Fever (8 page)

Vincent groggily opened his eyes. Darkness had fallen beyond the motel window.

I’m starving.

He groaned as he sat up, reaching for the lamp switch. Light flooded the room with the intensity of the sun.

Turn it off, turn it
–

A sigh of relief accompani
ed the dying light. Shadows would do for now.

He hadn’t drunk
himself into a stupor since he was human, but the symptoms of a hangover were relentless. It made sense. Instead of ridding itself of alcohol, his body had rid itself of silver.

He eyed the cup of water on the
bedside table. And narcotics.

One of his hands lashed out
, slapping the cup off the table. Water sloshed everywhere, but it was satisfying to diminish the scent of drugs. The action wasn’t entirely his own. He could feel the wolf languidly stretching in the depths of his mind. It was quite satisfied with itself.

Vincent smiled at its evident presence. He would never admit it to anyone else, but he’d missed the wolf. It was
a part of him now, like a soul mate or a familiar spirit
.

He threw t
he covers back. It took a few minutes to gather enough will to stand. When he did, the room wavered. Cool air flowed around him. Within seconds of shivering, his body temperature soared to keep him warm. Neither he nor the wolf were entirely healed yet, but the wolf would protect him until he’d regained his energy.

He
padded to the bathroom. After taking care of business and drinking some water, he ventured back into the room to search for clothing. There must have been some in the dresser next door, but he was too exhausted to walk that far. He settled for the jeans at the foot of the bed, still ripped at the thigh. They would do.

He’d just finished zipping them up when there was a knock at the door.

If only it could have been a pizza delivery guy. Bacon and pepperoni with stuffed crust would be heaven in a box right about now. It had been far too long.

“Vincent,” a man called, tone condescending.

The voice immediately set the wolf on edge. The room transformed as his eyes grew bright. His senses sharpened. It was good to be back.

“I know you’re in there, Vincent. I
can smell you. Open the door. We just want to talk.”

Like hell.

Vincent dove for the duffel bag of weapons, guided by its violet glow. The few steps he took pounded against the carpet, alerting those outside to his decision.

He heard a muffled, “Fine.”

The door was kicked open. Wood splinters flew across the room, hitting the far wall with hollow
clinks
. Sawdust and paint chips floated into the room on a light breeze. Moonlight streamed onto the carpet, casting the room in a hazy glow.

H
ands grabbed Vincent’s arms before he reached the duffel. Two hands on either side. They dragged him back, away from the weapons and any chance of escape. Judging by the stench in the room, there were three of them. Even on his best day, he couldn’t fight off three members of the pack.

The two men holding him
spun him around to face Jay, one of the highest ranking patrol leaders. Vincent hadn’t seen him for at least six months. It looked as if he’d gained some muscle in that time. Though his smile was friendly, his eyes were cold.

“Vincent.” H
e spread his hands. “Tsk, tsk. You should really take it easy after your encounter with Mitch. The scent of your blood was overwhelming when he returned to us. For a moment there, we thought we’d lost you.” He eyed the fresh scars on Vincent’s chest.

“You can’t kill me that easily.”

Vincent’s legs began to tremble. Try though he might to hide it, Jay’s smile widened upon noticing.

“Kill you? Oh, no.” A heavy hand lande
d on his shoulder. “We could never kill Doc’s favorite
plaything
. We’re moving, dear brother. And we were ordered here to retrieve you.”

A
growl rumbled in Vincent’s chest. He would never leave willingly. Maria rested here. In a sense, he was born here. It was the only home he’d known as a werewolf. The only home he cared to know.

The hand on his shoulder squeezed,
as if sensing his thoughts and rejecting them. But then the arrogant smile on Jay’s face slowly faded. An expression of confusion took its place. His eyebrows drew together, hand drifting to rest over Vincent’s heart. He tilted his head to the floor, as if listening.

The men flanking
Vincent were forced to hold him up as his knees finally buckled. His head fell forward, breath ghosting over Jay’s hand. The wolf could lend him no more strength.

When Jay eventually
looked up, there was awe in his eyes. “You’re recovering. On your own.” He clasped his hands together. “This is even better than I’d imagined. You were entertaining before, but now… you, a former prowler, might be the key to our survival. Oh, I love the irony.”

V
incent could only glare from where his head was slumped against his chest. His wounds began to burn. The wolf was attempting to heal him, but traces of lingering silver made it difficult. Even so, his scars visibly faded. Just a bit.

When he opened his mouth to speak, Jay shushed him like a child.

“
Shhh
. Wouldn’t want you to relapse. That wouldn’t sit well with Doc at all. We have a meeting with the Alpha tonight, and then we’ll be on our way. You’ll be pleased to know that Doc and I have been ordered to ride in the ambulance with you. Mitch won’t be allowed near it.”

Even the mention of his wife
’s killer was enough to make the wolf stir. Vincent relished the feeling, dredging up memories of fighting Mitch in the motel room. He allowed the name to invoke his rage, going so far as to recall the moment he knew Maria was dead.

The int
entional thoughts were enough to trigger the first signs of the change. He was weak, and barely able to withstand the strain. But his rage and the energy of the moon outside were just enough to help him.

He slumped even further between the men holding him. His skin grew
dangerously hot within seconds, and a sweat broke out on his brow. As his ribs began to shatter, he spasmed in pain. Once. Twice.

Jay was speaking to him in a commanding tone. But whenever he opened his mouth, the only word Vincent heard was
Mitch
. And with it, his need for revenge consumed his human form.

He was
vaguely aware of being lowered to the carpet. Fur began to sprout from his skin, the silky hair prickling as it coated his limbs and torso. The seams of his jeans burst with the sudden dislocation of his hip bones. A howl of pain left him. His jaw lengthened as canine teeth filled his mouth.

Beyond the
agony, he heard the others undergoing the change as well. They were faster and more disciplined. If he was to escape them, he had to move.

The door hung at an angle
. Vincent leapt over the hunched figures of Jay and his men, the familiar thrum of the moon already flowing through his veins. He was out the door in seconds. The wind whipped through his fur as he bolted across the parking lot, claws tapping rhythmically against the pavement.

The sense of freedom was
incredible. He’d gone days without changing before, but never during the full moon, when the urge was seductively irresistible. Cars and buildings blurred as he passed them. Icy air numbed his nose. His eyes watered as he attempted to run faster, faster.

There was only one
place he wanted to be. Deep within the forest, with Maria. He didn’t want to think about his unbreakable link to the pack, moving to another sanctuary, or even the worry he felt for Logan and Anna. He just wanted to be free.

Jay and his men were
close behind, and gaining ground. They weren’t recovering from silver poisoning, weak with hunger and fatigue. If they wanted to, they could drag him down at any moment. Instead, it seemed they were allowing him to run under their supervision. But why? So he might experience the essence of the forest one last time? To keep him sated and under control during the move? Or because they knew his energy was waning and that he couldn’t run far?

Whatever the reason was, it only served to anger Vin
cent. They still believed him to be under their power. They were toying with him.

The line of
trees came into view. He leapt into darkness without slowing, eyes glinting as his night vision kicked up a notch. Logs and overgrown brush prevented him from quickly covering ground. The scars on his chest painfully stretched. Branches caught him across the face, blinding him.

Still he ran, struggling to lose Jay and the others. They would follow his scent for miles if they had to, but he could double-back to confuse them.

The brush thinned enough for him to sprint. Blood pounded in his ears. His movements weren’t light and effortless, but sloppy, desperate. He knew Jay and the others could see as much.

His claws dug into the dirt, kicking it up in hopes of blinding them. Jaws snapped in disapproval. A
warning snarl ordered him to stop, but the wolf was only getting started. It wouldn’t submit without a fight.

As if sensing his re
luctance, Jay increased his speed until he was running alongside him. It took one shove to throw Vincent off balance. His legs crumpled. Then he was rolling over bruising roots and rocks. He yelped in pain when he slammed into a tree.

Before he could rise, Jay was on him, teeth clamped around his nec
k. They barely broke the skin, holding firm.

The order was clear: resort to human form. Now.

Vincent knew Jay wouldn’t dare kill him now that he’d survived silver. It would rob the pack of possible immortality. But he might have no qualms about throwing Vincent around until he was too weak to remain in wolf form. Doc would be upset, but only until he healed. Then he would be grateful to Jay for bringing him back, exactly as he’d been ordered to.

There was no choice.

Vincent’s bones began to shatter once more. The pain was worse this time. The bitter taste of submission and failure heightened it, even before a torrent of blood poured from his mouth.

Jay released his neck and stepped back. When the change was
too far advanced for Vincent to easily shift back to wolf form, he heard the others changing as well.

A haze of fatigue overcame
him, and he realized what a terrible idea two transformations and a moonlit run had been. Shivering with nausea, he closed his eyes against the spinning world and allowed time to fade for a while.

When
Vincent next opened his eyes, he was still laying on the forest floor. Tree branches loomed above him. Though his skin was bare and coated with sweat, warmth emanated from the ground. He felt exhausted. Drained. Just as Jay wanted him to feel.

“Vincent, how nice of you to join us.”

Speak of the devil.

“I do hope
you enjoyed the run. It was the last you’ll have on these grounds.” His face came into view. “Ever.”

Hands grabbed Vincent’s
arms and hauled him up again. He didn’t need to break eye contact with Jay to know they were pissed. Their grip communicated that.

“You’re coming with us,
Vincent. If I wasn’t clear at the motel, you have no choice in the matter.”

Jay
turned on his heel to lead the way from the forest. Their course slightly differed from the way they came, as City Hall was several blocks to the right.

Vi
ncent was struck by the realization that if a traveler happened to pass through town and saw four stark naked men emerging from a forest, they might jump to conclusions. He smiled. As he continued to imagine the absurdity of it, he began to chuckle.

Jay ceased walking long
enough to glance back. “Something amusing you?”

Perhaps it
was the utter hopelessness of the situation. Perhaps it was hysteria because he didn’t see a method of escape from the pack.

H
e began to laugh. Long and hard. His laughter echoed through the forest as Jay stared at him, first amused by his laughter, then confused, and eventually impatient. At last, he stepped forward, eyes flashing.

“Vincent,” he snapped, grabbing his head and forcing him to meet his eyes. “What do you know?”

Struggling to catch his breath, Vincent panted his answer. “You’re a dick.”

He rammed his knee into Jay’
s groin.

The
resulting expression of shock, pain, and rage was unlike any he’d seen before. Even as the grip on his arms disappeared and punishing fists began to rain, Vincent knew it was worth it. Each flare of pain only brought him closer to darkness.

Closer to Maria.

Anna grunted as she hauled the last length of chain to the first floor of the fire station. It required an abundance of caution, as darkness had fallen hours ago. The concrete floor was more shadow than light, but she couldn’t risk so much as a candle.

Her shirt was drenched
with sweat. The reflective surface of a fire truck allowed her a glimpse of the filth laying her skin, dust from City Hall and grime from the fire station’s gear. Only after entering both buildings did she realize how they’d been ignored but for outward appearances. It was likely that every building in Pinechester except the gas station, motel, and hospital had suffered the same disregard. There were just enough clean buildings to keep travelers happy and avoid outside suspicion.

Lazy werewolves.

She let the chains drop with a huff, grateful for the single entrance into City Hall. It had looked as if there were two entrances, but upon further inspection, the back door was wielded shut by rusty hinges and a padlock the size of her fist.

The windows were also barred, though it was obvious they hadn’
t been so originally. She’d arrived at the conclusion that pack meetings could get ugly. No self-respecting Alpha would allow pack members an easy escape and risk appearing weak. On the contrary, Alphas were strong enough that it would never cross their minds to allow themselves an escape. That would work in her favor.

Anna yawned as she headed back upstairs. She intended to kill as many werewolves as
possible tonight. If one escaped, Alpha or not, she’d prowl their ass down later. Finish the job. Logan was lucky she’d been in the area–

The sudden squeal of brakes
outside made her rush to the window. Whoever it was didn’t have their headlights on. Her composure faltered under her exhaustion.

“I am so
sick
of this,” she whispered furiously, whipping out her pistol. “When this is over, I’m going back to hunting one werewolf at a time. In an area with civilians, not some creepy House of Wax town that happens to be hosting a pack of primitive beasts. I don’t have a death wish–”

The door creaked open downstairs.

Anna pressed her lips together. Enough ranting. Time to sharpen up or die.

She lowered her stance, squatti
ng behind a pile of coiled fire hoses. The odor of moldy polyester filled her nose. She could only hope it was strong enough to cover her own scent, although the way she’d been exerting herself, it was doubtful.

Footsteps
ascended the stairs, and she held her breath, remaining stark still.

Logan.

Damn it, what was he doing here? She let out her breath in a relieved
whoosh
, creeping around the coiled hoses. He appeared to be alone.

She
finally rose to her feet, pressing the barrel of the pistol into his back. “You’re getting sloppy.”

He froze, then relaxed at the sound of her voice. “Where the hell have you been? I thought you might be in trouble.”

When she holstered her gun, he turned around. Shadows danced over his face. They didn’t hide the fury in his eyes or the working muscles in his jaw.

“I’ve been gathering supplies while you play nursemaid. How did you know I was here?”

“I saw your bike downstairs. The side mirror reflected the moonlight, almost blinding me.”

She rolled her eyes.
Always one for theatrics. “Tell me you didn’t park out front.”

“Around back. Now where the hell is the antidote and what are you doing here?”

She raised an eyebrow at his tone. “The pack is moving. The antidote is already gone. There’s a meeting before the move at City Hall tonight, at eleven. I was planning to crash it by burning the building to the ground.”

“With everyone trapped inside?”

“Obviously.” She bent down to grab cans of accelerant. “The chains are already downstairs. We have a good three hours before we light it up, but we still need a detailed plan and to shower beforehand so they don’t smell us coming. No soap, just water and elbow grease. Fresh clothes. Luckily, this is a fire station and the showers are–”

“Anna, enough.” He blocked her path to the stairs. “
You’re retreating into yourself behind a prowler exterior of fact-based logic. Have you forgotten that you need to acknowledge your fear to conquer it?”

“I’m sorry,” she said
, trying to move around him. “I wasn’t aware our situation allowed time for emotion. Would you like to initiate a hugging session before we continue?”

Logan snatched the cans of accelerant from her, placing them on the floor. When he straightened to meet her eyes, determination was plain on his face.

Crap.

“
We can’t work together with this rift between us. One of us will die, if not both of us. So, let’s be adults about this. Tell me why you did it.”

Anna sighed. She didn’t want to talk about this right now. “You’ll need to be more specific.”

“Don’t play dumb, Anna.” His fists clenched. “Why did you give up everything we had to chase the past?”

“It was haunting me.”

“And you thought leaving me without a word wouldn’t haunt you, is that it?”

Her hand whipped
across his face before she could stop it. The
slap
of skin against skin made her flinch, but she stepped forward until they were nose-to-nose.

“Don’t pretend you know me,” she hissed. “Don’t pretend you know what I’ve been through since I left you. I was
alone
, you hear me? I was chasing a damn werewolf through a world of people ignorant of their existence, fully knowing your pain might lead you to hunt me down like one of them.”

Logan roughly grabbed her shoulders, anger glinting in his eyes.
She tensed, glancing at the stairs. They could provide an escape or Logan could throw her toward them headfirst.

His breath was hot on her face. “If you thought for one second I’d kill you, then you’re more damaged than I thought.”

Anna snapped. She used his close proximity to head-butt him. When he stumbled back with a grunt of pain, she dropped, sweeping his legs out from under him. Scarcely had he hit the floor before she was straddling him. She bunched his shirt collar in one fist and drew back the other.

“Don’t
–”

Her fist hit his jaw with a satisfying
crack.

“–call me damaged!”

He
blocked her incoming fist and rolled them over. Anna found herself pinned beneath him, wrists over her head. A fire hose nozzle dug into her back.

“Stop taking your anger out on
me,” he growled, nostrils flaring. “If you’re in pain, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.”

“Bull
.” She sharply brought her knee up, but he narrowly moved to avoid it, never breaking their gaze. Pent up anger and frustration bubbled inside her, until she was wildly thrashing under him, fighting his words, his truth. Chest heaving with exertion, her wrists ground against the cool concrete until they felt bruised in his grasp.

“The more you fight it, the more it hurts,” he strained
, panting. “Just like now. The past has already happened, Anna. Accept it.”

“Shut up,” she snarled
, snapping her head forward to break his nose. One of his hands grabbed her neck to stop her. He guided her head to the concrete, the motion slow and controlled.

His touch burned
like fire as his full weight pressed against her. It was both suffocating and what she’d craved  since the night she left him. An unwanted urge was building within her with surprising ferocity. It was something she’d buried that same night. Something she was powerless to stop.

She slipped her chin under the hand a
round her neck and bit it. Hard.

Logan gasp
ed in pain, yanking his hand back over her breasts. She arched into the touch, her eyes challenging even as pleasure jolted through her.

A vein protruded
from his forehead, betraying his need. One of his hands snaked behind her neck to grab her hair and wrench her head to the side. Neck exposed, she felt her heartbeat increase. Blood rushed in her ears as Logan lowered his head. She jerked against him when his lips grazed her skin.

“Shhh,” he whispered.

His lips nuzzled the valley between her neck and shoulder. They parted until his teeth grazed her skin. Electricity sparked through the sensitive cluster of nerves until she shuddered, eyes falling closed. He gently nipped up her neck before burying his face into her hair, breath moist in her ear.

“I missed you,” he
murmured. “But I’ll never forgive you for leaving.”

She brought her arms down a
nd gripped his hair, forcing him to look at her.

“We’ll see about that.”

Then she crushed her lips against his.

He groaned
, melting into her touch. She felt his fingers tangle in her hair. Her teeth sank into his lower lip, tasting him, remembering him.

She was breathless even before
he bent his head to kiss her jaw, lips trailing to the corner of her mouth. His tongue flicked out, teasing her. When his lips fell over hers, the heat made her grind her hips against him. He increased the pressure of their kiss with a husky moan.

Anna’s
lips felt swollen with desire. Shared breaths between them were saturated with his essence, his scent. She breathed in through her nose, allowing her breath to escape in soft pants. The world spun as she grew light-headed with passion.

When she grazed his upper lip with her
tongue, he responded by exploring her mouth a little at a time. She gasped when his tongue caressed her own, searing lust shooting down her spine. The kiss increased her need for him until she was writhing, overwhelmed with sensation, yet craving more.

Logan rolled his hips
, thigh spreading her legs to knead against her. Her back scraped against the floor with the movement, and she felt a flicker of defiance.

Anna tore her mouth from his. His pupils were blown with unleashed yearning, face flushed and hair in
disarray. The hunger in his gaze was intoxicating. She swallowed at the sight of his glistening lips.

“
If you can take it,” she whispered huskily. “You can have it.”

She punch
ed him across the jaw with enough force to knock him on his back. Then she staggered to her feet, stumbling to the stairs. A shiver
of excitement ran through her.

Logan cursed, his voice hoarse with desperation. She heard him shuck his jacket as he rose to his feet, clearly accepting the challenge.

Her footsteps pounded over the stairs and the platforms between flights. The ground floor was close when the stairs vibrated with a
thud
behind her. Logan had leapt over the top flight of stairs to the platform below.

Sweat trickled down her back. He was a
prowler intent on catching his prey, and the worst part was, she wanted him to. Electric longing surged through her veins with the intensity of countless nights spent without his touch, his love.

Darting between the first row of fire trucks, Anna stilled and waited for him to follow her. The reflection of the
opposite truck darkened as Logan landed at the base of the stairs in a low crouch. His movements were slow and purposeful as he rose to his feet.

Without a sound, he
abruptly dropped to the floor to peer under the fire trucks. But Anna had already anticipated his move. She grabbed hold of a vertical handrail and silently lifted herself up. Only when she thought it was safe did she lower herself to the floor behind the front tire.

Peering
under the truck, she frowned when she realized she’d lost him. Her eyes darted around. The distinct feeling of being hunted overcame her.

She moisten
ed her lips, tasting lingering traces of his kiss.

Slinking
around the front of the truck, her eyes searched the ground for moving shadows. The fire station was still and utterly silent.

An arm suddenly snaked around her neck from behind. She let out a
gasp before Logan whispered into her ear, “I’m going to take you so fast and hard that you’ll regret ever leaving me.”

“I’d like to see you try,” she choked out, thrusti
ng her hips back against his. He growled when she ground against his arousal. It was the dirty distraction she needed to flip him over her shoulder.

Hand resting on her
holstered gun out of habit, she smirked. Bang.

He hit the ground hard, rolling over to rise to his feet. Before he could
regain his balance, she slammed into his side, knocking him back against the gear rack. Helmets rattled overhead, one of them crashing to the ground. He gripped the swaying coats for purchase, using them to haul himself up.

Teeth bared, anger glinting in his eyes, it was clear that he was done playing nice.
He effortlessly blocked her advancing blows, grabbing her wrist and wrenching it behind her back. With a spin, she found herself pinned against the wall. The concrete was cold against her face. She panted with exertion, grunting when she felt every inch of him press against her back. His hips rocked against hers, desperately seeking friction.