Wulf's Redemption (Borne Vampires Book 3) (23 page)

“Ready yourself. They’re getting out of their cars.”

Sure enough, the men stumbled out of the wrecked
vehicle, bleeding green blood out of their cuts. Lord, they smelt rancid! Older
a demon vamp was, the worse they smelt. These guys were experienced. Crap. The
other two cars slid to a stop behind the damaged SUV.
Jeremy Waters climbed out the backseat of the third car,
holding a semiautomatic in his hand. The rest of the vamps piled out of the
cars, holding machine guns.

“Well,
well,” Jeremy said, “if it isn’t Kai Jordan. Nice to see you have recovered
from your bout with dead man’s blood. You do understand that I had my orders.
No hard feelings?”

“Oh,
there’s hard feelings alright, and I’m really going to enjoy hurting you before
I kill you,” she smiled tightly at him.

Instead
of being alarmed at her threat, Jeremy observed the dead vamp lying on the
ground. “Care to explain how you created an invisible road block?”

“Wanna
explain how you’re Undead and not Angel’s faithful ghoul anymore?”

He
shrugged as he smiled at her, exposing his fangs. “Angel kept her promise to
promote me.” His eyes turned red as he demanded, “
How
did you create an invisible wall?”

“Family
secret.”

“As
resourceful as your mother was.” Jeremy tried to step across the yellow powder,
unable to cross it. To his men, he ordered, “Check it out.”

He
kept on smiling at her and it was creeping her out. She watched his men try to
find a way past the barrier. One flew in the air and tried to pass, bounced
backward, quickly returning to the ground with a bloodied nose. They ran down
the line of powder, disappearing from sight.

“Alex, why aren’t we killing them?”

He
gave her a surprised glance, apparently not expecting her to talk to him telepathically.
“I want to learn what they know. The
Damned are always chatty. Perhaps we will glean what their true mission here is.”

“I already checked their minds.”

“As you said earlier, those strong enough
can block you. Let’s play along for now.”

“Then we kill them?”

“Then we kill them all, including Jeremy
Waters.”

“Good,”
she replied with a malicious smirk that made Jeremy nervous.

“So,”
Jeremy said, breaking the silence, “I heard your plane met with some engine
trouble on your way to Berlin. Nothing serious I hope?”

“Something
you planned?” Kai gripped her gun tighter in her hand, itching to put a bullet
between his eyes, especially after the hell she and Alex endured lost the
wilderness.

“Sadly,
it was not me this time. Rumor is Harklee had a hand in it. Quite ingenious
using rockets to bring down a plane carrying vamps, don’t you agree?” He gave
her an admiring once over. “You are quite a resilient woman, aren’t you? Who’d
have thought you would have been able to have survived jumping out into broad
daylight. Quite impressive.”

Ignoring
what almost sounded like a compliment, she asked, “Did Harklee wind up a vamp,
like you did?”

His
polite demeanor vanished. Jeremy snarled, “That two-faced bastard is not worthy
to be even a ghoul! His agenda brings destruction to the Borne
and
the Damned. There’s a bounty currently issued for his death,
the sooner the better for all of us.”

Well,
that settled the question whether or not Harklee was working with the Damned.
If they didn’t want him, then he was running rogue. Double crap. “What brings
you all the way out here to the boonies? Can’t be because of my charming
personality. Perhaps it’s because of Lisa, or as she is better known as Lisle
Breber?”

“Then
you have seen her, I take it?” Jeremy tensed, gripping his gun tighter in his
hand. For the first time, he addressed Alex, “Mr. Walker, or rather should I
address you as my lord, Baron Wulf, have you spoken to Lisle lately? Bet it was
a nasty shock to realize the woman who brought destruction to your family was
not dead, huh?” Jeremy smirked.

Alex’s
eyes narrowed dangerously. “Waters, I grow tired of your banter. Why are you
here?”

Instead
of being angered, Jeremy glanced around him nervously. “My mistress is quite
miffed at losing her creations and has placed a bounty on your head. We’re here
to collect it.”

Snorting,
she won a glare from both Alex and Jeremy. “Bullshit. You’re here to hunt down
Lisle and bring her back to Angel before she ruins her plans, especially after
she’d turned children — children
we
had to put down!”

“I
was told you lost your ability to read minds!” Suddenly, he wasn’t as cocky and
definitely was nervous now.

Alex
replied for her, “It doesn’t take a psychic to figure out why you’re after
Lisle. Angel won’t be miffed at the mess Lisle has created for her, especially
after the police are involved with the Skaggin family and the vampire hunters
she tossed at my people. Angel will want to tear you apart for allowing Lisle
to get out of control.”

“You
called in the police? Why? Why did you involve humans in our business?”

“To
protect them from the likes of you,” Kai answered. “And the vampire hunters and
that crazy bitch out there running wild and killing, is why we called in the
humans.”

“You
had no—” Off to their right came a high-pitched scream, startling them. Jeremy
and the two vampires who had stayed to guard him quickly set their machine
guns, scanning the woods. Another scream followed, this time from their left.

Jeremy
snarled, aiming his gun at her and Alex. “Who is out there?” he demanded, his
human face slipping to expose the demon beneath.

Alex stepped in front of her, protecting her.
“Take a guess.”

“No! That bitch wouldn’t dare! Would she?” An
unearthly howl broke the eerie quiet.

The sound sent the hair on her arms standing on
end. “Alex, she’s doing it again!”

“Shit! Waters, call your men back!”

“Son-of-a-bitch!” Jeremy yelled, “Everyone, get back
here now!” The sound of running feet and suddenly he was surrounded by his men,
who were afraid. Not a good sign when mercenary demon vamps were scared.

“What the hell is that?” Jeremy shouted, aiming
his gun at the woods.

“Boss, I think it’s her,” the man closest to
Jeremy replied.

“Walker, what is Lisa doing?” Jeremy demanded.
“Well?”

“Lisa?” Alex sneered, “No, she’s not Lisa, nor
Lisle, anymore. Gentlemen, you are about to meet the Wolf of Magdeburg.”

“She wouldn’t—”

“Wouldn’t what,” Alex interrupted him. “Fall back
on old habits? Because of you and your stupidity in releasing her once again
onto the world, we and the humans are all in danger now!”

Grinding his teeth, Jeremy growled, “I don’t care
what Angel says, take the crazy bitch out.” He ordered to his men, “Kill her!”

Through the trees, Kai saw a flash of silver. “Alex,
she’s here!”

Checking the gypsies, who were standing at the opened
windows, their rifles were trained on the woods. The demon vamps made a
semi-circle. Searching the forest for Lisle, Kai stumbled back, caught by Alex,
as the silver-furred wolf dropped out of the sky, right on top of Jeremy and
his men. Standing on two legs, the wolf-creature slashed at them with her long
claws, tore into them with huge teeth. Those able to escape her claws started
shooting at her. Unfortunately, Lisle had her back to her and Alex and bullets
hit the right pillar the gate was attached to. Sparks flew as the bullets hit
the gates themselves. Alex shoved her down to the ground, covering her with his
body. Unfazed as the bullets hit her, Lisle tore into the demon vamps with
renewed fury. Arms, legs, and heads flew everywhere, mostly hitting the damaged
SUV. Dark green blood painted the crumpled hood and pooled onto the road. Apparently
coming to the realization they couldn’t bring Lisle down, despite the bullets
slamming her, Jeremy yelled at the three who were still alive to retreat.

“Run! Get out of here.” They flew away, abandoning
their fallen friends.

Jumping to his feet, Alex helped her on her own. Kai
watched in disgust and horror as Lisle began to feed on those still clinging to
life, her own kind. After she finished, Lisle advanced on her and Alex, eyes red,
her fur soaked with blackish-green blood, growling until she hit the invisible
wall. Pissed, she lifted her muzzle and roared, venting her fury. Abruptly,
Lisle stopped and stretched out her paws, tentatively touching the invisible
wall preventing her from coming any closer to them. Trailing her claws against
the barrier, making a screeching’ sound that made Kai wince.

“Alex,” it said in a rough, gravelly voice, “you
have betrayed me for the last time. Your whore will suffer far worse than these
pathetic excuses for vampires.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, he shouted back, “Me betray you?
Lisle, you took my brother from me, destroyed my world all because I would not
be yours!”

A
raspy laugh escaped Lisle as she snaked her huge head back and forth. “I merely
repaid your indifference to my offered love by taking away what you cherished.
I will do so again when I rip Kai’s heart out and feast upon her weak flesh.”

Kai
moved beside him, shaking her head at the wolf glaring at her. “Sorry, but
she
isn’t going to die anytime
soon. However, you are screwed!”

“How
am I ‘screwed’ as you say? I am invincible; none are as strong as I am!”

“Oh,
yes there is.” Lisle tilted her head at her, looking confused. “You just killed
Angel’s henchmen. She’s gonna be pissed, more pissed than in London when you
were killing your kind and leaving them for the humans to find. Hell, I’d lay
bet that she’ll be coming for you personally to finish you off. I’d start
running if I were you.”

Uncertainty
dimmed Lisle’s anger. “I will deal with Angel,
if
she should dare take me to task,” she boldly replied, standing taller and lifted
her blood-soaked muzzle proudly.

Shaking
her head, Kai snorted at the false bravado the vampiress demonstrated. “Right.
I’ve seen Angel in action, and she is one unforgiving bitch when it comes to someone
betraying her. Just ask Sin Dracula.”

“I
care not about the one who released me. I only want my Alex returned to me.”
The wolf shifted, becoming the beautiful woman she’d seen in Alex’s dreams. Long,
silvery-blonde, curling hair cascaded over her narrow shoulders, eyes so blue
and vibrant it hurt to look at them too long. The green blood covering her
disappeared. Her gown was a filmy nightrail, accenting her large, voluptuous
breasts and tiny waist.

“Please,
Alex,” Lisle held out her pale arms to him, “return to me. Love me as you once
did long ago.”

“I
never loved you, Lisle. Hated is all that I feel for you.”

“No!”
Lisle screamed, sobbing. She collapsed onto her knees, tears of dark green
blood trickled down her white cheeks. “Why? Why do you deny me after what I’ve
suffered for you?”

“You
suffered?” he repeated in disbelief. “I was falsely accused of being soulless,
watched as a Slayer murdered my brother! Thinking
I
deserved to be punished, I spent two hundred years in the service of the Damned.
All because of you!”

A
cunning, twisted light gleamed in her eyes as she slowly rose to her feet. “We
could be a family. I can search for the perfect child as I did before … to
complete us. There are more to choose from than there were in 1819.”

“Lisle,” Alex growled, “stay away from the
children! This war is between you and me. Leave the innocent alone!”

The madness returned, and she hissed at him, her
beauty faded to the twisted demon she was. Rows of jagged, yellowed teeth
filled her mouth, skin pasty white, her eyes darkened to red and she narrowed
them to slits. Slurring out past a mouthful of teeth, Lisle growled, “Run, Kai,
run. I’ll be hunting you soon. I’ll taste your flesh, eat out your heart. I will
bath in your blood.” Giggling, Lisle disappeared. The sound of her high-pitched,
hysterical laughter echoed through the swaying trees.

“Alex, she’s going after the children! We have to
stop her!” Sickened at the thought of more children ending up like those in
1819, how were they going to stop a vamp gone insane, a ‘completely gone off
the deep end’ insane one!

“Dear Lord in Heaven,” she whispered. “What do we
do?”

“Get me the Holy water out of your rucksack. The
dead need to be taken care of.”

She nodded and jogged back to the manor. The front
door opened and Herrick handed her the backpack. Nodding her thanks, she ran
back to Alex, digging out the water bottle. Handing it to him, Alex took it and
carefully stepped across the powder. Nothing happened to him. He began sprinkling
Holy water on the corpses. As she watched the bodies catch fire and the ashes
floated into the air, she realized there was only recourse for them to take to stop
Lisle Breber. Something Alex wanted to avoid, wanting no one to know about his
past, except someone did know — the Damned.

“Alex, we need to call in the Slayers. We can’t do
this on our own. We need more men to hunt her down and stop her from killing more
people.”

Returning the empty bottle to her, he said
wearily, “Make the call. Tell Faeroes to send as many Slayers as he can spare.
We’ll hunt her down.”