Read Online Marked Clan #2 - Red by Maurice Lawless - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maurice Lawless
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somewhere? I used to keep some under the bed. Could I play nice long enough to look?
“And no one calls me Margaret,” I stalled, “It’s PJ. Why are you here if it’s not to kill me?”
She tapped the album. “You’ve been lied to, PJ.”
“I beg to fucking differ. Poppa was the most honest person I’ve ever known. He always told it like it was, whether it offended people or not.”
The woman nodded. “As do you, I’m sure.”
My fingers felt the edge of the bed behind me. I slipped my left foot under the covers and onto the floor as quietly as I could.
“Enlighten me then,” I said. “What do you think you know?”
She launched herself over the bed in a graceful lunge, landing behind me. I tried to turn around, but her arm was already wrapped around my throat. She spoke softly, her breath tickling the back of my neck.
“I know that I am not your enemy, Margaret Jane. I know that your blood can kill us all, and that you use it to that end. I also know that without my help, you will die. The last of the clean Mackenzie bloodline will die with you.”
The clean Mackenzie line? What did she mean by that?
I slammed my head back into her nose as hard as I could, and she recoiled long enough for me to slip free. I bolted for my dresser and the drawer with my epi pens. I had one out and in my hand when I heard a single curt laugh.
“God, you’re so much like Da. Blood really is thicker.”
I turned on her, pen at the ready. Her nose was bloody, but I knew whatever superficial damage I’d caused was already healed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t worry about that right now, PJ. Look, you will at least agree that had I come here to kill you, I could have done it while you slept, yes?”
“Agreed.”
She wiped the blood off her nose and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. She wore a tracksuit with the top unzipped, and her feet were bare. She kicked one foot against the wall in an absentminded way. The way she did it…no. Why did my brain insist on going there?
“I’ve been hunting my kind for a long time, PJ. There are things you need to know to help you finish them off.”
Wait, what?
“I’d say you sound like a crazy bitch, but…Why would you help me? Isn’t that kind of, you know, counter-productive?”
She pushed off from the wall and unzipped the jacket of her tracksuit. I saw she was naked underneath. Was she getting ready to change?
“Whoa, there, lady! What the fuck—”
She dropped the jacket and turned around, pulling her long hair out of the way. The tattoos on her back were similar to all the wolves I’d killed, but I recognized the runes. They were the same as Dree, down to the order and configuration. Hers were faded, though.
“You’re Slate,” I said. “Lupin’s bitch.”
“Yes.”
She picked up her jacket, but didn’t put it back on. I gave her a wide berth as she walked around the bed. She held her hands in front of her and moved deliberately slow.
“I do not wish you harm. On the contrary, I very much want you to succeed. Ours is a cursed line, a blight on the world. You’ve accomplished much in a short time, but you need to learn more about the hunt. I can teach you.”
“What does Dree think of all this?” I asked.
Slate sighed and slipped her jacket back on. “She doesn’t know I’m here. She thinks we can live in peace. I am not so optimistic.”
“Wait, let me get this straight—you don’t just want me to wipe out the other wolves. You want them all gone. Including you, Lupin, and Dree?”
She nodded. “You have no idea what this life is like. It’s an abomination.”
“Well that’s the first thing you’ve said that I agree with.”
I kept the pen at my side, but relaxed my grip just a bit. She turned and walked into my kitchen, moving silently.
“I still don’t want your help,” I said.
She shook her head and gave another curt laugh. On her way out the door she muttered, “Whit’s fur ye’ll no go
“And no one calls me Margaret,” I stalled, “It’s PJ. Why are you here if it’s not to kill me?”
She tapped the album. “You’ve been lied to, PJ.”
“I beg to fucking differ. Poppa was the most honest person I’ve ever known. He always told it like it was, whether it offended people or not.”
The woman nodded. “As do you, I’m sure.”
My fingers felt the edge of the bed behind me. I slipped my left foot under the covers and onto the floor as quietly as I could.
“Enlighten me then,” I said. “What do you think you know?”
She launched herself over the bed in a graceful lunge, landing behind me. I tried to turn around, but her arm was already wrapped around my throat. She spoke softly, her breath tickling the back of my neck.
“I know that I am not your enemy, Margaret Jane. I know that your blood can kill us all, and that you use it to that end. I also know that without my help, you will die. The last of the clean Mackenzie bloodline will die with you.”
The clean Mackenzie line? What did she mean by that?
I slammed my head back into her nose as hard as I could, and she recoiled long enough for me to slip free. I bolted for my dresser and the drawer with my epi pens. I had one out and in my hand when I heard a single curt laugh.
“God, you’re so much like Da. Blood really is thicker.”
I turned on her, pen at the ready. Her nose was bloody, but I knew whatever superficial damage I’d caused was already healed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t worry about that right now, PJ. Look, you will at least agree that had I come here to kill you, I could have done it while you slept, yes?”
“Agreed.”
She wiped the blood off her nose and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. She wore a tracksuit with the top unzipped, and her feet were bare. She kicked one foot against the wall in an absentminded way. The way she did it…no. Why did my brain insist on going there?
“I’ve been hunting my kind for a long time, PJ. There are things you need to know to help you finish them off.”
Wait, what?
“I’d say you sound like a crazy bitch, but…Why would you help me? Isn’t that kind of, you know, counter-productive?”
She pushed off from the wall and unzipped the jacket of her tracksuit. I saw she was naked underneath. Was she getting ready to change?
“Whoa, there, lady! What the fuck—”
She dropped the jacket and turned around, pulling her long hair out of the way. The tattoos on her back were similar to all the wolves I’d killed, but I recognized the runes. They were the same as Dree, down to the order and configuration. Hers were faded, though.
“You’re Slate,” I said. “Lupin’s bitch.”
“Yes.”
She picked up her jacket, but didn’t put it back on. I gave her a wide berth as she walked around the bed. She held her hands in front of her and moved deliberately slow.
“I do not wish you harm. On the contrary, I very much want you to succeed. Ours is a cursed line, a blight on the world. You’ve accomplished much in a short time, but you need to learn more about the hunt. I can teach you.”
“What does Dree think of all this?” I asked.
Slate sighed and slipped her jacket back on. “She doesn’t know I’m here. She thinks we can live in peace. I am not so optimistic.”
“Wait, let me get this straight—you don’t just want me to wipe out the other wolves. You want them all gone. Including you, Lupin, and Dree?”
She nodded. “You have no idea what this life is like. It’s an abomination.”
“Well that’s the first thing you’ve said that I agree with.”
I kept the pen at my side, but relaxed my grip just a bit. She turned and walked into my kitchen, moving silently.
“I still don’t want your help,” I said.
She shook her head and gave another curt laugh. On her way out the door she muttered, “Whit’s fur ye’ll no go
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