Piston: MM Paranormal Romance (Moon Burrow Bears Book 9), page 2
Even two hundred years after I died, I retained some of my human habits. It always ticked my siblings off.
Even now, you cling to your lost humanity, my sister Regina once said in disgust.
Why wouldn’t I cling to what I had lost? After all, I never chose to be a vampire. My older brother Remus had forced the gift of immortality on me, and yet, I so badly wanted to live.
Why was that? Perhaps in the deepest part of my black heart, I had hoped that there was someone out there who would fall in love with my damned soul.
I fled into the dense woods, my footsteps barely making a sound. Remus and Regina called me a failed vampire, but I did manage to learn a trick or two during my unnaturally long life.
I knew how to avoid capture. The cold night air brushed against my skin, but adrenaline pushed me forward.
I ran until my legs nearly gave up, but I couldn’t curl up and die. Looking up through the crest of trees, I swallowed.
The sun was turning a faint shade of pink on the horizon. It was close to sunrise, the time when all good vampires lay down to rest.
I had to find shelter, or the deadly sunlight would consume me. Briefly, I wondered if I should just let it all end. No more running and no more pain.
When I watched my meaningless life flash before my eyes, would I be filled with disappointment? I dismissed that thought.
No use letting depression get to me now. Just when I thought my luck had run out, I caught a glimpse of a rustic cabin nestled among the trees.
Hope surged within me as I sprinted towards the cabin. The door creaked as I pushed it open.
Without a second thought, I slammed it behind me. Inside the cabin, shadows danced ominously, playing tricks on my mind.
I forced myself to calm down and looked at the cabin with new eyes. The cabin looked cozy and lived in, but I would think about the residents later on.
For now, it was empty. I desperately looked around the space. Maybe I could barricade the door with some furniture?
No time, I thought. I frantically searched the place for a hiding place instead. My foot caught on something.
A worn rug, but underneath that was a panel of wood that looked different from the others.
I pushed the rug aside and my eyes widened at the trap door. With trembling hands, I lifted the door, revealing a secret underground cellar.
One look out the window showed me the orange hues of the rising sun. Left with no other choice, I descended into the dark depths of the cellar, sealing myself inside.
I also made sure the rug would cover the trapdoor again. The suffocating darkness surrounded me like a tomb, but I urged myself to remain focused on my task.
My survival depended on staying hidden. My sensitive vampire hearing could catch Dirk and Ricardo’s footfalls all the way from the cellar.
I heard the door bang over. Seconds ticked by sluggishly as I forced myself to remain still and quiet.
I could hear them cursing and overturning the furniture.
“He’s not here. We’ll have to resume the chase another time. I don’t want to hide in this crap hole until sunset,” Ricardo was saying.
“Good idea. We’re on Grizzly Reapers MC territory. If they find us here, they’ll kill us,” Dirk agreed.
I waited until their footsteps faded. No movement upstairs, but I couldn’t be sure for certain. Besides, it was probably too late to head out.
The morning sun would burn me into a crisp. I had no choice but to settle down here and wait. Then I’d start running again and hopefully find my contact.
Unable to sleep, my mind wandered to the life I had left behind. Memories of my cursed family and the weight of my siblings’ expectations weighed heavily on me.
I always felt like an outsider within my vampire coven. Remus and Regina liked structure. They enjoyed power.
They loved ruling through fear, but I craved being on my own, away from the rest of the coven.
Remus and Regina never truly understood me. Only one vampire did — Erick, an older vampire who was a friend and mentor to me.
Erick had been the one to give me a warning. He was the reason why I was still alive. My siblings thought I was somehow a potential threat to their power.
That was why they sent the coven’s best assassins after me. My mind whirled with questions.
Why would my family turn against me? Was there something about me that posed a danger to Remus and Regina’s agenda? And how could I, a frightened and poor excuse for a vampire, possibly stop them?
These were questions I had no immediate answers to. With nothing better to do, I explored the cellar. It contained several crates.
I opened one of curiosity and found guns stashed in them. My stomach dropped. I recalled Erick telling me that the Grizzly Reapers MC dealt in illegal firearms.
The realization that I was really on their land and thus subject to their brutal laws finally sunk in.
Erick had a contact within the MC. He told me a bear shifter named Piston would get in touch with me.
I checked my cellphone again and to my dismay, found that the battery was dead.
What if I couldn’t find Piston or he couldn’t locate me in time? What if his fellow bear shifters discovered me first, mistook me for an outsider, and killed me without warning?
Normal vampires didn’t hyperventilate, but I did. Sweat coated my front and back. Were my chest pains imagined or real?
I paced the length of the dusty cellar and forced myself to calm down. As the last rays of sunlight finally vanished, I cautiously emerged from the cellar.
I was on high alert as I left the cabin. The forest around me appeared beautiful and mysterious under the moonlight, but I knew better than to let my guard down.
My mind raced as I contemplated my next move. I knew I couldn't stay in one place for too long.
I couldn't shake the feeling that danger was lurking nearby. Ricardo and Dirk mentioned they’d come back for me. I needed to find Piston right away.
I silently cursed myself and tried remembering the location Piston had given me: coordinates to a safe location in the woods.
Just as I was about to slip back into the forest, I heard the faint rustle of leaves and the sinister sound of laughter. My heart sank.
Dirk and Ricardo had come back for me, and they didn’t even bother being quiet. The Shadowbrook Coven’s best assassins were relentless, and they wouldn't give up until they fulfilled their mission.
I darted behind a tree. My body tensed, and I was ready to flee at a moment's notice. I needed a plan, an escape route, anything to get away from the danger closing in.
Ricardo and Dirk headed for the cabin. They thought I was still hiding in there. I allowed them to pass, then I raced through the dense woods.
Branches and thorns clawed at me, tearing my clothes and leaving shallow cuts on my skin, but I didn't dare slow down.
It was only a matter of time before the assassins discovered the empty cabin.
“Linus, come out. You know how this will end,” Dirk called out from behind me.
That was fast, I thought in panic. I ran faster, desperate to lose my pursuers. Shadows seemed to dance all around me, playing tricks on my mind.
Time seemed to stretch into an eternity, every second feeling like an hour as I weaved through the maze of trees.
Fear gnawed at my mind, threatening to overpower me, but I forced myself to focus on survival.
The assassins' voices grew louder, growing closer, and I knew I couldn't outrun them forever.
Terror surged through me, but I pushed it aside, utilizing all my vampire speed and stealth at my disposal.
I needed a way to throw them off my trail. In the distance, I spotted a narrow ravine, and an idea sparked in my mind.
I veered towards it, hoping to utilize the terrain to my advantage. With a burst of speed, I leaped into the ravine, using my agility to navigate the treacherous landscape.
The ravine was a maze of rocky outcrops and steep drops. I desperately scrambled over boulders and slipped through tight crevices.
The darkness concealed me like a cloak. Did I somehow manage to elude my pursuers? But just as the fleeting sense of relief washed over me, I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps above.
They had found me. Panic gripped my chest, but I couldn't afford to hesitate. I pushed myself to the limit, racing deeper into the ravine, praying for a miracle.
The assassins' taunts echoed through the rocky walls, mocking me, toying with my despair.
My instincts screamed at me to fight back, but I knew that engaging them head-on would be a death sentence.
I spotted a narrow ledge above me, and a daring idea sparked in my mind. I found a foothold, leaping with all my might, and managed to grasp the edge of the ledge.
I pulled myself up, my muscles burning with exertion, just as the assassins reached the ravine.
For a moment, I believed I had escaped their clutches, but my hope was short-lived.
The assassins' eyes locked onto me, their malevolent grins sending shivers down my spine. They had cornered me, and there was no way out.
In a desperate attempt to buy some time, I darted along the narrow ledge, but there was no escape.
The ledge ended abruptly at a sheer drop. With nowhere left to run, I turned to face the hunters, my mind racing for alternative escape routes.
I had come so far, fought so hard, but it seemed that fate had caught up with me.
Just as the assassins closed in, the forest suddenly erupted with a thunderous roar. A massive figure burst through the trees, blocking the assassins' path.
3
PISTON
"You've been glued to your phone screen for the last hour," Whizz remarked.
He gently transferred Rose, who was currently in her bear cub form, from his lap to the cushion next to him.
"Yeah, sorry about that," I said, giving him a sheepish grin.
I then moved Lily, also in her animal form, who had fallen asleep on my shoulder, and carefully placed her next to her sister.
My heart warmed seeing them cuddle up to each other, so I grabbed a nearby blanket and gently draped it over their small bodies.
"It's adorable how close they are," Whizz said, his eyes softening as he looked at the sleeping cubs. "But since Elise's funeral six months ago, they've been spending far too much time in their other form."
"I know," I admitted.
I had been worried about them, but Venom assured me they would eventually break out of that habit.
"They're still adjusting, but Venom told me it's not unusual for shifter cubs to rely on their animal form as a coping mechanism during times of stress,” I said.
Since taking responsibility for the girls, my MC brothers, especially Whizz, had offered to babysit them.
I needed all the help I could get, and their support meant the world to me. However, navigating parenthood wasn't easy, and I often felt like I was stumbling in the dark.
"When I decided to adopt them, I had no idea how much work it would be," I confessed. "I mean, I knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park, but half of me is still terrified I'm doing everything wrong."
"Piston?" Whizz's voice was filled with both curiosity and concern.
I sighed, knowing it was time to share my current predicament. "I owe a fanged friend a favor, and he's calling it in now."
"A fanged friend? You're friends with a vampire?" Whizz asked, sounding skeptical.
"Well, maybe 'friend' isn't the right word," I said, chuckling nervously. "Remember the first few months after Elise died?"
Those had been rough times for me. I was struggling to hold everything together for myself and the girls.
If it weren't for Whizz and my other MC brothers stepping in, I probably would've gone insane.
"Of course," Whizz said, nodding understandingly. "You left the girls in my care for three days while you hunted down Elise's murderer."
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Whizz was the last person in the MC I expected to get along with.
As the resident hacker, he guarded his privacy fiercely, and not many bear alphas liked him either. But somehow, we had developed a bond over the past months.
"Remember the Lenny incident a couple of months ago? I nearly got him expelled because I thought he was dangerous.” I was delaying and Whizz probably knew it.
"You thought you were doing the right thing to protect the MC," he said.
"Yeah, but it turned out I was wrong," I admitted, a pang of guilt lingering in my chest. "Lenny forgave me, but the rest of the MC hasn't fully trusted me since then. I guess it'll take time to earn their trust back."
"That's understandable," Whizz said, nodding. "But you know what? Fate has its way of shifting priorities."
"You're right," I agreed, glancing at the sleeping cubs next to us. "When Lily and Rose came into my life, everything changed. Suddenly, I had more important things to worry about."
Whizz surprised me by offering his help when I was struggling with the girls.
It was the last thing I expected from him, but it turned out that he had been in a similar situation before.
"Since you've become my best friend these days," I finally said to Whizz, "I think you deserve to know the truth. I found myself in Shadowbrook. Ever heard of it?"
Whizz looked thoughtful, as expected.
"A remote town in the mountains, territory of the Shadowbrook Coven. A small but vicious group of vampires who've lived there since the town's founding," he answered, his knowledge shining through.
"Exactly," I confirmed.
Whizz's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "And you think someone from that coven killed your sister?"
"I've been digging into Elise's texts and credit statements," I explained. "She'd been seeing this vampire lover for months, and everything points to Shadowbrook. I ran into some vampires while asking questions there, and that's how I met Erick. He saved me from getting myself killed in the process."
"You trusted a vampire you just met?" Whizz asked skeptically.
"At that time, I wasn't in a good place," I confessed. "Erick is different; he was turned into a vampire in his sixties. There's something about him that makes me feel comfortable around him."
Whizz urged me to continue, and I obliged. I told him about my conversation with Erick and how he convinced me not to pursue the vampire vendetta at that moment.
"He said this William my sister was seeing is actually Remus Moreau. The ruling king of the Shadowbrook Coven."
Whizz frowned. He was probably curious how this related to the favor I owed Erick. “And?”
"I'm getting there," I said with a hint of frustration.
Whizz nodded, allowing me to continue, but I lowered my voice, not wanting to wake the sleeping cubs.
"Erick called me last night. It seems Remus Moreau sent the coven's best assassins after a vampire named Linus. Erick asked for my help, and I agreed to shelter Linus for a few days."
Whizz swore under his breath, and I couldn't blame him. I seemed to find myself in one complicated mess after another, far beyond my usual pay grade.
"Piston, you're a parent now. You need to stay out of vampire business; it'll only get you killed," Whizz advised, concern etched in his expression.
I knew he was right. With the girls relying on me, I couldn't afford to put myself in dangerous situations anymore. But Erick sounded desperate when he called, and my gut told me it wasn't too late to save Linus.
"I hear you," I said. "But this Linus must be important to Erick. I can't just turn my back on him. Not when he risked reaching out to me for help."
"Think about the girls," Whizz insisted. "They need you now more than ever. If something happens to you..."
I understood his concern, but I also knew I couldn't ignore the call for help.
"I can't abandon someone in need," I said firmly, glancing at my phone, still no reply from Linus. "Something bad must've happened, but I have a gut feeling it's not too late to save Linus."
Whizz sighed, looking torn between understanding and worry. "Just promise me you'll be careful," he said finally.
"I promise," I replied, grateful for his support. "Look after the girls for me a little longer? This won't take long."
Knowing I needed to find Linus as quickly as possible, I called in some reinforcements – Zack, the local Raven King.
The Moon Burrow Ravens were our most trusted allies, and I knew they could cover more ground and help locate Linus faster.
The only hitch was that I had to keep this search a secret from Venom, at least for now.
Luckily, he had taken some of our crew to meet with another supernatural group over the weekend, so I had a window of time to work with.
No one kept secrets from Venom. He knew everything that happened in his territory. I would just explain my predicament to him later on.
“I’ll loan you Corey and Ethan,” Zack said over the phone, ever the accommodating alpha. “What should they be looking out for?”
I quickly described Linus' appearance and his car details. "And Zack? I'd really prefer if we keep this from Venom, at least until we know more."
Zack paused, probably considering the favor I was asking. He was the lead alpha of his own group and didn't owe me anything. But then again, Zack was a true friend who didn't need explanations.
"Can I ask why?" Zack finally inquired.
"I owe a favor to a friend," I replied vaguely.
I knew Zack wouldn't pry further.
"And this vampire, is he dangerous?"
"No," I assured him. "He's harmless, according to Erick. Linus doesn't even drink human blood."
"A vegetarian vampire?" Zack chuckled lightly. "Alright, I'll send Corey and Ethan to help you find your vampire friend."
"Thanks, Zack," I said gratefully before he ended the call.
Tucking the cellphone into my leather jacket, I resumed my search in the woods, moving stealthily between the trees.
I passed a fellow MC brother who gave me a cold shoulder. It didn't bother me, as it worked to my advantage in this case.
