at Harvey and Lawrence who were still standing by the SUV, having done nothing but look like the goons they were.

“Throw this garbage in the back of the wagon, before I do the same thing to you.” Watching the two men only long enough to ensure his orders were being obeyed, Vadim turned his attention to the stricken shifter. By the Fates, the young wolf was beautiful – tanned skin, a fresh friendly face, gorgeous dirty blond hair about the same length as his.  But those full lips were tinged with blue, and the tanned face was mottled as the infection spread through the shifter’s system. Vadim knew he had to move fast, but still he hesitated.

Looking up at Kane who was still glaring at him, he said quietly, “Is there any way you can make him shift? That would remove the poison.”

Kane shook his head and a slightly smaller dark haired man beside him said, “Our Alpha power would only work if Josh were conscious.”

Nodding, Vadim took one more look at Josh and then using a claw from one hand, he slit a large gash in his other wrist. “I’m sorry young wolf. You deserve so much better than me,” he whispered as he leaned over, placing his open wound flat against the longest gash on Josh’s neck. Vadim could feel it, the instant the bond between them clicked. His blood raced, his fangs dropped and his cock hardened in an instant. He could sense Josh’s wolf and guessed that the animal spirit accepted the bond. But from the man himself there was nothing – Josh was still unresponsive.

Working quickly, Vadim coated the four gashes on his young man’s face with his own blood, watching the poison slowly recede, until Josh’s face was clear. Only when he was completely satisfied that the wolf wouldn’t suffer any further after effects from the poison, did Vadim raise his arm, licking the wound clean and closing it. There were tinges of Josh’s blood on his tongue and he fought to hold back a groan. Josh’s life force tasted sweeter than anything Vadim had ever tasted in his life despite the poison, and he wanted nothing more than to sink his fangs into Josh’s beautiful long neck and stay there. Unfortunately that was not an option he was prepared to take.

Instead, Vadim got up from the ground where he had been kneeling, thankful his legs would still hold him. Giving blood was never easy for a vampire and Vadim had let his blood flow quickly to ensure the shifter would heal fast. “He will need to rest, but the poison is gone.”

“We owe you a debt,” Kane said, clearly not happy about the idea. But the staunch Alpha held out his wrist, clearly intending to pay up.

Vadim shook his head. “No debt incurred,” he said shortly, looking straight into Kane’s eyes. He could have taken a mouthful from Kane’s vein, kept up the deception that the shifter on the ground was nothing special, but he couldn’t do it. Kane’s blood would have him throwing up in seconds.

“Jax told us a blood debt is always incurred if a vampire heals someone else. As a pack we won’t allow Josh to be in debt to someone he doesn’t know. We have as much honor as you do,” the smaller dark haired man said.

“I don’t doubt it, but this is one of those times when it is not needed, nor will there be any come back from this,” Vadim said, keeping his eyes trained on Kane. He really didn’t want to have to spell it out. Kane’s bright blue eyes narrowed for a moment and then widened and he nodded in return.

Satisfied that Kane got the picture, Vadim turned to leave, but he was stopped by Kane’s hand on his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” The Alpha asked quietly. “Josh will need you when he wakes. Will want to meet with you at least.”

“Josh doesn’t need the likes of me in his life,” Vadim said, quelling the pang that shafted his heart at the thought of never seeing the lovely young shifter again. “I will do my best to ensure that you will have no further problem with the Atlanta Coven, but watch out for the pack. The new Alpha in Atlanta has a huge hard-on for your Omega and he’s got more brawn than commonsense.”

“I appreciate the warning, but what about you? Won’t you need Josh…?” Kane broke off, looking at Vadim quizzically.

“Not for long,” Vadim said understanding exactly what the Alpha was saying. Shaking off Kane’s arm, he added quietly, “Keep him safe, Alpha. Please, just keep him safe.”

Kane nodded and stepped back.  Vadim marched over to the SUV and got into the driver’s seat. He refused to look back as he drove out of the Cloverleah grounds.