Benic strode across Temple lands, oil lattern in hand. He couldn’t wait for morning for proof of Susan’s story. This might be the most important encounter of his life. Sleep could wait and so could safety. He knew there existed shifters who would like nothing better than to get him alone and chew on his bones, but he wasn’t an idiot. He traveled armed with his well-used sword and wore his chainmail. It not only turned blades, but claws and teeth as well.
He waved the lantern back and forth over the foliage, looking for a plastic badge. Unlike shifters, vampires needed some light to see by. He didn’t even know what plastic looked like, but he imagined he’d know it when he saw it.
The Temple loomed above him, a shell of a species’ culture and religion. It was a shame what vampires had done to the shifters. They’d been such a strong and wild people; now most lived in the cities as tamed versions of their ancestors. Only the reserves held the wild packs, and there were rumors of vast lands with packs far out west.
Maybe one day he’d travel to see for himself. For now he had a mystery to solve.
If Susan spoke the truth, she’d be a treasure trove of knowledge. They could bring enlightenment to this world through scientific information. Together they could hopefully find a way to increase the fertility of vampire females and lead the world into a new age.
Light flashed on something by a large, thick bed of moss. His heart did a double beat, and he knelt next to the white, rectangular object. Cautiously, he picked it up and flexed the thin material between his fingers. He brought it closer to his face and scratched the smooth surface. Susan’s image was perfectly affixed to the thing. “Amazing.” He flicked the badge. There were symbols written on it but he couldn’t read the words. Odd, since they spoke the same language. He’d think the written word would have developed similar lettering.
He blinked.
Susan was truly from another world. This proved her story. A world of science, populated by a much more advanced race he’d never heard of, truly existed.
Rising, he moved with a swiftness born in every vampire. As soon as the sun rose he’d offer to take Inali’s stray problem off his hands, and Susan would accompany him home. In record time, he crossed the forested area separating the Temple from the Payami den and entered the dark maze.
Sorin crouched low to the ground and sniffed. He could swear they’d just passed this fucking spot not long ago, but in civil form, his sense of smell was not as good.
Susan’s hand landed on his bare shoulder, stroking his skin for a moment before jerking it away as if burned. “Sorry.”
A residue of her touch still tingled on his flesh. He wasn’t sorry at all.
“I can’t see in this darkness.” Her fingertips trembled as they brushed the back of his neck.
He took her slender hand and squeezed. “I see you. I won’t leave you behind.” Her voice sounded steady, yet he could smell her rising anxiety.
She gave a feeble laugh. “I hate feeling like this. Weak. Helpless.”
He could relate. He hated feeling that way as well, but he didn’t view her as either. Especially after confronting the Payami alpha as she’d done. No female he knew would have done it. Not many of the males either.
He returned to his feet and undid his kilt. They’d never find their way out if he remained in civil form. Handing Susan his only piece of clothing, he shifted.
She ran her hands over the leather, her blinded eyes staring straight ahead. “What’s this?”
“My kilt.” He sniffed, searching for a hint of fresh air.
“Are you naked? What the fuck, Sorin?” She clutched the kilt to her chest like a shield.
He took her hand in his. “It would have ripped while I shifted.”
With a hesitant finger, she touched one of his claws. “You’re in beast form?”
“We call it a feral form. My sense of smell is much better like this, and I can defend us if we’re discovered, which is becoming more likely. I hate to admit it but this maze is an excellent defense.”
“Or a trap.” Her soft whisper sparked an old memory. A young pup frightened of the thunder and his loving mother who eased those fears with a fierce hug. The urge to gather Susan in his arms and reassure her surged through him, but he let the wave crash. Emotional tides needed to be stronger to move him.
“Keep pace.” He guided her hand to his back where she clung to his fur as he tracked the air for a sign of an exit. Kele would have returned to her room by now and found it empty. Would she raise an alarm? Maybe she’d search the den for Susan first. He doubted the pack would care if a stray left but it might stir them enough to check on him. An escaped alpha would definitely bring out the hunters.
The scents of shifters didn’t fade as they took several turns within the maze. The Payami were smart. He could have tracked their way out by scent alone if they only used one route, but the scents were well dispersed. That meant hunters roamed the maze on a regular basis to keep from creating a clear scent trail.
Once more he paused and bent close to the ground, searching for anything that could help. Would it be too much for the divine to toss him a bone? A little aid in an escape would be appreciated.
Susan clenched his fur, almost pulling it from its roots. “Sorin. I see light.” She pressed against him.
In one swift motion he rose and slid her behind him. At the end of an adjacent tunnel, a dim light grew brighter. He sniffed in that direction then once more to be sure he smelled it right. A growl rumbled in his chest as he recognized the source, and he grinned. Things were finally going his way. “Vampire.”
He’d always wondered what Lord Benic would taste like. Striding toward the light, he extended his claws to their fullest length. In hand-to-hand combat, shifter versus vampire, shifter always won. The only reason the vampires had won the war was their advanced weaponry, which killed multiple shifters at a time and from a distance. Benic could be carrying a musket, but Sorin would risk getting shot for just one good bite. Vampire bastards all deserved to die slow, agonizing deaths.
The shuffle of feet behind him caught his attention. He glanced over his shoulder and met Susan’s wide-eyed gaze. She still clutched his kilt to her chest.
With a sigh, the fury slipped from his soul. Benic’s death wouldn’t change the past—all shifters would still be under the vampire yoke—yet he could use Benic’s presence to their advantage. Obviously the vampire knew his way around the maze.
Sorin set his fingertip over Susan’s mouth so she’d stay quiet. It was almost a mistake since he froze at the touch of her soft lips on his flesh. The fur on the nape of his neck rose. When had he last kissed a female?
He shook himself to wake from his living fantasy. Exhaustion and hunger were playing with his head. He left her to wait by the tunnel’s entrance until the lantern came into his view. With the speed only a few alphas possessed, he grabbed Benic’s wrist and yanked him against the far wall.
The lantern tumbled to the ground in Benic’s surprise. Pinned to the stone wall, he met Sorin’s gaze with an unnatural calm. “So you escaped. You’re more resourceful than I’d have guessed.” His glare broke from Sorin’s and followed Susan as she gathered the lantern. “Stealing the human was not expected though. What do you want with her?”
“None of your business.” He squeezed Benic’s throat tighter. Vampires didn’t need to breathe but they all feared decapitation—one of the ways to truly kill them. With his claws extended and buried in Benic’s flesh, it wouldn’t take much force to rip his head from his shoulders. The way the vampire tensed, this thought must have occurred to him as well. “You’re going to show us the way out. Quietly and quickly.”
Benic’s gaze darted to Susan. “Give her to me and I’ll show you the best route.”
“She’s not for trade.” Blood oozed from the wounds on Benic’s neck and onto Sorin’s claws. Sorin’s skin crawled at the oily texture. He changed his mind. He didn’t want to bite him after all. “How about I let you live if you help us escape?”
“This isn’t a negotiation. The Payami will realize you’re gone soon. They won’t treat you so kindly if they catch you again.” Benic grinned, his fangs glinting in the lantern light.
Sorin resisted the desire to pluck those sharp teeth from Benic’s mouth. His pack’s needs came first, and his pack needed Susan. “She chose to come with me.”
“Does she know that returning with me to my castle is an option?” Benic now spoke toward Susan. “I can help you return home. Vampire technology is more advanced than shifters’. Come to my castle, and we can work on it together.”
With a jerk, Sorin twisted to see the confusion on her face.
Her gaze traveled from him back to Benic. “Sorin’s told me about your advanced weaponry, and I fear it’s nowhere near what I need to build a new machine. I’d have to rebuild hundreds of years of technology before we’d be anywhere close.”
“We can try.” Benic flinched as Sorin’s claws dug deeper.
“Enough. She comes home with me.” He glimpsed a shadow of doubt creeping over her face and ground his canines. “Right?” he asked Susan.