H Is For Human (Garlic Is For Vampires, Book 3)

Chapter 16: Deals from Behind

Patrick lied stretched out on a bedsheet with his tail flicking lowly. He whined quietly but his pack members surrounded him in wolf form, together licking his wound to begin the shared process of healing him. Peter watched over the procedure and continued to growl in his throat. I knew me sitting next to him put him on further edge in his form, but I didn't leave his side. Instead, I gently placed a hand on his back and he flickered out his tongue.

"I'm so sorry," I said. "It was my fault. I made him vulnerable without even considering checking the area for vampires. Dylan got us there. But trust me I'll let you chew him up just as much as I will."

He growled in agreement. I left them alone to their own pack meeting. Matt and Brendon watched from the other side of the room. I turned to face them.

"We know that Dylan is preparing to make his moves," I said. "He knows we're working with the wolves now."

"What else is new?" Matt grumbled.

"Nothing but look. It's only the first attack, but I want to hit him back hard. Whatever gets him weak. He can't just do this to someone else who isn't me."

"Bree he can't touch your blood. Of course he's going after everyone else," Brendon said.

"We can't have this happen again." I walked to the kitchen and drank my glass of holy water, shuddering at how it made me feel right now. I couldn't bare to drink it anymore. It only made my fear of Dylan hurting others for my blood worse. I closed my eyes and tried to think as hard as I could to plan an attack on him. I didn't know where he lived at daytime. I found my phone and called Beebee.

Devin answered. "Bree, what's up?"

"Where's my cousin?"

"She's ugh...busy." He laughed and I groaned in disgust.

"Let her call me back when she's less busy."

"So once nighttime falls," he said. "Got it."

I hung up and put my phone down. Matt and I locked gazes across the room and he gave me a nod. I nodded back. We were fine. I wouldn't let my eternal worry consume him. Or at least I'd try not to let it get him too. My heart began to sink. Matt. He was probably the most vulnerable in this whole situation, and I hadn't thought that much about his mortality. He could easily be killed or worse, turned into a vampire and forced to turn on me if Dylan ever got a hold on him...

I felt so sluggish and drained from being upset that I excused myself and went to my room. I sat on the bed and closed my eyes for a few seconds. I just needed to breathe. I tilted my head back and felt the mattress coming up to my back.

When I opened my eyes again Dylan was sitting on top of me, his hand clutched around my throat. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What do you want now?"

"What I've always wanted. I don't know if you've noticed, but my payment from you is overdue." He gently rapped his fingers against the side of my throat. He leaned down until our noses almost brushed.

"You owe me, Bree."

"I don't owe you a damn," I snapped back.

"You do if you want Brendon to live." He placed a hand over my heart. "You may still be alive but he won't in a matter of days."

"Bullshit," I said.

"Go ahead, call it what you want to call it. But when he starts to die and it's too late, you'll let the regret consume you. And when everything else slips from your mind, I will be there to watch your downfall. If I can't have your blood, I'll have your agony from being a failure."