Unnatural Allies

::Do you have a death wish?:: Andre ignored Malik’s voice in his head as he adjusted the crossbow’s sight to get the clearest shot when his target came into view. ::I mean it, Andre. This is insane.:: ::Shut the f**k up, Malik.:: At first, Andre felt rather than saw his target’s presence. Then he appeared, the full moon silhouetting his form. Andre took aim, waiting for the perfect moment. He knew he had only one chance. If he missed or merely wounded him, all his planning would be for naught and he’d have to start over again with his foe now forewarned that he was being hunted. Slowly, he tightened his finger on the trigger, waited—then shot. The werewolf didn’t stand a chance. The silver-tipped bolt struck its heart. Within seconds it was dead, and moments later a man’s body lay where the werewolf had fallen. Andre remained frozen where he was, searching for any sign one or more of Raúl’s pack were nearby. Not that they would see him. He was well hidden high above the path, invisible in the branches of a large tree. But vision wasn’t the only preternatural sense at their command and the snap of the crossbow’s string as it hurled the bolt forward had not been as silent as he might have wished. Long minutes later, he deemed it safe to leave and dropped gracefully down to the path, slinging the crossbow over his shoulder. Going to the body, he knelt to remove the bolt and then stood, a smirk curling his lips up. “Next time, be more cautious, Raúl. Oh, right, there won’t be a next time. Pity. Not.” He turned swiftly when he heard a whisper of sound behind him, his hand going to the knife on his belt. Then he shook his head. “Come to check that I succeeded,” he asked Malik dryly. “Oh, I knew you would. I had faith in you.” Andre snorted. “Yeah, I could tell. Your babbling could have caused me to miss my shot,” he told the younger vampire. Malik surveyed him, hands on hips. “Why did you use a crossbow, not a pistol?” “The situation warranted it. The odor of a pistol would have alerted the bastard that someone with a gun was nearby. He might have thought it was only a hunter but being what he was, he wouldn’t have wanted to chance he was the hunter’s prey.” As they talked, Andre led the way down the path, taking the left fork when they got to it. “He could have shifted into his human form,” Malik said. “Not tonight. But even if he could have, it would have made him still more vulnerable, if it wasn’t a game hunter but one of us. Something I’m certain he would have figured out for himself if he had smelled gun oil. After all, he was an Alpha, presumably with an Alpha’s smarts.” Malik smirked. “Not as smart as he thought he was. He’s dead.” Andre paused, jabbing a finger to Malik’s chest. “Never, ever, underestimate your enemy. He was a force to be reckoned with. If I had underestimated him, it could be me dead on the path instead of Raúl.” “Yes, Andre,” Malik replied meekly, taking a step backward. “Remember that.” Andre began walking again. Malik hurried to catch up. Soon, they were at the spot where Andre had left his car, an onyx McLaren Spider. As always, Malik hissed in a breath when he saw it, despite the fact Andre had told him more than once it was only a car. “A hell of one,” Malik would retort. The full moon was now hidden behind a heavy bank of clouds. Thus the McLaren was virtually invisible—or would have been if they hadn’t been vampires with their otherworldly vision. “I’ll drop you off at your place,” Andre said once they were on the road. Malik checked the time. “Or at the club?” “Your choice.” “The Cathedral.” Andre nodded. “I was going there, anyway, so no problem.” The club’s building had been a church, now deconsecrated, and was owned by Thorin, Andre’s Sire, who had found it amusing to rename it The Crimson Cathedral. It was quite popular with the humans who frequented it. However, by Thorin’s dictate, those who did visit were off-limits to the vampire members when it came to feeding—at least when they were on the premises. Once they left, it was anyone’s game as far as Thorin was concerned. When they arrived at the club, less than an hour after leaving the mountain site where Raúl had died, Andre left his car with the parking valet, who knew it was more than his life was worth if it was returned with even a scratch on its paint. Once they were inside, Malik headed directly to the bar at the far side of the huge room which had once been the church’s nave. Unsurprisingly, because it was Saturday night, the club was busy. Andre veered left, wending his way through the crowds toward the stairs leading to the upper floor. When he got there, he walked along the balcony overlooking the ground floor, avoiding the customers at the tables along the railing, until he arrived at the door to Thorin’s office. Knocking once, he waited for his Sire to tell him he could enter. “It went well?” Thorin asked even before Andre could take a seat. “Exactly as planned. He was egotistical enough to believe he was safe using the path to return to his pack without one or more of his Betas accompanying him.” “Their kind have always thought they were impervious to harm, until it happens to one of them.” “Which is good for us.” Andre smiled dryly. “It would do well for us not to feel the same way, however. No one, vampire or werewolf, is guaranteed a long life if they believe they are superior to everyone and thus untouchable.” Thorin nodded. “We can think we’re unassailable, but you and I know for a fact it’s not true. The werewolves have taken down more of us than I care to think about. But then we’ve done the same to them, and could do more if we didn’t have to worry about the humans, especially those who are certain vampires and werewolves live among them.” “With good reason at times,” Andre replied sourly. “If I hadn’t dealt with Raúl…” “Yes. His plan would have created havoc if he’d succeeded. Thankfully we discovered what he was going to do before he could put it into motion.” “I’ll second that. For an Alpha he was incredibly stupid. His plan to attack us here at the club…To make it look as if it were yet another mass shooting, so that people would discover which ones of us are vampires because we didn’t die, and healed rapidly…” Andre shook his head grimly. “I disagree about his stupidity. It was clever on his part, and it might have succeeded if Malik hadn’t overheard him when he was discussing the idea with two of his Betas.” “A foolish thing to do without checking to be certain no one was around, visible or invisible,” Andre replied. “Another sign of his arrogance, for which he paid dearly. Let’s hope his Betas don’t decide to try to carry on with his plan.” Thorin smiled maliciously. “I have the feeling they’ll have other things to keep them busy, at least for the time being. They’ll be fighting each other to take over as the Alpha of the Wintermane pack, now that he’s gone.” “If I knew where that was going to happen,” Andre said thoughtfully. “Absolutely not!” Thorin scowled at him. “You are too valuable to us to take a foolish chance like that.” Andre shrugged. “It was just an idea.” “Well, put it out of your mind. That’s an order.” “Yes, Thorin.” Andre knew better than to disobey his Sire—even more so as Thorin was also the King of the vampires within the territory. “Do you need me for anything else?” “Not at the moment, although I’m certain I will eventually. Until then, take some time off. You’ve earned it.” “Thank you.” * * * * “Time off?” Andre grumbled as he drove home. “I don’t do inactivity well and he knows it.” He had been what the human’s would have called Thorin’s enforcer for more years than he liked to think about. It kept him on his toes and gave him a reason to get up every night. Because he was hungry, Andre pulled into the parking garage of his building, got out of the car, and set the security, but didn’t go up to his condo. Instead he walked swiftly outside then slowed his pace to a casual stroll. It was late enough that the bar half a block away was closing. He went into the parking lot beside it, biding his time until most of the bar’s patrons had driven away. A man, with a woman of questionable morality clinging to his arm, walked toward a car at the back of the semi-dark lot. When they got there, he pushed her against the hood, fumbling for the hem of her skirt. She giggled, saying, “Can’t wait until you get me in the car?” Andre stepped into view, catching her startled gaze to take control of her mind, ordering her not to move. Then he put his hand on the man’s shoulder, turning him around. “She’s right, you should have waited,” Andre said as he cupped the man’s jaw, tilting his head back. Before the man had a chance to protest or fight back, Andre took over his mind as well. His fangs dropped and he drank deeply. When he finished, he sealed the wounds with a lick of his tongue, and then fed from the woman. Sated, Andre released his control of them, after wiping their memories of what had happened. As he strolled away he heard the woman say, “I must have had too much to drink. I feel dizzy.” He took a quick glance over his shoulder, biting back a laugh when she slid down to end up sprawled on the ground. The last thing Andre saw as he left the lot was the guy trying to manhandle her into the car. Returning to his building, he took the elevator up to his condo on the twelfth floor, disarming then rearming the security box after entering. When he was in his living room he stood silently, listening. Although the security on the condo was excellent, he never took anything for granted. Given what he did and who his enemies were, he had no illusions that one of them might not decide to pay a surprise visit, teleporting in while he was gone to lay in wait for his return. Of course they’d have to be able to see inside, first. That was one reason he kept his drapes closed at night as well as during the day. Still, it would only take the slightest space between them for an enemy on his balcony to peer inside, and then enter once he had. Crossing the room, he paused at the bar to pour a glass of red wine, before he pulled back the drape over the door to the balcony just enough to open it and step outside—after using all his senses to make certain no one was lying in wait for him out there. The security on his condo, and the building, had been the primary impetus for buying it instead of a house. That and the fact the condo was high enough up that no one could access the balcony unless they had a paranormal’s abilities. Or were second-story men. He chuckled, as he usually did when that thought came to him. Anyone scaling the exterior of the building, up from the ground or down from the roof seven stories above him, would be obvious to even the casual observer. At night the exterior of the building was bathed with low-key lighting—another security element to deter any burglars. Settling on one of the balcony chairs, he kicked his long legs up, resting his feet on the railing as he sipped his wine. All right, what shall I do with my time off? Stay here and go crazy from idleness? Take a trip? If Thorin needs me I can be back within hours, or less, depending on where I go. He considered his options. He had two friends who lived in New York City, but he hated the place with all its noise and dirt. Another friend had a home on the Columbia River in Washington State. Well, former friend. It’s been forever since we even talked, to say the least of visiting each other. Although he didn’t know anyone there anymore, he considered going to New Orleans. He’d always enjoyed time spent in the city and, like New York, finding people to feed from was not a problem. Tourists abounded no matter the time of year. Unfortunately, so did werewolves, although they stayed primarily in the bayous surrounding the city unless they were looking for trouble—the preponderance of vampires in the city acting as a deterrent to them living within the parish. “Toss a coin,” he muttered. “Stay or go. I’ll sleep on it and then decide. Hell, if I get lucky something will come up that Thorin needs me to deal with and it’ll be a moot point.” Finishing his wine, he went inside, poured another glass, and settled down with the book he was reading until his inner clock told him it was almost sunrise and thus time to go to bed before he fell asleep on the sofa.