Her Ancient Hybrid (9 page)

Devin took a deep breath. “Okay, I won’t freak out. Holy shit, you can change in to a wolf. I just had to say that. Now what do you need me to do?”

“We have to get Waverly’s cell phone. I know she keeps it in her purse while she’s working, which is locked away in her locker.”

“That isn’t any problem. I know the lock’s combination.” At Brolach’s raised brow, he quickly added, “Waverly gave it to me, just as she has mine.”

“All right, let’s go inside, but I don’t want you to say anything to let anyone know that Waverly is missing. You can help me with the cell phone, then finish out your shift as if nothing has happened.”

Devin shook his head. “No way. If someone has my sister, I’m coming with you.”

“It’s vampires who have her. They’re stronger and faster than you.”

“I don’t care. I’m going or I’ll raise the cry that Waverly has been taken.”

“Fine, but you’ll do everything I say. No refusing.”

“I promise.”

Brolach and Devin headed into the coffee shop and then went to the area where the staff lockers were located. Devin didn’t waste any time in unlocking Waverly’s and taking out her purse. He handed it to Brolach, then the both of them returned to the back of the building. They continued on to the parking lot.

He opened Waverly’s purse and fished out her cell. He handed it to Devin. “I have to make two phone calls, but I don’t know how to use the phone, and I can’t read anything on it.”

“I hate to say it, but you sound as if you came from the Dark Ages. Everyone knows how to use a cell.”

Brolach growled. “When you’ve ‘slept’ buried in the ground for two thousand years, this world has to be relearned. I’ve only been awake for a few days.”

Devin’s eyes widened. “Holy shit again. When this is over, we’re having a long talk about all this.” He touched the screen on Waverly’s phone a few times. “Okay, I have her contacts list up. Who do you want to call first?”

Luckily, Torger, Kaisa and Cameron had exchanged phone numbers yesterday with Waverly, who’d put them in to her cell. If they hadn’t done that, Brolach wasn’t sure how he’d get in contact with the others. He needed them to help save Waverly. He and Devin wouldn’t be able to do it on their own.

“Look for Torger’s number.”

“Okay. I didn’t know Waverly knew anybody by that name.”

“He’s my brother.”

“You say you were buried for two thousand years, yet you have a brother in Lemmon.”

“And a sister as well. We’ll talk about this later, Devin. Will you please make the phone work to call Torger.”

“All right. I’ll hold you to that, by the way.”

Devin touched the screen of the cell phone once more, then handed it over to Brolach. He held it up to his ear and heard a ringing sound coming from it. It rang a few more times before his brother answered.

“Hi, Waverly. I thought you’d still be at work,” Torger said.

“It isn’t Waverly,” he replied. “It’s Brolach. I have need of you, Kaisa and Cameron.”

“What’s the matter?”

“The vampires have Waverly.”

“What? How?”

“Their human servants must have been hanging around the coffee shop. Waverly went to take some trash out back and didn’t return. There was a note telling me to go to the grasslands, to my resting place, if I want to see her again.”

“They’re going to use her to get to you just as they did our father with our mother.”

“I know. This time it won’t have the same outcome. I’m going to call Cameron as well. I think three true immoral hybrids and a werewolf should defeat them.”

“I’ll get in touch with Cameron. Kaisa and I are together so you don’t have to worry about calling her. Where are you now?”

“I’m still at the coffee shop.”

“We’ll come and pick you up. We have about a half hour before it starts to get dark.”

“All right. I’ll be in the parking lot.”

“See you soon.”

Torger ended the call. Brolach passed the phone to Devin. “Torger and Kaisa, my brother and sister, along with Cameron will meet us here.”

“Okay. Is Cameron the same guy who comes into the coffee shop every day?”

“Yes. He’s a werewolf.”

Devin shook his head as he put the cell into Waverly’s purse. “Can I just say wow? So your siblings are hybrids like you?”

“Yes.”

“I guess that’s all you’re going to say about that. Here.” Devin pushed the purse into Brolach’s hands. “You can hold this. I don’t want to be seen carrying a purse, even if it does belong to my sister. I have a reputation to uphold.”

It was Brolach’s turn to shake his head. “It doesn’t bother me. You should make your excuses to leave before your shift ends. The others will be here soon.”

“Gotcha. I’ll be right back.”

Devin dashed to the back of the coffee shop and disappeared inside. He was only gone for a short time before he came rushing out and joined Brolach in the parking lot once more.

“All set?” Brolach asked.

“Yeah. I also made an excuse for you and Waverly. I don’t think Dad listened too closely. He was busy doing the books for the coffee shop. He hates it, but won’t let anyone else do it.”

It was then that two cars turned into the lot. They drove toward them and then pulled into empty spaces close by. One was driven by Torger and the other Cameron. Kaisa sat in the passenger seat with Torger. All three climbed out of the vehicles and came to stand near Brolach and Devin.

Cameron glanced at Devin before he set his gaze on Brolach. “What’s Devin doing here?”

“He knows everything now. About you being a werewolf and Torger, Kaisa and I being hybrids. He read the note the human servants left for me after they took Waverly. I can’t read, remember? He’s coming with us.”

“Is that wise? He’s human. I think he’ll be more of a liability than an asset.”

Devin opened his mouth, more than likely to complain, but Brolach held up a hand to stop him. He looked at the others. “That may be so, but he’s coming with us. Waverly
is
his sister.”

Torger nodded. “All right. Let’s go. It’s going to be dark soon.” He turned to Cameron. “I’ll take the lead to the grasslands.”

The werewolf gave a nod, then went to his car and got in. Torger and Kaisa climbed into the front of the other vehicle while Brolach and Devin got into the back. Brolach placed Waverly’s purse on the seat between them.

“I recognize you two,” Devin said as he did up his seatbelt. “You came to the coffee shop with Cameron today.” He looked toward Kaisa. “I especially remember you, Kaisa. If I’d known you were Brolach’s sister, I would have gotten him to introduce us then. I would have asked you out.”

Kaisa turned in her seat to look back at Devin. “You could have tried, but it wouldn’t have happened. Shouldn’t you be worried about Waverly?”

“I am. Sorry, this is the way I handle stress. I tend to shoot my mouth off.”

“Well, you’re doing a good job of that.”

Devin leaned toward Brolach, and whispered, “I really do think your sister is hot.”

“I can hear you, human,” Kaisa said. “Hybrids have very keen hearing, as do werewolves and vampires.”

Brolach smiled as Devin settled back in his seat and kept his mouth shut. Torger pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the street. No one spoke the entire drive to the grasslands, which was fine with Brolach. His concern for Waverly took up his thoughts. He couldn’t lose her, not now that he’d claimed her.

Once they arrived at their destination, they got out of the cars and met up near one of the beginning of the trails. Brolach knew were they had to go wouldn’t be on it.

“Brolach, do you know where they’ll be?” Torger asked.

“Yes. It’s a bit of a walk. It’d be faster if we went wolf and ran there.”

“Ah, what about me?” Devin asked. “I can’t turn into a wolf, remember?”

“You’ll ride on my back,” Brolach replied. “You can’t slow us down. Once I shift. Climb on. I won’t be able to speak to you, but I’ll understand everything you say.”

As Torger, Kaisa and Cameron took on their wolf forms so did Brolach. He stood by Devin and waited for him to climb onto his back. Waverly’s brother looked a little uncertain about the idea, but in the end he clambered onto Brolach, leaned low toward his neck and tightly held on to the fur there.

They took off at run at werewolf speed. Devin let loose with a “Holy shit!” the faster they went. Brolach took the lead. The sun dipped below the horizon, and darkness started to settle in.

Brolach knew the hill where he’d been buried would give Waverly’s captors a good viewing point. They would easily be able to see anyone who approached them from a fair distance. Once he figured they’d come close enough, he led the group to the side where the grass was a lot taller than the rest. It was enough to hide them as they slowed and continued onward.

After deciding they’d come close enough, Brolach gave himself a big shake and dislodged Devin from his back, who landed on the ground on his butt—hard. Brolach quickly took on his human form.

Devin scowled at Brolach, and whispered, “You could have found a better way to tell me to get off, you know.”

Brolach put a finger to his lips to silence the other man, then inched forward and parted the edge of the tall grass to get a look at the hill. He bit back a growl as his gaze landed on a single vampire, who held Waverly. His two human servants stood nearby, ready to do their master’s biding.

* * * *

Waverly was weak. So weak the only reason why she stood was because of the grip the vampire had on her. He’d fed from her, taking too much blood. Unlike when Brolach had done the same, her captor hadn’t given her any of his blood, and it hadn’t been a pleasurable experience. It hurt like hell. She had a feeling she was now walking a fine line. There was ringing in her ears and she was more than a little lightheaded.

She must have blacked out a bit, because the next thing she realized was a giant wolf loping up to the top of the hill. She recognized it. It was Brolach. Waverly wanted to shout at him that the vampire had used her to lure him there, but it was too much effort to form the words.

Brolach took on his human form, then came to confront the vampire. She fought to pay attention to what they said to each other. It didn’t work. Their words sounded muffled as if someone had stuck earplugs into her ears.

She lost touch with what was going on around her again, but was ripped back into it at the pain of the vampire tearing into her throat. It didn’t last long. All hell seemed to break loose, and her captor was torn away from her, his fangs doing even more damage. The last thing she saw was the world spinning as she dropped like a stone and everything went black.

*

Brolach howled as Waverly fell to the ground, her neck a bloody mess. He hadn’t been quick enough to stop the vampire from biting her. And from the way she acted, he was pretty sure that hadn’t been the first time the male had fed from her.

As he’d gone to confront the vampire alone, Torger, Kaisa and Cameron had worked their way behind the hill. The vampire wouldn’t be expecting two other hybrids nor a werewolf to be with Brolach. They used it to their advantage.

Much to his surprise, the vampire had been the only one of his kind there, which had made the others’ job easier. Cameron had easily taken out the human servants, rendering them unconscious, as Kaisa and Torger had pulled a sneak attack on the unsuspecting vampire. It’d worked without a hitch, except for the vamp biting Waverly.

As Kaisa and Torger held on to the vampire, Brolach walked toward his enemy. Devin ran past him to Waverly. With her brother there to look after her, Brolach confronted her captor.

“Now you’ll pay for the death of our parents,” Brolach said.

The vampire hissed at him. “Don’t you mean your parents? My cousin’s unborn child perished with her.”

Brolach shook his head. “You have to know the two who hold you are hybrids as well. My mother had been pregnant with twins. They were born by fire.”

“Impossible.”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet? Hybrids are true immortals. We will never die. I was buried for two thousand years and survived. Sadly, you won’t survive the flames.”

After Cameron passed Brolach a wooden stake that he’d taken out of the inside pocket of his jacket, he didn’t hesitate to use it. Brolach stabbed it into the vampire’s chest to keep him from being able to move. They then tossed him into the very hole Brolach had come out of, his resting place. It was only a matter of covering the vampire with dry grass, setting some on fire with Cameron’s lighter and then tossing it onto their enemy.

“Waverly! Waverly, wake up!”

The sound of desperation in Devin’s voice had Brolach rushing over to him and Waverly. Her brother held her cradled in his arms. Her face was drained of all color and her chest barely rose and fell.

Devin looked up at him. “I think she’s dying. She’s not going to make it.”

Brolach went down on his knees beside the pair. The sound of Waverly’s heart weakly beating filled his ears. It slowed even more, then skipped a beat. She was dying. Kaisa came to kneel beside him.

“Brolach,” she said. “You can save her. You have to finish the blood exchange and turn her. It’s the only way.”

“I promised Waverly I’d give her a chance to ease her family into it since she’ll no longer be able to move about in the day.”

“That’s not true. We’re hybrids. Many years ago I ended up turning a woman who was a close friend to me. She turned out to be a day walker. In every other way, she was like other vampires. Do it, brother. Turn your mate before it’s too late.”

Brolach looked at Devin. “Do it,” Waverly’s brother said. “Save her.”

He took Waverly from Devin’s arms and held her close. Even though she’d been almost drained, Brolach bit into her wrist and took a small amount of blood. That was all he needed. He then sank his fangs into his own and placed it against her mouth.

At first, she didn’t do anything. He clenched his fist, forcing the blood to flow faster and into her mouth. It was only a matter of seconds before Waverly moaned, then sucked on his wrist. She reached up, held on to it and drew on it harder. As she swallowed mouthful after mouthful, Brolach felt his vampire side claim her as a mate. She suddenly let go of him arm and went limp with her eyes closed.