Wolfen Secrets (The Western Werewolf Legend #3) (17 page)

His smile sickened her.

“Makes me wish I had taken more time with you
when I was alive.”

A sneer creased Sonja’s mouth as she stared
at the one being she truly despised. “You were never alive.” She
spat the words at Robert in a taunt meant to arouse the demon blood
in his veins. “Bastard!”

“Let me drain her, Robert, please?”
Claudine’s hungry gaze traveled over Sonja slowly.

Robert laughed, lowly, at first, rising to a
rumble, which shook the cave walls. “I apologize for my
shortcomings, wife.” With a courtly bow, he ran a fingertip along
her bare thigh. “So many things I want to do with you, my darling.”
His gaze ran up, lingering on Sonja’s sex. “But, I have very little
time left to savor your bounty.”

Sonja swallowed convulsively.

“Stretch her out on the table.” He snapped
the order to Claudine and the vampires lurking nearby. “I want her
veins visible so when we begin the procedure, we won’t miss a drop,
understood?”

Sonja spied a great iron vat positioned under
a slap of wood laid horizontal on blocks. The lights from several
lamps strategically positioned along the walls, glowed with a
dancing flicker. Air must be seeping in from somewhere, she mused.
Perhaps there was a way out. Working feverously with her tethers,
she managed only to wear the skin off her wrists and ankles. The
pain of the abrasions proved secondary to the distress in her head.
Why hadn’t she listened to Hortence? She needed Ty to help. Like an
unspoken reminder, the answer flashed in her mind. Because he
hadn’t confided in her, either. It hurt more each time she
considered, he’d shut her out. The man she loved, her mate the
wolf, didn’t think her worthy of sharing his secret. His locking
her out of his plans irritated an already festering wound. A
nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her she’d closed
down to sharing her news with him as well. Now, she’d face what
came next alone, truly alone.

Another table sat opposite the vat. Perhaps
they’d transfuse a vampire with her blood. If she wasn’t mistaken,
they planned on draining her almost to the point of death, barely
alive for further feedings. Perhaps they feared her strength. Cold!
She shivered uncontrollably. They tied her legs spread eagle with
her arms above her head. Large glass jars hung from hooks with long
rubber tubing running from one jar to another, the tubing ending
near her on the table.

Despite her impressive
strength in werewolf form, she remained merely a woman whose
strength ebbed slowly away. They must have drugged her,
her conscious mind screamed. Her limbs grew
weighted. Focus, Sonja! Shift and destroy these bastards once and
for all! The tiny voice sounded so distant, yet she should listen.
What was the point? Her world with Ty was a cruel joke. He’d told
her what she meant to him with his actions. Sonja stared blankly at
the ceiling swimming overhead, her desolation complete with the
knowledge she’d lose her baby. Anguish rose up. She’d lose the only
reminder she’d have of Ty.

Claudine’s laughter trilled around her like a
web of deceit. Through the haze of the drugs, the sound of
footsteps approaching brought her back. She made out Robert’s
voice. His words, so false, rang loud through the cavern. “You
talents are by far the most powerful magic there is, Draco.”

Sonja tracked the movements of a tall,
white-haired man in long flowing robes. His hair hung below his
waist. He strode straight and confident. His eyes glowed in the
light, a cool, crystal-clear pupil surrounded by purple irises.
Vivid and hypnotizing, the man stared at her curiously.

“So, this is the werewolf?” Draco’s smile
never showed in his eyes. “You’ve done well today, Robert. For this
I will repay you handsomely, you and your coven.”

“Thank you, my lord.” Robert bowed briefly
from the waist, his dark suit jacket crisply tailored against his
frame.

Sonja had known this man in the most intimate
of ways and yet never knew him at all. Her head ached. Her eyes
wanted to roll back in their sockets. Focus, damn it! Now’s not the
time to give up.

“Prepare for the transfusion. The others will
be upon us soon.” Draco stepped to the first bottle, positioning it
over her, before jamming a needle into her wrist. She wouldn’t give
this monster the satisfaction of screaming. Blood ran warm and wet
along her arm. Watching her life source draining onto the slab,
Sonja envisioned her life flashing before her eyes.

“The time is now. Take this! Start the
transfusion!” Draco commanded.

Where Robert had been strong and agile, Draco
possessed strength in spades. He shoved the bottle at Robert.
Stumbling backward, Robert caught the bottle in a haphazard attempt
to protect the blood from spilling.

Claudine’s blond head appeared in Sonja’s
peripheral vision as she rushed to aid Robert. Things started to
fall into place. So much made since now. A tear trickled down her
face. What had she done?

“Be careful, Robert. I have to check on the
others. They are near.” With that, Draco left to consult his
crystal ball.

“What a wonderful bouquet, Sonja. You’ve been
good. Been taking your tonic like an obedient girl.”

Her forehead gathered in perplexed confusion
as she tried to figure out what this mad man referred to with his
rambling.

“Hortence gave you the exact potion to
enhance your blood’s power.” He smirked. “How very convenient for
us.”

Claudine hovered nearby like an impatient
vulture. Sonja had a moment’s pang of sympathy for the woman. “Be
careful, Robert. You don’t know everything - though you think you
do. Hortence not only provided me with a blood-building potion.
She’s also given me enough poison to kill you all.” With his
bemused stare, Sonja smiled. “Go ahead, start the transfusion.”
With the taunt, a devious curl appeared on her mouth. Noting
Robert’s eyes grew dark, the she-wolf clawed within. Banking the
coals of the feral fire of revenge, Sonja continued her taunt.

“The old hag hasn’t enough power to keep her
one charge safe from me. Why do you think I’d believe she poisoned
us?”

“Isn’t the reason obvious? Don’t you need my
blood still? Really, Robert, I thought you smarter than that. If
the gift hasn’t given your kind a permanent tolerance for sunlight
by now, you’ve been duped, bloodsucker. The joke is on you.” A
wicked gold gleamed in Sonja’s eyes as she jerked her head in
defiance. Blanking her mind of everything except the belief in the
statements she’d made, Sonja watched as Robert mulled over the
words.

“You lie!” He threw the bottle, watching it
smash against the cave wall. “Filthy female lies, that’s all this
is.” He stalked to the other end of the slab. Wheeling to examine
Sonja’s face for a crack in her armor, Robert strode back toward
her naked body with a finger pointed accusingly. “Don’t think I
don’t know you’re trying to dupe me into believing you’ve some
element in your blood which stops us from obtaining the gift. I see
right through you!” He wagged his boney finger in her direction
once more. “You don’t even make a decent werewolf. Mongrel!”

“Robert, the blood! What have you done?”
Claudine dropped to the floor with the other vampires wiping up the
crimson gift feverishly.

“Silence!” The muscles
along Robert’s cheek twitched. Sonja gleaned a great deal of
satisfaction in the twitch. Robert never could keep the truth of
anything off his face. So, with the
twitch, he’d let Sonja
know, he had doubts.
Good!
“The proof is in the light of
day, vampire king. You’ve only to step outside to disprove my
claims, now don’t you?”

Robert glanced at the length of the tunnel in
consideration. “If you’re telling the truth, you’ll pay dearly, my
wife. There’ll be no reason to keep you alive, now will there?”

“No, darling! She’s trying to trick you.”
Claudine’s whiny plea fell on deaf ears.

Sonja’s face went blank. With a lift to her
chin, she challenged the undead king to consider her words.

Robert glanced down the long path once more.
“Take the bitch down from the slab,” he growled. “Quickly, before
the sun sets.”

“But, my lord…” One of the vampire assistants
began.

“Did you not hear me?” His voice rumbled
through the room. The others cringed in fear. “I said take her
down. Leave the collar around her neck.” He glanced once more in
the direction of the corridor to the outside. “I will see about
this with my own eyes. Follow me, Claudine.”

***

At the cave’s entrance, Ty lingered a moment.
He was about to go into the den of the undead. Hadn’t he sworn off
getting anywhere near them if he could help it? The problem always
remained, the damn vampires didn’t see things the same way he
did.

“You men keep to the shadows. I don’t want to
lose any of you to those blood suckers, clear?” The heat of his
gaze warmed the darkened cave. The wolf would soon be upon him as
the vibration in his voice bordered on the savage. Yes, the beast
within clawed for freedom.

“Yes, Sir.” Connors gave Ty a salute.

Smitty shoved his elbow into Connors’ side.
“We may not be in the Confederate Army, fool, but saluting an
officer, even a shifter, makes him a walking target for the enemy.
Don’t you remember anything I taught you?”

Connors growled low. “I’m sorry, sir. Hard
concentrating with all this blood rushing in my head. I hear the
confounded stuff!”

Ty couldn’t help the laugh. Gripping Connors’
forearm, he nodded. “The blood’s not changed, Connors. It’s the
same blood – ‘cept now, your sense of hearing is heightened. Don’t
worry, you’ll get used to it before long.”

Smitty picked up his bundle of dynamite,
slinging the burlap bag over his shoulder. “See you soon, Sir.”

“You can count on it, Sergeant.”

They separated, each going down a different
tunnel. It wasn’t long before the sound of footsteps echoed in the
tunnel. Praying Hortence’s spell against detection by the vampires
worked, he slid into an outcropping of rock to wait.

Soon, several undead Union soldiers appeared
along with Claudine. His heart kicked against his chest wall. So,
this was why she’d appeared out of the blue. Ty swore under his
breath. She had always been an opportunist.

He wasn’t prepared for Robert’s voice or the
image of Sonja, naked and stained in her own blood as Robert hauled
her along toward the cave’s opening. The bloodsuckers didn’t waste
any time in taking the gift.

“You’ll never get away with any of this,
Robert.” Sonja’s words echoed down the hall. Even if, by some
miracle you do survive stepping into the sun’s light, the others
will hunt you down and kill each and every one of you. I’ll promise
you that.”

Ty swore under her breath. The chance of him
coming back was slim. Hadn’t he watched him die? Cold congealed in
his bone marrow. How were the vermin managing reincarnation?

They neared the entrance to the cave.

“Do be a good girl and don’t try to run off.
I’d hate to have to put a silver bullet in you, especially when
you’re about to prove how we still need you desperately.”

Faint laughter floated back to where he
crouched. Robert must have lured Claudine with a promise of money.
She always went first class.

There were five besides Robert and Claudine.
Taking care, Ty slipped closer. He could take them all. With help
from his mate, he’d make sure they never troubled them again.

Suddenly, the vampires, sensing his presence,
wheeled with teeth exposed.

Emerging from the craggy rocks, Ty shook his
wolf free, before lunging at the nearest vampire. Teeth sank into
flesh. Cries of anguish echoed in the tunnel. One flew at him as he
snarled and lashed back. Blood sprayed over the walls.

Sonja’s wolf broke free of the collar, taking
out her jailer.

Taking hold of another vampire, Ty tore flesh
from bone and howled in fury at the attack another launched on his
back. Fending off fangs and claws, he tore the neck from one and
clamped down on the chest of another. His fur liberally stained
with blood matted to his body. The deep gray of his coat showed the
marks of claws and teeth yet he continued to fight.

Sonja struggled with a vampire given to
strength, yet little agility. Pivoting, she shoved her hind leg
into his groin, sending him staggering backward to the ground. She
lunged at his throat, tearing his flesh from his undead body.

The vampire managed to get to his feet as the
wound disappeared.

With her blood running hot, she lunged again
at the vermin sending them both hurdling backward. Pinned under her
weight, he clawed and lashed out with fangs snapping at her throat.
Using her great paw, this time she took his head off. In the
troughs of the blood lust, she scanned the battle for Robert. Back
from the otherworld, his strength renewed, the vampire that
wouldn’t die stalked toward her. Blood ran from multiple wounds,
clothing hung in tatters on his lank frame. She’d have to outwit
the bastard for he was too smart to be taken easily. Launching her
body at his, he tossed her off, sending her slamming into the cave
wall. The blow cleared her mind of all but the need to kill. Lying
at the base, she heaved a breath, yet remained where she was. The
tactic being to draw him out and let him believe he had the upper
hand. Relaxed and confident, he’d be more likely to make a mistake.
She waited, slowing her breathing to almost nothing as Hortence had
taught her. If the enemy thought you dead, they assumed they’d won
and you could execute a killing attack.

Robert sauntered toward her, giving her ribs
a kick.

In the trance, Sonja didn’t react, though the
blow sent white hot fire burning through her body.

“Damn you!” Her lover’s voice rose above the
screams and howls. “She’s not supposed to die!” His lament
reverberated over the blood soaked ground where others lay as
they’d fallen, broken and dying. “Curse you, Robert, I curse you’re
very soul! With teeth bared, his blue eyes smoldering, Ty raged at
the injustice of losing his mate. Snarling and gnashing his teeth,
he wallowed in his misery.