Chapter 1
“What are we looking at Emily?”
I turned to my most trusted agent that was perched on the end of the building with her legs dangling on the edge, her laptop at her side and binoculars in hand looking at the miles stretch from our target. It was pitch dark outside for an ordinary human.
Emily Acosta, has been by my side since she was 14 always on the side lines and I made sure the best was by her side to protect her, since she is vital to our team. Emily is a shifter and her preferred animal is the panther, she tracks her prey with her senses but she is mostly the one to be able to control systems like the satellite or even peoples phones in order to find our targets. She is still young, only 23, and even though she used to fight tooth and nail for no bodyguards I demanded it with how dangerous are jobs can be and I want nothing to happen to her in the process.
“The vampire is still hidden inside the house. From the heat signatures, I say he has about...29 victims hidden. They are a bit spaced so he might have them in cells. We are still unsure if he has an accomplice but we are still scouting,” She put the binoculars down and finally glanced at me. “That jacket looks cute as heck on you, is that real leather?”
I looked at the leather trench coat I wore with a matching black jumpsuit and combat boots. My personally carved blades were strapped to my thigh.
“No, it’s fake. I never feel right wearing what humans eat.”
Just then we heard the voice of Q, another agent, over the ear piece we all wore to communicate. “We have incoming of about ten more but they are not just vampires, I think we got a couple of ghouls as well.”
Emily chuckled, “You look good but unless you want to ruin it I suggest leaving it here with me,” She said with a little glint in her eye which I know if I hand it to her I will never get it back.
“I bet 50 dollars she would not even get one speck of blood on it,” This time it was Tonya.
“Make it a hundred,” Q Said in agreement.
“Add another fifty but for against, She loves the flow of blood.” Antonio said.
“Hundred against,” The whisper of Siri stated.
I rolled my eyes at them and waited for Emily’s bet.
“I would love to be against but I want that coat and I would like my coat to stay clean.” She said as she made claim to the clothing off my back.
I heard the chuckle of everyone after her statement. I rolled my should back and moved my head side to side. “We shall see who is right. I am on my way, lure them out on my command.”
I moved on the side of the rooftop of the grungy run down apartment and glanced at Emily and Xander, who stayed in his stone form though our conversation. Xander is a gargoyle, they prefer to stay as their stoned form and only move or speak until they have to or spoken too. He has been one of the originals of my team along with Antonio my made child and Siri who is a creature called a Whisper which is what people thought were ghost but are not since she can be solid and interact like others. We formed this group together because of Xander. He may be stoned most of the time but he is a living creature who no one bothers to pay attention to but he sees and knows a lot because of it and came to me and Antonio when we were traveling in Germany in the late 1800s. Siri showed herself to us during our hunt for a witch covenant that was tired of sacrificing goats and moved to other creatures for their rituals. She never told us her story but I believe she was one of their victims before she died and became a Whisper especially since she just appeared to help and then stayed when we decided to keep helping those who are in need.
I walked along the side of the building towards where the rest of the team were. As I strolled down I spoke to the team, “Tonya and Q, set up a distraction...Tonya style.” I speed over to their side.
A whoop from Tonya, who is a Lycan and eccentric, a very deadly combinations. She shifted, which is a big two legged wolf-like creature, and strut over to a medium sized tree and pushed it down, rolling it front and center of the isolated house.
“Blaze it, Q!” She said excitedly and Q, a warlock, lit the tree with a flick of his wrist. The odds are 11 to 5 but I did not allow just anyone to be on my team but the strongest. We all got ready and when all of them piled out they never stood a chance.
With a cloth from my pocket, I whipped the blood clean off. Vampires either had to be staked or decapitated and the goals only needed the later. It was simple and fast. I wanted to tortured them a bit but our main concerns are the humans.
“Alright. Q and Siri, go down there, calm and gather the humans. Tonya will go down there to help after she shifts. Antonio and I will work on he bodies.” We got to work.
I have said before that Antonio was my made child which means he was formed into a vampire because of me. I was not the first vampire and I am unlike them as well because I was born a goddess. My father is the God of the Underworld, Hades, and my mother is the unfortunate Persephone. Biologically and Vampiricly, I become the Goddess of the Undead. Antonio is the only one I have ever made into a vampire and since I am his mother of his rebirth, he also is allowed to walk in the sun without complications. The rest of the species had gotten the short end of the stick, even the children he had sired.
Humans are still unaware in our society and we have wizards, like Q, to keep it that way with glamour potions and ability to alter memories.
We worked on moving the bodies and their parts over to a room inside the house. The others have filed out of the basement out to the street without seeing the death all around them.
Soon the humans returned back home safe, the house had a tragic accent with fire, and I was finally back home.
I own a large property to be secluded from people who would pass by and just see a drive way. My home is my sanctuary and where my companions usually come for a debriefing but tonight I told them to come by once they were all clean and taken cared of. I went up the stairs, stripped from my close, and ran a hot petal bath.
I glanced at myself on the mirror. I had chocolate brown curls on my head that hung down my back, a caramel tan with a hint of paleness from my vampirism, and gray almond eyes that shine and glimmer in the darkest night. I shut off the water and climbed in now filled tub. I sighed in relief and closed my eyes.
This was all normal for us. I have been fighting for others for such a long time and always keeping the peace between supernaturals and occasionally humans. It is lonely work. My child, Antonio, has a beloved that he has turn for a while now and I was a bit jealous. He found someone he wanted to be with for the rest of our eternal existence. I haven’t received that yet and I certainly never lusted over someone. I just became a mother to all and handled things that others couldn’t.
My pity party ended when I sensed a familiar presence in the bathroom. It started with a giggle. I peaked one eye open and glanced at the two deity’s lounging on the sofa near the closet. I quickly shut my eyes with a very unladylike like grunt.
“And what have I done, to be pleased with your presences?”
“Oh, Thea you most certainly flatter us with your words,” said the Goddess of love, Aphrodite with a light giggle. “We have made a challenge for you, and we just wanted to warn you just cause you are our favorite child.”
I opened my eyes. They got my full attention now. The bathroom was candle lit but their body glowed a beautiful golden hue. Aphrodite slayed lazily on the sofa, with a beautiful glittery gown and very high and deadly heels. I finally looked at the other goddess and started to get concerned. It was Selene the moon goddess, the maker of Lycans and shifters. She also looked radiant but had more of a simple style of a short floral dress and barefooted. Both have similar mischievous smiles though. My curiosity peaked with a hint of hesitation.
“What is this challenge?” I said as I stood from the bath and began getting dress as the water drain from the tub.
“You should tell her, Selene. It was mostly your idea after all.” Aphrodite conjured up a martini and started to take sips.
“We got you a mate, a soulmate.” Selene said in a sing song voice.
I froze and just stared at them. I wanted this, I know I did but when it’s the workings of two goddess who love to fiddle and play with fate. It’s kind of concerning, especially when their grins turned into more of a smirk.
“And he will be asking for you soon, not cause he knows but he has a sudden want and need to contact you.” Aphrodite added.
I just stared, hopefully without an expression.
“My love, I think we broke her.” Aphrodite glanced over to Selene who started to laugh at her comment.
“We may have chosen your worse enemy, who really is not an enemy. You two just bicker and are so bitter with each other. Sorry, dear, but I think you will thank us later, way later.” With that they both disappeared, leaving trails of laughter behind until it was nothing.
My gears turned on and I thought about the one man who can get under my skin, can leave a bitter taste in my mouth, and still get me so hot, bothered.
Erik Skarsgård. The Lycans King.
Fuck.
