Working Class Vegas Vamp is a free urban fantasy serial, usually publishing on Tuesdays. It is unedited and subject to change. If published later, it may differ significantly, and will probably include additional material. Typos and English errors are likely; feel free to leave a comment or write me at am {AT} amscottwrites.com (revised as a standard email address. Pesky bots!) Available for a limited time only!

Haven’t started yet? Chapter 1: https://www.amscottwrites.com/2024/10/29/working-class-vegas-vamp-chapter-1/

Chapter 11

 

I woke and crawled from my den, leaving my chair and shelter there. A bit of a risk not returning it to my vehicle, but if I got caught by Theo, he’d shelter me from the daylight. Probably in a cell. If I got caught by the sun, it was my own fault. Outside, the dusty air held the memory of intense heat, and the bright lights of the Vegas Strip shimmered in the distance, smaller casinos flashing nearby.

I retrieved my bike and took a different route back to the areas of the park frequented by the public, then rolled to my car. When I was within two blocks, I noticed dogs barking and howling. Dogs loved me, so something else was upsetting them. Many dogs didn’t like weres. I turned away from my car at the next intersection. I’d get a burner phone, call a ride share, and retrieve a different vehicle.

Until Theo started this latest battle to own me, I’d thought the Vegas Pack was independent. But from the way the Alpha had herded me into Theo’s car—his nose on my backside had left an impression—that wasn’t true. No sense in taking chances that they’d tracked me down.

A man turned the corner in front of me. A woman appeared across the street, then another on the block ahead of me. I stopped, but they didn’t, so I continued forward, then turned to my right and churned my legs, riding along a rough alley. Feet pounded behind me, and two figures appeared in front of me. I ditched the bike and ran for the stucco-covered wall to my right, but a woman crouched on top of it before I got more than a single step.

They had me cornered. I stood with my back to the fence, knowing any were could easy jump it and get behind me. Men and women stalked towards me, stopping in a semicircle about fifteen feet away. None of them would look in my eyes; they kept their gaze on my chin or forehead. I was caught, at least for now, but I made myself relax. Showing fear might be deadly.

We all stood there, them not looking at me, but I was looking back. Although their height, coloring, and ethnicity varied, each person was in outstanding physical condition. Almost certainly weres then, probably wolves, coyotes, and other canines. Generally, you didn’t see cats in these numbers unless it was a lion pride. Other were species were rare and I didn’t know much about them. This group didn’t look like gargoyles. They had a certain sheen to their skin, and when they stood still, they blended into the background.

After about five minutes, two people shifted to the side and a man walked through the gap. He wasn’t the tallest man there, or the biggest, but he was definitely in shape. He had an air of command, his own mesmerizing quality. While mine cajoled, his demanded, rather like Theo’s but with a lot more intensity. He must be the pack Alpha.

I crossed my arms and tapped a toe. He might intimidate his pack, but I wasn’t one of his. He crossed the empty space surrounding me, stopping within arm’s length, and met my gaze. I stared back, but didn’t try to push my will on his. Even if it worked, there were too many others here. They’d keep him from doing anything like letting me go.

I’m not sure how long we stared, but I know I had to concentrate to keep my anger and fear active. He didn’t push for submission exactly, but rather a feeling that I’d be safer with him.

Neither that, or anything else was likely to work on me. I’d been around too long to put my happiness, security, or welfare into the hands of another. I wanted to roll my eyes, but wouldn’t be the first to drop our stare off. Maybe I should try mesmerizing him; that would make him blink. It would also make him hostile, and I wasn’t ready to go there—yet.

”Alpha, we’re drawing attention. Cops inbound.” The volume was low, but the man’s words were clipped and business-like.

He didn’t break our stare-down. “Copy that. Team One, get my vehicle. Team Two and Three, return to your usual activities. I’ve got it from here.”

I snorted. “Do you?”

He raised a heavy brow above his deep brown eyes. “Unless you’d like to keep our stalemate going until sunrise?”

“If going with you means returning to Theo’s control, yes. I’d rather burn.” I meant every word.

His head reared back, but he didn’t drop my gaze. “I have no intention of bringing you to Theoden.”

I sneered at him. “Intentions don’t mean much. Especially when you’ve shoved your nose into my butt doing just that.”

Someone snickered, but it cut off abruptly. “Sure that was me?” A thick brow rose and his lips pressed together.

“Absolutely? No. Fairly certain, yes. Simple deduction, Watson. I’m surrounded by canines who call you Alpha. Wolves rule the canines. There’s only one in wolf alpha in Vegas and only an alpha can turn at the new moon. Supposedly. Therefore, you’re him.”

“Logical.” He stared at me while nodding. “And partly correct. I am the wolf alpha. I still have no intention of delivering you to Theoden. Especially if you help me.”

“Help you? Do I look like I can help myself, let alone you?” I raised both hands, gesturing to the wolves surrounding me. “Besides, you’ve already betrayed me to Theo once. Why would I trust you?”

He leaned closer. “Because Theoden has my niece. My human niece.”

Chapter 12

A vulnerable hostage. Now the Alpha’s actions made more sense. “I’m sorry to hear that. But I still don’t know how I can help.” He’d trade me for his niece in a heartbeat. I couldn’t trust this guy, no matter how sincere he seemed.

“I know you don’t. But I do, at least to some extent. I know Theoden has kept you in the dark. I can tell you what I know and help you, but only if you’re willing to help me. But first, we need to leave. Are you willing to listen? I can promise you shelter for the coming day no matter what.”

”Sure, if I can follow in my car.” Never let go of your options.

“Fine.” He swept his arm to the side, bowing slightly. “Lead on.” He turned to the woman behind him. “Follow us.”

“Yes, Alpha.” The woman curled her lip and glared at me before turning away to climb into the large SUV that pulled up. Two men got in with her.

I was fairly certain that same woman drove Theo’s limo last night, but I didn’t ask. I picked up my e-bike and pushed it back to my Forrester. After I opened the hatch, the Alpha picked up my bike and slid it into the back, then got in the passenger seat. A piece of paper stuck out from the driver’s side door handle. I snatched it, and pretending to tie my shoe, took a glance at it. “1 escape. The Badgers.” A phone number finished the message.

Aware the SUV full of wolves who didn’t like me much had just pulled up to my bumper, I shoved the paper in my waistband, got behind the wheel and started the car. “Where am I going?”

He frowned. “Summit Club Golf Course. You didn’t know it’s the pack home?”

I shrugged. ”I mind my own business.” I listened to the chatter and gossip, but if it didn’t pertain to me, I didn’t care. The never-ending stream of inter-pack drama at the bar went in one ear and out the other. I’d probably heard the pack house location at some time or another but had no reason to retain the information, since I didn’t plan on visiting.

“That is a mistake. You should learn everything you can about everyone around you. And form alliances. Ignorance is dangerous.” He scanned our surroundings constantly, glancing at me occasionally.

I shot a glare at the annoying, and very alert, man. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. But tell me, who’s going to stand against Theo with me? No one can do that, not here.”

“You think leaving Vegas will save you from Theoden?” He huffed. “Even if you could, it’s not likely. Every major city has someone like him, and they cooperate, when it suits them. Most of them are much worse than Theoden. And treat other supernaturals like cattle. Every one of them would love to get their hands on you. Theoden’s influence has actually kept you safe.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” This had to be part of his game. He was setting me up, softening me for Theo. “Why would any of them want me? I’m a middle-aged nobody. A bartender. I don’t belong to Theo, so I can’t be used against him. It’s ridiculous.”

He turned towards me, scowling. “Theo turned you. You took the blood vows. He owns you.”

“No. He doesn’t. I would have died before swearing to obey him. Or any man. Or woman, for that matter.” Or so I believed. But I’d wanted to live, so it was hard to say what I would have agreed to at that moment had Theo demanded a price.

His brows rose and he jolted back in his seat, then recovered his emotionless expression. “Interesting.” He nodded and returned to his search for threats. “There’s rumors of a prophecy—”

I snorted. “Oh, please. I don’t believe in destiny and I’m no chosen one.” The idea was ludicrous. Pure fiction, and then that role always went to some clueless kid, eagerly searching for meaning in their life. I didn’t believe in predetermination or any of that ridiculousness. I believed in hard work and perseverance.

Or stubbornness, most would call it.

“I didn’t say I believed in the prophecy, just that there is one, supposedly. Like most prophecies, what I’ve heard is very vague and could be applied to a large number of people and situations.” He waved like he was brushing away a fly. “But rumors say Theoden believes it. And that the prophecy refers to a woman turned immortal who is free of all chains. I’m sure there’s more details that lead Theoden to believe you’re that person, and that’s why he didn’t make you take the vows.” The Alpha turned towards me again, inspecting me. “I’ll help you, but you’d better help me.” He snarled. “If you betray me, you’ll regret it.”

I pulled to the side, threw the car in neutral, and glared at him. “Let’s get something straight, here, buster. If I agree to help you, I will. I appreciate the information you gave me, but I don’t owe you for it. Understood?”

“But you owe me for not taking you straight to Theoden and trading you for my niece.” He leaned in, his face only inches from mine.

Ridiculous man. “Like that would work. You know better. Theo won’t let go of anything that puts you and your pack at his beck and call.”

“I know that.” He snarled again.

I tapped him under his sharp jaw the same way I’d tap a misbehaving dog. “Don’t take that out on me.”

He reared back. “Did you just boop me?”

“Booping is for good dogs. Snarling is bad.” I kept my expression blank. “Bad dogs get corrected.” His lip curled. I held up a finger. “Don’t make me do that again.”

“Do that again and lose your finger.” His face morphed, his nose and mouth stretching into a furry wolf’s snout, and he snapped his huge teeth less than a quarter inch from my finger. Then his face reformed into his human visage.

Having expected violence, I didn’t react, but it took everything I had to stay in place. I hadn’t expected a partial shift. Or known that was even possible. Plus, his teeth were huge. “Then don’t snarl at me. Threats will get you nowhere, fast. Even Theo learned that much.” His shifting control and speed were impressive, especially at the new moon. Or maybe the shifters I’d overheard lied about that. It seemed that the Alpha—I still didn’t know his name—was right that my ignorance was dangerous.

“Theoden told me that my niece’s blood is sweet. I’m going to snarl.” It was his turn to be expressionless.

I sighed. “Understood. We’re both on edge, so let’s try to not antagonize each other.”

“Agreed. Let’s go.” He pointed towards the windshield. “I’d rather have this discussion in my home. And that puts you closer to a sun-safe shelter.”

I checked, then pulled back onto the road. “I had one that worked fine.”

“A bed will be more comfortable.” He turned to look behind the vehicle.

“Well, sure.” My back was stiff from a day spent on a too thin pad over very hard rock. “But freedom is more important.”

“I’d agree. My sister deserves that too.”

“And if you get her back, are you going after him in revenge? Or attacking to keep Theo from taking others?” Because I didn’t want to live in a war zone. It never ended well for anyone.

He looked up at the roof of the car. “My pack is well-off, not multi-billionaires. We can’t buy the kind of firepower or influence that Theoden can. So no. Even when I get her back, I will not seek revenge. If she’s safe. If she’s harmed, he’s a dead man.” He pointed to the right.

I made the turn. “He’s already dead, but his brain doesn’t know it. I’m fairly certain vampires are zombies, but without the rotting.”

He barked a laugh. “That explains a lot.”

“And we want blood instead of brains.” I shrugged. “Zombies.”

”Zombies or not, Theoden is a dead man if my sister is permanently harmed.”

I needed to redirect this conversation to something useful. “Back to fixing my ignorance. If Theo is killed, what happens to his sworn vampires? Are they free?”

He shook his head. “You should know these things.”

I scowled at the road ahead. “If I knew, I wouldn’t ask. I didn’t have a normal vampire upbringing, okay? I got out of Theo’s tower of terror as soon as possible.” He ran his businesses like a human CEO, but other than a few at the top, his vampire community acted like interns competing for a single job without any pesky laws to limit their predatory instincts. I’d been at the bottom, and their abuse had been unlimited until I learned how to fight back.

”Interesting. And troubling.” He sucked in a noisy breath. “Okay. If Theoden didn’t appoint a successor, they’d be free. But I’m sure he did. He’d keep the person’s identity secret, because they don’t have any protection against attack until they take over and inherit those blood vows. But he’d be foolish to leave that position open. It’s happened occasionally, but when the vampires are freed, they fight for the lead and it turns into chaos. Generally, other vampire rulers step in and kill them. They don’t usually keep the territory. They seem to have a limit for both square miles and the number of vampires they can rule. But that’s a guess based on observation, not a fact I’ve been told.” He grimaced. “But I’ve also heard there’s a vamp taking over multiple territories in California.”

He was being generous with his information, but I was sure there was a reason. “Do you get told a lot of vampire facts?”

He looked out the window. “Sometimes. Under special circumstances.”

He’d pinged my curiousity. “And what are those?”

He frowned at me. “None of your business.” Blood rushed to his face, and he turned to the window again.

“A lover? That would explain a lot. Not sure why you’re embarrassed, though. Vampires are persuasive and present company excluded, beautiful.”

He twisted to scowl at me. “You’re beautiful.”

I scoffed. “I’m too old to be beautiful. I’m striking, maybe, or interesting.”

“Beauty is more than skin deep. I know you’ve treated Janice and Troy, and all the other supernaturals who worked for you with respect. You’re tough, but fair, and stand up to management. You’re good at convincing others to do things your way, without using mesmerization.” He reached out and ran his fingertip along the curve of my jaw. “But you are physically beautiful as well. A few lines doesn’t change that.”

I jerked my head away from the seductive glide of his raspy pad. “You’re smooth. No wonder a vampire spilled her guts.” I pulled up to the gate, but it opened before I could stop.

The Alpha returned the guard’s salute, then directed me through the widespread luxury homes. The fairways were unusually large for Vegas, sprinklers making the grass sparkle in the beautifully designed landscape lighting. “Won’t some homeowner report a stranger to Theo?”

“Not if they want to live here.” He directed me through the development. We drove west, rising into the foothills. “They’re mostly pack members and other supes. The few human residents work for my pack.” He pointed at a huge house. “Drive around back and into the garage.”

The gigantic, three-story house had the typical Vegas exterior of sandy stucco and red tile roof, but the landscaping was lush and had water features, too. The plants and ponds were low, leaving nothing to hide behind, and the lighting minimized shadows. Bars covered the windows, including the upper stories, and the door appeared to be metal. The overall effect was medieval-style luxury and security on a massive scale.

I drove around the side to the back, and pulled into the open garage door—one of four. Beyond the house was an iron bar fence, then open, dry land rising into the hills. “Where do you get all the water?”

Alpha smirked. “A water witch owed me a big favor. I wanted pools for my pack members. But it turned out better than I planned, because the golf club fees pay for most of the overhead. Humans love exclusivity.” He got out.

“Not just humans.” I joined him in the garage. Shiny black and white checkerboard coated the floor, and the interior walls were tan, matching the exterior stucco. Dark wood cabinets lined the walls, except for a small office area with a desk and chair, a computer on top. The other four stalls held the same large, black SUVs I’d seen behind us. Luxurious, but practical.

Alpha led the way to a door, entered a code into a pad and put his hand on a sensor. A glint in the wall above the sensor told me there was a camera there; probably facial recognition. The pack took security seriously. A thunk, and the door opened, revealing a large mud room with benches on two sides and hooks above. Clothes hung from a few pegs—perhaps pack members patrolling in wolf form. Except I’d been told that changing at the new moon was extremely difficult for most weres. But the badgers invading Theo’s had all been in animal form, so maybe that was false.

The second security door led to a commercial kitchen, but we took a right, entering a short hallway. At the end, a great room with couches, chairs, and entertainment centers held at least ten people, but we didn’t join them. Alpha opened a door on the left, and trod down a staircase. I followed him to the basement; it made sense that any light safe room would be below ground.

At the bottom of the stairs, a smaller seating area with leather couches and a bar on the left hand wall had a vaguely British Pub scheme. Alpha led me to another security door and opened it, revealing another hallway with closed, blank doors, all secured with electronic locks. After Alpha opened it, the end door revealed an office, with a large mahogany desk holding three monitors and a fancy-looking chair. The sealed concrete floor in front of the desk was empty, without a rug or a guest chair. To the left of the desk was a leather couch with two club chairs, a photo-realistic forest decorating the wall behind the couch. The right-hand wall held an open door revealing a bathroom; beyond that door was a small bar area. Another secured door was behind the desk to the left.

“If you’d like to use the facilities, please do so. Would you like anything other than water?” He strode to the bar, pulling glasses off a shelf and filling them from the tap. “We have an excellent filtering system.”

“Water is fine. The bathroom would be welcome, thank you.” I entered, closing the door behind me and turning on the fan. The Alpha’s manners reminded me of my childhood and I found myself responding in the same fashion. It didn’t seem likely that he’d be my age—weres, especially wolves and big cats, often died violently. I’d never know unless he told me; like vampires, weres didn’t age, either.

I used the facilities, washed my hands and face, and wiped my body with a washcloth to remove the grit of last night’s hideout. Hopefully the light safe room would come with a shower. A comb would be nice, too, but for now, my fingers would do.

After stalling as long as I could, I left the bathroom. The Alpha sprawled in one corner of the couch, and tipped his glass back. His throat moved as he swallowed, the everyday occurrence somehow sensual.

I looked at the forest scene behind him. I knew better than to let animal magnetism get to me. The man was admittedly sexy; he’d look perfect on a romance novel cover. His dark, brooding good looks, combined with his confident, but not arrogant attitude and surprisingly good manners added up to an attractive package. But pretty didn’t equal good. I crossed the room and sat in one of the chairs, picking up the glass of water on the low dark wood table between us, and drank. I almost finished the glass before I put it down.

The Alpha put his glass down on a coaster and leaned forward. “So, Charlene Flammen, do you want to live?”

***To be continued***

Working Class Vegas Vamp Copyright © 2024 by AM Scott. All Rights Reserved.

Cover by Achlys Book Cover Designs