The Wolves of London Book 2: The House of Striker

(Chapter Song ‘Rise of The Damned' by Damned Anthem)

ZEN

Sleep hit me fast. He wore me out. I don’t even know what time it was when we passed out. My eye flutters and I adjust to the dark in the room. I look around and see the bedroom door is open.

I roll over and look behind me. Avery’s gone. I sit up and stretch before grabbing my panties and t-shirt. I dress and pad out of the room. “Ave?” I quietly call out to the main room.

The living room is dark and the moon is shining its light on the furniture as I cross the floor. I don’t see him, and look around to the back of the house.

I walk toward the kitchen and see the back door is open. I tilt my head as I see a shadow leaning on the railing of the deck.

As I get closer, I see Avery on the phone. I stop just before the door and he doesn’t hear me.

“I don’t fucking care, Miranda. I’m not bringing her in. No.”

My brows cinch as I listen in.

“Do it. Go ahead. My father’s blood isn’t worth what you want me to do.” He stands and starts to pace. I dip back into the shadow of the kitchen. He stops and growls. “I’m nothing like Draco. Don’t even fucking suggest it. My father was a mass murderer…”

My lips shrink and my brows stitch up. What the hell did I just hear?

“You’re not getting Zen and threatening my wolf isn’t changing that. My father’s venom isn’t worth Zen or the world. If I die, I die. I don’t care.”

Venom? Draco? Father?

He stops and faces the backyard. “I know you’re tracing this and I know you won’t stop. All I can say is bring it. I’m not scared of you. Don’t fucking call me again.”

He hangs up, places the phone on top of the railing and leans his hands on it.

I step through the door and the security light comes on. He whips around and looks like a deer caught in the headlights. “Zennie.” He breathes.

I cross my arms. “You’re Draco Torrent’s son?”

He steps to me. “Zen…”

I hold up a hand. “The man that killed thousands. Including 20 damn good hunters. The wolf that was so diseased he poisoned a 5 year old girl and created a man so psychopathic that it got thousands more dead. That Draco Torrent?”

“Yes, but Zennie…” He starts for me.

“Don’t come near me.” I jut my chin out and step back.

“I’m not him, Zen. I’m human.” He states.

I shake my head. “No. You’re a liar. You’re a shifter. You always have been.”

“No, Zen! Let me explain…” He steps closer.

“Screw you.” I grit and rush to the bedroom.

“ZEN!!”

I slam the door and lock it while I get dressed.

“ZEN, PLEASE!! I DIDN’T LIE! I’M HUMAN!”

I throw open the door and push past him. “Leave me alone!”

“Baby, stop!!” He grabs my arm and I rip it out of his hand.

“No. I trusted you.” I swallow as tears well. “I really thought you were one of the good ones, but really you used me as prey. The only thing you didn’t do was eat me, but you did take everything else from me, didn’t you? Well, now I know the truth. And that will never happen again.” I whip around and stride to the front door.

“WAIT, PLEASE!”

I jump in my car as he runs around to my side. As I slam it in gear, he bangs on the glass. “LEAVE ME ALONE, AVERY!”

I hit the gas and drive down the long driveway to the highway. The protection shield ripples around me as I break through it and hit the road.

My mind is thinking all kinds of things. How could I not know? How could I believe him and his whole turner story? How long was he going to con me for? What was he really doing while he was missing? What kind of hunter gets played by a shifter?

Tears roll down my cheeks as I drive with no real destination in mind. I speed down the road and wipe my cheeks as total confusion sets in.

What the hell do I do now?

“You need to run.”

I whip my head to the passenger seat, see Nova and scream in fright.

“LOOK OUT!!” She throws a finger up to the windshield and I jolt my head in the direction she’s pointing.

I scream even louder as I see a large man in red and black standing in the road.

His burned face glares at me and he roars loud. I swerve the car and it hits the side of the road. The tires leave the road and the car flips. The windows smash as the passenger side hits first and the car bounces. The windshield blows out as the roof hits and the car rolls again.

I’m tossed around like a busted ragdoll and I’m thrown out of the drivers side when the door breaks off. The car rolls several more times before landing on its roof.

I groan and try to make sense of what happened as I try to lift myself up. The car is smoking and the sounds of broken metal settling hit my ears. I hold my bleeding head as I rise up on my knees.

‘Run, Zen.’

I look behind me and there’s nothing there. “Wha…”

‘He's coming! Run!’

The wispy voice fades as I raise my head to the road.

Heavy boots thud on the pavement. My eyes travel up to the man with the half burned face. His one eye is white and his other is black. My heart drops as I figure out who this is.

“Icarus.” I choke as I start to back off and stand.

“Hello, Zen. We haven’t met officially, but I heard about you.” He smirks as he walks onto the gravel side road. His boots crunch in the rocks as I casually look around to form a game plan. I don’t have any weapons with me and home is 10 miles back.

“What do you want?” I grit as I take another step back.

He takes a few steps forward into the grass and places his hands behind his back. “I have something. Something that used to belong to your family.”

“The painting? How…” I almost hit the car as I look at him with confusion.

“The exposure you created led me right to it. I had my ear out for it for a long time. It was a close guarded secret, but leave it to humans to not leave well enough alone.” He stops and lowers his eye to me. “I want what’s inside. You will come with me and you will open it.”

“Screw that. I’m not going anywhere.” My boot hits a rock and keep it right there as I watch his every move.

“Zen. You know who I am and what I can do. It’s laughable you think you have a choice.” He steps a little closer. “Come quietly and I won’t hurt you. Resist me and I’ll see if I don’t need you to be alive to open the door.”

My breath speeds up as I look around the dark field. “Ok… uh… fine.” I turn back to him. “Where are you taking me?”

“You'll see.” He grins.

“Tell me or I’ll resist.” I move around the bumper of the car to put the rock in the right position by my boot.

“You really are cute for a human.” His deep voice drawls and I roll my eyes. “If you must know, Transylvania.”

I stop, stitch my brow and cock my head. “Transylvania? Can you get anymore cliché?”

He crosses his arms and lowered his head as he shakes it. “That’s Vampires!” He barks loud enough to shake the ground.

I wince at the boom of his voice. “Ok! I’m sorry!” I hold my ground. “You want me to come with you and unleash hell. I only have one answer to that.”

“What?”

“Nothing. I just think…” I snap to the ground, grab the softball sized rock, and throw it at his head. “THAT’S THE DUMBEST IDEA EVER!!”

It catches him off guard and hits him in the forehead. I don’t even wait.

‘Run, Zen.'

I bolt into the field and head for the highway on the other side. My boots hit the ground and my arms pump like mad as I sprint and beg for more speed.

He roars loud behind me and my heart jumps in my throat.

Groans and loud whispers rise around me. I skid to a stop, and bend at my knees as I watch the surrounding trees.

I eye the trunks until I see them move.

“Come on. Really?” I whine as streams of shadows rise into the air like snakes. “Fuck!” I spin and take off to the highway. If I flag a car he can’t get me.

The shadows whisper louder as they black out the stars. They criss cross above my head, but I don’t slow down. A loud groan came from above and I look up. One thick shadow snake rises up and rockets down to where I was.

Just before it hits, I yelp and fumble my body out of the way. It drives itself into the ground and disappears. I break through the shadow cloud as shadow after shadow slams around me. One lands in front of me and I jump through it. I feel the power try to grab me, but it barely slows me down.

The sky fills with more shadows and more deafening whispers. The highway gets close, but it’s still so far away. My legs are practically numb. My jaw hurts from clenching my teeth and my lungs feel like they’re about to explode.

Two black shadow snakes land in front of me and shoot back my way horizontally. I scream as I zig out of the way and turn to the right. Three more fire down and bank before they hit. I change direction again. They’re herding me back to Icarus. He needs me alive.

“I don’t fucking think so.” Another set of horizontal attacks has me drop to the ground, roll under the crossing shadows and watch them soar over me. I scramble to my feet and break free of the circle I was caught in. I right my path to the highway.

I keep my eyes trained and watch the headlights of cars cross the road in front of me.

Just a few more feet, Zen.

Just a few more feet.