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Chapter 126
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Pack Chapter 127
Thaddeus glanced at the slowing ticking heart in his hand, black with a corrupted stench about it. Even if it had belonged to a vampire, no way would he take a bite. He didn't want power that bad. Striding into the bathroom, he clenched the organ in his fist, squishing it to a pulp. He dropped the remains in the toilet and flushed. Twice. Damned eco-friendly toilets! The red-haired wolf appeared in the doorway. "I don't think that's going to work for the rest of the body." Thaddeus snorted. "No, but at least we won't have to worry about the two pieces getting back together." "You're kidding, right?" "For once, no. I have no idea what our uninvited guest is capable of." "What is that thing?" A question Thaddeus pondered, too. When they'd fought it in the forest, the red gleaming eyes and teeth immediately made him think vampire. Yet, it didn't burn in the sun. It didn't die, even though he'd ripped the heart from it, a sure way, along with decapitatio
Pack Chapter 128
Toni couldn't help but hear most of the guys' conversation. Apparently a better sense of smell also came with acute hearing. When they emerged from the bedroom, Thaddeus wiping his hands on a white hand towel that would need more than bleach to clean the stains, she was perched on the couch wearing a blanket she'd yanked from the closet. "Are you okay?" Marc asked. "If by okay you mean still alive and unhurt, then yes. But I am totally freaked out. Why was that thing sent after me?" She expected Thaddeus to dance around the question or lie. He didn't. "My best guess is it is because you belonged to Roderick. Likely it had orders to either destroy you or bring you back to its master." On second thought, a little sugarcoating would have been nice. "So, in other words, it could happen again?" "Not with that particular ghoul, no." "How can you be sure it's dead this time?" "Nothing, not even zombies, can survive without a head." She shuddered
Pack Chapter 129
Marc didn't mean to spend too much time in the shower, but once he got under the hot spray, he couldn't help but enjoy it. The dirt accumulated over days of running through the woods, plus a few battles, sloughed from his skin, leaving him refreshed. In body, at least. His mind though, that was another matter. What happened? And he wasn't referring to the ghoul or even the events in the woods that led to his meeting Thad, the annoying vampire. He was more curious about the dream, the dream he'd shared with Toni. A dream where he shared Toni with Thad. A connection existed between him and the she-wolf, of that he was certain. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to claim her. Hell, the only reason he hadn't given in to his wolf's frenzied demand was because taking Toni by force would only push her away-and give root to the kernel of evil he feared nestled within him. I won't fuck this up. Something he'd overhead in the dream before interrupti
Pack Chapter 130
As interruptions went, this had to rank as one of the worst. Thaddeus raised his head and glared at Sasha over Toni's shoulder. "Would it kill you to knock?" Sasha shrugged, completely unapologetic. "Sorry, boss. You know me." Indeed he did. What Sasha lacked in ability to compel, she made up for in minor magic, namely the unlocking of locks and the movement of objects. Telekinesis in other words. And sneakiness. The girl could sneak into anywhere without raising suspicion. Still, gifts or not, rudeness was inexcusable, and he'd have to talk to his adopted daughter later about boundaries, especially if Toni were to become a regular part of his life, if she ever forgave him for the embarrassment that had her blushing bright. It didn't take reading her thoughts to see she regretted getting caught. He'd have to teach her to shutter her emotions if she didn't want people to use them against her. Another thing to address later. Right now, they had pressing business t
Pack Chapter 131
Toni gaped at the top floor of the hotel, at what she could see through the billowing black smoke and occasional licking flames shooting from the shattered windows. "You set the room on fire." She still couldn't believe it. When Thaddeus had hurried them out of the suite, she'd wondered at his haste. Did he fear another attack? Were the authorities on their way, alerted by other guests of the strange goings on? Not exactly. It turned out her vampire was a bit of a pyro. "We couldn't leave evidence behind, namely traces of DNA or the ghoul. There is only one sure way to erase it." "But the other guestsÉ" She waved her hands. "Will be fine, I'm sure. Maybe a little smoke inhalation and hysterics, but this place was built out of cement and steel. It helps contain fiery mishaps so that they don't completely destroy the structure." "I'm sure that's a relief to them," Marc added, his sarcasm evident. The newest member of their group, Sasha, grinned.
Pack Chapter 132
Marc couldn't blame Toni for her hesitation. Look at them, standing on the side of the road, the ornate box of ashes sitting on the hood, lid open waiting for Toni to act. He could smell the char and, worse, knew what it was from. At least when he'd snorted them, he'd done so accidentally, never realizing what it meant. But then again, if someone would have told him that the ashes would make him immune to the compulsion of vampires? He probably would have swallowed more just to be sure. Thaddeus wisely didn't push the matter, allowing Toni to decide for herself, even if her decision options weren't exactly great. Become a vampire's sex slave-dressing it up as lover didn't make it any prettier-death, or sucking back some barbecued vampire. She made the only real choice. Toni ducked her head and inhaled. Coughed. Choked. Sucked in some more nasty dust and reeled back. Thaddeus was quick to slap down the lid on the box before too much of the depleted ash could esca
Pack Chapter 133
After that odd, yet intense conversation, they got back on the road, to where Thaddeus wouldn't say, which, of course ,drove Marc nuts. "Why are you being so closemouthed?" "The less you know, the less you can tell my enemies." "Are you sure you don't want to blindfold us then?" was Marc's sarcastic retort. "Not necessary, although I am seriously thinking about duct taping your mouth shut." To the sound of their bickering, Toni, exhausted by recent events, slept, her head pillowed in Marc's lap, his hand lightly stroking her hair from her face as he continued to bait the vampire. It was crazy how comforted she felt in his presence. How safe. Don't get her wrong, she still had a thing for Marc, which made it initially too sensitive for her to lie across his legs, but she tamped down her interest and let the drone of the car engine and Marc's soothing touch, not to mention the oddly reassuring sound of both men bantering, put her to sleep. A drea
Pack Chapter 134
Thaddeus sensed the danger a moment too late. He whirled from what remained of the ghoul's body, more slabs of meat to be tossed in the woods for scavengers than man, but even he wasn't fast enough to stop the attack. Somehow they'd missed a passenger. Another ghoul, wearing signs of road rash, swayed by the passenger door of his car. Toni, eyes shut, was completely oblivious to its presence. Thaddeus began to run, Marc a furry companion at his side, but they both knew they wouldn't make it in time. The creature opened the door, and Thaddeus, panicked for the first time in decades, didn't think to send a mental warning to Toni, but shouted one, "Look out." Not that she heard him over her scream of pain and surprise. It didn't matter. The ghoul might have begun by yanking out a human woman riveted by fear, but he ended up facing a snarling, very unhappy wolf. Thaddeus slowed his steps as Toni or, more accurately, her beast, unleashed some pent-up anger on the cre
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