Jane Read online

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One: It’s a Small World

  Chapter Two: Prancing with Wolves

  Chapter Three: Aim High

  Chapter Four: Big Boom

  Chapter Five: Hell Hath No Fury

  Chapter Six: Running On Empty

  Chapter Seven: Serendipity

  Chapter Eight: Mistress of Disguise

  Chapter Nine: The Right Path

  Chapter Ten: Don’t Feed the Troll

  Chapter Eleven: Keep Your Nose on the Demon

  Chapter Twelve: Near Death Experience

  Chapter Thirteen: The A-Team

  Chapter Fourteen: Plan On It

  Chapter Fifteen: Jewel in the Rough

  Chapter Sixteen: Don’t Look Behind You

  Chapter Seventeen: Get that Girl a Robe

  Chapter Eighteen: A Wedding

  Chapter Nineteen: What Happens in Vegas...

  Chapter Twenty: Leap of Faith

  Chapter Twenty-One: And a Funeral

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Two Hearts, Never Apart

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  This book is dedicated to all my cats who have gone on before me.

  Neon, Kiwi, Winston, Luna, and Kaluha. They have given me much unconditional love and I miss them all. To my brothers in law, Terry, Dean, and John and my favorite niece, Haley as well as my mother-inlaw, Lamarr.

  CHAPTER ONE: IT’S A SMALL WORLD

  A STONE CIRCLE IN the middle of the forest, I thought. I had no trouble seeing in the dark with my vampire vision.

  “Which way, Jade?” I said. I tried to find traces of Clive’s passage on the ground.

  Jade was part shifter and she should be able to pick up the scent quickly. Jade sniffed the air and turned slowly.

  “That way,” she said, pointing.

  I took off but Jade grabbed my arm, holding me in place.

  “Wait!” she said, pausing and looking at me strangely. “Dawn is almost here. Can’t you feel it?” She sniffed the air again. “A fire,” she said. “Follow me.”

  We ran with the wind. I followed two steps behind, wondering what she thought about my mistake. A vamp knows instinctively when the sun is coming. I hoped she thought I was just so focused on my prey that I had not sensed it. I had been drinking only Jade’s blood for many days and I was changing. I was not ready to tell her. I was afraid she would stop giving me her blood.

  Jade, as the Angel of Death, had chosen to fall, remaking her mortal self into a combination of supernatural creatures, a mix of Fae, vamp, shifter, and witch. Through her will and her magic she did something no fallen angel had done before and I doubted she really had any idea of the full consequences of her choice.

  Recently I started to dream of the daylight, walking the beach at noon, naked in the wind and sun. I realized I could probably ignore the urge to lose consciousness at sunrise and wondered if I could stand the sun without burning to ash. Some vampires are better at staying awake during the day and a few could tolerate the sun for brief moments. It was a matter of who their master was. The ability was passed down from master to those that were turned by that master. My mother’s master was of the most powerful lineage in the world and she turned me. This lineage was powerful, but completely at the mercy of the day, falling asleep at the moment of sunrise and rarely waking before dusk. The last few days with Jade, I had to pretend this weakness, even waking during the day but not moving and giving away my secret. She would find out soon enough and I would deal with it then.

  “We’re being followed,” Jade said, not turning or pausing in our run, knowing I could hear her. “Shifters on both sides of us. I believe this is pack territory. I have no idea where or what pack this is. I believe we’re heading for one of their meeting places. Somebody is cooking breakfast.”

  As she told me I heard them. My sense of hearing was almost as good as hers, although she probably smelled them first. They were several of them on each side of us moving silently as possible, but we were moving so fast they could not be completely silent. They closed in on our position and if this was pack territory, we might have a fight on our hands. Jade’s entire focus was getting me to a place of shelter. If she had to she could probably bury me under some leaves, but that was a last option. If I really focused, I sensed dawn was only a few minutes away.

  Just as I finished that thought we reached a clearing. A large ranch style structure stood in front of us. It was similar to the meeting hall where we stayed in North Carolina, a typical shifter place, twin chimneys on either end, probably half kitchen and dining area, knowing shifters. Between us and that place was a line of shifters, men and women as well as a few that had shifted into wolf form, large and imposing creatures. The ones that shadowed us also emerged. They had already shifted and they closed ranks to circle us from behind, preventing our escape. The leader was in front of us, a large, muscular man who looked somewhat familiar, although I could not place him.

  We stopped less than ten yards in front of him.

  “She is a vampire,” Jade said. “I must get her inside before sunrise.”

  “Guten Morgen,” the leader said. “Welcome to Germany. Jade and Jane, I presume. Follow me,” he continued, leading us to the door. Except for one dangerous-looking female, the others stayed outside. As we entered, I felt the sun coming up. Ignoring it this time I said, “Thank you for your hospitality. I did not bring my sunscreen lotion.”

  Jade was silent, looking confused, staying close in case I lost consciousness and fell.

  “My name is Dirk,” he said. “I am the older brother of your friends Hans and Markus and I am the leader of this pack.” Motioning the girl forward, he continued, “This is Hannah, our younger sister and the pack’s enforcer.”

  “Small world,” I said, smiling but not showing much fang and reaching out to shake their hands.

  Jade was still silent. For once she was at a loss for words.

  Dirk motioned us to sit on one of the well-worn leather couches. He sat across from us in a leather recliner while Hannah remained standing, hovering near him. In front of us was a large solid oak coffee table with a few magazines spread across it. The top one was Der Stern and the cover had a picture of Jade and me at the train station on our way to Guildford, dressed as college students. We had set our backpacks down and were engaged in a kiss. Jade had her hand on my cheek, drawing me in. As usual I had a hand firmly on Jade’s ass, the other around her waist, drawing her close. Her other hand was suspiciously close to my left breast. It was a romantic picture, black and white and just beautiful.

  “Wow!” I said. “I will have to get this picture from the photographer and have it framed.”

  “You make a nice couple,” Dirk said. “I have been following your adventures after talking with my brothers in North Carolina.”

  Jade was still distracted and fidgety, looking instead towards the big french doors to the left of us, leading to some picnic tables outside. “Can you cover those glass doors?” she asked. “The sun is going to hit them any minute.”

  “I will get a blanket to cover them,” Hannah replied. “I will also close the curtains on the windows.”

  As she did that, Dirk got a call on his cell phone. Jade and I heard the other side of the conversation easily. Two shifters in wolf form following the first person to arrive were dead, torn apart by brute force near the edge of pack territory. That must have been Clive. They had only partially changed back to human form and it was an ugly scene.

  “Bring them back for a proper burial,” Dirk said. “I have to inform their families. We will have a pack meeting here at the dining hall shortly.” As he ended the call, he looked our way, and Hannah rejoined us.

  “Let me tell you a story about our pack and the stone circle,” he said
. “Our original pack leader, an alpha female by the name of Gretchen, claimed she was directed to start a pack here by a visit from an angel of God. Over the course of many centuries a great evil has emerged from that circle seven times and the pack has been tested in battle on each occasion. From what we have been able to gather, the portal does not have a fixed point of origin. Each time that evil has come from different parts of the world. Sometimes powerful individuals and sometimes groups of people have emerged in that location. We believe the will of God has forced them to exit at this portal. Make no mistake, whoever it was that came through will be back shortly and we will be tested yet again.”

  Jade spoke up. She was slightly more relaxed now the sun was blocked but still gave me a few inquisitive glances. “I believe the one that came through is the Devil himself. He has taken possession of a human named Clive Wishmeister. We are chasing him and we will find him and kill him. He is also responsible for our troubles in America.”

  “Our pack’s purpose is to fight, to do battle with evil,” Hannah said. “We train from a young age in all forms of weapons and combat. Many of us go into jobs involving things like the military and security, much as our brothers Hans and Markus have done in your country. Like them, our pack members will always return at some point and we do not allow many to leave, keeping a strong presence here at all times. Monies earned outside of the pack are returned to the pack to maintain this force.”

  “Excuse me,” Dirk interjected. “I need to inform the families and announce an emergency meeting here. I will also double the patrols along our borders and set up some sniper positions. I’ll send our young that are not battle trained to a safe location. Hannah will remain here with you in the meantime. Jane, if you need to sleep, now is the time to do so. I will return with the pack leaders in an hour.”

  “I’m good,” I said. “Some coffee might help. Jade will probably take some as well if you have any.” Looking at Jade, I said, “I will tell you later, trust me on this.”

  Jade knew vamps don’t drink much of anything except blood, as it makes them ill. Hannah probably knew this as well but went to do as I asked. Jade’s eyes were full of questions and she reached over to hold my hand.

  “If you have espresso we will take a triple.” I spoke in Hannah’s direction, knowing her shifter hearing would pick up my words from the kitchen. Looking at Jade, I added, “Maybe you have some chocolate for Jade. It has been a long night and day already.”

  The espresso was delicious. I had not had any since before I was turned, several decades ago. Jade was still watching me carefully. She must think I lost my mind somewhere in the portal transfer.

  Stretching out on the couch, I put my head in Jade’s lap. “I think I will take a brief nap after all,” I said. Looking up at Jade I said, “Wake me up when the meeting starts, please.” I was a little drowsy, but I was sure I would wake even during the day.

  CHAPTER TWO: PRANCING WITH WOLVES

  ABOUT TWENTY OF US gathered in the dining hall. Jade and I were there along with the pack leaders. Hannah read from an intelligence report she compiled from pack members and contacts in the intelligence community.

  “Our information indicates his likely plan will be to go south to Hamburg from here. All indications are that he is in the upper echelon of the international criminal underworld and he will find plenty of resources there. That idiot bastard Jonah that leads the shifter pack in that area thrives on providing muscle and protection to these criminals. I expect he will jump at the chance to attack us. He also has contacts with Neo-Nazi paramilitary groups we’ve had a few run-ins with in the past and I expect to see some of those returning with him.

  “Based on what Jade and Jane told me, I believe his goal is to bring a superior force to bear and eliminate us. My estimate is that he will not have enough time to put this force together today, but tomorrow after daybreak sometime is a good possibility.”

  “What makes you think he’ll return?” Jade asked. “He could be half way around the world by tomorrow morning.”

  “No evil has come through that portal without a great conflict taking place,” Hannah responded. “There is no doubt in my mind that our pack will be tested again.”

  Dirk spoke up. “I agree with Hannah’s assessment. We are on alert and we have moved our non-combatants to a safe location. Half of our pack is patrolling the borders now, and those not in wolf form are fully armed with assault rifles and other weapons. All our mines and booby traps have been activated. If these other shifters come, they will be met with a trained fighting force. They will most likely expect a standard pack response and not suspect we will have military style weaponry available as well.”

  He paused before continuing, “Assuming they don’t attack before sundown we will move Jane and Jade to high ground at a point where they can observe what is going on. Hannah will be with them and will direct our forces from there. As is customary, I will lead the forces on the ground. Any of their shifters will be able to sniff out Jane’s location as she is the only vampire in the territory. Jade tells me this demon may be able to sense her location as well, so we expect their forces to head in their direction. Hermann, Wilfried, Gerd, Christof, and Frank are assigned to protect Jane and Jade and our other forces will converge on their attack point. We will maintain a small group patrolling in other areas in case they attempt an attack from two directions. Those not out on patrol will eat and then we will switch places. We are going to go in eight hour shifts so eat well.”

  Jade would join them for the meal, while I slept away the rest of the day. I had told her I would explain things tonight about my ability to stay awake during the day. I don’t know if she thought I had been keeping things from her or that it was something else but I know she trusted me. I would have no trouble sleeping. I was already drowsy. I was getting used to being awake during the day but I had only an hour of sleep so far and I was still not adjusted to it. I doubted I would be able to sleep much at night even with the changes taking place in my system.

  Vamps love to flit about in the dark and I enjoyed our trek up the hill to Eagle Point. Hannah and Jade made good progress in a slow jog and I ventured out on occasion playing with security shadowing us on either side. Wilfried and Christof on our left couldn’t be fooled as they were downwind and could easily smell me coming but I managed to spook Gerd and Hermann on our right a couple of times. I used this vamp trick some of the more powerful vamps like me can do that makes it seem as if you have teleported from one spot to another and I was showing Gerd and Hermann how that worked. Too funny. I had gotten even better at this since I was on a steady diet of Jade’s blood. I had no doubt I was probably better than my Mom, Rose Red now, but I wasn’t telling Jade about this improvement anytime soon. I had shown her this trick a few times when we were fooling around and she said it was a combination of speed and some kind of vamp magic similar to a Fae glamour.

  Jade was just rolling her eyes, probably wondering where I was getting the energy and why I was in such a mood. Frank growled occasionally from behind us, letting me know what he thought of my little game. I had not eaten and I would accidentally bump into Jade on occasion, letting her know what I thought. Later, she had said, after we had a chance to talk. Yeah, right.

  Hannah insisted we make a trip to their armory first and Jade loaded up with a couple of handguns and some Japanese swords, as well as various daggers and throwing knives. Hannah and our security carried more advanced automatic weapons. Jade insisted I take at least a dagger and I relented, sticking one in my right boot. Even though it was not the vamp way I would do as she insisted. I sensed the silver in their bullets and could just imagine what they felt. Shifters are even more sensitive to silver than vamps.

  When we reached Eagle Point I saw they had cleared it of trees and brush. It was a small flat plateau in a rough circle about thirty yards across. Even in the dark I saw for miles in all directions. It was a clear night with a bit of a chill in the air. Our security set up a good sized tent
for us and then dispersed back down the slope and spread out around us. I didn’t see anybody being able to approach us undetected.

  “I will get some rest while you two take the first watch,” Hannah said. She gave us one of her phones and showed us how to call various groups within the pack, including one number for the entire pack on speed dial. “Best thing to do is to wake me if you see something suspicious,” she said. “You might see some of our movements and not be able to tell if it is anything out of the ordinary.” She went inside the tent after that, taking her weapons with her. She knew I had to feed and would give us some space even though with a shifter’s hearing and sense of smell there was really no privacy in this.

  Most times when I fed from Jade we had made it part of our lovemaking but this time it was pretty clinical. We would have to make up for that later. As I finished, not needing much of her blood to fill me, I whispered to her, “Sorry.”

  “Love you,” she responded with a brief kiss. I saw she was okay with putting our little talk to the side for now, as we did have more pressing things to worry about. We sat in silence on a big tree stump, shoulders touching, looking out in the direction of the south. We would take turns getting up and checking the view in other directions as well.

  About one in the morning Hannah was up and Jade went to the tent for some sleep. As the sun approached with nothing eventful being observed, I retired to the tent as well for some sleep. Jade woke and went outside to help Hannah prepare breakfast. She told me she would wake me if we were attacked. I had a feeling that would not be long.

  CHAPTER THREE: AIM HIGH

  WHEN JADE SHOOK ME awake, I saw it was late morning through the slit in the tent.

  “Something is happening,” she said. “Best be ready.” Then she left me in the semi darkness.

  This will not do, I thought, sitting up and fully awake. That sunshine looked so inviting outside and it was time to test out my theory. Jeans, tennis shoes, a hoodie over my head and sunglasses would just have to do. If this worked I would surely have to get some sunscreen lotion. I was pale and even if I could tolerate the sun, I would likely get sunburn. Without a second thought I left the tent. Jade and Hannah turned immediately from where they were standing, eyes filling with shock.