The Vampire & Werewolf Chronicles Box Set

By Chrissy Peebles

Book 1, The Alpha, hit the USA TODAY bestseller's list in 2017.

Book 1: Logan is a werewolf tormented by his past and a need for revenge. The Falcar, half demon and half vampire, destroyed his life when they killed his entire pack. He's the last royal prince werewolf, and the Falcar were determined to end his bloodline once and for all. Logan goes on a mission to find the Falcar and destroy them forever. When he meets an Ankh witch named, Sophia, his world is turned upside down. Can she save Logan from himself?

Book 2: Thousands of years ago, Ankh witches were created to destroy Falcar vampires. The ancient group of evil vampires finally triumphed eighteen years ago and wiped out the Ankh bloodline forever and rejoiced in their victory. Little did they know, a baby girl was smuggled out and hidden in the human world. 

When Sophie turns eighteen, she is clueless to her secret heritage. Alone and afraid, Sophie can't explain the flickering lights and exploding glasses, but she knows something isn't right. Little does she know that she's now a beacon to all supernatural creatures and leaves a magical signature wherever she goes. 

When the Falcars learn that Sophie exists, they are determined to end her bloodline once and for all. After an attempt on her life, she joins forces with a gang of supernatural beings and works with them to stop the Falcars from wiping out every immortal on the planet. 

Book 3: Logan and Sophia dig deeper to find the Falcars that plan on destroying the entire immortal race. Sophie struggles to accept the supernatural world around her while Logan fights to put his life back together. Sophia can no longer deny the attraction between the two of them, but realizes she must stay focused on her training and taking down her enemy.

Included in this box set are:
1. The Alpha
2. Love & Faith
3. Lost Souls

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Shadows Publishing
• Release date: Dec 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386088707

Book preview

Chapter 1

MY NAME IS LOGAN AND I’m an alpha, a werewolf to be precise.

I lie in bed tossing and turning, sweat rolling down my face as I had that same nightmare once again. The memory seemed to haunt my dreams, that horrific nightmare of my entire pack being slain in cold blood while on a camping trip. I remembered it like it was yesterday; in fact, I remembered it so often, so vividly that it was completely destroying my life.

First, there was nothing, just the gentle sounds of the forest: birds chirping, leaves rustling in the autumn breeze, and children giggling, splashing, and playing by the pond.

The afternoon was like any other, a day bathed in sunlight and illuminated by glowing patches of blues and greens here and there. A perpetual blur of warm, familiar faces and peals of laughter brought life to the place as the forty or so people who had become the very world to me prepared the fire for dinner.

That dinner was why I was sent away in the first place or, more specifically, because of the fire. The night before, some of the other teenagers and I were roughhousing, horsing around a little too close to the angry flames. The huge stack of kindling the elders had gathered tumbled inside and went up in smoke before any of us could stop it. The others scattered to the wind the second the stack went down, but I froze in place.

I couldn’t just run like them, as much as I wanted to, because the man who peeled himself way from the other adults and started walking slowly toward me was more than just the leader of the pack. That man, the one with the furious scowl on his face, making a beeline in my direction and paralyzing me with that cold stare, was my father.

Logan? he questioned, his voice stern, though still harboring a note of amusement buried beneath the harshness. Would you care to explain what’s going on?

I gulped and looked down at the fire that was roaring away, crackling with delight as the burst of new fuel fed the flames and sent them stretching up to the trees. I was... I paused, my mind racing in panic. I was just trying to add some more wood when the whole thing slipped inside. I’m sorry, I added half-heartedly, as if my lie had even the slightest chance of passing his scrutinizing ears.

My father lifted his eyebrows in disbelief, and suddenly, his amusement was far more pronounced, almost sarcastic. It was as visible as the guilty shifting of weight I tried so hard to hide. Really, son? That’s the story you’re going with?

I sighed and lowered my voice, then cast a quick glance over my shoulder. Look, it was an accident, okay? Me and some of the... I mean, I was just goofing around and knocked the pile over. I’m sorry. I’ll replace it tomorrow.

He chuckled, deep and low, before glancing over my shoulder as well. It may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I heard half a dozen pairs of feet scrambling back into the woods.

You protect your friends, he said softly, looking me up and down, with a strangely fond, proud smirk on his face. That’s a good thing, Logan, but they are only one small part of this pack. To protect one of us is to protect all of us. We mustn’t ever draw lines from within. That only leads to infighting or...worse. His dark eyes searched mine as his face tightened thoughtfully. Do you understand?

I nodded quickly, standing as straight and tall as I could. Yes, sir.

These lessons were given to me more than they were given to the others, but I cherished them. One day, my father’s job and responsibility would be mine, and I had to live up to some pretty great expectations.

He looked at me for a second more before nodding briskly. Good...and yes, you will gather another pile before dinner tomorrow night. When a high-pitched cackling echoed behind him, he grimaced in pain. In the meantime, I must now listen to Mrs. Catterly’s story about her tone-deaf niece.

Haven’t you heard that story before?

Only nine times, he said, shaking his head.

I grinned and watched as he headed slowly back to the others, flinching every time the old woman’s voice soared above a certain decibel. I knew that would be me someday, but I really couldn’t wait. But in the meantime...

Logan!

I turned around and saw five pairs of bright eyes gazing back at me from the dark.

Dude, is he, like...really pissed? asked Isaac, my best friend.

I shrugged and pasted a cocky grin on my face, then returned to the others. We continued our fun without a care in the world, each moment as blindingly utopic as the next. What we didn’t realize at the time was that fate had a cynical side, a way of taking all that away from us in a heartbeat.

It was that unfortunate convergence of events that carried me out to the woods the next day. To gather the kindling, I had to wander through the trees, picking up random bits. I tilted my head up to the setting sun and listened to the sounds of the woods.

My father had taken me out there often, ever since I was a boy. He always encouraged me to close my eyes and let my other senses range out around me, picking up on everything. I heard the birds, the wind, the distant brook. I even heard the gentle, muffled footsteps of a lone fox padding the forest floor a half-mile away. Then I heard a sound I had never heard before out there. Screams?

The kindling dropped from my arms in what felt like slow motion, before I even made a conscious decision to let it go. For a split second, I just froze. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to; it was as if I had simply forgotten how.

Then, again without conscious thought, I looked down and saw my legs running, my feet pounding the ground faster than I had ever run in my life, as fast as my father. The trees streaked by, blurring into a single wall of green, until I came to a sudden stop. I looked around in horror and confusion at the place where our camp was supposed to be. What the...? I muttered, shocked beyond belief.

All I could do was gaze around in utter heartbreak, taking in the sight of the smoldering remains of what had been my life. The burning cabins and scorched grass were littered with the mangled bodies of my kin, my friends, all torn up beyond recognition, massacred and bloody. The few who weren’t yet casualties were doing their best to fight, but it was doing little good, and it was clear that they were about to join our fallen comrades. It all happened so fast, and some just stood there, as stunned as I was. Five old women were piled up beneath a picnic bench with an ongoing game of poker on top; I doubted they’d even had time to look up from their cards.

Almost worse and more unsettling than the carnage was the fact that I had no idea who the enemy was. Who—or what—the fuck are they fighting?

One of them blurred past me, and I stumbled instinctively away. The thing laughed, emitting a cruel high-pitched sound, before returning to its deadly dance in a flash of red eyes and fangs.

Never before had I seen any living thing move so quickly, nor anything that killed so quickly. The creature didn’t hesitate to take a life, not for a single fraction of a second.

I noticed the oozing green liquid on the tip of a man’s sword. Their claws, their weapons, their nails...were all coated with Guardian poison, something lethal to all immortals.

I watched in paralyzed shock as James Tallert, a man I’d known since I was a child, my father’s second-in-command, flew through the air, hurled with ease by one of the creatures. Before he even hit the ground, the creature was there again, ready to catch him by the neck and legs with an impossible strength. Its lips twisted up into a smile at his tortured gasp of pain, and then, before my very eyes, it slowly tore him in two.

That horrible sound—skin ripping, bones separating, and sinews tearing—seemed to permanently embed itself in my ears and my mind, the dying gasp of a man who was deemed my protector when I was two weeks old.

Finally, my feet started moving again, and after a bloodcurdling scream, I launched myself into the fray. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I just kept kicking, punching, crying, swearing, and pounding my fists on anything and everything that moved.

It wasn’t easy; they were just as strong as they were fast. I dived between one of them and its intended victim, a little girl of no more than seven.

As I threw her to safety under the deck of a nearby cabin, the thing straightened up and stared at me, wearing a sardonic smile. Well, this one certainly has spirit, he hissed.

He walked slowly forward, but I refused to let myself back away. I stood as tall as he was, glaring at him with great angst as my heart thundered in my chest. It wasn’t until we were standing toe to toe that I realized I wasn’t even breathing.

I’m guessing you disapprove of this, dog? he spat, more of a dare than a question.

I took a wild swipe at him, but by the time I did, he had somehow moved behind me. A deep chuckle raised the hairs on the back of my neck, and I whirled around.

Dog! he chided, then shook his head. More of a pup, really.

I was already furious over what they had done to my friends, my family, and his insults were just salt in the wound. Too full of rage to even speak, I just stared at him, ready to take him down.

Do you know why I’m here? he asked.

No, I muttered.

I mustn’t have any competition, he said. You have royal blood in your veins. If I am to rule, I must destroy this royal lineage once and for all...and you along with it.

We don’t rule anymore. All that was centuries ago, I retorted. We’re just living in the woods, trying to live in peace, and—

And your royal lineage will end today, wolf! he cried, ignoring my words.

Suddenly, a cabin behind me burst into flames and fell, and one beside it looked as if it would soon follow suit, crumbling to ash before my eyes. The little girl I’d tried to save began to scream, but a second later, the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of breaking, burning timber. I jumped in to save her but it was too late. She was lost to the fire and my heart broke.

She never had a chance, the thing said.

You’re not a vampire, I said, staring at the creature before me, every bone in my body trembling beyond belief. I was beyond scared, beyond any emotion at all other than wrath and vengeance. All fear had melted into an inferno within me, one far hotter than the flames licking across the homes of my fallen loved ones.

His lips twitched up in a little grin that sickened me to my core. You’re observant too. Most of these furry beasts were too panicked to realize that we were even throwing the fire. Then, as if to prove his point, a ball of green flames sprang suddenly from his palm, and he launched it at a young boy trying to get away.

You bastard! I screamed, throwing myself at him once again.

He deflected me as easily as if I was moving in slow motion, chuckling all the while. No, I’m not one hundred percent vampire, little wolf, he mocked. His eyes glittered as he studied me speculatively.

You’re a demon from hell! I cried.

Congratulations! Right again! I’m actually a Falcar, part vampire, part demon, but I commend you for your educated guess.

I don’t care what you are, I said with a growl, my eyes glowing gold as my fingers curled into manic fists. You won’t leave this place alive.

This time, my hands made contact, and I held on for all it was worth. We tousled there for a minute, with me hitting him with every bit of my might, ignoring the pain. He seemed to absorb each punch with a silent breath, which only urged me to strike faster and harder.

When I finally came up for air, he hit me only once. Then, as if someone had blown out a flickering candle, the world went as black as his soul.

Chapter 2

I REMEMBERED SAILING backward, landing somewhere in the ash of the fire. As I struggled to lift my throbbing head off the ground, images and confused memories of mayhem, death, and chaos flooded my mind in random order: fires raging, buildings falling, and children screaming and dying. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to focus on what was around me, and the second I did, I instantly regretted it. No! I cried, clawing my way back to my feet. Wait! Please!

The man, who’d seemingly already forgotten me, turned around, wearing a look of utter surprise on his face.

You survived that? he asked, sounding almost impressed. That’s...unlikely. Oh, but wait. I didn’t get any Guardian poison into your bloodstream. My bad.

Really, it wasn’t his taunting that concerned me. It was the man lying prone and broken in his arms, the man bleeding out in front of my very eyes, a man I knew well.

Please, I said again, my voice barely just over a whisper. Please don’t.

The monster darted his eyes from me to my faltering father, then back to me again before his face twisted up into another smile. This one was brighter and more animated than anything I’d seen yet, and I realized, with a wave of nausea, that this was the part that fiend lived for—not for the death itself but for the moment right before. It was a game to him and nothing more, and he basked in his would-be victory and the heartbreak, pain, and demise of the loser. Your father? he guessed, his eyes sparkling with amusement. And if I’m not mistaken, the pack leader as well. I suppose that makes you a wolf prince, little pup.

Please, I said again, ignoring the mayhem going on around me and focusing entirely on my newest nemesis, take me instead. I’ll go willingly. I swear.

The man threw back his head and laughed.

Still imprisoned in his arms, my father jerked painfully as more blood spilled from a giant tear in his neck. His eyes fluttered open and shut, but he could not mutter a word.

Suddenly, without even thinking about it, I reached out to him, tears spilling down my face. Dad...

His eyes opened for a split second and finally found their mark. L-Logan? he stuttered, his voice scratchy and pained.

My whole body seized, and I stared pleadingly at the man again. I was willing to beg, to die, to do whatever I had to do to keep my father alive, and I tried to communicate that to him with the intensity of my gaze. Please... I stepped forward cautiously. I won’t—

Before I could finish my solemn vow, a tearing sound ripped through the air around me, followed by a sickeningly unforgettable, strangled gasp. The last sound was a dull thud as my father’s ravaged body hit the ground.

The world around me spun, but I didn’t fall. In fact, I found myself hurtling forward, flying as if the devil himself had launched me right out of the pit of hell, propelled by a rage the likes of which I had never known.

The man looked up in surprise. He shouted something to one of the others, but it was too late; I was already tackling him to the ground.

I had no idea how long we were down there before the man cried out in agony and fury, trying to shove me away with all his might. With a surge of adrenaline that almost lifted me off my feet, I managed to hold on. My next attack didn’t involve my fists; I used my teeth instead and managed to get in a really good bite, filling my mouth with the salty taste of his blood mingling with my own.

And with that, pain exploded in my stomach as the man stabbed me. I could instantly feel the Guardian poison flowing in my veins to kill me. I had heard that it was one of the most painful ways to die for an immortal.

You’ll die soon, the vampire said. Just like the rest of your pack.

In an instant, I flew backward as he threw me, only to land on the broken rubble of one of the cabins that had caught fire. All the air seemed to flee my body as I came down hard on my back on top of that smoldering debris. I tried to cry out, but I was too weak to muster even a whimper. It made no difference, because even if I had screamed at the top of my lungs, no one was alive to hear it.

In the end, I simply stared up at the shuddering foundations above me, knowing the structure was doomed to collapse on top of me, crushing me under its weight and sending me to rejoin my father and the rest of my people. That fall, though, never came.

Instead, I felt a gust of fresh air in my face, a sweet, clean draft that pushed away the ash and filth that had settled on my sweaty skin. As that breeze helped to clear my thoughts, I realized that the horrific grunts and groans and clanging of fierce battle had faded to a dull humming. Beneath me, I realized the heat from the scorched earth had cooled to the forest’s welcome embrace.

With the greatest possible effort, I forced open my eyes. A blurry world swimming in blues and greens greeted me, along with something else: the silhouette of a person, someone I couldn’t quite make out in the light.

The stranger leaned closer, filling the air with a beautiful scent, a soft, floral aroma that sent chills of relief through me, a feeling that something good still remained in the cruel world. She had the most beautiful smile. Dark hair spilled across my chest, and I gazed up in a daze, trying to understand what has happening, wondering if I was even alive.

She gently stroked my face, compassion and kindness radiating from her. My eyes blurred and everything spun from the poison coursing through me. I tried to open my eyes wider to make out the beautiful person in front of me even better. 

Logan? a beautiful voice said, as sweet as the scent wafting into my nostrils.

My lungs opened for a breath that seemed too stubborn to come. Little did I know that as hard as I tried to pull air into my lungs, I’d be suffocating for the next few years.

There was a distant pounding, an interruption to that temporary bliss, that unexpected burst of peace. Something was drifting down from somewhere in the sky, threatening all hope of happiness or survival once again.

Logan! the owner of the silhouette cried, pulling back and taking that flowery scent with her.

Who saved my life that day? How did she know my name? I wish I would have gotten a better look. Because I owed my very life to this woman, and she had my deepest gratitude. My vision suddenly cleared. My headache dissipated. I felt my stomach and the wound was gone. It had completely disappeared. I gasped. How? I didn’t feel the poison coursing through me anymore.

Wait! Come back! I wanted to say, but the sweet angel had already disappeared into the air.

Something was banging...so loud. Knock. Knock. Knock. I couldn’t think. If only that damn pounding would stop, maybe I could get a second to—

Logan! Hey!

My eyes shot open as I bolted upright in bed. There was a dull ringing in my ears, and my heart was pounding like I’d just run a marathon. Around me, the sheets were drenched in cold sweat, and there was a pale pallor to my skin. I... I stuttered, baffled and confused. It was just the dream again, I told myself, running my trembling fingers through my damp hair. Same damn dream as always. Just breathe, Logan, I tried to coach my body, but that was easier said than done.

Who was the woman that saved my life? I said out loud.

I’ve always pondered that. I wish I could find her and thank the stranger who saved my life. But her identity was a complete mystery to me. It was like she didn’t exist. I am alive today when I should be dead. She was my Good Samaritan and I’ll never forget my hero. 

Logan!

The doorknob shook, and the door rattled on its hinges again, and it didn’t take me long to identify the voice of the sudden perpetrator behind the pounding.

Cindy.

If you don’t open this door right now, I’m gonna break it down!

I bit my lip and tilted my head back to glare at the ceiling. It had been two weeks since I was banished there, since I was first trapped in my best friend’s house with his insufferable girlfriend. Two whole weeks, and I’m about two seconds away from losing my freaking mind.

I’m not kidding, Logan. It’s seven p.m. You’ve slept all day! It’s time you get your lazy ass out of bed!

Seven? Really? Where has the day gone? I glanced guiltily at the half-empty bottle of Jack lying on its side. Oh, that’s where, I thought, grimacing as I placed my feet tentatively on the floor.

I was too tired to make much of an effort to dress myself, too hung over and perhaps still a little too drunk to do anything more than shuffle over to the door as Cindy continued her relentless, rude banging on the other side.

That’s it! she shouted. Listen, I’m coming, Your Majesty, whether you like it or not. One...two—

Your door, lady. You wanna break it down, that’s fine with me, I said, then paused on one side while she paused on the other, as if weighing the consequences of her threat for the first time.

Cindy and I had recently sworn a false oath of peace to appease the glue that held us together, my best friend, who just so happened to double as the love of her life. Finally, she realized the last thing she wanted to do was explain why pieces of the house were lying in splinters on the floor, so she cleared her throat softly and took a moment to reevaluate her options. I’m serious, Logan! Don’t make me—

Make you what? I screeched, yanking open the door and wearing a falsely cheerful smile. Do something you’ll regret?

Her raised fist dropped slowly back to her side, and she ran her eyes up and down my body, wearing a look of distinct disapproval. That disdain only deepened when she completed her analysis of my red, bloodshot eyes.

And please stop it with the royalty jokes. That was ages ago. We were just normal wolves.

With a royal lineage. You are the son of a king. Your pack is pure, and you didn’t marry outside it. You followed strict laws to keep your bloodline pure. You’re from the House of Sanguis d’Anu, Logan, the spawn of a pack that used to rule half of Europe, so—

"Used to, I cut in. That’s the keyword there. Anyway, enough about me. You’re a gargoyle princess yourself. Wanna trade royalty jokes, Your Highness?"

I’m not really royalty anymore. When I left France, I gave it all up.

"But it still runs in your veins, Princess."

With all due respect, oh royal one, you look like royal shit, she snapped, crossing her arms.

My smile fixed caustically in place. And you look like such a drop of heaven. Honestly, Cindy, you must stop going to such great efforts to flatter and compliment me. It goes right to my head...and don’t think I don’t know you’re trying to change the subject.

Are you drunk?

Not anymore...I don’t think. I pulled the door closed a bit, so she wouldn’t see the bottle lying in the middle of the floor. Why? Should I be? Are you?

She tightened the fold of her arms across her chest and began tapping her foot impatiently. Her eyes shot angry daggers at me. Some clothes would be nice, Highness.

I glanced down and saw no problem with my attire. Everything is covered that needs to be, I said, pointing at my boxers.

It’s underwear, she snidely retorted.

Like what you see, darling?

Logan!

Well, maybe I’m trying to start a movement, I muttered, pushing my hair out of my eyes. It’s a live-free kind of thing. You wouldn’t understand.

Logan—

"Listen, Princess, you stormed into my territory—my castle-without any warning. If you’re gonna trespass, expect the unexpected."

What I expect is for you to be—dressed.

Frankly, I don’t care what you expect. Now, what do you want, Cindy? I snapped irritably. Why are you here?

Her eyes narrowed with equal irritation. "I live here, remember? This is not your castle, sir."

I let out a soft sigh and silently prayed for more liquor. Yeah, well, maybe you’re right. I’m sure Fred didn’t pick out the floral curtains.

Her blonde curls quivered with weeks of pent-up frustration. Must you be so... Her voice trailed off before she could choose an appropriate adjective.

We both glared at each other in a tired ceasefire. No matter how many times we fell into the same loop, the same old argument, the result never changed. We were the living manifestation of insanity every time the two of us were together.

What do you want? I asked again, making an effort to sound more polite.

She, on the other hand, made no such effort. We have a case, she said, then turned on her heel and stomped back up the hall, another murder.

A case? Great. I pounded my forehead silently against the doorframe. Another useless bit of policing for the illustrious Immortal Council. It was a decrepit organization I no longer wanted to be a part of, especially after they basically rendered me a prisoner in my best friend’s townhouse. I took on a few job assignments for them over the last few years. But they let me go because of my reckless behavior.

"Maybe you have a case, I argued, following after her down the hall, stressing the distinction. I don’t work for your precious Council anymore."

Oh really? She turned around and stared at me, donning a dangerous smile. As long as you’re under our temporary custodianship, you will do as the Council says.

Temporary custodianship. Yeah, that majorly sucked big time.

I discovered that apparently, when one accidentally sets fire to the local tavern after drunkenly swearing one became a dangerous predator, a wolf, by the light of the full moon, one is required to have a guardian from that point forward. Nevertheless, I was none too happy about my incarceration, no matter how PC they tried to sound about it. "First of all, I’m under Fred’s custodianship, I called as she headed to the car, since he was the only one who took my side and spoke up for me. You seemed content to let me rot in immortal prison. And second, I’m pretty sure your name isn’t on the mortgage for this place—"

A wad of clothing suddenly smacked me in the face. Shit. I didn’t remember leaving those in the hallway.

Put some fucking pants on, would you? We have work to do. Believe it or not, I do think you have an occasional intelligent thought in your head, and I would appreciate your insights on this case. You are a smart person, Logan—too smart to be drowning yourself in bottles and accidentally committing arson in a drunken stupor.

Wow. Are you going to give me a Milk-Bone if I help you sniff out your so-called killer? I said snarkily.

I just want to help you out of your...slump, she said, looking back at me. If you do something productive, you’ll feel better.

Nothing can make me feel better. Trust me on that. It’s easier not to feel anything, and good ol’ Mr. Daniels is keen on helping me with that.

Do you intend to waste the rest of your life getting drunk and sleeping the days away?

Maybe.

Logan, I’ve been where you are, she said, suddenly finding some compassion. I know how you feel. I lost my entire family too.

Lost is different than dead, I spat. At least yours is alive somewhere.

They are dead to me, she said sadly, or at least I am dead to them. They abandoned me, just gave me up as a peace offering to the royal family, so there wouldn’t be war between the gargoyle clans. They didn’t care that the man I was betrothed to was beating me, hurting me daily. If Fred hadn’t rescued me and taken me out of France, I’d be married to that monster now, bound to him forever. I don’t regret leaving with Fred, but it meant leaving my entire world and all my family behind. My family may not be dead, but my pain and loneliness is the same as yours. If anyone understands how you feel, it’s me.

It’s not pain really. I prefer to be alone.

Liar, she muttered under her breath.

You don’t know me as well as you think. I’m a loner.

Not tonight, you’re not. We need you.

But I don’t even like you.

Great. Tell me something I don’t already know.

Slam! Slam!

A moment after the front door and the car door slammed, the pounding on the door was replaced with an incessant honking, an unnerving, loud concerto guaranteed to drive me mad.

I grimaced and shut my eyes as my fingers came up to rub my temples, where the throbbing ache of alcohol still lingered, only exacerbated by the ear-shattering wails of the car horn. Okay, fine. I’d go just to shut her up and get her off my back.

The beep grew louder. So I gulped down a few shots to calm my nerves so I didn’t kill the gargoyle. I should’ve done one or two, but I ended up doing triple that.

It’s gonna be another long night, I said with a sigh, then reluctantly turned the doorknob to join my so-called guardians.

Chapter 3

THE DRIVE TO THE CRIME scene was a silent one. Neither Cindy nor I had anything to say to each other, and after staring for a few minutes through the rain-streaked windshield and out into the dark night, we both surrendered our thoughts to other things.

I, for one, couldn’t shake the feeling that I was caught in some lame, never-ending episode of COPS. The calls seemed to be coming in daily, our damn phone ringing like that red telephone on Batman at all hours of the day and night. Why Fred and Cindy saw fit to volunteer for such a depressing role in an equally depressing organization, I would never understand. Apprehending culprits accused of petty supernatural crime? It seemed so beneath them, a far cry from their actual crime-fighting days of the past. The two were basically legends and not just in their own minds. My best guess was that after being chased around the globe for so long by leagues of twisted creatures determined to end them, they wanted a little break. For the life of me, though, I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just retire to the tropics, vanish to some white, sandy beach to drink frosty things with little umbrellas in them and fuck themselves into oblivion. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have the money, the motivation, or each other.

My eyes flickered sideways to Cindy, who was obviously tense as she clutched the steering wheel, keeping a steely gaze on the road before her. A surge of guilt welled up in me, and I stifled a sigh. The truth was that Cindy wasn’t so bad, not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that I was temporarily trapped in her townhouse, always falling to pieces under her critical stare, I actually would have liked her quite a bit. She was a good match for Fred, and there was no higher compliment I could give than that.

The incident at the bar seemed like my rock bottom. It happened at the end of a particularly earth-shattering day, a day when my last hope of finding the band of people responsible for my little recurring nightmare just fizzled away in a dead end. The whiskey helped some, or at least I thought it did. Then again, by the time I knocked a man’s cigarette into the broken bottles of booze, I wasn’t thinking that much at all.

Fred somehow got there just a moment before the cops, and they were definitely the wrong kind of cops, considering they were associated very closely with the Council. He didn’t say anything about the bar or my part in burning it down. He just simply knocked out a guy who was lunging for me, and asked if I was okay. Don’t say anything, he told me softly, straightening my jacket without looking me in the eyes. When they arrest you, which they will, just keep quiet and leave the talking to me.

I did as he asked. It was the least I could do, considering everything he’d done for me in the past and everything I was sure he’d do for me in the future. Sure enough, Fred didn’t disappoint. In the end, instead of receiving a four-year sentence, the standard punishment for those who risked exposure to the non-magical world, I was placed under temporary custodianship. That little slap on the wrist was really only a testament to Fred’s stellar reputation and the power of his word; it had nothing to do with me.

The Council did send out a contingent of guards to survey the damage and track down any obvious clues. That was how they found me, lying in a pool of my own blood in the woods, and from there, they hauled me off to a sanctuary, because I was in need of medical attention.

No matter what the circumstances, no matter how deep down the rabbit hole I recklessly threw myself, Fred was always there. Fred was the ever-present conscience on my shoulder, the warrior by my side. He was my best friend, really my only friend, and he was deeply in love with a gargoyle named Cindy—a creature that seemed to be as unnerved by me as I was by her.

Don’t be an asshole, Logan. You’re living in her fucking home. She has done her best to be sweet to you...and she’s the love of Fred’s life, for fuck’s sake.

Hey, I began softly, a half-hearted attempt at an apology. About earlier...I—

We’re here, she said flatly, cutting me off.

The car swung into a gravel driveway as I looked up with surprise. Has it really been forty minutes already? Her door flew open, giving access to a rush of cold air, and I followed her quickly out into the dark. Whatever damage there was between us, it clearly wasn’t going to be resolved that night. There was far too much work to be done for us to worry about our drama.

I’d thought we were headed to a diner; I could have sworn that was what she told me, but instead, she led me to a private residence with a smashed door and a tell-tale trail of blood running down the side of the frame. The blood grew darker and began to pool as it traveled past the flowerbeds along the side of the house, winding its way into the garden out back. We’d all played a little game called follow the blood trail many times, and it always seemed to end the same.

The two of us walked around the house, careful to avoid the streaks of crimson that painted the tall grass. The salty, metallic smell tickled my nose and set my teeth on edge, but all I could do was continue following Cindy and try to hold my breath.

Fred turned and looked at us when we entered the back yard, but he didn’t say anything and just nodded wordlessly as a Council representative muttered something quickly in his ear. Both of them were staring down at carnage, bloody stumps and pieces, and their expressions bordered on disinterest.

Since his transformation to a vampire, gore had ceased to bother Fred in the least. The witch in him would have bolted toward the nearest exit, but his fangish parts set him at ease and made it quite easy for him to tolerate the sight of blood and ravaged, torn flesh.

If only we were all so lucky... I took an automatic step back when I saw the corpse for the first time, my lungs tightening almost painfully as my eyes swept over the disassembled anatomical portions. Frankly, Fred and I had the reverse problem. I had never had any trouble with that sort of thing growing up. Our pack was attacked many times, and as the teenage son of the chief, my place was by my father’s side. I was out there fighting with the rest even before my thirteenth birthday. I was sure they’d shielded me from the worst of it, but honestly, blood and guts was part of my childhood, a normal thing, something that never before would have given me a moment’s pause. Now, though, something had changed. 

The noxious aroma hit me again, and I took another step back. I kept my eyes on the ground while the edges of my vision tinted black. Thankfully, most didn’t notice, as they were all too focused on the crime scene, trying to solve the case—all of them except Fred, of course. Fred always, always noticed.

Logan... my best friend said quietly.

I looked up, and the two of us locked eyes. There was nothing overtly unusual about his tone, nothing anyone else would find strange, but there was an unspoken understanding between us, a knowing and a stomach-turning realization.

Why don’t you check out the house, see if there’s anything inside? I couldn’t get in there, he added as an afterthought, since his tragic bite had rendered him incapable of entering places he wasn’t specifically invited to enter. He shrugged it off, but I knew it bothered him more than he let on.

Nah, that’s all right, I said, exhaling a deep breath. There’s nothing and no one in there, or I would have smelled it.

He shot me another appraising look as I moved to join him, a split-second chance of escape if I wanted. When I didn’t flee and only moved closer to his side, without a thought as to the grisly proximity, he knelt down to examine the bloody pieces, frowning as he did so. Once or twice, he used his fingertip to flip the flesh, peering thoughtfully at the wide gashes within it. Wolf, he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

Typical, I thought. Oh sure. Blame the wolves.

His eyes shot to me, and I flushed guiltily when it suddenly dawned on me that I’d actually said that last part out loud. There’s blood everywhere, Jacob, he retorted, gesturing around the soaked and sticky grass. That basically rules out vampire. It wasn’t a feeding frenzy.

Are you suggesting that vampires only kill to feed? I shot back with a snicker and an eye-roll, trying to defend my race. The fact that he was probably right made no difference to me.

Cindy gave me an eye-roll of her own before sinking to the ground beside him. The mangled corpse didn’t unsettle her either. By now, we were all used to such things, even if I had grown a bit squeamish. No teeth marks, she observed. I mean, no signature vampire punctures.

Fred nodded. That’s exactly my point.

No canine prints either, no claws, she said, pointing to the frayed edges of the skin, still dripping occasional dots of blood onto the ground. Clean tear. Wolves always leave marks, Fred. It had to be vampires.

Fred shook his head and donned a bitter frown. Vampires don’t...slash like this. He cocked his head to the side, examining the damage. Maybe it was a wolf who didn’t fully transform.

Cindy put her hands on her hips, clearly ready to challenge him round for round.

Meanwhile, I found myself suddenly drawn to the body. Something Fred said sparked a hint of a memory, and before I knew what I was doing, I was kneeling on the ground beside the rest. Slashed? This body was slashed! What the...?

It wasn’t common, even in the supernatural world. Vampires bit, and wolves ripped. To be honest, my best guess would have been a gargoyle attack, but whether it was out of deference for Cindy or not, neither of them seemed to even consider that. Upon thinking it through a little more, I realized why: Slashed. Hmm. A gargoyle didn’t do this. It was something else, something angrier, something...very, very strong. My eyes clouded over as I lifted a tentative hand to the corpse. I’d seen the same macabre scene before, the same modus operandi and the damage it left behind. What I couldn’t fathom as that it was actually happening again.

Logan?

I jerked my hand back with a start and looked up to see both Fred and Cindy curiously staring at me. Cindy’s face was strained with impatience, but Fred looked genuinely concerned.

As I reached out to the body, he half-reached out to me. Are you okay? he asked, his eyes tightening into a worried squint. You wanna wait in the car?

I-I know what did this, I breathed out, rising suddenly to my feet. My chest rose and fell with quick, halting breaths, but my eyes were steady as I gazed back at him.

What?

Falcar.

Chapter 4

I SAT IN THE BACK SEAT of the car, tracing Nordic profanities into the steam on the window as Fred and Cindy argued quietly outside. At that point, I didn’t know why they even bothered to lower their voices; I heard every syllable they shouted and said, punctuated by head shakes and foot stops and crossed arms every now and then, along with Fred turning several shades of red, which was odd for his pale complexion.

...been like this for weeks now, Fred muttered, running his long fingers through his hair with obvious frustration. "He sees them everywhere, can’t get away from it. I swear, Cindy, I think he dreams them up!"

Under normal circumstances, I would have slumped against the window in defeat. He was right, and he had been from the moment I set foot in his house. I was obsessed, unnaturally, unwaveringly, and unrelentingly. I felt a deep desire, a yearning to track them down, the heinous Falcars, an insatiable desire to kill every last one of them. Under normal circumstances, I could have been accused of chasing shadows, hunting ghosts, but that was not the case this time. This time, there had been a real attack, and the evidence was strewn about the bloody grass. I knew what I saw, because I’d seen it before. I knew exactly what had ripped that man apart, right next to his hydrangeas.

You’re right. He’s been a complete mess. Cindy’s eyes drifted almost nervously to the car before returning to Fred. Still, what he says makes sense.

My head lifted in surprise, and I stared at her with wide eyes through the window. On the other side of the glass, my best friend was just as surprised as I was, as well as dismayed; Fred suddenly looked like a little boy just finding out that Santa Claus wasn’t real.

Are you serious right now? he asked incredulously. Why the hell would you encourage him? He’s still drunk, for fuck’s sake. I can smell it on him.

She shifted uneasily on her feet and looked at him with an expression I’d never seen her give him before. The two of them bickered as much as any couple, but they’d never argued over anything so serious. In that way, they were completely unique. Their relationship had already been put through every imaginable and life-threatening test, so they were usually completely, unceasingly aligned.

Yes, I’m aware he is a bit...tipsy, but, Fred, you can see the attack pattern here. It doesn’t match any of the usual suspects. It is too sloppy for a vampire, too neat for a wolf, and—

What about a gargoyle then?

I straightened in my seat and gazed at Fred with doubled surprise. I couldn’t believe he went there, and it was an indication that he was far more upset than I thought. I had never heard him speak an unkind or accusatory word about Cindy or her kind in general, and it was quite shocking to hear him do so.

Cindy bristled defensively but held her ground. The tears are too small to have been made by one of us. I’m afraid we cannot exercise such control once in a rage. Her eyes flashed as she looked him over. You have seen me in combat, but I can show you a reminder if you like.

Fred dropped his eyes apologetically, then stared quickly back up at her with dark earnestly. The Falcars are extinct. What happened to Logan’s pack was unthinkable, and he has every right to swear revenge, but there is no one left to take it out on. If there was, I’d be the first to help him. He shook his head, looking suddenly tired. Lord knows I’ve tried.

I dropped my eyes as well, glaring fixedly at the floor of the car. Fred really did stand by me through everything, and never questioned my word before, not for a single second. Together, the two of us had gallivanted all over the country, tracking down leads, putting bad guys in the ground when we could. Other times we were ordered to bring them in. Immortal as they were, we dragged them