Vampire Mine

Chapter Seventeen

Finally. Her injuries were healing.

Thank God.

Trey brushed the back of his hand across Sadie’s cheek.

At first the horrible gashes in her chest had kept filling and spilling over, covering the sheets in stains of vibrant red. He’d opened his mate’s pale lips, slashed his arm and dripped his blood into her mouth. She’d swallowed despite being out for the count. Certain she’d had enough, he’d taken a seat beside her.

Then he’d waited.

Each second had felt like minutes, the minutes in turn like hours. When the bleeding had stopped he’d put her in a button-down shirt Ava had provided, so he could inspect Sadie’s chest without shifting her body. She hadn’t healed as fast as she should have and it terrified him.

He never wanted to see her like this again.

If he had his way he wouldn’t.

“They’re asking about her,” Diskant said quietly. “We should tell them something.”

“How about fuck off,” Trey growled, not turning to look at the man. “Do you think that’ll do?”

“Trey, please,” Ava said, imploring him to listen. “You’ve gotten their attention. Do this right and we can work things out. They want to understand. Go to them and explain. You wanted to plead your case. Now’s your chance.”

“They can kiss my ass.” Whipping his head around, he narrowed his eyes and growled at Diskant. “And don’t even think about using your mind juju shit on me. You can wear me down but you can’t change my decision. We’re not staying. Fuck it. As soon as she’s well we’re leaving.”

Over the years Trey had been careful with his money. He wasn’t the richest man in the world but he had enough saved to find a place Sadie would love—a place they’d call home. Perhaps they’d venture to a distant location where no one would find them. There he’d keep her safe. He didn’t need anything else.

At least that’s what he told himself.

Grief kept rearing its ugly head. He didn’t understand it. The pack had hurt the woman meant for him. The only female he’d ever be given. But knowing he’d soon leave everything behind—no longer be able to turn to other wolves that understood and embraced him, a part of something much larger than himself—created an enormous divide in his soul.

Are you fucking serious? Think about what they’ve done.

Remember how they treated her.

The wolf tried to make him think logically. No one in the pack had behaved in a manner he wouldn’t have. If someone had brought a vampire to him and asked for his blessing on the mating he probably would’ve turned him or her away.

Right?

He shook his head. He didn’t know what he’d have done. Circumstances had changed. His opinion had drastically shifted when it came to mating and vampires. And it all made sense, didn’t it? After all he was mated to a vampire. That was enough to make the most arrogant and disagreeable bastard see the light.

Shifting emotions confused him, making him see things both ways.

His growl deepened as he stared Diskant in the eye. “Don’t mess with my head.”

“I’m not,” Diskant snapped in return, eyes going from green to gold. “If you want to go it’s not my place to stop you. I can’t say I blame you for being pissed. I’d want to rattle a few heads if I were in your shoes. But I won’t let you look back on this and blame me for making you leave. If you go it’s on your conscience.”

“I wouldn’t.” No way. Diskant had done everything he could to help. “I can’t blame you.”

“Then you have to understand something.” With a step to the side, Diskant placed an arm around Ava’s shoulders. She leaned into him, wrapping both arms around his hips. “What I told the pack applies to you as well. Leave this city and you’d better not ever try to come back. If you do I’m not reaching out to help you. The mess you leave won’t be easy to clean. You’re on your own.”

“S’okay.”

The heavy weight of dread lifted and Trey tuned Diskant out, placing all of his concentration on Sadie. She’d finally woken up. He wasn’t sure how hurt she was since she’d communicated with him telepathically. Perhaps the wounds were deeper than he’d thought. A few had scored through her flesh down to the bone but he hadn’t noticed more than that.

He gazed down at her face, begging her silently to open her eyes and look at him.

Her lashes fluttered, thick wisps beautiful against her fair skin. She blinked a couple of times, like she was fighting sleep, then he was peering into her beautiful blue eyes, the color so magnificent it challenged the bright colors of the ocean.

Someone nudged him and he almost lashed out.

His gaze drifted to Ava who had one had on her stomach and another covering her mouth. The teensy female had tears in her eyes—eyes that were shifting colors. The trait of a human mated to an Omega. She’d never change forms but slivers of Diskant’s beasts resided in the fragile female. Usually Ava didn’t give off emotion. She’d always been strong when it came to such things, keeping herself apart in a small way from the pack. Now he could feel how grateful she was to Sadie, how much she wanted to repay the favor.

“Thank you.” Ava choked out the words, pulling in a soft breath as she tried not to cry.

Sadie’s eyes flittered to Ava.

She studied the woman for several seconds and then she gave her a small smile and nod. The motion caused her to wince and Trey inserted himself in front of Ava, crowding Sadie’s body. She needed time to rest. Werewolves healed during sleep. More than likely his female would do the same.

“Talk to me,” he pleaded, reaching out to her.

“What do you want me to say?”

Hell yes. There was humor in the question. That meant she was going to be fine. “Tell me what to do.”

He couldn’t rationalize clearly, worried only for her. The man in him wanted to get the fuck out of town. The wolf wanted to stay. He was fighting an inner battle he wasn’t sure he could win. He felt torn right down the center. As much as he wanted to get into a car, drive away and never look back the idea haunted him.

“Don’t run.” She closed her eyes but kept the line of communication open. “I never wanted or expected that from you.”

“I don’t want to see you hurt.” Her well-being was more important. His pride be damned. “Not ever again.”

“Then be the man I fell in love with. Don’t turn your back on what you love. Don’t cut and run when things get tough. You found me, didn’t you? Even when you thought it was impossible you didn’t give up. You kept going. And you saved me. Without you I wouldn’t be here now.” Her thoughts became broken, a messy, convoluted tumble. “I need to rest. If I were at the caverns I’d have been ordered to sleep by now.”

He wanted to ask what the caverns were. Then he knew she’d picked up on his curiosity. She was too tired to respond so he thought back to her, suffusing the words with all the feeling inside him. “Then sleep. I’ll watch over you. I’ll be here when you open those beautiful blue eyes.”

“Don’t you dare run.” The order was weak. “Be fierce.”

Her chest rose as she drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. She returned to sleep as quickly as she’d ripped herself away from it. His skin prickled, frustration eager to find an outlet. She’d told him to stay. He wasn’t sure if he could. The pack wanted to ask questions but he didn’t know what answers to give them.

“If you go there’s a chance she won’t find Leigh again,” Ava said. She hadn’t moved, standing slightly behind him. “Diskant can keep her informed. She doesn’t have to stay in the dark.”

Damn it. He’d forgotten about Leigh and Nathan.

Sadie would want to know about her friend. She wouldn’t allow them to push her out of Leigh’s life.

“We’re not going to be able to keep any secrets.” It was hard to find words. He wasn’t sure how to phrase things. “If you’re going to give them answers they deserve to know everything. But packs have a tendency to gossip. We have to make sure they stay quiet.”

“We can weed out the deserters,” Diskant offered, shrugging his large shoulders. “Sort out who’s going and who’s staying.” His deep, threatening growl filled the room. The grim upturning of his lips and the glimpse of his fangs screamed vengeance. “Ava and I can take care of Brandi and Andrea. If their friends decide they want to leave we’ll make sure they don’t remember much about what went down.”

Trey had never known how the couple manipulated people’s thoughts. Honestly, as long as it didn’t involve him, he’d normally never cared. There was more on the line now. The slightest slip and they’d all be fucked.

He pondered the future, working out the angles.

Sadie had told him not to run.

If that’s what she wanted he’d stand down hell itself.

“Do it.” A part of him remained with Sadie as he moved from her side. The connection kept growing, bringing them closer together. “Take care of the bitches first. Then I’ll talk to the pack. But I need to speak to Zach first. We have to be up to speed.”

“I figured you would. He’s in the living room.”

The smugness in Diskant’s voice was almost too much to take. The male had known Trey wouldn’t go. He’d been banking on the Alpha standing his ground. Trey faced his friend, trying not to lunge at him and unleash the fucking fury he’d held inside for too fucking long.

Son of a bitch. “You knew I’d stay.”

“Call it a gut feeling.”

Gut feeling my ass. “How did you know?”

“Ava is my life,” Diskant answered with a heavy dose of gravity. “I’d die without her. But your life and living are two different things. You have to choose what’s most important to you and work everything else out around it. You’ll find your way. For now everything is new.”

“And you want me to lead?” He couldn’t understand how Diskant could fathom such a thing. “You think I’m capable?”

Diskant didn’t respond. Not right away. After a pause, he closed the distance between them. The Omega stopped inches away, looking at Trey, his eyes brimming with respect and admiration. Trey remembered when the Omega had been born. The moment he’d arrived everyone in the pack had felt the newborn’s power. They’d known what he’d eventually become. Trey had taken Diskant Black under his wing, guiding the young man to maturity, much like an older brother would a sibling.

“I wouldn’t trust anyone else,” Diskant said. “You’re who they need.”

“Tell me that after I speak to them.” Turning his head slightly, he gazed at Sadie. “Someone needs to stay with her in case she wakes up. I don’t want her alone.”

“I’ll stay.” Ava walked to a chair on the other side of the bed. “I won’t leave until you come back.”

At least he had that small consolation. Ava wouldn’t let anyone near Sadie. He actually felt sorry for anyone who tried to get into the bedroom. Ava—even in her condition—would likely throw them out by their ears. Then they’d have to deal with Diskant.

Anyone with half a brain would know better.

“I’m going to speak with Zach.” Swiveling around, Trey faced Diskant. “It won’t take long. You’ll need to take care of the females. I want them gone before I address the pack.”

“Consider it done. Ava mine,” his voice softened as he spoke to his female, “be ready.”

“I don’t want them near Sadie.” Hell no.

“Trust me,” Diskant said, a menacing glint in his eye, “they won’t be.”

It took all of his will to walk out of the room. He detested the distance, hated each step he took away from his mate. Sadie’s request, “Be fierce,” kept him going. This was what she’d wanted, for him to be the man she admired. He could do no less. Not after what she’d sacrificed. He’d be the Alpha the pack needed, commanding their respect. Trust would be slower to achieve but eventually it would come as well.

Zach was where Diskant had said he’d be, seated on the couch. The male had changed drastically since Katie had died. Physically he was thinner, his frame no longer as wide or muscular. His hair was long and unkempt, dark blue eyes constantly brooding. Once Zach had been a consummate joker, easy to laugh and exchange witty barbs. Those days were gone, leaving behind a shell of Zach’s former self.

How in the hell he’d survived the loss, Trey had no idea.

Perhaps it was his need for revenge.

Maybe Zach couldn’t rest until he’d made the Shepherds pay for what they’d done.

“I need to be clear,” Trey said, striding into the room. “If you want the position, you have to be ready for what comes with being a Beta. It can’t be done half-assed.”

“I don’t do half-assed,” Zach grumbled, rising from the couch.

“Are you sure you’re up to this?” To keep the pack balanced Zach would have to cage his grief. It was all about stability and management. “Can you honestly tell me you won’t buckle under pressure?”

The male’s intense gaze didn’t falter. “I need this,” he rasped through clenched teeth. “I have to have a reason to wake up each day. I…” He exhaled through his nose, a tic visible in his jaw. “Katie wouldn’t want me to follow her to the grave. My existence—her memory—keeps her alive. I won’t let her be forgotten.”

“Is that how you do it?” Trey didn’t want to be cruel by asking but he was curious. Most males would have withered and died after the loss of their mate. “Is that what’s kept you going?”

“I’m not sure.” A bit of the tension left Zach’s face. “I ask myself the same question. I can’t explain it.”

There has to be another mate for him.

Such a thing was rare but it had been known to happen with shifters and humans if the third stage of the bloodbond hadn’t been established. Zach had to know it. The male wasn’t a young cub.

He’d been around, seen a lot of things.

And he’d endured the worst loss imaginable.

Zachery Taylor didn’t appreciate the way Trey looked at him. Hell, he didn’t appreciate the way the pack did. He loathed their sympathetic glances, hated the way they whispered behind his back. He knew what they were thinking and it pissed him off.

Katie couldn’t have been his mate. He’d have died if she had been.

So far from the fucking truth.

A familiar pain lanced his chest. He thought about Katie every minute, longing for her touch, wishing for a trace of her sweet scent. He’d gone through the second bloodbonding stage with her, had been ready to put a permanent stamp on their union. If he’d been smart he’d have pushed for the third as well. She wouldn’t have survived the explosion but at least he could have joined her in the afterlife.

He hated memories, especially when they took him back to the night she’d been killed. Yet they rose unbidden, plaguing him with torment. The moment her life had been taken he’d felt it. The sensation had been like an amputation of his heart, an invisible enemy punching through his torso and ripping away the most vital part of his soul. He’d fallen to his knees, stricken by the blow.

But somehow—someway—he’d managed to make it to his feet.

At first his pain had kept him strong.

He’d wrapped the feeling around him like a blanket, using it as a weapon. He wasn’t sure when things had changed, failed to notice the shift in his beast. The animal was the reason shifters dwindled away and died following the death of a mate. At first his wolf wanted to do just that. It told him to find a place to rest and never get up again. The man, however, had wanted to kill the people who’d taken Katie from him. Over time the wolf’s gloom had eased.

Why? He didn’t understand it.

Even worse? Each day became a little easier.

He wasn’t sure he liked that.

“I stayed after you left,” Zach said. Instead of lingering on Katie’s memory, he got to work. Trey wanted to see what he was made of as a Beta. This was his opportunity to show the Alpha what he could do. “The pack has calmed substantially. They’re mystified by what they saw, which is why they’re willing to listen. Most of them have never seen anything like Aldon before.”

“Did Diskant tell you everything?” Trey questioned.

“Yes.” Zach hadn’t wanted to believe it but he’d seen Aldon with his own eyes. With a creature that powerful Diskant didn’t have to sugarcoat the issues the pack faced. “I know what’s coming.”

“And you still want to be my Beta?”

“I do.”

As the second wolf in charge he’d be privy to information. He wanted to be the first in line to kill Shepherds when they returned. And they would return, coming back to New York with reinforcements. To him Aldon was merely an afterthought. He didn’t care about Trey’s mating or any of the rest. He wanted to feast on the blood of his enemies, watch the life drain from their eyes.

“Nathan will eventually return.” Trey rubbed the back of his neck. “When that happens you’ll have to step down. Are you willing to do that?”

Oh yeah, he was willing. But not for the reasons Trey expected. “Yes.”

“Then I guess…” Trey lowered his arm, crossing to him. “It’s official.”

Zach took the hand Trey offered, shaking firmly.

He’d do what he had to, be the Beta the pack needed. In the meantime he’d continue collecting all the information he could, storing it away. The wolf snapped its teeth, squirming under his skin. With effort he made the beast subside. That was his ability, his gift. Like a mask that never slipped out of place. He could control emotion, use it to his advantage. Trey didn’t know what Zach had in mind. The Alpha wouldn’t, either, until Zach let him in on his secret.

A vision of Katie’s face floated before him—beautiful, sweet. Perfect.

He wanted to growl but didn’t. He’d gotten what he needed.

With addresses and names he’d finally be able to leave New York and start hunting.

When the time came, he was going to kill them all.

One by fucking one.