Trolling for Trouble (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 1) Read online

  He stared at her hard, the intensity of his glare searing into her. She wasn’t sure what she saw in those dark eyes, but it mesmerized her for a few seconds until he spoke again. “What can I do?”

  “Well,” she began unbuttoning her shirt. “For starters, turn around so that I can get undressed. These are brand-new jeans, and I’d rather hold onto them.” He obeyed immediately, swiveling and presenting his back to her. She gave herself just a second to admire his shapely rear, then finished stripping off her clothes. “I’m going to be heading south, but let’s throw them off by giving me an opening to the north. Think you can put a few of those pups out there to sleep so that I can slip past them?”

  “Yes, that I can do.”

  “Okay, then, I’ve got to get there and back in four hours. Now if I don’t make it, and those wolves start knocking at the door, there’s not much you can do about it. Unless you’ve got some silver bullets handy, they’re going to take their newling. Don’t put your life on the line. They won’t hurt him. He’ll be a part of their pack, okay?”

  She didn’t wait for him to answer, just crouched down onto all fours and closed her eyes. She found that spot deep in her chest and touched it with her mind, willing the change to come. Within an instant she felt the stretch of her limbs and heard the popping of the bones. Heat built up inside her as hair instantly sprouted all over her body to create a pale brown mane of fur.

  Rhiannon threw her head back, opening her mouth as the bones lengthened into a snout, then she growled low and deep. When she lifted her paws and turned, she saw Sandy staring at her in awe. If she’d been still in her human form, she would have blushed, but there was nothing but admiration in his expression. She couldn’t speak, so she just nodded her head to give the signal. He mimicked the gesture, then from bottom to top his body turned to dust and he disappeared.

  She leaned down and took the glass vial carefully into her mouth, then bounded out of the house and into the night.

  Running in werewolf form was exhilarating. Rhiannon might have been a girly sort of were, but she would never get tired of the way she felt when her paws were pounding the ground with the wind in her hair, blazing through the forest. Her vision was extra sharp, and she could detect obstacles and changes in the ground level without even thinking about it. Her wolf just moved in and out between trees and bushes with the greatest of ease.

  And on nights like this one when time was of the essence, she could appreciate too the added bonus of her vampire half. It more than doubled her speed and also heightened her senses. They turned her into a super-were. And she would need that when she confronted the chupacabra.

  But first she had to find it.

  By the time she arrived in the area just about ten miles north of Aztec, New Mexico, she halted so fast that her paws skidded along the hard soil. Panting, she placed the empty bottle in a spot just behind a boulder, then she went in search of prey.

  Anything would do really, as long as it would provide enough fresh blood to draw out a chupacabra. She needed to be on her way back to the cabin in Colorado within the hour, so there was no time to waste.

  After about twenty minutes of stalking the area, she finally snatched up two rabbits. She would have preferred something larger, but beggars can’t be choosers. She killed them quickly. She might have been a werewolf with wild instincts, but she didn’t like to make animals suffer. Then she placed one rabbit carefully on the ground without any marks on it whatsoever. The other, she ripped into and began shaking it wildly in her muzzle as she ran in a wide circle around the other.

  Blood went flying in all directions, coating the ground, the rocks, everything around her within a thousand-foot radius. This was the key. It was basically a sort of mating ritual for chupacabras. They were a very rare breed of animal, and for good reason. Their mating season depended entirely on the male, and he generally only got the urge every five or six years. That meant the female was always on the alert for a randy chupacabra to impregnate her.

  If Rhiannon was lucky, a female would start lurking any minute in search of the offering presented to her by a potential mate.

  Rhiannon hid behind the boulder and waited. She wasn’t the most patient person in the world, and her wolf was even worse. It was tough to stay still and quiet. She smelled the approaching animal without seeing it. That wasn’t surprising. Chupacabras had a leathery reptilian skin that actually changed colors like a chameleon. Even in the dark, one could mask itself so that it would be difficult to see.

  Difficult but not impossible for a werewolf. When the female was about five yards from her, it finally came into view. She was big, about the size of a coyote, but the spines along her back were nearly as tall as her body was from paw to shoulder. Those pointed spears would be deadly in a fight, and Rhiannon knew she would be difficult to kill.

  Of course, she didn’t necessarily have to kill her. All she needed was a little sampling of the animal’s spit, and then she could head back to Sandy and Felipe. Easier said than done.

  Inhaling slowly, Rhia waited for just the right moment. The female chupacabra approached the clean rabbit carefully, sniffing at it with her ugly bat-like snout. It was clear by the way her spines rose up into a hackle that she detected the scent of something other than her own species on the carcass.

  And that was when Rhiannon pounced, her wolf holding nothing back and emitting a ferocious growl as she barreled into the female. They both rolled along the ground, teeth bared and claws drawn as dirt was tossed up all around them.

  The chupacabra bowed up her back and heaved her shoulders into Rhiannon’s chest, trying to knock her away. Some of the spines impaled her along the ribs and she roared in pain and anger. Her wolf unleashed her rage, chomping down on the other animal’s neck until the female hissed and jumped back. There was no reason to worry about accidentally infecting the animal with the werewolf change since they were immune to it.

  Rhiannon didn’t waste any time, she leaped at the chupacabra hard enough to force the wind from her chest, trying to daze her. It didn’t work. The female bounced right back and charged her again, spines pointed with deadly intent.

  Just before it got to her, a sprinkling of dust appeared from just above them both, and in barely an instant, the chupacabra’s black eyes rolled back into her head. She dropped to the ground like a lead weight.

  Sandy appeared as the sands of an hourglass just in front of her. “I thought you said you had this.”

  Chapter 6

  RHIANNON SHARES A LONG-hidden memory

  Rhiannon wanted to pop off a mouthy response, but weres couldn’t speak when they were in their animal form. She motioned her head at him, trying to indicate that he should turn around. After a moment he smirked down at her in such a way that she suddenly felt like a pup in heat. Then he put one of his hands out in front of her as if in presentation. A pile of sparkling dust piled up into his palm, materializing into her previously discarded clothing, neatly stacked. He placed them on the ground beside her and then presented her with his back.

  She quickly sought the magic inside her and reversed the process of the shift. When she was back in human form she was on all fours but before standing she pushed herself back onto her haunches. Covering the bleeding side with one hand, she winced in pain. Her eyes caught sight of Sandy rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet and she decided she’d better get dressed before he became impatient and turned around to find her naked.

  “Please tell me you didn’t leave the kid alone,” she said as she finished buttoning up enough of her shirt to satisfy her modesty.

  Sandy turned with a grin, then frowned when he noticed the bright red stain growing along her side. “You’re hurt,” he commented as he advanced and reached out to staunch the flow of blood.

  Rhiannon brushed his concern aside with a wave of her hand. “It will heal.”

  She hoped that was true. Chupacabras’ spines weren’t just sharp, they were also poisonous. Deadly to most animals and hu
mans, she was fairly confident her combined werewolf/vampire magic would close up the punctures soon enough.

  But until then, it was going to hurt like a son of a gun.

  The look in Sandy’s eyes said he wasn’t sure whether to believe her, but he stepped aside after a few moments and gave her a stern nod. “I was able to reach Felipe’s parents. They’re with him.”

  “Geez, Sandy. I hope they’re smart enough not to engage those weres. That’s all we need is three hybrids in the making.”

  “They’ll be careful. Now what do we need to do?”

  She was already moving towards the empty bottle she’d stowed away earlier. Taking it in hand, she held it up to him in display with a smile.

  “Oh, I get it.” He nodded. “We need its blood.”

  “Uhm, no. We need this.” She lifted the sleeping animal’s head in just the right way so that its drool began to slide down into the vial. When the flow slowed, she manipulated the female’s mouth a little so that she could milk a bit more. She hoped it wouldn’t take much, but it was certainly safer to get more than to run out.

  As soon as she finished, she dropped the chupacabra’s head back down onto the ground and pushed the cork tightly onto the vial. “Okay, we’re ready to go. You get back to the cabin and keep those daywalkers away from the werewolves. Unless I’ve screwed up my estimates, I still have time to get back before they hone in on their new pack member.”

  “Can’t I just take that for you?” he asked, pointed to the vial.

  “Hmm, I don’t think so.” She scrunched up her face and shook her head. “I can’t be sure your dust-shift won’t screw up the magical molecules in the saliva. Don’t worry, I’ll get it there. Now go.”

  He inclined his head in agreement, then started to evaporate into sand.

  “Oh, wait!”

  He immediately turned solid again and looked at her in askance.

  “I need you to take my clothes back.”

  He turned on his heel and waited while she stripped and shifted back into her wolf form. Her body would be sore from all of the back and forth tomorrow. Werewolves didn’t usually do a lot of shifting in such a short time. Generally, they turned into their animal forms for hunting or during a full moon, and then they remained that way all through the dark hours.

  Rhia didn’t wait for Sandy to get her things, she just snatched up the vial of precious chupacabra spit and bounded off at full speed towards Colorado.

  She was only slightly slower returning to the cabin than she had been getting to New Mexico. The wound in her side was barely oozing now, but for a while, the pain had really held her back.

  At the cabin, the wolves were now gathered closer together so she was able to slip into the back door. She was surprised to see her clothing there in a neat stack. Damn, it’s no wonder I’m half in love with the guy. He’s more thoughtful than any werewolf would ever be.

  Lickety-split, she returned to her human form, stifling a groan as her muscles and bones were manipulated once again. Dressed again, she walked into the cabin and received a swift kick in the chest, her entire body propelled backward into the dining table.

  The vial went sailing through the air, and it was all Rhia could do to jump up and grab it before it fell onto the hardwood floor and shattered.

  “Maria, no, that’s Rhiannon!” Sandy ran from Felipe’s bedroom with his hands up in alarm.

  “I’m sorry. Oh, I’m so sorry,” the woman cried, her hand to her mouth in alarm. “I saw a wolf outside the door and then you walked in and I just assumed you were one of them.”

  “No problem,” Rhiannon insisted, slipping past the nervous woman and towards the bedroom. On an afterthought she turned and muttered, “My bag,” but Sandy had already retrieved it and handed it to her even before she spoke.

  Felipe didn’t look well at all when she found him. He was no longer writhing in pain. Instead he was sitting on the edge the bed, staring off blankly, his eyes ebbing a reddish glow. His legs were dangling, but he was flexing his toes back and forth.

  By her guess, they had less than an hour before his body would begin shifting. There was no time to lose.

  Opening her satchel, she found a vial of saline and mixed about half of the saliva with it, shaking it vigorously to mix it.

  “Sandy!” When she looked, she saw that he was standing close behind her, and there had been no need to shout. “Sorry. Get a few of their UV lamps and bring them in here.”

  Daywalkers derived their energy from photosynthesizing the chlorophyll they ingested, so they always had UV lamps for times when they couldn’t access the sun.

  She pulled some of the sterilized saliva mixture into a hypodermic, shooting a small stream out to remove the bubbles. When she took the boy’s arm he didn’t react, just continued to stare in a daze.

  By the time she’d given him the injection, Sandy and Felipe’s parents were setting up three UV lamps all around the boy. She wasn’t sure this would work, but she hoped his daywalker self would become stronger under the light and help him fight off the werewolf transformation.

  “Okay, Felipe. Let’s lie down,” she told the child, taking him by the shoulders and gently pushing him back against his pillows. “Just relax.”

  His red eyes glared into her, but he didn’t object. Maria approached the bed, sitting down beside her son and brushing his hair back with the concerned expression of a mother.

  “Will it work?” Sandy asked, his mouth close enough to her ear that the warmth of it sent a shiver down her spine.

  She stood and piled her things back into her satchel, then made a move for the door. “Let’s give it some time. Let Felipe and the serum do their thing. Sandy and I can keep an eye on the wolves outside. Let me know if anything changes.”

  When she and Sandy were out of earshot of the family, he repeated his earlier question.

  She combed a hand through her mane of long brown hair and sighed heavily. “I don’t know if it will work, Sandy. Honestly, I hope to God it does, but the truth is this is a long shot. It’s only been tried a few times.”

  Sandy straightened his back and rolled his shoulders. “I see. I’m sorry, I know you’re doing everything you can. I didn’t mean to press.”

  Rhia waved a hand at him over her shoulder and headed to the kitchen. “I need food. I don’t guess daywalkers would have anything in their fridge, huh?”

  “Normally, no.” He bypassed her and opened the refrigerator door. “But since I was staying the night, you’re in luck.”

  She watched, salivating, as he withdrew several boxes of Asian food. Taking one of them, Rhiannon popped the lid and then moaned, “Oh my word. Kung Pao Pork.” She opened her jaws and tipped the box so that several chunks of meat dropped into her mouth.

  “There is a microwave, you know.”

  Chewing, she nodded her head and let him make her a healthy plate and heat it up. While he worked, she glanced at her phone and noted the message from Lynlee hours earlier.

  Sorry I went AWOL. Won’t believe the night I’m having. Will call tomorrow.

  She tapped out the message, then raised her eyes as Sandy approached her. The plate was steaming when he handed it back to her, but she grabbed a fork and dug in. By the time he prepped a second helping for her, she’d slowed down to breathe a little in between bites.

  “You’re a hybrid,” Sandy said, his voice low.

  She shrugged then wiped her mouth on her napkin. “Yeah. I wasn’t much older than Felipe. Well, no older than he looks anyway. But what happened to me wasn’t about power so much. I had a friend. A young vampire. We thought it would be fun. You know, stupid kid stuff.”

  “An accident then.”

  “I tried to change her, too, and that didn’t go well. I have really strong werewolf lineage, and her body couldn’t seem to adapt. It nearly caused a war between her nest and my pack. Eventually, they just took her away. I don’t really know where they resettled. Probably better that way.”

  “I’m sorry
, Rhiannon.”

  She forced a smile, doing everything she could to brush aside the memories.

  “Couldn’t anyone try to help the two of you?”

  The fork slipped from her hand, and she turned to peer down the hallway leading to Felipe’s room. “Of course, they did. My father was determined not to let it happen, to either of us. It just didn’t work out.”

  A thick silence settled in the room, and after a moment, Sandy brought a hand to his forehead and rubbed his eyebrows.

  “He tried to get the chupacabra saliva, didn’t he?”

  “Chupacabra are tricky creatures...”

  She didn’t say anything else, just scooped up the last of her fried rice to her mouth then went to the sink and cleaned her plate. Sandy was smart enough to know the end of the story. He’d seen her wrestling with the chupacabra. It had been a much bigger threat than she had been willing to admit. A twinge hit her side, reminding her of the almost healed punctures left behind by the female’s spines. Just a little closer to her heart, and she would likely have ended up just as dead as her father had been the night he risked all to save her.

  Chapter 7

  LYNLEE’S FLASH OF BRILLIANCE

  At about five in the morning, I awoke with a jolt. No fog, no drowsiness. Fully awake. Realization had come to me, and with it, the anxious spark of excitement that could not wait another minute to burst forth. I had to speak with Beck, and so even though I was only wearing some cotton pajama shorts and a camisole, I hurried down the stairs to the other bedroom.

  I tried to be as quiet as possible when I opened the door, but when I peeked inside, I saw Beck sit up instantly as if he hadn’t been sleeping at all. I cut my eyes to the floor and saw Justin sleeping soundly, his little sister’s hand clutched in his own. I motioned with my head for Beck to come with me, and then I headed down the hallway without looking to see if he would follow.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked in a whisper, but I refused to say anything until we were in the kitchen. I ignored his evident unease as I started a pot of coffee. Finally, I crossed my arms, then leaned against the counter to face him. I didn’t miss his glance down at my chest and quickly realized how low cut my camisole was.