Sharkbait Ch. 41-45

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Luna Adrienne," Alexander Corvinus said as he closed the door to his office behind us.

"Thank you for the warning," she said.

"I owe you that much," he said. "Ah, Vicki Lawrence, we meet at last. I'm a big fan." He held out his hand, and I took it in mine for a brief handshake. My wolf didn't like it and pushing me to run; other than his smell, he looked normal. Well, if your 'normal' is 'male model hot with a killer body and flawless skin and teeth.' It was no wonder vampires could entice women into giving up their bodies and blood. "I've been following your career this year; it's rather impressive. I was intrigued enough to purchase fifty tags through your website this spring."

Fifty tags meant a fifteen-thousand-dollar donation. That was big time. "Thank you for the support," I said. "It's been a whirlwind."

"I suppose so. There have been enough attacks on you lately, and the world is a better place with you in it. Please, let us sit and talk."

The office was as impressive as the man; large windows framed a killer view of the city and the Harbor. Unlike the austere and clean modern designs in steel and glass, Alexander Corvinus' office was like stepping back into a Victorian library. The ceiling held museum-worthy murals and complicated moldings, most of them gilded. The walls held rich tapestries, full bookshelves, and large paintings of sailing ships and battles. An ornately carved desk sat on four clawfoot feet that matched the high-backed chairs and other antique furniture from the Victorian era. Sitting on the tables and shelves were more precious sculptures and vases than I'd ever seen. I relaxed as he led us to a set of chairs surrounding a small table.

If he planned a fight, it wouldn't be with all these priceless works of art around. No, I thought as I looked around, this office was an expression of him as a person. I would bet that he had collected the pieces himself. "Just how old a vampire is Alexander," I sent over the family bond.

"He was born in 1860. He was a successful trader before his turn." That explained it. Vampires collected beautiful items, perhaps to make up for an inability to have human love or children.

He offered tea or coffee; Adrienne asked for coffee, and I asked for water. The female vampire, who looked to be about twenty, got up to get them without saying a word. She had the flawless beauty vampires were known for; with her long blonde hair and athletic body, she could have been my sister.

Alexander didn't introduce me to the human male sitting in a chair by himself near the window. The man looked up briefly as we passed, then went back to his phone. His off-the-rack suit, rubber-soled shoes, and bad haircut pegged him as a cop. I spotted the flash of a badge on his belt, and the bulge of a shoulder holster.

The female returned with the drinks, then went to sit next to the man by the window. Adrienne was eager to find out what he knew. "What do you know about the threat," she asked him before taking a sip of the coffee.

"Quite a bit, but your credit doesn't cover that," he said as he leaned back in the chair. "Information is a commodity, and thus have value. I am hoping you will agree to the terms."

"That would depend on what the information is and what your terms are," I said as I cut off Adrienne. Alexander looked a little surprised, but pleased, at my interjection. I wasn't going to sit back and let others decide my future, not anymore. "You know who put the contract out on me?"

"One step at a time," he said with a disarming smile. "An acquaintance of mine deals in wet work. He's developed a reputation for getting problems solved, quickly and quietly, without leaving clues." Wet work included assassinations, arson, kidnapping, and extortion. "He was offered a contract for you and accepted the down payment. I can give you the proof of the contract's existence; that is what I am offering."

"So all you offer is proof that I am in danger?" It didn't seem like much.

"Without proof, what chance do you have of finding and charging the one who is after you?"

Adrienne cut in. "I have a damn good idea of who would do this," she said. "I'll kill him for even thinking of Vicki."

Alexander chuckled. "Ah, yes, Nutless and Slut." I must have looked shocked because he just smiled at me. "Young lady, I am over two centuries old and have been a Master Vampire for over a century in this town. I have contacts within the supernatural world and without. I know more about your life than you would be comfortable with, including the enemies you've made. I'm sure your ex-mate or his woman would love to see you dead."

"I'm sure he would," I sent to Adrienne.

Alexander leaned forward and continued. "You cost Timothy his parents, his Pack, and his balls. Traci lost her position as a future Alpha and her entire family. Both inherited enough money to pay the contract." That was my bet. "I'm sure Skip Bonino would like revenge; you cost him millions in endorsement money and contracts, plus you put him out of action for eight weeks with a broken arm. That meant he missed a chance to defend his X-Games title. There's also Brian on the Ocean Explorer, whose clumsy harassment ended up getting him kicked out of university. He's now immortalized on social media, and his quite-rich parents aren't happy about it. Then there are the ones who might see you as a way to get at your Alpha pair, as you are exposed and vulnerable in all your travels. Whether it is Human or Pack justice you seek, if you take action without proof, you're just guessing. I can't imagine the Council will appreciate that, even for rogues."

Shit. Alexander was right. "How much money do you want for the proof?"

He laughed at me. "Money? Please, Vicki. Look around you. Some of these pieces are worth more than you have raised for your charity." I'd raised five million, so I suddenly felt nervous sitting on this chair. "Money does not interest me when there are far more valuable things in this room."

I could feel Adrienne's anger flare as she figured out what he wanted. "NO. Come on, Vicki, we're leaving."

"What is it you want in exchange for the proof," I asked.

"Your blood, of course." My blood ran cold as my wolf urged me to flee NOW. "The blood of a powerful werewolf is what I desire. Not enough to harm you, no more than you would lose by giving blood. You would be perfectly fine and walk out of here, having lost nothing you cannot replace in a few days."

We had talked about what our blood did for a vampire. "Fine. I'll talk to a Pack doctor and have a pint drawn for you in the morning."

He shook his head and chuckled. "Vicki, please. Would you open up a rare Bordeaux and serve it in a Dixie cup? There is no need for that. We can do this right here, right now, and it will be over in a minute."

That was it for Adrienne. "Oh, HELL no," she said. "No male gets near her neck until we find her mate. Come on."

"You could do it," I said to Adrienne quietly.

"No, she cannot," Alexander said. "I have no desire to enrage her mate by such an intimate act. It must be you, Vicki, and it must be your decision. I only take blood freely offered to me."

"You're a vampire," I said.

"Yes, and I have a stable of familiars who provide for my needs. Your blood is special, Vicki. It is your choice."

"We're leaving," Adrienne said as she pulled me to my feet.

We started walking towards the door as Alexander stood. "You should know what happens if you walk out," he said.

I stopped, forcing Adrienne to turn as well. "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry; my man is not going to accept the contract. He will have to return the down payment and refuse the job. Whoever wants you dead can offer it to another. Are you confident enough you can find and neutralize the threat before someone kills you, and maybe those who are with you? Can you risk all that over a simple blood donation?"

There was a simple answer to this, and it was no. I needed to do this because I could not endanger my friends and family. "I have to do this," I told my former Luna.

"We can find them and stop them," she said. "Werewolf blood is like crack to them. Do you think it will stop with just one?"

"It's my choice." I pulled her into a hug. "Wait outside until I call you back."

"Leo's not going to be happy, and Alpha Steven will be furious."

"It's still my neck and my call."

I let her go, and she walked to the door. "Hurt her, and I will end you all."

"I gave my word, Adrienne." He looked at the two in his office. "Leave us."

Moments later, we were alone. "How do you want to do this?"

"Why don't you come over to the window? The view this time of night is spectacular." He turned off the lights in the room, which would keep prying eyes from seeing anything going on. He pulled a chair over for me, helping me get comfortable. "Relax and breathe. It doesn't hurt, and it will heal almost immediately."

I pulled my hair off my shoulders, gathering it into a ponytail. Alexander's hands rested lightly on my shoulders, and I sensed it as he leaned down. I had to force back my wolf as his mouth approached the left side of my neck; he waited for me to relax, then he opened his mouth and bit down.

I felt a quick sting that turned to pleasure as his fangs penetrated my skin and into my artery. I could hear and feel him sucking my blood into his mouth, swallowing it quickly. I started to feel light-headed from the lowered flow to my brain.

He kept his word, though. A few more mouthfuls, then he pulled his fangs out and licked at my neck. The saliva healed the wound, and I ended up with two red dots and some vampire saliva on the side of my neck. I reached up, fascinated at the process. It hadn't been bad at all.

I turned and looked at Alexander, which may have been a mistake. I could see my blood as he licked it from his lips and teeth. His face looked rapturous as the blood hit his system; his body was trembling with the power boost. He took a moment to control the effects, and then he stood tall and smiled down at me. "Thank you, Vicki. You may call Adrienne back now, and we will continue."

Ch. 42

"All done," I sent to Adrienne. The door opened immediately, and she rushed to my side to verify I was all right. Like a nervous Mom with her pup, she sniffed and checked my over before she relaxed. "It was no big deal," I said.

"I still don't like it," she said as Alexander brought the lights up, then called his people back into the room. She led me back to the chairs we had been at before.

The Master Vampire stopped at a highboy secretary, removing a package sealed in a big Ziplock bag. Waving the cop over, he handed the bag to his man. "This is Detective Sargent Jack O'Meara of the Boston Police Department, Homicide Division."

My eyes got wide, and I heard Adrienne suck her breath in. "You have a cop?"

"I have a lot of things, Vicki. Some are beautiful, others valuable, and many are useful."

"Very convenient," Adrienne said.

"It makes each job easier," the woman said. He pulled a letter out in a smaller ziplock bag. "Four nights ago, a woman left an envelope for me with the bartender at a place I use as a drop site. It offered fifty thousand dollars to kill 'swimsuit model Vicki Lawrence.'"

This beautiful vampire was the assassin? Wow. "You took the deal?"

"You've become rather famous this year, Vicki. I've seen your swimsuit ads and your television show, and you're a strong werewolf powerful allies," she replied. "Fifty grand to kill a husband nobody cares about is one thing; killing a connected or public figure is quite another."

The Detective picked it up. "You can't just pretend to investigate, then close an investigation when the press and the brass are both up your ass to find the killer."

That made sense. "So what did you do? You told Alexander about it, and he told Luna Adrienne?"

Alexander nodded. "The activities of my coven and familiars are measured and carefully monitored. Naturally, I warned Luna Adrienne because I have no wish to start a war between our species. I also directed Emily to take the contract."

Emily was a weird name for a vampire assassin, but she continued. "My response was 'fifty thousand upfront, another hundred and fifty when she's dead.' Last night, she left this envelope." She handed me another bag; inside were five bundles of hundred-dollar bills, and a printed piece of paper."

I looked through the plastic at the note; it included my Coronado address, a description of my SUV including the license plate, my Friday afternoon and Monday morning trips to the Amphibious Base, upcoming Bodyglove appearances, and my morning runs and Dojo training. "Someone has been watching me," I said.

"Yes. There was a memory chip with surveillance photos and videos," Emily said. "As you can read, she expects me to fulfill the contract in the next two weeks."

I could see how mad Adrienne was getting. "Do you know who is paying you?"

Emily pulled up her phone and played a file for us. It was a surveillance video from a bar. A woman wearing a courier uniform with a baseball hat walked in, talked to the bartender for ten seconds, handed him the package, then left again.

It wasn't Traci. "Any idea who that is?"

Detective Jack nodded. "She's an employee of a delivery company. I didn't look too closely to avoid spooking them. This company probably got the package from another delivery service with directions to send it on. It's enough to hide the sender from me."

There was no short-cut here. "Did you catch a scent?"

"The perfume was overwhelming, so there was no scent I recognized. You could try," Alexander said.

I remembered Traci's scent well from the Scratch and Sniff, despite the coating of my ex-mate's spunk. I opened a corner of the bag, taking a deep sniff before quickly closing it again. The overpowering floral scent made my eyes water; it was as bad as running the perfume counter gauntlet at Macy's on the weekend. I tried to sort through it and got nothing. "I can't make it out. Damn, you'll have to launder that before you spend it."

"That was my reaction," Alexander said. "Jack, tell them what you think."

"The person behind the contract is local," he said. "Emily doesn't work outside New England, and there is plenty of local talent in California that didn't come into play. The window to hit Vicki in Boston is between the Ocean Explorer and the airport, compared to dozens of options in Coronado. That tells me the person lives in the region and is familiar with the underworld here."

It made sense. The Killington Pack in Vermont was a three-hour drive away. If the Detective was right, it eliminated Skip Bonino, the California boy. It did not eliminate Brian as a suspect, but killing me over our incident on the Ocean Explorer was extreme. "If the person ordering the hit is this careful, with this many cutouts, how do we catch them?"

"It won't be easy, but there are two options. You believe that Timothy and Traci Lords are behind this, so you need to find them."

"That won't be easy," Adrienne said. "They were exiled from Killington, and aren't allowed on Pack lands, but they could be anywhere in the Boston area."

Jack nodded. "That is true, but they would need a place to stay. That means they have rented an apartment or a house, or they are staying somewhere with a friend."

Adrienne nodded. "I can speak with the new Killington Alphas. They can look through the Beta's records and financials, and see if they can figure out who might be helping them."

Alexander nodded. "The city is Vampire territory, and they would know it. It would be a ballsy move to hide out in our territory, and Timothy has no balls," he said. "That doesn't mean he isn't close. There are hundreds of towns where he could hide among humans and away from werewolves and vampires. It would be a needle in a haystack to even scent them."

"There are over eight million people in the greater Boston area," Emily said. "Even if you sent hundreds of wolves to roam the streets, it could take months."

"Traci is pregnant," I said as I looked up. "She would be about six months along. That means doctor visits," I said. "We must have people working for the National Health Organization who can search for pregnant women at that term in this area, focusing on those having their first baby and new to the area," I said.

"I'm sure we have assets who can help. If not, we'll get our hackers going on it," Adrienne agreed. "Heck, they might be using their real names still."

"I haven't gotten any hits on addresses for them in my searches," Jack said. "That means they are staying with someone, or they changed their names."

It was going to be a challenge. "What's your other idea?"

Alexander sat back and smiled. "Kill you, then follow the payment back to who sent it."

Ch. 43

Adrienne stood up in front of me, nearly shifting at the thought. My wolf was begging to get out, to rip this thing to pieces.

Alexander didn't move; he just sat there and smiled. "Relax, my friends. I don't mean we kill her for real. We just make it look like she's dead." Adrienne slowly calmed down and sat again, pushing her wolf down and doing her breathing exercises to relax. "I would hope we have established enough trust to continue?"

"How would we do this," I said.

"You notice the resemblance between you and Emily," Alexander said. "With clothes, a change in hairstyle, and makeup, she could pass for you. We set up a hit where you are taken out, with cameras that show the whole thing. Emily recovers from her 'fatal' wounds, and we keep you out of sight under my protection until I have the people behind this in my hands."

Adrienne considered this for a moment. "The Council will want them for trial, assuming we are right about who it is."

"Your council will want them dead, correct?"

"Leo warned them about going after me at the trial," I said. "Execution is the only outcome for them. A rogue attempting to harm a Pack wolf, especially a ranked one, is automatic death."

Detective Jack spoke up. "Will her pregnancy affect the outcome?"

I didn't know, but Adrienne did. "Traci's execution would be postponed until after she gave birth. Her remaining family would claim the child. If none exist or step forward, a childless Alpha pair could claim the child. Alpha blood orphans do not happen that often; even without a mantle, that child is important."

"My coven would take care of all the arrangements, and trace the payment back to the people responsible. All you would have to do is play your part and follow my directions," Alexander said calmly.

I could imagine. "And you would do this out of the goodness of your heart?"

Alexander laughed loudly at this. "Jack, Emily, leave us." They got up and left. "Surely, you understand that these acts have value, and there is a cost for the services of my coven," he said.

"What do you want, Master Vampire Corvinus?"

"Alexander, please. After our moment together, I think we are on a first-name basis," he said softly. I shuddered, recalling his breath on my neck before the bite. "I want two things, and they are non-negotiable. I'm sure you know that your blood is powerful stuff. I've never felt anything like it, and I want it again."

"I'm never going to be your familiar," I said as anger rose.

"I would not ask that." He looked back towards the door. "I have been the Master Vampire in this region for over a hundred years, and I intend to challenge for leadership of the Vampire Council on the thirty-first of October in New Orleans. The Supreme Vampire is an old and powerful creature. His skills are superior to any other Master, hence his long rule. With your blood, I will be strong enough to defeat him. I will call for you before the trip, and you will come here and allow me to drink from you again before I leave. It is a small price to pay for my assistance," he said.