Bound By Blood. Elizabeth Valentino
my gun and pick up the shotgun. I’m a little more optimistic now that we’re both armed.
“Then we are royally screwed. You look like something the cat dragged in, and I’m only at half strength with this goddamned silver on me.” Bryce’s face sets in hard planes, void of even a hint of emotion. He is pure, lethal warrior and a dangerous beast, even without his fur and fangs.
“We’re out of time to think. They’ll be here in about thirty seconds. We should let them come to us here in the cave, so we can keep them from surrounding us.”
“For the record, that is a lousy plan–but we don’t have time for anything else.” Every one of Bryce’s muscles is tensed beneath his tight black t-shirt as he waits for the vamps. “Oh, and princess? Don’t go getting killed. I still need answers.”
Bushes rustle outside the cave’s opening, silencing my snide remark. Leveling my gun, I let my surroundings fade and focus completely on the task at hand. Vivid violet eyes shine through the darkness–the eyes of turned vampires, just like my own. They move into the cave. The dim light of Bryce’s lantern illuminates six flawlessly beautiful creatures.
They all have fang marks embedded in their necks. I don’t think this will make them sympathetic. They are completely under Steele’s control. Steele is a pure-blooded vampire with ambitions, not a man you can betray and survive. Turned vampires serve the purebloods, in exchange for protection and food.
Maybe I can manipulate their easily controlled minds. As a human I had minor mind control powers. They were strengthened during my transformation. “Hello brethren, what can I do for you tonight?” I ask with a subtle, friendly push at their minds.
“You know why we’re here–and don’t call us brethren, you traitorous bitch,” Declan, the general of the turned soldiers, snarls. He gestures to the others in a silent command. “Steele wants you back in one piece, but beyond that he doesn’t care what condition you arrive in.” With a nasty smile for Bryce, Declan holds up his camera phone and snaps a picture. “Won’t Steele be pleased we also found the lycan leader?”
“You seem confident you’ll live long enough to see Steele again,” I say, keeping my shotgun aimed directly at Declan’s forehead. “Let’s end this stupid chatter and just get down to what you came here for.” My statement is met with six guns cocked and aimed in my direction.
“By the way–nice hat, Declan.” I squeeze the trigger and fire a shot straight through his top hat. The shot blows his head into pieces. Bryce, following my lead, opens fire on the vamps. He’s dangerous despite the silver collar, and at this point–lycan or not–I will take his assistance. The remaining vampires explode into angry rage, rushing us.
Emptying my clip into Declan’s still-moving body, I obliterate his already-deceased heart. He collapses in a tattered heap of flesh inches before he reaches me. His blood pumps over the ground in a pool. The vampires try to revive their fallen leader, letting their own blood flow into him. I throw my shotgun to the ground and pluck a grenade from my pocket. Pulling the pin with my teeth, I run toward the group of vamps. My foot slips and I slide through the pools of slick blood. As I slide close enough to Declan, I shove it into the gaping hole my bullets had left in his stomach. I roll up and sprint back to avoid getting too much of that shit on me when the grenade explodes. On my way toward the back of the cave, I catch the handle of the shotgun with the toe of my boot, flick it up, grab it and start shooting again. Bryce has lost his guns and slashes away at two vamps with his sword, while one writhes in death throes at his feet.
A sick, dull pop sounds behind me as the grenade detonates and flings chucks of vampire over me. The stench of blood permeates the stagnant air inside the cave. My insides quiver and my fangs lengthen. I struggle to fight my primitive side as the beast inside threatens to emerge and turn me into a mindless killing machine.
A bullet bites into my shoulder with a searing sting, causing the rage to rise further. The smell of blood is overpowering. My fangs lengthen fully as I let my weapons clatter to the ground. I leap onto the vampire in front of me and sink my fangs into her jugular. The red haze of bloodlust has me firmly in its grasp. My second adversary jumps on my back, fangs snapping.
“Mila! Tuck your fangs back in and use your weapons, or I’ll kill you myself! I won’t risk you getting out and killing humans on a blood high.”
Bryce’s voice filters through my haze, clearing my head a bit. With great reluctance I pull my fangs from the limp vampire’s neck, pull another grenade from my pocket, force it into her open mouth and pull the pin.
Snatching up the dead vampire’s blade, I bring my elbow back hard enough to knock out the fangs attacking me from behind. As the grenade detonates it sends another shower of bloody vampire bits. The sickening smell of garlic grows stronger, gagging me. Luckily it has the same effect on the vamp I’m fighting, giving me a brief moment to run him through. With a twist of my wrist and a shot through the head from Bryce, the body falls to the floor. I shove in another grenade and pull the pin. Bryce does the same with his final opponent. Confident we have killed them all, I flee the cave and the stinging DMSO. Bryce will just have to catch up.
* * * *
The instant the cool night air touches my skin and soothes away the toxin’s sting, I realize I was shot more than once. Blood flows freely from multiple stab wounds. Perfect. A little light-headed, I sink to the dry, cracked earth and drop my head into my hands. A hand on my shoulder startles me. Grabbing my gun, I turn, prepared to blow the head off anyone left standing.
“Put the fucking gun down.” Lowering himself to the ground next me, Bryce pokes at my wounds none-too-gently. “Well, at least you didn’t die. While I wrap these up, you’re going to answer my questions.” Not waiting for me to agree, he strips off his shirt, showing off a nicely muscled chest with several tribal tattoos wrapping around his torso. “How and where did you meet Evan?”
“Steele had us locked up in a cell together. Your brother was a little more diplomatic than you, and we started talking. Ow! You don’t have a nurturing side to you, do you?” I know it’s bad for my “tough vampire” front to complain over a few tugs on a bandage, but I don’t give a crap right now.
“Not toward heartless vampires. Can you start a fire using your vampire voodoo?”
I’m a little concerned by the blade Bryce waves in my direction. “It’s merely a parlor trick, but yes, I can do it. Why?”
“I need to dig the bullets out.”
“Don’t worry about sterilizing the blade. That takes time I don’t have. Once you’re satisfied with your questions and if you don’t want to kill me, I have to be going. I have places to be before sunrise.”
“Why are you even answering them at all? You could at least give me a good fight, especially now that you’re armed.” The wrinkle of thought in his brow softens his features. I can finally see the family resemblance.
“I wasn’t born a vampire, and I never wanted to be a vampire. As a matter of fact, I fought them for many years. My fangs came from an unfortunate accident while I was trying to save my sister from Steele’s clutches.” I touch the fang marks embedded in my neck. They’re a constant reminder of the monster I’ve become.
“Yes, well, now you’re a blood sucking monster.” Giving the bandage another firm tug, Bryce begins to hum.
“What the hell? Are you humming Britney Spears? You totally don’t look the type.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Bryce growls. “I’m going to start digging out the bullets. If you try to bite me, you’re a dead vampire.”
“Jesus, your brother got all the nice genes, didn’t he?”
Bryce scowls at me and shoves the blade deeper into my shoulder than is probably necessary. “How exactly did my brother end up dead in your motel room?” Bryce digs his finger into my wound and pulls out the first bullet. “Do you feel any other bullets?”
“I have one