Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain)

chapter 22





I paused at the mouth of the opening. It resembled a regular tunnel, nothing but a long rocky hallway set in the mountainside, but the darkness felt icy and dangerous on my skin. A second later the smell of blood hit me.

Lots and lots of blood.

The fur covering my arms jumped to attention and anxiety crawled across my neck and shoulders like an army of ants hell-bent on destruction. My hackles rose even higher. I was tall for a woman to begin with, but in this form I was well over six feet. It made me feel like a monster, but being imposing worked in my favor. I ducked carefully into the opening. Once inside, the tunnel enlarged after a few steps. Magic swirled around me, sharp and pungent, testing my skin but not threatening me directly. She wants us, I said to my wolf.

I picked up the pace and trotted down the short tunnel.

The walls on both sides narrowed as I ran and the cave made an abrupt ninety-degree turn to the left. Once I made the turn, the darkness became absolute. I used my hands to guide me, as well as my eyes. I could see in the dark, but when it was this dark, only hazy, grainy outlines shown through. Once we get there, it isn’t going to be pleasant, I said. We have to be on high alert or we die. My wolf snarled. She was already at attention.

I just had to make sure I was too.

I gathered more power to me before I turned the corner, pulling hard on my inner resources. I’d used a lot of energy on the goat, but it was replenishing quickly. I made one more turn and candlelight flickered onto the cave wall, coming from what must be a bigger cavern.

I slid along the edge of the cave, stopping short of entering the cavern beyond. I inhaled. Rourke. The scent of my mate hit me. My hands shot to fist and a tornado of emotion washed over me. I can smell his blood everywhere. There’s too much of it. My wolf gnashed her teeth, pushing me forward. Get ready.

I listened for a second and then poked my head around the corner. Nothing jumped out at me, which was both a relief and a disappointment at the same time. The first thing that caught my eye were the thousands of candles lining the walls of what was indeed a huge dome-shaped cavern, easily a hundred feet across. The candles hung in metal hangers secured somehow into the rock, as well as perched on various outcroppings and ledges.

I scanned the rest of the room quickly.

There was a short natural rock wall cutting off my full view, but from what I could see, there was a raised dais in the middle of the room.

Of course there was a f*cking dais.

The Vamp Queen had a throne on hers, but it seemed Selene, the Lunar Goddess, had a bed. A huge, ornate mahogany bed, which appeared to be covered with hand-carved celestial beings—small, chubby cherubs with feathery wings and cruel expressions. The scarlet-red covers were mussed and appeared to be very well slept in. My ire spiked, right as my wolf let out a terrifying snarl. I hadn’t realized the snarl came out of my mouth until I heard a tinkle of laugher.

“What’s the matter, darling?” Selene’s voice echoed around the cave, impossible for me to pinpoint directly, which I’m certain was her intent. “I can’t help it if your mate loves to bed me. It’s hard to keep up with his stamina, you know. He requires sex so often and is so lusty, it’s a full-time job. But I do try my very best.”

I ignored her, which was a feat, and scanned the room, trying to locate where her voice was coming from, but I couldn’t, which maddened me. Continuing to stay quiet, I ducked a little farther into the room, sticking to the wall, my eyes tracing their way back to the dais and raised bed against my will. It’s going to be a great joy to tear her to pieces. My wolf snarled in agreement. The silky sheets were illuminated by a huge chandelier glowing with flickering candles. A low orange cast spread downward, creating dancing shadows on the rumpled sheets.

I growled out loud again. I couldn’t help it.

My wolf threw graphic images of us ripping Selene apart with blood and bits flying everywhere. I know. We’re going to do it, but we can’t fall for her taunts. She’s only playing with us. Rourke is incapacitated, or we would’ve heard him by now. Large stationary boulders still stood in my way, so I couldn’t see what else was inside the room unless I broke away from my position by the wall and slipped into the open space. It was tricky and I didn’t have a good plan.

Once I was in the open, things would happen fast.

My hands ran along stone as I made my way forward, keeping all my senses alert. I took in breath after breath, testing for smells. I didn’t smell anything other than Rourke’s blood. She must have it masked all the other scents and was taking glee in knowing I could smell only him.

“Come in, by all means. What’s keeping you?” Selene’s voice betrayed its practiced calm. “Not backing out now, are you? The gifts I’ve labored and toiled over, in your honor, have almost been spoiled by your tardiness.”

Gifts? I asked my wolf. My nose worked overtime.

“No need to be overly frightened. You will die, of course, but I promise to take my time with you.” She laughed again. Her voice still echoed around the cave, but this time I could tell it was coming from above. I lifted my head up and scanned the walls. When I didn’t respond to her, she snapped, “What’s the matter, little wench? Don’t you want to come claim your prizes?”

I knew refusing to acknowledge her would only piss her off more, which was my plan. I wanted her angry and sloppy. My movements were slow and methodical as I crept forward, still scanning the shadows. There were several ledges and cutouts in the cavern above, but I couldn’t see all of them from my vantage point. I slowed my heartbeat with effort, taking only quiet, shallow breaths. The smell of Rourke in the cavern, which I tried my best to ignore, was assaulting me on every level. His scent sang to my wolf, who was now beside herself, trying to urge me on faster. We’re going. The wall ends in ten paces. I parceled his scent away as fast as I could. If we go out on emotion, we lose.

“Fine, if you don’t want your gifts, I’ll just take them back. It will take only a moment of my time. Your loss.”

It was time to play.

I slid forward. “Of course I want to claim my prizes, Selene. That’s what I came here for, right?” I drawled in a lazy tone. “But more important, I’d like to remove your head from your body. After that, I’m sure I’ll have enough time to free my lover and whatever else you have in store for me. Where do you keep the clean sheets, by the way? Your bed looks so wonderfully inviting.”

Hatred reverberated around the room in waves as she snarled, “Your mate will be hard-pressed to fulfill his duties as a lover before he takes his last breath. Why don’t you step into the room and see for yourself? It’s such a shame you never got to taste him or feel his hardness rock your core. He is divine and such a very, very skilled lover.”

My wolf surged so quickly I dug my claws into the wall so we wouldn’t gallop into the room in a blind rage. She’s playing with us! Calm down!

I cleared my voice. “There will be plenty of time for me to feel all of him as soon as you’re dead and gone, Selene. We’ll start the minute you die; no need to worry yourself needlessly. Your bed will be well used.”

“He’s a lover worthy of a goddess—not,” she spat, “a mongrel such as yourself. If he were to live, he would bore of you within a week. He would be back in my bed where he belongs, his cock firmly embedded inside me for all eternity.”

“Unfortunately for you,” I answered as I took a step forward, “I’m extremely talented in the bedroom. Boredom won’t be an option.”

“Show yourself!” she raged. “I’ve had enough of these games!”

“Selene,” I taunted, “you sound a little stressed.”

“I am not stressed!” she yelled. My head snapped to her location. She was in the upper-left corner, just out of my sight. Keeping her enraged was working. Her spell was wavering. “I am a goddess. I have immense powers; nothing stresses me—”

“Having to tell people you have immense powers defeats the purpose entirely.” I shifted closer. I was almost ready to spring. “Maybe you’ve lost some of your mojo with all your beheadings—”

“Enough!” Selene raged. “Show yourself!” A shock wave hit the boulder in front of me. It exploded. I dove to the right, rolling into a shallow recess. “Come forward, wench, and we’ll see who is stronger and has more stamina.”

I crouched, waiting. Selene needed to be lost to her anger. No matter what we see once we clear this wall, we go straight for Selene. Understood? Keeping her from spelling us is our top priority. My wolf whipped her nose down, but I didn’t trust her not to react to Rourke. His scent still rocked us, making us distracted. My wolf’s instinct would be to go to him, to save him above all else. He’s going to look bad. There’s no way around it. If we don’t defeat the witch, we all die. She was barely listening. I inhaled, at her urging, and scented for trouble. Stop trying to figure out the smells. We can’t be distracted—

Naomi.

Selene had the vamps.

The traces were faint, but Selene’s masking spell was breaking down because of her rage. She hadn’t wanted me to know yet.

“You are too late, coward,” Selene called. “She dies now.” Power filled the room. It was time to act, and I needed Selene focused on me, not Naomi.

I sprang, bounding out into the open.

This was exactly what Selene wanted, but I had no other choice. Once I cleared the barrier, the scene in front of me was almost too much. I stumbled for a single moment as I took in the whips and sinister devices lining every inch of the vast cavern, each alcove adorned with shackles, implements of torture, spikes, and chains.

Blood, old and new, drenched the walls and ground like a thick carpet of red paint.

This woman was deranged.

A huge blast of power hit the side of the cavern above my head as I ran. Good. She’s aiming it at us. From the angle of the explosion, I knew she was behind me. I blocked the revulsion that had erupted in my gut as quickly as I could. Don’t look at the walls! I instructed my wolf as we ran. Once I hit the middle, I leapt over the dais in a single lunge. I spun in midair, so I faced her, landing on the balls of my feet. I crouched low, protected by the angle of the stairs. I tilted my head toward the ceiling, following my wolf’s lead. I glanced upward, past all the candles, into the deep shadows and recesses. My eyesight was excellent. Selene must have made herself invisible. Can she do that? “What’s the matter, Selene?” I called. “Too worried I’ll take you down if I can see you? Come and show me your immense powers.”

“You think to hide from me?” Selene laughed. “There is no place to hide.” Another huge ball of energy raced through the cavern.

I spotted a warped, wooden table covered in matted tissue and leftover parts. I jumped at supernatural speed, and with a running start, slid under it like I was stealing a base. Selene’s red lines hit the ground two feet behind me in a rush, rocking the cave floor, leaving a deep, rutted crater in its wake as rocks rained down from the ceiling, thumping and cracking onto the big wooden top.

The table wasn’t going to protect me from the next spell.

I poked my head out, my eyes darting around the room for the next cover. I couldn’t fight something I couldn’t see and I couldn’t throw a spell. Dammit. Do you see Rourke or Naomi? His smell was still everywhere, but I couldn’t see him. “Who’s the coward now, Selene?” I taunted. “Glamouring yourself is such a pansy way out. I’m a weakling compared to you, right? You must really be scared to take such precautions.” I eyed my next cover, a cranny ten paces away. It might hold one strike if I was lucky.

“I do not fear you, wench,” Selene spat. “I’m just not foolish enough to put myself within an animal’s reach.” Her voice tinkled around the room. “Come and look up. See what nice gifts I have waiting for you here.”

I do not want to look.

I looked.

My breath hitched inside my diaphragm, threatening to never leave my body again. No, no, no, no, no, I cried. My wolf echoed her painful howl right along with mine.

Selene’s glamour slowly evaporated, like a fog lifting from a mire, exposing Rourke for the first time. He hung from the ceiling upside down thirty feet in the air. From what I could see, his chest was eviscerated by a long, jagged incision. All his organs had tumbled out, masking this torso completely. My gods. His beautifully tattooed arms were bound with silver chains. They swung listlessly below his head, as thick, coagulated blood covered them. Most of it had congealed, but a few slow, fat drops hit the ground as I stared in horror.

Selene had done this unspeakable thing recently. She had cut him open and bled him dry, wanting me to witness his agonizing death personally. If she’d done it before, there would be no fresh blood.

An agonized sound came out of my mouth as I willed his skin to knit back together with my mind. Please, baby, please start healing! Is his chest pinned back with something to keep it from mending? I asked my wolf. She couldn’t answer me, because her muzzle was foaming with rabid anger. I crawled from under the table, mesmerized by his pain, my heart shattering. Candlelight flickered and something glinted off his side. It’s silver. She’s secured his skin back with silver. He can’t heal! My wolf stood motionless, her ears pinned back, a feral sound issuing from her throat. We have to get to him quickly. I started to run. She hasn’t severed his spine. We can save—

“Do you like what you see?” Selene cackled. I didn’t stop running. “He’s a little busy dying right now, but do you see how wonderfully he glistens? Ahhh, and that smell! Death radiates a special kind of scent. Don’t you agree?” I was almost to him. “Stop!” she screamed. “Or he dies now.” An explosion hit the wall closest to me.

My head snapped to her voice and I slid to a stop.

She must have dropped her glamour at the same time she dropped her hold on Rourke, but I hadn’t even noticed. There was a small alcove running along the cavern directly across from where Rourke hung. She was just outside it, swinging on something. Is that some kind of trapeze? My wolf didn’t answer. She refused to tear her mind away from Rourke.

The thing Selene sat on was attached to the rocky cavern ceiling by thick chains and she swung idly, like she was bored, dressed in her ridiculous biker-chick outfit: all black leather, corsets, and spikes. Her long, red tresses flowed out behind her, her porcelain skin glowing in the candlelight. I focused my eyes harder. What she was on was too bulky and too thick to be a regular swing.

My stomach gave a wild lurch.

The only distinguishing human feature of the thing wrapped up in dark netting was the chestnut hair flowing through the holes. The body was drenched in blood and unrecognizable. But I knew who it was. I’m coming for you, Naomi. We will avenge her together.

Selene caught my eye, making sure I took in every ounce of her dramatic unveiling, and then tossed her head back. “Do you know how long I’ve waited to have my revenge on this hateful traitor? More than three hundred years. I gave this bitch everything and she threw it all in my face the first chance she got.” She smiled, her pouty lips straightening in to a grim line. “It was so deliciously wonderful that you led her right to my doorstep. You did something her brother failed to do for three centuries! I should reward you, but honestly it will be more fun to kill you. But, because of your generous gift, I’ll save you for last.”

Eamon had failed to bring her here? That means he’s been working as Selene’s spy the entire time. He never left her service. Things fell into place quickly. My wolf was still inconsolable, pushing me toward Rourke with all her might. Before I could get her full attention, there was a small noise behind me.

“Seize her!” Selene yelled, laughing. She was enjoying this way too much.

It was time to change things up.

I spun without looking. With incredible speed I collided with Eamon, shoving my foot into his rib cage, smashing him back into the nearest rock wall. The side of the cavern blew apart on impact. Eamon sprang out of the broken pieces immediately, seemingly unharmed, except for a line of blood lingering at the left corner of his mouth. His lips curled at the sides as his chin started to slid down, his cheekbones twisting ghoulishly.

His mouth opened to reveal long, sharp canines dripping with blood. “Finally,” he hissed. “I get to witness your end. I’ve wanted to do this since the first time I laid eyes on you standing in front of my Queen, cocky and insolent, showing no respect to anyone. You deserve to die! You can bring nothing but madness to the supernatural race.”

“You bastard,” I raged. “You set your sister up. You knew you were bringing her to her death. Admit it! You broke a sacred blood-bond, and you’re going to rot for it. I’m going to make sure you do.” I lunged before he could give me one of his pissy retorts. I grabbed him around the neck before he knew I’d moved a muscle, infusing power into my arms as I went, my body reacting in pure fury. My hands pulsed, my nails sharpening to long razors, power flowing out of the points that bit deeply into his neck. Blood poured out of the wounds. My wolf gnashed her teeth at him, fully engaged with me now.

Eamon gurgled, scraping his hands against my forearms in an effort to loosen my hold. “You… will not… win…” He coughed.

“Oh, yeah,” I snarled right next to his ear. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that in the last few weeks? You picked the wrong side, a*shole. And I hate traitors.” I hauled him up like he weighed nothing, shook him hard, and brought my arms back, tossing him into the rock wall again. He smashed into it like a bullet, collapsing in another flurry of rocks.

Selene’s voice grated into the air, her composure slipping by the minute. “Eamon is a fool, has always been a fool. As well as a weakling. I will enjoy watching him die.” She tossed her head back with delight. “Then I will kill you.”

Eamon stopped in his tracks at his mistress’s words, looking confused. “I have faithfully served you for over four hundred years.” He gaped. “I have gone behind my Queen’s back repeatedly and have betrayed my sister willingly. You said we’d finally be together forever, as we should be.”

Eamon had fallen for his keeper. Naomi had said they had forged no bonds, but it seemed Eamon had indeed forged a big one. Selene had manipulated him for centuries, dangling her reward of eternal love. Only she never meant to make good on her deal, because she was a horrid masochist who could only ever love herself.

“Eamon,” I said, “I hate to break it to you, but your Goddess has never loved you. Not even a little bit. I don’t think she’s ever even liked you. You’ve been her messenger and slave for all these centuries for absolutely nothing. It’s time to break the cycle. You can make amends to your sister if you help me defeat Selene now. It’s your only chance for salvation.”

Eamon’s face went full vamp. His cheeks slid as his canines sprang from behind his thin lips. A vicious snarl hissed out of his elongated throat. “This is your fault,” he accused. “If you die, things will go back to the way they once were.”

I sidestepped him with ease, his confusion and emotions making him erratic. Even though Eamon was old, it was almost like he was a child, having never had the chance to grow up and be a man.

Selene cackled again, enjoying the show.

Time to mix things up.

Eamon turned and wheeled at me again. My body bent down in a crouch, concentrating on his movements. When he was within my grasp, I snatched him up around the middle, my body pivoting in a full circle, my feet anchoring me steadily. Once I gathered the momentum I needed, I tossed him as hard as I could. He flew through the air.

The moment he hit his target it was game on.