The thunder hurt Lilliana’s ears, and the sudden lightning near the city surprised her. It was too much—too fast and too consistent to be natural.

  And if it wasn't natural, then who was pulling lightning from the sky?

  Lilliana howled another command, and the pack slowed to a simple jog.

  The Duke could kiss her furry ass. She wasn’t running into an unnatural storm.

  A woman’s voice came from the rooftop. “Oh. My. God!”

  Kirk looked to his right to see Greta standing next to him. She was a short woman with sandy brown hair and freckles. Her blue eyes pierced the dark afternoon sky as the lightning flashed down to a central location in front of them.

  The bolts of fire reflected from those blue orbs. The sharp light cast shadows all around them, the thunder deafening.

  The power humbling.

  The screams of those who had changed from wolf form back to human. A keening in the dark of the day. The cries for mercy, for compassion, for help. All ignored by the man in the coat.

  “Michael the ArchAngel,” Kirk whispered. “No one should ignore the power he wields, since God sent him to Earth.”

  “He,” Greta assured him, “is no angel.”

  “Shit, fucking shit!” Jacqueline said as Mark grabbed her and Eve in an embrace, their hair standing up in the ionized air. “My damned ears are bleeding!”

  Mark sniffed. “No, they aren’t!”

  Eve made a noise. “She’s trying to make a point.” Eve turned to look up at him. “You need some help understanding women!”

  Mark snorted. “I’m going to need a lot of help to understand women,” he agreed. “But she knew I was a geek when she met me.”

  “And he was so skinny!” Jacqueline added over the booming of the thunder.

  “He really gets his mad on, doesn’t he?” Sabine asked from the shelter of Akio’s arms around her and Yuko.

  “Now I see why Bethany Anne likes him so much,” Yuko agreed.

  “Whhhhaaatttt?” Sabine asked. “What kind of crazy lady wants a man that throws lightning around?”

  Akio chuckled. “One that throws fireballs.”

  There was a pause as the thunder rolled over them.

  Sabine responded with a quiet, “Oh.”

  This time Michael was a bit better at pulling the ionized energy out of the clouds and redirecting it into the Wechselbalg. His first bolts were haphazard, only vaguely aimed towards the group of wolves coming at them.

  That’s when he figured out he could simply direct Etheric energy in streams towards his targets, and the lightning would follow the paths.

  Now he was killing by the score. Most of the Wechselbalg had stopped trying to make it to the city as more and more, both wolf and human, died. Multiple wolves had changed, screaming in fear, hands over their ears as they rolled on the ground in anguish.

  Their pleas for mercy went unanswered.

  “Well, fuck.” Kirk looked around, noticing that the darkness of the clouds was lifting.

  “What, fuck?” Greta asked, comforted by Kirk’s arm on her shoulder. She looked up, following his eyes. “The storm is tapering off?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Kirk agreed. He looked down at the group below. “Not that many left, but Wechselbalg are a hardy bunch.”

  James heard them talking. “That’s the Magnificent Seven down there. Don’t count them out just yet!”

  “Guns forward!” Kirk yelled. “It’s time we helped a little!”

  The two hundred semi-healthy Wechselbalg who still had their wits about them all heard the same speech in their ears.

  My name is Michael... I am the first, and if any of you continue to fight me and my friends, I will be the last vampire you ever see. I am the darkness. I am the ArchAngel. Continue on pain of death.

  Lilliana slowed her jog then stopped and howled her orders to the pack. She changed back to her human form and looked at her second. “Guy, take the pack back three miles." She looked toward the city. “I have been commanded to go forward.”

  Guy transformed to human himself. His strong frame was imposing to most, but he had no desire for the top spot. “The Duke is not going to treat you well, Lilliana. At least let the pack support you.”

  Lilliana had been looking at the city, but she tilted her head towards Guy. “I am not being called by the Duke, but rather by someone from myth and legend.” She started walking towards the city. “I’m being called by the Patriarch, Guy!”

  Her second’s face scrunched in confusion for a few moments, trying to remember where he had heard that name before. “Oh, blessed Mother of Christ!” He made the sign of the cross over his chest before turning to the pack. “We follow our Alpha’s command!” He changed back into a wolf and started running around the throng to take the lead in the retreat.

  The Catacombs Under Paris

  The constant pounding of the earth above him caused small but consistent shockwaves, and William Renaud woke up. His internal clock told him the sun was still up, but the destruction above was pleasing to him.

  He slowly closed his eyes, a smile gracing his lips.

  Outside Paris

  The occasional pistol shot barked as light rains caressed the living and the dead. Michael allowed the pack, at least those who only sought to grab their friends or the wounded, to carry them from the battlefield. Five times, Michael asked a Wechselbalg a question, and twice Michael pulled his sword from its sheath, beheaded the Were and had his blade back in its sheath before the body dropped to the ground.

  Michael? Akio sent.

  Hmmmm?

  I see a lone Wechselbalg female approaching from the south.

  Yes, that would be Lilliana. Allow her to approach; she will not be a problem. Have Jacqueline go and greet her.

  I understand.

  A moment later, Jacqueline started jogging in the direction of the lone, naked woman. She called over her shoulder, “We have any extra clothes?”

  “I got ‘em,’” Mark called back.

  “Don’t worry,” Eve stopped him. “They will be delivered.”

  Mark looked over towards the city, seeing the container coming across the rooftops and heading towards the lone woman.

  Lilliana smelled the death before she saw it. When she saw it, she was frightened by the utter devastation of Adorjan’s pack. She noticed a few dead among the corpses littering the ground who were from Rayane’s pack; that scared her to her core.

  When the Duke wanted to hurt the pack, he killed the leaders or a few of the children. Even he wouldn’t be able to kill so many so quickly.

  This was a killing field. Who would be able to stop those that killed so many?

  Lilliana stopped when she saw the young woman in a body-hugging black suit trotting towards her. She watched her for a moment before something else caught her eye, and she turned to look towards the city.

  There was a box floating in the air, heading towards them. She considered fleeing, but doubted she would be able to outrun something that flew.

  “You are from him?” Lilliana asked as Jacqueline came closer. “And that?” She nodded towards the container coming down just twenty paces away from them.

  “That,” Jacqueline answered as she turned to head to the container, “was sent to provide you with clothes, I imagine. One second.” Jacqueline turned the locks and pulled on the handle. Nothing happened.

  “Password, Please.”

  “Dammit, Eve!”

  “Permission to enter approved,” a mechanical voice answered.

  “Who knew an AI had a sense of humor?” Jacqueline groused, and turned the handle to open the door. The lights turned on inside, and she walked in. She pulled on a drawer handle.

  Nothing.

  “Damn,” she muttered. She found the switch that unlocked them all, and opened drawers until she found a suit similar to her own. By then the naked woman was peeking inside the container.

  “Do I come in?” Lilliana asked as she stuck her head in. She whistled in appreciation of the weapons on display. “What I couldn’t do with a few of these!”

  “You wouldn’t have time to find out,” Jacqueline answered.

  “Oh, I think I would,” Lilliana pushed back, asserting her Alpha status to intimidate the young woman. She might be here under duress, but she could smell the Wechselbalg on this girl, and there was no way she was taking any lip from her.

  “Accept the clothes, and don’t make me bitch-slap you into next week,” Jacqueline replied, her eyes dancing with yellow fire. “Michael will not be pleased to have to wait on your tardy ass.”

  Lilliana’s hackles went up. “That is no way to speak to your betters,” she snarled. Vampires were one thing, you didn’t fuck with them. But Wechselbalg were another. She hadn’t taken any shit from Clement, may evil eat his soul, or Adorjan or Rayane. She wasn’t taking any from this young wannabe.

  “What do you think is happening?” Yuko asked Akio and Michael, who were discussing the fight. Mark, Eve and Sabine drifted closer, looking at the distant container.

  “I can tell you,” Eve said to them.

  Michael didn’t look. “They’re playing a game of Who’s the Biggest Bitch.”

  “Hey now,” Mark exclaimed, then started wondering what he was going to say if Michael asked him to follow up his comment.

  He didn’t.

  “Bitch, female dog, Werewolf. It’s a common term, Mark.” Michael replied as he looked at the container just in time to hear the first howl from a wolf.

  Followed a fast moment later by a howl from a monster. The next thing they saw was a large wolf being tossed out of the container to land about thirty feet away, rolling on the ground before she came to a stop. A huge female Pricolici followed her, mad as hell and not willing to take any more shit from anyone.

  “I amm soo fucking tirredd of taaking shiiit from everyyyone who mmouuths offf too mmeeee!” Jacqueline growled as she walked towards the female wolf, who was getting up and making her own noises of annoyance.

  Lilliana dove forward, not waiting for a repeat of her surprise from the first time. When the young woman had changed to a Pricolici, she had hesitated long enough for the girl to grab her and throw her out. She aimed for the calf, trying to mess up her legs.

  That’s when the world went upside down. The ribs on her right side felt crushed, and her snout was full of grass. She was starting to heal, her bones mending, when a clawed hand grabbed her and lifted her into the air face up. “You can gooo naakeed.” By the time she was ready to make another try at the girl, she was close enough to see everyone watching them.

  She was also close enough to realize that three of those standing there were day-walking vampires. She could curse her stupidity. She had allowed her frustrations to get the best of her, and now what position was she in?

  She was fucked, that was for sure. She had just smelled that young male vampire and she recognized the same scent was on this woman.

  She had attacked and tried to make some damned vampire’s girlfriend submit.

  She truly had her head up her own ass.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Michael nodded to Yuko. She turned and walked past Jacqueline and the new arrival, who was being carried like a pup. Jacqueline didn’t even seem to be straining to hold up the large wolf. Eve had brought the container closer, so Yuko headed in and found the clothes that Jacqueline had pulled out before they had their disagreement.

  She grabbed the clothes and took them back outside. The female Wechselbalg was on the ground, it looked like Jacqueline had just dropped her. She had changed at Michael’s command.

  Yuko walked over. “Here,” she said to catch the woman’s attention. “Wear this.”

  Lilliana nodded to the new lady, a vampire as well, then stood up and pulled on the one-piece suit. The fabric wasn’t what she expected. It stretched wonderfully, and now she looked like she was a member of this group.

  “No, you are not.” Michael told her. When she looked at him, he continued. “This group has forged relationships. You just attacked one of us who was trying to give you clothing. No matter the rationalization, that was not acceptable.”

  Lilliana stayed quiet. All the death around her was distressing enough. She didn’t need to add one more body to the count.

  “You are the Alpha of the other pack of Weres the Duke sent to attack Paris,” Michael said. “I permitted your pack to live because I looked at your history as you led them here.” Lilliana’s eyes grew round.

  “Don’t be surprised. I know more.” Michael assured her. “The important thing you need to decide is whether you intend to take advantage of this opportunity, or shall I have Jacqueline kill you now and take over the pack?”

  “Oh, hell no!” Jacqueline looked at Michael in disgust. She no more wanted to run a pack than she wanted kids at the moment. Either one of them was a lot of work, sacrificing yourself for a bunch of snot-nosed malcontents. He winked at her as Lilliana answered quickly.

  “No!” she got out, before Jacqueline had finished speaking. She turned to see Jacqueline’s expression of concern mirror her own. She no more wanted to give up her pack than this woman wanted to run it. She could tell that the young woman could easily have beaten her in a challenge, but running a pack wasn’t in her future.

  At least for now.

  Lilliana hung her head. “I apologize. I acted inappropriately. It was a good reminder that there is always someone who can surpass you.”

  Jacqueline wanted to hate this Alpha, but her humility around Michael made it hard. Then again, if someone wasn’t humble around Michael, he usually took care of it.

  A small smile graced her face as she thought of Mark. Michael took very little shit from anyone, except Mark and herself.

  “So, there are the Duke, his six followers and this one human named Gerard?” Michael asked, looking for confirmation from Lilliana.

  “Yes.” she agreed. “Rumor is that the Duke will come out at midnight tonight to accept the city from Gerard. He was the one who sent the message to attack the city.”

  “When?” Michael asked.

  “When what? When did he tell us?”

  Michael nodded.

  “He sent the command earlier this morning.”

  “So,” Michael turned around and looked out over the city, “he could be somewhere nearby, then.”

  “Or,” Akio interrupted, “he has air capability and has seen us from a distance. Perhaps the people in the last pack signaled before they died? Some prearranged meeting or contact they failed to attend?”

  “True, there is more than one possibility,” Michael made a face. “Although I’m going to go see if I can find him. I would like to meet this…” he turned to Lilliana, an eyebrow raised.

  “What?”

  “What is he?” Michael asked.

  “Human,” she answered.

  “No!” Jacqueline denied, eyes wide.

  Inside Paris

  The building was the highest that Gerard could find that he trusted not to collapse on him. He had used his device three times now, and no one had responded. Either the packs were still attacking—unlikely, since he heard nothing like battle sounds coming from the west—or they were dead, or had decided to betray the Duke.

  If they were dead, he would need better information for the Duke when he woke up. If they had decided to betray the Duke, then he needed data so that he could best advise the Duke.

  It moved towards late afternoon as he considered his options.

  Two minutes later, he exited the building and headed towards the entrance to the catacombs. There was a time and a place for everything, but being found by a bunch of humans who would be worried about their safety after these attacks wasn’t one of them.

  Outside Paris

  Jacqueline moved over to Michael, who had one eyebrow raised. He hadn’t reacted as far as she could tell, but her outburst wasn’t appreciated.

  At all.

  “I’m sorry.” She put on the same face she had used for her dad when her emotions ran ahead of her mouth.

  He nodded his acceptance, and she saw that the hard edges of his eyes had softened. It was the only tell her subconscious picked up about his feelings. No wonder a lot of older women went after younger men, they were so much easier to understand, and probably much easier to deal with. Bethany Anne was seriously taking one for the team when she chose to connect with Michael, that was for sure.

  “I don’t want you going out alone. You don’t know what this guy has cooked up, if he’s even here, and I don’t want to wait if you don’t come back for how long… another hundred and fifty years?”

  Michael’s lips pressed together as he reached up to fix his hair. When his hand touched his bald scalp, his eyes once again flashed with annoyance.

  She never got tired of him being pissed about his missing hair.

  “Akio and I will go,” he told her, putting a hand on her shoulder and nodding to Mark. “You and Mark need to go with Yuko and Eve back to Japan.”

  “What about me?” Sabine asked, and they turned to her.

  “Sabine, you’ll need to stay here with your people,” Michael answered, then held up a hand. “Not because you aren’t worthy to join us, you are. But because you need to recover from everything you’ve seen today, and we need to focus on taking out the Duke. That’s not something you can help with right now.”

  “May I?” Akio interrupted, and Michael nodded. Akio turned to Sabine. “I have a small communicator that will allow you to reach us. If something goes wrong again—if there’s another attack or we need to touch base with you—it can be used. It does not have infinite power, so use it sparingly.” He turned to Eve and asked, “We do have one in the container, yes?”