Vengeance in Blood (Book 2): Tribulations (17 page)

“From the smell, he’s old,” Maliki said, looking over at Tiffany.

“Yes,” she agreed. “I’ve never smelled one that old.”

“Besseta, can you re—”

“Maliki! It can hear us now,” Tiffany interrupted.

Besseta shook her head. “Something is weird. I swear I hear two thoughts from the same thing,” she said in a low voice.

“Hush,” Tiffany said, seeing Besseta tremble.

“It knows I can hear its thoughts, Tiffany,” Besseta said in a normal voice. “How, I don’t know.”

“Interesting,” Tiffany said, impressed.

“Oh shit, that thing is big,” Besseta gulped, seeing a massive form moving through the trees.

Maliki looked over his shoulder. “There are no others close. My guards have moved out thirty miles. They crossed this one’s trail but haven’t come across any others.”

“Talented guards,” Tiffany grinned.

“Yes, Maurice is remarkable how far he can communicate with me,” Maliki smiled.

“Guys, we really need to get out of here,” Besseta said, jumping off the table.

“Nonsense,” Tiffany said, watching the massive form move toward them through the trees.

“It doesn’t like the fact neither of you are scared,” Besseta let them know.

Maliki laughed. “Over one wolf? Please. I don’t care how old he is. I’ve killed too many to be afraid of just one.”

“Oh man, he didn’t like that,” Besseta said, looking around for her escape route.

“Well, Maliki, it seems we will once again fight side by side,” Tiffany said, jumping down beside Besseta. “Don’t run; we will need you.”

Besseta was close to panic. “Tiffany, I still haven’t seen the top. It’s having to move its head around the branches, and that isn’t a young stand of trees.”

“It’s of no bother,” Tiffany tried to comfort her.

Suddenly, the massive form broke through the trees standing next to the basketball court. “Holy shit,” Besseta moaned, seeing the werewolf take a step toward them. The top of its head was above the backboard, and its chest was twice as wide. There was very little hair, but what was there was a dark gray.

The werewolf’s maw was several feet long and over a foot wide as it opened its mouth, showing them teeth six inches long as it stopped in front of the basketball goal. Even with how massive the thing was, the arms seemed much too long and ended in hands with really long claws.

Its lower legs bent backward like a wolf’s. The legs were muscular down to the backward bend then narrowed rapidly, ending at giant paws. The arms were also rippling with muscles but ran thick to the wrists.

“Okay, he is kind of big,” Maliki offered nonchalantly with a wave of his hand.

Staring at the massive form, Besseta didn’t even want to know what size the man would be when it changed back. “I’ll take your word for it,” she finally said. She jerked her head up. “It really doesn’t like you, Maliki. I mean it fucking hates you.”

“Well, so much for talking to it,” he sighed.

“Maliki,” Besseta muttered. “I think it’s trying to read my—no our—minds.”

With a quick jerk, the massive head was looking at Besseta, who would’ve taken off running but found she couldn’t move. She strained to move any part of her body as the air around her held her in place, then Besseta felt Tiffany touch her arm. “It seems the wolf doesn’t like you now,” Tiffany said.

“Let me go. I’m going home,” Besseta told her. “I know I can outrun it.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Tiffany giggled, and the wolf stared at her. “Don’t let the size fool you; this one can run fast.”

A deep growl rumbled in the wolf’s chest. “Besseta, are you sure it’s trying to read our minds?” Maliki asked.

“Very sure,” she mumbled, feeling the force around her release. “It’s confused that it’s having trouble.” As the last word left her mouth, the werewolf shifted toward them and froze. “Oh, it really doesn’t like that,” Besseta almost yelled.

Glancing over at Tiffany, Besseta noticed she was smiling, but small beads of sweat were breaking out on her face. “Yes, I can play as well,” Tiffany said.

Besseta jerked her head, looking back at the werewolf. “There are two different thoughts coming from it. One’s a female and is really pissed. I mean, she wants to disembowel us.”

“What of the other?” Maliki asked.

“It’s weird,” Besseta asked. “It’s male, but only some words are coming through. In between the words is like gibberish.”

“That is werewolf,” Maliki smiled. “You don’t speak wolf, Besseta. That’s why you can’t understand it.”

Confused, she asked, “Why the hell am I hearing a woman’s thoughts coming from it?”

“Oh on that, I’m not sure, but I think you are hearing the succubus controlling it. Something I’ve never heard of a vampire able to do,” Maliki said, moving over to Tiffany.

Besseta took a step back. “Yep, that’s it,” she said. “She wants to kill us, everyone we know, anyone that knows us, and she wants to do it very slow.”

“Is she the one controlling the Strong Hands?” Maliki asked.

The thoughts rushed through Besseta’s mind and she tried to calm down to hear them. Taking slow breaths, she said, “Yes and no.”

“What?” Maliki asked, and Besseta just shrugged.

Raising her hand with her palm toward the werewolf to help focus her mind, Tiffany panted, “You mean there is more than one over the Strong Hands?”

“Tiffany, she really wants to kill you,” Besseta informed her.

“So I’m right?” Tiffany strained.

“Yes,” Besseta answered.

Maliki leaned over. “Tiffany, will you be able to hold it?”

“For a while, but it is taxing,” Tiffany admitted as sweat started dripping off her face.

“Besseta,” Maliki said. “Succubi and incubi don’t work together, so how can more than one be running the Strong Hands?”

“She thinks you’re a fucking idiot,” Besseta told him, and Maliki smiled.

Turning to the wolf, he said, “Thank you.”

“They work together for their own good,” Besseta told him and felt a wave hit her mind, making her stumble back. Tiffany raised her other hand to the werewolf as Besseta caught herself.

“How many of our kind do they have?” Maliki asked.

“A lot,” Besseta answered.

He shook his head. “Well, that isn’t good.”

“Four hundred and sixteen,” Besseta told him.

“Well, not that bad,” Maliki grinned. “How many werewolves?”

Besseta’s entire body went numb as her knees got weak. Her weight drove her down as Besseta collapsed to her knees. Maliki looked over to see Besseta’s mouth and eyes wide open in horror. “Almost all of them,” Besseta said in a low, airy voice.

“Really not good,” Maliki groaned, and Besseta jerked her head back. “Is the man thinking anything?”

“Her thoughts are too loud; I can’t hear them clearly,” Besseta barely got out as the thoughts rushed her mind.

Maliki looked at the werewolf. “What’s your name?”

“Her name is Elizabeth,” Besseta answered.

“Seems they have been planning this for some time,” Maliki said, looking at Besseta.

As he spoke, Besseta’s body gave a jerk. “Since long before any of us were created,” she told him. “They all know you, Maliki and Tiffany. You didn’t bow to their wishes, so you are destined to be punished.”

“I like being known,” Maliki grinned.

Quickly, Besseta jumped up to her feet. “You listen, bitch; you come after him, and I’ll slowly peel the skin from your fucking body!” she screamed.

Tiffany suddenly relaxed and dropped one arm, not needing to concentrate so hard to hold the werewolf. “How did you do that?” she asked Besseta.

Never hearing Tiffany, Besseta roared, “Whore, you even think of touching him, and my quest will become your extinction!” Suddenly, a thunderclap sounded, moving Maliki and Tiffany back.

Tiffany dropped her other arm as Besseta just disappeared and reappeared, pummeling the werewolf’s body, knocking it down on its side. “You hear me, bitch? I’m going to break every fucking bone in your body with a rock every fucking day for a hundred fucking years!” Besseta screeched, pounding the massive body across the basketball court. “He’s fucking mine, you sorry whore!” Besseta bellowed and jumped up.

Maliki and Tiffany stood in stunned silence, watching Besseta soar well over fifty feet straight up. As Besseta started her descent, she rotated her body, holding one arm out with her balled fist coming down like a dart. Maliki cringed as Besseta came down but couldn’t turn away as her fist impacted the werewolf’s bottom jaw, giving a loud snap.

Rolling as she landed, they never saw Besseta move back to the werewolf; she just appeared on top of it, pounding away. “Oh, you think that hurt, you fucking cunt?!” Besseta screamed, sitting on the werewolf’s elbow and grabbing its forearm. “HE’S FUCKING MINE, YOU SORRY WHORE!” Besseta screeched so loud Maliki and Tiffany covered their ears.

The werewolf’s forearm suddenly snapped back, and Besseta started snapping the fingers that were almost as long as her forearm in different angles. “YOU SORRY ASS SLUT, THIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I’M GOING TO DO TO YOU!” she screamed and jumped off the body.

Landing next to werewolf, Besseta started kicking, sending the body across the court. Before the body finished sliding, Besseta would appear on the other side of it and send it back. In grotesque amazement, Tiffany noticed each time Besseta kicked, she left a deep dimple in the werewolf’s body.

“Bring the rest of them motherfuckers here; I’ll fucking cook them over a fucking fire!” Besseta screamed. “I’m going to rip your tits off and make you eat them, whore!”

Maliki turned to Tiffany, who wasn’t holding the werewolf now. “I wonder if that means the rest of the pack is on the way?” he asked.

“I feel sorry for them,” Tiffany droned, watching the systematic beat down of the massive form.

“You think you can stop Besseta?” Maliki asked.

Tiffany shook her head. “I don’t want to get anywhere near her,” she informed him. “I never knew Besseta even knew words like that.”

“I did,” Maliki admitted. “Tiffany, an alpha that size will have a really big pack; I don’t think we should be here when they get here.”

“THAT’S RIGHT, WHORE, CRY! YOU THINK THAT’S GOING TO STOP ME? I’M GOING TO RIP YOUR FUCKING EYES FROM YOUR FUCKING HEAD AND SUCK YOUR FUCKING BRAIN OUT!” Besseta roared, grabbing the werewolf’s back leg and snapping it. “Did that fucking hurt?” Besseta yelled but in a lower voice. Maliki was certain it could still be heard a few miles away. But Maurice had already told Maliki in his mind the guards heard some of that rant twenty miles away.

“Your begging isn’t going to change shit, whore. I’m going to fucking kill you slow!” Besseta shouted, grabbing the other leg and grunting as she pulled the lower leg against the knee. A loud pop filled the air. “That’s right, whore, I’m coming! I’m going to gouge out your eyes and suck your fucking brain out like an oyster!” Besseta yelled, rolling the battered body over and started working on the other arm.

“Tiffany, please try and stop her,” Maliki begged. “The man will know stuff we need.”

Watching Besseta pummel the werewolf, Tiffany was suddenly very scared of her. “You go and talk to her.”

“She already doesn’t like me. I don’t want to be lying next to the wolf,” Maliki said. “Can you hold her?”

“I’ve tried, and Besseta just breaks out. If I use everything, I won’t be able to move back to the wolf fast. Whoever Elizabeth is, she is talented. It took some work to stop her hold on me,” Tiffany said, turning away from the scene to look at Maliki. “If she beats you down, I’ll come and stop her.”

“That thing couldn’t scratch his nose if he wanted to.” Maliki pointed at the battered body as Besseta screamed, breaking one of the wolf’s shoulders.

“Maliki, it’s already regenerating,” Tiffany told him. “I’m not sure I could hold them anyway. That mental battle was quite taxing.”

Maliki saw the bent fingers slowly straighten. He turned and looked at Tiffany. “Well, if nothing else, we have to stop her before the pack gets here.” A different scream pierced the night, making both cover their ears. This scream was filled with unspeakable pain and sounded like a woman.

They both turned to see Besseta latched on the werewolf’s chest with her mouth. The werewolf’s head was thrown back, letting out a very human and female scream. Besseta yanked her head back, throwing a trail of blood in the air. “That’s right, you fucking slut, how do you like that!” Besseta growled, opened her mouth to expose her fangs, and dove her head back down to latch on again.

“Are Besseta’s eyes glowing?” Tiffany asked, flabbergasted, as another scream came out of the wolf’s broken maw.

“Yep,” Maliki replied as the scream turned to a wail.

“Fuck that. You stop Besseta; I’ll fight the pack when it gets here,” Tiffany decided.

The wail suddenly stopped, making both of them very tense, not knowing what Besseta would do. Besseta yanked her head back, pulling out a chunk of meat from the werewolf’s chest as blood sprayed out of the wound, covering Besseta as she spit out the meat and slid off the chest.