The Amulet Read online

  Alyssa frowned slightly. She didn't want to think of Nevar riding with anyone else, not that she felt she had the right to be jealous. She barely knew him at all. She let the feeling fade and relaxed into the saddle a little.

  "I take tourists out for trail rides and I also teach lessons, in case you were wondering," he answered her unspoken thoughts. "I haven't accumulated so much wealth by hiding in shadows. You still think in Hollywood terms. You can keep your career, fake your death, continue on as an uncanny look-alike, or if you prefer, completely re-invent yourself every so many years. Personally, I prefer to stay out of the public eye, but I have recently taken over my 'father's' estate after studying abroad, and people tell me I could be my father's twin. Thanks to modern technology, I can even fake age. My 'father' still makes a rare appearance to keep up the charade."

  He had a sparkle in his eye that belied his cleverness. He seemed to have this game down to an art, but if she were to continue her career, his life would be thrown into the lime light if something should develop between them, whether he liked it or not. "Nevar, my entire life has been on display for years now. What I wear, what I eat, what I don't eat, and who I spend time with," she was careful wording that last part. "If you get involved with me, and I continue my career, your entire life would be put under a microscope for the whole world to see. I won't put you through that."

  "But should it not be my choice to make, Alyssa?" His eyes were intense, gleaming at her in the night. "I made the decision to taste your blood, and the decision to turn you, and if a little media attention is the end result, I would still prefer to have you in my company than turn away for fear of a little heat."

  She could hear the careful placement of words, as if taking a cue from her. She let the walls around her mind fall. She wanted him to hear her thoughts and feel what she felt. She was hesitant, sure, but they had only met last night. She felt a strong connection to Nevar, despite the brevity of their time together. He made her happy and feel wanted. She wanted to be with him.

  He didn't attempt to pull his horse too close again and risk her being thrown, instead, he reached out and caressed her with his mind. He manipulated her thoughts in a way that sent her nerves pulsing with pleasure. He felt a possessiveness over her. He wanted to protect her, claim her.

  There was something about her that drew him in like a moth to flame. The length of her legs, the soft, yet ample, curves of her body, her enchanting eyes, and that full, sultry mouth of hers would have been all a man could stand on their own, but the combination was beyond the range of even a vampire's restraint. Beyond her looks, there was so much more to her. She was graceful and well-balanced, compassionate and forgiving. Her mind was also very keen, even without centuries of study, which impressed him most of all. She intrigued him.

  He could feel her blood coursing through him, a fact he had hidden from her. She had been upset enough that he could read her thoughts; the mention of blood ties might have been too much for her. He could feel what she felt, now that her shields were down, he explored her emotions.

  She was happy, but scared. He could tell she wanted to be careful. Her fears left an ache in his chest. Though his heart was still, it was breaking. He increased the ripples through her body and heard her moan in response. She was holding something back, but he could not sense what it was and she was careful with her thoughts, or else she had little room for thought while he caressed her.

  She was experiencing pleasure like she'd never known before. Every fiber of her being seemed to be firing all at once. The beast within her rattled its cage. The hinges of her control were slipping. Before she lost the fight, she slammed the door on her thoughts, and the beast roared its frustration. Nevar looked taken aback by the sudden interruption, but recovered quickly.

  "I'm sorry, Nevar. I..."

  "Shh. I understand. There's plenty of time," he soothed her. "Let us finish our ride. I have a surprise waiting when we get back."

  Her curiosity was piqued and it took her mind away from brooding thoughts. They rode abreast around the lake, which was well stocked with koi, and up into the woods. The night was cool, a pleasant relief to the blistering heat of the day. Alyssa could just smell the salt on the breeze as it blew in from the Pacific. She saw Nevar watching her from the corner of his eye. She gave him a gentle smile. Yes, I'm fine.

  That was not what I was thinking at all, but I am pleased to hear it.

  As if hearing his thoughts, Brush Fire tossed his head and flagged his tail. The stallion was showing off. Man and horse seemed to be connected to one another, both physically and mentally. Alyssa could almost see the man called Nicholas, sitting astride his war horse in his pristine uniform, with sword in hand, ready to ride into battle.

  "What are you thinking?" he asked. "You look so deep in thought." His puzzled expression spoke more than his words. She hadn't realized she'd been staring so intently at him.

  "I was trying to picture your life before you were turned," she admitted. "I was imagining you as Nicholas, the man, in much older times and how you must have looked in your military attire."

  She saw it in his eyes, that flicker of despair, but as soon as she saw it, it was gone. She wanted to apologize. She had been honest, but perhaps she should have filtered it better. He never gave her the chance to take it back, however.

  "I feel much like Nicholas as he was when I am around you. It has been centuries since I have even uttered the name. You have quite an affect on me." He smiled at her.

  She smiled back, feeling relieved that her words had not hurt him. Still, she scolded herself for answering too honestly. She suddenly noticed how eerily quiet the forest had become. The crickets had stopped their calling and the owls were silent. Even the trees seemed to be holding their breath.

  The horses stopped in their tracks. Their heads lifted and a nervous shiver ran through their withers. That's when they heard it. The lone cry of a wolf pierced the still night air. Nevar was on edge immediately. "We need to get back to the manor, now!"

  Alyssa sensed his urgency and nodded her agreement. She turned Aegis and sent her back down the path after Nevar. They had to pick their way slowly through the foliage. Aegis kept her distance from Brush Fire and refused to get closer. The stallion picked up speed as they entered a wider path.

  Alyssa signaled Aegis to do the same, but something moved in the brush and she spooked. The mare reared and spun on her haunches, taking off at full gallop in the opposite direction as soon as she landed. The reins fell from Alyssa's hands and she reached for a fistful of Aegis' mane to hold on. She had never ridden at a gallop before, and she feared she would fall off the frightened mare. The reins dragged hopelessly on the ground. Alyssa thought it a miracle they did not tangle the mare's legs. They came within inches of her churning hooves.

  Finally, she stopped. She shivered beneath her saddle and Alyssa picked up her fear scent. There was something else in the air, a scent she could not place. The air was still and stagnant here, and she could not pinpoint a source. She reached for the reins just as a figure stepped from the shadows.

  He looked old and haggard. He was sallow-faced and his gray hair was stringy and dirty. Alyssa thought he may have been living in a cave for several years. He smelled of mold and decay. She recognized a familiar scent on him, but couldn't place it. He took a step towards them and Aegis bolted again, this time throwing Alyssa as she did. She hit the ground hard. Her head throbbed with pain and her vision blurred. She tried to stand as the figure came nearer, but she was unable to move.

  He stood over her with a menacing scowl. He was a vampire, she realized, not that he had any allure to him at all, but his heart was silent in his chest. Perhaps had he bothered to clean the years of dirt off of himself, but even then, it would be hard to find him appealing.

  A twig snapped to the right and they both turned towards the sound. Alyssa caught the scent before she saw the source. Xander, but he smelled different, more woodsy. Then, she saw why.

  The
giant wolf leaped from the trees and charged directly at the decrepit vampire. He was the color of slate with cobalt eyes, much larger than any normal wolf. He was closer to the size of a large bear. Xander's teeth bared and the vampire leaped away before they found purchase. The wolf was beside her now, just out of reach. Her mind reached for him. His thoughts were unshielded, but they were so chaotic, she couldn't read them, as if he were thinking in a different language. She tried to convey her message to him. Xander, I need time to recover. I can't move.

  He turned his massive head the slightest increment, not wanting to lose sight of the other vampire, so she thought he understood her message. He growled deep in his throat, and the sound resembled thunder. The vampire hissed in response, sounding more like nails on a chalkboard. It seemed to hurt Xander's ears. The wolf winced at the sound, but held his ground stubbornly.

  Alyssa's vision was beginning to clear but her head still pulsed with pain. She tried again to move, this time with more success. As she stood, the old vampire followed her movements. He launched himself at her with incredible speed. Xander countered smoothly and collided with him with a sickening thud.

  Xander snapped and clawed at him while the vampire struggled to free himself from the beast. Alyssa started backing away from their scuffle. She thought about transforming into mist to escape, but she was having trouble clearing her mind with so many distractions. She heard Xander howl with pain and he fell to the ground and lay still. The vampire shoved Xander's weight off of him and stood to face Alyssa.

  She could see Xander's fur and blood further staining his filthy clothes. She turned to run, but he appeared in front of her. He was fast. He had barely resumed his solid form when he grabbed her by the throat with both hands. Her feet hovered uselessly above the ground. She waited for the end to come.

  "Where is the medallion?" His voice sounded like gravel. It was as if he had not used it in centuries. His scent was so overpowering that it drowned everything else out. Had she been able to breathe, it would have knocked her out cold.

  She debated what to tell him. His grip was tight on her throat, prohibiting her vocal chords from working. She twisted in his hands and bit him just above his left wrist. Her teeth scored the flesh and she felt the blood leak from his reluctant veins. She ignored the dirt and the grit that threatened to gag her. The blood tasted old and had a foul after taste, but it was full of power and liquid fire as it slid down her throat. He hissed in pain and ripped his arm away from her and threw her across the clearing and into a tree.

  She spit the foulness from her mouth and looked up to where he stood. He scowled at her and she saw him glance at Xander. She thought she saw him move ever-so-slightly. He was coming to and the vampire was headed for him instead of her. Heat rose in Alyssa and she felt the beast stir within her. This time, though, she unchained it.

  Her anger filled her until she felt she was going to burst. She felt a strange sensation unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It felt like she was made of liquid metal, hot and malleable. Her bones shifted and stretched inside her. Muscles grew and re-shaped themselves, following the changing shape of her skeleton. Her clothes ripped into shreds, unable to accommodate her growing figure and contorted shape. She could no longer stand upright. Her hands reached for the forest floor but touched down as massive paws.

  The beast roared with her and she could see the shock on the face of the old vampire. Though she felt odd in this new shape, she was unafraid of it. She stalked her prey, growling as she drew closer to the foul creature. Part of her had awakened in this new body and it gave her confidence and strength she did not know she had. Her lips were curled back and she felt her ears move lower on her head, an unfamiliar sensation. With wide eyes, he backed away from her slowly. Reaching the edge of the clearing, he dissolved into mist and vanished from sight.

  She turned her attention to Xander. He was bleeding profusely from a wound just below his collar bone. She whined at him and licked the wound, trying to close it. His eyes fluttered and she heard him groan. When his eyes opened fully, he jumped at the sight of her. The pain showed in his eyes, but his body remained tense.

  She whined again at him, wanting to tell him it was okay, but not knowing how. She tried to reach for his mind again, this time, she was able to understand the chaos she had picked up before. She saw the pain, red streaks through his mind, and beneath it, the shock of white before him. She saw herself through his mind. A beautiful silver wolf with piercing yellow eyes. He saw her as the moon, thought her to be a Were like himself, which made her a threat.

  She pictured herself in her true form, tall with black hair and stunning green eyes. She tried to picture her name, but words were hard to convey. Alyssa sniffed at him and lowered her neck towards his nose hoping he would recognize her smell.

  He sniffed curiously at her. His confusion at her showed in his thoughts as green swirls. She had offered her neck to him, and no werewolf in existence would expose their neck to another Were. He picked up her scent and recognition dawned on him. Flecks of gold surrounded her image in his mind.

  He sat up slowly and looked cautiously around for the vampire. In his thoughts, he was only a scent, nothing more. When he was satisfied that the threat had gone, he looked back at Alyssa and started back down the path towards the manor. He looked over his shoulder, motioning for her to follow. Alyssa fell in step behind him.

  She had to admit, she was enjoying her new form. As she picked up her pace, she nipped Xander's flank and wagged her tail at him. He perked up his ears and wagged his tail, but his body was still healing and he didn't want to play. He touched her side with his nose as a sign of affection.

  She returned his nuzzle. He had been injured trying to save her. It had been sheer luck on her part that she had been able to transform when she did. She wondered what it was that had frightened him away? If the vampire had been able to get past Xander, surely she would have posed little threat. Xander had perfected his animal form, but she was still exploring her new body.

  As keen as her nose had been before, it was keener still in this form. She could smell the subtle hints of spices that laced Xander's scent. His pheromones hinted at desire, although it was so faint she wasn't sure that she was the object of his desire. Now, she picked up another scent. It was familiar to her, and her sensitive nose picked up the hidden elements that she had missed before.

  She smelled earth and horse scent mingled with the smell of clean air after a summer storm. It was electric and unique, the smell of dusk in late autumn, cinnamon and nutmeg, the hint of winter to come. Nevar! She broke into a lope towards the aroma. The sound of hooves slowed her approach. This form would frighten his horse, and probably Nevar as well.

  She didn't know how to change back to her true form, but truth be told, she didn't want to yet, not to mention her lack of clothing if she did. She lifted her head to the moon and sent a howl to the night sky. She heard Xander lift his voice with her to announce their approach. Brush Fire answered their call with a frightened whinny.

  Alyssa stepped slowly out of the foliage and waited for Nevar to come to her. She laid down in the middle of the trail to make herself look smaller and less threatening. Xander followed her lead and laid down beside her. He seemed to appreciate the chance to rest. She whimpered at him and licked the wound on his chest again. It was much smaller and was barely even bleeding now. By the time they returned to the manor, it would be little more than a memory.

  His eyes closed under her care. A soft moan rumbled in his throat. A muscle in his flank twitched with pure enjoyment. Gold flecks danced in his mind and the red streaks of pain retreated. He pressed his nose against her neck, then licked her ear. He pulled away from her just as Nevar came into view astride his very nervous stallion.

  Nevar jumped from the saddle in one fluid movement and tied his reins to a nearby tree to prevent Brush Fire from bolting. He hesitated only a moment before approaching the wolves. "Alyssa?"

  She lifted her head at her nam
e and inched forward on her belly. Nevar was openly shocked at the realization. "You transformed?"

  She nodded her head at him, then touched her nose to Xander's wound. Suddenly, she had a greater respect for Zukko and Snickers. The communication barrier was frustrating. She wanted to tell him about the vampire that had attacked them and warn Nevar about the medallion.

  "Xander, please escort her to the manor and wait for me there. I must find Aegis and bring her home, then I'll join you."

  Alyssa sensed it again. His words carried a hidden demand in them that was more than a polite favor. She felt it, too, through Xander's thoughts. There was a pull in his mind to obey. She felt Xander in her mind. He was reassuring and in his way telling her that it was okay. There was more to it than she understood.

  She didn't argue with him, but stood to follow him down the path towards the manor. Brush Fire screamed and pulled against the reins as she did. She could hear the stallion's thoughts, bolts of yellow terror. She turned from him, showing him she was no threat. She doubted he would take her word for it, but she didn't wait for the Arabian to answer. She started down the path as Xander stood to follow her.

  Alyssa allowed Xander to set the pace as they started down the path. His injury may be mostly healed, but she knew it had used up quite a bit of his energy to do so. He took the lead at a brisk trot and Alyssa kept up with him easily. She had to fight the urge to run. The beast wanted the thrill of the hunt, to run and kill and bask in victory. She reined it in. Xander heard her mind and silently promised her she would have her chance. He would run with her and together they would taste the glory of the wind and feel their hearts and paws pounding in the heat of a hunt.

  Alyssa stopped suddenly. She had not noticed it before, but there it was. It was not still at all, but steadily thumping in her chest. Her heart was beating again? She had never known how much she enjoyed the feeling of it until it had gone. Now, she closed her eyes and listened to the beautiful rhythm humming in her chest.