Page 39 of Wolf Queen Ruin
My body absorbed the impact of several specialized bullets specifically meant for supernaturals.But they were only a minor inconvenience for vampires, suggesting our attackers remained unaware of my exact nature.A tactical error.Also a sign that thiswasn’tMarcel.
When I looked down, Luna’s face hovered inches from mine, her eyes wide but devoid of the terror most humans would display.Instead, I detected only curiosity and concern.
“Are you hurt?”I allowed myself to touch her face briefly.
“I’m fine,” she replied, her breath shockingly warm against my skin.A small frown formed between her brows as she reached up toward my temple.“You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.”The wound was already closing, my vampire physiology repairing the damage.
I pulled away to return targeted fire through the shattered window, each shot calculated to disable rather than eliminate.I wanted them alive long enough to interrogate them.Only they swerved and evaded most of my shots to their tires.
“James, take the tunnel route,” I ordered, reloading.
As our vehicle careened toward what appeared to be a solid wall, Luna gave a sharp intake of breath.
But then a concealed entrance slid open with barely sufficient clearance, a system Elliot and the rest of the Vampire Council had helped design in the aftermath of the 1927 vampire-shifter conflicts.The SUV attempted to follow, its excessive width causing it to become wedged in the entrance.The sound of grinding metal confirmed at least one threat neutralized.
“What is this place?”Luna asked as we navigated the labyrinthine passages beneath the city.
“It’s a private network,” I explained, evaluating potential threats ahead and behind.“Supernatural emergency routes beneath the city.They date back to the 1920s when vampires decided covert movement might be necessary.”
An unexpected power fluctuation plunged the tunnel into darkness.My enhanced vision adjusted instantly, but Luna tensed beside me.
“Power outage,” James said.“I’m switching to auxiliary systems.”
A silver sedan’s headlights appeared behind us, its sleek form designed for this type of pursuit—narrower chassis, reinforced front end, specialized tires.This vehicle had been prepared specifically for the tunnels.Now they were catching on.
“On my mark, execute pattern sigma,” I instructed James, while reaching for Luna’s hand in the darkness.“Brace yourself.”
She nodded, her grip tightening on both my hand and her weapon, the set of her jaw determined.
“Now!”I commanded.
In a wider part of the tunnel, our car executed a perfect 180-degree rotation, disorienting our pursuer.I exited the vehicle at full vampire speed, a blur of movement that would appear as nothing more than shadow to human perception.
I removed the driver’s door with a single focused application of force, the metallic shriek echoing through the confined space.I threw the driver—human, male, military training evident in his physique and reactions—against the wall.He rose again, unexpectedly resilient, suggesting enhanced strength.Possibly blood-doping with supernatural elements.
I registered a single shot behind me that incapacitated the passenger without fatal damage.Efficient.Tactical.Gorgeous.And Luna had maintained her position of cover while executing the shot.
After neutralizing the enhanced driver with a strike to his neurovascular cluster, I moved to interrogate the remaining conscious assailant.I lifted him by his throat, moderating my strength to allow his speech while ensuring compliance.
“Did Marcel send you?”I demanded, allowing my vampire nature to surface visibly.
The man struggled against my grip.“No…not Marcel.”
Luna approached, her weapon still raised.“Marcel needs us alive to follow us.We saw the map.He didn’t.He wouldn’t try to take us out now.”
The distant echoes of additional vehicles reverberating through the tunnel system sounded.This was merely the first wave.
“Doesn’t matter now,” she said, placing her hand on my arm.“We need to go.”
The unexpected gentle touch cut through the predatory focus that had overtaken me.I rendered the man unconscious with precise pressure to the carotid artery and released him.
He’d be fine.
“Back in the car,” I said.
We navigated the remainder of the tunnel system using alternate routes I’d memorized during their construction and emerged near an abandoned industrial complex miles from our entry point.
