Vampire by B.A. Stretke

CHAPTER NINE

Emmanuel waited, and there was no call; the hours passed, and he waited. The air took on an urgency that drew his attention and his worry. He reached out to Taylor but felt only confusion and a sense of turmoil. He was about to call when his phone rang.

“Hello, Sam.” He answered.

“We have a situation happening at the Indigo Hotel. The Alpha and his enforcers arrived along with Taylor. Shortly after, all vampires on staff were ordered to clock out and leave the premises.” Sam paused.

“What is the concern regarding my people?” Emmanuel was on his feet and grabbing his suit jacket, and heading for the door.

“From what I could find out it sounds like there has been a breach of security. Some sort of cyber attack at the hotel but also penetrated the data systems at the pack lands.” Sam explained further.

“They believe we had something to do with it?”

“Yes.”

“Based on what?”

“I don’t know any further details at this time.”

“Where are you now?”

“Simeon and I are tracking Grigori’s team, all of whom, we discovered, hold a prejudice regarding wolf shifters. They all signed out claiming to be on a training mission, but no such training was scheduled, and Grigori too has disappeared. We were told they may be in the highlands beyond the forest.” Sam finished.

“They’re much closer than that,” Emmanuel stated with barely suppressed fury. “Meet me at the Hotel.”

“Yes, sir.”

Emmanuel called for his driver and then placed a call to Taylor as he walked to the elevator and down to the ground floor. There was no answer, and it went immediately to voice mail. Taylor’s phone was off, and that just added to Emmanuel’s’ growing dark mood.

Grigori, that fucking bastard was at the bottom of whatever was happening with the Pack. He should have gotten rid of him years ago when he first started pushing his opinions and negative stance. He was good at his job otherwise, but some things should not be overlooked, and it has taken him nearly five hundred years to learn that lesson, apparently.

The other likely conspirators in this mess were the IT security team that Grigori put in place a couple of months ago. It was to prevent breaches and protect our online presences, as he had explained at the time, but Emmanuel was quite certain their purpose was nothing of the kind.

He’d been a fool for trusting and turning a blind eye to Grigori activities. It hadn’t occurred to him that his second in command could fall so far from right and decent. Never again would he be so disconnected that such a man could rise from within the home and community he built with the intent of desecrating it and its people.

Disliking wolf shifters and starting an all-out war with the Pack were two different things, and clearly, Grigori has crossed the line. He should have seen it; he should have known, but those were thoughts for another day. Right now, he had an IT security team to terminate.

The hallway leading to the dark backroom off the basement level was quiet until Emmanuel appeared, and then those in the garage followed at a distance. These were his people; the majority were loyal and honorable individuals. They were curious and ready to assist if their Master needed them. They sensed trouble coming. The reprobates in the IT department were an abomination that he was going to end, and then he would find Grigori.

He hit the door with one hand, and it burst into flames and flew into the room, crashing dramatically onto the floor. He stepped in and saw four men jumping from their workstations and backing up. It was easy to read these types; greed, power, and cruelty were their goals. Small men with small souls, and he drained their minds learning everything about this insidious plot before dealing with them in a burst of pent-up rage and explosive energy.

The people in the hall stepped back and held their breath as the room erupted in screams and blood. When the screams died, the Master walked out of the room, grinding the pieces of those from the special security room under his heel. That scourge was obliterated, and all that remained was Grigori and his soldiers.

Jean-Claude was waiting for him when he left the chateau, and he slid into the back seat. “Take me to the Hotel Indigo.” He said, and they sped off.

…

Taylor wished he had his phone, but the Alpha confiscated and destroyed everyone’s device for security reasons. The enforcers and Zayn and Derek were issued clean devices, but Taylor did not receive one. That seemed intentional. The Alpha brought him to the Indigo with them because he believed he might be in danger and wanted to keep him close. Taylor tried not to think it but wondered if it was because of his connection to the Master. The Alpha was a smart man and would never leave a leverage piece unutilized.

He couldn’t blame him since Alpha Henrik had an entire Pack filled with many innocents to protect. Taylor admitted he would do the same thing in his place. But he was certain without a doubt that his mate was not the monster that was being described and he had no designs on a violent takeover of the Pack. It was absurd to even consider that the man he met and talked with and made love to was at the same time planning his demise.

“Here, take this.” Taylor turned to see Seamus there handing him a cold drink from the bar. He took a seat next to him there in the lobby. The hotel was pretty quiet since this floor was closed off, and guests were asked to remain in their rooms. They faked some sort of emergency drill to keep everyone calm but out of the way while the Alpha and his men searched the databases for a name and proof of the source of the attack. It was accepted that it was the coven, but they wanted proof before initiating retaliatory action.

The vampires were formidable, but the wolves would never give up, so a war between the two could and would, if started, go on for years and would rack up countless casualties.

“It’s not him, it’s not Emmanuel and not Sam and not the other men we both know and work with.” Taylor took a drink and stared at the bottle in his hands.

“I hope you’re right,” Seamus told him. “I’m not in the mood for a war with the vampires. Been there, and it is not pleasant.” He glanced around the lobby. “I’m sorry this happened, Taylor. You deserve the freedom to explore this new development in your life without having to think about taking sides. Your people or your mate, it’s a no-win situation.”

“There is nothing for them to gain by this attack. Emmanuel has lived with many paranormal groups that have come and gone from this area over the last nearly three hundred years. Never a problem as long as they kept to their own lands.” Taylor was aware that he was sounding desperate but couldn’t help it.

“Emmanuel has no issue with the groups that reside here presently. He accepts the bear clan that moved into the old farmhouse off the highway and operates the diner not far from his border. He accepts and provides protection for the old Mage, who lives in the forest with his grandson. He didn’t run them off or worry about what they were achieving. This doesn’t make sense this is not the man that I know.” Taylor fell silent.

“Mage?”

“Yeah, that shocked me too.”

“Wow, I need to get out more.” Seamus tried to lighten the moment, but it was too difficult. Taylor looked up at the ceiling and wondered about his mate, what he was doing, what he was feeling, and if he would ever see him again. Sadness engulfed him at the thought of losing Emmanuel.

“Have you reached out to him? Maybe he can give you strength and clarity. It’s a small consolation, but it might help you.”

“I don’t want to overwhelm him with my scattered thoughts and feeling. I need to see him face to face and talk this out.” Taylor feared more for his own reaction if he touched his mate’s mind. His wolf was going insane, and any contact would probably result in him shifting and tearing through the countryside to get to his mate’s side.

The door behind the reception desk opened, and the Alpha stepped out, followed by Derek. They walked out into the main part of the lobby and towards where Taylor and Seamus were seated. It didn’t look good. Zayn, Koa, and Javier followed a few steps back, but everyone focused on Taylor and made him squirm.

Before anything could be said, their attention was suddenly drawn to the main doors of the lobby as they swung open, and in walked Emmanuel looking deadly determined. He was flanked by Sam and another man that Taylor did not know but who looked fearsome. Taylor stood, and the Alpha came to stand beside him as the others fell into place on either side, watching the three men and readying themselves for whatever was to come.

Taylor feared for everyone. As Emmanuel approached, his eyes never left Taylor watching him with eyes that burned. He stopped and turned his attention to the Alpha when he was several yards in front of the Alpha Henrik and his men. Taylor kept shifting his eyes back and forth between the two groups of men, all standing there silently facing one another and waiting. For what?

The air was so highly charged with paranormal energy that the hair on Taylor’s arm was standing on end, and his nerves were tingling as his wolf waited to react. It, too, was confused by the loyalty it felt to his Alpha and the loyalty it felt for his mate. Taylor turned his gaze to Emmanuel and held on, ready to fight and defend what was his. Taylor’s heart already belonged to the tall deadly vampire, and he would fight to the death to protect him if need be.

“Master Cabot.” The Alpha addressed him formally.

“Alpha Vaughn,” Emmanuel responded in kind.

“To what do we owe this visit?” The Alpha asked, tension rippling through the air as it began to crackle with the intensity of the power coming off the two men. Everyone seemed to be weathering it, okay it was clear the energy was being felt by the stiffening of their stance, but they appeared to absorb it, whereas Taylor was beginning to suffer under its pressure.

The place was on the verge of lighting up and Taylor barely suppressed a whine when suddenly Emmanuel raised his left hand palm outward towards Taylor. His hands trembled, and he could feel his wolf stepping back. Then something happened in that moment, and a calm encompassed him like a shield. Emmanuel blocked him from the forces that were churning and filling the area with a deadly charge.

Emmanuel then turned back to Alpha Henrick. “The attack you suffered and the data-breach of your Pack were carried out by my second in command, Grigori Petrov,” Emmanuel stated, and the Alpha looked taken aback by the candid admission.

“I am ashamed to admit that I was unaware of his activity and his plans until this morning. His reasons are hatred, prejudice, the thirst for power— it doesn’t really matter, but what does matter is that he is not finished.” Derek began to growl deep in his throat, and his eyes started to take on the feral look of his beast. Emmanuel nailed him with a blue stare that had Derek backing down but just slightly. Taylor had never witnessed Derek step back from anyone other than his brother.

“I accept your distrust and your anger but now is not the time,” Emmanuel stated to Derek, and the weight of his command settled upon them all. “The computer specialists that were assisting Grigori have been eliminated. I probed their minds before killing them and found that Grigori and a handful of soldiers under his command are planning to orchestrate an attack directly on your Pack.” Everyone stayed silent and listened as the Master laid out what they already suspected.

“They have discovered how to override your security system and the weakest points of entry. Their timetable is this evening, just after dark. They are targeting the Pack House with the intent of taking out the Alpha and his inner circle before going after the Pack itself. These men are highly skilled and dangerous and have studied the information they stole. They know you and your people.”

Alpha Henrik instructed his enforcers to return to the Pack lands, begin the security efforts, and get the weak and vulnerable members into the safe room at the Pack House. “Make sure the mates go to the safe room as well.” He told them.

“You won’t be able to withstand a full-on attack by Grigori and his team; they are prepared and focused. Please let me help you. This mess is my fault; my lack of awareness and follow-up lead to this chaos of disorder. These men are my responsibility, and it is my duty to destroy them before they can do any further harm.” Emmanuel stood and waited for Alpha Henrik to answer, and it felt like years as he weighed and measured the man and his words. A wrong decision could prove as disastrous as a Trojan horse.

“We can handle it, Henrik, don’t trust them.” Derek was the first to speak, and his words were cold.

“You are a strong wolf with many kills, but you are no match for Grigori. Don’t let your pride be your downfall.” Emmanuel’s words were flat and clear and filled with truth.

Alpha Henrik looked at Sam for several seconds studying him and apparently saw what he needed to see, for he then turned to Emmanuel with an agreement. “You’re right; we are no match for an elite team of vampire soldiers who have all of our intel. How do you propose to help?”

“How many of my best will you allow me to bring onto your lands?”

“How many will you need?”

“Grigori has himself and ten men trained by him and filled with the same hatred and thirsts. I would propose myself, Sam, my commander Simeon,” He indicated the man standing beside him, “and my driver Jean-Claude along with your warriors Grigori will be defeated.” Emmanuel’s proposal hung in the air for a few moments, and then Alpha Henrik stepped forward and held out his hand, and Emmanuel took it. They both held firm as the Alpha once again looked deep into the blue depths of Emmanuel’s gaze before releasing his hand and stepping back.

Emmanuel turned to Taylor, who stood off to the side but at the other end of the room and held out his arms, beckoning the man to come to him. Taylor did not hesitate in running the few yards to his mate and wrapping his arms around him. Emmanuel smelled like pure desire and satisfaction all rolled into one. He held him tight, burying his face in Taylor’s neck, and took long deep breaths while rubbing his cheek against Taylor’s hair.

“I have been desolate and deprived without you, my love.” The rest of the people in the room seemed to disappear as Taylor drank in the attention of his mate. The heaviness of earlier was gone and in its place was peace and fulfillment.

“I’m sorry. I was upset and confused, but I never doubted you.” Taylor told him, hoping he understood and believed.

“I know.” Emmanuel gathered him even closer, pressing him against the length of his body, and expressed a desperate and anxious need, and it was what Taylor craved. Knowing that his mate wanted him so badly was a balm to his soul.  “We have not bonded, but our connection has been growing since the day I first laid eyes upon you. I can feel your emotions, especially the highly charged emotions. I know you are true, and you are mine.” He kissed him on the forehead and then turned his gaze back to the Alpha, although keeping Taylor in his arms.

“Follow us back to Bay Harbor, and we will discuss this matter prepare our defense.” Emmanuel nodded, and the wolves headed to the underground garage.

“Stay with me,” Emmanuel instructed Taylor as he turned with him towards the main door. Outside parked by the curb was the long black Mercedes with Jean-Claude standing beside it.

“Always,” Taylor assured as he slid into the backseat with Emmanuel and Sam.