Werewolves Be Damned

Chapter Twenty-One


A loud curse echoed around Nexi, as the darkness threatened to consume her. The pain at her throat was a dull ache as the world drifted away. On the verge of blacking out, she found herself suddenly floating as Lazarus threw her across the yard as if she were an empty beer can, sending her straight into another tree.

Smacking her head against the trunk, she tumbled to the ground, blood oozing down her neck. Now more aware, she inhaled and pain laced her lungs, concentrating in one spot then blasting up her body. His throw had clearly shattered her rib, but she did her best to push past the pain. She wouldn’t give Lazarus the satisfaction or the advantage of knowing he’d injured her.

Rising to her feet, she breathed shallowly so her broken rib didn’t hinder her. Before she managed to straighten her back, he grabbed her arm and yanked her up, and she screamed out in agony.

“This is quite the dilemma, isn’t it?” He sneered. “Your mother was much easier to kill. Rather pathetic, even. She used all of her strength to protect you and it drained her magic, leaving her defenseless—stupidity on her part.”

Nexi’s rage took her to a place she’d never travelled. The thirst to kill was more than revenge, but downright hunger to make this vampire bleed, to stand over his body and watch the life drain from his eyes. “It’s because you don’t know love,” she roared. “You wouldn’t know what it’s like to care for anything or anyone but yourself. You’re not capable of understanding such a thing.”

His chin lifted high. “Of course, I don’t. I’m a vampire.”

“No,” she snarled. “You’re an a*shole.”

His mouth curved, amusement lighting his dark eyes. “Some might see it that way.”

He forced her back against the tree, and she gasped as pain shattered her ribcage. He ran his fingers along the side of her face, trapped her in his harsh stare. “I suppose I’ll have to keep you around until this power comes in then, won’t I?”

The pain in her chest was sucked away as he sandwiched their bodies together. Nexi watched his beady eyes rake over her face and sickness rolled through her at what she saw in their depths: desire. Leaning in toward her, he pressed his mouth against her cheek, his fangs trailing over her skin. “You’ll be useful to me in more ways than—”

Hitting him square in the nose with her head, she didn’t allow him the chance to finish that statement. Revulsion made the sense of fear, the knowledge she was in serious trouble, not stand in comparison to the horrific thoughts engulfing her. Hell would freeze over before she’d let him come anywhere near her body.

A loud crack echoed through the backyard before Lazarus grunted. With a sneer marring his face, he grabbed her hair and proceeded to drag her over to Kyden. “Learn this, witch—if you don’t behave, I’ll make you suffer.”

She winced at the ache in her skull, matched with the piercing pain in her chest, as he tossed her to the grass and turned to Kyden. “And I’ll start with removing this guardian from your life.” Twisting Kyden’s head, Lazarus sank his fangs deep into Kyden’s neck, causing him to scream out in torment.

She didn’t care how screwed she was at the moment—and she was royally f*cked—common sense and care for herself ceased to exist in her mind. Rushing forward, she slammed into Lazarus with such strength it detached his lecherous mouth from Kyden’s neck, sending him flying across the yard. He landed by the herb garden, then jerked his head toward her, eyes blazing with ferocity.

His lip lifted in a snarl, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight, then he appeared right in front of her. Before she could anticipate what pain he might inflict, he hit the side of her head with his open hand and she flew into the air.

Dizzy, she couldn’t tell how high he’d thrown her, and she fought to remain conscious as the warm air rushed across her skin. Lazarus’s strength and speed outdid her. He had the ability to pulverize her in two seconds flat and she knew—without a doubt in her mind—he planned to torture her.

The reality of her situation weighed heavily upon her, even as she fell through the air. She only had one chance to save Kyden, and no matter what happened, she had to try.

She finally hit the ground, her head smashing against the grass where she once picnicked with her parents, and her back followed. Regardless of the suffering her body endured, she jumped to her feet. She couldn’t stop fighting…not yet. Narrowing her eyes on the vampire who stalked her, she yelled, “Come on, you f*cking coward, show me what you’ve got.”

A single breath later, Nexi ate her words. Lazarus landed a punch to her jaw, snapping her head back. Raw agony sliced through her and blood rushed down her face to drip onto her chest. Not as if that stopped him, or made him pause to let her recover, he pummeled her with a hard blow to her gut tossing her several yards.

The world, for a few seconds, faded away, her head spinning and her vision blurry. That was, until Lazarus’s snicker cut through the haze. “You’re brave. I’ll give you that.”

Pushing herself up onto her hands, Nexi spat blood. Her entire body throbbed with an anguish she never believed one woman could survive. A low groan sounded above her, and she now realized Lazarus had sent her directly in front of Kyden.

She lifted her head, staring up at the guardian who had put himself in this situation for her. His proximity somehow strengthened and comforted her. She drew confidence knowing they were a team. It was them against Lazarus. He’d trained her for this moment, but now his words to her held more weight—the fight had gone on too long and now she was weakened. A few more of those blows and he would knock her out, kidnap her, and do god knows what with her.

What troubled her more than her own safety were thoughts of Kyden’s life. Would someone else she cared about die because of her? He needed her to help him and she had failed. Defeat sank in and she could’ve cried, if she weren’t so angry.

Turning to Lazarus, she found him approaching her, and his superior expression made her blood boil. Anger so rich and raw filled her, making her hands quiver. Time slowed around her, each second more drawn out than the last.

If Lazarus held her captive until her magic came in, and took her the way he planned, evil would seep into everything that was good. No matter that she truly didn’t understand the details, she understood well enough that Lazarus as a leader would mean full destruction of the worlds.

She couldn’t allow this to happen.

But how could she stop him…

Her heartbeat raced. Heat rushed through her veins. She shook her head trying to clear her vision, as darkness threatened to overtake her. The view in front of her faded, but somehow she knew she wasn’t blacking out.

Her backyard had morphed into a forest she’d never seen before, as if she were drawn into a memory. A memory that didn’t belong to her, which was similar to the magic Haven produced to recreate murder scenes. Nexi realized, though, it had to be different, because for the oddest reason, she knew with certainty Lazarus couldn’t see what she did now.

A woman ran through the forest, weaving in and out of trees, while a baby cried in her arms. She tripped over stones and branches, but she continued to get up and run from the vampire hunting her—Lazarus.

“You can’t run from me,” Lazarus called, stalking forward with a speed slow and unafraid. “You’ve got no one to save you and nowhere to hide.”

The woman tripped again and this time, fell to her knees. Her warm blue eyes were filled with tears, her blonde hair curtaining her face. She lowered her lips to the baby’s face, and whispered against the screaming baby’s forehead. “Go, Nexi. Be safe, my love. Always remember, I love you.”

The baby vanished from her arms and she turned to face Lazarus. The witch looked drained and utterly exhausted, her movements slow and appearing forced. Her eyelids lowered as she panted while he closed in on her. She raised her hands to conjure magic, but none came.

Lazarus cackled. “Used all your strength to send the child away? Now you are mine.” With a speed that seemed to surprise the witch, since her eyes widened, he lunged toward her and sank his fangs deep into her neck. The witch’s eyes shut tight as she tried to fight him off, but her strength couldn’t match his.

Then…she screamed…

Nexi gasped, the present returning. Lazarus approached as if no time had passed and the sound of her birth mother’s screams echoed in Nexi’s mind. Her body shook from the inside out, torn up about what she’d witnessed. Tillie gave up her life to protect Nexi. Kyden was willing to do the same, and now he would die, too.

Tears rushed down her face for so many reasons it was impossible to pinpoint the cause, and raw emotion filled her. Heat and electric currents of rage burned within. Glancing down at her hands, she noted she didn’t only tremble on the inside, but on the outside, too. In fact, now aware, she realized her whole body quivered in absolute horror. The warmth coursing through her grew rapidly, filled her entirely, and sweat coated her skin.

Lazarus stopped his approach, regarding her with a cautious look. “What are you doing?”

His surprise made her take further notice of her body and she discovered she wasn’t experiencing emotionally charged reactions. This was a physical transformation. And it so happened, the moment she acknowledged the force swirling within her body, all that power concentrated into the center of her chest, when suddenly the energy burst wide open.

A surge so intense exploded within and the pain Lazarus had delivered was no comparison to the sheer brutal force ripping her apart. Her screams morphed together as flames flickered through her, building more intense as the seconds drew on.

Above her, Kyden moaned and on instinct, Nexi grabbed his ankle. Her fingers wrapped around his bloody skin, not caring if she hurt him now. She needed the connection. As her fingers tightened around his wet flesh, her only thoughts remained of him, and a sudden flash of power stormed through her body, which glued her hand to his ankle.

Terrified and confused, she shut her eyes and screamed against the force wrecking havoc on her body. Anything this painful should mean she was dead. Minutes—feeling like a lifetime—passed. The burn built to an intensity she doubted she could survive, when suddenly, a waft of power caressed over her, removing the heat and instead sending it outwards.

She experienced a relief so exquisite she wept anew, smiling as though the sun had kissed her face for the first time. With a gentle wash of energy sweeping over her like a warm bath, all sensations vanished, and she snapped her eyes open.

Lifting her head, she looked up, and her breath became trapped her in throat at the face staring down at her. Bewildered, she could only blink in wonderment, unsure if her trauma made her eyes play tricks on her. However, the sight in front of her remained.

Kyden arched an eyebrow, as ire burned in the depths of his eyes. He glanced to Lazarus, who stood statue-still, and then he scanned the area in haste before his fiery gaze returned to her. “Your reason for coming here alone better be good.”

Her reason for showing up to face Lazarus was only half of her concern right now. “Holy shit,” she whispered in shock. “I healed you.”