cleared his head and sent his pulse racing. Goddess, how would he save her? He licked the underside of her muzzle.
The vampires had mentioned both of their pelts bringing a good price at the market. He lifted his head to watch as the bloodsuckers chatted by the fire, passing a bottle of wine. The biggest among them heated his tools in the bright red coals. Were they preparing to skin them? Peder swallowed around the lump in his throat.
As a pup, he’d begged the older members of his pack to tell him tales of the vampire wars. Sometimes the storytellers lost themselves in memories and forgot they were speaking to a child, revealing details to freeze his soul. They themselves had only been children during this time, but the vampires hadn’t spared anyone in those days. If the vampires wanted to keep their pelts nice, they probably wouldn’t beat the shifters, but skinning them alive was a possibility. He shuddered.
Clink. Clink. Clink, tapped a claw on the edge of a knife.
Come out and play Peder. You’re always so eager to play with others.
Why not me?
He shook his head violently. It had been years since that voice had plagued him. Peder had watched Sorin kill his tormentor, watched as his throat had been torn out. Peder had lapped at the blood that had pooled under his body. Peder had been the first of the pack to do it and accept Sorin as his new alpha. No one relished the old alpha’s death as much as he did.
Rolling on his back, he caught his breath and stared at the unfamiliar stars above. Susan taught him about constellations. After a few moments, he finally spotted Orion, but it was farther north than he’d expected. Did that mean they’d traveled south? He peered beyond their camp but couldn’t see the forest or any familiar landscape except a distant mountain range. Were those the mountains he crossed to travel from home to Temple lands? They seemed so small from here.
His ears flattened. They must be out of Benic’s territory then. All Benic desired was Kele. He wouldn’t have had her chained and dragged out onto the ground. By vampire law, he owned the tribe’s forest home and ruled their packs, but he’d rarely exercised any of those rights. Peder’s gaze traveled back to their captors. They were in bigger trouble than he’d originally surmised.
The Payami and the Yaundeeshaw would have found the massacre at the Temple by now. How long would they fight among themselves, tossing blame before they marched on Benic’s castle? All the while, he and Kele would be taken farther and farther from home until their trails went cold. His heart froze. No rescue.
Kele stirred.
He nuzzled her throat in comfort until she rolled to face him.
She blinked slowly. “Peder?”
His ears shot forward at the sound of his name on her tongue.
She struggled with her restraints until she fell back onto her side. “I thought I’d been dreaming.” She lifted her head, taking in their surroundings and the vampires around the fire. “It wasn’t a nightmare then. My parents are truly dead?” Her voice hiccupped on the last word as if struggling with tears.
He licked her eyes closed and did his best to support her body with his arms imprisoned behind his back. There were no words of comfort he could offer. Things were bad and from the looks of the tools in the fire, they were about to get worse. “I’m so sorry.”
She nodded before resting her head on his shoulder, pressing her lithe body along his as if months of silence and separation didn’t exist between them. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to survive.”
She lifted her face to meet his gaze.
“I’m very good at it. Stay close. I’ll do my best to protect you.”
The vampire with the darting skills lifted a metal rod out of the coals. “One of them is awake. Is the iron hot enough? I want to get this over with.” The tool glowed red in the night. “Looks good. Grab him.” He pointed in Peder’s direction.
“Pretend to be
The vampires had mentioned both of their pelts bringing a good price at the market. He lifted his head to watch as the bloodsuckers chatted by the fire, passing a bottle of wine. The biggest among them heated his tools in the bright red coals. Were they preparing to skin them? Peder swallowed around the lump in his throat.
As a pup, he’d begged the older members of his pack to tell him tales of the vampire wars. Sometimes the storytellers lost themselves in memories and forgot they were speaking to a child, revealing details to freeze his soul. They themselves had only been children during this time, but the vampires hadn’t spared anyone in those days. If the vampires wanted to keep their pelts nice, they probably wouldn’t beat the shifters, but skinning them alive was a possibility. He shuddered.
Clink. Clink. Clink, tapped a claw on the edge of a knife.
Come out and play Peder. You’re always so eager to play with others.
Why not me?
He shook his head violently. It had been years since that voice had plagued him. Peder had watched Sorin kill his tormentor, watched as his throat had been torn out. Peder had lapped at the blood that had pooled under his body. Peder had been the first of the pack to do it and accept Sorin as his new alpha. No one relished the old alpha’s death as much as he did.
Rolling on his back, he caught his breath and stared at the unfamiliar stars above. Susan taught him about constellations. After a few moments, he finally spotted Orion, but it was farther north than he’d expected. Did that mean they’d traveled south? He peered beyond their camp but couldn’t see the forest or any familiar landscape except a distant mountain range. Were those the mountains he crossed to travel from home to Temple lands? They seemed so small from here.
His ears flattened. They must be out of Benic’s territory then. All Benic desired was Kele. He wouldn’t have had her chained and dragged out onto the ground. By vampire law, he owned the tribe’s forest home and ruled their packs, but he’d rarely exercised any of those rights. Peder’s gaze traveled back to their captors. They were in bigger trouble than he’d originally surmised.
The Payami and the Yaundeeshaw would have found the massacre at the Temple by now. How long would they fight among themselves, tossing blame before they marched on Benic’s castle? All the while, he and Kele would be taken farther and farther from home until their trails went cold. His heart froze. No rescue.
Kele stirred.
He nuzzled her throat in comfort until she rolled to face him.
She blinked slowly. “Peder?”
His ears shot forward at the sound of his name on her tongue.
She struggled with her restraints until she fell back onto her side. “I thought I’d been dreaming.” She lifted her head, taking in their surroundings and the vampires around the fire. “It wasn’t a nightmare then. My parents are truly dead?” Her voice hiccupped on the last word as if struggling with tears.
He licked her eyes closed and did his best to support her body with his arms imprisoned behind his back. There were no words of comfort he could offer. Things were bad and from the looks of the tools in the fire, they were about to get worse. “I’m so sorry.”
She nodded before resting her head on his shoulder, pressing her lithe body along his as if months of silence and separation didn’t exist between them. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to survive.”
She lifted her face to meet his gaze.
“I’m very good at it. Stay close. I’ll do my best to protect you.”
The vampire with the darting skills lifted a metal rod out of the coals. “One of them is awake. Is the iron hot enough? I want to get this over with.” The tool glowed red in the night. “Looks good. Grab him.” He pointed in Peder’s direction.
“Pretend to be
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