Forbidden Love (3 page)

Gun shots sounded within the mansion and the vampire turned fast, freezing Keta in her tracks as his eyes widened with surprised.

“Well isn’t this a surprise.”

Keta attacked, throwing the stake as hard as she could.

It sank into his chest before he could drop his smile. The vampire’s body thumped to the floor loudly.

Sure is, buddy.

Keta bent to retrieve her stake when the door smashed open. She spun around, heart hammering as men charged into the room. She jumped up, flipping over their heads as they fired their machine guns.

Bits of the ceiling rained down on them all as Keta landed. She jumped up, crashing through the ceiling before the vampires could open fire again.

Shaking bits of plaster and wood from her hair, Keta climbed to her feet and ran across the room, a rain of bullets following her. She crashed into the next room—which turned out to be a bathroom—and jumped into the bath as bullets continued to come.

Crap!

While the bullets destroyed the room, Keta pulled out a small square package from her jacket and stuck it to the side of the bath before jumping out of the bath and onto the sill of the broken window. She climbed through, grabbing the drain to keep steady, and jumped up, grabbed hold of the window above her and pulled herself up.

After kicking the window through, she slid in quietly, listening for others while she climbed three floors up, pulling more small packages from her jacket and sticking them to the walls as she went.

When she didn’t meet any vampires along the way, she pulled a remote detonator from her jacket pocket.

* * * *

“Elijah.”

Elijah turned away from the window and faced Blake, a frown still in place. He couldn’t get the image of the woman in the window from his mind.

Dressed like a warrior in leathers, her long dark brown hair stood out in contrast with her pale skin, and her eyes that shone brightly as she’d checked him out.

It was enough to catch his attention even in the midst of what was happening around them.

“Any signs?”

“Not of the Silent Killer. There are humans here—we’ve taken them to our vans.”

Elijah nodded, his attention back at the window now, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful woman again. “They will be happy to have a warm place to stay away from the evil that has tormented them so.”

“That is what I thought.”

The mansion exploded.

The force knocked Elijah off his feet, propelling him backwards hard. When he landed, he rolled onto his feet, watching the fire and smoke billow out of the windows. Elijah jumped into action instantly. “Blake! Check to see if the others made it out alive!”

“What will you do?”

A wolf jumped from one of the windows, souring through the air before dropping as the mansion exploded again.

Elijah kept his eyes on her. “I’m going after the Silent Killer!” He jumped forward, his clothes ripping and his body changing in mid-jump before Blake could reply.

His change into a wolf was painful as his bones cracked, shifted and lengthened within his body. All scents changed, becoming stronger. When he landed, he charged through the smoke, following the golden werewolf as she weaved left and right. He followed her exact moves, determined not to lose her.

Come on! Faster!

The wolf pounded through the trees, obviously trying to lose him.

She’d have no luck where he was concerned. His eyes were locked onto her and the scent of wild flowers filled his nostrils as she left her scent behind.

He was at her tail when she jumped high. Elijah followed her, catching her back paw with his teeth.

The wolf yelped as she landed and fell to the muddy ground. She rolled across the mud and leaves.

When Elijah landed, the wolf had shifted into her human form and was clutching her foot with both hands, hunched forward. Elijah pounced on her, shifting mid-flight so he could pin her hands to the floor.

What?
Elijah’s mouth hung open as he stared at the woman underneath him.

Big blue eyes which shone brightly compared to her pale, almost white skin. With her high cheekbones, small nose and full lips, she was gorgeous to his eyes. Her long brown hair fanned out across the ground.

Elijah was suddenly aware that they were both naked as he let his gaze travel down her body. Tall with full round breasts pressed against his chest, her long legs wrapped around his ankles.

Lying naked with him leaning over her, the woman looked like more of a warrior naked than when she was clothed. She looked like a warrior princess.

The woman blinked, breathing heavily underneath him.

Elijah lowered himself onto his elbows, saw her part her lips as he came into contact with her heated flesh. He watched her pale skin flush and wondered what she would look like when she was aroused, when she let pleasure take control of her as he drove himself into her.

A growl rumbled in his chest at the thought. He lowered his head to her neck and inhaled. Her scent washed through his senses, making his fangs extend, wanting to taste her. He tilted her head back, giving him easy access to her throat when he stopped.

Her skin was marred with puncture scars and a long jagged scar that ran from the left side to the right.

Elijah leant up and saw the fear in her wide eyes, smelled it around him as she breathed heavily.

Gently smoothing her hair back, Elijah turned her face to his. “They don’t call you the Silent Killer for nothing. You can’t speak, can you?”

She shook her head quickly.

Elijah bowed his head, clenching his hands into fists in anger. “If I let you shift, will you run?”

No answer.

“If you run, I will catch you.” Elijah made sure his message was heard clearly before he moved off her.

She sat up, covering her naked body and clutching at her ankle. She did nothing but stare at him.

Elijah breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of her blood as he changed into a wolf. If he stayed as a human, the vampire in him would take control. He didn’t want to frighten her any more than he had.

He nudged her hands before licking her wound.

She jumped and clenched his fur hard as she pressed her lips together, keeping her eyes shut and fighting off her obvious pain.

When Elijah moved away, he was hungry and more aroused than ever.

She shifted and shook her body before bending her head to lick her wound. She was gorgeous, her hair fur and shiny. Her ears pulled back on her head, her body crouched low.

Elijah stayed where he was, resisting the urge to comfort her and convince her that he meant no harm.
What’s your name?

Her bright blue eyes stared at him.
Keta.

Who are you?

Keta turned away.

Elijah nudged her.
Who gave you those scars?

Does it matter?

Why wouldn’t it?

What’s done is done. I can’t change that.

Elijah tilted his head to the side.
But you are.

Keta met his gaze.

You’re killing those who did this to you. Vampires. Let me guess. You were sold into slavery and blamed the vampires.

What?
Keta shook her head.

So explain to me what happened to make you hunt vampires like you do.

Keta was silent for a long while.

Elijah waited for her to speak.

Fine. You’re right. The vampires did this to me, but I was with the wolves first before I went to the vampires. When I got to them, they wanted to keep me to themselves instead of passing me along. I was…changed then, and they enjoyed it more. I was made into something that shouldn’t exist because I fought to escape. I fought to keep myself alive and now I make them wish they killed me.

Elijah was surprised she’d opened up to him so fast. Maybe it was the anger—he could feel it around her as she quivered.
You’re a half-breed?

Yes.

Elijah was silent for a while, surprised to find someone else just like him.
Not all vampires are like that. I actually hunt my own kind down for the very thing you just described to me.

You’re a wolf. You can’t hunt your own kind down. Even if you were to be banished, there’s still an oath you can’t break.

That is why I haven’t killed the man who bit and changed me.

Wait. You’re a vampire? But you’re a wolf.

Something which shouldn’t exist, right?
Elijah shook before changing back into his human form. He hated staying in his wolf form. Not when it wasn’t who he was. “You blew up the mansion my men were in. Were you aware that you could have killed innocent women in the process?”

Keta lowered her head to her legs before she shook, changing back into her human form and hiding her naked body with her long legs. She spoke with her hands quickly.
There were others there?

Elijah was thankful his mother had taught him sign language. “We think there might have been, but any woman in the hands of the rogue only ever wishes for one thing. You did them a favour, they are at peace now.”

That changes nothing. I swore to myself that I would help others who have been where I have. Who are experiencing what I have.

“Listen to me.” Elijah ran his hands through her thick soft hair. “You did them a favour. Trust me. I know you’ve been in the same situation, but I’ve
seen
many women kill themselves for fear of being used again, because of the nightmares. We do everything we can, but we can’t truly heal the scars they bear.” Elijah shook his head, still hearing their screams of pain when they slept, seeing the fear within them and he was unable to do a thing about it.

You look after the broken?

Elijah kept his eyes locked with hers, but didn’t answer. How could he tell a woman who killed his own kind that he took in the women and tried to heal them, only to fail? Just like he was likely going to fail Rio’s command when it came to bringing Katrina back him.

There would be serious consequences for that one.

Elijah shifted into a wolf, barely containing his anger. He waited for Keta to change before speaking.
You need to stop killing my kind, especially those who are innocent.

Your kind hurt me and made me into the creature I am now! I can’t hunt the werewolves for what they did.

And I am both vampire and werewolf—torn between helping my own kind and keeping the other half safe from harm also. I am sworn to eternity of doing the dirty work of the werewolf who bit me. Life is never fair, Keta, but you have to deal with it anyway you can. And killing all vampires is not the answer, nor will it help you chase away those nightmares.

Who bit you?

Rio. He’s the alpha male and pack leader of one of a large pack.

Rio?
Though her expression didn’t give anything away, the quickness of her heartbeat and breathing did.

You know him?

I…I do.

Was he the one that changed you?

Keta shook her head and lowered her head again.
He’s the one who sold me off.

“Elijah!”

Elijah didn’t take his eyes off the wolf as he changed back into his human form.
Rio sold her off? Why? Rio hated vampires, why would he sell them off to his own kind?

“Elijah!”

Keta lowered her body and bared her teeth, staring in the direction the voice came from.

Elijah ran his hands through her fur as he turned his attention to where Keta had. Blake and his men were waiting for him, and close by. If they caught sight of Keta, they’d kill her.

He put his lips to her ear, keeping his voice quiet as he spoke. “Stay hidden. And don’t even think about running. I know your scent. I can track you down faster than you think.” He stood and headed through the trees to find Blake.

As he neared the group of vampires, their anger slammed into him. Elijah knew that some of his men had been lost in the explosion.

The fire still raged inside the mansion, black smoke billowing out of the windows, rising high into the dark sky.

Blake met him halfway, an angry expression etched across his face.

Though naked, he wasn’t embarrassed and Blake showed no signs of caring either. “How many?”

Blake touched Elijah’s arm and gestured for him to walk away from the group. After offering his jacket, Blake answered. “Sixteen of our men were killed, ten of theirs and two female humans. The Silent Killer either didn’t realise there were humans in the house or she does not have a heart.”

Elijah shook his head, closing the jacket over his exposed body and repeating exactly what he had said to the wolf. “She has a heart. Those women will never be forced to take part in activities they do not understand or do not want to do.”

“Werewolves take their protection to humans very seriously.”

“It is why we decided to help humans instead of just capturing the rogues for their dodgy dealings.” Elijah wondered whether Keta could hear their conversation.

“There is something that you might make more sense of than me.”

Elijah turned to Blake, his eyebrows raised. Blake seemed deadly serious. “And that is?”

Blake turned to the sky. “It is not the night of the full moon, yet the Silent Killer was able to shift into her wolf form.”

Elijah turned his attention to the dark sky and saw that Blake was right—the full moon wouldn’t appear for another day, yet the beautiful killer was able to shift.

He decided to speak the truth, keeping his voice calm so the vampire didn’t catch on to anything. “Hmm…she must be a half-breed.”

“Like you?”

Elijah turned away from the sky. “It’s possible. What other explanation is there?”

Blake shrugged. “I take it you will chase her. Or do you need to deal with your other…command first?”

Elijah looked down at his exposed chest where the hand shaped bruise showed clearly. “I must deal with this first. He wants me to search for a missing family member.”

“And he wants you to risk your life looking?”

Elijah sighed, lifting his shoulder. “You know how it is. Are you okay dealing with this?”

Blake growled and his eyes blazed with fury. He hated that one of his people was ordered to do someone else’s bidding with no choice. “I will deal with this. The faster you find the dog’s family member, the better. Keep the coat.”