The Wolf Within (18 page)

That part of me still felt the pain of his bite.

That part of me hated.

That part of me pleaded for help. And again as I begged, just faintly, I thought I heard someone speak my name.

Tate withdrew his fangs and moved over me. I registered that somehow he was naked. The free part of me redoubled its efforts to escape. To be raped on top of everything, to
enjoy
the rape. I wasn’t sure I’d survive it. But my body didn’t respond to my mind. It only responded to Tate.

He didn’t enter me, just lay on top of me and plunged his fangs into my neck. Just the feel of him, thick and heavy against me was enough to send me into another orgasm.

I clamped my legs and arms around him, drew him closer to me, pressed into his bite, whispering words of need to him.

Wanting to die every second.

I didn’t know how long we lay there, how many times he made me come. When he finally pulled free and lifted away from me I was only semi-conscious. But I still felt the loss of him like a knife sliding through me and rolled toward him.

He climbed off the bed and stood above me, looking golden tinged in the candlelight, licking blood—my blood—from his fangs and all I wanted was for him to bite me again.

He smiled as I lifted my arms toward him. “Sorry, my dear, but we’re done here.”

Tears rose in my eyes and his smile grew wider. “You’re very tempting. I’d like to play some more but I will keep to our agreement. We’re done.”

Tears welled up in my eyes and I reached toward him again.

“Don’t move,” he said. “See that her aunt is freed, dump her somewhere out of the way. Make sure she’s well restrained. Maybe she’ll die before they find her,” he added to someone over his shoulder.

The tears streamed down my face as my heart broke. I didn’t care about Bug. I only cared that Tate had left me.

“Oh, and Ashley?”

I stared up at him as his voice sent a final shiver of pleasure through me. “Yes?”

“I release you,” he said and walked out of sight.

It took less than a second for the words to take effect. One moment I was lying sated but bereft and the next my mind was free and the reality of what had just happened hit home with a surge of horror that sent nausea spinning uncontrollably through me.

I rolled off the bed, somehow lurched to my feet, only to throw up in the ice bucket—a sour spill of wine and the steak I’d eaten for dinner—before collapsing again.

What had I done?

Oh God. What had I done?

“Take her away,” I heard Tate say—triumph clear in his tone. I closed my eyes as hands lifted me and didn’t open them again until I was dumped on the floor of my cell.

***

I spent the night alternating between throwing up and curling on the floor of the bathroom, shivering as my mind replayed what Tate had done to me. Even when I was left dry-retching, I couldn’t stop the spasms.

I’d let him
touch
me. I’d
come
because he touched me.

I’d wanted the monster.

I’d found pleasure in the thing that killed my family.

And it felt like I’d killed them all over again.

Part of me tried to argue that it wasn’t me, that I’d been thralled, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe it. Somewhere, deep inside, there had to be something in me that liked what he did for me to react to him.

That was something I couldn’t face. The only thing I could cling to was that Bug was free. I had to believe Dan would find her. That she’d be okay.

One of us had to be.

Because if I’d let Tate do that to me for nothing then—I retched again. Then collapsed back into an exhausted heap, teeth chattering.

Which was how Kyra and Rio found me the next morning.

“Hello, Pretty.” Kyra nudged me with her boot, not so gently.

“Not so cocky now, are you, Pretty?” Rio added.

I ignored them. I didn’t really care what happened to me anymore. I just wanted it all to be over.

“She stinks,” Kyra said and the next thing I knew I was on the shower floor with water blasting over me. Cold water. I flinched and curled tighter.

They laughed at me but eventually turned off the tap, hauled me out, dried me off and dressed me in black pants and a shirt much like they wore. Clothes didn’t make me feel any better. I just kept shivering, only staying upright because Rio held me up.

“Bet you liked what he did to you,” he whispered in my ear. “Liked his fangs in you. Did he fuck you, Pretty? Or did you just want him too? Bet it made you come, didn’t it, Pretty?”

I shuddered as the memory of how good it had felt swept over me. And retched again, although my stomach was beyond empty.

Rio laughed, holding me at arm’s length as I writhed. “Remembering, Pretty? Maybe if you’re extra nice he’ll give you another go. Maybe this time he’ll let us watch.”

“Or join in,” Kyra added.

Vamp hearing
, I thought vaguely. Rio scowled at Kyra. “I get first dibs at Pretty. I owe her a scar or two.” He touched my neck. “Though she’s acquired a few over the last couple of days. Want to show me the rest, Pretty? I saw your tits. Did he bite you anywhere else?”

I shook my head frantically, wishing I was back in the shower with hot water and soap. A lot of soap. Maybe if I scrubbed myself for a few days I might feel clean. Pity there was no way to scrub my mind out.

“I guess I’ll know soon enough.” He sounded smug but I didn’t care.

“C’mon. Boss’s waiting,” Kyra said.

I walked obediently between them, not wondering where I was going. I was more focused on what I should do next. It would be easiest just to provoke them. Let them hurt me. I deserved it. If I made them mad enough, they might even kill me. The thought made me smile.

“What’s so funny, Pretty?” Kyra asked as she opened the door to the lab.

I shrugged.

She scowled. “Don’t think you’ll find this so amusing.”

She pushed me through the door and I went. To my surprise, Tate was sitting on the examination table and Doctor Smith was drawing blood from his arm. A lot of blood. Tate was hooked up to the sort of bag they use at the blood bank.

“Good morning, Ashley.” Tate said.

I looked down at my bare feet. Anywhere but at him. I wasn’t going to risk him being able to thrall me again.

“Feeling shy? After what we did last night? Silly girl. Are you done?”

I assumed the last was directed at Smith.

“A little more, to be sure.” Smith said. Silence reigned for a minute or so then. “That’s enough.”

“Bring her over here,” Tate said and I was bundled forward. I still didn’t look up.

“Losing your nerve now? How disappointing. Because now is when all we’ve done pays off. Then we will begin the real game, you and I.”

That finally drew my attention. I raised my head. Tate stood by the table, rolling down his sleeve. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve forgotten our agreement? Your unfortunate reaction to last night has clouded your memory?”

I frowned. Our agreement? Then it came to me. I’d wanted to know why he’d kidnapped me. The detached feeling receded a little as my brain kicked in. Tate had fed from me. And now Smith had drawn
his
blood.

God,
no
. I looked from Smith standing there with the bag of blood back to Tate. “No!” I shoved at Tate and tried to duck around him.

“Kyra.” Tate sounded bored. Within seconds Kyra was in front of me, one hand around my throat, almost choking me. I fought her until she squeezed harder and I started seeing spots in front of my eyes.

“Where do you want her, boss?”

“Strap her down.”

I yelled and started struggling again, not caring when Kyra’s grip tightened. Let her choke me to death. If what I thought was about to happen was my alternative then death was merciful. But it didn’t help. Rio and Kyra dragged me to the table in about five seconds.

“Don’t. It won’t work. I’m vaccinated,” I said desperately as they locked me back down onto the table as easily as if I hadn’t been fighting them at all. I bucked against the restraints but that only earned me extra straps across my chest and hips. I could barely move. “You
can’t
turn me.”

“Ah, but we can,” Tate said, coming round beside me. “We’ve got something new.” He looked at Smith and grinned. “The doc here has been working hard.

The
injections
. The fight drained out of me. There was something in the injections. God. Tate was going to turn me. I had to stall for time. “What?”

Tate leaned in closer, looking at me with puzzlement. “Do you really care?”

“We had an agreement,” I reminded him. “You said you’d tell me. What was in those injections?”

His eyebrows shot up. “Quick, aren’t you? But I did agree.” He nodded at Smith, who started wrapping a tourniquet around my arm. “Doctor Smith has found a way around the vaccines. Almost an improvement, you could say. We’ve been trying for years now and we think we’ve got it right. We thought we had it right last year but they caught on to us.”

Who? I tried to think. What did he mean? What had happened last year . . . then I remembered. There’d been what the CDC had claimed was a batch of bad vaccines. Almost twenty people had turned as a result of vaccinations.

There’d almost been a panic and the government had spent a fortune trying to convince people to continue to be vaccinated.

“The bad vaccines. That was you?”

Tate nodded, then glanced at Smith. “Now we’ve come up with something better. Kind of a supercharged version of the mutation. It will overcome your immunity and, even better, once you’re turned, it will overcome the immunity of anyone you bite.”

It was a horrifying picture. “Anyone bitten by a vampire who has this mutation would turn automatically? They wouldn’t have to drink the blood of the vamp who bit them?”

“No. A much more efficient system.”

One that would result in a vampire population boom. A plague. I wanted to scream. “You won’t get away with it. They’ll stop you.”

“Not for quite some time. Time enough for our work to spread. By then it will be too late.”

“But why? What’s wrong with vaccinations?”

Tate scowled. “Humans are getting the upper hand. And humans are boring. No challenge.”

“You want to make more vampires so you can kill them?” Even for a lunatic that was twisted logic. There had to be another reason, surely? One they weren’t telling me.

“Supernaturals are worthy prey.”

“You’re crazy.” I looked from Tate to Smith, who was watching the vampire with a strange look on his face . . . almost impatience. “You’re
both
crazy.” Smith didn’t react and I focused on Tate.

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “Let’s find out.” He nodded at Smith and there was a prick at my arm. Smith slid a funny looking needle into the crook of my elbow then attached the bag of Tate’s blood.

“What are you doing?” I tried to move my arm and dislodge the needle but the restraints held me motionless.

Tate smiled at me. “Transfusion works better than you drinking my blood. More of the mutation survives without the stomach acids. Plus, there’s none of that tedious throwing up.”

“No!” But even as I watched Smith did something that sent a stream of dark red blood down the tube connecting the bag to my arm. “
Stop
.”

“Don’t worry, Ashley.” Tate said. “This won’t hurt much. Apart from the bit where you die. That bit hurts.” He sounded vaguely nostalgic. “But it won’t happen for another twelve hours or so. Once you are reborn, I’m sure you’ll see things differently.”

No, I wouldn’t. I’d still want to die. If I turned the first thing I would do would be walk out into a sunrise and let it take me. “They’ll stop you,” I said to Tate.

“Who?” He paused then turned toward the door. I didn’t know what had interrupted him then I heard a distant rumbling noise.

“What was that?” Smith said with a frown.

Tate snarled. “The wolf. Alert security.” Smith hurried over and lifted a phone in the wall.

Dan? Dan was here? For a moment hope swept over me then I realized the truth. It was too late. No one could save me now. Tate had already killed me. I stared up at the bag of blood, already partially empty, already setting a chain reaction off in my bloodstream.

I couldn’t become a vampire.

“Security says the place is surrounded. I’ve initiated the computer wipe. Everything’s backed up at the other site.” Smith said.

The look of fury on Tate’s face was terrifying and the metal tray beside the table became airborne as he smashed his hand into it. “Stupid humans.”

“We need to leave,” Kyra said. “The tunnels. . . .”

“No!” Tate roared.

“Don’t be stupid,” Smith said. “She’s not worth it. We’ll lose everything.”

Tate took a deep breath and his face cleared, even as a second louder rumble shook the walls. An explosion? “All right.”

“What about her?” Rio asked. I heard a snicking sound I recognized. The sound of a safety on a gun being released. “Want me to take care of her?” He came into my line of sight at the end of the bed, a revolver aimed at me.

Please, God
. I begged.
Let him kill me
.

Tate stared down at me for a long moment. “No,” he said eventually and Rio made a protesting sound and looked at Smith. Almost as if he was asking for a second opinion. Like Smith was in charge. That didn’t make sense. But I was too busy trying to will Rio to shoot me to care. Smith shook his head. Just a little. “They’re too late anyway. They can’t save her. And they won’t be able to stop the mutation.” He looked at the line in my arm with satisfaction.

Panic made my head swim. “Kill me,” I said to Rio.

Tate shook his head. “No. That would be a waste.” He nodded at Rio—who lowered his gun—and Kyra. “Let’s go.”

“Until Round Three,” he said to me then flowed away with a vamp burst of speed. I couldn’t see which way they went. Just caught a last glimpse of Kyra’s dark hair as they ran through the door, leaving it open behind them.

The walls shook again with another rattle of sound. Then I heard gunfire. Short staccato bursts. I hoped it was Tate. Hoped they’d killed him. Like he’d killed me.