Page 21 of Blood Pack Beginning (Pack #5)

CHAPTER TWENTY

As Sasha sprang to her feet, she snapped the plastic ties holding her hands, viscerally aware of a ruckus breaking out. She’d not been the only one faking slumber. Amir had also been biding his time and waited until Omar dragged him to the edge of the truck before making his move. Despite his arms bound behind his back, Amir suddenly rolled himself into Monty, the weight of his body knocking the vampire to the ground and out of sight.

“Oh shit, oh shit,” Omar moaned, that useless twat. He totally deserved the cuff she delivered as she darted past and snarled, “If you can’t be useful, then sit the fuck down and shut up.”

The kid zipped his lips and dropped to the floor as she launched herself out of the truck, landing with a slight bend to her knees. She quickly took in the situation.

Two unconscious Lycans off to the side and a very pissed Monty stalking for Amir, fangs out and ready to tear. Amir’s arms strained as he tried to snap the plastic ties holding him, and his legs were partially raised to block Monty from pouncing.

Sasha spun into motion, her foot rising and arcing in a roundhouse kick that knocked Monty back just as Amir grunted and snapped the tethers around his wrists.

“Let’s see how tough you are in a fair fight,” Amir muttered before launching himself. He slammed into Monty, who held a bottle in hand. The impact knocked the vial free, and Sasha watched as it spun in the air, a few drops hitting one of the unconscious Lycans in the cheek, the other on the forehead. Not the mouth, thank fuck, as Sasha had a feeling this was the potion Monty used to turn the Lycans rabid.

She stalked for the tussling pair, noticing Amir had his hands around Monty’s throat, throttling and trying to crush, but Monty put up a fight and kept knocking him away. Clearly, Amir had forgotten her promise in training: let the vamps handle the vamps. Of course, he didn’t realize she was awake and about to help, not unless he’d sensed her through their partial bond.

Amir tripped Monty and landed atop him, knees digging into the vampire’s chest, giving him better leverage. It pleased to see how well her training had paid off.

“Don’t kill him,” she yelled. “We need him alive for questioning.”

Amir didn’t glance her way, knowing from their lessons to avoid being distracted, but he did snarl, “Any suggestions on how to subdue the fucker?”

“Hold on to him for a few seconds. I have an idea.”

“Hold on she says,” Amir grumbled just as Monty managed to slither out from under him. Amir proved quick though, throwing his arms around Monty’s head and neck in a chokehold. The vampire strained and bucked and might have broken free if Amir hadn’t wrapped his powerful thighs around the writhing body.

Sasha whirled and barked at Omar. “Toss me one of the sleeping needles.”

Omar’s mouth opened and shut, but he didn’t move.

“Now, or I will tear your throat out even if it pisses off your brother,” she snapped.

Omar scrabbled for the pouch slung around his torso and pulled out a capped syringe. He tossed it to Sasha, who caught it one-handed and spun. While in motion, she tugged the cap off with her teeth, and as Amir grunted against Monty’s violent thrashing, she jabbed. The needle sank into Monty’s flesh, and she depressed the plunger, injecting him with the drug.

“You bitch.” Monty yelled as he slammed his head into Amir’s face, the nose smash causing her wolf to lose his grip. Monty heaved Amir off his body.

“Give up, Monty. There is no escape,” Sasha stated.

The vampire sprang to his feet but swayed. “Even if you take me captive, I won’t tell you anything,” Monty slurred as the sleeping solution took effect.

“It’s not me you’ll have to answer to, but Thaddeus.” And her boss wouldn’t be gentle or kind with his questions.

“He is weak compared to my m-a-a-s-s-s-t-e-r…”

The fight went out of Monty as the sleeping potion did its thing. Amir grabbed him before he hit the ground. “What do you want me to do with the fucker?”

“Hold on to him just in case he’s faking while I find some cuffs.”

“We’re out of the plastic zip ties,” Omar muttered.

The sullen reply drew Amir’s glaring attention. “In that case, hand over the rest of the syringes so we can make sure his ass stays sleeping for a while.”

“You’re mad at me,” Omar stated as he unslung the satchel.

“Ya think?” Amir’s sarcastic reply.

“I wasn’t going to let him hurt you,” Omar lied.

“You were ready to hand me over to save your ass, which is almost as bad as selling out Moon Dew for dough. You helped kill those people. Innocents that you knew. What the fuck, Omar?”

“He mesmerized me.” Once more, the young man tried to fib, but Amir wasn’t having it.

“For fuck’s sake, I heard Monty complaining you weren’t under his control. You did those things willingly. For money.”

“Not just for the cash,” Omar exclaimed. “I didn’t know they would kill everyone in Moon Dew. I thought they were just taking the dormants, and it would be worth it if they could learn how to make them access their wolf. If Lorelei could?—”

Sasha could see manipulation in the mention of their sister, so she cut him off. “Then why the hell did you help Monty once you were at the compound? Was he still paying you?”

“Yeah, but it was more than that. Monty told me that getting rid of those rogues would ensure Nathan stopped sending wolves to Thaddeus.”

“Why the fuck would you want that to happen?” snarled Amir.

“Because a vampire shouldn’t be an alpha, but you’re too obsessed with getting in her pants and couldn’t see it. Wouldn’t leave. I just wanted things to go back to the way they were,” Omar spewed with a jutted lower lip.

Sasha poked Monty with a second syringe, and only then did Amir drop the body to the pavement, his expression incredulous as he stared at his brother. “Are you really that fucking stupid?”

When Omar opened his mouth to reply, Amir shook his head. “Don’t answer. You are dumb as a rock, and the worst part is, I’m partially to blame. I should have tossed you out years ago so you could get a taste of the real world instead of constantly covering for your fuckups.”

“You’re my brother. You’re supposed to take care of me.”

“I did, and how was I repaid?” Amir barked. “With betrayal. Do you realize how close Lorelei came to being one of those kidnapped in Moon Dew?”

“I made sure she was out of town.”

“That doesn’t make it better,” Amir shouted. “Because of you, people are dead. Good people. Like, how depraved are you? You were ready to fucking hand me over.”

“You heard him threaten me.” Omar tried to justify.

“Which wouldn’t have happened if you’d never partnered with him in the first place.” Disgust hued Amir’s statement and expression.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry ain’t going to cut it this time.”

“What’s going to happen to me?” Omar asked in a small voice.

“Don’t know, ’cause it’s not up to me.”

Sasha understood this was her cue. “It will be a toss-up who gets to decide. It might be Thaddeus, seeing as how you abetted the murder of Blood Pack members and engaged in subterfuge and conspiracy to sabotage. Then there’s Nathan and the Lycan Council. They won’t be happy with how you aided in Moon Dew’s attack and then participated in the capture of Lycans for nefarious purposes.”

“My life was in danger.” Omar still tried to justify his gross actions.

At his excuse, Sasha shook her head. “You just said you worked with Monty willingly because you believe it’s wrong for a vampire to lead Lycans. Don’t try to double-back on it now. And this?” She motioned to the truck full of unconscious Lycans. “It’s all because of the bad choices you made. You could have told Thaddeus at any time about what Monty was planning, but your hatred prevented you from doing so. You could have consulted with Amir, who would have set you straight, but you chose the path of greed and least resistance. For that, you will be sentenced.”

“Only if they catch me,” exclaimed the man before he took off at a fast run.

Amir yelled, “Come back here, you dumb fuck,” but before he could spring in pursuit, Sasha gripped him by the bicep.

“Um, before you run off, I think we have a bigger problem.”

“Bigger than my shithead of a brother?” he snarled.

“Those two Lycans Monty pulled from the truck appear to be shifting.”

“What? I thought they were still asleep.” He whirled and gaped at the two trembling Lycans on the ground. His eyes widened as their clothes burst at the seams to accommodate the reshaping of limbs, while the bare skin exposed sprouted fur.

“Monty did say the elixir forced the change, and apparently, they didn’t need to drink the potion for it to work.”

“He also said it makes them rabid.” Amir planted himself in front of her. “Let me handle them.”

By handle, he apparently meant changing into a wolf. A massive one. Hello, big puppy.

Petting her oversized canine would have to wait until after he handled the two bristling Lycans. They rose to four furry feet, eyes aglow with madness, foam dripping from their muzzle.

Amir uttered a sharp bark.

Apparently, the shifted pair didn’t like whatever he said because both lunged for him and attacked with wide-open, slavering jaws.

Holy vicious. The snarling and snapping, and rapid movement of the three tumbling bodies made it hard for Sasha to intervene. How could she help her lover without getting chomped? A wolf bite might heal, but it would still really hurt, not to mention she didn’t want to share her blood with them.

Yip. Amir yelped as one of them clamped onto his hind quarter. He threw himself hard to the side to break the grip but then uttered another pained sound as the other wolf latched on.

Fuck it. Sasha threw herself on the back of the brindled female and locked an arm around her neck. It proved to be a more violent ride than the time she straddled a mechanical bull. The wolf freaked, thrashing wildly as Sasha tried a choke hold in the hopes of making her pass out. It didn’t seem to be working, and she cursed herself for not grabbing more of the sleeping needles from the satchel on the ground.

The female twisted hard enough she broke free of Sasha’s grip, but she didn’t run. She leapt for Sasha’s face and neck. Sasha quickly ducked, and as the wolf soared over her body, Sasha abruptly stood, bumping into the leaping shape, sending it flying into the side of the truck.

Thump . The wolf yelped as it hit the panel then landed hard on the pavement, right atop the satchel.

As the female shook her dazed head, Sasha chose to dive for the pouch of sleeping needles. While usually she’d kill something that threatened, given the rabid pair were innocents caught up in shit and the fact Amir might be pissed, she chose to try a gentler approach.

Sasha yanked at the strap and dragged the satchel close. She grimaced as she cut herself on a broken vial. Apparently, the female landing on it had caused some damage. Surely there was at least one needle intact? Her scrabbling fingers found one that seemed whole, and she pulled it free.

Before she could act, a weight slammed into her back, and she felt the painful pinch of teeth clamping around her neck!