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  Zane kissed Melanie’s bare shoulder one last time. “I will be back,” he promised, and slipped away.

  ***

  As predicted, Hurricane wanted to join him on his mission, but Zane refused to let him come. He drove his motorcycle out of Ivywood with the money stashed in the saddlebags of his bike. His wolf snarled, wanting to go forward and rescue his mother while at the same time pulling back, wanting to go back to Melanie. It had been a while since his wolf pulled at him to be with a woman like this, and never this strong.

  Melanie was a distraction, though, and so Zane put her out of his mind and concentrated on his mission.

  Deep in the mountains, hidden by trees and on a road that was so overgrown he hardly got his bike up it, Eldric waited for him. Zane noted the three other vampires with him, but didn’t allow that to throw him off. Relief washed over him when he saw his mother. She was a little paler than normal, but her hands were clenched, her jaw tight and fire in her eyes. There were no injuries that Zane could see.

  “You’re here earlier than I expected,” Eldric noted, cocking his head to one side. “Were you planning on going right to the entrance to the kingdom? If my men hadn’t seen you, you might have been torn apart by vampires not part of my little scheme.”

  “Scheme is right.” Zane stalked over to them and thrust the money at Eldric before focusing on his mother. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded.

  Eldric snorted, rolling his eyes, and counted the money. A pleased smile spread over his face and he handed the bags to one of his men, who took off through the forest. Sunlight glinted off his elongated fangs. Thunder’s nostrils flared. He wished he could just kill the son of a bitch.

  “What do you even want that money for?”

  Eldric considered him for a moment as Zane put a protective arm around his mother. The vampire’s gaze flickered to her for a brief second, and Zane nearly stepped back and took the question back. He had just handed over a good chunk of money, though, and he thought that he deserved to know what it was going to be used for.

  “I’m buying a yacht,” Eldric said eventually. “I’m going to sail across the ocean for a hundred years, drinking champagne and fucking beautiful women.”

  Zane snorted in disbelief.

  “I have been confined to darkness for over a thousand years, boy. I want to have fun again. No more limitations, just me and the sun and all the women I want...” Eldric smiled. “After all, what’s the point of being able to go out in sunlight if I just continue to live in a dark, moldy mountain?”

  “And how can you walk in sunlight now?”

  Eldric burst into laughter. “If I told you, you’d do everything you could to take it away from us again. No. That can just be a mystery, my boy. Just a mystery.”

  Zane’s mother put a hand on his arm. “Get me out of here.”

  He nodded, put an arm around her and glared at the three remaining vampires. None of them moved to stop him, which only caused his wolf even more irritation. Was Eldric genuine in wanting the money and nothing more? So he could have a hundred-year party? He must have been underground for a long time if he thought that much money was going to be enough to pay for all that time.

  “If you wanted to join me on my yacht, I’d be more than happy to have you,” Eldric continued, keeping pace beside him, though there was a good yard between them. “All I’d want is a little of your blood every now and then, since it tastes so good. Not as good as your father’s, though. But you are a unique bunch, aren’t you? Normally, shifter blood tastes like mud, but yours? Bet it’s even better with the endorphins in your system… I can smell that little cat all over you. Sex does make blood sweeter...”

  Zane’s mother shuddered, and Zane hurried her the last few steps to the bike. It wasn’t ideal for her, but it was better than nothing. He couldn’t have brought a car all the way up here. He would have to push their speed until they were out of vampire territory. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too much for her. If it was, he’d just have to call someone to come pick them up at the base of the mountain.

  “If you marry your kitten,” Eldric continued, talking faster now, “you’ll have to invite me to your wedding. After all, we are deeply connected. I’ve been looking out for you all these years. Besides, I can bring a lot to the marriage bed. Just ask your mother.”

  Zane knew that Eldric was trying to goad him, but that last phrase made his head whip around. His wolf snarled, and he bared his teeth. The vampire grinned at him, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

  “Zane,” his mother pleaded, grasping the back of his jacket. “Let’s go.”

  “But Felicia, things are just starting to get interesting.” Eldric sidled forward.

  The hair stood up on Zane’s neck. He fought his wolf, knowing he needed to just get on the bike and drive away. He couldn’t, though. Not when the vampire was looking at him like that, as though he had just struck gold.

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you about us, boy?” Eldric smiled. “If it wasn’t for the Brotherhood’s interference, you would have grown up with me as your daddy… Funny, isn’t it? Dear Felicia had two men on her wedding night, and now she’s alone. All she’s got is a son who killed both her husbands. Maybe I should give her a third husband, eh?”

  His wolf howled, the sound bursting from his throat. He wouldn't believe those lies, but the rage rose up in him, stronger than anything he’d felt before. He lunged for Eldric. His mother let out a cry. Before he reached the vampire, the two cronies darted between them. Zane punched one in the face and it stumbled back, hissing between its teeth. The other swiped at him with a knife, but he ducked.

  Eldric’s laughter grew louder.

  With a shout, Zane launched himself at one of the vampires. He got it in a headlock and punched hard into the ribs. He felt bone snapping and dropped it. They might be undead, but they weren’t immune to pain. The vampire whimpered and writhed.

  The other crony got to its feet, but Zane’s eyes were locked on Eldric. He held a cellphone in his hand. A thrill of fear went through him and he lunged, pulling a stake from his belt as he did so. He swung, aiming for Eldric’s chest. A scream rent the air and the other vampire threw itself between them. The stake plunged into its chest, driving to its heart.

  The vampire burst into ash, piling on the ground.

  Zane charged for Eldric again, but he didn’t reach him. His feet were suddenly kicked out from under him. Two more vampires charged out of the trees and tackled him. His arm was yanked behind his back, the stake ripped away from him. Heavy boots collided with his back, forcing him face-down into the dirt. His heart hammered as he struggled against the iron grips. There were at least four of them now; had they been in the bushes, waiting for him to kill someone?

  He was flipped over to stare up at Eldric, who smiled at him. Somewhere, Zane heard his mother calling for him, but it seemed very, very far away. He twisted desperately to see she was no longer on the bike.

  “Thank you, my boy.” Eldric knelt beside him and patted his cheek. “You’ve just earned me a free kill. I know exactly who I’m going to choose, too.”

  Zane snarled, fighting to free himself. “Stay away from my mother!”

  A smile spread over Eldric’s face and he tisked. “Oh, Zane, my boy. I’m not interested in a frail old body like hers. She was beautiful forty years ago, but now? Now she’s far too breakable. I like my partners able to keep up with me. No. You’ll find out who it is soon enough.” The vampire got to his feet and turned to the cronies. “Let him go after I’m gone. And remember, Zane, for every vampire you kill, I get to kill a shifter. And I know the names of all your friends.”

  “My mother!” Zane shouted, freeing one hand and punching a vampire in the face.

  “I’m having her taken home, Zane. Don’t worry. When you get back, you’ll find her in perfect condition.”

  Eldric smiled and walked away. A twig cracked under his heel and Zane’s eyes widened. Vampir
es, even when they appeared to be walking, hovered just over the ground. They never left behind footprints, let alone breaking twigs. Was that connected to their ability to walk in the sunlight? Whatever they did, what if it made them more human?

  “Don’t know why we can’t just kill him,” one of the vampires grumbled. “Damn animal.”

  “Oh, he’ll be dead soon enough.” Another of the vampires leered at him. “Eldric’s smart enough not to choose this one to pay for the death because that king of theirs, Typhoon, he's gonna kill this wolfy for the trouble he caused. Isn’t that right, wolfy?”

  Zane glared at him, but it was true. No matter how this ended, he was dead for sure. Unless he ran… That was a coward’s way out, but if it meant he could ensure his mother was safe, he’d be a coward.

  Melanie flashed across his mind. Would she want to be with a coward?

  “Let ‘im go,” one of the cronies said, yawning. “You won’t cause more trouble, will you?”

  The vampires, grumbling, released him. Zane sprang to his feet, glaring at them. His wolf urged him to simply kill them all, but he couldn’t do that. Not without sacrificing more lives. With a growl, he turned on his heel and marched for his bike.

  ***

  As soon as he got home and saw his mother was alright, he hugged her tight. And then he grabbed a bag and started stuffing clothes into it.

  “I’m taking you to Hurricane’s.” The vampires might still be a threat and they might not be. In any case, Hurricane would be far better able to protect her than leaving her alone in this house. “Is there anything particular you need?”

  “Zane.” His mother sank into the couch, wiping her face with her trembling hand. “Sit down and talk.”

  He knew what she wanted to talk to him about and he shook his head. There wasn’t time to waste on Eldric’s lies. He had been hoping to provoke Zane into an attack, and he had unfortunately succeeded. That didn’t mean that Zane was going to agonize over it; no, the best thing to do now was ignore what the vampire had said and focus on what needed to be done.

  “It was true,” his mother said softly.

  Bile churned in his stomach. “No.”

  “Before you were born, before we even knew he was a vampire, your father and I… Eldric was our lover.”

  A shudder ran down Zane’s spine and he spun on his heel. His wolf growled. “No!”

  His mother looked so old, so fragile. She sagged into the couch, the cushions nearly swallowing her. Her head bowed to her chest. Zane’s blood was cold as he stared at her, unable to speak. It was impossible. Eldric must be threatening her or… or… He suddenly remembered the way she flinched every time Eldric called him ‘my boy’. His increased immunity to vampire venom…

  Zane shook as his wolf retreated, whimpering.

  “When we met him, he was all charm and grace. Neither of us ever considered anything but monogamy, but somehow Eldric changed our minds. Shortly after, we began feeling off… there were strange scabs on our bodies and we didn’t know what they were from. He was siphoning off our blood while we slept. Then the Brotherhood came, and we found out what he was… he tried to kill your father and take me as his prisoner.”

  Zane slowly moved to the couch and sank down next to his mother.

  “He’s obsessed with the idea of creating a new breed of vampire-shifter hybrids. He thinks that if he fathers a new breed, he will end up a god on earth.”

  It was all too much, but Zane had to know. His hands shook, and his stomach turned, but he forced himself to meet his mother’s eyes. “Did he succeed?”

  “Zane…”

  “Is he my father?” his voice was little more than a whisper.

  His mother looked away. “If it’s possible for vampires to have children, then it’s possible. I don’t know for certain.”

  Zane leaned forward, hiding his face in his hands. That was the last thing he expected to hear. His gut still churned, and his mind ran in circles. It was impossible, wasn’t it? “I can’t deal with this right now,” he whispered. “I’m taking you to Hurricane, Ma. Where you’ll be safe.”

  Chapter Nine

  Melanie

  Melanie woke up feeling like she had slept for a week. Every muscle in her body had a pleasant sort of tingling in it, even though she ached a little. As she lay in bed, smelling Zane on the blankets and her body, she waited. For some sense of shame, some sense of having made a huge mistake, as she had always been warned. All that she felt was warmth flowing throughout her body.

  She yawned, stretched, and rolled over. The cellphone Hurricane had given her sat on her nightstand, and she picked it up to find a slew of texts from Ava. Melanie’s heart jumped as she opened them, dreading the worst. It wasn’t anything about her father, though; instead, it was a series of texts about how Jackson and Val had sniffed out the wolf and bear that had kidnapped her. They were currently sitting in jail, and it was expected that they’d stay there for a while.

  The news allowed her to breathe out a sigh of relief, happy to know that they weren’t on the streets anymore. She was certain that if they were allowed to run loose, she wasn’t the only one that would end up seeing them taking out a vampire due to their carelessness.

  What would Ava say if she knew what had gone down between Melanie and Zane? Melanie couldn't stop a grin as she phoned her. It was going to be a shock, if she told Ava. After all, Melanie was the one who had warned Ava away from the gang in the first place. Now she had slept with one of its alphas? She chewed her lip as she rolled over, waiting for Ava to pick up.

  “Melanie,” Ava greeted happily. “I was wondering when you were going to call.”

  “I just woke up,” Melanie told her. “Zane woke up, so I finally could go to bed. How’s my dad?”

  “He’s fine. He’s been telling me all about how he used to take you camping. Oh, and Lindsey stopped by, asking where you are. You haven’t phoned the cafe yet?”

  Melanie scowled at the mention of the cafe. She’d been gone for over a week now, and her voicemail was full of angry messages from Lindsey, the owner of the cafe, and Rodger. Neither of them seemed worried about her, just angry that she wasn’t there. It made her want to simply quit them both. Move to a new city and deal with whatever came next in her own way.

  “I saw that you caught those idiots who kidnapped me,” Melanie said, changing the subject. “I’m glad. Although, I’m surprised that Jackson put them in jail. I thought he’d kill them.”

  “No.” Ava sounded very self-satisfied. “I figured that you wouldn’t want people to die over you, so I convinced him to just put them in jail if they turned themselves over. So, they came to the house to confess to me and plead for me to intervene on their behalf. I tell you, I was tempted to let him kill them… but like I said, I didn’t think you’d want people to die for you.”

  Melanie nodded slowly. “Yeah. You’re right about that.”

  Ava wasn’t part of the gang, not technically. And yet, she was still mated to the alpha of the Coalfell chapter. That had nearly destroyed their friendship. The only reason Melanie hadn’t pulled away entirely was because she had been afraid that Jackson would end up hurting her and their daughter. But he was completely devoted to her, and Ava was the alpha’s mate.

  “How… how do you stand it?”

  “What?”

  “The gang. Everything they do… I mean, vampires aside, they still deal drugs and rob people and all that stuff. How can you accept all the bad that they do?”

  Ava was silent for a moment before she let out a sigh. “It’s hard. I have to constantly remind myself that it’s not all crime. But the thing is, if it wasn’t the Brotherhood, it’d be someone else. Jackson doesn’t allow sex trafficking or tricking people into getting into drugs. I don’t like that he’s into dealing drugs at all, but you saw what happened with that recent batch of tainted stuff. People are always going to get their drugs from somewhere. Jackson at least ensures that it’s pure and has stuff like clean needle sites set u
p. So people don’t accidentally kill themselves.”

  “I suppose. It’s just… it’s against everything I have always thought was right...”

  Ava made a soft noise of agreement. “Where is all this coming from, Mel?”

  Melanie chewed her lip. Heat swirled inside of her as she pressed her face into the pillow and smelled Zane’s scent once again. “Ava, I am going to tell you something and I need you to not freak out, okay?”

  “Okay...”

  “Well… after Zane woke up… The woman here, Roxy, she came to his room and started stripping, saying that he needed sex to get over the venom.”

  “Oh, that? Yeah, it helps some people. Vampire venom brings out base instincts, you see, and while it tends more toward the violent side of things, the desire to mate can also be really—”

  Melanie huffed, cutting her off. “Shut up and listen to me, will you?”

  Ava giggled and was quiet.

  “Well, he turned her down. Said he was going to take care of it himself. But then he came to my room. And… well, one thing led to another and I’m not a virgin anymore.” Melanie said the last bit in a rush, swinging out of bed to find her clothes. Her face burned uncomfortably even as a smile spread over it.

  “Wait.” Ava sounded panicked. “Wait, wait, wait. Did you sleep with him or did he...?”

  It took Melanie a moment to understand what she was saying. She pulled in a sharp breath as she yanked her pants on. “I slept with him. He decided he wanted me and I wanted him, so I slept with him. It’s only a one-time thing, but it was still fun.”

  “Oh, Mel...” Ava sighed. “How do you feel?”

  “Amazing, actually. I never thought my first time would be a one-night stand, but listen to this. I, you know, finished, like a dozen times. I forgot my own name in there. It was amazing, Ava. Really, it was probably the most amazing—”