Death's Servant(33)

Tears trickle unchecked across my face as I carry the dead woman down the stairs. Could we have saved her if we’d moved faster? Would she have lived if I hadn’t trailed her back to the mansion last week? So many conflicting thoughts fight for dominance in my mind as one foot follows another and I painstakingly make my way to the rear of the house, where we told the other Weres to gather.
The weight of her body pulls on me mentally, but not physically. Her arms lay loose, one cradled to her body and the other dangling toward the ground. With each step, the burden of carrying her draws me into a pit of despair.
I failed this woman. I thought I could help, but in the end I was no match against an enemy who outnumbered me and had advantages of strength and experience.
If it wasn’t for the more powerful vampire I’d stumbled upon, this whole pack would be dead—if not now than surely later as the years of their torment stretched on.
You did do something. You didn’t turn your back on them like Romeo and Elsa. You found someone to help.
Yeah, and at what price? Raine is dead and I’ll be serving the deadliest creature I’ve ever met. What if she gets tired of me? What if I make a wrong move? Could she dispose of me without a backward glance, like she did those vampires in the house? The noise of hushed voices reaches me as I make my way to the backyard.
A blurry glance reveals the rest of the werewolves have gathered outside. Two dirty forms huddle near the ground, several other packmates standing close to them. My guess would be the ones on the ground are the chained and drained alphas from this unlucky pack. At my slow approach, a few Weres turn in my direction.
“Raine!” The young wolf from the house, Tara, rushes to my side. “Is she...?”
The crushing weight of my failure shoves me to my knees, clasping the body of the slight werewolf to my chest as I descend. “I tried, Tara... I really tried.”
“No!” she shouts, tears cascading down her face. She reaches to take her packmate’s limp body from my arms, the sobs wracking her shoulders don’t hinder her supernatural strength to support a woman her size. I release my hold on Raine’s remains. My back bows and my head sags.
All this, for... what?
Was it worth it? You sell your soul to the devil and your potential mate lies dead?
Dria lays a hand on my shoulder. Her touch eases some of the despair coating my thoughts. “I’m no angel, that’s true.” I turn my head and stare into her glittering green eyes. “But I’m sure as hell not a soul-collecting devil, either.”
My mouth opens to refute the betraying thoughts she read, but she pats my shoulder, stopping me. “It’s okay, Jon. You’re allowed to feel pain and grieve. If you didn’t, I’d be worried about you—and the type of alpha you’d make without compassion.” Her hand grips the fabric of my shirt and she gives a gentle tug. “Get up.” I stoically rise to my feet, wanting nothing more than the ground to open and swallow me over Raine’s loss—and my horrible failure at letting her die.
Dria’s next words whip a light of fire through me. “We’re not done yet. Wipe your tears and let’s get moving. There’s more to do, whether you’re ready for it or not.”






 
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Chapter Fifteen

“What?” The question leaks past my shock-parched lips, quiet enough to be more of a whisper. Fear squeezes my heart as my muscles tense. “You don’t plan on...?” I trail off, afraid to voice my inner fear that she may not stop her killing spree with just the vampires.
“Worried I’ll hurt the wolves?” she asks, a twinge of annoyance on her pale as porcelain face. “Now really, Jon. What kind of help would I be if I intended to kill the wolves? Anyone with some accelerant and a lighter could’ve done that ages ago by burning this whole place to the ground.”
I turn to face her, confusion spilling out of me. “Well, then...?”
She reaches out one pale hand, cupping my cheek with a delicate touch. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save Raine.” Her eyes dart to the group of skinny huddled bodies outside of the building that held me hostage a week ago. “I plan on helping as many of the wolves as I can, trust me. I would’ve never accepted your offer otherwise.”
She drops her hand and strides to the ragged pack of Weres. I trail behind her, unsure what she’s got planned. She stops ten feet from a stooped man with matted hair and a scraggly beard, who huddles over the emaciated form of an equally dirty woman. Dria angles her head my way, her voice coming out low, for my ears only. “The night is not over, Jon. Not by a long shot. Sure, the worst of the hell is past, but we’ve got hours more ahead of us.” Her eyes flick behind us to the empty mansion. “Rafe will be here soon. We’ll be burning this place to the ground—he’ll start on getting it prepped.” She motions with her chin toward the couple. “I think those are the alphas. I need to talk with them before proceeding with the next stage of my plan.” Her serious stare drills into mine. “I need you by my side. Are you up for it?”