Chapter 17: Alpha’s Secret: Chapter 17

Jordy

“Buck up, lass, it’s not so bad,” Declan says. He and the other two have been trying to cheer me up since picking me up from Grizz’s house. “You get to spend the day with us.”

I stare out the car window but see nothing except Grizz’s angry face.

“Here we are,” Declan sings as Parker pulls into a trailer park. Each lot holds a single wide, a patch of gravel for a yard and, towering over everything, a palm tree. “Home sweet home.”

The guys pour out of the car, carrying bags of takeout. I follow more slowly, rubbing my aching tattoo.

I thought Grizz and I shared something. I thought maybe, he’d give us a chance. We could be together if he’d just choose me.

But he didn’t, and I shouldn’t be surprised. My family threw me away. I give my all, and it means nothing.

As I enter the trailer, Parker’s on the phone. When the grey-haired shifter sees me, he ducks out of the room.

“Kit, come on.” Laurie waves at me to sit by him on a threadbare couch.

I try to follow Parker and Declan pops up in front of me. “Want some beer? Or some of this?” He holds up a flask and pries off the top. “My own brew.” He takes a swig and coughs until his eyes redden and water. “Delicious,” he gasps. Laurie jumps up and pounds him on the back.

I take the offered flask. Looks a lot like Grizz’s. I sniff the top and the fumes scald my nose. Parker returns and I hand the flask back to Declan.

“Was that Grizz?” I ask Parker eagerly.

The grey-haired shifter won’t meet my eyes. “It was. Says he’s left Frangelico, and he’s on the hunt.”

The hunt. Of course. “Did he ask about me?”

“He said we should get you out of town, and quickly.”

I suck in a breath. I was expecting this, but not so soon. But why not? Grizz doesn’t want me. He just wants revenge.

“It doesn’t have to be tonight,” Parker continues gently. “But soon.”

“It’s all right,” I say. “I can go.”

“No, no, lass.” Declan throws his arm around my shoulders. “Kick back. Stay awhile.”

For the next few hours, I sit on the couch and watch reruns on the television with a digital antenna taped to the window. Every so often the channel cuts out. Declan and Laurie take turns kicking the console until it flickers back to life.

“You didn’t eat your burger.” Parker nudges me.

“Can I eat it?” Declan asks, and Laurie smacks him.

“S-stop it. She’s s-s-sad.”

The three of them look at me.

“It’s okay.” I force a tiny grin. “Here, you can have my food.”

As I pass the wrapped sandwich over, headlights flare in the window, and then cut out.

“We expecting anyone?” Declan asks. Laurie shrugs. Parker heads to the door while I hop up and rush to the window. Could it be Grizz?

Hope withers when I see the sleek black sedan with tinted windows. A chill pours into my blood.

The vampires are here.

Grizz

Fuck, where are these vampires? The basement is empty. So is the theater, even though someone’s been here since I last searched. A spotlight is on, directed at a single wooden chair set in the center of the stage.

On the chair is a tattered teddy bear with one button eye missing. The torso is stained with old blood, and when I pick it up one of the legs falls off. Lovely. A nice little threat left by the one-eyed vampire, just for me.

I take a sniff to get the fucker’s scent, and my blood runs cold. The stuffed toy smells like vampire… and Jordy.

I leave the bear and theater and mount my bike. I’m deep in the hunt now, and nothing’s gonna stop me. Good thing Frangelico gave me a cooler to keep his blood in. When I find the nest, I’ll be ready.

Jordy

“Who in the hell—” Parker starts to open the door and I tackle him.

“Get down,” I hiss at the others.

“Jordy? What—”

“Shh.” I cover Parker’s mouth. “You can’t let them hear.”

“Who?”

“Vampires,” I mouth to him and his eyes go round.

“Little fox, little fox, let me come in.” It’s Augustine. He’s come for me.

A blow to the trailer makes us jump. A long tearing sound rips down the trailer, from one end to the other. A pause, and it begins again.

“What’s that?” Declan whispers. “What’s he doing?”

I hold my breath as the ripping and wrenching continues. It sounds like he’s tearing the siding off the trailer. I feel like a sardine in a tin can.

“I’ll tear this trailer apart, bit by bit,” Augustine explains calmly. “Your friends won’t like my remodeling much. Pity. So much work on my part, unappreciated. No matter. If I get hungry, I can always grab a little human snack.”

I close my eyes. He’s here, unchecked, in the trailer park. He won’t hesitate to kill a human. He thinks they’re lower than bugs.

“What do ya want?” Declan shouts before Laurie grabs a pillow and shoves it in his face.

“I only want what’s mine. The bear stole her, but she belongs to me.”

No. Not anymore. I belong to Grizz. Or I did, until he left. I clutch the tender skin over my heart. The scars the vampires gave me, and the paw print I chose for myself.

I can be a victim. Or I can choose.

“It’s up to you, slave,” Augustine snaps. “Give me what I want, or—” The door shudders. Once, twice, and then it’s still.

“It’s like three little piggies,” Declan mutters.

“Shhhhhh,” Parker and Laurie hiss.

I wait with my hand over my heart. One, two, three heartbeats. My heart beats for Grizz, and now he’s gone. I gave him my all, but I have one thing I can give.

I stand up, ignoring Parker’s desperate cry, “No!”, and open the door.

“I’m here.”

I step outside.

Grizz

I’m sitting at a light when I realize my pocket’s vibrating. I pull out my phone and answer with an annoyed grunt.

“They took her!”

Chills run up my arms. “Who? Jordy?”

“The vampires! They came and—” a muffled sound like the phone was dropped.

“Declan? Parker?” I grit my teeth and my phone cracks. Fuck, I almost broke it. I force my grip to loosen.

“Grizz?”

“Talk to me.” The light turns green and some fucker in a Honda Civic honks at me. I turn and glare until the Civic creeps around me and screeches away. “What happened?”

“The vampires came. We were in the trailer, but they started to take it apart and—” he gasps, gulping air.

“And what?” I growl. I’m gonna shift into a bear in the middle of traffic if I’m not careful.

“And Jordy went out to them. She sacrificed herself. She saved us.”

Jordy. No.

“The vampires have her?”

“They threw her into the trunk and drove off. We tried to follow but lost them.”

“Where?” I bark, already turning my bike. “Tell me where, dammit—”

“Oro Valley.”

“Fuck,” I explode, and hang up. I know where they’re taking her.

I turn my bike and book it. All this time hunting vampires, and they were hunting her. I left her in danger. I promised I’d keep her from the vampires, and I failed. I left her. Should’ve gotten her out of town when I had the chance.

Might as well gift wrapped her and given her to Augustine. And the one-eyed vampire.

The stoplight ahead turns yellow and I zoom through it as it turns red. Hang on, little Kit.

Gotta get to Jordy before it’s too late.

I weave through traffic but get stuck behind an eighteen wheeler and have to put my foot down to steady the bike. I slam the right handle and it dents.

Does the one-eyed vampire know what she means to me? He’ll kill her for sure. Shit, the teddy bear. Drenched in blood and Jordy’s scent. Maybe Jordy’s blood. She said she remembered him feeding on her. And then reviving her with his blood. What sick fuck feeds a shifter blood unless…unless….

Fuck. I know what the vampires are trying to do.

Shifters. That’s why they’re using shifters. They’re—fuck, they’re using slavers to supply them. The shifter slavers—they’re not snatching dominants. They’re snatching weak ones.

All to make a vampire army. Do you know hard it is to make a vampire? So hard, too hard. Too long a process—unless your victim is stronger.

They want to create more vampires. Faster. Stronger. Better. With an army they can overthrow Frangelico.

It all falls into place. And Jordy, Jordy is the key.

I’ve got to save her.