Raven Moon (26 page)

“The thing is the humans are not allowed to talk unless in prayer. Any sign of their disobedience is met with quick death.”

“No talking? No wonder they have not planned an escape but trust me, I’m sure they are.” Rave got out of bed and checked her hair in the mirror. She glanced at him as he smiled. “Dirk would be more than happy to help you, as will my murder of ravens.”

“Not so fast. After I hunt Jaeger and kill the chimpanzombies, I’ll go in and agree to be his second in command.”

“Wait, you mean only to command until you challenge Lazarus?”

“Yes, Lazarus must die. Only then can I see to the humans’ escape. Don’t worry. I have no intention of leading a Benandanti pack.”

She sighed. “That’s good to know.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I still have faith in the All Mighty, but our faith has been twisted for their goals. I know now there are many paths to salvation.”

“That means no more hunting witches.” He bristled. So, he still had some prejudices. That’s okay, once he met Dora he would learn to trust her. And he would especially love the ungifted elderly witch, Willow Bothwell. Since Willow was British, maybe she knew his parents.

“Right. Give me some time to get used to the idea.”

“Good, let’s eat and go hunting.”

“No. You return to California and that’s final.”

Oh no, you just didn’t go bossy alpha on me!
“Mate or not I owe it to my loyal men, Cashel and Beccan to rid the world of the chimpanzombies before others of our kind meet the same horrific death.” She stood to her full height, a good foot shorter than Maddox, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t have to fluff her feathers to show Maddox, she was his equal. “I will not leave my mate’s side.”

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “I understand your duty, but I promise, every one of those monsters will be destroyed. Wait for me in the safety of Yosemite.”

“And who is going to watch your ass?”

“Ravenna, if you could fly I would agree to you joining me, but you are flightless and I will not risk your life.”

“I’m not some helpless bird. I can shoot with supernatural accuracy.” She would not lose him to a silver bullet. It was unimaginable. Not when she had the cure in her satchel. If he was shot, who would inject him with the cure? Actually, a cure that had never been tested. Why tell him and have him rant about being a guinea pig? No, better if she just injected him if, and when, it was necessary. “I’m coming and that’s final.”

Maddox’s face and corded neck flushed deep red as if a stoplight to stop pestering him. He rumbled in a demonic werewolf tone, “I will not allow it.”

“Hey, just because you marked me does not make me your obedient little mate. Like you I’m an alpha, I will not back down, and I make my own decisions.”

“I have lost friends to the Kindred. I don’t plan to lose my mate.”

Her gaze flicked upward to meet his intense I’m-the-alpha-stare. Damn he was magnificent. Good thing his need to protect her was so sexy or she’d have to give him a good peck. The strong raven beak type. She forced a smile. “Precisely how I feel.”

“Humph. We’ll discuss this further before the meat goes to waste.”

Rave cocked her head. She loved raw flesh, but only as a raven. She shifted and roused. She winked at him and cawed.

After feasting on the stag, they shifted to human form. Rave borrowed a pair of snug black leather pants and cute lacy black and red top. The type of outfit one would wear for a night of clubbing. The previous owner had good taste in sexy attire. She patted her satchel, ready to move. But first, she needed to grab her crossbow and 9mm from the piano room. Maddox hastily donned his all black attire and set his katana on the table. So hot. “Hey, maybe along the way I can find a better assault weapon.”

“Yes, something with a scope for distant shooting from the safety of a nearby building.”

She was about to retort when Maddox stiffened. “Shh.”

A chill scraped her spine as if a hawk’s shadow warned her raven to take cover before it dive-bombed her. She cocked her head to listen. “Sounds like someone mowing the lawn but…”

Maddox grabbed her and with werewolf speed dashed out the back and into the pasture as a missile from a drone bombed the mansion. He leapt into the brush and covered her body with his, bearing the brunt of the flying debris that rained on them.

Chapter 17

Maddox growled from the brush as the drone hovered over the ruins of what was once the stately mansion. Their vehicle rested on its back. Now a burned out hull.
Bloody hell.
Beneath him, Rave shoved him to get up. He held her still and covered her mouth. His voice low, guttural, “Stay down.”

In the bright sunlight, the drone’s camera was unable to hone in on them. Three zombies shambled out from the woods, attracted by the explosion. The drone turned and descended. Its camera zoomed in on the undead, but never fired. Not worth the missile to obliterate three zombies. It made another pass over the debris, turned, then flew toward the road and out of sight.

Maddox cocked his wolf ears. Gone. But where did it go and where did it come from?

Rave rasped, “Get off.”

No! In his fervor to protect his mate, he’d crushed her. He sprung up as if someone had jabbed him with a cattle prod. His back must be black and blue from flying debris as if a pipe had pounded him. He winced and knelt beside Rave, still on her back. She blinked her glorious violet eyes and except for her blanched face, she didn’t seem injured. He retracted his claws and helped Rave up. He spared her a glance while remaining alert for new danger. “Are you okay?”

Rave shuddered as if rousing her hidden feathers and wiped her hands down her pants. She peeked in her satchel. “Yeah.” She wobbled and he steadied her.

He pushed her hair from her eyes. “Your arm, did I hurt it?”

Rave slowly circled her arm. “I’m fine.” She glanced at the crater and frowned. “So much for your piano, Wolfiegang.”

“And my katana.”

“Oh, no.” She scanned the rubble. “I’ll help you look.”

“We don’t have time. Who knows, the drone may return.” He brushed a leaf from her hair. “To hell with the piano and katana. I managed to save my most precious possession, you.”

Rave pressed her hand to his cheek and her expression slackend. “Ahh.”

The three moaning zombies approached, arms outstretched, like the undead featured in the old horror B movies. Slow walking and in ripe decay. Maddox wrinkled his nose and pointed to the road. “This way.” The zombies turned to follow them.

“But that’s where the drone went.”

“Yes, and then it headed west. We’ll head east until we find another vehicle.” They ignored the zombies following them. At their pace they would never catch up.

Rave kept up with his long strides. “So you think the Kindred controlled the drone?”

“Absolutely. I’m certain they tortured my pilot in to revealing I was with him. Let’s just hope they think I’m dead.”

“That sucks.” She muttered under her breath, “Even if he’s a Benandanti.”

Maddox cringed, though she was his mate, they were worlds apart. “Once he’s served his purpose, Jaeger will have him killed.”

Her tone softened, “Sorry about your friend.”

“Not a friend. He was Lazarus’s personal pilot. Someone to keep tabs on me.” During the entire flight, he’d scented the beta’s deception.

“Really? Your pack leader sent a spy to report on you, the all mighty Benandanti Templar?”

He sighed. “My mission was to bring back humans, but it wasn’t on my agenda.” How could he condone it when he knew Lazarus bedded human woman and enslaved the men? Who in their right mind would accept that lifestyle?

“Of course, it wasn’t. You were trained to hunt the Kindred.”

“Precisely.”

“I’m sure the Kindred will assume you and the pilot were pack buddies.”

“They might keep him alive until they determine I was killed in the explosion.”

“You think they’ll come back and look through the rubble?”

He scanned the area. “Any minute.”

Rave stopped. “Wait!”

Maddox whirled around. “I’ll slow down.”

“No. It’s not that.” Her eyebrows drew in pensive thought. “What if?”

The stench of the approaching slow zombies accosted his nose. His beast was under the full moon’s influence and his mate was too close to danger. He growled, “What?”

“Since only Lazarus knew where you were heading, maybe he hired a hit on you. I mean, did you piss him off?”

Maddox tilted his head to the sky and sighed. “I refused to be his second in command. I told Lazarus, I intended to devote my life to hunting Jaeger. I had to seek justice for Mariah and Diego’s murders.”

“And he ordered you not to?”

“At first, I thought I had his blessing when he sent me to hunt Jaeger in San Antonio where the Kindred had last been spotted. I should have known something was wrong when instead of Jonas my usual beta pilot, he sent Nick. My orders changed from hunting Jaeger to finding scientist survivors. The pilot was to meet me back at our rendezvous in a week, but I had already decided to follow my own path.”

Rave reached for his cheek, smoothing the stubble with her soft fingers. She met his eyes. “Instead, you found your mate.” She chuckled. “At least your naughty wolf did. Now we are both going to hell, right?”

“I had always been faithful.” He cupped her chin with his hands. “Until, my eyes opened and I saw the world from a bird’s eye view.”

“As in, you’re cool with having a mate of the raven persuasion?”

He laughed. “In that, both my wolf and I agree. I’ve known you were mine, since I first saw you waltz into the consortium meeting. Actually, not a waltz as much as that cute raven hip swaying waddle.”

She stumbled back from him and narrowed her eyes. “Waddle? Maybe I should quack instead of caw.”

“What I meant was watching your ass sway in such sensual confidence made my wolf howl.”

“Just know I checked you out too, Templar. But are you sure you won’t go all ashamed self-flagellating what-have-I-done-shit with me after the moon wanes?”

Maddox gave Rave a chaste kiss on her full lips and smiled. “I’ll know we are mates until the end of time, whether in damnation or in paradise.”

“In the eternal thermals, you’ll be allowed to glide alongside your raven mate.”

A zombie stumbling over a log, growling a moan like an angered cat, convinced them to continue moving. Maddox lifted her and dashed toward the road. Clear. He put her down and flared his nostrils. “I smell vehicles maybe a mile down the road.”

She nodded. “I’ll need another weapon.”

Unfortunately, Rave had left the 9mm and crossbow inside the ruined mansion. He smiled. “I’m the only weapon, you’ll need.”

“I hate to burst your ‘Me powerful alpha werewolf, you my mate’ bubble, but the Kindred and your own pack wants your hide.” She brushed dust from his black shirt. “A pretty hide, that I won’t let anybody harm.”

He held her hand as they walked on the road’s shoulder. “I just can’t believe Lazarus would use drone technology, that’s something the Kindred would devise.”

“How do you know? You were gone for an entire year and when you returned your alpha leaders had been decimated by the so-called prophet.”

“Still, Nick’s scent was on the two Kindred men I killed back at Stonefield. If he’d been captured or killed, who controlled this new drone?”

“Either.” She flipped her raven hair back. “Drone technology is good for blowing zombies to pieces but also useful in getting rid of tankers or a political enemy, you.”

Maddox stopped and gave her an incredulous look. “Not possible. The Kindred and our kind, no matter what pack faction, have been sworn blood enemies since time immemorial. Our brains are wired to hate the Kindred.”

“It’s a different world out there. Look at us.” Rave pursed her lips. “What if for argument’s sake they’ve agreed to a temporary alliance?”

“Lazarus’s father was butchered by the Kindred. Not to mention our faith teaches us they are sons of Satan.”

“Like us non-Benandanti shifters. Such as me.”

The reminder of what he’d been raised to believe bit him in the bloody arse. He’d just mated with Satan’s get. His mind raced for answers. Yet nowhere in the Benandanti Holy Bible mentioned shifters as being evil. Only by those so-called prophets, and their interpretation of the Word. He fixed a stare at Rave. She was beautiful, brave, and willing to help save humans. Just like the shifters he’d fought side by side with in England. He sighed. “According to our holy book, shifters, like humans, can choose to be good or evil. Unfortunately, the Benandanti priests preached that other shifters chose the dark side.”

“Speaking of the dark side, hasn’t he broken faith by creating some wolf cult with human survivors?”

Maddox hadn’t had a chance to tell her how Lazarus broke the most sacred of vows by mating with human women. “Precisely, which is why I doubt the Kindred would align with him.”

Rave shrugged. “It’s not like the Kindred would not think about building their own drones.” She tapped her full lips. “In fact, building drones should be on my clan’s to do list.”

“If Nick told them I was here, naturally they would have searched me out.” He gently gripped her shoulders and met her bright eyes, hoping she would see reason. “For your own safety, we must part as soon as we get you a vehicle.”

“Are you kidding? I didn’t come all this way, lose my men, only to lose my mate.”

“Rave, do you really think your royal family will accept me?” He loved her but how could he expect her to give up her life? Her future throne?

“They have no choice.”

“Oh, yes they do. You can be banished.”

Rave stood on her toes and kissed his stubble. “Better that than losing my piano playing werewolf mate.”

His heartbeat quickened at the touch of her warm lips and her devout loyalty. He daydreamed of the two of them basking in the sun on some far off beach or making love beneath the moon’s glow. He stepped back. “Maybe I should not have claimed you. No one need know.”
Damn it, I will not lose you, like I have everyone who’s ever loved me but if it is best for you, I can return to England.

Rave scoffed. “Yeah, you’re in the clear, but me? They’ll know as soon as they get an eyeful of your mark on the back of my neck.” She pulled her ebony hair up and displayed his bite, still red raw. She let it fall back and pouted. “I wish I could show the world you belong to me.”