Forbidden Hybrid, page 19
With that in mind, he abandoned his buddies and stalked across the room. He yanked Maeve to him, her slender frame melding perfectly to the length of his, and he captured her mouth. She tasted of passion and spice and something wildly unearthly. He groaned, seriously wondering if the good doctor would mind giving them all the room for an hour – or two. But when Maeve shivered against him, he figured maybe the morgue wasn’t the most romantic atmosphere for making love. He smiled down at her bewildered expression, kissing the tip of her nose playfully and winking at her. She grinned at him and booped his nose right back with her finger, making him laugh out loud and crush her in an affectionate hug.
“Hey, share the hybrid.”
Gabe gave him a not so gentle shove before wrapping Maeve up in an equally strong embrace. Lucian’s breath shuddered out unsteadily as he watched the two consume each other, hearing the rapid thumps of multiple heart beats in the room. One of which belonged to Bishop, and Lucian knew he was just biding his time until Gabe set Maeve loose. The werewolf wasn’t the most patient person but he would never encroach on their individual time with Maeve. Lucian nudged his shoulder with his own, grinning at him. “Hot, huh?”
Bishop huffed out a breath, adjusting his sizeable package, “Fuck, yes.”
“Stay safe, okay? Anna will take care of you,” Gabe was telling Maeve.
Maeve smiled and nodded, patting Gabe’s arm. She then looked at Bishop, her blue eyes piercing in their intensity as she crooked a finger at him. As if drawn by an invisible leash, Bishop went to her like a good little pup. And was promptly engulfed in Maeve’s arms. And mouth, Lucian thought with heated amusement. The woman sure could kiss. Sharing a sizzling look with Gabe, Lucian wondered how long it would be until he finally found out how his two best friends kissed as well.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Gabe’s heart pounded as he made his way through the hospital corridors, but it had nothing to do with the impending meeting with the Coven member. Rather, it was all about the hot little vixen they had left back at the morgue. It seemed Maeve had well and truly made her decision about what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to show it. Thank the gods for courageous warrior women, he thought. When Lucian had revealed Maeve’s potential feelings for them, he had been thrilled but cautious. He trusted Lucian of course, but he never took anything for granted. And until Maeve looked him in the eye and disclosed her plans with him, he wouldn’t feel safe. Hell, maybe he wouldn’t even feel secure if she did say the words. Never before had something been so vital, and with that import, came the potential for hurt.
“Gabe? You with us?” Lucian snaked an arm around his waist, giving him a brief squeeze before moving away again. Gabe simply nodded, feeling the phantom warmth of Lucian’s skin through his shirt.
Lucian didn’t look convinced. “You sure? If you want to go back and wait with Maeve, that’s fine. Bishop and I can handle this.”
Gabe came to a sudden stop. “Really? You going to bench me like some scrawny kid in the bleachers? I can handle myself. I’m not afraid of some pathetic gangbanger, vampire or not.”
“Whoa,” Lucian held up his hands, “settle down there, Rocky.”
Gabe stopped walking and let his chin fall to his chest, groaning in embarrassment. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Just a little tense.”
This time he felt twin arms wrapping around him, “Understandable. We know you can take care of yourself. We’ve never treated you like you can’t.” Bishop pointed out.
Gabe nodded. That was true. “Sorry,” he repeated. “Just a little pissed off that my past has come a knockin’. I’m cool. Really.” Gabe felt them study him for a moment, before they seemed to reach the decision that he wasn’t going to have an emotional meltdown on the linoleum flooring.
“Good. Because I smell bloodied vamp in the next room,” Bishop admitted.
That got Gabe moving again and he peered through the small rectangular window on the closed door. He stiffened upon seeing the familiar features of the man inside.
“You know him?” Bishop asked, hand going to Gabe’s shoulder in a show of support.
Gabe nodded. “His name is Diego. He’s a low-ranking vampire in the gang. Hardly more than an errand boy like I was. At least, he was when I knew him. He may have moved up the ranks since then.”
Bishop grunted, “Doubtful. Considering he was the one they sent into the lion’s den, they must see him as disposable.”
“Well, let’s help with that, shall we?” Lucian’s smile revealed two wicked fangs.
Gabe shivered, reality hitting him like a sledgehammer. He hardly ever thought about Lucian and Bishop being supernaturals. They were just his buddies, his roommates and confidants. Despite his recent moment of insecurity, he didn’t ever think about the fact they could literally crush him with their little fingers or tear him limb from limb. He certainly never thought about the fact that they would outlive him by centuries. Although, nobody really knew what the longevity of vampires and werewolves really was because it had only been fifty years since the mutated Supe virus had run rampant in the human population. He knew Lucian was already well into his eighties, having been one of the first to turn when he was in his mid-thirties. Lucian told him that his appearance had changed very little since his turning. He could gain and lose a little weight, get a tan, and his hair still grew, but that was about the extent of his metamorphosis. His face gained no new lines and his hair didn’t grey. Gabe thought Lucian was likely to be stuck looking like he did for eternity. Poor bastard, Gabe thought sarcastically.
Bishop was younger than Lucian, though not by much in the grand scheme of things. He hadn’t been infected like Lucian had been, but rather, had been viciously mauled by a newly turned werewolf a few years after the virus had spread globally. There had been no vaccinations at the time and a then twenty-nine year old Bishop hadn’t stood a chance when the beast had knocked him down. Luckily for him, his body had accepted the virus, melding the supernatural genes to his own and turning him into the werewolf he was today.
Gabe had always been happy to be human, but experienced a sick feeling churning in his stomach now when he thought of the differences between him and his friends. He could accept growing old and dying while Lucian and Bishop stayed young. He knew it would hurt them horribly but at least they would have each other. But now that Maeve was in the picture, his choice to become vaccinated against the Supe virus left him feeling nauseous. He didn’t want to leave her – didn’t want to leave any of them anymore. But it wasn’t like he could do anything about it. He was vaccinated. He could never become a werewolf or a vampire. End of story. And he knew there was no hope of becoming a hybrid like Maeve. Out of potentially millions of attempts, she was the only successful case. Their small circle would never be touched with that kind of luck again.
“Gabe? You checked out again, man?” Lucian jostled his shoulder.
“Nah, I’m good. Let’s do this,” he stated.
“Thank fuck,” Bishop growled, his wolf practically prowling behind his eyes.
The same awareness he’d felt with Lucian upon seeing his fangs just minutes before, assaulted Gabe once again. Seeing them like this – in primal mode – made him acutely aware that he was indeed living with predators. Gabe shuddered and told himself it was due to the overtaxed air conditioning in the hospital rather than the lust surging like wildfire through his system. Getting a grip on himself, he finally pushed through the door, more than ready to confront one demon from his past.
“Diego, you sick fuck. How’s it hangin’?” Gabe stood shoulder to shoulder with Lucian and Bishop and knew they made a formidable team – and a forbidding image.
Diego visibly startled but relaxed back against the pillows after he realised who was there. “Well, well, if it isn’t the traitorous cow.”
“Cow?” Bishop’s frown was decidedly unfriendly.
Diego chuckled, seemingly relaxed, “That’s what we call our human bloodbags. They are slaves, nothing more than cattle. Good for their blood and nothing more. And this piece of shit standing in front of me was definitely a cow. A disloyal one at that.”
Lucian moved so fast, Gabe’s eyes couldn’t track the movement but he could sure track the spray of blood erupting from Diego’s broken nose. “Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit.” Lucian hissed, fangs fully exposed and red eyes gleaming.
“Touchy subject?” Diego huffed out a sarcastic laugh, the sound muffled by his hand which was trying to staunch the flow of blood.
Gabe didn’t reply. He wasn’t concerned with the display of false bravery. Diego would realise the predicament he was in soon enough. His words held no power over Gabe. They barely had when he was an adolescent. Even then, Gabe had recognised the vampire for what he was; a scavenger. Still, the man had made Gabe’s life a living hell for a time and some muscle memory remained – the need for flight or fight. Fight, Gabe decided. His last choice had been flight and it was now coming back to bite his arse and that of his family.
“We’re not here to listen to your disgusting ideologies,” Bishop pointed out, roughly, stepping closer to the bed. “We’re here to ask you questions. And you will give us honest answers.”
“Will I just?” came Diego’s scathing retort.
Lucian leaned in close, causing the other vampire to flinch instinctively. “Yes,” he hissed, “you will. Because we will know if you’re lying. We will scent it. And that will really piss off my werewolf friend here. He hates liars, you see.”
A deep growl rose in Bishop’s chest, causing the hairs on Gabe’s arms to stand on end. “I really hate liars.” Bishop confirmed.
“So ask already.” Diego tried to maintain his tough guy persona, but it was faltering.
Like any bully, he was retreating when confronted. Gabe wondered how he had ever been afraid of such a sad specimen. But then again, he was a fifteen-year-old kid on the streets for the first time. Tired, hungry, cold and alone, and terrified of what the world had in store for him. He had been right to be afraid, he admitted. The world had been decidedly shitty to him – at least for those initial few years away from the relative safety of the foster system. And then a werewolf and a vampire had rescued him from certain death and life wasn’t such a shit-fest anymore. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling, the look obviously catching Diego by surprise.
“What are you so happy about? I’d think you’d be pissing your pants right about now. You must know Kane is back in town. He gave your friend here a lovely hello.” Diego smirked at Bishop, dark eyes twinkling despite the pain he must be feeling from his newly acquired broken nose.
Gabe took a menacing step forward, “Are you one of the ones who attacked Bishop?”
Diego opened his mouth, only to snap it shut when he saw three angry pairs of eyes pinning him and promising violence. He shook his head once.
Lucian tsked, “Now, what did I say about lying.” He raised his arm and Diego covered his face.
“Okay, okay. I was there. But I was only following orders.”
“Whose orders?” Gabe asked.
“Kane’s of course,” Diego replied, although he refused to make eye contact.
Gabe looked at Lucian and Bishop for confirmation and received head shakes in return. Diego was telling the truth but not the whole truth. Gabe was sure Kane was taking orders from someone else, although he had likely gone rogue at this point. That was sure to piss off the secret society, Gabe thought. Was that why the police station was targeted? Cleaning up loose ends and destroying evidence at the same time? “What were you doing at the police station today?”
Diego seemed surprised by the abrupt shift in topic but responded anyway, “That stupid human partner of yours.” He looked at Bishop, “He figured out Kane was back in town and was responsible for your little welcoming party. He tracked me down. Dragged me in for questioning. Got all huffy about us kicking the shit out of you.”
“Firstly, you didn’t kick the shit out of me. I dominated that fight,” Bishop clarified. “Secondly, if my partner dies because of what you and your fucking gang are involved in …” Bishop broke off with a growl, hands clenched and muscles rippling.
Gabe noticed his friend’s claws as they elongated and placed a calming hand on his arm. Now wasn’t the time or place for Bishop to shift.
“We’re not involved in anything,” Diego said, wholly unconvincingly.
Bishop snorted rudely, “Yeah, right. You’re telling me Kane isn’t going around sharing human happy meals with a werewolf?”
Diego swallowed noisily, his ferrety eyes darting around the room. “A werewolf? The Coven don’t associate with no dogs.” He looked at Lucian, “We know who our kind is. We stick with them.”
“Riiight,” Lucian mocked. “You stick with vampires until a government agency approaches you and offers you a shit load of money to be gofers in their fucked-up mission to make forbidden hybrids.”
Diego choked on his own spit, “What?!”
Clearly, the vampire hadn’t been expecting them to know anything about The Front. “We know all about it,” Gabe bluffed.
“I – you –” Diego stammered. “Hybrids don’t exist.”
“That’s right. They don’t. It’s impossible. Scientists spent years trying to make it happen and they failed. So my question is; why does Kane and his little buddy think they can do what the professionals can’t? Who is the werewolf he’s working with?” Bishop’s voice whipped out, his large frame shadowing Diego’s smaller one which was now huddled on the bed.
“I don’t know –” Diego broke off with a yelp when Bishop cuffed him around the ears.
“No lying!” Bishop rumbled.
Diego held up his hands, “I don’t know. I swear! Yes, The Coven was approached to help procure humans. They were just wasted space anyway, nobodies, street rats. Like you,” he threw Gabe a hateful look. “We’ve been doing it for years, just before we acquired you. In fact, you were supposed to be one of the initial experiments. That’s why the boys were there in the alley that day. They weren’t there to kill you. They were there to take you to our associates.” Diego spat in Lucian and Bishop’s direction, “But these two saved you instead and adopted you like a lost kitten.”
“If this has been going on for so long, why has Kane suddenly decided to take matters into his own hands now?” Gabe asked, ignoring the rest of Diego’s rant. The knowledge he had been bound for the experiments shook him a little, but it hardly mattered now. He was alive and well, thanks to Lucian and Bishop, and hadn’t suffered the fate of a failed turning like he knew he would have.
Diego was silent for a minute, clearly pouting over Gabe’s lack of response to his revelations. But he finally shrugged, “After you got away, he left town. He was super pissed. He’d lost face with the other clans in the area and The Front wanted wider fishing grounds anyway. He only recently returned to town. Saw you three laughing over tea and biscuits one day at some preppy coffee shop. It got Kane good and mad. Didn’t take him long to find out your wolf-boy was a cop. Kane had been biting humans with a werewolf for years in a controlled setting with no results – other than the fun of it of course.” Diego grinned, eyes dancing with mirth as he looked around the room. “So he figured he could kill two birds with one stone – taunt you all on your home turf and keep fulfilling his contract with the powers that be.”
Gabe took in a cleansing breath, forcefully holding himself back from snapping the fool vampire’s neck. It was all a game to them, he realised. Perhaps Kane had believed a hybrid was truly possible in the beginning but after so many years and so many failed attempts, he was obviously only doing it now because of his sadistic nature. Returning to town and seeing Gabe alive and well and still with his rescuers? It would have been too much of a temptation to his psychotic mind. Gabe felt sick to his stomach. He was indirectly responsible for Maeve’s attack. He was to blame for the pain and fear and suffering she had endured the night she had been attacked. He recalled her ravaged body and the blood-soaked ground beneath her. The fact that she was now breathing and healthy did little to assuage his guilt.
“Stop it. Don’t go there.” Lucian spoke from directly in front of him. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. The only ones responsible for this are the people who gave the orders and those that followed. Kane and the rogue wolf – they are the ones who hurt Maeve. Not you.”
Lucian gave him a small shake and before Gabe could formulate a response, Bishop was up in his grill too;
“Don’t tell me you’re letting this little fucker get in your head?”
Gabe stared into whiskey-coloured eyes that he knew as well as his own and saw nothing but indignation on his behalf, faith, trust, and affection. Lucian’s face held the same expression, although, with a little less hostility. Gabe finally rolled his eyes, knowing when he was outnumbered – and also wrong. He moved back to the bed, ready to place the blame firmly where it belonged. “Who is the werewolf?”
Diego didn’t even attempt to bullshit him this time. “I don’t know her name. I’ve never met her officially – just heard Kane and her screwing each other’s brains out. I don’t care how much money you paid me, I wouldn’t be caught dead fucking an animal.” Diego curled his lip in disgust, throwing a filthy look at Bishop.
Bishop didn’t respond to being called an animal, none of them did. They were all still reeling over what they had just heard. The other serial killer was a woman? “A woman? You’re saying the werewolf Kane’s working with is female?”
