Wulf's Redemption (Borne Vampires Book 3) (17 page)

“Yeah, she sure does hate your ass.” Kai didn’t
look convinced and he didn’t feel it either. The wolf was damned near identical
to the one that killed the children. How was it possible?

“We will have to wait for the wolf to show us its
true identity and go from there. If it’s this Lisa you told me of, we’ll put
her down.” Checking his watch, it was two-thirty. “Dawn should be around five-
ish
. You protect the house, I’ll take patrol. Keep alert.”

✝✝✝

And with that, he left her.

Sitting her backpack and sword down on the floor,
Kai took a seat on the top step. The blood flowing through her veins had made
her stronger, her thoughts more focused, and still there was something magical
about it.

Was it true about Gaeta being a witch? Considering
Herrick and his wife were in their eighties and only looked to be in their
sixties, was a sure giveaway to it. Stretching out her mind, she found could
hear Michael’s thoughts as he held his wife close, worried the Damned would
come while they were sleeping and kill them … turn them. Sending soothing waves
of encouragement to sleep, to let her and Alex protect them, the human calmed
and fell asleep.

If Aldric wasn’t the vampire responsible for the
conversion of the Skaggin family, was he the maker of the Wolf of Magdeburg? Why
did she feel that Alex was in terrible danger?

She needed the truth. Their lives depended on it
now. At the moment, she needed coffee more!

As if she had heard her, Mary left her room and
smiled at her. She whispered, “I can make you a fresh pot of coffee.”

Whispering back, she said, “I’d appreciate it, but
it’s late. You should—”

“It’s no problem. I cannot sleep anyhow.”

“Okay, if you don’t mind. I really could use a cup
… or three.”

“Follow me,” Mary said as she went downstairs.

“Lead on.” Grabbing her weapons and backpack, Kai
followed her into the kitchen.

Taking her gun out of the holster, she set it on
the table. Sword and backpack went on the chair beside the one she sat on. As
Mary worked making the coffee, she could see the girl was worried.

“Ask away,” she said to her, smiling so Mary knew
she wasn’t irritated.

Mary’s youthful face went red. “I-I was wondering
how you met the Master?”

“Oh.” She wasn’t expecting that question. “Alex
saved my grandmother, who was pregnant with my mom from a mob, the same who had
murdered my grandfather, who was a Borne vampire. He swore to protect them, and
he tried his best, but the Damned and the vampire hunters were determined to
find them. The hunters killed my grandmother after she’d given birth to my
mother. She entrusted her to his care and Alex raised her. When it was too
dangerous for her to be around him, Alex sent her to be raised by a family he
knew. He watched over us, protected us from my great uncle, Jarrod Draco.”

“Jarrod Draco is your uncle?” Fear in Mary’s big
eyes and the death grip on the cup she held made Kai smile bitterly.

“Was. Rathe Romulas, my step-father, killed him.”

“Why are you not like Draco?”

“Jarrod was not always Damned. My uncle was a
Borne
and
a Slayer. He lost his soul
avenging his brother, his
twin
brother.”
Mary didn’t look convinced. “Not everyone is born evil. Sometimes, Mary, the
decisions we make changes our course and we slip down into darkness, not
thinking someone out there will take our hand and pull us back to sanity. For
Jarrod, my grandfather was his anchor and when he was murdered, it fell to
Rathe to be there for him. Except Rathe misjudged him, thinking he had turned.
He hadn’t, not until later. Jarrod Draco embraced the demon within him and became
leader of the Damned, declaring war on the Borne, especially the Romulas family
for betraying him.”

“It must have been hard growing up with people
knowing the leader of the Damned was related to you.”

“No, not really. I became a Slayer and hunted the
Damned, which made it pretty clear where my allegiance was.”

Setting the coffee pot to brew on the stove, Mary
took a seat at the table, opposite her. “I was wondering, how can you smell the
Damned, and we can’t? How come the bodies dropped on us smelt horrible, but
they aren’t the Depraved?”

“The Damned are very good at glamour, to present a
perfect face and body, to trick the humans into letting them close. They cover
the smell of their bodies that are slowly rotting away, unable to maintain the
evil consuming them, to attract their victims. We, the Borne, can smell them,
because our senses are more highly developed than yours. As to the dead bodies,
the stench remains because they were fed on by the demon in its natural state
of evil.”

“How do we know who is who then?”

“Most times, the old saying, ‘Whatever looks too
good to be true, isn’t’ is the best advice to follow. They are hunters and they
love to cause fear and despair, to sweeten the blood they crave.”

“Can we survive the Damned?” Mary asked in a small
voice.

“Yes, you can. As long as you keep silver and a
cross on you, Holy water, too, you can defend yourself.”

“Why do they want to rule the world?”

“Honestly, I think it’s because they are tired of
being hunted. If you rule, you are the one in power and are safe, which is why
we won’t allow them to win. The world would be drained or converted, no hope
and no future, if the Damned win.”

The delicious aroma of percolating coffee made her
mouth water. “Do you think the coffee is ready?”

Mary gave her a blank look. “The what?”

“Coffee. I really could use a cup of coffee now.”

“It-it should be. Lots of creamer and sugar, ja?”

“Yes, please.”

When Mary set the big coffee cup in front of her,
she smiled her thanks and took a cautious sip of the steaming hot liquid. “
Mmm
, delicious. Thank you.” She saw Mary trying to stifle a
yawn. “Mary, why don’t you go back to bed? Nothing bad will happen. Not with
Alex patrolling outside, and me, protecting you in here.”

“Are you sure? I could keep you company.”

“You are tired, seek your bed. We can talk
tomorrow night, after I rise.”

Yawning, the girl nodded. “I am pretty tired.
Thank you, Kai.”

“For what?”

“For listening to me and not treating me like a
baby.”

“Being a considered a child is sometimes better
than when adults figure out you can see and understand things no grown up
should. Good night, Mary.”

Chewing at her lower lip, Mary seemed to be
digesting what she said. “Night, Kai.” The kitchen door closed behind her.

Sipping her coffee, she hoped Mary took her advice
to heart. In the world of vampires and humans, one doesn’t have the luxury to
embrace innocence, not when real monsters existed and they hungered for your
blood … your soul.

✝✝✝

Standing outside, his past and present collided,
blinding him. Snow and green grass conflicted. Withdrawing his gun, he forced
his feet to move, casting out his senses, searching for any vamps or ghouls. A
wolf.

God’s Blood, who the hell was the wolf they saw at
the Skaggin farm?

Mistress, Mrs. Skaggin had said, denying it was
Angel Heart. Racking his mind, trying to pinpoint a female he had perhaps made
an enemy, the only one came to mind was long dead and could not haunt him
further.

Dammit, he wished Sin and Mina were here.
Strangely enough, he liked Sin Dracula, found in him a man he could easily call
friend and know he would not be judged by his past mistakes.

Resigned to go it alone, as he had for nearly two
hundred years, he patrolled.

✝✝✝

Nothing.

For two hours, he’d wandered the property, trying
to numb himself against the painful memories, to concentrate on keeping those
in the house safe. Alex returned to the manor and found Kai sitting at the top
of the stairs. Walking up to her, he stopped when he was couple steps from her.

She asked, “Anything exciting happen out there?”

“Nope. You?”

“Not even a psychic twitch.” Rising to her feet,
she yawned. “I don’t know what’s worse, hunting or sitting.” Kai reached for
the handrail and made to walk down the steps but missed.

Falling
forward, she gasped as he caught her, pulling her to safety in his arms. Off
balance, she threw her arms around his neck. They stared into each other’s
eyes. Their mouths almost touching. One only needed to lean in or withdraw.
Helpless, Kai begged him with her eyes to make the first move.

Each
breath she took caused her full breasts to rub his chest. Relaxing his grip,
Alex saw her disappointment, felt it in the way the tension in her body
deflated in defeat. Running his hands up her spine, he fit her closer to him,
loving how her curves melted into him. Fixed on her soft, full lips, the way
they parted invitingly, he brushed his lips against hers. Enjoying the soft
gasp she issued as he teased her, running the tip of his tongue along her
bottom lip, he almost smiled as she eagerly opened her mouth.

Instead
of deepening the kiss, he pressed light ones on her lips. A low, deep growl
issued from Kai, expressing her frustration. He shifted her so she was pressed
against the wall. Running his hand over her hip, the flat of her stomach, along
the swell of her breast, he gave into his desire without care or thought of the
consequences. Using mouth and tongue, he wove a sensual web around her, drawing
her whimpers in as she rubbed eagerly against him.

In
control, he touched her as he had longed desired. Enjoying the sweet taste of
her silken mouth, he nearly jumped when she ran her hands over his ass, drawing
him hard to her. His mouth opened in surprise, and she took advantage. She slid
her tongue along his, drawing him back to her in a flare of need and raw
passion. The rational side of his brain shut down and he pressed her roughly
into the wall.

He
had to make Kai his now!

✝✝✝

Alex was kissing her!

Opening her eyes, Kai stared right into his, so
hot and bold it melted her bones. Emerald flaked with ebony bore into her. They
stood intimately, his warm breath fanning her cheek. She ached for more than his
kiss. Running her hands over the firm expanse of his back, loving the feel of
hard muscles under his cotton shirt, she touched him as she had long dreamt to.

Ever so slowly, Alex caressed her as he flicked his
rough tongue teasingly along her lower lip, making her moan in frustration. A
small, arrogant smirk of male ego riled Kai into action. She pulled his head
down and kissed him. Tongues met in a feverish pitch, hunger and desire
intertwined. The taste of his warm mouth combined with the masculine authority
as he led the kiss in a heady, thrilling direction as he pressed her into the
wall.

Alex’s lips left hers, venturing down her throat.
Licking a path of fire, he ignited her starved senses to blazing new heights. The
rasp of his unshaven jaw against her skin made her bite her lip, the cry of
wanting to tell him how she felt lodged in her throat as his hot mouth molded
and tasted her. The tension in her belly swept lower and the need pooling
between her legs built to unbearable proportions. Every nerve, cell, tissue,
and muscle quivered in anticipation of his bite. The erotic feel of his fangs
touching her skin made her wet, her entire body quivered in response. At last,
he would claim her.

The grandfather clock downstairs chimed, the deep,
melodic notes declaring the time. Jumping back, he started swearing. “Kai, I — we
need to go to talk.”

Closing her eyes, she sighed and gave herself a
mental shake before brusquely walking down the rest of the stairs. He was right
behind her.

“Kai, we—”

“No, we don’t.” In a flash, she was out the door.

She couldn’t bear for him to touch her again and
not finish what he’d started. Every nerve, inch of skin was on fire as she
raced into the forest, desperate to get away from him. A ray of sunlight hit
her, burning her.

“Ouch!” Cursing her stupidity, she’d forgotten
about the dawn. Making a grave, she floated down into it. Clutching her
rucksack and sword, she held back a sob, refusing to cry.

Before she ‘willed’ the soil to cover her, she gazed
forlornly at the sky hidden behind the massive tree branches and thick leaves.
She whispered brokenly, “Will we ever have a chance to be together?”

✝✝✝

Hurrying outside, he realized Kai had disappeared
in the woods, beyond the courtyard. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes
and whispered hoarsely, “Forgive me, Kai. I want you, need you … I just don’t
know how to break hold my past and be with you.””

A mournful howl broke the stillness of the dawn.
His fangs dropped, a snarl curled his lip. On the wind, he heard her, her
German accent thick, “Handsome lover, how can you deny me? The girl cannot
please you, not like I can. She cannot hope to satisfy your needs — your
‘appetites’, only I can fulfill your darkest desires.”

“Who are you?” he demanded, searching for the
vampiress, unable to locate her.

A wicked chuckled rippled around him. “Short memory
you have, lover. I am saddened by your forgetfulness.”

He snorted. “You must not have made that much of
an impression upon me. I don’t remember you.”

“Bastard!” she screamed at him. “How dare you
forget me?” Her fury pitched around the trees, sending the tops swaying in
protest. “I killed the hunters for you! To protect you!”

“Why do you protect me? Who are you?” Why did her
voice sound familiar?