Page 63 of Wicked Allure
“Come on, motherfucker.” She didn’t know fear when it came to fighting these beasts.
Dru was a seasoned warrior, and a recently turned feral lycan was no match for her. She dove forward, slicing her axe, landing strikes. The lycan howled and snarled. It dodged her axe, the silver causing smoke to arise from its wounds. It dove at her, but gunfire filled the air. Its body spasmed multiple times before falling over.
Dru’s head snapped in the direction of where the gun had been fired and found Orenda standing tall holding her weapon. Dru slipped her axe back into its sheath. She gave the warrior a nod, then turned to another beast flying toward her. It lunged at her, but she caught it by the jaw. She wrenched it to the side and ripped its skull open with her strength. These were all recently turned lycans.
Sacrificial beasts.
These were not pure-born lycans who’d match Dru’s and her warrior’s strengths. Even though Azura had been desperate to get her numbers up, she was also willing to sacrifice her people for the greater good of her kind. It would appear whoever was in charge now was using her methods. Dru spun around and took in the small battlefield. Her warriors held their own with the final lycans, but it wasn’t the fighting that captured her attention.
A chill rippled through her spine.
A single figure at the far edge of the trees was visible through the haze. They stood cloaked and watching. Their eyes met for a heartbeat before he melted back into the shadows.
Rage boiled inside Dru. With a snarl, she took off after him and raced to where she’d seen him last, but there was no trace of him or where he’d disappeared to.
It had to be Solomon. This confirmed, without a doubt, the vampire had betrayed his people and sided with the lycans.
When the last lycan fell, quiet returned. Dru’s warriors stood bloodied but unbroken. Their eyes burned with the same fire that consumed their general.
“Was that him?” Talbot strode forward through the warriors.
“I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I’d be willing to bet it was.” Dru sniffed.
The forest stank of lycan blood and fur. The beasts lay broken in heaps, their howls snuffed out. Dru took in the footprints left in the damp earth near where she stood. This had been where the vampire watched them face the lycans.
The lycans he’d sent to attack them.
“We should go after him,” Orenda murmured. The warrior bent down and wiped one of her blades on the fur of a dead lycan. She stood and sheathed her weapon.
Murmurs of agreement went around. As much as Dru wanted to follow behind him, it would be another trap.
“No,” Dru snapped.
The word silenced the conversations. All eyes moved to her.
“He’d want us reckless and chasing after him. He knew we were coming. He waited until we didn’t find anything at the cottage then sent his wolves after us.” She paused and met each of their eyes. Oh, they would get the chance to go after the traitor, but now would not be the time. Solomon or Sol didn’t understand who she was. She was cunning and highly intelligent. He was going to learn she was his worst nightmare. “We will not play into his hands.”
The warriors nodded, the weight of her words settling on them. They trusted her. They bowed their heads and thumped their fists over their hearts.
Dru crouched, tracing a fresh set of lycan prints still pressed into the damp earth.
“This was definitely coordinated. Planned. He wanted us to find the cottage. He lured us out here in order to take us out. This is not the work of a traitor hiding from the crown. This is a traitor with allies.”
Growls sliced through the air.
“Then what is our next move, General?” one of the warriors asked.
Dru rose to her full height. The cool air grew moist as a light sprinkle fell. They’d need to dispose of the bodies quickly.
“We burn the bodies, then we’ll regroup at the inn. He knows we’re after him. I want security tightened at the inn. I’ll speak with the postmaster about this attack. The town may need to go on lockdown.”
Tomesha fingered the soft fabric of the dress that had been gifted to her. When she’d awoken from her nap, a light breakfast had been waiting for her along with a cup of ifalla tea. She’d scarfed down the food, working out that she’d last eaten an early dinner yesterday. She’d taken a shower, and when she’d returned to the bedroom had found an outfit waiting for her on Dru’s bed.
A smile formed on her lips. Dru had thought of everything. Tomesha wondered where her vampire had gone and if she’d see her again.
But Dru had said she’d call for her, but Tomesha just didn’t know what that had meant. She’d at first thought about staying at the inn until Dru returned but knew she couldn’t. Tarek would lose his mind if she didn’t come home. She couldn’t just lie around at the inn and wait for Dru. She had responsibilities at home she had to attend to.
But the moment Dru called on her, she’d go.
