Way of the Wolf: Shifter Legacies 1 (64 page)

Could monsters feel love? He did. He knew love didn’t he? This feeling was the same as before. It had not changed when he became this thing. What did that mean? Did he not need a soul to feel love, to be loved? He had always thought it was necessary. Vampires had no souls; he didn’t now. His soul had left him to join the goddess he hoped. He had given it away to bring help to Marie. Yes, he must remember it was for her. After she was safe, he would think about things. There were always choices. He would save her, and then choose whether to live or die a second time and stay dead.

He looked around for a direction to follow. Stephen had told him what to expect and what to do. He said he would need blood immediately upon rising. All newly born vamps needed to feed first thing or die again. Permanently. He almost yearned for that, but Marie needed him for a short while longer. The quiet emptiness of the void would wait until he was ready.

The rage flooded back and obliterated all thought. He was racing through the garden toward the house before he knew it. He had to save Marie! He had come back for her, changed for her. They had hurt her! Terry Sayles was a dead man; he would have his revenge. He would rip him to pieces, literally. He would make him stay dead forever, and piss on his corpse. He would—

STOP!

The command slashed into his brain and took his control away. His legs stopped moving instantly, and he crashed to the ground unable to move. He raged and struggled against the spell that trapped him. It had to be a spell didn’t it?

Hear me, Andrew.

He froze. The voice was in his head again, but this time he thought he recognised it.
Stephen?

At last! Yes, it is I. Remember what I told you. Remember where you are!

I do remember. Terry Sayles is dead. DEAD! He hurt Marie.

Never mind him. Remember what I told you about your first rising. You must feed. Feed or die, and with you Marie. Find food. I will help you if you need it, but do it now! You don’t have much time left. Feed, and go to my club for help.

He wanted to refuse, but Stephen was his maker. His words and desires had the force of commands. He wanted to refuse, but he didn’t struggle against the inevitable this time. He was Stephen’s, body and... not soul, he didn’t have one anymore. Tears threatened again. Mind and body then if not soul, but Stephen was right about this. There were too many AML thugs for him to fight alone, and what of the vampires living in the house? They were awake now, just as he was, and they would be stronger than he. He wanted to go to Marie and save her, but although his thoughts were centred upon that and killing Terry, he wasn’t so far gone in rage to ignore sense. He would bring help. Stephen had allies. He remembered the report he had compiled for Marie. Lost Souls was teeming with shifters, and House Edmonton was allied with House Lochlain and House De Santis. Both were powers in LA.

Let me up, Stephen. I will do as you say.

Control suddenly returned and he rose to his feet. He looked around for a way to proceed. He wasn’t looking forward to this. If he screwed up and killed someone... but AML deserved it. If his first victim died, so be it. He had to survive to save Marie. He turned away from the house looking for a meal.

Concentrate. Feel the night?

Andrew stopped and tried. Pinpoints of light suddenly filled his mind.
What is that?

The guards patrolling the grounds. Feel them?

Am I feeling their blood?

No, it’s the life force within them. The gifted call it magic, the elves call it essence. All living things generate it, but although we need it to live, we are undead and cannot create it.

I need blood.

You do, but the blood we feed upon does not animate us, Andrew, despite all you have heard; life force does or magic if you prefer. All of us—even humans—are magical beings. Shifters are too, in a different way. They are like magical batteries. They generate and store it in great quantities to enable their shape shifting, and they regenerate it very quickly when we feed upon them. They are the best source of food for us. They are not depleted easily and do not become addicted to our bite the way humans do.

All AML are human.

True. This first time you will need more than one unless you drain one dry. Can you?

I think so, for her.

For Marie then. That’s good, because time is passing. When we drink, the blood connects us with the donor and allows us to feed upon their life force. The blood is merely a conduit for it. When we drink from shifters, we do not need to take much blood; their life force is very potent, but with humans that you do not wish to kill, you should drink only for a short time. Drink a little from different people, and don’t use the same ones for a few weeks, or you’ll become attached to them even as they become addicted to your bite.

Why are you explaining this to me now? I’m grateful, but why now?

I am your maker, it is my duty to teach and protect. You have been sleeping for three days. I have not fed since turning you. I might not be here when you get back.

That alarmed him. Stephen was one of the monsters, but he was his maker.
His!
He didn’t want to think about their bond too hard, but he felt it there. It was a comfort. It steadied him. It was Stephen’s influence, his presence in his head, that calmed him and held the rage at bay. If not for him, he would have run straight to the house and a fight he was sure to have lost.

I need you!

Then I suggest you hurry your feeding and bring word to Edward quickly.

I shall!

Andrew picked the nearest pinpoint of light and sprinted toward it. He didn’t try to be stealthy, but he was so blindingly fast that the guard didn’t have time to scream. The woman had barely begun to turn when his fangs sank into her neck and her blood filled his mouth. He wrenched her assault rifle away and sent it spinning into the night. The blood... oh goddess it was so good. He wanted to be horrified and sickened, but it was the best thing he had ever tasted. It quenched the fire in his throat and belly, and he felt strength begin to flow through him, but it was over too soon. He realised his first victim was dead when the blood stopped flowing. He snarled in disappointment. Already the glow of new strength was fading.

He let the corpse fall and went in search of another meal.

He fed twice more and drained both men before he felt strong enough to leave. Although he hadn’t planned it that way, draining three was a good move, he realised. He wouldn’t need to stop on the way back to the city and risk someone see him feeding. He would need to steal a car as well, but he wouldn’t do that here. He wanted to leave quietly. He frowned at the bodies and decided to stash them out of sight. With luck, no one would find them until morning when their friends came on shift.

Leaving them tucked away in the shrubbery, he orientated himself and ran for the wall surrounding the property.

* * *

37 ~ War Plans

David hurried into Edward’s office at Lost Souls to find him trying to calm a very distressed vamp. He didn’t recognise him, and a glance at Lawrence and Ronnie told him they didn’t either. The stranger smelled of anger and the earth. He sniffed again, noting the others were also trying to get a lungful, and knew he was right. The man’s suit was filthy, and his shoes were muddy. He had dirt in his hair, and there was a strong scent of fresh blood. Mist suddenly became hyper alert. In his head, David saw the wolf sitting at attention, listening intently to Edward soothing the distressed man.

“I have to go back,” the stranger was saying. “I have to save her.”

“You will,” Edward soothed. “But you’ll have to wait just a little longer. I made the calls. You heard me make them. It won’t take long for them to arrive. David is already here, see?” The stranger allowed Edward’s touch on his arm and turned to study David and his friends. His eyes found Ronnie and his fangs descended. David tensed for an attack, but again Edward took steps. “You are hungry, Andrew?”

The stranger nodded, but he seemed embarrassed. He had covered his mouth to hide his fangs. David relaxed and smiled wryly. Ronnie did have a particular effect on most men no matter their species or race. She fascinated them all, and who could blame them? Certainly not he. He was as besotted with her as they were in his way.

Edward beckoned Ronnie. “Take Andrew and find him someone, would you? He’s new. Choose someone kind, please.”

Ronnie nodded and took Andrew’s hand to lead him out of the office. He went along with her like a child, and she gave David a challenging look as she walked by. He knew what that meant. She was going to feed Andrew herself and was daring him to object. He declined the challenge, and smiled secretly to himself at her frown. Mist’s plan was definitely working.

He watched them leave and turned his attention back to Edward. “What do we know?”

“He’s Stephen’s child, turned three days ago. AML captured him along with the others at the house when they attacked. He knows where they’re being held.”

“Then Stephen
is
alive,” he said in relief.

“We already knew that. If Stephen had died, I would have as well. He’s alive, but that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable, or that he won’t die before we can rescue him. I’ve sent for the others—Andrew will show us where to go after he’s fed again.”

“Again?”

“He told me that Stephen helped him feed on some of the guards before he escaped, but he’s only hours old. He’ll need to feed often the first few days or die permanently in his sleep.”

Lawrence sucked in a breath, obviously not happy to hear that.

Edward nodded grimly. “He had no choice. He killed three guards and fled to find me.”

“They’ll be found,” Lawrence said. “If they haven’t been discovered already, they will be by morning. We have to get to Stephen before then.”

David turned to see Gavin enter the room with Spence and Angel at his heels. The cop trailed into the office last and she was angry. He had rarely met her when she wasn’t angry about something. She needed counselling in his opinion. Anger issues in someone who routinely carried weapons on the streets couldn’t be a good thing. When he heard what she was angry about however, he suddenly had other things on his mind.

“His name is Barrows,” Chris said. “He followed me here.”

“He is of no concern,” Gavin said dismissing her words. “If he interferes, I will deal with it.”

“You don’t get it!”

“Ah, Gavin?” David said recognising the name. “This actually is a big deal, and a serious problem.”

“Explain.”

“Barrows is a fed.”

Chris grimaced. “You’re wasting your time. I already told him that Barrows is FBI. He won’t listen to me!”

“Barrows is hip deep in what’s been happening. From Angel’s description, he was the one who tried to grab O’Neal’s body at the morgue.”

Gavin turned to his companions for confirmation and Angel nodded. Spence just shrugged. He hadn’t been there.

“And Gavin?” He went on, returning the vamp’s attention to him. “Stephen told me before he disappeared that OSI is sniffing around the city. Barrows is part of that and the Shadow War in Chicago.”

Gavin frowned.

“We will deal with Barrows when the time comes,” Edward said. “My priority is saving Stephen. We know where he is.”

“We do?” Chris said in surprise. “Since when and where is he? Is Marie Stirling safe?”

“I should have said we have someone who knows where he is. He’s feeding. He’ll be back shortly.”

“A vamp?”

Edward nodded.

“How do you know he’s reliable?”

“Quite,” Gavin said, frowning at the way the cop had taken over the conversation. “Do I know him? Is it Michael?”

“Not Michael. He and Stephen are both captive. No, this one is new. Stephen turned him. I’ve verified that.”

Gavin nodded, accepting Edward’s word, but Chris didn’t understand how such things worked. She questioned and Edward had to explain.

“My bond with Stephen means I’m linked to him and through him to his progeny. I still can’t feel Stephen—I don’t understand why not—but I
can
feel Andrew, just as I can feel all of Stephen’s children. He was turned just three days ago and rose for the first time tonight. I felt him rise, as did Charles and Danyelle.”

“Where is Danyelle?” Gavin said. “Why isn’t she here?”

“I sent her and Lee to fetch Rachelle and her people. They should be here soon.”

“What are we going to do about
Barrows?
” Chris growled. “We can’t let him follow us around!”

“I’ll take care of it,” David said.

“How? I won’t let you kill him.”

“Let?” Gavin said before David could answer. “I fear you are labouring under a misapprehension, Detective. I allow your presence for the debt I owe you, but do not think for a moment that it extends beyond allowing you to observe. As my
guest
, you may accompany me and observe. You will not be allowed to interfere with what I decide to do, or not do.”

David broke in before the cop could rally with a fresh argument likely to piss Gavin off. “I’ll deal with this. Barrows might prove useful considering we have AML to deal with.”