Page 56 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

Battle for Immortal Lives

C arson paced irritably in front of his hand-picked group of soldiers and sacrificial lambs.

All of them had promptly heeded the summons, including Joe Reynolds and his eldest son.

Carson fought to keep his emotions under control.

Each of them looked nervous, as if they weren’t sure they wanted to be there.

Nonetheless, each was there, faithful to the one who ruled and provided for them.

Carson stood, cleared his throat, and addressed his subordinates. “We’ve found them. It’s time to eliminate this threat and anarchy once and for all.”

Some of their eyes brightened. Some of them shifted uncomfortably.

“Jed, what are we up against?” he asked.

“Va-ampires and we-were…” Jed began to reply.

Carson’s eyes shut aggravated. He stretched his tense neck. “How many are there?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Um…well…t-two humans, th-three traitors, and four of… of them.” He meant the vampires.

“Four?” Carson questioned, his eyes opening to look at the tracker.

“Yes, th-there was ah-a fourth,” he stammered and cowered.

“Fine. At least we know going into this.” Carson started to calculate a strategy.

“Who are the traitors?” Ben asked.

“Luca Cain, Kyle Cooper, and Hayley Reynolds-Cooper,” Carson said, staring down her family, daring them to object to his ruling of her traitor status.

More than one wolf looked at them, some with what might have been pity.

Joe Reynolds dropped his eyes, defeated, while his son looked like he wanted to speak against Carson’s words. Carson silenced him with a look laced with his Alpha given authority. “However, due to her family’s show of loyalty. I have decided to pardon Mrs. Cooper. She will be spared.”

Her father breathed a sigh of relief, but her brother narrowed his eyes at his Alpha. He could be a problem, Carson noted to himself.

“Reynolds.” He held an ultraviolet B light out to the man. “You and your son…” He blanked on the boy’s name as he looked at them both.

“Adam,” the boy said, taking the light in place of his father.

“You will dispose of the male vampire.”

“Th-he new…”

Carson growled at Jed for interrupting.

“T-two males,” Jed said, cowering.

“The blond male,” Carson clarified.

They both nodded at him.

He put a firm hand on Joe Reynold’s shoulder. “You have no need to go up against your daughter, leave that to another.”

Adam scowled but Joe nodded. He didn’t know if Joe and his son could take down the vampire but if they died in the attempt, it was no great loss.

Carson turned his attention toward another. “Max, you will handle the young female vampire,” Carson instructed, handing Max a light as well. “Kip, help him out.”

Kip nodded while Max bounced on his heels excitedly.

“And Ben,” he held out another light.

“You will finish off whoever this new one is.”

Ben took the order and the light submissively. Carson didn’t know anything about this new vampire. Ben had the likeliest chance of defeating him. Besides, if he did lose, his loyalty had been shaky since Carson’s sentencing and execution of the boy.

“And I will defeat the last vampire,” Carson announced. “None of you will interfere. That red-headed-demon is mine,” he growled. It would be a pleasure to bring her existence to its final and irrevocable end.

Two of the younger wolves were instructed to take care of the humans, while the rest were assigned to handle the rogue wolves and help against the vampires.

Carson turned toward the screech of the screen door. With a nod he greeted the newcomer. Dressed in tactical gear, the man leaned against the wall, resting the butt of a long range rifle on the toe of his combat boot.

“Wolves,” he addressed the gathered pack members, “majestic ones, it is time for this threat to be eliminated. Once and for all.”

Cheers and shouting erupted.

“It is time for the law of the pack to be upheld. The traitors who have thrown away the pride of their pack must answer for their betrayal. And Aboit must be freed from this vampire plague!”

More cheers rose into the air. Several of the followers threw hats and fists upward.

“Wolves, dawn approaches. The plan is set,” he said. Of course, he hoped it would be a bright, sunny day. Making the vampire’s demise easier. But, according to the weather report, this was unlikely. “Who’s with me?” He rallied them. “Who’s with me?” he said again. “Let’s move!”

He stopped in front of the last man who’d entered the Den.

“You ride with me. We have targets to discuss.” Clapping the man on the shoulder, he stomped toward the front door.

Ripping the screen off the hinges, he led the war party down a back street and toward the traitors, the demons, and their retribution.

Jules heard Gabriel calling her name. His voice was coming from down the beach where he and Eileen had left to walk earlier.

She sat up from where she lay on Luca’s chest in the sand.

Everyone had been taking a moment to enjoy the calm before the storm.

She could just barely see the two figures running towards them.

Luca, who had fallen asleep, stirred in the sand beneath her.

Jules could tell the sun was rising, but it was a blessedly overcast day.

It even looked like it might be about to rain.

“What’s going on?” Luca mumbled as she stood to her feet.

“Gabriel! Eileen!” she called as she spotted the two vampires running toward her.

Nick appeared by her side almost instantly, she didn’t know where he’d come from specifically, but was again thankful he was here.

“The werewolves are coming. They are almost here,” Gabriel said calmly while still at a great distance.

“And it doesn’t look like they are open to negotiations,” Eileen added.

Nick took a running jump, shooting off the sand to perch on the roof of her house.

“What do you see?” she asked him.

“The ocean,” he said with a devilish grin.

She rolled her eyes and looked up at the roof.

It would not be hard to make that jump. She took three steps back and shot into the air herself.

Then, landing on the roof in a crouch, she spun to face the direction her brother was looking.

With vampire sight, she saw what she was looking for.

“There!” she said, pointing off in the direction of the rock caves.

“I can see them. There is a large group moving toward us,” she called down to Luca.

Jules jumped from her perch, landed silently in a crouch, and stood beside Luca, who was now wide awake. She turned to Gabriel. “We need you.”

“Jules, I…”

“Please, Gabriel. There are too many of them, I’m not sure we can win this fight without you.”

“I’m with you either way.” Eileen took a step away from her husband, chin held high.

Gabriel looked at his wife like he might be seeing her for the first time. She would stay without him. His jaw twitched, he turned to Jules, then nodded. She nodded back. “Let’s go.” Jules spun and led the way back inside. Luca, Gabriel, Eileen, and Nick trailed her.

“Tai!” Jules shouted.

He meandered out of the bedroom. “What is it?” he asked, his eyes droopy and his hair rumpled.

“Take Monica and get out of here!”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Monica protested, appearing next to her boyfriend.

“They’re coming. You need to leave,” Jules said sternly. Risking Monica or Tai’s human lives for this fight was not an option.

“I’m not going anywhere!” Monica stamped her foot and stormed over to where Jules stood by the back door.

“Yes, you are,” Jules said, hugging her.

“Tai.” Jules handed Monica off to him. “Make sure she stays away.”

He nodded in compliance. Monica protested harder and started to cry.

“You have to go.” Jules stretched up and kissed her friend on the forehead. “Be safe.”

“You guys too,” Tai said as he began to drag Monica toward the door.

“Now, what’s the plan?” asked Kyle.

“Maybe we should leave, too,” Hayley suggested

“Run and you can never come back. None of you could,” Gabriel said.

“No. This ends here,” Luca said.

Jules watched as Luca nodded at Gabriel and he nodded back.

“We fight,” Gabriel stated, and Jules knew without a doubt that he was with them now.

For just a moment, no one did or said anything. Jules felt love for everyone in the room. She looked at each of her new and old friends, feeling responsible for the lives of each and every one.

“Don’t worry about us,” Hayley said, walking over to Jules.

“You should leave,” Kyle said to his wife. “The baby.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She turned to her husband. “You know I’m not leaving you.”

“If I fall,” Kyle placed his hands on either side of her arms. “You run. Don’t look back. He will not have you. Or our child.”

Hayley kissed him. “That, I’ll do.”

“If we are going to do this, it has to happen here. Right now, the pack is still crossing the private beach fronts. The families that own those houses are rarely here. And definitely not at this time of year. We need to go out and meet them. We shouldn’t draw unwanted attention if we can keep the fight down on the beach.

The last thing I want is my neighbors seeing and police getting involved, or worse, killed. ”

“Jules is right, we should go now,” Luca said.

“In a moment.” Gabriel took Eileen’s hand and led her into the kitchen. “Jules,” he called her after him.

“Nick,” she called over her shoulder and he followed them as well.

Gabriel opened her refrigerator where he must have stashed more blood.

“This is the last of it,” he said, as Eileen pulled glasses down from the cupboard. He handed each vampire a bag of blood and Eileen handed each one a glass.

Nick stared at it. “But it’s cold.” He grimaced.

“Just drink it,” Eileen commanded.

He shrugged, pulled a mug from the sparse cupboards, dumped the blood in, and put it in the microwave.