Blood From a Silver Cross (Kat Redding) (7 page)

The woman wiped at her eyes and smiled at the younger woman. Nathan eased back down as if the smile had changed his mind. He was breathing fast and hard, but wasn’t shifting.

Yet.

The young woman walked out of view again as the other woman started flipping through a book. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought it might be some sort of photo album. She sighed heavily and then looked toward the back door.

Nathan stiffened and ducked down, but before anything else could happen, the younger woman returned and closed a curtain over the back door.

My hand was still on my gun as Nathan rose from his crouch. He was facing the house and I could tell he was considering approaching. The light inside snapped off, leaving the home dark except for a single, upstairs light that looked as if it might be a candle.

A low growl was my only warning.

The wolf came out of nowhere. I managed to turn and raise an arm just as the were leapt at me from the other yard. She was fully shifted and, like all weres, was naked. She was tall, her fur dark.

The wolf was on me before I could pull my gun. She hit me hard in the chest, knocking my hand away from my Glock before I could draw. We slammed hard into the metal shed, causing it to clang loudly. Teeth snapped at my face and it was all I could do to keep an arm up so her fangs didn’t close on my flesh.

I reached down in an attempt to get at my sword or one of my knives, but my coat was trapped closed. The werewolf was strong and no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn’t get her to back off. She snapped and snarled in my face, splattering me with warm saliva.

She had me pinned to the side of the shed, one hand completely useless. The other I had jammed at her throat and I pressed with all my might in an effort to keep her from biting my face off and to choke off her air supply. I was beginning to tremble and knew that if something didn’t give soon, my arm would give out.

I opened my mouth to call out for Nathan, knowing he would be pissed at me for following him, but at that moment, I didn’t care. I needed help.

Before I could yell for him, another snarl brought both our heads around. A new were, this one smaller than the one holding me, crashed into the female wolf. Her grip on me loosened and both wolves went rolling out into the open.

I drew both my gun and sword as soon as I was able and took aim at the fighting wolves. Neither was familiar, though it was hard to tell in their wolf forms. I only was sure that neither was Nathan.

The fight was quick and I didn’t have to shoot, which meant I still might avoid Nathan’s detection. I wasn’t sure if he’d stuck around to watch the fight or if he’d taken off at the first howl. I wasn’t about to look either. I kept my gaze locked on the snarling wolves.

Werewolves are violent naturally, but something about this fight went far beyond the normal. The little one wasn’t as strong as the bigger female, but he fought with a tenacity the other couldn’t match.

With a yelp, the female rolled away from the male and took off running. The smaller let her go.

He turned to me and I raised my gun. “Don’t try it,” I said, ready to pull the trigger at the first aggressive move. He might have saved my skin, but that didn’t mean he would let me walk away. He might have simply wanted me all to himself.

The werewolf studied me a moment and then started shifting. He cried out as the change overtook him and I was forced to look away. It was an extremely painful process that wasn’t pleasant to witness. I was thankful as a vampire I didn’t have to go through that.

A moment later, a man stood before me, nude as the day he was born. Sweat and rain glistened on his body. He turned his face up to the sky and took deep, gasping breaths, before locking eyes with me.

He didn’t say anything. He stared at me for a good five seconds before turning and walking away.

Surprisingly, I let him go.

I lowered my gun, but kept it in hand, waiting for him to vanish completely from sight before risking a look around the corner. I doubted he would have stuck around, but I needed to know for sure.

The hedge was empty.

Nathan was gone.

M
y first instinct was to drive straight to the Den and confront Jonathan about Nathan’s activities. I didn’t care whether the Cult’s second was there or not. I’d accuse him just like I would anyone else. If he was up to something, Jonathan deserved to know about it.

Then again, hadn’t Jonathan acted as if he knew what Nathan was doing when I’d asked about him the other night? Did that mean he was allowing his weres to hunt again? Was that even what Nathan had been doing?

I wasn’t sure what I would do if Jonathan were letting the Cult werewolves feed. I don’t think I could kill him, but it would put a pretty quick halt on us working together. Werewolves weren’t like vampires, who could simply drink a little blood and leave their victims alive if they chose. They needed the meat too. Hard to keep someone alive when you’re eating their flesh.

I went as far as to start in the direction of the Den, but turned for home instead. I wasn’t positive Nathan was up to anything sinister and if I were to go to Jonathan without thinking about what I planned on saying, chances were good I’d fuck things up.

And that’s not to mention the fact that Keira might be there. I had a sinking feeling she’d been the female wolf who’d attacked me. Going to the Den now might end up in a bloodbath.

It was a surprising moment of clarity for me. The old me would have gone straight to the Den to demand answers. I would have alienated the people who might actually be my friends, all because I didn’t know what was going on. Cooling down seemed like a far safer course of action for everyone.

Still, it wasn’t easy to turn away from the confrontation. The beast inside demanded blood and it was hard not to give in. I’d have to feed soon or I wouldn’t be able to control myself at all. I’d probably end up hurting someone I cared about, all in a hunger-induced frenzy.

The rain was really falling by the time I pulled up the driveway. It just added another reason to get somewhere cozy and warm while I sorted through things. If I’d gone to the Den, I would have had a longer drive to get back home and would have been soaked even worse. I had a feeling this was going to be one of those night-long rains.

There wasn’t a dry bone in my body as I parked in the garage. I shivered and shut off the engine. I sat there for a long moment, calming myself down. I was angry. I couldn’t go inside pissed at the world. This was the sort of thing I was trying to avoid.

It took me a few minutes before I felt like I could face Ethan and Jeremy without finding something to nitpick. I entered through the side door and peeled off my coat. Despite the leather, it felt as if my underclothes were just as soaked as the rest of me. It felt like I might never get dry again.

I sludged my way into the dining room and deposited my coat on the table to dry. I should have asked Jeremy if I could take his car since I knew it was going to rain. There’d been no reason for me to go driving around in the downpour on my Honda when I could have kept myself nice and dry in the car.

Then again, I might not have been able to follow Nathan if I’d been in the car. He would have spotted the black car almost immediately.

I sat down to peel off my boots. They came away with a plop. My socks were soaked through.

“Wet night,” Jeremy said from the couch. I hadn’t even seen him there when I’d come in.

“Very.”

“Find anything out?”

I shook my head and set my boots under the table. I’d have to take them down and light a fire later so they could fully dry. Otherwise, I’d be walking in wet boots tomorrow night. The same went for my coat and leathers.

Jeremy hesitated like he saw something in my face that said I wasn’t telling him something, which of course, I wasn’t. I didn’t want to accuse Nathan or Keira of anything until I had some proof.

“Where’s Ethan?” I asked, rising. My socks made wet squelching sounds as I walked across the linoleum. I paused long enough to pull them off so I wouldn’t track water through the house.

“Downstairs.” Jeremy turned back to the TV.

I studied the werewolf for a moment, wondering if he was mad at me. While he’d been the one to initiate conversation, I hadn’t actually given him much in the way of answers. I definitely needed to work harder at including him, though it wasn’t going to happen tonight.

“Thanks,” I said, heading for the stairs. I wanted out of my wet clothes in the worst way. I could deal with Jeremy in a bit.

I closed my bedroom door and went about the slow process of peeling out of my leather. Wet leather doesn’t like coming off. At times, it almost felt as if it wasn’t worth it and I should simply lay down in front of a fire for a few hours before trying again.

Thankfully, the leather wasn’t exactly tight. I preferred motorcycle leathers, the loose kind that are strong enough to save you from scraping yourself too badly if you hit the pavement, but not so tight as to restrict movement, so I was able to get them off before growing too frustrated. I hung them on the edge of the hamper, figuring I’d go down and put them in front of the fire once I was dry and changed.

I shivered again and decided it would be a good idea to get a warm shower before doing anything else. I wouldn’t get sick from the chill, but it was uncomfortable. The hot water would serve as a quick fix in warming me up through and through.

I jacked the heat up and stepped inside the cascading water. I closed my eyes and simply let it wash over me. It melted all of the stress away, warming my chilled bones. It felt so good, it took me a moment to realize something was wrong.

I slammed my hand against the wall before I could fall. Everything was spinning and there was a churning in my gut that made my knees weak.

I slid down to my knees and fought the urge to retch. I was breathing fast and hard, unable to catch my breath. My body was covered with goose bumps despite the fact the water was almost as hot as it would go.

Steam blurred my vision and I closed my eyes against a world that refused to sit still. I hitched in a breath and held it, knowing that if I were to try to breathe normally, I’d end up puking all over myself.

And that’s when the pain hit.

It came from right behind my ear, where Beligral’s mark was raised. I screamed and collapsed to all fours where I vomited nonstop for at least ten agonizing seconds. The water washed it away almost immediately, but the smell filled my nose and wouldn’t go away. It smelled worse than the stuff Ethan had given me to drink the night before.

I threw up again.

I jerked my head back as another wave of pain hit. My skull cracked hard against the side of the tub and my knees bent back the wrong way, but I was past the point of caring. Stars were flashing in my vision and the world did another slow loop that just about had me flat on my back.

The bathroom door burst open, but I kept my eyes closed. Wave after wave of pure agony shot through my head, blinding me to anything but the pain. I was gagging and shaking so badly, it was like having a seizure.

The shower curtain was jerked back and I was pretty sure I heard it tear. Someone spoke, but the pain not only blinded me, it had struck me mostly deaf. I doubted I’d have made sense of the words even if I could’ve heard them over the ocean of sound going on within my head.

A hand took me by the shoulders and gently shook.

And just like that, the pain was gone.

My eyes snapped open to find Jeremy leaning into the shower. His hair was soaked. Water ran into his eyes, yet he didn’t seem to care. His one good hand was holding me down, as if he feared I might leap up and rip out his throat.

“Kat?” he asked. He sounded terrified. “What’s happening?”

I swallowed back the rush of bile that was still assaulting me. The pain might be gone, but I still felt woozy. “Let me up,” I said. My voice came out gravelly. I probably looked as bad as I sounded.

Jeremy leaned back, but kept his hand on me. I used his arm to lift myself into a sitting position. My head was still swimming horribly and I was forced to lean back against the tile to steady myself. Standing was completely out of the question.

I blindly reached out and turned off the shower. The water was still hot, meaning my attack hadn’t lasted long, though it felt as if it had taken a lifetime.

“Here.”

I opened one eye. Jeremy was holding a towel out to me. He was looking the other way.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the towel from him. I draped it across my legs and chest and crossed my arms over it to keep it in place.

Jeremy glanced at me and, noting that I was covered, turned to face me once again. “I heard you scream,” he said. I was surprised to hear how much worry was in his voice.

“I’m okay,” I said, though I was far from it. I knew what had happened. It pissed me off to no end. I wasn’t sure how much Jeremy knew of Ethan’s demon, so I wasn’t about to explain things to him. I didn’t want to scare him away.

Jeremy licked his lips and sat back on his heel. He wiped his hand down his face to sluice away most of the water. Droplets dripped from his hair onto his shirt, which clung appealingly against his chest.

“I thought someone had gotten in somehow,” he said. “Christ.” He laughed shakily. “I thought you were dying.”

“I’m fine.” I took hold of the faucet and used it to leverage my way to my feet. I swayed a moment before steadying. “But I have to talk to Ethan. Now.”

Jeremy rose with me. He kept looking at me and then looking away. It took me a moment to realize I’d loosened my grip on my towel. It had been hanging down around my waist and the poor were had no idea where to look.

“Help me out,” I said, reaching out a hand. I wasn’t going to be embarrassed by my nudity. He was a werewolf; he should be used to that sort of thing by now.

Jeremy hesitated a moment before taking my hand. He kept his eyes averted, which was actually sort of endearing. The poor kid was embarrassed and trying damn hard not to let it show.

My legs were weak and shaky, but I was able to step over the lip of the tub and out onto the floor without falling. Now that the pain had passed and I was able to move again, anger was starting to creep in. I could have cracked my skull in there. I could have drowned. The fucking demon had probably planned it that way.

“Do you need me to stay?” Jeremy asked. “I can wait outside if you need me to help you downstairs.”

“I’ll be okay,” I said. “I just need a few minutes to get changed and I’ll be down.”

Jeremy nodded, but didn’t leave right away. He looked into my face, studied me as if trying to decide if I were really okay. I forced a smile and that seemed to do it for him. He turned and walked out of the bathroom, though I did notice him glance back over his shoulder once before he was gone. I wasn’t sure if that last gaze was to check on me or to check me out. I was flattered either way.

The bedroom door closed a moment later, leaving me alone in the privacy of my room. My entire body ached as I dried off. The mark behind my ear was throbbing now and the scar on my back had flared up during the attack. My fingers were tingling oddly and I had a sudden fear that something worse had happened while I’d been suffering, something permanent.

I shook off the thought. There was no use dwelling on it. If I didn’t get better by the time I was done with Beligral, I’d break the demon’s goddamned neck.

Once dry, I grabbed clean underwear, a pair of jeans, and a T-shirt and pulled them on. My boots were downstairs and still wet, so I snatched a dirty pair of tennis shoes out of the closet and slipped them on. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself before leaving my room.

Jeremy was waiting for me in the dining room. He watched me, face full of concern, but didn’t rush over to help when I swayed on the bottom step. If I’d asked, I was sure he’d be there in an instant. He realized I wanted to do this on my own. It was built into the both of us.

I was still having a hard time putting one foot in front of the other without stumbling, so I leaned against the wall before heading all the way downstairs. It wouldn’t do to show weakness in front of the demon. He’d take too much pleasure in it.

It was then I noticed Jeremy was holding his phone. By the way he was squeezing it, I could tell he had yet to make a call.

“Don’t call him,” I said. “I’ll take care of this. There’s nothing he can do.”

Jeremy nodded and slid his phone into his back pocket like he’d known that from the get-go.

I gave him a thankful nod and then headed down the next flight of stairs.

The fireplace was cold in the sitting room. I wanted a warm fire more than ever, but it would have to wait. I couldn’t put this off any longer. If I waited, chances were good Beligral would send more pain to remind me of my mark. The next time he did, I might not be standing in a shower. I could be riding my motorcycle. If that happened, I’d probably break my neck.

I took the stairs into the basement slowly, trying hard to manage my anger. I really didn’t want to do this. I was afraid of what I might say to the demon once we were face to face.

As soon as I was in the basement, I resolutely made my way to the door that led down into Ethan’s lab and pressed the intercom button.

“Ethan,” I said, sounding far angrier than I wanted. I needed to calm down fast. I really didn’t need Beligral pissed off at me any more than he already was.

It took him only a moment to answer, as if he knew I’d be coming. “I’m here.” He paused. “What’s up?”

I took a deep breath and grimaced. It tasted horrible, like bile and raw sewage. My hair was still wet and I think I’d puked in it, which only added to the stench. I felt like hell, yet there was no turning back now.

I glanced at the table with my weapons. What I wouldn’t give to take them down with me, but knew that would only irritate Beligral. What came out of my mouth was probably already going to be bad enough.