Page 8 of Blood Pack Beginning (Pack #5)

CHAPTER SEVEN

What unexpected fun, turning the hunt into a game where Sasha would win no matter what. The question being, would the men actually compete for the chance to spend the night with her? Of Diego, she had no doubt. The man made no bones about the fact he desired her; however, she also knew if she bedded him first, the other two more restrained males might simply give up.

And that wouldn’t do at all.

Ever since her kiss with Amir, she’d been thinking of him.

Every time she butted words with Cyrus, she wanted to discover if he would soften as a lover.

As for Diego, she already knew she’d have a rollicking good time.

Was it greedy to want all three? Not really. Sasha was more woman than one man could handle. Two might be able to keep up. Three? Definitely enough to satisfy. As to the fact they were dogs? Weren’t canines eager to please? Also, seeing Thaddeus looking so content with his mates had her rethinking her opinion on them.

The group spilled out of the SUV, the late hour and recent murder leaving the sidewalk and road virtually empty. The men armed themselves from the cache of weapons and set off walking three abreast. She’d not told them which alley disgorged the latest victim. Didn’t have to. The caution tape still fluttered, and even if it didn’t, the stench of death permeated the air along with the even fouler aroma of the killer.

As they entered the alley, Diego coughed. “Damn. You weren’t kidding about ghouls smelling fucking putrid.”

“It is bad, but in good news, that will make it easy to follow,” Amir remarked, dipping down to the pavement for a closer peek.

Cyrus remained standing, seemingly doing nothing unless you watched his face. His eyes moved, tracking the elements in the alley, from the single exit to the road, flicking over the dumpsters, and settling on the grate inset in the ground, its rusted metal bars partially plastered in a soggy paper bag from a popular coffee chain.

“The ghoul entered the alley from above,” Cyrus murmured, turning his gaze upward.

“No ladder.” Diego stood by the brick wall, pitted by time and weather. “It climbed using its hands and feet and left chunks of flesh in spots.”

A crouching Amir further summarized the crime scene. “It killed the person here.” He indicated the stain on the ground that rinsing hadn’t completely erased. “Then dragged the body toward the sewer.” He pivoted to take in the grate.

Diego leaned over and pointed. “Must have given up since it’s still bolted in tight.”

“A ghoul would have the strength to break it open,” Sasha added since they might not be aware.

“It mustn’t have had time. Something must have spooked it and it chose to flee.” Amir stood and raised his gaze. “It went back up, but how far could it have travelled on the rooftops?” He left the alley, and the group followed.

Diego loped ahead and took the lead, while Cyrus lagged, often craning to look upwards.

Keeping pace with Amir, Sasha murmured, “Aren’t you worried Diego will reach the lair first and win the kiss?”

“Bah, let him win that small token. I’m going to save myself for the bigger prize.” Amir surprised her with that statement, and her lips curved. It had been two nights since she’d woken to find him in her bedroom, and she’d been disappointed he’d not tried the trick again.

“Are you sure you can handle me? I might bite in the heat of the moment.”

“Is that supposed to be a turn-on?”

“You’re not afraid of me,” she remarked.

“Why would I be?”

“Because I could kill you with my bare hands if I chose.”

“You won’t, though.”

“You sound very sure.”

“Because I am. You don’t murder willy-nilly.”

“Willy-nilly?” she scoffed.

His grin widened. “Fine. You wouldn’t bother killing unless it served a purpose. Since I haven’t done anything to piss you off, or show disloyalty, there’s no reason.”

“You shouldn’t assume I have such lofty morals. I am a vampire after all. One that Thaddeus describes as having no conscience at all.”

“Maybe. But you’re also a decent person.”

“Given how you want to get in my pants, insulting me is an odd way to go about it,” she quipped.

He chuckled. “You might pretend to be tough, but I see you. You’re loyal, fair, and not one to waste a possible asset. Not to mention, you wouldn’t want me gone before we’ve fucked at least once.”

“Only once?” she teased,

“Once you get a taste, you’ll be back for more,” he boasted. His mirth abruptly ceased as Diego went stiff and growled, “The ghoul descended here.” The here ended up being a subway station entrance with a bus stop out front.

The three men headed for the stairs heading below ground, the ghoul’s stench less noticeable given the foot traffic that had trampled down the steps since its passage. Sasha followed, observing them, assessing how they handled the situation as per her boss’s orders. Earlier, Thaddeus had said to her, " Best to find out now if they crack when in peril than when our lives might depend on them.”

Honestly, Sasha didn’t figure these three would be a problem. Omar, who’d chosen to abstain from the mission, concerned her, not because she feared him doing her harm but more because his seeming cowardice and his whiny nature might force Amir to make a choice. In battle, Omar would be a distraction his brother could ill afford. Then there was the fact she suspected Omar would refuse to become a part of the new pack Thaddeus had formed, a pack unlike any other in the world. It still surprised that Thaddeus even wanted to lead a group of wolves. Then again, he was fucking a pair. However, Thaddeus also had his own reason for his decision. “If I can have Lycans who are loyal to me, they will prove to be better daytime guards than a human. They’re faster, stronger, with better built-in instincts.” To which she’d replied, “Just be careful. When dogs turn on their masters, maiming is the best-case scenario.”

It should be noted she didn’t expect treachery from these three Lycan or Thaddeus’ two mates. Not as they currently were, at least. However, she couldn’t forget what Roderick had done. Controlling the minds of Lycans. Commanding them to kill. Right now all believed Roderick was the only one with that capability, but what if Morpheus’ hidden master could do the same… or create another like Roderick? She still wasn’t entirely clear on how Roderick came into being. Thaddeus wouldn’t speak of it, growling simply, “The queen meddled in things she shouldn’t have.”

A queen who was dead.

Supposedly.

Rumors abounded she might still live given the fact her body had disappeared. Had someone taken it? That would be dangerous since the queen had been the most powerful vampire, some even said she was the first—not something she ever admitted or denied. Possible, though, especially given how powerful she’d been in comparison to others. A power that might have been too much to handle. Madness used to swirl in the queen’s gaze and tinged her laughter. Since the queen discomfited, Sasha had avoided her court as much as vampirically possible.

But back to Omar. If he refused to swear loyalty to Thaddeus and decided to leave, would Amir follow? She really hoped not. They could use a man like Amir in the coming fight.

And she was starting to get used to having him around.

“The ghoul went onto the tracks,” Cyrus quietly stated, the men having vaulted the turnstiles to keep following the trail. They disregarded the security guard hitching up his pants by the loops strutting after them ready to give shit. She could chide them for doing something that drew attention, but it took but a simple “You saw nothing. Go back to napping in your cubicle,” from Sasha to send the guard tottering back to his chair and sitcom.

The trio leapt from the platform onto the tracks, with Amir crouching for a closer sniff. “There are two trails. This way for the ghoul we followed, but I’m smelling another.” His head swiveled left and right.

Dilemma. Which way to go?

“We should split up,” Cyrus suggested.

“Split how? There’s three of us,” Diego pointed out.

“I’m as big as two men,” Amir boasted.

“You’re only ten pounds heavier than me,” was Cyrus’ dry reply.

“Ten pounds where it counts.” Amir’s smirk had the other men rolling their eyes, and Sasha hid a smile.

“You two figure it out. I’m going left because I’ve got a feeling,” Diego stated as he began walking down the tunnel.

“I’m going with him,” Amir declared. “Last time he said that we got a free room with room service in Vegas.”

“I remember that, as well as getting tossed out of that hotel because someone got too drunk,” Cyrus added as he headed in the opposite direction.

Given the choice, Sasha stuck with the lone wolf, keeping pace in silence before blurting out, “Why go this way when you know the ghoul from the alley went the other?”

Cyrus slewed a glance her way. “Because this route leads to the older tunnels with plenty of hidey holes.”

The logic behind his decision impressed. “There was a social media post claiming a monster stole a child from the next platform three days ago,” she remarked.

“And you’re just mentioning this now? The boys might not have gone left if they’d known.”

“This is a test, remember? Can’t exactly give you all the answers, now can I?”

A snort burst out of Cyrus. “Well, I see the movies got one thing right about vampires. You’re secretive as fuck.”

“Are you claiming you haven’t kept some things to yourself?”

He went quiet for a second. “Anything I haven’t revealed isn’t important.”

“I hope that’s true. Thaddeus wants me to trust you.”

“I thought he already cleared us.”

“He did. However, given he’s been stirring the waspish nest, so to speak, he has concerns about outsiders asserting their influence, which might compromise my safety and that of the other vampires allied with Thaddeus.”

“He’s worried about your safety?” Cyrus snorted. “That’s wild, considering you can kick all our asses.”

It pleased to hear him recognize her strength. “True, however, even I can be overwhelmed, and then there’s the fact I sleep like the dead.” She grimaced. “Thaddeus says I lack self-preservation and I will most likely one day perish while drooling on my pillow since I don’t easily wake.”

“Sounds like you need some bodyguards.”

“Among other things,” she murmured.

He held up a hand and motioned for silence, most likely because the unique stench of ghoul had noticeably increased.

A frown creased Cyrus’ brow, and his nostrils flared. She didn’t need him to hold up four fingers on his hand to know he’d scented four ghouls.

He began to strip, and she arched a brow, whispering, “Already trying to claim the prize?”

“More like trying to make sure I have something to wear when we leave. One or two ghouls I could handle with a knife. Four is gonna take a meaner predator.”

How exciting. Sasha would get to see a Lycan shift up close—as well as get a chance to ogle Cyrus. He possessed a leaner build than Amir but remained thick and muscled in all the right places. Her gaze dipped to the object that interested her most, and she almost licked her lips seeing his cock twitch.

“Now is not the time for that,” he growled.

True. Later, though… She couldn’t wait to wrap her lips around his shaft and then feel it filling her.

Despite the discomfort of shifting—or so she’d heard—Cyrus emitted no cry of pain, nor did his face contort. He held her gaze as his face elongated into a snout, his flesh sprouted fur, and his limbs rearranged themselves into fore and hind legs that ended in paws. What a fascinating process.

The big wolf that stood before her had the same blond hues in its brown fur as the man did on his head.

“Nice doggie,” she murmured.

He chuffed and rolled his eyes before trotting in the direction of the foul smell. Sasha followed, ready to aid, because four ghouls would be a difficult test even for a savage wolf.

A hole in the concrete wall, the jagged edges of it smeared in slime, only allowed entry for one at a time. Cyrus didn’t hesitate to leap in with Sasha grimacing as she followed. So much for preserving her favorite leather pants.

The chamber beyond ended up bigger than expected, a natural cave that the subway builders had stupidly ignored. Eventually, it could collapse, dragging down whatever perched above, be it road or building.

No point in wondering how the ghouls found the space. It existed, and they’d turned it into a nest. Or should she say, a butchery? There were bodies strewn about, which she struggled to see even though her eyes adjusted to the darkness. No need to check for pulses. None of those dragged to the lair lived and many had begun to decay.

Cyrus prowled the room, scouting for ghouls. Had they missed them? Were they out hunting? Hiding still and silent among the bodies?

The overpowering odor of the creatures overwhelmed the senses, and the constant drips of moisture from the ceiling plinking from all over kept her on edge.

Hold on a second. That wasn’t water but—“Above us!”—ghoul drool.

Gross.

But of more concern?

The fact about a dozen ghouls dropped from the ceiling with hungry gaping maws and blazing red eyes.