Forty is the New Dead Chapter 2

T he limo rolled to a stop in the private section of the airport, and Rene stepped out with his usual grace. He extended his hand toward me, his eyes steady and reassuring. I took it, allowing him to guide me from the back seat, my boot heels clicking softly on the pavement. Ahead of us, a large private jet waited just outside the hangar, its sleek lines and powerful presence glinting against the exterior lighting.

As we ascended the stairs to board, I couldn't help but appreciate the aircraft. It was immaculate, the kind of plane that whispered of wealth and exclusivity. The interior boasted cream leather seats, polished wood accents, and soft lighting that created an atmosphere of opulence and comfort. Rene led me to our seats, and I sank into the sumptuous cushion, the material cool and smooth against my skin.

Despite the luxury surrounding me, my mind was a whirl of mixed emotions. Rene hadn't answered my question. I glanced at him, his face a picture of calm as he settled in beside me. What was he thinking? What was he hiding? The silence between us was thick, heavy with unspoken words as Cass took a seat opposite us.

I tried to focus on the present, the gentle hum of the jet's engines as it prepared for takeoff, the subtle scent of leather and expensive cologne filling the cabin. But my thoughts kept drifting back to our conversation about the lycans. I wanted answers, clarity, but I was surrounded by luxury and uncertainty.

The ride was relatively quick and none of us spoke. If this was a lycan attack, Cass was unprepared for the first time in hundreds of years. Once we landed and the private jet rolled to a stop, Rene was out of his seat moving toward the exit. We were off the plane and getting into the waiting limo in seconds.

Rene's phone chimed as we pulled out of the airport. His face hardened as he read the text.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Constantine found another body in an adjacent alley. The bite marks are smaller on the second man. There is more than one rogue lycan."

Cass stared at Rene. "How far away is the attack site?"

Rene had told us it happened in an alley outside a pub in Black Blossom, but he hadn't supplied the address or name of the establishment.

"We are only ten minutes away. Constantine has called William, and the PSO is on site. The area is locked down. We don't need the public to panic until we understand what is going on."

I sighed. "Is there anyway someone could fake this attack? Dimitri would love to cause dissension between the witches, humans, and vampires. The return of the lycans could have that effect."

Cass narrowed her eyes on me. "The wounds would be easy enough to fake, but how would you fake a lycan's scent?"

Rene shook his head. "Very few vampires would be able to detect the difference between a wolf and a lycan. The smell is similar, but lycans are more... acrid. But Constantine knows that scent well. I do not believe he could be fooled that easily."

"He hasn't smelled a lycan in a thousand years. He was young when you exterminated the last of the lycan pack... or thought you did."

Rene glanced out the window as we cruised through the downtown streets. "Due to advancements in modern technology, I suppose it is possible. We need a physical description of the attacker, or better yet, a body. We must find this aggressor, no matter what species it belongs to."

The limo tuned onto a side street and passed several men in black PSO tactical gear.

The vehicle rolled to a stop in a narrow alley; the tires crunching over broken glass and debris. Beside a rusty blue garbage bin, Constantine stood like a grim silhouette in the dim light. He was motionless, except for his eyes, which tracked our approach with a steady intensity. At his feet lay a body, covered with a white sheet that was rapidly turning crimson as blood soaked through it.

We exited the limo with the night air heavy with the scent of decay and iron. My steps were slow and deliberate, each one bringing me closer to the grim reality before us. As we neared, Constantine knelt down, his movements precise and respectful. With a careful grip, he pulled back the sheet, revealing the damage underneath.

The sight was worse than the photos had suggested. Jagged wounds marred the man's flesh, cruel and haphazard, as if inflicted in a frenzy. The blood was a stark, visceral reminder of the violence that had occurred. My stomach churned, but I forced myself to remain composed.

Rene inhaled deeply beside me, and both Cass and I turned to him instinctively. His face was a mask of control, but his eyes spoke volumes. They held a mix of fury and sorrow, a deep well of emotions that he rarely let surface. I could see him processing the scene, the implications of such brutality.

"Constantine is correct. This was a lycan kill," he said.

Con pointed down the alley. "The other body is down there and to the right. One alley over."

Rene's gaze didn't waver from the body. "This wasn't just an attack," he said, his tone measured but laced with an undercurrent of anger. "It was a message."

"What kind of message is this?" I asked in a low tone.

"One to declare war," Rene growled.

Con motioned Cass to his side as he led us down the alley. "Were there any issues at Shadow Demon?"

Cass shook her head. "Just a rude vampire. Leopold implied that the salt had fallen off Raven's cracker. Other than that, it was all speeches, dancing, and schmoozing. Basically, your favorite things in life."

Con grunted. "Perhaps I was better off here. I am the only one besides Rene who would have recognized this as a lycan kill."

Cass frowned as we walked toward the second alleyway. "Maybe they were counting on that."

"What makes you say that?"

Cass shook her head. "Just a feeling, I guess. Had you not been on scene, a vicious animal attack would have been reported to Rene and he would not have returned so soon."

Con was quiet as we walked. "That would suggest that someone's feeding the lycans information. Only the clan, Ursula, and William, knew that Rene was leaving to induct Raven to the Shadow Demon clan."

"Yeah, that's what scares me," Cass said as we approached a second body covered in a sheet. A PSO officer nodded to Constantine and moved away as Con knelt down and pulled back the covering.

The young man, who looked like he was in his early twenties, had blond hair, but it was plastered to his face with blood. His wounds were similar to his friend in the other alley, but the bite marks were noticeably smaller.

Rebe sighed. "This one is likely a female. They are much smaller in lycan form."

"You are going to kill a woman?" I said as goosebumps formed over my skin. I was impervious to the cold, but my body still reacted to emotional trauma.

Rene tuned to me. "If the rogue were a female vamp, would you have me leave her on the street to kill the innocent?"

I closed my eyes and took a breath. "No, of course not. But how do we know if these lycans were turned by their choice? If you unleash a fledgling on the populace, it would likely attack because it can't control its urges. Would lycans be the same?"

Rene returned his gaze to the dead bodies. "It is the same for lycans. Possibly worse. Their transition rates are lower than ours and they never existed at a time where they could test for compatibility."

"If they were alive today, is that something that would work for them?"

"I honestly don't know. It took decades to perfect the technology that allows us to test human blood for viability. Theoretically, it is possible the lycans could have done the same had their king not driven them to war."

Cass knelt down and placed her hand around the dead man's wrist and lifted it to expose his smart watch. There was a small red light flashing on the watch. She removed the watch and stood before pulling out her phone and hitting a contact.

"Hello, Cass."

"Julian, I am at the scene of an attack. The victim has a smart watch. I think there may be a video feed. Can you access it?"

"Read me the serial number on the back and give me the victim's phone number. I will see if that model had that capability."

Cass read him the serial number of the watch as she searched the body for a phone. She found it in the young man's pocket and held it to his face to unlock it before reading the number off to Julian.

I could hear Julian typing on the other end of the line. "You are right, this model has a live feed. Give me some time to hack the server. I will send you the info once I have it."

Cass disconnected her call and turned to the PSO officer who stood a few feet away. "Hey, can you tell me what you have learned about the victims?"

The PSO officer approached her. "We interviewed the people at the pub. The two men were playing darts and having a few beers. They were not overly intoxicated when they left but over the legal limit to drive."

"Do you have any ideas why they were targeted?"

He shook his head. "We believe it was a crime of opportunity. They are college students, but many of the clientele at the pub are. This is a mundane bar. Few witches come here, and I have never seen a vamp present."

"You come here yourself?" Cass asked.

"My brother is in college. I have met him and his friends here a few times. I want this asshole found." He glanced at Rene. "Whatever did this is going down. The PSO has one policy for rogues, regardless of species."

Rene nodded. "I agree with William's policies in this regard."

Cassara's phone beeped, and she played a video that Julian had sent her. She sucked in a breath as her eyes flickered. "It's not a prank. They are lycan."

"Show me," Rene demanded.

Cass held out her phone to Rene and me, her face pale with tension. On the screen, a video played from the angle of a watch, moving erratically with the man's wrist as he walked. There was no sound, just the silent, grainy footage that told a story more terrifying than words ever could.

A shadow flickered in the alley, almost imperceptible at first. Then, in a sudden, horrifying burst of motion, a monster attacked the man's friend. The watch caught the scene in fragments; the camera shaking wildly. The half-man, half-beast creature came into view, its long claws gleaming in the dim light, its wolf-like head snarling with savage fury. It slashed at the victim's chest, the brutality of the attack clear even without sound.

The young man bolted, the view from the watch shifting wildly as he ran. He dashed down an adjacent lane. I could imagine his ragged breath and the scent of his fear. But I already knew how this ended. A smaller werewolf appeared, stepping in front of him with predatory grace. Its claws flashed, slashing him viciously. He staggered and tried to keep moving, but the wounds were too severe.

Eventually, he went down, the watch camera capturing the final moments of his desperate fight. The lens aimed at a streetlight down the lane, the bright, cold glow a stark contrast to the darkness and violence that had just unfolded. The video ended abruptly, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

I looked up at Rene, my heart pounding. His face was set in stone, his eyes a storm of controlled rage. Cass' hand trembled slightly as she lowered her phone. The reality of the horror we had just witnessed sinking in.

"This was no random attack," Rene said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "This was calculated. Deliberate. The victims were not the true target. This was a warning."

"Of what?" Cass asked.

Constantine's tone was so low it whispered in the wind. "Of what is to come."

Rene tuned to Constantine. "Alert all the clan heads immediately. Revive lycan protocols. All death dealers and warriors who are less than a thousand years old must be trained. There are few alive who are experienced at fighting them."

Cass shook her head. "I can't believe I am like a fledgling again," she said.

Con glanced down at her. "This is not like fighting a vampire, witch, or human. Lycan blood and venom is lethal to us. Only Rene has been successful in purging its toxins from his system. Every other vampire exposed to it died."

Cass pursed her lips. "I know the stories. But that is a two-way street. Our venom is lethal to them, too."

"Yes. But if you get close enough to bite one, then you are dead. The lycans had the same philosophy we did when it came to war. If you are going down, take your enemy with you. They will bite you, and both you and your attacker will die. I have buried many vampires with their murderers and do not wish to do it again. Especially with you."

Cass turned to me. "You will be training with me and my death dealers tomorrow."

Rene took a step toward her. "No Cassara. You have never fought a lycan and were never trained in the tactics needed to survive. You cannot teach what you do not know. Constantine will take interim leadership of the death dealers at Shadow Bone. He will assign a Shadow Phantom warrior with the appropriate skills to each clan to do the same. He will mentor you and your team until this threat is neutralized."

Cass looked like Rene had slapped her. I wasn't sure if it was the demotion or the impression that Rene didn't trust her to lead, but she nodded curtly and lowered her head. "You have command Constantine." Her words were cold, but I knew she wouldn't disobey a direct order.

Rene's hands fisted at his sides. He was not required to explain himself as overseer, but this was not just any order. "Cass, you have to understand. I would cut off my right arm rather than lose you. This is not a decision I take lightly. Shadow Phantom is the only clan with the resources and the experience to combat this threat. I have no doubt you will pick up the skills needed to lead your team."

Cass met his gaze, but there was still some doubt there. "I understand."

Rene stared at her. "I expect you to make things difficult for Constantine. He has had little in the way of a challenge. Do not go easy on him."

Cassara's lip twitched. "As if I ever would."

Constantine tightened the strap on his vest. The large sword on his back was a new addition to his gear, and I hadn't had a chance to ask why he chose a broadsword. "There are twenty members of my clan that have some experience with lycans. Since lycans only live to about six hundred under the best of circumstances, it stands to reason that they have no pack members with the skills needed to fight us."

Rene snorted. "Do not be so sure. We have had many members go missing over the centuries. We attributed it to human separatists or dark witches. It may have been the lycans all along."

I was still reeling at Constantine's last comment. I didn't know anything about the lycans. Not really. "They aren't immortal?"

Rene shook his head. "No. They have a lower turning ratio than we do, but they have the ability to bear children. Their mating habits ensured births were low and only happened with a chosen mate, but it kept our numbers fairly even before the war."

"What do we do next?" I asked.

Rene motioned to the PSO officer. "Take us to the pub. I want to confirm this was a target of opportunity and see if we can discern why they chose this location. They did not try to turn these humans, they were killed for sport."

The PSO officer nodded, and we began to follow him back toward the pub when Rene's phone went off.

He growled as he read the text. "We must leave. Shadow Bone has been attacked."