Page 85 of Blood and Magic
“You’re sure?” Kodiak asked, his eyes already gone red to his wolf.
Understandably, my beast was also close to the surface. He couldn’t retreat or let me rest until we had her again. The human, too, had a vengeful streak that wouldn’t be calmed.
“I’m sure,” Pink said. “I can sense those motherfuckers like a plague.”
Kodiak nodded and turned to the group. “Split up. You know your groups. Stay tight. Keep an eye on your six.”
Fenris gripped my shoulder in a reassuring squeeze, but it didn’t help. I knew I had my pack behind me, but it was my fault she had a target on her in the first place. I should have kept my distance from her. If I had, she might not have transitioned. As soon as I thought it, I remembered Lycan telling me she was close at Orion’s wedding, and I chastised myself for my shame.
This would have happened anyway. I couldn’t have stopped it.
I pushed thoughts like that out of my mind and focused on the task. We had to get in there and find her. With two pistols on my waist and an assault rifle in my arms, I snuck around the corner of the building toward the side entrance. I’d been able to pull up blueprints, and I knew this led to the basement. The last time we’d raided a vampire nest, they’d kept Sol and Guin tied up in the darkest room, so I suspected they’d do the same here.
Just as we approached the door, Larentia held up a fist to stop us, narrowing her gaze at the entry. I smelled them before I saw them, the decrepit decay of rotting flesh. It hit me in the nose, and I recoiled, forcing my legs to stay still so I didn’t rush into an ambush.
One heartbeat went by before the thick metal doors burst open, five vampires pouring out. They launched at us, two taking Larentia down before Fenris fired bullets into their brains. I rained hellfire down on them, shooting before thinking, but the biggest one in the back jumped on me, knees to my chest, forcing me to the ground before I could stop him.
I landed with a loud grunt, and pain rattled through my sternum, but I managed to get my pistol and aim it at his temple. He grabbed my neck and bared his fangs like he meant to tear into my jugular. I shot before he could. Cold, disgusting brains splattered my face, and I winced to keep from getting it in my eyes, pushing to my feet so I could help my teammates.
Pink had ripped a vampire in half and thrown its carcass to the side, while Fenris shot at three more that piled out of the door before they could attack. Larentia stood and brushed herself off before checking in.
“Everyone okay?” she asked, her observant gaze trailing the length of each of us.
“Let’s go,” I snarled, taking the lead this time. I sensed my girl somewhere inside, and when we emerged into a long hallway, my wolf told me to head straight, even though we were meant to take the stairs on the left and go to the basement. The ceiling was falling apart, thick pieces hanging in scattered spots, the musky scent of mold nearly masking the overwhelming aroma of death. The floors were littered with garbage and peeling wallpaper. This place hadn’t been operational for years.
“This way,” Larentia said, nodding toward the stairs, but I resisted. Maeve wasn’t down there. My instincts told me to go forward, that I would find her up ahead.
I didn’t respond, just continued treading lightly as I went in the direction of my girl.
“Mill,” Fenris hissed. “C’mon. What are you doing?”
“Maeve’s up this way.” I kept going, ignoring the protests of my packmates behind me.
“Go,” Pink said. “I’ll take the basement.”
“Not alone,” Larentia said. “Vermillion, stop.”
I didn’t. I couldn’t. My wolf and I were laser-focused on one thing: getting to Maeve as quickly as possible. Her torment and fear raced through my veins, and the most vicious part of me urged me forward. As I moved, I stepped on something that sounded like broken glass, but as soon as I moved my foot, a loud blast went off to my left, and a slicing pain shot down my right side.
I wilted and dropped to the ground, crumpling onto one knee.
“Goddamn it, Mill!” Fenris grabbed my shirt and hauled me up, yanking me into the room on the right as more blasts sounded up and down the hall. I’d triggered a trip wire, setting off a string of rifles positioned in the corridor.
“Fuck,” I groaned, grabbing at the wound on my ribs. My fingers came away wet with blood, but it wasn’t serious. It was barely a cut. “I’m okay.”
“Hell,” Fenris said, running his hands back through his hair. “What are you doing? We have orders.”
“My mate is down there, Fen,” I said. “You’d do the same fucking thing.”
When the guns stopped shooting, I peeked my head out into the hallway to make sure we were alone. Once I verified we were, I stepped out and stared at the ground so I didn’t set off anything else. My rifle held high, I continued, checking each door as I walked. Fenris fell into step behind me, Pink and Larentia behind him, begrudgingly staying with me despite the breach in orders.
“Mill,” came Kodiak’s voice in my head. “Stick to the plan.”
I ignored him, pushing his frustrated voice away. Technically, I would have to answer for this, but I didn’t care. Only one thing mattered.
“Goddamn it, Mill,” Larentia said. “Fine. Lead the way.”
Just as we walked into the opening at the end of the hall, a group of vampires appeared out of the shadows, snarling and hissing, blood dripping from their chins.
