The Unmaking (The Rayne Whitmore Series Book 1) Read online

  They couldn’t have gotten far because once the world stops spinning and my vision returns, I can still hear the music from club Obsession in the distance. From the smell, they’ve dragged me in an alley. Gee, how cliché; bad guys and alleys.

  Whoever it is that’s dragging me hasn’t even realized that I’ve woken up. Clearly they didn’t think that I’d be conscious so quickly. They’re probably trying to take me to a car so they can drive to a second location. Not going to happen. I slam my feet hard into the dirt and cause my kidnappers to stumble. It’s just enough for me to pull my arms free and roll away. It doesn’t take them long to recover from the shock and come after me. I pretend to take a step back as if I’m prepared to run, but I come at them full speed, much quicker than they expected from a human. I use this surprise to my advantage as well.

  I clothesline the guy closest to me and his head slams against the ground hard, but not hard enough to keep him down. He’s bald with a thick brown goatee and white skin. The other one is a pale vamp that smiles at me with deadly teeth, poised to strike. His hair is cut short. In this dark alley, he’ll have the advantage of the shadows.

  Vampires are able to become one with the shadows for a short period of time which was why they are the greatest hunters the night has to offer. Right now, he’s probably listening to the thump of my heart. Then, I hear footsteps behind me and curse my luck. This one is wearing a bandana on his head and on his arm giving him the look of an old school biker.

  They have me pretty much surrounded; all of them are dressed in black from head to toe. I don’t know if I can count on Selene to back me up. Still, I’m not too worried that I’ll lose this fight; I’m just worried about what they want with me.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “So, is there a reason that you needed me out cold to come with you? Don’t you know the proper way to ask for a date?” I wipe the dirt from my leather jacket and try to look as though I’m the one in control of the situation. While doing that, I try to turn my body so that I can see every single one of their moves.

  No response, great I’m not among the talkative group. Then, I look at the one that I knocked down. He’s pointing at his mouth. When he opens it, there’s no tongue. Shit. None of them could speak even if they wanted to. Who would want that kind of job? Psychos, that’s who. That means that they were chosen specifically for jobs like this. I wasn’t even back two whole days yet. How in the world am I already a target?

  “Well, let’s just move this along then,” I say.

  As the one behind me shifts to his left, I track his movement right before I’m hit with an electric shock from the one I knocked down. Baldy. It brings me to my knees as the surge courses through my body. He’s a witch, just great. I need to take him out first.

  It isn’t hard to analyze their plan. He will attack from a distance and while I’m trying to dodge those, the other two will come for me. I still don’t know what biker dude is, so I’ll have to watch him closely. I can’t wait for Selene. The chances are that there is some type of commotion in the club that caused her to not be able to get back to me. That, or they are spelling this area making it hard to follow my trail.

  He shifts again and another blow of magic hits me. They’re communicating. The third time, they will attack. I’m right. Once the witch shoots again, I use the wall for leverage and deliver a swift kick to the vampire’s head. I don’t hesitate since the bandana wearing one has come into the fray with hands that are on fire. I try to dodge all his blows, but one connects, causing a hole to be burned through my clothes. The heat coming off of him is unreal and I sweat drips from my brow into my eyes. Quickly, I wipe it away.

  He’s a half fire demon and I’m unarmed. I can’t block his blows with my hands or feet and I definitely can’t keep much distance between us because every time I do, the witch attempts an attack. As I long as I stay close to these two, the witch won’t risk it.

  The demon’s job is to create enough fear of him to cause me to keep that distance where the witch would incapacitate me and if need be, if I become too much trouble, the vamp will finish me off by draining enough of my blood that I can’t fight back. It’s in my best interest to not let that happen either. Once a vamp locks onto you and starts pumping pheromones into your body, it can sometimes be damn near impossible to force them to break from a feeding alone.

  It wasn’t hard for me to figure out their plans and see through it. I was praised for my vision in battle from Diana and Lawrence. It was apparently one of the things that I inherited when I’d been un-made. My analytical skills had increased tremendously since it had been one of my strong points before. Now, what I need is a way to draw the witch’s fire to hit one of his own. I have to let the demon think that I am afraid of him. I have to let him get close. It hurts my heart profoundly to know that I’ll have to sacrifice my beautiful red jacket.

  The vampire isn’t that strong. It is obvious that he’s a young vamp that had been turned recently. Thank God he isn’t a pureblood. I know I can end him at anytime, but before I do that, I need the witch to play into my plan. The demon’s next punch comes uncomfortably close to my face. The heat beats against my skin, scorching it. I feign fear and the half demon’s face reveals smugness. He thinks he has me beat.

  Good.

  I keep backing up, closer and closer to the witch. The vampire is standing down, also assuming that they can handle me on their own. If he would have been paying attention to his instincts, then he would have heard the calmness in the beat of my heart. Instead he’s watching my eyes and the fictional fear that I put in them.

  The half demon’s hands begin to glow even brighter. I allow one more brush against my clothes as he picks up the speed on his attacks. Still, in reality, his attacks are too slow, too easy to read. They’re not professionals this bunch. They are a test. I understand that now. Now, I’m tired of playing the game.

  I pretend to stumble, and the demon reaches for my throat. I use his momentum to pull him forward by his arm, straight into the neck of the witch. It takes too long for the half blood to realize what has happened. By that time, the smell of burning flesh and the attempted scream of the witch hit him with full force. He turns to me, but I’m already behind him, snapping his neck, quickly and efficiently. I have no time to think about my kill. The vamp is enraged and sprinting towards me like a freight train.

  Before I can react, his head is removed from his neck and his flesh begins to crumble away like all vampires that meet their final death. I’m sure my own surprise echoed his. I never saw it coming, so I know he didn’t either. Just as quickly as it had happened, the deliverer of the strike is back in the shadows. I stand as if I’m frozen to the ground, afraid to budge because I don’t know if they are friend or foe. I don’t even know if they are still there.

  “Hello?” I ask warily, suddenly feeling like the next victim in a scary movie.

  “He knows what you are. You will need more than the protection of that wolf. I know who you are as well and I will give you my protection too. He’s building up an army and you need to be prepared. I will help you get stronger. This is just the beginning Rayne Whitmore.” Her voice is determined, prepared, but somehow familiar.

  “Help me how?” I ask, but there’s no response other than the wind. I turn and walk back out of the alley. This time I know that I’m alone. No matter what Selene said, I wouldn’t be going anywhere without Katsu, not when Namen Young knew about me clearly well before I even knew his name. Anubis was right. He was dangerous. He’d sent three people to test me. Maybe he’d sent them to watch Anubis, but they figured out who I was. Maybe I just put him in more danger.

  Shit!

  I run back in the direction of the music and fling open the door. Jaxson is sitting there with Selene holding an ice pack against his head.

  “What do you mean you didn’t see who took her!” she screams at him before looking up at me, relief evident in her dark green eyes. “Jesus Rayne. I hadn’t even left you for five min
utes. What the hell happened?” she asks frantically.

  “Namen Young happened. That’s the bastard’s name who took my family. He knew I wasn’t dead Selene. He’s been waiting for me to show my face,” I tell her.

  Selene and Jaxson both give me a look. Jaxson stands up and pulls out his cell.

  “I have to call Anubis. He could be in danger.” Jaxson dials his number then looks at me as he waits for the call to go through. “I can’t believe he told you. I’m his second, his enforcer and if his helping you brings any harm to him or my pack. I will hunt you down.”

  “Well, right now, I’m under your protection, so don’t ruin our treaty just yet,” I tell him.

  Jaxson walks away and when he returns he breathes a sigh of relief.

  “You won’t be attacked this close to the full moon and you know it. Do not threaten my girlfriend again,” Selene warns calmly, but with a deadly and promising look in her eyes.

  I smile at her protectiveness and so does Jaxson. Clearly, he appreciates a spirited woman. “Packs will protect their own. You can’t blame me for doing my job.”

  “And if you lay a finger on her, I will do mine,” she reiterates.

  “Well, from what I’ve learned tonight, Anubis is allowing Namen to destroy him with fear. If you truly cared about your pack, you would do all you could to help me put an end to this man,” I tell him.

  Jaxson considers my words for a second, then says, “Come back here tomorrow night and we will talk. If you can’t make it, then call this number.” He gives me his number and Selene suggests that we leave now.

  “Did you get what else you came for?” I ask.

  “No. I think I was mistaken,” she responds quietly.

  Selene takes me to the Ducati and waits until I pull off before driving down the street. On the ride back, I think about how easy it was for me to snap the half-demon’s neck, how I did it without a moment’s hesitation. Maybe it would always be that easy. I think about how I felt that day when my father had beat that man. How I was hurt by how my father handled his business, how I grappled with the morality of it. Now, I am a killer. Did I think I was wrong? No. Would I do it again? Yes. Amazing how life can turn.

  We get home and I fill Selene in on all that Anubis had explained to me. I tell her about the fact that Namen had said that he knew Anubis was “special” when he was trying to recruit him and what that meant. I wonder if it is something more to this wolf than he is letting on. There has to be another reason that Namen has kept him alive for so long. Anubis probably doesn’t give himself enough credit. Once I handle this lamia problem, I would find out. I need to find out what Anubis really is if I’m going to use him.

  Next, I ask Selene if she knows anything about Namen Young. She tells me that she’s never heard of the name and that I need to also remember that she hasn’t been here for that many years, not to mention the fact that she’s kept a low profile, hiding from her own past. It really doesn’t make any difference though. I have his name now and I will find him. Even if he attacks first, I’ll be ready.

  “So what happened when they took you? What did they say to you?” she asks.

  “Well, it happened so fast. I saw Jaxson go down, and then they had me. Honestly, I don’t know if they were all in the club or outside the door waiting. They knocked me out for all of maybe two minutes. As I came to as they were dragging me in an alley,” I begin.

  “They couldn’t have followed us. They were probably watching Anubis.” She agreed with me on that.

  “Yeah, then they came after me. It was like Namen wanted to verify who or what I am. It was three of them, but they weren’t very strong. They knew how to coordinate their attacks on a basic level, but they had no real skills. One was a half-fire demon which is why my lovely jacket looks like I’d been in a barbecue. There was also a vamp and a witch.”

  “A witch? What did this witch look like?”

  “Well, he looked dead now. I tricked the demon into burning his throat.”

  For a second there’s a glimpse of fear on Selene’s face, I swear it.

  “Are you okay Selene?” I ask. “Is there something wrong?”

  “No, just tell me what he looked like.”

  “Shit, I don’t know. He was average looking. Average height, average build, bald with a brown goatee. Oh, and none of them had any tongues. It was pretty creepy actually.”

  “No tongues? Interesting. I wonder what’s the point of that, if it’s forced or whatnot.”

  “Me too. They seemed far too willing to do his bidding, but that still didn’t mean much. There was something else,” I say, thinking about the mysterious stranger in the shadows who’d finished off the vamp with so much skill that I never even realized she was there.

  “What is it?” Selene asks as she puts on something more comfortable, obviously hearing my hesitation at my thoughts.

  “There was someone else in the alley with us. I don’t know where she came from, if she was there the whole time or what. Hell, I never even got a look at her,” I admit.

  “Did she try to attack you? What happened Rayne? Did she do or say anything to you?” Selene clearly didn’t like the fact that I hadn’t been aware. Shit, I didn’t like it. Maybe it was because I was still new to this.

  “No, she didn’t try to hurt me. It was the opposite. She helped me by taking the vamp’s head off. Neither one of us ever saw it coming, and lucky for me, it was him she was after because there was no way I’d have been able to stop that attack,” I say honestly. If she’d been my enemy, I’d be dead right now, period. Suddenly realizing that, my hands start to tremble slightly. I need to pay more attention. I had gotten cocky about beating those three that I never even thought that they could have very well been bait to the true attack. Then, I know the truth.

  “I knew that it was a test once I started fighting, but now I understand a little better,” I begin as I start stripping off my clothes, tired of feeling constricted in them.

  Once I am down to my bra and panties, I continue. “Namen was learning my weaknesses, and I could have just given him a big one. He could have had someone much more efficient waiting for the right moment to strike. That’s basically what those three were teaching me, that’s what they were doing by the vampire and half breed fighting me and the witch targeting me from a distance.”

  “Still, that wasn’t the lesson, the lesson was to pay attention to what had been hiding in the shadows even farther away. Whomever that stranger was Selene, they may have very well saved my life tonight,” I explain. It did seem odd to me that she’d intervened when I obviously had a handle on the battle. Maybe I never did. Maybe she made her move so that whatever else had been out there would back off. As soon as I thought it, I knew it to be truth. Damn.

  “You’ll have to be much more careful then. I know you wanted to find this lamia, but maybe it’s not the best idea. We don’t even know what we’re up against right now, and this whole lamia thing could end up being a trap or at least an opportunity to kill you. From what you’ve told me, Namen apparently doesn’t like loose ends.”

  “I can’t Selene and you know it, so you might as well drop it. I’m not changing my mind on it. Once I have the information I need, I’ll end it quickly okay, so don’t trip.”

  “Well, I won’t stop you, you know that. Did this person say anything to you?”

  “Yeah, she seemed to know exactly who I was which means that Namen isn’t the only one keeping tabs on me. She said that he, presumably Namen, knew who I was and that I needed to become stronger. She also said that I was under her protection too.”

  “She never said who she was or why? This is not making any damn sense. I don’t like it Rayne. There is something else going on here. It seems like too much too damn fast. Merda! Eu não gosto deste.” Great. When Selene started to worry in Portuguese that meant she was really troubled.

  Maybe I should be too.

  “Ok, well first things first. We know I can’t handle all these things at onc
e, and it was my decision to add the lamia to the plate, but I’ll handle it. Having Anubis put me under his protection won’t help with Namen, but maybe it’d help with other supernaturals. This woman though, her words carry some weight, I can feel it. I have time to at least learn more about Anubis, Namen, and kill the lamia before anything major goes down. That woman will find me, she said she’d help me.”

  “And you will go nowhere with her alone right?” she asks.

  I pause before I answer, knowing I couldn’t promise that. If she could help me and Selene wasn’t around, I’m positive I won’t wait.

  “Really Rayne?” Selene says, not so much in a question. “It shouldn’t be much to think about on this. You don’t know her. All I’m asking is that you wait for me, can you do that?”

  “I will try Selene,” I tell her.

  “That’s not fucking good enough. This is not a game.”

  “It wasn’t a fucking game when I was almost taken tonight too, and I handled myself anyway,” I snap, realizing that I was kind of angry with her for not following me out and not telling me what was so urgent inside.

  “So, you being mad at me, blaming me, is going to make it alright for you to run off and train with some strange cadela? Wow. I can’t believe you right now.”

  “Do you not trust me?” I ask.

  “This isn’t about trust, Rayne, are you serious right now? This is about your safety. Where is this coming from? We don’t argue about things like this. If I wanted to argue with you about trust, I would have said something when we were with the Immortals and Diana tried to seduce you every other day, not to mention Lawrence. You are attracted to her and I never complained, never threw a fit because it’s okay to appreciate a beautiful woman without acting on it. But, don’t pull this trust crap on me right now.”