I crouched over him now,assessing his leg. It was bad. The wound wasn’t healing. It was open andleaking clearish fluid. Let RAIDOS handle Layla. My mate needed me. I shiftedto human form.
“I want to try something,” I toldhim. I held my hands over his leg. The muscle was twitching. The mist began topour from my hands and Kai’s nostrils flared.
‘Magic,’he commented. I nodded.HEAL. I told the mist. I closed my eyes and I imagined all of the skinstitching together and becoming pink and then pale. I imagined his fur, fluffyand thick. I heard him panting. If I had this magic inside of me then maybe Icould do something good with it. I opened my eyes. Kai was standing and staringat me in fear. I looked at my hands and shook them, stopping the mist. Hisleg…. It was healed. No gash, no blood, no pain. I could hear his heart beatingfast.
‘I’m a witch,’I said half to myself. Icould hear the whine of helicopter blades off in the distance.
‘You’re a witch,’he agreed. His yelloweyes appraised me. ‘A pretty sexy, amazing witch.’
I smiled. “Let’s follow thathelicopter.” I grabbed my neck. The two pinprick bite marks were pulsing. Ishook off the thought of what it felt like when she bit me, the pleasure anddisgust. I shifted to my wolf form and took off after Kai. He ran easily nowwith no sign of a limp. The multiple shifts were starting to drain my energy. Iwas getting hungry.
‘Max is at the water treatmentplant. He said the rest of the vampires have fled. One drum of silver made itinto the water supply,’Kai told her.
We were approaching the sound ofthe helicopter now. It hovered above us. The two ropes dangled from above andsnaked across the ground. One of the RAIDOS agents was knelt over another agent.
“He’s dead, and the vampires gotaway,” the agent told us without looking up. I inhaled deeply. I couldn’t pickup Layla’s scent. I felt bad that one of their people had died for our cause. Iheard footsteps behind me and Dr. Tavern and another agent stopped when theysaw the body.
“Brent,” Dr. Tavern whispered, atear fell from her cheek. It was then that I realized, the RAIDOS humans were apack. This was their family, united with one cause, to protect their kind. Weweren’t so different. I tipped my head back and howled in grief. Kai joined me.Dr. Tavern composed herself and spoke over her ear piece. Two men repelled fromthe helicopter with a rescue basket and a bundle of clothes. They loaded Brentinto the basket and Dr. Tavern nodded at Kai and me. “Can you become human? Weneed to talk.” They turned their backs as we shifted to our human forms. Ishrugged on the black sweatpants and t-shirt. Kai put the pants on but left theshirt crumpled on the ground.
‘They smell like someone else,’he told me. TypicalAlpha. Didn’t want to smell like anyone else.
‘I’m not complaining.’I winked.
Dr. Tavern extended her hand to Kaiand looked at his forehead, not quite meeting his eyes. Smart girl.
“I’m Dr. Tavern. I have beenauthorized to be the communications expert between our two parties.”
Kai shook her hand. “Do you doeverything you are authorized to do?”
She smiled devilishly. “Notalways. You don’t exactly get chosen to join RAIDOS because you followed therules all your life.”
Kai’s deep laughter cut thetension that had been mounting and her two partners relaxed.
‘I like her,’ he told me.
‘Me too,’ I agreed.
“I am Kai, the Alpha of the MountHood and Portland, Oregon territories. I have been authorized by the werewolfcouncil to tell you what I deem necessary.” There was no mistaking his subtlethreat. Kai was in control of this conversation. Dr. Tavern nodded.
“The deputy director of theintelligence division has briefed the President on this situation tonight. Ihave received word that it is now our mission to gather intelligence on QueenLayla and any vampire spawn she may birth after having fed on Aurora.”
My hand went to the bite marks onmy neck. Kai glared at Dr. Tavern. “Do as you please in regards to thevampires.”
Dr. Tavern leaned in and produceda small silver disc from her pocket. She clicked a button and it glowed red.Her two agents began to walk away. Kai grabbed my hand and creased hiseyebrows. Then she lowered her voice. “It has also been brought to my attentionthat if the vampire does in fact prove to have a successful birth, Aurora istoo much of a threat to be allowed to roam freely. We are to take her intocustody to run tests at that point.”
Kai opened his mouth to shoutsomething but she placed a finger over her lips, then she clicked the disc andthe red light went away.
“We will be in contact with you.If the vampires move to harm any humans, we may ask that you return the favorwe gave you today.”
Kai was grinding his teeth. Istared into Dr. Tavern’s eyes, there was something there…. kindness andfascination. She was intrigued with our species. If Layla gave birth, theywould capture me. Run tests?
‘You’re mine. No one is takingyou anywhere.’
“Any final words Mr. Krishna?”
I saw Kai’s face fall at theknowledge that they knew his last name.
“Yeah, tell your boss to keep hisdrones off my mountain.” He shifted tearing the sweatpants in two and Dr.Tavern’s eyes widened. She didn’t look away. I was right, she was fascinated.She looked at me.
