Fangs vs Claws Read online

  I could see the corner of his mouth twitch upward as he said that. I gave him my best obvious fake smile and said, “I try.”

  He raised one eyebrow at me then walked over to the metal tray while swinging one stake around.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked

  His voice was now serious, not a trace of amusement left.

  I pretend like I was thinking and said, “Well, I would not know. I think the hit on the head affected my memory. Maybe if you unlock me from these chains, I will remember.”

  There were a couple seconds of silence before his laughter boomed through the room. He wiped an imaginary tear from his cheek and walked closer to me.

  “Yeah, sure. When the tooth fairy pays me a visit.”

  I huffed and rolled my eyes at him and said, “Listen, we weren’t plotting some kind of evil attack if that’s what you persist on thinking. My parents and I were only passing by.”

  The mention of my parents made me tense. I didn’t really care what they would do with me as long as my parents were fine. They were always there for me; I was and still am their number one priority. The same thing goes for them. I was about to ask him where my parents were when he beat me to it.

  “Your parents are fine—well, for now. Once the Alpha gets back, he will decide your fate.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him but let out a sigh of relief knowing my parents were okay for now.

  “Well, when is that?” I asked, trying to keep my voice strong and hide my anxiousness.

  He put the stake back on the metal tray and stepped back looking at his watch. “In about an hour,” he answered looking up.

  I gulped in fear.

  An hour is a very short time—well, not that short when you’re sitting in class wanting to go home. But that isn’t the point. The point is that I might die in a few hours without saying goodbye to my parents. I’m too young to die.

  I know what you’re thinking, and yes, two hundred years is a very short time.

  I just hope they don’t cut my limbs out and use my head as an ornament to hang on the wall. That won’t be pretty.

  I looked at the Beta and asked, “Which pack is this?”

  The Beta lifted his head up high and proud and said, “Black Blood pack.”

  The way he said it was expecting me to shudder in fear. Black Blood was one of the dangerous packs in America. I know, cliché, but they had the strongest men and more than one thousand pack members. They were known for their cruelty and harsh punishments.

  I gulped in fear and looked at the tools hanging on the wall.

  Yeah, I am going to go through hell.

  The Beta gave me one last look then turned around so his back was facing me. He began to make his way to the door, and he stopped. He looked at me hesitantly before asking, “What’s your name?”

  A couple of seconds had passed before I realized what he asked.

  “Stella,” I said. Well, more like whispered.

  He gave me a small smile while nodding his head. My mouth fell open at the slight gesture. I did not expect that this man in front of me had a single nice bone in him.

  “The name’s Liam. I’ll try to convince the Alpha not to make your death painful.”

  With that, he exited the door.

  Excuse me?

  Wow, how sweet of him. Note the sarcasm.

  

  It had been over an hour, but it seemed like only a minute. Time was passing by too fast for my liking.

  Come on, why can’t this ever happen when I’m in a meeting or attending a class?

  I remembered the days when Alice and I would attend high school and sometimes skip class, spending our time in the bathroom making stupid jokes. I could still remember those days as if they were yesterday and not like they were a hundred years ago.

  The thought of Alice made me smile sadly.

  Maybe I can see her again. I guess now it won’t be that bad.

  Wait. What’s that smell?

  It smells like cinnamon and vanilla, which is strange. How can I smell something like that in a place like this? The walls are filled with mold as there’s blood scattered everywhere. There’s something in the corner of the room that seems to be puke. Ew.

  Suddenly the smell got ten times stronger. Man, it smelled like heaven. I think I was drooling a bit.

  The metal door opening caught my attention as more light once again shined into the room. The male standing in front of the door made my jaw drop.

  There stood a muscular man all tall and proud. He had so much power radiating from him. It wanted me to submit. I didn’t get a better look at him until he walked into the room. He was breathtaking; he had beautiful dark black hair that made me want to run my hands through them. And wow, don’t get me started on that jawline.

  Wait, what’s wrong with me? Stella, snap out of it! This might be the dude who will kill you!

  My eyes made their way to his, and that’s when time stopped. His beautiful blue eyes glowed in the dark as he looked into mine. For a second I saw them darken as he let out a growl. My eyes widened in realization as I stood still, feeling like a deer caught in a lion’s den.

  No. No, this can’t be happening. How can this be? It’s impossible!

  The guy stalked his way to me, and he wrapped his arms possessively around my waist and said one thing. One thing that could probably change my life for the better or worst.

  “Mine.”

  Chapter 3

  I was completely speechless. I tried to bring the words out of my mouth but failed.

  This stranger right here in front of me is not just the Alpha of the most dangerous pack. But he is also my mate!

  It had been years since the last time I heard about vampires and werewolves being mates. It’s quite rare. And the hatred going on between them doesn’t help at all. I’ve heard that the minute they lay eyes on each other, they will reject one another.

  I don’t see how that can work. I mean, your soul mate is supposed to love you and spend eternity with you.

  How can I be with someone if they’re going to die sooner or later and leave me all alone? How can I have a mate if I’m immortal and will never age?

  My mate snuggled his head into the crook of my neck, and he inhaled my scent. I heard him whisper something that sounded something like, “Strawberry and chocolate.”

  I would have pushed him away, but I was still chained to the wall. I squirmed in his arms, trying to break free from his grasp, but that only caused him to tighten his hold. He rubbed his hand on my back, moving them up and down, while the other hand played with my hair. I felt his teeth graze my neck, and I panicked.

  “Stop. What are you doing?” I yelled.

  He ignored my question, and he lifted his head to look at my face. His eyes darkened when he saw my bruised cheek. He growled, and I could feel his chest vibrating.

  “Who did that?” he asked huskily.

  Damn, his voice is beautiful. I think I just heard bells jingling.

  If he wasn’t holding me, I think I would have fallen to the ground because my knees became weak.

  Dammit! Stella, snap out of it. You can’t fall for him. He’s a mortal!

  I shrugged my shoulders, not giving him an answer. I think I heard someone say his name was James.

  I didn’t really want anyone to die because of me, and the way my mate was looking at me, it looked like he was ready to kill.

  He caressed my bruised cheek with his thumb as if that would make it feel better.

  I gasped at the tingling I felt every time his thumb made contact with my skin. I pulled away, not wanting to give in. I put my best bored face on and started to move my chained hands.

  “Do you mind unchaining me?”

  He looked at the chains then growled again.

  “Liam’s in so much trouble,” he grumbled more to himself. He grabbed some keys from his pocket and unlocked the chains. My wrists were red and bruised. I rubbed them, trying to make them feel better, then my
mate grabbed and inspected them.

  I pulled away, not wanting him to touch me or else I would give in. I took a couple steps back, creating a large distance between us. There were a couple moments of silence until I broke it.

  “You know I’m a vampire, right?”

  He nodded his head but said nothing. It’s like he was looking into my soul. His eyes were roaming all over my body which made me insecure. I shifted my feet a little before continuing.

  “Well, aren’t you going to reject me?” I asked.

  Probably not the best idea.

  His head jerked, and he looked into my eyes as his got darker again. He walked over to me with inhuman speed and was towering me in just a second. He wrapped his arms possessively around me, bringing me to his chest as he growled.

  “Mine! You’re mine, and you’re not going to leave me. I’m not going to reject you because you belong to me,” he yelled.

  Excuse me? Who does he think he is? Talking about me as if I were one of his possessions.

  I used as much strength to push him away, only leaving inches of space between us. I furrowed my eyebrows.

  “Since when did I belong to you? In case you haven’t noticed, my kind hates you as much as you hate us. I don’t belong to anyone and certainly not to you! Now, tell me where my parents are so we can get going.”

  I think I saw a vein pop. He was shaking with so much anger, I could see the tip of his claws come out. His wolf was probably surfacing. He pushed me to the nearest wall, resting each arm on the wall to my side, caging me. His scent was so strong which made it harder for me to resist.

  “Listen here and listen closely.”

  His voice came out as a whisper, but I heard so much power in it.

  “You aren’t leaving. You and your parents will live here. You will become the Luna of this pack, and I don’t care if you’re a vampire. You belong to me and only me, the same way I belong to you. If you think about escaping, try all you want, love, but I will find you and drag you back here.”

  I was speechless… again.

  How can I become the Luna of this pack when every single werewolf who lays eyes on me wants to rip me to shreds? How can my parents and I live in peace in a pack?

  I was about to mention this to him when he beat me to it.

  “If anyone disrespects you or so gives you a wrong impression, you tell me, and they will be punished.”

  Before I could say anything, he leaned in and rested his head on my neck, and he inhaled my scent to calm him down. I put my hands on his chest and pushed him away. I decided to drop the subject for later because he already seemed angry, and who knew what he could do when his wolf was in control.

  “I want to see my parents.”

  He took a moment before nodding his head and grabbing my hand. I felt sparks at his touch. He pulled me to the metal door and said, “Go clean up first. I’ll have someone grab you some clothes, and then we can meet up with your parents.”

  I nodded my head, and we walked for a minute in silence until he pushed me into a room that was filled with is scent—cinnamon and vanilla.

  He exited the room after showing me the bathroom. I took a look around his room. The walls were white, and there was a king-sized bed in the center. The room was huge and had a door lead to a balcony.

  I walked into the bathroom and made sure to lock the door. I did not want anyone to see me butt-naked, especially if he had so little control over himself. I turned on the water and adjusted its temperature. It took forever to warm up, but I finally got it right. I stripped off my clothes and got into the shower. There was no shampoo for women, so I used my mate’s.

  I don’t even know his name. Geez, what a sweetheart, telling me that I will spend all my days here when I don’t even know what to call him. It seems as if we skipped first base. There is no way I will give in, I mustn't

  I’m a vampire for Pete’s sake, which means that he will grow old and die and I will still look like my sexy self.

  I started to scrub my body and wash my hair.

  I’m pretty sure once I come out I’ll reek of him.

  Once I was done, I got out and covered myself with a towel then brushed my hair and left it down.

  I slowly opened the door and peeked into the room, not wanting to bump into him while I was in only a towel. Thankfully, there was no one in the room, and at the center of the bed, I spotted a pile of new clothes and my suitcase.

  I ignored the new pile of clothes, and I opened my suitcase and took out a pair of black underwear, a pair of tight jeans, and a t-shirt. I quickly put them on then walked over to the door. I opened it, and there seemed to be no one in the hallway.

  Oh great. Now, where do I go?

  I made my way out of the room and into the empty hall. I didn’t leave my guard down, not wanting to bump into the wrong person. I was in a place that despises vampires; if I ran into the wrong person, then that would have surely caused some trouble.

  I was lost in my thoughts when I bumped into a girl—well, she bumped into me.

  She was carrying a huge stack of books covering her face. She must not have seen where she was going because she came crashing into me and we both fell as each book scattered onto the ground. I lay on the ground groaning as a book hit my already bruised head.

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” she said as she got off the ground and helped me up.

  What really surprised me was she gave me a small smile as if I was completely not a threat to her. She then got on the ground again, picking up her books. I kneeled down to help her.

  Wow, there are so many books. Well, it looks like we’ve got a bookworm over here.

  Wait a minute!

  “Is that The Giver?” I asked excitedly while pointing at a book she just grabbed. She looked at me smiling then nodded her head.

  “Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. Read it three times,” she said and chuckled.

  I raised one eyebrow at her and said, “Three times? I read it about fifteen.”

  I had a grin on my face when her eyes widened. “Living for two hundred years tends to get boring sometimes,” I continued and shrugged my shoulders.

  “Woah, two hundred years is a long time,” she said as she collected her books from me. I smiled at her comment and nodded my head.

  “My name is Marie Lundgren. What’s yours, immo?”

  “Immo?” I asked as I raised one eyebrow at her.

  She laughed at my expression and continued, “Yeah, immo, as in short for immortal.”

  I laughed at her nickname for me.

  I love this girl already.

  I reached my right hand out for her to shake.

  “The name’s Stella.”

  She ignored my hand and gave me a bone-crushing hug. I smiled at her friendly gesture. Something about her reminded me of Alice. I don’t know what it was, but it’s probably the way she was so outgoing. I hugged her back then pulled away.

  “Nice to meet you, immo,” she said, completely ignoring my name. “What’s a vampire like you doing here in a pack?”

  I sighed at her questions.

  Well, at least, she doesn't hate on me. It’s really rare to find werewolves who don’t hate on vampires. In the two hundred years I’ve lived, I’ve only met a couple of wolves who don’t hate us. Alice was one of them.

  “My parents and I accidentally trespassed into this pack,” I answered, leaving out that her Alpha was my mate.

  She nodded her head but then asked, “Not to sound rude, but how are you not dead?”

  I shrugged at her question, not really having an answer for that.

  Our conversation was interrupted when Liam walked toward us. He smiled when he saw me stand next to Marie. I still couldn’t believe this was the dominant guy that stopped us in our tracks yesterday. Well, at least, that’s what I thought. I turned to Marie and asked her, “What’s today’s date?”

  By the time I asked, Liam was standing right next to me and answered for Marie, “April third.”<
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  His answer caused my jaw to drop and my eyes to widen. “Three days? I’ve been out for three days!” I yelled.

  What about my parents? How were they treated in these past few days?

  My anxiousness increased by the second but disappeared when Liam spoke.

  “Your parents are fine. They weren’t hurt. They’re just worried about you. Of course, it did take a while for your father to calm down, but in the end, all is good,” he assured me.

  I sighed in relief. I swear this guy could read minds! I was about to ask Liam what he was doing here when he beat me to it, again.

  “Aiden sent me here to grab you and take you to your parents,” he explained.

  My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

  “Who?” I asked.

  Liam smirked at me and gave me a teasing look.

  “Oh come on, don’t tell me you don’t know your own mate’s name?” he said with a hint of amusement.

  Dammit! So that was his name—Aiden.

  Before I could throw some kind of comeback at him, Marie’s voice boomed through the hallway.

  “What! Your Aiden’s mate! Oh my god, oh my god. That’s wonderful. So that explains it. You’re going to become our Luna,” Marie shouted as she jumped up and down.

  The mention of me becoming Luna of this pack worried me.

  What will my parents say? Will they be disappointed that their only daughter is mated with an Alpha, let alone the Alpha of the most dangerous pack in America?

  I felt a lump in my throat as I realized that I might lose my parents because of my fate.

  Well, not if I can help it. There’s only one thing to do.

  And that’s to reject Aiden!

  Chapter 4

  I could tell right away that Liam, Marie, and I were going to become good friends.

  Too bad I can’t stay here much longer. I don’t belong here, especially if I’m going to become the Luna. Never in my life have I heard of a vampire being the Luna. Besides, how can the pack respect her if they hate her kind? It just doesn’t make sense. Anyway, I have the plan all sorted in my head. Well, kinda.

  Reject Aiden.

  Grab my parents.

  Then get out of here.