Black Heart: Wild On Page 5

  "I'm free," he said.

  "Great," I said, and turned to Sabrina. "You want to party with your big sister?"

  "Yes, but I already accepted a date for New Years," she said. I eyed her warily. "No, it's not some bondage orgy. Just a New Year's party at a club over on Greenville."

  "I'm free for whatever you want," Dane said.

  "Damn," Heidi said, then sat back with her arms crossed under her rather large breasts. She did not look happy.

  "What do you have planned?" Gabe said.

  "Nothing," I said. "I want to make plans to have a great time."

  "We really should've started planning earlier," Dane said. "Most of the clubs only allow couples with reservations in on New Year's."

  "I was thinking that we could go to the celebration at Victory Park, if nothing else," I said.

  "That's outside. It'll be freezing," Dane said. "Is the weather clearing up by then? Did anyone watch the weather forecast on TV?"

  Good question. Snow would be fine, but not rain. Too cold for Dane and Gabe if it rained. Then Gabe perked up.

  "I know a club down in Duncanville that — " he started, and was interrupted by the doorbell.

  Everyone froze. Not many people came over. Kale only gave his address to a select few, and the rest of us never gave out that address. So we sat quietly while Kale went over and looked out the peephole.

  "It's Mercedes Trudeau," he said. "Should I let her in?"

  Everyone looked at me. I was frozen in place, standing between the couch and TV. My heart was racing, and I wasn't sure if it was fear or anger. I owed her some serious payback for what she did to me.

  "Is she alone?"

  "From what I can see."

  I reached out with my senses. I felt Mercedes out on the porch, cold and miserable but trying to keep a brave face on. I was getting better at reading the people I've had more than a little contact with. The next closest people were Kale's neighbors, and they all felt happy and safe. If Mercedes had sicced her wolves on those dear people I would've ripped off her head, right then and there. Even a werewolf can't survive that.

  "Let her in," I said.

  Kale opened the door and waved Mercedes inside. She smiled gratefully as she passed him. She was dressed in jeans, running shoes, and pink t-shirt under a black biker jacket. I'd call those fighting clothes.

  Mercedes was a Eurasian beauty of forty-six, but looked thirty. She was five six, with an athletic build and almond eyes. Her dark brown hair was thick, lustrous, and almost as long as mine. And she was the scion of a powerful vampire mafia family, and their alpha female and leader of their private werewolf pack.

  Yeah, she was bitten by a wolf before her family could Change her into a vamp.

  "Hello, boys and girls," Mercedes said, grinning wolfishly. She moved with the grace only a vampire or werewolf could manage. She looked me over with amusement. "So, have you finally decided to go work for Antoinette?"

  Thank God vampires can't blush.

  "I see you were never taught proper manners," I said. "Make another snide remark, and I'll give you a very painful lesson."

  "You'll try," she said, then held up her hands to ward off any attack or protests. Dane and Gabe had both jumped to their feet and I had taken a step toward her. "Peace! I'm sorry. Jeeze, you people are so touchy. Can't you take a joke?"

  "Not from someone we don't like," I said. "State your business and get out."

  She shrugged, ran her hand through lustrous hair and smiled at me. I didn't like the way she smiled.

  "Henri sent me," she said. She pulled two envelopes out of her back pocket. "I'm here to invite you and Dane to the Trudeau Pack Wild On Kick-off Run. It's Monday night, starting at nine."

  Desiree plucked them out of her hand, and handed them to us. We opened the envelopes and scanned them briefly. It had the time and place. No explanation. I didn't want to show my ignorance, and prayed someone else would ask her what the hell a "Wild On" was. No one did. Was I the only one that didn't know?

  "Interesting," I said. "Why?"

  "Henri likes you," Mercedes said. "And he's boss." She looked at Dane, and smiled seductively. "And I like Mr. Douglass."

  "I bet you do," I said. "Well, you've delivered the invites. Bye-bye."

  She gave Dane another lusty look, then glanced at me before barking a laugh. Mercedes turned and headed for the door, but stopped before stepping outside.

  "Oh, Henri wanted me to ask you something else, Sable," Mercedes said. She smiled so wickedly at me. I didn't want to hear anything that pleased her so much. "I'll paraphrase what he said, since it was all in French, all flowery and I doubt you speak it. Henri would be most honored if you would be his date for New Years Eve Night, and ring in the New Year at his side."

  My jaw dropped open.

  "You've got to be kidding?" Gabe said, and laughed. "The big boss vamp wants to date Sabe? Too funny."

  "He understands she stakes vampires, right?" Dane said, not looking pleased.

  "He likes dangerous women," Mercedes said, shrugging. "And, I'll admit it, she's damned fuckable."

  "Bitch!" I cried, and lunged at her.

  Mercedes ran out the front door, laughing with wicked glee. I stopped just inside the front door and glared at her a long moment.

  "Is that a yes or no?" she called.

  I slammed the door. Everyone was staring at me, looking incredulous.

  "Can you believe that?" I said.

  "Yes," Gabe said. "If I was the boss vamp, I'd want to date you."

  "Who wouldn't?" Dane said.

  "He's an idiot. I mean, he had Mercedes of all people ask me for him," I said. "Jesus, she spent all night working me over with a bullwhip a few weeks ago. I want to kill her."

  "Yeah, are you ever going to tell us what happened?" Dane said.

  Everyone was suddenly alert. Did I not want to tell anyone about that little setback, especially not them? I need to be more careful what I say in moments of anger.

  "Never mind that," I said, waving off their questions. "There is no way I'll ever date that homicidal vampire."

  It was very tense in there for a long moment. Leave to a Hart girl to break it up with humor. I saw Sabrina's face light up.

  "Sable and Henri sitting in a tree," Sabrina started to sing.

  I screamed and everyone else laughed. She kept singing and I ran at her. Sabrina raced around the couch, still singing. I gave chase, until Kale snatched up Sabrina and Dane caught me.

  "Oh hell yes," Heidi cried.

  She started flooding the air with her mind altering pheromones. My insides instantly turned to mush, and I heard Dane, Kale, and Sabrina all groan. Heidi jumped on Gabe, claiming his lips in a deep kiss.

  "Bitch," I groaned, and then was caught by Dane's hungry eyes. "What the hell."

  I kissed him. Deeply. Tongue and all. He held me so wonderfully tight, squeezing out what little resistance I had left.

  "Mmmm, I so needed that," I said, and pushed him back on the couch. Then I straddled his lap, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again. I was so aroused I must've been filling the room with my own aphrodisiac pheromones, so everyone was getting a double whammy from Heidi and me. "Mmmmmmm."

  "Mind if I join you?" Desiree said, slipping up behind me.

  She unzipped my bustier and pulled if away. I never broke my kiss with Dane. Her soft, feminine hands combed through my long, black hair, then reached around and cupped my boobs. Desiree knew her way around a set of boobs. I felt her naked breasts and belly press up to my back as she started kissing my neck and shoulders, her hands not leaving my boobs.

  I don’t know how long we made out like that, but when I came up for air Kale was leading my topless sister to the master bedroom. Gabe was completely naked, and Heidi was kneeling between his wide-spread legs giving him intense head.

  "Oh," I said, noticing my skirt was gone. Who took it off? I wasn't wearing panties. Desiree unzipped Dane, and pulled him out. He was rock hard. So she guided
him in as she pushed me down on that long, thick shaft. "Hello! Ooh. Oooooh, yes."

  I began sliding up and down his penis, while he buried his face in my bouncing boobs. I think I was corrupting my ex-boyfriend. He never was that wanton and shameless when I was mortal. At the moment I wasn't too concerned. Then Dane sucked in a hypersensitive nipple, and Desiree claimed my lips in a passionate kiss.

  I stopped thinking, and just went with it.

  Chapter 6

  I woke up alone. That didn't happen often. Especially on a Saturday. My vampiric senses told me the sun was down, and everyone was in the dining room and kitchen.

  I spent my days in a king sized bed. There wasn't a coffin to be found in the house. That would be hard for Kale to explain to his children, who came over occasionally. But vampires didn't have to have a coffin. I personally didn't like them, but they did provide a certain sense of security that just laying in a bed didn't give me. The only thing better than spending the daylight hours in a coffin was spending them six feet underground.

  That evening I woke up in the guest bed, since Kale was with Sabrina in the master bedroom when I got home. His house; his bed. I wasn't complaining.

  Since I was already naked, I simply turned into a wolf, jumped off the bed and headed for the door. Halfway there I morphed back to human. I did that most mornings. Whenever a vampire morphed into a bat or wolf, it completely cleaned us. I was sticky-dirty from lots of naughty sex with Dane and Desiree, but the shift left my body clean.

  Picking up my shoes, I looked around for my skirt and bustier, and then remembered I lost them in the living room. Everyone turned to look when I emerged, so I waved with a big smile.

  "Good evening," I said. "Is the rain gone now?"

  "Yep," Sabrina said, smiling broadly. "But it was snow!"

  And with that I was pelted with a dozen snowballs. I should've realized they were way too pleased with themselves. It was too late. I was iced vamp.

  "Ack!" I squawked, hit in the face, neck, chest, and belly in seconds flat. "Just you wait. Vengeance will be mine."

  And I was hit by three more snowballs.

  We didn't get a lot of snow in Dallas, so I was always pleased when we did get a bit. Unless it was a work day. I didn't like to drive in it.

  "It stuck?"

  "Yep, but it didn't last long," Kale said. "It got up to forty-five degrees today."

  "You're lucky," Heidi said, grinning fiercely. "They snowballed me while I was still asleep this morning."

  "Yeah, I feel lucky," I said, shaking snow and slush out of my hair, brushing it off my boobs and shoulders.

  Going to the master bath, I took my evening poop and pee. Yep, vampires still answered nature's call. Then I morphed into a bat for a few seconds, to rid myself of the snow in my hair, and went to work on my face and hair. It didn’t take long, since I didn't wear much makeup or do anything with my hair except part it down the middle and brush it out.

  I dressed for the evening, in a black leather bustier, snug faded jeans, and black thigh boots. The bustier and boots were matte black, and both of really fine leather. I paid three hundred fifty for the bustier, and five hundred for the boots. Then I put a black-leather biker jacket on and headed out to the kitchen.

  "Has anyone heated me up any blood?"

  "Yes, ma'am," Dane said, and handed me a big mug of body temperature blood.

  It was cow blood. Human blood was too expensive, and I didn't like to feed on my friends. Desiree was the only one that actually wanted to be bitten, much less give a whole pint or more. Though, truth be told, human blood was incredible, and the most nourishing. But we could live fine on animal blood.

  "I have to go to work," Desiree said, giving me a big kiss. She was dressed in an evening gown. It was an electric-blue, shimmering, silk number, and she looked incredible in it. She was also wearing a small fortune in glittering diamond jewelry. "I have a big date with a billionaire. I love seeing everyone's reaction when my white date introduces me as his 'niece.'"

  I grew very serious, "Do you think they suspect anything amiss?"

  "Umm, could be," she said, and laughed. Like I said, Desiree loved her job. "Gotta go, see y'all later."

  She made the rounds hugging and kissing everyone. Then she came back in and made Gabe go move his vehicle as everyone laughed at him.

  "I love vamp families," Sabrina said, surprising the hell out of me. Shocked me, too. I didn’t want her to become a fang whore, even though she was already bound to Heidi. Heidi swore it was an accident. I believed her, since we were both pretty new to the undead world, and neither of us understood everything we could do. We were constantly surprising ourselves. "I've never seen so much hugging and kissing. I love it."

  I sipped my blood, wondering how I was going to keep Momma from finding out Sabrina had joined me in hunting vampires. She would probably stake me herself. Can't say I'd blame her, either. I didn't want her hunting vampires, but she said she’d find someone else to train her if we didn't. So...

  "I have a question," I said as Gabe returned. "What is a Wild On?"

  Kale and Sabrina shrugged. Heidi looked around, clearly wanting to know as much as me but afraid to ask and look dumb. Yeah, I knew her pretty good now. I felt her relief when I asked.

  "Isn't it some kind of werewolf Mardi Gras or Carnival?" Dane said. "I've heard of it, but anyone who mentioned it did so in passing. I've never had the chance to ask about it."

  "Don't you people ever do any research?" Gabe said, shaking his head woefully.

  "Hey, it's a werewolf thing, and we're vampire hunters," Dane said.

  "Well, vampires and witches have begun celebrating Wild On in the last decade or so," Gabe said.

  "Enlighten us," I said, sitting at the table and crossing my legs. "Impress me with your vast knowledge of werewolves."

  "He's hairier than a werewolf," Heidi said, tugging on his beard.

  "I didn't hear you complaining last night, lover," Gabe said.

  "I like hairy," Heidi said, and winked at him. "A lot."

  Okay, I didn't know that about Heidi.

  "Wild On," I said. I grinned. "Focus, Gabe."

  "I have something for you to focus on," he said, and grinned back at me. I winked at him. "Wild On, where do I begin? First off, it's an annual holiday the werewolves invented back in the sixties. I think it started down in Alabama, and spread from there. As far as I know, it is strictly an American holiday.

  "Wild On is celebrated on the first full moon of the new year. It has become a five day holiday, starting two nights before the full moon, and ending two nights after it. Mostly, the werewolves gather in packs, then a few packs gather together and they go on midnight runs, or hunts."

  "What are they celebrating?" I said.

  "Life," Gabe said, and shrugged. "I think. I've never had another werewolf tell me exactly, and I don't think they really know or care. I think it is just an excuse to gather together, hunt, show off, and party. Each night of the Wild On ends around a bonfire, where they roast the night's kill and feast. Most of the time they evolve into an orgy."

  "Ah, an orgy," I said. "Now we know why they celebrate Wild On."

  The others nodded.

  "Orgy?" Heidi said. "Do they do everything as a pack, even fuck??"

  "Pretty much," Gabe said, and laughed. "Can you get me an invitation to the Trudeau Wild On run?"

  "Yeah, right," I said.

  He shrugged. "Well, like I said, the vamps and witches started joining them, and even having their own versions of the Wild On. Deep Ellum has a big street party on the night of Wild On, and all the clubs that cater to that crowd have Wild On parties for the entire five days. I've been to a few, and they are wicked wild."

  "Great," I said, locking eyes with Dane. "They invited us to an orgy. Me for Henri and you for Mercedes. How sweet."

  "I see," Dane said. He looked at Gabe, "Wednesday is the full moon, so Wild On is on Wednesday? Right? Would it be different than the Wild On runs they ha
ve on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday?"

  "Yes, the night of the full moon is the official Wild On, and that is the night all the packs in the Dallas area gather together for a really big run," he said. "It's a way for them to bond some, because most of the time they are pretty territorial and don’t get along with other pack members. The other five nights is just packs getting together to hunt and party."

  "Are there a lot of non wolves at these events?"

  "I wouldn't know," Gabe said. "I've never been invited to one."

  "Interesting, but of no consequence to us," I said. "We have bigger problems. For one, Ben Rothschild. Secondly, Timmy Saxon."

  "Who is Timmy Saxon?" Gabe said. "Another rogue vampire?"

  I froze. Mercedes interrupted us last night before I spoke to them about Timmy. How could I allow the situation to get out of control like that, when my friend needed my help?

  "What about Timmy?" Sabrina said, rushing over to me. "Was he Changed?"

  "No," I said. "Timmy was kidnapped by what looks like vampires. It almost looks like they were trying to recruit him, but I think they have criminal intentions instead."

  "I am completely lost," Dane said.

  "Me, too," Gabe said.

  "Timmy's a good friend of our family," Sabrina said.

  "Almost like a brother," I said. "Two nights ago he was pulled from his car and taken away, after threats toward his wife and infant son. All his wife knows is they wanted him to join them, voluntarily."

  "Why not just mesmerize him, or Change him?" Gabe said.

  "I don't know. It's all too strange," I said. "There's more. His wife said he'd already been bitten three times by them, starting in November."

  "Fang whore?" Dane said.

  "She swears he wasn't," I said. "And he worked during the day up until he was taken away, so he hasn't been Changed."

  "What do they want from him?" Sabrina asked.

  "I don't know, but Timmy is a CPA, working for a private accounting firm," I said. "His clients include Antoinette LaRue and the Trudeau Family, not to mention other members of the vampire council."

  "Maybe he was stealing from them, and they grabbed him." Kale said.