Cursed To Death

“Good!”

Bear Shadow stood under a streetlight breathing hard as Crow Shadow stared up at the moon.

“Then can you do me one favor, man,” he asked in a quiet voice.

“What?” Bear Shadow bellowed.

“Can you at least walk me back to their apartment so I can get her name and address off the mailbox?”

Hunter got out of the jeep with a shotgun over his shoulder. That same feral female scent was back, the one he’d noticed at both murder sites. Then again, this was a brothel, and the scent of feral female blanketed the area for miles.

Regardless, this was not the night anybody needed to fuck with him. Bouncers snarled and four took a stance as Hunter approached the front entrance.

“You gotta check your weapon at the door.”

Hunter lowered it in a flash and took aim before any of them could lunge. “Consider it checked, or do I need to deposit silver?”

“What’s your beef?” a burly manager said, parting the security squad at the front door. Gold tips capped his upper and lower canines, and the name Butch sparkled in gold-rimmed diamonds across his front teeth. “Everybody in here is having a good time. Put the shotgun up for safekeeping, and we’ll gladly accept your cash, too.”

“I’m looking for my brother,” Hunter said with a snarl, not giving up his weapon.

Butch nodded and chuckled. “That’s all you had to say.”

CHAPTER 14

A svelte, androgynous male came over to the baron’s blackjack table, leaned in close, and whispered in his ear. His pale green silk shirt and linen pants provided a beautifully sharp contrast with his dark brown tresses that merged with the baron’s as he deposited juicy gossip.

“It’s starting, milord.” The male companion tossed his brunet hair behind his pointed ear and allowed his graceful fingers to lightly rest on the baron’s broad shoulder.

“How so?” the baron murmured, his fangs cresting in anticipation.

The baron’s companion motioned to a server to bring the baron another blood goblet, reveling in the attention he was receiving from the ladies who drew in closer to hear the dirt. “Both males are at the Buchanan brothel and, let’s say word has it that neither is disposed for combat with anyone but each other right now. The Buchanans will make their move soon.”

The baron laughed and shook his head, accepting a fresh blood goblet as his ladies clapped and giggled. He lifted his golden chalice and gave them a slight bow from where he sat. “How perfect. So, after the brothers half kill each other, Buchanan’s kith and kin can finish them off… as would be their right for erupting in violence in their establishment. We will not be culpable and will not have blood on our hands.”

“Perhaps a future alliance, then?” The companion drew back to stare at the Vampire, drinking in Baron Montague’s jewel-blue eyes with his own.

“Patience, Kiagehul,” the baron crooned. “We shall see.”

Sasha felt like she was about to leap right out of her skin as she drove back toward the bed-and-breakfast. Something was wrong; every nerve in her body was standing on end. Wolf distress was in the air. The scent of fear tickled the back of her synapses and raised the hair on her neck.

But she hated not knowing whether or not it was her human gut instinct or something more refined-wolf instinct, or just the heebie-jeebies from the dark spell. Moving bodies that had been charred to death didn’t help. Still, something was spooking her internal radar, and that was hardly ever wrong.

Turning the corner, she brought the jeep to a screeching halt, pulling over to get out of the way of light traffic that was behind her.

“Bear? Crow?” she shouted, leaning over the seat towards them.

They stopped walking and just stared at her.

“You guys okay? You need a ride?”

“Sis, honest to God, I’ve never seen a better sight for sore eyes.” Crow Shadow dashed toward her and hurled himself into her backseat, and then hugged her, seeming like he was too choked up to speak.

But Bear was more cautious. He looked around in all directions like a wanted man. “Uh… Have you seen Hunter?”

“No. You guys have any idea where he is?”

The expression on Bear’s face was a cross between relief and jubilation. The man seriously looked like he was ready to break down and do the happy dance in the middle of the street.

“Mind if we escort you to him, stay on your flank, and, uh, otherwise be of service, ma’am?”

All she could do was stare at Bear Shadow for a moment. “Uh, yeah… That was sorta the idea. Hop in.”

“We don’t really have to go into details with Hunter about us all getting separated for a little while, do we, Sis?” Crow Shadow said quickly as Bear climbed into the front passenger seat. “What’s a few hours amongst family?”

Sasha smiled. “How long were you guys AWOL?” She held up her hand. “Never mind, I don’t wa

“You are a decent person, Captain Trudeau,” Bear Shadow said with genuine affection. “Thank you.”

Sasha just shook her head.

This was a setup, if ever he smelled one. Hunter bounded up the stairs above the strip club to the private rooms. His men were AWOL, Sasha was missing, and Silver Hawk was at Fi

He kicked the door with his boot, and held the shotgun to the ceiling, pressing his back to the wall. The door opened, and a female form filled it.

“Need to talk to Shogun,” Hunter said in a low command. “Now.”

“He’s otherwise indisposed, sugah,” the pretty but disheveled female said, giving him attitude.

“Tell my brother I need to speak to him,” Hunter said with more snarl in his voice.

The door swung open and Shogun filled it, zipping his pants, eyes blazing.

“We need to talk,” Hunter said, inclining his head down the hall away from the woman in the doorway.

“About what?” Shogun said, growling. “Clearly, if I’m here, you’ve won.”

“Not about that,” Hunter said quickly, and then reached around Shogun to snatch the female he’d been with. That scent was back, that scent was near-so close it had to be her. Hunter put the barrel of his shotgun to her cheek before Shogun could knock it away. “Drop it, bitch.”

Shogun backed up as the female slowly extended her arm and dropped a small Lady Derringer on the floor. He stared at her and then his brother.

“Smell it. Silver loaded,” Hunter muttered. “You would have died in your sleep.”

“That wasn’t for him, it was for you,” she said with a lisp, as the barrel pressed into her cheek. “How did I know you weren’t coming to fight him?”

Hunter flung the angry female Were away from them as his brother picked up her gun.

“Hunter, she’s all right,” Shogun said, frowning. “You’re-”

A shotgun blast tore through the wall past Shogun, grazed Hunter, and gutted the angry woman that had been leaning against the door frame. She dropped in a crimson pool of her own blood, silver buckshot still smoldering in her skin where it passed through the wall into her.

Hunter was pure motion, yanking his brother by the arm as they started to run low while shotgun shells exploded over their heads the whole length of the long hallway. Hunter ran straight for the window. He and Shogun let loose a howl calling their men to safety as they crashed through the window, fell three stories, and landed in a crouch amid shattered glass.

They headed for the tree line and took cover, Hunter holding the weapon parallel to his body.

“How did you know?” Shogun asked quickly, breathing hard.

“Shadow walk,” Hunter said, peeking around the tree. “Your instincts are off, senses dulled… There’s dark magick that ca