Page 43 of Mated By the Alphas
“This one is a little older,” Remy says, examining the fangs. “Good thing you killed him before he could wake up, Jaxton.”
“I could have handled him regardless,” Jaxton snaps, glaring at me. “I wasn’t worried about protecting a bunch of humans.”
“And my mate,” I say, meeting his attitude with some of my own. “Don’t forget that.”
“Just saying, if you hadn’t let that vampire get away, there would be one less to deal with right now,” Jaxton snipes, walking past me. “They might not have even realized we were hunting them until we were able to wipe out a few more nests.”
I could pick a fight. Seems like he’s angling for one. I could say things that would hurt him. Like how Joanna wouldn’t want him living like this. Wouldn’t want to see him wallowing in his grief for so long.
But I’m not that cruel. I understand his pain. What he was robbed of. Not just love, but everything that future promised. He was ready to become a leader and have his own pack until the Crimson Templars took that away from him.
We walk outside, clean up, and our search continues. It’s easier now that we know we’re dealing with multiple nests. We were just searching for one originally. Unfortunately, this means the vampire problem is bigger than we thought. A lot bigger.
“Fucking vampires,” I grouse as I drive. “They multiply like damn rabbits.”
“So did we, once upon a time,” Remy sighs. “Nature seemed to be against us even before the Crimson Templars showed up,though. There already weren’t enough she-wolves. We shouldn’t have let them fight.”
“Wasn’t our call,” I say. “But would you really want to be the one to tell a she-wolf she wasn’t allowed to defend her home? Defend her children?”
“No,” Remy admits. “But sometimes those decisions have to be made, right? You’re an Alpha now. Would you send your…Ansley, into battle knowing that it could be the end of our kind?”
“Ansley’s not a warrior. She doesn’t belong on a battlefield,” I hold onto my temper as I answer him. “But no. I didn’t agree with the decision, even if I understood it. Especially after Joanna.”
Once it gets dark, we abandon our vehicles and continue the search on four paws. This time, we travel together, like we did in the wild. We move like we used to, before the world took everything from us. Before we scattered to survive. For a moment, it almost feels like we’re whole again.Almost.
I am leading our reconnaissance, but Remy is ahead of me in the shadows, scouting, and making sure the way is clear. Jaxton is behind me. Storm and Wyatt bring up the rear. We can move faster like this, even if we have to stay hidden, especially with Remy guiding us. He’s fast enough to run circles around us. Sometimes, it looks like he’s flying when he soars through the air.
“I got something,” Remy transmits across our mental link. “Distressed human. I think a vampire that has her.”
“Let’s get close enough to confirm it before we attack,” I answer them silently.
Vampires we’ll deal with, but we’re not superheroes. We won’t intervene to save a human if they’ve just fallen victim to Chicago. We’d never get any rest if we tried to help everyone, and it risks exposure. We’ve already got enough of that with the humans we rescued from the blood bank.
“It’s a vampire,” Storm transmits.
“Wyatt, drag the human away. Make sure she doesn’t realize you’re a wolf,” I transmit to my brothers. “We’ll handle the vampire.”
Wyatt shifts into his Third Form. He’s wearing his specialized backpack that Storm had made for each of us. I rarely bother with mine.
Once Storm is dressed, he flanks around the human. The rest of us stay in the shadows as we approach. The vampire is a little older than Xander, but not by much, based on what I can see. Still young enough to be reckless.
It’s also a female vampire. We haven’t come across many of those in recent years, outside of fledglings. Most makers prefer turning males. They’re usually bigger and stronger. That means they stand a better chance of living long enough to become makers. Living long enough to truly become dangerous vampires.
“Excuse me ladies, I hope I’m not interrupting,” Wyatt says as he strolls down the alley, looking like an innocent human.
“Oh, you look delicious,” the vampire says in a sultry tone, turning away from the prize she was moments away from biting.
The young woman who was nearly the vampire’s next meal isn’t in a trance, but she’s dazed. Vampires usually do that so theyhold still when they bite them. After that, the venom does the rest.
“Now,” I transmit across the mental link. “Attack!”
The vampire is distracted. We take to the air, Remy soaring above all of us. The vampire hears us and spins around, but it’s already too late. Wyatt grabs the woman and drags her out of the alley, right as two of Remy’s enormous paws collide with the vampire’s chest.
The vampire swipes her claws, digging into Remy’s right front leg, then tries to bite him. She doesn’t get to sink her fangs in before the rest of us are on top of her. Remy and Storm pin her down. Jaxton shifts into his true Human Form and kicks her skull so hard it nearly comes off her spine. I finish the job by sinking my teeth into her chest, not stopping until her heart is in my mouth.
The older the vampire, the harder it is to remove their heart. I shake my head until it’s loose, then rip it free from the cavity, crushing it in my jaws. My mouth fills with blood, but I spit it out. I’ve never had the taste for vampire hearts, like some wolves.
“Let’s get rid of the body,” I transmit to my brothers. “Remy, are you okay?”
