Darkness Awakened (12 page)

He shot Christian a quick glance, then looked between her and Finn. “I believe we might have been given misinformation. We were told you were dead and your child had been kidnapped. Claudius rescued her, but—”

“
Claudius
has my daughter?” she shouted, then remembered the humans in so many nearby homes. Panic hummed through her, raw and wild as she tried to contain her rage from breaking free. She needed answers.

“Yes.” He flicked a glance at Finn, his jaw tight. “We were told two wolves had killed you, taken her and the Alpha of this region refused to punish them. Claudius rescued her, but only one wolf was there when he did. He wanted us to wait for the other one and eliminate both of them at the same time.”

None of that mattered to her right now. “Where’s my daughter?”

He started to answer when two of the vampires made a break for it. Before she could move, Finn and Gabriel sprung into action, their speed a little terrifying. Her hair blew back as they flew past her, pinning the two vamps to the ground. Finn gripped one of the vamps’ throats, his claws slicing deep through the male’s skin. Gabriel did the same to the other. The two vamps gasped and struggled, but without the ability to speak, the sounds were muted.

Justus didn’t attempt to stop them, just looked at her with concern. “Something tells me you didn’t leave our coven voluntarily years ago.”

Now it was her turn to be stunned. “Is
that
what Claudius told everyone?”

He and Christian both nodded.

“I did
not
leave voluntarily. I was kicked out half an hour before sunrise.” Her voice vibrated with anger. She had a ton of questions but only one mattered. “Now
where
is my daughter?” Humans nearby or not, she was about to lose control.

“Claudius said he was taking her back to our coven, but I don’t think that’s true now.” He shot a glance at the two vampires who’d tried to run for unknown reasons. When he looked back at her his eyes had gone pure amber, the anger emanating off him a reminder of the type of power he possessed. Justus was not the forgiving type. He respected power, but wouldn’t tolerate a coven leader who lied.

A flood light flicked on next door and a dog barked as it raced into the nearby yard. A high wooden fence separated the houses, but they needed to find privacy. Fast.

“Where were you headed?” she asked quietly.

“I think I know,” Spiro said just as low, walking up beside her.

She glanced over her shoulder to find only one other shifter. She frowned. Where were the others? She knew she’d scented them all before.

“Everyone head to the house now. I’m going to get some fucking answers,” Finn growled, ripping the vamp off the ground.

She wasn’t sure what house he was referring to but it was clear the others did because they all moved into action. She didn’t care where it was; if it led her to her daughter, she’d go anywhere.

* * *

Finn didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but he wanted answers. Being exposed with so many unsuspecting humans nearby was one of the only things keeping him restrained.

He let Lyra enter the two-story home ahead of him. Gabriel had informed him that his warriors were already waiting inside. There’d been more his Guardian had wanted to say, but hadn’t. Finn had a feeling he was about to find out why.

As he and Gabriel dragged the two whimpering vamps into a living room he found Blaine and Dawn, two of his packmates cowering on one of the couches while three of his warriors guarded them.

“I remember you from the kitchen,” Lyra growled at Dawn. “You were with the redhead and blonde. If you’re involved with my daughter’s kidnapping, what I did to blondie will be
nothing
compared to how you’ll suffer.”

Finn knew there was more behind that statement, but didn’t ask. He scented roses. Lurking under everything else in the room, it was there. Stronger this time. Lyra scented it too. He could see the hope and fear flare in her eyes almost simultaneously. He didn’t blame her after what Justus had said about her brother.

“You two,” he said to Dawn and Blaine. “What the hell are you doing here? Are you involved with her daughter’s kidnapping?”

Dawn started crying. The pretty brunette wrapped her arms around herself, shaking. “Blaine made me do it. He said no one would find out and no one would get hurt. It would just be easy money.” Her voice shook as she averted her gaze from him, looking at her lap.

“Liar!” Blaine shouted, fear and a healthy dose of truth rolling off him.

Finn thrust the vamp he was holding at Justus. He might not know why the guy had tried to run, but innocent people didn’t flee like that. First, he had another problem to take care of. Then maybe all this shit would get ironed out.

The vampire took over without question, wrapping his fingers around the whimpering vamp’s neck. Finn stalked toward the couch, shoving the coffee table out of the way before he bent down in front of them. “Dawn,” he growled low in his throat, letting his wolf show in his eyes.

She blinked at him, sniffling. As if she thought he’d believe her act.

“I know what kind of wolf you are. You would never let a male talk you into anything.” No, she preferred to be with betas she could dominate. “Tell me the truth and I’ll make your death easy. Lie and I’ll give you to Vega’s mother…or these vamps.”

His words elicited the fear he’d hoped. Vampires could torture for decades.

She swallowed hard, but when she spoke, her voice didn’t shake and all trace of tears dried up. “I have a friend that sometimes throws me odd jobs. He contacted me because a powerful vamp wanted a quick grab and bag job. It was supposed to be simple.”

“Then you got greedy,” Blaine spat.

Dawn lunged at Blaine, but one of Finn’s warriors immediately pushed her back against the couch with ease.

Finn waited, keeping his wolf in check until he had answers. The safety of Lyra’s daughter depended on it. “Continue.” A deadly order.

“I knew he needed her alive. He wouldn’t tell us
why
he wanted her, but it had to be for something really important because he was willing to pay us a ton of money. So…” She glared at Blaine before looking back at Finn. Immediately she dropped her gaze. “I demanded more. I knew he needed her by the eclipse in a few days.”

“Do you know why?”

She shook her head and he didn’t scent any lies rolling off her. But she was hard to read. One of the few wolves under his purview who was that way. He’d thought it was one of her natural abilities, but now he guessed she was just a sociopath. She’d only been with the pack less than a year and the reason he’d let her join was because so many of his warriors had requested it. All because of a pretty face. Stupid mistake he wouldn’t be making again.

“Do you know where she is now?”

“She escaped,” Blaine said when Dawn didn’t answer.

“Is that true?”

“I wasn’t here when it happened.” Her voice had a bite to it.

He leaned closer. “Where is she?”

Her gaze strayed behind him, probably to the waiting vampires. “I don’t know, but I don’t think she escaped.” She shot Blaine a disgusted look and rolled her eyes before turning back to Finn. “There’s no way she pried those silver chains free by herself.”

So maybe Lyra’s brother did have Vega.
Shit.
“Why did you try to kill me?” Finn asked.

She blinked, true confusion spiking off her. “What?”

“The car bomb,” Gabriel growled, his first words since they’d arrived. He’d never liked Dawn and now Finn realized he should have listened to his own instinct and that of his Guardian’s about allowing her to join their pack.

She shook her head adamantly. “We didn’t try to kill you. I just wanted to make money and we have no reason to want you dead.”

Blaine looked just as confused as Dawn.

“What about Rene Ballanger?”

Blaine’s expression remained blank, but Dawn swallowed hard.

“Dawn,” he growled when she didn’t respond.

She shrugged jerkily. “I guess he saw me and Blaine taking the girl from the hotel. He confronted me about it and tried to blackmail me into having sex with him so he wouldn’t tell you.” The truth was in her scent.

“You refused him?” Then likely killed him.

She nodded, her expression turning hard. “That kill was justified. Stupid asshole thought he could force me into fucking him.”

Finn bit back a sigh and stood. He was as positive as he could be that she was telling the truth about everything. He looked at two of his warriors and nodded once. They understood and hauled the two wolves up. They would await sentencing back at the compound. Under normal circumstances he’d take care of them immediately, but he didn’t have the luxury of time. Two of his wolves had worked with a vampire to kidnap an innocent girl and all for money. He knew what their sentences would be.

“I’m sorry, Finn! Please, I don’t want to die,” Blaine shouted as he fruitlessly struggled against Jason’s iron grip.

“Come on,” the warrior muttered, dragging Blaine off.

“I didn’t know Dawn killed Rene and I never would have agreed to her scheme if I would have known the girl is your daughter. You’ve got to believe me!”

“Shut up, you fucking idiot,” Dawn snarled.

Finn froze as the male’s words registered.
His
daughter? No. Fucking. Way. Turning, he met Lyra’s fearful gaze.

And saw the truth written all over her beautiful, traitorous face.

Chapter Ten

Lyra forced her gaze away from Finn, unable to take his accusing stare. She desperately wanted to explain things to him, especially since she realized she’d never stopped loving him. She’d been fighting the truth because it didn’t matter. They didn’t have a chance in hell of making things work. It also didn’t matter if she deserved his wrath right now. She didn’t have time to drown in guilt. Once Vega was safe, Lyra would deal with Finn.

She turned to the vampire Justus was holding. “Let him talk,” she ordered.

Immediately the warrior vamp loosened his vise-like grip, but didn’t let the male fall to the ground. The bloodied, now-captive vampire made a gurgling sound, his eyes bright amber as he stared at Lyra in fear.

“Can you talk?” she asked quietly, her voice as deadly as a blade.

“Yes.” It came out raspy, but well enough for her to understand.

Her blood was up, roaring through her veins. “Good. Where did Claudius take my daughter?”

“Fuck you,” he spat, his eyes going even brighter.

Before she could say anything else, Justus withdrew a blade from behind his back and decapitated the vampire in one smooth slice.

She stepped back out of the way to avoid arterial spray as the vamp fell. Before he’d even hit the floor, he turned to ash.

Justus turned to where Gabriel held the other vampire. “Bruno, you are in front of royalty right now. You will answer her questions or your death won’t be so easy.” He pointed to the dust splattered against the wood floor. “I’m still torturing vampires who dared defy Claudius—thirty years ago.”

Lyra wondered if that was true, but by the terror oozing off the vamp named Bruno, she guessed it was probable.

Gabriel loosened his hold on the vamp and he coughed as his neck and throat began mending itself back together. “New Orleans.”

That was barely an hour and a half away. She could make that before sunrise easily. “Exact location.” Her voice was a low growl as she let all her power and anger flow through her.

Bruno flicked a glance at Justus then her. “He’s not going to kill her,” he rasped out.

“You can’t believe that,” she said. She knew her brother. Besides, once he’d opened a hell gate with Vega’s blood, he would want to get rid of her.

“He’s not! He needs her blood to control the Akkadians once they’re free.”

“He thinks she’s part of Kush’s prophecy?” Justus demanded, as he clearly started putting the pieces together.

Bruno nodded as Finn came to stand next to Lyra.

“So he’s been letting them out?” Finn asked in that deceptively quiet voice.

Lyra forced herself not to look up at him. She was doing her damndest to ignore the man, but it was impossible. He deserved answers, and once they freed Vega, she’d deal with everything he had to throw at her.

The vamp nodded. “Yes.”

“Why are they in Biloxi?” he continued.

“Sent here…” He coughed once, but his neck was almost healed on the outside. “As a testing ground. Wanted to see how your pack faired against them.”

“The car bomb?”

An oily scented spike of fear filled the room, making Lyra sick. The vamp didn’t answer, but his fear was enough confirmation. He might have even rigged it himself, which would explain his abject terror.

“Why didn’t you come to me about Claudius’s plans?” Justus asked, a mixture of anger and confusion in the harsh question.

Bruno turned burning amber eyes on the warrior. “Because I agree with what he’s doing! We shouldn’t have to hide from these stupid fucking humans. They’re dinner.”

Lyra tightened her jaw so she wouldn’t say something she’d regret. She’d made a good home in the human world. Humans screwed up a lot, but they also had such a capacity for love that it sometimes amazed her. Someone like him would never understand that though. And she still needed the location of her daughter so she kept her mouth shut. Right now the vamp was talking and they needed him to continue.

“The demons will destroy the planet. There won’t be any humans left to rule,” Justus said quietly.

Bruno shook his head, defiant. “Claudius isn’t stupid. He’s freeing some of them, not all of them. He wants to let them feed on the humans until they’re terrified to leave their homes. Then we’re going to save them.”

“Vampires?”

“Yes. We’ll send the demons back where they belong.” It sounded like he was repeating a rehearsed speech. Or more likely Claudius had brainwashed him with it.

Lyra hadn’t forgotten how much her brother hated humans—or anyone who wasn’t a vampire. It wasn’t a stretch to believe her brother was behind this. “And you think what? That the humans will be so happy about it they’ll welcome subservience to vampires?” she asked, unable to keep the incredulousness out of her voice. Humans might be physically weaker as a whole, but they had numbers, ingenuity and would never accept that they weren’t highest on the ecological pecking order.