Fang Chronicles: Zenya's Story (9 page)

Her breathing accelerated and beads of sweat broke out on her already damp skin as she tried to fight the power of his alpha. Her eyes lowered but her voice didn’t. “This isn’t right.”

Vorlyk’s response held no softness. “What is right Esta? Your own kind kill and torture their women. They kill your babies. You are nothing to them but trash. The wolves are different, or so we’ve been told. Nicolas has done nothing but help us. He lost his entire pack to the cats, but he’s helping you. Now he’s leading you as beastkind. I’m still here, but this is how a clan should work. I’ve told you he’s offered passage to Canada for you once we’re safe if that’s what you want.”

She wouldn’t look up. “I’m sorry, Vorlyk. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Then you can leave once we’re safe. But you will help until then.”

“Yes, Vorlyk.”

Chapter Thirteen

Without Desi and Corla, keeping watch required each of them to increase their guard time. They were exhausted. Talya and Sheeba noticeably dragged their feet and made too much noise. They slept during the heat of the day, and at one point veered off course for more than a mile due to a large group of cats coming within a few hundred yards of them.

Every day in the jungle took its toll. They had to make it out of cat territory before Zenya contacted Amy. They knew they were close, but Nicolas also knew it was even more dangerous now. They passed a few settlements and then the settlements became towns and the jungle disappeared. They could only travel in human form during the day, but they pushed on. The vampire had no more trees to shelter him from the sun and his steps faltered. Finally, miles of desert stretched before them and Zenya made contact with Amy.

She spoke out loud after several minutes of silent communication. “Amy and Marcus are sending vehicles to pick us up, but we need to keep moving. We can carry enough water to make it another twenty-four hours.”

No one argued, but Nicolas couldn’t help the hair standing up on the back of his neck. He felt hunted.

In the early afternoon, they found some deserted shanties and stopped to get out of the heat. An hour into their nap, Esta woke Nicolas. “There’s a large group of vehicles coming our way. I have no idea who they are. It could be cat, wolf, or human.”

Nicolas went outside and watched for a moment as the trucks drew closer. “Wake everyone up. We’ll find out soon enough if they’re friend or enemy. As long as they don’t have a vamp, we’ll survive.”

His pack carried knives and two machetes, but they had no other weapons. Nicolas stood still and finally could see men with large automatic weapons riding in three trucks. It didn’t look good. The slight breeze worked against him, but didn’t help the men in the trucks either, because it blew westward, and the trucks came from the north. He had no idea who was approaching, but obviously someone knew they were here.

  The trucks stopped approximately two hundred yards away. The men hurriedly jumped to the ground and took position.

Zenya’s breath crossed his ear. “Their minds are closed to me, so they don’t belong to Amy and Marcus.”

“I was afraid of that.”

A bullet ricocheted off the wall near Nicolas’s head and he pulled Zenya down. “Where’s Vorlyk?”

“Here.” The voice came from the adobe hut about ten feet away.

“Ideas?”

“I’ve never been a fighter, but I think I can blink in and take out a couple and then get myself back into the shade before I try again.”

“Why not get in and out just to see who we’re up against?”

“That I can do.”

Nicolas watched as a scuffle took place behind the third vehicle. All he could see was dirt fly into the air, but he heard the voices as the men realized they had a vampire in their midst.

The vampire’s voice materialized from the adobe hut again. “It’s your people, but obviously they don’t want to play nice.”

“They’re wolves?”

“Yes. They stink just like you.”

He ignored the gibe. “Okay, I’ll shift and see if they’ll stop shooting long enough to talk.”

“It’s your skin.”

Nicolas stripped off his sweat-soaked clothes and shifted. “I’m coming your way vamp and it would help if you cleared the doorway.”

Nicolas leaped out of his hiding spot and dashed to the adobe hut. Only one shot went off before he heard yelling to hold fire. “I’m going out. Hopefully they’ll talk first.”

“They’re your people. Make them see the light.”

Nicolas slowly made his way into the sunlight, walking straight toward the trucks.

“Stop where you are.”

Nicolas came to a stop and shifted to human form.

“Who are you? We know you have cats with you.”

“I’m Nicolas, Alpha of the eastern Pack.”

“He’s dead.”

“Then why would I introduce myself as him?”

Two men stood and began undressing. Nicolas had no idea who they were, but suddenly two wolves were running full at him. He shifted to wolf and waited.

Pack—HIS pack.

Troy and Bernard were two young wolves from his pack sent off to fight for the U.S. Government in Afghanistan. They plowed into him and he let his body roll. For an alpha it was undignified, and for two lesser wolves it was completely out of control, but these were his pack mates.

Their voices in his head were the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

“You’re alive,” said Troy, the younger of the two.

Wolf fur slid against his—rubbing, rolling, and scenting. Nicolas managed to gain his feet and shift to human. His hands came out and landed on the backs of his wolves. “My brothers, I’ve missed you.”

The two stayed in wolf form and pushed up against their alpha. Nicolas glanced over his shoulder, aware his cats were still in danger. He spoke out loud, “Stay hidden. You’ll be safe, but I need to finesse the leader first.”

“We’re not coming out until you tell us,” Zenya said.

Nicolas walked toward the trucks. Guns lowered and men stepped out from behind the vehicles. He smiled when he recognized Samson, the second in command of Brandt’s Northwest pack. Samson came forward and opened his arms, wrapping them tightly around Nicolas.

“You’re supposed to be dead, old man.” Samson stepped back and looked at the once missing alpha.

“The goddess had other ideas.”

“So who are the cats you’re running with?”

“It’s a little complicated, but they’re my pack and really I don’t want any jokes.”

“You have a vamp, too.”

“Yes.”

“How will they handle my men?”

“I’m more worried about how your men will handle them.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. If they helped you then they’re on our side.”

“There are six female cats and a male vamp. I think you met him a few minutes ago.”

“He’s a kid.”

“Yes, in looks, but he’s older than you or I.”

“Your wolf chose him as vamp, so I have no problem. Can we approach?”

“Yes, but only a few of you, if you don’t mind. We don’t have any guns, but these women have been through a lot and they don’t trust men in general.”

“You got it.”

Chapter Fourteen

Troy and Bernard, in wolf form, accompanied Samson for the walk to the broken-down huts. Nicolas shouldn’t have been surprised when Esta in all her petulance stepped forward first. Vorlyk immediately appeared by her side and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Smart vampire.

Zenya stepped out from behind the pair, and before anyone could stop Troy, he attacked. Esta went into instant fighting mode against Bernard while Vorlyk grabbed Samson holding him immobile. For a vampire not accustomed to fighting, it was a smart move, but Nicolas didn’t have time to think of that until later. He went for Troy, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and throwing him several yards away.

Nicolas placed his hand on Zenya’s shoulder while looking at the other she-cat trying to kill Bernard. “Esta stop.” He put every bit of alpha command he possessed into his voice and then turned hard eyes to Troy, who was picking himself off the ground.

“What the hell has gotten into you?”

Between breaths, the wolf managed to telepathically reply, “I have her picture. She’s a traitor to the wolves and should be killed on sight.”

“Well how the fuck do you think I escaped, because it wasn’t with the help of your sorry ass.”

Troy looked at Zenya, then at his alpha, immediately lowering his big wolf head. Nicolas looked back at Esta, who stepped away from Bernard. “Bernard, Troy, meet Esta. She’s now part of your pack and if you take a minute you’ll realize you can mind speak to each other.”

“A filthy cat?” Troy said stupidly.

Nicolas reacted without thought, and once he launched his human body in the air, it became wolf. He landed, clenching his teeth around the other wolf’s throat. “She’s pack—cat or wolf. It doesn’t matter. Almost everyone we love is gone. You’ll accept my pack mates or find a new clan.”

All the anger left Troy, and Nicolas’s teeth slowly loosened. He stood and then shifted to human. He looked at Bernard. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, alpha, I will follow you with cats, mice, or elephants if you command me.”

Nicolas turned to the she-cats, who were now out in the open. “Do any of you have a problem?”

“No, alpha.” They looked scared but determined.

Last, he turned to Esta. “They will protect you with their lives or I will kill them myself.”

Esta lowered her angry gaze.

“You okay?” he asked Zenya.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She wouldn’t look at anyone.

Nicolas took her hand in his and walked her to Samson. He spoke loudly. “Amy and Marcus set Zenya up as a traitor so she would be safer with the cats and able to rescue me. She contacted Amy over an hour ago and they are supposed to be sending help.” Nicolas stopped talking and looked at the vampire’s hand resting on Samson’s shoulder. “My liege, Samson is not your enemy. He is second to the alpha of the northwest clan.”

The vampire’s hand unclenched and Samson took a deep breath. He stepped forward and put his hand out to Zenya. She placed her shaking fingers in his. “Thank you, Zenya. We gave up hope long ago.”

She refused to lift her eyes and it made Nicolas angry, though he wasn’t sure why. The stubborn she-cat stood up to him just fine.

Samson then put his hand out to Esta, but she didn’t take it. Samson only smiled and turned to the vampire. “I know you’re a vampire and all, capable of killing everyone in sight, but you look like you’re going to drop. I think you need to get out of the sun.”

“I believe you’re right. Do you want to bring your trucks in closer while we wait for nightfall?”