Crazy Bitch Read online

  “Try not to kill anyone,” I snapped at him in the mere second before I was overwhelmed with fangs and fists.

  A slap of power flung most of them off me. I took a punch in the face and a claw in the back from the two that remained. Rounding on the puncher, I gave him a kick in the gut that thrust him into a table. It flipped over with a crash of glass, and he went with it. The one who’d clawed me got a face full of psi ball…

  Which had him screaming as it burned his flesh. That was unexpected. I didn’t think I’d tasted enough of Falon’s blood for that kind of effect.

  Arys happily exchanged blows with half a dozen wolves. When they started to gain strength in numbers, he’d throw out a psi ball or a telekinetic hit, tossing wolves around like toys.

  Not every wolf had leaped into the action. It was encouraging to see Izzy among those who stood as far from the violence as they could get. Either they knew more about fighting power-quenched vampires like us than their Alpha did, or they didn’t trust his rash decision to start a war with every vampire in the city.

  My attention locked on Owen once he was back on his feet. It would take a lot to put a wolf like him down for long. It had taken an entire group of vampires to do it a month or so ago. Even then he’d kept fighting.

  He headed right for me. I turned to face him, hands dancing with blue and gold. Before I could let a shot slip, he held up a hand, a plea for peace. That struck me as suspicious.

  Shaz stepped between us. Though I could handle Owen, the gesture warmed me. He could be loyal to his new pack without turning his back on me. He never would have joined Dayne if it meant having to be a blind follower.

  “It’s ok.” I touched Shaz’s arm.

  He turned jade wolf eyes on me before backing off.

  Owen cast a brief glare at Shaz before refocusing on me. “We both know how damaging a war will be. I’ll handle Dayne. Don’t kill anyone.”

  He was gone, bounding through the wolves flinging themselves at Arys with growls and snarls. As if it were an afterthought, Owen whirled and lunged at Arys with both fists ready. He was playing a part. Clearly he didn’t want Dayne to know that his enforcer didn’t share his need for violent vengeance.

  “Dayne’s been all riled up since last night,” Shaz said, shouting to be heard over the melee. “Hanna told him there would be no war with the vampires. She wants to work with you guys. He won’t listen to anyone. I think he’s afraid you’re going to try to take over the pack.”

  Was it a coincidence that Arys had made a remark about that very thing? It had to be. If he planned something like that without my knowledge, there would be hell to pay.

  “Well, he’s an idiot. He’d know that’s not my intent if he bothered to give me a chance to prove myself as an ally. Whatever happens now, it’s his damn problem.”

  Shaz and I stood back to back, fending off any wolves who dared to take a shot at me. Tossing them around like dolls was simple enough. They didn’t get too badly hurt, and it didn’t take a lot out of me. I could’ve done it all night, though I shouldn’t have had to do it at all.

  Dayne emerged from the wolves who’d gathered around him. Sans cigar, he stripped off his leather jacket and threw it without care for where it landed. His shirt followed. He was a burly guy, not as tight as Owen but thick. Wide shoulders and a scar down his side, I was reminded that Dayne had fought and won many battles in his time. He wouldn’t be Alpha if he hadn’t.

  The jackass was going to shift. His greatest strengths were not in human form. This was his attempt at leveling the playing field. What he didn’t realize was that every choice he made altered the odds of this ending peacefully.

  He was intercepted by Owen, who clapped a hand on his shoulder and leaned in conspiratorially. “Dayne, come on. Don’t let emotion get the best of you. This isn’t how we want to do this.”

  Flexing fingers tipped with claws, Dayne sneered, “It’s exactly how I want to do it. A threat is a threat. It has to be eliminated.”

  “Hanna will be pissed. You know what she wants.” Owen spoke in a gentle tone like one trying to calm an irrational child.

  The rest of the present pack started quieting down, watching this exchange, though tense and ready to fly back into action. I remained ready too.

  “She’ll get over it,” Dayne said, though doubt flickered across his face. After a split second of contemplating how his wife might react to such drastic action, he shrugged it off and reached for his pants.

  A wolf could strip and shift pretty damn fast if need be. As several other wolves also started to disrobe, I considered just taking off, not out of fear but out of awareness. If they all shifted and came at us, they would all die.

  Shaz too reached to pull his shirt over his head. I grabbed his arm and shook my head. “Don’t start fighting your Alpha already. This would be the worst time to make that move.”

  “I’m not going to stand here and do nothing.” Voice raised, energy running hot, Shaz’s vibe was primal and vicious. It awakened my hunger in a way that only he could. His skin was hot beneath my hand, and the mouthwatering scent of him was almost enough to make me forget what was about to take place.

  With a loud crash, both the front and back doors flew open. A swat team of federal agents swarmed in like a rolling sea of black, guns in hand. They shouted at everyone to get down, threatening to use pepper spray and tear gas. What in the fuck?

  Most of the pack did as they were told. Those that didn’t were aggressively dealt with. Even Dayne and Owen hit the floor, making me think that this wasn’t their first raid.

  An agent made the mistake of sticking a gun in Arys’s face and barking at him to get on the floor. With a scowl and a flick of his wrist, Arys had the guy on his knees shrieking and grasping his head.

  Several shouts and screams rang out as wolves resisted the federal force. One particular cry was so frantic it tugged on my own beast. It was Izzy. She was swarmed by agents who held nothing back as they slammed her with the butts of their guns. After her stint in FPA captivity, I didn’t doubt just the sight of them triggered some sort of P.T.S.D.

  With a little focus on each agent, I was able to fling them off her. Shaz rushed to her side, helping to steady her. I moved closer to Arys. The agents had backed off him, some of them looking around for some kind of direction. Only after the initial shock had worn off and a semblance of control had been claimed by the FPA did Agent Winston walk in.

  In fact, she strode in looking satisfied, her once friendly face now a hard mask. Her iron gaze swept over the room, finally landing on me. Surprise lit up her hazel eyes.

  “Ms. O’Brien.” Her gaze shifted from me to Arys, taking in the sight of him like the eye candy he was. “I had no reason to believe you would be here.”

  “What’s going on, Winston?” I didn’t like what I was seeing. My own club had been raided once. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience.

  Agent Winston waved a hand in Dayne’s direction. “This pack is known for their affiliation in organized crime. I’m not sure if you’re aware of how far their reach is in this city. Drugs. Weapons. Illegal business practices. They own half the strip clubs in town and all of the casinos. Some of it’s finally catching up with them.”

  This was all news to me, though I wasn’t all that surprised. “And why exactly are you wrestling some of them into handcuffs?”

  “Assault. Drug trafficking. Tax evasion. These are just a few of the charges against Dayne Rivers and Owen Cavanaugh, as well as several others. We’re taking everyone here in.” Hands on her hips, gun visible beneath her jacket, Winston was pretty badass. “I assume you have no illegal association with them.”

  “The FPA already knows my business,” I said. “I’m just here for a friendly visit.” I shot a pointed look at Dayne.

  He was pressed into the floor with half a dozen agents holding him down. His body vibrated with the strength it took to hold his beast back.

  “Then I guess we’ll all just be about our busines
s and be on our way.” To her agents Winston barked, “Take ’em out to the vans. Leave the vampires alone.”

  “Wait.” My tone was cutting, demanding attention. I pointed at Shaz and Izzy, who huddled in his arms. “Those two are under my protection. Nobody takes them anywhere.”

  Agent Winston smiled a tight, brittle smile. “Fine. Anything else?”

  To me it was obvious she was displeased at finding me at Doghead. She wanted to keep the peace with me because she needed to get Briggs back, but she also didn’t want her agents to see her be too lenient with me, the hybrid.

  I’d liked her up until this point. Her answer to my next question might change that though. “Yes, what are you going to do with them?”

  Agents started jerking werewolves to their feet and dragging them out the nearest exit. Winston watched them, weighing her response.

  “They’ll be fairly dealt with. We make our best efforts to come to some kind of agreement. It usually works out quite well.” Her smile seemed to be under a lot of pressure. I kept expecting it to crack.

  “Fuck that,” Dayne bellowed, snarling at the agents who held him. They wrestled him to his feet with his hands cuffed behind his back. “We do what you say, or we’re never seen again. Sounds pretty fucking fair to me.”

  Even though I knew I was missing something here, I now understood why Dayne had insisted the wolf who fed info to the FPA be killed. That rat was directly responsible for this raid.

  Because I could see that nailing Winston with more questions would only force her to be a hardass in front of her agents, I had no choice but to let it go. For now.

  Instead I took the opportunity to remind Dayne that this could all have gone a lot differently. “See, Dayne, this is a great example of a time when having a powerful ally could really come in handy.” If he hadn’t been such a dick, I might have done something to help his situation.

  If looks could kill. Dayne snarled at me, flashing fangs. All it earned him was a Taser blast from an agent. Ouch. That hurt. I knew firsthand.

  At Agent Winston’s command all of the wolves were led out in handcuffs. Other than a lot of snarls and growls along with a little resistance, they went quietly. Dayne’s wolves followed his lead. Their respect for him was impressive.

  “Have a nice night, Ms. O’Brien.” Agent Winston disappeared through the door. I wasn’t sure what to make of the woman. She still had me intrigued.

  “Why didn’t he put up a bigger fight?” Arys wondered aloud. “They could’ve taken on those agents.”

  “He’s protecting the rest of the pack,” I said. “His wife. The kids.” Regardless of Dayne currently being my least favorite person, everything I’d seen so far proved his commitment to his pack.

  Izzy had let go of Shaz and stood awkwardly by herself, holding one arm, staring at the floor. Shaz headed straight to the bar and helped himself to a beer.

  Looking smug yet somehow thoughtful, Arys cocked his head to one side. “So? Is this something we want to get involved in? Or do we let Dayne rot in FPA lockup?”

  Good question. It would have to be answered another time.

  “We have a party to attend.” A party that was just a few nights away. Until then, my priority had to be Shya. “If we survive that, then we’ll come back to that question.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Would you two hurry the hell up? We don’t have all night.” Falon’s voice was muffled by the closed bathroom door.

  I caught Jez’s eye in the mirror and made a face. We were getting ready for Shya’s party. Because it was Halloween and because of something Falon had said to me not so long ago, I was working on some thick, dark eye makeup with a zombie-like flare. Combined with my pale pallor, it gave me a haunted appearance that made my eyes seem to glow with a deathly light.

  “Shut it,” I called through the door. “We have plenty of time.”

  After the raid on Doghead, I’d retreated to my safe place to lay low. Home. There had been nothing I could do for Dayne at that point. I still didn’t know if I wanted to do anything at all. Either way, a few days in lockup might be good for his attitude.

  I’d checked in with Kylarai and Allie. She was understandably shaken up and frightened, but she was settling in. As soon as this whole Shya shit-show was dealt with, I planned to spend some quality time with Allie.

  Now we were at The Wicked Kiss, in Kale’s old room of all places, waiting for Gabriel to show. Falon hadn’t had much luck in his search for the teen vamp, and by the time I left Doghead that night, I just hadn’t cared anymore.

  It was hard to believe that one year ago I’d been getting ready with Kylarai, watching her rush to the door in excitement each time the bell rang and little voices called out, ‘Trick or Treat.’ The same night I’d almost been forced into a blood bond with Harley. So much had changed since then.

  My senses began to tingle as someone powerful drew near. The sound of the room’s main door opening and closing was followed by Falon’s angry, “Where the hell have you been, you little shit?”

  Gabriel’s reply sounded sullen. “I don’t answer to you.”

  Arys could be heard telling them both to shut up. He’d been relatively quiet since we’d awkwardly shared a willing victim an hour or so ago. It had been brief, a little nip really. I knew he had wanted more. So had I.

  Yet it wasn’t just the lack of a satisfying feeding frenzy that was bugging Arys. I suspected he was resentful of the lack of intimacy shared between us during that tense encounter. He wanted nothing more than to share Shaz, and though Shaz had volunteered, I had refused. We needed him clear headed and at full strength.

  Stopping after just a little nip and tease was in some ways worse than holding out. Having both Shaz and Falon in the room now did not help me in any way. Locking myself in the bathroom with Jez was my way of shaking off the emotional crap and getting into the mind frame I needed to face whatever Shya threw at me.

  I studied my reflection, satisfied with the ghoulish makeup. Thick black lines rimmed my eyes. Around that was a deep-red shadow. Tiny black vein-like lines emerged from the red to give me an extra creepy vibe. My lips were a pale pink, and the rest of my face was ghastly white, though sadly I didn’t have to do a whole lot to fake that.

  My hair hung in loose, soft waves. I wore yoga pants and a tank top, needing clothes with no mobility restrictions. The Dragon Claw would soon be hanging against my hip. I wasn’t sure that Shya would allow us weapons, but he was a demon so what did he care?

  “Damn, Lex,” Jez commented, head cocked appraisingly. “You even make zombie chic look good.”

  I chuckled and tossed my makeup back into my bag. “Yeah, I guess I don’t look too bad for a brain-eating corpse.” I paused to imagine how much worse that would be and found myself feeling grateful. “Your Lara Croft puts Angelina’s to shame. I’ll always be jealous of your legs. They’re so long and graceful.”

  Jez was long and lithe in ways that made me feel inferior with my short stature and petite build. Short was often viewed as cute, and cute sucked. There was nothing cute about Jez’s Lara Croft costume. It was definitely fight friendly being mainly shorts and a tank top. Instead of guns strapped to her thighs, Jez had daggers. Her golden braid fell down her back, and she pursed her trademark red lips in a sexy pout.

  “Yes,” she agreed with a smile. “Yes, they are.”

  “Your legs are rocking, but your modesty could use some work.”

  Jez was feisty tonight. It could’ve been because she’d spent the last two nights in animal form, but it was most likely because I wouldn’t let her drink. She had played the Halloween card, citing that a drink was required on such a night. Usually I would agree, but tonight was different. I needed everyone at their best.

  We emerged from the tiny bathroom to find Arys and Gabriel seated at the small bistro table in the corner. Shaz sat on the end of the bed watching cat fail videos on his phone, while Falon leaned against the door with his hands shoved into the pockets of
his jeans.

  He took one look at my macabre makeup job, and his jaw dropped. “Goddamn, you are hideous. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse.” His reaction brought me a twisted sense of joy. Having him call me a zombie when we were locked up together had definitely inspired my look.

  With a snicker, I said, “Thank you. I know how much you love zombie-chic.”

  Shaz shot a glare at Falon before gracing me with an approving smile. “I kind of like it. Creepy but sexy.”

  Having them all crammed into this room together was not appealing to me in any way. However, we had far bigger problems right now. Tonight would be our only opportunity to take a shot at Shya. Our only chance to trap him, to lock him away like the menace that he was. If I didn’t stay lighthearted and laughing while I could, the pressure was going to crush me.

  “I want to go over this again,” Arys spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention to him. He turned in his chair in order to see us all.

  “We’ve already been over it.” Falon gave a dramatic sigh. “Repeating it won’t change anything.”

  Arys sat rigid in his chair, staring down the fallen angel from a sitting position and doing a good job of it too. “Just tell me again how you plan to trap Shya.”

  “With a spell spun by your prodigy here.” Falon gestured to Gabriel who scowled. “The spell requires the power of either angel or demonkind. Gabriel will use my power to build the spell. Light is needed to bind the dark so Alexa’s Hound blood will form the binding. It’s Shya’s feather that we need in order to tie the spell to him.” Falon finally spit out the part Arys wanted to hear, “The hard part is getting the feather. Shya isn’t going to voluntarily hand one over.”

  “So how do we get it?” Arys regarded Falon with the hungry expression of a well-fed animal who no longer hunted for sustenance but for sport.

  Through clenched teeth Falon repeated what he’d told me earlier. It was just as hard to hear it this time. “We either take it by force, which probably leaves Willow as the only one standing, or one of you lusty vamps works your little seduction magic and gives him a happy. Then you grab the feather while he’s all drugged up on lust. As far as I know Shya’s a lady lover, so Alexa probably stands a better chance.”