Wolf's Strength (16 page)

Excerpt from Ambrielle Kirk’s Vampire Romance, DONOR

DONOR (Dresdan Coven, 1)

Elaina was once a tracker of Dresdan, an ancient species of vampire. For years, she served District 5, whose prime agenda is to create a new race of humans. As a result of misguided politics and greed, the District becomes corrupted from the inside out. Before Elaina can expose the truth, District 5 discovers that her blood type contains the elements to create a successful hybrid. She becomes the hunted, but protection is found while in the presence of one vampire…

Vicq won’t rest until he destroys District 5 and their immoral experiments are halted. Too many Dresdan have been captured and exterminated, threatening their existence and painting them all as animals. As he plans his attack against District 5, master vampire Russo orders his death for violating a prime law of Dresdan. But Vicq is not ready to cease existing…especially since he’s found salvation with Elaina.

With very few on their side, Elaina and Vicq must cultivate a plan to ward off their enemies. In the process, they find lust, love, and new meaning to their special bond.

CHAPTER ONE

Without her Glock 26, Elaina was no match for a Dresdan.

Her tracker intuition told her she was being followed by one. The vampire made no attempt to mask its presence. Dark shadows loomed over the pavement around her as it hastily shifted from one area to the next. Revealing itself to a human wasn't something the Dresdan were known for...unless it planned to kill said human.

Elaina kept her gaze on the ground and quickened her pace. Although the parking garage wasn't that far away, it seemed to take her an eternity to reach. The worse thing she could do at this point was run. There was no escaping them, and no point in fleeing once one became a target. Death was the only outcome. Theirs or yours. One shot to the head or a clean slice through the neck proved to be the quickest way to destroy these creatures. But tonight was her unlucky night. Mid-day, she'd left all weapons in her SUV in order to get past the metal detectors and cover for a sick co-worker in another department of the Courthouse.

Thus, Elaina had nothing to defend herself. Not even a damn razor blade.

Something told her the vampire would not allow her to make it to her SUV, but it was worth a try. Continuing toward the covered garage, she contemplated limited options.

The tall wrought iron street lamps gleamed on the sidewalk, and her heels echoed into the night as they hit the asphalt. Gusty winds blew against her exposed face, lifting the hair off her shoulders. She caught the scent of two more presences directly behind her on the breeze, but these two weren't Dresdan. One smelled of cheap aftershave and the other of pine scented soap. They were human. Both were men. And they were the only ones between herself and the Dresdan.

Customarily vampires didn't discriminate when it came to a feeding. Blood was blood. The nourishment that kept them alive. Maybe the Dresdan was just hungry. Could the men be the decoys she needed to make a clean escape? Or would her plans backfire?

If this thing was one of the greedier, younger ones, then more than likely he'd chase all three of them down and feed until their bodies were lifeless.

Resisting a Dresdan was like struggling to stay awake when fatigue set in. Sooner or later, the body succumbs. There was no denying these creatures a feeding. Death came swiftly to those who opposed them.

Elaina had once been a Dresdan tracker until she made one false move that cost her the job. Now she was being hunted by both the organization that had employed her and the very beings she'd been contracted to kill, but not for the same reasons.

Both sides would have to put up a good fight if they wanted her, because she refused to become a research rat and had never welcomed death before.

Tonight was no different...

She stopped cold on the pavement...and so did everything else. In that moment, she had guaranteed confirmation that she was the one being tracked this time around.

When Elaina spun around, the next events happened like flash animation in rapid succession right before her eyes.

The Dresdan caught the humans by surprise, rushing up behind them and grabbing them both by the throat. They were stunned and—like her—unprepared for this ravenous predator.

Just as she was about to make a break for it, a gun fell from one of the victims' hands and skidded across the pavement. The other man gripped a rope. Had these two actually been pursuing her?

She scurried backwards nearly tripping over her own feet, yet her eyes would not leave the scene.

The vampire must have held them in a death vice. All she saw were the whites of their eyes, and a large dark shadow behind them. The creature honed in and struck the first victim in the jugular, sucking the life right out of him. The second victim's arms and legs began to shake and then he was completely still.

Damn. The Dresdan had drained one while choking the other.

It tossed their limp carcasses in the grass along the sidewalk. From deep behind the shadows, he eyed her—the main course. Deep crimson eyes burned bright like fire. The ends of the trench coat it wore fanned outward with the breeze. It was moving toward her.

Her legs finally obeyed and she fled, the wind whipping across her ankles as if urging her to hurry. She shrugged off her long pea coat in an attempt to run faster. Her heels knocked the pavement, echoing against the stone walls.

Every day she parked on the same level, but tonight it seemed like she had to cross mountains to get to her SUV. Taking the elevator was not an option, of course. Standing still for even one second would be disastrous.

Elaina heard the familiar swooshing sound the Dresdan made just before they shifted from one place to the next. The sound was closer than before. He was gaining in on her.

Her heart pumped frantically and her lungs burned from exertion. She picked up pace, pushing herself to reach her destination. Her Tahoe sat in the corner. The last one on the right within what was now a desolate parking garage. If she died tonight by the hands of a vampire, it was likely that no one would find her body until morning when it was cold and rigid with death.

The moment she thought she'd reached her SUV successfully, the Dresdan unfolded in front of her, blocking her path. He was huge, and her eyes leveled with the lower portion of his chest.

Before she could raise her gaze higher to confirm, he reached for her. He grasped her by the waist and lifted her off her feet. She opened her mouth to scream, but a gloved hand clasped over her lips.

Elaina kicked her feet, connecting sharp-heeled pumps to her captor's shins. She might as well have been fighting with a sumo wrestler. His grip was firm. Her cries were muffled by his grainy leather glove and she focused on wriggling out of his grasp. No mistaking what he was now. The spicy ancient aroma gave him away.

Dresdan, for sure.

Her captor lowered her heels to the pavement and his massive frame pushed her back into the metal pole behind her. The hard beam felt alien digging against her spine. Her eyes turned left and right looking for a savior. Someone. Anyone. Still, he pressed his palm to her mouth, preventing her speech. The SUV was only a few feet away, but she'd failed to reach it.

Elaina strained to peer up at him, but the height of her captor prevented this. Only the black shirt stretched over his taut chest muscles could be seen from her line of sight. He bent down further so close that his chin touched her forehead, and then he inhaled deeply.

Oh, my God. She would die. Tonight.

"When I let my hand up, you keep your trap shut," her captor hissed into the side of her face.

She sucked in another breath and clasped her fingers onto the chilly metal behind her. Her heart drummed like the consistent cadence of a marching band. Dammit, she was stronger than this! Had she turned into a wimp after all this time?

"You got that?" it demanded when she didn't answer.

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded her head.

"You scream...we'll both be executed."

His harsh warning tone frightened her, but she bounced her head in agreement once again.

Executed? Those were the only words that registered.

He straightened his posture and slowly lifted his hand from her mouth. She parted her lips, taking a gulp of fresh air. It burned her lungs as she recovered from lack of oxygen.

Gradually, she lifted her chin, then her eyes to identify the brute. Red glowing orbs glared down at her. The rest of him—a black shadow in the night.

On her next exhale, she released a belated scream.

CHAPTER TWO

The high-pitched scream wretched from Elaina's throat and echoed through the atmosphere. The Dresdan's palm clamped over her lips, this time with more force.

It was over for her. She had no chance of escape. Should she even try? Once a Dresdan got hold of something, anyone could bet on destruction and death. Always in that order.

He'd discarded of two grown men like a dissatisfying snack. There was no doubt that the Dresdan was ready for a meal. Female blood gave the male Dresdan an instant high. Many human female had been captured and carted away by the most ruthless of Dresdan. There was something about an excited, scared, or aroused female's blood that appealed to them. An abundance of fear mixed with the adrenaline running through her system was sure to appease him.

The Dresdan was so close now. The smell of hungry anticipation was thick in the air. Her body went limp again against the pole. Her resistance undoubtedly excited him. Maybe if she fought less, he would grow uninterested and find some other chick to feed on.

He turned her quickly away from him and positioned her face to look in the window of a car. "Is this your vehicle?" His voice was a forced whisper.

The bastard! He planned to drain her blood in her own SUV.

Elaina looked through the window anyway. She glimpsed a newspaper and a stack of books on the passenger seat. A semi-automatic handgun lay hidden on the driver's side under the floor mat.

He shoved his hardened groin into her ass. "Is it?"

A jolt of pleasure swirled in her stomach. Confused at her body's choice of sensation, she nodded. She could understand the fear of being caught, the excitement from finally reaching her weapon, but why the heck was she aroused? Fuck, she was so dead.

Her captor brought his free hand around, producing her keys. Somehow, he must have snatched them from her. She couldn't remember anything, just the struggle she put up to break free. Of course, it was all in vain.

Opening the front door, he held her body against the SUV with his own. He used the controls on the inside frame to unlock the others, then led her to the back of the Tahoe.

So much for reaching the gun under the front seat.

Commotion came from the other side of the parking garage and both their heads whipped in the direction. Something headed their way. Hope tingled in her belly. Thank God! Maybe someone would see her being attacked.

She took a deep breath, and tried to build up enough courage to fight off her captor so she could get their attention.

Dark figures moved about casting shadows against the concrete. Two of them.

"You hear that?" He hissed into the back of her hair. "Four were sent to kill you. Two are now dead. These two are looking for you. Do you want to cross over this night?"

This brute is crazy. If two men were trying to kill her and he knew it, then why the fuck would he hold her hostage?

When she didn't answer, he continued, "Get in the damn vehicle. Don't make a peep."

There was no time to accept or reject his demands. Feet shuffles and voices of the two men approached. He shoved her onto the back floor of the SUV and came down over her. Elaina had never felt more claustrophobic in her own space before.

Blazing red eyes burned into her gaze. He pressed his pointer finger to his lips and shook his head.