Vampires and Werewolves: GRIMM Academy Book Two

  Vampires and Werewolves

  R. L. Medina

  Copyright © 2020 by R. L. Medina, Moon Dragon Publishing

  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.

  For my parents who chose me to be a part of their family, loved me, raised me, and continue to support me at the ripe age of thirty. Without watching you go after your dreams and work endlessly to achieve them, I would never have been brave or strong enough to chase my own dreams.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Acknowledgments

  Also by R. L. Medina

  About the Author

  1

  This doesn’t look right. I gave my magical sword a shake as if that would help. Maybe the thing was broken. I groaned, swiping the beads of sweat from my brow. My feet were numb and my whole body worn past exhaustion from the long walk. Worse, I didn’t have time to pack food during my escape and my stomach continued to protest—loudly.

  Pushing away the visions of my tía’s amazing cooking and the gourmet buffet back at the academy, I looked up at the giant iron gates and white stucco wall that surrounded what I could only imagine was a giant ass Malibu mansion.

  I glanced at the silver blade in my hand. “What are we doing here?”.

  It wasn’t glowing anymore or pulling me along. Did that mean we’d arrived? Somehow the giant silver crowns on the front gates didn’t scream wizard, but they did say royalty.

  Los Reyes. The Kings. They were the clue to finding the wizard my mom claimed was my only chance out of the blood promise.

  A promise made in blood cannot be undone.

  I shivered at the memory of the message the witches left me. What the Luna Negra coven wanted with me, I didn’t exactly know, but I didn’t want to find out. My tío warned they would find me if I left. So far, so good. Tío was psycho. He tried to lock me up, claiming he was the only one who could protect me from the witches obsessed with tracking me down.

  My eyes snagged on the thin, pale line around my wrist. The compulsion bracelet was gone now, but the memory of it still burned. I’d been their puppet, forced to play the charade of dutiful GRIMM. Though I hated being compelled to attend their school and listen to their dogma of monster hunting duties, it wasn’t all terrible. Despite my circumstances, I’d made friends—Shiloh, Brady, and Grayson.

  His blue-gray eyes filled my thoughts. Was he okay after my Tío wiped his memory? Did he even remember me at all?

  What would he think when I didn’t show up for class? He’d promised to help me escape my tío’s hold, but he didn’t know who I really was. That my mom was a traitor to the GRIMM, leaving them to join the Luna Negra coven.

  Would he still want to help me if he knew the truth? I shook away the thoughts. It didn’t matter.

  The only one who could help me now was this mysterious wizard. I just had to find him first.

  I stared up at the silver crowns on the gate.

  Los Reyes.

  I scoffed. The Kings. Pretentious much? They also happened to be wolves—werewolves.

  Witnessing my father’s killer transform into a jaguar shifter, not to mention the other shifter attacks, made me a little hesitant to come face to face with another beast. Even with the super sword my mom left for me, I wouldn’t stand a chance against a whole pack of them.

  What I needed was a sidekick or an army. My cousin Javi’s face flashed in my mind, making my heart twist. Would Tío blame him for my escape?

  A loud horn sounded behind me, making me jump. I backed up against the gate as a fancy blue sports car came barreling toward me.

  The window rolled down, revealing an unsmiling, brown, masculine face with a black crew cut, chin stubble, and dark sunglasses. A strong odor of liquor wafted from his car, making my nose wrinkle.

  “This is private property. Get the hell out of here,” came his gruff voice.

  My eyebrow arched. Wasn’t he just charming?

  He blared the horn again, the sound deafening and obnoxious. I gripped my sword and stood my ground, though my heart skipped. He wouldn’t run me over, would he?

  “Let her in, Lucian,” a deep voice drawled from some hidden speaker.

  The driver’s lip curled at me. “She has a sword, Raf.”

  “Yes, I can see that. Let her in.”

  Growling, the man waved me forward as the gates opened. I frowned as he zoomed around me, leaving me to walk up the winding driveway.

  Ass.

  My pulse quickened as I collected my thoughts. I really hope you were right about this, Mom. From what I remembered from my brief time at GRIMM Academy, werewolves almost always came in packs and packs could easily be over twenty wolves. My stomach knotted. I instinctively patted my jeans pocket for my phone, but it wasn’t there. I’d left it behind when I ran so no one could track me.

  No one knew where I was, or what I was about to do. That was a frightening thought. My mind played out scenarios I’d seen on all the crime docs I’d watched before. Shuddering, I pushed away the mental images and steeled myself.

  I have a sword. I know some chants. I’ll be fine.

  The jerk stood outside his car, big arms folded across his massive chest. His unbuttoned white dress shirt showed off way more of his brown skin and dark hair than I wanted to see. Judging by his sour expression, odor de liquor, and his wrinkled clothes, he’d had a worse night than I had. Or maybe it had been really good—too good.

  He stared at me, lips flattened, and though I couldn’t see his eyes behind the giant shades, I envisioned them narrowed at me in suspicion.

  I swallowed my fear and tried to match his confident demeanor. “So, you gonna let me in or are we just gonna keep standing here staring at each other?”

  He grunted. “You gonna give me your name or you gonna just keep gawking at me?”

  Heat rushed across my face. “I’m not the one gawking. You are.”

  “No. You’re like what sixteen?”

  My cheeks flushed. “Seventeen.”

  “What do you want, kid? Who sent you?”

  I bristled at his patronizing tone. “Who are you? Are you the alpha?”

  He frowned. “Is this some kind of prank? You from the GRIMM school?”

  I sucked in a breath. How did he know?

  “When I said to let her in, I meant into the house, Lucian,” the deep voice from the speaker interrupted.

  “Sorry, Alpha.”

  My eyes widened as another man joined us, appearing out of nowhere. He wore expensive looking slacks and a dress shirt, his muscular frame barely contained in the tight fit. Dark curls framed a clean-shaven face. His smile was too perfect, and though his brown eyes looked warm and friendly, my GRIMM instinct
s kicked in, warning me not to drop my guard. I couldn’t see the werewolf side of him, but I could tell there was something… off. Something different. Is that how the sight worked?

  “I’m Rafael. Rafael Peña and you are?” His gaze flicked to my sword, which I continued to hold up as a barrier between us.

  I didn’t miss the amused smirk as it flashed across his face.

  “Rose.”

  The wolves glanced at each other, making the hairs on my neck bristle. Did they recognize the name? Did they know who my mom was?

  “Come inside.” Rafael spoke first.

  His unwavering smile made my palms sweat. I couldn’t help but draw comparisons with the notorious big, bad wolf from all the fairytales I’d read before. If the other stories were true, were those as well?

  Lucian, the slightly bigger of the two, motioned me past him. Ignoring my heart as it tried to fly out of my chest, I walked by him.

  The entrance was nothing like what I’d picture a wolf living in. Their house was modern, sleek… tasteful even. It was something I expected to see on the cover of some realtor magazine. Malibu’s most prized mansions. The room was filled with crisp, clean lines and metal and glass décor. Dashes of royal blue mixed with the cream white and light gray color scheme.

  My head spun as I took it all in.

  “You can set your sword there.” Rafael nodded toward a glass side table.

  My grip tightened.

  He smirked. “Suit yourself. Let’s sit, shall we?” Without waiting for a response, he led me farther in, past a living room and giant kitchen.

  Glass walls revealed the majestic view of the beach. White leather couches and glass coffee tables dotted the room, and strange black and white artwork covered the opposite wall.

  “Come sit with us. Do you want a drink?” Rafael called me over to the couches.

  “Sure.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “We have water and juice. Tea?”

  I gaped at him. Why was he being so hospitable? My gaze slid to Lucian, who stood, arms crossed, still frowning, and still wearing his sunglasses though we were inside.

  “Just water. Thanks,” I finally responded.

  Rafael snapped his fingers and Lucian disappeared down the hall. I sank into one of the seats opposite the werewolf, my stomach fluttering.

  I didn’t like the way he kept studying me. As if sizing me up.

  “Rose. What brings you here? How did you find us?”

  His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  Swallowing my fear, I squeezed the hilt of my sword harder and forced myself to meet his stare. “I was told you could help me. I’m looking for a wizard.”

  His eyebrow arched. “A wizard?”

  Lucian returned at that moment, holding out a glass of ice water to me, face stony.

  “Thanks,” I murmured, taking the cup from him. I gulped it down as they watched, grateful for the cool liquid quenching my thirst. It was a long walk on foot and from what I could tell, I’d missed breakfast and lunch.

  “Lucian, take the glasses off. You’re scaring our guest.”

  His shoulders stiffened. “I can’t.”

  Rafael stilled, his gaze flicking to him. “Take them off. Now.”

  Lucian sighed and removed them. Dark brown eyes stared back at us, but there were red rings around his irises. What the? Was this part of my sight too? But Rafael didn’t have the demon eyes.

  The alpha sat forward, interlacing his fingers together and smiling at Lucian. A vicious, dark smile. “What have you done, Lucian?” His voice was soft.

  “They asked for a demo.”

  In one move, Rafael had him across the room and against the wall, hands around his throat. The sound of Lucian’s head slamming against the drywall made me jump, spilling water all over myself and the couch. It happened so fast. One of the paintings crashed to the floor with a thud.

  I set the glass down on a table and stood, clutching my sword. My knees bent, going into a defensive stance. Thank you, Professor Cassiano, for at least some training.

  Holding the weapon in front of me, I edged closer, watching as Lucian struggled against his alpha’s hold.

  “Stop it! What are you doing? You’re going to kill him!” My panicked voice echoed around us.

  “I said no demos, Lucian.” Rafael’s words were deceptively soft.

  A chill went up my spine. This wolf was dangerous. What were you thinking sending me here, Mom?

  Lucian choked, hands flailing in the air. Why he didn’t fight back? He was the bigger werewolf.

  Rafael tossed his head to the side, moving dark curls from his eyes as he gripped his beta. With another toss of his head, he released Lucian, letting the man slide to the floor in a coughing, gasping heap.

  My heart raced, body thrumming. Ignoring my fear, I swung my sword in front of me. “What the hell was that about?”

  Rafael sniffed. “Private matter.”

  I glanced at Lucian as he struggled to his feet. His dark eyes bulged, the red rings more prominent. Fur spread across his cheeks, his face morphing before me.

  An icy rush of fear filled me.

  I started to back up. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here. Thanks for your time.”

  Rafael turned to me. “Why did you come, Rose? Aren’t you a little young to be a GRIMM?”

  My eyes widened. What did he know about me?

  “I… I was told you could help me, but now… I seriously doubt it.”

  His eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled at me. How could the guy go from mister nice guy to murderous tyrant so quickly? Freaking Psycho.

  “Rafael. Is everything okay?” a voice called from behind me.

  I turned to see another muscular man bound toward us. His gray tank was covered in dark red streaks. Panic shot through me.

  Blood.

  He stopped short as he saw me. Worry flashed in his hazel eyes. “Sorry… I didn’t know we had company?” His gaze returned to Rafael.

  “Rose, Mateo. Mateo, Rose.” Rafael introduced us.

  The werewolf gaped at me. Unlike the other two, he was smaller. Not small by any means, but he looked more like your average gym obsessed douche than the freaking hulk. His longish, brown hair hung in clumps against his sweaty head.

  “Uh. Hi?” He waved.

  “Hi.” I returned the wave, realizing I was still holding my sword.

  He turned to the others. “Raf, sorry to interrupt, but you’re needed downstairs.”

  I frowned. Something to do with all the blood on his shirt and sweats?

  “Lucian.” Rafael nodded.

  The big man strode forward and followed Mateo across the room to a closed door. A scream came from that direction, making the hairs on my neck stand up. Dread filled my gut. The mob—my mom led me to the freaking werewolf mob.

  I was acutely aware of the eyes watching me. Squaring my shoulders back, I turned to face Rafael.

  “There isn’t anything illegal going on here is there?” I tightened my grip on the sword, “Because I’d hate to have to report you.”

  He laughed. My face burned, but I held my ground. What if they had some innocent ordinaire back there?

  “You’re welcome to investigate, Rose.” His eyebrow arched in challenge.

  Throwing on my best F-U face, I followed the others. Rafael sauntered after me, his amused grin still plastered on. My heart sped up as I got closer to the door. A blood-curling howl struck my every nerve. That didn’t sound human.

  Rafael stepped forward and turned the knob. Sucking in a breath, I raised my sword and entered first.

  Please, oh please, don’t let this be a trap.

  2

  A dim light swung overhead, casting a golden glow on the sight below. I stopped short, nearly losing my balance on the stairs.

  They’d led me to some kind of basement. Straight from a crime show.

  I shuddered, trying not to think what all the tools and weapons hung on the walls were used for. That wasn�
��t what drew my attention, though. Strapped to a table in the middle of the room was a man. His back arched and his screams echoed off the thick stone walls. Dried blood caked his bare skin even as fresh blood dripped down his chest and legs mingling with it. My stomach lurched at the sight.

  His screams filled my ears, numbing me.

  Lucian, Mateo, and another man stood behind the table. They looked up at my approach. Their eyes glowed bright yellow and for a second, fur and fangs replaced their human appearance. I backed up, colliding with Rafael.

  “Don’t tell me this is your first interrogation? I thought they started you GRIMMs off early,” he spoke into my ear.

  His words sent a shiver up my spine.

  “We found this cub outside your school. He won’t tell us why he’s here. In our territory. Maybe he’ll talk to you.” Rafael gripped my shoulder and pushed me forward.

  My feet slipped as I tried to get out of his grasp. He held me up, my skin bruising from his iron hold.

  “Let go of me!”

  He released me, shoving me toward the table. My stomach churned at the grisly sight. I threw a hand over my mouth, fighting the urge to retch.

  The man’s body contorted, shifting from human to whatever else he was. Cougar? Light fur covered his shoulders and face, his fangs appeared. A pained hiss escaped him, and his eyes were clenched shut. Was it the same one that attacked me outside the school gates?

  “Why are you doing this?” I turned to Rafael.

  My hands trembled around the hilt of my sword.

  He stared at me. “Don’t tell me you have a soft spot for shifters.”

  Manny’s face flashed in my mind. I shuddered. As much as I wanted justice for Papi, what they were doing felt wrong. So inhumane. I didn’t dare look back at the battered body. I did have questions, but I couldn’t stand and face him. Not now.