Page 44 of The Wars of Monsters

Her gaze darted around the tunnel like she wanted to make sure it was still all clear before she spoke. “Oh, well my darling Warrick has always had his way of seeing things. The vampire is a visionary and it’s why I love him, but lately things have been…tense.” Her smile fell, but as if she realized she’d let her guard down, she beamed at me again.

I raised a brow, entirely surprised by the conversation.

“Well, come now, Raine.” She said my name like we were friends rather than enemies, or at best, acquaintances. “Surely you can understand. I may be a monster, but I am a mother. Warrick tries to be a good father, but even I can admit he went too far by trying to kill our son. From what I hear, you saved Locke then, and with your new…abilities, I’m hoping you may be just what Locke needs. It’s obvious you care for him, and he must care for you or he wouldn’t be staying with you like he has been,despiteme trying to set him up with a more suitable match.”

I bristled.

“But if the pair of you are going to insist on being together, the least you can do is persuade Locke to sit out on the coming battle,” Perene continued to prattle. “Take him into the mountains somewhere until the war is over. In the meantime, I’m sure I can convince Warrick to let you all back into the city. And when the war is over and you and Locke have had your fun, my son can finally take over the House of Nesarin and select a suitable mate. After all, the rules do say you must only mate with a monster from your house and one who is of the same kind.”

I gaped, unable to believe what I was hearing, and she went on.

“I know you five listened in on the council meeting. And if you were paying attention, you now know that when the war begins it’s not only the fae who will be obliterated. You heard him, my husband has thousands in his new army. If you fight against Warrick you will all die, and for what? The fae deserve to be defeated. I know my son doesn’t wish to ally himself to his father, but in time, he’ll see it was the right choice.”

Anger had fire bubbling in my belly, and I was finally able to overcome my shock enough to speak. “You say this like you care what happens to Locke. Your husband is a maniac who tortured children. He even conducted experiments on his own son! We won’t ever side with him.”

Perene looked taken aback, but she powered on. “Warrick loves Locky in his own way, and so do I.” She looked like she was about to say more, but she promptly pressed her lips together and cocked her head like she was listening to something. I strained my ears, hoping to pick up on whatever she’d heard, but she turned her attention to me again. “If you want the best for Locke, you’ll think about what I said.” Then before I could answer, she was gone.

I wasn’t sure what had spooked her, but I didn’t waste time as I started sprinting for my mates, desperately hoping that I’d find them with an unconscious vampire and that they weren’t wounded or worse.

Don’t think about it Raine, just run.By the goddess, for Warrick’s sake I hoped they were all right.

CHAPTER 22

~ Kade ~

LeavingmyMaharewhilewe went to capture Warrick wasn’t ideal, but we had one shot to get the bastard and I wasn’t about to let him get away. I’d always detested the cruel monster, but after what he did to Raine, I was looking forward to sinking my fangs into his neck.

Matching his speed to the rest of us, Locke kept pace so we could attack as a unit. My vampire brother kept his hand clenched, a dose of powder in his grasp. We had one chance to render Warrick unconscious. If it didn’t go as planned and Warrick was able to call on more of his outliers, we were fucked.

We rounded a bend, my paws scratching on the stone, and Warrick and his beasts came into view. The outliers detected us first, snarling as they launched at us, but we were ready.

Locke and I darted around the beasts, going straight for Warrick, while Darian and Asher went for the creatures. Locke reached Warrick first, but Warrick swung out his arm sending Locke flying into the tunnel wall. Before Warrick could retreat, I clamped my teeth onto his leg, and he fell as I dragged him backward.

Warrick reached up, his clawed hand positioned to strike my head, but Locke appeared beside me and blew gray powder into the male’s face. The older vampire’s eyes fluttered shut instantly, and he fell hard to the ground.

I released Warrick’s leg and paced around him, watching as the vampire’s breathing became steady. The urge to make himpermanentlyincapacitated made me snarl and slaver.

A howl pierced the air, and I turned my head to see one of the outliers calling for its brethren before Asher silenced it for good. A moment later, answering howls came from somewhere beyond the mountain, and I knew that wasn’t a good sign.

Darian and Asher strode toward us, their chests heaving, and blades drenched in blood. Asher hoisted Warrick onto his shoulder, and we sprinted back up the mountain the way we’d come.

We were halfway up when we ran into a red-faced, panting Raine. She stopped when she spotted us and let out a relieved sigh, but before she could say anything Locke lifted her into his arms, and we continued without slowing our pace.

My ears twitched as the howling became louder, and it was clear there were more outliers in the mountain.

“Is that what I think it is?” Raine asked as the tunnels blurred by, but none of us answered as we followed Locke to one of the training rooms and onto a balcony. It was one of the larger platforms, with a long-curved railing, but I had no clue whether it would be big enough for Raine.

Locke stretched out his wings, looking like he wanted to keep Raine in his arms and launch into the air, but he didn’t. His muscles rippled as he set her on her feet.

“The outliers are coming,” he told Raine bluntly. “If I could carry you all I would.”

She bounced on the balls of her feet. “Not to worry, I’ve got this.” Cracking her neck, she let out a long breath, and then her body was shifting and growing in size until her dragon occupied the majority of the balcony, pushing us to the side.

Locke took Warrick, and I changed back into my human form and climbed onto her back behind Darian and Asher. More howls rang out, and Locke didn’t waste time. He flapped his wings, rising into the air with Warrick in his grasp. The balcony groaned, the railing twisting as Raine’s talons hooked onto the metal and she pushed off, her massive wings spreading as she followed after him.

We dipped, falling closer to the ground before rising again, her head angled toward the sky. Her scales were warm against my bare skin, and I held on tightly as we lifted higher.

More howls erupted from behind us, and I peered back as the outliers came into view, dozens of the beasts swarming onto the balcony. Two of the creatures slid on the stone, unable to slow their movements and pitching over the edge of the balcony through the gap Raine created when she destroyed the railing. The remainder of the outliers howled and snapped, watching with red eyes as we headed toward the sun, their paws scrabbling on the stone.