Reign of Blood, page 1
Reign of Blood
THE GREY WOLVES SERIES
BOOK SEVENTEEN
QUINN LOFTIS
Copyright © 2022 by Quinn Loftis
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
To everyone who has supported me on this journey.
Contents
Grey Wolves Series Reading Order
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue
The Hybrid Rule Excerpt
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Quinn’s Bookshelf
Grey Wolves Series Reading Order
For anyone new to the Grey Wolves Series and the spin-off, Gypsy Healer Series, I've created a list showing the best order in which to read the books in.
GWS - Grey Wolves Series; GHS - Gypsy Healer Series
GWS: Book 1, Prince of Wolves
GWS: Book 2, Blood Rites
GWS: Book 3, Just One Drop
GWS: Book 4, Out of the Dark
GWS: Book 5, Beyond the Veil
GWS: Book 6, Fate and Fury
GWS: Book 7, Sacrifice of Love
GWS: Novella 4, Sacred Silence
GWS: Novella 2, Resounding Silence
GWS: Book 8, Luna Mine
GHS: Book 1, Into the Fae
GHS: Book 2, Wolf of Stone
GWS: Novella 1, Piercing Silence
GHS: Book 3, Jewel of Darkness
GWS: Book 9, Den of Sorrows
GWS: Book 10, The Burning Claw
GHS: Book 4, Wolves of Wrath
GWS: Novella 3, Forgotten Silence
GWS: Book 11, Tears of the Moon
GHS: Book 5, Wolf of Sight
GWS: Book 12, Alpha Rising
GWS: Book 13, The Warlock Queen
GWS: Book 14, A Grey Wolves Howliday
GWS: Book 15, The Wolves Descend
GWS: Book 16, The Hunt Begins
GWS: Book 17, Reign of Blood
GWS: Book 18, The Hybrid Rule
Prologue
“The time of the wolf is over
The era of the fae, the warlock, and the sprite is at an end.
The age of the vampire has begun.” ~Cain
“Is that what I think it is?” A newly made vampire stood entirely too close to Cain for his liking. It wasn’t one of his own creation, just a lesser fledgling brought to life for one purpose: fighting the damnable wolves. It was their fault he needed such a large army. And while the vampire king certainly enjoyed having a greater force to command, new vampires had a tendency to be little better than toddlers until they had a few decades of afterlife under their belt.
Cain and the young one stood outside a bar owned by a rogue fae and commonly frequented by many supernaturals. “A wolf left this for you,” the fae had told Cain before passing him a wooden box. Always suspicious, Cain had decided to exit the bar and open the box away from prying eyes. Now that he saw what was inside, he was glad he did.
The vamp king glanced at the male and made a shooing motion with his hand. “Mind my personal space,” he said through clenched fangs. Cain’s irritation wasn’t only a result of the proximity of the idiot baby vamp but also because of the contents of the box he held. "It has five fingers and a palm. What do you think it is?”
The fledgling was smart enough to keep quiet.
While receiving a hand “hand delivered” in a wood box—pun intended—might disturb a human, Cain wasn’t so squeamish. He was a vampire, after all. Severed body parts were as common to him as ants at a picnic. Rather, it was the implied message the appendage brought that unsettled the king. Upon opening the box, Cain had immediately recognized the hand by the golden ring on one of the fingers. It belonged--or had belonged—to Ludcarab, the elfin king.
The message the wolves had sent was clear: they were out for blood. No Order member would be spared, regardless of the importance.
“Whose hand is it?” The young one had finally stepped a reasonable distance away.
Cain closed the lid of the box with a snap and held it at his side. He ground his teeth, pondering the implications. He could only assume there were more pieces of Ludcarab scattered throughout the supernatural community. All the Order members would soon know their enemies were on the offensive.
“Someone from whom it should have been very hard to remove,” he answered. Cain slipped his free hand into the pocket of his slacks and headed toward his vehicle. “Take two other vampires with you—older, more knowledgeable ones—and visit as many places as you can where supernaturals like to hang out. See if you find any more … packages,” Cain ordered. “Text me immediately if you do.”
“You got it, boss.”
A disturbing thought filled Cain’s mind. If Ludcarab was dead, then the healer they’d captured was free. “What a damn mess,” he muttered under his breath. He’d need to double check, of course, but Cain was pretty certain the girl couldn’t have killed the elf king herself. That meant she’d been rescued. The healer would have a mate, of course, who wouldn’t rest until she was free or he was dead. It didn’t surprise Cain that Ludcarab had once again underestimated the power of the mate bond, even if it wasn’t complete.
When he reached his car, Alston suddenly appeared in front of the passenger’s side door. Cain had to bite back a curse at the fae’s sudden appearance. “Nice of you to pop in,” he growled at the high fae. Although Cain had actually been on his way to speak with Alston, he didn’t like being taken by surprise. How the hell had the fae known where he was in the first place?
“It’s been a while since we touched base,” Alston said. “Given … recent events, I think it’s time you, me, and Ludcarab sat down and had a nice long chat about the future of the Order.”
Cain smirked as he opened the driver's side door. Apparently the high fae hadn’t heard the news. “Something tells me the elf king isn’t going to have much to say.”
Alston’s eyes narrowed, and his lips drew flat across his face. “Why is that?”
Cain placed the box on the roof of the car and shoved it across. Alston reached out and caught it before the box could slide off. Pity. It would have been funny to see Alston’s reaction when the hand came rolling out across the ground. “Open it.” Cain motioned to the box.
Alston slowly lifted the lid, as if he was scared a snake would jump out and bite him. His eyes lingered on Cain for a moment before dropping to the gory contents within the box.
Cain watched a gamut of emotions run across Alston’s face. First, his brow drew low, as if he was confused about what he was seeing. Then his jaw clenched, and Cain saw the comprehension dawn on the fae’s face. He no doubt recognized the ring. Finally, all the tightness slid away, replaced by a blank look of indifference.
“Is this all that has been sent of him? And what of the healer?”
Something in Alston’s voice gave Cain pause. He tilted his head, as if the change in perspective would enlighten him. “What aren’t you telling me?” he asked the fae.
Alston closed the lid and slid the box back toward Cain. “I asked you two questions,” he responded coolly. “Why would you think I’m keeping something from you?”
“My, my.” Cain clucked his tongue. “Is being out there in the middle of nowhere making you cranky?”
If Alston was surprised Cain knew of his headquarters, the fae didn’t show it. Instead, he simply let out a sigh, his features bland as if he was bored. “We don’t have time for a pissing match, Cain. One of our most powerful leaders has been murdered, and not by wolves. Not to mention our captive is probably long gone. And there’s a magical signature on that appendage.” He motioned toward the box.
Cain narrowed his eyes. So that was what Alston was keeping from him. “What type of magic?”
“Djinn and fae.” Alston paused and his face flushed. “Specifically, Perizada’s magic.”
Cain felt his stomach twist at the mention of the powerful, high fae female. She was supposed to be dead. “How is that possible? And how do you know the wolves weren’t involved?”
Alston glanced around at their surroundings. “Let’s not do this out in the open. Anyone could be listening.”
The few streetlights near the bar were dim, and much of the street and sidewalk lay in shadow. Though it pained him to admit Alston was right, this was a discussion that needed to happen in private. Cain looked down at the car and swallowed, then ran his tongue across his fangs. He was thirsty. Not like that was new. He was always thirsty. His mouth felt dry like a desert that had gone much too long without rain. His eyes lifted to look at Alston, and he fought the urge to lunge over the vehicle and sink his teeth into an artery. He allowed himself to briefly think about the powerful blood that would quench his need. Feeding on fae wasn’t something that was done, mostly because the fae had an advantage over the vampires because of their magic. Though a vampire as old as Cain had the speed to get away from one. It could be a challe
Cain started the car and pulled away, considering where to go. He didn’t want Alston near any of his covens. For his plan to work, it was imperative Alston remain ignorant as to just how many humans had been turned. And there were certain things happening at his coven that the fae couldn’t be allowed to see. His lips turned up slightly at the thought of his new endeavor. Cain had been a busy vampire in the past couple of months since the Order’s compound had been destroyed. Turns out, Peri had actually done him a favor.
“How is it that Peri managed to survive the cold fire?” Cain pressed his foot down on the accelerator and headed onto the freeway, going in the opposite direction of his current coven. Alston needed to be removed before he discovered Cain’s plans. The longer he let the fae live, the more likely he would work out what Cain was up to.
Alston sighed. “I honestly don’t have a clue.” His voice was rough with what Cain interpreted to be frustration. “Perizada always seems to be able to accomplish the impossible.”
“Is that admiration I hear in your voice?” Cain taunted.
“Please.” Alston spat the word. “If I had any admiration for the female, it would only be because she has an uncanny ability to keep from dying.” He shifted in his seat and rested his elbow against the door. “But I’m too annoyed to be impressed.”
After several minutes of driving in silence, Alston pointed to an exit ramp. “Pull off here and find a deserted spot to park. We need to make a trip to Ludcarab’s castle.”
Cain bit his tongue to keep from telling Alston to shove his orders up his uppity fae ass. Instead, he did as the fae instructed. Cain drove a few hundred yards down a dirt road and parked the car behind a tree. Cain practically leapt from the car, needing to get away from the sound of the high fae’s beating heart. Damn, he needed to feed. Alston held out his arm to Cain. A second later, they flashed and reappeared in a field. Cain saw nothing but trees and grass. He turned in a slow circle, searching for Ludcarab’s castle. The vampire’s eyes widened when his gaze landed on a giant, blackened patch of rubble covered in ash. “That was Ludcarab’s castle? Are you sure you took us to the right place?”
Alston scoffed. “I don’t make ridiculous mistakes. This is most definitely where his castle once stood.”
Cain let out a low whistle as he walked toward the ruins. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alston moving alongside him. There was very little left standing of the old structure. A few pieces of blackened, broken stone walls looked ready to topple at any minute. The rest was nothing but small bits of debris and ash.
“This wasn’t a natural fire.” Alston grabbed Cain’s arm and pulled him to a stop.
“Let me guess.” Cain folded his arms across his chest. “There’s a magical signature, and it belongs to our impossible-to-kill enemy fae?”
“It’s the same magic that covers the hand,” Alston confirmed. “And it wasn’t left by accident. They wanted us to know. They expect us to be shaking in our boots.”
Cain’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw the number of one of his most trusted lieutenants. He punched a button and said, “Ralph, what do you know?”
“We have found more body parts,” the vampire answered.
Cain’s fist clenched. “How many more?”
Ralph cleared his throat. “Well, basically all of him … except his head.”
“And the pieces?” Cain asked.
“On their way to the main coven.”
Cain thought about what to do with the remains of the elf king. He could send them back to the Romanian wolves with a message of his own. He quickly dismissed that idea. It was too soon to reveal his hand. “Burn them,” he finally said.
“You got it, boss.”
Cain hung up and turned his attention back to Alston.
“Ralph?” Alston asked with a snort. “What kind of vampire name is that?”
“Apparently it was the name his parents gave him at birth.” Cain slipped his phone back into his pocket. “He decided not to take a new vampire name. I think he finds humor in the irony of a bad ass vamp being called Ralph.”
Alston tilted his head. “Wait, vampires get new names?”
Cain chuckled. “No. I’m messing with you.”
“Your sense of humor leaves much to be desired.” Alston stuck his nose in the air, looking down at Cain as if the vampire was beneath him.
“I don’t think you’re the foremost authority on jokes. Not to mention, I really don’t give a shit what you think.” Cain smiled, revealing all of his teeth. He ran a tongue across one of his fangs.
The high fae rolled his eyes and waved him off. “The girl is gone, and Ludcarab is dead. We need to come up with a new plan.”
Cain turned to fully face Alston. “Are we going to tell the other supernatural leaders?”
Alston shook his head. “I think you and I are capable of running the Order without their input. Since you obviously know where the new headquarters is, begin bringing your vampires. If you gather as many as you can in one place, I’ll send fae to flash them to the location.”
That was definitely not going to happen. Cain arched his shoulders back and straightened his posture to reach his full height. “It will take some time. Many are out scouting, keeping their ears to the ground to see if they can find any news on the wolves and their allies.”
Alston shot him an irritated look, his lips pulled tight across his face. “Just get them there as soon as you can.”
Cain saluted him and smirked. “Will do. Can you take us back to my car now? I think we’ve seen enough.”
The high fae grabbed Cain’s arm, and they reappeared next to the vehicle. “I expect to hear from you soon.”
“Don’t worry, you will.” Cain tipped his head to Alston and then climbed into his car. There was no point in offering the fae a ride; he could flash wherever he wanted. And Cain had no desire to be trapped in a confined space with the annoying fae any longer than necessary. Alston was gone before Cain put the car in drive. He growled at the spot where the fae had just stood. How much easier would life be if he could just flash like the accursed fae? With that ability, Cain could have already dismantled the Order completely, put the alpha of alphas on his knees before him where he belonged, created the perfect new species, which in turn would keep all other supernaturals in their place. Of course, that was a simple explanation of his complete plan, but being able to flash from location to location in order to put all of it into motion would definitely be a cherry on his kick-ass, new-world-order cake.
He turned the car around and headed in the direction they’d come, back toward the coven that held the future of his race. Not to mention tonight's dinner. Cain’s lips turned up in a sly smile. It was good to be king. But soon, he would be the only king.
Chapter
One
“In what world did we ever think that supernaturals could live hidden among humans forever? Okay, this world. It was this actual freaking world. But apparently we were delusional. Reality has come knocking on our door and is asking for our rose-colored glasses back.” ~Jen
“Over my dead and decaying body, Jennifer.” Decebel’s eyes glowed a dangerous amber as he stared at her from across the room. For the past hour, she’d been trying to convince him to pull his stubborn, overprotective head out of his too-fine butt and see reason. It wasn’t working. Books, shoes, and baby toys lay haphazardly about the room where she’d thrown them during her more persuasive moments. Because they were currently guests in the sprite realm stronghold, she’d refrained from breaking anything valuable.
