Ash(57)

What was I supposed to do? We weren’t taking in any more ash. We were referring them to the Seattle Hive? No, they’d pulled Seattle too, they were full. Was it the one in Denver? Shit.

There were screams in the background, although they sounded a little closer. “Okay, ma’am, give me your address and I will send someone over.”

The woman rattled off an address and I scribbled it down.

“I’m thirsty!” a male voice screamed, and then the phone went dead. Shit!

I bolted out of the room holding my piece of paper and burst into the enforcer dressing room. Generally one of them was in here.

Kyle was standing there half naked, looking at me like a deer in headlights. I took a second to admire his ripped chest and arms, not to mention his tousled dirty-blond mane. What? Don’t judge me, I was only human … well, sort of.

“Where’s Ryder?” I burst out. “I got a call. A newly turned ash just attacked his mom, I think.”

Kyle swore and pulled on his clothes, lightning quick. He grabbed some weapons from a locker and shoved a gun in my hand.

“Ryder is gone for the day. The rest of the boys are on the roof track running. The human will be drained dry be the time I get them. Let’s go! You’re coming with me.”

I didn’t have time to register this breach in protocol. Leave the Hive? Carry a gun? Hells to the yeah. This was what I needed right now, some action and time out of this place. Kyle was on his walkie-talkie as we left the locker room, letting the other sexy six know what was up. They’d be right behind us. Following him, I ran faster than I ever had before and practically flew into the black van’s passenger seat. Kyle moved at ash speed, peeling out of the garage and down the gated side street.

“The address is only a few miles away, over by the airport!” I yelled, holding on as he took a corner at a super speed. It felt like we went up on two wheels.

He must have called ahead, because the Hive gate was open, and we flew through no problem. Kyle’s grip was tight on the wheel, but he remained in complete control as I started to give him directions to the house.

“What happens if she’s dead?” I blurted out.

Kyle swallowed. “The humans can press charges against the ash. They will fine the Hive a shit-ton of money, and the ash that killed her will never forgive himself.”

Shit. Suddenly I thought of Ryder. He hadn’t forgiven himself yet, had he? Now wasn’t the time to ask and I was sure best friend code kept Kyle from telling me.

The van screeched around another corner and turned onto Monroe Street. We were at the right street now. This was where the woman lived.

As we ground to a halt in front of a sprawling, ranch-style house, Kyle swung around to face me. “You haven’t been trained, so let me take the lead. Newly turned ash are jacked up from the change and are super strong. They also have an unquenchable thirst. If he bites me, kill him. He will not hesitate to kill me, and then he will move on to you.”

Holy shit balls. I felt my palms sweating, and was suddenly a tiny bit grateful for the culling. At least I had some experience fighting.

“Was I that strong?” I asked.

“You were the strongest call Ryder and I have ever taken.”

Well, damn. Kyle opened his door and hit the ground running. I did the same, following him right up to the door. Two hard kicks and it was down. One day I was totes going to learn how to kick down a door.

“Ash enforcers! Lay down with your hands behind your head,” Kyle yelled, and I finally noticed that he had two bottles of blood in his hand, and what looked like a couple more in his pockets. When the hell had he grabbed those?

I stepped out from behind Kyle’s broad shoulders and saw a young man with dark hair leaning over a limp, pale woman. The male stopped feeding on her; his face shot up and he started to growl. Kyle pulled his weapon and I followed suit, figuring he had a much better chance of knowing what the hell to do.

Kyle flicked open one of the bottle lids. “Want some nice blood?” He slowly bent and set the bottle on the ground, about three feet from the ash.

The young man’s chest was heaving, eyes black as night, with the slightest silver ring. He ignored Kyle’s offer and leaned back down to bite his mother. The second he clamped down, I saw her fingers twitch. No! She was still alive. I acted on instinct, firing a shot into the guy’s back. He snapped his head up and looked at me.

“Shit, Charlie,” Kyle said calmly. “Don’t poke the lion while he’s feeding.”

My eyes widened as I got what he was saying. Too late. The guy stood, dropping his limp mother and lurching up, smashing aside furniture to get to me.