Killer Rayne Read online

  It’s okay, Rayne. Just let them know how you feel and be done with it. They will either accept you or they won’t, Zara tells me through our blood-link that was created when she gave me her blood for the third time after feeding from me too.

  I give her a mental nod, and then speak up. “I failed. My failure has forever changed all of your lives. Anubis believed in me and I not only let him down, but myself. Please understand, I made a decision to protect our secrets and innocents from getting slaughtered. He killed one pack member and nearly killed Jaxson as well. If he would have gotten away in the city, the outcome would have been dire. I did what needed to be done in the time that I had. It is what a leader is supposed to do. So, if you never trust me and I have to walk alone because I had to make an impossible choice, then you all are fooling yourselves. Anubis knew how it would turn out and he asked me to stop him. I came here to make peace with his people because he was becoming my friend.”

  Tears fill my eyes and I allow them to fall. I don’t care if they feel that I’m showing weakness. I hated what I had to do. Some of the pack remains unconvinced, but that’s just as well. Anubis must have been a great alpha.

  “She’s right. It is not just Anubis that we must mourn, but half of our pack. That is not her fault. We should have protected our own as well. We are all failures because of this. Look into yourselves. I had to realize this too. You know we can detect lies and you know there was none spoken by Rayne. Namen Young is the enemy,” Jaxson tells his pack members. Some of them hold their head down in shame as they realize how true his words are.

  Jaxson then walks back to me, places a hand on my shoulder and ushers me to the door.

  “I will speak to you outside,” he tells me.

  Once the door shuts behind us, Zara stands with her back to the door and gives us room to talk. I think she also wants to listen to any conversation they may be having inside. I turn to face Jaxson and before I can even think about it, pull him into a hug. He’s hesitant to return it at first, but when I don’t let up, pulls a massive arm around me tightly. Finally, I release him.

  “How are you healing?” I ask concerned. He had a lot of damage and I know that he’s not getting any rest. There’s too much to handle with his pack.

  “I will be fine. My anger will keep me on my feet, trust me,” Jaxson responds. Anubis had attacked him once he lost control and Jaxson’s stomach wound had looked pretty bad.

  The sun beams down on us and suddenly I long for a long beach vacation. I haven’t been down to the Bahamas in a while. Maybe I should just move there when this is all over and live out my days. In the distance, cars zoom by. It all seems so normal compared to the problems we’re dealing with.

  “So, who is this Christopher character?” I inquire.

  “Christopher Hughes, or Chris, is the pack attorney and handler of all our major accounts. He takes business trips on behalf of the pack. He also has degrees in accounting, finance, and communications which make him perfect for the job. I don’t know too many people smarter than him. Chris was also Anubis’s mate’s cousin. He is also our most skilled tracker and often trains new pack members that show skill in tracking. He’s also the fastest wolf we have,” Jaxson admits.

  “Damn. That is quite an impressive record. Can you beat him?”

  “Absolutely. He doesn’t have the fighting experience that I do. Plus, I am the pack enforcer for a reason. For all of his brain power, he has yet to even master the second shift. It’s because he thinks too logically about things. He’s too afraid to lose control and not be able to change back. He also doesn’t understand the sacrifice needed to be a great alpha.”

  The second shift as Jaxson called it, or the man-beast form is a pack gift that Anubis bestowed upon them. He taught them to control their beast and shift certain parts of their body so that they could use the best of man and wolf in battle. It is a scary sight. I think about Jaxson’s massive chestnut wolf self and shudder. Again, I’m glad that he’s my ally. Then, I think of Taryn, another wolf that was lost because of Namen’s existence and I shake my head. They definitely do not need pack in-fighting right now.

  “So then, if you are so confident in this fight, what is the next step?” Zara speaks up.

  “Tomorrow night, in the woods behind the grounds, all of us werewolves will shift. Then, we shall battle it out while you all surround us. No one is allowed to stop the fight and the winner of the battle is to decide the punishment for the loser. It can be either simple defeat and submission or death. Both are fair and recognized by pack law.”

  “Which will you choose?” I ask as a soft breeze blows by, carrying my words, making the silence seem even more suspenseful.

  “I will decide during the battle. My wolf will tell me which one he deserves,” Jaxson explains.

  Zara nods. “So is there something that you need from us, a reason why you want us there?”

  “Rayne is pack to me, as declared by Anubis. You are an ally,” he looks Zara in the eyes with a serious gaze.

  In other words, Jaxson wants as many people on his side as he can get.

  “Good enough for me,” Zara says. With that, she walks back to the car and climbs in, waiting for me to say my goodbyes until tomorrow night.

  “Jaxson, you will be a fine alpha. I know the circumstances freaking suck, but you can lead, I know you can. I stand by you. Not just because we need your help but because I already view you as a friend. I did the minute that I saw you at Obsession that day,” I tell him honestly.

  Obsession is a wolf club that I met Anubis at. He had given me Namen’s identity and also warned me to stay away from anything involving him. Obviously, I didn’t listen. I’m stubborn that way. Or it could be that Namen murdered my family and deserves to have his head savagely ripped from his neck.

  Jaxson grunts and pushes me away. “Just be here at nightfall. I don’t want the party to start without you.”

  “It ain’t a party ‘till I walk in, believe that,” I joke.

  He snorts in response and I glance back to catch a thin smile on his lips. His nose ring’s glistening in the sun. Then, I walk to the car and hop in, stealing one last glance at the werewolf as his large body slips back into the house. Zara speeds away before I finish buckling up.

  Chapter Three

  “Buckling up comes first, then driving,” I tell her sternly. I’m a safety freak. Accidents like car ejections are preventable and people still refuse to buckle up.

  “Yeah, yeah, my bad,” she responds. “Hey, how did you end up sleeping after I left?”

  My temper flares as I remember the invasion of my dreams and my inability to do anything about it. It gives me another reason to despise Namen. That list is getting pretty long. My temper is growing shorter.

  “I took your advice and meditated. It worked. Well, at least I think that it’s because of that. For all I know, Namen simply got bored.”

  “Yeah, well, your lover is a witch, this can all be settled if you just… Never mind, the look on your face says it all. Not yet, you’re not ready, blah blah blah.”

  I punch her and she swerves in and out of the congested lanes as if I hurt her. Horns blare as she pretends to lose control of the wheel before smoothly slipping safely back into traffic. It scares me half to death and she laughs.

  “Not funny at all you ass; you could’ve caused accidents. And this is a serious situation between me and Selene. She lied to me-,”

  “Didn’t tell you, there’s a difference,” Zara interrupts.

  “Sin of omission. Basically lying. She lied about searching for her long lost brother in the club that night when I almost got captured. You saved me because she was too busy looking for him.”

  “And you met me because of that. Silver lining, Rayne.”

  Zara speeds up to beat the light and then cuts in front of two cars that are going too slow for her liking. I clutch the seatbelt tighter. Lord please let me survive her driving. I liked fast, just not fast and dangerous.

 
“Look Zara, you can’t honestly say that you would be okay with everything if you were in my shoes. I have every right to be angry. I don’t know if Santos had something to do with my family or even the pack’s deaths. He’s obviously been involved with Namen for a while and Selene had to know something about her twin,” I reason.

  We turn a corner, in front of a semi. I close my eyes and count to ten.

  “And until you hear her out, you’ll never know the truth, will you?”

  Ugh. She makes it sound so easy, but it isn’t. To me, this is like a betrayal and I can’t get over that in two days. Even if that means that I’m going to have to deal with Namen in my head for a couple more nights. Zara looks at me and frowns. She’s probably rolling her eyes under the sunglasses.

  I search for something to change the subject about. Zara isn’t really on my side about this. Or, she probably does understand, but just wants us to reconcile quickly. I look at her full sleeve tattoo covering her left arm. “So, what exactly does the tattoo say?” I have been meaning to ask.

  “Fine, I’ll play along with this subject change, for now. First, the words are in an ancient vampire language. It is part of a prophesy.”

  “And what is this prophesy that it’s so important that you decided to get it marked on your body?” I ask, even more interested now.

  She’s hesitant to answer, but then sighs and says, “It says that the Blade’s sword will bathe the world in blood and that the blood spilled will bring about unrest. A storm will then come that will cause the land to be divided. The Blade must then become a bridge for those that seek safe passage. A shadow. For shadows cannot lead. But, they can only complete their task when the sun shines bright. As a shadow, the Blade must protect the light.”

  “Um,” I begin as the words sink in. Zara is the blade and she is not meant to lead. That much I got. “That’s pretty deep, and some of it is beyond me,” I admit.

  “Yeah well, I’m still trying to accept it. That’s why I force myself to look at it every day. My entire life I was groomed to become the leader of the nine, but apparently, my cousin Apollo is meant to earn that title. He’s named after the god, Apollo, the god of the sun. There is no brighter light than that. Not only that, but I think there is someone else that I’m meant to protect. It could be you, Rayne, you could be the storm.”

  Zara pulls up in front of her house but we remain in the car as I unbuckle. I need some things answered first. “How long have you known of this prophesy?”

  “I went to the seer when I was nineteen. For sixty years, I rejected those words. I didn’t even tell my grandmother what the seer revealed and I kept pushing forward as if I had never known.”

  “Okay, so when were you going to tell me about this?”

  “It doesn’t matter yet, Rayne. I mean yes, all these things seem to be adding up, but it doesn’t change anything with you. Our prophesies are our own. This is my cross to bear, not yours.” Zara takes off her sunglasses and turns to face me. Her eyes are rimmed in red. She’s sensitive about her role in this world.

  “I started this with Sage when I became known as the Crimson Princess. The only thing is, I can’t help but feel deep in my heart that Namen was either the cause of the Dark Days or is finishing the work of whomever started it. Anubis going feral is not a coincidence; it’s too similar to that time. His death made me realize that and I was going to share my suspicions with you and Selene together.”

  I rub my eyes and lean my head all the way back to the headrest. This is absolutely amazing. Not. How long has this man been wreaking havoc? “The sooner we kill him, the better,” is all I manage to say.

  “You’re telling me. We need to hit him and hit him hard. Now, as for the rest of my tattoo, I have tiny blades and tribal designs. I also have the crest of my family covering my back.”

  Wow. Now, I want to see her back tattoo. “Let’s go inside so you can show me,” I demand. I’ve always wanted one, but I have no clue what to get. Well, I guess I have a magical, circular tribal one, but it’s not something that I can show the world.

  “Sure, bossy lady,” Zara responds, hopping out of the car and then sliding across the hood like a teenager.

  She unlocks a few of the six locks (overkill much) and is greeted by three furry monsters. They jump all over her, licking and whining as she wrestles with them for a few minutes. Then, she lets them out to go use the restroom. I can’t help but smile at her affection for her pets.

  Zara has at least four safe houses around the city and a condo downtown, but this is the place that she actually calls home. There is little in the way of furnishings other than the bare minimum, but it still manages to be cozy. The house isn’t too large for a three bedroom, but it has a big backyard for her dogs to run and play. I think if it wasn’t for them, she’d not even bother to stay here at all.

  Zara’s favorite color is obviously purple because she wears it all the time and her room is painted a plum color with gold trim along the wood. The small kitchen has a hickory colored table to sit and eat at, with only two matching chairs and a microwave that sits on the counter. This area seems to have been designed for basic use. There are no modern, updated items to be found.

  The living room’s sofa and chaise lounge are red with black pillows. The rug covering the hardwood floor is black as well. There are no pictures on the walls, no art, and no sense of personality. It’s good for her if she needs to leave in a hurry and not leave much of a trace. I’m surprised that her spare room even has a bed.

  I guess when you are constantly hopping from house to house, trying to save the world; you just don’t care about that kind of stuff. Maybe there was a time that she did care. She has to have her valuables, her treasures, stored somewhere. At least the house is clean and her dogs are well taken care of.

  “Okay, let me see it,” I say to her as she comes back into the living room after washing her hands.

  “Alright, hold up.” Zara grabs the bottom of her white shirt and pulls the fabric free of her toned, brown skinned body. Then, she undoes the wrap binding that covers her breasts as she turns her back toward me.

  The cloth binding falls to the floor softly as my eyes linger over her muscular shoulders and arms. The desire to touch her flares to life. She feels it too as she stops breathing for a couple seconds. Her strength seeks out my own as I force the feeling back down. It isn’t real. It’s just our blood-link seeking more than I’m willing to give.

  “It’s okay Zara,” I promise her. “I’m in control.”

  Zara begins to breathe again, her relief obvious.

  Finally, I focus on her family crest that she has imprinted into her skin. The details are so beautifully intricate that I can’t help myself from stepping closer and touching her. She jumps at the touch of my warm hand, but quickly catches her composure. Unmoving, like a statue, Zara allows my hand to explore the art on her skin.

  “Tell me about Sage,” I say as I look over the dragon that is bathed in fire on her back. The purple and gold scales seem incredibly realistic as well as the blazing red eyes.

  “Hmm. Where should I start?” she asks, relaxing since I’ve given her something to focus on.

  Her lover, her mate that she has been separated from for over one hundred years.

  Zara murdered an immortal and their punishment was to take Sage away from her, locked in a magical sleep for one thousand years. The punishment the immortals chose, equal to the age Blake was when he was killed.

  “Tell me about who she was before she was marked. What made her so special?”

  I touch the crimson and orange flames surrounding the dragon almost like a blanket of protection.

  “She was born in Japan, but moved to Europe when she was young. Her father was one of the few white men at the time that truly respected Asian culture and martial arts enough to study it. He met Sage’s mother and fell in love, but her family didn’t know about them. After she had the baby, they made him take her and leave. He made her study her culture trai
ned her from a young age and she excelled as if she was born to fight,” Zara tells me with a deep longing in her voice.

  I touch the claws of the dragon, reaching out as if they are trying to grab its prey. Then, I step back once again to admire the entire piece of art as a whole. It is beautiful and deadly all at once. Just like Zara.

  “She was exceptional at everything that she tried, as if she were meant to be awakened. Powerful, alluring, and so damn beautiful.” Zara turns toward me, as if she doesn’t realize that she’s topless. Yet, I don’t even attempt for my gaze to trail over her body. Our eyes lock as she speaks of the woman that she so desperately wants to touch again.

  “I’ve always thought that she had some fae blood in her because she was born with hair as white as a ghost. That is a trait that elves are known for. It would also explain why she was so powerful as a human,” Zara tells me, finally reaching to re-wrap her chest. A bra would be much easier, but hey, we all have our habits.

  “So, you’ve never even tried to confirm it?” I ask.

  “No. I mean it doesn’t really matter. She is who she is. When she got marked, she was riding through a nearby village. There was a fire in a cottage and she rushed inside to save three children while the parents looked on. She told me that there was an old healer in the village that saw the whole thing. Apparently, Sage’s aura was glowing and once the man saw that, he knew what he was supposed to do. That man used the last of his strength to call the immortals. Diana and another immortal showed up and marked and took Sage the same day. She was only fifteen.”

  “Wow. It’s amazing how life sometimes works isn’t it.”

  “Yes. At that time, there was a little more knowledge of awakeneds and for someone like Sage, it was much easier to believe than it would be for someone like you.”

  “I can understand that. So, where do you come in?” I inquire, taking a seat as I hear a soft bark from outside. The dogs are ready to come in. Zara goes to let them in the house before coming back with two glasses of water and sitting beside me. The dogs run playfully through the house as she begins again.