Willis’s eyes brightened. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’d need a sample of a full-blooded werewolf to have a baseline to compare the other samples.”

  Brock frowned. “Will heavily diluted dormants be weaker than those with more wolf blood?” The general’s voice carried a hint of annoyance, as if Cain should have known this already and informed him of it when they’d first met.

  Cain forced himself to keep control and refrain from ripping the man’s head off. As much as he hated to admit it, Cain needed the general and the resources the human military and scientists provided. They were the perfect cover from the supernatural world and would likely remain so as long as his vamps were careful in their abductions of the dormants. “How am I supposed to know that?”

  “You said your kind preferred dormants because they gave you better sustenance than humans and lived longer to feed on. I figured there was a chance you could tell how human or not they were by tasting their blood.”

  Cain opened and then closed his mouth. Okay, so the damn human had a point. It was a reasonable question, especially considering how new Brock was to the supernatural world. “Perhaps you are on to something, General. I’ve never given the issue much thought. But if Willis can compare the samples to a full-blooded wolf, then I can taste each one. I may indeed be able to tell the difference.” It would be faster than having to do blood tests on every single dormant.

  “Very good.” Brock nodded. “We need to make progress. The higher-ups are getting impatient. They’re chomping at the bit to see their new army.”

  Cain wanted to roll his eyes but managed a nod instead. He refused to meet the higher-ups and had made it clear he would only work directly with a few select humans. When asked why, he told Brock the fewer humans that pissed him off, the fewer humans who would die. That had been the end of the discussion, and the human authorities hadn’t pushed him further. “We are working as fast as we can. I will have to contact my associate and determine if we have any wolves left in our employ.”

  “You mean the Order?” Brock asked. It was information that Cain had been shocked to hear a human talking about, especially in a supernatural bar. Apparently, the supernaturals weren’t as unknown as they’d thought. There were humans who’d experienced interactions with them and instead of writing it off as something their mind just couldn’t explain, they’d pursued their curiosity. Some humans could be tenacious in their pursuit of knowledge. Especially those who saw an opportunity to benefit from the supernaturals. Cain might have been insulted if he hadn’t realized that he, too, could take advantage of the opportunity the human government wanted.

  “Yes,” Cain answered. “The Order.”

  “I was informed by my contact the group had been disbanded,” Brock said.

  Cain wanted to know who the hell this contact might be, but the general had refused to give that information up. And since Cain did not want to have to work with a new human, he didn’t torture the information out of Brock. “Your contact obviously doesn’t know as much as they think they do.”

  The general narrowed his eyes, and his mouth tightened, his disapproval at Cain’s unwillingness to say more evident on his face. Let’s see how he likes being kept in the dark. Though he had to play nice for the moment, Cain wouldn’t go so far as to submit to the general’s supposed authority. Eventually, this fool and his superiors would understand that. And by then, it would be too late for them to do anything about it.

  “Keep me up-to-date,” the general finally said. “I expect a call the minute progress is made.”

  “Of course.” Cain smiled so his fangs were on full display.

  The general tried to hide his revulsion and fear, but Cain saw the pulse in the human’s neck pick up speed and the scent of unease issue from his pores. Ugh, humans are disgusting. Well, except for their blood. That is quite delectable.

  Brock made a sharp turn on his heels and marched away.

  “He’s an ass,” Willis said softly.

  “An ass that we need,” Cain muttered.

  The scientist cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels. “So, is our deal still in place?”

  “You mean the one where I turn you into a vampire if you manage to make me a dormant vampire army?” Cain asked, as if he and the human had a long history of negotiations.

  The other man nodded eagerly and licked his lips. It was one of the first things Willis had asked Cain when they’d made introductions. A brilliant, if not annoying, scientist having an immortal life span to do all sorts of things for the vampiric race seemed like an acceptable sacrifice. And it would be a sacrifice because he would be the one working with the idiot.

  “I am a man who keeps his word, Willis. You do your part, and then I will grant you the boon you’ve requested.” Cain began to walk past him. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I have a wolf to find.”

  “Of course.” The scientist stepped aside so Cain could pass. “I will go ahead and draw the samples from the dormants we have and number them now so I’m ready when you bring in the full-blood.”

  Cain gave a wave over his head as he marched for the exit of the underground facility. He had no clue if Alston still had any wolves under his command. If he didn’t, it would not be easy to capture one. They were pack creatures. Finding a full-blooded lone wolf would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

  Bodies littered the dark street, and blood dripped from Boain’s hands. He turned and saw gore covered his mate’s clawed hands as well. “You okay, Lorna?”

  Her chest rose and fell quickly, but she nodded. “I need a shower.” She looked down at herself and grimaced. “Vampire blood is not my best look.” Lorna lifted her hand to her nose and sniffed. “How come this blood doesn’t smell as bad as the group from yesterday?”

  “New vampires still possess their own human blood in their veins,” he explained. “So they still smell, well”—he considered his words and then said—“fresh. Older vampires that have been feeding for a long time eventually start to smell like old blood. But even the old ones can smell a little better if they’ve recently fed … very recently. They will smell like the blood of a living human.”

  Lorna tried to wipe her blood-covered hand on her clothes, but it was no use. Her shirt and pants were equally stained. “So these were very young?”

  Boain nodded. “It’s also why they weren’t as difficult to kill. They hadn’t been trained. These vamps were relying only on brute strength. Effective against humans, but not us. Let’s get these burned and then we can get cleaned up and rest for the night. I think killing”—he paused and counted the surrounding bodies—“fifteen vampires is enough for one night.” Though this group wasn’t the biggest they’d recently culled, the nightly vampire hunting was becoming exhausting.

  Lorna’s lips pursed. “It will never be enough, Boain. Not until they’re all dead.”

  “I know, love. But we need rest. Without it, we won’t be able to continue our hunts.”

  He felt her begrudging agreement through their bond. “Okay, let’s do this.” She breathed out.

  Boain smiled at her. His mate was a trooper. She rarely complained about the difficult things they did, and she fought with a ferocious conviction. He loved her deeply.

  She looked up at him, and her mouth turned up in a smile. “And I love you, mate of mine. But you have much too high an opinion of me.”

  He wasn’t surprised she’d heard his every thought. Boain never closed their bond. He’d been so awestruck by finding Lorna, so incredibly thankful, that he wanted nothing between them. She knew everything about him because he allowed her complete access. He’d not expected the same thing from her, especially after she’d shared with him how hard her life had been. Lorna carried deep wounds, and opening up was not something that came easily. Trust was a fragile thing for her. But Boain would do everything in his power to continue to convince her he was worthy of that trust.

  They worked quickly, gathering the bodies into a pile. Boain wasn’t worried about anyone seeing them; the surrounding neighborhood was derelict and all but abandoned. Boain suspected that the neighborhood probably wasn’t a posh suburb to begin with, and he was sure the presence of vampires hadn’t done anything to increase property values. It was the fourth nest of vampires they’d come across in two days, and he was starting to see a pattern. It looked as if the monsters set up shop in the worst neighborhoods, the kinds of places where disappearances were common enough that they didn’t make headlines. The fact that the vamps preyed upon society’s most vulnerable only made Boain want to eradicate them even more.

  “What do you think they’re looking for?” Lorna tossed the last body on top. “Every group we’ve come upon isn’t hunting to feed. Half the time they’re just biting and dropping the person a second later.”

  Boain pulled out a small box of matches, something he’d taken to carrying since they’d realized just how many vamps were running around. Vasile and Alina had begun hunting vampires over a year ago. And Boain had thought the vast majority of the bloodsuckers had been dealt with. And while he knew the Order was likely making reinforcements, Boain hadn’t imagined it would be in these numbers. Someone had been very, very busy. “I don’t know, and I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure it out. We need to find one old enough that actually has some information. The ones we’ve been following are just the grunt workers. They’ve been given orders, and most likely don’t even know why.”

  The match hit the bodies, and they went up in a blaze as if they’d been dowsed in gasoline. He felt Lorna’s hand slip into his as she watched their enemies burn. Boain felt her satisfaction, but he also felt her pain.

  “They were once human,” she mumbled. “Sometimes, when we’re fighting them, I forget that. I forget that they probably had families, kids, and lives. They were victims, just as much as the people they fed upon.”

  Boain gave her hand a squeeze. “We’ll figure it out.” They hadn’t seen any vampires at the new stronghold Alston had built up in the northern United States, not that it meant he didn’t have any. But somewhere, someone was making vampires, and those vampires were hunting for something.

  The flames didn’t last long because the vampires burned quickly. When only embers remained, Boain led his mate toward the small SUV they’d found abandoned on the road. Most likely it had belonged to one of the humans-turned-vampire. He planned to take Lorna to a hotel and let them both get some much-needed sleep. Then he would seek out some supernatural establishments and see what he could learn.

  Just as he reached the door and started to open it, there was a loud crash, and the vehicle shuddered. Boain pulled Lorna until she was behind him, and he faced the vampire that now crouched down on the hood of the SUV. If he didn’t have the fangs on full display, he would have actually looked human.

  “Hello, wolf,” the man said, his smile kicking up a notch when his black eyes turned to Lorna. “And hello, she-wolf.” He licked his lips. “You’re a delicious one now, aren’t you?”

  Boain growled, and his wolf pushed at his skin. The beast wanted out. He didn’t like the vamp’s eyes on their female. “Have you come to join your brethren?” Boain motioned to the smoking pile fifty feet behind them. “I’ve still got some matches.”

  The vampire narrowed his eyes. “You won’t find me to be such easy prey, Boain, former fourth-in-charge in the service of the great Vasile.”

  Boain’s teeth clenched as the disgusting creature spoke the name of his former alpha and friend. How the hell did he know that information?

  “Who are you?” Lorna’s voice was deep with the guttural sound of her wolf.

  “Tsk-tsk,” the vamp said. “Where are my manners? My name is Claude.” A thick, French accent filled his voice. It hadn’t been there when he’d first spoken. “It has been a while since I have entertained guests that are not … well … a meal.” He chuckled as if what he said was somehow amusing. When Boain and Lorna simply continued to stare at him, Claude cleared his throat and then jumped down from the hood of the vehicle. He straightened the white dress shirt he wore and pulled at the cuffs of his sleeves.

  “It’s a good thing you recognize you won’t find any food here,” Lorna bit out sharply. Boain felt her hackles rising. She let go of his hand and tried to step up beside him, but he moved so that his left shoulder was still in front of most of her body.

  Claude slipped his hands into his pockets and then raised his chin. “I prefer my food to be a little less furry. Though I still like a little canine DNA in the mix.” His eyes narrowed and his fangs lengthened. “If you know what I mean.”

  “What?” Lorna asked as Boain frowned.

  “I hate to meet and run.” Claude sighed. “But I just need to give you a quick message and then be on my way.”

  “What’s the message?” Boain growled.

  Claude let out two sharp whistles. “Quit killing my damn vamps. It is getting quite vexing.”

  There was movement in the darkness behind Claude. Boain loosened his stance. “Be ready,” he told his mate.

  “I figured he wasn’t just here to chat,” Lorna assured him.

  Suddenly, a cell phone rang. Claude lifted his hand in the air with a single finger pointed up as if to tell someone to wait, and then used the other to pull the ringing phone from his pocket. “Good evening, my lord,” he said into the phone. “Is that so?” Claude’s voice rose, and he tilted his head while maintaining his stare at the pair of wolves. “I might be able to do you one better and bring in two live mongrels.”

  “I can smell them,” Lorna said through their bond. “There’s got to be at least two dozen vampires around.”

  As Claude continued to talk, Boain gave a slight nod and made a quick decision. “Phase, mate. We’re not sticking around for this fight.”

  From one blink of an eye to the next, he and Lorna had shed their human skin and dropped to all fours. Boain whipped around in the opposite direction, with Lorna at his side. “Do not get separated from me,” he warned her.

  “You lead, I follow.”

  They’d only made it fifty yards when the night sky lit up like the Fourth of July. Then a woman appeared in their path. Boain dug his claws into the ground in order to stop his forward motion to keep from barreling into her.

  “Hello, Boain.” The high fae, Perizada, gave them both a little wiggle of her fingers. “This must be your pretty little mate, whose acquaintance I’ve yet to make. Charmed, I’m sure.” She looked past the two wolves at the small army of vampires running their way and tapped her chin. “Do you feel like fighting, or should I just light them up?”

  “Mate…” Lucian growled from where he stood beside her.

  “Fine, fine.” She sighed and threw out her hand, letting her power flow as bright white light. The young vamps dropped like flies, bursting into flames. “This isn’t nearly as fun as beheading them,” she said to her mate.

  “I’m sure Jen would be proud to know you feel that way.” Lucian’s voice, as always, was calm and steady.

  Soon, all the vampires, save one, were reduced to piles of ash on the sidewalk. This one stood tall, and if it bothered him that his comrades had just been incinerated with nothing more than a wave of the fae’s hand, he didn’t show it. But he didn’t try to move any closer to the wolves and their rescuer.

  “Who are you, vampire?” Lucian asked.

  “Phase back and I’ll provide you clothes,” Peri said to Boain and his mate. As soon as their forms began to shimmer, Peri used her power to manifest garments onto their bodies. When both stood in front of her, she motioned them aside so she could step up to where her mate was speaking with the vamp.

  “Boain can give you that information.” The man’s voice was thick with a French accent.

  “I am not asking Boain,” Lucian said. “I am asking you.” Though her mate appeared calm, Peri could feel his irritation through their bond. She could tell Lucian was getting sick and tired of bloodsuckers.

  The vampire stood there for several more seconds before adding, “You can’t protect every wolf all the time, Perizada.” And then he turned and sprinted away. Judging by the speed with which he moved, he was clearly old and powerful.

  “Oooookay.” Peri frowned. “That wasn’t cryptic and ominous, all at the same time.”

  “His name is Claude,” Boain offered.

  Lucian turned so that he faced them and looked at the male and his mate. “You’ve been busy, Boain.”

  He nodded. “The vampires are up to something.” “Lorna”—he motioned to the beauty next to him—“and I have been tracking them. There’s so many.” He looked at Peri. “Much more than when we began hunting them as a pack with Vasile and Alina.”

  “You left the sprite realm a week ago,” Peri pointed out. “Tell us what has happened from then until now.” Before Boain could speak, Peri held out her hand to the female. “I’m Perizada, by the way, and this is my mate, Lucian.”

  “Lorna.” The female wolf shook Peri’s hand and gave Lucian a nod.

  “Pleasure,” Lucian replied.

  Then Peri looked back at Boain, her brow raised.

  “We’d only been back in the human realm about half a day,” Boain began. “In the sprite realm, a male fae offered to take us wherever we needed to go, so I had him flash us back to a hotel that I’d used before while in the US on work for Vasile. We watched some human news, and then we started tracking the vamps. Lorna and I used the same strategy as before—follow the bodies and missing persons’ reports.” Boain glanced down at his hands, and Peri saw they were covered in blood. She flicked out her hand and used her power to remove the vampire remains from both him and his mate. Their clothes, newly magicked, were thankfully free of bloodsucker residue. “Thanks.” Boain looked back up at her and Lucian. “We found where the largest numbers of missing persons and deaths were being reported, and it was here, in Nevada.”

  “How’d you get here?”

  “I’ve been around a long time, Peri,” Boain said dryly. “You aren’t the only fae I know.”